Despite being newcomers to the international choral music scene having only been established in September 2023, Drogheda’s Reálta Chamber Choir achieved great success at the recent 70th Cork International Choral Festival.

They achieved first place In the highly competitive National Equal Voices Competition singing works by the Hungarian composer György Orbán and Drogheda’s Michael Holohan.

Under their excellent musical director and founder, Claire Grogan, Reálta was also awarded the Perpetual Contemporary Music Trophy for the performance of Irish Contemporary Choral Music. The choir won this prestigious trophy for the premiere of ‘Cast A Cold Eye' which was written by the Drogheda based composer Michael Holohan. 

'Cast A Cold Eye' is a setting of WB Yeat's epitaph and was composed by Michael Holohan in memory of his friend, the Nobel Laureate poet Seamus Heaney.

The beautiful trophy, made of Irish silver and oak, was donated to the Cork Choral Festival by the Contemporary Music Centre, Dublin. Coincidentally, the first winner of the trophy, in 2002, was Drogheda's Tredagh Singers, under their conductor Patricia Hegarty. After 23 years the trophy has returned to Drogheda.

In the highly competitive National Sacred and Church Music Competition, Realta was placed a very creditable second after the UCC Chamber Choir.

In the Light, Jazz and Popular Music Competition, The Voices of the Boyne, under Claire, achieved high marks and were delighted by the public's response to their recital in the Atrium of the Clayton Hotel.

This is Drogheda's first major success for many years at the Cork Choral Festival. During their golden period, St Peter's Mixed Choir, under the legendary Eugene Mooney, won the National Mixed Choir Competition in 1982.