Luke Kelly commemorative, the founding member of Irish folk group The Dubliners, has sold out an hour after going on sale, Ireland’s Central Bank has said.
The EUR15 silver commemorative coin was launched on Monday by President Michael D Higgins. Three thousand coins were issued, with a limit of one coin per transaction.
The launch took place at Dublin’s St Laurence O’Toole National School which Mr Kelly attended as a boy. It is the final coin in the Modern Musicians series that also featured Rory Gallagher and Phil Lynott. The launch of the Luke Kelly coin was postponed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking at Monday’s event, President Higgins paid tribute to The Dubliners’ founder. “It is now over 38 years since his death, and his great legacy shows no signs of dimming, but rather continues to inspire new generations of Irish musicians as they continue to enthral audiences at home and across the globe,” he said. Mr Kelly’s family and members of The Dubliners attended the event, with his brother Paddy joining the school choir to sing ‘The Rare Auld Times’. The coin features an image of Luke Kelly singing together with an impression of a banjo.
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