August 15th, 1998, Omagh will always be synonymous with the worst terrorist attack that visited Northern Ireland during the troubles. I, like so many others, watched in disbelief when the images flashed up on the screen that Saturday evening; me chasing the dream hand in a card game in our family pub, the ’64’, in Gorey and they, blood-soaked and bewildered, cradling each other beneath the haze. Nothing was said yet an unspoken truth connected all of us at the rawest of levels to the grief of a people we had never met before.
On the walk home that evening, my gaze was drawn to the lengthening shadows of the trees on The Avenue as they bowed in quiet homage to the setting sun. I know now what I sensed then; a line had been crossed. No ideology, no cause, could justify the killing of so many women, men, children, including a mother of unborn twins, and leave the living with wounds that would never heal. 31 lives lost in an instant – for what?… Against the darkening skies, the light of the distant stars became more visible. A faint flicker is all it takes to give hope. The stoic courage of decent people would inspire me in ways I could not have imagined.
15 year old Claire Gallagher had arranged to meet friends in town that fateful day. Their weekly ritual of catching up on the latest gossip over coffee was interrupted by the piercing wail of sirens outside. Police were alerted to live explosives in a car near the Court House at the upper end of the town. People were urged to move to a hastily erected security cordon on the lower Main Street until the threat had passed. Hoax or not, the call had to be taken seriously. An eerie silence descended upon deserted streets as Claire and her friends left the sanctuary of the cafe behind.
Warnings of this kind were routine in the Province that summer. It was the inconvenience, more than any impending danger, that bothered people the most. Prime time Saturday afternoon, this disruption needed to pass, and quickly, so that everyone could get on with their day. Shop assistants, day trippers, locals and visitors alike, even Spanish students visiting the town with their host families from Donegal – all funnelled into this one space under the reassuring glow of the afternoon sun. Claire leaned against a shop wall chatting away with her friends oblivious to the 500lb bomb in a small, red Vauxhall Cavalier just metres away. 3.10pm the bomb exploded. Time stood still.
Over a quarter of a century on, Claire is married to Ryan Bowes and they have 2 boys, Oran and Conor, and a daughter Cara. Within months of the bomb, she was back in school completing her O level exams on the way to realising her childhood dream of becoming a piano teacher. By her early 30s, she had opened her own Music Academy in Omagh – inspiring her students with her infectious positivity and unwavering belief in each one of them. Claire graduated February ’24 with a Master of Arts in Music Psychology for Education, Performance and Wellbeing from University of Sheffield. What makes Claire’s story all the more remarkable is that she has achieved all this without sight. The bomb in her hometown robbed her of so much, yet, it did not have the last word. No explosion would define her future. She would!
March 1999, just 7 months after the bomb, Claire came to Waterford to accept the St. Angela’s International Peace and Justice Award. There she was, sitting alongside Phil Coulter, playing Danny Boy on a grand piano mesmerising the large gathering of students and parents. Each note soared with haunting simplicity homeward to a place only she could see. We had become private spectators to a courage mustered from somewhere deep within. We all felt it. Not a word was spoken. We wrapped up the evening with a wee surprise for our special guest – a poignant rendering of ‘Bridge over Trouble Water’ with our own Folk Group in the school joined by Claire’s classmates live from their Music Room, Loreto, Omagh. Two choirs, miles apart, rose in unison on one giant screen to signal a new dawn. A spark had been lit!
Little did we know that what started that night 25 years ago this month would grow into what we now have today. The origins of the choir are etched deeply into our sound. Together our voices and our harmonies rise as one to reveal how difference and discord can give way to something greater. The choir has evolved over the years to include members from Omagh, Waterford, Gorey, Ramsgrange, Dublin and Tullow along with our 5 new members from Ukraine to become the Island of Ireland Peace Choir we have today. Each of the 35 voices in the choir, each person in the choir, each harmony line, no matter how diverse, has its rightful place. Our song and our story exist side by side.
Over the past few years, we have performed in concerts throughout the island of Ireland, most notably in Northern Ireland’s Government Buildings in Stormont and in The Odyssey Arena, Belfast. We’ve had the honour of singing the anthems in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin at soccer internationals and opened the 1916 commemorations in the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin. The choir travelled to Sri Lanka in 2008 to sing in the Children’s Homes that we had raised funds for in the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. We visited Messines, Belgium in 2014 to mark the 100th anniversary of the ‘Christmas Peace Truce’ and performed in Krakow in 2017 in line with our commitment to bring our message of peace to places synonymous with persecution. Our origins lie in Omagh, our inspiration; Claire.
I have always admired the effortless, rich beautiful sound created by the choir. There is such a huge sense of community, friendship and understanding among all the members which is to be admired. Mutual respect and understanding is at their core. The power of music is evident through the connections formed through the love of singing to bring together people from various backgrounds and all parts of Ireland to share their love of music and singing. It is very special. I feel privileged to have been in the company of the choir so often during rehearsals and during concert performances. (Claire)
25 years on and we’re still singing. So much has changed in my life over these years yet the Peace Choir has remained that one constant. We have not lost our hunger to do what we do; planning new events, choosing new pieces, ‘fine-tuning’ our sound – dedicating ourselves to giving our all to every event no matter how small. Taizé on the first Friday of the month in The Edmund Rice Chapel matters every bit as much as our more high profile events. It pays to keep pressing forward, to enjoy the moment yet see it as a stepping stone to where we want to be. Our longevity as a choir owes so much to the people who have given selfless dedication to the choir for many years often making the round trip from Omagh to Waterford to help us keep the show on the road. These people have shaped what we have become. We’ve had great times, fun times, hard times too but we’ve endured.
We’ve had many people over the years who have looked after us all so well North and South. Drew and Linda Hamilton in Omagh, our Honorary Lifetime Presidents, have remained unwavering in their support of the Peace Choir to this day. People of their kind show love in very tangible ways; feeding us, making sure we’ve a bed to sleep in when we travel up North, sorting the logistics for venues in advance of our visit and so much more. The choir would not be still here without them. Back in the day when we first started out, Omagh was a 7 hour journey from Waterford. It’s not a case of popping down to the local community hall for rehearsal. It involves travel and sacrifice but the welcome and hospitality we receive on arrival make it all worthwhile. We do not forget!
Every choir needs a spiritual home and ours is The Edmund Rice Chapel in Waterford. We’ve gathered there for our workshops and our monthly Taizé Vigil for Peace. There’s something about this space – its curved design makes it all the more inclusive, its ambience all the more powerful by the presence of the resting place of Blessed Edmund. Our Taizé Vigils have become a sanctuary of sorts for people seeking spiritual solace and peace. We all feel it. The chapel, the music, the candlelight, the cross – combine to transport us to a place where the stirrings of the mind yield to something deeper and calming. The kindness of The Edmund Rice Brothers has carried us more than they’ll ever know. Brothers Phil, Kevin, Peadar, John, Raymond, Christy, Pat, Seamus, Gerry, Ian, Steve, Sean and so many more truly embody the spirit of their founder in ways that continue to give hope to so many.
The story of the Peace Choir has yet to run its course. We’re marking our 25th anniversary with a series of vigils and concerts around Ireland. I guess an anniversary of this kind is worth marking. This Easter we’ll also be travelling to Wales to host a ‘Vigil for Peace’ in St David’s Cathedral. We may be just a small, even microscopic, movement for peace in the universal scheme of things but therein lies the beauty. We’ve tried to stay grounded and humble and above all to stay true to ourselves. Each note matters in the wider melodic symphony to which we all belong. Each person matters. Peace matters.
Other Voices…
Reflections from friends of the Peace Choir to mark our 25th anniversary
The merging of the folk group in the school with students from Omagh in the aftermath of the bombing was an inspired moment, even though it began in darkness. Notable from the very start was where the music absolutely soared in places, and yet became hushed and mellow at times to create a similar but very different effect. The sound is unique to the choir. The sheer beauty of the music, the commitment of everybody involved and the raising of the spiritual level were marked. To hear the choir in Mount Melleray Abbey and Mount Sion all these years later continue to do what they’ve always done was both uplifting and inspiring. All in all, the Peace Choir has added colour and vibrancy to our lives. Long may they sing.
Don Devine – St Angelas’s Secondary School, Waterford.
Joy, love and peace permeated the audience as artists, choirs and musicians lifted our very souls and united us in our common humanity when we gathering in Christ Church Celbridge for the ‘Concert for Peace’. The Island of Ireland Peace Choir stole our hearts with their magnificent harmonies and songs brimming with spirituality and hope for a better world. The special guests of the evening were the High Hopes Choir and they brought the house down as they joined The Peace Choir on stage. They sang their hearts out. Although The High Hopes have suffered so much throughout their lives, they exhibited real joy, and each member had a twinkle in their eye. The older members of the choir were treated with such dignity and respect by the younger members it was clear to see how much they cared for each other. It was more than just a concert.
Mary Kelly – Celbridge.
Most people will remember the first time they heard the Peace Choir. I certainly do – it was in The Folly Church in Waterford and I remember the goosebumps. Their music touched my soul. May Phil, Elaine and all the choir continue to weave their magic for many years to come. Shalom… My first experience of the Peace Choir was twenty years ago and while I didn’t know what to expect, it turned out to be a wonderful occasion. Its combined music, songs and meaningful reflections. I continue to enjoy the Peace Choir thanks to Phil and Elaine who have put so much work and effort into it and making it a resounding success.
Frances Doyle & Anna Glavin – Waterford.
I have been to many concerts in my 50 plus years but I have rarely been so deeply moved as I was when we had the privilege of hosting the Island of Ireland Peace Choir and special guests The High Hopes Choir, Deirdre Masterson and Declan Kelly in Christ Church Celbridge. The combination of amateur and professional voices and musicians was quite magical. All egos were left behind as they performed together a musical vision of the beautiful harmony we so desire in this world. Familiar songs and melodies took on new meaning as this choir born out of a moment of despair and destruction reminded us of the essential unity and beauty of our common humanity. For those of us present it was impossible not to join in and sing with them and that song was a song of Hope.
Rev Stephen Neill – Christ Church, Celbridge.
Being in the company of the Peace Choir is like resting in a safe place. Their harmonies are stunningly beautiful as they weave a spiritual thread that brings people closer to us we can’t see. Time in the presence of this choir is uplifting and deeply moving giving badly needed hope in the perilous times in which we live. The choir’s hard working ethics has seen them deliver spiritual musical master classes for the past twenty five years. Their sound is a fitting homage to their message of hope against the backdrop of the shameful atrocity in Omagh. I have discovered amongst the shadows of burning candles in the Edmund Rice Chapel how their mystical notes and breath-taking harmony can warm the soul and lead us to a peace the world does not always offer. In my humble opinion the Peace Choir are the ultimate ambassadors for music, for their families but most of all for all that is good in life itself.
Ger O Brien – Waterford City Massed Bands Concert Producer.
The last 20 years of my involvement with Taizé has helped me to make so many friends and has created a space for me, and many others, to experience spiritual peace. Phil and Elaine have been the real people behind this venture. These monthly vigils have brought hope to people in a world where many are struggling in a way the world does not always see. When you see the same people coming back and bringing their families to this event, you know they are receiving the peace that our world so needs. During the pandemic, Taizé still continued with monthly online vigils and provided a time of calm and reassurance through the uncertainty and pain of it all. The Peace Choir gave us all a sense that God is with us in our struggles. If I can sum up in a few words what the Peace Choir have released into the world over the past quarter of a century I would say – Hope – Peace – Friendship – Solidarity.
Kevin Mascarenhas – Presentation Brother.
The Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens have been privileged to host this wonderful choir on several occasions in recent years. Their presence never fails to bring a sense of joy and peace. Their ethos resonates through their music echoing the same noble sentiments of President John F Kennedy in founding the Peace Corps in 1963 to promote “genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men, women and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children – not merely peace in our time but peace for all time.” The Peace Choir has broadened its mandate to include amongst its members many of the new Irish, who have found homes in Ireland amidst the turbulence and war in the Europe of our times. We were especially pleased to host a very moving concert organised by the Peace Choir where significant support was raised to help settle in the newly displaced Ukrainians who came to live in Tramore. We wish them continued success over the next 25 years.
Agnes Aylward – Founder & Project Director, Lafcadio Hearn Gardens, Tramore.
I remember the day well when I first heard of the Peace Choir – and the rest as they say is history… My Mam, Clare, expressed a final wish to have the Peace Choir sing at her funeral. Up to that moment I admit I had not heard of them, but I knew my Mam and I knew that their music and song must have touched her deeply to ask for them. Her lifelong friend, Fr John Hughes, turned to me and said ‘Auds, can you make that happen?’ I determined to do whatever it took and replied instantly, ‘absolutely’. Not knowing where to start, I took to Google and managed to find an email address for Phil. I relayed my Mam’s story to him and her final wishes. In record breaking time, Phil contacted me and issued an invitation to Mam, myself and other members of the family to come to one of their workshops in the Edmund Rice Centre, Waterford where we sat and listened to music and song like I’ve never heard before. I could see and feel the peace envelop Mam like a blanket of warmth and comfort. Those few hours were like the balm to her soul and ours, pain free, she relished in the soothing musical tones of voices so pure it was heavenly, absolutely heavenly. We met with complete strangers but left as if we’ve known them all our lives such was the genuine welcome we received… playing and singing ‘Whispering Hope’ in the most beautiful harmonies will forever remain with us. It was our parent’s song to sing at family gatherings. Both Phil and Elaine and the Peace Choir remained a constant in our lives thereafter. They gifted Mam a CD of their recording from Stormont that filled the long drawn-out days of her illness and there is no doubt those awful hours of pain and suffering were made a lot more tolerant by the sounds of the Peace Choir resonating loudly from her bedroom. She said that ‘where words fail music speaks’.
Phil and Elaine are the epitome of all that is good in this world and they do it through song, love and laughter effortlessly bringing people of all walks of life together in unity through prayer, meditation and music with their beloved gifted members of the Peace Choir. To be in their company is a true blessing, a gift you never knew you needed. Their efforts to unite all those displaced through conflict of war, through personal circumstantial conflict has been momentous in every sense. Many have gathered by invitation in various events hosted by the choir and one in particular remains with me. Easter 2022, we gathered in the Lafcadio Hearn Gardens in Tramore for a night of reflection and song with the newly arrived families from Ukraine. The agenda was ‘Peace’. All I can tell you is that each and every one of the families that travelled on the bus from Dungarvan stated to me that they were filled with a sense of hope again, that they all came away with a greater sense of peace and acceptance such was the impact of music on their troubled souls.
Phil and Elaine’s acts of inclusivity to all ensures no one gets left behind. Their generosity of spirit, their unwavering hand of friendship to all, their unique gift of music and song along with their loyal members of the Peace Choir reminds us all lucky to be in their presence that the best things in life are free and joyful in their most simplest of forms. It just takes someone or two kinda special people to show you how and willing to share their love of music and song. ‘Where words fail music speaks’. Thanks guys – here’s to the next 25 years Peace Choir. Keep her lit 😊 Forever grateful. Auds.
Audrey Hallihan, Dungarvan.
For more information on the Peace Choir or on our Celtic Ways Ireland tour offerings for 2024, email Phil and Elaine on info@celticwaysireland.com