New bursary founded in Noah’s memory

THE mother of tragic teenager Noah Donohoe has spoken of how she wants to “keep his music and memory alive” following the founding of a new bursary in his name.

Fiona Donohoe was speaking to the Chronicle this week as the Noah Donohoe Music Fund opened for applications. The bursary, designed to assist young musicians between the ages of 11 and 18, offers grants up to £2,000 for things such as instruments, tuition and any other costs associated with nurturing and developing young musical talent.

Fourteen-year-old Noah Donohoe went missing in Belfast on the evening of Sunday June 21 2020. Six days after his disappearance, the body of the missing teen, whose family comes from Strabane, was found in a storm drain in the north of the city.

Police stated that there was no foul play involved.

However, almost four years later the family remains in the dark over the exact circumstances leading to the Noah’s death.

An inquest is due to begin in September during which the family hopes to finally receive much-sought answers.

Detailing more about the new bursary, Fiona explained, “We wanted to do something meaningful, to honour Noah’s memory. Getting started as a musician is an expensive business; buying instruments, maintaining them, lessons and exams. It all adds up. This bursary is designed to help children with an aptitude and love of music to achieve that dream and fulfil their passion. If a child can get the same joy Noah had for music, it’ll all be worth it.

“Being a musician offers so many opportunities and fires a child to go on and learn something they love. With so much evil in this crazy world, music is a great release and it’s that which we want to nurture with the fund which is both cross-border and cross community.”

An accomplished musician himself, Fiona says it was Noah’s love of the craft which prompted the bursary, which is organised through the Community Foundation Northern Ireland.

She remarked, “Noah loved music from an early age. He played the recorder at school and began taking guitar lessons when he was very young from a friend of ours before taking it up himself, learning from online videos.

“Noah was introduced to the cello and the triangle at school when we lived in England and when we moved back to the North he continued it at school in Belfast. It was then when Noah began taking the instruments seriously going on to achieve grades in both the guitar and the cello; we used to laugh about it when he said, ‘Mummy, maybe I’ll take up grades in the triangle next.”

Fiona also recalled sitting by Noah as he played the cello and the ‘serene sound’ which emanated from it. “I love the cello’s sound, so peaceful. It breaks my heart I won’t hear him play it again,” she said.

“Noah always looked to the future and he was my future, my wee darlin’.”

Referring to the impending inquest in September, Fiona said, “There are still a number of outstanding questions which need answered and the inquest should hopefully do that; it’s mind-boggling how we have had to wait so long.”

For further information about the fund, log onto www.communityfoundationni.org