About Us
The Forget-Me-Nots Organisation is a registered charity in Ireland (No. 20144661) offering an inclusive community choir for older people, family, friends and neighbours and is especially welcoming to those affected by dementia and memory loss. Participants are drawn from the neighbourhood, the local HSE Day Care centres, The Alzheimer Society Social Clubs in the region, local residential nursing homes, and from the wider Dublin NorthEast community.
We never heard of Zoom when we restarted rehearsals in January but it became a lifeline for our choir members as we worked to stay connected during the COVID-19 lockdowns, cocooning, tier level restrictions and social distancing. This short video collage gives a small taste of our "Feel So Young" Tuesday and "Silver Lining" Friday Zoom sessions. We hope you enjoy it as we all look forward to getting back together again in person!
This Quality Arts project engages highly experienced choral professionals, drawing on some of the most exciting musical talent in Ireland – Norah Walsh, award-winning Musical Director & Composer and who features in Tyrone Productions latest choir documentary with David Brophy, and Emmet O'Connor as accompanist. The project is wholly managed and supported by enthusiastic volunteers from the Dublin NorthEast community for the Dublin NorthEast community with every penny raised going towards the choir.
Our goals are to:
1. build an inclusive choir for the vulnerable elderly, older people, family, friends, neighbours and with a special welcome for those affected by dementia or memory loss.
2. extend access to a quality, professionally managed Arts activity for the continued self-growth and creative enrichment of our members.
3. promote wellbeing through song and through social inclusion in our community with a special reach into local residential nursing homes.
4. embrace the community by including school children in periodic rehearsals and performances where this is possible.
5. record and share any anecdotal or empirical learning we gain regarding the benefits of this project for our members and for the wider community.
The choir got its inspiration from The Unforgettables Chorus founded in New York in 2011 by Dr. Mary Mittelman of NYU Langone Medical Centre’s Comprehensive Centre on Brain Aging. The Forget Me Nots is the first choir of its kind in Dublin's Northside and aims to progressively interact with the youth of the community as well as residential nursing homes in the locality.
2. extend access to a quality, professionally managed Arts activity for the continued self-growth and creative enrichment of our members.
3. promote wellbeing through song and through social inclusion in our community with a special reach into local residential nursing homes.
4. embrace the community by including school children in periodic rehearsals and performances where this is possible.
5. record and share any anecdotal or empirical learning we gain regarding the benefits of this project for our members and for the wider community.
Norah Walsh has been Musical Director since January 2015. You can learn more about the inspiration for the choir on RTE's Morning Ireland (aired in November 2013) and which sparked the foundation of The Forget Me Nots.
In August 2014, the choir featured in RTE Radio 1's 'Doc on One' series with a 'A song for Kathleen' by award-winning documentary maker - Elayne Devlin. It can be heard on the RTE website in perpetuity. Have a listen, it will warm your heart!
In April 2018, the choir featured in a concert 'Moments of Joy' as part of the Sonas apc International Conference on Dementia held in The Helix. Michael Sullivan interviews Norah Walsh and Orla Horn as part of NearFM's 'Lifeline' radio programme.
Our Supporters - THANK YOU!
Proud to be a member
