Young Mayo singer wins Big Tom Song Contest

A young singer from Belmullet was the winner of the €5,000 first prize in the Big Tom Song Contest in Oram, Castleblayney last weekend.

Paul Ruddy came out on top at the event, which was part of the Big Tom Music Festival. 

Nine young singers from around Ireland took part in the final, which was held before a capacity crowd at Oram Community Hall.

_{The nine Big Tom Song Contest finalists}

Mr Ruddy comes from a musical family in Belmullet, as his father JP Ruddy has worked as a singer for many years. He selected a lesser known Big Tom song, ‘Don’t Be Angry’, for his performance.

The prize money was sponsored by Monaghan County Council and the cheque and plaque was presented to the winner by Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, who is also the area’s TD.

The idea for a competition to get young singers performing Big Tom songs in their own style was the brainchild of singer Margo O’Donnell, who is a long-time resident of Castleblayney and was a close friend of the late Big Tom and his wife Rose.

The criteria required that the singers had to be between the ages of 18 and 25 and put their own slant on the Big Tom song of their choice before performing it live on stage before a judging panel of four.

The standard of all the entrants was very high, and it was also very interesting for the audience to hear the way those young singers interpreted songs of the late Big Tom in their own styles.

The competition took place in the afternoon, and the winner was announced at a gala concert in the Oram hall later that night.

The winner, Mr Ruddy was invited back on stage to sing his song again which he did with the Ryan Turner Band. As the crowd were shouting for more, the young man did an encore by performing the Hank William classic, ‘I Can’t Help It If I’m Still in Love with You’, which was a song also popularised here by the late Big Tom.

All the contestants were praised for their professionalism by the Chairperson of the judging panel Shay Hennessy, Director of Crashed Music Group Records in Dublin.

The other adjudicators were made up of singer John Glenn, Tara McCauley from Monaghan County Council and Tom Gilmore, Journalist with The Tuam Herald Newspaper.

The MC for the contest and for the concert later that night, was broadcaster and journalist with The Mayo News, Michael Commins from Mid-West Radio and Sky Channel 179 TV.

All proceeds from the contest, and from the concert, were donated to the local national school in Oram which has recently been refurbished with additional rooms built to accommodate the pupils.

Those taking part in the Big Tom Contest were Emma Dennehy from Cork, Ross Molloy from Laois, Jack Clare from Dundalk, Aoibhinn Craven from Monaghan, Paul Ruddy the winner from Mayo, Kelan Browne from Donegal, Lauren Murtagh from Meath, Jordan McMullen from Down and Andrew McMurdie from Armagh.