 The Killdares were founded in 1996 by lead singer and drummer Tim Smith, along with former members Jesse Owsley and fiddler Linda Relph.Owsley left within the first year, while Relph was with the band until 2002.In 1998, the band released their self-produced debut CD, "Broken With A Word"

In 2001 The Killdares released "A Place To Stand", which was produced by Chris Bell.