Damien Dempsey: Speaking Through The Music

He sees himself as ‘a Druid on the edge’, yet he embraces his ability to bring community to people. As he releases his seventh album, Dempsey discusses musical collaborations, spirituality and love

Damien Dempsey: ‘I try to tell people not to have blind faith’ Pic: Barry Cronin

Damien Dempsey looks mortified.

Sequestered in a Dublin bar overlooking the Liffey, in an upstairs nook full of vintage instruments and retro wall posters, Dempsey is humming and hawing, looking for a moment more like an abashed schoolboy than a 41-year-old fully-grown musician who recently bought a house in his home suburb of Donaghmede in Dublin, and has a seventh studio album primed for release.

We’re talking about Dempsey’s love life. Well, indirectly. ...