Moya Brennan, the lead singer of Irish folk group Clannad, has died aged 73. The Grammy and Emmy-winning artist, often called the ‘first lady of Celtic music’, passed away peacefully surrounded by family in her native County Donegal. She had been living with pulmonary fibrosis and faced the possibility of a double lung transplant.
Born Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin in Dublin on 4 August 1952, Brennan was the eldest of nine children. She formed Clannad in 1970 with her brothers Pól and Ciarán and their uncles Noel and Pádraig Ó Dúgáin. The band became known for their modern take on traditional Irish music and for singing in the Irish language, which was considered a poor man's language at the time.
Clannad's commercial breakthrough came in 1983 with the album 'Magical Ring' and the hit single 'Theme from Harry’s Game', which reached No 5 in the UK charts and made them the first act to perform in Irish on Top of the Pops. Their soundtrack for the 1984 TV series 'Robin of Sherwood' earned them a Bafta, making them the first Irish band to win the award.
Brennan launched a solo career in 1992 with the album 'Máire', and her final album, 'Voices & Harps IV', was released in 2024. She collaborated with artists including Bono, Shane MacGowan, Robert Plant and Ronan Keating, and contributed to soundtracks for films such as 'Titanic' and 'King Arthur'. She also worked extensively with Christian Blind Mission Ireland in Africa and South America.
Brennan is survived by her husband, photographer Tim Jarvis, and their two children. She had been open about her struggles with addiction and a 1972 abortion, and credited her Christian faith with helping her through her later health issues.
