The Irish heritage of Paul McCartney

The McCartneys, like many Liverpool familes, descended from Irish immigrants

Mary’s father, born Owen Mohin, was from Tullynamalrow in County Monaghan. At some point, he changed his surname to Mohan and moved to Liverpool, where he worked as a coalman and married Mary Theresa Danher.

Jim and Mary carried on their Irish traditions in their household with their sons Paul and Michael. Jim was a cotton trader while Mary was a nurse. Their children were baptized Roman Catholic at the insistence of their mother, but they were raised non-denominationally.

Mother Mary of “Let It Be”

Poignantly, Paul's mother Mary died when he was just 14. She died after an operation to stop the spread of breast cancer caused an embolism. He would later lose his beloved wife Linda to breast cancer.

After his mother died, Paul immersed himself into music. The same year he wrote his first song: “I Lost My Little Girl,” using his first acoustic guitar, which he still owns. Paul later explained the song was subconscious reference to his mother.

In 1968, Paul wrote the legendary song “Let It Be” after having a dream about his mother, and wrote these immortal words for her: "When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me. Speaking words of wisdom, let it be."

Paul later was quoted saying: “It was great to visit with her again. I felt very blessed to have that dream. So that got me writing ‘Let It Be.’”

“Give Ireland Back to the Irish”

McCartney has also written music that is more directly Irish.

In 1972, he and his first wife Linda wrote “Give Ireland Back to the Irish” in response to the Bloody Sunday massacre in Northern Ireland.

The song was released as the debut single of McCartney’s new group Wings, which included Irish guitarist Henry McCullough.

The controversial song was completely banned in Britain, but reach number one in the singles charts in Ireland.

Reflecting on the song in later years, McCartney said: “From our point of view, it was the first time people questioned what we were doing in Ireland.

“It was so shocking. I wrote 'Give Ireland Back to the Irish,’ we recorded it and I was promptly phoned by the Chairman of EMI, Sir Joseph Lockwood, explaining that they wouldn't release it. He thought it was too inflammatory.

“I told him that I felt strongly about it and they had to release it. He said, 'Well it'll be banned,’ and of course it was.

“I knew 'Give Ireland Back to the Irish' wasn't an easy route, but it just seemed to me to be the time. All of us in Wings felt the same about it. But Henry McCullough's brother who lived in Northern Ireland was beaten up because of it. The thugs found out that Henry was in Wings."

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Nster.com