Ten-year old Eve McCourt from Auburn Villas in Athlone pictured with Cairn Community Games national president, Gerry McGuinness, after she was presented with her gold medal for first prize in the U12 solo singing competition.

Eve takes top prize in U12 solo singing at Community Games

Geraldine Grennan

Published: Mon 9 Sep 2024, 6:32 PM

Having made a sparking debut on stage in the centenary production of the “The Sound of Music” in Ballinasloe last year, a talented young Athlone singer has added another string to her musical bow this week by taking 1st prize in the U12 solo singing competition at the Cairn Community Games National finals in Carlow.

Ten-year old Eve McCourt, who lives in Auburn Villages in Athlone took the coveted gold medal for her magnificent rendition of “What was I made for” by American singer/songwriter, Billie Eilish, which was used on the soundtrack of the 'Barbie' movie.

Eve Mcourt from Auburn Villas in Athlone, proudly holds her gold medal aloft after she took first prize in U12 Solo Singing at the Cairn Community Games National finals in Carlow last weekend.

A 5th class pupil in Newtown National School, outside Ballinasloe, where her mother, Leona, is a teacher, Eve was one of 20 finalists in the U12 singing competition at the Community Games finals in Carlow last weekend. She was delighted to take the first prize from such a talented pool of competitors, and her younger sister, Jane (7) also took part in the finals of this year's Community Games, where she entered some of her art work in the U8 section of the competition.

Eve McCourt (front middle) is pictured with her brother, Michael (left) sister Jane (right) and her proud parents, Stephen and Leona, at the Cairn Community Games in Carlow last weekend.

The McCourt family made the trip from Carlow to Athlone on Saturday last, September 7, for the finals, with Dad, Stephen, and Eve's only brother, nine year old Michael, joining with mum, Leona and Jane to cheer on Eve when she came on stage in the outdoor arena at the competition venue in St. Patrick's College.

The talented youngster, who attends the Sarah Corcoran School of Signing in Galway, who played the role of Martha, the second youngest of the Von Trapp family, in the centenary production of Rogers and Hammerstein's iconic musical “The Sound of Music” which was staged by Ballinasloe Musical Society in April of last year.

Eve McCourt is pictured as Martha from the Von Trapp family in a scene from "The Sound of Music" with Ballinasloe Musical Society last year.

The musical, which played to packed audiences in the Town Hall Theatre in Ballinasloe, gave Eve McCourt a great love of performing, according to her mother, Leona, and despite the fact she has no real stage school experience at the time, she “loved every minute of her time on stage” according to her mum.

Eve was picked for the role of Martha from a pool of up to 80 children who auditioned for the children's parts in “The Sound of Music” and made it all the way to the final seven who appeared on stage.

Now that she has well and truly caught the performance bug, and has “a natural talent for the stage” according to her mother, Eve McCourt is determined to continue singing and acting and seems destined for an even bigger stage in the future!