YOU MAY THINK celebrity feuds are reserved for the Kim Kardashians and Taylor Swifts of the world, but Irish celebs are fond of an auld spat too. We’re taking a trip down memory lane to remember some of the best.
1. Linda Martin vs Twink
The Irish celebrity feud to rule them all. Twink and Linda were friends for more than 30 years, but it all came crashing down in 2010 when the two were performing Menopause: The Musical in Castlebar, Co Mayo.
Linda told the Irish Independent that she overheard her supposed buddy ranting about her in a dressing room:
It was awful… I don’t know what kicked that off, because I am not a C-word. She called me a C-word frequently throughout that.
Thankfully, the pair made up in 2014 after Twink’s dog Teddy was kidnapped from her home – according to Goss.ie, Linda “worked tirelessly” to get him back. N’yaww.
2. Linda Martin and Louis Walsh vs Billy McGuinness
The Eurosong selection process got slightly more dramatic than usual in 2014 after Aslan guitarist Billy McGuinness came to blows with both Linda Martin and Louis Walsh.
Billy opined that Louis should step back from the process due to his connections with some of the artists – and Linda jumped to her feet to defend Louis, calling Billy “an odious little man”:
You may not be used to dealing with women with brains, but I have a brain.
Incredible, incredible stuff.
3. Lorraine Keane vs Sinead O’Connor
In 2007, Sinead O’Connor wrote a blog post about an interview she did with former TV3 presenter Lorraine Keane, saying Lorraine had asked her if she was “mad”.
I always get asked that. And it always hurts. I should really say “I find that to be a disrespectful question,” but I don’t want to be rude, as she’s a nice lady. And I don’t want to be rude on the telly… So I agree with her that yes I am, in fact, stark staring mad.
Lorraine told the Irish Independent that she asked her some tough questions, but only about “things that everyone was talking about in the pub anyway”.
I asked her about her sexuality and she said ‘I don’t think my sexuality is any of your business’. And I said ‘Fair enough’.
4. Louis Walsh vs Ronan Keating
There is zero love lost between Ronan Keating and his former manager Louis Walsh – it all goes back to 2003, when Ronan parted ways with Louis after his solo career took off.
Louis has taken aim at Ronan several times over the years, calling him a “karaoke artist”, “spoiled” and “embarrassing”. To his credit, Ronan has remained pretty respectful to him:
He was very important to me as a mentor and I’m grateful for the opportunities he gave me, because I wouldn’t be here without them. But there’s only so much you can give back and be so grateful, and for that to not be appreciated or respected.
Ah Ronan. We don’t deserve you.
5. Jedward vs Louis Walsh
Last year, Louis said the “most embarrassing moment” of his career was putting Jedward through the X Factor and subsequently managing them. Eh, rude.
Understandably, Jedward were hurt, and told TV3′s Lucy Kennedy that Louis “got old”:
I think we are the most financially beneficial act of his career in the last 10 years… I don’t think he took us under his wing. I think we were already flying and he was like “Oh, I think I want a part of that.”
Well… if you compare them to Louis’ last efforts (Wonderland, Union J and Hometown), they’re probably right. Ate him, Jedward.
6. Francis Brennan vs Co Sligo
A more recent but extremely enjoyable feud emerged between hotelier Francis Brennan and the county of Sligo. Yes, all of it.
In an interview with the Sunday Business Post, Francis said that Sligo people “wouldn’t work in a fit” and the county couldn’t compare to his native Kerry:
My vision of Sligo is always outside the post office, 15 fellas smoking and collecting their dole. That’s my vision of Sligo because they wouldn’t work in a fit. They wouldn’t understand what we do in Kerry.
The Mayor of Sligo said Francis’s comments were ‘disappointing’, and invited Francis down to see what the county has to offer.
However Francis’s brother John doubled down, saying that the point is still “absolutely correct” as Sligo isn’t as “imbued in tourism” as Kerry is.
7. Amanda Brunker vs Azealia Banks
It goes like this: Excited for rapper Azealia Banks’ appearance at Electric Picnic in 2012, Amanda Brunker tweeted some lyrics from her song 212.
Then she cut herself short, saying she isn’t “black enough” to sing the rest of the song:
It’s not clear how Azealia discovered the tweets, but she did, and she wasn’t impressed.
Cut to Amanda pleading with Azealia to allow her to DM her and explain:
And scene.
8. Amanda Brunker vs Tiffany Stanley and Chris Brown
Irish model Tiffany Stanley posed for a picture with singer Chris Brown at a 2014 Hollywood party, calling him a “gentleman” – and incited the ire of Amanda Brunker, who slammed Tiffany for associating with Brown:
Chris Brown is of course the lad who beat up Rihanna and committed many a violent crime… but sure in Tiff’s eyes, we seem to have all misunderstood Chris. Indeed, it’s yet another classic case of fame-hungry desire overriding all sensible thought.
“I don’t need to further justify myself regarding my picture with Chris,” a “furious” Tiffany told the Irish Mirror.
I am spiritual, I believe in kindness and forgiveness, and I try not to judge others.
Namaste, bitches.
9. Alan Hughes vs Oliver Callan
Oliver Callan has feuded with just about everyone in Ireland – Rosanna Davison, Paul Galvin, women in general – but perhaps the most memorable time was when he went for Alan Hughes, who had the audacity to get engaged.
After Alan publicly proposed to Karl Broderick, his partner of 22 years, Oliver wrote that for gay people to “mimic any ghastly wedding custom” is “embarrassing”.
Alan brushed it off by calling the comedian a “bitter old queen”. You’ve been read, Oliver.
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