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Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
'People will be blown away if they hear her sing': Cork Rose on 'having a bit of craic'
For as long as she can remember, Nancy Lehane has joined a group of about 12 cousins every year to watch the Rose of Tralee. It's a family tradition dating back more than 10 years, where she travels to Waterford to join them to watch the selection nights. This year, however, the 22-year-old has good reason to break with tradition. Her first cousins are instead travelling to Tralee to watch her as she vies for this year's title. Whether or not she wins isn't something she has thought too much about, although the bookies have her down as the favourite so far. Indeed, even taking part in the contest in the first place isn't something she had ever wanted to do. 'We all get together every year and we watch the selection nights,' she said. 'We've been doing that since we were children. It's usually a group of about 12 or 13 of us first cousins, although some of them are abroad this year. 'I never looked at the screen, watched those amazing women over the years, and thought about being one of them one day. 'I don't think any of us in the group of cousins have ever had that kind of conversation.' The Cork Rose Nancy Lehane and the Ottawa Rose Aidan Russell at Bird's funfair during the Rose of Tralee International Festival. Pictures: Domnick Walsh Quite how she ended up entering the competition to be the Cork Rose happened as a result of a 'whim'. 'I was chatting to my boyfriend after an advert popped up on his phone about becoming an escort for the show, and I suggested he should do it for the craic,' she added. 'He didn't want to do it and I was just joking around with him, trying to persuade him to do it, but he wasn't having any of it. 'Then he sort of said to me that if I wanted him to do it so badly, why didn't I be a Rose? I just thought: 'Do you know what? I will.' So it was on a whim, I suppose you could say. She said she was shocked to be chosen as the Cork Rose at a contest on June 1, but residents of the small North Cork village where she comes from have been rooting for her ever since. Large posters of her adorn every route in or out of Meelin, where she grew up with her five brothers and parents, Denis and Anne Marie. The family are heavily involved in local events, especially annual fundraising for causes such as Cancer Connect, the transport service for people undergoing cancer treatment. Nancy, who also plays football for St Peter's, won a Cork North Garda Youth Award in 2017 for her community volunteering and fundraising. As well as their community spirit, her parents encouraged Nancy to get into music from an early age. She started at five with the concertina and graduated over the years to guitar. She started teaching music from the age of 14 to both children and adults. As well as being a gifted musician, she is also a talented singer. Cork Rose Nancy Lehane pictured on a visit to the Hunt Museum in Limerick. Pictures: Domnick Walsh A former student at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, she is also a former student at Boherbue Comprehensive School. She recently completed her degree in primary education in Limerick, and says being a teacher was always a dream job for her. Regularly heard singing at Mass on Sundays in her local church, there are those who believe that, if she sings on selection night, she will attract the interest of a record company. 'Or if she doesn't, there is no justice in the world,' said Pat O'Callaghan, who owns and runs Quinlan's Bar in Meelin with his wife Breda. 'She is a very talented musician and, as well as being able to play lots of different instruments, she has this beautiful voice. 'People will be blown away when they hear her sing, if she decides to sing.' While he will be screening the show live in the village's only bar, three minibuses of supporters will be travelling to Tralee after Lehane's selection night tonight to see the final tomorrow. Most will be heading to Turner's Bar, as it has been designated as the Cork Rose's supporters' bar, while family and close friends will be heading to the town's MTU's Kerry Sports Arena. There, hosts Dáithí Ó Sé and Kathryn Thomas will present the Rose of Tralee Selection Nights live on TV tonight and tomorrow. Whether she wins or not, Lehane is unfazed. She said that she 'hasn't really thought that far ahead'. I don't see it as a competition at all, I just see it as an adventure and a bit of craic. 'I also see it as a celebration of women's identity and, for me personally, it is a great opportunity to grow in confidence and to celebrate our culture as Irish women. 'I never expected to get anywhere when I applied to be the Cork Rose, so I am just enjoying every minute of it for what it is,' Lehane added. While she sees it as another of life's learning curves, she had one last year when she worked as a volunteer teacher in Uganda for three weeks. 'It was an unbelievable experience, and it taught me how much we as a country could learn from Ugandans,' she said. 'So many of them have so little, and yet they would give you the shirt off their own back without as much as a bat of an eyelid. 'I found so many people who were happy with so little 'things' or material possessions. 'We have a lot of things in Ireland, and it was a real eye-opener about how you can have so much more in life with less.'
Metro
6 days ago
- Metro
Woman caught shoving 400 Jellycats down her trousers fined £120
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A thief who stole nearly £1,000 worth of Jellycat toys has been fined £120. Samantha Lawrence went on a two-day spree, stealing dozens of soft toys from two businesses by shoving them down her trousers. The 38-year-old stole toys worth around £650 from St Peter's Garden Centre in Worcester on June 7, before taking almost £300 worth of the toys from The Valley shopping centre in Evesham in two separate thefts on June 8. Incredible CCTV caught Lawrence as she frantically stole the popular soft toys, shoving them into bags as well as down her trousers before running out of the shop. She even tried to force a large £75 rabbit-themed bag into her waistband. She was identified using the footage and when police arrived at her home in Norton, Evesham, officers found hundreds of stolen Jellycats. In total, Lawrence stole toys worth £948.28. Lauren Millichip, prosecuting, told Worcester magistrates court: 'Officers attended her address and found a quantity of Jellycats, some of these she said she had bought. 'She told officers she had gone into the stores with the intention of stealing the Jellycats.' Chris Aggri, defending, said the CCTV of Lawrence's theft had gone viral online and the response had caused her mental health to suffer. She is now taking medication for anxiety, the court heard. He explained: 'She has been targeted on social media and her mental health has suffered as a result. 'She has learned her lesson and is deeply remorseful.' Lawrence admitted three counts of theft and was ordered to pay compensation to the shops she stole from. She was also fined £120 and ordered to pay a £48 victim surcharge. Chair of the bench Caroline Taylor said: 'We've listened to what's been said. The matters are serious, you have deliberately targeted the stores, one on two separate occasions. 'They are not insignificant amounts of money. 'You will pay compensation of £657.79 to St Peter's and £292.49 to The Valley. 'We've taken into account your guilty plea, so a fine of £180 has been reduced to £120 due to that guilty plea. 'You will also pay a £48 victim surcharge.' Speaking to Metro at the time, a manager at St Peter's Garden Centre said they checked their CCTV after the shop alarm went off to find Lawrence had been 'scouting out' their large selection of the soft toys. Jamie Armstrong explained: 'At first we were looking back at the footage and it was one or two little Jellycats, popping them down the trousers. 'Then you get to 15 minutes in and she goes for it. She walks in as a regular woman and walks out looking eight months pregnant. 'We are a family-run garden centre so we're not as powerful at the big chains or supermarkets. More Trending 'We don't have as much budget for security, so it does feel like we get targeted.' Jellycat toys have seen an explosion in popularity in recent years, with rare and retired designs being resold for hundreds of pounds. But their high resale value has made them a target for thieves. Last December the owner of a garden centre revealed how he tracked down a shoplifter who had stolen Jellycats from his shop to sell online. Shoplifting is at record levels with 469,788 offences recorded in England and Wales in the year to June 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page.
Irish Independent
04-08-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
St Peter AC Dromiskin's Abbie Sheriden takes her athletics to a whole new level with National title
This is where the top super stars of Irish athletics battle out to become national champions. The event drew massive crowds which is a reflection of the increasing popularity of Irish Athletics. St Peter's AC has enjoyed huge success at juvenile and junior level in recent years but senior athlete Abbie Sheriden took this success to a whole new level when she became National Senior Women's Steeplechase Champion. Abbie was in second place for most of the race keeping the lead athlete, Alexandra Joyce from Tuam AC, in her sights but with two laps to go managed to close the gap. Abbie then attempted to take the lead with 300m to go but Joyce held her off however, Abbie went again with 200m to go and Joyce had no answer and as they approached the last water jump there was only going to be one winner. Abbie's water jumps had been impeccable throughout the race and the last one was no exception powering down the home straight to an emphatic victory shaving 35 seconds of her Personal Best to finish in a time 10.05.72 to become National Senior Champion. This was the first time since 2009 that a St Peter's athlete stood on the top of the National Senior podium when Olivia McDonald won the senior javelin
Irish Independent
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Lorcan is the golden boy as Ace AC takes Nationals by storm with medal hat-trick
The outstanding individual performances were handsomely rewarded with one brilliant gold, a silver and a bronze and there were impressive showings from other young athletes. This remarkable achievement is a testament to the hard work that Ace AC's athletes put in, with all athletes under the age of 17 needing to qualify through the highly competitive Leinster Championships. Leading the way was Lorcàn Forde Dunne, who will be hoping to be selected in the coming days for the Ireland team for the European Youth Olympics. He delivered a thrilling performance to claim the U18 3,000m All-Ireland title. The race was split into two heats and that meant that the medallists were decided on times. Lorcàn ran the second heat, knowing exactly what he had to do to secure victory. With a determined group of five athletes breaking away early, Lorcàn picked up the pace with one lap to go and, showing strength and focus, he surged ahead in the final 400m to clinch the gold medal with a fast time of 8:36. This victory secured Lorcàn's second All-Ireland title of the year, following his Indoor 1500m win in March, and the two sensational performances solidify his position as one of Ireland's brightest young distance runners. Minutes after Lorcàn's win, Ace AC turned its focus to Eimear Cooney and she secured a national silver medal in the U19 Girls 3,000m. In a race dominated by Louth based athletes, Cooney fought bravely alongside Dearbhla Allen from the Dromiskin club St Peter's. While Dearbhla pulled away for the win, Eimear maintained a strong position, finishing in second place with a commanding performance. This latest achievement adds to Eimear's already impressive record of national podium finishes, and she continues to be one of the most consistent performers in her age group in Ireland. ADVERTISEMENT One of Ace AC's top field athletes, Jaheim Humphrey, picked up the club's other medal at the championships when he claimed a great bronze in the U17 discus competition. The Leinster champion threw a personal best of 40.19m, securing his first ever National medal. Jaheim, who is relatively new to the event, has shown incredible promise and will undoubtedly continue to rise in the ranks of Irish discus throwers. Outside of the medals, one of the standout stories of the weekend was the performance of Caoimhe Carolan, who became the first young Ace AC girl to qualify for a final at the national level apart from the club's successful group of older, established athletes. In the U13 Girls 600m Caoimhe showed incredible grit to finish just short of her personal best in a time of 1:44.82, securing 12th place in Ireland. Caoimhe has broken new ground for the club and became another role model for younger athletes aspiring to make it to the National stage. Her qualification through the Leinster Championships and her performance in the final is a huge milestone for Ace AC's future. Daniel Hanley has shown serious improvement over the last 12 months and he also represented the club at the Nationals in the U17 Boys 800m, where he ran in the second of two heats. The race was tactical, with athletes bunched together for much of the first 600m before a fast last 200. Daniel fought hard in the final stretch, gaining invaluable experience in what was a really challenging race. Meanwhile away from the National Championships, other Ace AC athletes competed well in the Irish Miler event in Santry on Saturday, with Shea O'Donnell securing a new 1500m PB of 3:53. Sholah Lawrence and Daniele Adebola also both ran very well at the competition.
Irish Independent
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Drumiskin's Dearbhla does the double at National Juvenile Track and Field Championships
The club was due to have two athletes in action but unfortunately Dearbhla's sister Niamh had to withdraw due to injury leaving her older sister to carry the St Peter's flag. As Dearbhla is now in the U19 age category this would be her last juvenile track and field championships and what a championship it turned out to be. The race scheduling wasn't ideal however, Dearbhla is made of tough stuff and took it all in her stride. On Saturday she competed in the 3000m U19 race taking an early lead. She drilled out a very impressive performance pulling further away from her competitors with each lap to storm to victory in a new personal best time of 9.50.03. On Sunday Dearbhla again travelled to Tullamore to compete over 3000m for a second time, on this occasion however, it was in the steeplechase. Most athletes would have been concerned competing in such a physically demanding race so soon after a 3000 flat race however, if Dearbhla was concerned she didn't show it. Taking the lead on the second lap, a lead she wouldn't relinquish, Dearbhla managed to pull away from her competitors, most of them with fresher legs having not run the previous day. As the race came to the closing stages there was only going to be one winner as the St Pater's athlete romped to a championship best time of 10.34.96 knocking 45 seconds off the previous record. The added bonus for Dearbhla was that for the third time, her finishing time was inside the required European Championship standard.
