Philomena Begley modestly says, "When I started out I did not even think I would be singing with The Old Cross Ceili Band. It was just by chance that friends of mine dared me to go up from the audience and sing with the band at a Ceili in Pomeroy Co Tyrone. Afterwards the boys asked me to stay for a few local gigs and then they kept me."

After a few years, in the 1970's this band became The Country Flavour. They kept this name for about 12 years before Philomena formed the Ramblin' Men in 1974. She regularly toured with Ray Lynam in 1975 and they recorded many duets together and had huge successes with some of them. Probably their most popular being "My Elusive Dreams" which is mentioned in The Pogues' song, "A Pair of Brown Eyes".

Begley had a huge hit with her version of Billie Jo Spears' hit song "Blanket on the Ground" which took her to the top of the charts in Ireland. "We were coming home from dance date late one night in 1975 when we heard Billie Jo Spears singing "Blanket on the Ground" on a radio programme on the American Forces Network", she related. Her manager at the time, Tony Loughman, thought it had hit potential so he got her a copy of the song from America.

"Tony knew someone in America who could get the song over to us quickly and as soon as it arrived I went straight into the studio and recorded it. We were so busy on the road that it had to be recorded during the only available spare time we had and that was before a dance date on the night that we got the song."

"Anyway it was a lucky break for us that we got the song released over here (Ireland) before Billie Jo even had it released in England. So you could say I got a few steps ahead of her when laying the Blanket on the Ground on this side of the Atlantic," quips Philomena, "Some years afterwards I got to meet her and she laughed and said "are you the B**** that recorded my song?!" She told me then that she was over here to promote the song and she was sitting in a cafe in Derry when she heard it on a jukebox. She could not believe that someone had it out here before she had got a chance to promote it. We had a good laugh about it all and I asked her "sure isn't that my song now?".

Philomena has also released her own "Countrified" version of the ABBA song "The Way Old Friend's Do". This has now become very popular among Irish Country singers and many have also covered this classic in more recent times but Phil was the first. Her version even almost had her competing with ABBA in the British Hit Parade! When asked what led to her recording the song Philomena answers, "My brother Kieran bought an ABBA album which included "The Way Old Friends Do" and I just kept playing it and playing it. I got the idea to put a wee Country feel to it and we tried it out with amazing success. It went down really well especially with audiences all over the UK and I would finish off the theatre show with that song and get all the audiences to join hands and the reaction just went from strength to strength."

Philomena Begley later toured with her own band "Shotgun" in the 90's and is still performing and recording today. She has truly earned her title of Ireland's Queen of Country! Even Daniel O'Donnell, Ireland's current international superstar singing sensation says Philomena Begley is one of the stars who inspired him to go into show business and he has even named her as his favourite Irish artist.

To his fans he was a "music legend". To his friends he was someone who was always there for them. To to the people of Mullingar he was "one of our own".

They all came together in his hometown yesterday to say goodbye and salute one of the "greats" of Irish showbusiness, Joe Dolan.

And there was another side to the singer, the golfer, the businessman and farmer, and that was the side that Fr Brian Darcy revealed in his homily in the Cathedral of Christ the King yesterday, telling the congregation that over the years Joe Dolan secretly donated "tens of thousands" to the poor and was "one of the most charitable people I ever met".

Fr Darcy, a well-known figure on the entertainment circuit and long-standing friend of Mr Dolan's, paid a moving tribute to the man whose music touched lives of people all over the world.

Mr Dolan died in the Mater Hospital Private on St Stephen's Day, after suffering a brain haemorrhage on Christmas Night.

Apart from the 2,000 family, friends and fans who packed the Cathedral of Christ the King, thousands more lined the streets of Mullingar as Mr Dolan's remains were transported to Walshetown Cemetery outside the town.

"It's wonderful to think that, at the end of his life, when all his friends got together, we all agreed on one thing: Nobody had a bad word to say about Joe. He was one of those people you looked forward to meeting and, afterwards, you felt better for having met him," said an emotional Fr Darcy, who struggled to maintain his composure during his homily.

"To Joe, the most loyal group he had were his fans for 47 years. Joe loved those fans and knew them personally, and entertained them when they needed to be entertained, and he lifted their burdens too when that was needed," said Fr Darcy.

Fr Darcy said that for people in the entertainment industry, 2007 was one of the worst years of their lives. "We have had to gather so many times as legends passed on. I'm thinking of people like Jim Aiken, Tony Loughman, Dermot O'Brien, Deirdre Drew, Christie Hennessy, and now Joe," he said.

"No family can lose people of influence like that and not be the lesser of it. There's only so much sometimes we can take of loneliness and heartbreak. All of us this morning feel that loss."

Mr Dolan is survived by his sisters Dympna and Imelda, brothers Paddy, Ben and Vincent, nephews, nieces, and a large extended family.

- LIAM HORAN

Nashville singer Dee Reilly is the big attraction at a country special in Kelly's Inn, Garvaghey on Thursday, September 25. Appearing on the same bill with her will be Tony Kerr, Boxcar Brian, Anthony McBrien, Larissa and the star-studded Applejack Band.

Dee Reilly beautifully personifies the dramatic influence that Irish music has had on today's American country scene. Born in Holyoke, Massachusetts to Irish parents, Deirdre Reilly (Dee) began singing at age five and had formed her own band by the age of 15.

For a few years she played various clubs and dance halls all around the north-east and it was during one of those performances in Queens, NY she caught the attention of Paddy Noonan, the founder of Rego Records. Noonan was so impressed with the young singer he offered her a national tour with his All Star Variety Show and a recording contract.

That was only the beginning for Dee. In between her stints with Noonan's shows, she became a regular performer at Nashville's Opryland Show Park in the world renown show, 'Country Music USA'.

Dee's time in Nashville during her Opryland days proved to open many doors for her in the Nashville music industry. She began recording her albums there working with Music City's finest musicians and producers. She became a regular guest on Nashville's TNN (The Nashville Network) performing on television shows

Music City Tonight and Prime Time Country. It was on the popular country music show Music City Tonight hosted by Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase that record producer and guitar master Chet Atkins endorsed Dee's career on live television by saying, "I see them come and go in droves, but I think she will make it. She's got what it takes and she's great."

Dee has been making regular visits to Ireland since she was just a baby. With family in Cork, Mayo, Dublin, Clare and Derry, she indeed calls Ireland her home away from home. In recent times she has been coming back to tour the country music scene in Ireland and Britain. Her former manager, the late great Tony Loughman believed so much in Dee's talent as a singer, musician, songwriter and top class performer. Tony first saw Dee performing at a summer festival in Chicago, Illinois in May 2006 while he was over in the States representing Irish country star John Glenn. He was so impressed with her shows, he decided to represent her and launch her career in Ireland and Britain.

Sadly, Tony passed away in 2007, but he certainly paved the way for Dee as she is well on her way to becoming a household name in country music. Dee's warm engaging style, powerful voice and dynamic stage presence makes her one of the top entertainers in music today. With fans all across America, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Australia, she is a hit with audiences no matter where she goes.

Her former manager says, "Dee's love of what she does shows all through her process of being a professional artist. She is totally professional on stage and off, always exuding that star quality she was born with, always totally prepared and always willing to meet her fans even after the most demanding concerts. Dee Reilly has it - everything it takes to earn a singular place on the world's musical stage."