Who is Peggy Gallagher? The fierce Irish mammy behind Britpop's biggest band
While the Gallagher brothers, Liam and Noel, became synonymous with 90s Britpop excess, their firebrand personalities and unshakeable self-belief were forged in the kitchen of a no-nonsense Irish mammy with a sharp tongue, a soft heart, and an unflinching sense of pride.
Hailing from Co. Mayo, Peggy brought more than just her accent across the Irish Sea, she carried with her grit, wit, and quiet rebellion, traits that would find loud expression in her sons' music. Long before Oasis stormed the charts with snarling guitars and swaggering Mancunian attitude, there was Peggy Gallagher — the formidable matriarch who raised rock 'n' roll royalty in a council house in Burnage. Pic:But who is the woman behind the myth, the one who held the Gallagher clan together through hardship, heartache, and the madness of fame?
Extra.ie are tracing Peggy's journey from rural Ireland to rock 'n' roll fame, and exploring how a single mother raising three boys in Manchester became the unsung architect of Oasis.
Born Margaret Sweeney in 1943, Peggy was one of 11 siblings, having left school early to work as a cook and cleaner at a seminary.
'Mam is an angel. The coolest woman that's ever walked this fucking planet in my eyes. She's an absolute diamond. Everything that's good about me I definitely got from her"
Happy birthday Peggy Gallagher ❤️ pic.twitter.com/MZ3bXGWfEB — Oasis Mania (@OasisMania) January 30, 2024
Getting High: The Adventures of Oasis author Paolo Hewitt previously revealed to The Daily Mail, that Peggy took on a lot of responsibility from a young age, becoming the family bread winner amid her mother's bouts of bad health.
At just 18, Peggy moved to Manchester to work as a housekeeper and childminder. This is where she would meet, and eventually marry Tommy Gallagher, a fellow Irish immigrant who ran a concreting business.
As noted by her sons throughout their lengthy career, the marriage was far from idyllic. While the Gallagher brothers, Liam and Noel, became synonymous with 90s Britpop excess, their firebrand personalities and unshakeable self-belief were forged in the kitchen of a no-nonsense Irish mammy with a sharp tongue, a soft heart, and an unflinching sense of pride. Pic: Julian Makey/REX/Shutterstock
In 1982, after enduring years of her husband's violence and alcoholism, Peggy built up the courage to leave, forging a better life for Noel, Liam and their older brother Paul.
Reflecting on that moment in the 2016 Oasis documentary Supersonic, she said; 'I left him a knife, a fork and a spoon. And I think I left him too much.'
Peggy and the boys soon found refuge in a small council house in Burnagey, a working class neighborhood in Manchester. Hailing from Co. Mayo, Peggy brought more than just her accent across the Irish Sea, she carried with her grit, wit, and quiet rebellion, traits that would find loud expression in her sons' music. Pic: Screen Media Films/Everett/REX/Shutterstock
While she may be her children's biggest fan, Peggy is ever the stoic matriarch, keeping the dynamic duo as grounded as ever.
While speaking at a National Portrait Gallery event in London, Noel revealed his mother's reaction to their reconciliation was underwhelming to say the least.
'When we told her we were getting back together, she said, 'Sure, that will be nice.' My mum couldn't give a s***,' he revealed.
However, it has been reported that Peggy had been praying for this moment for some time, urging her feuding sons to mend their relationship.
According to El País, the turning point for the brother's came in 2023 during a spa day that Liam had organised to celebrate Peggy's 80th birthday. What a powerhouse.
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