A grá for the jiving - Mayo siblings to feature on RTÉ Late Late Toy Show on Friday

A whole Mayo family will be up in Dublin for the Late Late Toy Show tomorrow when two talented siblings take to the famous stage.

We don't know what exactly Mary Kate (14) and her twelve-year-old brother James Reilly will perform as of yet as they are sworn to secrecy. But we do know that the duo from Belmullet will represent Mayo in the country parade which is part of the show.

"I'm very proud of them," says their mother Dana, speaking to The Mayo News before heading to Dublin: "And they've won loads of competitions at agricultural shows across the country because we also have cattle and sheep and we go to those shows. When they finish with the sheep and the cows, they'd head down to the dance floor and into the competition."

Dana Reilly handed in the Late Late Toy Show application for the two back in October and Mary Kate and James got an audition.

"When we went to the RTÉ studios for the audition, they really enjoyed it they had a routine made up themselves of three and half minutes," Dana recalls: "It was a line dance into a jive and it blew the judges away. They loved the experience of being interviewed and couldn't believe they were on the Late Late Show set doing what they love."

Then at the end of October they got  the information that they were picked. The whole family will be up in Dublin, Dana, father Gabriel, and the other siblings, Oliver (10) and Donal (6).

Mary Kate and James have a grá for the jiving and dancing. They are well used to performing in front of an audience. They have been taking classes with the renowned Sandra Ganley dance school in Kiltimagh. 

"She had a class in Belmullet and after that they said to me 'Mum, that was the best thing we were ever at'. They just took it up so fast jiving, waltzing and line dancing and they are great at them all," says mother Dana on how Mary Kate and James started dancing. They were 11 and 9 at the time."

So they've had plenty of training and experience in the last three years for show on Friday night. 

"They should be fine," mother Dana pointed out: "They had their rehearsal last Monday weekend. They were good. They were nervous going to it but once they knew what it was, they were fine." 

It seems the whole of Belmullet is buzzing these days. Mary Kate and James are getting good luck wishes left, right and centre.

"And we have a shop in town. So they all know Mary Kate from working in the shop. And she would be big into football and the same for James," Dana Reilly explains.

So keep an eye out for Mary Kate and James Reilly representing Mayo, when you're watching the Late Late Toy Show on Friday evening.

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