"Of the 27 countries to have won the contest since 1956, Ireland and Sweden have won most often with seven titles each. Johnny Logan is one of only two performers to have won more than once, with What's Another Year in 1980 and Hold Me Now in 1987. He is only one of seven songwriters to have written more than one winning entry with Hold Me Now and Linda Martin's Why Me? in 1992."
"In those glory days from 1987 to 1996, Ireland notched up five wins plus a second and third-place finish. Only once were we outside the top 20 in that 10-year run. When we were kings. And since 1996, we've had no wins. The second-place finish in 1997 is the closest we have come to glory. In reality though, there hasn't been a sniff of a win in 30 years."
"The real reason why Ireland is a no-hoper in 2026 is because we won't be participating at all. RTÉ has decided to boycott next year's Eurovision Song Contest in protest at Israel's participation. The European Broadcasting Union confirmed that Israel will be allowed to take part next year. RTÉ feels that Ireland's participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there"
Ireland and Sweden each hold seven Eurovision titles. Johnny Logan won as a performer in 1980 and 1987 and also wrote multiple winning entries, giving him three Eurovision victories as singer, songwriter, or both. Ireland achieved a dominant run from 1987 to 1996 with five wins, plus high additional placings, but has had no victories since 1996 and only three top-10 finishes since 2000. Contributing factors cited include Eastern European expansion, changing musical tastes, and costlier modern performances. RTÉ has announced a boycott of the 2026 contest in protest at Israel's participation amid the Gaza humanitarian crisis.
Read at Irish Independent
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