The “godfather of Irish skating”, Clive Rowen, has died, his skating shop confirmed on social media.
His death was announced by the shop’s Instagram and Facebook accounts late on Sunday night in a post saying: “It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce the passing of our beautiful hero, the patriarch of our family, world’s best husband, father, grandfather and most importantly our best friend Clive Rowen. We love you to infinity and beyond.”
The post has more than 60 comments as tributes pour in, including one from Irish photographer Rich Gilligan saying: “Rest easy Clive. Thanks for giving so much to the skate community in Ireland. The first time I walked through the doors of Hill Street was completely transformative for me and so many others.”
He opened Dublin’s first dedicated skateboarding shop called Clive’s on Hill Street in 1978.
Most recently, he ran Skate City in Temple Bar.
Rowen retired from working in the shop in January 2024 and it closed.
In 2018 in an interview with RTÉ, Rowen said, “I’ve always had this passion for things with wheels.”
A documentary called Hill Street looked at the evolution of skateboarding culture in Dublin since the late 1980s to 2014 when it was released, showing how Rowen single-handedly progressed the scene through the building of primitive ramps at his shop before moving on to a temporary skate park in the Top Hat Ballroom in Dún Laoghaire.
He later managed to convince the Powell Peralta “Bones Brigade” Team, including the legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk, to visit the skate park in Dublin for a demo.
In an interview with The Irish Times in 2021, Rowen said every Irish town should have a skate park, while cities should have an indoor park to cope with the weather. It is a relatively small investment for a big return, he said.
“For many skaters it is a way out of the mundane,” he said. “Life can be a bit boring. It gives them something to do, improves their body and their mind, and has saved a lot of young people from other things.”
Rowen’s younger brother Peter, also a skater, was on the cover of U2’s Boy album. Other brothers include the artist Guggi and fellow Virgin Prunes member Strongman.