Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Rory has a Pep in his step at irish Open
FANS STARSTRUCK AT IRISH OPEN AS BIG NAMES TEE OFF IN PRO-AM Actor poses for selfies with adoring public
JAMIE Dornan was the top attraction yesterday as fans teed up the stars for selfies at the Irish Open Pro-am.
The weather in Portstewart had no shades of grey for the actor from Holywood, Co Down, as he joined a host of celebs at the Dubai Duty Free-sponsored event. The 35-year-old laughed and joked with local legend James Nesbitt as they prepared to tackle the Co Derry links course with English professional Justin Rose. Thankfully they were not putt off after being mobbed by admirers keen to get a snap with the big names. Other well-known faces taking part yesterday included Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, Northern Ireland boss Michael O’neill, ex-snooker world champion Dennis Taylor and former Northern Ireland, Tottenham and Arsenal goalkeeper Pat Jennings. Hollywood actor Aidan Quinn and TV presenter Vernon Kay also got in on the act for the pro-am. Tournament host Rory Mcilroy is hoping to retain his Irish Open crown when the first round gets going today. The 28-year-old Co Down ace has been paired with Jon Rahm and Hideki Matsuyama for the opening two rounds. The tournament is also about raising funds for and the profile of the Rory Foundation, which was set up by Mcilroy to help young people “suffering from ill health or who are unfairly disadvantaged or vulnerable to life’s circumstances”. Yesterday a fund spokesman gave an example of how their work is helping kids. He said: “Back in December, Rory Mcilroy surprised nine-year-old Charlie Smyth from Cavan on RTE’S Late Late Toy Show and invited him to the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open. “Today the Rory Foundation gave Charlie another surprise by giving him a golfing lesson on the range at Portstewart Golf Club with golfer Graeme Storm.” Not surprisingly Charlie was overjoyed, saying:
“I couldn’t believe it when Rory walked out to surprise me on the toy show. “I was so happy. He gave me and my family tickets to come to the Irish Open for the week and I can’t wait to see him play. He told me to believe in myself and I’ll always remember it. I had a golf lesson today with Graeme Storm. It was deadly.” Shane O’hara, from Dromahair, Co Leitrim, was also there after winning the #Rorytrickshot competition. The first prize consisted of a place in the pro-am and a two-night stay in Blackrock B&B in nearby Portrush. He said: “It did take me hours to perfect my trick shot but I’m so glad I persisted to win a place in the pro-am. “Thank you to Rory Mcilroy and the foundation for giving me this amazing opportunity.” A THIRD of workers spend all their income on living expenses with nothing left to enjoy life, a study says. A survey of 1,000 Britons found 33% had zero in the kitty after paying rent/ mortgage, travel, utilities, council tax, food, insurance and other tax bills. Train tickets, rent and parking were rated the biggest rip-offs. Nick Heath, of utility savings firm Make It Cheaper, who did the poll, said: “Shopping around can save a decent amount of money each month.”
Internet ‘bad for marriage’
ADDICTION to social media is increasingly being used as grounds for divorce, legal experts say. Obsession with websites like Facebook and Instagram has sparked rows among one in four couples. And 7% of married people said their partner was online “all the time”, law firm Brookman found. Senior partner Henry Brookman said: “We are seeing a rise in numbers of people who consider this a contributing factor in their marriage breakdown.”
Party over as villain caught
A WANTED villain who taunted police with posts of himself at music gigs has finally been collared. Ryan Mctighe, 30, dubbed the “Festival Fugitive”, enjoyed events like Ibiza Carnival and Creamfields in a year on the run. Armed officers held him in Coventry on Tuesday. Mctighe had served half a six-year jail term for his role in a 2011 robbery that left a shopkeeper dead. But he vanished after being recalled to finish his sentence after breaching the terms of his licence.
Straw bales killed driver
A WORKAHOLIC driver was crushed to death by two tons of straw bales. An inquest heard Peter Fisher, 54, was first in to load up at C& M Haulage, near Thetford, Norfolk, at 5am. He was found at 7am. Boss Jonathan Cole, who used a JCB to lift the 8ft by 4ft-square bales off Peter, said they had slipped like a “concertina” off a lorry”. The truck was leaning and could have become stuck in soft ground, the Norwich hearing was told. Verdict: Accident.