Ricky Dineen met Finbarr Donnelly in Cork in the late 1970s, initially bonding over a shared interest in UFOs and later discovering punk and alternative music via John Peel’s radio show. In 1978 their friendship blossomed into the band Nun Attax. In addition to Donnelly (vocals) and Dineen (guitar), Nun Attax also featured brothers brothers Philip (bass) and Keith "Smelly" O'Connell (drums). They played their debut gig on Valentine’s Day 1979. Over time, the band evolved, with additional musicians joining and departing, including Giordaí Ua Laoghaire (later of Microdisney, Nine Wassies From Bainne), who brought his own musical style to the mix.
Nun Attax were regulars at the Downtown Kampus at Cork’s Arcadia Ballroom, the focal point of the city’s post-punk music scene, where they shared the stage with the likes of U2, Virgin Prunes, UB40, Microdisney and a host of other local bands. Their live performances were unforgettable, incendiary events an example of which can be heard on the Kaught at the Kampus EP released by Reekus Records in 1981 (reissued in 2015).
In the early 80s the band rebranded and reformed as Five Go Down to the Sea?, taking the name from one of their songs.
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