.Dominic West pictured in Ballybunion earlier this year. Photo by Dermot Crean
THE star of hit TV series The Wire and The Affair is to go into a new career as a hotel manager in Glin, just over the Kerry border.
Dominic West and his wife Catherine Lynch are turning Glin Castle, the ancestral home of the Knights of Glin through the centuries, into a boutique hotel and the star will be hands-on at the property.
The property has been in his wife’s family for over 700 years and it was recently on the market.
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The star – who was in Ballybunion earlier this year for a 1916 commemoration event – told the Irish Independent he will be in charge as much as his time will allow.
“Selling up was absolutely heartbreaking for all of us, especially my mother-in-law and my wife, and luckily we’re reopening it as a hotel, all going well, some time next year,” he said.
“I’m going to manage it. I want to be in charge, or as much as my schedule will allow. Obviously, there will be someone in place far more experienced and qualified than I coping with the day-to-day. But we want to be there. We’re going to be heavily involved. That’s why we’re moving home to Ireland,” he said.
.Dominic West with the speakers before the event in Ballybunion on Saturday. Photo by Dermot Crean
HOLLYWOOD actor, Dominic West, was the main attraction at Scoil Iosagain in Ballybunion on Saturday for a special commemoration day.
The English-born star read the 1916 Proclamation at the event to honour three north Kerry men who died in the Rising and hundreds of people showed up for the afternoon.
He arrived with his wife – Catherine Fitzgerald, daughter of the last Knight of Glin – and their children and with great patience and courtesy posed for photographs for the many (mainly female) people present, before and after the event.
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The event itself was in honour of Michael Mulvihill (Ballyduff), The O’Rahilly (Ballylongford), and Patrick Shortis (Ballybunion), who all died in the Rising.
Speakers at the event were Judge Richard Johnson- Nephew of Patrick Shortis; Michael Mulvihill – Grandnephew of Michael Mulvihill and Ruth Sweetman – Granddaughter of The O’Rahilly, who all told the story of their relations’ involvement in the Rising.
Pupils from Scoil Iosagain also played their part in a very special event in Ballybunion and afterwards the star of The Affair patiently posed for the many people who showed up to see him. Scroll down for photos…
Avid fan of ‘The Wire’, Frank Hartnett, with actor Dominic West at the event in Ballybunion.Radio Kerry’s Deirdre Walsh with Dominic West at the Ballybunion event.Ruth Sweetman, granddaughter of The O’Rahilly, speaking at the event. Photo by Dermot CreanDominic West delivers the Proclamation.Judge Richard Johnson, grandnephew of Paddy Shortis at the event.Kerry County Council Arts Officer Kate Kennelly at the event in Ballybunion.The audience applauding Dominic West for his contribution.The large crowd at the event.
ACTOR Dominic West was in Ballybunion today for a special 1916 commemoration event.
The star of The Wire and The Affair was there to read the 1916 Proclamation at the event in Scoil Iosagain which honoured three north Kerry men the O’Rahilly, Michael Mulvihill and Paddy Shortis – who died during the Rising.
.Dominic West as Noah in ‘The Affair’. The actor will be in Ballybunion this Saturday.
ACTOR Dominic West was on Radio Kerry this morning talking about his Irish connections, why he’s in Ballybunion this Saturday and why he attracted the attention of mothers at a Cúl Camp in west Limerick last year.
The 46 year old Sheffield-born actor, who shot to fame as Jimmy McNulty in seminal TV show ‘The Wire’ and lately in award-winning ‘The Affair’, told Jerry O’Sullivan on the ‘Kerry Today’ show, that Jimmy Deenihan persuaded him to come to Ballybunion on Saturday to read the 1916 Proclamation at Scoil Íosagáin (starting at 4pm).
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Three men who died in the 1916 Rising -Michael Mulvihill (Ballyduff), The O’Rahilly (Ballylongford), and Patrick Shortis (Ballybunion) – will be commemorated.
West was reluctant at first but when he heard Judge Richard Johnson – nephew of Patrick Shortis – was speaking, he agreed as Johnson is the husband of his godmother Nuala. He was also wary of reading the Proclamation with a English accent, but Jimmy said once he reads it with gusto he’ll be fine.
He also said that he feels very much Irish as his mother’s parents were Irish, his wife is from Glin and he has two sisters living in Dublin for years. He was always drawn to Ireland and went to Trinity College.
West said his first experience of fame was in Ireland, because ‘The Wire’ was first shown on this side of the Atlantic on TG4, so people in Dublin would call him Jimmy and want to buy him Jameson.
He spoke about his hopes that someone would buy Glin Castle, the childhood home of his wife, and it would be preserved as it’s an important part of Irish history.
‘The Affair’ has brought him further fame and when he brought his kids to a Cúl Camp in Ballyhahill last year, women were coming up to him saying they thought he was great as Noah Solloway – which he felt a little embarrassed about due to the nature of his role.
He also said he was looking forward to returning to Ballybunion, and hoped the seaweed baths would be open. We’re sure whoever’s in charge might be able to sort that out!
• Speakers at the event on Saturday will include, Judge Richard Johnson- Nephew of Patrick Shortis; Michael Mulvihill – Grandnephew of Michael Mulvihill and Ruth Sweetman – Granddaughter of The O’Rahilly. There will be a Mass at 7.30pm and everybody is welcome.
THE 1916 Proclamation will be read by the well-known actor, Dominic West in Ballybunion this weekend, in a commemoration to honour three north Kerry men who died in the Rising.
The actor who is famous for his roles in The Wire and The Affair will be at Scoil Iosagáin, Ballybunion on Saturday, April 2 at 4pm where Michael Mulvihill (Ballyduff), The O’Rahilly (Ballylongford), and Patrick Shortis (Ballybunion), who all died in the Rising will be commemorated.
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Speakers will include, Judge Richard Johnson- Nephew of Patrick Shortis; Michael Mulvihill – Grandnephew of Michael Mulvihill and Ruth Sweetman – Granddaughter of The O’Rahilly. There will be a Mass at 7.30pm and everybody is welcome.
Dominic West has already been featured on RTE this week reading poems by WB Yeats in Bob Geldof’s documentary on the poet and 1916. He is married to daughter of the last Knight of Glin and visited Ballybunion a couple of years ago where he enjoyed a seaweed bath and an ice-cream in Sundaes.
