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Tributes paid to 21 year old killed in railway tragedy  IAN BEGLEY

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THE young man who died after being struck by a train near Coolmine has been described as the “light of all our lives” by his father.

Robert Peel (21), left, from

Lohunda was killed on Monday in tragic circumstances at approximately 3pm.

Rail services were temporarily brought to a halt, while three units of Dublin Fire Brigade – an ambulance, district officer and fire

tender – attended the scene.

Robert’s father, Dermot, posted a picture of his son on Facebook, followed by a poignant statement.

He wrote: “We lost our beautiful boy yesterday.

Robert has died suddenly

and tragically. He was only 21 and the light of all our lives.

“We are bereft. Please keep him and us in your thoughts, prayers and songs.”

Continued on Page 2

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COUNCIL | LPT UNCHANGED; €55M FOR HOUSING; €24M FOR ROADS

€216m budget set for Fingal’s needs in 2017  IAN BEGLEY FINGAL County Council has frozen the level of commercial rates for the sixth successive year after councillors overwhelmingly agreed a budget of €216m for 2017.

The council says the budget provides for a significant and continued level of investment in the social, economic and cultural fabric of Fingal as it sets out to deliver on a number of core objectives, including continued investment in housing which, at €55m, represents over a quarter of the budget.

Its planned expenditure

of €215,953,800 next year will fund its day-to-day operations as well as contributing to the advancement of Fingal’s Capital Programme, which will cost €324.4m over a threeyear period (2017-2019).

Councillors opted to reduce the basic rate of the Local Property Tax (LPT) by 15% at a meeting on September 12, and charges will remain at the same level as in 2016.

The decision leaves the council with a discretionary LPT income of €1.9m, and reduces the income from the tax by €5.7m.

A sum of €115.5m will be levied from commercial rates, which means

the annual rate on valuation for 2017 will be unchanged, at 0.144 – the lowest valuation rate among Dublin’s four local authorities.

Councillors voted to alter the rate of refund made on vacant property in 2017 as the vacancy refund rate is being reduced from 100% to 75%.

A total of €55.09m has been earmarked for Housing and Building, with €41.75m budgeted for Environment and €40.33m for Recreation and Amenity.

Road Transport & Safety will receive €23.72m, a n d Wa t e r S e r v i c e s

‘Beloved son’ remembered CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 THE death notice on Rip.ie read that Robert will be remembered by “beloved son of Marie and Dermot, dear brother of Rachel and Laura and boyfriend of Stephanee. Sadly missed by his loving family, uncles, aunts, cousins, relatives and his large circle of friends.

The tragedy was described as a “serious incident” by Irish Rail who suspended the Maynooth/Dublin and M3 Parkway/Dublin. Dublin Bus also accepted rail tickets for its services in the aftermath.

Irish Rail had also asked customers travelling on the Maynooth line to not go to Connolly Station due to crowding. Robert’s remains will repose at Cunningham’s Funeral Home, Clonsilla this evening, from 6 to 8pm. His funeral mass takes place at St Mochta’s Church, Porterstown at 10am tomorrow.

Lions Club Christmas appeal Councillors voted overwhelmingly in agreement on Budget 2017, and how to spend it across Fingal

€21.15m, while €19.3m has been set aside for Development Management With a population of 296,214 people, the 2017 budget represents a spend of €729.05 per head and a major stimulus to the local

economy.

For every €1 spent by the council, an additional €1.70 is spent downstream in the economy, and this means that the total contribution to economic output is more than €0.5 billion.

THE Castleknock Lions Club will hold their annual Christmas Food Appeal in Tesco Roselawn and Tesco Cabra on November 25 to 26. The partnership between the Lions Clubs’ of Ireland and Tesco has been hugely successful in raising vital funds and collecting food in the local community for those in need. The club are also holding another appeal on December 17 and 18 at Spar in Castleknock Village and Spar in Carpenterstown. Suggested food donations include any non-perishable goods along with any festive tins biscuits/sweets. Any money collected is also used to support people in need by supporting St Vincent De Paul in the Dublin 15 area and Br Kevin Crowley in Church Street.

17 November 2016 BLANCH GAZETTE 3

The Junior Eurovision song contest in Malta is gearing up to match the excitement of its big brother – and Dublin teenager Zena Donnelly (right) can’t wait to sing out for Ireland with her Irish language song: Brice Ar Bhrice (Brick By Brick)

Zena hopes her ‘Bricks’ will shine at the Eurovision  SYLVIA POWNALL DUBLIN teenagerZena Donnelly is hoping nerves don’t get the better of her as she prepares to take to the stage in Malta this Saturday to represent Ireland in Junior Eurovision.

The 14-yearold from Blackrock flew out to the contest at the weekend and is hoping her song, Brice Ar Bhrice, which was written in Irish, will wow the judging panel.

Zena – a student at Scoil Lorcain in Monkstown – first made headlines in 2010 when she was plucked from the audience to sing with soul legend W hitney Heuston during one of her last concerts in Dublin.

She was only seven at the time,

but her homemade banner (which read, “I love you Whitney, can I sing with you?”) prompted the pop diva to invite her up on stage.

She belted out The Greatest Love of All with her idol – and the footage went viral on YouTube.

Now, Zena is hoping her experience will stand her in good stead as she represents Ireland in Junior Eurovision, having beaten a field of 32 other acts to qualify for the finals.

She said: “My song is Brice Ar Bhrice, or ‘Brick

By Brick’ in English, and I can’t wait to get up on stage and sing it live in Malta.”

Zena already has an impressive CV under her belt. She won RTE’s talent contest, Show Off

or Get Off, and played the lead role in Annie The Musical at the National Concert Hall.

She also performed as a special guest at the Childline concert in the 3Arena alongside Olly Murs, Boyzone and McBusted.

More recently, she was cast in the lead role of Sarah in the TV series, Spooky Stakeout.

But her biggest breakthrough, to date, came with her casting in the movie A Christmas Star starring Liam Neeson, Pierce Brosnan and Kylie Minogue.

However, singing and songwriting is Zena’s first love, and she’s hoping to do her country proud on Saturday night.

“It’s brilliant, a fantastic experience,” she said.

Zena, who designed her own quirky costume for the final, added that getting to represent Ireland was made all the sweeter since she narrowly lost out to Ireland’s first ever Junior Eurovision finalist, Aimee Banks, in 2015.

There aren’t many people who can claim to have sung with the late, great Whitney Houston – but Dublin teen Zena Donnelly did, in 2010

4 BLANCH GAZETTE 17 November 2016

BLANCHARDSTOWN | ACCUSED ‘VULNERABLE’, COURT HEARS

Lessons in litter

THE ‘Bin it!’ campaign stopped off at Coolmine Community School as part of its tour of Ireland.

Students enjoyed a workshop which explored littering and social responsibility. Schools can download a free copy of the ‘Bin it!’ programme materials by logging onto www.chewitbinit.com.

Probation for man who facilitated ticket scam A “VULNERABLE” man with a learning disability who allowed his bank account to be used in an Electric Picnic tickets scam has been put under

probation.

Jonathan McLoughlin (34) of Sheephill Park, Blanchardstown, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court

to aiding and abetting an unknown person in the commission of the offence of deception in August 2013.

Last Friday, Judge Patricia Ryan said she wanted to stress that McLoughlin was not the “orchestrator of this scam” but was taken advantage of because he had a bank account and a learning disability.

“The court has been told of Mr McLoughlin’s difficulties and he was taken advantage of because of those difficulties,” she said.

She said this was a “nasty offence” on young people who were looking to attend the Electric Picnic concert as they had sent their money “in good faith” but had not received the tickets.

T he €1,845 which McLoughlin had attempted to withdraw from the bank has since been dispersed between the injured parties, the court heard At the sentence hearing Detective Garda Patrick Traynor agreed with Lorcan Staines BL, defending, that although McLoughlin told gardai

The official opening. Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Special day for Corduff

SPECIAL Olympics Ireland celebrated the opening of their new offices at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus, Corduff this week.

The new offices will be home to Special Olympics Ireland’s national headquarters, as well as being the base for their Eastern and Leinster divisions.

he would “take the rap”, officers weren’t “totally convinced” by his admissions and were satisfied that someone else was involved.

Mr Staines said that McLoughlin had been getting a small amount of cannabis “on tick” at the time and he was asked for his bank card and account details. The detective accepted that this explanation was “reasonably possible”.

Det Gda Traynor told Cormac Quinn BL, prosecuting, that the scam involved the advertisement of tickets for the Electric Picnic on the Donedeal website. An unknown man also contacted people who had posted ads themselves looking for tickets.

Victim Another victim was conned into transferring cash to McLoughlin’s account for a car engine after he placed an ad on the same website looking for one. A total of €2,630 was lodged to McLoughlin’s account, a large proportion of which was later withdrawn by use of his card in various ATMs.

When gardai were contacted by those people affected by the scam and provided with details of the bank account, a stop was put on the account and no further withdrawals could be made by ATM. On August 30, 2013, McLoughlin arrived at his local bank branch to withdraw the balance of €1,845. The bank alerted the gardai and officers came to the bank to speak with McLoughlin. He was not arrested until the following February when he made admissions.

Det Gda Traynor said gardai were never able to confirm who made the withdrawals through the ATM and no other person has been charged with the offence.

Judge Ryan accepted that a psychological repor t outlined that McLoughlin has an intellectual disability. She said she was taking into account as mitigating factors McLoughlin’s guilty plea and the fact that he was a “vulnerable person.”

The judge imposed probation supervision for six months.

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GazetteGALLERY

| INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY BLANCH GRADUATION 2016

Mary Kiwanuka, Nitish Raj Singh and Fei Wang

Graham Knowlles with daughter Ella

Rebecca Maguire, Sarah Whelan and Eadaoin Mooney

Campus celebration

Diana Gabor pictured with daughter

Niamh Smyth, Michaela Byrne, Niamh

Lee Van Thai, Fran Farrell, Jack Hartnett, Carl O’Donovan, Paul

Hegarty and Sarah Fay

Gorman and Karl Smith

Veronica

Danielle Jameson with Amy O’Reilly

‘Be kind to yourself.

I really beat myself up.’  IAN BEGLEY A CASTLEKNOCK mother of three premature babies is advising anyone else going through the same experience not to blame yourself.

Mary McCluskey (38), is the mother of three premature children, Seb, Zoe, and Eve. Seb was born in 2014 after a 30-week pregnancy and weighed two pounds, 18 ounces. Zoe and Eve, twins born in 2015, weighed two pounds each after a 28-week pregnancy.

Despite entering into spontaneous preterm labor in her 30th week, Seb was born without complications aside from being underweight and thus remained in hospital for four weeks.

Mary said: “It was obviously a very big shock to me when I first found out that my first child would arrive prematurely. The pregnancy was fine and there was no sign of any reason for concern.

“Once my water broke in May I had to stay in hospital. I was told that he could come in July or just at any time at all so it was just a case of waiting. In some ways, I was prepared in the days

leading up to my delivery because I had the opportunity to talk to consultants and get their advice.

“I also had a friend who had a premature baby in similar circumstances so at least I could talk to her about what she went through.”

During Mary’s second premature deliveries, Zoe and Eve unfortunately experienced birth complications which resulted in several infections and blood transfusions. Eve also contracted a low grade brain bleed, however this self-remedied.

The girls remained in hospital for seven and six weeks respectively.

Mary noted that the second pregnancy was much harder than the first, she was “physically fine, but emotionally destroyed”.

She and her husband were spending a lot of time visiting the twins in hospital which required leaving Seb with minders. She advises parents of premature children to talk to others going through the same experience and share their feelings openly.

“In a way I was a bit more prepared for it the second time, but was more

cautious with the pregnancy because I knew there was more of a chance of something going wrong.

“The second time was very different than the first because since we were visiting the twins all the time we had to arrange a minder for Seb and divide our time up a lot. Our energy levels were also not as high.”

Asked if she had any advice for mothers going through a similar experience as her, Mary said: “I think the best advice I can give is to be kind to yourself because I really beat myself up over the whole thing, thinking in a way that it was all my fault even though I was assured it wasn’t.”

Minister for Health Simon Harris has unveiled a guide for families of premature babies called Better Together: A Family-Centred Care Guide for Your Premature Baby.

The guide outlines 10 family-centred care giving activities that families can participate in when they have an infant in the NICU. For more information on World Prematurity Day and family centred-care visit INHA.ie.

d Eve Seb (above), Zoe, an ture ma pre rn bo all were

17 November 2016 BLANCH GAZETTE 7

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Out and About

Oh what a beautiful performance of Oklahoma at Draiocht by Coolmine Musical Society

Damian Hurley and Ian Rountree

The show was praised for it fantastic production values. Pictures: Paul O’Rourke

Skills with the lasso

James O’Higgins Norman, Andrew Gallagher and Liam Egan

Riona Keogh and Heather Mahon

Ray Lowry, Rachael Marum and Heather Storey

Becca Strain, Jennifer Martin, Justin Parkes and Crystal Lee Murphy

17 November 2016 BLANCH GAZETTE 9

A movie-ing night of film fun as club hosts Night At The Oskars

Lydia Clarke, Richard Mahon and Mags Giffney from The Snapper.

Pictures: Shay Hogan

Haley Dixon and Dearbhla Monaghan from Bridesmaids

C

Dave O’Brien and Barbara O’Neill from The Field

astleknock GAA hosted a “Night at The Oskars” last week in Westmanstown Conference Centre, sponsored by Rialto Ford and CopperFace Jacks and organised and staged by Kevin Rowe Events. The MC for the night was Joe Rooney, famous for playing Father Damo in Father Ted. The judges were Dublin Footballer Alan Brogan, Fiona O’Carroll from Mrs Browne’s Boys and Eimer Morrissey from RTE’s Damo and Ivor. More than 50 club members took part in creating 10 minute clips from famous movies such as The Snapper, Bridesmaids, The Hangover, In The Name of The Father, Forrest Gump and also Father Ted. There were lots of laughs when the films were shown on the night to a packed audience and Oskars were presented for Best Film, Highest Grossing Film, Best Actor and Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress.

The cast of Forrest Gump

10 BLANCH GAZETTE 17 November 2016

OPINION | POSITIVES COULD YET EMERGE FROM THE SHOCK RESULT IN AMERICA

Trump’s win could mark the roots of a better way NUI lecturer in Government

FIRST Brexit, and now President Trump. In years to come, 2016 will be remembered as a watershed moment in the history of democracy.

Political pundits shocked and alarmed by Trump’s victory have suggested that it spells the beginning of the end of Western democracy.

I believe, instead, that it marks the opening of a new chapter, characterised by both enormous risk and possibility.

Although democracy is by no means a product or exclusive property of Western civilisation, the term itself was coined in ancient Greece to signify a form of popular power.

It combined the Greek words ‘demos’ – meaning either the whole citizen body living within a particular city-state, or the ‘lower orders’ – with ‘kratos’, meaning ‘power’ or ‘rule’.

Today, we tend to think of democracy as a system of government in which the people elect representatives to rule on their behalf.

However, this conception of democracy is a relatively recent one.

Democracy originally

Picture: Emmet Curtin

 DR LAURENCE DAVIS

meant – and was – government and society as one, with the citizen body governing itself directly by means of active participation in the political process.

More than that, it referred to a way of life.

This was the message of Pericles’ famous funeral oration in ancient Athens, and it was the way in which ordinary Americans used the term in the early American republic to refer to an egalitarian way of life – one in which the people didn’t have to bow and scrape before their so-called ‘betters’.

Even as late as the 1780s and 1790s, democracy never meant competitive political parties, and rarely referred to representative institutions, which were widely regarded as elitist, rather than democratic devices.

Rather, it was more likely to suggest direct popular decision-making in an as yet unspecified institutional form, and a way of life with vast impli-

cations for society more generally.

Contemporary democracy is a far cry from this participatory ideal. While it is true that hard-fought popular struggles have overcome centuries-old exclusions from citizenship based on propertyownership, gender, and ethnic and racial affiliation, this dominant triumphalist narrative of democracy obscures the ever-growing gap between the ideals of popular sovereignty, and the reality of contemporary demo-

of the democratic principle to the government of the state is tenable, in the context of modern techno-industrial capitalist societies in which so much power lies outside the domain or control of elected governments.

Responding to some of these developments, political scientists across the ideological spectrum now frequently lament what they refer to as a ‘crisis of democracy’.

What they mean by this is widespread public disenchantment with the

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“The Trump campaign successfully tapped into disaffection, and portrayed its candidate as the ‘anti-political’ solution to the failings of liberal democracy”

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cratic societies.

Perhaps most notably, it obscures the hollowing out of democracy by the market-driven concentration of power in the hands of interconnected economic and political elites, carried to extreme lengths in recent years under the banners of neoliberalism and austerity.

And this, in turn, raises the deeper question of whether the confinement

politics of representative democracy, reflected in declining voter turnout, membership of political parties, trust in politicians, and interest in mainstream electoral politics.

To focus on one illustrative example, current research indicates that politicians are amongst the least trusted groups in society, and that large numbers of people are

While much of the world has been horrified by Donald J Trump winning the presidency across the pond, Dr Davis writes that the end of ‘business as usual’ in politics could yet see a new type of democracy emerge from the ashes of the bitterly contested race

deeply mistrustful of both political parties and government itself.

The Trump campaign successfully tapped into this disaffection, and portrayed its candidate as the ‘anti-political’ solution to the failings of liberal democracy.

As exit polls have confirmed, Trump’s supporters believed him, and they turned out in record numbers to make their views known.

In response, liberal critics have already begun decrying the ‘stupidity’ of the American electorate.

Some even have questioned the principle of ‘one person, one vote’.

Like the elite democratic framers of the American Constitution, who drafted its elaborate system of checks and balances precisely in order to avoid what John Adams once referred to as ‘the horrors of democracy’, contemporary liberal democrats are once again

blaming the people for the horrors of democracy, and have failed to engage in any but the most condescending of ways with the deep populist anger which propelled Trump to the presidency.

By way of an alternative response to Trump’s victory and the politics of fear and division it is likely to unleash, I suggest the following.

The most effective antidote to the demagoguery Trump represents is not less democracy, but more.

This was precisely the message of the Bernie Sanders campaign, which spoke to millions of Americans who wanted to see a progressive alternative to politics as usual.

For many of those who supported Sanders in the Democratic primary election campaign, democratic politics is about much more than simply elections.

It also entails people getting organised and

mobilised in grassroots social movements to contest power and forge participatory alternatives to elite democracy outside as well as inside the framework of elections.

In stark contrast to Trump’s elitist claim that he, and he alone, could fix America’s problem, the Sanders campaign maintained that only popular power, in the form of a democratic revolution, could transform American politics and society and make its institutions once again responsive to the people.

Voters opted instead for the ‘safe’ choice of Hillary Clinton. Perhaps now it is time to for all those in the United States and elsewhere who care about the future of democracy to consider less safe options, including the possibility of a ‘post-representative’, progressive and participatory democratic alternative to elite-led liberal democracy.

17 November 2016 BLANCH GAZETTE 11

GAZETTE

12 GAZETTE 17 November 2016

DUBLINBUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS | 18 SYSTEMS REPLACED IN COMMS AGREEMENT

Oil firm rings up a €185k phone tech solution deal  EMMA NOLAN Malahide native James Doyle is hoisted aloft after being named as president of Ogra Fianna Fail

Doyle’s delight at top Ogra Fianna Fail position CHEERED on by more than 500 delegates and supporters, Malahide man James Doyle was elected to the position of president of Ogra Fianna Fail at the party’s National Youth Conference in Limerick.

27-year-old Doyle is a qualified financial advisor, and first got involved in politics aged 12 when he was a delegate to Comhairle na nOg, eventually becoming national chairperson in 2007.

Doyle said: “It’s a great honour to be elected

president of Ogra by my peers. I received a strong mandate, winning 63% of the vote.

“My job is to grow and develop our organisation and ensure that the voice of young people is heard within Fianna Fail and the country generally.”

Over the course of the weekend, delegates debated issues such as the needs of rural Ireland resulting from the fallout from Brexit, and the need for an increased focus on science and technology in schools.

Penneys joins Celebrations One4All list for standards PENNEYS has become the latest retail brand to sign up for the national One4All gift card system.

Michael Dawson, group chief executive at One4all, said: “We are really excited to extend our portfolio of retail partners and welcome the Irish institution that is Penneys to the One4all scheme, meaning that One4all customers are able use their cards in its stores nationwide.”

T he One4all Gif t Card is the marketleading, multi-retailer gift card, and is currently accepted in store and online at more than 8,000 stores nationwide.

SOME 12 Dublin firms are celebrating after achieving certification to key international business standards.

Aalto Bio Reagents Ltd, Balfour Beatty Rail Ireland, Central Bank of Ireland, Collen Construction, Decawave, Dublin Bus, Irish Rail, New Century Engineering, Label Tech, McNally Handy and Partners, Owens and Minor Global Services, and Syncreon were among 30 organisations recognised for their achievement.

The special ceremony was held at the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) offices on November 4.

TOP Oil has struck a €185,000 deal with ShoreTel and Phone Pulse.

ShoreTel was one of a number of solutions considered by Top Oil, and was chosen based on feedback from the company’s IT and business users.

Savings have been made largely through the removal of 18 separate phone systems that were previously in place. Each incurred separate landline charges, and offered no call visibility.

Another benefit of using ShoreTel’s unified communications solution is increased sales conversions.

ShoreTel has shown that approximately 30% of calls received are direct sales calls from customers.

The system allows these calls to be prioritised and answered by a member of the sales team while routing less time-sensitive internal calls to other staff.

The leading fuel supplier is also benefiting from the addition of callback, call recording, instant messag-

Seamus McGovern, group ICT manager, Top Oil; Barry Dillon, regional sales director, Ireland, Middle East and Nordic regions, ShoreTel; Imogen Gold, contact centre manager, Top Oil and David Lang, sales director, Phone Pulse.

ing, conference call and email capabilities, which now all run under the ShoreTel platform, ensuring ease of use.

Feeback Productivity has increased, and Top Oil has received positive feedback from customers since the

solution was introduced.

Seamus McGovern, group ICT manager, Top Oil said: “When we looked at a number of options for our needs, the clear winner was ShoreTel. It’s simply the best unified communications solution in the market.

“The €40,000 annual

cost savings have obviously been hugely beneficial for our business and ensured a very high return on investment.

“Phone Pulse has made the transition to ShoreTel seamless, implementing the solution in just a few weeks and providing onsite training to staff.

Swords firm claims technology win at eir Elevation Awards 2016 A BUSINESS located in Swords’ Airside Business Park has won the Best Technology award at the eir Elevation Awards 2016.

The company, eShopWorld, describes its role as “empowering online retailers to succeed globally by delivering a seamless and glocalised shopping experience”.

Eavann Murphy, chief commercial officer, eir Business, said: “The eir Elevation

Awards are the perfect vehicle to highlight and acknowledge innovation and give new businesses in Ireland the platform to grow and develop further.

“As a member of the judging panel, I was delighted to see such incredible vision, innovation and genuine desire to achieve success on a national and international scale.”

The award winners, which span seven categories, were announced at a lunch in the

Marker Hotel, Friday earlier this month.

With a spotlight on innovation, international scalability, differentiation and strategic investment to the Irish economy, the eir Elevation Awards celebrate the success of Ireland’s fastest growing companies.

Pictured are Shay Lunch, Future State, presentning Michael Nolan of eShopWorld with the award.

“Now, we can route calls easily across our 30 locations and 250 staff.

The feedback from customers and staff alike has been very positive. We’re a customer-focused organisation, and our reputation is very important. With ShoreTel, no customer is left behind,” he said.

17 November 2016 GAZETTE 13

14 GAZETTE 17 November 2016

GAZETTE

DIARY DUBLINLIFE Look out for artists’ talents CHILDREN across Dublin are being called on to let their imaginations run wild and create a modern masterpiece for Sightsavers’ Junior Painter Awards

by Friday, November 25.

T his year’s theme, Framing The Future, is sure to inspire some imaginative entries from primary school pupils.

Entrants have the chance to win cash prizes for their schools, sponsored by The Irish Times, and memberships and toolboxes full of arts and crafts materials from ReCreate Ireland.

Some 15 regional winners will be selected and will have the opportunity to see their work displayed at a special awards day

Judge, Laureate na nOg and children’s book illustrator PJ Lynch with Aya Parker, Rachel Murphy and Emmy award-winning costume designer, Joan Bergin. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

next Spring. where three overall national winners will be announced.

Every child that enters will receive a certificate of

participation in recognition of their artistic efforts.

See the entry forms, at www.sightsavers.ie/juniorpainter.

CHRISTMAS FUN AT MERRION SQUARE MERRION Square will throw open its gates and doors for a series of sea-

sonal events this November and December.

The annual lighting up of the square takes place on Tuesday, November

22. The public will then be welcomed the next day for Christmas On Merrion Square – an open day with events for all ages in the buildings around the square.

December 12 sees the surrounds of St Stephen’s Church play host to Carols By Candlelight – a free traditional service and carols sung by Classicus Youth Choir.

From free horse and carriage rides to Christmas carols, creative Irishmade gifts and wonderful seasonal artisan food, the day offers something for all ages and tastes.

All events are free with some ticketed. For further information, see www. merrionsquare.ie.

GO TO TOWN FOR ALL THE SEASON’S SIGHTS A NEW website is to be launched to keep track of all the Christmas events happening in Dublin this festive season.

DublinatChristmas. ie is a one-stop-shop for information on all the festivities taking place across Dublin city centre, including information on shopping, socialising, family-friendly events, special offers and much more.

T he same message from the city, and the site, is Go To Town to see the city come alive with the festive spirit, and experience the magic and tradition of Dublin at Christmas time.

17 November 2016 GAZETTE 15

16 GAZETTE 17 November 2016

COMMENT | THE TANAISTE SAYS WE CAN ALL DO MORE TO END THE PLAGUE OF DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE

CHARITY | DUBLIN BIOPHARM STAFF TAKE TIME OUT TO GIVE BACK

 FRANCES FITZGERALD

DOMESTIC violence remains a serious issue in our society. Too many people have had their futures robbed from them. Society needs to get the message that such violence is criminal and unacceptable.

That is why, this week I launched the National Awareness Raising Campaign on Domestic and Sexual Violence.

My Department and NGOs working in the sector have developed an advertising campaign to increase the awareness of domestic and sexual violence, to bring about a change in behaviours and attitudes and to activate bystanders with the aim of decreasing and preventing this violence.

The campaign will recognise that women and men are victims of such crimes. It will encourage family members, friends and bystanders to take action to combat domestic and sexual violence.

We want women and men to feel that they can reach out and ask for help. We want the message to reach into households across this country – domestic and sexual violence must stop.

Through this campaign, we are taking on a very significant challenge but if we unite to bring this violence out in the open, to make this an issue people talk about and to help people understand and recognise the violence, we can achieve so much.

There is a lot at stake – people’s safety, their lives, that of their family, their children. It is incumbent on us to do our all to effect change, to strive to change the behaviours in our society that perpetuate the violence that happens in homes throughout Ireland. Our homes should be our sanctuary but sadly for a lot of women, men and children their home is a dangerous and fearful environment.

Therefore we must speak out against domestic and sexual violence and leave perpetrators in no doubt that this violence will not be tolerated in our country.

Of course, in order to ensure that those who do step forward are supported, we need to strengthen the legislation on domestic violence. I will publish the Domestic Violence Bill soon. It contains key improvements. It will be easier to get barring, safety and protection orders. It will provide for securing an emergency barring order and it will be possible for a victim to give evidence by video-link.

The intention for this campaign is to send a clear and unequivocal message to perpetrators that this violence is totally unacceptable and that it must stop. As relatives, friends, neighbours, bystanders and witnesses, we have an important role in helping to prevent domestic and sexual violence. Our intervention, if it is safe and legal to do so, will significantly impact those affected by this intolerable violence by offering hope and support.

The most difficult aspect of tackling domestic and sexual violence is its hidden nature. It happens in sitting rooms, kitchens, bedrooms; clubs, pubs and nights out. It hides in the private moments of relationships, things that outsiders cannot see. This campaign is aimed at getting into those hidden spaces through ads on TV, local radio, in posters on our streets, ensuring our national message is delivered at a local level: domestic and sexual violence is not acceptable.

Todd Manning (centre) with his AbbVie colleagues for the biopharmaceutical giant’s annual community support programme, Week of Possibilities

When big businesses shows bigger heart  EMMA NOLAN

BIG-hearted employees from a pharmaceutical company in West Dublin have rolled up their sleeves to help build a creche for homeless children.

Some 60 volunteers from AbbVie in Citywest took time out from their busy schedules recently to help Sophia Housing, a non-profit organisation that provides emergency, transitional and long-term accommodation to homeless people.

The accommodation centre is based in Donabate in north Dublin, where Sophia operates a ‘Nurture Centre’ providing creche and after school facilities for children

living within the complex. The AbbVie volunteers put in a massive effort to upgrade the centre, an outdoor play area and an adjacent garden allotment.

Mary Gilton of Sophia House in Donabate told The Gazette: “The children, adults and staff will have a wonderful, enhanced, exciting and out-of-this-world nurturing centre and surrounding garden areas to happily work and play in thanks to all at AbbVie. “The company’s Week of Possibilities initiative has been a fantastic experience for all involved.”

AbbVie, a global biopharmaceutical company which employs around 600 people

in Ireland, joined forces with Volunteer Ireland in 2015 to launch ‘Week of Possibilities’, an initiative that strives to make a positive impact on the lives of marginalised people through a commitment to building strong communities, sustainable health care systems and effective educational programmes.

This year, 400 of AbbVie’s Irish employees – two thirds of its workforce – volunteered more than 1,700 hours during Week of Possibilities.

Across the company, a remarkable 313 colleagues from commercial and manufacturing sites contributed to the initiative.

“Week of Possibilities is a great example of how non-profit organisations and the private sector can work together to make a positive difference.” said Todd Manning, general manager AbbVie, who is based in the company’s commercial office in Dublin’s Citywest.

“This wonderful initiative helps to give children from underserved populations a better chance at achieving their dreams and ultimately improving their own communities. We believe our volunteer work during Week of Possibilities can make a real difference – on the children of today and on the communities of tomorrow.”

Todd (above), Basil (above right) and some of the AbbVie gang muck in to help upgrade the childcare facilities at Sophia House in Donabate

17 November 2016 GAZETTE 17

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18 GAZETTE 17 November 2016

DUBLINLIFE

STYLE er Riv o Rud nd Isla lph

Next Faux fur gilet €28

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Dublin training Academy wins prestigious beauty award  EMMA NOLAN

TEMPERATURES have dropped and a new Winter coat and cosy essentials are top of the shopping list for boys and girls.

Whether it’s for the school run or special occasions, we’ve complied some cosy kids favourites from the high street. From fur gilets

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Style Editor

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to double-breasted pea coats, the outerwear offering for kids right now are giving the grown-up styles a run for their money, and best of all, they’re also stylish and practical.

 EMMA NOLAN

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Monso top €20

Trends “In recent years, treatments and techniques in salons have advanced so much and customers expect the latest trend in their local salon.

“We at Waverley are constantly responding to these demands so that all our students graduate with the highest standards and techniques possible.”

There are 25 tutors at the academy, specialising in hair, beauty and make-up.

The academy is now taking admissions for courses. For further information, see www. academy.ie or call 01 408 9769.

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A DUBLIN beauty school has just won the Training Academy of the Year award at this year’s Irish Hair and Beauty Awards.

The Waverly Academy in Inchicore has been in business for 22 years and has recently added new courses to its programme.

Director Veronica O’Kelly said: “There’s never been a more exciting time to have a career in the hair, beauty and make-up industry.

Monsoon Jeans €34

17 November 2016 GAZETTE 19

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20 GAZETTE 17 November 2016

DUBLINLIFE

FASTNews

Dealer Principal Tom Staunton and Anne Staunton with Steve Tormey, chief executive at Toyota Ireland at the signing of the new dealer agreement

State-of-the-art Toyota dealership opens at Liffey Valley TOYOTA Liffey Valley, Dublin’s newest Toyota dealership opened last week under the management of Tom Staunton adding another important car brand to the line-up of dealerships at the extensive shopping centre off the N4. Tom has over 30 years experience both within the motor industry and with Toyota.

Toyota Liffey Valley will create 40 new jobs within sales, after-sales and administrative roles. It has an 11-car showroom and heralds a new concept by integrating the sales and service business by wrapping the service workshop around the showroom.

The dealership covers 3,000 sq m over two floors.

The new showroom features Toyota’s new Retail Concept offering customers an immersive experience, encompassing a combination of physical, human and digital touch points which will guide the customer through the showroom. The service workshop area comprises a 14-bay workshop featuring pre-NCT and inspection bays along with dedicated express servicing bays.

Ford launches new Kuga with a 7 year warranty FORD claims that the new 2017 Kuga SUV is a more technologically

V40 model adds a new measure to Volvo safety appeal

Volvo has added even more safety value to its entry level V40 model to add to the appeal of a car that’s compact in nature and edges closer to the prestige end of the market. MICHAEL MORONEY took it for a test drive and explains its appeal.

VOLVO’S latest version of the V40 was launched during the summer months with modest styling changes and some extra specification options to make the Swedish brand’s entry model even more desirable. The car continues to look attractive, with a sporty hint so that as it drives by, you would almost think that it’s going faster than it actually is.

On the inside the car is stylish and modern, with an understated layout that gives hints to the Swedish IKEA-like minimalist approach that’s obvious across the entire Volvo range. That’s part

of the attraction of the car and that is a comfortable fit with the Volvo brand which for generations has stood for safe driving and comfort.

The V40 is a blend between a hatchback and an estate car. The result is a compact and modern looking car from the outside that’s comfortable on the inside while not being too big. This is a car that’s relaxed on city and rural roads with its compact nature and freeflowing design lines.

The test car that I drove recently was the D2 Momentum Edition, powered by a thrifty 2.0litre, turbo-diesel engine.

The engine is smooth and

powerful enough with a high level of torque at 280Nm, to give a reasonably impressive acceleration figure of 10.5 seconds in a 0 to 100km/ hr race. It’s no rocket but more importantly, the relatively high engine torque means a smooth acceleration that’s effortless even if it’s not Formula 1 fast.

There’s a lot of competition in this segment of the market, and for Volvo the brand image is as important as the car’s performance. The economy figures that I achieved were disappointingly below the quoted figure of 31km/ litre (3.2l/100km or

advanced, refined and affordable sports utility vehicle (SUV) than ever.

The new Kuga, with a fresh front grille design, arrives in Ireland this month with prices starting at €33,345, a price increase of over €1,200.

The entry model comes with a new 120bhp Ford 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine that’s claimed to deliver a fuel economy figure of 22.7km/litre (64.2 mpg) and with a low 115g/km CO2 rating. This engine is claimed to be 5% more fuel efficient than the previous 2.0litre turbo-diesel engine that was the entry model in the range.

There will be three diesel engine options in terms of power 120bhp, 150bhp and 180bhp with the latter two powered by a 2.0 -litre turbo-diesel engine. A new petrol engine option is restricted to a 1.5-litre 150bhp EcoBoost engine which is turbo-charged and more efficient than petrol engines of the past.

The dash on the Volvo V40 is modern and understated with clear lines in an IKEA sort of way, that’s functional and practical

Volvo V40

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine 2.0 litre Engine power 120hp 0 – 100km/hr 10.5 seconds Top speed 190km/hr Economy 31km/litre (3.2l/100km or 73mpg)

Fuel Tank Capacity 62 litres CO2 emissions 89g/km Road Tax Band €180 Main Service 20,000km/12 mon Euro NCAP Rating 5 star 2012 Boot Space 335 litres Warranty 3 years (100,000km) Entry Price €28,045

Volvo fit a capless fuel filler unit to the Volvo V40 with a narrow throat to ensure that filling mishaps are prevented

73mpg) and that was with a significant amount of city driving.

The engine start-stop system, a very useful fuel saving device appeared a bit harsh relative to some others, so I ended up using less often than I should. Start-stop systems are not everyone’s favour feature, but they do need to be very seamless for drivers to get comfortable with them.

The 62-litre capacity fuel tank, with its capless opening device, gave me a range of over 700km, which is a shade low for cars in this segment of the market. That’s because most cars of this size are fitted with smaller and marginally more fuel

efficient 1.6-litre turbodiesel engines that also make these other cars marginally lighter.

Weight is important when it comes to fuel economy in modern cars.

That’s part of the reason some car companies such as Volvo don’t provide a spare wheel in the boot as standard. But the lack of the spare wheel, which costs €80 extra on the options list, has not been enough to keep the Volvo V40 fuel economy in trim.

Among the obvious less prestigious competition are the popular Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus, Opel Astra and Toyota Auris. Volvo tends to pitch the V40 against the

17 November 2016 GAZETTE 21

GAZETTE

MOTORING

Toyota launches annual Dream Car Art Contest

The new Volvo V40 comes with a range of optional safety features that has the potential to make it one of the safest midrange cars on the road. Prices start from €28,045 before delivery charges.

The doors open wide, but rear legroom is modest, while the hatchback

The boot is reasonable in size and the optional Tempa spare

boot opens wide for easy loading

wheel costs an additional €80

Audi A3 Sportback but to me they are very different cars.

On paper at least, the V40 is no faster than any of them in terms of acceleration, and marginally better, in theory at least, in terms of fuel economy.

That’s why its CO2 rating is so good at 89g/km bringing it right down to Road Tax band A2, which costs just €180 per year in road tax.

One of the things that that impressed me about the Volvo V40 was the quick user guide in the glove box. This was a clearly laid out guide that shows you how all of the cars functions can be set and how to get the best from the car.

---------------------------

‘As it’s a Volvo, you expect there to be loads of typical Volvo safety features in the deal’ ---------------------------

It’s an example that many others should follow as it allowed me to set the car for my best comfort and performance. I like to get the Bluetooth into action straight away and following the guide was a dream. Even setting the kilometre readings to zero can be a technology challenge in some cars and without this simple guide, I could have spent

hours on the job.

The Volvo V40 is more compact in terms of space from the rear legroom to the boot. The test car boot felt small and it included the optional spare wheel. For the driver, I found there to be adequate headroom as I drive from a high seating position.

The driving position is a bit low for my style, for others it provides a sporty feel along with a very attractive to use steering wheel.

The digital dials were very clear to use and visibility from behind the wheel was good on all sides. The Volvo sat-nav system fits well into the clear dash area and was

easy to use and set up.

As it’s a Volvo, you expect there to be loads of typical Volvo safety features in the deal. For the V40 there are some new ones including City Safety system, an automatic braking system first shown on the Volvo XC60 to avoid noise-totail urban accidents. For the new V40 is has been improved and now works at speeds up to 50 km/h, instead of 30 km/h in the past.

The V40 also comes with a new Pedestrian Airbag system that inflates from under the rear edge of the bonnet when the car detects that it has hit a pedestrian. Volvo research has

shown that the raised bonnet better cushions the unfortunate pedestrian. It also protects the pedestrian’s head from the “hard points” at the base of the windscreen and the lower A-pillars.

Entry prices which start at €28,045 are marginally above those of the volume sellers such as the Focus, Golf, Auris, Astra while being keener than the Audi A3 price band. The Volvo brand and design style is different and attractive. Be prepared to be tempted to lift the specification grades and see how the pricing changes and then it’s time for the calculator for what is a very impressive and safe car to own.

TOYOTA Ireland is delighted to announce that budding Irish artists under the age of 16 can now enter their submissions for the annual Toyota Dream Car Art Contest. The contest encourages children to imagine what their dream car would be and then to share their vision by drawing or painting it.

The national competition will see nine Irish finalists awarded a range of prizes at the official awards ceremony in Dublin in March 2017, and their winning entries will then compete against other international finalists for a chance to win a once in a lifetime trip to Japan.

A panel of three judges, Oliver Whelan, lecturer in Fine Art and Painting at NCAD, RTE star Blathnaid Treacy and a representative from Toyota Ireland have the tough job of selecting three finalists in each age category (under eight years, eight to 11 years and 12 to 15 years) as the national winners.

Commenting on the announcement, Ian Corbett, Toyota Ireland marketing manager said: “Toyota is passionate about unlocking the potential of youth in Ireland and the Dream Car Art Contest provides a perfect platform for young Irish artists to showcase their talents with the opportunity to compete on a global stage.

Each year, we are delighted by the exceptional level of artistic talent from children in Ireland, and we can’t wait to start viewing the masterpieces that are produced for this year’s contest.”

How to Enter

Young artists are being asked to draw or paint their vision of a ‘Dream Car’ using standard art materials (digital submissions will not be accepted). All entries must be in colour and include a car and a background or setting on an A3 size paper.

All submissions can be entered by dropping art work into an Authorised Toyota Dealership or sending it to Toyota Ireland, Killeen Road, Dublin 12 and clearly mark it ‘Toyota Dream Car Art Contest’.

The submission must be accompanied by an entry form which can be downloaded from www.toyota. ie/Dream-car-art . The contest will be open until February 24, 2017.

The nine Irish winners’ works will go on to compete against international winners for Gold, Silver and Bronze in a global competition with a grand prize of a once-in-a lifetime trip to Japan.

Full contest details and rules for the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest can be found at www.toyota.ie/ Dream-car-art .

RTE star Blathnaid Treacy gets help from Baxter Brown to launch the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest 2017 as Ariel Haughton and Sarah McFarland look on. Picture Jason Clarke

22 BLANCH GAZETTE 17 November 2016

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DUBLINLIFE fast

TRAVEL

TRAVEL NEWS

A weekend break in Leitrim beckons those looking to yoga to help detox and destress

Try a weekend break to focus on wellness A WEEKEND retreat of yoga and meditation before Christmas might sound like a bother, but according to yoga teacher Niamh Heverin, taking some well-deserved ‘metime’ is both very necessary and beneficial.

She suggests some of the reasons to pursue yoga for better health and well-being, including ...

Time for self-reflection Without the distractions of everyday life, the relaxing atmosphere of a retreat allows you to quiet your mind and gain perspective for the new year.

A weekend of clean eating We often end our year feeling bloated, unfit and yearning for a fresh start.

At a wellness retreat, your meals are carefully planned and made with healthy whole foods that fuel your body and mind.

Just a few days of eating right can reset your habits, helping after you leave your retreat.

Digital detox Countless hours on social media can distract us from fully experienc-

ing what’s really around us.

Abstaining, however briefly, can help us centre and balance ourselves.

It’ll also help build connections with the people around us.

Slowing things down for a weekend gives us a chance to experience ourselves differently, with people leaving recharged and rejuvenated on Sunday afternoon.

Retreats are for everyone Retreats are a good way to start or re-start a personal practice, or to deepen an existing one.

A wellness retreat will allow you to get away and spend some time taking care of yourself.

Niamh Heverin is a Ko Phangan-based yoga, pilates and meditation teacher who runs daily classes and offers holistic therapies.

She is hosting her retreat, A Winter Weekend of Wellness, in the award-winning Eco Retreat centre, Ard Nahoo, Co Leitrim.

For further information, see NiamhHeverin. com, or the NiamhHeverinWellness page on Facebook.

Delphi Resort, in Galway, has a special pre-Christmas yoga package to help face Christmas and beyond in your best shape

GALWAY: PRE-CHRISTMAS BREAK TO READY FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON

West is best to relax

 IAN BEGLEY

IF YOU want an opportunity to reflect, unwind and relax before the festivities of Christmas and New Years’ celebrations, then why not head to Galway and take advantage of Delphi Resort’s pre-Christmas yoga package?

Hosted by Kenneth R y a n , f r o m F r i d ay, December 16 – 18, the Christmas Presence yoga retreat includes daily yoga, where he will guide participants through the steps of gentle stretching, supportive meditation and relaxation tech-

niques.

This yoga retreat includes a relaxing twonight stay at the 4-star resort, with a breakfast smoothie or juice each morning (full breakfast also available), a light lunch each day, and a three-course evening meal in the 814 restaurant each night, with delicious seasonal options – ’tis the season, after all!

With a refreshed body and mind, guests are invited to join executive head chef Stefan Matz on Saturday afternoon in The Chef’s Table, where he will be hosting a Christmas cooking dem-

---------------------------------------------------------

‘The yoga retreat gives you the opportunity to step out of the pre-holiday rush and ease your way into the celebration of a healthy Christmas’

---------------------------------------------------------

onstration offering ideas and insight to take home with you to produce your own delicious Christmas menu.

After a rejuvenating morning with Kenneth, and invaluable tips from Stefan, retreat to the Delphi Spa and enjoy a spa treatment worth up to €50pp, or an organic

seaweed bath, followed by two hours access to the Thermal Suite – truly relax with the use of the jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and relaxation area.

The yoga retreat gives you the opportunity to step out of the pre-holiday rush and ease your way into the celebration

of a healthy Christmas.

Explore the spectacular outdoors, clearing your mind and enjoying the fresh air, or simply stay warm and cosy by the fireside with a good book on your down time.

This inclusive retreat package is available with prices from €349PPS (single supplement also available).

Book early to avoid disappointment, as retreats sell out quickly. For further information or to make a booking, email bookings@delphiresort. com , call 095 42208, or visit www.delphiresort. com.

Hotel and spa scoop prestigious national awards  IAN BEGLEY

THE Europe Hotel and Resort in Killarney (ESPA) has been named Best Overall Hotel at the 2016 National Hospitality awards.

In addition to this, the ESPA won Hotel Spa of the Year at

the awards, which took place in London last week.

Located on the shores of Lough Lein, and framed by the McGillycuddy Reeks mountain range, it is set in one of Ireland’s most spectacular locations.

Its luxurious spa are spread over two levels and cover a total

of 4,500sq m. Every aspect has been designed to provide a holistic and restorative experience, emphasising magnificent views.

Michael Brennan, general manager of Killarney Hotels, said: “We are thrilled that the hotel has been named Best Overall Hotel in Ireland.

“There are many fantastic hotels in Ireland, so we’re delighted to have won this award.

“It is a testament to the amazing team that we have working at The Europe, whose dedication to our customers is second to none.”

17 November 2016 BLANCH GAZETTE 23

GAZETTE

FOOD&DRINK BITESIZEDNEWS

The George Foreman Evolve Grilll

What’s cookin’ in grills?

Here’s a new Foreman THE latest innovation from George Foreman is the new Evolve Grill that can cook up to five portions at once. Unique to the grill is an intense 260°c Super Sear function that aims to deliver restaurant-quality steak. George Foreman Grills are available nationwide from independent Irish electrical retailers. The Evolve Grill retails for €199.99.

Whiskey provides an interesting extra flavour to these pork belly and melon-based treats

Make it Muldoon for whiskey liqueur dishes

It’s a celebration of fine fare at An Italian Feast Overview A LEADING Italian chef is coming to Dublin this month to a fivecourse ‘feasting’ menu that pays homage to Italy and the ingredients unique to the country.

Francesco Mazzei, in collaboration with The House of Peroni, will present An Italian Feast.

Taking place in Charlotte Quay on Wednesday, November 23, from 7pm, Francesco will serve a five-course menu, which will see Francesco sharing his passion for Southern Italian cuisine.

The menu includes an array of antipasti dishes, including Speck all’Anatra (home-cured duck speck with wild berries), Battuta di Tuna (a tuna dish, akin to a

tartare) and Insalata di Carciofini (artichoke and pea shoot salad).

Dessert is a fragrant Crema al Bergamotto (bergamot cream) served with bitter chocolate sorbet and a selection of handmade Pasticcini (fine Italian pastries).

Speaking on the menu, he said: “The plethora of ingredients unique to Italy are my source of inspiration to create menus drawn from Southern Italian feasts. I am really looking forward to sharing a Southern Italian culinary journey with our guests.”

The meal costs €65 per person and tickets are available from thehouseofperoni.com.

MULDOON Irish Whiskey Liqueur is a toffee and hazelnut-flavoured whiskey. Here are a selection of recipes by award-winning chef Jenny Flynn, of the Faithlegg House and Country Club Hotel in Waterford. Muldoon Irish Whiskey Liqueur can be bought at the Celtic Whiskey Shop, Dawson Street, for €30.

Muldoon Pork Belly Makes 6 portions.

Ingredients l 1.3kg centre piece of pork belly (so it will cook evenly) l 15g fennel seeds l 5g sea salt l 100ml olive oil l Carrots l Celery l Onions l Garlic cloves with skin on l Fresh thyme l 150ml Muldoon whiskey

Preparation l Turn oven to its highest temperature. Using a knife, score the skin down to the meat (try not to cut the meat), make the cuts very close together (go across the skin). l Put the fennel seeds and the sea salt in a pestle and mortar and grind till the seeds are smashed and mixed well with the salt. l Rub the pork belly with Muldoon whiskey and half the seasoning mix.

Cover and allow to marinate overnight. l The next day, pat the

skin side dry – this will help with the crackling. l Sprinkle over half of the fennel and salt mixture and rub in, pour over the oil and then the seed and salt mixture. l Now really rub this into the skin so that everything gets in between the skin and down onto the meat. l Wash the carrots and celery well, cut them into large 2-inch pieces, wash the thyme, and put these into the base of your roasting dish with the whole garlic bulbs; peel and cut the onions into large wedges. l Put the seasoned pork belly on top of the vegetables and then put into your very hot oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the skin of the belly starts to bubble and is golden brown. l Turn the oven tem-

perature dow n to 170°C/325°F/gas 3, then roast for 1.5 hours. l Carefully open the oven door and add into the tray the Muldoon whiskey, then continue cooking for one hour. l Remove the meat carefully from the oven and test to see if it pulls apart easily. If not, put back in the oven until the meat is ready, then remove from the oven. l Take the meat from the tray and place onto a wooden board and allow to rest. l Remove the crackling from the top of the belly and break up into pieces; set aside then pull the pork belly apart and enjoy with more vegetables and your choice of potatoes.

Muldoon Melon Makes approximately 6

portions; make sure you choose ripe melons.

Ingredients l Quarter watermelon l Quarter Galia melon l Quarter Honeydew melon l 2 shots of Muldoon whiskey l 6 limequats (a cross between a lime and a kumquat) Preparation l Peel melons and deseed them cut them to size required. l Cut up some limequats, pour over the Muldoon, and cook until fruit has softened. Allow to cool. l Bring the melons up to room temperature.

Put the limequats in the middle and put melon on top. l Add an extra splash of Muldoon to excite the taste buds.

GAZETTE

24 BLANCH GAZETTE 17 November 2016

DUBLINLIFE

CINEMA ReelReviews

DOCTOR STRANGE Curiously interesting

MARVEL turns out another superhero film, though this one has a lesser-known character at its heart.

Doctor Strange (Cert 12A, 115 mins) sees Benedict Cumberbatch don a cape and strange, mystical powers as he, and Tilda Swinton, create an odball yet visually striking film. The high-calibre cast compete with some stunning visuals to create a memorable, if eyeball-searing film.

Adam Driver and Golshifteh Farahani create likeable characters, taking the everyday core of life to craft something that rises above the film’s simple premise

PATERSON: JARMUSCH JAMS WITH THE MUNDANE, YET CREATES A WONDROUS FILM

Much ado about nothing HAVING released just two films in the past decade, Jim Jarmusch is by no means the world’s most prolific director.

What a welcome surprise it is then to be treated to two Jarmusch projects in 2016. The indie favourite’s “Iggy Pop and the Stooges” documentary, Gimme Danger, proved to be an unfortunately flat affair, telling the legendary punk band’s story with about as much raw power as a tribute album.

The Adam Driver-led Paterson, however, is a poetic, unique and quietly moving experience – the most wonderfully ‘Jarmusch’ film the director has made in years.

Driver plays Paterson – a bus driver living in the town of Paterson,

 MARTIN MACNAMARA

New Jersey; just one of the mundane, idle coincidences on which the film’s pensive narrative thrives.

Every day, Paterson wakes up before his artist girlfriend, Laura (Golshifteh Farahani), walks to work, drives his bus around the city, and then walks home.

Throughout, Paterson listens, observes and breathes in the world around him, composing wonderfully minimalist poetry in a notebook he takes everywhere.

Every evening after

work, Paterson eats dinner with Laura, walks their dog Marvin, and then chats with the regulars over a few drinks at a local bar.

Perhaps more so than anything Jarmusch has ever produced, Paterson is a film where nothing really happens.

The low-key narrative takes place over the course of a week, with each day driven by a cycle of familiarity, interrupted only by randomly observed coincidences.

Quietly, Paterson relishes in the repetitive everyday experience. The most prosaic instances are granted romantic weight when in the presence of the bus-driving poet, such as an innocuous box of matches, a conversation on the bus, the recurrent

appearance of sets of twins.

As the repetition becomes more rigid and obvious, patterns begin to emerge elsewhere – most conspicuously, in the offbeat black and white art Laura gradually covers the inside of their entire house with.

Jarmusch successfully communicates the wonder of the incidental everyday to the audience – just as filmmaker and protagonist alike relish in repetition and mundane coincidence, we too gradually begin to delight in the poetics of the everyday.

When the narrative starts to sporadically break with that repetition, then, the results are often affecting and quietly devastating.

There’s little room for improvisation here, Paterson is prepared and performed to Jarmusch’s rigorous, formulated, pensive style.

The film’s more poetic segments are built around a gorgeous combination of word, image and music.

T houghtfully composed shots of small-town America are overlain with the scrawled words of Paterson’s poetry as he writes it aloud.

Underneath it all is the harmonious, droning soundtrack from Squrl – Jarmusch’s musical side project. The cumulative effect is often wondrously hypnotic.

Despite telling a story essentially about nothing, Paterson’s dreamy structure and lackadaisical narrative never drags or

slows to a crawl.

Driver yet again proves how incredibly likeable he can be as the film’s privately romantic protagonist – sober and softly spoken, he’s a friend to all, and is often looked to for sage wisdom from a supporting cast packed with welcome, familiar faces.

Iranian actress Farahani is wonderful as Paterson’s hyperactively passionate girlfriend, who urges him to share his poems with the world.

Paterson is a wonderful film, and its protagonist a unique, quietly inspirational individual.

While you shouldn’t expect a conventionally emotional payoff, the experience of viewing Paterson is a reward in itself.

Verdict: 10/10

EDGE OF SEVENTEEN Teen spirit impresses

AT LAST – a film about teens that isn’t utterly, utterly excrutiating for nonteens to sit through, as The Edge of Seventeen (Cert 15A, 105 mins) delivers a funny, sassy yet thoughtful tale that will resonate with teens and grown-ups alike.

While not exactly based around earth-shattering complexities, its high school tales, and winning performances, make it a guilty pleasure to take in.

INFERNO

Last and least ...

WHATEVER sparks of interest audiences may have once had in Dan Brown’s overblown books may well finally go out after this turgid thriller. Inferno (Cert 12A, 121 mins) sees Tom Hanks return as the globe-trotting professor who’s the key to saving the world – literally, this time, thanks to a deadly plague.

Hanks does his best, but it’s a thankless task for this rather terrible three-quel.

17 November 2016 BLANCH GAZETTE 25

GAZETTE

TECH

WEEBYTES

The second Dub Web Fest promises an interesting programme line-up

Marrying tech and the arts  SHANE DILLON

EA Dice’s Frostbite game engine has never looked better, creating horrible warzones that you’d never want to see in real life. From glistening mud to desert dust clouds and showers of sparks, the game’s a real looker on all formats.

BATTLEFIELD 1: 1914-16 CONFLICT IS A GAMING BLAST

The Great War as a fun multiplayer WHILE all wars are hellish, World War One was a particularly savage conflict, and with the recent respectful ref lections across Europe on The Somme’s legacy, and other such theatres of war, some might see the release of WW1-set Battlefield 1 (c. €60; PC, PS, XBO; Cert 18) about a month ago as either a case of perfect or unfortunate timing, depending on outlook.

EA Dice’s latest installment in the long-running

 SHANE DILLON sdillon@dublingazette.com

Battlefield series delves into the brutal global conflict that claimed so many lives in the war – including almost 50,000 Irishmen.

In doing so, it has created a very compelling war game by going back

to basics, stripping away much of the bloat that had crept into the series.

Shipping with an easily mopped up offline (and slightly unengaging) brief single player campaign that hops around various key WW1 hotspots, the real meat of B1 is its online multiplayer gaming.

Drawing inspiration from several real battles at a number of global locales, B1 sees players joining either side in lengthy toand-fro multi-part battles

across large, open maps, in a variety of terrain.

Alongside lots of player classes and weapon unlocks to earn and use in battle, the game’s terrific sound and great visuals provide more than enough to keep even diehard Battlefield veterans happy.

There’s plenty more you could say about B1 – but ultimately, this is not only one of the best such war games out there, but an interesting journey into a terrible period of history.

With multiplayer battles spanning the war’s reach, players could be fighting in the air, on foot, in armoured vehicles – or even on horseback. Screengrabs: Shane Dillon

I RECENTLY wrote about Web Fest 2016, which is gearing up for an eclectic schedule of web series and workshops at its second outing.

Well, it’s upon us this weekend, and is taking place from Friday, November 18 to Sunday 20 at the Filmbase centre in Temple Bar.

Diverse The festival promises an interesting range of events, with everything from acting workshops (including Eddie Jackson, of Game of Thrones, and Vikings fame, and Fair City actress Aoibheann McCaul) to previews of new films and web series, and more.

From music to internet-specific media, it promises to be an interesting exploration of many intersections between media and technology, offering much more than ‘just’ web-related content, making it, as the organisers say, a must for any film, TV or digital fans.

Tickets are now on sale for all events at Dub Web Fest 2016 and can be purchased at the website.

For further information on all of the festival’s events and workshops, see dublinwebfest.com.

26 BLANCH GAZETTE 17 November 2016

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28 BLANCH GAZETTE 17 November 2016

SPORT McGonigle steps down from Dubs

FastSport

LADIES FOOTBALL: SECOND ALL-IRELAND PROVED TANTALISINGLY OUT OF REACH

SHELS BACK ON TOP OF WNL:

SHELBOURNE Ladies moved two points clear at the top of Continental Tyres Women’s National as the season entered the final strait.

Shels put five goals past Kilkenny United on their final home game of the season with Gloria Douglas and Sarah Rowe opening the scoring for Shels. Noelle Murray made it 3-0 just after the 20 minute mark with Leanne Kiernan landing her 12th league goal of the season to give Shels a 4-0 half time lead.

Kate Mooney landed Shels fifth on 67 minutes just six minutes after being introduced for Gloria Douglas. Shels now top the WNL with 23 points.

Elsewhere, the Dublin derby between Peamount United and UCD Waves ended in a scoreless draw in Greenogue, leaving the latter second. The game was the first scoreless draw of the season and, in fact, just the seventh scoreless draw in the seven year history of the Women’s National League.

 JAMES HENDICOTT sport@dublingazette.com

BOSS Greg McGonigle and the Dublin Ladies’ football team have parted ways following Dublin’s All-Ireland final defeat to Cork in September.

McGonigle had been a loud voice for the side after their controversial defeat two months ago, hitting out at the ladies’ football association over

their failure to utilize Hawkeye for the game.

A seemingly legitimate point from Carla Rowe during the game was waved wide, and Dublin went on to lose by a single point.

In three years in charge, McGonigle led Dublin to three consecutive AllIreland finals with Dublin losing out to Cork on each occasion. The Rebelettes have now won 10 of the

last 11 at national level, but McGonigle maintained his primary aim was to repeat the county’s single win to date, which came in 2010.

McGonigle said of his decision: “I have really enjoyed my three years with Dublin but now feel the time is right for a new voice to help this group of players achieve their ultimate goal of winning an All-Ireland title.

Greg McGonigle has stepped down as Dublin ladies football boss. Picture: GAApics.com

“The time is also right for me personally to take a much needed break from management having been involved at senior level for the past six years [including time at Monaghan] and to reflect, recharge and refocus.”

He continued: “to the group of players, I struggle to find the words to sum up the desire, appreciation and love you have for your county. Genuinely it has been a huge honour to have coached you all and to have gotten to know you as people, most definitely class acts on and off the field.

“We shared many great days together and have

loads of memories from great journeys starting in 2014. I am disappointed that we could not win the much coveted senior AllIreland but you are closer than ever before and always remember a grain of rice can tip the scale.

“I strongly believe the amount of big games that this team have played over the past three years will stand to them while developing and strengthening them both mentally and physically in order to finally deliver an All-Ireland title, which I expect them to do in 2017.”

The Dublin Ladies Association hailed the manager for his impact

on the side: “Gregory brought a level of professionalism, enthusiasm and structure to Dublin that will prove quite difficult to surpass. “Gregory’s dedication to the players was insurmountable and he was instrumental in ensuring players had quality training facilities, medical care and top level coaching personnel available to them throughout his term in charge.

“Dublin LGFA would like to thank Gregory for all he has achieved with Dublin to acknowledge his dedication to the county and to wish him all the very best for the future.”

Evans fires Hermes-Monkstown to sixth victory  sport@dublingazette.com

Hermes-Monkstown’s Anna O’Flanagan and Nikki Evans celebrate their last minute winner. Picture: Adrian Boehm

NIKKI Evans’s last minute winner saw Hermes-Monkstown maintain their perfect start to the women’s EY Hockey League campaign following a huge tussle with Cork Harlequins whose 100% run came to an end as a result.

Liz McInerney gave the hosts an early lead from the first of many corners on the day, scrambling home from close range to get the vital touch. Rebecca Barry equalised before the end of the first quarter, though, when she

got on the end of a brilliant cross.

Quins then moved ahead following a great run by Yvonne O’Byrne, creating space in the circle and hammering home.

Their momentum was slowed, however, when Barry was shown a yellow card for dissent as temperatures rose with both sides contesting many decisions.

Hermes-Monkstown got back on terms in the second half from their fifth corner with Chloe Watkins slapping home from the top of the circle. Quins, though, bossed the period either side of the three-quarter break and

forced a couple of top saves from Liz Murphy.

Amber Barnwell had to scoop another chance off the line while O’Byrne deflected one corner inches wide. Two corner shots were blocked from a clever defensive running pattern – foregoing a number one runner to hang back and eliminate switch options – with Anna O’Flanagan and Sarah Greene cleaning up the chances.

Hermes-Monkstown withstood that spell and duly forged the crucial chance in the closing seconds, working the ball to Evans at the top with her back to

goal from where she unleashed a low reverse that the impressive Emma Buckley could not get enough of a boot on with the ball pinging in off her toe and off the post and in.

Elsewhere, Loreto grabbed their third win of the campaign with a 3-1 win over Pembroke to move into sixth place as Pembroke remain in search of their opening points of the campaign.

Niamh Small finished well for 1-0 before Freya McDermott then swept home a corner to double the half-time advantage with Sarah Evans completing the win.

17 November 2016 BLANCH GAZETTE 29

GAZETTE

Crumlin prodigy Hand follows McGregor’s lead Fourteen-year-old Liam keeping up the Old County Glen tradition as he lands Irish national Muay Thai title just five months since taking up the sport with Ryoshu Fight-Team  KARL GRAHAM sport@dublingazette.com

HAILING from the same estate as Conor McGregor, Crumlin’s Liam Hand showed that he could be one to watch for the future as he returned from Derry as the new Muay Thai junior champion.

There, he recorded a hard fought victory over local and defending champion Sean McGettigan to continue his rapid rise in the combat sport that combines striking and various clinching techniques.

Turning 15 at the end of the month and from Old County Glen, Hand has been making a name for himself in the Muay Thai world of late and took his reputation a step further with another impressive victory.

He competes for the Ryoshin Fight-Team in Cherr y Orchard and only took up the sport five months ago but has already made remarkable progress.

His coach Gabor Hortobagyi spoke after the fight about how confident he was Hand could do in the Sport.

“I started the warm-up with Liam and I felt his punches and kicks were solid and confident,” he said. “I had no doubt that we would be bringing the belt home to Dublin.

“It was a spectacular fight and all credit to Liam’s very strong opponent Sean who put up a very strong battle.”

If Hand’s win in Derry wasn’t impressive enough already, add in the fact that he also fought and won in

Santry the next day.

One of his biggest supporters is his mother Molly and she spoke to GazetteSport about how her son first became involved in Muay Thai and what the future may hold for him.

“He is so sports orientated. He was, up until recently, playing GAA but left that and took up Muay Thai off his own back.

He’s only five months into it, which is unreal considering what he has achieved so far.

“His coach Gabor is so dedicated and saw potential in him straight away so took him out on his own.

Seemingly, they’ve never seen it in a young fella that’s so new to it.”

Any successful MMA fighter knows hard work and dedication are vital if you want to succeed,

Liam Hand and coach Gabor Hortobagyi celebrate their success in Derry

something that Molly sees in Liam on a daily basis. Indeed, Liam’s daily schedule is something that belies his age and would have most adults running for cover.

“He gets home about 3.40pm and does his homework straight away before Gabor picks him up at around five. He is on a

study then straight to bed.

On top of all that, he could be up again at six o’clock to go for a run.

“We only got home from Derry at four o’clock in the morning and he was up in Santry at 9am a few hours later.”

Muay Thai is the national sport of Thailand but its popularity has started to

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘Seemingly, they’ve never seen potential like it in a young fella that’s so new to it’ - Molly Hand

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

strict diet so I have to go by what he [Gabor] tells me he has to eat; everything is discipline.

“He doesn’t get home until about 9pm so he does about half an hour

spread far and wide across the planet.

It is known as “the art of eight limbs” because of its combined use of fists, elbows, knees and shins.

Liam is ambidextrous, a fact that may explain why he has taken to the sport with such ease and why big things could lie ahead for him. With the UFC now likely to be the dream destination for any young MMA fighters, mothers across the country could be concerned about their sons getting involved in combat sports due to the physical nature of it.

But Molly is backing her son in his chosen pursuit: “I’ve always said I would rather him be in music or ballet but no matter what Liam wants to do I will support him 110% all the way,” she added.

Liam will next compete in the Cage Legacy event in Drogheda on November 26.

FASTSport

Nure stung by Cookies comeback in UBL 1A TERENURE College narrowly missed out on a result against high-flying Young Munster on a 31-23 scoreline at Lakelands Park in the Ulster Bank League Division 1A. Terenure gave a strong account of themselves, belying their current position of tenth in the table.

Flanker Niall Lalor’s first-minute try set them on their way to a 13-7 interval lead.

Munsters recovered well, though, showing the poise of table toppers as winger David Gleeson was freed up for a 19th minute run to the line.

However, two well-struck penalties from Nure full-back Jake Swaine after 22 and 38 minutes had the hosts in front at the break.

The Cookies’ powerful pack was to the fore as the Limerick men responded with two tries in the space of six minutes, centre Jack Harrington and hooker and captain Ger Slattery both crossing the whitewash for a 21-13 turnaround.

Winger Marc Hiney’s 65th-minute converted effort made it a one-point game and although Swaine took his impressive place-kicking tally to 13 points, ‘Nure agonisingly fell short of even a losing bonus point.

Either side of Swaine’s 74th-minute penalty, Munsters scrum half Rob Guerin seized the initiative to run in his fourth try of the campaign, converted by Swaine’s opposite number David O’Mahony who also added a late penalty to complete his crucial 11-point haul.

Elsewhere, Lansdowne continued their winning run with a storming 45-10 triumph over UCD on the Aviva Stadium’s back pitch on Friday night.

Mike Ruddock’s men tightened their grip on second spot, running in six converted tries through backs Alan Bennie (2) and Foster Horan and forwards Paul Boyle, Max Deegan and Philip Donnellan.

Scrum half Bennie sniped over in their very first attack and after a UCD yellow card and scrum pressure from the hosts before half-time, number 8 Boyle touched down off the back of an advancing set piece, five metres out, for a 17-3 interval lead.

Lansdowne’s powerful pack remained on top in the second half, with tactically astute 13-point out-half Scott Deasy keeping them stationed in the right areas of the pitch.

GAZETTE

30 BLANCH GAZETTE 17 November 2016

SPORT

FASTSport

SOCCER: CASTLEKNOCK WIN NINE-GOAL FAI JUNIOR CUP THRILLER

Verona took strong for Under-15 local rivals VERONA’S Under-15B side produced an excellent performance to get the better of Dublin 15 rivals Castleknock Celtic.

They started on the front foot, pinning back the away team thanks to great wing play by Ainslie Ntumgia who was Celtic a rough time.

His side opened the scoring with a great run down the left by Sean Cleary who drilled the ball past the keeper inside the box. Castlenock were dangerous on the counter attack but the pace of Nick Mukete snuffed out the danger, getting back in time on three occasions in the first half to limit any damage.

Cleary, meanwhile, got the second, cutting in from the right as he curled the ball past the keeper.

David Donohoe scored the third with the pick of the bunch, latching onto a ball played up from the midfield, taking the ball on the chest, turning and shooting high to the net.

Ntumgia was next to go close and was denied two times by the visiting keeper before putting a great ball in for the fourth as Cleary finished past the keeper.

Victor Alfred was controlling the midfield with his power and pace with Alex Lazareu beside him.

Ben Kinsella was also having a great game at right full as the second half started the way the first ended. Cleary and Alfred scored quick goals in succession to continue the goal-rush.

Donohoe dropped back to midfield and Emmanuel Gyamfi coming on as a second half sub scored a hat-trick. Alfred scored the last with a great shot 30 yards out into the top corner.

Calum Ward scores for league leaders Castleknock Celtic in their DDSL Under-11A1 Sunday Group game at home to Terenure Rangers

Davy sends Celts into raptures AFL DIVISION ONE Castleknock Celtic East Wall Bessborough  sport@dublingazette.com

5 4

CASTLEKNOCK Celtic advanced to the fifth tound of FAI Junior Cup as they produced a truly epic comeback to knock out East Wall Bessborough FC at Porterstown Park.

It turned out to be a marvellous morning of entertainment with fortunes swinging from gloom to ecstasy over the 90 minutes for Celtic.

Bessborough, from the AUL Premier A division, were hot favourites and it looked like that status

was well founded when they ran into a 3-0 lead.

But this Celtic team were not rolling over and a hat trick from Davy Costello was to prove the difference in the end. Jamie Traynor and a superb volley from Stephen O’Callaghan were also on the score sheet for the home side in a 5-4 classic.

Celtic had trailed 4-1 into the second half when the fight back began. Bessborough’s cause was not helped when they had a player red-carded for an overrobust challenge on Stephen O’Callaghan.

The fightback climaxed

in the final minute when Costello completed his hat trick from the penalty spot to send the home spectators into raptures.

Celtic now go into the fifth round where it’s an open draw in the biggest entry list in European cup football at any level.

They will be hoping to have a home fixture at this stage of the competition that now includes team from all over the country, but after this win, they will face any opponents with confidence.

Elsewhere, Celtic’s DDSL Under-17 Premier team earned a hard-fought share of the

points away to Malahide United with goals from Abasse Camara and Jeremi Mputu.

In the DDSL Under11A1 Shield, Celtic finished their group at the top of the league table and now look forward to their play-off to decide the champions.

Their game this week was against tough opposition from Terenure Rangers in Porterstown Park.

Thanks to goals from Sam Maloney, Stephen Kane, Joshua Young and a curling lob over the keeper from Calum Ward, the top spot in the league table was secured.

Castleknock’s DDSL Under-14 Major1 side had to dig deep against the visiting Ballyoulster team in Porterstown. The home side went behind in the second half, and it looked like they would suffer a rare defeat.

James Caffrey however seized his opportunity, getting possession on the right-hand side of the box before rifling home into the far corner.

Scott Daly was the match winner with his strike securing all three points and bolstered Celtic’s position at the top of their Major1 group and in pole position for the Shield play-off slot.

17 November 2016 BLANCH GAZETTE 31

GAZETTE

ALL STAR

Dublin skipper Noelle honoured for top year

CLUB NOTICEBOARD ST BRIGID’S

ST BRIGID’S Noelle Healy was named part

of the ladies football All-Star winners last weekend following her year captaining the side to the All-Ireland final.

She was presented with her award by Marie Hickey, President, LGFA, in the company of Alan Esslemont, Ard Stiurthoir, TG4, at the TG4 Ladies Football All Stars awards in Citywest Hotel.

CONGRATULAIONS to our AHL7 hurlers

with the reserve now also at €15,000.

on a great win over St Oliver Plunkett’s

There was no jackpot winner in last

in the league final on Sunday. Well done to

week’s draw. This week’s draw will take

Tim, Oliver, Jerry and the team on secur-

place in The Vineyard on Thursday,

ing promotion to AHL6 next season.

November 17. Many thanks to everyone

Congratulations to Noelle Healy on winning her second All-Star award on Saturday evening. A fantastic achievement and so well deserved.

Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

FOOTBALL: RUSSELL PARK SIDE WIN FIRST LEAGUE DERBY

who supports our club lotto and to our great lotto committee.

St Brigid’s/Spleodar Irish Club for teenagers runs every Thursday in the

St Brigid’s AGM will take place on

club hall from 7-9pm. Open to all but

December 4 in the clubhouse. See the

Irish must be spoken at all times. Cost

club website for further details.

€3 per week. The St Brigid’s Children’s

The St Brigid’s nursery runs every Saturday in Russell Park from 9.30am

Christmas Party will take place in the clubhouse on Sunday, December 11.

to 11am. We welcome all four to seven-

Sam Maguire will be in attendance and

year-olds in the Castleknock and Blan-

we will have live music from the Army

chardstown area and new members

Band from 7pm also.

and families are always welcome. For

St Brigid’s are proud to support

further information and queries, con-

Movember along with the wider GAA

tact David on 085 8340169.

community. See the club website for

Our lotto jackpot remains at €15,000

further details.

CASTLEKNOCK MOL an oige agus tiocfaidh siad! Our

Sport agus Spraoi De Sathairn – our

juvenile awards take place this Thursday

nursery, in association with Tiger Child-

in Westmanstown; it’s a great occasion

care, for four to seven year olds is back

where we recognise the achievements of

in full swing and new members are very

all our juvenile players. A great night of

welcome. Just come down to Tir na nOg

celebration and great energy.

beside Castleknock Community College

Our AGM takes place on Monday,

this Saturday at 10am; say hello to one of

November 21 in Castleknock Hotel start-

our friendly coaches and enjoy the sport

ing at 8pm. Full attendance of members

and fun.

is expected. Bigi ann.

Paddy Anderews played a key role in St Brigid’s win over neighbours Castleknock

AFL1 bragging rights for Brigid’s seniors AFL DIVISION ONE St Brigid’s 2-18 Castleknock 0-5  sport@dublingazette.com

ST BRIGID’S grabbed the local bragging rights from the first ever meeting with Castleknock at senior, delivering a master class in finishing to outclass their near neighbours on Saturday afternoon.

In front of a large and vocal crowd in Russell Park, it was Brigid’s who made all of the running from the outset with Collie Carr, Paddy Andrews and Lorcan McCarthy all to the fore.

Carr’s brilliantly taken

10th minute goal left the home side 1-2 to no score before two Dessie Carlos frees drew Castleknock’s first scores. Further points from wing-back Collie Freeman and midfielder John O’Loughlin pushed Brigid’s further clear as the first half drew to a close.

Castleknock, who stood an outside chance of making the league semi-finals before throw-in, required goals to spark a second half recovery and last week’s senior championship finalists showed such attacking intent with Kevin Kindlon winning an early second half penalty.

Wing back Matthew

Griffin stepped up to the spot only to see his effort brilliantly saved by Brigid’s keeper Stephen Moore.

With the game still in the melting pot, Moore’s save was a key moment as Brigid’s pushed forward to kill the game as a contest soon after. With Neil Collins growing into the game, scores from Seanie Murray, McCarthy and a second Collie Carr goal following a sublime Andrews pass compounded the result.

Late scores from Fermanagh man James Sherry and Kindlon was all that a beaten Castleknock offered in reply. At

the final whistle, bragging rights for the winter break lie with the Russell Park men on this front.

Meanwhile in AHL7, St Brigid’s positive weekend continued as their junior hurlers claimed league promotion as they saw off Oliver Plunkett’s ER 4-08 to 1-09 in their league final.

Goals from Dara MacGabhann, Keith Morris, Sean O’Malley and veteran Ciaran O’Reilly saw Brigid’s over the line despite finishing the game with 14 players following the dismissal of wing-back Robbie Keogh after half time.

A wine testing fair in aid of Crumlin

Our senior football manager Lar Nor-

Children’s Hospital is taking place on

ton is stepping down and we extend a

Thursday, November 24 in the Carpen-

sincere mile buiochas to Lar for his com-

ter. Please support. Cash for Clobber is

mitment and leadership during a memo-

ongoing, just drop down old clothes to

rable year for our senior team.

Somerton.

Our senior footballers lost out to St

Comhghairdeas to Gareth Doherty

Brigid’s and congrats to our neighbours

who won the jackpot of €2,400. The jack-

on ensuring their Division 1 status. Hard

pot now stands at €2,000. Mile buiochas

luck to our U-21 hurlers who lost out to a

as an tacaiocht leanunach – sincere

very good St Jude’s team.

thanks for your continued support.

NAOMH PEREGRINE

GREAT result for the adult hurlers who

urday (9.30am nursery and 10.30am

had a huge win in their Division 3 promo-

academy). Newcomers always welcome.

tion playoff semi-final against St Kevin’s.

Bring gum shields, helmets, hurls,

Best wishes for the final against Naomh

water and subs. Details on Facebook

Olaf; venue and throw in time to be con-

“Naomh Peregrines GAA Academy” or

firmed.

parents can register for a Whatsapp

Hard luck to the minor footballers

group. For further details, contact Niall

who lost against St Mary’s, Saggart. Well

on 086 607 3190 or Barry on 087 618 3868.

done to the U-16 footballers who had a

The senior players awards night

four point win against Templeogue Synge

takes place on December 10. The juve-

Street. The club main pitch is not to be

nile awards take place on December 17;

used for training without prior approval

nursery and academy is from 12-2pm.

of Dave McEneaney/Paul Harte.

The CCC1 and CCC2 take place from 2.30-

Our nursery (born 2011 and 2012) and academy (born 2009 and 2010) kids train every Thursday (5-6pm for all) and Sat-

ERIN GO BRAGH

4.30pm.

The 37th annual AGM takes place on November 28 at 8.30pm in the club hall.

WELL done to the St Catherine’s U-16

phone table quiz on November 11 in the

footballers who won their league at

Grasshopper Inn.

the weekend. Thanks to everyone who organised and supported our smart-

Our AGM will take place on Thursday, December 1 at 8pm in the clubhouse.

GAZETTESPORT

ALL OF YOUR BLANCH SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 28-31

DERBY DELIGHT: Paddy Andrews plays key role as St Brigid’s win first AFL1 meeting with Castleknock P31

NOVEMBER 17-23, 2016

MUAY THAI’S RISING STAR: Hailing from McGregor’s road, Liam Hand stars in Derry P29

Foley and Kelleher stoke Peregrine’s fire  KARL GRAHAM

sport@dublingazette.com

ST PEREGRINE’S reached the final of AHL Division 3 after a comprehensive 5-17 to 1-13 playoff win over Kevin’s at Blakestown last weekend, keeping up hopes they can grab promotion to the senior league ranks.

It follow their run to second in the regular season behind Naomh Barrog. Kevin’s had ended in fifth but they started much the brighter, notching the first two points of the game before a Colm Foley free halved the deficit after five minutes.

Brian Kelleher’s goal soon after

saw Peregrine’s take the initiative but Kevin’s quickly got back in front in a tit-for-tat opening.

But when Dave McGovern produced a superb finish to grab his side’s second goal, Peregrine’s never looked back as they held a strong lead from there on, building a 16-point final victory.

They had barely recovered from that concession before Peregrine’s had the ball in the back of the net again two minutes later. This time it was Foley who skipped past two players and fired home.

With the half drawing to a close, there was still time for Burns to stretch Peregrines lead

at leave the score at 3-7 to 0-8 going into the break.

Just like in the first half, Kevin’s were the first out of the blocks by notching three points to their opponent’s one within two minutes of the restart.

However, scoring goals at important points had become a habit for Peregrines and Foley once more obliged by lifting the ball over the goalkeepers head after been put through one on one.

The two sides then exchanged points before a score from Foley helped sustain a healthy lead.

With the game three quarters of the way through, another

exchange of points occurred before Foley continued to influence matters heavily by putting over a free from inside his own half.

Kevin’s notched another point but Kelleher replied and Foley landed a further two frees.

There was the slightest glimmer of hope for Kevin’s with a goal but it seemed as if Peregrines could score at will when Kelleher got his second goal just a minute later.

The Blanchardstown side will now hope to secure promotion when they take on Stillorgan’s Naomh Olaf in the final, scheduled for a 2pm throw in at Blakestown on November 26.

St Peregrine’s are through to the AHL3 final against Naomh Olaf on November 26