THERE was more 'why' factor than X-Factor around Croke Park yesterday as thousands of would-be superstars pondered an audition in front of strangers rather than a strange audition in front of Simon Cowell.

The white-shirted face of musical aspiration was nowhere to be seen, clearly too busy to cross the Irish Sea to run the rule over the 5,300 hopefuls who snaked around the GAA stadium from 6am.

Fellow judge Louis Walsh turned up, though, and pumped some energy into the crowd.

But the show had to go on. As the clock struck midday, future pop stars, kings and queens of rock, and even those who simply craved fame, walked patiently towards their judgement.

"I think it's going to be a bit harder because I heard that the producers might not be musically trained, but we will have to see what happens," said Tiernan O'Kane (19), who travelled from Belfast for the weekend.

Self-titled 'Starlets', 16-year-old Teresa Killalee from Phibsborough in Dublin and Kirsty Conway from Sean McDermott Street in the city, managed to get past the first round and were philosophical about their judges.

"Yeah, it was grand," said Teresa. "We sang 'Teardrops'. I was nervous when they opened the door. It was some woman and a man. They weren't famous but they were really nice."

Others weren't so forgiving. "I think they could have made the effort. Louis showed up," said Ashley Girvin (23) from Belfast, who had to be coaxed to the auditions by boyfriend Mark Wallace. "I'm not so confident and I have a wee bit of stage fright.

"I'm alright in the shower. I would say [to Cowell and other well-known judges]: get your asses down here; make the effort, we did."

Aoife McManus (18) from Tallaght in Dublin was following in her sister's footsteps. "I'm kind of happy that they are not here. It will be a little easier," she reflected on a situation where the gaze of Cheryl Cole and Danni Minogue would not be a distraction.

Sister Leona, who tried out four years ago, said the big-name judges had been absent at that time too. "It was kind of, 'Are they here or not?' And you didn't know until you went into the room, but I was disappointed afterwards that I didn't get to see them."

Security and swooping television cameras monitored the steadily-moving crowd as it twisted its way through metal railings and on up the concrete steps inside, where the hopefuls' day ended in either disappointment or delight.

John McComb (26) from Belfast is a veteran. "I auditioned last year and got past this round and I said I wouldn't do it again unless they came to Ireland, so it must be a good omen. Maybe I can go a bit further this year."