Eddie Friel, who represented Ireland in the 1995 Eurovision Song Contest with Dreamin’, has died at the age of 64 following a short illness
Eurovision legend Eddie Friel, who flew the flag for Ireland in the 1995 contest, has passed away aged 64 following a brief illness.
The sad news was confirmed in a death notice which stated, “[He] will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by his sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family circle and friends. May his gentle soul rest in peace.”
He passed away in Innsbruck, Austria, where he had resided for many years.
Born in Belfast and raised in Donegal, he started his musical journey as a teacher in 1986 before transitioning to performing, becoming a familiar face at venues throughout Northern Ireland during the 1990s. He performed and toured with several high-profile artists, and played piano, organ, and synthesizer on Van Morrison’s 1991 double album Hymns to the Silence.
After victory at Eurosong ’95 with Dreamin’, penned by Richard Abbott and Barry Woods, he went on to take part in the prestigious annual competition. That year’s event was hosted on home turf, following Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan’s triumph the previous year with Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids.
However, his participation was briefly thrown into doubt when the track became embroiled in a plagiarism row. It was alleged that it bore a striking similarity to Moonlight, a folk song released in 1971 by American-born singer Julie Felix.
Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ contemplated withdrawing the track and substituting it with the Eurosong runner-up, Always You, performed by Naoimh Kavanagh. Veteran Eurovision songwriter Phil Coulter publicly assessed the two pieces of music and concluded that, while the songs bore a striking resemblance, it was most probably an “unhappy and unfortunate accident” rather than a deliberate act of plagiarism.
Despite this ruling, a settlement still needed to be negotiated with Julie Felix’s representatives, which ultimately gave Eddie the green light to perform the song.
He went on to score 44 points, finishing in 14th place and ending Ireland’s remarkable run of three consecutive Eurovision victories.
In a twist, that year’s winner, Nocturne performed by neo-classical/folk duo Secret Garden representing Norway, carried an Irish connection in the form of violinist Fionnuala Sherry, who made up one half of the act.
After relocating to Austria, he carried on with writing and releasing music under his own name, becoming a firm fixture on the live music circuit across mainland Europe. He enjoyed a lengthy and well-regarded career as a resident piano-bar musician, vocalist and composer, tickling the ivories at local venues for many years.
Tributes poured in for the beloved star as news of his passing spread. One Facebook user wrote: “Saddened to read that Eddie Friel has passed away. He was a nice fella. He represented Ireland at the 1995 Eurovision Song Contest with the very pleasant tune Dreamin’.”
Another contributed: “Can’t believe my old musician friend Eddie Friel has passed away. He’s been in Innsbruck for as long as I can remember. Always wondered how he was getting on, in case you don’t remember him, he was Irelands entrant for Eurovision in 1995. Many a gig together in Belfast and he played some epic piano with Niamh Parsons and the Loose Connections first album. Such sad news from a legend in the Belfast music scene.”
Meanwhile, a third posted: “I am so sorry to hear the news this morning about the passing of Eddie Friel. We were great friends when we were kids…Sadly, I lost touch with him as life went on but I have never forgotten him. God rest you, my old and dear friend. My deepest condolences to his sisters.”
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