Offaly's Macey South take third in Stars in our Bars national final

Offaly band Macey South has taken third place in the nationwide finals of the "Stars in our Bars" competition. The band, representing Corrigan's Corner House in Banagher, picked up a cool €1,500 after two show stopping performances last Friday in the Heritage Hotel in Portlaoise. Judges Tom Dunne of Newstalk, RTE Head of Music Dermot McEvoy and classical violinist Cora Venus Lunny were impressed with the talent they were met with at the final show of the Vintners Federation of Ireland organised competition. Finalists were chosen from almost 4,000 acts that took part in the competition at regional level in 300 pubs across Ireland, and then worked their way through county and regional finals before reaching the all-Ireland final last weekend. Overall winner on the night was Fixed Penalty, representing Adamson's Bar in Clones, Co Monaghan. Gavin Strappe and Niall Preston from The Village Inn in Moyglass, Tipperary followed, leaving Macey South with third spot. After the final President of the VFI Gerry Mellett congratulated both winners and pubs that got involved and found such great talent. "We have seen such a superb spread of talent across the length and breadth of the country from jugglers and singers, to dancers and spoon players and the support they have received in their local pubs has been second to none," he said.