It may be a wee bit early to celebrate St. Patrick's Day - unless you're going to an Irish Rovers concert.

The band that is known for such musical blarney as "The Unicorn," "Lily the Pink," and "Whiskey on a Sunday (the Puppet Song)" will perform tomorrow night at the Sandusky State Theatre.

The group with a knack for rollicking tunes with an Irish flair got its start in 1964 when six Irish emigres banded together at the Depression Coffee House in Calgary, Canada.

The Rovers honed their skills for four years - including an unprecedented 22 sold-out weeks at San Francisco's famous Purple Onion folk club - before being signed by Decca Records.

Their first hit single, "The Unicorn," sold more than 8 million copies, thanks to the band's jovial delivery of the clever lyrics penned by Shel Silverstein.

The Irish Rovers soon had their own television variety show on Canada's CBC-TV and were featured on more than a dozen one-hour Canadian network specials in the 1970s.

After switching to Attic Records in the late 1970s, the Irish Rovers produced three straight chart-topping albums, "The Rovers" in 1980, "No More Bread And Butter" in 1981, and "It Was A Night Like This" in 1982.

The musicians have recorded more than 30 albums over the years and continue to serve as unofficial ambassadors of Irish music and good will.

The Irish Rovers' current lineup consists of George Millar, Joe Millar, Wilcil McDowell, John Reynolds, Wallace Hood, and Kevin McKeown.

The Irish Rovers will be in concert at 8 p.m. tomorrow at the Sandusky State Theatre, 107 Columbus Ave., Sandusky. Tickets are $21, $23, and $26 from the box office, 1-419-626-1950, toll free 1-877-378-2150, or online at www.state-theatre.com.

First Published March 5, 2004, 12:36 p.m.