Horan was born in
New York City, New York[4] to Irish parents[5] and studied piano (taught by her father, a carpenter and musician)[6] and Irish fiddle playing at a young age.[7] She attended and graduated from the New England Conservatory[8] in Boston, Massachusetts, where she studied classical violin,[7][9] and theAspen Music Festival and School in Aspen, Colorado.[5] She played with multiple orchestras, including the Boston Pops Orchestra, and string quartets, before joining the all-female Celtic music ensemble Cherish the Ladies in 1990.[7] She co-founded[2][10][11] Solas in 1994,[12] and is on fiddle and backing vocals.[8][13]On her participation in Solas and, in particular, touring with the group, Horan expressed in a 2008 interview: “Traveling the world with Solas has been one of the best things about being in the band.”[12]