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Ireland: Niamh Kavanagh: “I had doubts about participating in Eurovision”

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In an interview with the news agency “Irish Mirror”, Irish singer Niamh Kavanagh discussed her participation in Eurovision as well as Ireland’s overall performance in the competition.

With the song “In Your Eyes”, Niamh Kavanagh won the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest representing Ireland. Seventeen years later, she participated again, placing 23rd with “It’s For You” in the 2010 competition.

At first, she said that she was unsure about her choice to enter the competition because those close to her had persuaded her not to.

I released “The Commitments” in 1990 and people asked me, “Why are you doing that?”.

I did it because it was a great experience, and I loved the song and I did wonder whether I should do it because people didn’t take it seriously then either.

We think about it now in a different way because we look back and we were successful, but the thing is if you stand on the stage and do what you do well, then that should be enough.

She went on to discuss Ireland’s recent performance in the competition and the unfavorable comments that the artists representing the country have to deal with:

I’m always in support of whoever they send because if anyone stands up as an artist here and actually represents us, I think they deserve a medal just for that one because they get a lot of slack.

They don’t necessarily get the support that they need when they go and I think that is a bit unfair because if they are up doing their best, we have to be in support of that. The only way that changes is if people get the support and encouragement to feel that this is going to be a positive experience for them, and it should be positive.

We don’t have to win to do well in it. We just have to be chasing a win. The win will come when we concentrate on what we do well in this country. There’s a lot of great talent but they don’t want to get involved in it because immediately when you’re involved in the selection process people say the same thing.

You may listen Niamh Kavanagh’s two Eurovision entries, from 1993 and 2010, respectively, below:

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Source: Irish Mirror

Ireland: Niamh Kavanagh will be the Irish spokesperson for Eurovision 2023!

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Niamh Kavanagh will be the spokesperson of Ireland during the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.

The spokesperson of Ireland for this year will be the one and only winner of Eurovision Song Contest 1993, with her song “In Your Eyes”. Niamh Kavanagh, was one of the contest’s winners, during the golden ages of Ireland, and then represented the country again in 2010. Tomorrow night, Niamh will return once again, in order to announce the Twelve Points of the Irish jury.

As of now, the foloowing spokespersons have been confirmed for Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool:
  • Albania– Andri Xhahu
  • Austria– Philipp Hansa
  • Azerbaijan– Narmin Salmanova
  • Cyprus– Loukas Hamatsos
  • Estonia – Ragnar Klavan
  • Finland– Bess
  • Greece – Fotis Sergoulopoulos
  • Ireland – Niamh Kavanagh
  • Israel – Ilanit
  • Italy – Kaze
  • Latvia– Jānis Pētersons
  • Netherlands– S10
  • Poland– Ida Nowakowska
  • Portugal – Maro
  • Romania– Eda Marcus
  • San Marino – John Kennedy O’Connor
  • Spain – Ruth Lorenzo
  • Sweden– Farah Abadi
  • Switzerland– Chiara Dubey
  • Ukraine– Zlata Ognevich
  • United Kingdom– Catherine Tate

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Eurovision 2023: Irish Eurovision winners support Belfast as Host City

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Amidst the increasing interest by cities within UK to host the ESC, Northern Ireland’s local press reports that seven past winners from across the island of Ireland, together with three Belfast City Councillors, are putting forward a strong case for Northern Ireland’s capital city, Belfast.

As we have previously reported, the Eurovision 2023 host city will be decided upon by the BBC and the EBU, with the final decision expected in early Fall ahead of the May 2023 contest.

A number of UK cities have already submitted bids, but to date Belfast City Council has not yet had a formal meeting about a potential proposal.

The aspirant bid

Belfast City Council’s idleness regarding a possible proposal propelled past Eurovision winners to join forces in order to trigger interest about the event’s multiple benefits for the local economy.

In the same context, three Belfast City Councillors are exerting their efforts in preparing for a bid as a matter of urgency.

One of the Councillors, Mr. Seamas de Faoite, commented that Belfast “is the best city to host the Ukrainian victors”, because people in Belfast “understand the promise and importance of peace more than any other host”.

According to the local press, Belfast ticks all of the EBU’s boxes and more:

  • The SSE Arena can seat 11,000 with the iconic Titanic Exhibition Centre next door
  • Belfast has a minimum of 9,600 hotel rooms, twice the number the EBU believes would be needed
  • Belfast International Airport, Belfast City Airport, along with the proximity of Dublin Airport and even City of Derry Airport

The winners

Dana Brown 

Rosemary Dana Brown won Eurovision back in 1970 when she was only 18 years old. She said about the prospect of Belfast hosting the Contest:

People in Northern Ireland have experienced the devastation of years of unrest and have successfully come through it. We understand and empathise with so much of the pain suffered by Ukraine’s people.

And like them, the people of Northern Ireland are steeped in music, culture, the arts, creativity and in particular, Eurovision success. An all-inclusive Northern Ireland bid for Eurovision 2023 should be held in the capital city Belfast, I believe it’s the very best place to represent the people of Ukraine.

Linda Martin is from Belfast, Niamh Cavanagh is now living near Belfast, myself and Johnny Logan’s father are from Derry Londonderry so that adds up to five Eurovision wins. Add Phil Coulter, the composer of UK’s first ever Eurovision win, Puppet on a String.

Belfast also has the full support of Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan who won Eurovision with “Rock and Roll Kids” so that takes us to seven winners.

Is it not fitting that Belfast could be the Eurovision host for Ukraine? We have the huge capacity SSE venue right next door to the globally recognised Titanic centre. We have very talented people at BBC NI and TV production companies as well as excellent logistics to facilitate.

Northern Ireland and Belfast can do justice to the people of Ukraine in hosting Eurovision 2023, not only because of our logistical abilities but because of our big-hearted and community-driven people.

Johnny Logan

Johnny Logan is the only performer to win the Eurovision Song Contest twice, first in 1980 with ‘What’s Another Year’, written by Shay Healy and then in 1987 with ‘Hold Me Now’ which he composed and performed himself. Johnny said:

Belfast should host Ukraine for Eurovision 2023 – and why not Belfast? Northern Ireland has produced so many great musicians and singers, my father Patrick O’Hagan among them, and hosting Eurovision 2023 would be a wonderful opportunity to highlight the positive side of the north of Ireland and its people.

So yes, I fully support the Belfast bid, it’s a great musical city with great people and I believe it can deliver.

Linda Martin 

Linda performed at the Eurovision Song Contest contest twice and won in 1992 with “Why Me?”. She said:

Belfast is perfect for Eurovision 2023. It’s a beautiful city with an 11,000 seater arena, thousands of hotel rooms and two airports, one of them right beside the world renowned Titanic experience.

Niamh Kavanagh 

Niamh won the competition in 1993 with the song “In your Eyes”. Niamh said:

Belfast would be an amazing choice to host the Eurovision on behalf of the Ukraine, it’s a thriving city with a great heart that understands surviving conflict.

Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan

They won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994, with “Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids”. Paul said:

I think it’s a brilliant idea. I lived and worked in Belfast for some years and it’s a sparkling place and the people are creative and talented. Music can unite and triumph. So yes, I fully support Belfast for Eurovision 2023.

Brendan Graham

Brendan is the writer of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids” in 1994, and Eimear Quinn’s winning song, “The Voice”, in 1996. Brendan said:

Belfast would be a super city to host Eurovision 2023, in partnership with Ukraine. The amenities are all there, not to mention the history and the surrounding beauty of Northern Ireland.

In some elemental and visceral way Belfast and its people might have a more natural empatico with the cities and people of Ukraine than perhaps other cities might have. Belfast is a city of hope and belief in the future…and would be a city of huge welcome and embrace for Ukraine.

What do you think? Is Belfast a suitable host city for Eurovision 2023?