By Lisa Ramsden
Three talented young guitarists had the ‘perfect’ start to the Christmas season last week when they met pop superstar Ed Sheeran. Leitrim’s Pádraig O’Higgins, Castlewellan’s Cuan McMurray, and Sam Rice, from Dundrum, enjoyed a very special meet and greet with the multi-award-winning star before he took to the stage of Dublin’s 3Arena to perform to a sell-out crowd last Tuesday night.
The talented young musicians were invited to attend after a remarkable connection was formed between their guitar tutor, Castlewellan’s Mona Owens, and George Lowden, the Downpatrick-based luthier who has been producing guitars for over 50 years. Mr. Lowden forged a partnership with the famous musician and creates a range of ‘Sheeran by Lowden’ guitars.
The schoolboys, who are members of Castlewellan Comhaltas, were also accompanied by Mona and their equally excited parents to last week’s top-secret meet-up. They spent time backstage before the show, when they were shocked and delighted to be presented with new semi-acoustic guitars, before settling down to enjoy the concert in some of the best seats in the house.
Having only received their invites, which had to be kept under wraps, just a few weeks before the show, the schoolboys and their entourage, including their hugely supportive guitar tutor, were thrilled and excited to make their way to Dublin.
Mona said she was “so proud” of how the boys conducted themselves and described last week’s meeting as “a once in a lifetime opportunity”. Explaining the background, Mona said she first reached out to George Lowden when, just under two years ago, she read in the Mourne Observer of his new partnership with Sheeran.
“It was a lightbulb moment,” she explained. “I am so passionate about teaching the guitar, and music in general, and I thought I should reach out and see if he would be so kind to donate a guitar if I ran a competition amongst my pupils.”
Those wishing to take part had to submit a recording of them singing one of Sheeran’s songs, ‘Perfect’, whilst playing their guitar. All entries were then expertly judged by Dr. Finbar McGratty and Eoin Flynn, who later selected Pádraig as the winner, with Cuan and Sam coming joint second.
And the rest, as they say, is now history! Three guitars were presented by George, and the recipients and their families, along with
Mona thought that was that. Until the end of November, that is, when word reached the three local households that Ed had confirmed he would like to meet them when he was performing in Ireland.
Pádraig is a left-handed guitarist, who, along with Cuan, attends St. Colman’s College in Newry, while Sam is a student at Down High School. Mona highlighted how talented they all are. She said they have “a natural flair” which has been enhanced by their commitment to playing. She adds they could be “professional musicians of the future.”
Mona said that last week’s “magical” event gave them a real insight into how “a wonderfully talented person such as Ed, who no doubt came from normal beginnings, has been able to excel on the world’s stage.” She went on to describe him as “a fantastic role model,” and admitted that some of the grown-ups, including herself, were “starstruck.”
