ON November 16, the Johnny Fean stage will be revealed at the Shannon Springs Hotel, while there will be a special concert on the night.
“We have all the memorabilia in place, the stage is kitted out. It has neon light, all old photographs from the days of Zen Alligators, Horslips, all of that stuff. Every piece of memorabilia that is appropriate has been assessed. We have been working on it since January,” says Johnny’s brother Ray.
The celebrated guitarist passed away in 2023 at the age of 71, having enjoyed a fantastic career.
He was best known for his involvement with Horslips, who shot to fame in the 1970s with a blend of rock music mixed with traditional tunes.
Their best known song was Dearg Doom, which was famously sampled for Ireland’s 1990 World Cup song Put ‘Em Under Pressure.
Johnny was also involved in groups such as the Zen Alligators and Host.
Ray said that the loss of his brother had been a huge blow.
“It was just one of those situations, it took John, and Maggie, totally by surprise,” he said.
“It was over so quickly. We are still stunned. It’s quite surreal to me, I can’t believe he has gone at all. He was the oldest brother, led the charge, we’re all gutted.
“Things happen and that’s life and we have to accept it. We want to get his legacy up and running in Shannon, it’s very important to us.”
He says that Johnny always kept a low profile in his hometown.
“John was very private, the vast majority of people who knew about Horslips in ‘Shannon wouldn’t have known he lived in Shannon,” he said.
“He was so quiet, he led a very straightforward simple life. He didn’t socialise beyond his gigs, he would go to family occasions, but other than that he didn’t really go out so no one knew of his presence in Shannon.”
Ray says that he, and a lot of people in the area, are looking forward to November 16.
“On the day itself all the memorabilia will be assembled,” he said.
“We have the bands ready to go, the host band are The Lost Steps. It’s an all star band, Eoin O’Neill, James Delaney, Dave Keary, myself, my brother Donal, Richie Buckley on sax.
“The Blues Train are coming to play, John used to play in that band. Mick Hanley will be there and there are a couple of surprises I can’t announce just yet.
“There will be a press launch at 2.30 that day and everybody is welcome.
“The reason we’re doing it is that it will be packed on the night and we won’t be able to take proper photographs then Damian O’Rourke [who is involved in the organising] figured that we should have that done and we can party that night then.
“The show itself will be at 8.30. We have a countdown clock on the wall, and come 12 o’clock it will be the 17th, which is John’s birthday.”
He is very grateful to John Gavin of the Shannon Springs.
“John Gavin has been brilliant about the whole thing. Our family wasn’t expecting it. John and Damian approached me and asked me and I said yeah, it’s a great idea,” he said.
People will have a chance to make a donation to the Irish Guide Dogs on the day, but there is no charge to attend.
“It’s purely for charity, there is no monetary gain whatsoever. No tickets, if you get there first you get the best place,” he said.
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked with a number of other publications in Limerick, Cork and Galway. His first book will be published in December 2024.