Jackie Hayden, Hot Press.
AS THE National BEO Competition Final approaches on 11th May at the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny, organisers are delighted to announce that we have secured Jackie Hayden, Contributing Editor and journalist with Hot Press and author of many music-related books as being one of our panel of judges.
With having its roots in Coláiste Ailigh, BEO is currently organised by Transition Year students from Coláiste Ailigh, The Loreto Convent and St Eunan’s College.
It involves the students organising a series of live music concerts and social workshops in their local area. BEO aims to promote Irish bands and get young people interested in live music while at the same time promoting the cúpla focal.
This year BEO hosts a National Competition which sees other schools hold similar BEO events. Some fantastic BEO workshops and BEO gigs have been happening all over the country.
This competition would not have been possible without the sponsorship from Donegal County Council and the VEC and not least the tremendous support shown to BEO by the Principals and Transition Year Co-Ordinators of Coláiste Ailigh, The Loreto Convent and St. Eunans College.
As marketing manager with CBS Records (now Sony) Jackie Hayden signed U2 to their first record contract. He has also masterminded marketing campaigns for countless acts, from ABBA, Christy Moore, REM and U2 to Madonna and Santana.
Now a writer/director with Hot Press, he has written several music-related books and spoken at seminars in France, Spain, Germany, London and the USA, served on the government’s Task Force on Irish music and has lectured in virtually every Irish college and university.