Why Jinx Lennon is Ireland's greatest songwriter

Dundalk man mixes social commentary with the most potent beats.

Jinx Lennon, the antidote to The Corrs. (Ian Oliver)

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I turned 50 amid the pandemic. On my birthday, I ate a giant slice of cake with my family and then watched Jinx Lennon play to an empty theater in his hometown Dundalk – a recorded “livestream.”

Others may not regard that as much of a celebration. For me it was perfect.

During lockdown, I finally achieved a sense of contentment through accepting myself for what I am – an extroverted introvert.

Someone who gazes at other people’s shoes, as well as my own.

Lockdown also gave me time to rediscover Jinx Lennon, a musician I had long admired but who had slipped from my mind ever so slightly.

If you’ve never heard Jinx Lennon, do yourself a favor and listen to his new album The Hate Agents Leer At the Last Isle of Hope.

All the big issues of our times are tackled on this disc. They include bigotry, BMW drivers, gym leches, the legacy of imperialism and why male singers shouldn’t cover Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.”

More importantly, the album confirms that Jinx Lennon is unique: the first person from County Louth to combine acerbic social commentary with the most potent beats imaginable.

Hard though it is to believe, Jinx Lennon hails from the same place – geographically – as The Corrs.

Sonically, he is a million miles away from that insipid combo. And unlike Andrea and Jim, he is creative in his own accent.

Fortunately, The Corrs are not the only well-known group from Dundalk. Lennon’s pals The Mary Wallopers have rightly won plaudits for how they infuse traditional ballads with the energy of The Pogues.

The Pogues’ biggest asset, of course, was that they were fronted by the incomparably gifted Shane MacGowan.

Now that the mighty Shane has died, the question arises as to who is Ireland’s greatest living songwriter. For me the answer is easy: Jinx Lennon.

Check out “Bouncy Castle Catholic” or “Same Mad Bastard” from his new album and I dare you to prove me wrong.