TO BOOS and applause from the audience and a welter of bad puns from his critics, Dustin the Turkey has been selected as Ireland's entry in this year's Eurovision song Contest.
While rivals cried fowl, his song Irelande Douze Pointe coasted to victory in a televised public vote on Saturday. He may not be the first turkey Ireland has sent to the Eurovision, but Dustin now becomes the first gloved puppet to represent any country in the competition.
After the event, the Dublin turkey declared himself speechless for the first time in his life: "I tried texting Obama for a catchy sound bite, but my mobile credit has run out and I'm sweating like Christy Moore."
Dedicating his win to "Ireland's only ever pop idol", the late Joe Dolan, he also thanked the viewers of his weekly television programme, as well as Bob Geldof and Frank McNamara: "I couldn't have done it without them."
Geldof last week voiced support for the feathered one, while McNamara, who wrote two Eurovision winners, had described his entry as "absolutely disgraceful".
Dustin's win was bad news for the bookies, with William Hill confessing it had been "well and truly stuffed" by the result.
"We thought it was a wind-up when we first heard he was entering the competition," said spokesman Tony Kenny; it originally offered odds of 5/4 for the turkey to win Eurosong 2008, but was forced to slash these to 1/5 after a massive gamble. Dustin has now been installed as 10/1 favourite to win the Eurovision.
RTÉ declined to say how many viewers voted, citing commercial sensitivities, but it is believed that Dustin enjoyed a comfortable victory against the five other contestants, despite being booed by many in the audience at the University of Limerick concert hall on Saturday.
Ireland's first Eurovision winner, Dana Rosemary Scallon, who was commenting on the event, said before his victory that "if it's the turkey, I think we're better not to go into the Eurovision again". After his triumph, she said: "The people have spoken, but I think it's a fowl decision."
The result also left a bad taste in the mouths of other contestants. Runner-up Leona Daly said she felt like "a pawn in a mad play that we were signed up to without knowing". On RTÉ radio yesterday, however, she said that in hindsight, Dustin's involvement had ensured extra publicity for all the contestants.
RTÉ moved swiftly to quash concerns that the Eurovision organisers might have their feathers ruffled by the selection of a non-human and, arguably, a non-singer.
"All that has been checked out with the European Broadcasting Union," a spokeswoman said, including a requirement that Dustin's puppeteer, Johnny Morrison, be counted as one of the six people allowed on stage.
Transported on stage in a converted shopping trolley, Dustin was accompanied by four dancers as he performed his dance number in front of a toilet seat featuring pictures of past winners.
Dustin will perform in the first Eurovision semi-final in Belgrade on Tuesday, May 20th. The 53rd final takes place the following Saturday, May 24th. Julian Vignoles, RTÉ's assistant commissioning editor, entertainment said any of the six acts would have done Ireland proud in Europe. "There was a diverse range of songs for the public to choose from this evening from powerful ballads to great pop songs and all were brilliantly performed."
