Benny Gallagher
Scots born singer/songwriter,
formerly a member of the famous groups, McGuinness Flint and Gallagher & Lyle from the 1970s:
- McGuinness Flint
- Gallagher & Lyle
See more about Benny Gallagher
Bridie Gallagher – “The Girl from Donegal”
(7 September 1924 – 9 January 2012)
Bridie Gallagher, known as “The Girl from Donegal”, was Ireland’s first female superstar.
She was born in Ards, Creeslough, County Donegal, Ireland, the second youngest of a family of ten.
Bridie had her first major hit in 1956 with “A Mother’s Love Is a Blessing”. In July 1957, “The Boys from the County Armagh” reached No. 1 in Ireland, launching her onto the world stage.
International Success
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Bridie Gallagher packed out major concert halls across the world, including:
- The Royal Albert Hall, London (with a record audience of 7,500)
- Carnegie Hall, New York
- Sydney Opera House
Her record sales earned her numerous Gold Discs, cementing her status as one of Ireland’s most successful recording artists of the era.
She lived most of her life in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Final Resting Place
Doe Cemetery in her native area became Bridie Gallagher’s final resting place.
This is an area she made famous through her singing of the song:
“They’re cutting the corn in Creeslough today
Rory Gallagher
(2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995)
Rory Gallagher was the first Irish rock ’n’ roller and a unique blues guitar voice rolled into one.
He was born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, on 2 March 1948. His father was from Derry, while the family’s deeper roots lay in Ramelton, County Donegal.
Musical Beginnings
Rory began his musical career with the Fontana Showband in Cork.
Coincidentally—or perhaps, as the saying goes, the genes will show out—Rory’s father’s cousin ran his own successful group, the Ray Gallagher Showband, which was based in Derry, Northern Ireland, during the 1950s and early 1960s.
Another Gallagher connection to the showband era was Columba Gallagher from Strabane, County Tyrone, who was also active in the scene during the 1960s.
International Reputation
Rory Gallagher toured extensively, sold an estimated 30 million records, and built a worldwide following of loyal fans.
He fell seriously ill in late 1994 and died in London on 14 June 1995, aged just 47, from complications following a liver transplant.
Tributes & Obituaries
“Here was a man who managed to combine the gift of being an authentic creative genius with the even rarer gift of being a genuinely decent, honourable human being.”
— Hot Press, July 1995
“The first Irish rock’n’roller and a unique blues guitar voice rolled into one. Missed by everyone.”
— The Guitar Magazine, August 1995
“An uncompromisingly serious musician … a courageously honest performer [who wrote] his own material, and [who] considered the blues to be the most personal form of musical expression.”
— The Times, 16 June 1995
Noel and Liam Gallagher (Oasis)
Credit: flickr.com/photos/raph_ph
Credit: flickr.com/photos/raph_ph
Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher rose from relative obscurity to international fame in 1994 as the driving force behind Oasis, one of Britain’s most popular and critically acclaimed bands of the decade.
Led creatively by Noel Gallagher, the Manchester-based band fused the raw swagger of The Rolling Stones and The Who with Beatlesque melodies and hooks, distinctly British lyrical themes, and song structures reminiscent of The Jam and The Kinks.
This blend was delivered with a huge, distorted guitar sound and a defiant sneer that drew equally from the Sex Pistols’ rebelliousness and the Stone Roses’ self-assured confidence.
The result was a sound and attitude that defined a generation and secured Oasis a lasting place in modern music history.
More to follow.
Rory Gallagher (The Revs)
Credit: roryandtheisland.com
The Revs were an indie rock band based in Kilcar, County Donegal, Ireland. The band consisted of three childhood friends:
- Rory Gallagher – bass guitar, vocals
(named after blues guitarist Rory Gallagher – see above) - John McIntyre – guitar, vocals
- Michael O’Donnell – drums, percussion
They formed on the eve of the millennium with an ambition to change the face of Irish music.
In early 2007, Rory announced that The Revs were taking a break of “indefinite” length. In July 2007, the band played a short Irish tour, widely believed to have been their final performances together.
Rory Gallagher (Rory and The Island)
“Jimmy’s Winning Matches”, written and performed by Rory Gallagher of Rory and The Island, became the anthem of the Donegal GAA football team during their 2012 All-Ireland Championship run.
The song was originally titled “Jimmy Selling Watches” but was quickly adapted by supporters and renamed as the team progressed through the competition. It became a huge crowd favourite, sung widely by Donegal fans and strongly associated with the county’s march to All-Ireland Final victory in 2012.
Brendan Gallagher
Brendan Gallagher – Musician
Brendan Gallagher has been a musician for nearly all of his life. The youngest of six sons, Brendan grew up in the north-western Sydney suburb of Eastwood, Australia.
Over a career spanning more than forty years, he has played guitar on recordings for a wide range of artists, including David Bowie, Jimmy Little, Kylie Minogue, Karma County, David McCormack, Lyall Adonis, and many others.
Brendan is best known as the singer and guitarist with Karma County, one of Australia’s most respected independent bands.
His Gallagher family origins lie in Stramore, Gartan, County Donegal, continuing the long tradition of Donegal Gallaghers making their mark far from home. More about Brendan Gallagher
Note: We would be delighted to receive further information, pictures or other memorabilia concerning the above artists or others not mentioned, for our archive.