#IRELAND: Live blog of Eurosong 2023 from 22.35 CET

Tonight, Ireland decides who will carry their hopes of an eighth Eurovision victory. Six contenders are up for the golden ticket to the shenanigans in May in Liverpool. We at Eurovision Ireland will be blogging the action as it unfolds from the RTÉ TV studios in Dublin.

As ever, you you can see our latest thoughts by hitting refresh. And you can watch the action HERE.

All times below are in GMT.

23.33 – Congrats to Wild Youth. Did the right song win? Tell us what you think. And goodnight from Eurovision Ireland

23.32 – It’s Wild Youth!!! Well done to them.

23.31 – 8pts to K Muni & ND (total 20). 10pts to Connolly (total 32). 12pts go to Wild Youth (total 34)

23.30 – 2pts to Leila Jane (total 6). 4pts to Adgy (total 16). 6pts to Public Image Ltd (total 18)

23.29 – Connolly and Wild Youth lead on 22. The public vote will decide the winner!

23.29 – 2pts to Leila Jane. 4pts to Adgy. 6pts to Public Image Ltd. 8pts to K Muni & ND. 10pts to Connolly. 12pts to Wild Youth

23.27 – Irish jury now…

23.26 – 2 pts to Leila Jane. 4pts to K Muni & ND. 6pts to Public Image Ltd. 8pts to Adgy. 10pts to Wild Youth. 12pts to Connolly.

23.25 – We’re getting the international jury results…

23.20 – Wild Youth and Connolly appear to be the panel favourites.

23.18 – The public is voting apparently.

23.11 – Time for another break.

23.10 – Voting is over. We have a winner in there somewhere.

23.09 – Niamh is hopeful for tonight. All songs had heart, but she wouldn’t pick a favourite.

23.06 – In your eyes (performed by Niamh Kavanagh!) finishes off. Nice

23.05 – Toy, Hold me now, Ding dinge dong, Waterloo, Think about things

23.04 – A Eurovision Megamix of course. Fairytale, Just a little bit, Euphoria included.

23.03 – Cabaret time. Who could it be?

23.02 – The audience has a prize tonight. It’s peanut butter and a €50 shopping voucher for everyone.

22.59 – A fan in the audience – Gerry Martin, you might know him – likes Connolly best.

22.57 – There’s an Eimear Quinn in the audience. No, not that one.

22.55 – We’re back, with a brief recap.

22.47 – Time for another break. Back shortly.

22.44 – The lines are open for the public. Exciting!

22.42 – The panel says it’s a Tiktok song. And the genre is popular.

22.40 – Rap is here. With an R&B tip going on too. There are dancers, backing singers, and the two guys owning the stage. This also has a hook of sorts and umbrellas feature, naturally. It’s a fun way to end a song, and very very un-Irish. That might help it.

22.37 – Song six comes from K Muni and ND. It’s called Down in the rain.

22.36 – More positivity from the panel. It packs a punch. Coldplay vibes. But will it stand out?

22.33 – This has a Swedish writing credit, and it shows. The song is about being yourself and has something about it. It’s anthemic and uplifting, and would go down a storm on a big stage. This is good.

22.30 – Song five comes from Wild Youth. It’s called We are one.

22.29 – The panel love it. An incredible performance, with shades of Kate Bush.

22.26 – We’re getting a moody song. Jennifer has a proper band with her, meaning business. The chorus is almost a hypnotic chant and very memorable. The short verses add to the good vibe, and she has a great voice. This is the one to watch now.

22.23 – It’s Connolly now, from Co Galway. She’s singing Midnight summer night.

22.22 – Leila busks a little on Grafton Street. Adgy has a good voice for radio, says Marty. K Muni and ND from Longford and it’s the best place to be.

22.19 – We’re back. Three acts to come, so quickly back to Marty in the Green Room.

22.12 – We’re getting a short commercial break now.

22.11 – Mixed reactions as to whether it’s the right song for Eurovision, despite the back story.

22.08 – John’s voice has a quality that can’t really be described. Engaging and entrancing perhaps. He’s also looking very emotional, which could be affecting his performance slightly. It’s nicely chilled though.

22.04 – It’s Public Image Ltd time now. They will sing Hawaii.

22.03 – The panel tells us it’s radio-friendly, which it is. They love the catchy hook.

22.00 – This has a decent beat going on. Adgy is joining in with the dancing and he has the moves. There are no nerves here and he’s using the modest stage to its fullest. The crowd love it.

21.57 – Song two is from Adgy, who we’ve interviewed. He sings Too good for your love.

21.55 – The panel is nicely positive for Leila.

21.53 – Leila has two dancers with her. They stick close to her. The song is nicely uplifting and positive. And my foot’s tapping, which is a good thing. Leila’s maybe a tad nervous, but it’s not affecting her performance. She’s done well and it’s a great opener.

21.49 – Leila Jane is in first. We’ve interviewed her.

21.48 – Marty chats to the acts. John Lydon has an Irish passport. And Irish underpants apparently. Wild Youth wrote their song in Sweden. Jennifer Connolly wrote hers when she was 17.

21.45 – The mercurial Marty Whelan is in the Green Room.

21.43 – There’s also a studio panel, which includes Jedward.

21.42 – A national jury makes up another third of the vote. And the public make up the remaining third.

21.41 – The international jury includes Emmelie de Forest and Paul Jordan. They make a third of the vote

21.38 – Our host tonight is Ryan Tubridy. Looking very dapper.

21.37 – And we’re off. Lots of old ESC logos. Lovely.

Author: John Stanton

Source: Eurovision Ireland, RTÉ