Young Offaly musician hits all the right notes in qualifying for prestigious title

An Offaly musician is in the running to win a prestigious title in April. Seventeen year-old Kimberley Delaney from Kilcormac has been announced as one of ten finalists in this year's Fiddler of London competition.

The final of the competition will take place in the English capital on Saturday, April 2.

Revealing the news on their official Facebook page on March 1, the Fiddler of London 2022 competition said, "We are delighted to announce our tenth finalist in the Fiddler of London 2022. Congratulations Kimberley, we're looking forward to meeting you in London."

The competition, named in honour of the late Justin Whelehan, was open to entries globally and musicians of all ages.

Kimberley will perform two different selections of tunes on stage for the Live Gala Final at the Irish Cultural Centre in London.

The young musician is a sixth-year student at Colaiste Naomh Cormac and her selection as a finalist for an event of this stature, supported by both the Irish government and the mayor of London won't shock those familiar with Offaly's vibrant traditional music scene. A multi-talented musician, Kimberley plays the banjo, the button-accordion, the piano, the tin-whistle and the fiddle which she began playing at just five.

As a member of Ballyboy Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann (CCE) Kimberley also teaches fiddle in Rahan CCE. Kimberley was stunned when she discovered that she had qualified for the title at the famous competition.

"We had to submit an online application form and videos of ourselves performing four tunes. But when I was doing that, you see, the site crashed, because so many people were trying to enter. So I contacted them (the Fiddler of London organisation) on Instagram, and I was able to send them the videos that way, but the application form still wouldn't go through."

"What happened next, a few weeks later, was that someone I knew called me and gave me a number that they said I had to ring. I had an idea that it might be to do with the Fiddler of London, but I thought it was going to be about the application form not working, so maybe they needed some information from me. But when I rang the number, it was actually Eilish Byrne-Whelehan, the executive director, and she said, 'Congratulations, you're a finalist!' I was stunned. I just couldn't believe it, I had to ask Eilish if she was really sure, and she said she was."

Kimberley was a student and friend of the late Ashling Murphy for eight years and has spoken about the positive impact she had on her life.

"I remember the first time I saw Ashling play the fiddle when I was only about eight years old and I was convinced she was a star! Everything about her that day, from how she played to how she looked and acted, I was just in awe. I even made my Mam go up and get Ashling's autograph for me, on the back of a cigarette box!"

"A little while after that, my Mam told me to grab my fiddle one day because we were going for a drive. I didn't think anything of it because we were always heading off somewhere to play music. But when we walked into Ashling's house and Mam said to me, 'This is your new fiddle teacher', I could hardly speak!"

Kimberley says, "In my mind, no-one will ever be able to play like she could, but I try to be the same kind of teacher for others that she was for me. That's how I can honour her memory. I'll always think of Ashling when I play, and I'll always want to feel like I'm making her proud of me."

The Kilcormac native has competed in several Fleadh Cheoil competitions, including as part of the Grupa Cheoil collective that Ashling and her sister Amy guided to a 2nd place finish at the 2018 All-Ireland Fleadh. Kimberley was also awarded two scholarships before taking part in the 2019 Fleadh in Drogheda.

She has appeared on Fleadh TV and TG4 as a member of the group Spreach (Spark) following a week at the Meitheal Irish Trad Music Summer School, and another appearance at the Irish World Academy in Limerick.

If Kimberley wins the Fiddler of London title, she will be named Fiddler in Residence for the Irish Community and will be invited to perform at many high-profile events in the UK and Ireland during her year in office. This year's winner will also record an album with Mike McGoldrick as producer and receive a Supreme polycarbonate Panther series Bam fiddle case.