Blue Ribbon Junior Eurovision -Laura Foody, Kyra McBrearty, Ciara O Malley, Aife Davis (all pupils of Loreto Convent, Letterkenny) and Jason McLaughlin (Errigal College) representing Blue Ribbon Arts, under the band name, ‘Sceitimíní’, with Trudy O'Donnell, Brighdin Carr and Jason Fiel. Photo Clive Wasson
As children and teens all over Ireland return to school this September, most are dreaming ahead to next Summer and the hope of some good weather!
However, for one Letterkenny based group of friends, September means the excitement of a road trip to Dublin’s RTE studio and dreams of winning the chance to represent Ireland in the country’s first ever attempt at entering Junior Eurovision.
Blue Ribbon Junior Eurovision -Laura Foody, Kyra McBrearty, Ciara O Malley, Aife Davis (all pupils of Loreto Convent, Letterkenny) and Jason McLaughlin (Errigal College) representing Blue Ribbon Arts, under the band name, ‘Sceitimíní’, with Trudy O'Donnell, Brighdin Carr and Jason Fiel. Photo Clive Wasson
Laura Foody, Kyra McBrearty, Ciara O Malley, Aife Davis (all pupils of Loreto Convent, Letterkenny) and Jason McLaughlin (Errigal College) representing Blue Ribbon Arts, under the band name, ‘Sceitimíní’, have successfully auditioned their way through the ranks to make it to the final selection for a new TV show, hosted by Adare Productions, Dublin, which will be broadcast in October in RTE.
Their winning song, ‘Sé Seo’, co-written by Pan Celtic Winner Brighdín Carr, highlights the choices facing teenagers and families in the current climate, and the hope that Ireland’s youth will never forget where they came from and promise to return to their families, no matter whether in spirit, heart or body.
When Adare Productions began their competition, the rules were clear. Children must be between the ages of 10 and 15 on the day of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, in Bulgaria, on 21st November, 2015.
Indeed the eldest member of the group, Laura Foody, makes the deadline by a mere two days, turning 16 on the 23rd November.
Next, the children had to have at least one person involved in the creation of the song they wished to enter.
As Brighdín and the secondary school students had already had written the bones of a song, ‘Sé seo mo ghuí’, when writing for the National Pan Celtic Song Contest, (which was then discarded by her group, Foireann Brí, in favour of ‘Árainn Mhór’, which went on to win the National title), the group had another look at the song and decided to tweak the lyrics, modernise the genre and make it their own.
Incidentally, it emerged that from a nationwide selection process and auditions which were held in 5 venues around the country as well as Dublin, only six acts from Donegal had made it through to the next round.
Amazingly,three of those acts were from Blue Ribbon Arts.
Juniors ‘Cúig’ (Daithí Freeburn, Lurgybrack NS; Padraig Gallagher, Abbie McNulty, Gillian Reynolds and Clíodhna Patton, Woodlands NS) , with their song ‘Stad Na Deora’ and ‘Cómhrá’ (Clodagh Sweeney, (Woodlands NS, Sinéad MacIntyre, Caoimhe Gallagher, Laura Bonar and Shauna Higgins, Gaelscoil Adhamhnain;), who co-penned their song, ‘Éistigí Linn’. Both groups and songs represented their county well, and will perform them in upcoming concerts over Culture Weekend. Sceitimíní, however, along with another inspirational young group from Donegal Town, ‘Revolutionary’, (winners of the Mary From Dungloe Busking Competition) will now carry the flag for the county.
With the news that they were through to Round C, the televised show, Sceitimíní have certainly upped their game.
Three of the team are no strangers to competition as they were fortunate to be a part of the Foireann Brí group when Foireann Brí won the Pan Celtic this year. With the additional help of bandmates and mentors Trudy O Donnell and Jason Friel, as well as choreography mentoring from Blue Ribbon Leader, Victoria Wilson, Sceitimíní and Brighdín are busy in rehearsal as they look forward to delivering their entry on our screens this coming month.
Go n-éirí an bhóthair leo go léir.