For me Christmas has always meant being with my family in Antrim town. Luckily I’ve married a Jewish American so we never have to fight over where we go for Christmas… Ireland wins every time! I’ve always felt very lucky to be Irish but being a part of Celtic Woman has made me even more grateful.

From performing all over the world I have realised how far Irish people have traveled and the impact they have had everywhere they’ve gone. I feel that more than anything it is our music and song that has been passed on through generations and has stayed at the heart of what it is to be Irish.
I have met people all over Asia, North and South America, Australia and Europe that are passionate about Irish music, play traditional Irish instruments and even sing songs in our Irish language. It’s an honour to bring a piece of Ireland to these people who so strongly resonate with our culture but may never step foot on our emerald isle.

I’ve definitely felt a renewed appreciation for the endless magic to be discovered in Ireland.

This summer Celtic Woman was lucky enough to record our new album and film our special ‘Postcards from Ireland’ in 14 different locations across Ireland. It was an uplifting time after being so restricted for a year and a half. As we traveled around Ireland we were filled with gratitude for the beauty surrounding us. We discovered stunning places I had never seen before, even in my own county of Antrim, and returned to familiar places like Killarney where I had spent many summers growing up.

We filmed early in the mornings before anyone else was up, feeling like the mountains, the lakes, the fields and the sea were ours and ours alone. On this journey we were with an incredible crew that have made this special into something we’ll treasure forever and something every person with a connection to Ireland will treasure too.

In the last year and a half, I, like so many people have taken refuge in nature and the beauty the world has to offer and I’ve definitely felt a renewed appreciation for the endless magic to be discovered in Ireland.

I believe we also all realised how much we appreciate our family and our loved ones, especially at this time of year. Last year my brother, Shea wasn’t able to spend Christmas with us as he is a respiratory consultant and was facing what was the most difficult challenge of many peoples’ lives. He was trying to save lives and families and to save ours he knew he had to stay away. My hope for this Christmas is that he will be able to sit at the table with us and when my dad tries to put on our Celtic Woman ‘Magic of Christmas’ album he’ll complain as brothers do to ‘turn it off now!’

I look forward to our epic Irish Christmas dinner, with dad’s famous stuffing, (some veggie stuffing just for me!) lots of happy faces, full tummies, grateful hearts and hopefully good health for all.