Coming from the independent folk scene, Damien Dempsey has built a reputation
and gained recognition over the course of his career as a respected
singer-songwriter. Born in Donaghmede, a suburb of Dublin, on July 9, 1975, he
was steeped in Irish folk and rock traditions, from Elvis Presley to Shane
McGowan. He studied music in Ballyfermot, near Dublin, before releasing his
first EP, The Contender, on the school’s label in 1995. For five years, he built
up a repertoire of songs and toured the region’s clubs, leading up to the
release of his debut album Don’t Teach This Shit at Sch...