Founded in 1981, the Dublin based Hibernian Orchestra (formerly Hibernian Chamber Orchestra) is now recognised as one of the leading voluntary orchestras in the country. The players come from a variety of backgrounds. As well as music teachers and music students, the orchestra includes many pre-professionals, musicians pursuing other careers, and increasingly players who were trained across the world and who are now resident and working in Ireland. The orchestra, under the baton of John Finucane, presents between six and seven programmes each season based on weekly rehearsals that take place between September and June in Blackrock College, Co Dublin.

The orchestra has performed extensively in Dublin and increasingly is bringing music to regional towns across Ireland. The orchestra's repertoire stretches across the musical spectrum, ranging from early works to newly commissioned pieces. In the 1999-2000 season the orchestra played everything from Sibelius to Bach and finished the year with a performance live on RTÉ Lyric FM as part of its Radio Féile festival.

The Hibernians began its 2000-2001 season with a concert at the National Gallery of Ireland in aid of the work undertaken by Oxfam Ireland in Africa. Under the début direction of guest conductor Finghin Collins, the orchestra performed Debussy's Prelude à L'Après-Midi d'un Faune, before John Finucane performed and directed Mozart's Clarinet Concerto. The programme was completed with Beethoven's 'Pastoral' Symphony No 6. Then in March 2001 young Dublin violinist Gwendolyn Masin joined the orchestra in the National Gallery of Ireland for Beethoven's Violin Concerto, which was followed by Dvorak's rousing Symphony No 7 in D minor. The orchestra's annual Good Friday concert, organised by the Carmichael Centre for Voluntary Groups, was attended that year by over fourteen hundred people. Many more had to be turned away from the concert, which featured Mozart's Requiem and Mozart's Violin Concerto in D major directed by Nicola Sweeney.

2001 marked the orchestra's twentieth anniversary and a celebration concert took place on Tuesday June 19 2001 in the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. Star Irish pianist Finghin Collins joined the orchestra and John Finucane for an all-Russian programme including Mussorgsky's 'Night on a Bare Mountain', Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 2, and Shostakovich's exhilarating Symphony No. 9.

The 2001-2002 season got under way with a concert entitled "Symphony for Africa" in aid of Oxfam Ireland in November in the O'Reilly Theatre, Belvedere College. In December 2001 the orchestra, together with the Goethe Institut Choir performed in the National Concert Hall as part of the Goethe Institut Choir's annual Christmas Concert. Included in this performance was Tchaikovsky's Suite No.1 from "The Nutcracker".

In March the orchestra played works by Elgar, Berg and Brahms in the National Concert Hall with young Irish soprano Michele Sheridan. Good Friday saw the orchestra in St. Patrick's Cathedral helping the Carmichael Centre for Voluntary Groups to fundraise in what has now become a significant annual event in Dublin.

The final concert of the year took place back in the National Concert Hall where the orchestra performed a Russian and Czech programme including Dvorak Cello Concert with Eckart Schwarz-Schulz and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.5 in E minor. The concert in June was run as a fundraiser for The Adelaide Society who raise money on behalf of the Women's Preventative Healthcare Unit in Tallaght Hospital. This was the culmination of a busy year in which three of its concerts were repeated.

The 2002-2003 season got underway with a concert in the National Gallery of Ireland. The orchestra was joined by soloist Bill Butt for a performance of John Tavener's The Protecting Veil. Beethoven's Eight Symphony and his overture, The Creatures of Prometheus, made up the rest of the programme. December saw the orchestra performing in the National Concert Hall with the choir of the Goethe Institut. As well as two parts of J.S. Bach's much-loved Christmas Oratorio, the orchestra performed Vivaldi's Bassoon Concerto with soloist Peter Whelan.

The orchestra was joined by The Guinness Choir at Easter in a performance of Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem at Dublin's Good Friday Concert in St. Patrick's Cathedral. The Hibernian Orchestra and The Guinness Choir then repeated this concert at the opening of the Cork Choral Festival on May 1st.
The season was rounded off with a fundraising concert in the National Concert Hall. The Adelaide Society again ran the event to raise funds for the Women's Preventative Healthcare Unit at Tallaght Hospital. Piano soloist Lance Coburn joined the orchestra to perform Tchaikovsky's much-loved Piano Concerto No.1. Tchaikovsky's electrifying Fourth Symphony was also played, as well as Borodin's Overture to Prince Igor.

The 2003-2004 season began on November 11th in the National Concert Hall when the orchestra was joined by soloist John Ryan to perform the Mozart Horn Concerto. Also featured was Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony (No. 4), as well as Mozart's Overture to Don Giovanni. Brahms' Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn completed the programme. In December the orchestra once again joined with the Goethe Institut Choir at the National Concert Hall to perform two parts of J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio and a trumpet concerto by Telemann, featuring soloist Shaun Hooke.

The next performance on 9th March 2004 at the National Concert Hall sees a programme of great British music and includes Britten's Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Vaughan-Williams Tuba Concerto with soloist Conor O'Riordan and the much loved Enigma Variations by Elgar.

Then in April, the orchestra joins again with the Goethe Institut Choir to perform an all Mozart programme to include the famous 'Requiem' along with the G Major Violin Concerto performed with soloist Michael D'Arcy. This takes place at St Patrick's Cathedral on Good Friday in aid of the Carmichael Centre for Voluntary Groups.

The final concert of the season is at the National Concert Hall on Tuesday 15th June and includes an exciting programme of music to include Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, Vaughan Williams' Wasps Overture and the Prokofiev Violin Concerto to be performed by the talented young violinist Ioana Petcu.

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