By Michelle Crawley
ONE of the highlights of last Sunday’s thrilling All-Ireland Hurling Final between Kilkenny and Tipperary for local family, the Hoggs, of Grange Cottages, was the chance to see a member of their family play at Croke Park. However, it wasn’t hurling that brought Michaela Hogg from Mullingar to Croke Park on Sunday, but her beautiful voice.
The talented 17-year-old was given the opportunity to sing with her band, The Roadrunners, in front of 82,190 spectators at half-time on Sunday, after winning the TG4 talent show ‘Scór Encore’ in May of this year. Michaela, who has just completed her Leaving Cert at St. Finian’s College, entered the competition as a county winner of Scor Na nÓg and sailed her way into the final of the competition after wowing the judges with her keen vocals. By her side at Croke Park were her fellow band members of Michaela and The Roadrunners, Shane Bardon, Ross Gavin, Joe Murray and Robert Arnold, and in the stand watching as they performed ‘Fields of Glory’ were Michaela’s proud parents, Brendan and Mary, and her brother Michael.
“AMAZING”
Speaking to Topic this week, Mary Hogg described the experience of watching her daughter and her band perform at Croke Park as nothing short of “amazing.” “The whole day was wonderful. The atmosphere was electric and we were treated so well by Croke Park,” she commented, revealing that the family were even given tickets to see the match. “We were given tickets when we arrived so Brendan and Michael were thrilled to be able to watch that cracking All-Ireland Final,” she added.
As usual, Michaela had no nerves at all, but Mary says that she had plenty in the moments leading up to the performance. “Michaela wasn’t nervous at all. I on the other hand was sick with nerves. My stomach was turning. I just wanted everything to go right for Michaela and the boys and thankfully it did,” she laughed.
Standing out on the sacred ground which is Croke Park was three and a half minutes of their lives they most likely will never forget and Mary revealed that Michaela and the band were ecstatic after coming off the pitch, hearing the 82,000 strong crowd applaud for them. “They were buzzing and we were just so proud. Brendan was on a cloud. He was blown away with the hurling and most of all his little princess,” she recalled.
REPEATING THE
EXPERIENCE
And while she agreed that three and a half minutes fly by, they were arguably some of the best three minutes of Michaela and The Roadrunners’ music career thus far. However, just like Tippearary and Kilkenny who will soon be returning to Croker for another epic All-Ireland battle, Michaela’s once-in-a-lifetime experience is soon to be repeated on Sunday, 28 September.
Michaela revealed to Topic last week that she was given the opportunity to sing the National Anthem on the occasion of the All-Ireland Ladies’ Senior Football Final after singing at the ladies’ semi-final in Cusack Park in Mullingar a fortnight ago. “After the experience and feeling of singing at Croke Park last Sunday, Michaela is very excited to get the chance to sing there yet again. She can’t wait,” said Mary with huge admiration for her daughter.
FROM CLOUD NINE TO THE BOOKS!
Although she is still on cloud nine, Michaela had to return home on Sunday after the match to get organised for her induction into third-level education. And whilst study, papers and pens were the last thing on her mind as of late, an early start on Monday beckoned, as she commenced a computer applications course. No doubt, her coursework will keep her mind off Croker between now and All-Ireland Sunday!
