Hollywood star Patrick Bergin to guest judge at Tipperary Song of Peace Final
His other roles include terrorist Kevin O'Donnell in Patriot Games (1992) and the villainous Aidan Maguire in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2017–2018). His brother Emmet Bergin also became an actor, best known for playing Dick Moran in the soap opera Glenroe, for its full 1983–2001 run.
Mr Bergin lives in Emmel Castle in Cloughjordan with his partner Helen Goldin. Joining Mr Bergin on the judging panel is the 'Bansha Lass' and singer Louise Morrissey.
Louise has long been one of Ireland's top singers and entertainers. She has achieved huge success in both Ireland and the UK and remains one of country music's most popular performers.
There are six finalists in the Song of Peace. They include the German-Irish combination of Julius Wandelt, composer, Peter Reinders, performer, and Buddy Sutton, lyricist.
Joining them will be Kenny Grant, a singer songwriter originally from Scotland, now living in Malahide, Ireland, along with the Irish-Slovenian combination of Keith McLoughlin, composer, and Sabina Vostner, performer.
The finalists include Eugene Stuart, a composer and performer from Dublin, Tipperary native composer and performer Paula Ryan, and County Down composer and performer Kate McDonald.
Meanwhile, entries for the Darby Ryan International Poetry Contest have been flooding in from all over the world. The closing date for entries is Thursday, July 31, and as with the Song of Peace there will be six finalists, with all six reading their poems on the night.
The Darby Ryan International Poetry Contest was inaugurated this year by John Grogan and Claire Grogan Williams, descendants of the late Darby Ryan.
Diarmuid O'Ríain (Darby Ryan) was born at Ashgrove, Bansha in 1777 and was a poet and patriot, his most famous composition was undoubtedly The Peeler and the Goat, a ballad or satire which was popularly sung across Ireland and was taken worldwide by emigrants.
Darby composed many songs and ballads across numerous topics, not least Irish nationalism. Darby composed both in Irish and English and when any event of local or national importance took place, Darby was called on to immortalise it in verse.
The venue for the final is the beautiful Templeneiry Church in Bansha village. The venue cannot accommodate as many as a hall or theatre, so those interested in attending are requested to book well in advance on Eventbrite.ie. The page is called the Darby Ryan International Poetry Contest and the Tipperary Song of Peace.
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