The fifth and final concert in the Carpe Diem series takes place on Saturday night, March 11, in O’Sullivan’s Hotel, Gort. The series was inaugurated in remembrance of Eimear Noonan from Caher in County, Clare.

Eimear, a young teacher and musician who had studied at Coole Music School in Gort, died in 2017 following an accident in France and this event in her honour was the brainchild of Katharina Baker, the director of Coole Music, and Fiona Buckley.

Following the success of the initial sell-out concert, Eimear’s family established the Eimear Noonan Bursary and for the past four years, that has helped support highly-talented students of music at third level. To date, 25 students have received an Eimear Noonan Bursary.

The fund has also supported several music departments in secondary schools in the South Galway and Clare areas. Coole Music and Arts, as well as Comhaltas groups and orchestras in Gort, Kinvara and UCC, where Eimear studied, have also received support. In 2022, the fund also supported Welcome Ukrainian groups in Gort and Flagmount, County Clare.

In 2020, during the early days of Covid, the initiative went viral when hundreds of singers, musicians and dancers performed online for Carpe Diem. They received huge acclaim and attracted 90,000 viewers.

The organising committee and the Noonan family especially, have expressed their thanks to the many people who have supported this initiative through the years. The series, they say, “showcases the finest performances, across so many genres, of the region’s many talented young people”.

Saturday, March 11, is the final night when people can seize this particular day, with a wonderful night’s entertainment and fun in store.

Tickets for Carpe Diem Forever – Let The Music Play On, are available online from Eventbrite, from Sullivans Hotel in Gort, from Gort, and Scariff Credit Unions, and a limited amount will be available on the door on the night.