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Last tickets available for Galway Cruise and Cycle Tour!

By
Frank Dermody
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OGAE Ireland is organising a Eurovision Day in Galway on June 21st, 2025.

For those adventurous enough we have an optional bike tour of Galway arranged, spaces are limited here, but it will start at 1pm and you get to tour the city of Galway from a group pedal bike while we listen to Eurovision songs, and even stop off along the way to a bar or two, this goes on for about 90 minutes.

For those not wanting to go on the cycle tour, the day will start from 3pm with a get-together in a pub in Galway where you can meet fellow Eurovision fans, enjoy a fresh beverage or two and some food from the bar.

The main event of the day will be a Corrib River Cruise from 19:15 until 22:15 on the beautiful Corrib Princess boat. We will party along the river for 3 hours to Eurovision tunes while enjoying the scenic beauty of the river and the lake Corrib. There will be a fully licensed bar on the boat.

Then, we’ll head towards the Roisin Dubh afterwards, with a few stops on the way!!

Plus, if you’re in Galway on the Friday night, we’ll be arranging a meet-up that night!

Be sure to be in our WhatsApp community to know the latest information on the day – you can find the link in our Member’s page!

TICKETS

There will be two tickets on sale – the boat cruise and the cycle tour. We kept them separate as we knew not everyone would want to do both.

NOTE: There are no tickets needed to The Roisin Dubh afterwards if you just want to go there.

ACCOMMODATION

At the time of writing this article we had a look for accommodation and Booking.com brings these affordable locations:

The Westwood Summer Accommodation

  •  84€ for a Double Room (as of now)
  •  2,6km from city center

Cúirt na Coiribe Summer Accommodation

  • 85€ for a Double Room (as of now)
  • 1,1km from city centre

The Nest Boutique Hostel

  •  – 65€ for a bed in a dorm (as of now)
  •  – 2,4km from city center

Dun Aoibhinn Guest Accommodation

  •  129€ for a single room
  •  189€ for a double room
  •  1,5km from city centre, closest to the after party

Places that have minimum stay (so people would have to come Friday evening)
But we can arrange for a meet up on the Friday as well

The Dawson Hostel

  •  111€ for two nights in a dorm
  •  right at the city centre

Woodquay Hostel

  •  92€ for two nights in a dorm
  •  right at the city centre

Galway City Hostel

  •  133€ for 2 nights in a dorm
  •  right at the city centre

Snoozles Galway City Centre

  •  150€ for 2 nights in a female only dorm
  •  right at the city centre

Kinlay Hostel Eyre Square

  •  146€ for 2 nights in a dorm
  •  right at the city centre

NIYL to represent Ireland in OGAE Second Chance 2025

By
Matthew Joyce
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Eurosong 2024 entry NIYL will represent Ireland at this year’s OGAE Second Chance competition!

 

 

NIYL won with 63% of the vote, after a poll of members following Eurosong 2025. 

OGAE clubs have until the end of June to submit entries. 

After that, voting is due to open on July 14th, and close around the end of August. 

Results are expected to be announced by the end of September. 

Italy’s first ever all-Eurovision event to take place in December

By
Matthew Joyce
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You read that correctly – Italy’s first all-Eurovision event is taking place in December 2025!

Eurofesta will be held in the E-work Arena just outside Milan on December 13th 2025!

15 Eurovision artists will be performing – with Efendi (Azerbaijan 2020/21) and Sunstroke Project (Moldova 2010 and 2017) already announced!

You can buy your tickets HERE, and be sure choose your favourite ticket under the ‘OGAE MEMBERS’ section, and enter the discount code OGAE-131225.

Alternatively, use this Ticketmaster link HERE, where the discount will be already applied!

For early entry tickets, you’ll get access into the venue an hour earlier – at 6pm rather than 7pm. Early entry tickets however are not part of the discounted offer.

Please also note that you can only buy one ticket per transaction.

Nordic Eurovision Party 2026 tickets now available – with special OGAE discount!

By
Matthew Joyce
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Tickets are now on sale for the 2026 edition of the Nordic Eurovision Party!

Taking place in Oslo on Saturday March 21st 2026, you’ll be able to enjoy performances from Eurovision legends, including some from the 2026 class!

There is an Early Bird special underway, for general admission and VIP tickets.

You can buy your tickets HERE!

There will also be a special OGAE Ireland discount for accommodation – with information coming closer to the time!

OGAE Ireland Donates €1300 to Doctors without Borders

By
Frank Dermody
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Our club has donated over 1300 Euro, raised through our annual sweepstakes for MSF/Doctors without Borders emergency Gaza Appeal. This is enough to fund 8 pieces of surgical equipment.

 

OGAE Ireland requests breakdown of Eurovision voting numbers

By
Frank Dermody
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OGAE Ireland is a club which celebrates diversity and supports inclusion across its activities. We recognise the crucial importance of public service and independent media in an increasingly polarised society, and the role that the European Broadcasting Union plays in this regard.

 Eurovision has historically been a place in which diversity is celebrated, and where people are free to be themselves. For those in and from countries where LGBTQI+ identities are criminalised or politicised, Eurovision sends a message that there is hope for a safer and more inclusive world. In its sometimes subtle and sometimes iconic way, Eurovision supports marginalised and stigmatised communities. This is the power of the contest that we love, the power of an independent media, and the power of music which unites.

 There have been multiple calls from international media organisations including our national broadcaster RTÉ for a review of the stability of the voting platform, and we echo those calls. We believe that the trust of the public and stakeholders needs to be secured with respect to the voting process. In order to promote transparency regarding voting in the context of a voting process which is classified, as well as promoting trust in the EBU more generally we would request the publication by the EBU of the following disaggregated by all participating countries: 

  • All voting data disaggregated by phone/text/internet votes for ESC final for years 2021-2025
  • All voting data disaggregated by phone/text/internet votes for ESC semi-finals for years 2021-2025 
  • All viewing figures for years 2021-2025

We support the calls for a review of voting processes and procedures for the 2026 contest, as well as for an open and transparent discussion of the future of the contest. In this context, the importance of independence in public broadcasting services is crucial, and KAN must be reviewed as to its compliance with the principles underpinning the philosophy of the EBU. The stated intentions of the Israeli government is to undermine the independence of its public media organisation KAN. The Public Media Alliance has stated that these measures would seriously undermine the freedom of the press. The European Broadcasting Union said that such measures would “have significant ramifications for the country’s democratic foundations” but even in the absence of such measures, the political independence of KAN  must be examined by reference to its actions. It is not sufficient to speak of independence and commitment to public service broadcasting: such commitment must be evidenced in practice.

 We believe that in considering the future of the competition, the EBU must consider the humanitarian crisis being perpetuated by the state of Israel. Ignoring the reality of the current situation, as the EBU has sought to do, is a political act. We sincerely hope that the 70th anniversary of the competition will mark a new chapter for the contest that we love, and an open commitment by all participating states to the promotion of democracy, and a respect for principles of international human rights, as laid out in the EBU’s Code of Ethics.

Frank Dermody 

Uachtarán Club leanúna na hÉireann Eurovision

Post Eurovision Depression Party – June 31st – Dublin

By
Frank Dermody
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0

 

Austria’s JJ wins Eurovision

By
Frank Dermody
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Austria’s JJ was crowned winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 following an action-packed Grand Final in Basel, Switzerland, on Saturday night.

After a nail-biting vote, the 23-year-old Austrian-Filipino artist topped the competition with 436 points being awarded to his song Wasted Love, with Israel’s Yuval Raphael finishing in second place with 357 points.

The singer, real name Johannes Pietsch, opted for simple black and white staging in Basel, which looked like a disastrous boat trip as he sang about someone he cared about being overwhelmed.

Tearfully accepting his award, JJ said: “Thank you, Europe, for making my dreams come true.

“Love is the strongest force in the world. Let’s spread more love. Thank you so much, Europe. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Vienna-born JJ is an Austrian-Filipino opera singer and has been studying at the Music and Art Private University of Vienna (MUK).

Previous Austrian wins include drag artist Conchita Wurst in 2014 with Rise Like A Phoenix, and 1966’s Udo Jurgens with Merci Cherie.

A total of 26 acts took to the stage at the St Jakobshalle arena for a typically wide-ranging show.

Ireland was not among the grand final acts after Norwegian singer EMMY failed to progress from the semi-final stages with her track Laika Party.

The Eurovision 2025 winner was determined by viewer votes in the participating 26 countries and juries made up of the music industry.

Source RTE 

Ireland Fails to Qualify for the Grand FInal

By
Frank Dermody
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Despite failing to qualify for the Grand Final last night, we could not be more proud of Emmy, who represented us this year. You will live forever in our hearts, like a party in the sky

‘Trying to keep the core of the Eurosong performance’ – Emmy after Thursday’s second rehearsal

By
Matthew Joyce
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Emmy has said her second rehearsal on the Eurovision stage in Basel went well, and that she is “really, really excited” to rehearse more.

Speaking after her leaving St. Jakobshalle, where she will perform ‘Laika Party’ in the second semi-final next Thursday, Emmy discussed the differences between the two rehearsals:

“We definitely have done some changes. And even after the first rehearsal, we had to do some changes because of the size of the stage, and the prop, that we didn’t know of,” Emmy said.

“There’s gonna be changes, but trying to keep the core of the Eurosong performance, or some elements of it.”

Yesterday was Emmy’s final individual rehearsal on stage. Her next performance in the arena will be on Wednesday afternoon, for the closed-doors full dress rehearsal of semi-final two, before she performs another three times to audiences for the Evening Preview, Afternoon Preview, and Live Show.

Be sure to stay up to date with the latest Irish Eurovision news on the OGAE Ireland socials – follow us on Instagram and TikTok!

Are you a member? If not, that’s ok! SIGN UP HERE to join our growing Irish Eurovision community!

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