Noel Kelehan facts for kids

Noel Kelehan (born 26 December 1935 – died 6 February 2012) was a famous Irish musician. He was a talented conductor and led the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. He also worked as a music director for Radio Telefís Éireann, which is Ireland's national broadcaster. He stopped working as a conductor in 1998.

Noel Kelehan's Musical Journey

Noel Kelehan was a very skilled jazz pianist. But he was most well-known for his work at the Eurovision Song Contest. He conducted many songs for Ireland in this big music competition. His first time was in 1966, and his last was in 1998.

He helped Ireland win Eurovision five times! These wins were in 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, and 1996. In 1994, the winning song didn't use an orchestra. But Noel still conducted a song from Poland that year, called "To nie ja!", which came in second place. He also conducted a song for Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1993.

In total, Noel Kelehan conducted 29 different songs at Eurovision. Twenty-four of these were for Ireland. After he retired in 1999, orchestras were no longer used at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Noel Kelehan passed away in Dublin on 6 February 2012. He was 76 years old and had been ill for some time. His funeral was held in Dublin a few days later.

Musical Works and Contributions

Noel Kelehan also made several music records. With his group, the Noel Kelehan Quintet, he released an album called "Ozone" in 1979. He also helped out famous bands. In 1984, he wrote the string music for two songs by the band U2. These songs were The Unforgettable Fire and Bad. Both songs are from U2's album, The Unforgettable Fire.