Mairead Carlin moving on from Celtic Woman

Mairead Carlin announced this morning that she was moving on from Celtic Woman.

I need some time to process this before I share my thoughts about what a massive difference she's made in my life.

I'm very grateful for the time she spent in Celtic Woman and that I got to meet her. I look forward to supporting her wherever her career leads her from here and I wish her the very best.

I don't expect Celtic Woman to announce a replacement anytime soon. If the shows in Ireland go ahead this year, we might find out a month or two before then who will be taking over for Mairead. Otherwise, we probably won't find out until December 2021 or January 2022.

It's hard to believe she has been part of the group for 8 years.  Didn't seem that long.

It will be interesting to see what the next chapter holds for her.  Everyone who is a "performer" is going to have a very rough road ahead.  Even if there are tours/shows, will people show up?  Do you find something else to do? 

I was really looking forward to seeing her in person in Killarney later this year. To say I’m shocked would be a bit of an understatement right now.

But still, I’ll support her regardless of the path she chooses to follow from here.

Edit: Just saw the statement about the cancellation of the tour this year. Maybe not “later this year” then.

Good for her, if she's happy that way. It's understandable—touring all the time, and for such a long time, must be very exhausting, and she's older now and married and all in all at a different point. And we can look forward to new personal music.

But I wonder, who will come after her, once CW can tour again (or record, which they could technically do anytime) and whether or not Chloe will stay, or if there'll be two new CWs. I mean, there's only two actual current members right now.

Okay, I'm devastated by this news . I really like her at Celtic Woman, she had a perfect voice for the group and I have a very special affection because she was the only member of the Celtic woman who came twice to my country, I got really attached to her ... My God! What will become of Celtic Woman from now on? They will have to announce two new girls to the group at once! Mairead brought me a lot of joy because she was the only one in the current lineup who had contact with the "old age" of the emerald Celtic Woman Tour, Believe Tour ... and now we only have Megan and Tara, who will be the two new girls? Will Chole continue as a special guest until next year?
I don't know about you but I am very, very distressed with the current situation of Celtic Woman, please send me positive messages please... 

Mairéad was also the last member chosen by David Downes. I wonder what kind of singers the new women will be. I mean, I don't doubt they'll be excellent. But in what way?

1. They need 2 girls now to replace Eabha and Mairead  I'm sure now Chloe's contract is up

2 What I find funny is CW has not said a word about Mairead leavening yet Maybe they are hoping that she will change her mind

We will have to wait and see what goes I guess

Chole may be invited to return to the group as a permanent member, but I don't think she will accept it since she said several times that CW tours took a lot of time... Unless the Celtic Woman pay a good salary for it but I don't think it would last very long, I think until the end of the tour in 2022.

Regarding the CW's position on Mairead's departure ... this is quite strange, very strange after all, every time a member leaves the group they always warn for themselves, and I don't know what this "delay" on the part of the CW means. Maybe Mairead's decision came as a surprise to them, or maybe they still haven't said anything because they are preparing something to announce together, like a new member or something. I don't know... only time will tell us.

2 What I find funny is CW has not said a word about Mairead leavening yet

I found this funny as well. I only started following their socials within the past year or so so I had no idea whether it was normal for the official Celtic Woman accounts to remain silent after a member makes a leaving announcement. I guess it’s not then.

Which makes me think something is going on with their management. But for that, only time will tell.

I will really miss Mairead with Celtic Woman. It's so hard to imagine the group without her and her stunning gorgeous voice. She's the only one who has been in every show that I've been to. Whenever shows can resume, it'll be so weird to not have her in it.

I'm looking forward to hearing the solo album that she's working on and hope to see her in solo shows in the future. I'm sure her new album will be amazing!

I agree, I also find it very odd that the official Celtic Woman social media accounts haven't said anything about this, especially since they have posted a couple of times since she made the announcement. Wonder what that's all about.

Mairead was one of the reasons I started going to shows. Her high notes in My Land and Westering Home were life-changing for me. She's the only one that was in every Celtic Woman show I've seen (all 23).

When I first met her, I was really excited, nervous, and grateful all at once. She's as perceptive and empathetic as she is knowledgeable and the first thing she asked me is if I was ok. I am now, thanks in large part to Mairead. Her voice has brought me joy. Her kind and thoughtful messages on social media brought me confidence and restored my self-esteem on several occasions. She was the life of the party on stage and I'll miss her adorable goofiness at the group concerts.

Celtic Woman has a long history of recruiting loveable and incredibly talented women. Whenever touring resumes, I'm sure they'll find someone with a gorgeous voice who I will immediately adore (or a former member I already adore, maybe Lynn). Nobody can ever replace Mairead. But the group will evolve and give us different reasons to love them. Just as Mairead has embraced change, so too must we.

Mairead has already been doing singing lessons and she has an album in the works. I'm grateful for the amazing years Mairead gave to Celtic Woman and all the ways that work inspired me. But I'm also glad she'll get to further explore her creativity and I'm excited for all the wonderful things she'll do on this next phase of her journey.

This departure is no surprise, well probably cause Mairead had stated she isn't leaving anytime soon and that to be a part of Celtic Woman is one of her biggest dreams and honor! I had thought that Eabha would of still be around but with CW it's unlikely how long they'd stay. I've been.in concert with every member aside from Deirdre and Hayley and have witness the first big changes with Lynn first appearing on Meav's Danny Boy and 180°degrees make us feel good with the change in fact be even more blown away. I have not seen Megan in concert only one I haven't. This has to be the third set generation era of complete new new circular members if no former member reunites back. I still miss Susan and Lisa Lambe returning a bit would be refreshing. Alex and Lynn may benefit now that Caranua is in the brinks those two deserve another DVD CD Special.

Always sad when a member leaves the fold.   MC has grown up, married, lost her father, and moved out of Ireland, but will always have a place in our hearts.
We wish her well and will follow her in her next next chapter.

The first time I met her was in Clearwater, Florida on 2/22/14.  I also did M&Gs on February 27, May 14 and June 5.  The most interesting was a Sneak & Greet in Charlestown, WV where they didn't push us too bad.  I was able to tell her this would be the 5th show this tour.  I said she was a worthy successor to those who had gone on before.  Plus, I was able to tell her we had something in common -- the same birthday (OK separated by a lot of years!). 

Anyone else think it's weird that it's been over a week and CW has not made the announcement on their socials?