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Sunday World
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Country star Michael English on how Louis Walsh's mother played key role in music career
The top entertainer was the favourite Irish singer of Maureen Walsh, who died this week at the age of 94 Louis Walsh looks on as the remains of his mother Maureen are taken from church Country music star Michael English told yesterday how Louis Walsh's mother played a key role in one of the biggest highlights of his career. The top entertainer was the favourite Irish singer of Maureen Walsh, who died this week at the age of 94 and whose funeral took place in Kiltimagh, Co Mayo. And Michael English gave his final performance for Maureen when he was chosen to sing at her funeral service on Thursday, where the attendance included Westlife stars Shane Filan, Kian Egan and Nicky Byrne, plus Eurovision winner Dana. Michael says: 'It was a huge honour to sing at it with the Kiltimagh Parish Choir. I was looking down the church and seeing the Westlife lads and seeing Dana and all these other singers, so it was a great privilege to get the opportunity to do it for Maureen. Kian Egan and wife Jodi Albert with Louis Walsh 'Maureen and her daughters Sarah and Evelyn and other members of the Walsh family used to come to my shows in the early days. 'And the first time I met Maureen she told me I was her favourite singer. It was around 2008 and I was a bit younger at the time and a bit chuffed that Louis Walsh's mother was into what I did. Family and friends of Maureen Walsh attend her funeral Today's News in 90 Seconds - 08 June 2025 'Maureen was just a lovely country woman who reminded me of my own mother. We struck up a little bond and she said, 'I'm going to get Louis to ring you now and see if he can help you in any way.' 'I thought no more of it, but sure enough Louis did ring me and we arranged to meet up. We had a good chat and I found Louis to be very similar to the rest of his family. I thought he was going to be completely different, but we got on like a house on fire.' Shane Filanwas among the mourners Louis went on to land a major record deal for English with Sony Music – and Michael ended up recording with British producer Nigel Wright, whose work includes the score for The Phantom of the Opera. 'It was a huge experience for me at such a young age and also a huge thrill to be working with Nigel because I'd been a massive fan of The Phantom of the Opera and have seen it about 15 times,' Michael says. 'Nigel arranged for me to go backstage one time to see the workings of it and the illusions that were created by magician Paul Daniels. Dana was among the mourners 'So as well as getting the opportunity to record two great albums I was living the dream – and it was Maureen who had made all that happen for me. 'I would go on to concentrate on the country music scene, but Louis had been great to me while we worked together.' Maureen had been living with Alzheimer's for 12 years before she died. 'I went to see her a few times in the nursing home,' Michael says. 'I was so fond of her and she was a very much loved person in the area, not just because her son was on The X Factor but because of who she was. Louis Walsh looks on as the remains of his mother Maureen are taken from church 'Her house was open to everybody. I was in the house a hundred times and it reminded me of my house, when people would come into my mother she'd say 'will you have a cup of tea?' and she'd take every different kind of biscuit out of the press. 'Louis's mother was like that. She ran an open house and a very welcoming house,' Michael adds.
Sunday World
4 days ago
- Sunday World
Second shotgun linked to Carlow gunman Evan Fitzgerald found hidden in rural property
Unlicensed shotgun discovered during searches by gardaí after shooting Evan Fitzgerald, from Kiltegan in Co Wicklow, who died in a shooting incident at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow. Photo: PA An unlicensed shotgun believed to have been hidden away by Carlow gunman Evan Fitzgerald in a rural property while he was out on bail has been seized by gardaí. The shotgun was found at the home of a close associate of Fitzgerald's during a search by gardaí on Monday. The man living at that property is known to gardaí and is also before the courts on separate serious charges. He is not believed to have had any involvement in the incident on Sunday, when Fitzgerald (22) opened fire in a shopping centre in Carlow before taking his own life. 'The shotgun found in this search was not registered to anyone. The suspicion is that it belonged to the deceased,' a source said. It is suspected that the shotgun was placed at the property by the deceased 'It is not known where this weapon was procured, but it is suspected that the shotgun was placed at the property by the deceased. 'The individual who is connected to the property is known to gardaí, but not in relation to the incident at the shopping centre and is not a suspect for anything to do with that.' No arrests have yet been made in the case and there are no immediate plans for any detentions. Evan Fitzgerald, from Kiltegan in Co Wicklow, who died in a shooting incident at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow. Photo: PA Today's News in 90 seconds - 6th June 2025 It is understood Fitzgerald, who gardaí believe was suffering from mental health problems, had been renting a room in a property in Kilkenny city in the months before the shooting. He appeared before Naas District Court on March 4 last year, after being arrested as part of a garda investigation into the sale of firearms on the dark web. Fitzgerald walked free from court after gardaí consented to bail on strict conditions. On Sunday night, he discharged a number of shots in a Carlow shopping centre before taking his own life. No other injuries were reported from the gunfire. A young girl was injured running from the scene. Glass damaged by gunshot pellets at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow town. Photo: Frank McGrath Fitzgerald was due to appear before the court again this week for service of the book of evidence and was facing 13 charges of possessing firearms, ammunition and explosive substances. Sources said it is believed Fitzgerald visited his associate in recent months and it was on one of those occasions that he stored the shotgun in the rural property. It was one of a number of properties searched by gardaí and army experts in the aftermath of Sunday's incident. In another search, two bullets were found in a barrel containing a suspicious mix of alcohol and sucrose/glucose, which could possibly be components for an explosive but were declared non-viable by the Defence Forces. Fitzgerald, who was described in court as having 'a fascination with firearms', sparked terror among shoppers when he began shooting in the Fairgreen Centre in Carlow.
Sunday World
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Miami Showband massacre survivor says horror of that night will never leave him
'LIVING NIGHTMARE' | Almost 50 years ago, on July 31, 1975, Stephen was seriously injured and witnessed the brutal murders of three band mates in one of the most notorious incidents of The Troubles Almost 50 years ago, on July 31, 1975, Stephen was seriously injured and witnessed the brutal murders of three band mates in one of the most notorious incidents of The Troubles. As The Miami were returning to Dublin from a gig in the North that summer, they were stopped by a loyalist paramilitary group outside Newry. As the band members stood beside their van, two UVF men attempted to plant a bomb inside it, with the intention that it would explode as the Miami continued their journey to Dublin. The extremists were trying to portray the hugely popular showband as Republican bomb-smugglers working on behalf of the IRA. What ensued was carnage as a bomb prematurely went off while the paramilitaries were planting it in the group's bandwagon. The scene in the aftermath of the attack Only two of the five band members, Stephen and Des Lee, survived the horrific slaughter after being left for dead. Singer Fran O'Toole (29) and musicians Tony Geraghty (23) and Brian McCoy (23) were shot as they begged for their lives. Two of the paramilitaries also died in the explosion. Stephen, who was then only 24 and had heard his bandmates pleading to be spared before being murdered, says his personality was completely changed by the atrocity. Miami Showband massacre survivor Stephen Travers can never distance himself from the atrocity Today's News in 90 Seconds - May 5th He says: 'I was diagnosed several years ago with Enduring Personality Change, something I had never heard of. Basically, you go into an incident one person and come out another person. The psychiatrist said: 'It is so intense it changes you completely.' 'My wife, Anne, said 'I learned to live with and love a different person.' Without her I wouldn't be here today. She was only 21 at the time.' Stephen tells the Sunday World that he can never distance himself from the shocking events of that night, which will be marked by a major memorial concert featuring legendary Irish musicians in Dublin's Vicar Street on September 28, with all proceeds going to the Irish Cancer Society. Atrocities happening around the world, particularly in Gaza, trigger his own personal experiences. 'I can intensely feel the hurt,' Stephen says solemnly. 'When you see bodies blown up all over the place on the ground, I've seen that. I crawled for the best part of an hour on the field trying to avoid the body parts of the men who were after trying to kill us to get to our own lads… trying to stand up and falling down. So I know what these people are going through. Thousands turn out for the funeral of Fran O'Toole in Bray, Co Wicklow in 1975 'People talk about flashbacks and memories and things like that. I don't have flashbacks and memories, it's always there. 'PTSD for me is to be drawn too close to that, where it is a trigger that is very difficult to pull yourself away from it. But if you do want to talk about it you can actually look at that and see it happening and actually tell the story in real time.' And how do you feel afterwards? 'Sometimes it can be really, really draining because you are reliving the trauma in real time.' Stephen says people are in danger of being desensitised to the suffering of people caught up in war zones when it's constantly in the news. 'I know we have to see it, but the danger is we are normalising it,' he says. 'The minute the newscaster says, 'In Gaza today…' you expect to see bodies and children crying and people being rushed into hospitals without limbs.' The Miami Showband Massacre, which has been the subject of a Netflix documentary, will never be forgotten in the history of Irish music. 'We are written into the history books for all the wrong reasons,' Stephen acknowledges. 'I'd rather if we weren't, but if we are then we are going to turn our story into something good… that it can show us the futility of violence, the horror of sectarianism, bigotry and all of these things and that there is a much better way.' In September, Stephen will publish a self-written book of his remarkable journey in life and the tragic events that shaped it. Called The Bass Player, Anthem For The Innocent, it is also set to be the source of a major new documentary currently in discussions.
Sunday World
05-05-2025
- Sunday World
Limerick man Wayne Dundon facing trial for violent disorder after jail incident
Dundon (47) appeared at Dublin Circuit Court for an arraignment hearing via videolink on Tuesday where he pleaded not guilty to the charge. Wayne Dundon will stand trial next year accused of violent disorder in Mountjoy Prison. Limerick man Dundon (47) appeared at Dublin Circuit Court for an arraignment hearing via videolink on Tuesday where he pleaded not guilty to the charge. The case relates to an alleged incident in Mountjoy Prison in July 2023 where eight inmates were alleged to have been involved. A person found guilty of the offence of violent disorder is liable on conviction in the Circuit Court to a fine and or imprisonment of up to 10 years in prison. The court heard Dundon, with an address at Mountjoy Prison, was pleading not guilty to the charge. He was remanded in custody and is due to stand trial on November 11, 2026. Dundon is charged that on July 7, 2023 at Mountjoy Prison on the North Circular Road, Dublin, he committed violent disorder in that he with other persons, namely Cian Fay, John Paul Maughan, Andrew Macken, Nasser Mossy, Stephen Coveney, Michael Quinn, Eamon Savage present together, used or threatened to use unlawful violence and such conduct, taken together, was such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at said place to fear for his or another person's safety. Wayne Dundon faces trial next year Today's News in 90 Seconds - May 5th The charge is contrary to Section 15 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994. Co-accused John Maughan, who also appeared by videolink, entered a guilty plea when he appeared in court on Tuesday. Maughan, whose address was given as the Skypacker Hostel on Little Lane, Dublin 1, will be sentenced on June 2. Four other men charged with the incident at Mountjoy on that day have pleaded not guilty. Andrew Macken, (32), from Forth Road, East Wall, Dublin, has been given a trial date of May 15, 2026. Michael Quinn (34) , with an address at Malone Flats, Market St, Ardee, Co Louth has been given a court date of May 13, 2026. Stephen Coveney (29) of St Finian's Avenue, Ard Finnan Clonmel, Tipperary, will stand trial on Mary 13, 2026 Nasser Mossy (26) from Deerhaven View, Clonee, Dublin, was previously given a trial date of November 11, 2026 after also pleading not guilty. A bench warrant was issued for the arrest of Eamon Savage (37) from Emmett Road, Inchicore, Dublin after he failed to appear in court on Tuesday. Cian Fay (29) from Empress Place in Dublin will be arraigned next Tuesday.
Sunday World
04-05-2025
- Sunday World
Dad's anger as soccer manager suspected of son's shooting is jailed over heroin haul
Andrew Noonan was nabbed with former football ace Keith Quinn with €2.7m drug shipment Robert Delany has been left in a permanent vegetative state after the shooting Former Bluebell United manager Andrew Noonan was found guilty of being in possession of €2.7m of heroin Terry Delany (far left) seeking justice for his son, Robert, who was shot twice in the head by a paid hitman The father of a postman left in a vegetative state after being shot in the head has said the footballing world has 'questions to answer' after a well-known manager's conviction for a massive drug haul. Andrew Noonan (45) spent this weekend in prison after being found guilty by a jury of possessing more than €2.7 million of heroin in west Dublin in August 2020. The huge haul of the lethal drug – a total of 22kg – was intercepted by gardaí after it arrived from Amsterdam into Ireland. When Noonan was arrested in connection with the drugs seizure he was the manager of Bluebell United and had previously led the club to the quarter finals of the 2017 FAI Cup. Ex-Bluebell United footballer Keith Quinn, who previously played for Sheffield United, Cork City and Shelbourne, was also arrested and given a seven-year sentence for his role in the drugs plot. However, Noonan's link to criminality should have come as no surprise to the club's hierarchy who hired him in 2011. Apartment The father of innocent postman Robert Delany led a public protest after Andrew Noonan was appointed manager of Bluebell United, highlighting how he was a suspect in his son's shooting. Terry Delany (far left) seeking justice for his son, Robert, who was shot twice in the head by a paid hitman Dad-of-two Robert was shot in the head when he looked out the window of his apartment in Tallaght, Dublin in 2008. The innocent postman, who has no involvement in criminality, was targeted because of a minor exchange of words outside a pub and remains in a permanent vegetative state to this day. Andrew Noonan – the son of ex-Provo godfather John Noonan – was twice arrested in connection with Robert's shooting but was never charged. Gardaí believe the shooting was carried out by notorious hitman Daniel Gaynor, who was paid €10k by associates of Noonan. Speaking to the Sunday World, Robert Delany's father, Terry, said Bluebell were aware of Noonan's past when he got the job. Former Bluebell United manager Andrew Noonan was found guilty of being in possession of €2.7m of heroin 'It was incredible that Bluebell United took him on as a manager. Noonan was hired by the club with the full knowledge that he had been arrested twice in connection with Robert's shooting.' He added: 'The footballing community has a lot of questions to answer about Andrew Noonan's involvement in the game.' Gardaí believe Robert Delany was shot by gun-for-hire Gaynor, who was hired following a confrontation outside a pub. Former Bluebell United manager Andrew Noonan Today's News in 90 Seconds - May 4th Gaynor was subsequently himself shot dead in 2010 by rival criminal Keith Wilson, a brother of Eric 'Lucky' Wilson. Robert, his partner and their two young daughters had been sleeping in the house when he heard a knock at their door. He was hit by a shotgun blast as he looked out an upstairs window, with 16 pellets lodging in his brain. He receives constant care and will never recover from his injuries. Andrew and his father John were arrested by detectives at separate houses in Tallaght and Kildare in September 2010. Former Bluebell United player Keith Quinn They were released without charge following questioning. While Andrew Noonan was never prosecuted in connection with Robert Delany's shooting, he had previously been convicted of firearms offences on two separate occasions. In June 2011, he was fined €2,000 after he was found guilty of unauthorised possession of an air gun. In 2000, he was jailed for a year after he was caught with a rifle, five founds of ammunition, a silencer and a telescopic lens in a field in Tallaght. Following his son's shooting, Terry Delany ran a tireless campaign to bring the men behind his son's attempted murder to justice and his family have offered a €20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of his attackers. He welcomed Noonan's conviction. 'Those drugs were destined for the streets of Tallaght where they could have lead to the deaths of many people. 'It's not going to make any difference to us on one level, it's not going to bring Robert back. 'But it's a welcome development when drug dealers – particularly heroin dealers – are taken off the streets. Robert Delany has been left in a permanent vegetative state after the shooting 'Robert has been left in a permanent vegetative state – they call it the living death. Robert's condition hasn't changed and nor will it. There's no hope. 'His two daughters have had to grow up without him in their lives, his youngest daughter was just a baby at the time. They've missed him being able to be a father to them.' He added: 'The Sunday World was the first to name Andrew Noonan in connection with Robert's shooting all those years ago. And the reality is that this weekend he is now behind bars.' This week, Judge Elma Sheahan remanded Noonan in custody for sentencing on May 16. During his co-accused Keith Quinn's trial, the court hear how he had received a package containing the heroin at his place of work in an industrial estate in west Dublin. Soon afterwards he met with another man and then delivered the package to a nearby address, the hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in April was told. Alan Quinn (41), the accused's older brother and a former footballer for the Irish national team, told the court that his brother had a good upbringing and none of the family have any convictions. Package Mr Quinn said he did not condone what his brother did, but did not think his brother 'is a bad lad'. He said he deserved a second chance. Detective Garda Liam Aherne gave evidence that in August 2020, police authorities in the UK became suspicious of a package travelling through the UK which had been sent from the Netherlands and had a final destination in Ireland. Det Gda Aherne said UK police opened the package and determined that it contained heroin before contacting the Gardaí. An operation was put in place to continue the delivery and a detective dressed in a UPS uniform delivered the package to the accused's work address.
