Biography

Pete St. John was born on January 31, 1932 in Dublin, Ireland. He was married to Susan. He died on March 12, 2022 in Dublin, Ireland.

He returned to Ireland in the 1970s and many of his songs looked at how his native city had changed over the years.

He won many awards for his work including the IMRO songwriter of the year award and the Variety Club of Ireland 'Gold Heart' Award for his outstanding contribution to Irish music and song.

He trained as an electrician and worked abroad as a young man in places including Canada and the US.

St John is best known for composing The Fields of Athenry and The Rare Ould Times. His songs were recorded by, among others The Dubliners, Paddy Reilly, Danny Doyle, Johnny McEvoy, Mary Black, Dublin City Ramblers, Brendan Shine and Daniel O'Donnell.

He referred to his songs as 'magic carpets' and spoke about how they could tell stories and connect with people.