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| Westlife Are Back Tomorrow |
30 June 2009: Yay it is the day we have been waiting for… the end of the lads break. I am so excited to hear Westlife are back in the studio tomorrow.
On Nicky’s twitter page he says…tmrw is just the start of the process of making a brilliant pop album..so who knows how long it will take ? lotsa new producers, writers on board so lets see where it takes us…
| Source: nickybyrneoffic
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| Nicky Has Wisdom Teeth Removed |
29 June 2009: Westlife star Nicky Byrne could have bitten off more than he can chew this week - after revealing how he is in agony after getting his wisdom teeth removed.
He was sent reeling by the painful procedure, with the married dad needing stitches in his mouth and having to eat soft baby food as he recovers from the operation. The Dubliner said he had 10 stitches in his gum and "feels like s**t".
"Jaw swollen but feel a lot better considering... last night was in agony - very sore mouth," he said on his Twitter page.
And he had to resort to chowing down on lemon and lime jelly in the aftermath of the procedure, which can leave patients unable to eat properly for several days due to the swelling of their mouth. At least the proud dad had a nice weekend - he celebrated Father's Day with his wife Georgina Ahern and their twin boys Rocco and Jay (2) with a relaxing meal in the Castleknock Hotel.
Nicky has just a few weeks left enjoying some quality time with his family at their Malahide house before he hits the road again with Westlife.
The popular foursome will be heading to the States next month to start work on their long-awaited album, following a year-long break.
| Source: herald.ie
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| Cecilia Expecting Her First Child |
29 June 2009: CHICK-LIT writer Cecelia Ahern is opening a new chapter in her life as she prepares for the arrival of her first child, writes Allison Bray.
The 28-year-old daughter of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is expecting a baby in December with boyfriend, David Keoghan (30).
"It is with great joy that David and Cecelia confirm that they are expecting their first child," said Cecelia's spokeswoman Joanne Byrne.
The baby will be the third grandchild for Mr Ahern and his estranged wife Miriam, following the birth of twins Rocco and Jay to the author's sister Georgina Ahern and her husband Nicky Byrne of Westlife in 2007.
Cecelia has been dating former hurler turned actor Mr Keoghan for six years. She is reportedly working on her seventh novel.
| Source: independent.ie
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| Shane’s Birthday |
27 June 2009: It’s Shane’s birthday on Sunday 5th July and we want to know how you’ll be celebrating! Are you making him a card, listening to Westlife CDs or even throwing a party in his honour?
If you’re doing something special, let us know in theforum by clicking here.
| We’ll highlight some of our favourite messages right here next week.
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| A Message From Westlife |
| 27 June 2009: Westlife are saddened and shocked at the news of the sudden death of Michael Jackson. He was a huge inspiration to millions of music fans all over the world, including ourselves. He brought to us some of the best music and entertainment ever seen, all of which is in our hearts now for ever. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, especially his three young children. RIP Michael and thank you. Westlife.
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| Westlife Album |
| 25 June 2009: Info via Darren Haye’s twitter page. "I have listened to the newest version of the Westlife song we did for them and I have to say it's pretty cool!"
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| Holiday |
25 June 2009: Just to let you all know that from next Friday there will be no updates until Monday 13th July as I will be on holiday.
It means I won’t be around when it is the gorgeous Mr Filan’s 30th birthday so I will have a drink for him on holiday.
I will update the news section when I am back and hopefully we will get a few new pictures of Shane.
| And I am sure you do not need me to remind you all that next Wednesday the lads are back from their break. Yay. xx
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| Top Touring Acts |
23 June 2009: The Spice Girls were the UK’s top touring act of 2008, according to figures released by collecting society PRS For Music.
The news comes on the same day that Music Week revealed that the PRS For Music is undertaking a review of its live rates, to the unease of many in the live industry.
The reformed girl band head a top ten that also includes Kylie Minogue, Elton John, Bon Jovi, Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen, Westlife, Madonna, Foo Fighters and Boyzone.
In total, UK tour revenues were up 30% to £403m in 2008.
PRS for Music chief executive Steve Porter says, “Live music is more popular than ever and therefore it is a great UK success story, generating huge revenues for UK PLC. In particular, older talent is driving demand. While these trends continue, PRS for Music will continue to make sure that this income is collected.”
The top touring acts, 2005 - 2008 were:
Take That
Girls Aloud
Westlife
Status Quo
Kylie
Kaiser Chiefs
X Factor
Katherine Jenkins
James Blunt
The Osmonds
| Source: musicweek.com. Credits: Villy @ Westlife.Gr
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| Kian Plans For A Bop Bop Baby |
23 June 2009: Newly-married Westlife superstar Kian Egan looks set to follow in the footsteps of his fellow band member Shane Filan and start a family sooner rather than later.
The heart-throb, who married long-time love Jodi Albert in Barbados recently, have included a ‘baby room’ in an extension application for their Strandhill home. The pair have received planning permission for the development, which also houses a music and entertainment room.
The couple also own a house near Jodi’s home in Essex and an apartment in London. 29-year-old Kian and his 26-year-old wife have been spending a lot of time in Sligo over the past 12 months, as Westlife have taken a year out of recording and performing after 10 years at the top of their game.
The band, made up of Sligo lads Kian, Shane and Mark Feehily, and Dubliner Nicky Byrne, will be back in action this year, however, as they return to the studio to record new material.
Former Hollyoaks star Jodi will also be busy recording with her new girlband, which will be managed by Louis Walsh.
Meanwhile, Mark is the latest celebrity to start updating fans via Twitter. According to the official Westlife website, fans can follow Mark on twitter.com/markusfeehily.
| Source: sligopost.com
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| Being Dad Is The Bestlife |
21 June 2009: Westlife's Nicky Byrne is dreading the bands new tour as it means leaving his two sons at home. The singer (30) is enjoying father's day after enjoying a year out from music with twins Rocco and Jay.
But with just days until the group get back into the studio in LA and Nashville, Nicky is facing the prospect of having to spend long periods away from his two year olds. And the Dubliner admitted "It will be heartbreaking to leave them and go back on tour, to be honest I haven't crossed that bridge mentally yet because it is too difficult to comprehend. Obviously when we tour the boys and Georgina will come with me as much as possible, but America and the Southern Hemisphere, well I will just have to go away and come back every two weeks.
They have been on a lot of planes already but never more than a two and a half hour flight. So seven hours or more would be tough, and not to mention for the people around us so it will be something we will deal with. But it will be really tough and I am not looking forward to leaving them behind. Saying that I am not the first person to have to deal with it and there are people a lot worse off at the moment."
Jay and Rocco were born six weeks premature on April 20th 2007 weighing 3lbs 11oz and 2lb 13oz, Nicky and Georgina daughter of ex-Taoiseach Bertie Ahern were assured the tots were healthy. But they had to stay in the intensive care unit at Dublin's Holles Street Hospital because they were so small, now the boys can enjoy their birthday at their North Co, Dublin home.
Nicky added "Even though it is Father's Day it is the twins who will steal the show." He said "The lads are great they are flying around the place, they are real lad' lads, and they are starting to talk and getting their words mixed up so it is a wonderful time to be able to spend with them. So far for the past few months all I have been watching is Mickey Mouse and Peppa Pig and they are showing a real interest in singing and football." Nicky is expecting a very special card from his songs and is hoping to take it easy all day. He said "I am very lucky to have two lads like them."
| Source: Irish Star – thanks to Deborah W on the offical forum for article and scan.
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| Mark Interview |
19 June 2009: Mark speaks about Take That in this interview about the Boyzone tour. To watch the clip then click here.
| Source: http://uk.news.yahoo.com
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| Clip of Mark and Kevin |
19 June 2009: Short interview of Mark at the Bruno premiere. To watch the clip then click here.
| Source: entertainment.ie
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| Mark On Twitter |
17 June 2009: First it was Nicky, now Mark’s on Twitter too! Start following him by clicking here.
Check it out now to find out what film he’s been watching, his hair dilemmas and which superstar he’s been chatting to!
| Source: www.westlife.com
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| Sandown |
15 June 2009: Ahh thanks to Alfee for finding another picture of Shane at Sandown on Saturday.
| Credits: Wild Vanilla
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| Shane Interview At Sandown |
15 June 2009: Interviewer: What's the band up to at the moment? Shane: We're actually finishing a year off. We've three more weeks left, so we've eleven months gone and we're back, we're recording an album, we're going off to LA in three weeks to start the album so we'll have an album our probably in November.
Interviewer: And then a tour?
Shane: Tour next year, yeah we'll be back on tour. We kinda did a lot of albums back to back for like ten years, you know, and we took a year off after the kinda 10 year anniversary so, you know, we're really looking forward to get back with some great songs, we're very excited about it
| Source: Thanks to Villy for typing up interview.
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| Shane At Sandown |
15 June 2009: Here are two pictures of Shane at Sandown on Saturday.
| Source: uk.eurosport.yahoo.com – thanks to Alfee for finding.
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| Capital FM Summertime Ball |
11 June 2009: Thanks to Gemma for sharing the picture of Mark with Lee Ryan from Blue. The picture was taken on Sunday at the Capital FM Summertime Ball.
| Source: allriseforlee.com
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| The Craic Is Back |
11 June 2009: Celebrate everything the Emerald Isle has to offer as the popular Irish Day at Sandown Park returns on Saturday.
Racegoers can enjoy a pint of the black stuff while watching all the exciting action on and off the track, with horses not the only attraction.
Dancing, food, music and entertainment will light up what is undoubtedly a craic’ing day out for all.
Present on the day will Shane Filan from Westlife, a local resident to the Esher venue.
U2 tribute act, U2UK will be playing live after the racing has concluded.
Tickets start at just £18 for Grandstand Enclosure and £26 for Premier Enclosure when booked in advance.
Turn up in emerald green clothing (which must be half the visible outfit eg shirt or trousers) and £5 will be taken off your entry ticket to the Grandstand enclosure.
Racing is a really social occasion and all group bookings of 12 or more receive a 20% discount, booked in advance. As always, children aged 16 or under go free.
For further information visit www.sandown.co.uk or call 01372 470047.
| Source: www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk - edited FF
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| Newlyweds Kian and Jodi add baby room to new house plans |
11 June 2009: Newlyweds Kian Egan and Jodi Albert are already planning a family and have included a 'baby room' in an extension to their house.
The loved-up duo have received planning permission for a development at the house at Strandhill, Co Sligo, which includes four bedrooms, a kitchen and living area, a music and entertainment room.
The en-suite master bedroom will include two separate walk-in wardrobes, while a nearby room has been described on the plans as a 'baby room'.
Former Hollyoaks star Jodi (26) and boyband singer Kian, who recently married in Barbados, were granted planning permission from Sligo County Council to extend their home near the sea at Carrowdough, where they also own a bar.
The pair also own a stunning five-bedroom barn conversion close to Jodi's parents in Essex and an apartment in London.
Kian (29) stays in the house in Sligo when he visits his mum and dad at the large house he bought them in the town.
And the couple have been modest in their plans to build their dream home to raise children in.
"Jodi and I practically do live together," Kian said before they were married. "We have our little small house up there in Sligo -- it's by the seaside," he said. "There's nothing big or special about it, it's only a four-bedroom little bungalow. It's all we need."
The couple, who dated for seven years, will be doubling the bungalow's original size to a roomy 5,231sq ft.
They plan to divide their time between their three homes, but it looks as if Jodi and Kian are planning on settling down in Sligo if they have children.
"Kian and I are really excited about our lives together," Jodi said. "And when I do have a baby I want to spend all my time with it, I want to be the one who brings it up. To do that I would have to be grown up myself.
"Kian's house in Sligo is gorgeous, right on the beach," she added.
| Source: herald.ie – Claire Murphy
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| Celeb Couples Flood Back To Krystle... |
05 June 2009: Seems like last weekend's good weather brought out Ireland’s celebrity love-birds in their throngs. With airy VIP penthouse terraces on offer our best known celeb couples made their way to Krystle nightclub on Saturday night to let off some steam and show-off those enormous diamond rings...
Freshly back from their romantic honeymoon, Westlife's newlywed couple Kian Egan and Jodi Albert (or is it Jodi Egan now?) were among the well-known faces at Krystle last Saturday night. Looking tanned and toned, the couple made their way to the club after attending at the Beyonce concert at The O2 earlier in the night.
Rocking a giant rock the size of a fist on her wedding finger, Jodi was beaming after attending the show as it was one of her wedding presents from hubbie Kian. The Westlife star even had their interview on the Tubridy Tonight Show recorded earlier in the day so he could take his new bride to the sold-out gig. Rosemantic or wha?
Another Westlife couple, namely Shane Filan and his wife Gillian Filan, followed their friends to the VIP club. We're assuming they attended Beyonce too... Between the gigantic icy diamonds on the fingers of Claudine, Jodi & Gillian - there was more carats in Krystle than in Appleby's window!
| Source: showbizireland.com
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| Seven Days In The Life Of Nicky |
05 June 2009: Sunday Make the most of the sunshine with a barbecue. Send the minion who updates my Twitter page back inside with instructions on telling the fans how much I love burgers in 140 characters or less.
Monday The great thing about Twitter is that the fans get to know what I'm doing or thinking at any minute of the day. It's all for the fans.
Tuesday Those of you who love me (and you wouldn't be reading this - with your parents' permission - if you didn't) will be excirah and delirah to know that Westlife's autobiography is out in paperback. There's even an extra bit where you can listen to us chatting with the ghost writer. I know, hard to believe I didn't write it meself!
Wednesday Keeping this Twitter page up and running is pretty tough and that. You can't keep everyone happy. But here is some exclusive information that you won't hear elsewhere: I chipped my tooth today training!!!
Thursday My tooth is grand, thanks for all your questions and concerns. The only thing is now that I have to get one of the wisdom teeth out. I told the dentist that I don't have any wisdom but the bastard didn't laugh. Do you get it???!!!
Friday I'd just like to release an official statement from Twitter. Thanks to Pat Kenny for all his support over the last ten years. Between ourselves, I dunno how that Tubridy fella feels about the band. He likes swing though, so we should be all right.
Saturday I'm just putting Jay and Rocco on the keyboard. They'd like to send out an exclusive hello to the fans. Hkjjkfdgjklfgooo. That was from Jay. And now Rocco's asleep. But the thought was there.
Or this is how it would be if we were Nicky...
| Source: herald.ie Edited: FF
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| Jimmy McCarthy at the Town Hall Theatre |
04 June 2009: CORK SONGWRITER Jimmy McCarthy has written some of the most popular contemporary Irish songs, with Christy Moore, Mary Black, Maura O’Connell, Tommy Fleming, and Mary Coughlan all enjoying chart success with McCarthy compositions including ‘Ride On’, ‘No Frontiers’, ‘Mystic Lipstick’, and ‘Ancient Rain’.
In 2001 McCarthy published a songbook charting the stories behind the songs and it became a best-seller. In recent years he has collaborated with international hit writers such as Graham Lyle (‘What’s Love Got to Do with It?’) and Wayne Hector (‘Flying Without Wings’) and together with Hector composed ‘Angel’s Wings’ for Westlife’s Coast To Coast album.
After a break from performing live for more than five years Jimmy McCarthy will showcase new and old songs at Town Hall Theatre on Monday June 15 at 8pm.
In 1998 McCarthy released a best of album, Warmer For The Spark, which featured versions of his songs by Christy Moore, Mary Black, Frances Black, Maura O’Connell, Mary Coughlan, and Tommy Fleming. Around this time an old friend suggested that McCarthy approach a major record company.
“Louis Walsh has always been a good guiding hand,” he says. “He more or less introduced the Universal Records people to me and sort of advised me to send them a copy of the album and a small biog. They immediately picked up on what I was doing and the association has been recouping for me every since.
“When I signed with them their basic job was that they’d put me together to other hit song writers. The song I did with Wayne Hector was meant to be Westlife’s Christmas single but they chose another song over it. Chances are my song would’ve have gone to number one and it would’ve been nice to have a song at the top of the UK charts. That’s the way the cookie crumbles though.”
Tickets to see Jimmy McCarthy in Song and Story at the Town Hall are available through 091 - 569777.
| Source: www.advertiser.ie/galway - Edited: FF
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| Big Hand for Rocco and Jay masterpiece |
04 June 2009: Ireland's most famous twins Rocco and Jay Byrne are lending a hand at a star studded art fundraiser. The grandson's of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will exhib this masterpiece alongside works from the likes of Bono, Adam Clayton, Eamon Dunphy and Cecilia Ahern at an exhibition that kicks off on Saturday.
Organisers will sell the works of over 250 real artists and celebrities in a blind sale for €250 each. Georgina Ahern and Nicky Byrne's boys piece is one of the few revealed in advance, most artists will only be revealed after purchase at the former Habitat building in Dublin's Suffolk St.
The event which runs until June 14 is in aid of Cill Rialaig Artist Retreat in Kerry. Founder Noelle Campbell Sharpe says the retreat is under severe pressure in the current economic turmoil.
"Georgina Ahern was asked to contribute a painting but she decided to let the two youngsters have a go" says Noelle. We're waiting for the paintings from Bono and Adam Clayton but we'll keep the identify of all the artists under wraps until the painting is bought, so you have to use your eye to buy.
Other celebrities donating their works of art include Nicky Byrne, Tommy Tiernan, Dairmuld Gavin, Liam O'Maonlai and Neil McCafferty.
| Source: Irish Star. Thanks to Deborah @ WFVIP for scanning and article.
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| Kian and Jodi Pictures |
04 June 2009: New pictures of Kian and Jodi’s wedding added to the album.
| Source: www.prophotography.co.za. Thank you to Sybrand Cillie.
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| Nicky Byrne is a BBQ King!
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03 June 2009: We haven’t yet and may never again have an opportunity to blog about Westlife, but a big thanks have to go to Nicky Byrne who took time out yesterday to join our client, Centra and Childline to officially launch the annual Centra Childline Big BBQ.
The Centra Childline Big BBQ raised €408,000 for Childline in 2008 and Centra is asking people all over Ireland (that includes you!) to register for their BBQ pack and host their own fundraising BBQs at home, at work or even in their local sports club. As weather forecasters predict a good summer - better than last year, at least - what better way to enjoy the weather and entertain friends than hosting your own BBQ, while raising much-needed funds for a worthy cause in the process.
To register for your 2009 BBQ pack text CHILDLINE and your name and address to 51000, phone 1890 927 033, pick up a postcard in your local Centra store or log onto www.centra.ie for further information. The campaign runs throughout June and July.
| Source: www.bespokecommunications.ie. Credits: Thanks to Alfee at TC for article.
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| Watch Kian and Jodi On Tubridy Tonight |
01 June 2009: Ahhh the first interview with Kian and Jodi since they got married in Barbados. To watch the video then please click here.
| Source: youtube/RTE. Credits: ByrneFilan for the video.
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