Statement by President Connolly on the death of Moya Brennan
Date: Tue 14 Apr, 2026 | 13:46
“As President of Ireland, may I join all those who have expressed such sadness on learning of the death of Moya Brennan.
Moya Brennan was an iconic figure in Irish music, whose wonderful voice and multifaceted skills, including as a writer and instrumentalist, brought Irish music and culture to listeners all over the world.
From their beginnings playing in their family’s pub, Tábhairne Leo, Clannad were for over 50 years one of the foremost acts in bringing Irish music and the Irish language to a global audience. Both with Clannad and in her solo work and collaborations, Moya leaves an exceptional legacy of music which will be enjoyed for generations to come.
In fitting recognition of Clannad’s own roots in Tábhairne Leo, Moya made a significant contribution to the next generation of artists through the hosting of Clubeo in the pub on Friday nights, not only giving young acts an opportunity to perform, but bringing in household names to support them and grow their audience.
Moya also showed great strength in speaking of her own personal experiences and served as an inspiration to so many others, including through her work on so many worthy causes. Her Lifetime Achievement Award at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards in 2019 and her honouring as Donegal Person of the Year in 2023, as well as her international awards including Grammy and Emmy awards, among many other accolades, were richly deserved.
May I extend my deepest sympathies to Moya’s husband, Tim Jarvis, to her children Aisling and Paul, to her wider family, so many of whom have made such an important contribution to Irish music and culture, and to all of her friends, collaborators and listeners both in Ireland and all over the world.”