Gluais was set up in 2012 by music teacher Mícheál Kerr. Comprising of 40 trad musicians, singers and Irish dancers, the band brings a youthful approach to fusing Irish traditional music with other musical genres.
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2024: Huge congratulations to Gluais & Mr Kerr who won 1st place in the Waltons RTÉ Lyric FM Music for Schools Competition in the National Concert Hall. Six second level schools were chosen from hundreds of audition entries to compete and perform live in the national final, with Scoil Mhuire coming out victorious. Indeed, this is not Scoil Mhuire’s first time to win this prestigious competition, previously getting 1st place back in 2017.
The Waltons Music for Schools Competition is presented by Waltons Music and Waltons New School of Music, in association with RTÉ Lyric FM and the National Concert Hall. All primary and post-primary schools recognised by the Department of Education and Skills in the Republic of Ireland are eligible to enter, and to date schools from every county have taken part. Open to a wide range of performing groups and music genres, the competition offers schools the opportunity to develop a creative and original musical project based on a given theme. This year’s theme was “Music Moves”.
Their piece, which tells the story of Irish emigration, was inspired by a number of factors. Initially, four students came back with the same idea – to tell the story of how the Irish had to emigrate and how they brought their music and culture with them.
There was a great atmosphere in school as the girls brought the winning trophy back to Trim. A special homecoming ceremony was organised where the entire school community gathered together to congratulate the members of Gluais and hear the winning performance in all its glory.
2023: Gluais travelled to France with a delegation of top Irish artists to perform in the world renowned Festival Interceltique de Lorient. The festival attracts over 700,000 spectators annually and Gluais performed three shows while there
2022: Gluais returned to Disneyland Paris to represent Ireland and perform on St Patrick’s Day as part of their Disney Irish Celtic Festival. Gluais performed two shows on St Patrick’s Day, with crowds of up to 850 people flocking to the theme park theatre as they girls took to the stage. This was a huge honour for the girls and Mr Kerr to once again be selected to fly the Irish flag in France on St Patrick’s Day weekend. Over the course of their four days in Paris, Gluais also performed a concert at the renowned Marymount International School and had backstage workshops with the Disney production team. While in Paris, a video of the Irish dancers dancing at the Eiffel Tower was filmed, which was then uploaded on their Facebook page, and has since been viewed over 170,000 times.
2021: In March of 2021, to mark the “one year on”, Mr Kerr decided to mark the occasion, invite the girls back and sing the same song “Hero”, this time live, outside Navan Hospital as a dedication and tribute to our very own Co Meath frontline workers in Our Lady’s Hospital who have done incredible work for the local population during such difficult times.
2020: In March 2020, during the first Covid lockdown, 7 of the then Leaving Cert members recorded & sang “Hero” by Mariah Carey from the safety of their homes via zoom to honour front-line health care workers – this was one of the first zoom singing videos to go viral in Ireland during our lockdown. Gluais’ video was picked up by and featured on the 6pm and 9pm RTÉ News, on RTÉ social media and was shared by numerous National newspapers and Instagram influencers. The girls were also featured on RTÉ Radio 1 “Morning Ireland” and the “Today Show” on RTÉ1. Gluais were one of the original “online zoom singing” videos to pop up in Ireland! 1000s of comments and messages we received in March 2020 when our video went viral, from people in every county in Ireland, and further afield – UK, Australia, USA.
It was in December of 2020 that Gluais broadcast their first ever Facebook live-stream concert. Due to the intense Covid restrictions at the time, Gluais were unable to hold their annual Christmas Show in person. So, with the power of technology, the band decided to perform their socially-distanced concert to an empty school gym and broadcast it live on Facebook. Gluais ran this concert as a charity fundraising event, raising over €2500 for Trim Meals on Wheels. During a dark winter of uncertainty and unease, the show of classic Christmas carols and songs was incredibly well received and appreciated by those who tuned in.
2019: Gluais took to the stage for their hugely successful performances at the International Children of the World in Harmony Music Festival in Michigan, USA in July 2019. Gluais represented Ireland at the accomplished festival, now in it’s 23rd year running. Notably, this was the first time Ireland was represented at the festival. Gluais took to the stage every night to perform in some of the most spectacular music venues Michigan has to offer, including Cheboygan Opera House & Great Lakes Centre of Performing Arts. Their youthful energy and musical talent left the audience in awe night after night. Gluais undoubtedly showcased Irish music and culture at the highest standard, blending their Irish traditional musicians, singers and their troop of Irish dancers together effortlessly on stage. Many commenting on the group’s professionalism, the audience was encapsulated by the powerful vocals of the singers performing a mixture of Irish ballads and sing-along songs, such as “Oh Danny Boy”, “Grace”, “I’ll Tell me Ma” and “Rocky Road to Dublin”. Indeed, a crowd favourite was “Rattling Bog”. The musicians’ lively reels and jigs and infectious stage presence paved the way for the line of Irish dancers who meandered across the wooden floor in perfect sync, making the crowd stand on their feet, not wanting to miss a step. Of course, the impromptu performances were just as well received and remembered, including Gluais singing 93 stories high on top of the Chicago 360 Observation Deck and furthermore on stage in the main auditorium of the world-famous Chicago Theatre.
While in Chicago, Gluais also performed a two hour show in the renowned Chicago Gaelic Park. This was a truly special concert for all involved, with most of the audience members being Irish emigrants “away from home”. Many became emotional as Gluais sang their repertoire of old Irish ballads and danced traditional 8-hand reels along with the infamous “Lord of the Dance”.
When the Americans asked, Gluais certainly delivered. This was most evident when the City Manager of Boyne City, Mr Michael Cain, attended one of their shows in Michigan. He was so impressed by their performance that he called by their hotel the following morning to ask them would they come along and do a surprise performance at his daughter’s wedding party. Needless to say, Gluais were thrilled to be asked and obliged. At 10pm that night, after performing in the festival’s Gala Concert, Gluais travelled to Boyne City Hall and made their surprise entrance – neither the bride, groom nor the 150 guests knew what was in store! It was moments like this and many others that ensured Gluais and indeed Ireland was the talk of the festival.
It’s important to note, however, that Gluais would not have been afforded the opportunity to travel to Michigan and Chicago if it were not for Trim Tourism Network. Trim Tourism Network travelled to Michigan to complete the twinning initiative that is being formed between Boyne City, Michigan and the Boyne Valley here in Ireland, for which a special ceremony was held on the 18th July.
2018: Gluais teamed up with The Midlands Youth Orchestra of Ireland to put on a very special show in Trim, fusing classical music with Irish tradtional music, dance and song. This was a hugely successful night in which the audience truly witnessed the extensive talent and energy the girls bring to the band.
In March 2018, Gluais were honoured to be selected by the European Union to represent Ireland for “Our Dance for Europe” – a project coordinated by the Europa-Netzwerk Deutsch. “Our Dance for Europe” was a celebration of all European state cultures & traditions. Each EU country, along with a short clip of their traditional music & dance, was featured in a final film to celebrate Day of Europe ‘18. Gluais were Ireland’s representatives and they proudly filmed their video presentation on the grounds of Trim Casrle.
2017: Gluais were selected to once again represent Ireland and perform two shows in Disneyland Paris on St Patrick’s Day as part of the Disney Irish Celtic Festival 2017. This was a huge honour for the girls to be selected to fly the Irish colours in France on St Patrick’s weekend. Over the course of their four days in Paris, Gluais also performed a concert at the renowned Marymount International School, the Eiffel Tower and Maison des Petites Soeurs Nursing Home.
Following the success of their Paris trip, Gluais were invited by President Michael D Higgins to perform a short concert in Áras an Uachtarán. This was a very special moment for the girls to meet the President and perform for him.
As well as Dublin Airport, Gluais also visited Crumlin Children’s Hospital in Dublin to meet with and perform for the children & their families. Gluais were delighted to return to Crumlin Children’s Hospital again in December 2018.
2016: In May 2016, Gluais recorded & released their first album, titled ‘Dreamer’. The 14 tracked CD has songs and tunes that Gluais regularly perform. The album is available to buy here tonight.
2015: After their video being spotted on Youtube, Gluais were invited to perform with Louis Walsh’s boyband “HomeTown” on their nationwide tour. In October of the same year, the band found out that they had been selected to perform in Disneyland Paris theme park as one of Ireland’s representatives. Their performance fused Irish traditional music with classic Disney favourites.
2014: The highlight of 2014 was being selected to represent Ireland at the world renowned Festival Interceltique de Lorient in France. Gluais were the only voluntary youth group from Ireland, and indeed the first ever school group to be selected to represent Ireland. It was an incredible experience for the girls to travel to France and wave the Irish flag with pride, performing 4 shows and to crowds of over 800 people every night.
2013: Gluais, along with the TY Choir, were selected as one of six schools nationwide to compete in the final of the Waltons Music for Schools Competition in the National Concert Hall in Dublin. This was a magical and special moment for the girls to get to perform in the National Concert Hall, especially with it being their first time entering the competition and getting to the final.
It was also in 2013 that Gluais were selected to perform at the Arrivals Area of Dublin Airport at Christmas to welcome families home for the festive season. Gluais have been invited back to Dublin Airport every Christmas since and is still one of their annual highlights.
2012: Gluais were honoured to be invited to perform as special guests at the Temple Bar TradFest in Dublin alongside other outstanding musicians and groups. They also performed onstage at the well-known Arlington Hotel in Dublin.
