It’s Official! Ireland has said...
No to Bono!
No to Van Morrison!
No to Sinead O’Connor!
No to Chris De Burgh!!!
In a poll to find Ireland Greatest Songwriter, Bono & co failed to make it into the Top 5 list on The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show on Today FM.
Instead, the gong went to Phil Lynott! Yes the writer of hits such as Jailbreak, Sarah & Old Town beat off stiff competition from Paul Brady and Shane MacGowan among others to be crowned Ireland’s Greatest Songwriter by the listeners of The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show.
There were also honourable mentions for Conor O’Brien from Villagers, Phil Coulter & Glen Hansard as well as Bono & Van the man.
Ireland’s Top 5 Songwriters
No.1 – Phil Lynott
No.2 – Paul Brady
No.3 – Paul Noonan
No.4 – Shane MacGowan
Tied No.5 – Neil Hannon
Tied No.5 – Damien Dempsey
Here are some song selections from our top 5 along with why some of our listeners chose them.
Phil Lynott
'Iano......the greatest Irish songwriter has to be the late great Phil Lynott.......full stop......"tell my ma...tell my pa their fine young son did'nt get far...he made it to the end of an empty bottle sitting in a sleazy bar".......Got to give it up.......Willie in Tipp'
Look at the solo songs philo came up with. beautiful Sarah and Old Town. That’s without looking at lizzy stuff. Colin
Paul Brady
Hi Ian,
This one is so hard - because they're all brilliant songwriters, my personal favourite is Paul Brady for many songs, take any lyric you like from The Island - amazing!
Moves me to tears every time and I'm not even Irish, I'm an Aussie!
Renée, Glasnevin
Paul Noonan
Hi Ian,
This is something that I've always thought about and for me I've always been torn between two fantastically talented songwriters... Paul Noonan and Damien Rice, but after hearing your call out on the airwaves I invested some highly enjoyable hours listening to both and debating with myself...
So i’m going with Paul Noonan - every line of 'Eve the Apple of my Eye' is born of pure lyrical genius...
"If I had you here I'd clip your wings
Snap you up and leave you sprawlin' on my pin"
"And I lie behind you
And I cradle you in the palm of me
And I pat your hair down
I think will we sink or swim?
'Cause we could do either on a whim"
Ali Kavanagh
Shane MacGowan
Shane MacGowan best Irish songwriter - rainy night in soho! Superb - sean gannon'
Iano,
Anyone who has written classics like A Pair Of Brown Eyes, Sally MacLennane & A Rainy Night In Soho deserves to be amongst the top of the pile in your best Irish songwriters debate.
Noel in Sligo
Damien Dempsey
Hi Ian,
Damien Dempsey is up there in the pantheon of great Irish Songwriters.
“I’m never going to let your negative vibes and comments get through to my psyche and cripple me”
He does all this with a humility so rarely found in musicians these days, he’s not doing it for sales or adoration. He’s doing it because it’s what he does best and his best, I believe, is Ireland’s Best.
PS; And he saved a lad from drowning, come on!
Keith Nutley
Neil Hannon
I don't think anyone comes close to Neil Hannon. He is a poet & the variety in his music is unrivalled: humorous, subtle, intense, poignant & very clever. Dermot
Neil Hannon does everything from comedy to serious and always a great tune. Conor Doherty
Do you agree or disagree with the list? Let us know in the comments section below.
Thanks to everyone for taking part.
@todayfmofficial @IanDempsey @BellX1 Thanks for reading out my nomination for #PaulNoonan CHUFFED 2 see him at no.3! #irelandsbestsongwriter
— Ali Kavanagh (@alikavanagh) August 6, 2014
@todayfmofficial @IanDempsey No surprise to me. Theres only one Philo :)
— Shane-Patrick Mythen (@ShayP_M) August 6, 2014
