Megan Ruby Walsh (born 19 February 1997) is an Irish singer who joined the singing group
Celtic Woman
Celtic Woman is an all-female Irish musical ensemble conceived and created by David Kavanagh, Sharon Browne and David Downes, a former musical director of the Irish stage show ''Riverdance.'' In 2004, Downes recruited five Irish female music ...
in 2018.
Biography
Early life and education
Megan Ruby Walsh was born on 19 February 1997.
Her middle name "Ruby" comes from her maternal grandparents. She lived her very early years in
Trim, County Meath
Trim () is a town in County Meath, Ireland. It is situated on the River Boyne and has a population of 9,194. The town is noted for Trim Castle – the largest Norman castle in Ireland. One of the two cathedrals of the United Dioceses of M ...
, in Ireland. Her family were involved in
musical theatre; she started appearing in local shows in Trim from age 4. When she was six, her family moved to
Navan
Navan ( ; , meaning "the Cave") is the county town of County Meath, Ireland. In 2016, it had a population of 30,173, making it the tenth largest settlement in Ireland. It is at the confluence of the River Boyne and Blackwater, around 50&nbs ...
, but she remained at schools in Trim until age 14, initially at St Mary's Primary School and subsequently Scoil Mhuire. She completed her final years of high school at
Loreto Secondary School, St. Michael's in Navan. She studied with the
Royal Irish Academy of Music
The Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) in Dublin, Ireland, is one of Europe's oldest music conservatoires, specialising in classical music and the Irish harp. It is located in a Georgian building on Westland Row in Dublin. An institution whic ...
conservatory from age 10 to age 17, and received multiple certifications.
Walsh also landed roles in the stage musicals ''
Cats
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...
,
Jesus Christ Superstar
''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...
'' where she played Mary Magdalene, and ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
'' where she played Cosette
In 2016, she enrolled in the
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke ...
in London, where she started a
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of presc ...
degree. In June 2018, she completed her second year.
Career with Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland
In 2014, Walsh won a competition called The Soloist which was sponsored by the
Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland. She travelled to the United States where she performed with the orchestra at multiple venues including
Carnegie Hall in New York City. She returned to Ireland where she continued touring with the orchestra as a soloist and featured artist. During this time, she sang frequently with the likes of Emmet Cahill of
Celtic Thunder
Celtic Thunder is an Irish singing group and stage show known for its eclectic, theatrical style show. The group is backed by the Celtic Thunder Band on their concert tours, and their live shows are known for the use of dramatic set pieces (of ...
and many other artists. Venues included the
Odyssey Complex
The Odyssey Complex, formerly Odyssey Centre, is a sports and entertainment complex located within the Titanic Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The complex originated in 1992 and came into fruition in June 1998. It opened in December 20 ...
in Belfast, as well as multiple venues in Dublin:
Royal Dublin Society
The Royal Dublin Society (RDS) ( ga, Cumann Ríoga Bhaile Átha Cliath) is an Irish philanthropic organisation and members club which was founded as the 'Dublin Society' on 25 June 1731 with the aim to see Ireland thrive culturally and economi ...
,
National Concert Hall
The National Concert Hall (NCH) (An Ceoláras Náisiúnta) is a national cultural institution, sometimes described as "the home of music in Ireland". It comprises the actual concert hall operation, which in various chambers hosts over 1,000 ...
,
The Helix
A helix is a spiral-like space curve.
Helix may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Helix (roller coaster), a roller coaster at Liseberg in Gothenburg, Sweden
Print
* ''The Helix'' (magazine), an Australian teen science bimonthly
* ...
,
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre (originally the Grand Canal Theatre) is a performing arts venue, located in the Docklands of Dublin, Ireland. It is Ireland's largest fixed-seat theatre. It was designed by Daniel Libeskind for the DDDA, built by ...
, and the
National Convention Centre.
Other performances include: In 2015, Walsh was selected as a featured artist for the Association of Irish Musical Societies 50th Anniversary Concert at the
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre (originally the Grand Canal Theatre) is a performing arts venue, located in the Docklands of Dublin, Ireland. It is Ireland's largest fixed-seat theatre. It was designed by Daniel Libeskind for the DDDA, built by ...
, Dublin and in 2016 featured at the official opening of the
100 year commemoration of the 1916 Irish uprising.
Celtic Woman
In July 2018, Walsh joined
Celtic Woman
Celtic Woman is an all-female Irish musical ensemble conceived and created by David Kavanagh, Sharon Browne and David Downes, a former musical director of the Irish stage show ''Riverdance.'' In 2004, Downes recruited five Irish female music ...
in
Real World Studios
Real World Studios is a residential recording studio complex founded by Peter Gabriel and situated in the village of Box, Wiltshire, England, near to the city of Bath. It is closely associated with the Real World Records record label, Real Worl ...
to create their latest album, ''Ancient Land''. In August, she was announced as the newest principal member, replacing
Susan McFadden who took leave to start a family. Her on-stage debut was on the 13 and 14 September 2018 in
County Wexford at
Johnstown Castle
Johnstown Castle is a Gothic Revival castle located in County Wexford, Ireland.
Location
Johnstown Castle is located on the Johnstown Castle Estate, a estate, located off the road between Murntown and Rathaspeck, southwest of Wexford tow ...
where they filmed the ''Ancient Land'' TV special before a live audience. This was the first big outdoor concert special that Celtic Woman had filmed since 2009. Her first tour with group was in December 2018 on the United States ''Best of Christmas'' tour, followed by the ''Ancient Land'' tour which began in February 2019 and ended in November 2019 and then the ''Celebration 15th Anniversary Tour'' which began in February 2020 and was supposed to end in June 2020 but was cut short in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the rescheduled ''Celebration 15th Anniversary Tour'' was announced on 20 March 2020 and it was supposed to run from February 2021 to June 2021, however on 7 January 2021, it was announced that the rescheduled ''Celebration 15th Anniversary Tour'' was postponed to spring 2022.
The Spring 2022 tour was renamed to coincide with the fall 2021 album and video release ''Postcards from Ireland''. The tour began on 24 February and will have 85 performances throughout the USA, ending on 6 June. In August there are several shows scheduled in Ireland.
Discography
With Celtic Woman:
* ''
Ancient Land'' (2018)
*''The Magic of Christmas'' (2019)
*''Celebration: 15 years of Music and Magic'' (2020)
*''Postcards from Ireland'' (2021)
*''Christmas Cards from Ireland'' (2022)
Solo Career:
*''Maybe (2021)''
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walsh, Megan
Celtic Woman members
Living people
1997 births
21st-century Irish singers
21st-century Irish women singers
People from Trim, County Meath
Musicians from County Meath
People educated at Loreto Secondary School, Navan