About the Bursary

The Eimear Noonan Music Bursary Award was established by the Noonan family of Caher, Co. Clare in memory of their daughter and sister Eimear, an avid and inspirational young musician, who died in France in November 2017.

The Carpe Diem event was originally conceived by Katharina Baker and Fiona Buckley of Coole Music to honour Eimear's memory and celebrate her participation in the School of Music, particularly in her role as leader of the Youth Orchestra.

The Carpe Diem concerts from 2018 to 2022 celebrated music in all its colours, spanning the classical, orchestral, trad, folk and rock genres. In 2020, due to the ongoing COVID pandemic, our fundraising campaign went online and over 500 musicians worldwide participated in Carpe Diem - Sing and Play raising in excess of €30,000 which divided equally, after costs, between Coole Music & Arts and the Eimear Noonan Music Bursary Fund. The initiative exceeded all fundraising expectations but also brought together a community of musicians united in their purpose to remember Eimear, Eli Murray and support music education for young people in the west of Ireland.

To date, the Carpe Diem funds have supported Coole Music & Arts, twenty-three third-level students of music, two orchestras; UCC Orchestra and Kinvara Community Orchestra, Gaillimh Theas CCE and the Music Departments of Gort Community School and Scariff Community College.

The Noonan family and Bursary Committee reserves the right to bestow other deserving bursaries, as they arise.

Eimear Noonan 1996-2017

Eimear was born in County Clare in 1996, an only daughter to Mary and Flan and sister to her three brothers, Michael, Declan and Cathal. From a very young age Eimear showed immense musical promise and always thoroughly enjoyed singing, playing piano and violin.

Under the tutelage of Sr Mary Brosnan in Gort, Eimear received two national High Achiever awards from The Royal Irish Academy of Music. She also joined the Coole Music Youth Orchestra and had the honour of leading the Orchestra under the baton of Katharina Baker at The IAYO Festival of Youth Orchestras at the National Concert Hall in 2012.

Eimear began her language studies in UCC in 2014 and fell in love with Cork. She joined numerous sessions while there. Together with James Mc Glynn, Eimear was also instrumental in reviving UCC Orchestra and had the distinction to chair the Orchestra in her final year of studies. It was her intention to pursue a Masters in Music Performance on her return from France.

Tragically, Eimear died accidentally from a fall, in Annonay, France in November 2017.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dhílis.

Aims

To support Third Level students in their first year of studies in Music;
To enhance the prospects of music students from County Clare and County Galway in academic years 2019/20/21/22;
To provide bursaries for music students showing exceptional talent, nominated and supported by Tutors, Music Teachers, Schools and Colleges of Music;
To support musical performances by young people in their community;
To support UCC Orchestral Society.

On ne voit bien que avec le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.

Questions? Contact us at: eimearnoonanmusicbursaryaward@gmail.com