Luke Kelly

Luke Kelly, (November 17, 1940 - January 30, 1984) was an Irish singer and folk musician from Dublin, Ireland, most famous as a member of the band The Dubliners.

Early Life

Kelly was one of the best-known figures of the Irish folk music movement of the 1960s and 1970s. A Dubliner from the north inner city,he was born on the periphery of the Docks, on Sherriff Street. He attended the O'Connell School on North Richmond Street before emigrating to Britain in 1958. There he first became involved in the growing international folk music scene in which Ewan MacColl was a central figure, as well as joining the Communist Party of Great Britain.

Career

In 1962 Luke Kelly returned to Dublin and quickly became a central figure in the city's burgeoning folk music community, playing in sessions in O'Donoghue's Pub on Merrion Row with the likes of Ronnie Drew, Barney McKenna and The Fureys. Not long after, he ended up forming a folk group with Drew, McKenna, Ciaran Bourke and John Sheahan, which he named The Dubliners. In 1965, Kelly married the actress Deirdre O'Connell, one of the founders of the Focus Theatre.

In the mid-1960s, Kelly returned to England for a while. On coming back to Ireland, he rejoined the Dubliners. His interpretations of "Raglan Road" and Scorn Not His Simplicity were significant musical achievements and became points of reference in Irish folk music. His version of "Raglan Road" came about when the poem's author, Patrick Kavanagh, heard him singing in a pub in Dublin city then called the Bailey, and approached him to say that he should sing the poem, which is set to the tune of 'Dawning of the day'. Kelly remained a politically engaged musician, and many of the songs he recorded dealt with social issues, the arms race and war, workers' rights and Irish nationalism, ("The Springhill Disaster", "Second World Song", "Joe Hill", "The Button Pusher", "Alabama 1958" and "God Save Ireland" all being good examples of his concerns). One of the Dubliners' seminal albums was titled Revolution. In the socially and politically conservative atmosphere of the Republic of Ireland at the time, this was notable.

Illness and Death

On 30 June 1980 during a concert in the Opera House in Cork Luke Kelly collapsed on the stage. He had already suffered for some time from headaches and forgetfulness, which however had been ascribed to his alcohol consumption. A brain tumour was diagnosed. Although Kelly toured with the Dubliners after enduring an operation, his health deteriorated further. He forgot lyrics and had to take longer breaks in concerts as he felt weak. On his European tour in Autumn 1983 he came off the stage in Traun (Austria). Shortly after he had to cancel the tour of southern Germany and after a short stay in hospital in Heidelberg was flown back to Dublin. After another operation he spent Christmas with his family but was taken into hospital again in the New Year, where he died on 30th January 1984. His gravestone bears the inscription: Luke Kelly - Dubliner.

Legacy

He remains a Dublin icon and his music is widely regarded as one of the city's cultural treasures.

The Ballybough Bridge in the north inner city of Dublin has been renamed the The Luke Kelly Bridge and in November 2004, the Dublin city council voted unanimously to erect a bronze statue of Luke Kelly. The location for the statue had not yet been decided upon.

From Dublin streets and roads and down the years

Came great musicians and balladeers

There was a special one, a red haired minstrel boy

And when he passed away, a city mourned its favourite son

All round the markets and down the quays

The sad news it spread to the Liberties

The minstrel boy is gone, he'll sing no more

And Luke somehow we know, we'll never see your likes again

References

Luke Kelly: a Memoir, Des Geraghty, ISBN 1-85594-090-6
Ar Bhruacha na Life, Des Geraghty, - 23-5-07 135585 www.tg4.ie - En sub.wmv (Déanann Des Geraghty, fear amhrán agus feadóige, ceiliúradh ar an lucht ceoil i mBaile Átha Cliath).
Biography at "Ramblinghouse"
'Ahern lends support to Kelly memorial' 31 December 2004
Rest In Peace Luke Kelly
Rest In Peace Luke Kelly