Jenni hits Voice high note despite illness

Renmore singer Jenni Flaherty will be hoping to impress the judges on The Voice of Ireland this Sunday and progress to the battle stage of the competition.

She will aiming to live the dream by convincing at least one of the four judges – Niall Breslin, Una Foden, Rachel Stevens and Kian Egan – to turn their chair around and get her on their team.

“I’ve been singing for a couple of years now and, thankfully, found some success in it. People then felt my next step was The Voice of Ireland, so I thought why not take their advice and just go for it.

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“Of course, the fear of being told you’re not good enough is always a haunting feeling, but I think you have to put yourself out there and even if it doesn’t go to plan you’ve gained a new experience and met new people.”

The 26 year-old lives with a rare neurological disorder called Hemicranias Continua, which causes severe headaches. She says that, at first, her condition held her back from singing but, once diagnosed, her voice became a source of positivity in her life.

“Suffering from a condition that was undiagnosed not only makes you feel scared of the unexpected but completely fragile and vulnerable. After I was finally diagnosed with Hemicranias Continua, I was relieved to know what I was battling and could finally be positive.

“I found that singing, albeit in my bedroom, gave me an outlet and really helped me deal with everything. Gradually I gained confidence and started to sing in public.”

Jenni is no rookie when it comes to performing and she released a single for the Irish Cancer Society, ‘Last Breath’, in memory of her uncle.

For more on Jenni’s story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune