Irish musician Damien Dempsey has joined forces with students at a Dublin primary school as part of a project aimed at encouraging young people to engage in real-life activities and spend less time on social media.
The "Songs and Stories" initiative is the brainchild of friends Philip Cribbin and Kamil Krolak, who founded the Galway-based platform Inspiring You and teamed up with Dempsey and Munster Music Academy for the event at Scoil Cholmcille SNS in Donaghmede on April 25.
More than 200 staff and students attended the event, which aimed to nurture the craft of storytelling, tunes, folk traditions, and songs.
Students joined Dempsey and Munster Music Academy to sing traditional Irish tunes such as "The Rattlin’ Bog" and "Beidh Aonach Amarach", while Dempsey also gave a rousing rendition of his own song "Bustin' outta here" at the request of the students.
During the visit, fifth-class students presented Dempsey with a copy of "Songs and Stories", which includes tall tales, myths, legends, and family history written by Scoil Cholmcille students from a wide range of backgrounds, from London to Rwanda.
The visit concluded with the entire school joining Dempsey and Munster Music Academy for a performance of "The Rare Ould Times".
Krolak filmed and photographed the entire visit, with a video of the performances now available on social media.
The "Songs and Stories" initiative encourages young students to make time for songs, stories, and tunes in everyday life, helping to keep Ireland's cultural traditions alive.
The initiative draws on the Dúchas archive from 1937, a vast well of traditional songs and stories that anyone can draw from.
Dempsey, with Munster Music Academy founders Pius McGrath and Tara Doolan, are advocates for cultural appreciation, social inclusion, and resilience through music, songs, and stories.
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