Latest news with #LeslieDowdall
Sunday World
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
These two 80s Irish pop stars were protrayed as rivals - now they're best friends
1980s pop stars Flo McSweeney and Leslie Dowdall were often seen as arch rivals, but they since have become best friends. Leslie Dowdall and Flo McSweeney will be singing the songs of Linda Ronstadt and Carole King They were Irish pop pin-ups in the '80s as singers in their respective bands — and often portrayed in the media as arch rivals. Now Flo McSweeney — who fronted 1980s groups Toy With Rhythm and Les Enfants — and Leslie Dowdall of In Tua Nua are teaming up for a new show. In an exclusive interview with Magazine+, McSweeney today talks about their relationship and her life in music. Flo also looks back on her days as a co-presenter of RTE's popular Megamix TV pop show in the late 1980s with Kevin Sharkey, who is now a successful artist. She reveals how the celebrity pair went on holiday together to Lanzarote at the end of one series — and sent postcards to family and pals of a lookalike couple lying naked on inflatable pool lilos. Flo says: 'Kevin and myself had the best fun doing Megamix and after the first series finished we went off to Lanzarote for a two-week holiday and we had the best craic. Leslie in In Tua Nua 'On the first day we found these postcards of a dark-skinned guy and a white girl, with very short blonde hair like mine, lying face down on swimming pool lilos completely naked. It was like an aerial photograph. 'So we bought all the postcards and we sent them to everyone back home. My mother had a complete and utter conniption. 'Oh Jesus, it's Kevin and Flo naked in a swimming pool!' 'All I remember about that holiday is that we laughed for two weeks.' Looking back on her early Irish pop star days when she hung out in celebrity nightclub The Pink Elephant with UK bands such as Spandau Ballet and Def Leppard, Flo says she didn't strike up a friendship with Leslie Dowdall. Leslie Dowdall and Flo McSweeney will be singing the songs of Linda Ronstadt and Carole King News in 90 seconds - 11th August 2025 'We were in our 20s and we were both rockers, but we didn't know each other very well,' Flo tells me. 'We'd kind of skirt around each other when we'd meet in clubs like The Pink Elephant.' Flo, who is married to comic Barry Murphy of Aprés Match fame, says it was a decade later that they formed a close friendship. 'When Barry and I moved into a little mews on Baggott Street in the early 1990s, it turned out that Leslie was living around the corner. We bumped into each other one day in the supermarket, abandoned the shopping basket and went for Irish coffees…and we've been friends ever since. 'Leslie is great fun. The two of us are now women of a certain age and have we grown up? No! And nor do we intend to. Flo with Kevin Sharkey 'When you're in your 20s you look on others as rivals. Some of my closest friends now in my 60s are Jenny Newman, who took over as singer in Toy With Rhythm from me, and Karen Coleman, who I worked with in The Commitments touring band, and we would have all been rivals back then. 'There was never any real cattiness, but now it's just wonderful, it's supportive and it's friendships. We are not in competition with each other at all.' McSweeney has had a varied career in music that at one stage included the role as lead singer in Moving Hearts a couple of years after Christy Moore's departure. She replaced Mick Hanley and says: 'Mick Hanly had just left Moving Hearts, they decided they needed to change their image and I was offered the gig as singer,' Flo recalls. 'I hadn't a clue whose shoes I was stepping into I was so naïve at the time. It wasn't the greatest fit for me from a music point of view. I'm a sort of torch song singer and Moving Hearts was very, very different. 'It was hard for me as well. I remember when we did a gig in The Bottom Line in New York, which was a really prestigious gig to do, there was a guy down at the end of the room shouting 'Where is Christy?!' 'I ended up going off the stage after the gig in floods of tears. If that was now and there was a guy shouting at me I'd feckin' wipe the floor with him. I am a perfectionist but I'm not hard on myself anymore. 'At this age you have history and you've lived a life and I kind of think with the music that I like doing I have more of a right to sing those songs now in older age. It's life experience in all of those songs. 'Between 40 and 50 I didn't do much live work because Aprés Match had taken off (for Barry) and my kids were young. But at 50 I decided to go back to it, it was kind of like starting again and I said yes to everything and it has just been amazing.' It was promoter Pat Egan who suggested that she should team up with Leslie Dowdall to perform the songs of legends Linda Ronstadt and Carole King for a show at Dublin's Vicar Street next month. 'We're not a tribute band — there's no wigs or any of that nonsense,' Flo stresses. 'We are doing the songs between us and then a couple of songs each on our own and we have a great band. It's a real joy to perform these songs together.'
Irish Independent
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
June bank holiday in Wicklow: Seven super events to enjoy over the long weekend
The June bank holiday is only just around the corner and time is running out to make plans. With that in mind, here are our top seven things to do in Wicklow for you and your family to enjoy this June bank holiday weekend. Live music in Wicklow town Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, May 30-June 2 All events free at various venues Whether you're into dance beats or trad music, or anything in between, Wicklow town's bars have got you covered this June bank holiday weekend. At the centre of it all is the 'Here comes summer party' at the Bridge Tavern on Saturday night, with live music from Feilim, followed by an after-party at Phil Healy's until 2.30am. Entry is free and ice-cold drink specials are promised all night. Live trad sessions are taking place at the Black Castle Bar in Wicklow town on Sunday, June 1 from 7pm to 9pm and on Monday evening from 7.30pn at Fitzpatrick's. There will also be live music at O'Shea's Corner on Friday, May 30 from 8pm until late. Comedy in Greystones Thursday, May 29 at Mrs Robinson's Tickets €6.34 at Tallaght's Joe Dowlin, with gigs at Vicar Street and Electric Picnic to follow, will headline at Mrs Robinsons Comedy Club on Thursday, May 29. Hosted by Keego, who just spent two weeks touring New York, the stage will also welcome newcomer Claire Roche, who used to be a Power FM DJ, Elizabeth Redmon from Houston, Texas and Dane Frisby, an award-winning local, who started his career in Estonia. Ticket's cost €6.34 and there is a waiting list open for the event at Mrs Robinson's in Greystones. It starts at 8pm. Leslie Dowdall and Revival Gospel Choir in Bray Friday, May 31 at Cornerstone Church Tickets €22 at Renown Irish rock singer Leslie Dowdall returns to her home county for an emotive performance at the Cornerstone Church in Bray. Kicking off the June bank holiday proper from 8pm on Friday, May 31, the lead singer of In Tua Nua will be accompanied by the Revival Gospel Choir from Arklow. The group started in 2005 and has become a passionate force within their local community, driving vocal music forwards and building a vibrant community of singers. They will be joined by international jazz guitarist, Hugh Buckley for this special night. Tickets cost €22.50 and are available on Ancient east walking tour in west Wicklow Saturday, May 31 with Tir na Glass Tickets €28 at This full tour will walk you through the history and engaging legends associated with Kilranelagh, in west Wicklow, "the real ancient Ireland", where you'll escape the bank holiday crowds and find the Ireland you've always dreamed of. The guide will start at Kilranelagh graveyard, which is the second oldest graveyard in Ireland. There we will visit the hero of the Irish rebels, Sam Mac Allister's grave; as well as the mysterious Gates of Heaven; and St Brigid's holy well where you can get to drink her healing waters. Other stops along the way will include the Boleycarrigeen stone circle, Crossoona Rath with its Ogham stone, the battle place of Michael Dwyer and the Irish rebels and St Brigid's chair and headstone (know to cure headaches and backpain!). These sites are not easily accessed without guidance, and the walk is about 3.5 to 4 hours long and is a hill walk on uneven ground, so do wear appropriate footwear for hiking, warm waterproof clothing in case of bad weather, and a packed lunch. Bluegrass BBQ in Donard Saturday, May 31 at Donard Community Hall Tickets €20 from Toomey's Bar or O'Keeffe's shop Americana is coming to west Wicklow this June bank holiday weekend as the village of Donard hosts a host of bluegrass, country and americana musicians, alongside a summer barbecue. The line up featured the Dublin Bluegrass Collective, The Blueberry Pickers, Whistle and Redwood plus special guests, with the barbecue starting from 5pm and the music live from 6pm to 11.30pm. This is an adults-only event and tickets exclude food. Gymkhana and field day in Coolgreany Monday, June 2 in Coolgreany village Free to attend The 44th Johnstown/Coolgreany gymkhana and field day is taking place on June bank holiday Monday in Coolgreany village, with all proceds going to St David's Church, local schools and the local senior citizens group. On the day there will be horse and pony jumping, a series of classes for the smalles of riders, a 14-class dog show, rode bull, tug of war and an assortment of food and drink offerings, including the tea tent, a barbecue and some home baking stalls. To enter the tug of war competition or any of the numerous equine events head to . Trio of south-west Wicklow markets Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 29-31 Free to attend in Aughrim, Knockananna and Tinahely A series of craft, car boot and farmer's markets are taking place across the south west of County Wicklow over the June bank holiday weeked. From 10am-4pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the Tinahely Craft Market will be open to all, with sellers offering a range of locally produced crafts that focus on sustainable and local materials. These include baby blankets made from wool produced down the road in Carnew, soya candles and soap and upcycled and recycled quilts, cushions and bags. On Saturday the regular Knockananna car boot sale will be open in the hall from 8am to 1pm. Iti is €10 to pitch and table are provided to all sellers, with buyers attending for free. Up the road in Aughrim, the weekly Town and Country Market is open from 10am to 1.30pm at the Pavilion on Rednagh Road with a farmer's market vibe to the day and plenty of local produce.
