North Cork hopeful of finding its voice
Three out of the four finalists in this year’s contest — Kelly Mongan, 19, Keith Hanley, 19, and Shannon Murphy, 18, — are from the region and live within 20km of each other.
The other finalist, Shane McLaughlin, 28, is from the other end of the country — Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
Shannon with Team Bressie, Keith with Team Jamelia, and Kelly and Shane with Team Kian will sing tomorrow night in a bid to win the top prize of a recording contract with Universal Music.
Paddy Power bookmakers make Kelly their 4/6 favourite to win this year’s competition. Shannon is second favourite at 7/2, with Shane and Keith both at 9/2.
Kelly is anxious to do her best on the night despite being heavily pregnant. She will be five days overdue on the day of the final but is determined that the show must go on and says she has loved the whole experience.
“It has been absolutely incredible,” she says. “I have made some fantastic friends but I must admit to being a bit nervous now for the final.
“I want the baby to wait now until after the show, anyway. Monday morning would be great.”
Both Kelly and husband Bernie’s sides of the family have been very supportive of Kelly, especially her own mother.
Along with contestants’ solo performances, tomorrow night’s final promises to be quite the sing-song. Each contestant will perform individually and then sing together in a collaborative rendition of Carly Rae Jepsen’s ‘Good Time’.
The contestants will also perform with celebrated singers, including Steve Wall of The Stunning, who will perform ‘Brewing Up A Storm’ with Shane McLaughlin. Shannon will duet on ‘We Should Be Lovers’ with Roy Seven’s Paul Walsh. Keith will sing ‘Jigsaw’ with Ryan Sheridan, while Una Healy, the Irish member of girl group The Saturdays, will perform with Kelly.
“I will be delighted for whoever gets it,” said Shannon, from Mallow Co Cork.
“We have all gotten so close over the past eight months. We have been living together for that long and Keith and I have become especially close. I would be delighted if he won.”
Shannon, 18, dropped out of her music course at Coláiste an Craoibhínn in Fermoy but hopes that, win or not, she will have a career in music to look forward to.
“Even if I don’t win, I would love a future in music,” says Shannon, who is mentored by Bressie.” I will see what happens. Bressie said he would like to work with me in any event.”
“We are like the Brady Bunch,” says Keith, from Charleville. “We each live only about 15 or 20 minutes drive away from one another, yet we never met before, although we had heard of each other.”
Keith is studying Early Childhood Care and Special Needs in college. He is known among his family as ‘Mammy’s Boy’ because he loves his mother to bits. His father died when he was 12. Keith teaches a hip-hop class with children with special needs, and volunteers as a relief care assistant in respite houses for children with disabilities.
Shane’s love of performing is such that he gave up a career in engineering to pursue his dream.
“As I was in a band, I never thought of auditioning for shows like this, but with some of the lads emigrating to Canada and the band parting ways I decided to go for it,” says Shane.
“It’s a bit like Cork against Donegal in the All-Ireland. There is even a first and second half. It has all the elements of a really great match.”
Shannon Murphy — Ho Hey by The Lumineers
Keith Hanley — Beggin’ by Madcon
Kelly Mongan — Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word by Elton John; Shane McLaughlin — Fake by The Frames
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