February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Eileen Murphy
Just when we thought that Ireland was ready for a Playboy magazine tribute to Saint Patrick, featuring lassies dancing at the crossroads in their unmentionables, comes word that not everybody is in favor of this kind of progress. We hear that one of the lingerie-wearing Playmates, 21-year-old Dubliner Alice Regan, has been dropped by her modeling agency for, er, dropping her clothes for the Bunny factory.
Until recently, Regan was represented by Morgan The Agency, one of Ireland’s premiere model factories. She told the Sunday World that the agency had made a “ridiculous decision” in letting her go.
“What’s the big deal?” she fumed.
“All the big supermodels have been photographed wearing less than I did and no one makes a fuss about it,” she said.
“If it’s OK for the big model houses, it should be OK for me.”
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Naturally, Morgan The Agency sees things a little differently.
Rebecca Morgan (or Morgan The Owner), obviously not one to take crap from a nearly naked chippie, explained the company’s position.
“Alice never told us she was going for the Playboy auditions,” sniffed Morgan The Owner. “And then, suddenly, she was all over the newspapers, giving interviews about it.
“Besides, Morgan The Agency does not do glamour work, and so we would not be able to put her forward for that kind of work.”
Admittedly, Alice hasn’t exactly been backward in putting herself forward, as they say. But then, it’s a model-eat-model kind of world out there, and any publicity is good publicity, etc. We’d say it’s just a matter of time before our gal is signed by a more enlightened agency.
So, would Alice do it again?
“Yes, absolutely,” she gushed. “My mother has no problem with it either,” she confided. “She just said, ‘Keep your knickers on.’ ” Well, you know how mothers are . . .
Pop charts hear Lundon calling
Former Lord of the Dance cast member Tony Lundon narrowly missed making the final cut in the British television show “Popstars.” The show is something of a phenomenon in England and Ireland, and features a group of aspiring singers competing for a spot in the final group of five — think “Survivor” with hair gel and dance moves.
We hear that Galway-born Tony’s Achilles Heel was his love for his girlfriend, who also hails from Galway. In the final round of interviews, the singer admitted that he was pining for his sweetie, and that, apparently, inspired the judges to send him back to her.
But Tony still plans to make his mark as a pop star.
“It would be stupid not to continue having got this far,” he said. “To give up now just because I’m not in the final band would be a really sad thing.” Hey — it looks like Tony picked up more from his former boss than just some snazzy dance steps and a couple of headbands.
Malachy’s gang connection
It’s time for another round of our favorite party game, Six Degrees of Malachy McCourt. Today’s challenge: Malachy to “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” character Jar Jar Binks in five steps or less. Ready?
The role of Malachy was played in the movie version of “Angela’s Ashes” by child actor Devon Murray. Murray is currently filming “Gangs of New York” in which he plays the role of Amsterdam. His character is played as an adult by Leonardo DiCaprio. Liam Neeson plays Leo’s father in the film. Neeson played a Jedi Master in the Star Wars prequel, where he was tormented by the lizard-like Binks. Four steps!
Ronan won’t play the Name Game
Irish heartthrob Ronan Keating told the Sunday World that he had no plans to follow the lead of fellow singer Posh Spice — when it came to baby naming, anyway.
Referring to Mrs. Beckham’s oddly monikered baby, Brooklyn (named for place of his conception), Keating laughed that if he had done the same thing, his son Jack would be saddled with the name “Hong Kong.”
Given the amount of time he spent in California last year working on his solo album, the soon-to-arrive child would probably have a name like Los Angeles . . .
Mumba’s chaperones workin’ overtime
Samantha Mumba’s minders will no doubt be on full alert this week, when the Irish pop princess goes out on a date with bad boy rapper Eminem.
The two met in Los Angeles, and we hear that sparks flew. The rapper invited Sam to attend his sold-out show in London this Friday evening, after which she’ll be going out for a meal with the real Slim Shady (all the other Slim Shadys is just imitating . . . )
Of course, Eminem isn’t the first chart-topping hunk to take an interest in Louis Walsh’s protTgT. We hear that Enrique Inglesias also took Sam out for some grub. Ah, to be 18 and gorgeous and popular (again).
Briefings
Not even the venerable Eurovision Song Contest is safe from the invasion of the boy bands. We hear that Ireland’s entry this year is a Westlife-in-training outfit called InFocus. They’ll be warbling a little ditty called “Every Song is a Lie.”
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U2 fans will be happy to know that the lads are in the number one position in the Irish pop charts this week. “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of” is the top single, while the album, “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” beat out all the other albums. That should salve Bono’s soul a little, after the awful critical drubbing he and his pet movie, “The Million Dollar Hotel,” took from American critics last week. “Pretentious” and “embarrassing” were some of the kinder words used . . .
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They sure have good taste in music down at Paddy Reilly’s Music Bar, 519 Second Ave., NYC. Aside from being the home of the Prodigals (our favorite local band), the Second Avenue haunt will host its namesake, Paddy Reilly himself, next Tuesday, Feb. 13. No one can sing “The Fields of Athenry” or “The Rose of Allendale” in quite the same way (although we’re putting in a request — right now! — for “Follow Me Up to Carlow”).
Ex-Beatle Pete Best (the good-looking one who got bounced for some bloke with lots of rings) will make a rare stateside appearance at Paddy Reilly’s on Wednesday, March 7. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and are sure to sell out fast. For information on both shows, call (212) 686-1210.
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We remember that summer in Dublin, and the Liffey as it stank like hell, and the young people walking on Grafton Street . . . Well, yes, you know what it means when we start humming that song: Bagatelle’s coming back to town!
The venerable ’80s rockers, who gave the world hits like “Leeson Street Lady,” “Second Violin” and “Love is the Reason” have reunited with original frontman, singer/songwriter Liam Reilly. They’ll be playing some concerts in the area: Friday, Feb. 9, P.J. Ryan’s, 87 N. Middletown Rd., Pearl River, N.Y. ([845] 735-6588); Saturday, Feb. 10, Fireside Pub, 4272 Katonah Ave., Bronx ([718] 655-3201); Sunday, Feb. 11, The Playwright, 488 Summer St., Stamford, Conn. ([203] 353-1120), and Johnny McGory’s, 131 Front St., Massapequa Park, N.Y. ([516] 797-8584).