Ceol An Ghrá
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| Ceol an Ghrá | ||
|---|---|---|
| Eurovision Song Contest 1972 entry | ||
| Country | Ireland | |
| Artist(s) | Sandie Jones | |
| Language | Irish | |
| Composer(s) | Joe Burkett | |
| Lyricist(s) | Liam Mac Uistín | |
| Conductor(s) | Colman Pearce | |
| Place | 15th | |
| Points | 72 | |
| Lyrics | from Diggiloo Thrush | |
Ceol an Ghrá (English: The Music Of Love) was Ireland's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1972, performed in Irish by Sandie Jones. This was the first (and, to date, only) occasion on which the Irish entry was performed in Irish, and the only occasion on which it was not performed entirely in English.
The song was composed by Joe Beckett and written by Liam Mac Uistín, who also provided the lyrics for the English-language version which was not performed at the Contest.
Lyrically, the song is a ballad, with Jones singing about hearing "the music of love" wherever she is. She sings about being in "the land of the young", which may also refer to Ireland itself.
At the Contest, it was performed third on the night (following France's Betty Mars with Comé Comédie and preceding Spain's Jaime Morey with Amanece). At the close of voting, it had received 72 points, placing 15th in a field of 18. It should be remembered as well that the voting system in use at this Contest required every competing country to give at least one point to each other entrant, thus rendering nul points impossible.
Interestingly, while this was the only occasion on which Ireland performed in its own language, the result would remain Ireland's worst Contest showing until the 1989 Contest, where they would place 18th. The performance was also the first of only two occasions so far on which a Celtic language has been heard at the Contest, with France entering the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the Breton-language Diwanit Bugale.
The following year the Irish entry at the 1973 Contest was Do I Dream by Maxi.
