Gazette
The Lego Movie – an upbeat masterpiece for the young and young at heart see page 24
clondalkin
PLUS:
Round Tower: Club launch plan for player development Page 32
Rugby:
Clondalkin bow out of Towns Cup at Kilkenny Page 30
ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES....................... 8 DUBLIN LIFE....................11 OUT&ABOUT...................17 CLASSIFIEDS.................26 SPORT............................27
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2012 R ow l ag h • B aw n o g u e • N e i l stow n • D e a n s r at h • K i n g swo o d Month • Ta lXX, l ag h t INSIDE: Rosanna Davison opinion: GP care definitely free for rallies behind the ISPCA and a cause close to her heart P17 under sixes, Alex White tells Gazette P6
Tower amenity start-up date set ian begley
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February 20, 2014
The construction of Clondalkin’s Round Tower visitor centre and monastic garden is scheduled to commence by the end of this year. The initiative which is estimated to cost up to €2m, will include a craft shop, an artefact area, a reading room and a cafe. There will also be rooms for local community groups and schools, including a tower garden, which seeks to provide an illusion of the past.
Also included will be walkways, a meditation garden, and a wild garden. Commenting, Deputy Robert Dowds (Lab) said: “I am absolutely delighted that the plans have been finalised and that the project is moving forward so fast.” Chair person of Clondalkin Tidy Towns Pat O’Sullivan said: “It’ll give a proper profile on what Clondalkin’s about.” Full Story on Page 7
Pot luck: Tallaght IT trainee makes it to Chef of Year finals a student from the Institute of Technology Tallaght Michael Hanlon was one of the 14 finalists of the Knorr Cooking Competition. Each of the finalists represented their college and cooked a main course and dessert in the finals held at DIT Cathal Brugha Street. DIT student Fiona Drought was crowned Knorr Student Chef
of the Year 2014, and was followed by Gareth O’Brien from Dundalk Institute of Technology in second place, and Carren Simpson from Waterford Institute of Technology in third place. Michael and the other finalists each received a certificate of achievement from Unilever Food Solution’s customer director Jim Reeves.
2 CLONDALKIN Gazette 20 February 2014
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courts Sobbing as sentence is passed
Man gets 20 months for attack on ex-girlfriend A CLONDALKIN man who tried to choke his ex-partner with a vacuum cleaner flex before beating her with an iron and smashing a wine bottle on her has been jailed for 20 months. Judge Martin Nolan said that Ralph Currivan (49) had been a “very good and law-abiding citizen” until this incident. He said he had considered not jailing Currivan, but said that the seriousness of his actions left the court with no choice but to impose a custodial sentence. Currivan, of Dunawley Grove, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm of Janet Hazel at her house in Clondalkin on December 5, 2012. He sobbed as Judge Nolan imposed a jail term of three years, with the last 16 months suspended. Garda Ruth Brett told Kerida Naidoo BL, prosecuting, that Currivan and the victim had been in a relationship but decided to take a break in November 2012. Six weeks before the assault, Currivan spoke to Ms Hazel about getting back together and became angry when she told him she didn’t want to do that. On December 5, Currivan called to her home and she let him in. He told her: “You can’t treat me like this” and became extremely angry. He pushed her against a wall and onto the floor before punching her head and eye with his fist. He then grabbed a vacuum cleaner cord and put it around her neck. Ms Hazel managed to get out from the flex and Currivan put his hands around her throat and tried to choke her. He
then took a clothes iron and hit her with it, causing a gash on her shoulder. The victim pleaded with Currivan to stop and tried to get up but he told her to stay down. He then got a bread knife and said he was going to kill her. Currivan then smashed an empty wine bottle on her head. Currivan stopped the attack and told the woman he wanted to talk to her. He swallowed a whole packet of Solpadeine tablets, and told her he didn’t want to live, saying: “Look what I’ve done.” He took some of the broken bottle and said he wanted to slit his wrists. The victim managed to calm him down and convinced him not to hurt himself, and they both began cleaning up the scene. Currivan then locked himself into the victim’s
bathroom and passed out. Ms Hazel rang an ambulance and both persons were taken to Tallaght Hospital. Gda Brett said the victim was terrified during the attack and was afraid for her life when Currivan was standing over her with the knife.
Didn’t remember After his arrest, Currivan, who has no previous convictions, said he didn’t remember what he had done but fully accepted the victim’s account. Ronan Kennedy BL, defending, said the victim was a good, kindhearted woman who had befriended Currivan when he was at his lowest. She said the father of two was diagnosed with chronic back pain in 2009 and couldn’t work. This put a strain on his marriage and he and his
wife separated. Counsel said Currivan was on morphine derivatives and sedatives and shouldn’t have been drinking alcohol along with these. Gda Brett accepted that Currivan is remorseful. In a letter read to the court, he apologised for the pain and distress he has caused. He wrote: “I cannot forgive myself. It has haunted me for a lifetime. I never meant any harm to Ms Hazel. I have betrayed her friendship. I’d give anything to right this wrong and turn back the clock.” Counsel said Currivan hopes the victim might forgive him some day and would give anything to sit down and have a conversation with her again. He said that this could be facilitated through the Restorative Justice programme, but knows this
was unlikely. Currivan, who is in receipt of social welfare and makes maintenance payments to his ex-wife, brought €1,000 to court in compensation, Mr Kennedy said. A letter handed into court from Currivan’s exwife stated that she has never known him to be violent. Counsel said Currivan began using alcohol as an emotional crutch and was drinking daily by 2012. He has been sober since the attack on Ms Hazel. A number of his lifelong friends had come to court to support Currivan and the court heard written testimonials from some of these, describing the assault as completely out of character. A psychiatric assessment put Currivan at the lowest level of risk of perpetrating a violent crime again.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard of a Clondalkin man’s “out of character” assault on his ex partner, during which he beat her, attempted to strangle her with a vaccum cleaner cord, hit her with an iron, and smashed a wine bottle on her head, before locking himself in the victim’s bathroom and passing out
20 February 2014 CLONDALKIN Gazette 3
courts Body discovered in hotel by staff
Man charged with murder of woman Eric Locke (31) has appeared in court, charged with the murder of Sonia Blount (30) at the Plaza Hotel in Tallaght on Sunday, February 16. Locke, who is from Clondalkin, handed himself in to gardai on
the day that Blount’s body was discovered and appeared at Tallaght District Court at 10.30am on February 18. Arresting officer Jennifer Brogan told Judge Halpin that she arrested Locke and said he replied “no” to the charge.
It is now understood that the man charged was known to Blount – a mother of one from the Old Bawn area of Tallaght. Her body was discovered at approximately 3.30pm by cleaning staff. The scene was sealed
off and the remains were examined by a pathologist before being removed for a full postmortem. Locke has been remanded in custody and is due to appear before Cloverhill District Court on February 25.
Read on: World Book Day kelly Saunders (5)
from Tallaght and Viking Ross Crammond launched World Book Day at Dublinia in Dublin. World Book Day takes place on Thursday, March 6 to celebrate books and reading. The day will see all pupils in schools nationwide receive a token that they can exchange for a free World Book Day book in their local bookshop.
Picture: Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland
business: €250m deal ahead of expansion plan
HSBC buys majority stake in Liffey Valley
ian begley
HSBC Alternative Investments (HAIL) has acquired a majority stake in Liffey Valley Shopping Centre for €250m. The deal, confirmed on February 17, will allow Aviva Investors to hand over their 72.8% stake to the fund. The remaining shareholding for the shopping centre will continue to be retained by British property corporation, Grosvenor Estates. It is expected that HAIL will agree to sell on a small equity in Liffey Valley to US-based investment company, Hines.
The overall sale of their stake will include 17 acres, which is being used to expand the 520,000 sq ft shopping centre. Liffey Valley receives about €28m per annum from rented units in the centre, which includes Dunnes Stores, Marks & Spencer, and Vue Cinema. Before the Celtic Tiger economic crash, Grosvenor had sought €400m for a 50% stake in Liffey Valley, but failed to secure any buyers. Since the centre opened more than 20 years ago, a long-running problem with it has been the absence of a full
supermarket. H owe ve r, t h i s i s expected to be addressed soon as a Tesco supermarket is due to be built on the site for approximately €30m. Cllr Caitriona Jones (Lab) said that although the news of a full supermarket is good for Liffey Valley, she was concerned that its development would take profits away from local businesses. Speaking to The Gazette, she said: “I think that a lot of people perceive that you get better value when you go to the big supermarkets, but that’s not actually the case.
“The likes of the butchers [in Lucan] do great deals, and even though they’re local and small and competing with big businesses, you actually get really good value.” Development work is also expected to start soon on a new 60,000 sq ft Penney’s retail store. The expansion of the centre has also been secured by Liffey Valley Management, with the expansion estimated to have cost €25m and seeing the centre exceeding more than 114,000 sq ft, including added space for clothing units and restaurants, as well as a new communal public area.
4 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 20 February 2014
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CRIME One of the two women arrested remains in custody
Six released in alleged sexual assault case IAN BEGLEY
SIX of seven people arrested on February 18 as part of an investigation into an alleged systematic serious sexual assault of a young girl in Tallaght have been released without charge. One of the two women arrest-
ed remained in custody on February 19 in Sundrive Road Garda station in Crumlin. The individuals arrested were detained in the early morning of February 18 in Dublin and Wexford. Those arrested were two women in their 40s, and five men ranging from 19 years
to 47 years. They were detained in a number of stations in the south Dublin area, under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. Six were released in the early morning of February 19 with files being prepared for the DPP.
The series of offences are alleged to have taken place across several years when the victim was between four and nine years of age. She is now 10 years old. It is understood that the girl was taken into State care last year, and during her time there,
workers of the Health Service Executive became aware of the alleged sexual abuse. An investigation into the case was then launched by the Garda. They have stated that they are currently releasing no further details about this investigation.
REACH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE TO ADVERTISE IN YOUR LOCAL AREA CALL THE GAZETTE PH.60 10 240 The ESB Poolbeg Power Station which is near the proposed site of the new 600,000-tonne Poolbeg incinerator. Picture: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland
POOLBEG: €16M SPENT ‘AND NOT A SINGLE BRICK LAID’
Stop incinerator cash – councillors IAN BEGLEY
COUNCILLORS from all par ties in South Dublin County Council are calling on the council management to withhold all payments to the Poolbeg incinerator project until they receive a full report on its progression. To date, the council has spent over €16m of taxpayer’s money on the Poolbeg waste plant, with its total commitment being €20.8m. The cross-party support for the motion, tabled by Cllr Eoin O’Broin (SF), was fuelled after it was announced that the future of the Poolbeg project was in doubt, following comments made by Dublin City manager Owen Keegan. The motion was
passed unanimously at the council meeting on February 10. At a recent Oireachtas environment committee, Keegan told Dublin councillors that a decision would need to be made about whether the project should continue following two complaints to the EU. The complaints assert that the contract with US waste company Covanta breached EU rules on State aid and procurement. Keegan was asked if he believed the project would go ahead, and replied: “I don’t know.” Speaking to the Gazette, Cllr O’Broin said: “Despite the enormous amount of taxpayer’s money that has been invested in this project not a single brick has
been laid. “In light of these questions, I tabled a motion at the February council meeting calling for a halt to all future payments from south Dublin until councillors have received a full report. “Councillors from all parties in South Dublin County Council are now calling for full disclosure of what is going on in order to make an informed judgement as to whether we should walk away from the project.” The manager responded to O’Broin’s motion, stating: “The council is obliged under an agreement between the Dublin local authorities to make payments in line with the sharing arrangement agreed. There are no payments due at the present
time.” Lucan councillor Guss O’Connell (Ind) told the Gazette that he is “appalled” over the council’s decision to use taxpayer’s money to fund this project. He said: “When I came into the council way back in 1991, councillors had much more of a say on waste management. It is now a management decision and all we can ever do is try and influence management. “Nobody’s perfect, mistakes are made – but this is a big one,” he said. The original plan was to build an incinerator to take on the increase of waste being accumulated and was set to cost in the region of €400m for the 600 tonne incinerator in Ringsend.
20 February 2014 CLONDALKIN Gazette 5
community Concerns over suitability of proposed facility’s location
Group forms to oppose library ian begley ibegley@gazettegroup.com
THE proposed multimillion euro librar y for Rowlagh in north Clondalkin is meeting opposition from a new group which calls itself the Library Location Action Group (LLAG). The group, comprising residents from O a t f i e l d H a r e l aw n , “strongly objects” to the proposed siting of the library, due to the significant amount of green space the building will take up. On behalf of LLAG, local election candidate Francis Timmons (Ind) said: “We would like to make it clear to all concerned that we are 100% committed to the proposal to construct a new library in north
Clondalkin. “However, we strongly object to the proposed location on the green space bordering Collinstown Road, Oatfield Avenue, Oatfield Park, Harelawn Crescent and Harelawn Avenue.” The group believes green spaces are vital to the health and wellbeing of surrounding residents, and that antisocial behaviour and vandalism are likely to occur if the library is built there. Timmons said: “Antisocial behaviour in the area has been allowed to occur with little or no intervention by the authorities. “ We f e e l l o c a t ing the library on the green could potentially exacerbate anti-social behaviour in the area.
“Locating the library on the green without adequate security could potentially put financial strain on the council, due to the higher than normal maintenance costs. “Residents are particularly concerned about the increase in traffic levels and on-street parking within the bordering estates, which will be dangerous to children and obstruct access to emergency services and local authority vehicles,” he said. Cllr Breeda Bonner (Lab) believes the site in Rowlagh is “perfect” for the location of the librar y, and is concerned for the facility’s survival if the proposal is opposed. She said: “I’m a pri-
An artist’s impression of the proposed north Clondalkin library
mary school principal in the area and I’ve been looking for a library in north Clondalkin since I started working here 30 years ago. “The council looked at different areas in Clondalkin and I have to admit that they did
choose the right site. “The county manager has to go and pitch for funding nationally for this library, and I’m just afraid that if he feels that people don’t want it, that it might be lost in north Clondalkin. “There will be a series
of meetings and I’m just really encouraging people [who are in favour of the library] to make their views know n,” said Cllr Bonner. Cllr Trevor Gilligan (FG) is undecided on the library’s proposed location and wants the
decision to be based upon a public vote. He said: “I support a library in north Clondalkin, but I do feel that the council must go through a very large public consultation phase where everybody has an input.”
6 CLONDALKIN Gazette 20 February 2014
opinion Alex White on the Government’s health reforms
‘Universal access to care is coming’ THIS week Minister Alex White clarified to The Gazette that there will be absolutely no fee for children under six for GP care. THE Programme for G ove r n m e n t pledged to introduce
radical and fundamental reform of our health service. A central part of this reform agenda is the introduction of free GP care for all. Free GP care for children aged under six was announced in Budget 2014 and it is intended
that children under the age of six will be able to attend their GP without fees, by the middle of this year. Approximately 240,000 children across Ireland will benefit from this innovative public health policy.
Free GP care for children aged under six is not an end in itself, but an important first step in the phased introduction of GP care without fees for everyone. It is a sad truth that many parents who are not eligible for a medical card are simply unable to pay the fee needed for their sick child to be seen by a GP – as a society, this is unacceptable. No family should be forced to choose between sending their child to the doctor and putting food on the table. Everyone, especially our children, should have access to healthcare based on their need, rather than on their ability to pay a fee. Children deserve the best start in life. The foundations of a person’s health are established in childhood. Free GP care will help people to stay healthy, more productive and active throughout their lives. When people delay going to their GP and getting regular preventative and screening care, it results in the late detection of illness, poorer health outcomes and greater pressures on our hospitals. There is no more expensive place in our healthcare system than an acute hospital bed. Costs there [for the State] can range between €800 and €1,200 a night. Investment in primary care and, in particular, GP care without fees, keeps people out of hospitals for as long as possible – thus reducing the pressures on our hospital system and cutting costs.
Minister of State Alex White: “I look forward to the day when all citizens ... are treated equally by our health system, and not on the basis of their ability to pay”
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‘There is a reason why GP care without fees is a norm in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and across Europe – because it makes sense, and it works’
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There is a body of evidence that shows that GP fees are a barrier to accessing healthcare. Research shows that in Northern Ireland (where GP care is free at the point of access), only 1.8% of patients with medical problems had not consulted a doctor because of cost, whereas the figure here is 18.9%. In common with health systems all over the world, this Government is grappling with how best to configure our health services to address the rise of chronic illnesses and an ageing population. The introduction of universal primary care, free at the point of use, is an essential element of the reform we need in
our health services if they are to become responsive to the needs of the 21st century. There is a reason why GP care without fees is a norm in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and across Europe – because it makes sense, and it works. Free, accessible, highquality, primary care services will reduce societal inequalities, save money and create a healthier and more prosperous society. There has been a lot of concern about medical cards recently – especially cards awarded on discretionary grounds. The weakness of the current system is that eligibility is judged on a person’s means. This has
been the law since 1970. We should start now to change this by introducing a universal system of GP access. As free GP care for all will be introduced on a phased basis, some will benefit before others, but benefit delayed should not prevent innovation and reform in public health policy. This Government has begun the process of building a primary care system with universal access to GP care. I look forward to the day when all citizens of this country are treated equally by our health system, and not on the basis of their ability to pay. The introduction of free GP care for children aged under six is a landmark moment in the creation of a universal primary care system. deputy alex white Minister of State at the Department of Health and Labour TD for Dublin South
20 February 2014 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 7
CONSTRUCTION Work on tourist attraction to start by year’s end
Plans finalised for tower visitor centre IAN BEGLEY ibegley@gazettegroup.com
THE construction of Clondalkin’s Round Tower visitor centre and monastic garden is scheduled to commence by the end of this year. The initiative, which is estimated to cost from €1m to €2m, will include a craft shop, an artifact area, a reading room and a cafe. There will also be rooms for local community groups and schools, including a tower garden, which seeks to provide an
illusion of the past. Also included will be walkways, a meditation garden, and a wild garden. Commenting, Deputy Robert Dowds (Lab) said: “I am absolutely delighted that the plans have been finalised and that the project is moving forward so fast. “The plans for the project show that the monastic garden and visitor centre will be a great place where local people will be able to bring visitors and friends from abroad, and it will be a great boost to local
businesses with all the tourists likely to come to visit it from the nearby hotels.” The other community groups and clubs involved in this initiative include: The Clondalkin History Society, Clondalkin Tidy Towns, Clondalkin Camera Club and the Round Tower GAA Club. Chairperson of Clondalkin Tidy Towns Pat O’Sullivan believes the Round Towers visitor centre and monastic garden will have a “huge impact” for Clondalkin. He said: “Certainly
Deputy Robert Dowds (Lab) was delighted at the news that the construction of Clondalkin’s Round Tower visitor centre got the green light
from a tourism point of view it’ll put Clondalkin on the map. A huge transformation is going to come about. “If everything goes smoothly its construction will probably take about two years. It’ll give a proper profile on what
Clondalkin’s about,” said O’Sullivan. Labour Cllr Breda Bonner said: “This wonderful news means that the people of Clondalkin will finally have a visitor centre and monastic garden for our round tower, and that construction will begin by
the end of the year. “I felt very strongly that our round tower has been neglected for far too long and I am delighted to say that we have managed to make huge progress on what will be a fantastic facility for all the people of Clondalkin,” she said.
CELBRIDGE Leisure amenity opened BASE - Ireland’s newest and largest family entertainment centre has recently opened in Celbridge. The centre features new and exciting activities for kids, including space bumpers, an eight lane bowling alley, a challenging lazer maze, six themed party rooms, a soft play area, an enormous play gym, and three food outlets. The centre is open from 10am to 10pm, seven days a week, and group or party bookings can be made by phone on 01 6544 264, or in person, where staff can offer a guided tour of the whole facility and suggest suitable party and entertainment options. Visit www.basecelbridge.ie or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ basecelbridge.
8 clondalkin Gazette 20 February 2014
gazetteGALLERIES
Meg Brennan, Catherine Costello and Meabh McGrath, Our Lady’s Templeogue
St Killian’s SNS and Deputy Lord Mayor Eamon Tuffy
Pupils of Sacred Heart Senior National School Killinarden with the Minister for Communications, Energy and
celebration: BACK FOR EIGHTH SUCCESSIVE YEAR
Engineering a great time for all P
Many people gathered at Rua Red for the launch
UPILS and students across south Dublin County celebrated Engineer’s Week 2014 last week from February 9 to 15. Engineer’s Week returned for its eighth successive year, and was launched at the Rua Red, South Dublin Arts Centre. The week celebrated and created a posi-
tive awareness and enthusiasm about the engineering profession. Among those at the launch were South Dublin County Council’s Deputy Lord Mayor Eamon Tuffy (Lab) and Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte.
20 February 2014 clondalkin Gazette 9
Have you seen yourself in the Gazette? Buy photos online from only €6.99 at www.gazettephotos.com
Conal White, looking comfortable in the Sam Maguire Cup on his special visit to St Finian’s GAA, was one of the many visitors invited to have their picture taken with the famous piece of silverware. Pictures: Cathy Weatherston
St Finian’s: meeting famous trophy
Abbie Nulty and Shona Murphy
Cathal, Brady and Joshua Tobin
Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte. Pictures: Cathy Weatherston
Ella Watson Norah, Laurence and Michael Harney
Sean Mahon and Sean Ronayne
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Sean Keating of Vilicom
Resources Pat Rabbitte
Stephanie , Wayne , Harry and Annabelle Farrell
Fitzgerald
10 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 20 February 2014
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Aaron Kirwan (above left), Damien with Victoria Watters
Singer-songwriter Damien Dempsey was the first musician to take part in a new programme of in-store performances at HMV Henry Street. He met many of his fans on the day, including Shane McManus, whose guitar he signed. Pictures: Mark Stedman /Photocall Ireland
HMV: SINGER-SONGWRITER MEETS SOME FANS
Damien is on song
Damien with Karl Cashin and Jessica Dunne
20 February 2014 Gazette 11
a day in the life P14
asdfsdaf business P27 P16
dublinlife Let Dublin Gazette Newspapers take you on a tour of the news and events taking place across the city and county this week
Gazette
diary P12
what’son food-fest comes to town:
Lisa Cannon is swapping her stilettos for a heavier load – weightlifting. Picture: Paul Sharp
challenge: fashion guru trains eye on powerlifting championships
Out with the pints and in with protein, says Lisa Laura Webb
Irish TV presenter Lisa Cannon is swapping her stilettos for a heavier load – weightlifting. The presenter, better known for her knowledge of fashion, is taking on the unusual challenge of competing in the Powerlifting Championships in April. She is giving herself eight weeks to prepare for the professional event and will be putting herself through a gruelling diet and training regime to make it happen.
All this will be done under the watchful eye of a TV3 camera crew for a new hour-long documentary which will record her every step along this journey. Lisa is not daunted: “I’m really looking forward to the challenge because this is something that is both physical and mental. I’m pushing myself beyond boundaries I’ve never felt or even known before.” Having never previously lifted a weight, she will be going from novice to professional in a matter of weeks.
“I’ve swapped the pints for the protein so it’s really a massive endeavour to get this project off the ground. I’ve never lifted weights before; I’m a complete novice so going to the championships on April 15 is going to be a really good, exciting challenge in my life.” Lisa will compete alongside women from all over the country, some of whom have been training for months and even years. To make sure she doesn’t stand out from the crowd she will be following an extremely strict diet and heavily
regimented exercise plan provided by top personal trainers, including Welsh trainer Non Evans and Robert Lynch from Body Health and Fitness. Her aim is to drastically transform her body and in the meantime try to become Ireland’s next female powerlifter. Ireland AM will be following her progress weekly in the run up to the Powerlifting Championships on April 15. TV3 have yet to confirm a date in April when the documentary will be aired.
The bi-annual Dine in Dublin event focuses on celebrating the food on offer in Dublin’s city centre. The week-long food-fest runs from February 24 to March 1 and promotes city centre dining and showcases the menus of city centre eateries through good value meals, special offers and great events. The experience is not just about “dining” but also about getting out and “doing”, so whether diners are passionate about food or simply want a new experience, Dine in Dublin claims to have something to suit every palate. In previous years, visitors have been treated to diverse menus which include starters, main course and dessert with a 20% saving off regular a la carte menus. Diners can expect similar offers again this year with additional offers and events from both bars and cafes. This year’s Dine in Dublin brings together a unique blend of demonstrations, competitions, prosecco evenings, winetastings, trad sessions, belly-dancing, and much more.
Gazette
12 Gazette 20 February 2014
dublinlife
DIARY
A Weisz choice to househunt by the sea
finding a dream home than they did in the 2011 film, Dream House (above)
quantum of solace in the picturesque seaside town while his wife steps into the spotlight with Farrell.
show off your unique talent HAVE you an unusual or unique talent with nowhere to show it off? Then this talent contest is for you! Heineken has revealed its new global TV ad campaign, Odyssey, which celebrates the premise that everyone is legendary at something. Taking inspiration from the ad, Heineken Ireland has launched a hidden talent search in the hopes of discovering a legendary individual with an extraordinary
hidden skill. So, whether it’s limbo dancing, fashioning origami swans or solving a Rubik’s cube (blindfolded), the stage has been set. The lucky winner will win a lifetime trip to stay on a private paradise island in Belize – nice! For further information, see Heineken.com/IrishLegend.
a call to help daffodil day THERE’S no chance of rain dampening Dublin’s efforts at Daffodil Day this year, after the Irish Cancer Society has waterproofed its fundraising plans. Last year, Daffodil Day was badly hit by severe
rain, which severely affected the charity’s income on its most important fundraising day. However, this year the Irish Cancer Society and its sponsor, Dell, unveiled its bold new belief statement: “We won’t give up until cancer does.” The society said Daffodil Day allows people across Ireland to stand together in their thousands and show that come rain or shine, 2014 will be no different in supporting the charity and its work. Daffodil Day takes place on Friday, March 28. To volunteer or to organise an event, callsave 1850 60 60 60 or visit www.cancer.ie/daffodilday.
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SHOP LOCALLY
When they get to Dun Laoghaire, here’s hoping Weisz and Craig have better luck
HOLLYWOOD A-listers Daniel Craig and his wife, Rachel Weisz, have been house hunting in Dun Laoghaire this month ahead of Weisz’s starring role with Colin Farrell in the upcoming film, The Lobster. The power couple’s “team” contacted estate agents in Dun Laoghaire last December about renting a house for several weeks while Weisz is working on set in March. Dun Laoghaire has become the preferred location for the pair, as it is beside the sea, near the capital and the airport. If Craig and Weisz find a house in Dun Laoghaire, here’s hoping the Bond actor will find a
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14 Gazette 20 February 2014
dublinlife
FEATURE
a day in the life: andrew Griffin, Amnesty International
‘I like working in the bad weather’ Ian Begley
Andrew Griffin has been working as a charity street fundraiser for Amnesty International for just over two years a difficult job, you would think. But Andrew loves what he does. His role entails signing people up to the charity from various locations around Dublin, particularly in the city centre. Taking time out of his busy schedule, Andrew spoke to the Gazette about his day-to-day
routine as a street fundraiser. “ We g e t i n t o t h e office for 10.15am, and depending on the particular site that I’m working, our starting time will vary.” Andrew says that when he’s on the lookout for people to sign up he becomes completely focused on his overall objective. “Think of something you love doing, like going to the cinema. You’re totally engrossed in it and you’re not
thinking because you’re totally in the moment. “I must admit, I like working in the bad weather. I like the challenge, I like the excitement.” Andrew believes that eye contact with potential charity donors is essential to the job, along with a heartfelt and convincing pitch. “A nice warm smile on the face as well and a big wave helps a lot too. [I usually start with] ‘Hi, I’m from Amnesty International’, but I’ve used
some crazy openings like pointing at a person and booming ‘You have been chosen’. “Ultimately, it all comes down to having a really clear focus and being positive.” Andrew says that the feeling he gets when he successfully manages to sign someone up to Amnesty is “amazing”. “Sometimes it’s like wanting to punch the air as a result. “What I love is if the person hadn’t been smiling at the beginning, and
Andrew Griffin, Amnesty International: “I like the challenge, I like the excitement.”
then at the end they’re smiling and thanking me – and that’s amazing.” During his lunch break Andrew admits that he likes to take a breather from the constant interaction with people he deals with for hours at a time.
“The majority of the team would have lunch together, but I tend to prefer spending time by myself. “I often like to wander away and not engage with people too much – a chance to take the foot off the accelerator.” By 6pm, Andrew packs
away his Amnesty binder, finishes up after a long day of fundraising, and unwinds on his way home from work. “To me unwinding is not a conscious process – I would be sitting on the bus answering emails or buying food for supper – quite low-key type stuff.”
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dublinlife
business networking: bringing local businesses together
Q&A
Free lunch? Free breakfast for local employers! Bairbre Ni Bhraonain
jade o’brien, harvey norman
Being switched on to customers’ needs JADE O’Brien who works in the electrical department in Harvey Norman, Blanchardstown, talked to The Gazette about working at the busy store. How long have you worked for Harvey Norman?
I’ve been working here for eight months in the electrical department.
Can you describe your average day?
From the moment I get into the store, I have loads to do to keep me busy. Most days, we have a good, constant flow of customers, so the days just fly by.
Tell us about the culture in Harvey Norman?
Everyone is really friendly and we all work as a team. I think customers can see we all enjoy the environment we work in, and we always do
our best to ensure the customer is happy. What does good customer service mean to you?
Ensuring that you help the customer find exactly what they need and also what is best for them. Sometimes, you need to do a little bit extra, but customers appreciate when they see you’ve tried to do something for them that you didn’t have to.
What is the best thing about your job?
Seeing a customer leaving the store knowing they’re really happy with what they’ve purchased and the service you’ve provided.
What do you do to switch off in the evenings?
I relax by listening to music or watching movies, and I like to spend time with my boyfriend, friends and family.
Serving 6 thriving communities of suburban Dublin. FOR U P TO DATE NE W s f o l l o w u s : www . f a c e b o o k . c o m / D u b l i n G a z e t t e N e wsp a p e r s @DublinGazette
They say there is no such thing as a free lunch but this Wednesday, February 26, the Dublin Business Club will be offering a free breakfast of tea/coffee and danish as part of its support and networking breakfast launch. The event, which takes place in the Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club, has been organised by the club as part of an effort to bring local businesses together and offer support free of charge on a variety of subjects relevant to decision-makers across all sectors. The briefing starts at 8.45am and finishes at 11am. According to Dublin Business Club, which describes itself as a business linking network, the organisation has been put together by like-minded business people who want to get something more from attending networking events other than just paying a membership fee. This forum will advise business leaders on subjects such as improving employee performance, dealing with employee stress and managing staff issues quickly and effectively. It will also allow time for local businesses to connect with employers from like-minded, Irishbased companies, sharing ideas and talking through the subjects covered during the morning. The breakfast will be sponsored by Peninsula
Alan Price, managing director of Peninsula Business
Business Services, a provider of employment law and health and safety services and is open to local business owners, proprietors and senior decision makers. “Peninsula Business Services is delighted to be sponsoring the first Dublin Business Club, this is a great opportunity for us to really combine our business strengths and help other business owners in our area of expertise. We are excited by the mutual offerings, prospective growth and knowledge the business club will provide,” said Alan Price, managing director of
Peninsula Ireland. The workshop will be presented by one of Peninsula’s senior legislation specialists who will explain many businessrelated topics and offer advice in a manner that is easy to understand. The legal specialist team will also be highlighting some recent case studies and examining the benefits of business linking. So, if you have a business in Dublin and would like to get involved in the Dublin Business Club, the organisers believe this is your opportunity to meet other key decision-mak-
ers from local businesses to discuss common issues facing employers today. P r o s p e c t i v e p a rticipants can confirm their attendance at the breakfast by calling the Peninsula events team on 01 850 6055 or email events@dublinbusinessclub-ie.com Peninsula is a leading employment law consultancy in the country and represents over 5,000 businesses in Ireland. It also works with Chambers Ireland, the largest business organisation in Ireland with 60 members representing over 13,000 companies.
20 February 2014 Gazette 17
FOOD&DRINK P22
asdfsdaf P27 music P25
OUT&ABOUT Never be out of the loop on what’s happening in Dublin! Let Out&About be your guide to all that is stylish, cultural and essential across the city and beyond this week
Gazette
travel P18
PETS
help bouncy young pluto find his true home
Former Miss World Rosanna Davison rallies behind a cause close to her heart. Picture: Carmel Murray
charity: thoughtful gifts which provide life-saving support to animals
Doing the ISPCA a favour
Ian Begley
Bride-to-be and former Miss World Rosanna Davison, along with her pooches, Ted and Leo, have braved the cold weather to promote the ISPCA’s Wedding Favours. Rosanna said: “Being able to tie [your pets into proceedings] with the chosen colour scheme on your big day, and using a picture of your beloved pets, means they can also play a part in your wedding. “But most importantly, the money raised from Wedding Favours will go directly to saving the lives of hundreds and thousands of animals.” Rosanna told the Gazette that she has been working with the ISPCA for the
past eight or nine years. “I do various things for them every year like fundraising campaigns, and I thought [Wedding Favours] would be a good fit because I’m getting married this year. It’s a really great way to thank your guests for being a part of your wedding.” Rosanna, who is getting hitched to fiance Wes Quirke, said she was busy staying on track with her wedding plans and modelling career. “[Modelling] is still kind of my full time job at the moment and there’s lots of travel involved so I’m kind of all over the place. “I also just graduated from the College of Naturopathic Nutrition to become a nutritional therapist – that was a combination of three-and-a-
half years of work.” Rosanna, a keen advocate for animal rights, has been a devoted vegan for about three years, and has been doing promotional work for animal rights groups such as PETA. “I do a lot for animal welfare and animal rights and that’s how I began my involvement with the ISPCA. I stopped eating meat about 11 or 12 years ago so I think sometimes I love animals more than humans.” It’s all go for Rosanna next month as she gets set to judge the nationwide competition, Junk Kouture. “It’s where students from all over the country are encouraged to design their own dresses or outfits with 100% recycled material. It’s a really great
initiative,” said Rosanna. In 2012, Rosanna took the bold step of undertaking a cover-shoot for the German edition of Playboy magazine, and last year she appeared in an eight-page centrefold spread in Playboy USA. When asked if she had any future work planned with the publication, Rosanna said: “No, I’m done for now I think. Back to being a bit more wholesome.” ISPCA Wedding Favours are an alternative to the usual chocolate gifts for guests. Each guest receives a card on the day explaining that a donation has been made to the charity on their behalf. Visit www.ispca.ie for more information.
The Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs. Our Dog of the Week is Pluto, a one-year-old Pitbull cross. Pluto is a relatively recent arrival here at Dogs Trust. He is a large, bouncy adolescent who needs basic training and a high energy family who feel they can commit to meeting his needs (ie lots of walks and playing ball please!) In return, Pluto will shower you with all his love and adoration – what more could you need! If you think you can give Pluto the cuddles and love he deserves, then why not give the Dogs Trust reception a call on 01-879 1000 or pop into their rehoming centre based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website www. dogstrust.ie. You can also find them on Facebook www.facebook.com/ dogstrustireland or Twitter @DogsTrust_IE.
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OUT&ABOUT
TRAVEL
andorra: drift over to some great snow resorts
Slope off to some perfect skiing natalie burke
IF YOU fancy taking to the slopes for the last – or first – time this year, ski operators have plenty of last-minute deals on offer. Whether it’s catching the last of the snow in France, taking to the infamous slopes of Austria, or checking into a ski lodge in Andorra, Crystal Ski Holidays have released a host of last-minute offers, start-
ing from as little as €279 per person. Crystal Ski Holidays, recently voted Best Ski Tour Operator at the Irish Travel Industry Awards, promise to look after their ski enthusiasts, from their initial inquiry and booking right through to assisting them throughout their stay. S i t u a t e d b e t we e n France and Spain, Andorra is a small, independent state lying at the heart of the Pyrenees.
Its mountains are high, snow abundant, and the sun is nearly always shining, making it the ideal escape for a late ski break. Travel to Andorra on March 16 from Dublin and check into the threestar Poblado Apartments Resort in Pas de la Casa, where you can stay on a B&B basis based on four people sharing from only €289. Alternatively, you can stay at the three-star St
Gothard Resort, Arinsal, on a half-board basis from just €489. From the Alps to the Dolomites, skiing in Italy is one experience you won’t easily forget. It has a huge range of ski resorts that are ideal for beginners and experts alike, meaning you will find the perfect slope for your skiing holiday. Crystal Ski Holidays are offering some great deals to Italy, departing from Dublin on March 16.
Hit the slopes with last minute deals to destinations like France, Austria and Andorra
Stay at the three-star La Thuile Planibel Apartments on a self-catering basis from only €379, or alternatively, stay at the three-star Pila 2000 Hotel Resort, half-board,
from only €485. For a four-star resort, check out La Torre Resort Sauze D’Oulx, which is available on a half-board basis from just €605.
Known as having one of the best value-formoney ski opportunities in Europe, Austria is one hot-spot with ski enthusiasts the world over. With Crystal Ski Holidays, you can depart Dublin on March 15 and stay at the two-star Resort of Soll on a B&B basis from only €529, or step up to the three-star Grimming Hotel Resort Rauris on a half-board basis from only €565. Meanwhile, the threestar Austria Hotel Resort, Soll, is also available for just €629. Home to some of the world’s greatest ski areas, the spectacular peaks and high-altitude ski resorts in France offer some of the best destinations for snow reliability, hence its popularity. Travel on March 15 and stay at the two-star Planchamp Apartments Resort at Valmorel, on a self-catering basis from only €489 (based on four people sharing). Alternatively, you could stay at the two-star Res DL Muzelle Resort Les 2 Alpes on a self-catering basis (also based on four people sharing) from only €509. For further information or to book your holiday, call the Crystal Ski Holidays Specialists at 01 433 1055, or see www.crystalski.ie.
20 February 2014 Gazette 19
book review: apple tree yard
Gazette
ARTS
A testing affair with a scientific twist ... Bairbre Ni Bhraonain
APPLE Tree Yard, Louise Doughty’s seventh novel, is set in London and depicts a particularly dramatic and harrowing time in the life of a woman scientist as her humdrum life is thrown into disarray. We fi rst meet Dr Yvonne Carmichael as she stands in the dock of the Old Bailey, being quizzed by a barrister. We do not know why she is on trial, and this tantalising secret is kept from us until threequarters of the way into the novel, yet we are more than willing to let Dr Carmichael relate the whole sordid story to us
in her own time. The tale is told in the first person by the main character and not only are we given free access to her home, romantic and professional life, but we are allowed inside her psyche, feeling everything she feels and thinking every thought she thinks. Louise Doughty is remarkably talented at relaying the minute shifts of mood her character feels and naturally follows Dr Carmichael’s stream of consciousness. Women readers in particular will relate to the character’s inner conflict as she swings from insecurity and
Apple Tree Yard author Louise Doughty
doubt to defiance and confidence while making her mark on a maledominated world – In this case, professional science. At the outset of the story, Dr Carmichael has a very sedate, middle-aged and reputable existence.
Her private life is safe, financially secure and unchallenged. She has not had sex with her husband in more than three years, but they have nestled into a comfortable companionship. However, this existence is completely shattered the day she meets
a stranger she calls X. Dr Carmichael has been giving evidence as an expert witness in a trial at the Old Bailey when a man approaches her. She finds herself inexorably drawn to him – enough to get intimate with him in a cr ypt beneath a church shortly after meeting him. An affair begins, so compelling and addictive that Dr Carmichael begins to question who she is. This leads to a restructuring of her attitude to life in general. She becomes freer and more daring, stepping outside the well-worn habits of her previous self.
Her mysterious lover turns out to be a spy with a predilection for outdoor sexual encounters which excites and horrifies Dr Carmichael. We follow the trajectory of the character’s thoughts as she dips in and out of logic, trying to understand her actions. T h o u g h D r C a rmichael is smitten, she is also extremely suspicious of her new lover. She realizes soon enough, however, that it is not the dark stranger who is dangerous, but the familiar and seemingly harmless man she has known for years. This realisation emerges catastrophi-
cally one night, when Dr Carmichael attends a science faculty party, gets very drunk and ... enough said! In Apple Tree Yard, Doughty explores the psychological territory where we attempt to define ourselves through patterns, qualifications and habit, proving how vain these attempts can be. Through the prism of a scientist’s brain, Doughty captures how we try to impose logic on our chaotic lives, often ignoring our more instinctive and wiser selves. Published by Faber and Faber, Apple Tree Yard is on sale in bookshops for around €8.99.
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20 Gazette 20 February 2014
OUT&ABOUT
beautyShorts
Oasis €31
Nivea launches new anti-ageing range A NEW anti-age range from Nivea, designed to boost the skin’s surface for a more youthful look, is set to launch in pharmacies throughout Dublin. This is the skincare giant’s biggest-ever anti-age innovation that renews surface cells, and is aimed at women over 40. It consists of Nivea Cellular Anti-Age Day Cream, Nivea Cellular Anti-Age Night Cream, Nivea Cellular Anti-Age Concentrated Skin-Refining Serum and Nivea Cellular Anti-Age Eye Cream. Developed by Nivea’s team of skincare experts, new Nivea Cellular Anti-Age contains a unique formula, with active ingredients including magnolia extract, hyaluronic acid and creatine. The advanced combination works in harmony with the skin to revitalise cells and help fight the appearance of ageing. Nivea Cellular Anti-Age range will be available from pharmacies and grocery stores nationwide from March.
Oasis €47
Oasis TBC
Minaj has Arden support for scent IF SHE’S not hitting the stage dancing to her own beats, she’s hitting the shelves with her own fragrance – yes, Nicki Minaj and Elizabeth Arden have teamed up again for the star’s second fragrance – Minajesty. The multi-platinum recording artist and fashion, style and beauty trendsetter recently announced the latest addition to her prestige fragrance collection. This is a bold new scent inspired by Nicki’s eyecatching style and vivacious personality. She reigns with creativity and captivating femininity, commanding respect through an implied and majestic brilliance, ruling as the queen of her own outrageous world. The scent reigns with luscious fruits and luxurious fresh florals, draped in creamy vanilla and pure musks. Minajesty by Nicki Minaj is available from March 5 at retailers nationwide; however, it is exclusive to The Perfume Shop until March 4.
Chris has the right Code for Armani IN OTHER fragrance news, Giorgio Armani has announced actor Chris Pine as the new face of Armani Code, one of the world’s best-selling men’s fragrances. Armani said: “Chris perfectly embodies the brand’s spirit with his strong charisma and natural elegance. “Besides revealing great talent, high versatility and the right amount of irony on set, his magnetic charm makes him the ideal match for this fragrance.” The new advertising campaign for Giorgio Armani Code starts this spring.
This is a season not about making something match, but mis-matching instead, and having fun with style!
Oasis €69
20 February 2014 Gazette 21
Gazette
STYLE Oasis €47
Oasis €28
Oasis €31
Miss-
Matched This spring/summer at Oasis laura webb
MIS-MATCH style (or matchy-patchy, as the Oasis team like to call it) is one trend that daring fashionistas will take on this sunny season – whenever the sun decides to make an appearance. Still, summer was etched in the faces of the Oasis team and throughout the collection when it was showcased at a preview event recently. Pops of colours, charmed patterns, bold prints and florals took over the rails with some interesting twists. Oasis stylist Christine Murphy said the collection is very much for “the
Oasis woman”. She said: “The collection is very feminine, with florals and prints, but making it that bit edgier. “Our statement pieces are the pencil skirt, and the spring coat, matched with a crop-top that is flattering and more structured. “Oasis always considers the real woman. We think about the teachers, the mums, the everyday women who shop here, and offer them the latest trends in the Oasis range,” she said. Some of the range has taken on real life inspirations, featuring patterns of a blue delftware.
Christine said: “The blue and white – the Delft pottery pattern – is our designers taking inspiration from what they see, and it works really well.” This is a season not about making something match, but mis-matching instead, and having fun with style. Contrast coloured patterns and reversible sister print separates to bring a new feel to head-to-toe print. On this look, Christine said: “For this, you would have the same print, in a top, jacket and shorts, but contrast it with the same print but in a different colour – it is introducing
a new take on matching clothes.
Different prints “There is also the option of matching colours with different prints, so for example you could have the same blue and white for a jacket and top, but the top’s pattern is different from the jacket. “It’s a play on matching,” she said. Lu xurious fabrics with pretty satin slips alongside textured suede separates or laser-cut leather also make a bold statement in this versatile collection, which can be seen in Oasis stores now.
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22 Gazette 20 February 2014
OUT&ABOUT
FOOD&DRINK
BITESIZEDNEWS
At Blue Orchid Thai restaurant, Ballinteer, Saki Sanegeopo (executive head chef of Blue Orchid restaurants) was flanked by Klong and Patti
The Bloody Stream
Tasty Thai food at the Blue Orchid, Ballinteer LAST week, The Picky Eater was so distracted by the delicious Thai food at Blue Orchid in Ballinteer that the wrong name was printed in the article. The Gazette is happy to clarify that The Picky Eater dined in style at Blue Orchid in Ballinteer – with “Blue Orchard” printed in error – and that the Thai restaurant is located at The Coach House, Ballinteer Avenue; telephone 01 2966 11
Bakery takes a bite at the bread business THE second Natural Bakery Store has opened its culinary doors in the heart of Donnybrook, adding to its existing store in Kilmainham and another store soon to open in Rathmines. The new store in Donnybrook boasts a state-ofthe-art bakery on the premises, which will supply all three stores. Thousands of loaves, pastries and cakes will be baked by the highly-skilled team of bakers each week. Anna Nolan, presenter of the television show The Great Irish Bake-Off, was on hand to officially open the Donnybrook store. Speaking ahead of the opening, she said: “To see another business based on baking opening its doors is just great. I am aiming to sample a few of The Natural Bakery pastries, and who could resist the fresh baked bread?” For further information on the bakery and stores, see www.thenaturalbakery.ie.
TV presenter Anna Nolan with freshly-baked fare from the Natural Bakery Store, Donnybrook
Traditional Irish
Howth Already boasting some wrapped up in a
A storm was brewing on a windy Wednesday night, but the only thing on our mind was the brew that was about to be cooked for our feast that night. Living close to the city centre means restaurants and bars are not that easily avoided, so it’s not often you think about venturing outside the hustle and bustle to enjoy a tasty meal in a friendly ambience, situated near the coastline. Our dinner destination was there – just below Howth Dart Station, where The Bloody Stream bar and restaurant offers a warm welcome to all who enter. With the storm making more noise outside, we sat down in what could be described as a snuglike area of the bar. The restaurant has a classic, old-fashioned feel with a warm fire burning and cosy blankets if you wanted to feel extra comfy – and sure enough, we did.
excellent fish dishes, The Bloody Stream even has that classic dietary staple – fish and chips, newspaper. Such attention to detail complements the bar-restaurant’s already inviting menu.
The Picky Eater The seafood restaurant had, of course, a choice of fish dishes, but had other options for those not in the mood for (or with a dislike of) fish. My companion and I, however, do like seafood so it wasn’t hard for us to get ordering. For her starter, my companion ordered the Stream chowder. It did exactly what it said on the menu and was creamy and packed to the brim with fish. With some chowders, you have to go searching for fish but this was full of it, and was “simply gorgeous”, as she liked to describe it. My starter was salt and pepper calamari. The batter was light and a tossed salad complemented the dish, which also had a sweet chilli dip to add extra flavouring. The first main was ordered – blackened Cajun salmon with sweet potato chips, coleslaw and buttered corn on the cob, while the second was battered fish and chips
(a smoked or fresh cod deep-fried and served with mushy peas and tartare sauce). The salmon for my companion was tasty and perfectly done. The sweet potato fries for her were “an eye-opener”, as she isn’t keen on sweet potatoes but the fries tickled her tastebuds nicely. The one thing she would have liked more of was sauce for the salmon. Meanwhile, the battered fish and sweet potato fries, which I opted for instead of traditional chips, were presented in the old-fashioned way – wrapped in a newspaper! Again, this meal did not disappoint; the fish was fresh and cooked to perfection. For dessert, it was pavlova with mixed berries for me and an Irish coffee for my friend. It was a hattrick for me at this restaurant, and the pavlova was the perfect ending. The Irish coffee was a nice touch – my friend
The Bloody Stream is located underneath Howth Dart Station, making it handy and accessible
found it satisfying to have such a choice for those who might be too full for another round of food. She said it was made really well. It was a thoroughly enjoyable meal and the team were very welcoming and friendly. As well as its extensive seafood menu, The Bloody Stream
has a Mediterraneanstyle beer garden and live music every weekend. Given its location beneath Howth Dart Station, there is really no excuse not to venture out and enjoy the tasty food on offer. Price range from €4.95-€7.95 for starters and €12.95-€21.95 for the mains.
Conclusion With a classic old-fashioned feel, this venue is the perfect place to enjoy great food with a cosy atmosphere, making The Bloody Stream well worth venturing out to in Howth. For further information, phone 01 839 5076, or email info@bloodystream.ie
20 February 2014 Gazette 23
Flagship models to boost the Irish hatchback line
road
Gazette
audi: sporty new stylings help add to the allure of the a1
MOTORING
NOISE
cormac curtis
THERE’S some hot news for those with a hankering for a seriously hot hatch as Audi has announced the S1 and the S1 Sportback, its new flagship models in the compact A1 model line. Their 2.0 TFSI produces 370 Nm (272.90 lb-ft) of torque; the quattro permanent all-wheel drive and the extensively revamped suspension put the power effortlessly down onto the road. Back in the 1980s an Audi S1 garnered a legendary reputation – it was the car that would see the brand dominate the World Rally Championship in its day. Now, the abbreviation is coming back – but this time as a road-going version. A high-performance four-cylinder unit provides the drive. The twolitre engine accelerates the Audi S1 and the S1 Sportback from 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 5.8 and 5.9 seconds respectively, with a top speed of
The spacious new Ford S-Max lives up to its name
Ford has S-Max-imum space for family needs cormac curtis
Audi’s new S1 and S1 Sportback are a boosy for the compact A1 model line
250 km/h (155.34 mph). On average the sporty, sonorous TFSI consumes just 7.0 or 7.1 litres of fuel per 100km. The suspension on the two compact sport models has been extensively revamped, along with the electromechanical power steering. The set-up is sporty and firm; the Audi drive select dynamic handling system comes with a range of settings to vary the response of the engine and the standard variable shock
Golf successor: Meet the new SV REGULAR readers will know that Gazette
Motors loves a good VW Golf, so we were pretty excited to hear that Volkswagen Ireland has announced that its Golf Plus successor is to be called the Golf SV. The new model, which will be shown in production form at the Geneva Motor Show next month, will feature a more generous interior than the Golf Plus it replaces, and boasts a more flexible interior. The Golf SV will feature a similar engine line-up to the standard Golf range, with the bulk of sales expected to come from the 1.6-litre 110bhp diesel engine. Prices will be released in the coming weeks.
absorbers. Both models are instantly recognisable as the flagship models in the A1 model line. Their xenon-plus headlights are all-new, while the LED rear lights come with new, horizontallystructured graphics. A host of details – particularly on the front and rear bumper, the side sills and the exhaust system – boast more striking styling. Four new exterior colours supplement the
available paint finishes. The optional quattro exterior styling package hones the look further, courtesy of features such as a large roof spoiler.
The price of the Audi S1 and the S1 Sportback for the Irish market has yet to be confirmed, and will be announced by the end of February.
IT IS simply impossible to predict the kind of car that is going to impress a family. In recent weeks, I was lucky enough to bring home a big pickup-style truck for a week to test drive. I was thoroughly expecting my two little daughters to be less than impressed with this extreme of example of a “big boy’s toy” – how wrong could I have been? The second they laid their eyes on this behemoth, they were smitten – all they wanted to do was play in the open boot and cruise around looking down on people in ordinary cars. So, a few weeks later, I was absolutely certain that the hugely practical and tremendously appropriate Ford S-Max would get little more than a passing glance in the driveway. Again – dad’s read of the situation couldn’t have been further off the mark. My kids have coined the term “back back” to refer to the extra two seats in a seven-seater car – and nothing gets them more excited about the idea of being able to sit far enough back to get up to all kinds of mischief! And, for some reason, a car like the S-Max really gives you a sense of reassurance about having them so far away from you. The S-Max really is set up for families and all the space requirements that they could need. Entry price for Ford S-MAX six-speed manual Titanium from €30,649 (excluding delivery and related charges).
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24 gazette 20 February 2014
OUT&ABOUT
CINEMA
ReelReviews
robocop
Aims to please THE remake that nobody asked for or expected, Robocop (Cert G, 103 mins) is an on-target entertaining satire that takes aim at some current social fears, developing political trends and over-reaching government/policing policies. With added robots. While not as good as the original film – well, of course not – it’s an okay film, but by no means a classic. (Sorry, Robo.)
monuments men It’s still boxing clever
THIS slightly tall tale of derring do sees The Monuments Men (Cert 12A, 118 mins) rush to stop the Nazis from destroying priceless arts treasures near the end of World War 2. Based on a true story, “Gorgeous” George Clooney briskly deals with the likes of Bill Murray, Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett, in an entertaining, if Hollywoodised, tale about a little-known piece of history.
Inside LLewyn Davis
Spiralling downwards INSIDE Llewyn Davis (Cert 15A, 104 mins) is the Coen Brothers’ interesting, and at times downright downbeat new film, following a folk singer as he slumps around from one generally selfmade life crisis to the next. A straighter tale than their usual crowd-pleasing fare, it has its moments of sly, Coen-ish wit and humour, but is a character-led film.
Lego, the perenially popular Danish toy, builds upon its imaginative rebranding in
recent years, with the excellent The Lego Movie adding to an
impressive roster of critically-acclaimed computer games, while Lego sales have
also kept building (sorry), ever higher and higher
the lego movie: masterfully assembled into an international hit
Follow the instructions – not! IT SEEMS natural to see franchise figurines populate the shop shelves in the wake of a successful film, but there is something impulsively offputting about seeing the journey in reverse. When toys make the transition from shelf to screen, we brace ourselves for exasperation, because these types of films have a tendency to be uninspired things, leaving kids momentarily satiated and parents monetarily emaciated. Couple that with the fact that Lego is the marmite of playthings – with people either becoming hooked by its geeky expansiveness, or being repelled by its banality – and you would easily be forgiven for thinking that The Lego Movie would be one to overlook. Luckily, the realised
Dave phillips
product is a world apart from the imagined one. Written and directed by the team responsible for the kid-friendly Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (and the not so kid-friendly, 21 Jump Street), The Lego Movie occupies a space somewhere in between (and high above) their previous features. It is a colourful, frenetic, sugar-high of a film that is laced with volleys of on-the-button pop culture references and unrelenting, very clever comedic writing. This never feels like a kids’ film that gives
an occasional nod to the adult audience – it feels like a film written for adults that remains adroitly accessible to kids. T he stor y follows Emmett (Chris Pratt), a very ordinary Lego man who lives a very ordinary Lego existence. He works as part of a construction team, building Lego skyscrapers in accordance with the Lego instructions, until the day when he stumbles across the fabled “piece of resistance” that interrupts his conformist life by plunging him into a revolutionary underworld he never knew existed. Building on Wreck-It Ralph’s formula, The Lego Movie draws together a pantheon of popular culture icons that have appeared in Lego
through the years. Emmet’s adventure unfolds like Toy Story meeting The Matrix in a bizarre mash-up world populated by Batman, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Gandalf, Abraham Lincoln and Shakespeare. The Lego Movie is a joy to watch, with stunning computer graphic visuals slickly bringing the modular world and its incredible cast to life. Will Ferrell’s archvillain of the piece, Lord Business, is a treat, and Irish
audiences in particular will get a kick from Liam Neeson’s hilarious Jekylland-Hyde style goon. While the story is at times overpowered by the rapid-fire gags, it is strong and simple enough to easily connect back to again, and beneath its hyperactive veneer, it manages to carry a surprisingly deep and salient theme. Emmet’s world is populated by those who follow the instructions, building things as they were planned, and by those who step outside the norm and embrace their own vision of things, building new things that often fail but sometimes succeed. It manages to be both an exploration of the benefits and draw-
backs of these conflicting world views, and a reflection on how our innate sense of playfulness often gets lost along the road to adulthood. Perhaps The Lego Movie’s greatest successes are a result of the fact that we are instinctively bound to underestimate it. Yes, it is a film about Lego, and yes, that means – in a way – it is a 100minute-long advertisement, but it’s so much more. It is also an incredibly entertaining celebration of weirdness, and one of the most inventive discourses on creativity that you are likely to see in cinemas this year.
Verdict: 10/10
After watching The Lego Movie, you’re likely to be as cheerfully upbeat as Good Cop, here
20 February 2014 GAZETTE 25
MUSIC REVIEW: POST TROPICAL, BY JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW
Falsetto highs in a tropical treasure ROB HEIGH rheigh@gazettegroup.com
JAMES Vincent McMorrow first appeared on Gazette Music’s radar when he appeared as a guest vocalist on the Japanese Popstars’ breakout album, Controlling Your Allegiance. He contributed a magnificent vocal to Shells Of Silver, lending the track his impeccable voice for a sleek and memorable mid-paced effort from the Derry dance directors. The extent to which that stripped-back track has influenced his approach on his second album, Post Tropical, is up for debate, but it is clear that the mood paintings of the likes of Bon Iver and Sigur Ros were on the playlist as McMorrow prepared this new set of songs. According to the prerelease information from JVM’s camp, the record was recorded on a pecan farm a mile from the Mexican border, and was a conscious effort on the part of the singersongwriter to put distance between how he was first perceived and the sounds in his head. “I’m so proud of that album, but I never longed to be a guy with a guitar. You play these songs live as best you can, and suddenly you’re a folk musician, but the texture of
GAZETTE
MUSIC
ALSONOTEWORTHY
Musician, composer and producer, Paul Byrne
Byrne returns with I’ve Got You ROB HEIGH
HOWTH native Paul Byrne has stepped out from behind his drum-kit in recent times and this week releases his debut single, I’ve Got You. An established musician, composer and producer, Paul’s track record in the music business is unparallelled. Since taking to the stage as the drummer for Deaf Actor in 1979, Byrne has been a familiar presence on the Dublin music scene for many years. He was the founder member of In Tua Nua, who shared stages with U2, Simple Minds and Bob Dylan in the US and Europe, and who released their debut single on U2’s Mother record label. Byrne was the singer on a number of the band’s best-loved songs, writing alongside In Tua Nua guitarist Martin Clancy. He has also been to the forefront in identifying and helping new Irish talent. Byrne heard a young Sinead O’Connor singing at his sister Jeanette’s wedding, and recorded some demos with the young artist. He also spotted the potential in Sean Loughman, the singer who went on to fame as Jack L, and Byrne was instrumental in bringing together the Black Romantics – the band who backed Jack L on his debut release, Wax, which featured his take on the works of Jacques Brel.
James Vincent McMorrow and his new album, Post Tropical
this record is completely different. This is the kind of stuff that makes sense to me.” Appearing in Dublin recently in no more appropriate a setting than the National Concert Hall, the glacial textures of the new record were set free in a space suited to their grandeur, and make perfect sense. McMorrow is set to take the new record to audiences over the US and Canada over the coming months – a move that’s sure to put him on a path to even greater acclaim and public recognition. Post Tropical, like the location where it was recorded, is a very long way away from the place JVM inhabited when he
released Early In The Morning in 2011. This is about as far away from folk as you can possibly get; the guitar having been all but entirely replaced by a repertoire of horns and synthesised strings, live drums by electronic beats, and a spirit that evokes warm slow evenings as the sun falls just under the horizon. Even when a guitar does appear, as on Repeating, it is to create a texture and harp-like motif that floats in midair as JVM invokes things he hardly knew, and the instruments gallop and gather pace around him with purpose and delicacy, which breaks through on the final chorus. With a voice that literally soars and calls to
the heavens, JVM hits some impressive falsetto heights here. You might not be able to decipher every lyric on the first listen, but the devotion that the vocals herald here seeps into every corner of every song on this sophomore release. There is a depth to the songs that demands repeated visits, seeking out their core and quirks, and making more and
more sense of the high voices and low frequencies that seep out of every track and take root in your head and heart. JVM is undoubtedly set for an international success, and with Justin Vernon sidelining Bon Iver for the moment, this is the time for JVM to take that template and make it his own, adding his sense of drama and understatement to create a winning formula.
Original songs The Black Romantics also included Jeannette on vocals, and Byrne helped Jeannette launch her solo career, producing her album Elegy, which featured some of his own original songs, and later produced her second album, Cafe Diva. After a lifetime of writing, producing, managing and generally helping everyone else’s careers, it was time for Paul to come out of the shadows. So, in late 2013, he decided to put together a collection of songs and record them with the help of Conor Brady. The songs span the past 25 years, but the first single is one of Paul’s most recent compositions. I’ve Got You is the first piece of music to appear from Byrne’s upcoming solo album, which is set for release in May. For further information, see paulbyrnemusic.com, or find him on Facebook at facebook.com/paulbyrnemusic.
26 GAZETTE 20 February 2014
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60 10 240 PLANNING NOTICE SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
The Round Tower GAA Club are applying for permission for New Two Storey Club House with a total Gross Floor area of 740Sqm to provide a Sports hall and associated changing rooms, Showers, toilets and storage at lower Ground Level fronting existing car park and a Gym; meeting rooms, refreshment area Kitchenette, associated toilets, storage and external deck area at upper ground level fronting the existing All Weather Pitch and ancillary Site works. Access/egress from the proposed development is via the existing club entrance, at Round Tower GAA Grounds, Monastery Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22. This application may be inspected or purchased, at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of South Dublin County Council during its public opening hours of 9am-4pm, Mon-Fri, and a submission or observation may be made to South Dublin County Council in writing and on payment of the prescribed fee (â&#x201A;Ź20.00) within the period of ! 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by South Dublin County Council of the application. 20182
20 February 2014 Gazette 27
coaching P29
asdfsdaf gaelic games P27 P31
dublinsport Let the Gazette keep you up to date with all the best local sporting action from around the city as we cover all the stories that matter to you and your community
Gazette
sari soccernites P28
FastSport fergal O’Brien reaches final in Poland:
Siofra Clerigh Buttner leads the field home as she won the senior girls race at the Aviva Leinster Schools Cross Country Championships. Picture: Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE
athletics: schools event in santry survives the storm and sees fine runs
Local girls lead the way in cross-country championship
Competitors in the Aviva Leinster Schools Cross Country Championships braved the wild weather conditions last week in Santry Demense and in spite of the torrential rain that blighted the morning of the competition, managed to deliver some impressive performances. Standing out from the crowd again was Dundrum South Dublin’s Siofra Clerigh Buttner, running for her school Colaiste Iosagain, who continued her unbeaten record at schools level with a comprehensive victory in the senior girls’ race. Siofra continued her unbeaten record
at schools level with a comprehensive victory in the senior girl’s race. Cleirigh Buttner made light work of the field as she led from gun to tape with her school mate Sarah Mhaolmhuire running strongly in second place. Ella Fennelly (Mount Anville) broke up the Colaiste Iosagain domination to finish in third place. In the absence of multiple schools champion Siobhra O’Flaherty, the intermediate girl’s race proved a highlight on the day. Malahide CS’s Niamh Corry surprised many by setting a fast early pace, with the Skerries CC duo of
Rhona Pierce and Isabel Carron tracking her pace and strategy. Pierce delivered a confident and tactical showing and came home first with schoolmate Carron in second place. Early leader Corry battled bravely over the last lap to secure third place. Natasha Twomey from Mount Anville and Laura Gillespie from Wesley College ran well but were not able to match the pace of Sarah Healy from HC Killiney who won the minor girls’ title. Speaking ahead of the event, sponsorship manager of Aviva, Mark Russell, said: “The Aviva Irish Schools Cross
Country Championships show us the stars of the future. Ireland’s proud tradition of endurance runners from John Treacy and Eamonn Coghlan to Sonia O’Sullivan and Fionnuala Britton show that we are extremely talented in this discipline.” The next race for these athletes will be the Aviva Irish Schools Cross Country Championships in Cork CIT on March 8. For more information on the championships, log on to www.athleticsireland. ie or on Facebook at www.facebook. com/IrishSchoolsAthletics
Dublin snooker stalwart Fergal O’Brien reached the final of the EPTC Gdynia Open last week in Poland, only to miss out on the title when he came up against Shaun Murphy in his first final since the 2007 Northern Ireland Trophy. Having progressed through the gruelling qualifying rounds, O’Brien pitted his potting skills against Zhang Andaa in the quarter-final, where he progressed by four frames to two, before closing out Sam Baird in the semifinal, 4-1. The result means that O’Brien has broken into the top 24 in the European Tour Order of Merit list of those players who qualify for the Grand Finals next month.
c o n ta c t s Sports Editor: Rob Heigh rheigh@gazettegroup.com
For more information or to send in news and photos: sport@gazettegroup.com Phone: 01 651 6230 or 01 651 6205
Gazette
28 Gazette 20 February 2014
SPORT
FastSport Ireland’s badminton stars record first: Ireland’s women’s badminton team secured a firstever victory over the Netherlands at the European Team Badminton Championships in Basel, Switzerland last week. As team members Chloe Magee, Alannah Stephenson and Sinead Chambers all won their singles matches in straight sets, Ireland were confirmed a win despite losing the two doubles. It was an upbeat end to a campaign that had seen them losing to strong Bulgaria and France teams in earlier matches. For the Irish men, their toughest test was left until last when they they faced top seeds and defending champions Denmark in their final pool match. In spite of losing that rubber, they could still look back on an encouraging display at the tournament after beating Slovakia 5-0 and narrowly losing to Czech Republic 2-3.
soccer: inclusive initiative expands to dublin 15 to promote message
SARI takes Soccernites across city sport@gazettegroup.com
Sport Against Racism Ireland (SARI) has announced the expansion of its SARI Soccernites programme into Blanchardstown. The initiative, which started last week at Hartstown Community Centre, is a free weekly football
training programme for young people designed to provide after-school activities that promote cultural awareness and social inclusion using the UEFA Fairplay system in a safe and healthy environment. SARI currently holds a Soccernites programme in north Dublin inner city
SARI director Brian Kerr and friends
with participants drawn from local migrant, Traveller and indigenous communities with over 100 young people participating in the programme on a twice weekly basis. SARI director and former Republic of Ireland soccer manager Brian Kerr said that he was proud that the intiative was being extended beyond its initial scope, and hoped that it would spread even fur ther across the city. “SARI has learned from the Soccernites programme in Dublin’s inner city that, in terms of integration, what happens off the pitch is equally as important as what happens on it. “Soccernites is the kind of programme that SARI would love to see developed right across Dublin and eventually across the
Members of the Galway All-Stars team who won the annual 2013 SARI Soccerfest event in Phoenix Park
country, sport is such an important means of communicating the messages of integration and inclusion that the programme has so much to offer,” said Kerr. “Right now expanding the programme to Blanchardstown is a huge step for SARI and our focus is on making it a success and we would encourage people to get involved and support their local SARI Soccernites.” As well as football coaching, SARI Soccernites hosts a Young Leaders Programme,
o f f e r i n g wo r k s h o p s and courses in certified coaching badges, physical literacy, human rights, racism, equality and social studies in addition to the weekly soccer coaching. Kerr said: “Children and young people are at the forefront of integration. At SARI Soccernites in O’Connell School, North Richmond Street on any given evening there are up to 12 nationalities represented. These are the first generation of people from diverse backgrounds growing up
together, therefore these children and young people’s attitudes, experiences and interactions form the foundation for the future – for themselves and for the community in which they grow up. “At SARI Soccernites we hope that we are providing them with the tools to be leaders in their communities,” said Kerr. For more information on the initiative and others run by the organisation, log on to www.sari. ie or see www.facebook. com/sarireland.
Britton to race in Great Ireland Run as part of programme sport@gazettegroup.com
Fionnuala Britton will join the athletes in the Phoenix Park for teh Great Ireland Run 2014
Ireland’s leading distance runner, Fionnuala Britton, has confirmed her participation in this year’s SPAR Great Ireland Run 10k which will take place on the roads of the Phoenix Park on Sunday, April 6. Britton’s last run in the event was in 2011 when she was first Irish finisher in seventh place overall, and won the Irish 10k championships which were incorporated into the event. As usual, an elite field will contest the event this year and
the names of Britton’s overseas challengers will be announced in the coming weeks. After a strong cross-country season, when she was fourth in the European championships in December 2013 and then second in the Bupa Great Edinburgh XCountry International in January, Britton is currently undertaking a major block of training towards her summer goal of competing at the European championships in Zurich over 10,000m on the track. Britton recently amicably parted company with her coach
Chris Jones to take more direct control of her own training and racing programme and the SPAR Great Ireland Run will be her first outing under this new arrangement before she seeks to run a qualifying time in Britain in early May for the European championships. The SPAR Great Ireland Run is the only race in Ireland to be recognised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the world governing body of athletics. The event is one of twenty-two races in the world to receive an IAAF Road
Race Silver Label in recognition of the event’s high standard of organisation, elite participation and media profile. The event is Ireland’s largest mixed 10k and up to 12,000 adults and children are expected to participate in the run and its associated junior events. Every 10K finisher will receive a technical event t-shirt, medal, goody bag and chip timed results. For elite announcements and more information on the SPAR Great Ireland Run please visit www.greatirelandrun.org.
20 February 2014 Gazette 29
Gazette
Remaining mindful in the game is key Internationally renowned sport psychologist Dan Abrahams has helped top level soccer players and golfers to improve their game, and is bringing his knowledge to Dublin next month Getting your head in the game is a phrase that is often heard from sidelines when players are not performing to their full capability, or what people perceive is the top of their game. But there are a number of factors that are at play when it comes to performing at your utmost in sport, something that is well known to Dan Abrahams, one of the world’s leading sports psychologists who is coming to Dublin early next month to give a coaching conference at the North Dublin Schoolboy League Development Centre on Saturday, March 8, at 3.30pm which intends to help coaches help their players more effectively to be the
best they can be. Abrahams is a former professional golfer, and obtained a first-class honours degree in psychology and a masters degree in sport psychology. What he teaches is applicable in all sports, but he specialises in soccer and golf. He is lead psychologist for England Golf and he works with players from leading amateur through to Tour level players. In soccer psychology, he is regarded as a leader in the field. He has some of the leading turnaround case studies in Premier League history - including local player Anthony Stokes and England star Carlton Cole - and he has written two international bestselling books.
“My mission is to demistify sports psychology for footballers, and sports people in general,” said Abrahams when he spoke to GazetteSport recently. “I feel that sports psychology is not good enough at taking the academic research, simplifying the language, and delivering applicable, simple to understand and use tools and techniques that sports people can use in the moment.” Although the principles he works with are general, Abrahams works one-onone with players to help them to be the best they can be. “You tailor every situation to the individual. I do have a system, which is about helping players
Leading sports psychologist Dan Abrahams, who will be leading a session for coaches at the NDSL Development Centre on March 8
think objectively on and off the pitch. “On the pitch, I give them a framework to help them focus and perform with confidence, deal with distractions, get the right intensity and manage their emotions. “A lot of people ask me how can it be effective on
to be able to focus, and teach effectively and communicate effectively, to team-build, to conduct training sessions where every player can learn and be confident in order to be successful. “I ask them, ‘How can I be a better coach to my team by being a more
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‘I help players to become students of their game as much as students of the game itself’ - Dan Abrahams
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the pitch, it is such a quick game. But football works in seconds, while the brain works in milliseconds, so footballers are constantly judging and analysing what is going on around them. “I help them manage their thinking, I advise how to break their game down into separate components and work on each component individually, helping them become a student of their game as much as a student of the game.” Working with coaches will be the focus of Abrahams’ trip to Dublin, and he takes an equally revolutionary path when teaching them his methods. “My message for the coaches is that football tends to be too technically, tactically and physically oriented. What I deliver is a different model. “As a coach, you need
effective communicator, and understand more about how human beings work?’ That way, we will produce far better players as a consequence.” It is also clear that a consequence of his coaching is to enhance performance in a way that is applicable to all sports people, something that Abrahams makes clear about the session in Dublin in March. “I will be talking the language of football, and it will be a football presentation, but I am keen to communicate that these principles are the same in every sport. All of my messages are applicable to all sports.” For more information, log on to danabrahams. com, and see thecoachdiary.com for more details about the session and ticket availability at the NDSL Development Centre on March 8.
FastSport
Array of local cricket talent picked for Ireland MALAHIDE cricket club’s Clare Shillington and Mary Waldron along with former Loreto Beaufort student Laura Delany and St Andrew’s Louise McCarthy, Emma Flanagan and Lucy O’Reilly have all been named in the Irish women’s cricket squad for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup in March. Loreto Foxrock’s Kim Garth has withdrawn, however, as the 17-year-old prepares for her Leaving Certificate with Amy Kenealy coming into the squad in her place. Such is the competition and commitment in the women’s game, coach Trent Johnston says picking the final 14 for next month’s finals in Bangladesh was an incredibly tough challenge. “The players are all amateurs and making a lot of sacrifices. We’re doing a lot of weekend and early morning and night work at the indoor centres and outdoors too at YMCA. The girls were doing running sessions in the snow on Tuesday night, so there’s no shortage of commitment there. “They’ve worked incredibly hard this past few months and you get the feeling that this could be the start of something really big and exciting in women’s cricket in Ireland. You just don’t know where success could take the game.” Johnston is enjoying his transition from player to coach - with his young proteges proving willing students - but he has found some elements of his new role to be a real challenge. “Without a shadow of a doubt, picking a squad to go to a 20-over World Cup, and then have to tell the players who’ve missed out is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” he said. “I suppose like most squads, 10 names picked themselves, but there was a lot of agonising over those last four places. I then spoke with the whole squad of 30 because I felt it was important for me to let them know personally, and explain why they hadn’t made the final cut. “There’s an open and honest environment now amongst the women’s squad and I want to encourage that.” The competition gets underway on March 25 and runs until April 6.
Gazette
30 CLONDALKIN gazette 20 February 2014
SPORT
FastSport
rugby: away form strikes again for gordon park side
Tower’s call on locals to line out for hurling Round Tower, Clondalkin mentor Brian Douglas is appealing to young people and their parents in Clondalkin and surrounding communities to join the club and experience the enjoyment of playing Gaelic games. The club is specifically looking for 14- and 15-year-old boys to join it on the hurling pitch for the season ahead. Douglas said: “Hurling is a fantastic sport of immense skill and we are appealing to anyone born in 1999 or 2000 to take this opportunity to join a team and a club that will bring great enjoyment. “The boys will get great benefits from playing the sport as it will develop their fitness, and playing with a team and a club also brings great social benefits as it creates lasting friendships. We have a fantastic group of lads already together and we’d love to see new faces join us. Training takes place at 6.45pm every Monday evening on Round Tower GAA Club’s new state-of-the-art all weather playing facility at Monastery Road, Clondalkin. Anyone interested in playing is asked to contact Brian at 087 985 2846.
Golf and soccer as Gaeilge at Aras Chronain ARAS Chronain are running a golf tournament and a five-a-side soccer tournament during Seachtain na Gaeilge next month. This is the third year for the soccer contest, which will be on in Clondalkin Leisure Centre’s Astroturf pitches at 12pm on Saturday, June 1. The new event, a golf tournament as Gaeilge, will be held
on at 11am on Saturday, March 15 in Grange Castle Golf Course. “These tournaments are a great way for people to socialise while using the Irish language and we expect them to be a great success,” said Colm O’Broin, chairman of Aras Chronain’s Irish language committee. Fees for the soccer tournament are €35 per team (five players and two subs) and €25 per player for the golf contest. You can register at colmobroin@yahoo.ie.
Clondalkin’s Jack Dooley, seen here in action against Newbridge, was one of the top performers for the Gordon Park side against Kilkenny
Clon bow out of Towns Cup towns cup, 2nd round Kilkenny RFC Clondalkin RFC sport@gazettegroup.com
17 7
Clondalkin bowed out of the Towns Cup in the second round against five-times winners of the competition Kilkenny last weekend. The Leinster League Division 1B side had prepared their grounds well f or the ma tch in spite of the recent atrocious weather conditions, and a sizable home support was present to watch what was a tense match. Clondalkin had the
first opportunity to score but Chris Jebb drove his penalty attempt wide of the posts. Clondalkin had the majority of the play at this stage of the first half and after a concerted bout of pressure, Derek Lennon went through the Kilkenny defence to score a try under the posts. As the rain came down, Chris Jebb added the conversion which unfortunately proved to be Clondalkin’s final score of the match. Spurred on by the home suppor t, K ilkenny laid siege to the Clondalkin line and
disappointed Galligan forced to pull out of senior indoors clondalkin native Roseanne Gal-
ligan was forced to withdraw from the Woodies DIY National senior indoor track championships last weekend due to illness. It meant that the expected battle between herself and Ciara Everard (UCD AC) in the women’s 800m did not transpire. Everard regained her title, winning in 2:06.23.
after a disallowed try, they managed to successfully get over the line following a break from their No 8 at the back of a scrum from five metres out. The conversion was missed and Clondalkin went into the break with a narrow two-point lead. Kilkenny began the second half with a renewed level of intensity and after 55 minutes, their reward came with a try from their centre in the corner, which they failed to convert. They did, however, have the lead and their dominance in posses-
sion made it very difficult for Clondalkin to gain any momentum. The away team were also guilty of gifting any ball they did win back to Kilkenny through a series of unforced errors and dropped passes. The dominant team went on to seal the result when their number 8 powered over for a try with just minutes remaining. Despite a final burst of attacking play, it was too much too late for Clondalkin who now go into the plate competition, where they will hope to repeat their suc-
cess of 2010. Their form away from Gordon Park has been Clondalkin’s Achilles’ heel all season and they travel once again next week when they face Wanderers at Lansdowne Road in their penultimate league match of the season. Clondalkin: - C. Jebb, B. Molloy, A. Dixon, A. Collier, N. Nolan, B. Foran, M. Russell, P. Nolan (C), N. Finlay, J. Dooley, S. King, R. Dever, C. Cullen, J. Kenny, M. Moynihan. Subs: - C. Moloney, K. Kelly, D. Glennon, M. Molloy, D. Gaule.
20 February 2014 CLONDALKIN gazette 31
Gazette
Tower’s members reminded of screening sport@gazettegroup.com
Members of Round Tower GAA club aged between 16 and 40 have until February 28 to avail of the offer to receive cardiac screening cour tesy of the Ciaran Carr Foundation, the organisation set up after the death of the young Tower’s player
in 2012. Shortly after Carr’s death, the senior and intermediate football panels at the club were screened. Now, two years on, the charity founded in Ciaran’s name is extending this offer to all players, male and female, within the club. The examination, car-
ried out by a local doctor, will involve filling in a unique five-point questionnaire and a 12-lead ECG, and will take less than 15 minutes to complete. The club has worked alongside the foundation since its inception in attempting to raise the importance of health screening among sports
clubs and both organisations hope that the programme will encourage clubs throughout Dublin and beyond to follow their example. To avail of the offer, contact 086 310 1785 or email ciarancarrfoundation@gmail.com. For more information, log on to www.ciarancarrfoundation.ie.
football: conroy opens scoring in debut day win
Club Noticeboard round tower clondalkin Membership subscriptions are
gmail.com or alternatively find the
now overdue and can be paid via
foundation on Facebook or Twitter.
our website, behind the bar or to
U-8 girls are welcome to learn the
any member of the executive com-
skills of football every Saturday at
mittee.
Monastery Road from 2 to 3pm.
Members are asked to support
Training is delivered in a fun envi-
the GAA national club draw. Tick-
ronment to allow the girls to learn
ets are €10 and all proceeds are
the skills of football. Please contact
retained by the club. Full details,
either Ken Byrne on 087 99 83 484 or
including the option to play online,
Kitty O’Brien 087 612 82 64 for more
are on our website. For queries,
information.
contact Bernie Cronin 087 225 6104, Billy O’Connor 087 276 6825 or Jimmy behind the bar.
Lotto: Numbers drawn were 2, 6, 22 and 27; Bonus Ball 24. There was no winner of the jack-
The Ciaran Carr Foundation is
pot of €8,100. Congratulations to
offering club members between the
Frank Cosgrove, Tom Cleary and
ages of 16 and 40 the opportunity to
Brian Doherty who were the three
be screened for free during Febru-
€100 winners.
ary. If you would like to avail of this
There was no Match 3 + Bonus
offer please contact 086 310 1785
Ball winner. This week’s jackpot is
or email ciarancarrfoundation@
€8,200.
st pat’s palmerstown We would like to offer sincere con-
the death of John Nolan, former club
dolences to the Nolan family following
chairman in the late 1980s.
lucan sarsfields
Dublin’s Amy Conroy is pursued by Offaly players in their Leinster minor encounter. Picture: GAApics.com
Local minors light up Leinster with win
leinster minor c’ship Dublin 3-18 Offaly 1-6 sport@gazettegroup.com
ROUND Tower’s Amy Conroy played a key role for the Dublin ladies minors in a winning start to their championship season with a comprehensive victor y over Offaly in Parnells. With the wind at their back, they tore into the first half, building a 2-11 to 0-2 lead and scarcely looked back. Good teamwork allowed Round Tower’s full forward Conroy to raise the green flag less than 10 minutes in. The
forward lines worked seamlessly together, with Fingallians’ Rachel Brogan, Kate Fitzgibbon and Kilmacud Crokes’ Kim Garth each adding points. Roisin Egan got Offaly’s first point 15 minutes in, but Dublin continued to dominate as the midfield and half-forward lines worked hard to win kick-outs and keep possession. Two more points each for Fitzgibbon and Katie Murphy and one each for Kilmacud’s Aoife Kane and St Margaret’s Emma Colgan kept the Dublin scoreboard ticking over as they further
extended their lead. Colgan scored the side’s second goal and some great passing from the midfielders got the ball to Kim Garth just as she scored another point to close out the half. Offaly, with the elements in their favour, started the second half stronger and Egan drew first blood but they still faced an uphill battle. Kane replied in kind while Ballyboden St Enda’s Murphy continued her impressive run in the game with another point and shortly after Dublin’s green flag was raised for the third time with a strike from Fiona
Tuite. Further goals were denied by the post as N a o m i C l a r ke w a s unlucky on two occasions, while Offaly did get a consolation effort on the board when Claire Connolly found the net. However, by this stage Dublin were well in control of the game and this was cemented with two more points from Fitzgibbon and substitute Louise Ryan. With full time looming, Offaly tried twice more for a score but the Dublin defence performed sublimely to keep the Offaly forwards out.
Membership is now due for 2014. We
Kilmacud Crokes on Saturday morn-
encourage all members to renew
ing on the all-weather pitch.
as soon as possible by following the
On Saturday morning last the U-9
link on our website. We particular-
boys footballers entertained three
ly extend an invite to parents and
teams from Ballyboden St Enda’s on
guardians of our juvenile members
our AWP. The matches were played in
to consider one of our family options.
ideal conditions and the Lucan teams
All players up to U-21 are now includ-
spurred on by good home support
ed in the family options.
played some superb football. A com-
25 card drive every Friday night at
bination of hard work, tough tack-
9pm in the clubhouse bar – all wel-
ling, good point taking and a great
come. €5 entry with €50 first prize.
team ethic saw the boys in green run
There is a disco for first and second year secondary school students
out comfortable winners in all three matches.
on Friday, February 21 in the club.
Once again some of our U-10 fix-
Start time is 7.30pm; tickets are
tures fell foul of the weather with our
priced at €5.
Group 1 two-team game against Tho-
Golf society AGM is at the clubhouse
mas Davis and our Group 3 two-team
on Thursday, February 27 at 8pm. All
game versus Ballinteer being called
golfers old and new welcome.
off. Our Group 2 two team group
Set dancing classes every Wednesday at 8.30pm. Strictly Come Dancing is coming
travelled to Ballyboden’s all-weather facility at Sancta Maria college where they won both their games.
to Lucan. Our events commmitte
Our U-11 footballers were in action
are looking for dancers, volunteers
against Ballinteer on their new all
and experts to help stage the show.
weather pitch. Both teams showed
Please contact Josephine Donohue,
excellent skill, which led to highly
Mary Reynolds or Mary Flannery. The Social Initiative group are
competitive games. In the end Ballinteer came out on top.
delighted to present Na Rogairi, a
Our U-12 footballers travelled
group of outstanding young musi-
to Skerries on Saturday morning.
cians, on Saturday, March 1 at 9.30pm
Again the conditions were a huge
in the clubhouse bar. Enjoy the sound,
factor with the traditional game of
enjoy the food, enjoy the company,
two halves being played out. When
enjoy the night.
the wind had died down Lucan came
Our U-8 footballers took to the field again with four great games against
away with a narrow two-point victory.
GazetteSPORT all of your clondalkin sports coverage from page 27-31
Town cats: Clondalkin’s Towns Cup hopes undone by Kilkenny as away woes strike once again P30
february 20, 2014
coaching the coaches: Top sport psychologist Abrahams coming to Dublin P29
Round Tower launch player programme ROB HEIGH
sport@gazettegroup.com
Round Tower GAA club last week launched its Player Pathway programme, a new initiative to strengthen and develop its juvenile section as part of its ongoing five-year strategic plan to lay the foundations for the club’s future growth and success. The club identified the development of playing talent as a key aspect and it forms the heart of the programme, which was rolled out at a special meeting at the club’s Monastery Road base last week to a supportive audience of club coaches, mentors, parents and players representing the club’s football, hurling,
ladies football and camogie sections. The pathway outlines group characteristics that will guide coaches and parents as to the level their team has reached in any particular phase of their sporting development. The pathway recognises each player will develop at different rates physically and mentally so the characteristics are not set in stone. “Rather than compare their team to what has gone before, mentors should be far more concerned with helping their own unique team reach its potential in an enjoyable and structured manner,” the pathway states. “Every player should have the resources to reach their own maxi-
mum potential whatever that may be over a long period.” Speaking to GazetteSport last week, juvenile chairman at Round Tower Niall Connaughton explained the principles behind the initiative. “The main topic that came out of the coaching and games focus group when we were developing our fiveyear plan was that the juvenile teams were not as competitive as they could be, as in they were not competing in the higher leagues or divisions. “Part of the plan under coaching and games was that we develop this player pathway, that focuses on skills from nursery age up to Under-12, where all you worry about is focusing on skills, not on the results or win-
ning games,” said Connaughton. “Then, as players get a little bit older, into competitive games from Under-13, you can start bringing results into account, though the most important thing is the focus on skills development.” The key, Connaughton went on to outline, was making the playing experience enjoyable at formative age when players will hopefully develop a lifelong association with the sport and the club. “Learning the skills will bring greater enjoyment to the juveniles and will support the club in ensuring we maximise the talent of young people playing Gaelic Games in Clondalkin.”
Derek Murray and Cormac Kirwan help launch Round Tower’s Player Pathway