Raylene Rankin from Mabou Cape Breton  has died after a long fight with cancer at the age of 52.

She battled 3 bouts of cancer and was in remission last year when she began work on her first solo album for 7 years. That CD All The Diamonds was released in 2012 and  took its title from the Spring flowers which Rankin said were  like ‘little diamonds’ , spots of spring hope after a long winter battle against the disease.

The Rankin Family was together for ten years and sold more than 2 million records, won six Juno awards, three Canadian Country Music Awards and 15 East Coast Music Awards.

The well-known harp player has died. Antoinette was the sister of Ireland’s most famous whistle player Mary Bergin and the wife of piper Joe McKenna. Joe and Antoinette recorded and performed together and were extremely popular on the Dublin trad circuit and  internationally.

Irish Music Magazine would like to offer condolences to Joe and the Bergin family on their sad loss.