Eurovision Song Contest 2023

Could be, perhaps there was a bit of nodding and winking going on there with the juries, maybe an agenda to get it to Stockholm for the 50th anniversary. Not saying there was because I don't know, but it looks a bit suspicious when you compare the Jury vote to the public vote.

Finland got around 45% more than Sweden in the public vote.

I think its time for Ireland to pull out now. There is no way smaller countries not surrounded by other countries will do well with televoting having such a big swing.

Any shenanigans are not going to favour Ireland anyway.

Notice that Irish success was diminished greatly when the televoting came in and never recovered.

Let the Scandinavians, Balkans and Eastern Europeans have it. They have the system primed for themselves anyway.

Ireland diminished greatly when the televote came in because almost every Irish song since then has not been up to par. Note also that Ireland also hasn't done well in the juries most years, except when they came 6th with Jedward in 2011. It's simple - send a good song that appeals to Europe and Ireland will do well.

Am I the only one who cannot stand Finland?

I honestly think Johnny Logan world be taking a risk y competing once again for us.

Maybe the less Rosie riskier option would be him performing for the county of his birth - Australia

if he wins we can claim it as an Irish win

I think I wouldn’t watch Eurovision again if they scrapped the jury vote, full of novelty acts and pure muck. Look at semi final 1 - Netherlands finished so low on public vote with a very good song and performance.

I think people were fatigued of Sweden being the heavy favourites and were looking for an upset. I've never seen (bar Ukraine) such heavy favourites. They were 2/5 this week. It probably went against them this week for the voting.

I still listen to this song.

What about Israel then? Who aren't even in Europe.

Belgium for me! :)

Louis Walsh should be nowhere near Eurovision selection. His acts never did well outside of English speaking markets and were mostly cover versions.

Linda Martin is also completely out of. She just sang the song. It was the song that won.

The Late Late Show is not an appropriate place to select the song. It has failed year after year. It caters for a certain market. Older audience, rural, likes being told what to think, probably likes GAA and country music.

There's nothing wrong with going for the older vote, everyone's votes count the same but if they are going for younger songs, they have to be made by younger people. Not 40 year olds in Hoodies, saying they are down with the kids.

I look at the top 10 and think the majority of those songs probably wouldn't have even made it out of selection. Nobody in Ireland would above came up with Finland's song. Loreen would have looked dreadful on the Late Late Show stage.

The system is inadequate.

Marty Whelan wasn't helping either. He was locked on Bailey's last night. His Twitter stream was full of him and Bailey's during it. He was constantly trying to allude to block voting. Probably to cover RTEs arse. RTE are constantly trying to allude to block voting, just to cover themselves.

Department of Culture needs to get involved, although I'd fear they'd get bogged down with box ticking and lobbyists. You win the competition to show off your country. It's about tourism, trade, your nation's public image. It is of national importance.

If you are a young European and look at Ireland constantly failing, you'd believe we are cultureless like the UK. There's probably an air of truth to it.