IT IS the show that helped launch the careers of stars such as Abba and Celine Dion.
But now the country that has won the European Song Contest more than any other has voted to be represented at this year's event by a puppet.
In a move likely to come as an even greater shock to Eurovision fans than Finland's winning death metal en
try two years ago, the Irish have chosen Dustin the Turkey to sing for them.
Dustin, a kind of north Dublin "turkey vulture" version of Roland Rat, is a wise-cracking glove puppet who appears on children's television and is fond of burping.
His song, Irlande Douze Pointe, is a parody of the Eurovision event, with lines such as "Drag acts and bad acts and Terry Wogan's wig".
Bookmaker William Hill installed the pink-beaked puppet as the 10-1 favourite to win the contest.
However, Dana Rosemary Scallon, one of the judges of the Irish finalists and Eurovision winner in 1970, said: "If it's the turkey, I think we're better not to go into the Eurovision again."
Over the past 18 years, Dustin has become an Irish singing legend, notching up eight number one singles and duetting with pop star Bob Geldof. He has also performed with a string of other musicians such as Chris De Burgh and Dervla Kirwan.
Geldof, who backed Dustin's entry, said: "The mere fact of his being a turkey should give Ireland the edge."
Dustin's Eurovision song was written by Darren Smith and Simon Fine, who collaborated on a track on his Bling When Your Minging album.
Dustin defeated the five other Irish finalists in a public vote on Saturday night.
Music experts said the move showed Britain had been missing a trick – despite Sandie Shaw winning the 1967 contest with Puppet on a String.
Ronnie Gurr, a music industry consultant, said: "Maybe this is where we have been going wrong all these years – we should have had Sooty representing us."
However, Mr Gurr, who was attending a music convention in Memphis, said the news made for the worst possible start to his day.
He added: "It seems to be an extraordinary state of affairs for the people of Ireland to be so arch in voting for a puppet. It would seem to undervalue the role of songwriters, and rude to say the least to be taking part and slagging the whole thing off."
Ireland has won the Eurovision contest no fewer than seven times, including three times in a row from 1992-94.
But it failed to qualify for the final in 2005 and finished in bottom place last year.
Dustin will perform in the contest's first semi-final in Belgrade on 20 May in an attempt to win a place in the final four days later.
Tony Kenny, a spokesman for the bookmaker William Hill, said: "These days you have to be either from the old eastern bloc or have a great gimmick to win Eurovision – and a singing turkey will possibly be one of the most bizarre things that a Eurovision audience will ever see."
Britain will choose its entry for the contest on Saturday.
The full article contains 537 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
