Liam Benn enjoyed a colourful and varied life in Ireland and England, all set to a soundtrack of wonderful music and enriched by the company of a close family and countless friends.
For four decades the Co Clare man was a mainstay in the Irish music scene in London, delighting audiences three times a week in dances in church halls across the city.
Later he moved to Fermanagh to support his two daughters as they followed in his musical footsteps, as well as opening a record shop in Enniskillen where he could share his passion with new friends.
Born in 1938 outside Miltown Malbay in rural west Clare, Liam had grown up with two younger brothers in a house full of music and laughter, two traits he would carry throughout his life.
They had no running water or electricity and ate only what they grew on the land, but enjoyed an idyllic childhood in a tight-knit community where everyone lent each other a hand.
Liam left school at 14 and became a telegram messenger for the post office, before using his broad frame to help bring electricity in Tipperary and west Clare as a foreman for ESB. The premature death of his father, George, when he was 20 saw him take on responsibility for the family.
It was 1960 that he and a friend took the decision to leave for London, arriving with just a suitcase and a telephone number for digs in Charing Cross.
He worked as a bus conductor and a policeman before using his formidable organisational skills in various jobs in administration and warehousing. A highly intelligent man, his family home had always been the go-to destination for those needing help with documents or legal matters.
All the while Liam was involved in music, starting out in 1966 when a band failed to turn up for a Pioneer Association dance – he was a lifelong pioneer, or ‘lifelong tea drinker’ as he liked to call it – and he stepped in with his brother Michael to provide the ceili session.
Soon they formed The Benn Brothers band, with Liam – who had learned at the feet of famous Clare piper Willie Clancy in his youth – as lead singer and sometimes drummer.
They performed a wide range of songs and styles, from ceili to country and pop music to old-time waltz. Among Liam and his many fans’ personal favourites were Birmingham Jail or The Rose of Clare
Attending those dances in the early years was Anne Lynch, whose parents hailed from Kerry and Fermanagh, and they were married in London in 1979.
They would have two daughters, Carrie and Leanne, who inherited their father’s singing talent and were soon joining him on stage.
When they went on the road on their own, basing themselves in their maternal grandmother’s Enniskillen, Liam and Anne decided to make the move too and support them in their career.
He would travel across the country with The Benn Sisters, helping however he could, whether it was driving the van or selling CDs or joining them in song on the street at the Auld Lammas Fair.
In 2009, he opened Diamond Records with Sean Loughrey in Enniskillen, selling records and CDs as well as cowboy hats and boots and other festival accessories.
It was a huge success and he worked six days a week, sharing his love of music – as well as countless cups of tea – with his many loyal customers.
Liam loved telling stories and learning about the people and places he encountered and found time to write three books about old Ireland and his time in London.
Above all, however, he was a wonderful father, neighbour and friend, always on hand for jobs or local causes or just a good chat when out walking his dog Roxy around the marina at Bellanaleck.
Daughter Carrie said had the gift of making anyone he met feel at ease.
“He was very interested in people, very kind, incredibly helpful and would never go past anyone in need. He developed some really good friendships in Enniskillen and loved to help older people and go sing in the day centre,” she said.
“As a dad he could be strict and he made sure we had a brilliant work ethic but he was incredible fun too – no matter how tired he was after a day’s work, he always had time for fun and games with us at home.”
He was very interested in people, very kind, incredibly helpful and would never go past anyone in need
— Carrie Benn
Liam Benn died suddenly at his home in Florencecourt on December 7. He was 85.
His funeral took place at St Michael’s Parish Church in Enniskillen on Monday, with friends travelling from across Ireland and Britain to celebrate his life.
He is survived and sadly missed by his daughters Carrie and Leanne, grandchildren Liam and Erin, and brothers Michael and George.