Latest news with #Kenneth
Irish Independent
16 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Once burnt-down house in Connemara has risen from ashes with double-height ceilings, A2 BER and mountain views
Asking price: €475,000 Agent: DNG Martin O'Connor (091) 866708 You can pretty much build what you like, subject to planning permission. But the one thing you can't build is a view. That's the reality Kenneth and Rosaleen Kelly will have to contend with when they bid a final slán abhaile to their home in Rosmuck, Co Galway, in the heart of the Connemara Gaelteacht. Since the move here from Newport, Co Mayo, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Kenneth has continued to commute to the neighbouring county for work. 'I'm a butcher by trade,' (part of the renowned Kellys of Newport), he says. 'We always wanted an opportunity to move away from Newport, but still be close enough that I could drive there. So this house came up and the views were just class. 'We look straight over at [the village of] Recess, and then the mountains behind it, and then over to our left we have the 12 Pins. We've got two lakes, and loads and loads of rocks! "We were watching Yellowstone on TV at the time and it reminded us a lot of it, with the panoramic view of the mountains being the first thing you see every day.' Rosaleen adds: 'Also, it was the double-height ceilings that did it for me. It was like, I came to view the house by myself, and as soon as I walked into it, I knew I wanted to live here, even though it was a shell.' When the Kellys first arrived, living in Teach Chnoc Mordán was like a trip back in time. There was no water, Kenneth says, no electricity, no septic tank and there wasn't even a road up to the house. 'There had been an old house there for years and years, and then it burnt down,' he says. 'And then Lisa Kennealy, the lady we bought the house from, fixed it up, to a point.' The Kellys stepped in to employ a skilled army of local tradesmen, led by Peter McDonagh, whose local network supplied all of the other labour and artisanship required. 'Peter was a machine man, so he could get us a road up to the house. And he has been our shoulder to cry on, full of valuable information,' Kenneth says. 'He's a local man over the road, so he helped with sewerage pipes, septic tanks, all that sort of stuff. There's an old cottage up the back of the house where the original family that lived here would have started off, so we put a road up to that.' Kenneth put the floors down himself and did all of the painting, and after about five months of commuting and sometimes staying in digs locally, the Kellys moved into their new A2-rated home – a rating achieved courtesy of high-spec insulation and an air-to-water heat pump system, which Kenneth says reduces their electricity bill to roughly €50 per month over summer. Once in, the couple set about personalising the interior, focusing first on the kitchen. 'It's double-height, so we put a big island in the middle with really functional drawers,' says Rosaleen. 'I like storage and everything has a place.' There are three roof lights directly over the working area and a built-in pantry press, a gas hob, and a feature extractor fan with timber panelling. 'I wanted to put in a hidden door,' Rosaleen says. 'I had the material picked and everything, but then I decided it wasn't going to look right so I went to the kitchen woman, and I said, 'I'd like to use this material in the kitchen if possible'. And she said, 'Yeah, I think I'll use it on the extractor fan'. So we have this massive extractor fan that looks like a church organ. And I was like, 'Oh, great' because we got to use the material that would have otherwise gone to waste.' The house now has a total of 2,170 sq ft of living accommodation including four bedrooms – one of which is currently in use as a lounge – and is set on over two acres of garden. There is a hallway, a living/dining area, the kitchen, a utility and a shower room, and a large landing area on the first floor. Rosaleen says her favourite room is currently the lounge/ TV room. 'It's a totally different style to the rest of the house, and it's very calm. We painted the ceiling and the wall the same colour – Christmas Wreath, I think it's called – but it's a very calm, dark, cool space. Even in warm weather, it's a really calm space to watch TV, relax and eat.' Kenneth will miss the outdoor spaces most, in particular the elevated patio area, which takes in the mountain views. It is a part of the property that saw a lot of use during the unseasonably fine weather in recent months. And there's another big benefit that Kenneth really appreciates. The local pub (7km away), where a pint is very affordable indeed. In fact, it might officially be tied for the title of the cheapest pint of Guinness in the country at €4.50. Last month, the Sunday World newspaper claimed that accolade for a pub in Donegal at the very same price. The couple have always done their best to learn the Irish language and integrate into the tight-knit community, where everything can still be sourced through a grapevine established down the generations. 'We did learn Irish in school,' Rosaleen says. 'But your memory comes back a bit and we found ourselves talking Irish to each other a little bit in the car yesterday. There's a lady over the road, Mary Loftus, and she comes and she gives us an hour-and-a-half lesson every week.' Now Kenneth has changed jobs, taking up a new role based in Galway city, the commute has become too much and so they are hoping to move closer. 'It's an hour and 20 minutes before you even get to the edge of the city, and the traffic is terrible,' he says. 'If we were maybe 10 or 15 years older, we would stay and retire here.' DNG Martin O'Connor is seeking offers in the region of €475,000.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Who's got the next Labubu? Hong Kong creators eye a slice of ‘goods economy' pie
As an avid collector of modern and contemporary art, Hong Kong fintech millionaire Kenneth's latest splurge is a whimsical luxury watch with a HK$2 million (US$242,000) price tag. Advertisement The limited edition timepiece by Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet features Companion, the toy character with a skull, crossbones and gloves by American Brian Donnelly, better known as Kaws. The artist and designer first turned his Companion character into toys in 1999, selling out immediately. It is now one of the most valuable intellectual property (IP) products globally. Kenneth's love for Kaws has seen him spending more than HK$3.2 million on about 40 toys over the years, including two 1.2-metre (four-foot) Companion figures, a dozen smaller figurines and his most recent acquisition, the watch. Only 250 Kaws watches were made. Kenneth's superfan status landed him an invitation to the launch party in Switzerland last November. Advertisement His other favourite artist in the IP 'goods economy' is Hong Kong sculptor Michael Lau Kin-man, who started making figurines in the 1990s with elements of street culture and is often regarded as the 'godfather' of designer toys in the city. 'They aren't just creating objects, they're telling bold stories and challenging the norm,' he said. Kenneth, who is in his forties and asked to be identified by his first name only, started his online payment business in the late 1990s.
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Benidorm props sell for over £700 as creator flogs old costumes online – including Kenneth's worn hotpants
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PROPS from the smash hit comedy Benidorm are selling for over £700 - including Kenneth Du Beke's worn hotpants The much-loved show - which hilariously followed a group of Brits abroad - came to an end in 2018, but now you can own a piece of the ITV show's history. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 6 Benidorm fans are being given the chance to own some of the show's props - but they come at a price Credit: ITV 6 Benidorm writer Derren Litten is flogging the props on eBay Credit: Instagram/@derrenlitten 6 Fans can own the shorts that Kenneth is wearing in this picture Credit: ITV 6 There are plenty of pricey props and costumes for fans to buy Credit: EBay Benidorm's creator Derren Litten revealed he is flogging memorabilia from the show on eBay. Sharing the news on X/Twitter, he said: "My Benidorm costume auction has started! "Want to own a prop or costume from ITV's comedy BENIDORM? Check this out! Items being added daily." On the eBay page, aptly named SolanaHotel after the famous hotel in the series, fans can pick up a range of items from the show - which includes a number of the character Kenneth's costumes. The flamboyant hairdresser - played by Tony Maudsley - was known for his outrageous t-shirts, and now fans can own one. They are pricey though, and range from £67 to £400. Not only that, Kenneth's famous silver hotpants are also for sale at the price of £107. THE RETURN OF BENIDORM? Meanwhile, last month creator Derren dropped a big clue that he's already working on the rebooted series. It came after The Sun previously revealed that bosses are in secret talks over a comeback for the award-winning series. Further fuelling the fire, Derren shared a photo of himself sitting by a poolside surrounded by palm trees. Benidorm child stars unrecognisable as they appear on ITV after it's revealed sitcom is in talks to return He posed with a thumbs up and teased fans about his location but kept tight-lipped about where he was. Darren wrote: "No idea where I am but it's all good. Might stay here for a bit." A source said: 'Benidorm was adored by millions when it was suddenly cancelled. Fans will be thrilled to hear ITV wants to bring it back. 'An 11th series hasn't been commissioned yet, but there's major excitement building as early talks begin. 6 Kenneth's hotpants can be bought for £107 Credit: EBay 6 This t-shirt is also up for sale Credit: ITV 'Producers have started to reach out to the show's stars and are hopeful a decision can be made later this year.' Benidorm, which was first aired in 2007, was scrapped in 2018 — two months before winning Best Comedy at the TV Choice Awards. Creator Derren slammed ITV's axe, telling the crowd as he picked up the gong: 'This is a bit awkward, the show's just been cancelled.' He added sarcastically: 'I've huge respect for ITV — a show that's getting five and a half million viewers and still picking up awards, but they've cancelled it. That takes balls.'
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Benidorm props sell for over £700 as creator flogs old costumes online – including Kenneth's worn hotpants
PROPS from the smash hit comedy Benidorm are selling for over £700 - including Kenneth Du Beke's worn hotpants The much-loved show - which history . 6 Benidorm fans are being given the chance to own some of the show's props - but they come at a price Credit: ITV 6 Benidorm writer Derren Litten is flogging the props on eBay Credit: Instagram/@derrenlitten 6 Fans can own the shorts that Kenneth is wearing in this picture Credit: ITV 6 There are plenty of pricey props and costumes for fans to buy Credit: EBay Benidorm's creator Sharing the news on X/Twitter, he said: "My Benidorm costume auction has started! "Want to own a prop or costume from ITV's comedy BENIDORM? Check this out! Items being added daily." On the eBay page, aptly named SolanaHotel after the famous hotel in the series, fans can pick up a range of items from the show - which includes a number of the character Kenneth's costumes. READ MORE ON BENIDORM The flamboyant hairdresser - played by They are pricey though, and range from £67 to £400. Not only that, Kenneth's famous silver hotpants are also for sale at the price of £107. THE RETURN OF BENIDORM? Meanwhile, last month creator Most read in News TV It came after The Sun previously revealed that bosses are in Further fuelling the fire, Derren shared a photo of himself sitting by a poolside surrounded by palm trees. Benidorm child stars unrecognisable as they appear on ITV after it's revealed sitcom is in talks to return He posed with a thumbs up and teased fans about his location but kept tight-lipped about where he was. Darren wrote: "No idea where I am but it's all good. Might stay here for a bit." A source said: 'Benidorm was adored by millions when it was suddenly cancelled. Fans will be thrilled to hear ITV wants to bring it back. 'An 11th series hasn't been commissioned yet, but there's major excitement building as early talks begin. 6 Kenneth's hotpants can be bought for £107 Credit: EBay 6 This t-shirt is also up for sale Credit: ITV 'Producers have started to reach out to the show's stars and are hopeful a decision can be made later this year.' Benidorm, which was first aired in 2007, was Creator Derren slammed He added sarcastically: 'I've huge respect for ITV — a show that's getting five and a half million viewers and still picking up awards, but they've cancelled it. That takes balls.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Public warned 'do not approach' missing man last seen leaving Newham hospital
The public was been warned not to approach a missing man last seen leaving a hospital in Newham. Anyone who sees him is being asked to call 999 at the first instance. Kenneth, who uses a wheelchair, was last spotted leaving Newham University Hospital, in Plaistow, at 6.20pm yesterday (Monday, May 26). He was last seen wearing a grey Lonsdale hoodie, black jeans and jacket. Police have warned the public not to approach him and instead to call 999 if they spot him. READ MORE: Boy, 17, may have life-changing injuries after Rainham stabbing with attacker on the loose READ MORE: Victim broke spine in balcony jump after knifepoint torture and rape threat over £15k savings #MISSING | Kenneth was last seen leaving Newham University Hospital in Plaistow at 6.20pm on 26 May. He was wearing a grey Lonsdale hoodie, black jeans and jacket. He uses a you see him, please do not approach him, but call 999 quoting CAD 252/26May. — Newham MPS | North East BCU (@MPSNewham) May 27, 2025 A spokesperson for Newham MPS posted to X: "Kenneth was last seen leaving Newham University Hospital in Plaistow at 6.20pm on 26 May. He was wearing a grey Lonsdale hoodie, black jeans and jacket. "He uses a wheelchair. If you see him, please do not approach him, but call 999 quoting CAD 252/26May." Got a story? Please get in touch at Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest and greatest updates from across London.
