Cork musician with cervical cancer has Eurovision ambition for song about hope

Victoria Keating and Aine O Gorman said: 'We should all be so grateful to Vicky Phelan.'

Victoria Keating (left) and Aine O'Gorman are the musicians and composers of the song "Béal Tine". Pictures: Pat Dunne

A Cork musician diagnosed with cervical cancer will enter a song for the Eurovision this week about rebirth, hope and new beginnings.

The song Béal Tine, or ‘mouth of fire’, has strong Celtic and tribal roots and features musicians and composers Victoria Keating and Aine O Gorman, piano, strings, tin whistle, banjo and a choir.

“It's very stirring, it's very emotional. It's got a real Celtic tribal warrior vibe,” Ms Keating said. “We've had such a strong reaction, with people in tears. They think it's amazing.” 

The duo were inspired to write the song in May, or Bealtaine in Irish. “At that time of year there’s this whole renewal and all of those beautiful May-time energies come back in. The sap is rising, the cherry blossoms come into bloom again.

“No matter what's going on in your life or what you've done, you know that the cherry blossom will bloom every year. So that's what the song is about, that renewal and rebirth and growth. And hope for the future.

“It speaks to second chances. The idea that you can begin your life again.” That message is particularly powerful for Ms Keating who was diagnosed with Stage 4 cervical cancer this year.

But a combination of chemotherapy and an immunotherapy drug that Cervical Check campaigner Vicky Phelan fought for all women to get access to, is now shrinking Ms Keating’s tumours.

“We should all be so grateful to Vicky Phelan,” Ms Keating’s writing partner and fellow musician, Aine O Gorman said.

The duo were inspired to write the song in May.

The duo filmed a music video this week for a version of Johnny Logan’s ‘What’s Another Year’, using photos of childhood birthdays and Christmases, crowdsourced from people online.

They have to keep their own Eurovision song under wraps due to song contest rules, so they are releasing their interpretation of ‘What’s another Year’ to promote their Eurovision bid.

All proceeds from that song will go to the Parkinson’s Association of Ireland to honour Shay Healy, who wrote the song and who died from the disease.

“For our own song, we really dived into mythology about Bealtaine, about hopefulness, rebirth,” Ms O’Gorman said.

“It (the song) speaks to second chances. The idea that you can begin your life again.”

“There’s something lovely about a second chance, grass growing, buds on the trees. We all get a second chance in Spring. And with Vickie’s diagnosis, that has even more resonance.

“The song is like an anthem, the chorus is really strong, there’s lots of drums in it, it has a fantastic Irish energy, it would do really well in Malmo.” 

Ms Keating said: “It would be such an honour to be there, to bring the song to the Eurovision [in Malmo, Sweden].

“And it's kind of back to the glory days of how songs were written, when something about them touched your heart and brought you with them. They swell, and this song has that swell, it's so emotional.”