Lots of Laois fun in Portlaoise at Laois Le Chéile – Laois Together
Great fun was had on Saturday last, 11th June when Laois Integration Network and Music Generation Laois organised a joint initiative for this year’s ‘Cruinniú na nOg’ celebrations in Laois.
The event was called ‘Laois Le Chéile – Laois Together’ and it was held at Laois Music Centre on Church Avenue, Portlaoise on Saturday, June 11.
‘Laois Le Chéile – Laois Together’ was an inaugural event and invited all Laois communities, new and existing to acknowledge our diversity through creativity and culture.
- An early year’s music performance with children from the Montague Direct Provision Centre and the Hibernian Direct Provision Centre;
- African Drumming with Laois Africa Support Group;
- Workshops with Music Generation Laois Ukulele Circle and Bodhran/Drumming Circle;
- Exciting rhythms of Beat Goes on a STOMP-style body percussion workshop with Ollie Tunmer.
- Laois Comhaltas joined the fun and young people participated in the Ciorcail Gaeilge and created a fusion with trad music and so much more.
Afro-Brazilian Dance Company - Criola Dance who have performed at All Together Now, Electric Picnic, Body & Soul, Culture night, Five Lamps Festival and more raised the temperature with their high octane – interactive performance.
Laois’s own Music Generation ‘Bandwagon House Band’, fronted by well-known Laois singers James O'Connor and Nuala Kelly, kicked off the afternoon's entertainment! The Bandwagon House Band was made up of Ros O'Meara on drums, John Davidson on fiddle, Siobhan Buckley on harp, David Harte on bass and Tommy Fitzharris on flute and concertina.
Karen McHugh is Chairperson of Laois Integration Network (LIN).
“Laois Le Chéile – Laois Together’ was a welcome opportunity to bring music and integration to the heart of Portlaoise. We were thrilled to be part of Cruinniú na nÓg - a day dedicated to the creativity and talent of young people in Laois, underpinned with the dynamic richness of Laois’s new communities: young people and their families.
Rosa Flannery is the Music Development Officer at Music Generation Laois.
“Music Generation Laois were delighted to celebrate Criunniú na nÓg 2022 on the grounds of Laois Music Centre with a range of music and arts workshops, and live music and dance events. Working in partnership with Laois Integration Network was very exciting. We wanted to ensure all young people in Laois and their families had the opportunity to celebrate Criunniú na nÓg – a national day of creativity for children and young people”, commented Ms Flannery.
Aga Wypychowska is Laois Partnership's Community Development Officer.
“Laois Partnership was delighted to once again support young people to acclimatise to their new home of Laois through creativity and culture at Laois Le Chéile – Laois Together. This was a fantastic initiative by Laois Integration Network and Music Generation Laois to forge a new cultural event in the county and I hope it will become a regular occurrence for the exploration and platforming of the unique talents of young people whist providing opportunities to create, make and experience a wide range of new activities”, said Ms Wypychowska.
Ireland is the first and only country in the world to have a national day of free creativity for children and young people under 18. ‘Cruinniú na nOg’ is a flagship initiative of enabling and encouraging the creative potential of children and young people.