Thursday 13 March, 2025

Hey Linda Martin! Here's how Irish people argued about the Eurovision in 1965

Yes. We’ve always taken it too seriously.

May 7th 2014, 8:58 AM 2,620 Views 4 Comments

linda

IRELAND ENTERED THE Eurovision Song Contest for the first time ever in 1965.

We sent Butch Moore to sing Walking The Streets In The Rain, after he beat Waterford showband legend Brendan Bowyer in Ireland’s national contest.

Source: Euroencyclopedic/YouTube

But not everyone was happy.

In fact, some Waterford people were so angry, they wrote a furious letter to the Munster Express:

Source: @Limerick1914 via Twitter

Letted spotted yesterday by @Limerick1914

We feel that all Waterford people will join with us in this protest [...] His tender feeling for the song had us enraptured and we felt sure that this was the song that would do us justice at Naples

They claimed the jury was “packed” and Bowyer’s talents were unfairly “ignored”. Remind you of anything?

Oh, Ireland. Always taking these things too seriously.

(Butch Moore came 6th in the 1965 contest. We’d be happy with that result on Saturday night…)

As it happened: The first Eurovision Song Contest semi-final>

More: The Eurovision ‘Cake To Bake’ song sent Twitter into a frenzy>

About the author:

About the author

Michael Freeman

@michfreeman

michael@thejournal.ie

See more articles by Michael Freeman

Contribute to this story:

Send a Correction

COMMENTS (4)

∞

About Us

Corrections

Report Content

Policies

TheJournal.ie supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1890 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie

Please note that TheJournal.ie uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide services and advertising. For more information on cookies please refer to our cookies policy.

News images provided by Press Association and Photocall Ireland unless otherwise stated. Irish sport images provided by Inpho Photography unless otherwise stated. Wire service provided by Associated Press.

Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for user created content, posts, comments, submissions or preferences. Users are reminded that they are fully responsible for their own created content and their own posts, comments and submissions and fully and effectively warrant and indemnify Journal Media in relation to such content and their ability to make such content, posts, comments and submissions available. Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for the content of external websites.

Hey Linda Martin! Here's how Irish people argued about the Eurovision in 1965

Yes. We’ve always taken it too seriously.

As it happened: The first Eurovision Song Contest semi-final>