High Cross of Moone

Moone - left, the road to Athy

Moone, Main Street (former N9)

Moone (Irish: Maen Colmcille, meaning "Colmcille's property")is a small village in the south of County Kildare, Ireland. It is on the former N9 road (now by-passed) about 80 km (50 mi) south of Dublin. It has only a few hundred inhabitants, a church, a National School, one shop and a small community centre. There is also pub called the Moone High Cross Inn.^[1]

The name Moone comes from the Irish "Maen Colmcille" which means "Colmcille's property".

The closest village to Moone is Timolin, about 1 kilometer to the north. The current county plan provides for joint development of Moone and Timolin.

The High Cross[link]

Moone's most famous attribute is its High Cross, dating from the 7th century. It can be found about 1 kilometre from Moone along the road to Athy (at 52°58′48″N 6°49′31″W / 52.98°N 6.82528°W / 52.98; -6.82528) in the remains of an old abbey believed to have been established by Saint Colmcille. A good picture and description of the High Cross can be found here.

Moone Celtic FC[link]

There is a local soccer club called Moone Celtic FC, the club's crest is a high cross obviously taken from the local structure. The club's pitch is Fortfield Park.

Kildare County Council page for Moone has more information.

See also[link]

• List of towns and villages in Ireland.
• List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Kildare)

References[link]

1. ^ County Kildare: Moone

Coordinates: 52°59′N 6°49′W / 52.983°N 6.817°W / 52.983; -6.817

v t e Places in County Kildare County town: Naas Towns Athy Clane Kilcock Kildare Kill Leixlip Maynooth Monasterevin Naas Newbridge Prosperous Rathangan Sallins Villages and Townlands Allen Allenwood Ardclogh Ballitore Ballymore Eustace Calverstown Caragh Carbury Castledermot Coill Dubh Celbridge Derrinturn Eadestown Hawkfield Johnstown Kilberry Kilcullen Kildangan Kilmead Kilmeage Kilteel Lullymore Milltown Moone Narraghmore Nurney Robertstown Straffan Staplestown Suncroft Timolin Landforms Bog of Allen Cupidstown Hill Curragh Grand Canal Hill of Allen River Barrow River Boyne River Liffey River Rye Royal Canal Topics Geography of County Kildare List of National Monuments in County Kildare List of townlands in County Kildare Mountains and hills of County Kildare Rivers of County Kildare

This article related to the geography of County Kildare, Ireland is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Steve Coogan
Holding a producer credit for The 1 Second Film in January 2005
Born	Stephen John Coogan (1965-10-14) 14 October 1965 (age 46) Middleton, Lancashire, England
Occupation	Actor, stand-up comedian, writer, producer
Spouse	Caroline Hickman (m. 2002–2005; divorced)
Relatives	Brendan Coogan, Martin Coogan (brothers)

Stephen John "Steve" Coogan (born 14 October 1965) is a BAFTA-winning English actor, comedian, writer, impressionist and producer. Born in Middleton, Lancashire, he began his career as a stand-up comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early 1990s, Coogan began creating original comic characters which he presented in stage shows, this led to him winning the 1992 Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe, for his show with long-time collaborator John Thomson. The most prominent characters he developed at this time were Paul Calf, a stereotypical lower class Mancunian and his sister the promiscuous Pauline (played by Coogan in drag).

Working with Chris Morris, Patrick Marber and Armando Iannucci for On the Hour and The Day Today, Coogan developed his most popular and most developed character; Alan Partridge, a socially awkward and politically incorrect regional media personality, who developed to feature in his own eponymous television series, Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge and I'm Alan Partridge, which were well received and were nominated for five BAFTAs in total. Outside the UK, Coogan is better known for his roles in films including 24 Hour Party People, The Wind in the Willows, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Night at the Museum, Tropic Thunder, Hamlet 2, A Cock and Bull Story, The Trip and The Other Guys.

On 22 November 2011, Coogan, along with Hugh Grant, gave evidence to the Leveson Inquiry on phone hacking, favouring regulation of the press.

Early life[link]

Coogan is one of seven children born to Kathleen (née Coonan), a housewife, and Anthony Coogan, an IBM engineer.^[1][2][3] He was born in his parents' house and brought up in Alkrington,^[4][5] a suburb of Middleton, north of Manchester, in an Irish working class family.^[6] Coogan was brought up as a Roman Catholic.^[7][8][9] He had a happy childhood growing up with four brothers and two sisters, and in addition his parents fostered children on a short-term basis, sometimes accommodating two or three foster children at a time.^[4] Coogan had a talent for impersonation, and wanted to go to drama school, despite being advised by a teacher that it could lead to a precarious profession.^[4]

He went to five interviews for drama school in London, and then – after gaining confidence by joining a theatre company in Manchester called New Music – gained a place at the Manchester Metropolitan School of Theatre.^[4] Coogan's brother Martin was the vocalist and wrote the music for The Mock Turtles,^[4] a successful indie rock band in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Career[link]

Coogan started out as a comic and mimic in Ipswich, as well as doing voice-over work for adverts and impressions on Spitting Image. In 1988, he did impressions of Prince Charles which featured on the Urban label release "Don't Believe the Hype" by acid house artist Mista E. The impressions were also used as jingles in 1988-89 on the BBC Radio 1 FM Friday night dance music show Jeff Young's Big Beat. In 1993 Coogan starred alongside Caroline Aherne and John Thomson in a one-off Granada TV sketch show The Dead Good Show.

Alan Partridge[link]

Coogan collaborated with Chris Morris and Armando Iannucci, amongst others, on the Radio 4 comedy show On the Hour, where he helped give birth to his most famous creation, Alan Partridge. Alan went on to have his own radio show, as well as appearing on TV in The Day Today and his own chat show, Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge. In 1997, he returned with the sitcom I'm Alan Partridge, which was followed by a second series in 2002. Partridge was part of Coogan's 2008 stand-up tour, and an Alan Partridge film is in production and will be released in 2013.^[10]

Other TV roles[link]

Paul Calf first began as a character named 'Duncan Disorderly' in Coogan's early stand-up routines. Calf first came to wider public notice in 1993, with several appearances on Saturday Zoo, a late-night variety show presented by Jonathan Ross on Channel 4. Paul has appeared in two video diaries, an episode of Coogan's Run, and in various stand-up performances. He is an unemployed Manchester wastrel with a particular hatred of students. His catchphrase is "Bag o' shite". Paul lives in a council house in the fictional town of Ottle with his mother and his sister, Pauline Calf (also played by Coogan). His father died some time before the first video diary was made. For a long time he was obsessed with getting back together with his ex-girlfriend, Julie. Paul's best friend is "Fat" Bob (played by John Thomson), a car mechanic who eventually married Pauline. Paul supports Manchester City and is very partial to Wagon Wheels. He wears Burton suits, sports a bleached mullet and drives a Ford Cortina.

Other Coogan creations include Tommy Saxondale, Duncan Thicket and Portuguese Eurovision winner Tony Ferrino. Duncan Thicket has appeared in a tour of live shows. Other TV shows he has starred in include Coogan's Run, Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible, Monkey Trousers and Saxondale. Coogan has provided voices for the animated series I Am Not an Animal and Bob and Margaret, the one-off BBC2 comedy about sheep Combat Sheep, two Christmas specials starring Robbie the Reindeer, and an episode of the BBC Radio Four spoof sci-fi series Nebulous.

During the 1989 series of The Krypton Factor, Coogan was invited to participate in a series of mini-films for the observation round.

He starred in BBC2's The Private Life of Samuel Pepys in 2003, and Cruise of the Gods in 2002. In 2006, he had a cameo in the Little Britain Christmas special as a pilot taking Lou and Andy to Disneyland. In 2007, Coogan played a psychiatrist on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, and in 2008, starred in the BBC1 drama Sunshine.

In 2010, he reunited with actor Rob Brydon and director Michael Winterbottom (both of whom he had worked with on the 2006 film A Cock and Bull Story (see Film Roles below)), for the partially improvised BBC2 sitcom The Trip, in which he and Brydon do a tour of northern restaurants, which he is writing up for the Observer. The Trip was nominated for a 2011 Television BAFTA for Best Situation Comedy, and Coogan won Best Male Performance in a Comedy Role.^[11]

He provided the voices of Philip Masterson-Bowie (a horse) and Mark Andrews (a sparrow) for animated comedy series I Am Not an Animal.^[12] He was also the voice of Satan on Neighbors from Hell.

In December 2011, Coogan voiced Roger Mellie and Tracey Tunstall of the Fat Slags in three Viz Comedy Blaps for Channel 4.^[13] He voiced a cruise-ship director in a April 2012 episode of The Simpsons.

Film roles[link]

Michael Winterbottom, Steve Coogan, and Rob Brydon at the Ryerson Theatre in Toronto for the screening of Tristram Shandy (14 September 2005)

Notable film roles include Factory Records boss Tony Wilson in the film 24 Hour Party People, Mole in Terry Jones' The Wind in the Willows, Phileas Fogg in a comical version of Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days from Disney, with Jackie Chan, Ambassador Mercy in Marie Antoinette, Bruce Tick in Sweet Revenge, and Octavius in Night at the Museum. He has also played himself three times on screen. First, in one of the vignettes of Jim Jarmusch's 2003 film Coffee and Cigarettes, alongside Alfred Molina. Second, in 2006 Coogan starred with Rob Brydon in Michael Winterbottom's A Cock and Bull Story, a self-referential film of the "unfilmable" self-referential novel Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne. In the film, Coogan plays a fictional, womanizing version of himself. Thirdly he played himself in the 2010 film The Trip. He worked again with director Winterbottom in King of Soho, about '50s porn-king Paul Raymond.

The first film, which he co-wrote with Henry Normal, was The Parole Officer. He also acted in this alongside Ben Miller and Lena Headey. Coogan has an uncredited cameo in Hot Fuzz, scripted by Shaun of the Dead writers Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright. He stars as a failed actor turned high school drama teacher in the 2008 film Hamlet 2 and had a role in Tropic Thunder, playing the inexperienced director. In 2009, he also starred as a lying reporter in What Goes Up with Olivia Thirlby, Molly Shannon and Hilary Duff. Also recently, he appeared in Finding Amanda alongside Brittany Snow and Matthew Broderick, returned as Octavius in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, and played Hades in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.

Achievements[link]

Coogan's show Steve Coogan in character with John Thomson was winner of the Perrier Award for best show at the 1992 Edinburgh Fringe. He has won numerous awards for his work in TV including British Comedy Awards, BAFTAs and The South Bank Show award for comedy. In 2003, he was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. In 2005, a poll to find the Comedians' Comedian saw him being voted amongst the top 20 greatest comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.

Stand-up comedy comeback tour[link]

In March 2008, it was confirmed that Coogan would return to doing stand-up comedy as part of his first stand-up tour in ten years. The tour, named "Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge and other less successful characters", saw the return of some of his old characters including Paul Calf and Alan Partridge.^[14] Reviews of the opening night were mixed.^[15] and such reviews continued as the tour progressed.^[16][17] Much of the criticism focused on the apparent unrehearsed quality and nervous stage presence of Coogan's performance. Chortle comedy guide wrote "Steve Coogan’s stage comeback after ten years is most definitely a show of two halves: the superlative Alan Partridge plus a collection of characters that are not only less successful, but woefully less funny."^[18]

Production work[link]

Coogan, along with writing partner Henry Normal, founded Baby Cow Productions in 1999. Together they are the executive producers for such shows as The Mighty Boosh, starring Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt, Nighty Night, starring Julia Davis, Marion and Geoff, starring Rob Brydon, "Gavin and Stacey" starring Ruth Jones, James Corden, Joanna Page, Mathew Horne and Rob Brydon, and Human Remains, starring Davis and Brydon. Baby Cow Productions' latest^[when?] venture is Where Are the Joneses, an online sitcom which uses wiki technology to allow the audience to upload scripts and storyline ideas.^[19]

In the media[link]

Coogan said he "liked to keep himself private", adding; "I have never wanted to be famous, as such - fame is a by-product,"^[20] He has been a popular target of the British tabloid press since 1996, who he stated have subjected him to entrapment and blackmail, printed obvious falsehoods about him,^[21][22] also targeting his family and friends in attempts to extract stories from them.^[23] Coogan in some cases gave a strong denial to allegations, but in others did not contest them because he wanted to shield vulnerable friends from adverse publicity.^[24] The tabloids also published intrusive information about his relationships and the schooling of his child. Coogan has also been critical of the broadsheet press, saying they have colluded with the tabloids in the interests of selling newspapers. In 2005 he said "The Guardian tends to have its cake and eat it. It waits for the tabloids to dish the dirt and then it talks about the tabloids dishing the dirt while enjoying it themselves."^[25] However Coogan later gave credit to the same newspaper for its investigation of the phone hacking scandal.^[26] Coogan said that because of the persistent intrusion into his private life, the press had effectively made him "immune" to further attack, as his "closet is empty of skeletons".^[27]

Phone hacking[link]

Coogan became a prominent figure in the News International phone hacking scandal as one of the celebrities who took action against the British tabloids in light of these events. He was made aware by his phone service provider of "possible anomalies" on his phone around the time in 2005 and 2006^[28] In 2010 Coogan's legal firm obtained a partially redacted version of Glenn Mulcaire's hacking notebook by a court order which showed Coogan had been targeted and his personal information was in the possession of Mulcaire. Mulcaire was forced by the High Court of Justice to disclose to Coogan's legal team who amongst the staff at the News of the World ordered him to hack phones. This information was obtained by Coogan's lawyers on the 26th August 2011.^[29] Interviewed on Newsnight on 8 July 2011, Coogan said he was "delighted" by the closure of the News of the World and said it was a "fantastic day for journalism". He said the idea of press freedom was used by the tabloids as a "smokescreen for selling papers with tittle-tattle" and said the argument against press regulation was "morally bankrupt"^[26] Coogan provided an 8-page witness statement to the Leveson Inquiry and appeared at the inquiry on 22 November 2011 to discuss the evidence.^[23] He said he was there reluctantly representing a lot of celebrities who felt they could not speak out for fear of reprisals from the tabloid press.^[30]

Personal life[link]

One of Coogan's brothers, Brendan, is a former Top Gear presenter, and another, Martin, was the lead singer of the early 1990s band The Mock Turtles. All the brothers attended the Cardinal Langley RC High School.

Coogan married Caroline Hickman in 2002, the couple divorced in 2005.^[31] He lives in Brighton to be close to Clare, his daughter from his relationship with solicitor Anna Cole.^[32]

Coogan reportedly has a wealth of £5 million and supports the Labour Party.^[33]

A well noted car enthusiast, he has had a succession of Ferraris, but stopped buying them after realising that the depreciation and running costs were greater than hiring a private plane.^[34] He helped Jeremy Clarkson test a Ferrari 575M against an Aston Martin Vanquish S on the fifth series of Top Gear. Coogan drives one of the final air-cooled Porsche 911 Carrera 4s.^[32]

In 2011, Coogan purchased the 8 bedroom manor Ovingdean Grange for a reported £2.45 million.^[35]

Filmography[link]

Feature Films[link]

Television[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

Awards and Nominations sourced from IMDb http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0176869/awards 2/12/2010

Stand-up VHS and DVDs[link]

• Live 'N' Lewd (7 November 1994)
• Live – The Man Who Thinks He's It (9 November 1998)
• As Alan Partridge And Other Less Successful Characters – Live (30 November 2009)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Steve Coogan at the Internet Movie Database
• Steve Coogan collected news and commentary at The Guardian
• Coming to a cinema near you... Alan Partridge as Our Man in Tashkent
• Steve Coogan: From a Partridge to 'Cock and Bull Fresh Air interview by Terry Gross
• Steve Coogan on BBC Radio Desert Island Discs
• Evidence to the Leveson Inquiry
• Profile on Chortle

Chris O'Dowd (born 9 October 1979)^[1] is an Irish comedian and actor best known for playing Roy Trenneman in British sitcom The IT Crowd. He has also appeared in several Hollywood films, including Gulliver's Travels and Bridesmaids, the latter of which, according to IFTN, "has thrown him into the position as one of Hollywood's leading men almost overnight with the film making over $100 million dollars at the US box office."^[2]

Early life[link]

O'Dowd was born in Sligo and raised in Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland. His mother, Denise, is a counsellor and psychotherapist, and his father, Sean O'Dowd, is a graphic designer.^[3][4][5] He studied politics and sociology in University College, Dublin, and subsequently attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. O'Dowd did not obtain a degree from UCD, telling the UCD student newspaper the Tribune in 2011, "I didn't finish my degree. The politics part of it was fine, but I was doing sociology as-well and I could never bring myself to find an interest in it."^[6] He contributed to The University Observer and was active in UCD Dramsoc and the Literary and Historical Society.^[7]

Career[link]

O'Dowd has starred in Britain in Channel 4's comedy The IT Crowd, BBC 2's Roman's Empire, Red Cap and the award-winning documentary-drama The Year London Blew Up. He has also appeared on Irish television, having starred in the RTÉ One drama The Clinic and the drama Showbands alongside Kerry Katona. O'Dowd has appeared in How to Lose Friends & Alienate People in a minor role. O'Dowd has also had roles in a number of films, including the 2005 film Festival where he played stand-up comedian Tommy O'Dwyer, a role for which he won a Scottish BAFTA award, and a small role in Vera Drake. O'Dowd appears in Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel, a comedy sci-fiction film with Marc Wootton, Dean Lennox Kelly and Anna Faris. He played Liam in the 2007 German film Hotel Very Welcome.

He starred in the 2009 film The Boat That Rocked, released in Canada and the U.S. as Pirate Radio. The film is inspired by the story of offshore pirate broadcasters Radio Caroline. O'Dowd plays Simon, the station's breakfast DJ."The breakfast jock on Radio Caroline at the time was Tony Blackburn, so there's definitely an element of him in it,"^[8] says O'Dowd of his character. "And then I called in different Irish DJs that would have been contemporaries of Tony Blackburn at the time, a guy called Larry Gogan and a couple of other people."^[8]

O'Dowd also starred opposite Sienna Miller in the film Hippie Hippie Shake, which is about the groundbreaking '60s magazine, Oz. The publication was the precursor to a whole generation of lad mags. O'Dowd plays Felix Dennis, who would later become the publisher of Maxim. The story centers on the landmark indecency trial. In real-life, O'Dowd's character was defended by John Mortimer who went on to write Rumpole of the Bailey. In preparation for the role, O'Dowd met up with Dennis. "He was an incredibly charismatic man," O'Dowd stated."^[8]

In April 2009 it was announced that O'Dowd has been cast in a remake of Gulliver's Travels as General Edward. "It's shooting in Pinewood from the end of April,"^[8] said O'Dowd, shortly after his participation was announced. "I'm just going back to England to learn how to ride a horse... I'm a general in the army, so there's going to be a little bit of horse riding. I think it's going to be really fun though, we're all kind of learning together."^[8]

O'Dowd appeared in the 2010 film Dinner for Schmucks, an American version of a French farce called Le Dîner de Cons.^[9] He also appeared on panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks (Season 21, episode 11), and starred in an ITV2 comedy series entitled FM. In 2010, O'Dowd took part in Little Crackers, writing and directing a short film loosely based on his own childhood and Christmas in his family home from 1984 to 1988. In April 2011, he starred in the BBC adaptation of The Crimson Petal and the White as William Rackham, and appeared in the May 2011 release Bridesmaids as Officer Nathan Rhodes.

O'Dowd has been announced as a cast member in the Knocked Up sequel This Is 40.^[10][11][12] He based his character on people in Hoxton who "wear skinny jeans and hate the world, which comes from an inability to deal with women."^[13] He described "fighting over Megan Fox in a pool" during filming as "one of the most fun things I've ever done".^[14]

O'Dowd recently wrapped production on Wayne Blair's debut feature, Australian musical The Sapphires.^[15] The musical powerhouse, based on a popular stage show, was shot across Australia and Vietnam and produced by Goalpost Australia.^[16][17] He is to write and executive produce a new American comedy series called Big Men.^[18], after NBC won the bidding war for it.^[19] He wrote a series based on his childhood called Moone Boy for Sky One.^[20] Segments of the series, which will be aired on Sky 1 in June, were filmed in his hometown of Boyle.

Personal life[link]

O'Dowd is engaged to writer and television presenter Dawn Porter.^[4] He is Catholic.^[21]

Filmography[link]

Film[link]

Television[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Chris O'Dowd at the Internet Movie Database
• When Liberation Frequency met Chris O'Dowd
• Chris O'Dowd speaks to his old university newspaper, the College Tribune

Maggie Moone is a singer best remembered for her role on the UK version of Name That Tune.

In 1980 she participated in A Song For Europe, aiming to become the United Kingdom's entry to that year's Eurovision Song Contest to be staged in The Hague, The Netherlands. Her song Happy Everything, was defeated by Prima Donna singing Love Enough For Two, who won the UK heat A Song For Europe. The voting sequence had ended in a tie, with the 14 regional juries having awarded both songs the same score. In an unrehearsed panic, host Terry Wogan called back each of the juries to cast one deciding vote for either song. Some juries simply gave their casting vote to the song that had received their higher mark. Others opted for a show of hands. In some cases, the juries contradicted the marks they had given earlier. In addition, the scoreboard was unable to keep up with this sudden death voting. In the final count, Maggie lost by 8 juries to 6 and, as such, she failed to go to The Hague. A detailed check of the votes after the show confirmed that this was the correct result, despite all the on screen confusion.

References[link]

• http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Name_That_Tune

Official website

Preceded by Paola

OGAE Second Chance Contest winner Retrospective 1980

Succeeded by Liquid Gold

This biographical article about a British singer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Megan Fox
Fox at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival in September.
Born	Megan Denise Fox (1986-05-16) May 16, 1986 (age 26) Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, model
Years active	2001–present
Spouse	Brian Austin Green (m. 2010–present)

Megan Denise Fox (born May 16, 1986) is an American actress and model. She began her acting career in 2001 with several minor television and film roles, and played a regular role on the Hope & Faith television show. In 2004, she made her film debut with a role in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. In 2007, she was cast as Mikaela Banes, the love interest of Shia LaBeouf's character, in the blockbuster film, Transformers, which became her breakout role. Fox reprised her role in the 2009 sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Later in 2009, she starred as the eponymous lead in the film Jennifer's Body.

Fox is considered a sex symbol and frequently appears on men's magazine "Hot" lists, including Maxim and FHM.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Early life[link]

Fox is of Irish, French and Native American ancestry,^[6] and was born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to Darlene and Franklin Fox. She was raised as a Roman Catholic and attended Catholic school for 12 years.^[7] Fox's parents divorced when she was young. Fox's mother later remarried, and she and her sister^[8] were raised by her mother and her stepfather, Tony Tonachio.^[9][10][11] She said that the two were "very strict" and that she was not allowed to have a boyfriend^[12] or invite friends to her house.^[8] She lived with her mother until she made enough money to support herself.^[12]