Ireland will once again be vying for glory at this year's Eurovision Song Contest, as the country's entrant performs during Thursday's semi-final.
Our hopes of returning to Eurovision glory lie with Hometown's Brendan Murray and power ballad Dying To Try - co-written by renowned song-writer Jörgen Elofsson and James Newman.
Elofsson has previously written tracks for Westlife, Brittany Spears and Leona Lewis, while Newman's past writing credits include Rudimental and Little Mix.
Reaction to the song upon its debut was been varied...
What are people complaining about! Ireland's song is great! 😠so so adorable! #eurovision
— HANNE RAMS 💤 (@HANNERAMS) March 10, 2017
Well done Ireland, best #eurovision entry in 3 years... 😂â¤
— Curtis Lee (@WonderingEyeXo) March 10, 2017
Oh dear, just heard that Irish #Eurovision entry "Dying to try" and it's going to be NULL POINTS for Ireland again in the semi-final...😩
— Dub Dave (@raifdub) March 10, 2017
Prior to the announcement, journalist and head of Wiwibloggs William Lee Adams told Newstalk.com that Murray sounds "like Ed Sheeran if he was castrated".
Performance
Murray is expected onstage at around 8:40pm on Thursday. His performance will feature a hot air balloon.
"There's going to be a helium hot air balloon above me. It's kind of going to look like I'm floating on air [...] Lots of blue smoke and lots of lights.
"Myself and the balloon, it's kind of a sign of hope. The song is a real love song - Dying To Try, It's about taking a leap of faith, putting your trust into someone else.
"There's no guarantee that love will ever work, but it's always worth giving it a go."
Murray told the Eurovision that he instantly fell in love with the song upon his initial hearing.
"My mum cried the first time I played it to her, which was another hint," he added.
The singer was born in 1996 - the last time Ireland won the Eurovision Song Contest.
Ireland has failed to qualify for the last three years of the contest.
Murray landed in Kyiv earlier this week in the run up to the main show on Saturday night.
Chatting Eurovision! 🇮🇪https://t.co/lUbFaLWb5U pic.twitter.com/KLYejoqD8O
— Brendanmurray (@brendan_m96) May 9, 2017
For the first time, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will be premiering rehearsal footage of all acts. You can view Brendan's second rehearsal below.
The first Eurovision Song Contest Semi-Final takes place on May 9 with Ireland in the second Semi-Final on May 11. The Grand Final is on May 13.
