Manorhamilton girl up for Best Solo Musician in Tenerife

Saoirse Cummins from Manorhamilton has been nominated as Best Solo Musician in Tenerife, after just nine months of ditching it all in Leitrim and following her dream!

Saoirse had planned to move to Tenerife in April 2020 but due to Covid, she didn’t get to move to the Canary Island until January 2022.

Saoirse worked in a creche in Manorhamilton and just recently completed her LEVEl 5 in childcare, but she always had another passion - despite the fact she only played a gig once every six months.

Saoirse explained that her family used to holiday in Tenerife and when she was 18-years-old she brought over her guitar and one of the bars let her sing for 30 minutes - she fell in love with it and had been dreaming of returning as a musician for years.

Saoirse first trained in piano as a child but did not like the grading system and so moved over to guitar, but as a left-handed person, it was more challenging to learn and her tutor told her not to continue!

But the determined lady did not give up, at age 15 she bought a ukulele and taught herself to play before upgrading to guitar and teaching herself to play, sing and write music!

Now she performs with her guitar and stompbox, singing classics from across the decades.

When Saoirse moved over to Tenerife she was doing 14 gigs a week but this workload led her to get sick so she has now cut back and works around nine gigs a week in a three different venues.

Saoirse told the Leitrim Observer, that the island is perfect for budding musicians as there are plenty of bars and clubs looking for entertainment, Saoirse plays a mix of afternoon and night gigs. She said she feels like she is “living a dream.”

In just nine months she has made such a name for herself that she has been nominated as Best Solo Musician in the Tenerife Entertainment Awards.

The nomination after such a short time on the circuit is extraordinary in itself.

She has been told by locals it is even “unheard of.”

Saoirse will go up against three other well established musicians who all have past record deals for the prestigious title.

“Its a far cry from changing nappies in Manorhamilton,” Saoirse jokes.

She is currently recording an original song with a friend which she hopes to release soon.

Saoirse plays a mix of original and covers during her gigs.

Saoirse’s parents are going over to support her for the Tenerife Entertainment Awards on Sunday, October 16.

Saoirse knows she is up against stiff competition on the night, but either way she said the nomination has been a huge boost to her career and she hopes it will catapult her onto bigger things in the music industry.

We wish the 23-year-old all the best Leitrim luck this weekend!