Born in Clanabogan and educated at the University of Liverpool, she was very shy growing up, and spent many years working with children with additional challenges.
The following year, Taggart and other Irish celebrities filmed videos for her former employer Western Health and Social Care Trust encouraging viewers to stay at home.
1, in 2011; the album attracted attention after being played by the BBC Radio Ulster presenter Gerry Anderson, and contained the single "Bright Blue Rose" and a cover of Phil Coulter's "The Town I Loved So Well".
[7] By February 2017, the video had 80,000,000 views on Facebook;[3] Taggart later used a December 2016 BBC article to attribute the success of the song to its universal topic matter.
He cooked his main course with thematic reference to "Jealous of the Angels", which he had heard in the car on the way back from visiting his recently deceased brother in hospital and which was played on the programme.
[7] In December 2020, Belfast Live reported that Taggart, Jamie-Lee O'Donnell, Cathal McShane, and Tommy Bowe had filmed video messages for Western Health and Social Care Trust[11] (for whom Taggart had previously worked as a child services co-ordinator)[8] as part of the Department of Health's "Fight Back NI" COVID-19 pandemic social media campaign, which aimed "to reinforce the message to the NI public that they should stay home, wash hands frequently and keep your distance".
[11] James Christopher Monger of AllMusic wrote that Taggart purveyed "comforting interpretations of classic Celtic ballads and country-folk songs".
[12] In a November 2016 interview with the Irish Examiner, Taggart cited Mary Black, Eva Cassidy, and Alison Krauss as influences.
[14] A further son, due in December 2014, was miscarried the previous August, and Donna used a February 2017 interview with the Belfast Telegraph to credit her faith and a miscarriage storyline on Coronation Street involving Steve and Michelle McDonald for helping her get through this period.