Chicago Rose has Mullingar connections

When Fiona Gaffney, Chicago Rose, mentioned the Westmeath Examiner during her interview with Dáithí Ó Sé in Tralee last week, there was a singular ‘whoo-hoo’ from the audience. We haven’t discovered who that was, but we got speaking to Fiona when she was in Mullingar for Caoilfhinn Ní Choiligh’s homing coming on Friday, and she told us about her Mullingar links.

“My granddad was Kevin Cadogan, he was managing director at the Westmeath Examiner for years, around the 1960s, and then he went out to Waterford for the News and Star.”

Kevin was originally from Wexford, and he worked at the Wexford People newspaper, before taking the job at the Examiner. Fiona’s mother, Angela Gaffney, and her siblings were born and lived in Mullingar before the family moved to Waterford.

Fiona was delighted to be here on Friday: “Caoilfhinn is most deserving, even behind the scenes she was like the girl’s girl, a friend. I had to get up and sing, and we know I didn’t go as well! But I didn’t have a voice three days before, and she was the one that got me there with all of her stuff. She’s just so deserving, and we already know the impact she’s had – everybody’s sharing it. She’s going to do well.”

Concluding, Fiona said: “Just put your name forward [for the Rose], it’s such a platform. I got mine with PMOS, but everyone can have a platform and tell their story. Up Chicago!”