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. 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. She is now Pipe Major of Cullen Pipe Band who won the World Pipe Band Championships in grade 3B at the 2007 worlds.
In 2004, Margaret passed her Institute of Piping Graduate Certificate with distinction.
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 the Silver Medal, Argyleshire Gathering Winner of the Silver medal at the Northern Meetings 2007
1st A Grade March Argyleshire Gathering 2007
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