2025 JBforever27 Music Bursary presented at CPC

The shortlisted applicants with Jeremy Burke's father Gerry and mother Louise Kelly.

"Keep sharing your love of music and be very proud of yourselves," a group of shortlisted musicians for the 2025 JBforever27 Music Bursary were told in CPC yesterday, writes Brian Byrne. The bursary, worth €1,500, was established to remember former CPC student and musician Jeremy Burke, who died unexpectedly in Canada in January 2023. 

The 2025 winner is Olivia Lambert, a solo vocalist who intends to pursue a career in music in London after her Leaving Cert. She is the second recipient of the award. Jeremy’s mother, Louise Kelly, said Olivia's dedication to her craft from such a young age is inspirational. "She is gifted and one to watch out for in the future. She captures a lot of the essence and spirit of Jeremy and his love of music."

Nine other shortlisted candidates received a voucher from Jam Music and a harmonica. The applicants' musical talents ranged across many genres, including rock, singer-songwriter, original pieces of piano and lyrical work, musical theatre, solo singers, and bands.

During the presentation ceremony in the presence of Fifth and Sixth Year students, a video from the independent adjudicator, Elle Leon Gallagher, was played. Elle is a singer-songwriter living in Barcelona, and she and Jeremy were friends from primary school in Kilcullen. As fellow students in CPC, they shared a love of music, and Elle recalled that it was seeing him sing and play, "a bright individual in my class who was so out there and authentic and driven," that encouraged her to develop her own singing "that I hadn't up to then shared much."  She congratulated those present for some 'really wonderful' applications and said she was honoured to play a part in assessing the entries. "It's great to see the love and drive in music is still going strong in CPC. I found all of your original materials, your covers, and just the scale of the entries to be really inspiring." 

She also said it had been a pleasure to meet applicants during a number of workshops which she had done with them while visiting Kilcullen during the year. "I really saw talent at such a strong level, and I can definitely see bright futures for all of you, whether that's with making music or teaching it, whatever fits with you."

Louise Kelly spoke about Jeremy and the 'insurmountable void' that his death had left in his family. "This bursary is just one way of remembering him and his talent and his love of music and sharing that love with you, wonderful students." She paid tribute to CPC's music teachers, saying the students were blessed to have such lovely people guiding them.

On behalf of the school, deputy principal Katriona Harney expressed her deep admiration for the resilience of Jeremy's family in sharing their grief through music. "I always think that the greatest talent is music, and to be able to share that with other people is wonderful. In good times and in bad times, at weddings, funerals, and celebrations, or when we just need a bit of light. And with all the different kinds of artists or songs or music that we individually like, there's something there for everyone. Our talents are there to be shared with everyone, and in giving joy to other people, you'll have great joy yourselves."

The shortlisted applicants were Alex Connolly, Carl Kenna, Grace Doyle, Josh Kelly, Olivia Lambert (bursary winner), Grace O'Donnell, Evie Sammon, Charlie Lawlor, Dermot Guiney, and James Meehan.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy