Concert honours late founders of former West Cork Amnesty branch

A CONCERT to celebrate the wonderful work of the Clonakilty branch of Amnesty International which has closed due to lack of new recruits is to take place in Kilgarriffe Church in Clonakilty on July 26th at 8pm.

The concert will held in memory of the inspirational founders of the Clonakilty branch, Joan McGrath and Don Pollard. 

Joan founded the Clonakilty branch in 1985 and died in 2010, while Don Pollard, who had been active in Amnesty and CND in the UK and a coordinator of the group died in 2017. 

Following Don’s death it was decided to make future concerts a memorial to both. The Clonakilty branch was in fact the only branch in West Cork and former members included Aida Cullinane, Charlie Shinquin, and Áine Ní Chonaill.

Musician and composer Justin Grounds said this will be a continuation, which started in 2013, when he and Don came up with the concept of a classical concert in Joan’s memory, as part of Amnesty annual fundraising events.

‘The concert is free and will be a celebration of all the great work the Clonakilty Amnesty group did over the many years while it was active,’ Justin told The Southern Star.

‘We will present a programme of music along with my colleagues and students from the ETB School of Music, including a violin concerto by Vivaldi, the sublime Oboe Concerto by Marcello and some of my own orchestral works.’

Last December, The Southern Star spoke to the remaining members of the Clonakilty branch of Amnesty International who said that it had become harder to keep the branch running and organise events, with just five members.

Sue Higgins, who had been a member of the branch for 35 and a half years, said she was really disappointed that the branch was to close. She thanked the people of Clonakilty for all their support down through the years and said she and her friend, Chrissie Doswell, will continue to do things themselves. Sue said one of the many highlights of being involved in Amnesty International was when released prisoners of consciousness came to Clonakilty and spoke to them.