Bridie Gallagher
Bridie Gallagher, born Bridget Gallagher in Creeslough, County Donegal, Ireland, on 7 September 1924, was affectionately known as "The Girl from Donegal." She has been described as Ireland's first international pop star.
She began singing in the Creeslough Hall with a Ceili Band started by Bill Gallagher. A Decca Records talent scout, Billy Livingstone, spotted her in the 1950s and she based herself in Belfast.
Gallagher rose to fame in 1956 with A Mother's Love's A Blessing and gained international acclaim for The Boys From County Armagh, which sold over 250,000 copies. She performed worldwide, at venues such as the Royal Albert Hall in London (where more than 7,500 fans attended, a record for the venue), the Sydney Opera House, and Carnegie Hall in New York. She mainly sang ballads, later known as Country and Irish, and also helped popularize The Homes of Donegal.
She hosted a radio show on RTÉ and made many TV appearances on RTÉ, the BBC, UTV, and in the United States. Gallagher lived much of her life in Belfast, where she married Robert (Bob) Livingstone and had two sons, Jim and Peter. In 1976, her son Peter died in a motorcycle accident; her other son Jim later toured with her.
In 2000, Creeslough honored her with a career celebration and a plaque, followed by a civic reception by Donegal County Council. Bridie Gallagher died at her home in Belfast on 9 January 2012, at the age of 87, and was buried in Creeslough.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 05:55 (CET).