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A Kiltealy Christmas fundraiser, organized by the Anthony Kearns Music Fund as a Christmas gift to Anthony Kearns, ran from November 29 - December 31, 2002. The goal was to raise $1,500 toward the purchase of a piano for the Kiltealy chapter of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, a worldwide organization that promotes Irish traditional music in all its forms. Any monies collected over and above the $1,500 would go to the general Fund.

An incentive for contributions was a beautiful handmade quilt that was stitched and donated by Melanie Newman. Anyone making a donation, regardless of the dollar amount, to A Kiltealy Christmas would be eligible for the quilt drawing. At the close of the campaign, a total of $1,920 had been collected, and on January 8, 2003, Betty Kearns, Anthony's mother, made the official drawing. After much anticipation, the lucky winner's name was announced…..Dolores Kern of Pennsylvania. Dolores was kind enough to send in a photograph of the quilt that is gracing one of the beds in her home. Please click on "Quilt Photo" at the end of this article to view the quilt.

As is the case with most successful events, it was the collective efforts of many helping hands that produced such brilliant results for this fundraiser. Special thanks go to Maryanna Fournier, Lori Herter, Max Kaplan and Shannon Turney who fostered donor enthusiasm on the various Anthony Kearns fan sites. They proved to be unfailingly spirited advocates for the Fund. Kudos, also, to Marie Collins, our intrepid webmaster, who made sure the achievement tally was always up to date on our website. To Melanie Newman goes a huge, albeit symbolic, presentation bouquet for her gift of time and talent in the creation of such a magnificent quilt. And finally, to all of the generous donors, go raibh maith agaibh, thank you! From Massachusetts to California and from Canada to Texas, you supported the Fund not only with your dollars, but with your kind words of support and offers of help. The Fund is lucky to have you!!!

As of this writing, the search is still on for Kiltealy's "perfect piano", but word has it that the search committee is zeroing in on its final selection. Also, Betty Kearns has promised that she will provide a picture of the young Kiltealy musicians around the new piano as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can see a picture of the children without a piano by clicking on "C.C.E. Kiltealy Picture" below.

March 10, 2003

On May 9, 2003, the Music Fund received word that C.C.E. Kiltealy, at last, has its "new" piano. According to Betty Kearns it arrived from County Carlow about two weeks ago. It is a "used", black upright Yamaha piano, has a beautiful tone, and came complete with piano stool and protective cover. The piano is residing at Kiltealy National School where C.C.E. rehearsals take place. The powers that be felt it was better to "berth" it at the school (vs. the Community Center) because there are better climate conditions there for the piano.

This must be one special piano because Sunday last, after just three rehearsals with it, the Under 12 Yr. Ceile Band took first place in a local competition! Later this month the Band will go on to compete at the County Fleadh (music festival). We wish them well!

Both Betty and Anthony Kearns have promised pictures of "Baby Yamaha" as soon as everyone can get together. They hope we will all be patient as getting Anthony, the C.C.E. children, the Kiltealy fundraising committee and "Baby Yamaha" assembled in one place at the same time is challenging to say the least. How gratifying to know that the wonderful 2002 Christmas gift to C.C.E. Kiltealy (and Anthony) is finally a reality!

May 9, 2003

As most of you know, at the suggestion of Anthony Kearns and with the approval of the Irish Steering Committee, the aims of the Music Fund have been expanded to include providing financial assistance to programs and students of Irish traditional music as well as to vocal studies students. As a Christmas gift to Anthony this year, a fundraiser has been organized which reflects these expanded horizons. Specifically, the goal of the Christmas 2002 collection is to raise $1,500 to assist the Kiltealy chapter of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann in the purchase of a much-needed piano. Monies collected over and above that amount will go to the general Music Fund.

Anthony Kearns's exposure to music began at a very early age. Growing up in a musical family, he participated in many local, county and regional activities that would form the foundation of his music career. An organization that was, and still is, particularly influential in arranging these musical activities is the Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann or CCE. Established in 1951, and with chapters throughout the world, CCE promotes Irish traditional music in all its forms.

The village of Kiltealy, Anthony's childhood home, has a local CCE chapter that boasts a membership of 70 children, some of whom attend F.C.J. Bunclody (to read more about CCE and to view a picture of the Kiltealy music group, please click on the "CCE - Information" and "CCE Kiltealy - Picture" buttons below). Betty Kearns, Anthony's mother, remains a very active member of this organization. Over the past year, through various fundraisers, the Kiltealy chapter has been raising money to purchase a piano. Some of you may even recall that a portion of the receipts from Anthony's solo concert in Enniscorthy last May went to this piano project. An additional $1,500 would make this piano a reality. The Steering Committee of the Music Fund feels that providing this funding would be an appropriate expenditure that would also represent a meaningful gesture of "giving back" by Anthony to his musical beginnings.

A KILTEALY CHRISTMAS fundraiser begins on November 29 and lasts through December 31, 2002. A running tally of donations collected will be reported on the Music Fund website at: www.anthonykearnsmusicfund.com so you can monitor the progress. Additionally, fan and websites devoted to Anthony will provide timely updates.

Once again, a generous patron has stepped forward to assist in making the Christmas drive a success. Melanie Newman, a kind, soft-spoken, and admittedly-shy veterinarian, has made a beautiful quilt which she has donated to the Music Fund to be used as a fundraiser. Almost entirely handmade with more than 75 different fabrics, the quilt is an applique scene of nature in and around a lake (design by Nancy Davis-Murtz) and measures 74" wide X 92" long. While quilts are often auctioned or raffled-off for fundraising, Melanie has chosen to eliminate the competitiveness we sometimes associate with auction/raffle activities in the interest of encouraging greater participation in this holiday drive. Therefore, every donor's name, regardless of the amount donated, will be "put in a hat" for a drawing at the end of the drive. Betty Kearns has graciously agreed to be the "official name drawer". The lucky winner's name will be posted on the Music Fund website.

The Music Fund would like to take this opportunity to thank Melanie Newman for her extraordinary gift to the Music Fund. The hundreds of hours spent on this project are her way of honoring the beauty of music in our lives, Anthony Kearns, and a very special kitty named "Oscar". To read Melanie's very touching story about Oscar and to view some pictures of this lovely quilt, please click on the "Quilt Story" and "Quilt Pictures" buttons below.

Hard as it is to imagine, Christmas is not very far off. Please consider doing your gift giving early by sending a contribution today. Your generosity would be a very meaningful Christmas gift to Anthony and at the same time ensure that we can continue the mission of the Music Fund...to instill a love of music in children of all ages.

Donations should be sent to:

Anthony Kearns Music Fund
19100 Shaker Boulevard
Shaker Heights,
Ohio 44122

Please make checks payable to Anthony Kearns Music Fund and indicate that your donation is for A KILTEALY CHRISTMAS.*

Wishing you and yours a Happy and Blessed Holiday Season,

The Steering Committee of the Anthony Kearns Music Fund

Gearoid Grant
Priscilla Horst
Betty Kearns
Kathleen MacMullan
Eileen Martin
Derek Nally
Ann Nolan

* Please note that contributions to the Anthony Kearns Music Fund are not tax deductible.

After attending my first Anthony Kearns concert a little over a year ago I wanted to do something for the Bunclody Music Fund. I eventually decided to make this quilt as a fund raiser for the C.C.E. Kiltealy music group. Let me try to explain why I wanted to do this project.

I am a veterinarian in an emergency and critical care hospital and about two years ago I met an elderly gentleman as a client. I shall never forget him. He owned a very sick cat named Oscar. The gentleman's wife had recently died and he had decided to enter a nursing home. At this nursing home the residents were allowed to bring along their family pets, but when those pets died, they were not allowed to adopt any more pets. Oscar was very dear to this man and he begged me to do all I could for the cat. I tried everything I had learned in school, and when that didn't work, I thought up some other treatments, but in the end Oscar died. One of the most difficult things I have ever done was to tell this gentleman Oscar had died. He just sat in front of me staring at the floor. I think it was me who began crying first, but eventually we both were sobbing. Before I realized what was happening this gentleman was sitting next to me and hugging me. In his hour of grief he was trying to comfort me. A total stranger had thought about me over himself, and was trying to comfort me when I should have been strong for him. He told me how he had married his wife late in life, and while on their honeymoon, he and his wife had found Oscar as a stray and decided to adopt him. Oscar's passion had become sitting on top of the couple's piano and meowing as they played and sang. The gentleman and his wife were Irish; their honeymoon was in County Wexford.

The first Anthony Kearns solo concert I attended was September 15, 2001 in Philadelphia. It was difficult to be thinking about a concert so close to our national disaster of September 11. I almost decided against attending the concert, but in the end felt it would be healthy to have the diversion after all of the hours spent glued to the television trying to absorb such monumental horror. At the concert, first Patrick walked out onto the stage and with his head bowed quietly sat at his piano. Then out from the curtains came Anthony; the room was deadly quiet. He, too, had a bowed head and after several moments he sighed deeply and began a very moving speech. He told us how he had thought long and hard about canceling this concert out of respect for those touched by the tragedy, but in the end had decided he would perform. He said he felt at a loss over what to adequately say to us, but decided the best gift he could give was to sing for us. And if by singing he could bring some happiness to the several hundred of us here, then he would feel truly humbled. Needless to say people were reaching for tissues already, and our crying reached a climax with Anthony's beautiful God Bless America as his second encore. We all stood and sang together.

As I continued to think about Oscar and Anthony over those next months, several things struck me. I like to think Oscar may have visited the Bunclody school - maybe even sunbathed on the school's steps. I think it is more than a coincidence that in both stories a great kindness was shown to me by an Irishman. And I have come to realize that music plays an important part in all our lives.

It is with these thoughts in mind that I decided to make the quilt. I would like to honor Anthony, the beauty of music in our lives, and Oscar.

Sincerely,

Melanie Newman

AIMS

The C.C.E. was founded in 1951 to promote Irish Traditional Music in all its forms and to create a closer bond among all lovers of Irish music. The organisation also aims to restore the playing of the harp and Uilleann Pipes and to promote Irish Traditional Dancing. C.C.E. has established branches throughout the country and abroad to achieve these aims and objectives. Members of Comhaltas also work to foster and promote the Irish Language and co-operate with all bodies working for the restoration of Irish Culture.

BRANCHES

Local Branches of C.C.E. organise classes for music, song, dance, and language for all age groups and hold adult set dancing and language classes. Members record local musicians, singers, and storytellers. They also record local songs, stories, rare musical items, and so on for posterity. The members hold sessions at a suitable venue where families of all ages can be encouraged to attend. Members are encouraged to enter competitions and attend Fleadh Ceoils at local, county, regional and national level. The aim of most traditional musicians and singers is to compete for an All Ireland medal. ___________________________________________

Thanks to Eileen Martin,F.C.J. secretary, for this summary of information about C.C.E.

For more in depth information about CCE go to http://www.comhaltas.com