Ireland: 320 entries submitted to RTÉ for Eurovision 2022

Ireland: 320 entries submitted to RTÉ for Eurovision 2022
Tuesday, 16 November 2021

  • A total of 320 entries have been sent to the Irish national broadcaster, RTE as candidate songs for the Irish Eurovision 2022 selection.

    The Irish Head of Delegation, Michael Kealy revealed to The Euro Trip Podcast that 320 songs have been received by RTE during the submission period for the Irish Eurovision 2022 selection. 

    For the next Eurovision RTE has opted for a televised national final in order to select the Irish ESC 2022 hopeful, marking the country's return to a national selection since 2015. Following Ireland's recent poor results in the competition, past participants and acts had came forward asking for a return of a televised show that will determine the country's hopeful, giving the public the power to influence the final decision.

    The broadcaster made an open call to composers and acts interested to compete for the right to represent Ireland at the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest. The submission window has closed on October 22, 2021

    Entries will be considered by a panel of music and entertainment industry professionals and Eurovision fans. Selected artists may be invited to audition in the RTÉ studios in Dublin. A shortlist of songs and artists will subsequently be invited to perform live on television early in 2022 on a "Eurovision Late Late Show Special" during the winner will be chosen to represent Ireland with the publi having a say to the final outcome of the competition. 

     

    Ireland in Eurovision

    Ireland is a country of records when it comes to the Eurovison Song Contest. It has participated 54 times since making its debut at the 1965 contest in Naples and has won the competition 7 times, more than any other country. (1970, 1980, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996). It is the only country that has won the contest three successive years (1992, 1993, 1994) while Dublin is the only city to have hosted the event two consecutive years. (1994,1995).

    During the decade of 90’s the country had a row of 4 vicotries in a 5 year time  (1993, 1994, 1995 and 1997) and Dublin became host city three times.Irish act Johnny Logan is the only one to have won the contest twice (1980, 1987).

    In 2018 the country selected internally  Ryan O’Shaughnessy to represent the country with his song Together, which finished 16th in the grand final, marking the country's first qualification to the final since 2013. In 2019 internally selected  Sarah McTernan represented the country with her entry “22” which failed to qualify to the grand final.

    Lesley Roy was selected to represent the nation in Rotterdam for Eurovision 2020 with the song "Story of my life" but never reached the stage as the contest was cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic. Lesley was reinvited for the 2021 edition in Rotterdam where she performed "Maps" which sadly finished in the last place of the 1st Semi Final. 

     

    News Source: Eurovoix

    Photo: thejournal.ie - DPA/PA images