Latest news with #LindaMartin
Extra.ie
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Linda Martins dog shelter sees huge spike in French Bulldog surrenders
Designer French Bulldogs are being dumped en masse at rescue centres around the country, with animal lover Linda Martin noticing a marked increase in the numbers of French bulldogs being dumped at her North County Dublin rehoming sanctuary. Former Eurovision winner Linda, who now operates the pound for North County Dublin County Council, says she has seen a huge number of French bulldogs come into her care at her state-of-the-art facility, The Dog Hub located in Meakstown in North Dublin. In fact, at least a fifth of Linda's current residents at The Dog Hub are of the French bulldog breed and range in age from one to five years of age. Photo taken in Chiang Mai, Thailand Speaking to Linda says she is not entirely sure why the pricey pooches- who breeders sell at anything from around 1,000 to 10,000 euros are suddenly being dumped by their owners into rescue centres around the nation. 'We have seen a huge increase in the numbers of French bulldogs coming into us,' Linda told But she says the fleeting celebrity popularity with certain breeds can lead to an uptake in people opting to buy different types of dog at certain times. 'If you have a Disney movie out that has a particular type of dog then you will usually see that breed become the 'dog-of-the-week',' explains Linda. 'For instance when 101 Dalmations came out, everyone wanted spotted doggies. Then when Game of Thrones was on Huskies were the popular dogs,' Linda told the MoS. While Linda said French bulldogs are a beautiful breed they can be quite rambunctious of character. 'They're gorgeous dogs; they really are, but I think people have this idea that they are just going to sit there looking all pretty, and that's simply not the case. 'They can be quite tough, and they are sturdy and they can be rambunctious.,' said Linda 'They do make great pets but they are not just a pretty little plaything like some people imagine.' Pic: Getty Images Linda's state-of-the-art Dog Hub is currently home to a vast array of scruffs, mutts and designer doggies all looking for their forever homes. And the famously well-respected singer Linda has not only seen mutts coming to her spanking new rehoming centre as she has also seen more than a few famous faces drop by. Bassist and avid gardener Adam Clayton of U2 fame popped into The Dog Hub last month where he adopted three cute hedgehogs from Linda, and the three little rascals are right at home burrowing around Clayton's 17 acres of gardens and woodlands at his Southside home. Linda Martin and Adam Clayton. Pic: Supplied A lover of all creatures great and small, Adam paid a visit to Eurovision winner Linda's animal sanctuary where he quickly made the acquaintance of three little friends. Adam loves animals,' said Linda 'and his daughter especially loves hedgehogs so now three little mites are living their best life and they have the run of Adam's massive gardens.' Eurovision legend and animal welfare campaigner Linda Martin has been awarded a contract to run a dog shelter on behalf of Dublin City Council, the Irish Mail on Sunday can reveal. And last week a contingent of soft-hearted rough-riders from Ireland Devils Disciples motorcycle crew made a pit stop at the Dog Hub to pay Linda and her kennels full of four-legged friends a visit. 'It's smashing out here,' said one of the bikers.'It's like Beverly Hills for dogs. She's some woman is Linda,' said another animal loving biker.
Sunday World
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Linda Martin lays out why Cliona Hagan must be Ireland's choice for Eurovision 2026
'She has it all - she sings, looks gorgeous, can move and is very friendly. All she needs is a great song.' Linda Martin came out on top in 1992 with the song Why Me? Eurovision queen Linda Martin is tipping Irish country star Cliona Hagan as a top contender to win the 2026 event if she puts her hat in the ring. And Linda, who won the mammoth song contest in 1992 with Why Me?, told the Sunday World that Ireland deserved to be in last Saturday's final with EMMY singing our entry, Laika Party. 'Ah God love her, I'm so disappointed that EMMY didn't get through on Thursday night. I genuinely thought she was much better than some of those other acts that got into the final,' Linda says. 'Next year I think we should send Cliona Hagan to the Eurovision with a mid-tempo song and a country feel to it. I really think Cliona is a winner. She has it all — she sings, looks gorgeous, can move and is very friendly. All she needs is a great song.' Linda Martin came out on top in 1992 with the song Why Me? However, Linda says she couldn't fault EMMY's performance in the second semi-final on Thursday night. 'The staging of the Irish entry was well thought out, the dancers were superb and her vocals were great,' she reflects. 'I thought EMMY was a little nervous having met her a couple of times, but nevertheless she was really, really good, so I'm disappointed for her, God help her. And she's only a young one, so I'd say she was upset.' Would any of the other songs in Ireland's Eurosong contest on The Late Late Show this year have had a bigger impact? 'No,' Linda responds emphatically. 'Samantha Mumba, if she'd had a good song, a really brilliant song, would have wiped the board with the lot of them at the Eurovision this year as a performer. She would have fitted in perfectly. She has the look, the stage presence and I think the Europeans would have loved her. But her song let her down.' Linda Martin at the 1984 Eurovision So what do we have to do to even qualify these days? 'Well, we have to go back to the ballads,' Linda says. 'I keep saying that. We cannot compete with the Europeans and their backing tracks. They have that sound down to a fine art. I suppose you could call it a disco sound. We cannot do it. The only time we ever won was because of a ballad.' Do you think a ballad will still work? 'Yes I do,' Linda insists. 'In an ideal world I'd have a brilliant ballad very simply staged. I think it would stand out so much. Sometimes less is more. 'There was too much performance in some of the songs in this year's semi-finals. It was like three-minute cabaret shows. You can say, 'she's too old' or 'too old-fashioned', maybe so, but genuinely I think it should be song first and then everything else afterwards. 'I'll tell you the God's honest truth, if I had been epileptic I'd be in hospital because the flashing lights never stopped in this week's shows. I do appreciate you have to have some sort of staging and lights, but at times I couldn't see the artists because of the lights. Sometimes it was too much.' Irish entry EMMY on stage in Switzerland Do we need to change what we're doing in terms of choosing a song and a singer? 'I absolutely love Michael Kealy [head of the RTÉ Eurovision delegation]. I think he does an amazing job with the restrictions he has, but gone are the days when we had Red Hurley, Johnny [Logan] and myself, all of those people that doesn't exist anymore, so RTÉ should get out, send scouts around the country where events are happening and find people who look well, have a good attitude and a good voice. 'RTE should then audition them like they did in the old days to see what they're made of before they're given a song. I had to audition myself back then. We've got the talent here it's just a matter of finding and perfecting that talent.' Linda adds that Eurovision should be given serious consideration by Irish singers as it's the perfect launching pad for a career outside Ireland. As a former Eurovision winner, Linda is treated like royalty on the continent. 'It's the best platform ever,' she says. 'I'm still working in Europe at a very high level because of that song.'
Irish Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Eurovision's Linda Martin gives words of advice to EMMY ahead of song contest
Eurovision winner Linda Martin has told EMMY the song contest is the most 'powerful platform' she will perform on. EMMY and her brother Erland visited former Eurovision winner Linda Martin's dog shelter, the Dublin Dog Hub, when they were in Dublin recently. Linda told EMMY before the Norwegian singer flew to Basel, Switzerland: "Enjoy it because it's going to go past in a flash. And speak to everybody, speak to the newspapers and magazines, the radios, anything. "Speak to them just so they know who you are and what your song is about and get your song out there because it's vitally important, but do enjoy yourself. 'I know on the stage you're going to be nervous. Because you'll be aware that there's 400 million people watching, you know, but this is the most wonderful platform you could ever imagine. 'I mean, where would you ever be seen again by so many people? So there's going to be managers looking in, there's going to be promoters, there's gonna be record labels looking at everything and just use it and go forward. Embrace it. Because I love Eurovision. 'I got stuck into it straight away and EMMY, I'm still working because of that Eurovision contest, you know. You're so beautiful and friendly. Both of you. We'll be cheering for you on the night." EMMY said: "Thank you for letting us visit your dog shelter." Linda added: "It was a pleasure. Seriously, it was. A pleasure to have you here and we just wish you the very, very best of luck. And like I said to you earlier, if you win, you're right. 'You have to come back and live in Dublin. And then I'll have a job here for you !It's been lovely. Thank you for coming to this afternoon. It's been an absolute pleasure and go and win for Ireland.' The OGAE Irish fan club have created t-shirts with Laika the dog on them to support EMMY - all proceeds go to Linda Martin's dog shelter. Since opening its doors on February 1, 2024, Dublin Dog Hub has rehomed 225 dogs. Linda and her team gave EMMY and Erland a warm welcome and a beautiful bouquet of green, white and orange flowers to wish EMMY luck. EMMY finished her second dress rehearsal on Thursday a week before she hits the stage for the second semi final with her song, Laika Party. Speaking after her second rehearsals, EMMY said: 'We definitely have done some change and even after the first rehearsal, we had to do some changes because of the size of the stage and the prop that we didn't know of. 'So yeah, there's got to be changes, but trying to keep the core of the Eurovision performance, or some elements of it.'
Extra.ie
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Eurovision hopeful Emmy gets pre-show puppy power from Linda Martin's dog hub
Eurovision hopeful Emmy made a very special pit-stop at former winner Linda Martin's Dog Hub in North County Dubin before she blasted off to Basel, can reveal. Norwegian pop artist Emmy is set to take to the stage in the second round of semi-finals next week with her song about a Russian dog sent into space, but who sadly ever made it back. In a cosmic mix of music and mutts, Emmy paid a visit to former Eurovision winner and famed animal lover Linda Martin for some advice and of course and abundance of dog cuddles before she takes to the stage in Switzerland. Eurovision hopeful Emmy made a very special pit-stop at former winner Linda Martin's Dog Hub in North County Dubin before she blasted off to Basel. Pic: Andres Poveda Speaking to Linda said that Emmy was 'fantastic' and wished her luck on the Eurovision stage. 'Emmy was here at The Dog Hub a few weeks ago before she headed away,' said Linda. 'She's a lovely girl and she has a great voice and I believe the staging is amazing. So I wish her every luck in the world and hope she does really well; for herself and of course for Ireland.' Linda of course famously won the competition in for her song Hold Me Now co-written by Johnny Logan. Johnny Logan and Linda Martin at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1992. Pic: Sipa/REX/Shutterstock Perhaps hoping to break Ireland's long run of bad Eurovision luck, Emmy has broken with tradition by skipping the annual live appearance on The Late Late Show . In previous years, Ireland's entry has always dropped by the studio for a live tête-à-tête with the host to talk all things Eurosong. RTE have eschewed the in studio chat and have instead opted to do a pre-record which will be broadcast this Friday. It is not clear why RTE chose not to have Emmy appear on the Late Late Show ahead of her Eurovision performance. Emmy, 24, won RTÉ's Eurosong Contest in February with her song Laika Party. Pic: Andres Poveda Norwegian singer Emmy, 24, won RTÉ's Eurosong Contest in February with her song Laika Party, written alongside Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath songwriter Larissa Tormey. The singer along with her team made their way to Basel, Switzerland two days ago to prepare to take to the stage in the second round of semi-finals which will air on Thursday, May 15, from 8pm on RTÉ 2 and the RTÉ Player.
Belfast Telegraph
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
Johnny Logan: ‘There is only so often you can go to a place and have a glass of wine at 6.30 or 7am before you realise this is not normal'
If you're going to pose such a big question then who better to answer it than someone who has won it three times for Ireland: in 1980 performing What's Another Year, written by the late Shay Healy; in 1987 performing one of his own compositions Hold Me Now; and in 1992 with Linda Martin with another of his songs, Why Me?.
