Ireland’s seven Eurovision wins
- 1970: Dana, “All Kinds of Everything”
- 1980: Johnny Logan, “What’s Another Year”
- 1987: Johnny Logan, “Hold Me Now”
- 1992: Linda Martin, “Why Me” (written by Johnny Logan)
- 1993: Niamh Kavanagh, “In Your Eyes”
- 1994: Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids”
- 1996: Eimear Quinn, “The Voice”
For a small country, Ireland has an extraordinary Eurovision record: seven wins, including three in a row in the 1990s, something no other country has ever done. For a while it felt like Ireland won every year, to the point where the country joked about whether it could afford to host again.
Here are the performances that made Ireland Eurovision royalty.
1970: Dana, “All Kinds of Everything”
Ireland’s first win came from an 18-year-old schoolgirl from Derry. Dana, in a simple white dress, sat on a stool and sang a gentle song about all the little things that remind her of someone she loves. It was a world away from the big productions of today, and it won Ireland its first Eurovision.
1987: Johnny Logan, “Hold Me Now”
Johnny Logan had already won for Ireland in 1980 with “What’s Another Year”. In 1987 he came back with a song he wrote himself, “Hold Me Now”, and won again, becoming the first performer ever to win Eurovision twice. Five years later, he wrote “Why Me” for Linda Martin, which won in 1992, giving him a third win as a songwriter. To many Eurovision fans, he’s simply “Mr Eurovision”.
1993: Niamh Kavanagh, “In Your Eyes”
In 1993 Ireland hosted the contest in Millstreet, a small town in Co. Cork with a population of around 1,500 that had a large equestrian arena. Europe wondered how a country town could host the biggest TV show on the continent. It pulled it off, and then Niamh Kavanagh’s powerhouse ballad “In Your Eyes” won it for Ireland again, on home soil.
Three in a row, and Riverdance
The 1994 contest came to Dublin, and Ireland won for a third year in a row with “Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids”, a quiet piano ballad by Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan. But that night is remembered just as much for the interval act: seven minutes of Riverdance, which changed Irish dancing forever.
Ireland won again in 1996 with Eimear Quinn’s haunting “The Voice”, its seventh win, and its fourth in five years.
After the glory years
Since 1996, Ireland has found Eurovision much harder, and the country has had some memorable entries that didn’t win: Dustin the Turkey, a puppet, in 2008; the twins Jedward in 2011 and 2012; and Bambie Thug, who brought Ireland back to the final in 2024. But the seven wins, and especially the run of the early 90s, still make Ireland one of the most successful countries in the contest’s history.
Ireland at Eurovision FAQ
How many times has Ireland won Eurovision?
Seven times: 1970, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996.
Who won Eurovision for Ireland twice?
Johnny Logan, in 1980 and 1987. He also wrote Ireland’s 1992 winner, “Why Me”.
Has any country won Eurovision three times in a row?
Only Ireland, in 1992, 1993 and 1994.
When did Ireland last win Eurovision?
In 1996, with Eimear Quinn’s “The Voice”.
More Irish music
- Riverdance at Eurovision 1994
- Sinéad O’Connor’s Nothing Compares 2 U
- Hozier’s Take Me to Church
- The Spark
Featured image: still from the Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel.
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