Ballymun Windband Project
Tuesday, June 21 was certainly a red
letter day for the members and supporters
of the Ballymun Windband Project and
the Ballymun community, for this was
the day that Mary Hanafin TD, Minister
#for Education and Science would
launch a CD of a contemporary piece
of music “Fire” written by
Elaine Agnew which featured the young
Ballymun musicians.
'Fire' was commissioned by Breaking Ground,
the major per cent for art scheme for Ballymun.
Breaking Ground is an expansive
programme of art commissioning which
traverses artforms, and supports both
local arts initiatives and projects by
acclaimed national and international artists.
The icing on the cake however,
was an announcement by the Minister
of a grant of €60,000 to the project
to assist it in its great work. Added
to this, Mr. Ciaran Murray,
Managing Director of Ballymun Regeneration Ltd congratulated everyone involved in
the project and indicated that he
hoped to meet with Minister Hanafin
to discuss a St. Joseph’s Primary School/Ballymun Regeneration Ltd proposal to
construct a purpose-built music
centre within the School grounds area.
The Ballymun Wind Band Project grew
out of a ‘Breaking the Cycle’ Initiative,
funded by the Department of Education and Science,
the Dublin Institute of Technology
Community Links Programme and the
Conservatory of Music and Drams in
St Joseph’s Primary School in Poppintree.
The project was conceived initially
to help combat socio-economic disadvantage
while providing an opportunity for
children to learn through the arts.
Beginning with the recorder in first class,
the Programme now boasts two Wind Bands –
in the primary and secondary schools –
and offers the possibility of taking music
through to the Leaving Certificate.
This project also co-exists with a vibrant
choir and strings group and recorder
players have the option of becoming
involved in these sections also.
Five Ballymun Schools are now involved in the Programme:
- St Joseph’s Junior Primary
- St Joseph’s Senior Primary
- The Boys Junior Comprehensive
- The Girls Junior Comprehensive
- The Senior Comprehensive
All the schools have greeted the Programme with enthusiasm. In the wider community of
parents and extended families,
the Band’s concerts and other public
appearances are hugely supported,
showing that the benefits of playing
music are widely appreciated.
Music in its many forms is now firmly
embedded in the fabric of the Ballymun community.
For Further Information Contact:
Ron Cooney, Project Director,
Phone: 01-8377209
Dr. Tommy Cooke, Project Director,
Phone: 087-2247105
Contact Breaking Ground at:
Denise Reddy [denise.reddy@axis-ballymun.ie]
Tel: 01-8832112.
This page was updated on 28th July, 2009