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The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘Next thing a cop car comes' – Red-faced Irish music icon reveals mortifying brush with law on way to history-making gig
SUPERSTAR singer Mary Black feared that she would be arrested when stopped by gardai for leaving a petrol station without paying for fuel. The No Frontiers icon had been keeping her head down to hide from crowds in 6 Mary Black revealed an embarrassing brush with the law Credit: Paul Bergen/Redferns 6 The singer feared she'd be arrested for leaving a petrol station without paying for fuel Credit: Independent NewsBut instead of avoiding recognition, red-faced Black ended up with a police escort to Semple Stadium after paying the bill. She told The Irish Sun's 'You know the people were all over the streets, and I had to keep my head down because everyone was looking at me, and he was in an old banjaxed car. 'He filled up with petrol while he was there, and I got whatever I needed. Read more in Showbiz Listen to Fields Of Dreams on 'He got his cigarettes and got back in the car, and we're driving back up and going slow because people were everywhere. The next thing, a cop car comes. 'What the hell's going on? He stops us. In our haste to get back into the car and back to the gig, we forgot to pay for the petrol. Holy God!' Black was convinced she would be arrested and miss the gig, which also featured Van Morrison, in the first of five events in the Co Tipperary town which would go down in Irish Did the Most read in the Irish Sun She told our podcast, right: 'He knew me the minute they looked into the car. He knew who I was, and I said: 'Oh, my God, I can't believe it'. 'He said, 'Come on, Mary, I'll drive you up to the stadium'. GARDA ESCORT 'Pat paid for the petrol, and he brought us right in, so we didn't have to go through all the crowds. There was a kind of escort, and everyone had to move over.' Black was never one who seemed to enjoy the major star treatment, unlike Van — whose unwillingness to share his space with fellow artists opened him up to criticism. Tom Dunne was there with his band Something Happens, who weren't allowed near the Days Like This crooner at breakfast time. 'STAR QUALITY' Tom said: 'I think he got the backstage closed down when he went into it. We all had to stay in our dressing rooms. We were all staying in the same hotel. We saw him coming down for breakfast. 'I felt he wanted to emanate that star quality. He wanted everyone to know there's a star in the building.' But the Saw Doctors were having none of it. The Galway band became legends at the Tipperary event, and found time for some fun off-stage. 'COULDN'T HELP THEMSELVES' Tom said: 'Van Morrison was a guy you didn't walk up to. 'We had the backstage area, and then we had a tunnel going out to the pitch, and he insisted every time that the tunnel would be cleared, and that absolutely no one would be in the tunnel, and of course, the Saw Doctors couldn't help themselves. 'They decided to disturb it, so they jumped out in front of them, and that didn't go down too well.' 'What the hell's going on? He stops us. In our haste to get back into the car and back to the gig, we forgot to pay for the petrol. Holy God!' Mary Black Episode Six of Fields of Dreams tells the inside story of the Trip to Tipp, the event which made a summer festival a must-have event and changed the rules forever. MADE IT HAPPEN Local TD Michael Lowry was the man who made the event happen, in order to pay off stadium debt racked up for the 1984 centenary All-Ireland final. It was a chance for up to 90,000 mainly young people to get away and let loose for a weekend before it moved to Cork's Pairc Ui Chaoimh in 1995 and then eventually wound up. By 1993, though, it was being billed as bigger than Glastonbury — attracting the same headliners as the English event. Among them were Rage Against the Machine, and The Stunning's Steve Wall — who ended up headlining in 1992 when Bryan Adams asked to leave early — was blown away, especially by frontman Zack de la Rocha. 'KIDS WERE IN A FRENZY' He explained: 'I watched from the side of the stage and I never saw anything like Zack. 'He could have told the audience at any point, 'Tear up the place!' because these kids were in a frenzy. 'The energy was unbelievable. It was amazing, and it was so energetic that there was a cloud over the crowd, a cloud of condensation. 'You know at the end of the Grand National, and you see the steam rising off the horses? 'I don't know how many tens of thousands going crazy and moshing and jumping up and down. I'll never forget it. The sight of it. It was fantastic.' 'We had the backstage area, and then we had a tunnel going out to the pitch, and he insisted every time that the tunnel would be cleared, and that absolutely no one would be in the tunnel, and of course, the Saw Doctors couldn't help themselves." Tom Dunne Dunne insists the Feile gigs were the benchmark. He said: 'That whole idea was forming around Thurles and you can see the kind of development after that, from Witness to Oxygen to Electric Picnic. And you know this idea that that's the norm. You see the best bands of the day and food is great, and you can camp, and it's all safe and good. 'Well, you really say it all starts with Macroom. I think Macroom is the first modern festival in Ireland. 'But it really starts to get a form about it around Feile.' The first six episodes of Fields Of Dreams are available on 6 The Saw Doctors became legends at the Tipperary event Credit: Steve Gullick 6 Steve Wall ended up headlining in 1992 when Bryan Adams asked to leave early Credit: Dave Mitchell/Avalon/Getty Images 6 Tom Dunne said Van Morrison was a guy you didn't walk up to Credit:6 By 1993, Feile was attracting the likes of Rage Against The Machine Credit:
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Shannon Blueway park offers pitches to tourism operators and investors
The Beirne family is retiring and selling the nine-acre site and business near Leitrim village. It is also convenient to Carrick-on-Shannon which is on the N4 linking Dublin to the tourist spots in the north-west of the country. Overlooking 245 metres of river frontage, the property combines a Fáilte Ireland-approved caravan, camping and glamping park, a private 16-berth marina and a renowned pub and restaurant – Beirne's of Battlebridge. The business has featured in a number of TV programmes such as No Frontiers and At Your Service and is also included in The Big Pitch guide for caravanners and campers. It was recognised as one of Ireland's Top 10 Campsites in the Irish Independent Reader Travel Awards. The park offers 43 hard-standing touring pitches and 20 tent pitches, all with electric hook-ups and water access, as well as a luxury glamping area featuring 11 eco-units. The site also accommodates a reception building, communal facilities, beer garden and a car park. The pub, known as Beirne's of Battlebridge, has received numerous accolades including a Guinness Irish Pub of Distinction award and a Black & White Pub award. An upstairs studio space could be converted to residential use. Occupying a corner site on a crossroads, it has road frontage on two sides. Commenting on its potential, Liam McCarthy of Savills pointed to its space for expanding the glamping facilities and serviced pitches. An adjoining field previously received outline planning for six detached houses, offering further scope for expansion or diversification. 'With diverse income streams, strong brand recognition, and a loyal customer base, it benefits not only from the continued growth in domestic and eco-tourism but it also offers a fantastic combination of lifestyle and investment appeal.' It consistently attracts repeat visitors and with its location on The Shannon Blueway, it has the potential to become a central hub for walkers, cyclists, paddlers and boaters exploring the region as it is also within easy reach of Lough Key Forest & Activity Park and the wider Shannon-Erne Waterway network. Battlebridge takes its name from the bridge where skirmishes took place when General Humbert led French and Irish forces to fight the British in 1798.
Irish Daily Mirror
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Kathryn Thomas says Liveline gig is "an amazing opportunity"
TV and radio star Kathryn Thomas has said the new Liveline host shouldn't be 'afraid to stir the pot'. RTE bosses are trialling presenters to take over the RTE Radio 1 show after Joe Duffy retired after 37 years at the station and 27 at the helm of Liveline. But the Q102 breakfast presenter, 46, thinks while age shouldn't be a factor in the new host, they should have enough experience and should be able to stir the pot when it comes to national debate. She told us: 'I think it's an incredible opportunity for anyone who gets to sit in that seat that Joe has manned immaculately and amazingly for the last number of years. 'They are huge shoes to fill and whoever goes in there needs to bring their own personality. 'You know people wanted to talk to Joe and now whoever goes in there is going to want to build a connection with the audience. It is going to take time as well. 'I do think it is an amazing opportunity. It's the line to Joe Public. 'I don't think age comes into it. Like you definitely need experience on the mic especially when you are dealing with live calls. I mean that is what the production team are there for as well, but you do need experience in terms of manning those calls from a legal perspective as well.' But the Carlow star said the new presenter needs to be a great communicator. She added: 'But also, it is connection and communication. You have to be a great communicator. You can be a great communicator at 30 or 40 or you can be a great communicator at 70 or 80. 'I really think it boils down to the right person behind the mic who will connect with the audience and trust, empathy and communication. 'That is what people loved about Joe and he was always on their side so it is about that person who has that connection and likability as well. And is not afraid to stir the pot.' Five hosts are taking over the lunchtime slot temporarily until the show announces its permanent host in August. Philip Boucher-Hayes proved to be a hit with audiences when he took over the reins for two weeks. Meanwhile, Kathryn will return to our RTE screens in August for the Rose of Tralee with co-host Daithi O Se. The pair are set to host the Kerry festival on August 18 and 19. It will be a family affair for Kathryn as she is set to present in front of her mum and her husband Padraig, who will be in the audience. She added: 'He's never been and my mam has never been because she's always left minding children so we're giving her a night out so she'll be there on the Tuesday. 'She's from Kerry, born in Kenmare, she left and is now back living there now. The Rose of Tralee would be a big one for her so I'm looking forward to having her there.' Reflecting on her career, the mum-of-two says her mother knew she wasn't 'daft' for dropping out of college, where she was studying accountancy, when she landed the role of main presenter of No Frontiers. Kathryn added: 'I think back in the day it was definitely doing No Frontiers because I dropped out of college and they were up and arms at what I did. 'I kept saying that I could go back after a year and I'll go and become an accountant, which I was never going to become but I'll go and do something with a piece of paper. 'But then when the show took off the way it did and it became the show that it became and I was made the lead presenter, I think mam realised I wasn't as they all thought I was. 'And the fact that I'm still working in what I said was only going to be a temporary job 25 years later.' Kathyrn was speaking at the launch of Uisce Eireann's national appeal which is encouraging the public to protect supplies by adopting simple water-saving practices at home, in the garden, and at work. The aim is to remind the public saving water doesn't have to be difficult. It says by making small adjustments, we can contribute to managing it more efficiently. Kathryn added: 'It is important that we all consider our water usage habits not just during the summer months but all year round. Simple changes can have a real impact and collectively we can all help maintain our water resources. 'Ellie, my seven-year-old, like in the last year or two… they're really teaching kids in school about water conservation, and she'll say things like 'mam turn off the tap' if I'm brushing my teeth. Any water that's running, she is much more aware of it than I would've been at that age.'
The Irish Sun
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
People lose their minds when they meet my icon mum – going on tour was run of the mill & only my brother has normal job
RÓISÍN O has revealed how people still 'lose their sh*t' when they bump into her iconic mum Mary Black – including Vogue Williams who went weak at the knees for her hero. The singer-songwriter enjoyed a more unusual upbringing than most, under the watchful eye of the No Frontiers vocalist who has for decades been one of Ireland's 5 Róisín O lifted the lid on life as the daughter of a famous mum Credit: Gary Ashe 5 Singer Mary Black boasts a legendary decades-long career Credit: Getty 5 The Irish Sun's new podcast is available now Credit: The Irish Sun The sensational response to Mary's 'Backstage there was this massive long marquee tent for all the dressing rooms and across from us was My Therapist Ghosted Me's "I'm such a huge fan of the READ MORE IN SHOWBIZ Listen to Fields Of Dreams on from July 3 "And Vogue came over, she's so lovely. 'It was like my first time meeting her and she'd come in to say hello to the lads. "Like, she obviously saw the Coronas on the door. 'And then she saw my mam, she was like, 'Oh my God. Oh my God, holy sh*t. I'm sorry, I have to go get my sister'. Most read in The Irish Sun "Like, ran out of the room and brought her sister back and the two of them just absolutely fangirling over my mam. 'They didn't even say hello to the lads. It was the funniest thing ever. 'HUGE FANS' "They're actually huge fans. They really love my mam. "And Vogue and my mam and dad ended up hanging out the whole night, it was so funny.' She went on: 'And then obviously when mam came on stage that night at Electric Picnic the crowd just lost their minds. 'I've felt a lot of women and men, but particularly my age now, in their mid-to-late 30s, who grew up listening to Mary Black in the back of the car, on the CD player, whole albums that they know off by heart. "And when they were kids it was uncool. 'But now they're in their 30s and they're like, 'I love LIFE ON TOUR Róisín is the voice of the Irish Sun's new podcast, It is the ten-episode story of the musicians' astonishing successes and failures as the country opened up to become a live-entertainment powerhouse. Róisín is no stranger to being taken from festival to So much so that as a kid, it became run of the mill. 'CRAZY STUFF' Róisín said: 'Being on tour with my mum, a lot of the time we'd be on a tour bus. "And they'd all go in for soundcheck and I'd get to stay on the bus and watch all the VCR tapes. 'Like of old movies and all, that I just absolutely loved doing that. And I think coming from Ireland, seeing mam's reaction then. "She was doing crazy stuff like Five Nights At 'BEST THING EVER' 'She has the most crazy stories of being at festivals with Mary, 70, has opened up about the difficulties of touring while she had three young She had a three week rule, but it was long enough to put her youngest out. "And Vogue and my mam and dad ended up hanging out the whole night, it was so funny.' Róisín O Róisín explained: 'I was on the "So she came "But then she had to go again for another two weeks. 'And I was so devastated at the end of the week like, 'You're going back? I thought you were home?' 'Those parts were hard. But then she took me everywhere with her, like when she was on that MAGICAL CHILDHOOD "It had a pool and we went to 'I was all over the world as a kid with her, which was really magical. "But yeah, the pros and cons to it, we definitely missed her.' As the siblings grew older, their mother's fame was a bit mortifying. Róisín said: 'When I was really young, say if we were on 'And that stopped abruptly, I'd say about ten or 11 to the point where I would lie. (If I was asked) what does your mum do, I'd reply 'Nothing. Just a stay-at-home mum'. "And then I got into my 20s and I sort of became a mix of the two.' SOLO CAREER Róisín has her own solo career as well as performing with the Coronas, and has mixed emotions about being in Mary Black's shadow. She said: 'Sometimes it's hard. Obviously, Danny is the same. 'We want people to come to hear our music and it's hard when people are like, 'I'm not going to listen to that, that's Mary Black's daughter'. So they just judge it before they hear it. 'But at the same time, I definitely have fans who heard I was Mary Black's daughter and were like, 'I'm going to go listen to her'. LABOUR OF LOVE MUM-to-be Róisín O is going up against Robbie Williams in a bid to put on one last performance before her baby is due. The Heart and Bones singer goes head to head with the former Take That man when he plays Croke Park on August 23, while she's on stage at Whelan's on the same day. But with her baby on the way in October, she said: 'I wouldn't usually do a gig in the summer. 'But I'm pregnant so I need to get this gig in before this baby arrives, before I can't move around on stage anymore. "So Whelan's will be the only gig you'll see me at with 'Bump' on stage. 'So it will definitely be a night to remember. I'm really looking forward to it. "I was thinking about not gigging and that was driving me crazy. I really want to get some shows in before baby arrives.' But there won't be any major break for the star who plans to be back in action for the Christmas period. She said: 'December is the busiest for musicians. I have a load of shows that I could miss but I don't want to. It's the best time of year for gigging. 'I'll probably take about ten weeks off before I get back to work.' "So for me, it doesn't really matter why people have started to listen as long as they like it then I've won them over in my own merit. "I don't really don't care. I'm so proud of her as well. She does have this unbelievable career.' And as for working with her brother's band? 'I LOVE IT' Róisín said: 'I love it. I'm there as a session musician. I do backing vocals and I play keys. 'I know all the boys. I've grown up with them. We have the best craic on tour. It's really not work. 'It's dangerous how much I love it because in a way it stops me from sometimes doing my own gigs but it's worth it.' The first two episodes of Fields Of Dreams are available wherever you get your podcasts from July 3 5 Mary's kids Danny and Roisin have followed in her musical footsteps Credit: Journalist Collects 5 Roisin said podcaster Vogue Williams is a huge fan of her mum Mary Credit: Journalist Collects
The Irish Sun
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘People assume that when you're on the TV you're loaded' says Kathryn Thomas as she shares job ‘worry'
IRISH presenter Kathryn Thomas has revealed her biggest insecurity is worrying about her job. The Carlow native has worked in Irish TV and radio for over 25 years, starting on travel show No Frontiers. 2 Kathryn Thomas has her own Q102 show Credit: Q102 2 Kathryn has opened up on her career Credit: Brian McEvoy She joined as the host of their , 'The Morning Show with Kathryn Thomas' earlier this year in February. The mum-of-two presents her show every weekday morning from 7am-10am and it's the first time she's had a some-what 'normal' routine. When asked what her biggest insecurity is, Kathryn told the Irish Independent: "Worrying about my job. I have worked as a freelancer all my life. "This is the first time I have had a Monday-to-Friday job in 46 years. I think people just assume that when you're on the TV you're loaded. read more on kathryn thomas "I want to be able to provide for my family the way my parents did for me. "The media landscape is changing at a rate of knots, and you have to be able to back yourself. I'm at an age where I have faith in my abilities." And while life in the showbiz world isn't all glitz and glamour - Kathryn has said she's "loving" her new radio job. She said: "The first few weeks was a baptism of fire. I had never driven a desk before. MOST READ ON THE IRISH SUN "In any of the previous radio I had done, everybody was pressing buttons and doing all the other stuff for [me]. Commercial radio is very different to anything I would have done previously; it's very fast paced." The 46-year-old also shared that her "most treasured possession" is her home. Kathryn Thomas shares 'fabulous' clip from family holiday She added: "I know we are very privileged and lucky to have it. We still have a big mortgage, but we have our four walls and have somewhere warm. I never take it for granted." Kathryn lives in Dublin with her husband Padraig McLoughlin, who tied the knot in 2019 at Kilkea Castle, Kilkenny, and their two daughters; Ellie, seven, and Grace, three. Ellie is going into second class this September and her youngest will be completing her last year of preschool. Kathryn recently said she's glad to be "on the other side" of the potty training and that her kids are "just great". BABY BLUES And when asked if she's getting notions about However, she admitted that she briefly thought about it around two years ago. She explained: "My sister had a baby, Lily, she's two now. But I remember going in to see her in the Coombe. "Grace was one. I had said to my gynaecologist, 'No, done, shop is closed', and my doctor said, 'I've heard of women like you before'. "Anyway, I went in to see my sister in the Coombe, held the baby, gave her back, ran outside, rang my husband, was like, 'Do you want another baby?', and he was like, 'Not on your f***ing life'." Kathryn laughing added: "So that was the end of that conversation. And very quickly I kind of was like... the hormone release died down, I was fine."
