After finishing last in the semifinal on two consecutive editions, Ireland’s state broadcaster is considering changing plans for the selection of its representatives for the Eurovision Song Contest. The announcement was made by Michael Kealy, the country’s head of delegation, speaking to Irish Sun, stressing that the return to the national final is very likely: “I think it is time for us to ask the public again for their opinion on what we do, but we must find an effective and economical way to do it“, he said, after several participants called for the return of a selection gala.
“Other countries are able to invest significantly more money and resources in the selection processes, as well as preparation and support teams than a small chronically underfunded broadcaster such as RTÉ, which is a fact that we cannot ignore”, he recalled, stressing that any decision to be taken will have to take into account the very limited budget of RTÉ. It should be noted that Eurosong was last used in 2015: since then the country has chosen its representatives internally, marking only its presence in the 2018 Grand Final in Lisbon with Ryan O’Shaughnessy in 16th place.
