Pat Lynch (singer)

{{Short description|Irish showband musician and singer (died 2018)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| background = solo_singer

|name=Pat Lynch

| birth_place = Blackpool, Cork, Ireland

| birth_date = 1933

|death_date=26 January 2018 (age 84)

|death_place=

| genre = Irish folk, showband

| occupation = Singer

| instrument = Vocals

| years_active = 1964–1970s

| past_member_of =The Airchords

|label=Ruby

}}

Pat Lynch (1933 – 26 January 2018) was an Irish singer and entertainer of the showband genre born in Cork.{{Cite web|url=https://iadt.libguides.com/c.php?g=680463&p=4855131|title=LibGuides: Top Hat Online Exhibit: 1970: The Year Ireland Went Pop!|first=Alice|last=Morrissey|website=iadt.libguides.com}}

Early life

Lynch was born into a musical family in Blackpool, Cork.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/obituary-pat-lynch/36590442.html|title=Obituary: Pat Lynch|date=11 February 2018|website=Independent.ie}} He was singing in the Palm Court Ballroom, Oliver Plunkett Street when he was just six years old. He qualified as a welder.{{Cite web|url=https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-40174836.html|title=Tributes paid to an all time great, Pat Lynch|date=29 January 2018|website=echo live}}

Career

Pat Lynch's brother Steve was a member of The Dixies, a successful showband in the 1960s. Pat got his break in 1964 when he was recruited into The Clipper Carlton showband. In 1965 he became the lead singer of the Airchords, a band founded by Irish Air Corps members.{{Cite web|url=https://www.irish-showbands.com/Bands/airchordsp.htm|title=Airchords Showband|website=www.irish-showbands.com}} They had their first number one on the Irish Singles Chart in 1967–68 with "Treat Me Daughter Kindly." In 1971 Lynch left the Airchords had a solo number one with "When We Were Young," which became the team anthem of Cork Hibernians F.C. In 1972–73 Lynch toured with Derek Davis, who played "Mean Tom", a parody of Big Tom; Pat Lynch, Mean Tom and the Treetops performed until September 1973.

Later life

Lynch returned to welding, teaching it at the Cork Regional Technical College. He died in 2018.

References