Eileen Donaghy
Encyclopedia
Eileen Donaghy was an Irish
traditional singer. Donaghy was well known for her recordings of ballads such as The Oul Lammas Fair and My Lagan Love and was known as the "First Lady of the Moy".
Eileen Donaghy was born Mary Josephine McNally in Brackaville, Coalisland
, County Tyrone
, Northern Ireland
. Her family always called her Maisie. She was the second of three children and the elder daughter of Hugh Pat McNally and Brigid (née Corey).
Donaghy left school at 14 and worked as a darner in Derryvale weaving factory. She was one of a variety group that performed in local halls.
Donaghy married Tyrone footballer
Pat Donaghy. The couple lived for a while in Coalisland, before moving to Pat's home town of Moy
. Her big breakthrough was the 1958 Ulster Football Final at Clones where she sang The Boys From the County Armagh to a packed stadium. She had an instantly recognizable voice, with a clear and cheerful quality, which won her legions of fans around the world in the dozens of LPs and EPs she recorded.
She toured the world as part of the traditional folk scene in the early 1960s and was successful in Ireland, the UK, New Zealand
, Australia
, the US and Canada
. One of her albums, "Let's Sing With The Irish" was issued on Fontona (Philips) Records in the UK and Epic Records in the US simultaneously.
She also recorded an album of rebel songs, during the times of "the troubles" in Northern Ireland. However, to avoid any problems or controversy she recorded this one album under the name of her granny, Brigid Corey. This rebel songs album was reissued on CD by Outlet Recording Company before they went defunct in the 1990s.
Her husband Pat died in 1991. They had nine children.
Donaghy's recording of My Lagan Love was included in the BBC
Programme The One Hundred Best Tunes.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
traditional singer. Donaghy was well known for her recordings of ballads such as The Oul Lammas Fair and My Lagan Love and was known as the "First Lady of the Moy".
Eileen Donaghy was born Mary Josephine McNally in Brackaville, Coalisland
Coalisland
Coalisland is a small town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, with a population of 4,917 people . As its name suggests, it was formerly a centre for coal mining.-History:...
, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. Her family always called her Maisie. She was the second of three children and the elder daughter of Hugh Pat McNally and Brigid (née Corey).
Donaghy left school at 14 and worked as a darner in Derryvale weaving factory. She was one of a variety group that performed in local halls.
Donaghy married Tyrone footballer
Tyrone GAA
The Tyrone County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Tyrone GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Tyrone. The county board is also responsible for the Tyrone inter-county teams....
Pat Donaghy. The couple lived for a while in Coalisland, before moving to Pat's home town of Moy
Moy, County Tyrone
Moy or The Moy is a village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The 2001 Census recorded a population of 1,218.It is about southeast of Dungannon and is beside the smaller village of Charlemont. Charlemont is on the east bank of the River Blackwater and Moy on the west; the two are...
. Her big breakthrough was the 1958 Ulster Football Final at Clones where she sang The Boys From the County Armagh to a packed stadium. She had an instantly recognizable voice, with a clear and cheerful quality, which won her legions of fans around the world in the dozens of LPs and EPs she recorded.
She toured the world as part of the traditional folk scene in the early 1960s and was successful in Ireland, the UK, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the US and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. One of her albums, "Let's Sing With The Irish" was issued on Fontona (Philips) Records in the UK and Epic Records in the US simultaneously.
She also recorded an album of rebel songs, during the times of "the troubles" in Northern Ireland. However, to avoid any problems or controversy she recorded this one album under the name of her granny, Brigid Corey. This rebel songs album was reissued on CD by Outlet Recording Company before they went defunct in the 1990s.
Her husband Pat died in 1991. They had nine children.
Donaghy's recording of My Lagan Love was included in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Programme The One Hundred Best Tunes.