Tributes paid to "true one of a kind" Cat Dowling: "She is another huge loss to the Irish music community"

Tributes have continued to pour in across the weekend for Cat Dowling – following the very sad news of her death, aged 54.

The Kilkenny-born indie-pop artist – and former Babelfish and Alphastates frontwoman – was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2017, and passed away peacefully on Friday, August 7, at St. Francis Hospice in Blanchardstown.

Her funeral is set to take place at The Sacred Heart Church, Ferrybank, on Wednesday, August 12, at 1pm.

She is survived by her three children, Rachel, Ódhran, and Juliette.

Cat's former bandmate Karl Odlum is among those who have paid tribute.

"A true one of a kind," he wrote online. "An indomitable spirit, off the charts craic levels and ridiculously talented..."

Reflecting on her passing in a post on social media, Jerry Fish stated: "We knew Cat was a fighter and she convinced us all she would win this battle. "

"I believed her," he continued. "Cat was a warrior for LOVE. A gentle soul, humble and generous to a fault. We will miss her Punk heart and rasping angel of a voice. Cat Dowling was one of a kind..."

 

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The Stunning have also paid tribute to Cat, describing her as "a true original."

"She is another huge loss to the Irish music community," their post reads. "If you don’t know her music check it out on all the streaming platforms. She opened for us in Kilkenny a few years back. her last album Animals is superb. Rest in peace Catherine, you can play some tunes with Glen."

Alongside a video shared to his Instagram Stories over the weekend, filmmaker and musician Myles O'Reilly stated that he and Cat "grew up together in music."

"You were always such an inspiring force," he continued. "Such a star. So very honoured for the sessions we had in my living room, these past few borrowed months. Will miss our effortless philosophical chats. Rest in peace. Rest in music."

Green Party Senator Malcolm Noonan called Cat "a unique talent [and] a real innovator, creating a sound all of her own and drew huge respect across the music scene."

"She was also a proud Kilkenny native and I was fortunate to have served briefly on Kilkenny County Council with her dad, Dick Dowling (RIP)," he added. "Cat was always brimful of ideas about her songs and live shows and I enjoyed our conversations about music."

See more tributes to Cat Dowling below – and read Hot Press editor Niall Stokes' tribute here:

 

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Very sorry to hear about the passing of @catdowlingmusic. She was a talented songwriter whose voice I loved. I interviewed her several times over the years. Always great fun. Always passionate about her music & music in general. So sorry for her family & friends. pic.twitter.com/JIcSLUd0HO

— John Barker (@JohnBarkerTilt) August 8, 2026