The Northside News 13092023

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Anti-drone tech now in action at airport

Dublin Airport operator, daa, has said that new antidrone technology is now fully operational and ready to be deployed after it received the necessary regulatory approvals.

in the first eight weeks of 2023, the airport was closed six times due to illegal drone activity, causing multiple diversions and delays to thousands of passengers.

last month, flights were suspended for a period after a drone sighting in the vicinity of the airfield.

The airport operator

purchased anti-drone technology earlier this year and trained airport fire officers on how to use it.

Following amendments to legislation by the Government earlier this summer, communications regulator, ComReg provided daa with a licence to operate the counter-drone technology.

The equipment will allow airport staff to jam frequencies,

take control of a drone and land it safely. “daa is constantly engaged in maintaining safety in relation to illegal drone operations near our airports,” a daa spokesperson said.

“We acted quickly in response to the Government’s direction on this matter, purchasing the counter-drone equipment and training our relevant personnel in its use within just weeks,” the authority said.

“Having recently received the necessary approvals, the anti-drone technology is fully operational and available for use as and when required at Dublin Airport.

“We remind all drone users that it is illegal to operate a drone within 5km of any irish airport,” daa added.

Meanwhile, just over 3.4 million passengers travelled through Dublin Airport during August, a 12 per cent increase on the same period last year.

Continued on next page

Winner of the men’s 103rd Jones Engineering Dublin City Liffey Swimrace, Ronan Dalton. Pic: Jason Clarke

Passenger numbers

Continued from previous page new figures published by Dublin airport operator Daa show that the number of passengers travelling in august was 12 per cent ahead of august 2022. The august total included around 200,000 transfer passengers. around 12 per cent more passengers have passed through Dublin airport so far this year than the first eight months of last year.

Passenger numbers in the eight months to august totalled 22 million, with almost half of those (10.1 million) travelling during the summer months of June, July and august.

The top 10 most popular destinations for departing passengers from Dublin this summer were:

• London Heathrow

• London Gatwick

• Amsterdam Schiphol

• Malaga

• Faro

• London Stansted

• Manchester

• Edinburgh

Fingal launches business awards

Fingal Chamber, in conjunction with Fingal County Council, has launched the Fingal Business awards, a prestigious recognition of the outstanding achievements and social responsibility demonstrated by businesses across the Fingal region. The awards aim to celebrate the extraordinary talent, ambition, innovation and success that drive economic growth and community prosperity in Fingal.

Organised by Fingal Chamber and sponsored by Fingal County Council, these awards are free to enter and open to all organisations, both small and large, who do business in Fingal. With 25 categories, all

business sectors, private, public and charity in the region are invited to participate.

The Fingal Business awards feature a diverse range of categories that span various industries and business sizes, ensuring every remarkable accomplishment is acknowledged. From ‘new Business of the Year’ to ‘innovation Excellence,’ and the ‘Community impact award,’ these categories recognise the multifaceted contributions of businesses in Fingal.

The awards serve as an opportunity for local businesses to showcase their successes and gain valuable recognition on a larger stage. By entering the awards, businesses can highlight their achievements, share their stories, and inspire others to strive for excellence.

Businesses interested in participating can submit their entries through the Fingal Chamber website, where they will find detailed information about the award categories, eligibility criteria, and the submission process. The entry period and closes on September 29.

Six new Tesco stores to open

nEW Tesco stores are set to open in Cherrywood, Townsend Street, Citywest, newmarket and Cookstown and 14 other Dublin Tesco stores will undergo refurbishment and refit as part of a major property investment announced by the retailer. The company which employs 13,000 people across ireland has announced plans to spend €80 million this year on new store openings, extensive store refit and refurbishment upgrade programmes, and ongoing maintenance of its growing property portfolio.

This significant expenditure figure underpins Tesco’s continued strong commitment to the irish retail market.

The investment will be used to open eight new Express stores, carry out significant upgrade projects for 50 stores, and for maintenance across the store network including those in Tallaght, Ballyfermot, Crumlin, Shankill, Sandymount, Ballybrack, lucan, Prussia Street, Swords, Rush, Kilbarrack, Finglas/ Clearwater and Santry. The retailer is set to open its 167th store on the Scholarstown Road on September 7.

Anthony Cooney, John Quinlivan, Helen McNamara, Adrian Henchy and AnnMarie Farrelly at the launch

Griffith Ave Mile turns 40!

The 40th anniversary Griffith Avenue Mile is now just three weeks away.

This unique racing experience takes place on Sunday, 17 September on Dublin’s iconic Griffith Avenue in Drumcondra.

As the event day closes in and with registrations filling up, runners and walkers are urged to sign up today on the Griffith Avenue Mile Website to avoid disappointment.

As people across the country have been cheering on the successes of Ireland’s athletics team in Budapest the Griffith Avenue Mile provides runners of all abilities, as well as walkers and families, with the opportunity to emulate them in a truly scenic location.

The 2023 event is shaping up to be a fun-filled and thrilling day and will include a community event in the DCU All hallows campus after the event.

This year’s participants will have the opportunity to test themselves against some of the fastest runners in the country.

Included in this year’s elite field are Ide nic Dhomhnail, a former national champion for the 5000 meters, and John Travers a threetime national champion for the 1500 meters.

While former World Champion eamon Coghlan will be the race ambassador encouraging all participants.

Malahide set for Lambo invasion!

SpectatorS at cannonball will get to see stunning new and current models such as the Lamborghini Huracan with models Sto, eVo, performante, Fluo capsule as well as Lamborghini Urus and Urus model S. Legacy Models including the Lamborghini aventador with models S, SVJ and SV as well as Lamborghini Diablo with model Gtc and Lamborghini Murciélago and Lamborghini Gallardo.

cannonball will roll from September 15th to 17th and this year the event will take off from Malahide castle on Friday September 15th at 10.30am.

Spectators can view the cars from Thursday evening September 14th and take a rare opportunity to see the cars up close.

cannonball, fuelled by milespLUS from circle K, is the largest organised road trip in europe featuring the finest cars on the planet from the awe-inspiring power of Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren to the grace and elegance of porsche, aston Martin, and Maserati.

cannonball has already raised €1,538,602 for Irish charities.

and brings a unique and inimitable electric atmosphere to host towns all over the country making it a widely-anticipated free family event for spectators.

This year the official charity of cannonball is The Jack and Jill children’s Foundation - an Irish children’s charity that funds and delivers in-home nursing care, respite support and end-of-life care for children who have highly complex and life-limiting medical conditions. There are families in communities across the country being cared for right now by the Jack and Jill children’s Foundation, including 92 families in Dublin. In fact, a total of 664 families have been supported by Jack and Jill in Dublin since the charity’s foundation in 1997.

This year the event begins at Malahide castle on Friday September 15th and spectators can view the cars from Thursday evening September 14th. The event will depart Malahide at 10.30am.

Rugby star Robbie Henshaw in a Lamborghini Diablo along with Cannonball little superhero James Garrahan (4). Pic: Kasia Farat

Huge number of children face cyberbullying

Over 25% of primary school children (aged 8 to 12) have experienced cyberbullying during the last school year, according to new figures published today in CyberSafeKids’ Annual Trends and Usage report.

The incidence of cyberbullying significantly increases at secondary school (aged 12 to 16) to 40%, with girls more likely than boys to have been victimised online (43% vs 30%).

Ninety-three percent of 8-12 year-olds have their own smart device, with YouTube (76%) the most popular app, followed by WhatsApp (39%), Tik Tok (37%) and Snapchat (37%). Online gaming is also popular with young children, with 15% playing over-18 games like Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto, which contain violent and sexually explicit content.

Whilst boys were more likely than girls to play over-18 games (28% v 6%), young girls are more likely to post videos of themselves online (26% v 18%).

The survey by Ireland’s online safety charity of over 5,000 children included secondary school aged children for the first time.

Almost three-quarters (73%) of 12-16 year-olds said they can go online whenever they want, with 40% posting videos of themselves on social media platforms.

Younger children face more controls at home from parents, but 31% of 8-12 year olds say they are free to go online whenever they want, and 15% of primary school children have no rules in place for going online at home.

Posting pictures without permission, creation of fake profiles, and being excluded from chat groups were amongst the commonly reported forms of cyberbullying behaviour.

The research found that only 52% of primary school children, and 39% of secondary school children told a parent or trusted adult they were being bullied. Between a quarter to a third of children didn’t tell anyone (28%

of younger children and 34% of older children).

In the report, the charity highlights several areas in which younger children (8-12 years old) are vulnerable to undesirable contact from people they don’t know.

Forty-two percent of young boys and 27% of girls have gamed with a stranger online.

Young children are also unaware of how best to protect themselves online with 22% posting videos, and 17% unaware of how to manage privacy settings.

Over a quarter (26%) of all the children surveyed had seen or experienced something online in the last year that “bothered” them (defined as content that scared them, upset them or made them wish they hadn’t seen it) such as sexual or violent content.

Nearly half of the younger children (46%) didn’t tell a parent or trusted adult about this experience, rising to 67% for secondary school children in this position.

LOSE WEIGHT, KEEP IT OFF –THE SCIENCE BEHIND STAYING SLIM LONG TERM

study published in Clinical Nutrition Open Science[1] has found three in four respondents who received support in building healthy habits at a weekly slimming club were lighter up to three years after joining, even if they’d stopped attending.

At a time when the Government has announced a £40 million pilot scheme to prescribe weight loss drugs, this research suggests that the key to losing weight and staying slim is getting support to build lasting healthy habits into your daily routine. While measures such as drugs may seem like a silver bullet for weight loss, many come with well-documented,

unpleasant side effects and studies show people can gain weight back after they stop taking them.

The study led by the UK and Ireland’s largest weightloss organisation Slimming World and published this month, shows the positive impact of making lifestyle changes, such as cooking from scratch, eating fresh healthy foods and being active, if you want to lose weight and keep it off.

Eight in 10 (83%) of those who responded to the survey who were still attending a slimming club up to three years after first joining reported that their health had improved with 93% attributing the improvement to their weight management and the lifestyle changes

they’d made. While 50% of those no longer attending also reported improvements to their health up to 36 months later

· Nearly all the current members surveyed said they were eating more fruit and vegetables (98%) and had switched to lower fat or fatfree dairy products (97%)

since joining – and three quarters (74%) of those no longer attending had made these same lifestyle changes 94% of current members and 81% of past members said that they were still cooking more meals from scratch using fresh ingredients three years on Respondents also ate fewer

takeaways with only one in 10 current members and less than a quarter of past members eating takeaways at least once a week, compared to almost half doing so before they joined

· Half of current members (48%) and a third of those no longer attending (32%) had reduced their alcohol intake

· Over half of slimmers in the study reported that their whole household had made positive changes to what they ate (74% current and 49% past members) and around a third of their families had become more active

In the study of 356 adults, the weight of both current and past members was measured two and a half

to three years after joining – with all respondents, on average, weighing 7% less than when they joined Slimming World. Those still attending Slimming World were on average 9.6% lighter, maintaining an average loss of 21lbs and reduction in BMI of 3.4kg/m2. Those no longer attending had maintained a loss of 4.4% (8.5lbs) and BMI reduction of 1.5kg/m2.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence says losing and keeping off 5% of your weight can have significant benefits, such as reducing your risk of developing diabetes or lowering your blood pressure.

Stay healthy join your local Slimming World today

DSPCA to open its first pet memorial garden

The DSPCA is opening its first pet memorial garden so pet owners can honour four-legged friends in a meaningful way. The unique garden is “the first of its scale in Ireland”, and will be a reflective and dedicated space for people who wish to honour the memory of a pet they have loved and lost. Pet owners can do something positive from their grief by contributing to the development of the garden. They can dedicate a memorial tree, bench or plaque as a way to remember their pet.

Located on the grounds of the DSPCA centre in Rathfarnham, Dublin, the garden will be formally opened at a special event this evening, September 7, and be open to the public from tomorrow.

Pat Watt, CeO of the DSPCA, said: “For almost two centuries, the DSPCA has played a vital role in rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming sick, injured and cruelly treated animals.

“We understand the importance of pets in the lives of those who love them, and so, we are delighted to open our first Pet Memorial Garden as a meaningful way to honour their memory.

“The garden is not a place to lay pets to rest – instead, we’ve created a peaceful place for our patrons and animal lovers to remember their precious pets while at the same time help the DSPCA tackle the challenges of these difficult times.

“The garden is a beautiful

Hospice baker’s 400 cakes

A DuBLIn hospice fundraiser who starts stockpiling baked goods months in advance, had over 400 cakes in her freezer ahead of the Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning Social for hospice event.

way to celebrate the life of their pets while supporting essential animal rescue efforts.

“Like all charities, the DSPCA is seeing an increased cost of day-to-day operations so all support at this vital time has a positive impact on the animals in our care.”

Construction on the Memorial Garden began in early 2021 and was largely funded by the legacies of animal lovers.

The large space is set on almost two acres where visitors are invited to take time to reflect at one of the many specially crafted sites.

Sculptures and artwork have been created by local artists including Richie Clarke, Laura Steerman and Jackie Ball.

The DSPCA was established more than 180 years ago and, to date, more than 100,000 animals have been rescued, rehabilitated and rehomed.

Carol Collins uses her own home-grown organic produce to pack eight freezers with cakes, tarts and soups, which she has sold to raise over €37,000 in eight years for St Francis hospice in Dublin.

The coffee morning at her home on Septembet had an additional sparkle as she raffled a diamond ring she found on her land several years ago. however, Carol’s event has become so popular that she is asking anyone else thinking of attending in person to instead make a donation to hospice.

The 76-year-old grandmother of 15 says she starts cooking for the coffee morning the minute the first fruits and vegetables come into season.

“I start cooking months in advance and pack eight big freezers with all kinds of cakes which people then start giving me orders for,” said Carol, who runs the Collinstown Business Park in Swords with her husband Brendan.

“We grow organic food on our small farm so I make gooseberry, blackberry, plum and rhubarb and ginger jams”

The DSPCA memorial garden in Rathfarnham will be open to the public from September 8

Education2023

10-pagE spEcial

Nikki Sherlock and Sarah McGahon who both graduated with a Professional Master of Education – Primary at Maynooth University recently. Pic : Maxwells

Larkin and Shelbourne mark first year of football scheme

StudentS, parents and teachers gathered at Larkin Community College in dublin’s north inner city to mark the successful completion of Year 1 of the school’s threeyear Football development programme (FdP). developed in conjunction with Shelbourne FC, the programme aims to empower young people to engage in education through their love of football and encourage them to achieve the key learnings and skills of the Junior Cycle Programme, which the initiative complements.

Participants of the FdP follow the regular school timetable throughout the three-year Junior Cycle Programme, with specific additional initiatives added to the timetable for the 24 participating students. These initiatives take place before regular classes begin, during lunchtime, after school and sometimes during subject class time, with the Year 1 FdP curriculum including modules such as:

• Meditation

• Fireside chats with guests

• Yoga

• HSe Healthy eating

Students also participated in weekly football training sessions with Shelbourne FC coach Aaron Roe, supported by teachers from the school and were invited to watch their Shelbourne FC heroes play at tolka Park.

Speaking about the programme, Larkin Community College Principal, Thomas usher said: It has been a privilege to witness the commitment and enthusiasm of everyone involved in this programme.”

Minister congratulates students on CAO offers

Minister for Further and Higher education, research, innovation and science simon Harris tD has congratulated students receiving their CAO offers.

Minister Harris also confirmed a significant increase in the number of students who got their first preference.

There were 31,251 (59 per cent) Level 8 first preference offers made today, compared 27,947 (54 per cent) last year.

And the vast majority of students who received an offer, 85 per cent, have been offered one of their top three preferred courses, compared to 82 per cent last year.

separately, there was a substantial reduction in the number of high points course using random selection this year.

Minister Harris said: “i want to congratulate every Leaving Cert student who has made it this far, this is a landmark day in every student’s life after what has been an incredibly challenging few years for them. i truly hope the news they received today aligns with their hopes and ambitions.

“it’s a major milestone for

those taking the next step on their educational journey.

“But while it can be exciting time for many, especially for those who receive their first or second choice preferences, it will also fill others with feelings

of anxiety.

“some students might believe that if they haven’t received their preferred choice that their hopes and dreams for the coming academic year are gone.

“This is not the case –

disappointed students should know there are many other pathways available.

“For the first time in the history of the state students can enrol in one of 23 new degree courses across a wide range

of sectors outside of the CAO points race.

“This will see them beginning their studies in a Further education institution before progressing to a Higher education institution to

An Cosán graduates celebrating following their graduation from An Cosán’s NFQ Level 6 Certificate in Personal and Professional Development accredited by South East Technological University Carlow. An Cosán is Ireland’s largest community education organisation and is based in Tallaght. Pic. Robbie Reynolds

complete their fully accredited degree.

“PLC and Further education courses and apprenticeships are just some of the options available, and i really want to encourage students to take some time to consider the pathway that suits them best.

“There is far more out there than young people might think, and it’s important to remember that there are many ways to achieve their goals.”

More than 460 targeted additional health care places were created on courses for this coming academic year.

Students facing ‘greatest accommodation crisis ever’

For this year’s intake of college students, the joy of receiving CAo offers has been replaced with a fear of not being able to find a place to live

This year’s cohort of third level entrants are facing the greatest student accommodation crisis in the history of the State, according to Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon.

Deputy Gannon, who is the party’s education spokesperson, said:

“The joy and relief felt by tens of thousands of students who received CAo offers just yesterday has already been replaced with a fear of not being able to find affordable accommodation for the upcoming college term.

“Today, we witnessed the sad spectacle of students’ unions from UCD and Trinity College handing out flyers to Dublin commuters in a desperate attempt to secure digs for students through the renta-room scheme. Students themselves would agree that this scheme is just a stickingplaster solution and is not a panacea for accommodation shortages, which are a result

of failed policies by successive governments.

“This Government’s refusal to invest in more publicly funded on-campus housing stands in stark contrast with its reliance on private investment funds to deliver purpose-built student accommodation. These units, which are developed on a forprofit basis, can be prohibitively expensive for students and the rents are not controlled.

“Failure to enforce regulations for short-term lets on platforms

such as Airbnb has also contributed to the student accommodation shortages we have seen in recent years.

“Not having a secure place to live can have a devastating impact on the mental health of students and can damage their chances of academic success. Instead of enjoying college life after the stress of sitting their Leaving Certificate, many students will be forced to defer their CAo offers or may even end up dropping out of their course due to the accommodation crisis.

“In worst case scenarios, we will see students becoming homeless and forced to couch surf, live in tents or sleep in cars. others who remain at home with their parents will face gruelling commutes of up to six hours a day in order to attend lectures.

“Students will rightly feel abandoned by the Government. They know that unless there is a dramatic reversal of policy, the current student accommodation shortage will be nothing more than a prelude to the wider housing crisis that will await them when they graduate.”

Martha Ni Riada, UCD Students Union President at the launch of One Last Push for student beds ahead of the new term. PIc: Tommy Clancy

Female graduates earn 11% less than males

New research published this week by global employer branding experts Universum, part of IrishJobs, reveals that female graduates expect to earn 11% less than their male counterparts.

The Most Attractive employers Index Ireland 2023, which was conducted among 8,000+ students in Ireland across Business & economics, IT, engineering, Natural Sciences, Humanities, Law, and Medicine, provides a snapshot of the key attributes that today’s students are looking for in their future employer. while male students expect to earn €40,441 in their first full-time job after graduation, female students say they expect to earn €35,891, a gap of approximately 11%. It is the first time the gender pay gap has increased since 2020, indicating the relative persistence of the phenomenon among the next generation of the workforce.

Engineering equality within the analysed sectors, there is considerable variation in the gender pay gap.

In the engineering sector, there is no significant difference between male and female graduates in expected salary post-graduation, with males expecting to earn €41,719 and females looking for earnings of €41,698. It brings the expected average salary for engineering graduates to €41,387. This result may indicate the significant efforts made by the engineering industry to encourage female participation and increase the attractiveness of the sector to women in recent years.

Gaps in IT & Business

In contrast, in the tech industry, the expected earning for female graduates is 9% less on average than their male counterparts. Male graduates expect to earn €41,989 while their female counterparts are looking for a starting salary of €38,240. A gender pay gap of 7% was observed in the Business & economics sector, with men expecting an average salary of €39,264 and women expecting to earn €36,403.

Workplace priorities

The data also shows clear

differences in workplace priorities between male and female students. Female students put a greater emphasis on job security (1st) and a friendly work environment (2nd) in career preferences, while male students are more focused on financial compensation in the form of high future earnings (1st) and a competitive base salary (2nd).

Top career preferences

High future earnings (1st) and job security (2nd) are the top overall attributes for third-level graduates across Ireland when considering their future careers, indicating that inflationary pressures and concerns around the rising cost of living are having an impact on students’ career choices. These are

followed by a friendly work environment (3rd), good worklife balance (4th), and a clear path for career advancement (5th).

The importance of flexible working conditions (6th) to graduates has risen by four places since 2021, indicating that attitudes towards remote working triggered by the pandemic have solidified for the long term. 75% of graduates state that they are interested in remote working opportunities, a 4% increase from the number last year.

Buoyant Jobs Market

This year’s cohort of graduates has entered a strong jobs market. The latest labour force survey from the CSO shows that the employment rate rose to over 74% in the second quarter of 2023, a historic high since current records began in 1998.

According to data from the recent Jobs Index for IrishJobs, the jobs market is more settled than previous years, with job vacancies now largely in line with pre-Covid Q2 2019 levels (+1%).

Emma Keegan (age 7) from Tallaght examines the tassel on her mother’s mortarboard during An Cosán’s graduation ceremony in The Russell Centre, Tallaght. Pic: Robbie Reynolds

The man who ended my rugby World Cup dream

MICHAEL WOLSEY

LIKE many a good story, this one involves an Irishman, an Englishman and a Scotsman. One cut short my rugby-playing career, another revived it and the third brought it to an end, once and for all.

The Irishman went by the distinctive name of Derek Peekar. He was the son of a farmer and a giant of a lad. The same description could have been applied to half the boys at the school I attended; six foot and growing, built like combine harvesters, heads like bulls, hands like shovels. They all loved rugby and that went down very well with the school.

I was in the other half. We were city kids of normal proportions and we mostly preferred soccer, which the school would not let us play. On the rugby field we spent most of our time trying to avoid the farming fraternity who took a delight in ploughing us into the mud.

To this end I acquired a set of skills which, had I put them to different use, might actually have made me a reasonable rugby player.

I developed good tactical

awareness which helped me avoid contact with other players, not to mention the ball. I had good handling abilityso if, by some mischance, I did end up with the ball, I could get rid of it almost instantly. Since I rarely presented anything like an attacking threat, I had little to fear from tackles. But, just in case, I developed a neat little swiveland-turn movement which

sent many a foe in the wrong direction. Throwing away the ball as I turned, helped greatly to reduce the danger. Sometimes it even looked like a pass.

My plan was to appear active enough to avoid the wrath of games’ teachers while also avoiding the fists and feet of farmers’ sons.

I may have overdone the first part of the equation for I got

picked for a trial for the school’s under-15 side. I had no real fear of being selected but I did fear the boys out there who were ready to kill for that honour. It was a poor kick that caused the trouble. The ball bounced tamely in front of me and there was no honourable way I could avoid it.

But there, behind the ball, was a sight to chill the heart – Derek Peekar, six foot of agricultural

aggression, bearing down on me at full pelt. There was no time for pretence or fancy manoeuvres. I swivel-turned out of the way and waved the ball, and Derek, through for a splendid try.

“Well you’ll never make the team anyway,” growled the disgusted teacher. Ah, sweet music to my ears.

And that would have been the end of my rugby days, but for the Englishman.

John Pugh was editor of the Liverpool Daily Post, a newspaper where I worked a decade or so after my moment of school infamy.

John had been a good rugby player and was a keen follower of the game. He had a high regard for Irish rugby, based mainly on a long-standing friendship with Willie John McBride.

In a fit of enthusiasm for his favourite sport he organised a match between the Daily Post and a team from two Edinburgh newspapers. The venture was ill-fated, for hardly anyone on the Daily Post staff knew anything about rugby.

“You’ll play, of course,” John told me. “Everyone from Ireland is a natural rugby

player.” Well, I had to oblige. The honour of my nation was at stake – not to mention any hope of promotion at work.

And so, on a chilly day in November.

I stood on a park pitch in bleak Birkenhead. Memories came flooding back and they weren’t good.

We were facing 15 clones of my agricultural school mates, each 10 years older and five stone heavier.

And there was Derek Peekar, who had cleverly morphed into a Scotsman called Malcolm. Twenty minutes into the game, he was bearing down on me with undisguised menace. The honour of Ireland insisted that I stand up to him. Commonsense said I should get out of the way.

Commonsense won. But I was out of practice. My swivel-turn was not as speedy as it used to be and I felt a searing pain as I went down with 18 stone of Scotsman on top of me. Legend, which I encouraged, had it that I risked life and limb for my team. But in truth the injury was not inflicted by Malcolm.

The damage was done when I tried to escape.

The doctor in Birkenhead hospital had two bits of good news. With the help of a metal pin, the broken ankle would heal perfectly ... “but I’m afraid you’ll never play rugby again.”

Two women visiting a man in the next bed overheard and were shocked. “He’ll never play rugby again,” they repeated sadly.

And I never did. Your loss, Andy Farrell. Eat your heart out.

Home Farm Football Club join celebrations of the great Luke Kelly

Home Farm Football Club had the honour of accepting an invitation to contribute to the celebrations of the great Luke Kelly at the Dublin City Council Luke Kelly Festival in Smithfield on Sunday the 13th of August.

As a nod to Luke’s childhood football club Home Farm FC and his love and passion for the game there was a Football Corner set up on the day, welcoming all festival goers to showcase their talents and pick up some new skills from the existing Home Farm members.

Ian Fitzpatrick, who

is the SSG Director of Football at the club put on a fantastic, interactive and highly skilled 2 hour workshop, which broadcasted the ethos, passion and skillset that Home Farm FC has to offer through showcasing some of

their extremely talented and dedicated younger players.

The workshop gained a huge amount of interest and attention with lots of football lovers eager to show off their skills as they immersed themselves amongst the

pre-existing talent of the boys and girls section at Luke Kelly’s former football club. The workshop was fun, energetic and meticulously delivered which led it to be a huge success and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone who took part.

It was a fantastic way for Home Farm FC and the people of Dublin to further connect through their shared respect and association of the talented Dublin Songwriter. The gates of Home Farm are always open to any aspiring football players

to join their ever-growing Football Family and you can do so by registering for their Academy that runs every Saturday and Sunday at 11am for players aged 4-7 years old, in their Whitehall Grounds off the Swords Road.

The Blue Moon over Dublin Bay recently.

Pic: Andres Poveda

We take a look back at extracts from old newspapers to see what was in the news this month in years gone by

Irish Press 18/09/1963

Freemans Jrn 22/09/1841