Autumn with TV3

TV3 launched its Autumn 2013 schedule at the high tech Sony HD Studio they own in Ballymount.  Some of the talent at the announcement included: 1. Sybil Mulcahy and Elaine Crowley; 2. Jeremy Kyle and Jeff Ford; 3. Dyane Connor,Colette Fitzpatrick and Siobhan Bastible. (Pix. BME)

TV3 HD

TVHD: 1. Sybil Mulcahy and Elaine Crowley; 2. Claire Brock,Stephen Murphy and Dyane Connor; 3. Vincent Browne and Louis Walsh. (Pix. BME)

Minister Pat Rabbitte has opened the new TV3 Sony HD studio at TV3’s headquarters in Ballymount, Dublin. The new purpose-built studio is Ireland’s largest television studio and the one of the most technologically-advanced broadcast facilities in Europe. In a unique naming/technology collaboration TV3 has partnered with Sony the world’s leading supplier of broadcast technology.

The new HD infrastructure cost €5m and was funded by a direct capital contribution from TV3’s investors Doughty Hanson. In addition a multi-million euro technology and naming rights deal was agreed between TV3 and Sony. The studio is the final link in TV3’s HD infrastructure following investment in HD transmission and post-production facilities.

Initially the studio will be used to upscale TV3’s flagship programmes including Tonight with Vincent Browne, Ireland AM and Champions’ League and to film TV3’s commissions such as Take Me Out which are currently filmed in theatre locations.

The launch was followed by a special Tonight with Vincent Browne show filmed in front of an invited audience of 200 guests. At the launch were Minister Pat Rabbitte, Olivier Bovis of Sony Professional Solutions Europe, Chris Fielding and John Leahy from Doughty Hanson and many guests from the world of broadcasting and entertainment including Louis Walsh and Gay Byrne.

Your Best You

Best: 1. Pilar Sanchez and Johnny Williamson; 2. Sonya Lennon and Brendan Courtney; 3. Luke Maycock and Assam Hayden. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

Ireland’s premiere arbiters of style Brendan Courtney and Sonya Lennon have published a new book encouraging people to feel great about themselves via the everyday means of fashion. “Your Best You” aims to teach women to work with what they've got now to look and feel great and is full of wonderful style tips and lessons.

"Your best You" is full of friendly accessible, achievable advice on looking and feeling your best.  The user friendly interactive workbook helps you analyse who you are today so your wardrobe fits your lifestyle, whether you’re a busy stay at home mum or a business woman with a hectic life. It also shows you how to dress your shape, not your size.

The new book was launched at a reception in Reiss on St Stephen’s Green and was attended by a host of faces from the fashion world including stylist Angela Scanlan, makeup artist Derrick Carberry and of course Lennon and Courtney themselves.

Three's a crowd

Threesome: 1. Aoife Gogan and Amy Huberman; 2. Catherine Kelly and Ingrid Hoey; 3. Norma Sheehan and Rachel Pilkington. (Pix. Cian O’Sullivan / Photocall)

On a wet and windy Monday night actress Amy Huberman invited some friends and family to the screening room of Odessa Club to see the first episode of the new series of Comedy Central's Threesome in which she stars with Emun Elliott and Stephen Wight.

Amy's parents Harold and Sandra were the first to arrive followed soon after by her brothers Mark and Paul. Amongst those spotted were fellow actresses Norma Sheehan and Rachel Pilkington. Ruth Bradley, who guest stars in one episode of the new series, arrived with her boyfriend, Welsh actor Richard Coyle.

Stylist Ingrid Hoey arrived with Catherine Kelly owner of Cocobelle and although Amys hubbie Brian was in rugby camp in Carton House and so couldn't attend, there were a number of rugby wives in attendance including Darina Cullen and Aoife Darcy.  Lindor chocolate and Tayto Snax kept the audience sated while the laughs came courtesy of the new show.

VW up!

Going up: 1. Kathryn Thomas; 2. Bressie. (Pix. Conor Healy)

Volkswagen Ireland launched its brand new city car, the Volkswagen up! And as part of the launch, Volkswagen up! will now sponsor RTÉ’s show ‘The Voice of Ireland’. Stars of the show Bressie, Brian Kennedy, Kian Egan and Sharon Corr took a break from their busy coaching schedules celebrate the launch and check out the new set of wheels.

The new Volkswagen up! has been shortlisted for European Car of the Year and has already stormed to the top of sales charts in its native Germany and now Irish buyers will get the chance to buy this deceptively spacious car over here.

The up! is a completely new design, offering maximum space on a minimal footprint, making it ideal for city driving. But just because it is small, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have VW famed solidity. The new up! is as beautifully engineered as the rest of the range.

Commenting on the launch, John Donegan, Sales and Marketing Director of Volkswagen Passenger cars said: “The Volkswagen up! is a perfect car for city living, and we’re delighted to partner with RTÉ’s ‘The Voice of Ireland’. It’s a great showcase for authentic Irish talent and, like many of the contestants on the show, the Volkswagen up! is set to be a rising star. We look forward to the live shows.”

Save the AMAZON

Sky is the Limit: 1. Conor Horgan and Aoife McLysaght; 2. Vavara Shavrova and Trish Lambe; 3. Shirley Clerkin and Fiach Mac Conghail. (Pix. Kieran Harnett)

Sky, WWF, and the Gallery of Photography today officially launched ‘AMAZON’, an exhibition in aid of Sky Rainforest Rescue, featuring the work of two award-winning photographers - Sebastião Salgado and Per-Anders Pettersson.

The exhibition opens to the public from today (1st March 2012) and highlights the plight of the Amazon rainforest and the people living within it. Sky Rainforest Rescue is a partnership between Sky and WWF that aims to help save one billion trees in the state of Acre, North-West Brazil.

The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of educational and family friendly activities. An exciting ‘Amazon Jungle Photo Studio’ workshop for families takes place on Sunday March 25th. Participation is free, and advance booking is essential. See www.galleryofphotography.ie for further information and updates.

TV3's Big Week

Telly Ready: 1. Madeline Mulqueen, Michael O’Doherty & Holly Sweeney; 2. Ursula Halliagn; 3. Roz Purcell & Noel Cunningham. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)


As TV3 springs into 2012 off the back of a great 2011, a year which saw TV3 become the only broadcaster in the Irish market to grow share for the 3rd year in a row, the TV station today announced its spring schedule at a launch in The Convention Centre Dublin.

The schedule promises over fifty hours of home produced content each and every week, including live studio output from Ireland AM, Vincent Browne and Xposé. And TV3’s studio output is only set to increase as building is underway on two brand new studios at Ballymount. When the project is finished in August 2012, TV3 will be home to the largest and most advanced studio in the country, HD ready and with live audience capacity.

This season TV3 is concentrating on its Big Week, where each day will be dedicated to the biggest shows in entertainment - making every night a big night on TV3. Shows such as interior designer Neville Knot’s Doorstep Challenge, The Irish Bake Off and Southside Housewives will be high on home-grown entertainment.

Saturday is the day the stars come out to play for TV3’s big week. All across the country people have been roping in their families to battle it out on Alan Hughes’ Family Fortunes, and that includes some of Ireland’s best known celebrities. While on Sunday the most popular television show of all time, Dallas, returns for a brand new series.

Sky’s the Limit: 1. Eva Hogan; 2. Chris O’Dowd & Ashley Banjo; 3. Baz Ashmawy. (Pix. Kieran Harnett)

The Sky 1 HD Winter Showcase event took place at the Guinness Storehouse, highlighting the array of content viewers can expect to see over the coming months.

At the event Sky announced a brand new comedy commission, Moone Boy, from Chris O’Dowd (The I.T. Crowd, Bridesmaids). The six part series – adapted from O’Dowd’s own Little Crackers comedy short for Sky 1 HD last December - is currently in production in Boyle, Co. Roscommon and Dublin, and will be broadcast on Sky 1 HD next summer.

The series, following O’Dowd’s early years growing up in Boyle, will cement the promise to increase Sky’s investment in original home-grown content by over 50% in the next three years. By 2014, Sky expects to invest €700 million a year in UK and Irish programming across its portfolio of channels.

This commitment follows the success of home-grown content such as entertainment hits Got to Dance and A League of Their Own, dramas Mad Dogs and Strike Back and the Bafta-winning documentary Flying Monsters 3D.

Chris O’Dowd was in attendance at the event along with Sky 1’s Director Stuart Murphy and Head of Comedy Lucy Lumsden, Got To Dance judge Ashley Banjo, Siobhan O’Connor of 98, Dave Fanning and Baz Ashmawy.

Threesome

Menage a Tois: 1. Aideen Tomkins & Robyn Candy; 2. Brian O’Driscoll & Amy Huberman; 3. Susan Vasquez. (Pix. Leon Farrell / Photocall)

Comedy Central’s new TV show ‘Threesome’ starring Amy Huberman, Emun Elliot, Stephen Wight and Pauline McLynn premiered recently at a screening in the Sugar Club in Dublin. It is the first original scripted comedy commissioned by Comedy Central and is produced by Big Talk Productions. ‘Threesome’ airs on Mondays on Comedy Central (UK) and Comedy Central HD.

People of the Year 2011

Positive People: 1. Miriam O’Callaghan & Packie Bonner; 2. Ray Foley & JP Gilbourne; 3. Charlene McKenna & Lorraine Keane. (Pix. Robbie Reynolds)

US Open champion Rory McIlroy, the Ireland cricket team and the late PSNI PC Ronan Kerr were amongst those honoured at the 2011 People of the Year Awards, organised by Rehab and sponsored by QUINN-healthcare. The event was broadcast live on RTÉ One television from the Citywest Hotel in Dublin and saw a host of stars from the worlds of music, television and sport, along with politicians and dignitaries turn out to celebrate the annual event.

The Awards, now in their 37th year, were presented by Gráinne Seoige with An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD, the Guest of Honour. Guests on the evening included Lorraine Keane, Mary Kennedy, Eileen Dunne and Bryan Dobson, fashion duo Sonya Lennon and Brendan Courtney, singing sensation Mary Byrne who performed on the night, Lottie Ryan, Miriam O’Callaghan, Nuala Carey, Claudia Carroll and Jean Byrne.

Sporting legends Packie Bonner and Shane Horgan were also in attendance along with rugby pundit Brent Pope, and RTE legends Joe Duffy and Larry Gogan. There was plenty of glamour on the red carpet with Fair City starlet Aoibhinn Garrihy, Raw actress Charlene McKenna and Republic of Telly presenter Jennifer Maguire, while other stars turning heads on the night included Triona McCarthy, Emma O’Driscoll, Katy Gannon and Geri Maye.

Ireland’s answer to an honours system, the Awards provide a unique opportunity for the Irish public to honour outstanding achievements and contributions made by individuals and organisations to life in our country today. The winners are chosen by members of the public through a nominations process and finalised by a panel of adjudicators, comprising of leading members of the media, voluntary sector and business community.