Eurovision Song Contest Ireland 1988

After Johnny Logan won the Eurovision Song Contest 1987 with Hold Me Now, the 1988 contest was held in Dublin, Ireland. It was the third time Ireland hosted the contest, after 1971 and 1981, both also in Dublin. The final was held on 30 April in the RDS Simmonscourt Pavilion, the host broadcaster was RTÉ and the presenters were Pat Kenny and Michelle Rocca. 21 countries performed. Cyprus had submitted a song but withdrew it after it turned out to have been performed several years earlier, which broke the rules.

Céline Dion from Switzerland won with Ne partez pas sans moi and 137 points, only one point ahead of the United Kingdom’s Go by Scott Fitzgerald. Denmark’s Ka’ du se hva’ jeg sa’? was third, and Luxembourg and Norway completed the top five. It was the second victory for Switzerland, after 1956. As of 2026 it remains the last winning song sung in French.

Sources: Wikipedia: Eurovision Song Contest 1988 (host broadcaster, presenters, the Cypriot entry).