Margaret  ha iniziato lo studio della Cornamusa Scozzese all’età di otto anni.

Ha ricevuto i primi insegnamenti da parte del padre Con Houlihan per poi passare, all’età di 10 anni, sotto la guida di Stephen Power (ex piper del Reggimento Scots Guards).

Originaria dell’Irlanda, si trasferisce in Scozia all’età di 17. Nel 1998 viene ammessa alla Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama ove completa il corso di laurea e post laurea nella facoltà di “Scottish Traditional Music – Piping”.

Entra a far parte della famosissima Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band con cui vince i campionati del mondo nell’anno 2000.

Nel 2004 si laurea anche presso l’Institute of Piping di Glasgow. Vincitrice di numerosi concorsi musicali, attualmente insegna presso il Naional Piping Centre di Glasgow ed è la responsabile per le competizioni della CLASP – Competing League Amateur Solo Pipers. Insieme con Alastair Dunn, che ha sposato appena qualche mese fa, costituisce di fatto la “coppia di piper” più titolata e promettente per il prossimo futuro.

English version :

Margaret began piping at the age of 8 and was initially taught by her father Con Houlihan and when she was 10 she began taking lessons from Stephen Power (ex Scots Guards).

Margaret moved to Scotland when she was 17 and studies Piobaireachd with Andrew Wright.

In 1998 she was accepted into the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama where she studied for 4 years and graduated with an Honours Degree in Scottish Traditional Music.

While Margaret was at the Academy she also joined the Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band and, with them, won the World Pipe Band Championships in Grade 1 in 2000.

In 2004, Margaret passed her Institute of Piping Graduate Certificate with distinction.

Now she is teaching at the National Piping Centre and is responsible for the CLASP competitions

Prizes won to date include:

1st MacGregor Memorial Piobaireachd (22 and under) Oban 1999

1st B Grade March, Oban 1999

1st Duncan Johnstone Memorial Piobaireachd 2001

1st B Grade Piobaireachd, Inverary 2003

1st Strachan Memorial MSR, London 2000

1st A Grade Strathspey and Reel, Oban 2003

Runner up in Silver Medal, Oban 2003