Alan started playing guitar at the age of 10. At 11 he started 'gigging' with his brother David (Rythym guitar) and within a couple of years they had won dozens of talent competitions up and down the country. They also played support for a year in the Parting Glass, Donegal to top artists, including: Big Tom and His Band, Philamena Begley, Joe Dolan and many many more. This led to 2 other brothers, Sandy (Bass) and Toby (Drums) joining the band in which they where then to be become known as 'Harrys Gang'.

As a 13 year old, Alan won the 'Young Guitarist of the Year' competition, and soon began making a name for himself up and down the country.

A few years later the brothers and Alan joined the 'The Rascals showband', who played support to 'Leo Sayer' at the RDS in Dublin and The Kings Hall Belfast in 1979 and topped the charts with their single 'Ecstasy'.

The band was later joined by front singer and wife Julie. With this band, Alan toured England, Sweden and Germany as well as his homeland Ireland and made numerous appearances on TV including the Late Late Show, Live at 3 and a show called Screentest on RTE were they performed with Linda Martin. (Eurovision song contest Winner in 1992, and more recently, one of Louis Walsh's judges on X-Factor).

At the age of 22 Alan set up his own recording studio and began recording artists from all over Ireland. He recorded, produced and played on Mickey Joe Harte's (Ireland's Eurovision entrant for 2003) first 2 Albums. He soon emerged as one of the top session players in Ireland.

Alan has filled in with some of Ireland's top bands and has even done a stint with the American Drifters. Today Alan has been joined with Keyboard player Ricky Meyler, and the 2 of them have now become the most sought after LIVE 2 piece band in Ireland.