Ricky Dineen

Ricky Dineen
Ricky Dineen in 2019
Background information
Birth name	Ricky Dineen
Born	(1962-04-02)2 April 1962 (aged 61) Churchfield, Cork City, Ireland
Genres	Post-punk
Occupation(s)	guitarist, song writer
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Reekus Records Abstract Sounds Kabuki Records Creation Records Setanta Records

Ricky Dineen (born 2 April 1962) is an Irish musician best known as the guitarist with the post-punk band Five Go Down to the Sea?, earlier known as Nun Attax, who later developed into Beethoven–fucking–Beethoven.^[1] He wrote most of the band's music and developed their angular musical style, which he said was in part influenced by contemporary post-punk bands such as The Fire Engines, Gang of Four, The Mekons and Bogshed.^[2]

Five Go Down To The Sea? were active between 1978 and 1985 and released three EPs; Knot a Fish (1983), The Glee Club (1984) and Singing in Braille (1985). His career highlight came in June 1989 when he formed "Beethoven Fucking Beethoven" with FGDTS vocalist Finbarr Donnelly.^[3] Their EP Him Goolie Goolie Man, Dem was chosen as "Single of the Week" by the NME, however their success was cut short two weeks later when Donnelly accidentally drowned at The Serpentine lake in London. Distraught, Dineen returned to his home town of Cork, where he still lives. Five Go Down to the Sea? were hugely influential on later generations of Irish bands such as The Sultans of Ping FC, and are widely credited for the often quirky and deadpan approach of the 1990s and 2000s Cork scene.^[4]

Since the mid-2010s, Dineen writes for and plays guitar with the self-described "post-punk geriatric" group Big Boy Foolish.^[5] A keen music fan, as of 2021 his current influences included The Ex, Squid, Idles and Girl Band.^[6] In January 2024, Big Boy Foolish released their debut album "Stall the Ball".