THERE WAS deep disappointment in Mullingar last night when local boy Niall Horan's band One Direction were eliminated from the X Factorfinal.
A chorus of “oh no” rang out as Rebecca Ferguson was announced as the artist to join Matt Cardle in the final sing-off; Cardle was the eventual winner.
Niall’s cousins, who couldn’t make it to the final in London, watched the live show at Bed nightclub on Mount Street, Mullingar, with a huge audience of all ages.
Naturally, they’d nailed their colours firmly to the One Direction mast and were disappointed to see them eliminated.
“We’re nervous, very nervous,” said Robert Horan before the first results came in. “But we think they have it. They have that much support behind them.”
A win would have given the town a feelgood factor, positive news after the Budget, said Aoife Horan, another cousin.
But it was not to be.
Locals were flummoxed, and could not understand how, with a massive young following, they didn’t make it to the final two.
Even after Torn, their first number last night, mentor Simon Cowell said the boys deserved to win – they'd worked the hardest.
“Everyone loves them. They’ve a huge following of young girls,” said one fan, at a loss to explain the result.
Saturday night’s footage of the band’s trip to Bradford, where one girl in the legion of screaming fans had Niall’s name painted across her face,
showed just how popular the teens seemed to be.
But family and friends focused on the positives.
They were stunned and delighted to see him perform with Robbie Williams on Saturday night. To see him then fall into the Take That star’s arms during the judge’s feedback was a moment Robert Horan describes as “jaw-dropping”.
Sinéad Horan agreed.
“That moment when Robbie picked Niall up – it was just amazing.”
But there are those who think that’s exactly where Niall should be and will be – among the stars.
“He’s meant to be singing with someone like that – all his life, that’s what he’s been waiting for,” said school friend Adam Keena.