An Irish hitchhiker who played an unexpected role in the formation of the Foo Fighters has finally been identified, thanks to a video that recently resurfaced online.
Lorcan Dunne stumbled upon a clip of Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters' frontman, recounting a soul-searching trip he took to Ireland in the aftermath of Kurt Cobain's tragic death in 1994. The video, shared widely on social media, reveals how Grohl encountered a hitchhiker on the Ring of Kerry, sparking a moment of realization that led him back to music and eventually, to forming the Foo Fighters.
The story took an interesting turn when Dunne’s cousin, Eoin Tighe, posted on Twitter (now X), suggesting that Lorcan was the very hitchhiker Grohl mentioned. In the video, Grohl describes how he saw the young man wearing a Kurt Cobain t-shirt while driving through a remote area in Ireland, a moment that profoundly impacted him.
Dunne, sharing his side of the story in a video posted by Eoin, recalled the surreal encounter. He had been on a holiday in Beara Peninsula, hitchhiking his way to a swimming spot when a car approached. "I saw this guy with a shocked expression, and it took me a second to realize it was Dave Grohl," Dunne said. "I was wearing my black tie-dye Nirvana t-shirt, the one with Kurt’s face in mascara. The next thing I knew, the car sped off, leaving me standing there in disbelief."
Dunne recently recognized himself in Grohl’s story, finally piecing together the significance of that brief interaction. "When I saw the video of Dave talking about it, I realized, ‘That was me!’"
For Grohl, the encounter was a pivotal moment. “I realized I couldn’t outrun Kurt’s memory,” he explained. “I needed to face it, go home, and get back to work.” And that’s exactly what he did, leading to the birth of the Foo Fighters.
In other news, Dave Grohl recently took the stage in Denver, covering Tenacious D’s "Tribute," and dedicated a performance of "Times Like These" to Tom Morello at Open’er Festival.
Photo: Simone Joyner/Getty Images
