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TRIBUTES ARE BEING paid to Irish songwriter Cathal Coughlan, who has died aged 61.
The Cork musician had been living in the UK for some years. His impact on independent music since his early days in the post-punk scene in Cork was immense – musicians from across Ireland and the UK have been paying tribute to him on Twitter today.
Camille O’Sullivan said: “This is the saddest news ever we will miss you so much Cathal x”.
Patrick M Barrett / TwitterSaw The Fatima Mansions in Smiley Bolger's New Inn venue, ears still ringing . Lord rest that man Cathal Coughlan . A maverick . R.I.P ...
— Patrick Michael Barrett (@Arrivalists_) May 23, 2022
“Cathal Coughlan, music genius, has left this realm. His brilliant songs remain. Play them loud and remember him,” wrote Tim Burgess of The Charlatans.
Tracey Thorn wrote on Twitter: “Sad to hear of the death of Cathal Coughlan. There are lines of songs that stay in your head and for some reason “Put that suitcase down before you answer me” has always stayed in mine.”
Luke Haines of the Auteurs said: “I have no words at the moment. Just sadness and anger really.”
Coughlan was frontman with the band Microdisney, which he formed with Sean O’Hagan in 1980. The pair met in Cork and left for London a few years later. After the band split up in 1988, Coughlan went on to form Fatima Mansions, who once supported U2 on their ZOO TV tour in 1992. In 2018, Microdisney reunited for a series of gigs.
Maura McGrath (Chair, National Concert Hall) and Robert Read (CEO, NCH) commented today: “Cathal was an iconic Irish singer songwriter who made is his mark on the cultural landscape in Ireland and the UK through his song writing and performances with Microdisney, Fatima Mansions and as a solo artist. He will always be remembered as a unique talent who has left a great legacy, one that will be cherished and lauded for decades to come.”
Coughlan went on to have a long solo career – his most recent album was Song of Co-Aklan, which came out last year.
Though the bands he was in were not massively commercially successful, they were creatively and emotionally impactful, leading to the huge outpouring from within Ireland’s music community and beyond today.
Asked by journalist John Meagher of the Irish Independent in 2018 if he felt any bitterness over Microdisney not ‘making it’, Coughlan replied:
“It’s for others to say what might have been [about Microdisney], but we are where we are and it’s very nice for us to be able to reconvene and do The Clock and other Microdisney music in this way because we’re not just doing it in some little venue somewhere, only having done a handful of rehearsals. We’re doing this properly. Artistically, it’s a real shot in the arm.”
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Can infect the brain but the body still works………is that not Facebook !!!
We have these in Ireland already they’re called the government, only they feed on other peoples money!!!
I detest the government too, but for the love of Jaysis that was poor.
@les rock: but true
So basically some mad scientist could actually create the RAGE virus from 28 days later or the t-virus in resident evil…
…on the plus side the wouldn’t have to just be hit in the brain. Anywhere will do.
The government should send sports accessories and garden utensils for the coming zombie apocalypse. Make sure you store them with your iodine pill and government cheese.
Better get out my copy of Don’t Stop Me Now and my snooker cues. Bring it on!!!
Have you seen the specimens dragging themselves around the Liffey boardwalk! The Walking Dead don’t have a patch these dudes. Since they closed the section of boardwalk along Eden Quay it’s let them wander!!!!
Take a walk around Kilkenny on a Saturday night after 1am and you can see one quite clearly ;-)
i remember walking around a lingerie shop a few years back in stephens green shopping centre near valentines day looking for a gift for the mrs. a lot of lads were doing the same thing. as i was browsing i saw the cashier say to her colleague with a look of digust “look at them, walking around with their mouths open like a bunch of f*%kin zombies…animals” jaysus.
for those outside the capital…We have thousands of these zombies wandering the street. it amazing how they defy gravity and stay on there feet..while stringing a few words together takes them minutes….aaaaahhhhh heeeeerrrreeee buuuuud,leeeend uuuuuuussssss aaaaa feeeeewwww eeeeeeuuuurrrrrooooooooo
I have my axe and chainsaw ready. Bring it on you undead motherf***ers
There’s a zombie apocalypse at every bus stop/school/ workplace every Monday morn. B grand sure.
Half the passengers on red line LUAS have had this for years
Setup the cameras in the point village. Best location ever for a zombie movie!
I see a lot of Zombies going around in pajamas lately actually I think the Zombies would have more brain power
Ive got an idea for when the zombies attack! We get the car drive to the Winchester get a cup of tea and wait for it to all just blow over
It’s not a question of IF but a question of WHEN
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