Hopes Malmo magic will secure victory for Ryan
Much like Britain’s entry, Welsh warbler Bonnie Tyler, the Irish are holding out for a hero, and it could come in the form of the leather-clad Tyrone 27-year-old and his bare-chested and buffed up bodhrán players.
However, while the former window-fitter himself has said that ‘Only Love Survives’ is Ireland’s best song in a long time, Ryan still faces dual challenges of the warped inter-country bloc voting and the nerves of having to wait to perform as the last of the 26 acts at Sweden’s Malmo Arena.
Nonetheless, there is still considerable optimism that the Irish entry can break the luck which has seen us fail to lift the title for the last 17 years. The omens are good.
If Ryan can set his nerves aside, performing last has its advantages. When the judges around the continent begin deliberating, the song that will be ringing in their ears will be the Irish entry.
Sweden holds good memories for us. One of Ireland’s seven winners, Linda Martin, scooped the title in the same city 21 years ago with the power ballad ‘Why Me?’.
Furthermore, this year’s entry has even managed to figure in host country Sweden’s download charts.
All the same, the risk of nul points from various countries is a possibility.
There are lots of nations, particularly from the Eastern Bloc, who have a tendency to give their 12 points to their nearest neighbour — no matter how bad the song.
Therefore, only a truly great performance can beat the skewed voting trends.
As of yesterday afternoon, paddypower.com had Denmark as the firm favourites with odds of 4/6, Norway at 5/1, and Ukraine at 10/1. It only placed Ireland’s chances at 25/1, though the likelihood of Bonnie Tyler eclipsing the hearts of the judges appeared even slimmer at 50/1.
* The final will be broadcast live on RTÉ 1 tonight from 8pm.
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