Mona's Guitar Club in the Irish News
Sam Rice from Primary 7 appears in the Irish News yesterday, as one of the three winners of Mona Owens' guiat competition. Follow the link to see a video of Sam in performance.
POP superstar Ed Sheeran has donated three Sheeran by Lowden guitars to a charity competition in Co Down.
Mona Owens, a guitar tutor from Castlewellan, teaches guitar in schools across the Co Down area.
Every year, she puts on a showcase for her students in aid of the Daisy Lodge Cancer fund for Children.
However, this year Ms Owens had the idea of contacting Lowden Guitars, based in Downpatrick, to ask if they would donate a Sheeran by Lowden guitar as a prize for the winner of the show.
“There was an advert in the local newspaper a few months back and it was a photograph with George Lowden (the owner) and Ed Sheeran in it.
I took a notion and I got into contact with George and asked if he would consider giving me a Sheeran by Lowden guitar for the best student in my show.”
The owner of Lowden Guitars, partnered with pop star Ed Sheeran in 2019 with the aim of making quality guitars for young musicians.
“Whenever George wrote back to me, without any hesitation, he said yes. I was so shocked and so delighted.” Said Ms Owens.
In preparation for the showcase, she decided to teach her pupils the song ‘Perfect’ by Ed Sheeran as a tribute to the generosity she had received.
“I’m a very optimistic person and I thought if the children learnt Ed Sheeran’s song he would maybe come over here and present the winner of my show with the guitar.”
However, Sheeran was on tour in America at the time of the competition.
Ed Sheeran, who has donated three guitars for a Co Down charity contest.
Ms Owens recorded each pupil playing the guitar in their school and sent the videos to two judges she had chosen.
“There were two judges, Dr Finbar McGrady and Owen Flynn. The videos were sent to them and then they chose six prize winners out of that.
Then on the day of the show they phoned me to say who had been chosen as the winner but they had also chosen two people to come joint second because it was so close.”
The winner of the competition, Padraig O’Higgins, is a left-handed guitar player.
“When I went down to George Lowden, he was shocked that I was awarding a left-handed guitar player because there wasn’t a left-handed guitar in the country and this was the first left-handed Sheeran by Lowden guitar in their new S series to be made.”
Ms Owens also told Mr Lowden about how two pupils, Sam Rice and Cuan McMurray, had come joint second in her showcase.
“Whenever I said to George Lowden that two students had come second, he realised that it must have been very close.
"George then called Ed Sheeran in America and the two of them decided to give the joint second place students Sheeran by Lowden guitars.
"So that was three Sheeran by Lowden guitars for my show.”
Alliance Councillor, Andrew McMurray, whose son Cuan McMurray came joint second in the competition, said:
“Mona teaches music all over the place, she is so passionate and enthusiastic about what she does and puts so much time and effort into it.
The fact she was able to convince George Lowden to donate three guitars to her end of year competition shows her commitment to the children she teaches. Her contribution can’t go unnoticed.”
This year Ms Owens’ competition raised £560 for the Daisy Lodge Cancer fund for Children.
“It’s just amazing, I am absolutely delighted with it.” She said.
She is also planning to hold guitar lessons for both adults and children over the summer at the Kilmegan Centre in Castlewellan.
We have included a video of Sam and Mona's fellow guitar pupil Michael Scally in performance. Amazing talent boys!
St Mary's Aughlisnafin Primary School, 5 Aughlisnafin Rd, Castlewellan BT31 9JP | Phone: 028 4377 8460
