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RTÉ News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
On This Week: Bowie heads Slane and a 1-0 win over England
On This Week: Irish Moments from History (9th - 15th June) Welcome to On This Week, where we delve into the standout stories from the years gone by, featuring standout news stories, major sporting events, and pop culture highlights that helped shape Irish life. Here's your dose of Irish nostalgia from 9th - 15th June. This Week In Irish News 1971: Henry Street takes first steps towards pedestrianisation Henry Street, Dublin's busiest shopping street, was opened as a pedestrianised street for a four-week period. It was the first of its kind in the city, with trees, plants, and park benches in the middle of the road. The street would be permanently pedestrianised in 1982. 1997: Mary Robinson becomes UN's High Commissioner For Human Rights Mary Robinson was appointed as the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights. She was endorsed for the position by the outgoing government under Taoiseach John Bruton. She resigned from the office of President a month later, before her term was to finish, to take the role, which she continued until 2002. This Week In Irish Sports 1987: Stephen Roche wins Giro d'Italia Stephen Roche became the first Irishman to win the Giro d'Italia. The victory didn't come easily. Despite orders from his team, Roche rode ahead of teammate Visentini to take the race lead. For the remaining stages, he had to battle with his own team, the Italian press and the Italian public to win it. Roche became the second of three cyclists to win the Triple Crown of victories within one year, which also included the Tour De France and the World Championships. 1988: Ireland beat England 1-0 In Euro 1988 Ireland marked its first match in a major soccer championship tournament with a 1-0 win against England. In the group stages of the Euro 1988 tournament, Ireland faced England in Stuttgart, Germany. Ray Houghton found the net in six minutes to secure Ireland's victory. This Week In Irish Entertainment 1987: David Bowie heads Slane Concert David Bowie marked his first time playing in Ireland by headlining the Slane Castle concert. He brought his band over as part of the 'Glass Spider Tour' and was supported by Aslan, Big Country, and The Groove. 2024: Kid rappers release viral hit The Spark as single Viral song The Spark, which features the talents of young rappers from Cork and Clare, was released as a single. The song was a hit online, receiving over 350 million views in three weeks. It was made in two days as part of Cruinniú na nÓg, Europe's only national free day of creativity for young people. The children performing are from the Kabin Crew in Knocknaheeny, North Cork and the Lisdoonvarna Crew in Clare. This Week In Irish Culture 1967: Countess Constance Markievicz remembered in Rathmines A plaque in memory of Countess Constance Markievicz is unveiled at her former home in Rathmines. The house was an unofficial meeting point for Na Fianna Éireann, an Irish nationalist youth organisation founded by Bulmer Hobson and Constance Markievicz in 1909. Countess Markievicz was deeply committed to feminism, republicanism, and socialism. She became the first woman elected to the House of Commons and the first female TD in Dáil Éireann. She also served as Minister for Labour in the first Dáil Éireann government. 2021: Ireland's first clock museum opens in Waterford The National Museum of Time, Ireland's first horological museum opened in Waterford city. The museum is dedicated to clocks and watches dating back hundreds of years in some cases, and is located in a refurbished church at Greyfriars in Waterford's Viking Triangle. Along with the oldest Irish clocks, the museum also has pieces from around the world, including from the US, UK, France, Austria, Switzerland, and Japan. What was Number 1 in Ireland This Week? 1984: 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go' by Wham! Written and produced by George Michael, the Iconic hit became the band's first UK and US number one. 1992: 'Jump' by Kris Kross The hip-hop duo achieved international success, topping charts in the US, Ireland, Australia, and Canada. 2000: 'Gotta Tell You' by Samantha Mumba Mumba's debut single was a hit internationally, spending 22 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. Irish Celebrities Celebrating Birthdays This Week Stephanie Roche (36) Former Irish footballer who played for the Republic of Ireland and Shamrock Rovers. Mairead McGuinness (66) Former vice-president of the European Parliament. Gary Lightbody (49) Lead singer of the alt-rock band Snow Patrol. Other Irish Trivia From This Week 1986: Birth number 39 for Ireland's oldest cow Big Bertha makes news around the world after successfully completing her 39th pregnancy at home in County Kerry. The cow went on to hold two Guinness World Records, as the oldest cow recorded - she passed away at the age of 48 years and 9 months - and for lifetime breeding, having produced 39 calves. 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.
Irish Independent
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Pre-booking for bank holiday ‘essential' says Irish Rail with many trains already sold out
Customers for intercity services have been told to pre-book for the 'busiest times across the weekend' with the annual Bord Bia Bloom festivities kicking off in Dublin on Thursday and running until bank holiday Monday. There is particularly 'high demand' on intercity routes coming into Heuston Station, Irish Rail said, with a free shuttle bus service going from Parkgate Street, just a five-minute walk from Heuston, to the Bloom site in the Phoenix Park. Some intercity trains from Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford to Dublin are already sold out and customers have been told to pre-book their tickets via the Irish Rail website to guarantee travel. There is also a revised timetable in place for some services this weekend from Saturday to bank holiday Monday with major works planned between Connolly Station and Blackrock. Track renewal, bridge upgrade and level crossing renewal works will be taking place across multiple sites, impacting southside Dart and Rosslare intercity services. From May 31 to June 2, Dart services will be suspended between Connolly and Dún Laoghaire Stations. Rail tickets will be valid on Dublin Bus services to and from the impacted areas. Dart services will be in operation between Malahide/Howth and Connolly, and between Dún Laoghaire and Bray/Greystones. Dublin to Rosslare intercity rail services will operate with bus transfers between Connolly Station and Bray. With a number of events taking place over the June bank holiday weekend, extra services will be operating to accommodate those attending. This will include additional trains from Cork and Galway to Heuston for Bloom over the weekend, and northside Dart and Maynooth trains following concerts at St Anne's Park on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, Aslan are set to play the West Lawn at Malahide Castle, with extra Malahide Dart services in place after the concert. Additional early trains from Cobh, Mallow and Midleton are also planned to Cork for the Cork City Marathon on Sunday. Extra trains from Dundalk to Dublin are planned for Sunday ahead of Armagh taking on Dublin in the All-Ireland Football Championship at Croke Park. Customers have also been advised that Dart and commuter trains will be on a Sunday schedule for bank holiday Monday.
Irish Daily Mirror
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Kiera Dignam: 'I was the one that was in denial and trying to avoid reality'
Christy Dignam's daughter felt like a 'double-decker bus was rammed' into her face the day she realised her father was going to die. The Aslan frontman passed away aged 63 on June 13, 2023 after a lengthy battle with cancer. But his only child Kiera Dignam said his loss is still so raw for her and the details of his death were traumatic. Christy was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer called amyloidosis in 2013 and had been in palliative care for a few months before his death. Despite this, Kiera said she was in denial and didn't fully believe her father was dying until a nurse spelt it out. The weekend before his death, the musician had a bad fall at home, and it was then that the family realised he might not have long left. Speaking for the first time on The Grief Pod with Venetia Quick, the Dubliner has recalled the singer's final days. Kiera said: 'Sunday morning my mum rang me, she was up all night with him. 'We went down, we knew this wasn't good. 'I remember Darren [my husband] saying 'When we go down here if he is sick enough that he needs to go into the hospice I'm going to suggest that.' 'But he did not want to die in a hospice or a hospital, so I was saying 'Darren I have to have my dad's back on that. He doesn't want to die in a hospice, I'm not letting him go back'. 'So Darren said, 'Christy, do you think maybe we should go back to the hospice?' So I looked at my dad like, 'We've got this'. And he said, 'Yeah, maybe'. 'I said, 'Are you winding me up? I was about to fight your corner here'. 'But when he said yes, I realised he was defeated then. He was sitting there in the bed, you could see he was in a lot of pain trying to take breaths.' A hospice nurse then called to the home and suggested she use 'a machine' to alleviate his pain. Also known as 'the pump' this is a syringe driver, a battery-operated device, that administers medication continuously via subcutaneous infusion and is commonly used in end-of-life care. Kiera added: 'I say [to her] 'When you say machine, are you saying you're putting my dad on a pump?' 'She said, 'Yes' and I said, 'Hang on a minute, as far as I'm concerned anybody I've ever heard been on the pump that's like days, hours at max. 'This is when I started realising, now hang on a minute. You're trying to kill my dad, he's fine, he just fell. 'She took my hand and pulled me in and said 'Kiera your dad is actively dying'. 'And I swear to God she may as well have gotten a double-decker and rammed it straight into my face. 'I remember it now and I feel sick. I thought my legs were going to buckle. I was standing in the hall and I remember holding on to the bannisters because I was like, 'What am I going to tell my mum and Darren?' 'At the time they knew, I was the one that was in denial and trying to avoid reality. 'In hindsight, I thought he fell and that's essentially why he died but he fell because he was dying.' The family then rallied around to get Kiera's son Cian, 21, who was at a festival in the UK, home. Two days later, Christy passed away surrounded by his family, including grandchildren Cian and Ava. Kiera said his death was traumatic but there was another layer to her grief because he was a public figure. There had also been numerous fake reports of him dying over the years, even before the family announced in January 2023 he was going into palliative care. Kiera recalled: 'It was very, very hard and now it's all in the past it's almost like PTSD because when you are dealing with death it can be very traumatic and I was also taking that aspect on, I can't explain how hard it was. I remember Darren saying, 'Maybe you should work out a statement for when he dies' and I said, 'I don't want to think about that'. 'But he said, 'You need to be realistic, this is something you're going to have to do and when it happens you're not going to be in the headspace to do that. 'So I had to sit and work out how I'm wording his death announcement and he's sitting beside me. That's traumatic, traumatic probably isn't even the word for that.' After Christy's death, this statement was needed much quicker than Kiera had hoped, as the word got out an hour after he died. She said: 'When he did pass away we were sitting with him for a few minutes and we had his music playing, music that he loved. 'We leave the room and I'm standing in the kitchen like what just happened? And Darren said, 'Kiera you're probably going to have to get that statement'. 'I remember taking my phone out, it was in my notes, copying and pasting it and writing out the time and date that he died. 'In an ideal world, he died Tuesday, I was hoping I could announce he died Friday, have the funeral on Saturday and we don't have to deal with the public frenzy.' However, Christy died at 4.03pm and at 5.15pm the word was out. Kiera added: 'We were all in the house, how has this happened? But there were nurses and staff from the hospital and hospices coming back and forth and it got to a receptionist that got to a friend of a friend kind of thing. 'He was only an hour gone and I'm having to share this statement, which I was not prepared for.'
Extra.ie
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Kiera Dignam: Singing helps me deal with the grief of losing Dad
Sometimes, out of the blue, Kiera Dignam will hear her father's voice suddenly coming from a radio, a post on Facebook or a TV screen, and the pain of hearing him is almost too much to bear. In just a few weeks, it will be the second anniversary of Christy Dignam's death and though for some, it would be a great comfort to hear the voice of a loved one who has died, for Kiera it brings back a wave of grief that is still too painful to cope with. 'I am very lucky that I have so much of him, whether it's music or interviews or television performances that I can access,' says the Dubliner. 'But at the moment I find it quite difficult. My mam and my husband and oldest son find it almost therapeutic and enjoy listening to him, but for me once I hear his voice I have to turn it off straight away. Kiera Dignam. Pic: Fran Veale 'Maybe in six months, or five years or at some point I could find it comforting.' It's understandable too, given that losing Christy is still so raw. Next month it will be the second anniversary of his death and on May 29, Kiera and her family are putting on another concert in his memory. Remembering Christy Dignam will feature special guests including Tom Dunne, Brian McFadden, Mundy, Steve Wall and The Four of Us to name but a few. It's the second concert of its type – the first was meant to be a one-off but was such a warm-hearted celebration of Christy's life that Kiera and her family have been persuaded to fo it again. Christy Dignam of Aslan. Pic: Getty Images 'The more we talked about it, the more we thought maybe it could be therapeutic,' Kiera says of the first gig. 'It was emotional but it was an incredible night. 'Anyone who was there, online fans and so on were commenting and sending messages saying they hoped it would be an annual thing. I said no, as to my mind it was a once-off.' But this year they have decided to do one more, persuaded by Christy's fans and also the idea that these gigs are a way of keeping his memory alive. Christy Dignam with his daughter Kieran on her wedding day in 2013. Pic: Collins Dublin 'We have some amazing acts on board and it is the same idea,' Kiera says. 'It won't just be Aslan songs, there will be solo Christy Dignam songs, Dignam & Goff songs, songs that my dad loved like Gilbert O'Sullivan and David Bowie, covers he would have been known to sing like The Green Fields Of France, Waltzing Matilda, traditional songs he loved to sing and songs that make us think of him.' They aren't a big organisation, it's just the family, Mark, Kiera's manager and the team at Vicar Street, but anyone who has been asked to sing has said yes, unless they are away on tour. Of course Kiera, who is a singer herself, will pay her own tribute to her dad. Christy Dignam of Aslan. Pic: Ilpo Musto/Shutterstock 'Anyone we have asked has been amazing about it,' Kiera says. 'They are really excited and want to come and remember him with us.' There is, of course, one name missing – Aslan themselves, who are still performing with a new singer, Lee Tomkins, and who were also absent from the first celebration of Christy's life. The last time Kiera said there were reasons for this that she wouldn't go into and pointed out her father had not spoken to the band for seven months before he died. Kiera Dignam. Pic: Fran Veale But she refused to go into the details and said the band had every right to continue as Aslan, and the songs were as much theirs as they were her father's. 'No, we don't speak,' she says when I ask if she talks to the rest of the band. 'I have no need to now. My dad is gone and that's water under the bridge for me,' is all she will say on the matter. But she was viciously attacked by online trolls when it first came to light that the band were not included in the initial celebration of Christy's life and being forced to grieve in the public eye has been difficult for the mother-of-three. 'I can't explain how difficult it is,' Kiera says, with an honesty and clarity that most would shy away from. 'When you're in the public eye people have their minds made up and there is a perception of you. It happens a lot and when I am doing stuff like this concert, it can be misconstrued. Christy Dignam Pic: Gareth Chaney Collins 'We literally want to have a celebration. This was my dad. We just want to keep him alive and celebrate him and remember him in a positive way that he would want because music was his life and music is my life. 'The nastiness in some people – it has literally been said to me by trolls online that I am milking his death, which is a horrible thing to say, it is a horrible thing to hear and it's absolutely not the case. 'That aspect of being in the public eye and almost having to defend why you are trying to do a nice thing is hard. Even grieving publicly is very difficult because everyone feels they own a little bit of him. Sometimes you want to shout, 'He was my dad'. I understand his fans do miss him and they grieve him and it is genuine. But he was my dad and it is very hard to grieve that loss anyway but to do it in public is tough.' Kiera does her best to ignore the trolls but admitted that last year she was vulnerable. 'I was trying to protect the kids too because my kids are old enough to read newspapers online and see horrible, untrue things being said about their mother,' she says. 'I did get to a point where I got into a very dark place and that was somewhere I had never been before. But I had never grieved before and I was very vulnerable anyway.' She knows being in the music business demands a thick skin and tries her best to ignore any of the horrible comments. Christy Dignam. Pic: Sam Boal/ ' You shouldn't have to say, 'people are going to be nasty and you have to grin and bear it', but unfortunately that's the way it is. It's not fair but I am aware of it so I do try as best I can to take it that strangers' opinions of me are none of my business. I can't read into that and I choose not to read the comments because 99 per cent of them are lovely and supportive and it is brilliant to have that. But then you get the one per cent that are negative and those can get on top of you.' Kiera was 36 when Christy died after a long period of illness – he had amyloidosis, a type of cancer. It is well documented that the man with the powerful voice behind hits like This Is and Crazy World had battled his own demons after becoming addicted to heroin following childhood sexual abuse. Finally clean of heroin, Christy got his cancer diagnosis which he bore bravely before it all became too much. Christy Dignam in 1988. Pic: Independent News'Nothing prepares you for that,' Kiera says. 'You feel, why was there another battle given to him? Why was he taken so young? I was 36 and my dad was gone. All of these things come up. It's rough. Now we are heading into the third year without him, I am finding it more difficult. 'There is a certain numbness because when you get to the second year you don't have that, 'this time last year we were in the hospital' or 'he came home'. I know they are negative things because he was sick but you still cling on to them. 'Now I don't have anything at all. Now I say, 'this time last year he wasn't here'. It's a strange feeling and a kind of a panic you have because he is getting further away from you. Christy Dignam performing in 2003. Pic: 'Anyone who is grieving will be able to relate to that.' Kiera was told about her dad's issues with addiction when she hit her teens as her father insisted that nothing was kept as a 'dirty secret.' 'I was going into secondary school and because I was old enough to understand newspapers, he wanted me to be aware of it,' she says. Christy sat her down and explained everything to her so that she knew before anyone said it to her. Christy Dignam. Pic: Sam Boal/ 'He always wanted to explain why and how he went in that direction,' she says. 'He and my mam were always very honest about those things. It was a case of, 'This is the way it is, have you any questions or would you like to talk about it? And if anything is said to you in school or by friends on the road come and talk to me and if you have any questions I am here for that.' 'I think that is all you can really do in a situation, it's the best way of dealing with it.' Now, with three children of her own – Kian, 21, Ava, 17 and Jake, 11 – Kiera finds her father's tragic past all the more upsetting, given that it happened in an era where these things weren't spoken of and the supports were not there for him. Christy Dignam getting music lessons off Frank Merriman at the Parnell School of Music in 1989. Pic: Independent NewsChristy was a doting grandfather to Kiera's kids and he and her mam Kathryn supported her when she fell pregnant at 17. 'I was petrified,' she says of telling her parents. 'I had no idea what I was getting myself into but I did know that I was going to do my very best for him. It wasn't what I had planned. I had planned to go to college the following September and Kian was due in the October, so I never got to go. 'But at that stage I was already singing, and I was lucky enough that I had good supports around. Me and Darren, my husband, have been together since we were 16 and when I got my confidence back up, I was able to go back into music.' Christy Dignam of Aslan performs on stage at Shepherds Bush Empire in London. Pic: C Brandon/Redferns via Getty Images This is one of the reasons that Kiera won't be bullied into giving up the career she loves. 'When you get a bit of aggro off people you can think, is it worth having to put up with this just because I love to sing? Why should I have to be bullied just because I want to sing?' she says, pointing out that people who follow their parents into other careers don't get the same level of abuse. 'I have never known any different, I have never wanted to do anything else. 'Singing is hands down the one thing that has help me get this far through my grief. 'I am writing and putting any negative thoughts down, when I am upset and need to vent in some way, I am writing and some of the music I am producing because of it is free therapy for me. Music and singing has always been my go-to and I can't see it ever being any different. 'It is just a language for me and I don't know any different.' Though Christy's loss is great, the gig in Vicar Street this year will be a way to remember him and cherish him for the Dignams and his fans. Christy Dignam with Billy McGuinness in 2018. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos 'When you lose someone, regardless of who that person is or what that person was in life, all you want is to remember them and keep their memory alive,' says Kiera. 'We just happen to be in a lucky position that other people outside our family circle want to do the same, whether that be fans or other people in music who are willing to come along and pay their respect to him and talk about the memories they would have with him over the years. 'It is a lovely thing to be able to do and it is a privilege to be able to do that and just stand on a stage that I stood on with him numerous times and be able to celebrate him and keep his memory alive a little bit longer for us and for everyone in the crowd.' Remebering Christy Dignam is at Vicar Street on May 29, tickets, priced €44, are available from
Edinburgh Reporter
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe now on at The Festival Theatre
Celebrating the 75th anniversary of C.S. Lewis' classic novel, the magic of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe comes to life in this West End smash-hit production. Step through the wardrobe into the enchanted kingdom of Narnia. Join Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter as they wave goodbye to wartime Britain and embark on the most magical of adventures in a frozen, faraway land where they meet Mr Tumnus the faun, talking beavers, Aslan (the noble king of Narnia) and the coldest, most evil White Witch. The show runs 13th – 17th May at the Festival Theatre. Kerry Black and Duncan Henley-Washford are pictured with Aslan and the puppeteers are Rhodri Watkins, Andrew Davison and Molly Francis. Tickets here. Capital Theatres – The majestic Aslan prowls at the Festival Theatre ahead of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe opening night tonight. The show runs at the Festival Theatre 13th – 17th May Pic Greg Macvean 13/05/2025 Capital Theatres – The majestic Aslan prowls around the Festival Theatre ahead of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe opening night tonight. The show runs at the Festival Theatre 13th – 17th May Pic Greg Macvean 13/05/2025 Capital Theatres – The majestic Aslan prowls outside the Festival Theatre ahead of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe opening night tonight. The show runs at the Festival Theatre 13th – 17th May Pic Greg Macvean 13/05/2025 Capital Theatres – The majestic Aslan prowls outside the Festival Theatre ahead of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe opening night tonight. The show runs at the Festival Theatre 13th – 17th May Pic Greg Macvean 13/05/2025 Capital Theatres – The majestic Aslan prowls outside the Festival Theatre ahead of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe opening night tonight. The show runs at the Festival Theatre 13th – 17th May Pic Greg Macvean 13/05/2025 Like this: Like Related
