Meet the 3 Love is Blind Irish stars including a fortune teller's future bride
The hit Netflix dating experiment, hosted once again by Emma and Matt Willis, sees 30 hopeful romantics from across the UK and Ireland attempting to meet "The One" and even get engaged - all before that first in-person glance. But when the walls come down, will it be instant chemistry or awkward reality?
This season's Irish contenders are bringing plenty of charm - and a few intriguing backstories - to the mix.
Christine, 35, from Limerick, is an HR Operations Lead. Christine has had her fair share of heartbreak and admits that bad boys are her downfall. The Monica from Friends lookalike finds it hard to date in her small rural town where the guys are already snapped up. As an only child, Christine would love to be able to provide her parents with a grandchild and is hoping the experiment will lead to the white wedding she's always dreamed of.
Tara, 33, from Wicklow, runs her own cafe. She finds it tough to meet men in Wicklow because the dating pool is relatively small. Her last relationship ended 18 months ago after more than two years together because she felt they were recycling the same jokes and small talk. Tara was told by a fortune teller that she'd be engaged by September, so watch this space.
Billy, 35, from Bangor, Co Down is an Army Physical Trainer. He has been single since his divorce five years ago and finds the modern-day dating world "a complete minefield". He often feels like the third wheel as most of his friends are settled down and as a result, doesn't socialise as much as he used to. Divorce hasn't put Billy off marriage and he's keen to be a husband again and start a family with his life partner.
The first four episodes of Love Is Blind UK season two drop on Wednesday, August 13, with more episodes following weekly. This season runs for 10 instalments - two fewer than last year - with the finale set to land on Wednesday, August 27.
(Image: Courtesy of Netflix) 1 of 7 (Image: Courtesy of Netflix) 2 of 7
Christine in Love is Blind (Image: Courtesy of Netflix) 3 of 7
Hosts Emma and Matt Willis (Image: Courtesy of Netflix) 4 of 7
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Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
‘The first thing they did was put a pint in my hand': Cork fans relive Oasis memories ahead of Dublin gigs
A Cork man who was among the first people to interview Oasis as part of an assignment for his college newspaper says he is 'buzzing' to be attending their Dublin concerts this weekend. Michael Fitzgerald was just 17 years old when he met with the group at Manchester University's student bar in the early 1990s. At the time, they had yet to release their first single and were playing pubs and clubs around England. He said the first thing they did was place a pint in his hand to put him at ease for their interview. The Killeagh native, who was studying aerospace engineering, had been writing for the Mancunion at the time in return for free gig tickets. The now 49-year-old recalled the excitement in the air on the night he first heard Oasis play live. Now, three decades later, he is hoping to relive that same magic at both Croke Park gigs on Saturday and Sunday. The band's 2025 reunion tour was announced in August last year, with tickets selling out in less than a day. It will be Oasis's first time playing on Irish soil since 2028. Michael recalls his first meeting with group. 'Tony McCarroll, who was the drummer at the time, brought me backstage and introduced me to the lead singer Liam. Liam was quite hyperactive and had an amazing energy about him. It was obvious he was on a trajectory. He told me that I should talk to his brother because 'he writes all the songs',' he said. Noel told me that his influences were the Stone Roses and the Beatles. It was really nice to hear a young person flag these bands as musical influences. They were a breath of fresh air He described Noel and Liam at the time as 'your typical brothers'. 'They were like any other brothers really. One minute they were sitting with their arms around each other, the next they were having a cut off one other. They've had their ups and downs of course but that night, for me at least, it was like chatting with my own people. 'Liam was very personable and full of character. Noel was that little bit more introverted. It was while talking about music that he suddenly livened up and became a comedian. ' A lot of his lyrics were like jokes or punchlines. You can tell from his television interviews that he's a funny guy.' The band left an indelible impression on Michael. 'The first thing Tony McCarroll did was put a pint in my hand. For a penniless Irish student like me, a pint at that time was a fortune.' 'They had the humility but also that working-class confidence. They had huge belief in their songs. I think the band bought into it as an opportunity to get out of Manchester, play music, and just explore the world. 'They embraced that opportunity early.' Oasis fan Michael Fitzgerald said it was obvious the Gallagher brothers and the rest of the band were destined for stardom after he spoke with them for his college newspaper. Michael said it was obvious the Gallagher brothers and the rest of the band were destined for stardom. 'Six months later, their first single came out. I couldn't believe all the t-shirts and merchandise with their name. It inspired me to pursue a lot of my own dreams, even if they didn't involve music.' So how does he feel about this weekend's gigs? 'I've already been to Wembley. There is always an unbelievable atmosphere at Oasis concerts. 'It's like going to a match with 80,000 friends where everyone is singing for the same team. You have grandparents, mums, dads, and children. It's quite special actually.' Michael, who will be attending the concert with his sister, was determined to attend as many Oasis concerts as possible. It's like waiting for a bus for 16 years, and all of a sudden seeing three come along at once. I want to enjoy every minute Also making the pilgrimage to Croke Park this weekend will be Shane Farmer, who has been a superfan of the band for as long as he can remember. He will be attending Sunday night's gig. 'I was 15 years of age when I went to my first Oasis concert in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. It was a massive buzz. I was lucky enough to be there both nights. My grandfather was working on the turnstiles. I snuck in as his helper, but I spent the whole gig on the stand watching Oasis.' The experience was life-changing for Shane, who has taken to impersonating Liam on stage. 'I didn't have to pay to go to the concert when I was a teenager, but I made up for that over the years with all the trips and concerts. I've entered karaoke competitions as Liam and won a trip to New York. On one occasion, I got a call from the production team at Stars in Their Eyes, BBC. Superfan Shane Farmer, right, was 15 years old when he went to his first Oasis gig in Cork. Picture Dan Linehan 'They had seen videos of me performing and asked if I would be interested in travelling to the UK to audition for the show. I just froze. I decided against it in the end, because I felt it would just be stressful and take the fun out of it for me. 'I'm far from having a good singing voice, but Liam Gallagher has a very distinct sound that I did my best to try to recreate. I always dressed like him. He wore a zipped up top with a bucket hat, which is quite easy to put together. I've been wearing bucket hats since the nineties, so much so that friends often laugh at me. It's all about the image. Even though I was a lot heavier than Liam Gallagher, it still worked out for me. I still wear the bucket hats to this day.' Shane has enjoyed many Oasis highlights over the years. 'I was lucky enough to shake hands with Liam in Slane in 2009. It only lasted a few seconds, but I'll always remember it. Another highlight was standing outside the front window where the album cover photograph for Definitely Maybe was taken. 'It was that song that kicked off my whole love affair with Oasis so to be standing outside that window was surreal.' The 44-year-old's love for the band has rubbed off on other family members too. 'My five-year-old son Kelvin knows their music because I play it in the garden all the time. He likes wearing bucket hats, but I don't think he knows where that came from.' Shane says he is well known locally for his love of Oasis. 'If you mention Oasis in Midleton, my name will always come up. If there's ever a karaoke session I'll be pushed up to sing Oasis. 'Friends told me I was foolish not to have gone for Stars in Their Eyes, but I just do it for the pure enjoyment.' Kelvin Farmer with his Oasis superfan dad, Shane Farmer, proudly rocking a Liam Gallagher jacket. Picture: Dan Linehan Meanwhile, many fans who weren't lucky enough to secure tickets for Croke Park gigs have made alternative plans to mark the reunion tour. Laura Aherne says she was keen to get her own 'band' back together more than 25 years after they attended an Oasis concert in Atlanta together. 'I was at the concert with my friends Sinéad Kelleher, Margaret O'Mahony, and Lil O'Sullivan in Atlanta years ago. We all lived there at the time, but the four of us are back in Ireland so we really wanted to get the group back together to go to the concert. 'It was the four of us, all on our computers at the same time, the usual carry on. We couldn't get tickets, so we went to see an Oasis tribute band in Bantry.' The concert brought back fond memories for the gang. 'The tribute band was done very well. The concert we went to with the real band was a very different experience. 'The night we were in Atlanta, Liam threw down his instruments and walked off stage but Noel stayed on for a bit longer before telling us all to go home. I can't remember his words exactly, but it was something along the lines of 'go away the lot of you', so more of a drunk rumble. It seemed to happen a lot. 'There was always one walking on and walking off. It was dreadful but fierce entertaining. We always wanted to see them again, but I'm glad we were able to mark their reunion in some way.'
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Rarity and celebrity add value in the memorabilia market
A Fry's Five Boys c1900 advertisement at Victor Mee's next auction underlines how rarity and celebrity add value in a memorabilia market which continues to grow strongly in Ireland. This particular enamel sign is rare. It harks back to days when chocolate — taken in moderation and highly prized — was a special treat for children. The enamel sign, which depicts five boys expressing desperation, pacification, expectation, acclamation and finally realisation that it's Fry's chocolate, leads the online August sale of 930 lots by Victor Mee next Tuesday and Wednesday. The estimate is €4,000-€6,000. A framed advertising mirror for Bendigo Tobaccos. Copper figures of musicians on painted boards from Slattery's of Capel St. in Dublin are of interest. This pub venue and early house licensed since 1821, steeped in music, history and character, has long been a gathering place for market traders, musicians and storytellers. Slattery's is a much-loved hub of Irish culture and traditional music known for performances by everyone from Christy Moore, Donal Lunny and Seamus Ennis to the Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Kate Nash and Townes van Zandt. The unique embossed figures of a fiddle player, a button accordionist, a bodhrán player, a pip player and a tin whistler, a banjo player and a flute player are estimated at €300-€600 each. With hand-drawn illustration by Brian McCormack and copper work by John A Brennan they are redolent of the cultural atmosphere which Slattery's is renowned for. A Youghal Choral Society poster from 1952. An Old Irish Reindeer Whisky Kiloh and Co Cork framed showcard is estimated at €1,200-€1,800 and the auction kicks off with an Allman's of Bandon Old Irish Whisky advertising sign (€50-€80). A Beamish Stout light-up box for a counter dating to the 1970's has an estimate of €50-€100. A framed advertising mirror for Bendigo Tobaccos produced for W & M Taylor Ltd., Dublin and manufactured by A & H Pemberton of Liverpool has an estimate of €3,000-€5,000. In Art Nouveau style, it features hand gilded and reverse painted lettering in rich red, gold and cobalt blue and few examples survive in such well preserved condition. An original Will's Woodbine Cigarettes enamel sign, 150 cm x 92 cm, in well-preserved condition is the sort of lot that is sought after by collectors. The estimate is €300-€500. An embossed copper figure of a fiddle player from Slattery's. Sales like this serve to remind us of how quickly things move on and can stir many memories. Lot 159, for instance, is a framed February 1952 poster for A Royal Jester by Youghal Choral Society at the Town Hall (€40-€80). The catalogue is online.
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner view: Guinness and co are in need of a masterplan
Netflix may have its critics, but its sense of timing is usually good. Whether that is positive news for the Guinness brewing dynasty, and the brand's parent company Diageo, is something we will discover next month. That's when a new eight-part drama hits our screens recounting the creation of a global business empire which has become synonymous with Ireland. The House of Guinness is set in 19th-century Dublin and New York and unfolds the complexities of a Succession-style plot following the death of Benjamin Guinness and the Machiavellian impact of his will on the lives of his four adult children: Arthur, Edward, Ann, and Ben. The vice-president in charge of content at Netflix explained the attraction of the story: '...wealth, poverty, power, influence, and great tragedy are all intertwined to create a rich tapestry of material to draw from. I've always been fascinated by their stories, and am excited to bring the characters to life for the world to see.' That responsibility falls to someone with an impressive CV in shows with cult potential — the writer Steven Knight who has delivered memorable scripts for SAS Rogue Heroes and, of course, Peaky Blinders, the iconic six-instalment series which showcased the adventures of a mixed heritage Birmingham, Romany, and Irish gang in the UK in the years following the First World War. There's an impressive cast, with a major role undertaken by James Norton, who played the chilling sociopath Tommy Lee Royce from Happy Valley, exchanging his (natural) West Riding accent for training in the tones of 19th-century Dublin. Norton plays Seán Rafferty, a company hardman whose job it is to keep the Guinness workforce on their toes. Other cast members include Dervla Kirwan, Anthony Boyle, and Cork-born actor Jack Gleeson, memorable for his portrayal of the sinister and sadistic Joffrey Baratheon in Game of Thrones. Knight has a ready plotline should he be tempted to use it with the emergence of southern rivals, Beamish and Murphy's, who bridle against the dominance of the capital city's favourite tipple. But perhaps he has already been there and done that with his account of the power struggles between the Shelbys, the Sabinis, and Alfie Solomons's Camden Town gang. Whether Guinness benefits from this publicity, and whether it is brand-enhancing, we will be able to discern more clearly by late autumn. But it comes during a period when there have been some uncharacteristic lapses in the company's usual stately progress. On the plus side, it ousted Budweiser in 2024 to commence a four-year stint as 'the official beer of the Premier League'. It is also the 'official beer' of the Six Nations international rugby competition. This week it moved further into club competition by agreeing separate partnerships with Arsenal and Newcastle, the latter in a city which has its own legendary beverage, Newkie Broon ale. While Guinness may be everywhere, with countless memes about 'splitting the G', there are signs of shareholder discontent with its parent company. It is less than a month since its CEO Debra Crew stepped down without a succession plan. Ms Crew, who had been in place since June 2023, received a total pay package equivalent to €4.17m for the financial year ending June 30. The company's shares have lost a third of their value since the summer of 2023. Diageo reported a drop in both sales and profits in the six months ended December 2024, according to figures released this week. This was despite growth in demand for Guinness which resulted in supplies running out or being rationed in the UK last Christmas. We all noted the news that spending by Cork's hurling fans plummeted by 13% on July 20, the day of the All-Ireland defeat by Tipperary. No doubt the reason for raising a glass by some visitors to Dublin was undermined by that dispiriting defeat. It's down to Oasis fans to make up for that shortfall with the concerts in the city today and tomorrow, and there's every chance that they will. But for Guinness and Diageo, a renewal of confidence requires, in the words of Noel Gallagher, a masterplan. And just like that, soccer is back It may stick in the throat of GAA diehards but there won't be many Irish sports fans who haven't noticed that, with the appearance of champions Liverpool at Anfield last night, the Premier League is back.. And so, after one apparently interminable season, we are about to commence on another which will finish on July 19, 11 months from now, with the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New York and another photobomb opportunity for US president Donald Trump. Before then, there will be 380 games in the Premier League plus countless subsidiary divisions; the League of Ireland; the Champions League; the Europa League; the Conference League; assorted cup competitions; and internationals, friendly and otherwise. Plus the burgeoning and increasingly popular women's game. No wonder Sky is pioneering a new multi-view service which allows you to watch four games at once. A small hint to broadcasters. This isn't enough for computer game veterans who are adept at multitasking. And where's the soco-bot which can be sent out to watch all the matches the viewer doesn't want ... those 0-0s on a rainy night in Stoke? Arguments over identifying ethnic origins There is no indication, as yet, of any great support for the proposition that the ethnicity or nationality of suspects should be drawn to the attention of the general public at the point at which they are charged and enter the criminal justice system. Indeed, the whole issue of court procedure is one on which there are wildly varying opinions. One contributor to the Irish Examiner this week took the view that defendants should not be named until a trial has ended, and only when a conviction is secured. The media (and social media), he wrote, 'could lead the way by doing the right thing and have a shred of humanity and not name or identify any suspect unless or until they have been found guilty of the crime with which they were charged'. While it is possible to construct mighty arguments around this proposition, it is enough to note that ordinary people are thinking about the administration of justice and whether it can be made better. Or, given the law of unforseen consequences, worse. In Ireland, An Garda Síochána does not usually release the ethnicity of individuals charged with crimes. Sometimes restrictions are cited for reasons of privacy or data protection, although these arguments are increasingly governed by the law of diminishing returns for some citizens. There are exceptions where it is deemed necessary to assist investigations or head off potential public order problems stimulated by the circulation of misinformation. In Britain, the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs' Council says forces should consider releasing the ethnicity and nationality of suspects at the point of charge. This follows mounting public concerns and is part of a review to ensure processes are fit for purpose in an age of rapid information spread. The touchstone was last year's knife murders of three small children and serious injuries to 10 others at a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport. The murderer, 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, was born in Cardiff to an evangelical family from Rwanda. In the information vacuum which followed his arrest, Britain experienced serious rioting. That data blackout is now perceived as a serious error of judgement. The complexities were underlined this week when the family of six-year-old Bebe King, one of the three girls killed, urged ministers to reconsider their support for disclosing the ethnicity of serious crime suspects. Michael Weston King, the victim's grandfather, said such information is 'completely irrelevant', and that 'mental health issues and the propensity to commit crime happens in any ethnicity, nationality, or race'. This is true, but we would be naïve to think that such demands for 'disclosure' and 'transparency' will not gather strength in our own country. Each one of us, rather like our letter writer on Monday, must decide where we stand.
