Oasis Brothers’ Irish Roots Traced to Mayo and Meath

As anticipation builds for Oasis’ long-awaited reunion tour, much attention has turned once again to Liam and Noel Gallagher, the brothers behind one of Britain’s most influential rock bands. While their music and outspoken rivalry have defined headlines for decades, their story is also firmly rooted in Ireland.

The Gallagher brothers were born in Manchester to Irish Catholic parents, Margaret “Peggy” Sweeney of Charlestown, Co. Mayo, and Thomas “Tommy” Gallagher of Duleek, Co. Meath. Like many Irish emigrants of the 1960s, their parents settled in England, where the boys grew up in Manchester’s close-knit Irish community. Though their father later became estranged from the family, their mother remained a central figure, raising her children with strong ties to their Irish identity.

On their mother’s side, the brothers’ grandparents were part of the Sweeney and O’Brien families of Charlestown, where Noel and Liam spent many summers as children. Their paternal family tree traces through generations of Gallaghers in Duleek and Slane, linking them to the same countryside where they would later perform two legendary concerts at Slane Castle.

The Gallagher brothers’ Irish upbringing shaped both their outlook and their sound. Surrounded by traditional Irish music in Manchester’s social clubs, alongside influences like The Beatles and The Stone Roses, Oasis developed a style that blended working-class grit with cultural pride. Noel has long credited this background, remarking that “Oasis could never have existed if we weren’t predominantly Irish.”

As Oasis prepares to return to the stage in 2025, with two sold-out shows at Dublin’s Croke Park among the tour’s highlights, the Gallagher brothers’ journey stands as another example of Ireland’s far-reaching diaspora. Their success story remains deeply intertwined with the heritage of Mayo and Meath, and with the community that first shaped them.