18-05-2025
‘Take Eurovision away from Late Late' says former winner
After another disappointing showing at the Eurovision for Ireland, former winner Paul Harrington believes it is time to decouple the selection process from The Late Late Show.
Despite a wretched recent history at the competition, with Bambie Thug's top 10 finish last year the outlier, the Irish delegation has stuck with the formula of parading the hopefuls on a one-off edition of the Late Late.
Many other countries use a more drawn-out process, centred on songwriting festivals and/or culminating in arena performances. Former Eurovision winner Paul Harrington. Pic: File
The man who won for Ireland alongside Charlie McGettigan with Rock 'n' Roll Kids in 1994 told 'I think they should take it away from the Late Late.'
Harrington said he would prefer to see a national song contest with more fanfare around the buildup leading to a 'big night' in a larger venue than RTÉ Studio 4.
'Get people behind it, create a buzz around it and bring people into it,' he said. 'Bigger awareness campaigns – let's see faces on buses and let's go mad.' Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan won the Eurovision for Ireland in 1994. Pic: BSR Agency/Gentle Look via Getty Images)
Harrington, who played his show The Lyric's The Thing in a sold-out National Concert Hall this week, said the 'only thing going for' the current selection process is that the Late Late 'bring the artist on a couple of times [after they've been selected] and they give you a good build-up.'
The current selection format came in for special criticism this year from some of those who weren't chosen, namely Samantha Mumba.
The Dublin singer complained that the panel of pundits was too scathing in their critiques and unqualified for the task, prompting Donal Skehan – best known as a TV chef – to publicly defend his pop credentials.
Harrington said he had no qualms with the selection of Emmy and her song Laika Party, enjoying 'that whole story about the Russian dog and all that jazz' and considered it the best of a mediocre bunch.
