'Bring him home': Cork music community to gig for Jimmy Crowley

When the people of Cork heard that one of their favourite sons was in desperate need of their help, they answered the call.

Singer and songwriter Jimmy Crowley has been in hospital for five months after suffering a stroke. He was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer last September.

His partner, Eve Telford, issued a GoFundMe appeal to raise funds so he could continue his rehabilitation at their Cobh home.

‘Bring him home’ was the plea.

And Corkonians responded.

The original target was swiftly smashed, and more than €100,000 was raised before the fund was closed after just a week.

Now, Jimmy, 75 - one of the greatest musicians the Rebel County has ever produced - will be going home in a few weeks’ time.

The music community of Cork, and the diaspora around the world, have also answered the call, and a series of fund-raising concerts is being planned to raise money for Jimmy’s care.

A tribute gig will take place at Cork City Hall on June 24, with early confirmed acts including Eoin Ó Riabhaigh and Johnny Murphy of Jimmy's early band Stokers Lodge, John Spillane, the Lee Valley String Band, Cónal Creedon, The Oars, Eoin Jordan & Anthony Ruby, and The Cheese Club (Singers Club).

Many of Jimmy’s musician friends have supported him in his moment of need.

Christy Moore, an old friend of Jimmy’s - they toured Cork together 50 years ago - shared the online appeal with the 186,000 followers on his Facebook page and said: “Wishing Jimmy the very best and hoping we’ll meet up again soon.”

Nor is the outpouring of love for Jimmy confined to his beloved native Cork.

He has toured all across the U.S and Europe, and fund-raising concerts are being planned to raise money for his cause all around the world - from New York to Dublin, Sherkin Island to Ennis - even The Randy Leprechaun pub in Alicante, Spain!

The latter has been run by Cork man Willie Delaney and his Kilkenny wife Babs for 15 years, and their fund-raising trad session for Jimmy will take place next Thursday, May 28.

“People are supporting it, which is good,”says Babs, “we are doing what we can to help. We have a hamper and are raffling tickets for €5.”

Husband Willie, originally from Blackpool, is himself a musician and said he has known Jimmy for 40 years, since first seeing him perform in Jim Edwards' pub in Kinsale at his Sunday afternoon sessions.

“Jimmy has stayed here at the bar a few times,” said Willie, “and he has jammed with us in the sessions. He is such an unassuming guy and we wanted to help him out.”

He told a story of how Jimmy went to visit an Alicante attraction called Lo Pagán mud baths near the bar one day, when a Cork woman spotted him and told her friend: “Holy Jaysus, it’s Jimmy Crowley!”

Musician Richie O’Rourke plays regularly at The Randy Leprechaun’s weekly trad sessions, and is from Cobh, where Jimmy will soon be heading to convalesce.

Richie, a long-time friend of Jimmy, said: “When I saw the appeal on Facebook, I said, ‘I’m going to have to do something’, he wants to go back home to my home town.

“We will make a great effort for Jimmy in our fund-raiser in the pub next week.”

Richie says Jimmy’s contribution to music and culture in Cork is “immeasurable””, adding: “Mention Cork and music to anybody and they will say ‘Jimmy Crowley’. Nobody encapsulates the spirit of Cork like him. He’s a very important figure and everybody loves him.”

Richie, who has lived in Spain for 15 years, has kept in touch with Jimmy. He recalls a few years ago having a pint with his friend in The Roaring Donkey - “the cultural centre of Cobh,” says Richie - and Jimmy said he had bought a house that day in the town.

“It turned out to be the house where my uncle once lived,” says Richie.

“When The Randy Leprechaun expanded a few years ago, Willie told me he wanted a big launch night for it, so we asked Jimmy over. He came, and liked it so much, he came back again.

“Jimmy and I have stayed in touch. I would often get a call and answer it, and it would be ‘Alright, Richie, boy, how’s it going?!’”

Born in Douglas in 1950, Jimmy Crowley, has written, performed, and collected folk songs all his life.

His early band Stokers Lodge have gone down in Cork folklore, recording the iconic The Boys Of Fairhill in 1975. A prolific and inspired songwriter, Jimmy’s early recordings popularised local songs such as Johnny Jump Up, Salonika, and The Armoured Car.

He has continued writing, touring, and performing throughout his career, and was in the middle of recording an album of songs with his partner, folk singer Eve, called Ambrosia, when he became ill.

In later life, Jimmy also staged a ballad opera and earned a degree from UCC in folklore and Irish, taken as a mature student. He released his 15th album, Life, last year.

Jimmy penned a weekly column for the Echo for 22 years, called The Songs Of Cork, where he selected a different song each week related to the city or county and detailed its background and lyrics. He amassed an astounding 1,125 songs before hanging up his quill in 2024.