Philomena Begley is an Irish

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...

 country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 singer.

Background

Philomena Begley was born and grew up in Pomeroy

Pomeroy

- Places :* Pomeroy, County Tyrone, a village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland* Pomeroy , a townland in the parish of Desertcreat, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland* Pomeroy, Derbyshire, England* Pomeroy, Iowa, USA* Pomeroy, Ohio, USA...

 Co. Tyrone and worked in a shirt factory in Cookstown

Cookstown

Cookstown may refer to either of the following:*Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland*Cookstown, Ontario, Canada*Cookstown, New Jersey, United States...

 before her break into music.

Career

Her first venture as a singer was with the popular Old Cross Céilí Band, whom she sang with as a dare, but stayed with the group. The group soon became known as the Old Cross Bandshow and released three records in Ireland in 1968 and 1969, but none made an impression in the charts. In September, 1970 the band changed its name to The Country Flavour. Begley's first record following this became her first chart hit when "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" reached Number 7 in the Irish Charts. In 1974 she formed the Ramblin' Men, while the Country Flavour continued to tour with several other lead singers (including Eileen King and Dan O'Hara) during the 1970s.

Begley regularly toured with Ray Lynam from 1975 and they recorded many duets together. Probably their most popular being "My Elusive Dreams" which would go on to be mentioned in The Pogues

The Pogues

The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...

' song, "A Pair of Brown Eyes".

In 1975, Begley had a hit with her version of Billie Jo Spears

Billie Jo Spears

Billie Jo Spears is an American country music singer. She reached the top-10 of the Country music charts five times between 1969 and 1977, her biggest hit being "Blanket on the Ground", which, in 1975, became her only number one...

' hit song "Blanket on the Ground

Blanket on the Ground

"Blanket on the Ground" is a song made famous by country music singer Billie Jo Spears. Originally released in 1975, the song became her first and only song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart...

" which took her to number five in the Irish Charts. Spears also released the song in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 and in 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...

 at the same time, however in Ireland it was Begley's version that received the highest sales, as Spears' version only went to number 11. By 1977 she was undertaking a major tour of the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and in 1978 she was invited to sing at the Grand Ole Opry

Grand Ole Opry

The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...

 by Porter Wagoner

Porter Wagoner

Porter Wayne Wagoner was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. He introduced the young Dolly Parton near the beginning of her career on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet throughout the late 1960s and...

. Since then she has returned annually to Nashville, been a guest of honour at the St. Patrick's Day parade in New York

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 and has sung at both the Grand Ole Opry and Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....

.

Recognition

One of Begley's biggest fans is Irish singer Daniel O'Donnell, and he once quoted "When Philomena sings a song you believe her…..you feel that she’s experienced every emotion she expresses.

Personal life

Philomena Begley is married to Tom Quinn and they have three children Mary, Aiden and Carol. They reside in their hometown of Pomeroy, County Tyrone

Pomeroy, County Tyrone

Pomeroy is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is in the townland of Cavanakeeran, about from Cookstown, from Dungannon and from Omagh. The 2001 Census recorded a population of 604 people....

. Her son Aiden Quinn has established a singing career for himself also.

Albums

• Meet the Queen of Country Music (Top Spin Records-TSLP.01-October, 1974)
• Blanket on the Ground (Top Spin Records-TSLP.45-August, 1975)
• Queen of the Silver Dollar (1976)
• Nashville Country (1978)
• Fireside Country (1979)
• The Best of Philomena Begley (K-Tel Records-1979)
• Philomena Country (Top Spin Records-1980)

Currently Available Albums

• The Philomena Begley Collection (2006)
• Village in County Tyrone (HHCD 231)
• Once Around the Dance Floor (HHCD 232)
• Red is the Rose (HHCD 233)
• The Way Old Friends Do (HHCD 234)
• I'll Only Give This Up When It Gives Me Up (HHCD315)
• Live in Concert (HHDVD808)
• Ireland's Country Queens: The Way Old Friends Do (With Margo O'Donnell) (PADDY CD 17)