The Kennedy-penned-and-performed ballad Every Song is a Cry for Love is already a rank outsider in the competition, even among Irish fans. Its selection in February as Ireland's entry met with controversy when it emerged that the three final songs featured in the Late Late Eurosong Special had not been entered properly for the contest. Several songwriters were outraged by the manner in which the rules were bent in order to accommodate Kennedy's ambition to sing his own song. And Kennedy still has to get through a heat on 18 May to compete in the final on 20 May in Athens, as Ireland has this year been relegated to a semi-final qualifier for the second year in a row.

The commissioning editor for RTE Television Kevin Linehan had expressed confidence that Kennedy would "enable us to give it our very best shot", but it now appears that Ireland's Eurovision hopes are in freefall. A decision to have the singer do a media blitz of Europe to familiarise televoters with his entry has apparently backfired, while Kennedy's original promo for his song has already been remade twice.

When the original video was made public on the Internet - ahead of its screening on the traditional preview TV programme - it was deemed so cheesy by Eurovision fans throughout Europe that RTE withdrew it. (It can, however, still be viewed on the official website of NRK, the Norwegian national station. ) This first video featured corny shots of Dublin airport, kitschy shots of a Glendalough bog, taxi rides past Government Buildings and a cast of ten who never desisted from singing Every Song is a Cry for Love. RTE then forked out more money to remake the video but when this second version was put up on several Eurovision sites, it too was deemed inadequate and pulled. A third, re-cut version can now be viewed on various Eurovision websites (including ESCToday. com). It will be shown, along with the other 36 promo videos, in a special preview programme on RTE2 on Saturday 13 May, five days before the Eurosong semi-final.

However, the clear favourite to win remains the host country Greece, followed by Romania, Sweden and the UK.