From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Bridie Gallagher
Bridie Gallagher
Bridie Gallagher Bridie Gallagher (7 September 1924 – 9 January 2012) was
an Irish singer, affectionately known as "The Girl from
Donegal". She was "Ireland’s first truly international pop
star".[1]
Gallagher shot to fame in 1956 with her recording
of "A Mother’s Love’s A Blessing" and achieved inter-
national acclaim with her legendary rendition of "The
Boys From County Armagh". During her career, which
spans over six decades, she has appeared in many leading
venues across the globe. She also made songs such as
"The Homes of Donegal" famous.
Career
Gallagher started her singing in the Creeslough Hall with
a local Ceili Band started by Bill Gallagher. The
Creeslough Hall was owned by Jim Mc Caffrey and Bridie
would make many more visits to the Creeslough Hall in
her home town throughout her long and successful ca-
reer. Bridie’s talent was soon spotted in the 1950’s by Bil-
ly Livingstone (no relation to her husband) who was a
talent scout for Decca records, and she went to Belfast
which was to become her base, therein she married Ge-
orge Livingstone and had two boys, Jim and Peter. One
son, Peter died in a motor accident in 1976 and the other
later went on to tour with Gallagher.
Gallagher holds the record for the largest number
of people in attendance in the Albert Hall London, with
over 7,500 people,[2] a record that was never equalled
Background information
as it went on to be come an all seater venue. Gallagher
become world famous and travelled all over the world,
Birth name Bridget Gallagher United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and was known
Also known "The Girl from Donegal" as "The Girl from Donegal". Bridie played in many of the
as world’s best known theatre’s including London’s Royal
Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall in
Born 7 December 1924(1924-12-07)
Creeslough, County Donegal, Ireland New York. Bridie sang mainly ballads or as they later be-
came known as Country and Irish. One of her best known
Died 9 January 2012(2012-01-09) (aged 87) songs was "The Boys From The County Armagh" which
Belfast, Northern Ireland
sold over 250,000 copies, the biggest selling Irish single at
Genres Irish that time. [3]
Gallagher had her own radio show on RTÉ. As well
Occupations Singer
as many appearances on television (RTÉ, BBC, UTV, and
Instruments Vocals coast to coast in the United States).[4]
Years active 1956–2000
Labels Beltona, Decca, London Records (US),
Personal life
Emerald Records, Parlophone, Capitol (US), Gallagher has lived in Belfast for most of her life. In 1976
Pye Records
she lost her 21-year-old son in a motorbike accident."She
never really got over that (accident)," said her son Jim, "but
she just kept going.". She was honoured by the people of
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Bridie Gallagher
Creeslough on July 10, 2000 with an event to celebrate • Cottage On The Borderline / Rose of Mooncoin (December,
her career. Members of her family from Creeslough and 1967)
Donegal attended the event along with her two sisters • Swinging In The Lane / 5,000 Miles From Sligo (October,
and their families who travelled from Glasgow to be there 1970)
along with an estimated crowd of 2,500 fans. A plaque • If I Had My Life To Live Over / Golden Jubilee (1971)
paying tribute to Gallagher was unveilled. The following • Just Like Your Daddy/ No Charge (March, 1976)
day she was honoured by Donegal County Council when • A Mother’s Love’s a Blessing / The Road To Creeslough
the held a Civic Reception for her. "Bridie blazed the trail (October, 1976)
for many artists who followed after her and I’m sure that many
of them looked upon her as a role model as they started their ca- Extended Plays
reers in the music world," council chairman Charlie Bennett • The Girl From Donegal, No. 1
said at the ceremony. • A1: The Girl From Donegal
Gallagher died at her home in Belfast on 9 January • A2: Take This Message To My Mother
2012 at the age of 87.[5][6] With her burial taking place in • B1: At The Close Of An Irish Day
her native Creeslough.[7] • B2: Two Little Orphans
• The Girl From Donegal, No. 3 (1958)
Discography • A1:Hill Of Donegal
• A2: I’ll Forgive But I’ll Never Forget
Singles • B1: The Boys From County Armagh
• B2: The Poor Orphan Boy
• A Mother’s Love’s a Blessing/ I’ll Remember You Love, In • Bridie Gallagher (1959)
My Prayers (1956) • A: Moonlight On The Shannon River
• The Boys From the County Armagh/ Kilarney and You • B1: I Left Ireland And Mother Because We Were Poor
(July, 1957) • B2: The Hills Of Glenswilly
• The Girl from Donegal / Take this Message to my Mother • Bridie Gallagher (EP) (1959)
(1958) • A1: I Found You Out
• At the Close of an Irish Day / Two Little Orphans (1958) • A2: Two-Faced Moon
• The Hills of Donegal / My Mother’s Last Goodbye (1958) • B1: It’s A Sin To Tell A Lie
• I’ll Forgive But I’ll Never Forget / Poor Little Orphan Boy • B2: Somebody Cried At Your Wedding
(1958)
• Hillside in Scotland / Johnny Gray (1958) Long Plays
• The Kylemore Pass / Cutting the Corn in Creeslough (1958)
• Goodbye Johnny / The Faithful Sailor Boy (1958) • At Home With Bridie Gallagher (1962)
• I Found You Out/ It’s A Sin To Tell A Lie (December 1958) • Little Bunch of Violets (1966)
• If I Were a Blackbird / The Moon Behind the Hill (1959) • In The Heart of Donegal (1968)
• Moonlight in Mayo / In The Heart of Donegal (1959) • Bridie Gallagher Sings Irish Requests (1970)
• I Left Ireland and My Mother Because we were Poor / Star • The Half Door (1978)
of Donegal (1959) Discography Sources = [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]
• Noreen Bawn / Moonlight on the River Shannon (1959)
• Hills of Glenswilly / The Old Wishin’ Chair (1959) References
• Orange Trees Growing in Old County Down / The Crolly
[1] McFaul, Anna Marie (10 January 2012). "Bridie
Doll (1959)
Gallagher: Ireland’s ’first international pop star’".
• I’ll Always Be With You / Stay With Me (May 1959)
BBC News. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
• Irish Jaunting Car / Johnny My Love(1960)
northern-ireland-16470862. Retrieved 10 January
• My Lovely Irish Rose / Don’t Forget To Say I Love You
2012.
(1960)
[2] http://www.itma.ie/gd/digitallibrary/image/
• Homes Of Donegal / Ballyhoe (1960)
gallagher-bridie-full/
• Rose of Killkenny / Shall My Soul Pass Through Old Ireland
[3] http://books.google.ie/
(1960)
books?id=mCAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA23&dq=castlebar+fair+bridie+ga
• The Castlebar Fair / Home To Mayo (1962)
[4] http://www.creeslough.com/BridieGallagher.html
• Christmas In Old Dublin Town/ I’ll Cry Tomorrow
[5] http://web.onetel.com/~filcampbell/fil/bridie.htm
(December 1962)
[6] "Sadness as "The Girl From Donegal" Bridie
• A Little Bunch Of Violets/ The Bonny Boy (1966)
Gallagher dies". Donegal Daily. 9 January 2012.
• The Wild Colonial Boy/ Poor Orphan Girl (1967)
http://www.donegaldaily.com/2012/01/09/
• Destination Donegal / The Turfman From Ardee (1967)
• The Glen of Aherlow / Henry Joy (1967)
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Bridie Gallagher
sadness-as-the-girl-from-donegal-bridie-gallagher- [16] http://books.google.ie/
dies/. Retrieved 9 January 2012. books?id=jikEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA59&lpg=PA59&dq=swinging+in+th
[7] "Our Bridie to be laid to rest in her native zjJNGXhQeGloW2DA&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=swinging
Donegal". Donegal Daily. 10 January 2012.
http://www.donegaldaily.com/2012/01/10/our-
bridie-to-be-laid-to-rest-in-her-native-donegal/.
External links
Retrieved 10 January 2012. • DDTV: BRIDIE GALLAGHER SINGING ‘A MOTHER’S
[8] http://www.45cat.com/artist/bridie-gallagher LOVE’S A BLESSING’
[9] http://www.globaldogproductions.info/e/ Persondata
emerald-uk.html Name Gallagher, Bridie
[10] http://books.google.ie/
Alternative names
books?id=mCAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA23&dq=castlebar+fair+bridie+gallagher&hl=en&sa=X&ei=JE8dT8nRHsLIhAfj7PGdAQ&ved=0C
[11] http://uk45s.eu/60s/60B/60BELTONA-DISCOG.htm Short description
[12] http://www.popmusicinfo.com/ Date of birth 1924-09-07
show_artist.php?search_word=TOWN&radio_search=song&participant_id=667121
Place of birth
[13] http://www.irishrock.org/labels/plough.html
[14] http://irishrock.org/labels/emerald.html Date of death 2012-01-09
[15] http://irishrock.org/labels/pye.html Place of death
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bridie_Gallagher&oldid=473520696"
Categories:
• 1924 births
• 2012 deaths
• Irish female singers
• Irish pop singers
• People from County Donegal
• RTÉ Radio 1 presenters
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