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President leads Irish tributes to 'timeless' musician Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen Leonard Cohen

PRESIDENT Michael D Higgins has paid tribute to Leonard Cohen saying the singer/songwriter captured "the essence of human life".

Paying tribute, the president said Cohen had a warm connection with Irish audiences and his songs were "timeless".

"Leonard Cohen captured not just feelings of loneliness and loss, but also the essence of human life: love, beauty, humour, as well as social and political engagement," he said.

"His vast and diverse music repertoire has been widely recognised, receiving awards and critical acclaim, and gaining him fans around the world. Leonard Cohen has left a lasting legacy and his work will continue to inspire current and future generations.

"He was deeply influenced by William Butler Yeats and he made a very warm connection with his Irish audiences - a fact that he valued and emphasised to me when I met him in Dublin."

Minister for Arts Heather Humphreys said Cohen was her "personal favourite".

And Eddie Walsh, the co-owner of Lissadell House in Co Sligo where Cohen played two concerts in 2010, paid tribute to "a man dedicated to art, dedicated to professionalism, incredible, sublime".