A FOLK BAND consisting of five brothers from Holyhead has won the "Best Newly Composed Song" competition at the 2018 Pan Celtic Music Festival thanks to a special message that inspired the successful ballad.

The Magee Brothers followed on from their success of being crowned winners in last year's Folk Group competition by scooping their latest award in Letterkenny, Ireland on Easter weekend.

The song, "Can I K" (Song for K) was written by eldest sibling, Paul, a recently qualified teacher at Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern, who came up with the tune during an emotional encounter.

Whilst taking part in teacher's training at a primary school on Anglesey last year, the 23-year-old was asked to console a child who had just lost his mother to cancer and had just returned to school.

"The child could not comprehend what had happened and explained to me how his mother was still looking after him from heaven," Paul explained.

"I listened to him and found the experience so moving that I wrote the lyrics and melody including the child's own words and viewpoint."

The tune was performed live on stage by the Magee Brothers, who once again represented Wales at the festival this year.

During the week, the brothers played alongside Welsh music legend Dewi Pws on three separate occasions.

Paul plays acoustic guitar in the band, as does his 20-year-old brother Matthew, who had to miss this year's event due to his final year commitments as an Architecture student at Liverpool University.

Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern pupils James, 15 and Sean, 12, play Violin and the Cajun and youngest brother Daniel, 9, who attends Holyhead's Ysgol Gymraeg Morswyn, plays the Irish Whistle.

The quintuplet won an engraved Donegal Crystal Trophy and a cash prize as a result of their success.

They now hope to officially record the song as soon as possible and donate all proceeds to the Alaw Ward at Ysbyty Gwynedd.