A national competition and celebration of music in Irish schools. BREADTH
28/02/2025
THIS YEAR'S FINALISTS!
There was a huge response from schools around the country when this year’s Music for Schools Competition was announced on RTÉ lyric fm, and the closing date earlier this month saw a deluge of entries flooding in from Carlow, Cavan, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Laois, Limerick, Longford, Mayo, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow. Our first-round adjudicators were enormously impressed by the high standard of entries this year and the imagination, musicality and effort evident in each of them. And they had their work cut out for them in selecting just twelve Finalist groups (six primary and six post-primary) to perform in the 2025 Music for Schools Competition Finalists Concert, which will take place in the National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland on Monday, March 24th.
The twelve Finalists were selected based on several criteria, including musicality, originality, inclusiveness and how effectively and creatively they addressed this year’s Competition theme, ‘The Key of Life’.
In addition to the Finalists, the adjudicators have also singled out groups that were not selected but are of particular merit as Commended, Highly Commended or Very Highly Commended. A list of these schools will be available soon, and they will receive commendation certificates for all participants in acknowledgement of their achievements.
PRIMARY SCHOOL FINALISTS
Gaelscoil Aonach Urmhumhan, An tAonach, Co. Tipperary Gaelscoil Ó Doghair, Caisleán Nua Thiar, Co. Limerick
Gaelscoil Shlí Dála, an Bealach Mór, Co. Laois
Scoil Chuimín agus Caitríona, Oughterard, Co. Galway
St. Marnock’s National School, Portmarnock, Co. Dublin
Woodbrook National School, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Roscommon
POST-PRIMARY SCHOOL FINALISTS
Ardscoil na Mara, Tramore, Co. Waterford
Coláiste Mhuire, Bothar Rath Tó, Dublin 7
Coláiste Pobail Setanta, Clonee, Dublin 15
Sancta Maria College, Louisburgh, Co. Mayo
St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Rochfortbridge, Co. Westmeath
The King’s Hospital School, Old Lucan Road, Dublin 20
Lists of the Finalists, information about their entries and their entry videos – as well as lists of Commended, Highly Commended and Very Highly Commended school – will be available on the 2025 Competition web page soon.
At the Finalists Concert, our distinguished 2025 guest adjudicators Aedín Gormley and Lisa Hannigan, as well as one of the Competition co-directors, will select six of these groups – three primary and three post-primary – to win First, Second and Third prizes, as well as €2,000, €1,000 and €500 vouchers for musical instruments and equipment from Waltons Music Ireland, for their schools. The other Finalist groups will receive €200 vouchers.
We are grateful to every single school, performing group, teacher and school principal submitting an entry for the 2025 Waltons RTÉ lyric fm Music for Schools Competition. We hope that the process of responding to this year’s theme, of collaborating on your entries and of creating your wonderfully diverse pieces was a fulfilling one. Take pride in your achievement, keep up the great work and thank you for sharing your beautiful music with us!
Information, photos and videos about the 2025 Waltons RTÉ lyric fm Music for Schools Competition, a national competition and celebration of music in Irish schools.
