Coppeen’s Colum masters college in his seventies

A 71-YEAR-old Coppeen musician and community activist has shown it’s never too late to return to education after he was recently conferred in UCC with a masters in local history more than 60 years after leaving school early to work on the family farm.

Colum Cronin, who is well-known in the music circuit across West Cork, began studying for the MA in local history during the Covid lockdown.

‘All our lectures were delivered online during the lockdown and I actually never met my classmates or lecturers for that matter until our recent graduation day in UCC!’ Colum, who graduated with first class honours, told The Southern Star.

‘It was a proud day for me and my family especially as I left education just a few months into secondary school at Bishop McEgan College in Macroom, following my primary school education at Coppeen National School. I guess this shows what can achieved some 60-plus years later.’

Passionate about history and community development, the 71-year-old dad is the founding chairperson of the Coppeen Archaeological History and Cultural Society and has been a full-time musician songwriter, music teacher, recording engineer, photographer, and local heritage activist to boot.

Colum was taken out of school by his parents to work on the family farm, which cut short his secondary education. A self-taught guitar player, he managed to carve out a
successful music career playing at venues across West Cork.

‘At one point I built my own recording studio, taught myself how to be a sound engineer and recorded material for countless artists down through the years,’ he said.

As well as recording four albums of his own, he has also collaborated with others in both writing and recording songs and has been immersed in music full-time for the past 50 years.

Colum thanked former teacher/inspector Mick Crowley for encouraging him to pursue the master’s degree and he  encouraged  anyone contemplating going back into education to not to let anything stop them.