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Ireland has participated in the Contest 56 times since its debut at the Eurovision Song Contest 1965 in Naples. It has participated in every subsequent Contest but two: the 1983 Contest in Munich due to financial problems from host broadcaster RTÉ and the 2002 Contest in Tallinn due to relagation. All but one of the country's entries have been in English; the exception is "Ceol an Ghrá", the 1972 entry, which was sung in Irish.

With seven wins over three decades, it remained the most successful country in the Contest until its record was equaled at the 2023 Contest by Sweden. It is one of the few who has not turned down the opportunity to host it the year following its win. All but one of these have been staged in the capital Dublin, when the 1993 Contest was held in Millstreet, a town with a population of 1,500 people in west County Cork, following Linda Martin's win in 1992. It is also the only country to win the Contest in three consecutive years (from 1992 to 1994). It has finished as runner up four times and the latter of these signalled its last appearance in the Top 5.

With the introduction of the semi finals in 2004, it has failed to qualify for the final eleven times, including a four consecutive year streak which ended in 2018 with Ryan O'Shaughnessy's qualification. It failed to qualify at the following editions courtesy of the song "22" performed by Sarah McTernan in Tel Aviv, which finished in last place in the second semi-final, in the 2021 Contest in Rotterdam with the song "Maps" performed by Lesley Roy, in the 2022 Contest in Turin with the song "That's Rich" by Brooke and in the 2023 Contest in Liverpool with the song "We Are One" by Wild Youth. It has also placed last twice in the final, receiving five points both times, at the 2007 Contest and 2013 Contest respectively.

It made its debut at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Sofia, finishing in 12th place. It has made a total of seven appearances to date with its best result coming at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Yerevan when the country finished in 4th place. They withdrew from competing at the 2020 Contest due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemlc and achieved their worst result to date when they finished in last place for the first time ever at the 2023 Contest in Nice.

Participants[]

Eurovision Song Contest[]

Year Performer(s) Song Language Translation Position Points Semi Points
1965 Butch Moore "Walking the Streets in the Rain" English - 6 11 No semi-final
1966 Dickie Rock "Come Back to Stay" - 4 14
1967 Sean Dunphy "If I Could Choose" - 2 22
1968 Pat McGeegan "Chance of a Lifetime" - 4 18
1969 Muriel Day "The Wages of Love" - 7 10
1970 Dana "All Kinds of Everything" - 1 32
1971 Angela Farrell "One Day Love" - 11 79 Host country
1972 Sandie Jones "Ceol an Ghrá" Irish The Music of Love 15 72 No semi-final
1973 Maxi "Do I Dream?" English - 10 80
1974 Tina Reynolds "Cross Your Heart" - 7 11
1975 The Swarbriggs "That's What Friends Are For" - 9 68
1976 Red Hurley "When" - 10 54
1977 The Swarbriggs Plus Two "It's Nice to Be in Love Again" - 3 119
1978 Colm T. Wilkinson "Born to Sing" - 5 86
1979 Cathal Dunne "Happy Man" - 5 80
1980 Johnny Logan "What's Another Year" - 1 143
1981 Sheeba "Horoscopes" - 5 105 Host country
1982 The Duskeys "Here Today Gone Tomorrow" - 11 49 No semi-final
Did not participate in 1983
1984 Linda Martin "Terminal 3" English - 2 137 No semi-final
1985 Maria Christian "Wait Until the Weekend Comes" - 6 91
1986 Luv Bug "You Can Count on Me" - 4 96
1987 Johnny Logan "Hold Me Now" - 1 172
1988 Jump the Gun "Take Him Home" - 8 79 Host country
1989 Kiev Connolly & The Missing Passengers "The Real Me" - 18 21 No semi-final
1990 Liam Reilly "Somewhere in Europe" - 2 132
1991 Kim Jackson "Could It Be That I'm in Love" - 10 47
1992 Linda Martin "Why Me?" - 1 155
1993 Niamh Kavanagh "In Your Eyes" - 1 187 Host country
1994 Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan "Rock 'n' Roll Kids" - 1 226
1995 Eddie Friel "Dreamin'" - 14 44
1996 Eimear Quinn "The Voice" - 1 162 2 198
1997 Marc Roberts "Mysterious Woman" - 2 157 Host country
1998 Dawn Martin "Is Always Over Now?" - 9 64 No semi-final
1999 The Mullans "When You Need Me" - 17 18
2000 Eamonn Toal "Millennium of Love" - 6 92
2001 Gary O'Shaughnessy "Without Your Love" - 21 6
Relegated from competing in 2002
2003 Mickey Harte "We've Got the World" English - 11 53 No semi-final
2004 Chris Doran "If My World Stopped Turning" - 22 7 Top 11 Previous Year
2005 Donna & Joe "Love?" - Failed to qualify 14 53
2006 Brian Kennedy "Every Song Is a Cry for Love" - 10 93 9 76
2007 Dervish "They Can't Stop the Spring" - 24 5 Top 10 Previous Year
2008 Dustin the Turkey "Irelande Douze Pointe" - Failed to qualify 15 22
2009 Sinéad Mulvey & Black Daisy "Et Cetera" - 11 52
2010 Niamh Kavanagh "It's for You" - 23 25 9 67
2011 Jedward "Lipstick" - 8 119 8 68
2012 "Waterline" - 19 46 6 92
2013 Ryan Dolan "Only Love Survives" - 26 5 8 54
2014 Can-linn feat. Kasey Smith "Heartbeat" - Failed to qualify 12 35
2015 Molly Sterling "Playing With Numbers" - 12 35
2016 Nicky Byrne "Sunlight" - 15 46
2017 Brendan Murray "Dying to Try" - 13 86
2018 Ryan O'Shaughnessy "Together" - 16 136 6 179
2019 Sarah McTernan "22" - Failed to qualify 18 16
2020 Lesley Roy "Story of My Life" - Cancelled
2021 "Maps" - Failed to qualify 16 20
2022 Brooke "That's Rich" - 15 47
2023 Wild Youth "We Are One" - 12 10
2024 Bambie Thug "Doomsday Blue" -

Junior Eurovision Song Contest[]

Year Performer(s) Song Language Translation Position Points
2015 Aimee Banks "Réalta na mara" Irish, Latin Star of the sea 12 36
2016 Zena Donnelly "Bríce ar bhríce" Irish, English Brick by Brick 10 122
2017 Muireann McDonnell "Súile glasa" Irish Green eyes 15 54
2018 Taylor Hynes "I.O.U" - 15 48
2019 Anna Kearney "Banshee" - 12 73
Did not participate in 2020
2021 Maiú Levi Lawlor "Saor (Disappear)" Irish, English, French Free 18 44
2022 Sophie Lennon "Solas" Irish Light 4 150
2023 Jessica McKean "Aisling" A dream 16 42

Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest[]

Performer(s) Song Position Points Year Final Points
Johnny Logan "Hold Me Now" 3 262 1987 1 172
Johnny Logan "What's Another Year" 12 74 1980 1 143
Eurovision Song Contest
Winners
Lys AssiaCorry BrokkenAndré ClaveauTeddy ScholtenJacqueline BoyerJean-Claude PascalIsabelle AubretGrethe & Jørgen IngmannGigliola CinquettiFrance GallUdo JürgensSandie ShawMassielSaloméLuluLenny KuhrFrida BoccaraDanaSéverineVicky LeandrosAnne-Marie DavidABBATeach-InBrotherhood of ManMarie MyriamIzhar Cohen & AlphabetaMilk & HoneyJohnny LoganBucks FizzNicoleCorinne HermèsHerreysBobbysocks!Sandra KimJohnny LoganCéline DionRivaToto CutugnoCarolaLinda MartinNiamh KavanaghPaul Harrington & Charlie McGettiganSecret GardenEimear QuinnKatrina and the WavesDana InternationalCharlotte NilssonOlsen BrothersTanel Padar & Dave Benton with 2XLMarie NSertab ErenerRuslanaHelena PaparizouLordiMarija ŠerifovićDima BilanAlexander RybakLenaEli & NikkiLoreenEmmelie de ForestConchita WurstMåns ZelmerlöwJamalaSalvador SobralNettaDuncan LaurenceMåneskinKalush OrchestraLoreen
Winning Songs
RefrainNet als toenDors, mon amourEen beetjeTom PillibiNous les amoureuxUn premier amourDanseviseNon ho l'etàPoupée de cire, poupée de sonMerci, chériePuppet on a StringLa, la, laVivo cantandoBoom Bang-a-BangDe troubadourUn jour, un enfantAll Kinds of EverythingUn banc, un arbre, une rueAprès toiTu te reconnaîtrasWaterlooDing-a-DongSave Your Kisses for MeL'oiseau et l'enfantA-Ba-Ni-BiHallelujahWhat's Another YearMaking Your Mind UpEin bißchen FriedenSi la vie est cadeauDiggi-Loo Diggi-LeyLa det swingeJ'aime la vieHold Me NowNe partez pas sans moiRock MeInsieme: 1992Fångad av en stormvindWhy Me?In Your EyesRock 'n' Roll KidsNocturneThe VoiceLove Shine a LightDivaTake Me to Your HeavenFly on the Wings of LoveEverybodyI WannaEvery Way That I CanWild DancesMy Number OneHard Rock HallelujahMolitvaBelieveFairytaleSatelliteRunning ScaredEuphoriaOnly TeardropsRise Like a PhoenixHeroes1944Amar pelos doisToyArcadeZitti e buoniStefaniaTattoo
Contests
19561957195819591960196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Countries
AlbaniaAndorraArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBelarusBelgiumBosnia and HerzegovinaBulgariaCroatiaCyprusCzechiaDenmarkEstoniaFinlandFranceGeorgiaGermanyGreeceHungaryIcelandIrelandIsraelItalyLatviaLithuaniaLuxembourgNorth MacedoniaMaltaMoldovaMonacoMontenegroMoroccoThe NetherlandsNorwayPolandPortugalRomaniaRussiaSan MarinoSerbiaSerbia and MontenegroSlovakiaSloveniaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandTurkeyUkraineUnited KingdomYugoslavia
Miscellaneous
European Broadcasting UnionEurovision Song Contest
Junior Eurovision Song Contest
Winners
Dino JelušićMaría IsabelKsenia SitnikTolmachevy SistersAlexey ZhigalkovichBzikebiRalf MackenbachVladimir ArzumanyanCANDYAnastasiya PetrykGaia CauchiVincenzo CantielloDestiny ChukunyereMariam MamadashviliPolina BogusevichRoksana WęgielViki GaborValentinaMalénaLissandroZoé Clauzure
Winning Songs
"Ti si moja prva ljubav" • "Antes muerta que sencilla" • "My vmeste" • "Vesenniy Jazz" • "S druz'yami" • "Bzzz..." • "Click Clack" • "Mama" • "Candy Music" • "Nebo" • "The Start" • "Tu primo grande amore" • "Not My Soul" • "Mzeo" • "Wings" • "Anyone I Want to Be" • "Superhero" • "J'imagine" • "Qami Qami" • "Oh maman!" • "Cœur"
Contests
2003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
Countries
AlbaniaArmeniaAustraliaAzerbaijanBelarusBelgiumBulgariaCroatiaCyprusDenmarkEstoniaFranceGeorgiaGermanyGreeceIrelandIsraelItalyKazakhstanLatviaLithuaniaNorth MacedoniaMaltaMoldovaMontenegroThe NetherlandsNorwayPolandPortugalRomaniaRussiaSan MarinoSerbiaSerbia and MontenegroSloveniaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandUkraineUnited KingdomWales
Miscellaneous
Junior Eurovision Song Contest
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