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EACH WEEK, WE ask an Irish person with a passion for interiors to share one photo of their favourite spot in their home.
Emma Tighe has lived in Celbridge, Co Kildare with her husband and three children for 13 years.
“I love a classic Hamptons style, but I also really crave eclectic and boho styles too,” says Emma.
This week, Emma (@emmalovesinteriors) chatted us through her favourite spot: her breakfast bar in her kitchen.
It’s the heart of our home. Family dinners, homework and arguments – it all happens here. Everyone who comes to visit always gravitates towards the breakfast bar, plonks themselves down on a stool and we’re off!
A whole lot of the world’s problems have been solved here. On an interiors note, I simply love the colours in here. When the sun streams through in the evening, it bounces off the worktops and just naturally lights up the whole kitchen. It’s magical!
When we moved into our house, the kitchen was a usual Shaker-style wood brown – which was nice -, but I was always poring over pictures of Hampton-style kitchens, hankering after their white cabinets and their marble Carrera worktops with dark wood flooring.
After a few years we decided to go for it – on a budget though. So we just painted the original kitchen blue on the bottom and white on the top to keep the room light and bright. We had dark wood laminate floors put down, changed the handles on the cabinets to gold knobs, switched the original black worktop to an imitation marble laminate and voila, we had our own new Hamptons kitchen in Co Kildare!
In pride of place has to be our mini pantry, which I managed to convince my hubby we could do ourselves. Bar putting up shelves and putting together IKEA furniture, we hadn’t attempted anything like it before. I’m not too sure if we’ll ever do it again – divorce proceedings have now been averted! I am so delighted with what we achieved aesthetically and with more storage, it’s brilliantly functional too.
I adore my Carolyn Donnelly rug from Dunnes Stores which has the pops of colour I love and I think gives the kitchen the lift it needs. Another favourite object is the hanging plant. I love the colours the plant pot adds and plants themselves are another great addition to any room.
This photo is a really good reflection of the rest of our home as it’s a good example of what you can do on a budget and how strong classic colours mixed with some brighter pops of colour can really pull a room together. We have been living here for 13 years now and have knocked down a wall or two, but pretty much we have tried to paint and attempt some DIYs along the way ourselves.
I’m not going to lie here – there was a whole heap of tidying done before I took this photo. This could be just my house, but what is it with kitchen worktops being a magnet for basically any item in your house? All sorts of stuff just seems to gather there.
The pantry was lovely and styled when I took this photo, but a lot of jars, crisps and chocolate had to be relegated to the hall cupboard to achieve it!
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Onward selling should only be allowed back to the original source, at the original price. I wonder will U2 take any action on this. Doubt it!
@Psyarron: U2 lol tax dodgers,
@JamesReidy491: Zzzzz
@Psyarron: of all the tickets I’ve ever bought U2 are the worst for price gouging, they have 5 VIP ticket types, all of which cost 300 per ticket at least
U2 are managed by Live Nation. Live Nation own the 3 Arena, Ticketmaster and Seatwave. If it was any other business it would be illegal.
@David Duffy: Are u serious? Pure scam. Does this happen in UK or Europe. Or is it just Rip off Republic?
@Sinead Hanley: happens everywhere
@David Duffy: erm they are not managed by Live nation , Live Nation are a tour promoter ( Smart to do contracts with if you are a global band that tours a lot ) reduces the risk for the band as they can agree set fees for tour and promoter assumes risk for ticket sales. Agree The ticket master / Seatwave issue definitely needs to be reviewed ( online reselling needs more regulation globally ) but your assumption this would be illegal in any other business is wrong . There is no social media outrage if live nation are struggle to fill croke Park for Phil Collins or other less demand artists and they also do a good job managing by operating the 3 arena for the whole years for thousands of other gigs , why would you not want a major concert promoter to operate a class arena like this ?
Not to worry. They’re available on lots of third parts websites for multiples of the original price while everyone idly stands by and laughs at the Irish punter once again. It’s a beautiful day.
@Ciarán McPhillips: The standing tickets cant be re sold. You need to produce the credit/debit card used to buy the tickets, along with photo ID. Tickets are non transferable.
@Ciarán McPhillips: I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.
Artists themselves have to take responsibility for this. Make ID to gigs compulsory and this is eradicated overnight. Simple.
@Ciarán McPhillips: went to see Tom Waits a couple of years ago. Your name was printed on the ticket and you had to show id at entrance.
@Ciarán McPhillips: sounds good in theory, but what if the tickets are being bought as a present for someone else? Or what if the original buyer cant go for a legitimate reason and gives them to a friend? I do agree that this needs to be stopped, but unfortunately there are too many holes in the ID argument for it to work.
@Tony O’C: Or my missus bout them on the emergency credit card last time because, they went on sale before payday. Then she could not go. You had to produce the card for the standing ticket. So i had to take it with me.
End result was a very very bad hangover and a 300 quid CC bill.
@Keelan O’neill: I agree it needs to change but putting names on tickets etc doesn’t actually stop the problem , there is an inherent problem that only supply and demand pricing can fix/ but if the artists and venues sell seats based on supply and demand then the costs will ramp up for everyone attending these heavy demand shows and will be lower to fill all seats for everyone at lower demand artists and shows , implement yield management like airline seats and the resale market will be killed . But everyone will then complain that the official average u2 ticket is 350 quid and so the issue will still be one of the cost of tickets / the simple reality is supply and demand problem
@Keelan O’neill: that would only work if you could get a full refund if unable to attend
Ah now – we all know that Ticketmaster only put a tiny handful on sale and had preallocated the majority of seats to its sister company Seatwave, in order to scam fans.
I’ll bet U2 are involved as well.
@mursim: toutwave needs to be shut down.
@mursim: the presale was on for 8 days so not many tickets left when it comes around to the general sale.
The Ticketmaster / Seatwave /U2 scam in simple terms
1. U2 (or any band in fact) want to do a tour and make as much money as humanly possible
2. But they don’t want to APPEAR to be scalping their fans
3. Their promoter and Ticketmaster estimate that U2 can probably get away with charging 300euro a ticket.
4. U2 negotiates a fee with the 3 Arena / Ticketmaster that will see them take their usual cut on tickets that sell for 300euro
5. U2 put their tickets on sale for 100euro on Ticketmaster
6. Ticketmaster put 10% of available seats for sale on the Ticketmaster website
7. Ticketmaster allocate 90% of tickets to its sister company Seatwave which sells the tickets at 300 eur
8. Everyone is happy except the fans and U2 aren’t seen to be gouging their fans, although that is exactly what they are doing.
6
@mursim: Thats great if you have evidence of this it would be appreciated
@phil:
I don’t of course, as none of the parties involved in this scam will admit their involvement. After all this scam is perfectly legal at present.
But it is plain as the day that for 56000 tickets to ‘sell out’ in seconds on Ticketmaster and to simultaneously reappear for ‘resale’ on Seatwave requires massive collusion between the 2 separate wings of the same company.
@mursim: yes – this is true except nobody knows the real % of tickets actually offered initially. another U2 specific swindle is paying to join their u2.com club to get presale access to tickets. although that might actually be worth doing but it’s again extra Amsterdam euros going to Bono and the boys for their villas in the south of France etc.
@Minom Pnnomm:
Agreed – but again this scam is not unique to U2 – although considering their lust for wealth it is obvious that U2 are particularly bad offenders when it comes to this scam.
@mursim: I think your forgetting pre sale, I got my tickets on Wednesday.
@Ciarán Ó Dubhda: Presale – whereby people who already pay money to be U2 fanclub members get tickets allocated early to them. U2 is already fleecing them.
@mursim: yes,
@mursim: as I was saying it can be the artist, the agent or the promoter who is cut in on deals like this at the expense of their “fans”. U2 want to make the largest possible amount of money so they can not pay tax on it whilst Bono lectures others on living up to their social responsibilities. U2 are past their best. And Fools and their money are soon parted.
@mursim: eh no. Just had to buy the new album
I got 2 tickets at 9:21am on ticketmaster . I dont really like u2 even i think i might flog them on.
@Anto Whelan: lowlife
@Anto Whelan: very unfair to the real fans! Hope nobody buys them from you!
@Anto Whelan: You’re my hero
@Mary Lyons: someone will buy them off me..for a pretty penny.
@Anto Whelan: I’ll buy them from you at cost. For my own use
@Paul Coughlan: I’ve 2 for Belfast at face value if interested
@Paul Coughlan: dream on paulo ;)
Wholesale scamming by Seatwave/Ticketmaster, U2 should come out and distance themselves from all such practices…
@Kate Flaherty: U2 are getting a cut. Make no mistake about that.
@mursim: What would be the point of a concert if they weren’t getting a cut of the ticket sales?. It’s not just U2, all major concerts and sporting events, including All Ireland finals are open to touts and greedy people that just want to make money at the expense of genuine fans. The only way forward is ID required to match the receipt of purchase.
@Paul O: No – what I mean is that U2 are getting an extra cut of the Seatwave touting scam – not merely their regular performance fee
It would be quite easy for bands to ensure that fans are not scammed by Seatwave.
Bands don’t as they profit personally from the Ticketmaster / Seatwave scam – and you can bet your bottom dollar that a band as addicted to money as U2 are getting an extra cut on the swindle.
@mursim: U2 are getting a cut ????? Of course they are …It’s called ” their fee ” !!!
@Philip Grant:
The fee U2 is getting is dependent on Seatwave scamming the fans with the overinflated prices. .
This is all worked out.
@mursim: put your tin foil hat back on
@mursim: ball locks. A band agrees on a fee, regardless of how many tickets are sold and for what price.
@Paul O: He means a cut of the extra. Corporate touting. Can’t say I blame them if they are playing withing the rules.
@mursim: it’s a cut to their reputation in the long term
To all the U2 fans looking to buy tickets.. Now you know how it feels trying to buy a house in Ireland. Everyone wants to sell them at a profit. Experience and Innocence
@Tom Sawyer: cos it’s the same thing
‘Thousands left devastated’ ! Sounds like a report from a country that just experienced an earthquake or tsunami.
Am I the only person who was utterly sick of these muppets years ago? I can’t believe they still have such a following.
@Kevin Kirkpatrick: Probably can’t wait to see Ed Sheeran though..
@Rob Cahill: or coldcrap…i mean coldplay
@Kevin Kirkpatrick: sell out every concert , every country .. so yes you are probably on your own
@Philip Grant: Yeah I guess they’re just not to my taste, I used to like them but I’d gladly never hear them again
@Kevin Kirkpatrick: You must be the only one sick of them. 4 nights in 5 minutes is an awfully fast sell out.
I got 2 for Monday 2 for Tuesday and 4 for Friday I don’t know what the problem was. And before you start calling me a tout I’ll be attending the 3 nights with different friends and relatives. The ticketmaster app is the only way to go never had an issue getting tickets for big in demand gigs
@Al coholic: that’s also a problem. If there is a limited supply of tickets and more people want to experience it that a band can support, is it not naively selfish to go to three nights of the same concert. Think about it – you are probably personally responsible for 3+ people not being able to get tickets. A couple of thousands of you “great fans with money” are causing as much of an issue as the touts.
@Gulliver Foyle: No, he’s buying tickets to attend, not to resell. The problem is touts buying tickets and being enabled for a fee to resell the tickets at more than the face value.
So frustrating. A scam.
So Ticketmaster is touting its own tickets then.
@Eric:
Yes
Easily stopped. Hamilton broadway and West End have introduced really strict policies.
When purchasing tickets for Glastonbury festival you have to register you details, including a photo of yourself, with the ticketing site. Your ticket is then issued with your picture printed on it. On entering the festival if your photo doesn’t look to match you, you’re brought to answer general questions on your address like, “What’s the nearest pub to you?” or “Name the next street after your road”.
This kind of system should be enforced on all ticket agencies. Simple & smart.
Why can’t they just sell them like flight tickets?? You don’t see to many of them changing hands and if they do there is a charge. Ticketmaster needs to be taken out of the picture. Ridiculous at this stage.
Hope they all get a great view of it thru their I phone cameras. Saps
U2 need to put on a Cork gig.Big new stadium crying out to be used.Never mind that Ed Sheeran fella.
@Padraig: Apples and oranges!
@Padraig: stadium gig in November ???? Bbbrrrr
Went to iron maiden in the 3 was a ticketless event you needed to swipe the card you bought entry with should be same for all gigs
@Mark Dawson: as in your debit/credit card. Not a cat in hells chance would I trust the security of such a system
@Mark Dawson: thats the same for U2. All standing tickets are ticketless
@Keelan O’neill: Why not? In the staggeringly unlikely event that a major retailer decides to risk its very existence to skim your card, your bank will fully refund you any losses.
@Keelan O’neill: Had my card scanned at multiple gigs. Never an issue.
@Dᴇʀᴇᴋ Wᴀʟsʜ: And couldn’t people buy temporary credit cards, if they don’t want to use their main one linked to a bank account? I’ve seen those on sale and they can be topped up for, say, a holiday.
I have now lost count of the number of times I’ve waited on ticket master for u2 tickets only to see them ‘sold out’ and on seatwave. I’m done with u2 and ticketmaster… SCAM
@paddlingAlong:
It’s not just U2 – this scam is being run in cahoots with nearly all bands.
@paddlingAlong: The standing tickets cant be resold on seat wave, as you have to pay for them with debit/credit card, and you must present this card and ID when attend the gig. There are no physical ticket or printable “e ticket” for the floor tickets. Tickets are also non transferable.
Clearly, concert tickets are too cheap. If Ticketmaster double or tripled the price, then the real fans would be able to get tickets and there would be far less of a black market.
Doesn’t help that the majority of tickets were already snapped up during the presale for members of the u2.com website…. if you are a genuine fan this is the safest way to guarantee that you’ll actually get a ticket, we were lucky to get them this time around, in previous presales it hasn’t been an issue tho
@bigbrownduck:
I couldn’t get tickets last year even with the pre-sales voucher.
U2 are no longer a band they are a Brand just like Apple and their ilk.
Didn’t even bother to renew my subscription as it is a complete rip off and I didn’t even get the Joshua Tree singles as promised. Have seen them every time since 1985 until last year but now they are just a corporate entity.
Didn’t we have this conversation already? Every major event, Ticketmaster are a joke etc. Pricing is also an issue. €89 to watch Star Wars at the 3arena? Scandalous!
Head man of ticket master should be arrested like guy of Olympic council was in Brazil for the same crime.
The 3arena is to small a venue croke park/Landesdown rd would have been much more suitable.
@Martin Ryan: Not in November.
@Steve Austin: Not for the arena show either. The stage layout is amazing, its designed for small venues.
@Martin Ryan: in November ????????????
@Philip Grant: whats wrong with november.
Someone mentioned it before.. But here is a podcast outlining why its like this.
google for freakonomics Why Is the Live-Event Ticket Market So Screwed Up
Bands dont want to look too greedy, and they want a sell out, but they still want loads of dosh.
Devastated…. that’s a bit strong.I mean disappointed maybe but devastated I don’t think so…
It’s a scam, got allocated tickets through the ticketmaster portal with my account but their website couldn’t process the payment. I’ve used this account to purchase tickets with the same card details saved on their site. I have a feeling that those seats wound up on seatwave. Ticketmaster are con artists and should be boycotted, never again. I’m sure they can check their transaction logs on their payment servers if they don’t believe me.
If you are a U2 fan you aren’t exactly young so I am sure you’ll get over it. They tour every few years and you could probably see them in another country if you really wanted. They put on an entertaining show but I’d rather spent my money on a new up and coming band.
I logged on at 9:35, got 2 standing tickets for the Monday gig. My work colleague also got 2 standing tickets a few mins after me. They didn’t sell out in 5 mins!
@Do the Bort man: Enjoy!
Anyone lucky enough to get tickets has to bring their credit card with them to the show to verify tickets therefore Ticketmaster/Seatwave have eliminated the street tout and tout electronically online on a massive scale.
As long as people are willing to pay €500 or €1000 to see the likes of U2 and Ed Sheeran etc then this will continue. It’s basic supply and demand.
It’s obvious ticketmaster had allocated a percentage of the tickets to seatwave before they even went on sale, seatwave need to be shut down, the amount of tickets that ended up on it is obviously not people selling them on who bought them for that purpose, they’d end up on eBay. Ticketmaster are a bunch of gangsters, but I read before there is absolutely no law to say ticketmaster can’t do this when they get assigned tickets from the artist it’s up to them to do what they want with them, and unfortunately there are no other ticket seller out there who anyone else seems to turn to, so they know they have the upper hand.
From WW, regarding the i + e tour – http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2015/09/14/nations-hatred-of-u2-evident-by-6-sold-out-concerts/
The reasons tickets sell out so quick on general release is the presales for fan club members + for people who pre-bought albums + for people that get venue codes too. So it ends il with a very low percentage actually available for the general public. Anyone selling on a ticket above face value is a vulture. Their tickets should be instantly voided as soon as they’re on a secondary site before anyone can buy them.
@Maria Poole: thats not true .Yes theres a presale for long time members but that was screwed up too .They released only Mon /Tues tickets and then after all the codes were used they announced Fri & Sat .The allocations for fans in the different presales pails in significance compared to the volume of tickets that go to Live Nations Corporate partners and Ticketmasters seatwave destined allocation .Thats where the real problem is
There was also a presale for fan club members which started on Tuesday already so a lot of tickets would’ve been gone. Don’t forget the ones reserved for competitions and other rubbish.
Didn’t even bother this time. Been disappointed too many times. What a surprise they sold out so fast.
I didn’t realise they were still that popular !!
They can always pile into the Jacksons’ gig. :p
U2 still performing.. No new bands for years now.
Music industry is in decline.
Live shows is the bread and butter for these bands now as albums are too easily downloaded illegaly..
@Jono: I thought that bands also have to perform live in order to renew their copyright and royalty fees in each country. Maybe they like playing to large crowds as well.
Corporate gougers seatwave representing corporate scalpers U2.no surprise there.
Sad story don’t worry, Bono will still have enough money in his pension pot. I am sure he will do the gigs over again in a year or three and regurgitate all his old songs so no worries.
im sick of this shit can never get a ticket +
I managed to get 6. I think U2 are crap. I don’t support tax dodgers. Good investment though
More dates will be announced. The area only holds 13,000. You can’t expect to sellout Crocker over several nights and then do a little area for two nights
@David Carino: 4 nights
@David Carino: they had already added 2 extra dates to the original 2,u2 could announce 20 nights and they’d all sell out.
Until Noel Rock stops thinking the Touting issue is about fans selling tickets ,this will continue. This isn’t about the guy selling the odd ticket outside the venue ,its about the company that is selling the tickets allocating itself a huge amount of the best tickets and making a killing from it while nobody monitors or cares.Legislation is badly needed to curb it .
.BBC Panorama showed exactly whats going on 5 or 6 years ago
It didn’t sell out in five minutes. I got tickets for the second night at 9.30 and I know of others who got some later.
The selling power of nostalgia.
Amazing that there is still so much interest in these has been’s!
I have lots of U2 cds and cassettes but never listen to them these days.
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