Ireland in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016

Ireland participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016 which took place on 20 November 2016, in Valletta, Malta. The Irish broadcaster TG4 was responsible for organising their entry for the contest through a national selection show entitled Junior Eurovision Éire. The national final took place on 6 November 2016, while the semi-finals took place between 9–30 October. This was Ireland's second appearance at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.

Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016
Country Ireland
National selection
Selection process
  • National selection:
  • Junior Eurovision Éire
Selection date(s)
  • Semi-final
  • 9 October 2016
  • 16 October 2016
  • 23 October 2016
  • 30 October 2016
  • Final
  • 6 November 2016
Selected entrantZena Donnelly
Selected song"Bríce ar Bhríce"
Selected songwriter(s)Zena Donnelly
Finals performance
Final result10th, 122 points
Ireland in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest
◄2015 2016 2017►

On 6 November, Zena Donnelly was selected to represent Ireland with a song she composed herself, "Brice ar Bhrice" (Brick by Brick). She placed 10th with 122 points.

Background

Prior to the 2016 Contest, Ireland had participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest once since its debut in 2015.[1] TG4 previously attempted to participate at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2014, but required funding from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), which was rejected.[2]

Before Junior Eurovision

The Irish broadcaster announced on 5 April 2016, that they would be participating at Junior Eurovision for the second time in their history. The mechanism for selecting their entrant and song was through the national selection show Junior Eurovision Éire.[3] The selection process took place every Sunday starting on 9 October, in which thirty-two participants competed, and culminated into a final which was held in 6 November 2016.[4]

Jury members

TG4 published details on the names of the professional jury who would determine the winner of the Junior Eurovision Éire 2016 and the representative for Ireland at the 2016 contest in November. They had all represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest at least once in their careers.[5][6]

Artist ESC Year(s) Song(s) Place (Semi-final) Points (Semi-final) Place (Final) Points (Final)
Sandie Jones 1972 "Ceol an Ghrá" No semi-finals 15 72
Linda Martin 1984 "Terminal 3" 2 137
1992 "Why Me?" 1 155
Niamh Kavanagh 1993 "In Your Eyes" 1 187
2010 "It's for You" 9 67 23 25
Dustin the Turkey 2008 "Irelande Douze Pointe" 15 22 Failed to qualify
Jedward 2011 "Lipstick" 8 68 8 119
2012 "Waterline" 6 92 19 46

The judging panel consisted of Fiachna Ó Braonáin and Paulien Scanlon, as well as a different guest judge each week.

Junior Eurovision Éire

Semi-final 1

The first semi-final took place on 9 October 2016, in which Jedward were the guest judges.[4]

Draw Artist[7] Song[7] Result[8]
01 Hannah McNicholas Roche "Titim as a Chéile" Final Duel
02 Susie Power "Popsicle" Eliminated
03 Walter McCabe "Las Do Sholas" Final Duel
04 Bernadette Royo "Bean si" Eliminated
05 Molly McCarthy "Imithe Leis An Ghaoth" Eliminated
06 Amy Meehan "Tapaigh An Deis" Eliminated
07 Cathal Gavin "Seo hé Mo Ghlór" Eliminated
08 Jael Katebe-Wini "An Ghrá i do Chroí" Eliminated

Hannah McNicholas Roche and Walter McCabe both advanced to the final duel stage and performed their songs for the second time. After their second performances, the jury members selected Walter McCabe as the winner of semi-final 1 and advances to the grand final on 6 November 2016.[8]

Semi-final 2

The second semi-final took place on 16 October 2016, in which Dustin the Turkey was the guest judge.[4]

Draw Artist Song Result[9]
01 Zena Donnelly "Bríce Ar Bhríce" Final Duel
02 Taylor Hynes "Níos Airde" Eliminated
03 Maggie-Sue McCormack "Tusa" Eliminated
04 Natalie Hurley "Mo chuid 'Superstars'" Eliminated
05 Daniel Gallagher "Táim Beo" Final Duel
06 Leah Cunningham "Saol Iontach" Eliminated
07 Holly Sturton "A Cheol, Is Tusa M’Anamchara" Eliminated
08 Ciara Mullarkey "An Ghealach" Eliminated

Zena Donnelly and Daniel Gallagher advanced to the final duel where they performed their songs a second time. After their second performances, Donnelly was selected by the jury to advance to the final.[9]

Semi-final 3

The third semi-final took place on 23 October 2016, in which Sandie Jones was the guest judge.[4]

Draw Artist Song Result[10]
01 Lillie Foley "Am" Eliminated
02 Rachel Haughney "Na Réaltaí sa Spéir" Final Duel
03 Roman O'Mahony "Saoirse" Eliminated
04 Rosalind Hayes "Cé hIad na Laochra Anois?" Eliminated
05 Éabha Ní Shúilleabháin "Mo Laoch" Eliminated
06 Cliona NicDhomnail "Ag Seasamh Le Mo Réaltai" Final Duel
07 Na Deirfiúracha Drumgoole "Ceol an Easa" Eliminated
08 Disha Suresh Kumar "Níl Éinne Foirfe" Eliminated

Rachel Haughney and Cliona NicDhomnail advanced to the final duel where they performed their songs the second time. After their second performances, NicDhomnail was selected by the jury to advance to the final.[10]

Semi-final 4

The fourth semi-final took place on 30 October 2016, in which Niamh Kavanagh was the guest judge.[4]

Draw Artist Song Result[11]
01 Lasairfhíona de Brún "Fan Liom" Final Duel
02 Danny McGahey "Marú na hOíche" Eliminated
03 Eva Kavanagh "Irrus Domnann" Eliminated
04 Amy McGrath "M'Aingeal" Final Duel
05 Stephanie Byrne "Go dti an Ghealach" Eliminated
06 Lucy Hood "Dathanna den Nadúr" Eliminated
07 Ash & Jen "Mo Chailíni" Eliminated
08 Arabella Dolan "Ag Seoladh Mo Ghrá Chugat" Eliminated

Lasairfhíona de Brún and Amy McGrath advanced to the final duel where they performed their songs a second time. After their second performances, McGrath was selected by the jury to advance to the final.[11]

Final

The grand final took place on 6 November 2016, in which Linda Martin was the guest judge.[4] Two wildcard acts were entered into the final. They were Hannah McNicholas Roche who came second in week 1 and Lasairfhíona de Brún who came second in week 4.

Draw Artist Song Result
01 Zena Donnelly "Brice ar Bhrice" Final Duel
02 Walter McCabe "Las Do Sholas" Eliminated
03 Hannah McNicholas Roche "Titim as a Chéile” Eliminated
04 Cliona NicDhomnail "Ag Seasamh Le Mo Réaltai" Eliminated
05 Amy McGrath "M'Aingeal" Final Duel
06 Lasairfhíona de Brún "Fan Liom" Eliminated

Final Duel

For the final, a sing-off was introduced between the top two contenders.

Draw Artist Song Result
01 Zena Donnelly "Brice ar Bhrice" Winner
02 Amy McGrath "M'Aingeal" Runner-up

Artist and song information

"Bríce ar Bhríce"
Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016 entry
Country
Artist(s)
Zena Donnelly
Languages
Composer(s)
Zena Donnelly
Lyricist(s)
Zena Donnelly
Entry chronology
◄ "Réalta na mara
(Star of the sea)" (2015)
  

Zena Donnelly

Zena Donnelly
Background information
Born (2002-08-28) 28 August 2002
Blackrock, Dublin, Ireland
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer
InstrumentsVocals
Years active2009–present

Zena Donnelly (born 28 August 2002)[12] is an Irish singer. She represented Ireland at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Valletta, Malta on 20 November 2016 with the song "Bríce ar Bhríce".

Zena has won RTÉ's nationwide TV talent competition Show Off or Get Off, performed for Music Inc., and played the lead role in Annie at the National Concert Hall. Zena was a special young guest at the Cheerios ChildLine Concert in the 3Arena alongside other artists including Olly Murs, Boyzone and McBusted. Zena also took part in Junior Eurovision Éire in 2015, coming second to Aimee Banks.

Branching out from music, Zena has started to be cast in films such as The Food Guide To Love, Céad Ghrá, Cuckoo, Dance Emergency and A Christmas Star, where she also sings, among others, the theme song, "We Can Shine".

In 2017, Zena took part in series 1 of The Voice Kids, where she was placed in judge Pixie Lott's team.

Bríce ar Bhríce

"Bríce ar Bhríce" (English translation: "Brick by brick") is a song by Irish singer Zena Donnelly. It represented Ireland during the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016, placing tenth out of seventeen contestants.

At Junior Eurovision

During the opening ceremony and the running order draw which took place on 14 November 2016, Ireland was drawn to open the show on 20 November 2016, preceding Armenia.[13]

The final was broadcast in Ireland on TG4. However it was announced on 16 November 2016 by the broadcaster that the show would not be broadcast live but that the show would be broadcast 3 hours and 30 minutes after it aired in Malta.[14]

Final

Zena delivered a strong series of run-throughs of her mid-tempo song against a visually stunning backdrop of the night sky.

Voting

During the press conference for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2016, held in Stockholm, the Reference Group announced several changes to the voting format for the 2016 contest. Previously, points had been awarded based on a combination of 50% National juries and 50% televoting, with one more set of points also given out by a 'Kids' Jury'. However, this year, points were awarded based on a 50/50 combination of each country's Adult and Kids' Jury, to be announced by a spokesperson. For the first time since the inauguration of the contest the voting procedure did not include a public televote.[15] Following these results, three expert jurors also announced their points from 1–8, 10, and 12. These professional jurors are: Christer Björkman, Mads Grimstad, and Jedward.[16]

At the end of the voting, Ireland placed 10th with 122 points, receiving 65 points from the adult jury and 57 from the kids jury. Ireland received 2 sets of 12 points, from Italy and Malta.

Points awarded to Ireland

Kids Jury
12 points 10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points
5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point
Adult Jury
12 points 10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points
5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point
Expert Jury
12 points 10 points 8 points 7 points 6 points
5 points 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point
  • Mads Grimstad

Points awarded by Ireland

Score Adult Jury Kids Jury 50/50
12 points Georgia Australia Italy
10 points Italy Italy Australia
8 points Belarus Russia Russia
7 points Russia Armenia Georgia
6 points Netherlands Bulgaria Armenia
5 points Australia Malta Netherlands
4 points Armenia Netherlands Bulgaria
3 points Bulgaria Georgia Malta
2 points Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus
1 point Malta Israel Belarus

See also

References

  1. Granger, Anthony (23 March 2015). "Ireland: Debuts At Junior Eurovision". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  2. Granger, Anthony (22 May 2014). "Ireland: TG4 Fails To Get BAI Funding For JESC". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  3. Granger, Anthony (5 April 2016). "Ireland: TG4 Confirm Junior Eurovision 2016 Participation". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  4. "Junior Eurovision Programmes TG4 Súil Eile". TG4. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  5. Deakin, Sam (30 August 2016). "Jedward search for Ireland's Junior Eurovision winner". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  6. Granger, Anthony (31 August 2016). "Ireland Full Junior Eurovision Éire 2016 jury revealed". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  7. Granger, Anthony (9 October 2016). "Tonight Ireland's Junior Eurovision 2016 selection begins". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  8. Granger, Anthony (9 October 2016). "Ireland Walter McCabe is the first finalist". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  9. Granger, Anthony (16 October 2016). "Ireland Zena Donelly is the second finalist". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  10. Granger, Anthony (23 October 2016). "Ireland Cliona NicDhomnail is the third finalist". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  11. Granger, Anthony (30 October 2016). "Ireland Amy McGrath wins the fourth semi-final". eurovoix.com. Eurovoix. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  12. "About Zena Donnelly". escpedia.info (in Portuguese). ESCPedia. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  13. Jordan, Paul (15 November 2016). "Final running order revealed!". junioreurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  14. Granger, Anthony (16 November 2016). "Ireland: Junior Eurovision 2016 To Be Broadcast On Delay". Eurovoix.com. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  15. Jordan, Paul (13 May 2016). "Format changes for the Junior Eurovision 2016". junioreurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  16. Jordan, Paul (13 May 2016). "Jedward to appear at Junior Eurovision 2016!". junioreurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
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