Saoirse Ronan is set to make west Cork her permanent home. It says so in a planning application submitted by her for the construction of a new home in rural Foilnamuck, near Ballydehob. The actor, who recently married Scottish actor Jack Lowden and who also has homes in London and Dublin, wants to demolish a three-bedroom property that she bought for €650,000 in 2020 and replace it with a larger home extending to 332sq m.
In the application submitted on her behalf, her planning consultant justifies demolishing the existing house by referring to its poor condition. The “uninsulated” house, which doesn’t comply with fire safety regulations, has cracks, leaks and “woodworm”, the consultant said. The replacement house will be eco-friendly and contemporary in style, with just a nod to the vernacular. She is obviously done with period drama on the home front.
Paddy McKillen sends a message with his bottles
Paddy McKillen recently sold off his stake in the Clarence Hotel to his son, Paddy McKillen Jnr, and Matt Ryan of the Dean Hotel Group in a multi-million euro deal. But when it comes to his French vineyard, no expense is spared. The property investor has chosen the world’s largest sail-powered cargo ship to transport wine from Château La Coste in Provence to the United States.. But when it comes to his French vineyard, no expense is spared. The property investor has chosen the world’s largest sail-powered cargo ship to transport wine from Château La Coste in Provence to the United States.
The Anemos, which can carry about 1,000 tonnes, set sail for New York on August 9th from Le Havre on its maiden voyage carrying 4,800 bottles of McKillen’s rosé. Because it is using sails rather than fossil fuels to make the 3,662 nautical-mile journey across the Atlantic, the cargo’s carbon footprint works out at about a tenth of that of a regular container ship. The flipside is that it costs about 10 to 15 per cent more that conventional freight and can also take longer to reach its destination. Let’s hope McKillen’s wine gets better with age.
Bread giants battle over super branding
Two of the biggest food companies in the country have clashed over the use of the word “super”. Brennans Bread, founded by the recently deceased Joseph Brennan, has recently begun selling Super Bread, which is fortified with all manner of extra ingredients.
But Glanbia, which owns Avonmore’s Super Milk brand, isn’t too happy. When Brennans applied for a trademark for Super Bread earlier this year, Glanbia lodged a formal opposition, claiming it has been using its Super Milk brand for 20 years. It argues Brennans’ attempts to trademark Super Bread could amount to “passing off”, saying there is “a likelihood of confusion on the part of the public” between the products. Since the opposition was filed, Brennans has withdrawn its trademark application, although the bread remains on the shelves. It claims to improve cognitive health, gut health and support the immune system.
Sounds like the best thing since the sliced pan.
Chieftain wants a cap put on sound levels
Matt Molloy of The Chieftains performed in front of one million people in the Phoenix Park during Pope’s John Paul II’s visit in 1979. But the flautist is more worried now about the residents of a proposed hostel hearing the sessions in his well-known bar on Bridge Street in Westport, Co Mayo. Brendan Power, a local businessman, wants to convert an old cap factory into a 13-bedroom hostel beside Molloy’s pub, where there are regular trad sessions.
The musician has gone to An Bord Pleanála over the plans, saying that there is a “potential conflict between close residential use and my established business”. He fears this could “devalue” his business because it may interrupt the regular sessions. Molloy, who has also taken issue with the cap-factory owner claiming ownership of an alleyway beside his pub, says if permission is granted for the hostel, the building will need good sound insulation to prevent residents being disturbed by sessions. There’s many that would pay a premium for that.
Portrait of a linguistic pickle
Should artwork labels and information panels for exhibitions in the National Gallery of Ireland (NGI) be bilingual? Records released under Freedom of Information legislation show there have been three complaints this year about the lack of Irish in the gallery, particularly in the Lavery and Turner exhibitions in recent years but also on the artworks themselves. “Even the exhibit on the Irish revolutionary period was completely devoid of Irish descriptions,” one visitor said in a formal complaint. The issue was discussed by the NGI’s board recently but a decision has yet to be made.
The gallery said it hopes to receive clarification on its Irish language requirement as part of a forthcoming consultation process provided for under the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021. “The consultation has not yet been scheduled, but the gallery will fully engage and participate in it once it is launched,” it said.
Lansdowne the new place to be
Abington in Malahide was once the estate where you were most likely to bump into a celebrity. Once upon a time Nicky Byrne, Ronan Keating, Robbie Keane and Marty Whelan all resided in the north county Dublin millionaire’s row. But Lansdowne Place in Dublin 4, the luxury apartment development, seems to have taken its crown.
The latest addition to the who’s who of owners is the Westlife star Mark Feehily, we hear. He joins former Manchester United footballer Roy Keane, singer Rod Stewart and broadcaster Mike Murphy in the exclusive club where entry begins at €1.5 million, rising to €7 million for the largest penthouses. The pop star has a house in his native Co Sligo, so it’s not clear whether the purchase is an investment or whether he now fancies a life in the east.
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