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A 13 year old singer from Moycullen, Co Galway has been chosen to represent her country in Ireland’s first tilt at the Junior version of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Galway's rising star is bound for Junior Eurovision Glory.
A 13 year old singer from Moycullen, Co Galway has been chosen to represent her country in Ireland's first tilt at the Junior version of the Eurovision Song Contest.
09.11.15
Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015 winner announced
Niamh Kavanagh, Brian Kennedy & Stiofán Ó Fearail searched for the voice & song to represent Ireland at this year’s Junior Eurovision Song Contest.
This year, for the first time ever, Ireland will be competing in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. The show will be a live broadcast from the Armeec Arena in Sofia Bulgaria, in a 2 hour spectacular show on TG4 on Saturday 21st November, 2015 at 6.30PM. This is the thirteenth year of the song contest and 17 countries will be taking part.
After extensive auditions nationwide, the top 32 singers were chosen to go forward to the televised heats. Each performer sang their own original Irish language song in the televised national selection on TG4.
AND THE WINNER IS: AIMEE BANKS.
Galway’s rising star is bound for Junior Eurovision Glory. A 13 year old singer from Moycullen, Co Galway has been chosen to represent her country in Ireland’s first tilt at the Junior version of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Aimee is bound for Sofia in Bulgaria on November 21st where she will try to fare better than our adults have been doing recently in the other Eurovision. She will be singing ‘Réalta na Mara’, translation ‘Star of the Sea’, a song which she co-wrote and composed with Niall Mooney, Jonas Gladnikoff & Brendan McCarthy.
Aimee was recently awarded first place for the International Vocal Competition “American Protégé” and will have the honour of performing in Carnegie Hall on December 19th. This year alone she has secured eight National Titles at Ireland’s prestigious Classical Festival Feis Ceoil 2015 and was also awarded Overall Vocalist Award and Bursary 2015 for Midlands Feis Ceoil in June. She has also recorded her first cd “My Classical Spirit” and donated the proceeds to “LauraLynn Children’s Hospice”.
Aimee is in second year in Coláiste na Coiribe, she is a twin and one of three children.
Her dream is to be the next Maria Callas and perform on the world stage. She loves Maria’s story and what she gave to classical music.
This entry is particularly special to Aimee, as her Nana who passed away last April, had helped her with it at the beginning stages, she was also her biggest fan!
Aimee is so happy to have gotten this far and to be representing Ireland is such an honour.
Aimee can sing in six different languages and her favourite band is Hometown. Eurovision has always been a family fun night in her house, she never dreamed she’d be a part of it and be representing Ireland. She is hoping to do everyone proud in Sofia.
Presenter Eoghan McDermott kept the proceedings flowing, while judging the competition was Ireland’s national treasure and Eurovision winner in 1993 Niamh Kavanagh. Alongside Niamh was rocker Brian Kennedy, who also flew the flag for Ireland at the 2006 Eurovision. Joining the Eurovision legends was rising star Stiofán Ó Fearail, the voice behind the youtube sensation Coláiste Lurgan and lead singer of hit Irish band ‘Seo Linn’.
THE SONG:
‘Réalta na Mara’ – Star Of The Sea.
This is an epic song about travelling home from sea, in the midst of the gales of the ocean not knowing if you will make it, hoping you have luck on your side and being guided by the ‘Star of the Sea’. It is a metaphor for life, there are rough patches but things work out.
Aimee’s dress for the Eurovision is being designed by Niall Tyrell of Bespoke Couture. Aimee departs for Bulgaria on 14th November from Dublin.