Eurovision announcement! What could be better? Well, an announcement that it’s your own city, or that you put a bet on the host city three months ago at 100/1 and it’s come up trumps.
It’s apt that today we found out that Rotterdam will host the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest, and today’s birthday girl won when the contest was in the Netherlands. In 1970, we witnessed a pocket-sized contest in Amsterdam Amsterdam. Dana (née Rosemary Brown, now Scallon) won Europe’s hearts with her innocent little song. She perforned last on the night, and the nine points (out of 10) she got from plucky little Belgium practically sealed the deal on Ireland’s first win. So, with a winner in a Dutch city having a birthday the same day as a future host city’s announcement – is this a good omen for Ireland next year?
Dana is 68 today.
Happy birthday/Lá breithe shona duit, Dana!