Plenty of countries have a history of success at our favourite TV show. Some of these seem to have lost their winning touch, and don’t know what to do to get it back. Do you go contemporary and risk being generic? Or do you show off your own culture?
In 2013, seven-time winners Ireland, who had lost their touch a little, went down that traditional route. RTÉ threw together a vocalist – today’s birthday girl Kasey Smith – with some proper Irish dancers and instrumentalists. What could go wrong? After all, Irish pubs are in every major city in Eurovision-land. Well, maybe not enough people who visit Irish pubs were tuned in to vote on the warm semi-final Thursday evening. Eleven countries gave Kasey and co points, but she was in good company as a number of fan favourites also had to sit out the Saturday night too.
Kasey is 33 today.
Happy birthday/Lá breithe shona duit, Kasey!
This is Ireland 2014