The night sky over Dublin on the night Riverdance first played

On 30 April 1994, Ireland hosted the Eurovision Song Contest at the Point Theatre in Dublin. While the votes were being prepared, the interval act began: a seven-minute piece of Irish dance called Riverdance.

Jean Butler and Michael Flatley led a line of dancers to music by Bill Whelan. The audience in the hall stood to applaud, and viewers across Europe saw Irish dance in a new way.

Sky chart of the night sky above Dublin, Ireland at 20:00 on 30 April 1994
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The sky above Dublin, Ireland on 30 April 1994

The sun was above the horizon, so daylight hid the stars. The chart shows where they were. There was a waning gibbous Moon, 69% lit, but it was below the horizon.

The sun is above the horizon at this moment, so daylight hides the stars and the planets. The tables show where they are in the sky.

Local time
20:00
Time in UTC
30 April 1994 at 19:00 UTC
Sun
Daylight
Sun position
6° above the horizon
Moon phase
waning gibbous Moon
Moon lit
69%
Moon position
49° below the horizon

What happened that night

Ireland also won the contest that night, with 'Rock 'n' Roll Kids' by Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan. It was Ireland's third Eurovision win in a row.

Even so, the interval act became the story of the night. The Riverdance single went to number one in Ireland soon after.

Why people remember it

Riverdance grew into a full stage show in 1995 and has since toured the world. Many Irish families remember watching it live that night.

A star map of this night makes a gift for a dancer, a musician, or anyone with Irish roots.

Questions about this night

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