Ireland has confirmed that it will not participate in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest.
In a statement, the country’s broadcaster said: ‘RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation cannot be justified given the appalling and ongoing loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk.
‘RTÉ also remains deeply concerned by the continued denial of independent access to international journalists to the territory.’
The broadcaster also confirmed that it will not air the competition, which is taking place in Bulgaria.
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.