The founding members of legendary Irish band Bagatelle were honoured in their hometown of Bray on Sunday with the unveiling of a commemorative bench.
The ceremony took place at Bray Head, Co Wicklow, where Cathaoirleach of Bray County Council Erica Doyle officially unveiled the tribute to Liam Reilly and John O'Brien. Bagatelle founder member and bass player Ken Doyle attended the event, which was organised by Bray County Council.
The ceremony was followed by a performance on Bray Seafront, with Bagatelle and Friends playing at the Bandstand.
Bagatelle, who formed in Bray in 1978, scored several No 1 singles with songs including Summer in Dublin, Second Violin and Trump Card. They went on to enjoy multi-platinum and gold album sales with classic emigration songs such as Streets of New York, Flight of the Earls and Boston Rose, all written by frontman Liam Reilly.
The band have long been credited with inspiring other Irish acts, including U2, to play their own songs. They were closely associated with Sinéad O’Connor and Shane MacGowan, and shared the stage with Bob Marley at his iconic Dalymount Park concert in 1980.
Following the death of Liam Reilly on 1 January 2021, TG4 broadcast a documentary, Bagatelle – Ómos do Liam Reilly, which first aired on New Year’s Eve 2021. Since then, the remaining members of the band have returned to touring to celebrate Reilly’s life, his music and the Bagatelle legacy.
