Thin Lizzy — Artane, Dublin Origins

Thin Lizzy formed in Dublin in 1969, with Phil Lynott growing up in Crumlin and later Clontarf before the band coalesced from the city's late-1960s rock scene. Lynott had been raised by his grandmother Sarah in Crumlin — his father was a Brazilian-born man of Guyanese descent he rarely saw, and his mother Philomena ran a fairground in Manchester. Growing up mixed-race in 1950s and 1960s Dublin was its own particular experience, and the outsider sensibility it gave Lynott runs through his best writing. He was one of rock's great romantics and one of its most underrated lyricists.

Thin Lizzy's breakthrough came with 'Whiskey in the Jar' (1972) and their commercial peak with 'The Boys Are Back in Town' (1976) from the Jailbreak album — a song that distilled everything Lynott did best: street mythology, male friendship, longing, and groove. The twin-guitar sound of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson (later Gary Moore and others) became one of the most imitated in hard rock. Lynott died in January 1986 from pneumonia and organ failure related to drug and alcohol use, aged 36.

Dublin has honoured Lynott with a bronze statue on Harry Street in the city centre — a popular gathering point for fans and a regular site for informal tributes. Thin Lizzy's broader Dublin geography, including the venues where they played early shows and the Crumlin neighbourhood where Lynott grew up, is part of Dublin's music heritage trail.