This Sunday, it is more like 'The Voice of North Cork' than 'The Voice of Ireland', as Shannon Murphy, Kelly Mongan and Keith Hanley make up three of the four places in the final this Sunday and with crunch time fastly approaching, every vote counts. 

As excitement built ahead of the final, there were some well known faces having tea in the homes of the contestants, as Fermoy, Castletownroche and Charleville were taken over by Kian Egan, Bressie and Jamelia.

The Avondhu reporters Ellen Lynch and Sandra Quinn went along to meet the starstruck fans, talk to the contestants before their final appearance on RTE 1 for The Voice and see how the judges were feeling ahead of the big moment.

KELLY

The question on everyone's lips is: Will Kelly have her baby between now and Sunday night's final? Her due date was Tuesday of this week. With many first-time pregnancies going up to two weeks overdue, Kelly is likely to be hoping her baby does just that, allowing her to compete on Sunday. Otherwise she could be ruled out of the show as she's revealed that the producers would need her to be passed by a doctor as being fit to return to compete if she does give birth.

"It's all about the baby, that's all that matters," her coach, Kian Egan, told The Avondhu in Fermoy on Monday. "Having a baby is a big thing in your life and when it happens it's the best thing in your life," he commented. He said Kelly's condition is a "huge risk" for her in whether or not she'll get to compete in the final, as he revealed that paramedics have been present at the live shows in recent weeks making sure she's ok. "A big couch was brought backstage for her on Sunday night," he said. He laughed off suggestions that he could be godfather to the new baby.

Kian said it was lovely to be able to come down to see where Kelly is from and meet her family. The Westlife star met up with Kelly on the quayside in Fermoy and happily posed with her for photographs for young fans. He and Kelly also spent time signing autographs before Kelly took Kian on a tour of the town, ending with a visit to her home on the Duntaheen Road where she introduced him to members of her extended family, friends and supporters.

Kian said he'd had a fair bit of input at rehearsals all through the show for Kelly and Shane, whom he's also mentoring. "If I thought something wasn't right I said so," he told The Avondhu. "It's all about song choices. Katy Anna went out on Sunday night, she didn't deserve to and it was all down to song choice," he said, adding: "I don't see any point in being dishonest. It's not about me. I've had my peak in my career. I don't want to say what people want to hear. I want what's best for my acts."

Asked what it would mean for him to be the winning mentor this year, he said Bressie had been blagging about that. "But it's not about me. I've no interest in being a winner. I'm more interested in those I mentor being winners," he said. "But he's the best coach," Kelly piped in.

Kelly said this week that she is in good form and that the excitement of being in the final is keeping her going. She revealed that she's had no real food cravings during her pregnancy but said the smell of certain foods would tempt her to want them. She thanked everyone who has supported her so far and asked that they stick with her and vote for her on Sunday night.

KEITH

The streets of Charleville were thronged with people on Monday last, as more than 500 fans and supporters lined the streets to welcome Keith and Jamelia to the town.

The TV and music celebrity Jamelia was blown away by the turnout, while it was clear that the show had turned Keith into a celebrity in his hometown.

The pair visited The Holy Family School, where Jamelia was so humbled by the experience of meeting so many young people who are each unique in their own way, that she has said she would love to bring her two daughters back to the school some day.

Keith and Jamelia went to each classroom and even did a spot of hip hop dancing to Jamelia's own 'Superstar' before heading off to the family home for some tea and a chat.

"It was unreal, even at that time on a Monday morning, we thought there would be no one out, but people were joking that it was declared a Keith Bank Holiday and Jamelia couldn't get over it. She was gobsmacked and it was amazing for me that Jamelia got to experience what I do in The Holy Family School on a daily basis," Keith told The Avondhu.

Keith said that his family were delighted when they met his mentor and that everyone really liked her. He added that his sister can now lay claim to the fact that Jamelia got ready in her bedroom - not something that many people in Ireland can boast about. Keith said that it was all very surreal and amazing and he will probably look back on her visit in years to come and marvel at it.

The family also presented Jamelia with a hamper of Charleville cheese and Keith revealed that she 'loved it and is mad about cheese, so she brought it back to Birmingham with her'.

He added that even though she is in Birmingham for some of the week, she is always in contact by phone, Twitter or Facebook.

Keith thanked everyone for the support so far, as well as his mother Alice, sister Eileen, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family for all of their love and support throughout, as they have travelled in great numbers to The Helix each week to cheer him on.

Keith's uncle Dan Gallahue is urging people to continue to vote in the competition, as this is a life changing experience for all four contestants, but that public support is vital.

SHANNON

Since his victory last year with Pat Byrne, there is a lot of hope pinned on Bressie to bring the title home for Castletownroche's Shannon Murphy and since he visited her home on Tuesday, Bressie said that he now wants her to win more than ever.

Speaking at her home in Shinnick Place as crowds of young school children, neighbours, friends, relatives and supporters rallied around to welcome Shannon home, Bressie said that with just days left until the final, meeting Shannon's family really brought it home to him how important a win would be for all of them.

"From the beginning, I thought she would get this far. She is confident and has grown at the perfect pace, she wasn't too cocky but didn't let anything get to her head either," Bressie told The Avondhu.

He revealed that on Sunday night, Shannon will be singing one of her best songs from the show so far and Bressie said that he left the song choice to Shannon and she chose what she is most comfortable with.

Shannon will be duetting on Sunday night with a well known Irish singer with a song that Bressie described as being 'custom made for her'.

The mentor also revealed that while he his hopeful that Shannon will win the competition, he would like to work with her in the future and would 'definitely like to record her' - so the young star has a bright future ahead of her, with Bressie at her side.

Bressie's own mother is a music producer and he said that she encouraged him to get into singing and he said that likewise Shannon's support from her mother Siobhan, who also sings and plays the guitar is very important.

"If you don't have that, you are in trouble - you need somebody to support you personally and professionally and you need to have 100% support, there are enough people out there who are willing to kick you, so you need to be able to kick back," Bressie told The Avondhu.

He added that this year's competition is very hard, as there are three finalists from within 20 miles of each other, but he said that he's confident in Shannon's ability and knows that she will be able to sing great and from the heart on Sunday night.

Speaking amidst the excitement of the visit home and between hugs to relatives, Shannon said that the whole experience has been great so far and it was so great to see everyone and she also thanked everyone for their support so far.

Shannon's mother Siobhan said that her stomach has been in knots every week and she wishes she could up there on the stage with her, holding her hand.

For the past two weeks, the family have only seen Shannon on the stage in The Helix and Siobhan said that it is very hard, but that music is her life.

"She's so passionate about music, not a day goes by that the guitar isn't pulled out. She deserves to win and myself or her grandmother Mary had been driving her up and down to Dublin since the first auditions last October.

"It has all been an emotional rollercoaster and we would like to thank everyone who believes in her and her potential and just hope that they keep on voting and I would like to thank all of the local businesses who have sponsored her," Shannon's mother Siobhan said.

This Sunday at 6.30pm on RTE 1, the three voices of North Cork will be depending on the public votes to crown one of the four contestants as the 2013 Voice of Ireland.

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