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EVERY WEEK, WE bring you a round-up of the best longreads of the past seven days in Sitdown Sunday.
And now, every weeknight, we bring you an evening longread to enjoy which will help you to escape the news cycle.
We’ll be keeping an eye on new longreads and digging back into the archives for some classics.
In advance of her memoir being published, the incomparable Sinéad O’Connor is interviewed.
(The New York Times, approx 12 mins reading time)
But the overreaction to O’Connor was not just about whether she was right or wrong; it was about the kinds of provocations we accept from women in music. “Not because I was famous or anything, but because I was a human being, I had a right to put my hand up and say what I felt,” O’Connor said. Some artists are skilled at shocking in a way designed to sell more records, and others at tempering their political rage into palatable music, but “Sinead is not the tempering type,” her friend Bob Geldof, the musician and activist, told me. “In that, she is very much an Irish woman.”
You didn’t tell me everything I wanted to know, because I want to know how did that untalented gobshïte get the gig? It couldn’t possibly be because he ‘works’ for RTE and they look after their own, could it? Why oh why are RTE determined to created a career for this non talented, bland z list celeb?
Australia are in it that just proves how ridiculous it is
That old chestnut again.And London and New York and in the ALL IRELAND championship. What does that prove.
Ireland have no chance… Appalling song and a second rate singer who can’t even hit some of the notes…
Correct-he cannot sing, never could. There are genuinely talented singer songwriters in Ireland scraping by. What they would do to have that oppurtunity, that publicity and the chance to open up some doors to pave themselves a deserved career in music- doung something they love, something they are passionate about. This Nicky Byrne fella hasn’t a note in his head,never had to do an audition..he just git the gig. Then again he works for RTE (how did he get that gig as well?) and his father in law is Bertie Ahern. Call me cynical but…
Never had the chance and never will since the televoting came about.
Hilarious ! the man has no chance he can’t sing, we need a voice that has you interested in the first five seconds and has you hair standing up within a minute, like the chat show stick to it buddy. Saying that I think we are going in the right direction we need to try harder before the Sweds knock us off our perch
You are cynical.Who would you pick for us to send so?didn’t we send a young passionate singer starting out in the music business last year and where did that get us.non qualification from the semis. That’s where.
*Ireland* is not competing. It’s a competition between broadcasters.
There’s always backing singers and I suspect, like with Jedward, the male singers will actually carry the tune. The few snippets of the record I’ve heard sound autotuned to feck.
Every time you see his smirking face all I see is his father in law smirking as he sail into the sunset with our hard earned taxes in his back pocket ( not to mention his winning on a horses). This is the first time ever I really hope Ireland doesn’t do well.
Another cringe worthy entry from Ireland
Makes Ronan look talented
#cringe
I think this years entry is ok, Nicky Byrne is likeable. It wouldnt matter who we send, we will still end up with a few points from UK and i will still be sticking my 2 fingers up at the TV and cursing every Polish, Russian and German etc for not voting for us
Will you be cursing Ireland for not voting for them?
Every thing you wanted to know? Most people just want to know what time the results are announced.
typical Irish incestuous set up, RTE give the gig to Bertie`s son-in law, no competition, done deal, with no hope of winning either.
Eurovision wrong contest
Would love to be invited to one of those great hilarious Eurovision parties people have that night with tinsel and feather boas…. Said no person with a life ever.
You’re right, anyone with a life spends all day commenting sh!t€ on the Journal instead.
Please God not Marty Whelan! I’d much rather hear from Marty Morrissey, there’s a man who is positive, well-spoken, and doesn’t whine like a spoiled child. Whelan makes me ashamed to be Irish (the only thing that really does, other than we still compete in the Yoyovision). I’ll watch, of course, as it’s family tradition. But I’ll watch Auntie Beeb, as Graham Norton is marginally less annoying, and get the voting det’s at the last minute.
IRELAND NIL PUA!
Would be better off sending a more talented individual like…….Dustin the Turkey…
I bet few of the millions of people who voted for last year’s winning song could name the singer or sing a line from the winning song! The glory days of Eurovision, when getting a winning song was a launching pad to international fame and fortune are long gone. It’s time to relegate the whole competition to the archives of quaint 20th century tv shows.
Complete talentless garbage. Remember this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcsXtiN8-UY
Who cares !!!
We couldn’t have sent a better person than Nicky Byrne he is amazing and I just love the song we won’t win cos all the countries vote for their neighbours so all we have is England so it doesn’t matter who we send we will never win it again but Nicky is lovely I met him and I wish him the very best of luck
Very bad intonation on his voice. Of course it could be just bad monitoring as that can happen on live TV so the gig will tell us all as they should have it sorted. Either way it won’t excite the political voting blocs. The only way we’d ever win it again is by moving the country to between Croatia and Serbia or somewhere and leaving brown envelopes for the adjudicating panel in the semifinals.
Lazarev is no Kirkorov nor Bilan, cant see him winning this.
Will it be another freak show this year?
It’s a load of nonsense music is crap should not be shown on prime time tv
Daragh, How much will it cost Ireland this year as each year we have to give them millions to be involved in it?
Believe me when I say there’s nothing I want to know about this years Eurovision!
have your say