Premier Record Stores

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Gerry McBurney and staff at Premier Record Shop, Belfast, now demolished, 1980s. Bobbie Hanvey, Photographer.




















​THREE GENERATIONS OF McBURNEY’S AND “PREMIER” Away, way back in the 1920’s a wee girl from Five Mile Town and her Belfast Husband ran a Lodging House in Old Barracks Street and this young couple who shared a common love of Traditional Irish music decided they would go into business at the thing they loved and obtained a wee shop in Smithfield in 1926. .and so “The Premier” was born .making available to the citizens of Belfast the most popular music recordings of the day not to mention needles for their gramophones and song books and sheet music of all the popular and traditional airs of Ireland and from around the world. As the years went by their children, Billy, Malachy, Gerry and Winnie helped out and developed an equal love of the music business, so much so that they took the dream of their parents, Bridget and Patrick McBurney, a step further by forming, ”OUTLET RECORDS” .a recording studio that catered for the local music and singing talent. The title of one of their first records, “Show me the man who does not love the land where he was born” ,recorded by four school teachers from St Thomas‘s, I think said much as to the soul and gentle love of all things Irish that Bridget and Patrick instilled in the hearts of theimusic loving children.