Broadcaster and businesswoman Emma O’Driscoll today celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the release of the single that launched her successful career by promising her and her husband a holiday in the sun.
A former member of the Popstars group Six, which on Valentine’s Day 2002 released what was Ireland’s fastest ever selling single ‘Whole Lot of Lovin’, Emma was on hand to launch this weekend’s Holiday Show, in association with Shannon Airport, at the UL Arena. It will be the biggest event of its kind in the country outside the capital.
“I just realised on the way here how significant today is; fifteen years ago today Six released ‘Whole lot of Lovin’ and it changed my life. I have found myself doing things in life that would probably never have happened were it not for Six so I owe a lot to it. I got to places in that short-time with Six and there are one or two that I promised myself I would definitely go back to. Weather like this certainly gets you thinking about the sun and booking a holiday”, the Limerick native said.
Emma who began her singing career by performing in Bunratty, said her dream holiday would be New Zealand and Australia. “We got to number one in New Zealand and I remember doing an interview from Ireland at 4a.m. with a radio station and thought, I have to go there. We might not make it this year but for Liam (husband) and I it’s definitely at the top of our bucket list.
“This year, though, it’s definitely going to be the sun and I’m not sure where yet but I’ll pop along to the Holiday Show at the weekend to make up my mind. I love the US and have had great holidays there. I’ve been to the West Coast, to San Francisco, which I absolutely loved, Vegas, Orange County and across the East Coast, particularly New York, which I love.
“But for me, the best holiday I ever went on was with my family when I was 16. We hadn’t been abroad before and my Dad decided we would go all-out so he booked us to Florida. It was so special that we went back there on our honeymoon.”
The Holiday Show, in association with Shannon Airport, will welcome over 80 worldwide travel suppliers and thousands of visitors. It will open from 12pm to 5.30pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Entry and car-parking is free, with children’s entertainment also on hand.