Latest news with #MichaelCollins
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Our Michael wings it in Japan
Michael Collins at last weekend's game between the Wakatipu Premiers — whom he's played for just once, when they lifted the White Horse Cup off Arrowtown in 2019 — and Maniototo. PHOTO: PHILIP CHANDLER What a time to play your first game on the right wing. Usually a centre or fullback, longtime Queenstown rugby pro Michael Collins wore the No14 jersey for the first time this month — for his Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo team in the final of Japan's League One comp in which they beat Kubota Spears 18-13 to claim back-to-back titles. The 32-year-old, who's just finished his second season with the team and has signed on for two more, says he'd only played wing once before, for the same team last year, in his 14-year professional career. He took the spot due to injuries to a couple of good Japanese wingers, and because they had a spare place for a foreign player. As in his first season, Collins played more games off the bench than he started in because teams are restricted to four foreigners. He notes Toshiba's already blessed with three internationals — including former All Black stars Richie Mo'unga and Shannon Frizell — "and then often there's a foreign lock because that's where you get your height from". "You sort of just bide your time, and when you get the chance to play you play." He confirms Mo'unga, man of the match in the final despite a broken right hand, and Frizell "are a big part of why the team's had success". Collins, who's formerly played for Otago, the Blues, the Highlanders and two Welsh clubs, says the standard of the Japanese comp is "really high". "It's impressive how physical Japanese players are." Most teams also field strong overseas talent, he adds — "you get to test yourself against top athletes in the world". Collins says he still enjoys rugby, and Japan, and lives in "sort of central-ish" Tokyo with his partner. He was also thrilled his dad Kelvin and brother Rhys could make the final, which drew 50,000-plus to Tokyo's National Stadium. He says his body's still "there or thereabouts, obviously not what it was when you were 22", and, touch wood, he's been lucky with injuries. "Hopefully we'll try to keep playing as long as we can."
Geek Vibes Nation
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
'Michael Collins' Blu-Ray Review - A Captivating Look At A Real-Life Revolutionary
Michael Collins tells the powerful, turbulent story of one of Ireland's most controversial patriots and revolutionary heroes, known as 'The Lion Of Ireland', who leads his countrymen in their fight for independence. Set in the early 20th century, when a monumental history of oppression and bloodshed had divided Ireland and its people, the film covers the bloody 1916 Easter Uprising, when Irish revolutionaries surrendered to the overwhelming military power of the British forces and Collins was arrested. Upon his release, he takes leadership of the Irish independence movement and strives to create a free and peaceful country. For thoughts on Michael Collins, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required: Video Quality Michael Collins was released on Blu-Ray in 2016 courtesy of the Warner Archive with a sturdy 1080p transfer derived from a 2K scan of the Interpositive. This is not the most overtly colorful film, but key pieces of production design and some stunning environments compensate for this with some bold hues. The transfer retains the valuable texture of the natural film grain that resolves evenly throughout the journey. There is a plethora of detail uncovered within the backgrounds and on some of the costumes. No signs of ugly compression artifacts or banding were spotted throughout. Warner Archive allows this one to look its best. Audio Quality This Blu-Ray features a stirring DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio surround sound track that commendably showcases the original soundscape. This track provides a presentation clear of any obvious blemishes or digital anomalies that would disrupt the viewing experience. Dialogue is crisp and clear without being overshadowed by narratively impactful sound effects. The environmental noises are not distractingly showy in the rear speakers, but everything expands out quite naturally. The exceptional score from Elliot Goldenthal is treated respectfully and blends well within the mix. This track is a winner. Optional English SDH, French, Spanish, and an array of other subtitles are provided for those who desire them. Special Features Audio Commentary: Director Neil Jordan provides a commentary track recorded in 2015 in which he reflects on the production of the film, his inspiration for wanting to tell this story, the dramatic license he took with the film, the response to the film, the history of Ireland, and more. In Conversation with Neil Jordan: A nearly five-minute interview with the filmmaker who introduces the film and discusses its legacy. South Bank Show: A 51-minute episode of the series that explores the release of Michael Collins through interviews with Neil Jordan, Liam Neeson, producer Stephen Wooley, historians, and more, along with historical and behind-the-scenes footage. Deleted Scenes: There is a six-minute collection of unused material provided. Theatrical Trailer (1:44) Final Thoughts Michael Collins is a captivating look at a real-life historical figure who fought for his country with a ferociousness and tenacity that made him a hero and a villain, depending on the perspective. Liam Neeson offers one of his strongest dramatic turns here, and the remainder of the ensemble match him (when they are given the right material). The film has a mighty runtime, but the direction of Neil Jordan ensures that the film is never less than gripping. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a worthy A/V presentation and welcome special features. If you appreciate a good historical drama, this one is a winner. Recommended Michael Collins can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or through various other online retailers. Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray. Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
BBC News
07-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Belfast City Hall: What do people think of new plans to charge £4 for exhibition?
Should people be charged to tour a Belfast City Hall exhibition?On Monday, People Before Profit councillor Michael Collins proposed to drop Belfast City Council's plan to charge people £4 to visit the venue's ground floor exhibition, which is usually a vote TUV councillor Ron McDowell was the only politician to second the proposal while the other parties voted against scrapping plans for the new News NI went along to find out what tourists and locals thought about being charged £4 for self-guided tours in the future. What are people being charged for? In May, Belfast City Council agreed plans to charge people a £4 entrance fee to the city hall ground floor exhibition as part of its 'City Hall Income Generation Project'.It was decided that free tours should take place through community visits organised by councillors and that under 18s would be exempt from the new members of the public can turn up for a walk-in booking or book exhibition tickets for up to nine people by email at no cost. Collins said plans to raise revenue by increasing the prices of services was "worrying"."An exhibition that really was free, is now going to be charged. Where does this end? Will we start charging people to access the building itself?", he who seconded the proposal said that he felt Collins had a point, "considering this building is owned by the citizens of Belfast" that it would be charging them for something they "already own". The DUP, SDLP, UUP, Green Party, Sinn Féin, Alliance Party and one Independent councillor voted against the proposal to scrap the new News NI contacted the main parties. A spokesperson for the DUP group on Belfast City Council said that they have a "strategic plan" to deliver more benefit to the ratepayers of the city. "At present tourists to the city, mainly large groups from cruise ships, are accessing the exhibition for free and costs for staffing etc are being absorbed by ratepayers."The £4 charge means visitors can pay £10 to access both the exhibition and a tour of city hall."Provision has been made for residents of the city to still access these for free through civic dignitaries or councillors." What's free and what's not? It is currently free to visit the City Hall visitor exhibition. The exhibition opened in 2017 and is found on the east wing of the ground floor. If offers a self-guided journey from Belfast's past to present across six themed zones, stretching through 16 city hall offers a separate 45 minute guided tour for visitors which costs £6 for adults and is free for tour offers glimpses into areas not usually accessible to the public like the council chamber and some of the upstairs public has full access the toilets, coffee shop, gift shop and stained windows along the north west and north east corridors from the main reception. There are no plans to change this. What do members of the public think? Geraldine and Martin O'Hare, originally from Belfast, came from Melbourne to visit O'Hares have lost neither their accent nor their nostalgia for Belfast."If you come to Belfast, you have to see the City Hall. For Australians or anyone, the City Hall is Belfast. Not the docks. Not the parks."That's what it's all about", Martin told BBC News later, he was reunited with his aunt outside the iconic building that he said is a central part of Belfast for tourists and locals alike. Geraldine told BBC News NI that everything in the city hall should be free for those who live in Northern Ireland, instead of the free tours having to be booked through a councillor."A public building should be available for the public, the people of Northern Ireland and Belfast especially.""It's there for the public to use and even a bonus for the visitors of Belfast", she added. Visiting Belfast from Copenhagen, Henrick thought that £4 "isn't too bad". Fresh from doing the tour, he said it was a "great experience" where you can "read a lot about the history of Belfast and Northern Ireland"."I think you can make tourists pay for it and then the members of the city or community should be free of charge. That's a way you can do it", he added. Sahid Zaman and Zerin Salma weren't as enthusiastic about paying for the tour."It's very good but not worth the money. I think it should be open to all people so they don't need to pay that", Sahid message for councillors was clear: "I think it should be free – keep it as it is". "This is our own history so you shouldn't pay", Zerin added. Fionnuala McCarten and Ted Workman were visiting the city hall to register the birth of their four-week-old daughter Fiadh. Asked if they would pay for the exhibition, Fionnuala said if she was tourist she would but if you live here, "there's no point".Ted agreed: "As someone who lives here I wouldn't pay £4 but maybe as a tourist I actually would because if I was visiting a different country I probably would to go in and check out the history and stuff". Stockport Trefoil members Eva, Ashley and Jean are in Northern Ireland for the Trefoil national meeting in Belfast on Saturday. They popped into the exhibition before heading over to the the Titanic museum. Jean told BBC News NI that in Manchester "a lot of the tours you have to pay but they are free to local residents so maybe that is the way to go".Eva thinks that £4 is a reasonable amount for visitors but said because it was free, it was "more of a tempting offer". She said she felt "rates" that local people pay mean it should be free for them. No date has been set yet for the charges to come into action and the council has already decided they will be reviewed after one year.
ABC News
05-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Feral deer plow through $100,000 worth of vegetables at Flowerdale farm
Feral deer have eaten their way through $100,000 worth of produce at a fledgling vegetable-growing business near Melbourne. Over just three nights, the deer ventured from public land onto a nearby farm at Flowerdale, stripping paddocks of valuable crops including cabbages and other vegetables. Michael Collins and Sam Shacklock run the bio-intensive market garden and lost at least 80 per cent of their winter crop to the deer. Mr Collins said it was a huge setback. "We're going to be chasing our tail for the next 12 months at least," he said. The young farmers had recently invested heavily in the crop. "Not only is there the fertiliser bill, the seedling bill, there's the labour to keep it weeded," Mr Collins said. "That section was coming into production in four weeks. "It was going to produce until mid-September, so that's a massive chunk of what we were planning to sell at farmers' markets. "It's only three nights that were unaccounted-for, and the damage [the deer] did in the cabbage was just enormous." According to Victorian government figures, there are more than 1 million feral deer across the state. The vegetable farm borders state government-managed parkland that Mr Collins said was infested with deer. "We are growing what is effectively sugar for deer." Mr Collins believed the government should do more to manage feral deer on public land. "It's just not managed. The deer population is through the roof, and it's not necessarily my responsibility to manage the deer population," he said. "The amount of regulation and permits you need to shoot deer, when it is a feral species, is atrocious. "I think there is a massive state government failing in this, and there is piss-all funding or support for it." The Victorian government has been contacted for comment. The farmers are now racing to build a tall exclusion fence to keep the deer out. They have raised funds and borrowed money to quickly build the fence before deer eat their remaining 1.6 hectares of produce. Mr Collins has spent more than $25,000 on fencing equipment. "I broke the bank on three-metre-high posts, but it may not be enough," he said. "I've been told if they're hungry enough, they [deer] will jump that. "There are orchards down the road that have deer fencing. The deer got in and stripped all the trees bare. "[Even] truffle farms are struggling with deer."
The Journal
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Bryan Dobson set to chair new State Commemorations Advisory Committee
FORMER RTÉ BROADCASTER Bryan Dobson is set to chair a new State Commemorations Advisory Committee. The committee has been established with the aim of supporting Government and key stakeholders in the planning and delivery of commemorative events. Its mandate will be to maintain 'an inclusive, respectful, and consensus-based approach to all commemorative matters', to offer independent, non-partisan advice to Government when requested and to ensure historical events are commemorated 'accurately' and grounded in primary source material. The committee will also provide guidance on 'sensitive or complex themes' associated with historical events. Dobson, who retired from RTÉ in May last year after 37 years at the broadcaster, will chair the committee, whose members will include former ministers Heather Humphreys and Éamon Ó Cuív. Professor Marie Coleman, a professor of 20th century Irish history at Queen's University Belfast, will also sit on the committee. Other members will include National Archives director Orlaith McBride, National Library Director Dr Audrey Whitty, and Professor Paul Rouse from University College Dublin's School of History. Advertisement Minister for Culture Patrick O'Donovan is expected to officially announce the formation of the committee tomorrow. He will say that the committee will ensure 'that the diverse experiences and perspectives that shape our national story continue to be honoured in a respectful and balanced way'. 'Ireland's story is rich, diverse and often challenging. With the thoughtful guidance of this new Committee, we will continue to honour that story not just as history, but as a shared inheritance that belongs to every citizen,' O'Donovan will say. The Minister will meet some of the committee members tomorrow, where they will view a new acquisition by the State. The typed document is a signed agreement between Éamon de Valera, Austin Stack, Arthur Griffith, and Michael Collins that aimed to address the immediate political crisis arising from the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. The agreement was drafted and signed at the Ard Fheis of Sinn Féin, held on 21-22 February 1922 at the Mansion House in Dublin. Some 3,000 delegates from all over Ireland attended the Ard Fheis to interpret the constitution of Sinn Féin considering the Treaty and to decide the party's policy for the upcoming elections. The document will be added to the collection at the National Archives of Ireland and will be available on the National Archives website for researchers to access. A related item, Michael Collins's Memorial Card, will also be shown to the Minister and the committee. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
