He flew the flag for the Emerald Isle at Eurovision 2008, but his song “Irelande Douze Points” failed to take flight on the night of the semi-final, crashing out in 15th place.
Now Ireland’s premiere poultry puppet Dustin The Turkey wants another shot at winning Europe’s favourite TV show for the Celtic Tiger.
Speaking to the Irish Independent about Ireland’s mixed results since 2010 – the nation has made the final on four occasions but only finished in the Top 10 once – Dustin’s strategy is clear:
“We’ve literally tried everything, from a turkey in a shopping trolley to even my ex Niamh Kavanagh. I now know the formula to winning it. You don’t go out and insult every country competing. You go up and do a song about peace or uniting Europe and get loads of votes that way.”
“Irelande Douze Points” referenced Ireland’s downturn in fortunes since the 1990s, name-checking Terry Wogan, bloc voting, Johnny Logan’s role as singer and songwriter for three of Ireland’s winning entries, and appealed to newer Eurovision nations from Eastern Europe to give Ireland twelve points in the voting.
Dustin acknowledges that may not have been the best strategy for winning Eurovision.
“If your lyrics include ‘give us another chance, sorry for Riverdance’, people will only think you’re having a laugh.”
His choice of a peace anthem or song about uniting Europe for Eurovision 2018 could prove more successful. As recently as 2015, Polina Gagarina placed second at Eurovision 2015 with her stirring power ballad “A Million Voices”.
Although he made no reference to Brendan’s performance at Eurovision, Dustin did suggest he, “was like Daniel O’Donnell Junior”. O’Donnell is an Irish singer, TV presenter and philanthropist who has sold over ten million records to date.
Whether Dustin will compete for Ireland again or not is yet to be confirmed, as broadcaster RTE have not even confirmed participation at Eurovision 2018 next year in Lisbon.
Did you enjoy “Irelande Douze Points”? Do you think Dustin could succeed with a peace anthem? Could he give Ireland an eighth victory? Let us know in the comments below!
I’ve rather have Brendan Murray back.
yes, I agree
YES. Seeing Dustin do a serious ballad would be killer.
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Even though there would probably be no chance of him qualifying, I’d be up for seeing him again.
Only if he is singing “Irelande Nil Point”. >:-P That would surely be appropriate.
Seems legit. Just make sure Dustin sings a soft, classy ballad entirely in Gaelic, with an enchanted forest backdrop. 😉
i’d like to see that… not sure if i’ll vote for it 🙂
One word….NO!
Bring back The Hit, get established young singer-songwriter not someone from the glory days or early 2000s or an ex boy band member with a rejected song from their former band…get talent!
Dont pick a song “because it sounds like a Eurovision song” pick a song that would chart and have a life outside of the contest.
Of course I’d love to see my country winning again, but under the current lazy and dated brains at RTE, it just wont happen
If they intend on giving up completely and withdrawing for at least decade (after first being sent off with 0 jury and 0 televote points), then by all means proceed with this folly yet again…
…But if they are serious about getting their act together, then please keep that puppet in the toy chest, with the spider webs, the spiders themselves and the roaches and to continue keeping it company! And you can put Louis Walsh in there as well. >:-P
To answer your questions:
1. No.
2. No.
3. No.
And let me add: PLEASE NO!!!
“You go up and do a song about peace or uniting Europe and get loads of votes that way”.
That’s what he thinks??
Just remind me if the winning song this year was a song for piece. Was it? No! It was a love song!
It’s true that such songs are appreciated but that doesn’t happen every year and they don’t always win.
If it’s like 2009, no I don’t want him back!
Oh God no! have mercy upon us all if that happens!
Let’s hope someone stuffs the turkey if that happens!
I for one would love to have Dustin back at the contest! Irelande Douze Points was ROBBED!
I’d like to have what you’re smokin’! >:-P
Seriously, some things are better left in the past. This is one of them.
No. Like, just, NO!!
Yeah we’ve had so many peace songs but none of them has managed to equal or even come close to Polina Gagarina’s masterpiece.
Probably the only thing you ever said I agree with!! A million voices is a great song.
Please NO
RTÉ have already been in talks with the theatre company “thisispopbaby”, who have a great track record in avant garde outrageously glamorous theatre productions, so I am hopeful for next year. Google them, they’re great.
How do you know this? If so is this to help with a NF?
I saw them mention it on twitter.
https://twitter.com/thisispopbaby/status/862933870420914176
I’m not really sure what their responsibilities would entail, at minimum they would ensure a pretty great staging & and I can not see them working with an act they do not approve of. #LeGalaxie
Why not?
UK should send Basil Brush and they could do a duet.
The contest has become a farce so let’s treat it like one. 😉 😀 😛
I saw Basil on the weakest link. He’s a cute little thing ain’t he?
RTÉ held Eurosong 2008 at the University of Limerick to give the national selection a “classy” feel and in the end the public selected a singing turkey puppet.
Those were the days… 🙂
if they want to have 0 next year its a great idea
2008 was a crazy year. There were so many joke acts and so many great acts, and in the end we had one of the least beloved (and yet one of the most expensive) winners ever.
Agreed. With all the recent scandals about Russia interfering in the US election, Olympic doping on a massive scale, etc. – I have really begun to wonder about Russian cheating back in 2008. Believe was such a dull song, it still baffles me how it could have come out on top.
I don’t think they actually cheated, they just put a LOT OF money into their entry and the audience fell for it. I mean, they put Edvin Marton and Evgeni Plushenko on stage even though there was neither live music nor ice.
Juries: 0 points.
YAAS PLS!! dustin with a song about peace and uniting europe! amazing and lovely fast food music
No!
This will never happen.