If you're anything like me, the words "Junior Eurovision" might conjure memories of settling the kids in front of TG4 on a December evening, secretly getting just as invested in the performances as they are. There's something brilliantly wholesome about watching young singers belt out their hearts in Irish while you're trying to fold the mountain of washing that's been staring at you since Tuesday.
Well, here's something lovely: Ireland has been at Junior Eurovision for a full decade now, and TG4 is celebrating with a special programme that'll have you reaching for the tissues. Junior Eurovision: An Deichiú Réalt airs this Sunday, 7th December at 7:30pm, and it's the perfect excuse to put your feet up after the weekend chaos.
The hour-long special looks back at ten years of Irish-language performances—and if you've been following along since 2015, you'll recognise some familiar faces who've gone on to do absolutely brilliant things. But the real heart of the programme follows this year's representative, fourteen-year-old Lottie O'Driscoll Murray from Cork, on her journey to the contest.
From near-miss to national champion
Lottie's story is one that'll resonate with any parent who's watched their child dust themselves off after a disappointment. She narrowly missed out at the semi-final stage in 2024, but came back this year with even more determination. Following a nationwide search that saw hundreds of young singers audition for TG4's five-part series, ten finalists were selected—and Lottie emerged as the 2025 winner.
A young performer takes centre stage at Junior Eurovision
The programme captures those gorgeous real-life moments—Lottie breaking the news to her classmates (cue the squealing), and follows her journey to the Wicklow Mountains where the music video for her song "Rúin" was filmed. Anyone who's ever coordinated a school drop-off in lashing rain will appreciate the dedication it takes to film a music video up a mountain.
Lottie will represent Ireland in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Saturday, 13th December, competing against seventeen other countries including Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and last year's winners, Georgia. And here's a brilliant bit: unlike the senior Eurovision, fans can actually vote for their own country at JESC.TV. So yes, you can absolutely rally the mammy WhatsApp group.
Where are they now?
One of the loveliest parts of the programme is catching up with Ireland's previous Junior Eurovision stars, and honestly, it's enough to make you feel ridiculously proud of young Irish talent. Remember Aimee Banks, who kicked it all off in 2015 with "Réalta na Mara"? She's now an accomplished soprano pursuing a Masters in Vocal Performance at the Royal College of Music in London, where she's an RCM Scholar. She'll even be headlining a Classical Christmas Concert at Galway's Town Hall Theatre on 16th December—from Junior Eurovision to the Royal College. Not too shabby.
Ireland's Junior Eurovision journey has launched remarkable young careers
Then there's Sophie Lennon, who achieved Ireland's best result to date in 2022 with "Solas", finishing fourth. Since then, Sophie's appeared on America's Got Talent and landed a management deal with Tim Byrne, former manager of One Direction. She credits Junior Eurovision as the beginning of her journey—which is the kind of thing that makes you think twice before dismissing your own child's dreams of pop stardom.
Muireann McDonnell, who performed in 2017, is now studying at a jazz conservatory in the Netherlands. Taylor Hynes, the 2018 entrant with the infectious "IOU", was recently nominated for an AIMS award for his musical theatre work. And Anna Kearney, who delivered the powerful "Banshee" in 2019, now teaches singing at the music school where she trained as a child.
Even the more recent contestants are carving out impressive paths. Maiú Levi Lawlor, who represented Ireland in 2021 with the lockdown-inspired "Saor", is currently studying for his Leaving Cert and planning to pursue music at third level. And Enya Cox Dempsey, last year's representative who brought us "Le Chéile" (and that iconic signature dance move), remains active in performance, including pantomime appearances. She was even guest of honour at the Kilkenny Wellie Race, which feels wonderfully, quintessentially Irish.
A decade of giving young voices a platform
What strikes me most about this ten-year milestone is how Junior Eurovision has given young Irish singers a genuine platform to perform in their own language on an international stage. In a world where our kids are constantly bombarded with content from everywhere else, there's something really special about watching them embrace Irish-language music with such enthusiasm.
The fact that these contestants have gone on to such varied and successful careers—from opera to law, from jazz to musical theatre—also challenges any notion that participating in these competitions is "just a phase." For many of these young people, Junior Eurovision was the springboard that gave them confidence, experience, and connections.
So this Sunday evening, after you've survived whatever the weekend throws at you (football matches in the rain, birthday parties with seventeen sugar-crazed children, the usual), settle in with a cuppa for Junior Eurovision: An Deichiú Réalt on TG4 at 7:30pm. Then mark your calendar for Saturday, 13th December, when Lottie takes to the stage in Georgia.
And don't forget—you can actually vote for Ireland this time. Rally the troops, share it in every WhatsApp group you're in (we all know you're in at least seven), and let's get behind Lottie. After all, if we can coordinate school runs, packed lunches, and Christmas shopping while running on three hours' sleep, voting in a song contest should be a doddle.
