Michelle Mulcahy, recipient of Residency at Tyrone Guthrie Centre

Posted on 18 May 2025

Comhghairdeas do Michelle Mulcahy, recipient of Cruit Éireann | Harp Ireland’s residency at Tyrone Guthrie Centre.

Michelle is one of the most significant musicians redefining harp today. Her highly anticipated 2023 solo harp release ‘Lady on the Island’ has been hailed as a ‘masterpiece’ and ‘as one of the most important recordings in recent Irish music history’.

“Her playing is technically impeccable, her phrasing a masterclass in how to inhabit a tune..Lady on the Island invites the listener to return again and again to discern the countless gemstones scattered throughout a beautifully curated tune collection. Dexterous, thoughtful, guaranteed to become a staple of the tradition.”
Siobhán Long, The Irish Times.

An award winning multi-instrumentalist, she is also considered to be one of the most talented multi-instrumentalists performing today. From a musical family steeped in tradition, Michelle possesses a unique musicality in her playing, ‘music that is played with superb clarity, beautiful melodic expression and innate musicality’. She was awarded the prestigious TG4 Young Musician of the Year in 2006 and was also awarded Female Musician of the Year in 2013 at the Live-Ireland awards for her solo harp album, Suaimhneas. Suaimhneas also featured as one of the top ten albums in the Irish Music charts in Ireland, UK and the US with one of the tracks, An Bhuatais, making the nominated list for the BBC Folk Awards Best Traditional Track category in 2013.

Michelle has four highly acclaimed albums recorded with her father Mick and sister Louise. Michelle’s recent album with Mick and Louise, The Reel Note, was awarded TradConnects Traditional Album of the Year in 2017. In 2023 Michelle, Louise and father Mick were awarded the TG4 Gradam Ceoil award for their outstanding contribution to Irish traditional music.

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