Eurovision - what's next for Ireland?

RTÉ News​

16-05-2025

Last night, Emmy's Eurovision party came to a sudden end at the St Jacobshalle in Basel, Switzerland.
After a busy week of rehearsals, promotions and build-up, the Norwegian singer's entry Laika Party failed to qualify for Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final.
Ten of the sixteen countries in the second semi-final got the votes to see them safely through to the final, and the stage is now set for the 26 finalists to compete to win the 69th edition of the competition on Saturday night.
It has been a difficult pill for Irish fans to swallow after the celebrations last year when Bambie Thug sailed into the final, so are there steps to be taken to ensure our success in the future?
Eurovision Song contest Tom - ESC Tom - is the host of a YouTube channel which celebrates all things Eurovision.
All week in Basel, he was crunching the numbers, following the odds, and he was clear that Ireland had a battle on its hands to qualify.
Last night after the semi-final, he told RTÉ News that he had been optimistic in the build-up because "it's such a catchy song", but he added that when the bookies were saying that it was not going to qualify, "I was a little bit prepared for this, but I am disappointed."
For the fans outside the venue, that same word rang true: disappointment. Many, including friends Michelle and Martina, who had travelled from Ireland, made it clear they thought Emmy had done a "wonderful job" and they were "very grateful to her for all she had done for Ireland" and that she "should be proud."
Emmy herself spoke about how grateful she was for the experience, and wrote a message on her social media saying, "I'm SO sorry, Ireland. We will forever love you and be grateful and honoured to have represented you."
Sharp disappointment from all sides, and some Eurovision Irish fans are now calling for a change to how the Irish candidate is chosen.
Even though Ireland has not placed highly in recent years, with the last win coming almost thirty years ago in 1996 for Eimear Quinn's The Voice, there is a deep and on-going affection for Eurovision in Ireland.
It was sparked when an 18-year-old schoolgirl Dana first won the contest for Ireland in 1970 with All Kinds Of Everything.
Ten years later, when Johnny Logan scooped the top spot with What's Another Year? in his white suit, the die was cast and Irish fans took ownership of the competition.
His win again in 1987 with Hold Me Now cemented the deal.
Then the glory days in the 1990s when Ireland had an impressive run of winners, including Linda Martin with Why Me? in 1992, a song also written by Logan, Niamh Kavanagh's In Your Eyes in 1993, and Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan with Rock 'n' Roll Kids in 1994.
At this point in this year's betting, Sweden is topping the poll for tomorrow night's competition. If they win, they will knock Ireland off the top spot in the Eurovision hierarchy. Both Ireland and Sweden are currently tied at seven wins each, so an eighth win for Sweden will mean an unwelcome update to the record books.
So why can't Ireland reclaim its former glory on the Eurovision stage?
For Michael Kealy, head of the RTE Delegation, it is a competition that is "getting harder and harder to do well in."
Speaking in Basel after last night's disappointment he said, "I am like a broken record sometimes, about the constraints that RTE have unfortunately compared to other broadcasters around Europe.
"Look at the time and effort that other countries put into, selecting and supporting an act, the 360 degree support you need from social media from the moment they are selected".
For Irish fans, they continue to have questions about RTÉ's approach to the selection process and Ireland's reliance on a single dedicated Late Late Show Eurosong special to choose the final entry.
When asked if Ireland needed to change this, Mr Kealy pointed out "what we did this year was exactly the same as we did last year, which got us a top 10 finalist with Bambie Thug."
He pointed to the differences in the scales here and went on to describe how Finland's entry, for example, is chosen in front of a massive audience at an arena. He outlined his view that "it's a question of resources and it's a simple as that," adding that "you don't want to hear about RTÉ's woes from me but that's the truth."
Experts and devoted fans like ESCTom agree about the gaps between the selection processes here and other European competitors, too.
ESCTom told RTÉ News, "There are 37 eligible countries in this competition - with 26 of them hosting dedicated national finals and shows including rounds, semi-finals and then finals to choose their songs.
"Eurovision fans like myself have been calling for this for Ireland for years."
In his view this approach would lead to showing "the Irish public several options and letting them choose a really great final competitor."
But while the fans continue to thrash out the mechanics and processes behind the Eurovision spotlight, it is clear that even without the wins in recent years, the song contest continues to hold a unique place in people's hearts and it has a magic that is inexplicable to many.
Just ask nine-year-old Dubliner Katie Lovett whose parents flew her to Basel this week as a special treat because she is such a big Eurovision fan.
In her lifetime, Ireland has only made it to the final once, with Bambie Thug last year, and yet she loves the competition.
"I love music and I love that loads of different people come from different countries and I just think it's really nice." she said.
After the lights come down on the grand final in Basel tomorrow night, Ireland's Eurovision fans will once more be knee deep in analysis of what can be done to get Ireland back in centre stage, because who doesn't Laika party?