Marty Whelan over the moon about new baby and Bambie

admin admin | 05-09 08:15

Last night he was relieved that Ireland finally made it back on the Eurovision main stage as Bambie Thug was one of the ten acts to make it through to Saturday's final.

"It's the first grandchild on either side of the family, so it’s obviously a very big deal," he said. "We’re all high as kites. She’s just five weeks’ old and it’s fantastic."

Tuesday night was the first time Ireland has made it through to the Eurovision final since 2018, a far cry when we were celebrating back-to-back wins during the 1990s.

"We’ve anxiously waited for the last number of years to get through," Marty told Katie Hannon.

"We’re in the event now. We haven’t been for six years. When you’re not in it you think: 'Well, who cares who wins?’ But now we’re in it, as the fella says, we have skin in the game, now everybody is flag-waving and you have a different attitude, I think.

"The Swedes have won it seven times, we’ve won it seven times, and Bambie’s dad is Swedish, and Bambie’s mum is Irish," he added. "So there’s a whole thing going on."

Marty also feels that getting through to Saturday's final in Malmö will put a smile on many people’s faces back in Ireland as anticipation builds ahead of the final.

"There’s much negativity and horribleness going on in the world, and here we are in the Eurovision Song Contest bubble in Malmö, and I hope it gives the nation a bit of a lift on Saturday.

Bambie Thug

"And it'll give us all an excuse to fly the flag for an evening and be a part of something."

"We’ll have the Baileys on Saturday," Marty also confirmed. "We have a bottle of Baileys with us every year.

"Terry Wogan gave me a bottle the first time I covered the Eurovision and as a result, I share a bottle with my colleagues on the night. And it’s always great fun.

Terry Wogan

"The reason why we do it is that, as Terry Wogan rightly said, 'When you're watching the Eurovision, you're worse for drink, and why wouldn’t the commentators [have a tipple]?’ And it’s just enough to make you feel festive.

"And I’m not doing an ad for them," he added. "There are other drinks available."

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.


ALSO READ

KSE-100 index closes at 81,459.29, up 997.95 points as investor optimism drives market

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) experienced a surge in investor optimism on Thursday, as the bench...

Gold prices in Pakistan reach new record of Rs268,500 per tola

Following a decline in the previous session, gold prices in Pakistan experienced a significant incre...

Number of clinical health staff increasing - Health NZ

Health officials have been marking the growth in the number of full-time clinical roles as evidence ...

Hazard mapping has 'chilling effect' on Nelson property market

Proposed hazard maps for Nelson are allegedly preventing properties across the city from being insur...

Woman called 'bad mum' after chasing down child stealer

A woman who stole an 18-month-old baby told the girl's mother she didn't deserve children when confr...

'Weak' case against diabetic driver thrown out by Australian court

A magistrate has criticised prosecutors as he threw out their "weak" case against a diabetic driver ...