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THE EDITOR A big welcome to the first edition of InTallaght this year! There’s something in the air and it isn’t just romance this month with Valentine’s Day – we have to confess that we’ve been thinking more about the scent of cooking pancakes on Pancake Tuesday this February 9th! There are many other reasons we like this month; Dry January is over, the people on Facebook boasting about ‘New Year, New Me’ have retreated back to the chipper like the rest of us and we no longer feel guilty spending money after Christmas’ extravagance! We are also thrilled to be back in the office making a fantastic jampacked issue just for you, the people of Tallaght, with plenty of reading to keep you interested. First up, our other reason for welcoming February is that the Oscars are on (February 28th) and this year we’re backing Leonardo DiCaprio. Our journalist Rachel Lynch examines how, with so many amazing performance over the years, the man has been snubbed repeatedly by the panel of decision makers. With the gruesome survival flick The Revenant bringing him a nomination for Best Actor, could this be his year finally? Turn to page 18 to see why we think it is. We also had the great honour of meeting the football star Katie McCabe from Kilnamanagh who has just signed with Arsenal Ladies. Our journalist
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Padraig Conlon got to quiz her all about the massive career move and she told him why football is more important to her than nights out drinking! We hope she’ll remember us when she’s an even bigger star and pays a visit back to her hometown from time to time! It’s also extremely hard not to be excited about the fantastic Valentine’s Date Night fashion shoot we did with wonderful models Piaras and Sophia, styled by Tallaght’s very own Kiera from Just the F Word blog. We got to try out the best date locations too, with Nando’s in The Square, Tallaght Leisureplex for bowling and games and Civic Theatre. Check out our video on the big screen above the Customer Service Desk in The Square or on The Square’s Facebook page. And the best news yet? All the looks can be bought right in The Square Tallaght! As usual we have plenty of other features this month, with one on reigniting the romance from Tallaght life coach Lisa Denby on page 28 and music reviews, game and tech reviews, as well as our book review, Writers Corner and news of every kind! Happy reading,
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2009-4574
proud members of director
Edward Lam edward@intallaght.ie
editor
Genna Patterson genna@intallaght.ie
DESIGN
Edward Lam edward@intallaght.ie Gwen Taylour gwen@intallaght.ie
advertising
Laura Maher laura@intallaght.ie
Journalists
Padraig Conlon padraig@intallaght.ie Rachel Lynch rachel@intallaght.ie Colm O’Muirí colm@intallaght.ie
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Photography __ ________________________________ _______________________________
Genna G enna P Patterson atterson Editor E ditor
GET SOCIAL with intallaght All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without written permission. Opinions expressed in InTallaght are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. All resonable care is taken to ensure truth and accuracy, however mistakes do happen and the editor and publisher cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions in articles, advertising, photographs or illustrations.
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general email
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George Kelly
Contributors
Fergus McNally Kelly Evans Paddy Houlihan Kiera Pitts Mike Mahon Lisa Denby
this is what’s in me
MOVIES
MOTORS
46
60
Leonardo DiCaprio
18
Katie mccabe
24
SQ.MAGAZINE
30
inrovers
74
10 NEWS
54 Tech
66 Business
A round up of all the most recent news and events locally, nationally and internationally
We preview CES 2016 and the tech products to watch out for this year
We take a look at some of the most recent events in the world of business both home and further afield
16 HUMANS OF TALLAGHT
58 GAME
68 PROPERTY
Taking inspiration from Human’s of New York, we chat to locals in the area. This issue we spoke to Michael Finn
Colm O’Muirí previews Street Fighter 5 and Lego Marvel Avengers
REA examine the Tallaght housing market in the last quarter of 2015
50 Entertainment
62 Book
72 Sport
Rihanna’s new album, Friends set to reunite and Aidan Turner wins NTV award
We review the new book by Cecelia Ahern, The Marble Collector
A round up of local and national sports news
52 Music
63 Writer’s Corner
76 culture
We review David Bowie’s final album Blackstar and Jack Lynch’s single Spotlight
Ballyroan Writers Club’s Mike Mahon gives us a comedy tale, A Shaggy Dog Story
A round up of all the best events in Tallaght from Rua Red, Tallaght Library and the Civic Theatre
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NEWS
Living In West Tallaght And Want To Get Involved With An Cosán? By Genna Patterson ____________________________ Have you ever felt like getting involved in community endeavours? Do you live in West Tallaght? If the answer is yes, then An Cosán is looking for you! An Cosán are a community education organisation that have been operating in Jobstown for 30 years now in an effort to bring the path to learning, leadership and enterprise to the area. They are now looking for community members with an understanding and interest in the daily life of West Tallaght to join them on working groups which usually meet once every two months. These working groups help with the step-by-step planning around many different areas in An Cosán, from
the early years group to community education to even higher education, but all will be guided by and with the existing staff at the centre. An Cosán want local people to contribute to the local community so that they can meet their needs, so if you are a local and want to help, they need you! An Cosán believe it is vital that the local community is involved with them as a key partner, so get involved! For further information, please contact Sharon at 01 462 4288 or email Deborah at d.mcgarr@ancosan.com
New €2 To Commemorate 1916 Celebrations By Rachel Lynch ________________________
Brown Thomas could be getting a full pub license By rachel lynch ____________________________
Ireland is issuing a new €2 coin to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising. It will be the first time Ireland has introduced a personalised €2 coin. 4.5 million of the new coins will be introduced into general circulation by the Central Bank, with a number of collectable versions available for purchase also.
Customers of Brown Thomas could soon be looking forward to enjoying a drink before or after their shopping a judge was told in January. The Grafton Street store is currently refurbishing its third floor restaurant. Circuit Court President Mr Justice Raymond Groarke was told this was part of the plan of Brown Thomas in Dublin’s Grafton Street in its application for a legal facility that will ensure it has a full pub license when plans to refurbish its third floor restaurant are completed. It will be a while yet before we know if we can be served a drink while shopping!
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RNLI Saved 35 Lives In Irish Waters Last Year By Rachel Lynch ________________________ Up to 35 lives were saved by lifeboat crews as they rescued more than 1,200 people in Irish waters last year, from figures released by the RNLI. Howth in Co Dublin was the busiest RNLI station, followed by the volunteers in Clifden, Co Galway. The most common type of incident was mechanical failure on boats but 66 launches were in response to someone at risk of drowning with 10 RNLI stations recording calls to help animals and pets in distress. Among the unusual call outs were the rescue of a herd of cows from the sea near Kinsale, Co Cork, including one animal which was stuck in a cave.
Concert To Mark 1916 On Easter Sunday By rachel lynch ____________________________ Easter Sunday is fast approaching and events have been organised right up and down the country with many in Dublin City Centre. In January RTÉ announced details of A Nation’s Voice, a free concert in Collins Barracks on Easter Sunday which will feature the premiere of One Hundred Years a Nation, a major new work performed by a 1,100-strong choir and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra. Composed by Shaun Davey with text by writer Paul Muldoon, One Hundred Years a Nation will be broadcast live as part of A Nation’s Voice on RTÉ One, RTÉ Radio 1 and rte.ie/1916 on Easter Sunday, March 27th.
Foróige Launch Their First Tallaght Fun Run At Fit4Less With 4 Sponsored Locals By genna patterson ____________________________ Foróige Tallaght officially launched their Fun Run at Fit4Less gym on January 25th. The National Youth Development Organisation has organised that four locals will be sponsored and trained by Fit4Less to get into shape in six weeks and run the three miles. The group of willing participants come from all walks of life and looked a bit nervous at their induction in the Fit4Less gym, although brothers and trainers Jack and Greg Kenny, manager and proprietor of the gym, were on hand to ease their worries. The sponsored participants include Eileen Meier from Tallaght Youth Service, Nicola Nagle and Gemma O’Reilly from Brookfield Youth & Community Centre and Adrian O’Sullivan, a Garda from Tallaght Station. There may be two more to join the team but this is still to be confirmed.
Youth officer at Foróige Tallaght, Laura Kelly commented on the launch: “This is our first ever Foróige Fun Run in Tallaght so we hope to have a good turn out on the day! We were delighted that Fit4Less were willing to sponsor our local participants and that they were willing to sign up for the challenge and get involved in helping out Tallaght youths by raising awareness and funds for Foróige Tallaght.” The four trainees will train with Fit4Less to improve their fitness, some aiming to run and some walk the Fun Run, which takes place in Tymon Park on Saturday March 12th at 11am. If you want to join the brave souls, you can register online or on the morning and there are two options; 3 miles for €10 or 5 miles for €15. Under 18s can only register on the day. All funds raised from registration goes back into the Tallaght-based Foróige to support youth services in the area. Foróige is based just across from The Square beside the Luas tracks and provides a number of activities and support to youths in the locality. Foróige Tallaght work with 5,500 young people 10-18yrs and 450 Volunteers each year through volunteer-led Clubs and staff-led Youth Projects.
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NEWS
/[PP 5WCPG 4WGUVKQPU /CEM 2H )GOKPKUO ,P :GUV 7CNNCIJV $V )GORQYGT (XGPV %[ *GPPC 3CVVGTUQP ____________________________ Local resident and President of Trinity College Student Union Lynn Ruane, asked “Why does feminism not exist in the working class and in West Tallaght?” Speaking at the #FEMPOWER feminist conference and activist fair at Tallaght Stadium on January 16th, Lynn addressed the social barriers, one of the main ones being class, when it comes to gender issues. Lynn said that “we are locked out of the debate here in Tallaght”and said that accessible childcare is also a barrier to women from Tallaght getting involved in feminism and social issues. She gave an impassioned speech and confessed upon taking the stage as the last speaker of the day, that she had abandoned her planned speech in favour of a self-confessed “rant” about the issues facing women in Tallaght.
&QWPEKN &QPæTO National Flag 'KURNC[ )QT &QOOGOQTCVKQPU %[ *GPPC 3CVVGTUQP __________________________ The South Dublin County Council have announced plans to display
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In a room of around 300 attendees, Lynn asked for a show of hands of people from West Tallaght, to which very few were raised. She expressed her hope that one day such an event would seem accessible to such women from working class backgrounds. Lynn also emphasised the importance of education in the area, and highlighted a study from Trinity College that focused on the “ripple effect” of education through the working classes and disadvantaged areas. She called herself and her daughter Jordanne Jones (lead actor in I Used To Live Here) prime examples of the ripple effect. Lynn had Jordanne at 15 years old and joined An Cosán to work with people with addiction. Through the Trinity Access Program, she has gained further education, which has in turn impacted the lives of both her children. Lynn was just one of a host of speakers at #FEMPOWER, who spoke on many issues surrounding gender equality and feminism. Hosted by Independent Senator Katharine Zappone, the event aimed to inspire real, positive change for women in our communities. the National Flag at Council Headquarters to commemorate the Anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. Local Councillor Charlie O’Connor had raised the matter with the CEO of South Dublin County Council to ensure that the National Flag was displayed. Council Management have confirmed that “as part of South Dublin County Council’s Centenary
Guest speakers included Sinead Burke, who spoke about the right to choose and the eighth amendment, Moninne Griffith who discussed marriage equality and Dil Wickremasinghe who discussed the paternal tendencies in the medical system and her choice to take back the power by choosing a home birth. Columnist Una Mullally also spoke about the effects of a media industry controlled by men and revealed that no head of any Irish TV station, radio broadcaster or newspaper is currently a woman and how this shapes our news. Rosaleen McDonagh spoke of her social issues as a woman, a traveller and someone with a disability, and encouraged the room to declare “I am a Woman.” Maria Walsh, 2014 Rose of Tralee emceed the event and confessed to her own whisperings of the word “gay” when speaking to people publicly and how this needs to change given the Yes vote for marriage equality in Ireland. The floor was then opened to attendees to speak out about the topics discussed over the day. The Fempower event was organised by Independent Senator Katherine Zappone. Programme a special flag raising ceremony with the Irish Defence Forces will take place outside County Hall prior to the Council Meeting due to take place on the April 11th 2016 to mark the centenary of the 1916 Rising.” Councillor O’Connor said he expected that this decision by the Council will be warmly welcomed throughout the community.
NEWS
Pubs In Ireland Are going To Stay Closed On Good Friday By Rachel Lynch _________________________ It has been a topic of discussion the last month, will they or won’t they? We are sorry for you pub goers but nothing has changed, pubs in Ireland will still remain closed on Good Friday of this year despite a campaign to change the legislation in time for the Easter Rising commemorations. The Licensed Vintners Association & Vintners Federation launched a campaign titled #Abouttime earlier this week in an
2016 Citywide Reading Campaign For Children Launched By Padraig Conlon __________________________ The 2016 Citywide Reading Campaign for Children was launched on January 13th. The campaign, which is jointly organised by Dublin City Council’s Library Service and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature, in partnership with Mercier Press, encourages children to read for pleasure and runs from January to March 2016. The Book of Learning by E.R. Murray has been chosen as the book for this year’s campaign. It is a story of mystery and adventure, which will appeal to both girls and boys of nine years and older. There will be author visits to public libraries as well as city-centre based events to promote the campaign. An t-Ardmhéara Críona Ní Dhálaigh said at the launch: “I encourage children and their parents all across the city to explore the magic and mystery of Dublin through The Book of Learning and to visit their local Dublin
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attempt to remove the ban on the sale of alcohol on Good Friday, with the campaign garnering plenty of support on social media. Sorry to tell you guys but those off-license queues on Holy Thursday will remain the same for this year anyway. Although it is looking promising for maybe next year or the year after with Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald telling Radio One that it will remain in place in 2016, saying: “I won’t be doing it this year.” “This year” – so there is hope. With pubs closed just two days of the calendar year, I am sure we can all survive the Good Friday without having a drink of alcohol? No? Ok then we will all join the queues on the Thursday!
JUST BEFORE HE HEADS TO THE PARK TO TELL MICKEY D THAT HE IS GOING TO THE COUNTRY ENDA PRESIDED OVER HIS LAST ARD FHEIS OF THIS DÁIL, HERE ARE WHAT THE TWITS HAD TO SAY SORRY THE TWEETERS!!
@WhispersNewsLTD Orgies, Raves & Setting The Poor On Fire: Inside The Fine Gael Ard Fheis
@rtenews Fine Gael’s five-point plan has given way to a new three-step plan, Enda Kenny tells the Ard Fheis
@donegal2015 City library to find out more about the fun events taking place. Is scéal draíochtach é a bheadh taitneamhach do éinne thar naoi mbliana d’aois.” Author E.R. Murray said, “I’m delighted The Book of Learning has been chosen for this year’s Citywide Reading campaign, especially since Dublin is so central to the story. I wanted to capture the city’s essence in an adventure story that was both magical and mysterious – so get ready for wildcats, enchanted books, underground lairs, and shark submarines! I can’t wait to meet lots of young readers at events over the next few months – after all, it’s the readers that bring stories to life and make writing so worthwhile.” The project is funded by Dublin City Council’s Library Service and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
@rtenews 5 steps out 3 steps in and spin all around #endaout #fg
@EndaKennyTD A privilege to be here with friends and supporters of @FineGael. Looking forward to a great Ard Fheis #fgaf16
@brui_ie @EndaKennyTD @FineGael @ lstwrd @RTE_PrimeTime @TJ_ Politics spare a thought for people in this country on knees who can’t sleep at night
@mauricegueret Fine Gael are charging exhibitors €16.50 to rent a bin at their Ard Fheis. Must be the best little bin in the world. #fgaf16
@farringm Enda Kenny mugs on sale at Fine Gael Ard Fheis. He certainly made mugs of those not attending.
@sean83p I see @FineGael are privatizing tables and chairs at their #fgaf16 is that what they call a U.S. style Ard Fheis #GE16
@oconnellhugh The ‘Irish Rat Pack’ will be playing at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis Saturday night social event. Right so.
HUMANS OF TALLAGHT
HUMANS OF TALLAGHT
One doctor looked me in the eye and said ‘Michael you do realise you died three times?’
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MEET MICHAEL by padraig conlon
____________________________ @INTALLAGHT #INTALLAGHTPADRAIG
“I’m originally from Rathfarnham and have been living in Aylesbury for 39 years, in the same house. My wife Christine and I will be married 40 years in March. I’ve a son, Niall, who is a builder, he’s 34 and a daughter Aoife who’s married with three children, they’re great kids. I’ve been a full-time photographer for 30 years, generally doing weddings and social photography, family portraits, that kind of stuff. I’d have had a reasonably decent reputation as a wedding photographer around the Dublin area, the wildlife stuff I got into very late in life when I was in my late 40’s. I published a book in 2007 called Wild in my Country: A Photographic Journey, which did ok. I had a heart attack in October 2014. I have no memory whatsoever of anything that happened up to a few weeks before it. I had just finished doing a wedding in Drogheda and apparently I was packing my gear into the car when I rang my son and my wife telling them I had a problem, that I had pains in both arms and they’d have to come and collect me. I can’t remember talking to them. Niall told me to ‘get back in that f****n hotel!’… typical builder! I collapsed in the reception and importantly, and luckily, beside a nurse who started CPR immediately. There was also a doctor having dinner in the hotel and he came
to my assistance as well. They brought me to Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, it took 40 minutes of CPR to get me back, most people are dead at that stage. They moved me to the Mater and told my family that I would have to be moved back to the Lourdes because I was their patient. I arrested again in the Mater so then became their patient! One doctor looked me in the eye and said ‘Michael you do realise you died three times?’ When you hear a doctor say that, it’s really scary and it makes you realise exactly what happened because I hadn’t really thought about it like that. I was in hospital for about eight weeks in total, for the first five I was in a coma. I spent the last two in Tallaght hospital, where I arrested again. I was released on Christmas day 2014. Everyone asks me did I see any flashing lights or anything while I was dead and the answer is no. No flashing lights, no devils with horns, no angels with wings so as far as I’m concerned when you die you’re gone, end of story. There’s nothing out there, when it’s over it’s over. This heart attack is the best thing that’s happened to me in years, it’s given me a new lease of life. I want to do a lot more with my life now than I did before it happened. That’s how I ended up going on safari to Kenya last October. It was something I’ve always wanted to do. I was advised to leave it for two years but I thought f***k it I’ve died three times, I reckon I won’t come back the next time! I was scared going to Kenya but I’m so glad I did it, I got to photograph African wildlife and it’s opened up even more opportunities for me.”
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going for gold
Going For Gold He has taken on one of his most challenging roles to date in The Revenant, but the question _`UX ^QYMUZ_( cUX 8Q[ZM^P[ 0U/M\^U[ ŦZMXXe cUZ MZ ;_OM^ MR`Q^ NQUZS _ZaNNQP R[^ _[ X[ZS, by RACHEL LYNCh @INTALLAGHT #INTALLAGHTRACHEL
The last few years have seen DiCaprio wow audiences with performances in films like The Departed, Shutter Island and most recently The Wolf of Wall Street, not to mentions films like the grandiose The Great Gatsby. He really has taken on just about every role known to man, but still has failed to bag that elusive Oscar. Many will say he isn’t too bothered not to have the gong in his possesion but I beg to differ, with such compelling performances in so many of his films he deserved at least a nomination. But for some reason it just hasn’t happened for the Hollywood hero. This year he is nominated again for Best Actor for The Revenant, but will he succeed? He has said before that the Oscar is not what motivates him. “I don’t think I ever expected anything like an Oscar to tell you the truth. That’s not my motivation when I do these roles.” It’s hard to believe it was almost 25 years ago when DiCaprio burst onto the
acting scene with an appearance in the sci-fi horror film Critters 3, in which he played the stepson of an evil landlord, a role that DiCaprio described as “your average, no-depth, standard kid with blond hair.” From that his career rocketed, 1993 saw him star as the mentally handicapped brother of Johnny Depp’s character in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? The odds were rather stacked against DiCaprio on this one with director Lasse Hallström admitting he was initially looking for a less good-looking actor, an issue Leonardo would come up against throughout his career. The film became a success and he was nominated for a Golden Globe for his portrayal, not to mention the Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Critics began to comment on DiCaprio with many stating he was to be the next big thing. New York Times critic Janet Maslin praised DiCaprio’s performance, writing “the film’s real show-stopping turn comes from Mr. DiCaprio, who makes Arnie’s many tics so startling and vivid
that at first he is difficult to watch. The performance has a sharp, desperate intensity from beginning to end.” His role as Jack Dawson in James Cameron’s Titanic in 1997 transformed DiCaprio into a commercial movie superstar, resulting in fan worship among teenage girls and young women worldwide. He was now one of the most famous men in the world, and the domination wasn’t about to stop there. The job opportunities came quick and fast and during this period of time there were virtually no films that DiCaprio’s name wasn’t rumoured alongside. The next big financial success was of course The Beach in 2000 and budgeted at $50 million, the film grossed over $144 million but DiCaprio didn’t win over the critics with this one. Todd McCarthy of Variety Magazine noted that “Richard [DiCaprio’s role] is too much the American Everyman and not enough of a well-defined individual to entirely capture one’s interest and imagination, and DiCaprio, while perfectly watchable, does not endow him with the quirks or distinguishing
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going for gold marks to make this man from nowhere a dimensional character.” Although it was rather a blow to receive such negative criticism, his 2002 role as Frank Abagnale, Jr. in Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can put him right back up there with critics hailing him as superb. The film was based on a true story of one man who used his charm, confidence, and several different personas, to make millions in the 1960’s writing bad cheques. The following year, DiCaprio received his third Golden Globe nomination for his work in the film.
IRISH APPEAL Within that same year he also starred in a film that saw major interest here in Ireland due to the nature of the storyline. Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York was a historical film set in the mid-19th century in New York City. DiCaprio took on the role of Amsterdam Vallon, a young leader of the Irish alongside Daniel Day-Lewis. In 2004, DiCaprio was back, this time with yet another internationally successful film. His performance in The Aviator received rave reviews and saw him win a Golden Globe award for Best Actor, also receiving another Academy Award nomination, he was nominated for his third Oscar of Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. That year he lost out to Jamie Foxx in Ray, which is at least a fair loss given Foxx’s performance as the blind musician Ray Charles. DiCaprio was now on a roll, although many of his films didn’t receive the recognition he felt they deserved, they were proving to be massive successes at the box office not just in America but throughout the world. It was around this time the public began to question just why DiCaprio wasn’t awarded with an Oscar for many of his outstanding roles. He had proven by now he was a method actor virtually taking on a whole host of characters over the years and in 2006 he proved just that when he starred in Blood Diamond. The storyline focused on the Sierra Leone Civil
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i don’t think i ever expected anything like an oscar to tell you the truth. That’s not my motive when i do these roles War, and DiCaprio’s South African Afrikaans accent was the topic of discussion for many critics who praised the authenticity. He was nominated for an Oscar but again lost out to another superb actor in Forest Whitaker’s portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. Shutter Island was the next major performance for DiCaprio and anyone that has seen the film will agree the lack of nominations for his role was rather disappointing. His acting alongside a gripping storyline was simply incredible.
NINE TIMES A CHARM DiCaprio’s ninth nomination for a Golden Globe came from Django Unchained, which grossed $424 million worldwide. His portrayal in the film received overwhelmingly positive reviews and set him up for a role in the highly anticipated The Great Gatsby. Although not a great fan of the film itself I did applaud both DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan performances’ throughout the film along with it’s spectacular aesthetics. 2013 for me was Leo’s greatest year and I personally believe he was robbed of an Oscar win after his performance in The Wolf of Wall Street. The film, which I am sure you are all aware of was based on the true life story of stockbroker Jordan Belfort. The film’s eccentric storyline mixed with a rather shocking lifestyle that many would find unbelievable at times saw DiCaprio showcase his talents to the highest standard, and while the
film was three hours long, you’d think it would be a drag but it was the total opposite. In fact had it continued for another hour I wouldn’t have thought many in the cinema would have complained and personally I do believe it was down to DiCaprio’s role which was simply brilliant. There were many who would have given him an Oscar just for the scene where he drives home from a country club drugged up to the eyeballs. The role earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy and his fourth Academy Award nomination for Actor in a Leading Role. However the award was presented instead to Matthew McConaughey for his leading role in as AIDS patient Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club.
SO CLOSE TO GOLD All eyes are now focused on Leonardo’s latest film The Revenant. Here he plays the role of Hugh Glass, who defies all the odds in a film about survival. It’s a story based on true events and it has to be said DiCaprio really acts his heart out here, although he speaks very little dialogue. DiCaprio said why the film appealed to him in the first place: “The Revenant is an incredible journey through the harshest elements of an uncharted America. It’s about the power of a man’s spirit. Hugh Glass’s story is the stuff of campfire legends, but Alejandro (director) uses that folklore to explore what it really means to have all the chips stacked against you, what the human spirit can endure and what happens to you when you do endure.” For those of you who haven’t seen the film this is one I strongly suggest you do, DiCaprio is the main man yes but Academy Award winning director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s inclusion of scenes like the savage bear attack are at time unwatchable due to the unnerving realism. The brutality throughout makes it tough viewing but you will also find it virtually impossible to look away. As I already said DiCaprio says very
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going for gold
I wanted to do characters that I could really get into and really act and make into a reality and not something contrived few words in this film, but that’s what makes him great I think. It seems to us that he is fighting for that Oscar just like his character Hugh Glass is fighting for his life. Overall DiCaprio has had a colourful and successful acting career over the past 25 years and at just 41 I don’t see him giving it all up any time soon. Disappointments of Oscar snubs have seen his devout fans up in arms but he has managed to stay pretty grounded, rarely commenting on the topic. He once said, “I don’t think anyone would say that they wouldn’t want one. I think they would be lying.” While it’s all been relatively positive on the acting front DiCaprio hasn’t been so lucky when it comes to the ladies and I’m sorry to break it to you all out there but if you were old enough to see Titanic in theatres well then you’re probably too old for him. Week after week, month after month he is linked with young beautiful women all over the world. While the chances of him settling down any time soon seem pretty slim it certainly doesn’t stop him search for Miss Right. He rarely goes public with the news of the women he is dating but that doesn’t stop the media speculating. If he is sitting beside her well then she’s fair game for the match up. Rumours last year flooded social media as it was believed he was very serious with music sensation Rihanna. He’s been associated with model after model, Naomi
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Campell to Giselle to Kate Moss and just about everyone else in between. Reports in the media this month alone have suggested that he has split with model girlfriend Kelly Rohrbach after a short lived romance, so yes he’s back on the market (probably not for long) but don’t worry if you miss your chance this month, there is always next. Many of you ladies probably had a poster of him up on the wall or at the very least would have declared your love for him after his portrayal of Jack Dawson in Titanic, but an old video that has surfaced over the last few weeks shows that the actor wasn’t exactly excited about being labelled a teen heartthrob when he first became famous. While on tour in 1993 promoting What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? the young actor couldn’t help but laugh off the thought of being the object of affection for many young fans while sitting down with E! News. He was asked how he felt his image could affect him taking on the role of a serious character, and told the entertainment news channel that “I don’t know about that teen thing. I think it’s good, it’s good for publicity, but, it’s almost like they’re not actors, you know what I mean? They portray them as sort of like a piece of meat. Like, here’s the new cute thing, take a look at him, and go ohhh, ahhh. I didn’t dig that. I wanted to do characters that I could really get into and really act and
make into a reality and not something contrived. I had some teen following, but I don’t really have that anymore. It’s sort of gone. It diminished, thank God.” It’s been almost 23 years since that interview and I don’t think the problem of being “too cute” still affects him in nailing down serious roles as he has certainly proved that with The Revenant, but is it the reason he is still waiting on that Oscar? Anyone that still judges him for his roles in movies like Titanic (although excellent acting) need to research some of his other roles over the years. To be quite honest I was rather disappointed he missed out on the Oscar back in 2014 for his role in The Wolf of Wall Street. So what’s next for Leonardo in 2016? Last year it was announced that Martin Scorsese will direct an adaptation of Larson’s The Devil in the White City, which will star DiCaprio with the screenplay to be written by Billy Ray. Also late last year his production company Appian Way acquired the movie rights for a book about the Volkswagen emissions scandal. With hopes of a possible Oscar award still very much alive this year, 2016 could possibly turn out to be one of the best for DiCaprio and we wish him all the best.
katie mccabe
The Marvel of McCabe
Tallaght local Katie McCabe has just hit the big leagues by signing with Arsenal Ladies. Padraig Conlon talks to her about her new challenge. by PADRAIG CONLON @INTALLAGHT #INTALLAGHTPADRAIG
Katie McCabe is one of Ireland’s best young footballers. The 20-year-old from Kilnamanagh has been the outstanding player in the Women’s National League for the past few seasons. In 2014 people really started to take notice when she played a major part in helping Raheny United win the League and Cup double, scoring a wonderful free-kick in the Cup Final against UCD Waves at the Aviva Stadium. A very skilful winger with a marvellous left foot she had played at all underage levels for Ireland when she made her competitive debut for the Senior team in a European Championship qualifier against Finland in Tallaght in September, finishing the game as Player of The Match. Just before Christmas she sealed a dream move to Arsenal Ladies, English football’s most successful side. It’s two days before Katie starts training with her new club and she couldn’t be happier. All her hard work so far has paid off. This is massive. Arsenal only sign the best. “The club have made me feel so welcome, it’s like a family-type environment, I’ve been welcomed with open arms,” she says.”I’m buzzing. They train at the same ground as the men, Borewood, and the facilities are top notch. The
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men and women all eat together, there’s a lovely atmosphere about the place.” Arsenal Ladies have gone a couple of seasons without winning the championship. Last season the best team in the history of the women’s game won its fourth Continental Cup in five seasons making it 42 trophies in 23 years. This season they want to regain their WSL title. They spent the winter rebuilding a squad they hope will take them back to the top and they want Katie to be part of it. Is she feeling any pressure? “No I’m not. Casey Stoney, Alex Scott and Farrah Williams, (England’s most capped player ever) are just after signing, they’re huge names in women’s football. I’ll probably be a bit intimidated initially but at the end of the day it’s only a game of football
for me. All I can do is go over and learn from excellent players like that, learn from their experience. I want to show the WSL what I can do and why I was brought over and that I’m not just this Irish girl from Tallaght who is going to be a bench warmer.” Growing up she used to watch Arsenal Ladies on telly. Now she will be playing for them. It’s all a dream. Her international team mate Emma Byrne, who is also Ireland’s current goal keeper and most capped women’s player, would have played in those games Katie watched back in the day and she is still playing for The Gunners. She also saw up close what an excellent player Katie is and did all she could to get her to sign for Arsenal. “I was chatting to Emma when together with the Ireland
I want to show the WSL what I can do and why I was brought over and that I’m not just this Irish girl from Tallaght who is going to be a bench warmer squad and she just said ‘what do you think about a move?’ I said obviously Id interested! she says. “She She I’d be very interested!” got chatting to the manager Pedro (Martinez Losa) and he started keeping an eye on me. After Emma mentioned it to him he watched me playing against Finland in Tallaght, the Portugal game and a few club matches so he liked what he saw. We
discussed it and eventually I signed. It was a no brainer!” Since getting into the Ireland Under 15’s when she was 13 years old she has played at every level internationally. She was one of the main players on the Under 19 team that reached the semi finals of the European Championships in 2014, an experience she believes was vital for her development. “We beat Spain, England and Sweden, but got humped 4-0 off Holland who went on to win it, they were the very best team in the tournament,” she says. “The experience was great though and it’s helped Claire (Shine) and myself make the move into the Senior squad. Savannah McCarthy is also coming up. It’s all on the rise. It’s great that Sue (Ronan Senior manager) is keeping an eye on the underage as well, she can see the ability that’s there so it’s all good going forward.” Her wonderful performances at underage led to her eventual elevation to the senior squad last year and she made her competitive debut against Finland in September in Tallaght Stadium in a Euro Qualifier ending up winning the Player of the Match award. “I’d been brought into the seniors in
January so I had the nine months up to September to get ready and get used to the set up and I did see an improvement in my game from January. I think I established myself well in the squad, it was a dream to get my first competitive cap in my hometown in front of all my friends, family and then to get Player of the Match was a plus as well.”
RAISING THE GAME Everything about international football excites her. “Playing club football obviously is great but playing against international teams you’re guaranteed really tough games against players who are the best in their country,” she says. “What I found that helped me the most was how great the senior girls are when they welcome you into into the squad, they want you to learn because when you y come into the squad you are the future so they want to look after you and help you learn. Playing with the likes of Niamh Fahey, Louis Quinn, Diane Caldwell, Emma Byrne – they’re legends so for me I’ve been looking at them
KATIE WITH PEDRO MARTÍNEZ LOSA, ARSENAL LADIES FIRST TEAM MANAGER. PHOTO COURTESY OF ARSENAL FC.
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Katie McCabe
KATIE WITH PEDRO MARTÍNEZ LOSA, ARSENAL LADIES FIRST TEAM MANAGER. PHOTO COURTESY OF ARSENAL FC.
since I was 13 years old and now I’m training with them so it’s a dream for me. “We’ve a great squad, a great set of girls and we want to be doing the same as the senior men and qualifying for big tournaments showing everyone what we’re capable of as well.” Her older brother Gary, who is a League of Ireland legend and currently Shamrock Rovers’ longest serving player, was a great influence on her growing up. “He actually got me into football and he always encouraged right from the very start. When he left Kilnamanagh to go to Crumlin I moved as well because he was there at the time. I kind’ve followed him around a bit!” she says.” He also plays a similar role to me on the pitch so I would mirror my game on him, I’d be up watching him a good bit for Rovers, I’m a big Rovers fan. I have always looked up to him, he has done a lot in his career, won leagues and cups, played in the Europa League and is Rovers’ longest serving player there, it’s a dream of his. I’m so proud of him.” Women’s football has made considerable strides in the last few years. However there are still problems
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with regard to media coverage. Is this something that annoys her? “It does a bit, yeah,” she says. “We’re seeing the sport grow in Ireland but it’s still hard to get to see a game on telly. BBC have The Women’s Football Show which is great and helps publicise the league in England. In Ireland the WNL games are getting a bit more coverage and finals are being shown live so it is progressing, very slowly, but at least it’s getting a bit better.” We discuss the fact that Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs on the planet, disbanded their women’s team over ten years ago and are one of only two (Southampton being the other) Premier League clubs that don’t have a female team. “Being a Chelsea fan I would have a fair bit of hatred towards United, anyway,” she says. “But no women’s team? I think that’s pretty bad on their behalf. When Farrah Williams signed a few weeks ago for Arsenal, Per Mertesacker, Kieran Gibbs and Theo Walcott were all Tweeting about it and welcoming her to the club. To see United not even consider having a women’s team is disgraceful. I’m sure they’d attract big players because of the name.
Even Man City, who only set up their women’s team three years ago are doing great. It brings good publicity to the club. They’d want to sort that one out!” We finish up and I ask what advice can she give to other young female footballers? “Just stick with it and keep working hard,” she says. “For any young girls who are thinking of pursuing a career in football all I can say is that the sacrifices are absolutely worth it. If you want to be a footballer then you have to have discipline, but look, by not going out drinking with your mates you’re not missing out on anything. Scoring free kicks in finals, that’s a memory you’ll have for a lifetime, you’re not going to remember the p*ss-ups are you?! Don’t get me wrong, going out with your mates is fine, it’s great but probably one of the factors for me was not drinking and I don’t feel I’ve missed out on anything by choosing to do that. I’d rather have a life as a professional footballer, playing international games all over the world, that’s what I want to get out of life. I don’t like to call myself a role model as I’m only 20 but if girls look up to me that’s fine. I’m going to set a good example for them.”
Valentines
Review Your Romantic Side This St. Valentine’s Day by lisa denby INFO@LISADENBYCOACHING.COM
How important is romance in your relationship? The importance of knowing your partners love language! Love it or loathe it, Valentine’s Day, which falls on February 14th, has become a major celebration in many countries around the world. Also known as The Feast of St. Valentine, there are various stories and legends of its historical origins, dating back to the fifth century in Rome. It has now become traditional to demonstrate romantic love with greetings cards, flowers and other romantic gestures. While some may dislike the commercial side of celebrating their love, it’s worth considering the ways in which a romantic relationship differs from other relationships, and how we
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Would it surprise you to know that each person feels loved in a different way? demonstrate how we much we care. At the beginning of any relationship, we can’t do enough for the object of our desire. There are lots of compliments, sweet messages and little gifts and gestures. We spend hours thinking about them, and can’t wait to see them. The honeymoon period… it’s all so romantic and feels wonderful! Over time, the important foundations are laid down. Trust is built, we learn to communicate, values are aligned, and commitment
grows. Even when all of these things happen, there can be problems and misunderstandings that can happen when we forget the simple things, the things that make our partner feel loved. This is where the romance is important. I’m using the word romance in terms of bonding, intimacy, attraction, and demonstrating affection. Would it surprise you to know that each person feels loved in a different way? How often have you heard the words “Nothing I do is right” or “The spark just isn’t there anymore”? While poor communication is a major cause of relationship problems, sometimes it’s as simple as not understanding your partner’s love language. I’m referring to The 5 Love Languages, from the bestselling book of the same title by Dr.Gary Chapman. From my own experiences, both personally and professionally, I can say that understanding these can make a huge difference to your relationship. Both you and your partner will have
one or two of these that you identify with, and taking the time to figure out which are yours can help you have a more loving relationship, and reignite that spark. And here they are… • Words of Affirmation: I love you, compliments, and expressions of appreciation • Quality Time: Focussed attention, prioritising him/her as much as possible • Receiving Gifts: Thoughtful gifts, not necessarily expensive, for no particular reason • Acts of Service: Doing something to help the other, preferably without being asked • Physical Touch: Intimacy, and regular gestures of physical affection-hugs, a loving touch These are the things you did lots of when you first met, remember?! What you may not realise, is that there’s one or two that mean the world
to your partner. Life is busy, and sometimes we take our partners for granted without even realising. Think of a time when your partner was upset or distant, you tried to make things right, and it didn’t work. Did you show your love in the way that they felt loved, or did you do what you thought was the right thing to do based on your love language? Whether you’re looking for love, just past the honeymoon period, or have been married for 30 years, you have a dominant love language that your partner needs to know. So have some fun with it, talk to each other and find out what it is that you both need to know. Maybe you already do, or just maybe you’ll be surprised! So, getting back to Valentine’s Day, it’s only one day but it’s the perfect day to show your partner how much you care in some way he/she will love! P. S. Guys, on behalf of 99% of the women I know – we love cards and flowers, and chocolate when we’re not watching our figures!
Lisa Denby is a Life and Business Coach in Tallaght, and an accredited member of the Life and Business Coaching Association of Ireland. Lisa works with individuals on a variety of personal topics who seek a focused approach to personal and professional success. Lisa also gives talks to groups to enhance personal development. info@lisadenbycoaching.com lisadenbycoaching.com
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sq.magazine
Welcome to the first issue ue of The Square Magazine this year! With another successful year under nder our belts, we won’t be resting on ourr laurels anytime soon. Indeed we have plenty planned for the New Year ahead d to keep you our customers happy and content ontent to shop in The Square Tallaght! ht you’d With Christmas gone we thought all like some more presents and d so have been giving away lots of prizes rizes this month and will have many more coming. This past month we gave ve away a €100 Square Gift card, Nando’s ’s Meal for 2 vouchers, Urban Decay make ake up, Deirdre O’Kane tickets and so much more! Remember to check ck our Facebook page every day to be in with a chance to win one of these greatt prizes. In January we were very busy with h the opening of a number of new businesses inesses here in the Centre! For all the ladies dies looking to keep their lashes and eyebrows sh in top condition there is Wild Lash kie’s & Brow Bar on Level 1 beside Jackie’s w Aussie Florist. Then we also have the new BBQ outside Level 1 to the left off the main East entrance doorway to bring ntre. tasty burgers and more to the Centre.
We also welcomed another wonderful new store to the Centre this last month, with SO Nutrition opening its doors outside Level 1 East entrance, opposite Oopsadaisy’s Play Garden. Drop in to the store today to see what’s on offer. Once again the little ones and their parents were thrilled with our January event– the Dots and Spots party on Saturday 23rd, with face painting, crafts and the chance to meet Mr and Miss Spot in their dotty house, as well as Cheeky Monkey! This February 27th we will also be hosting our Spring Fashion Show in the Centre Mall with shows at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm to highlight all the amazing looks available from stores in the Centre. Be sure to come and see for yourself! Have a great month and happy shopping!
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C h Cathryn McMen McMenamy M M namy Commercial Manager g The Square Tallaght
CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK & INSTRAGRAMM FOR MORE PICTURES PICTUREES
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sq.news sq. sq.news newss new
Dots t & Spots Spot Party We hosted ted another err w wonderfull FREE event heree on the Centre Mall on Saturday January 23rd for all of our lovely lovel vely customers. The Dots and Spots party was a huge success and all the little ones were absolutely delighted to havee so much fun fu with us. From face painting to painting dotty plates and other crafts as well as making a lovely mess, they all were thrilled to be
p g with w the dotty theme! e! There Th re were playing even balloon animals made to order rd for each of the kids to take home hom with th them. Then they all had the chance to meet Mr a Miss Spot in their dotty house, as and y! W well as Cheeky Monkey! What a day! The Dots and Spots party was definitely fun for all and we even saw a few parents looking to get involved with the face painting! Keep an eye on our Facebook for more information on fun FREE events in The Square.
RECENT EVENTS HERE AT THE SQUARE TALLAGHT JOIN US TO BE PART OF THE STORY...
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sq.news
Wild Lash and Brow Bar open
from when perfecting your personal look. Drop into the beauty bar today and experience first class service and leave feeling truly transformed.
Wild Lash and Brow Bar have opened here on Level 1 just beside Jackie’s Florist. Wild Lash & Brow Bar are here to give you that little bit of something extra to make you truly stand out from the crowd. With lash extensions to make-up and everything in between, you have so much to choose
New KisWash Self-Service Laundry Solutions Now Open Have you noticed our brand new laundry facility here in the foyer of the Level 1 multi-story car park? We are pleased to announce thatt they are now up and running and d ready for you to use. The selection on of professional washing and drying ing units offer you the customer the option to wash and or dry your blankets, pillows, ws,, duvets, du uv weeklyy wash, sports cclothes lothes eetc, tc, while you ou shop.
The washing liquid is included so all you need to do is turn up with what you want cleaned or dried. Drop p down and check out our o ut o ur ffacilities acilities today! tod day!
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Happy Birthday irthday d Nando’s and Adorn ornn We have been busy with two birthday’s here at The Square this month with both Nando’s and Adorn celebrating a year here in the centre. Hasn’t time flown! Whether you are looking for a delicious meal on Level 3 or a beautiful piece of jewellery on Level 2, both have you covered. Adorn have many sales on this month so drop in today and pick up a bargain. From necklaces to earrings there is a style in store to suit everyone.
SO Nutrition now open We welcomed yet another new store, SO Nutrition to The Square at the end of December. The new nutrition store which is located just outside on Level 1 East entrance, is already becoming a firm favourite with many of our customers particularly this time of the year when everyone is looking to improve their diets. We spoke to members of the team who told us how
happy tthey were to o finally be opened in Tallaght: “We at SO Nutrition are delighted to open our new ne supplement store in The Square, we provide one of the greatest selection of sport supplements, vitamins and minerals, from proteins and creatines, to energizers and weight loss products, health foods and training accessories.” With over 50 different brands of stock and all at competitive prices SO Nutrition really is the place to go. Whether you would like to build muscle, get leaner, tone up, lose weight, the team here on Level 1 are on hand to give you advice on products, diet, and training.
LEVEL 1 EAST CAR PARK
Then there is Nando’s – is the butterfly chicken your true love? Or how about the wings? Whatever takes your fancy you will be sure to leave Nando’s happy and full, so drop in this month and celebrate with the team!
Valentine’s Day Presents & Prizes Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and we here at The Square have plenty of gift ideas in store. From the traditional gifts like perfume, aftershave, flowers, chocolates, jewellery but also many other ideas that the one you love will love. Not only do we have the gifts but over the next few weeks we will also have plenty of prizes up for grabs on our Facebook page in the weeks running up to February 14th. Keep your eye on our Facebook page for your chance to win a whole list of prizes!
GOCar This month we at The Square welcomed Go Car to the centre. Located just outside on Level 1, the rental cars are fast becoming a firm favourite all over the world and especially here in Ireland. So how does it work? Basically it’s car rental but by the hour. It’s a membership scheme so you first need to sign up online. Members do need to be 21 years or older and have a full licence. Once signed up online
just send on a copy off your licence and your GoCard will be posted out ou to you! There is a once-off membership fee of €49.99 plus a monthly fee of €5, which covers all start art up costs and of course your new card, but Go Car have ave a special introductory ory price for those of you ou in Tallaght with a signing up price of just jusst €10.00 when you enter nteer the promotion codee “61Tallaght” online. e.
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sq.FOCUS
Community Champion Our January Community Champion is 15-year-old RossLee Fennell from Glenview here in Tallaght. Ross-Lee has made amazing efforts to help youths in the area with a number of antibullying initiatives and won the ‘One to Watch’ prize at the Youth Citizenship Awards with Foróige. He is a 4th year student at Tallaght Community School and is currently on the prestigious Tenderfoot scholarship at the The Civic Theatre. Ross-Lee impressed us because of his positive attitude and go-getter approach and his aim to create a difference in the community of young people in Tallaght. Another project he is working on at the moment is a magazine and app for young people and kids in the area to find local youth clubs and activities to engage with. Furthermore Ross-Lee was also awarded the Heart of Gold accolade at the recent Tallaght Person of the Year awards! Congratulations Ross-Lee, we think you deserve our Community Champion award and hope you continue to make Tallaght a great place to live!
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Carraig Donn, which is located on Level 2, has become a firm favourite with our customers over the years. Carraig Donn is a boutique department store, and a premier retailer of Fashion, Jewellery and Giftware. Carraig Donn was listed as one of Ireland’s Top 30 Stores for 2015 by Retail Excellence Ireland, and the company celebrated 50 years in business recently. This year we awarded Carraig Donn our “Best Dressed Christmas Window” for their “Red Door” themed window – the display was full of beautiful reds, creams, and golds, and featured lots of texture and depth. The display created a gorgeous festive feeling on Level 2, and Carraig Donn were the deserved winners this year. Store Manager Jackie noted: “We were thrilled to win the Best Window Competition –Carraig Donn is known for its beautiful merchandising and visual appeal, and it’s something we really focus on here in the store. We make sure our store is a lovely place to browse and spend time in.”
In the fashion
department, the focus is on elegant, flattering, well-made clothes and there’s everything from great work dresses to more directional, on-trend pieces. The fashion department houses a clever mix of Irish and International labels – the backbone of which is the exclusive French J’aime La Vie label. In Giftware, Carraig Donn is a wellrenowned shopping destination for Irish brands, with Nicholas Mosse, Newbridge Silverware, Genesis and Waterford Crystal and Newbridge Silverware taking centre stage instore. There is also an extensive Home and Living collection, led by Carraig Donn’s own lifestyle brand Delphi. In Jewellery, brands such as Momenti, Knight and Day, Newbridge Silverware, and Soul are housed instore, meaning you will also find that beautiful finishing touch! Drop in to Jackie and her team in the Carraig Donn store on Level 2 today!
sq.fashion
by Kiera (justthefwordblog)
________________________ Roses are red, Violets are blue, We’ve thought of what to wear, so you don’t have to. This month hosts the most romantic day of the year - a holiday full of love, fun and dating. The Square Tallaght has got it all covered, taking the hassle out of what to wear with these four date night looks. Whether you want to go all out this February 14th or keep it fun and casual there is something for everyone. For lovers of Valentine’s Day why not break out the red shades and get in on the action? Get the glad rags on and keep it stylish with a look you can wear again and again. For those who are not quite fans of celebrating this day, don’t worry these looks are for everybody and are adaptable for any night out whether with a date or friends. When it comes to the men, there are plenty of choices to woo the ladies from Diesel and DV8. Both stores stock cool brands and
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styles for today’s man, from comfy casual pieces to dinner dateworthy threads. For the ladies, you can’t go wrong with a lace black dress for that special night out and adding touches of red accents really keeps with the theme. Carraig Donn and DV8 house a huge variety of styles no matter what your plans are. Skinny jeans and a blouse can easily be dressed up with heels and a few additions. The fab accessories for this date night look book all come from Pulse Accessories on Level 3. You will find everything you need here, from a little something to jazz up that black dress, to a gift for her on this special day. Update an outfit with a cosy yet stylish poncho wrap or pile on some jewels and a statement bag. So if you want to get some pulses racing or even just a new look for date night, pop into The Square for all you need, under one roof. Many thanks to our locations on this shoot including Nando’s, Leisureplex Tallaght and The Civic Theatre.
Featuring
Carraig Donn Debenhams Diesel DV8 Elle Pulse Accessories Hair
Peter Mark Make up
Urban Decay Flowers
Jackie’s Florist Styling
Kiera Pitts Photography
Robert Kelly Models
Sophia Polz Piaras Smyth Shoot Location
Nando’s Tallaght Leisureplex Tallaght Civic Theatre
Piaras
Jumper €59.95 (Diesel) Jeans €79.99 (Diesel) Shoes €99.95 (DV8) Sophia
Hat €10.46 (Carraig Donn) Blouse €44.95 (Carraig Donn) Jeans €42.99 (DV8) Shoes €69.95 (DV8) Bag €25 (Pulse Accessories) Poncho Wrap €25 (Pulse Accessories)
sq.fashion
Sophia
Stripe Tee €22.95 (DV8) Gilet €64.95 (DV8) Jeans €42.99 (DV8) Converse €58.95 (DV8) Piaras
Long sleeve Top €34.95 (DV8) Casual Bottoms €36.95 (DV8) Adidas Runners €74.99 (DV8)
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sq.fashion
Piaras
Navy Tee €44.99 (DV8) Casual Bottoms €36.95 (DV8) Shoes €99.95 (DV8) Sophia
Shirt Dress €39.95 (DV8) Boots €49.95 (DV8) Necklace €15 (Pulse Accessories) Bag €20.96 (Carraig Donn)
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sq.fashion
Sophia
Piaras
Dress €79.95 (Carraig Donn) Necklace €9 (Pulse Accessories) Shoes €69.95 (DV8) Clutch €34.95 (Carraig Donn) Jacket €100 (Elle)
Shirt €34.99 (DV8) Jacket €89.99 (Diesel) Jeans €89.99 (DV8) Boots €89.99 (DV8)
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Kelly
Jumpsuit €42 (Debenhams) Black Shoes €39.95 (DV8) Bag €28 (Debenhams) Daniel
Cardigan €37.50 (Debenhams) Slacks €62 (Debenhams) Shirt €42.95 (DV8) Tan Brogues €89.95 (DV8)
CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK & YOUTUBE FOR BEHIND THE SCENES
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sq.fashion
It’s nearly that time of year when your little one is getting ready for their Communion or Confirmation and you want them to look their absolute best.
Debenhams have a stunning range of dresses and suits for girls and boys for their big day and are hosting a fashion show in The Square Tallaght on Saturday February 6th. Be sure to come and see all they have to offer in their showcase on the Centre Mall on Level 2 from 1-3pm.
RJR.John Rocha @ Debenhams White Embroidered Dress from €103 Veil €24 (Debenhams)
Shoes from €36 (Debenhams)
RJR.John Rocha @ Debenhams Boy’s Navy Waistcoat, Shirt and Tie Set from €38.50 Jacket from €57.50 Trousers from €28.50 Shoes €42
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RJR.John Rocha @ Debenhams Dress from €120 Fur Bolero from €27 Shoes from €36 Bag €15
Above
RJR.John Rocha @ Debenhams White Embroidered Dress from €103 Veil €24 Shoes from €36 Bag €15
MOVIES
The Revenant by RACHEL LYNCh @INTALLAGHT #INTALLAGHTRACHEL
___________________________ Leonardo DiCaprio manages to pull off an epic performance even though he barely speaks throughout the entire film. The Revenant, inspired by true events, tells the story of ultimate survival. The only way I can explain this film to those unaware of what they are about to see is to compare the film to a storyline written by Bear Grylls but multiply it by 1,000 if not more for extremity. DiCaprio takes on the role of Hugh Glass, an American who is on an expedition into the wilderness with a group of men and his son, whose mother was a Native American. His son’s presence causes a fraction between the group of men, in particular John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) who has been left scarred by a tribe. An attack by the Natives leaves many of the exploring team dead, also they have been robbed of their fur pelts which is what the trip was all about. Outnumbered and hungry the men separate in search of food –what comes next is rather disturbing, and I won’t lie I found myself closing my eyes for most of it – the famed bear attack. Hugh is brutally mauled by a bear and is left for dead by the hunting men. Alone and almost dead he sets off on a 200 mile trip across the American outback. It’s not just the freezing conditions he must conquer along the way but also an attack by the Natives.
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The Revenant is an epic story of one man’s battle for survival while defying virtually all the odds. DiCaprio puts in one of his best performances of all time as he takes us on a trail across the country to find the man who betrayed him. This film is gruesome and delves into the toughest elements of survival, from eating raw fish and meat to a grotesque scene with a dying horse. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu has really delivered with this deeply dark survival thriller.
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SPOTLIGHT by genna patterson
__________________________ @INTALLAGHT #INTALLAGHTGENNA
Spotlight tells the true story of the Boston Globe journalists who uncovered the Catholic Church cover up of child sex scandals in 2001. Starring a hugely impressive cast including Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, Brian d’Arcy James, Liev Schreiber, and Billy Crudup, the movie is a solid and compelling telling of events. Initially the ‘Spotlight’ team – a small group of journalists that focus on year-long investigations – are assigned to look into just one priest called John Geoghan, but soon uncover more, that the Archbishop of Boston knew about and did nothing to stop the abuse of children. The Boston Globe actually won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service because of the articles they published on the scandal, highlighting
the depth of the cover up in the Massachusetts area. I found Spotlight really interesting and at times horrifying to discover just how much was hidden and how the journalists went to great lengths to bring the offending priests to justice. Definitely worth a watch if you can stomach the truth.
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The Revenant is an epic story of one man’s battle for survival while defying virtually all the odds FEBRUARY 2016 //
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MOVIES
creed by RACHEL LYNCh
___________________ @INTALLAGHT #INTALLAGHTRACHEL
When I first heard Sylvester Stallone and his most memorable role Rocky were associated with Creed I thought I was about to watch a film that I would be lost in from start to finish as I hadn’t seen any of the Rocky franchise. I was wrong, Creed tells the story of Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), whose father was Apollo Creed – for those of you (like me) unaware of this iconic boxer – he was who Rocky took on years previous and became a close friend of Rocky’s. Adonis never met his father, he died before he was born, but has a passion for the sport his father once lived for. With the dream of success in his mind he finds the retired Rocky Balboa and asks the champ to train him. Rocky is reluctant at first as he has been struck down by an illness, but
eventually he agrees to mentor him and the pair set out on a journey that will see Adonis get a shot at the title. Creed is a must-see for Rocky fans, but as I have said it is not a necessity to have seen the originals. There are many heartfelt moments throughout this movie where Rocky acts as a father figure to Adonis who has been lacking this since he was born, for these scenes alone I wish I had seen the previous installments. Has Adonis got the true heart of a fighter? And can Rocky fight the greatest battle he has faced since his days in the ring? Go see it to find out!
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trumbo by genna patterson
___________________ @INTALLAGHT #INTALLAGHTGENNA
Trumbo is a fascinating portrayal of old Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) who was blacklisted from writing because of his political beliefs in 1947. With a supporting cast full of stars including Helen Mirren, Louis CK, Diane Lane, John Goodman and Elle Fanning, Trumbo is an intimate look at the life and motivations of Dalton and his cohorts. Along with some of his fellow writers, Dalton went to prison for holding communist beliefs in a time that the US was at odds with Russia. Once released from prison, all are out of work and banned from writing movies and so Dalton sets up a writers’ ring to get them all work under alias names. Soon the gossip is spreading around Hollywood that Dalton is back at work in direct violation of the blacklist
and working with Kirk Douglas on a job writing Spartacus, causing even more trouble. Trumbo’s cast give good sturdy performances in a movie that is really interesting, but mostly because of the cast of famous characters from the glory days of Hollywood involved in the situation. However much fun Trumbo is, it will never be as great as some of Trumbo’s own works like Roman Holiday, Exodus and The Brave One. Cranston is excellent of course in the title role and has been tipped to win a Screen Actors Guild award. An enthralling story that while true, has all the elements of a Hollywood movie.
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OUR BRAND IS CRISIS by genna patterson
___________________ @INTALLAGHT #INTALLAGHTGENNA
freeheld by genna patterson
___________________ @INTALLAGHT #INTALLAGHTGENNA
An inspiring movie about sticking it to the man. Freeheld is the true and hugely inspiring story about a lesbian couple that fought for the right to have their partnership recognised so that civil servant pension benefits would be transferred in the same way that married couples get. Starring Julianne Moore as New Jersey Detective Laurel Hester and Ellen Page as Stacie Andree, her girlfriend and a mechanic, it is a truly moving film that will soften the hardest of hearts. Laurel and Stacie meet and fall in love and eventually buy a house together. They decide to get a civil partnership as marriage isn’t a legal possibility in the early 2000s in New Jersey. However, in 2005 Laurel is diagnosed with late stage lung cancer and despite treatment, looks to be terminal. When Laurel requests for her pension
benefits to be transferred to Stacie upon her death though, the county’s board of freeholders refuses. Freeheld depicts the battle that Laurel and Stacie fought, repeatedly appealing the board’s decision. Before long their case draws national coverage and the pressure against the board mounts. While the film is tragic in theme, there are some lighter moments throughout, such as the romance between Laurel and Stacie. The absolute highlight of the movie and which breaks up the constant sadness though is Steve Carrell’s character, Steven Goldstein, a gay Jewish campaigner for marriage equality. Moore and Page are completely convincing as a couple in love with tenderness and support for one another, while Michael Shannon as Dane Wells, Laurel’s detective partner is a solid support in his efforts to help them. Freeheld is a beautiful movie, which really moved me and is definitely worth a watch.
First and foremost I must admit that I’m quite a big fan of Sandra Bullock and love almost everything she has ever done (except for All About Steve which she won a Razzie award for). Our Brand is Crisis shows Sandra at her best, in a drama comedy. She plays Jane, a American political consultant who is hiding away from the real world after some failed campaigns. Nicknamed ‘Calamity Jane’ by the press for her mistakes, she is enticed to come back to work on a campaign, but this time in Bolivia. Once there she realises that her presidential runner is up
against a more popular candidate, who is backed by her long-term rival Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton). I think that Our Brand is Crisis will be an unexpected surprise for many viewers going to see it. The trailer represents it as a drama comedy/dramedy, which it is of course, but I wasn’t expecting it to be so moving and to show such a powerful representation of the undercurrent of political unrest (the ending especially threw me). I’ll definitely be thinking about it for days, which means I think the movie has done its job! There are some really funny moments in this movie, but equally so there are parts with true humanity and poignancy about the poverty in Bolivia. Be prepared to feel!
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ENTERTAINMENT
The National TV Award Winners ________________________ 5KJCPPC EQPæTOU new album ANTI is ready - with £6k D&G headphones By Ed Lam ____________________________ Local actor Aidan Turner wins Award If you want to listen to Rihanna’s new album like she does – it’ll cost you more at Britain’s National than £6,000. The 27-year-old singer Television Awards confirmed the completion of ANTI – By genna patterson due out next month – by tweeting a selfie of her listening to it with the most ____________________________ bling headphones we’ve ever seen. This headgear, featuring an embellished crown, costs $8,995 (about £6,300) from Dolce & Gabbana.
Has Adele snubbed the Oscars for an Irish gig? By Rachel Lynch ________________________ It has been reported that singing sensation Adele has turned down the chance to present an award at this year’s Oscars in favour of her concert in Belfast the following day. The Belfast concert marks the beginning of her world tour, which includes 49 dates across Europe, and takes place on February 29th. The Academy Awards are on in Hollywood on February 28th. Who knows maybe Adele will make an appearance on the night but it’s nice to know that some thought has been put into her concerts here and of course the fans.
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Clondalkin actor Aidan Turner was “delighted but confused” to win the Impact Award at Britain’s National Television Awards last night. The 32-year-old won the award for the topless scythe wielding scene in the period drama Poldark. Turner plays the title character Ross Poldark in the TV show and the picture has become quite a favourite among the ladies. Turner said upon accepting the award: “Thank you, I’m slightly confused, I didn’t know I was nominated for this award. I didn’t know there was an Impact Award. I’m not sure why I’m here, I’m glad to be, and who knows, this might be the only one I get so I’m delighted. “I guess the scything scenes kind of speak for themselves, there’s little to say there, but the rest of the cast, it’s such a delight to be in this show, we have such talented people. This Impact Award isn’t just for me, it’s for all of us. Cheers, I appreciate it.” The National Television Awards were hosted by Dermot O’Leary at the O2 Arena in London on Wednesday January 20th.
Most Popular Newcomer: Shayne Ward (Coronation Street) Most Popular Entertainment Programme: I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (UK TV series) National Television Special Recognition Award: Billy Connolly Outstanding Serial Drama Performance: Danny Dyer (EastEnders. We bet he couldn’t ‘Adam ‘n Eve it’) Most Popular Comedy Programme: Peter Kay’s Car Share Impact Award: Aidan Turner (Poldark. Unsurprising...) International: The Big Bang Theory New Drama: Doctor Foster TV Presenter: Ant & Dec Outstanding Drama Performance: Suranne Jones (Doctor Foster) Most Popular Factual Entertainment: Gogglebox Live Magazine Show: This Morning Most Popular Daytime Programme: The Chase Most Popular Drama: Downton Abbey Most Popular Challenge Show: The Great British Bake Off Most Popular Talent Show: Strictly Come Dancing Serial Drama Award: EastEnders
Rapper Nelly to play Vicar St in June! By genna patterson ____________________________ Who would have thought it? MultiPlatinum, Grammy award-winning music icon Nelly has announced a date for Dublin’s Vicar St on June 12th! Nelly had a big year in 2015, working on multiple television, film and music projects. Nelly just celebrated the second
season of his wildly successful BET docu-series, Nellyville and is currently co-starring in the #1-rated BET sitcom The Real Husbands of Hollywood for the show’s fourth season. After collaborating with Florida Georgia Line on the 6X Platinum single Cruise, Nelly got back in the studio to release his newest chart topper, The Fix Featuring Jeremih, which updates the Marvin Gaye classic, Sexual Healing, for a modern day audience. The Fix is produced by hit maker, DJ Mustard alongside Mike Free. “The Fix serves as the first single from Nelly’s currently unnamed upcoming album. Touring across the US, Australia, Middle East, Europe and in his hometown of St. Louis with Taylor Swift, have been just a few highlights of his past year.
@DavidBowieReal January 10 2016 - David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle..
@U2 Planet Earth is blue - Bono
@David_Cameron I grew up listening to and watching the pop genius David Bowie. He was a master of re-invention, who kept getting it right. A huge loss.
Friends Set To Reunite By Rachel Lynch ________________________ It’s the news we have all been waiting for, yes Friends are set to reunite! It is hard to believe that it has been over a decade since the cast of Friends graced television screens around the world. Now, 22 years after it was first broadcast, it looks like the cast will be reunited for a two-hour special. This was confirmed by NBC in early January at the Television Critics Association’s press tour which was making a stop in Pasadena. However since the announcement there have been conflicting reports about which of the Friends stars will appear in the special, with Matthew Perry (Chandler) saying he will be in London working on a play. We don’t know when exactly the gang will appear again on our screens but we are presuming it will be sometime later in 2016.
POP ICON DAVID BOWIE SADLY PASSED AWAY ON JANUARY 10TH AFTER A BATTLE WITH CANCER – HERE IS HOW TWITTER REACTED TO THE DEATH OF ONE OF THE TRUE HEROES OF POP MUSIC!
@stephenfry What terribly sad news to wake up to. One of the immortals. #AshestoAshes
@rickygervais I just lost a hero. RIP David Bowie.
Jack Reynor in running for lead role in Star Wars spin off movie? By Rachel Lynch ____________________________
@MickJagger
Rumours are continuing to grow in Hollywood as to who is to take on the lead role for the upcoming Star Wars spin-off movie that will focus on the early life of Han Solo. I know you can’t always believe the rumours but when it concerns our very own Jack Reynor (Glassland, What Richard Did) well then it’s certainly worth reading up on. The spin-off movie is set for release in 2018. Names also associated with the iconic lead role made famous by Harrison Ford include Scott Eastwood and Aaron Paul.
@kanyewest
David was always an inspiration to me and a true original. He was wonderfully shameless in his work.
@springsteen Over here on E Street, we’re feeling the great loss of David Bowie. David was a visionary artist and an early supporter of our music. David Bowie was one of my most important inspirations, so fearless, so creative, he gave us magic for a lifetime.
@Pharrell David Bowie was a true innovator, a true creative. May he rest in peace #RIPDavidBowie
QueenWillRock David Bowie: The cleverest and most interestingly brilliant man of our time. What a vacuum he leaves, and how he will be missed. Roger
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MUSIC
He was documenting his losing battle with cancer...the album is Bowie’s “parting gift” to his fans, and his death was “a work of art” david bowie blackstar
by padraig conlon
___________________________ @INTALLAGHT #INTALLAGHTPADRAIG
Initially I had reviewed David Bowie’s album Blackstar prior to it’s release on Friday January 8th, his 69th birthday. On first listen I thought it was quite dark and depressing, and that maybe he was using the album to let the world know he was about to retire from making music. There had been rumours of ill health over the last few years and some of the lyrics in Blackstar made me think he was done. Then came the shocking news of his sudden death three days later and suddenly it all made sense. He was documenting his losing battle with cancer. As his long time friend and producer Tony Visconti said, the album is Bowie’s “parting gift” to his fans, and his death was “a work of art.” Blackstar was meant to be listened to and understood through the spectrum of his passing. A record that sounded dark and depressing on Friday suddenly hit like a massive lighting bolt on Monday morning.
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Blackstar opens with the haunting title track which includes the line “Something happened on the day he died, spirit rose a meter and stepped aside. Somebody else took his place and bravely cried, I’m a blackstar.” This stunning track is 10-minutes long and deals with images of executions and with Bowie referring to himself as a flawed hero not worthy of the worship he receives from fans with the line “How many times does an angel fall?” Lazarus opens with the line “Look up here, I’m in heaven, I’ve got scars that can’t be seen,” Bowie must have known the impact this would have on listeners. The biblical story of the resurrection of Lazarus represented Jesus’ power over death, but Bowie wants to turn death into art: “I’ve got drama, can’t be stolen,” he sings, hinting at the massive event that is imminent.“This way or no way, you know, I’ll be free. Just like that bluebird, oh I’ll be free.” Following this is a murder ballad, Sue (Or in a Season of Crime), a menacing song delivered largely in the language spoken by the teenage hooligans in Anthony Burgess’ classic A Clockwork Orange. On Dollar Days his death seems to be fast approaching, not that it bothers
him too much as he sings “If I never see the English evergreens I’m running to, it’s nothing to me, it’s nothing to me.” He ends the song by repeating, “I’m dying to. I’m trying to.” On the album closer I Can’t Give Everything Away, Bowie seems to come to terms with his cancer diagnosis: “I know something is very wrong, the pulse returns the prodigal sons, the blackout hearts, the flowered news, with skull designs upon my shoes.” He signs off with a line that is pure poetic, “Seeing more and feeling less, saying no but meaning yes, this is all I ever meant, that’s the message that I sent.” Here he is at the very end of his last album summing up his life and his music. Blackstar is an excellent piece of work and probably his most poignant album. He has left an indelible mark on the planet as one of the most influential artists to ever live and this record is an unforgettable way for him to leave the world. What a way to say goodbye and what a lesson it leaves to all those ageing rockers who spend their golden years playing awful renditions of their greatest hits. All throughout a career that spanned almost 50 years David Bowie was unpredictable and hard to label or categorise and that’s what makes him so special.
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jack lynch spotlight by padraig conlon
___________________ @INTALLAGHT #INTALLAGHTPADRAIG
Limerick based Rapper/ Producer Jack Lynch AKA “Lynchy” has just released his excellent debut single Spotlight. I predict it will make him Ireland’s breakthrough act of 2016. Even though he’s only 19, Lynchy has been getting rave reviews from rap fans across Europe and has gained over 200,000 followers on Facebook alone in the past 12 months. His freestyle videos have amassed millions of views worldwide which has resulted in the young Limerick man being named as one to watch in the coming year. While growing this enormous online fanbase, he has also found time to perform his freestyle show in venues in Ireland and the UK. Last year he signed to the industry heavyweight Universal Records after a YouTube video that featured him MC’ing at a bus stop to Philip George’s hit single Wish You Were Mine went
viral, getting over two million views. In May 2015, he went into the studio with Stevie Martin aka “Rainy Boy Sleep” to write Spotlight and the result is an excellent track that blends his very impressive rapping skills with acoustic guitar to create something a little bit different to most of the mainstream music on the radio today. The Irish hip hop scene has been bubbling under for the last decade and whilst the only Irish hip/hop bands that have achieved any sort of mainstream success so far have been comedy acts I think Lynchy could be the first one to successfully crossover. Irish hip-hop is due a breakthrough act and I’d very surprised if Lynchy isn’t the person to do it. There are a lot of talented Irish rappers currently plying their trade and I’d imagine if one of them can be commercially successful then the doors will definitely open for the rest. The Irish music scene can be quite conservative but I really think this genre will get the attention and respect it deserves soon.
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tech
Tech Trends and Products in 2016 by colm o’muirí
___________________________ @INTALLAGHT #INTALLAGHTCOLM
There are a lot of new tech products scheduled for release this year and we thought that we would show you some of the new items you could be buying this year.
SAMSUNG ULTRA HD BLU-RAY PLAYER
Anyone who recently bought a 4K television set will be pleased to know that Samsung and Philips will be releasing 4K Blu-ray players this year. Samsung have stated that they are aiming for a March release but it is not known if this is world-wide. Warner Bros have also confirmed that they will release 35 4K Blu-ray movies this year with Mad Max: Fury Road and The Lego Movie just two of the movies confirmed to be released. PlayStation VR is expected to be released this year with more information about the product expected at some of the year’s biggest gaming conventions. What we do know is that the headset features a 5.7 inch OLED display and that it won’t be backward compatible with games, meaning it won’t make Killzone a VR game but there will be specially designed games to be used with the headset. The next generation of the iPhone is expected this year with Apple moving from the 6 to the 7 with little to no details known about the phone
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PLAYSTATION VR
SENSORWAKE
at present. One of the more worrying rumours for Apple fans is that the iPhone isn’t expected to have the standard 3.5mm headphone jack but a new Apple one. If this is true it means that owning an iPhone will become significantly more expensive to own. Another phone that is expected to be released this year is the Samsung Galaxy S7 and although there have been leaked photos and details about the phone, nothing has been confirmed by Samsung so we know as much about the S7 as we do the iPhone 7. A new alarm clock called Sensorwake, which is currently taking pre-orders, is expected to be released sometime in 2016 and it wakes you in a nicer way than an annoying noisy alarm. The Sensorwake instead, is an alarm clock that wakes you up through smells or scent. The device is said to arouse your senses in the morning, which in turn wakes you up. The creator has said that it doesn’t work if you have a blocked nose although it
PRIZM
has a fail-safe in that if you don’t hit the button in three minutes it plays loud music. Meanwhile Prizm is a great piece of tech for music lovers coming in 2016 that works off context-aware technology. Prizm works with your music streaming service, takes into account who is in the room according to your smartphone and then plays music to please those who are present. The device is supposed to act like your personal DJ and what music it plays for you depends on what time of the day it is. It also features a heart button on the device to let it know if you like the song or not. These are just a few of the new tech products that you can expect to see throughout 2016. For updates on all tech items keep checking the tech section of InTallaght to keep yourself in the know.
tech Extra THE FARADAY FUTURE FFZERO1
CES 2016 by colm o’muirí
___________________________ @INTALLAGHT #INTALLAGHTCOLM
The Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, recently took place in Las Vegas from January 6th -9th. This was the 14th show from the internationally renowned electronics and technology trade show which attracts major companies and industry professionals. SNAKABLE CHARGER
This year’s event played host to 3,600 companies over the show’s four days. There were a lot of products and future products showcased at this year’s event and one product that is currently available which seems too good to be true is Snakeable. This is a product which is unlike the majority of what you see at CES in that it isn’t a flashy product because Snakeable is a charging cord. However, unlike every other charging cord Snakeable is unbreakable and an unbreakable charger is a pretty cool invention. The best part about it is the price with it only costing $30, which seems like a good investment if it becomes available in Ireland anytime soon. One of the things that is always intriguing about CES are the televisions on display and this year was no different. This year the weirdest and most wonderful television came from Samsung, who
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JYRO
showed off their Modular Television Concept. This basically means that your television is a set of blocks which can be rearranged to better suit different screen ratios. The screens, or panels can even be stacked to make a 170 inch UHD TV, which is exactly how they make the massive signs in Times Square, New York. There has been a lot about hover boards in the news recently, however one Irish company called Jyro showcased something a little more retro at this year’s event with their lightweight foldable electric scooter. Weighing a total of 6.5kg the Jyro scooter will reach speeds of up to 25km and it will travel anywhere between 8km and 26km before it needs charging. The battery fully charges in about five hours and it is immensely safer than any of the hover boards that are currently on the market. Electric cars have become a staple
SAMSUNG MODULAR TV CONCEPT
of CES over the last few years and this year was no different with one car stealing most of the attention and came from a company called The Faraday Future. They showcased one of their concept cars known as the FFZero1 which is a self-driving electric vehicle. Whether or not the car ever goes on a road remains to be seen but it looked great with a mixture of a Lamborghini and a Batmobile-like design. The company is set to open a production plant in Nevada to go to work on these futuristic cars. While there were plenty of other interesting products showcased at CES this year these are just a sample of the ones which caught our attention. For more information on CES check out its website and to see if any of the wonderfully futuristic products that were on show at this year’s event ever become available keep checking the tech section of InTallaght.
GAME
Street Fighter V by colm o’muirí
___________________________ @INTALLAGHT #INTALLAGHTCOLM
Street Fighter V is an upcoming fighting video game which is produced by Capcom and developed by both Capcom and Dimps. This is the fifth game in the main series of the Street Fighter franchise, although there have been a lot of different spin-off games from the franchise throughout the years. One of the features of Street Fighter V is that all of the post-launch gameplay-related content which is released for the game will be earnable free of charge via gameplay. It has also been confirmed that all balance and system adjustments that are made to the game post-launch will be added to the game free of charge meaning that the gamer always has access to the most up-to-date version of the game. When Street Fighter V is launched there
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will be 16 characters and four of them are new to the Street Fighter series. Some of the returning characters are Ryu, Chun-Li, Alex, Karin and Vega. The four new characters to the franchise are Necalli, Rashid, Laura and F.A.N.G. Additional characters will also be added continually to the game to add to the gameplay meaning that dedicated players will have more characters to enjoy without the need to buy further titles in the series. A new gameplay feature for Street Fighter V is the V-Gauge and this builds up the more attacks thatt the player gets and is then added to o three new skills; V-Skills, V-Reversals sals and V-Triggers. The stun meter which hich has been present in the Street Fighter ter series since Street Fighter III is now visible under the health bar in the video game. Street Fighter V is set for release on February 16th and it is a PlayStation ation exclusive with it only being availablee on the PS4, Microsoft Windows and Linux. inux. The game is available from Gamestop op for €74.99 and Smyths for €59.99.
Lego Marvel Avengers by colm o’muirí
__________________________ @INTALLAGHT #INTALLAGHTCOLM
Lego Marvel Avengers is an action-adventure video game which is developed by TT Games. The game will have levels based on a lot of the films which make up the Marvel Cinematic Universe which members of the Avengers appear in. Some of those films are The Avengers and its sequel Age of Ultron, Captain America, Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: Winter Soldier. Lego Marvel Avengers features a lot of the characters that appear in the films with The Hulkbuster, Ultron, Agent Carter, and Vision just some of the characters you can expect to see in the game. They are all joined by Lego versions of the Avengers with Iron Man, The Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Thor and Captain America making appearances in the game. They are just a few of the 200 playable characters in the game with all of the characters from the previous game returning for this one. Not all of the characters will have the same
abilities, and with each character having their own unique team-up abilities, it also depends on which character triggers the team up to what attack will be used. Lego Marvel Super Heroes, which was released in 2013, received criticism because it did not use the voices of the actors who appear in the Marvel movies. Lego Marvel Avengers has rectified this with the game using and adapting voice and music from the films. Actors Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders and Hayley Atwell also recorded additional dialogue. The news that Stan Lee, the co-creator of Marvel Comics will also appear in the game is sure to please Marvel fans. The game is set for release on January 29th and it will be available on the Xbox One and 360, the PS3, PS4, the Vita, the Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and on Microsoft Windows. The game will range in price from €44.99 to €64.99 in Gamestop, €49.99 to €69.99 in HMV and Xtravision and €31.99 to €59.99 in Smyths.
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MOTOR
Peugeot 208 by RACHEL LYNCh
____________________________ @INTALLAGHT #INTALLAGHTRACHEL
We at InTallaght Magazine headed down to Charles Hurst Usedirect at Kingswood to test drive one of their latest additions, the Peugeot 208 ACTIVE 1.4 HDI ECOMATIQUE 4DR, and what a test drive it was. From exterior to interior and the drive itself you are onto a winner. Peugeot are top of many Irish buyer’s lists when looking to invest in a new model and we all know why. They are reliable, stylish and excellently priced. This 2013 model goes head to head with the likes of Volkswagen Polo and the Ford Fiesta and really holds its own in that supermini category. This five door hatchback is a stylish sporty model. It looks relatively small from the outside but don’t be fooled as there is plenty of room inside including great leg room in not just the front but the back too. So what about the interior design? Well Peugeot have gotten it all right with this one and I must say I was surprised by just how high-tec this model is. The media screen is central to the dash and all the functions are clear and simple to understand – it’s also touch screen. Meanwhile the exterior is modern and dynamic and the grille along with the eye catching front headlights show personality and add to the sophisticated style. The drive? You will be pleasantly surprised with this Peugeot, like I have already said although a small car you don’t feel confined inside and that also applies to when on the road. This model is a 1.4 diesel and more
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importantly it’s an automatic, which means you really just have to start your engine and you are off. It’s a comfortable, effortless drive and one I was certainly impressed with. I took the car on a test drive through some old country roads and was impressed with just how enjoyable the drive was. This car will suit anyone that is looking for a practical yet stylish motor which is cheap to run. With road tax of just €180 you really can’t go wrong. So what’s the price on this little beauty? You are looking at just €14,950 but remember at Charles Hurst Usedirect there are plenty of options available to you the buyer, including low cost finance. Drop down to their showrooms today and take a test drive, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
It’s a comfortable, effortless drive and one I was certainly impressed with
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BOOK
AUTHOR CECELIA AHERN
The Marble Collector by genna patterson
____________________________ @INTALLAGHT #INTALLAGHTGENNA
The Marble Collector is Cecelia Ahern’s 12th novel and was released in November 2015. It tells the tale of Sabrina Boggs, a life guard, wife and mother of two who is finding life rather lacklustre of late. Her father is one of her main concerns, having suffered a stroke which resulted in memory problems and now lives in a care facility. Sabrina becomes obsessed with uncovering her Dad’s past secrets when a mysterious box of marbles gets delivered to his home. As he has never mentioned any interest in marbles, this comes as quite the surprise to Sabrina, who begins a quest across the country to discover the real man behind her father’s fabrication of one. Cecelia Ahern is all too often painted as a chick lit writer ever since
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her first book P.S. I Love You and often chick lit is considered a bad thing. However having now read all of her novels, it is easy to see her evolution into a mature and observant writer. Sure, her books aren’t gritty or gruesome or even hard-hitting, but that’s not to say they are all sunshine and rainbows either. A number of books have dealt with numerous difficult life issues such as suicide and depression in How to Fall in Love, unemployment and down syndrome in The Year I Met You and finding a life purpose in The Time of My Life. The Marble Collector is no different, with undertones of malaise, dissatisfaction with life, with characters living two different lives and deceiving loved ones. Indeed there is a darkness to Cecelia’s writing that comes with life experience and age. As her first novel was written at just 21, it is to be expected that her stories would grow with her. The Marble Collector may be about a woman trying to find out her father’s
past, but in doing so she discovers parts of herself she had lost, as parental relationships play such an important part of knowing and understanding who we are. What is most impressive about Cecelia is that she is still only 34, and to have so many successful novels under her belt by such a young age is what most aspiring writers dream of. I found The Marble Collector an interesting read and read it over the Christmas holidays. I liked it so much that I found myself thinking of the characters during family time and wanting to get back to reading it! If you’re a fan of Cecilia’s writing, or even if you aren’t I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a bit of a life mystery. It’s definitely another step forward in her career. I’m also looking forward to her new novel Flawed, out in March, which is her first ever Young Adult novel and was optioned by Warner Bros (the same company that made P.S. I Love You) for the movie rights. The Marble Collector in my opinion, is another win for Cecelia Ahern and I can’t wait for her next book!
WRITERS CORNER
A Shaggy Dog Story by Mike Mahon _____________ The two trolleys nearly collided in the aisle of the supermarket. ‘Is that yourself Mary? Fit and well you’re looking.’ ‘Ah, Bridie, and how are you. It’s been ages. How are all the childer?’ ‘Oh, right as rain. Here I see you’ve got yourself a dog. Your trolley’s full of dog food.’ ‘Ah no, Bridie. We’re going through hard times. They’re after taking away Pat’s disability allowance. They say he didn’t turn up for his medical on time and they had to reassess his claim. He’d had his left leg amputated and the HSE wanted to check that he hadn’t grown a new one. So they stopped the money and left us short so I’m feeding him dog food. I add a few spices and a lump of garlic. He loves it, doesn’t know the difference. Well, I must be off now, get home to cook the bit of dinner.’ For many months Mary continued to feed her unsuspecting husband with dog food, but at least she tried to vary the brands a bit. He thrived on it and it left her extra money for her one vice, fags. At first the changes were small and barely noticeable. Then one night Pat arrived home early from the local having being barred for barking at the barman. He seemed restless in the matrimonial bed, complaining it was too hot, and took to sleeping in the foetal position on the floor. Mary was not too concerned and put it down to the normal male ageing process. When the mother-in-law made one of her infrequent visits he bared his teeth and growled at her.’
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‘Oh,’ she roared at her daughter, ‘you’ll have to do something about that husband of yours. Downright unsociable he is.’ But Mary realised that something would have to be done when Mrs. O’Neill, one of the neighbours complained about Pat’s behaviour. When she had greeted him in the street he had dropped on all fours and began to sniff around her legs. She gave him a belt of her handbag and roared, ‘Get away from me you bleedy pervert.’ Reluctantly Pat was brought to Dr. Rowan, the local GP. He did a thorough examination but could find nothing physically wrong. The months passed then one night a Garda arrived at the door with a summons for Pat. ‘A summons?’ Mary queried,’ what’s he after doing now?’ ‘Well,’ the Garda explained, ’he was found urinating against a lamp post and is charged with indecent exposure.’ ‘Oh, glory be to God. What’ll the neighbours think and him a daily Mass goer?’ ‘Oh, and that’s another thing Mrs. Brown. I met the parish priest, Fr. Ryan and he complained that Pat had taken to lapping the water out of the holy water font outside the church.’ Now that was too much for Mary. She rang the HSE and expressed her concerns about her husband’s strange behaviour. They suggested an appointment with a psychiatric Doctor. Ten months later Pat presented himself at the local hospital. Afterwards the doctor took Mary aside. ‘A most unusual condition. I’ve never come across anything like it in all my years in the medical profession. I believe it’s called canine dystropia.
Basically your husband thinks he’s a dog! The World Health Organisation have had reports of similar cases in Transylvania.’ ‘Transylvania,’ Mary retorted, ‘Oh, sweet Jesus, I’m living with a werewolf.’ The months flew by and Mary again met her friend Bridie in Aldi. ‘ Ah, there you are Mary. See you must have gotten rid of the dog. How’s himself?’ ‘Oh, Bridie, we’re all sent our crosses to bear in this valley of tears. Poor Pat was kilted only last month.’ Bridie blessed herself. ‘Oh , glory be to God. And how did he get kilted?’ ‘Ah, he was sitting out in the middle of the road in Fizzboro licking his balls and a 16A bus ran over him. Mike Mahon is from Dublin and has worked in the army and aviation. He is a member of the Ballyroan Writers Group and mainly writes short stories but is presently working on a book.
it tallaght students’ union
ITTSU UPdate by JESSICA WALL
____________________________ EMAIL SUPRES@ITTDUBLIN.IE
Welcome back to IT Tallaght Students’ Union section of InTallaght Magazine. We hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New Year. The exam season has just finished with all students sitting the winter exams from January 7th- 16th. The results will be published on February 8th and we would like to wish all students the very best of luck. Before the Christmas break, we hosted our annual Social Justice Week, which was a great success. We held a 24-hour ‘Sleep Out,’ which was in aid of The Peter McVerry Trust. We raised a total of €2,000 for the Trust throughout the 24 hours between online donations and cash donations from people passing by. We were absolutely delighted that we could donate to the brilliant cause right before Christmas. On behalf of ITT SU, I would like to thank everyone that took the time to sleep out with us, donate to the Trust and also everyone who encouraged us to keep going for the full 24 hours. To finish Social Justice Week, we had our annual Christmas Ball on Thursday December 10th. This was held in The Wright Venue in Swords, and we collaborated with IT Blanchardstown and The National College of Ireland for the event which was highly enjoyed by all. The event had a great Christmas feel to it and it was a good way to mark the end of the first semester. On December 15th, our annual Sports, Arts & Culture Scholarship Presentation took place. 44 students were presented with Scholarships to reward their dedication to the Sports, Arts, Clubs and Societies in the college. There are a wide range of clubs and societies at IT Tallaght and Scholarships were presented to students from the Dance and Radio society as well as the Badminton club, Archery club, Hockey
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ITTSU EQUALITY OFFICER MICHAEL KIERNAN, ITTSU PRESIDENT JESSICA WALL, FR. PETER MC VERRY, IT TALLAGHT SR. BERNADETTE PURCELL AND ITTSU EDUCATION OFFICER AISLING CUSACK DURING SOCIAL JUSTICE WEEK 2015
club, Boxing club, Basketball club, Rugby club, Soccer club and the GAA club.
On December 15th, our annual Sports, Arts & Culture Scholarship Presentation took place. 44 students were presented with Scholarships to reward their dedication to the Sports, Arts, Clubs and Societies in the college
The second Semester is looking promising and we wish the best of luck to all involved in upcoming competitions and events. Before the Christmas break and exam season, an exam workshop was held in the college. This aimed to give students study tips and help get them in the correct mind frame before sitting their exams. The workshop went very well and thanks to Fran and Claire from Maynooth University for taking the time to host the workshop. At the moment, the team and I are busy planning our upcoming events and campaigns. We have just returned from our European Mystery Tour. This took place from January 19th to 21st and a group of 45 students in total travelled to Lisbon, Portugal. This trip was organised back in October and students found out the destination on their arrival to Dublin Airport. It was an exciting trip and all students had great feedback about it. We welcomed our Semester 2 Erasmus and Exchange students to IT Tallaght during their registration and induction day on January 22nd.
ITTSU WELFARE OFFICER SHAUNA HOMAN AND ITTSU PRESIDENT JESSICA WALL AT A USI PHOTO CALL OUTSIDE LEINSTER HOUSE IN PREPARATION FOR THE UPCOMING GENERAL ELECTION
ITTSU WELFARE OFFICER SHAUNA HOMAN AND ITTSU PRESIDENT JESSICA WALL PRESENTING THE PETER MCVERRY TRUST WITH A CHEQUE FOR €2,000 WHICH WAS RAISED BY ITTSU DURING OUR ANNUAL SOCIAL JUSTICE WEEK 2015
This was followed by a Welcome Night which aimed to introduce the students to the Students’ Union and it is always a nice evening to get the students bonding before the Semester begins. Our annual Sexual Health Awareness & Guidance Week (S.H.A.G Week) will take place from February 1st to 5th. This will be followed immediately by our annual Raise & Give Charity Week (R.A.G Week) from February 8th to 12th. We have many workshops and guest speakers organised to come on campus to raise awareness about Sexual Health during our S.H.A.G Week and it generally gets great feedback from the students. During R.A.G Week we will be creating an exciting atmosphere on campus while raising funds for the
Union of Students in Ireland’s (USI) national charity. This year it is The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust. We are excited to raise money for such a great cause and we hope we can continue the excellent success we had fundraising during our Social Justice Week. More details and pictures from S.H.A.G and R.A.G Week will follow in the next edition of InTallaght Magazine.
BUSINESS
Twitter Strife Rumbles On As Four Executives Leave The Company By Ed Lam ________________________ Twitter chief and co-founder Jack Dorsey has confirmed that four of his senior staff are leaving the company, as the future of the social media site continues to look uncertain. In a letter posted to Twitter, Dorsey explained the changes taking place at the top of the company. At least one of the leavers – Katie Stanton – resigned, according to a blog post she placed on Medium. The departures add to recent turbulence that has left the social site unsteady. Share prices have plummeted to their lowest in Twitter’s trading history, and around 8% of the site’s global staff were let go when Dorsey returned last year. Attempts to stabilise and grow
the site have also seen feature changes made with mixed results. The character limit on Direct Messages was lifted, but some questioned the replacing of the Favourite button with a Facebookesque Like option, a move that Twitter says has worked. Rumours that the 140-character limit could be removed have also gathered pace in recent weeks. Sina Weibo – the Chinese equivalent of Twitter – has already done just that. Dorsey himself has said that Twitter needs to do more to be accessible to users, adding that the platform remains too complicated for many. The rise of the likes of Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp hasn’t helped the Twitter cause, with all those services having surpassed the site in user numbers. However, Dorsey said in this latest announcement that he and his team would work “day and night to make sure we’re building the right experiences”.
Facebook Announce Sixth Data Centre To Be Built In Clonee By Genna Patterson _________________________ Facebook announced that its sixth data centre is now under construction in Clonee, Co Meath. It will be their second European data centre, after Luleå in Sweden. Mark Zuckerberg made the announcement on his Facebook page and answered a number of comments about why they chose the location. He said, “It’s helpful to also have data centers on other continents so they’re closer to the people we’re serving there. That makes our services faster for people around the world.” He said that they already have four major data centres in the US: Prineville Data Center, Altoona Data Center, Fort Worth Data Center and Forest City Data Center.
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Clonee Data Centre will be one of the most advanced and energy efficient data centers in the world according to Mark. It will feature the latest server, storage and network designs developed through the Open Compute Project, and will be powered by 100% renewable energy. Mark concluded: “One interesting engineering detail is that we’re cooling the facility with outdoor air, but because this is near the Irish Sea we’ll be using an indirect air cooling process to filter the salt from the air. We’re glad to be investing in Ireland, to become a part of the Clonee community, and to continue building the massive infrastructure that connects our global community.”
Space Business Incubation Centre to Come To Ireland By genna patterson ________________________ Could Ireland be the next big thing in space exploration? With the news that Enterprise Ireland has a deal with the European Space Agency (ESA) to create a Space Business Incubation centre here, it could well be! The centre’s aim is to support 25 start-up companies working in space related technology over a period of five years. Over 45 companies already work with the ESA but the number is growing by an average of five companies per year. Taoiseach Enda Kenny was at the signing of the deal at the Enterprise Ireland Trade and Investment Mission to Netherlands and Germany. He said: “Ireland already has a proud record of building up a cluster of space technology companies and this new space incubator will take advantage of Government investment in research infrastructure in Ireland, the extensive network of technical facilities and expertise of the ESA, as well as the business development resources of Enterprise Ireland.” So far the Irish investment in the sector has created 600 technology jobs which is forecast to double by 2020.
New App Lets You Top Up Your Leap Card From Your Smart Phone By genna patterson ________________________ There was exciting news for all Leap Card users announced on January 25th in that you can now use your Android smart phone to top up instantly. With the new Leap Card app called Leap Top up, available on Play store for Android users only (sorry iPhone users) you can top up your card with your smartphone. You need to enable NFC first, which can be accessed via Settings, then Mobile and Networks. Basically, once
NFC is enabled, you install the app and then hold your card up to your phone. Once your phone reads the card, your balance is displayed and then you are given an option to top up using a Visa or Mastercard. Once the payment goes through your card will display the new balance. As for iPhone customers, you’ll have to wait until Apple Pay launches in Ireland for the service to be available to you.
DAA creating 350 new jobs By Rachel lynch ________________________
Google Paid Apple $1 billion To Keep Their Search Bar On iPhone by padraig conlon ____________________________
Dublin Airport has announced 350 new jobs which is a great boost for the area. The jobs are to be in the areas of security, customer service, and asset management, comprising of 170 personnel already recruited in 2015 and 180 to be recruited in the coming weeks. Dublin Airport had its busiest ever year in 2015, as a record 25 million passengers travelled through the airport. This was a 15% increase with an additional 3.3 million people using Dublin Airport during 2015. The new jobs are being created to cope with the growing passenger numbers according to the DAA. The growth in passenger numbers is expected to continue into 2016.
Google reportedly paid Apple $1 billion to keep their search bar on the iPhone according to a transcript of court proceedings from Oracle’s copyright lawsuit against Google, which showed Apple received the sum in 2014. The search engine giant has an agreement with Apple that gives the iPhone maker a percentage of revenue Google generate through the Apple device, an attorney for Oracle said at a hearing in federal court. The revenue-sharing agreement reveals the lengths Google must go to keep people using its search tool on mobile devices. It also shows how Apple benefits financially from Google’s advertising-based business model that chief executive officer Tim Cook has criticised as an intrusion of privacy. Oracle has been fighting Google since 2010 over claims that the search engine company used its Java software without paying for it to develop Android.
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PROPERTY
reversal of fortunes for Tallaght by Anthony McGee
____________________________ @REA_MCGEE
With rising rents having a huge effect on the Dublin market, can anyone really buy their own home these days? Below, the Real Estate Alliance (REA) shows a reversal of fortunes for Tallaght in the fourth quarter of 2015. The issues being experienced in Dublin’s typical average first-time buyer area, Tallaght, have typified the flux currently being experienced in the market. Average three-bed semi prices in Tallaght and its environs have fallen by €10,000 (-4.55%) in the last three months, with three-bed semis now making €210,000.
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Local REA McGee agent Anthony McGee said, “There are a number of major factors influencing the market in Tallaght, and throughout similar areas of South Dublin. Constantly increasing rents have made it almost impossible for first-time buyers to save the deposit required. “An average couple who are paying €1,400 a month to rent a two bed apartment in Tallaght, running a car and paying for childcare, cannot afford to save upwards of €20,000 for a deposit. And what is so frustrating for them is that what they are paying in rent exceeds the cost of a mortgage in the same property.” Anthony said this is a huge firsttime buyer market where people would traditionally rent for three or four years before buying. However, now people are renting for 10 years because they will never be able to save the deposit. He continued: “We have noticed a trend recently whereby foreign nationals with good jobs have been leaving rented accommodation to return home purely because they cannot afford the rent and can never see themselves owning a house.
“House prices have fallen because there is a lack of suitable properties coming on stream and there aren’t a huge number of people viewing or bidding as they are stuck in this rental mess. People have a limit and they will walk away rather than go above that number.” Anthony said that the fact that loan offers are only lasting three months is proving to be very frustrating to buyers in an era of low supply. “People are getting lost in a maze of loan approval, which has to restart after three months. The rental market is contracting at a rate of knots as every house that we sell is now being bought by an owner-occupier.” According to Anthony there are no new investors in the lower end of the market. He said that you can achieve double-digit yields if finance is available, but the banks are not lending to them. “A lot of existing landlords, who would see the potential in these yields, are in negative equity and will not get finance,” he concluded.
Personal Injury by colm o’Cochlain
____________________ ocochlain.ie
If you have been involved in an accident and have suffered an injury as a result there are a number of things to consider before you can take a case. Any false or exaggerated claim will fail and you could be prosecuted. 1. Are you injured? The law allows you to pursue a case for what are called “General Damages” and “Special Damages. Special Damages relate to any out of pocket expenses or car damage that was caused by the other party and in the event that you are not injured you can take a case to recover these. If you are injured then you can take a case for the Special Damages referred to and also for “General Damages”, which is compensation for any pain and suffering caused as a result of the accident. It is an offence to exaggerate your injuries or take a fraudulent claim.
2. Who was responsible for the accident? You may have been involved in an accident and suffered an injury but it may be your own fault and in those circumstances you cannot take an action against yourself. You can only pursue a case where someone else has caused your injuries or in circumstances where they are only partly responsible. If they were only partly responsible and you were partly responsible then any award will be based on their percentage of responsibility. 3. You have an injury and it was fully or partly caused by another party. What next? You are entitled to take a case against the Defendant for Damages. The damages paid are determined by medical evidence from your Doctor. The Doctor will prepare a medical report which outlines any injuries suffered and how you are likely to recover. If you have suffered injuries you are entitled to pursue a claim through the Injuries Board.
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paddy holohan
Paddy Holohan by paddy holohan
I think its going to be more than just a place where people turn up and train
@INTALLAGHT #INTALLAGHTPADDYH
SBG TALLAGHT COMING TO YOU SOON I hope all you readers are having a great 2016 so far. It’s been an exciting start to the year for me as I’m delighted to announce we’ve finally got a building for SBG Tallaght! It’s on the Belgard Road, it’s 15,000 sq. ft so it’s going to be a massive space. It’ll be one of the only SBG branded gyms outside of America. There’s one in Estonia, one in Sweden, the Long Mile Road and now Tallaght is going to be the biggest SBG in the world. We’re planning on hopefully being open in March. I’m just so delighted we’ve finally found a venue. Last year when John and I announced we’d be opening an SBG here in Tallaght it was March and then everything got mad busy. Conor was going for his world title, I was busy fighting as well so we put it on the back burner. Basically what I want to do with this gym is to help people and run it like an academy. There’ll be no need for anyone to feel intimidated about joining, this club is going to be for everybody, the doors will be wide open, all are welcome. Everyone will go through an interview process and a consultation which helps create the best possible environment for people to develop in.
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I think its going to be more than just a place where people turn up and train. We will have programmes for sponsoring people and providing scholarships. The people that stand out will have serious opportunities in their life to maybe go all the way to the UFC. That will be able to draw on our experience of working in the organisation. We’re not going let any kids in the future walk into UFC unprotected like we did. With us it was like a moon landing! We were dealing with this big huge American corporation but now I’ve had five of my own fights I’m starting to learn how it works so that when the kids come in they’ll be able to have access to our experience of the way the sport works. UFC is going to get even bigger. Conor is pushing up the money. People are
going to look on the current era of UFC the way people look at football from the 1960’s where you have some lad who is in the reserves at Man City earning more than Georgie Best would’ve earned in a year. Starting out it’ll be for kids from the age seven up to adults. I’m going to be in there every single day, teaching three classes daily, Monday to Friday. I already teach a lot so it’s going to be good for my own routine as well. It’s not going be about tough guys, martial arts for me is for weak people, people who get over a fear or two and manage to unlock themselves from that fear. Because I was that guy. What I want to pass on is the feeling I got when I walked in to SBG at 17 years of age. So watch this space…
UPDATE ON MY NEXT FIGHT Right now people are asking me “when are we gonna see you back in the there fighting?” I want to be back in as soon as possible, the Dublin fight was a bitter pill to swallow, no doubt. I lost in front of the whole of Dublin in a way. But I have to say Dublin caught me. They say you fall when these things happen, well the strength I got from the Dublin people was incredible, all the messages and the kind words were very much appreciated, thank you to everyone who took the time to get in touch. All that kind of stuff really backs you up. Losing is like a death, that’s what it feels like. It comes back in a wave. Sometimes you’re walking down the street and everything’s grand and then all of a sudden it can come back to you and hit you out of the blue, like somebody close to you dying. After a while people are going “Ah will you shut up, get over that!” and sometimes you don’t want to get over it. It hurts deep but everyone caught my fall and I’m hungry to repay those people for that and get back out there. Every time I get up after a fall hopefully I inspire other people as well. I feel I could have won that fight in the second round but I was just exhausted in there that night. If I’d finished that fight there and then I would probably
I lost in front of the whole of Dublin in a way. But I have to say Dublin caught me have never looked back on it, I would never have assessed myself or my training position or routine. So I had to go and find out what went wrong. Why did I get tired? Now I feel that the injury to my back was playing on my mind and I didn’t even realise it at the time, I was blocking it all out. Looking back and assessing it the only time I felt free that week was when I was getting into the cage to fight. That’s when I felt that all the main event pressure and the media pressure wasn’t on me. That back injury is what’s kept me out of the cage up to now but thankfully it’s sorted. I’ve been getting great treatment out in UCD in the High Performance Unit and they’re after getting my back better and I’m feeling great. So I’m looking to get back in that cage as soon as possible and the target is Zagreb in Croatia on April 11th.
As they say, when you’re hurt that’s when all the people come out of the wood work and want to fight you. They always want to fight the hurt guy. Well beware the wounded animal, they’re messing with the wrong beast here. If they think I’m at home licking my paws then they’re very mistaken. I’m thinking of my mission to get back in there. I want to get back to top of the hill again. Adversity comes to everyone, it’s how you respond.
EA SPORTS - I’M IN THE GAME! I recently found out I’m in the new EA Sports UFC 2 game coming out next month. Someone said to me “you’re the first fella from Tallaght to be in an EA Sports game after Robbie Keane!” To be fair they’ve done a good job getting me right, it is the bleeding spit of me! People were asking me did the UFC ring me up and ask me to be in it? So for anyone that’s wondering, no they didn’t! The UFC ask you nothing! They don’t need to ask your permission to use you when they own you! I actually only found out I was in it on Twitter. All joking aside I’m delighted to be in it. They took my skin and hair colour one of the times I was in the head quarters and then they just keep it in a file and use it if they need it so they must have plans for me!
sports
Kickboxing Champ Shauna Bannon By padraig conlon ____________________________ Congratulations to local kickboxing legend Shauna Bannon who was recently crowned Best Fighter by Kickboxing Ireland. This award is the latest in an unbelievable career that has seen Shauna already win five European titles, two World titles and last year she was victorious in the World Combat Games. We caught up with the pride of Tallaght Martial Arts to find out what it takes to stay at the top and her plans for the year ahead. “I train six times a week at kickboxing and three times a week in the gym. I also have a full time job as well as kickboxing isn’t covered by any sports funding so we have to support ourselves and try and get sponsorship. It is all worth it in the end because I do love the sport and I get to travel the world. “I have a couple of international competitions coming up this side of the year and then at the end of the year I have the European Championships in Greece. Kickboxing has been accepted into the European Games from 2019 so I hope to qualify for that as well. We don’t know when the qualifications for it are going to be and what weight classes are picked yet. “Hopefully my weight will be included but if not then I’ll either drop or go up a weight, that doesn’t
Towers Appoint New Senior Hurling Manager By Colm O’Muirí ____________________ Round Tower GAA Club recently announced the appointment of a new manager for the clubs Senior Hurling team, Aidan Lonergan. The Tipperary man joins the Dublin club following a successful spell in the management set-
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CONOR MCGREGOR WAS IN FINE FORM AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE FOR UFC 197 WHERE HE WILL TAKE ON RAFAEL DOS ANJOS FOR THE LIGHTWEIGHT BELT IN VEGAS ON MARCH 5TH
@V9Munoz IMAGE COURTESY OF JASON MAC CORMAC PHOTOGRAPHY
bother me because I want to be at the European Games as it’s a stepping stone for getting to the Olympics and my main goal is to go to the Olympics and get a goal medal for Ireland. “You see some people moving to other sports because kickboxing isn’t an Olympic sport or because it’s not growing as fast as other sports but I know one day it will be in the Olympics and I will bring home a Gold medal for Ireland in my sport. “I’d definitely recommend Kickboxing as a sport for girls. I’ve been doing it since I was four, I have gone through phases where I hated it and loved it but ever since I was 13 I never said I hated it. I’ve travelled the world and gotten to meet new friends thanks to kickboxing. It’s an amazing sport and I would definitely recommend it for girls. There are as many girls as men in our club.”
up at St Francis College, Co Cork, who reached the final of the Dr Harty Cup Final in February The club are still seeking personnel to assist Aidan in the management and logistics team at Round Tower. The appointment follows the outgoing of the previous management team of Emmet Carrol, John Hoolan and Pat Lawless who the club thanked for their commitment and dedication to the senior hurling team.
@ufc lol that handshake isn’t honest, it’s psychological. Everything McGregor does is to f*ck with you. RDA will be thinking of that!
@KevinEssence @ufc This was gold. Can’t wait!
@Diablo_x_Blanco @ufc @Lord_Hugo_ honestly though wtf is McGregor wearing is he in a f*ckin irish boy band like wtf
@Glyxn @JustConcept @ufc I feel like you can’t doubt Conor anymore though, everything he has said has came true
@MurrellWk @ufc conor definitely added fuel to the fire with all that trash which will add to his future if not sooner demise! arrogant jerk! gods?
@BondyTheddy @ufc / This guy Connor Mcclown really looks like a vulgar PIMP not like a fighter...#clown
@thefellios @ufc quality #UFC197 #ufchype the next 6 weeks are going to be awesome! @TheNotoriousMMA to win by #knockout
@ZachMomoTweets “I’m dressed like El-Chapo in his prime right now...” - Conor McGregor @TheNotoriousMMA
@UFCEurope “Me and Jesus are cool.” - @ TheNotoriousMMA at #UFC197 presser
@gunslingergwm @UFCEurope @TheNotoriousMMA gotta love his patter and backed it up so far
St Marks GAA By Colm O’Muirí ___________________ St Marks GAA Boys under 11 side took part in an exhibition match during the recent Dublin vs Kerry game at Croke Park on Saturday January 30th. This
Ballyboden’s Big Game By padraig conlon ____________________ This month local side Ballyboden St Endas will play the biggest game in their history when they meet Munster Champions Clonmel Commercials in the All Ireland Club Football Semi Final. Dublin and Leinster champions Boden have never made it this far before, their nervy win over Portlaoise in the Leinster Final in December was the first time they’ve ever lifted a provincial crown. It will also be a maiden semi for Clonmel who will be the first Tipperary club to represent Munster at this stage in the competition after they defeated Nemo Rangers in the provincial final and London’s Tir Chonaill Gaels in their All-Ireland quarter-final. Their victory over heavily fancied Cork kingpins Nemo was probably even more dramatic than Boden’s win against Portlaoise, their star forward Michael Quinlivan scored the winning goal 30 seconds from the end of injury time to snatch a famous victory and end
was a great occasion and experience for all the boys as the game took place in GAA headquarters during the Dubs first game in the Spring Series. The Boys in Blue have another upcoming game against Monaghan on February 27th to finish off the series with both games starting at 7pm. Tipperary’s 46 year wait for a Munster Club Senior Football title. The Tipp lads are managed by Donegal man Charlie McGeever, who had a brilliant career as a soccer player in the League of Ireland with Finn Harps and Sligo Rovers. In 1999 he managed Finn Harps, getting them to an FAI Cup Final which they lost to Bray Wanderers after two replays. Clonmel do have a number of All Ireland winners in their ranks however as seven members of the Tipperary side that beat Dublin to win the All Ireland Minor title in 2011 were from the club. Of the current team the highly rated trio of Michael Quinlivan, Seamus Kennedy and Ian Fahey were vital members of that victorious 2011 side. Tipperary football is definitely on the up and Boden will have to really be at it on the day to see off the challenge of the Munster men but I think the local side will just about shade it by two points. Ballyboden St Endas v Clonmel Commercials O’Moore Park, Portlaoise, Saturday February 13th, throw in 4:30pm.
GAMEWEEK 24 TOP 20 STANDINGS #
Team
Manager
PTS
1
The SeaSwans
Evan sherlock
1,269
2
Beechdale Utd
Thomas Reilly
1,260
3
the_ice_men
michael kelly
1,235
4
silva costa 2 much
ben sherlock
1,232
5
Here we go again
damien clooney
1,229
6
GoonerFC
Stephen Cleary
1,229
7
Da’lian Warriors
john whelan
1,227
8
G’wan outta that.
Derek Boyle
1,226
9
Suicide Squad
Thomas Murphy
1,221
10
Manchesthair united
Gareth Foley
1,220
11
It Doesn’t Mata
Sinead Sweeney
1,218
12
JapsEye FC
Ray Lenehan
1,215
13
Spartak Colemanski
Fiona Coleman
1,211
14
The Sure Thing
marc wilson
1,210
15
FC Fettercairn
Paul McQuillan
1,206
16
50 Shades of O’Shea
Conor Ryan
1,202
17
The Zoomers
Martin Wisely
1,200
18
Blattergasted FC
andy knightley
1,196
19
We are recycling
darren maguire
1,194
20
cricket
will roche
1,191
AND LIMPING ALONG IN LAST PLACE... 86
Wham!
Charlie Hegarty
FEBRUARY 2016 //
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INROVERS
Indian Adventure for The Hoops It’s a prestigious by padraig conlon ____________________________ tournament to be Shamrock Rovers reported back for pre-season training on Monday January 18th looking sharp and ready for the hard work that lies ahead over the next month. New signings Killian Brennan, Gary Shaw and Dean Clarke joined up with their new teammates for the first time as the squad started their preparations for what everyone hopes is an unforgettable season. Before it all kicks off however, Rovers will spend the next few weeks of their pre-season in India taking part in an international tournament. The Hoops departed Dublin on Monday February 1st after they accepted an invitation last month to take part in the Sait Nagjee Amarsee International tournament which takes place in the coastal city of Kozhikode (also known as Calicut) in the Kerala province in SouthWest India. Once among the most prestigious events in Indian football, the tournament ran from 1952 to 1995. Joint organisers Mondial Sports and the Kozhikode District Football Association (KDFA) hope this
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invited to and it will be a great help to us in our pre-season preparations. year’s tournament will relaunch the competition as an annual event. “It is the first time that top European and Latin American clubs are coming to India for a tournament,” said Hifsu Rehman, chairman of organisers Mondial Sports LLP. “We hope to revive the glorious football tradition of Kozhikode with this tournament. Though this is the first project of Mondial in India, we have been conducting football tournaments in Saudi Arabia, where we are based, for the last several years.” It all kicks off on February 5th and runs until February 21st and comprises of eight teams which will be allocated into two groups. After the group stage there will be a semi-final and a final. The tournament will be played under floodlights on grass turf in the EMS Corporation Stadium (capacity of 53,000).
Rovers have been drawn in a group with FC Volyn Lutsk (Ukraine), 1860 Munich and the Argentina Under 23 National side. Other teams confirmed include Under 23 and Reserve sides representing India as well as club sides Hertha Berlin, TSV, Rapid Bucharest, Watford and Atletico Paranaense (Brazil). Hundreds of local fans turned up on Sunday January 24th as Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho, who is the brand ambassador, inaugurated the Sait Nagjee Cup ahead of the start of the tournament. Ronaldinho handed over the Nagjee trophy to the organisers at a civic reception hosted to honour him at the Kozhikode beach.
Speaking at the launch, the former Barcelona and AC Milan legend said: “Football has the power to unite the people. It has given me an opportunity and taught me universal values of Friendship and Unity. I am supporting the work carried by Football for Peace Global and proud to be the Guest of Honour of Nagjee International Club Football tournament and becoming a footballer for peace,” Hoops boss Pat Fenlon is looking forward to competing in the competition. “It’s a prestigious tournament to be invited to and it will be a great help to us in our pre-season preparations,” he said. “I think the players were a bit shocked when we told them but they’re excited about it and I’m delighted with it. You’re going to be playing against good quality opposition and that’s going to be a real help in terms of getting ready for the season ahead. How long we are there for will depend on how we get on but you could be there for 19 days in total. It’s a long way to go but we’ve looked into it and
the flights aren’t too bad. We have the players pencilled for vaccinations next week.” India is slowly developing a passion for football after largely ignoring the world’s most popular sport for decades. Asia’s third-largest country has never made it to the World Cup despite having a population of a 1.3 billion, high economic growth rates and a sports-mad public. Cricket is overwhelmingly India’s favourite sport but football is getting more popular among Indians thanks to the 2013 launch of the Indian Super League (ISL) or Hero Indian Super League, which aims to nurture Indian football to an international level and develop grassroots programs to develop local players. Baichung Bhutia was the first Indian player to sign a contract with a European club in 1999 when he joined Bury F.C, paving the way for contemporaries like Gurpreet Singh Sandhu of Norway’s Stabaek. There are eight ISL clubs and each of them have at least one topnotch foreign player. Ex-Italian international and World Cup winner Marco Materazzi is the head coach of Chennaiyin FC, while Brazilian legends Roberto Carlos and Zico coach the Delhi Dynamos and FC Goa, respectively. Similarly to Ireland, football in India has a large TV fans’ following with those interested in the game preferring to watch, and “support” through the medium of television, the big European teams as opposed to going to watch Indian teams in their own domestic league. The ISL, however, is changing things and the queues outside stadiums on match-days are a new and welcome phenomena in India. Also similar to Ireland most of the Indian Super League teams hail from only three cities – Goa, Kolkata and Mumbai and there is a feeling that in order to expand the game it will have to develop more clubs nationwide in the next few years.
SHAMROCK ROVERS HAVE ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WILL BE GOING TO A PRE-SEASON TOURNAMENT IN INDIA. HERE IS HOW TWITTER REACTED TO THIS INTERESTING IF SOMEWHAT BIZARRE NEWS!
@football_ie @ShamrockRovers are off to India for pre-season
@ballivorbohs @football_ie @ShamrockRovers hopefully they will stay there!!
@CobhRamblersFC We have been forced to cancel our friendly with @ShamrockRovers as they head to the slightly more exotic location of India on pre-season
@RuiDunsta Theres a Karl Pilkington style reality tv show in that @ShamrockRovers pre season trip. Gary Mcabe in India would make for great tv
@kevinkava3 Great trip for shamrock rovers preseason games in India the biggest club in Ireland
@philipoconnor @markmccadden Brilliant for the lads, soccer culture is growing there - probably because of @BojanDjordjic7’s season there! @IrishStarSport
@BHDFlanagan @markmccadden @benjmnblake @IrishStarSport Is there a naan of the match award *gets coat
@dubderbyfacts Pat Fenlon says Rovers aren’t going to tournament in India. Rather, Danny North’s been invited to a curry-eating contest at the Tikka House.
@DannyNorth7 @dubderbyfacts haha more of a Jalfrezi man myself !!
FEBRUARY 2016 //
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culture
culture highlights ____________________________ Welcome to the February Culture section of InTallaght Magazine. There is plenty happening this month in Tallaght with a 1916 Rising photography exhibition in Tallaght Library, Rua Red are celebrating the Chinese New Year and The Civic Theatre welcomes the Abbey Theatre on tour. Read on for more.
FIRST UP SOUTH DUBLIN LIBRARIES: South Dublin Libraries will host Paths to Freedom – a full day conference on the many “shades of green” that existed in the run-up to the 1916 Rising. RTÉ broadcaster and historian Dr. Myles Dungan, accompanied by leading academics and entertainers will present a unique package of lectures and presentations to remember the Rising, 100 years on. Speakers also include RTÉ broadcaster Joe Duffy, Head of Special Projects at the National Archives Centre Caitriona Crowe, and historian Turtle Bunbury. Paths to Freedom will concentrate on the changing nature of Irish politics, work, class and gender roles in the years leading up to independence. It promises to be an interesting and stimulating look back at this important era in Irish history. Paths to Freedom will take place at Tallaght Stadium on Saturday February 27th from 11am to 4pm. Admission is free but pre-booking essential. Tickets can be booked online at pathstofreedom.eventbrite.ie South Dublin 1916 Rising Exhibition opens Friday February 19th in County Library Tallaght. On display will be an interesting collection of items from the era including documents, military kit, weapons, photographs and an interesting display of postal items and information panels – some with a local South Dublin County
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interest. It will also include examples of commemorative items from the years following the Rising – the most famous being 1966. This exhibition has been made possible by the generosity of the many donors who kindly lent artefacts for public display. The exhibition can be viewed during opening hours at the County Library Tallaght (Mon-Thurs 9.45am – 8pm; Friday and Saturdays 9.45am – 4.30pm). All welcome.
NEXT WE HAVE RUA RED: Celebrate Chinese New Year and welcome the year of the monkey at Rua Red with two days of creative workshops for both kids and adults. On February 6th, 12.30pm - 1.30pm, join Lorna as she shows the kids how to make their own cheeky monkeys, whilst on February 8th, 11am – 12pm, the adult workshop will be discovering the ancient art of Chinese knots and making lucky charms. These workshops are free, so early booking is advised, as places are limited. Art Trolley is also back this February. Interpret the galleries with an artist and make some lovely arts and crafts based on the exhibitions. The next block of Art Trolley classes runs from February 6th until March 12th. With demand sure to be high, places are not guaranteed on a week-to-week basis, so book in advance. For more information or to making a booking, contact the Rua Red reception on 01 451 5860.
FINALLY, AT THE CIVIC: The ever-popular Beezneez Theatre Company will come to The Civic
with their comedy Turning Mammy on February 5th and 6th. Then on Sunday February 7th Laochra Gael comes to the theatre telling the story of the 1916 Rising and its heroes through music, poetry, story and song. The music and songs are performed by The Druids, Uileann Piper Tommy Keane, Aine Holland and tenor Shay Roche. Narrator Noel Shannon is joined on stage by acclaimed actors Kevin Shortall, Mick O’Brien, Aisling McDonagh and Barra De Roiste. Friday February 12th brings Uprooted, a project in development by Brokentalkers with the performance set on a private beach. The piece is a response to the current refugee crisis gripping Europe and the notion of sovereignty of one people over a piece of land; and the lengths people will go to create barriers to entry to their dominion. On Wednesday February 24th, The Abbey Theatre bring their tour to the Civic Theatre with Me, Mollser as part on their 1916 commemoration production for schools. Decadent Theatre Company also return with Pat McCabe’s The Dead School. As in The Butcher Boy, Pat McCabe demonstrates his ability to pinpoint the exact moment when ordinary minds take flight into madness. Equally compelling, equally heartbreaking in its impact, The Dead School has established McCabe as one of the most celebrated writers of literary fiction today. For information on these and more upcoming productions at the Civic Theatre please see www.civictheatre.ie or call the Box Office on 01 462 7477.
culture - tallaght stadium
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culture - civic theatre