Sisters Bronagh (21) and Karen (18) Mullan (pictured right) were clear winners of the National Song Contest last night with When You Need Me, composed by Bronagh.
RTE used tele-voting to select the winners, with viewers phoning in for their favourite song. The sisters received the highest possible score - 12 points from each of the seven regional tele-voting areas - beating seven other entries.
The two Belfast women will represent Ireland at the 44th Eurovision Song Contest in Jerusalem, Israel. on Saturday, May 29th.
The sisters trained at Belfast School of Music, where they studied piano, violin and clarinet. Both have been singing in public since childhood.
Their father runs an equestrian centre and as children they went to meets and fairs where they began to sing and entertain. They sing both as solo artistes and as a duo full-time in cabaret, where they are known as the Mullans. They have just recorded their first CD.
As composer Bronagh Mullan received a cash prize of £1,000 and was presented with the Tom McGrath Perpetual trophy, named after the man who brought the Eurovision Song Contest to Ireland.