Local talents strike right notes to win music awards

TWO supremely talented Northside musicians hit the right notes for success when they won awards in a prestigious local competition.

Liam Cunningham (16) and Eoin Maher (11) won the Dublin Airport Swords Young Musician of the Year 2016 and Dublin Airport Malahide Young Musician of the Year 2016 awards respectively. 

This is the second time Liam, a fifth year student at St Finian’s College, Swords, has taken home the title of overall winner, having achieved the top spot in 2014 also.

The Swords competition was held over the weekend of May 21 and 22 at St Finian’s Community College. 

Prizes were awarded in categories such as piano, strings, voice, keyboard, recorder, woodwind, brass, electric guitar, classical guitar and there was also a section for traditional musicians too. Categories for chamber groups in classical music, vocal and traditional, also featured. 

Now in its 27th year, the Swords awards have welcomed some extremely talented young musicians to the stage since 1989, many of whom have gone on to work professionally in the music industry. 

It was a special year for the Malahide awards which was celebrating its 35th anniversary. 

The competition has been sponsored by Dublin Airport since it began in 1981 and is one of the longest standing relationships the airport has with a community event in Fingal.

Eoin Maher, an incredibly gifted pianist from Gael Scoil in Balbriggan, took home the top prize and trophy.