EUROVISION bosses have been accused of snubbing Irish Eurovision heroes Dana and Johnny Logan on the anniversary of their famous wins.

This May, the international song contest returns to the Netherlands exactly 50 years after Dana gave Ireland its first victory in 1970 and 40 years after Johnny Logan won again in Holland with What’s Another Year in 1980.

4 Dana Rosemary Scallon said it 'would have been lovely to be there' Credit: PA:Press Association

4 Dana Rosemary Scallon sang All Kinds Of Everything in 1970 Credit: Getty - Contributor

4 Johnny Logan won in Holland with What's Another Year Credit: Hulton Archive - Getty

This summer’s show will see seven former Eurovision winners perform winning songs to mark 65 years of the competition.

However, Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan — who won with their tune, Rock and Roll Kids — represent Ireland rather than Dana and Johnny, as the majority of Ireland’s wins took place in the nineties.

But this has been met with shock by Dana, who told the Irish Sun: “It would have been lovely to be there on my 50th anniversary.

“At the same time, it would also have been nice for Johnny on the 40th anniversary of his win in Holland, ten years later. You just have to shrug your shoulders.

“The last thing you want people to say is, ‘Well, this is sour grapes because she’s not involved’ or ‘She sees herself as a victim’.

“But I had been hoping to go out there and mark my anniversary, and I wasn’t told about this. People make an internal decision and you only learn about it later.”

'NO ROLE'

Contacted last night, RTE said they had “no role’ in selecting the interval acts at the Eurovision.

But Irish Eurovision watchers said the decision left them baffled.

Keith Mills, Irish Eurovision expert and fan told us: “This is a very strange decision to ignore both Dana and Johnny Logan who topped the UK charts, and had international hits.

“I’m genuinely surprised Dana wasn’t chosen to represent Ireland’s previous winners as All Kinds of Everything occupies a special place in Eurovision history.

“I see Dana as a better fit for the 65th celebration, because it’s the 50th anniversary of her win and it happened in the Netherlands.”

Asked if RTE could have fought her case with Eurovision bosses to have her included, Dana said: “We don’t know the parameters of what was set down by Eurovision — what’s important to Ireland, may not have seemed important to the organisers in Holland.”

2020 ENTRY

Meanwhile, Balbriggan singer Lesley Roy is set to be revealed by RTE in the coming days as Ireland’s Eurovision 2020 entry.

Acclaimed avant-garde theatre group ThisIsPopBaby — whose previous credits include working with Ireland’s top stage Queen Panti Bliss — has already been given the job of staging the production.

The Irish Sun can also reveal Lesley, who is openly gay, will make her debut in The George bar, Dublin, on March 5 before a performance on the Late Late Show on March 6.

Three-piece Irish band The Rua - composed of Dana’s nephews and nieces — had been tipped as a favourite to represent Ireland.

However, their chances were scuppered when ThisIsPopBaby creative director Philly McMahon announced our entry this year would have an LGBT theme.

Conservative Dana refused to be drawn on whether she backed ­Ireland’s attempts to win the pink vote at Eurovision.

'IT'S ABOUT THE SONG'

Dana told us: “At the end of the day, it’s about the song.”

She has previously told how she suffered “a complete breakdown” after her shock Eurovision win in 1970.

The then 18-year-old — who was still in school at the time — had been a rank outsider against hot favourite Julio Iglesias and other high-profile acts.

Immediately after the contest, she embarked on a hectic performance schedule that saw her visiting three countries in one day.

But it quickly became too much, as she told: “Eventually, I definitely came to the point of a complete breakdown. This wasn’t years afterwards, it was only about six, seven, eight months after. And I ran away.

“I just got up in the middle of the night, put on two coats, walked out into a completely dark, country road and got a lift to a friends’ house in Belfast.”

She also told how her fame came in handy when she worked as an MEP, and she scored a meeting with a hard-to-reach commissioner when his personal secretary recognised her.

She told the Daily Telegraph: “He stopped, ‘Are you Dana? Did you win Eurovision? What day and time would you like to meet him?’

MOST READ IN SHOWBIZ love sick Molly-Mae fails to raise a smile with Tommy after begging him to come home LOTTIE LOVE Lottie Ryan 'utterly heartbroken' as brothers theatre company opening postponed HOME WOES Roz Purcell has to move out to get home re-wired admitting she's nowhere to stay mike's moment Mike Murphy reveals he'd 'a go at' Micheal Martin as he feels 'bashed about' 'full bloom' Rosanna Davison looks 'beautiful' as she shows off growing baby bump in dress CAR SWASH Joe Swash surprises Stacey Solomon with epic £50,000 campervan for the family

“He didn’t even read my note. He was just a huge Eurovision fan. I just thought, ‘Oh my God, is this a full circle or what?’”

Ireland will perform in the first Eurovision semi-final in Rotterdam on May 12, hoping to win a slot in the Grand Final on May 16.

Norwegian winner Alexander Rybak is among the chosen previous Eurovision winners invited to perform in the interval act.