Mother, grandmother, Earth mother, shaman but above all legendary vocalist, Mary Coughlan says she’s singing better than ever and adores performing and loves living at the top of a mountain surrounded by her kids, her grandkids and a host of animals
Singer Mary Coughlan with her dog Connie on the deck of her Co Wicklow home with views of the Sugar Loaf in the background. Photo: Tony Gavin
Singer Mary Coughlan is a bundle of contradictions. When it comes to style, she normally wears dark colours, yet her lovely home is all white – walls, ceilings and sofas, with only pops of colour. She loves to perform and in fact has already done an enormous number of her fabulous jazz and blues gigs this year with a very full calendar for 2026, including a tour of Australia and New Zealand next March. But she also craves sanctuary and quiet, and has chosen to live on top of a mountain.
However, she might want to be a hermit but it’s as if the universe is thwarting her – there’s little peace here with several of her adult children always on hand. Her daughter Clare, a chef/ horse whisperer and Clare’s husband Ciaran and their three children lived with her for years, though they recently bought their own home nearby. In their place now are her son Eoin, an award-winning sound engineer and her daughter Olwen, a graphic designer/ artist, who is there with her daughter Beatrix.