Ryan Dolan will represent Ireland at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Only Love Survives”.

As has become standard in recent years, Eurosong 2013 took the form of a special edition of RTÉ’s flagship Late Late Show. The programme was introduced by usual host Ryan Tubridy, and the entries were commented on by a jury of experts who were remarkably positive and uncritical throughout (except when it came to the voting habits of those dirty foreigners). They also came up with some rather baffling comparisons later in the show – apparently Emmelie de Forest is a dead ringer for Loreen, and Alexander Rybak is just Justin Bieber with a violin. If you say so!

Getting back to the matter at hand, anyway: at first it seemed as if the usual sound problems afflicting the Late Late Show studio had been overcome, with both “Son kez” and “Crashing Down” enjoying solid vocal performances. Unfortunately, the three more up-tempo songs completing the line-up were slightly less easy on the ear – but the bookmakers actually confirmed Ryan Dolan as an even firmer favourite after all the entries had been performed.

Being a chat show, the “interval act” was, naturally enough, a celebrity interview – invariably with someone with a new movie to promote. Last year it was Martin Sheen who filled this role, and this year it was the engaging Danny DeVito. He accidentally dropped a swearword and, perhaps even more scandalously, claimed that he was pleased to be in England before Tubridy gently corrected him!

After yet another commercial break and yet another national final appearance by Lordi, it was time for the voting. It was perhaps no great surprise that the regional juries went for Aimee and the only ballad in the line-up, but “Only Love Survives” was still in close contention, meaning that the televote would prove to be decisive (as is so often the case).

And the Irish (and Northern Irish) public ultimately preferred Ryan Dolan’s song – so “Only Love Survives” proceeds and will duly represent the former Eurovision powerhouse in Malmö this year, following on from two consecutive doses of Jedward. Who would have imagined in their 1990s heyday that Ireland would ever be represented by three up-tempo entries in successive years?

Meanwhile, our #esc chat vote had a slightly different outcome, with Kasey’s “Kiss Me” taking first place with an average score of 5.94 points, followed by Ryan Dolan (5.69) and Aimee (4.89).

Ireland will perform in the second half of the first semi-final of ESC 2013, to be held on Tuesday 14th May.