Red Hurley has revealed that his life was at risk when he represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1976. Hurley, a Dublin-born singer, stated that he had extra security measures in place due to the ongoing tensions between Britain and Ireland at the time. He even had a karate expert flown in to assist with his protection. Despite the risky circumstances, Hurley managed to take it all in stride and still participated in the contest. However, he noted that the Eurovision has changed quite a bit since then and believes that Ireland needs to focus on good songwriting rather than gimmicks in order to win in the future.
