Peter John McGovern (28 October 1927 – 1 April 2006) was an English songwriter and activist.
Life and career
Pete McGovern was born in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
, England, on 28 October 1927. Both of his parents were
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
. His father, Thomas McGovern, was from
Collon
Collon () is a village and townland in the south west corner of County Louth, Ireland, on the N2 national primary road. The village is home to the Cistercian Abbey of New Mellifont, and to Collon House, the ancestral home of the Foster family. ...
,
County Louth,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and his mother, Annie Dillon, was from
Galbally, County Limerick
Galbally () is a village in southeast County Limerick, Ireland, on the border with County Tipperary. It is located at the foot of the Galtee Mountains and at the western approach to the Glen of Aherlow. The Aherlow River, flowing down from the G ...
. Pete was born in Regent Street, off the dock road north of the city centre.
[Ancestry](_blank)
Accessed October 2013[Irish Genealogy](_blank)
Accessed September 2016
McGovern attended St. Edward's School,
West Derby
West Derby ( ) is an affluent suburb of Liverpool, England. It is located East of the city and is also a Liverpool City Council ward. At the 2011 Census, the population was 14,382.
History West Derby
Mentioned in the ''Domesday Book'', Wes ...
and Queen Elizabeth's School,
Anfield
Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 189 ...
. He worked for many years on the railways and was an active trade unionist and campaigner.
[The Independent](_blank)
Accessed October 2013
His main claim to fame is that he wrote "In My Liverpool Home", a song that has become an anthem or folk tune for the people of Liverpool. It was recorded by the folk group
The Spinners.
The original version of "In My Liverpool Home" was written by McGovern in the early 1960s, but many verses have been added since.
The first line of the song is:
"''I was born in Liverpool, down by the docks''"[Lyrics Playground](_blank)
Accessed October 2013
Death
McGovern died in
Trawsfynydd
Trawsfynydd (; Welsh for "across hemountain") is a linear village in Gwynedd, Wales, near Llyn Trawsfynydd reservoir, and adjacent to the A470 north of Bronaber and Dolgellau and 10 km (6 miles) south of Blaenau Ffestiniog.
The total com ...
,
North Wales
North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia N ...
, on 1 April 2006.
Family
McGovern's granddaughter,
Alison McGovern
Alison McGovern (born 30 December 1980) is a British politician who has served as Shadow Minister for Employment since 2021. A member of the Labour Party, she has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Wirral South since 2010.
Early life
The gra ...
, was elected MP for
Wirral South
Wirral South is a constituency in Merseyside, England represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Alison McGovern of the Labour Party since 2010.
Constituency profile
Wirral South covers the central part of the Wirral peninsu ...
in the
2010 general election.
[News BBC](_blank)
accessed October 2013
References
External links
Lyrics Playground
1927 births
2006 deaths
People from Bromborough
English male singer-songwriters
English singer-songwriters
English activists
Musicians from Liverpool
English people of Irish descent
20th-century English singers
20th-century British male singers
20th-century English male writers
{{singer-songwriter-stub