Belfast choir crowned All Island winners
A choir from Belfast was tonight crowned the All Island School Choir after an intense final in the Ulster Hall.
Methodist College beat three other finalists to take the £5,000 (€5,597) top prize.
Methodist College choir director Ruth McCartney said after the winner was announced: 'We are all just thrilled and delighted. Thanks very much to the choir for all their hard work and thanks to RTÉ for setting up such a worthwhile competition'.
The competition was an initiative by the RTÉ Belfast office. RTÉ's Northern Editor Tommie Gorman said the real stars were the students, their teachers and families.
The other schools who participated in the final were King's Hospital, Dublin; Presentation Secondary School, Kilkenny and Saint Mary's College, Derry.
Over 80 schools from across Ireland indicated an interest in competing and, of those, 42 submitted a CD featuring two contrasting works. Judges then selected 20 choirs to compete in regional heats which were held in Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Sligo.
The competition was organised by CoOperation Ireland and sponsored by Titanic Quarter Ltd and assisted by the Reconciliation Fund of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Chief Executive of CoOperation Ireland Peter Sheridan said the competition was a great way of promoting tolerance, respect and friendship among young people of different races, faiths and cultures across the island.
