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The Mardin Isles will compete at the Xvision Song Contest 2021. The Mardic broadcaster Teilifís na hInsí Mairdinde (TIM) will organise the national final Comórtas Amhránaíochta Náisiúnta 2021 to select the Mardic entry for the 2021 contest in x, x. =Background= Prior to the 2021 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. Prior to the cancellation of the 2021 contest, RÆMSE had been selected to represent the country with the song "Trampailín".

On 31 March 2020, the Mardic national broadcaster Teilifís na hInsí Mairdinde (TIM) confirmed the country's participation in the Xvision Song Contest 2021. In April 2020, TIM announced that they had given RÆMSE the right of first refusal to represent the country at the 2021 contest, in respect of their victory of the 2020 national final. In an Instagram post on 15 August 2020, the band confirmed that they had rejected the offer, opting to focus on other projects. Following the decision, TIM announced they would once again use the national final Comórtas Amhránaíochta Náisiúnta to select the Mardic entry for the 2021 contest. =Before Xvision=

Comórtas Amhránaíochta Náisiúnta 2021
Comórtas Amhránaíochta Náisiúnta 2021 will be the twenty-second edition of the Mardic national selection Comórtas Amhránaíochta Náisiúnta (English: National Song Contest), which will select the Mardin Isles' entry for the Xvision Song Contest 2021. It will be the third year in a row in which the competition is being held, following an eight-year-break. The competition will consist of 12 entries competing in three semi-finals on 7, 14 and 21 February 2021, leading to a six-song final on 28 February 2021.

All four shows will be broadcast from the studios of TIM in An Ráth. In order to accommodate social distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, performances will be pre-recorded hours in advance of the live shows. There will be no audience at any of the shows. All four shows will be presented by Dara Ó Néill.

Format
The format includes three semi-finals on 7, 14 and 21 February, and a final on 28 February 2021. Four songs will compete in each semi-final and two from each semi-final will qualify to complete the six-song lineup in the final. The first qualifier of each semi-final will be determined by public televoting, whilst the second will be determined by the five-member jury panel from among the remaining three entries. In a change from previous years, the jury panel will not award points in the semi-finals and will choose the second qualifier on the basis of consensus. The winning song in the final will be determined by a 50/50 combination of the votes from the five-member jury panel and public televoting.

Jury panel
On 13 January 2021, TIM announced the five members of the jury panel for Comórtas Amhránaíochta Náisiúnta 2021. The jurors will determine the second qualifier in each semi-final and 50% of the vote in the final. As in both preceding years, the panel will also give commentary and critiques on the songs. Brin and Ní Lasa return to the jury panel for the second and third consecutive times respectively. Ní Dhubhain, Ó Caomhánaigh and Ó Macháin appear on the jury panel for the first time. Ó Macháin won Comórtas Amhránaíochta Náisiúnta as a solo artist in 1988, and as part of a collective in 2019 with Ciarán Ó Caoilte, Ailill Mac Allmhúráin and Niamh Ní Lailliú.
 * Bébhinn Ní Lása, 27, media personality and influencer
 * Fionnuala Ní Dhubhain, 58, singer and musician
 * Séimí Ó Caomhánaigh, 31, television presenter and entrepreneur
 * Senán Ó Macháin, 64, rock singer-songwriter (Winner of Comórtas Amhránaíochta Náisiúnta 1988 and co-winner of Comórtas Amhránaíochta Náisiúnta 2019)
 * Tomás Brin, 30, singer-songwriter

Competing entries
In September 2020, TIM announced an open call for songwriters and singers to submit entries for the national final with a submission deadline of 1 November 2020. Songs must contain at least 50% of its lyrics in Mardic, and the entry fee remained frozen at 295 bonn (around 55 NSD). TIM also reserved the rights to personally invite artists, composers and record labels to submit entries to the contest.

On 30 September 2020, TIM announced a partnership with the Mardic Music Academy (ACM) to help select the entries for the competition, and to provide financial incentives for participants during the COVID-19 pandemic which has severely disrupted the domestic music industry. The songwriters and artists of the 12 finalists will have access to a bursary package totalling over 250,000 bonn, funded by the ACM, government grants and private sponsorship. The funding is intended for future music projects, and is meant to encourage both new and established local artists to take part. For the first time since 1997, a cash prize of 75,000 bonn will also be offered to the winning artist and songwriter(s).

More than 180 submissions were received by TIM, excluding invited entrants. A shortlist of roughly twenty songs, including both open submissions and invited entrants, was presented behind-closed-doors to a panel who then selected the final twelve entries for the televised competition. The names of the competing songs, songwriters and artists were revealed on 25 January 2021. The entries competing in each semi-final will be released on Spotify two days before the semi-final.

Semi-final 1
The first semi-final took place on 7 February 2021. Four songs competed for two spots in the grand final. The first qualifier was determined by the public vote, whilst the remaining spot was determined by the jury panel.

Semi-final 2
The second semi-final took place on 14 February 2021. Four songs competed for two spots in the grand final. The first qualifier was determined by the public vote, whilst the remaining spot was determined by the jury panel.

Semi-final 3
The third semi-final took place on 21 February 2021. Four songs competed for two spots in the grand final. The first qualifier was determined by the public vote, whilst the remaining spot was determined by the jury panel.

Final
The final took place on 28 February 2021. The six entries that qualified from the three preceding semi-finals competed in the final. The winner was selected from a 50/50 combination of vote from the five-member jury panel and public televoting.