Ireland has been knocked out of the Eurovision Song Contest after former Westlife singer Nicky Byrne failed to qualify for Saturday's final.
The pop star, 37, was unsuccessful in the semi-final in Stockholm, Sweden, on Thursday, where he was one of 18 acts competing for the last 10 places.
Ireland is the most successful country in the contest's 61-year history, with a total of seven wins.
The UK qualifies automatically, with duo Joe and Jake this year's act.
It is guaranteed a place in the final as one of the "big five" countries along with France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
As reigning winners, Sweden also automatically advance to the grand final.
The 10 countries that qualified on Thursday are Latvia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Australia, Ukraine, Serbia, Poland, Israel, Lithuania and Belgium.
They will join Azerbaijan, Russia, The Netherlands, Hungary, Croatia, Malta, Austria, Armenia, Czech Republic and Cyprus who all made it through the first semi-final on Tuesday.
Political tensions
The Ukrainian entry, jazz artiste Jamala, which got through Thursday's heat, has stirred political tensions with Russia.
Jamala is first ever Crimean Tatar to perform at the contest, and her song 1944 is about former Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin, Crimea and claims of ethnic cleansing.
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, as conflict between the two countries escalated.
The pop star, 37, was unsuccessful in the semi-final in Stockholm, Sweden, on Thursday, where he was one of 18 acts competing for the last 10 places.
Ireland is the most successful country in the contest's 61-year history, with a total of seven wins.
The UK qualifies automatically, with duo Joe and Jake this year's act.
It is guaranteed a place in the final as one of the "big five" countries along with France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
As reigning winners, Sweden also automatically advance to the grand final.
The 10 countries that qualified on Thursday are Latvia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Australia, Ukraine, Serbia, Poland, Israel, Lithuania and Belgium.
They will join Azerbaijan, Russia, The Netherlands, Hungary, Croatia, Malta, Austria, Armenia, Czech Republic and Cyprus who all made it through the first semi-final on Tuesday.
Political tensions
The Ukrainian entry, jazz artiste Jamala, which got through Thursday's heat, has stirred political tensions with Russia.
Jamala is first ever Crimean Tatar to perform at the contest, and her song 1944 is about former Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin, Crimea and claims of ethnic cleansing.
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, as conflict between the two countries escalated.
No comments:
Post a Comment