Celtic Woman: FAQ

Celtic Woman FAQ

Q: Who are the current members of the group?

Mairéad Carlin
Caitríona Sherlock
Muirgen O'Mahony
Ciara Ní Mhurchú (Ciara Murphy)

Note: Member list current as of September 4th, 2025.

Q: Who is the current musical director?

The current musical director is Brian Byrne. Past musical directors include David Downes, Gavin Murphy, and Darrah O'Toole.

Q: When did Celtic Woman start?

The very first Celtic Woman concert was at The Helix, in Dublin, Ireland on September 15, 2004. It was supposed to be a one night show, but the PBS special and album became so popular, the group started touring. However, the group had actually recorded their first album several months before their first concert. Chloë was still 14 when they recorded the album, so it was recorded on or before June 9, 2004.

On June 9, 2020, Máiréad Nesbitt mentioned that June 9, 2004 might be the actual anniversary of Celtic Woman. However, this is unconfirmed. Further sources are needed to verify this.

Q: Who is the red headed lady on the Celtic Woman album covers? Was she in the group?

She is a French model. She is supposed to represent the idealized Celtic wwoman. Her red hair was added in with Photoshop. Celtic Woman's Irish label, Celtic Collections, had the photos of her from a previous photo shoot and she, in fact, appeared on a previous compilation for the company. Interestingly enough, the photo shoot was so long ago that no one even remembers her name. She was never in the group.

Q: Do the girls lip sync?

No.

Q: How do I get Meet & Greet tickets?

Meet & Greets (M&G) are a special arrangement between Celtic Woman and the local PBS and therefore tickets are typically only available through that PBS. Usually the M&G tickets and concert tickets are sold together during the PBS's pledge drive. There are only a limited number of M&G tickets available and they're sold on a first come first served basis. In some rare cases, a venue will offer Meet and Greet tickets and on the Symphony tours, sometimes the symphony will offer a limited number of Meet and Greet passes to regular ticketholders.

Q: What should I wear to the concert? What about the Meet & Greet?

It varies. Concert-goers wear everything from suits to gowns to jeans and t-shirts at CW concerts. People generally dress up a little for a Meet and Greet photo, though this is not required and many people dress casually.

Q: My favorite Celtic Woman is no longer with the group. Will I ever see them again?

Group members rarely return to the group full time after they have taken a break from the group (Méav and Lisa Kelly did for a while but eventually left to be with their families). Chloë returned for the Celebration and Postcards from Ireland tours. All the original members except for Orla returned for the 20th Anniversary recording. Some members have returned temporarily (Alex, Lynn, Méav, and Susan) to fill in for other members.

Many members that have left group go on to pursue a solo career. Chloë and Máiréad Nesbitt have performed quite frequently after departing. However, most of the performers have performed less frequently (a few times a year) after leaving. Some offer Meet and Greets at their solo shows. It's best to follow each performer you're interested in on social media so you can stay up to date on what they're doing. We post information about their solo shows on the forum as we become aware of them.