Margaret Burke Sheridan
Encyclopedia
Margaret Burke-Sheridan was an Irish
opera singer. Born in Castlebar
, Co Mayo, Ireland
, she was known as Maggie from Mayo and is regarded as Ireland's second prima donna
(after Catherine Hayes
(1818-1861)).
She was a soprano and for 12 years performed at La Scala
and Covent Garden
where she enthralled the opera-goers. When she played the part of Madame Butterfly, Puccini was spellbound. Bríd Mahon in her 1998 book While Green Grass Grows p 123, states that: “It was rumoured that an Italian whose overtures she had rejected had blown his brains out in a box in La Scala, Milan, while she was on stage and that after the tragedy she never sang in public again.” She died in relative obscurity in 1958 and her remains buried in Glasnevin cemetery
, Dublin.
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...
opera singer. Born in Castlebar
Castlebar
Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
, Co Mayo, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, she was known as Maggie from Mayo and is regarded as Ireland's second prima donna
Prima donna
Originally used in opera or Commedia dell'arte companies, "prima donna" is Italian for "first lady." The term was used to designate the leading female singer in the opera company, the person to whom the prime roles would be given. The prima donna was normally, but not necessarily, a soprano...
(after Catherine Hayes
Catherine Hayes
Catherine Hayes [married name Bushnell] was the first Irish-born opera diva to achieve international acclaim....
(1818-1861)).
She was a soprano and for 12 years performed at La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
and Covent Garden
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
where she enthralled the opera-goers. When she played the part of Madame Butterfly, Puccini was spellbound. Bríd Mahon in her 1998 book While Green Grass Grows p 123, states that: “It was rumoured that an Italian whose overtures she had rejected had blown his brains out in a box in La Scala, Milan, while she was on stage and that after the tragedy she never sang in public again.” She died in relative obscurity in 1958 and her remains buried in Glasnevin cemetery
Glasnevin Cemetery
Glasnevin Cemetery , officially known as Prospect Cemetery, is the largest non-denominational cemetery in Ireland with an estimated 1.5 million burials...
, Dublin.