Irish musician Moya Brennan dies aged 73

Moya Brennan, best known as the lead singer of Grammy and Bafta-winning group Clannad, has died aged 73.

The Celtic folk singer, songwriter and harpist from the Irish-speaking Donegal Gaeltacht area of Gaoth Dobhair recorded about 25 albums and sold millions of records worldwide.

She was the eldest of nine children and came to prominence when she began performing with her family in Clannad, which was formed in 1970.

The group became one of the world's foremost traditional Irish acts and became synonymous with Celtic music.

After initially performing in their family's pub, Leo's Tavern, Clannad began tours of Europe in the 1970s.

They found chart success for the music theme of the 1982 TV series Harry's Game, which was set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.

They performed the song in Irish on the BBC's Top of the Pops show.

An international recording and touring career followed which included 19 albums.

They won a Bafta in 1984 and a Grammy in 1999.

'One of the greatest voices'

Moya Brennan went on to enjoy a successful solo career, recording her first individual album, Máire, in 1992.

She collaborated with artists including Mick Jagger, Paul Young and Bono, who described her voice as "one of the greatest the human ear has ever experienced".

She was awarded an Emmy in 2011 for a documentary filmed with the US broadcaster PBS, Music of Ireland.

Former Irish president Michael D Higgins presented her with an RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 and said her "name would be forever etched into the history of Irish music".

Clannad performed their farewell concert in Dublin in 2023, on the 50th anniversary of the release of their debut album.