Politicians in sing-along at charity single launch
An impromptu sing-along led by You’re A Star runner-up Finian McGrath to promote his charity single for Down Syndrome Ireland stopped traffic outside the Dáil today.
The Independent TD has recorded a version of "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" to raise money for the charity this Christmas.
Coming out of Leinster House with his guitar to sing for the media, Mr McGrath was joined by his 18-year-old daughter Cliodhna – who has Down Syndrome – and a number of TDs and supporters.
The group’s rendition of "Angels We Have Heard on High" in front of the Dáil briefly blocked cars coming in and out of the main gate, but the drivers seemed content to wait for the singers to finish.
Mr McGrath said the single was the brainchild of Down Syndrome Ireland and all proceeds would go to the charity, which works with children and adults who have the condition and their families.
“It’s a follow-up to the You’re A Star competition where I got second, to my shock and amazement I reached the final.
“We had raised €76,000 euro for Down Syndrome Ireland and we wondered if there was any way to bring it up to €100,000 euro,” he said.
The Dublin North TD said 5,000 CDs had been released, and already 3,000 had been sold through Tesco, Options and pubs.
He was joined for today’s launch by TDs and senators including Charlie O’Connor and Tony Gregory and Donie Cassidy, but there was one TD who wasn’t invited to the impromptu party.
“We had a meeting yesterday of all the Independent TDs about whether to invite the Minister for Justice to be in the backing group,” Mr McGrath joked.
“There was a split in the Independents and Tony Gregory – who had the casting vote – decided we weren’t going to invite the minister because of his behaviour in recent weeks in the Dáil,” he said.
Padraig Delaney, director of Down Syndrome Ireland, and the charity’s chief executive Michael McCormick were also on hand at the TD’s CD launch.
“It’s absolutely superb, a fabulous contribution which complements his coming second in the You’re A Star event,” Mr Delaney said.
He paid tribute to all the companies who had given their services for free, including Sony UK which owns the rights to Bad Bad Leroy Brown.
He said there was an endless list of things the charity needed the money for, including a publication with support and advice for parents whose children were born with weak hearts.
Mr Delaney said one in 547 children born in Ireland had Down Syndrome, and 50% of them suffered from heart problems.
The charity is solely funded through voluntary contributions and receives between 10,000 and 12,000 calls a year for information and support.
:: To support the work of Down Syndrome Ireland or for information people can ring 1890 37 37 37.
