What Eric the Red forgot to say is.. "if you win (the so called song contest)you are next years host country" which Ireland HAVE done a few times recently and it has cost them a FORTUNE staging the event, which is not a money spinner as International Events usually can be.Ireland / Dublin lost a fortune on each occasion.The turkey is great craic, and if it changes to a Duck it will be good quaic. The Irish are exercising their own sort of judgement and humour on this over-hyped ridiculous "occasion" and subject it to a wonderful piss-take.
Don't forget , last Year the entered with a good Folk Group - Dervish and came last - can you blame the Irish for saying FECK -IT !!!!

PS Banjoman - If my memory serves me correctly (on the ould black and white TV ) Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson sang " Sing little birdie - sing your song " how appropriate for this thread
Cheers Betsy