Arranmore Girl On Song

Pan Celtic is a festival between the six celtic nations of Brittany, Manx, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall and Ireland. The National competition is in Carlow, where one song will be chosen to represent Ireland which will then compete in the International final on the Thursday after Holy Week in the Millennium Forum, Derry. 

Brighdin Carr first won the Pan Celtic with ‘Seolfaidh mé abhaile’ in 2006.  Interestingly, Frances Boyle (Dungloe) was drafted in to play the bodhrán, her Mother is from also from Arranmore Bina (Charlie Mickey) Gallagher.  Her new song is written about the island ‘Ar an Oileain’.

In Her Own Words by Brighdin  Carr

My dance and drama club, the Blue Ribbon Arts Club was founded after Nikki died as a coping mechanism for the kids in the school, I set it up as an affordable hobby where kids could explore and find their niche. Our ethos is 'team' which is why 'Foireann Brí' is suitable for our Pan Celtic group, which comprises of Blue Ribbon adults. Co-operative games and mixing with one another is first priority, our kids and families tend to be all about inclusion, acceptance and teamwork. This means that I've been lucky, getting to work with amazing talented children, and now lately, adults too, who not only sound and look good, but have a great camaraderie - they all look out for one another, and motivate each other to perform well.

There was a documentary on BBC World as a result of winning the competition. We played live on Ardán on RTE in 2006.  We have sang and danced our way from Camp Gleo, Arranmore to Harringay, London, to Paris Eurodisney and Irish pubs there, to San Remo Italy in Global Education Festival theatre show.  We have danced in Pineapple London, Helix, Dublin and regularly perform at Junction one, Belfast, but the highlight is always Arranmore in the Summer. I hadn't been back for 16 years since my Gran moved to Letterkenny after John's death, but my son was relentless in his desire to see the place I was always talking about. He wanted to explore my cove on Chapel Strand, and see for himself the rock in the middle of the sea which I called my island.

Blue Ribbon Arts has produced 6 CDs for charity and this Christmas, featured on Shaun Doc's Christmas Eve show with my song 'Just Believe'.

I was a full time teacher who took a career break to write the music programme for national schools, 'Ready to Rock' , published by CJ Fallon, a kind of 'Music for Dummies' programme of which I am really proud. There's lots of local children singing on the cds involved, a good mix of Irish and English material, and more importantly, it was an opportunity to write original material aimed for children.

Speaking of family, my mum is Kathleen Greene, daughter of Mickey Greene and Bridget Kelly. There were eight in her family, Hughie, Patrick, Mick, Eddie, John, Kathleen, Madge and Annie.