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The Mardin Isles originally planned to participate in the x Song Contest 2020. The Mardic broadcaster Teilifís na hInsí Mairdinde organised the national final Comórtas Amhránaíochta Náisiúnta 2020 to select the Mardic entry for the 2020 contest in x, x. The competition was won by the band RÆMSE with the song "Trampailín". However, the contest was cancelled.

Background
Prior to the 2020 contest, the Mardin Isles had participated in the x Song Contest twenty-eight times since its first participation in 1987, winning the contest once in 1995 with the song "Ga solais", by Rua agus Rithim. Following the introduction of semi-finals in 2006, the country has managed to qualify on six occasions. In 2019, "Mór go leor" performed by Ciarán Ó Caoilte, Ailill Mac Allmhúráin, Niamh Ní Lailliú and Senán Ó Macháin gave the Mardin Isles its first qualification to the final since 2014. The song finished in 5th place in the grand final; the Mardin Isles' best result since 2002.

On 11 June 2019, the Mardic national broadcaster Teilifís na hInsí Mairdinde (TIM) confirmed the country's participation in the 2020 contest. TIM also confirmed the return of the national final, Comórtas Amhránaíochta Náisiúnta, as the method of selecting the Mardic entry for the 2020 contest.

Comórtas Amhránaíochta Náisiúnta 2020
Comórtas Amhránaíochta Náisiúnta 2020 will be the twenty-first edition of the Mardic national selection Comórtas Amhránaíochta Náisiúnta, which will select the Mardin Isles' entry for the x Song Contest 2020. It will be the second year in a row in which the contest is being held, following an eight-year-break. The competition will consist of 14 entries competing in two semi-finals on 15 and 22 February 2020, leading to an eight-song final on 29 February 2019.

The two semi-finals will be broadcast from the studios of TIM in An Ráth while the final will be broadcast from the Campas Spóirt Náisiúnta in An Ráth. All three shows will be presented by Tadhg Ó Loingscigh and Deirbhile Nic Allmhúráin.

Format
The format for the 2020 competition differs in many ways from the previous years' contest. The format includes two semi-finals on 15 and 22 February 2020, and a final on 29 February 2020. Seven songs will compete in each semi-final. Four songs will qualify from each semi-final, completing the eight-song line-up in the final. The results of the semi-finals were determined by public televoting for the first two entries, with the final two spots determined by the earlier voting by the five-member jury panel. The winning song in the final will be determined by a combination of the votes from the five-member jury panel, five regional juries and public televoting, with each weighing one-third on the final outcome.

In lieu of the controversy surrounding the winning entry of the 2019 competition, and in order to alleviate the alienation felt by the local music industry, TIM highlighted many format changes in response. These include the greater weight of juries on the results, the semi-final results breakdown not being made public until after the final, as well as the axing of the "super-final" format which featured in the previous competition.

Jury members
On 17 December 2019, TIM announced the jury panel for Comórtas Amhránaíochta Náisiúnta 2020. The jurors will determine the final two qualifiers in each semi-final and one-third of the voting in the final. They will also give feedback and commentary after each performance. Ní Lása, Ó Faranáin and Ó Ladhradha return to the jury panel from the previous edition. Tomás Brin, award-winning singer-songwriter, and Síthmaith Nic Fhlannchaidh, a well-known singer/entertainer and several-time Comórtas Amhránaíochta Náisiúnta participant, appear on the panel for the first time.
 * Bébhinn Ní Lása, 26, media personality and influencer
 * Conn Ó Faranáin, 31, radio DJ
 * Tomás Brin, 29, singer-songwriter
 * Síthmaith Nic Fhlannchaidh, 55, singer and entertainer
 * Rónán Ó Ladhradha, 48, music producer

Competing entries
In September 2019, TIM opened up submissions for artists and composers to submit their entries until 30 October 2019. Songs must contain at least 50% of its lyrics in Mardic. The entry fee was set at 295 bonn (around 55 NSD) per entry, an increase of around 115 bonn on the entry free of the previous year. TIM also reserved the rights to personally invite artists, composers and record labels to submit entries to the contest. Following the closing of submissions, the broadcaster established a special panel to select the final 14 entries for the competition. TIM announced the names of the competing artists and song titles on 15 January 2020. The entries were premiered online on 31 January 2020.

Semi-final 1
The first semi-final took place on 15 February 2020. Seven songs competed for four spots in the grand final. The first two qualifiers were determined by the public vote, whilst the remaining two spots were filled on the basis of the voting by the five-member jury panel.

Semi-final 2
The second semi-final took place on 22 February 2020. Seven songs competed for four spots in the grand final. The first two qualifiers were determined by the public vote, whilst the remaining two spots were filled on the basis of the voting by the five-member jury panel.

Final
The final took place on 29 February 2020 in the Campas Spóirt Náisiúnta in An Ráth. The eight entries that qualified from the two preceding semi-finals competed during the final. The winner was selected from a combination of votes from the five-member jury panel, five regional juries, and public televoting, with each having one-third of the weight on the final result.