# Ireland in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest

Ireland has participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest nine times since their first appearance at the 2015 contest. Irish-language broadcaster TG4 has been responsible for the country's participation in the contest, and organises a televised national final Junior Eurovision Éire to select the Irish entries. TG4 did not participate in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but returned to the contest in 2021.
Since their debut, Ireland has placed in the top 10 twice: in 2016 when the song "Bríce ar bhríce" performed by Zena Donnelly placed 10th out of 17 participating countries, and in 2022 when "Solas" by Sophie Lennon placed 4th out of 16 participants.

## History

TG4 originally intended to make their debut in the 2014 contest in Marsa, Malta, but required funding from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, which was rejected.
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.
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. In February 2021, TG4 confirmed their participation in the 2021 contest in France.

### Junior Eurovision Éire

Junior Eurovision Éire is an Irish television show which has served as Ireland's national final for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest since the country's debut in 2015. The show was hosted by Eoghan McDermott from 2015 to 2019. Between 2015 and 2018, the show selected both the song and the artist, while in 2019 and 2021 the show selected only the artist, and the song was selected internally.
McDermott stepped down from the programme in 2021, and was replaced by Louise Cantillon.

## Participation overview

| Year | Artist | Song | Language | Place | Points |
| 2015 | Aimee Banks | "Réalta na mara" | Irish | 12 | 36 |
| 2016 | Zena Donnelly | "Bríce ar bhríce" | Irish, English | 10 | 122 |
| 2017 | Muireann McDonnell | "Súile glasa" | Irish | 15 | 54 |
| 2018 | Taylor Hynes | "IOU" | Irish | 15 | 48 |
| 2019 | Anna Kearney | "Banshee" | Irish | 12 | 73 |
| 2021 | Maiú Levi Lawlor | "Saor (Disappear)" | Irish | 18 | 44 |
| 2022 | Sophie Lennon | "Solas" | Irish | 4 | 150 |
| 2023 | Jessica McKean | "Aisling" | Irish | 16 ◁ | 42 |
| 2024 | Enya Cox Dempsey | "Le chéile" | Irish | 15 | 55 |
| 2025 | Confirmed intention to participate † | Confirmed intention to participate † | Confirmed intention to participate † | Confirmed intention to participate † | Confirmed intention to participate † |

## Commentators and spokespersons

The contests are broadcast online worldwide through the official Junior Eurovision Song Contest website junioreurovision.tv and YouTube. In 2015, the online broadcasts featured commentary in English by junioreurovision.tv editor Luke Fisher and 2011 Bulgarian Junior Eurovision Song Contest entrant Ivan Ivanov. The Irish broadcaster, TG4, sent their own commentators to the contest in order to provide commentary in the Irish language. Spokespersons were also chosen by the national broadcaster in order to announce the awarding points from France. The table below list the details of each commentator and spokesperson since 2015.
| Year(s) | Commentator | Spokesperson | Ref. |
| 2015 | Stiofán Ó Fearail and Caitlín Nic Aoidh | Anna Banks | |
| 2016 | Eoghan McDermott | Andrea Leddy | |
| 2017 | Eoghan McDermott | Walter McCabe | |
| 2018 | Mícheál Ó Ciaraidh and Sinéad Ní Uallacháin | Alex Hynes | |
| 2019 | Sinéad Ní Uallacháin | Leo Kearney | |
| 2020 | No broadcast | Did not participate | N/A |
| 2021 | Louise Cantillon | Reuben Levi Hackett | |
| 2022 | Sinéad Ní Uallacháin | Holly Lennon | |
| 2023 | Sinéad Ní Uallacháin | Louisa McKean | |
| 2024 | TBA | TBA | |

## Gallery

* Aimee Banks during the rehearsals in Sofia (2015)
* Zena Donnelly during the rehearsals in Valletta (2016)
* Taylor Hynes during the rehearsals in Minsk (2018)
* Anna Kearney during the rehearsals in Gliwice (2019)