It’s already October, and the Junior Eurovision season continues to be in full swing, as National Finals continue to take place to select Junior Eurovision representatives. In Ireland, the fourth heat of Junior Eurovision Éire aired on TG4. After the show, it was revealed that Julie Cole directly qualified for the semi-final and Maiú Levi Lawlor advanced after the sing-off.
How the results were determined?
The seven competing artists had to sing Irish covers of popular songs. The judges are then able to award up to ten stars to each artist. The artist with the highest amount of stars would qualify directly for the final, whilst the next two artists with the highest amount of stars would then have a sing-off to determine who will be advancing to the semi-final.
The result of the first show was determined by two permanent judges from the Irish music industry.
- Niamh Ní Chróinín is a radio presenter and the manager of Raidió Rí-Rá, an Irish-language youth radio station.
- Fiachna Ó Braonáin is a member of Hothouse Flowers (the interval act at Eurovision 1988). He was also a permanent judge on Junior Eurovision Éire from 2016 to 2018 and helped pen their 2019 JESC entry “Banshee”.
They were both joined by Mickey Joe Harte, who represented Ireland in 2003 with “We;ve4 Got The World”. The results of the show were as follows:
| Artist | Song (Sung in Irish) | Result | Stars |
| Julie Cole | “I’ll Be There” | 26 Stars | Semi-Finalist |
| Ruby Maher | “Hold Me While You Wait” | 25 Stars | Final Duel |
| Maiú Levi Lawlor | “Hold Back The River” | 24 Stars | Final Duel |
| Kate Skelton | “Grace” | 23 Stars | Eliminated |
| Victoria Foster | “Shut Up and Dance” | 22 Stars | Eliminated |
| Katie Coyle | “Lost Without You” | 20 Stars | Eliminated |
| Neala Graham | “Lullaby” | 22 Stars | Eliminated |
After receiving the most stars, Julie advances directly to the semi-final. After a sing-off between Ruby and Maiú, Maiú wins the second spot in the semi-final.
The Semi-Finalists are now complete
With the conclusion of the fourth heat, the line-up for the semi-final is now complete and as follows:
- Lilyella Buckley
- Eva Norton
- Shannon Copeland
- Cora Harkin
- Sophie Lennon
- Alison McGrath
- Julie Cole
- Maiú Levi Lawlor
The next episode of Junior Eurovision Éire will air on Sunday. 10th October at 20:30GMT where the 8 Semi-Finalists will compete for three spots in the Grand Final. The panel will be joined by Lesley Roy, who represented Ireland in 2021 with the song “Maps”
Ireland’s Junior Eurovision Journey
Ireland first participated in Junior Eurovision in 2015 with Aimee Banks’ “Réalta na Mara” which finished in 12th place with 36 points. After that, Ireland earned its best JESC result, finishing in 10th place in 2016 with Zena Donnelly’s “Bríce Ar Bhríce”.
Ireland finished in 15th place in 2017 and 2018. They moved up to 12th place again in 2019 with Anna Kearney’s “Banshee”. Ireland decided not to participate in the 2020 contest, along with a handful of other countries. This decision was due to concerns about travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
All of Ireland’s past Junior Eurovision entries were written and sung in Irish because TG4 is an Irish-language broadcaster. As a result, some fans expressed interest in Ireland sending entries in Irish to Eurovision itself.
What do you think of the results? Is Ireland’s next Junior Eurovision representative in this episode? Let us know in the comments or on social media. Be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
News Source: TG4
Photo Source: EBU / Thomas Hanses
