Latest news with #Crean
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
RTÉ appoints new Head of Drama
Former director and a producer David Crean has been appointed RTÉ's new Head of Drama. Mr Crean was appointed following an eternal competition and joined RTÉ as a development executive in the drama department in 2007. In his time at RTÉ, he has developed and executive produced with a range of co-production partners on shows including Love/Hate, KIN, Smother, The Gone, and The Boy That Never Was. In his new role, Mr Crean will be responsible for a slate of original Irish drama, including 142 hours of homegrown storytelling. New and returning dramas in production for RTÉ in 2025 include Fair City, series three of Hidden Assets, The Walsh Sisters, These Sacred Vows, series three of The Dry, series two of Obituary, and Storyland. Speaking about his new role, Mr Crean said, "It is an honour to appointed as the RTÉ Head of Drama as we have recently announced an unprecedented slate of original Irish drama in production which will deliver 142 hours of high-quality, homegrown storytelling across screens in Ireland and around the world this year with plenty more planned commissions to come. "I'm really looking forward to collaborating with our brilliant broadcast partners to bring these amazing series of Irish storytelling to audiences, firmly placing great local Irish drama on the international stage." In a statement RTÉ said, "RTÉ's Drama team collaborates with a number of national and international co-production partners. This significant level of original RTÉ drama production represents a sizable investment in Irish talent, culture and the broader creative economy. "Collectively, these dramas will employ over 1,800 people including scriptwriters, directors, producers, actors, hair and make-up teams, wardrobe and various other creative talents, underpinning RTÉ's commitment to ongoing investment in the Irish creative economy and the independent production sector." Speaking about Mr Crean's appointment, RTÉ's Director of Video, Steve Carson said, "I'm delighted that David is taking the reins as Head of Drama, a crucial genre for us in serving Irish audiences on TV and the RTÉ Player. "He has an impressive track record in developing new ideas and creative talent, and under his leadership our audiences can look forward to an RTÉ drama slate with real range and ambition."
Irish Independent
7 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
US tech giant Workday earmarks $468m for Dublin HQ in 20-year lease deal
Workday confirmed last month that it had inked an agreement with M&G Real Estate and Pat Crean's Marlet Property Group to lease the entire space at the new city centre College Square development. It's being constructed on the site of the former Apollo House and is almost complete. The deal for the 416,000sqft of super-prime office space marked the single largest transaction in the sector in Europe since the pandemic. In its first quarter results released this month, Workday confirmed the amount it has set aside for the lease of the new Dublin office. Dublin's office market is poised for 'significant recovery' this year 'During the first quarter of fiscal 2026, we entered into a new operating lease agreement for our European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland which has not yet commenced, with total undiscounted lease payments of $468m,' it told investors. 'The operating lease is expected to commence in the second quarter of fiscal 2026 with a lease term of 20 years.' The lease deal was a major coup for Marlet and the broader office market. Workday had originally intended to construct its own 550,000sqft European headquarters on a site in Grangegorman in the capital. However, it abandoned that plan earlier this year, opting instead to move its staff to the development on Tara Street. Workday will move its 2,000 staff, currently at two separate locations in Dublin, to the new location. Mr Crean, who is Marlet's chief executive, described the lease agreement as a 'significant milestone' for Dublin's office market. Construction of College Square, which also features 54 apartments, is expected to be completed next month, with Workday commencing its fit-out programme soon after. Real estate firm Savills said in March that Dublin's office market is poised for 'significant recovery' this year, driven by rapidly falling vacancy rates, major corporate commitments and strong demand for prime office spaces. It said that the office vacancy rate in the Dublin 2 area is expected to fall sharply by the end of 2025, due to strong occupier interest and substantial pre-let activity. Savills said that prime office rents in Dublin's central business district have already begun to recover, having risen 4pc year-on-year to €65 per square foot in the final quarter of 2024. That's the highest figure on record.
Fox Sports
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
How a reminder to play with joy changed things for Anthony Edwards
Something was off with Anthony Edwards. Tom Crean, who coached Edwards during his one year at the University of Georgia, immediately recognized the subtle signs in his face, eyes and shoulders that belied his signature smile. So, heading into Game 3 of the Minnesota Timberwolves' first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers last month, Crean texted Edwards a video message. "You're a heck of a player no matter what," Crean relayed to FOX Sports. "But when your joy is front and center, you're basically unguardable and unstoppable." Those words deeply resonated with the 23-year-old Edwards, who played with a freeness in Game 3 that had been absent in the first two games of the series. He was loose. He was joking around. He oozed the signature charm and bravado that has led to him being compared to Michael Jordan. With the score tied at 103-103 and 4:37 left in Game 3, Edwards led the Timberwolves on a 13-1 run with a combination of big shots and lockdown defense en route to a 116-104 win. But what stuck out most was the way he did it. Edwards' energy was so infectious that LeBron James was cracking up as they exchanged words with just over two minutes left, even though the Lakers were trailing by seven points. And after Edwards made a 24-foot stepback jumper with 1:06 left, he skipped down the court, faced his fans and signaled for them to scream louder, flashing a wide grin as they screamed. During his walk-off interview with ESPN following his 29-point, eight-rebound, and eight-assist performance to put the Timberwolves up 2-1, Edwards was asked about his constant laughter and smiling throughout the game. "Big shoutout to my college coach, Coach Crean, man," Edwards said. "He texts me, he gives me advice every day. Every single day, literally. And he told me I don't play to the best of my ability when I don't play full of joy, so, I appreciate him." For the rest of the series, Edwards led with joy. It was exactly what Crean was hoping to see. "There are certain things that separate each individual and gives them their very best chance," Crean told FOX Sports. "And he can look happy, and he can look like he's playing well. But if you know him well enough, you know there's more in there." In Game 4, Edwards had 43 points. And even though he only had 15 points in Game 5, he was effervescent during and after the contest as his team eliminated the heavily-favored Lakers. As he walked through the hallway of Arena, he mocked commentator Shannon Sharpe's "Lakers in five" prediction. Said a beaming Edwards: "Ant-man, Batman, Superman, Lakers in five." He was on such a high that instead of getting on the team bus, he walked out of the arena and onto the streets of downtown Los Angeles. As he strolled around, he trolled hecklers and answered fans' questions, including telling one guy that his favorite movie is "Matilda." For the second postseason in a row, Edwards has led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals and is the talk of the basketball world. And while he's receiving a lot of praise, Crean's texts have a very different purpose. They're meant to sharpen the knife. "I watch him from a coach's eyes," Crean told FOX Sports. "I watch it strictly as this is where he is at right now, to this is where he can get better in a short period of time. I think there's more. He knows it. It's not something I talk about publicly." Crean believes Edwards can grow into an All-NBA level defender and can become much more efficient on the offensive end. He thinks he has only begun tapping into his potential, a scary prospect considering Edwards averaged career-highs in points (27.6) and 3-point percentage (39.5%) this season. "There's more in there," Crean told FOX Sports. "Some of it is going to come naturally with age. But some of it can be tightened up right now." Tough lessons and a key observation from a Hall of Famer Crean coached Edwards from 2019-2020 in what should've been his senior year of high school after he reclassified from the class of 2020 to the class of 2019. It was a pivotal time in Edwards' life. Following the death of his mother and grandmother a few years earlier in 2015, Edwards was learning who he could trust. Everyone wanted a piece of the teenager who was on the verge of becoming a breakout star. Edwards, a top-rated recruit out of high school who could've played basketball anywhere, chose Georgia because he wanted to remain close to his hometown of Atlanta. He also liked Crean's energy and was drawn to the fact that he had coached Dwyane Wade and Victor Oladipo, helping them become top-five picks in the NBA draft. During their time together, Crean would often pull Edwards aside for long chats. Off the court, he quickly realized that Edwards was very intelligent and he wanted him to use his own voice instead of letting others speak for him. And on the court, he wanted him to realize his potential instead of relying on his incredible combination of speed, strength, quickness and balance. Crean made Edwards' workouts especially difficult. During four-on-four shell drills, defenders would typically switch out after getting one stop. When Edwards' group was up, Crean would change the rules, telling them they needed to get three stops in a row. "Early on, he'd get mad," Crean told FOX Sports. "But then he started seeing it as a challenge, like, 'I'm gonna stick this up your butt.' That's exactly what you want in a player. You want them to have that attitude towards you." For Edwards, his biggest problem was the game came a bit too easily to him. He was a hard-worker, who would often spend two hours in the gym after games and would regularly workout by himself at 9 p.m. But he'd lose interest in moments that required focus, such as when his team had big leads. That's something that Dwyane Wade immediately noticed about Edwards when he brought his son, Zaire, on a recruiting trip to Georgia. Wade, Zaire, Crean and Edwards were all in a room watching film. Wade, whom Crean had coached at Marquette before he became a three-time NBA champion, interjected as he watched tape of Edwards. "It's almost like you get bored with the game," Wade told Edwards. Edwards silently processed those words. "I think that's probably one of the first times he had something like that said to him," Crean told FOX Sports. "But it was truthful." Edwards embracing the high expectations During his time at Georgia, Crean watched Edwards grow as a player and a leader. He helped him improve his fundamentals, ranging from step-ins to catch-and-shoots. And he impressed upon him the importance of urgency and intensity. Things didn't go as planned, with the Bulldogs going 16-16. But Edwards led all freshmen in the nation in scoring with 19.1 points a game, and he went on to be selected as the No. 1 overall pick by the Timberwolves in the 2020 NBA draft. Crean, who was fired in March 2022 after the Bulldogs went 47-75 over his four seasons at the helm, has stayed in close touch with Edwards, as he has with many other players he coached, including Wade, Oladipo and Nic Claxton. Crean is relieved Edwards landed in Minnesota. "I said all along, whoever got him the first two years out were going to be the absolute most crucial to his future after the year that we had with him," Crean told FOX Sports. "And that's where Minnesota has done an incredible job. They've done a great job because that could have gone different ways because he's so young, so much is thrust upon him, there's high expectations. Over the last five seasons, Edwards has surpassed expectations, becoming a three-time All-Star who is considered on the short list to become the future face of the league, even though he has denied wanting that title. Meanwhile, Crean has remained a voice he can trust. When Crean texts Edwards, the star knows his former coach has nothing to gain from it. He's simply just looking out for him. The purity of that dynamic has allowed for Crean to be brutally honest with him. So, he calls out Edwards when he's taking breaks on the defensive end. Or when he should move the ball more on offense. Or when he's not playing with enough joy. When Edwards flashes his pearly whites and overflows with a deluge of trash-talk, he has a gravitational pull like the sun, energizing everyone around him. In many ways, his joy is his superpower. Not only does it bring out the best in him, but it makes him a great leader. "People don't follow moody people; they tolerate moody people," Crean told FOX Sports. "That's not Anthony." So, following Crean's text, Edward leaned into his joy, even when that was challenging to do. That was never more apparent than Game 5 of the Timberwolves' first-round series against the Lakers, when Edwards shot 0-for-11 from 3. Instead of becoming bored or frustrated, he remained engaged, finishing with the second-highest plus-minus (+12) of anyone on the court despite his woeful shooting. He played lockdown defense, had 11 rebounds and eight assists, impacting winning in many ways. And he did it all while maintaining his joy, which not only inspires his best play but also encourages everyone around him. For Edwards, that showed incredible growth. "When we had him, he was very much more concerned about his performance and the winning would come from that or not come from that," Crean told FOX Sports. "And now he is way more locked into winning. He really flipped it at a young age." Edwards knows Crean has played a big part in that. That's why during the playoffs, in front of millions of people on national television, he chose to bring up his college coach, unprovoked. As for Crean, he keeps watching Edwards with a hawk's eye, never hesitating to give him the unfiltered truth. "I have no doubt that there were many days that he didn't like me," Crean told FOX Sports. "That's all part of it. You have to be unafraid to help somebody become great." Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @ melissarohlin . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. recommended Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Belfast Telegraph
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Ulster add to prop depth by bringing in familiar faces ahead of new season
After the departures of Corrie Barrett and Andrew Warwick, the province have added to their depth ahead of Richie Murphy's second season in charge with two players that are familiar to the head coach already. Twenty-four-year-old Crean has already played for Ulster having joined them earlier this season as injury cover, making two appearances, and will now make the transition on a permanent deal, while McGuire was part of the Ireland Under-20s Grand Slam winning side coached by Murphy in 2022. McGuire, 22, who has made eight senior appearances for Leinster but has played the majority of his rugby for UCD at All-Ireland League level, joins Ulster directly from their Academy, with the tighthead prop signing his first senior deal. Meanwhile, Crean, who is predominantly a loosehead but can also cover hooker if necessary, is another Irish qualified option despite having represented England's Under-20s in the past and will challenge Eric O'Sullivan and Callum Reid for game time. 'We are delighted to be bringing in both Rory and Sam this summer. Both are talented props at good age profiles to develop as players and add competition to our squad,' commented Ulster's general manager Bryn Cunningham. 'Rory is a big, physical tighthead prop who will be pushing hard for his opportunity to play more senior rugby. 'Richie knows him well from Ireland Under-20s and we think he is an exciting prospect, who is eager to kick on under Jimmy Duffy. 'Sam, after a brief stint earlier this season on loan during which he really impressed the coaches, can hopefully hit the ground running and really challenge both Eric and Callum for the number one jersey.'
Irish Independent
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Independent
Kerry racer Darragh Crean has impressive Northwest 200 debut
The Tralee man finished in eleventh place in Derry Kerryman Tralee motorcycle racer Darragh Crean made an impressive debut at the North West 200 in Derry last week finishing in 11th place. Crean competed in both the Supertwin and Supersport classes, riding an Elcofire-backed Aprilia and a Triumph prepared by DJ Racing. His result came in the second Supertwin race, his fourth of the meeting, on Saturday, riding an Aprilia sponsored by Elcofire Ireland.
