{"id":16672,"date":"2015-12-23T10:05:01","date_gmt":"2015-12-23T10:05:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=16672"},"modified":"2015-12-23T10:05:01","modified_gmt":"2015-12-23T10:05:01","slug":"essential-advent-calendar-cliona-irish-eyes-smiling-at-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2015\/12\/essential-advent-calendar-cliona-irish-eyes-smiling-at-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"Essential  Advent Calendar: Cliona &#8211; &#8216;Irish Eyes Smiling At Christmas&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"15952\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2015\/12\/essential-advent-calendar-cliona-irish-eyes-smiling-at-christmas\/advent-calendar-24\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/advent-calendar-24.png?fit=1484%2C1182&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1484,1182\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"The Essential Advent Calendar: December 24\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;The Essential Advent Calendar: December 24&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The Essential Advent Calendar: December 24&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/advent-calendar-24.png?fit=640%2C510&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-15952\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/advent-calendar-24.png?resize=640%2C510&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"advent calendar 24\" width=\"640\" height=\"510\" \/><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>It&#8217;s Christmas Eve Eve as we open door number 23 on our Essential Advent Calendar and find Cliona singing, &#8216;Irish Eyes Smiling At Christmas&#8217;.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"16673\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2015\/12\/essential-advent-calendar-cliona-irish-eyes-smiling-at-christmas\/cliona2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/cliona2.png?fit=1924%2C1088&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1924,1088\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-title=\"cliona2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/cliona2.png?fit=640%2C362&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16673\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/cliona2.png?resize=640%2C362&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"cliona2\" width=\"640\" height=\"362\" \/> Cliona Hagan is a country singer from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Managed by Irish country star Aidan Quinn (himself the son of the Queen of Irish Country, Philomena Begley), she hopes to take her talent\u00a0to the US and make a name for herself in the home of Country music.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cliona won Best Female Newcomer of the Year in the 2015 Irish Country Music Radio Awards, and looks set to making 2016 a huge year.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Find Cliona on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ClionaHagan\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/clionahagan\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a>. &#8216;Irish Eyes Smiling At Christmas&#8217; is available on <a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/gb\/album\/i-wanna-see-irish-eyes-smiling\/id1065452275\" target=\"_blank\">iTunes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\">\n<div  style=\"display: block; margin: 0px auto;\"  id=\"_ytid_27766\"  width=\"640\" height=\"360\"  data-origwidth=\"640\" data-origheight=\"360\"  data-relstop=\"1\" data-facadesrc=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mbKKqLAgi-M?enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/essentiallypop.com&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=1&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;color=red&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;rel=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__ epyt-facade epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" data-epautoplay=\"1\" ><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-spai-excluded=\"true\" class=\"epyt-facade-poster skip-lazy\" loading=\"lazy\"  alt=\"Cliona Hagan - Irish Eyes Smiling at Christmas (Official Music Video)\"  src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/mbKKqLAgi-M\/maxresdefault.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\"  \/><button class=\"epyt-facade-play\" aria-label=\"Play\"><svg data-no-lazy=\"1\" height=\"100%\" version=\"1.1\" viewBox=\"0 0 68 48\" width=\"100%\"><path class=\"ytp-large-play-button-bg\" d=\"M66.52,7.74c-0.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79,.13,34,0,34,0S12.21,.13,6.9,1.55 C3.97,2.33,2.27,4.81,1.48,7.74C0.06,13.05,0,24,0,24s0.06,10.95,1.48,16.26c0.78,2.93,2.49,5.41,5.42,6.19 C12.21,47.87,34,48,34,48s21.79-0.13,27.1-1.55c2.93-0.78,4.64-3.26,5.42-6.19C67.94,34.95,68,24,68,24S67.94,13.05,66.52,7.74z\" fill=\"#f00\"><\/path><path d=\"M 45,24 27,14 27,34\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s Christmas Eve Eve as we open door number 23 on our Essential Advent Calendar and find Cliona singing, &#8216;Irish Eyes Smiling At Christmas&#8217;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16674,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3768],"tags":[4035,4032,4033,990,3938,126,369,4038,4037,427,4036,3787,4034],"class_list":["post-16672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christmas","tag-aidan-quinn","tag-cliona","tag-cliona-hagan","tag-country-music","tag-essential-advent-calendar","tag-ireland","tag-irish","tag-irish-country-music-radio-awards","tag-irish-eyes-are-smiling-at-christmas","tag-northern-ireland","tag-philomena-begley","tag-the-essential-advent-calendar","tag-tyrone"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5yMhl-4kU","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16705,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2015\/12\/essential-advent-calendar-essential-advent-playlist\/","url_meta":{"origin":16672,"position":0},"title":"Essential Advent Calendar: Essential Advent Playlist","author":"Essentially Pop","date":"25\/12\/2015","format":false,"excerpt":"MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Today we're doing a combined Advent Calendar and Essential Playlist to celebrate all the wonderful songs we've featured every day.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Christmas&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christmas","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/archived-categories\/christmas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Merry-Christmas.png?fit=1200%2C954&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Merry-Christmas.png?fit=1200%2C954&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Merry-Christmas.png?fit=1200%2C954&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Merry-Christmas.png?fit=1200%2C954&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Merry-Christmas.png?fit=1200%2C954&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":72678,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2021\/12\/the-essential-advent-calendar-december-7-the-irish-chamber-orchestra-ico-releases-christmas-charity-single-driving-home-for-christmas-featuring-johnny-logan\/","url_meta":{"origin":16672,"position":1},"title":"The Essential Advent Calendar: December 7 &#8211; The Irish Chamber Orchestra (ICO) Releases Christmas Charity Single, &#8216;Driving Home for Christmas&#8217; featuring Johnny Logan","author":"Essentially Pop","date":"07\/12\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The Irish Chamber Orchestra (ICO) has released a Christmas charity single, 'Driving Home for Christmas', a reimagined cover of Chris Rea\u2019s 1987 iconic hit song.\u00a0","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Christmas&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christmas","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/archived-categories\/christmas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/advent-calendar-7.png?fit=660%2C528&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/advent-calendar-7.png?fit=660%2C528&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/advent-calendar-7.png?fit=660%2C528&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":31756,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2017\/12\/essential-advent-calendar-catherine-mcgrath-releases-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you\/","url_meta":{"origin":16672,"position":2},"title":"Essential Advent Calendar: Catherine McGrath releases &#8216;All I Want For Christmas Is You&#8217;","author":"Essentially Pop","date":"19\/12\/2017","format":false,"excerpt":"After being shortlisted as One To Watch For 2018 by The Independent, and had her new single \u2018Thought It Was Gonna Be Me\u2019 lead the Music Week playlist, country-pop star Catherine McGrath has released her version of the classic track \u2018All I Want For Christmas Is You\u2019.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Christmas&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christmas","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/archived-categories\/christmas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/500x500.jpg?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":31605,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2017\/12\/essential-advent-calendar-junior-brother-is-hungover-at-mass-with-ode-to-drink-and-the-fear-of-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":16672,"position":3},"title":"Essential Advent Calendar: Junior Brother Is &#8216;Hungover At Mass&#8217; With Ode To Drink And The Fear Of God","author":"Essentially Pop","date":"06\/12\/2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Junior Brother, real name Ronan Kealy, is an Irish experimental folk singer from County Kerry, but is now based in Dublin. 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