WATCH: Charlie McGettigan and Paul Harrington disagree on Eurovision boycott
Former Eurovision winners Charlie McGettigan and Paul Harrington had opposite views on boycotting the Eurovision song contest in Israel this May.
The duo won the 1994 contest with their song 'Rock 'n' Roll Kids'.
Speaking to The Six O'Clock Show, McGettigan said he stands with the boycott after watching the news following Israel's Eurovision win last year:
"Benjamin Netanyahu and the girl that won it and Donald Trump’s daughter were all quaffing champagne, they were celebrating the opening of the American Embassy in Jerusalem, which was not a very nice thing to do either when you consider the local situation.
And, that same day, possibly two or three hours before that approximately 80 miles away- Israel is a very small country- 62 people were actually killed, shot or killed with tear gas, one child died because of the inhalation of tear gas.
"And I hadn’t been that interested in it, like anybody else you’d see it on the news and forget about it, but that for some-how or other it stuck with me and it was in my mind."
McGettigan recalled receiving a phone call from Joe Duffy the following day, asking if he agreed, and made a "very quick decision" that yes, having watched the news, he would support a boycott.
Paul Harrington, however, disagreed with his fellow musician:
"For me, music is what I do- singing playing, that's what I love to do. I love to use music whether I want to support a charity or whatever it might be.
"Again, as you said, it's about uniting people. Arts, music, I've always felt that way. In my opinion, Sarah is going out to sing a song in a song contest. That's the way I see it."
Sarah McTernan was chosen to represent Ireland this year in Tel Aviv with the song '22.'
When asked if he thought she would be feeling additional pressure heading over for the contest, Harrington said he didn't think so:
"I would say, and with the greatest respect, I’d say she’d be more worried about whatever, her frock, her performance and everything that’s going to be happening in the week.
"Because it's something, as you said earlier, about the chap telling you, 'whatever you do, enjoy it', she really should go out there and enjoy it.
"She’s been sent out there by her country, by her national broadcaster RTE and you know, go out and do us proud and do herself proud.”
