Mickey MacConnell

For the American basketball player, see Mickey McConnell.

For the Australian author, see Michael MacConnell.

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

Mickey MacConnell
Born	Michael MacConnell (1947-12-28)28 December 1947 Bellanaleck, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
Died	3 July 2025(2025-07-03) (aged 77) Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland
Occupations	Musician songwriter journalist
Years active	1965–2000
Spouse	Maura
Website	mickeymacconnell.com

Life and career

MacConnell was born on 28 December 1947, in Bellanaleck near Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.^[1] He was the youngest member of a musical family. He worked in Dublin for Irish Press Group and, later, with The Irish Times.

MacConnell began writing songs very early in his life. In 1965,^[2] he wrote "Only Our Rivers Run Free" — a song that describes the natural world being damaged by the Irish border and that has been described by Stuart Bailie as "political but not hectoring".^[3] This encouraged him to seriously devote himself to writing music when he moved to Listowel, County Kerry, where he lived with his wife, Maura.^[4]

MacConnell released two albums. His first album, Peter Pan and Me, was issued in 1992.^[5] His second, Joined Up Writing, was released in 2000.

MacConnell died after a short illness in Listowel, on 3 July 2025, at the age of 77.^[6][7]

Discography

Name	Year	Label	Type
Peter Pan And Me	1992	Spring Records	Album
Joined Up Writing	2000	Spring Records Elm Grove Music	Album

See also

• Music of Ireland