Irish Music Month is officially underway and KCLR’s search for A New Local Hero has revealed its four chosen acts for this year’s competition.
More than eighty artists are being named around the country this week as local finalists for the national search and flying the flag for Carlow and Kilkenny are Becca, BRENN, MARYANN and Patrick Dowling.
As one of the central features of Irish Music Month, A New Local Hero is a major call to arms for Irish musicians and bands – with all 22 participating radio stations having reached out for submissions in recent months. The excitement is rising, with a slew of announcements arriving over the next few days. Each of the acts selected by the stations will perform and be interviewed on their local station, with one act from each station going forward onto the long-list of contenders for the national A New Local Hero award.
Launched in 2021, Irish Music Month is an initiative of Hot Press and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland, and is funded by Coimisiún na Meán. Irish Music Month is also supported by IMRO, RAAP and Live Nation, along with Ticketmaster, Rubyworks, Camden Recording Studios and Spéir Mix and Master.
From the four acts selected for KCLR’s leg of A New Local Hero, one act will be put forward for a shot at an overall national prize, including €5,000 in cash and the same value in support by way of mentoring, recording time, production time and a single release on Rubyworks, coupled with guaranteed airplay across all 22 radio stations.
So who’s been chosen to represent KCLR?
Becca / Rebecca Mitchell
Becca is a singer-songwriter from Carlow, writing ‘raw and honest lyrics’, accompanied by melancholic, melodic guitar. From intimate shows and open mics to the Hazelwood Stage at Electric Picnic, Becca is currently working on her debut album as a follow-up to 2025’s Heartsick EP.
MARYANN
A rising force on Ireland’s pop scene, blending glittering, feel-good energy with emotional depth and sharp lyrical wit, Carlow native MARYANN is aiming to be KCLR’s New Local Hero for 2026. Her songwriting is rooted in sincerity, exploring the highs and lows of modern life, lust and love, with a refreshing honesty, while never losing a playful, self-aware edge. There is a distinct comedic thread woven through her work, giving audiences not just something to feel, but something to smile and laugh at too.
BRENN
BRENN, or Billy Brennan, is a Kilkenny-based artist drawing much of his inspiration from folk, indie and contemporary singer-songwriters, his songs exploring relationships, uncertainty, and the moments that stay with us long after they have passed.
Cutting his teeth on Galway’s live music scene, BRENN is looking to continue developing as an artist, performing live and pursuing music in Kilkenny and beyond.
Patrick Dowling
Having busked around Ireland since the age of sixteen, Patrick Dowling has developed an introspective meditation on love, longing, and the importance of remembering where you come from. With influences from hip-hop to modern pop reaching as far as Irish indie folk, Dowling injects a unique energy from Ireland’s South East region into his heartfelt storytelling.
Stay tuned across the month on KCLR, from 14 September through 11 October as Irish Music Month brings even more Irish artists to air, more local music to air in particular, and more opportunities for artists and bands from Kilkenny, Carlow and beyond.
