Ireland's turkey Eurovision entry under fire

The Irish Eurovision entry, singing puppet Dustin The Turkey, has been criticised by former Irish winner Dana.

The singer suggests that Ireland should pull out of the competition rather than mock it with the entry.

Dana, who won the competition in 1970 with 'All Kinds Of Everything', said: “I think it's making a mockery of the contest and if we think it's such a big joke then let's get out of it.”

Dustin, who has featured on the Irish television show 'The Den' since 1990, will sing the song 'Irelande Douze Pointe' at the finals in May.

However, Dana has identified another problem with the entry, saying: “The problem is they love puppets in Europe. If, God forbid, he wins, we'll probably have more puppets than people in next year’s Eurovision.”

Julian Vignoles, the deputy commissioning editor of Dustin’s parent TV company RTE, defended their puppet entrant, stating: “The contest has changed over the years. Something that makes an impact on the stage is as likely to win as a well-crafted song.”


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