Farewell to a Real Legend ,Ronnie Drew

Ronnie Drew has passed  away after a long illness,he has had a long battle with illness,seeing him on the Late Late Show recently was sad to see how a person can be taken by this terrible Cancer.There is not  a relation or a person that we all know who have been taken by this, his wife Deirdre also passed away a year ago. Ronnie leaves a legacy of been an absolute legend in the  Irish Music Industry.I remember seeing Ronnie and the Dubliners during the late sixties early seventies when RTE ran a weekly show with them .I was only a school goer at the time and the programme has left me with an everlasting impression,this was the era of RTE 1 only and the Black and White sets(No multichannel or satellite back then).The Dubliners were unmissable back then on RTE ,Television Sets were scarce in the countryside back then,if you had a Tv then you had many neighbours . I remember been at a neighbours house watching the 1970 All Ireland Final Kerry v Meath ,I counted 43 people in a small kitchen huddled around the box as we named it back then .Those were the days when people spoke to each other ,now its more material driven.

I did not have a total appreciation of their music growing up but i knew all the songs ,it is only in the last twenty five years that i have come to appreciate what the Dubliners did for Irish Music they led the way as did the Clancy Brothers ,The Batchelors who are coming to light again to name a few.

Nowdays in the car when driving my 10 year old to school one of our favourites is which we sing and clap to …

Rest in Peace Ronnie .

RTE has more on its link http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0916/rattlebag_av.html?1881987,null,209

http://www.cancer.ie/