Singer Enya has been in the spotlight again recently after the tragic news that her sister, Moya Brennan, passed away aged 73. The fellow musician was known for her Celtic music and was an icon in Ireland and beyond. The sisters were also both part of the group, Clannad.
Enya, who is famed for songs such as 'Only Time' and 'Orinoco Flow', will be grieving in her reclusive castle in Ireland, where she likes to stay away from the limelight.
The singer, who was born Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin, is from Donegal, Ireland, and has settled in her homeland in a dazzling €3.8 million (£2.5 million) home.
© RedfernsSolo living
The star has admitted she doesn't want a husband as she can be "dark and difficult" to be around.
She added: "Falling madly in love and getting married would be the most horrific thing that could happen. My affairs are with melody and words and beautiful sounds."
It may sound very regal and grand, but Enya is quick to point out that the residence is actually rather humble. "It's actually a very small castle and I fell in love with it," she told The Guardian in 2000. It’s worth noting that "small" to Enya is six bedrooms. But she assured the publication: "It's very castle on the exterior, but it's very much a home inside."
© Alamy Stock PhotoShe describes the abode as "beautiful" and "inspirational", and that's partly thanks to its incredible vistas. "In the morning, I open the shutters – you’ll note in the castle it’s shutters, not curtains – and I look out onto the Irish sea."
Due to Enya's wish to keep her personal life completely private, we have not seen any photos inside her home. But we have seen the outside of the residence she named Manderley Castle.
© Getty ImagesIt has had a few other names in the past, including Victoria Castle and Ayesha Castle. It has been reported by US Weekly that Enya lives in the castle with only cats for company.
Sarah Jessica Parker's home nearby
© CBS via Getty ImagesIreland is a secret destination for the A-list, with actress Sarah Jessica Parker owning a holiday home in Donegal. The cottage was originally acquired by Sarah’s husband Matthew Broderick’s family 40 years ago. Sarah and Matthew have lovingly renovated the special residence, including obtaining the planning permission to extend it.
Matthew loves the property, and speaking to The Irish Times, he explained: "My parents bought a place there when I was about eight. And my sisters and I have inherited it, and I’ve taken my kids. It's up near Killybegs and Kilcar. Donegal, it's unbelievable. It gave me a whole new childhood in a way. I grew up in New York City, I was born and raised here, so the fact that my parents managed to put the money together to get us there was a great gift to us."
Speaking of the local community, he said: "We just really felt welcomed there. It’s another culture, a wonderful place. I really, really got to know my neighbours, and that just doesn’t happen in the same way here in the US."
