Thin Lizzy played in Clonmel this night 50 years ago

Clonmel played host to Thin Lizzy, one of the most famous Irish rock bands of all time, on January 20 1973, this night fifty years ago.

The band performed at The Caroline Ballroom, now The Venue, in Upper Gladstone Street.

Thin Lizzy were riding the crest of the wave of their initial success at the time, thanks to their breakthrough hit Whiskey in The Jar.  

They played in Clonmel fresh from an appearance on BBC's Top of The Pops.

They had also performed in Clonmel the previous year.

Those gigs have since gone down in the town's folklore and have always occupied a special place in the affections of Clonmelians of a certain generation who were present.

Thin Lizzy subsequently went on to achieve worldwide stardom, thanks to a string of chart-topping albums such as Jailbreak, Live and Dangerous and Black Rose, and hit singles including The Boys are Back in Town, Waiting for an Alibi, Dancing in The Moonlight and Sarah.

Frontman Phil Lynott was a bona fide superstar and his life ended all too soon when he died in 1986 aged just 36.

Our thanks are extended to award-winning artist John Keating, originally from Upper Gladstone Street, Clonmel, and now living in Dublin, for supplying the photo of the band performing at The Caroline.