Youth group savours national success
MOL an óige agus tiochfaidh siad is a phrase well-applied in Coachford where the local Foróige club is not only thriving but also making a very real contribution to the local community and further afield.
Coachford Foróige members Abbie Healy and Éabha Donovan were the national winners, last month, in the Foróige All Ireland Talent competition held in Liberty Hall, Dublin last Saturday.
The two teenagers, who go under the name ‘Harmonize’, sung a stunning version of Beyoncé’s ‘Ave Maria’ which left the theatre full of Foróige members from all over Ireland wanting more.
And their achievement was duly acknowledged back at home, too. “We are absolutely thrilled for the girls,” said Foroige club PRO Emma O’Sullivan, following the win. “They worked really hard for the last number of weeks with their coach, Aoife Donovan, and it was fantastic to see the crowds reaction to them.
“Mobile phones were held high in the air as torches to add atmosphere to the piece and you could hear a pin drop on the auditorium as they belted out the song,” Emma added.
Two weeks later the club was back on the road to Dublin to take part in the Foróige Youth Citizenship Awards in association with Aldi. The Citizenship award is the organisation’s flagship programme and involves clubs from all over the country exhibiting their best projects that have made a significant impact on their community and on the members who carried them out.
The Citizenship youth development programme empowers young people to use their talents and initiative to make a positive difference to the world around them.
The Coachford group were encouraged to enter the recent Simon Sleep Out project for this year’s event. The group were concerned about the issue of homelessness which was brought to their attention by the radio, in their C.S.P.E class and through appeals from the Simon Community.
They confronted this issue on three levels - emergency shelter fundraising; blanket/clothes collection and bag packing. Through a subcommittee a date, venue, staffing, sponsorship and materials were all organised by the group.
It was Coachford’s second time in the finals, having previously won the award in 1982, but on this occasion there were no medals. However, it was still a very worthy project, and one which earned them a place in the national finals.
Not only did they make a valuable contribution towards homelessness and education surrounding the issue, their club and community was in turn very proud of their efforts.