When Longford man Dermot Hegarty topped the Irish charts in 1970, a line from the classic song contained the words: “For 21 years is a mighty long time.” That may be true, but 50 years is a cause for celebration.

Dermot will celebrate the occasion at the gala Galway Sessions in the Salthill Hotel on Monday 6 November, in the company of such legends as Big Tom and John Glenn, Merle’s Haggard’s ex-wife Leona Williams and a host of other artists.

The night will also mark the official launch of Memories, featuring a double package of a 17-track DVD and a 13-track CD, both celebrating his golden jubilee on the showbusiness circuit.

Dermot, who fronted The Plainsmen, started his music career back in 1967. His father ran a 25-acre farm in Keenagh, a few miles out from Longford town. While Dermot helped out on the land like a lot of lads at the time, farming was not his main interest. Music and Gaelic football were closest to his heart. He played a few seasons with Longford Slashers.

Dermot’s music career blossomed after Jim Reynolds from the Longford Arms Hotel, a brother of former Taoiseach, the late Albert Reynolds, asked him to compere the ballad sessions that were hugely popular at the time.

Mick Clerkin from Cavan and the recently deceased RTÉ legend Jimmy Magee, who had formed Release Records, heard Dermot sing a few songs during one of the shows. They were impressed and invited him to record. His fist song was The Shores of Amerikay, a song he got from Mick Clynch in Keenagh, who used to help his father with the cattle. It made the top-20 and Dermot was on his way.

In 1970, after a carnival dance in Shanagolden in Co Limerick, they were invited to a party in a local house where a lady sang a song called The Prisoner. Dermot was taken by it and brought in his tape recorder and she sang it again.

“Some weeks later we were in the Eamon Andrews Studios in Dublin and had 11 songs done on the album. We needed one more. Some of the boys said: ‘How about that old song we got from the woman in Limerick?’ So I decided to record it. It was an old American country ballad. I changed the last verse and also changed Nashville to Dartmoor to make it more colloquial and renamed it 21 Years,” says Dermot. The rest is history.

For close on 20 years Dermot has strong ties with Gerry Flynn and Enjoy Travel, the company based in Blackburn, England, that pioneered the overseas music holiday ventures to Spain and Portugal. He met Gerry Flynn and Pat Jordan at a gig in Manchester back in 1999. Dermot now resides in Norton, a small place about 40 miles from Newcastle Airport. He is excited about the release of Memories and meeting up with so many friends at the Galway Sessions on 6 November.

“The video and CD are what it says on the cover, Memories. I’ve included songs that have been part of my repertoire over five decades, such as 21 Years, Mary Ann Regrets, The Leaving of Liverpool, Carrickfergus and Hard Times Come Again No More.

There are also songs of a more recent vintage, including the Cliff Austin composition, Longed for Days and Longed For Nights. I’ve also included a few songs composed by Mary O’Brien and Sean Sweeney from Longford, and one by Mick Mackey from Clonmel.

“I am so looking forward to sharing my golden jubilee night with so many great people from the country music scene. It will be one of the special highlights of all my years in showbusiness,” says Dermot.

• A Tribute to Dermot Hegarty - 50 Years in Irish Showbiz, is part of the Galway Sessions weekend being staged in the Salthill Hotel, Galway, on 5-6 November. Dermot will be on stage on Monday, 6 November, along with Big Tom, John Glenn, Leona Williams, Matt Keane, and a host of other stars.