Late Limerick guitar legend remembered by bandmate as new book hits shelves

THE FOUNDER of a Celtic rock band and author has reflected on his musical past and friendship with legendary Limerick guitarist Johnny Fean, as he celebrates the release of his new book.

Eamon Carr, who co-founded the iconic band Horslips in 1971, was both its lyricist and drummer.

Not long after forming the group, they sought out the late, gifted guitarist Johnny Fean, a Limerick native born on Henry Street and raised in the Garryowen area, where his father worked at Shannon Airport.

Johnny Fean passed away at his home in Shannon, Co Clare, on April 28, 2023, aged 71.

In the wake of Eamon’s latest release, Pure Gold – Memorable Conversations with Remarkable People, he fondly recalled the years they worked together and the deep friendship they shared.

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They collaborated for 15 years, with Eamon remembering Johnny as “such a natural” musician.

“People forget that back in the early ‘70s, there were two types of electric bands – there were showbands and then there were beat groups. We slotted in under the latter.

“Limerick was one of the few cities that actually had a network for beat groups,” he explained.

“In Limerick, you would have had Granny's Intentions, Reform, and Sweet Street, among others. There were venues like the Confraternity Hall on O’Connell Street, and there were gigs there, it was fantastic. We used to come down to those.”

As the band became more serious and prepared to record their first album, they knew they needed a standout guitarist. That’s when they turned to Johnny Fean.

“We had seen Johnny playing with Jeremiah Henry at that stage and knew he was brilliant – but we didn’t realise just how brilliant he was until he joined Horslips,” said Eamon.

“We roped him in and he moved into a flat with me in Dublin, we had the best of craic. He was only there about a week when there was a knock on the door.

“It was none other than Ted Furey, father of The Furey Brothers, Paul, Finbar, Eddie, and George. Johnny and Ted had been touring pubs up and down the Clare coast, playing traditional music.

“So while Johnny knew all the electric blues and rock and roll, he also played banjo with Ted Furey!”

Eamon also didn’t hesitate to place Johnny among Ireland’s finest guitarists.

“I would always argue that, among people like Rory Gallagher and Gary Moore – they were the two great Irish guitar players, that Johnny Fean was too.

“He had a fabulous talent and was the nicest fella. Genuinely, a really lovely person, and the Fean family are good folk.”

Also known for his work as a poet, playwright, art historian, sportswriter, and entertainment journalist, Eamon noted he hasn’t been to Limerick in some time.

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However, when he does return, he always makes a point of visiting one of his favourite spots: the Hunt Café at the Hunt Museum.

In the late 1980s, Eamon transitioned into journalism, interviewing an eclectic mix of famous figures. His new book captures some of those unforgettable conversations, including chats with football legend Jack Charlton and Shane MacGowan, frontman of fellow Celtic punk icons The Pogues.

“The person that really got me started in my career was Jack Charlton, in the early days, before Italia ‘90,” he recalled.

“In those days, we used to tape interviews on cassette tapes. I put them all in an empty box at home and found them years later and that’s how Pure Gold was born.”