Singing for wellbeing during Mental Health Week

On Saturday October 12th at 3pm in the Johnston Central Library, we are singing alongside the Soul Sibgers and Cuan Crooners to celebrate Mental Health week. This is an open sing, everyone is welcome.

Swing into Christmas on December 8th

We are ringing the bells of change this term and "Swing into Christmas" in the company of Cavan Rugby Club Male Voice Choir, Song Sisters, and Cavan Sinfonia. Tickets from the usual outlets.

2026 AGM

We had our AGM last evening after our rehearsal in the Kilmore Hotel.

Our incoming committee for 2026-2027 was elected as follows:

Chair - Brian McKeever (B)

Secretary - Darragh Hourihane (T)

Treasurer - Bríd Brady (S)

Vice Chair - tbd

PRO/Vice Sec - Dermot McMonagle (B)

Vice Treasurer - Fiona Flynn (S)

Librarian - Mags Amond (T)

As it is our practice to ensure a balance in line representation on the committee, the co-option of line reps - Carmel Gaffney (A) and Orla O'Sullivan (A) will continue.

Many thanks to those who provided refreshments with our cuppa after the meeting.

As a new year of singing together begins, we are Gettin' In The Mood for Christmas

We returned to rehearsal on Tuesday Sept 8th, to begin preparations for a busy term already planned by our Committee with our Musical Director Eileen Tackney.

This term we have a major Christmas concert planned with guests Cavan Rugby Club Male Voice Choir, Song Sisters, and Cavan Sinfonia Orchestra. It will be in the Hotel Kilmore on Tuesday December 8th, with the theme of "Swing Into Christmas". The programme will feature popular and much-lived seasonal music and song. Ticket information will be added here soon, meantime save the date and we will save you a seat.

Also this term we will take part in other celebratory events. Coming up on Saturday afternoon October 10th is an event for Mental Health Week in the Johnston Central Library, and on Sunday afternoon and evening October 25th the 'Gulliver 300' celebrations bring organized by the Co Cavan Arts Office at Cavan Courthouse. On November 6th we will join four other Cavan Choirs - Rugby, Community, Cuan, and Loreto - to sing at an event to help fund a memorial to those who died in the orphanage fire in Cavan of 1943 (more details to follow.)

Medleys & Melodies all played to a packed Proms audience - that's a wrap for 2025-2026

It was a delight to see our first billboard on the Dublin Road into Cavan for the past few weeks. We finally presented our show in the Hotel Kilmore on Tuesday evening to a packed house - the most appreciative audience we could have asked for.

We had one choir, two orchestras, two bands, and in a new bold move - some dancers. We are used to singing with our musical director Eileen Tackney and our accompanist Sue Donohoe; on this occasion we had to build our stage AND an orchestra pit, as both of Sue's orchestras - the Sinfonia and the Youth orchestra, were joining us. We also had a wee trad band as well as our 'forever' favourite band of Peter (guitar), Paul (drums), and Jim (bass), joined on this occasion by John lending us some string sounds on the keyboard.

Eileen is our inspiration, and she and Sue put together a programme to challenge us and delight the audience. The choir and the musicians perfomed seperately and together, Eileen and Sue changing roles gracefully and seamlessly. Evin O'Meara also conducted the orchestras; our bass Hugh Tunney made us proud as he sang several solo pieces with the orchestras. In our own performaces we were also led by individual members of the choir, as listed beow in the programme list. In a surprise move this year, Eileen chose a piece wich called for dance moves and body percussion, so the plywood was added to the stage floor, the set dancing shoes were donned, and the audience was treated to a dozen dancing dames 'breaking it down'. Huh!

This concert was a great collaboration of talents from the community - the combination of voices with full orchestra was a thrill for us in the choir. At the end of the evening, as our chair Brian McKeever paid tribute to Eileen and Sue he also thanked all who had supported us in our work to make the concert happen - all listed below - and most imortantly for us, the audience; he ended with an invitation to  people to consider joining us, espeically if they were tenors :)

So the now stage is packed away, accounts are settled, the choir is resting for the summer ... but the committee never sleeps ... they meet next week to tie up the last few threads and sow the seeds of plans for 2026-2027!

Eileen Tackney, Musical Director

The Sound of Music - Medleys & Melodies

Cavan Singers Summers Proms

@ Hotel Kilmore May 12th 2026 8pm

Cavan Singers :: Musical Director - Eileen Tackney, Accompanist - Sue Donohoe

Cavan Sinfonia Orchestra & Cavan Youth Orchestra
Musical Director - Sue Donohoe, Conductor Evin O’Meara

Act One

✼✼ CAVAN SINGERS ✼✼

COME FLY WITH ME

Lyrics - Sammy Kahn; music - James van Huesen; arr. Kirby Shaw

featuring Hugh Tunney

AUTUMN LEAVES

Lyrics - Johnny Mercer; music Joseph Kosma; arr. Ryan O’Connell

JOLENE

Lyrics & music - Dolly Parton; arr. Mark Brymer

featuring Irene Dunwoody

✼✼ CAVAN SINFONIA ORCHESTRA & CAVAN YOUTH ORCHESTRA ✼✼

COLONEL BOGEY

Composer - Kenneth J. Alford

DUBLIN DANCES

Traditional Irish melodies; arr. Jan Van der Roost

MY WAY

Lyrics - G. Thibaut, C. François, Paul Anka; Music - J. Reveaux; arr. Damian Montalto      

    Solo Hugh Tunney

LOVE’S BEEN GOOD TO ME

Lyrics & music - Rod McKuen; arr. Sue Donohoe

Solo Hugh Tunney

I AM I SAID

Lyrics & music - Neil Diamond

Solo Hugh Tunney, Conductor Evin O’Meara

PALLADIO

Composer - Karl Jenkins; arr. Sue Donohoe

Conductor Evin O’Meara

JUPITER (The Planets Suite)

Composer - Gustav Holst; arr. Sue Donohoe

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

Composer - Hans Zimmer; arr. Klaus Badelt

✼✼ INTERVAL ✼*

Act Two

✼✼ CAVAN SINGERS ✼✼

THE SOUND OF MUSIC medley

Lyrics - Oscar Hammerstein; music - Richard Rodgers; arr. John Leavitt

FOR GOOD (Wicked)

Lyrics & Music - Stephen Schwartz

Duet Jennifer Entee & Maria Battigelli

VILIA (The Merry Widow)

Lyrics Adrian Ross; music Franz Lehar; arr. H. M. Higgs

Solo Pauline Brady

BENDEMEER’S STREAM

Lyrics - Thomas Moore; music traditional Irish; arr. Alfred Scott Gatty

Solo Brian McKeever

SIÚIL A RÚIN

Traditional Irish song; arr. Michael McGlynn

featuring Áine Duffy, Jennifer Entee & Maria Battigelli

AMY’S TUNE

Music - Eileen Tackney; arr. Eileen Tackney

Uilleann Pipes Keenan Smith, Fiddle Niamh Kelly, Bodhrán Evin O’Meara

DANCE!

Lyrics, music & dance direction - Robert T. Gibson

✼✼ CAVAN SINGERS with CAVAN SINFONIA ORCHESTRA & CAVAN YOUTH ORCHESTRA ✼✼

CANTILENA

Lyrics & music - Karl Jenkins

BENEDICTUS (The Armed Man)

Lyrics & music - Karl Jenkins

Viola Sue Donohoe

ADIEMUS

Lyrics & music - Karl Jenkins; arr. Nicholas Hare

MARY POPPINS medley

Lyrics & music - Richard Sherman, Robert Sherman; arr. John Leavitt

✼✼ FINALE✼✼ 

Some lovely pictures here were taken during the evening, thanks to Paul Cox.

[Official pictures of the perfomance are still being processed, we will upload them later]

Clockwise from top left - Hugh Tunny, Pamela Young & Mairead Conaty, Angie Flynn, Rachael Cullivan Elliot, Tony McMahon & Aedine Browne,  Áine Duffy.

Clockwise from top left - Peter Denton, Rachael Cullivan Elliot, Phyllis McMonagle, Mary Haren & Maureen Gaffney, Paul Cox, Jim Kelly

::Cavan Singers wish to thank each person who played their part in this production::

Organising Committee

Brian McKeever, Brid Brady, Carmel Gaffney, Darragh Hourihane, Dermot McMonagle, Fidelma Sheridan, Fiona Flynn, Mags Amond, Orla O’Sullivan

Cavan Singers Musical Director Eileen Tackney Accompanist Sue Donohoe Alto Aedine Browne, Áine Sullivan, Ben Charles, Carmel Gaffney, Catherine Maguire, Dollé Cullivan, Janice Robertson, Mairéad Conaty, Mary Haren, Orla O’Sullivan, Pamela Young, Phyllis McMonagle, Rachael Cullivan, Yvette von Cramon Bass Brian Derham, Brian McKeever, Dermot McMonagle, Hugh Tunney, Jan van Haaster, Kevin O’Connor Soprano Áine Duffy, Angela Costello, Angie Flynn, Anne Smith, Bríd Brady, Fiona Flynn, Fidelma Sheridan, Gay Fannon, Jenny McEntee, Laura McQuaid, Liz Murray, Lucilla O’Hanlon, Maria Battigelli, Mary Sullivan, Mary Lou Reilly, Nora Kennedy, Paula O’Neill, Pauline Brady, Priscilla Gorman, Rita Cullen, Sheila Cooney, Tina Farrelly Tenor Brian McGill, Carmel Lewis, Ciarán Tackney, Darragh Hourihane, Irene Dunwoody, Mags Amond

The Band Guitar Peter Denton Bass Jim Kelly Keyboard John Kelly Drums Paul Cox

Cavan Sinfonia Orchestra Musical Director Sue Donohoe Musicians Helena Brady, Aedine Browne, Shane Cavanagh, Gerry Darcy, Eithne Doyle, Irene Dunwoody, Áine Duffy, Maureen Gaffney, Mary Haren, Marie Henry, Jennifer Jones, Jim Kelly, Niamh Kelly, Carmel Lewis, Tony McMahon, David Mulligan, Sinéad O’Ferral, Evin O’Meara, Paula O’Neill, Margaret Rose Traynor, Fidelma Sheridan, Ashley Wynn, Anette Ziemann

Cavan Youth Orchestra Musical Director Sue Donohoe 
Co Conductors Sue Donohoe & Evin O’Meara 
Musicians Hendrik Altenhoefer, Leo Brandt, Caoimhín Cryan, Christopher King, Vivienne King, Marie Koci, Odhrán McKiernan, Conall McManus, Genieve McManus, Jay Newman, Cian O’Maol Tuile, Dónal O’Meara, Niamh O’Meara, Jamie Smith

Sound & Light Vincent Macklin

Cavan Singers appreciate the generosity of our many volunteer supporters

Backstage & Set John Conlon, Brian Derham, Brian McKeever, Kevin O'Connor, Leon Lynch, Sue Dononoe

Front of House Andrew Fannon, Colman Smith, Dermot McMonagle

Orchestra Organisation & Support Ashley Gordon, Maureen Gaffney, Sinéad O'Ferral of CSO; Nuala Gordon, Zoe Wells of CYO

Tickets Sales Cavan Gifts - Eddie Coleman, Liz Murray; Hotel Kilmore reception staff

Publicity Abbeyset; Anglo Celt Newspaper; Mel's Signs

Raffle Prize Donors Absolute Jewellry, Café Mana, Cavan Crystal Hotel, Cavan Gifts, Dunnes Stores, Hotel Kilmore, House of Fabric, Latté Da café, D & P McMonagle, Peoples Restaurant, Shades Restaurant

Last term rehearsals for out summer proms concert

Here we go - poster is ready - rehearsals are in full swing - don't miss it!

A wonderful evening in Rockcorry on Friday March 27th 2026

 

Front page of our programme, design by Abbeyset Cavan

Many thanks to Rockcorry Community Development Assocation for inviting us to perform in St Mary's Church at a fundraiser for their local community. Pascal Smyth and his committee treated us royally, sending a bus to collect and deliver us to and from Cavan, providing "green room" hospitality, making the church made as atmospheric as any concert hall, and filled the house with a most appreciative audience. It is alway lovely to see an audience reacting to the lyrics and the music - and no better folk than Monaghan folk to know good music when they hear it. 

This was our programme ... we are so proud that all our solos and duets came from choir members. We are lucky as ever to have Eileen Tackney and Sue Donohue directing and accompanying us. 

Act One

LOOK AT THE WORLD
PILGRIM SONG
NOEL
CAN'T HELP FALLING
COME FLY WITH ME
THE SOUND OF MUSIC medley

THE PRAYER
MY WAY
THE ROSARY

 Act Two

ONE MORE DAY
BOTH SIDES NOW
VILIA

NINE HUNDRED MILES
CANTAR!
ADIEMUS
VIVA LA VIDA
MARY POPPINS medley
JOSHUA                      

We now go back into rehearsal for our next outing on Tuesday May 12th in the Kilmore Hotel, our annual 'proms' concert, The Sound of Music - Medleys & Melodies

Getting ready to return to Rockcorry

We are rehearsing now for our next Concert - in St Mary's Church in Rockcorry Co. Monaghan, on Friday March 27th at 8pm, we will perform at the invitation of the Rockcorry Community Development Association. They are a vibrant group with serious plans in mind for their village - all is laid out on their website rockcorry.ie

We have a program of full choral pieces, and 6 solo and duet performances from members of our choir. There is a mix of classical, popular, traditional, and sacred music, in a programme arranged by our Musical Director Eileen Tackney.

As a community choir we like to sing in various venues - the last time we sang in Rockcorry was an informal Christmas Carols lperformance many many years ago with our then Director Fr Charlie O'Gorman, in McCormick's pub, at the invitation of Eileen McCormick!

The poster below has details of how to get tickets, and how to reach the venue. See you there.

[text: RCDA presents Cavan Singers, Friday 27 March, St Mary's Church Rockcorry, H18XF88 at 8pm sharp. Tickets 25Euro, available in Coyle's Shop, Fitzpatrick's Bar, or call 0868161028]

Supporting HUGG and SVP in Cavan

Thanks to the generosity of shoppers who heard us singing at the Christmas Market on December 13th, our buckets were filled with hundreds of euro. We were happy to donate the proceeds of Carol Singing to two local voluntary groups, handing over a cheque for 500 each to representatives of Hugg and St Vincent de Paul. Both groups support people in need, and we are grateful for their service to the community.

Photograph courtesy of Anglo Celt newspaper

left to right: Brian McKeever (Chair), Joseph McCabe and Patricia Smith (HUGG), Bríd Brady (Treasurer), Dermot McMonagle PRO.

A busy December end to 2025

We had three seasonal outings in Decmember with our Musical Director Eileen Tackney and Accompanist Sue Donohue.

Church of Ireland, Cavan Town, Sunday December 7th

We have sung at the Church of Ireland annual Christmas service every years since the late 80s. Although the Nativivity Play was sadly missed this year, we appreciated the recent and ongoing refurbishment of the building.

Cathedral of SS Patrick & Felim, Cavan Town, Wednesday December 10th

The annual carol servive in the Cathedral invites us to join with the Cathedral Choir and the choirs from the schools of the town - Breifne, Loreto, St. Patrick's Colleges and the Royal School - to sign together. For our offering at both occassions we sang the pieces we had been rehearsing since September:

And The Glory of the Lord, from Messiah (Handel), organist Louis McEntee

Noel, (Redman), soloist Maria Battigelli 

Carols at the Christmas Market, Saturday December 15th, 1pm-3pm

Every year we apply for permission from Cavan County Council and An Garda Síochana to sing and collect money from the public in aid of a local or national charity. This year we had the company of Santa Claus who had his naughty and nice book for the children of families who stopped to talk to him and get selfies. We also had our accompaist Sue hidden under an awning to protect her from the weather. Despite the awful weather, the public were very generous. 

Our nominated causes were

1.Society of St Vincent de Paul, Cavan and

2. HUGG Suicide Bereavement Support Group, Cavan

Official donation bucket labels

Santa & the Elves - Bríd, Tony, Trish, Mags, & Mary

We had our last rehearsal of 2025 on Tuesday December 16th in the Hotel Kilmore [working on some of the medleys for our 2016 repertoire] followed by a quiet end-of-year cuppa and chat. Wishing everyone a lovely break, and looking forward to resuming rehearsals together on Tuesday January 13th 2026.

Cavan Public Participation Network Winter Community Gathering in Ballyconnell

We were invited to sing at the Winter Community Gathering of the Cavan Public Participation Network on Friday November 7th. It was also the first event at the beautifully refurbished Market House in Ballyconnell town. As the venue was small, we were a reduced choir. The audience was very appreciative. Thank you to Daniel, Finian, and Aisling of PPN for organising the evebt and including us.

We sang

1 Cantar

2 Can't Help Falling in Love With You

3 My Wales Home (solo Brian McKeever)

4 Viva La Vida

Pictured below with our Musical Directors and Accompanist Sue Donohoe (l to r) are:

Alto

Pamela Young, Phyllis McMonagle, Ben Charles, Yvette von Cramon, Mary Haren

Bass

Jan van Haster, Dermot McMonagle, Brian McKeever 

Tenor

Mags Amond, Darragh Hourihan, Carmel Lewis

Soprano

Angela Cosgrove, Bríd Brady, Nora Kennedy, Lucilla O'Hanlon, Pauline Brady, Áine Duffy

City of Derry International Choral Festival

We had a terrific weekend at the City of Derry International Choral Festival.

Our official itinerary had us walking to our performances across the Peace Bridge several times. We sang at the train station as the train from Belfast pulled into the station behind us; we sang in the Freemasons Hall and listened to choirs from Wales and Sligo; and we sang in All Saints Church and listened to the local Doire Calgeach choir, finishing with a joint rendition of The Derry Air, Oh Danny Boy.

Our unofficial itinerary took us as a group to the Derry Girls mural for a family photo,  but from there who knows who went where? It's true that they say - what goes on tour stays on tour 😉.

As ever with our trips away, the in-between times were filled with conversation and song, a chance to catch up with each other.

Thank you, Derry

Our Programme for the City of Derry International Choral Festival 2025

The bus is booked, and we are packing our cases. As soon as we cast our votes in the Presidential Election on Friday we head north to be part of the City of Derry International Choral Festival. We are singing in two Community Concerts, and at one stage on the Choral Trail, with our Musical Director Eileen Tackney and Accompanist Sue Donohoe. 

Our repertoire is:

Joshua 

Nine Hundred Miles

Siuil a Ruin

Viva La Vida.

The Choral Trail schedule is here https://derrychoirfest.com/2025-festival/choral-trails/

The Community Concert schedule is here https://derrychoirfest.com/2025-festival/community-concerts/

Donation for medical aid to Palestine

As a non-profit community organisation, we always donate the post-expenses income from our performance to a charitable cause nominated by the choir members. This year we chose to support medical aid for victims of conflict in Palestine.

On Tuesday Sept 30th, our Committee Officers handed over a cheque with our post-proms donation to Gráinne Dunne, representative of Trócaire, who facilitated our donation.

We are grateful as ever to our choir members, our volunteer helpers, our donors, and our audience members for the generosity of their support.

Pictured below, left to right:

Fidelma Sheridan (Chair), Dermot McMonagle (PRO),  Gráinne Dunne (Trócaire), Bríd Brady (Treasurer), Paula O'Neill (Secretary).

Sing Ireland Community Highlight September 2025

 It was a good way to start the 2025-2026 year ... being featured as the September community highlight for the Sing Ireland monthly newsletter. This was a nice surprise for us to see.

[the link referred to in the newsletter page is to our Arts+Health Case Study, here]

Our Musical Director Eileen Tackney has been busy over the summer planning our programme of songs for the year, the committee have been busy arranging our calendar. We are well into rehearsals already, and our Annual General Meeting takes place after next week's rehearsal. 

Meeting our new Arts Officer at the Cavan PPN Summer Seminar

 It was our delight to be at the recent Summer Seminar of the Cavan Public Participation Network, which happened to be the first event for our new Arts Officer, Karina Charles. We wish her well in her new role; we have good memories of performing together at past events, and we look forward to working together in the future.

The Public Partcipation Netwrok is a nationwide organisation, in each county, whose remit is to be

"The collective voice for all community and voluntary, environmental and social inclusion organisations in Cavan, its purpose is to improve people’s well-being by involving the community in local decision-making"

As a community choir, we are delighted to be part of such a network in our county.

The website is at https://www.cavanppn.ie/

The latest newsletter is at https://www.cavanppn.ie/post/cavan-community-enews-20-6-25

This seminar was held in the museum in Ballyjamesduff. Cavan Singers were represented by Brid Brady, Carmel Gaffney, and Mags Amond. The room was full of volunteers from community organisations all over the county. Daniel Downey and Finian McNamara gave us an overview of the work of the PPN. Our guest of honour was Arts Officer Karina Charles; we also had interviews with representatives of Tidy Towns and accesibiloity advocacy; music by Cormac McCann; and as a special treat at the end we were entertained to a performance by a very talented young Irish Dance troupe.

Thank you to the organisers Aisling, Daniel, Finian, and our hosts at the museum, for a great evening.

May 13th 2025 - Sacred Songs & Sounds - Cathedral of SS. Patrick & Phelim, Cavan

Our 2025 summer concert, Sacred Songs & Sounds, took place in the Cathedral of SS. Patrick & Phelim, Cavan on May 13th at 8pm. We have to thank a lot of people who made this evening happen - 

> Fr. Kevin Fay and the parish of Urney and Annagelliff for the wonderful venue;

> Cavan Gifts Main St., the Town Hall Theatre staff, and Trocaire for ticket sales;

 > Anglo Celt, RTÉ Lyricfm, and Cavan Public Partcipation Partnership Network for PR;

> Panic Sound's wizard (and elves) for seemingly invisible setting up (and down);

> our patient Front of House and Backstage volunteers Terry, Mary, Seamus, Andrew, Pat, Raymond, and Colman

> our multi-tasking committee for logisitics all term and refreshments on the night;

> the inspiring duo Eileen & Sue who raise us up from start to finish;

> (and most importanly) those who bought our tickets and made donations ... we are *nothing* without the audience that supports us, and listens as we sing.

Trócaire donation link

Trócaire is helping us to deliver our donation from the Sacred Songs & Sounds concert in Cavan Cathedral on May 13th 2025. We thank them for this. Our thanks to all who bought tickets or made donations. The donation page remains open ...

https://platform.payzone.ie/customer/10770/product-list/details/30283 

Bealtaine Tea Party

Image credit: Pauline McDonald Smith

We had a lovely afternoon in the Johnston Central Library on Tuesday May 6th. Libraries across the country invited people to celebtrate Bealtaine together at an indoor picnic with music and singing.

We sang four sings - Look at the World, The Pilgrim, Can't Help Falling in Love with You, and All The Jazz. It was lovely to have some former members attending, and to see folk joining in. We also enjoyed singing along with Teresa McKiernan and the Friends of Parkinson's Singers, some of whom are former members of Cavan Singers. Thanks to Pauline McDonald-Smith and her colleagues at the library for organising the Bealtaine picnic and inviting us to be part of it it all.

Image credit: Mags Amond

Where We Belong - podcast launch

We were delighted to attend the launch of the Heritage Council podcast series Where We Belong' yesterday in Breffni Park Gallery. We were represented by committee members Fidelma Sheridan & Brid Brady, and basses Dermot McMonagle & Jan van Haster who took part with tenor Mags Amond in our podcast recording. Dermot & Jan are pictured here at the event with producers Savina Donohue & Alan Bradley