Search icon

Music

10th May 2017

The bookies’ odds for Ireland’s Eurovision semi-final don’t fill us with a lot of hope

Alan Loughnane

 A short lived spell in Kiev…

The second Eurovision semi-final takes place on Thursday night and a few all Irish eyes will be watching as Ireland’s entry ‘Dying to Try’ will be performed by singer and musician Brendan Murray.

Despite being the most successful country in the Eurovision, Ireland’s success in the competition has dried up since Eimear Quinn won it back in 1996.

The fates of eighteen countries battling out to take part in Saturday’s Eurovision final were decided last night in Kiev during the first semi-final. The votes of national juries and viewers decided which ten countries would progress to the final and which eight would be sent packing.

On Thursday, it will be Ireland’s chance to shine, but there’s an old phrase that the bookies aren’t wrong often, and they’re not giving Ireland much of a chance of progression.

According to Oddschecker, Ireland are one of the favourites not to qualify for Saturday’s final. In fact, the odds of 4/11 are being taken for Ireland to miss out on a place in the final.

If you fancy taking a punt, some bookmakers are offering odds of 11/4 on Ireland defying the general train of thought and qualifying for Saturday’s final.

And if you’re feeling very patriotic, and believe that Brendan Murray will be the hero of the hour, qualify for the final and continue on to win the whole thing, you can get odds of 500/1.

A member of the official Norwegian jury for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest has already been replaced after slamming Ireland’s entry before the competition has even started.

Speaking on Adresse Kiev, Norway’s official countdown show to the Eurovision, Per Sundnes, former head of the Norway delegation at the Eurovision Song Contest and a member of the Norwegian jury for this year’s competition, said that Ireland have “lost it completely” when it comes to the Eurovision.

Sundnes was later removed from his spot on the official Norwegian jury for the Eurovision Song Contest.

LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge

Topics:

Eurovision