Irish album tops chart for record run

An Irish musical extravaganza has notched up a record-breaking 68 weeks at the top of the Billboard world music charts, it was confirmed today.

The self-titled debut record from Celtic Woman, which stars five Irish singers and musicians, has surpassed tenor Andrea Bocelli’s record for the longest stint at number one in the Billboard Top World Albums chart.

Celtic Woman, featuring pantomime star Twink’s daughter 16-year-old Chloe Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Meav Ni Mhaolchatha, Orla Fallon and Mairead Nesbitt, shot to stardom in the US after coming together for a special show broadcast on US television in March 2005.

Celtic Woman perform a variety of songs including Enya’s ’May It Be’, and traditional Irish songs.

Over the past year Celtic Woman has played the Point Theatre Dublin, a sell-out show in New York’s Radio City venue on St Patrick’s Day, taken part in four US tours and had a platinum concert DVD.

Earlier this year the group hit number one in the Japan International Charts after selling around 100,000 albums.