Entertainment « Thurles Information

Death Of Irish Folk Singer Dolores Keane.

A great hush has fallen over Irish music with the passing yesterday of Ms Dolores Keane, one of the most cherished and soul-stirring voices this country has ever known.

Dolores Keane died peacefully in her sleep at her home in Caherlistrane, Co Galway, aged 72 years, leaving behind not only a body of music of rare beauty, but a deep sense of gratitude among all who were moved by her singing. Current reporting remembers her as one of the defining voices of Irish folk and traditional music.

**Late Ms Dolores Keane** *(26th September 1953 – 16th March 2026)* **R.I.P.**

For decades, Dolores sang as though she were carrying the memory of a people. In her voice lived the tenderness of home, the ache of longing, the strength of women, and the old unbroken thread of song handed down through family and place. She did not merely perform music; she inhabited it, and in doing so gave something timeless to Irish culture.

Born into the renowned Keane family, Dolores was shaped by a house full of songs, stories and visiting musicians. From those early roots in Galway grew an artist of extraordinary grace, first known for singing with her aunts Rita and Sarah Keane, and later celebrated through her work with De Dannan, her collaborations with John Faulkner, and a solo career that brought her voice far beyond these shores.

There was a haunting honesty in Dolores Keane’s singing that could stop people in their tracks. Whether singing a sean-nós air, a love song, or a modern folk ballad, she seemed to reach beyond performance and touch something more intimate and enduring. Her beloved interpretation of “Caledonia” remains one of the songs most closely associated with her; a recording carried for years in the hearts of listeners who found comfort, beauty and home in her voice.

To speak of Dolores Keane is to speak of more than acclaim, recordings or applause. It is to speak of feeling. Of truth. Of a voice that seemed to rise not just from the singer, but from the soil, the hearth, and the generations who sang before her. She gave the old songs new life, and gave contemporary songs an ancient depth. In every phrase, there was humanity.

In ár gcroíthe go deo.

Jessie Buckley Wins Oscar, Inspiring Pride In Thurles & Across Ireland.

The Ursuline Secondary School community here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, is celebrating with great pride, following the news that former student Ms Jessie Buckley has won the 2026 Academy Award for Best Actress for her powerful performance in the film “Hamnet”.

The Academy’s official results confirm Buckley’s win, while multiple reports noted that she became the first Irish performer to win the Oscar for Best Actress.

Jessie Buckley’s success has been warmly welcomed in Thurles, where she is remembered as a talented and creative former Ursuline secondary student whose journey from the classroom to the world stage continues to inspire immense local pride. Recent local reporting has also identified Buckley as a past pupil of Ursuline Secondary School, Thurles.

Her Oscar-winning role in “Hamnet” has been widely praised by critics and audiences alike, with Buckley earning acclaim throughout the 2026 awards season before securing Hollywood’s highest acting honour. Her performance as Agnes, the wife of William Shakespeare, has been described as emotionally powerful and deeply memorable, helping to cement her place among the most respected actors of her generation.

For the Ursuline school community, Jessie’s achievement is a moment of enormous joy and celebration. It is a reminder to current and future students that talent, dedication and belief in oneself can lead to extraordinary opportunities. Her story reflects the strength of ambition nurtured at local level and realised on the international stage.

Everyone at Ursuline Secondary School, Thurles, extends heartfelt congratulations to Jessie on this remarkable achievement and wishes her continued success in all future projects.

Mammy’s Day – March 15th.

Today, Sunday 15th March 2026, is Mother’s Day in Ireland, and that feels especially fitting for a nod to the legendary “Irish Mammy” energy Brendan Grace made so memorable; the woman who could find your lost jumper, your manners, and your future all in one sentence.
So let us begin by honouring the queens of the side-eye, the guardians of “Were you raised in a barn?”, and the fearless women who could heal any illness with tea, toast and a threat.

**Late, Great, Commedian Brendan Grace** *(1951- 2019)*.

Mothers don’t just bring us into the world; they spend the rest of their lives asking why we went out without a coat and whether we’ve thanked them properly for the privilege.

The Irish Mother.

And as we close, let’s raise a cup of tea, hide the good biscuits, and salute the women who somehow managed to keep the whole show on the road, while making it look like we were the hard work.

Happy Mother’s Day to every mammy, mum, mother, and maternal legend, may your compliments be plentiful, your feet be up for at least ten minutes, and may nobody dare say “What’s for dinner?” unless they’re the one cooking it.

You Needed Me.

Lyrics: American songwriter Randy Goodrum.
Vocals: Canadian country, pop and adult contemporary music singer Anne Murray.

You Needed Me.

Here’s a beautiful classic made famous by Ms Anne Murray, “You Needed Me“.
It’s a song about love, comfort, and being there for someone when they need you most.
I hope this one brings back a few memories.”

You Needed Me.

I cried a tear, you wiped it dry,
I was confused, you cleared my mind,
I sold my soul, you bought it back for me,
And held me up and gave me dignity,
Somehow, you needed me.

You gave me strength to stand alone again,
To face the world out on my own again,
You put me high upon a pedestal,
So high that I could almost see eternity,
You needed me.
You needed me.

And I can’t believe it’s you I can’t believe it’s true!
I needed you and you were there,
And I’ll never leave, why should I leave? I’d be a fool,
‘Cause I finally found someone who really cares,

You held my hand when it was cold,
When I was lost you took me home,
You gave me hope when I was at the end,
And turned my lies back into truth again,
You even called me friend.

You gave me strength to stand alone again,
To face the world out on my own again,
You put me high upon a pedestal,
So high that I could almost see eternity,
You needed me.
You needed me.
You needed me.
You needed me.
END

What Colour Is the Wind?

Lyrics and Vocals: British country and folk musician and singer-songwriter, Charlie Alexander Landsborough.

The song, hereunder, tells the touching story of a blind child trying to understand the world through simple but powerful questions.
Released in the mid-1990s, it became one of Landsborough’s best-known songs and helped make him especially popular in Ireland.
The song is loved for its emotional lyrics, soft melody, and the message of innocence, love, and wonder.

What Colour Is the Wind?

What Colour Is the Wind?

What colour is the wind, Daddy,
Is it yellow, red or blue,
When he’s playing with my hair, Dad,
Does he do the same to you.
When he’s dying does his colour fade,
Is a gentle breeze a lighter shade,
Just like his friend the sea,
The wind feels blue to me.
When the blackbird starts to sing, Daddy,
Do the flowers hear him, too,
When he’s pouring out his heart, Dad,
Tell me, what do roses do.
Do they cast their scent upon the air,
And is fragrance just a rose in prayer,
Giving thanks to God above,
For the blackbird’s song of love.

Blow, wind, blow, wild and free.
My Daddy says, you’re a lot like me.
I know each colour, its shape and size.
I’ve seen them all, with my Daddy’s eyes.

I know that grass is green, Dad,
I’ve touched it with my toes.
And snow is purest white, Dad,
I’ve felt it with my nose.
But my favorite colour has to be,
The colour of your love for me,
And Daddy, I’ve been told,
That love is always gold.

Blow, wind, blow, wild and free.
My Daddy says, you’re a lot like me.
My Daddy says, you’re a lot like me.

What colour is the wind?

END