Maria Christian

Maria Doyle-Cuche (born 6 May 1965) is an Irish singer who represented Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1985. In 2016, she auditioned for The Voice of Ireland, and was selected by coach Una Foden in the audition round. In 2020, she took part of The Voice France, in which she went to the semi-finals coached by Lara Fabian. Since the age of nine, Maria has been 95% legally blind. She is the author of an autobiographical book in French entitled "On ne voit bien qu’avec le cœur" (One Can Only Truly See with the Heart, 2018). Biography Childhood She was born in 1965 in Dundalk, Ireland, to a poverty-stricken mother in a mother and baby home. Affected by Stargardt's genetic disease, she lost her eyesight at the age of nine but nevertheless wanted to become a singer. At the age of thirteen, her vocal talents were spotted by an American lady who raised funds for her to travel to the United States for musical training. Career In 1985, at the age of 19, she represented her native country Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest under the name Maria Christian in which she sang "Wait Until The Weekend Comes" written by Brendan Graham. She earned 91 points and came in at 6th place. "Wait Until The Weekend Comes" reached number 15 in the Irish charts. Her follow-up single "Star" reached number 30 in the Irish charts in December 1985.