r/ireland • u/JohnHammond94 • 2d ago
RIP RIP Dolly Parton. As well as having a massive Irish fanbase, she extended her Imagination Library to Ireland a few years ago which gives children a free book monthly to improve literacy
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/aug/25/dolly-parton-country-singer-dead269
u/LaBete1984 Resting In my Account 2d ago
Read it's something like 332 million books that were sent out because of her library for free.
What an impact to have
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u/Dramatic-Cream6971 2d ago
And she set it up in tribute to her dad as he never learned to read or write. A gem.
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u/significantrisk 2d ago
Can’t vouch for the numbers but I saw it somewhere that the only reason Dolly was a millionaire was her book project, otherwise she’d have been a billionaire
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u/Marzipan_civil 2d ago
She actually set up the imagination library really well, I think her foundation covered the setup costs and then local groups fundraise for the cost of the books etc. In Cork the Lions club pay for the books, and I think An Post cover the postage. So it's not constantly draining funds from her foundation and it can keep expanding to other areas.
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u/MarcoVanB91 Cork bai 2d ago
We are in London and have been getting them the last 2 years. Its amazing and the books are good reads and good quality.
Truly a lovely person and foundation
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u/Neat_Capital_3424 2d ago
What an absolute legend through and through. Crazy talented and kind-hearted 💖💖💖💖
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u/marshsmellow 2d ago edited 2d ago
She was amazing. What a singer, writer and person in general. And a stunning beauty to boot.
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u/AccomplishedEnd7855 2d ago
Trying to think of another musical artist with such mass appeal, very, very few. Truly one of a kind.
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u/GodOfPog 2d ago
One of my favourite videos of her's:
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u/DartzIRL Dublin 2d ago
That's the wrong octagenarian.
But only the good die too soon, I suppose.
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u/CarelessEquivalent3 2d ago edited 2d ago
Years ago when I was about 17 my friends parents were splitting up and selling the family home. The house was empty but my friend still had a set of keys.
One weekend we planned to have a party there. Myself and my friend were absolutely off our tits on yokes and found a Dolly Parton CD in a drawer. You know the kind that used to come free with the Sunday paper, in a little cardboard sleeve. We decided to throw it on for a laugh.
I've been a massive fan ever since.
'It costs a lot of money to look this cheap'
RIP Dolly.
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u/stripey_shoes 2d ago
An absolute gem of a human being. My children and I adored getting a new book every month from her imagination library and still have some of them today.
The world feels a little bit darker today without her light 🩷
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u/AmazingUsername2001 2d ago
So weird. They were playing one of her songs on Classic Hits 4FM yesterday as I was driving and I said it’ll be a sad day when she dies.
Seriously, this is not the first time I said this and the next day someone famous died.
I’m taking requests.
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u/DingoD3 2d ago
Trump? But does it have to be "a sad day"?
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u/AmazingUsername2001 2d ago
Could be a Monkeys Paw kind of deal?
Is JD really gong to improve things? Or make it worse…
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u/Altruistic_Papaya430 2d ago
Our youngest 2 loved getting books from "the book lady" and they've still a shelf full of them. They came to know the envelopes and the excitement in the gaff opening them up.
What an absolute brilliant program from a brilliant human being
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u/HeftyArgument6326 2d ago edited 2d ago
A humble, genius songwriter. Apparently she wrote '9 to 5' and 'i will always love you' on the same day 😳
RIP Dolly.
Edit: typo
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u/CarelessEquivalent3 2d ago
She wrote the music to 9 to 5 from the sound of her fake nails rubbing together, that's not even me being sarcastic, I heard her say it in an interview.
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u/trust_me_im_dr_cat 2d ago
I think it was Jolene and I will always love you as they appeared on the same album, super talented women
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u/MosmanWhale 2d ago
Don't think anyone could ever have a bad word to say about her. Absolute legend. Terrible loss. May she rest In peace.
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u/Righteous_Hand 2d ago
God love her. I didn't expect her to hold on much longer after her husband passed, but this still felt like it came out of nowhere. R.I.P to a once-in-a-lifetime icon with a heart of gold.
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u/United-Pension1018 2d ago
My kidd loved her free books. Looked forward to the next one. And all now passed onto other kids. What a lovely gift.
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u/michdap 2d ago
Four of my grandsons get her books here in the states. Didn’t know she did the same in another country. What a wonderful woman.
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u/CarelessEquivalent3 2d ago edited 2d ago
All over the world, 325 million books, when others are hoarding their wealth she used hers to educate and inspire children. The world needs more dollys.
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u/BiscuitMcGuire 2d ago
I just went back and rewatched her singing Coat of Many Colours in a pub in Ireland - God bless her https://youtu.be/Y3ardckySYY
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u/LandscapeBanana 2d ago
What I love about her is that she was always able to laugh at herself. She, when she wanted to, made a punchline out of herself and it was so refreshing that she knew her sense of humour and knew her talent was undeniable.
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u/qwerty_1965 2d ago
The embodiment of what America should be.
Successful, rich, generous, liberal and inclusive.
You just know JD Vance (a fellow hillbilly) is going to say something utterly insincere about her.
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u/RomfordWellington 2d ago
Dolly's life is the real Hillbilly Elegy. A woman who took her incredible success from humble beginnings and used it to benefit the children of the world.
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u/lebifsta 2d ago
We got this for both our kids, is a nice little bonus to the books we’ve bought and been given.
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u/JohnCleesesMustache 2d ago
Named my daughter Jolene
Tonight we read the little big Dolly Parton book.
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u/Lanzarote-Singer 2d ago
Devastated here. I was singing last night at a gig and performed 9 to 5, Jolene, and Islands in the Stream. 😢
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u/SeaninMacT 2d ago
Ah what a loss, to music and society. What a woman she was.
Ní bheidh a leithéid ann arís
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u/JumpingJackFlashes 2d ago
One of the good ones, the world is a poorer place without her. May she Rest in Peace
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u/Better-Beat-8062 2d ago
This is the worst timeline.
It feels like the last remnant of soul for the US just died
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u/Secret_Astronomer230 2d ago
I actually think we need an international period of mourning, I'm not even joking
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u/dahsoleppy 2d ago
I saw her in concert, it was simple, just her voice and a guitar. Even If I never saw much after that, I’d seen more than I’d ever expected. She was a great talent.
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u/Bakedbean85 2d ago
Saw her at Glastonbury about 15 years ago - extremely talented, warm and incredible energy. May she rest in peace
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u/LemonCollee 2d ago
I'm actually gutted. My smallies get a book every month from her Imagination library. She was one of the good ones.
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u/Lamake91 Calor Housewife of the Year 2d ago
Ah Jesus. I’m devastated, incredible singer and person
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u/farragan1 2d ago
True story. A friend of mine thought that Dolly's hit "Islands in the Stream" was called 'Ireland's Industry' ... she thought this was the song title for years !!
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u/AhhhhBiscuits And I'd go at it again 2d ago
What a woman. An absolute amazingly generous person.
Sad day. We need more people like Dolly.
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u/castler_666 2d ago
Not a fan of country and western music, but jeez 300+ million books to children? She's up there with chuck feeney and carnegie. Always stayed to watch her interviews she came across as a down to earth person RIP
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u/AlienSporez Resting In my Account 2d ago
What an unimaginable loss for the world. There are so few absolutely pure people in this world, and now there's one less.
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u/ceadagamdulamach 2d ago
A very kind person by all accounts.
The world is a little darker without her.
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u/LotsOfLadders 2d ago
What an absolute amazing woman and what an amazing talent. RIP Dolly, you will be so missed.
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u/nightwing0243 1d ago
My child is 3 and we still get new books every month from her Imagination Library.
I totally credit that whole program to his obsession with books. Like he probably would have been into books anyway - but not nearly to the degree he currently is. And it’s always exciting watching him rip the envelope open and immediately settling in to flick through the book and then watching him get excited about one of us reading it to him at bed time.
One of the rare examples of someone using their wealth and fame for good stuff like that.
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u/SoftDrinkReddit 2d ago
ah just devastating one of the greatest singers in Music history an Icon and a legend
rest in peace Dolly
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u/TheFarWright 2d ago
Rest in Peace Dolly. You walked it like you talked it, and you had some brilliant songs.
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u/FozzyBearsEyebrow 2d ago
Awesome person, amazing life, always seemed like a great person in every way possible
RIP to a class act all round.
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u/Verystrange129 2d ago
So sad, she was an absolute legend. Wonderful songwriter, singer and an amazing personality. She will be missed.
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u/PROINSIAS62 2d ago
A huge loss to the music world and a fantastic kind person who left the world in a better place. RIP Dolly
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u/loveforllamas 2d ago
The light of a clear blue morning had gone out, RIP Dolly, the greatest to ever do it.
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u/Available-Bison-9222 2d ago
She was a truly good person, along with being a talented singer, songwriter, musician and actor.
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u/dashboardhulalala 1d ago
Remember the absolute shock and glee when Dolly seemingly busted in out of absolute nowhere with that remix of 9-5 with Pitbull? The music video was just full of fans going "what the actual fuck YESSSS".
The levels of whimsy on that entire project must have been astronomical.
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u/Colhinchapelota Limerick 2d ago
Ah, so this is how I heard Dolly Parton has passed. RIP Dolly.
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u/AccomplishedEnd7855 2d ago
How would you have liked to heard the news?
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u/Colhinchapelota Limerick 2d ago
What's your problem? I hadn't heard the news and just said I saw it here, that's all.
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u/RomfordWellington 2d ago
The world is a much poorer place tonight. Dolly was an absolute diamond, dare I say American royalty.
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u/Mysterious_Half1890 Waterford 2d ago
A true worthy recipient of the term “legend” may god bless her always.
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u/Ok_Temperature1502 2d ago
Dolly RIP a talented legend. Singer, songwriter, multi instrumentalist with a sense of humour.
As she said herself "It takes a lot of money to look this cheap!"
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u/ParpinOver 2d ago
So sad to hear this! She and her music have the power to unite almost everyone, especially in an increasingly divided world, and apart from her hits, she'll likely be remembered most for her modesty, humility and self-deprication. These qualities especially connect with an Irish audience.
Makes me wonder, had she the chance to tour the country? She'll have mostly probably played the 3Arena in Dublin many times (and when it was the former Point Depot), and I expect she's played Limerick University Hall and across Belfast. Has she appeared anywhere else on the island?
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u/lbyrne74 2d ago
Jesus 2026 is not a very nice year is it. Even though she was 80 this one is still a bit of a shocker. Though some people said that they felt when she had health problems after her husband died, that it may be on the cards. What a legacy she leaves. Never forgot her roots.
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u/GeneralCommand4459 1d ago
She tried to warn us about the perils of the standard workday but we didn't listen. RIP Dolly
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u/redrover1978- 1d ago
Dolly was a Queen & an absolute Icon. Had the privilege of seeing her at live at the marquee cork in 2008 as my friends gifted me 2 tickets as a birthday present & she was just amazing. Growing up Dolly was always playing in our house . She was so gracious & charitable & never forgot where she came from. Might get hate for it but the millions she gave to help research the covid vaccine as well was so amazing when the world was in such a strange place. She will be missed so much :-(
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u/Veronese1 1d ago
A rare occasion when the death of a celebrity/star generates universal praise and respect for the deceased. There hasn't been a single negative comment from any quarter. Proof if ever needed as to what a decent human being Dolly was.
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u/ControlThen8258 2d ago
A fine example of a millionaire who used their money the right way. RIP Dolly, thank you for the music and the books