Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  Ireland sends Kasey Smith (23) with Can-Linn, a traditional Irish music act. Kasey herself started with  a girlband Wonderland before moving to Nashville to prepaire for a solo career. She tried to get to Eurovision already last year with Kiss me . Good for her she didn't win as she's so much better a year after.... Robert: In the Irish preselection of this year, there was no clear favourite and it could have been anyone for me. None of the songs was bad but also none was really good. The songs by Andrew Mann , Laura O'Neill and Eoghan Quigg were slightly better for me than the winning song Heartbeat . The song is not a finalist for me.  Blogilkar : I do like Heartbeat . On the other hand it's very calculated and Eurovision by numbers (no wonder when looking at the authors) and the presentation in the Irish national final was a mess. Those dancers must go - or put them in to catwalk and show them every now and then, not ALL the time jumping behind her! She...

Ireland, once the power state of Eurovision, is looking for their winning entry this Friday. Like in the previous years five acts chosen by as many mentors. The field is wide open this year as Jedward is not taking part this year either. Five quite pleasant songs and I must admit I have no clue who will win in the end.   Heartbeat is the big fan favorite but will regular TV-viewers buy it? I think it's quite good. I wished they would have dared more in the production and arrangements, now it's a bit bland. Promising but not delivering. Don't hold on is oldfashioned but a good solid song sung well. The movie song I like a lot. Apparently Eoghan isn't loved much as a person (but what do we European voters know about that?) so it might play against him, which is a shame. Be mine makes me think of Bon Jovi for some reason. Also very catchy after a couple of listenings which means he might be lost in the crowd. Laura thinks I don't remember her but hey, I do. Si...

Ireland joins in with its artists and songs (tomorrow) and soon we have run out of countries we have no confirmed news yet (Russia, Poland, Slovenia) or hot gossip like Greece, Portugal and UK. Once again the irish Tv uses the same mentor-artist approach and the names are: Mentor Valerie Roe: Patricia Roe - Don't hold on Mentor Mark Murphy: Eoghan Quigg - The movie song Mentor Hazel Kaneswaran: Can-linn feat Kasey Smith - Hearbeat Mentor Cormac battle: Andrew Mann - Be mine Mentor Billy McGuinness: Laura O'Neill - You don't remember me The line up includes two runner ups; Patricia Roe was the runner up both in 1992 and 1993 when the Irish winners Linda Maertin and Niamh Kavanagh went on to win the whole thing, will she be third time lucky? Andrew Mann lost to Jedward in 2012.  Eoghan and Laura have X factor past

Today the Irish songs were presented on radio ahead of the national final on February 24, 2012. It all starts with Maria McCool's Celtic whisper that is Celtic indeed, wonderful atmosphere and beautiful melody that the good old judges would have loved. The televoters maybe less. Donna McCaul continues with Mercy , modern pop that needs a better arrangement and mix. Very Lady Gaga-ish. Andrew Mann with self-penned Here I am next. Nice vocals but the chorus is a kind of anti-climax unfortunately. Una Gobney and David Shannon offer Language of love . Sounds like an UK entry from the past. Good singers but sadly very uninspiring and uninteresting song. Last but not least Jedward with Waterline .  First reaction is it's totally different from what I thought it would be! Not sure yet if it's a good thing or not. Maybe it's good to not to have Lipstick all over again? This makes me think of Anonymous and Miodio strangely... I guess they will win again and do better than...

The Irish Eurosong 2012 sticks to the same formula that gave us those Jedward twins. Even so much that they are participating this year, too! And once it was announced the twins will give it another try RTÉ apparently found difficulties to find anyone insane enough to try to go against them. Then came Donna McCaul who already did Eurovision, not so well being the very first Irish act not to reach the final, with her brother Joe in 2005, and others followed and finally we have the five entries. We are promised a Celtic song, a couple of pop songs, a classical ballad and a rock song. And yes, there are Swedes amongst the authors... Maria McCool (mentored by Edele Lynch) Donna McCaul (mentored by Bill Hughes) David Shannon & Una Gibney (mentored by Julian Benson) - Language of love Andrew Mann (mentored by Greg French) - Here I am Jedward (mentored by Linda Martin)