Singer Louis O’Carroll died on March 2, 2012, following a road acident in his native Kerry. The popular balladeer was walking to a friend’s house in his home town of Listowel when he was struck by a car but was not, apparently, badly hurt and told the woman driver he was fine and able to continue to his friend’s house. However, his condition later deteriorated and an ambulance was called. He died on the way to hospital
Throughout his life he was a popular social singer but in the past two years this evolved into a second career with packed-out performances, in Kerry and Dublin, of the works of Sean McCarthy, Sigerson Clifford and composers celebrating the culture and landscape of Kerry. He featured prominently at last July’s Sean McCarthy Finuge Festival and in August was warmly received in the National Concern Hall for a concert to raise money for the Tralee Hospice.
A respected pstchiatrist by profession, he worked for most of his career in Dublin, spending 20 years in St Ita’s Hospital, Portrane, and specialised in development disability, mental health and Asperger Syndrome. He worked  in a part-time capacity since his retirement in 2008 in Tralee General Hospital, to which he was being brought when he died.
Gardai said no suspicion surrounded the incident and that the woman driver had identified herself and had asked Dr O’Carroll if he was well enough to continue before he assured her he was.
Last March he released his debut CD, River to Sea, on which which he recorded ten ballads in aid of Kerry Hospice.
Dr O’Carroll, 62, was married to Judith and their son, James, is a barrister in Dublin. He was the youngest of a family of 15 children, ten boys and five girls, from Cahirdown outside Listowel.
River to Sea CD samples