Dancehall days and great times

Ireland’s rock bands of the 1970s and ‘80s get the kudos, but Gina was packing out venues all over the country, writes Ed Power.

Gina remembers the day with absolute clarity. An advertisement had appeared in a local paper in Cork looking for a lead singer for a band. Her father brought it to her attention and, concluding she had little to lose, she replied.

As frontwoman of Gina, Dale Haze and the Champions, she was soon one of the most recognisable performers in Ireland.