Luke Kelly

• Luke Kelly
  • Born: November 17, 1940
  • Died: January 30 1984
  • Dubliners' member: 1962-1964 & 1965-1984

Luke was born in Dublin on either the 16 November or 16 December 1940. The confusion arises because his mother says November and his birth certificate December. In the main Luke has always taken his mother's word for it, for he reasons that she was there at the time.

The family was a large close one. Luke's father, another Luke, worked for Jacobs the biscuit people and had a great love of soccer - a love he passed on to his son.

Luke was educated at St. Lawrence O'Toole's (the patron saint of Dublin) School in the North Strand area. He left school when he was thirteen and did a variety of jobs before coming, via the Isle of Man, to work in England.

His hobbies include golf and anything to do with the arts. He's a voracious reader and is rarely found without at least two books and as many newspapers about his person.

Luke is married to Deirdre O'Connell, the Irish-American method actress who owns and runs Dublin's Focus Theatre.

source: The Dubliners Scrapbook (1978)

Luke Kelly passed away on January 30, 1984, at the age of 43, after a long battle with cancer.