Latest news with #Chadwicks
Extra.ie
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Dustin the Turkey to 'run for Irish presidency'
Dustin the Turkey plans to 'give back' to the people of Ireland by running to replace Michael D Higgins as the nation's next president. The iconic turkey has announced his intention to run for the position and is prepared to challenge Fine Gael candidate Mairead McGuinness and independent TD Catherine Connolly after their recent campaign confirmations. Dustin told RTE Entertainment: 'Look, I'll be honest with you – I am willing to move to a smaller property, I will go to the Phoenix Park and I will embrace it. Olympic boxer and brand ambassador Jack Marley with Dustin the Turkey at the relaunch of Chadwicks Sallynoggin. Pic: Conor McCabe Photography 'I can do stupid poems in Irish like your man, Mickey D Higgins, and funny enough, Michael D said to me, 'Dustin, you should go for it and I'll leave my wardrobe here at Áras an Uachtaráin because it is the exact same size, it will fit you', so I can just go straight up. 'Now, he has bit more of a Ned Kelly then me but I'd be straight into Áras an Uachtaráin and you know, my First Lady, or Vogue Williams as she is known, would be great, too.' This is not the first time Dustin has declared his intention to be Ireland's head of state. In 1997, the singer and tv host ran against Mary Robinson in an ultimately unsuccessful bid for office. He continued: 'The short answer is of course I will be running for the presidency, I am not ruling myself out because the people of Ireland have been good to me and I should be giving back to them. 'I ran against Mary Robinson and she was a good president but she put a light in the window and left the door open and that's a dangerous thing to do on the north side. 'Then we had Mary McAleese and then we nearly had a lad from Cavan, that's how bad this country was getting but Mickey D stepped in and I think he was a good president apart from the stupid poems as Gaeilge but he is a good, honest man.' Dustin the Turkey also ran for presidency in 1997. Pic: RTÉ Dustin announced his ambitions while opening the newly refurbished branch of hardware shop Chadwicks in his native Sallynoggin, Dublin. The veteran bird is supporting his local hardware shop as a way of repaying the neighbourhood that raised him before he gained fame as the host of RTE kids show 'The Den'. Dustin added: 'The people of Sallynoggin raised me. It is one of those communities where you can leave your back door open. Now, you'll get robbed, but you can leave your back door open. They'll even rob the back door. 'When Chadwicks told me they were refurbin', I put in a tender for it, right? But apparently, some Eastern European builders got it because they turn up in time and charge a fair price and come back if there's anything wrong with the job.' Despite his big ambitions, Dustin is not limiting his campaigning to just the Irish presidency. He believes he could fall back on the vacant Liveline position left open by the recent departure of Joe Duffy, should his Áras bid fall through. He said: 'Me and Joe get on well. Joe was the ringmaster of a circus full of clowns and I'd be able to continue that on Liveline. You get all the nuts and madsters coming on and you just say, 'dear god, dear god, dear god . . . I don't know what to do' and you get a quarter a million a year. It's that simple.'
RTÉ News
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Dustin the Turkey: "I will run to be president of Ireland"
Dustin the Turkey has said that he intends to run for the presidency of Ireland and has claimed that out-going President Michael D Higgins has endorsed him for the role. With former EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness confirmed as Fine Gael's candidate and Independent TD Catherine Connolly expected to launch her campaign tomorrow, the singer, tv host and occasional carpenter has said that he "owes it to the people of Ireland" to make a bid to become head of state. Speaking to RTÉ Entertainment, Dustin said, "Look, I'll be honest with you - I am willing to move to a smaller property, I will go to the Phoenix Park and I will embrace it. "I can do stupid poems in Irish like your man, Mickey D Higgins, and funny enough, Michael D said to me, `Dustin, you should go for it and I'll leave my wardrobe here at Áras an Uachtaráin because it is the exact same size, it will fit you', so I can just go straight up. "Now, he has bit more of a Ned Kelly then me but I'd be straight into Áras an Uachtaráin and you know, my First Lady, or Vogue Williams as she is known, would be great, too. "Sometimes you see her and you don't whether to snog her or throw her a bale of hay - with teeth like that, she looks like she won the Grand National last year." Dustin, who harboured presidential ambitions before when he ran in 1997, added, "The short answer is of course I will be running for the presidency, I am not ruling myself out because the people of Ireland have been good to me and I should be giving back to them. "I ran against Mary Robinson and she was a good president but she put a light in the window and left the door open and that's a dangerous thing to do on the north side. "Then we had Mary McAleese and then we nearly had a lad from Cavan, that's how bad this country was getting but Mickey D stepped in and I think he was a good president apart from the stupid poems as Gaeilge but he is a good honest man." Dustin was speaking as he opened the newly refurbished branch of hardware shop Chadwicks in his native Sallynoggin, deep in South Country Dublin. A chip off the old block, the famous turkey, who rose to fame as a host of RTÉ kids show The Den alongside Zig and Zag, said he decided to support his local DIY outlet because he wanted to give something back to neighourhood that made him who he is. "You hit the nail on the head there," he said. "The people of Sallynoggin raised me. It is one of those communities where you can leave your back door open. Now, you'll get robbed, but you can leave your back door open, they'll even rob the back door. "When Chadwicks told me they were refurbin', I put in a tender for it, right? But apparently, some Eastern European builders got it because they turn up in time and charge a fair price and come back if there's anything wrong." Another high profile position in Ireland waiting to be filled is the new host of Liveline following Joe Duffy's departure from the role last June, and Dustin is more than ready to take over. "Me and Joe get on well," he said. "Joe was the ringmaster of a circus full of clowns and I'd be able to continue that on Livelive. You get all the nuts and madsters coming on and you just say, "dear god, dear god, dear god . . . I don't know what to do' and you get a quarter a million a year. It's that simple."
Irish Examiner
10-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Woodies owner Grafton sees revenue up 10% but global fears hitting European operations
Shares in Irish building materials distributor and DIY retailer Grafton fell on Thursday after the firm said it is not expecting "significant" increase in volumes this year as global macroeconomic uncertainty continue to affect trading in its European operations. For the six months ended June 30, Grafton's group revenue rose 10.1% to £1.25bn (€1.45bn), in line with management expectations. "Trading activity recovered strongly after a subdued start to the year however there was a slow down in momentum from mid-May and into June as a spike in geopolitical uncertainty appeared to dent consumer confidence in the period," said chief executive Eric Born. "Though we remain cautious about the timing of a broader recovery, particularly in the UK and Finland where markets remain challenging, we remain very well positioned to capitalise on our market leading positions as the cycle turns." The firm said it is "actively managing costs to support margins". Grafton's shares were down 8.5% to 910.2 at 9.47am in London after earlier falling as low to 902.9p and were among the top losers on London's mid-cap FTSE-250 index. In Ireland, Chadwicks delivered like-for-like revenue growth of 3.7% in the period as trading activity continued to recover from the impact of Storm Éowyn in January. "The outlook for growth in the construction sector remains positive, supported by strong policy continuity and backing from the new Government to boost housing completions. However, persistent external challenges, including planning delays, utility connection issues, and labour shortages, continue to constrain the pace of supply expansion," the firm said. The integration of HSS Hire Ireland is underway with initial trading in line with expectations. "We successfully completed the bolt-on acquisition of HSS Hire Ireland in the first half of the year which will broaden the offering of our Chadwicks business in the Republic of Ireland," said Mr Born. The firm's Woodie's DIY, Home and Garden business in Ireland had a strong start to the year with average daily like-for-like revenue up 7.6% in the period helped by growth in both the number of transactions and average transaction values. "Woodie's focused customer proposition supported strong growth across its business as consumer spending remained resilient in Ireland despite macroeconomic uncertainties. Favourable weather conditions underpinned a particularly strong performance in plants and garden related products with some seasonal demand pulled forward into the spring trading months." Construction markets in Europe have been pressured by persistent weakness as rising inflation levels and affordability challenges have dampened construction activity and kept people away from buying new homes or investing in non-essential upkeeps. US tariffs on materials are also adding to challenges. Its UK business has been "challenging" with average daily like-for-like revenue in the UK 0.2% higher in the period. Repair, maintenance, and improvement (RMI) "demand remains soft, especially in and around the London area, as consumer confidence remains weak. However, the medium-term fundamentals remain positive, underpinned by the UK government's plans to significantly increase new housing activity." In the Netherlands, average daily like-for-like revenue increased by 2.8% during the period, primarily driven by strong branch-related sales supported by growth from sales to national key accounts. In Finland, IKH's average daily like-for-like revenue declined by 4.2% in the first half, with performance significantly weaker in May and June. In Spain, the integration of natinoal distributor Salvador Escoda continues to progress, and average daily like-for-like revenue in the period was up 6.9%. 'The integration of our platform acquisition, Salvador Escoda, in Spain is progressing apace, with continuing scope to leverage its scale and national presence in what remains a highly fragmented market." Despite the headwinds, Grafton said its medium-term outlook remained positive, as it is banking on a boost from housing shortages and a potential recovery in repairs, maintenance and improvement activity. 'We continue to actively evaluate growth opportunities in all our markets and to strengthen our position both organically and, where appropriate, by acquisition using the strength of our free cash flow conversion and balance sheet.' Last week, rival SIG said that demand was "well below historical levels", and said it remains cautious about the potential for a recovery in the second half of the year.
Irish Times
10-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Revenue at Grafton up 10% despite slow start to 2025
Building materials distributor Grafton said revenue was higher in the first half of 2025, despite a slow start to the year. Overall revenue was £1.25 billion for the group, up 10 per cent from last year's £1.14 billion. That included the impact of acquisitions Salvador Escoda in Spain and HSS Hire Ireland, Grafton said. Average daily like-for-like revenue was 2.4 per cent higher, with trading activity gaining momentum mid-period. However, it eased from mid-May and into June as global uncertainty likely dented consumer confidence and hit spending. Its Irish distribution business recorded average daily like-for-like spending that was 3.7 per cent higher than last year with trading activity at its Chadwicks business continuing to recover from the impact of Storm Éowyn in January. READ MORE Although the outlook for growth in the construction sector remains positive, the company warned about 'persistent external challenges', citing planning delays, utility connection issues and labour shortages as a drag on the sector and expansion of supply. [ Grafton to acquire HSS Hire Ireland for €31.6m Opens in new window ] The retail business was also strong, with its Woodie's DIY chain getting off to a good start. Average daily like-for-like revenue rose 7.6 per cent, supported by growth in both the number of transactions and average transaction values. In the UK, average daily distribution revenue rose 0.2 per cent, with growth supported by price inflation and demand for repairs, maintenance and improvements remaining soft. The Netherlands saw a rise of 2.8 per cent, supported by growth from sales to national key accounts, while Finland saw a decline of 4.2 per cent. Spain's average daily revenue was up almost 7 per cent. Grafton's manufacturing business saw average daily revenue up 5.2 per cent, although momentum at its CPI EuroMix business slowed in the second quarter. Looking ahead, the company said it did not expect a significant increase in volumes this year, with markets remaining challenging. The medium-term outlook for Grafton remains positive, it said, with housing shortages across all its markets and an anticipated recovery in RMI demand. 'We are pleased that our trading performance was in line with our expectations for the first half,' chief executive Eric Born said. 'Though we remain cautious about the timing of a broader recovery, particularly in the UK and Finland where markets remain challenging, we remain very well positioned to capitalise on our market leading positions as the cycle turns. 'We continue to actively evaluate growth opportunities in all our markets and to strengthen our position both organically and, where appropriate, by acquisition using the strength of our free cash flow conversion and balance sheet.'
Irish Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Wexford and Lee Chin end campaign on a high with win over Kilkenny
Leinster SHC: Wexford 2-19 Kilkenny 1-15 Wexford ended a disappointing Leinster Championship campaign on a high note as they defeated near neighbours Kilkenny in Chadwicks Wexford Park. The game was of little consequence with Kilkenny already in the Leinster decider and Wexford's fate already sealed, and it showed in a rather lacklustre affair that was lit up by a 1-13 tally from Lee Chin. The lack of jeopardy in the game really showed with just 4,623 in attendance and being at home it was Wexford who were the more fluent with Kilkenny never leading at any stage. Second-half goals from Rory O'Connor and Lee Chin gave Keith Rossiter's men a big advantage and although Kilkenny got back to within seven points come the end, it's a scoreline that's very misleading with TJ Reid getting Kilkenny's goal in stoppage time. READ MORE It was a relatively tight beginning to the game with Cian Kenny doing a lot of damage for the Cats but with a strong wind at their backs, Wexford took full control with Chin contributing eight first-half points. Simon Donohoe, Conor Hearne and Jack O'Connor also found the target for the home side though the game looked far from over as they led 0-12 to 0-5 at the break. A Rory O'Connor goal within four minutes of the resumption was a real big moment and with Chin then converting successive frees, the winners had a bit of daylight as they opened up a double-digit advantage. Kilkenny's Cian Kenny and Wexford's Kevin Foley fight for possession. Photograph: Ken Sutton/Inpho Kilkenny's best spell of the game then arrived with Adrian Mullen, Luke Connellan and Stephen Donnelly all knocking over points but it was only brief hope as Wexford's second goal ended the game as a contest a couple of minutes later. Chin was the man deservedly on the end of the move as he fired home after being fed expertly by Conor McDonald. The Cats rallied before the end with scores from Cian Kenny, Richie Reid and Fionan Mackessy before TJ Reid eventually found the net in stoppage time after being denied twice earlier in the game but it was much too late to make any difference as Wexford claimed a deserved success. Kilkenny: E Murphy; P Connellan, P Moylan, T Walsh; D Blanchfield, A Mullen (0-1), Z Bay Hammond; K Doyle (0-1), P McDonald; L Connellan (0-2), C Kenny (0-3), F Mackessy (0-1); B Drennan (0-1), TJ Reid (1-4, 2fs and 2 65's), O Wall. Subs: S Donnelly (0-1) for McDonald (44); G Dunne for Wall (49); R Reid (0-1) for Bay Hammond (59); N Shortall for Drennan (66); S Staunton for Mullen (68). Wexford: M Fanning; C Molloy, S Donohoe (0-1), C Foley; E Ryan, D Reck, D Carley; C Hearne (0-1), C Byrne Dunbar; J O'Connor (0-1), L Chin (1-13, 9fs), R O'Connor (1-1); K Foley, M Dwyer (0-1), C Byrne. Subs: N Murphy for Reck (30); C Dunbar for Dwyer (50); C McDonald (0-1) for Byrne (55); D Codd for J O'Connor (67); C McGuckin for Molloy (69). Referee: Sean Stack (Dublin).
