Ballymun Music Programme

The TU Dublin Ballymun Music Programme (originally the Ballymun Wind Band Project) grew out of a ‘Breaking the Cycle’ Initiative, funded by the Department of Education and Science and TU Dublin in St Joseph’s Primary Schools in Ballymun.   The project was conceived to help combat socio-economic disadvantage and also provide an opportunity for children to learn through the arts. 

Beginning with Pre-instrumental Music in Junior Infants, the programme is run in partnership with 4 primary and 3 secondary schools in the greater Ballymun area, these are:

• St Joseph’s Senior National School, Ballymun
• Gaelscoil Bhaíle Munna, Ballymun
• Our Lady of Victories Boys National School, Ballymun
• Trinity Comprehensive School, Ballymun
• The Virgin Mary GNS, Ballymun
• St. Aidan's CBS, Whitehall
• Scoil Chaitríona, Glasnevin      

 The Programme has been enthusiastically received in all of these schools.  Also, in the wider community of parents and extended families, the bands’ concerts and other public appearances are well supported, showing the benefits of playing music are widely appreciated.  Music is now firmly embedded in the fabric of these communities.

The TU Dublin Ballymun Music Programme has been the subject of two films:  A Fanfare for Ballymun (2004, produced by the Media Production Unit of TU Dublin), and Ballymun Lullaby (2011) by Frank Berry.  The Programme has grasped the imagination of the children, parents and the wider community in a very positive way.  

New compositions have added a great impetus to the development of the Music Programme.  Beginning with a composition “ Fire” by Elaine Agnew , for Choir and Wind Band in 2003, the Ballymun Music Programme has been involved in 6 new compositions and performances.   The current one is “ASYLUM”(working title) by Irish composer, Andrew Synnott.