Women in Piping Workshop with Margaret Houlihan

Margaret Houlihan is, originally from Cullen, County Cork now living in Scotland. And a member of the Shotts and Dykehead Pipe band and advocate for the promotion of women in Piping through the Maket Collective.

Margaret began learning pipes at age eight, taught first by her father Con Houlihan, later Stephen Power, Andrew Wright and Roddy MacLeod. In 1998 she moved to Scotland to study at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama graduating with Honours in Scottish Traditional Music. She became a PDQB examiner after gaining her Graduate Certificate with distinction in 2004.

A member of Cullen Pipe Band, she led them to World Championships 3B in 2007 and All Ireland 2013. She played with Shotts and Dykehead winning Grade 1 Worlds in 2000 and returning in 2023. Margaret has solo success at Argyllshire Gathering and Northern Meetings. She has taught at the National Piping Centre for 20 years and is a key facilitator of the CLASP alongside being mother of two boys.