A CO Antrim singer says it was "a dream come true" to perform a gig in Belfast in front of pop royalty Taylor Swift.
Tiernán Heffron (22) from Randalstown, was playing his weekly session at the Tipsy Bird bar when he was told that Taylor Swift was in the audience.
Speaking to the Irish News, the special needs classroom assistant, said: "I couldn't believe it, my knees starting shaking.... I knew this could be the opportunity I have been waiting for all my life".
Swift's visit to the city centre pub last Friday came amid fevered speculation that she was in Northern Ireland.
Read more:Taylor Swift thrills fans at a Belfast bar
It’s not everyday Taylor Swift walks into your gig and stays for your whole three hour set. She was the most lovely person! She asked how she could follow what I was doing and gave me a tip! Dreams do come true, ready and excited for what’s to come #22 pic.twitter.com/uBbjTPfRQO
— Tiernán Heffron (@TiernanHeffron_) September 13, 2021
Yesterday, The Tipsy Bird finally confirmed the news with a photograph of the Bad Blood singer.
They said Swift was with boyfriend Joe Alwyn, who recently finished filming the TV series Conversations With Friends, by Normal People author Sally Rooney.
The one and only @taylorswift13 graced us with her presence last Friday night
— The Tipsy Bird (@BirdTipsy) September 13, 2021
We can confirm she is just as lovely as you would expect and was kind enough to take a picture with our team#thetipsybird #taylorswift #taylorswiftbelfast #swifties #whereallmytipsybirdsat pic.twitter.com/0KQ3aBviPC
Mr Heffron, who works at Castle Tower School in Ballymena, last night said it was an "amazing experience" to perform in front of the American star.
"When I had arrived in the bar on Friday night, I'd seen there were balloons and stuff, so I assumed it was a birthday or something," he said.
"Then about 20 minutes in, the bar manager told me Taylor Swift was in the bar, I couldn't believe it, my knees starting shaking.
"But it wasn't a nervous type of thing, I knew this could be the opportunity I have been waiting for all my life.
"I just treated it like any other gig, but it was a dream come true to perform for Taylor.
"She was up dancing to 'Tell My Ma' - she was having a blast and she clapped every time I finished."
Mr Heffron said Swift spoke to him later and told him "you are so good", as well as asking him for a selfie
"She told me she enjoyed my music and tipped me for playing, she said 'you deserve this'," he said.
"I told her that I am also a song-writer too and that I worked in a special needs school, but I had been working hard on my music.
"She said she had been to lots of gigs and I was doing really well, she said 'this is you putting in your 10,000 hours, you're confident and you're going to do great'.
"I was so taken back by it, performing is something I have dreamed about all my life and I feel meeting her has created a wonderful opportunity for me."
