Begley accidentally entered the world of country music at a local dance, when she was called on stage as a dare to sing a song with the Old Cross Céilí Band.
An instant hit, she was asked to fill in as cover for someone who had taken ill in the band and suddenly became swept up in the 1960s dance-hall circuit.
In 1975, Begley was granted permission to record her own version of Blanket on the Ground from US country music star Billie Jo Spears who had released it earlier that year as the title track from the album of the same name.
Begley’s version went to number five in the Irish charts and sparked some friendly rivalry between the pair.
Over the years, they became close friends, sharing many of the same hits and performing together on several occasions.
Blanket on the Ground remains one of Begley’s most popular songs to this day.