The beginnings of The Cranberries go back to 1989 when brothers Noel and Mike Hogan, Fergal Lawler, and Niall Quinn formed a band in their hometown of Limerick, Ireland. They chose the punny name “The Cranberry Saw Us”—or “Cranberry Sauce” if you say it fast.
Niall Quinn, the original singer, lasted about a year. That’s when the guys stumbled upon Dolores O’Riordan who arrived with a big voice and some very good songs. Demos were recorded and sent out to a variety of record labels under that original name: “The Cranberry Saw Us.”
One tape was returned in the mail and was addressed to “The Cranberries.” That typo allowed the band to see the mistake they’d made with their name, so “The Cranberry Saw Us” became “The Cranberries.”