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Damien Dempsey

From Ireland (Irish Republic)

The poet voice of the Irish underclass

Sinead O'Connor maintains that "he represents the sort of voice in Ireland that is not allowed to be heard", while Morrissey declared that "his is the best and often the saddest voice of this generation". It's Damien Dempsey upon whom they're heaping this praise, the nails-tough singer-songwriter regarded by many to be Ireland's finest living troubadour. Born and raised on Dublin's Northside, Damien graduated from street-gang culture and the world of amateur boxing to become the voice of the underclass, the voice of the people, writing and singing about ignored subjects like heroin addiction, social inequality and Irish history. These are no going-through-the-motions singer-songwriter pleasantries. Damien sings it like he sees it, recounting life's harsh lessons in raw, visceral language. His debut album was called They Don't Teach This Shit In School; we strongly suspect that's not a title Ed Sheeran has ever considered for his collected works.

(Biography written by Nige Tassell 2012)

Damien Dempsey - Ronnie Drew Tribute

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