Athlone musician (16) to play New York's Carnegie Hall

A teenage musician from Athlone is getting ready to perform on one of the most famous stages in the world on St Patrick's Day.

Athlone Community College student Lucas Carlin will be travelling to New York City with the Peace Proms, the cross-border orchestra of Ireland, to play at the renowned Carnegie Hall in Midtown Manhattan.

Lucas, who is sixteen years of age and in Transition Year, plays the flute and the piccolo as part of the orchestra's woodwind section.

The Peace Proms is an initiative designed to promote peace through music by bringing together young people from a variety of backgrounds and areas on the island of Ireland.

There are more than 100 members of the orchestra and its performance in Carnegie Hall will mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

"Everyone is really excited for it. It will be a great opportunity," Lucas told the Westmeath Independent this week.

His connection with the Peace Proms originated when he was a pupil in St Mary's National School and was brought on a school trip to one of its concerts in Dublin's RDS.

This sparked his interest in one day performing as a musician with the orchestra, and he went on to fulfil that ambition in 2021.

Since then he has been travelling on a regular basis to practice with the orchestra in Dundalk, and has been playing concerts in various parts of the country, such as Dublin, Belfast, Limerick and Waterford.

The orchestra will be flying out to the Big Apple on March 15. They will play at a school in New York the day after their arrival, before the Carnegie Hall performance on the evening of March 17.

While there have been Peace Proms performances over the years in New York, Beijing and Rome, this will be Lucas's first trip outside of Ireland with the orchestra.

Lucas's Mum is well-known hairdresser Roisin Carlin, owner of Medussa Hair Studio. Both Roisin and her husband Damien Milton are very proud and have described Lucas's opportunity to play in Carnegie Hall as "an honour and a privilege".

Damien added that Lucas has made some great friends through his involvement with the Peace Proms.

"There's great camaraderie among the kids, and they meet every Sunday and have a bit of craic. It's something that will be with him for a long time to come."

Lucas's involvement in music started when he began learning the piano, at the age of nine or ten, with James Milton.

He expressed his gratitude to all of his instructors over the years and everyone who had supported his musical development while he was in St Mary's NS and Athlone Community College, mentioning in particular Noelle Lee, Joanne Croughan, Nessa McLoughlin, Joan Travers-Hind, Ailish McManus, Paul Hensey, and Patrice Coyle.

He also said Athlone Community College music teacher Katie Gallagher and principal Eileen Donohoe had been extremely helpful and supportive of his musical journey.

"I really enjoy music - it's a lovely pastime to have. It's just a lovely experience to be able to pick up an instrument and play," he said.