Actor Patrick Bergin chaired the Judging Panel
The Tipperary International Song of Peace Contest has been won by Dublin singer/songwriter, Kenny Grant, with his song titled “A Hundred Thousand Welcomes“. Kenny received a crystal award and a cheque for €500. The announcement of the winning finalist was made by actor Patrick Bergin, who was Chair of the Judging Panel. Held on Wednesday August 20th, in the beautiful surroundings of Templeneiry Church Bansha, Co. Tipperary, there were six finalists on the night. A runner up prize of the Mick Tuohy Perpetual Cup went to the Irish-German-Dutch collaboration of Buddy Sutton, Julius Wandelt and Peter Reinders with a song titled “It’s time for Peace“.
Kenny Grant is originally from Scotland, now living in Malahide, Ireland. Kenny is a previous winner of the Tipperary Song of Peace with his song “A Child in A War” in 2014. More recently, he co-wrote five songs for the album ‘Cool to Be Kind’ by the English band Sunbirds, fronted by singer Dave Hemingway (formerly of The Housemartins and The Beautiful South). Kenny’s entry for this year’s competition “A Hundred Thousand Welcomes“, describes a walk across central Dublin, from Custom House Quay on the River Liffey, where the haunting figures of the Irish Famine Memorial crouch towards the Jeanie Johnson famine ship, to the Grand Canal, where refugees fleeing famine, war and oppression in our own day have set up their makeshift camp.
On the same night the final of the inaugural Darby Ryan International Poetry Contest took place at the same venue. The winner of the Contest was Fidelma Nugent from Ballydrehid, Cahir, Co. Tipperary, with her poem titled “The Weave of Home“. Fidelma is a musician, poet, and choir director. She is currently undertaking a PhD in music, focusing on Catholicism in the choral works of Olivier Messiaen. Her writing is deeply rooted in a sense of place, community, and memory.
As both musician and poet, she is drawn to the rhythm and musicality of language, exploring how poetry and music echo and influence one another. She received a cheque for €300 from John Grogan, the great, great, great grandson of the late Darby Ryan. There were also six finalists in the Poetry Contest and second prize went to Julie Ryan, Galbally, Co. Limerick, with her poem titled “The Undertaker” and third to Sylvia Greene from Tipperary Town with her poem titled “The Garda and the Car“.