McGoldrick has been a member of several influential bands. In 1994, he was awarded the BBC
Young Tradition Award, and in 2001 he was given the
Instrumentalist of the Year award at the
BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. In November 1995, McGoldrick co-founded the band
Fluke! (later renamed as
Flook) with
Brian Finnegan and
Sarah Allen. After one tour, he left the group to pursue other musical projects. Following this stint, he continued with the band for the European leg of the workd tour. As of 2024, McGoldrick remains an active touring and recording member of Mark Knopfler's band. In the early 2020s, McGoldrick became a member of
'''Usher's Island''', a folk supergroup featuring
Andy Irvine,
Donal Lunny,
Paddy Glackin, and John Doyle, contributing to recordings and live performance. In 2025, Michael released a tune collection and accompanying recording titled
50 Original Tunes and Chords, featuring
Donald Shaw on piano and Innes White on guitar. ==Discography==