▁was ▁the ▁norm . ▁He ▁left ▁school ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 5 ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁chef ▁working ▁in ▁Don eg al ▁where ▁he ▁also ▁sang ▁in ▁small ▁bands . ▁He ▁worked ▁at ▁The ▁Clar ence ▁Hotel ▁in ▁Dublin ▁before ▁moving ▁to ▁London , ▁where ▁he ▁trained ▁in ▁French ▁and ▁Italian ▁cu is ine ▁under ▁French ▁Master che f , ▁Raymond ▁Zar b . ▁ ▁While ▁in ▁London ▁he ▁sang ▁in ▁a ▁bl ues ▁band . ▁During ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁in ▁London ▁he ▁became ▁aware ▁of ▁rac ism ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁when ▁people ▁turned ▁their ▁back s ▁on ▁him ▁when ▁they ▁heard ▁his ▁Irish ▁acc ent . ▁ ▁Musical ▁career ▁Although ▁being ▁a ▁successful ▁chef , ▁singing ▁was ▁always ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁and ▁he ▁did ▁so ▁in ▁many ▁of ▁Dublin ' s ▁famous ▁pub s ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁he ▁met ▁the ▁Irish ▁Se anch ai , ▁Li am ▁W eld on ▁in ▁T ail ors ▁Hall , ▁Dublin ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁that ▁his ▁true ▁musical ▁and ▁writing ▁career ▁took ▁off . ▁Li am ' s ▁influence ▁on ▁Rob bie ▁through ▁his ▁lyr ics ▁and ▁singing ▁was ▁prof ound . ▁Li am ▁W eld on ' s ▁lyr ics ▁took ▁on ▁a ▁C elt ic ▁spiritual ▁dimension , ▁P ant he ism , ▁that ▁Rob bie ▁had ▁been ▁searching ▁for . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁tr end ▁that ▁was ▁to ▁run ▁through ▁Rob bie