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New Petition Urges RTÉ to ‘Recommit to Eurovision’ and Fans

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This article was written by OGAE Ireland members Ryan Cunningham and Joe Cronin who are behind the Ireland’s Eurosong Future petition 

 

As Irish Eurovision fans, PED (Post-Eurovision Depression) isn’t the only thing we face after a season ends… there’s also the overwhelming sense of dread, and feeling that there’s no way Ireland could ever return to its glory days, all things remaining the same. 

Not only this, but we’re also exposed to both extremes of perspectives in the media and amongst the public on social media. It ranges from feelings that Ireland was ‘robbed’, that voting is nothing but ‘political’ and that Europe has an axe to grind with us; to turning on the very artists that put months of hard work into representing us. Then there’s us, in the middle, knowing that none of these views are going to make anything better. 

Frustrated by years of this cycle repeating itself, where our 10-year performance streak now comprises just two qualifications across ten contests, and little innovation or reflection appears to be happening to do much in the way of changing this poor streak, Ireland’s Eurosong Future was created with the intention to unite Irish fans that want more from our national broadcaster when it comes to Eurovision. 

Our core objective is to implore RTÉ, Ireland’s delegation broadcaster, to hold a public consultation period for interested parties (i.e. fans, songwriters, performers etc.) to submit their own perspectives and suggestions when it comes to all things that relate to Ireland at Eurovision. Since our petition was started in May 2023, we have amassed a very significant 1,100+ signatures to date, and this keeps growing. 

We are extremely confident that Ireland is far from a lost cause in the contest. From a Eurovision standpoint, we share the title of the most wins (7) with just one other country (Sweden); we’ve won the contest a staggering three times in a row; and again, with Sweden (Loreen) we have a two-time Eurovision winner in Johnny Logan, who also wrote Linda Martin’s winning song. Outside of the contest, Ireland is home to some of the world’s greatest musicians with an extremely talented, and increasingly diverse, music scene. 

Sadly, while Ireland is a very musical nation, there are a number of issues that occur, before, during and after the national selection process, and systemic issues with the broadcaster’s handling of Eurovision overall.

For one, we recognise that the internal Eurovision resource at RTÉ is effectively made up of one person who is not afforded the time or additional resources to give it the attention that it duly deserves, due to his other roles and responsibilities stretching him thin. All the while, many other participating countries afford either more time, or more heads, to their delegations. 

There is a lack of adequate strategy and planning in our process (likely due to inadequate resourcing and budgeting from RTÉ) and, as the saying goes, if you keep doing things as you have always done them, you will always have the very same outcome. 

To see change, we need to make change. 

Ireland’s Head of Delegation, Michael Kealy, was quoted saying “I think everything should be on the table to have a look at, absolutely” after our non-qualification in Liverpool this May, so we know there is a desire to explore solutions and devices for change. Now it’s time for RTÉ to carry through on this, and engage with us fans, whose perspectives are extremely valuable. 

We know, from various polls that we have run with our Instagram followerbase that confidence in RTÉ’s ability to bring about Eurovision success is very low, with just 13% believing the broadcaster can deliver Eurovision success. Furthermore, just 9% believe that the Irish delegation engages with Irish fans to a satisfactory level. 

Some other poll data includes the following:

  • 9 in 10 believe that the Late Late Show is unsuited to hosting our national selection
  • 5% are proud of our national selection compared to that of other countries
  • 9 in 10 do not believe the song submission period is adequately promoted
  • 70% do not think that artists consider representing Ireland at Eurovision to be an attractive thought 

There is a common notion that RTÉ’s attitude to Eurovision is not dissimilar to how it is portrayed in a very famous Father Ted episode. Our recent track record at Eurovision does not do much in the way of challenging this notion. With this in mind, we need RTÉ to recommit to Eurovision, and that starts by giving fans and musicians a platform to express their views. 

We want to focus on our shared goals with RTÉ, strengthening the link between the broadcaster and Irish fans of the contest through a solutions-oriented dialogue. 

At the beginning of the month, we reached out to relevant executives within RTÉ, comprising both the delegation, and more senior officials that we would be consider to be ‘decision-makers’, and urged them to consider this. As of yet we await a response from RTÉ, but are hopeful that the broadcaster will accept this opportunity to better engage fans and musicians, and to reassure the public that Eurovision is in good hands with RTÉ. 

We would like to thank OGAE Ireland for providing us with this platform to share our campaign.

Cork Pride

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It was a great honor to march in Cork Pride representing all our colours. This is the first of many public appearance the club will be present at going forward.

EuroBash Galway

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Announcing the first ever EuroBash in Galway on Saturday September 23rd in Bar Nova, Galway city

 

 

Join us in Cork Pride

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Join us as we march in Cork Pride Parade on August 6th, after the parade we’ll go to the party in the Docks and go to the Pav afterwards where Wild Youth will be playing! If you are interested in hanging around then drop a mail and we’ll fill you in. 

Groups will be assemble on Grand Parade, from Cork City Library down as far as the Boardwalk next to Electric from 1pm on Sunday 6th, and our team will direct you to your place in the running order on the day, so please please arrive with your group as early as possible, and no later than 1:30pm.

The Parade will start moving at 2pm and will take the route outlined on the map below, moving from Grand Parade to Patrick Street, and we’ll arrive at Kennedy Quay for the Cork Pride Party at the Port Afterparty for 3pm, which will run until 8pm.

EuroBash Carlow – August 12th

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Announcing the first ever Carlow Eurobash

 

Carlow has it’s first ever EuroBash on Saturday, August 12th in Teach Dolmen, Carlow town, starting at 7pm till 12.30

Travel info from Dublin

Meet: Eurovision 365

 

My name is Padraic Devlin, and I am the founder of Eurovision 365 Debate Facebook group and the YouTube channel Eurovision 365, where I produce a variety of content about all things Eurovision.

 

I have been a fan of the contest for over 30 years, and what I try to do is incorporate songs and performances from the extensive history of the Eurovision Song Contest. In fact at the start of most of my reaction videos about present day Eurovision, I always begin with a classic song from that nation.

 

My goal has always been to bring people together, as the entire Eurovision experience is always something that is better shared.

 

The Eurovision 365 Debate group has 5.5k members and has been going since 2010. This is a place where we can all come together to share our thoughts on all things Eurovision music.

 

The YouTube channel is an extension of this, where I share my reactions to new songs, commentate on old songs, interview Eurovision performers, past and present, and also ask general questions around the participating countries and songs from the Eurovision of yesterday and today. I like to think there is something for everyone.

 

I also run Live broadcasts across YouTube and Facebook, where we as fans can come together and experience the contest in real-time, and discover who will be going onto represent their respective nations together.

 

I have attended the Eurovision song contest myself a number of times, and love that feeling of being in the arena, around the fans and performers, it’s an experience that is truly priceless.

 

As a lifelong Eurovision fan, I am actively building something that is purpose built to bring people together to react, comment and share in a respectful and compassionate manner.

 

You are more than welcome to reach out to become a part of the Facebook community, the YouTube community or indeed both!

 

I also have a website Eurovision365.com, where I have a blog that delves into topics in more detail, as I said above, there really is something for everyone!

 

I look forward to welcoming you to the channel!

www.eurovision365.com

Malmo announced as host city for 2024 Eurovision

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The city of Malmo has been selected to host the Eurovision Song Contest in May 2024, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced.

Host broadcaster SVT and the EBU will host the 68th song contest grand final at the Malmo Arena on Saturday 11 May, with semi-finals earlier the same week on Tuesday 7 May and Thursday 9 May.

The southern Swedish city was chosen after singer-songwriter Loreen clinched victory in the contest for a second time with her power ballad Tattoo.

She became the first woman to win Eurovision twice while Sweden equalised with Ireland’s record of seven Eurovision wins in total.

he EBU said Malmo was chosen following a “city bid process” that examined facilities at the venue, the ability to accommodate thousands of visiting delegations, crew, fans and media as well as local infrastructure and other criteria.

Malmo will become the third Swedish city to have hosted the competition three times.

Martin Osterdahl, executive supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, said: “Malmo holds a special place in the history of the contest… we’re excited to be returning to this vibrant and dynamic city which has demonstrated it has the venues and infrastructure that are perfect for staging the world’s largest live music event.

“Malmo’s commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and innovation aligns perfectly with the spirit of the competition.”

Martin Osterdahl, executive supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest

Mr Osterdahl said delegations, fans, and the media will be able to navigate the city of Malmo because of its “compact size”.

He added: “Its commitment to sustainability and green initiatives also aligns perfectly with our own values.”

Tickets are expected to go on sale for nine shows, including dress rehearsals, later this year.

Courtesy of RTE NEWS 

RTE Opens up song submissions for 2024

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RTÉ is pleased to announce that Ireland will once again be taking part in the annual Eurovision Song Contest which will be held in Sweden in May 2024.

The Eurovision Song Contest is the world’s biggest live music show and one of the most popular annual television events on the planet reaching hundreds of millions of viewers in Europe and worldwide on social media platforms and is particularly popular with youth audiences and younger adult viewers.

RTÉ wants to hear from contemporary performers and songwriters with the talent and ambition to compete and succeed in this highly competitive environment. This is a rare and valuable opportunity for performers and songwriters to gain exposure on a global scale – the rewards for success can be significant and as a result the competition attracts top professional talent from all over the world.

The Eurovision Song Contest is a global phenomenon, it is the world’s biggest live music show and one of the most popular annual television events on the planet reaching hundreds of millions of viewers in Europe and worldwide on social media platforms.

The show is particularly popular with youth audiences and younger adult viewers throughout Europe. RTÉ wants to hear from contemporary artists and songwriters with the talent and ambition to compete and succeed in this highly competitive environment. This is a rare and valuable opportunity for artists and songwriters to gain exposure on a global scale – the rewards for achieving a top ten result in the final can be significant and as a result the competition attracts top professional talent from all over the world.

Submitting a Song

If you are an accomplished songwriter with a proven track record of success in the music industry, we would like you to submit an original song (with a suitable performer or performers attached) to be considered to represent Ireland.

All recordings of songs must be submitted in MP3 192kbps format and be complete, be professionally recorded and in their final form – no demos, unfinished work or substandard recordings will be accepted. Please include a photograph of the performer(s) and a short biog.

Submissions should have a performer or performers already attached, performer(s) must have the ambition, vocal ability, stagecraft and confidence to compete at the highest level before a global audience of nearly 200 million people. Performer(s) must have intrinsic and obvious appeal to the core youth audiences who make up a significant amount of Eurovision viewers and fans.

Entries will be considered by a panel of music and entertainment industry professionals and Eurovision fans selected by RTÉ. Performer(s) may be invited to audition in the RTÉ studios in Dublin.

A shortlist of songs and attached performers will subsequently be invited to perform on television early in 2024 when a winner will be selected to represent Ireland in accordance with a selection process to be confirmed by RTÉ.

Songs submitted must strictly comply with the rules of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. RTÉ reserves the right to arrange, produce or otherwise alter any song/performance selected for the purposes of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Each songwriter may only submit one song (including co-writes) for consideration. The submitted songs must not be submitted for consideration to any other country participating in Eurovision Song Contest 2024. In addition, the performer(s) attached to the submitted songs must not be submitted for consideration as performer(s) of any song submitted for consideration to any other country participating in Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Songs must be no longer than 3 minutes in duration.

The songs (lyrics and music compositions) must be original and must not be released or publicly performed or made available to the public (for example, but not limited to, on social media, online video platforms, social networks or (semi-) publicly accessible databanks and/or performed publicly, for example but not limited to during concerts) in full or part before the 1st September 2023.

In all cases RTÉ will have the final say on which song and performer(s) will be Ireland’s Eurovision Song Contest 2024 entry and RTÉ and the EBU will retain final decision on the eligibility of any entry and the application of the rules.

Entries will ONLY be accepted through the online form on www.rte.ie/eurovision. No entries will be accepted by post, on CD, cassette or any other format, nor will we accept links to Wetransfer, Soundcloud, Dropbox or to any other third-party sites such as YouTube, Spotify, Tidal or other streaming platforms.

Although we wish to encourage and identify promising new talent for the future, this is probably not an opportunity for beginners or people with limited or no experience of performing in public to large crowds.

The closing date for submissions is 6pm on Friday 29th of September 2023.

RTÉ reserves the right at any stage in the process to invite established songwriters and/or performer(s) to submit entries and to include any such entries in the shortlist of entries eligible for selection in RTÉ’s 2024 television final as RTE’s entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

OGAE Ireland cannot accept song submissions, you need to submit them to RTE directly.

Well done to Sweden!

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Sweden have won their 7th Eurovision title, matching Ireland’s 7 wins!

Loreen secured first place with her song Tattoo, and Finland came a close second with Cha Cha Cha by Kaaija.

Ireland failed to qualify from semi-final one.

Are you Ireland’s number one Eurovision Fan?

Here’s your chance to show your passion and win!

We are looking for Ireland’s biggest Eurovision fan. 

  • You can submit a picture of your costume or Eurovision collection
  • How sparkly have you made your pets outfit? 
  • A video tribute to your favorite entry, 
  • Are you hosting an event with others? 
  • How decorated is your house for the Eurovision itself?
  • Want to sing a song? 
  • Write a blog post or an essay?
  • Do you have a podcast? What is your favorite episode?

You get the idea, any and all entries are valid!

So what’s up for grabs? The winner gets first pick for the allocation of two tickets for next year’s Eurovision in 2024 when and if they become available.

How do I enter?

You can submit your entry via email to competition@ogae.ie  

Submissions are closed on September 14th. 

We will then choose the winner and announce it on September 18th

Who is eligible to enter?

Both users need to be paid members of OGAE Ireland before September 7th 2023 and, and also renew for 2024.(this is because the membership system required for access to these tickets is renewed every year), open to residents of Ireland or have an Irish background.

Minimum age of 16 years and older 

What is an allocation?

Every year the hosting TV station usually grants access to a small number of ticket packages for the semi finals and grand final to each fan club for the Eurovision, and these are then divided up amongst members of the club who have to purchase the tickets themselves.

This is a holding spot for a ticket to the actual Eurovision itself, it still means you have to pay for it in full but it is a guaranteed ticket to the Eurovision.

If you are unable to take the allocation then second place gets the prize, and so on and so on.

We’ll also have some spot prizes to give out 🙂

Any questions then please contact us on president@ogae.ie 

Wish you all a great Eurovision Season!