A Little Bit Eurovision (2011 - 2011)

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Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan’s 1994 Eurovision win was the third-in-a-row for Ireland after Linda Martin’s win in Malmö in ‘92 and Niamh Kavanagh’s in Millstreet in ‘93. The winning pair had never even met each other before their Eurovision bid and came from completely different musical backgrounds. Charlie McGettigan was born in Ballyshannon and started his musical career singing in a rock band in the singing lounges of Donegal. He got involved in the folk scene while working for the ESB in Dublin. In 1973 Charlie got a job at the Arigna Power Station and when he moved to Drumshambo he formed a folk band called Jargon which enjoyed some early success. Paul Harrington grew up in a musical family in Killester in Dublin and like his older brothers, started performing in his teenage years. When he left school in 1979, he got a job in the Department of Labour.

In 1994, Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry met a Norwegian man at the Eurovision final in Dublin who changed her life forever. A year later Fionnuala and Rolf Løvland won the Eurovision for Norway with the largely instrumental Nocturne. Their win brought phenomenal international success for their group Secret Garden. But the pressure of the music industry and years of worldwide touring has taken its toll on Fionnuala. It has led to periods of depression and forced her to make tough choices. In 2005 Fionnuala had to take a career break but found time to fall in love.

Classically trained chorister Eimear Quinn is probably the unlikeliest Eurovision winner. In 1996 Eimear won the Eurovision final in Oslo with Brendan Graham’s The Voice. It was the fourth win in five years for Ireland. Eimear Quinn was offered several record deals after her win. But the 23-year-old music student turned them all down to produce and publish her own record. In this program Eimear Quinn talks about finding love at the Eurovision final, creating a new musical identity for herself and becoming a mother.