Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Chris de Burgh sets out his backgound and family history.
Born in Argentina, Chris de Burgh spent much of his childhood moving between Africa and Malta due to his father's work with an intelligence unit in the years following the Second World War. From the age of seven, he was educated in Ireland while the rest of his family remained in Africa. Around 1960, the family settled permanently in Ireland, making their home in a castle.
He's one of the greatest, the most successful solo songwriters, singers in the world today.
His mother was Irish and his father came from the Channel Islands. Although he was born in Argentina, Chris de Burgh has always felt a deep connection to Ireland and proudly considers himself Irish.
I'm a very confused, mixed, cosmopolitan kind of a guy.
A biography currently being written about the singer's life has led to an exploration of family history. The de Burgh name can be traced back to Charlemagne in the ninth century, with a direct lineage extending to the present day. In Ireland, the modern equivalent of the family name is Burke.
Chris de Burgh says researching his ancestry sparked a fascination with Normandy, where his family originated.
As a teenager, he worked as a waiter at the family castle during busy summer events. In the evenings, he entertained guests by singing Irish folk songs and Beatles classics. Later, he attended Trinity College Dublin, coincidentally at where he performed at the Players Theatre.
After graduation, Chris de Burgh was unsure what career path to follow. He took a job singing in Captain America's restaurant on Grafton Street in Dublin. It was there that he began writing his own songs, learning along the way before you write a good song, you usually have to write a lot of bad ones.
This episode of 'Performers' was broadcast on 5 August 1986. The presenter is Siobhán Cleary.
Chris de Burgh sets out his backgound and family history.
Born in Argentina, Chris de Burgh spent much of his childhood moving between Africa and Malta due to his father's work with an intelligence unit in the years following the Second World War. From the age of seven, he was educated in Ireland while the rest of his family remained in Africa. Around 1960, the family settled permanently in Ireland, making their home in a castle.
He's one of the greatest, the most successful solo songwriters, singers in the world today.
His mother was Irish and his father came from the Channel Islands. Although he was born in Argentina, Chris de Burgh has always felt a deep connection to Ireland and proudly considers himself Irish.
I'm a very confused, mixed, cosmopolitan kind of a guy.
A biography currently being written about the singer's life has led to an exploration of family history. The de Burgh name can be traced back to Charlemagne in the ninth century, with a direct lineage extending to the present day. In Ireland, the modern equivalent of the family name is Burke.
Chris de Burgh says researching his ancestry sparked a fascination with Normandy, where his family originated.
As a teenager, he worked as a waiter at the family castle during busy summer events. In the evenings, he entertained guests by singing Irish folk songs and Beatles classics. Later, he attended Trinity College Dublin, coincidentally at where he performed at the Players Theatre.
After graduation, Chris de Burgh was unsure what career path to follow. He took a job singing in Captain America's restaurant on Grafton Street in Dublin. It was there that he began writing his own songs, learning along the way before you write a good song, you usually have to write a lot of bad ones.
This episode of 'Performers' was broadcast on 5 August 1986. The presenter is Siobhán Cleary.
