In 1951, he was invited to join a group called the Four Ramblers. The band toured England, where he met his future wife, cabaret star Lynnette Rae.
Doonican effectively discovered the Irish comedian Dave Allen by giving him regular weekly slots on his TV show.
Irish singer and entertainer who achieved star status through his Saturday night variety shows aired on BBC TV in the late 1960's and 70's.
His father died of cancer when he was 14, and he had to leave school and work in a packaging factory to help support his family. He formed a singing group with his friends when he was 10.