Junior Eurovision 2016: Zena Donnelly – Bríce Ar Bhríce (Ireland)

Zena Donnelly recently turned 14 and despite her young age has already achieved great acclaim for her acting, singing and songwriting.

Unsurprisingly, coming from a very musical background, she was discovered in 2009 at the age of just 7 by The Late Late Show on RTE in nationwide auditions and a subsequent solo performance on the show’s Toy Show ensued.

Since then, Zena has gone on to perform at Voice In A Million in Wembley Arena, the UN World Peace Party and a solo at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Royal Gala Performance, not to mention an impromptu performance with the late Whitney Houston in Dublin’s 3Arena.

Now attending school at Coláiste Íosagain, and the RIAM for piano and musicianship, as well as ITW for speech and drama, she has won RTE’s Nationwide TV Talent Competition ‘Show Off or Get Off’, performed for Music Inc., played the lead role in ANNIE The Musical at the National Concert Hall and Mowgli in the Jungle King.

Returning again to Wembley Arena in 2015, she debuted at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and performed as a special young guest at the Cheerios Childline Concert in the 3Arena alongside other artists including Olly Murs, Jedward, Boyzone and Mc Busted.

Branching out from music Zena has started to be cast in films such as The Food Guide To Love, Céad Ghrá, Cuckoo, Dance Emergency and A Christmas Star, where she also sings among others, the music soundtrack ‘We Can Shine’. More recently she has been cast in the role of ‘Maggie Colgan’ in the theatre production ‘Before Monsters Were Made’, and awarded the lead role in a new TV Drama series, Spooky Stakeout currently airing on RTE TV. Another recent credit is as a presenter for Smyth’s Toystores web show online.

Not to lose sight of her music, Zena also began writing her own songs, in English and Irish, which she submitted to the Irish national selection. This year, she has been lucky enough to reach Junior Eurovision after finishing 2nd at the last year’s selection behind Aimee Banks. Her last year’s song was a ballad called “I d’Aonair”.

Junior Eurovision Éire 2016

Semi-Final 1:

1. Hannah McNicholas Roche – Titim as a Chéile (Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin) Runner-up
2. Susie Power – Popsicle (Kilcullen, Co. Kildare)
3. Walter McCabe – Las Do Sholas (Ballinteer, Co. Dublin)
4. Bernadette Royo – Bean Sí (Waterford City)
5. Molly McCarthy – Imithe Leis An Ghaoth (from Cork)
6. Cathal Gavin – Seo hé Mo Ghlór (Swinford, Co. Mayo)
7. Amy Meehan – Tapaigh An Deis (Manorcunningham, Co. Donegal)
8. Jael Katebe-Wini – An Ghrá i do Chroí (from Cork)

Semi-Final 2:

• Zena Donnelly – Bríce Ar Bhríce (Blackrock, Co. Dublin)
• Taylor Hynes – Níos Airde (Blanchardstown, Dublin)
• Maggie-Sue McCormack – Tusa (Nurney, Co. Kildare)
• Natalie Hurley – Mo chuid “Superstars” (Churchtown, Dublin)
• Daniel Gallagher – Táim Beo (Ratoath, Co. Meath) Runner-Up
• Leah Cunningham – Saol Iontach (Rathkeale, Co. Limerick)
• Holly Sturton – A Cheol, Is Tusa M’Anamchara (Tuamgraney, Co. Clare)
• Ciara Mullarkey – An Ghealach (Enniscrone, Co. Mayo)

Semi-Final 3:

1. Lillie Foley – Am (Killarney, Co. Kerry)
2. Rachel Haughney – Na Réaltaí sa Spéir (Carlow) Runner-Up
3. Ruben O’Mahony – Saoirse (Blackrock, Co. Dublin)
4. Rosalind Hayes – Cé hlad Na Laochra Anois (Naas, Co. Kildare)
5. Éabha Sullivan – Mo Laoch (Inniscarra, Co. Cork)
6. Clióna Nic Dhomhnaill – Ag Seasamh Le Mo Réaltaí (Borris-in-Ossory, Co. Laois)
7. Na Deirfiúracha Drumgoole – Ceol An Easa (Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan)
8. Disha Suresh Kumar – Níl Éinne Foirfe (Bray, Co. Wicklow)

Semi-Final 4:

1. Stephanie Byrne – Go dtí an Ghealach (Naas, Co. Kildare)
2. Amy McGrath – M’Aingeal (Ballina, Co. Mayo)
3. Danny McGahey – Marú na hOíche (Letterkenny, Co. Donegal)
4. Lucy Hood – Dathanna den Nadúr (Ballyroan, Co. Laois)
5. Eva Kavanagh – Irrus Domnann (Hacketstown, Co. Carlow)
6. Arabella Dolan – Ag Seoladh Mo Ghrá Chugat (Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin)
7. Aisli Moran & Jennifer Nelson (Ash & Jen) – Mo Chailíní (Dublin)
8. Lasairfhíona de Brún – Fan Liom (Cork) Runner-Up

Final:

1. Zena Donnelly – “Bríce Ar Bhríce”
2. Walter McCabe – “Las Do Sholas”
3. Hannah McNicholas Roche – “Titim as a Chéile” (Wildcard Winner)
4. Clíona Nic Dhomhnaill – “Ag Seasamh Le Mo Réaltaí”
5. Lasairfhíona de Brún – “Fan Liom (Wildcard Winner)
6. Amy McGrath – “M’Aingeal” (Runner-Up)

Fuar, fuar is leat féin
Ag lorg rud a thugann solas duit
Réalt go hard sa spéir
Tú ag iarraidh ardú go dtí a airde

Ardaigh, ardaigh suas go h-ard
Lorg do chaisleán, Lorg do ghlór

Tóg balla caisleán
Bríce ar bríce,déanfaimid é le chéile
Táim ag seas go hard
Mé féin is tú féin, lámh i lámh go deo

Tógfaimid balla, balla caisleán
Eitleoimid go dtí ár bhflaithis
Lorgóimid ár mbaile
Ní bheidh tú leat féin, leat féin i gcónaí

Tá sé deacair troid
Le mothúcháin a ghortaíonn tú laistigh
Ach leanann tú ag brú
Ag iarraidh go n-aithneoidh duine chinnt

Cabhraigh, cabhraigh, cabhraigh leo
Lorg do chaisleán, lorg do ghlór

Tóg balla caisleán
Bríce ar bríce,déanfaimid é le chéile
Táim ag seas go hard
Mé féin is tú féin, lámh i lámh go deo

Tógfaimid balla, balla caisleán
Eitleoimid go dtí ár bhflaithis
Lorgóimid ár mbaile
Ní bheidh tú leat féin, leat féin i gcónaí

Tóg balla caisleán
Bríce ar bríce,déanfaimid é le chéile
Táim ag seas go hard
Mé féin is tú féin, lámh i lámh go deo

Tógfaimid balla, balla caisleán
Eitleoimid go dtí ár bhflaithis
Lorgóimid ár mbaile
Ní bheidh tú leat féin, leat féin i gcónaí

Ní bheidh tú leat féin
Tóg balla caisleán

Cold, you are looking for light
Stars high in the sky
You’re trying to rise to these

Rise rise up high
Find your castle, find your glory

Build a castle wall
Brick by brick we’ll do it all together
Were standing up high
Me & you, hands in hands together

Build a castle wall
We’ll fly to our heavens
We’ll build our home
You’ll never ever be alone

It’s hard to fight
With feelings that hurt you inside
But you keep going
Hoping….that people with realise!

Build a castle wall
Brick by brick we’ll do it all together
Were standing up high
Me & you, hands in hands together