By: Yannick Daly Trillaud, Ted Taylor and Joe Brice

2023 has been a great year for our Trad Group. The lifting of the covid restrictions this  year really helped us to get back to what we do best, with even more gigs and new members joining this year! We worked hard on expanding our repertoire and even added a new gig to the calendar when we filled the corridors of CSN with a selection of Christmas Carols for the launch Christmas SVP Food appeal on December 5th 2022. 

This year we performed for our Incoming First Year Open Night. This is always a good opportunity for the Trad Group to help inspire and display what new students can do in our school. We performed for the Lord Mayor Deirdre Fordes when she visited on September 28th 2022 and also for Bishop Galvin’s visit as part of Catholic Schools week. In March we took part in the PBST Féile Na Toirbhirte in Presentation College. However the highlight of the year was when we were asked to perform at the opening of the Leaf Centre at Mardyke House, where we played for the Taoiseach Mícheal Martin on the 5th December 2022.

The Trad Group is a place where aspiring musicians are welcomed into the social circle of music. Meeting every week, people develop new bonds and friendships that will last for a lifetime. In addition to this, the Trad Group is also a great place for older, more experienced students to pass their valuable knowledge down to the younger generation, helping to improve and develop the skill of newer members.

But of course, none of this would be possible without the one, the only, the wonderful Ms.Dorgan. She has led the Trad Group from the beginning. The Trad Group would simply not be possible without her. We also would like to thank our wonderful sixth years Timmy O Riordan, Christian Gowen and Oscar Ó Corráin who are leaving this year. They have been with us since day one and have proven their loyalty to the Trad Group with their efforts and performances.

We would like to thank Mrs Cleary for helping to organise our performances and to Brother Simon for his support and encouragement.

Finally, we wish to express our gratitude to all of the members of the Trad Group for the fantastic effort they have all put in this year.

Our Junior Trad musicians of the year were Joe Brice, Ted Taylor and Yannick Daly Trillaud. Well done to them!

We look forward to many more performances, growing our numbers and much fun for the next school year!

Chris Furlong is a member of our Trad Group and has had a very successful year competing in Music Competitions. Chris won all of these competitions playing Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor Op.16. He has been playing piano for 6 years and studies piano in the Cork School of Music with Michael Joyce (his teacher and accompanist).

• 1st Place in the Cork School of Music Junior Multi-instrument Competition in Christmas 2022 (Under 17s)
• 1st place in the Feis Maitiu Senior Piano Competition 2023 in February (Under 25s)
• 1st place in Feis Maitiu Piano Prizewinners Perpetual Cup in February 2023 (Under 25s)
• 1st place in the Feis Ceoil Dublin International Junior Piano Concerto Competition in March 2023 (Under 17s)

Congratulations to him from all in CSN!