Sounds Live Feels Live Tour in Dublin

Image belongs to me, Sarah Jane Allen

It has been two weeks since Australian pop punk band 5 Seconds of Summer rocked up to Dublin to perform 2 sold out nights in Dublin’s 3Arena and they put on a seriously good show!

Okay so I unashamedly will admit this: I WENT BOTH NIGHTS. I know, such a fangirl. It gets worse. It was my 12th and 13th time to see them live since 2013. I just can’t help it, they are my thing, I just need to seem them live, like all the time! I even considered just going on the whole UK & Ireland leg of the tour but you know, I ain’t rich so that plan was put to bed. I usually go to London for 1 date but due to SO MUCH university work this year, I had to call a rain check on that and it broke my heart because it meant I wouldn’t see my fave 5SOS friend Giana. It’s all good though, we have plans for next tour already 😉

Image belongs to me, Sarah Jane Allen

In case you are completely clueless as to who the hell I am talking about, I’ll help you out there! I wrote a blog about them a few years ago now actually, so you can check that out here to bring you up to speed!

Their second album, Sounds Good, Feels Good was released on October 23 worldwide and went to Number 1 on the charts worldwide, including Ireland! In just one year since their self titled album ‘5 Seconds Of Summer’, they have matured their sound and produced some amazing songs on this album. A key thing to take note is that the guys actually wrote all their own material for the album and some of the lyrics came from personal experiences. I am still  trying to decide my favourite song, get back to me on that 😉

One of my favourite parts of a 5SOS show is the queue because that is when we drink and catch up ( we typically queue for like 10 hours!!!). This time was a little different as I went with my friend Lisa (both nights!). But somethings never change and we did drink, causing us to get some strange looks from the young ones around us! We did make some friends in the queue both nights also! Still, I missed Gi!

On Tuesday night, we were on Mikey’s side and in typical Sarah Jane style, we were very close to barrier. I mean, we were 3 rows away. So close that the feedback from the speakers ruined my videos, but I didn’t care. I was happy out being on this angel’s side all night!

Image belongs to me, Sarah Jane Allen

On Wednesday night, we were on Calum’s side and Lisa was only delighted! And again we were 3 rows away from barrier. So I am your girl if you need to be close to stage okay?! Well it actually only happens at a 5SOS show but still *hair flick*

The set list for both nights was as follows:

• Carry On
• Hey Everybody!
• Money
• Voodoo Doll
• Don’t Stop
• Outer Space
• Waste the Night
• Castaway
• Jet Black Heart
• Amnesia
• Beside You
• Vapour
• Catch Fire
• Disconnected
• End Up Here
• Good Girls
• Permanent Vacation
• What I Like About You
• She’s Kinda Hot
• She Looks So Perfect

On Tuesday night, they did do a short cover of The Script’s The Man Who Can’t Be Moved.

Image belongs to me, Sarah Jane Allen

I vlogged both days and shows and you can check them out below.

 

 

Stupidly enough, we decided not to go out after Tuesday’s night show, even though we had planned to head to Dublin’s finest nightclub, Copper Face Jacks, but when it came to it, we decided to get pizza. I got a text at around 3am asking if I went out because a certain band WENT TO COPPERS!!! Ugh!
This is where my Mam would say ‘It wasn’t meant to be, don’t worry, there is always next time!’, even though that is the second time it has happened!!!

Anyway, the guys took a well deserved two weeks off and our now about to embark on the European leg of the Sounds Live, Feels Live tour.

If you are lucky enough to be going to see them somewhere around Europe, you are in for one hell of a show 😉

Don’t worry, there are some tickets still available and you can check here for more details.

 

Lookbook for Bologna

In a couple of days, I am off to Bologna, Italy on a little holiday to visit my two best friends who are on Erasmus there. Bologna is north of Italy and from the snaps I have seen from the girls out there, it looks incredible and I am super excited. I will be travelling with my best friend Sarah and the gal pals will be reunited!

I decide to give you a look at what I have planned to wear on the 6 days in Italy, so continue reading! Unfortunately, most of the clothes I have decided to wear are now unavailable, although there are some new items that are still available! Do not fear though because I am such a nice person, I have researched and found you something quite similar if you would like to purchase! I might add now, that although I work with Celia Holman Lee, I ain’t no model. There is a reason why I am just her P.A 😉

My first outfit is what I shall be wearing flying out to Bologna. When flying, I like to wear something comfortable yet stylish. My outfit is simple: High waisted denim jeans, a grey string top (which I am fully aware you can’t actually see), a light navy & white jumper and grey Skechers.

Jeans – here
String top – here
Jumper – This jumper is from Pennys (Primark) and I got it recently so it should still be there. It was €8 (I think!)
Skechers – They aren’t the exact same Skechers but close enough – here

Next up is a polka dotted jumpsuit with a white crop top and a black floppy hat! This is a fun yet chic look.

Jumpsuit – Sadly, this isn’t available anymore and I searched for something similar but there isn’t anything like it available.
Crop top – This is from Topshop and I have it in various colours. I can’t find it online but I did find it in store. (In London, I might add.)
Hat – here

This little blue dress is one I have had for a good few years now (I have in since 2012 – Reason how I know this is because I wore it when I met Niall Horan!). This dress is such a pretty summer dress and it makes me feel really girly. I am wearing it with my Skechers to make it more of a casual day time look.

Dress – This original dress was from New Look. The closest replica to my dress was this one here from Next.

Something quite similar, except this next dress is more of a mint blue. This dress was from Pennys (Primark) about 2 years ago and €12. I am bringing a cardigan in case it gets a little chilly.

Dress – Again, I can’t find the exact dress but this is the same shape of dress here.
Cardigan – It might be blue but it is the same style here. My cardigan is from F&F and was €10.

 

If you know me, there will always be a Disney themed outfit in my wardrobe. This is another fun and casual outfit that would suit if we were travelling around.

Top – This is from Pennys (Primark) and I only got it a couple of weeks ago, so it should still be there. It was €8.
High waisted shorts – These high waisted shorts are actually from America and I have them YEARS! They are my favourites because they are so comfy. I found something similar on New Look here.
Bandana – here.

I got sick of my face here so excuse me! This is another casual outfit and all from Pennys (Primark) and I just got these last week therefore they should be there still.

Crop Top – €3
High waisted shorts – €12

These grey shorts have my name written all over them. They are high waisted, grey, ripped and have studs on them = MADE FOR ME! They are from Pennys (Primark) are were €12. I grabbed these last week and they are still there.

Lastly, I picked an evening outfit as we are going out on our first night. I went for my go to glam style and that is a maxi skirt and crop top.

Crop top – here
Skirt – here
Shoes – Pennys / Primark and were €8.

That is it, that is all the clothes that will be in my suitcase! I better go pack it now! I will be vlogging while in Italy so watch out for those videos when I am back.

Also, I’ve always known I am pale and I embrace it but jesus it was so difficult actually taking photos that you could see me in.

I hope you enjoyed this blog!

xx

 

My Year in Review – 2015

2015 can be described as one of the best and one of the worst years of my life. So many wonderful things happened, but a few heartbreaking moments also happened.

I’ll start with the good things that happened in 2015:

• In January, I got my voice back. In case you didn’t know, on December 1st 2011, I lost my voice. After 3 long years, which included intense speech therapy for 14 weeks, endless doctor visits, horrible pain and acupuncture, my voice started to come back slowly but surely. Now it’s a task to make sure I don’t lose it again!

 

• Also in January, I started my CoOp placement with I Love Limerick. There are no words to describe my experience with I Love Limerick, it was more than I ever imagined it would be. I learnt so much in my 6 months there and it helped me grow as a person and I became more confident in myself. The opportunities that came from working with I Love Limerick were unbelievable: meeting Maria Walsh, Paul O’Connell, George McMahon, Leanne Moore and of course Celia Holman Lee; helping many local and national charities; working on the Vote Yes campaign, oh there is so many incredible memories I have from my time there. Although, the best thing about my experience has to be meeting Richard. Richard Lynch is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. He has helped me in ways I’ll never be able to thank him enough for; he has taught me so much, both personally and professionally, he allowed me to see what I was capable of and helped me see the career I want. Most of all, he always believes in me. Thank you Richard, I love you xx

 

•  I have always wanted to take part in the Laois Rose Selection and this year, I got the chance. It all started back in January, when working with I Love Limerick, we got to meet Maria Walsh. After stealing her crown and taking selfies with her, she mentioned to me how I should go for it. I laughed it off because I had just got my voice back, so it was kind of the last thing on my mind. But then Anne Marie Bowe, one of the ladies behind Laois Rose Centre, asked would I go for it. After a chat with Mam and Dad, I found myself filling out the form and submitting it. I am very glad I did. What an experience it was. Hopefully, I will go for it again, when I am wiser and older 😉 I would love to represent Lovely Laois one day! I wrote a blog about the whole experience, if you would like to read it, click here

 

• With working with I Love Limerick, Richard set me up with the amazing opportunity to work for Celia Holman Lee. Oh wow, I have admired her from a very young age (ask my Mam!). To me, Celia is Ireland’s most fashionable lady and always will be, she truly defines Irish Fashion! Getting the chance to work with her from May through till August was a dream come through for me. I look back on the days we worked together and it still feels like a dream to be honest; working on photoshoots, fashion shows, tv shows, even just working in her office and having chats with her! Just like Richard, she has taught me more than any college degree can about the fashion/media industry, as well as giving me life advice along the way. She has helped me realize that a career in Fashion Media is one I most definitely would love. I am looking forward to working with her again in 2016!

• As part of my course in University, I had to go on Erasmus. So I went to Tarragona in Spain (well it is actually Catalonia) and what a four months it was. It took me a while to settle but once I did, I began to love Tarragona. The new friends I made, the new cities I have travelled, the memories with my old friends, it was a wonderful experience. To anyone who is offered the experience to go, TAKE IT!

• I started my Youtube this year. After many friends saying I should, I built up the courage and made a channel. I have been vlogging since May and my channel is doing quite good. I have 39 subscribers and over 4,500 views! If you haven’t check it out yet, click here to see my channel. Also, subscribe if you can and give a few of my videos a like! Cheers!

• I got to meet two YouTubers this year! On July 11th, I met Alfie Deyes aka Pointless Blog! Then on August 12th, I met Marcus Butler! Both were so nice. Alfie was very supportive of my YouTube and even gave my video a like and commented on it, making views and comments go crazy for about 2 weeks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• I met a few other celebrities throughout the year also.

 

Now to the sad parts of 2015:

• On January 31st, I almost lost my dad. He had a massive heart attack. This was one of the most terrifying few hours of my life. To think someone so vital to my life could’ve been gone just like that is petrifying to think about. Thankfully, my Mam got him to hospital in time and he is doing good, with 4 new stints in his heart. I am so grateful to still have my Dad. I wrote a blog about the whole thing – here

• Cancer once again appeared into my life in 2015, with two of my family members being diagnosed, making it 3 members of my family battling cancer. Thank god, all of them are doing great at the moment and hopefully they continue to get better and hopefully beat cancer.

 

• In July,  I lost one of my friends, Lorcan, suddenly. I don’t think I will ever be over his death. I have been friends with him since I can remember. Lorcan, it was a blessing to have you in my life, even if it was cut short way too early. You’ve made me proud to be from Trumera, but most of all, you always had faith in me and because of that, I’ll never give up until I have reached where I am supposed to be.

 

• I also lost my Auntie Lorna this year, 8 days ago in fact. Christmas will never be the same again. It just doesn’t seem real that she is gone. I am expecting her to call into my house any time I hear the doorbell. Lorna was one of the most thoughtful, kindest and funniest people I’ve ever know and even though we had our disagreements at times, I was blessed to have her as an Auntie. My heart is still broken. It will take me a very long time to get over your death Lorna, if I do at all. I am glad you were in my house when I came home from Spain and I am glad we got to have that one last drink with you.

 

2015 has made me realise how much my family and friends mean to me.

My New Years resolution is to appreciate my family and friends more, more than I do now. To appreciate every moment with everyone I love, because one thing I have learnt from 2015 is that life can change in a split second.

Finally, I want to wish everyone reading this blog a very happy and healthy new year. May it be filled with joy and laughter and many good memories.

Here’s hoping 2016 will be a great year!

April Favourites 2015

It is very hard to believe it is May already. I honestly can’t keep up with how fast the year is flying by. In less than a month, I will no longer be on Co-Op with ILOVELIMERICK and I won’t be a Second Year student! 😮

I currently should be sleeping but I can’t sleep at the moment, I don’t want to say too much at the moment but my family received some bad/shocking news yesterday and I can’t get my head around it and now I can’t sleep. So instead of lying in bed looking at the ceiling, I said I’d be productive!

So even with April being a very busy month, (I know I promised to blog more but I just couldn’t find the time and when I did, I was just too exhausted!) I still had time to take note of what I was enjoying for the month, so here they are.

Music

So the first song I have been loving this month (and maybe a bit too much, I am singing it ALL the time!) is Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood BUT it is not the original I love. It is a cover by Max Schneider and Alyson Stoner that I adore so much. Their vocals blended together are incredibly beautiful and I could listen to it on repeat all day (which I have!).

Another song I have been loving is my 8 Boys, Stereo Kicks and their Debut single Love Me So. Written by one of the lads, Tom Mann, it is not the usual upbeat pop music a boy band would release as their first single. But this song is a beautiful ballad, if you could call it that. Their vocals are shown off in this song and I think the boys are trying to prove a point, that they should be given a chance because they can sing and can sing very well. And they can write songs very well! Tom’s vocals at 2:32 kill me everytime! I am super proud of my 8 boys! (Especially Tom ❤ )

Fashion

So with Laois Rose, I got to dress up quite a lot. So on the night Laois Rose Briefing, I wore a dress from Born Boutique (€69) and silver sandals from Korkys (I think they were €50, they are about 3 years old). I adore this dress. It’s such a girly dress, I felt like a princess in it and since I have lost weight, it was very flattering on. One of my favourite things about this dress is that it has pockets. 

 

So I had to get photos taken with my sponsor for Laois Rose so we had a little photoshoot in the pub. I wore a new wine coloured Tulle skirt I got on Etsy, which was €34.71 and you can get it here with a black tank top from Pennys/Primark, black blazer from New Look, black heels from River Island and hat from Topshop. I am in love with Tulle skirts at the moment. 

My last outfit is a casual one I wore to The Vamps’ Concert in April. The top and jeans were both from New Look. My black converse are from Schuh.

Book

My favourite book for April is Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. Having loved Fangirl, I was expecting great things from this book and it didn’t disappoint. Eleanor and Park is all about a high school romance, but not the typical type. Eleanor is the new girl in town, who has crazy red hair and the weird clothes, so she stands out, even though she never wanted to. Park is the smart but quiet Asian boy who hates the attention on himself. Eleanor and Park awkwardly sit together on the bus but never speak to each other, until Park notices Eleanor looking over his shoulder while he reads his comics. I don’t want to give too much away but this love story is extremely cute and I couldn’t put the book down once I started. The ending killed me though, I hated it! Summer Aurora from The Guardian agrees by saying: ‘The ending left me craving so much more of it. The last page left me confused and a complete wreck. Honestly, it hurt, and I was left hoping that there was an epilogue that had gotten secretly ripped out of my copy.’ If you love soppy, cute books, read this book.

Youtuber

So recently, I have been watching a lot more of Marcus Butler’s Vlogs and Main Channel videos. Marcus is from England and just like Alfie, vlogs every day and has a new main channel video every Friday. His fame has steadily rose since 2012 and currently, he has over 3 million subscribers on his main channel alone!!! (I have 2.. Even 100 subs would be the dream!) He is very attractive but sorry ladies, he has a girlfriend. He is dating Naomi Smart who is also a Youtuber/Blogger. Below are his recent Main Channel video and Vlog.

 

Beauty

I am crazy about any beauty products that contains coconut. I love the smell and the consistency. It just always makes me feel and smell good. The Treacle Moon range is one of my favourite ranges. The body scrub and body butter are simply divine.
Make Up

Contouring is a big thing at the moment. Instead of spending a ridiculous amount of money on those expensive contour kits, I bought Boujour Paris’s Bronzer and Highlighter. Not only does it work like the expensive ones but it also smells so good. I wear this every day and it lasts a long time.

       
Home Decor

(When did I get this fancy that I now blog about Home Decor? 😛 )

Anyway, there is nothing more relaxing that reading a book or even doing some work with a beautiful candle beside you. Lately, I have been loving a candle my Auntie Margaret gave me one day. The smell is Mulberry and Vanilla and it is gorgeous.
Food

So even though I have been super healthy since February, near the end of April, I relaxed a bit with the diet. My Mum came to visit me in college one evening and brought me out to Finnegan’s Restaurant, Limerick.  I was so hungry, I even ordered dessert (I never order dessert!) I had these DELICIOUS pancakes. I don’t think I have ever eaten pancakes as nice (apart from my mum’s!) (Oh and Sarah’s!). The food in Finnegan’s is beautiful. I recommend everyone to go there if they are near or in Limerick.

Lastly, I was reunited with some of my favourites in April. Union J were supporting The Vamps on their tour and I got to meet them again, after two years. They haven’t changed a bit, they are just as sweet and nice as they were back then, if not more.

 

See you in a month for my May Faves!

You Know You Love Me, XOXO,

SJ

Oh yeah, I am going to see Tyler Oakley tomorrow in Dublin! Super excited to see him. Also, I am going to attempt to film my first ever vlog. Wish me luck.

Meet Stereo Kicks!

If you don’t watch X Factor, you will probably have no idea who I am about to talk about. If you are a fan of boybands and haven’t heard of these boys, keep reading! You’ll fall in love with another one by the end of this (if not, let me know, I’ll convert you, trust me!!!)

Image belongs to http://www.theguardian.com

Tom Mann, Jake Sims, Barclay Beales, Casey Johnson, Chris Leonard, James Graham, Reece Bibby and Charlie Jones all auditioned for the 10th season of UK X Factor as solo singers. They all made it through the first two auditions but failed to make it through bootcamp. But all was not lost for the 8 boys, they were given a life line. Like One Direction when they were on X Factor in 2010, the 8 boys were asked if they would like to go forward as a band. They were given just 24 hours to rehearse before they had to sing at bootcamp as a newly formed boyband. They sang Snow Patrol/Leona Lewis’ Run and their journey started! They blew the judges away with their performance, and were one of the only few acts who received a standing ovation from all four judges. With all their own individual vocals, the judges knew this band was going to be something special, especially Simon Cowell, with him saying ‘Honestly, one of the best groups we’ve had on the show’.

 

They made it through Louis Walsh’s Judges Houses and got to the live shows. Fans got to suggest a name for the group after their Judges’ Houses performance. Week after week, Stereo Kicks wowed the judges and the public with performances such as ‘Everybody‘, ‘Let It Be Medley/Hey Jude‘ and ‘Boys of the Summer‘ and began building up an incredible fanbase, which is continuing to grow. Stereo Kicks lasted until week 8, where their last song was the one that started their journey on the show.

They are hottest thing since Mr Simon Cowell created One Direction and I don’t think that Simon is going to let them slip through his hands even though many people have spent too much time saying 8 boys won’t work, there is too many of them etc. These same people aren’t actually listening to the amazing vocals these guys have. Plus there is already a successful X Factor boyband in the world with 5 members. The world needs something fresh in the boyband scene and I believe these 8 boys are it.

The X Factor Tour is currently on and after going to one of the Dublin dates, the majority of the people going to the tour are for Stereo Kicks. The crowds are going mental for the 8 boys and rightly so.

It’s now time to get to know the 8 boys :

Tom Mann (@TomMannMusic)

 

Casey Johnson (@CaseyCodyJ)

 

Jake Sims (@JakeSims)

 

James Graham (@itsjamesgraham)

 

Chris Leonard (@ChrisOfficial_)

 

Barclay Beales (@BarclayBeales)

 

Reece Bibby (@ReeceBibby) 

 

Charlie Jones (@CharlieJones)

 

Stereo Kicks recently done their first headline show at Showcase Live and done a cover of Coldplay’s Fix You. This cover is insanely good. Those words don’t even do it justice to be honest, when I first watched it, I cried unknownst to myself and only realised when I took off my headphones. ( Chris does get his words a little mixed up in the song but that’s why we love him okay?! 😛 )

They also appeared on Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit On The Side and performed a stellar performance of Taylor Swift’s Blank Space!

 

I am lucky enough to have met the boys (only 7 of them though, Casey snuck off before I could meet him 😦 ). I met them back in November when I went to Fountain Studios for my birthday.

Jake and I. Image belongs to me.

Chris and I. Chris got a little excited when I said I was Irish! Image belongs to me.

Tom and I. I was so happy I got to meet him. Fave forever! Image belongs to me.

Reece and I. Image belongs to me.

James and I. Image belongs to me.

Barclay and I. Image belongs to me.

Charlie and I. Image belongs to me.

The world better start preparing for Stereo Kicks. Everyone is going crazy for them, girls, boys, and even mothers! (Yes that does include my mother, even though she is still struggling to get all their names right! 😛 ) I promised myself that I would never get attached to another boyband on X Factor after the heartbreak I went through when One Direction came 3rd (I had voted A LOT of times, you can forgive me for crying okay?!) but when I heard that Chris and Tom were in this band, and heard their audition at bootcamp, I was already too emotionally involved. I am glad I am supporting these boys. I am already so proud of them and I will travel the world if I had to see them.

Simon Cowell / Syco, sign these guys now because you’ll be making the BIGGEST mistake ever if you don’t.

 

 

X Factor Tour Dublin!

Everyone knows I love X Factor and especially this season with the formation of my favourites, Stereo Kicks, and Only The Young being on the show! So when tickets went on sale for the tour, I snatched them up straight away!

X Factor Tour kicked off on Friday 13th February in Belfast and was there two nights before hitting Dublin on Sunday 15th of February. Only 8 acts made the Tour, Fleur East, Lauren Platt, Andrea Faustini, Jay James, Stevi Ritchie, Ben Haenow, Only The Young and Stereo Kicks!

Fleur. Image belongs to me.

Lauren. Image belongs to me.

Fleur opened the show with ‘Can’t Hold Us’. Lauren performed her slowed down version of ‘Happy’, which took me about a minute to know it was that because she was singing so low and I couldn’t hear the words! She then followed with ‘How Will I Know‘, and she danced a little bit. Jay sang ‘Changing’. Stevi performed ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’. Andrea belted out ‘And I’m Telling You’, his voice is incredible.

Only The Young really got the arena going with their version of ‘I Wanna Be Like You’. They made me fall in love with that song again. They made it fresh and cool. They put the OTY Stamp on it. They put a few dance moves in there too. And I got a little excited and screamed ‘Gwan Charlie and Mikey!’. I am sorry you can hear me in my video (insert cover eyes monkey emoji here!).

 

My bae’s Stereo Kicks hit the stage and the place went crazy, with them receiving the loudest screams of the night. They sang their cover of ‘Let It Be/Hey Jude medley and their vocals live are just incredible. With the reaction they got all night, I firmly believe Stereo Kicks have a great future ahead. Who said 8 boys wouldn’t work? They are incredibly talented and so down to earth, they can’t believe everyone loves them.

 

Charlie from Only The Young. Image belongs to me.

Fleur proved she is a double threat when she returned to the stage to perform ‘All About That Bass’ and ‘Bang Bang’, with her killer moves and stellar vocals. Andrea then sang ‘Listen’. The last song of the first half of the show was a group ensemble, minus Ben! They sang Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake It Off’. Stevi donned his Freddie Mercury outfit and performed ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, probably his ‘best’ performance. Not much I can really say about Stevi. Fleur was back on stage to sing ‘Thriller’, she didn’t give it as much energy as she did on the show or her other performances on the night which was disappointing. Lauren sang Disney favourite ‘Let It Go’, which had everyone singing along as usual.

Only The Young sang ‘Blame It On The Boogie’ and I just wanted to get up on stage and dance with them! They are so energetic and have so much on stage, it is infectious. These guys are going places. They are unique and extremely talented. I am excited for their future!

Stereo Kicks. Image belongs to me.

Stereo Kicks got the girls (and boys) screaming again when they sang ‘Everybody’. It was during this that I couldn’t contain myself and shouted ‘Casey you are fit’ and ‘Tom you are fit’ several times. They look gorgeous though, so you couldn’t blame me! My SK buddy Tania is very proud of me 😛

Jay sang Skyfall. Jay did nearly put me to sleep during this but that is simply because he doesn’t mean anything to me. He has incredible vocals but I am just not a fan. Jay got quite emotional after his performance. Stevi sang Footloose. To be honest, he ruined the song for me. I know he is the guilty pleasure act and he does proved entertainment but… I can’t even say anything. There are no words. Stevi is a genuinely nice guy and very pleasant when I met him. Fleur sang her only ballad ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ and she proved she can slay the slow songs too.

Only The Young performed one of my favourites of the night ‘Jailhouse Rock/Twist and Shout’. Charlie’s vocals were seriously on point all night but he’s parts in this song were incredible. Mikey looked so hot (love heart eyes emoji here) and he even wore my favourite Houndstooth shirt!!!

 

Lauren. Image belongs to me.

Lauren’s final song was ‘Don’t You Worry Child’. Apart from ‘How Will I Know’, this was my favourite performance from her. After her throat problems recently, I doubted if she was vocally ready for the show but she was and she sang incredibly. She also looked very beautiful.

Stereo Kicks stole the show with the song that started their journey, ‘Run’ and 6 months later they are on an arena tour! I was so proud, there were tears! Chris made a little speech at the end of their performance and I was so proud of him. I’ve known him for over 3 years from his days in Level 5 and met him at Niall Horan’s birthday party in 2012. I was also extremely proud to see Tom Mann on stage. I’ve been supporting him for nearly 3 years too. He’s really fit. I might have mentioned that before but I am just making sure you know it. Casey Johnson is also fit. Okay Stereo Kicks are fit.

Casey Johnson and James Graham. Image belongs to me.

Tom Mann and Jake Sims. Image belongs to me.

Chris Leonard and Barclay Beales. Image belongs to me.

Reece Bibby and Charlie Jones. Image belongs to me.

Fleur performed her outstanding performance of ‘Uptown Funk’, wow that woman can dance!!!

Ben Haenow. Image belongs to me.

Finally the winner graced the stage! Ben Haenow (HAENOW, HAENOW, DON’T DREAM IT’S OVER!) started his set with ‘Come Together’. Ben also sang ‘Thinking Out Loud’, ‘Highway to Hell’, ‘Jealous Guy’ and ‘Demons’ before closing his set with his winner single ‘Something I Need’.

All 8 acts closed the show with a group performance of ‘Never Forget’ and seemed to happy with the response they got in Dublin on the first night!

If you are a fan of X Factor, you will adore this concert! Ben, Only The Young and Stereo Kicks were my stand out favourites and the three acts I heard the majority of people talk about after the show.

So the Irish leg of the tour may be over but if you live in the United Kingdom, tickets are still available for some of the shows. Go get them ASAP!! A show not to be missed, especially if you want to say you’ve been there from day one for OTY and Stereo Kicks 😉

I have a few more videos to add but I am currently in Laois and Wifi is slow. I will add the rest of the videos when I get to University with fast internet!! ❤

Check out my X Factor Blog from when I went to London here.

My Highlights of 2014!

2014 has been one rollercoaster ride! It’s been a bit of a crappy year for me and my family to say the least but throughout the sadness and bad news, I have had some of the best times of my life this year! Below I want to share some of my favourite highlights of 2014 (in no particular order!)

Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

The Commonwealth Games took place in August in Glasgow. It has been on my bucket list for years to attend them and when the opportunity arose that I could go, I grabbed it with both hands (and grabbed my mother too!) and headed to Scotland.

My passport and plane ticket to Glasgow. Image belongs to me.

One of the main reasons I wanted to go was to see Tom Daley dive. Tom was diving in the Men’s Individual 10m Platform Diving competition on the 2nd of August and up until 9am that morning I hadn’t got a ticket, I was devastated, even though I did see him on the Thursday night when I went to see Jack Laugher dive in the 3m Men’s Springboard competition,  I wanted to see him dive. But luck was on my side and at 9:58am on the 2nd of August, I got the last ticket to see Tom Daley dive that evening in the Final and I saw him win Gold. I shook with happiness when I got the ticket!

With my ticket to see Tom Daley dive in the Final!

Tom with his Gold medal. Image belongs to me.

As I mentioned earlier on, I got to see one of my other favourite divers, Jack Laugher dive in the Men’s 3M Springboard Final on Thursday 31st of August and I witnessed him win Silver.  Luck was on my side again, as when I was at the Closing Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games, I got to met him. He ran over to me after I called his name so many times like I was Rose calling Jack in the titanic! I was extremley happy. My trip to Glasgow was a very successful one. A few more things off the bucket list 😉

Jack Laugher and I at the Closing Ceremony of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Paris

One of my best friends lives in Lyon, France and she turned 21 this year and I wanted to surprise her with an unforgettable birthday present. So I secretly flew over to Lyon, even though she found out on that day I was arriving, and surprised her. But what she didn’t know was that I had got two standing tickets to see One Direction in Stade de France in Paris on the following Friday! So on the 19th of June, we carpooled to Paris, one of the longest but most beautiful and exciting road trips ever, and at midnight we arrived in Paris! We got up early the next morning and done a bit of site seeing before the concert! We saw the Arc de Triomphe and had breakfast in a cute cafe on the Champs Elysees.

Melo and me at the Arc de Triomphe.

After that, we took the Metro and went to the Eiffel Tower! It was such a beautiful day and the view was beautiful. Melo and I have this thing were we like to take cool photos in iconic places and what better place to do this than the Eiffel Tower!

Melo and me in front of the Eiffel Tower.

5 Seconds of Summer in London

On March 3rd, I got to see 5 Seconds of Summer in Shepherd’s Bush in London with my 5SOS buddy Giana and some other girls I became friends with through the boys!

WIth Giana, Deanna and Zoe at Sheperd’s Bush.

We queued from 9am that morning, it rained and was so cold. The things we do for those 4 Aussie babes!! The venue is a intimate venue with a capacity of 2,000 people. We were standing, hence why we were queuing so early. We ended up being front row and that was an amazing experience. Every time I see 5 Seconds of Summer live, they just get better and better. I’ve been to over 60 plus concerts and this was up there in my top ten concerts. It was one of those concerts where you just got lost in the moment, in the music. Being there with friends I had made through the boys was even better. Giana and I have this tradition and it’s #GettingDrunkAt5SOS and we have so much fun playing games in the queue! I find it amazing how some of my good friendships are formed because of bands! Looking forward to seeing Giana in London at 5SOS next June 😉

Turning 21

On the 3rd of November, I turned 21. 21 years old. What a milestone to hit. I had my dream 21st Birthday party on the 31st of October, in Great Gatsby style! It was one of the best nights of my life and I got to celebrate it with all my closest friends and family. I will never forget that night (even though I did drink a lot!) because I finally felt happy, within myself and in my life. At one part of the night, I stood alone with the bottle of champagne the pub gave me for my birthday on the dance floor and looked around and just smiled. I had never been more happier in my life.

Me before my 21st Birthday party.

Meeting Shane O’Donnell 

In 2013, Davy Fitz asked a certain 19 year old man to play in the All Ireland Hurling Final Replay and wanted him to do one thing and one thing only – score goals! That man certain done that! Shane O’Donnell scored 3-3 in the replay and Clare won the All Ireland! Shane O’Donnell became the Niall Horan of GAA that day! He became my favourite hurler that day too, purely because of his hurling skills.. Nothing to do with his looks at all! 😛

Shane O’Donnell and I in O’Moore Park in Portlaoise.

3rd night of Where We Are Tour in Croke Park

I was privileged enough to go see One Direction on their Where We Are Tour in Croke Park 3 times. On the Sunday, I got a standing ticket and went with my friends Flozey and Susan (plus her sister Janet!). The two previous nights were incredible but the 3rd and final night was something special. I don’t exactly know why it was more special than the other two, but it was the best show of the weekend. I got some incredible photos of the boys and Harry even waved at me (The video is on my Instagram!).

One of my favourite photos of Niall that I took. Image belongs to me.

How big 5 Seconds Of Summer Became

2014 was the year of 5 Seconds of Summer. They were the breakthrough artist of the year and took the world by storm. With two number one singles, with ‘She Looks So Perfect’ and ‘Don’t Stop’ in the UK and USA, and their debut album reaching number one in the USA. The boys seem to be a huge success in Ireland also, with both ‘She Looks So Prefect’ and ‘Don’t Stop’ reaching number one here and ‘Amnesia’ and ‘Good Girls’ both charting in the top 20 singles and the album also debuting at number one. I’m incredibly proud of these boys and look forward to what 2015 has in store for them.

When I met the boys in 2013 in London.

Being front row at Cody Simpson and having Jackson Harris sing to me

On July 4th, I saw Cody Simpson in the Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin. Thanks to my friends Sophie and Jade, I had a front row ticket to the show. For his support act, he had Jackson Harris, an American singer. One thing I certainly haven’t forgotten is Jackson singing to me. I barely knew of him before the show but by the end of his set, he truly won me over. When Jackson was singing his song Right Kind of Wrong, he spotted me singing along to the chorus and of course I got all shy and embarrassed, which made him come over to right in front of me, he knelt down, held eye contact with me and smiled while sang to me and even held my hand. I got so hot and bothered that my friends Jade and Sophie had to fan me down when he stopped singing to me. My favourite thing about Cody’s concert (apart from Jackson singing to me!) was that it was an acoustic concert.  I wrote a blog about the concert so check that out!

Cody Simpson on his acoustic tour in Dublin 2014. Image belongs to me.

Jackson Harris on Cody Simpson’s acoustic tour in Dublin 2014. Image belongs to me.

Seeing Demi Lovato live in concert (FINALLY!)

For my 21st Birthday my best friend Sarah Coghlan ( she has an INCREDIBLE blog too, check it out!!) surprised me with a ticket to Enrique Iglesias’s concert in the 3 Arena on the 23rd of November. More importantly, Demi Lovato was Enrique’s support act. When I opened my card from her and saw the ticket, I was next to tears. I was shaking. She was making one of my ultimate dreams come. To this day, I still can’t thank her enough. When Demi came on stage that night, my heart stopped. I shooking and cried from the minute she came on stage. Demi has been a huge idol to me since 2010 or thereabouts. When she sang Skyscraper and Nightingale, I cried the whole way through both songs. I looked like such an idiot but I didn’t care. Nobody, not even Sarah (although she knows how much I adore Demi) knew how much that moment meant to me. I was so extremely happy. Nothing. I mean NOTHING, could of ruined that moment. I was with one of my best friends, who bought me that ticket, seeing my ultimate idol live. I still can’t believe it. Hearing my favourite song Neon Lights live was incredible. I never felt more alive than I did at that moment.

Demi Lovato performing Neon Lights in the 3 Arena, Image belongs to celebmafia.com

Meeting 4/5 of the Janoskians after sneaking into the Four Season’s Hotel

Jade and I snuck into the Four Season’s Hotel. Like I don’t know how we done it but we did. Thank god we did. We met Skip in a bathroom towel (love heart eyes emoji) and spoke to Jai properly and got him to follow me on Twitter. But we did get kicked out after that. We still managed to meet James and Luke outside. My favourite was finally meeting Luke, god I love him! He gave me a kiss on the cheek! Beau wouldn’t come out to meet us though 😦

The bathrooms in the Four Seasons are so fancy, I had to take a selfie.

Daniel (Skip) and I in the Four Season’s Hotel. He is wearing a Bathroom Towel. And only that! Image belongs to me.

Jai and I in the Four Season’s Hotel. Image belongs to me.

James and I. Image belongs to me.

Luke and . Image belongs to me.

 

Elizabeth’s Sweet 16th

My darling Elizabeth turned 16 this year. Words don’t explain how much I love that girl. I can’t believe she is 16. I can’t imagine my life without her. She is such a beautiful, kind hearted, loving, special lady and I’m so proud to be her cousin. She makes be a better person, she makes me smile when I’m down and she gives me strength when I am weak. She is such a strong girl for everything she goes through and she never complains and is always with a smile! She has taught me to treasure the little things in life.

Elizabeth and I a her Sweet Sixteenth Birthday Party.

My Dad getting elected for the Central Council Delegate for Laois GAA County Board

On the 8th of December, my Dad got elected to be Central Council Delegate for Laois GAA and I couldn’t of been any prouder of him. My Dad had a very bad year in 2014 and this was the lift he needed. The spark that had been missing came back into my Dad. Once again he was the underdog and once again shocked everyone and beat off all competition. I don’t say it to him very often, but I am very proud of my Dad and all he has achieved. He works so hard and does so much for Laois GAA and it’s nice to see that people appreciate my father. So Dad, if Mam has told you about this or is showing you this, I told you you could do it. Once you believe in yourself, you can do anything. You know what you are talking about when it comes to GAA and you are the man for any GAA job in my eyes. Words don’t even describe how proud I am of you. I love you Daddy.

My Dad and me at the Laois GAA Awards 2014.

X Factor in November

As part of my 21st Birthday present, I got to go to Wembley to see the X Factor Studios and my favourite contestants. It is something I will never forget! I wrote a blog about it, if you want the full story! I got to meet Only The Young and 7/8 of Stereo Kicks. I also made a new friendship with Tania who has been incredible to me since.

7/8 of Stereo Kicks. Image belongs to me.

Only The Young and I. Image belongs to me.

Becoming even closer to Sarah, Aislin and Joe

Sarah, Joe and Aislin. I’d be lost without them. It is as simple as that. I love the 3 of them so much it hurts. They mean the world to me. 2014 has given me so many good memories with this trio. I could talk all day about them. But they know why they made my 2014. I Love you guys.

Joe and I.

Sarah and I.

Aislin and I.

2015, please have less sad and bad moments for my family and me. Please me full of happiness and memories to cherish.

Memories Jar

Back in 2011/2012  when I was sick, I stumbled across a really cute Tumblr post about this idea of having a good memories jar of the year. My biggest fear is that I will forget important moments, big or small. This solves the problem! I write down the little moments that makes me smile and the incredible big moments I know I’ll never forget but want them in the jar! Then on New Years Eve (or the next day when you are dying from a hangover!), take out all the memories throughout the year and remember all the wonderful memories the year has brought you!

Some of my good memories from 2014

I started this in 2013 and when I put last year’s and this year’s jars beside each other and 2014 was filled at least 50% more! This is because I made sure that I done things that were on my bucket list and made sure I made the best of every opportunity that came my way!

My 2013 and 2014 jars!

It is such a simple thing to do, grab a jar, make it look pretty, cut up paper that will fit inside and have a pen near by and you are ready to fill your jar with your awesome memories!

Bring on 2015!

My weekend at One Direction’s Where We Are Tour in Croke Park!

So one of the most highly anticipated weekends of the year for an Irish fangirl has been and gone and what a weekend it was! The biggest selling band in the world, One Direction, launched their biggest tour to date, the Where We Are Tour, with three sold out nights in Dublin’s Croker with the general capacity of 82,000 people, meaning over 240,000 people watching on over the three nights! I was one of the lucky few people that managed to go all 3 nights to Croke Park and I am so glad I did! Each night got better and better and for me personally, Sunday’s show was without a doubt the best night of the weekend! I managed to Live While I’m Young, I came away with some incredible Midnight Memories, I danced all night to some of The Best Song(s) Ever, I Happily enjoyed the Little Things One Direction joked about on stage all weekend and found out how Strong I am after surviving standing on Sunday by not getting killed by the younger, crazier fangirls! (Did you see what I done there  with the songs? I am a genius aren’t I?! Okay, Okay I know it was cringey but just giggle anyway!) One Direction performed a set list of 23 songs each night to the thousands of adoring fans who, despite the lashing rain, enjoyed every minute the 5 young lads were on stage.

Croke Park was a huge gig for Mullingar native, Niall Horan as 4 years ago, he auditioned for X Factor in Croke Park and hoped his dreams would all work out for him.

Niall’s Tweet 4 years ago.

I decided to grab a flag and remind Niall that his dream has all worked out and to show him I am so extremely proud of him.

My flag on Sunday Night.

From almost not making it through X Factor to selling out his home stadium 4 years later!

During Friday night’s show, Niall took a selfie with the 83,000 fans and posted it to Twitter a few hours later, showing his appreciation, still in disbelief that he was playing Ireland’s biggest stage!

Niall’s tweet after Friday’s show

 

Although the boys said it was Niall’s weekend, Croke Park was also a special moment for Harry, Liam, Louis and Zayn as it was and will be the biggest crowd the band have ever performed for. With this being a stadium tour, it meant a bigger stage and bigger production and the lads didn’t disappoint! The stage took up all of the Hill 16 and had a catwalk going down to the halfway point of the pitch. There was no shortage of pyrotechnics, with fireworks going off the minute the boy band phenomenon popped up on stage singing Midnight Memories. The stage itself had laser beam lights along the catwalk and projected laser into the stadium also. With many critics and non fans claiming One Direction to be a stereotypical boyband, they really aren’t! The entire show was chilled backed and not over rehearsed. The lads literally just messed around as if the were in a park on their own and not in front 82,000 plus people. They don’t need the choreographed dance moves or the ‘key changing stepping up from the stools’ like what Westlife done because that isn’t who One Direction are. Their fans know that One Direction can’t dance (well Liam can certainly move and Harry likes to think he can) so why would they make a fool of themselves learning ridiculous dance routines! Over all 3 nights, Niall and the lads mentioned how Irish fans ‘are the best fans in the world’ and with that, it must make me an unreal fan seeing as I went three times! 😛 (Okay, I like to think I am!)

The stage!

Liam and Harry were full of life on stage over the weekend and taking the Irish culture to heart. Liam declared his love for Superquinn sausages on Friday night and Harry begged the crowd to scream ‘2 bananas for a euro‘ on Saturday night. Harry also won the crowd over with his Irish accent, talking Irish and simply saying ‘What’s the craic Dublin?’ The lads showed they were having the craic by wowing the crowd with their Macarena skills, singing the Friends theme tune and explaining what flavour of crisps each member of the band was!

One Direction asked pals 5 Seconds of Summer (who are my faves, if you didn’t already know!) to be their opening act on this tour and let’s just say if Croke Park had a roof, 5SOS would have blown it off, that’s how good they were!  They sang 11 songs including She Looks So Perfect, Don’t Stop, Disconnected and a cover of Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream (which might I add is better than the original!).

My photo of 5 Seconds of Summer

Calum on Sunday night.

Luke on Sunday night.

Calum and Luke on Sunday night.

Michael on Sunday night.

Michael on Sunday night.

Michael and Ashton on Sunday night.

Below are some of my pictures from Sunday night when I was standing in the Pink Zone and luckily enough to be so close to the boys!

Me at the stage before the concert started!

         

Croke Park gave Niall Horan his own unique Westmeath jersey as a reminder that finally a Mullingar man made it to Croke Park! 😉

With Croker being such a success, I have no doubt that One Direction will be back their soon and I am already looking forward to it. Gwaaaan Nialler, proud of ya buddy 😉

Now, as my acing body is still recovering from all the dancing and standing and as my post concert depression kicks in, I pack away all the One Direction merchandise and Irish flags. It was a good weekend lads, see ye next time! 😉

Channing Tatum hitting Dublin this Friday!

If you are an Irish female and are unaware of this appearance, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING?

Incase you’ve mysteriously forgotten what he looks like (okay who actually could forget this gorgeous man?!), I’ll just leave this photo here for your pleasure 😉

Image from channingtatumunwrapped.com

The beautiful Channing Tatum will be gracing our shores this Friday afternoon alongside Jonah Hill for the press release for their new movie ’22 Jump Street’, sequel to 21 Jump Street. The duo were initially said to be appearing at Trinity College’s Philosophical Society to receive Bram Stoker Medals for their contribution to the entertainment industry. Sony Pictures Ireland later announced that Channing and Jonah will be at Screen Cinema, Dublin 2, at 3pm on Friday and will greet fans. 

Image from Sony Pictures Ireland

Below is the trailer for the movie and again, the movie is another excuse to look at Channing for a whole 90 minutes so who’s gonna complain?

So I shall see you on in Dublin on Friday at 3pm ladies? Thought so 😛