Niamh Kavanagh
Encyclopedia
Niamh Kavanagh is an Irish
singer and winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1993
.
Kavanagh is perhaps best known for winning Eurovision Song Contest 1993
, held in Millstreet
, County Cork
, Ireland
. She sang "In Your Eyes
" to clinch a second consecutive win for Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest; the country went on to win Eurovision Song Contest 1994
and Eurovision Song Contest 1996
. Since then she has given numerous televised performances on The Late Late Show
.
The singer represented Ireland again in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010
in Oslo
, with the song "It's for You
". She performed at the semi-final on 27 May 2010, finishing 9th in a field of 17 contestants, thus qualifying for the Grand Final on 29 May 2010. In the final, she finished 23rd in a field of 25 contestants, having received 25 points.
Kavanagh is highly regarded among fans of the Eurovision Song Contest, and the OGAE
Ireland (official Eurovision fan club) president, Diarmuid Furlong, said: "A lot of us would regard Niamh as one of the best vocalists who's ever won [the Eurovision Song Contest]". While she has enjoyed success in Europe Kavanagh remains relatively unknown in the United States
. However, the singer recorded an album in that country following her initial Eurovision success.
. She often sang songs at family parties as a child. Her influences include Aretha Franklin
, Ella Fitzgerald
and Blood, Sweat and Tears, all of whom she listened to from a young age, as well as Bonnie Raitt
.
vocalist on the film soundtrack
for The Commitments
in songs such as "Destination Anywhere" and "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man".
In spite of this, Kavanagh was not prepared for the boost in recognition she received for her later entries in the Eurovision Song Contest.
's National Song Contest, which selected the Irish entry for the larger Eurovision Song Contest
, to be held in Millstreet
, County Cork
, later that spring. Opening the show at Dublin's Point Theatre, Kavanagh performed "In Your Eyes
" (lyrics and music by Jimmy Walsh
). At the close of voting, Kavanagh handily won the National Song Contest with 118 points from the ten regional juries, a 39-point margin over the runner-up. This win meant Kavanagh and "In Your Eyes" would go on to represent Ireland on the Eurovision stage in Millstreet.
At the Eurovision on 15 May, Kananagh performed "In Your Eyes" near the middle of the show, as the fourteenth act out of twenty-five. This time, the voting was much closer, and Ireland exchanged the leading position with the United Kingdom
several times throughout the announcement of the results. With 187 points (a record at the time), Kavanagh went on to win the competition in a nail-biting finish, as the result was decided by the final maximum score awarded by the last country to vote. "In Your Eyes" went on to be the best-selling single in Ireland
for 1993, and reached number 24 in the UK Singles Chart
. It went on to become a double-platinum success and Kavanagh was recognised by people on the street. She recorded an album in Nashville, Tennessee
, United States
, and this album was produced by John Jennings
. She later left music to spend more time with her children.
, with the song "It's for You
". The contest was held in Oslo
, Norway
in May 2010 (semi-final: 27 May 2010; final: 29 May 2010). "It's for You" was written by Niall Mooney, Marten Eriksson, Lina Eriksson and Jonas Gladnikoff
. Kavanagh performed "It's for You" in Oslo alongside her cousin, Niamh Kavanagh, a whistle player, and Nikki Kavanagh, a singer.
Kavanagh's possible participation in Eurovision Song Contest 2010 was confirmed on 10 February 2010 when Ireland's public service broadcaster, Raidió Teilifís Éireann
(RTÉ), announced the five finalists for Eurosong 2010, the national final to determine entry. The national final occurred during season 47
of The Late Late Show
on 5 March. Kavanagh scored maximum points to beat four other participants. She performed her song again on The Late Late Show on 14 May 2010 before heading off to Oslo for the Eurovision Song Contest.
According to The Irish Times
, Kavanagh received "enormous support" from journalists and spectators in Oslo, and was much sought after ahead of the event. But RTÉ was concerned about her dress - "a bright purple dress with beads on the shoulder, very striking, something that the designers felt was fit for a diva" - and this, Kavanagh's own original choice, was replaced by "something far more conservative" prior to the semi-final. The designer of the original dress discovered this when Kavanagh was seen rehearsing in the other dress. In the first semi-final rehearsals she was reported to have "appeared on stage lit in emerald green which then changed to orange" during the performance. There were also fears before the semi-final that Kavanagh was losing her voice, and she struggled to hold the final note during that performance.
At the semi-final stage on 27 May 2010 she - along with the other members of the Irish act - successfully qualified for the final, to be held on Saturday 29 May 2010. Performing 12th on the night, it was the first time in four years that Ireland qualified for the final. The song was the 10th to be performed during the final. At the end of the Eurovision Niamh Kavanagh scored a total of 25 points for Ireland bringing them to 23rd (3rd last) on the leaderboard in front of Belarus and the United Kingdom.
household", Thomas "Tom" McDermott, from Greencastle
, County Tyrone
, who had just been evicted from the first ever series of the British
version of Big Brother
the previous week.
Kavanagh appeared on The Late Late Show
s Eurovision edition in 2006, to perform "In Your Eyes" along with Linda Martin
, and other past Irish Eurovision contestants.
Kavanagh was the Irish spokesperson at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
.
She performed on The Late Late Show tribute to Joe Dolan
, presented by Pat Kenny
and broadcast on 27 December 2008. She performed the Joe Dolan Classic "Make Me An Island". She had a strong connection to the band given that Jimmy Walsh who wrote "In Your Eyes" had been a drummer for Joe Dolan.
On 15 May 2009, she returned to The Late Late Show yet again, this time to perform a duet of "Take a Little Piece of My Heart" with Paul Harrington, who won Eurovision Song Contest 1994
with his duet "Rock 'n' Roll Kids
", which he performed alongside Charlie McGettigan
at the contest.
On the New Year
's Eve she took part in the Romanian National Final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
where she performed her 2010 entry in the Contest and the ABBA
hit "Happy New Year
, alongside Chiara Siracusa and Paula Seling
.
It was also confirmed that she will make an appearance at the Irish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
.
, County Antrim
, United Kingdom
, whom she first encountered in a recording studio. The couple have two sons, Jack and Tom, and have lived in Carrickfergus for 11 years. Kavanagh once planned to move to the United States to live there, but changed her mind following her success in the Eurovision Song Contest. As well as housework, minding the children and walking the dog, Kavanagh spends time listening to any music that is sent to her and issues personal replies to everyone who sends this to her.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
singer and winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1993
Eurovision Song Contest 1993
The Eurovision Song Contest 1993 was the 38th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 15 May 1993 in Millstreet, County Cork, Ireland. The presenter was Fionnuala Sweeney. Niamh Kavanagh was the winner of this Eurovision for Ireland with the song, "In Your Eyes"...
.
Kavanagh is perhaps best known for winning Eurovision Song Contest 1993
Eurovision Song Contest 1993
The Eurovision Song Contest 1993 was the 38th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 15 May 1993 in Millstreet, County Cork, Ireland. The presenter was Fionnuala Sweeney. Niamh Kavanagh was the winner of this Eurovision for Ireland with the song, "In Your Eyes"...
, held in Millstreet
Millstreet
Millstreet is a town in north County Cork, Ireland with a population of approximately 1,500. It is located at the foot of Clara Mountain. The town's Catholic church is dedicated to St. Patrick. Since October 1985, the town has been twinned with Pommerit-le-Vicomte in Brittany, France...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. She sang "In Your Eyes
In Your Eyes (Niamh Kavanagh song)
"In Your Eyes" is a ballad sung by Irish singer Niamh Kavanagh that won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 for Ireland with 187 points. The song is a long song written and composed by Jimmy Walsh, where the singer tells how, after being lonely, she has found love and heaven in her lover's arms and...
" to clinch a second consecutive win for Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest; the country went on to win Eurovision Song Contest 1994
Eurovision Song Contest 1994
The Eurovision Song Contest 1994 was the 39th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 30 April 1994 in the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. The presenters were Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and Gerry Ryan. The pair hosted the evening in French, English and Irish...
and Eurovision Song Contest 1996
Eurovision Song Contest 1996
The Eurovision Song Contest 1996 was the 41st Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 18 May 1996 in Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, Norway. The presenters were Ingvild Bryn and Morten Harket. Harket, lead singer of a-ha, opened the show with a performance of his single "Heaven's Not For Saints". Eimear...
. Since then she has given numerous televised performances on The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
.
The singer represented Ireland again in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010
Eurovision Song Contest 2010
The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 was the 55th annual Eurovision Song Contest, broadcast from the Telenor Arena in Bærum, Greater Oslo, Norway. It was the third time Norway had hosted the contest, having previously done so in 1986 and 1996. The 2010 winner was Germany with Lena singing "Satellite",...
in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, with the song "It's for You
It's for You (Niamh Kavanagh song)
"It's for You" is a song performed by Niamh Kavanagh which represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. The song was selected on 5 March 2010 on Eurosong 2010 from five songs, receiving the maximum of 12 points from each of the six juries, and the maximum of 72 points from the televote,...
". She performed at the semi-final on 27 May 2010, finishing 9th in a field of 17 contestants, thus qualifying for the Grand Final on 29 May 2010. In the final, she finished 23rd in a field of 25 contestants, having received 25 points.
Kavanagh is highly regarded among fans of the Eurovision Song Contest, and the OGAE
OGAE
OGAE is one of the 2 major international fan club networks of the Eurovision Song Contest. It has branches in 37 European countries.Although the Eurovision Song Contest started in 1956, OGAE began only in 1984 in Finland. All countries that take part or have already taken part in the Eurovision...
Ireland (official Eurovision fan club) president, Diarmuid Furlong, said: "A lot of us would regard Niamh as one of the best vocalists who's ever won [the Eurovision Song Contest]". While she has enjoyed success in Europe Kavanagh remains relatively unknown in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. However, the singer recorded an album in that country following her initial Eurovision success.
Early life
Kavanagh's father was a singer and a saxophonistSaxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. She often sang songs at family parties as a child. Her influences include Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
and Blood, Sweat and Tears, all of whom she listened to from a young age, as well as Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
.
The Commitments
Kavanagh performed as a lead and backingBacking vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
vocalist on the film soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
for The Commitments
The Commitments (film)
The Commitments , the soundtrack for the film, was released on 13 Aug 1991. "Mustang Sally" was released as a single. Most of the songs on the album are performed by the cast band, but two are by Irish singer Niamh Kavanagh.-Track listing:-Chart positions:-The Commitments, Vol...
in songs such as "Destination Anywhere" and "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man".
In spite of this, Kavanagh was not prepared for the boost in recognition she received for her later entries in the Eurovision Song Contest.
1993
On 14 March 1993, twenty-five-year-old Kavanagh performed in RTÉRaidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
's National Song Contest, which selected the Irish entry for the larger Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
, to be held in Millstreet
Millstreet
Millstreet is a town in north County Cork, Ireland with a population of approximately 1,500. It is located at the foot of Clara Mountain. The town's Catholic church is dedicated to St. Patrick. Since October 1985, the town has been twinned with Pommerit-le-Vicomte in Brittany, France...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, later that spring. Opening the show at Dublin's Point Theatre, Kavanagh performed "In Your Eyes
In Your Eyes (Niamh Kavanagh song)
"In Your Eyes" is a ballad sung by Irish singer Niamh Kavanagh that won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 for Ireland with 187 points. The song is a long song written and composed by Jimmy Walsh, where the singer tells how, after being lonely, she has found love and heaven in her lover's arms and...
" (lyrics and music by Jimmy Walsh
Jimmy Walsh
Jimmy Walsh was an Irish hurler who played as a left wing-forward for the Kilkenny senior team from 1932 until 1944....
). At the close of voting, Kavanagh handily won the National Song Contest with 118 points from the ten regional juries, a 39-point margin over the runner-up. This win meant Kavanagh and "In Your Eyes" would go on to represent Ireland on the Eurovision stage in Millstreet.
At the Eurovision on 15 May, Kananagh performed "In Your Eyes" near the middle of the show, as the fourteenth act out of twenty-five. This time, the voting was much closer, and Ireland exchanged the leading position with the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
several times throughout the announcement of the results. With 187 points (a record at the time), Kavanagh went on to win the competition in a nail-biting finish, as the result was decided by the final maximum score awarded by the last country to vote. "In Your Eyes" went on to be the best-selling single in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
for 1993, and reached number 24 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. It went on to become a double-platinum success and Kavanagh was recognised by people on the street. She recorded an album in Nashville, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and this album was produced by John Jennings
John Jennings (musician)
John Jennings is an American musician: a guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer.Among his producer work are 8 albums by Mary Chapin Carpenter, as well as releases by Beausoleil, John Gorka, and Janis Ian...
. She later left music to spend more time with her children.
2010
Kavanagh was again representing Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010Eurovision Song Contest 2010
The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 was the 55th annual Eurovision Song Contest, broadcast from the Telenor Arena in Bærum, Greater Oslo, Norway. It was the third time Norway had hosted the contest, having previously done so in 1986 and 1996. The 2010 winner was Germany with Lena singing "Satellite",...
, with the song "It's for You
It's for You (Niamh Kavanagh song)
"It's for You" is a song performed by Niamh Kavanagh which represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. The song was selected on 5 March 2010 on Eurosong 2010 from five songs, receiving the maximum of 12 points from each of the six juries, and the maximum of 72 points from the televote,...
". The contest was held in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in May 2010 (semi-final: 27 May 2010; final: 29 May 2010). "It's for You" was written by Niall Mooney, Marten Eriksson, Lina Eriksson and Jonas Gladnikoff
Jonas Gladnikoff
Jonas Gladnikoff is a songwriter and music producer from Stockholm, Sweden. He has written several songs for singers from across Europe, but is best known for writing entries for the Eurovision Song Contest and for various national pre-selections...
. Kavanagh performed "It's for You" in Oslo alongside her cousin, Niamh Kavanagh, a whistle player, and Nikki Kavanagh, a singer.
Kavanagh's possible participation in Eurovision Song Contest 2010 was confirmed on 10 February 2010 when Ireland's public service broadcaster, Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
(RTÉ), announced the five finalists for Eurosong 2010, the national final to determine entry. The national final occurred during season 47
The Late Late Show (season 47)
The 47th season of The Late Late Show, the world's longest-running chat show, began on 4 September 2009. It aired on RTÉ One each Friday evening from 21:30. It was the first series to be hosted by Ryan Tubridy, the show's fourth permanent host following the resignation of Pat Kenny live on air the...
of The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
on 5 March. Kavanagh scored maximum points to beat four other participants. She performed her song again on The Late Late Show on 14 May 2010 before heading off to Oslo for the Eurovision Song Contest.
According to The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
, Kavanagh received "enormous support" from journalists and spectators in Oslo, and was much sought after ahead of the event. But RTÉ was concerned about her dress - "a bright purple dress with beads on the shoulder, very striking, something that the designers felt was fit for a diva" - and this, Kavanagh's own original choice, was replaced by "something far more conservative" prior to the semi-final. The designer of the original dress discovered this when Kavanagh was seen rehearsing in the other dress. In the first semi-final rehearsals she was reported to have "appeared on stage lit in emerald green which then changed to orange" during the performance. There were also fears before the semi-final that Kavanagh was losing her voice, and she struggled to hold the final note during that performance.
At the semi-final stage on 27 May 2010 she - along with the other members of the Irish act - successfully qualified for the final, to be held on Saturday 29 May 2010. Performing 12th on the night, it was the first time in four years that Ireland qualified for the final. The song was the 10th to be performed during the final. At the end of the Eurovision Niamh Kavanagh scored a total of 25 points for Ireland bringing them to 23rd (3rd last) on the leaderboard in front of Belarus and the United Kingdom.
Other appearances
On Sunday 3 September 2000, Kavanagh performed at the homecoming ceremony for "the quiet man of the Big BrotherBig Brother (UK)
Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
household", Thomas "Tom" McDermott, from Greencastle
Greencastle, County Tyrone
Greencastle is a hamlet in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is within the townland of Sheskinshule . The village sits at a crossroads in the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains with the Owenkillew and Owenreagh rivers running nearby. It had a population of 153 people in the 2001 Census...
, County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, who had just been evicted from the first ever series of the British
Big Brother (UK)
Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
version of Big Brother
Big Brother (TV series)
Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months, and there are usually fewer than 15 participants. The housemates try to win a cash...
the previous week.
Kavanagh appeared on The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
s Eurovision edition in 2006, to perform "In Your Eyes" along with Linda Martin
Linda Martin
Linda Martin is an Irish singer and television presenter. She is best known in Europe as the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1992, with the song "Why Me?", and in Ireland as a member of the 1970s/1980s band, Chips.-Chips:Martin started off her musical career when she joined the band Chips...
, and other past Irish Eurovision contestants.
Kavanagh was the Irish spokesperson at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Eurovision Song Contest 2008
The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Contest. It was hosted in Belgrade, Serbia after Marija Šerifović won the 2007 Contest in Helsinki, Finland. This year was the first contest to have two semi-finals which were held on 20 and 22 May, and the final held on 24 May 2008...
.
She performed on The Late Late Show tribute to Joe Dolan
Joe Dolan
Joseph "Joe" Francis Robert Dolan was an Irish entertainer, recorder and singer of easy listening songs...
, presented by Pat Kenny
Pat Kenny
Patrick "Pat" Kenny is an Irish broadcaster and former disc jockey and continuity announcer. He is employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is their highest paid presenter. He presents Today with Pat Kenny on RTÉ Radio 1 each weekday morning between 10:00 and midday...
and broadcast on 27 December 2008. She performed the Joe Dolan Classic "Make Me An Island". She had a strong connection to the band given that Jimmy Walsh who wrote "In Your Eyes" had been a drummer for Joe Dolan.
On 15 May 2009, she returned to The Late Late Show yet again, this time to perform a duet of "Take a Little Piece of My Heart" with Paul Harrington, who won Eurovision Song Contest 1994
Eurovision Song Contest 1994
The Eurovision Song Contest 1994 was the 39th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 30 April 1994 in the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. The presenters were Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and Gerry Ryan. The pair hosted the evening in French, English and Irish...
with his duet "Rock 'n' Roll Kids
Rock 'n' Roll Kids
"Rock 'n' Roll Kids" was the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, composed by Brendan Graham and performed for Ireland by Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan...
", which he performed alongside Charlie McGettigan
Charlie McGettigan
Charles McGettigan is an Irish singer born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal on 7th December 1950, but he lives today in Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim....
at the contest.
On the New Year
New Year
The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....
's Eve she took part in the Romanian National Final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Eurovision Song Contest 2011
The Eurovision Song Contest 2011 was the 56th annual Eurovision Song Contest and was won by Eldar & Nigar performing "Running Scared" for Azerbaijan. The event took place in the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, following Germany's win in the previous year...
where she performed her 2010 entry in the Contest and the ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
hit "Happy New Year
Happy New Year (song)
"Happy New Year" is a popular song by Swedish pop group ABBA from their 1980 album Super Trouper. The song's working title was all the more festive and humorous; "Daddy Don't Get Drunk on Christmas Day"...
, alongside Chiara Siracusa and Paula Seling
Paula Seling
Paula Seling is a Romanian singer, composer, and radio DJ.She represented Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010, with Ovidiu Cernăuțeanu, with the song "Playing with Fire". They finished third in the final.-Early life:...
.
It was also confirmed that she will make an appearance at the Irish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Eurovision Song Contest 2011
The Eurovision Song Contest 2011 was the 56th annual Eurovision Song Contest and was won by Eldar & Nigar performing "Running Scared" for Azerbaijan. The event took place in the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, following Germany's win in the previous year...
.
Personal life
Kavanagh is married to her musician husband, Paul Meghaey, from CarrickfergusCarrickfergus
Carrickfergus , known locally and colloquially as "Carrick", is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,201 at the 2001 Census and takes its name from Fergus Mór mac Eirc, the 6th century king...
, County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, whom she first encountered in a recording studio. The couple have two sons, Jack and Tom, and have lived in Carrickfergus for 11 years. Kavanagh once planned to move to the United States to live there, but changed her mind following her success in the Eurovision Song Contest. As well as housework, minding the children and walking the dog, Kavanagh spends time listening to any music that is sent to her and issues personal replies to everyone who sends this to her.
Albums
- Flying BlindFlying Blind (Niamh Kavanagh album)Flying Blind is the debut Studio album by Irish singer Niamh Kavanagh. It was released in November 1995.-Track listing:-Release history:...
(1995) - AristaArista RecordsArista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records... - Together Alone (with Gerry Carney) (1998) - Random Records
Singles
| Year | Song | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRE Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
NL MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
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| 1993 | "In Your Eyes In Your Eyes (Niamh Kavanagh song) "In Your Eyes" is a ballad sung by Irish singer Niamh Kavanagh that won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 for Ireland with 187 points. The song is a long song written and composed by Jimmy Walsh, where the singer tells how, after being lonely, she has found love and heaven in her lover's arms and... " |
1 | 87 | 42 | 24 |
| 1994 | "Red Roses for Me" (featuring The Dubliners The Dubliners The Dubliners are an Irish folk band founded in 1962.-Formation and history:The Dubliners, initially known as "The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group", formed in 1962 and made a name for themselves playing regularly in O'Donoghue's Pub in Dublin... ) |
13 | — | — | — |
| 1995 | "Flying Blind" | — | — | — | — |
| "Romeo's Twin" | — | — | — | — | |
| 1998 | "Sometimes Love" | — | — | — | — |
| 2010 | "It's for You It's for You (Niamh Kavanagh song) "It's for You" is a song performed by Niamh Kavanagh which represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. The song was selected on 5 March 2010 on Eurosong 2010 from five songs, receiving the maximum of 12 points from each of the six juries, and the maximum of 72 points from the televote,... " |
8 | — | — | — |
| 2011 | "A Fool for You No More" | — | — | — | — |
Guest Appearances
- The Commitments OST - Niamh Performs "Destination AnywhereDestination Anywhere-Limited Edition:* Tracks 1-8 recorded live at The Forum, London, England, on June 12, 1997.* Track 9 recorded live at MTV, London, England on August 13, 1997.-Personnel:* Jon Bon Jovi – vocals, acoustic & electric guitar, harmonica, piano...
" and "Do Right Woman, Do Right ManDo Right Woman, Do Right Man"Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" is a single by Aretha Franklin. It was released in March 1967. Rolling Stone listed it as number 476 in their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.-Production:...
" - The Commitments, Vol. 2 - Niamh Performs "Nowhere to Run" and Backing Vocals on 7 other tracks
- Mick Hanly - Live at the Meeting Place - Niamh Performs the track "Heart of Hearts"
- Secret GardenSecret Garden (duo)Secret Garden is an award-winning Irish-Norwegian duo playing New Instrumental Music, also sometimes erroneously known as Neo-classical music.Secret Garden features the Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry and the Norwegian composer/pianist Rolf Løvland...
- Inside I'm SingingInside I'm SingingInside I'm Singing, released in 2007, is the ninth album by Secret Garden. Unlike previous albums, Inside I'm Singing is mostly composed of vocal music....
- Niamh Performs the track "Simply You"