Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTE , is set to replace the final of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest with a classic episode of the comedy Father Ted , in a move highlighting growing international protest against Israel’s participation . On Saturday night, RTE 2 will air “A Song For Europe”, the sitcom’s Eurovision -themed episode featuring priests Ted and Dougal performing “ My Lovely Horse ”. This decision is part of a broader boycott, with Ireland, Spain, and Slovenia refusing to send competitors to the 70th iteration of the song competition and opting not to broadcast the final, citing Israel’s war in Gaza. The Netherlands and Iceland are also not sending acts to compete, but will still air the final. Dermot Morgan in Father Ted’s ‘My Lovely Horse’ episode (Channel 4) The ongoing conflict in Gaza, which the Hamas-run health ministry estimates has killed 72,300 Palestinians since the October 7 attack, stands in contrast to Russia’s ban from Eurovision following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.…