Moya Brennan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Moya Brennan
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Brennan in 2011
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| Birth name | Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin |
| Also known as | Máire Brennan Máire Jarvis |
| Born | 4 August 1952 Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland |
| Origin | Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland |
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| Years active | 1970–present |
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Moya Brennan (born Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin on 4 August 1952), also known as Máire Brennan, is a famous Irish singer, songwriter, and harp player. She is also known for her charity work. Moya is the older sister of the well-known singer Enya. She started her music career in 1970 when her family formed the band Clannad.
Moya released her first solo album, Máire, in 1992, which was very successful. She has won a Grammy Award and an Emmy Award for her music. Her voice has been featured in several movie soundtracks, including Titanic, To End All Wars, and King Arthur.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin was born on 4 August 1952 in Dublin, Ireland. Her parents moved from County Donegal to marry in County Louth. Moya grew up as the oldest of nine children in a very musical family. They lived in Gweedore (Gaoth Dobhair), a part of County Donegal where the Irish language and traditions are still very strong.
Her mother, Máire, was a music teacher. Her father, Leo Brennan, was in a band, and Moya performed with him when she was a child. Moya has four sisters: Deirdre, Eithne (who became Enya), Olive, and Brídín. She also has four brothers: Ciarán, Pól, Leon, and Bartley. They all sang together in their family's pub, Leo's Tavern, in Meenaleck. Moya also acted in plays at the local theatre, Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair. After finishing school, she studied the harp, piano, and singing at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin. She also taught music for a few years.
Her Time with Clannad
In 1970, Moya joined her brothers Pól and Ciarán, and their mother's twin brothers Noel and Pádraig Ó Dúgáin, to form the band Clannad. They became very popular in Ireland and around the world.
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In 1982, Clannad became even more famous with their album Magical Ring. Moya's unique voice became well-known and was often linked with Celtic music and Irish music. She recorded 17 albums with Clannad. With the band, she won a Grammy, a BAFTA, and an Ivor Novello award. Her sister, Eithne Ní Bhraonáin (Enya), was also with Clannad for a couple of years in the early 1980s before starting her very successful solo career.
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Moya's Solo Music Career
Moya Brennan released her first solo album, Máire, in 1992. Three years later, she released Misty Eyed Adventures. In 1998, she released Perfect Time, followed by Whisper to the Wild Water in 1999. This album was even nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album in 2001.
Moya's music is often called new age or Celtic. She is comfortable with the Celtic label, but she has mentioned that much of her music is also strongly Christian. Many of her songs talk about her faith and her Roman Catholic upbringing.
In 2000, Moya published her autobiography, The Other Side of the Rainbow. In the same year, she performed her song "Perfect Time" live at World Youth Day in Rome. She sang in front of a huge crowd of 2.1 million people and Pope John Paul II. She felt this was a great honor because she believes in respect among Christians. Moya also sang on the event's album, One. She recorded a song called "Peace Has Broken Out" with Booley (now Duke Special), which is about the Troubles in Ireland.
Moya has sung on movie soundtracks like King Arthur (2004), where she co-wrote the theme song "Tell Me Now (What You See)" with Hans Zimmer. She also wrote music for To End All Wars (2001). In 1995, she sang "You're the One" with Shane MacGowan for the movie Circle of Friends. Moya has worked with many other famous musicians, including Chicane, Alan Parsons, Bono, Robert Plant, Van Morrison, Michael McDonald (from the Doobie Brothers), Bruce Hornsby, Joe Elliott, The Chieftains, Paul Young, Paul Brady, Michael Crawford, Joe Jackson, and Ronan Keating.
Moya Brennan has recorded 25 albums in total and has sold 20 million records. Since 2002, she has used the name Moya Brennan because it is easier for people not familiar with Irish spelling to pronounce. In 2009, she legally changed her name. Under this name, she released the album Two Horizons in 2003. She also sang on the dance artist Chicane's single "Saltwater", which was used in tourism campaigns for Scotland and Ireland.
On 17 March 2004, she performed for President George W. Bush and Irish leaders in Washington, D.C. She also performed for Pope Benedict XVI at World Youth Day 2005 in Cologne, Germany, in front of a million people.
In 2006, she released her Christmas album, 'An Irish Christmas'. A year later, she released 'Signature', which she described as a collection of moments from her life. This album had only one song fully in Irish, but it featured Irish choruses and backing vocals.
While touring for her 'Signature' album, Moya recorded songs with other artists like Iona and Joanne Hogg. She also sang on Ireland's official Olympic Anthem, "Green to Gold", with Grand Canal. All these recordings helped various charities.
Her live album Heart Strings (2008–2009) was recorded with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. Moya has toured a lot to promote this album. In 2009, she recorded the soundtrack for a documentary film called 'Intrepid Journal'.
In April 2010, Moya released a new album called My Match Is a Makin' with harpist Cormac de Barra. This album was first available during her tours. Moya also announced that she was working on a hymns album and a new acoustic album with Clannad, which was released in 2013.
In December 2010, Moya Brennan was the main performer at the Atlanta Celtic Christmas concert, which was recorded by Georgia Public Broadcasting. She also appeared on the album "Excalibur III – The Origins" by French musician Alan Simon, singing on several tracks.
In 2013, Moya Brennan released another album with Cormac de Barra called Voices & Harps – Affinity. This album included new songs and traditional Irish tunes, plus a cover of Christopher Cross's song "Sailing".
In 2017, Moya released Canvas, her first solo album in almost ten years. Her two children, Aisling and Paul, helped her write it. She toured the UK, Ireland, and Europe to support the album through 2018.
In 2020, Moya was part of "Irish Women in Harmony", a group of Irish female singers. They recorded a version of "Dreams" to help the charity Safe Ireland, which supports people dealing with domestic abuse.
Moya Brennan's Band
Moya Brennan often tours with a group of talented musicians. These musicians have also worked on their own projects or with other bands. The band includes harpist and TV presenter Cormac de Barra. In 2012, Moya's daughter, Aisling Jarvis, became a regular member of her band. Aisling joins Moya on all her solo tours and for her "Voices & Harps" project with Cormac DeBarra.
Band Members
- Cormac de Barra
- Sinéad Madden
- Aisling Jarvis
- Éamonn Galldubh
- Fionán de Barra
- Dave Curley
- Paul Byrne
- Yoshi Izumi
- Paul Jarvis
- Hughie Boyle
- Will Keating
- Sam Jackson
- Daithí Rua
- Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn
- Máire Breatnach
- Rob Jones
- Ewan Cowley
- Feargal Murray
- Deirdre Brennan
- Tim Jarvis
- Éamonn de Barra
- Lia Wright
- Clare Friel
- Neil Kennedy
- Cathal Ó'Curráin
- Aran Sheehy
Moya Brennan's Impact and Awards
Moya Brennan and Clannad are often seen as the creators of modern Celtic music. They are highly respected for bringing new life to old Irish songs. They helped make the Irish language popular through their music. One critic said that Clannad's music "offers a terrific mix between traditional and modern influences." U2 singer Bono, who sang with Moya on the Clannad song "In a Lifetime", said about her voice: "I think Máire has one of the greatest voices the human ear has ever experienced."
Moya also plays the harp, which is featured on many Clannad records. Her album Two Horizons is even based on the discovery of the harp. Her singing voice has been described as a "breathy soprano".
In May 2022, Moya Brennan received an honorary doctorate from Dublin City University. This award recognized her important contributions. Her family, including her mother and sister Enya, attended the ceremony.
Moya Brennan was named Donegal Person of The Year 2023 on 10 February 2024. This award followed the 2022 award given to the victims of the Creeslough explosion. Moya co-hosted a concert called "Together for Creeslough" in January 2023. Her award ceremony is planned for 6 April 2024, in Dublin.
Moya's Personal Life
Moya Brennan wrote an autobiography called The Other Side of the Rainbow in 2000. In the book, she talks about growing up as the oldest of nine children in rural Donegal. She shares about the highs of her music career and also some difficult times. She found her faith again and became a committed Christian. She remarried in 1991.
Helping Others
Moya Brennan is also very active in charity work.
Christian Blind Mission
In 2003, Moya Brennan became a Goodwill Ambassador for Christian Blind Mission Ireland (CBM). Her first trip was to Congo-Kinshasa. Due to violence, Moya and her team had to leave and were taken to Kenya. She later returned to Congo in 2005 to help three children from remote villages get medical care.
In the same year, she traveled to Rwanda and kept a diary of her experiences. In 2005, she made an Irish-language documentary for TG4 about her visit to Congo, which was shown in 2007 and 2008.
Moya also visited poor areas in Brazil and performed a fundraising event there with Assíria Nascimento in 2007. From Brazil, Moya went to Belize for the opening of a school for children who had been abused. This school was supported by the Liberty Foundation and CBM. Moya helped bring together important leaders at the opening.
The next year, Moya traveled to Tanzania. She has played a big part in making people aware of the charity's work. She has also performed concerts around the world with other CBM Goodwill Ambassadors from Europe.
Protecting Nature
With her family band Clannad, Moya Brennan has recorded many songs about protecting Ireland's landscapes and stopping pollution around the world. One of their first songs about this was "An Pháirc" on their first album. In her solo career, Moya has recorded various songs on this topic, including "Big Yellow Taxi".
In July 2005, Moya Brennan joined a protest in County Donegal with poet Cathal Ó Searcaigh and local people. They were protesting against installing electric cables that could harm people and the environment.
Other Charity Work
In 1985, Moya and Clannad donated their song "Almost Seems (Too Late To Turn)" to Children in Need, making it the British charity appeal's first official single.
In 1986, Moya performed with Bono, Bob Geldof, and Chris de Burgh for Self Aid. She also performed with Clannad at this concert. Moya and Clannad have always supported Amnesty International and contributed their single "Rí na Cruinne" to the organization. Moya has also attended many benefit concerts in Ireland and England, including one with Van Morrison in 1996.
Moya Brennan has recorded many songs for charity singles and albums. These include "Raphael's Journey" by Joanne Hogg in 2008, "Songs for Luca" and "Songs for Luca 2" by Iona, and the official song for Ireland's 2008 Olympic Team, "Green to Gold". Moya also donated her song "Ceolfaidh Mé" to the Field of Hope album, which also features Bono and The Corrs. In October 2008, Moya Brennan became a director for Ireland's first Christian satellite radio station, UCB Ireland, based in Dublin. Moya also recorded a song under her birth name "Máire Ní Bhraonáin" on the 2009 Ceol Cheann Dubhrann album with Manus Lunny to raise money for local community centers and schools.
In 2020, Moya was part of "Irish Women in Harmony" again. They recorded "Dreams" to help the SafeIreland charity, which supports people dealing with domestic abuse.
Moya Brennan's Music Albums
Studio Albums
- 1992 – Máire
- 1994 – Misty Eyed Adventures
- 1998 – Perfect Time
- 1999 – Whisper to the Wild Water
- 2003 – Two Horizons
- 2005 – An Irish Christmas
- 2006 – Signature
- 2010 – My Match Is A Makin' (with Cormac de Barra)
- 2010 – T with the Maggies (with T with the Maggies)
- 2011 – Voices & Harps (with Cormac de Barra)
- 2013 – Affinity (with Cormac de Barra)
- 2017 – Canvas
- 2019 – Timeless (with Cormac de Barra)
Live Albums
- 2005 – Óró - A Live Session
- 2007 – Signature Special Tour Edition
- 2008 – Heart Strings
Singles
- 1992 – "Against the Wind"
- 1992 – "Jealous Heart"
- 1993 – "Big Yellow Taxi"
- 1995 – "You're the One" (with Shane MacGowan)
- 1998 – "Heal This Land"
- 1998 – "The Big Rock"
- 1999 – "Saltwater" (with Chicane)
- 2000 – "Follow the Word"
- 2003 – "Show Me"
- 2003 – "Tara"
- 2003 – "Saltwater" (with Chicane– re-issue)
- 2005 – "I'll See You Again/Hidden" (with Hazel O'Connor)
- 2006 – "No One Talks"
- 2007 – "Merry-Go-Round"
- 2007 – "Holiday Trio"
- 2008 – "Green to Gold" (with Grand Canal)
- 2013 – "Sailing" (with Cormac de Barra)
- 2021 – "Strong In Numbers (Moya Brennan single)" (with Liam O'Connor)
Charitable Albums
- 2005 – A Future for the Michel (with Schiller)
- 2008 – Sanctuary (Various artists)
- 2009 – Ceol Cheann Dubhrann (Various artists)
Collaborations and Other Albums
- 1987 – "The Awakening" – with Paul Brady (from Primitive Dance)
- 1990 – "Put 'em Under Pressure" (single)
- 1991 – "Bring It All Back Home" – with An Emotional Fish (from Blue)
- 1993 – "Come into My Life" – with Robert Plant (from Fate of Nations)
- 1993 – "Dream Fields" – with Runrig (from Amazing Things)
- 1994 – "Almond Skin" – with Sonny Condell (from Someone to Dance With)
- 1994 – "Dream Sequence" – with Sonny Condell (from Someone to Dance With)
- 1994 – "The Man Who Wrote Danny Boy" – with Joe Jackson (from Night Music)
- 1994 – "As Tears Go By" – with London Symphony Orchestra (from Symphonic Music of the Rolling Stones)
- 1995 – "You're The One" – with Shane MacGowan (from Circle of Friends soundtrack)
- 1995 – "Luman Michael O'Suilleabhain" – with Brian Kennedy (from Between Worlds)
- 1996 – "Ó Bhean a' Tí" – with Dónal Lunny, Brídín Brennan & Deirdre Brennan (from Common Ground: The Voices Of Modern Irish Music)
- 1996 – "Everything Changes" (and various tracks) – with Iona (from Journey into the Morn)
- 1998 – "Amazing Grace" – with Michael Crawford (from On Eagles Wings)
- 1998 – "Come Josephine in My Flying Machine" (from Back to Titanic soundtrack)
- 1999 – "Saltwater" – with Chicane
- 1999 – "Don't Give Up" – with Michael McDonald (from Streams & Whisper to the Wild Water)
- 1999 – "The Call of the Wild" – with Alan Parsons (from The Time Machine)
- 1999 – "Lullabies" (on Silent Night) – with The Chieftains & Paola Cecchi (from Silent Night: A Christmas in Rome)
- 2000 – "Saylon Dola" – with Russell Watson (from The Voice)
- 2000 – "No Scenes of Stately Majesty" (from The Greatest Story Ever Sung)
- 2000 – "Fairytale of New York" – with Ronan Keating (from The Way You Make Me Feel)
- 2000 – "Peace Has Broken Out" – with Booley (from One)
- 2000 – "Ceolfaidh Mé" (from Fields of Hope: Fight Against Famine)
- 2000 – "The Light on the Hill" (from St. Patrick: The Irish Legend soundtrack)
- 2000 – "Over Blue City" – with Skypark (from Over Blue City)
- 2000 – "Rose of Bethlehem" (from One Silent Night)
- 2001 – New Irish Hymns album – with Margaret Becker & Joanne Hogg
- 2001 – "O Jesus Friend Unfailing" (from The Sound of Grace: Focusfest 2001)
- 2001 – To End All Wars soundtrack
- 2001 – "Band of Brothers Requiem" – with Michael Kamen (from Band of Brothers soundtrack)
- 2003 – "Ave Maria" – with Dominic Miller (from Shapes)
- 2003 – "Codail A Linbh (Sleep O Child)" – with Phil Coulter (from An Irish Holiday)
- 2004 – Tell Me Now (What You See), All of Them & Woad to Ruin tracks – with Hans Zimmer (from King Arthur)
- 2004 – "Labyrinth Prelude", "Labyrinth" – with Liam Lawton (from Another World)
- 2005 – "Hidden" – with Hazel O'Connor (from Hidden Heart)
- 2005 – "Beautiful Dreamer" – with Brian Kennedy (from On Song 2: Red Sails in the Sunset)
- 2005 – "Miles And Miles", "Falling" – with Schiller (from Day and Night (Tag Und Nacht))
- 2005 – "Away", "The Rubicon" – with The Duggans (from Rubicon)
- 2005 – "I'll See You Again" – with Delirious? (from The Mission Bell)
- 2005 – "Kiss The Book", "Like the Baseless Fabric" & "Set Me Free" (from The Book of Watermarks)
- 2008 – "I Will Never Love Again" – duet with Christie Hennessy (from The Two of Us)
- 2008 – "You Are Beautiful" – The Worship Lounge (various artists)
- 2008 – Rafael's Journey – with Joanne Hogg (Moya sings back up on a couple tracks on this album)
- 2008 – "Green to Gold" – with Grand Canal (from Green To Gold)
- 2008 – Sanctuary (various artists) – Moya performs on many of the tracks
- 2008 – Down by the Sea-Ashley Davis-This I Do (background vocals)
- 2009 – Ceol Cheann Dubhrann-Various Artists-Ceol Cheann Dubhrann
- 2009 – Love Will Bring You Home-Sharon Kips Welcome Home (duet with Sharon Kips)
- 2009 – Honey Promises Sinead Madden (Moya sings back up on "Shadows" & "Take Me")
- 2010 – Welcome Home: The Music Of Ireland-Various Artists-(Moya performs on several tracks and hosts the DVD special)
- 2010 – San Patricio-Various Artists-Lullaby for the Dead
- 2010 – Nowhere to Now Here (from the Nowhere to Now Here Soundtrack)
- 2010 – Welcome To America: The Music of Ireland (Moya sings "Down by the Sally Gardens with Ronan Tynan)
- 2010 – Re-Joyce The Hazel O'Connor Collective (Moya sings a brief along with a number of other artists)
- 2011 – "Morning Star" with Producer DJ Roger Shah
- 2011 – "The Dream" with Secret Garden (from "Winter Poem")
- 2011 – "An t-Eibhlín Marie" on the charity album "Le Cuidiú Dé" – Moya also sings backing vocals for the title track called "Le Cuidiú Dé".
- 2012 – Celtic Skies Various Artists (Down by the Sally Gardens)
- 2012 – "Excalibur III – The Origins" from Alan Simon – Moya sings on "The Origins Part I & II", on "Incantations" and on "Sacred Lands"
- 2012 – A Mother's Prayer-Keith & Kristyn Getty's album Hymns for the Christian Life
- 2012 – Celtic Wings-Pat O'May (Moya sings background on the song "Homeland").
- 2016 – "Reasons To Live" with Roger Shah
- 2021 – “Rivers” with Trance Wax
See also
In Spanish: Moya Brennan para niños
