RIP: Famous names we said goodbye to in 2018

From Dolores O’Riordan and Myrtle Allen to Stephen Hawking and Aretha Franklin

RIP: Dolores O’Riordan, Aretha Franklin, Myrtle Allen and Stephen Hawking. Photographs: Tim Roney/Getty, Fred A Sabine/NBC via Getty, Eric Luke and Santi Visalli/Getty
RIP: Dolores O’Riordan, Aretha Franklin, Myrtle Allen and Stephen Hawking. Photographs: Tim Roney/Getty, Fred A Sabine/NBC via Getty, Eric Luke and Santi Visalli/Getty

Ireland

Dolores O’Riordan in 2007. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien
Dolores O’Riordan in 2007. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien

January 15th Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan
February 9th Former Manchester United and Celtic footballer Liam Miller
April 17th Country'n'Irish giant Big Tom
March 14th Uilleann piper Liam O'Flynn

Tom Murphy in 2008. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien
Tom Murphy in 2008. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien

May 15th Playwright Tom Murphy

Myrtle Allen in 2011.  Photograph: Eric Luke
Myrtle Allen in 2011. Photograph: Eric Luke

June 13th Chef and Ballymaloe matriarch Myrtle Allen
August 4th Fiddler Tommy Peoples

Bunny Carr in 1978. Photograph courtesy RTÉ
Bunny Carr in 1978. Photograph courtesy RTÉ

September 19th TV presenter Bunny Carr
October 19th Former Tyrone Guthrie Centre director Bernard Loughlin
October 25th Concert promoter John Reynolds

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Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin in 2016. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons
Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin in 2016. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons

November 7th Composer and musician Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin
November 15th Singer Sonny Knowles

December 23rd Award-winning journalst and former Irish Times literary correspondent Eileen Battersby

International

January 5th Ray Thomas, mustachioed flautist from the Moody Blues

Peter Wyngarde as Jason King
Peter Wyngarde as Jason King

January 15th British actor Peter Wyngarde, best known as the camp sleuth Jason King in the series of the same name

Ursula K Le Guin in 2011. Photograph: Anthony Pidgeon/Redferns/Getty
Ursula K Le Guin in 2011. Photograph: Anthony Pidgeon/Redferns/Getty

January 22nd Novelist Ursula K LeGuin, author of the Earthsea series

Mark E Smith in 2011. Photograph: Kevin Cummins/Getty
Mark E Smith in 2011. Photograph: Kevin Cummins/Getty

January 24th Mark E Smith, leader of seminal Manchester band The Fall

John Mahoney in Frasier in 2004. Photograph: Reed Saxon/AP
John Mahoney in Frasier in 2004. Photograph: Reed Saxon/AP

February 4th Actor John Mahoney, who played Frasier's dad, Martin, in the US sitcom

Billy Graham in 1969. Photograph: William Sauro/New York Times
Billy Graham in 1969. Photograph: William Sauro/New York Times

February 21st Evangelist Billy Graham

Ken Dodd in 1966. Photograph: Express/Getty
Ken Dodd in 1966. Photograph: Express/Getty

March 11th Comedian Ken Dodd

Stephen Hawking in 1979. Photograph: Santi Visalli/Getty
Stephen Hawking in 1979. Photograph: Santi Visalli/Getty

March 14th Physicist Stephen Hawking
April 2nd South African anti-apartheid activist and politician Winnie Mandela
April 5th English darts champion Eric Bristow
April 13th Film director Milos Forman
April 17th Former US first lady Barbara Bush

Avicii in a 2018 selfie. Photograph: Tim Bergling/Instagram
Avicii in a 2018 selfie. Photograph: Tim Bergling/Instagram

April 20th Swedish DJ Avicii
April 21st Verne Troyer, best known as Mini-Me in the Austin Powers movies

Margot Kidder. Photograph: AFP/Getty
Margot Kidder. Photograph: AFP/Getty

May 13th Actor Margot Kidder, best known as Lois Lane in the Superman movies
May 14th Tom Wolfe, author of The Right Stuff and Bonfire of the Vanities

Philip Roth in 2010. Photograph: Eric Thayer/Reuters
Philip Roth in 2010. Photograph: Eric Thayer/Reuters

May 22nd Philip Roth, author of Portnoy's Complaint
June 28th American author Harlan Ellison
June 29th Comic book writer and artist Steve Ditko

Aretha Franklin in 1969. Photograph: Fred A Sabine/NBC via Getty
Aretha Franklin in 1969. Photograph: Fred A Sabine/NBC via Getty

August 16th Soul singer Aretha Franklin
August 25th US senator John McCain

Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit in 1977. Photograph: Universal Pictures
Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit in 1977. Photograph: Universal Pictures

September 6th Actor Burt Reynolds
November 12th Marvel Comics maestro Stan Lee
November 30th Former US president George HW Bush
December 6th Buzzcocks singer Pete Shelley