Plenty of Offaly interest in Glór Tíre 2022

Fans of country music in Offaly will have plenty of opportunity to cheer on their fellow county men and women when Glór Tíre 2022 gets underway on TG4 next Tuesday night, as no less than four people with connections to the county will feature in the new season!

Among the eight participants who will battle it out for the top prize of €5,000 and a chance to accompany Mike Denver and friends to Portugal for a week of musical performances are stalwarts of Banagher’s Trinity Gospel Choir, Colin Kenny and Deirdre Keane.

Colin and Deirdre are both well-known in Banagher and right across West Offaly, while among the mentors are two other well-known Offaly singers and musicians, Olivia Douglas from Ferbane and Ciaran Rosney from Ballycumber.

Olivia Douglas has been paired up with Colin Kenny as his mentor, while the progression of Deirdre Keane in the talent competition will be under the watchful eye of Ciaran Rosney.

Glór Tire returns to the screen for its 18th season at 9.30pm on Tuesday night next, Janaury 11, with a new set and a new format, and instead of being broadcast from The Quays Pub in Galway city, it will be broadcast from a studio in Claregalway.

Musical talent from right across the Midlands is set to feature very strongly in the new season of Glór Tíre with Ballinasloe’s Rachel Goode also taking part in the competition.

Deirdre Keane is a native of Galway but has made her home in Banagher where she is well-known as a member of the Trinity Gospel Choir and also as a local singer who has released a number of singles in the past year, including a song called “I Just Want to Thank You Lord” which was nominated in the Gospel/Christian category in the Holland-based Fair Play Country Music Awards. Deirdre has re-released this single again to boost her profile in advance of her participation in Glór Tíre.

Her fellow Trinity Gospel Choir member, Colin Kenny, a native of Banagher who works in Borrisokane, is a very well-known singer on the Midlands country music scene and both he and Deirdre Keane are delighted to be flying the flag for their local Gospel Choir and for Banagher on TG4 over the coming weeks, and are hoping for a big show of support when the competition reaches the crucial public vote stage.

Rachel Goode, Deirdre Keane and Colin Kenny will be joined on Glór Tíre by fellow participants: Aishling Rafferty from Tipperary; Katelyn Molloy from Galway; Fermanagh's Rachel McConnell; Tracy Brennan from Dungannon, County Tyrone and Kenny Crawford from Donegal.

The show's resident judges Jo Ní Chéide and Caitriona Ní Shuilleabháin will be joined for the new season by guest judges including entertainment journalist Eddie Rowley, of the Sunday World, and country stars Mick Flavin, Susan McCann and Louise Morrissey.

Eight contestants will feature in an initial four concert programmes in which their mentors introduce audiences and fans to their contestants for the first time.

At the end of each of these programmes the judges will choose four contestants who are safe in the competition and four contestants who will face a public live vote as part of the first elimination.

Voting will only open live during the first elimination programme and all votes are zeroed after each elimination. Ultimately five contestants will make it to the semi-final and three will go on to the final, with the winner to be announced on February 22 next.

Glór Tíre returns to TG4 on Tuesday night, January 11, and will continue each Tuesday until the finale on February 22.