Glór Tíre finalist Effie Neill to play Moate this Saturday
by David Flynn
Country and folk singer Effie Neill will return to The Well in Moate this Saturday night, August 29, for what promises to be a lively night of dancing and country music.
Effie is no stranger to the venue, having played at The Well previously, but she is returning this time with a considerably higher profile following her appearance in the popular TG4 country music series Glór Tíre, in which she reached the final.
Foster and Allen star Tony Allen believes the singer is now going from strength-to-strength, comparing her singing style to one of the best-known names in Irish country music.
“I think she’s absolutely brilliant,” said Tony, who has been following Effie’s progress in recent years. “She reminds me of Philomena Begley. Like Philomena, she can sing country music first class and she can also sing Irish ballads.”
In June 2023, Effie won the Country Newcomer prize at ‘Cowboys and Heroes’, a major country music festival held in county Leitrim.
Effie, who comes from Ardgroom in the Beara Peninsula in West Cork, describes her music as a mixture of country and western and folk.
“I sing country music and folk, and I kind of mash the two together when I can,” she said.
Irish music star, Michael English acted as her mentor on Glór Tíre.
Although she has been performing in pubs and smaller venues since she was fourteen years old, Effie has been pursuing the country music scene professionally since 2023.
Her success on Glór Tíre proved to be an important step in her career.
“I made it to the final. I suppose I would have gotten a good few shows out of it, which was great. It was great publicity, great coverage,” she told the Westmeath Independent.
She also appeared on RTÉ’s Nationwide, Hot Country TV, and other country music programmes. Also Effie has recorded a show with Daniel O’Donnell which will be on television later in the year.
Effie recently released a new album, Living My Dream, which reflects the journey she has taken from her home in West Cork into the world of country music.
Among her recent recordings are The Midnight Road, written by Derek Ryan, and a duet with him, Batten Down the Hatches. The latter, she explained, tells something of her own story, including her previous work in her local mart before music took her in a different direction.
Effie performed in Shannonbridge last Saturday night, August 22, at JJ Killen’s marquee, where she was the warm-up act before Derek Ryan went on stage.
She will now bring her own band to The Well in Moate for this Saturday night’s dance at The Well.
“It’s a great venue to be playing, and I’ll be accompanied by my own band on the night,” she said.
Updates on Effie Neill and her music can be found on her Facebook and Instagram accounts.