Plenty of Midlands interest in Glór Tíre 2022

Two members of a West Offaly gospel choir and Ballinasloe’s Rachel Goode will fly the flag for the Midlands when the new season of popular TG4’s country music talent competition, Glór Tíre, gets underway on Tuesday night of next week, January 11.

Glór Tire returns to the screen for its 18th season at 9.30pm 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.

Among the eight contestants taking part are Rachel Goode, a classically trained soprano from Ballinasoe who grew up in the UK, along with Deirdre Keane, also from Galway but married and living in Banagher, and well-known country singer, Colin Kenny, who is a native of Borrisokane on the Offaly/Tipperary border, and also lives in Banagher.

Both Deirdre Keane and Colin Kenny are members of the Banagher Trinity Gospel Choir, and are very much looking forward to showcasing their musical talents to the nation through their participation in Glór Tíre.

Two well-known Midlands singers and musicians, Ciarán Rosney from Ballycumber and Olivia Douglas from Ferbane, will be among the mentors to the eight contestants.

Olivia Douglas will mentor Colin Kenny, while Deirdre Keane’s progression in the talent competition will be under the watchful eye of Ciaran Rosney.

Meanwhile, Rachel Goode, who is the daughter of Ballinasloe natives, Caroline and David Goode, will be mentored by none other than Mike Denver!

In a Facebook post after she was chosen as one of the Glór Tíre contestants, Rachel spoke of her delight at being mentored by Mike Denver and remarked that she was “in great hands”.

She also thanked everyone for their continued support and said she had been singing country music since she was a child. “To have released my first single back in July to now being on this Show is just incredible,” she said.

The Ballinasloe singer grew up in the UK but spent her summers with her relatives in Ireland before returning to live on a permanent basis in Ballinalsoe while still in her teens. She is a past pupil of Our Lady’s Bower in Athlone.

The winner of the upcoming season of Glór Tíre will receive a cash prize fund of €5,000, and will also get to join Mike Denver and friends for one week of shows and performances in Portugal in 2022.

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.

The other five competitors in the new season of Glór Tíre are Aishling Rafferty from Tipperary; Katelyn Molloy from Galway; Fermanagh's Rachel McConnell; Tracy Brennan from Dungannon, County Tyrone and Kenny Crawford from Donegal.

The last season of Glór Tíre was won by Emma Donoghue, a student nurse in Athlone from Killoran, Ballinasloe, who said she was not looking forward to relinquishing her crown.

"I've had an amazing year, since winning the Glór Tíre title. I've learned so much about the country music industry from my mentor, Mike Denver. I've grown in confidence and built a fantastic, loyal fan base and it's all thanks to the brilliance of TG4 and the Glór Tíre series," she commented.

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