Given our poor showing in the Eurovision in recent years, is it time for Ireland to quit the song contest for good? We asked our Dublin People Facebook friends for their views. Here’s an edited selection of the comments we received.
Fiona Murphy Douhari: I think unless they revert back to the old voting system then we never have a hope. Countries all just seem to vote mainly for their neighbouring countries. And unfortunately we only have one.
Billy O’Reilly: No quitting but let’s go back to doing our own songs that suit us – don’t try to be European with our songs, get songs that belong to us. Let’s start showing our nationality in the songs that represent us.
Yvonne Spain: Yep, it’s time to bow out. All the newer countries just pass votes to each other. Bit of a joke of a contest lately and waste of time entering. Just costing the country money it can’t afford to be spending. Ireland should quit now instead of making fools of ourselves every year. However, Denmark, in my opinion, deserved to win.
Stacey Hogg: Yes, our day is done. As usual it’s all about politics. Absolute travesty.
Jenny Ryan: Ireland doesn’t want to win it anyway. They can’t afford nothing. So how on earth would they be able to afford hosting the Eurovision? Oh yeah, maybe the Government will throw something else at us and make us pay. Give it up; we are enough of a joke of a country without humiliating ourselves on Eurovision. Those days of winning are a long time gone.
Jo-Anne Dunne: Yes, it’s waste of money that this country does not have.
Catherine Dunne Flood: Yeah, give it up. Waste of money!
Jan Molloy: Yep, give it up.
Andrew Kerr: Yeah, and scrap those
‘Got Talent’ shows on TV, it’s all bloody noise and Double Dutch to me.
Sarah Jensen: We need Johnny Logan to come back and win it again. He is the man for it.
Minni Dev: No quitting, let’s take this as motivation and represent more effectively and with more dedication and spirit next time.
Joe O Connor: Yeah, the winner I had no problem with but we were robbed of the top three.
Shauna Conroy: Just because we don’t win anymore doesn’t mean we should quit! It is about the taking part too and we all secretly enjoy watching the Eurovision every year. It would be a shame if Ireland wasn’t in it.
Frances Mansfield: Yes because it is not about the song anymore. It’s only gone political in the last few years.
Brian Butterly: No, before our string of wins in the
’90s we had a good gap between wins – 10 years between Dana and Johnny Logan. There are more countries in it now so it makes sense that winning won’t be as regular; not without something amazing anyway.
Pat Gannon: It’s all set for a Linda Martin comeback!
Natalie Leonard: No, why should we quit it? It’s all about the countries voting for each other. Still, it’s good to watch.