I dedicate this blog post to the woman who had a profound impact on my own musical journey, Máire Brennan, singer and harpist of the Irish band Clannad. She past away, way too young, on the 13th of April 2026. To honor her, I unpacked my harp that I hadn't touched in the last few months and began to play.
Clannad were an Irish band founded in 1970 in Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland. The band consisted of the siblings Ciarán, Pól and Máire as well as their twin uncles Noel and Pádraig Ó Dúgáin. I was born 20 years later and through my childhood one of my favourite songs was "Theme from Harry's Game". Through my dad I was brought up musically with the ability to explore different styles and genres.
In my teens I got the DVD-box Robin of Sherwood and I watch it over again and again throughout the years. The music always held me in its grasp and it's especially in the last 10-12 years that I keep on rediscovering why the music continous to make large waves in my life.
When the news of Máire's passing came to me, I felt shock. I knew both Noel and Pádraig passed away a couple of years ago and that there was a farewell tour, so it pains me a lot to have never seen them play live and I have never had the chance to tell them how much their music has meant to me all my life. How much of my vocal harmonizing is inspired by their singing. As I'm writing this I keep on tearing up. Yes, death is part of life, but the shock really isn't less because of that.
I got my harp in 2015, half a year after the birth of my oldest. I started learning this instrument thus fairly late and got to know my instrument better over the years with a delay I've always considered longer than I wanted. But, to this day, I still play the same harp and much of my repetoire is inspired by Clannad. Oh yeah, I dipped my toes in Norwegian folkmusic too, but I've always fallen back on my musical roots.
For years I've considered myself mainly a singer, which in essence, I am. But seeing Máire with the harp and her voice that remind my of.. if glass was a watersurface in motion, always rekindles my love for making music. Leaving Helisir behind this year, made her passing an even tougher thing to read. But I hope her passing was peaceful, without pain, without fear - like her music has made me feel a lot of times.
For now I will leave you with a snippet from one of my favourite songs by Clannad and Bono "In A Lifetime"
And as the rain it falls, heavy in my heart
Begin again, as the storm breaks through
Believe the light in you
Thank you Máire, may wherever you be, be filled with flowers.
Lene
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