Cathal Dunne


Cathal Dunne is an Irish singer. He is most famous for representing Ireland in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Happy Man". He has since gained a following as Cahal Dunne, performing traditional Irish songs in the United States, where he now lives.

Background

Born in Cork, Ireland, Dunne is the nephew of Jack Lynch who served as Taoiseach in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1974 he graduated from University College Cork and Montfort College of Performing Arts after studying music. That same year he won the Castlebar Song Contest with the song "Shalom". Two years later he represented Ireland at the Yamaha Music Festival with his own composition "Lover, Not a Wife". Also in 1976 he released a single, "Bad Boy" as well as his first top ten hit in Ireland, "Danny". During these years he played with his backing band, Stateside, on the Irish club circuit. In 1981, he released "We'll be there", a song for Fianna Fáil's 1981 general election campaign.

Eurovision

In 1979 he entered his own composition "Happy Man" into the Irish National Song Contest. Competing against former Irish Eurovision entrants Tina Reynolds and Red Hurley and future winner Johnny Logan, he won the contest easily with 36 points and thus gained the right to represent Ireland at that year's Eurovision Song Contest. Performing in Jerusalem at the final in March, he achieved a respectable fifth place with 80 points. The single went on to sell well in Europe and reached No.3 in the Irish charts. The song was produced by Nicky Graham.

Emigration

In February 1982 he played some concerts in Michigan in the United States. These tempted him to move there permanently and the following year, Dunne emigrated from Ireland. Since then, Dunne has made a name for himself as a singer of traditional Irish ballads and has released a number of albums. He has also performed comedy routines and show tunes.

Personal life

Dunne now lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife, Kathleen and son, Ryan.

Discography

;Singles
  • 1971 "Butterfly"
  • 1974 "Babaró"
  • 1974 "Shalom"
  • 1974 "Hey Noddy Day"
  • 1976 "Danny"
  • 1976 "Bad Boy"
  • 1978 "Suspicious Minds"
  • 1979 "Happy Man"
  • 1980 "The Time for Talkin' is Over"
  • 1980 "The Feeling's Gone"
  • 1981 "Bad Boy"
;Albums
  • 1977 Bad Boy
  • 1980 That Time in Stockholm
  • 1985 Thinkin' Love Tonite
  • 1996 Peace in My Land
  • 1997 The Best of Cahal Dunne
  • 1997 After All These Years
  • 2001 Songs of Inspiration
  • 2001 The Christmas Album
  • 2004 What Color is the Wind
  • 2005 Salute to Broadway
  • 2006 The Menopause Song
  • 2007 A Little Bit of Irish
  • 2008 Shamrocks and Heather
  • 2009 Dunne Gone Country
  • 2011 ''Ireland's Golden Treasures''