# Mickey MacConnell

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{{Short description|Northern Irish musician and songwriter (1947–2025)}}
{{for|the American basketball player|Mickey McConnell}}
{{for|the Australian author|Michael MacConnell}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Mickey MacConnell
| birth_name        = Michael MacConnell
| birth_date        = {{Birth date|1947|12|28|df=y}}
| birth_place       = [Bellanaleck](/source/Bellanaleck), County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
| death_date        = {{Death date and age|2025|7|3|1947|12|28|df=y}}
| death_place       = [Listowel](/source/Listowel), County Kerry, Ireland
| occupation        = {{Hlist|Musician|songwriter|journalist}}
| years_active      = 1965–2000
| spouse            = Maura
| website           = {{URL|mickeymacconnell.com}}
}}

'''Michael MacConnell''' (28 December 1947 – 3 July 2025) was a Northern Irish musician and songwriter.

==Life and career==
MacConnell was born on 28 December 1947, in [Bellanaleck](/source/Bellanaleck) near [Enniskillen](/source/Enniskillen), County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web |last=De Breadún |first=Deaglán |author-link=Deaglán de Bréadún |date=13 July 2025 |title=Obituary: Mickey MacConnell, journalist, singer and songwriter who scored an cult online hit with The Ballad of Lidl & Aldi |url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/obituary-mickey-macconnell-journalist-singer-and-songwriter-who-scored-an-cult-online-hit-with-the-ballad-of-lidl-and-aldi/a374959020.html |access-date=14 July 2025 |website=[Irish Independent](/source/Irish_Independent)}}</ref> He was the youngest member of a musical family. He worked in [Dublin](/source/Dublin) for Irish Press Group and, later, with ''[The Irish Times](/source/The_Irish_Times)''.

MacConnell began writing songs very early in his life. In 1965,<ref>Loesberg, John, ed. ''Folksongs & Ballads Popular in Ireland'', volume 3.</ref> he wrote "Only Our Rivers Run Free"&nbsp;— a song that describes the natural world being damaged by the [Irish border](/source/Irish_border) and that has been described by Stuart Bailie as "political but not hectoring".<ref name=Bailie>{{cite book |last=Bailie |first=Stuart |date=2018 |title=Trouble Songs |location=Belfast |publisher=Bloomfield |page=165 |isbn=978-1-5272-2047-8}}</ref> This encouraged him to seriously devote himself to writing music when he moved to Listowel, [County Kerry](/source/County_Kerry), where he lived with his wife, Maura.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-79373555.html|title=WEST'S AWAKE: The Joys of Family|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104075326/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-79373555.html |access-date=9 July 2025 |archive-date=4 November 2012 }}</ref>

MacConnell released two albums. His first album, ''Peter Pan and Me'', was issued in 1992.<ref>{{cite web |date=28 May 2005 |title=Mickey MacConnell, Peter Pan & Me |url=http://www.rambles.net/macconnell_peter05.html |access-date=5 October 2012 |website=Rambles.net}}</ref> His second, ''Joined Up Writing'', was released in 2000.

MacConnell died after a short illness in [Listowel](/source/Listowel), on 3 July 2025, at the age of 77.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Joy |first=Jack |date=4 July 2025 |title=Mickey MacConnell, writer of civil rights anthem 'Only Our Rivers Run Free', has died |url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerry/north-west-kerry-news/mickey-macconnell-writer-of-civil-rights-anthem-only-our-rivers-run-free-has-died/a1541329756.html |access-date=7 July 2025 |website=Irish Independent}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Breathnach |first=Joe |date=3 July 2025 |title=Mickey MacConnell ar shlí na fírinne |trans-title=Mickey MacConnell on the road to truth |url=https://extrag.ie/2025/07/03/siamsaiocht/mickey-macconnell-sli-na-firinne/ |access-date=7 July 2025 |website={{Ill|Extrag.ie|ga}} |language=Irish}}</ref>

==Discography==

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
! scope=col | Name
! scope=col | Year
! scope=col | Label
! scope=col | Type
|-
| ''Peter Pan And Me''
| 1992
| Spring Records
| Album
|-
| ''Joined Up Writing''
| 2000
| Spring Records<br>Elm Grove Music
| Album
|}

==See also==
* [Music of Ireland](/source/Music_of_Ireland)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{discogs artist|Michael McConnell (2)|name= Michael McConnell}}

{{Irish rebel songs}}
 <!-- index McX as Macx -->

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macconnell, Mickey}}
Category:1947 births
Category:2025 deaths
Category:Folk singers from Northern Ireland
Category:Male singer-songwriters from Northern Ireland
Category:Musicians from County Fermanagh
Category:20th-century male singers from Northern Ireland
Category:20th-century singer-songwriters from Northern Ireland

{{Ireland-musician-stub}}
{{Ireland-bio-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mickey MacConnell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_MacConnell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_MacConnell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.