Born in Dublin, Alison made her first single, 'Feeling High' for SNP's Simon Napier Bell and David Hemmings at the age of 15 with the cult folk-rock band, Mellow Candle. The band appeared in concert with the likes of Genesis, Thin Lizzy, Donovan, The Chieftains and Steeleye Span. They signed to Decca's Deram label in the early 70s and gigged their album 'Swaddling Songs' in Ireland and Britain. In the mid 90s their highly collectable vinyl album achieved critical acclaim and is now ranked as a true folk rock classic.
After moving to Johannesburg with Dave Williams, Mellow Candle's guitarist, they formed traditional group Flibbertigibbet. In 1978 the band's album 'Whistling Jigs to the Moon' was released on the Stanyan label, and the group worked for several years in South Africa and Botswana. They also performed on national television and radio.
During the early 80s, together with a troupe of eminent actors and musicians, she helped to stage and perform a series of popular satirical revues. She toured with the musical 'I'm getting my act together and taking it on the road', appeared with a number of jazz and rock bands, including the fledging Ella Mental and recorded an album for writer/producer (Daydreamer), Terry Dempsey's band Plastik Mak. In the mid 80s Alison joined contemporary jazz group Earthlings, co-writing the band's material up until her moving back to Britain in 1986 where she acted as promoter and publicist for the re-release and reissue of earlier recordings and Mellow Candle.
In 1998 she formed traditional group Éishtlinn with Flemish guitarist Philip Masure. The band played concerts in Belgium, Holland, France and Luxembourg and recorded the album 'eist linn' on the Kissing Spell label. A year before moving back to Dublin in 2001, she worked with Flemish singers in the group, Oeda, singing their original songs in Flemish and French.
Since returning to Ireland in 2001, Alison sings and plays bodhrán in sessions, festivals and gigs. In 2005 the BBC filmed her in a documentary about her grandmother entitled 'Mother of Pearl' for the Family Ties series. 2006 and Alison released her first album under her own name, 'Mise agus Ise', comprising original songs and tunes with multi-instrumentalist, Isabel Ní Chuireáin.
2007/8 brought collaborations with Dave Colohan of Agitated Radio Pilot on his 'World Winding Down' double album and Steven Collins of The Owl Service entitled 'The Fabric of Folk', Static Caravan, and on tracks for 'The Burn Comes Down' and 'The View From a Hill'. In 2008 indie prog/psych folk label, Fruits de Mer issued a vinyl double A-side single of cover versions of Nick Drake's 'Day is Done' and Nico's 'Frozen Warnings' by Alison. In 2011, she became a member of the acclaimed psych folk collective United Bible Studies in 2008. This collaboration has resulted in a slew of recording projects and albums as well as live performances. 2010/11 saw the formation of her band Bajik, which headlined at their maiden concert in Spain at the Datura Folk Festival. Between 2010 and 2013 Alison recorded a solo album 'Hey Hey Hippy Witch' on Floating World Records.
Showing her verticality She also guested on doom metal band Cathedral's ninth album, 'The Guessing Game'.
2017 and a third solo album entitled ‘Exotic Masks and Sensible Shoes’ was released on CD mid-July 2019 on Freeworld, a subsidiary label of Floating World Records.
The RTE 1 documentary broadcast on 30th December 2018 by Dearg Films about the making of Phil Lynott’s song ‘Old Town’, Alison was a talking head contributor. Buntús Rince: Explorations in Irish Jazz, Fusion & Folk 1969-71 was launched at All City Records in Dublin in April 2019. Mellow Candle contributed a track to a vinyl album of lost gems put together by RTE presenter and DJ Peter Curtin.
2020 sees the release of five United Bible Studies recordings a digital compilation by Alison entitled Spread Your Sailing Angels Over Me (50 years of song) and a digital release for their second album together, ‘Five Forests’ by Alison and Head South By Weaving. Current projects are filmed performances for Music Town Festival 2020, The Frank Harte Festival 2020 and an album of original songs in the traditional idiom with Anthony Bools. ‘The Travels of Janus’, second album with Firefay, released 5th February 2021
For the rest of 2021, Alison spent her time recording Hark The Voice That Sings For All, a collection of new songs in the ancient tradition. 2022 and the album is picked up by Talking Elephant who will release this album in July 2022.