Dolores Keane (born September 26, 1953, in Sylane near Tuam, County Galway, Ireland; died March 16, 2026, in Caherlistrane) was an Irish folk singer.

She was initially a co-founder of the Irish band De Dannan and shortly thereafter launched her solo career. She achieved great fame in the 1990s, then took a break from her career before returning to performing in the mid-2010s.

Keane is known worldwide for her deep, melodic voice. Her recordings of songs such as Dougie MacLean's "Caledonia," Frank A. Fahey's "Galway Bay," Paul Brady's "The Island," and Donagh Long's "Never Be the Sun" are considered some of the most iconic interpretations in Irish folk music. Keane is famous not only for her solo career but also for her contribution to the successful folk anthology *A Woman's Heart*, which she recorded with other well-known Irish female singers.

Around the turn of the millennium, Keane temporarily ended her musical career. She subsequently struggled with depression and alcohol problems, as she recounts in the documentary *Storm in the Heart*. In 2012, she finally underwent addiction treatment. During this time, her mother died, and her relationship with Farmer ended.

Keane was also diagnosed with breast cancer. In 2014, Keane announced that she had overcome both her alcoholism and cancer.[8] Since then, she has performed again. After a nearly twenty-year hiatus, she released music again in 2023. The song "My Refuge" is a very personal account of the difficulties in her life and how music had been her refuge. She lived in Caherlistrane, County Galway.

Discography

• There Was a Maid (1978)
• Broken Hearted I'll Wander (1979) with John Faulkner
• Farewell to Éirinn (1980) with John Faulkner, feat. Eamonn Curran
• Sail Óg Rua (1983) with John Faulkner
• Dolores Keane (1988)
• Lion in a Cage (1989)
• Solid Ground (1993)
• Tideland (1996) with Rita Eriksen
• Night Owl (1998)

There Was A Maid In Her Father's Garden

Dolores Keane & John Faulkner ‎– Broken Hearted I'll Wander (1979)

 

Slán agus beannacht.