Irish Examiner view: ‘You’ll never walk alone’

Eurovision spectacular

Swedish singer, Loreen, was the winner of this year's Eurovision Song Contest.

Even though Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was denied the opportunity to speak at the Eurovision song contest on Saturday, there was no shortage of political mood music in a joyous carnival which was remarkable in all sorts of silly ways, and emotionally moving in others.

While the G7 will be discussing the war in Eastern Europe in the symbolically resonant Japanese city of Hiroshima — scene of the first use of a nuclear weapon in 1945 — Liverpool and the show organisers delivered a stunning tribute to the oppressed country with a collective singalong of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’. 

People joined in from the Golden Gate in Kyiv while the Russians dropped munitions on Ternopil, the home town of Ukraine’s contestants, Tvorchi. 

Not since U2 and Luciano Pavarotti milked the emotions with ‘Miss Sarajevo’ has Europop been so politically laden and well-timed. And well done to the Brits for proving, within the space of one week, that they can do more than one form of crazy pageantry, even if they were merely stand-ins on this occasion.

Although it was slightly galling to see Sweden match Ireland’s number of wins, seven, they are the home of Abba after all. So we have to say fair play to Loreen and the stage set designers for ‘Tattoo.’ 

And look forward to more of Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid who, by great coincidence, are celebrating the 50th anniversary of ‘Waterloo’ and from whom we will, no doubt, hear much more next year when Eurovision returns to the continental mainland, in Sweden.