Dana drops huge Irish presidency run bombshell as she warns 'nobody is perfect'
Exclusive- The Eurovision singer said scrutiny in politics has become “so personal”.
Dana Rosemary Scallon said she would never run for the presidency again, as politics in Ireland is becoming “increasingly nasty”.
The singer, 73, shot to fame in 1970 when she became the first Irish person to win Eurovision. She entered politics in the late 1990s. She ran as an Independent candidate for president in 1997 and 2011 but was unsuccessful both times.
In 1999, she was elected as an Independent MEP for Connacht-Ulster. When Dana ran for the presidency in 2011, she said an “orchestrated campaign” against her ensued, and she received “untrue, malicious and vile” threats.
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Speaking to the Irish Mirror as her new single Christmas Again has been released, Dana said she wouldn’t run for the presidency again because scrutiny has become “so personal”.
She said: “That’s not on my radar, I think it’s becoming increasingly nasty, the dissection of people’s lives, and nobody is perfect. Of course, people have to be examined but I think it has got in many ways nasty and that puts off people, and good people who would otherwise put their name forward and you don't want to do that either.
“You must have certain scrutiny but not where it becomes so personal, on social media I think we are having to look again at what you are free to say and not free to say.” A week after the 2024 General Election, Dana said she was delighted that 16 Independents gained seats in the Dáil.
She said: “I was the first independent nominated to run in the presidential election and I was the first elected as an independent and accepted in the biggest group in the parliament so I am delighted that has opened the door for many other independents and for women.
“If you are an independent, or building a consensus with a group of independents it’s tricky but democracy is always tricky.” The Eurovision legend hasn’t watched the show in recent years, as she believes it has lost its focus on music.
She said: “I think it’s come away from the music and it really needs to get back to the music and when it does I would be happy to watch it again. I think they have lost their focus, it is a song contest.
“With all these effects some are beautiful but some you can hardly see the singer because there is so much going on. I am not going to watch it again until it gets back to the music.”
The All Kinds of Everything hitmaker said the music industry has changed so much since she started in the 70s, but believes it is “healthier”. She said: “When I started, if you didn’t have a major recording contract it was impossible to get your stuff in the market. If you didn’t have a recording contract in England it was impossible to open the doors.
“So today I think it is healthier. You can use social media.” Despite the industry changing, Dana was adamant that her new song Christmas Again would be high quality and use live musicians.
She added: “We wanted to go for as high quality as we could, and a 60s, 70s vibe. We used all live musicians, my brother Gerry played the keyboards and piano. And one of the backing vocals is my nephew Jonathan.
“This song originated during the Covid era and it relates to loved ones who have to be apart for Christmas, but the next time they can be together, it will be just as joyful...it’ll be Christmas Again”.
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