BREEGE Mackey grew the Bridge Bar in Ramelton into a haunt for some of the biggest musical stars Ireland has ever produced.
Tributes were paid yesterday following the popular licensee’s death on Tuesday night.
Born in Co Mayo, Breege moved to Donegal where she took up a post working as a telephonist in Letterkenny Post Office.
In 1988 she and husband Jose decided to take the plunge and give the pub trade a go.
They transformed the quaint but quiet Bridge Bar into one of Donegal’s great music venues.
They also developed a restaurant, something else it quickly gained a reputation for.
The Bridge Bar became a magnet for big names looking to enjoy themselves away from the glare of celebrity.
Among its star performers have been Henry McCullough who played with Paul McCartney and Wings, Jerry Garcia of Grateful Dead fame and Brian Kennedy who brought a tear to the eye with his rendition of Carrickfergus.
Kieran Goss, Frances Black, Planxty’s Andy Irvine, legendary guitarist Porter McClister, the list goes on and on of well known faces who have sought the Bridge out while Breege was custodian.
Record producer and musician Billy Robinson played in the bar on countless occasions.
“Myself and James McDaid were chatting to Breege one night and we said to her that music was the way to go,” he said yesterday.
“Jose was not that keen on the music but Breege started getting the odd band in and it started working for her.
“From that she kept booking bands and she was so supportive to musicians here in Donegal. People would nearly have played for nothing just to be there and in that atmosphere.
“Another thing Breege started was Sunday night open mic nights. They became so popular and that is how a lot of bands started, by getting up on a Sunday night in the Bridge.
“I remember well that Jose wasn’t hugely keen on it and he had this very loud vacuum cleaner that he used to produce at the end of the night.
Breege went out and bought him a quieter one.
“She was such craic and a lovely lady. She’ll be missed,” Billy added.
Fellow musician Brendan Quinn described Breege as a “marvellous lady” while local community representative Jean Winston revealed how she was a very religious person.
“It’s coincidental that today is the Feast Day of Our Lady of Knock because being from Mayo, Breege always attended the Knock pilgrimage in August.”
Requiem Mass will take place on Friday at 11am in St Mary’s Church, Ramelton.
Burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.
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