A brave schoolgirl from Cavan whose heartfelt song about bullying went viral is to perform in Dublin this weekend.

Ruby O'Kelly is only 13, but her powerful track You Won't Stop Me would bring tears to even the most seasoned of listeners.

Ruby's mum Sharon told Dublin Live that Ruby wrote the song when she just 12 years old after she saw first-had the effect that bullying on her brother.

Dubliner Sharon explained: "Ruby wrote this song about the big issue of bullying because she'd seen how bullying had affected her own brother and also some friends from school.

"She'd also seen how this had impacted on us, and she wanted to do something about it.

"She told me once that she wrote the song for three reasons - number one, she'd seen how much bullying can affect people and how it had hurt people who are close to her.

"Two, she said she wrote to to help people her own age, so they'd know that they're not alone.

Still from Ruby's video for 'You won't stop me'

"And three, she wrote it for the bully - so that people who do bully might realise what damage they're doing, and cop on.

"Because there are many forms of bullying, and sometimes people don't even necessarily know they're enabling it to happen.

"Bullying isn't just physical, it can be mental as well - it could just be someone being constantly being frozen out of a group, left out of activities that their peers are doing."

The lyrics of Ruby's heartfelt song read:  "I've been tossed around and I've fell down, I'm too frail to get back up so I just frown.

"This heart was meant to be broken and this mouth was meant for words unspoken.

"You won't stop me, cause I will fly someday.

"I will spread my wings and fly, not down here but somewhere high.

"The girl that I can see, she's waiting there for me - you'll never stop me, you did not stop me. .."

Proud Sharon told how Ruby's song has touched hundreds of thousands of hearts around the world.

She said: "We've had messages from people as far away as America and Australia to say that Ruby's song has inspired them, has given them hope, has given them strength.

"Ruby's such a kind and good person. She doesn't want anything from this - she's not after fame - she just wants to hep people.

"Even when we're up in Dublin, she asks to buy food for any homeless people she sees. And then she'll go and sit with them, ask them how they are, talk to them - listen to them.

"She's a heart of gold and we're so proud of her. She's just a truly good person who's bursting with love."

Ruby has been around the country talking to schoolchildren about bullying and offering advice - often to teens much older than her.

And the young singer's message of hope has even led to her being invited to perform at an international anti-bullying conference to be held in Dublin later this year.

The schoolgirl from Ballyjamesduff will sing You Won't Stop Me in front of more than 700 practitioners from over 37 countries in June.

In the meantime, Ruby will sing in The Greatest Show this Saturday night at the Talbot Hotel in Stillorgan, with all proceeds from the night going to Pieta House.

You can find Ruby's video on youtube here.


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