Metro Herald, Wednesday, December 10, 2014

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Wednesday, December 10, 2014

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Wednesday, December 10, 2014

bless me! our top priests

Hozier man?

It’s Spotify’s ‘most viral’ hitmaker pAGE 10

n o d d e g r e h t Wea

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Heineken breWs roW WitH pub cHain pAGE 5

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‘Weather bomb’ to skim Irish coast pAGE 5

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o’connor’s plans for sinn fÉin pAGE 9

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enda survives as protest gathers by luke HoloHan

The vote came as a move to undercut Sinn Féin’s motion of no confidence – tabled to happen as water charge protesters gather outside Leinster House today.

Ruling out a general election next year, the Taoiseach said he has no intention of creating any instability by granting an early election.

The Fine Gael leader said his strategy is paying off, and has steered the country away from forced bailouts and a loss of national sovereignty.

Tánaiste and Labour leader Joan Burton declared her absolute confidence in both Mr Kenny and the Coalition.

‘We are creating thousands of new jobs every month,’ she said.

Estimated crowd numbers for today still vary, and organisers say there will be street meetings up until 8pm to facilitate those who cannot make the lunchtime start.

THAT’S MY BOY: Dyl Dylan McKenna enna (left) w was honoured for his courage age by the Ir Irish Heart Foundation after his quick thinking in calling an ambulance helped save dad Thomas’s life after he suffered a stroke picture: photocall

SWAROVSKI.COM

THE Government may have survived a confidence vote, but anti-austerity campaigners say the real vote will take place outside the gates of the Dáil. As thousands prepare to march against water charges, Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy warned that turnout for the national protest could sink the charges as well as the Coalition.

‘The Government think they have done something clever by tabling a motion of confidence in themselves in advance of the Opposition’s intended motion of no confidence in them. They should realise that the real vote of no confidence will take place on the street,’ he said in a statement.

Socialist Party politician Joe Higgins said the Right2Water assembly would be ‘emblematic of the pent up anger and hurt caused by six years of austerity’.

After yesterday’s victory by 86 to 55 votes, Enda Kenny insisted the Government will continue in place until 2016.

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METRO HERALD Wednesday, December 10, 2014

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Very windy with strong to gale force westerly winds and some severe gusts. It will feel very cold with sunshine and squally showers of rain or hail, some will fall as sleet or snow on hills in Connacht and Ulster. Highs of 4° to 8°C.

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Calling all wedding crashers...

A smitten Cork man believes he has found the perfect way to fund his fiancée’s dream of a lavish Las Vegas wedding – by inviting random strangers to bid online to gate-crash the celebrations.

Patsy O’Connor, from Kanturk, is auctioning off seats at a table at his wedding reception, which he hopes will raise thousands of euro to cover the cost of his unconventional big day next march.

Patsy, who will marry Bulgarian Radina Hadshieva, 28, admitted funding for his €15,000 wedding party, the day before st Patrick’s Day, was ‘an issue’. so he has decided to include a table of six strangers at the reception and has opened up bidding at €300 per head.

But the fun-loving 39-year-old – who runs a web development company in the Bulgarian capital, sofia – promised his gate-crashers they could expect the ‘party of a lifetime in the party capital of the world’ on march 16,

Wednesday, December 10, 2014 METRO HERALD

VAcuuM ALL yE fAiTHfuL

by Nick BRAMHiLL followed by further celebrations the following day on st Patrick’s Day. He said: ‘Funding for weddings has and always will be an issue and there has been an increasing amount of websites launched where guests and friends can donate online to a wedding fund or online honeymoon, thus paying for the costly event. ‘i had a different idea. We decided to invite six random strangers to the wedding. But here is the twist – they have to bid online for this privilege. ‘my future wife agreed instantly to this idea. thankfully, the thoughts of having six random strangers at her wedding did not bother her. ‘if we like you at the wedding, then you will be invited along for the st Patrick’s Day festivities, which will be in downtown Vegas with the wedding party the following day,’ he added.

For more information, visit www.gatecrashmywedding.com.

Vegas gas baby: Patsy O’Connor and his fiancée Radina have a unique plan for pl big day

Dy-son of God: Kris Sale with his alternative nativity (which is not made of Dyson machines, FYI) Picture: east news HARK! The Henry hoovers sing, glory to the newborn king...

As alternative nativity scenes go, few can match the originality of this effort dreamed up by the bright sparks at an electrical shop.

As three wise vacuums arrive from the Orient cleaning mould, with rank incense and fur, the baby Jesus (Henry Jr) lies in a manger, watched by his parents, Henry and the virgin Hetty. Kris Sale, of Sale Appliances

in Essex, England, credits his 16year-old son Ashley with recreating the scene.

‘It’s amazing, kids especially love it. It’s definitely increased sales,’ the 39-year-old said.

city’s traditional animal crib is away in a Manger THE scene has been set and Dublin’s traditional Live Animal Crib is ready just in time for the Christmas run-in.

Joyful carolling of Away In A Manger accompanied the launch of the nativity scene yesterday, sung by a choir of angels from St Joseph’s Nursery, Maryland, Dublin 8.

The crib will be open to the public until Christmas Eve

from 11am to 6pm each day.

But, in the absence of cattle, there was no lowing to wake little Lord Jesus. Instead, the job rests with two sheep, a donkey and a goat.

Lord mayor Christy Burke said: ‘The crib symbolises the sentiment of the first Christmas in the heart of Dublin and the animals are a welcome gift from the farmers of Ireland.’

Got the goat: One of the animals from Dublin’s nativity scene

METRO HERALD Wednesday, December 10, 2014

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Call for Garda to withdraw JobBridge ad

Car jamming latest trick of gift robbers CHRISTMAS sneak thieves have been ruining the festive shopping season for unsuspecting motorists.

The thieves are using hi-tech jamming devices to rob Christmas presents and goodies which owners are locking away in their cars.

The devices, often small enough to be held in the palm of the hand, are being used to intercept and jam the signal sent from the key fob in a normal car-locking procedure.

The vehicle is not locked and, as soon as the coast is clear, the jammer arrives to carry out the robbery.

Gardaí are now hunting for two blonde women captured on CCTV after a number of such thefts close to Galway city centre. They are believed to be operating with a man.

Yesterday the AA revealed thefts using jamming devices are becoming a lot more frequent in Ireland.

Spokesperson, Miriam O’Neill revealed UK police now reckon up to half of all car break-ins in London are done with jamming devices.

The new Garda chief is facing demands to withdraw an ‘outrageous’ ad for a human rights assistant on the controversial JobBridge scheme.

The 40-hour a week role requires a college degree or diploma, a human rights qualification and pays €50 a week on top of dole payments.

Padraig MacLochlainn TD, Sinn Féin’s justice spokesman, said it was ‘unreal’ that the force would try to fill

‘They are trying to employ on the cheap’

Soap springs eternal

Australian Home And Away star Andrew Morley meets 12-year-old Cara Stokes during a visit to Crumlin Children’s Hospital PiCture: PhotoCall

an important role ‘on the cheap’.

‘It is outrageous they are trying to employ somebody on the cheap for what is clearly a role which is of obvious importance at this stage,’ he said.

‘This sends out a signal that they are not taking human rights and accountability seriously.’

JobBridge is a Government-established internship scheme, which the coalition defends as helping people

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by LukE HOLOHAn back to work. Opposition parties and critics have called for it to be abolished and alleged it exploits the young unemployed and is virtually free labour.

Mr MacLochlainn said questions will remain about a new beginning to policing under the recently appointed Garda chief Noirín O’Sullivan unless the advert is withdrawn.

The advert says the intern will gain practical experience at the leading edge of policing and human rights. high standards of quality control and mentoring are also provided, it says.

The successful candidate is expected to work to deadlines, have a high level of personal responsibility and integrity and to observe confidentiality.

A Garda spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that the position of human Rights Researcher is being advertised through the JobBridge Scheme. Normal conditions apply.’

The spokesman declined to say who the intern would report to.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014 METRO HERALD

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Beyond the ale: Heineken could lose €76m

by JOAnnE AHERn

Row sees no Heino in chain’s 926 pubs THE ‘WEATHER bOMb’ THAT’LL skiM iRELAnD

JD Wetherspoon has squared up to heineken in a €76million dispute which has seen the pub chain ban the brewer’s products from its more than 900 premises. the firm accused the brewer of starting the row which centres on its site in Dún Laoghaire.

Wetherspoon said heineken had refused to supply it with heineken lager – Ireland’s biggest selling draught beer – and Murphy’s stout.

It said the Dutch-owned brewer had also demanded personal guarantees on the payment of the pub’s bill from Ceo John hutson.

Wetherspoon did not disclose further details of what the row was about but it has already fallen out with UK drinks firm Diageo over prices at its first Irish pub, the three tun tavern in Blackrock, where it had been selling heineken lager and Murphy’s at under €3 a pint, against an average price in Irish pubs of around €5.

Wetherspoon said it would no longer trade with heineken at any of its 926 pubs in the UK and Ireland, business worth €76million a year.

It leaves the firm with a decision over what stout it can supply to its customers here now that it does not sell either Guinness or Murphy’s.

A heineken spokesman said: ‘We are aware of the comments made by JD Wetherspoon and its chairman [yesterday] morning.’

WHILE Dublin is in for a blustery day today, it’s expected to escape the ‘weather bomb’ forecast for the UK. Met Éireann has issued a yellow warning for Leinster, Munster, Cavan and Roscommon, with gusts of up to 110kph forecast up until 8am tomorrow. However, there is an orange warning for Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo and Clare. Gusts of up to 130kph are forecast for those areas, with an added risk of coastal flooding and high waves.

A Met Éireann spokesman said ‘weather bomb’ is a technical term referring to the way in which a storm develops, and that this storm will ‘come nowhere next to or near Ireland’.

€20m in tax defaults paid SETTLEMENTS of almost €20million were made to the Revenue Commissioners in the third quarter of this year, the Revenue Defaulters List reveals.

The figures relate to the three month period up to September 30, when 107 tax defaulters resolved outstanding tax issues.

Of the cases, 33 exceeded €100,000. Ten were for more than €500,000, with five over €1million. Entertainment business Groundview Ltd paid the largest settlement – €2.38m.

Jobs growth set for 2015 IRISH salaries are on the up across all sectors, according to the Brightwater Recruitment 2015 annual salary survey. IT in particular has seen a 10 per cent increase in a year.

While wages everywhere else are up on average between 2 and 5 per cent, there has been a significant improvement in working benefits nationwide.

Employment in Ireland is forecast to grow 10 per cent in the first quarter of 2015 in ten of the 11 sectors evaluated.

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METRO HERALD Wednesday, December 10, 2014

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Torture much worse than CIA admitted

A DAMNING official exposé has revealed widespread US torture and deception in the ‘war against terror’.

CIA agents were accused by a US Senate committee, after a five-year investigation, of using techniques ‘far more brutal’ than they ever admitted.

At least 26 suspects were wrongfully held, and one died in 2002 from suspected hypothermia when ‘partially nude and chained to a concrete floor’.

Dianne Feinstein, the committee chairman, said: ‘Under any common meaning of the term, CIA detainees were tortured.’

Barack Obama, who in 2009 outlawed many of the techniques under the spotlight, last night backed the report, vowing the methods would be left ‘where they belong – in the past’.

Former CIA director, Michael Hayden, told the committee techniques were only ‘minimally harmful’ and included the odd ‘tummy slap’.

Among the CIA’s false claims was

by AIDAn RADnEDgE

that it had found Osama bin Laden ahead of his discovery and killing in May 2011.

Alleged plots targeting Heathrow airport and Canary Wharf in London were exploited to help justify its treatment of detainees, it was revealed.

The Senate found the suspected London plots – revealed by interrogating alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed – were already known to the CIA and were only in their initial stages.

Campaigners called for those responsible to be prosecuted, though investigators suggested no further action would likely be taken, beyond possibly publishing their 6,700-page report.

Amnesty International’s UK director, Kate Allen, said: ‘While the ugly truth about US “war on terror” torture is gradually emerging, we still don’t know how far Britain was dragged into the mire.’

But David Cameron insisted: ‘I’m satisfied our system is dealing with these issues and they’ve been dealt with from a British perspective.’

nORTH KOREA: Kim Jong-un leads the applause after posing for pictures with the families of North Korean servicemen and women in the capital Pyongyang Picture: reuters/KcNA

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I’M SIMIAN IN THE RAIN AN ORANGUTAN uses a banana leaf to shelter from a tropical downpour.

The striking image was taken in Bali by photographer Andrew Suryono.

‘Just before I put my camera away, I saw this orangutan take a banana leaf and put it on top on his head to protect himself from the rain,’ said Mr Suryono. ‘I immediately used my DSLR and telephoto lens to preserve this magic moment.’

The Indonesian photographer has entered his picture in this year’s Sony World Photography Awards.

Other entries include Hindus throwing colourful dye during the Holi festival and a girl posing with her pet cat.

Entries to the open and youth categories close on January 5 ,while the deadline for photos from professionals is three days later.

All levels of photographer are invited to take part in the free to enter competition at www.worldphoto.org.

World

digest

Airline boss resigns Villagers cut off as after she went nuts typhoon moves on

SOuTH KOREA: A top executive at Korean Air resigned amid public criticism she delayed a plane over how she was served nuts. Cho Hyun-ah, eldest daughter of chairman Cho Yang-ho and a vice president, was under fire after a flight from New York to South Korea returned to the gate because she ordered a senior crew member off the plane when she was served bagged nuts instead of on a plate.

PHILIPPINES: Rescuers have been struggling to reach isolated coastal villages as typhoon Hagupit swept out of the islands, leaving up to 35 people dead. ‘Access is difficult as there are landslides and many roads have been washed away,’ the Red Cross said. Nearly 13,000 homes were crushed on the eastern island of Samar. Yesterday, typhoon warnings were lifted as the storm headed west towards Vietnam.

The true meaning of Christmas decor

10,000 ebola cases in just two countries

CHINA: Millions of Christmas decorations are being churned out daily from 600 factories in just one city. Migrant workers toil for ten hours a day, seven days a week, making novelties for a festival they don’t recognise, and trying to avoid breathing in the red powder used as colouring. However, one, Wei Chang, 19, said that the job in Yiwu, Zhejiang, earns him a year’s salary in three months.

SWITzERLAND: Ebola is surging in Sierra Leone and Guinea, the UN warned yesterday. Cases in Sierra Leone now total 7,798, while those in Guinea have passed 2,283. ‘We don’t yet have the full number of functioning treatment centres and places where people who are ill can be kept away from others,’ said UN special envoy David Nabarro in Geneva. The total number of cases in west Africa is at least 18,000.

and finally...

SWEDEN: It was a real cold case when a thief hid behind a fridge while waiting for an electronics shop to close – then stuffed €30,000 worth of phones and laptops into a sack marked ‘Merry Christmas’. But Yusuf Akesson, 21, set off several alarms as he tried to break a window to get out of the store, in the city of Karlstad, and was arrested.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014 METRO HERALD

Orange convoy carries MH17 back to Holland LORRIES loaded with the wreckage of MH17 arrived in the Netherlands yesterday, five months after 298 people died when the airliner was blown out of the sky.

The convoy crossed the border following long delays collecting debris left strewn across the crash site in eastern Ukraine.

Investigators will now try to rebuild the Malaysia Airlines plane, which took off from Amsterdam, to learn more about the crash.

Grieving families, who have protested over the hold-ups collecting the wreckage, gathered to await the lorries’ arrival at an airforce base in Gilze-Rijen.

Sad task: Lorries are driven across Holland picture: epa

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METRO HERALD Wednesday, December 10, 2014

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Kate steps out with Cheryl’s dancing ex Kate HUDSON seems to have wasted no time in finding a new squeeze. the actress has allegedly moved on to Cheryl Fernandez-Versini’s ex Derek Hough after her shock split from her fiancé, Muse rocker Matt Bellamy. the How to Lose a Guy In 10 Days star has ‘hooked up’ with Dancing With the Stars pro Hough, 29.

On Friday they dined at Hollywood celeb haunt Nice

THE GUTTER

Guy, staying past closing time, according to Us Weekly. Hudson, 35, was full of praise for the dancer, even before they were linked romantically.

‘My heart is really in Split: Bellamy and contemporary Kate at her mum’s jazz, but lately event PiCture: GettY I’ve been

Parton gets Reese fears off her chest

★

DOLLY PARTON has banned svelte pal Reese Witherspoon from playing her in a biopic. ‘Her boobs ain’t big enough,’ Parton, 68, said of the 38-year-old Oscar winner.

ballroom dancing with Derek Hough,’ she told an interviewer last year.

Despite Hudson’s rep confirming that she split with Bellamy, 36, ‘some time ago’, they kept up appearances by attending several events together. they were seen as a couple at a charity do in La last month, organised by Hudson’s mum Goldie Hawn.

We’re Justin good friends, Beliebers

★

JUSTIN BIEBER is still single, girls. Rumoured new flame Hailey Baldwin, 18, told E! News: ‘I’ve known him since I was young. We have just stayed close and there’s nothing more to it.’

t zone h ig il w T e th in e b Thrilled to TAYLOR LAUTNER’S gay fan base is set

to go through the roof after the ex-Twilight hunk partied with a hot underwear model in LA. The star, 22, posed with chuffed Murray Swanby (pictured) at The Abbey gay club in Hollywood. Swanby posted on Instagram: ‘I’ve never been more #attracted to someone in my life.’ y nr He nk LORDE’S SUPERMAN hu s online flirtation Cavill is up for grab r with blue movie sta r an once more after t he r-fi on pe w s su ha m en fro g De splittin James no porn ‘Oscars’ in girlfriend Gina Cara offer to sing at the . th for a second time.

Las Vegas next mon r to ac s ld wa -o ar ld -o -ye ar The 31 The 18-ye the first started dating invited by Adult former mixed Video News after ts ar l tia mar impressing the athlete, 32, in team with her September ‘passion’ for t Oh, Lorde: an bu , 28-year-old 2012 Singleman: Henry unusual invite Deen. split in May Cavill PiCture: AP PiCture: GettY last year.

I’m no wannabe in fashion, says Posh

★

VICTORIA BECKHAM says she’s not trying to emulate rival fashion designers. ‘I’m not trying to be anybody else, I’m just trying to be the best version of myself,’ added Posh, 40.

Katie’s €50 tip is icing on the cake

Sam’s winning in battle of the exes

★

SAM SMITH has finally moved on from the ex who inspired his first album.

‘It’s the first time I’ve felt something amazing since the person the album was about,’ Smith, 22, told Zane Lowe.

★

KATIE HOLMES left a generous tip after buying cupcakes in New York with daughter Suri.

The ex-Mrs Cruise, 35, left staff at Sprinkles $62 (€50), a source said.

I feel like I’m starting all over again, says Tulisa RUMOURS? SHAKE IT OFF, SAYS SWIFT TAYLOR SWIFT has hit out following frenzied speculation that she and Karlie Kloss are more than just friends. A sly fan released a grainy video of the singer seemingly leaning in for a tender kiss with the Victoria’s Secret model, 22, at a gig in New York last week. After fans and media wondered if they were secret lovers, the normally calm Swift, whose birthday is on Saturday, tweeted: ‘As my 25th birthday present from the media, I’d like for you to stop accusing all my friends of dating me.’

Kissed off: Taylor Swift

S

andwiched between a sexy devil and an angel, Tulisa contostavlos turned on the slinky style at our raucous Guilty Pleasures christmas party on Monday night.

The 26-year-old wore a plunging black jumpsuit as she got into the party spirit with her pal from The Saturdays, Vanessa white, at new private member’s restaurant, Ramusake, in west London. her night on the lash with fellow X Factor stars, Sarah-Jane crawford and Brian Friedman, marked a new turn for the star, who is ready to bounce back after a tough year. ‘i do feel like i am starting again,’ she said. ‘i’m hungrier than ever and more in control.’ after a recent comeback to the charts with Living without You, the former X Factor judge said: ‘as a solo artist

i never really found myself first time round, and even finding myself as a person growing up was kind of difficult. But this time i feel like i get it now as an artist and who i am.’ after previously eyeing up hollywood, the former n-dubz singer says there are many strings to her bow. ‘anyone is whatever they want to be, it’s as simple as that. nobody knows people’s hidden talents, it’s wrong to say you shouldn’t do something just because you specialise in something else. i’ve had my fingers in a lot of pies and i feel i’m a bit of an all-rounder.’

Tulisa went the distance with party pal white, 25, as the devils and angels lit up the club by lavishing the singers with flaming bottles of Mahiki coconut Rum, ciroc vodka and Scavi & Ray prosecco.

Welcome to the Pleasure dome: Tulisa at our bash

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Wednesday, December 10, 2014 METRO HERALD

I’m not bossy: Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams was among those ‘elders’ O’Connor intended to ask to resign from the party piCture: epa

by bRiAn HuTTOn Sinn FÉin has defended its leader Gerry Adams after singer Sinead O’Connor joined the party and immediately demanded he stand down.

The controversial musician – best known for her Prince-penned hit nothing Compares 2 U – announced on her blog she was joining the republicans to push for a ‘proper socialist ireland’.

O’Connor said it was the only party who would deliver a promise in the Proclamation in the 1916 Easter Rising for equality and for all of the nation’s children to be equally cherished. in a follow-up post on her Facebook page, she announced she had now joined the party, but added: ‘i might not even be the kind of person they want, because i’m gonna write here that i feel the elders of Sinn ve to Féin are going to have make “the supreme sacriwn fice” and step down shortly in the same wayy the last Pope did.’

Sinn Féin has been at rthe centre of controversy in recent weeks over renewed allegations by Belfast woman Mairia Cahill she was raped as a teenager by an iRA suspect. She also claims there was an iRA cover up of

Sinéad in call for SF shake-up abuse during the Troubles.

Comparing the fall-out to Pope Benedict standing down amid child abuse scandals in the Catholic Church, O’Connor (left) said it wa the ‘smart thing was for him to do’ because ‘the church were losing bums on seats, if i may use sho a showbiz term’.

‘There’ be a zillion ‘There’d per cent increase in membership of Sinn Féin if the leadership were handed over to those born from 1983/1985 on-

ward and no one associated in people’s minds with frightful things.

‘Frightful things belong where they are now, in the past.’ in a statement, Sinn Féin said it was looking forward to working with Ms O’Connor to change ireland but defended the leadership of Mr Adams.

‘The membership of the party selects the Sinn Féin leadership every year at our Ard Fheis,’ it said.

‘As a member, Sinead would have an equal say in that process... Support for Sinn Féin in this State has grown considerably since Gerry Adams was elected as a TD.

Tesco looks trollied after latest €630m profit scare

Consumers pay price for faulty goods and services

New Tesco boss Dave Lewis spelled out the scale of the problems facing the supermarket giant as it issued a €632million profits warning.

Mr Lewis, who took over in September, said investments in improving its customer care such as price and availability of key products, and shaking up its supply chain in the wake of an accounting scandal, would take their toll. He said more tough choices lay ahead but claimed that a turnaround in fortunes was in his sights.

IRISH consumers are out of pocket to the tune of almost €500million because of faulty goods, misleading prices and service issues, the first-ever study into ‘consumer detriment’ has found.

An Ipsos MRBI study reveals that a significant amount of product defects are being passed on at a cost to the consumer. Of those surveyed, 44 per cent reported a problem with a product or service in the past 12 months. Some 53 per cent of these instances incurred a financial cost, they said.

Café for rough sleepers to open doors Dublin’s new ‘nite Café’ for rough sleepers will open next week – but will have enough room for less than a third of those sleeping on the streets.

Environment Minister Alan Kelly announced the overnight facility as a key response from the Coalition to the Capital’s homelessness crisis.

Announced as part of a number of measures sparked by the death last week of rough sleeper Jonathan Corrie in a doorway across the street from the Dáil,

the café will open on Monday. it will only be able to accommodate 50 people at full capacity, said Mr Kelly.

Most recent official figures show at least 168 people will be sleeping rough on Dublin’s streets in the biting cold over the coming weeks.

The nite Café will provide food, a rest area and showers seven days a week. separately, homelessness campaigner Fr Peter McVerry

(pictured) has called for more ‘restorative practices’ to tackle the problem. The strategy involves conflict resolution techniques to restore relationships that have broken down, which lead to people leave home.

‘Homelessness is often caused by breakdown in community and family relationships, when one party has to leave,’ he said. He called for a countrywide network of restorative practice centres.

VISIT WESTEND.IE OR OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR ALL YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS AND THE CHANCE TO WIN LOTS OF GREAT PRIZES

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10 METRO HERALD Wednesday, December 10, 2014

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Sugar scares put squeeze on fruit juice

by AIDAN RADNEDGE

THEY were once universally regarded as a much healthier alternative to a can of fizz. But our love affair with fruity drinks ran out of juice this year – as scares over sugar content sent sales crashing.

Pure juices, squashes and smoothies saw their largest fall since 2010, largely as a result of fears about sugar, research shows.

The market for all juice drinks in the UK, for example, fell by 3 per cent to €5.7billion, while the volume sold fell even more – by 5 per cent – to 1.8billion litres, analysts Mintel found.

‘Fruit juice and smoothies have suffered from negative press surrounding their

Quick change: Bozena’s new slim look, and (inset) at her heaviest

PICTURE: mEdavIa

I LOST 6st

BY CUTTING OUT COLA

THINK you might have a bad day in the office? Chances are you’ll be tempted by a burger, curry or pizza.

Stressed-out people with negative feelings elings at a work ork apparently appar y aavoid sushi and salads in favour of comfort food, research commissioned by Gaviscon shows.

A WOMAN lost more than six stone in five months by conquering a sugar addiction that saw her drink up to 2 litres of Pepsi a day.

Bozena Lisowicz, 28, who weighed 14st 9lb and was a size 18, became hooked on sugary treats and fatty foods to cope with anxiety.

She said: ‘I thought food would kill me. I wasn’t hungry but I couldn’t stop eating treats.’

Before losing weight, Ms Lisowicz, of Leeds, UK, who is 5ft 4in tall, typically ate two ham sandwiches, a muffin and large bowl of cereal for breakfast. Now, weighing 8st 6lb, and a size eight, she counts calories, eats low-fat foods and has cut out sugar from her diet.

high sugar content and potential role in obesity, particularly amongst children,’ Mintel said.

It predicted volumes will continue to fall, by 9 per cent, over the next five years.

A survey last month by Action on Sugar found supermarket smoothies and juices contain up to eight teaspoons of sugar – more than one-and-a-half times as much as in cola.

Hozier hits the Spot as single is ‘most viral’ of 2014 on streaming site HOZIER has been named the Spotify Spotlight Breakout Star of 2014. The singer’s Take Me To Church has spent every week of 2014 on the music streaming service’s viral chart, making it Spotify’s Most Viral Track of the Year. It is currently No.1 in Spotify’s global chart.

The Bray man (below), whose full name is Andrew Hozier-Byrne, said the support from Spotify has been ‘a big part’ of the success of his music.

He added: ‘Starting out as an unknown, one of the biggest challenges any artist faces is finding a way to get music to listeners and potential fans in a meaningful way.

‘Without that discovery, there can be little growth in fan base, and to many musicians, those listeners can seem unobtainable and the industry impenetrable. Spotify’s service has been an invaluable platform for my music being discovered, enjoyed and shared.’

Meanwhile, Coasts, James Bay and Derry’s SOAK are among 12 artists chosen as Spotify’s ones to watch of 2015.

The Spotlight on 2015 has been compiled using Spotify’s in-house music experts as well as key data insights, including Spotify’s Viral Charts.

Spotify’s head of label relations for Europe, Kevin Brown said: ‘Spotlight is one of the ways in which Spotify can identify and highlight new and breaking artists, promote them and help build their careers.

‘We have created successful campaigns for some of the music industry’s most talented newcomers and built audiences for them amongst our 50million-plus dedicated music fans.’

The Spotlight playlists can be found within ‘browse’ on Spotify.

click

fill

ship

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Why Jessica Alba likes to check in as Cash Money

IF YOUR name’s Robert Fenton or Lauren Brown, consider assuming an alias next time you stay at a hotel.

It might help you avoid a run-in with the paparazzi after it emerged that Clive Owen and Natalie Portman use the made-up monikers to stay incognito on their travels.

The two movie stars may need to pick new alter egos after their cover was blown by hackers who raided ‘publicity bible’ files at Sony studios.

But it seems the leak may have done some actors a favour – as their silly pseudonyms are more likely to draw attention than deflect it.

Jessica Alba signs in as Cash Money, risking a knock on the door of her

Wednesday, December 10, 2014 METRO HERALD

THE ALIASES

Tom Hanks

Harry Lauder and Johnny Madrid Sarah Michelle Gellar

Neely O’Hara Tobey Maguire

Neil Deep

Natalie Portman

Lauren Brown

Jude Law

Mr Perry Daniel Craig

Olwen Williams

Jessica Alba Ice Cube

Darius Stone

Rob Schneider

Debra Messing

Nazzo Good

STAR vlogger Zoella’s internet hiatus lasted just a matter of hours as she came out of hiding to moan about her press coverage.

The 24-year-old (pictured) had revealed she was ‘taking a few days off’ after she was pilloried for having a ghostwriter ‘help’ with her best-selling debut novel, Girl Online.

However, after some quarters apparently suggested she was leaving YouTube – and her 6.6million followers – for good, she tweeted: ‘The stuff press write about it [sic] literally ridiculous! I AM NOT QUITTING YOUTUBE. Yet again, twisting stuff to gain views. Sad.’

Cash Money

and O’Shea

Robert Fenton

Zoella breaks silence to get at ‘ridiculous’ press coverage

Taye Diggs

Scott Diggs

Clive Owen

Jackson

Ava Harper

by SEAMUS DUFF

suite from excited fans of the hip-hop legend of the same name. It’s thought the 33-year-old’s choice is a play on her husband’s name, Cash Warren – but others are harder to explain.

Spider-Man actor Tobey Maguire strolls up to the desk clerk and says, ‘Hi, I’m Neil Deep’.

Sarah Michelle Gellar announces herself as Neely O’Hara, a character in novel Valley Of The Dolls.

And Tom Hanks travels as either Johnny Madrid – a gunslinger in 1960s western TV series Lancer – or the late Scottish vaudeville star Harry Lauder.

Exclusive reader offer

11

Name games: Tobey Toby Maguire and Jessica Alba

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There’s just no please in some people

GOOD manners cost nothing – but they can wipe out your debit card.

A polite customer has received an apology from bungling staff at Royal Bank of Scotland after being sent a bank card bearing the name ‘Mr Please’.

Terry Sutton was applying for a replacement card online when he was asked how he would like his name to appear, to which he replied: ‘Mr T Sutton, please.’

Days later he was sent a card bearing the name ‘Mr T Sutton Please’.

The Tesco worker complained to the bank, saying he would not be ‘so polite in future’.

He added: ‘I could understand it more if I had ordered it over the phone, but by typing it I used the comma. It surprises me they couldn’t use my existing personal details to work from.

‘It’s ridiculous, but to be honest I almost wet myself laughing.’

RBS sent 35-year-old Mr Sutton, from Kent, England, a new card last week, with his name spelled correctly.

An apologetic spokesman said: ‘Printing the wrong name on Mr Sutton’s debit card was a cut and paste error from our WebChat system.

‘This is unacceptable and we should have identified and corrected it before the card made it to print.’

Polite notice: The card for Mr Please

WE deliver a free worldBOX to your home, collect at a time that suit you.

We ship it with love and care.

Manners can save you cash on phone

PEOPLE who are polite when calling banks and utility firms save €125 a year more than those who are rude. The study also found that two-thirds of us become angry when dealing with service providers.

12 metro herAld Wednesday, December 10, 2014

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60 seconds Mailbox AmAndA PAlmer launched the biggest Kickstarter project ever for album Theatre Is Evil. She discusses her new book, The Art Of Asking What did you learn about yourself from writing the book? What I learned wasn’t so

much about myself, but more about understanding my husband [novelist Neil Gaiman] as a writer and the vacant look that comes over his face for weeks at a time when he’s working on a project.

Email: mail@metroherald.ie

*Please include a name and location. Emails with attachments cannot be received. Texts cost €0.30 per message + standard network charges. SP. Oxygen8 Communications, 4th Floor, Malt House North, Grand Canal Quay, D2. Customer service number 0818286606

Quick pic

GRAFTON SWEET: David Soanes turned our hearts to mush with this Christmassy istmassy pic of our capital’s main shopping thoroughfare oughf lit up for the season that’s in it

You used to put your hate mail on your website. How do you deal with online abuse now? If people are being vicious I

You write about not accepting your husband’s offer of financial assistance – did you feel obliged to explain yourself?

“

Being married to a successful guy was why there was this fear around accepting his help. I felt there asking and not unveil Was sharing was this the hate mail my own fears about empowering? judgement that I would have gone the subject was 25 when I first along with started getting hate accepting assistance mail. I was touring from him – and it was around in a van, doing gigs, terrifying. Then I asked learning how to do it, and I found myself: ‘But we’re married, am I I’d become a den mother to other not allowed to accept his help?’ as musicians in the same situation. No a known activist, feminist and one teaches you how to do this defender of women’s independence, stuff. My reaction was, ‘I can’t it was difficult to discuss without carry this pain by myself, I need to putting myself into the line of fire. share it’ – the weight of people calling me talentless, ugly, hairy, Did you resent or whatever. It was too much to explaining your carry and sharing it worked. situation? I couldn’t write How often do you a book perform the about Dear Daily Mail asking song? Never. and not How can ripping unveil off my kimono to my own surprise the audience fears about the ever be a surprise again? subject – it would have It was of its moment. been dishonest. But I The song happened had to do my within hours of me relationship with Neil seeing that terrible article justice and not write they posted about my out of fear or anger. In Glastonbury gig. I wrote doing that, I asked Neil the song the next day, to help me edit it and performed it that night he’d say: ‘Well darling, and people put it on that isn’t exactly the way youTube the next it happened.’ morning.

You say you often ask strangers for tampons – where is the oddest place you’ve asked? In

the dressing room at Westminster Central Hall in London where Neil was doing a reading. I was in need of a tampon and asked people – I had many excited volunteers offering.

Does this indicate a lack of forward planning?

Periods can come as a surprise

It’s taken on a life of its own online… I

could have let it go or tried to turn it into something positive. To hear the laughter and recognition from the women in that audience when I sang about being objectified when they could have written about my music – it was a wonderful feeling. Andrew Williams

The Art Of Asking (Piatkus) is out now

Facebook.com/ metroherald

@metrohnews #metromailbox

to anyone. If I was well-armed, I’d carry a box around. There should be an app for that – that will be my next project, Tampon Finder.

just block them on Twitter – it’s too tempting in a weak moment to respond. The hate mail back in the day was useful, the internet was less of an instant two-way conversation back then. Retweeting a comment feels like you’re rewarding negativity and I couldn’t there’s too much of that in general. write a book about

Text: ‘Mail’ to 53131*

Send your photos to pictures@ metroherald.ie with ‘Quick pic’ as the subject and we will print the best each day in the paper

does fairness exist in this tax system?

A

Leavy, you are right that the so-called ‘important institutions’ made reckless and irresponsible decisions during the boom, but why do we have to pay for their stupidity? also, now we are being ripped off with the USC which the Government wants to keep.

I pay an effective tax rate of 47 per cent on an income of €50,000, while Facebook pays just 0.2 per cent on €3billion.

Is there nobody with a brain left in Labour?

Paul, Drogheda ■ Loyalandnotappreciated, there is a loyalty system – it’s called a Leap Card.

Top it up by €27.50 per week, say on a Monday. The card is capped at that for the week so when you spend €27.50, the cap kicks in and stops taking money off you. It’s

€20 a week for students and €8.50 for a children’s Leap Card.

Hope this is of help to you.

Sean Busdriver ■ a brief warning to all motorists and pedestrians – never assume that a cyclist will stop at a red light.

It has been my experience that cyclists’ ignorance of the rules of the road is only equalled by their contempt for the safety of others.

I can only plead to whatever iota of common sense that they may have to cease breaking red lights as if they don’t apply to them.

If they don’t, a serious injury will befall anyone without the faculties to avoid their sheer recklessness.

A Pedestrian ■ In Monday’s paper you printed information on how to get abortion pills, through a free plug for a proabortion website, in the guise of a

good on yA

● Thanks to the kind lady who gave up her seat on the 7.03 bus from Donabate yesterday.

My pregnant wife and I appreciated it. It’s been an uncommon occurrence so thanks.

Huey ● A massive thank you to the bus driver of the last No.33 Nitelink on Saturday who found my (worse for wear) husband’s phone, kept it safe all weekend, dropped it into the lost and found on Monday and even called to make sure we got it OK. You, Sir, are a gentleman!

L

rAndom Acts of kindness

news article. What a blatant disgusting piece of free marketing for a radical group.

These pills starve a developing baby to death, then cause painful cramps, contractions, labour and premature stillbirth in clotting and heavy bleeding. The abortion goes on for days. The woman may even see her developing baby by this dangerous, and sickening DIy ‘procedure’. Is this ‘essential medical care that they desperately need’? Would you provide the same information for a race-hate group who targets mosques?

Olive, Dunleary ■ Has there been some sort of explosion in a factory that churns out girls called aoibheann or aoibhinn, or some version thereof?

There suddenly seems to be millions of them everywhere...

Mr Cranky, Dublin 7

yeh big ride

● To the gorgeous Jimmy G, don’t you leave me! I’m not ready to say goodbye to your strength and speed and rugged Antipodean good looks. After all you’ve done for us... take me with you and we can kick on together...

Leinah

your rush-hour crush

in the know, on the go

D

PLUS

Beyond the Bale A first look at Exodus, P15

A Noble Art

Kezia Noble’s seduction tips, P18

On the Box

Tonight’s top TV picks, P16

Rising star Jeremy Irvine tells us about Spielberg, War Horse and remaining stuck in the War era, P14

bAck in bLAck Igudesman & Joo

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Wednesday, December 10, 2014 METRO HERALD

13

14 MetRO heRald Wednesday, December 10, 2014

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interview

features@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010

leading the

charge War Horse star Jeremy Irvine is about to go into battle again. James Mottram finds out why that suits him just fine

‘i

’ve proved something to myself,’ says Jeremy Irvine.

‘Getting War Horse as a first gig wasn’t just a fluke.’ The young British actor, who took the lead in Steven Spielberg’s 2011 adaptation of the Michael Morpurgo World War I novel, would be right to feel worried.

While some Spielberg alumni have gone on to glory, others – say, eT’s Henry Thomas – have never quite lived up to that early opportunity.

Three years on and 24-year-old Irvine is proving he’s no one-hit wonder. After romancing Dakota Fanning in Now Is Good and out Firth-ing Colin Firth in World War II PoW tale The Railway Man, he’ss back in wartime man In Black: with The Woman Angel Of Death. A sequel to or hit with the runaway horror Daniel Radcliffe, this moves the action on 40-odd years, as a group of schoolchildren – led by Phoebe Fox’s teacher eve – are evacuated during the Blitz to the spooky eel Marsh House, stirring once more the vengeful titular ghost.

‘It’s less of a sequel, more of the next film,’ says Irvine, who

ghost. My character is fr suffering from poststr from traumatic stress his experiences as a pilot in World War II.’ Ta blue-eyed, wellTall, spok and blessed with spoken the ability to look damn Galloping success: Things fine in uniform, Irvine is snowballed after War Horse fascinated with military history Both his greathistory. f grandfathers fought in Wo War I and he World collects military antiques. ‘It’ ‘It’s my secr nerdy side,’ he secret laughs. Bor Born in Cambridgeshir Cambridgeshire, england, his Peak performance: Irvine out-Firthed upbringing was Man way Rail The in Colin Firth steeped in it. ‘‘As a kid, I’ get on my bike and I’d ride off to the old World Wa War II airbases… it’ it’s such an I think I was unimaginable and alien going through a d thing, to an e as rebellious ph Ghostly goings-on: think of a I wanted to do war on our With Phoebe Fox something ow soil, here own in england.’ different When I ask if plays Harry, an RAF pilot par his parents were who befriends evee as things involved in the military, he start to go bump in the night. exclaims: ‘God, no! My dad’s a ‘What attracted me to the script was if you took the horror out of Quaker and a pacifist.’ He’s also an engineer – and if he’d had his it, the movie would still be able way, young Jeremy would have to stand up on its own,’ he says. become a welder. His mother, ‘every character has its own meanwhile, toiled away in local government. Despite working backstage at a theatre, the military-mad Irvine wanted to Mexico, Ron Perlman in gay join the Army but being a Type I rights tale Stonewall and diabetic put an end to that.

Michael Douglas (pictured) for He went to drama school The Reach. ‘I’m really excited instead. ‘I think I was going through a rebellious about that one,’ says Irvine. ‘It’s phase and I wanted to do an intense, adrenalinesomething different,’ he says. packed thriller.’

Despite beating thousands Largely a two-hander with of other hopefuls, he quit him and Douglas, who also after a year, only to wind up produced the movie, it playing a tree at the Royal meant enduring three Shakespeare Company. hours of prosthetics Then came War Horse and work a day but it was ‘things kind of snowballed’. worth it. ‘It’s not often Since then, there’s been a brief you get an acting romance with pop star ellie masterclass like that, Goulding but acting is his main where you really do focus. ‘Nothing else matters,’ he get to share most says. Spielberg would be proud. of the movie with

IrvIne’s male role models Jeremy Irvine has had his fair share of males to look up to, starting with Steven Spielberg.

‘The first day shooting [War Horse], in driving rain in a field on Dartmoor, Steven is lying in the mud showing me how he wants me to get up and give this line,’ he says. ‘He took me under his wing and was very caring.

A lovely person to have as your first mentor.’

He’s since worked with Robert Duvall on forthcoming western A Night In Old

Michael Douglas.’

The Woman In Black: Angel Of Death opens on January 1

D

film focus

Wednesday, December 10, 2014 METRO HERALD

15

features@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010

God is no match for almighty Bale Exodus: Gods And Kings delivers the thrills and awe you’d expect of a big-budget movie, says Anna Smith

I

t’s been a while since we had a proper, stirring swords-andsandals story told on the big screen. In the 1970s and 1980s, you could barely turn on the tV on a sunday without seeing Charlton Heston brandishing a staff and shouting at the sky.

It all became a bit unfashionable until director Ridley scott stormed the box office with the Russell Crowe-starring epic historical drama Gladiator. Fourteen years later, Exodus: Gods And Kings is scott’s attempt to trump his own hit: the story of Moses (Christian Bale) meeting God, calling plagues upon Egypt, thwarting King Ramses (Joel Edgerton) and leading thousands of

Face-off: Edgerton and Bale

Hebrew slaves on a long journey to freedom.

‘Epic’ barely covers it: this is big-budget stuff on a grand scale. the most breathtaking moments of Exodus in 3D are when the camera slowly pans back and takes in the landscape: hundreds of slaves toiling away in the desert, pyramids looming above them, birds swooping in the foreground, storms rolling in… it’s an immersive experience.

It’s also a very serious one.

Bale is on typically long-faced form as Ramses’ cousin, whose slave roots are revealed by Nun (Ben Kingsley). soon Moses and Ramses are at loggerheads and a long period of exile follows. Yes, long: at around two-and-a-half hours, Exodus is one of those films you have to settle into. But if you’re prepared to go with it, it’s far from dull. there’s action, romance and involving characters: one of the best things about Ramses is that he isn’t a flat-out villain, he’s a loving husband and father as well as a selfish, ruthless leader who thinks little of issuing an execution order.

As for the religious side, scott takes a cautious approach, suggesting that – at a stretch – natural explanations could be behind at least some of the plagues.

A sceptic could watch this and conclude that Moses was a deluded schizophrenic who got lucky (or unlucky, depending how you look at it). All this gives Exodus a slightly

Biblical epic: Moses (Bale) trains slaves in combat to rise up against Ramses more modern feel than the pious films of yesteryear.

As for God himself, well, there’s the problem. While it’s good to see the director avoiding the ‘big, booming bearded man in the sky’ routine, he’s gone too far in the opposite direction: God appears to Moses as a small boy. this does not work, not least because an inexperienced child actor is (of course) no match for the mighty Bale. Giving some of the most important lines of the film to him massively reduces their impact. Other actors are underused, including Aaron Paul as a

Five films to see at the cinema

1 2 3

Paddington A smart adaptation that retains the innocent, accident-prone bear’s lovable charm, this features a fabulous cast of UK actors including Hugh Bonneville and Julie Walters.

Ben Whishaw is the voice of an impressive CGI Paddington (right).

Black Sea Jude Law stars in this gripping thriller set on a submarine with a treasurehunting crew. Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn and Michael Smiley are among his characterful cohorts as tensions rise aplenty.

St Vincent Who doesn’t love Bill Murray doing his grumpy old man act?

This comic drama casts him as the cantankerous neighbour to Melissa McCarthy and her lonely young son. Watch out for an amusing turn from Naomi Watts as a pregnant ‘lady of the night’.

4

The Imitation Game Benedict Cumberbatch puts in an excellent performance as Alan Turing, World War II codebreaker extraordinaire.

Keira Knightley is lots of fun as his spirited cohort Joan, while Matthew Beard is his debonair colleague.

5

Hockney The life of 77year-old Pop Art grandee David Hockney is the subject of this fine documentary examining how a young man from England became one of the most influential and respected names in the art world today.

slave and sigourney Weaver as Ramses’ mother.

But while the tone of Exodus is inconsistent, it still delivers the thrills and sense of awe you’d

expect from a classic biblical epic, if not an emotional journey to match Gladiator.

Exodus: Gods And Kings is out on December 26

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16 METRO HERALD Wednesday, December 10, 2014

s ’ T H g i TOn D

v T 0 1 p O T

1 Carl Fogarty celebrates his win in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Coming Out

1. i’m A Celebrity… get Me Out Of Here! Coming Out 3e & UTV, 8pm

No more close encounters with cockroaches for this year’s batch of happy campers – this is the wrap party and they’ve all scrubbed up to toast Carl ‘Foggy’ Fogarty’s win before heading straight down to the bank to deposit their appearance money.

3

2. Bear’s Wild Weekend With Ben stiller

C4, 9pm So how did Hollywood funnyman Stiller end up clambering up and down cliffs on the Isle of Skye with adventure nut Bear Grylls? Maybe it was pitched to him as a pilot for a comedy caper but it couldn’t have turned out more differently. Poor old Ben turns assorted shades of green as he tries to earn his action-man spurs.

3. The Lost Honour Of Christopher Jefferies

2

Jason Watkins shines as the wrongly accused man in The Lost Honour Of Christopher Jefferies

There’s no escape from the Grylling in Bear’s Wild Weekend With Ben Stiller

5 Frankie Boyle brings his divisive comedy to London’s Hammersmith in Live At The Apollo

UTV, 9pm When English landlord Christopher Jefferies was arrested – wrongfully, as it turned out – for the murder of his tenant, Joanna Yeates, some elements of the press had a field day tearing into the reputation of this private, eccentric man, whose life was all but destroyed. Jason Watkins is brilliant in this dramatised modern morality tale that is sure to have your blood boiling. Concludes tomorrow.

4

4. The Apprentice

BBC1, 9pm Who out of the remaining seven will be tasting success in a task that demands the creation of premium puddings? Fancy trifles and a teasing twist on cheesecake are on the menu, as is a hefty slice of humble pie in the boardroom.

5. Live At The Apollo

BBC1, 11.05pm Frankie Boyle, the most Marmite of modern comedians, hits the audience with a barrage of in-your-face soundbites. Could he possibly be losing his knack of stirring up controversy? Aisling Bea and Simon Evans are also on the bill.

6. The Legacy Sky Arts 1, 10pm

This Danish drama, set amid the world of contemporary art, could

Will there be Sugary treats for the final seven in this week’s The Apprentice?

YOUR gUiDE TO THis EvEning’s EssEnTiAL viEWing easily come off as pretentious.

But its portrait of a family torn apart in the wake of a matriarch’s death is heart-piercingly observed.

Tonight, young Signe has got some tough questions for her adoptive mother.

7. spike Milligan: Love, Light And peace BBC4, 9pm

This profile of the much-loved Goon and legend of comedy does a fine job in painting a vivid portrait of the man behind the famed manic energy and

surreal quips. Of Irish descent, he was blessed with a helter-skelter imagination but also battled throughout his life with depression.

8. Home From Home

TV3, 9pm The second of two documentaries looking at life in Ireland’s care homes goes behind the scenes at Glenaulin Nursing Home, meeting resident Frank Coleman, who first got to know the Dublin city service when his wife moved there after developing dementia.

9. Champions League Football

Sky1, 7.30pm Chelsea have strolled through their group so far and will be looking to finish off in style as they welcome Sporting Lisbon to Stamford Bridge. Expect a competitive encounter, though – the Portuguese side need at least a point to ensure their own progress. Will Senhor Mourinho be tempted to do his compatriots a bit of a favour? Highly unlikely, but worth checking out anyway.

10 Today’s Film: Rabbit Hole BBC1, 12.05pm

We’re witnessing how the loss of a child can impact a couple in The Missing – and this deeply felt 2010 drama covers similar territory.

Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart are the happy couple who crumble when their son is killed by a reckless young driver, their grief steering them further and further apart. This heartbreaking drama also features Dianne Wiest and Sandra Oh.

books

HEAvENLY D

The author, columnist, broadcaster and preacher became unofficial chaplain to the showbiz community in Dublin in the ’80s, visiting dancehalls and hearing confessions from musicians and fans alike. Such was his fame that he was the inspiration for Dermot Morgan’s character, Fr Ted Crilly (right), after Morgan originally sent him up with his character ‘Fr Trendy’. A vocal critic of the Catholic Church’s structures and its handling of child sex abuse allegations, he was censured in 2012 over his views in favour of allowing priests to marry.

Fictional priest: Father James Lavelle – ‘Calvary’

Brendan Gleeson plays an honest priest continually shocked and saddened by the

hosted his own television chat show. He also published a book about maintaining faith in the modern world. After he released two albums of songs, he was nicknamed ‘The Singing Priest’. It was revealed after his death that he had lived with his housekeeper, Phyllis Hamilton, and fathered two children with her. They lived as a family in secret.

A former Bishop of Galway who sought to rid the church of its stern image. In 1992, he was forced to resign and leave the country when American divorcée Annie Murphy revealed they had a son together.

Tony Doyle (1942-2000) starred in this popular Irish soap, set in the fictional townland of Leestown in Co Kilkenny. Its use of Outside Broadcast Units and its filming of its episodes on location rather than in studio, broke the mould of broadcasting in the soap opera genre, and inspired the creation of its British equivalent, Emmerdale.

Real priest: Eamon Casey

Fictional priest: Father Peter Clifford – ‘Ballykissangel’ (1996-01) Stephen Tompkinson plays a young English priest who becomes part of a rural Irish community and struggles to hold on to his faith as he falls in love with a local pub owner.

Real priest: Michael Cleary (1934-93) A charismatic figure who presented a late-night radio phone-in show in Dublin in the 1980s and

Fictional priest: Father Sheehy – The Riordans (1965-79)

Real priest: James Horan (1911-86)

Best known for his successful campaign to bring an airport to Knock, Co Mayo, his work on Knock Basilica, and inviting Pope John Paul II to visit Knock Shrine in 1979. The story of the

building of Knock Airport is told in the song ‘Knock’ by Christy Moore and his life and work is chronicled in the musical A Wing and a Prayer.

Real priest: Sinéad O’Connor

Bane of popes, twerking teens, the hairdressing industry and now Gerry Adams, our Sinéad may not have been traditionally ordained, but what cares the Lord for such irrelevant details?

Real priest: Saint Patrick

After being captured and brought here from Britain as a slave, Saint Pat became active as a missionary in Ireland during the second half of the fifth century. Every year people around the world honour Ireland’s patron saint on the feast now known as Arthur’s Day. Ronan Joyce’s debut mystery thriller novel, Week At The Nees’, follows the adventures of Marcus Nee, a cashstrapped west of Ireland priest who struggles to keep his church and his community from falling apart. Week At The Nees’ is available in paperback (Amazon.com); and on Kindle, iPad, iPhone, Android, Nook and Kobo eReaders. ronanjoyce.blogspot.com

Life dear dolly Got a problem? No one else can help?

Our resident agony aunt tells it like it is

Q.

My fiancée accidentally found a Christmas present in my drawer – that was intended for my mistress. What am I going to do? These women are cleaning my bank account, I can’t afford to splash out again for my lover.

A.

Stop dating gold diggers? Or, just stop being a player.

Nothing good comes of deceit so do everyone a favour – not least your fiancée – and either end it with the other woman in order to invest in your upcoming marriage, or, break off your engagement because you’re clearly Not That Into It. The fact that your betrothed is rummaging through your drawers suggests that she suspects you’re up to no good so consider this your window of opportunity to grow some and stop lying to yourself and those around you. That, and doing your Christmas shopping in Tiger in future.

Q.

I have a neighbour that’s obsessed with my vintage baubles, and keeps fondling them whenever he comes round for hot port. I wouldn’t mind so much – I

17

father

spiteful and confrontational inhabitants of his small country town in Co Sligo.

John Michael McDonagh’s black comedy is now being tipped for the Oscars.

Finally, Chris O’Dowd has landed the role he was born to play – a cleric in new Bill Murray film St Vincent. Ronan Joyce, author of priestly thriller novel Week At The Nees’, takes us through some of Ireland’s most unconventional priests, real and fictional Real priest: Brian D’Arcy

Wednesday, December 10, 2014 METRO HERALD

deardolly@metroherald.ie am glad that he appreciates them as much as I do – however, I sometimes feel that he’s a bit heavy-handed and that a lighter touch would be more beneficial for such venerable pieces. Is there a way I can raise this without sounding precious? Vivien, Santry

fREE ADvicE fOR…

Brussels Sprouts

Dear sprouts, thankfully, like Cliff Richard, you only appear once a year – Christmastime, mistletoe and wine. Yet you, and your fellow icky brethren mince pies and Christmas pudding, are fully capable of spoiling the party. No amount of deep-frying, cider or honey will improve your brain-like texture and flatulent flavours; that’s just mutton dresses as lamb. So, please, do us all a favour and save yourselves for Rudolph’s nose bag and not our Christmas dinner this year. Thank you.

A.

It’s your house and they’re your baubles, so feel free to set him right if you think he’s playing rough. Baubles, particularly mature ones, need a lot of care and tenderness. Perhaps he isn’t quite aware of their vintage so, without having to go into precise dates (he doesn’t need to know, really), you could just casually gently mention how priceless they are and that a less vigorous appreciation goes a long way.

LAST TiME:

Q.

I’ve been seeing a girl for several months now and when I suggested we move in together she said her strict Catholic parents will never allow it (they don’t even live in Ireland!). She’s no more a practising Catholic than I’m a practising Hindu so we’re kind of at a stalemate – I don’t want to be rushed into marriage over this but I don’t want to

break up either, because we’re perfect together otherwise. Is there a compromise here? MN YOU SAiD:

A

She needs to grow some lady balls and tell her parents to mind their own business! She’s an adult after all and there are only two people in this relationship.

Red flag here, could be a sign of lots of similar interference down the line.

Ruth Maxwell

OvER TO YOU: I had a rude dream with Santa Claus in it. Should I ask my husband to dress as Mr Claus in a bid to recreate it (it’s very strange, I don’t usually go for older men), or dismiss it as a potentially life-damaging, secret festive perversion? Holly

Q.

What do you think? Lend your words of wisdom to deardolly@ metroherald.ie. Best reply published in the new year. And remember: Dear Dolly can also be found at www.gometro.ie…

18 METRO HERALD Wednesday, December 10, 2014

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relationships

Bending the rules of attraction Forget dating sites and lonely-heart apps, men are lining up for Kezia’s Noble’s €5,000 seduction workshops. But why? Metro Life finds out

M

eeting women by choking them. Forcing their heads towards your groin. getting into bed with them uninvited. that’s the world of seduction according to self-styled ‘pick-up artist’ Julien Blanc, now refused entry to more countries than nightclubs.

You’d think any sane woman would steer clear of the whole sleazy area. But 30-year-old dating expert Kezia noble, author of the noble Art Of Seducing Women, was at the heart of that ‘scene’ and knew Blanc until she broke off to launch her own brand of €5,000-a-week seduction workshops, showing men how to attract women. ‘i was approached for advice by a pick-up

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to promote. With Julien, part of it is just shock artist [PUA] company in 2006,’ she says. ‘i marketing. But he’s gone too far.’ thought it was odd as you can’t teach attraction – but i could give feedback.’

But isn’t the idea of being a ‘pick-up artist’ deeply sexist? And why is a beautiful, intelligent Kezia found that men were desperate for tips woman helping sleazeballs to score and tricks to convince women they with women who wouldn’t weren’t losers. ‘there were no women ordinarily give them the time believe of day? advising them,’ she says, ‘it ‘I don’t hould s ‘they’re not sleazeballs, was the blind leading the anyone e all w they just need help,’ she blind. Suddenly, all these men t u lie, b the e k says. ‘i get lawyers, wanted to book me and i’d a m o want t urselves doctors – nice men found my calling.’ o best of act a who are shy. Yes, i’m Before that, she was working to attr ’ helping men but i for her dad’s property company. partner ‘i’m no psychologist, i just knew don’t teach anything that would violate a what women wanted,’ she says. ‘At the same time, i felt that the PUA woman’s rights.’ community was getting seedy. it has a very As for the idea that it’s misogynist side.’ She sighs. ‘i know Julien manipulative to ‘teach’ seduction, Kezia adds: ‘Women have tips too – but he has crossed the line – the idea of women’s mags are full of advice on throttling women?’ how to get a man. i don’t believe Does anyone really think his methods work as a pick-up tool? (tool being the anyone should lie but we all want to operative word.) ‘these guys don’t talk to make the best of ourselves to attract a partner.’ sober women in a bar, they’re approaching And in a world of dating apps, them drunk at 4am,’ says Kezia. ‘Most Kezia (pictured) is convinced that pick-up artists have no girlfriends, they men need more help than ever. ‘Many don’t live this “rock star” lifestyle they like

LIMBER UP FOR AWARE

Do your bit for charity – while helping to hone that supple, holiday-primed body – by joining Gillian Mooney of Ashtanga Yoga Ireland this weekend for a special class in aid of depression-support charity Aware. Gillian, one of the country’s pre-eminent Ashtanga practitioners, will be on hand to give individual attention to all, beginners and advanced attendees alike. Guests are requested to donate €20 upon arrival, all proceeds of which will go to Aware.

Advanced booking is essential.

Sat, The Carmelite Community Centre, 56 Aungier Street, D2, 10am to 11.30am. Email info@ ashtangayogaireland.ie to book your space

men can be witty online but in real life they don’t have an edit button. Women are much more socially confident.’

So is that why she only teaches men? ‘Women don’t have a problem attracting men, they have a problem keeping them. i’m not very good at it either. So me telling women how to have a great relationship? that wouldn’t be truthful at all.’www.kezia-noble.com

KEZIA’S SEDUCTION TIPS

wWatch your body language – if it doesn’t tally with what you’re saying, she’ll notice. wYou have about two-and-a-half minutes to get her attention.

Women don’t sleep with ‘nice’.

They want a bit of cheek. wMake compliments specific – ‘you look like a modern Audrey Hepburn’ is better than ‘you’re gorgeous’. wShow her you’re interested or you’ll get put in her ‘friend zone’. wDon’t pretend to be an extrovert if you’re an introvert, and vice versa – be the best version of yourself.

D

body matters

Wednesday, December 10, 2014 METRO HERALD

DOCTOR Doltish Dr Maurice Guéret, pictured right, is a Dublin-based GP, columnist and editor of the Irish Medical Directory. His latest book, The Doctor’s Case, is a compendium of wry musings and anecdotes on medical misadventures from home and abroad.

Here he investigates the seven deadly sins of defective docs

H

as your doctor got any bad habits?

Dr Richard asher, the father of actress Jane asher, was a well known figure in London medicine. He was keen on teaching good habits to his medical students and catalogued the bad habits of fellow doctors into what he called the seven sins Of Medicine.

OBSCURITY Obscurity is perhaps the most venial of medical sins.

It’s a common failing of lecturers and that strange breed of doctors who prefer research to real patients. a patient arrived in the emergency room and told the medical student that ‘Half-way up a hill, I feel I’m done for’. When the student wrote up the case, Dr asher was less than pleased to read in the notes that ‘the patient complains that during ambulation up a moderate incline he suffers a feeling of impending dissolution’. asher warned the profession against turning the simple English of their patients into jargon. Muddy pools may look deep, but most of them are shallow.

CRUELTY The second sin is cruelty, described by asher as the most important and probably the most prevalent. He divided medical cruelty into mental and physical.

Mental cruelty arises in three ways: saying too much; saying too little; and saying nothing at all. asher deplored the age-old hospital practice of bedside teaching where the patient was treated as if they were deaf, dumb and might as well have been dead on a necropsy slab.

BAD MANNERS asher once asked a student to examine the abdomen of a lady in an outpatient cubicle. The impatient youngster dashed in, flung back the blanket, plumped his hand on her abdomen and shouted ‘Gosh, what a beauty!’ asher was not best pleased although he did clarify that the student was referring to the patient’s enlarged spleen and not to her overall appearance. He gave three further examples of bad manners towards patients: Impatient history-taking from ‘slow-witted’ informants; making jokes at the expense of patients; and most seriously of all, reading the patient’s newspaper from the head of the bed when their life history gets boring. asher advised students to aim for reasonable respect towards their clinical seniors, but to avoid oily deference.

OVERSPECIALISATION asher was very much in favour of doctors having a special interest or extra knowledge of one subject,

but he castigated fellow medics who showed special indifference to and ignorance of all other subjects.

He went on to describe another complication of overspecialisation, namely that ‘it allows bees to remain undisturbed within their master’s bonnets. an allergist looks at the world through allergiccoloured glasses and beams myopically at a world where everything is allergic’.

SPANOPHILIA This lovely word refers to a condition that is sadly all too prevalent amongst medical students and their tutors: that unbridled love of the rare diagnosis. asher claimed it was the main reason for bookworms failing their exams. He pointed out that nose-bleeds are more likely to be due to picking the nose than ‘multiple hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia’. Ringing in the ears of asher’s medical students was the line that ‘common things are common’.

STUPIDITY This takes many forms but asher put special emphasis on those who treat by rote and role, without recognising that special circumstances attenuate in every case. Therapeutic e automatism is the wonderful term w he coins and he describes the case of a woman who fell whilst skating w on a local squire’s squire’ pond. she fractured her tibia. First aiders in attendance were of the opinion that she shouldn’t shouldn’ be moved under any circumstances until a doctor arrived.

Were it not for the arri intervention of a non first-aider interv who ignored their protestations and dragged her off of the ice, their dogmatism would have claimed the w life of the lady, lady and her valuable furs.

SLOTH SLO sloth is a sin of omission that’s that’ indelibly marked mark on many medical consciences. Omitting to conduct a blood pressure check, disregarding disre an examination of the back of the eye e or being too lazy to do a rectal examination are particular examples quoted by asher. Nurses come in for special mention, particularly those who tire of counting the breaths of patients and just add another twenty to a huge row of twenties already on the chart. Finally, there is sloth in thinking. asher berated doctors who are too lazy to think. They are easy prey to poor scientific papers and blindly accepting myths. asher advises doctors to cultivate a healthy doubt about everything, without being unduly sceptical. It’s not easy being a doctor.

The Doctor’s Case is available from all good bookshops and at www.drmauricegueret.com

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20 METRO HERALD Wednesday, December 10, 2014

puzzles

D

METROSCOPE

by Patrick Arundell

NEMI by Lise

Aries Mar 21 – Apr 20

Venus doesn’t just work her magic around our love lives but can draw all sorts of goodness to us. And one of the ways she could help you through to early January is to give your professional associations extra sparkle.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 70

Taurus Apr 21 – May 21

Your guide planet Venus relocates today and this can give you the desire to understand the truth of your closest ties. Another impact of this alteration can see you more desirous of bringing greater stimulation into all sorts of associations.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 71

Gemini May 22 – Jun 21

METROKU Easy, Moderate and Challenging

A more passionate side of your nature is set to be aroused between now and the end of the year. You can also find yourself in the next week gaining from someone’s generosity. But stay conscious of the politics in this tie.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 72

cancer Jun 22 – Jul 23

The Moon nudges you to be more conscious of enjoying life. Also, one of the most delightful transits of the whole year begins as far as Venus is concerned. However, because of its passage past Pluto in the next week, your relationships could reach a defining point.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 73

Leo Jul 24 – Aug 23

You can be a kindly soul, Leo, but you really appreciate it if other people don’t take you for granted. So, as much as you may be happy to give today, there does need to be some take. One thing you can bring to your situation at present is a lively sense of fun.

PEARLs BEFORE swINE

For your forecast, call 15609 114 74

Virgo Aug 24 – Sep 23

Your preparation for the upcoming festivities has been more of your focus and your natural talent for planning is likely to have been part of this. But now you have the opportunity to do things in a more pleasurable way.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 75

Libra Sep 24 – Oct 23

As much as there’s been flirty interactions recently, it’s the people’s sincerity that counts as much as the lighter side of things. If you’re solo, you may find yourself craving someone who will play a more nurturing role in your life.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 76

scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22

When you feel passionately about something you can express yourself with great conviction. And you will find that before 2014 comes to an end, this side of your nature is even more activated. If you can be sensitive, people will be more receptive.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 77

sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21

The final weeks of this year are going to expose us all to the more material side of life and some of the traditional treats of the festive season as well and there is little doubt your appreciation of these is set to increase.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 78

capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 20

A spark of astrological energy can move you from the more gentle, even reflective phase you have encountered around your thoughts into the here and now. Yet with the Sun and Mercury playing catch up, you might still want to mull some issues.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 79

Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19

A simmering attraction could really catch fire now. Not that you may want this to be open knowledge, for perhaps you might prefer to plan your next moves privately. The next few weeks could prove critical.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 80

Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20

You have had lots of chances to progress your ambitions of late but you may have had less time to focus on your more personal needs and especially as far as friends or one special person is concerned. A switch of focus can help you to address this.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 81

Besides (11) Horseman’s iron (7) Granted (5) Anoint (5) Canadian province (7) Flippancy (6) Slumbering (6) Excess (7) Characteristic (5) Decree (5) Exhilaration (7) Enterprise (11)

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 14 16 17 19 21

Combine (5) Flood (7) Set at work (6) Strength (5) Daydream (7) Permanent (11) Very inefficient (11) Rendering (7) Relapse (3-4) Acquiesce (6) Supple (5) Foreign (5)

Solutions to previous puzzle: Across: 1 Sanctify; 5 Acid; 9 Byre; 10 Accident; 11 Smart; 12 Talents; 13 Play upon words; 18 Interest; 19 Thin; 20 Bondage; 21 Solid; 22 Elan; 23 Astonish. Down: 2 Abysmal; 3 Clearly; 4 Facetiousness; 6 Cleaner; 7 Detests; 8 Pillow; 13 Pliable; 14 Antenna; 15 Uproar; 16 Outworn; 17 Deities.

Astrology calls cost 1.27 euros per min from a BT landline. Live Services cost 2.40 euros per minute. Calls from mobiles/other networks may cost more. Callers must be 18 or over to use this service and have the bill payers permission. For entertainment purposes only. All calls are recorded. PhonePayPlus regulated(ComReg in ROI) UK SP: StreamLive Ltd, NR7 0HR, 08700 234 567. ROI SP:Moveda, 1 Courtyard Business Park, Orchard Lane, Blackrock, Co Dublin, 0818 241 398

ENIGMA Fans of Johnny Depp will know This guy he played not long ago: The former name of barber Sweeney Todd Before he came back looking odd WHO AM I? An artist, I was born in Paris in 1859. My works include Le Chahut and Sunday Afternoon On The Island Of La Grande Jatte.

I evolved the method of placing small dots of colour unmixed close together on a canvas,

which became known as pointillism.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? WHO... created the abstract sculpture The Palace At 4am?

WHAT... is the last book of the Old Testament?

WHERE... did French statesman Jacques Necker retire to following the French Revolution?

WHEN... did navigator Juan Sebastián Elcano die?

SCRIBBLE BOX

1 9 10 11 12 13 15 18 20 22 23 24

DOWN

QuIz

ACROSS

QUIZ ANSWERS: ENIGMA: Benjamin Barker. WHO AM I? Georges Seurat. WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? Alberto Giacometti; The Book Of Malachi; Switzerland; 1526.

QUIcK cROsswORd

For a live one-to-one consultation with one of my gifted psychics, call 15809 113 68 or 1800 719 688 to book using credit card

football premier league

D

BACK OFF!

Wednesday, December 10, 2014 METRO HERALD PICTURE: GETTY

Backing his squad: Van Gaal will not seek defensive reinforcements

Fonte fears error count will unravel Saints’ start Jose Fonte is concerned southampton’s bright start to the Premier League season will be scuppered if they do not cut out the mistakes. the saints skipper was one of the guilty parties in Monday’s home defeat to Manchester United, underhitting a back-pass to goalkeeper Fraser Forster and gifting Robin van Persie the opening goal at st Mary’s.

Holland striker Van Persie then volleyed the winner in the second half after Graziano Pelle had dragged saints on to level terms and Fonte (pictured)

Defensive Van Gaal denies United must splash the cash, despite growing injury crisis

LoUIs van Gaal has rubbished claims Manchester United will have to buy more defenders next month, insisting the club’s injury crisis is to blame for their problems at the back.

Van Gaal’s team claimed a fifth league win in a row on Monday, Robin van Persie’s brace seeing off southampton and moving them third in the table.

But United were ragged in defence again, with Chris smalling forced off injured, Paddy Mcnair replaced after a torrid first 39 minutes and Michael Carrick drafted into the back four.

But a defiant Van Gaal said: ‘When you have injuries you cannot solve the problem otherwise.

Do we have to buy players? no.

We have more than enough.’

Van Gaal may feel he is justified in pointing towards the injury list, with Luke shaw, Rafael, Phil Jones and Daley Blind among those sidelined. tV pundit Gary neville seemed to irk the United boss by claiming the visitors ‘got away with mur-

21

by niCK METCALFE der’ at st Mary’s, before suggesting the match between his old club and Liverpool on sunday will resemble ‘the Dog and Duck versus the Red Lion’.

An unimpressed Van Gaal hit back, warning neville to ‘pay attention to his words’, asking reporters to interpret his comments however they saw fit. neville later denied talk of a rift when asked about a ‘feud’ on social media. one twitter user asked neville following the match: ‘the press mentioning a feud between yourself and Van Gaal. What feud?’ neville replied: ‘one that will be created that doesn’t exist.’

Van Gaal singled out Van Persie for special praise after the crucial win on the south coast, saying: ‘I hope he is improving. I have to say I was very pleased with his performance and also his goals.

‘It’s fantastic to be third but I had hoped we would manage that with a better performance.’

ODDBALLs

Strange stories from the world of sport

PICTURE: GETTY

Hat is a bit wishy washy IT May look like an audition for the panto aladdin but a closer look reveals some of the world’s finest golfers. The group of (from left) Lee Westwood, Victor Dubuisson, Thongchai Jaidee, Martin Kaymer, Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson all wore local garb before this week’s Thailand Championship.

u RoBBIe Keane celebrated La Galaxy’s 2-1 MLS Cup victory over new england Revolution by getting a round of beers in for 200 fans. Keane, who scored the winner, dug deep to refresh supporters at a bar in California.

‘It was frustrating. We weren’t in danger’

43

Injuries suffered by United this season, after Smalling went off on Monday

5

League games unbeaten for United, since they lost at City

shouldered the blame for saints’ third-straight defeat on his 200th appearance for the club.

‘It was frustrating. Apart from my mistake and that free-kick in the second half, we weren’t in danger,’ said Fonte after the south-coast club fell to fifth in the Premier League table. ‘they didn’t create much, whereas we were in control of the game. We were dominating but we have to stop these mistakes and try to avoid them because they’re costing us.

‘We certainly didn’t deserve to lose. We were as good, if not better than them.’

Low-grade academy no good to Jose Jose MoURInHo says Chelsea must produce homegrown players, otherwise they may as well shut their £8million-a-year academy and spend the money on transfers.

Defender John terry, the 34year-old captain, was the last Chelsea-nurtured prospect to make a sustained impact on the first team.

With terry, eden Hazard and Willian rested for tonight’s Champions League Group G match with sporting Lisbon, Mourinho has called up midfielder Ruben LoftusCheek, 18, who has been with Chelsea since the age of eight.

‘You need to prove the academy works well and is worth it,’ the Chelsea boss said.

‘If the kids or the work is not good enough – and year after year you don’t bring kids to the first team – it’s better to close the door and use the money that you spend on the academy to buy players.’

Mourinho (pictured) believes stability is imperative for the teenagers to realise their ambitions at Chelsea. ‘the

relationship between the first-team and academy is changing based on stability that, at this moment, we are having,’ he said. ‘the people in the academy feel they ar are wo working for something, which is wh why tomorr is not tomorrow Ruben’ Ruben’s day but “academy day”. It’s It’ a clear message the firstteam is sending to them: work, work and the right talent always arrives.’

Chelsea are looking to bounce back after defeat at newcastle at the weekend.

22 METRO HERALD Wednesday, December 10, 2014

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THE TipsTER

30

With no Yaya, it will be bye bye to City for another year

Champions League goals for Steven Gerrard – his first coming 13 years ago

MANCHESTER City always seem to blow their chances in Europe and another big let-down looks on the cards tonight in Rome.

A win and a CSKA Moscow loss at Bayern Munich will take the Premier League champions into the knockout stages of the Champions League but Sergio Aguero’s knee injury and the loss of suspended Yaya Toure (pictured) leave Manuel

finaL tabLe R Madrid FC Basle Liverpool Ludogorets

P W D L F A Pts 6 6 0 0 16 2 18 6 2 1 3 7 8 7 6 1 2 3 5 9 5 6 1 1 4 5 14 4

Fab strike: Frei salutes his Anfield opener

picture: getty

FABIAN FREI dumped Liverpool into the Europa League on a miserable night at Anfield.

Steven Gerrard set up a tense finale with a stunning goal from a trademark freekick nine minutes from time but it was too little, too late.

The Reds had to play the last half-hour with ten men after Lazar Markovic was sent off for needlessly flinging an arm out at Behrang Safari.

It did not appear as though the half-time substitute had made contact but it was deemed violent conduct by the referee.

Liverpool may feel it was a turning point in the game but in truth they were already in a hole having been second best to Basle from the start.

Brendan Rodgers’ men needed to beat the Swiss champions in the torrential rain if they were to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League.

But much of their work was slow and ponderous compared to the precise, confident, attractive play of their superior op-

picture: bpi

Pellegrini’s men facing an uphill battle. Roma are second in Serie A and have won eight out of ten games in all competitions this term, with all those victories being by at least two goals.

City’s season was revived by their win against Bayern at the Etihad a fortnight ago but don’t forget the Germans were reduced to ten men and still BunDLE should have On BLuEs won. Roma are 6/4 to Chelsea are 4/5 with Coral and Bet win with William Victor to beat Sporting Lisbon at Hill and Ladbrokes. the Bridge

Reds can’t escape an early exit gROup B

LiverpooL..............1 basLe.......................1

by Danny griffiths ponents. It did not take Basle long to grab the lead, with Frei picking up a return pass from Luca Zuffi to crash a left-foot shot into the bottom far corner from 20 yards for his first goal of the season.

Liverpool were wasteful when they were in possession, fashioning few clear chances to the frustration of their fans.

There were loud appeals for a penalty in the 70th minute when Gerrard went down in the Basle area but goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik got a hand on the ball.

Liverpool produced a barnstorming finish and Vaclik needed to be at full stretch to keep out Jordan Henderson’s stinging effort but the damage was already done.

Lifeline: Gerrard fires home his free-kick equaliser

REsuLTs Champions League GROUP A Juventus .................0 Atletico Madrid ....0 Olympiakos ............ 4 Malmo .................. 2 GROUP B Liverpool .................1 Basle ......................1 Real Madrid............ 4 Ludogorets ...........0 GROUP C Benfica....................0 Bayer Leverkusen .0 Monaco .................. 2 Zenit St Pet ...........0 GROUP D Bor Dortmund .........1 Anderlecht ............1 Galatasaray .............1 Arsenal ................. 4

Johnstone’s paint trophY NORTHERN SECTiON QUARTER-FiNAL Doncaster ...............0 Notts County .........1 SEMi-FiNAL Tranmere ................ 2 Walsall.................. 2

fixTuREs (7.45pm unless stated) Champions League Group E Bayern Munich v CSKA Moscow .....................

Roma v Man City .........................................TV Sky Sports 5 Group F Ajax v Apoel Nicosia .......................................

Barcelona v Paris Saint-Germain ....................

Group G Chelsea v Sporting ......................................TV Sky Sports 1/Sky 1 Maribor v Schalke ...........................................

Group H Athletic Bilbao v BATE.....................................

Porto v Shakhtar Donetsk...............................

Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Southern Section semi-final Bristol City v Coventry ....................................

TRAnsfER TALk united eye atletico star LOUIS van Gaal may insist he has no plans to strengthen his defence but that has not stopped media outlets in Spain linking Manchester United with a £28.5million move for Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin. The Uruguayan, 28, has been with Los Colchoneros for four years.

Target: Godin

u EVERTON striker Kevin Mirallas is stalling over a new deal as he wants to play in the Champions League. u NEWCASTLE have been told by the Premier League they cannot bring in an emergency goalkeeper despite injuries to Tim Krul and Rob Elliott. u LEICESTER are still in the hunt for

Croatian striker Andrej Kramaric, who is also wanted by Juventus. The forward, who plays for Rijeka, is valued at around £8.5million. u MEXiCO international centre-half Hector Moreno could be reunited with his former Espanyol boss Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham.

football champions league final taBle

PW B Dortmund 6 4 Arsenal 6 4 Anderlecht 6 1 Galatasaray 6 0

D 1 1 3 1

L F A 1 14 4 1 15 8 2 8 10 5 4 19

D

Wednesday, December 10, 2014 METRO HERALD 23 PIcture: getty

fOOTbALL DigEsT

Pts 13 13 6 1

New deal: Wickham

Wickham commits future to Black Cats

17

Age of Arsenal debutants Gedion Zelalem and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who both came off the bench

Luk-ing good: Podolski slams home the first

screamer sets seal on Ramsey’s gala night galataSaray .....1 arSenal .............4

by Jack fox

fifa

Unhappy: Platini

4 Weeks Aston Villa midfield-

er Ashley Westwood will miss with medial ligament damage.

The 24-year-old was stretchered off during Sunday’s 2-1 win over Leicester following a tackle by Jamie Vardy.

Harper’s open mind

gROup D

arsenal missed out on top spot in Group D despite an empathic victory in Istanbul last night.

The Gunners were made to settle for second place after Borussia Dortmund’s 1-1 draw with anderlecht saw the Germans retain top slot on goal difference.

However, it was a positive display from arsene Wenger’s muchchanged side, who were in the driving seat almost from the off.

In fact, it took just three minutes for the visitors to silence the notoriously hostile, albeit half-empty, Turk Telekom arena. aaron ramsey’s neat pass found lukas Poldolski and the German made a claim for a regular starting

CONNOR WICKHAM has signed a new four-year deal with Sunderland. The striker was due to be out of contract in the summer, and reports suggested West Ham and Crystal Palace had shown interest in signing him. The striker tweeted: ‘Glad to have signed a new deal at Sunderland. Thanks to everybody involved.’ Wickham, who signed from Ipswich for £8.1million in 2011, has found the net three times in the current campaign. Sunderland boss Gus Poyet said: ‘I’m delighted Connor has committed his future to us. He keeps learning, is able to adapt to different positions up front and is enjoying our philosophy, so I’m really looking forward to keep working with him for the benefit of our club.’

Double delight: deligh Ramsey ey fires his first goal, left, and then takes the plaudits for his brilliant second slot by lashing the ball into the net at the near-post.

Galatasaray wasted a fine chance to hit straight back when Hakan Balta, with the goal at his mercy, fired high and wide but the hosts’ threat proved short-lived as arsenal added a second on 11 minutes. alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s run

ended with the ball at ramsey’s feet and he made no mistake by slotting home into the far corner.

The third goal, when it came, was an absolute screamer. Joel Campbell’s corner found its way out to ramsey who, from 35 yards out, launched a thunderous volley beyond goalkeeper sinan Bolat.

Youngsters Gedion Zelalem and ainsley Maitland-niles replaced Mathieu Flamini and ramsey at the break as Wenger sensed a good job was done.

Wesley sneijder smashed home a late consolation before Podolski restored arsenal’s three-goal lead with the last kick of the game.

It’s time for Blatter to quit, urges Platini

Michel Platini has called on Sepp Blatter to relinquish the Fifa presidency in a bid to solve the ‘very, very, very bad’ image of football’s world governing body.

Uefa president Platini believes Blatter should ‘make room for someone else’ at next year’s presidential elections in May. ‘i supported [Blatter] in 1998

because i thought he was the right person,’ Platini said.

‘But it’s time for someone else. the image of Fifa is very, very, very bad and that’s why he must stop.’

HuLL goalkeeper Steve Harper admits he does not know how much longer he will carry on playing. The 39-year-old (pictured), who is currently sidelined with a bicep problem, said: ‘I’m 40 in March and while I don’t feel it, I realise nothing lasts for life. I’m open-minded about what I do next. Right now, my one concern is to get back on the field and play as many matches as I can.’

Spireites await fate CHESTERFIELD officials will attend a personal hearing at Wembley next week over their Football Association charge for fielding an ineligible player in the second round of the FA Cup. The Spireites’ place in the third round has been cast into doubt after on-loan Wolves defender Georg Margreitter played in their 1-0 win over MK Dons.

Kon’s in the clear LEICESTER full-back Paul Konchesky’s red card against Aston Villa on Sunday has been rescinded. The 33-year-old was dismissed by referee Craig Pawson following a clash with defender Alan Hutton in the 2-1 defeat at Villa Park.

SPORT

24 METRO HERALD Wednesday, December 10, 2014

D

Van Gaal not going near purse strings despite injury crisis

«see page 21

O’REiLLy nAMED As iRELAnD’s fiRsT TOp LEvEL fEMALE REfEREE Helen O’Reilly has become ireland’s first top-level female referee in a move that could eventually see her officiate in Guinness Pro12 and european Champions Cup action.

The irish Rugby Football Union (iRFU) has made O’Reilly the first female appointment to its national Referee Panel.

The Women’s Rugby World Cup official has been hailed as one of the ‘top female referees in the world’, and will now step up to take charge at Ulster Bank league matches.

‘Helen’s appointment is based solely on merit but as the first female referee to make the panel she must be congratulated,’ said iRFU referee development director Owen Doyle.

‘Her hard work, dedication and strong refereeing performances have propelled her into the top handful of female referees in the

world and into the national panel here in ireland.’ nottingham solicitor Claire Hodnett earlier this year became england’s first female referee to join the Rugby Football Union national panel.

Former Ashbourne RFC and St Mary’s RFC player O’Reilly has been refereeing for less than four years.

Meanwhile, leinster have confirmed that outhalf Jimmy Gopperth is to leave the province at the end of the season in light of the return of Johnny Sexton. The new Zealander is currently fielding offers from various Premiership clubs, including Wasps.

gaLatasaray 1-4 arsenaL

busTER stunning strike sees gunners ease pressure on boss Wenger by nick METcALfE men now face a potentially daunting tie in the last 16. either way, the Arsenal boss will be a relieved man after coming in for fierce criticism from some fans following last Saturday’s Premier league defeat at Stoke. elsewhere last night, liverpool could only draw 1-1 with Basle at Anfield, a result which knocked them out of the Champions league.

The Reds finished third in Group B, meaning they will play europa league football in the new year.

picture: inpho

LiverpooL 1-1 basLe

reports – pages 22-23

Stunner: Ramsey celebrates his second goal on a fine night for Arsenal in Turkey

picture: reuters

RAM ARSenAl eased the pressure on under-fire manager Arsene Wenger last night as a wonder strike from Aaron Ramsey helped them to a resounding 4-1 victory over Galatasaray in Turkey.

Ramsey’s second of the night was a glorious shot from distance into the top corner, while lukas Podolski also helped himself to a brace as the londoners eased to a comfortable away win. it was not enough to see Arsenal overtake Borussia Dortmund, who drew 1-1 with Anderlecht, at the top of Group D, though, and Wenger’s

Reffing ffing magic: Helen O’Reilly could go on to officiate at Pro12 or Champions Cup matches

“AN UNMISSABLE END TO THE JOURNEY” ShortList

“A MAGNIFICENT FINALE”

★★★★ Independent