Kildare musicians attend Luke Kelly sculpture unveiling – and raise the roof in O’Donoghue’s, Dublin’s renowned trad bar with three hour session!

Last week saw Luke Kelly, renowned balladeer of The Dubliners honoured in his home ‘town’ with not one, but two sculptures unveiled to mark the 35th anniversary of his passing, one on each side of the River Liffey.

John Coll’s work depicted a life-size bronze statue, showing the iconic figure seated and playing a banjo. This was erected at South King Street, with several Kildare musicians there to hear Uachtaráin na hEireann, Michael D Higgins do the official honours and make a passionate speech about Kelly’s huge influence on the Irish music stage.

There for the unveiling in South King Street were Rob Chanders, renowned Athy musician, Ann Murphy Daly of Ballymore Eustace (the latter two are also founding members of Mor Cheol trad group) and Pat Keitley, also from South Kildare.

President Higgins spoke fondly of Kelly, former member of The Dubliners whose distinctive ‘gravelly’ voice made him a household name in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Kelly died in 1984 but his ballad deliveries and unique way of singing continues to influence the music scene today.

Mr Higgins, joined by his wife Sabina, stated Luke’s music was intrinsically linked to his growing up in Dublin, and reflected the struggles of the working class man: “a Dublin where children were ‘reared on songs and stories’, and music was an intrinsic part of daily life.”

At the unveiling, there were several leading Irish musicians, amongst them John Sheehan, the sole remaining member of the Dubliners, along with Glen Hansard and Brendan Begleym and numerous other well known session musicians on the Irish trad scene.

Afterwards, Ann, Rob and Pat were joined by fellow member, Don Duggan of Mor Cheol at O’Donoghue’s renowned Irish pub in Merrion Row where they hosted a session for three hours!

“This was magic!” said Ann “They loved us and we loved performing in a venue which the Dubliners and Luke Kelly graced frequently, along with our own Christy Moore and many other famous Irish musicians. What a great day out we had!”

The Kildare musicians were supported by Pauline Burke, nee Lynham who despite being married to a Wicklow man, and raising a family on the Kildare-Wicklow border, reminded us she is, and always will be a Dub, and was there to see one of Dublin’s most famous characters, Luke Kelly, honoured!

A second sculpture, a marble portrait head of the musician, was created by award-winning portrait artist Vera Klute, a winning design selected from a competition run by former Lord Mayor of Dublin, Christy Burke.

Feature photo shows Ann Murphy Daly, Kildare musician (accordian, guitar and vocals) with John Sheehan of the Dubliners.