By Andy Spearman
Britain’s Got Talent (BGT) is a TV show that I don’t often see but it was on in the background on Saturday last when a familiar face popped up on the screen.
Simon Cowell, one of the four judges of the show, was chatting with a young lad and being totally amazed at the magic tricks he was performing in front of his very eyes.
The boy had a large repertoire and the tricks got better and better the longer he continued and were greeted by comments such as “Wow, you’re amazing” and “Wow! how did you do that?” from the excited BGT judges.
Then I realised I’d seen the young magician before somewhere. “I know him!” I said to my wife Jenny. “Nah” she said, “How could you?”
“I’m telling you, I have seen that boy before!”
“Well, maybe so, he does have an Irish accent.”
Then the penny dropped. “He’s that boy from Mornington who was doing magic tricks outside his house during lockdown. I’d swear it is.”
And, for once, I was right.
A quick search of Drogheda Life on my phone and I had found the article I’d written about Mornington boy Cillian O’Connor in May 2020 and read out the headline:
Magic just the trick for Mornington boy’s shyness
“You’re right, there he is!” said Jenny holding my phone and comparing the photo to the confident 13-year-old on the TV who was still bamboozling the judges. “He’s certainly conquered his shyness!”
Boy had he conquered his shyness! It was great to see how far Cillian had come from entertaining friends and passers from his front garden to an audience of millions on one of the biggest TV talent shows in the world.
Back in 2020 Cillian’s family, Mum Elaine, Dad Richie and little sister Casey (who sometimes appears with Cillian as his assistant) told Drogheda Life that they were all very proud of him and delighted with his progress both in the realms of magic and with his Autism.
I can only imagine how proud of Cillian they are now. To see just how far Cillian has progressed on his journey compare these two videos:
Cillian in May 2020
Cillian in April 2023
