Dundalk’s Vincent Murphy to tee off alongside Shane Lowry in today’s Irish Open Pro-Am

Vincent Murphy

Dundalk man Vincent Murphy will be teeing off alongside Irish golfer Shane Lowry in today’s Irish Open Pro-Am competition.

The local man won a Discover Northern Ireland competition to partake in the prestigious event and will be joined at Royal County Down Golf Club by his brother Jim.

The pair will be with Offaly man Lowry for the day, who famously won the Irish Open as an amateur when it was held in Baltray six years ago.

Amongst the celebrities confirmed to play today include AP McCoy, Pat Jennings, Stephen Ferris, Shane Warne, James Nesbitt, Jamie Redknapp, Denis Taylor, Patrick Kielty and George Hook.

Vincent is likely to bump into a few of them as well as a list of golfers that includes the likes of Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Robert Karlsson, Jose Maria Olazabal, Martin Kaymer, Luke Donald, Patrick Reed, Paul Lawrie and holder Mikko Ilonen.

Vincent is a member of Dundalk Golf Club in Blackrock and has a handicap of 15.

He will tee off from the tenth tee at 12.50pm.

Dundalk man Vincent to tee off with celebrities in Irish Open Pro-Am

Royal County Down Golf Club

Vincent Murphy

Dundalk man Vincent Murphy will be teeing off along some of the world’s best golfers after winning Discover Northern Ireland’s Irish Open Pro-Am competition.

That entitles him to a place in the annual Pro-Am event on Wednesday May 27^th, the day before the Irish Open gets underway at Royal County Down Golf Club.

Amongst the celebrities confirmed to play include AP McCoy, Pat Jennings, Stephen Ferris, Shane Warne, James Nesbitt, Jamie Redknapp, Denis Taylor, Patrick Kielty and George Hook.

Vincent could be playing alongside them as well as a list of golfers that includes the likes of Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington, Shane Lowry, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Robert Karlsson, Jose Maria Olazabal, Martin Kaymer, Luke Donald, Patrick Reed, Paul Lawrie and holder Mikko Ilonen.

Vincent is a member of Dundalk Golf Club in Blackrock and has a handicap of 15.

Dundalk company ePublish featured on Newstalk

Presenter George Hook, Clive Friary of ePublish and Gerard Tannam of Islandbridge Brand Development at the Newstalk studios in Digg’s Lane, Dublin 2 yesterday

Multi-touch textbook publisher ePublish were interviewed on The Right Hook programme on Newstalk yesterday evening.

The Dundalk business, headed up by Clive Friary, featured in a ‘Kickstart Your Business’ segment on the show with Clive explaining to presenter George Hook how the idea for ePublish came about and what the company was all about.

An accountant by background, Friary spent three years training teachers in the use of the iPad in the classroom. Appalled by the poor quality of content available to teachers, Clive decided to create and publish enhanced multi-touch textbooks for the educational sector.

You can listen back to the interview here.

George Hook opens new family bereavement room in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda

A new family bereavement room was officially opened by broadcaster George Hook at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda yesterday.

The family bereavement room is a space created for relatives to grieve the passing of a loved one. It is also a dedicated space for them to spend a short period with their deceased relative before they are transferred to the care of the funeral director.

Speaking about the facility, Operational Services Manager, Yvonne Gregory complimented the staff who had fundraised to assist with the refurbishment of the space and provide the furnishings and artwork for the rooms.

“The provision of this facility is testament to the efforts of the hospital staff who fundraised in the last year to generate the funds to carry out this work,” she said.

“It is much needed within the hospital and will offer a dedicated space of solace for families who are bereaved. I am proud of the staff for recognising and supporting this need.”

The hospital’s End of Life Coordinator, Mary McGrane said: “We aim to fulfil the requirements of a Hospice Friendly Hospital (HFH), where we have dedicated space for families to spend time near their relative who is approaching end of life.

“This facility meets that aim and also offers families the option of spending time immediately after death with their relative in a relaxed and quiet environment. We hope to continue to deliver similar facilities in other parts of hospital in the future.”

Staff also unveiled the hospital’s annual Tree of Remembrance on the day. This is a symbol of love for all who have died recently or some time ago and provides an annual opportunity for staff and visitors to remember colleagues, family and friends by placing a card of prayer or thought on the tree.