Latest news with #Lynott
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
'Ireland gave me and Philip something to belong to': Caught in the spotlight of the Phil Lynott story
The boy is back in town. After a sell-out run at Vicar Street in April, the ghost of Phil Lynott returns to stages in Dublin and Limerick this week in Moonlight — a rock theatre extravaganza that explores Lynott's artistic genius and the early years of his time with Thin Lizzy in the late 1960s and early '70s. The actor Peter M Smith stars in the lead role. 'Philip jealously guarded his private life,' says Smith, 'which created a dichotomy for someone so public, someone who made a living from being in the public eye, having to sell his wares publicly. I remember feeling a tremendous sense of pride when I realised that because we shouldn't be judged on anything but our output.' Smith, who has been heralded for his performance incarnating Lynott, shares striking similarities with the Thin Lizzy frontman, both physically and in his background. Both grew up streets away from each other on Dublin's southside — Lynott in Crumlin, Smith in Drimnagh. Both were raised by single mothers and maternal grandparents, not knowing their fathers. 'When you're raised in our situation, your yearning is always to belong,' says Smith. 'Philip grabbed hold of his Irishness, as I do. No matter where I am in the world, I'm at pains to let people know how Irish I am, even above the fact that I'm black. I don't go around talking about [being black]. I've read books on black consciousness, like Steve Biko's books. I'm very much into black history, like the story of Frederick Douglass, but that's more for my private reading. My real passion is the fact I'm Irish. 'Ireland gave me and Philip something to belong to. He was fiercely patriotic and protective of all things Irish. That bore fruit in a lot of confrontations with journalists who weren't Irish and didn't understand the state of play, shall we say, in Ireland. I'm like that too. I'm quite spiky and defensive about my Irishness. I'm fiercely patriotic. I love being Irish because Ireland has given me something I'll always belong to.' Moonlight: The Philip Lynott Enigma Live at Vicar starring Eric Bell and Peter M Smith Lynott, who died in 1986 in hospital of septicaemia and pneumonia aged 36, was born to be a rock star. He walked down the street with a natural swagger. It could be said Smith was born to play Lynott. He has the acting chops. He has a background in music. In 2002, he was a finalist on Popstars: The Rivals (the series which gave the world Girls Aloud). Smith captures Lynott's spirit uncannily. He got the seal of approval from Lynott's late mother, Philomena, to reprise him on screen, as Smith was earmarked to play Lynott in biopic projects that Neil Jordan and Noel Pearson/Jim Sheridan tried to get off the ground. 'I had extensive discussions with Jim. When we met at auditions, he told everybody else to go home, and sent me into the next room, because there weren't many guys, certainly in their 30s, like me, having the same upbringing and attitude as Philip. I'm a rocker at heart. Jim operates on instinct. He knows his eggs from his eggs. 'So, we were close, but for one reason or another, those biopics didn't happen. Philip's kids were a little bit younger, and their mother didn't want a certain story told in a certain way. These things can happen but now seems to be the right time. Staying away from Philip's private life and looking more at what he's achieved as an artist seems to be doing the trick. 'Philomena was always on board because she wrote the book My Boy, and later an updated, more candid edition. The problem was never Philomena. She was quite the storyteller. Philip's wife wasn't ready to tell the story. 'I understand that. I have daughters. You would want your children to remember your songwriting and not any mistakes you may have made in your life.' Moonlight features an impressive supporting cast, including Brian Kennedy as Oscar Wilde's ghost and Thin Lizzy co-founder Eric Bell playing himself. Smith and his co-stars are accompanied by a live, four-piece band that rocks out Thin Lizzy hits as well as new, original music. 'Larry Hogan, the musical director, has done a great job in adapting the original music to make it sound seamlessly like Thin Lizzy,' says Smith. 'A lot of hardcore Thin Lizzy fans swore blind we were playing Thin Lizzy B-sides such was the faithfulness of the original music to Lizzy's sound. And those are the hardest people to please.' Moonlight: The Philip Lynott Enigma returns for four extra dates to Dublin's Vicar Street (June 20-22) and UCH Limerick (June 24) Read More Culture That Made Me: Music legend Brush Shiels picks his touchstones
RTÉ News
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Brian Kennedy to play Oscar Wilde in Phil Lynott stage musical
Belfast singer Brian Kennedy says he is "beyond thrilled" to be joining rock-theatre show Moonlight: The Philip Lynott Enigma to play the role of Irish wit and playwright Oscar Wilde. The production, which opened in Dublin's Vicar Street in April, tells the story of the late Thin Lizzy front man and is set to return to Vicar Steet on 20 and 21 and has also announced a show in UCH Limerick on 24 June. Dublin actor Peter M. Smith plays Lynott in Moonlight, which charts the early life of Lynott, portraying him not just as a rock legend but as a literary figure worthy of standing alongside Wilde and Brendan Behan, both of whom make ghostly appearances in the musical. The show blends live music, including Thin Lizzy classics and original compositions, with theatrical storytelling to explore Lynott's formative years in Dublin and London during the late 1960s and early '70s. Speaking about playing Wilde in the show, Kennedy, whose songs include Captured and You Raise Me Up, says: "I'm beyond thrilled to be part of Moonlight and of course to bring something new to the legend of Oscar! I feel like I have finally met Phil Lynott and Brendan Behan."
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MAGA migrants? Moving to Canada no easy road, Americans find
When U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration coincided with Martin Luther King Day in January, it felt particularly bitter for Jacquelin Lynott. The therapist from Maryland is married to a transgender man, and the executive orders Trump signed on Day 1 of his second term felt like the death knell for the civil rights movement King had led. As Trump asserted "there are only two genders" and pledged to end diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, Lynott and her partner reached a conclusion: the United States was no longer safe for them. "They all smell quite a bit like fascism," Lynott told CBC of her reaction to Trump's orders. Lynott has since been researching how to move to Ontario, joining what immigration lawyers describe as a wave of Americans interested in immigrating to Canada. But as many never-Trumpers are discovering, leaving Trump country is harder than talking about it. Back in 2016, plenty of Americans including such famous names as Amy Schumer, Lena Dunham, Snoop Dogg and Bryan Cranston vowed to flee north. Few followed through, however, in many cases because there are limited immigration pathways for Americans to move to Canada. "'What do you mean I can't move to Canada next week?'" is how immigration lawyer Ryan Rosenberg describes the surprised reaction of clients discovering Canada's immigration requirements. Rosenberg, managing partner of Larlee Rosenberg in Vancouver, launched the website last year. "Tired of Trump? Thinking about Canada? We can help," the landing page offers. "We've been inundated with Americans looking to move to Canada," Rosenberg told CBC. Leaving on a jet plane? Moving to Canada from the United States is more difficult than many Americans thought, according to immigration lawyer Ryan Rosenberg. (AP) 'Calling with their heart, not with their mind' But fewer than five per cent of inquiries lead to an application to move to Canada, he estimates. Many Americans are surprised to learn they cannot simply move without a job offer, Rosenberg said. "It's often met with a lot of pushback and disappointment, frustration and comprehension from Americans who have what I would call a kind of a sense of entitlement about these things," he said. "They're calling with their heart, not with their mind." Americans are looking to move to Canada at a time when the federal government is looking to limit immigration. So unless an applicant speaks French or has a specific skillset, their options are limited, according to Ottawa immigration lawyer Betsy Kane. "There's certainly a lot of inquiries, not necessarily actionable plans to proceed with permanent residents," she told CBC. While British Columbia is looking to poach doctors and nurses from the U.S., other occupations are in less demand. "For somebody living in the States who wants to look at opportunities in Canada, it's pretty difficult right now and you really need to have a job offer in a specific field," Kane said. 'A massive red flag' Lynott and her partner are not alone in feeling increasingly unsafe in the U.S. Americans from the 2SLGBTQ+ community are among those especially eager to leave. Jacquelin Lynott, a thearapist from Maryland, has been exploring options for moving to Canada since Trump's second inauguration. (Supplied by Jacquelin Lynott) "Looking to history and the times when things became particularly precarious for groups of people, the erasing of history of specific minority groups is always a massive red flag," she said, referring to Trump's removal of transgender references from the Stonewall National Monument website. So far, however, 2SLGBTQ+ Americans have not met the bar for claiming asylum in Canada. "Discrimination is not a basis for an asylum claim," said Ottawa immigration lawyer Julie Taub. While Taub has bad news for would-be asylum seekers from the 2SLGBTQ+ community, she has better news for another category of clients: Americans with Canadian heritage. For Americans who were born in Canada or have a Canadian parent or grandparent, establishing their Canadian citizenship is often a simple matter of paperwork. "This is a new phenomenon for me," Taub told CBC. "They're well-established in the States and have excellent careers, but they just want to come here now because of what's happening." Trump's election has also caused more Americans to contact David Garson's Toronto-based law firm — but it hasn't halted his work advising dissatisfied Canadians looking to move south. "People are paying a lot for a little, their salaries are capped," he told CBC. "And don't shoot the messenger on this but there's a lot of people who are fed up — in their words — with the 'DEI wokeness' of Canada." Garson, who is also licensed to practise in the U.S., said widespread malaise is causing clients to see greener grass on both sides of the border. "I've been practising for many years," he said. "I've never seen times like these. I have never seen this much disarray." For now, Lynott and her partner are seeking job offers in Ontario with a view to applying for an express entry lottery if no opportunities arise. "But as of right now it is mostly a waiting game," she said.
CBC
18-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
MAGA migrants? Moving to Canada no easy road, Americans find
Social Sharing When U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration coincided with Martin Luther King Day in January, it felt particularly bitter for Jacquelin Lynott. The therapist from Maryland is married to a transgender man, and the executive orders Trump signed on Day 1 of his second term felt like the death knell for the civil rights movement King had led. As Trump asserted " there are only two genders" and pledged to end diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, Lynott and her partner reached a conclusion: the United States was no longer safe for them. "They all smell quite a bit like fascism," Lynott told CBC of her reaction to Trump's orders. Lynott has since been researching how to move to Ontario, joining what immigration lawyers describe as a wave of Americans interested in immigrating to Canada. But as many never-Trumpers are discovering, leaving Trump country is harder than talking about it. Back in 2016, plenty of Americans including such famous names as Amy Schumer, Lena Dunham, Snoop Dogg and Bryan Cranston vowed to flee north. Few followed through, however, in many cases because there are limited immigration pathways for Americans to move to Canada. "'What do you mean I can't move to Canada next week?'" is how immigration lawyer Ryan Rosenberg describes the surprised reaction of clients discovering Canada's immigration requirements. Rosenberg, managing partner of Larlee Rosenberg in Vancouver, launched the website last year. "Tired of Trump? Thinking about Canada? We can help," the landing page offers. "We've been inundated with Americans looking to move to Canada," Rosenberg told CBC. 'Calling with their heart, not with their mind' But fewer than five per cent of inquiries lead to an application to move to Canada, he estimates. Many Americans are surprised to learn they cannot simply move without a job offer, Rosenberg said. "It's often met with a lot of pushback and disappointment, frustration and comprehension from Americans who have what I would call a kind of a sense of entitlement about these things," he said. "They're calling with their heart, not with their mind." Americans are looking to move to Canada at a time when the federal government is looking to limit immigration. So unless an applicant speaks French or has a specific skillset, their options are limited, according to Ottawa immigration lawyer Betsy Kane. "There's certainly a lot of inquiries, not necessarily actionable plans to proceed with permanent residents," she told CBC. While British Columbia is looking to poach doctors and nurses from the U.S., other occupations are in less demand. "For somebody living in the States who wants to look at opportunities in Canada, it's pretty difficult right now and you really need to have a job offer in a specific field," Kane said. 'A massive red flag' Lynott and her partner are not alone in feeling increasingly unsafe in the U.S. Americans from the 2SLGBTQ+ community are among those especially eager to leave. "Looking to history and the times when things became particularly precarious for groups of people, the erasing of history of specific minority groups is always a massive red flag," she said, referring to Trump's removal of transgender references from the Stonewall National Monument website. So far, however, 2SLGBTQ+ Americans have not met the bar for claiming asylum in Canada. "Discrimination is not a basis for an asylum claim," said Ottawa immigration lawyer Julie Taub. While Taub has bad news for would-be asylum seekers from the 2SLGBTQ+ community, she has better news for another category of clients: Americans with Canadian heritage. For Americans who were born in Canada or have a Canadian parent or grandparent, establishing their Canadian citizenship is often a simple matter of paperwork. "This is a new phenomenon for me," Taub told CBC. "They're well-established in the States and have excellent careers, but they just want to come here now because of what's happening." Trump's election has also caused more Americans to contact David Garson's Toronto-based law firm — but it hasn't halted his work advising dissatisfied Canadians looking to move south. "People are paying a lot for a little, their salaries are capped," he told CBC. "And don't shoot the messenger on this but there's a lot of people who are fed up — in their words — with the 'DEI wokeness' of Canada." Garson, who is also licensed to practise in the U.S., said widespread malaise is causing clients to see greener grass on both sides of the border. "I've been practising for many years," he said. "I've never seen times like these. I have never seen this much disarray." For now, Lynott and her partner are seeking job offers in Ontario with a view to applying for an express entry lottery if no opportunities arise. "But as of right now it is mostly a waiting game," she said.
