“Making art and being an artist for so many of us is synonymous with financial struggle,” said Ms Gallagher, “unless you hit the big time, as they say, and you become very successful.
Ms Gallagher, who had a number of gigs cancelled during lockdown, described the knock-on effect for not just herself but her band members and crew, as well as venues and their staff. “The live sector has been really affected by this, and it’s been really difficult.
One practical way to support artists, she said, was to play Irish music on the radio. “That’s one way to generate revenue, for DJs to really utilise the music that’s available to them and play it because that’s revenue for all artists that are signed to IMRO and that is a vital lifeline for artists.”