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What is your idea of perfect happiness?

It was Claire Henriques’ version of ‘Gloria’ by Linda Branigan that stole the show at the fundraiser for The Susie Long Foundation, The Hope Foundation and Kilkenny Kats Special Olympics. Claire Henriques’ ‘shimmy’ left the audience screaming for more and after a three-way sing-off against Jedward and Gemma Brennan aka Amy Winehouse, Claire took the top spot.

Forget about X-Factor, You’re a Star, or Ireland’s Got Talent as the west’s biggest ever Battle of the Bands competition Blast 2010 is launched at the west’s newest and most exciting entertainment venue, the Gateway Live in Belmullet, Co Mayo.

Knocknacarra’s Niall Mooney has co-written one of the songs which will be competing to represent Ireland at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

Never before has the world taken such an interest in a Presidential election as they did in the American race to the White House.

X FACTOR winner and platinum selling artist Shayne Ward returns by popular demand to the Royal Theatre Castlebar for one night only on Monday December 29

First things first, I’m from Mayo and damn proud of it. I’ve worked in Galway for five years now, my college years were thoroughly enjoyed in Dublin, and I’ve even spent time living in the insanely wonderful Los Angeles. But nowhere has what Mayo’s got. And there’s certainly nowhere else I’d prefer to have been born. Sure, like most of Ireland it’s aesthetically pleasing, but it’s the people that separates Mayo from everywhere else. We’re laid back, we’re chilled out, and we’re friendly. We’re hugely supportive and undeniably loyal, almost to a fault. Yes, there really are some highly delusional people out there that still believe with all their hearts that the Mayo men can win an All-Ireland; even if there’s a better chance of hell freezing over. We’re fun, proud, very ‘with it,’ and definitely nowhere near as countryish as the Dubs and Galwegians believe. We stand by our own and look out for each other — it’s Mayo all the way.

When it comes to being Irish, every one of America’s 300 million inhabitants has Irish ties, and right now everyone wants a piece of the X Factor. As a nation we have the Grimes twins, but as a city we have Jonathon Ridgard, senior researcher, chaperone, and cameraman to the hottest pop property.

George Lee and Enda Kenny were branded as ‘Genda’, Fine Gael’s answer to the X Factor’s ‘Jedward’, at the Ógra Fianna Fáil National Youth Conference in Bundoran, Co Donegal last weekend.