The Irish indie pop band, Wild youth will try to surprise with their song ‘We are one’, next May in Liverpool, at the LXVII edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. If they win, Ireland would get their eighth win. And it is that this country is today, the one with the highest number of victories (7). With a brilliant trajectory and the heyday of the nineties that was already stopped at the beginning of the 2000s, Ireland have placed in the top 10 31 times7 times in first position, 4 in second position and 1 in third position.
First win: Dana (1970)
Ireland’s tour of Eurovision dates back to 1965, in Naples. But it is not until 1970, when he achieves his first victory. An eighteen-year-old, Rosemary Scallon (better known as Dana) took the stage to perform ‘All kinds of everything’ and swept it away. Her almost adolescent appearance and her sweet face as well as mischievous, dazzled the jury, giving Ireland its first award in the history of the Festival.
Second and third win: Johnny Logan (1980 and 1987)
Ten years later, in 1980, Iranda claimed victory again. A very young Johnny Logan performed the ballad ‘What’s another year’ and achieved the second triumph for his country. Seven years later, a more mature and modern Loggan repeated at the festival and also won. ‘Hold me now’ would triumph that May 9, 1987 at the Palais du Centenaire in Brussels, giving Ireland its third victory.
But it was in the nineties, when Ireland lived its golden age within the festival; 4 first positions (3 of them consecutive) and 2 second places in those ten years. At a time when ballads with emotional interpretations, spurts of voice and where Celtic reminiscences were popular, Ireland seemed to cook year after year songs with magical recipes that moved and reached the jury.
Win Four: Linda Martin (1992)
The first triumph of the nineties for Ireland (and the fourth overall) came in 1992. Linda Martin swept Malmö with ‘Why me’. surprisingly, it was another triumph for Johnny Logan, being its songwriter. In this way, Logan becomes the composer with the most triumphs in the history of the festival (1980, 1987 and 1992).
Fifth win: Niamh Kavannagh (1993)
After Linda Martin’s victory, the owner of an equestrian center in the Irish town of Millstreet offered to cede the venue for the celebration of the XXXVIII Eurovision Song Contest. Thus, on May 15, 1993, the Green Glens Arena hosted a festival that included the incorporation of three of the new states of the former Yugoslavia and Ireland won again for the second consecutive year. Niam Kavannagh took the victory singing ‘In your eyes’, 23 points above the second, the United Kingdom, with Sonia and ‘Better the devil you know’.
Sixth win: Paul Harrintong and Charlie McGettigham (1994)
And there are not two without three: Ireland win again for the third year in a row. The country becomes the first to have three wins in a row and six wins in total. The duo win with ‘Rock n’Roll kids’.
Win Seven: Eimear Quinn (1996)
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The last of the triumphs for Ireland was more than 25 years ago, in 1996. The influence of Celtic rhythms and instruments in Pop music was revealed in the theme of the Dubliner Eimear Quinn, who with ‘The voice’, he reaped the seventh victory for his country.
From the end of the nineties of the last century, the Irish theme factory began to decline. Already entered the 21st century, the participations of Ireland begin to be seen in the middle of the table of scores, even lower. The bet on the part of other countries for more current themes and more striking staging, as well as the incorporation of the countries of the east to the contest, have displaced Ireland to the tail in recent years. Since 2005, the country has failed to qualify for the final 9 times.
