Dermot O’Brien, the Irish accordionist and singer, died May 22 after a battle with cancer, in Ardee, a town in County Louth in Ireland. He was 74.
Dermot hit the Irish charts a couple of times in the 1960s with “The Turfman from Ardee and Dublin” in 1962 and “The Merry Ploughboy,” according to the Irish Times. In addition to having his own television show in Ireland, he also appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.
His albums appeared on various labels around the world including Rego Irish Records, Prism Platinum, and Castle/Pulse. Before his music career took off, O’Brien was the captain of the last Louth team to win the All Ireland Senior Football Final in 1957, the Irish Times said.
In a statement, recording artist Paddy Noon said, “Dermot was fabulous accordionist, songwriter, arranger, athlete, an entertainer in every since of the word, but most of all he was a gentleman. We will miss him and his exceptional talent.”