Philip Lynott's uncle Peter on Thin Lizzy Orchestrated: "He’d be humble about it, but he’d be very honoured"

While Philip Lynott’s status as a beloved Irish icon has never been in doubt amongst fans, recent years have seen an increased – and long overdue – outpouring of love for the Thin Lizzy frontman across all aspects of Irish life. Thanks to the tireless work of his late mother, Philomena, and his steadfast supporters, his work is finally being widely recognised on the level it deserves. And now, following the unveiling of a statue, the release of an acclaimed documentary film, and appearances on stamps and coins, Lynott’s music is set to get the symphonic treatment, with Thin Lizzy Orchestrated.

Taking place at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, on Saturday, August 27, the show will feature the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, alongside special musical guests Jess Kav, Tom Dunne, Shobsy, Jack O’Rourke, Mundy and Wallis Bird, putting their own spin on classics from Thin Lizzy’s discography.

It’s a special honour for any artist to have their work recreated by an orchestra – a fact Philip’s uncle, Peter Lynott, who he grew up alongside in Crumlin, is well aware of.

“It’s unreal,” Peter tells us. “One of my favourite bands was The Beatles, and I knew the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra had done The Beatles’ music. So when I heard about this, I immediately said, ‘Oh my god. The Beatles music was done by an orchestra, and now Phil’s – what a great honour.’ The family is just over the moon about it.

"It just shows how bloody great he was, as an artist," he adds.

What does he reckon Philip would make of an orchestra playing his music?

"I know what he’d say to me: ‘Howaya, Skee – what do you think of that?!’ That’s what he used to call me! He’d be humble about it, but he’d be very honoured."

It's the latest honour in a string of major milestones. Peter was in attendance when the Dublin City Council commemorative plaque was unveiled at their family's home in Crumlin, marking the house where Philip spent his formative years.

"I remember the house so well, and the two of us in the back bedroom," Peter reflects. "So many memories! It was my brother Timmy, who passed a few years ago, that really got him into the music. He was into soul music, and Elvis Presley. Timmy used to have a huge record collection, and when he came back from England, the two of us got involved in the music.

"I was the first one to have a group," he continues. "Philip would be standing outside, listening to us playing and singing. And then he really went for it – I didn’t bother!"

Niall Stokes, Cllr. Vincent Jackson, Peter Lynott, Emer Reynolds and house owners Donna O'Reilly and Don Sweeney at the unveiling of a plaque in honour of Phil Lynott outside his childhood home on Leighlin Road in Crumlin Co.Dublin. Photo: Justin Farrelly.

From a young age, there was no doubt about Philip's talent, Peter says.

"He was a great man with a pencil," he notes. "At one stage he drew a comic book of Superman. He did it like a story, and it was almost like the comics. I wish to God I still had it, but I don’t know where it went to. That was the first time I realised that there was something special there. We used to collect comics, the two of us, and we’d swap them with various people around the road we lived on. He was an avid read of comics – and Dennis the Menace! He absolutely loved him."

"People call him a poet as well, and I suppose he was," he adds. "But I also think he made the bass guitar more than what it was. He really made people very interested in it. Not only in the way he played it, but in his whole stage presence."

Although over 36 year have passed since Philip's death, his work continues to inspire a whole new generation.

"An awful lot of young people come up to me now, and say, ‘Are you really Phil’s uncle? We love his music, he’s unreal!’" Peter laughs. "It’s great to hear that, from so many young people. The kids absolutely adore him."

Of course, despite the joys that come from celebrating Philip's legacy, "there are times that it gets to you," Peter acknowledges.

"When I saw the movie [Phil Lynott: Songs For While I'm Away] by Emer Reynolds, I broke down towards the end," he resumes. "I saw it with Emer and her husband in Dun Laoghaire – they gave me a private viewing. That movie was so emotional, and I just felt that maybe I could have done more than I did. I was with him just a month before he passed. At that stage, he was fairly heavy into whatever it was he was on. And then, a month later, he was dead. I just couldn’t believe it."

Like his sister, Philomena – who passed away in 2019 – Peter has found comfort in the commemorations keeping Philip's memory alive.

"There are so many things happening now," he nods. "What his mother when through to put that statue there was just unbelievable. When he passed away, she was heartbroken. But she made his memory live on, by the actions she took, and the talks she gave. She travelled all over the place. She really did an awful lot to revive his memory, and celebrate what he achieved.

"The only shame is that he didn’t get into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame! But I suppose he could still get into that yet..."

Tickets for Thin Lizzy Orchestrated live at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, on Saturday, August 27, are available now from Ticketmaster and Singular Artists.