After winning the contest on home ground in Millstreet in 1993, the contest was staged at the Point Theatre in Dublin. Ireland set two new records for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994; they won the contest for a 6th time and won for the third time in a row.
They did it again... and again!
In 1994 seven countries joined the Eurovision Song Contest in what was the biggest single expansion in participants since the contest began in 1956. Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia and Slovakia all competed in the 39th Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin. Poland's debut at the Eurovision Song Contest was very successful when their representative Edyta Gorniak finished second with 166 points.
The interval act in 1994 was the then unknown Riverdance, an act which combined traditional Irish folk music with modern dance. Riverdance became a global phenomenon, with the exception of participating artists, it is arguably the biggest money-spinner ever created by Eurovision. Lithuania scored zero points with its first ever entry.
About the winner
Never before in the history of the song contest had a country had won three times in a row. The Irish entrants Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan sang Rock 'n Roll Kids, which in the end was 60 points ahead of the runner-up and at 226 points was the highest score ever at a Eurovision Song Contest up to that date.
Facts & figures
- Satellite links were used during the voting sequence rather than telephones meaning that the jury spokespersons could be seen for the first time.
- During the dress rehearsal the Polish entrant, Edyta Gorniak, performed half of her entry in English which broke the rules. Despite this, she was allowed to compete in the live show.
- The support in the hall for Bosnia & Herzegovina was so strong that the singer missed his first cue but soon recovered.