Showband star Brendan Bowyer dies in Las Vegas

Waterford-born showband singer Brendan Bowyer has died. He was 81.

He passed away in Las Vegas yesterday surrounded by his family.

Bowyer was regarded as one of the country's most beloved international entertainers for 62 years.

He fronted the Royal Showband and went on to form The Big Eight with Tom Dunphy. He had five number one hits in Ireland.

One of the first headlining Elvis impersonators, Presley himself often attended Bowyer's concerts in Las Vegas in the 1970s.

The death has also been announced of Cork actor Tony Scannell, who was born in Kinsale.

Scannell, who starred in Flash Gordon and The Bill, was 74.

"We're devastated to learn that Tony Scannell, beloved by so many as The Bill's DS Ted Roach, has passed away," UKTV Play said in a statement.

"He was a commanding, hysterically funny, unforgettable presence throughout the show's first decade."

Hi partner, Agnes Lillis, told BBC News: "Tony was the big love of my life. We'd been together a long, long time, and we grew closer and closer.

"Our relationship had many different lives, and he had many different lives in the sense of character transformations. He was very mellow and considerate."

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