FOMOH was launched in 2022, when 25 musicians, mostly doctors drawn from European and Irish doctors’ orchestras met for a week of chamber and small orchestral music. They played informal concerts each afternoon and a larger orchestral concert on the last day. Residents of the island came to concerts and to the ALL island Ceili, but we were restricted in how many people could come due to the size of the venues.

This year we had an even more successful time. We had players from Switzerland, Hungary, Scotland, Ireland, The Netherlands and England. We bought a double bass and a Contra bassoon onto the island both lent to us free of charge by Irish orchestras, and we had a fantastic time!

In 2023 the festival expanded, employing a local very experienced sound engineer to enable us to relay the music live to seating spaces outside the Gallery and Boathouse on Heir so that we can at least double the number of people coming to hear the live music. In June of 2023, we also took the whole orchestra to Sherkin and performed a concert in the Community Centre. The quality of the festival was further raised by involving a conductor. 

The project was a great success!!!