Phil Lynott 40 years on: how Thin Lizzy’s frontman became Ireland’s first true rock star

As a new Irish Examiner series revisits 1986, friends reflect on Phil Lynott’s brilliance, vulnerability and enduring cultural legacy

Former Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott died at the shockingly young age of 36 40 years ago this weekend. File picture

When news broke on January 4, 1986, that Thin Lizzy singer Phil Lynott had died at the age of 36, many of his friends struggled to process what they were hearing.

The charismatic vagabond behind The Boys Are Back in Town, Don’t Believe A Word, and Jailbreak had always been Mr Indestructible — a natural-born rock star who flourished in the fast lane.