Tom Dunne: Farewell to Johnny Fean and sweet memories of Horslips in '72
Horslips in 1974: Jim Lockhart (behind), Johnny Fean, Barry Devlin, Charles O'Connor, and Eamon Carr (behind). Picture: Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
For what died the sons of Róisín? Was it so we might never again make it out of the group stages of Eurovision? “Irelande, nil point.” We are stuck in a time warp. We repeat the same mistakes. No one is honest. And it’s the hope that kills ya.
But that is not why we are here this week. We are here to remember Johnny Fean, Horslips wonderful guitar player; part of the band that changed everything in Ireland, the band that made Irelands showbands wonder, “What will we do now? Eurovision maybe?” There is a cogent argument to be made that 1972 was the year in which music as we know it began in Ireland. The showbands had the upper hand to this point. There was Rory and Van making original music and then there were The 700 showbands. There was almost nothing in-between.
