The Fr McNally Chamber Orchestra was founded by Briege McGoldrick, a past pupil of the late Fr Brendan McNally, in April 2010. Over a span of forty years, Fr McNally gave free tuition to hundreds of students, many of whom have gone on to have highly successful professional careers as performers and teachers throughout the world. Fr Brendan was ordained a priest in 1958, and moved to Ravensdale Parish in 1963 where he began his long violin teaching career. It was here that he established his first orchestra, the Ravensdale Orchestra. Fr McNally's next appointment was as curate in the Redeemer Parish, Dundalk, where he continued his string teaching.
In addition to teaching string instruments to the young people of the Parish, he also established the Redeemer Youth Orchestra. In 1985 Fr McNally became Parish Priest of Reaghstown where he continued to teach violin for many more years. Sadly, after a long illness, Fr McNally passed away on 19 November 2017. Many of his past pupils both in the country and further afield made their way home to play at Fr Brendan's funeral mass where he was described as a person who 'Prized Quality'.
The aim of the Fr McNally Chamber Orchestra is to honour the quality of playing Fr Brendan adhered to during his life and passed on to so many of his past pupils. In May 2011 Dundalk Institute of Technology formally recognised Fr McNally’s accomplishments in relation to music teaching, and the recital room in the Carroll Building was dedicated to him and named in his honour. We are delighted that the Fr McNally Chamber Orchestra is one of the ensembles of residence in DkIT.
