Latest news with #ArtsCouncil-funded
North Wales Chronicle
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor musician to perform at Euro 2025
Lea Mererid Roberts, a student at Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor, will travel to Lucerne, Switzerland, to play with the all-girl Welsh folk collective TwmpDaith in support of the Wales women's football team as they begin their UEFA Euro 2025 campaign. The group will perform at a special reception for First Minister Eluned Morgan on Saturday, before entertaining fans in the city's fan zone and outside the Allmend Stadion on match day. Ms Roberts said: "College has been really supportive of me during the last year. "The education and the opportunities that they offer are fantastic. "For me, the support to follow all these extra-curricular activities has been instrumental in all my success." The 17-year-old from Pwllheli will also perform at a 'Women Making Music' event and other gigs around Lucerne as part of the visit. She is currently studying Music, Welsh and Sociology A-levels at Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor's Pwllheli campus. Now in her second year with TwmpDaith, a Welsh ceilidh supergroup formed through the Arts Council-funded Prosiect WYTH, Ms Roberts will play at major cultural events this summer, including the National Eisteddfod and Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau. She plays piano, clarinet and saxophone, and is working towards Grade 8 in all three instruments. Under Prosiect WYTH, she will be mentored through the summer by Gwilym Bowen Rhys and Meinir Siencyn. Ms Roberts is also a member of the band Nod1, who have a string of performances scheduled across Wales. Her summer will end with a cultural exchange trip to Ireland through the Urdd, where she will learn about traditional Irish music with TG Lurgan. She then plans to complete her final year of A-levels, with hopes of studying music at Cardiff or Bangor University. Last year, Ms Roberts received the Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor Dolgellau Music Club scholarship, worth £500. She also played a key role in the college's Christmas show, performing on saxophone. In addition to her musical achievements, she won first prize in the short story competition at the Urdd National Eisteddfod. READ MORE: Gwynedd and Anglesey Plaid Cymru MPs vote against 'cruel' welfare bill Fflur Rees Jones, assistant principal at Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor, said: "As a college we are incredibly proud of Lea and her outstanding achievements. "Her dedication and recent achievements are truly inspiring and her success reflects the hard work she's invested over the years. "We wish Lea all the best for the future."
The Journal
21-05-2025
- The Journal
Woman charged over Shannon Airport protest refused travel to UK for Arts Council-funded trip
A JUDGE TODAY refused to relax bail conditions to allow a woman charged with the criminal damage of a US aircraft at Shannon airport to travel to the UK for an Arts Council-funded work trip. At Ennis District Court today, Judge Alec Gabbett said that Galway woman, Nell Buckley (29), 'is charged with serious offences' and refused an application to have Ms Buckley's passport returned to allow her travel to Great Yarmouth over three days at the end of this month. Judge Gabbett said that the incident at Shannon airport received wide publicity in the papers and on social media. He said that the great concern to the court is the serious issue about airport safety 'and there could potentially be an international incident'. Ms Buckley of Ard Omra, Ballyburke, Ballymoneen Rd, Galway who has a Masters qualification, is one of three women charged with the criminal damage of the Omni Air International aircraft at Shannon airfield on 17 May. It will be alleged that part of the front of the aircraft was spray painted with red paint. Ms Buckley is also charged with entering a restricted area beside the control tower at Shannon airport with intent to unlawfully interfere with property on the same date. All three first appeared before a special sitting of Ennis District Court at 9pm on Sunday night and Ms Buckley's co-accused were bailed to re-appear before court on 9 July on strict bail conditions. Ms Buckley also obtained bail and as part of Ms Buckley's own bail conditions, she is barred from entering any aerodrome and must return her passport. Advertisement In court today, solicitor for Ms Buckley, Daragh Hassett asked that Ms Buckley's bail be amended to allow her to travel to the UK for three days for Arts Council-funded work. Hassett said that the flight tickets were booked for Ms Buckley 'by someone in the Arts Council'. He also said that at the initial bail hearing on Sunday it was flagged that a pre-booked work trip that had been arranged for her. 'She has a job. She works in the arts,' the solicitor said. Det Garda Roddy Burke said that the concerns he outlined at the bail hearing on Ms Buckley entering an airport remain. He said: 'There is a possibility there will be further charges in this case.' Mr Hassett said that the charges Ms Buckley faces are 'serious' and she intends to contest those charges when the case comes for trial. Ms Buckley said that has lived overseas for periods and did her Masters in Holland and returned from there in 2020. Mr Hassett said that Ms Buckley's mother has an independent surety of €500 in court to allow her daughter make the journey. Mr Buckley agreed with Mr Hassett that she was travelling to the UK for work and not under the guise of a protester and would be travelling alone. Mr Hassett said that Ms Buckley's flight tickets are to fly out of Dublin on Ryanair. Judge Gabbett refused the application and remanded Ms Buckley on continuing bail to re-appear in court on July 9th. Judge Gabbett later told Mr Hassett that he was not open to an application to allow Ms Buckley travel by ferry to the UK this month.
