Kells PhD becomes an unlikely TV star

Kells man Darragh McCausland has become something of a household name around the country following his appearance on TV's popular 'Come Dine With Me Ireland' show, which screened last week. The Kells PhD graduate was one of five contestants whose dinner party exploits were screened over five nights last week. Darragh said he thoroughly enjoyed the experience - even if he did finish up in last place. "We all got on very well, even though we were slagging each other and we have kept each other's phone numbers," he said. The show, which features five contestants hosting dinner parties over five consecutive nights and scoring each other on their efforts, has proven hugely popular and, last week in Dublin, Darragh found he was being stopped in the street by people who recognised him from the show. "The funny thing is, I have an identical twin brother and he was being stopped in the street, too," he laughed. Wednesday night was Darragh's turn at cooking and he served braised pork cheek with steamed greens. Not to everyone's taste, even his butcher tries to discourage Darragh from this unusual cheap cut of meat, and his guests weren't too impressed, either. They liked his starter and dessert, however, and Darragh says if he could change anything, he would cook something different like lamb shanks. Cosmetic surgery nurse, Cora Murphy, who was the first to cook, flirted quite a bit with Darragh, but he insists it was all a bit of fun. "I like Cora and we'll keep in contact, but we are just good buddies," he said. Kells band, Ham Sandwich, also featured in the show as Darragh had them play for his guests for after-dinner entertainment. "Podge McNamee of Ham Sandwich is one of my oldest schoolfriends and I thought it would be a fun idea," he said. When the doors off Darragh's kitchen opened up to reveal the band, one of the other contestants, Keith Murphy, commented that it seemd as if Darragh "had stowed them under the stairs and just fed them bread and water". On the final night of the show, Dublin-based Weight Watchers leader, Eimhear " Dalaigh, emerged as the winner with her menu which was low on fat and sugar, but still proved very tasty. Darragh is a son of Thomas and Kathleen McCausland from Maple Drive, Kells. He is a past pupil of Kells Community School, studied psychology at Trinity College and compelted his PhD at UCD, just recently qualifying. He is currently continuing his research, while looking for post-doctoral options.