Born March 30th, 1950
Died November 12th, 2024
Songwriting is all the poorer for the recent death of one of our finest. Johnny Duhan, born in Limerick, drowned while swimming off Silver Strand in Galway. A kind, thoughtful and selfless man, for whom family was everything, he left behind a formidable musical legacy.
The Voyage was perhaps his best-known song, having been covered first by Christy Moore and then other artists. A philosophical reflection on familial ties, the song’s maritime metaphors charted the odyssey of a couple navigating the gale force winds and doldrums that inevitably beset anyone on their life’s course. Although not Johnny’s personal favourite, The Voyage marked him apart as a songwriter of substance whose songs were also covered by Mary Black, Dolores Keane, The Dubliners and others.
Johnny was one of nine children, one of whom died before Johnny was born. His parents, John and Christina (nee Murphy), raised their family on Wolfe Tone Street, Limerick. Johnny attended the Christian Brothers national school on Sexton Street but hated it.
Duhan was writing songs from an early age. He left school at 15 and joined the band Granny’s Intentions. He moved to Dublin, where he shared a flat with Phil Lynott and Gary Moore. The band toured Ireland and the UK, and later moved to London on the promise of a major record deal. They recorded their sole album, Honest Injun, on the Deram label in 1970, with Duhan composing eight of the band’s 11 songs. Granny’s Intentions melded a bluesy rock sound with a down-home earthiness. Gary Moore had joined the band at the age of 17, and Pete Cummins (later of The Fleadh Cowboys) was also a member.
Duhan’s girlfriend, Maureen, left her job as a teacher to travel to London with him, and the band had their sights set on a further move to LA, but the deal fell through. In London he was offered a job as lead singer with St James Gate, but that deal fell through too, so he and Maureen moved home.
They returned to Maureen’s parents’ farm in Woodlawn, outside Loughrea, with 21-year-old Duhan in his pink flares, ankle-length coat and long hair not even raising an eyebrow, such was the affection in which he was held by his future parents in law.
From there, the couple set about a different kind of life, with Duhan growing his own vegetables and embarking on a path as a solo singer-songwriter in earnest. Duhan had a cry in his voice that was plaintive and highly distinctive. An advance from Arista Records allowed him and Maureen to put a deposit on their first home in Sandyvale Lawn on Headford Road in Galway. Later they moved to Barna, where Duhan enjoyed a quiet but very orderly, some might say even regimental life: rising daily before dawn, attending daily Mass, reading vociferously and enjoying his daily swims on his beloved Silver Strand. He climbed Diamond Mountain most Sundays and Carrauntoohil annually.
His daughters, Ailbhe and Niamh, described Duhan as a kind, gentle and selfless soul. He was a true family man. Headstrong in his beliefs, he never followed trends. He spent his life seeking meaning, delving deeply into philosophical and theological works. Mornings were devoted to reading and studying his favourite writers, making meticulous notes on whether he agreed or disagreed with their thoughts, and more importantly why. He taught all his children to play music, and Niamh is now a music teacher.
Of his songs, Duhan held Flame, the title track of his 1996 album, the dearest. His 1992 album, Just Another Town, gained widespread acclaim, its autobiographical themes resonating far beyond the confines of his home place. Duhan toured solo and loved meeting fans but found his biggest audience in Derry when he performed during the Clipper Race festival in 2014.
One of his deepest frustrations was his struggle to get airplay on Irish radio, and he lobbied for a quota of Irish music to be adopted. Ronan Collins and Fiachna Ó Braonáin championed Duhan’s music however, along with journalist Tony Clayton-Lea, and he greatly valued their support.
A writer to his core, no song was ever complete. It was always a work in progress. Duhan published two biographical works, There Is a Time in 2001 and To the Light in 2009. The Voyage: Johnny Duhan Songbook was published by Waltons publishers in 2003.
Duhan’s most recent project involved setting the poetry of Patrick Kavanagh to music, which he was enjoying immensely. He considered it some of his best work and was very proud of it.
Songwriting, family, faith and friendship were what Duhan held dear, and The Voyage was played at his requiem Mass, a fitting finale to a life well-lived.
Johnny Duhan is survived by his wife, Maureen, his five children, Ronan, Niamh, Kevin, Ailbhe and Brian, his daughter- and sons-in-law, his 10 grandchildren and his brothers and sisters.