Latest news with #JamesKavanagh
Irish Independent
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Wexford's most enchanting walking routes to feature in new season of RTE show
Now in its 12th season, the four-part series pairs broadcaster and musician Doireann Ní Ghlacáin with familiar Irish faces to uncover some of the country's most scenic walking routes. In its Wexford feature, she's joined by James Kavanagh, a social media star, food entrepreneur, and travel enthusiast, for a journey through Tintern's historic trails, nestled beside the 800-year-old Tintern Abbey on the Hook Peninsula. There are five walking trails in total around Tintern for all to enjoy, ranging from just under 1 km up to 6.8 km. On their 4.5 km looped trail, Doireann and James who lives near Graiguenamanagh, Co Kilkenny, pass through shaded woodlands, riverside tracks, and a walled garden in the historic Colclough Estate. Their walk concludes with sweeping views of Tintern Abbey, as they reflect on the quiet magic of the area. The episode weaves together natural beauty and local lore, set against Wexford's signature Sunny Southeast backdrop. It offers a compelling glimpse of a county known for its layered history, warm hospitality, and unforgettable landscapes. Robert Millar, Chair of Visit Wexford and Area General Manager for the Talbot Collection Wexford said: 'Tintern is one of Wexford's hidden gems — a place where history, nature, and serenity meet. To have it featured on a platform like Tracks & Trails is a fantastic moment for our county.' 'We're proud to see this special corner of Wexford showcased to a national audience, and we hope it sparks a sense of adventure in viewers to come, stay, and explore everything Wexford has to offer,' Mr Millar added. Tracks & Trails airs Fridays at 8 p.m. on RTÉ One, from May 9 to May 30. The Wexford episode will be broadcast on Friday, May 16 and also includes a visit to the Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark in County Fermanagh, with Eurovision singer Brooke Scullion. To learn more about the Tintern Trails and plan your visit, go to
Irish Times
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Influencer James Kavanagh on life in Kilkenny: ‘I wanted a big house, the fantasy of a big house'
James Kavanagh and William Murray had been renting in Phibsboro, Dublin 7, for years when a TV show they co-presented, The Great Inspo Home Adventure, on Virgin Media , took them to every corner of the country. This exploration of the four corners of Ireland prompted them to broaden their home-hunting horizons. 'We had a very rigid list,' Kavanagh recalls. 'The show taught us that there is so much beauty in Ireland and that what we needed was a house we could live in for a while before starting a reno project.' The couple have been together for 11 years. During the Covid lockdowns, they spent long periods in Murray's native Currabinny, south of Ringaskiddy in coastal Co Cork. 'We both felt a bit stagnated,' Kavanagh recalls. 'We were renting. We wanted to decorate.' James grew up in a council house and wanted to make his mark on his first home. 'I wanted a big house, the fantasy of a big house.' READ MORE But the reality of the property market meant that they had to dowse their dreams in a dose of truth. Finding themselves priced out of Dublin and Cork, they realised their money would stretch further outside of these metropolises, and so they started looking for a three-bedroom home with a garden in a myriad of other locations. Then, the place in Kilkenny came up, says Murray. Up a boreen and at the top of a hill, the long cottage had a two-storey section at its centre, was set in a cross formation, and boasted views of the Blackstairs mountains. It belonged to poet Kerry Hardie, whose work is on the Leaving Cert curriculum, and her watercolourist husband Sean, who co-created Not the Nine O'Clock News, and bore all the hallmarks of a home owned by creatives. It had charm and charisma in spades. Murray had initial anxiety about being so far from the sea, but when he checked the distances, the house is about a 45-minute drive to the beaches of Hook Head or to Curracloe and 50 minutes to Tramore. 'We just lucked out,' they chorus. And they did. The place had great bones. It was light-filled and decorated with books and artworks. With large windows in every room, the place was washed in light. Surrounded by mature trees, lawns and a polytunnel, it was the synergy between inside and out that wooed them. Populated with bird life, including woodpeckers and goldfinches, 'the garden is what sold it', says Kavanagh. The vendors took the time to walk them through the one acre of grounds and even left them a booklet on how to maintain them. There were fruit trees, including apple and pear, as well as raspberries, and a polytunnel so that they could grow their own. They've cleared out the beds and have planted tomatoes and courgettes, as well as potatoes and carrots that they are beginning to serve at long lunches with friends. It cost €405,000 to buy, according to the register. The couple made a conscious decision to live in it for a while before doing any refurbishment or insulation upgrades. They plan to go back to the bank and borrow the additional money in the next 12 to 18 months. They're enjoying the space as it is, having decorated it with their books and objects they have been collecting for years. Out and proud fans of clutter, they admit that many of the purchases have lived in the basement of Kavanagh's brother's home. They also shoved pieces into the corners of their rental. After living in a landlord's house for so long, they say they are chomping at the bit to get started and continue to roam salvage yards and antique shops, picking up pieces. 'My instincts were to give everything a lick of paint and fill up any holes in walls,' says Murray, but Kavanagh wouldn't let him do anything. 'His approach was that when we do the works, we do everything at once.' So, for now, they're relishing the serene atmosphere they've inherited as they add their own touches to the place. 'We want to lean into the fact that we're hoarders and are into the cottagecore look, big squishy sofas, colour-drenched rooms, and lovely wallpapers, including stripes in the sittingroom,' says Kavanagh. They're also hankering after wide plank reclaimed timber flooring that they've spotted in Kilkenny Salvage, and have asked their friend Deirdre Fitzgerald of Studio Tandem to create mood boards to visualise it all. They've also made some practical changes, recently installing solar panels with battery storage but don't yet know what sort of electricity savings these will give. 'For now, the house heats up, but the warmth is gone in a second, so we just huddle in the sittingroom by the fire,' says Kavanagh. A new boiler and an air-to-water heat pump are also on the wish list. The work of Murray's mother, Breda Lynch, who died from Covid at a time when, as one of 12 siblings, not all of her family could attend the funeral. It is now displayed proudly on the wall of their new home. As they number crunch in advance of renegotiating their mortgage to try to fund the works, Kavanagh has become obsessed with framing all manner of mementoes, so pieces are hanging everywhere, including a catalogue of an art exhibition featuring the work of Murray's mother, Breda Lynch, who died from Covid at a time when, as one of 12 siblings, not all of her family could attend the funeral. It is now displayed proudly and feels like a sign of approval, a blessing, says Murray. They estimate the new works will cost in the region of €200,000, but hope to be eligible for some retrofitting grants to reduce that number. When they're not at their calculators, they're documenting their every move on their online series, The Simpler Life? on Instagram.
Irish Daily Mirror
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Nine lucky Irish EuroMillions players guaranteed to take home €250k over May
Nine lucky Irish EuroMillions Players are guaranteed to take home €250,000 across the month of May. This series of special EuroMillions Ireland Only Raffles will guarantee players a top up in the prize fund for all nine draws, every Tuesday and Friday, over the month of May. Typically, every EuroMillions draw produces ten winners of the €5,000 Ireland Only Raffle prize, but over the next month, National Lottery has created something extra special. In addition to the normal Raffle prize, one winner in each draw in May will win a dazzling €250,000 on top of the usual €5,000 Raffle prize. The National Lottery's Dream Inspector has this to say to Ireland's hopeful players: 'My fellow dreamers, €250,000 must be won in every EuroMillions draw across nine Ireland Only Raffle games. 'What are you going to do with that? Commission a giant portrait of yourself? Hire a personal butler like James Kavanagh? Your next big dream could just be a ticket away!' James Kavanagh added: 'What a delight it was to meet the Dream Inspector in the flesh to celebrate the launch of Euromillions Ireland Only Raffle. 'Nine Irish dreamers will win €250,000 this month, a phenomenal prize. A once in a lifetime cruise on the Nile would be top of my list if I won.' National Lottery spokesperson, Emma Monaghan, added to the excitement on the launch of the raffle event, she said: 'We're so excited to launch this incredible event for our players. It's going to be a whirlwind of winners in Lottery HQ. 'Not only are players in for a treat with the additional raffle prize of €250,000, ticketholders in Ireland will also be in with a chance of winning the juicy jackpots in the EuroMillions and EuroMillions Plus games.' Simply buy a EuroMillions ticket as normal on any draw day in May. For every line you play, you'll receive a unique raffle code. The code is your entry to the special Ireland Only Draw - no extra steps needed. On each draw day in May, 10 players in Ireland will win the standard €5,000 in the Ireland Only Raffle. Those 10 winners will then be entered into an additional special draw, where one winner will take home an extra €250,000. Every EuroMillions Tuesday and Friday draw in May, starting Friday, May 2 and running through to Friday, May 30.
Irish Independent
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Goalkeeper Kavanagh saves the day as Wicklow Rovers beat Town on penalties
Wicklow Rovers 3 Wicklow Town 3 (AET, Rovers won 4-2 on penalties) Wicklow People James Kavanagh made two saves in a penalty shoot-out to send Wicklow Rovers into the Charlie Bishop Cup semi-final after a thrilling 3-3 draw with their local rivals, Wicklow Town. The first chance of the game came in the fifth minute when Ossama Kenouche played JJ Hayden down the left wing and through on goal. Wicklow Town centre-back Karl Earls made a hard and fair slide-tackle to stop the chance.
