WIN TICKETS TO SEE DARA O'BRIAIN LATM, CORK, SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2025!
Dara O'Briain came to prominence as host of the topical panel show Don't Feed the Gondolas. On TV he is also known for hosting Mock The Week, Robot Wars, Three Men in a Boat, Dara and Ed's Great Big Adventure, Stargazing Live, Dara Ó Briain's Science Club, and the documentary Dara Ó Briain Meets Stephen Hawking, all on BBC Television. As well as winning Channel 4's Taskmaster!
Thanks to our friends at Live At The Marquee we have a pair of tickets to giveaway to one lucky winner to see Dara O'Briain Live at the Marquee, Sunday June 29, 2025 PLUS overnight B&B stay for two sharing at the 4* Clayton Hotel Cork!
To be in with a chance of winning simply fill out the form below.
If you can't see the form above, CLICK HERE
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Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
‘Don't Touch My Knob' gig challenges lack of female acts at Cork's Live at the Marquee
As a positive reaction to the lack of gender diversity on Cork's Live at the Marquee line-up, musician Áine Duffy has spear-headed a gig in the historic Elizabeth Fort featuring female artists. Cork City Council and the Night Time Economy have partnered with Ms Duffy to present 'Don't Touch My Knob' in the historic former fort and women's prison off Barrack St. The all-female line-up includes MC and comedian Sinéad Quinlan, musicians Ria Rua, Áine Duffy and electronic DJ Nathalie Mac. Elizabeth Fort was specially chosen for its significant role in history as a female prison and deportation centre between 1822 and 1837. 'No female headliners? No problem,' Ms Duffy said. 'Join us for a powerhouse protest gig celebrating incredible female artists, too often hidden by corporate gatekeepers. No female headliners at the Marquee and just 2% females on the airwaves. We're taking back the stage. 'Expect raw talent, skill, craic, and laughs. This isn't just a gig. It's a statement,' Ms Duffy said. Ms Duffy, a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Bandon, has previously toured the world, including in the US, Spain, Italy, and Canada with her music, which often blends Rock, RnB and Dance. "It's like David Grohl gate-crashed an Irish protest rally," was how one of her gigs was described. Áine Duffy at her mobile gig venue, a converted donkey box, in 2021. During the covid pandemic, she converted a donkey box into a mobile gig venue to safely tour her album outdoors when gig venues were closed internationally during successive lockdowns. Ria Rua is a multi-instrumentalist and artist who fuses alt-pop, electro-grunge, and industrial textures with a powerful, unapologetic sound. DJ and co-founder of the Electronic Music Council Natalie Mac brings powerful beats and a passionate commitment to nurturing Cork's electronic music talent. Comedian and RedFM radio presenter Sinéad Quinlan delivers laugh out-loud humour with an authentic, relatable twist. The gig's name was inspired by a sign Ms Duffy previously erected at gigs which said: "Please do not touch my knob (without consent)" to deter men from adjusting her equipment. She said people, mostly men, consistently came up to her during live performances and tried to adjust her public address (PA) system. 'I was playing a gig in West Cork — it was wonderful but a stream of people kept coming up trying to adjust my PA system. I think they were just trying to help but I know what I'm doing, I've been doing this for years. "A woman came up to me the next day and suggested I put a sign up saying 'keep your hands off my knob' and I did. It's worked so far. 'I want to be gentle and humorous about it. But if I was a man, I would not have to do that.' The women will perform on August 1 at Elizabeth Fort in Cork City from 8pm. Tickets at €20 are available from Read More 50 more acts announced for sold-out All Together Now festival
Irish Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Vogue Williams' brutal one-word assessment of Spencer Matthews before they met
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The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
I've slept with 400 men to show them how to make love… parents have brought their sons to my £250-an-hour sessions
LYING in the arms of the man I'd just had fantastic sex with, I smiled with satisfaction. Somewhere out there was the next woman he'd sleep with, and she'd never know that, thanks to me, he'd been transformed from a clueless virgin into a skilled lover. Advertisement 2 Intimacy expert Kaly Miller has been a sex surrogate for 15 years Credit: Lorna Roach 2 Kaly's role is similar to that of Joy's on Channel 4 show, Virgin Island But I wasn't in a relationship with this man – I was his sex therapist and surrogate. Over three months, we'd progressed from him starting to get comfortable with physical intimacy, such as hand-holding, hugging and stroking, to more sexual touching. And finally, we'd had sexual intercourse. Advertisement I've been a sex surrogate for 15 years, and during my career I've supported women with a fear of intimacy, helped a Hollywood actor overcome his sex addiction, and guided couples on how to safely have an open relationship. I don't keep count of the number of clients I've slept with, but it's between 300 and 400. Growing up in São Paulo, Brazil, if you'd told me that one day I'd be teaching people how to enjoy sex, I would never have believed it. As a young woman, I was comfortable with my sexuality, but never questioned what I wanted or needed sexually. I moved to London for university at 21, then married a few years later and had four children. Advertisement Running a successful events company with my husband, I enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle. But working 18-hour days soon burned me out, and I just wasn't happy. When I was 35, I ended my marriage, leaving my husband and the company, while I moved into a one-bedroom council flat with our children. I'm a sex coach, women always ask what to do if their man won't talk about sex and it's NEVER a good sign I went on to qualify as a masseuse, working with athletes and actors. 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He explained that his brother had passed away recently, and he realised he didn't want to die without knowing what love felt like. Men came to see me to overcome issues including being unable to get an erection, premature ejaculation, fear of intimacy and body dysmorphia Kaly Miller It helped me understand that there was a genuine need for sex surrogates and there was nothing sleazy about it. I spent a month focusing on helping this man feel comfortable with his body, and teaching him how to touch a woman, before we had sex. Advertisement It felt so natural, as we'd established a trusting, loving bond and it made me realise how much impact a surrogate can have. He went on to have a relationship with someone for the first time, and was so grateful. How is masturbation beneficial for health? Masturbation is nothing to be embarrassed about - after all, it's physically and mentally good for you! Just like sex, masturbation - and likely an ending of orgasm - is healthy. Masturbation releases endorphins which boost mood and can alleviate depressive symptoms and cortisol, the stress hormone. It can help you relax, reduce stress and help you sleep better - which has a number of health benefits in itself. In one study, published in the Frontiers in Public Health, almost half of men and women who masturbated before bed said they either got better sleep quality, or fell asleep quicker. Spring Cooper is a social researcher with academic qualifications in public health, health promotion, and sexuality, "Tenting stretches the cervix, and thus the cervical mucous. "This enables fluid circulation, allowing cervical fluids full of bacteria to be flushed out. "Masturbation can lower risk of type-2 diabetes (though this association may also be explained by greater overall health), reduce insomnia through hormonal and tension release, and increase pelvic floor strength through the contractions that happen during orgasm." 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I also work with couples, although I don't touch them – I coach them on how to touch each other. I have no intention of stopping anytime soon – I feel privileged to help people overcome their issues Kaly Miller I insist on at least three sessions, because this isn't a quick process, and a maximum of 10 to make sure they don't form a romantic attachment with me. Before meeting a client, I prepare by going to the gym or doing yoga, and I meditate on my commute. Since I turned 50, I'm conscious I need look my best, so I see a dermatologist, and of course I regularly do kegel exercises to keep my pelvic floor muscles tight. Advertisement There have been many memorable moments over the years. When one client saw my vagina – the first he'd ever seen – he was blown away. 'It's marvellous!' he said. 'I love the colour and the texture.' I was thinking: 'I've had sex for 30 years and not once has a partner admired me the way this guy has.' Then there was the man with autism, who I helped have sex for the first time. His parents used to bring him to the sessions with me, and were so grateful. His dad said to me: 'Thank you for making him experience life as a man outside of his challenges.' Advertisement Those sorts of moments are humbling and make me realise how much I'm helping people. The 10 most-searched sex positions in the UK The Eagle is searched for, on average, 150,730 times in the UK every month. Eagle 69 Missionary Cowgirl Reverse Cowgirl Standing Lotus Spooning Doggy Style Pretzel My job has also helped me realise that sex can be incredibly powerful, rather than shallow or mediocre. I'm currently single, but I've had relationships since I became a sex surrogate. I've learned to separate my professional and personal life to avoid falling into 'work mode' and educating partners on being the ideal lover. I'm always transparent with a partner about my work and, so far, they've all been open-minded and unfazed by the fact I'll be sleeping with other men, and that I often get aroused while doing so. I have no intention of stopping anytime soon – I feel privileged to help people overcome their issues. Advertisement Everyone who wants to enjoy great sex should be able to, and I'm happy to play a part in helping them achieve that. Visit
