Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin, the fourth youngest of nine siblings, hails from the quaint village of Dore, nestled within the Gweedore region of County Donegal in northwestern Ireland. Currently residing in the picturesque coastal district of Killiney, situated on the southern outskirts of Dublin, Eithne's family is deeply rooted in music. Her parents, both accomplished musicians, played in a family dance band before settling down, and her father owns a local pub, Leo's Tavern in Meenaleck. Her mother, Baba, taught music in the local school.
Eithne's brothers, Ciarán and Pol, along with their uncles, Pádraig and Noel Ó Dúgáin, formed the band "An Clan As Dobhar" in 1968, performing traditional Irish music at festivals and events. The group later changed its name to Clannad and recruited Eithne's sister, Maire Brennan, in 1973. Clannad went on to achieve international success, recording numerous albums and performing both original and traditional material.
In 1980, Eithne joined Clannad, credited under her real name, providing keyboards and backing vocals. She appeared on the band's 1982 album, "Fuaim". However, in 1982, Clannad parted ways with their long-time manager and producer, Nicky Ryan. Eithne, reportedly frustrated with being relegated to the background, left the band at the same time. Ryan believed she had talent in her own right and encouraged her to develop her own musical career.
Eithne moved in with Ryan and his wife, Roma Ryan, and began working on her solo project. In 1985, film producer David Puttnam commissioned her to write music for his film, "The Frog Prince", which was released in 1985. The titles on "The Frog Prince" credited music to Enya Ní Bhraonáin, marking the beginning of Eithne's transition to Enya, the phonetic pronunciation of her given name.
In 1986, BBC-TV began production on a six-part documentary series exploring the history and cultural influence of the Celts. Enya was signed to write and perform music for the series. The documentary, "The Celts", was first aired in 1987, and a selection of its music was released under the title "Enya", serving as her debut album. Although largely unnoticed at the time, Enya's "big break" arrived in 1987 when she was signed by Rob Dickins, head of WEA Music UK, after he was enchanted by her self-titled album.
WEA's backing enabled the recording of "Watermark", which was released in 1988. Initially, no singles were planned, but the release of "Orinoco Flow" ("Sail Away") brought Enya to the public's attention and resulted in an unexpected chart-topping success in several countries. Enya continued her success with her subsequent albums, "Shepherd Moons" and "The Celts".
