A night to remember for Derek at the Ulster Hall, Belfast

Derek Ryan received a surprise and impromptu presentation last weekend at his sold out Ulster Hall concert in Belfast.

Sales of his latest CD, streams and downloads was recognised by his Record Label Sharpe Music, with the presentation being made by Irish Radio ‘Hall of Fame DJ’ Big T (Trevor Campbell) from Downtown Radio.

Derek Ryan’s ‘Hits’ CD was released late last year and featured a collection of the Garryhill man’s number one hits and fan-favourite songs which have made the award winning singer-songwriter one of the biggest names in Irish country music.

From its release, the reaction and uptake for the album, from old and new fans alike, has been nothing short of phenomenal for Derek Ryan. Featuring songs that hold special meaning to many of the Carlow singer’s fans: ‘God’s Plan’, ‘Life Is A River’ and ‘To Waltz With My Mother Again’.

The Hits Tour features the 21-track album prominently, with other shows on the tour to date being a sell-out.

Speaking after the surprise award, Derek admitted he was taken aback when the legendary Big T walked on stage during his show with a huge reaction from the 1000 strong audience.

Big T said it was a huge honour to present Derek Ryan with a token of recognition for his album success and congratulated him on joining a long list of country legends like Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash and Marty Robbins who all sold out the iconic Belfast venue.