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Welcome to Killarney!
Dear Friends,
I am thrilled to welcome you all to Killarney for our first convention in 3 years! I am sure I am not the only person here who has looked forward to this occasion for many months; meeting old friends again and making new ones, not to mention an opportunity to sing for other people again!
On behalf of IABS, I wish to welcome our members who have travelled from all over Ireland to reunite at this event as well as our many visitors who have joined us from abroad. Despite the last few years of restrictions and caution, our convention sees visitors joining us from the US, UK, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, Holland …….
To be back in the INEC in Killarney makes it all the more special, as this venue has been a fantastic host IABS over the past many years of Conventions. For visitors to Ireland, I hope you will enjoy the famous Irish welcome and hospitality and get an opportunity to visit some of the beautiful sites in the area. The scenery in this part of Ireland is breath-taking, from the National Park and the lakes to the coastal drive along the Wild Atlantic Way. I hope that when the afterglows are over, you will have time to take some of it in.
I am honoured to welcome the many barbershop organisation representatives who join us this weekend. As our community continues to grow, our relationships with organisations outside our own is incredibly important. Our fellow barbershop organisations and the World Harmony Council provided the IABS Board with much advice, reassurance and support throughout 2021 and 2022, and I am so happy to be able to sit with many of these people over the coming weekend and see more of them than a screen would allow me to!
Speaking of our relationships with other organisations, I must welcome our musical guests this weekend. I was very lucky to meet both of these groups during 2022 – HusAar (Denmark) were a joy to watch perform at the European Barbershop Convention in Helsingborg, and watching Vocal Zone (Scotland) on stage in Warwick was a personal highlight of my time at Sweet Adelines International Region 31 Convention. I am truly delighted to have both groups in Killarney this weekend and I know you will all enjoy their music, their spirit and their tags!
Picking up a convention committee after 2 years of ‘forced hiatus’ is no mean feat. This year’s Convention Committee have worked tirelessly to ensure this convention would be the reunion we all hoped for, and I want to thank every member of that committee for their dedication, patience and enthusiasm. A big thank you also goes to Kerry Tourism and Killarney Convention Bureau for their support, and to the staff of the INEC and the Gleneagle Hotel who have been wonderful partners to us and in the organising of this event. I also wish to thank our C&A team, judges and many volunteers who give so much of their time and energy this weekend to develop and inspire our membership and attendees.
Our Music Education team of the IABS Board deserve particular commendation this year for the development of the Barbershop Youth Festival which takes place on Friday. To have our first ever Youth Contest and the Youth Festival taking place this weekend is an important benchmark in the life of IABS, as we encourage young singers and their educators to discover Barbershop and support young Barbershoppers as they cross the stage to compete, many for the first time. Like our barbershopping friends internationally, I believe that singing makes the world a better place and introducing Barbershop to young singers and supporting them to grow in this hobby can only create more harmony for everyone.
Lastly I want to wish all the competitors the very best of luck this weekend. If the nerves come, just remember how much singing we missed over the last few years and embrace the opportunity to take to the stage once more in front of kindred spirits who love singing and harmony as much as you do!
Let’s celebrate being able to make music together – we have learned how much we have taken this honour for granted. So sing, sleep and be merry!
Yours in Harmony
Ailbhe Hayes
IABS Chairperson
I am thrilled to welcome you all to Killarney for our first convention in 3 years! I am sure I am not the only person here who has looked forward to this occasion for many months; meeting old friends again and making new ones, not to mention an opportunity to sing for other people again!
On behalf of IABS, I wish to welcome our members who have travelled from all over Ireland to reunite at this event as well as our many visitors who have joined us from abroad. Despite the last few years of restrictions and caution, our convention sees visitors joining us from the US, UK, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, Holland …….
To be back in the INEC in Killarney makes it all the more special, as this venue has been a fantastic host IABS over the past many years of Conventions. For visitors to Ireland, I hope you will enjoy the famous Irish welcome and hospitality and get an opportunity to visit some of the beautiful sites in the area. The scenery in this part of Ireland is breath-taking, from the National Park and the lakes to the coastal drive along the Wild Atlantic Way. I hope that when the afterglows are over, you will have time to take some of it in.
I am honoured to welcome the many barbershop organisation representatives who join us this weekend. As our community continues to grow, our relationships with organisations outside our own is incredibly important. Our fellow barbershop organisations and the World Harmony Council provided the IABS Board with much advice, reassurance and support throughout 2021 and 2022, and I am so happy to be able to sit with many of these people over the coming weekend and see more of them than a screen would allow me to!
Speaking of our relationships with other organisations, I must welcome our musical guests this weekend. I was very lucky to meet both of these groups during 2022 – HusAar (Denmark) were a joy to watch perform at the European Barbershop Convention in Helsingborg, and watching Vocal Zone (Scotland) on stage in Warwick was a personal highlight of my time at Sweet Adelines International Region 31 Convention. I am truly delighted to have both groups in Killarney this weekend and I know you will all enjoy their music, their spirit and their tags!
Picking up a convention committee after 2 years of ‘forced hiatus’ is no mean feat. This year’s Convention Committee have worked tirelessly to ensure this convention would be the reunion we all hoped for, and I want to thank every member of that committee for their dedication, patience and enthusiasm. A big thank you also goes to Kerry Tourism and Killarney Convention Bureau for their support, and to the staff of the INEC and the Gleneagle Hotel who have been wonderful partners to us and in the organising of this event. I also wish to thank our C&A team, judges and many volunteers who give so much of their time and energy this weekend to develop and inspire our membership and attendees.
Our Music Education team of the IABS Board deserve particular commendation this year for the development of the Barbershop Youth Festival which takes place on Friday. To have our first ever Youth Contest and the Youth Festival taking place this weekend is an important benchmark in the life of IABS, as we encourage young singers and their educators to discover Barbershop and support young Barbershoppers as they cross the stage to compete, many for the first time. Like our barbershopping friends internationally, I believe that singing makes the world a better place and introducing Barbershop to young singers and supporting them to grow in this hobby can only create more harmony for everyone.
Lastly I want to wish all the competitors the very best of luck this weekend. If the nerves come, just remember how much singing we missed over the last few years and embrace the opportunity to take to the stage once more in front of kindred spirits who love singing and harmony as much as you do!
Let’s celebrate being able to make music together – we have learned how much we have taken this honour for granted. So sing, sleep and be merry!
Yours in Harmony
Ailbhe Hayes
IABS Chairperson
