GOALIE PACKIE SAVED SUSAN'S BACON; Soccer legend served Hairy Angel breakfast at his mum's B& B during her summer holidays in Donegal.

Byline: PAUL MARTIN

HAIRY Angel Susan Boyle had an early taste of the fame game when Irish soccer great Packie Bonner dished up her breakfast.

Susan, 47, was served a full Irish by former Celtic goalie Packie each morning in the small guest house ran by his mother Gracie in Cloughglass, Co Donegal.

Last night the Republic hero's mum, who still lives in the same family home, revealed: "Yes, Susan stayed here on her holidays. She was a lovely girl. It was a long time ago now.

"We ran a B& B from the family home for a few years and she would stay."

Susan's Irish roots came to light a fortnight ago when it emerged she spent her summers with her mum Bridget in Donegal in the 1970s and early 1980s.

The star has a hoard of second cousins scattered around Donegal but until today her connection with one of Ireland's biggest sporting heroes had remained a secret. A family friend told the Irish Daily Mirror: "Packie would always be helping out and serving up the breakfasts and doing odd jobs around the house for his mum.

"Susan was one of the regular visitors and would stay every summer with them.

"It was a very run of the mill bed and breakfast they ran from the family home. Packie would get stuck in and help with the breakfast and would have chatted away to Susan.

"He was always very happy to be around the guests and he would have a bit of craic with them.

"His football would take up a lot of time even in those days but in the summer he would be home and helping to look after the guests like Susan."

Now Susan could be set for a celebratory return to Ireland - and a stop off at Packie's mum's home if she triumphs on the TV3 show.

Gracie added: "I wish her all the best. She's doing very well for herself."

And a family friend added: "We'd definitely love to see her come back to Cloughglass for a homecoming of sorts.

"The B& B isn't running anymore but she'd be more than welcome to pop in for a cuppa.

"There are a lot of people around these parts who say they are related to her so it would be fantastic if she could make it over and meet all her distant relatives."

Susan, from Lothian in Scotland where she still lives alone with her cat, was also a regular visitor to Mayo's Knock Shrines.

She even sang at the basilica in the Marian Shrine.

CAPTION(S):

BUSINESS Gracie Bonner ROOTS TV favourite Susan Boyle HOME COMFORTS Bonner house in Donegal FULL IRISH There's no danger of Packie dropping breakfast