‘Thank you for the beautiful music’: Tributes paid to the late Johnny Duhan

LIMERICK native and famous singer-songwriter Johnny Duhan has passed away following a tragic accident.  

The 74-year-old’s body was found following a search after he was reported missing having not returned from his daily swim at Silver Strand beach in Galway Bay on Tuesday, November 12. 

At about 1:40pm on Tuesday, the body of a man was recovered from the water close to Silver Strand by RNLI and taken to Galway University Hospital. The man was later named as Mr Duhan. 

The late Mr Duhan, who grew up on Wolfe Tone Street in the city, is most well known for having written Christy Moore’s song The Voyage. 

Mr Duhan previously told the Limerick Leader/Limerick Live that his album Just Another Town is “a hymn to the city I grew up in.”

READ MORE: Limerick not just another town for Johnny Duhan

Taoiseach Simon Harris has led tributes to Mr Duhan, saying he was “a renowned and much loved songwriter.”

“Thinking of his family and loved ones at this very sad time.”

A treasured and talented musician, he also wrote songs for The Dubliners, Mary Black, Dolores Keane.

Mr Duhan was the lifelong friend of the late Ger Tuohy, also a Limerick man and founder of one of the most seminal beat groups to come out of Ireland in the 1960s, Granny’s Intentions.

Hyde Road native and musician, Mr Tuohy passed away at Milford Care Centre following a lengthy illness in 2019. He was said to have played a major role in the acclaimed career of Mr Duhan.

Mr Duhan was once quoted as saying: “I joined Ger Tuohy’s group The Intentions (later Granny’s Intentions) and we formed the mad idea of aiming for the stars.

“I have always found it ironic that, though I left Limerick in the mid-60s at 16 to pursue a career in popular music in Swinging London with Granny’s Intentions, it wasn’t until I returned to live in the west of Ireland after my rock adventures were over that I discovered that the real source of creativity for me resided back in the place of my genesis, Limerick city.”

Mr Duhan also wrote the song Whiskey Didn’t Kill the Pain for Mary Coughlan. 

Ms Coughlan remembered Mr Duhan fondly on RTE Radio 1 this Wednesday morning, saying: “The Voyage, the song that Christy made famous, is very poignant now and very sad. 

“Johnny moved from Limerick to Galway many many years ago. Around that time, in 1988/1989, he came to visit me and gave me two songs. I liked both of them and certain lines in them both and we spent many hours and many days trying to convince Johnny that the two songs put together would make one great song. 

“Johnny had very clear ideas about what he wanted, and that was the only time we actually changed his mind!,” Ms Coughlan said.

Mr Duhan’s funeral arrangements will be announced later. 

He is deeply missed by his heartbroken wife Maureen with whom he started his voyage 54 years ago. Treasured by his beloved crew of five children: Ronan, Niamh, Kevin, Ailbhe and Brian, as well as his daughter-in-law Siobhan, sons-in-law Padraic and Ian and Brian’s partner Emma.

Adored by his precious grandchildren Aoibheann, Alanna, Caitlin, Saoirse, Hannah, Aimee, Dylan, Ryan, Sonny, and Paidi. His brothers Eric, Barry, Michael, and sisters Joan, Kay, Patti, and Suzanne, along with the Biggins family Paddy and Sarah, and Dorry and Teresa and along with his in-laws and all of his dear friends, neighbours and devoted fans.

Many people have already left heartfelt condolences to the late Mr Duhan, with most thanking him for his “beautiful music”. 

One person said: “Heartbroken at this terrible, terrible news. Ireland has lost a true song writing legend. My deepest condolences to his family. Rest easy Johnny.”

Separately, a woman in her 30s is still missing from the same waters since Tuesday.