PUPILS in primary schools across Belfast are to benefit from Irish traditional music tuition thanks to support from Glengormley School of Traditional Music.
Their Traditional Musical Instrument Fund for Primary Schools supports local primary pupils. The fund is specifically targeted at helping schools purchase traditional Irish music instruments to enrich and nourish the teaching of Irish traditional music in their school – where they would otherwise not be financially able to.
This year the scheme was backed by both Tradfest and then selected as the charity partner for Féile an Phobail 2026, which helped to raise £15,000.
This week, Ray Morgan and Maria Rafferty from Glengormley School of Traditional Music have begun distributing tin whistles to schools across the city.
Schools set to benefit include St Bernard's PS, Holy Cross Girls, St Joseph's PS Slate Street, St Teresa's PS, Bunscoil Phobail Feirste, St Kieran's PS, Our Lady Queen of Peace PS, Scoil an Droichid, Loughview IPS and many more.
"We do a lot of work in primary schools in helping and supporting them in the teaching of traditional music," explained Ray. "We realised that a barrier to many schools was the cost of instruments which they simply could not afford.
Ray Morgan with pupils and staff from St Bernard's PS
"We began our own fundraising and then we were supported in the summer during Tradfest and Féile an Phobail who made us their charity partner.
"We managed to raise £15,000 thanks to the two partnerships.
"Myself and Maria Rafferty are in the process of distributing tin whistles to primary schools across Belfast with anywhere between 60 and 100 tin whistles per school. We have also been providing tuition for some schools.
"It is a substantial investment and I hope we can continue to fund this. We hope people can continue to support us so we can continue offering traditional music in primary schools."
You can support the Glengormley School of Traditional Musical Instrument Fund for Primary Schools by scanning the QR code below.
