Video that shot Fr Ray to stardom removed from YouTube

The 30 million-hit video which catapulted Westmeath native and "singing priest", Fr Ray Kelly to international stardom has been removed from YouTube.

The original video of Fr Ray singing a personalised version of the Leonard Cohen hit 'Hallelujah' at a recent wedding in Oldcastle is no longer online, although copies of it still exist on the video site.

According to the Irish Examiner, the video was removed after Sony ATV Publishing, who own the rights to the Cohen tune, filed a copyright claim with YouTube.

Tyrrellspass native Fr Kelly recently revealed that he is involved in talks with Sony over a record deal, and he is due to perform a concert in New York in the near future.