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Irish Independent
10-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Popular discussion forum Boards.ie faces closure
Launched in February 1998 by John Breslin, a researcher in NUI Galway, for years it served as Ireland's public square, and its 70,000 daily users made it one of the country's most popular websites. There were huge surges in online traffic on 9/11 and on the day broadcaster Gerry Ryan died in 2010. Fans of the forum would also claim that was responsible for multiple marriages and births, due to social meet-ups among regular posters. The forum had lost users and traffic after it migrated from its legacy platform to Vanilla three years ago, but the owners credited the move for keeping it in business. 'Thanks to significant cash investment and huge effort from the team, we brought the business to break-even and gave ourselves a window to stabilise,' the administrator said in a post on the site. 'However, recent changes to Google's algorithm have had a dramatic impact, cutting our traffic in half almost overnight - and with it, our ad revenue. These changes, part of Google's March 2025 update, have hit many community-driven sites hard, including As a result, we've been pushed into an unsustainable position.' The forum is now at a crossroads, the administrator said, and without a change to its financial position in the coming weeks 'we will be forced to shut down'. is introducing an ad-free membership option, in the hope that paid subscriptions can cover its running costs. If this happens, the aim is to remove ads from the forum. The price of a monthly subscription will be €5, and for a year the cost will be €50. The administrators say they are aiming for 2,000 paying subscribers. 'As the world shifts toward AI, we believe role as Ireland's online voice is more important than ever,' the administrator adds. 'Traffic is already a quarter of what it once was. For any business that depends on traffic and advertising revenue to survive, time is running out - and we're no exception.' The forum administrator says there is only a 'short window' to make the subscription work. If it doesn't, 'we will have no choice but to close the site in the months ahead - something we truly hope to avoid'. It is understood there are just two employees working on whose current ownership structure is unclear. The site has been majority owned by Distilled Media, which operates the Journal and owns 50pc of property website, with a minority stake being held by some of the original founders, At the time of its merger with The Journal Media in 2018, had assets of €0.36m and liabilities of €0.2m.
Extra.ie
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Who is Ryan Tubridy's partner Dr Clare Kambamettu?
Wedding bells might be ringing for Ryan Tubridy and Dr Clare Kambemettu, after a Galway jeweller let slip they had visited the shop together. The pair have been together since 2023 after Clare accompanied the presenter to the Irish Post Awards in London. The Rose of Tralee winner had been on Ryan's RTÉ Radio One show in March of 2023 discussing the benefits of manifestation and was later in the year spotted leaving his gated home before his move to London. Wedding bells might be ringing for Ryan Tubridy and Dr Clare Kambemettu, after a Galway jeweller let slip they had visited the shop together. Pic: RTÉ Dr Kambamettu holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and History as well as a Higher Diploma from NUI Galway (now University of Galway) before completing a Masters in Science in Mental Health. The psychologist specialises in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and provides training for The Learning Curve Institute on Mental Health-related topics. In 2010, Dr Kambamettu entered the Rose of Tralee, representing London due to being born in Leeds, England. She was just 25 years old when she won, admitting she entered as a 'bit of fun.' The publication added that the jewelers informed them they were asked to take the social media post down by father-of-two Ryan Tubridy. Pic:for The Irish Post The Irish-English woman returned to Athy, Co Kildare — where her mother is from — when she was eight years old. Elsewhere, Dr Clare did a stint as presenter of RTÉ's The Eco Eye, alongside environmentalist Duncan Steward, who fronted the show, ecologist Anja Murray and immunologist Dr Lara Duggan. It is believed Dr Kambamettu and broadcaster Ryan are set to begin the new chapter of their lives after a Galway jeweller let slip that the pair visited the shop together. Ryan Tubridy at the Irish Post Awards at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London. Pic:O'Dalaigh Jewellers shared a picture of the couple alongside a member of staff when they revealed Tubridy, 52, had 'discreetly' visited in search of a ring. The Irish Independent reports that a now-deleted post said that a ring from the West of Ireland would mean 'so much' to Clare. They revealed: 'From that, he chose a stunning 2.4 carat diamond ring which has a beautiful balance between a modern and old elegant style.' The publication added that the jewellers informed them they were asked to take the social media post down by father-of-two Ryan.
Irish Times
09-06-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Broadcaster Andrea Gilligan on the Leaving: ‘There was very genuine fear I could fail the maths exam'
Andea Gilligan, broadcaster and presenter of Newstalk's Lunchtime Live, sat her Leaving Cert in Sligo Grammar School in 2003 and repeated it in 2004. What is your most vivid Leaving Cert memory? The weather. It was a fab summer and I remember leaving the exam hall each afternoon and heading back to the dorm (I boarded) and getting straight back into study. Who was your most influential teacher and why? READ MORE There are two that stick out: my Irish teacher Mrs Connors and my business teacher Mrs O'Donnell. They were hugely encouraging and went above and beyond to help me. What was your most difficult subject? Maths. I was so poor at it. I remember there was very genuine fear that I could fail the exam. Thankfully, I didn't. And your favourite? History, geography, business studies. I was always much better at practical subjects. Can you recall what grades or points you received? Not the points, but I know I definitely got 2 A1s in business, and geography. I remember being very disappointed overall. I felt I should have done better. How important were the results for you ultimately? At the time, they were hugely important. They obviously dictate what you're going to be studying and where, to the extent that I changed my mind on my CAO form and ended up repeating my Leaving Cert. What did you go on to do after secondary school? I went to NUI Galway – now University of Galway – and did an arts degree (public and social policy). It was a denominated course, so you studied legal, economics and politics for the three years of the undergrad degree. I loved the course, and then I completed the masters in journalism at NUIG also. What would you change about the Leaving Cert? I think the A-level system in Northern Ireland is far superior – three subjects studied at a more in-depth level would likely suit more students. Also, I think continuous assessment and project work would alleviate a lot of pressure on students. What advice would you give to your Leaving Cert self? It's not the end of the world! My Leaving Cert plans look nothing like what I'm doing now. I changed career plans completely, and it's served me well! In fact, I couldn't be happier with the career I ended up in. In conversation with Tony Clayton-Lea.
Irish Examiner
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Clodagh Finn: An invite to rediscover the female writers of Kerry
It is not as if the creative powerhouse that was Siobhán Ní Shúilleabháin was unappreciated in her day. No less a figure than playwright John B Keane once referred to her as 'the best dramatist writing in Ireland', and she won a slew of awards for her work as a short story writer, novelist, scriptwriter and playwright. She was also an Olympian; her radio drama Arís featured in the literature category at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952. (Here's a fascinating aside: seven of the 19 participants in that one-time Olympian field were Irish, but that's a rabbit hole for another day). It's enough to mine some of the rich material — all new to me — about this gifted artist that is coming to renewed and long overdue attention thanks to a new exhibition, Kerry Women in Literature, which opened at Kerry Writers' Museum in Listowel on Wednesday. Siobhán Ní Shúilleabháin wrote in Irish. Why would she write in anything else, she once asked. As a woman born in Ballyferriter, Co Kerry, it was her first language and one that was incredibly rich in vocabulary. What a shame that the flow and cadence of her words, so often-praised in her work, is not better known today. It would be wonderful to see a new production of her modern, funny and prescient play Madge agus Martha (1976), first staged at the Taibhdhearc in Galway in 1976. HISTORY HUB If you are interested in this article then no doubt you will enjoy exploring the various history collections and content in our history hub. Check it out HERE and happy reading Set in the year 3000AD, it tells the story of 'two very liberated young women' who are preparing to have a baby without a man. The robot, the test-tube baby and the nurse are all lined up when the unthinkable happens. Madge reads a banned book — one that doesn't contain an account of the evils of men as all other books do — and she falls in love with a man. And so the stage is set for a wonderful romp through the charged territory of jealousy, relationships, accepted norms, science and technology — and much more. How is it that I had never heard of it, or indeed, Cití, also penned by Ní Shúilleabháin which was staged the year before? That play tells the story of a woman who has blazing rows with her husband after she decides she no longer wants to play the role of a patient, long-suffering wife. There is so much more to say about this woman, mother-of-six, full-time writer and wife to Patrick Leo Henry, professor of old and medieval English at NUI Galway, where the family lived for many years. But she is just one of the 13 women whose voices, stories and lived experiences are being celebrated at Kerry Writers' Museum, aka the Seanchaí Centre, in an exhibition funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport & Media. The museum's executive director, Cara Trant, and theatre historian and archivist Dr Fiona Brennan are talking about some of those women who have, at last, been returned to the spotlight. Listening to them talk conjures up an image of the pair as torchbearers in a dark, dusty library casting a light on the long rows of shelves of women's writing which have been cast aside in an act of malign amnesia. Fiona Brennan talks about being stalked by some of those stories — a feeling familiar to this column — and being compelled to seek out the spirits of these forgotten writers who made such an important contribution to Ireland's literary landscape. The phenomenon of forgetting or neglecting women writers is an international one — and alas one with a long history. It goes back to the beginning of literature itself but at the opening of Kerry Women in Literature, one of the first events of Listowel's Literary Festival, Fiona Brennan recalled English writer Sarah Fyge Egerton. When she was just 14, she wrote The Female Advocate (1686), a spirited defence of women against charges that the female sex was evil. In response, her father banished her from her home and she was subsequently regarded as the 'she-devil incarnate'. 'While none of our writers cast such wrath in print, it is impossible to ignore the fact that like Egerton, for the most part, women in this exhibition were writing in a male-dominated society,' Brennan says. Both she and Cara Trant pay tribute to their determination, sense of self and passion for their art and words which arrived into the world in a breathtaking range of literary forms: poetry, drama, fiction, historical and academic writing, memoir, biography, history, religion, politics, children's fiction and journalism. Two of the women whose spirits prompted Fiona Brennan to research their lives and work are featured here; Pauline Maguire, civil servant and dramatist, and Máirín Cregan, nationalist and children's author. In her native Killorglin, Máirín Cregan is also celebrated with a vibrant mural by artist Ominous Omin. It is a hopeful sign that times are changing and we can, at last, commemorate the women as well as the men who shaped our literary heritage. Female writers in focus: Alice Curtayne, Sonja Broderick, Máirín Cregan, Bertha Beatty, Peig Sayers, Siobháin Ní Shúilleabháin and Cecile O'Rahilly. Strap in now for a rapid-fire tour of an exhibition that casts off the wilful forgetfulness of centuries. Some of the women are well-known, such as those representing the Irish oral tradition, Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill and Blasket Islander Peig Sayers. (It is good to see the latter in a new light rather than as the scourge of a generation of Leaving Cert students. Mind you, as one of those students, I confess to being slow to adjust, but it may happen). The majority of those featured have fallen below the radar. How many of us, for instance, could say anything about Mary Downing or Anne Margaret Rowan, two writers on either side of the political divide? Downing from Kilgarvan wrote under the pen name Christabel, and was a dedicated nationalist whose poetry was published by Charles Gavan Duffy, while Rowan was a journalist, novelist and committed Unionist from Tralee. Fellow Tralee woman, writer and journalist Alice Curtayne, and Listowel Celtic scholar Cecile O'Rahilly are here too; two women with international reputations who are now getting more recognition at home. Fiona Brennan offers this summary of Bertha Beatty and Maureen Beasley: 'They excelled in memoir and storytelling; their contributions are vital to the social and cultural history of Irish communities.' The formidable Sr Margaret Cusack, aka the Nun of Kenmare, is honoured too, along with the late poet Sonja Broderick who represents 21st-century literature in Kerry. Damian Daly's oil painting on canvas is inspired by the work of the late Listowel poet Sonja Broderick. Six of the women's work has been interpreted by artists (Damian Daly, Aidan O'Leary, Myfanwy Frost-Jones, Roisín McGuigan and Ciara Tuite) and the exhibition was curated by Louise Lynch. That list gives some insight into what goes into a project of this kind, but as the museum's executive director Cara Trant says: 'Kerry Women in Literature is not only an artistic and cultural milestone — it is an invitation to rediscover the women of Kerry who wrote, resisted, imagined, and recorded the world around them.' Now there's an invite worth taking up.
The Irish Sun
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Heartbreak as ‘beautiful' young Irish mum-of-one ‘forever missed' after sudden death in UK as family pay sweet tribute
TRIBUTES have poured in for a young Irish mum who died "unexpectedly" earlier this month. Ciara Moran, from The psychologist, 38, leaves behind a four-year-old daughter called Luna Rae. Ciara attended NUI Galway before attaining postgraduate qualifications in She worked with the Ciara has been remembered as a "beautiful girl", "such a kind person", "intelligent and ambitious" and "wonderful" in various condolence messages posted online. Read more in News Her death notice online states that her family announce her tragic passing "with the heaviest of hearts and the deepest of sadness". It adds that "beautiful" Ciara's passing was "sudden and unexpected" and that she "left this world to find peace in the comforting embrace of our Blessed Mary". The death notice states: "Ciara is predeceased by her aunt Sharon, uncle Milo, grandmothers Maureen (Diviney) and Cecily (Togher). "Ciara will be forever missed by her pride and joy, her little girl, Luna Rae; Luna's dad, Shane; her adoring mother, Caroline (Diviney); her father, Eddie; Ciara's devastated sisters, Emma and Jade; her precious nephew, Kevin; and her grandmother, Ciss. Most read in The Irish Sun "Ciara will also be lovingly missed by her aunts and uncles, grandaunts and granduncles, her many cousins and extended family, as well as her many friends in her beloved Ireland, England, and Australia." The posting adds the following quote: "It's OK to live a life others don't understand." MEMORY WILL LIVE ON One friend wrote online: "Ciara you will always be a part of anyone you touched paths with in your life. The memory of you will always live on. "I can't believe you are gone but I hope you are at peace now. You will watch over your little girl Luna Rae and keep her safe. "You were a wonderful person and deserved all the happy ever afters. "Sadly missed and forever thought of. May you rest in peace." 'ONE OF THE BRIGHTEST LIGHTS' Another posted: "I am so deeply sorry for your loss. Ciara was one of the brightest lights I have ever known. "We met during a hard chapter of our lives, but from the moment we crossed paths, she brought warmth, laughter, and a sense of being understood in a way that is rare and precious. "She gave so much of herself to others. Her kindness was quiet but fierce. Her humour was unmatched. Her heart was immense. "Even in pain, she had a way of lifting people up. She reminded us of our worth. She helped us feel less alone. She saw people clearly and made room for gentleness and hope, even when everything felt heavy. 'AN INSPIRATION' "Her love for Luna was the kind you could feel across oceans. She was so proud to be her mum. I hope Luna will always know how deeply she was cherished. "Ciara was a friend, a light, and an inspiration to me and to so many others. I will carry her in my heart, always." Another college friend said: "This has broke my heart. I hope Ciara knows the impact she had on my life in our college days. "We both had our struggles at the same time and we shared them openly with each other. 'KIND AND GENTLE' "She was so warm and had a massive heart. She was a great listener and I always felt better after talking to her. "She had this intuition where she was able to detect if you were not yourself and ask you 'are you ok?'. "She was direct and honest, kind and gentle. "Even in the darkest of times, Ciara battled through those times and excelled in her college degree. She got top marks in psychology. I remember that she got one of the highest marks in her year group in this subject. Something which is extremely hard to do. It showed her dedication to the course and determination to succeed. "Her death has brought back many fond memories. We lost touch as we got older which is something I now regret. I only wish I reached out to her recently. "Ciara, you were the most beautiful soul. May you rest in peace and look down on your daughter and family." Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. 1 Ciara Moran passed away 'unexpectedly' on Sunday, May 11 Credit:
