Moya Brennan

Moya Brennan (born Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin on 4 August 1952), also known as Máire Brennan, is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist.

She is the sister of the musical artist known as Enya.

Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin was born on 4 August 1952 in Dublin after her parents eloped from County Donegal to marry in County Louth.

Máire grew up as the eldest child of a musical family in the remote parish of Gweedore (Gaoth Dobhair), a Gaeltacht area in County Donegal, where the Irish language and tradition continue to flourish.

Her mother Máire (née Ní Dhúgáin or Duggan in English) was a music teacher and her father, Leo Brennan, was a member of a cabaret band with whom she performed as a child.

Moya is the eldest of nine children.

She has four sisters, Deirdre, Eithne (better known as Enya), Olive and Brídín, and four brothers, Ciarán, Pól, Leon and Bartley.

She sang along with her siblings in the family pub, Leo's Tavern in the village of Meenaleck, a short distance from the family home.

She also took part in pantomimes at the local Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair (Gweedore Theatre).

After leaving secondary school, Brennan spent a few years at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin studying the harp, the piano and singing.

She has also taught music at Holy Cross College in Falcarragh, County Donegal.

She began performing professionally in 1970 when her family formed the band Clannad.

In 1970, Brennan joined her two brothers Pól and Ciarán, and their mother's twin brothers Noel and Pádraig Ó Dúgáin, and eventually formed Clannad.

They were introduced to television by Irish musician and broadcaster Tony MacMahon.

Her sister, Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, spent a couple of years with Clannad in the early 1980s, and went on to pursue a very successful solo career as Enya.

After enjoying a decade of being among the world's foremost Irish musical groups, Clannad graduated to chart success in 1982 with the album Magical Ring.

Brennan was at the forefront of the group's success and her voice suddenly became synonymous with Celtic music and Irish music.

She recorded 17 albums with Clannad and has won a Grammy, a BAFTA and an Ivor Novello award with the quintet.

Brennan released her first solo album in 1992 called Máire, a successful venture.

She has received a Grammy Award from five nominations and has won an Emmy Award.

She has recorded music for several soundtracks, including Titanic, To End All Wars and King Arthur.

Brennan released her first solo album in 1992, Máire, on Atlantic Records.

Misty Eyed Adventures on BGM followed three years later.

In 1995, she duetted with Shane MacGowan with "You're the One" for the movie Circle of Friends.

Brennan has collaborated with many other 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.

In 1998, Brennan signed with Word Records and released Perfect Time, and Whisper to the Wild Water a year later.

In 2000, her autobiography, The Other Side of the Rainbow.

was published and she also performed her song "Perfect Time" live at World Youth Day in Rome in front of crowds of pilgrims and Pope John Paul II.

There were 2.1 million people present, making it the largest crowd ever gathered in the Northern Hemisphere.

She considered it an honour as she believes in mutual respect among Christians.

Moya also recorded on the event's album, One.

She recorded a duet with Booley, now known as Duke Special.

The song, titled "Peace Has Broken Out", is about the Troubles in Ireland.

The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Age Album in 2001.

Brennan is managed by her husband Tim Jarvis and her brother Leon Ó Braonáin.

Her music is usually classified as New Age or Celtic.

She accepts the Celtic label, but has at times indicated a slight discomfort with being seen as "New Age" as much of her music is strongly Christian, with several of her songs centring on maintaining a relationship with Jesus.

Some of her songs show influences from her Roman Catholic upbringing or seem relational due to her own views concerning Mary, the mother of Jesus.

In film, she was featured vocalist on King Arthur (2004), co-writing the title theme "Tell Me Now (What You See)" with Hans Zimmer and wrote additional music score for To End All Wars (2001).

Following Clannad's 2008 reunion tour, it was announced that Brennan would be working on a new unplugged album with the group, for release in 2009, but that never came to fruition.