If you fancy yourself as a bit of a crooner, now’s your chance to make your mark in the 2025 Drimoleague Singing Festival Pub Singing Competition. Now in its 8th year, the competition is the ‘backbone’ of the singing festival, says Noreen Collins, with four heats taking place locally over the first two weeks of September.
The winner will take the illustiours title of ‘Singer Of The Year’ with a cheque for €250 and the Vin Forbes perpetual trophy. With fond memories of the many sing-songs which took place in the East End Bar when it was run by Vin and Mackie Forbes, the Forbes family have very kindly sponsored the pub-singing competition since its inception with a fitting tribute to Vin’s memory. In keeping with the tradition of pub singing, the only conditions are that the singing is unaccompanied and unamplified. There was a strong tradition of pub singing and competitions in Drimoleague going back decades which would generate huge excitement, and this tradition has now been proudly resurrected in the parish with great enthusiasm.
‘Really, there is no better way to get our festival up and running than to listen to our local singers sing their hearts out in front of a packed house’ says Noreen.
‘The atmosphere for this is always electric, and our esteemed judges always have a tough time deciding a winner.’
And what are these esteemed judges looking for in the heats?
‘Well singing is so subjective, isn’t it? It’s always fascinating to see the variance there is when it comes to who the audience and the judges favour. Thankfully, we leave it up to the judges to decide, but after observing the competition now for many years it seems to me that it isn’t an exact science. It’s not always the best singer that wins it.’
‘Having a great voice on its own is not enough; the song choice is important to most judges, but it seems to me that it’s the delivery of the song itself that impresses most. Passion and heart, I suppose you could call it. In the final when you can hear a pin drop in a crowded house, that’s when you know something special is happening.’ Those who can carry a tune are invited to the heats, where one man and one woman will qualify from each. The competition is limited to over 18s, but all from West Cork and beyond are invited to take part. The first heat takes place in McCarthy’s Bar, in Drimoleague on Saturday September 6th, and the next in The Gaelic Bar in Drinagh this Saturday September 7th.
The third heat is in the The Traveller’s Rest in Caheragh on Friday September 12th, with the final night in the The Drimoleague Inn the following evening. All heats take place at 9.30pm except for the Drinagh evening, which begins at 8pm. The final takes place in the Drimoleague Inn on September 18th.
There is no need to book your place, just turn up on the night, and the rest we’ll leave that up to the judges.
