WATCH: Macroom gets ready for a mega party as Bambie Thug vies for Eurovision glory

MACROOM, the homeplace of Bambie Thug, is getting ready to party tomorrow night for when the Irish performer takes the stage at the Eurovision grand final, but townspeople are also minding their they/them pronouns.

The many townspeople who spoke to The Echo Bambie as a past pupil of St Joseph’s Primary School and St Mary’s Secondary School and the star of the secondary school’s choir when it won an All-Ireland competition and as ‘Maria’ in The Sound of Music which was staged in the Briery Gap Theatre in 2009.

Macrompians are now absolutely bursting with pride over the showstopping performances — some would say heart-stopping — of Bambie Thug on the Late Late Show and the breakthrough on Tuesday to tomorrow’s Eurovision final after a six-year wait during which Ireland’s entries all failed to reach the final.

Briery Gap artistic director Mike Ryan is among a “meitheal” of local people including business people, hoteliers, and others who are making the arrangements for an open air watch party in the Town Square tomorrow night. The rush was on to source a giant screen to watch the contest as it’s beamed from Malmo. Since The Echo’s visit, it was confirmed that a screen had been secured for the party and was being installed in the town.

“What a great representative of the town they are,” said Mike.

“They are an incredibly modern act, one of the most modern acts Ireland has sent to the Eurovision in well over a decade, and to see them doing so well is heartening.

“There’s no shortage of great talent around Macroom and the surrounding areas, and there’s great history in the town when it comes to the arts, the town is full of poets and musicians and we’re not far from Millstreet where the Eurovision was hosted in 1993.

“It’s a great sign of the wealth and depth of culture in the town and mid-Cork region.”

Whatever the result tomorrow, Mike will be getting in touch with Bambie Thug when they’re next in Macroom to discuss the possibility of a performance in the town.

Nearby to the Briery Gap — where work is still ongoing to complete the refurbishment before the builders hand it back to the council next Wednesday after an eight-year hiatus since it was badly damaged in a fire — is the colourful Pickled coffee and treats shop.

Keeley Buckley and her team, along with Keeley’s sister Daire, were busily festooning the pink and orange premises with flags and decorations.

Daire Buckley actually went to school with Bambie and itted she was getting a little emotional about seeing her friend perform so brilliantly in front of hundreds of millions of viewers centre-stage at the Eurovision.

“We can’t wait to watch and Bambie Thug on Saturday night,” said Daire. 

“Keep doing what you’re doing, we’re all so proud of you and it’s great to see what we spoke about when we were small coming to fruition now and seeing all your dreams come true.”

Across the Main Street is Sophie Corcoran, who was a first year in St Mary’s Secondary School when Bambie Thug was in fifth year. She’s working on deg a window display which evokes the witchy theme of the performances so far by the town’s now-world-famous artist. On one side of the window of E-Smokes shop is ‘Crown the Witch’, the motto which Bambie had on their face for the semi-final while she’s planning on a depiction of her former schoolmate singing their song, ‘Doomsday Blue’, on the other pane.

“I’m planning to do a little figurine of Bambie Thug of the exact position they posed with their arms outstretched when they finished their song,” she said.

Caitríona Healy O’Brien, proprietor of Enchanted Flowers further down on Main Street, is out decorating the shop front with her colleague Martina Kelleher. They’ve put together a window display which has a centrepiece of a beaded fairy dress — a tribute to the singer’s unique style.

Both Caitríona and Martina are Millstreet natives and Caitríona was working at the Green Glens Arena when the Eurovision was staged there in 1993 so, after their hometown hosted Eurovision, they’re now looking at the prospect of a singer from their adopted town being on a very short list of hot favourites to win the most coveted crown in world music.

“We’re delighted for them, and being from Macroom and the fact is they’re putting Macroom and Ireland on the map,” said Caitríona. 

“We haven’t qualified for the final since 2018, and we’re delighted for them.”

For Killian Lynch, the auctioneer and estate agent, and lately the chairman of the organising committee of the Macroom Music Festival taking place next month, the Eurovision fever which has gripped the town since Tuesday night has been really energising for the entire community and has delivered Macroom a very welcome early summer infusion of goodwill.

“There’s been an awful lot of publicity for Macroom for many reasons over the years, but this is fantastic for the town and for Bambie — it’s great that they’ve got this far, it’s a remarkable achievement and we wish Bambie and all the team the best of luck,” said Killian, who also extended the town’s gratitude to Bambie for featuring their homeplace in the video postcard which preceded their performance on Tuesday and will be screened to a global audience again on Saturday.

“We’re really thrilled with that and delighted that Bambie has given the town where they grew up such a boost.”

Rory Buckley of the Castle Hotel said the excitement had been building since Bambie Thug had qualified from the Irish final and this was now reaching a crescendo in advance of the final tomorrow.

“Now that they’ve got through the semi-final and their odds seem to be shortening, the level of excitement has gone up, and the town really seems to have rallied behind them,” he said.

In the BoyleSports betting shop, Sarah told The Echo that there was some local money being put on the singer to go all the way — and the odds, though they’re shortening, are attractive at 11-1.

In a video message sent yesterday afternoon, Bambie said they wanted to express their gratitude to the townspeople for their .

“I just want to say thank you so much for all the and to remind you to go down to the centre of Macroom this weekend and me in the final in the Eurovision,” they said. “I love you so much, all of you, love and magic, Macroom abú.”

It’s over to them now, who should know that the town where they grew up is fully behind them and hoping for a win tomorrow night. Indeed, they’re thuggishly confident!