Top 10 Best Selling Irish Female Artists in the Irish Domestic Charts

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From Enya to CMAT: Ireland’s Biggest-Selling Female Music Stars

Ireland has produced some of the most unforgettable female voices in music history. From global superstars like Enya and Sinéad O’Connor to modern chart-toppers like CMAT and Jazzy, Irish women have consistently shaped both the domestic charts and international music scene. Some built careers through massive album sales, while others dominated radio with unforgettable singles that became part of Irish pop culture.

Here’s a look at 10 of the best selling Irish female artists in the Irish domestic charts, celebrating the singers who turned talent into serious chart success.

CMAT

CMAT, whose real name is Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, is one of the most exciting new Irish artists of the last few years. Blending country-pop with sharp humour and emotional songwriting, she quickly became a standout voice in modern Irish music. Her debut album If My Wife New I’d Be Dead went straight to number one in Ireland, followed by Crazymad, For Me and EURO-COUNTRY, giving her three consecutive Irish number one albums. Across those releases, she has sold tens of thousands of records in Ireland, making her one of the fastest-rising domestic success stories. Her biggest hit is widely considered to be Take A Sexy Picture Of Me, which became her most streamed and most talked-about single.

Cathy Davey

Cathy Davey is one of Ireland’s most respected alternative pop artists, known for her quirky songwriting and instantly recognisable voice. She broke through in the 2000s with albums like Something Ilk, Tales of Silversleeve, and The Nameless, the latter reaching number one on the Irish album chart. Her certified Irish sales exceed 15,000 albums, with both Tales of Silversleeve and The Nameless achieving strong domestic sales. Her biggest hit is often considered Sing For Your Supper although Reuben also became a major fan favourite and a number one single in Ireland.

Mary Byrne

Mary Byrne became a household name after her memorable run on The X Factor in 2010. Before fame, she worked as a supermarket cashier in Dublin, which made her rise even more relatable to Irish audiences. Her debut album Mine and Yours was a huge domestic success, reaching number one and earning strong sales across Ireland. She has sold well over 20,000 records in Ireland, with adult contemporary audiences especially embracing her easy-listening vocal style. Her biggest hit is her version of I Who Have Nothing, which helped define her post-X Factor success.

Sharon Shannon

Sharon Shannon is one of Ireland’s most beloved traditional musicians, famous for bringing folk, trad and contemporary music together in a way few artists have managed. A brilliant accordion player as well as a singer-songwriter, she became a crossover star with huge support across Irish radio and live venues. She has sold over 100,000 records in Ireland across her long career, with several platinum-selling releases. Her biggest hit is undoubtedly Galway Girl, her collaboration with Mundy, which became one of the most recognisable Irish songs of the 2000s and a massive domestic chart success.

Sinéad O’Connor

Sinéad O’Connor remains one of the most iconic Irish artists of all time. Her fearless songwriting, unmistakable voice and global cultural impact made her one of Ireland’s most important musical exports. She sold hundreds of thousands of records in Ireland and millions worldwide, with albums like I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got becoming defining releases of the 1990s. Her biggest hit is unquestionably Nothing Compares 2 U, the Prince-penned ballad that became a worldwide number one and one of the most famous songs ever recorded by an Irish artist.

Lisa Hannigan

Lisa Hannigan first came to national attention through her work with Damien Rice before launching a hugely successful solo career. Her soft, intimate songwriting and beautifully understated vocals earned her a loyal following in Ireland and beyond. Albums like Sea Sew and Passenger performed strongly in the Irish charts, helping her sell tens of thousands of records domestically. Her biggest hit is generally seen as Lille, one of her signature songs and a fan favourite that helped establish her as a major solo artist.

Jazzy

Jazzy has become one of the biggest new names in Irish dance-pop. Originally part of the dance trio Belters Only’s breakout success, she quickly established herself as a solo artist with a string of infectious club hits. Her single Giving Me became a massive chart smash and made her one of the most commercially successful Irish female artists of the streaming era. While her sales are driven more by singles than albums, she has already accumulated significant domestic sales and streams. Giving Me is clearly her biggest hit to date and helped push her into mainstream stardom.

Enya

Enya is arguably Ireland’s most commercially successful female recording artist ever. Known for her ethereal sound and layered vocals, she created a unique musical style that became globally iconic. Albums like Watermark, Shepherd Moons, and A Day Without Rain sold enormously in Ireland as well as internationally, with Irish sales alone comfortably in the hundreds of thousands. Her biggest hit is Orinoco Flow the song that introduced her sound to the world and remains one of the most distinctive Irish chart hits ever recorded.

Mary Black

Mary Black is one of the defining voices of Irish folk and contemporary music. Her career spans decades, with a remarkable run of successful albums that made her a staple of Irish music collections throughout the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. She has sold hundreds of thousands of records in Ireland and remains hugely respected for her consistency and vocal warmth. Her biggest hit is often considered No Frontiers, a song that became closely associated with her and remains one of the standout tracks of her career.

Imelda May

Imelda May brought rockabilly and blues back into the Irish mainstream with her powerful voice and distinctive image. Her breakthrough album Love Tattoo was a major domestic success, while Mayhem firmly established her as one of Ireland’s leading contemporary female artists. She has sold well over 100,000 records in Ireland, with strong chart performance and loyal live audiences. Her biggest hit is Big Bad Handsome Man, the song most associated with her breakout success and radio popularity.

From timeless legends like Enya and Sinéad O’Connor to fresh chart stars like CMAT and Jazzy, Irish female artists continue to dominate the domestic charts in every genre imaginable. Whether it’s folk, trad, indie-pop, dance or global crossover success, these women have shaped the soundtrack of Irish life for generations - and they’re still doing it.