A selection of testimonials from former participants
I started Scór at a very young age and participated in Scór for many years as part of the ballad group. It was a fabulous experience every year and was a great stepping stone and way to get involved with singing and be a part of a group. I made many close friends which I am still friends with to this day, and we travelled the length and breadth of the country performing in both county and national competitions. It was great fun and thinking back on it now, there are memories which I will always cherish. If I could say one thing to the younger children and generation trying to get involved, is most definitely do. It’s brilliant to be a part of and performing and representing your club with huge support behind you, is just something very hard to describe.
– Eoghain Sheehy, former participant
My first experience with Scór began almost 20 years ago when I participated in the Ballad Group with Scór Sinsir for two years. I then took up acting with the Novelty Act for a further two years until I realised I was more comfortable off the stage!
Since then I have written, directed and produced numerous sketches for Scór na bPáistí, Scór na nÓg, and Scór Sinsir. We achieved tremendous success at County and Munster level, even reaching the heights of the All-Ireland stage on two occasions.
My three daughters, my son and even my husband have all competed in Scór. It has been a truly wonderful experience for all of us. I personally have made many friends and gathered memories to last a lifetime. I have gained huge experience by being allowed to write and direct so many stage productions. The adults,
teenagers and children I have worked with have been outstanding in their dedication and ambition to represent their club.
It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions from spectacular successes to disappointing defeats with
countless life lessons learned along the way. Scór has been an enormous part of my life and hopefully will continue to be so for many years to come!
– Mary Quirke, current mentor
I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent competing in scór. The time we spent preparing and perfecting the sketch was the most enjoyable, the weekly rehearsals in the club or in our mentors; homes were such craic and as much as we strove to perform to our best abilities, we could always have fun and laugh at or with each other!
Everyone involved became really close and were like our second family. The parents also came together during that period too which was great to see as it was like a big support system for us when we were up on stage competing.
We got to travel around for the competitions and stay the night in the respective town which was so exciting and really made us want to win after travelling the distance. I made friends for life through scor and I have such fond memories of the experience.
Getting up on stage and performing was so thrilling but also very nerve racking. My confidence definitely improved and I became more outgoing as a result. Scor is a great way to get out of your comfort zone and to meet new people. I highly recommend getting involved in scór, there is no downside!! 🙂
– Emily Crowe, former participant
Scór for me was nothing but just good, honest craic! I entered the Grúpa Cheoil competition and also the Drámaíocht competition. Both benefitted me hugely in both ways you would expect and not expect. Starting with the Acting side of it, it was my first time properly acting on stage and I loved it the second I started. I got a great bond with the other cast members and because of that we were able to have great craic during the rehearsals. Also, I felt encouraged to try different sides to acting as well and in just a couple of months time, I was up on stage in front of over 200 people acting for a very famous John B. Keane play that was being done in by school and it is hard to believe that I would’ve done this without the confidence that Scór gave me in acting. Speaking of John. B Keane, I also gained a massive interest in playwrights, writing and production from my first interaction with drama in Scór and regularly try to learn more about these things. All in all, I would highly suggest entering the Drámaíocht in Scór as the benefits, for me anyway, were huge! The
Grúpa Cheoil was also a brilliant event for me.
I have been playing music nearly all my life yet had never entered any form of a competition, and Scór gave me all the opportunity to do this. Also, I was able to talk to my teammates about different styles and techniques of playing that are still relevant, and still regularly practiced by me today, only a couple of weeks after playing the Concertina for my Leaving Cert Music Practical Exam! Similar to the Drámaíocht, there are endless benefits to competing in the Grúpa Cheoil competition in Scór and some that you may not fully expect!
– Tadhg Reen, former participant
My name is Rory Sugrue and I have fond memories of my time representing Na Gaeil in Scór na nÓg when I was younger. around 2012-2014. I took part in the Léiriú (novelty act) category, where we had great fun putting together, rehearsing and performing a comedy sketch! Although I did not play football myself, being
involved in Scór gave me a great sense of community and comradery at the club and I had the chance to make some lifelong friends while doing it.
– Rory Sugrue, former participant
I look back fondly when reliving the Scór na n-Óg days. The laughs we had, the friends we made and the endless time our Scór mentors invested in us is a testament to the spirit of our club.
I highly recommend for any young person to get involved in any way they can. It was a great opportunity to learn how to work together, to develop our presentation skills and not take ourselves too seriously
– Niamh Moriarty, former participant
When asked to write a piece about Na Gaeil and Scôr the memories came flooding back. A ballad group was put together for Scór Na Óg my daughter Hilary being one of them. What a journey it became. The average age of the group was 8 yrs old and they continued to represent their club well into their teens. As the group bonded together so did the parents. We lived and experienced the disappointment of loosing but the joy that wonderful night when they won the County championship in the INEC I will never forget! Which progressed to winning Munsters in Mallow and performing in the All Ireland in Athlone. Returning back to the clubhouse after every competition to a warm reception.
Through Scòr our children grew in confidence experienced the highs and lows of competing. Made life long friends. As a parent I will be forever grateful to have been part of this wonderful time because of the friends I made and still hold dear. Travelling together on the bus and the great nights in the club house.
If I could I would do it all over again. If new to the area or not sure if it’s for your child just give it a go you won’t regret it.
– Trish White, parent of former participant
My Scór adventure began when my own kids were young. They’re now grown but, alongside Mary Quirke, who writes all our scripts, I’m still involved as a Mentor for the Nuachleas (drama), and I enjoy it so much. Watching kids with very little confidence blossom into teenagers who "own" the stage is a great privilege, and something I’m delighted to be a part of. For parents, the social end of Scór is really good too. We’ve had such craic over the years, travelling to and from the various competitions, and I’ve made really good friends along the way.
– Margaret Doody, current mentor
