THIS WEEK’S BIRTHDAYS
TODAY, DEC 9
Kirk Douglas, actor, is 102. Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, is 64. Donny Osmond, singer, is 61. John Malkovich, actor, is 65. Judi Dench, actress, is 84. Tre Cool, drummer of Green Day, is 46. Jakob Dylan, singer son of Bob, is 49. Simon Helberg, plays Howard in The Big Bang Theory, is 38. Joan Armatrading, singer-songwriter, is 68.
MONDAY, DEC 10
Meg White, drummer with The White Stripes, is 44. Kenneth Branagh, actor-director, is 58. J Mascis, singer-guitarist with Dinosaur Jr, is 53. Clive Anderson, talk-show host, is 66. Fionnula Flanagan, Dublin-born actress, is 77.
TUESDAY, DEC 11
David Gates, singer with Bread, is 78. Brenda Lee, singer, is 74. Chris Hughton, ex-Ireland full-back and current Brighton manager, is 60. Noel Lane, former Galway hurler, is 64. John Kerry, American politician, is 75. Nikki Sixx, Motley Crue bassist, is 60. Dave King, Dublin-born singer with Flogging Molly, is 57. Moe Dunford, Dungarvan-born Vikings actor, is 31. Marco Pierre White, chef, is 57.
WEDNESDAY, DEC 12
Daniel O’Donnell, country music singer, is 57. Pat Shortt and Jon Kenny, former comedy partners, are 51 and 61 respectively. Dionne Warwick, singer, is 78. Bill Nighy, actor, is 69. Connie Francis, singer, is 81. Lionel Blair, choreographer, is 90. Gary Breen, former Ireland centre-half, is 45. Brough Scott, horse racing commentator, is 76.
THURSDAY, DEC 13
Taylor Swift, pop singer, is 29. Jamie Foxx, actor, is 51. Anouska Hempel, actress and designer, is 77. Christopher Plummer, actor, is 89. Peter Stringer, ex-Ireland scrumhalf, is 41. Dick Van Dyke, actor, is 93. Johnny Francome, former champion jockey, is 66. Noel Fitzpatrick, Laois-born veterinary surgeon and host of TV’s The Supervet, is 51.
FRIDAY, DEC 14
Stephen Donnelly, Fianna Fail politician, is 43. Jane Birkin, actress, is 72. Beth Orton, singer, is 48. Michael Owen, former Liverpool striker, is 39. Phil Orr, ex-Ireland rugby player, is 68. Peter ‘Spider’ Stacy, tin whistle player with The Pogues, is 60. Vanessa Hudgens, actress, is 30. Mike Scott, singer-songwriter with The Waterboys, is 60.
SATURDAY, DEC 15
Paul Williams, crime journalist, is 54. Stuart Townsend, Dublin-born actor, is 46. Edna O’Brien, novelist, is 88. Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist with Kasabian, is 38. Dave Clark, of The Dave Clark Five, is 79. Frankie Dettori, jockey, is 48. Paul Simonon, former bassist with The Clash, is 63. Jamie Heaslip, Leinster and Ireland rugby player, is 35. Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey actress, is 37.