YOU MAY OR may not know that during the early 2000s, Abrakebabra gave out gold cards to a load of celebrities, entitling them to free food from Abrakebabra for the rest of their lives. In fact, it wasn’t just the Celtic Tiger celebs who got their paws on a gold card, because Abrakebabra were still giving out gold cards as recently as two years ago.
It seems unfair that the people who can afford as many kebabs as they want are the ones who are given them for free, but if the internet has taught us anything, it’s that the people who don’t need free stuff get the most free stuff. Look at influencer Samantha Ravndahl’s recent decision to opt out of accepting PR deliveries, because she was uneasy about how wasteful the whole thing is.
So, before we begin, if there’s any celebrity out there who wants to donate their Abrakebabra card to a good cause, you know where I am. Anyway, lets take a look at who managed to get hold of an Abrakebabra gold card over the years.
1. Keith Duffy
This photo proves that Keith was deserving of his gold card.
2. Colin Farrell
We chose this photograph of Colin Farrell because it best illustrates that he once looked like a typical man you would see in Abrakebabra at 3am, in his bootcut jeans and brown shoes. For some reason, Angelina Jolie is dressed like your aunty who painted every room in her house lavender during the noughties. Colin’s probably the most well-known Abrakebabra gold card holder, because he told The Herald that he was upset that he lost his card in LA back in 2014.
Apparently, when Colin Farrell quit drinking “his biggest fear when he came back to Ireland was what a kebab would taste like sober.” Luckily, he thought it was “bloody delicious and immediately ordered a second one.”
3. Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole got her Abrakebabra gold card back in 2011, after she praised the fast food chain on an English radio station. Speaking of her love of fast food, Cheryl said “There is a kebab shop in Dublin called Abrakebabra which is good after a night out”. All it took was that one little sentence for her to receive the reward of free taco chips for the rest of her life. Abrakebabra made Louis Walsh pick up the gold card while in Ireland and hand deliver it to her in the UK.
4. Kerry Katona
There’s plenty of evidence online that Kerry Katona was a big fan of Abrakebabra, once upon a time. After she won I’m A Celeb in 2004, she was given her gold card. She immediately went to Abrakebabra in Dublin to put it to good use, while wearing a long, double-breasted baby pink mac and a Billabong trucker hat.
5. Brian McFadden
It only makes sense, considering the fact that he’s the man who introduced Kerry Katona to Abrakebabra in the first place.
6. Alan Carr
Back in 2011, Alan Carr was interviewing Gary Barlow about a party he held for his fellow X Factor judges. Carr asked Barlow, “Did you take them to Abrakebabra after?” Once again, all it took was this tiny mention of the fast-food chain for Abrakebabra to post a gold card out to Alan Carr.
7. Jimmy Carr
Yep, there’s a photo of Jimmy Carr dipping into his wallet for his gold card back in December 2013.
Dame Street @jimmycarr living the dream,rockin the Abra Gold Card @abrakebabra.
— Noel Mc Hale (@NoelMcHale) February 14, 2015
pre show Doners @olympiatheatre pic.twitter.com/WKPyzUJNSw
8. Jedward
Unsurprising, considering they starred in an ad campaign for Abrakebabra’s Mexican range a few years back, which might be considered just a tad racist nowadays.
9. Bono
Yep, the U2 front-man was one of the first recipients of an Abrakebabra gold card, presumably for the services he has provided the nation by consistently being a very easy target to moan about.
10. Keith Barry
There’s no official confirmation that Keith Barry has an Abrakebabra gold card in his wallet right now, but considering his extensive work with the company over the last few years, it’s probably a safe bet that he is in possession of one of these cards. He opened an Abrakebabra store in Wexford just last year, and as you probably remember, worked on their advertisements in the past too. If that’s enough to get Jedward an Abrakebabra gold card, then it’s probably enough to get Keith one too.
11. Glenda Gilson
Again, Glenda Gilson has never spoken publicly about whether or not she’s the owner of an Abrakebabra gold card, but considering some of the work she has done with Abrakebabra over the years, we’d be willing to bet that she had one at some point.
12. Ronan Keating
According to one radio listener on Twitter, Ronan Keating’s gold card was mentioned on the air in 2009. They didn’t say what radio show they were listening to, but it’d make sense, considering his bandmate has one.
13. Damo & Ivor
This kinda seems like an act of charity, tbh.
@Abrakebabra I'm in tears here! Dis is da best day of me life! Tanks so much for da gold card! I can now die a happy fat man!
— Damo & Ivor (@damoandivor) December 14, 2011
14. Nicky Byrne
Abrakebabra dropped a gold card up to RTÉ for Nicky Byrne in 2014, almost a decade after they had presented Brian McFadden’s card to him.
@nbshow2fm Glad you found your Abra Gold Card Nicky. Hope your enjoying our new menu food @RTE2fm @djjennygreene pic.twitter.com/fFxmnc0Wka
— Abrakebabra (@Abrakebabra) April 11, 2014
15. Devon Murray (The guy who played Seamus Finnigan in Harry Potter)
Strangely enough, I actually met this guy once after a night out. Not in Abrakebabra. In McDonald’s on Grafton Street. However, that was in 2012 which was before he had been presented with an Abrakebabra gold card, so we’ll let him away with. As if being in Harry Potter as a child wasn’t enough to brag about, this lad can show off his gold Abrakebabra card any time he likes.
@Abrakebabra Really?? You guys are the best!!! I am just getting an abra now :) thanks a million pic.twitter.com/89PJYS3rSg
— Devon Murray (@DevonMMurray) May 27, 2013
16. The late Gerry Ryan
Before Gerry Ryan passed away, he was lucky enough to be in Abrakebabra’s exclusive gold card club, as this photo from the wall of an Abrakebabra branch illustrates.
The Abrakebabra celebrity gold card gang , the exclusive club that nobody wants to be in pic.twitter.com/tgiChvAJ
— . (@DubWeasel) June 29, 2012
17. The Rubberbandits
The most recent recipients of the Abrakebabra gold card (that have spoken about it publicly, at least) are The Rubberbandits. In 2016, they tweeted, “We’ve had several emails with Abrakebabra over the past few months promising a gold card. I now think someone’s been playing a cruel joke.” Abrakebabra responded with, “We know you’re eager, it’s coming…”
In chicken hut coz @Abrakebabra are taken ages with our gold card. "The forks in the bag you Gowl" pic.twitter.com/Ia9NneetdQ
— Rubber Bandits (@Rubberbandits) April 19, 2016
Recent recipients include The Edge from U2, Ruth Negga and Jim Sheridan with a few more on the horizon!
@Abrakebabra: I once won comment of the week on TheJournal. Does that get me one?
The first photo is of the one I worked in at weekends while I was in college. One night we were just about to close when Boyzone’s Shane Lynch came in looking for a burger. When we told him there were none left; and offered him something else; he threw a hissy fit and did the whole ‘Do you know who I am?! ‘. ‘We do’ our security guard replied, ‘And we couldn’t give a shi##e! ‘.
The photo in 16 illustrates the late Gerry Ryan where??
@Leisha: oh, u must open out in twitter.. sorry everyone!!!! :)