“I’M SMILING from ear to ear. The elation is up there
with how I felt when my children were born.
?
Those were the words of ecstatic musical teacher Ron
Cooney on hearing the musical documentary Ballymun Lullaby has been nominated
for an IFTA (Irish Film and Television Award).
Ron and the hundreds of pupils and music teachers who
form part of the Ballymun music programme are more than deserving of the high
profile recognition, having dedicated countless early morning music sessions
and years to their passion for music.
The programme, which was established in 2001 and now
has 650 students involved, caught the attention of filmmaker Frank Berry three
years ago when he decided to bring the story of the group, the students and the
dedicated teachers to the big screen.
The documentary follows the journey of the group who
wrote, performed and recorded songs for their first album.
Ballymun Lullaby and composer Darragh O’Toole will
compete against productions such as Love/Hate and Legends of Valhalla in the
Original Score category at the IFTA awards which take place next month.
An excited Ron, who is responsible for bringing the
gift of music to six schools in Ballymun, explained how he had to Google search
what an IFTA was when he first heard the news of Ballymun Lullaby’s nomination.
“At first I thought it was something to do with the
likes of Expose on the TV or something but after a quick search through the
Internet I realised that we were actually up there with the likes of Piece Brosnan,
?
he told Northside People.
“It all looks very fancy and it’s something that the
kids are so excited about. They’re really into the glitz and glamour of an
awards ceremony.
“It’s amazing that you can just go about doing what
you’ve always done such as the music programme and then all of a sudden you get
a movie and an IFTA nomination. It’s an absolutely fantastic recognition for
the children and all the teachers who work so hard on the project week after
week.
?
He added:
“As far as I’m concerned we’ve won the IFTA
already. I’m absolutely chuffed.
?
Ballymun Lullaby hit cinema screens before Christmas
much to the delight of the students involved.
“Ah sure they were over the moon,
? Ron explained.
“These students come in for a music session in the
mornings at 8am no questions asked. They’re fantastic.
?
Ron hopes to join Frank Berry and Darragh O’Toole at
the IFTA awards that will take place in the Convention Centre on February 11.
“I hope to go to the awards although I think I’ll have
to win a few shillings on the nags to be able to buy a ticket,
? he joked.
“Sure I may never get another chance to represent
Ballymun like this.
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