Dermot O'Brien was born on 23 October 1932 in Ardee, County Louth, Ireland. He was married to Rosemarie Walsh. He died on 22 May 2007 in Ardee, County Louth, Ireland.
Gaelic football centre-forward (1952-1960) turned musician who sang and played accordion with his own band Dermot O'Brien and His Club Men (1962-1972) and then performed solo for the rest of his life.