Sean Dunphy
Encyclopedia
Sean Dunphy was an Irish
singer who represented Ireland at the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest
, achieving second place with "If I Could Choose
". He was also the first Irish singer to record in Nashville.
Born in Whitehall, Dublin
, Dunphy first became famous in his home country as lead singer with The Hoedowners, a showband led by trumpeter Earl Gill. Between 1966 and 1973, fourteen single
s by Sean Dunphy and The Hoedowners entered the Irish Charts including, in 1969, two number ones: "Lonely Woods of Upton" and "When The Fields Were White With Daisies". In the late 1970s, Dunphy went on to have two further hits as a solo artist.
Despite undergoing a quadruple heart bypass operation
in 2007, Sean Dunphy continued to give live performances. In March 2009 he sang many of his greatest hits in a one-off concert at Dublin's National Concert Hall
. His last public engagement was at a charity event twenty-four hours before his death.
Sean Dunphy and his wife Lily had four children. His son Brian is a member of the Irish band, The High Kings
.
Dunphy died at his home in Baldoyle
, County Dublin
and is buried at Greenogue cemetery in Ashbourne, County Meath
.
.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
singer who represented Ireland at the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1967
The Eurovision Song Contest 1967 was the twelfth Eurovision Song Contest. The presenter became confused whilst the voting was taking place, and declared the United Kingdom's entry to be the winner before the last country, Ireland, had announced its votes...
, achieving second place with "If I Could Choose
If I Could Choose
"If I Could Choose" was the Irish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1967, performed in English by Sean Dunphy.The song is a ballad, in which Dunphy tells his lover how special she is to him. He explains that, while he currently lives in County Clare, he would willingly live in a desert if it...
". He was also the first Irish singer to record in Nashville.
Born in Whitehall, Dublin
Whitehall, Dublin
Whitehall is a Northside suburb of Dublin City, Ireland.Whitehall is on the northern outskirts of Dublin's inner city, located on the N1 road leading to Dublin Airport, Swords and Belfast, between Santry and Drumcondra. North of Whitehall, the N1 becomes a motorway, the M1...
, Dunphy first became famous in his home country as lead singer with The Hoedowners, a showband led by trumpeter Earl Gill. Between 1966 and 1973, fourteen single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
s by Sean Dunphy and The Hoedowners entered the Irish Charts including, in 1969, two number ones: "Lonely Woods of Upton" and "When The Fields Were White With Daisies". In the late 1970s, Dunphy went on to have two further hits as a solo artist.
Despite undergoing a quadruple heart bypass operation
Coronary artery bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery, also coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and colloquially heart bypass or bypass surgery is a surgical procedure performed to relieve angina and reduce the risk of death from coronary artery disease...
in 2007, Sean Dunphy continued to give live performances. In March 2009 he sang many of his greatest hits in a one-off concert at Dublin's National Concert Hall
National Concert Hall
The National Concert Hall is a concert hall located on Earlsfort Terrace in Dublin, Ireland, close to St. Stephen's Green, and is the principal national venue for classical music concerts in Ireland....
. His last public engagement was at a charity event twenty-four hours before his death.
Sean Dunphy and his wife Lily had four children. His son Brian is a member of the Irish band, The High Kings
The High Kings
The High Kings are an Irish ballad group. They were formed on Carick on Suir by Fibarr Clancy and Martin Furey.Brian Dunphy , and Broadway/pop/country singer Darren Holden were later recruited having wowed the world with their own solo careers on broadway in musical reviews, such as Riverdance...
.
Dunphy died at his home in Baldoyle
Baldoyle
Baldoyle is a small coastal area on the northside of Dublin, Ireland. It is in the part of the historic County Dublin now administered as Fingal.-Location and Access:...
, County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
and is buried at Greenogue cemetery in Ashbourne, County Meath
Ashbourne, County Meath
Ashbourne, historically called Killeglan or Kildeglan , is a town in County Meath, Ireland. It is about 20 km north of Dublin city centre and is bypassed by the M2 motorway.-History:...
.
.
Sean Dunphy and the Hoedowners
| Year | Single | Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|
| IRE Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
||
| 1966 | "Wonderful World of My Dreams" | 3 |
| "Showball Crazy" | 2 | |
| 1967 | "4033" | 17 |
| "If I Could Choose" | 2 | |
| "Talking Love" | 13 | |
| 1968 | "Two Loves" | 2 |
| "Christmas Polka" | 2 | |
| 1969 | "Lonely Woods of Upton" | 1 |
| "When the Fields Were White with Daisies" | 1 | |
| 1970 | "The Old Fenian Gun" | 5 |
| "The Old Refrain" | 19 | |
| 1972 | "There's an Island in the Sun" | 10 |
| "Michael Collins" | 12 | |
| 1973 | "Pal of My Cradle Days" | 3 |
Sean Dunphy solo
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country | CAN AC | IRE | ||
| 1972 | "Fields of Green" | — | 3 | — |
| "And the Old House Died" | 47 | — | — | |
| "The Great White Horse" | 23 | — | — | |
| 1977 | "Santa Claus Is Coming Tonight" | — | — | 14 |
| 1979 | "Rosie" | — | — | 30 |