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The Daily PollFORMER WESTLIFE STAR Nicky Byrne has been chosen to represent Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest next May, after RTÉ did away with the competition-and-mentor style format used to select recent contestants.
Despite holding the record for the most Eurovision victories, Ireland has been on a losing streak since 1996, when we last won the competition.
RTÉ is hoping for a change in fortunes with this year’s entry, Sunlight, a song co-written by Byrne with composer Ronan Hardiman and British songwriter Wayne Hector.
Listen to it here, and let us know what you think.
This morning, we’re asking: Could this be the year Ireland finally wins the Eurovision?
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Welcome to Ireland. A country that puts mediocrity on a pedestal. Where the entertainment industry is a closed shop and the connected few get all the jobs and opportunities. I feel sorry for the talent in this country that doesn’t even get a look in. And there’s a lot out there. Infuriating as fu#k
Well said Gareth
I felt the same watching ‘rebellion’ I was expecting an appearance from Kathryn Thomas,
Which of the 1916 martyrs do you think Nidgy will play ?
She needed a bit of a rest I think but if you listening carefully on a still night you can hear her even when she is not near a microphone. I have agree 100% with Gareth though. Does multi millionaire really need another job, afterall, it’s not as if he is talented in any way!
Am I correct?
Nicky Byrne, currently a presenter on RTE Radio, has been chosen, by RTE, to represent Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest?!?
And how much of the money raised by our payment of the tv licence is going towards this?
I heard him on red fm this morning saying he approached the powers that be with this track and they loved it. Isn’t it great to have such few obstacles in your way. No doubt all aspiring hard working musicians out there are rejoicing today.
I don’t care about eurovision myself but if they must waste our money on it I expect a competition and give everyone that wants it a chance.
Not RTE looking after its own on taxpayer money. It is disgusting. Nothinh personal against the lad. Sick of RTE looking after themselves. I’d ring Joe only he is RTE as well.
Typical RTE rubbing Fat
“Nicky Byrne, currently a presenter on RTE Radio, has been chosen, by RTE…”
“Nicky Byrne, Bertie’s son-in-law,currently a presenter on RTE Radio, has been chosen, by RTE..”
Well said.
Curious is Wayne Hector was paid for writing the song (not sure what part Hardiman played) by RTE upfront, or if this was a solo run by Byrne to get free promotion from the state to a vanity project? Either way, it will enrich both and the commissioning/picking a song and video should be investigated.
Sure doesn’t it give the commentators on this site something to complain about?
Cr ap song and singing too
Just heard a bit of the song on 6 1 and sure it is westlife brand. Not my cup of tea but whatever. Anyway ad are in and the “sexy and i know it’ is on … could Kathryn Thomas not do that instead?
Pull out of EV and stop wasting my tax money please
Or feck it … dobbo and sharan singing especially for you
He couldn’t sing when he was in Westlife, what makes him any better at singing over a decade later?
We let Jedward go for it twice. I don’t think being able to sing rates to highly.
No who cares option ….
We would have a better chance of winning if we sent the parsnips in the photo to the competition.
Maybe we should just send the turkey again!
Judging by the photo absolutely not
Its time to send Johnny Logan back again……or Chris Doran….
Judging by the song and the singer absolutely not
He can barely sing and no one has ever heard of him outside Ireland and the UK.
What’s the photo got to do with anything?
Why are we sending another turkey?
Who’s been at the pop song formula machine again then?
I’ve just listened to it. It’s quite bad and the vocal is weak. Good ad for strepsils tho…
Can we win ? Followed by a pic of Nicky Byrne posing with a crate of vegetables .
Not a hope !!
Has anyone ever heard him sing before apart from moving his mouth when with Westlife.. then again if he can’t it probably doesn’t matter much as the rubbish that’s winning Eurovision these days is hardly worthy to be called talented.. Its a bit of a slap in the face though by RTE to all the songwriters and singer throughout the country that didn’t get a change to air their songs.
Where is the hahaha good one option@
Really who cares !
1. People who can actually sing 2. People who write songs
The favourtism in RTE is the same amongst the countries voting for each other, I didn’t see last years and definitely wont see it this year.
This whole thing reeks of plastic boyband music and Louis Walsh. It is insulting to anybody who likes “real” music.
Just one word….Cringe
The poll seems to suggest that we are wasting our time at the Eurovision, so why waste our money.
Because half the country will be watching it come May.Its a ratings winner for RTE because people will either tune in to support Ireland or watch nicky crash and burn depending on your viewpoint.
Just because we don’t see ourselves winning, doesn’t mean people won’t watch.
Nicky Byrne standing in front of pictures of Nicky Byrne.
Wouldn’t make a difference if we sent Johnny Logan again it’ll be a eastern block country or Scandinavian that’ll win ireland is tiny compared to some of these countries and plus they all stick together
Rubbish. Every song we have sent the last decade or 2 has been shite. Deluding ourselves to think we could win sending complete muck. If the song is decent or the act performing it is a bit different or strange it has a chance. We have had no chance with what we have sent.
I live in sweden and every year they have at least 4 songs in Melodiefestivalan ( the competition to choose their entry) that could easily win!!
The whole country gets behind the artists here.
Now there’s a smug face you would never tire of punching.
Himself and Bertie could do a duet of “Don’t upset the Appletart!”
I’ve listened to it and it’s something about standing in the sunlight but shur I couldn’t really understand it, I mean like, what the hell is the sun?? Full o’ notions if you ask me.
Send real talent for Christ sake ..
This should be given back to the songwriters of Ireland to try unearth a new talent and give opportunities to up and coming performers. It is a song contest judged by the public. Please rte, give it back to the people. Nor the “chosen few” of donnybrook. It’s a terrible competition but could give and opportunity to someone deserving of it.
are a Australia in it again this year
say again ?
Weak song. Should finish in the bottom half.
Glad though the song isn’t selected by or associated with in any way with Marty Whelan, Linda Martin, Phil Coulter or any other dinosaur.
Ireland will never win it again. It is even pointless entering it.
Not unless Panti represents us and sings My Lovely Horse. That’s the standard that we have to get to.
God, I hope not
The so called professionals selecting songs are crap. Why not pull out of contest. If not bringing back a real song contest where 32 counties represented then reduce to 16 then 8. That be final and only public can vote
Took the time to watch video on you tube ….. That’s 60 seconds I wasted …
Not a bad entry. At least it’s upbeat
No . Father teds my lovely horse would stand more of a chance than bloody nicky Byrne
I would have more chance of winning the Euromillions
What you see happening here is all too typical of the way in which business is done in Ireland. It is by no means only an RTE issue. Its who you know and how you are connected. “Great Little Country” TO DO BUSINESS IN!!!!!
That photo from the ploughing championship was taken by accident. They had the carrot and parsnips and somebody shouted “we need a cabbage”….
Let’s be serious for a minute and look at this scientifically, Abba, Celine Dion, France Gall, Sandy Shaw…Nicky Byrne….ha,ha,ha,ha…
Why read about it then?
Not a chance! All voting is done on political lines. Yugoslavia now has a maximum of 72 votes (. 6x douz point). Plus all the other Slavic nations generally co operate with each other. No more wins for Ireland I’m afraid. Time to stop wasting money and withdraw gracefully.
So why doesn’t a former Yugoslavian country win every year? This voting blic theory is bull.if it was real the same few countries would be winning all the time.
Ireland used to win when there was about 10 countries competing not like 40, if we can’t win with dustin then what hope has this turkey.
gobble gobble maybe start paying off some of your eddie hobbs ill advised property debts, no? oh yes the tax payer picked them up for you I forgot.
RTE clique.
Representing Ireland is a man who used to be a pop star. The decision to do away with normal protocol by his workmates/colleagues in RTE is disgusting and I won’t be giving him my support, nothing personal.
Lets all just forget about the hardworking musicians out there who deserve a break and need a little publicity, a national audience. They can’t get on national TV because the have no pals in RTE, simple as that.
Billy McGuinness we want you to run the competition next year
GOD HELP US,
I’m just glad we don’t have to endure Derek Mooney’s daily Eurovision “stories” for the next 6 months.
In recent years the Euro vision has become more of a spectacle & electro/dance songs with catchy lyrics seem to be what wins it. That’s what we need.
Send The Rock & Roll Kids.
It’s only a bit of fun. I was not a Westlife fan, but heard Nicky on the radio this morning. He has a good team behind him, and sounds enthusiastic about it all. Best of luck to him!
Another Bertieism would be appropriate here- “That’s a Turnip for the books.”
Where is the “I don’t care” option?
Then why did you click on the article?
The Eurosong is a highlight of the year, signalling the impending Eurovision madness. Sad to see it go.
Go away!
Liking the picture of all the vegetables, not too sure about the cabbage though.
No thanks it’s rubbish and we have won enough time . We have more important things to be spending g our taxes on thanks very much
Who in their right mind would want to be in the Eurovision…..?
I hope not
Sounds like a Bryan Adams cast off ….and the video an ad for teeth whitening treatments…..and we thought Ronan was talentless….hilarious
You still seem to think it’s a song contest! I blame Dana international it went downhill from there
The pubs use to be packed on Eurovision night just to escape that bull…
Shur the day you can’t have a drink is the day Ireland don’t win the Eurovision !
I hope not.
Ireland’s David Bowie
Apparently nobody is interested. Yet this piece alone has 3 times as many views as the article about this summers olympics in Rio.. and 10 times as many comments,which are overwhelmingly negative. Funny that.
Because people are angry at this corruption
He could never win as the Eurovision is about FREAKS, that are the only ones who win that sh…te.
On exposé tonight:
Nicky “I rang Louis Walsh to tell him and he said the song was nice but I wouldn’t win but that’s a compliment from Louis”.
How embarassing…and to repeat it… Dear god..
More chance of his father in law remembering about his non-existent bank accounts than he winning.
Not watched it in years and this drivel is not going to have me tuning in either.
It looks like the vote is unanimously so who is really going to represent us this year??
Doh! unanimous
RTE is a real private club.No talent waste of our money
They need to go back to the national song contest set up let the public vote on it.The acts that won eurovision for Ireland were all chosen after a national final. Yer man here just went to his RTE bosses & offered them a cut of the royalties so they snapped his hand off.
This is actually embarrassingly bad, as though he had tried to make a totally rubbish, cringeworthy song…this man needs help.
Unlikely because countries vote for their neighbours and as an island the UK is our only one. We’ve lost our Eurovision mojo.
Yes! Come on Ireland, we can do it! And disgraced former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern can sing the backing vocals.
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