Eddie Friel, who represented Ireland at the 1995 Eurovision Song Contest, has died at the age of 64 following a short illness. The singer passed away in Innsbruck, Austria, where he had lived for many years.
A death notice confirmed the news, stating that Friel "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."
Career and Eurovision entry
Born in Belfast and raised in Donegal, Friel began his musical career as a teacher in 1986 before becoming a performer. He was a regular at venues across Northern Ireland in the 1990s and toured with several high-profile artists, playing piano, organ, and synthesizer on Van Morrison's 1991 double album Hymns to the Silence.
After winning Eurosong '95 with Dreamin', written by Richard Abbott and Barry Woods, Friel went on to compete in the annual contest, which was held on home soil that year following Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan's win the previous year with Rock 'n' Roll Kids.
Plagiarism row and contest result
His participation was briefly in doubt after the track became embroiled in a plagiarism row. It was claimed that Dreamin' strongly resembled Moonlight, a folk song released in 1971 by American-born singer Julie Felix. Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ considered pulling the track and replacing it with the Eurosong runner-up, Always You, performed by Naoimh Kavanagh.
Veteran Eurovision songwriter Phil Coulter publicly reviewed the music and concluded that, although the songs were incredibly similar, it was likely an "unhappy and unfortunate accident" rather than intentional copying. Despite this, an agreement still had to be reached with Julie Felix's representatives, which ultimately allowed Friel to perform the track.
He scored 44 points, placing 14th and breaking Ireland's record run of three consecutive Eurovision victories. That year's winner was Nocturne, performed by the neo-classical/folk duo Secret Garden for Norway, which had an Irish connection through violinist Fionnuala Sherry.
Later life and tributes
After moving to Austria, Friel continued to write and release music under his own name and became a staple of the local live music scene in mainland Europe. He had a long career as a resident piano-bar musician, vocalist, and composer, playing grand piano in local venues for decades.
Tributes flooded in as the news became public. On Facebook, one 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 added: "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."
A third shared: "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."
