Philomena Lynott Bio
Philomena Lynott 22 October 1930 Dies 12 June 2019 was an Irish author and entrepreneur. She was the mother of Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott, and her autobiography, My Boy, documents the relationship between her and her son. According to Wikipedi, She was the proprietor of the Clifton Grange Hotel, Manchester, which provided accommodation for a number of bands in the 1970s including Thin Lizzy.
Philomena Lynott, the mother of Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott, has died aged 88. She died on Wednesday morning, Hot Press has confirmed, after battling cancer for the past number of years. https://t.co/dWneGoWEen via @RTE_Ents pic.twitter.com/FRXrYWZtQI
— RTÉ (@rte) June 12, 2019
Philomena Lynott Age
She was 88 Years old.
Philomena Lynott Wikipedia
Philomena Lynott was born on 22 October 1930 as the fourth of nine children to Frank and Sarah Lynott in Dublin and grew up in the Crumlindistrict of the city. She left school aged 13 and worked in an elderly people’s home.
RIP Philomena Lynott, every bit a bona fide Irish legend as her son pic.twitter.com/gOLVVaYRFY
— The Thin Air (@thethinair) June 12, 2019
In 1947, Lynott took advantage of a viable job market in England, that needed labor to rebuild the damage caused by World War II, finding work as a nurse in Manchester. She began a relationship with Cecil Parris, which led to Philip’s birth on 20 August 1949. She suffered racial prejudice because Philip was mixed race and decided it would be best for him to be raised by her parents in Dublin. Lynott had two other children that she put up for adoption. She remained close to her son throughout his life but because she only saw him sporadically, felt they were more like sister and brother or friends rather than a conventional mother and son relationship.
In 1964, Lynott began a relationship with Dennis Keeley and the couple took over management of the Clifton Grange Hotel in Whalley Range, Manchester. Though they had no experience in running a hotel, they bought the property after six months and remained there for the next 14 years. The hotel became well known in northwest England for being frequented by the show business trade. Lynott took advantage of hotel licensing laws, which meant the bar could be open at 2 am when all other local venues had shut. When Thin Lizzy became commercially successful in the 1970s, the band looked forward to gigging in Manchester, and Philomena would accommodate them and put on an after-show party. Guitarist Brian Robertson recalls Philomena insisting on washing his hair before a television appearance, and later said she was “like everyone’s mum, rolled into one.” When the Sex Pistols played Manchester on the Anarchy Tour in December 1976, she was the only hotelier willing to accommodate them.
BREAKING: Hot Press is desperately sad to announce the news this morning that Philomena Lynott, mother of Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott, has died.https://t.co/4m1PbBJWHC
— Hot Press (@hotpress) June 12, 2019
In 1980, Lynott and Keeley moved to Howth, County Dublin into a house Philip bought for them. They later moved to Glen Corr. She was unaware of her son’s history of drug abuse until late 1985, and was present at Philip’s bedside when he died on 4 January 1986 in Salisbury General Infirmary. Philomena suffered depression following her son’s death and found it hard to come to terms with. She had a difficult relationship with her daughter-in-law, Caroline Crowther, after Philip’s death and was forced to apply for a court order to see her grandchildren.
In the early 1990s, Lynott was approached by publishers asking if she would like to write her memoirs. She found the experience of re-examining the relationship with her son difficult, but rewarding. She regularly attended rock concerts around Dublin, and continued to commemorate Philip’s life. She was a key figure in getting a bronze statue of him constructed in Dublin in 2005, and was the special guest at Thin Lizzy fan events.
Sad to hear the news that Philomena Lynott has died aged 88.
Here’s Philomena talking about her rock star son and Thin Lizzy front man Phil Lynott https://t.co/lSME9ZOMK4 pic.twitter.com/YpyFDfRooe— RTÉ Archives (@RTEArchives) June 12, 2019
Lynott criticised the US Republican Party for using Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back in Town” as a promotional song. She believed that Republican policies were at odds with the hardship and poverty she had to endure in the 1950s when Philip was young.
Philomena Lynott Death And Cause
Lynott’s spirit remained undimmed even while she lived with cancer, in the final few years of her life. A formidable woman from start to end, she in later years became almost as durable a personality as her son. Ultimately, perhaps, she will be remembered for being as courageous and loving a mother as any woman can be, from lashing out at the United States Republican Party for using Thin Lizzy’s The Boys Are Back in Town at its convention to washing the hair of rock stars before a television appearance. One of Thin Lizzy’s guitarists, Brian Robertson, once said she was “like everyone’s mum, rolled into one”. Lynott died on 12 June 2019, after suffering from cancer for a number of years.
Thread: Really sad to hear of the death of Philomena Lynott. She kept the flame burning & gave us one of the greats, changing Irish music forever. pic.twitter.com/PttZCgyf2c
— Dr Robert Bohan (@RobertBohan) June 12, 2019
Philomena Lynott Tributes
Philomena Lynott: “When I go to heaven…” ???pic.twitter.com/BKWEYctoOt
— Today FM (@TodayFM) June 12, 2019
Philomena Lynott, who campaigned tirelessly for a statue of her son Phil to be put up in Dublin, has passed away. RIP Philomena.https://t.co/WYhIqldJj7
— Planet Rock (@PlanetRockRadio) June 12, 2019
Rest in power Philomena Lynott. A Dublin icon and legend, here, and far across the foam. pic.twitter.com/opKBoAcmVS
— Una Mullally (@UnaMullally) June 12, 2019
The most elegant lady in Dublin is finally back with her boy. God bless Philomena Lynott. pic.twitter.com/3PnNCPBcyx
— U2 History (@U2History) June 12, 2019
Published work
- Lynott, Philomena; Hayden, Jacqueline (1995). My Boy: The Philip Lynott Story. Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-753-50048-4.