Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977
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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox song contest national year
| Year = 1977
| Broadcaster = {{lang|ga|Radio Telefís Éireann|i=no}} (RTÉ)
| Country = Ireland
| Selection process = National Song Contest
| Selection date = 20 February 1977
| Song = It's Nice to Be in Love Again
| Artist = The Swarbriggs Plus Two
| Writer = {{unbulleted list|Tommy Swarbrigg|Jimmy Swarbrigg}}
| Final result = 3rd, 119 points
}}
Ireland was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1977 with the song "It's Nice to Be in Love Again", written by Tommy and Jimmy Swarbrigg, and performed by themselves, along Alma Carroll and Nicola Kerr, under the stage name The Swarbriggs Plus Two. The Irish participating broadcaster, {{lang|ga|Radio Telefís Éireann|i=no}} (RTÉ), selected its entry through a national final. The Swarbriggs had previously represented {{esccnty|Ireland|y=1975|t=Ireland in 1975}}.
Before Eurovision
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= National Song Contest =
{{lang|ga|Radio Telefís Éireann|i=no}} (RTÉ) held the thirteenth edition of the National Song Contest at its studios in Dublin, hosted by Mike Murphy. Eight songs took part, with the winner chosen by voting from ten regional juries. Other participants included past and future Irish representatives Dickie Rock ({{esccnty|Ireland|y=1966|t=1966}}) and Colm C. T. Wilkinson ({{esccnty|Ireland|y=1978|t=1978}}), while future Eurovision winner Linda Martin ({{esccnty|Ireland|y=1992|t=1992}}) performed as a member of the group Chips.
| class="sortable wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto; text-align:center" |
| Draw
! Artist ! Song ! Points ! Place |
|---|
| 1
| align="left" |Jamie Stone | align="left" |"If I Give My Love" |19 |2 |
| 2
| align="left" |Dickie Rock | align="left" |"I Can't Go On Without You" | 8 |6 |
| 3
| align="left" |Sunshine | align="left" |"Look Before You Leap" |0 |8 |
| 4
| align="left" |D. J. Curtin | align="left" |"You Cannot Stop the Music" |5 |7 |
| style="font-weight:bold; background:gold;"
|5 | align="left" |The Swarbriggs Plus Two | align="left" |"It's Nice to Be in Love Again" |25 |1 |
| 6
| align="left" |Denis Allen | align="left" |"Da-Dum Da-Dum, I Love You So" |12 |5 |
| 7
| align="left" |Colm C. T. Wilkinson | align="left" |"There Was a Dream" |18 |3 |
| 8
| align="left" |Chips | align="left" |"Goodbye Goodbye" |13 |4 |
At Eurovision
On the night of the final the group performed first in the running order, preceding {{esccnty|Monaco|y=1977}}. At the close of voting "It's Nice to Be in Love Again" had picked up 119 points, placing Ireland third of the 18 entries.{{cite web |title=Final of London 1977 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/london-1977/final |publisher=European Broadcasting Union |access-date=11 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411091002/https://eurovision.tv/event/london-1977/final |archive-date=11 April 2021 |url-status=live}} The song had gained four maximum 12s – from {{esccnty|Israel|y=1977}}, {{esccnty|Norway|y=1977}}, {{esccnty|Sweden|y=1977}} and the United Kingdom. The Irish jury awarded its 12 points to Finland.
= Voting =
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
| class="wikitable" |
| + Points awarded to Ireland{{cite web |title=Results of the Final of London 1977 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/london-1977/final/results/ireland |publisher=European Broadcasting Union |access-date=11 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411091104/https://eurovision.tv/event/london-1977/final/results/ireland |archive-date=11 April 2021 |url-status=live}} |
| scope="col" width="20%" | Score
! scope="col" | Country |
|---|
| scope="row" | 12 points
| {{Unbulleted list|{{Esc|Israel|y=1977}}|{{Esc|Norway|y=1977}}|{{Esc|Sweden|y=1977}}|{{Esc|United Kingdom|y=1977}}}} |
| scope="row" | 10 points
| {{Unbulleted list|{{Esc|France|y=1977}}|{{Esc|Greece|y=1977}}}} |
| scope="row" | 8 points
| {{Unbulleted list|{{Esc|Italy|y=1977}}|{{Esc|Luxembourg|y=1977}}|{{Esc|Monaco|y=1977}}|{{Esc|Switzerland|y=1977}}}} |
| scope="row" | 7 points
| |
| scope="row" | 6 points
| |
| scope="row" | 5 points
| {{Unbulleted list|{{Esc|Austria|y=1977}}|{{Esc|Germany|y=1977}}}} |
| scope="row" | 4 points
| {{Esc|Spain|1977|y=1977}} |
| scope="row" | 3 points
| {{Esc|Belgium|y=1977}} |
| scope="row" | 2 points
| |
| scope="row" | 1 point
| {{Unbulleted list|{{Esc|Netherlands|y=1977}}|{{Esc|Portugal|y=1977}}}} |
{{col-2}}
{{col-end}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest}}
{{Eurovision Song Contest 1977}}