Roscommon born Cathy Jordan has been a professional singer with traditional group Dervish for nearly 30 years. She is a self-taught guitar, bouzouki, bodhrán and bones player.

She has led Dervish as front woman through thousands of concerts in hundreds of cities in nearly 40 countries and has 18 albums under her belt. Among the most notable performances were The Great Wall of China and the biggest rock music festival in the world - Rock in Rio to over 250,000 people.

As a songwriter, she has written songs with internationally renowned Brendan Graham, best known for the most successful song of the twentieth century, You Raise Me Up.

In 2014, she took up the role of presenter of Fleadh TV with TG4. Cathy has been an ambassador for Irish culture and music for over a quarter of a century, and has a deep understanding of traditional Irish songs and singing and has collected hundreds of songs which otherwise may have been forgotten. Cathy and Dervish have been invited to accompany Presidents and Taoisigh of Ireland as cultural ambassadors to China, Latvia and Lithuania.

Dervish’s most recent album The Great Irish Songbook was released in 2019 on Rounder Records and features duets with Vince Gill, Steve Earle, Imelda May, David Gray and more. Over the years Cathy has picked up many awards for her contribution to traditional Irish music including BBC Lifetime Achievement Award 2019, Sligo Cultural Ambassador 2018, Annie McNulty Award 2014 and The Freedom of The City of Sligo in 2010.

In 2023, as of July, she has released two new albums: Female Rambling Sailor with Plúirín na Mban with fellow musicians Claudia Schwab and Irene Buckley; and Freight Train with jazz musicians Paul Clarvis and Liam Noble. There’s more to come: her album of songs by Brendan Graham with piano player Fergal Murray is out soon; as are more videos from The Crankie Island Song Project.

Download Cathy’s full CV here.

Timeline

2023 July - Plúirín Na mBan releases their debut album Female Rambling Sailor as part of the Cairde Arts Festival Sligo. March - Dervish tour all over the US with 24 concerts including Symphony Space NYC. May - Dervish start work on The Great Irish Songbook volume 2. Jan - Freight Train is released with London based Jazz musicians, Paul Clarvis (drums) and Liam Nobel (piano, keys).

2022 The Crankie Island Song Project takes on a new level of intensity as it takes on songs from the entire island of Ireland, recorded in 6 different locations featuring over 30 musicians. The songs will be accompanied by original illustrations from artists from around Ireland. https://www.cathyjordan.ie/crankie-island-song-project Cathy works with fellow song-sister and musician Nuala Kennedy to produce an album of ancient Irish Lullabies called Husheen due for release in 2024. Recorded 12 songs from the pen of one of Ireland's most celebrated songwriters Brendan Graham, along with Fergal Murray on piano.

2021 Recorded an album called Freight Train with London based Jazz musicians Paul Clarvis and Liam Nobel. Recorded with new trio Plúirín Na mBan featuring Irene Buckley and Claudia Schwab. The body of songs chosen for their debut album, Female Rambling Sailor, focuses on the perspective of a female narrator, a theme that appeared naturally in the process of working together. The album presents a unique synergy of Cathy’s grounding in the Irish music tradition, Irene's background in ambient and electronic music and Claudia's experience of amalgamating diverse genres and music traditions.

2020 Dervish and guest launch The Great Irish Songbook in the royal concert hall in Glasgow as part of Celtic Connections with guests including Peggy Seeger, Bela Fleck and Abigale Washburn. Cathy is special guest on the Transatlantic Sessions with Jerry Douglas, Tommy Emmanuel, Aly Bain, Phil Cunningham and many more.

2019 Commissioned by the Glens Centre, Manorhamilton to co-ordinate, arrange and deliver a choral spectacular Celebration, the Spirit of our Borderland as a place of cultural and mythological collision. Solo Performance at Festival Of Families in Croake Park to celebrate the visit of Pope Francis to Dublin. Performance at the Palladium in London to launch the album The Great Irish Songbook, with guests, David Gray, Imelda May, Brian Kennedy, Cara Dillon and Kate Rusby. Cairde Sligo Arts Festival Commision to collaborate with six musicians from around the globe. Dervish celebrate 30 years playing music together.

2018 Cathy releases the album Pay Day with fellow musicians Rick Epping and Seamie O’Dowd, collectively known as The Unwanted. Cathy performs the Shane McGowan penned Rainy Night in Soho at the Festival of Families in Croke Park held in honour of his Holyness the Pope. Dervish complete 30 year anniversary album The Great Irish Songbook featuring artists such as Vince Gill, Amelda May, Steve Earle and David Gray. Cathy receives Sligo Ambassador award 2018 from Sligo Enterprise Board for her work bringing tourism to the county of Sligo.

2017 Dervish tour USA in March with 28 concerts to sold out audiences from Seattle to Minneapolis. Recording continues for the Great Irish Songbook. Cathy invited to return to Swannonna gathering in North Carolina, USA, in July. Cathy travels to Italy, UK, Germany, USA and Canada throughout the year.

2016 Dervish are signed to Rounder Records in the US and start work on the Great Irish Songbook featuring artists such as Vince Gill, Steve Earle, Rhiannan Giddons, David Gray and Alison Krauss. Cathy starts Songbird project in Roscommon Arts Centre rekindling old songs in a new context for nearly 30 students commissioned by Roscommon Arts Centre. Cathy returns to Swannonna gathering to teach, with an added class of folklore on the Celtic calendar year.

2015 Cathy and The Fleadh TV gang pick up an IFTA award for the best live TV Show. Cathy is invited to be the solo singer at the prestigious Celtic Sojourn in the majestic theatre in Boston, an award winning show of 22 performances. Cathy teaches Irish traditional song and vocal warm up classes at prestigious Swannonna gathering in North Carolina, USA.

2014 Dervish celebrate 25 years together and release a celebration album. Dervish Play Glastonbury for the first time, plus Lorient festival in Brittany . Cathy becomes presenter on TG4’s Fleadh TV. A live TV and internet show from the biggest traditional festival in the world, The All Ireland Fleadh. Cathy is presented with Annie McNulty award in her native Co Roscommon

2013 Cathy and Dervish release their brand new album The Thrush In The Storm hailed by the Irish Echo as "12 tracks of pure Class" Dervish play on the soundtrack to the movie Calvary starring Brendan Gleeson and Chris O'Dowd.

2012 Cathy Launch's her first solo album All the Way Home featuring a duet with Scottish singer Eddi Reader, as well as co-writing a song with Brendan Graham called The Road I Go. The album was produced by Swedish producer and multi- instrumentalist, Roger Tallroth. Cathy teaches traditional song and vocal exercises and warm ups at Tubbercurry Summer School, County Sligo. Cathy travels to France for vocal training with acclaimed Roy Hart School of Vocal Training which provided invaluable vocal dexterity and resilience.

Dervish perform on new Irish movie starring Brendan Gleeson called Calvary and they also play on the soundtrack to James Nesbit's new travel documentary series.

2010 A series of concerts to celebrate 20 years of Dervish. Guests included: Martin Hayes, Kate Rusby, Andy Irvine, Eddi Reader, Duke Special, Damien Dempsey, Tom Baxter and Ron Sexsmith. Cathy embarks teaching vocal warm-ups and techniques to summer camp students in various locations around Ireland and abroad.

2009 Cathy hosts a series of fourteen, hour-long radio shows for broadcast in conjunction with NPR in the US called Irish Heartbeat with Dervish. Guests on the shows included Brian Kennedy, Moya Brennan, The Saw Doctors, John Spillane, Paddy Maloney and Kila. The programs are still being aired in Scotland, Ireland and America. Cathy presents Irish language program, Geantrai as a special tribute to the legendary Tommie Makem for TG4 Cathy presents arts program from Sligo Live Festival for RTE television (The Unwanted)

2007 Official state visit to Latvia and Lithuania accompanying president Mary McAleese.

2006 Performance on the longest running radio show in the US - The Prairie home companion.

2005 Official cultural group accompanying Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to China. Guests on Home Companion hosted by Garrison Keillor to an estimated 2 million listeners across the world. .

1991 – 2005 Cathy travels the world extensively with Dervish, developing a huge following and reputation as the lead singer, bodhrán, bones and bouzouki player. 2004 Cathy and Dervish receive Freedom Of the City from their hometown of Sligo

1991 Cathy joins internationally acclaimed Irish traditional group Dervish, and embarks on over two-and-a-half decades of world travel as traditional Irish music ambassadors.