Latest news with #Brown'sBoys
Dublin Live
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Dublin Live
Rory Cowan bids farewell to Fair City after five years and fans have seen final scenes
Rory Cowan has left Fair City after five years, it has been confirmed. The former Mrs Brown's Boys actor joined the RTÉ soap back in 2019 as John 'Bosco' Walsh. Bosco was introduced to Carrigstown as part of the O'Brien family, and looked after his mum Rose, who was ill with dementia. The storyline was particularly poignant for Rory, whose own mother, Esther, also suffered with the condition. Bosco quickly integrated himself into Carrigstown and became a notable community character in recent years. But now, Rory has decided to retire from work ahead of his 66th birthday and quietly exited the soap earlier this year. A Fair City spokesperson told RSVP Live: "Rory Cowan made the decision to retire from Fair City earlier this year. "Following his success in Mrs. Brown's Boys, Rory joined the cast in 2019 as John 'Bosco' Walsh - a character known for his kind-hearted personality, wit and comedic timing. Rory brought warmth, humour and depth to the role, quickly becoming a much-loved member of the Fair City family. "His contribution to the series, both on-screen and behind the scenes, has been greatly valued by colleagues and viewers alike. Rory will be missed by the cast, crew and fans across the country. We extend our thanks to him for his time on Fair City and wish him every happiness and fulfilment in his retirement." At the time of joining Fair City back in 2019, Rory said he was a long-time fan of the soap. He explained: "Since the very beginning, thirty years ago, yes I have been a fan. But for a good few years, when I was touring the world with Mrs Brown's Boys, I lost touch with what was happening in Carrigstown. "But when I left Mrs Brown's Boys to care for my mother, who had dementia, I got back into watching it again. Myself and my ma used to watch the omnibus on Sunday afternoons. "I've lovely memories of those Sundays with my mam watching Fair City." For Rory, comedy acting and working on a soap are two different beasts. "The timing and pace is different. It's another skill altogether," he added. "So acting in Fair City is totally different to acting in Mrs Brown's Boys, but that's what I find so interesting about it. "If I'd been asked to go into another situation comedy I probably would have said no, but being offered a role in Fair City was never going to be something I'd refuse." In 2024, Rory took part in Dancing With The Stars, and shared his plans to retire in the near future. The actor and TV personality will turn 66 in July, and recently told that while he is retiring from showbiz, he will "still be around" - joking he will be "a bit older but not wiser." Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Irish Daily Mirror
22-04-2025
- Climate
- Irish Daily Mirror
Joanna Donnelly's life away from weather as star departs RTE
If there was anyone who knew about the weather, it was Joanna Donnelly. But the mum-of-three leads a seasonal life outside of RTE, away from weather maps and storm warnings. Joanna is an avid cyclist and runner who loves her fashion, showcasing a very classy and chic style while presenting the weather. But it was this year that fans got to know the weather woman when she signed up to Dancing with the Stars earlier this year. She was the third celebrity to be voted out of the show with her pro dance partner Maciej Zieba. But during her stint on the glitzy RTE show, Joanna came to blows with former Mrs Brown's Boys star Rory Cowan who accused the weather broadcaster of 'alarmist scaremongering' when the country became gripped in sub zero temperatures in January. Mr Cowan posted on X: 'The national broadcaster and those in the know say there's a serious weather event in Ireland. They issued a warning about it over the last few days. What serious weather event? I haven't seen much evidence of it so far'. Joanna responded sarcastically to Mr Cowan at the time saying: 'Rory you should take a drive to Limerick, bring a care package to the vulnerable there trying to cope. Oh and DON'T check your tread depth or tyre pressure before you set off. DON'T steer in to a skid, just slam on your brakes really hard if you start to slide…be grand.' He then retorted: 'Or I could just use my common sense and not buy into the alarmist scaremongering.' Away from reporting on the weather, Joanna is also an author. In 2018, Joanna penned an illustrated book called The Great Irish Weather Book. Joanna then launched her second book, Malin Head to Mizen Head, which is a journey around Ireland's Sea Area Forecast in 2023. Away from public life, Joanna is married to fellow Met Eireann forecaster, Harm Luijkx, from The Netherlands and the couple have three children, a daughter Nicci, and two sons, Tobias and Casper. Her eldest, Nicci, and her youngest, Casper, she had naturally but she had her middle child Tobias through IVF. Joanna opened up about her journey in 2016, saying "it wasn't fair" her third child was conceived naturally after going having her second through IVF. The Dubliner said at the time: "My middle child was IVF. Afterwards, I got pregnant naturally and I just thought, 'Well that isn't fair' - there are people in a terrible position of never being able to afford IVF. "People seem to know that IVF is very expensive and it is, but they often don't realise that the run-up to IVF is also very expensive. "You don't just wake up one morning and say, 'I am going for IVF; you have all the scans, all the tests, which have usually depleted people's savings before they go anywhere near a private hospital for IVF. I just thought, 'That isn't right,' so we set up Pomegranate." She co-found Pomegranate, alongside her friend Fiona McPhillips, which is a charity that provides help for those suffering from infertility.
