My Country Life

Dec 15 2023 2

My Country Life Podcast artwork

My Country Life, with Eddie Rowley, is podcast series that takes you backstage and into the real lives of Irish country music's kings and queens. Each episode in this series features a well-known star opening the doors to their past and taking us on their personal journey into the spotlight. Along the way, they reveal their highs and lows, happiness and heartaches and their struggle to find success. Meet legends like Daniel O'Donnell and Jimmy Buckley, as well as young stars like Nathan Carter and Cliona Hagan as they recall the great music and great stories on their road to stardom.

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Episode 23: Sandy Kelly

Dec 15 2023 74 mins

Irish country music legend Sandy Kelly (nee Duskey) has a remarkable story to tell. Born in Sligo into a family of travelling entertainers, she appeared in variety roadshows all over Ireland from the time she was a baby. Sandy joined a pop band in her teens and later went on to represent Ireland in the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest with The Duskeys. It was her recording of the Patsy

Episode 22: Susan McCann - From South Armagh to Nashville's Grand Ole Opry (Part 2)

Feb 10 2023 44 mins

SUSAN McCann is Ireland’s First Lady of Country, and in part two of her life story here on the Sunday World podcast My Country Life, the legendary singer recalls performing on the same Florida festival with Garth Brooks, while he was then on his journey to becoming a country music superstar. Susan talks about her meeting with Garth at that event in 1991, and tells how he was tryi

Episode 21: Susan McCann - From South Armagh to Nashville's Grand Ole Opry

Feb 03 2023 43 mins

SHE’S Ireland’s First Lady of Country and Susan McCann has had a remarkable life in music, performing everywhere from the marquee in her native Forkhill, South Armagh, to Nashville’s famous Grand Ole Opry. As Susan tells it, she came from humble beginnings growing up among a family of 11 in a two-bed house with no electricity or running water. Starting off as the singer in he

Episode 20: Life begins at 80 for country icon Philomena Begley

Jan 14 2023 64 mins

SHE'S Ireland’s Queen of Country and at the age of 80 Philomena Begley says she has no intention of relinquishing her title anytime soon. As we speak, Philomena is celebrating an incredible 60 years in showbusiness and here on 'My Country Life' she says that singing and performing is the drug that keeps her young at heart. Philomena talks about her early life growing up in the Co

Episode 19: There's no show like a Joe show - the story of Joe Dolan (Part 2)

Dec 28 2022 51 mins

HERE in part two of The Joe Dolan Story, his brother Ben takes us inside their life on the road and the early days of ‘Driftermania’. He tells how Joe became an international star after performing on BBC’s iconic Top Of The Pops with his first major hit, Make Me An Island. This would lead to tours of South Africa, Israel, Russia and all over Europe. Ben takes us to Las Vegas

Episode 18: There's no show like a Joe show - the story of Joe Dolan (Part 1)

Dec 10 2022 57 mins

Joe Dolan was one of Ireland’s greatest ever entertainers. He was our Elvis Presley. Our first pop star. Joe performed on BBC’s Top Of The Pops, toured the world as an international star, played in Las Vegas and had a string of hits that included The Answer To Everything, Make Me An Island, Lady In Blue and Good Looking Woman. One man who stood alongside him for almost 50 years

Episode 17: Margo - the queen of country and Irish music (part 2)

Dec 03 2022 43 mins

Here in part two of our My Country Life podcast with Margo, Ireland’s Queen of Country & Irish recalls her many struggles in life, including a personal battle with alcoholism back in the day. Margo opens up about her regret at never becoming a mother and reveals that she still carries a torch for her first love who remains a friend and gave her a personal gift on her 70th birthda

Episode 16: Margo - the queen of country and Irish music (part 1)

Nov 25 2022 47 mins

She’s the Queen of Country & Irish music, and Margo O’Donnell has had a remarkable life. Long before the world heard of her little brother Daniel O’Donnell, Margo was topping the charts and performing to thousands of fans in dance halls all over Ireland. Margo also won the hearts of Irish emigrants in Britain and Ireland in the ‘60s and ‘70s with her poignant songs from t

Episode 15: Kieran Cavanagh - the man behind Daniel O'Donnell

Nov 19 2022 67 mins

TODAY, he manages the career of Irish country music superstar Daniel O’Donnell, but former New Blues showband guitarist Kieran Cavanagh has had a remarkable life in his own right. While in his 20s, Kieran set out to bring some of the biggest stars in American country music to Ireland, starting with the greatest of them all – Johnny Cash. Here, on My Country Life, the Co Sligo-b

Episode 14: Declan Nerney

Nov 12 2022 58 mins

Declan Nerney has lived a charmed life, from playing in bands with some of Ireland’s biggest country music stars, including Gene Stuart and Brian Coll, to meeting his idol Johnny Cash. Here, in My Country Life, Declan recalls how he dreamed of a life in showbusiness watching the big stars playing local marquee dances in his native Drumlish, Co Longford. He tells how he became a g