Mary O'Hara facts for kids
Mary O'Hara (born 12 May 1935) is a famous Irish singer and harp player from County Sligo. She became well-known in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Her music inspired many other Irish female singers, like Carmel Quinn, Mary Black, and Moya Brennan. Even famous folk singer Liam Clancy said her music influenced him and other artists of that time.
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Mary O'Hara's Early Life and Career
Mary O'Hara's father, Major John Charles O'Hara, was an officer in the British Army. Her mother was Mai Kirwan. Mary's sister, Joan O'Hara, was an actress, and her nephew is the writer Sebastian Barry.
Mary won her first singing contest in Sligo when she was just eight years old. She made her first radio broadcast on Radio Éireann before she turned 16. She performed at the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival and on popular TV shows like BBC's Quite Contrary and The Ed Sullivan Show. Later, she even had her own BBC television series!
Her first record deal was with Decca Records. Mary spent a lot of time on the Aran Islands to learn more about Irish folk music. She also became fluent in the Irish language.
In 1978, Mary O'Hara was featured on the TV show This Is Your Life. She was surprised by the host, Eamonn Andrews, while filming at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.
Mary O'Hara's Personal Life
Mary O'Hara met American poet Richard Selig through Irish poet Thomas Kinsella. She married Richard in 1956 and moved to the United States with him. Sadly, Richard died just 15 months later from a serious illness called Hodgkin's disease. Mary continued to tour and record music for four more years.
In 1962, Mary decided to become a Benedictine nun at Stanbrook Abbey in England. She stayed there for 12 years. In 1967, her wedding ring was melted down to make a new ring. This new ring celebrated her promise to the Benedictine Order.
Mary left the monastery in 1974 because of her health. She found that her music was still very popular, even after her time away. She quickly became one of the biggest international recording stars from Ireland. Her 1981 album, The Scent of the Roses, was produced by Andrew Pryce Jackman and Jo Stewart.
Mary wrote an autobiography in 1981, also called The Scent of the Roses. This title came from one of her favorite songs by Irish poet Thomas Moore. She also wrote other books, including Celebration of Love and A Song for Ireland.
She continued her singing career for another 16 years, stopping her performances in 1994. In 1985, she married Pádraig O'Toole, who helped her career a lot after 1974. They lived in Tanzania for six years, where her husband taught at the Tanzania School of Journalism at the University of Dar es Salaam.
A musical play about her life, called Harp on the Willow by John Misto, was very successful in Australia in 2007. Mary O'Hara has also completed five books of her harp music. She still travels and gives talks at places like the Yeats International Summer School in Sligo (2007) and New York University (2009). The Burns Library at Boston College keeps her important papers and even had an exhibition about her.
As of 2016, Mary O'Hara lives on the Aran Islands, off the west coast of Ireland. Her husband, Pádraig O'Toole, passed away in 2015.
Mary O'Hara's Influence in Modern Music
Mary O'Hara's recording of "Óró Mo Bháidín" has been used in modern songs. It was sampled in Passion Pit's 2008 song "Sleepyhead" and Sub Focus' song "Safe in Sound." The tune is also part of the chorus in Chris de Burgh's song "A Spaceman Came Travelling."
Mary O'Hara's Music Albums
Mary O'Hara recorded many albums throughout her career. Here are some of them:
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