Freedom of Donegal proposed for ‘unique’ Enya

Donegal County Council should award Enya the Freedom of Donegal, according to the council’s Cathaoirleach. 

Enya, whose real name is Eithne Pádraigin Ní Bhraonáin, is a native of Gweedore, and is Ireland’s best-selling solo artist with an estimated 80 million albums sold worldwide. 

Cllr Niamh Kennedy, the Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, proposed the motion to give Enya a special acknowledgement of “one of our own” in the council’s monthly meeting in May.

She said: “We are all very proud of her and her family. Despite her immense success, this woman remains a figure of mystery, preferring the solace of her Dublin residence to the spotlight, the privacy adding to her mystique, making her a music refuge for listeners all around the world.

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“Marked by multi-million album sales and critical acclaim, reflects her unique ability to create music that transcends borders and speaks to the soul. Her album ‘Watermark’ introduced the world to her signature sound, and ‘A Day Without Rain’ became a global sensation with ‘Only Time’ providing solace to many during the 9/11 tragedy, when she donated the songs proceeds to the Fire Department NY families.”

Cllr Kennedy concluded: “We honour Enya with offering her the Freedom of her home county Donegal. We celebrate not just her music but for her to craft a world of tranquillity and beauty through her art.

“We also acknowledge her privacy and don’t expect her to join us here at the County House to honour her but for her to know that we are so very proud and that she deserves the highest honour that her home county can bestow.”