Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson will join Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy on to discuss climnate change…
…We find out from Peter Casey how it felt to be the stand out story of the presidential campaign,
…former world middleweight boxing champion Andy Lee joins Ryan to discuss his ascent through the ranks
…Jennifer Zamparelli will put her best foot forward as co-presenter of hit series, Dancing with the Stars. with Nicky Byrne
David McWilliams is back to discuss the wholesale shift in the way normal people see and think about themselves, and how Ireland has gone from economic embarrassment to avocado toast in the space of a generation….
What you may need to know:
1. He hasn’t gone away you know.
2. Everybody’s favourite growling, artistically unpretentious Ballymena man has two big roles coming up, and appears to be subscribing to the “one for them, one for me” method of choosing. The question then becomes which one is which?
3. First up, Steve McQueen’s Widows. What’s interesting here is that Liam’s somewhat ironic, happily-married-man-of-action screen persona is being put to intensely dramatic effect. OK, it seems he’s out of the picture in the first act, but McQueen, like every director who has hired Neeson since Taken ten years ago, is clearly impressed with his particular set of skills. (i.e. acting really well and being a double-hard backstard).
5. Among the storming supporting cast, special mention should go to Jon Bernthal, who has been a standout in everything he’s done so far.
6. Farreller is in there too; he’s made some really impressive choices in his roles the past few years and settled into middle age very well. We’ll be seeing him in high places for many years to come yet. Next year he’s starring in, ahem, Tim Burton’s Dumbo.
7. Now, Liam’s one for them. Say hello to the marvellously-named Cold Pursuit.
8. That name again is Cold Pursuit.
9. The first portion of this promo is standard Liam Neeson fare, until the Guy Ritchie–style name cards start flying all over the place and it all goes a bit Fargo.
10. The tone is slightly confusing here. A movie in which Liam Neeson goes around cracking heads, but that also looks interesting, if not particularly original? It wouldn’t be the first time. The Grey (2011), in which Liam straps broken glass to his fists and fights a wolf, turned out to be one of the best films of the decade.
11. Another special mention for Laura Dern, who magically reappeared the past couple of years and is now, luckily for us, in everything.
Doug’s verdicts: Never change, Liam
Release: Widows – November 6; Cold Pursuit – February 2019
The Barnsdall Theatre, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Dubliner Philip McMahon directed scenes from 10 Irish plays in a showcase titled “Beauty Queens and Playboys” as part of the ongoing festivities for IrelandWeek.
Buzz writes:
The sell out night saw several standing ovations from a sell out crowd lapping up all that is great and good in Irish Theatre both past, and VERY present…
From top: A scene from the Importance of Being Earnest; cast member Richard Schiff (Toby from The West Wing); Irelandweek co-founder Buzz O’Neill; Director Philip McMahon; cast members Hugh O’Conor and Georgina McKevitt; Cast members, from left: Glen Keogh, Nick Lee, Adam Fergus, Kevin Barron; Cast members, from left: Caroline Morahan, Sonya Macari and Jenn McGuirk; the cast take a bow; cast members Victoria Smurfit and Miss Panti.
Behold the McLaren Speedtail – the quickest, longest (some say the ugliest, arguably the most distinctive-looking) hypercar the brand has ever produced.
A three-seater, the driver sits centrally with two rear passengers at either shoulder.
1035bhp. 0-300km/h (186mph) in 12.8 seconds. Top speed 402km/h (250mph).
Only 106 will be made and the first will be delivered in 2020.
Yours for €2,000,000. No wait – put your money away – they’ve all been spoken for already
It’s only the entire Irish economic model at stake.
Government sources said Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe would “dig his heels in” at next week’s meeting, though senior figures acknowledged that Ireland was “under the cosh” on the issue.
Dublin fears that if the tax goes ahead it would establish a precedent which would in time undermine Irish tax sovereignty and severely undercut the Irish economic model of attracting foreign direct investment.
….Documents prepared by the commission in advance of the meeting leave little doubt about the importance that Brussels attaches to the issue. It says that the commission is determined to ensure “fair taxation” of the digital economy, with the current regime seen as “inadequate’.
Google employees across the world staged a one hour walkout demanding “transparency, accountability, and structural change” following claims made about Android founder, Andy Rubin.
From top: Bill Kenneally; Solicitor Darragh Mackin and four of Keneally’s victims: Jason Clancy, Colin Power, Paul Walsh and Barry Murphy outside Leinster House
Yesterday.
It was confirmed that the Commission of Investigation into the response to complaints or allegations of child sexual abuse made against former Waterford basketball coach Bill Kenneally has begun its work.
It is being chaired by retired Circuit Court Judge Barry Hickson.
Earlier this month, several victims of Kenneally – who was given a 14-year sentence in 2016 for sexually abusing ten boys aged between 12 and 16 in Waterford between 1984 and 1987 – called on anyone with information to come forward.
They particularly appealed to retired members of An Garda Síochána, the Southern Health Board, former politicians or people who worked with politicians, clergy and lay people within the Catholic Church and business people in the area.
The survivors of Kenneally’s abuse have repeatedly claimed that certain gardai, certain members of the South Eastern Health Board, certain members of the Catholic Church, certain politicians and certain businessmen knew of the abuse and that it continued despite their knowledge of it.
They appealed for people to contact them directly – by calling 085-2403824 or by emailing deisetruth@gmail.com – or to make contact with the commission of investigation.
Since the confirmation that the commission had started its work, Irish Mirror journalist Saoirse McGarrigle, who has been writing about this story for several years, has tweeted that several victims who have waived their anonymity – including Paul Walsh, Colin Power and Jason Clancy – have said:
“To all survivors we will carry you with us in our hearts throughout this inquiry. We hope when this is all over that we can all find inner peace and move on with our lives in the knowledge we have done the right thing.”
The terms of reference of the commission can be read here
