About
BAGATELLE & Friends
Bagatelle remain one of the most successful original touring bands to emerge from Ireland during the 1980s. With multiple No.1 hit singles—most notably the iconic and timeless Summer in Dublin, written by the late, great singer-songwriter Liam Reilly—the band created a unique and enduring musical legacy.
Liam was the driving creative force behind most of Bagatelle's original material, penning beloved tracks such as Summer in Dublin, Trump Card, Second Violin, Leeson Street Lady, She Doesn't Live Here Anymore, All Fall Down on Philadelphia, Raining in Paris and many more.
In addition to Bagatelle's chart-toppers, Liam also wrote some of Ireland's most celebrated emigration songs, including Streets of New York, Flight of Earls, Boston Rose, Bainbridge Avenue, and If You Ever Come Back from England. These tracks regularly appear in polls for "Ireland's Best Irish Emigration Song," particularly among Irish communities in America, Australia, the UK, and Ireland.
Bagatelle was originally formed by the late John O'Brien—lead guitarist, singer, and songwriter—who contributed many album tracks and co-wrote several songs with Liam, including Love Is the Reason.
The band's success was recognized with numerous Gold, Silver, Platinum, and Multi-Platinum awards for album sales. Summer in Dublin recently featured on RTÉ's special, Ireland's Top 10 Best Irish Songs. Over the years, Bagatelle have toured extensively across Ireland, the UK, the US, Hong Kong, Macau, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.
In 1990, Liam Reilly proudly represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest with his self-penned ballad Somewhere in Europe, securing an impressive second place—a notable achievement that's often overlooked in Eurovision retrospectives.
1st January 2021 Ireland lost one of its finest ever singer-songwriters, Liam Reilly.But his songs—and Bagatelle's musical legacy—will live on.
