Latest news with #JoeBlack
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Where eagles flare: Douglas home worth getting your talons on
IN a property with no shortage of talking points, the most intriguing feature at this Moneygourney home is the sweeping set of steps that cuts up through landscaped banks to a small green clearing, where two sculpted eagles, wings flared and talons bared, are locked in mortal combat. Moneygourney mix of home, guest apartment and planning for three new build on grounds The steps and what lies beyond hold a profound symbolism for homeowner Mike Nolan. He designed them based on the final scene of Meet Joe Black, a 1998 movie where Joe Black (Brad Pitt) personifies Death and leads Bill Parrish (Anthony Hopkins) up steps that represent the threshold between life and death. Once crossed, there is no coming back for Bill. 'It's hard to let go, isn't it?' Bill asks. 'Yes it is Bill,' says Joe. 'What can I tell you? That's life,' answers Bill, in a heartfelt moment of reflection. Eagle sculpture at top of steps, leading to upper field. Pic: Larry Cummins The scene resonated deeply with Mike after he lost his beloved daughter Grace in 1999 to a genetic disorder that affects the formation of blood vessels, called hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). A year later, when he, his wife June, and their six remaining kids moved to Moneygourney, he designed his own Joe Black steps 'on the back of a cigarette box'. He showed it to Tony Garvey, the man who would become his landscaper and gardener for the next 25 years. 'I came here to plant one tree, and I've been here since,' Tony laughs. The tree was a magnolia — dedicated to the memory of Grace — and it has delivered magnificent blooms year-on-year, just as Grace's death has delivered hope to others, propelling her father into setting up a foundation in her memory in 2002, the Grace Nolan Foundation, followed by decades of raising awareness about HHT, while also raising millions of euro, through the foundation, towards the cost of researching the disorder, with the goal of finding a cure. Mosaic portrait of Grace Nolan hanging on the stairs of the family home at Moneygourney. Picture Larry Cummins Despite the great tragedy of losing Grace, Mike did not forget to also celebrate the joys of living. Many events were celebrated with family and friends in the great, big outdoor space between the rear of their home and the Joe Black stairway, easily able to accommodate a marquee. 'We had manys the marquee,' Mike says. Drinks were served from the outdoor block-built covered bar and barbecue and guests could sit on the built-in stone seats or on the Joe Black steps or at any number of seating areas dotted about the expansive Indian sandstone patio. It was one hell of an entertainment space, but you'd expect nothing less from a man who once ran a couple of successful bars, including Oscar Madison's in Kinsale, the Titanic in Cobh, and the well-known Oyster bar in Cork city, where he turned the upstairs room into a shrine to his hero John Lennon, before selling it in 2004 to the Rebel Group. Beatles artwork in the ground floor room of guest house used previously as a snooker and games room / mancave / recording studio. Pic Larry Cummins Much of The Beatles paraphernalia that he showcased in the Oyster is now on display in the guest house at Moneygourney, a roomy 160 sq m property, bigger than your standard semi-d. Previously a garage, it was knocked and rebuilt by Mike in 2013, the same year they decided to add a modern, zinc-clad, heavily glazed extension to the rear of the original Moneygourney house, which was built in 1995. Beatles memorabilia Among the treasures on the guest house walls are a framed cheque written by John Lennon to Harrods store in 1970; framed rare US versions of Beatles records and album sleeves; a photo of Eric Clapton and George Harrison deep in conversation, taken by their one-time girlfriend, model, and photographer Patti Boyd (there are just 50 copies of the image worldwide), and original 1974 pop art images of the Fab Four by renowned Polish artist Rafal Olbinksy, purchased by Mike on New York's 8th Avenue many years ago. Mike Nolan with Brendan O'Carroll, centre duo Amid the Fab Four iconography are photos of Mike with comedian Brendan O'Carroll. They first met through a football fundraising gig (Mike played League of Ireland football with Cork Celtic, Limerick Utd and City and Cobh Ramblers) and Brendan subsequently donated the takings from the very first night of Mrs Brown's Boys to the Grace Nolan Foundation, after the play premiered at the Everyman Palace in Cork. Mike later put in a couple of appearances in the TV show, including the 2013 Christmas special. He remains close friends with the actor who also came up with the idea for Dear Grace, a national letter-writing competition for schoolkids who composed letters to Grace. The initiative generated 10 books of Dear Grace letters over the years, with proceeds going to the foundation. Other elements of Mike's life are reflected in the guest house, not least his passion for music. The guest house was originally destined to be a gym and recording studio — it's sound-proofed and wired accordingly — but it morphed into accommodation for family members. A very large upstairs bedroom could easily be converted into two bedrooms. Downstairs, another large room could be partitioned into a home office and gym — there are two showers off it for gym users — or a home office/gym and third bedroom. There's a kitchen/living room too, where the kitchen counter is made from elm salvaged from the bar counter at Oscar Madison's. The pubs were 'hobbies' for Mike whose main business was Cork-headquartered QEF Global, providers of supply chain management. In 2013, Mike sold the business in a multi-million dollar deal to Park Ohio Holdings Corp, a Nasdaq-listed company led by Ed Crawford. Crawford was appointed US ambassador to Ireland in June 2019. A photograph of Mike and Ed in his ambassadorial role hangs in the expansive hallway of the main house at Moneygourney. Even with two substantial homes on the 2.7 acre Moneygourney site, the sheer scale of the property means they hardly make a dent on it. Both homes are at the top of a long, curving driveway with lawn on either side. You'd be inclined to think there was scope for more homes and planners were of the same mind, as permission was granted earlier this year for the construction of three, four-bed 2,800 sq ft homes on the front lawn. The planning grant and the existing two residences on the site are all factored into the €2.6m asking price. There's 2.7 acres with FPP for three more builds on the right and for the drive to be moved to the left There are copious rooms to choose from in the 4,000 sq ft-plus, five-bedroom main house, from the two reception rooms either side of the hallway (one is currently a home office) to the very generous open plan kitchen/dining/sunroom area, housed mainly in the rear extension, with doors to the patio. The extension also includes a large living room with a bar and music surround system, and an extra high ceiling and clerestory window for added light and volume. The ceiling height allowed Mike to hang a piped glass chandelier that he bought in New York the day the Twin Towers came down. He bought the eagle sculpture the same day at a knockdown price from a dealer convinced the world was about to end. The eagles have remained at the top of the Joe Black steps while the rest of the gardens evolved under the expert eye and green-thumbed guidance of Tony. The evolution over a 25-year period was quite dramatic: A photograph in the front hallway shows what things looked like when Mike bought the property — essentially a home plonked towards the rear of a sloping field. 'A garden must make you want to go around it and that's what we have done here,' says Tony. Pathways lead behind shrubbery to hidden nooks; a waterfall feature (switched off for now) was a big hit with the kids; there were acres to play on front and back, including a small field beyond the fighting eagles, great for soccer and trampolining, as well as being a haven for wildlife. It's conceivable that whoever buys the house will want to enjoy the land as is, rather than developing it, but another buyer might like the opportunity to build in a prized location, near the South Link road network and Douglas village, atop Maryborough Hill, where homes command a premium. Der O'Riordan of Barry Auctioneers says if a new owner goes ahead with developing the land, the drive will be relocated to the left of the site, while the main house and guest house will retain the full parking area to the front, as well as the fabulous patios and BBQ area to the rear, and the garden/meadow at the top of the Joe Black steps. Mr O'Riordan describes the Moneygourney home as a 'rare and splendid' property. 'It will attract purchasers who are looking for a large, iconic property with substantial, mature, and private gardens, set in the much sought-after area of Moneygourney. 'The purchaser will be a family looking for a larger property with space and character, or indeed families returning from Dublin, or coming from abroad. 'Because of the full planning permission, it will also interest an investor who can look at developing the three houses, with options for the whole site,' Mr O'Riordan says. VERDICT: The scale of the property, which already has two homes and planning permission for three more, is quite a unique offering, in an area watched by developers. Could sort out the adult kids' housing headaches in one fell (eagle) swoop. Location feels like country, but is close to Douglas village, with easy access to the South Ring road network and the soon-to-be M28. Public transport operates locally
The Irish Sun
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I was jailed for robbery aged 15 before becoming a drug dealer and rapper – but now I'm an academy scout for Arsenal
JOSEPH BOL has gone from dealing drugs, getting stabbed by rival gangs and spending three separate stints in prison, to helping Arsenal uncover new talent as an academy scout. Bol, 39, has turned his life around, putting crime in his rear-view mirror and excelling as a football scout. 7 Joseph Bol has turned his life around after three spells in prison Credit: instagram @joeblackuk 7 Bol is now an academy scout at Arsenal Credit: instagram @joeblackuk Bol works as It's far cry from what he was doing at a similar age to the youngsters, with Bol being sent to prison for three years at just 15 years old for robbery. He also found himself wrapped up in dealing Class A drugs and ultimately being convicted for that too. Speaking to READ MORE IN FOOTBALL "I stopped playing football and I started selling and smoking weed, and then it went on to be more Class A drugs. I was just in a bubble thinking this is going to be my career path." After being let out of prison for the first time, Bol turned his attention to rap music - amassing millions of YouTube views for his songs about crime. He added: "I came out and got adulation from my peers, it boosts your ego, and I just started rapping about what I was going through. "It was more about selling drugs. We didn't really have postcode wars at the time.' Most read in Football 7 Bol releases rap music under the name 'Joe Black' Credit: instagram @joeblackuk Join SUN CLUB for the Arsenal Files every Friday plus in-depth coverage and exclusives from The Emirates Bol, who recalled taking Maths and English GCSEs in a young offenders' institute, was still wrapped up in the world of crime for some time. And was even stabbed in the arm and leg while sitting in the front seat of his car by four members of rival gang at one point. But after turning 21 and finisng himself in an adult prison, Bol's life changed thanks an officer who encouraged him to complete FA Level One and Community Sports Leader coaching courses. He recalled that decision helped him "break the cycle" and he started to volunteer at a local football club when he was released from prison. In 2012 he set up his own grassroots team, AC United, which snowballed into an eight-team club with performances catching the attention of top scouts. Bol continued rapping about his old life at the same time, earning a reputation under his stage name "Joe Black", and even performed as a support act for hip-hop superstar 7 Bol turned to football coaching after his release from prison Credit: instagram @joeblackuk Unexpectedly, it was his rap career that helped Bol land his first proper job in football. A standout player at AC United, Clinton Mola, was invited for a trial at Upon his arrival at Cobham, Bol was mobbed by a group of U14 players - including a young Recognising the sway and impact that Bol had in the local community, Chelsea decided to hire him as a member of their coaching staff. They also signed Mola, who now plays for Bristol Rovers in League One and represented Bol recalled being concerned that Chelsea would turn him away after a DBS check of his criminal history. He said to The Times: "Rightfully so, because there were obviously reservations after what showed up [on the DBS check]. 'I did a risk assessment and they asked me how I ended up in these situations and what I'd done to change my behaviour to ensure I wouldn't fall back into those old patterns. "Long story short, I think the years I put in coaching unpaid went a long way to overpower the past. 7 Clinton Mola now plays for Bristol Rovers Credit: Rex "They could see I was making a big effort to make a change. I got the role and I was there for just over five years.' From there Bol's career in football scouting has taken over and he made the switch to Arsenal's academy in 2020 - where he has been ever since. Working alongside academy manager Per Mertesacker, Bol's role is to manage a group of scouts and make sure they are always covering all parts of East London. Along his way he has helped unearth and develop some of of the Premier League's most exciting young talents. Zain Silcott-Duberry, who made his Prem debut for Bournemouth this season, is just one of the youngsters he has had a hand in developing. While 14-year-old Trey Faromo, another Bol has helped identify, is thought to be one of the country's brightest talents and recently made his debut for Chelsea Under-18. Now Bol is targeting a spot as the head of recruitment at a Premier League club, but still recognises how far he has come. He said: "I feel proud of where I'm going. It's good to reflect every once in a while to remember how far I've come" 7 Zain Silcott-Duberry is a rising star at Bournemouth Credit: Getty 7 Bol is rising through the ranks at Arsenal Credit: instagram @joeblackuk
Times
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Times
Meet the ex-convict rapper talent-spotting for Arsenal
One of the Premier League's top academy scouts is a convicted drug dealer and rapper whose lyrics about his old life of crime have garnered millions of views on YouTube. Joseph Bol does not covet attention on the touchline in his role as Arsenal's grassroots recruitment coordinator for east London, for which he is charged with organising a network of talent-spotters focused predominantly on under-9 to under-14 players, but parents and older siblings at youth games still occasionally recognise him as the artist 'Joe Black'. 'The kids always used to say, 'You're famous', but I don't think they understood what for,' Bol says. 'They may have thought it was for football.' It has been 15 years since Bol, 39, was released from prison for a third and final time. Ordinarily, a DBS check that showed convictions for robbery and possession of class A drugs with intent to supply — Bol spent a year in prison on remand for a third charge on which he was found not guilty — would preclude him from working with minors, let alone within the academies at Crystal Palace, Chelsea and then Arsenal. Yet, several of the players Bol discovered are now on the cusp of making their first-team breakthroughs, such as Zain Silcott-Duberry (Bournemouth) and Amani Richards (Leicester City). Trey Faromo, a 14-year-old winger, is considered one of the country's brightest talents and recently made his debut for Chelsea Under-18. It is a rare and quite remarkable story of reinvention. When Bol is not watching all manner of school, district, and league matches, he is a tutor at City Select Academy, a specialist college in Croydon for sixth formers harbouring faint but fading dreams of playing professional football. 'They may have not gone down the same road as committing crime, but it's just being someone relatable to them [saying] that their route might be a bit different, but it's definitely not over, and just being there for them,' he says. 'There are loads of people in my position who made mistakes early in their lives and think, 'That's it, I'm never going to be able to excel.' People are shocked that I work for Arsenal so it's just being an example that you can still do it, and it's not just football. 'The first age group I started coaching [in 2012], they're like 25 now. Sometimes growing up on estates you think football is the only way out, but one of them is a firefighter now. He always says to me that I was very influential in making him feel like, 'Don't waste your time, find your purpose as soon as possible', and that gives me just as much satisfaction as seeing a player make it at a professional level. So that's my mission: to use football as a tool for kids to have a better start because a lot of these skills are transferable.' Bol grew up on the Highbury Estate in north London and his mother worked as a civil servant in Brent Town Hall. He had been a talented footballer himself but he was seduced by the perceived glamour of crime in his early teens. 'I wanted things my mum didn't deem necessary, like designer clothes, trainers, and that led me down a slippery slope. I stopped playing football and I started selling and smoking weed, and then it went on to be more class A drugs. I was just in a bubble thinking this is going to be my career path,' says Bol, who was sentenced to three years in prison for robbery aged 15 and sat his maths and English GCSEs in a young offenders' institute. When he was released after 18 months, 'it didn't really sink in that I'd actually served that much time,' he says. 'I came out and got adulation from my peers, it boosts your ego, and I just started rapping about what I was going through. It was more about selling drugs. We didn't really have postcode wars at the time.' A member of the so-called Highbury Boys, Bol was stabbed in the arm and leg while sitting in the front seat of his car by four boys from a rival gang when he was 18. Undeterred, he was arrested again in 2004 after being caught selling drugs as part of a county lines network. The bubble finally burst when he turned 21 and was transferred to an adult prison. After being caught with a mobile phone, an officer vowed to get Bol a job in the gym if he behaved well and encouraged him to complete FA Level One and Community Sports Leader coaching courses. 'That helped me figure out that I needed to break the cycle and change my outlook. When I came out, I started volunteering at a local football club run by my friend. It was called A Class FC. Imagine,' Bol says, laughing. 'But I caught the bug and I've been doing it ever since.' Bol continued to rap about his old life and earned a 'liveable wage' as his popularity grew, pressing his own CDs and taking them to independent record shops in the days before streaming. He was even once a support act to Rick Ross when the American hip-hop mogul played in London, but football remained his foremost passion. In 2012, he set up his own grassroots club called AC United and it quickly grew from having one team to eight. Their performances in local cups attracted the attention of scouts such as Joe Shields, now a senior director within Chelsea's academy, who got Bol a job as an academy scout and development coach at Crystal Palace. Bol's big breakthrough came when the standout player at AC United, Clinton Mola, was invited for a trial at Chelsea. He accompanied Mola to the training ground and was mobbed by several of the under-14 players, including the likes of Reece James, much to the confusion of the academy staff. Seemingly realising the sway his fame could have, Chelsea ultimately decided to sign them both — Mola, 24, who now plays for Bristol Rovers, went on to represent England from under-16 to under-21 level. 'I'm still amazed that it happened. It wasn't by design. It was just because of the quality of players we had in our team,' Bol says. 'The original question was, 'Do I know anyone who would be interested in scouting for Chelsea in north London?' I said, 'Yeah, me.' ' Bol feared his criminal history would caused Chelsea to baulk. 'Rightfully so, because there were obviously reservations after what showed up [on the DBS check],' he says. 'I did a risk assessment and they asked me how I ended up in these situations and what I'd done to change my behaviour to ensure I wouldn't fall back into those old patterns. Long story short, I think the years I put in coaching unpaid went a long way to overpower the past. They could see I was making a big effort to make a change. I got the role and I was there for just over five years.' ALAN STANFORD/PPAUK/SHUTTERSTOCK There is not necessarily a secret art to scouting. 'It wasn't a conventional job with set hours, it was just having my ear to the ground, my eyes on the grass, and trying to find the best player in north London,' he says. Using the network of contacts he had built up as a coach, Bol would receive tip-offs about talented youngsters and attend countless matches every week to draw his own conclusions. Since joining Arsenal in 2020, his role is slightly more administrative, ensuring that a group of scouts are always covering all parts of east London and then similarly putting names forward for possible trials. 'There are a bunch of people involved in the decision-making and then Per Mertesacker [Arsenal's academy manager] may have the final sign off,' he says. Bol's end goal is to become the head of academy recruitment at a Premier League club so his voice is the crucial element in that decision-making process. 'There are still lingering doubts in my head that because of my past maybe there is a ceiling [on what role he can have], but so far there hasn't been. If there is, I created it myself, but I feel proud of where I'm going,' he says. 'It's good to reflect every once in a while to remember how far I've come.'
