Ireland confirmed to air beloved sitcom instead of Eurovision as boycott continues

Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTÉ, is set to air an episode of Father Ted in place of the Eurovision Song Contest final this weekend as part of the ongoing boycott over Israel’s participation.

On Saturday night (16 May), RTÉ will air the Eurovision-themed episode of Father Ted, titled A Song For Europe, where priests Ted and Dougal perform their Eurovision song My Lovely Horse – and earn zero points.

Ireland’s decision comes as part of a wider boycott, with Iceland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain also pulling out of the competition over Israel’s inclusion.

Iceland and the Netherlands will still broadcast the event despite refusing to send competitors to the contest, while Ireland and national broadcasters from Slovenia and Spain won’t air Eurovision at all as part of the boycott.

RTÉ will also air replacement programmes during the first and second Eurovision semi-finals on Tuesday and Thursday.

The Eurovision Song Contest has faced significant criticism over its decision to allow Israel to take part in the event due to the ongoing war in Gaza.

This year, a number of countries will boycott the contest following the European Broadcasting Union’s decision not to expel Israel from the competition.

At the EBU general assembly in December 2025, a vote was held to introduce new rules that would stop governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to influence voters. No vote was held on Israel’s participation.

The EBU said in a statement: “A large majority of members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place.”

Following this, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland confirmed they would not participate in this year’s Eurovision.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ said: “RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk.”

The BBC, which broadcasts the competition in the UK, has said it supports the decision made by the EBU. “This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive,” it said in a statement.

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The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 final will take place on Saturday 16 May 2026.

You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision.

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