European recognition for young musicians

December 1977

RAVENSDALE Youth Orchestra gains recognition as three of its members are selected to play with the European Community Youth Orchestra.

Rita Manning (15), Ravensdale; Mary O’Hanlon (16), Avenue Road, Dundalk and fourteenyear-old Paul O’Hanlon from Lordship, all of whom play the violin; are among nine musicians chosen to represent Ireland in the 135-piece or- chestra, assembled from all of the EEC countries.

It is an early Christmas present for the trio, which follows auditions in Dublin.

They will join the new European Orchestra next March for intensive rehearsals under Claudio Abbado in Copenhagen, prior to an Easter tour of several capital cities.

Summer concerts are also planned for London, Dublin and Aberdeen.

Fr. Brendan McNally forms the Ravensdale Orchestra in 1969, and through his efforts it grows to a membership of over 30.

Rita, Mary and Paul join ten of their Ravensdale colleagues for two weeks in the year with the Irish National Youth Orchestra.

They also travel to Dublin every week to practice under Colin Staveley, leader of the RTE Symphony Orchestra.

Their musical careers begin at an early age. Rita Manning, a 5th year St. Louis student, starts to play when she is eight; while Mary O’Hanlon who is a 5th year in St. Vincent’s, begins at age 10; while her cousin Paul O’Hanlon, who is studying for his Inter Cert in St. Mary’s College, is eleven when he takes up music.

After Fr. McNally leaves the parish, transferred to the Redeemer, where he assembles the Redeemer Youth Orchestra, the Ravensdale group is taken over by Ronan Dennedy, a talented piano player, who trains the children on a part-time basis.