"Born To Sing" was the Irish

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978

Eurovision Song Contest 1978

The Eurovision Song Contest 1978 was the 23rd of its kind, and was held on 22 April 1978 in Paris. With Denise Fabre and Léon Zitrone as the presenters - the first time more than one presenter hosted the contest - the contest was won by Izhar Cohen & the Alphabeta who represented Israel, with their...

, performed in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 by Colm C. T. Wilkinson

Colm Wilkinson

Colm Wilkinson is an Irish tenor, best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and for playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera .Due to his association with these musicals, he reprised the role of...

 (the only Contest entrant to be known by his middle initials).

The song is a moderately up-tempo number, with Wilkinson explaining that "And a man is born to do one thing and I was born to sing". He goes on to describe a story of heartbreak caused by his itinerant lifestyle, as his lover did not travel with him. He seems, however, to accept this as a fact of life and be prepared to live with it.

The song was performed first on the night, preceding Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

's Jahn Teigen

Jahn Teigen

Jahn Teigen is a Norwegian singer and musician. Jahn received a knighthood from H.M. King Harald V. He represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest three times, in 1978, 1982 and 1983. His given name was Jan, he added the silent H later. Since October 2006 he has been living in Sweden...

 with "Mil etter mil

Mil Etter Mil

"Mil etter mil" was the Norwegian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978, performed in Norwegian by Jahn Teigen.The song is a ballad, with Teigen describing his long journey to find someone and telling this person that he simply cannot walk any further - having walked "mile after mile"...

". At the close of voting, it had received 86 points, placing 5th in a field of 20.

It was succeeded as Irish representative

Republic of Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest

Ireland first participated in the Eurovision Song Contest at the 1965 Contest in Naples, participating in every subsequent Contest but two: the 1983 Contest in Munich and the 2002 Contest in Tallinn...

 at the 1979 Contest

Eurovision Song Contest 1979

The Eurovision Song Contest 1979 was the 24th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 31 March 1979 in Jerusalem, Israel. The presenters were Daniel Pe'er and Yardena Arazi, and the event was staged at the International Convention Center. Representing Israel, Gali Atari and Milk and Honey were the...

 by Cathal Dunne

Cathal Dunne

Cathal Dunne is an Irish singer. He is most famous for representing Ireland in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Happy Man". He has since gained a following as Cahal Dunne, performing traditional Irish songs in the United States, where he now lives.- Background :Born in Cork,...

 with "Happy Man

Happy Man

"Happy Man" was the Irish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979, performed in English by Cathal Dunne.The song is a moderately up-tempo number, in which Dunne contrasts his early despondency with the joy he feels now that he is with his lover. He sings, for example, that he now has "the sun...

".