Eurovision 1993 marked a pivotal moment in the contest's history, being the first to implement a relegation system and featuring an unprecedented number of participants from Eastern Europe. Hosted in the small town of Millstreet, County Cork, it was the smallest ever host city, but managed to pull off the biggest production in Eurovision history.

In this episode, Steven Perkins delves into the backstory of how Millstreet became the unlikely host, highlighting the challenges faced in accommodating the event and the innovative solutions devised to make it all work. He looks back on the memorable performances, Ireland's back-to-back victory, and the poignant backdrop of the Bosnian War.

It's safe to say, Eurovision 1993 was a show like no other.

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Highlights:

• The 1993 Eurovision Song Contest was a groundbreaking event, hosted in the small town of Millstreet, Ireland.
• This edition marked the first use of a relegation system, impacting future Eurovision participation.
• The participation of Bosnia Herzegovina added a significant geopolitical context to the contest.
• Ireland's victory marked their second consecutive win, a feat not achieved by many countries.
• The production quality of the 1993 contest was unexpectedly high, despite hosting in a rural venue.
• The voting process was dramatic, culminating in Ireland's win with a sizable margin over the UK.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Linda Martin - ‘Why Me?’ (Ireland, 1992): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g7Q7R3SIkI

Münchener Freiheit - ‘Keeping The Dream Alive’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRawFX5wJZw 

Seebach Band - ‘Under stjernerne på himlen’ (Denmark, 1993): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB5YJlVcI-s

Barbara - ‘Iemand als jij’ (Belgium, 1993): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIRN5fO-20M

Annie Cotton - ‘Moi, tout simplement’ (Switzerland, 1993): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QG-kvD7GHo

Tony Wegas - ‘Maria Magdalena’ (Austria, 1993): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcbrElK_tok

Arvingarna - ‘Eloise’ (Sweden, 1993): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD4gdEHtS-E

Silje Vige - ‘Alle mine tanker (Norway, 1993): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrX98Kf1w-E

Niamh Kavanagh - ‘In Your Eyes’ (Ireland, 1993): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysLHYx0c80s

Sonia - ‘Better The Devil You Know’ (United Kingdom, 1993): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqWOSycDMv4

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Douze Points is a Podcasts By Liam production, presented by Steven Perkins and produced by Liam Heffernan. Original theme composed by Ian MacEwan. The Bingewatch network was created by Hannah Fernando and Ian MacEwan. For any queries, including advertising & sponsorship, please email hello@podcastsbyliam.com