Ireland: The results of the third heat of Junior Eurovision Éire 2022

Ireland: The results of the third heat of Junior Eurovision Éire 2022
Sunday, 02 October 2022

  • The third heat of the Irish Junior Eurovision 2022 national selection 'Junior Eurovision Éire 2022' took place this evening determinng two more qualifiers to the semi final stage. 

    Ireland has opted to selected their JESC 2022 hopeful for Yerevan through the national selection "Junior Eurovision Éire 2022". The show will unfold over six successive weeks with four qualifying rounds, a semifinal and a final show. 

    Following last weeks' 1st qualifying round and 2nd qulifying round, the third episode was broadcast this evening on RTE with the show hosted by Louise Cantillon accompanied by Darragh Ó Caoimh.

    Like previous year's a panel of judges includes two permanent jurors while the third spot is  filled in by a guest judge every week. Namely, the two permanent jurors are:

    • Niamh Ní Chróinín – Host of TG4 youth programming Cúla4, headof Irish-language radio station Raidió Rí-Rá for young people
    • Chris Greene – RTÉ 2fm host

     

    In this third show the third judge's seat was filled in by Paul Harrington, the winner of Eurovision 1994 along with Charlie McGettigan.

    • Caillín Joe McDonald – “Shotgun” (26 stars) – Sing-Off qualifier 
    • Teagan Nolan – “Someone You Loved” (24 stars) – Sing-Off contender
    • Niamh Noade – “Lonely World” (28 stars) – Direct qualifier to the semifinals
    • Savannah Phoenix-Munroe – “Good as Hell” (23 stars)
    • Eva O’Farrell – “Castles” (22 stars)
    • Lucy Heffernan – “Follow Your Fire” (22 stars)

     

    Niamh Noade performing 'Lonely World' with 28 stars won the first direct ticket to the semi final while Caillín Joe McDonald and Teagan Nolan went in a sing-off round which saw Caillín Joe advance to the semi final. Here is the performance of this heat's winner: 

    Thus the semifinalists determined after three qualifying rounds are: 

    • Lara Gleeson
    • Clare Keeley
    • Amber Dawes
    • Marley-Peig Leonard
    • Niamh Noade
    • Caillín Joe McDonald

    The Irish Junior Eurovision national selection will continue next week with the fourth qualifying round and another set of contestants. Once the national selection determine the next Irish hopeful the national broadcaster, RTE, will internally select the song for Yerevan. 

     

    Ireland in Junior Eurovision 

    Ireland has participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest five times since their first appearance in the 2015 contest. The Irish language broadcaster, TG4, is responsible for the country's participation in the contest, and uses the national final Junior Eurovision Éire to select the Irish entries.

    Ireland debuted in the contest when TG4 participated in the 2015 contest in Sofia, Bulgaria, when the song "Réalta na mara" performed by Aimee Banks placed 12th in a field of 17 countries.  Ireland has achieved one top ten placing, in 2016 when the song "Bríce ar bhríce" performed by Zena Donnelly placed 10th.

    In Gliwice-Silesia at JESC 2019 Anna Kearney represented Ireland with her song "Banshee"  which finished 12th receiving 73 points. Despite having initially confirmed their participation in the 2020 contest in Warsaw, Poland in January 2020, TG4 announced in August 2020 that they would not participate in the contest due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Last year Paris, Maiú Levi Lawlor represented the nation with “Saor (Disappear)”. He finished 18th with 44 points. 

     

    News Source: TG4

    Image:Junior Eurovision Éire