RTÉ was a Westmeath Wonderland last Friday as a trio of local children took to the airwaves and charmed the nation.
This year’s Late Late Toy Show, with the theme Home Alone, was beamed into the living rooms of over a million viewers, but before the 250 toy testers and performers went live at 9:30pm, Madee Daly Kruacha had graced our RTÉ screens on the One O’Clock, Six One and Nine O’Clock news, describing how she felt in three words – “nervous, excited and happy.”
Madee
Staying tight-lipped before the big performance, the Ballinalack musician gave little away.
“I’m playing the drums to a rock number and I can’t tell you all the stuff because it’s a big secret,” she said.
Madee didn’t disappoint. Along with some of the best musicians who sent in audition tapes, Madee joined the Toy Show Super Group who performed the show-stopping Toy Show Thunderstruck, a rock/ Celtic fusion of the AC/DC classic.
Anna
Third year Loreto College student Anna Keenaghan from Mullingar brought two very special tales to show host Patrick Kielty in the popular book review corner.
“My nana used to read this to me when I was younger so it’s really special to me and my cousins and all my family,” she said of ‘Lost and Found’ by Oliver Jeffers.
“I also got ‘Wonder.’ It’s a really nice book about differences ‘cause I feel like every human has a ‘behind the scenes’ that not everyone gets to see and I kind of found that out when I was diagnosed with autism last year but it’s kind of an eye opener but it’s really nice even if you’re not neurodivergent or if you don’t have mental challenges or anything like that it’s a really nice book to read in general for people.”
Daughter of Cathy and Kieran and the youngest in the family, Anna told Topic the excitement at home and in school was through the roof but everyone kept the secret until she made her TV appearance.
“The teachers were so supportive. I really didn’t expect it to make such an impact, I thought I would just talk about the books but when the audience clapped I thought it must have gone well. Since then it’s blown up on websites and I’m really surprised. I’ve gotten so many messages.”
Anna was highly complimentary of the new host, praising his manner, kindness and humour.
“Patrick is such a nice person, I think he’s such a good presenter, and he’s right for the job. He’s so good with kids and he just let me speak. He knew exactly what to say and just made you feel like you’re talking to your friends. I couldn’t have asked for a better presenter to talk to, and he’s so funny too.”
On the night, the 15-year-old told Patrick how she always wanted to be on the toy show.
“I saw the advert and I feel like its every kid’s dream in the whole entire Ireland to go on it and I decided I am just going to go for it and I kind of just done it because it’s one of those things you don’t think is going to come true but I was really grateful when I found out I did get onto it,” she said.
Johnny
Dressed in a pink shirt and clapping a perfect beat was 8-year-old Johnny Joyce. Part of the newly introduced 32 county parade, Johnny hit all the right notes with his rendition of The Pogues ‘The Irish Rover.’
Speaking after the show, father and top fan Christy said it was the experience of a lifetime.
“I was like a bag of nerves but Johnny handled it well. I knew what was at stake if something went wrong. It was in front of millions of people but Johnny didn’t pass any heed at all which was a good thing. It was a lifetime achievement to do that in front of over a million people, amazing to be part of the most watched show in Ireland,” he said.
