He still sounds Irish to us.
He does but less and less as the years go by. It's natural, it happens to everyone, no matter how sure you are you won't let it. You can only affect an accent for so long.
There's a cockney underbelly to my accent now, especially in the way I elongate certain vowels, which comes naturally to a brummy anyway. I'm happy with it, London has played a big part in my life so I'm happy to wear it.
Not always. My mate left Brum for Canada in the early 80s, he still sounds exactly as he always did.
And Jeff Lynne (ELO) - lived in LA for about 40 years, still as Brummie as you like.
This is totally off topic here, but Jeff Lynne, has he got some sort of mild learning difficulty or health issue or aspergers or anything at all that could make him sound thoroughly 'slow' in interviews. It's beyond shy, or quiet, he just comes over as working at 33rpm in a world of 45rpm. Don't get me wrong, loving his work and all that, but I can't sit through an interview he's unlistenably uncommunicative.