Limerick artists release new single in honour of Dolores O’Riordan

LIMERICK singers Helen O’Shea and Hermitage Green's Barry Murphy will honour the late Dolores O’Riordan in an upcoming single. 

Penned in honour of The Cranberries’ frontwoman for Helen's forthcoming album, 'Songs in the Key of O,' with producer/co-writer and two-time Grammy winner Marc Swersky, Helen enrolled the talented lead singer of Hermitage Green to join her on this special tribute. The new single, 'Rock and Roll Angel,' will be released on August 29.

A star who burned brightly for a tragically short time, Dolores O’Riordan brought much beauty to the hometown she shared with Helen through her singing and her songwriting, representing the county with pride before her tragic passing in 2018.

Speaking about the exciting collaboration, Hermitage Green vocalist Barry Murphy said: “It was such a pleasure to sing on this beautifully written and produced song for Dolores, an icon of Limerick and Irish music. From the first moment I spoke to Helen about the song it was so clear to me she had a deep love for our home town and for writing stories about the places and the people who inspired her. That’s something I always tried to do with my music and it was an honour to be asked to add my own voice to this song. A massive thank you to Helen and Marc for involving me in this project and for their passion and guidance.”

READ MORE: Founding brothers of Limerick's The Cranberries to perform at Electric Picnic

Taken from Helen’s upcoming March 2026 album 'Songs in the Key of O,' a tribute to Dolores O’Riordan and Sinead O’Connor, the single features Andrew Carillo (Joan Osbourne, James Maddock), Rob Clores (The Black Crowes, Jesse Malin), Aaron Comess (Spin Doctors), Nathan Bishop, Nicole Scorsone, Brielle Brown, Michelle Moore (Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - E Street Choir) and Lauren O'Shea, who join an allstar list of collaborators on the highly anticipated album, which was engineered by Jack Daley (Spin Doctors), mixed by Seth Von Paulus (Linda Perry) and mastered by Leon Zervos.

'Songs In The Key Of O' is a love letter to Sinéad O’Connor and Dolores O’Riordan, Helen's biggest influences in music and in life. Helen grew up in Limerick loving everything about songs and singing, and she longed to make her life all about the beauty of song. However, her father had other ideas for his oldest daughter, so off Helen went to medical school, closing the door on a singing career firmly behind her. Cut to many years later when Helen's father was tragically killed in a car accident, Helen immediately felt him guiding her back to singing from beyond the grave. 

While Helen was in medical school, she had two unforgettable experiences with these two iconic Irish singers that impacted her to this day. The first was Sinéad O'Connor's unforgettable debut on the Irish Late Late Show, when she exploded on the screen singing 'Mandinka.' Helen was transfixed by this new vision of Irish womanhood - gentleness and anger, ferocity and determination - with a beautiful voice. 

The second of Helen's impactful experiences during her medical school days, was when her brother, Steve, a student at what was then NIHE (now University Of Limerick), came home with a mixtape that included the song 'Linger.' The stunning voice of Dolores O'Riordan left a lasting impact on Helen. Dolores was living the singing dream that Helen longed for, and with a voice unlike any other. When Helen was blessed to begin her singing journey much later in life, she carried with her the influences of all the female singers she loved, but most of all, her two countrywomen, Sinéad and Dolores.

Barry Murphy is best known as the bassist and vocalist of Hermitage Green, the celebrated acoustic folk‑rock band from Limerick. A former Munster rugby player whose sporting career ended in 2011 due to injury, Barry pivoted to music and co-founded Hermitage Green in July 2010 alongside his brother Dan Murphy, Darragh Griffin, Darragh Graham and Dermot Sheedy. The band have released 4 albums and 2 EP’s since their formation in 2010.