Born Katherine Leddy in Butlersbridge, County Cavan, Ireland, the performer later known as Durkin grew up with a father, Eugene Leddy, who died in January 2002 and had led a prominent dance band during the 1950s. She studied piano accordion and took pleasure in singing yet never pursued music professionally at that stage. In the late 1970s she wed Andrew Durkin and raised two children. She also featured prominently for the Cavan ladies football side that captured All Ireland honours in 1977. Early in the following decade she performed with the local group Cavan in venues across the area; an RTE television slot then secured her a deal with Harmac Records. The 1988 release “Midnight To Moonlight” met with considerable success, and in 1990 she performed at the Wembley International Country Music Festival. The next year her cover of Rita MacNeill’s “Working Man” became a major Irish hit. More recently she has strengthened her standing among the leading female vocalists in her native Ireland while extending her reach through appearances at country clubs throughout the UK.
