Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest

Infobox Eurovision country
Name = Ireland

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Member station = Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ)
National selection event = National Song Contest, Eurosong, You're A Star, The Late Late Show
ESC apps = 42
ESC first = 1965
ESC best = 1st; 1970, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996
ESC worst = Last; 2007
Website = [http://www.rte.ie/eurovision RTÉ website]
EBU page = http://www.eurovision.tv/index/main?page=67&country=3

Ireland first participated in the Eurovision Song Contest ( _ga. Comórtas Amhrán Eorafíse) at the 1965 Contest in Naples, participating in every subsequent Contest but two: the 1983 Contest in Munich and the 2002 Contest in Tallinn. Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ) is Ireland's representative broadcaster at the Contest, and broadcasts the Contest annually; the semi-final is broadcast on RTÉ Two and the final on RTÉ One. [ [http://www.rte.ie/tv/eurovision/index.html RTÉ:Eurovision] . RTÉ.ie. Retrieved on 5 September 2007.] All but one of the country's entries have been in English; the exception is "Ceol An Ghrá", Ireland's entry in 1972, which was in the Irish language.

Ireland won the Contest for the first time in 1970 with Dana performing "All Kinds of Everything". In total, the country has won the Contest seven times, more than any other country. On seven occasions the Contest has been staged in Ireland, all but one of these in the capital Dublin. However in 1993, following Linda Martin's win, the Contest was held in Millstreet, a town of 1,500 people in west County Cork. [ [http://www.cork-guide.ie/millstreet/town.html Millstreet] . Cork-Guide.ie. Retrieved on 5 September 2007.]

At the Contest in 2007, Ireland's representatives were traditional Irish music group Dervish performing "They Can't Stop The Spring". The group, having automatically qualified for the final, finished last with five points, all from Albania. In 2008, Dustin the Turkey failed to qualify for the final with his song "Irelande Douze Pointe", losing out in the semi-final on May 20.

Participation

Ireland has competed in the Contest almost continuously since the country's debut in 1965; only in 1983 and 2002 was Ireland absent. In 1983 a strike at RTÉ meant that the broadcaster lacked the resources to send a participant—instead, RTÉ broadcast the Contest with commentary from the BBC. In 2002 Ireland were relegated from the Contest for one year; despite this RTÉ broadcast the Contest and sent a commentator.

Ireland has sent 41 entries to the Eurovision Song Contest; of these seven have won and eighteen have finished in the top five. Ireland has been relegated once: in 2001 Gary O'Shaughnessy finished twenty-first with "Without Your Love". In addition, three Irish entries have featured in the semi-final of the Contest: in 2005, Donna & Joe finished fourteenth in the pre-qualifier, failing to qualify for the final. In 2006, Brian Kennedy finished ninth in the semifinal, ensuring an Irish presence in the Athens final. Kennedy finished tenth in the final. Ireland also featured in the first semi-final in 2008, however failed to qualify for the final. Five singers have represented Ireland more than once at the Contest: Johnny Logan (1980, 1987), Linda Martin (1984, 1992), Tommy and Jimmy Swarbrigg (as "The Swarbriggs" in 1975 and part of "The Swarbriggs Plus Two" in 1977), and Maxi (as a soloist in 1973 and as part of Sheeba in 1981). Six people have written and composed more than one Irish entry: Brendan Graham (1976, 1985, 1994, 1996), Johnny Logan (1984, 1987, 1992), Tommy and Jimmy Swarbrigg (1975, 1977), Liam Reilly (1990, 1991) and Joe Burkett (composer 1972, lyricist 1981). [ [http://www.diggiloo.net/?ie Diggiloo Thrush - Ireland ] ]

Almost all of Ireland's Eurovision entries prior to 1998 were conducted by Noel Kelehan. The exceptions were 1965 (Gianni Ferrio), 1970 (Dolf van der Linden), from 1972 to 1975 (Colman Pearce), 1979 (Proinnsias O'Duinn), 1994 (no conductor, although Kelehan conducted other entries) and 1997 (Frank McNamara).

Contestants

NOTE: The totals in the above tables include only points awarded in Eurovision finals, and not the semi-finals since 2004.

Hostings

Ireland is the only country to have hosted multiple Contests in succession; three in a row between 1993 and 1995. Six of the seven Contests held in Ireland have been held in Dublin; three at the Point Depot, two at the RDS and one at the Gaiety Theatre. In addition, the 1993 Contest was held in Millstreet, County Cork.During the 1994 contest, the dancing group Riverdance made their debut as an interval act.

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.rte.ie RTÉ]