Latest news with #Gerry
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Record
Parents warned of car seat mistake which could land them with £500 fine
Drivers should make sure they are familiar with the rules of travelling with children. Drivers travelling with children in the car this summer are being warned to avoid making a simple mistake which could land them with a hefty fine. While parents, grandparents and other carers have plenty to remember ahead of their road trips, many will forget - or choose to ignore for short drives - the simple car seat rules for children. If a child under the age of 14 is not safely secured in a vehicle or is caught using an unsuitable or incorrectly fitted car seat, the driver can be fined up to £500. Gerry Bucke, general manager of Adrian Flux, a specialist motor insurance broker, said: 'Children will be driven around by all sorts of people during the school holidays this summer. There's a lot to remember and pack, especially on outings, and we all know people who forget a car seat or think they'll get away without using one. "Boots and back seats are packed with suitcases and things for the beach and that can see people taking shortcuts with car seats so they can just get on the road and get there as quickly as possible. It's never worth taking that gamble from a safety point of view but it can also make an expensive time of the year even more costly if you're stopped and fined.' Rule 100 of the Highway Code states that children MUST use a child car seat until they are 12 years old or 1.35m (approximately 4ft 5in) tall, whichever comes first. Other laws that need adhering to include babies being in a rear-facing seat, a child not being placed in a seat protected by an active frontal airbag, and making sure all restraints are properly fitted according to the manufacturer's instructions. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. Any offence is likely to carry a £100 on-the-spot fine, which could be increased to £500 if a driver challenges the punishment. Gerry added: 'ISOFIX has made using car seats a lot easier since it became mandatory in 2013 for all new cars made in the UK. But not all cars have them. So it's just about ensuring the seat is used as it should be and every step is taken to protect all passengers, especially the youngest and most vulnerable.' There are exceptions to the law when travelling in taxis, minicabs, and Ubers, but safety experts suggest using your own car seat, where possible, for those trips.
Irish Examiner
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Al Porter: "We judge ourselves by our intentions, but we judge other people by their actions"
Not for the first time, Al Porter is riffing on a memory. 'I found this clip of me on Gerry Ryan when I was 12,' he says, going a mile a minute as he recalls one of his earliest roles in a childhood production of Bugsy Malone. 'I listened to it in the car the other day, and Brenda Donohue says, 'Gerry, I've got a young man here from Tallaght, he's 12 years old, his name is Alan Kavanagh, and he's playing the part of Knuckles. Say good morning, Gerry.' And she says to me, 'Can you do that?' I'm obviously nervous. And I go, 'Good morning, Gerry.' And the unbroken little boy's voice.' And here Porter switches to Gerry's booming broadcast tenor. 'And Gerry says, 'Good morning, Alan Kavanagh, what a great part to get.' And I go, 'It is a great part.' 'And I went: 'That's the top of my show.'' The show is Algorithm but, as the Tallaght-born comedian describes the background to his new material, it's clear why the pre-fame Alan Kavanagh is also name-checked: Porter, now 32, believes his writing — and maybe his life — is now more relatable, and certainly more true to himself. 'I almost welled up when I heard it,' he says of the Gerry Ryan clip, 'because of what it means to me. Because the point is that this show definitely seems to be the most firmly grounded in the present that I've ever done.' We're meeting by the seaside in West Cork, down at Dunmore House Hotel, to which Porter has been driven all the way from Dublin by his friend Alan. Looking slim in his blue Oxford shirt and occasionally tugging on a rhubarb-and-custard coloured vape, Porter is gearing up for a string of shows, including a night at Cork Opera House. He's raring to go — 'I need to stop talking, I'm sorry' — but, over two hours of conversation, he springs a few surprises: how despite his love for stand-up, for all he knows, this could be his last tour; about taking on a lead role in a new self-penned play only because the budget isn't there to cast someone else; why he's not particularly bothered about doing a podcast or being on TV; and — no joke — becoming a certified celebrant for weddings, baptisms, and funerals. It seems there has always been two sides to Al Porter/Alan Kavanagh — but now? 'Oh yeah, I mean, they've met, right?' he says. 'I used to think that being funny was a bit of a mask, like a bit of a barrier. And the suit tied into that. I always talk about how I was able to present as composed on the outside but total chaos on the inside. And when I went to college and I left school, I was actually pretty ill-equipped. In my school, everybody knew me. I was 'our Alan'. 'That's our Alan.' 'That's what Al is like.' And everybody knew me for all my quirks. And then when I went to college, everybody thought I'd be fine because I've been such a good student but suddenly I felt totally lost and really exposed, and like really all this anxiety came to a head, and I went, 'I'm not doing this.' Being a 19-year-old, greasy college student with no friends, I'm not doing it. And I invented something else to be.' For the new show, 'I wanted to have that element of loose, rough around the edges, spontaneous,' he says, referencing his conversational, come-here-and-I'll-tell-you style. 'What I like is the idea that maybe you don't know what you're going to get, because humans are messy and full of contradictions. And if you're sitting there and you're going, 'What's he going to say next?' That, to me, is the excitement in stand-up. 'I only chose the name [Algorithm] because I went, 'What am I going to call the show?' And I went through all sorts of names. I asked my followers online, 'What do you think I should call it?' They gave me some pretty mad suggestions, like, 'What about Al Porter Rides Again? Or Al Porter Back On Top?' And I went, 'No.' And so then I just saw Tommy [Tiernan] did Tomfoolery, Emma [Doran] did Dilemma!, and I went, 'I'll just take Algorithm.' It feels current but, as I've written the show and now I'm looking back at the material, there is kind of a theme.' Those themes hove towards the online world but also reflect on the sometimes daft reality of life in Ireland, not least being part of Generation Stuck. Porter only properly moved out of his parents' home last year but, as with most situations, he can see an upside. 'If there's one good thing that has come from Generation Stuck, it is that we got to spend a lot of time with our parents,' he says. 'And at the time, when you're going, 'I can't fucking cough in this house,' you know, 'I can't move, I have no space,' and you feel like your future is stalled… but, in retrospect, I think we're all going think it was nice. 'Being left with your parents as the youngest, you're left with them at their oldest. My sister says, 'Oh, I remember when me and Mam went to Torremolinos,' and I'm going, 'I remember when we went to A&E,' — I got these different parents. But whatever it is, it seems to be getting this heartier laugh. And also, maybe I wasn't that relatable when I was 21, because how many people are an all-singing, all-dancing, suit-wearing 21-year-old, hosting a game show. As opposed to now, where you go, 'He's living in a house share, he's 32, he doesn't know if he wants to get married.' Yeah, that's real.' Al Porter in West Cork. Picture: Eddie O'Hare ALLEGATIONS And here we must talk about that younger iteration of Al, not least because Al will talk about him. Back in mid-2017, allegations of inappropriate behaviour were made against Porter. By November 2019, a charge of sexual assault against him was dropped in Dublin District Court but it was late 2023 before he really moved to return to stand-up and performing. He had gone from absolute media ubiquity to nothing. It was from those dark and confusing years, he says, that he emerged not only sober but intensely reflective about his past behaviour — a personal reconstruction that continues today. 'The joy of it now is definitely not needing it [fame] for validation,' he says. 'And there's only one reason for that, because I, hand on heart, believe I would have become a very strange person and very maybe unhappy person if I didn't drastically change what I valued once I was not doing it any more. Because what I realised was there was nothing I liked about myself and nothing I valued other than other people's opinion of me back then. And then it was gone. 'And so every night I went out there to convince the audience I was great. I was funny. 'Love me, love me, love me.' And if I got that, great, and then I needed the next fix of that, and now that I don't need that, because there are things I value that are to do with personal intention, and that then extends out to family and friends and your God [etc]. So I don't need the audience to like or love me. I don't need it so I don't want anything from them. So now it's even more joyous because it's more generous. 'Because now I go out and go, 'I wouldn't want to be anywhere else than here tonight. I'm going to give you what I got. I hope you like it.' And then I leave, and I really don't worry about whether they loved it or not. Of course, if they fucking hate it, you go, 'Fuck,'' he adds, laughing. It is a serious business, however; the internet never forgets and Porter says he could never have swept everything to one side. 'I'll never forget,' he says, 'I mean, it's not unrealistic to say that, I think about it every single day. And you've got to be careful, because you'll drive yourself mad, to not relive it every single day. I know the mistakes I made that put me in the vulnerable position that I ended up in, you know, in the sense that I know the ways in which I wasn't respectful to other people, or recklessly was inconsiderate of other people, or regardless of intention, because, you know, we judge ourselves by our intentions, but we judge other people by their actions. "But I know the moments where I go, 'I wish I could redo that,' knowing what I know now. But if you relived that, how can you move on and live your life and be a good person? So when I say I think about it every day, every day, I remember, this is how you fucked up. You know how that all played out, and you've got to renew that commitment to yourself, to, as I call it, living your amends, you know — go 'You've got to be the better person today,' again and again.' Given that we live in the age of the spoofer and the double-down, of zero accountability and shameless non-apologies, Porter, at the very least, appears to be reckoning with this past through how he lives his present. He doesn't see people buying tickets to his shows as either forgiveness or as people forgetting, though it could be either or neither; instead, he sees it simply as a show of support. He says his last show was the therapy, and this one is the party. 'You know, one woman emailed me and said, 'I have my own fucking problems. I don't need to come to Al Porter for 15 minutes of you telling me that you're an arsehole.' But I wrote back and said, 'Listen, I think you'll prefer next year's show, because I think I'll be in a better position to say, 'We already talked about that.'' Yet he's still very much happy to talk about that. 'A good thing to do sometimes is to play a game in your imagination and go, 'If 92-year-old me — please God, I get to 92 — could look back at 32-year-old me and say, 'Was I using the time I got in a way that I'm proud of?' I would say, when I play that imagination game, I go, 'Yeah.' I wouldn't want to come back and shake me and go, 'What are you doing?' 'And I feel like if 18-year-old me could have seen 23-year-old me, like a video, he would have said, 'What the fuck is that?' I really think the person I was who was kind of a smart kid, kind of a nice kid, a smiley kid, and you know, would I have liked the 23-year-old, [who was] very caught up in ideas about ambition and in a haze of money and drink and blah. If 18-year-old me could see me now and know what I've got kind of coming down the line, I think they would go, 'Oh, that makes sense, yeah. That seems like me.'' Porter recently posted an old photograph on Instagram, showing a heavier, drowsier-looking Al. It was posted, he says, as an act of gratitude, a way of signposting his path to today, in keeping with attending AA meetings and in the context of an ongoing autism assessment and all the other facets of his life now. But he draws my attention to an extensive exchange underneath the photograph, in which a woman takes issue with Porter, revealing she knows one of the people Porter says he has apologised to, and querying whether what is on display — the contrition, the reflection, the life rebuild — is for real. 'I tried to respond by making living amends. I haven't gone without punishment but I also believe in rehabilitation,' Al reads from one of his replies. 'I'm saying I messed up, and will try to work on myself. You're saying you doubt the sincerity of it. I'll have to keep walking my path, knowing not everyone will accept it. I wish you the best. She said, 'I appreciate your response... and I sincerely hope that your behaviour has changed.' So the conversation was worth having.' Porter seems to be having that conversation with himself a lot. 'The thing about it is that you can perform authenticity but that's not authenticity,' he says. 'I just feel freer on stage. I just feel I'm not trying to be anything other than good. OK, so I have one mission, like I don't have a podcast to protect, I don't have a sponsor, I don't have a TV show. I'm not a culture warrior. I'm not left wing, I'm not right wing, you know, so I've got one job and I'm going, 'It's simplified.'' NO BUDGET Al Porter on stage. Does he miss all that — the shows, the glitzier opportunities? 'Well, firstly, nobody's asked, so I don't want people to go, 'You weren't fucking asked,'' he says with a chuckle. 'But theoretically, if I was asked, no. Because I've learned from experience that I spread myself thin. I thought the more I did, the better it reflected on me, like, 'I can do everything. I can do radio. I can write for newspapers. I can do TV. I can write pantomimes. I can write plays. I can do stand-up, and then I can host.' And you end up on fucking Big Week on the Farm, or, you know, eating a sandwich on The Six O'Clock Show, and you just go, 'Wait, sorry, what? How did I get here? Why am I milking a cow on Big Week on the Farm?'' Porter references class quite often, in terms of writing a Perrier Award-nominated show while also seeking a broad appeal, the kind of Frankie Howerd effect. 'I do have a sentimental streak,' he says. 'I think it's something sometimes that working-class writers have. Sometimes, like any man in a working-class pub that I hang out with, can be a bit like when Eamon Dunphy gets teary-eyed at the end of the night, but there is that sentimental thing of needing broad entertainment, of needing to laugh because you'd cry otherwise.' His play, called The Kavanaghs and likely to receive a big push in 2027, has been co-written with Karl Spain and with Porter's longtime partner, Mike, acting as sounding board. Porter will play a role but only due to budget constraints, recalling how he was told: 'You have to do it, right, because you're going to do it for free.' He is, he says, 'at a crossroads'. 'I don't know if I'll do a standard tour again,' he says. 'But maybe I will. But I'm not trying to do it like it's the farewell tour. I'm about less bells and whistles now. The less bells and whistles the better. I do a stand-up joke about Instagram speak where I go, 'I am delighted to announce that, due to phenomenal demand,' you know, people say this every day, and then I go, 'I am relieved to announce, that due to financial pressure…' 'The only reason that I would say, 'Oh, I don't know if there'd be another tour like this,' is not because I don't enjoy it. I mean, I really love it. I wouldn't have gone back to it if it wasn't that I loved it so much, and it's like, I feel like I disappear on stage.' The stage is a kind of sanctuary — arguably the most exposed type of sanctuary you can get but the one he's rooted to all the same. Any diverting from it, he says, would be because other things will come along, and he's not talking about going back to presenting Blind Date. Instead, it is the possibility of travel, the reality of studying theology, and the actual process, already under way, of becoming a certified celebrant. But maybe, given how he wanted to be a priest when he was younger and he prays before going on stage, this shouldn't be such a surprise. 'This is a faith-neutral place, it's not humanist or secular,' he explains. 'If you're a humanist celebrant, you absolutely cannot introduce faith. Whereas what I would be doing is a faith-neutral, inter-faith course, so if you say to me, 'I'm Muslim, I'm Christian, I'm not really practising, but Nana would like to hear something she recognises, and Dad would like to hear [something]…' I would be in a position to say, 'I know a little bit about that, I know some readings from here, readings from there, here are some poems, let's mix it up.'' He could be available for the gig 'basically, in a year' and, as to the reasons why, he says: 'To be a part of that special moment in somebody's life, whether it is a funeral, a naming ceremony, or a wedding, which is more joyous, but to be there and to be a part of it. I think a lot of it is word of mouth that you get those gigs. Who is going to want Alan Kavanagh to celebrate their wedding? But some people might.' The younger Al Porter seemed to occupy all the spotlight. Present-day Alan Kavanagh has no such issue. 'If I do my job right it'll be more about them than it will be about me,' he says. And, just for a second, he sounds like the kid who's just landed the role, the fella who's dazed and a little nervous about it all. As Gerry Ryan said all those years ago, what a great part to get. Al Porter is at Cork Opera House on August 31. Read More What we know about that couple on Coldplay's kiss cam
Scottish Sun
18-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Rural hotel an hour from Scotland's two biggest cities is a stunning escape
Picturesque waterfalls right on your doorstep and fantastic walking trails for miles One in a mill-ion Rural hotel an hour from Scotland's two biggest cities is a stunning escape Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) I'M lucky enough to have experienced some of the world's most sought-after holiday hotspots — but I've just discovered an amazing destination practically on my doorstep. Less than an hour from my home on the outskirts of Glasgow, I was locked away in the picturesque tranquillity of the New Lanark Mill Hotel. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The fantastic swimming pool and spa area is extremely popular with guests Credit: Supplied 3 The Dundaff Linns waterfall next to the hotel is a must-see Credit: Supplied 3 Gerry enjoys the scenery on the stunning walk-way next to the New Lanark Mill Hotel. Credit: supplied The stunning hotel is a restored cotton mill from the 1800s, so it's different from most hotels — whether they are old fashioned or ultra modern. It's definitely unique and in a very good way, that's for sure. The local village was given UNESCO World Heritage Status in 2001, and it's easy to see why. While it's not far away from my home, judging from the accents I heard, folk from across the world, as well as those from not too far away, had decided to visit to take in its charms and history. My girlfriend and I were lucky enough to bag a beautiful room with a giant super king size bed, perfect for sprawling out on and even better for a fantastic night's sleep. Its old-fashioned windows look out over the River Clyde and the nearby forest. What better way to relax than to listen to the water cascading (as well as the rain hitting the window — well it is Scotland after all!) Despite the drizzle, we decided to take a stroll to discover the local area and it is stunning. The Falls of Clyde is right on the doorstep of the hotel and a fantastic walk for people of all ages and abilities, being a comfortable three miles. But you can stop and head back to your base at any time if that's a tad too far for you. The waterfalls at the Dundaff Linn offer a great view — and sound! There's even signs along the way for kids and wildlife enthusiasts, telling them exactly what kind of creatures to expect to see. What better way to relax than to become one with nature, soaking up the lovely smells of the plants and flowers as you explore the area. I enjoyed the perfect staycation at luxurious Cameron Lodges with amazing food, award-winning spa and champagne cruises Not even a heavy downpour could dampen our enthusiasm. While the outdoors is great, the hotel is renowned for what it has INSIDE. There's a great spa area, where you can enjoy more tranquillity by indulging in a massage or just lazing in the chill out areas. I'm not a great swimmer, but I enjoyed relaxing in the giant pool, feeling my cares float away. And I absolutely loved sweating it out in the sauna and steam room before a stint in the jacuzzi topped it off. Before our stay, I'd read several good reviews about the food at the Mill One Restaurant and I can vouch for them. The soup of the day was moreish and my girlfriend's bruschetta got a big thumbs up. She followed that up with a massive cod fillet which was soft, succulent and totally delicious. The menu had so much on offer, but the lamb with bean cassoulet was just too tempting. It was flavour filled and filling and of course was washed down with a glass or two of lovely red wine. The service was impeccable from the attentive staff who made sure we didn't go without. In fact the food and service was on par with what you'd get in a high-end restaurant. So good was it, that we even made time for a fully cooked breakfast before we checked out next day ahead of a fabulous visit to the nearby visitor centre. GO: NEW LANARK ONE night B&B at the New Lanark Mill Hotel is from £109, two sharing. A special dinner B&B stays is from £75pp including a two course meal at Mill One Restaurant. All rates include a 15 per cent discount at the visitor attraction and full leisure facility use. See It is packed with amazing history from the local area - and many people will literally be taking a trip down memory lane here. The old fashioned classroom was really interesting. Did you know New Lanark had been home to the world's first infant school? No me neither! And the Tenement Through time exhibition, chronicling life in New Lanark from 1881 to 1971 was excellent, offering a snapshot of how people lived in the past. Leaving, we both agreed we'd not seen the last of New Lanark Mill Hotel. The historic site is now firmly one of favourite holiday (not too) hotspots.
Irish Independent
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Meet the Louth man organising Belfast's TradFest – ‘We are expecting 25,000 visitors'
Louth native Donal O'Connor, the artistic director of Belfast TradFest, comes from traditional music royalty. His father is the renowned fiddle player Gerry from Ravensdale, his mother was the late traditional singer Eithne Ni hUllachain and his grandmother Rose O'Connor taught generations of Louth children to play the fiddle.
Belfast Telegraph
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Tributes paid to Armagh GAA legend and brother of NI's 1982 World Cup captain
Gerry O'Neill – the older brother of former Celtic and Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill – died at the age of 88. Gerry was well-known in his own right, having been an accomplished manager of the Armagh GAA team in the 1970s. In 1977 the Kilrea native led them to what was only their second appearance in an All-Ireland final where they lost to Dublin. During his time as manager, the Orchard won two Ulster Championship titles in addition to Division Two and Three crowns. Armagh GAA released a statement paying tribute to Gerry on Tuesday. 'It is with deep sadness that we learn of the passing of Gerry O'Neill (RIP), former Armagh Senior Football manager and a lifelong servant of the GAA,' they said. 'Gerry made history in 1977 when he guided the Armagh Senior Football team to the All-Ireland Final — a moment that marked a turning point in Armagh's footballing journey and inspired a generation of players and supporters. "He led Armagh to win two Ulster Championships as well as collecting Div 2 and Div 3 NFL titles . His leadership, vision, and unwavering belief in his team left a lasting legacy in the county. 'Gerry was held in the highest regard across the GAA community, not only for his achievements on the sideline but also for his humility, wisdom, and love for the game. 'We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife Meava, sons Niall, Shane, Rory, Phelim and Conn, wider family, friends, former players, and all who had the privilege of knowing him. MLA Kellie Armstrong 'disgusted' after children's cricket club cancelled after opposition to GAA Club 'Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.' Gerry was also a popular teacher, as his former colleagues at St Colman's College in Newry also paid tribute to the GAA man. "Sincere condolences to the family of our former esteemed colleague Mr Gerry O'Neill on Gerry's sad passing,' the school wrote. 'He was an inspirational Coach who helped guide Violet Hill to their first Hogan Cup triumph in 1967, alongside Fr John Treanor. 'Gerry has been a regular feature at many of our events marking this ground breaking achievement in 1967. 'Suaimhneas air.' Gerry was also fondly remembered by the Queen's University GAA team, which he played on during his time at university. "We are saddened to learn of the passing of former Queen's player Gerry O'Neill,' they said. "He and his brother Leo were part of three Sigerson Cup teams 1957-1959 and they won medals with the first side to claim the title in 1958/59. "Gerry had a distinguished playing career with Derry GAA and was manager of the Armagh GAA senior team that reached the All-Ireland final in 1977.' SDLP representative Eamon McNeil also paid tribute to Gerry, adding: "So sad to hear of this news. May Gerry's soul Rest in Eternal Peace."
