‘I brought hip-hop to my west Cork church – it's where I first felt I belonged'
My rap career began in the churches of Togher in west Cork, where I first found my community.
When my family moved to Ireland from Togo in west Africa, I was five and I didn't speak a word of English. It was really important to my mum that I integrate, so in our house, we stopped speaking our mother tongue, Ewe, and French.
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Irish Daily Mirror
44 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
The best events across the country this August Bank Holiday weekend
Over 30,000 festival-goers descended on Waterford's Curraghmore Estate for All Together Now on Friday, as traditional music fans will head to Wexford on Sunday for the start of the Fleadh. It's set to be a busy August Bank Holiday weekend, with hundreds of events taking place across the country. All Together Now The biggest is All Together Now, with homegrown talent Fontaines DC storming the stage on Friday and CMAT headlining on Saturday. English punk rap duo Bob Vylan are due to play the Something Kind of Wonderful stage the same night. The musicians were recently embroiled in controversy after chanting 'death to the IDF' during their set at Glastonbury earlier this year. Other acts playing across the weekend include Nelly Furtado, London Grammar, Wet Leg and Primal Scream. The arts and music festival began in 2018 and its capacity has grown three times bigger since then. Over the three days, revellers can also catch comedians and podcasters, including Tommy Tiernan and Blindboy. CMAT headlines All Together Now on Saturday Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2025 The most anticipated week of the traditional Irish music calendar kicks off on Sunday. From August 3-10, half a million visitors are expected in Wexford Town for The Fleadh. Competing singers, musicians and dancers will gather in the town for the second year in a row, alongside amazing street performers and bustling pubs. Bray Air Display In Wicklow, the skies are set to roar to life as the Bray Air Display 2025 takes place on Saturday. It's the perfect event for any aviation enthusiast as a breathtaking array of aircraft and awe-inspiring aerobatics will be on display in the sky. The Irish Defence Forces will also have a static display by the pier as the seafront funfair will keep all members of the family entertained. While it's set to be a mild weekend with highs of 23C, Storm Floris will bring heavy rainfall and unseasonably windy weather on Sunday night into the bank holiday Monday. Met Éireann issued an advisory on Friday and is set to issue warnings on Saturday ahead of the storm's arrival. The gusty winds could cause power outages, wave overtopping and localised flooding. Northern Ireland has already been issued with a yellow wind warning by the UK's Met Office, which is in force from 6am on Monday for 24 hours. On top of heavy rainfall that could lead to dangerous driving conditions, An Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority have appealed to road users to take extra precautions this bank holiday weekend. Gardaí say there will be extra checkpoints and 'considerably more enforcement' on speeding, mobile phone use and seatbelts over the long weekend. Chief Superintendent Ray McMahon said: "This is one of the busiest weekends on the roads. Not just for motorists, but at this time of year, it's one of the busiest weekends for cyclists and pedestrians. We ask everybody to be very conscious of our vulnerable road users, our cyclists and our pedestrians. "We're asking people to slow down, we're asking people to just plan their journey ahead. Some will have long journeys this weekend, so take your time and take your breaks. Don't be using mobile phones or anything that might distract you while driving. We really do not want to be visiting another family with terrible news this weekend. "We're going to be out in force from today straight through to next Wednesday. So please drive carefully and drive responsibly.' Gardaí will be out in force on Irish roads this weekend (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin) The RSA is urging those attending various events across the country to never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It has set up a FlineBox at All Together Now festival, which is a self-service breathalyser powered by Dräger sensor technology – the same one used by Gardaí. RSA's Sarah O'Connor said: 'We're reminding motorists and families that safety doesn't stop at the festival gates. We want everyone to enjoy the music and the atmosphere, but support and help people make smart choices about how they travel home and how they continue to use the roads on an ongoing basis.' Chief of the HSE, Bernard Gloster, said he anticipates that emergency departments across the country will be busy this August Bank Holiday. He is appealing to those travelling, enjoying outdoor activities and festivals to take extra precautions, adding: 'Patients presenting (to A&E) with non-urgent injuries may face longer waiting times, depending on the number of people attending and the severity of patient illnesses. 'Our staff work hard to do all they can to reduce the length of time patients wait in EDs and we apologise for any long delays people might experience.' Other events across the country this weekend include the Carlow Fringe Arts Festival and the Cahersiveen Music and Arts Festival in Kerry. In Clare, families can enjoy a treasure hunt and street parade at Kilmilhil Festival in Clare. While fun-seekers don't have to travel far this bank holiday weekend to find something to do, thousands will also leave the country. Over 120,000 passengers are expected to pass through Dublin Airport daily over the next three days. Daa spokesperson Graeme McQueen said: 'The August bank holiday is always one of the busiest weekends for us and this year will be no different. 'The departure gates are set to be busy too and it's not just sun-seekers heading off to the usual hotspots like Portugal and Spain, but this weekend will once again see Oasis t-shirts galore heading to the UK for the biggest concerts of the summer, while the start of the new UK football season will bring plenty of colour to the terminals over the coming weekends.' Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
Irish Examiner
5 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Beginner's pluck: Cork-born author Barbara Leahy
As a child, Barbara read anything and everything. 'I read my own books, my brothers' books, and everything in the bookcase at home,' she says. 'I loved English but becoming a writer wasn't on the horizon. It was a distant dream.' Since leaving university, Barbara has worked full-time in admin — fitting writing in during evenings and at weekends. 'That gave me the luxury of a regular income,' she says. Fifteen years ago, Barbara joined a creative writing class in the College of Commerce in Cork, and, receiving encouragement, moved on to the Munster Literature Centre. 'I met other writers there, including Danielle McLaughlin.' We set up our own writing group and have been meeting every two weeks for the past 14 years. She started with short stories, with some success at competitions. 'A couple of stories were broadcast through the Francis McManus Award,' she says, 'but I always wanted to write a novel. During covid, I thought, 'It's now or never.'' Barbara met her agent, Ger Nichol, and publisher, Deirdre Nolan, at the final of the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair in 2023. Who is Barbara Leahy? Place of Birth: Cork Education: Regina Mundi College in Douglas; University College Cork, BA in English and Mathematical Studies, and MA in English. Home: Cork — 'I live 10 minutes from my childhood home.' Family: Mother, three brothers. 'Dad died in 2018.' The day job: Insurance admin In another life: 'I'd be a museum curator. I love the power of everyday objects to connect us with the past.' Favourite writers: Danielle McLaughlin; Jean Rhys; Hilary Mantel; Maggie O'Farrell; Daphne Du Maurier. Second book: 'It's with my agent.' Top tip: 'Do it now. The conditions are always impossible. You have to start and keep going.' Instagram: @barbaraleahywriter The debut Rembrandt's Promise Eriu: €16.99 An impoverished widow, Geertje is a nursemaid in Rembrandt's house; and when his wife dies, she becomes his mistress. Will he keep his promise to her? 'I always loved Rembrandt's story,' says Barbara. 'It was in the bookcase at home. 'And later, when I discovered he lived with another woman for seven years, I really wanted to tell her story. 'She was illiterate and had no way of speaking up.' The verdict: Wonderfully researched and beautifully written.
The Irish Sun
6 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Spooky Jenna Ortega ruffles feathers in frilly dress at Paris premiere of Wednesday season 2
OO-La-la! Spooky Jenna Ortega ruffles more than some feathers in a frilly dress in Paris. The US star wore the brown frock for the French premiere of the second series of Netflix hit Wednesday, directed by Advertisement 3 Jenna Ortega at the Paris premiere of the second series of Netflix hit Wednesday Credit: Getty 3 With Tim Burton, who directs the Netflix smash Credit: Shutterstock Editorial The show, based on the daughter from The Addams Family, will return next week after the original run became a ratings hit following its release in 2022. On the reception to the first series, "We didn't know that anyone was going to watch the show. 'You do these things and you don't know what's to come, so it was very overwhelming.' Advertisement READ MORE SHOWBIZ NEWS A former child star, Jenna was catapulted into the A list when Wednesday – viewed 252 million times and counting – launched in 2022. And by her own refreshingly candid admission, that rapid rise to the top was overwhelming. 'To be quite frank, after the show and trying to figure everything out, I was an unhappy person,' she told Harper's Bazaar in May. 'After the pressure, the attention – as somebody who's quite introverted, that was so intense and so scary.' Advertisement Most read in Showbiz Exclusive The eight-month shoot in Romania had been challenging, with Jenna revealing: 'I was alone. Never had any hot water. The boilers in two of my apartments were broken, so I always took cold showers.' At least she'll be getting a warm welcome from Wednesday fans as the show returns to their screens. Game of Thrones star looks worlds away from Westeros after glam transformation for Netflix's Addams Family spin-off 3 Jenna as Wednesday in the Netflix hit Credit: VLAD CIOPLEA/NETFLIX
