I set up ANÚNA in 1987 and the journey since then has been a unique and challenging one.

I could write a biography here but there is enough on my own site HERE and on those of ANÚNA, M’ANAM and Systir, all part of the ANÚNA Collective, to indicate what my life’s work has been all about to date. I met my wife Lucy on this long road and our greatest creation has been our children Aisling and Lauren both of whom have become fine and original musical artists.

The joy I felt when I first encountered choral music for the first time at age nineteen was something that I wanted to share with everyone, and particularly those, like me, who didn’t have the opportunity to experience it early in my life. As there was no indigenous choral music on this island, I felt we could be anything we wanted, not just be a pale shadow of the voices of another culture. I set all this up to create a choral voice for Ireland itself.

I wanted to make something new that was intrinsically Irish, building on our rich cultural traditions and finding a way of expressing them in a communal form that sang of our past and future. I don’t believe that that has happened as I envisioned. Rather than make a lasting impact on Irish music my work has unexpectedly travelled across the world, igniting varied and thrilling responses from creative artists that continue to discover the music of the ANÚNA Collective

Anúna continues to represent this country as Ireland's National Choir and remains synonymous with what is perceived internationally as “Irish” choral music. In that much I have succeeded. I still find the latter hard to grasp as I am only a composer by accident, not design.

In truth, I have no idea where all of this is going but I know it is something unique and special. I will continue to compose for as long as I can and I am thankful to have been given the opportunities that have come to me.