eusong1-6, Exercise 2: Ireland as a host

Model answer:

Ireland won in 1992, 1993 and 1994 (three in a row) and again in 1996, after earlier wins in 1970, 1980 and 1987, and is widely reported to share the record of seven wins with Sweden (check the count). The three wins in a row meant three contests to stage in a short period.

The 1993 contest was held in Millstreet, a very small town in County Cork, which shows the host system placing a major television event in a small place. In 1994, in Dublin, the interval act was a dance show that grew into Riverdance.

Record: the wins, the hosts, the venue and the interval act. Folklore: the idea that Irish broadcasters feared winning again, or even tried to lose, because of the cost. Hosting was expensive, but the claim about trying to lose should not be repeated without a source.

Check the exact years and the town's population in a reliable source.