Music Generation Ireland

05/08/2026

Leo McClung is a participant in North South Sounds 2026, a cross-border collaboration between the Ed Sheeran Foundation, Music Generation Cork City, and the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast.

🎙 Leo praised the "cross-community" atmosphere at his first Fleadh when he spoke to the Belfast Telegraph after the group's performance on the Gig Rig. Well said Leo and well done to the whole North South Sounds crew on an incredible performance! 👏👏🔥

04/08/2026

🎶 What an incredible launch for North South Sounds 2026 - a cross-border collaboration between Ed Sheeran Foundation, Music Generation Cork City and Oh Yeah Music Centre. 🎙️

It kicked off yesterday with a performance on the Gig Rig at Belfast City Hall, as part of Fleadh Cheoil 2026! 🎸

They also performed at the Oh Yeah Music Centre, where the 50 young musicians took to the stage for a showcase performance in front of a full house! 👏

🎙️In the lead-up to these performances, the group took part in a songwriting session where they reimagined The Cranberries' iconic anthem 'Zombie' by rewriting the lyrics from the perspective of a new generation. The result was powerful and moving (link in bio to read lyrics).

North South Sounds 2026 is a cross-border collaboration between the Ed Sheeran Foundation, Music Generation Cork City, and the Oh Yeah Music Centre (Belfast), with The Kabin Studio Cork and Creative Tradition as the Cork-side delivery.

Running July - December 2026, the project brings young people from opposite ends of the island together through songwriting and performance. Together, they will blend traditional Irish and folk influences with hip-hop, pop, and rock to create something entirely fresh.

Well done to every young musicians, singers and rappers involved in the launch performances in Belfast! 🎤✨ And this is just the beginning - watch this space for more music and updates from North South Sounds 2026.

📸 (Ciara Brennan)

31/07/2026

Exciting news! The Ed Sheeran Foundation has announced its first-ever cross-border project, North South Sounds 2026, in collaboration with Music Generation Cork City and the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast.

The project will connect young musicians from opposite corners of the island through songwriting and performance. At Music Generation Cork City, it is being delivered in partnership with The Kabin Studio Cork and Creative Tradition.

It all kicks off with performances by 50 young people at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann on 3rd August at Belfast City Hall. Catch them on the Gig Rig at 12:30pm.

Huge thank you to the Ed Sheeran Foundation for supporting this creative cross-border collaboration for Music Generation Cork City and the Oh Yeah Centre.

North South Sounds 2026 to launch at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Belfast, Sheeran says

15/07/2026

✨Something special is coming to Market Square, Dundalk! ✨

Join us on Friday 17th July from 2:30pm as 75 young musicians from Music Generation Louth take over the Square for a live music video recording you won't want to miss. 🎥

🎸You’ll hear harps, uilleann pipes, electric guitars, cellos, violins, flutes, singers and more.

It’s free and it’s live! We’d love to see you there!

Special thanks to Dundalk Tourist Office, Louth Arts Office, Dundalk Credit Union Ltd. and Oriel Centre, Dundalk Gaol for their support and making this possible.

Louth and Meath ETB Nós Nua - Youth Folk Orchestra Louth County Council

10/07/2026

🎙️🎸 Flashback to Music Generation Roscommon lighting up Night and Day Festival back in May! What an amazing experience and opportunity for young musicians to perform at a major festival!

Music Generation Roscommon performed across all three days of the festival, with their bands playing the Luna Stage and a variety of young musicians and ensembles performing in the children's festival area 🎶

Missed them at Night and Day? You're in luck - catch them live at Boyle Arts Festival on Wednesday 15 July, where Music Generation Roscommon presents their show, 'Colours' 🎨 Expect iconic songs with a colour theme!

🎟️ Book your tickets now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/music-generation-roscommon-presents-their-4th-show-colours-for-baf-2026-tickets-1992562972489

08/07/2026

We are delighted to present the Music Generation Annual Report for 2025. 🎉 In 2025, 10% of all children and young people in Ireland took part in Music Generation programmes.

Throughout 2025:
🎙️132,151 programme participants took part in Music Generation activities throughout 2025.
🎙️52,963 children and young people performed at 1,199 live events.
🎙️538 Musician Educators actively delivered Music Generation programmes.

Thank you to our national and local partners for their continued support, and to our young musicians who inspire us everyday.

Explore the full report on our website and see how together we're transforming young lives through music in 2025. https://www.musicgeneration.ie/news/music-generation-annual-report-2025-2 (link in bio)

🎶 Audio track: 'Road to Juno' by Isabelle Clancy, Music Generation Limerick City.

📷 Photo Credit:
Music @ Mount Leinster, Music Generation Carlow Photo by DGM Photographic.
Youth Folk Festival, Music Generation Clare, Photo by Sadhbh McLoughlin.
One Day in May, Music Generation Limerick City, Photo by Robin Parmar.
SingFest 2025, Music Generation Westmeath and Music Generation Offaly, Photo by Paul Moore Photography.
SoundCrowd, Music Generation Waterford, Photo by DGM Photographic.
Boyle Arts Festival, Music Generation Roscommon, Photo by Brian Farrell.

Report Design by

29/06/2026

Today, young musicians from Music Generation Laois and Nerve Centre Derry performed at the Shared Island Forum 2026.

The young bands, Dad's Shed and Hot Work, are part of Isle of Song, a song-writing project for and with young people from Laois, Offaly and across Northern Ireland, funded by Creative Ireland’s Creative Youth on a Shared Island fund.

Well done to the young musicians for their fantastic performance today! Watch it back here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/dot7GPg5SLg?si=rHugwxsui_lNKQDs&t=3688
Government of Ireland CreativeIrl Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board

🎶 Isle of Song is a song-writing project for and with young people from Laois, Offaly and across Northern Ireland, funded by Creative Ireland's Creative Youth on a Shared Island fund, and developed by Music Generation Laois and Nerve Centre, Derry.

Dad's Shed and Hotwork, who both performed at todays forum, are bands included within the 65 young musicians from across 8 counties.

For more information on this project, visit gov.ie/SharedIsland

26/06/2026

One week on from the announcement of the new phase of Government - Philanthropic Partnership for Music Generation! 🎙️We want to celebrate the young musicians who performed at The Ireland Funds events last week.

🎶 The Music Generation Cavan / Monaghan Cross Border Folk Orchestra brought the house down at The Ireland Funds 50th Anniversary Gala in Dublin Castle. The group performed James Browne's March, composed by Michael McGoldrick Music and arranged & conducted by Michael Rooney. They were joined on stage by the iconic Michael McGoldrick Trio. Catch a clip of their electric performance on our grid.

🎹 Congratulations too to young pianist and composer Jimmy Maguire from Music Generation Louth, who performed at another Ireland Funds event at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin.

We are so proud and thankful to all the young musicians who represented Music Generation at these special events.

To our Government and Philanthropic partners - thank you. Your commitment helps us break down barriers and reach the children and young people who need it most.

🎙️ Find out more: https://www.musicgeneration.ie/news/taoiseach-miche%C3%A1l-martin-and-minister-hildegarde-naughton-together-with-u2-and-the-ireland-funds-announce-a-new-phase-of-government-philanthropic-partnership-for-music-generation

The Ireland Funds, U2, An Roinn Oideachais agus Óige - Department of Education and Youth Micheál Martin Hildegarde Naughton T.D. Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board - CMETB Louth and Meath ETB

Photo 1 Credit: Aengus McMahon (Full list of those pictured available on our website. Link above)
Photo 2: Music Generation Cavan/Monaghan Cross Border Folk Orchestra.
Photo 3: Jimmy Maguire (Music Generation Louth) on stage at the RIAM.

23/06/2026

What an electric performance by the Music Generation Cavan / Monaghan Cross Border Folk Orchestra at The Ireland Funds 50th Anniversary Gala in Dublin Castle.👏

🎙 We are incredibly proud of these young musicians and so thankful to them for representing Music Generation on a very special night 👏