Ireland’s brightest star: The glow of Enya Cox Dempsey
29 October 2024 at 12:00 CETAfter facing tough competition at Ireland’s national selection Junior Eurovision Éire, Enya came out on top to represent her country in the 2024 Contest. She was up against two other strong contenders in the final, where the singers covered Eurovision classics.
Enya stunned the audience with her vocals across the competition, from her own song Le Chéile to an Irish language performance of Olivia Rodrigo’s drivers license. She also sang Arcade, with which Duncan Laurence won the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 for the Netherlands.
Now, Enya is ready for Madrid. But is Madrid ready for Enya-na-na?
The title of Enya’s song Le Chéile means together, and she sings all about shared strength, “glowing like stars in the sky.”
This huge dance track was written by Nicky Brennan and Ian James White, while Irish singer-songwriter Laoise Ní Nualláin penned the lyrics.
Family is really important to Enya. And so is her dog Pip, who never fails to cheer her up. Pip is a pomeranian-chihuahua cross, who is always making her laugh. When they once had a bat in the house, Pip completely failed as a guard dog. He sat watching the scene unfold instead.
Enya said: “I love playing with him, he’s always full of energy! We try to teach him tricks and while he’s not great at them, it’s the effort that counts!”
Enya also loves expressing herself through fashion, although she used to be self-conscious about what she wore. She’s recently realised that it’s more important to be herself.
Enya will no doubt love exploring the shops in Madrid between rehearsals.
Enya fell in love with Queen when she watched the film Bohemian Rhapsody. Now, Killer Queen is her favourite song, which feels like a great anthem for getting ready to go on stage.
She has a lot of pop influences, including Lana Del Rey, Billy Idol, and Metallica, which makes for a very varied playlist. Her Uncle Paddy used to play a lot of rock n’ roll in his barber shop, and she’s picked up a fondness for that genre too.
Enya believes that no matter what you’re feeling, there’ll be a piece of music that’s right for the mood — which might explain her eclectic taste. In the true spirit of Le Chéile, she thinks music brings people together.
Enya’s favourite superhero is Batman, because although he doesn’t have any superpowers, he’s proof that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Enya likes to channel this energy in her life and music.
Enya hopes that in 10 years’ time, she’ll be selling out venues and touring the world with her own music. In the meantime, she’s getting ready to shine on the Junior Eurovision stage.
You can learn more about Enya Cox Dempsey from Ireland right here.
You can now stream the official #JESC2024 album and watch all 17 songs over on the official #JESC YouTube channel!
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