Busking marathon is right on song for Cork Penny Dinners

The annual busking marathon in aid of Cork Penny Dinners has been a Christmas fixture since 2021, and in that time it has raised more than €27,000 for one of Cork’s oldest charities.

The city centre busking marathon is the brainchild of two Cork singer-songwriters, Whitechurch native Dylan Brickley and Farranree man Korey Power, who have each year put together an all-day show outside Brown Thomas with their friends from Cork’s music scene.

In their first year they raised €3,000 for Cork Penny Dinners, doubling that to €6,000 the following year, topping €8,000 last Christmas, and this year they raised in excess of €10,000.

Running from 10am until 6.30pm on the Saturday before Christmas, this year they were joined at various points in the day by Aaron O’Sullivan, Nichole Desmond, William O’Halloran, Kelvin Long, Andrew Fletcher, Lottie O’Driscoll Murray, and many others.

Mr Brickley said the musicians, and the people of Cork, had really came through, with the final tally exceeding €10,000.

“It was just such a special day from start to finish, with so many fabulous performances, and as usual we finished up with the Cork Penny Dinners High Hopes Choir, which always just really captures the spirit of Christmas,” he said.

Mr Power said it had been a long day, but in the end it had been worth it.

“We were haunted with the weather this year. Most years the heavens open on us, but this year the rain held off for the day. But it was freezing!” he said.

“It was worth every bit of it to raise so much for Penny Dinners, they are such a worthy cause, and they really do so much for people, so it’s good that we were able to do something to help Caitriona and all the volunteers who do such great work.” One of the musicians who took part in the busking marathon was 13-year-old Shanakiel singer Lottie O’Driscoll Murray, who came second in the final of Junior Eurovision Éire in November.

The second-year Gaelcholáiste Mhuire student said the busking marathon had been great fun, and she was delighted that it had raised so much money for such a worthy cause.

“It was brilliant, everyone was so good, it was an amazing experience,” she said.

She said she had sang Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’, and two songs from Adele, ‘I Drink Wine’ and ‘One and Only’.

“There was loads of people there, and they were all singing along, and some of my family were there as well.” She said she was hoping to have a career in music, and was thinking about studying music in college.

“I’ve been singing and doing music all my life, I don’t really have a mind for anything else,” she said.

Separately, the all-female Jingle Belles were also raising funds for Penny Dinners on the Saturday before Christmas, singing from 10am to 6pm outside the GPO on Oliver Plunkett Street, and Catherine Buckley, substitute conductor, told The Echo they were on track to surpassing last year’s record of €10,000.

On Christmas Day, Cork Penny Dinners volunteers served well over 1,200 full dinners, giving people a warm meal in the dignity and safety of the Croí Na Laoí centre on James’s Street.

Over the Christmas period, they expect to distribute more than 5,000 meals.