Edged in Blue

Clad in faded denim and a checked shirt, he sold umpteen million records and became a charismatic icon of Irish music, inspiring musicians such as Brian May of Queen, The Edge of U2, Slash of Guns N’ Roses and Johnny Marr of The Smiths to strap on a guitar and make history in their turn. But away from the stage, Rory was an intensely private man whose heart was a closed book to the outside world. His closest confidante was his brother, Dónal, who accompanied Rory on his rise from their childhood Everly Brothers stage performances, the Irish Showband scene across the North and South of the Irish border through to the deafening heart of the 70s rock scene in London – and far beyond. From playing bomb-shattered Belfast at the height of the Troubles to touring across America with everyone from Blind Faith to KISS, Dónal was at Rory's side to witness his greatest triumphs and, after all too brief a span of years, his decline into illness and a tragically early death.