'It was a brand new experience for me'

RYAN Lynch may not have made it to the Glór Tíre semi-finals, but his run on the most prestigious country music show in Ireland has given him experiences he is determined to build on.

On last night’s show, broadcast on Irish language station, TG4, the man from Strabane certainly did Tyrone and its well-earned reputation as a heartland of Irish country music proud with his assured and lively take on the Conway Twitty classic, 'Someday You'll Love Me’.

Ryan, along with fellow Northern Irish contestants Jordan McPolin and Maeve Farrell from Co Down and Marty Breslin from Derry, were competing for the last semi-final place on Glór Tíre.

In the end, Ryan lost out to Jordan, who is the sole remaining Northern Irish contestant in this year’s competition.

Glór Tíre is regarded as the most prestigious platform on Irish television for emerging and established country music artists, and is one of the few programmes produced in the Republic of Ireland that enjoys a dedicated audience in Northern Ireland.

For Ryan, the experience of just being on the show has been of enormous benefit, raising his profile and encouraging him to take his country career to the next level.

“It was a brand new experience for me getting to perform as a solo act on TV,” he says.

“That was huge. I'm actually really surprised by how many people have gotten in touch and have started listening to my music.

"It means I've really got out there on the Irish country scene and on the biggest stage in Irish country music. Glór Tíre has been great for that.”

Proof of Ryan’s elevated profile came when no less than Philomena Begley released a video on her social media platforms calling on Glór Tíre viewers to support Ryan.

“Philomena Begley - the Queen of Tyrone, the Queen of Country Music - telling people to vote for me!” says Ryan, still awestruck by the endorsement.

“All the other Country singers from Tyrone, like Hugo Duncan, Gary Gamble, and Cliona Hagan, they all wished me luck as well.

"Tyrone really got behind me, which is amazing!”

Ryan is now determined to build on this momentum.

“I've got some more music recorded. I'm going to work on music videos, release new songs, and I'm taking this as the chance to get out on the road and do more gigs,” he says.

“Actually, since I started my Glór Tíre campaign a few months ago, I've met so many people, and I really enjoy meeting people, and most of the time, they enjoy meeting me too!”