Comedienne June Rodgers a big Rolling Stone fan

I wanted to ask “Where’s Patricia O’Brien?” when I bumped into comedienne June Rodgers on Tuesday, 10 March for the launch of the Bill Wyman (former Rolling Stones member) exhibition at Newbridge Silverware. Hilariously, she knew what I was thinking and quipped: “If you’re wondering where Patricia O’Brien is, they wouldn’t let her in, thank God. She’s a pure wagon, that one!”

Along with journalist Andrea Smith (Lonely Planet, Sunday Independent and a regular on the Elaine show), the pair were actually celebrating June’s 60th birthday (“Belatedly, it was last year but, seeing as I a hip replacement since then, we never got to celebrate till now,” said June.

But it wasn’t just her love of the Rolling Stones that brought June down to the Newbridge based Museum of Style Icons. She likes to pop down regularly from her home in Firhouse, Tallaght “because the staff in the shop downstairs and in the café are just wonderful, so friendly and helpful”.

“The Rolling Stones were part of my youth/growing up — mind you, I still can’t get no satisfaction — but I’m still trying, even at my age!” she laughed. “I once did a parody of Mick Jagger on stage; it went down really well with the audience who are pretty much of the same vintage as myself.

Some of the exhibits on display at the Museum of Style Icons (Picture: Conor Healy/Picture It Photography)

“I did the ‘Jagger swagger’, you know the chicken walk, the way he used to strut, and of course, I had the big lips on!”
June loves to come down to Newbridge Silverware and especially when there’s a sale or a bargain to be had.
“I brought a friend from Manchester down here last year,” she said “She loved it too, and now we will make it an annual trip”.
Married to Paul for 23 years, June noted a piece of Newbridge silver was always a really decent wedding gift to get. “We have two canteens of cutlery which I treasure. Now I come down here and I love the selection on offer, from steak knives, glassware, delph — it’s all top notch”.

She continued: “I even bought the dancers in my show a little diamonté bag from here for their Christmas presents, and they loved them. I love the festive decorations too,” she added.

Editor Rose B O'Donoghue got to enjoy an interview with Jacinta O'Brien's nemesis!

For gifts over to the UK at Christmas, Newbridge Silverware is a favourite shopping haunt too for June.

“I like to send gifts overseas, something from ‘home’ or as near to home, and they love the NS range”.
With her hip surgery behind her, June said she is having a ball at the moment and taking it easy for a few months.
“I’ve moved the show to Taylor’s Three Rock in Rathfarnham now so of course, I will be performing the Christmas show there. At the moment I’m doing some radio bits, the Joe Duffy show, etc.

"But Paul and I are mainly enjoying spending time in our mobile home in Curracloe, Co Wexford. I look out the window and have a great view of the sea, a little bit of heaven — and the coronavirus won’t affect our holidays either".

See this week's Kildare Post for further coverage on the exhibition now showing in the Museum of Style Icons at Newbridge Silverware.