'We've done it in the hurling, we could do it again on Glór Tíre,' Tipp woman into final

Molly O'Connell has reached the Grand Final of TG4’s hit Country Music series, Glór Tíre. It is a great run for the Tipperary singer, one which has already opened many doors for her.

In a keenly fought semi-final broadcast on TG4 last night [Tuesday, February 14], Molly’s renditions of ‘Don’t Judge a Book By It’s Cover’ and ‘Slan Abhaile’, saw her make it through to next week’s Grand Final, and a chance to be crowned Ireland’s Glór Tíre Country Music champion.

It is the second year running in which a Tipperary singer has made it to the final of TG4’s long running, hit Country Music series. Last year, Knockshigowna’s Aishling Rafferty was the Glór Tíre winner, and Molly, from Kilcommon, is hoping to make it a two-in-a-row for the Premier County.

“Wouldn’t it be lovely?” she says. “I have to laugh as people were saying, ‘We’ve done it in the hurling, we could do it again on Glór Tíre!’ Aishling Rafferty has been a great support. If it’s never been done before, why not be a first for everything?”

Molly says her reaction to making the final is one of “utter happiness, a grateful heart, very thankful, very blessed”. She is also thrilled at the level of public support she has received.

“The amount of love and support out there is phenomenal,” she says. “As is the amount of people that watch Glór Tíre, from every part of the world! I’ve had people messaging me from America, Australia, and New Zealand, who follow TG4 and follow Glór Tíre. All are messaging me saying ‘I’ve seen you on the TG4 Player. It’s amazing the support, from no matter how far away.”

Being on Glor Tíre has already produced a ‘dream come true’ moment for Molly, as she was mentored for the series by Country and Irish legend - and fellow Tipperary woman - Louise Morrissey, and performed a duet with her - ‘Love Can Build a Bridge’ - a hit for The Judds in 1994 and for Cher, Chrisse Hynde, and Neneh Cherry in 1995.

“It was a pinch me moment,” she says. “Louise Morrissey has always been an inspiration to me. To stand side by side with her on the stage…if anything else happens in my music career, that will be the icing on the cake, and it got a huge response. A lot of people have asked if we are recording the song, and hopefully we might.”

Molly is currently looking forward to next week’s final, which will be broadcast on TG4 on Tuesday February 21 at 9.30pm. “ I’m over the moon, and now, let’s see what happens,” she says.

Whatever happens, Molly knows her time on the show has been invaluable, and has already “opened many doors” for her.

“The phone has been ringing for me to do spots which I wouldn’t have gotten had I not been on Glór Tíre,” she says. “I hope it will open the door for songwriters to pop songs in my direction as I love doing originals. My path is already laid out for me, I just have to join up the dots. I will learn, get guidance, and I hope people will come on my path and bring me to the next part of my musical career.”

For more information on Glór Tíre, see www.tg4.ie and follow @glortire on social media for all of the latest news and updates.