Limerick students to play at Carnegie Hall this spring

A HANDFUL of secondary school students from Limerick are about to embark on an adventure that others could only dream of - playing Carnegie Hall.

Students Darragh and Anna Treacy, Doireann Casey and Anna Farrel (Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh), Sophie Moloney (Villiers School), and Ruby McKenna (St Anne’s Community College, Killaloe), along with Seón and Mary-Kate Ruiz (St Patrick’s Comprehensive, Shannon), and their brother Mateo (LCFE) are set to play the prestigious New York City venue this St Patrick’s Day as part of the Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland.

Born in Hackballscross on the border of Northern Ireland, Sharon Treacy would have been very familiar with The Troubles, and as a result, she set up the orchestra in 1995 to bring some peace between both religions.

Each side is represented at the shows: “The Northern Pipe Band and the Highland dancers represent the Protestant community, then the uilleann pipe players and Irish dancers represent the Catholic side,” said volunteer Catherine Treacy.

Darragh Treacy fondly remembers when he joined the orchestra in 2018: “I can still recall my first concert, I was never so scared and excited at the same time.”

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From violin, cello and trumpet, to flute and saxophone, the students perform to the best of their abilities, allowing them to get to some of the biggest stages in the country like the RDS in Dublin and the SSE Arena in Belfast.

However, this doesn’t come easy as the commitments the students make for their art is second to none, travelling from the Midwest to Co Louth every Sunday to rehearse, and even funding all of the travel themselves.

“It’s a big commitment but it’s worth every minute,” says Darragh. “It has changed learning my instrument from being a chore to something I look forward to.”

With renditions of modern hits from The Cranberries and Dire Straits, to traditional Irish music, the show is not your average classical concert.

Mother to Darragh and Anna, Catherine marvels over the range of genres to be heard by the ensemble.

“People think they’re coming to a boring old orchestra that plays classical music”, she laughed, “but the show is a real mix, there’s lots for everybody there, which is what makes it so attractive.”

Following the launch of their tour last Saturday at University of Limerick, the orchestra will travel on to Dublin, Belfast and Waterford before landing at Carnegie Hall to play for one night only on St Patrick’s Day.