"Mary from Dungloe" is an Irish song originally penned by a County Donegal stonemason Pádraig Mac Cumhaill in 1936, telling a tragic story of love and heartbreak. A modified version of the song was re-released by The Emmet Spiceland Ballad Group and reached number 1 in the Irish singles music chart on 24 February 1968. This success prompted the creation of the Mary From Dungloe International Festival, an Irish music festival held in Dungloe, in northwest Ireland. There exists two versions of the song, the original long version by Pádraig MacCumhaill and a shorter version by Colm O'Laughlin, the latter version is the most popular today.
The original 'Mary' in question is said to be a Mary Gallagher, a native of Dungloe, she was courted by a man (from the Gweedore area) who had just returned from the United States but her parents refused to let them marry and he left to return to the US. On 13 July 1876 she emigrated to New Zealand to join her relatives there. On the boat she met Daniel Egan and they were married in New Zealand on 30 September 1877. She gave birth to a baby but died shortly after (15 December 1878) aged 19. The baby named Owen died at six months.
The song has become a traditional Irish staple and it has been covered by an array of artists, most notably by Emmet Spiceland, Daniel O'Donnell, Show of Hands, The Irish Tenors, Phil Coulter, Paddy Reilly, Christy Moore, Tommy Fleming, Foster & Allen, The Johnstons, James Gallagher, Screaming Orphans, and Patrick Clifford.