Point Theatre, Dublin, Eurovision Song Contest 1994
After winning in 1993 on home ground in Millstreet, people shook their heads in disbelief when the country also managed to win for the third consecutive time, again at home in Dublin's Point Theatre. Never before had a country won three times in a row!
They did it again... and again!
For the second consecutive time, Ireland hosted the Eurovision Song Contest, this time in its capital Dublin. Due to the fact that so many countries wished to participate in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, the European Broadcasting Union decided to adopt a relegation system. For the 1994 contest, it would mean that the seven countries that finished at the bottom of the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest were relegated and couldn't participate in the 1994 edition of the show. Instead, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia made their debut. However, Italy and Luxembourg withdrew voluntarily, so only the bottom five countries of the 1993 contest in Millstreet - Turkey, Slovenia, Israel, Denmark and Belgium - were relegated. That meant that the total amount of participating countries was 25, just as in the preceding year.
Poland's debut at the Eurovision Song Contest was very successful when their representative Edyta Gorniak came in second with 166 points. However, the Polish song was almost disqualified as Edyta sang her song To Nie Ja! half in English in one of the dress rehearsal which violated the rule that every entry had to be sung in the native language. Nevertheless, even the talented Gorniak wasn't even near to this year's winner, which once again, was Ireland.
About the winner
Never before in the history of the song contest, a country had won three times in a row. The Irish entrants Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan sang Rock 'n Roll Kids, which in the end was 60 points ahead of the runner-up and was the highest score ever at a Eurovision Song Contest to date. This overwhelming victory for Ireland would not be the last in this century, as just two years later in 1996, Ireland would win again.
Facts & figures
The biggest commercial success of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest was none of the songs though, but the interval act Riverdance. The Irish danc sensation went on to be a world famous stage show, which would be seen by millions of people all around the world.
