TEENAGE musician Mairi Therese Deighan beat off stiff competition to be crowned the winner of the Glasgow St Patrick’s Festival’s young musician talent show over the weekend.
The 17-year-old was one of seven competitors in the running for the Pace & Power contest 2015 – which took place at Malones bar in Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Lane on Sunday, March 8.
She will now perform at the St Patrick’s Festival Family Day, which is held in the Merchant Square this Saturday, March 14, but also took away a £150 prize and the coveted Drew McManus Trophy on the day.
Benedict Morris took second place in the competition, which was last held in the city in 2007, while fiddle player Breanna Wilson came third in the winning line-up - taking home £100 and £50 prizes respectively.
The talent contest, which is open to musicians aged 13-17, promotes young Irish musicians in Glasgow, but also marks the memory of Paisley-born musician Drew McManus, who passed away in 2004, and Kathleen McManus - an accomplished ballad singer who was the chairperson of the Scottish region of Comhaltas for many years.
Kathleen’s daughter Roisin Ann Hughes and Drew’s daughter Mairead McManus were on hand as judges for the talent show, helped by the audience who gathered for the final on Sunday.
Dr Pádraig O’Neil, chair of the Glasgow St Patrick’s Festival committee, which organised the event, told The Irish Post: “It’s exciting to be bringing the Pace & Power competition back to the Festival in 2015, which is a celebration of the vibrant young Irish music scene in Glasgow.”
He added: “Congratulations to Mairi Therese Deighan, Benedict Morris and Breanna Wilson for their first, second and third places respectively.”
