Shaun Davey, born on January 18, 1948, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a renowned Irish composer with a career spanning nearly five decades. Initially trained as an art historian at Trinity College, Dublin, and The Courtauld Institute in London, Davey has enjoyed a successful international career as a composer since the 1970s.
Davey is best known for his large-scale concert works that often incorporate traditional Irish motifs and instrumentation, particularly the uilleann pipes. His notable compositions include "The Brendan Voyage" (1980), a narrative suite for uilleann pipes and orchestra, the Special Olympics anthem, "May We Never Have to Say Goodbye," and St. Patrick's prayer, "The Deer's Cry." His theatre and film scores have also received international acclaim, with an Ivor Novello Award, a Tony and two Bafta nominations.