Galway teen hits the right note in Youth Orchestra

A North Galway teenager has beaten off some stiff completion to earn her a place on the National Youth Orchestra.

It is a dream come true for 17-year-old Ciara Fahy from Abbeyknockmoy who plays the viola and is now preparing for a tour that could take her to various parts of Europe and America.

But Ciara is also an accomplished piano player and said that she was delighted to be part of the concert orchestra and expected to be performing for the first time over the Christmas period.

She was chosen from more than 250 viola players that took part in the audition but she is not sure that a career in music is the route she wants to take in life – but she is not ruling it out.

Ciara is a past pupil of Presentation College in Tuam, Holy Rosary in Mountbellew and is currently studying in Yeats College in Galway. She has not mapped out a career for herself as yet but certainly music will never be far away.

For the past five years she has been playing the viola and loves the instrument. She came across auditions for the 90-member National Youth Orchestra and decided to give it a go and it proved very successful.

She will now be performing a number of concerts in the National Concert Hall as well as possibly touring outside the country.

Ciara is the eldest daughter of Frank and Karen Fahy. Frank is a Garda based in Tuam while Karen has her own chiropodist business in Claregalway.

Ciara has two younger sisters Niamh (14) and Caoimhe (10) who are also both fanatical about the piano and viola.

She said that she had received texts and emails from friends and relations following the revelation that she had made it onto the orchestra and was looking forward to the year ahead.

“We are all bursting with pride. It is a great achievement and we will give Ciara all the encouragement she needs. We can’t wait to see her performing at this level,” said her father Frank.

Ciara thanked the huge influence provided by Hugh Kelly in the music school in Galway city where she attends but she is still not sure if it is a career in which she will pursue. She is keeping her options open, however.