The band, fronted by the charismatic Maud Reardon, came through after a superb final Guinness Our Thursdays showcase, held in Lavery's Bar in Belfast, during which Empire Saints, Dave Peyton and Reko also delivered sets that really impressed the judges. In the end, however, there could only be one winner.

"All of the bands here tonight were brilliant," a clearly elated Maud told Hot Press backstage afterwards, "so it really is an incredible honour to have been chosen. It means so much to me. It's an amazing feeling."

All four bands were winners, with the other three being slotted into shows in the Savoy Cork (Reko), Folan Quay Galway (Empire Saints) and the Olympia Dublin (Dave Peyton). And they will all benefit also from the release of a digital single via Universal Music. The recording of the singles begins tomorrow in Sun Studios.

Backstage there was a real sense of cameraderie among the bands, with members of Reko, Empire Saits and Dave Peyton all openly congratulating Maud. "I thought she was great," Peyton, who had turned in a storming performance on the night, told Hot Press. "They're a great band, with huge potential."

"There was no second, third or fourth," Hot Press editor Niall Stokes, who was one of the judges, commented. "Just getting to the final was a reflection of the genuine quality of the bands – and each of them worked really hard and produced the goods brilliantly on the night. Both Guinness and the judges felt that it was important to acknowledge that – and so all of the bands will be playing support at big showcase gigs on Arthur's Day."

The judging panel comprised: Niall Stokes (Hot Press), Mark Kavanagh (Irish Daily Star), Matt Cook (MTV Europe), Niall Morris (MCD), David Harris (Universal Music), Jonny Quinn (Snow Patrol), Tom Simpson (Snow Patrol) and Alan Steel (Arthur's DAy Talent Director).

“There is no shortage of talent that’s for sure," Jonny Quinn ofSnow Patrol commented. "It has been a great experience for all who have taken part, and we are excited about performing alongside the winning band on the 23rd September.”

“This has been an incredible experience for us," Maud Reardon added, "and we are so excited about getting the opportunity to perform on Arthur’s Day, alongside Snow Patrol, whom we have admired for years. The day can’t come around quickly enough!”