Dolly Parton reveals what iconic piece of Kerry GAA history hangs ...

And it is true what they say, icon recognises icon, as the superstar revealed that she has a piece of Irish sporting history hanging in her home.

Back in 1990, while on a trip to Ireland, Dolly found herself in a pub in Kerry owned by none other than the late Páidí Ó Sé.

The GAA legend presented her with his own jersey that he wore when he captained the Kerry team to win the All Ireland in 1985.

"It hasn't been washed since", he joked as she quickly responded, "I was hoping it would still have some sweat in it."

The 9-5 singer revealed the fate of that sweaty jersey in an interview on RTÉ Radio 1's Liveline with Katie Hannon.

"I have that jersey in a frame, hanging in my basement which is my recreation room where I have my games and all that," she said.

"Everybody asks about that big green jersey and I'm very, very proud of it. I kept it and when I brought it home, I put it up on that wall and it's been there ever since."

With a career that has spanned eight decades, it's a wonder the 77-year-old multi-hyphenate can recall one night in a Kerry pub but she holds a grá for Ireland as we do for her.

Páidí Ó Sé with a framed photo of himself and Dolly Parton from 1990. Picture: Don MacMonagle

The Kingdom's love affair with Dolly is still going strong with the people of Listowel breaking the world record for the largest gathering of Dolly Parton lookalikes earlier this year. 

Dolly Day as it was dubbed saw more than 1,100 Dolly lookalikes gather together.

"I want to take a moment to thank you to all the gals that dressed up like me. I was proud, you made me proud," she said.

Boasting hits like Jolene, I Will Always Love You and Coat of Many Colours (her personal favourite), Dolly has been an inspiration for many artists over the years but there are a number of singers who have left their impressions on her as well.

One of those was our own Sinéad O'Connor who passed away earlier this year.

Speaking about O'Connor, Dolly said that she always felt connected to her.

"I know she has a real hard life but you could tell it in her music, you could tell what all that she went through.

"Sometimes that makes the best singers, people that live what they are singing about."

The 11-time Grammy Award winner said that O'Connor's version of Nothing Compares 2 U is one of her favourite songs.

The Dublin singer also covered one of Dolly's songs, Dagger Through My Heart, which she said both impressed and delighted her as it was a song she had written as a teen.

Of course, Dolly's songs are known around the world but she is quickly becoming just as well known for her philanthropic work.

Whether it is helping communities devastated by wildfires, being a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement or donating millions to help fund the creation of covid-19 vaccinations, Dolly has always shown us who she is.

Dolly's songs are known around the world but she is quickly becoming just as well known for her philanthropic work.

The country music legend has built an empire and has a reported net worth of $375m (€356m), according to Forbes. But despite her fame and her fortune, she has never lost sight of her values.

This is something she attributes to her upbringing as one of 12 children in Tennessee.

Dolly's Imagination Library, which is beloved by children across Ireland, was created alongside her father who was himself illiterate.

The literacy programme sends children one book a month from when they are babies up until they start school.

Initially, it was intended to run in their county in the US but it is now available across the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, and Ireland.

"Daddy got to live long enough to see it be so prosperous and hearing the kids call me 'The Book Lady' and take pride in the fact that he helped me put it together," she said.

"My daddy was really smart. He had a lot of great ideas and a lot of great suggestions. I'm so proud of that whole programme."

The literacy programme sends children one book a month from when they are babies up until they start school. Ireland joined in 2019. Picture: Conor Healy / Picture it 

To date, the Imagination Library has gifted almost 219 million books. Since Ireland joined, children here have received 208,731 books thanks to Dolly.

"I'm as proud of that as anything else I've ever done," she said. "That will be one of the things that I hope to be remembered for because I think that you cannot do enough for our children."

One mother called into the show to thank The Book Lady for helping her daughter discover her love of reading.

"She figured out that she's getting post, it's in her name, it's personal to her. She's gotten a gift," said Sandra.

Almost four years old now, Sandra's daughter has been getting books since she was very young. First, she was attracted to the colours and shapes, then the pictures, and then the words of the story.

"Now she has all her books in a little corner and she has a little chair over there."

Sharing her gratitude with Dolly, Sandra said: "I don't think I could express how thankful I am for receiving that gift and I don't think she'd be able to either.

"There are no words to describe how thankful we are for what you have done."