Emmy award winner writes Wicklow Pride Festival song

A new song has been composed by an Emmy ward winning musician to mark the 2016 Wicklow Pride Festival.

Festival organisers made the announcement this week that composers Jordan Montgomery, Emmy recipient, and Conor Ebbs of the group Anthem Noise have penned a song which they will perform live in Arklow during the festival on Saturday, July 9. The track ‘Out of Darkness’ will soon be available on iTunes and all proceedswill go towards the festival.

‘We are thrilled with the song’, says festival cofounder Dave Thomas.

‘ To have a song written specifically for us is incredible. The beautiful melody with the extremely important lyrics deliver a song with a real message of hope, of inspiration and will, I am sure, inspire those that are hiding in the shadows to come out, accept themselves for who they are, come out of the darkness and into the light, where they will find happiness.

‘Even in 2016, there are many people that are still hiding their sexuality, some questioning who they are, and this can cause a lot of misery and stress.

‘Ireland has come a long way, especially since Marriage Equality became recognised by the people of Ireland, but we need to do more, as we are far from living in a society that accepts diversity and “difference”,’ Mr Thomas added. WICKLOW and Cork have been named as the most popular locations for country home buyers in the €1 million-plus price bracket.

A new report from property consultants Savills Ireland says the top choices of Wicklow and Cork suggest that many of those seeking the benefits of country living are also looking to remain within arm’s reach of major cities, be it for shopping and entertainment purposes, prestigious schools or access to good road links and international airports.

Savills sales data support this view, with a disproportionate number of transactions located in Dublin and neighbouring counties, and along national arterial routes.

The report also highlighted that while domestic buyers account for a majority of Savills country homes sales, the single biggest deal in each of the last three years was a cash purchase from the UK or US. In addition, Savills note a greater level of interest from American applicants, many of whom are looking to purchase a piece of family heritage here in Ireland.