Latest news with #CiaraKelly
Sunday World
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Newstalk host Ciara Kelly says she 'regrets' not taking husband's surname after marrying
'I do think that if my husband had had a cooler name, I might have been slightly more tempted.' Newstalk host Ciara Kelly has said she 'regrets' not taking her husband's surname after they got married. 'I do have some regrets about having no name connection to my children,' she explained on this morning's breakfast show. 'Should they have been double-barrelled? I don't know. 'Or should I have given them Kelly as their second name? I don't know is the answer to that,' she continued. Ciara Kelly. Photo: Evan Doherty News in 90 Seconds - May 29th Kelly said if her husband had a 'cooler name' she 'might have been slightly more tempted.' 'I think there is fashion at play here; when I was young and getting married, none of my pals in college took their husbands' names. 'Most of my pals from school who didn't go to college did. 'So, there was different cohorts of people doing different things, and I think that's still true today,' she said. 'I also do think, as someone who didn't take their husband's name and I now have a different name to all four of my children, that I didn't give it enough thought. 'I didn't want to double barrel my name, I always thought that was for gits - that's what I actually thought.' Her co-host Shane Coleman said he would have been 'a little bit disappointed' if his wife had taken his surname. 'I married Ev Conroy, I didn't marry Ev Coleman,' he said. 'We get texts from people saying, 'Oh, it's really difficult travelling', it isn't. 'Or that it's 'really confusing in school', I think people are capable of differentiating. 'There's no issue.' Read more Man (20s) charged after Garda seriously injured by stolen motorbike in Finglas It comes following the publication of an Irish Times opinion piece lamenting whether or not women should change their surname after getting married. According to Pew Research Centre, 79% of women in opposite sex marriages took their husbands' surname after they wed. While just 5% of men in opposite sex marriages took their wives' surname.
Extra.ie
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Could former GP Ciara be just what the doctor ordered for Liveline?
Liveline contender Ciara Kelly has highlighted her credentials in the race to replace Joe Duffy – but knows the veteran broadcaster will be an 'extremely hard act to follow'. The Newstalk Breakfast host is one of several names in the running to take the Liveline hot seat when Duffy departs on the last Friday of June. Asked about the prospect of going solo after five years presenting as a duo with Shane Coleman, Kelly pointed out she did three years on Lunchtime Live – 'the Newstalk equivalent' to Liveline – before taking the morning slot. Liveline contender Ciara Kelly has highlighted her credentials in the race to replace Joe Duffy – but knows the veteran broadcaster will be an 'extremely hard act to follow'. Pic: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos The former GP told 'I did the first ever interactive radio show on Newstalk. I took over from George Hook in that slot and grew the audience very nicely. So yes, I did do that role, and it went well actually.' Remaining coy as to whether she has been approached by RTÉ, the former Operation Transformation contributor said she 'couldn't possibly say anything about any of that'. 'I'm sure Liveline would be an amazing job for anyone who was lucky enough to get it. But I have no real comment other than that, obviously, I have a great job [at Newstalk] myself as well.' Further pressed on her suitability, Kelly noted: 'I suppose I do like talking to people and all of that kind of thing, absolutely. 'But having said that, I have no idea if I'm in the running for Liveline or not. That obviously is out of my hands entirely.' The GP-turned-broadcaster acknowledged that Duffy will be 'an extremely hard act to follow' for whoever ends up in his chair, after his 27 years fronting the show. Pic: RTÉ The GP-turned-broadcaster acknowledged that Duffy will be 'an extremely hard act to follow' for whoever ends up in his chair, after his 27 years fronting the show. 'And he's a lovely man,' she added. 'I would know Joe a little bit, and he's obviously an icon as well, and made [Liveline] his own. So I think for anyone filling those shoes, it would be an enormous task.' The Greystones, Co. Wicklow-raised presenter said she has been a Liveline listener, since 'even before Joe's days', when the show was hosted by the late Marian Finucane, whom Kelly described as 'probably the best broadcaster Ireland has ever produced'. 'I think Marian was gifted in her touch, not only in current affairs but in her ability to get people to open up to her and to talk to her,' Kelly said. 'And I think that's something that she shares with Joe, actually – that people saw both of them as almost like a friend, someone you could really talk to.' Kelly has worked on RTÉ TV shows before, including as a medical expert on Operation Transformation and presenting duties on the magazine's health show, Doctors On Call. (Ciara Kelly on Operation Transformation). Pic: Gareth Chaney Collins The Newstalk woman called the 40-year-old RTÉ staple Liveline 'an institution of Irish radio' that has 'a finger on the pulse of the country'. Kelly has worked on RTÉ TV shows before, including in her role as medical expert on Operation Transformation and presenting duties on the magazine health show Doctors On Call. She is a former client of Noel Kelly, the agent whose books include much of RTÉ's top talent, and who became a household name himself during the secret payments scandal in 2023. She was one of several stars to part company with NK Management in the wake of that story, citing her duty as a broadcaster to report on it without bias. Kelly told the Irish Independent in July 2023: 'In order to fully interrogate the RTÉ payments issue going forward, to remain impartial and fulfil my objective public service broadcasting remit. 'I believe I have to now step away from the agency and as of today, I no longer retain them as my agent.' Kelly's Newstalk colleague Andrea Gilligan has also been mentioned as a potential replacement for Duffy. The Donegal woman is the current presenter of Lunchtime Live – similar in format to Liveline – and has been praised for her easy manner with callers. Katie Hannon and Philip Boucher-Hayes, who have often stood in for Duffy over the years, have also been mooted as obvious considerations for RTÉ. Rose of Tralee host Dáithí Ó Sé is reportedly a strong contender too, while Dancing With The Stars presenter Jennifer Zamparelli was the bookies' favourite at one stage.
The Irish Sun
22-04-2025
- General
- The Irish Sun
‘Students shouldn't have to gamble future on outdated system' – Social Democrats TD on why CAO system needs a switch-up
UP TO 61,000 students will sit the Leaving Cert this year. But before a paper has even been seen, there are concerns that the class of 2025 will be at a disadvantage when it comes to the CAO process. Advertisement 2 61,000 students will sit the Leaving Cert this year Credit: Getty Images - Getty 2 Ciara Kelly from Newstalk added her voice to the campaign Credit: Bryan Meade - The Sunday Times This is because around 15,000 She said that grade inflation has caused Writing in the Irish Sun on Sunday today, Education Spokesperson for the Social Democrats, JEN CUMMINS TD, says a more general reform of the Leaving Cert is needed if we're to ensure equality of opportunity for all... Advertisement READ MORE IN OPINION FROM the first day of first year, secondary It's no wonder, then, that pupils and their Numerous Their concerns are justified, as the Advertisement Most read in The Irish Sun This comes as a result of the rudderless Government Successive GRADE INFLATION CRISIS In 2023, over 15 per cent of students received a H1 grade in at least one of their subjects - almost twice those who achieved that milestone in 2019. In tandem, the average points awarded to students increased by almost 60 points over that same period, a monumental surge. Advertisement The Gross artificial points inflation, a kneejerk reaction to life during lockdown, has led to points lotteries becoming the norm for high-demand courses like medicine, law and engineering - six years of building towards Leaving Cert excellence now often culminates in the equivalent of throwing your name into a hat. SCHEMES IMPACTS DILUTED As a result, students now feel they must achieve perfect scores just to compete for entrance to these lotteries, an unreasonable burden fraught with anxiety and pressure which detracts from a healthy education and general Nobody needs reminding of how stressful the Leaving Cert experience was before its expectations were ramped up even higher - generations of past pupils who are still haunted by Leaving Cert nightmares can attest to as much. Advertisement Even more crucially, grade inflation has diluted the impact of the The Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) and Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) schemes, which were designed to level the playing field for students facing socioeconomic or Applicants once supported by up to 40 point reductions as a result of the schemes are now being outpaced by peers aided by overall grade inflation, an indiscriminate boost which may kick the ladder away from those who should gain entry to their desired course via these pathways. Both initiatives require urgent recalibration to restore their intended functions - we're already seeing applicants slip through cracks which were once covered by these schemes up until the last few years. Students shouldn't have to gamble their future on inflated grades and limited places" While these pitfalls must be addressed immediately, more general reform of the Leaving Cert is needed if we're to ensure equality of opportunity for all. Advertisement A broader model of assessment, more continuous evaluation, and a system that values learning over rote performance is long overdue. The CAO itself also needs restructuring if it's to reflect the realities of modern student achievement and course demand. The The Minister for Education must ensure that runaway measures like grade inflation are not deployed as remedies to any future crises without maintaining a notion of how fairness can be maintained. Advertisement Students shouldn't have to gamble their future on inflated grades and limited places.
