Amhrán na Laoch Provides Potential Gateway For Wicklow Songwriters

Whether you’re based in Bray, Greystones, Arklow, Blessington, or the wider county, this is a chance to put Wicklow’s Irish-language songwriting on the national map – with radio play, press coverage, mentoring, and a Gael Linn release to back it up.

Hot Press and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI) have confirmed that the Irish-language songwriting competition Amhrán na Laoch will return as a centrepiece of Irish Music Month 2026, with support from An Post and Coimisiún na Meán under its Sound & Vision scheme.

For Wicklow, the competition offers a fresh opportunity to showcase the county’s growing Irish-language music scene on a national stage, backed by airplay across 22 independent radio stations, industry mentoring, and a professional single release through the iconic Gael Linn label.independent+1

What is Amhrán na Laoch?

Amhrán na Laoch is an Irish-language songwriting contest run by Hot Press and the IBI, designed to highlight contemporary creativity in the national language.

The 2025 winner, Belfast’s Huartan with Bean Udaí Thall, went on to win both the NI Music Prize’s Live Act of the Year and the BBC Introducing Northern Irish Artist of the Year award, underlining the competition’s role as a career springboard.independent

The 2026 edition is supported by An Post, with Críostóir Mac Cafraidh of An Post noting the importance of “showcasing Irish language music on a national stage” and supporting “the continued growth of an Ghaeilge across Ireland.”

Wicklow already has a vibrant music ecosystem, from the Bray Jazz Festival and West Wicklow Chamber Music Festival to Beyond the Pale at Glendalough and Kaleidoscope at Russborough House.

Amhrán na Laoch adds a distinctly Irish-language dimension to that calendar, inviting local songwriters and bands to write with “real power and effect” in Irish, while still allowing “píosa i mBéarla” (a bit of English) if it serves the song.

East Coast FM is one of the 22 stations supporting Irish Music Month and Amhrán na Laoch, meaning Wicklow entries can expect strong local advocacy alongside national exposure.independent+1

Prizes and pathway

If your song is selected as Amhrán na Laoch 2026, you win:

• Airplay support across 22 independent Irish radio stations

• Guaranteed coverage and support from Hot Press

• €2,500 prize money

• Music industry mentoring and support

• Mixing, mastering, and release of a single through Gael Linn, the 70-year-old label now partnering on the prizeindependent

Gael Linn CEO Réamonn Ó Ciaráin says the label is “delighted to team up with Hot Press” to ensure the winning song reaches “the major digital platforms” worldwide.

• How to enter (and the Irish-language rule)
• Songwriters or artists must:

• Record a demo of an original song

• Upload it via the dedicated Amhrán na Laoch entry form on hotpress.com

• Ensure at least 50% of the lyrics are in Irish – judges want to hear the language used with impact, even if some English is included

The closing date for entries is Friday, 18 September 2026. As Hot Press editor Niall Stokes puts it: “Cuir isteach do amhrán anois. Mura bhfuil tú istigh, ní féidir leat a bhuachan.”

The competition has been praised by President Catherine Connolly, who highlighted the importance of broadcasters supporting local artists and specifically welcomed the inclusion of an Irish-language song contest within Irish Music Month.independent

IBI Chief Executive Michael Kelly says Amhrán na Laoch “further highlight[s] the potential of the national language in popular and contemporary music,” noting fast-growing interest in Irish-language music among artists and listeners.

With Wicklow’s festival culture thriving and Irish-language activity expanding (from pop-up Gaelteachta in Wicklow Town to projects like TuneClub linked to The Sugarloaf Sessions), Amhrán na Laoch 2026 is a natural next step for local talent ready to write boldly in Irish.