Hilltown’s Jordan McPolin sings his way to become the Glór Tíre Country Music champion for 2026
For the second year running, a Northern Irish singer has won the prestigious title of Ireland’s Glór Tíre Country Music Champion.
20-year-old Jordan McPolin from Hilltown, County Down, on Tuesday 10th March won the Grand Final of Glór Tíre, the long-running, hit Country Music TV show broadcast on Irish language station TG4, which commands a dedicated audience on both sides of the border.
“It hasn’t even hit home yet,” said Jordan. “To be crowned Glor Tíre Champion 2026 is an absolute dream come true.
“It’ll probably take a week or two to actually sink in and hit home. To bring it back to Ulster, to the North, to Co Down is unbelievable.”
Jordan overcame strong competition from County Kerry’s Paudie Coffey and Tipperary’s Dee Morrissey, winning the public vote with his spirited renditions of Conway Twitty’s ‘Hello Darling’ and ‘Down in Louisiana’, a song made popular by County Galway singer, Jimmy Buckley, who was Jordan’s mentor throughout Glór Tíre.
Jordan’s victory marks a two-in-a-row of Glór Tíre titles for Northern Ireland, with Fermanagh’s Paddy Treacy scooping the award last year, and a three-in-a-row for Ulster, with Donegal’s Jason McCahill being the 2024 Winner.
“People from all over have been texting me and wishing me well, there were watch parties organised in County Down, people have been saying, ‘Bring it back home’, ‘Bring it back to Ulster’ and ‘Bring it back to Down’,” said Jordan.
“Whenever somebody’s saying that, you know you’re representing them. It really makes it hit home that you’re representing so many people and I was determined to make them proud.”
Jordan has also thanked the people of County Down, who have provided enthusiastic support to the young man throughout his Glór Tíre run.
He added: “Everything’s just completely blown up, the social media, the Facebook, everything!” he says. “Every time you turn your phone on, there are hundreds of new comments from new people, and it just keeps getting bigger.”
While Ulster has long been the heartland of Country and Irish music, the scene is mostly concentrated in Donegal, Tyrone, Fermanagh, and Derry, but Jordan, now confirmed as Ireland’s new Country Music star, is determined to show that County Down can no longer be ignored.
“Around home used to have big dance venues, but they’re all closed down now,” says Jordan, “but Country Music is coming back massively with young people.
