Winner Revealed In Irish Battle Of The Bands

Online, April 8, 2010 (Newswire.com) - The West of Galway band from Florida, have been named the winning band of Strangford Lough Brewing Company's (SLBC) online Irish Battle of the Bands competition after a closely contested final week of voting.

The competition was sponsored by SLBC of Ireland and Celtic Fusion Music Festival. It offered bands the chance to battle it out in an online Cross Atlantic "Battle of the Bands" competition with an amazing prize of flights from anywhere in North America to Ireland, accommodation and a performance in the Celtic Fusion Irish Music Festival in Castlewellan, County Down.

The winning voter receiving two flights to Ireland is Jeanie Miller from Ohio. She will be flying over to enjoy the 'West of Galway's performance at Celtic Fusion in July 2010.

The five finalists; The Kreellers from Michigan, Maidens IV from Ohio, West of Galway from Florida, Green Tea from Wisconsin and Langers Ball from Minnesota, entered one final week of voting on 29th March 2010 on www.slbc.ie to decide the overall winner.

During the first two days it was very close with all bands doing equally well in the voting. As mid-week arrived, the West of Galway band began to edge ahead. However 'The Kreellers' had other plans as they staged a number of gigs in the final evenings of the competition encouraging fans to vote for them and spread the word that they needed more votes to win the trip to Ireland. During the final hours before voting closed, a few of the bands held concerts which increased the total vote count by almost 4,000 votes giving a total of over 12,500 votes for the second and final week of voting, however the Kreellers were just under 200 votes short of claiming the prize!

The competition began on 1st March 2010 with 52 bands battling it out on the SLBC YouTube channel www.Youtube.com/irishbotb2. Bands received almost 20,000 votes over the duration of the competition from all around the World on the SLBC website, www.slbc.ie which also received over 240,000 page views.

Celtic Fusion Music Festival will be held in Castlewellan, County Down, from the 15th - 18th July 2010. Nicholas McCrickard, Network Manager from the East Down Rural Community Network commented "This year we are offering our listeners the very best of Celtic music brought from Ireland, Scotland and New Foundland. Now we can welcome the winner of Battle of the Bands Two, 'West of Galway' band to combine Irish-American talent as well."

"We are delighted by the interest shown in the competition both from bands and bars, who supported their acts by encouraging their customers to vote." said Grace Mercer, Marketing Manager for SLBC. "We are also encouraged by the increase in sales of our St Patrick's Ale and Legbiter as our two Irish Ales become better known in North America"