‘I can't put into words what this means to me’ - Jason McCahill Glór Tíre winner

Donegal has a new favourite Country singer, and Ireland has a new Country star in Jason McCahill, who last week became Glór Tíre Country Music Champion 2024.

The 26-year-old delivery driver from Ramelton scooped the accolade following a spirited performance of the Dublin City Ramblers’ classic ‘The Ferryman’ at the Glór Tíre Grand final.

For Jason, winning the title - one of the most prestigious in Country and Irish music - and the experience of being on the show, has yet to “truly sink in”.

“Not in my wildest dreams, not in a million years, did I think this would happen,” he admits. “It was a win to get on the show. It was a win to get through last week’s semi-final. I can't put into words what this means to me. To get the support from Donegal, from all around Ireland, that's just wild. It's mental.”

Jason’s run on the programme revealed a lively performer, but also someone who possesses a natural country voice, as heard to great effect in his renditions of John Denver’s ‘Thank God I’m a Country Boy’ and his take on ‘The Ferryman’.

“‘The Ferryman’ is a song everybody would know me by. I would sing it a lot,” says Jason. “I just knew I was confident in singing it. I knew I could go up and give it the ‘Jason Wiggle’ as everybody's calling it now. It's kind of my trademark to get the hips going. I just knew I could go up and enjoy myself, give it everything I had.”

Jason’s cheeky chappie demeanour, hearty laugh, infectious good humour and sense of fun made him a hugely popular contestant with his fellow Glór Tíre finalists and the public. These qualities, as well as that voice, caught the attention of the award-winning Country singer Claudia Buckley who acted as Jason’s mentor throughout Glór Tíre.

“Jason has this cheeky little spark that just translates through from the audience here, through to the cameras, to the audiences at home on their sofas,” says Claudia. “Everybody can see that little spark that he has, that wee something extra, and I think he’ll go far.”

Claudia’s support, and that of her father, Jimmy Buckley, has been hugely appreciated by Jason who says he is in “debt for life” to the Galway singer. “Her and her crew, all her family, they're absolute gems,” he says.

Now, Jason is set to celebrate his victory in style and he is brimming with regional and provincial pride.
“It’s a victory for Donegal. A victory for Ulster,” he declares. “We're going to get the bonfires going. We're gonna party for weeks. If Donegal won the Sam Maguire, they wouldn't have this kind of party that we're gonna throw!”

Jason has no intent to rest on his laurels for too long. He knows it is essential to build quickly on the precious platform his Glór Tíre win has given him.

“I've been playing in pubs and clubs and hotels for the last ten or 15 years so I have the chance now, through the platform Claudia and Glór Tíre have given me to get my name out there,” he says. “It's up to me now to make the next step. If I want to make this work I have to go for it and there’s no better platform than I have now. Myself and my father will talk through plans, and I know Claudia and Jimmy will help, and hopefully, it'll lead to a band on the road. That's the dream.”

Chelsea Evans, a 20-year-old from Dunfanaghy also made it to the final and although she may not have won the coveted title of Ireland’s Glór Tíre Country Music Champion 2024, Chelsea put in a strong performance with the much-loved Country number, ‘Bring On The Good Times’.

“I’ve always liked Lisa McHugh’s version of this song. I’m a big fan of Lisa, but I also added my own wee bit to it,” Chelsea said. “I sang the start of the song as Gaeilge. Because we’re on TG4 and on an Irish-speaking show, I thought it would be nice to connect with the viewers in the Gaeltacht, and the Irish-speaking viewers, and it would be something nice to do for them.”

Chelsea was mentored by the popular Tyrone Country singer, Jim Devine. Throughout the series, Chelsea has undoubtedly won many new fans and will be looking to build on her ne