A BOOK OF CONDOLENCE has opened at the headquarters of Galway County Council following the death of renowned folk singer Dolores Keane.
Dolores died in her native Caherlistrane, Co Galway aged 72 on Monday. It was here that she was raised by her aunts Rita and Sarah, who were both renowned local sean-nós singers.
By the age of just five, Dolores made her first recording when she appeared for Radio Éireann in 1958. The Keane family, who also include Dolores’ brothers Seán and Matt and sister Theresa, were a formidable local musical force and she was to truly find her voice with traditional Irish band De Dannan, which she co-founded in 1975.
They enjoyed considerable national and international success at a time when Irish folk and trad was going through a new awakening and the band scored a sizable hit in Ireland in 1975 with The Rambling Irishman.
Alongside Ruan’s Sharon Shannon, Ennis native Maura O’Connell, Mary Black, Eleanor McEvoy and Frances Black, Dolores was one of the gifted voices behind the infamous 1992 album ‘A Woman’s Heart’. Dolores was an integral part of the biggest-selling album in Irish history.
Keane married multi-instrumentalist John Faulkner and in 1978, she released her debut solo album, There Was a Maid. There was also further work with De Dannan on the very successful albums Anthem and Ballroom. Between 1979 and 81, she and Faulkner released three albumns together. She later rejoined De Dannan, but returned to a solo career. Her 1988 rendition of Scottish musician Dougie MacLean’s Caledonia was among her biggest hits.
After a difficult pregnancy, Keane gave birth to their first child Joseph, who was born with Bardet–Biedl syndrome. Dolores and John’s marriage ended in 1988. She had a long relationship with Barry ‘Bazza’ Farmer, with whom she had her second child, Tara in 1994. She took a break from recording and touring in the 1990s due to depression and alcoholism. In 2022, she was presented with TG4’s Gradam Ceoil Lifetime Achievement Award, and in November 2024, she received an honorary doctorate in Music from the University of Galway
Ennis based bozouki player Eoin O’Neill said Dolores has left behind “a legacy of song and music”. He recalled that it was in a pub called The Tinnef in Cologne, Germany where Dolores and John Faulkner “played to 45 people in 1979 was the night I became a musician for real, the hours after the gig were just as inspiring as you made a nineteen year old feel part of something intangible but had much to do with a way of living”.
Galway County Council on Wednesday morning opened a book of condolence for Dolores at its headquarters in Áras an Chontae, Prospect Hill.
Cathaoirleach of Galway County Council, Cllr David Collins (FG) opened the book, which is available for signing during normal office hours.
“Dolores made a major contribution to the development and international reach of Irish music. She had one of the most distinctive and respected voices and brought the music and spirit of County Galway to audiences around the world,” Cllr Collins said. He added, “Her ability to blend traditional sean-nós influences with contemporary folk styles has influenced countless other musicians and will continue to draw new listeners for generations to come. On behalf of Galway County Council and the people of County Galway, I extend our deepest sympathies to her family, friends and all who admired her music”.
