Fermanagh farmer Karl Kirkpatrick reaches grand final of hit country music programme Glór Tíre

With a new single, ‘Mixed Up Mess Of a Heart’, proving popular and his place in the Glór Tíre Grand Final assured, Karl Kirkpatrick is not letting any of it go to his head.

“What will be, will be,” he says. “We’ll not get too excited about it.”

The 30-year-old farmer from Derrygonnelly, Co Fermanagh, is a straight-to-the-point, no-nonsense guy, and this unpretentious approach - along with a deep appreciation of classic Country and Western, not to mention a voice that was born to sing that kind of music - has served him well.

It has impressed the judges on Glór Tíre - the long-running, hit Country music show on the Irish language TV station, TG4 - who sent him straight through to that final, following his appearance on the show in March. The final will be broadcast on Tuesday 23 April at 9.30pm.

“The experience so far has been brilliant,” he says. “The opportunity of a lifetime. I never thought I’d be doing this.”

That first appearance saw Karl perform two Dolly Parton/Porter Wagoner numbers and duet with Claudia Buckley, who recently won the 'Female Entertainer Of The Year' at this year’s Hot Country TV awards.

“To sing with Claudia was a real highlight. I was nervous and waiting to see what the first mistake would be,” he says, before adding with a laugh, “but Thank God we didn’t make a mistake.”

Fermanagh has really gotten behind Karl in his bid to become Ireland’s Glór Tíre Country Music Champion 2024, and the support is deeply appreciated by the singer.

“Ah, it's been brilliant!” he says. “Everyone has been talking about it. Everywhere you go, people stop to talk to you about it, the support has been amazing in the local town.”

Karl particularly enjoyed one ironic and humorous comment from a supporter following that appearance on the show. “I remember one person saying to me, ‘You’re not shy in this town, so what happened to you on the television?’” he laughs.

Karl’s mixture of quiet confidence and no expectations seems to be paying off, and the pressure of actually being a finalist does not seem to phase him.

“Being on Glór Tíre means my name is now out there,” he says. “We’ll take each day as it comes, as you never know when your last is.”

The Glór Tire Grand Final is on TG4 on Tuesday 23 April at 9.30 pm and will be presented by Aoife Ní Thuairisg. The judges will be RTÉ Raidio na Gaeltachta’s Jó Ní Chéide and Caitriona Ní Shuilleabháin, with guest judge, Eddie Roely (Sunday World).