Jock McDonald RIP

Hot Press is saddened by the death of Jock McDonald, the punk rock provocateur and musician who died over the weekend while sea swimming in Bundoran.

The 69-year-old was rescued from the water by the RNLI on Saturday night but later died at Sligo University Hospital.

Growing up between his native Donegal and Glasgow, Jock moved to London during the late 1970s, desperate to be in the same city as the Clash and the Sex Pistols who he befriended.

A familiar face on the scene, he promoted gigs, concocted stunts, got up all the right people's noses and was part of The 4 Be 2's alongside the likes of John Lydon's brother, Jimmy, a pre-Killing Joke Martin Glover and, not to be outdone by Shane O'Hooligan, Dreary O'Hoodlum.

As a riposte to the 'No Dogs, No Blacks, No Irish' signs that could still be seen in dingy B&Bs and rental properties, they gave punk a very Irish kick up its arse, similar to what Shane MacGowan and first The Nips and then The Pogues were doing across town.

"You don't need a whistle and flute to be 'One Of The Lads'," read the ad for the 45 of that name, "just buy the new single from The 4 Be 2's."

In 1980, John Lydon travelled over to Dublin with The 4 Be 2's and got into a spot of bother with the Gardai.

“That band got me locked up in Dublin, I never made it to the gig; I was arrested for attacking two sets of policeman’s fists with my face,” John told us after he'd written a Public Image Ltd. song, 'Flowers Of Romance', about it. “We got to the hotel, all the 4 Be 2s, myself, Jock [McDonald] and a load others, and we decided to go to the pub next door. It had a nice view of the Liffey and so, rocking, you know, hello. Felt like being back home and then two gentlemen, who were not wearing uniforms, decided to create an aggravated situation, which amounted to nothing but them hobnailing it out of there. And the next thing uniformed police turn up at a hotel some hours later and arrested me for assault.

“That's a dangerous thing, right there. All the panic buttons in the world hit. It meant I would miss the gig so I couldn't laugh at my brother, and 'assaulting police officers'? I was looking at some serious jail time in Mountjoy. Luckily, I only got a week of lockup there, but it weren't no fun palace for me."

When The 4 Be 2's imploded, Jock continued to riff off Lydon and the Pistols by calling his new band The Bollock Brothers, They released an electro version of Never Mind The Bollocks, and brought in the man who stole into the Queen's bedroom at Buckingham Palace, Michael Fagan, as a guest singer.

They almost scored a hit with an English language version of Serge Gainsbourg's 'Harley David (Son Of A Bitch)', which strayed into Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Sigue Sigue Sputnik territory.

A diehard Celtic fan, Jock was involved in 1980s 'Why Won't Rangers Sign A Catholic?' single and devised various other wheezes officially and unofficially involving the club.

For a while during the 1990s, Jock was a regular visitor to the Hot Press office, regaling us with many a tale – some of the tall variety – and generally keeping us mightily entertained.

In one of his last Facebook posts, Jock said how much he was looking forward to The Bollock Brothers playing open air gigs next month in Europe. Always infinitely larger than life, he will be missed...

Here are some of the tributes that have been paid:

Charly Records are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jock McDonald, founding member of The Bollock Brothers.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.

Rest in peace, Jock.#JockMcDonald #TheBollockBrothers pic.twitter.com/O1vFWxp2Il

— Charly Records (@CharlyRecs) July 28, 2025