Singing "In Your Eyes" (words and music by Jimmy Walsh) she won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 for the host nation, Ireland. It was the best selling single in Ireland for 1993, and reached No. 24 in the UK Singles Chart.
Previously she had performed as a lead and backing vocalist on the film soundtrack for The Commitments in songs such as "Destination Anywhere" and "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man".
Kavanagh also appeared on The Late Late Show's Eurovision edition to perform "In Your Eyes" along with Linda Martin and other past Irish Eurovision contestants. She was also the Irish spokesperson for Eurovision Song Contest 2008.
She currently lives in Carrickfergus, County Antrim.