New girls on the block

Ruth Carney - The Model
Currently in her third year as a drama student in Trinity College, great things are expected of this 20-year-old beauty. Influenced by her older sister, who styles for Vogue magazine in the UK, Ruth has already made considerable headway in the fashion business. Now a model in high demand at Assets modeling agency (home to Glenda Gilson, Rosanna Davidson and Una Gibney), Ruth has already starred in a number of commercials.
With her burgeoning modeling career as a potential launching pad, Carney still has firm designs on being successful as an actress. She starred in last year’s production of Machinal at the Samuel Beckett Centre in Trinity College.
“I love it," she says. "I'm very excited about all the opportunities there are in student productions. I’m hoping to go to London to study acting further and we’ll see where that gets me!” In the meantime, the calls keep on coming in for her as a model. She's going places either way, of that there's no doubt!
Claire Sproule - The Singer
Few aspiring chanteuses would object to being called ‘the Irish Norah Jones’. It’s something that 21-year-old Derry native Claire Sproule has had to get used to. Having signed to Jones’ US label Blue Note, Claire’s beguiling voice has quickly become her calling card. A priority act at EMI for 2006, she went to university to study music – but it wasn’t until a J-1 stint in the Boston that she plucked up the courage to perform in front of an audience.
Despite the considerable weight of expectation that Sproule is currently shouldering, the youngster has a thoroughly down-to-earth view about the business. “If you’d asked me couple of years ago about fame, like any teenager I’d have said it would be cool,” she says. “But the more you come into contact with the people involved, the more you realize that it’s not all its cracked up to be.”
Síle Ní Bhraonáin - The TV Presenter
TG4 is not the place you'd normally expect to find the hottest new star in Irish television, but that's where the gorgeously sexy 22-year-old Síle Ní Bhraonáin is currently wooing viewers. The Galway native got her first break at the Irish-language channel as a continuity presenter, at the age of 19, after applying for a screen test. “I had just completed a FAS computer course and had no idea where my life was going,” she admits.
She does now. IT’s loss is indisputably television’s gain: currently in her element covering premieres, award ceremonies and gigs, Síle is a wonderfully welcome addition to the afternoon schedules. Her own weekday programme, Síle, is fast becoming the ratings winner at the channel – meaning that national stardom is just around the corner.But Síle is more than happy with her lot – for now.
“I’m doing what I love,” she explains. “I just want to give this my best shot.”
Emma Byrne - The Footballer
"Success doesn't come easy. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication. I believe that’s what got me to where I am today. I grew up with great role models, who have been a huge influence on my career."
That she put in the hard work is true – but Emma Byrne also has an impressive amount of skill and raw talent. Having learned her trade at St. Patrick's Athletic and Fortuna Hjioring in Denmark, in 2000 she joined Arsenal where she is a full time professional. The 6ft custodian was voted Arsenal Player of the Year in 2003 and again this year. She regularly trains with the Arsenal men’s goalkeeping squad and with the Irish international goalkeepers. As Ireland’s first choice goalkeeper, with 50 senior caps, the 26-year-old is considered one of the best net-minders in Europe.
Even Brazilian star Sissi couldn’t get past her.
“Signing for Arsenal was the best decision I ever made – but there is no prouder feeling than playing for the Republic of Ireland,” she says.
Antonia Campbell Hughes - The Multi-Faceted Artist
Antonia Campbell Hughes has established a reputation as one of Ireland’s most exciting fashion designers. But that's only the start of it, with this hugely impressive, multi-talented creative power-house. Having graduated from the Grafton Academy of Design at 21, she worked with Donna Karan in New York and Quin & Donnelly in Ireland, before starting her own label in 2000. Inspired by Antonia’s unconventional upbringing in the US, Ireland and Switzerland, her style has been lauded for its uncompromising, innovative mix of influences. Meanwhile, however, she has carved out a separate career for herself as an actress. She played the part of Lucia Joyce in Shimmy Marcus’ contribution to the RTE Bloomsday documentary, and she has also appeared on the long-running BBC series Casualty. “Truthfully, it’s a tough world and you always have to have fresh passion to get where you want to be,” says Antonia of the secret of her success. Don't be surprised if she emerges next fronting her own band!
Joanne Hynes - The Fashion Designer
A graduate of the prestigious Central St. Martin’s School of Art in London, Galway-born Joanne Hynes professes a love for Brassai’s black and white pictures of ‘30s Paris and the sultry likes of Marianne Faithfull. Her collections are a similar mix of glamour and romanticism – think layered crystal dresses, sequin kimonos and feathered, distressed silk bodices. Tellingly, Joanne’s career moved up a gear recently – in addition to being handpicked to design a diffusion label for Topshop, she launched her own collection at the luxury trade show 19 Vendome, alongside the likes of Gharani Strok, Alice Temperley and FrostFrench.
"I do what I do because I love everything about it,” she enthuses. “I love clothes and I love designing. It’s hard work but when I create something amazing it makes my heart beat faster and it makes it all worth while.”
Her celebrity clientele is constantly growing. Currently she is dressing the likes of Roisin Murphy, Natalie Imbruglia and Zoë Ball. It must surely be only a matter of time before the rest of the world starts to catch up.
Jenny Kavanagh - The Schoolgirl
17-year-old Jenny Kavanagh crash-landed into a breakthrough role in Fair City. Playing a homeless girl, who captures the hearts of the residents of the mythical city of the TV drama, the willowy blonde is already on her way to becoming Ireland’s first bona-fide soap babe.
“I’d love that,” she laughs. “I was looking at magazines recently and I thought, ‘I would love to be one of them’. Why not?”
With a mother who is a costume designer and dancer and a father who is a sound engineer, the fifth year student knows showbiz from the inside. Currently a member of the Talented Kids Performing Arts School and Agency in Clondalkin, Kavanagh has the unenviable task of juggling her career with her schoolwork.
“It’s horrible going back into school because I can’t concentrate,” she confesses. “I was doing my homework last night and thinking, ‘I don’t want to do this. I want to decide what I’m going to wear tomorrow to RTE!’”
She may still be a schoolgirl, but, make no mistake – Kavanagh has a wise head on her young shoulders. “I’ve been doing it since I was three, so it’s great that something is finally happening after all the hard work.”
Leigh Arnold - The Actress
Following a four-year stint in New York, where she trained at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts, newcomer Leigh Arnold became the bright new star of RTE’s The Clinic last year. Having done extensive research for the role of the acupuncturist Clodagh, she landed the role immediately, a mere month after returning from the US.
Having starred in a major TV drama, the world is now at Leigh’s feet.
“Fingers crossed that The Clinic want to keep me in the role for a while,” she laughs. “I have a few plays and TV films coming up here, so I’ll definitely get to stay in Ireland for a little while.”
New York, it seems, will have to wait. But the world is likely to be Leigh's oyster over the next few years. “I'm happy to move on,” she muses. “I have some great friends over there, and I really did make a life for myself, so I’m sure I will return regularly. But as an actor it’s important to be versatile. And you expect to keep moving around. Who knows, I could be working in London or LA in the coming months. For me, it’s just important to keep on my toes.”
Lucinda Creighton - The Politician
“It’s strange, I have always wanted to be really involved in politics in some way, since I was very young, but I never supposed that I would be a councillor by the age of 24.”
Amid the flotsam of middle-aged, largely male politicians clogging up the Irish political system, Lucinda Creighton is a breath of fresh air. As the Fine Gael representative for Pembroke in Dublin, Creighton’s outspoken views on the Irish military system and the Government’s lack of commitment to disabled citizens, and the environment, have earned her a place on the current political radar.
Mayo-born Lucinda cut her political teeth in New York, while working as a legal intern. There, she participated in the Democratic mayoral campaign of Peter Vallone in 2002. Nowadays, she is a member of the National Housing Forum. A one-time advisor to Frances Fitzgerald in Dail Eireann, this political hotshot’s philosophy is that it’s better to do things than simply talk about them.
Laura Izibor - The songwriter
The lusciously beautiful Laura Izibor was born in Dublin to an Irish mother and Trinidadian father. She first came to the public’s attention in 2003 when, as a mere stripling of just 15, she won the 2FM/Jacob’s Song Contest in Dublin’s Vicar St. Then a shy, slightly awkward teen, Izibor nonetheless displayed an uncanny self-assurance on stage. Not surprisingly, promoters asked her to open for Jamie Cullum, James Brown and Angie Stone in the months after her momentous win. Then, in 2004, Izibor became the first unsigned artist to be nominated for two Meteor Awards (Best New Act and Hope For 2004). She capped off an extraordinary year by signing to Jive records, following an unprecedented A&R scrum.
"I’ve had an amazing year since signing my record deal,” she says. “It’s involved a lot of hard work, travelling and recording, but I’m really looking forward to my album coming out in 2006. I’m just focusing on that.” As we are too, with great expectations of this teenage superstar in the making...
Laura Izibor plays Crawdaddy on December 17.