All-Ireland Music Competition Preparations Gather Pace

CLAIRE, IRELAND, December 19, 2012 (Press-News.org) 16 acts from all over Ireland will participate in the final stages of the All-Ireland Music Competition on January 4-5th next, organisers of the inaugural contest announced today.

Hosted by Talent Management International (TMI) Ireland, the Semi-Final stage of the competition will be held on January 4th at the West County Hotel, Ennis, Co Clare, followed by the Final at the same venue on January 5th.

Mercury Music Winner and Hot Press Best Female Artist Gemma Hayes and Eurovision winner Paul Harrington will judge the acts that emerged from regional heats to qualify for the latter stages of the competition. A recording contract and TMI representation awaits the winning act.

The Competition, which is sponsored by Shannon Development and the Shannon Region Conference & Sports Bureau, has attracted significant interest since it was launched in April. Hundreds of acts participated in Regional Heats in Limerick, Dublin, Galway and Ennis with just 16 acts successfully making it through to next month's Semi-Final stage.

The 16 remaining acts include Penny Wentworth (Tipperary), By Chance (Dublin/Laois), Deanie (Dublin), Thomas Dormer (Clare), Aobhin Pollard (Dublin), Niamh Brady (Cork), Katelyn Molloy (Galway), Shawn Mullen (Laois), Men in Slacks (Dublin), Double Fever (Meath/Tipperary), Elizabeth Cunningham (Kilkenny), Michelle Revins (Tipperary), Stephen Tallon (Wexford), Michelle O'Dwyer (Tipperary), Elaine Devoy (Cavan) and Kevin McCarthy (Foynes).

Darragh Galligan, Managing Director & Talent Manager with TMI Ireland explained: "The level of interest that this Competition has attracted from around Ireland during recent months has been exceptional. Furthermore, the numbers that participated in the regional heats has brought home to us the wealth of talent that exists in this country. We are confident that this Competition will produce a very successful music recording artist and we are happy to be able to play a supporting role in this."

"We are delighted that music icons Paul Harrington and Gemma Hayes are part of the Judging Panel. Paul will also perform at the Semi-Final and Gemma will perform during the Final in Ennis. Their endorsement of and participation in this competition will no doubt help to inspire and instil confidence in our 16 finalists," Mr. Galligan added.

According to Paul Ryan, Tourism Marketing Manager, Shannon Development: "We are very excited to be involved with this competition, which showcases some of the country's brightest up and coming musical talents. Along with the Shannon Region Conference & Sports Bureau, Shannon Development is delighted to be able to attract a high profile national event such as this to the Shannon Region. The All-Ireland Music Competition is one of 165 cultural and music events that take place in the Region each year accounting for over 300,000 visitors. We wish all the participants the very best of January 4th and 5th, 2013."

For more on the All Ireland Music Competition and for details on tickets for the Semi-Final and Final, visit http://www.aimc.ie. Follow the progress of the 16 finalists on the AIMC Facebook site, http://www.facebook.com/AllIrelandMusicCompetition.

Finalist Images / Biographies: Mark Dunphy, Dunphy PR, 086-8534900, media@dunphypr.com
Finalist Interview Requests: Talent Management International, 01 4303642 / 086 1537321, talent@ufpi-management.com

About the Judges:
- Hailing from Tipperary, Ireland, Gemma Hayes is a singer-songwriter and producer, known for her eclectic blend of folk, prog rock and electronica. She burst onto the music scene with her debut album Night on My Side, which was nominated for the UK's prestigious Mercury Music Prize. She followed that up with a win in the Best Female Artist category at Ireland's Hot Press Awards. Since then Gemma has been garnering much international recognition, releasing two other albums and touring extensively. Her music has been featured on a multitude of films and television shows, including Grey's Anatomy, ER, One tree Hill, The Vampire Diaries, Janie Jones and Mr. And Mrs Smith. Gemma has just released her fourth album 'Let it Break'.
- Paul Harrington and his co-star Charlie McGettigan were the first group in Eurovision history to have been awarded more than 200 points (226), and their win was the third consecutive for Ireland, representing the first hat trick to have been achieved by any nation. Harrington performed as a vocalist in the Michael Flatley production Celtic Tiger and has released 3 albums with a new album for release later this year.