Tributes paid to ‘gentle soul’ following death of renowned Kilkenny singer-songwriter
Cat Dowling gained critical acclaim both from her roles in bands and later solo career
Musicians such as Jerry Fish and Paddy Casey have paid tribute to Kilkenny native Cat Dowling, after the singer-songwriter passed away on Friday aged 54.
Dowling had a musical career which spanned more than two decades after first coming to prominence as the frontwoman of Babelfish which eventually evolved into Alphastates.
After the band split in 2009, Dowling embarked on a solo career and released her first album, The Believer, in 2013. The musician originally from south Kilkenny was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017.
Her second album, Animals, came out in 2021 while she also recorded a version of A Rainy Night in Soho by The Pogues in 2025 which was selected for the Department of Foreign Affairs’ St Patrick’s Day campaign to highlight the contribution of Irish people across the world.
In a post on Instagram, Casey wished Dowling’s family “all my best” while Jerry Fish described her as a “gentle soul, humble and generous to a fault.”
Her funeral mass will be held in Ferrybank on Wednesday afternoon followed by burial in Glenmore Cemetery. Dowling is survived by her three children and mother.