Charlie McGettigan

Career

Performing with Paul Harrington, he won the Eurovision Song Contest 1994 with the song "Rock 'n' Roll Kids" (words and music by Brendan Graham); the third of a record three consecutive wins by Ireland. Harrington played piano and McGettigan played guitar. He made an appearance as a guest singer at Congratulations, the 50th anniversary concert of Eurovision.

In August 1998, McGettigan's only son, Shane McGettigan, was killed in a construction accident while working in Quincy, Massachusetts.

In 2015, McGettigan wrote "Anybody Got a Shoulder?" for Kat Mahon, which was one of the five songs in Eurosong 2015, the national selection to select the Irish entry for Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015. The song finished 2nd.

In December 2025, McGettigan announced that he would be returning his trophy to the EBU in protest of Israel's participation in the 2026 contest, if he was able to find it.

Discography

Albums

• Songs of the Night (And Other Stories) (1986)
• Charlie McGettigan (1990)
• Rock 'N' Roll Kids - The Album (together with Paul Harrington) (1994)
• In Your Old Room (1998)
• Another Side of Charlie McGettigan (c. 2002)
• Stolen Moments (2006)
• The Man from 20 (2010)
• Some Old Someone (Stockfisch, 2019)

References

References

1. McGettigan, Charlie. (8 May 2007). "Charlie McGettigan's Blog". [[Myspace]].
2. (13 August 1998). "Irishmen die in scaffold horror". [[Irish Independent]].
3. Smith, Jim. "Feds blame contractors in death of Irish laborers". [[The Irish Echo]].
4. (27 February 2015). "Eurosong 2015: Kat Mahon - "Anybody Got a Shoulder?"".
5. (12 December 2025). "Ireland's Eurovision winner Charlie McGettigan intends to return trophy in support of Nemo". [[RTÉ]].
6. Mouriquand, David. (15 December 2025). "Ireland's Eurovision winner plans to return trophy in protest of Israel’s participation". [[Euronews]].