Prodigious from an early age, this Waterford lad’s talents were polished by the accordion master Bobby Gardiner before Ray availed himself of every opportunity to add to his collection of tunes at sessions from Belfast to Dingle.
Now based in north Dublin, Ray continues to win over his audiences with his combination of lightening technique, fathomless repertoire and hypnotic stage presence. He has regularly visited continental venues as the frontman of ‘Ray Dempsey and Ferrari’ and has undertaken several extensive tours of the U.S. with long-time musical collaborators Joe Brennan (guitar, see 14.) and Aodh McCraith (fiddle). Ray’s long term goals include F1 motor-racing, a government post as either the Minister for Education or Taoiseach, and to be the first man to knock out a tune in space.
