DANA: THE ORIGINAL DERRY GIRL

Profile of the 1970s icon

Perched on a stool on the stage in Amsterdam, where she won the Eurovision title in 1970, Northern Irish singer Dana (right) looks back on a life rich in all kinds of everything, including pop hits, her own TV show and a cancer scare that nearly silenced her.

She twice ran for the Irish presidency, became an MEP and, as an arch-conservative Christian, fought against abortion and sang for the Pope. Then came the sex scandal that nearly engulfed her. But it’s her pop career and her struggles with the pressures of fame against the backdrop of The Troubles that are the main focus of this feelgood profile.