'A life well-lived, a talent realised': Tributes paid to Johnny Duhan ...

Christy Moore has described Johnny Duhan as a “family man, gentleman and an artist”.

Moore’s version of Duhan’s song The Voyage is now a folk standard that has been played at Irish weddings for decades.

He first recorded it in 1989 and it was released on the album The Voyage in the same year.

Mr Duhan drowned off Silverstrand in Galway Bay on Monday. Gardaí are investigating the possibility that he went to rescue a woman in her 30s who also drowned at the same spot at the same time.

Her body has not been recovered.

Moore, whose current album A Terrible Beauty is on top of the Irish charts, described the death of Mr Dohan as “shocking news” and a “terrible tragedy for his family.”

He continued: “I knew Johnny through songs. Over 40 years ago he shared his song El Salvador with me.

“Then he taught me his beautiful song ‘The Voyage’ which reverberates around the world.

“He wrote 100 Miles from Home for a homelessness project 25 years ago.

“Family Man, Gentle Man, Artist and, it must be said, an almighty Rock and Roller when he fronted his Band ‘Granny’s Intention’ 60 years ago. Farewell Johnny Boy… see you later.”

In September Duhan wrote in The Irish Times that, despite the success of the song, he could not get airplay and a planned sales tour did not take place for his Family album.

A bad review of the album inspired him to write The Voyage.

“That happened when my wife helped me swallow my pride on the heels of receiving one of the nastiest reviews of my career in a newspaper, an article that attacked the family values and religious convictions I espouse, rather than a legitimate critique of my work as a songwriter,” he wrote.

“From this experience, I learned that our sweetest moments can come from our bitterest trials if we learn to swallow humble pie.

“Paradoxically, my harshest critic helped me complete the most inspirational song of my career and gave me material for a full chapter of part two of my autobiography, The Voyage.”

Singer Mary Coughlan said Mr Duhan’s songwriting had been very clear and he always knew what he wanted to say, but he had agreed to compromise when she melded two of his songs into her hit Whiskey Didn’t Kill the Pain.

“He had very clear ideas about what he wanted, and I think this was the only time that we actually changed his mind. The Voyage, the song that Christie [Moore] made famous, it’s very poignant now and very sad today.

“I was down in Galway last Tuesday and I passed Silverstrand and I pointed out to the people I was with that I used to swim there all the time. And in fact, the last time I ever swam anywhere before I left Galway, I went out to Silverstrand for a dip in the ocean before I moved to Dublin. So it’s all very, very sad,” she told RTÉ's Morning Ireland programme.

Ms Coughlan said she always performed Mr Duhan’s song at her concerts and did so earlier this week. She extended her condolences to the family of Mr Duhan.

Mr Duhan (74) drowned after going for a swim at Silverstrand near his home in Barna.

[ https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2024/09/15/spiritual-inspiration-after-a-nasty-review-drove-me-to-write-one-of-my-best-songs/ ]

The alarm was raised when he failed to return and as a search was being launched it emerged that a woman in her 30s was also missing after swimming off the same beach.

Gardaí leading the investigation said they are treating the tragic events as two separate incidents and while both, like many in the area, were regular swimmers there, they do not believe they were known to each other.

A search resumed this morning for the woman who is believed to be from nearby Spiddal. The search for her was launched when she did not turn up for work and her car was found in the car park at Silverstrand.

Taoiseach Simon Harris also extended his sympathies to the Duhan family and said the young woman, who is still missing, is in people’s thoughts.

He described Mr Duhan as a “renowned and much-loved songwriter”.

Former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams described Mr Duhan as “one of our finest songwriters and creative writers”.

Stockton Wing’s Mike Hanrahan posted on X: “Devastated Johnny Duhan. May you rest in peace. Beautiful man. The heart of Irish songwriting is truly broken”.

He also quoted from the Ronnie Drew song Always: “Somewhere between all the anguish and pain, we always remember the sun.”

Riverdance writer and composer Bill Whelan said that Duhan had made the journey from rock star in his twenties to “thoughtful disciplined and spiritual songwriter in his later years is testament to a life well-lived and a talent realised. His gentle influence has left too soon. Condolences to his family”.

Musician and broadcaster Fiachna Ó Braonáin said The Voyage, written by Mr Duhan and which was recorded by Christy Moore, “belongs in the pantheon of Irish song”.

“I played Johnny Duhan’s music regularly on RTÉ Radio 1 and his songs always received such a warm response ... and without fail, I received a beautifully crafted thank you note from Johnny every time.”

Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phoneJoin The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to dateListen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis