News
Ambitious Prince Charming proves he has The Voice
Next week he'll appear on stage playing the lead as Prince Charming - but Killarney student David Lynch has just completed the first round of auditions for The Voice UK!
The Killarney Community College student has some real talent and it was double the excitement when I visited the school for their promo panto shots for their upcoming production of 'Cinderella'.
Just back from the first round of auditions for The Voice UK - I was bursting to hear about the audition process and his first attempt at applying.
“I didn’t apply at all Marie," David explained.
"The team sought me out through my TikTok account would you believe! At first I thought it was through my busking post on the streets of Tralee, but once I had time to think about it, the post that got the most views on my account was Viva La Vida by Cold Play. It had over 32,000 viewings. I had tagged my sister Emma, who is away at college, on this performance, and gave it the hashtag #fyp (For You Page). I couldn’t believe it. I processed my application with three demos and, sure enough, the production team came back to me with a date. Soon my dad and I were off to Manchester, thanks to my sister Emma who booked the flights instantly on receiving the exciting news.”
Both David and his dad Mike travel to Killarney Community College (KCC) from Tralee. Mike is a PE and Maths teacher there and David is in Second Year. He is currently cast as ‘Prince Charming’, the lead role, in the school's upcoming panto alongside Cinderella, played by Amy Healy. It takes place on stage at the school next week on November 8 and 9.
“My sister Emma attended KCC too, so I was never going anywhere else. I love Killarney. My grandaunt Mary and granduncle Tom own the Speakeasy Bar on High Street."
“So what did you sing? Were the queues a mile long?" I asked, excited to know the finer detail of the build up to auditions.
AUDITIONS
Media City UK, Manchester was like a Disneyland for media, he explained.
"We stayed close by at the Premier Inn, a stone's throw from the set of Coronation Street. So well organised, I think there were four auditions per hour with two people on the adjudicating panel. I thought to bring my guitar but I might as well have brought a third person as the price was pretty much the same. I did think there would be an option of instruments available which there was thankfully. Apart from two guys on sound, the two adjudicators and dad and I, that was it. I was there and ready to perform. When asked for my backing track I asked for the use of their piano. A deep breath and just a few bars in, all I could hear was CUT! I thought, that’s it, I’m done! Thankfully not the situation at all. It was merely a quick tweak on the outage of sound and I was back again banging out Cold Play's ‘Viva La Vida’ to the very best of my ability. From start to finish, I was happy with my performance.”
"And did you have another song prepared if they asked you to give them a feel for something else?" I asked.
“There was a lot of whispering going on Marie and they did, they asked me to sing another song. Although I am a huge fan of Ed Sheeran, I didn’t submit any of his songs. The three I had chosen were 'Viva La Vida' by Cold Play, 'Rome' by Dermot Kennedy and 'Writing's on the Wall' by Sam Smith. They chose ‘Rome’, an Irish song and perhaps a song they hadn’t heard of before which I really hope has worked to my advantage. Time will tell. If I am successful and through to the next round, it will be early December. I have heard rumours that Ronan Keating is somewhat involved this time too. Before I left they asked me about my interests and hobbies. I could only give an honest answer which was ‘honestly, I do nothing other than music’ and that’s the truth of it,” David replied.
MUSIC INFLUENCE
I’ve since gone and followed ‘David Lynch Music’ on TikTok awaiting his updates, so I was glad I had asked who was his biggest influence?
“I’m pretty much self-taught Marie and like I said, I really enjoy Ed Sheeran, but hands down my sister Emma is the person who has influenced me the most. She’s fantastic. She’s a Third Year student studying Childcare and she still finds time to help me anytime I need her so yeah, definitely Emma. This accomplishment would not have been possible without her."
As I left Killarney Community College and Prince Charming himself, David added “I’ll be delighted if I get through to the next round Marie. Put it this way, if I get through to the next round I’ll let you know. I will surely be taking Emma with me this time but only on the condition she promises to stay well away from Pennys!” David laughed, but all the while he was hugely sincere about the terms and conditions.
As I snapped David, to my delight he began to sing. Watch this space I thought - and watch out Cinderella, this hugely talented Prince Charming is more than capable of charming a whole lot more, I assure you!
News
Benefit-In-Kind tax rules overturned for company cars
By John Healy of Healy Insurances Minister for Finance Michael McGrath has announced a temporary change for company-owned vehicles following a backlash from drivers whose Benefit-In-Kind (BIK) taxes increased substantially […]
By John Healy of Healy Insurances
Minister for Finance Michael McGrath has announced a temporary change for company-owned vehicles following a backlash from drivers whose Benefit-In-Kind (BIK) taxes increased substantially in January.
While the move to a CO2 based Benefit-In-Kind system, which incentivises the use of Electric Vehicles and lower emission cars, a significant number of employees with vehicles in the typical emissions range experienced large increases in their income tax liabilities since the start of 2023.
To address the issue, the Finance Minister has introduced a relief of €10,000 to be applied to the Original Market Value (OMV) of cars in Category A-D in order to reduce the amount of Benefit-In-Kind payable (this is not applicable to cars in Category E).
In effect, this means that, for the purposes of calculating BIK liability, employers may reduce the OMV by €10,000. This treatment will also apply to all vans and electric vehicles. For electric vehicles, the OMV deduction of €10,000 will be in addition to the existing relief of €35,000 that is currently available for EVs, meaning that the total relief for 2023 will be €45,000.
The upper limit in the highest mileage band is amended by way of a 4,000km reduction, so that the highest mileage band is now entered into at 48,001km.
These temporary measures will be retrospectively applied from 1 January 2023 and will remain in place until 31 December 2023. It is proposed to introduce the measures at Committee Stage of the Finance Bill 2023.
From an insurance perspective, if a vehicle is owned by a company then the motor policy in place must be in the company name and have full business use cover known as Class 2 cover. It is customary that the policy is on an open driving basis, usually aged 25 to 70. The cost for a company owned car policy can be higher than privately owned vehicles.
News
Reduce the stress of downsizing
By Ted Healy of DNG TED HEALY It is widely accepted that moving house is one of THE most stressful life events one will experience, but does it really need […]
By Ted Healy of DNG TED HEALY
It is widely accepted that moving house is one of THE most stressful life events one will experience, but does it really need to be?
Embrace the change and look forward to new beginnings.
One particular cohort of home movers are those downsizing from their larger family homes, perhaps to a more manageable property with little/less maintenance. Here we look at potential ways of reducing the stress involved when downsizing:
Start the process as early as possible. Putting it off will add to the stress and result in a rushed job that is maybe not thorough enough. You only want to bring items you LOVE, NEED, USE and have SPACE for to your new property. Use this time as an opportunity to declutter – be ruthless. This is a fantastic opportunity to put some organisation into your life. Perhaps declutter prior to placing your existing home on the market – it may well add value to your home.
Don’t underestimate how much of a reduction is required pre-move. If the new property you are moving to is 50% smaller, then a quick estimate is that 50% of items in your current home need to be rehoused elsewhere.
Have an exit plan for the items leaving your home. Where are your local charity shops, do they offer a collection service? Is a skip required? A carefully planned exit strategy will make the move a lot more seemless. Have detailed measurements of your new home so you know which larger furniture items will/will not fit in your new property.
Take your time and do not try to do multiple areas simultaneously. Perhaps take it room by room and set yourself realistic targets.
Most importantly don’t panic. Allow yourself sufficient time, have a well-planned system in place and do not be reluctant to ask for help. Involving family members and relatives in the move will make the whole process a lot easier.
Benefit-In-Kind tax rules overturned for company cars
By John Healy of Healy Insurances Minister for Finance Michael McGrath has announced a temporary change for company-owned vehicles following...
Reduce the stress of downsizing
By Ted Healy of DNG TED HEALY It is widely accepted that moving house is one of THE most stressful...
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