Offaly musical societies celebrate wins at AIMS awards

It was a memorable weekend at the 2026 Association of Irish Musical Societies (AIMS) Awards for both Tullamore and Clara Musical Society, with local talent receiving well-deserved recognition on one of Ireland's biggest amateur musical theatre stages.

Leading the celebrations was Tullamore's Aoife Digan, who won the prestigious 'Best Actress' award for her outstanding portrayal of Scaramouche in 'We Will Rock You'. Aoife's exceptional performance captivated audiences, making it a proud moment for all involved with the society.

There was further success for Tullamore Musical Society's production of 'We Will Rock You' when Amanda Cunningham was named runner-up for her role as Kashoggi in the 'Best Supporting Actress' category, while the society also earned runner-up honours in the 'Best Programme' section.

Meanwhile, Clara Musical Society also had much to celebrate at the annual awards ceremony. Wayne Handy was recognised as runner-up for 'Best Backstage Management', highlighting the dedication and hard work that goes on behind the scenes, while Grace Kelly was named runner-up in the 'Outstanding Youth Performance' category, a testament to the bright young talent within the society.

The weekend proved to be a wonderful showcase of the passion, commitment and talent that exists within both societies.

Congratulations are extended from both societies to all the nominees, runners-up and winners who represented their communities with such pride at AIMS 2026.