Strokestown woman who passed away in 2020 inspires 'Mac Dee' single

A Strokestown woman who tragically passed away from cancer in 2020 is the inspiration behind a new single after she appeared to the songwriter in a dream.

Marcus Magee says Mairead McDermott helped to save his life after she visited him in a dream, which prompted him to go seek medical advice and enabled him to undergo life saving cancer treatment.

Marcus Magee & The Hollaw Men, a rising alternative rock band from County Cavan, released their debut single, ‘Mac Dee’, on Friday, February 23rd. The track features renowned violinist Colm MacCon Iomaire and is a powerful and stirring tribute to the frontman’s close friend.

Describing Mairead, fondly known to her friends as Mac Dee, as “friendly, outgoing, full of energy and full of devilment, she was an organised every party sort of lady,” he said their friendship has had a profound effect on his life.

Marcus told the Roscommon Herald: “We initially met in college in IAAT Dublin and then spent lots of time together in San Francisco during a J1 Visa before our final year. We became very good friends during our time there with the Cavan and Roscommon crews mixing together and all remaining very close. Mairead was selling boat tours to Alcatraz and I was busking right beside her in Fisherman’s Wharf so we would meet every day. Mairead then went on to become Ents officer in our college. Our friendship continued after college until her passing in 2020.” The mother of one was just one month short of her 36th birthday when she died. Marcus recalled: “Mairead had triple negative Stage 4 breast cancer. She fought a hard battle and managed to get to clear, but once the cancer came back it was a ‘train without brakes’ as the consultant said at the time.” Mairead was born and raised in Strokestown. During her college years she lived in Dublin and after she continued to do so with her longtime partner Paul, originally from Kerry, and later their daughter Ali.

Marcus said: “They made the decision quite quickly after her diagnosis and the first few months of treatment (when she was just 32 years old) to return to Mairead’s hometown to be close to friends and family and get a garden and more space and nature around her than what Dublin could offer. They then settled in Tarmonbarry for the final two years of her life, where Paul and Ali stayed after her passing. Her mother and sister still live in Strokestown, with her other siblings now living in Australia and America.” It was during 2021 that she visited Marcus in a dream, leaving him with a warning to take heed of his health concerns that had been bothering him. Little did he know that he, a father of three children aged five, three and six months would be entering into an intensive battle with stage four cancer.

Marcus recalled the details of the dream: “It was confusing at first, I didn't want to join her, she was in the water, I was on the rocks, she looked scared. I went in for a while and she was trying to show me something, we swam but what felt like in the wrong direction. Then I realised that she helped me get away from that place. It was a bit surreal and stayed with me for days and really got into my thoughts like no other dreams have. We have dreams like this all the time but not often do they make it into the real world and have such an effect on our conscious state. I had some symptoms but this propelled me to get checked. Mac Dee (the song) is the story of this dream.

“It took me two weeks before I was ready to talk to my wife about the dream. It was all a bit confusing. I went to my first checkup one month after the dream and was fully diagnosed within six weeks of the dream.” He continued: “I had Stage 4 Colon cancer that spread to my liver. I was lucky it was caught in the nick of time, any longer and I wouldn’t have been able to be operated on. I had two successful operations removing all and have since been on immunotherapy. I was on four rounds of chemo in between, that’s when they noticed the liver metastasis and they could see it was growing through chemo. I was lucky to access immunotherapy as an alternative as my tumour markers were in such a way as to respond well to it.” He added that the new song 'Mac Dee' “is a captivating track that captures the spirit of this life-changing event. "…You cross the ocean to find me…In this dream, you alert me, Mac Dee,” sings Marcus. Capturing the raw vulnerability of the experience, the song starts with a dream-like melody before building in tempo to a beat that conjures up a sense of deep emotional release as the full force of the drums and guitar take hold.” Marcus Magee & The Hollaw Men was formed in 2022 after Marcus received his first clear scan. Feeling compelled to share his songs with the world, he brought together a band for what was supposed to be a once-off gig at a local theatre. Joined by bandmates Darragh Slacke on lead guitar, Ben Folkman on bass, Mark Brady on drums, Ronan Brady on flute, and his Danish wife Julie Magee Karlshøj on vocals, the talented six-piece was born.

And how has Mairead’s family reacted to the new track: “Very well, I have received a lot of messages from her family and Paul and Ali. Paul had seen us play it live and loved it, but I had also shared the song with Paul and Ali before we released it to get their blessing. “ Marcus Magee & The Hollaw Men play the Cavan Arts Festival on May 19th and Whelans on July 18th, tickets are on sale now. "Mac Dee" is now available for streaming and downloading on various platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp. For more information see www.thehollawmen.com