From singing on a TV Toy Show to headlining a Six Nations rugby spectacular with an audience of 50,000 + at the world famous Aviva Stadium is the lot of a Rothe Terrace, Kilkenny boy wonder.
Although merely eight years old, Gaelscoil Osraí student Stevie Mulrooney is already a superstar with thousands of followers.
His overnight leap to stardom has to be a fairytale come true. It is a fantastic achievement, a huge tribute to a close-knit family that is the rock on which a bubbly young lad thrives and enjoys life.
It all began when Stevie won the hearts of our nation when he sang Ireland’s Rugby Anthem, Ireland’s Call on the Late Late Toy Show on RTE.
Stevie was delighted to meet Irish rugby captain, Peter O’Mahoy and 2023 Guinness Writers’ Rugby Player of the year, Bundee Aki.
A proud son of Irish and Polish parents, Stevie was well and truly on the ball as he took the Late Late Show by storm and is now looking forward to his lead role at an international rugby clash that should be a cauldron of passion and emotion.
His superb performance on television has led to a Hollywood-like part at what to rugby aficionados will be the greatest show on earth.
It was as if the Genie in the Bottle did her trick and granted a Kilkenny boy a lifetime wish.
Hey presto, the oval ball now kicks on to our national rugby and soccer arena, where Stevie will belt out the anthem with which he has a love affair, at the 2024 Six Nations showdown between rugger giants, Ireland and Italy.
It is a dream come true.
The world will be Stevie’s oyster and among the crowd in the packed stadium will be his very own Kilkenny team, his parents Seamus and Karolina Mulrooney, his three sisters and little brother.
His nearest and dearest will be glued to every word he sings, joining in the chorus, proud as punch that the son and brother who is loved and admired is one of their own and is their champion of champions.
You couldn’t make it up, although you might dream about it, particularly if you were a multi-talented youngster like our Stevie.
He won the hearts of thousands of Late Late Toy Show viewers with his beautiful singing.
He intends to woo a full house at the Aviva, a privilege that was fully earned. Following his TV super showing he was immediately tracked by talent scouts and signed up for the rugby fest.
So impressed was the greater rugby family with his rollicking performance that 2022 World Rugby Player of the Year, Josh Van der Flier contacted Stevie.
He invited Stevie to be host entertainer at what promises to be one of the most memorable occasions of his tender years, a fantastic honour for the boy and his family.
Van Der Flier has now confirmed by video call to our swashbuckling warrior, a passionate player with Kilkenny Rugby Football Club that Stevie will lead the packed Aviva with his own rousing version of Ireland’s Call.
As a guest on the Late Late, Stevie scored a great victory for his parents and siblings, his school and an army of supporters and well-wishers. His performance hit the spot. He was an instant hit.
His reward is the freedom of the Aviva and he is eagerly looking forward to the rugby party on February 11.
The boy’s love of singing is matched only by his passion for sport.
He is an active enthusiast in a plethora of clubs in a collection of indoor and outdoor sports that he is wildly devoted to seven days a week.
Along with rugby he is an avid underage team member with his local Fair Green Soccer Club, Freebooters.
He also plays with Dicksboro GAA Club, a true love of his proud granddad Jimmy Mulrooney, a son of Ballycallan, a popular retired bread salesman.
Dicksboro is also the hurling home of his uncle, school principal, Richie Mulrooney, a lifelong aficionado of the game, a former county star and one time blazing soccer winger, along with Steve’s dad, younger brother Seamus another star of the then Emfa Football Club.
Stevie is head, neck and heels involved in martial arts and is a member of Dragon’s Lair and Kilkenny Combat Academy Clubs where he is entrenched in Japanese, Jiu Jitsu and Kickboxing.
In what’s left of his leisure time he attends swimming and singing classes and Polish School. On the back burner are Irish and Modern dancing classes, activities he loves but simply can’t fit into his hectic schedule.
As a tribute to his beloved mother he studied the Polish Language and is now a fluent speaker.
He is also fluent in English and Irish Languages and sings his heart out in three tongues.
But while the multiplicity of sport continues to tug at his heart strings it is his huge love for singing that is top of the charts in his helter-skelter fledgling years.
Stevie is a wonderfully friendly and mannerly youngster, enjoys meeting people and treats family and friends of all ages, children and adults, with the utmost respect.
Kilkenny Press is predicting that Stevie will be a terrific ambassador for his native city and country, the Gaelscoil he loves and the family he cherishes, as he yearns to rock the Aviva at what promises to be an occasion of joy, pride, passion and emotion.
His podium will be at the fulcrum of a soccer cum rugby stadium in Ballsbridge, Dublin and along with his family he will be on top of the world.
Stevie’s dad, Seamus is originally from Circular Road. He is a director of a company called Textech Industries that supplies acoustic installation for business jets.
He is an industrial engineer and ran manufacturing facilities in Virginia and Phoenix Arizona before returning to Ireland after six years in the US to control Europe and the Middle East Aerospace market.
His wife Karolina is a sales manager with the same company and is a qualified nutritionist. The couple met through the fitness industry where Karolina was receptionist in a Kilkenny leisure centre and Seamus was a keep fit enthusiast.
Stevie’s sisters, Ciara (26) and Tara (24) are teachers while Leah (22) is a trainee teacher. Five years old Aaron, the babe of the family is looking forward to an occasion that will rival the coming of Santa Claus.
The family Stevie loves, one big happy family, will sit together in stand seats in a stadium that was originally named Lansdowne Road.
But their hearts will be on the pitch with Stevie as he leads our nation in its daring pursuit of Six Nations gold.
The fuse is lit.
Stevie will lead the war cry as the Aviva erupts.
