Nothing is more charming than an Irishman, and Celtic Thunder has six of them.

Celtic Thunder, a male vocal ensemble, is supported by a loyal fan base. Named the Top World Album Artist in 2009 by Billboard magazine, the performers received special attention when their own Damian McGinty was crowned a winner of Oxygen’s popular summer series “The Glee Project.”

Now, stepping out sans McGinty, Celtic Thunder’s Heritage tour has an opportunity to delight fans, both new and old.

Celtic Thunder consists of Neil Byrne, Emmet Cahill, Keith Harkin, Ryan Kelly, George Donaldson and Daniel Furlong— all of whom are Irish, with the exception of Donaldson, a Scotsman. Ranging in age from 13 to 42, the group performs both solo and ensemble pieces in an effort to convey the rich musical traditions native to the Emerald Isle.

According to Byrne, Heritage has been the most enjoyable tour for the group so far.

“There aren’t many shows like this in Ireland,” Byrne said. “It’s such a small place— four hours in a bus covers all of Ireland. Being in places like New York . . . it feels like the center of the universe.”

The Heritage tour, which began in early September, will include a two week hiatus in November, after which Celtic Thunder will performing a Heritage and Christmas tour. All together, the ensemble will give 61 performances, spanning 45 cities from New York to California. When packing for this tour, Byrne admitted to bringing his own Irish tea.

“I always get homesick in the second month for some reason, but thank God for Skype,” Byrne said. “Really, though, we just love being here.”

Heritage, which will hit The Fabulous Fox Theatre on Oct. 20, includes many different genres of songs, including prayerful and mystic tunes, Irish “trad” (traditional) and a few American hits. Traditional songs are essential pub fare. Tunes like Thin Lizzy’s “Whiskey in the Jar,” include such light, heartfelt lyrics as, “Now there’s some take delight in the carriages a rolling/ and others take delight in the hurling and the bowling/ but I take delight in the juice of the barley/ and courting pretty fair maids in the morning bright and early.”

True to the pub atmosphere, Byrne doubles as a vocalist and instrumentalist, and Celtic Thunder’s rendition of “Whiskey in the Jar” includes Byrne and Harkin in a dueling guitar battle. Among other crowd favorites, Byrne cites Steve Earle’s “Galway Girl,” made popular to Americans in the 2007 blockbuster “P.S. I Love You.”

Though Byrne said that Celtic Thunder “feels like a full-time job,” he spent much of the past summer in Galway, on the west coast of Ireland, putting the finishing touches on his new album “Faces,” to be released within the next two weeks.

“I’m really excited about this album,” Byrne said. “It’s got kind of an American-Steely Dan vibe to it.”

While a flight to Dublin and some of the world’s best pub music requires at least six hours’ duration, Byrne and the men of Celtic Thunder bring the energy and sound of Ireland to the center stage.

Tickets for the Oct. 20 performance at the Fox are available through the box office at (314) 534-1111, or through MetroTix at www.fabulousfox.com.

For more information about Neil Byrne and his upcoming album “Faces,” visit neilbyrnemusic.com.