Colm began playing the cornet at the age of six. His father, a trombone and piano player taught him first and then sent him to his local brass band in Navan. Three years later he attended the Royal Irish Academy Of Music to study the trumpet with James Cavanagh. Under Jimmy's guidance, Colm won junior and senior Feis Ceoil and also the Walton cup for Brass. He took part in ten years of ensemble playing including the RIAM ensembles, National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, Irish Youth Symphonic Wind Ensemble and European Wind Ensemble. Aged fifteen Colm performed theHummel Trumpet Concerto with the RTE Concert Orchestra for TV, broadcast by the European Broadcast Union.

Colm travelled to Glasgow in 1989 to study trumpet with John Gracie;principal trumpet with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and teacher at the Royal Scottish academy of music and drama. He finishedhis Degree and postgraduate studies and took with him the Governors Recital Prize for Brass,numerous chamber music prizes and a scholarship to Aspen School of Music.

Returning to Ireland Colm began his professional career as a teacher and freelance trumpeter. He has performed with both RTE Orchestras, The Irish Chamber Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Orchestra of Saint Cecilia, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Irish Camerata and Manchester Camerata.

He has played solo works with the Ruckert Chamber Orchestra, Irish Youth Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the Riam Symphony orchestra, the RTE Concert Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra Of Ireland. Colm has played many Trumpet and Organ recitals through Ireland and Scotland.

Colm has also recorded extensively on numerous movie scores, adverts, jingles, and an array of albums of different genre with many groups. For over 15 years Colm recorded regularly with the Irish Film Orchestra.

Following a return to part-time study Colm obtained his masters degree in music from Dublin City University and the RIAM where he has taught trumpet since 1998.

In April of 1999 he joined the brass section of the RTE National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland as co-principal trumpet. Finishing with RTE in 2021 Colm took up a full-time teaching position at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin.