Fears You’re a Star format may stifle songwriting talent

SONGWRITERS have criticised the format used by RTÉ’s You’re A Star in selecting a song to represent Ireland in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Latvia.

For the first time in many years, the National Song Contest is not an open competition for composers and songwriters.

Instead, RTÉ has invited a small number of high-profile songwriters to submit an entry which will be performed by the winning You’re A Star act in the Eurovision final in Riga, Latvia, on May 24.