Standing together to help Stuart

The cream of Irish singing talent, as well as Munster rugby, features on a new CD aimed at raising funds for a young rugby player.

Stuart Mangan, from Fermoy, in Co. Cork, suffered a devastating spinal injury last year, which has left him paralysed from the neck down.

The CD, 'Together We Stand', features singer/songwriter, John Spillane, comedian and singer, Jon Kenny, soprano, Cara O’Sullivan, former Meteor Award-winning artist, Gemma Hayes, singer/songwriter, Freddie White, and academic, composer and performer, Micheal Ó Suilleabhain.

It goes on sale this Friday.

The CD will be launched at the Sin Bin, in Limerick, on Saturday, before the inter-provincial rugby clash between Munster and Leinster. It features past and present heroes of Munster rugby, such as former rugby internationals, Peter Clohessy and Mick Galwey. Tracks on the album include 'The Fields of Athenry', 'Flower of Scotland' and 'Bread of Heaven', sung by members of the current Munster squad.

At a recent fund-raising event, Stuart Mangan’s father, Brian, remarked that although he now carries out his days with controlled optimism, every so often he is struck with overriding emotion when a piece of music catches him unawares.

Music, he said, can evoke incredible emotional responses. “Nowhere is this more evident than at a Munster Heineken Cup game, where the collective vocal performance of 'Low Lie' has often been sung through the individual tears of pain, joy or sheer relief,” he said. The idea behind the album, he said, is “to bottle” some essence of the experience that occurs between fan, team and song. Some 15 artists recorded songs, with the help of the Munster rugby team.

One of the people behind the project is Kate Canning, whose brother played alongside Stuart with Fermoy rugby club. “Music has always played a powerful role within rugby, with a significant number of songs now associated with the Munster team, in particular,” she says. “I think we have achieved our goal of capturing the very essence of what supporting Munster through song means to rugby fans. I also believe the CD stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit that Stuart has shown in rebuilding his life since the accident.”

Jon Kenny recorded a new version of the infamous Munster anthem, 'Stand Up and Fight'. This track is a collaboration between Kenny and Micheal Ó Suilleabhain and also features Mick Galwey, Peter Clohessy, and Noel ‘Buddha’ Healy. “I wanted to do something different, so this is a jazz version of the song, which comes from the opera, 'Carmen',” said Kenny. “Micheal played piano on it and we also had a double bass player and a drummer.”

Kenny has also sung a song on the CD that he composed himself. “It’s called 'The Ballad of John and Katie' and is about a woman who is totally infatuated with Munster rugby.”

Kenny said that Munster rugby means a lot to him. “When I was sick in hospital, a game was always something to look forward to. I played a bit of rugby when I was young and my son plays it. Thanks be to God that injuries in the game are few and far between, but what happened to Stuart Mangan was very unfortunate.”

Cara O’Sullivan sings 'There Is An Isle' on the album. “It refers to St Mary’s parish in Limerick’s city centre, very near Thomond Park. The song was the anthem for the Shannon Rugby Club, though it has been supplanted by 'Stand Up and Fight' or 'The Fields of Athenry'. The song means a lot to me, as I have family members from Limerick. I hope the CD will achieve funding for Stuart’s future care and will also raise awareness of what has happened to him and what he now has to live with.”

John Spillane sings 'An Poc Ar Buile' on the album. “It’s an hilarious song about the romp of a mad puck goat through west Cork and Kerry,” he says. “It’s not a rugby song, but is often associated with GAA and is a great song for the back of a bus, or the train home after a match. I’m delighted to contribute to the album, because it’s obviously in aid of a good cause. One of the advantages of my job is that I’m able to help people in this way and contribute to society.”

Freddie White’s contribution to the album is a song called 'The Boy Talks Tough', which he wrote with Jimmy McCarthy some time ago. “There’s bass and piano on it and I play the guitar. It’s a song about a young, teenage boy’s angst. He falls in love and gets his heart broken. I don’t know if the song has any relevance to the project, but in the sense that there is hope in the song, I suppose it is relevant. When I was asked to become involved in the project, I didn’t have any problem with it. I’m always willing to help anyone in need. I’m a Munster rugby supporter, but because I lived in Dublin for so long, I have a grá for Leinster as well.”

White hopes the album will raise much-needed funds. “Hopefully, it will sell because of the rugby fanaticism that is going on at the moment. Following the achievements of the national team, it’s a good time to raise awareness of this cause.”

'Together We Stand' is supported by the Irish Examiner. The CD is on sale in record shops from April 3 at €14.99. All money raised from the sale will go directly to the Stuart Mangan Trust.