Laurence 'Lar' Cleary, the original guitarist with seminal Dublin rock band The Blades, has died in Japan aged 61.

The news was announced by the band, via their official Facebook page.

Cleary, who adopted the stage name Lar Schreiber, co-founded The Blades with his brother Paul in 1977, enjoying critical acclaim and a devoted live following in the late '70s and early '80s - he played on a classic run of early Blades singles, including Hot For You, The Bride Wore White and Ghost Of A Chance. 

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He left the band in 1982, and spent much of the following decades living in the Far East with his wife Tina, where he worked as an English teacher and translator - The Blades returned, minus Lar Cleary, in 2013 for a series of well-received reunion gigs that culminated in the release of a new album, Modernised, last year. 

Watch - The Blades perform The Bride Wore White, via RTÉ Archives:

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Lar's sad passing was noted on social media by many seasoned Blades fans: