Shane O’Gorman, 6th Year, M.C. for the Talent Show.
The 2nd annual ‘Good Counsel’s Got Talent’ took place on Thursday night and what a lot of talent Good Counsel’s got. There were solo acts, duets and bands performing music from a variety of genre, rock to classical.and also a very impressive street dance act featuring Dylan Chapman and Ahmed Yousif who finished up in third place.
Rory Furlong and his band, with Rory Cooper on bass, made certain the audience were whipped in gear right from the off with a no nonsense version of the Thin Lizzy classic, ‘The Boys are Back in Town’. The pace may have slowed and quickened for the rest of the evening but the quality of the performances was relentless. Aidan O’Leary, who picked up second prize, and Eoghan Brennan both delivered extremely polished acoustic numbers while Mike Waters clearly still touched by Paddy’s Day fever played a wailing electric instrumental version of Amhran na bFhiann which was met with great patriotic approval as if the ball was about to be thrown in to start an All Ireland Final.
Subsequent acts included Frank Lawlor giving a crystal clear rendition of Barry Moore’s ‘City of Chicago’, Rory Cooper playing a piano piece and Conor Dempsey getting carried away in a frenzied account of Tenacious D’s, ‘Tribute’ . Another prize winning duo were Jon Reville and Michael Martin playing Banjo and Bodhran respectively who won the Eanna O’Broin award for emerging talent. The award named after a wonderful teacher of Good Counsel who tragically died 15 years ago went to the 2 Bannow men who had the audience foot tapping to their infectious rhythms and who showed why they have been to the All Ireland Feile finals previously. New ground was broken when the joint Good Counsel/St Marys orchestra performed an Elton John number, with Amy O’Brien and Helen Ryan on vocals backed by a range of instruments including violins and saxophone.
The final act proved to be the winning one as Simon Dunphy on viola Seamus Sutton on mandolin/guitar and Padraig McGrath on banjo /violin were accompanied by Amy O’Brien on accordion as they played a couple of songs including Mumford and Sons, Little Lion Man.
The night was really a celebration of the talent among the young people in our school and it was an opportunity to bring that talent to the attention of peers, parents and teachers alike. it is always a most pleasant surprise to see young students who one sees about the school on a daily basis display remarkable talent that had been kept secret and undisclosed.
Well done to all the artists and to the senior prefects – a word of mention for most entertaining M.C., Shane O’Gorman – and to Mr Younger for all the work involved.
The proceeds of 1,500 euro raised on the night will go to the Goal charity.
Well done to Brian Grace, 1st year and Michael Walsh, 2nd both of whom won Leinster boxing championship titles in Newbridge last weekend and who go on to contest All Ireland titles at Easter. Best of luck to both of them – not men to be messed with clearly.
On Wednesday next the U-14 Badminton team compete in the All Ireland ‘A’ finals in Gormanstown College. Good luck to the team of Ian Carthy, Jack Dunne, Noel Dunne and Stephen O’Gorman and to their coach Ms Byrne.
Also next week the Junior footballers hope to add the U-16 Leinster ‘A’ title to the one already lifted by the U-14’s. I don’t believe the college ever held both titles at once previously although we have won Senior and U-14 in the same years on a few occassions. Good luck to all involved.
And finally, best wishes to Paul Murphy, 1st year, who has trials for the Leinster U-18 golf team this weekend. For one so young to even be in this position is a fine achievement; hopefully things will work out on the fairways and the greens.
