Subsequent Could, the UK will host the 67th Eurovision Tune Contest. If three members of Belfast Metropolis Council get their means, it will likely be hosted in Belfast.
Seamas de Faoite (SDLP), Anthony Flynn (Inexperienced) and Micky Murray (Alliance) are spearheading a marketing campaign to convey the Contest to Belfast, with a proposal to enter the bidding course of being thought of by the Council and assist being supplied by political representatives throughout the town. In addition to an lively twitter account, the marketing campaign has secured the endorsement of 5 of Eire’s six Eurovision-winning artists, in addition to setting out how Belfast meets the strict standards for a number metropolis set out by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
Regardless of by no means coming into in our personal proper, internet hosting the competition can be reflective of a deeper historical past of native involvement in Eurovision historical past.
Solely eleven international locations have gained greater than twice, however, of Northern Eire’s individuals, Derry’s Dana (1970) and Belfast’s Linda Martin (1992) each took dwelling the trophy. We will take credit score for one of many United Kingdom’s 5 victories, too, with the melody to Sandie Shaw’s “Puppet on a String” (1968) being written by one other Derryman within the type of Phil Coulter. Coulter wrote Cliff Richard’s “Congratulations” the next yr, which positioned second, one thing Martin additionally achieved in 1984 with the Johnny Logan-penned “Terminal 3”.
Final yr’s Irish entrant was from north of the border too, with Brooke Scullion being born in Bellaghy and finding out drama at Ulster College. She solely completed 15th within the second semi-final in Turin, failing to qualify for the Grand Last, a disappointing consequence for a intelligent observe that gave the impression to be barely let down by its staging. Any native songwriters who consider they will do higher can begin writing now, with EBU guidelines permitting any music launched after 1st September to be entered, and RTE having applied an open submission kind on their web site to solicit entries for 2022.
The historic success of each Eire and the UK may arguably be seen as a advantage of circumstance – in all however 5 contests between 1956 and 1999, they had been two of solely three international locations allowed to sing in English. (You may be acquainted the comfort of this stipulation within the mid-Seventies, within the type of ABBA not being pressured to sing “Waterloo” in Swedish.)
Regardless, Dana’s triumph in 1970 was a slice of pure and ideal Eurovision cheese – virtually sickly candy and unashamedly earnest, her teenage smile and no-frills efficiency matched the music completely. Europe may not have appreciated it, however her background within the Bogside, within the circumstances of Could 1970, added poignancy to her sentimentality. “All Sorts of The whole lot” was successful throughout Europe, and helped her carve out an extended and barely eccentric profession, together with singing the music for Northern Eire’s 1982 World Cup marketing campaign, performing because the opening act for Pope John Paul II within the New Orleans Superdome, serving one time period as a Member of the European Parliament and making two failed tilts on the Irish Presidency on a socially conservative platform.
Dana’s victory additionally led to some acquainted political points surrounding Eurovision, with the BBC anxious as to how the British entry the next yr can be obtained amidst escalating violence. An answer was discovered with the entry of Clodagh Rodgers, who was not solely a well known singer within the UK and Eire, however was born in Warrenpoint. However, she obtained dying threats from the IRA whereas collaborating within the contest. Her music, “Jack within the Field” completed a well mannered and creditable fourth.
Northern Eire’s subsequent victory, by Linda Martin in 1992 – the primary Contest following the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, held on Europe Day – was, in contrast, an ideal execution of the method which gave Eire an unprecedented run of success within the Nineties. A robust and wistful ballad, shifting between main and minor keys, sung with emotion and easily staged. (1993’s winner Niamh Kavanagh had slightly extra assist in executing this set of tips, as her demo was recorded by a then-unknown Idina Menzel, later to be the voice of Elsa in Disney’s Frozen, who urged the important thing change within the closing refrain).
Each Dana and Linda Martin have their place in Eurovision historical past, however Eire’s successful run prompted its personal points, given the prices of internet hosting and staging the competition. In 1971, the programme had been solely RTE’s second reside outdoors broadcast, and the elevated manufacturing values twenty years on, which included as soon as selecting to stage it in an equestrian centre in Millstreet, County Cork, had been critical.
The joke of Eire attempting to lose with a view to keep away from the internet hosting charges grew to become so well-worn that it offered the plot to an episode of Father Ted – and the music to that was Northern Irish too, with County Fermanagh’s Neil Hannon writing and performing each “My Pretty Horse” and “The Miracle is Mine”, the 2 duelling entries on the fictional Irish nationwide choice. (The previous of which nonetheless will get requested by shouts from the viewers at Divine Comedy gigs, regardless of him writing two different Eurovision parodies since.)
Whereas an undoubted fodder for comedy, the budgetary points for RTE had been a significant concern behind the scenes, with exploratory talks held with the BBC on plenty of events to establish whether or not it could be doable to co-host. The place? In Belfast, after all.
The ultimate level the place this hypothesis was raised was forward of 1997’s present, the fourth in 5 years held in Eire. A fifth victory could have proved a bridge too far, and with the Waterfront Corridor opening and ceasefires being declared, bringing it to Belfast could have been too good a chance to go up. The subsequent yr’s date, 9th Could 1998, falls virtually precisely between the signing of the Good Friday Settlement and the confirmatory referendums on either side of the border. How would Eurovision have fitted in?
The organisers could have discovered a higher willingness to recruit some worldwide stardust to proceedings, given the circumstances and contemplating U2’s well-known look at a pro-Settlement marketing campaign rally. Then Secretary of State for Northern Eire Mo Mowlam would undoubtedly have been captivated by the thought – in Could 1998 she assisted in arranging a live performance by Elton John within the grounds of Stormont – and it could undoubtedly have attracted political consideration, given the stakes of the referendum marketing campaign.
However would Northern Eire have been prepared for Eurovision? Safety threats had been nonetheless undoubtedly current, and the EBU could have turned down the chance as too nice. Internet hosting it could have proved too radical and progressive for Belfast in different methods, with eventual winner Dana Worldwide, whose choice to characterize Israel was opposed by Orthodox Jewish leaders in her homeland, being the primary brazenly transgender singer to emerge victorious.
In the end the chance for a Belfast-hosted to contest by no means got here to go. Eire’s entry got here a distant second in 1997 to Katrina and the Waves’ impossibly catchy “Love Shine a Mild”, representing the UK. (The present was the Saturday after the 1997 UK Basic Election, and the UK’s margin of victory led lead singer Katrina Leskanich to quip about “two landslides in every week”). The BBC’s manufacturing workforce did go to Belfast to scout it as a doable location for 1998, however in the end Birmingham’s Nationwide Indoor Enviornment was chosen as an alternative.
If all of that feels like I may need spent barely too lengthy contemplating the opportunity of Belfast internet hosting Eurovision within the late Nineties, then it’s as a result of I undoubtedly have. As a part of an anthology of alternate historical past tales about Eire revealed by the net publishing home Sea Lion Press, I’ve written “Irlande du Nord, Douze Factors”, a brief story surrounding what precisely what Belfast internet hosting in 1998 would have been like. Starring, amongst others, Michael D Higgins, Boris Johnson, Ian Paisley and Terry Wogan, it goes into barely an excessive amount of element as to the way it all may need unfolded.
1998 could have been a missed alternative, however there can be an undoubted poignancy to Eurovision arising in Belfast subsequent spring. With the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Good Friday Settlement, Belfast can be an apt mirror for Kyiv, whose rightful place as hosts has been taken away from them by the looming spectre of violence. Greater than most cities, Belfast would characterize a hope for restoration from the depths of the present disaster, and the inhabitants would undoubtedly be more than pleased to welcome Europe, and Ukraine, if it was given the possibility.
Although Glasgow, London and Manchester may be the favourites to host, let’s hope that the BBC look on us slightly bit extra generously this time round, and brings Eurovision again to our shores, 1 / 4 of a century on.
Richard Hunter is a author initially from North Down, at present based mostly in Edinburgh. He could be discovered tweeting about soccer at @AYearWithJurgen.
