Being elected to the Council and to serve the people of Kilkenny is a great honour. One need only look back on the last 50 plus years and you will see great Councillors, men and women, who did amazing work for the city and county and whose job as ambassadors for the black and amber should never be forgotten.
Following on from that, being Mayor of Kilkenny is probably one of the biggest honours that can be bestowed on a person. No doubt there is great satisfaction being Kilkenny’s first citizen. However it comes with its own trials and tribulations. Obviously the person who accepts the Mayoral chain knows what he or she is taking on. Being at everyone’s beck and call being a case in point.
Last Thursday, The Kilkenny Observer was present for the KB radio show at Community Radio Kilkenny City for the launch of a new CD – Johnny Scully and Friends – which is in aid of Kilkenny Helping the Homeless. Mayor John Coonan arrived, having just left a meeting with a delegation from Northern Ireland. Following the launch, he had another three appointments that day. The Observer queried his schedule. He quickly quoted Roy Keane “That’s the job,” joked the Mayor.
On a more serious note, Cllr Coonan said that it wasn’t just another launch. “Today’s launch is in support of Kilkenny Helping the Homeless, and I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” said the Mayor. Mr. Coonan continued “Kilkenny is blessed to have so many people in both city and county volunteering in some shape or other. Kilkenny Helping the Homeless is the epitome of volunteerism, and we should be very grateful to Mary and Brendan Pierce and their team for the incredible work they do.”
Helping the charity
Local singer and the driving force of the project, Johnny Scully takes up the story. “I suppose you get to an age in life when your time, and what you do with it is very important. I have admired the work that Kilkenny Helping the Homeless has been doing for the last number of years and always thought it would be nice to do something to help that team,” said Mr Scully. Johnny went on to say that his whole life has been about music and it was obvious that the best way to help would be through the launch of a CD with proceeds going to the charity. “So, I contacted my good friend John Travers and we rounded up some musician friends and singers and Johnny Scully and Friends was born.”
Mr Scully was a band member of Tweed, a Kilkenny band founded in 1971 by brothers Brendan and Kenny Ryder. The band originally consisted of seven members with Scully joining on trumpet in ‘72.
Ten years on the go
Kilkenny Helping the Homeless has been in operation for the last ten years and the three main people who keep the boat afloat are Brendan and Mary Pierce and Jackie Cullen. They will be the first to admit that their work is made a lot easier with the support of a very strong team both locally and nationwide.
The charity started out very simply by someone calling to Mary one night looking for a sleeping bag. And from there it grew, and continues to grow. Mary explained that they do their best to help people who are struggling for one reason or another. “People are very kind with donations and we receive help from the likes of Kilkenny County Council and some business people also,” said Mary. Every two weeks the crew travel to Dublin where they feed over 200 people who have fallen on hard times. Jackie Cullen paid tribute to all who help in one way or another and paid a special tribute to Doc Byrne who died recently and who was a great supporter.
Launch at Kilford
A wonderful crowd attended the main launch on Thursday 25th at The Kilford Arms hotel. Artists featured on the album include: Johnny Scully, Alison Kealy Hayes, Billy Barron, Johnny Carroll, John Travers, K B and Noreen Travers Murphy. The CD was produced by Johnny Scully and John Travers and dedicated to the memory of the late Doc Byrne.
CD is available from John Joe Cullen’s Butcher on John Street, Jackie Cullen, and Mary Pierce.
