This week Miriam meets Dana Rosemary Scallon and her younger brothers, John and Gerald.
They recall the extraordinary events around Dana’s win at the Eurovision Song Contest in Amsterdam in 1970. Her two brothers watched the competition at home in the Rossville Street flats in Derry. They recall thousands of people gathering in the square below the flats to celebrate her win. Meanwhile, in Amsterdam Dana was visualing the faces of her brothers and her father at home to calm her nerves on such a big occasion.
Dana recalled growing up in a musical household where both parents were musicians and the children’s music lessons were paid for by their great Aunt Mary. Their mother told Gerald If you have music you will never get into trouble.
Dana recalls finding her younger brothers annoying. They had the fights and arguments that brothers and sisters often have. Dana recalls tying Gerald to a chair because he was annoying John and her. They got into trouble for that!
Her Eurovision win allowed the family to move from the flats to a quieter part of Derry. Eventually, they moved to London and Dana, her parents and her younger brother based themselves there. We remained very close and then the boys became involved in various music things that I was doing. They were song writing and I was recording. It was a very vibrant time.
Though they grew up in Derry at the start of the Troubles, the Brown children were encouraged to take people on their merits. Because of the Feiseanna they took part in, they knew families from all parts of the community. And John explains how their mother encouraged a respect for law.
Dana describs the impact of fame on her young life and the challenge of dealing with crews from all over the world who descended on Derry. At that stage, the city was making headlines all over the world for the Civil Rights issue and civil unrest, so there was great interest in her win. Dana says that her win showed what the city was all about – musical and creative.
Both brothers reflect on the changes and opportunities that Dana’s win gave them. John probably would have been a teacher. But Gerald joked that Dana’s win allowed his career to rocket “My first job after Dana won was walking a camel in a Zoo!” Dana says that he still has the psychological scars.
All three recall their mother who died in 2009 aged 91 years. She was very involved in everything that we did, John explains. When Dana decided to enter politics, her mother was very supportive and joined in the campaign.
Reflecting on the decision to go into politics, Dana says that she is glad that she did it. Both her brothers were involved in the campaign, Gerald as their Mister Fixit arranging hotels and transport. John was involved in the media relations aspect of it. They often sang as they drove around the country on the Presidential campaign. They sing Dublin in the Rare Ol’ Times for Miriam.
Dana tells Miriam that running for the Presidency is not on her radar, but I’ll never say never! John recalls meeting President Eamon De Valera after Dana won the Eurovision Song Contest. He explains that he thinks that the President should be in tune with the people. Dana also points out the President should protect the Constitution.
John tells Miriam that he thinks that Dana would make a very good President and says that over the last number of months there are up to ninety calls every week asking if she is going to run for office.
Gerald tells Miriam that there is room for a family based music group and wonders if the next generation of Browns and Scallons might fill the gap. Music is a great way to live, John tells Miriam