Community Games music stars
BREE HALL was buzzing with excitement recently when it played host to the annual cultural and stage events for Community Games.
Young people from all around the county arrived at the venue armed with guitars, tin whistles, banjos, flutes and fancy dress ready to participate in various events.
Bree/Davidstown Community Games group hosted the event and its members were acknowledged for their hard work and dedication.
The adjudicators were Sinead Fortune and Sinead Doyle with Eddie Dunne and Steve Donohoe on sound. Erin Fortune and Rachel Long took on disc player duties while Sinead O’Leary was Stage Manager. The organisers thanked the local community centre committee for the use of the premises and a special word of thanks was conveyed to Clare Doyle who acted as Compere for the evening.
The first half of the programme featured all the U12 events and the participants and winners were composed of:
Group Singing: Ella Lambert and Grace Barry (Castlebridge/Crossabeg); Recitation: Chloe Wafer (BBBCR); Kaleb Blake (Clongeen); Susan O`Brien (BBBCR); Rachel Hussy (Taghmon) and Lucy Wafer (BBBCR). Their respective renditions included ‘ The Audition’. ‘My winter friends’, ‘I wish I looked after my teeth’, ‘Daffodil Mulligan’ and ‘A Serious problem’, and the winners were composed of: Chloe Wafer (Gold), Lucy Wafer (Silver) and Rachel Hussy (Bronze); Solo Disco/Modern Dance: Una Walsh (Taghmon) who performed to the music of ‘À Million Dreams’; Solo Singing: Grace Barry and Emily Walker (Castlebridge/Crossabeg); Abbie Casey, Lauren Cullen, Blanaid McCormack (Clongeen), Matthew Byrne, Freya Cosgrave, Kate O`Brien (BBBCR), Ella Banville, Rachel Hussy, Caoimhe Murphy (Taghmon) and Eabha Keane (Piercestown/Murrintown). The crowd was entertained with a variety of songs including ‘A Million Dreams’, ‘I Don’t Know My Name’, ‘Moon River’, and ‘A Dream is a Wish’. Some of the singers were unaccompanied by music while others played tin whistles, flutes, ukulele and keyboard. The winners were composed of: Eabha Keane (Piercestown/Murrintown) who won gold while Freya Cosgrave (BBBCR) won silver and Kate O`Brien (BBBCR) secured bronze; Drama/Comedy: Clongeen had two groups in this section with the first composed of Leah Kelly, Lilly Mullins, Ruth Redmond, Sophie Redmond, Emma Reville and Leah Reville with, ‘Hansome and Griddle’. The second group, who took gold, included Gianna Blake, Kaleb Blake, Keela Daly, Ciara Farrell, Blanaid McCormack and Roisin McCormack who acted out ‘Princess Liberation’; Solo Music: Una Walsh (Taghmon) took gold, Grace Barry (Castlebridge/Crossabeg) secured silver; Ella Banville (Taghmon) took bronze and in fourth was Keela Daly (Clongeen).
The Glynn/Barntown Choir got the U16 category underway and the organisers were delighted to see the group on stage under the guidance of Ann Stamp. The panel of singers included Aoibhe Broaders, Meave Buckley, Rachel Burke, Laura Carley, Jane Duggan, Hazel Dunne, Shauna Hume, Ina Mullen, Ellen Murphy, Sarah Nolan, Ella Nugent, Sarah O`Brien, Saoirse O`Connor, Sidhi Sinnott, Ryan Travers- Gray, Sophie White, Zoe Wildes, Caitlyn Hunt and Lidea Hunt; Irish Dancing: A team composed of Aoife Barry, Laurie Bolger, Aoife Byrne and Mia Walsh performed in this section and are now off to Limerick for the national finals; Solo Singing: Zoe Kelly, Ella Barry, Deirbhile Sinnott and Carys Jones (Castlebridge/Crossabeg) and Leah Grammell (BBBCR). It was a very close contest with Carys Jones emerging victorious.
Leah Grammell finished second and Ella Barry took home bronze; Drama: Clongeen were the only entrants in the Drama section, however, their interpretation of ‘Orphan Ant’ had the audience in stitches. The members included: Abbie Casey, Callum Gardiner, Caoimhe Gardiner, Aoife Kehoe, Katie Kehoe and Caitlin Murphy; Solo Music: This section was contested by Min Allen and Katie Kehoe (Clongeen), Ella Barry (Castlebridge/Crossabeg), Una Maguire (BBBCR) and Michael Roche (Bree/Davidstown) with Min Allen securing the gold for her brilliant performance.
Una Maguire, on classical guitar, took silver while Michael Roche, on keyboard, secured the bronze.
The solo entrant in the Recitation section was Shauna Mulhall, from BBBCR, and the final competition in this half was in the Group Music category where a team composed of Sean Og Doyle, Daniel Hersey-Kenny, TJ Redmond, Billy Lee and Aoife Wafer entertained with jigs and reels. They were accomplished performers on guitar, banjos, and fiddles.
All of the performers were acknowledged on the night for their excellent displays of talent and those who went forward to the national finals were wished the best of luck.
The closing date for entries for the Outdoor Team events is Monday, May 14t. The county are seeking entries in Camogie, Outdoor Soccer, Gaelic Football, Pitch-andPutt, Skittles, Rounders, Spikeball, Judo, and Futsal.
The closing date for ORS entries for the Athletic events is June 1. The county finals will be held in The Hub, Enniscorthy, on Sunday, June 24.
First and second round games of the Leinster team events will take place on Saturday, June 30, (venue to be decided) and the semi finals and finals will take place on Saturday, July 14.