Latest news with #Ballyshannon
Irish Independent
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Donegal woman joins Alanis Morrisette on stage at Malahide Castle gig
Ballyshannon's Grainne Gillespie had the experience of a lifetime as she was brought on stage to sing live with Alanis Morrisette at her recent Malahide Castle gig. Grainne, who is a dentist working at O Connor Moore Dental Practice in Sligo, sang and danced to the classic song 'Ironic' in front of thousands of music fans. Gráinne explained she was chosen at random from the crowd to join the Canadian-American star on stage…
Irish Independent
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Donegal woman lives dream as she sings ‘Ironic' on stage with Alanis Morissette at Malahide Castle gig
Ballyshannon's Gráinne Gillespie had the experience of a lifetime as she was brought on stage to sing live with Alanis Morrisette at her recent Malahide Castle gig on Sunday night. Gráinne, who is a dentist working at O Connor Moore Dental Practice in Sligo, sang and danced to a verse and chorus of the classic song 'Ironic' in front of thousands. Gráinne explained she was chosen at random from the crowd to join the Canadian-American star on stage. She then went backstage and met the production crew who she said were very kind and asked if she knew the words to the song. 'During the gig, I was singing and dancing when someone tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I would like to join Alanis on stage to sing Ironic. 'I asked if it was real around 100 times. 'It was so surreal. So Bizarre. 'It was the best thing I have ever experienced,' said Gráinne. Despite the nerves and excitement, Grainne did not look out of place on stage as she sang and danced with Alanis. Gráinne said the production crew had advised her to just enjoy the moment and take it all in so she let herself fully embrace the moment. 'When I was younger I was very into musicals and music but the older I got, the more self-conscious I became and I haven't been able to sing in a karaoke bar in years. 'I have no idea where it came from. I don't know if it was the adrenaline or nerves. 'I looked green before I went on and the production crew told me that the biggest regret of people who have been brought on is that they did not take in the moment when they were on stage and they did not enjoy it so I think that helped me. 'Alanis asked if I was okay and she was very engaging. She was smiling at me and nodding her head. 'She was really trying to bring me out of myself and then it felt like I was up there with my friends. 'I really don't know where the confidence came from. 'I did not watch the video until Tuesday but all the comments have been so lovely and the people of Ballyshannon are so supportive. 'It was like living my childhood dream. I will be living off that moment for the rest of my life,' said Gráinne. Gráinne has been a massive fan of the singer since she was a teenager and she had attempted to see her live previously but had no luck. 'I got really into her music when I was around 15 or 16 so I have been listening to her for 13 plus years. 'It is every music fan dream to meet their favourites but to get the chance to sing along is just a pipedream. 'Never in a million years did I dream I would get to sing with her. 'I tried to go to the concert before in 2018 but I was out of the country. I had tickets in 2020 but it was cancelled because of Covid-19. 'She came back in 2022 but the gig was the day of my sister's wedding so I could not go. 'I was so happy to finally get a chance to see her live. I really struggled to get tickets this time so I was delighted to actually get them,' said Gráinne.
BreakingNews.ie
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
More funding needed to keep summer festivals running, senator says
Increased support is needed to help festivals in towns and communities across the country, a senator has said. Senator Manus Boyle said local summer festivals across the country are struggling to run events due to increased costs. Advertisement 'Many of our regional and rural festivals are really struggling and fearing for their future," he said. "We've seen the increased cost of running a festival, with the high cost of insurance, operational costs, site set up costs, and energy costs, so we need to see increased funding to support these community groups." Senator Boyle, from Donegal, said community run festivals, regattas, and local community events across the island are a highlight of the summer for hundreds of thousands of people. 'They are an annual tradition and often the pride of a locality hosting their main event. Many people who have moved from their homeplace to other areas of Ireland or abroad plan to come home to coincide when their local festival is on. Advertisement "It is an opportunity for friendships and families to be reunited and provides so many happy occasions during the Irish summer. 'In Donegal, the Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival has been an integral part of the community for over two decades and now attracts visitors from all over the world each year to Ballyshannon. 'Fáilte Ireland research shows that the festival generates €4 million to the local economy and a total of €5 million nationally - taking into account the time spent by visitors elsewhere in the country including travel along the Wild Atlantic Way. 'As well as celebrating and promoting the music of this wonderful musician, and supporting Irish and international musical artists, the Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival is vital for the survival of the local economy in South Donegal." Advertisement Boyle said he has asked Minister for Culture, Patrick O'Donovan, to urgently address the need for increased financial support for local festivals across Ireland.. 'Our community festivals bring people together, strengthening relationships and creating a sense of belonging. They provide a platform for residents to connect, interact, and build stronger community ties. 'Festivals can be a significant draw for tourists, bringing new visitors to the town who might not otherwise consider visiting. "Tourism revenue generated by festivals can be a major boost for the local economy and can also raise awareness of the town as a tourist destination, potentially attracting future visitors. 'We need our festivals to survive and continue, not just as a celebration of our musical heritage and the arts, but to contribute as a cornerstone of the local economy in small towns throughout the country."
Irish Times
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Rory Gallagher to be honoured with naming ceremony at Cork Airport
Liverpool has John Lennon Airport, Belfast has George Best Airport and now Cork is about to honour one its most famous sons, rock and blues legend Rory Gallagher by naming the main entrance route to Cork Airport in his honour. Taoiseach Micheál Martin will officially name Rory Gallagher Avenue at a ceremony at Cork Airport on Saturday. In attendance will be Rory's brother Donal and other family members as well as lord mayor of Cork Dan Boyle, a musician and fan of the late virtuoso guitarist. Gallagher was born in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal, and grew up in Cork. It was while on Leeside that he began his music career, playing first with showbands such as The Fontana and The Impact before forming Taste with fellow Cork musicians Eric Kitteringham and Norman Damery. But it was with the second incarnation of Taste, with Richard McCracken on bass and John Wilson on drums, that Gallagher toured the United States with Eric Clapton and Blind Faith before putting in a storming performance at the Isle of Wight Festival in front of an estimated 600,000-plus fans in 1970. READ MORE Dissolving the blues-rock trio in late 1970, Gallagher went on to have a highly successful solo career, selling millions of albums, being voted guitarist of the year by Melody Maker readers in 1972 and earning the respect of such legends as Muddy Waters and Clapton. [ Statue of Rory Gallagher unveiled in Belfast to honour musician's connection to the city Opens in new window ] Gallagher died on June 14th, 1995, aged 47, from complications following a liver transplant. To mark the 30th anniversary of his death, Cork City Council, Cork City Libraries and Gallagher's estate are holding a series of commemorative events this weekend, Cork Rocks for Rory. Cllr Dan Boyle said the commemorative events would include photographic and original memorabilia exhibitions at Cork City Hall, Central Library and Public Museum and a citywide walking trail commemorating the life and legacy of the musician. 'Rory Gallagher has been Cork's finest cultural export across the world. As we mark the 30th anniversary of his passing, we must celebrate his genius.' Gallagher's nephew Eoin Gallagher said: 'The Gallagher family are honoured and proud to endorse this initiative led by the lord mayor of Cork, Dan Boyle, and Cork City Council. 'The interest in Rory's music and life has only continued to grow and grow, here in Ireland and throughout the world. We are delighted to support these simultaneous exhibitions and the establishment of the permanent 'Rory Gallagher's Stompin' Ground' Cork City Walking Trail.'
BreakingNews.ie
10-06-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Young woman says she will not allow sexual assault to define her as cousin is jailed
A young Co Donegal woman has said she will not allow a sex assault on her to define her as her older cousin was jailed for 15 months for the crime. Brave Louise McMenamin waived her anonymity so her cousin Joseph McGinty could be named in court. Advertisement Ms McMenamin was just 10 and Joseph McGinty was aged 14 when he assaulted her during a sleepover at her home. McGinty, now 27, had pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting Louise McMenamin on an unknown date between June 1st and September 1st, 2012. However, after a three day trial at Donegal Circuit Court, McGinty was found guilty by a jury of the allegation. McGinty, from Ballyshannon, was accused of touching the then ten year old girl on her bum and beneath her breast area while he was visiting the girl in her house on a sleepover. Advertisement McGinty sneaked into the girl's room and touched her on the bottom beneath her nightdress and then touched her breast area. Details of the incident were given at the sentencing hearing by Garda Catherine Henry of Ballyshannon Garda Station. After touching the young girl on her bum and under her chest, the court heard the young girl woke up and McGinty, with an address at Abberlands, Ballyshannon hid down behind the bed and she could hear him breathing. Advertisement She initially pretended to be asleep but when he got up to leave she asked him what he was doing in her room. The girl immediately went downstairs and told her father what had happened and he took the girl into her mother and a complaint was later made. The victim, who told the court that she wanted to be named so that McGinty could be named also, read a heart-wrenching victim impact statement about how the episode had impacted her life so deeply in so many negative ways. But Ms Louise McMenamin also told McGinty how she has now "been courageous enough to hold you accountable, seek justice and stand up to you." Advertisement Witness box She outlined the night she was set upon as a child in detail as she fought back tears in the witness box. She told how she has spent years in therapy with both the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and also the Rape Crisis Centre (RCC) trying to remedy her anxiety and depression but that she still cannot tell herself that she is no longer in danger and safe from McGinty. She added "What you did to me, as a helpless 10 year old child has shaped the young woman I am now, and I hate that you have that power. I will always wonder, and never have the answers, about the person I would have been if you had not taken advantage of me at my most vulnerable. "It has changed the way I look at the world, the way I look at people. You knew right from wrong, and the poor decision you made that night has left me with a lifetime of fallout. I still experience crippling anxiety if I meet you in public, and although I now face up to you as an adult, it is the child in me that has suffered this pain that you caused that I am fighting for. Advertisement "I have carried the guilt of this burden for almost 13 years. The guilt of getting into trouble, the guilt of taking our cousins and extended family away from my brothers, the guilt of knowing that my parents feel like they have failed me. The guilt of missing valuable years without grandparents , the guilt of isolating myself from family and friends that did stand by me. The guilt of still letting this, letting you, control me and so much of my life all these years later. "I am choosing now to no longer carry this guilt, because it is not mine. You caused this, the weight of it has been suffocating and made me feel worthless, I will leave it behind." Ms McMenamin said there were times when questioned if she would be strong enough to face her abuser. But, she added, at aged 23 years, she is thankful that she fought her corner, told her truth and sought justice. And she thanked all those who stood beside her as she sought that justice and revealed how she is now graduating from university. She concluded "This may seem a short incident, but it has been my whole life from the night it took place. I do not deserve to feel this way anymore, I want to move on and start living my life for me, with this chapter closed. "I did not deserve to suffer due to your actions, to be shunned by our family for telling the truth and miss out on so many opportunities because of fear. I will no longer carry the shame of what you put me through, because I did nothing wrong. "It may have taken years, but I have realised that I am so much more than what you did to me. I cannot undo what you have done, and this will always be part of me, but I will not let it define me. Trauma "I survived what happened, and I will be a voice for other girls. I will not collapse under this trauma. I will continue to show bravery, move on and make younger me proud of the woman I have become, despite all the obstacles in my way." The mother of Joseph McGinty also took to the witness stand and told how the incident had had a massive impact on both families. She said that as a mother and an aunt she recognised "the trauma that both of these children have been through." She added that their grandparents had passed away with this matter on their minds. Mrs McGinty said she empathised with the trauma that Louise had suffered but that she was asking the court for leniency for her son. She reflected on how her son had grown up from being a happy boy to waking up with nightmares and being prescribed anti-depressant medication and developing severe eczema. However, he went through college and qualified as a civil engineer who is a popular worker within his company who has the full support of his boss. Mrs McGinty added that her son also respects the verdict of the jury in his case. Barrister for the accused, Mr Colm Smyth, SC, said this was indeed a tragic case which has had a debilitating effect on the extended families. Ms Smyth said it has been recognised the trauma which the victim has gone through but he said his client had suffered too and asked the court to take into account that the offence was committed when he was fourteen years old. He added that the level of maturity must come into play and he produced case law on this aspect of the case. He said McGinty respects the verdict of the court and has the capacity to take it in that time period but again stressed his client was at a very early stage of his development, either sexual or otherwise, at the time. He asked the court to consider a non-custodial sentence given the particular circumstances adding that McGinty has already suffered considerably and has carried the burden since his conviction. Passing sentence, Judge John Aylmer said the aggravating factors in the case was that the victim was only ten years old at the time and the "very severe impact" the offending has had on her as he made reference to her victim impact statement. He referred to the consequences of the assault and how Ms McMenamin still suffered and had to engage in counselling to cope with anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress disorder right throughout her education and has bravely struggled with all those effects. The Judge said he had to decide what the headline sentence for McGinty should be before factoring in that he was only 14 years at the time and said that if it was an adult who snuck into the bedroom then without hesitation he would impose a sentence of three years in prison. He added the law establishes the fact that the accused was 14 years old although he added that there was no evidence as to how sophisticated a young man he was in his development. The fact that he snuck in and sought to commit the offence when Ms McMenamin was asleep and then hid behind the bed when she woke up, indicated that he had full awareness of what he was doing, added Judge Aylmer. He said this was the only evidence he had to make a determination as to the accused's culpability. He said he was entitled to have his own experience of life and of fourteen year olds and add that to his assessment, and with the guidance of authorities open to him, Judge Aylmer said he deemed it appropriate to reduce the sentence by 50% to one of 18 months in prison. He added the few mitigating factors that exist mandate a reduction to one of 15 months in prison, a reduction of one sixth. He then said the question then arises if some or all of the sentence could be suspended as McGinty had come before the courts with no previous convictions and having no adverse attention since the incident. He said he had taken into account that he was a minor and allowed him a 50% reduction. Because of the gravity of the case and there is no admission of guilt and no expression of remorse for the victim to avail of, as well as nothing before the court about rehabilitation for you, Judge Aylmer said this is not a case where the court could justify a suspended sentence. He sentenced McGinty to 15 months in prison and placed him on the sex offender's register for a period of five years. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at or visit Rape Crisis Help .
