Christy Dignam has died aged 63.
The Aslan star was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called myeloma, for which there is “no cure”, on St. Patrick’s Day back in 2013.
The late 63-year-old entered palliative care in January, and spent the past few months being cared for by his family at home in Finglas.
Christy’s daughter Kiera confirmed the sad news of his death via a statement, which read: “On behalf of my family, it is with a broken heart that we convey the news of my father’s passing, Christy Dignam.”
“Dad peacefully left us where he wanted to, at home today 4pm Tuesday, June 13th 2023, after a courageously long-fought battle, surrounded by his family.”
“We ask that you honour our family’s need for privacy during this immensely painful period.”
“Let us all hold him in our hearts and cherish the remarkable life of a talented singer, great story teller and amazing person.
“We thank you so much for your love and support shown to us. Kathryn, Kiera, Darren, Cian, Ava, Jake and our extended family x.”
Christy did his final interview from his home in April, speaking to Ryan Tubridy on his RTÉ Radio 1 show.
He said: “Just fear, nobody wants to die. When I first got diagnosed [with cancer], I remember praying I was like ‘please, just give me 10 more years.’ And that 10 years are up now and you’re kind of saying, ‘I know I only asked for 10 but you couldn’t throw another 10 in there could you, yeah?”
Recalling the day he was told he had cancer, Christy said: “I kept getting these chest infections and they gave me antibiotics, but they didn’t seem to be working so I got an ambulance one day when I could hardly breath and they did a load of tests.”
“Then they sent me to Beaumont for a couple of biopsies and they told me it might be bad news. There might be two cancers – amyloidosis is one of them and multiple myoma is the other or it could be neither.”
“I’ve still a little bit more to do and until me heart stops I’m going to keep trying to do that.” ❤️
Ryan sat down with Christy Dignam to talk about Aslan, life, love and death as he enters palliative care. https://t.co/4RYyWjvVaT@RyanTubridyShow pic.twitter.com/CALlI7T4Ye— RTÉ Radio 1 (@RTERadio1) April 17, 2023
The Dubliner continued: “I came in the next day, and they told me you’ve got the two of them… initially I rejected it and I said to your man, ‘you go back to Trinity and get your degrees because you don’t know what you’re talking about’.”
“Anyone who has got a cancer diagnosis will understand that, but I remember about five years prior to being diagnosed, I had to go out to the hospice in Raheny and there was this 17-year-old kid there and he was dying, and I went out and did a couple of songs.”
“When I was on the way back home, I got a phone call off his sister and she told me that the chap had died just after I’d left. I started thinking he had 17 years of life, and I was fifty at the time…”
I remember being in studio when Christy Dignam and the @rte_co recorded this stunning cover of ‘Nothing Rhymed’ for ‘Big Music Week’. I was moved then listening to it, and still am today. My thoughts are with him and his family as he receives end-of-life care. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/F8WbVLlsK9
— Colm Flynn (@colmflynnire) January 21, 2023
“Initially I was so ill I couldn’t avoid confronting it. It hit me in the face but when I got a handle on the medication and stabilised the whole thing, I’d live as if there was nothing wrong with me and if something debilitated me, I’d deal with it that day. That’s the way it’s been.”
Christy spent his final days in his house, where there is a medical bed set up in the living room; at the time he admitted: “It’s a conveyor belt up to heaven. I’ll come in here and that’ll be the end of it.”
“I was sitting here one day a few weeks ago and I was looking out the window and this fella walked by, and I thought to myself, ‘I’ll never do that again. I’ll never just go for a walk…’ and that sent me into a spiral and I thought about all the things I won’t do again.”
“It’s like you’re heading into an abyss. I wouldn’t be hugely religious. Logic gets in the way. But I believe we’re all spiritual beings in one sense or other. I remember there used to be an old saying – that ‘religion is for people who want to go to heaven, spirituality is for people who have been to hell.’ And I really identified with that.”
