Shay Healy: A life in brief

Eurovision hit: Johnny Logan

Maggie Armstrong

July 06 2013 04:12 AM

Born 1943 on Wilfield Road, Sandymount in Dublin.

Married 1967 to Dymphna – "She's a gourmet cook, she's extraordinary with gardening, she's extraordinary at putting houses together."

Family Sons Oisin and Fionan; grandsons Fionn and Zach.

Famous for Writing the winning song for Eurovision 1980 and a 50-year career in broadcasting and music.

On 'Riverdance' "It gets trashed so often as being a rank commercial work, which is so untrue and unfair. I ache for Bill Whelan when I see the shit that people write. It's a brilliant, original work."

On politicians "I find them all loathsome. I would really like to see some enterprising young politician come in."

His writing Shay Healy's trilogy The Danny Boy Triangle is available on Amazon Kindle. Shay says: "Musicians, songwriters, jongleurs, gadabouts, rock 'n' roll dilettantes and civilians, The Danny Boy Triangle chronicles the rip-roaring musical adventures of an Irish musician in Dublin, New York and Nashville."