Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest

This article deals with the history of Ireland as a participant in the Euro Vision Song Contest (Irish Comórtas Amhrán Eoraifíse or Comórtas Amhránaíochta na hEoraifíse ).

List of posts

Color legend: - Victories. - A tie to the last place. - Contributions finals.

Regularity of participation

Ireland took the first time in 1965 and from then on a regular basis at the Euro Vision Song Contest. Only once renounced the country voluntarily to participate: 1983 was filed for financial reasons, no contribution. 2002 was the only year in which participation was not possible because of a bad year placement.

Success in competition

No country could the competition so often win as Ireland - seven times landed Irish contributions in the first place: 1970 Dana was with All kinds of everything the first winner in 1980 was able to win Johnny Logan What's another year, as in 1987 with the title Hold me now. 1992, 1993 and 1994 Ireland was the first country that could win three consecutive times; the first was Linda Martin with the written by Johnny Logan Why me? , followed by Niamh Kavanagh In your eyes with Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan and in the following year with rock 'n ' roll kids. 1996 contributed Eimear Quinn The voice of the far past winning titles for Ireland.

Furthermore, Ireland came four times to the second and even third place. Total landed 29 of 39 appearances - so about three quarters - in the front half of the table, making Ireland one of the most successful countries in the competition. The last place went to Ireland in the years 2007 and 2013. 2005, 2008 and 2009 Ireland does not make it past the semi-finals.

Commercial success

National

Many Irish contributions were in Ireland a hit: A total of 13 songs reached the top spot on the charts, 20 reached the Top 10 more. Until 1999, all contributions reached the singles charts, and 1982 all ended up in the top 10. The first five Irish winning titles were number-one hits ( including, among others, in 1993 the most successful single of the year; Rock'n'roll kids and The Voice were the second and third place slightly less successful). As of 1999, the commercial successes were down significantly; only since 2003, when the Irish representative established in the talent show You're a star, hits were achieved again. The group Dervish could with They can not stop the spring 2007 does not place in the charts, her song was also released as a single not, but only as a free online download.

Internationally

Both Dana with All kinds of everything and Johnny Logan with his two winning titles were very successful in Europe, the singles place almost everywhere in the charts and in some countries even to square one. The later four winners were significantly less commercially successful, being only in very few countries the charts.

National preliminary decisions

All Irish representatives were elected in a national qualifying round. 2003, 2004 and 2005 presented the finalists of each season of the talent show You're a star ever a title before, in 2006 and 2007, the representatives were selected internally and presented in the Late Late Show each some titles before.

Languages

Almost all Irish contributions have been fully presented in English. Ceol to GHRA, the contribution to the Euro Vision Song Contest 1972, sung in Irish (Gaelic). 2008, the Irish contribution was mostly presented in English, but also included words from several other European languages.

A few words used to say in the Irish language, as well as occasionally in the communication of the countries points - When aligned in Ireland competitions were in moderating - most welcome.

Aligned competitions

Ireland set up after each victory, making a total of seven times, the competition and took over so that second only to the UK, the role of host. In six cases, the event was held in Dublin, which makes the city the most common venue in the history of the competition; In 1993, the relatively unknown village Millstreet was chosen.

Miscellaneous

• When Song Contest 1994 in Dublin, the dance group Riverdance performed as a break point before the points classification. This first appearance before a large audience was the starting point for the subsequent worldwide success of Riverdance.
• In 1999 Ireland went to the first rating - twelve points from Lithuania - in the lead, but in the end ended up with a total of only 18 points in 17th place.
• Brian Kennedy's song "Every Song is a Cry for Love" (ESC Athens 2006) was 1,000. Contribution in the history of the Euro Vision Song Contest.
• Kennedy himself had in 1995 when the competition was transferred from Dublin, already worked as a singer at the break point.
• 2007 Ireland ended with 5 points for the first time in last place. This was repeated in 2013 already.
• 2008 Ireland was of a doll, namely Dustin the turkey represented. It was the first time that a doll representing a country at the Euro Vision Song Contest.