Chance for Mayo artists to represent Ireland at 'Celtic Eurovision'
Composers, singers and writers in Mayo have the chance to create a new song representing Ireland in the Celtic nations’ answer to the Eurovision.
They are being asked to enter their top tunes – as Gaeilge – for the Pan Celtic International Festival 2025, which launches next Wednesday (December 4).
Entrants must submit their original song by December 30 to be in the running to perform at Carlow’s George Bernard Shaw Theatre on January 25.
The winner, who will win a prize of €1,000 and progress to compete against representatives from the five other Celtic nations (Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall and Isle of Man), will be selected by a panel of judges on the night.
The festival involves a broad programme of events, from storytelling and lectures to singing and dance competitions.
The common language spoken is English, making it accessible for fluent speakers and beginners alike.
“The Pan Celtic International Festival provides a fantastic way to promote Celtic languages through music, song, dance and storytelling,” said festival coordinator Bríde de Roiste.
“The International Pan Celtic Song Contest is like the Eurovision for the six Celtic nations. Each nation runs a song competition to come up with a newly composed song in their respective Celtic language.
“The standard is always very high and we are already looking forward to hearing this year’s entries.”
A further €1,500 and the international trophy will be awarded to the overall winning singer of the Pan Celtic International Song Contest in April.
The contest, which is sponsored by Carlow Local Authorities, IMRO and Gael Linn, is open to all genres. Both the lyrics and music must be original and in Irish, and songs may be written and performed by solo singers, groups or bands competition.
Carlow was first home to the festival in 2012 and 2013, then 2016 and 2017, followed by 2023, 2024 and again next year.
“We are thrilled to be hosting the Pan Celtic International Festival for the third year in a row, which is a significant honour for our town,” said Kieran Comerford, Carlow County Council Head of Economic Development & Enterprise.
“Carlow is an ideal location for the event, as many participants arrive by sea into Dublin and it’s only a short journey by coach or train from there.
“The town is so compact that everything is within walking distance, making it easy for newcomers and all age groups to navigate.”
Entries should be emailed in mp3 recording form to pancelticcarlow@gmail.com by 5 p.m. on December 30. For full details, rules and entry forms, visit www.panceltic.ie.