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Ireland's 'banger' Eurovision entry has been unveiled

Lesley Roy will sing Story of My Life in Rotterdam in May.

THE IRISH ENTRY in this year’s Eurovision has been unveiled: Lesley Roy will sing Story of My Life in Rotterdam in May.

RTÉ invited established songwriters and artists to submit a song for consideration and made a shortlist from which Story of My Life was chosen.

Eurovision Song Contest / YouTube

Acclaimed theatre and events production company THISISPOPBABY will work on the staging and the creative direction of Ireland’s entry.

Roy is a singer-songwriter from Balbriggan in Co Dublin, who splits her time between New York City and Ireland.

She released her debut album, Unbeautiful, in 2008, and has written songs for artists including Adam Lambert, Miss Montreal and Jana Kramer.

Roy produced Story of My Life and co-wrote it with Robert Marvin, Catt Gravitt and Tom Shapiro.

The song had its first airplay on 2fm Breakfast and the video was released on the YouTube channel of the Eurovision Song Contest this morning.

Roy will perform the song on The Late Late Show tomorrow night.

Lesley Roy - Ireland  Eurovision - Image Luca Truffarelli Lesley Roy RTÉ RTÉ

Lesley said her mindset for the coming months is “to train, rehearse, prepare, perform, execute and hopefully bring Eurovision glory back to Ireland once again”.

“I’m very lucky that I am from the era of Niamh Kavanagh, Paul Harrington, Eimear Quinn, Riverdance years,” Roy added.

“I feel like the back-to -back years watching it live from the Point Depot with Gerry Ryan hosting and the explosion of Riverdance left a very deep impression on me as a kid.”

‘A banger’ 

Michael Kealy, Head of the Ireland Delegation for Eurovision 2020, said Story of My Life “is fresh and uplifting, it’s a banger”. 

Phillip McMahon, Creative Director at THISISPOPBABY, said the group wants “to encourage Irish artists, musical and visual, to get involved in future years – to show them that this contest is modern and fun and an incredible platform for their creativity”.

Roy will perform in at the first semi-final at the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest on Tuesday 12 May at the Rotterdam Ahoy Arena. Should Ireland progress to the finals, Roy will again perform at the arena on Saturday 16 May.

This will be the 65th edition of the contest. The event will take place in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, following the country’s victory at the 2019 contest in Israel with the song Arcade, performed by Duncan Laurence.

As of now, the shows are set to go ahead amid a growing number of mass gatherings being cancelled or postponed in a bid to stop the spread of Covid-19.

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    Mute Blind Faith
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    Mar 5th 2020, 6:32 AM

    Well . . the way things are shaping – up, with all this unnecessary panick over covid 19, there won’t be any euro vision song contest this year . . . every cloud & all that.

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    Mute Eugene Comaskey
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    Mar 5th 2020, 10:20 AM

    @Blind Faith: Hopefully it won’t be going ahead, it’s a joke really for years now, and A Total Waste of Money, Taxpayers money that RTE cannot afford to spend. Who the Hell is this singer anyway.??

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    Mute Tommy C
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    Mar 5th 2020, 10:47 AM

    @Blind Faith: yes, so unnecessary indeed. I mean screw old people and those with underlining issues and the few with no issues at all that die anyway. None of us no any of those guys. And while the virus spreads here at the same rate it did in China it’s good to know we can always alley our fears with a bit of blind ignorance

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    Mute ted hagan
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    Mar 5th 2020, 5:49 PM

    @Eugene Comaskey: It’s a joke but a massively popular one, judging by viewing figures.

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    Mute raymond flynn
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    Mar 5th 2020, 7:26 AM

    Why do we bother?

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    Mute Diarmuid Moore
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    Mar 5th 2020, 6:35 AM

    Don’t do it! At least one of the pop loving freaks will have heard the Social Distortion song. It’s My Lovely Horse all over again and she didn’t even change the name

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    Mute Chaos Ape
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    Mar 5th 2020, 10:15 AM

    @Diarmuid Moore: my lovely horse was catchy. I couldn’t get 30 seconds into it. I like EV but this is a tired format cash-in on diversity. Dont bother.

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    Mute Sea Graham
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    Mar 5th 2020, 7:08 AM

    And here we go. Wonder how much is going to cost us this year? I’m sure Dee well be out churning out the usual value for money tripe shortly

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    Mute Ed
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    Mar 5th 2020, 8:19 AM

    @Sea Graham: Are Ireland hosting the contest or what?

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    Mute Sea Graham
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    Mar 5th 2020, 8:26 AM

    @Ed: no but, there are still substantial costs involved to the tax payer, that bailed them out not too long ago and TV licence payers. That’s a double tax for an irrelevant semi state body that lives with its head in the clouds.

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    Mute Dave Martin
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    Mar 5th 2020, 9:26 AM

    @Sea Graham: so should RTÉ only spend money on things you like? Perhaps they might consult you on a daily basis before investing in anything?

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    Mute Sea Graham
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    Mar 5th 2020, 9:37 AM

    @Dave Martin: if they are as great as they seem to claim they should take on a pay per view model. They wouldn’t last a week.

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    Mute Ed
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    Mar 5th 2020, 10:39 AM

    @Sea Graham: The cost comes from the membership to the EBU unless you think they should leave that which would be a ridiculous idea.

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    Mute Pat Corrigan
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    Mar 5th 2020, 8:52 AM

    Won’t she sound muffled singing through a face mask though…

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    Mute Daniel Kelly
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    Mar 5th 2020, 5:00 PM

    @Pat Corrigan: Block voting means she doesn’t have a chance anyhow!

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    Mute Deborah Blacoe
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    Mar 5th 2020, 8:45 AM

    Wishing Lesley Roy well in the competition. I haven’t heard the song yet, but like it or not, it’s our entry, so that’s the one I’ll be backing. I don’t think a little bit of patriotism is politically incorrect in this instance, is it?

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    Mute Will Hamilton
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    Mar 5th 2020, 10:04 AM

    @Deborah Blacoe: Patriotism is just a shorter term for sheep herding. There is no patriotism in the lines of automons filing into Mass despite the foul crimes of the Catholic Church.

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    Mute Deborah Blacoe
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    Mar 5th 2020, 10:18 AM

    @Will Hamilton: Sir, this is a song contest. It’s a chance to wave the Irish flag as we do on St.Patrick’s Day. It is not a matter of grave importance. So, in this instance, I will wave my flag and cheer on the Irish entry.

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    Mute Chaos Ape
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    Mar 5th 2020, 10:22 AM

    @Deborah Blacoe: every year its the same block voting nonsense. Whats the point?

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    Mute Deborah Blacoe
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    Mar 5th 2020, 11:00 AM

    @Chaos Ape: does there have to be a point? It’s a little lighthearted fun in the midst of a lot of very serious world issues. It doesn’t hurt anyone and for a lot of people it is a chance to focus on something that gives a lot of entertainment to a world which is so very, very serious at the moment. Not everything has to have a point. Sometimes it’s just nice to do things which are fun.

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    Mute Barry Joyce
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    Mar 5th 2020, 2:27 PM

    @Chaos Ape: block voting? The winners of the last five contests are the Netherlands, Israel, Portugal, Ukraine and Sweden. Which block is this, exactly?

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    Mute Molly1952
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    Mar 5th 2020, 5:08 PM

    @Deborah Blacoe: I’m with you Deborah! It’s a bit of light entertainment. Who cares if we win or lose……it’s taking part that matters.

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    Mute David McDermott
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    Mar 5th 2020, 9:12 AM

    They’re not even trying to hid the fact they don’t want to win. Nil point again with that.

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    Mute Kelvin Farrell
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    Mar 5th 2020, 2:17 PM

    @David McDermott: Again? We’ve never ended up on “nil point”

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    Mute Peter
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    Mar 5th 2020, 6:47 AM

    Is there a clip?

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    Mute my name
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    Mar 5th 2020, 7:34 AM

    @Peter: why would you even say that? They’ll put one up now. Nice one Peter

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    Mute Niall Smyth
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    Mar 5th 2020, 9:22 AM
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    Mute Mark walsh
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    Mar 5th 2020, 10:07 AM

    @Niall Smyth: well done RTE another garbage flop

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    Mute John Hagin Meade
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    Mar 5th 2020, 10:12 AM

    @Niall Smyth: I have listened to the song which is certainly better then previous entries from Ireland in my opinion. I do however have one complaint and it’s this. Why do most artists, no matter where they come from, feel they must use an American ascent when singing? Are they ashamed of their own ascent? A person in the music business said it’s called “Vocalization”. I think this is rubbish. In their day, The Beatles sang in a very distinct Liverpool ascent and they didn’t do too badly!

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    Mute Peter Coen
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    Mar 5th 2020, 12:18 PM

    @Niall Smyth: Thank you Niall just heard the song. It’s ok IMO not going to win, unless the rest of the songs are of the same ilk.

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    Mute Peter Coen
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    Mar 5th 2020, 1:04 PM

    @Niall Smyth: great.

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    Mute Jason Cole
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    Mar 5th 2020, 4:58 PM

    @John Hagin Meade: Lesley has been spending her time living between USA and Ireland the last 15years+, so I’m sure the accent is bound to be picked up

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    Mute Vincent Hughes
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    Mar 5th 2020, 11:06 AM

    Heard it on Tubridy this morning. It’s got a good feel to it. She has a great voice. Come on Ireland.

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    Mute John Culhane
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    Mar 5th 2020, 1:15 PM

    That is effin woeful…

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    Mute Paul Duffy
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    Mar 5th 2020, 9:44 AM

    Curious about the selection process . Was it an open competition that was advertised or promoted? Was it open to all artists? What were the judging criteria ? You would expect all of this as the very ‘basics’ . I might be wrong, and all this was done .

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    Mute joanne healy
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    Mar 5th 2020, 12:25 PM

    Just heard it. It’s quite good.

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    Mute Ed
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    Mar 5th 2020, 8:24 AM

    The song is a sausage? That can’t be good.

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    Mute Mock the week
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    Mar 5th 2020, 8:13 AM

    Banger ? Mmmmm.

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    Mute WreckDefier
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    Mar 5th 2020, 1:58 PM

    Does the Irish public really care about this anymore?

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    Mute Dorothy Giselsson
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    Mar 5th 2020, 11:47 AM

    Does anyone even watch Eurovision nowadays?

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    Mute Phil Ellison
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    Mar 5th 2020, 7:52 AM

    I wish there was a Eurovision Song Contest, but for football instead. Now that I’d watch!

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    Mute Lien Lynch
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    Mar 5th 2020, 1:39 PM

    The Best of Luck to her!

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    Mute Mark walsh
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    Mar 5th 2020, 10:07 AM

    Well done RTE another garbage flop

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    Mute Marty G
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    Mar 5th 2020, 12:30 PM

    Good luck Lesley, up balbriggan!

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    Mute alan
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    Mar 5th 2020, 10:04 AM

    They should send that music that plays on the rte player during the ads. The dee forbes groans in it are really on the money

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    Mute Liz O'Neill
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    Mar 5th 2020, 1:31 PM

    Suffice to say,this, at least will not go viral.

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    Mute John C
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    Mar 5th 2020, 2:42 PM

    Pure shi.e Thank god.

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    Mute Conor Nolan
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    Mar 6th 2020, 12:00 AM

    It will do well.

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    Mute patrick mullarkey
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    Mar 5th 2020, 6:42 PM

    Best of luck to her. However it sounds as like a poor Katy Perry tribute act….

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    Mute Daniel Kelly
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    Mar 5th 2020, 5:07 PM

    Liked the lyrics ‘I don’t care’ for some odd reason?

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    Mute Johnsinker
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    Mar 5th 2020, 1:41 PM

    How do you co-write a song of any meaning

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    Mute Lien Lynch
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    Mar 5th 2020, 1:49 PM

    @Johnsinker: I give up, how do you,?

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    Mute Daniel Kelly
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    Mar 5th 2020, 5:05 PM

    @Johnsinker: Why did the chicken cross the road?

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    Mute Terry O'Neill
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    Mar 5th 2020, 2:16 PM

    Best of luck to Leslie. Fabulous performer and great ambassador for Ireland.

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