NIAMH SHOWS SHE’S STILL GOT THE EURO X FACTOR

NOTE: Niamh is set to try and repeat history in Oslo AN overwhelming majority of the Irish public have thrown their support behind our Eurovision entry which was decided on Friday night.

A poll of fans logging onto the official Eurovision website All Kinds of Everything showed that 84 per cent agreed with the selection of previous winner Niamh Kavanagh as the best chance to lead us to glory in Eurosvision 2010 this May.

Singing It's For You, she battled it out against four other finalists in the Late Late Show Eurosong Special, topping both the public televote and the regional jury vote.

The flame-haired chanteuse was voted ahead of entries by Mikey Graham and a ditty penned by John Waters.

This will be the second time that Niamh (42) will tread the boards of the European song contest having brought Ireland to the winner's podium once already in 1993 when she took the top spot in Millstreet with the haunting In Your Eyes.

Ireland's original Eurovision comeback-kid Johnny Logan has backed Niamh to do well in Oslo, though there has been some criticism that the song closely resembles the Celine Dion Titanic song, My Heart Will Go On. Marty Whelan and Dana also picked Niamh's song at the sure-fired winner before the voting process took place. They all agreed that the song, written by Niall Mooney, Lina Eriksson, Jonas Gladnikoff and Marten Eriksson had struck the right chord.

The big power ballad is similar to the tune she sung to win 17 years ago and now the Dublin singer is hoping it will be two times a winner.

"Winning in Millstreet in 1993 was such an overwhelming positive experience and I'd like to extend a huge thanks to everyone who voted for the song tonight," a breathless Niamh said afterwards. "I'd also like to thank the song writers for writing such an amazing,
powerful song that I'm really looking forward to performing in Oslo in May."

Niamh will go on to represent Ireland in the semi-final on Thursday, May 27 for a place in the final on May 29.

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BOYZ WORKING THROUGH PAIN

IT APPEARS that Boyzone are still coming to terms with the death of Stephen Gately.

Asked in an interview with OK magazine if Stephen's death had brought them closer as men Keith responded:

"Boyzone is escapism - it's our own world. But when Stephen died, our dream world was penetrated.

But I think it's like bodybuilding - when you nip that muscle you need to repair it and when you do it's bigger and stronger."

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All the latest juicy celebrity gossip and snaps eugene.masterson@sundayworld.com

HINDS SET FOR A SPELL AT HOGWARTS

Irish screen icon Ciaran signs up for Potter role

MAGIC: Hinds will join Daniel Radcliffe in the final films HE'S PLAYED scary leaders like Julius Caesar and an assassin in the movie Munich.

Now Irish actor Ciaran Hinds has decided to tickle his funny bone by joining the cast of Harry Potter for the final two films in the series.

Hinds is to join the cast of the massive movie franchise, including lead actor Daniel Radcliffe, as it approaches its climax and fans discover the boy wizard's fate. Hinds will play Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth.

"There's a moment when everyone thinks it's Dumbledore but it's not - it's me, his grumpy brother," chuckled the actor.

"Last month I went back to film the final scenes in this enormous set where Hogwarts is destroyed and there's a huge final battle.

There was an army of people there."

But Hinds isn't concerned about being besieged by Potter fanatics when the movies are released. "I don't think anyone will know who the hell I am.There are a lot of whiskers involved and I had three hours of prosthetics work every morning to change my appearance.

The only bits of me left are my cheekbones and eyes.

Scenes

"It's an enormous thing because they're been shooting the final two films at once and also the schedule goes around peoples' availability now. Emma Watson, for example, is at university in America so they have to work around her free time out of term."

Since he appeared on our screens in Excalibur almost three decades ago, Hinds has become one of our most successful stars, combining roles TV drama like Rome with movies like Veronica Guerin, There Will be Blood and Miami Vice.

Next he teams up with Aidan Quinn for the supernatural drama, The Eclipse, which premieres on RTE on St Patrick's night.

Shot in Cobh, he plays a grieving widower who's disturbed by horrific visions. During the town's annual literary festival, he meets a writer of spiritual novels and finds himself competing for her affections with a flash American writer (Quinn).

"It was great to work with Aidan.We knew each other through mutual friends and we got to know each other even better. It was a great time.

"I hadn't been to Cork since I was in a play there 25 years ago and I used to go into the city for a walk around. Cobh has such a dramatic landscape.These cruisers would come in, six stories high, and dwarf the entire town except for the cathedral. It's one of the deepest natural harbours in the world."

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STYLE IN STORE AS LIZ LAUNCHES LINE

STUNNING: Liz GLAMOURPUSS Elizabeth Hurley will be bringing a touch of class to shopping outlet Kildare Village next Thursday as she jets in to celebrates the opening of her Beach Boutique. The style icon will be cutting the ribbon on her latest venture at 12pm and will be hanging around to help people select the perfect beachwear for their shape.

Liz's swimwear range has a been a huge success since she launched it a few years ago and has been positively received in fashion circles. Showing that her heart is in the right place, on the day, Elizabeth will donate 100 per cent of the proceeds of a special pink bikini to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Speaking about her imminent visit she said: "I love Ireland and on my many visits have always had the best time. I am huge fan of Kildare Village and can't wait to open my first Irish store."

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