Patrick Dowling has been named KCLR’s New Local Hero for 2026, following a fortnight of airplay, live studio sessions and a public vote as part of Irish Music Month on KCLR.
The south Kilkenny singer-songwriter was one of four local acts chosen from submissions across Kilkenny and Carlow, alongside BECCA (Becca Mitchell, Carlow), BRENN (Billy Brennan, Kilkenny) and MARYANN (Maryann Hickey, Carlow). All four have been played on KCLR since Irish Music Month began on 14 September, and each performed two songs live in the KCLR studios last week for The Home Run with Vinny Bradley, including Patrick’s performance of Out Of Our Control.
Listeners then had a week to vote for their favourite act, the result of which was combined with the scores of a judging panel for KCLR, with Patrick Dowling coming out on top. The result was announced this afternoon on The Home Run.
Patrick now joins the winning acts from our colleagues at WLR, South East Radio, East Coast FM, Midlands 103, Galway Bay FM and 15 other independent radio stations around the country, where a national judging panel will select six acts to go forward to the grand finale at The Academy in Dublin on 28 October. A ‘wildcard’ act will also be selected before the end of Irish Music Month, with voting on that set to open in the coming days.
The overall winner of A New Local Hero will receive €5,000, a single release on Rubyworks recorded at Camden Recording Studios with Cian Boylan and mastered by Grammy winner Ruairi Cushnan of Spéir Mix & Master, a month of guaranteed airplay on every participating station, and more.
“Huge congratulations to Patrick. He walked into our studio session last week with a guitar on his back, two great songs and left no doubt about why he belonged in the competition. Becca, Billy (as BRENN) and Maryann were every bit as deserving of their place in the final four, and our listeners clearly felt the same, judging by the numbers who voted on the public side and the reaction to their music on air over the past fortnight”, said Ken McGuire, KCLR’s Programme & Operations Manager.
“That’s the real story of Irish Music Month. The talent is there, especially in Kilkenny and Carlow, and it’s as good as anything coming out of anywhere else in the country. To be able to get all of their music to a new audience is exactly what local radio is here to do. Patrick now represents the whole of Carlow and Kilkenny on the national stage, and we’ll be right behind him.”
“Hopefully he gets to follow in the footsteps of Asophonics (Carlow duo and KCLR’s New Local Hero in 2024) and make the national final at the end of October.”
It could have been any one of us…
The winning call was made on Monday’s edition of The Home Run with Vinny Bradley, Dowling expressing his thanks to both supporters locally and his fellow finalists.
“Thank you so much, thank you so much. Everyone’s been really good and the community’s got behind me down in Slieverue, even down in Ferrybank and across the water as well”, said Dowling in speaking to The Home Run.
“I’m absolutely buzzing here. I would just like to say, though, a massive well done first of all to everyone who made the top four. It’s an incredible achievement and Hot Press have been so good as well to run this for independent artists in Ireland; it’s so important.
I want to say well done to Billy, Becca and to Maryann as well for getting in the top four as well. They did brilliantly; I heard each one of those interviews and live performances, and it could have been any one of us. Hopefully we can drive it on now for KCLR.”
Irish Music Month continues on KCLR until Sunday 11 October, with more Irish music across every show on the schedule and even more local music making the airwaves.
Hear all four of KCLR’s New Local Hero finalists at kclr96fm.com/irish-music-month.
Irish Music Month, Irish radio supporting Irish artists, is in association with IBI, Hot Press, and Coimisiún na Meán’s Sound & Vision Scheme, funded by the television licence fee.
