Home News WATCH: Laois school set to compete in final of prestigious choir competition

WATCH: Laois school set to compete in final of prestigious choir competition

St. Fergal’s College has reached the final in the Walton’s Music For Schools Competition.

The Rathdowney secondary school’s choir is one of six finalists in the competition.

This is a huge achievement as 19 counties had representatives in the first round of the competition.

The Walton’s New School of Music run the competition and it is generously sponsored by RTÉ lyric FM.

The competition is a national event which celebrates musical talent in schools across Ireland.

The competition began in 2012 and currently has participants from both primary and post primary schools all across the Republic of Ireland.

The competition promotes young people to be creativity in music.

Each year the competition concludes in a concert made of the finalists. This event takes place in the National Concert Hall and consists of 12 finalist groups (6 primary schools and 6 secondary schools) performing in front of two distinguished adjudicators, along with an audience of their friends and families.

At the end of the event the adjudicators announce the winners, with a first prize of €2,000 that everyone wants to win.

St. Fergal’s College in Rathdowney has achieved a place in the final with their choir of 39 pupils. They will be performing a medley of songs at the finals.

Their choir consists of:

Five First Years: Amy Daly, Chloe Doyle, Ellie O’Sullivan, Muireann Byrne and  Simon Groarke.

Four Second Years: Niamh Mulhall, Aoife Bannon, Mia Fahy and Amy O’Sullivan.

Nine Third Years: Caoimhe Cassin, Laura Barton, Ava Kennedy, Leah Quigley, Aoife Keeshan, Abbey Ryan, Oisin Conroy and Katelyn Keyes.

12 TYs: Daniel Bowe, Reece Finane Campion, Philomena Tierney, Cara Keating, Janelle Sweeney, Padraig Rafter, Ciaran Rafter, Laura Herke, Bronagh Maher, Connor Fitzpatrick, Colin Doheny and Sean Delaney

6 Fifth Years: Niamh Bracken, Chloe O’ Riordan, Shane Coffey, Emily McCane, Vicky Hartford and  Jade Carroll

4 Sixth Years: Chloe Carroll, Katie Groarke, Conall Nevin and Cliona McDonald

7 Instrumentalists: Katie Groarke (Piano), Shane Coffey (Guitar), Conall Nevin (Accordion), Cliona McDonald (Harp), Oisin Conroy (Cajon), Simon Groarke (Banjo) and Daniel Bowe (Bongos)

They will compete in the National Concert Hall, Dublin on March 23, we wish them the best of luck.

SEE ALSO – Laois school choir bring the house down with performance at the National Concert Hall