Michaela Harkin had long harboured ambitions to be on TG4’s long-running, hit Country Music show, Glór Tíre, and the milestone Season 21 is where she finds herself stepping on stage at last.

“I’ve constantly watched it over the years,” says the 22-year-old singer from Moville, Inishowen, Co Donegal. “I wasn’t ready for last year, so I thought this year’s my year. I’ll give it a go.”

Michaela will appear on Glór Tíre on Tuesday 11 March at 9.30pm, alongside Fermanagh singer Conor Owens, and Country and Irish star, David James, who is mentoring both contestants throughout the season.

Now she is finally on the show, Michaela is determined to achieve two things: get her name out there, and fly the flag for Donegal’s proud tradition of Country Music.

“For my appearance on the show, I’ll be doing my debut single, ‘I’m On My Way’,” she says. “I released it during the summer, Ryan Turner produced it for me. It was given to me by Patsy Kavanagh, who wrote ‘Home To Donegal’. I met him recently and told him I was performing this song on Glór Tíre and he was delighted.”

She will also duet with David James on ‘Hey Good Looking’, the Hank Williams classic hit single from 1951. “It’s crazy to think David has chosen me,” says Michaela. “I couldn’t ask for a better mentor. He knows my potential and we’ve worked closely over the last year, but to think I’m going to be on the Glór Tire stage, performing with David, it’s giving me goosebumps.”

David James & Michaela Harkin

Michaela is one of two contestants from the Inishowen peninsula – the other being Buncrana’s Jack Larry – on this year’s Glór Tíre. Last year, the county produced both the season winner in Jason McCahill and a finalist in Chelsea Evans. Michaela is determined to maintain those standards.

“I’ve been in contact with both Jason and Chelsea, asking them for advice,” she says. “They’ve been so helpful. We’d love to bring the title back to Donegal for the second year in a row, so fingers crossed.”

Now it’s Michaela’s turn to be the role model for emerging Country talent in Donegal just as Jason and Chelsea were last year.

“County Music in Donegal is massive,” she says. “Where I’m from in Inishowen, there is a lot of talent around our way and they are not being heard enough. I’m here to show the young ones that if you want to do something you can do it, if you have a dream just go for it, don’t hold back. The importance of Glór Tíre is absolutely massive. It gets young artists out there, and if anyone is thinking about giving it a go, fill in your application for next year.”

Glór Tíre is broadcast on Ireland’s national Irish language station, TG4, and produced by Galway production company, Gael Media. The show is presented by Aoife Ní Thuairisg. The judges are RTÉ Raidio na Gaeltachta’s Jó Ní Chéide and singer Caitriona Ní Shuilleabháin. The guest judge for the 11 March show will be singer Sandy Kelly.

For more information see www.tg4.ie and follow @glortire on social media for all of the latest news and updates.