West Cork duo reveals Eurovision goal

Victoria Keating received a cancer diagnosis just three months ago, but is now recording an album with musical partner Aine O’Gorman and the pair have set their sights on winning the Eurovision for Ireland in Malmo next year, writes Martin Claffey

I’ve been praying such a long time

‘Cause that’s the only way to hide my fear

– What’s Another Year

THE most inspiring stories sometimes start from the darkest places. This is certainly the case for best friends and musical partners Victoria Keating and Áine O’Gorman.

Since Victoria was diagnosed with cervical cancer just three months ago, the West Cork pair have released a single, raised €11,000 to record an album together, and have now written a song to bring the Eurovision back to Ireland for the first time since 1996.

The song is called Béal Tine - ‘mouth of fire’ in Irish, from which the word for May, Bealtaine, comes from.

‘It’s a beautiful song, and I can’t wait until we perform it in Sweden next May, when we win the Eurovision,’ jokes Bandon-based Victoria, because the selection process hasn’t happened yet. 

The Malmo Arena in Hyllie, Sweden, which will host the Eurovision next May. (Shutterstock)

The journey from West Cork to Malmo began for these two inspiring women 15 years ago, when both had already started out in the music business. They met when studying music as mature students at UCC in 2008.

‘We just hit it off,’ says Áine, from Ballineen. ‘We found we had so much in common and just ended up becoming best friends.’

Victoria says: ‘I was 37 and she was 26. I think more immature students than mature. We just clicked straight away. It was like we had met our harmony twin!’

The friendship has been maintained ever since. ‘We have morning meet-ups in Warren Allen Coffee shop in Bandon. We’re best friends, Victoria is an incredible person. We spend loads of time there, talking about our children, talking about everything.’

They’ve been working separately in the business in most of the years since; Áine has been widely acclaimed as a singer songwriter; Victoria has performed and toured with Christy Moore at Glastonbury.

Christy Moore is a huge supporter of Victoria and Aine, and Aine performed with Christy in venues from Vicar Street to Glastonbury.

The best friends had been performing separately as musical artists, and recently started writing and performing together, with their single Brigid received very positively in February this year.

But a few months later came Victoria’s shock news.

‘It was May 9th,’ says Victoria. ‘I had been treated for cancer separately late last year, but had been given the all-clear in February. Then four months later, to hear you have Stage 4 cervical cancer, it was devastating. All kinds of thoughts go through your head. What will my kids, my youngest Billie, do without me?

‘And then my sister Mandy, who was with me, she said: “You’re not going anywhere.”’ 

Immediately, at the lowest ebb, people have stood up and shown their love. 

The cervical cancer has tested Victoria. At times being in pain, not able to sit down. The treatment is gruelling, but Victoria says she can feel it working, and putting the cancer on hold.   

‘It has been tough. Just a few weeks ago I spent 10 days in hospital and it was tough. Then I had a UTI. I had Covid. It was very hard. But I’m not in a battle with my body.

‘I’m not delusional but we must not become our disease or our diagnosis. We can’t believe the negativity. I’m lucky I had such a strong support system with my siblings, my parents, my children, my friends, from Áine. It’s overwhelming, to have this outpouring of love. You really see how amazing people can be.’

Áine wanted to be there for her friend, and came up with the idea of the album. ‘I just thought it was something positive to do,’ says the Ballineen artist. ‘Victoria was delighted.’

In June, a Kickstarter campaign began, with donors offering everything from a copy of the album to a live performance for their donation. 

It’s been an unprecedented hit. Last month the Kickstarter campaign exceeded its target, with an amazing €11,194 being raised. ‘It really is unbelievable,’ says Áine. 

Victoria and Áine plan to release the album – which has started recording at Wavefield Studios in Clonakilty by Brian Casey and Sarah O’Mahony – next year. Some of the collaborators on the album include Declan Sinnott, and harpist Aisling Kirwan from Kenmare. 

The album is progressing nicely but can’t be completed yet – one particular song can’t be revealed until next year. 

‘We’re not allowed to perform the song Béal Tine publicly because of the Eurovision rules.’

‘It’s a song about spring and rebirth, about coming out of winter, about feminine empowerment. In some ways it’s almost tribal, it’s got a Celtic energy. I just think it’s a really catchy song.’

Victoria is currently going through her courses of chemotherapy treatment, but despite the toll on her health, it hasn’t stopped her performing, both live and in the studio. The duet performed at Joy in the Park in Fitzgerald’s Park in Cork last month, and have been recording with Martin Leahy in Ballinadee. Áine and Victoria released a single called Sweetbird earlier this summer, and in recent weeks have been back in the studio, with a version of Johnny Logan’s What’s Another Year? which won the Eurovision 33 years ago. The duet’s version of the song is set to be released next month, and the song has even more meaning for them now.

‘We’ve played the song as part of our live performances so we decided to record it. It has even more meaning to us now,’ says Áine. 

The pair are firmly of the belief that their song Béal Tine is going to take Europe by storm.

Victoria isn’t religious but sees herself as a very spiritual person. And in recent months, she has cried tears of joy to see the outpouring of unconditional support from everywhere.  

‘For people to have such faith in us. The messages of love and support from the Kickstarter from Ireland, from people in the US ... I’ve always believed that love conquers fear. It’s kind of overwhelming. People are wonderful.’