Drumconrath musician performs for President Catherine Connolly on Donegal visit
Emma Martin, a daughter of Gene and Eithne Martin of Drumconrath, now lives in Letterkenny and was asked to play for the president when she visited Cara House in the Donegal town recently.
A talented young Drumconrath musician recently played for President Catherine Connolly when the president visited Donegal.
Emma Martin, a daughter of Gene and Eithne Martin of Drumconrath, now lives in Letterkenny and was asked to play for the president when she visited Cara House in the Donegal town recently.
Emma is an award-winning harpist and singer. She is fluent in Irish and is a songwriter a multi-instrumentalist. Growing up in a very musical household, she was delighted when given the opportunity to take up the harp at the age of fifteen. She studied the harp at the well known 'Meath Harp School' and was a member of the 'Meath Harp Ensemble' for the remainder of her school years.
Emma then developed the art of singing while accompanying herself on the harp and is a successful wedding singer.
She is the eldest of five children who are all very musical.
"My parents Gene and Eithne have been a huge support to me," she says.
She is married to Mark Rouse and they are now living in Letterkenny with their little girl, Aoibheann, who is 10 months old.
Emma just recently recorded with Onóir (a modern, Irish male folk group based in Donegal) on their upcoming album and is hoping to release another of her own compositions later in the year.
In 2022, Emma released a single in memory of her friend who died at the age of just 28. 'Sarah's Song - i gconaí ann' was composed in memory of her friend Sarah Carty who died from a rare and aggressive form of cancer.
She wrote the song in Irish to reflect the love Sarah had for the language. The song has a universal theme of friendship and shows that even though someone may not be present physically, they are ‘I gcónaí ann’ or ‘always there’.
The song was released as a fundraiser for ‘First Descents’, a charity that provides life-changing outdoor adventures for young adults impacted by cancer and other serious health conditions.
Emma has made several appearances on local and national media platforms. In 2017, she was crowned champion of the prestigious 'Feis Ceoil' competition for harp and voice which is held in the RDS each year. She was shortlisted for the 'Newcomer of the Year 2019' and was again a finalist in the 'Wedding Musician of the Year 2020' category of the weddingsonline awards.