Popular Tipperary country music star reaches final of TG4 music competition

Dee Morrissey has taken one step closer to potentially becoming Ireland’s next Country Music star by reaching the Grand Final of TG4’s Glór Tíre.

Dee from Bansha is something of a Tipperary patriot and proud native of The Premier County, as reflected in her song choices throughout the series.

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Last Tuesday’s Semi-Final appearance featured her rousing take on ‘Leaving Tipperary’.

“I’m always flying the flag for Tipp,” Dee says with a laugh.

“I could be wearing a Tipperary flag on the stage now at this stage.”

‘Leaving Tipperary’, along with her rendition of the waltz, ‘Beautiful Meath’, earned Dee the judge’s nomination to progress to next week’s Grand Final.

Dee will compete against Kerry’s Paudie Coffey and Down’s Jordan McPolin for the coveted title of Ireland’s Glór Tíre Country Music Champion live on TG4 on Tuesday, March 10, at 9:30pm, and she knows that Tipperary, and further afield, is behind her.

“The support is absolutely incredible,” she says. “I was eating my lunch in Mother Hubbard's the other day with my family, and three different people came up and said, ‘Are you the girl on the telly?’ and I said, ‘I am’.

“Every Country Music fan in Ireland is tuned in to Glór Tíre. I had support coming in from the North; they came in a camper van to the studio in Connemara, where Glór Tíre is recorded; there were people from Wexford, a gang from Loughrea; Mike Denver has sent on videos. I've support coming from all over the country. I feel so lucky and so blessed.”

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No matter what happens next Tuesday, Dee’s profile has risen from being on Glór Tíre and she is determined to build on this momentum.

“The phone has been ringing off the hook, and I'm getting booked for concerts and shows that people weren't booking me for before Glór Tíre,” she says.

“It's such a wonderful platform. All the promoters are out there watching this, as well as all the top singers in the country. I'm heading to Scotland in April with Hot Country and to Portugal for The Fun In The Sun. There's so much coming up. I'm just so delighted.”

The Glór Tíre Grand-Final will be presented by Aoife Ní Thuairisg.

Resident judges Jó Ní Chéide and Caitriona Ní Shuilleabháin will be joined by guest judge Eddie Rowley of the Sunday World.