Being a part of a boy band isn’t simply about fanatical adolescent girls, severe hair gel usage, or unrestrained revelry, especially under the supervision of Louis Walsh. The esteemed pop guru is in charge of a fresh band, christened Next in Line, and it seems they’re bracing themselves for plenty of hard work. The management of the band has recently initiated a campaign in primary schools, by inviting students to experience a live performance by Walsh’s fresh talent.
In an attempt to broaden and maintain a large, consistent fan base throughout the country, the group views school performances as integral, the email said. It further elaborated, “The aim of reaching out to you today is to gauge your interest in allowing the boys to come and perform for the pupils in year four, five, and six. They will perform a handful of songs and participate in a meet-and-greet session immediately after.”
The email then hinted that the band consisting of Harry O’Connell, Joshua Regala, Conor Davis, and Conor O’Farrell (following Neung Kelly’s recent departure) may potentially cater more to a female audience, although the final decision regarding this rests with individual schools.
Yet, hasn’t the boy band era reached its zenith, barring the exception of K-Pop? The band has just unveiled their debut single, Out of Breath, signalling that it’s high time they leave an impact on their young fans through sheer hard work.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed that they get to experience the universal boy band initiation ritual–brief tinnitus induced by their female fans’ piercing screams.
Meanwhile, Ditch Media, the firm that owns the Ditch website and broke the news of armaments for the Israeli Defense Forces being transited through Irish airspace earlier this year, reported a modest profit of just under €44,000, according to recent filings. This has boosted their cash reserves to €73,589.
The ownership of the company has now passed into the hands of two of its journalists, Eoghan McNeill and Roman Shortall, each holding a 43 per cent share. The balance shares are owned by another staff journalist, Paulie Doyle. Former 33 per cent shareholder, Web Summit lawyer Adam Connon, transferred his stake to this trio following a decision made during Paddy Cosgrave’s temporary departure to wind up their funding ties with the website. Last year, it was reported that McNeill secured €1 million funding for the website from Cosgrave for a five-year period, although no evidence of this financial support appears on the accounts. Queries to The Ditch regarding the same remained unanswered. Nonetheless, the company appears to be doing well even without this potential sponsor, affectionately named ‘Sugar Paddy’ by Shortall.
There’s news from billionaire entrepreneur Dermot Desmond too. A fiercely competitive individual, the 74 year old would have been immensely pleased with securing the team title at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. One of the world’s top Pro-Am tournaments, Desmond won this title alongside Denmark’s Thorbjørn Olesen. This is not Desmond’s first victory- he clinched the title in 2010 whilst playing with the Swedish pro Robert Karlsson. Persistence and resilience may be behind his year on year participation, but it’s speculated that the anticipation of equalling fellow billionaire and Sandy Lane resort co-owner, JP McManus’s two titles could be a potential driver!
There’s interesting news on the political front as well – Fianna Fáil’s newly printed election poster was spotted recently in an industrial park in Dublin by RTÉ reporter Fiachra Ó Cionnaith. However, it wasn’t the party’s preparedness for an election that raised eyebrows, but rather the slogan on the poster – ‘Moving Forward Together.’ Apparently, this vague phrase has previously been used by the DUP. Whether this is an oversight or a calculated move intended to agitate the Shinner, we can only speculate. And finally, Brendan O’Carroll seems to be putting his weight behind Kamala Harris – or at least only to a certain extent!
Brendan O’Carroll, prominent comedian and driving force behind Mrs Brown’s Boys, is not only dazzling audiences with his humour but is also making his mark on the real estate industry. Back in 2016, he acquired a five-bedroom beachfront abode in Indian Rocks, Florida, complete with a heated pool, hot tub, and putting green, for a hefty $2.85 million. Although it failed to fetch its original asking price of $6 million, the property brought in considerable profit when it sold recently for $4.5 million.
Apart from real estate, O’Carroll is investing his wealth into the political arena. Residing in Davenport, Florida, he is pooling his resources to back Kamala Harris’s election campaign, having pledged a monthly contribution of $25 to ActBlue, a Democratic fundraising initiative.
The Euromillions victor’s offspring, Gary McNamara, is also delving into property deals. He has decided to use his portion of the lottery bounty to venture into realm of land ownership. Possessing hundreds of acres of farmland across Limerick, Clare and Tipperary and raising over 100 cattle in Tinarana estate, near Lough Derg, he is planning to venture into luxury home development. But McNamara’s recent plans to construct 13 luxury houses on the banks of Lough Derg near Ballina faced objection, as approximately 12 locals have lodged an appeal against this decision with An Bord Pleanála.
In other news, a traditional Halloween staple is reportedly under scrutiny. Dunnes Stores’ Halloween brack, according to a customer’s account, is missing its iconic novelty ring. Whether it is an oversight due to health and safety regulations or a case of cost cutting is yet to be determined. Channeling the spirit of Beyoncé, Irish mums universally agree that the ring ought to be included.