Ireland is the Eurovision powerhouse, winning the Contest a record seven times and to date the only country to achieve three consecutive wins. They made their Eurovision debut in 1965 in Naples (Italy), Butch Moore performed 'Walking the Streets in the Rain’. He ended the night in 6th place and - impressively - reached the top spot on the Irish Singles Chart, remaining at No. 1 for three weeks. Since then, Ireland has competed in every edition of Eurovision, except for the 1983 and 2002 Contests, and 45 of its 53 appearances have made it to the Grand Final.
The Irish clearly love their Eurovision entries, as the national charts clearly show! Of the 54 Irish songs, 47 have secured a place on the Irish Singles Chart: 38 songs (80% of Irish entries!) have achieved a top 10 spot, with fifteen making it all the way to No. 1 since 1965.
In this list we have ranked all the Irish Eurovision Top 100 charting singles by their peak position, then by the number of weeks at that peak, using Ireland's official Singles Charts archives, which you can find here.
Over the years, the Irish Singles Chart has been complied as follows:
pre-1992: compiled from record company ship-out statistics
1992 to 1996: Gallup-compiled charts based on consumer sales
1996 to present day: Chart-Track was formed as a result of a management buy-out from Gallup supported by the Irish Recorded Music Association
Only seven Irish Eurovision entries have failed to reach the Top 100 Irish Singles Chart. They include ‘When You Need Me’ by The Mullans (1999), ‘Millennium of Love’ by Eamonn Toal (2000), ‘Without Your Love’ by Gary O’Shaughnessy (2001), ‘They Can't Stop the Spring’ by Dervish (2007), ‘Dying to Try’ by Brendan Murray (2017), ‘22’ by Sarah McTernan (2019) and ‘Story of My Life’ by Lesley Roy (Ireland's entry at this year's cancelled Contest). Lesley Roy's song did, however, reach No. 12 on the Irish Homegrown Top 20 Chart.
We have included video links below to certain Irish Eurovision entries and provided some interesting Eurovision facts about certain songs.
Let’s begin!
47. Molly Sterling, 'Playing with Numbers' - Semi-Final 12th place in 2015 (No. 77 on the chart)
46. Nicky Byrne, 'Sunlight' - Semi-Final 15th place in 2016 (No. 68 on the chart)
After enjoying huge success with the boyband Westlife (nine No. 1 albums, two No. 1 compilations and fourteen No. 1 singles on the Irish charts), Nicky Byrne would make his solo debut at Eurovision. ‘Sunlight' may have not made it to the Grand Final and reached only No. 68 on the Irish Singles Chart, but it did secure a No. 13 place on the Irish Download Chart.
45. Can-Linn feat. Kasey Smith, 'Heartbeat' - Semi-Final 12th place in 2014 (No. 39 on the chart)
44. Dawn Martin, 'Is Always Over Now?' - 9th place in 1998 (No. 24 - 1 week on the chart)
43. Ryan O'Shaughnessy, 'Together' - 16th place in 2018 (No.17 - 1 week on the chart)
Before Ryan appeared on the Eurovision stage, he had achieved two Irish No. 3 hits: his debut single ‘No Name’ in 2012 (from his No. 1 self-titled EP) and ‘Who Do You Love?’ in 2013. ‘Together' would become his third charting song on the Irish Singles Chart.
42. Kiev Connolly & The Missing Passengers, 'The Real Me' - 18th place in 1989 (No. 17 - 2 weeks on the chart)
41. Maria Christian, 'Wait Until the Weekend Comes' - 6th place in 1985 (No. 15 - 2 weeks on the chart)
40. Ryan Dolan, 'Only Love Survives' - 26th (last) place in 2013 (No. 13 - 2 weeks on the chart)
39. The Duskeys, 'Here Today Gone Tomorrow' - 11th place in 1982 (No. 12 - 2 weeks on the chart)
38. Niamh Kavanagh, 'It's for You' - 23rd place in 2010 (No. 8 - 3 weeks on the chart)
37. Colm C.T. Wilkinson, 'Born to Sing' - 5th place in 1978 (No. 8 - 4 weeks on the chart)
36. Kim Jackson, 'Could It Be That I'm In Love' - 10th place in 1991 (No. 7 - 3 weeks on the chart)
35. Linda Martin, 'Terminal 3' - 2nd place in 1984 (No. 7 - 4 weeks on the chart)
Composed by Johnny Logan, 'Terminal 3' is the lowest-placed Eurovision runner-up of the Irish entries in this list. Eight years later, Linda Martin would achieve greater Irish chart success with another track once again written by "Mr Eurovision".
34. Maxi, 'Do I Dream' - 10th place in 1973 (No. 7 - 8 weeks on the chart)
33. Sinéad Mulvey & Black Daisy, 'Et Cetera' - Semi Final 11th place in 2009 (No. 6 - 3 weeks on the chart)
32. Liam Reilly, 'Somewhere in Europe' - 2nd place in 1990 (No. 6 - 6 weeks on the chart)
31. Eddie Friel, 'Dreamin' - 14th place in 1995 (No. 5 - 5 weeks on the chart)
30. Dustin the Turkey, 'Irelande Douze Points' - Semi Final 15th place in 2008 (No. 5 - 7 weeks on the chart)
Love him or hate him, Dustin the Turkey is an Irish singles chart sensation! Before Eurovision, he had garnered six No. 1 singles. By contrast, 'Irelande Douze Points’ managed to reach only No. 5 on the Irish Singles Chart, thus failing to replicate his earlier successes.
29. Jedward, 'Waterline' - 19th place in 2012 (No .5 /-12 weeks on the chart)
28. Angela Farrell, 'One Day Love' - 11th place in 1971 (No. 4 - 5 weeks on the chart)
27. Red Hurley, 'When' - 10th place in 1976 (No. 4 - 6 weeks on the chart)
26. Brian Kennedy, 'Every Song Is A Cry for Love' - 10th place in 2006 (No. 4 - 9 weeks on the chart)
Brian Kennedy had had three Top 10 hits on the Irish Singles Chart prior to his Eurovision performance, including ‘These Days’ with the Eurovision 1997 co-presenter Ronan Keating; the song peaked at No. 4 in 1999.
=24. Sheeba, 'Horoscopes' - 5th place in 1981 (No. 3 - 6 weeks on the chart)
=24. Jump the Gun, 'Take Him Home' - 8th place in 1988 (No. 3 - 5 weeks on the chart)
23. Cathal Dunne, 'Happy Man' - 5th place in 1979 (No. 3 - 9 weeks on the chart)
22. Eimear Quinn, 'The Voice' - 1st place in 1996 (No. 3 - 10 weeks on the chart)
This is the lowest-placed, Eurovision-winning Irish entry in our list. It is also Ireland's most recent Eurovision winner. Eimear Quinn’s Celtic song managed to reach No. 3 in her native country and also charted across Europe, making the Top 10 in Belgium.
21. Luv Bug, 'You Can Count On Me' - 4th place in 1986 (No. 2 - 5 weeks on the chart)
20. Marc Roberts, 'Mysterious Woman' - 2nd place in 1997 (No. 2 - 7 weeks on the chart)
19. Donna & Joe, 'Love' - Semi Final 14th place in 2005 (No. 2 - 8 weeks on the chart)
'Love' by Donna & Joe is the highest-placed song in our list to fail to qualify for the Eurovision Grand Final; it did, however, make the No. 2 spot on the Irish Singles Chart.
18. The Swarbriggs, 'That's What Friends Are For' - 9th place in 1975 (No. 2 - 9 weeks on the chart)
17. Sean Dunphy, 'If I Could Choose' - 2nd place in 1967 (No. 2 - 10 weeks on the chart)
16. Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan, 'Rock 'n' Roll Kids' - 1st place in 1994 (No. 2 - 14 weeks on the chart)
15. Sandie Jones, 'Ceol an Ghrá' - 15th place in 1972 (No. 1 - 1 week at peak, 5 weeks on the chart)
14. Muriel Day, 'The Wages of Love' - 7th place in 1969 (No. 1 - 1 week at peak, 7 weeks on the chart)
=12. Pat McGeegan, 'Chance of a Lifetime' - 4th place in 1968 (No. 1 - 1 week at peak, 10 weeks on the chart)
=12. Linda Martin, 'Why Me?' - 1st place in 1992 (No. 1 - 1 week at peak, 10 weeks on the chart)
Before Linda Martin took to the Eurovision stage, she had been part of the group Chips, which had four Top 20 hits, including the 1977 single ‘Goodbye Goodbye’ which got to No. 2 on the Irish Singles Chart. Her debut solo single, released one year before she went to Eurovision in 1984 and called ‘Edge of the Universe’, made it into the Top 20. She would go on to achieve a further five Top 20 solo hits, including her Eurovision-winning song ‘Why Me?’.
11. The Swarbriggs Plus Two, 'It's Nice To Be In Love Again' - 3rd place in 1977 (No. 1 - 1 week at peak, 13 weeks on the chart)
10. Chris Doran, 'If My World Stopped Turning' - 22nd place in 2004 (No. 1 - 2 weeks at peak, 9 weeks on the chart)
Chris Doran had two further Top 10 hits on the Irish Singles Chart after his Eurovision No. 1 song: ‘Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love for You’, his cover of a George Benson 1985 classic popularised by Glenn Medeiros in 1987 (thus becoming a worldwide hit) which reached No. 2, and ‘Right Here Waiting’, a cover of the Richard Marx hit, which peaked at No. 8.
9. Jedward, 'Lipstick' - 8th place in 2011 (No. 1 - 2 weeks at peak, 24 weeks on the chart)
Jedward is the most recent Irish Eurovision act to reach the No.1 spot and the longest charting of all the Irish Eurovision entries on the singles chart, holding on for a total of 24 weeks. ‘Lipstick’ is also the last Irish Eurovision entry to chart successfully outside Ireland, reaching No. 3 in Austria, No. 8 in South Korea and the Top 20 in Belgium, Germany and Sweden. ‘Lipstick’ even secured a No. 40 spot on the UK Singles Chart.
8. Tina Reynolds, 'Cross Your Heart' - 7th place in 1974 (No. 1 - 3 weeks at peak, 7 weeks on the chart)
7. Butch Moore, 'Walking the Streets in the Rain' - 6th place in 1965 (No. 1 - 3 weeks at peak, 8 weeks on the chart)
6. Dickie Rock, 'Come Back to Stay' - 4th place in 1966 (No. 1 - 4 weeks at peak, 9 weeks on the chart)
5. Johnny Logan - 'Hold Me Now' - 1st place in 1987 (No.1 - 4 weeks at peak, 14 weeks on the chart)
Australian-born Irish singer Johnny Logan managed to top the Irish Singles Chart yet again, after his first Eurovision-winning song ('What's Another Year') reached No. 1 in 1980. Here in Australia, ‘Hold Me Now’ reached No. 4 on the singles chart and remained in the Top 100 chart for a whopping 35 weeks. The single also reached No. 1 in other Eurovision-competing countries, including Belgium and Israel, and peaked at No. 2 in Norway, Sweden, West Germany and the United Kingdom.
=3. Niamh Kavanagh - 'In Your Eyes' - 1st place in 1993 (No. 1 - 5 weeks at peak, 15 weeks on the chart)
Interestingly, after winning the Irish national final, Niamh Kavanagh struggled to find a record company prepared to release her winning song. After she won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993, she met Simon Cowell, who had attended the Contest with the UK delegation, and signed up with Arista Records. 'In Your Eyes’ went on to spend five weeks at No. 1 and became the best-selling single in Ireland in that year.
=3. Mickey Harte, 'We've Got the World' - 11th place in 2003 (No. 1 - 5 weeks at peak, 15 weeks on the chart)
2. Johnny Logan, 'What's Another Year' - 1st place in 1980 (No. 1 - 6 weeks at peak, 10 weeks on the chart)
'What's Another Year’ remained at No. 1 for six weeks in Ireland. Interestingly, for 34 weeks in 1980, the Irish Singles Chart was not complied by record companies due to strike action. As an alternative, the magazine Hot Press magazine published fortnightly charts, which are used by Ireland's official Singles Charts archives website as official statistics. During that strike period, other songs charting at No. 1 in Ireland included ‘Xanadu’ by Olivia Newton-John, ‘The Winner Takes It All’ by ABBA and the ‘Theme from MASH’.
1. Dana, 'All Kinds of Everything' - 1st place in 1970 (No. 1 - 9 weeks at peak, 17 weeks on the chart)
'All Kinds of Everything’ is Ireland’s best-performing Eurovision entry on the Irish Singles Chart. Here in Australia, Dana’s hit peaked at No. 37, but a cover of the song was subsequently released by Melbourne singer Pat Carroll and outperformed the original, reaching No. 28. Ireland's first Eurovision winner also reached No. 1 in the UK and Belgium and entered the Top 10 in a further six countries.
Why not check out our previous articles on charting Eurovision songs here: