‘I think resting bitch face in the Áras would be a problem' – Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian on family, fun and presidential ambitions
'I'm going to pick my husband,' Arthur Gourounlian says. 'That man can do anything and can handle any conversation with whoever it is. I think I will definitely sign him up for it: 'Brian to be the next president of Ireland.' He'd be the perfect candidate. I'll be more than happy to be the First Husband.'
And what does the husband in question, broadcaster Brian Dowling, make of his chances of becoming the next president of Ireland? 'When I won Big Brother in 2001, I got more votes that year than Tony Blair did when he was elected prime minister of the United Kingdom,' he muses. 'I think it would be amazing to have a gay president.
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RTÉ News
5 days ago
- RTÉ News
On This Week: Greg O'Shea wins fifth series of Love Island
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The then Lord Mayor of Cork, Councillor Chrissie Aherne, and Minister of State for Tourism and Transport, Denis Lyons, were also present to welcome its passengers to Cork. 2014: When the Jedi came to the great Skellig Skellig Michael became a part of the Star Wars universe when filming of The Force Awakens took place there. Local boatmen ferried crew members from Portmagee to the World Heritage Site for filming while the cast was brought by helicopter from a helipad on Valentia Island. The island, located off the coast of County Kerry, featured in two Star Wars movies: The Force Awakens in 2015 and again in the following instalment, The Last Jedi, released in 2017. This Week In Irish Sports 2015: Team Ireland finish on a high in Special Olympics Team Ireland finished the Special Olympics in Los Angeles with an incredible 86 medals. On the final day of the competition alone, Irish athletes won six gold, five silver, and five bronze medals. The final medal tally of 26 gold, 29 silver, 31 bronze, 31 personal bests and 43 placement ribbons. The team obtained medals in disciplines such as basketball, soccer, athletics, badminton, equestrian, gymnastics and bowling, 2024: Paris Olympics bring medals for Ireland in multiple disciplines Ireland had an Olympics to remember, with gold medals and more obtained in multiple disciplines. Overall, the final tally was four golds, three bronzes, and 26 top-10 finishes. In swimming, Daniel Wiffen took gold in the men's 800m freestyle and bronze in the men's 1500m freestyle, while Mona McSharry took the bronze in the women's 100m breaststroke. In rowing, Fintan McCarthy and Paul O'Donovan took gold in the men's lightweight double sculls, while Daire Lynch and Philip Doyle took bronze in the men's double sculls. Kellie Harrington took gold in the women's lightweight boxing, and Rhys McClenaghan took gold in the men's pommel horse. This Week In Irish Entertainment 2001: Brian Dowling crowned winner of Big Brother 2 The reality TV game show Big Brother saw Brian Dowling crowned the winner of its second series. Over four and a quarter million people cast telephone votes, making Dowling, from Rathangan in Co. Kildare, the winner. The series was the most-watched Big Brother ever, with the final watched by 13.7 million viewers, making it Channel 4's second most-watched show. 2019: Greg O'Shea wins fifth series of Love Island Limerick rugby player Greg O'Shea and his partner Amber Gill, who is from Newcastle in the UK, were announced as the winners of Love Island 2019. They were competing against Longford model Maura Higgins and her partner Curtis Pritchard, Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague, and Ovie Soko and India Reynolds. 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What was Number 1 in Ireland This Week? 1976: 'The Boys Are Back in Town' by Thin Lizzy Considered to be the band's best song, the song was the first single from their album Jailbreak. 2003: 'Crazy in Love' by Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z The lead single in Beyoncé's debut solo album Dangerously in Love, her song has been ranked in several best-of lists. 2022: 'Running Up That Hill' by Kate Bush The 1985 hit gained a new lease of life after featuring in the fourth season of Stranger Things, reaching number one in eight countries. 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Looking Ahead Each Monday, On This Week will bring you a mix of stories from the last 75 years, to celebrate Volkswagen's 75 year anniversary, featuring the big news stories, sporting highlights and major pop culture moments. Volkswagen has been part of those unforgettable moments - driving families to milestones, memories, and moments that matter. Join us every week as we look back at the moments of yesteryear.
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- The Irish Sun
I moaned at my neighbour for his security camera looking into my garden & he add ANOTHER one – it feels like Big Brother
DO you think you've got neighbours from hell? Well, prepare to be stunned as a frustrated man gets candid on his latest 'creepy' ordeal. A stunned man from the UK has recently revealed that after relaxing in his Advertisement 2 A man has revealed that his neighbour has not one, but two security cameras pointing into his garden Credit: tiktok/@scoobz_13 2 Clearly frustrated, the man took to social media to open up about the ordeal, leaving many gobsmacked Credit: tiktok/@scoobz_13 Annoyed with the ' But much to his surprise, rather than simply move the camera or point it in another direction, his ' Posting on social media, the content creator shared a short clip as he sat in his garden, giving his followers a close-up look at his neighbour's motion detector device. Alongside the clip, the man attached an audio that said: 'Ask our neighbour to respect our privacy - his solution? More surveillance. Advertisement Read more neighbour stories 'Welcome to the reality show I didn't sign up for.' Not only this, but the man, who feels like he's on Big Brother, then wrote: 'When you politely ask your As well as this, in another video, the man zoomed in on the security camera and asked: 'Is this weird or is it me? The only thing he can view is me in my garden.' As he showed off his outside area, which was being Advertisement Most read in Fabulous The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ Social media users were horrified by the Moment mystery 'neighbour from hell' stuffs POO through letterbox & smears paint stripper over cars in 'calculated' plot One person said: 'Report it to the police and council!' Another added: 'Call the police and ask them if you can do anything about it.' Advertisement Ask our neighbour to respect our privacy - his solution? More surveillance TikTok user A third commented: 'Not on him reported and you could get damages for disturbing your peace.' As well as reporting the incident to the police and the council, others were eager to reveal recommendations on what to do in the meantime. The Top Five Reasons Neighbours Squabble One study by Compare the Market revealed the top reason British neighbour's argue Broken fences - top of the board was broken fences and whose responsibility it was to fix it Parking: one of the leading drivers of neighbour disputes, with 54.1 per cent of people having issues with people parking in front of their house, parking bay or driveway Trees - complaints about a neighbour's tree cracking your garden path was also common with nearly half of participants finding it frustrating Bin wars - outdoor bin etiquette continues to ignite the most furious debates between neighbours Nosy Neighbours - some people have their eyes and ears at the ready to have a peek causing problems for others One user advised: 'If it's a WiFi cam you can get a WiFi blocker.' A second penned: 'Use a Advertisement Whilst someone else wrote: 'Are they clothes lines going across the garden? If not, put one high up along the Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club
Sunday World
5 days ago
- Sunday World
Celeb pals ditch partying for praying after pilgrimage to French holy town
Big Brother and Love Island pals relax in spa hotel after spending their holidays attending vigils during pilgrimage to French town Celebrity best friends Shannen Reilly McGrath and Hughie Maughan gave up the chance of a sun holiday to party island Ibiza in order to go on a pilgrimage to Lourdes. Love Island star Shannen had initially planned to go to the famous French holy town with her boyfriend Luke, having had fond memories going there as a child with her granny. But when Luke could not get time off work she knew that her Big Brother pal Hughie would be up for going with her. He too visited Lourdes as a child, and the pair decided to book into a spa hotel in the town where they could relax after spending the day praying and attending vigils. Hughie and Shannen 'I think people would think me and Hughie would be in Ibiza but I said 'I know it's your birthday coming up, Luke can't come with me, would you love you to go?' and he said he was there as a child as well and religion is very close to his heart,' explains Shannen (31). 'It's just a sense of healing and spiritual. If you lose someone and you kind of go and you see a lot of people who are sick. Like my nana died from cancer, I have friends with sick family members, my granddad has dementia. 'I felt like going would be a sense of healing and praying for others. Like I would have a belief in that anyway. So it was kind of to go and get a sense of belief and a bit of luck, that's my kind of thing. I think the way the world is going we want some calmness and something to believe in. Important 'I know in this day and age people want to be in Ibiza and they want to be on social media. But family should be important to people as well.' Shannen, who grew up in Tallaght and now lives in Lusk, visited Lourdes as an 11-year-old with her granny Tess. Hughie all smiles in Lourdes 'I remember it was the most uncoolest thing ever. I didn't even want to tell people in school but I had such a nice time with her, but I was embarrassed with her at the time. The two of us went with her local parish, Mount Argus next to Harold's Cross,' she recalls. She explains her granny passed away recently and her granddad in now in a home with dementia, so it's been a tough time for her family. 'I would never pass a church without going in and lighting a candle,' she stresses. ' And like any trip id be on with my partner or even with mam or whatever and I'd see a nice church and light a candle. 'We wouldn't be really holy, in that sense, but I'd always go into a church and light a candle or say a prayer. I've a big thing for St Anthony, like my mammy was always saying 'if you lose something pray to St Anthony'. I had him in my purse going around. 'Our family would be religious, but not to the point of going to Mass every week. I would have a strong belief in it though, the likes of christenings, communions, weddings, my family would do.' She admits both friends and family were taken aback by her decision to go to Lourdes. 'They'd say in disbelieve, 'you're going to Lourdes?' and kind of a bit shocked by it,' she smiles. 'But I just feel like people don't really appreciate it and they kind of think there's something wrong with it.' She booked a package trip and flew over with Hughie on a Ryanair flight. 'We were over there we met a pilgrimage from Donegal, they actually asked us to carry their flag. There was a Malahide group there and there was young people there and I think they were with their mothers and grandmothers,' she explains. Shannen and Hughie's snaps from Lourdes . . The pair made themselves useful. 'We volunteered at the vigils to help. So that was lovely to be involved,' she said. ' We had to carry the flag, and also to go up on the alter at the end of it and look down at all the sick being blessed and say the prayers. 'We had our times for masses, times for vigils. We went to the holy baths and We went to different towns, Bernadette's house. We did get a bit of sun walking around and I did go to the pool a few times in the evenings. 'You see people in their wheelchairs and they're looking for hope and to be blessed. There's also a lot of sick kids. Wheeled 'On one of the nights we went four times, and there's a lot of sick children being wheeled in and laid out on hospital type beds, so it's kind of surreal when you're there.' She stresses that people worry about stupid things when there are others with serious illnesses and praying for a miracle. 'Like I've suffered from trolling and I didn't want to get out of bed over something someone said about me, but when you're over there and you see people who are basically crippled and they can't walk, some people don't have arms,' she reflects. She and Hughie, who is gay, shared a bed for five days. 'One of the nights we went out and went partying a bit' she adds. 'There are a lot of students out there volunteering. The town is busy. The sun is shining. 'We actually went to a karaoke bar and there were loads of people out there in their volunteer outfits. There were older women from Ireland out singing in the bars. It's nice to see, as you see them having a good time and they're making memories.' Hughie, (31) was in Lourdes twice before, in 2004 and 2005. He is a Traveller, a community known to have a deep connection with the Catholic faith. Shannen and Hughie's snaps from Lourdes . . 'When I was young me and my mam and dad and family went on a road trip in a campervan around France. We started in the north of France and drove all the way down to Lourdes. 'Then we made our way to various pilgrimage sites. We actually went to where St Bernadette's actual body is, where her grave is. Climbing 'We went to home of St Therese. We went to Paris and visited the big churches like Notre Dame. Of course as kids we went to Disneyland there too.' He's also been to Fatima, Medjugorje, Knock, and other religious sites in Poland, as well as climbing Croagh Patrick and going on retreat to Lough Derg. 'I have my own relationship with God. Every single night I pray. I have holy little shrines in my home, and holy water. I'd go to mass on special occasions. I wouldn't go every day or every Sunday,' he maintains. 'It is probably surprising as a gay man I'm like this, but I don't look at religious or God being anti-gay, I think it's just people and propaganda.' He admits he was surprised when Shannen suggested they go to Lourdes together. 'I was surprised, but at the same time we've had many conversations in the past about her going with her nanny and her having her beliefs,' he notes. 'A lot of people have prejudices about the church because of the Magdalene laundries. But I'm very religious and Shannen is too.' He says the couple got recognised a lot on the trip from Irish people who'd seen them on TV. 'We'd tell people we were just friends if people asked us. I'd never keep it secret me being gay,' he insists. Shannen and Hughie are all smiles in Lourdes Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 27th
