Ireland’s selection for Junior Eurovision 2025 in Tbilisi will kick off on Sunday, 21st September. Broadcaster TG4 spoke to ESCplus directly about the format, judges, song selection, and more!
Selection format for Junior Eurovision Éire
The selection will take place over five weeks, beginning with a casting round on 21st September and ending with the final on 19th October. The group will be narrowed down from an initial ten contestants to eight, six, and finally three competitors to represent Ireland at this year’s edition of Junior Eurovision.
In the final round, the three finalists will each sing two songs; the judges will then select two superfinalists, who will reprise songs they performed in previous episodes. Unlike last year, Ireland’s song for Junior Eurovision will not be revealed during the artist selection; the song will be chosen internally and will be released at a later date.
Louise Cantillon will once again host. There will be no consistent jury throughout the program; Niamh Ní Chróin and Hugh Carr will be permanent jury members, but will be joined by special guests such as previous Eurovision winners Niamh Kavanagh and Linda Martin, as well as Ireland’s 2022 Eurovision contestant Brooke Scullion.
Ireland’s Junior Eurovision journey
Ireland first participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2015. Débuting alongside Australia, Ireland was represented by Aimee Banks singing ” Réalta na Mara”. At the close of voting, Ireland finished in 12th place – receiving 36 points. Ireland has since participated a further eight times. Their best placement came in 2022, when Sophie Lennon finished in fourth place with her song “Solas”.
In 2024, Enya Cox Dempsey sang “Le chéile” for Ireland. She placed fifteenth in a field of seventeen, receiving 15 points from the jury and 40 from the online vote.
Will this revamped selection get Ireland their first Eurovision win? Will you be watching this fall? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, tumblr, and Bluesky for more information about Junior Eurovision 2025!
News source: ESCplus
Photo credit: Corinne Cumming/EBU
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