#LIVE BLOG: Ireland’s Eurosong from 21.35GMT/22.35CET

Tonight Ireland decides what will carry the country’s hope at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö in May. Six acts are competing in the special Eurosong edition of the Late Late Show from RTÉ’s TV studios in Dublin.

We at Eurovision Ireland will be blogging the action here as it happens. You can watch the action on RTÉ1 if you’re in Ireland, and on RTÉ Player, which is HERE. Let’s hope Ireland can pick a song that can make it to the Grand Final on 11 May.

23.35 – That’s all from Eurovision Ireland tonight. We hope you enjoyed the show. Goodnight

23.31 – It’s Bambie Thug!!!

23.21 – Time for the public vote – after the break! Exciting

23.20 – 2 points to Next in line (14). 4 points to Isabella (6). 6 points to Erica (16). 8 points to JyellowL (12). 10 points to Ailsha (16) and 12 points to Bambie Thug (20)

23.18 – The national jury is next. How will they vote?

23.16 – 2 points to Isabella. 4 points to JyellowL. 6 points to Ailsha. 8 points to Bambie Thug. 10 points to Erica and 12 points to Next in line.

23.14 – Results time! The international jury first, who is from the UK.

23.13 – The song to win should be the one that blew our socks off. Bambie gets a name check. Bambie gets another name check, as does Erica. Bambie gets another name check. Interesting

23.10 – The votes are being counted, so the panel will give their true thoughts.

23.08 – We’re back. The voting lines are closed!

23.01 – Back to Patrick. He tells us the audience have each won a hamper from Spar and Eurospar to the value of €100! Lucky them

22.57 – Treat time. Genuinely. It’s Kalush Orchestra! Slava Ukraini

22.56 – Time for another recap

22.55 – Brooke Scullion recounts her Eurosong experience. She’s more nervous tonight.

22.54 – Back again. The juries are deliberating, we’re told.

22.47 – Time for another break

22.46 – We get the customary recap of the six songs.

22.45 – The lines are now OPEN!!!!

22.44 – The panel says it’s a party song. It’s the catchiest song of the six. Is it too safe? It’s a confident performance. A unique performance is wanted.

22.41 – Erica’s outfit leaves little to the imagination. Think Cher. She has four string-vested dancers with her. This song has a big eurovibe about it. A bit Modern Talking perhaps? And there’s a synthesiser sound too. It’s effectively staged and she moves well around the stage. For this, we even get a shot from the camera in the stage’s ceiling. This sounds like a winner, but may still need a bit of work to cope with a far bigger stage in Malmö

22.38 – Finally, song 6 is from Erica Cody. It’s Love me like I do

22.37 – They’re cute and stood out to Sonia. Don’t send a boyband to Eurovision says Arthur. There’s worry about them winning – they’d get eaten alive. They don’t need Eurovision

22.34 – Basic staging here, with just the five guys in stage. The singing is shared and they’re not doing a bad job of singing live. They’ve got this pretty well choreographed. It’s OK but there seems to be something missing. Maybe the backing track should be beefed up a tad more. However, it has the makings of a decent song if it wins tonight.

22.30 – Song 5 is from Next in line. It’s called Love like us

22.28 – Ailsha’s done her homework. The bubblegum punk vibe is being loved – but is it a novelty? Claire Grogan gets mentioned but is without a hook. It’s kinds like Cha Cha Cha. It’s different.

22.26 – A neon-lit staging. Ailsha’s sat at a school desk and has a band with her. Her green-clad brother is there too. It’s about the Irish people learn at school, hence the Daz Sampson vibe. It’s a bit wacky and there’s a lot – perhaps too much – going on. It’s banged beer casks, blackboards, and Blink 182. It’s a proper assault on the senses and is very memorable. More cheers.

22.23 – Song 4 is Go tobann by Ailsha. It translates as Suddenly

22.22 – JyellowL and Toshín are next. J says it felt amazing. He wasn’t nervous, but excited instead.

22.19 – Popular Bambie has her fanbase in. Her song is ouija-pop and she gets greedy with music. She’s theatrical she says. Ballet, Irish dancing, horns all feature in her outfit.

22.17 – And we’re back. Patrick is chilling with Isabella. Her performance felt good and everyone was singing along. She wants to make Ireland proud. She took part in the Sydney Rose of Tralee, so she has form.

22.12 – Ad break time. Back shortly

22.11 – Time for a word from our sponsor. Aer Lingus will fly two people to the US with $10,000 to spend. All people need to do is name that Marty. And only €2 to call. Go on, if you’re in Ireland, have a go.

22.09 – And we meet Erica. Patrick likes her coat. She’s ready to go with high octane and maybe smoke.

22.07 – Next in line were brought together after auditioning 2,000 hopefuls. A certain Louis Walsh has been putting them through their paces.

22.06 – Time to meet Ailsha, performing later. She has her brother with her. He’s in a green suit. She describes her song as chaos.

22.05 – It’s a grower, and really demonstrates Ireland’s contemporary music scene. J’s a poet. It’s cute, say the panel.

22.04 – J bounces on stage in a pretty decent suit. A dancer joins him, and the lyric is on the screen behind him. That’s a nice touch. three more dancers join him, as does Toshín. She has a stage presence too. J is really getting into his performance and the soaring vocals contrast really well with the earnest rapping. He even gets the crowd joining in. A pleasant performance.

22.01 – Song 3 is Judas by JyellowL. We interviews him. Check it out.

22.00 – This blows the panel away. It’s a performance. It’s amazing. And it’s captivating.

21.57 – Bambie is alone on stage, dressed in a short tutu-style dress and thigh-length boots. She’s flanked by two dancers that have to be seen to be believed – gimp suits with sturdy horns. The song flits between tune and rhyme and shout. Billie Eilish-ish maybe? It’s very arthouse and visual. There’s even instrumental stuff at the end as she shouts ‘blue’. You want different, and I mean different, then it ticks that box. And she’s adored by the audience.

21.54 – Song 2 comes from Bambie Thug. It’s called Doomsday blue.

21.53 – Isabella’s song would get played on radio. It has the “girl power” vibes, akin to Padam Padam. A good review

21.52 – Sonia (GB93) gets a story about a pair of red see-through knickers given to her in Blackpool.

21.48 – Isabella is in a glittering red trouser suit and has two instrumentalists with her. They’re also in red. During the first instrumental break she jumps around the stage. The song is a great opener and she gets a massive cheer at the end. It might not be a winner though.

21.45 – First one is Isabella Kearney. She’ll sing Let me be the fire

21.43 – There’s also a studio panel. They are Arthur, Louise, Sonia and Garel.

21.42 – The spokesperson for the televote is Brooke Scullion. That’s rich!

21.41 – Our international jury comes from Luxembourg, Finland and the UK, among others.

21.40 – There are domestic and international juries, each comprising a third of the vote. The remaining third comes from the discerning viewers.

21.38 – OGAE Ireland has a large presence in the audience this year. And Patrick is a popular bunny hereabouts.

21.37 – And we’re off. A bit of spoof voting, giving Patrick Kielty the gig of hosting the show. What larks.

Author: John Stanton

Source: Eurovision Ireland, RTÉ