![]() ![]() Anyone good at business or good at art reflects on why these things are not connecting with audiences. “That said, we do have to deal with Ireland only qualifying once out of the last nine shows. But nobody goes to Eurovision thinking that they’re bringing something substandard or something that’s not ready or is not exciting. “The naff impulse which you often see online is to kick people when they’re down. In addition to being a longtime Eurovision fan, he also worked as creative director for Ireland’s act in 2020, Lesley Roy, before the Covid-related cancellation of that year’s contest.īased on his experience, McMahon insists what’s needed is a root-and-branch rethink of how Ireland approaches the contest. Philly McMahon is a co-director with theatre production company THISISPOPBABY. More recently, with one exception in 2018, we’ve had a decade-long run of not progressing beyond the two weekday shows. Taking a dispassionate look at the stats, what we have to show for all that from the last twenty years is two lower top ten placings in the grand final thanks to Brian Kennedy and Jedward. RTÉ – who, as the national broadcaster, are tasked with choosing and managing our act each year – have tried pretty much every option available when it comes to picking a Eurovision entrant in the decades since our distant heyday in the contest back in the 1990s.įor a period in the mid-2000s we sent talent show winners we’ve tried an ‘internal process’ whereby established singers or hotly-tipped new acts were chosen by the broadcaster and for the last two years Eurovision fans – or, more specifically, Eurovision fans and Late Late Show viewers – have been given more of a say in who represents the country with public votes featuring as part of the domestic selection process. I feel like we’re writing a song for the Eurovision – but it should be just a great song that happens to go to Eurovision?” “It was a lovely song – it just felt a bit kind-of generic, but they really did a great job in the arena and got a really great reception,” Cian O’Mahony, from Bandon, said as he exited the venue. Various opinions were offered on what, exactly, would give us more of an edge but the general view was that Eurovision had evolved and moved with the times and that Ireland’s approach simply wasn’t keeping pace. Irish Eurovision fans who spoke to The Journal outside the arena last night agreed something needed to change. So how can we improve our odds of winning, or even being in with a shot at the title? His stage show features a giant crate and a troupe of harnessed, perma-tanned ballroom dancers.Īt the other end of the table, Ireland has had a pretty disastrous run of form in the contest of late. ![]() ![]() She’ll have stiff competition from Finland’s Käärijä, who, with his distinctive costume, trademark snarl and a mesmerising, nightmarish stage show has been capturing the imagination of fans both here in Liverpool and online (so much so that one poor unfortunate BBC reporter mistook a dressed-up Eurovision superfan for the rapper last night, billing him as the ‘Finland entrant’ in her broadcast).įinland's Käärijä on stage in last night's semi-final. Wild Youth’s exit now leaves the course clear for Sweden’s Loreen – the favourite coming into the competition – to equal Ireland’s record of seven Song Contest wins. Once the likes of Ireland’s fellow mid-tablers like Switzerland started snaffling spots for Saturday, it was clear our entry would be edged out yet again. Ireland’s Wild Youth – despite putting in a solid performance on the night – couldn’t hope to compete with those acts’ anthemic beat-heavy hooks, lavish production values and instantly memeable looks. Hot favourites like Sweden and Finland were already dead certs for the final on Saturday. THE WRITING WAS on the wall for Ireland as countries like Switzerland and Czechia were added to the list of ten countries progressing from last night’s Eurovision Song Contest semi-final at the Liverpool Arena.
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