| Year: | 1979 |
| Broadcaster: | Irish: [[RTÉ|Radio Telefís Éireann]]|i=no (RTÉ) |
| Country: | Ireland |
| Preselection: | National final |
| Preselection Date: | 4 February 1979 |
| Entrant: | Cathal Dunne |
| Song: | Happy Man |
| Final Result: | 5th, 80 points |
Ireland was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 with the song "Happy Man", written and performed by Cathal Dunne. The Irish participating broadcaster, Irish: [[RTÉ|Radio Telefís Éireann]]|i=no (RTÉ), selected its entry through a national final.
Irish: [[RTÉ|Radio Telefís Éireann]]|i=no (RTÉ) held the national final on 4 February 1979 in Dublin, broadcast on RTÉ 1 and hosted by Mike Murphy. The winner, which was decided by ten regional juries throughout Ireland, was Cathal Dunne, who previously competed in the, but came 4th, losing out to Red Hurley who performed the song "When".
| Draw | Artist | Song | Points | Place | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tweed | "No Restrictions" | 4 | 5 | |
| 2 | Johnny Logan | "Angie" | 15 | 3 | |
| 3 | Anderson | "Goodbye" | 3 | 6 | |
| 4 | The Memories | "The Main Attraction" | 13 | 4 | |
| 5 | Red Hurley and Tina | "Hiding Behind Our Smile" | 0 | 8 | |
| 6 | Cathal Dunne | "Happy Man" | 36 | 1 | |
| 7 | Catriona Walsh | "Superstar" | 3 | 6 | |
| 8 | The Miami Showband | "Too Much Is Going On" | 26 | 2 |
Ireland performed 4th in the startfield and finished 5th with 80 points.[1]