High flying BIIRD: Longford's Laura Doherty savours 'strange reality' of performing with Ed Sheeran and Robbie Williams

BIIRD is flying. The 11-piece band has been capturing the hearts of multiple venues worldwide, and have performed alongside some of the biggest names in modern music. 

Laura Doherty, one of the group’s musicians, is from Longford. She has been a music teacher for Music Generation (Carlow) as well during her career. Lisa Canny, creator of BIIRD, asked Laura to join back in 2019, when Lisa first met Laura at a party in Gweedore. With Covid, meetings stopped and the band put music together in 2023. BIIRD launched in 2024.

Laura came to chat with the Longford Leader in late December 2025 about her soaring career in one of the country’s much-loved bands.

Where in Longford are you from?

"I am from Moyne or Dromard, north Longford. I did attend Moyne Community School. It seems like many moons ago now."

"There weren’t enough students to study music when I was in school. There was me and one other guy who played music, so we didn’t have any classes. I studied it outside of school for my Leaving Cert. Apparently, they have classes now, and there is more interest in music, which is good."

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Would you tell me a little bit about how you first started getting into playing the fiddle? 

"I actually have a fun story about that! I have a brother, Liam, and he’s an accomplished musician as well. He plays banjo and guitar. He has dyslexia. In primary school, one of our teachers was being really good to us to get us involved with music. She recommended mum to bring him to music classes. He picked up the banjo. Anything he was doing, I had to do as well."

"We decided what instrument I wanted to play which were the fiddle and the guitar, my two mains. I picked the fiddle, and I could poke and prod and annoy Liam, but went on to teach myself guitar later so I play both now! It’s a funny, little story. I play both instruments. It’s interesting with the two of us. There wasn’t much music in our family. My granddad loved to sing at Christmas, but no musical instruments in our family. It was nice that we started out that way!" 

How did you transition into becoming a professional fiddler with BIIRD?

"I’d say I started when I was around 4th year, 16. Me and my brother were in several bands growing up. We went to summer school as kids, and made friends with other talented musicians. We formed a band called Teannas and did a festival in France."

"We went out and that was my first taste of the professional gigging world. Me and my brother did gigs at weddings and played at as many events as we were allowed. When I was 17, I finished my Leaving Cert and did a tour with the company Celtic Legends throughout South America, south of France and Paris."

"My step into the bigger, professional companies; with the BIIRD girls, I was friends with them at 14-15, meeting at festivals, playing; through friends of friends. We ended up as a big group of friends before we started gigging as BIIRD." 

Would you tell me a little bit about your tour and performing with Ed Sheeran?

"So, we actually met at the Fleadh in Wexford, which has just gone. The Amble guys were there. We played about three songs. We were talking to him for a little bit and he seemed to love our energy and craic. He asked us to go on tour with him."

"We did, and did 10 days, 5 shows just gone: Munich, Paris, Coventry , Manchester and 3Arena. They were huge gigs. Big arena gigs. It’s a surreal feeling getting to the stage with him. We did Fairytale of New York with him. It was really special and lovely."

What has been your greatest achievement?

"I would say, maybe, along the lines of being able to express myself musically with BIIRD. Being able to put forward ideas and have the girls, hear them, appreciate them and be able to arrange music and put it together with the girls affirm it for me. I like that side of music, being able to be creative. I think that being able to do that, and develop that skill. BIIRD has given me that."

"As well as being able to say that I’ve shared the stage with Ed Sheeran, Robbie Williams, that I played with in Croke Park (82,000 people). Playing in venues in Ireland and abroad is a huge achievement I’d never expected in my lifetime. It’s become a strange reality."

As a fiddle player, what do you consider to be the most difficult technique?

"I am a very rhythm-heavy girl. I get that from playing the guitar as well. All that kind of right hand rhythm can be really difficult to keep any resemblance of a melody in there, so you’re not just getting all the choppy hands. Trying to get your two hands cooperating as one can be quite difficult." 

An eleven-piece band is unique! What’s life on the road like, going from place to place? Are there more than one tour bus?

"So, actually, there are 8 or 9 for the first leg of the Ed Sheeran tour and 11 for 3Arena. Adding  three more, although at home, it was chaotic and wild. We’re such a good group of friends. It’s impossible to arrange 11 women to meet up with our own careers."

"When we move on the road, it’s no tour bus but figuring logistics ourselves. Planes, buses, taxis. We’re starting out in that respect. Touring costs so much money. It’s really quite difficult to get from A-B with 11. Hopefully, we’re going to Australia and New Zealand in the new year so we might get a tour bus–a luxury for us! It’s very difficult to organise."

"On the transport system in Ireland, I’m an expert. I don’t drive. I don’t know how I’ve lasted this long! It’s pretty hard with a guitar, fiddle, suitcase. With BIIRD, we have hair and makeup, costumes. It’s pretty difficult around the country. I might get a licence in the new year."

How will you spend your Christmas, now you’re back in Ireland?

"I’m so excited to come home for Christmas! I’ll be home for Christmas this year, hopefully for more than 2-3 days. I’ve taken time off. I hope to go home, have a few sessions in Arva on a Wednesday in the Breffini, in Dillons in Ballinamuck to go and play tunes. They’ve always been good for us." 

"My brother plays as well, I taught my mum how to play concertina. My mum’s partner is a Sean-nós singer who plays flute. There’s a lot of music in my family nowadays. I’ll make the most of it, meet up with other friends, and play some tunes."

Do you do any teaching during gaps between gigs?

"I was teaching with Music Generation Carlow for about a year. Then things were heating up with BIIRD so much, all of a sudden. I took time off between September and Christmas, this period, just gone." 

"Things have obviously changed so much even between September and now. I’ve had to completely give it up and go full-time with BIIRD and other projects, like my own gigs. I really loved teaching. It’s a lovely, rewarding job."

"I’d done private lessons at home but I didn’t have the time to give at home with my students. Zoom isn’t as good as in-person teaching. Unfortunately, I’ve had to let it go for now. Maybe at some point in the future, I’ll get back round to it."

Do you have any advice for any young Longford musician who would like to play professionally but do not know where to start?

"When I was growing up, there weren't that many musicians. Ross McNerney was another one. Him and my brother used to play together. There weren’t many people to play with when I was young. Try to meet other talented musicians as you can. Try to cast the net beyond Longford but don’t lose your roots. It’s about taking a chance on yourself. Keep at it. It might take a few years."

"Many things that are hard have good results. It takes a couple of years, but if you have support from family and friends. If it weren’t for all the competitions in my youth, I probably wouldn’t have kept music up for this long. It’s important to do all the competitions and meet all the musicians that you can. Have fun doing it."

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