Dundalk honours songwriting legend Liam Reilly with memorial bench

A large crowd gathered at Dundalk Town Hall on Friday morning for the official opening of a memorial bench honouring one of the town’s most well known musical sons, Liam Reilly.

The stainless-steel seat installation, conceptualised and designed by local artist Micheál McKeown, features a portrait of Liam surrounded by the musical notes of ‘Summer in Dublin’, the iconic 1980 hit by Bagatelle.

Born in Dundalk in 1955, Liam joined Bagatelle at the age of 23 and went on to front the band for more than four decades. Over that time, he released five albums and penned enduring favourites including ‘The Streets of New York’, ‘Boston Rose’, ‘Flight of Earls’ and ‘Second Violin’. In 1990, he represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest with ‘Somewhere in Europe’, finishing joint runner-up, and later wrote Ireland’s 1991 entry, ‘Could It Be That I’m in Love’.

Liam passed away peacefully on January 1, 2021, at the age of 65, but as speaker after speaker reflected, his music continues to echo through the streets of his hometown.

Opening proceedings, Cllr Seán Kelly, Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, described the occasion as deeply significant.

“It is truly a privilege to honour a man who meant so much to this town,” he said. “This day has been a long time coming. Many of the people in this group have waited patiently and worked hard to ensure that Liam’s legacy will be marked here in his home town.”

Cllr Kelly paid tribute to the dedicated working committee formed several years ago who helped bring the project to fruition.

He also reflected on Dundalk’s proud creative tradition. “[Dundalk] is a town that has given Ireland so much in music, the arts, sport. From traditional music to rock bands, from painters to poets, Dundalk has always punched above its weight.”

Remembering the late Micheál McKeown, whose design made the memorial possible, he said: “Today we remember the great Micheál McKeown, a brilliant local artist. Michael was an extraordinary talent and this was his final piece of work. There’s something profoundly moving about that — his art is now part of the fabric of this town, just like Liam’s music.

“Two Dundalk men, two creative spirits, forever linked here in the heart of the town.”

Cllr Kelly spoke personally of how Liam’s music filled homes across the town and far beyond. “Our house was no different — Bagatelle songs were always in the background before I knew who wrote them. There was always something special about the fact that Liam was originally from Fatima.”

He described Fatima as “a great place to grow up, full of characters, full of wit and full of talent and Liam brought that spirit with him wherever he went.”

Cllr Kelly noted that when he wrote ‘The Streets of New York’ with the Wolfe Tones — a song that topped the Irish charts for four weeks in 1981 — “he captured something raw and unique.”

“It was the first of his trilogy of emigration songs which included ‘Flight of the Earls’ and ‘Boston Rose’. In the 1970s and 1980s when so many Irish people, including many from Louth, were forced to leave these shores to find work, Liam gave voice to their experience.

“Those songs weren’t abstract, they were rooted in what he’d seen around him here in Dundalk: friends packing bags, families saying goodbye. Streets that felt emptier each year.

“For emigrants listening in bedsits abroad or gathering in Irish bars, these works were a lifeline to people back home. He turned Dundalk’s reality into universal poetry.”

Describing him as “one of the great Irish songwriters of his generation”, Cllr Kelly concluded: “Today with this memorial on Earl’s Street his legacy is rooted once more in the heart of the town that shaped him and that he loved so much. [He was] one of the very best of Dundalk.”

Liam’s sister, Barbara Reilly, also addressed the gathering, offering a reflection on her brother’s life.

“His songs were about love and loss, friendships and relationships,” she said, speaking of their upbringing in a musical home and the legacy he leaves behind.

“Liam has many friends far and wide… but he was always a Dundalk man and always wanted to be home. His many friends and neighbours from Seatown, the Avenue Road and Fatima are all with us today, along with his lifelong friend Kevin McCourt and the rest of the gang who were very important in his life.”

She recalled that “Liam was never happier than when writing songs or writing with other songwriters,” noting his collaboration on ‘Another Christmas Morn’ with St Joseph’s Choir, which was filmed across the road from where the memorial now stands. “So it’s a nice link-up,” she added.

Barbara also highlighted his generosity towards emerging artists. “Liam had a huge interest in helping young musicians. We’ve heard many stories from people telling us about the small and large kindnesses he extended, sharing his talent, skill, time and knowledge.”

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Summing up, she said: “So that’s the bio of the man, the music man, the piano man, our friend, our uncle, our cousin and our brother.

“It is fitting that a memorial to Liam is erected here today in a prominent location in the centre of the town, a place where many people will pass and pause to remember him and relive some of their own memories. Many friends and fans were very vocal in wishing to have Liam recognised and we are delighted that today this is happening.”

She thanked the family of Micheál McKeown for allowing the continued use of his design, as well as local representatives, Louth County Council and Arts Officer Moya Hodgers for their support.

Following the speeches, attendees made their way from the Town Hall to Earl’s Street, where the memorial bench was formally unveiled.