Latest news with #Philomena
The Irish Sun
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Divided over Saipan…again our writers debate footie film & whether Ireland needs reminding of sporting ‘civil war'
THE movie isn't even out yet, but it's already splitting opinion. A 76-second teaser trailer for the upcoming 5 Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane walks past manager Mick McCarthy during squad training Credit: Sportsfile 5 Eanna Hardwicke has been cast as Roy Keane Credit: Wildcard 5 Mick McCarthy during a press conference to announce the departure from the squad of captain Roy Keane Credit: Sportsfile The trailer showcases the remote island in the Pacific Ocean that went down in Irish The film is described as 'the definitive account of one of the most fractious fallings-out in the history of Here, Associate Sports Editor Vincent Whelan and Senior Reporter Michael Doyle give their take on whether Ireland needed to be reminded about our sporting 'civil war'. FOR - VINCENT WHELAN 5 Vincent Whelan said that Saipan film brings a chance for fans to be part of footie history Credit: Collect image through journalist SORRY if this offends you, reader . . . but a lot of us weren't even alive in 2002. The 23-year gap between the real thing and it being committed to the big screen means most people under 30 have barely any recollection of To paraphrase Tommie Gorman's interview with We never got to witness the frenzied debates taking over current affairs We never got to argue around the water cooler about whether we were 'Team Roy' or 'Team Mick'. This summer's release will finally give us a chance to feel a part of the most infamous episode in Irish footballing history . . . and also a World Cup! Jason McAteer jokes only time he ever voted was in Saipan and reveals how many Ireland teammates wanted Roy Keane back Frankly, as a young(ish) Irish sports fanatic I'd be happy handing over the price of a cinema ticket to witness any kind of But on top of that desperation to have some experience of it, there are legitimate grounds for optimism around it actually turning out to be good. For starters, you've got Anyone who'd be dubious about a largely comic actor taking on a weighty role clearly hasn't seen him in the likes of Philomena or Stan & Ollie. It's a chance for fans to be part of footie history". Vincent Whelan Both parts earned him Bafta nominations in the Best Actor category. And while Eanna Hardwicke is not as much of a household name, the 28-year-old is a star on the rise. He's been in And he was named a Screen International Rising Star in the film magazine's first Irish edition. For all of those legitimate acting chops, perhaps most crucially of all is he's Irish and he's from So that immediately reduces the risk of a Christopher Walken in Wild Mountain Thyme or Julia Roberts in Michael Collins level of accent butchering. And finally, Saipan's production company, Fine Point Films, were behind the globally-acclaimed Kneecap movie. AGAINST - MICHAEL DOYLE 5 Michael Doyle said that the main issue with the Saipan trailer is the tone Credit: Marc O'Sullivan - The Sun Dublin AH Saipan — will we ever stop talking about it? It's been the subject of books, a musical, thousands of I have no doubt the man behind Alan Partridge will do a fantastic job playing Mick McCarthy. But my main issue with the trailer for Saipan is the tone. It looks like the makers are about to recreate the most divisive moment in the history of Irish sport as some kind of psychological thriller — when in reality it just couldn't have been more farcical. Now, if Coogan was to play Mick being portrayed by his much-loved alter-ego, then we'd all be dying to watch it. Arthur Matthews probably got it right with his spoof musical I Keano, which saw the Irish manager and It was hilarious, capturing the mood of the fiasco perfectly for everyone to just laugh at how bonkers it all really was. So how can a dark, serious tale of footie egos squaring off on a remote Pacific island just weeks before a World Cup do justice to what really went on? Impossible to get excited if you lived through it". Michael Doyle I've been working in the media long enough to remember the chaos in newsrooms when Keane walked out. And the satire it created weeks later. Everything from the skipper walking his dog Triggs in the glare of a hundred flashing bulbs to Tommie Gorman's iconic interview with the midfield icon to a 'tired and emotional' Eamon Dunphy ranting on Apres Match couldn't stop licking their lips. In hindsight, it was comedy and us journalists lapped it up. Maybe a new generation of football and movie fans will get excited by seeing this version of McCarthy v Keane. But for those of us who lived it, it's impossible to get excited by this new film — and the trailer is genuinely hard to watch. Maybe they should have let
Irish Examiner
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Sean Ross Abbey survivor says minister 'avoiding' survivors and demands site excavation
A survivor of the Sean Ross Abbey mother and baby home in Roscrea has accused the children's minister of 'avoiding' survivors and not engaging with them. In 1968, Ann Connelly was born in the Co Tipperary institution made famous by the Oscar-nominated film Philomena and has been campaigning on behalf of survivors for more than a decade. She wants test excavations carried out on the grounds of the former home but said she is still 'waiting for truth, justice and dignity'. An open letter from Ms Connelly to Norma Foley dated June 30, and seen by the Irish Examiner, comes following the first annual report by the special advocate for survivors, Patricia Carey, which was published last week. The former CEO of the Adoption Authority of Ireland made several recommendations to help survivors and highlighted how the criteria for redress have caused 'anger and distress' in the community. Campaigners who met with Ms Carey said her report did not go far enough when it came to highlighting the need for a test excavation on the grounds of Sean Ross Abbey. Michael Donovan is part of a local group who campaigned to have the burial grounds of the home scanned two years ago. He said he met with Ms Carey in the hope that their concerns would be raised with the minister but felt let down by her report. 'We want the maps of the area rectified. The map from the county council we believe is inaccurate, we have anomalies that need to be tested, the government is aware of two scans on that ground by two different groups. I'm not saying there are babies there, but there is a tank there and we want the lid lifted to rule it out, and we want to know where the 1,090 babies are. Less than 50 graves have been found. "The report doesn't reflect the urgency of this, and we are disappointed." Ms Connelly, who is an activist with Mr Donovan, told Ms Foley in her letter that 'survivors didn't need another report to repeat what we've been saying for years". "Survivors have been engaging every single day, emailing, calling, begging this department for action, and nothing changes. She has never once set foot on the grounds. This is not engagement. This is avoidance," Ms Connelly said. Ms Connelly also hit out at the redress scheme. 'Here's what the public isn't being told: if you were in a mother and baby home for 180 days, you qualify for just €5,000. That's the reality, just €5,000 for a lifetime of trauma.' A spokesperson for Ms Foley said: 'Given that the designated burial ground has been forensically investigated and have found no evidence of inappropriate burials, it is not possible to bring forward a proposal to establish an Office of Director of Authorised Intervention to excavate the site at Sean Ross Abbey.' The special advocate for survivors, Ms Carey, said: 'I agree with the concerns raised in respect of the immediate and urgent need for dignified burial and the sensitive treatment of mass graves, unmarked graves, and sites of burial across institutions in Ireland. "As recently as June 17, I sent a letter to Minister Foley on the specific issues related to identification of burial grounds and memorialisation."
The Irish Sun
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘I try to get on with it' – Legendary Irish singer shares health update after heart surgery and relentless infection
IRISH singer Philomena Begley has opened up about her recent health struggles. The Advertisement 2 Philomena has opened up about her health struggles Credit: Getty Images - Getty 2 The country singer underwent heart surgery in 2019 Credit: Getty Images - Getty Philomena was on the road with Mike Denver when she began to feel unwell and was forced to seek medical help. In a recent interview with The 82-year-old had the operation in May that year but it was followed by a relentless infection that lasted for months. The country singer was then diagnosed with a "kind of pneumonia" and she "couldn't get rid of it". Advertisement READ MORE ON PHILOMENA BEGLEY She revealed that a small care team visited her to give her injections over the course of a week. Philomena eventually returned to touring in 2020 just weeks before the She explained: "I got back on the road with Mike the following January and then two months later the pandemic hit. That was another wee break I had from music, but I made use of it." Despite the health scare, the 82-year-old has said: "I've never really had a problem I couldn't overcome. My children will tell you I complain a lot though [laughs]." Advertisement MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN She also spoke candidly about her outlook on life and admitted she doesn't dwell on her own illness. Philomena said: "I complain every now and again, but when I look around and see people who are genuinely sick I realise what's wrong with me is nothing. Shane MacGowan and Philomena Begle perform Fairytale of New York on The Late Late special "It's just overthinking things you don't need to be concerned about. "Overthinking is the worst, it's worse than anything. I try to get on with it because there are other people who are worse off." Advertisement Philomena recently A past episode saw the biggest names in Irish country music join Philomena Begley, Cliona Hagan, Michael English and Gerry Guthrie all played a game called Wild West Roulette. 'SUPERSTAR' The Co Down presenter pressed the buzzer to spin the wheel and see which artist came up. Advertisement The country stars then had to nominate themselves to sing a song by that artist. When it landed on The 80-year-old shouted: "Yes, it's me! She explained: "I tell you what, I bought an album years and years ago of ABBA and I came across this song - The Way That Old Friends Do. Advertisement "I had it recorded and it did very well for me too. It bubbled in the British charts. That's my claim to fame." The Tyrone native gave a knockout performance and wowed the audience
RTÉ News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
UK Govt considering whether to support Philomena's Law
The British Government is considering whether to support legislation, known as 'Philomena's law', which seeks to help UK based survivors of Irish mother-and-baby homes access compensation. Over 100 MPs and Peers have signed an open letter backing the proposed law. The legislation has been named after Philomena Lee, a mother and baby home survivor, whose story about her son being forcibly adopted was chronicled in the Oscar nominated film "Philomena". It's estimated that around 13,000 people living in the UK are mother and baby home survivors, however many risk losing their means-tested benefits if they avail of compensation under the Irish Mother and Baby Institution payments scheme. 'Philomena's Law' was first introduced to the House of Commons by the chair of the UK Labour Party's Irish Society, Liam Conlon MP. He is seeking a 'indefinite capital disregard', which is a legal mechanism that ensures compensation is not counted as savings for the purpose of benefits eligibility. This model was used in previous cases, including for survivors of the 7/7 and Manchester bombings, as well as the Windrush scandal. No timeline on final decision Today, Minister Andrew Western told MPs that Cabinet Secretaries are considering whether to legislate to ensure that survivors means-tested benefits are not impacted. He couldn't give a timeline as to when a decision will be made. "Part of the reason for this is that conversations are ongoing, not just across government but including Foreign and Commonwealth Ministers and officials, directly with the Irish government to talk about how that might work", he explained. The deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, Daisy Cooper, who is the constituency MP of Philomena Lee, called on the Minister to write to members within the next 14 days outlining a timeline for a decision. However, Mr Western said that he would not be in a position to do this. Ahead of today's debate, the first in Westminster, Liam Conlon MP explained that the legislation was also being introduce to raise awareness in relation to the Irish government's mother and baby homes scheme. "Take up is incredibly low in Britain and we want to ensure that every eligible survivor knows about it and feels empowered to apply", he explained. Stars lend support to legislation The actor Steve Coogan, who starred in the film 'Philomena', has expressed his support for the legislation. "Liam is doing fantastic work to raise awareness of this important issue and I'm backing 'Philomena's Law' to help him ensure that all survivors get the compensation they are rightfully due", he said. Irish actor and star of Derry Girls, Siobhán McSweeney, said that she "wholeheartedly" supports 'Philomena's Law', adding that "this legislation is a crucial step towards justice and dignity for those who have suffered in silence for far too long." The open letter has been signed by politicians from a number of parties, including Labour, DUP, UUP, SDLP, SNP, Sinn Féin, Liberal Democrats and Alliance. It states that "This complicated and stressful situation is putting undue pressure on survivors who are currently making applications to the payment scheme, forcing them to revisit their most traumatic experiences as they weigh up the cost of accepting compensation".
RTÉ News
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
More than 100 MPs sign open letter backing Philomena's Law
More than 100 MPs and Peers in Westminster have signed an open letter backing legislation to help UK based survivors of Irish mother-and-baby homes access compensation. It comes ahead of the first Westminster debate on 'Philomena's Law' this afternoon. The legislation has been named after Philomena Lee, a mother and baby home survivor, whose story about her son being forcibly adopted was chronicled in the Oscar nominated film "Philomena". It's estimated that around 13,000 people living in the UK are mother and baby home survivors, however many risk losing their means-tested benefits if they avail of compensation under the Irish Mother and Baby Institution payments scheme. "Philomena's Law" was first introduced to the House of Commons by the chair of the UK Labour Party's Irish Society, Liam Conlon MP. "Our campaign has also been about shining a light on the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme itself. Uptake is incredibly low in Britain and we want to ensure that every eligible survivor knows about it and feels empowered to apply", he explained. The actor Steve Coogan, who starred in the film 'Philomena' has also expressed his support for the legislation. "Liam is doing fantastic work to raise awareness of this important issue and I'm backing 'Philomena's Law' to help him ensure that all survivors get the compensation they are rightfully due", he said. Irish actor and star of Derry Girls Siobhán McSweeney said that she "wholeheartedly" supports Philomena's Law, adding that "this legislation is a crucial step towards justice and dignity for those who have suffered in silence for far too long." The open letter has been signed by politicians from a number of parties, including Labour, DUP, UUP, SDLP, SNP, Sinn Féin, Liberal Democrats and Alliance. It states that: "This complicated and stressful situation is putting undue pressure on survivors who are currently making applications to the payment scheme, forcing them to revisit their most traumatic experiences as they weigh up the cost of accepting compensation."
