The biggest names in the Irish country music scene joined Kietly including Philomena Begley, Sandy Kelly, Mike Denver, Sharon Shannon, Nathan Carter, Una Healy and more.
The country music special was not broadcast live tonight and was instead pre-recorded earlier in the week.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” said Kiety, opening the show.
Singer Una Healy joined Kiety on stage with Philomena Begley and Fr O’Brien to congratulate Declan Nerney, who was inducted into the Irish Country Hall of Fame.
Previous honorees of the award include Daniel O’Donnell, Philomena Begley and Margo.
“I’m glad you weren’t expecting that Declan, because it would have ruined the show,” said Kielty to a surprised Nerney.
Mr Nerney said the past award recipients “kept the country going, in good times and in bad times, particularly in emigrational times that we had in the 60s and again in the 80s”.
Declan Nerney and Úna Healy on The Late Late Country Special. Picture Andres Poveda
Una Healy recalled her application to the girl group The Saturdays in an emotional tribute to her uncle Nerney during a trip to Lourdes in 2007.
“My uncle Declan, my mother and my auntie Biddy headed out to Lourdes and I felt I was kind of struggling at the time, I was knocking on lots of doors, there was loads of carrots being dangled and I was like, ‘am I ever going to get my break in music?” she said.
Healy recalled how her mother said she would “say a few prayers for you while I’m away”.
“I said to my father, I’m going to Google auditions in London, literally did while they were saying the prayers out in Lourdes.
“I saw auditions in London, and there were a few. One stuck out to me and it was looking for girls in a girl band.
“That was The Saturdays so, the prayers worked,” she said.
The country music special was opened with a rendition of Stop the World and Let Me Off.
The Late Late Country Special. Picture Andres Poveda
There were also music performances from Derek Ryan and The Tumbling Paddies, Philomena Begley, Nathan Carter and Shannon, Sandy Kelly and Mike Denver, Claudia Buckley, Michael English, Cliona Hagan and more.
Kielty himself joined in with Gerry Guthrie to sing Alan Jackson’s It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere, while Jimmy Buckley, Robert Mizzell and Patrick Feeney closed out the show with a final performance.
In a chat with Sandy Kelly, she recalled to Kiely how her song Woodcarver, with the late Johnny Cash, came to fruition and about their friendship.
“How lucky was I and how blessed was I to meet somebody, not only was such a wonderful artist and superstar, but he was also a great human being,” said Kelly.
She said when Cash was touring in Ireland in the 1980s, he rang in to a local radio station in Cavan which Kelly was a guest on and invited Kelly to his show. The interaction later resulted in a friendship developing and Woodcarver being recorded.
“He said Sandy, there is a man on the phone with an American accent,” she said.
“Now remember I’m in the middle of Cavan, there is no social media so I thought it was somebody winding me up.
“He said ‘hi this is Johnny Cash, is that Sandy Kelly?’”
“That night he invited me to the show and invited me to sing with him and yeah.
“We went on to work together for a period of over ten years and became friends. He was a funny person and he made me laugh a lot,” she said.
The song Woodcarver with Johnny Cash was released in March 1990.
There were mixed-reviews for the show from viewers at home, with country music fans coming to the defence on social media.
The Three Amigos on The Late Late Country Special. Picture Andres Poveda
One viewer shared on Twitter: “Imagine looking that well and singing that well at 80 years of age!
“Philomena Begley is a superstar.”
Another said: “I don’t know what I’ve just witnessed but Patrick Kielty just sang country.”
