Damien Dempsey is back and touring the country

From enchanting Morrissey to moving Imelda May, Damien Dempsey’s music often provokes an emotional response, writes Ed Power.

Damien Dempsey has a big heart and a heavy soul. As a songwriter, these are invaluable traits and the Dublin musician has won some powerful admirers — Morrissey, Annie Lennox, Bono, and Sinead O’Connor.

The latest to declare herself a fan is Dido, the English singer best known for her Eminem-sampled hit ‘Thank You’. When crossing Dempsey’s path in London last year, she made a point of telling him how much she adored his 2005 ballad ‘Not On Your Own Tonight’.