Pat Lynch (1933 – 26 January 2018) was an Irish singer and entertainer of the showband genre born in Cork.[1]

Pat Lynch
Born1933
Blackpool, Cork, Ireland
Died26 January 2018 (age 84)
GenresIrish folk, showband
Occupation(s)Singer
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active1964–1970s
LabelsRuby

Early life edit

Lynch was born into a musical family in Blackpool, Cork.[2] He was singing in the Palm Court Ballroom, Oliver Plunkett Street when he was just six years old. He qualified as a welder.[3]

Career edit

Pat Lynch's brother Steve was a member of The Dixies, a successful showband in the 1960s. Pat got his break in 1964 when he was recruited into The Clipper Carlton showband. In 1965 he became the lead singer of the Airchords, a band founded by Irish Air Corps members.[4] They had their first number one on the Irish Singles Chart in 1967–68 with "Treat Me Daughter Kindly." In 1971 Lynch left the Airchords had a solo number one with "When We Were Young," which became the team anthem of Cork Hibernians F.C.[4] In 1972–73 Lynch toured with Derek Davis, who played "Mean Tom", a parody of Big Tom; Pat Lynch, Mean Tom and the Treetops performed until September 1973.[2]

Later life edit

Lynch returned to welding, teaching it at the Cork Regional Technical College. He died in 2018.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ Morrissey, Alice. "LibGuides: Top Hat Online Exhibit: 1970: The Year Ireland Went Pop!". iadt.libguides.com.
  2. ^ a b "Obituary: Pat Lynch". Independent.ie. 11 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Tributes paid to an all time great, Pat Lynch". echo live. 29 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Airchords Showband". www.irish-showbands.com.