Coach Dave Ellis’ Indelible Link to Connacht Glory
Connacht left its mark on New Zealander Dave Ellis, both figuratively and literally. Ellis misses the place he called home for almost four years when he helped turn the province into a force last…
Tag Archives: Irish Independent
Author Julie Parsons Makes Punchy Return
New Zealand-born but long-time resident in Ireland, Julie Parsons boasts a CV more varied than the average author. As well as producing five previous crime novels, she’s worked as a radio and TV producer…
Meeting with Banker Ross McEwan
Three years ago Ross McEwan set a Kiwi cat among Irish pigeons when, as newly installed chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), he ordered a review into the future of Ulster…
NZ Ireland Agribusiness Relationship Thriving
“It seems counterintuitive that an important market for Irish agriculture could also be a major competitor. But despite the great distance that separates them, a lucrative commercial relationship exists between Ireland and New Zealand,”…
World’s Newest Cat Cafe
The world’s latest cat café has opened in Auckland. At BaristaCats café on Queen Street cat lovers can enjoy a hot drink and a cuddle with the café’s resident cats for only NZ$15 cat…
Coach Joe Schmidt Granted Irish Citizenship
He has long been considered an honorary Irishman in the eyes of rugby fans. But Ireland’s head coach Woodville-born Joe Schmidt, 49, was made an official Irish citizen in a special ceremony organised by…
Lifestyle Coach Sene Naoupu Flexes Her Muscles in Ireland
When fitness and lifestyle coach New Zealander Sene Naoupu came to Ireland with her husband, Connaught Rugby’s George Naoupu, she had no idea that she would end up lining out for Ireland’s Six Nations-winning…
Galway’s Kai Café and Restaurant Ireland’s Best
Kai Café & Restaurant in Galway, run by New Zealander Jess Murphy and her Irish husband David, has won the top prize in Ireland’s Georgina Campbell Awards 2015, the country’s longest-running hospitality awards. Kai, named…
Scott Baigent Capitalising on Ireland’s Fondness for Craft Beer
When New Zealander Scott Baigent and business partner Australian-born Cam Wallace landed in Ireland four years ago, they decided to capitalise on the gaping hole in the craft beer market. In 2011, the pair launched…
Connacht’s Backs Coach Andre Bell the Perfect Teacher
Well-travelled New Zealander, Andre Bell is focusing on “simple things” as he looks to freshen up Connacht rugby team’s back-play, the Irish Independent reports. Come along to any Connacht training session and you’ll immediately see…
All Blacks Celebrate Hong Kong Sevens Title with Haka in Thunderstorm
After knocking England out of the Hong Kong Sevens with an impressive 26-7 score line, the All Blacks Sevens stripped off their shirts and performed a poignant haka in the pouring rain, which…
Penney Says Welfare of His Players Is Paramount
Munster coach New Zealander Rob Penney is so sensitive to the dangers of concussion that he applies a stringent approach to any head injuries suffered by his players – he responds with the level…
Fashion Forward Wedding Attire
A “delicate crochet trouser suit with chiffon ruffled sleeves” created by 50-year-old New Zealand label Vinka Design “stole the show among an assortment of flowing gowns”, Irish Independent writer Aishling Phelan reported…
All Blacks Defeat Pumas in Rain-soaked Hamilton
The All Blacks overcame difficult conditions to defeat the Argentina Pumas 28-13 in a rain-soaked Rugby Championship clash at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton on Saturday, extending their winning streak in the multi-nation competition. The team…
Cormack on Remand in Wentworth Drama
Auckland-born actress Danielle Cormack, 42, has said she jumps at the chance to play strong women, this time in the lead role of Bea Smith in Wentworth Prison, a contemporary reworking of Prisoner:…
On the Wing for Scotland
Tokoroa-born Sean Maitland, 24, made his Scotland debut against England in the RBS 6 Nations Championship opener against England on 2 February at Twickenham, scoring the first try of the match. Maitland qualifies for…
Remarkable Global Firsts
New Zealand has much more to shout about than just global rugby dominance and hirsute heroes of the big screen, according to Kate Rowan of the Irish Independent. “Taking a look at New Zealand’s…
Tips From The Top
New Zealand’s top performing farms operate on seven principles according to Irish dairy consultant Dr Mary Kinston. Firstly: “Top farmers benchmark against other farm businesses. Eighty-five per cent of farm managers would have a…
Flair on the Field
“If you are in search of a player that encapsulates a sense of flamboyancy, and something just a little out of the ordinary then, Sonny Bill Williams may just be your man,” Kate Rowan…
Talent Exported
Lead singer of The Naked and Famous, Thom Powers tells The Irish Independent’s Ed Power that he thought the band could pretend they were from some obscure part of Europe. “It must annoy you…
Facebook Hobbit Updates
Peter Jackson has posted his first video blog from the set of The Hobbit showing production starting on his 3D epic which is being filmed in New Zealand. The video on his
Parisian Hang-Ups
Phillipa ‘Pip’ Brown, 30, that’s Ladyhawke to her fans, is interviewed in Paris, where outside the French capital’s “cavernous Nouveau Casino venue, the line of ticketless opportunists snaking into the fading light speaks for…
Critique of Pure Fay
Fay Weldon’s autobiography (up to year 32) continues to entertain. The Guardian is seduced by the lure of biography: “her fiction suddenly seems a whole lot less peculiar … much of the work…
Kiri to sing at Palace & Castle
Opera diva Kiri Te Kanawa will sing at Buckingham Palace June 1 as Queen Elizabeth celebrates her Golden Jubilee party. Taking the stage alongside Kiri will be Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich and opera’s latest…
Black Crowe
“I was a kid faced with adult fury. This is tattooed on my brain”, recalls Russell Crowe in this Irish Independent interview about growing up in New Zealand as a 14 year-old part-time schoolboy,…
Tamahori, Lee Tamahori
New Zealand director picked as front-runner to direct next Bond movie, with Pierce Brosnan still in the hot seat as 007.
Resolute Squash
Ireland’s “cultural aspects” have drawn New Zealander Andrew Flemming away from exercise, but regular squash is on his New Year’s resolution list.
Jonah Joins the Kids
Eighty school children from around the world joined in the “Forever Sports Challenge” during the Olympics. Some major sporting metal flew in to assist with the challenge, including Jonah Lomu as specialist warm-up coach.
Save Our Sea-mammals : Pacific Plan for Whale Sanctuary
New Zealand and Australian governments are set to pressure the International Whaling Commission into creating a whale sanctuary in the South Pacific, believing that a plan must be implemented to protect stocks already severely depleted by whaling.
