Obit: Kieran Halpin (1955-2020)

Subject: Obit: Kieran Halpin
From: GUEST,I Don't Know
Date: 06 Oct 20 - 07:54 AM

Just seen this posted on Facebook. The wonderful singer/songwriter Kieran Halpin has died.
R.I.P

Subject: RE: Obit: Kieran Halpin
From: Allan Conn
Date: 06 Oct 20 - 09:34 AM

Yes such a shame. Way too young.

Subject: RE: Obit: Kieran Halpin
From: The Sandman
Date: 06 Oct 20 - 09:46 AM

R.I.P. CONDOLENCES to his family and friends

Subject: RE: Obit: Kieran Halpin
From: Nick
Date: 06 Oct 20 - 09:51 AM

Too young but older than I thought (65) you remember people as you met them. When we had a local folk/acoustic thing from about 2004 onwards we booked very few people as it was mostly singaround and we had no money.
I think it is true that we gave Hissyfit their first paid gig. Jacqui of Jacqui and Bridie played (friend of someone who came) - I have a songbook from the 60's. Last Night's Fun twice.

Kieran Halpin played and was lovely. Huge hardworking man who did enormous numbers of gigs - mostly in Germany as there was no money for gigging artists in this country.

Very sad. He was really good. The one thing I remember was that a friend of his - and/or someone he had played with - had died within the previous week and he very sad. Still did a great gig.

A friend who was part of arranging it is in France now and was a huge fan and used to sing his songs. Hope he still does

Subject: RE: 2020 Obit: Kieran Halpin
From: cujimmy
Date: 06 Oct 20 - 06:06 PM

What sad sad news, I went to many of his concerts around Bradford / Leeds area, he wrote wonderful songs and was such an interesting gentleman to talk to. RIP Keiran.

Subject: RE: 2020 Obit: Kieran Halpin
From: rich-joy
Date: 06 Oct 20 - 07:30 PM

Oh, sad news indeed. I recall with pleasure his evening at the UpFront Club, here in Maleny, rural Qld!
One of my favourites is Hold On (sung passionately here by another very much missed man, John Wright : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOK8AjCBwiQ) and how I first became aware of Kieran and his excellent songs).

Vale, Kieran.

Subject: RE: 2020 Obit: Kieran Halpin
From: GUEST,Glenn
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 04:34 AM

Desperately sad news, and far too young. His song Streets of Everywhere, accompanied beautifully by Tom McConville on the fiddle, is one of the great folk songs of the past 50 years, but that doesn't even scratch the surface of his body of work. A wonderful singer and performer, but his songwriting puts him in the highest echelons for me.

Subject: RE: Obit: Kieran Halpin (1955-2020)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 10:26 AM

There are some good YouTube videos available, posted by Kieran in May 2020:

• The Looking Back Concerts - Part 1
  
• The Looking Back Concerts - Part 2
  
• The Looking Back Concerts - Part 3

Recent performances of songs from his lifetime.

May he rest in peace.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Obit: Kieran Halpin (1955-2020)
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 07:18 PM

What sad news, how tragic to be taken from us so young. A great songwriter and one of the most hard-working of performers. And such a nice guy too. We'll sure miss him. RIP Kieran, and condolences to his family.

Subject: RE: Obit: Kieran Halpin (1955-2020)
From: GUEST,I Don't Know
Date: 08 Oct 20 - 08:22 AM

One of many concerts that remain with me was Kieran supporting the Boomtown Rats, people who came for "the rats" were heard saying how they had loved Kieran.

Subject: RE: Obit: Kieran Halpin (1955-2020)
From: GUEST,Larry Donlon
Date: 08 Oct 20 - 04:29 PM

The first time I heard Kieran Halpin was at the Ballyshannon Folk Festival in 1994. He blew the the place apart with Anthony Kaley(I think) on Keys. It was a measure of the power of his performance that Sharon Shannon who followed him was a bit of an anti-climax. I've always had enormous respect for him ever since and I will always sing his songs, so help me God. Rest in Peace, Kieran! He was a giant who probably never got the recognition he deserved in the mainstream music industry. His songs are his true legacy and will always bear testimony to his courage, his vision of life and his talent.

Subject: RE: Obit: Kieran Halpin (1955-2020)
From: The Sandman
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 12:48 PM

re

Subject: RE: Obit: Kieran Halpin (1955-2020)
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 12 Oct 20 - 06:13 AM

Thanks for posting those links Joe. They give a measure of the man and his contribution. He will be greatly missed. I have added his name to the "In Memoriam" thread. My condolences go to all those who know and love him. RIP

Subject: RE: Obit: Kieran Halpin (1955-2020)
From: Felipa
Date: 14 Oct 20 - 05:03 PM

There was a short tribute to Kieran Halpin at the end of tonight's Folk Show on BBC radio 2 (9-10 pm BST, 14 Oct 2020 - features Kieran in the last 7-8 minutes).