Music
23 Jun 25

Harmonica wizard Eamon Murray has died

Eamon Murray by Colm Henry.

Widely considered among the finest harmonica players in Ireland, Eamon enjoyed a fine career, with numerous recording appearances to his credit

Hot Press has learned the sad news of the death of Eamon Murray – one of Ireland’s all-time finest harmonica players. He died peacefully in St. Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin.

Eamon first emerged in the 1960s as a member of Blues House, playing alongside Ed Deane and Dermot Stokes, in what was among the finest blues bands ever to grace an Irish stage.

That was during the Irish Blues Appreciation Society era, with Eamon in turn playing the blues at many of the regular sessions in Slattery’s of Capel Street run by the blues aficionado and promoter, the late Larry Roddy.

In addition to his prowess on harmonica, Eamon was a fine singer and saxophonist. He went on to guest on numerous Irish albums, with Jimmy MacCarthy, Luka Bloom (with whom he made the Barry Moore / Eamon Murray album, In Groningen), Nigel Mooney, Clannad and Ed Deane among those to benefit from his exceptional musicianship. He worked on a number of movie soundtracks, including for the powerful film Kings, directed by Tom Collins.

His most recent solo album was titled Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.

Eamon also worked at different times with An Emotional Fish, The Rhythm Kings (fronted by Rocky de Valera aka Ferdia MacAnna), The Cajun Kings, Chris Meehan and his Redneck Friends, The Low Down Dogs – and his own band, Fattenin' Frogs for Snakes.

Rhythm Kings.

A 50th Anniversary celebration – marking half a century since he first clambered onstage to make a beautiful noise – took place in at The Meetings in Avoca, in 2023. The line-up included The Ed Deane Band, Leslie Dowdall, Gavin Povey, The Chiara Clear Band, and Chris Meehan and his Redneck Friends.

“Eamon Murray was a proper virtuoso,” Hot Press editor Niall Stokes said. “There is a sense with great harmonica players in particular that they are squeezing the wildest of notes out of this tiny little instrument – and so hearing the fantastic intricacy of which Eamon was capable was a revelation in itself. Some musicians have a special edge – I’m thinking of people like Máirtín O’Connor and Martin Hayes – and Eamon was in that upper echelon, showing the kind of magic touch that could stop you in your tracks. He and his talent will be sadly missed."

Eamon has been described as a man of many talents and he was surely that. Aside from his outstanding work as a musician, Eamon was a long-time resident of Cois Abhainn in Greenane, near Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow – his home since 2004 with his late wife, the actress Rynagh O’Grady of Father Ted notoriety. Not only did they live there, but the couple also built all of the houses in a development of seven A-framed timber dwellings – so in more ways than one, his legacy will live on.

Eamon is survived by his son Jamie, daughter-in-law Sinead and grandchildren Toby and Jake – as well as his sisters Joan, Deirdre, Sinead, Angela and Roisin, and his brother Padraig.