Reception held to mark 50 years since the passing of Tom Dunphy
Pictured at City Hall
Mayor of Waterford City & County, Cllr. Séamus Ryan hosted a special welcome reception on Wednesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the passing of Tom Dunphy, member of the world-famous Royal Showband.
The reception in City Hall was attended by members of Tom’s family, including his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, as Waterford honoured a legacy in song that continues to resonate fifty years on.
Tom, who grew up on the Mayors Walk, helped bring the unique sound of Waterford and the Irish showband era to international audiences, topping charts and performing across Ireland, Britain, and the United States.
The most popular Irish showband of the 60s, the Royal Showband, originally formed in 1957 and turned fully professional two years later.
During their peak, the band played almost every night to audiences in excess of 2,000.
They were the first showband in the country to record a single, with Tom singing lead on ‘Come Down the Mountain Katie Daly'.
Tom Dunphy and Brendan Bowyer left the band in 1971 to form showband supergroup the Big 8, who also found considerable success.
The dissolution of the Royal Showband symbolically ended the showband domination of the era.
Tom died in a car accident on July 29 1975, whilst on his way to meet with fellow band members.
The accident occurred about five miles out on the Longford side of Carrick on Shannon.
In the report of his death, the Waterford News & Star described Tom as having ‘sincere wit, charm and personality which endeared him to dancing enthusiasts everywhere'.
'Dancing fans throughout the country, particularly so in Waterford, were still finding it hard to come to grips with the stark reality that country singer, Tom Dunphy, one of Ireland’s major entertainment idols, was dead.'
