Mcguinness family in appeal over charity walk
Martin Mcguinness MARTIN Mcguinness’s family is urging the public to get involved in the Chieftains Walk to raise money for a cancer treatment centre.
The Siuloid an Taoisigh will take place on March 25 from Glenowen in Derry to Donegal’s Grianan of Aileach.
It is being organised in memory ACTRESS Victoria Smurfit has revealed she is single after splitting up with her filmmaker boyfriend.
The 43-year-old said she will stay friends with Alistair Ramdsden after their relationship came to “a natural conclusion” last summer.
She described her ex-boyfriend as “a great pal”, adding the secret to staying mates with a former flame is to “remember why you were friends to begin with.”
The Dubliner went public with the romance in October 2015 and the pair shared pictures of their relationship on Instagram.
Speaking to the Sunday Independent, the former Ballykissangel star revealed: “I am not with Al any more. We haven’t been together since the start of the summer. It came to a natural conclusion.
“But he doesn’t live far away, so he’s still a great pal. There was no drama whatsoever.”
The mum of three filed of the Sinn Fein politician who died from the rare disease amyloidosis last year.
The Mcguinness family hope the event, which was announced yesterday, will raise much-needed funds for the North West Cancer Centre at Altnagelvin Hospital, Derry.
Mr Mcguinness’s son Fiachra said Grianan of Aileach was “a very special place” for his late from divorce from her husband of 15 years Doug Baxter in February 2015.
She is now gearing up for the 15th Irish Film and Television Awards having been nominated as best supporting actress in The Lears and for best live action short with her self-produced The Secret Market.
The star also told how she missed out on a lead role in a “huge” Hollywood movie while in her 20s because she refused to sleep with the producer following a dinner with the production team.
Victoria explained: “As the night wore on everyone decided to leave to go dancing.
“The producer said, ‘You are coming with me to my hotel room’ and I just played the innocent and said, ‘I don’t know what you mean, come on we have got to go dancing’ and he said ‘No you’re coming with me’.
“I legged it back to my hotel”.
The next time she saw the producer he told her in a “cold tone” he was done with her and she didn’t get the job.
ON SPLIT WITH BOYFRIEND
He doesn’t live far away, he’s still a great pal. There’s no drama VICTORIA SMURFIT
father. He added: “We are hoping as many people as possible will get involved and register online to take part.
“We want to raise awareness about amyloidosis and all proceeds will go to the NW Cancer Centre at Altnagelvin Hospital, which again is something very much associated with my father.
“He was a driving force behind Alistair Ramsden and Victoria ensuring the centre was established in the first place and it will be fitting if his legacy can help support the fantastic service being provided there.”
Meanwhile, on Saturday two new Sinn Fein cumainn were launched in Derry, including one named after the late politician
■ To register and pay the £10 fee visit the Chieftains Walk Facebook page.