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Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Donal Skehan calls for current Eurosong format to be scrapped
Celebrity chef Donal Skehan has called on the Eurosong format to be scrapped, as he praised RTE for asking song contest bosses for a breakdown of our vote. Drama unfolded earlier this month after Ireland's hopeful, Norwegian singer Emmy, failed to qualify in this year's song contest with Laika Party, as Austrian entry JJ eventually won performing Wasted Love. The results prompted calls by RTE to investigate the voting breakdown by the EBU. Speaking on the first day of Bord Bia Bloom yesterday, Donal – who took part in the 2008 Eurosong contest to find Ireland's entry – described Emmy not making it to the final as "tough", saying RTE are right to ask for the voting breakdown. Donal said: "Oh, it was tough. And I feel for Emmy, because I think she represented us really well. "But you know, when we were judging on the night, I always kind of thought it was one of those songs, it was going to go either way, and we were just unlucky." The telly chef added: "Look, Ireland needs to do something different. Ireland needs to do something special. "And it needs to be something that comes from the artists themselves, a real creative look at what it's going to be. "And you have to remember that it's not just the Eurosong stage in Ireland, it's a stage in front of 250 million people that they have to perform on. "So it really has to be thought the whole way through. "I said it on the night [of Eurosong]. I mean, I think you look around Europe and you see Sweden has Melody Festival, and Finland has this huge stadium show with four nights across, you know, a couple of months and they create really strong entries because of that. "And also the entry, the competitors get the opportunity to perform on that level and that stage that is similar to Eurovision. So I think we do need to step it up." Donal hit the headlines earlier this year when Eurosong hopeful Samantha Mumba questioned his credentials to judge other artists. He revealed there has been "no communication at all" with the Gotta Tell You singer. He said: "I don't know if I'd be asked [back to Eurosong]. But, as I said, in some way the format itself just needs to change, you know. "And I think it is hard for people to be judged on the night. "And I think, in essence, what we want to see as a format is something that you put people forward and the entry stands alone." He praised RTE for looking for the voting breakdown of Eurovision last week, saying: "Everyone who was watching was a bit confused about what was going on, particularly with the mood and the feeling of what most Irish people feel." President Michael D Higgins opened the first rain-soaked day of the five-day event in Dublin's Phoenix Park, and called on more support for local producers. During his 20-minute speech, he received a round of applause after passionately telling people that "harmful retail practices" are damaging local producers. The President said: "May I also take a moment to add my voice in support of those commercial producers who have stayed with the production of vegetables, those who labour diligently and all too often without due recognition or remuneration. "Their numbers, sadly, have dwindled to fewer than 100. "These men and women are facing untenable pressures, not least the harmful retail practices that result in produce being sold as 'loss leaders' below the cost of production. "This is a disgrace. This cannot continue. If we are serious about food security, about fairness, sincere in our commitment to sustainability, we must support our shrinking community of producers who play a vital role in sustainable food production." Mr Higgins also spoke about the impact of climate change and biodiversity, saying: "Bloom's ongoing success is undoubtedly a reflection too of our welcome, albeit late, collective acknowledgment across society that we live on a fragile planet, one that is facing catastrophic climate change and ecological breakdown. "We are living, as we all know, in an era of profound environmental challenges, one that is defined by shared interacting crises. "The world's leading climate scientists have told us, with increasing urgency, that the planet we share is in peril. Biodiversity loss and the accelerating and devastating consequences of a warming world are no longer projections, they are now our lived experience." He added: "The impacts of climate change in Ireland are impacts with which we are all familiar. They are reflected by not only the threat but the experience of the consequences of rising sea levels, and also, of course, by an increased frequency and severity of weather events such as high-impact storms, droughts and floods. "Too many of us will have experienced the dreadful consequences of Storm Eowyn at the end of January. "May I take this opportunity to thank again all those who worked to address the severe consequences, including all of the first-responders, for their valiant efforts. "We have to make ourselves aware of the imbalance between those who are carrying the consequences of a warming Earth and those who contributed to where we find ourselves in terms of the climate change which has been provoked." He then visited the show gardens and stopped by at Nature's Symphony: Celebrating Organic Growth. The garden highlights Ireland's commitment to advancing its organic agriculture sector and is also closely guarded by Macnas Con Mor, the artwork which the President referenced in his speech earlier that day. He said: "I am deeply honoured that the garden includes a reference to my own long-standing support for organic food production, sustainability, and the arts. "The presence of Con Mor, the gentle eco-conscious giant from the West of Ireland, is a particular delight. Con Mor, a protector of birds, lover of trees, symbol of ancestral wisdom, reminds us of the myths and stories that connect us to our landscapes, and that continue to inspire new generations of guardians of the Earth." Taoiseach Micheal Martin visited a number of gardens and met with food producers at Bloom. Elsewhere, Repak's Most Sorted Garden, designed by James Purdy, won Gold and Best in Category in the prestigious Large Garden category. Created to engage the public in the future of recycling, the Most Sorted Garden serves as an example that waste is not an inevitability, but a challenge that can be solved through smart design and sustainable thinking. James said: "This garden is about showing that sustainability doesn't mean compromise, it can be beautiful, functional, and thought-provoking. I'm grateful to Repak for the opportunity to tell this story and for supporting a vision where every element is intentional, regenerative, and truly circular." Speaking about the win, Repak chief Zoe Kavanagh said: "We are incredibly proud of this achievement. James Purdy has brought Repak's vision to life with creativity and conviction. "The Most Sorted Garden embodies the circular economy by proving that with considered design, we can eliminate waste and give materials a second life." She added: "This award is a testament to the importance of sustainability and innovation in shaping a greener future for Ireland."
Sunday World
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Linda Martin lays out why Cliona Hagan must be Ireland's choice for Eurovision 2026
'She has it all - she sings, looks gorgeous, can move and is very friendly. All she needs is a great song.' Linda Martin came out on top in 1992 with the song Why Me? Eurovision queen Linda Martin is tipping Irish country star Cliona Hagan as a top contender to win the 2026 event if she puts her hat in the ring. And Linda, who won the mammoth song contest in 1992 with Why Me?, told the Sunday World that Ireland deserved to be in last Saturday's final with EMMY singing our entry, Laika Party. 'Ah God love her, I'm so disappointed that EMMY didn't get through on Thursday night. I genuinely thought she was much better than some of those other acts that got into the final,' Linda says. 'Next year I think we should send Cliona Hagan to the Eurovision with a mid-tempo song and a country feel to it. I really think Cliona is a winner. She has it all — she sings, looks gorgeous, can move and is very friendly. All she needs is a great song.' Linda Martin came out on top in 1992 with the song Why Me? However, Linda says she couldn't fault EMMY's performance in the second semi-final on Thursday night. 'The staging of the Irish entry was well thought out, the dancers were superb and her vocals were great,' she reflects. 'I thought EMMY was a little nervous having met her a couple of times, but nevertheless she was really, really good, so I'm disappointed for her, God help her. And she's only a young one, so I'd say she was upset.' Would any of the other songs in Ireland's Eurosong contest on The Late Late Show this year have had a bigger impact? 'No,' Linda responds emphatically. 'Samantha Mumba, if she'd had a good song, a really brilliant song, would have wiped the board with the lot of them at the Eurovision this year as a performer. She would have fitted in perfectly. She has the look, the stage presence and I think the Europeans would have loved her. But her song let her down.' Linda Martin at the 1984 Eurovision So what do we have to do to even qualify these days? 'Well, we have to go back to the ballads,' Linda says. 'I keep saying that. We cannot compete with the Europeans and their backing tracks. They have that sound down to a fine art. I suppose you could call it a disco sound. We cannot do it. The only time we ever won was because of a ballad.' Do you think a ballad will still work? 'Yes I do,' Linda insists. 'In an ideal world I'd have a brilliant ballad very simply staged. I think it would stand out so much. Sometimes less is more. 'There was too much performance in some of the songs in this year's semi-finals. It was like three-minute cabaret shows. You can say, 'she's too old' or 'too old-fashioned', maybe so, but genuinely I think it should be song first and then everything else afterwards. 'I'll tell you the God's honest truth, if I had been epileptic I'd be in hospital because the flashing lights never stopped in this week's shows. I do appreciate you have to have some sort of staging and lights, but at times I couldn't see the artists because of the lights. Sometimes it was too much.' Irish entry EMMY on stage in Switzerland Do we need to change what we're doing in terms of choosing a song and a singer? 'I absolutely love Michael Kealy [head of the RTÉ Eurovision delegation]. I think he does an amazing job with the restrictions he has, but gone are the days when we had Red Hurley, Johnny [Logan] and myself, all of those people that doesn't exist anymore, so RTÉ should get out, send scouts around the country where events are happening and find people who look well, have a good attitude and a good voice. 'RTE should then audition them like they did in the old days to see what they're made of before they're given a song. I had to audition myself back then. We've got the talent here it's just a matter of finding and perfecting that talent.' Linda adds that Eurovision should be given serious consideration by Irish singers as it's the perfect launching pad for a career outside Ireland. As a former Eurovision winner, Linda is treated like royalty on the continent. 'It's the best platform ever,' she says. 'I'm still working in Europe at a very high level because of that song.'
The Irish Sun
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Ireland's Eurovision voting breakdown & Emmy's final place in competition revealed in official stats
IRELAND'S Eurovision voters gave Israel 12 points in the second semi-final and ten points in the Grand Final on Saturday. Details of 5 Emmy and her song Laika Party failed to make the cut for Saturday's final Credit: Andres Poveda LTD 5 A Palestinian flag is held up in the audience during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final Credit: AP 5 Three Youth Demand supporters have been detained during Israel's performance at the live Eurovision final Credit: Youth Demand And they also showed Ireland got just 28 points and finished in 13th place — in the bottom four — in Our entrant Today it was revealed Ireland got just 28 points on Thursday, drawing with read more on eurovision Israel topped the voting that night with 203 points after getting the maximum 12 points from several countries — including Ireland's televoters. Irish viewers were unable to vote for our own act and had to choose other countries to award our points. We then gave ten points to On Saturday, we again gave Israel a high ten points, though Most read in News TV After that, Ireland's viewers gave The Irish jury of five industry professionals — Dermot McEvoy, Edward Porter, Kofi Appiah, Helen Jordan Guthrie and Tara Murray — awarded Israel seven points in Saturday's final. Remember Monday star Lauren Byrne is last Eurovision contestant standing as she parties until 6am after defeat The panel gave eventual winners Austria the full 12 points, with the On Thursday, Ireland got seven points from the We also got one point from the rest of the world. PRO-PALESTINE PROTEST On Saturday, protests over Israel's participation due the country's ongoing bombardment of Gaza rocked central Basel, as hundreds of pro- Basel police said that during identity checks, a group 'threw firecrackers, injuring three officers who were taken to hospital with suspected blast trauma'. Israeli singer Raphael was left 'shaken and upset' after protesters rushed towards a barrier when she was performing on stage, her team said. 5 Austria's JJ performed the song 'Wasted Love' during the Eurovision grand final Credit: EPA 5 Yuval Raphael represented Israel on the grand final
Irish Examiner
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Austria celebrate their third victory in the Eurovision Song Contest
Austria have won the Eurovision Song Contest, held on Saturday night in Basel, Switzerland, with the song Wasted Love, an operatic pop-ballad featuring a techno-pumped crescendo, performed by 24-year-old Vienna singer JJ. The 69th edition of the contest will be remembered for delivering arguably the tensest voting sequence in its history after Israel, who won the public televote, led the overall scoring until Austria's final tally was revealed. Austria finished fourth in the televote, but had banked the top score from the jury vote, and so claimed victory with an overall total of 436 points, 79 ahead of Israel. Israel's participation in the contest had ramped-up in protest and controversy since the Gaza war, with several EBU members, including RTÉ, calling for a review of the country's inclusion. They were represented in the final by singer Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the October 7 Nova music festival attacks, with the song New Day Will Rise which was met with a mix of applause, jeers and an attempted protest in the hall. It received 10 points from the Irish televote and 12 from the UK. Sweden, the hot favourites before the event, had been poised to beat the jointly-held record with Ireland of seven Eurovision victories. However their song Bara Bada Bastu, a comedic homage to Nordic sauna culture came home just fourth. Ireland's Emmy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 semi-final, however, she failed to qualify with her song 'Laika Party'. Picture: Andres Poveda Ireland did not participate in the grand final after entry Laika Party, performed by Norwegian singer and TikToker, Emmy, failed to qualify from its semi-final on Thursday night; figures released following the grand final on Saturday revealed that song placed just 13th within its heat of 16 runners. True to Eurovision tradition, the final served up its annual smorgasbord of musical eccentricity: Estonia's novelty act Tommy Cash featured a fake stage invasion during his song Espresso macchiato while fan-favourite Finland saw singer Erika Vikman mount a giant, pyrotechnic-spewing microphone during her sex-positive anthem Ich komme. However, it was Canadian superstar Céline Dion who had been predicted to steal the Eurovision spotlight. There had been well-considered noise circulating in Basel all weekend that the singer would make a rare appearance for the final; she had represented Switzerland for their last victory, held in Dublin in 1988, with the song Ne partez pas sans moi. However those rumours didn't realise with the eventual interval proving an anticlimactic mélange of Swiss Eurovision stars and a balloon-burst segment of host Michelle Hunziker playing the alpenhorn. Austria now celebrate their third victory in the contest as the EBU nurses an operational hangover following Israel's latest close encounter with Eurovision victory. For RTÉ, the soul-searching will continue as the country's 21st century reputation as Eurovision also-runs (though bucked by Bambi Thug in 2024) splutters on. Our bubble gum Scandi track, themed on Soviet-era animal testing, didn't resonate with the European audience, nor indeed our own, with the song failing to hit Ireland's Official Top 100 chart last week. Perhaps, more a case of wasted opportunity than Wasted Love.
Irish Times
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Austria win Eurovision, pipping Israel at the post
Austria have won the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in the country's first victory since bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst won in 2014. A Mexican Navy sailing ship crashed into the landmark Brooklyn Bridge in New York on Saturday night, killing two people and injuring 17 others. Garda Flatley died after being hit by a motorcycle as he was carrying out speed checks on the R132 at Lanestown, north Co Dublin. Video: Dan Dennison Emmy performs "Laika Party" for Ireland's entry at the second semi-final for Eurovision 2025. Cork-based singer/songwriter Martin Leahy marks three years of singing his song Everyone Should Have a Home outside Leinster House. Video: Dan Dennison Syrians in Damascus celebrate after US president Donald Trump announced plans to ease sanctions on Syria and normalise relation. Video: Sally Hayden Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 52,908 people since October 2023, while the total number of injuries has climbed to 119,721. Hollywood icon Robert De Niro lambasted 'philistine' US President Donald Trump and his proposed movie tariff at the Cannes Film Festival's opening ceremony. Released Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander was reunited with family members after 19 months of captivity by Hamas. Video: Reuters Dubliner Oscar Despard captained a team from Christ's College, Cambridge to victory in the final of the BBC student quizshow University Challenge. Video: BBC
