Kilconly girl's bid for TV talent glory needs public voting support

By JACQUELINE HOGGE A NINE-year-old Kilconly girl will make her TV debut this week as she aims to secure a place in the regional finals of a RTÉ talent show. Niam Maguire is one of five children to contest the Galway round of the Show Off or Get Off talent show that will be broadcast this Friday, December 7 on RTÉ's Elev8 programme. The fourth-class pupil at Kilcoona National School has been singing since she was a toddler, but her love of performing has only been nourished in recent years. 'I did the audition in September when I sang Edelweiss, from The Sound of Music, which is one of my favourite musicals,' said Niam.[private] 'I had to limit my performance to one minute, so that was the perfect song to sing.' Niam is a student of the Stagecoach drama school in Galway city and is a member of the St Nicholas Church choir, the Schola Cantorum, that offers unique musical education through weekly singing and musicianship classes to 24 young people between eight and 14. 'I am one of the youngest people taking part in the Show Off or Get Off competition and as far as I know I'm the only singer to make it to the Galway round. 'The qualifiers from this stage progress to a second round and if I progress any further I'll get the chance to sing live on TV. 'I love to sing, I always have and when I found out I had been chosen from all those who auditioned, I couldn't believe it.' Niam's fate will be decided by online votes, which can be cast from Friday, December 7 through to Wednesday, December 14. 'We're hoping our friends and family and the people of Tuam and the surrounding area will log on to vote her through to the next round of the competition,' said Niam's mother Rachel. 'She has been singing since she was very little and always sings when she is happy. It is only in the past few years she has gained the confidence to sing in public so we're hoping she will get the opportunity to progress in this competition so people can see how talented she is.' To vote for Niam log on to www.rte.ie/trte/elev8/show off.html.[/private]