The Big Give – Eoin’s Story

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16-year-old Eoin from County Down has been supported by Young Sounds UK since 2023, and it’s been wonderful to see how far he’s come on his musical journey!

Eoin has been playing the uilleann pipes for four years now and initially applied to our Thrive programme to help with the maintenance costs associated with such an instrument, giving it some much-needed TLC. Air leaks, instrument tuning, and wood care are all common issues that can create a serious barrier to learning.

Eoin has always been interested in music since he started playing tin whistle at primary school and joined Fasttrad, a traditional music outreach programme, at age 11. For Eoin, though, music is so much more than a hobby – it’s been passed down through his family:

“I love playing and composing music – I just love it so much! My great grandmother, Maggie Barry, was a famous folk singer from Ireland – she travelled the world and sang in so many different places. My great-great-great grandfather, Robert Thompson, was the founding member of the uilleann pipe society in Cork. He even won All-Ireland medals for his playing. There’s definitely music in my family, and I’d like to follow in their footsteps – I envy both of them and would love to be like them.” 

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Eoin’s great grandmother Maggie Barry and great-great-great grandfather, Robert Thompson.

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Along the way, Eoin has found new musical passions which he otherwise wouldn’t have been able to explore without Young Sounds’ support. This year, Eoin was able to access recording software with a free YuStudio account to help him explore his passion for composition further. He was also accepted into college to study Music and Performance and used his financial award to purchase his very own low whistle, headphones and acoustic guitar. These will be invaluable in helping Eoin progress with his singing, songwriting and performance skills in this new stage of his musical journey. He says:

“I’m only 16 and hopefully have a long and joyful journey ahead of me which will lead me a career in music. I’ll forever be thankful to Young Sounds for helping me along the way.” 

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The Big Give Christmas Challenge

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We can’t support talented young people like Eoin without your help. Please donate to our Big Give Christmas Challenge to help us reach more young musicians like him, and give them a musical future.

If you believe that every young person should be given the chance to reach their musical potential, now is the best time to show your support with the Big Give Christmas Challenge. From midday on Tuesday 2 December to midday on Tuesday 9 December 2025, any money donated to our appeal will be doubled until we reach our target of £90,000. Let your generosity stretch twice as far this giving season. Thank you!