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.
The sky above Dublin, Ireland on April 30, 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
- 8:00 PM
- Time in UTC
- April 30, 1994 at 7:00 PM UTC
- Sun
- Daylight
- Sun position
- 6° above the horizon
- Moon phase
- waning gibbous Moon
- Moon lit
- 69%
- Moon position
- 49° below the horizon
| Planet | Visible | Direction | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | No | west | 7° |
| Venus | No | west | 27° |
| Mars | No | north-west | -16° |
| Jupiter | No | east | -5° |
| Saturn | No | north-west | -41° |
| Uranus | No | north-east | -55° |
| Neptune | No | north-east | -53° |
| Star | Constellation | Direction | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sirius | Canis Major | south-west | 13° |
| Arcturus | Boötes | east | 23° |
| Capella | Auriga | west | 53° |
| Rigel | Orion | south-west | 11° |
| Procyon | Canis Minor | south-west | 39° |
| Betelgeuse | Orion | south-west | 30° |
| Aldebaran | Taurus | west | 26° |
| Pollux | Gemini | south-west | 60° |
| Regulus | Leo | south | 47° |
| Castor | Gemini | south-west | 63° |
38 constellations are above the horizon. Highest in the sky: Lynx, Ursa Major, Leo Minor, Cancer, Camelopardalis, Leo, Gemini, Canes Venatici, Ursa Minor, Auriga, Canis Minor, and Draco.
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
It shows 8:00pm Irish Standard Time on 30 April 1994, when the contest went on the air from the Point Theatre. Riverdance came later in the show, during the interval.
Jean Butler and Michael Flatley led the dancers. Bill Whelan wrote the music.
The building on Dublin's North Wall Quay is now the 3Arena.