Fourteen year old Maiú Levi Lawlor will be representing Ireland this year with his uplifting, pop-rock anthem 'Saor (Disappear)'. Here is all the information you need on Maiú and his song!
Who is Maiú Levi Lawlor?
Maiú comes from the quant seaside town of Greystones, County Wicklow, on the eastern coast of Ireland.
Maiú rose to fame in Ireland four years ago when he appeared on the annual Late Late Toy Show, which had the largest viewership of any television programme in Ireland that year. The annual Christmas show, features the biggest emerging young talent in the country, and Maiú proved to be a big hit.
How did he get selected?
Maiú Levi Lawlor was selected following his win of Junior Eurovision Éire 2021. The show was broadcast on Irish language television station TG4, between September and October this year.
The final result was decided by an in-studio jury panel, made up of radio presenter Niamh Ní Chróinín and singer and guitarist Fiachna Ó Braonáin. Niamh and Fiachna were joined by guest judge Linda Martin, who won Eurovision for Ireland in 1992.
A total of three acts took part in the final, singing two songs each; one song which they had performed previously in the show, and one Irish Eurovision song. The jury members chose two acts to advance to the sing off.
- Maiú Levi Lawlor – “Hold Back The River” and “Only Love Survives”
- Lilyella Buckley – “Someone You Loved” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids”
- Sophie Lennon – “Circle of Life” and “It’s For You”
Maiú Levi Lawlor and Lilyella Buckley advanced to the sing off, with Maiú being crowned the winner with “Grace”.
Tell us about the song!
The title of the song, Saor, means Free in the native Irish language (Gaeilge). The lyrics refer to standing up with teenagers and grabbing life by the horns — not to care what people think and feel free to dance on the table. Maiú sings that ‘Inár gcroíthe tá muid saor’ / ‘In our hearts we are free’.
The song was written by a team of Irish and Maltese songwriters. Among the songwriters are Niall Mooney (co-writer of Ireland’s Eurovision 2010 song and Junior Eurovision 2019 song) and Anna Kearney (Irish contestant at Junior Eurovision 2019).
Scroll down to vote for your favourite song from Junior Eurovision 2021...
Sing along to 'Saor (Disappear)': Lyrics
Gaeilge (Irish)
Stop na lámha ar an gclog D’eirigh mo shaol
Mo shaol an-bheag
Éist leis an gclog
Le breis agus bliain Sheas an t-am go docht Gan chairde nó scoil Aon áit le dhul
Aon áit le dhul
Seasaigí
Cuma faoi Rialachaí
C’est la vie
Níl muid inár suí Na múinteoirí Zoom TV
Anseo anseo damhsa ar an mbord
Is cuma liom céard
a cheapann tu fúm anois Cloisim mo chara
Ag briseadh ón nós* arís Anseo, ‘sé fíor
Inár gcroíthe tá muid saor Éistigí liom agus
Seas le na déagóirí
Fanaigí liom don oíche
Lán le spraoi arís
Anseo, ‘fós saor
You can’t make us disappear You can’t make us disappear
‘nois táim anseo Comme si comme ca Ag teacht i dtír
Cloisim – Oo la la Cloisim – Oo la la
An tú mo ghrá?*
Mo chailín deas
Is me i bParii
an dtiocfaidh tú ar ais? an dtiocfaidh tú ar ais?
Seasaigí Cuma faoi
Rialachaí
C’est la vie
Níl muid inár suí
Na múinteoirí
Zoom TV
Anseo anseo damhsa ar an mbord
Is cuma liom céard
a cheapann tu fúm anois Cloisim mo chara
Ag briseadh ón nós* arís Anseo, ‘sé fíor
Inár gcroíthe tá muid saor Éistigí liom agus
Seas le na déagóirí
Fanaigí liom don oíche
Lán le spraoi arís
Anseo, ‘fós saor
You can’t make us disappear You can’t make us disappear
Saor a chroí Agus éistigí
Bígi Saor a chroí
Seasaigí
Cuma faoi Rialachaí
C’est la vie
Níl muid inár suí Na múinteoirí Zoom TV
Anseo anseo damhsa ar an mbord
Is cuma liom céard
a cheapann tu fúm anois Cloisim mo chara
Ag briseadh ón nós arís Anseo, ‘fós saor
You can’t make us disappear Éistigí liom agus
Seas le na déagóirí
Fanaigí liom don oíche
Lán le spraoi arís
Anseo, ‘fós saor
Inár gcroíthe tá muid saor
Inár gcroíthe tá muid saor
English translation
Stop the hands on the clock
My life, my life got very small
Listen to the clock
For more than a year
Time stood still
Without friends or school
Or anywhere to go – anywhere to go
Stand with me
Don’t care about rules
C’est la via
We’re not sitting down
The teachers
Zoom TV
Here, here
Dancing on the table
I don’t care
What you think about me now I hear my friend
Breaking out of the norm again
Here, it’s true
In our hearts we are free
Listen to me and
Stand with the young people
Stay with me for the night
Full of fun again
Here, still free,
You can’t make us disappear
You can’t make us disappear
Now I’m here
Comme si Comme sa
Arriving on the land here I hear ooh la la
I hear ooh la la
Are you my love?
My lovely girl
With me in Paris
Will you come back? Will you come back?
Stand with me Don’t care about
Rules
C’est la via
We’re not sitting down
The teachers
Zoom TV
Here, here
Dancing on the table
I don’t care
What you think about me now I hear my friend
Breaking out of the norm again
Here, it’s true
In our hearts we are free
Listen to me and
Stand with the young people
Stay with me for the night
Full of fun again
Here, still free,
You can’t make us disappear
You can’t make us disappear
Free, my dear and listen
Be free my dears
Stand with me
Don’t care about rules
C’est la via
We’re not sitting down The teachers
Zoom TV
Here, here
Dancing on the table
I don’t care
What you think about me now I hear my friend
Breaking out of the norm again
Here, it’s true
In our hearts we are free Listen to me and
Stand with the young people
Stay with me for the night
Full of fun again
Here, still free,
You can’t make us disappear
You can’t make us disappear
Ireland at Junior Eurovision
2021 will mark Ireland’s sixth appearance at Junior Eurovision following their debut in Sofia 2015. They are returning to the contest following a non-appearance last year due to the COVID pandemic.
Ireland has had mixed results at the contest and have only managed to make it into the top ten once. Despite this, interest in Junior Eurovision remains high and is proudly organised by Irish-language public broadcaster TG4, in order to promote the Irish language.
POLL: Which is your favourite song from Junior Eurovision 2021?
Who did you vote for? Who will win Junior Eurovision 2021? Let us know in the comments below, or shout out to us on our social media @eurovoxx
