Couple makes generous gift of digital baby grand piano to Kinsale school

A COUPLE’S love for Kinsale has seen them leave a parting gift of a digital Suzuki baby grand piano to Kinsale Community School, which will take pride of place in the music room of their new building.

Having lived in Kinsale since 2014, Murray Clark and Mark Carter decided to sell up and move to Andorra to oversee the building of their house there.

‘That piano has moved with us and has rarely been played apart from the odd party. We love Kinsale and know that it’s a great school and felt it would be a nice gesture to donate it. More importantly, it would get far more use being at the school,’ Murray told The Southern Star.

‘It’s a great piece of kit and being digital it can also be connected to the school’s sound system for concerts. We’re very happy it’s found a good home and hopefully it will help some younger musical talent to flourish.’

Kinsale has  left a lasting impression on the couple  who have lived in various cities all over the world and they are sad to leave.

‘We’ve been made to feel welcome from day one – people are super friendly and open. It’s a very cosmopolitan town and that definitely made it stand out. We had decided to buy a house in Ireland on a whim and having viewed houses across the country we knew Kinsale was the place as soon as we arrived.’

Kinsale’s reputation as a gourmet town, coupled with nearby beaches and walks ticked all the boxes for Murray and Clark, and they hope to someday return to the town that made them feel so welcome.

‘Principal Fergal McCarthy was delighted when we made contact about donating the baby grand piano as he was working on sourcing a piano too, so the offer was very warmly received,’ added Murray. Mr McCarthy told The Southern Star that the new school will now be ‘alive to the sound of music’ following their kind donation.

‘It is truly heartening when the community that you serve seeks to reward you for the excellence of your service. Both gentlemen were long admirers of what the school has achieved and of the service the school provides to the community,’ he said.

‘Our music teacher, Bríd Kearney, has great plans to enhance the musical experience of students at Kinsale Community School through this very kind donation.’