Celebrity Graveland

November 17, 1940 – January 30, 1984

Luke Kelly was widely considered one of the greatest Irish folks singers of all time. His success and influence as a member of the famed group, The Dubliners, earned Kelly an iconic status in Ireland. He helped lead the folk revival of the early 1960’s, but infused his own Scottish (from his mother) and English (from living there) imprints into the genre. Thanks to his distinct singing style, his versions of classic Irish songs became the quintessential versions for the generations that followed. Kelly spent the last years of his brief life in deteriorating health. His struggles with alcohol and a brain tumor led to forgotten lyrics and unfinished shows. He entered the hospital shortly after Christmas in 1983 and died a month later. He was 43. Scores of musical and video tributes (as well as statues and bridges in his name) have helped cement his legacy in the decades since his death. The city that reared him celebrates him. His grave marker reads simply:

LUKE
KELLY
dubliner

Burial

Glasnevin Cemetery – Dublin, IRELAND

Specific Location

Saint Paul’s Section-LE 39; In the newer section across Finglas Road from the main cemetery, Luke is buried just to the west of the main road, in the last section on your right as you enter. His grave is 11 rows west of the main road and not quite halfway along this section.

This entry was posted on July 2, 2018 at 8:05 am and is filed under Glasnevin Cemetery with tags Glasnevin Cemetery, Singers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.