Sources close to Eurovision legend Dana Rosemary Scallon have told Gript that RTÉ have yet to contact her directly, despite the national broadcaster’s repeated claim that it has done so.
It is the latest twist in a saga which has unfolded in the last two weeks, after RTÉ ‘deliberately’ excluded Dana from the RTÉ Concert Orchestra’s Eurovision Night on October 13 in the National Concert Hall.
Dana, who was crowned Ireland’s first ever Eurovision winner in 1970 as a Derry schoolgirl, is the only Irish Eurovision winner who has not been asked to perform at the event, with other participants reportedly left disappointed and confused by the exclusion of the Eurovision trailblazer.
One close source told us that a contact within RTÉ explained that when asked how it had contacted Dana, it said it had done so by sending a text to an unnamed friend of Dana’s, but the broadcaster did not disclose the context of the text or the date on which it was sent.
Another source close to the singer told Gript that while “every department” within RTÉ has the Eurovision winner’s phone number and address, the broadcaster has not made any effort to get in touch with the singer directly, through text, email or phone, even though it is on record as claiming to have done so. The source also pointed out that RTÉ contacts in Galway could easily visit Dana in person if they wished as they have her address, but it seems apparent at this stage that there is no will to do so. RTÉ’s claims and its ‘duplicity’ regarding contact with the Eurovision winner is ‘astonishing,’ according to the source.
The source also pointed out that in some statements to the media, RTÉ insisted it had been attempting to contact Dana since June, yet in separate statements, it said it had tried to contact her over the ‘last week’, pointing to “inconsistent messaging” on the part of the broadcaster.
In a statement issued to media outlets including Gript, the broadcaster said: “RTÉ has always intended to include Dana in this concert to celebrate the Eurovision Song Contest and our winning singers and composers and we apologise to her for any embarrassment caused”.
‘As is often the case with live performances, we had not contacted or confirmed all artists by the time we had to publicise the concert.
‘RTÉ has made a number of attempts to speak directly to Dana over the past week. As we have said previously, it would be RTÉ’s privilege to be able to include Dana in what will be a great celebration of Ireland’s success in the competition.’
While RTÉ has insisted it also issued an apology to the star, the source told us this has not been the case. No formal public apology has been made to Dana in person. Further, when Gript contacted RTÉ Director General, Dee Forbes to ask whether an apology would be issued to Dana, we received no response. One week on, there has still been no response, amid Dana’s insistence that she will only consider appearing at the televised Eurovision celebration if she does receive a direct apology.
Dana told Irish media that she was “extremely hurt” over the snub, and was left baffled by her exclusion from the upcoming concert. Many have slammed the actions of the national broadcaster as ‘petty’, amid calls for other performers to boycott the event.