Cork Youth Orchestra celebrates new status as a charity

IRELAND’S oldest and largest youth orchestra has presented the proceeds of a fundraising concert to one of Cork’s oldest charities.

Cork Youth Orchestra (CYO), which this year celebrates its 65th birthday and has itself just achieved charity status, presented the proceeds of its June 30 ‘Reflections of Ireland’ concert in City Hall to Cork Penny Dinners.

The concert raised a stunning €7,934 for Penny Dinners, a charity which traces its roots in the city back to Victorian times, and which supplies free hot meals and other services to those in need.

Cork Penny Dinners has reported a sharp increase in the demand for its services in the midst of the cost of living crisis.

Founded in 1958, the CYO is a 143-strong orchestra of talented musicians aged from 14 to 19 hailing from Cork city and county.

Membership is selected by audition, ensuring a high standard of proficiency, and the orchestra has its own music library and collection of instruments.

Tomás McCarthy, director of the CYO, told The Echo that the youth orchestra was founded 65 years ago by members of the Cork Soroptomists Club.

“In 1958, they invited the British National Youth Orchestra to Cork, and they played at the Imperial Hotel, and there was a meeting held there and Cork Soroptomists Club said they would like their own youth orchestra here,” Mr McCarthy said.

“It is only in the last couple of weeks that we’ve become a registered charity, so we’ve come a long way.” The CYO presented the proceeds of its City Hall concert to Penny Dinners as a way of saying ‘thank you’ to the city, Mr McCarthy said.

The CYO represented Cork and Ireland at the Florence International Festival of Youth Orchestras (Festival Orchestre Giovanili) in Italy in July, playing to 5,000 people.

“It’s our way of giving back for being able to go to such a large festival,” Mr McCarthy said.

Caitriona Twomey, volunteer co-ordinator of Cork Penny Dinners, said she and her fellow volunteers had been very moved by the CYO’s donation.

“It’s just such a generous donation, from such a fabulous orchestra, and it will go a long way towards making sure that we are able to help and feed as many people as possible in the coming weeks and into the New Year,” Ms Twomey said.

Cork Penny Dinners served over 1,500 meals on Christmas Day, and over the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, its volunteers expect to serve an estimated 10,000 meals.

The charity receives no State funding and relies entirely upon donations from members of the public.