WATCH The Grey Hares Ensemble continue to flourish at the Redemptorist Centre of Music

The Grey Hares Ensemble continue to flourish at the Redemptorist Centre of Music. Picture:
Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick

The Grey Hares Ensemble, a unique and personal community group, continues to grow and flourish at the Redemptorist Music Centre

The Grey Hares Ensemble, a community group based in Limerick City, aimed at inviting people over the age of 60 to come together to explore the ageing process, continues to flourish at the Redemptorist Music Centre, guided by Dr Nóirín Ní Riain, after forming the the winter of 2024.

Described by Ní Riain as an “organic” gathering, the group was formed from a simple idea, Dr Ní Riain told I Love Limerick, “I just had this idea since I was ageing myself, ‘wouldn’t it be lovely to gather a few people around who were in the same boat.’

“And so it’s been quite extraordinary because we’ve become very, very friendly and really, I only knew one or two people before I contacted Mike Quirk, the first, first person, after that, really, I didn’t know anybody else. But we’ve become just firm friends, and we share like a family.”

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The group has gone from strength to strength and continues to grow as they meet every two weeks, Nóirín explained, “ We share this ageing every two weeks. And also we have great fun, too. Because we laugh an awful lot, that’s the essence of it: you can’t, in old age, you can’t take yourself too seriously.”

The Grey Hares explore six guiding principles during their gatherings, including social connection, service to one another and to the wider world, spirituality, and music.

“ I suppose the one that certainly moves me most is the spiritual, because I think our souls don’t age. So it’s the one thing that we can share together; and looking forward to death too, which is the next thing,” said Nóirín, before adding, “We’re in the kind of in the waiting lounge.”

One of the group’s most meaningful traditions is a “guardian angel” ritual, where each member is anonymously assigned another person to quietly support through small gestures of kindness.

Dr Ní Ríain explained, “We have a lovely little ritual, which is that everyone is assigned to somebody else, anonymously. So you are kind of the little guardian angel of somebody in the group.

“You get their name, and you hold that name in private. You don’t pretend who it is, and you bring along a little gift or even a smile. Or you might open a door for somebody, and you are their guardian angel, but they don’t know as a mortal who that guardian angel is.”

The ensemble also enjoys outings and excursions together, including a visit to King John’s Castle when they celebrated their one-year anniversary

Ní Riain described the Grey Hares Ensemble as something fulfilling which every member will enjoy, saying, “ It is lovely, and it’s of its time, we don’t know how long we are going to have together, but we feel that we are making this relationship, which will continue up there in the heavens. Whenever we are all called there, we’ll be singing, the Grey Hares up in heaven. We’ll be the next choir.”

The Grey Hares ensemble, led by director Dr Nóirín Ní Riain, seeks to create an inclusive, joyful space where individuals over 60 can explore the ageing process through song, storytelling, and communal interaction.

The Grey Hares Ensemble is more than just a singing group; it’s a social and spiritual support network for those navigating the later stages of life. Inspired by the belief that ageing with creativity and humour can lead to a more fulfilling and enriched life, the ensemble aims to combat the isolation, loneliness, and anxiety often experienced in the post-retirement years.

Pictures: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick