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Irish Times
15 hours ago
- Irish Times
Boyne Companions – Frank McNally on why the road from Dublin to Slane lies mainly on a plain (allegedly)
Glamping on the banks of the Boyne at Slane , Co Meath , on Saturday night, I was reminded what a staggeringly beautiful setting for a village that is. Historic too, of course. Our campsite was on the right bank of the river – the Jacobite side during the famous battle of 1690, which happened a few miles east of Slane. But it was hard to imagine this had ever been a place of conflict as peace came dropping slow on the steep, wooded hills. The only threat we faced at the weekend was from an army of insects that invaded the tent overnight. An indirect effect of 1690 was to change ownership of the local castle, of which we had fine views across the water. Perhaps ironically for a battle won by a Dutch king, the big losers included a family called the Flemings. They had previously lost castle and lands in the confiscations following the 1641 rebellion, before regaining royal favour in subsequent decades. Then they ended up on the wrong side of history again in 1690. The Conyghams – an Ulster plantation family, ancestors of the late Henry Mount Charles – acquired the estate soon after. READ MORE The loveliness of the setting is matched by Slane itself, a model of 18th-century British town planning and still dominated by handsome stone buildings. In keeping with its left-bank setting, the village now has a self-deprecatingly declared 'arty quarter'. And it all looked rather idyllic on Saturday night, especially the view down on the old bridge, as the sun set on the river and on its adjoining canal, which used to serve the biggest mill in Ireland, now a hotel. I haven't always appreciated Slane's beauty. Before the M1, it used to be the halfway point on the journey between my hometown (Carrickmacross) and Dublin: a route that, north of Slane at least, is notoriously hilly and winding. As a child and later, I was prone to car/bus sickness, especially on morning trips. Slane tended to mark the full onset of nausea. From there on, it was a grim battle to retain my breakfast as far as Dublin. Sometimes, having reached the outskirts of the city but unable to trust myself for another 20 minutes of lurching through traffic, I would decamp from the bus at Finglas for fresh air and resume the journey on a 19A. [ A life's work reviving the Irish language - Oliver O'Hanlon on Liam Ó Briain Opens in new window ] It could have been worse. Even back then, the road from Slane to Dublin was relatively flat and very straight. This was in part a reflection of different terrain. But it was also – according to oral tradition – a legacy of the fact that King George IV had his favourite mistress in Slane Castle . Hence, during his Irish royal visit of 1821, he made a beeline for there, the road smoothed in advance, and spent most of the trip in her company, to the chagrin of Irish loyalists elsewhere. The mistress in question was Elizabeth Conygham, maternal forebear of Lord Henry. She was married and a mother of several children. But being consort of the monarch was a semi-respectable career in former centuries, so she used it to advance the family's wealth and status, her husband becoming a marquess as part of the deal. Kayakers on the river Boyne at Slane Castle in Co Meath. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire After serving time as one of the assistant mistresses, she ousted Isabelle Seymour-Conway, Marchioness of Hertford, from the main job in about 1820, just as the then prince ascended to the throne. And although she was hitting 50 and he a decade older, the new king was besotted. He was said to be 'nodding and winking' at her throughout the coronation ceremony. For ordinary people, such an ancestral inheritance might be an embarrassment, to be spoken of in whispers if at all. But the aristocracy are not like us. On a visit to Slane Castle after the recent funeral (the whole congregation was invited back, including journalists), I was amused to see that a giant portrait of George IV is still a centrepiece of the ballroom. In fact, it was one of the treasures saved during the 1991 fire, when Lord Henry cut the canvas from the frame just before flames gutted the place. [ Make more of the Moores: An Irish village's connection to the Hollywood Walk of Fame Opens in new window ] In fairness, the castle also displays a pair of cartoons satirising the couple, who enjoyed high living as well as each other and were both somewhat corpulent as a result – a detail the caricaturists exaggerated. According to The Irish Aesthete (a website curated by my former Irish Times colleague Robert O'Byrne), the extent to which the king's Irish visit was dominated by his Slane lover inspired much mockery. One satirist commented in verse: 'Tis pleasant at seasons to see how they sit/First cracking their nuts, and then cracking their wit/Then quaffing their claret – then mingling their lips/Or tickling the fat about each other's hips.' In any case, according to legend, the affair left its mark on Irish transport infrastructure. The course of true love may never have run smooth, according to Shakespeare. But the road from Dublin to Slane seems to be an exception.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Robert Moran books Irish Open spot after finishing fourth at Killeen Castle
The grand victory may have evaded Robert Moran in the Irish Challenge at Killeen Castle in Co Meath, which was impressively won by French player Oihan Guillamoundeguy, but the fringe benefits for the Dubliner could potentially open up a pathway on his fledgling professional career. Moran finished in fourth place and, as the leading Irishman, picked up the Christy O'Connor Jnr trophy and, with it, an invitation into next month's Amgen Irish Open at The K Club. For the 20-year-old Guillamoundeguy, a breakthrough win on the Hotelplanner Tour propelled him to sixth on the Race to Mallorca standings and within touching distance of a full DP World Tour card for next season. Guillamoundeguy closed with a final round 70 for a total of 11-under-par 277 to finish three shots clear of runner-up Ronan Kleu of Denmark. READ MORE Moran's 69 for 282 for solo fourth came in spectacular fashion in a back nine run of 32 strokes. It saw him rebound from a bogey on the 10th by claiming an eagle on the 12th and then three birdies, on the 14th, 17th and 18th holes, to leapfrog Paul McBride for the leading home player honour and those additional benefits. Oihan Guillamoundeguy from France celebrates with the Irish Challenge trophy at Killeen Castle Golf Club in Dunsany. Photograph:On the 18th, Moran chipped in for the birdie which ultimately proved the difference in earning him the Irish Open exemption. 'I'm buzzing for that, grown up watching the Irish Open on TV. I was at The K Club in 2016 on the Wednesday, I got myself on to the range and was just in awe of everything so that is a really cool memory to have.' Moran added: 'I would watch the Majors [growing up] but if I was to play any other event it would be the Irish Open. Just the excitement of it all and whatever happens, happens that week. It's nice to be playing the next two Challenge Tour events as well.' McBride, playing on a sponsor's invite, closed with a 71 for 283 but his tied-fifth finish did at least earn him a place into the field for next week's Finnish Challenge. In the FedEx St Jude Championship on the PGA Tour, Shane Lowry suffered three bogeys in his last four holes for a final-round 71 for a three-over-par total of 283 which left him a distant tied-59th place. On the DP World Tour, Scotland's Grant Forrest claimed the Nexo Championship title at Trump International Aberdeen, where a final round 72 for a total of eight-under-par 280 gave him a four-strokes winning margin over Joe Dean. Conor Purcell, the only Irish player in the field, finished with a 72 for 294 in tied-42nd.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Mel Gibson becomes emotional as he recalls ‘joy' of making Braveheart
Mel Gibson has said it was a 'joy' to make the film Braveheart as he spoke at an event to mark 30 years since the historical epic was filmed in Ireland. The Oscar-winning director and actor posed for selfies with fans and signed posters before attending a musical performance of movie songs in Co Meath. Gibson starred in Braveheart as Scottish rebel William Wallace, as he sets out to challenge King Edward I of England. The film won Oscars for best director and best picture. Speaking after the score from the 1995 film was played by an orchestra in a tent in Trim on Saturday, Gibson told the audience that composer James Horner was inspired by Celtic music. He said this allowed him to relive parts of his Irish heritage, and Gibson became emotional as he spoke about Horner. 'This film was a joy to make, and my mother was born in Longford so I was raised on this kind of music myself, so it was a real treat for me to explore this culture and the sound of it,' he said. 'In the Braveheart score, you can hear bits and pieces of old tunes that he borrowed from. He drew from a very rich source of music and poetry that's part of this country, as well as Scotland.' He also retold a story about meeting three of the four Beatles at Abbey Road, where the score was recorded. The Scottish epic was mostly shot in Ireland after the Irish government lobbied and offered to supply 1,600 army reserves as extras. Gibson said that while filming in Scotland was 'fantastic', the ground was not firm enough for the big battle scenes. He said then arts minister Michael D Higgins, who is now Ireland's president, made the film possible. Fans travelled from all over Ireland to get a chance of meeting the Lethal Weapon and Mad Max star. People queued at Trim Castle Hotel to meet Gibson and other Braveheart cast members, including Angus Macfadyen, John Murtagh and Mhairi Calvey. The event raised 10,000 euro for the Irish Equity Support Fund as part of the local King John Summer Prom festival. Maksim Okhotnikov, eight, dressed up as William Wallace in a costume created by his mother, who also sketched a charcoal drawing of Gibson. 'I didn't watch all of the film, I just watched pieces because it's (rated) 16+,' Maksim told the PA news agency. Asked what he likes about the film, he said: 'I like himself.' Adam Walker and his son, Nathan, seven, from Dublin, were among the first people into the room to meet the cast. 'Obviously he's too young to watch the full movie, so I was trying to show him the quotes, the big freedom speech at the end of the movie. We were watching that, we were watching the mad Irishman of course, David O'Hara who plays Stephen of Ireland,' Mr Walker told the PA news agency. 'We were at the Q&A yesterday and a lot of the lads pointed out that the actors said the thing that it did was, it really changed things, Ireland seemed to really latch on to it, there was a lot of similarities between the Irish and the Scottish, but it seemed to call out to everybody. 'We were looking for a wedding venue 12 years back and we were looking everywhere and we found here, it was lovely, the prices were great, and then I read at the end the castle was where Braveheart was filmed. 'I said to my wife 'we're doing it', so we got married in the room just there and we had the castle as the backdrop. 'So it's very interesting to be able to come back 12 years later and actually meet Mel Gibson here, and this little lad wasn't even alive at the time.' Elaine Coyle, who travelled with her mother from Dublin, said watching Braveheart was a family tradition. 'My dad would be a big fan, it's what we grew up with. It's a Christmas tradition in our house,' she said. She said of the film: 'You can relate to it as an Irish person a little bit too, it's iconic. 'It definitely opened the door to the Irish economy around films, it completely changed how the industry worked going forward, but I think in general people recognise that it made such an impact on Ireland, and we can also relate to the history of it. It's generational.' Cousins Eileen Shields and Anita McGrath travelled from Galway at 6am to meet the star. They said they are fans of Gibson's films Lethal Weapon and Daddy's Home 2. 'He has a wicked wink in his eye,' Eileen Shields said. 'It was lovely to meet him, short and sweet, but it's nice to have the opportunity. 'Hopefully we see a lot more of him in Ireland. You know his family are from Longford, he was named after St Mel's Cathedral.' Anita McGrath said: 'I crocheted a shamrock for him, for good luck, so I gave it to him and he said 'thanks very much'. Just something different.' Ms Shields added: 'He wiped his brow with it.' Sevinc Ozogul, who lives across the road from the hotel, said she was excited to see the castle from Braveheart when she moved to Trim. She said Gibson is one of her favourite actors, adding: 'I was so excited to see him.' She added: 'He was a bit tired but he looks great.' Gary Downes and Vinny McConnell, who worked as extras on Braveheart, reunited with Gibson at the poster signing and took memorabilia from the filming. As part of the King John Summer Prom festival, Gibson and his family joined people in a red and white tent on the outskirts of Trim on Saturday to listen to the Irish Philharmonic Orchestra play themes from famous movies, conducted by Niall O'Sullivan. Irish actor Patrick Bergin introduced the music from Sleeping With The Enemy, in which he starred in opposite Julia Roberts. He told a story about how, after auditioning for the role, he tried to leave the room and walked into a broom closet. 'As I came out of the closet (director) Joe Ruben said 'it was the look in your eye that got you the part'.' Actor Kate O'Toole told the story of how her father was away for two years to film Lawrence Of Arabia, before introducing the theme from the film played by the orchestra. 'One of the weird things about it that still stays with me is that scene with the quicksand, I really thought when I was a child that going to the beach was dangerous,' she told the crowd. Singer Leah Barniville performed Ennio Morricone's Ecstasy Of Gold from the Good, The Bad And The Ugly, as well as the Titanic Suite.
BreakingNews.ie
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Mel Gibson becomes emotional as he recalls ‘joy' of making Braveheart
Mel Gibson has said it was a 'joy' to make the film Braveheart as he spoke at an event to mark 30 years since the historical epic was filmed in Ireland. The Oscar-winning director and actor posed for selfies with fans and signed posters before attending a musical performance of movie songs in Co Meath. Advertisement Gibson starred in Braveheart as Scottish rebel William Wallace, as he sets out to challenge King Edward I of England. The film won Oscars for best director and best picture. Speaking after the score from the 1995 film was played by an orchestra in a tent in Trim on Saturday, Gibson told the audience that composer James Horner was inspired by Celtic music. He said this allowed him to relive parts of his Irish heritage, and Gibson became emotional as he spoke about Horner. Advertisement 'This film was a joy to make, and my mother was born in Longford so I was raised on this kind of music myself, so it was a real treat for me to explore this culture and the sound of it,' he said. 'In the Braveheart score, you can hear bits and pieces of old tunes that he borrowed from. He drew from a very rich source of music and poetry that's part of this country, as well as Scotland.' He also retold a story about meeting three of the four Beatles at Abbey Road, where the score was recorded. The Scottish epic was mostly shot in Ireland after the Irish government lobbied and offered to supply 1,600 army reserves as extras. Advertisement Gibson said that while filming in Scotland was 'fantastic', the ground was not firm enough for the big battle scenes. He said then arts minister Michael D Higgins, who is now Ireland's president, made the film possible. Mel Gibson poses for a selfie with Antoinette Dillon, from Finglas, Dublin (Conor O Mearain/PA) Fans travelled from all over Ireland to get a chance of meeting the Lethal Weapon and Mad Max star. People queued at Trim Castle Hotel to meet Gibson and other Braveheart cast members, including Angus Macfadyen, John Murtagh and Mhairi Calvey. Advertisement The event raised €10,000 for the Irish Equity Support Fund as part of the local King John Summer Prom festival. Maksim Okhotnikov, eight, dressed up as William Wallace in a costume created by his mother, who also sketched a charcoal drawing of Gibson. 'I didn't watch all of the film, I just watched pieces because it's (rated) 16+,' Maksim told the PA news agency. Asked what he likes about the film, he said: 'I like himself.' Advertisement Actor Mel Gibson meets fans Adam Walker and his son Nathan, from Dublin (Conor O Mearain/PA) Adam Walker and his son, Nathan, seven, from Dublin, were among the first people into the room to meet the cast. 'Obviously he's too young to watch the full movie, so I was trying to show him the quotes, the big freedom speech at the end of the movie. We were watching that, we were watching the mad Irishman of course, David O'Hara who plays Stephen of Ireland,' Mr Walker told the PA news agency. 'We were at the Q&A yesterday and a lot of the lads pointed out that the actors said the thing that it did was, it really changed things, Ireland seemed to really latch on to it, there was a lot of similarities between the Irish and the Scottish, but it seemed to call out to everybody. 'We were looking for a wedding venue 12 years back and we were looking everywhere and we found here, it was lovely, the prices were great, and then I read at the end the castle was where Braveheart was filmed. 'I said to my wife 'we're doing it', so we got married in the room just there and we had the castle as the backdrop. 'So it's very interesting to be able to come back 12 years later and actually meet Mel Gibson here, and this little lad wasn't even alive at the time.' Maksim Okhotnikov wore a costume created by his mother (Conor O Mearain/PA) Elaine Coyle, who travelled with her mother from Dublin, said watching Braveheart was a family tradition. 'My dad would be a big fan, it's what we grew up with. It's a Christmas tradition in our house,' she said. She said of the film: 'You can relate to it as an Irish person a little bit too, it's iconic. 'It definitely opened the door to the Irish economy around films, it completely changed how the industry worked going forward, but I think in general people recognise that it made such an impact on Ireland, and we can also relate to the history of it. It's generational.' Cousins Eileen Shields and Anita McGrath travelled from Galway at 6am to meet the star. They said they are fans of Gibson's films Lethal Weapon and Daddy's Home 2. Actor Mel Gibson records a video message for Rian Egan, from Gorey, Co Wexford (Conor O Mearain/PA) 'He has a wicked wink in his eye,' Eileen Shields said. 'It was lovely to meet him, short and sweet, but it's nice to have the opportunity. 'Hopefully we see a lot more of him in Ireland. You know his family are from Longford, he was named after St Mel's Cathedral.' Anita McGrath said: 'I crocheted a shamrock for him, for good luck, so I gave it to him and he said 'thanks very much'. Just something different.' Ms Shields added: 'He wiped his brow with it.' Sevinc Ozogul, who lives across the road from the hotel, said she was excited to see the castle from Braveheart when she moved to Trim. She said Gibson is one of her favourite actors, adding: 'I was so excited to see him.' She added: 'He was a bit tired but he looks great.' Gary Downes and Vinny McConnell, who worked as extras on Braveheart, reunited with Gibson at the poster signing and took memorabilia from the filming. Gary Downes (left) and Vinny McConnell, who worked as extras on the film Braveheart, with memorabilia from the production (Conor O Mearain/PA) As part of the King John Summer Prom festival, Gibson and his family joined people in a red and white tent on the outskirts of Trim on Saturday to listen to the Irish Philharmonic Orchestra play themes from famous movies, conducted by Niall O'Sullivan. Irish actor Patrick Bergin introduced the music from Sleeping With The Enemy, in which he starred in opposite Julia Roberts. He told a story about how, after auditioning for the role, he tried to leave the room and walked into a broom closet. 'As I came out of the closet (director) Joe Ruben said 'it was the look in your eye that got you the part'.' Actor Kate O'Toole told the story of how her father was away for two years to film Lawrence Of Arabia, before introducing the theme from the film played by the orchestra. 'One of the weird things about it that still stays with me is that scene with the quicksand, I really thought when I was a child that going to the beach was dangerous,' she told the crowd. Singer Leah Barniville performed Ennio Morricone's Ecstasy Of Gold from the Good, The Bad And The Ugly, as well as the Titanic Suite.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Mel Gibson poses for selfies with fans to mark 30 years of Braveheart film
Mel Gibson posed for selfies and signed posters in Co Meath to mark 30 years since Braveheart was filmed in Ireland. Fans travelled from all over Ireland to get a chance of meeting the Oscar-winning actor and director, who starred as the Scottish hero in the historical epic. The film was mostly shot in Ireland – despite the story being set in Scotland – after the Irish government lobbied and offered to supply 1,600 army reserves as extras. People queued at Trim Castle Hotel to meet Gibson and other Braveheart cast members. The event was held as part of the local King John Summer Prom festival, with proceeds raised for the Irish Equity Support Fund. Maksim Okhotnikov, eight, dressed up as Braveheart hero William Wallace in a costume created by his mother, who also sketched a charcoal drawing of Gibson. 'I didn't watch all of the film, I just watched pieces because it's (rated) 16+,' Maksim told the PA news agency. Asked what he likes about the film, he said: 'I like himself'. Adam Walker and his son, Nathan, seven, from Dublin, were among the first people into the room to meet the cast. 'Obviously he's too young to watch the full movie, so I was trying to show him the quotes, the big freedom speech at the end of the movie. We were watching that, we were watching the mad Irishman of course: David O'Hara who plays Stephen of Ireland,' Mr Walker told PA. 'We were at the Q&A yesterday and a lot of the lads pointed out that the actors said the thing that it did was it really changed things, Ireland seemed to really latch onto it, there was a lot of similarities between the Irish and the Scottish, but it seemed to call out to everybody. 'We were looking for a wedding venue 12 years back and we were looking everywhere and we found here, it was lovely, the prices were great, and then I read at the end the castle was where Braveheart was filmed. 'I said to my wife 'we're doing it' so we got married in the room just there and we had the castle as the backdrop. 'So it's very interesting to be able to come back 12 years later and actually meet Mel Gibson here, and this little lad wasn't even alive at the time.' Elaine Coyle, who travelled with her mother from Dublin, said watching Braveheart was a family tradition. 'My dad would be a big fan, it's what we grew up with. It's a Christmas tradition in our house,' she said. She said of the film: 'You can relate to it as an Irish person a little bit too, it's iconic. 'It definitely opened the door to the Irish economy around films, it completely changed how the industry worked going forward, but I think in general people recognise that it made such an impact on Ireland, and we can also relate to the history of it. It's generational.' Cousins Eileen Shields and Anita McGrath travelled from Galway at 6am to meet the star. They said they are fans of Gibson's films Lethal Weapon and Daddy's Home 2. 'He has a wicked wink in his eye,' Eileen Shields said. 'It was lovely to meet him, short and sweet but it's nice to have the opportunity. 'Hopefully we see a lot more of him in Ireland. You know his family are from Longford, he was named after St Mel's Cathedral.' Anita McGrath said: 'I crocheted a shamrock for him, for good luck, so I gave it to him and he said 'thanks very much'. Just something different.' Ms Shields added: 'He wiped his brow with it.' Sevinc Ozogul, who lives across the road from the hotel, said she was excited to see the castle from Braveheart when she moved to Trim. She said Gibson is also one of her favourite actors, adding: 'I was so excited to see him.' She added: 'He was a bit tired but he looks great.'
