Cork singer Bambie Thug has been chosen to represent Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest this summer.
The decision was made on Friday night’s Late Late Show Eurosong special, overseen by host Patrick Kielty.
There was strong support in-studio and on social media for the Cork singer on the night, with an audience member interrupting the panel’s commentary following Erica Cody’s performance to yell “send the witch” to Eurovision — referring to Bambie Thug’s entry, which the Macroom native describes as being filled with “witchiness”.
‘Doomsday Blue’ topped the national jury vote and the public vote and Bambie Thug will perform the song in Malmö in May.
An international jury and a national jury cast two-thirds of the votes on Friday night, with the final third coming via public vote.
The Louis Walsh-assembled boyband Next in Line with ‘Love Like Us’ topped the international jury’s vote, but came last in the national jury vote.
Bambie Thug won the overall vote after facing competition from Dubliner Erica Cody with ‘Love Me Like I Do’, singer Ailsha with ‘Go Tobann’, rapper JyellowL feat. Toshin with ‘Judas’, Irish-Australian singer-songwriter Isabella Kearney with ‘Let Me Be The Fire’, and boyband Next in Line with ‘Love Like Us’.
While votes were being counted, the Eurosong special episode also saw a performance during the interval from the Eurovision’s 2022 winners Kalush Orchestra, who represented Ukraine.
Eurovision 2024 will be held in Malmö, Sweden after Loreen won the competition last year in Liverpool. This year, Sweden could potentially surpass Ireland’s record number of seven Eurovision titles, with their 2023 victory adding a seventh win for the country.
The Eurovision semi-finals will be held on Tuesday, May 7, and Thursday, May 9. A draw will take place on Tuesday in Malmö to determine which semi-final the participants will compete and vote in.
The last time Ireland was in the grand final was in 2018 when Ryan O’Shaughnessy entered with the song ‘Together’.