Always Brighter Stories celebrates people doing kind, inclusive work in their communities across Dublin. From volunteer groups to disability activists, social enterprises, charities and more, we’re spotlighting these stories to thank all Dubliners who positively impact our city and county.
The Forget Me Nots is a community choir based in Baldoyle in north Dublin. Since 2014, they’ve provided an inclusive space for older people with family, friends, neighbours, and carers. The choir is especially welcoming to those affected by dementia and memory loss. Members are drawn from the Baldoyle area and local Alzheimer Society Social Clubs, residential nursing homes, and HSE day centres.
The choir was founded by Órla Horn and her two sisters, Fiona and Karen, inspired by their mother, Kathleen Tierney, who loved music and suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. A group of dedicated volunteers and professional music staff runs it. Órla was inspired by the New York-based ‘Unforgettables Chorus’, founded in 2011 by Dr Mary Mittelman of NYU Langone Medical Centre’s Comprehensive Centre on Brain Aging. The link between music and memory is scientifically proven, and participation in group singing has a hugely positive impact on those suffering from memory loss conditions, boosting their mood and helping their minds.
Norah Walsh is the choir’s musical director, and she is also a composer and arranger. She writes music specifically for the choir. Rehearsals are about a lot more than just the music – socialising and community are key tenets of the group. There are 120 members in the group, with a waiting list of 30. The Forget Me Nots regularly perform at concerts and festivals across Dublin. They have performed in iconic venues, including Áras an Uachtaráin (for President Higgins), the Mansion House (for the Lord Mayor of Dublin), St Patrick’s Cathedral, the Helix, and more.
You can find the Forget Me Nots on Instagram, X/Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
This initiative is brought to you by Dublin City Council, with support from the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daithí de Róiste.