Irish singer Moya Brennan, best known as the lead singer of Grammy and Bafta-winning group Clannad, has died. She was 73.
The Celtic folk singer, songwriter and harpist from the Irish-speaking Donegal Gaeltacht area of Gaoth Dobhair recorded about 25 albums and sold millions of records worldwide.
She came to prominence as part of her family’s band Clannad which formed in 1970 and later included Moya’s younger sister, Enya.
The group became one of the world’s foremost traditional Irish acts after finding mainstream success with the theme tunes of the TV series Harry’s Game, set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, as well as Robin of Sherwood.
A family statement said the singer, who was the eldest of nine children, died peacefully “surrounded by loved ones”.
After initially performing in their family’s pub, Leo’s Tavern, Clannad began tours of Europe in the 1970s.
They became the first band to sing in Irish on Top of the Pops when they performed the theme from Harry’s Game in 1982.
An international recording and touring career followed which included Bafta and Grammy awards in 1984 and 1999 respectively.
‘One of the greatest voices’
Moya Brennan went on to enjoy a successful solo career, recording her first individual album, Máire, in 1992.
She collaborated with artists including Mick Jagger, Paul Young and U2 frontman Bono, who described her voice as “one of the greatest the human ear has ever experienced”.
She was awarded an Emmy in 2011 for a documentary filmed with the US broadcaster PBS, Music of Ireland.
‘Moya was Donegal inside and out’
Fellow County Donegal singer Daniel O’Donnell paid tribute, describing Moya as someone who was beloved in her home county.
O’Donnell said he first met her years ago at her father’s pub and described her as a lovely person.
“I know she had such worldwide acclaim, but she was Donegal inside and out,” O’Donnell told BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today programme
“She loved being home and loved being here.”
O’Donnell said the singer “never forgot her roots” and was incredibly generous to younger talent in Donegal trying to pave their own path in the music industry.
“She loved the music, and she loved to see people doing well. Especially in these last few years, she loved giving young singers a chance – that was her focus.
“She was Donegal Person of the Year two years ago, and the important thing in anyone’s life is that your own locality recognises whatever you’re doing, and that was certainly the case for Moya.
“Everyone around here loved her, and when you met her, she had a great peace about her.”
‘A musical icon’
Ireland’s Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheál Martin said he was “deeply saddened” by Moya’s death.
He credited Clannad with bringing “Irish folk music to the international stage”.
Tánaiste (deputy first minister) Simon Harris also paid tribute, describing her as a “musical icon with a unique voice of extraordinary beauty”.
Former Irish president Michael D Higgins presented Brennan with an RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 and said her “name would be forever etched into the history of Irish music”.
Clannad performed their farewell concert in Dublin in 2023, on the 50th anniversary of the release of their debut album.
