Irish singer-songwriter and harpist Moya Brennan died on April 13, 2026, at age 73. Born Máire Ní Bhraonáin on August 4, 1952, to her parents Leo and Máire Brennan, she grew up in the Irish-speaking Donegal Gaeltacht area of Gaoth Dobhair, Ireland. She is best known as the lead singer of the Grammy and Bafta award winning group Clannad, a family band that formed in 1970 and became famous for writing and performing the theme song of the TV series Harry’s Game.
In addition to performing and recording with Clannad, Brennan pursued a solo singing career. Beginning with her debut solo album Máire (1992), Brennan released a total of 15 solo albums—including one nominated for a Grammy—accompanied by the Moya Brennan Band. Brennan’s musical collaborations included recording with folk artists such as Dónal Lunny and The Chieftains, as well as rock and pop performers including Robert Plant, Van Morrison, and Ronan Keating. She also collaborated with artists such as Mick Jagger, Paul Young, and U2 frontman Bono, who described her voice as “one of the greatest the human ear has ever experienced.”
Brennan received an Emmy Award in 2011 for the PBS documentary Music of Ireland: Welcome Home, for which she hosted interviews with Irish musicians. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards in 2019.
