Latest news with #BordGáis
RTÉ News
26-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Calamity Jane: 'It's a role that's got everything'
Oh, the Deadwood Stage is a-rollin' up Misery Hill. Yep, the much-loved musical Calamity Jane is heading to Dublin and John Byrne talks to the show's star, West End legend Carrie Hope Fletcher. Now you're talkin'! There have been some amazing shows at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin over the years - but few can match the sheer exuberant joy that is Calamity Jane. No childhood is complete without falling in love with Doris Day in the film about the Wild West's ultimate tomboy. That 1953 musical has been a TV staple for decades, and inspired a stage musical that arrived in 1961 and has enjoyed many revivals ever since. The latest production of the whip-crackin' Broadway and West End hit musical is out on tour and making its way to Dublin. Starring multi-award-winning West End star Carrie Hope Fletcher, Calamity Jane will run August 19-23 of August 2025 at the Bord Gáis. This foot-stomping show features all the sure-fire classic songs including The Deadwood Stage (Whip-Crack-Away), The Black Hills of Dakota, Just Blew in from the Windy City, and the Oscar-winning Secret Love. Jane is played by Carrie Hope Fletcher, a three-time WhatsOnStage Best Actress in a Musical winner. She most recently originated the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella (Gillian Lynn Theatre, West End). Her previous credits include Veronica in Heathers, Wednesday in The Addams Family and Eponine in Les Misérables. Carrie is also a 2022 Grammy nominee for two competing albums for Best Musical Theatre Album - Cinderella (Original Concept Album) and Les Misérables: The Staged Concert (Live Album). Carrie has also enjoyed solo touring, and even found time to write several best-selling novels. She enjoys a huge social media presence with her YouTube channel with over a million views every month. Now she's playing the fearless, gun slingin' Calamity Jane, the biggest mouth in Dakota territory and someone who's always up for a fight. She's a charmer too, especially when trying to win the heart of the dashing Lieutenant Gilmartin or even when shooting insults at the notorious Wild Bill Hickok. John Byrne: Carrie Hope Fletcher! How are ya? It must be quite a buzz to be playing a legendary role such as Calamity Jane? Carrie Hope Fletcher: I know! It's a pretty iconic one. Straight away, you think of the film starring Doris Day. But the stage version's been around a long time too. How do the stage and film versions compare? There's a couple of different songs in the stage version that weren't in the movie. And there's a couple of new things for anyone who knows the movie inside-out. Because Doris Day is so iconic I had to make a very solid decision whether I was going to do a bad impression of Doris Day - because no one can be Doris Day. No one can match up to the magic she created - and in every role that she played. So either I always fall short doing a bad impression of Doris Day, or I succeed at doing my own version of Calamity Jane. So it was kind of a no-brainer in terms of what I would do. But it is tough, because I think there are a lot of people who come and watch the show, and expect me to play Doris Day playing Calamity Jane. So I'd hope that I'd win them over by the end. But Carrie - let's face it. One glance at your CV and it's obvious that you've done a pretty good job at being yourself. The one thing that the stage show has as an advantage is that the musicians are also the cast. And you are watching the cast members play their instruments live on stage. There is no hidden band. The only people we have backstage are a pianist and a percussionist. Everything else - all of the trumpets, saxophones, the cellos, the double bass, the clarinets - are all played by the cast live on stage. It adds a huge layer of magic to the show. Usually the band is hidden in a pit, in the dark. But here you get to see them. Not only see them, but see them playing all the roles that you know and love from Calamity Jane. For me, the thing about Calamity Jane is that you're going to come out from the show with a smile on your face. Guaranteed. Yeah! It's a real feelgood show. And while Les Mis will always be my favourite musical, I will always come out of that sobbing my heart out, feeling very sad for the next week, and Calamity Jane is the complete opposite of that. You come out feeling happy and feeling good about life. And this is a time when we need something like that. People like yourself have the gift of making people happy. How is the tour going for you guys? We've had such an incredible response on tour in the UK [the tour's in Plymouth when we spoke - JB], and Calamity Jane has so much nostalgia attached to it. People love that movie and they love the story. They watched it when they were kids and they've such strong memories attached to it. But I also think that the response that we've had to it is the fact that it's such a feelgood show. And now you're bringing the show to Dublin. Have you played the Bord Gáis before? I did, once. In 2017. It was The Addams Family. Brilliant! So you know what the deal is - you turn up and everybody has a good time. I'm so excited to come back! It's such a wonderful theatre, but it's also a wonderful area. There's always logistics that a performer thinks about, like where is the nearest coffee shop? Where's the nearest restaurant? Where's the nearest book shop? And that space has it all. So, yeah, it's just a very comfortable place to be in a touring show. And there's a lot of people on this tour who haven't been to Dublin before. Everyone who has been before is really, really excited for them to experience it. Looking through the list of famous names who've played Calamity Jane, it's clear that it's a role many would aspire to playing. What is the attraction? Well, she's got everything. It's a role that has everything. I always say that usually you have to have a whole career behind you in order to play a character role, a love interest, an action hero. They're all different characters - and here you get to complete the whole set. Calamity Jane is all of them. She gets the love story with Wild Bill Hickok, and the love ballad. She gets to be funny with all the comedic lines. She gets a bit of slapstick with the physical comedy. She's the action hero who gets to do some gunslinging and the stagecoach driving. She gets to dance. And she gets to wear the buckskins and the pretty pink dress! It's everything in one role. Usually, all of those things are separated into different roles you are lucky to play in your lifetime. I was going to ask you how you'd rate the role in terms of the parts you played in your career - but that seems unfair. It's almost like ranking your children. It really is! But I think I would safely be able to say that Calamity is my favourite. As well as a hugely successful career in musical theatre, you've been writing books, making films, recording albums - and having babies. You really are Miss Busy, aren't you? It's all sort of slowing down now that I've had my first little girl. She's the priority. It does change your perspective on everything. I used to be, 'Oh, I'll sleep when I'm dead' but can't afford to do that now. I've got a little girl who relies on me to be alert, have my wits about me, so no more all-nighters writing books for me. I'm still sort of figuring it out. How to juggle it all and where it all fits. I'\ll get there eventually! While I'm tour, she's with me half-and-half. Sometimes she's with me, sometimes she's not. We have discovered that she does not settle in new environments and therefore doesn't sleep. So I don't sleep. And then Calamity Jane is really tough. It was a learning curve. We knew it was going to be hard. We knew it would be trial and error. We're figuring it out day by day.
Irish Examiner
16-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Bord Gáis announces green energy purchases as €1bn investment plans continue
Bord Gáis Energy has signed energy purchase deals with a number of investors which will buy enough energy to power around 250,000 homes. The company is increasing its solar and wind energy portfolio after agreeing power purchase agreements (PPAs) with renewable developers - part of the company's €1bn infrastructure investment over the next five years. The projects announced on Wednesday total over 629MW of installed renewable capacity spanning solar and onshore wind technologies. The new solar agreements are with Highfield Energy, BNRG, ILOS Energy and Power Capital Renewable Energy while Bord Gáis Energy has signed onshore wind offtake agreements with Encavis and Tullynamoyle 5. "This is a pivotal time for Bord Gáis Energy as we repurpose to become a leading green energy business. We have an ambition to be a net zero company by 2040 and we're working with our 730,000 residential, commercial and agricultural customers to help them transition affordably to a lower carbon future and reach net zero by 2050," said Bord Gáis director of trading John Dalton. "We've partnered with trusted renewable energy developers and the newly signed agreements will amount to almost 1TWh of clean electricity annually, enough to power approximately 250,000 residential homes. Many projects are already live or expected to energise in 2026 with some longer-term agreements active in 2028." Once operational, Bord Gáis Energy will be the largest off taker of solar powered energy from the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS), the Government scheme which provides firms with guarantees to purchase electricity generated for 15 years. Bord Gáis Energy currently operates a 445MW combined cycle gas turbine in Whitegate, Co Cork which can power up to 400,000 homes. The company is developing two 100MW 'peaker' plants in Dublin and Athlone with a third peaker planned for Galway to facilitate the growth of renewable energy and ensure security of supply. Peaker plants usually supply power during times of high demand. Bord Gáis Energy's solar and wind portfolio will move from 380.70MW at the start of this year to 979.3MW in October 2028. In February 2025, Bord Gáis announced it would invest €1bn between 2024 and 2029 in Ireland's energy infrastructure and to support the green transition.
Extra.ie
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Extra.ie
Inside Alan Connolly's life off the pitch
Cork's Alan Connolly will be hoping his 24th birthday celebrations will double up as All Ireland celebrations as the Senior Hurling team vy for their first title in 20 years. The 23-year-old from Blackrock was the well deserved Bord Gáis Man of the Match on Saturday following the Rebels 20-point win over Dublin. On the day, the full-forward earned a hattrick as he contributed three goals and two points to Cork's 7-26 win. Cork's Alan Connolly will be hoping his 24th birthday celebrations will double up as All Ireland celebrations as the Senior Hurling team vy for their first title in 20 years. Pic: INPHO/Leah Scholes Cork take on Tipperary in the All Ireland Senior Hurling final on Sunday, July 20 with Alan celebrating his 24th birthday the day before, Saturday, July 19. The youngster comes from a family steeped in GAA and is often proudly supported by his girlfriend, Alanna. Here's a look at his life off the pitch… As with many young lads, Alan started his hurling career at club level and played both juvenile and underage for Blackrock before progressing to the Senior team. In 2018, Alan made his debut on the county panel when he played for the minor team. Two years later he had a successful stint with the U20 team, claiming both Munster and All Ireland titles. The Cork man has been on the senior team since 2021 and made his debut in May 2021 when he came on as a substitute for Shane Barrett and scored two goals against Waterford. On the day, the full-forward earned a hattrick as he contributed three goals and two points to Cork's 7-26 win. Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne Alan comes from a family steeped in Cork GAA with his grandfather Mick Cashman a goalkeeper for the Cork senior team and his granduncle was also on the Cork squad. Uncles Tom and Jim Cashman have also been county hurlers and boast six All-Ireland medals between them when playing with the Rebel County from 1977 to 1990. The up and coming star will be hoping to add to the family's medal haul in two weeks time. Alan Connolly is in a relationship with Alanna O'Flynn who is regularly seen at matches on support duties. Pic: Instagram/ Alan Connolly Alan is currently studying Business Information Systems at Munster Technological University in Cork (formerly Cork Institute of Technology). He has played for the college as part of their Fitzgibbon Cup panel since 2023. Cork Beo also report that Alan is a part-time bartender at Blackrock National Hurling Cup. Alan is in a relationship with Alanna O'Flynn who is regularly seen at matches on support duties. The pair often share pictures of each other on their respective social media, and appear to love travelling and music, having both attending Electric Picnic last year.
Irish Times
24-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Bord Gáis engineer unfairly dismissed over side work allegations wins €5,000
An engineer has won over €5,000 for unfair dismissal after being sacked by Bord Gáis over claims he was offering to do cash work on the side for its customers. Kieran O'Leary, who was sacked from his €60,000-a-year job as a service engineer for Bord Gáis in January 2024, had told the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) there was 'no evidence' he accepted cash from a woman who later complained about him. Bord Gáis human resources manager Graham Bailey had claimed there were 'multiple instances' of Mr O'Leary 'offering to carry out work in a personal capacity for vulnerable female customers', Mr Bailey said. The company's position was that Mr O'Leary had breached a competition clause in his contract of employment. READ MORE The WRC was told Bord Gáis had received complaints from three customers who had been visited by Mr O'Leary on dates in 2022 and 2023. Giving evidence, Mr O'Leary said that he was called out to a property in April 2022 where the lady of the house had asked about having showers and taps fitted. 'She asked if I did. I said I did, I came back out of work hours to give her a price for that, but the job never went ahead,' he said. He said the customer later complained to his line manager, who called him to a meeting and asked him to explain a 'printout'. 'I told him I'd offered to fit a shower and taps for this customer. He explained it wasn't something I was supposed to do. I thought my contract stated I wasn't to work in direct competition with Bord Gáis,' he said. 'At that point I'd been given the understanding of what the contract meant. That was the last time I ever offered my services,' he said. His position was that the complaint had been resolved informally by his employer. Mr O'Leary said that he was asked a year later to explain why a customer had 'alleged she had paid me an amount of money for a part I'd fitted'. 'When I went to this job, everything was done by the book ... everything in that house was charged for and fitted by Bord Gáis,' he said. He said that on a second visit to the property in February 2023, he realised the customer's boiler was missing a 'grommet'. 'That grommet renders the boiler dangerous. You wouldn't be able to leave the boiler on, because it wouldn't be sealed,' Mr O'Leary said. 'I was pretty sure I had one of them at home,' he said – adding that he went home, fetched it and installed it. He said this was to 'save' the customer the difficulty of having her boiler turned off for the two weeks he said it would take to order the part in. Mr O'Leary produced a small black item around the size of a wine bottle cork in a plastic package from his pocket and held it up for the hearing, and told the hearing it was an example of the part he fitted. 'That grommet would be somewhere between one pound and five pounds to order,' he said. Next, in March 2023, Mr O'Leary said a difficulty arose with another customer as there was a casing around her boiler. He said his employer had 'always instructed that we shouldn't remove a casing' and she replied that 'everyone else did'. 'We got over that. I probably was a bit rude,' he said. He said he noticed there was a difficulty with a circuit board on the customer's boiler of a type that was carried as stock in his van, which he brought in and fitted. Again, a complaint followed, he said. 'They stated that I firstly fitted a second-hand part, which was later disproved by the inspector; [then] that I'd offered to do it for cash. I'm not sure how I'd be able to do it any cheaper than Bord Gáis,' he said. He told the WRC that the boxes for parts kept as van stock 'always get damaged'. He said he opened the sealed bag inside the box in front of the customer. 'She alleged she gave me €150. There's absolutely no evidence to say that happened. There's nothing to show I've ever done anything than my job that I was supposed to do with Bord Gáis,' Mr O'Leary said. The complainant explained that the April 2022 matter was then 're-tabled' by the company during an investigation meeting in July 2023. He said he made it 'clear' this had already been 'dealt with' by his line manager but that his concerns were 'palmed off'. The tribunal heard the investigation was paused when Mr O'Leary went on sick leave. 'I'd had a nervous breakdown,' he said. He also took issue with the fact that a formal grievance he raised about the investigation process did not proceed when he was later certified fit to participate, but that the disciplinary process did go ahead. Adjudicator Dónal Moore wrote in his decision that customer complaints had to be 'treated with some caution in making a serious decision on a person's livelihood'. Mr Moore said there was 'an issue as to how much weight can be given to these', but concluded there was 'no logical reason' that customers would fabricate similar complaints and concluded there was a case to be answered. The adjudicator found Mr O'Leary's use of his own parts 'does not appear to be warranted regardless of its well-meaning or intention' and that the claimant bore some fault in this regard. However, Mr Moore said it was 'not appropriate' that the 2022 complaint – which he said 'never led anywhere' – was 'conflated' with the 2023 complaints. He upheld Mr O'Leary's complaint and awarded him compensation of €5,289.08 under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977.
The Irish Sun
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Inside Lee Chin's life including day job as Wexford forward even stars during RTE GAA ad breaks with Johnny B
LEE Chin has been a constant presence in the inter-county season so far - with that even extending to seemingly every ad break too. The Wexford talisman exposes himself to acting in an amusing advert with one half of Advertisement 4 In it he shares a candlelit bath with Johnny B Credit: Bord Gáis 4 Not a combination or setting we'd have automatically concocted but it works Credit: Bord Gáis 4 Arriving suited and booted at the 2024 GAA All-Stars bash at the RDS in Dublin 4 He's arguably the best hurler in the country this year The concept behind it is that Johnny B is trying to save money on his heating bill by hopping in the bath with an unsuspecting Chin as he's trying to unwind on the eve of a big match. In the full version below there's even a cameo at the end from Johnny Smacks. Whatever the Faythe Harriers clubman is doing in the lead-up to games is clearly working as he's having one of his best-ever seasons in the purple and gold. After his Advertisement Read More On GAA The four-time All-Ireland winner hailed: "When Wexford needed the scores the most, it was their three most experienced players who delivered between Lee, Rory O'Connor and also Conor McDonald off the bench. "Lee probably would've been disappointed with a couple of his frees today but here he is in his own half-back line striking one over the bar. That takes a huge amount of guts and courage to step up but that's the leader that Lee is." Here, SunSport delves into his life away from the GAA pitch: Advertisement Most read in GAA Hurling Comment Comment What is Lee Chin's day job? According to his LinkedIn page, he currently works as a Sales Director at Clearwater Construction. They specialise in building all-weather pitches and synthetic grass surfaces as well as complementary facilities so he's very much working in the sports industry. Dublin GAA legends reunite in Germany after taking part in gruelling sporting phenomenon The company has two offices with one in Wexford Town along with another in Grange Con, Wicklow. He's previously been refreshingly open about how he was able to mostly live off brand deals. Advertisement Back in 2018, He explained: "I don't like when people ask me or refer to me as a professional, ask me am I living as a professional athlete - I'm not, I'm far from that. "I mentioned before that I'm trying to live as much of a professional lifestyle as possible with diets and recovery and sleep; obviously just working on my game every now and then. "Other than that, most of my training is done with the team collectively. Advertisement "I'd do my bits on my own but the rest of the Wexford panel that I know do the same thing." How old is Lee Chin? The 2019 All-Star is 32. His birthday falls on October 8. Over the winter he After his first game back on February 24, he detailed: 'I took a break away. Advertisement "It's been a long enough career and I thought it was time that I took a bit of time for myself and took a mental break and a physical break at the same time. 'I heard a few bits and pieces but I knew what I was doing and the lads here at home knew what I was doing. That's Ireland for you. 'We're all like one big family and everyone hears everything. We're all so close, in the GAA community especially, but it was just an extended holiday for me and I was happy to be home. 'There were times when you'd question it but hopefully it'll stand to me later in the year. I'm enjoying being back, training with the lads and working hard. Advertisement "It's not too long away until the summer and that's what I wanted to do, shorten the winter for myself." Chin returned to a different Wexford dressing room in 2025 as old pals Matthew O'Hanlon, Diarmuid O'Keeffe and Liam Óg McGovern
