More than 200 students gathered at Legends last night to watch ten finalists vie for the ultimate title of Irish Idol 2008.
In the end, sophomore Carolyn Rose Sullivan won the competition.
During the top ten competition, Sullivan sang the Frank Sinatra hit "They Can't Take That Away From Me," and for her winning performance, she performed Diana Krall's "Peel Me a Grape."
Sullivan participated last year but did not make it to the top three.
"I wanted a chance to go at it again," Sullivan said.
"The entire process was fantastic, because almost all of these kids are my friends. It was really a blast," Sullivan said.
Notre Dame students senior John Fister and junior Whitney Young were among the top three performers of the evening.
"Winning felt pretty good. Whitney [Young] put up a good fight," Sullivan said.
Notre Dame senior Bridget Higgins, who took part in judging the competition, said all three of the judges really enjoyed last night's performances, especially the top three performances.
"All three of the judges were unanimous on our top three, so the decision was pretty easy," Higgins said.
Higgins said the quality and individuality of the performances were the key in last night's competition.
"Everybody did well, but those three stood out particularly because they made the performance their own," Higgins said.
Legends press writer Bridget Keating said the club's staff played a huge role in organizing this year's Irish Idol. She also said the club has been planning this event since the fall, but auditions were not held until right after Easter Break, during which time around 50 students auditioned.
"Anything like this showcases the amazing talent that we have here on campus," Keating said. "Every year the competition gets more and more fierce and we see more and more talented students every single year."
Keating also said more than 50 students auditioned for this year's Irish Idol and any student from Notre Dame, Saint Mary's or Holy Cross was eligible to participate.
Many students and parents came out to support the finalists in this year's competition.
Notre Dame sophomore Clarisa Ramos said she and her friends enjoyed last night's performances.
"I definitely found the performers who really went for entertainment the most interesting," Ramos said. She also said that she was pleased with last night's attendance to the event.
"I think that the people who are here supporting their friends shows that the Notre Dame community is there to love each other and support each other in everything that we do," Ramos said. "This is just one of those kinds of events."
