Santry Informer Nov 09

SantryInformer 15,000 copies delivered monthly

November 2009 • Unit 38, Northwood Court, Santry, Dublin 9 • Tel: 01 813 8786 • Email: info@informer.ie • Web: www.informer.ie

Santry • Kilmore • Beaumont • Whitehall • Griffith Avenue

The last days of the Dublin pub?

The traditional Dublin pub is facing an uncertain future after a decade of reverses and bad management from both inside and outside the drinks industry.

The pub has faced a sustained assault from health and safety measures such as the smoking ban, lowering of drink-driving limits and mandatory breath testing, And from within the trade, unrealistically high prices for drinks and the increase in debt due to the pub buying frenzy during the boom has left many pubs as commercially unsustainable.

Furthermore, the scrapping of the Groceries Order and the arrival of international multiples led to a sharp difference in the prices charged between pubs and off-licences.

Much of the changes and the challenges faced by Dublin's pubs have been documented in a recent report commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) which found, for example, that four out of five pubs in Dublin are family run businesses and that 10 per cent of Dublin pubs will close when the

By Niall Gormley

present licence holder retires.

But actual closure is not the only way the traditional pub is threatened. Falling sales and tighter margins have prompted many pubs to diversify well beyond their core business.

Some pubs might be better described as restaurants with licences.

65 per cent of Dublin pubs now provide food and over half of publicans in the city say that the role of food in their pubs has increased over the past five years. This is reflected in the proportion of space allocated to drinking within pubs. 15 per cent of publicans reported a reduction of drinking space against nine per cent who said that they increased drinking space.

A lot of pubs have tried to turn themselves into entertainment venues to earn extra cash and to attract extra punters. The TV is nearly ubiquitous at 97 per cent of pubs, two in five pubs host live shows and around one third are

reporting that the provide computer and internet access. A fifth of pubs specifically target tourists to boost sales.

The impact of the various health and safety diktats feature highly in the report. Even in Dublin over 40 per cent of publicans say that mandatory breath testing has had a significant effect on their business. Nearly two thirds have made adjustments to their pubs to cater for smokers.

What the report can't detail is what is being lost. When people stay at home there is a loss of social capital to the community. The emphasis on live music and entertainment highlights the decline of the conversation.

Dublin's suburbs, in particular, have suffered from the absence of 'locals' where newly formed communities could have benefitted greatly from smaller, more dispersed local pubs.

It seems that the Dublin pub is fading away or morphing into theatres and restaurants, and nobody wants to do anything about it.

should we abolish the seanad?

Frances Fitzgerald and Joe O'Toole go head to head Page 6

Artane Building Services

Attic Garage Conversions Conversions Kitchens & Carpentry a Speciality We also hire out Mini Diggers

Telephone: 086-860 8312 Telephone Jim for Free Quotation

In his own words Bertie Ahern Interview Pages 10-11

2

The Informer

Q The month in Quotes

The Drift

It is if all our Christmases have come at once.

Agatha Commins on hearing of her daughter Sharon's release from kidnappers in Sudan.

He had a vision. He was the original democrat, the original human rights activist.

President Mary McAleese at the opening of Daniel O'Connell's refurbished crypt at Glasnevin Cemetery Raw sewage, needles and toilet paper comes up the pipes. It’s pushed into the baths and the showers..

St Teresa's Garden resident Kris Taylor on why the City Council need a 'Plan B' after the present regeneration plan fell through.

This is only phase one of the scandal. Phase two: I go on Oprah and sob.

American talk show host David Letterman on revelations that he had an affair with a member of his staff which led to a blackmail attempt on him.

Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night.

Morrissey, the Manchester-Irish former frontman of The Smiths, before he collapsed on stage while singing 'This Charming Man' They're just so upset about it at the moment and they will be for a long time They will probably never get over it.

Westlife's Shane Filan on the impact of Stephen Gately's death on the members of Boyzone

Campaign Dublin

The Informer

Barometer

Who's Under Pressure?

H

EL Trap: The football has been pretty terrible and the results so far have been mixed. But if Ireland can turnover the French Trappatoni will be the next Irish saint.

'The Twins: Now part of a rebellion against the very nature of the talent show malarky and generally agreed to be limited on the vocals, there's really nothing to lose.

H

Fianna Fail Backbenchers: Getting very little credit for standing up to the safety fanatics and some wondering where they were when all the other cuts were going through.

Sharon Commins: The Goal aid worker was released three months after being abducted in Sudan's troubled Darfur region. Still just enjoying her freedom.

H

L

L

ENDA KENNY: His one-man assault on the Seanad raised some hackles in the party. Some saw it as jealously on Eamon Gilmore's hatchet job on John O'Donohue.

DublinInformer Editor: Niall Gormley

Unit 38, Northwood Court, Santry, Dublin 9 • Sales: 01 813 8786 Email: info@informer.ie • sales@informer.ie Web: www.informer.ie

Gamblers Anonymous

Have you got a gambling problem?

Gamblers Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from a gambling problem.

While some people think that compulsive gambling is basically a financial problem, in fact compulsive gambling seems to be an emotional problem. When in the grip of this illness, we create mountains of apparently insoluble problems.

Of course, there are financial problems but we also have to face family problems, employment problems, or problems involving ourselves with the law. We lose our friends and relatives have us on their personal blacklist.

Of the many serious problems we create, the financial problems seem the easiest to solve. Upon entering G.A. and stopping gambling, we find income often increases and, as there is no longer the financial drain caused by gambling, there is soon relief from the financial pressures. Most compul-

Dublin by Numbers

sive gamblers will answer YES to at least seven of these questions; 1. Do you lose time from work due to gambling?

2. Is gambling making your home life unhappy?

3. Is gambling affecting your reputation?

4. Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?

5. Do you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?

6. Does gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?

7. After losing, do you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?

8. After a win do you have a strong urge to return and win more?

9. Do you often gamble until your last pound is gone?

10. Do you ever borrow to finance your gambling?

11. Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?

12. Are you reluctant to use gambling money for normal expenditure?

13. Does gambling make you careless of the welfare of your family?

14. Do you gamble longer than you planned?

15. Do you ever gamble to escape worry or trouble?

16. Have you ever committed, or considered committing an illegal act to finance gambling?

17. Does gambling cause you difficulty in sleeping?

18. Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create an urge within you to gamble?

19. Do you have an urge to celebrate any good fortune with a few hours gambling?

20. Have you ever considered self destruction as a result of your gambling?

There are G.A. meetings in 26 different locations all over Dublin. You can contact G.A. by tel: 01-8721133 or on the web: www.gamblersanonymous.ie

4,947,600 This number of trips abroad taken in the period January-August 2009. More than the population in the South of Ireland it's an impressive figure but down over half a

million trips on the same period in 2008.

Numbers coming to Ireland were down too, again by over 500,000. Now the question arises: are we better off with fewer trips?

3

The Informer

Green Scene Sign up to save the planet As Pete Postlethwaite’s character says in The Age of Stupid, “We wouldn’t be the first life form to wipe itself out. But what would be unique about us is that we did it knowingly.”

Most people now agree that we need a binding international treaty within the timescale of the physics of the planet, and the last chance is the UN Climate Summit coming up in Copenhagen in December this year, the 'Most important meeting in human history'.

The EU is calling for a 30 per cent reduction by 2020 compared to 1990 levels. If this deal were to be accepted this would give us about a 50/50 chance of not hitting the two-degree target, which is where we trigger runaway climate change. In other words we have a coin flip chance of avoiding catastrophe. 1010.ie is about taking over the responsibility ourselves, instead of leaving it to the politicians.

By signing up to 1010, you commit yourself, your school, your hospital, your church, your business, your whatever to cut 10 per cent of your emissions in 2010. This is at the level of changing light bulbs, turning down heating, driving a bit less and maybe sticking in some insulation.

As well as being achievable for the vast majority of the popu-

lation, 10 per cent in one year is the kind of cut the science tells us we need. And it is doing it now instead of putting it off. Once a sizeable chunk of Ireland has signed up to 1010.ie the Government can be challenged to reduce the whole country's emissions by 10 per cent in 2010. Much easier than dealing with runaway climate change. And if Ireland goes 10:10 our government can challenge the big players such as China and the USA to do the same.

One week after the talks finish – whatever the outcome – on January 1st 2010 the people of Ireland and Britain will start getting on with solving the problem, supported by tonnes of online resources. Everyone who successfully completes their 10 per cent cut should find themselves richer (for saving money on their energy bills), fitter (for the walking & cycling which replaced some car trips) and with more friends (the colleagues they car-pooled with or the neighbours who helped walk all the kids to school). More importantly, everyone who takes part will know that their efforts are part of the effort to prevent catastrophe.

You can sign up on line at www.1010. ie or in your local library where a sign up book is already in place

I'm dreaming of a When CFL light bulbs green Christmas increase The Greenhouse – the new home for Cultivate and Eco-Unesco – will be opening its doors shortly at what used to be the ENFO centre on St Andrew’s St. And it will feature all sorts of green goodies for your Christmas shopping list. Also new OOOOBY ("Out Of Our Own Back Yard") - a community food store in Glenealy village, Co Wicklow.

And of course Sonairte’s Eco-shop adds seasonal fair trade and hand crafted toys and other gift ideas to its regular stock of household goods for the eco-friendly home.

Sonairte will also be holding three Christmas markets, on the 15th and 29th November and December 13th, when local producers will sell both seasonal foods and individually crafted gift items.

Sonairte’s seasonal produce will also be available, along with lots of other goodies from local producers, at the Dublin Food Co- op every Thursday and Saturday from now until Christmas

fuel use!

They do on the Late Late Show anyway. The ESB used its October 23rd competition to promote the use of low energy, long lasting CFL light bulbs.

And guess what the prize was? Carbon guzzling business class flights to Paris.

Wake up ESB – get your marketing department to practise what you preach!

Taking Liberties at the Dublin Food Co-op Saturday 21st November will see a night of performance celebrating The Liberties with music, song, film, stories, food, drink and more at Dublin Food Co-op.

Find out about and celebrate the social and cultural history of the area. Audience participation welcomed. Full details from http:// www.dublinfood.coop

Edited by Kathy Marsh, Sonairte

Just how green is the new Programme?

By Kathy Marsh, Sonairte When the Green Party decided to stay in the coalition government the decision was taken on the basis that the new programme for government would push green initiatives. So what is in there for the green lobby that wasn’t in Fianna Fail’s agenda?

Some items are very obvious – both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have supported the development of genetically modified crops in Ireland and shown unwillingness to develope a national genetically modified free label in the past. So a committment to making Ireland a GM free zone is new and very much to be welcomed.

Also to be welcomed is the continued commitment to organic farming and to organic farming education. Ireland is facing huge fines for the breach of a whole raft of EU environmental legislation and using greener growing techniques will help to prevent water pollution and soil erosion and enhance biodiversity.

Also to be welcomed is the commitment to the Green Schools programme. This had been under threat so it is good to see supports for it promised. All parents of children at those schools where it is in place have found themselves coming under pressure to cut waste, turn off excess power, avoid litter etc. Thanks to the programme a generation is growing up which is taking thought for the future. And parents who listen to their kids are saving money!

Also good to see is the revisiting of waste and water charges for schools so that those schools which have used the Green Schools programme to save on these will be rewarded. These measures and the commitment to eco-design for new schools will, in the long run, mean that money can be transferred from energy spending to teaching in school budgets.

The new programme for government recognises climate change, energy and transport infrastructure issues as critical for sustainable development. Just how these will be tackled in the December budget remains to be seen, but further incentives for the move to low carbon cars and a carbon levy will certainly be there.

The programme also continues the commitment to incentives for better home insulation which had been thought to be under threat.

This is in line to the overall commitment to saving energy as well as developing sustainable energy. Also prioritised is small scale energy production, combined power and heat.

The programme contains a range of commitments in the area of green transport. Low carbon cars have already been mentioned but there is also a commitment to the use of biofuels for the national bus fleet and to the improvement of public transport in general and that of the greater Dublin area in particular.

The commitment to a Dublin Transport Authority is made (again), but once again there seems to be an emphasis on expanding light rail services on radial routes, rather than using frequent buses to fill in cross city gaps, despite the success of this measure in cities such as Paris.

Some obvious gaps are still there – why no commitment to ecotourism despite Ireland’s green image and the growth in the international market for this kind of holiday? Can it be that backbench Fianna Fail TDs are still trying to keep walkers and cyclists from accessing their constituents’ land despite the huge amount that has been handed over in REPS payments in the past?

Or just that the government doesn’t want too many people to spot the difference between image and reality.

4

The Informer

Health Feature

Advertising Feature

Tired of being tired?

Q10 can restore the energy of your youth

As we grow older, our energy levels drop. Some resort to ginseng, guarana and other energy boosters, but there is a far better alternative: a vitamin-like compound called coenzyme Q10.

Have you lost the energy you had when you were younger? Do you tire more easily now, and do you find it difficult to motivate yourself to do go for your morning jog or work in the garden? Don’t fret, this physical decline is only natural. The good thing is you can do something about it.

Coenzyme Q10 is a vitamin-like compound that is the key to the energy production that takes place inside our cells. Decreasing levels of Q10 is what causes our energy levels to drop with age, a logical explanation to why age steals away our strength and stamina. Here is the good news: You can take a Q10 supplement and restore the energy levels you had years earlier.

More than just energy The really intriguing part is that Q10 not only makes you feel more alert and restores that physical surplus you need to maintain an active lifestyle. A daily Q10 supplement even leads to changes such as: • Improved heart function • Lower blood pressure • Healthier sperm cells • Improved gum health These improvements clearly show that all parts of the body require energy in order to function properly. To put this in an even clearer context, cardiologists refer to chronic heart failure as an “energy-starved heart”, showing how important an adequate energy output is for undertaking proper functioning of the heart muscle. Q10 has actually been integrated in the medical treatment of chronic heart failure in hospitals all over the world, and in

some countries the compound is approved as a medical remedy for this purpose.

A cure for gum disease?

Another area where Q10 has gained a lot of attention is dentistry. Of course, proper oral hygiene and regular checkups is always first priority when it comes to preventing gum disease, but because of the positive results many dentists recommend supplements of Q10 to patients with infected gums. In many cases, the substance stops the bleeding and is also reported to make red, swollen and inflamed gums turn healthy and pink again in a matter of weeks or months. It may be taking it too far to call Q10 a cure for gum disease, but is most certainly seems to have an important role in the overall prevention of this common disease.

Like being young again Those who are most likely to benefit from a Q10 supplement are those who may lack the substance, in the first place. Elderly people typically lack Q10, just as those with certain chronic illnesses like heart disease have a need for extra Q10. As soon as they start taking a daily supplement that can compensate for the loss, they will feel more energetic. That change often occurs within weeks.

Even top-notch athletes who are not very old may use Q10 to boost their performance. One Finnish study conducted on cross-country skiers showed that they could train more intensively, compete better, and recover in a shorter amount of time when they were given Q10 supplements.

Natural energy

Q10 is – literally speaking - the most natural energy source you can find. It supports the body, improving virtually every imaginable function. In contrast, stimulants like ginseng tend to “stress” the body by giving it a kick. You grow accustomed to ginseng and may have to increase your intake to get the same effect. Consumers are normally advised to take a pause from ginseng every few months, especially if they experience problems like hypertension and increased heart rate that may occur as a result of the increased intake.

Statin users benefit from Q10 Q10 is of particular importance to people who take statin drugs to lower their cholesterol. Statins do not only lower synthesis of cholesterol, but at the same time they inhibit the production of Q10. Since role of Q10 in regulation of energetic metabolism and muscle metabolism is so vital, a deficit of Q10 is associated with increased risk of myopathy and other adverse effect.

Several clinical studies have shown benefit of Q10 supplementation in prevention or therapy of these adverse effects - especially in patients using higher doses of statins for longer period or in patients presenting with symptoms of statin associated myopathy (muscle pain, fatigue etc.)

Q10, on the other hand, does not cause such side effects.

On the contrary, studies have actually demonstrated that Q10 supplements help to reduce hypertension and also support the heart muscle function.

Another thing that is worth underlining is that Q10 supplementation does not affect the body’s own ability to produce the substance. Researchers looked in this by giving study participants Q10 capsules daily for nine months followed by a three-month withdrawal period. After the three months had passed, the body’s Q10 levels returned to their pre-supplementation level.

How to find the right Q10 preparation The formula that seems to be the most effective for optimal absorption and which has managed to document its efficacy to the point that international Q10 research has chosen this as their scientific reference is featured by: • Q10 dissolved in a vegetable oil matrix • A special heating of the mixture that allows the Q10 molecules to dissolve completely (in the body) at room temperature • Encapsulation in soft, light-protected gel capsules

6

The Informer

Dialogue & Debate

Should the Seanad be abolished?

Reform of the Seanad is a silly season topic in Irish politics and in the Irish media.

It is usually trotted out around Seanad election time and when there's money to be saved.

But this time it's serious because Fine Gael, at history high ratings in the polls, have committed themselves to hold a referendum on its abolition. So what should we do?

Yes

Senator Frances Fitzgerald You cannot ask people to change unless you yourself are prepared to change too. Successive budgets are going to seek to take in the region of €4,000 million out of the economy as Fianna Fáil tries to extricate us and our country from a gargantuan hole they dug themselves.

This will inevitably lead to major sacrifices being made across the board. If previous budgets are anything to go by – and there is a clear pattern - then we can expect the blunt tool of extra taxes plus frontline service cuts to help Fianna Fáil balance the books.

This Government has lost whatever limited authority it had with the people over successive budgets that took the easy option when real change and reform was called for. There is a real prospect that the type of change that our economy and society needs cannot and will not be delivered by this current Government. No real change, no real reform and no real prospect of getting us all out of the mess they created.

Radical change The clock is ticking. We need to see radical change throughout our society. But crucially, if the political system wants to drive forward radical change it has to be prepared to lead by example.

To gain the authority to drive the scale of change needed throughout the system, Fine Gael believes we have to start with the political system itself. That is why Enda Kenny recently said the Seanad should be abolished and that the next Fine Gael Government will put this to the people in a referendum. We will also seek to reduce the number of Deputies in the Dáil by at least 20, resulting in total savings of an estimated €150 million over a Dáil term. In order to facilitate these and other political reforms a Fine Gael

Government would hold a constitutional referendum within a year of taking office.

Important as this measure is, I believe it is only the start of the changes that we will have to make. Changes that Fine Gael is determined to deliver.

That change means getting our people back to work with our €11 billion NewERA investment plan to reposition our economy for the 21st century by focusing on key sectors of our economy like green energy, broadband and water quality and supply systems.

Beyond our economy we must fix our health system. We can now say with even more certainty than before that we have to implement Fine Gael’s FairCare proposals immediately.

Based on the successful Dutch health system, we are proposing a one tier system of access to health services. No trolleys, no long waits, no MRSA and no treatment based on your wallet rather than your health needs and the HSE as we know it will no longer exist. These are two transformative plans for our economy and our public services.

Political reform Taking on the challenge of political reform is our way of stating loudly and clearly that we mean what we say, we are serious about radical change and as soon as we get the chance we will start to turn this country around. That is our mission; that is our ultimate goal. Working together and uniting as a people we can still aspire to achieving truly great things for our country and our people.

Frances Fitzgerald is Fine Gael Senate Leader & spokesperson on Health

No

Senator Joe O'Toole The Seanad is a viable, vital and effective Legislative Chamber and as such, should not be abolished. However there is no doubt that it is also exclusive, undemocratic and unrepresentative and its anachronistic and opaque system of election, in particular, is in urgent need of reform.

But the Seanad must be reformed radically and unless this is done then it cannot have a future.

For a start every citizen must have a vote in Seanad Elections. I have been making this argument myself for the past two decades. It has now come to public attention following Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny’s promise, or threat, that if elected to Government he would abolish the Seanad.

Forgotten after the election The Seanad usually receives a frenzy of media attention coming up to a Seanad election when there is always great interest and discussion on the need for Seanad reform, most of these views are shelved and forgotten after the election to be dusted down again in due course for the next electoral joust.

To defend the House, it does do extraordinarily good work. Major legislation it dealt with in the past year included the Adoption Bill, the Charities Bill, the Broadcasting Bill, the Civil Liability (Amendment) (No.2) Bill, the Harbours (Amendment) Bill and the Criminal Procedure Bill.

Currently the most important bill in recent times is being debated in the Seanad this week.

The NAMA Bill is receiving detailed scrutiny and discussion in this house that it will not receive in the Dáil. That is the strength of this house.

Ireland is not the first to consider abolishing

the second house. I went to New Zealand which had already eliminated its second chamber and I considered the impact it had on the legislative process. I believe it was a mistake to get rid of it there. I was told that its parliament could do its work in one chamber. However, it ended up adding three extra stages to the legislation, including another stage after second stage and another stage later on. It got longer and longer, and less efficient. The idea here is that the second house gives a second view and a new perspective and makes it work that way.

The system is daft The biggest problem I have with the Seanad as it is, is the method of election. Every citizen should have one vote. It is a sobering and unacceptable fact that only 0.03 per cent of the population have a vote in the election of 43 members of the second house of parliament.

The system of election is daft and ultimately the Seanad should be elected by universal franchise. The responsibility for Seanad reform is with the Government and the Seanad itself and it must be more than a creature of the political parties.

The value of the house is beyond dispute. I ask people to be brave and confident about this, move Seanad reform forward and get a result on the issue. We can show Irish people that we are here to serve, contribute and give political scrutiny. We are here in the spirit of the constitution.

In the main the members of this house are serious, committed people. They have work to do and are serious about their job.

Joe O'Toole is an independent senator elected on the NUI Seanad Panel

8

The Informer

All About Dublin Old Dublin...

Mulhuddart Church

Today's visitor to Mulhuddart Church will but see the lower section of a squat tower and parts of the wall that once made up the nave. This is all that remains, yet even the casual observer cannot but notice that this was once an imposing edifice.

Little is known of the early history of the church. Then, in the 15th century 'the guild and fraternity of Our Lady of St Mary of the church of Mulhuddart' was formed. This was a religious guild, and was open to both women and men. It was also very prosperous, and this no doubt explains why the original church was a substantial building. The church was in good repair when the Royal Visitation took place in 1615, but a mere 15 years later Archbishop Bulkeley reported that both the chancel and nave were in ruins. He does not tell us what happened in the intervening years.

It is thought, however, that the church remained partially roofed for some considerable time. This is borne out by the many reports of soldiers finding shelter there. During the Civil War of 1641-49 the contending armies marched through the area and laid much of it to waste. In 1643 the Royalist Earl of Cavan found shelter in the church for several days with a large troop of soldiers. Then, in 1648 Sir Francis Willoughby garrisoned the church with 77 men.

Isaac Butler refers to a massacre which occurred at the church in 1690 in the 'Journey to Lough Derg': "In it was committed a most barbarous and infamous action by some of the neighbouring inhab-

Lesser known Dubliners

Edited by Zoz

Firsthand History

A curious case Sessions-Court, Green-street (Saunders's News-Letter, Dublin, 1st February, 1826

itants in September, 1690. A company of Col. Foulkes men, in their march to Dublin, by stormy, rainy weather, retreated into the church for shelter, but all of them were murdered in cold blood before morning. Some of the wretches were afterwards executed in Thomas Street, Dublin. " An excerpt from 'Blanchardstown, Castleknock and the Park', with text by Peter Sobolewski, and paintings by Donla Mac Poilin.

Published by Cottage Publications. Price €24.95.

Charles Robert Maturin Charles Robert Maturin, of Huguenot descent, was born on the 25th September 1780 and attended Trinity College, Dublin.

Shortly after being ordained as curate of Loughrea in 1803, he became Anglican Curate of St. Peter's Church in Dublin. He lived in York St, Dublin with his father, William, a Post Office official and his mother Fedelia Watson. He married singer Henrietta Kingsbury in 1804 (thus eventually becoming Oscar Wilde's great-uncle by marriage).

His first three works were published under the pseudonym Dennis Jasper Murphy and were critical and commercial failures. They did, however, catch the attention of Sir Walter Scott, who recommended Maturin's work to Lord Byron. With their help his play, 'Bertram'

A place in the city

became a success. The money, however, went to help his unemployed father and another relative who had gone bankrupt.

And criticism of the play by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who described it as dull and loathsome, and "melancholy proof of the depravation of the public mind," brought a warning from the Church of Ireland (which had discovered Murphy's real name) that his career was at an end.

After several more plays failed, he switched to writing novels. The Fatal Revenge appeared in 1807, and was followed by, among others, The Milesian Chief, Women, which was the most successful, and by Melmoth The Wanderer.

Charles Robert Maturin died in Dublin on 30 October, 1824.

Newgate Prison

Yesterday came on before the Recorder, an interesting and curious trial, in which a Deaf and Dumb boy was prosecutor. Dr. Charles Orpen, Secretary to the Deaf and Dumb Institution, was sworn to interpret, and communicated the questions of the Court, of the Jury, and of the prisoner, partly by spelling the words on his fingers, and partly by writing, to which the boy answered, both by speaking articulately, and by signs.

It was given in evidence, that the boy's name was Thomas Collins; that he was, until lately, a pupil of Mr. Humphreys, Headmaster of the Institution at Claremont, Glasnevin, and is now an apprentice to Mr. Goodwin, a respectable printer, in Dublin; that he is totally Deaf, and until taught to speak formerly by his teacher, had been totally Dumb.

"To my Judge - I was standing, looking at a shop window and things, last Monday week night, it was nine of the clock, in the evening. A wicked woman met me, and I said, 'I am Deaf and Dumb,' and she took away my watch and ran away into another street, into a house; "I followed her with my eyes, immediately, and ran after. She ran into a house down stairs, into a little back kitchen, cellar, low. She threw a candle down, out, with her hand, to make me dark, night, and she pushed me. I fell down on my back, on the ugly ground; my elbow and back were painful and blue. I got up dirty and caught her; she is very strong; "I called a watchman; I said, 'Come, come,' to take her to prison.

She pushed my watch under a bed and hid it, sitting on the bed; the two watchmen found it by their search. I hope the Judge will not hang her. Will he give me my silver watch and my fob, and send her to lock up in prison, or send her in ship to Botany Bay? I am Thomas Collins, a Deaf and Dumb Orphan Boy." His evidence was confirmed by the watchman, who apprehended the woman and found the watch in her possession, and by the interpreter, who proved, that the watch had been given by his brother to the boy, some years since.

Dr. C. Orpen also proved, that he had known the boy ever since 1815; that he was detained at the printing-office till late every evening; that his principles and conduct were excellent; and that he perfectly understood the nature of an oath, and the consequence of a lie.

"The prisoner attempted an excuse, by stating that she was drunk, and that she had taken the watch in her room, and not in the street; but this was distinctly contradicted on oath by the boy.

"The Jury did not hesitate a moment, in finding her guilty; and the Judge sentenced her to seven years transportation.

•••••••••••••••••

Sensational Robbery of Dublin Castle Treasures (Irish Independent 1907)

On the 28th of October 1773, the foundation stone of Newgate Prisonwas laid (the site is now St. Michan's Park, between Green Street and Halston Street). The cost, about £16,000, was raised by taxes on the inhabitants of the City of Dublin, along with a £2,000 grant from the Irish Parliament.

It was a large quadrangular building, extending 170ft. in front, and nearly as much in depth.

At each corner were four round towers, with a cavity carried up in each, through which the filth of the gaol is conveyed. It was demolished in 1893.

This page was researched with the help of

It was reported in Dublin yesterday that a sensational robbery had taken place in Dublin Castle.

The discovery was made on Saturday morning, when the safe in the strong room of the Castle was found to have been interfered with, and State jewels to the value of £40,000 or £50,000 abstracted. The safe was last examined about a month ago.

It is believed that the stolen jewels include a number of the insignia of the Knights of St. Patrick. Colour is lent to this belief by the official announcement that the ceremony of investiture of Lord Castletown as Knight of St. Patrick, which was to have taken place on Wednesday, has been postponed.

Inquiries at the Detective Offices last evening failed to elicit further details of the robbery, which is likely to prove one of the most sensational perpetrated in recent years.

Why use the Leaflet Company?

"We distribute over half a million items a month to addresses across Ireland and we need to ensure that all our items are delivered under strict control. We've tried other companies but we have found the Leaflet Company to have far superior and reliable distribution, critcal to our reputation as a charity."

Stephen Bebbington, Jack & Jill Foundation

"The most important selling point for any free newspaper is to ensure that the delivery is consistant and dependable. Our advertisers are dependent on hitting their target audiences for their businesses and the Leaflet Company have proven their reliability to us over the years."

Anthony Russell, Tallaght News

Leaflet Company Ireland are the ONLY leaflet distribution company in Ireland to operate under exclusive license the internationally recognised Mosaic & Micro Marker targeting and planning tools.

This system is recognised and used in over 200 counties around the world including the UK, Europe, USA and even China. It allows customers to identify not only who they should be targeting, but also where each audience type live. Having this knowledge allows our customers to have the cutting edge over their competitors and allows them to utilise their marketing budgets in the most cost effective way possible, thus deleting wastage.

Don’t be fooled by other distribution companies who tell you that they have similar targeting tools as it is confirmed and accepted by the international community that Mosaic and Micro Marketer are the best and most precise targeting tools in the market place today

Lo-call: 1890 929 950 Web: www.leafletcompany.ie

One of our full-time distribution teams

This is good for their pocket and the environment but as importantly allows them to communicate with customers at a “low” base cost which is important in today’s economic climate. You don’t have to be a multi-national company to avail of this service as we offer this to all of our clients as it is our belief that smaller companies can easily compete with larger companies if they know how and where to target and communicate with customers and this is where Leaflet Company Ireland can help.

We are not for one minute saying we are the cheapest or best leaflet distribution company in Ireland today as this can only be decided by customers who regularly use our distribution services. What we do say though is we have the marketing and targeting tools that will allow you to target your customers more efficiently using the internationally recognised Mosaic & Micro Marker systems especially designed for the Irish market place.

n Local and national coverage n Distribution back-checked & validated n Full print and design service

"We use the Leaflet Company to target the distribution areas for our local editions around Dublin. Their dedicated distribution teams means that we have unrivalled accurate house to house delivery month after month. And this means that our advertisers get the response they require from the Informer" John Fuller, Informer Newspaper Group

DublinInformer

How we differ from our competitors n Along with An Post, we are the ONLY leafleting distribution specialists in Ireland today to employ supervised full-time PRSI/PAYE workers that operate from our Leaflet Company Ireland satellite tracked, branded vehciles. n We are the ONLY leaflet distribution specialists to use the most up to date targeting and mapping systems available in the Republic of Ireland today. n We are the ONLY leaflet distribution specialists in Ireland today to offer Mosaic & Micro Marketing tools to our customers. n We do not deliver competing items alongside each other. n We do not sell our services on price alone. We operate differently to other leafleting companies and have larger overheads simply because our staff are full-time employees and not distribution people sub-contracted on an ad-hoc basis. Most other companies allow these distributors to deliver promotional material unsupervised.

Controlled Leaflet Distribution

10

The Informer

The Informer Interview

In his own

There's no shortage of opinions on Bertie Ahern. Now he's put out his own version What was your reaction to Stephen Gately's death?

I knew the Gately family well because they are in my constituency and I know Stephen's mother for years before he became famous. Mikey's sister, Yvonne Graham, works with me. So through various ways directly and indirectly, I have connections with them all.

It was just so sad. He was in the prime of his life. He was back together with Boyzone and they were doing really well - they had a good 2009. To be cut off so young in life, it's just so sad.

Were you impressed with the way the death and funeral were handled and received in Dublin, and the aspect of Stephen's gay lifestyle?

How has a traditional party like Fianna Fail managed to last in the urban environment of Dublin?

I've ruled myself out of that. I agree with the idea provided that the individual is given full executive powers.

The idea of having an elected mayor will only work if the person is given full autonomy and is given full powers, including local tax raising powers. If you're looking for money from central government you're never going to get anywhere.

Well it has been strong right back to 1926 when the party was formed and further back to the days of Sinn Fein and even the Fenians. Sean Lemass's great success was that he pulled in much of the 1918 Sinn Fein organisation into Fianna Fail. So we ended up with very good organisation in the 1940s and 50s and again in the 1970s.

The challenge is that it has to be continually renewed in the cities. In the country, you might get away with it. In the cities it's required every decade: renewal, renewal, renewal.

We'll have to do it again in the decade just coming and especially up to 2016 which will be an important year for Fianna Fail and for the country.

The Northern agreement is seen by many as your greatest achievement over the years you were in government.

Do you agree?

Bertie on an elected Yes, I was. I was down with Stephen's mother and Father Fianna Fail has been able to change along with the mayor for Dublin: Damien and the whole parish turned out for him.

Other than comments in the papers, there wasn't a mention of the gay issue on the ground. It did strike me that it was only in the early 1990s that we were bringing through legislation to decriminialise homosexuality. I was Finance Minister then and I remember the controversies and the hassle there was.

Later, when I was taoiseach I went to the opening of the offices of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network where I outlined the legislation on civil partnerships. We've moved a long way, but it wasn't always so easy, I can tell you.

Did you find that in Fianna Fail there were people who weren't particularly pleased with the move on civil partnership?

Yes, and elsewhere too. In fairness the Archbishop of Dublin (Diarmuid Martin) supported me. It gave some people a shock, but he's a very progressive man, and it allowed us to get on with it.

One of the things that is said about you is that you brought meticulous organisation to Fianna Fail in your local constituency right back in your early days in Dublin City Council (Corporation). What was your thinking?

I got active in the party after the 1969 election. On the ground in my constituency I found out very fast that there were huge holes in the political organisation. In the local cumanns membership was very low and generally members weren't from the local community. They very rarely had meetings.

From 1974 on, when I was secretary of the organising committee, I actively recruited members and made the cumanns active, they met once a month, they had up-todate membership and they had some activities on the ground.

I took in a huge amount of young people, some of them still with us today. We had a really busy campaign for the election in 1977. Since that, I've never stopped recruiting people. Even now, we had a do in St Pat's College a few weeks back and we recruited 150 people into the party.

political trends. For example, we talked earlier about the reform of the laws on homosexuality, which would have been unthinkable in Fianna Fail in earlier times.

How has the party managed that?

Fianna Fail is a microcosm of society here. It's got big farmers, small farmers, businessmen, working class and unemployed. Of course it's had its conservative wing and its liberal wing. But it has been able to address change and that's been a huge plus for the party.

And it's been the same on the North. We were able to move away from Articles Two and Three when it was the right time, and move to the policy of consent. People said we wouldn't be able to do that but we were.

"An elected mayor will only work with full powers...including tax raising powers. If you're looking for money from central government, you're never going to get anywhere."

Could it have been done quicker?

I knew in '98 that we had a flaw in the agreement and that flaw was that the DUP were not involved. Here was the biggest vote-getter and probably the most powerful politician in the North, (along with John Hume) and we didn't have him on board.

It took time. We were dealing with huge issues like the release of prisoners and decommissioning. They were all backbreaking to get through.

You cut your political teeth here in the city, on the city council (corporation as it was then) and as Lord Mayor.

In the past twenty years, what kind of Dublin do you think has emerged through the frenzy of development?

I think that there are pockets of disadvantage but compared to where we were the city has really revolutionised itself.

Just look at the heart of the city, look ta Temple Bar. We made a commitment in 1987 in a famous meeting down at the CIE Hall, chaired by Olivia O'Leary and with Charlie Haughey, that we were going to revolutionise the area as a kind of Left Bank for Dublin. At the same time we put forward the idea of putting in the Financial Services Centre.

And it's the same with a lot of the big flat blocks around the city. There's more to be done but it's a pity that the downturn happened when it did because there was plans in train to transform many of these areas and it didn't happen.

But look at the quays today. The quays have been a source of marginalisation and neglect in Dublin over the years. It was really when we brought in the tax designation plans that gave those areas a total lift. The city is a far, far better place than it was.

Well there's two parts to the Northern agreement. Firstly, the negotiations that went on for the better part of a year from July '97 right up to the Good Friday Agreement and the vote on it in May 2008 - that was a huge achievement, ten months' work and it was great.

But the bigger one was the full implementation of it and that didn't finish until 2007. That was the hard bit - it was one thing having a blueprint but another to get everyone on board.

At the start we hadn't got Ian Paisley's party signed up until we finally got the St Andrews Agreement signed in 2006. So I think it has to be looked at over the whole period.

In terms of the current crisis and given your background as Minister for Finance, what's your view on Brian Lenihan who has been landed surely the most difficult job in he country?

Bertie on the financial crisis:

"It is no good having blame games and What about the idea of an elected mayor for Dublin? looking at each other, Could it make a difference? And would you be inter- we've got to get out of ested? it."

Well, I was minister during the currency crisis in the early 1990s and it was tough then. When the revenues aren't coming through, and when unemployment is high and not much growth in the economy, you don't have the money to do things and it's a tough job.

This is worse that it was then. That was the biggest crisis in 30 years and this is worse still - by a multiple. In fairness, I think Brian has done very well. There's a lot of these decisions I'm sure he'd rather not make.

The big thing now is that it is no good having blame games and looking at each other, we've got to get out of it.

But there's a real dilemma here, isn't there? We need to save money but if the Government takes too much out of the economy, it will make things worse. What's your view?

It is a dilemma. I wouldn't like to see cuts in the capital

11

The Informer

The Informer Interview

words

for the record. He talked to Niall Gormley. programme, building hospitals, schools, roads, etc because that will affect the country in the future. It's the right thing to keep spending that money. We'll get better value now and it's needed for the long-term benefit of the economy.

In terms of your time in government, do you think we were a bit too much Boston and not enough Berlin?

Would it have been better to have had Labour as your partners rather than the PDs? Well, I wanted to have a Fianna Fail/Labour government but Dick Spring unfortunately decided to go with John Bruton in 1994. It was out of our control.

But I think we followed policies that worked well. We wanted to make working productive, cutting takes to allow people to hold on to their earnings and to spend it according to their wishes. We brought unemployment down and emi-

gration stopped.

The policies drove the economy, and ok people say it drove it too much. And if it hadn't been for the international recession, we would have cooled the housing market down without it being such a huge problem. It would have been a problem, I'm not saying it wouldn't, but not as big as the financial crisis made it.

How's the book going? Did Cecilia give you a hand?

The book's going well. It's been number one for a few weeks now. So somebody's buying it and I hope they're enjoying it. Cecilia helped, she's the expert, she gave me some good advice.

Advertising feature

Natural massage for every body For those people who have always longed for a wonderfully relaxing massage but feel self conscious to try it. Catherine Etcheverry Roe has some great news.

Catherine is a qualified massage therapist, specialising in natural massage for people of all ages, shapes and sizes. In fact, she regards it as “something of a privilege for someone to allow me to massage his or her body.

“In these stressful times, many people recognise the benefits of massage therapy. They appreciate how much it can help restore balance in our hectic lives, yet concerns put them off.” Catherine said.

“That’s why I choose to look after the needs of people with stress related disorders exclusively. As a woman, I understand that some women or men may feel a little reserved, so my first consideration is to put client at ease.”

“I usually find that in only a matter of seconds my clients completely forget they ever had any reservations”, she said.

“While there may be many reasons a person is unable to relax and enjoy bodywork, previous emotional scars rank high as a cause. On average, one of every five clients a practitioner sees has a history of trauma or abuse. These statistics demand sensitivity to how trauma or abuse can impact bodywork clients. “Since reactions to touch can be unpredictable, I go out of my way to create a trusting physical bond with my clients”, she said.

Catherine offers a choice of two techniques “Relaxation Holistic Massage” where the whole or part of the body is massaged to relieve stress and body pain, and “Reflexology”, firm pressure is applied to key points on the feet to restore the flow of energy through the meridians channels.

Catherine believes that with the appropriate treatment, she can help improve blood circulation, and relaxes body stiffness and discomfort. Her aim is to

leave a person with a marvellous feeling of wellbeing.

“Usually, people are so thrilled with the massage, they tend to book another session and encourage friends to have one too. In that case, I give a 20% discount on the referring client’s next massage”, she said.

Catherine can be contacted at 087 252 9456 – each session takes between one hour and 1h30 mns.

Her gift voucher makes a great present.

$

Catherine Roe

Complementary Massage Therapist ITEC Dip – Memb CthA 087 252 9456 www.dublin-massage-therapy.com

The Littlejohn Centre 122A Cromwellsfort Road Walkinstown, Dublin 12

Get a free 30 mins' foot reflexology massage with this Coupon.

12

The Informer

Entertainment & Music

The Coronas join the Academy Following their sold out Olympia show this December 11th, and to cope with the massive demand for tickets from their fans, The Coronas have announced three Academy dates this coming January 7th, 8th & 9th.

The Rileys have been announced as special guests for one of their shows on January 7th. The Rileys are one of the most exciting live bands on the UK circuit and recently sold out Shepherd's Bush Empire, a credible achievement for an unsigned band.

The Coronas are currently on tour for the month of November in Asia.

This is their second time visiting Asia, having been part of a Discover Ireland tour last year.

The Coronas brand new album Tony Was An Ex-Con is out now and features the smash hit single Listen Dear.

The Coronas debut LP - 2007’s Heroes or Ghosts - achieved platinum status sales in Ireland, and paved the way for massive success for singles that include Grace, Don’t Wait!, Heroes or Ghosts and San Diego Song which became an recognised anthem in nightclubs and radio stations all across Ireland.

The Dublin four quickly followed its release with sell-out shows nationwide, two meteor award nominations

and a spellbinding set on the main stage at Oxegen. All this along with tours across Europe, the US and Asia, has allowed The Coronas to establish themselves as one of Irelands’ biggest new exciting bands.

“We’ve worked really hard for the last two years but taking a break never really occurred to us”, says lead singer Danny O’Reilly. “We wanted to continue to build on what we had going and we knew the only way to do that was to go into the studio and record an album that we felt blew Heroes (or Ghosts) out of the water”. “ "We were young when we recorded Heroes or Ghosts,” says guitarist Dave.

"Although we were so proud of it, we really didn’t expect it to do as well as it did. The last couple of years on the road, constantly gigging and developing our sound, left us with a better idea of the album we wanted to make” Indeed, anyone who has become accustomed to the Coronas' own brand of pop-rock tunes will have plenty of reason to cheer when it comes to their new album, Tony Was An Ex-Con, which took six weeks to record at the Sawmills studio in Cornwall. This time round the guys teamed up with producer John Cornfield who worked with

Muse, and Oasis. “Working with John was an amazing experience,” says bassist Knoxy.

The title track comes from an incredible story about the lads on tour in America, involving a psychotic bus driver who left the entire entourage fearing for their lives.

“It’s funny looking back at it now, but at the time it was really quite scary”, says drummer Conor: “The song was one of the first new songs that set us off on the writing spree that led to the entire record so it felt like the right title.

In Tony Was An Ex-Con, The Coronas' fans will once again be reminded of the endearing spirit that made Heroes or Ghosts a true word-ofmouth success, while many will be impressed by how far they’ve come musically.

The Coronas are undoubtedly one of the best bands to come out of Ireland and anyone looking to buy their partner or friend the perfect Christmas present, tickets to The Coronas, at the Academy in January would go down very well. Check out their website at www.thecoronas.net Tickets on sale now are from e17.50 plus booking fee.

NUMBER ONE’s Down through the Years Number 1’s for November down the years

ASLAN for Christmas

The Prodigy to play O2 The Prodigy have confirmed highly anticipated dates in Dublin and Belfast as part of their 'Invaders Must Die Tour'. Support will come from Does It Offend You Yeah (live set) and South Central (DJ set).

They will play The O2 Dublin on Friday 18 December.

Still riding high in the European charts, their album 'Invaders Must Die' is among the top five selling albums of 2009 and has reaffirmed the band's status as true legends

of both dance and rock.

The Prodigy released 'Take Me To The Hospital' back in August which is taken from their current number 1 album 'Invaders Must Die’.

The band recently walked away with the Best Single for 'Omen' at the Kerrang Awards earlier this year from the same album.

Tickets priced from €49.20 including booking fee are on sale now.

For more details check out www.ticketmaster.ie

Do you have a music story?

If you are a music artist or in a band and have a music story then e-mail us at music@infomer.ie

Back in May of this year Dublin rockers Aslan released their critically acclaimed album UNCASE'd. With a following rivalled by few bands in Ireland today, Aslan are set to play Vicar Street this December 27th.

The album UNCASE’d features Aslan taking on songs by artists including a heartfelt and emotional version of Gilbert O'Sullivan’s Nothing Rhymed, a soon to be a live classic Maggie May, as well as John Lennon's Jealous Guy. Front man Christy says: "We have always put cover songs on the B-sides of our singles since we started out and we have

CHECK OUT THE LATEST COMING GIGS www.mcd.ie www.aikenpromotions.ie www.ticketmaster.ie www.thehelix.ie

always wanted to release a covers album. We felt now was the right time as it follows on from our last studio album For Some Strange Reason released in 2007."

Their 2005 Platinum Collection a 3CD box-set of their hits, b-sides and previously unreleased material, enjoyed massive success, going Triple Platinum within weeks of its release.

Equally as comfortable playing to a few hundred loyal fans in a country bar as they are selling out The Point Theatre, the hardest working Irish band in show business never forget the support and love of their fans, touring constantly up and down the country to perform their now legendary live sets.

Christy’s unique voice sounds as good today as it did 20 years ago and we are sure this year’s Vicar Street gig will blow you away. For more details check out www.aslan.ie or www.ticketmaster.ie.

1964 1969 1975 1979 1983 1988 1996 2000 2003 2008

Dickie Rock Archies Glen Campbell Doctor Hook Paul Young Robin Beck Geldof & Dustin Leanne Rimes Westlife Leona Lewis

Candy Store Sugar Sugar Rhinestone Cowboy When You're In Love Love Of The Common People For The First Time Rat Trap Can’t Find The Moonlight Mandy Run

The O2 has the X-Factor Like it or loathe it, you will have to agree that this year’s X-Factor (in its sixth year) has caused great controversy. It has been the main talking point of most media columnists both here and in the UK because of Lucan’s John and Edward's ability to beat all the odds, due to clever marketing by the show’s producers and marketeers.

Such is the interest in the X-Factor this year, extra dates have been added to the X-Factor O2 Dublin tour with an extra date added for the 30th March 2010 to the all-singing, alldancing annual X Factor Live Tour.

The promoters have promised us that the Dublin shows are going to be huge and will

include performances from some of the show's more memorable characters, but you'll have to keep watching this year's series and turn up to find out just who we are talking about!

So get your tickets now for The X-Factor Live Tour 2010.

For more details check out ticketmaster.ie.

The Informer

Fashion & Beauty

He and she party season dress codes So you have received an invitation to party over the festive season but you are not quite sure what you should wear to make you fit in with all the other guests.

Well let us help you banish pre-party jitters about attire with our quick reference to dress codes for social events by following our easy step guide that will allow you to look good for any social occasion: Black Tie: A Black Tie invitation calls for formal attire. Men wear tuxedos, women wear cocktail, long dresses or dressy evening separates. Formal usually means the same as Black Tie, but in some trendier cities like London or New York , it could mean a black shirt, no tie with a tux. Women wear cocktail, long dresses or dressy evening separates. A White Tie or Ultraformal invitation requires men wear full dress, with white tie, vest, shirt. Women wear long gowns.

Black Tie Optional: A Black Tie Optional or Black Tie Invited gives you the option of wearing a tuxedo or formal dress, but it should clue you into the formality of the event, meaning a dark suit and tie would be your other option. Women wear cocktail, long dresses or dressy evening separates.

Ladies: it’s time to shop tips So you have decided that it’s time to treat yourself to some new clothes for Christmas but do you know that planning a shopping trip in advance can ensure you achieve maximum results from any shopping trip. We have put together a quick guide to shopping that will hopefully help you this festive season.

Have a plan: Check your closet and make a mental note of what you could use e.g. a black turtleneck to go with menswear pants you own, etc.

Set a budget: Knowing you can only pay €100 for a dress ahead of time will help you sort through the racks quicker.

Start early: For special occasions allow yourself at least two weeks prior to the event to find the dress. You'll need extra time for shoes and accessories.

13

Creative Black Tie: This leaves room for trendy interpretations of formal wear. He can go more modern with a tux -- maybe a black shirt, no tie.

She wears long or short dresses or evening separates.

Sometimes, themed parties call for dress codes like Texas Black Tie or other variations of Creative Black Tie. In that situation, you can have more fun with it, choosing a dressy look with a theme (for him, it could be a tux with boots and for her it could be a long dress paired with South western American style silver belt and jewellery).

Semi-Formal: Or After Five means that tuxes are not required, nor are long dresses. An evening wedding (after 6 PM) would still dictate dark suits for him, and a cocktail dress for her.

Daytime semiformal events mean a suit for him and an appropriate short dress or dressy suit for her.

Business Formal is the same as SemiDress for shopping: If you'll be looking for a special occasion dress, try to wear or bring undergarments (strapless bra, etc.) to go with the style. Otherwise, wear easy on/off clothes. Also, styled hair and makeup will make looking at yourself in the dressing room mirror just that much easier.

Shop by yourself: If you really need a second opinion, put the item on hold and bring someone back with you later.

Keep a blind eye to sales and promotions: Stores put enticing promotional items at the front. Chances are you'll blow your budget right there unless you stay on task.

Try it on: Walk, sit, bend in the clothes.

Do they move easily? Are the seams pulling? Do zippers, buttons, etc. all function properly?

Use the three-way mirror: Get an honest look at your rear and side views.

Formal for him, but for women it suggests that women opt for more tailored dressy suits and dresses (nothing too slinky or sexy).

Cocktail Attire: Means short, elegant dresses for her and dark suits for him.

Informal: Often interpreted as the same as Casual but it actually calls for the same dress as SemiFormal -- dark suits for him, short dresses for her -- especially when associated with a wedding or special event.

Festive Attire: Usually seen around the holidays, with the mood of the party being Informal or Semi-Formal. For her, it means to choose looks with a bit of sparkle or holiday bent (i.e. a beaded sweater with black pants, a red silk blouse with a black skirt).

Casual: Dressy casual calls for dressed-up versions of casual looks. For him, it could be trousers and a sport coat with shoes or boats, for her a dressy pants look.

Jeans, shorts, T-shirts and other casual looks are not appropriate for Dressy Casual.

Watch for extreme panty lines (too-tight pants), bunched up waist (too big) or other tell-tale signs of an ill-fitting garment.

Check the care tags: If laundry concerns matter to you, then you may want to do this while browsing. Otherwise, see how much care the item is going to require.

Check the return policy: Many stores don't give cash back, just a store credit; but some mark sale items "final sale" which means you can't bring them back.

Other Tips: • Avoid buying items you can't return for at least a store credit.

• Never buy anything that doesn't fit perfectly. The only exceptions are pants/ skirts that can be easily altered for length at the hem.

• It's not a bargain -- even at 90% off -unless you actually have some way to work it into your existing wardrobe.

Beauty Ideas

With Linda Mullen

of Oceana Health & Beauty Phone: 01-8283901

On the teen scene

My Holy Grail of skincare Dermalogica has launched Clean Start, their first ever skincare line for teens. This collection features products that are easy and do not contain the harsh ingredients some other skincare lines have. It's the best TEEN for (Boys and Girls)range out there and the products last and last for months giving great value for money!!!

(Sidenote: I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Dermalogica. My skin seriously hasn't looked better in a looooonnnggg time. I swear by this brand – their TRICLEANSE is a microdermabrasion in a bottle!!! so I'm semi excited about this skincare system. Even if it is targeted to those Gossip 90210 Holister wearing – Abercrombie obessed crowd! .)

Consisting of eight products, Clean Start offers teens and adolescents products that are for them (no more picking between anti aging and wrinkle removers).

The system stays true to the same strict specifications all Dermalogica products follow: no artificial fragrances or colors, no mineral oils, no S.D. alcohol, and no comedogenic (pore clogging) or allergy-causing ingredients.

Some of the products are: Wash Off (@ €19): a foaming wash that clears away dead skin cells and extra oils to clean deep, banishing breakouts from your face, back...or wherever. Contains no artificial fragrance or color.

Key ingredients include salicylic acid (dives deep, clearing trapped oils, wiping out breakout-causing bacteria and helping prevent future breakouts), botanical extracts that help regulate oil production and orange peel oil (revives, energizes and refreshes).

All Over Clear (@ €19): This toner instantly cools and revives.

This refreshing mist splashes over skin to control shine and keep breakouts away.

-----Key ingredients include sesame seed extract to help control surface oil and shine (especially in the T-zone), licorice, burdock and argan extracts that hydrate, calm and shield skin from environmental exposure, and lemongrass that revives skin while toning.

Ready, Set, Scrub! (@ €21): Both a masque and a scrub, this breakout-fighting, pore-refining duo delivers smoother, clearer and fresher skin. Purifying clays soak up excess oils and debris hidden deep in your skin, while a blend of plant extracts soothe and cool. Then scrub all over, letting the Silica granules polish away those skin-clogging, dull dead cells.

-----Key ingredients include cooling menthol to ease redness while refreshing skin, clay to purify and deep clean pores, and silica to polish and scrub skin.

Welcome Matte SPF15 (@ €21): a lightweight lotion that is meant to fight shine without drying out the skin (actually sounds like something I need). Use it daily to keep skin clean and shine free while providing coverage against UV rays.

-----Key ingredients include oil-controllers to help minimize shine, while moisturizers keep skin hydrated, salicylic acid to exfoliate and sunscreen

Having left my teenager status 2 years ago (I'm bragging now) anything with the word "teen" attached to it kind of makes me cringe. But being that it is Dermalogica and I have developed such a loyalty to it (have you tried the skin refining masque...heaven...) so I wouldn't hesitate recommending this to teens (young adults alike). Visit the collection’s new website at cleanstart.dermalogica. com to find out more!

Looking to promote a fashion event or product to 160,000 homes?

Then email fashion@informer.ie

14

Family Focus

Fun classes for kids In the past 10 years more children have been born into two income families, and there has been a need for good quality childcare in Ireland. While this still holds true in many cases, often the first expense to be cut when a parent loses their job is childcare.

While many children are thrilled to be at home with mum or dad, they may have been used to interacting with children their own age and it can be hard for parents to come up with inexpensive ideas for entertaining them and firing their imaginations week in week out.

Gymboree was originally an American company set up to provide opportunities for parents and children to attend focused music, arts and play classes together. The master franchisor in Ireland is Susan Gilmore. “I was a customer in New York with my daughter and used to learn loads of games, songs and so on I could then repeat at home,” she says. “When my Irish husband was transferred to Dublin 10 years ago I discovered there was no Gymboree, so I bought a franchise.”

Now Susan runs pre-school classes in the Spawell Leisure Centre in Templeogue and provides classes that visit crèches in the area. She charges e35 per month for one child and e50 for two children, which entitles the parent and child to attend a one hour class per week and use her open gym, a 2000 sq ft purpose built playroom which is open six days a week when there are no classes. Not all branches of Gymboree

have an open gym, but class prices are similar across the country.

“We have seven levels of play classes and three levels of music classes based on child age, from tiny babies through to five years,” says Susan. “Music classes allow the children to react to music from around the world by playing games and having fun activities, art classes are all about messy play with no cleaning up afterwards for mums or dads, and play classes use our modular equipment which is changed around every two weeks so it feels like a new room. All of our classes are educational, but as far as the kids are concerned its just fun.”

There are branches of Gymboree in various Dublin locations; Mahon Point Shopping Centre in Cork; counties Galway, Westmeath and Meath, Kildare, Kilkenny, Offaly, Louth, Cavan and Monaghan – check out www.playandmusic.ie for your nearest class.

FAMILY Book reviews Parents who do not at some time or other worry about what their children are, or are not, eating are very rare indeed.

From your little one’s arrival in the world, the first thing you are asked in hospital is – ‘how are you feeding your baby?’ and that’s just the start of a lifelong obsession on your part that only diminishes as your child grows up, but never really goes away.

From breastfeeding and bottlefeeding your infant, moving onto weaning them onto solid foods in the form of pureed fruit and vegetables, to providing healthy balanced meals and putting together lunchboxes, parents are constantly catering for their children.

Feed Your Child Well is an excellent source of information for parents in Ireland as it covers feeding issues from birth right through childhood and looks at the most common problems parents face such as fussy eating, allergies and obesity. It is written

by Therese Dunne, Phyllis Farrell and Valerie Kelly, all senior paediatric dietitians at the Children’s University Hospital Temple Street, Dublin, so has the added advantage of including advice relevant to parents in Ireland.

Feed Your Child Well is published by A&A Farmar at €17.99.

Little girls love nothing more than dressing up as princesses, and you can be guaranteed that anything sparkly with tiaras and pink will catch their imagination.

Annabel Karmel, renowned author of numerous books on baby and children’s food and nutrition and the mother of three children, has tapped into the princess obsession with her new book Princess Party Cookbook.

However, don’t expect a gaudy extravaganza of E numbers, for this is a tasteful exploration of how to cater for a number of themed parties with healthy recipes kids and adults alike can enjoy. Whether you are organising a Fairytale Feast or Movie Star Sleepover or choose a party theme from the likes of Make up and Jewellery, Princess Soda Fountain, Princess Beach Babes or The Princess and the Pea

among others, your little princess will be able to help you in the kitchen and learn something about creating home-cooked food into the bargain.

Little girls will be thrilled to present their friends with flowershaped sandwiches, rice krispie hearts, emerald pizzas, rubyglazed chicken, jewelled jellies, chocolate kisses – I could go on.

This book is not short of ideas, including how to make homemade invitations like a message in a bottle for a beach party or a clapperboard for a movie sleepover, as well as fun activities and crafts.

For the Christmas Wonderland theme there’s how to make place cards, party invitations, edible tree decorations, snowflakes and recipes include cheesy cloud puffs, angel hair pasta, angel cutout cookies, frosted fruits, snowflake cupcakes and a yule log.

Princess Party Cookbook is published by Ebury Press at £12.99 stg.

The Informer

A cute time of the year...

Christmas is a cute time of year for little angels as these pictures from Mini Mode show. Girls Christmas Knitted Red Dress e18, 12-18 months. Baby red velour sleepsuit with reindeer applique e12 size 0-12 months and Father Christmas Thinny Toy e7.50. Mini Mode is available at Boots.

Top 10 ways to control your Christmas spending 1 Set yourself a budget and stick to it – include everything from presents to food.

2 Set money aside for bills expected in January – this will give you peace of mind and increase your enjoyment of Christmas.

3 Pay cash if you can. Leave your credit card at home. If your credit and store cards are too much of a temptation cut them up.

4 Start early and give yourself time to shop around for the best bargains.

5 Make a list of those you need to buy gifts for and a spending limit for each one. Remember good friends do not need expensive gifts.

6 When purchasing food and drink do purchase realistically. Shops will open again two days after Christmas.

7 Create your own gifts or recycle and repackage gifts received and not used.

It’s the thought that counts.

8 Encourage your children to choose early what they want from Santa Claus before the advertisers decide for them.

9 If you are on low income and are under pressure to borrow for Christmas contact your local Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) office to see what options for affordable credit are available to you.

10 Do remember that January follows December. You do not want the ghost of Christmas spending to haunt you in the New Year.

Tips courtesy of MABS, helpline number 1890 283 438. MABS is a national free, confidential and independent service for people in debt or in danger of getting into debt. They have 62 drop-in offices throughout the country staffed by professional money advisors. Check out www.mabs.ie

The Informer

15

Consumer Corner

Should your rent be less?

“Check the newspapers, letting agents and internet for similar properties in the area and see how much they are being rented for. If it is less that what is currently being paid, write to the landlord providing him with this proof and state that the rent is above market rent and request an immediate rent review,” a spokesperson said.

Threshold went on to say that, “if after doing this the landlord refuses, refer the issue to the dispute board of the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB).” The PRTB is charged with resolving disputes between landlords and tenants. It costs e25 to refer a dispute to the PRTB where it is dealt with by mediation or adjudication.

A new report shows that landlords’ rents are falling across the country so you don’t end up paying more money in rent than you should ✄

✄

There can’t be many people out there who don’t know about the fall in house prices over the past twelve months. However, less is known about what is happening in the rental market. Just like the cost of property, rents also sky rocketed in recent years, but now a new report shows that rents are falling in tandem with the slide in house prices.

Daft.ie is Ireland’s largest property website and issues quarterly updates on both the house price market and rental market in Ireland. In a recent report, The Daft.ie National Rent Index shows that rents fell almost 16% in the twelve months to March 2009, with a 5% fall since January alone.

This puts the average nationwide rent at e840 in April 2009, down from over e1,000 just a year ago.

These trends are backed up by recent CSO figures which show that rents have fallen by almost 14% over the same twelve month period.

Why are rents falling?

Notwithstanding the underlying economic factors, the simple reason that rents have been falling is supply and demand. The rental market has been flooded with properties – many of which are unsold houses on the sales market.

The Daft report shows that almost 15,000 new properties have come onto the lettings market every month and that the total number of properties available to rent in the country at any one point is above 20,000. As of April 2009 this figure stood at 22,161 – more than double the 10,817 available in April 2008.

Interestingly, the demand for rental properties has actually increased over the past year.

Daft found that the average number of monthly lettings was 12,858 in the year to April 2009 as opposed to 7,954 in the year to April 2008.

However, given the avalanche of job losses that has occurred in first half of the year, and a likely return to net emigration for the year

✄

overall, one wonders how long it will be before the number of potential tenants starts to decline. Either way, with the sales market likely to remain stagnant, the rental supply should remain strong so the downward pressure on rents is likely to continue.

Biggest falls According to the Daft.ie report, overall rental asking prices are down 16.4% over the past twelve months. Within these figures, rents in Dublin are about 15% lower than a year ago and are now at 2006 Q1 levels.

Dublin City Centre saw the biggest decline where the average monthly rent is now e1,070 or 16.3% lower than a year ago.

Outside Dublin, in the cities of Limerick, Galway and Cork rents are now 15% lower.

Excluding the cities, the average monthly rent is down by 11%.

The cost of renting a room in a property has also fallen. In Dublin, the average cost of renting a single room is e373 per month which represents a fall of 7% over the same period last year. The average price of renting a double room in the capital is e486, also down 7%.

Negotiating a rent reduction Consumers who are renting in the current market should ensure they are not paying too much for their accommodation. Tenants’ rights have been strengthened in recent years with the passing of The Residential Tenancy Act 2004. The Act states that a property’s rent cannot be set above the ‘market rent’ for the area with tenants entitled to seek one rent review every twelve months.

Consumer Choice magazine contacted the National Housing Organisation, Threshold, for advice on what steps consumers should take in negotiating a rent reduction. Threshold said that tenants who feel they are entitled to a rent review should try to get evidence that they are paying above market rent.

The Consumers' Association of Ireland

Rental tax breaks Along with paying the market rate, consumers should remember that if they are paying for private rented accommodation which is used as a primary residence then they are also entitled to tax relief on rent paid.

The relief is calculated at the standard rate of tax (20%) and can be claimed on amounts of up e2,000 for single individuals or e4,000 for married couples. If a consumer is over 55 years of age and living in rented accommodation, the allowance is doubled to e4,000 for a single person and e8,000 for a couple.

Taking the example of a single person aged under 55 who pays e10,000 a year in rent, this person is entitled to relief of e400 (e2,000 x 20%). To claim the relief, the tax form Rent 1 should be completed and sent to the local tax office.

Rent or buy?

With the falls in house prices, many renters with first time buyer status may be asking themselves if now is the time to take the property plunge and buy their home rather than continue to rent.

This is especially relevant because the monthly cost of renting is now more than making an equivalent mortgage repayment.

The figures would certainly seem to support buying over renting. Along with rental statistics, the Daft.ie report also sets out the mortgage cost for first time buyers.

For example, the mortgage repayment on a two-bedroom apartment in South Country Dublin is e1,167 per month based on a variable, 35yr mortgage with an LTV of 85%.

This is compared to an average rent of e1,297 per month for the equivalent rental property.

This would imply that renting costs e160 more a month than buying. However, this calculation takes no account of the fact that house prices are falling. If, as widely expected, this trend continues, renting may yet turn out to be the cheaper option.

43-44 Chelmsford Road, Ranelagh, Dublin 6 Tel: (01) 497 8600 • Fax: (01) 497 8601

www.consumerassociation.ie

Who says Informer advertising works?

nyInformer delivered monthly to 15,000

homes

• Web: www.info rmer.ie • Email: info@info rmer.ie 12 • Tel 01-46016 70 , Ballymou nt, Dublin

kilBarrack • edenmore mount • artane • killester •

king up to failing wa ian dempsey s visedctunreim eg relea formed

even in the case of predetermined sentences. is only to hold life sentences, the practice years. The problem people for a number of are given liberty to with this is that people offend again. he served In the case of Simon McGinley, he was rape and seven years for the 'C' case treatment for sex supposed to have received ex-partner. original offence offending in prison. his was convicted in of the and drugs binge. The occurred during a drink d girl in the 'C' case and drink and drugs offence occurred during latest rs in jail. sense that one of the binge. Would it not make previous convictions for is that he can never conditions for his freedom eny, malicious damage and Wouldn't such take drink and drugs again? say, a blood test monitoring be legitimate, ate in Ireland about violent every week? ng has been characterised reform Trust, According to the Irish Prison on who are 'hard' or 'soft' keep a prisoner in jail on it costs e100,000 to s famous formula 'hard people were imprisan each year. In 2008, 276 of a civil the causes of crime' was oned in relation to the non-payment who those between gap the violent offenders are debt. Meanwhile, serial inadeas a form of irredeemable from prison, with completely released outcome the as of release, o see crime quate supervision and conditions ocial factors. kill. free to decide to rape and our justice system asks 'did these men won't There is no guarantee that it?'. sn't ask 'why did you do again. offend nce the convicted are given

l Gormley

ffences. a litany of previous convolvement in the killing alway in 1996, the blindduring a robbery and a

4 students go head to head page

interview pages 10-11

Get your leaflets delivered d

bution teams across Irelan Using fully-employed distri ting • Fully Audited • • Residential • Profile Targe www.leafletcompany.ie

Get your leaflets delivered Using fully-employed distribution teams across Ireland

www.leafletcompany.ie

d "The computer geeks have been advertising with leaflets delivere Get your fully-employed distribution d theUsingInformer for the last year. In this time we have Irelan teams across ting • • Residential • Profile Targe always a great return on the front page ad Fully Audited • •received and will continue to run this advert for time to come. www.leafletcompany.ie "The prices are also very competitive against other papers and the staff are a pleasure to deal with."

Max Colmer, DC Networks

"Dream Doors is a quality Kitchen Reface Company that has only been in existence for a year now here in Dublin. We have tried, and still use, several forms of media advertising to get our message across.

"We have found when comparing all forms of advertising we use or have used, that the Informer gives us the best return on our money.

"We would have no problem recommending the Informer to any business especially during these difficult times.

Colin Knightley, Managing Director, Dream Doors

"After being in business for five years now, we have found the Informer to be over and above the best print media for our business.

"The only verification we need is when the phone starts ringing every month on the day distribution begins. This paper is delivered door to door by The leaflet Company ensuring delivery actually does take place.

"They are by far the best value for money in advertising today, costing up to 1/3 of the competition and I am now even able to reduce my Google advertising costs thanks to the Informer.

"We have been using the Dublin Informer newspaper for the past 10 months and we are more than happy with the response from our ads.

"The distribution is excellent and I would have no hesitation in recommending their services to other companies."

Padraig Duffy, Managing Director, Duffy Auctioneers Ltd.

"Keep up the good work guys."

Damian Jamieson, Absolute Health

"The Informer remains one of The White Room's leading forms of newspaper advertising.

"Whilst professional presentation and quality content help to attract the most desired customers, the broad distribution network ensures that our products appeal to a very wide demographic.

"I thoroughly recommend the Informer for price, service and advertising appeal.

Paul, The White Room

Our advertisers do!

Call us on 01-4601670 to see what we can do for your business www.informer.ie

The Informer

17

Garden Growing

Preparing for the winter Some good advice for managing you garden over the colder months As I mentioned in my last article, the garden never really shuts down though we all tend to think it does.

November is a great time to enjoy shrubs with berries as they come into their own at this time of year. Holly is an obvious one and this year, for some reason looks like a great year for holly.

Pyracantha is another favourite, though like most gardeners, I dislike anything with thorns as they will always get you no matter how careful you are!

My favourite shrubs at this time of year are the Skimmias. Skimmia Japonica for example is stunning now and will continue to be for many months to come.

Chinese Lanterns 'Physalis' are also really lovely and are often used in flower arrangements. A single Chinese lantern stem in a vase can look ultra stunning!

Nerines are also in full flower as are Asters or Michaelmas daisies.

With

Gerry Norton decreasing feeding your fish as they will not need food in the winter.

Pressies for Christmas Now is a good time to think about Christmas presents. Plants make great gifts, but I personally love to get a new book. The book shops are crammed with books on every subject to do with gardening.

The best in my opinion are the Garden Expert series by Dr. DG Hessayon. They cost about e12 and there must be over 20 different books in the series.

As money is tight for us all right now, I have often bought second hand books in the scout’s hall in Howth. The building is at the start of the East Pier and is usually great for old books for about e4.

Tidying up I also mentioned starting to tidy the garden as autumn turns into winter.

Fallen leaves must be tidied up. Sodden leaves on a lawn will do no good and leaves on paths can result in injury. Bag them for next year’s leaf mould.

Watching the weather November can be quite warm, assuming we escape any nasty Atlantic depressions.

Some northern parts of the country can get very cold winds at this time of the year, while the midlands have already seen the first of the winter frost, so don’t forget to cover delicate plants as I mentioned last time.

If you have bird boxes, tidy these up now as our feathered friends will use the boxes to shelter in when the weather gets nasty. Put food out for them also as insects etc. are getting scarce.

Late planting November is a great time to plant bare-rooted trees, shrubs and roses.

Don’t be afraid to plant trees if you have a small garden as there are a lot of varieties available that will remain small.

My own favourite is a flowering Crab Apple, 'Malus x robusta' or ‘Red Sentinel’, which is widely available in garden centres. It has lovely small red apples that look like large berries.

If you are reluctant to plant trees in the ground, put them in containers. Irish Yew is another tree which will do fine in

l The outlook is chilly: Don't let your pond freeze over as it will kill the fish. A ball floating on the surface can stop the ice. a container and is slow to grow. Mary Proctor in Lissenhall Nurseries, just north of Swords on the old N1, always has great trees at this time of year and is very helpful.

A great shrub to think about is Viburnum. They produce lovely flowers for the next few months which have a beautiful scent. If you aren’t sure what you would like to plant, have a wander around your neighbourhood and you will get some good ideas from other peoples’ gardens.

Don’t be afraid to ask the plants' name if you are not sure as gardeners usually enjoy giving advice.

One last mow The lawn may need one more final cut before the lawnmower is put away for the winter.

I was given some advice recently by a

farmer in Co Meath about cutting grass, in particular the final cut if there is moss in the garden, and most of us have moss.

The advice was to leave the grass a wee bit high as this will keep light away from the moss. If you cut too low, the grass stops in winter but the moss will keep growing.

Final pruning

Now is a good time to winter prune fruit trees and bushes but be careful as unnecessary pruning may do damage to woody growth. Take more hardwood cuttings from plants you like or maybe your friends have plants and could give you some cuttings, a great way to procure free plants. Continue to lift and divide herbaceous perennials, once again, free plants.

Climbers can get damaged by winter winds if this years shoots are not tied. If

tying is a problem, cut the shoots back to five or six buds. If you haven’t planted spring bulbs, you need to get a move on as most garden centres will no longer stock bulbs once November is over.

Pondering your pond If you have a pond November is a good time to get it ready for the winter.

Remove the pump to clean the filter and store it until next spring.

Never let a pond freeze over as the fish will be deprived of oxygen. Low voltage pond heaters are a great idea to keep the frost away by warming the water, but I really would only use one if the pond contained valuable fish like Koi carp.

My own pond has only a few humble goldfish! If you put a small ball in the pond, this will help keep the frost away as the ball will move around in the wind and therefore stop it freezing over. Start

Back to the veg plot Finally now that you have already considered what worked and what didn’t in your veg plot this year, its time to start getting it ready for next year.

Dig in your leaf mould gathered in October 2008 plus any compost you have. If you live near the sea, get a bag or two of seaweed as it’s a great fertilizer. As I said before, you must cut the weed from the rocks as this weed is living. Don’t take the dead stuff that been washed up on the beach as its long past its usefulness. Always remember, the more digging you do, the better your veg crop.

Take care until the next time.

Gerry Norton, Living Landescapes, 97 Church Avenue, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 Tel: 087-2462724 or email livinglandescapes@eircom.net

18

Dublin Informer

Dublin GAA

By Mick Hanley

Outside of the boot with Mick Hanley

November rain inter-county pain

Ballyboden St. Endas - double champions Historic football and hurling double, first in 28 years

Ballyboden St.Endas completed the double in the men’s Dublin Senior Championships as their hurlers defeated Craobh Ciaran, to follow their footballer’s earlier feat in the month in beating St.Judes.

It is the first time in 28 years that the double has been achieved. St Vincents were the last club to accomplish it in 1981.

Ironically Vincents had beaten ‘Boden in the first round of this year’s football championship but because of the back door system the Firhouse Road side were given another chance and they duly took it with both hands.

Epic semi-final Their football final win over St Judes was won the hard way as they had only five days to recover from their epic semi-final battle with Kilmacud Crokes, and what a battle that was. It took three games to separate the sides and many times during those games ‘Boden had stared defeat in the face.

However, there is a resilience in this team this year which digs deep when the chips are down.

The Dublin final itself was one of the best open games in many a year. There was a freshness about it. St Judes were entering

their first county senior championship final having played some excellent football along the way. They had shown their own resilience in their quarter-final clash with favourites St Oliver Plunketts / Eoghan Ruadh in recovering from a ten point deficit to force a draw in their opening game and then going on to defeat the Navan Road side in the replay.

Ballyboden got the breaks on the day with Andrew Kerin scoring two goals at crucial periods of the game. Judes will rue their missed chances and lady luck wasn’t with them as they hit the ‘Boden crossbar on a couple of occasions. In the end Ballyboden had two points to spare over their near neighbours, bridging a fourteen year gap since they last won the trophy. The first part of the double was complete.

eye off the ball and O’Tooles came storming back to level the game scoring 1-1 in the final couple of minutes. However ‘Boden had learnt their lesson and in the replay they made no mistake, winning well.

Unfortunately, the hurling final meeting with old adversaries Craobh Ciaran never lived up to top billing. In a game ravaged by frees, it ended up as a shoot out between ‘Boden’s sharpshooter Paul Ryan and Craobh’s hurling All-Star Alan McCrabbe, with Ryan also grabbing a goal to help his side complete the famous double. Dublin stars Conal Keaney, Shane Durkin and Simon Lambert had the honour of collecting dual championship medals, a tremendous feat indeed.

Favourites in hurling

It has been a long championship for both teams but it is not over yet with the club representing Dublin in the Leinster club championships. Already the footballers have accounted for Wicklow winners Rathnew.

As we go to print their hurlers are preparing for their clash with Kilkenny champions Ballyhale Shamrocks, a tough assignment indeed but who's to say that a Leinster double couldn't be on the cards for the club?

On the hurling front they were the favourites to take the title for the third consecutive year. In the round robin games they hit the ground running and easily qualified for a quarter-final meeting with Crumlin which they overcame. In their semi-final clash with O’Tooles they nearly faltered. Having dominated the game for so long they took their

And so we enter winter, the temperatures have dropped but the heated debate goes on with regard to the two month closed season for inter-county teams. No ‘friendly’ matches, no collective training. Is it right? Is it wrong? Different expert opinions on both sides. Then the question: is it enforced or more to the point, how can it be enforced completely? The thinking behind it all is player welfare, which let's face it, is a good thing.

Another debate around player welfare is the number of games facing our dual players. Although at inter-county level the dual player is practically extinct, many clubs rely on these players to play both codes. Take, for instance, a club like the subject of our feature article Ballyboden St. Endas.

Despite being one of the biggest clubs in the country they have four inter-county stars lining out on both fronts. Dublin footballer (and former county hurler) Conal Keaney and Dublin hurlers Shane Durkan, Simon Lambert and Stephen Hiney. They are all important to both football and hurling supremos Liam O’Dwyer and Liam Hogan in their quest for honours. Obviously in this case co-operation between both managers has ensured that they are fresh to compete on both stages.

But at inter-county level, is this a thing of the past? The Dublin GAA world are probably waiting to see if Conal will follow his inter–county football colleague Shane Ryan in transferring to Anthony Daly’s hurling squad or will he stick with Pat Gilroy’s men? Or even perhaps as a talented player in both codes, will he elect to try and combine both for 2010? We will just have to wait and see.

It can be a long year for our players in all codes. Some are still engaged with their clubs like Ballyboden St.Endas in provincial competitions, some are still togging out for local league fixtures.

Surely this is not a ‘pure’ closed season? Games are games regardless of club or inter-county. Perhaps the solution is to have a one month closed season in December for everyone.

Pressure on inter-county managers in today’s modern game has reached fever pitch. If the county does not perform well, the cries for the managers head resounds loudly. All around the country managers, despite the ban, are focussing their minds on the 2010 season. Raring to go, can’t wait for January to come. Should they be prevented from preparing teams during November and December? Well folks, I will leave you with that thought.

Note: The Annual Evening Herald Dub Stars games will be played on Sunday 3rd January in the Fingallians club ground. Hurling throw in 2pm. Football throw in 4pm. See you all there.

Now for Leinster

For the best in music & talk shows including LiveDrive, the only on the spot traffic service in the country.

Check out our website

www.dublincityfm.ie

The Informer

Distractions Ireland's Agony Uncle

Crossword

The solution to this crossword will appear in the next issue.

1

2

3

4

5

6

19

7

8 9

10

I did something terrible 11

13

12

14

15 16

17

20

18

19

21

22

Across Across 1 - Playthings (4) 1 Playthings 3 - Renounce (8) (4) 9 - Increases (7) 3 - Renounce (8) 10 - Ache; smart (5) 11 Barely any (5) 9 -- Increases (7) 12 - 3D representation of a scene (7) 13 position 10- -Hold Ache; smart(6)(5) 15 - Small tree (6) 17 (7) (5) 11- -Endanger Barely any 18 - Prologue (abbrev) (5) 12- -Adult 3D representation of a scene (7) 20 insect (5) 21 - Subtleties (7) 13 Hold position (6) 22 - Gibberish (8) 23 - Catch sight of (4) 15 - Small tree (6)

23

Down 1 - Relocation (13) 2 - House plant (5) 4 - Not outside (6) 5 - Worldly (12) 6 - Creatures (7) 7 - Generously (13) 8 - Having several uses (12) 14 - Skipper (7) 16 - Sticks to (6) 19 - Marks as correct (5)

17 - Endanger (7)

Dear Frank I am writing to you because I have done something terrible, and I can’t really talk to anyone about it. I love my girlfriend more than life itself, but I have been unfaithful. I spent the night with another girl when I was drunk.

Now my girlfriend is away at university, I am finding things difficult because if I told her I know she would end our relationship. I know I am in the wrong, big time, but I don’t want to lose Down her, she is everything to me.

1 - Relocation (13) Why, when everything is per2 - House plant fect (5) does something have to go so terribly wrong, I know this is my 4 - Not outside (6) entire fault and I can’t blame 5 - Worldly (12) anyone else. I have messed up so 6 - Creatures (7)bad and I’m scared of the outcome, I don’t know what I’d do 7 - Generously (13) without her. I just need someone 8 - Having several usesto, (12)get things off my chest, to talk 14 - Skipper (7)and please just help me in whatever way you can.

16 - Sticks to (6)

Ya Havin' A Laff?

18 - Prologue (abbrev) (5)

19 - Marks as correct (5)

20 - Adult insect (5) 21 - Subtleties (7) 22 - Gibberish (8)

Clever 23 - CatchParrot sight of (4) A burglar was going through a house he was burgling, he came across a parrot, and the parrot said: "God is watching you."

The burglar just ignored it. The parrot said, more loudly this time: "God is watching you, and Jesus is coming!" The burglar asked the parrot, "If you're so smart, then what's your name?" The parrot replied, "Moses." "What kind of moron names a parrot Moses?" laughed the burglar. The parrot replied: "The same fool who named his two pit bulls God and Jesus."

Man in Court A man was on trial for selling drugs, and a neighbour was called as a witness. The defence Lawyer asked: "Did you ever get any cocaine or other drugs from the defendant?" "No sir," answered the man. "Did you ever get any from his wife?"

"No sir." "Did you ever get any from his daughters?" "Uh--excuse me sir," the witness said, "but we're still talking about drugs here, right?"

Naughty Priest A priest was feeling bored one Sunday and decided to take the day off from church. He told the assistant priest he wasn't feeling well and drove off.

He stopped at a golf course about forty miles

away (so that no one would know him.)

Up in Heaven, the angels were talking. One said to Jesus: "Are you going to let him get away with that?" Jesus said, "No, I won't."

The Priest teed off on the first hole and suddenly, the wind picked up, blowing the ball right in the hole for a 420 yard hole-in-one. The angel looked at Jesus and said: "Why did you do that?"

Jesus smiled and replied: "Who's he going to tell?"

Blonde in the Hilton Maria, who was a rather well-proportioned blonde, spent almost all of her vacation sunbathing on the roof of her hotel.

She wore a bathing suit the first day, but on the second, she decided that no one could see her way up there, and she slipped out of it for an overall tan. She'd hardly begun when she heard someone running up the stairs.

She was lying on her stomach, so she just pulled a towel over her rear. "Excuse me, miss," said the flustered assistant manager of the hotel, out of breath from running up the stairs. "The Hilton doesn't mind your sunbathing on the roof, but we would very much appreciate your wearing a bathing suit as you did yesterday."

"What difference does it make?" Sarah asked rather calmly. "No one can see me up here, and besides, I'm covered with a towel." "Not exactly," said the embarrassed man. "You're lying on the dining room skylight."

Dear Pat, Look you made a mistake as you are only human. I don’t think your girlfriend will give you any thanks for confessing you spent the night with another woman so best not mention this as you will only upset her even more.

The fact that you realise you have made a mistake is enough punishment for you. Make a fuss of your girlfriend and show her how important she is to you and don’t make the same mistake again if you can help it!

Bully Boy Tactics Dear Frank, Please could you possibly help me as I don’t know how to handle the situation I am in at the moment.

My boyfriend has recently lost his job and is finding it difficult to find another one. Money is slowly running out and he is worried but he keeps taking it out on me and whilst this is upsetting at the best of times I’m 24 weeks pregnant and can’t cope. I’m being shouted at, insulted, blamed for everything and the arguments are just awful. I don’t have to do very much for the abuse to start.

I love him very much but every time he is like this a part of me dies inside for him. There was once a time when he thought I was special and now it’s just all my fault. what can I do? Shall I leave him or do I stay?

Dear Paula You poor thing and the two most important people here are your unborn child and yourself.

Your boyfriend is obviously frustrated and feels he has let you down by losing his job, which is becoming an ever increasing problem.

He would probably act different in other circumstances but it does not give him any excuse or right to intimidate or bully you and this problem needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

You need to give him an ultimatum that either he seeks professional advice or that you cannot allow yourself or your unborn child to be around him in his current form.

Be willing to listen and be patient with him if he seeks advice and I sincerely hope that things work out for all the three of you.

email me a lot more than he should. I don’t want to leave my job, but feel I can’t move on whilst still working there.

I’m using a married man Dear Frank, About six months ago I started to develop feelings for my Office Manager. I tried to ignore my feelings though as he is also married. But my feelings for him have been growing stronger.

A few weeks ago our team went out for drinks after work, and my manager admitted that he has feelings for me too! He said ‘it’s you, it’s always been you’. We ended up kissing and over text he told me he really liked me and couldn’t stop thinking about me.

We decided to forget it though as he has also got three children.

I can’t just forget it though. We have been flirting over text recently and he has started to

Sudoku 5

Dear Anne What are you doing leading this married man on? He has a wife and children and all you seem to be doing is satisfying your need to be with a guy and this poor unfortunate guy has been caught up in your games.

Listen, you know he is married and has a wife, you know he has children so I’m not quite sure where you think this is going to end up. He will not leave his wife for you and you are fooling yourself if you think he will.

Find a single guy and don’t become a home wrecker.

Solution next issue.

4

7

6

3 1 5 2 6 5 7 4 7 2 9 5 9 7 3 2 6 7 5 7 8 3 8

Scribble Box

Solutions T Y P E C A S T A

A

S

R

I

C Y

F R O T H S D

R A

G

I

E

N

S T

For last Issue S O F A E

O

E

T

A D V E R B S U R R E Y A

L E V E R S

G A L L O N

M A G P

L

X

W

E

K

T

I

E

R

B E E R

A N A

O

G

E

T

N

S A U C E S G E L S

E

T H O R A X I

L U N C H E O N

1 8 2 4 6 3 9 7 5

5 9 4 1 2 7 6 8 3

7 6 3 5 9 8 1 4 2

3 4 5 9 1 2 7 6 8

6 2 9 8 7 5 4 3 1

8 7 1 6 3 4 2 5 9

4 3 7 2 5 9 8 1 6

9 5 6 7 8 1 3 2 4

2 1 8 3 4 6 5 9 7

20

The Informer

Informer Info

So what is the Santry Informer?

It is now two years since the launch of the Dublin Informer. In hindsight, the only exact science, it was the worse possible time to launch a new newspaper. As we know now, we were about to enter the biggest crash since the 1930's. There has never been a slowdown like it in modern times.

We didn't only launch a new newspaper, we launched a new concept. We were to be a features paper rather than a 'news' paper. We have strong interviews, debate pages, lifestyle pages and so on.

It's fair to say that the paper was an editorial triumph but that the commercial end of things suffered as the recession intensified.

But we're still here. We're lean and we're keen.

We have a number of strengths that our competitors can't match.

Firstly, as a sister company of the Leaflet Company of Ireland, we have an unrivalled ability to deliver newspapers right into people's doors.

Nobody can match us for quality and accuracy of

delivery and the ability to target specific areas.

Secondly, our circulation in Dublin is unmatched.

We deliver 140,000 papers to 140,000 homes right across the city.

Thirdly, we have now renamed our local editions to show where we target distribution in local areas.

Our front and back pages change for each area so that our local advertising is targeted at 15-20,000 homes in local areas.

At the moment our local editions describe the areas where we distribute. We don't carry local content at present, but we plan to do so when resources allow.

The map below shows the distribution area of the Santry Informer. We deliver to 15000 homes in this area and all the ads on our front and back pages go exclusively to these areas.

We're building on our two years of experience to create a quality product that readers want to read and that works for our advertisers.

The urban -rural divide

Yes

By Niall Gormley

Self-interest is still a great reckoner in politics. Our poll this month shows that 90 per cent of people interviewed on the doorsteps think that the Government was right to reduce the drink drive limit.

This, of course, includes everyone who lives within walking distance of a pub and everyone who can get the bus to the pub and everyone who doesn't actually socialise in pubs. So in Dublin, where there's no need to drink and drive and where the risk of accident is greater, people don't see the rationale for drinking and driving to arise. People in Dublin support a measure which suits themselves despite the fact that it is destroying pub-centred socialising in rural Ireland.

Interestingly, an AA survey of their members found that around one third of Dublin motorists were against the measure, so perhaps some sanity still remains.

Meanwhile many of the same people who don't want others to drink a pint and drive home on rural roads are preparing to get into their cars, risking themselves, their children and other motorists to drive 60 miles to Newry to save a few bob for Christmas.

The 'h' word springs to mind.

no

Were the government right to reduce the drink driving limit?

Do you intend to shop in Northern Ireland before Christmas?

Dublin Total

Dublin Total

8%

92%

30%

70%

Santry

Santry

7%

93%

47%

53%

Lucan

Lucan

3%

97%

20%

80%

Get your leaflets Blanchardstown

Blanchardstown

10%

90%

Raheny

Raheny

5%

95%

37%

63%

Swords

Swords

22%

78%

7%

93%

10%

90%

Rathmines

Rathmines

Rathfarnham Rathfarnham Using fully-employed distribution t

3%

97%

45%

55%

Dún Laoghaire • Profile Dún Laoghaire • Residential Targeting

This poll was conducted on Thursday 5th and Friday 6th November 2009. In total 400 householders were interviewed across 10 of Informer newspaper titles circulation areas and conducted on a face to face basis

Advertise your business here to 15,000 homes for

e250 Call 01-813 8786

Get your leaflets delivered Using fully-employed distribution teams across Ireland

www.leafletcompany.ie

85%

15%

45%

55%

95%

5%

75%

25%

Dundrum

97% Sandyford

93%

Dundrum

Sandyford www.leafletcompan

3%

78%

22%

7%

65%

35%

Get your le

Using fully-e teams • Residentia • Fu

www.le