Eurovision 1974 - Ireland

[SRJ1DK]

No wonder ABBA won with competition like this ;) Nice singer, but what a horror of a song, pretty much alike the british entry (probably the worst song Olivia N-J ever sung)

[jasonptify]

@SRJ1DK ... couldnt agree more but my views about this crap song got hidden... lol

[jasonptify]

very weak song

[jasonptify]

@lolamusic08 - yes it really is a very weak song --- imo - what others think about it is their business

[lolamusic08]

@jasonptify The weak comment was from Jasonptify, Cross your heart was a great 70's pop song., that made alot of people feel good. It was a number 1 hit in several countries.I still love it.

[phil1958uk]

Similar to Clodagh Rodgers.

[Roelverheggen1]

does she really sing "cross your heart and hope you'll die" ?

[keithc1977]

@Roelverheggen1 Yes she does :) :)

[hilarytully]

@Roelverheggen1

yes that saying comes from a children's game - you would tell someone something and to prove you were telling the truth you would cross your heart.. if you were telling a lie you would be struck down dead !! lol

[mazzakins]

looking at the final result here Ireland weren't that far behind ABBA .

[djfromcork]

in 1974 i was nine and we usesd to sing this song on the school bus going to school at that time, sweet memories,thank you

[lolamusic08]

@djfromcork

Thank you so much for your comment.

Ted O'Neill

[zzheavensdoor]

Unfortunate dress. I remember seeing it in a Sunday newspaper photoshoot at the time, being worn by a tall, skinny model. The dress looked great on the model, of course. Tina said in an interview at the time that she saw the same photo and chose the dress. It did not work for her. She was a lovely lady, was involved in a very serious car crash, but survived

[DeccaQuinne]

Pretty song - horrible dress.

[MadOnLiving]

This song is just so charming and builds to a wonderful climatic finish. It was so of the time and deserved to be in the Top 3 - well done Tina

We love you in Ireland

[EuroRaymanGuy]

This song make's me smile :-)

[jaytee414]

lovely but like many early Irish entries it was basically a nursery rhyme set to music

[djbillybop]

IT was the times but this year lads we might do well this year with a girl band come IRELAND

[karlinlilly]

simple...tina, god love her, had no class...a wooden performance indeed.

[huvander]

Love this tune !!

Thanx for posting!!!!

[EscBelgium111]

I just can't help falling in love with this one. My favourite of 1974, I even like it more than Si and Waterloo. It always makes me smile.

[thomani9]

How could this have won if Abba hadnt been in it? It came 7th!! It would still have been beaten by Gigliola Cinquetti, the Netherlands, UK etc.

[StANTo]

Geez man, where were the turkeys back then!?!

[tasosk3]

LOL!

[frodoireland]

Such a good song for us. We should have won that year if it had not been for ABBA

[ktah26]

Was there some controversy in Ireland about this entry? At one stage it wasn't certain if it would be Tina or Maxi who performed the 1973 Irish entry who would be singing it at eurovision. There was some issue about a dress.

[Ruadrai]

Tina stood in for Maxie in the 1973 after Maxie had a row with RTE. This was still on going just before the show. Tina was flow to Luxembourg as a stand in. As a thank you she was asked to sing all eight of Ireland's songs for the 1974 contest and the viewers in Ireland voted Cross Your Heart by almost 50%. There was as far as I am aware no problem with the dress.

[ESCsince1968]

You may be thinking of 1973. Maxie had issues with how to perform Do I Dream and Tina was on standby to sing that song if Maxie backed out.

[lenaphorup]

i am irish and i love schlagers and we have failed in that respect. as far as i'm concerned sweden, uk, france, isreal are the best and most consistant at this. ireland's songs are raidio friendly but not as good lena ph-dana intl-abba and so on.

[loobylou91]

This is my dad's auntie

[tasosk3]

Really? Very interesting - what's she doing today?

[lwsmackie]

cleaning toilets.......(?)

[tasosk3]

that's mean, lws! :-)

[Ruadrai]

too right if you cannot give a constructive answer don't bother

[lwsmackie]

shut your face!

[91loobylou]

@lwsmackie actually she is a succesful singer x

[hilarytully]

@loobylou91

Tina is married to my Dad now she still does a little bit of singing at the local church so she mainly sings hymns nowadays. I'm trying to persuade Dad to get on the internet because i'm sure he would love to see this as would T.

[lwsmackie]

I wish Ireland would send more uptempo songs to the ESC. Although this Anglo-Euro pop song has far too many LA LA LA's ... very early 70s UK-stylee sound

[setheurovision94]

Well, it worked well for Spain four years later, their lalalas beating Cliff Richards. But yes, entries like in 1981 in particular also make me wish Ireland tried more often to send uptempo stuff.

[lwsmackie]

Have you been at your mother's sherry, again? Did you mean Spain 1968, entry? 6 years earlier ! and not 4 years later as you say? I find this a very "British" entry - but not to its detriment ( how could it be when we (UK) produced classic after classic in this era - 1957 - 1977 only one entry outside top 5 I believe!

[setheurovision94]

You're right, my maths stooped to a new low there!! :S

[lolamusic08]

My Husband Ted O'Neill wrote this song under the pseudonym Paul Lyttle. It is still a happy song and was a #1 hit for him. Another song of his on youtube is Stepping Stones with Peter Beckett. Does anyone have a copy to post of The One in My Life sung by Nicola Kerr, 1981 Irish National Song Contest written by Ted O'Neill and Peter Beckett? We would love to see it

[Raldon77]

Almost - we were 7th in 1957 and 9th in 1966 - so just twice outside the top 5! :) Still an impressive record, which the UK should be proud of! Sad that it didn't continue into the 2000s...

[ESCsince1968]

Everything in the context of its time. It was 1974 after all. I remain very partial to this song. Try to understand our muic from our perspective if you can. There's a challenge.