Is it possible the British are not quite aware of how the Eurovision Song Contest is viewed in Dublin? Tonight, British embassy staff are throwing a party to watch it live from Birmingham and giving prizes to those in "Eurovision costumes". Will anyone turn up? Do they know with what fright the whole shebang is mentioned in certain quarters?
These negative feelings rest most intensively in RTE where once again at this time of year executives are praying we won't win. But our entry, from Dawn Martin, is a good one and they are worried. Our prayers haven't often been answered in the past and we narrowly escaped winning for an eighth time last year. Why is it we succeed in the one event we don't want to win?
If we triumph once again, it will give RTE executives an opportunity to whine about the expense. They are already complaining of increased competition, of the cost of TnaG, and of having to allocate 20 per cent of their programme budget to independent film-makers. Now the whole current affairs budget could again be in jeopardy if they have to host another Eurovision. Meanwhile, they have as much chance of getting a licence fee increase from the Minister, Sile de Valera, as we have of seeing the Sios Suas Luas trundling along before 2002.