We knew Damien Dempsey was a powerful, gutsy songwriter and song interpreter (see Pete Sixsmith's pieceon his gripping version of Ewan MacColl's Schooldays Over.) We did not know he was also a life-saver.
After a show in the Irish town of Enniscorthy last weekend, he found himself diving into the River Slaney to rescue a teenage boy who would almost certainly otherwise have drowned.
Another excellent Irish singer, Frances Black, posted at Facebook that this astonishing feat made Damien a legend. Oddly enough, it didn't greatly surprise.
Back in 2005, I sat inside a Paris office and, in time off from being The Daily Telegraph's correspondent in France, interviewed Damien (on the phone) for an arts pages feature.
He came across as just the kind of rough-and-ready, heart-in-the-right-place character who, seeing someone in distress or danger, would leap to their aid. I shall reproduce the 2005 piece below, followed by a clip of the song Pete - and I - so admire.
For more on DD's heroics, this piece from the Mirror will help: https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/damien-dempsey-relives-incredible-moment-3751710
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