Lockdown Live - a taste of talent

The “Lockdown Live” school Zoom event on February 8th blew away the blues if only for an afternoon with a showcase of talent in MCS. Music, song and a bit more made for a fun evening and a break from the books.

The event, dreamed up and organised by Mr O’Neill, involved 15 groups and individuals revealing talents hidden by recent times, as school events have been cancelled. The ‘Live at the Marquee’ reminded us the talent and fun were still bubbling away beneath the surface. People have been practising away behind the scenes and “Lockdown Live” allowed us the fun of playing together again, if only for an afternoon.

Taking part were: Diarmuid and Tomas Cronin, playing a march on piano and accordion; Katie O’Sullivan singing ‘follow the heron home’ with guitar; Cathy and Christopher Byrnes, with a slip jig on banjo and flute; then Oliver Strizzi astouded us all with his 50 second Rubik’s cube solution; Avril Manning on piano; Anna Moynihan and Katie O’Sullivan on piano and concertina with ‘the mountains of Pomeroy’; Conor Lehane on tin whistle; Katie Sheehan on tin whistle with a unique take on Avicii; a selection of wild and wonderful tiktoks, involving Rihanna Collins, who, despite all, did not cry, then some live drumming from Blaithin Dennehy, followed by the dazzling skills of Darragh Cashman and the masked Mr McGuckan; Tomas Cronin on piano; Claire Lyons on the fiddle with two jigs; Maggie Moynihan with her All-Ireland winning rendition of ‘the parting glass’; and Ellen Cronin with a jig on the fiddle.

Thanks to organiser Mr O’Neill, as well as host Mr O’Síodhcháin and judges Ms Sheehy and Ms English. All were very impressed and taking the €50 vouchers on the day were Katie and Anna, Blaithin and Conor.

Zoom helped us recover the fun of being together celebrating the fun and talent that makes MCS what it is, so thanks to all and we look forward to more online events.