Community Links Programme - creating opportunity for all

"Ballymun Lullaby is the stirring and inspiring account of how one man single-handedly brought children from Ballymun in North Dublin together to collaborate on the Ballymun Music Programme, a children’s music education programme based in the area.

Ron Cooney is a professional music teacher who had a simple aim: to provide an introduction to music through free music lessons in a community that had almost no access to free education. Frank Berry’s documentary follows Ron and some of the youngsters participating in his music choir as his effortless enthusiasm and charm turns his aiminto reality, as composer Daragh O’Toole creates a original suite for the orchestra and works with local teenagers (Tara, Wanye and Darren), who contribute to the lyrics and composition.

Ballymun Lullaby is the ultimate realisation of fifteen years hard work from Ron Cooney and the residents of Ballymun; a programme that began with Ron simply teaching the recorder in one school has blossomed into including the full line-up of orchestral instrumentation and the recording of an album and its nationwide release."

Colm McAuliffe,
Jameson Dublin International Film Festival