Thousands to descend on Glastonbury Festival as Worthy Farm opens its gates
Campers arriving at Worthy Farm can expect a mixed bag of sunshine and rain throughout the week with 'with sunny spells and scattered showers expected throughout the day' on Wednesday, according to forecasters.
This year's event will see headline performances from British rock/pop band The 1975, veteran singer Neil Young and his band the Chrome Hearts, and US pop star Olivia Rodrigo, fresh from her Marlay Park gig.
Matty Healy of The 1975 (Lesley Martin/PA)
One of the more controversial acts performing is Irish rap trio Kneecap who have been in the headlines recently after one of their members was charged with a terror offence in Britain.
Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged for allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a gig in London in November last year.
Last week the 27-year-old, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in 'Free Mo Chara' T-shirts.
He was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing at the same court on August 20.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the group's performance at the festival, taking place on the West Holts Stage at 4pm on Saturday, is not 'appropriate' and Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC 'should not be showing' Kneecap's performance.
Kneecap's Liam Og O Hannaidh leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, through a crowd of supporters after he appeared charged with a terrorism offence (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
Performing in the coveted Sunday tea-time legends slot this year is Rod Stewart who previously said he will be joined by his former Faces band member Ronnie Wood, as well as some other guests.
His performance is to come after the Maggie May singer postponed a string of concerts in the US, due to take place this month, while he recovered from flu.
Organiser Emily Eavis has said the festival, which has capacity for 210,000 people, has sold 'a few thousand less tickets' this year in a bid to avoid overcrowding.
In an appearance on the Sidetracked podcast, Eavis outlined the changes that have been made to this year's festival and said music area Shangri-La is 'going full trees and green space' which is 'completely the opposite to anything they've done in the past'.
Among the acts expected to draw large crowds this year is alternative pop star Charli XCX, who will perform songs from her genre-defining sixth studio album Brat.
She is performing on Saturday night on the Other Stage, 15 minutes before the West Holts stage is graced by US rapper Doechii, another artist who has exploded in popularity in the last year.
Charli XCX will play the Other Stage (Lucy North/PA)
Other performers include Irish singer CMAT, Prada singer Raye, US musician Brandi Carlile, Nile Rodgers and Chic, hip-hop star Loyle Carner, US pop star Gracie Abrams, indie outfit Wet Leg, Mercury Prize-winning jazz quintet Ezra Collective, US rapper Denzel Curry, and rising star Lola Young.
The line-up also features a number of acts listed as TBA, as well as a mysterious act called Patchwork, who will take to the Pyramid Stage on Saturday.
This year the BBC will provide live streams of the five main stages – Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodsies and The Park.
On Wednesday at 10pm the festival will open with a theatre and circus act set in the Pyramid Arena which will showcase acrobatic and circus performances, culminating in a fireworks display.
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Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Tommy Tiernan review: Wild yarns, philosophical detours, and brilliant pisstakes at the Marquee
I spotted Tommy Tiernan today strolling down Cork's South Mall, dry cleaning slung over his shoulder like a man heading into battle — or at least into a hotel room. It was the kind of scene you only get in Cork: One of Ireland's most recognisable comedians, casually navigating pre-gig errands in the middle of town, shirt in bag, hat on head, and intense frown intact. He stopped to do a couple of selfies outside The Imperial, though. A sound man. That offbeat energy is exactly what fans got on Friday night as Tiernan brings his Tommedian tour to Live at the Marquee, a space he knows well. The audience are of a certain vintage, and all straining at the bit (and our belts). There's a delay with kick-off, thanks to the time it takes to get everyone's phone imprisoned in Yondr pouches, so it's close to 9pm by the time he saunters onstage. Tommy Tiernan on stage at Live at the Marquee in Cork on Friday night. Picture: Chani Anderson But his connection with Cork is long-standing and he's quickly forgiven. He's been gigging here since his early days, playing City Limits in the late '90s, and has always spoken fondly of the city's appetite for comedy that's both fearless and a little feral. Now a household name, Tiernan's career has spanned stand-up, acting, and of course the surprise knack he's shown for talk show hosting. He's known to international audiences as Gerry from Derry Girls and to Irish fans as the unpredictable host of 'The Tommy Tiernan show', RTÉ's cult hit where even he doesn't know who the guests will be. Makes perfect sense when you think about it. He's also fresh from a run at the Abbey Theatre, where he starred in Kevin Barry's acclaimed new play The Cave, cementing his reputation as a performer of real range. Tiernan's tour has been described as 'theatrical, poetical, and slightly unhinged' — that plays out tonight in the tent. Gaza, Jackie Kennedy, the importance of drink and drugs, singalongs — it's a mix of wild anecdotes, philosophical detours, and brilliant pisstakes. And the Bob-Dylan-meets-Shane-MacGowan bit was bloody brilliant. Kyla Cobbler, who came to many people's attention after her fearless appearance on 'The Tommy Tiernan Show' in April, opened for the comic at Live at the Marquee. File picture Opening tonight's show is another performer with a strong Cork connection — Kyla Cobbler, the dishevelled comic whose fearless appearance on 'The Tommy Tiernan Show' in April catapulted her into the national spotlight. Kyla first gained attention through viral Instagram reels before stepping on stage for her first open mic in May 2021. Her performance tonight was confident, with poor Dennis from Bishopstown an unwillingly patsy. One of Tiernan's most talked-about moments in recent years was his infamous interview with Roy Keane, where he pressed the famously guarded (and gorgeous) footballer in a way few dare. It was 'part sermon, part common sense, part emotional exorcism — and all unmistakably Tommy Tiernan' at Live at the Marquee in Cork. Picture: Chani Anderson That encounter was awkward, cringey, but ultimately revealing with some pure comedy moments, it was a back-and-forth that only Tiernan could have. Fittingly, the Mayfield man himself is set to appear on the same Marquee stage for a live 'In Conversation' event with Roddy Doyle on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday next week. Tonight, though, it's Tiernan's turn to command the tent. If his dry-cleaned shirt is anything to go by, he's came prepared. Part sermon, part common sense, part emotional exorcism — and all unmistakably Tommy. • Next up at Live At The Marquee, Tommy Tiernan's Tommedian show again on Saturday night, followed by An Evening with Roy Keane In Conversation with Roddy Doyle on July 7,8, and 9. Out and about at Live at the Marquee Jennifer O'Brien, Jean O'Driscoll, Tommy Slavantunovic, Chris O'Keefe, and Killian O'Keefe arriving at Live at the Marquee earlier on Friday evening for Tommy Tiernan's comedy gig. Picture: Chani Anderson Darren Lynch, Catherine Vaughan, and Emma Vaughan at Live at the Marquee for Tommy Tiernan's comedy gig. Picture: Chani Anderson Mike Sheehan, Niamh Curran, and Ava Fitzgerald arriving at Live at the Marquee ahead of Tommy Tiernan's comedy act. Picture: Chani Anderson Naomi Hourihane, Luke Keogh, Owen Keogh, and Shane Hourihane were at Live at the Marquee in Cork to see Tommy Tiernan. Picture: Chani Anderson Mark Vaughan, Michael O'Grady, and Sylvia Ribeiro at Live at the Marquee for Tommy Tiernan's comedy gig. Picture: Chani Anderson Tommy Tiernan brought his Tommedian show to Live at the Marquee in Cork on Friday night. Picture: Chani Anderson Paul and Ben Keohane at Live at the Marquee for Tommy Tiernan's comedy gig. Picture: Chani Anderson Geraldine McCarthy and Pat Morrissey from Passage West at Live at the Marquee for Tommy Tiernan's comedy gig. Picture: Chani Anderson Shona Murphy, Amira Sadick, and Nivene Sadick at Live at the Marquee for Tommy Tiernan's comedy gig. Picture: Chani Anderson Sarah Fitzgibbon, Georgia Squillacciotti, Ellen Chambers, and Derek Chambers at Live at the Marquee for Tommy Tiernan's comedy gig. Picture: Chani Anderson Jessica Walsh and Amy Burke at Live at the Marquee on Friday evening for Tommy Tiernan's comedy gig. Picture: Chani Anderson
Irish Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Family silverware: Incredible story of Markham family and their minor miracle
TOM Markham is making his way up the steps of the Cusack Stand. The two-year-old has just escaped from a photo with his grandad Tom Markham and his dad Tom Markham and the Tom Markham Cup — all pictured together for the very first time. 'It's a special moment for us,' says grandad Tom (or Tom III) as he heads after the youngest. This is the story of five Tom Markhams and a trophy that's played for the Electric Ireland GAA Football All-Ireland Minor Championship every year. The first was as a gun-runner and spy for Michael Collins, the second played for the Dublin minors for five years, the third played with some of the biggest names in Irish sport, the fourth works with some of the biggest names in soccer, film and video games. The fifth? Well, he's just getting going… But let's start with the trophy. On Sunday Kerry and Tyrone meet in Newbridge in the 2025 minor decider. The winner will collect the Tom Markham Cup. It has passed through some famous hands — from future All Stars to TV presenters and movie stars with everyone from Sean Cavanagh and David Clifford to Paddy Kielty lifting it down the years. Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe was even pictured with the cup after partying with the 2012 victorious Dublin minor team. But there was little contact between the Markham family and the trophy for decades. 'I was invited to the Roscommon celebration dinner in 2006,' says Tom III. 'And that happened by accident really. I just happened to meet a Roscommon man on a building site and he contacted the Roscommon PRO. 'It was an amazing night. They put myself and my wife Deirdre at a table with the only living survivors from the last Roscommon minor team that won the All-Ireland in the early 1950s. 'These men were all in their 80s by then and they were seriously emotional. They were all wearing their medals pinned to their lapels and it was such a memorable night. 'That was what sparked me to start finding out a bit more about my grandfather.' The first Tom Markham was born in Ballynacally near Ennis in 1878. In a 2020 lecture for Clare County Library, the writer Joe Ó Muircheartaigh described his colourful life and times: 'He was a British civil servant, but an Irish Volunteer and an IRA man. A gun runner, a veteran of Easter Week, a social activist, a champion of the sick during a global pandemic, an Irish language activist, a youth worker, a newspaper editor and a writer.' Tom Markham I was in Croke Park with the Dublin team on Bloody Sunday and set up GAA clubs in the city. He also worked in Dublin Castle and became one of Collins' key intelligence men during the War of Independence. 'My grandfather died 13 years before I was born, but I'm immensely proud of him,' says Tom III. 'I think it was an extraordinary era to be living through. 'My dad was quite a quiet man and there is only one story from that whole era that he ever mentioned to me. 'My grandad was bringing my father home from school and they came to a British checkpoint somewhere near Ballybough. 'My grandfather actually had a pistol on him and it wouldn't have been an option to turn around or whatever. So he slipped the pistol into my dad's school bag. 'They searched him, but they never searched the school bag. 'The hair is standing up on my neck thinking about that and how people lived on their wits. It's extraordinary. 'Imagine the pressure of dealing with that on a day-to-day basis if you were involved.' Tom Markham I was the chairman of the Dublin Minor Board and founded the Desmonds and Crokes clubs. He died in 1939 and the Tom Markham Cup was presented to the All-Ireland minor football winners for the first time the following year. By this point, the second Tom Markham had already carved out his own little piece of history by playing minor football for the Dubs for five consecutive years from 1929 to 1933. He also played in a match at Croke Park in the 1930s to raise funds for 1916 veterans and the medal from that game is something Tom III holds dear. 'An old boy came up to me at his funeral and said, 'Do you know your father at 13 used to take the 50s with an old leather ball and could put them over the bar,' says Tom III. 'I just couldn't believe that. 'There's a great photo in Humphrey Kelleher's book 'GAA Family Silver' of the Dublin minor team in 1930. My dad is in the front and my grandfather is in the back.' As a kid, the third Tom Markham was brought to Croke Park and knew about the cup and the connection, but went to rugby playing schools in Cork and Dublin and amazingly never played GAA. Instead, Tom III played rugby for Clontarf alongside Dublin GAA legends David Hickey and Brian Mullins and with Brian O'Driscoll's dad Frank before lining out with former Ireland captain Ciaran Fitzgerald on the Army team. 'I played with Dave (Hickey) in UCD and in Clontarf. He was unbelievable,' he says. 'He would run flat at somebody and they would just bounce off him. He was so strong. 'I lived on St Lawrence Road and Brian Mullins lived on the next road. We played soccer together in one of the street leagues where the two streets combined. 'He was playing centre-half and he was about two years younger than me, but he was more than holding his own with the older kids. 'In the air he took everything out and he was a talented rugby player too.' Tom III ended up playing rugby for Athlone and was selected for Connacht, only for injury to deprive him of the chance to play. But he got to play alongside Triple Crown-winning captain Fitzgerald during their time together in the Army. 'His ability to motivate players was exceptional. He seemed to be able to get into people's heads,' he says. When the fourth Tom Markham was due in 1982, Tom III and his wife Deirdre discussed the topic of names. There was an obvious choice, but he wasn't convinced. 'I remember saying, 'You know, maybe we've had enough of all this Tom Markham stuff. Maybe we should call him something else,' he says. 'Deirdre obviously mentioned that to her mum and I got a phone call about two or three days later saying, 'Tom, it's not for me to say, but this is a very important family name and I think he should be called Tom.' 'So it was probably my mother-in-law who was the biggest driving force.' And along came the fourth Tom Markham. He's a huge Arsenal fan — there's a family connection on his mother Deirdre's side through her uncle Billy Duffy who was at the club in the 1940s — and he lives in the grounds of the old Highbury Stadium. After working for a bank in Dublin, he did a PhD in football finance and has become one of the most respected figures in the business side of the beautiful game, brokering deals between major clubs and prospective owners. Tom IV even had a spell as CEO of Wigan Athletic. He was also head of strategic business development at the company behind the Football Manager video game and more recently has been producing hit documentaries about Brazilian footballers — Kaiser in 2018 and The Phenomenon, the story of Ronaldo in 2022. 'He heard this story about a footballer in Brazil who had a long career without ever playing a game,' says Tom III. 'Tom actually went into the favelas and found him and got him to agree to tell his life story for Kaiser. 'Then he was involved in a film about Ronaldo. We went to the premiere in Madrid and that was a great night. (Carlo) Ancelotti was there and quite a few other big names.' Tom III served in Lebanon with the UN in the 1980s before setting up his own business as an engineer. He's still working, but his current job for Ballyboughal GAA club might be his last before retirement. That will leave more time for researching his grandfather Tom I and for trips to London to see his grandson Tom V. The fifth Tom Markham covered the back seat of the car with his breakfast on arrival at Croke Park, but then he wouldn't be the first to have a jittery stomach before taking to the famous field. Thankfully his dad, Tom IV, had a change of clothes at the ready. On the side of the pitch the famous cup has caught the eye of Tom V. It's gleaming in the morning sunlight after a fresh lick of polish. Maybe he'll be back to pick it up again one day as a player... 'That really would be something,' says Tom III, laughing. 'We might need Tom (IV) and his wife Eleanor to move back from London for that to happen. But you never know.' With his name, anything is possible.
Irish Examiner
5 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Aisling Rawle: 'I feel like we're living in The Truman Show'
Since the days of Big Brother, reality TV has been a world ripe for extreme behaviour — making it the perfect setting for a thrilling novel about what happens when the experience goes wrong. Irish author Aisling Rawle describes her debut, The Compound, as 'Love Island meets Lord of the Flies' and 'Animal Farm — but if everyone was hot and wanted skincare'. In the opening pages, its protagonist Lily — a young, attractive 20-something — wakes up in a large house surrounded by an expansive desert. She's willingly taking part in The Compound, a reality show that sees young men and women couple up and compete for prizes. But from the off, it's clear that life in the compound will be anything but easy. There are several striking things about Rawle. One is that she's so softly-spoken that my recording device barely picks up her voice in the busy cafe, but what she has to say about reality TV, materialism, and social media is deeply wise. The second is that she's not a die-hard reality TV fan. The third? She's not on social media. Despite this, the 27-year-old Leitrim-born, Dublin-based former English teacher (she's currently on a break to focus on her writing) is an astute guide to what reality TV can tell us about human behaviour. Aisling Rawle, author: "I woke up with this image in my head, which was the first scene of the novel: two beautiful women, walking around the house and finding the bodies of other beautiful women strewn around like litter," Photograph Moya Nolan The idea for the book emerged during Rawle's summer break two years ago. 'The first day of the holidays, I woke up with this image in my head, which was the first scene of the novel: two beautiful women, walking around the house and finding the bodies of other beautiful women strewn around like litter,' she says. 'I wrote that scene and then I wrote the rest of it in this mad rush. When it was finished, I knew so little about the publishing industry that I was brazen enough to reach out to an agent and she very kindly took me on.' The book was written in a six-week 'fever dream' and soon multiple publishers were bidding to publish The Compound in Ireland and overseas. The novel picks apart the 'extreme' gender stereotyping across many reality TV shows. 'While the girls are thinking 'who's the prettiest in the house?', the boys are fighting in the desert,' Rawle says of The Compound. 'I think that it is such a cruel aspect of dating shows and reality TV shows — the appearance of women is so scrutinised, and it's seen as the most important thing. I think we take it for granted. Even things like the Kardashian [family], it feels like so many conversations revolve around their relative attractiveness. They'll even do it amongst each other. I remember one viral moment of [Kim] Kardashian saying [to her sister Kourtney], 'you are the least interesting to look at'.' Aisling Rawle, author: 'While the girls are thinking 'who's the prettiest in the house?', the boys are fighting in the desert' Photograph Moya Nolan While watching Love Island during the pandemic, Rawle and her friends started to jokingly describe it as 'heterosexual paradise'. 'The heteronormativity is astounding,' she says with a baffled laugh. 'It does present the idea not only that the norm is heterosexuality, but that the people worth viewing are heterosexual.' She examines this in the novel, with readers guessing whether characters are really as straight as they present themselves. The book is set in the not-too-distant future, and hints at climate issues and ongoing wars. 'We don't know a whole lot about the outside, but it's burning and there's conflict and tension and Lily desperately wants to get away. To me, that didn't feel very dissimilar to the world today,' says Rawle. The producers in The Compound come off as manipulative, faceless people who push the participants to do terrible things. 'I wanted to put a little bit of finger-pointing towards the people who create these really toxic situations and pass it off as entertainment,' she says. As readers, we know the producers have the power, but we recognise that the viewers are culpable too. Rawle watched a lot of Love Island during the covid lockdowns. 'I think that reality television shows normalised having people that we don't know inside our house as entertainment, which I think probably also paved the way for influencer culture, which I also wanted to criticise a little in this book,' she says. Aisling Rawle, author: 'I think that reality television shows normalised having people that we don't know inside our house as entertainment, which I think probably also paved the way for influencer culture." Photograph Moya Nolan While she sees influencing as a valid way of making a living, the 'transactional nature' of it can feel inauthentic and lead to people second-guessing what is a genuine human interaction or not. 'We all know that social media is fake, and we've known that for years, but I think the more it creeps into our lives, the more we've normalised that fakeness is the exchange of reality,' she says, adding later with a laugh: 'I feel like we're living in The Truman Show … I feel like that's just the norm now,' referring to the 1998 film starring Jim Carrey about a man whose entire life is filmed. She says that with reality television shows, 'there is a strange line between entertainment and exploitation', something that Lily discovers in the house. In The Compound, the participants know that to win the approval of the producers and viewers they must adhere to certain rules. These reflect larger societal expectations on people, says Rawle. 'The three driving forces of the reality TV show were, the driving forces of young adult life. Which is, you have to find a partner, you have to get a house, and then you have to get nice things. That's what it means to be a successful adult. I wanted to turn that up to the extreme.' Aisling Rawle, author: 'Once someone is told they are 'stupid' — and I don't like that word — it is so incredibly difficult to unburden them, and you'll find adults who are 50, 60, 70, still having it in the back of their head, because someone told them [once] 'you're stupid'.' Photograph Moya Nolan Lily is a character who thinks a lot about how people view her, and adjusts herself to meet their expectations. But she also has negative ideas about herself, believing she is stupid. She sees her worth as being tied up in her looks. Lily's belief that she is stupid is something Rawle noticed in students: how judgement can have a lasting impact. 'Once someone is told they are 'stupid' — and I don't like that word — it is so incredibly difficult to unburden them, and you'll find adults who are 50, 60, 70, still having it in the back of their head, because someone told them [once] 'you're stupid'.' The competition in The Compound pits beautiful people against beautiful people, creating a hierarchy of attractiveness. Lily believes she has to be the most desirable person in the compound, and compares herself to everyone else, 'which I think is a horrible way to be', says Rawle. The book is written in the first-person so that the reader could potentially 'understand Lily's experience, but also feel removed enough that you would confront your own associations of judgment'. Aisling Rawle, author: 'It can be a very despairing place, social media.' Photograph Moya Nolan The book helped Rawle work through some of her own frustrations about the issues she explores in it. 'It was very cathartic,' she says. She never knew what the next scene was going to be, comparing herself to an 'evil producer' of the show. 'But I also felt like a viewer of the show going 'who's going tonight?'' The book is underpinned by Rawle's feminism. Growing up with a younger brother and older sister, she says her teenage feminist awakening was spurred on by books such as Jane Eyre. More recently, the novel Detransition Baby by transgender writer Torrey Peters further helped her ideas of gender evolve. Though she once joined Facebook, she isn't on social media. Why? While she says there is a lot of good on the apps, for her staying focused is a priority. She adds: 'It can be a very despairing place, social media.' This gentle refusal of social media is a sign of how Rawle is able to decide what social norms she does and doesn't want to take on board. Part of the book is influenced by her experiences of earning more money after college, and finding that 'life revolved around what was the next thing to purchase, which to me didn't feel like there was a lot of fulfillment or meaning in it'. The Compound by Aisling Rawle The characters in The Compound undertake tasks in order to win expensive items. The tasks can be deeply unpleasant but are seen as worth it because of the result. As someone in her late 20s, she is part of a generation dealing with multiple stresses, most notably the housing crisis. She feels extremely lucky to be able to rent on her own, but recalls teaching piano in the evenings while being a teacher by day. 'I knew teachers who would go home on the weekend and do carpentry jobs, or personal trainer jobs,' she says. Excitingly for an Irish author, The Compound is being published in America and was recently chosen for the Good Morning America book club for July. Rawle remains sanguine: 'The book was the success for me. Everything else was secondary.' While The Compound does end at a moment that's a good jumping-off point for a sequel, Rawle's next book is about something totally unrelated. 'It's funny, the protagonist of the next book is very superstitious, and I've become superstitious — so I'm reluctant to say too much,' she offers. It's an exciting time for Rawle, but she seems well capable of dealing with the whirlwind of publishing a book on both sides of the Atlantic. All that's left is to ask the burning question: would she ever go on a reality show herself? 'It's a definite no,' she says, laughing. 'You couldn't pay me enough!' The Compound by Aisling Rawle, published by Harper Collins, is out now Read More Diary of a Gen Z Student: The differences between Irish and Portugese men when it comes to flirting
