My favourite room: 'I had to stay out all night to put a spell on it, that it would be safe' - Singer and shaman Mary Coughlan's mountaintop build in Wicklow

"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"

"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."

Mary Coughlan is singing better than ever and adores performing, with a very full 2026 calendar including a tour of Australia and New Zealand. She blends contradictions in style and home life, often wearing dark colours while living in an all-white house with pops of colour. She has performed numerous jazz and blues gigs this year and still craves sanctuary and quiet, choosing to live on top of a mountain. Several adult children and grandchildren surround her, with family members including a chef/horse whisperer daughter, an award-winning sound engineer son, and a graphic designer daughter with her child.

Read at Independent