Shape I'm In: Damien Dempsey, singer/songwriter
His direct, political, but heartfelt songs have won him audiences worldwide. “That’s what people like — they know it’s honest. I’m not doing music for financial gain or to be famous. I’m doing it as a form of expression to help me. It has really helped me through life. Writing and singing songs is like oxygen for me,” he says.
From Donaghmede and the youngest of three boys, Dempsey’s comes from a political family. “We would have always been opinionated about politics — more than other families. If we were going for a pint, we’d talk about what’s going on in the country they’d be fairly heated discussions,” he says.
