2 ) ▁was ▁an ▁Irish ▁ten or ▁who ▁popular ised ▁the ▁songs ▁of ▁Per cy ▁French . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁O ' D ow da ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁D und alk , ▁County ▁L outh ▁and ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁the ▁De ▁la ▁S alle ▁Brothers ' ▁school ▁in ▁the ▁town . ▁His ▁early ▁promise ▁as ▁a ▁singer ▁brought ▁him ▁to ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁Dr . ▁Vincent ▁O ' B rien , ▁who ▁had ▁co ached ▁ten or ▁John ▁McC orm ack . ▁Under ▁O ' B rien ' s ▁tut el age , ▁O ' D ow da ▁developed ▁a ▁fine ▁ten or ▁voice ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁and ▁began ▁to ▁perform ▁at ▁char ity ▁events ▁throughout ▁the ▁country . ▁ ▁Career ▁Although ▁offered ▁a ▁career ▁in ▁opera , ▁O ' D ow da ▁was ▁drawn ▁to ▁popular ▁music ▁and , ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁England ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁advance ▁his ▁prospect s . ▁There , ▁he ▁formed ▁The ▁Four ▁R amb lers ▁musical ▁group ▁with ▁Val ▁Do on ican . ▁Sub sequently , ▁he ▁enjoyed ▁solo ▁success ▁on ▁BBC ▁Radio , ▁guest ing ▁on ▁program mes ▁such ▁as ▁Just ▁A ▁Song ▁At ▁Tw il ight ▁and ▁Music ▁for ▁You . ▁ ▁O ' D ow da ' s ▁first ▁album , ▁Emer ald ▁and ▁T art an , ▁included ▁two ▁songs ▁by ▁Per cy ▁French . ▁Such ▁was ▁its ▁success ▁that ▁he ▁followed ▁it ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁with ▁The ▁Im mort