Guests
A P McCoy
Northern Irish jockey A P McCoy is one of the finest riders ever to take to the saddle. Named Anthony Peter – but known universally as A P – he was born in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, and rode his first winner at Thurles in Ireland in March 1992, aged 17.
His success soon led to him riding in England, where he had his first winner at Exeter in September 1994. The following season he became champion jockey for the first time, the first of a succession of honours. By the end of the decade he had equalled the record of five winners at the Cheltenham Festival and had become the fastest jockey to reach 1,000 winners.
McCoy, who had won almost every major race in his career was short of one significant achievement until 2010, that of being the winning jockey of the Grand National, the race regarded around the world as the blue riband of horse racing over fences. He achieved his goal and at the 15th attempt won the Grand National at Aintree, Liverpool, on Don’t Push It.
Dave Farrell
David Michael Farrell, also known by his stage name Phoenix, is an American musician, best known as the bassist of the rock band Linkin Park.
Farrell was taught how to play guitar by his mother when he was in high school and can play bass guitar, electric guitar, cello and violin. Farrell was also a member of Tasty Snax, a pop punk band.
Farrell joined Xero, which would change names until ultimately settling down as Linkin Park, after meeting Brad Delson at UCLA. He contributed to the band’s self-titled demo tape in 1997 but left the project to tour with Tasty Snax and finally returning to Linkin Park in 2000. Farrell made his recording debut with Linkin Park on the groups 2002 record, Reanimation.
Ronan Keating
Ronan Keating is an Irish singer who debuted in 1993 alongside Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch, and Stephen Gately of Irish pop group Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999 and he has recorded eleven albums. He gained worldwide attention when his single “When You Say Nothing at All” was featured in the film Notting Hill.
As a solo artist, Keating has sold over 20 million records worldwide alongside the 25 million records with Boyzone, and in Australia, he is best known as a judge on All Together Now and The X Factor from 2010 until 2014 and a coach on The Voice in 2016.
Keating is active in charity work and has been a charity campaigner for the Marie Keating Foundation, which raises awareness for breast cancer.