Our Journey
Ireland Unlimited was born from friendship, harmony, and a shared love of song.
In the early days, two of our founding members, Olive Costello and Joan Kelly — both now sadly deceased — regularly attended singing workshops and events with members of other choruses. They cherished not only the musical harmonies created at these gatherings, but the friendships that grew alongside them.
Inspired by the joy of those occasions, it was decided to make the meet-ups a monthly event. Members of Beating Time, a Wicklow-based chorus, would hire a bus and travel to Sweet Auburn in Athlone, with return visits taking place every alternate month. Singing together in a larger group proved to be an immensely enjoyable experience, and enthusiasm quickly grew.
Fortune intervened at just the right moment. Around this time, a talented and experienced UK barbershopper, Cherry Hartshorn, had moved to Ireland to begin a new job. In what can only be described as a happy coincidence, Marie Power, then director of Sweet Auburn, met Cherry on the street. At the next monthly meet up Marie shared with Olive of the extraordinary coincidence of bumping into Cherry on the street in Dublin only a very short time after first coming across her at a harmony education workshop in the UK and having been so impressed with her. Recognising an opportunity, Olive made it her business to meet Cherry and persuaded her to temporarily direct Beating Time, who were without a director at the time, and to attend the monthly gatherings. From that enthusiastic and committed group of women grew what would become the award-winning chorus, Ireland Unlimited.
Since then, Ireland Unlimited has proudly represented Ireland on the international stage, performing in Spain, Holland, Wales and England as well as across the island of Ireland. We have sung at chorus members’ weddings, their children’s weddings, retirement celebrations, and countless parties and special events.
Our performances have brought us to prestigious venues including Leinster House, where we sang in Ireland’s House of Parliament, and to tea parties for two of Ireland’s Presidents. We have also had the privilege of bringing music and light relief to inmates in one of Ireland’s largest prisons — moments that remind us that harmony has the power to uplift, connect, and inspire wherever it is shared.
From bus trips and monthly meet-ups to international stages, our journey continues to be guided by friendship, dedication, and the joy of singing together.
