What next for Ireland after failing to reach Eurovision final for eighth time in 10 years?

Irish Independent

16-05-2025

It had been hoped Ryan O'Shaughnessy's qualification in 2018 could turn the tide after four years stuck in the semi-finals, but Ireland – still barely holding onto the joint record for the highest number of wins – returned to the wilderness for six more years until Bambie Thug again raised the nation's hopes last year.
The 'ouija pop' artist finished in sixth place, the first top 10 result since Jedward were so good in 2011 that we sent them again the following year.
However, the new dawn presented by Bambie Thug went behind another cloud last night, as it was revealed Ireland would not be heading to the grand final in Basel.
Where did it all go wrong for the country that once won the contest three times in a row – and will we ever again manage to merely qualify three times in a row?
The Irish delegation has been led by Michael Kealy since 2013, who has shared his thoughts on the country's Eurovision finish each year.
Here is what he has said after each of the last seven Eurovision Song Contests – from what worked to what didn't.
2024 – Bambie Thug finishes sixth in the final with Doomsday Blue
A memorable performance in Malmo landed Bambie Thug in top ten, Kealy hoping their success could be the beginning of 'a renaissance period' for Ireland.
'I always thought we were only one great artist and one great song away from a good result,' he said, praising the 'powerful team' and 'clear idea' that Bambie had.
'It is not that we [RTÉ] have had a different attitude to the contest, it's not. [It's because] a great artist comes out of nowhere… and has a vision that connects with people.'
2023 – Wild Youth fails to qualify with We Are One
Band Wild Youth did not crack the code to qualification in Liverpool, with their song We Are One not making it past the semi-final.
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In the aftermath, Kealy said he 'would agree' that Ireland's selection process should be separated from The Late Late Show,
He told RTÉ's The Ray D'Arcy Show that RTÉ has been 'chronically underfunded' for decades, which 'shows particularly when it comes to us putting on entertainment shows'.
"When it comes to entertainment, you need scale to make it look as impressive as a show that you would see in other European countries, and the truth is our facilities in RTÉ are not sufficient to mount shows like that."
2022 – Brooke Scullion fails to qualify with That's Rich!
It was a surprise when Brooke Scullion, with her catchy pop song That's Rich!, did not qualify in Italy in 2022.
Kealy said the singer had reached the high standard needed to succeed in a tough competition, but told The Irish Sun that she potentially lost out in the jury vote.
Six professional juries from the second semi-final were removed that year due to irregular voting patterns.
2021 – Lesley Roy fails to qualify with Maps
Singer Lesley Roy had a second chance at Eurovision in 2021 after the contest was cancelled due to the pandemic the year before, but it was not to be.
She later said there had been technical issues before the performance.
2019 – Sarah McTernan fails to qualify with 22
A catchy track did not translate to success in Tel Aviv in 2019 and while McTernan put in a strong performance, Kealy said going on stage in the 'notoriously difficult' number two slot had been a challenge.
"But that's the breaks. It's a tough, tough competition, it's not as easy as it once was, there are over 40 countries taking part, it's a difficult, difficult competition and it attracts top professionals from around Europe,' he said.
"Other countries plough in huge resources into the competition which unfortunately a small broadcaster like RTÉ just doesn't have so we have to be clever with what we do with the limited resources we have.'
2018 – Ryan O'Shaughnessy finishes 16th in final with Together
A strong finish by Ryan O'Shaughnessy in Portugal in 2018 marked some progress for Ireland in the Eurovision, with Kealy saying his success helped boost entries to the represent Ireland the following year.
2017 – Brendan Murray fails to qualify with Dying to Try
A hot air balloon on stage in Kyiv did not raise Ireland's chances with Murray's song, with Kealy saying he was 'devastated' for the singer.
He added: "I'm not sure people appreciate how hard it is to qualify these days – it's a completely different competition to how it was when we used to win back in the 90s.'