Two great nights of entertainment were had at the Scór na nÓg District finals at the weekend. Friday night was the turn of the New Ross and Wexford districts who took to the stage in Carrig on Bannow Community Centre. Clubs participating on the night were St. Martins, Adamstown, Rathgarogue Cushinstown, Bannow Ballymitty and Cloughbawn. The first competition of the night was the Ballad group with the two groups competing progressing to the County Final. Both Ballad Groups came from the local Bannow Ballymitty club. Cathal Cummins, Niamh Colfer, Michael Watts, Leona O’Grady and Daniel Wickham gave a lovely rendition of Cúchulainn’s Son and Neamstown Shore. Following this Leona Reville, Melanie Carthy, Michael Martin, Clem Rossiter and Brandon Boyce sang Grace and Ceol a Píobaire.
The Instrumental Music competition proved to be very strong with teams from St. Martin’s, Rathgarogue Cushinstown, Adamstown and Bannow Ballymitty taking part. Competing for Bannow Ballymitty were three groups. Group 1 members were Johanna Walsh, Kayleigh Moran, Cathal Cummins, Kate Cullen and Leona O’Grady. Group 2 consisted of Cian O’Grady, Anna Harpur, Kiera Reville, Callie Bennett and Jane Rossiter. The third group representing Bannow Ballymitty were Brídín Reville, Joanne Colfer, Melanie Carthy, Leona Reville and Michael Martin. Rathgarogue Cushinstown competitors were Grace and Hope Barron, Emmet O’Sullivan Ryan and Saoirse Carty. Representing St. Martin’s were Niamh Nic Ghiolla Bhríde, Peig Ní Bhuiséir Ní Shúilleabháin, Cláir Ní Chollacáin agus Máire Ní Bhairéad. Meanwhile Evan, Sinéad and Diarmaid Murphy, Sarah O’Brien and Ciarán English competed for Adamstown. Those qualifying for the county final were Adamstown and Bannow Ballymitty Melanie’s group.
In the solo singing competition Brónagh Hogan, Cloughbawn sang Siúl a rúin, Kayleigh Moran, Bannow Ballymitty sang There were Roses and Johanna Walsh Bannow Ballymitty sang Ballyconnell Fair. Brónagh Hogan and Kayleigh Moran qualified for the County Final in this category. The two competitors in the recitation competition both advance to the County Final. Niamh Bridges from St Martin’s recited a piece as Gaeilge “Leite Dhonncha Pheig”. Meanwhile Cloughbawn’s Brónagh Hogan recited Mary Ann Mc Gee. The final competition of the night was the Léiriú with Bannow Ballymitty performing a piece entitled “Cullenstown on the 15th August”. The Bannow Ballymitty team were Cathal Cummins, Kate Cullen, Leona O’ Grady, Johanna Walsh, Niamh Colfer, Michael Watts, Daniel Wickham and Kayleigh Moran. An Píosa a rinne Naomh Máirtín ná “Conas a fuair Naomh Máirtín a ainm”. Niamh agus Aoife Nic Ghiolla Bhríde, Peig Ní Bhuiséir Ní Shùilleabháin, Cláir Ní Chollacáin, Máire Ní Bhairéad agus Phillipa Ní Bhresluin a bhí ag glacadh páirt. Both of these groups also qualified for the county final.
Saturday night was the turn of the Enniscorthy and Gorey District who performed to a packed Oulart Hall. All four figure dancing groups qualified for the county final as there were no dancing groups in Friday nights competition. Two groups represented Naomh Éanna in this competition. Éanna Delaney, Kayleigh Kinsella, Clare Byrne, Blanaid Kenny, Aoife Molloy, Sarah O’Sullivan, Ciara Kennedy, Hannah Willis Lauren Byrne, Chloe O’Brien, Gillian Hayes, Elizabeth O’Sullivan, Caoimhe Kenny, Caoimhe O’Neill, Amy Doran and Ciara Black danced for Naomh Éanna.
Shelmaliers dancers were Aoife and Andrea Fielding, Erin and Thea Kehoe, Aoibhe Murphy and Laura O’ Connor. Cloughbawn competitors were Amy Doyle, Serena Casey, Nikita Buckley, Donna Murphy, Abbey West, Megan Stacey, Áine Doyle and Moesha Dreelan.
Eight competitors took to the stage in the solo singing competition. Representing Oulart the Ballagh were Edward O’Dowd singing Raggle Taggle Gypsies, Aisling Whelan singing Fiddlers Green, Linda Murphy performing Lough Sheelin Side and Aileen Quigley singing Do you Love an Apple. Sinéad and Stephen Furlong represented Buffers Alley with The Home I left behind and the Little Beggarman. Qualifying for the County Final in this category were Grace Murphy, Blackwater with the Streams of Bunclody and Nicole Pierce, Shelmaliers singing Carrigfergus.
The biggest competition on the night was the Instrumental Music competition with eighteen groups taking part. Oulart the Ballagh were represented by seven groups. Oulart musicians were Katie O’Brien, Aileen Quigley, Rose Mc Carthy, Aisling Murphy, Amy O’Sullivan, Sophie Rossiter, Aisling Whelan, Sabrina Kehoe, Grace Murphy, Saoirse Dunne, Regina Prendergast, Darragh Swords, Fiona Bergin, Declan Sinnott, Siobhan Sinnott, Lorcan Nimmo, Niamh Larkin Cooney, Niamh Dempsey, Linda Murphy, Áine Sheridan, Mel Swords, Katie Roche, Niamh Sinnott, Aoife Dunne, Niall Kenny, Molly Gallagher, Pierce Redmond, Sarah Walsh and Maria O’Dowd. Two groups represented Shelmaliers – Grace, Sarah and Nicole Harding Kenny, Conor Roche, Katie Feeney, Enya Byrne, Mikaela Lannigan, Peter and Alison Doyle, Buffers Alley were also represented by two groups – Stephan and Sinéad Furlong, Andrea and Pádraig Kinsella, Cathy Challenor, Saoirse O’Connor and Thomas Reilly. Ferns were also represented by two groups – Ciara Ryan, Marie Celine Lawlor, Oran Fitzpatrick, Lisa Doran, William Dunne and Katie O’Toole. Cloughbawn entered one music group – Jessica Long, Abbey West, Megan West and Darragh Doyle. Representing Ballyhogue were Conor Long, Cian Rochford and Erin Fortune. Ballygarrett, Réalt na Mara entered two groups. Seán Walsh, Brendan Corcoran, Brian Lee, Ellen O’Loughlin and Emma Walsh competed well but it was the group of Cathal Lee, Áine Neary, Kate O’Loughlin and John Furlong who qualified for the County Final. Also qualifying for the County Final were Naomh Éanna’s Róisín Rooney, Aoibheann Doyle, Lorna Cushe, Hilda Browne and Aideen Byrne.
This Naomh Éanna group also qualified in the Ballad Group together with Ferns Oran Fitzpatrick, William Dunne, Lisa Doran and Katie O’Toole. Oulart the Ballagh also had two lovely groups in this competition – Aileen Quigley, Linda Murphy, Maria O’Dowd, Aisling Whelan, Katie O’Brien, Ciara Blake, Sinéad Mythen, Sophie Rossiter and Siobhan Sinnott.
Shelmaliers were the only club in the Léiriú competition with the two groups qualifying for the County Final. Competitors were Anna Whelan, Gary and Adam Murphy, Cathal Harding, Sophie Whelan, Aoife Hearne, Aisling Feeney, Sarah Doyle, Sarah Whelan, Nicole Pierce, Alison Doyle and Ciara McMahon.
Well Done to all competitors who provided great entertainment over the two nights. The county final will take place in Oulart on Dec 7th at 7.30p.m. The Scór Quiz takes place in Killurin on Dec 5th at 7.30p.m. Teams of 4 may compete and this will be run as a table quiz.
