A young singer who was dropped from the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics last week to make way for the Cranberries says she is "hurt, disappointed and angry" with the organisers.

Marion Kelly from Moyross in Limerick won the prize of singing at the launch of the event after topping a local talent contest last January.

However the 25-year-old was unexpectedly omitted at the last minute which has provoked anger in Limerick. The situation has not been helped by a Special Olympics spokeswoman claiming that Kelly was never due to be in the line-up at all.

She blamed a "miscommunication", adding that "at no stage was the inclusion in the opening ceremony offered by the event organisers as the prize at this event".

However emails between Gaye Moore, the Special Olympics marketing manager, and a judge in the talent contest last January contradicted this claim

The judge, Rose Rush, wrote in an email to Moore two weeks ago: "I notice... Marion Kelly is not mentioned as part of the opening ceremonies. Is she singing or taking part?"

Gaye Moore, who names herself in the email as 2010 Games Fundraising and Marketing Manager and who organised the January talent competition, replied "I wasn't able to get her included... with the Cranberries confirming very late that they would be available meant we didn't have much time left in [the] programme for local acts. I am really sorry I couldn't get Marion in­volved."

Local councillor Tom Shortt who was also a judge on the night of the talent competition said the prize was the chance to sing at the opening ceremony. "I was a judge on the night of the competition and everyone there was under the impression that Marion had won the chance to sing at the opening night. Saying otherwise is not true, and Marion was not hearing things. Then all of a sudden she is not in the line-up.

"The Special Olympics need to take some level of responsibility for this. I regret to be involved in this controversy and it's embarrassing for all but the truth needs to be told."

Kelly said she had been left embarrassed and hurt after buying an
outfit for the event and telling friends and family she would perform.

"I won the prize to sing at the Special Olympics in January and it was in all the papers afterwards. Weeks passed and then coming up to the event I had not heard anything and called the organiser up. I was told there was no slot left for me, and time for locals had been cut down. Local councillors heard about it and they have been sticking up for me as well.

"Now I am being told that I never had a slot in the first place. The judges who were there know that I did, the papers wrote about it, and then I was told last minute there was no space left. I feel extremely let down after months of anticipation," Kelly added.

Gaye Moore declined to comment when contacted.