Mark Scullion was just a young boy when he first heard Philomena’s unique voice. Throughout the years, he’s seen her in concert many times and has passed down his love for her music to his children – including his famous daughter Brooke Scullion.
Mark first came across Philomena when he was around seven years old. “I remember when I was a kid, a popular radio station was Big T’s Downtown. They used to have the charts on a Sunday,” he says. One day, the station played Once Around The Dancefloor , which transfixed a young Mark. This remains his favourite Philomena song.
Mark’s family also had great time for Philomena, with Mark’s aunt Mary giving him a thoughtful gift. “Aunt Mary was a special person and I loved her very much. She used to buy me presents, that year she asked me what I wanted and I told her I loved Philomena Begley. She bought me one of her records. I was delighted. I played it until it was almost mute [laughs].”
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A family friend, who played in a showband and had worked with Philomena, heard Mark was a huge fan. He rang Philomena from Mark’s house and she chatted to the youngster, giving him her number and telling him to ring anytime he wanted. “I rang a couple of times a year. Her mother answered the phone, she told me what she was up to, what concerts she was performing at and where she was travelling to. It was so innocent and lovely.”
The first Philomena album Mark owned was Truck Drivin’ Woman , but his favourite is Queen Of The Silver Dollar because it brought American country music to an Irish audience. “There are six songs on each side of that album, I could play each of them and remember where I was when I heard them, they remind me of my childhood.”
After school, Mark used to head to Kearney’s, a local electrical store, who stocked a small selection of LPs. The staff used to order in Philomena’s music for Mark. “You can appreciate that in the 70s there wasn’t a pile of money about. I used to collect mineral bottles and sell them, then I paid a weekly deposit to Kearney’s and once that was paid off, I could take the record home.”
Mark finally got to meet his idol one night in Cookstown after his siblings brought him along to a dance. “I was the only child in the place, but I was very grateful I got to meet her in person.” Philomena asked Mark to pick out the outfit she would wear on stage, as well as taking a picture with him and signing it.
When Mark got older, his music tastes changed and he became interested in pop and rock music, but he never lost touch with Philomena. After he got married in his 20s, he started going back to dances, where Philomena would often perform.
Mark passed on his love for her music to his children and grandchildren. His daughter Brooke is a well-known singer who appeared on The Voice , represented Ireland in the 2022 Eurovision and appeared on last year’s Dancing With The Stars . Mark used to play Philomena’s music at home and his children would dance around the house to her songs, and he often took them to see her in concert.
“Philomena has always been so supportive of Brooke with regards to everything she’s done,” Mark adds. “When Brooke was chosen for the Eurovision, Philomena was the first person to ring me and she told Brooke how proud she was, wishing her every success and telling her to let her know if there was anything she could do for her.”
Mark even got an opportunity to accompany Philomena to Nashville a few years ago. “She was doing a few gigs and it wasn’t something I was going to miss. It was amazing to see her in that environment, where she had connected with legends like Billie Jo Spears and Tammy Wynette.”
Mark says one of the things he loves most about Philomena’s music is her voice. “It’s homely, it brings me back to a happy place. A lot of people have similar memories. People met their partners at her dances and got married to her music.”
Philomena’s music has stood the test of time, according to Mark, as she still has young fans today. “They connect with her on a different level as their parents listened to her music. She’s had a long career and there’s not many people on the island of Ireland who don’t know who Philomena is.”
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