Waterford City Council provoked an outcry from the Irish public over its decision to send four concillors and their partners to Istanbul for the Eurovision Song Contest. The trip is expected to cost EUR 9,000. The Irish Independent reported that.

They are travelling to the contest to cheer on Irish entry Chris Doran, who is a local resident. The councillors are reported to be unhappy with the public reaction and to their newly aquired nickname, The Istanbul Eight.

Paddy Power, director of corporate affairs with the council is quoted as saying: “The role of the city council is two-fold — in policy making and in a representative role”, he said. “This is a unique occasion and will never happen again because he is the first person from Waterford to represent Ireland in the Eurovision… And on that basis a response from the city council was needed by being present and showing support. This decision came from the council and not the members”.

It remains to be seen whether the 'Istanbul Eight' will be returning to Ireland with a smile after the contest. General consensus suggests that the Irish entry If my world stopped turning is unlikely to win in Istanbul, so the councillors will not be bringing the Eurovision Song Contest back to its old home at The Point, Dublin.

Meanwhile, it appeared that If the world stops turning has been given another new musical arrangement, which can be found on the album of this year's contest. It is unknown whether this arrangement will be used in Istanbul for the show.