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Portrait of Johnny Duhan. JohnnyDuhan.com

Tributes paid to renowned songwriter Johnny Duhan, who died in Galway Bay drowning

Johnny died after he drowned at Silverstrand beach at Galway Bay yesterday.

TRIBUTES HAVE BEEN paid to songwriter Johnny Duhan, who died yesterday after drowning at Silverstrand beach at Galway Bay.

Duhan was born in Limerick in 1950 and worked with artists such as Christy Moore, The Dubliners, Mary Black and many Irish and international singers.

In 2015 Moore said a song that Johnny Duhan had written, The Voyage, had been played at over a million weddings internationally. He recorded his own version of the song in 2005.

Duhan moved to Barna, Co Galway after a career of music in Limerick, Dublin and London in England. He released a number of albums and music in his own right after a career of writing many famous and favourite Irish songs.

He was an avid swimmer and a source inspiration to many Irish songwriters.

Johnny is survived by his wife Maureen and five children Ronan, Niamh, Kevin, Ailbhe and Brian, ten grandchildren, four sisters and three brothers, along with a large cohort of music fans.

Taoiseach Simon Harris last night described the news of his death as “terribly sad” and sent his thoughts to Johnny’s family. “Johnny Duhan was a renowned and much-loved songwriter,” Harris wrote on X.

Former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams also sent his condolences to Johnny’s family and friends. “I’m really sorry to hear of the death of Johnny Duhan. One of our finest songwriters and creative writers,” he said.

Duhan was described as one of Moore’s and the late frontman of the The Dubliners Ronnie Drew’s favourite Irish songwriters. Johnny published three books about Irish music and his career.

Host of RTÉ Radio One’s Rising Time programme Shay Byrne said that he and Duhan shared correspondence over email for years, though never met in person. The last email he received from him was on Monday evening.

Byrne said Johnny was “a great proponent of Irish music, promoter of Irish music and encouragement to so many artists”. He gave his condolences to Johnny’s family and wife.

Johnny’s family have asked that the public direct any donations to the RNLI and the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dublin.

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    Mute Patrick Tynan
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    Oct 24th 2016, 3:59 AM

    May be you could think about his family not be such a negative person blaming nct laws for us bikers who generally cherish our bikes to a high degree. Shame on you

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    Mute Shawn Rahoon
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    Oct 23rd 2016, 7:35 PM

    Does that mean I should be named an shamed if I ate a slice of my grannies pudding before driving home? After all she always puts a drop of brandy in it.

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    Mute Shawn Rahoon
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    Oct 23rd 2016, 7:36 PM

    My apologies. This should be on another article.

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    Mute Mercurial One
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    Oct 23rd 2016, 10:38 PM

    Why are motorcycles exempt from NCT tests in Ireland? Had one once years ago (Yamaha 650) which sometimes used to accelerate dangerously between gear changes on corners and later discovered, after selling it that it had been rebuilt after a previous crash.

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    Mute Christopher Kelly
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    Oct 23rd 2016, 11:18 PM

    @Mercurial One: This is not the time nor article for posting such nonsense

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    Mute Conlaoch Ó Raghallaigh
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    Oct 24th 2016, 10:53 AM

    Christopher Kelly: why is it nonsense? And since it’s about a person killed on a bike I think it is the article to talk about it, this isn’t a condolences page

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    Mute declan burke
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    Oct 24th 2016, 1:37 AM

    A young man has died .maybe leave the politics aside for now .and prey his family can find peace

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    Mute Mary Griffin
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    Oct 26th 2016, 5:00 AM

    RIP BROTHER you will be missed u are a true friend club member brother a true gent a loving boyfriend to Becky buck ,, UNFIXABLES MCC EIRE thank u for ur friend ship ur loyalty and all the funny times GBNF LL&R BROTHER

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