Delia Murphy

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Delia Murphy (1902 – 1971) was a singer and collector of Irish ballads. Some knew her as “The Queen of Connemara”.

She was born on 16 February 1902 in Ardroe, Claremorris. Her father purchased the large, Mount Jennings Estate in Hollymount, County Mayo. Her family was regarded as being wealthy. Her father, Jack Murphy, from Hollymount, made his fortune in the Klondike Gold Rush. While in America, he married Anna Fanning from Roscrea, County Tipperary. They returned to Ireland in 1901. Her father encouraged her interest in singing ballads from a young age. Her father allowed Irish travellers to camp on the estate. The young Delia learnt her first ballads at their campfires.

She was educated at Presentation Convent, Tuam; Dominican College, Dublin; and University College Galway, where she graduated with a B. Comm. degree. In UCG she met Tom Kiernan. They married in 1924, on her 22^nd birthday. Tom joined the Irish diplomatic service. The first posting was to London. She sang at many venues including gatherings of Irish exiles. She became well known.

In 1939 she recorded The Blackbird, The Spinning Wheel and Three Lovely Lassies for HMV.

In 1941 Dr. Thomas J. Kiernan was appointed Irish Ambassador to Rome. The Irish legation was the only English-speaking legation to remain open after the United States entered the war. Delia was one of those who assisted Hugh O'Flaherty (the Vatican pimpernel) in hiding Jews from the Nazis. In 1943, when Italy changed sides, many escaped POWs were helped by the legation to leave Italy.

Tom later served as Irish Ambassador in Australia, Bonn, Ottawa, and Washington. It was when they were in Ottawa, in 1961, that she made the recording of “The Queen of Connemara” for the Kenny Goldstein label.

They returned to Dublin in 1969. They bought a cottage in Chapelizod. On 11 February 1971, The "Queen of Connemara" passed away of a massive heart attack. She recorded more that 400 ballads.