# Ireland in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021

Ireland participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021, held in Paris, France. Maiú Levi Lawlor was selected by TG4 through a televised national final, with his song, "Saor (Disappear)", being internally selected.
The country returned to the contest after a break of one year from the 2020 contest due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Background

Prior to the 2021 contest, Ireland had participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest five times since its debut in 2015. In 2019, Anna Kearney represented the country with the song "Banshee", finishing 12th out of 19 entries with 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.

## Before Junior Eurovision
### Junior Eurovision Éire

Junior Eurovision Éire returned to select the Irish act. Eoghan McDermott, who hosted the selection from 2015 to 2019, did not return to host the selection. He was replaced by Louise Cantillon, a Dublin-based radio presenter.
All songs were performed in Irish.

#### Jury members

As in previous editions, the results of each show were decided by an in-studio jury of two permanent members and revolving guest judges. The two permanent judges were:
* Niamh Ní Chróinín – Radio presenter, manager of Irish-language youth radio station Raidió Rí-Rá
* Fiachna Ó Braonáin – Member of Hothouse Flowers (interval act at Eurovision Song Contest 1988), a permanent judge on Junior Eurovision Éire 2016–2018, composer of "Banshee" (Junior Eurovision 2019 Irish entry)

#### Heat 1

The first heat of Junior Eurovision Éire was broadcast on 12 September 2021, with Niamh Kavanagh as the guest judge.
| Draw | Artist | Song | Stars | Result |
| 01 | Eva Norton | "This Is Me" (Keala Settle) | 28 | Final duel |
| 02 | Ronan Spencer | "Always" (Gavin James) | 27 | Eliminated |
| 03 | Lilyella Buckley | "Someone You Loved" (Lewis Capaldi) | 29 | Semi-Final |
| 04 | Orla McDermott | "Ghost" (Luan Parle) | 28 | Final duel |
| 05 | Katie Hardiman | "Catch and Release" (Matt Simons) | 27 | Eliminated |
| 06 | Aimee and Grace Gillard | "Feel It Again" (Hudson Taylor) | 24 | Eliminated |
| 07 | Saoirse Garrihy | "Shape of You" (Ed Sheeran) | 22 | Eliminated |
Final duel :
| Draw | Artist | Song | Votes | Result |
| 01 | Eva Norton | "This Is Me" (Keala Settle) | 2 | Semi-Final |
| 02 | Orla McDermott | "Ghost" (Luan Parle) | 1 | Eliminated |
Lilyella Buckley received the highest number of stars, and advanced directly to the semi-final. Eva Norton and Orla McDermott both advanced to the final duel stage and performed their covers a second time. After their second performances, the jury members selected Eva as the winner, granting a spot in the semi-final.

#### Heat 2

The second heat of Junior Eurovision Éire was broadcast on 19 September 2021, with Brian Kennedy as the guest judge.
| Draw | Artist | Song | Stars | Result |
| 01 | Shannon Copeland | "Halo" (Beyoncé) | 26 | Semi-Final |
| 02 | Cora Harkin | "Catch Me If You Can" (Walking on Cars) | 25 | Final duel |
| 03 | Sienna Hopkins | "Nervous" (Gavin James) | 25 | Final duel |
| 04 | Zara Alexander | "Stay with Me" (Sam Smith) | 22 | Eliminated |
| 05 | Riaghan Boardman | "Bruises" (Lewis Capaldi) | 23 | Eliminated |
| 06 | Rainne Isibeal Marzo | "Pompeii" (Bastille) | 19 | Eliminated |
| 07 | Grace Nic Giolla Channáin | "September Song" (JP Cooper) | 18 | Eliminated |
Final duel :
| Draw | Artist | Song | Votes | Result |
| 01 | Cora Harkin | "Catch Me If You Can" (Walking on Cars) | 2 | Semi-Final |
| 02 | Sienna Hopkins | "Nervous" (Gavin James) | 1 | Eliminated |
Shannon Copeland received the highest number of stars, and advanced directly to the semi-final. Cora Harkin and Sienna Hopkins both advanced to the final duel stage and performed their covers a second time. After their second performances, the jury members selected Cora as the winner, granting a spot in the semi-final.

#### Heat 3

The third heat of Junior Eurovision Éire was broadcast on 26 September 2021, with Jedward as the guest judges.
| Draw | Artist | Song | Stars | Result |
| 01 | Sadbh Breathnach | "Perfect" (Ed Sheeran) | 25 | Final duel |
| 02 | Alison McGrath | "Castles" (Freya Ridings) | 27 | Final duel |
| 03 | Kayden Spooner | "Lonely World" (Luan Parle) | 24 | Eliminated |
| 04 | Sophie Lennon | "Circle of Life" (Elton John) | 30 | Semi-Final |
| 05 | Cathal Mulvey | "Take My Hand" (Picture This) | 23 | Eliminated |
| 06 | Ciara Hassan | "Dancing with a Stranger" (Sam Smith) | 23 | Eliminated |
| 07 | Maya and Lia Sheils | "The Cup Song" (Anna Kendrick) | 22 | Eliminated |
Final duel :
| Draw | Artist | Song | Votes | Result |
| 01 | Sadbh Breathnach | "Perfect" (Ed Sheeran) | 1 | Eliminated |
| 02 | Alison McGrath | "Castles" (Freya Ridings) | 2 | Semi-Final |
Sophie Lennon received the highest number of stars, and advanced directly to the semi-final. Sadbh Breathnach and Alison McGrath both advanced to the final duel stage and performed their covers a second time. After their second performances, the jury members selected Alison as the winner, granting a spot in the semi-final.

#### Heat 4

The fourth and final heat of Junior Eurovision Éire was broadcast on 3 October 2021, with Mickey Joe Harte as the guest judge.
| Draw | Artist | Song | Stars | Result |
| 01 | Julie Cole | "I’ll Be There" (Jess Glynne) | 26 | Semi-Final |
| 02 | Kate Skelton | "Grace" (The Wolf Tones) | 23 | Eliminated |
| 03 | Maiú Levi Lawlor | "Hold Back the River" (James Bay) | 24 | Final duel |
| 04 | Victoria Foster | "Shut Up and Dance" (Walk the Moon) | 22 | Eliminated |
| 05 | Ruby Maher | "Hold Me While You Wait" (Lewis Capaldi) | 25 | Final duel |
| 06 | Neala Graham | "Lullaby" (Sigala & Paloma Faith) | 17 | Eliminated |
| 07 | Katie Coyle | "Lost Without You" (Freya Ridings) | 20 | Eliminated |
Final duel :
| Draw | Artist | Song | Votes | Result |
| 01 | Maiú Levi Lawlor | "Hold Back the River" (James Bay) | 2 | Semi-Final |
| 02 | Ruby Maher | "Hold Me While You Wait" (Lewis Capaldi) | 1 | Eliminated |
Julie Cole received the highest number of stars, and advanced directly to the semi-final. Maiú Levi Lawlor and Ruby Maher both advanced to the final duel stage and performed their covers a second time. After their second performances, the jury members selected Maiú as the winner, granting a spot in the semi-final.

#### Semi-final

The semi final of Junior Eurovision Éire was broadcast on 10 October 2021, with Lesley Roy as the guest judge.
| Draw | Artist | Song | Result |
| 01 | Shannon Copeland | "New York" (Paloma Faith) | Eliminated |
| 02 | Maiú Levi Lawlor | "Grace" (Lewis Capaldi) | Final duel |
| 03 | Alison McGrath | "Ghost" (Ella Henderson) | Eliminated |
| 04 | Lilyella Buckley | "Lost Without You" (Freya Ridings) | Finalist |
| 05 | Cora Harkin | "Shut Up and Dance" (Walk the Moon) | Eliminated |
| 06 | Sophie Lennon | "Hold Me While You Wait" (Lewis Capaldi) | Finalist |
| 07 | Julie Cole | "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" (The Script) | Final duel |
| 08 | Eva Norton | "Hold My Hand" (Jess Glynne) | Eliminated |
Final duel :
| Draw | Artist | Song | Votes | Result |
| 01 | Maiú Levi Lawlor | "Grace" (Lewis Capaldi) | 2 | Finalist |
| 02 | Julie Cole | "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" (The Script) | 1 | Eliminated |
Lilyella Buckley and Sophie Lennon were both chosen by the jury to advance directly to the final. Maiú Levi Lawlor and Julie Cole were both chosen to go through to the final duel stage and performed their covers a second time. After their second performances, the jury members selected Maiú as the winner, granting a spot in the final.

#### Final

The final of Junior Eurovision Éire was broadcast on 17 October 2021, with Linda Martin as the guest judge. Each artist performed two songs before the jury decided on two of them to advance to the final duel. In the final duel, Maiú Levi Lawlor was selected as the winner of Junior Eurovision Éire 2021.
| Draw | Artist | Song 1 | Song 2 | Result |
| 01 | Sophie Lennon | "Circle of Life" (Elton John) | "It's for You" (Niamh Kavanagh) | Eliminated |
| 02 | Maiú Levi Lawlor | "Hold Back the River" (James Bay) | "Only Love Survives" (Ryan Dolan) | Final duel |
| 03 | Lilyella Buckley | "Someone You Loved" (Lewis Capaldi) | "Rock'n'Roll Kids" (Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan) | Final duel |
Final duel :
| Draw | Artist | Song | Votes | Result |
| 01 | Lilyella Buckley | "Lost Without You" (Freya Ridings) | 1 | Runner-up |
| 02 | Maiú Levi Lawlor | "Grace" (Lewis Capaldi) | 2 | Winner |

### Song release

Lawlor's song, "Saor (Disappear)" (English: Free) was released on 16 November 2021, along with a music video. It was written by Niall Mooney, Lauren White Murphy, Brendan McCarthy, LA Halvery, Junior Eurovision 2019 entrant Anna Kearney (who also provides backing vocals), Anna Banks and Cyprian Cassar, who wrote entries for Malta in 2018, 2020, 2021, and for Ireland in 2019.

## At Junior Eurovision

After the opening ceremony, which took place on 13 December 2021, it was announced that Ireland would perform eighth on 19 December 2021, following Russia and preceding Armenia.
At the end of the contest, Ireland received 44 points, placing 18th out of 19 participating countries.

### Voting

The same voting system that was introduced in the 2017 edition was used, where the results were determined by 50% online voting and 50% jury voting. Every country had a national jury that consisted of three music industry professionals and two children aged between 10 and 15 who were citizens of the country they represented. The rankings of those jurors were combined to make an overall top ten.
The online voting consisted of two phases. The first phase of the online voting began on 17 December 2021 when a recap of all the rehearsal performances was shown on the contest's website Junioreurovision.tv before the viewers could vote. After this, voters also had the option to watch longer one-minute clips from each participant's rehearsal. This first round of voting ended on 17 December at 15:59 CET. The second phase of the online voting took place during the live show and began right after the last performance and was open for 15 minutes. International viewers were able vote for three songs. They were also able to vote for their own country's song. These votes were then turned into points which were determined by the percentage of votes received. For example, if a song received 10% of the votes, it received 10% of the available points.