Carlow County Council – Round the House and Mind the Dresser
“Round the House and Mind the Dresser,” a line many might remember from the céilí days, will see Creative Ireland Carlow work with Maksym Lozovyi, Alison Behan, and Mad for Carlow Trad to deliver high quality music over 14 visits to seven different settings.
The combination of traditional music from Mad for Trad; guitar, piano, vocals and ukulele from Alison; and Maksym’s baritone performance, will provide a unique experience for all residents.
Creative Ireland Carlow will link in with the care home settings and musicians during and after the initiative to evaluate the project as it progresses.
Cork City Council – Notes that Heal
Music in Community (MIC) will deliver this project which supports positive ageing, combats social isolation, and ensures high-quality creative engagement for older adults with limited access to cultural activity.
MIC specialises in bringing trained, professional musicians into healthcare and elderly care settings. They will visit three facilities, blending bedside music tailored to individual needs with small group sessions, and mini concerts for those gathered in communal spaces.
Bedside sessions are particularly valuable for bed-bound residents, allowing real-time adjustments to tempo, volume, and style according to patients’ moods and energy.
Residents’ requests are encouraged, fostering engagement and emotional connection.
Cork County Council – Healthcare Hoolies
45 live music performances will be delivered across 16 community hospital settings, featuring a range of musical genres to engage residents, staff, and families.
The Cork Pops Quartet, directed by broadcaster Evelyn Grant and cellist Gerry Kelly, is known for its magical performances. Down Memory Lane, an immersive reminiscence show produced and performed by Linda Kenny blends live music, storytelling, humour, and sing‑along moments. Fiona Kennedy, a well‑known Cork singer and guitarist, offers a repertoire spanning contemporary, classic, and traditional music.
Through skilled musicianship, thoughtful programming, and strong inter‑agency collaboration, each performance provides enjoyment and meaningful emotional and social benefits.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown – Music in the Moment: an engaging programme of live performances across Dún Laoghaire Rathdown
dlr plans to work with highly skilled musicians, collaborate with internal teams, build capacity in this area, and partner with local residential homes to deliver quality, responsive music experiences that will have a positive impact on the lives of older people, their families and healthcare professionals.
30 performances will take place in five settings selected from expressions of interest.
The paid mentoring opportunity for two musicians led by highly experienced musicians Dr Eamon Sweeney and Lisa McGuinness will continue. A free workshop and follow-on observation of a music performance in a dementia café will be offered to all applicants.
Galway County Council in partnership with Galway City Council – Music in the Afternoon / Ceol sa Tráthnóna
Both local authorities and Music Connects will continue their partnership to deliver a programme of live music in residential healthcare settings based in both counties.
Music Connects carry out a consultation period to build relationships and ensure that residents are receiving the genre of music and personality of performers that is the best match for them.
In terms of location, Galway County wishes to continue their focus on the more remote, Gaeltacht areas; in particular, Inis Mór, an Ceathrú Rua, Carna, and An Spidéal. Galway City will see live music benefit a 50/50 mix of both new and previous participants.
Kilkenny County Council – Fuaim na Cuimhne / Sound of Memory
This programme, developed in collaboration with service providers, residents and artists, will bring vibrant, meaningful experiences to residents in Kilkenny’s retirement homes.
It will deliver regular live music sessions, gentle movement and dance, and storytelling events across residential care settings, creating moments of joy, connection, and cultural enrichment for older adults.
Each event will feature high-calibre local artists such as Jenna Raggett and Jane Pearson alongside celebrated Irish language writers and storytellers, including local seanchaí Jim Maher, and storyteller and poet Michael Creagh. Together, they will craft inclusive experiences that celebrate Kilkenny’s rich heritage while embracing creativity and community spirit.
Laois County Council –Musical Memories
Following on from the proven success of their Musical Memories programme, which saw a professional team of musicians and choral directors lead inclusive sessions of music and song for those in healthcare settings, Healthy Laois and Music Generation Laois are set to expand on and strengthen it.
This initiative will enhance capacity, foster growth, and bring the proven benefits of music and song to even more locations across Laois. Sessions will provide meaningful creative engagement and be tailored to those participating, ensuring a responsive and engaging experience.
The programme will support positive ageing by fostering creativity and wellbeing.
Limerick City and County Council in partnership with Tipperary and Clare County Councils – Mid-West Musicians-on-Call 2026
Partnering with Music & Health Ireland, high-quality, interactive live music will be delivered to 12 older persons’ residential care settings, enriching the cultural life of residents while supporting healthcare staff and strengthening community connections.
Professional musicians trained in healthcare-sensitive and trauma-informed delivery will tailor sessions to residents’ preferences, promoting co-creation, memory activation, and emotional wellbeing.
An original song will be created collaboratively with residents and staff through a Song Development Project, and a Music and Care Staff Workshop will be delivered for Activity Coordinators and Healthcare Assistants across the region, while a mentorship programme in Limerick will build future capacity.
Monaghan County Council – Memories and Melodies
This initiative will see local creatives deliver an eclectic programme of live music and storytelling inspired by the rich history and heritage of County Monaghan and the borderlands, incorporating covers from local showbands, hits from Monaghan’s country music stars such as Big Tom and Paddy Cole, and traditional Irish music.
It is designed to transform the lives of people living with dementia and their carers by being gentle, flexible, approachable, present, and opening roots back into their past and identities, contributing to a greater sense of wellbeing for participants, those within their wider community of loved ones, and caring staff.
Offaly County Council – The Offaly Rover: Ballad Singing in the Faithful County
Ruairi O’Shea will collaborate with eight nursing homes in Offaly to deliver a programme of three live music sessions in each residential care setting. The sessions will conclude in the first week of November. Sessions will be tailored to the residents, while also welcoming their families, visitors and staff members to attend, listen and participate. The music programme will focus primarily on well-loved folk ballads and instrumental Irish traditional music. The project aims to bring the joy of music and therapeutic benefits of live music directly to service users, fostering meaningful connection, uplifting spirits, and encouraging shared social experiences.
Roscommon County Council in partnership with Meath County Council – Roscommon Resonates
This is a live‑music initiative bringing eight professional musicians into residential healthcare settings for older people. It will bring community-based supports to women living in long-term residential care in Counties Roscommon and Leitrim. Musicians will deliver eight sessions to each of five settings and three Showband Bingo Musical Theatre visits to each of two settings. Showband Bingo is a participatory music and theatre event created by Ballaghaderreen actress/singer Julie Sharkey, specifically for residential healthcare settings. This is partnered with the Age Friendly Community Linkage Programme at Meath County Council, funded by the Women’s Health Fund in the Department of Health.
Sligo County Council in partnership with Leitrim County Council – Vintage Tea and Dancing
The tea dance event features a jazz swing band performing old-time tunes and songs from an era familiar to older audiences. The programme includes two waitresses in vintage costume who serve tea cakes from tiered cake stands on a vintage tea trolley. In addition to serving refreshments, they will encourage residents, where appropriate, to dance, and sing songs of their own choice if they wish, helping to create an inclusive and interactive experience.
Each event will last approximately two hours with some events at weekends, allowing family members to attend and share the experience.
Waterford City and County Council – Care Concerts partnered with Mobile Music Machine
Following on from the programme of concerts in Waterford between 2020-2025, Care Concerts will facilitate four visits in four different settings, featuring four separate soloists on each visit. The partnership will continue to collaborate locally with Age Friendly Ireland and Healthy Ireland. The concerts will feature a well-known local poet Lani O Hanlon, who will create and perform new works based on this project from her experiences and interactions with residents. A total of 16 concerts would be delivered and involve work with the care home staff to facilitate engagement with residents to ensure their input to the musical choices.
