Máiréad Carlin

Mairéad Carlin is an Irish singer. She is a current member of the ensemble Celtic Woman and was the first-ever member of the group that was born in Northern Ireland.

Early life Carlin was born in Derry. "Derry, my hometown, is a very cultured and musical place; wherever you turn there's always music...That was especially true in my family... We’d just sit around the fire, sing, and drink tea". by Rachel Portman. It aired on BBC Two and PBS and The Walt Disney Company in America.

Carlin trained in vocal performance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. Once she graduated, she was offered a postgraduate scholarship in Musical Theatre by the Royal Academy of Music. She declined the scholarship when offered a deal with Decca Records. Carlin continued to train with Mary Hammond and Simon Lee.

Carlin performed for the President of Ireland, celebrated the Irish Anthem for the England-Ireland Rugby International to a TV audience of millions. She shared the stage with Snow Patrol and The Priests at the 2013 BBC TV Gala Concert ‘Sons and Daughters’ to mark Derry's year as City of Culture. Simon later invited Carlin and McGinty to perform live with her in Los Angeles at an Oceana benefit concert presented by Hillary Clinton, Ted Danson and Harvey Weinstein. Simon subsequently released the single under her own label Iris Records/Walled City Records.

"A motto I’ve used throughout my career so far", she says, "is a quote from the award-winning poet Seamus Heaney: ‘Sing yourself to where the singing comes from.’ I think there's a lot to be said for that". In 2023 she announced her return to Celtic Woman for the Christmas 2023 tour and the 20th anniversary special.

Personal In September 2016, she married singer and dancer Ronan Scolard.

Discography Solo Songbook (2013) With Celtic Woman Celtic Woman: Destiny (2015) Celtic Woman: Voices of Angels (2016) Celtic Woman: The Best of Christmas (2017) Celtic Woman: Homecoming Live from Ireland (2018) Celtic Woman: Ancient Land (2018) Celtic Woman: The Magic of Christmas (2019) Celtic Woman: Celebration 15 years of Music and Magic (2020) Celtic Woman: 20 (20th Anniversary) (2024) Celtic Woman: Nollaig: A Christmas Journey (2025)