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There's a new piano in Pearse Station and people are being encouraged to play it

Irish Rail has installed the decorated piano on the southbound platform of the station.

[image alt="Piano 2" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2017/09/piano-2-2-296x189.jpg" width="296" height="189" credit-source="TheJournal.ie" caption="The%20new%20Pearse%20Station%20piano" class="alignnone" /end]

A PIANO HAS been permanently installed at Pearse Station in Dublin and members of the public are being encouraged to sit down and play it.

In conjunction with piano tuner John Murphy, Irish Rail has installed the decorated piano on the southbound platform of the station.

The piano was first unveiled at the station this morning. Three children from the Royal Academy of Music, Aela, Siún and Eavan O’Sullivan, were among the first to try out the new installation.

TheJournal.ie / YouTube

Murphy, who has worked in the music industry for nine years, first approached Irish Rail with a proposal of installing a piano and he says the transport company was on board with the idea within 24 hours.

“I studied and lived in London for three years and witnessed public pianos in St Pancras Station and Harold Wood Station. I wondered why this hadn’t happened in Ireland yet,” Murphy told TheJournal.ie. 

“I wanted to bring the idea to Dublin to promote music and disrupt the traditional view of the piano as an inaccessible instrument. You don’t need to be Jools Holland or a Mozart.

If you can play at all you have the ability to brighten up someone’s day.

[image alt="piano 1" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2017/09/piano-1-296x166.jpg" width="296" height="166" credit-source="TheJournal.ie" caption="Aela%2C%20Si%C3%BAn%20and%20Eavan%20O'Sullivan%20try%20out%20the%20new%20piano" class="alignnone" /end]

A spokesperson for Irish Rail explained why they were keen to take part in the initiative.

“We thought it was a great idea. Railway stations are public places, so it’s nice to utilise it for something like this and it lifts people’s spirits,” the spokesperson said.

Even today, looking at people as they go past, they have a smile on their face. Any day that you can make people smile is a good day.

Artwork

Waterford artist Sarah Edmondson designed the illustrations on the piano, which were inspired by the Dart’s coastal journey.

“The idea behind the artwork is that we wanted to remind people of the coastal route of the Dart and encourage people to appreciate the scenic route,” Edmondson told TheJournal.ie. 

“It’s great to have a public art piece, one that’s inclusive, that you can interact with. The artwork is very friendly and in no way pretentious. It’ll definitely encourage people to participate and use the piano.”

Speaking of the safety of the piano at the station, Murphy had few concerns that it would be damaged or vandalised.

“I definitely think it’s going to last. I think people will give it a lot of respect. There’s a lot of good people out there and hopefully it’ll be here into the foreseeable future,” he said.

Read: Fake Russian Facebook accounts paid money to stir up race and LGBT issues during US election

More: Fine Gael criticises one of its councillors for ‘unacceptable’ comments about Islam

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    Mute bacoxy
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    Aug 15th 2015, 6:00 PM

    I wish them the best of luck, really funny and well observed shorts.

    663
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    Mute Micheal S. O' Ceilleachair
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    Aug 15th 2015, 7:11 PM

    Skinny jeans!

    219
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    Mute Ronan Stokes
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    Aug 15th 2015, 9:14 PM

    I wonder how John is gettin on with the Iraqi?

    144
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    Mute Conor Power
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    Aug 15th 2015, 6:03 PM

    Only complaint I have is that there are not a few more episodes!

    481
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    Mute Figo murphy
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    Aug 15th 2015, 6:23 PM

    More episodes please.

    Hilarious stuff

    292
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    Mute Supernova
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    Aug 15th 2015, 6:09 PM

    This and Sminky Shorts are very good.I dont know would the yanks get it though.

    253
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    Mute The Girl
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    Aug 15th 2015, 6:01 PM

    It’s times like that I’m proud to be Irish..

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    Mute Aaron Kavanagh
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    Aug 15th 2015, 6:59 PM

    I love Martin’s Life!

    I wonder if people outside of Ireland would get the humour, though.

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    Mute Jess Foley
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    Aug 15th 2015, 6:31 PM

    hilarious

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    Mute Anthony John Cotter
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    Aug 15th 2015, 6:44 PM

    Love the four, we need to roar for more.

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    Mute Fiona Wederfoort
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    Aug 15th 2015, 8:23 PM

    ‘A couple of what?’ ‘A couple of gay people!!’ HILARIOUS….we need more!!!!

    105
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    Mute Mac L0ve
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    Aug 15th 2015, 9:18 PM

    How could you not hear “game of throws”?

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    Mute Boxer Alice
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    Aug 15th 2015, 8:28 PM

    Martin’s Life is just so funny! Whoever writes it deserves an award of some kind. I do feel only an Irish audience would get it though, but nothing wrong with that!

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    Mute Larry David the 2nd
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    Aug 15th 2015, 10:05 PM

    “Tis’nt it well for them the bisexuals ”

    I bloody love this series!

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    Mute Michael O'connor
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    Aug 15th 2015, 7:37 PM

    Very funny. good luck with it lads

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    Mute molly coddled
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    Aug 15th 2015, 8:40 PM

    Brilliant, hope you do incredibly well.

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    Mute Louise Morris
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    Aug 15th 2015, 7:10 PM

    Too funny, my tummy aches. The only other laugh I got like this is for David O’ Doherty (comedian) . Check him out on you tube if you need more laughs like this. I love being Irish and our accents are the best !

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    Mute Paul Morrissey
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    Aug 15th 2015, 8:57 PM

    it’s a small world!!!!!!!

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    Mute eoin o mahony
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    Aug 18th 2015, 8:36 PM
    1
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    Mute sonny red
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    Aug 16th 2015, 2:17 AM

    Jaysus,those dwarfs are comical.I wonder do they get paid.

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    Mute Cheeto Ballsack
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    Aug 15th 2015, 11:17 PM

    This is brilliant

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    Mute Elizabeth Rohan Lenihan
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    Aug 16th 2015, 2:26 AM

    Absolutely love Martin’ Life. Can’t wait for more. My 91 year old mother loves them too!!

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    Mute sonny red
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    Aug 16th 2015, 2:10 AM

    He’s watching a game of throws,with that small fella and mcully culkin.hahaha

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    Mute Sean O'Malley
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    Aug 15th 2015, 7:04 PM

    youtube search: morning after night in coppers

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    Mute Stephen Mullan
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    Aug 15th 2015, 10:45 PM

    Thing is anyone can make those cartoons. They’re on a package you buy online for €9.99 a month. You just pick your characters, hair colour, clothes etc and put your voice to it. So to say he’s too lazy to do more of them just makes you think. How lazy is he?

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    Mute Laithbheartaigh
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    Aug 16th 2015, 12:48 PM

    ignorance is bliss to some people i guess, over the top superlatives!

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    Mute Laithbheartaigh
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    Aug 16th 2015, 12:29 PM

    This is done using GoAnimate software and is not hard to do, its the script thats the hard thing, which is very funny in this case.

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