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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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A Donegal singer/songwriter went to the top of the official Irish itunes charts at the weekend - and also broke into the top ten in the UK for the first time.
Kilcar native Rory Gallagher, who is now based in Edinburgh, released his newest song "When The Lights Go Down (Valhalla)" on Friday - and it’s proving to be a major hit.
His breakthrough into the British itunes charts will see plenty of people googling to find out a bit more about him.
“There must have been a few major labels like Universal and Sony wondering who the hell is “Rory and the Island” keeping Miley Cyrus and Fleetwood Mac off the top for a day!” he quipped.
Explaining the background to the song he said this is “a new song I wrote for anyone like myself who had to say goodbye to a dream this year... or even a basic reality!”
Rory and his wife Cara opened a new music bar in the Scottish city earlier this year, but the Covid-19 crisis quickly put pay to their big plans.
Likewise, so many other people have experienced a year of frustration and restrictions.
The song is already getting very positive reviews and he has been featured by a number of media outlets, including BBC Radio Ulster.
Rory - known by many for his Donegal GAA anthem “Jimmy’s Winning Matches” - spent several years in Lanzarote where along with Cara they ran a hugely successful live music bar. He has released numerous songs under the “Rory and the Island” name.
Since the Covid restrictions were introduced Rory has been regularly performing live online and continues to build up a considerable following.
Back in August he set a new world record for the longest time singing on a live facebook stream. Thousands tuned in online as he kept going for eight hours.
It actually took him two attempts, as broadband issues halted the first effort.
Full of creativity and invention, Rory is a great man for being positive, and thinking outside the box. Who knows what 2021 will bring?
THe song can be ordered on: https://ingroov.es/when-the-lights-go-down
The incident has been reported to gardaí
Australian and New Zealand tour operators at Lough Eske Castle, with Viktoria Albrecht, Tourism Ireland (back, third left)
Uisce Éireann says the work is part of the National Leakage Reduction Programme
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