Irish singing group Celtic Thunder [ tickets ] will roll out later this month for a tour of North American cities as the ensemble supports its latest studio album.

The all-male group, which has become a common fixture on public television in the US, kicks off the tour March 13 in Boston. The outing, which is slated for more than 30 dates through early May, hits cities up and down the East Coast before heading into Canada for a prolonged visit, concluding May 7 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Details are included below.

The group's sophomore effort, "Celtic Thunder: Act Two," produced by Grammy-nominated songwriter/composer Phil Coulter, surfaced last September. Tracks include versions of "Nights in White Satin," "My Boy" and "I Want to Know What Love Is," as well as holiday tunes. The set debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard World Music chart.

"The songs that are involved on this CD, there are a lot of traditional songs, but there are contemporary songs on it, too," the group's George Donaldson told LiveDaily recently. "These are always fantastic songs. But I know when you're working with the likes of Phil Coulter, the bar is always going to be higher anyway. You know he's used to success. I think the level of success is even higher than that now."

Along with Donaldson, Celtic Thunder features soloists Damien McGinty, Keith Harkin, Ryan Kelly and Paul Byrom, a group that ranges in age from 15 to 40. They perform separately and together backed by a full orchestra and a six-piece band.

The vocal quintet, which mixes traditional and contemporary music with international hits and original material, is the brainchild of Coulter and producer Sharon Brown.