Waterford’s Kieran Walsh is the winner of Beat 102 103’s Tat for Taylor competition. He'll be travelling to France to see Taylor Swift live at the highly acclaimed Eras Tour after he gets a Taylor themed tattoo on his lower back. Kieran applied for the competition to bring his step daughter Lauren who is a huge fan and the pair will be heading to Lyon in France in two weeks.
Thousands of people entered the competition and five qualifiers were chosen. The overall prize is two VIP tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour in Lyon, France on June 2nd. The prize includes concert tickets, flights, accommodation and transfers for two people.
Kieran Walsh was among thousands of people to apply for the competition. But there’s a catch! In order to win the tickets, he must get the most votes from the public and get a Taylor Swift tattoo!
Entrants were narrowed down to five qualifiers:
1. Danny Crotty in Tipperary who said he’d get the tattoo on his bum even though he’s not a fan of Taylor himself.
2. Oriana Dooley in Kilkenny who said she’d get the tattoo on her chest. She’s a huge Taylor Swift fan and would bring her sister with her if she won.
3. Kieran Walsh in Waterford who said he’d get a tattoo on his lower back for his step daughter as he says he’d do anything to make her happy.
4. Marija Luize in Kilkenny who said she’d get the back of her head and get it tattooed all for her sister who is a massive fan of Taylor.
5. Padraig Barrington in Tipperary who said he’d get a tattoo on the back of his hand for his Swiftie daughter Lily.
Listeners across the South East voted in their thousands for their winner over the weekend and all was revealed on Monday (May 20th).
It was up to the public to choose their overall winner. Kieran Walsh from Waterford and Maria Luize from Kilkenny made it to the final two – but the public decided Kieran should get that tattoo and travel to Lyon in France to see Taylor.
In the winning moment, Kieran was surrounded by colleagues in his office and said: "I actually feel like crying, thank you so much. This means everything to be able to give this to her and say Daddy did this for you.. I'm getting emotional."
The Tattoo that Kieran will be getting as part of the competition win was designed by High Society Tattoo in Kilkenny. Kieran has taken a trip to their studio this week to get the chosen design; a Taylor Swift signature with an outline of an acoustic guitar on his lower back.
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Beat’s Solutions Manager Claire Rowe says the response from listeners was immense.
“This was such an exciting promotion. Not only was our winner getting tickets to see Taylor Swift, but also a break away to Lyon, France. All of our qualifiers were willing to get the tattoo for a family member who was a massive Taylor Swift fan, which added such a feel-good factor to the competition.
“The response from our listener’s and followers on social media has been immense and we were overwhelmed with the amount of entries for the promotion. It really goes to show how big Taylor’s fan base is in the South East, and how important she is to her fans.
“I’m delighted for Kieran and his step-daughter, Lauren. I can’t wait to hear how they get on at the concert, it’s a trip of a lifetime for Lauren. It’s great for all of us involved here in Beat 102-103 to be part of special experiences like this in our listeners lives.”
The winning moment broadcast on Bring The Beat with Michelle Heffernan.
A self proclaimed Swiftie, Beat Presenter Michelle says Taylor Swift is not just an artist, but a force!
“Every Swiftie will tell you-it’s hard to put into words how much Taylor means to you. When you discover her music, her gift for storytelling, you start to discover parts of yourself you didn’t before know or understand. Taylor’s lyrics have become an emotional compass for fans aged 5 to 65, and this competition, more than anything, shows the incredibly intimate relationship people have with the phenomenon that is Taylor Swift.
“I knew when we began the Tat for Taylor promotion that Swifties would have no problem getting inked if it meant getting to see Taylor Swift live. I did not expect to discover, even her harshest critics would get a Taylor tattoo! Parents, partners, best pals of Swifties all offered to sacrifice their skin, and endure the ‘public shame’ of a Taylor Swift tattoo, if it meant their loved one got to see Ms Swift.
“To me, this just underlines even more that Taylor Swift is not just a singer, she is a tour de force. Her concerts are beautiful celebrations of the emotional bonds that link us, and even now, in this promotion she is bringing loved ones closer.”
Kieran Walsh and his step daughter Lauren are due to travel to France to see Taylor Swift Live at the Eras Tour in Lyon in June.
