Country Ireland Selection date(s) 12 March 1989 Final result 18th, 21 points | Selection process National Final Selected song "The Real Me" | |
Selected entrant Kiev Connolly & The Missing Passengers | ||
For the 1989 Eurovision Song Contest in Lausanne, the song "The Real Me," written, composed and performed by Kiev Connolly, was chosen to represent Ireland after it won the national final selection. Held on 12 March at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin, the national final was hosted by Ronan Collins. Eight songs competed in the event, and the winner was selected by twelve members of the public.
Nicola Kerr had represented Ireland in the 1977 Eurovision Song Contest, as a member of The Swarbriggs Plus Two. That entry, "It's Nice To Be In Love Again," came in third place behind France and the United Kingdom.
Linda Martin's appearance in the national final selection was her third time as a soloist, and her seventh overall. She was runner-up to Sweden in the 1984 Eurovision Song Contest, and would win the contest in 1992.
"The Real Me" was performed third in the running order on the night of the contest, following Israel and preceding Netherlands. At the close of the voting sequence, Ireland had received only 21 points, ranking them in a disappointing 18th place. At the time, this was Ireland's worst result in the contest, and would remain so until 2001.