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Dancing grannies, Polish milkmaids and the Bearded Lady. There’s no denying that the Eurovision Song Contest remains one of the most enduring phenomena of popular culture – and, perhaps, also one of the strangest. Ireland’s love affair with the Eurovision has now lasted over half a century. But the relationship has not always been an easy one; Ireland has won the contest more than any other country, and the Eurovision has been a launching pad for some of Ireland’s most successful acts. But there have also been some spectacular and costly flops. The Eurovision is the biggest TV entertainment show in the world. But most of its viewers have only observed the contest from the comfort of their living-room sofas. In Ireland and the Eurovision, David Blake Knox goes behind the scenes to deliver the inside story of what really happens behind the power ballads, sequinned costumes and glitter cannons. The book relives the most iconic moments of the past fifty years; the highs, the lows and the downright embarrassing. This is a must-have for both devoted song contest fans and those for whom the Eurovision remains the ultimate guilty pleasure.

Ireland and the Eurovision