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April 10, 2014

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Tennis:

McGee stars for Ireland in Castleknock Page 32

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Celtic secure DDSL league title after win Page 30

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ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES...................... 8 DUBLIN LIFE...................11 OUT&ABOUT ..................17 CLASSIFIEDS ................26 SPORT ...........................27

BIG INSIGHT: Warwick Davis talks to The Gazette ahead of his visit to Dublin P17

Level crossing closure on hold  NATALIE BURKE

A CONTROVERSIAL proposal to close Porterstown level crossing has been put on hold by Fingal County Council. The announcement will come as good news to members of the community who objected to the proposal during the public consultation phase on the issue late last year.

The decision to postpone the closure was made at a recent area com-

mittee meeting when council officials recommended not to proceed with the closure of the level crossing at Porterstown Road “at this time”.

Mayor of Fingal Kieran Dennison (FG) said the news would bring relief to members of the local community.

“Having considered the submissions from the public, the planners have now agreed not to proceed with the closure at this time,” he said.

Full Story on Page 5

Giddy up: Mountview Community Centre hosts World Autism Day LAURA Garrigan guides Ava Manzoni on horseback as World Autism Day is marked at Mountview Fortlawn Community Centre. The event was held to fundraise for Hope Montes-

sori and Autism Care Centre, which currently has 23 autistic children. There was a range of activities on the day, such as face painting, magic shows and bouncy castles. Picture: Ronan O’Sullivan

2 BLANCH GAZETTE 10 April 2014

DUBLIN GAZETTE ROADS Concern over turning restrictions NEWSPAPERS I N F O R M AT I O N Top Floor, Clarendon House, 39 Clarendon Street, Dublin 2 Tel: 01 - 6010240 Dublin Gazette Newspapers publishes seven weekly quality free titles, covering the greater Dublin area from the city centre to Dun Laoghaire

Fears cycle lane plan may affect motorists  NATALIE BURKE nburke@gazettegroup.com

C O N TA C T S Managing Director: Michael McGovern mmcgovern@dublingazette.com Editor: Mimi Murray mmurray@gazettegroup.com Production Editor: Jessica Maile jmaile@dublingazette.com Sports Editor: Rob Heigh rheigh@dublingazette.com Picture Editor: Hiromi Mooney picturedesk@dublingazette.com Group Advertising Manager: Conor Mahon cmahon@dublingazette.com Direct Ad Sales Manager: Tatum Rooney trooney@dublingazette.com Advertising Production: Suzanne Sheehy ssheehy@dublingazette.com Advertising Sales: 01 - 6010240 sales@dublingazette.com Financial Controller: Carly Lynch clynch@dublingazette.com

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www.dublingazette.com Dublin Gazette Newspapers Ltd. Terms and Conditions for acceptance of advertisements Reserve the right to omit or suspend or alter any advertisement(s) in any of its publications. We also decline any responsibility in the event of one or more of a series of advertisements being omitted for any reason whatever, nor do we accept liability for any loss or damage caused by an error or inaccuracy in the printing of any advertisement. If your advertisement appears incorrectly, contact the Advertising Department immediately, as responsibility cannot be accepted for more than one week’s incorrect insertion. Responsibility cannot be accepted if the complaint is made more than two weeks after insertion. If one places an advertisement for more than one week and then cancels it after the first week, no refund or credit will be given for weeks cancelled. The advertiser undertakes to indemnify the Proprietors against any liability for any civil action arising out of the publication of the advertisement or any other matter printed or published in the Blanchardstown Gazette, Clondalkin Gazette, Dundrum Gazette, Dun Laoghaire Gazette, Lucan Gazette and Swords Gazette. The placing of an order or contract will be deemed an acceptance of these conditions.

A LOCAL area candidate for the Green Party is calling on Fingal County Council to ensure a proposed new cycle lane will not lead to restrictions for drivers.

Castleknock candidate Roderic O’Gorman was referring to the proposed cycle route that is planned for development between the Phoenix Park and Blanchardstown Village.

The cycle lane had appeared on public display between January 16 and February 27 of this year, and submissions and comments were invited to be received by the council

by March 13.

The scheme proposes new pedestrian and cycle infrastructure to be provided from the Snugborough Road in Blanchardstown, through the village, along the Castleknock Road and through Castleknock village to the Phoenix Park.

Speaking to the Gazette, O’Gorman said he fears the new cycle lane could lead to turning restrictions for Mill Road in Blanchardstown, if the proposal goes ahead.

“I welcome this pro-

Roderic O’Gorman (inset) has concerns of restrictions to drivers from a proposed cycle route

posed cycle lane. However, there are a number of elements that I believe should be altered to improve the overall effectiveness of the lane and ensure that it does not impact too greatly on existing facilities,” O’Gorman said.

He stated that a number of residents in Blanchardstown village raised concerns recently following the removal of a righthand turning lane on to the Mill Road. “[They feared] that the council intends to completely ban a right hand turn at this point,” he continued.

“Such a development, if it should occur, would

be hugely burdensome on the people living along Mill Road and the surrounding estates.

I would strongly oppose such a ban and I hope that the rumours that it is proposed are incorrect.”

A spokesperson for Fingal County Council said that while the proposal includes the removal of the existing right-hand turning lane into Mill Lane from Main Street, Blanchardtown, there is no intention or proposal to remove the right-hand turn movement for vehicles.

“The residents using Mill Road will continue to be able to access their

homes in this manner, the spokesperson confirmed.

O’Gorman also raised concerns that the proposal would require the removal of several mature trees along the Castleknock Road in order to make way for the construction of the cycle lane. He said he would support the routing of the lane around the trees, rather than seeing them removed.

However, the council said that following an assessment, the routing would in fact require the trees be removed. “ R e g r e t t a b l y, t h i s assessment concluded that the routing around the trees would be exces-

sively distant from the Castleknock Road, would create a more intrusive crossing of the Royal Canal and would need an elevated bridge structure likely to be uninviting and unsafe for pedestrian and cyclists.

“A routing away from the trees would also create an unsupervised and inaccessible ‘hollow’ area beside the Castleknock Road that would be liable to significant dumping and anti-social behaviour problems,” the spokesperson said.

It was confirmed that the mature trees in question have been examined by the local authority’s tree experts and landscape consultants and it is considered that they are nearing the end of their natural life.

“In compensation for the removal of the trees, it is proposed to complete a substantial landscaping and tree planting programme as part of the proposed works in order to properly integrate the new facilities into the adjoining public park,” the spokesperson said.

10 April 2014 BLANCH Gazette 3

Swimathon

fingal: local authority receives grant to deal with litter, graffiti

Coolmine celebrates 40 years

€138k set aside to tackle vandalism  natalie burke

Fingal is set to receive just over €138,000 in funding to help tackle the issues of graffiti across the county.

The funding was announced recently by Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan, and is part of a nationwide provision of €850,000 given to local authorities under the Anti-Litter and AntiGrafitti Awareness Grant Scheme.

A total of €138,050 will be allocated to Fingal County Council, the same amount received by the other Dublin county councils. Dublin City Council will be receiving a slightly increased amount of €171,040

The funding will enable Fingal to support appropriate public education and awareness initiatives in relation to both litter and graffiti.

The anti-litter grants cover a range of measures aimed at raising public awareness of the litter issue and promoting anti-litter and anti-graffiti activity at a local level.

There is a particular focus on voluntary initiatives involving local schools, young people and community groups.

Welcoming the funding this week, Mayor of Fingal Cllr Kieran Dennison (FG) said he is aware of a number of projects that will benefit from the funding.

“I very much welcome

the funding and there is a long list of projects awaiting this,” he said.

“I will be asking my officials to put matching funding with this and would urge residents to contact the council and myself if there are areas they think should be prioritised.”

To maximise the benefit of the funds, Cllr Dennison said he would be hoping to work with local resident associations across Fingal to tackle particular areas in need of help.

Some of the areas Cllr Dennison hopes to tackle include the Old Hansfield Road, located between Castaheany and Ongar, as well as the Porterstown Road, where he says a lot of dumping takes place.

Going green: Youthreach promoting eco-friendly lifestyle with project youthreach Blanchardstown were among many groups of young people across Dublin who recently presented their action project to a panel of judges for the Leinster competition for the Eco-Unesco Young Environmentalist Awards. The awards encourage and empower young people to build awareness of various environmental issues and promote simple lifestyle changes to improve the environment in their local communities through their action project.

Youthreach Blanchardstown presented their project The Amazon.

They will find out after the Easter break if they have made it through to the awards gala showcase and awards ceremony final, which takes place next month at the Mansion House.

As part of their 40th birthday celebrations, Coolmine Sports Centre will be hosting a swimathon next week.

The aim of the fundraising event is to swim the same distance as Temple Street to Crumlin Children’s Hospital and back again, which is 12.4 km in total.

The whole community is invited to take part and swim a length or more on Friday, April 18. Taking part is free and participants are asked to make a donation to a hospital fund, which will go towards both Temple Street hospital and Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital.

Coolmine Sports Centre will have staff available to help anyone who wishes to take part.

4 BLANCH Gazette 10 April 2014

10 April 2014 BLANCH Gazette 5

‘good news’ Council postpones Porterstown closure

Level crossing to stay open for now  natalie burke

A controversial proposal to close Porterstown level crossing has been put on hold by Fingal County Council.

The announcement will come as good news to members of the community who objected to the proposal during the public consultation phase on the issue late last year.

The decision to postpone the closure was made at a recent area committee meeting when council officials recommended not to proceed with the closure of the level crossing at Porterstown Road “at this time”.

A spokesperson for the

council said concerns were raised by the local community on a number of issues during the public consultation. These issues included, in particular, traffic management and congestion, as well as potential dumping and anti-social issues.

“These concerns and potential mitigation measures are being assessed at the moment and funding sources are being sought.

The proposed measures may require further consultation if funding is secured,” the spokesperson said.

Speaking about the news, Mayor of Fingal Kieran Dennison (FG) said there will be relief in

the local community that the closure will not go ahead at this time.

“When the closing of the Porterstown level crossing was first proposed last May I made it known that I felt the closure was premature,” he said.

“Despite this, the proposal was put out for public consultation in the autumn.

“Having considered the submissions from the public, the inspector’s report from an oral hearing and my own concerns, the planners have now agreed not to proceed with the closure at this time.

“They have also agreed

to further studies on traffic management and littering in the area including a scheme to simplify the traffic movements outside St Mochta’s School, a scheme to reduce congestion at the Diswellstown Road and Porterstown Road signalised junction and a proposal to erect CCTV cameras at Kennan Bridge, so as to counter littering in the vicinity,” Mayor Dennison continued.

He said the scheme mentioned had been researched and costs examined, and that he would like to see it included in next year’s budget.

“I would like to thank the 98 people who made

An artist’s impression of proposed pedestrian crossing at Porterstown Level Crossing

submissions, the 750 signatories of the petition and those who participated in the oral hearing.”

Meanwhile, Cllr John Walsh (Lab) also welcomed the decision to hold off on the closure, he says he hopes the plans

will be dropped for good.

“The withdrawal of the plan to close Porterstown Road is undoubtedly due to the strength of opposition from the local community. But the council and Irish Rail are planning only a temporary

reprieve for Porterstown: it is deeply disappointing that they remain committed to a programme of closures for all level crossings on the Maynooth line despite the clearly expressed wishes of local residents,” he said.

6 BLANCH Gazette 10 April 2014

awards Top stars home for event

Michael Fassbender clutches his Best Supporting Actor IFTA award as journalists congratulate him; Brendan Gleeson (right), another IFTA winner (Lead Actor in a Film) was happy to praise the virtues of Sligo, where he filmed Calvary.

Pictures: Photocall Ireland

Stars shine at IFTAs  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

It isn’t going to go down as the best moment in television history but the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTA) did have a lot of heavy hitters in attendance and the Gazette caught up with many of them on the red carpet.

There were a few notable surprises on the night, including a disappointing performance by popular RTE drama Love/Hate, with only one of the four stars nominated scooping an award (Peter Coonan, AKA Fran), and Dundrum’s Tom VaughanLawlor missing out.

The biggest winner on the night was John Michael McDonagh’s film Calvary, which picked up three IFTAs. The Gazette took to the red carpet, and the atmosphere in Double Tree Hilton on Leeson Street was electric, with the likes of international stars Colin Farrell, Michael Fassbender and Jamie Dornan all in attendance.

Fassbender received an IFTA for his performance in 12 Years A Slave. He said: “It’s great to come home and see friends and family, and it’s great to celebrate Irish film and

television and encourage the next generation.”

When asked to explain his chemistry with director Steve McQueen, with whom he’s made three films, Fassbender said: “I don’t know how to explain that. I suppose we’re on the same wavelength, and he’s a very sensitive person and a genius, so I feel like I can talk to him and therefore he can direct me happily.”

He recently worked with young up and coming Irish actor Jack Reynor, of whom he said: “Jack is such a nice guy, and is also hugely talented. He has a huge opportunity right now.

“We worked together on the last film I did, and I guess I’m rooting for new talent coming through.”

Castleknock man Colin Farrell, who lost out on an IFTA this time around to Fassbender, spoke of the wealth of Irish films up for awards – in particular, Calvary, whose writer he hailed as “one of the best writers around”.

Farrell also spoke of his current film, The Lobster, with Rachel Weisz, which he is now filming in Kerry.

“Two weeks in, and it seems to be going okay.

Nobody’s died yet, and I still have the job, so ...!”

When asked which Irish actors he would like to work with, Farrell said: “I’d love to work with Brendan [Gleeson] again; I’d love to work with Cillian [Murphy] again – I haven’t worked with Cillian since Intermission.

“There’s a bunch of lads and lassies; Eva Birthistle [who won for Amber] and Michael Fassbender.

I’m a huge fan. I know Michael a little through the years, so it’d be great to find something with him in it.”

About coming home, Farrell said: “I’ll be home for two and a half weeks at Christmas. About once every two and half years, I get to come home and work for two months.

“It’s not my intention [to live abroad], it’s just the way it’s happened, and I’m being looked after.”

Just back from America, Dundrum girl Amy Huberman, who presented one of the biggest awards on the night to President Michael D Higgins, said: “I really like LA, and I really enjoyed it again this time.”

About her future writing projects, she said: “I have a couple of writing things that I’m sinking my teeth into.”

Malahide resident

Brendan Gleeson said it was “an odd feeling” to win out against his son, Domhnall, in the same category, Lead Actor in a Film. He said: “I don’t know what to say. This is the kind of thing that divides people, but it shouldn’t and won’t. It’s nicer to win than not to win, obviously.”

Of working on Calvary, Gleeson said: “It was beautiful. We were in Sligo, which has got to be the place to be. It was very fulfilling, and very challenging.”

Foxrock man Peter Coonan was another winner on the night. When asked if he’d miss playing Fran in Love/Hate when it all winds down, he said: “It’s a tough question. I don’t think I’m ready to answer that: we’ll have to wait and see.”

When asked if he was looking forward to playing a completely different character next, he said: “Definitely! You always have to test yourself, and that’s what I’ve been doing in the last couple of months with theatre and film and different things.

We’ll finish off the season [of Love/Hate] and see where we go after that.”

See Gallery on Page 10

10 April 2014 BLANCH Gazette 7

politics New county manager on his role

‘We aim for Fingal to set services benchmarks’  natalie burke

ACKNOWLEDGING his arrival into Fingal County Council recently, the new county manager, Paul Reid, has set out his early priorities for looking to the future for Fingal.

Speaking to The Gazette just days into his new role, the manager said he is ready for the challenges ahead as he joins Fingal staff in delivering services to a growing and diverse population.

Reid said he is looking forward to the role, and said it is a “privilege” to be working for Fingal County Council.

“I have a great identity with the area and, in a sense, I am coming back to where my early career grew. I know Fingal geographically inside out. It’s great to come to an area that’s very proactive.”

With Fingal coming with a reputation for being a “very progressive” county, and for attracting investment and strengthening social inclusion, the manager says he hopes to continue this progress.

He said: “Fingal County Council has undergone a lot of change in recent years; most recently with the transfer of water supply and treatment services to Irish Water. We will also see big changes in

local representation after May 23, when Balbriggan Town Council will no longer exist and our elected council in Fingal will grow from 24 to 40 councillors.

These changes reflect the changed demography of Fingal, whose population has grown beyond 270,000 people, with more than 100 nationalities.”

T he manager also spoke about his ambitions for Fingal while in his new role.

“I want Fingal to be a leader in terms of economic growth, community development and getting people back to work.

I have great confidence in what I can see already.

The strongest message I want to get across is that it is about evolution, not resolution. Fingal is not broken – it’s about evolving it to the next level.”

The manager said it is encouraging to see solid indicators of economic growth nationally, and that Fingal is ideally placed to benefit.

“We have a young, educated workforce, good availability of serviced development land and are a major employer. The Fingal local enterprise office opens in County Hall soon, continuing to expand the great work of the Fingal County Enter-

Council approves new restaurants Planning permission has been granted for a change of use to the rear of Paidi Og’s P ublic House which was formerly named The Shanty.

Two new restaurants have been approved by Fingal County Council with takeaway services and a sit-down space also approved.

C o u n c i l l o r D av i d McGuinness (FF) wel-

comed the news saying: “The addition of two new restaurants will enhance the attractiveness of Mulhuddart Village as a place to do business and a place to spend money.

“The area has seen significant investment over recent times and [the] announcement confirms the continued growth of the village area.”

prise Board. With a strong focus on and expansion of economic development services in the council, my intention is to make Fingal the leader on economic growth, getting people back to work and improving social inclusion.”

Reid also noted that the council has made significant financial savings of and reduced staff numbers by approximately 300 people since 2008.

Looking for ward, he said the council will remain focused on

improving how things are done by always looking at ways to provide services more efficiently.

“At the end of the day, it’s about the citizen, and we aim in Fingal to be the benchmark for providing public services to citizens in Ireland.”

Reid officially started with Fingal County Council as county manager from March 31. He most recently worked at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and previously with Trocaire and Eircom.

8 BLANCH Gazette 10 April 2014

gazetteGALLERY

Clarisse Dizon, Ivy Grace Edades and Kathleen Bernardo Rachel Lynch, Rebecca Storey and Victoria Meehan

Farouq Raheem, Alannah Kenny, Arshil Ismail and Winner Lauryn McLeod. Pictures: Ronan O’Sullivan

Charles Adejayan

event: Colaiste Pobail Setanta

Talent takes centre stage F

ourteen acts took to the stage recently for the annual Colaiste Pobail Setanta’s annual talent competition, Setanta’s Got Talent. The acts ranged from singing and dancing to rapping. These acts were under the watchful eye of three judges who undoubtedly had a difficult decision to make. Lauryn McLeod, second year, took first place with her

rendition of At Last by Etta James. The show was organised by Philip O’Callaghan and assisted by fellow music teacher Lorna Cunningham. The show-stopping performance of the night was the surprise act consisting of several teachers taking to the stage and showcasing their moves. The night was enjoyed by a packed out hall.

Adam Kelly and Cathal Burke

Nawwal Saleiman and Nourah Talib

10 April 2014 BLANCH Gazette 9

10 BLANCH Gazette 10 April 2014

gazetteGALLERY

Michael Fassbender won Best Supporting Actor

Jamie Dorman won Best Actress Jane McGrath

Actor in The Fall

Love/Hate actors Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Laurence Kinlan and Killian Scott . Pictures: Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland

Calvary honoured

T

he 11th annual Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTA 2014) took place recently at Dublin’s DoubleTree by Hilton, Burlington Road. The event was hosted by Simon Delaney and Laura Whitmore. The annual awards are the highlight of Ireland’s entertainment and cultural calendar celebrating the very best of

Irish screen talent across film and television.

The biggest winners on the night were the films Calvary, Byzantium and Philomena which all picked up three awards each. Calvary took the highest accolade, Best Film, along with Best Actor for Brendan Gleeson and Best Script for its writer-director John Michael McDonagh.

David Rawell from Moone Boy which won Actress Kelly Thornton

Best Entertainment Programme

10 April 2014 Gazette 11

feature P15

asdfsdaf businessP27 P16

dublinlife Let Dublin Gazette Newspapers take you on a tour of the news and events taking place across the city and county this week

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what’son Cinemagic Film and Television Festival

Brian McAleer of Sheehan’s pub on Chatham Street

a day in the life: barman Brian McAleer sheds light on life behind the bar

‘I couldn’t do a 9 to 5 job’

 Lisa Banks

It’s no secret that most Irish people enjoy a visit to the pub every now and again, but life on the other side of the bar is a different and challenging experience.

This week, the Gazette caught up with barman Brian McAleer of Sheehan’s pub to get the inside scoop on what a typical day of pulling pints and serving up hearty Irish food is like.

Brian usually starts his day with an 8.30am wake-up.

“I have a light breakfast of coffee and cereal when I have time, and come into

work for 10am.”

A barman since 1998, McAleer has worked at the iconic Sheehan’s in the city centre’s Chatham Street for 12 of his 16-year career, so he has his routine down pat.

When he arrives at work around 10am, he takes in deliveries, sets up the bar and prepares the tables for lunch service.

“Because we’re just off Grafton Street, we get quite a few tourists as well as locals and office workers from around the area for lunch,” he says while pulling a few perfect pints of Guinness. Between the rush of lunch crowds, Brian tries to find a bit of time to himself to unwind,

saying: “I take a half hour break, maybe get some lunch or do some things around town. I would just eat in house.”

His afternoon is filled with some familiar faces who sit up at the bar. “We get the afternoon crowd from 5pm onwards.

The lunch crowd dies down and you get locals in for a few drinks and to watch the racing.”

McAleer started bartending as a teenager and has since grown to love the job.

“My most memorable parts are meeting characters from around the area. I’ve enjoyed the city changing over the years, and being part of the changes in Sheehan’s. It wasn’t always what I wanted

to do for a career but I realised after a while that it’s something that suited me and I suited it. I couldn’t do a 9 to 5 job nowadays.”

As the sun starts to set, both tourists and locals alike drop in for some dinner and drinks in the cosy pub. For his own break, Brian sometimes heads down the road to other bars to get some food and chat to friends.

After he pulls his last pint of the day, he usually relaxes with a drink or two of his own before heading home, adding: “At the end of the night I might watch a bit of TV before heading to bed around 1am.”

This month and next, young, would-be actors and film buffs will get the chance to indulge their passion with a feast of masterclasses and screenings at the seventh Cinemagic Film and Television Festival for Young People.

The festival runs in venues all over Dublin this April and May and has a programme of activities specially tailored for 12 - 25-year-olds.

The Cinemagic Festival promises to be action packed this year with a host of film screenings including special premieres, international feature films, documentaries, shorts, foreign language films and education screenings.

Throughout the festival Cinemagic will also be offering young people the opportunity to take part in practical events including industry masterclasses and their extensive education programme for schools.

This year’s Talent Lab Masterclass and Q&A series for 16 25-year-olds will be hosted in Filmbase from April 14-16.

For further information see www.cinemagic.org.uk.

Gazette

12 Gazette 10 April 2014

dublinlife

Lindt bunnies hop to Temple Street for a sweet Easter PATIENTS at Temple Street Children’s Hospital were treated to hundreds of Lindt Gold Bunny soft toys to celebrate the seventh annual Lindt Make Easter Sweet for Temple Street campaign.

Doing the bunny run was radio presenter and former Westlife singer Nicky Byrne with his copresenter Jenny Greene

from the Nicky Byrne Show. They carried hundreds of bunnies through the wards to make sure each patient received a gift from their Easter baskets.

T h e L i n d t M a ke Easter Sweet for Temple Street campaign sees Gold Bunny Roadshows arrive in shopping centres across Ireland raising much-needed funds

for Temple Street Hospital.

To date, the campaign has raised over €380k for the hospital which has enabled the fundraising team to purchase vital pieces of life saving equipment for the young patients at the hospital.

This year’s campaign hopes to raise enough money for the hospital to buy a specialised ear,

nose and throat (ENT) microscope for their ENT Theatre.

new puppy wing for dogs trust A DUBLIN-based rehoming centre for our canine friends will save 500 more puppies each year with a brand new dedicated puppy wing to open this summer.

The Dogs Trust re-

Presenters of 2FM’s THe Nicky Byrne Show Jenny Greene and Nicky Byrne deliver a toy to Mary Jane Cremin from Wexford during their bunny run at Temple Street Hospital. Picture: Leon Farrell /Photocall Ireland

homing centre in Finglas is expanding its successful centre with a new puppy wing, which

is being developed in response to surging levels of puppies being abandoned in Ireland.

The new puppy wing will be a home to six mothers, their puppies and up to an additional

FOR UP TO DAT E NEWs fo l l ow us:

10 April 2014 Gazette 13

encounter; in the past the statue has been dressed in a poncho, a shower cap and a knitted scarf to help protect him from the often unpredictable Irish weather.

Greyhound bid for recyclers

Lindt Gold Bunny soft Children’s University

30 puppies at any one time, providing the veterinary care, socialisation and, most importantly, loving care needed to get these puppies on their paws and ultimately into loving homes.

The new puppy wing will also create seven jobs which will include specialist puppy canine carers and veterinary staff.

Construction is currently under way with the facility expected to open in early summer 2014.

Kavanagh finds his feet again THE statue of poet Patrick Kavanagh has been returned to his normal bronzed self after vandals gave the sculpture a painted pair of red shoes last month.

A team of specialists from the Cast Bronze Foundry was needed to remove the paint, however the result was nearly seamless as Kavanagh was repaired to his previous condition with no harm done.

Located at the edge of the Grand Canal on Dublin’s south side since 1991, the statue was created by sculptor John Coll and is owned by Dublin City Council.

But the dodgy paint job isn’t the poet’s only

TO launch the search for Dublin’s recycling champion, Greyhound Recycling has revealed some of the many strange items found in recycling bins.

Among them was a live kitten that was found and adopted by a member of Greyhound staff and mothered by her pet dog, Molly.

A large range of Christmas presents was also found at the recycling depot – staff suspected they were hidden in a bin as a surprise. Unfortunately, they were never claimed. One person accidently threw €4,500 into a bin.

Some other bizarre findings include an urn containing ashes, a wedding dress; engagement ring and complete wedding cake and hundreds of undelivered newspapers.

This list was provided

by Greyhound Recycling to launch a search for Dublin’s Recycling Champion. Over the

coming months, nominated households will have their bins assessed to establish the success of their recycling techniques. The winner receives a prize of €1,000.

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backstreet boys in town

call 60 10 240

THE most successful boy band in music history gave a pleasant surprise to a few lucky fans at Ireland’s oldest pub on April 1.

US band The Backstreet Boys enjoyed pints and posed for photos with fans at the Brazen Head ahead of their gig later that night at the O2.

Together since 1993, the boys have sold over 130 million records over the past 20 years, despite a few breaks along the way for solo careers.

The boys were also spotted at various bars around Temple Bar in the days leading up to their concert.

Nick Carter jumped on stage at Bad Bob’s to sing a few tunes, much to the delight of onlookers. Bandmate Kevin Richardson later took to Twitter to post a photo of himself pulling one of his first pints of Guinness behind the bar. Hopefully he let it settle first!

Kevin Richardson of The Backstreet Boys tweeted this picture of himself at The Brazen Head

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dublinlife

ESCAPE THE MAYHEM

chaos control: E for Enthusiasm and P for Persistence

‘I can mentally relax and stay positive every day’ - Cullen

Each week the Gazette speaks to Dubliners about how they like to unwind in a bustling, busy city. Former Apprentice host Bill Cullen explains how he finds time to relax FORMER Apprentice host and one-time owner of Renault Ireland Bill Cullen hasn’t let the downfall of his businesses slow him down in the slightest.

I n 2 01 2 , C u l l e n ’s motor-trade business was put into receivership by Ulster Bank along with his five-star

Muckross Park Hotel the following year.

Now at 72 years old, Cullen’s back with the relaunch in the guise of his business Bill Cullen Premier Cars, a Ssangyong dealership on the Naas Road.

Speaking to the Gazette about how he escapes the chaos of

his life, Cullen said: “In terms of escaping the mayhem, I can do that all in my head. In other words, I can mentally relax and mentally stay positive every day.

“In that way I can break away from everything that’s going on around me. You wouldn’t be able to imagine the sort of things I’ve gone through over the past two years with banks and receivers and of all that,” he said. “[Jackie Lavin] and myself believe it’s totally

and utterly unfair the way the banks treated us and we’re trying to sort all that out now in many ways, but that’s another day’s work – we’ll keep at it.

“That’s the kind of mayhem that we had in our lives for the past year and a half, but now that we’ve opened a small business I can focus on that and I’m putting all my experience into it to make it as successful as possible.

“My father was an army man and always

used to say to us ‘have a pep in your step’ and gave us a box on the ear if he saw us moping around with our heads down. “ H e ’d s ay ‘ E f o r Enthusiasm and P for Persistence’, then he’d give us a kick up the arse and say ‘get up and let’s see you walking’.

“Another way that I clear my head and get ready for the day is to get up at 4am in the morning and workout for 30 to 40 minutes in my bathroom. I go hop-

Bill Cullen: “I don’t work for money.”

ping out the door, not tired at all.

“I don’t need an alarm and I don’t even need a clock. I can tell you the time by just looking up

at the sky.

“I don’t work for money. I just like to get the job done right then the money usually follows.”

10 April 2014 Gazette 15

Gazette

FEATURE

SCHOOLS: dAVID gILLICK shows his skills in the kitchen

Eating on the run  stephen findlater sfindlater@dublingazette.com

DAVID Gillick is hoping to use the combination of his success in the athletics arena and Celebrity Masterchef to help inspire school goers to improve the way they eat.

A two-time European indoor 400m runner, the Ballinteer man conducted his new healthy schools initiative at his alma mater St Benildus last week, speaking to students about sport and nutrition.

He followed up by running a cooking demonstration for the students to emulate before picking the best dish with the winner receiving a pair of New Balance trainers.

Gillick has previously run similar initiatives in Pobal Scoil Iosa in Malahide as well as in Loreto, Foxrock while he is an ambassador for the Aviva Health Schools Fitness Challenge.

And he is hoping that his initiative can provide a novel way for students to start to thinking about what they eat and why.

“On the back of working with the Aviva Fitness Challenge, it got me thinking how I can help to influence kids’ eating at a young age,” he said.

“I think it’s a practical way to get across the idea quite clearly about healthy nutrition and teach them how to cook some healthy dishes.”

From his own experience, he says it is something he would have loved as a child growing up. A keen Gaelic footballer with Ballinteer St John’s as well as an international athlete, he admits that he did not have much knowledge

David Gillick shares his culinary tips with students at St Benildus College, Kilmacud.

Picture: Geraldine Woods

about what were the best things to eat to aid his performance.

Similarly, he did not understand the value of certain foods as it was not something that he paid much attention to, saying that meals were confined to either “what was in my lunchbox or what my mum put on my plate at dinner”.

“Home economics is something I didn’t do at school, but over the last number of years in running, I have realised it is a really good life skill to have, giving you a good idea of the value of nutrition and exercise in adult life.

“If I had known of the importance of nutrition at a younger age, I would have jumped on it.”

But he says now there is a growing appetite for this kind of thing, espe-

cially with the popularity of social media food posts on Twitter and Facebook.

“A lot of the Leinster r ugby players tweet about what they’re eating. Kids follow that.

They mightn’t understand why those lads are eating certain things, so that’s why we try and give information about why the top rugby players or soccer players eat particular foods.

“There’s a bigger reaction than I thought there would be from kids taking an interest in what they are eating.

“It is out there in the media a lot but if we can bring it down to practical terms and [we can] show them there is a benefit on a daily basis and [give them] an understanding of what they should be eating.

Educating them is the key thing.”

Gazette

16 Gazette 10 April 2014

dublinlife

business

Q&A: music makers academy, dun laoghaire

A focus on live music hits all the right notes ACTIVE musicians on the Irish music scene, and best of friends professionally and socially, both Christopher Cole and Simon Jordan are Dun Laoghaire locals who share a passion for music and education, and a strong desire to promote the importance and joy of live music performance for students of music.

Beginning his musical career as a guitarist more than a decade ago, Cole also studied music at UCD, where he graduated with first-degree honours in 2011. Jordan, a veteran vocalist/guitarist of 15 years, performed and taught in Spain for many years, and has now returned to his native Ireland as one half of Music Makers Academy.

How long have you been in business?

We have been in business for 18 months.

What makes your busi-

ness successful?

Music Makers Academy offers a unique brand of simplified music training across all genres in guitar,

bass, keyboards, drums, ukulele and singing.

The weekly lessons enable students to experience the fun of “jamming” and playing together in pop and rock bands right from the very start of their courses.

Students play the songs they want in their own bands under the direction of the tutor team in our fullyequipped “jam rooms”, which are kitted out with guitars, basses, drums, keyboards, amps, PAs and mics for the use of students.

What do you offer your clients that differs

from your competitors?

Unlike most other music schools, at Music Makers Academy, the emphasis is on making music together and providing students with the opportunity to play in groups and bands under the guidance of our trained tutor team.

We’ve done away with the stuffy, traditional method of music tuition, and have put the focus on playing contemporary music in a live atmosphere.

At Music Makers Academy, we really believe in the importance of performance as a key factor in a musician’s development.

The emphasis is on encouraging our students to play live in front of an audience – that’s what music is all about!

With this in mind, all students of the school experience the thrill of live performance on a regular basis, ending every term playing in

Managing directors of Music Makers, Simon Jordan and Christopher Cole: “We’ve done away with the stuffy, traditional method of music tuition, and have put the focus on playing contemporary music in a live atmosphere”

some of Dublin’s top theatres and venues – previous venues have included Rua Red Theatre, the Sugar Club and the Mermaid Theatre, with our next concert scheduled for Thursday, May 1 in the local Purty Loft (Dun Laoghaire), which will be open to the public and with free entry for all.

Makers Academy during the recession, we were already prepared for the economic climate .

With this in mind, we aimed to offer students the most we could in terms of tuition, course materials, concerts, school trips and rock camps at the most affordable and economic price.

How has the recession affected your business?

How do you use social media to help your business?

As we set up Music

Music Makers Acad-

emy has a strong following online. We keep our students and the public up to date with events via Facebook and our website, as well as posting pictures, audio clips or videos of songs the students have performed and/or written.

For more about our business, see www.

AcademyMM.com; and music followers can also find out more about us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ musicmakersdublin.

What should I do with €200k?

Q – My mortgage has a balance of €175,000. It is on a current tracker rate of 1.25% (1% margin), but last month my mother’s probate came through, leaving me with just over €200,000 tax-free.

What would you advise – that I pay off the mortgage, or invest this sum? Pat – Kimmage A – While it is very tempting to have your home debt free, the fact is that you could earn greater net interest on a deposit account than paying mortgage interest.

For example, the best demand deposit account currently is 2.3% - net 1.357% after deduction of 41% DIRT tax – or 0.107% greater interest.

However, you might want the cash flow, and therefore it still comes down to your annual budget.

On a 25-year capital and interest term, you are paying circa €679.52 every month – including the capital.

While you would earn €15.60 more interest each month on the deposit than you would be paying the mortgage interest, you still have to pay that capital back monthly.

Paying off the loan entirely eliminates that monthly debt completely. Your cash flow immediately improves.

Does this suit you, or have you something better to do

with the money, if you can afford to continue those payments? For example, would you want to: - Invest in your own start-up business; - Pay off any other debts and keep some cash for your rainy day fund (at least three months’ NET income); - Help any family members in trouble; or - Improve and update your home, or buy an iPad, get a smartphone upgrade, buy a top-end TV, etc.

One thing you do have is time. With tracker rates likely to remain low for the next two years, you do not have to make this decision now.

Email me for further information or to discuss options.  Contact John with your money questions at jlowe@moneydoctor.ie or visit his website at www.moneydoctor.ie. John Lowe, Fellow of the Institute of Bankers, is founder and managing director of Money Doctor

10 April 2014 Gazette 17

asdfsdaf P27 motors P25

cinema P22

OUT&ABOUT Never be out of the loop on what’s happening in Dublin! Let Out&About be your guide to all that is stylish, cultural and essential across the city and beyond this week

people: warwick davis speaks to the gazette ahead of coming to dublin

Pets

‘Focus on an actor’s talent, not their size’  rob heigh

THE comic con phenomenon has become legendary in recent years, with the San Diego convention being the world’s pre-eminent gathering of all things sci-fi and fantasy-related.

It had more than 130,000 attendees in 2013, and the passes for this year’s event sold out in a frenzied 90-minute scramble.

Now, the acclaimed MCM convention that has run for several years in Britain is reaching the shores of Ireland and Dublin on April 12 and 12, and the RDS convention is set to be visited by a plethora of stars of stage and screen, including Colin Ferguston, Lyndie Greenwood, Ian McNeice, Danny John Jules and Hattie Hayridge, as well as artists, gamers, cos-players and fantasy fans alike.

Chief amongst the attractions is British actor Warwick Davis, who has become a beloved and respected character actor over the course of his acting career, which is now into its third decade.

He made his first screen appearance as Wicket the Ewok in the third of the original Star Wars films, Return of the Jedi, at the tender age of 11, having answered a radio advert that Lucasfilm had run in England looking for short actors.

Production Warwick is currently on tour with his Reduced Height Theatre Company, which exclusively features short actors in a production of the classic farce, See How They Run. Talking to The Gazette, Warwick said the play is playing to packed houses in England and Wales, and the reaction to the show has vindicated his

decision to help bring the company together, based on his recent experience in the acting world.

He said: “The work I’ve been offered in recent years is not about height, but about what I can offer to a production, which prompted me to think about doing a production myself, and using the talent out there amongst the shortist community, who themselves were only ever thought about because of their height – not their talent, or what they could bring to a production.

“I wanted to be able to bring them that platform to be able to show the quality of their performance.

“We’re not making the change overnight, but we are saying that if you have a short actor in a production, it doesn’t have to be a story about prejudice, or their height. With the play, it’s laying the foundations for change.”



Gazette

travel P20

jetz is a peppy pup The Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs.

Our Dog of the Week is Jetz, a four-year-old male Saluki cross.

He would love a home where new owners could help him with training (sometimes he gets a bit excited and jumps up) and possibly even another confident dog.

He just loves being the centre of attention and will make a fantastic addition to the right family.

If you think you could give Jetz a loving home, then please contact Dogs Trust at 01 879 1000.

They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50 and would love to show you around. Map and directions can be found on their website www.dogstrust.ie Over the decades, Warwick Davis has carved out an impressive career as a popular character actor, with many memorable roles on television and in cinema

Warwick is coming to Dublin this weekend as a special guest at the first MCM Comic Con here, at which he will be a very popular attendee, to say the least.

Warwick has some major nerd credentials in his CV, having appeared in all eight of the Harry Potter movies – albeit in different roles – as well as in both of the Star Wars trilogies, and on television in Doctor Who, and

with Ricky Gervais and Karl Pilkington, as well as a lead in the timeless fantasy classic, Willow.

He said: “I don’t do that many [conventions], but when I do go, what I find is that people are lining up to meet me, which is quite delightful.

“I’m lucky to have [played] a wide range of characters that have connected with a lot of people.

“It’s nice to get to see

your audience – when you work in films or television, you don’t often get the chance to do that – and comic cons are places you can get to do that.”

Doors open Saturday from 9.30am to 6pm, and on Sunday from 10am until 5pm. Tickets start at €12 for adults, and €8 for 11 to 14-year-olds, while kids under 10 go free.

For further information, see www.mcmcomiccon. com/ireland/.

FOR UP TO DAT E N E W s follow u s :

Gazette

18 Gazette 10 April 2014

OUT&ABOUT

STYLE

Elvery

s Bodylo gic Scu lpt jog p ants €4 5

SPORTYLOOKS

Nike Free Traine

GAZETTE Style recently tested out the new Skechers GoRun3 to see whether they really do exactly what they claim to do.

Designed for speed, the makers claim these shoes give “a barefoot running experience”.

Well, Gazette Style can attest to this – the runners provided much comfort, and our tester could actually go for longer than usual because her feet felt so cushioned.

And the hot pink colour made her want to flash her feet in public for longer, too!

These runners feature an all-new performance-engineered upper, with what Skechers call a Power-prene mesh on the forefoot, that provides support while allowing toes to splay for comfort.

Skechers GOrun 3 and GOrun Ride 3 are now available, priced €85, in Skechers’ retail stores located at Henry Street, and the shopping centres at Liffey Valley, Blanchardstown, The Square and Swords Pavilions.

rs €110

Skechers will do your feet (and style) proud

Elverys Bodylogic Hoodie €34.99

FitnessGets NEON  laura webb

WITH the Samsung 10k Night Run just weeks away here in Dublin, Gazette Style thought it was important for runners to be seen in the dark by wearing some bright fitness gear.

Neon is definitely the colour for fitness enthusiasts this year and, with some runs – such as the Samsung Night Run, and the Darkness into Light initiative – taking place in darkness, the need for bright clothing is a must.

Last month, the Electric Run took place in Dublin, with thousands of people taking to the streets dressed head to toe in neon – a sight not for the faint-eyed! So, here are some neon-coloured (and subtle neon-hued) fitness clothes that will have you standing out from the crowd.

Step up to expert help nk Top €22

Elverys Ta

ort Bra €10

Heatons Azzurri Supp

er rain T s

n ato

He

20

s€

Elverys LED laces €12

TO MAKE sure you get the right shoe, take a trip out to Runners Need, in Dundrum for gait analysis. Our tester, Suzanne Sheehy, said: “The staff asked about any injuries, my running history and my future running goals.

“A video was taken of me running for a short period on a treadmill. Then, a slow-motion detailed analysis was performed by the Runners Need consultant to show my personal biomechanics [a study of the body’s movements].

“It was clear to see that I was an overpronator [where my foot rolls inwards]. From their selection of high-quality running shoes, I was given the ASICS Women’s Gel Super J 33 (€119). I took them out for a run, and they are super lightweight, with a 6mm heel-drop. These runners have rescued me from further injury,” said Suzanne.

Runners Need is located within Snow + Rock, Unit 3.2 – 4.2, Dundrum Town Centre.

Heatons Seamless Vest €15

Skechers GoRun3 trainers

10 April 2014 Gazette 19

Gazette

FOOD&DRINK

The Grafton Lounge Lunch menu

Dawson Street

The Grafton Lounge does a roaring lunch trade with an extensive menu such as salads, gourmet sandwiches and a number of hot meals

The Picky Eater The Grafton Lounge has established itself on the Dublin nightlife scene, and is frequented by many a Dublin celebrity as well as some musical heavy hitters who have used the pub for their after parties in the past.

However, what people may not know is that the pub does a roaring lunch trade with an extensive menu.

There are plenty of salads as well as gourmet sandwiches and a number of hot meals.

T he Spicy Falafel Wrap (€9.95) is packed with taste and is a nice alternative to the old reliable chicken wraps.

The falafel was complemented nicely by r o c ke t , g r i l l e d r e d onions, roast peppers, sweet chilli and coriander mayo all packed neatly in a tasty tortilla wrap.

T his came with a side of red cabbage and salad, and of course a few fries to help fill a

hungry belly.

The crispy fried buffalo wings (€5.95) come with a cucumber and coriander yoghurt and are served with a hot spicy sauce.

These may lead to finger licking!

T he Graf ton Beef shredded sandwich (€11.95) is stuffed full of slow cooked beef served with thyme jus, jalapeno relish, crispy onion and vine tomato, gem lettuce and a bap.

Too much to eat at lunch but ideal if you are ravenous.

We sampled a chocolate butterscotch brownie (€5.95), with white chocolate ice cream and cr ushed hazelnuts. Very light and tasty.

There is also a good range of wines and cocktails on offer if you are so inclined at lunch!

For more information on the Grafton Lounge go to www.thegrafton lounge.ie.

Conclusion

The extensive lunch menu at The Grafton Lounge offers up a nice selection of gourmet sandwiches, salads and hot meals. , The Grafton Lounge is at Royal Hibernian Way, Dawson Street. Tel: 01 679 6260

S e r v i n g 6 t h r i v i n g c o m m u n i t i es of suburban Dublin.

FOR U P T O D A T E N E W s f o l l o w u s : @ D u b l i n G a z ette

Gazette

20 Gazette 10 April 2014

SPRINGgetaways

GREATescapes

Escape to Wexford for some family fun If you’re looking for somewhere to escape to with the kids this Easter, the Maldron Hotel & Leisure Club in Wexford is offering a range of activities and special offers for over the midterm break.

The sunny south east is an ideal destination for families all year round, and the Maldron is hosting kids’ camps throughout Easter weekend, ensuring mum and dad get some well-deserved time off.

The hotel’s spacious family rooms cater for families big and small, and offer interconnecting rooms for larger numbers.

Easter weekend family packages include free easter eggs for children, a family evening meal, access to kids’ clubs and vouchers to go bowling nearby.

Packages from one- to three-night stays are available. All packages include full use of the leisure centre, comprising of a 20m pool, a kiddie’s pool, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi.

For more details of Easter special offers, visit www.maldronhotelwexford.com.

Enjoy Athlone’s stylish waterfront This Easter, a family of two adults and two children can pack themselves off to the stylish waterfront Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone for a special break.

Enjoy two nights’ family accommodation, a buffet breakfast each morning to set you up for the day ahead and a delicious dinner on the evening of your choice in Element’s Bistro from just €259. Include a family cruise on the Viking Ship on the Shannon from €24 for a family of two adults and two children.

The family can explore the maritime town of Athlone, fit in some exercise in Synergy Health & Leisure Club, bring the family to Athlone Castle or simply relax with something chilled to drink in the Quayside Bar & Lounge or out on the terrace overlooking Athlone Marina.

For more information on the hotel’s latest offers or to book, visit www.radissonblu.ie/hotelathlone or call 090 644 2600.

leisure: Blue Book lists a host of luxury hotel and country houses

A little bit of luxury over the Easter weekend

 natalie burke nburke@gazettegroup.com

If you’re tempted by a last minute springtime getaway this Easter, Ireland’s Blue Book has a host of luxury Easter hotel and country houses to choose from.

Springtime is certainly being celebrated at Ballymaloe House in Co Cork, where an Easter visit can bring the whole family to explore the 400-acre farm and admire the peacocks and the quickly-growing piglets. Take the kids for a

wander along the nature walks or enjoy afternoon tea beside the fire.

On Easter Sunday, Ballymaloe will host an Easter Bunny Hunt and egg painting fun event.

The Easter offer includes a three-night stay, with a five-course dinner each evening, a full Irish breakfast each morning, as well as complimentary afternoon tea and cake and activities for the kids.

Priced from €460.

If chocolate trails aren’t really your thing, perhaps a well-deserved spa break

away to the Ice House in Co Mayo would be your ideal Easter treat.

Enjoy panoramic views of the River Moy while relaxing in the peace and tranquillity of the Ice House spa. For just €159.50 per person sharing, stay two nights in a luxurious room and enjoy dinner on one evening from the hotel’s 2AA Rosette Restaurant Table d’Hote menu and lazy breakfast each morning. The Easter package also includes full use of the thermal suite and a

Take an activity-based spring break away and make the most of the outdoors at Coopershill House in Co Sligo

Enjoy the breathtaking lake views and relax at the

50-minute Chill Spa signature massage.

Further Easter indulgence can also be enjoyed at the Wineport Lodge in Co Westmeath, where the hotel is offering an overnight stay for two from just €103.50 per person sharing. A relaxing stay at the lodge will ensure you chill out completely, whether it’s enjoying the breathtaking lake views in the Bollinger Lounge, or unwinding in the lakeside hot tub.

The Easter package includes a chocolate treat for each of you, use of the hot tub, a four-course evening meal and breakfast delivered to your room.

For the more adventurous, perhaps a round of golf, archery or a clay pigeon shooting session would be the cherry on top of an Easter break away. From €339 per room per night, stay at Mount Juliet Country

Estate in Kilkenny and enjoy dinner, bed and breakfast, and one leisure activity of your choice.

The inclusive dinner includes three courses in either The Lady Helen or Kendal’s restaurant.

If you’ve real energy to burn, an activity-based spring break away could see you making the most of the outdoors at Coopershill House in Co Sligo.

There’s a first time for everything, which is why stand-up paddle boarding is one activity that is suitable for all ages and the perfect way of exploring Sligo waters. After an hour-and-a-half lesson, head back to Coopershill to a roaring fire and afternoon tea. From €279 per person, the Easter package includes the sport lesson, two nights bed and breakfast, one fourcourse evening meal and afternoon tea.

With Easter taking

10 April 2014 Gazette 21

Gazette

CLOSEtoHOME Exciting family package breaks If you don’t fancy travelling too far for a family friendly getaway this Easter, the Gibson Hotel is offering some exciting package breaks including a one night break in the hotel and either a day trip to Dublin Zoo or a Viking Splash tour.

This package includes an overnight stay in a family room for two adults and two children, full Irish breakfast for all and a family pass to Dublin Zoo or a Viking Splash Tour for two adults and two children, all for just €165 inclusive.

If the kids have any energy left after all that monkeying – or splashing – around, you can keep them entertained with the Gibson Hotel’s movie and games room, offering a wide array of activities to ensure the little ones are amused and giving you a chance to relax.

Over the Easter weekend (April 19 -20), you can take part in some delightful family Easter celebrations including the EGGciting Easter egg hunt and face painters from 4-6pm.

For more details, see www.thegibsonhotel.ie.

Got a story? Let us know!

Call our news team on 60 10 240 and SELECT OPTION 2 or email news@gazettegroup.com Wineport Lodge in Co Westmeath

place late this year, a visit to Connemara is just the ticket to enjoy some late spring sunshine. Easter at Cashel House Hotel in Co Galway is the perfect time to relax and enjoy a weekend at a slow pace.

Cashel House has all the elements of a classic country house with authentic surroundings, charming interiors and true Irish hospitality.

T h e E a s t e r p a c kage at Cashel House includes two nights bed and breakfast and one evening meal. Escorted local walks can also be arranged to take you through the scenic hills nearby. Easter packages are available from €179 per person.

Spring break packages mentioned above are subject to availability. For further details and more spring breaks away with Ireland’s Blue Book, visit www.irelands-blue-book. ie.

Enjoy panoramic views of the River Moy at the Ice House in Co Mayo



Gazette

22 Gazette 10 April 2014

OUT&ABOUT

CINEMA

ReelReviews

Divergent

A dash of deja vu to view IN AN oppressive future world, a young woman with a destiny stands up against the government regime, with help from a hunky male. Yes, The Hunger Gam– whoops, Divergent (Cert 12A, 143 mins) pretty much follows the genre template as “the chosen one” discovers her inner strengths and revolts against the way of things.

With help from a hunky male. Passable fare ...

Kerry provides a backdrop to some of the sharper issues that modern family life, and relationships, can face in Ireland, but it’s a tale international audiences can also take to

noah

Water hit for Crowe DESPITE being banned in several countries (come on – it ain’t that bad), Noah (Cert 12A, 138 mins) is an entertaining reimagining of one of The Bible’s most well-known stories. Noah faces an unstoppable force (Ray WInstone) in a race against time to prepare for The Flood, and the end of all things – almost. While fundamentalists are up in arms about the film, it’s made a splash at cinemas.

The winter soldier Storming the box office

LAST but not least, Captain America’s sequel with The Winter Soldier (Cert 12A, 128 mins) has stormed the box office – with good reason. Even for those who don’t like superhero films, this sequel has delighted audiences, thanks to its top-notch action sequences, as well as its sly critiques of some of the governmental over-reach that many audiences around the world are uneasy about.

run and jump: there’s more to this drama than a first look may suggest

A surprising little Irish film SET amid the undulating hills of Kerry, Run And Jump is a colourful, fresh piece of drama that offers more than it seems to at first glance.

Va n e t i a ( M a x i n e Peake) is a dynamic but overburdened young mother who is forced to maintain stability for her family after a stroke leaves Conor (Edward MacLiam) unable to fulfil his roles as a father and husband.

While we can only catch glimpses of how the family functioned in the past, the “new” Conor is confused, unpredictable, and aggressive – the polar opposite to the reclusive Ted (Will Forte), an American academic who stays with the family to monitor and document Conor’s recovery.

Vanetia is a proactive whirlwind, so caught up

 Dave phillips

in fulfilling the needs of others that she neglects her own, and as the ditch widens between her and Conor, she inevitably begins to develop a deeper relationship with Ted. Wr i t t e n b y Kerr y native Ailbhe Keogan, a n d develo p e d w i t h director Steph Green, the film has a

refreshingly unique and authentic voice.

Ted, as the outsider American upended into Irish culture, functions as a way to serve up some of the more expected comic elements through interactions with the gossiping neighbours and quirky kids; but this is never what drives the story – it is a film focused on relationships rather than location.

Keogan’s characters are fully realised, and it is their idiosyncrasies intersecting that provides the moment u m , while Green is confident and def t-

handed enough to allow things to stew away and develop slowly.

For a film that wears much of its plot line on its sleeve, Run and Jump still manages to be surprising.

While Vanetia is the overt focus of the piece, a lot of space is given to the men around her, and exploring the concept of masculinity remains a constant undercurrent.

Conor, once competent in his role as father and husband, is now displaced through his brain injur y – unwilling to spend time in the house, he sits in the workshop, carving func-

tionless wooden spheres.

His father is an oldschool patriarch, unable to understand Conor’s inability to “be the man of the house”, while struggling himself to function in a world with a rapidly changing value system.

Conor’s son, Lenny (Brendan Morris), is coming of age in a space where his father is practically absent; and Ted is taking steps away from academia to a place where he is forced to be more emotionally vulnerable.

I t ’ s a credit to the film that so many

interesting storylines are given the space to intertwine.

Through clever and competent writing, Run and Jump is a film that crams a lot into its running time.

And, towards the end, it does feel as if it has taken on board too much, as if there are too many “big issues”, and too little space to explore them. But, thankfully, this doesn’t mar the experience.

The soft hills of Kerry provide fertile ground for exploring the natural ups and downs of life, and Run and Jump is a confident, competent, and exciting film that expertly captures them.

Verdict: 8/10

Run and Jump’s characters offer a refreshing take on family life

10 April 2014 GAZETTE 23

BOOKS: IN MY ROOM, BY JIM LUCEY

Theatre

A dry but fascinating look at Irish mental health  BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

IN MY Room tackles the thorny and difficult problem of depression and suicidal ideation by using real case studies.

The book is full of statistical data and information on the state of Ireland’s mental health, and each case study of a patient who attended psychiatrist Jim Lucey’s treatment room is concluded with an apt little poem chosen by the author.

This is a very nice touch, not least because the poems chosen are not only very fitting to each patient, but are also by some of the best poets, past and present.

Lucey deals with Ireland’s perception of depression, which is still a very stigmatised matter, according to the author.

He stresses the importance of dealing with depression in the community like any other illness, and writes on improving the quality of treatment, rather than using the erection of new buildings to measure the success of our mental health service.

To render the whole area of mental health more immediate to the reader, Lucey tells sev-

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

‘Lucey has created a very valuable record of Irish mental health in this book but, like many academics, he falls into the trap of a slight dryness in his writing style’

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

eral different stories of patients made up of an amalgamation of real people he has helped back to recovery.

A cross-section of Irish society is thus represented, each one depicting a different experience of depression with unique complications.

One woman from Cavan, for example, who was depressed after having her last child, was most concerned about keeping her treatment secret when she was referred to Lucey by her GP. She told him that her neighbours and even her friends would never look at her in the same way if

they knew she had gone into therapy.

Another case study – this time, regarding a quantity surveyor – featured someone very resistant to the whole idea of treatment. He refused it, because he was of the mind-set that men must deal with problems themselves.

It transpired that as a child, his father had taken him to the beach and told him to stay put while he went for a swim.

His father never came back, having gone into the sea to die by suicide.

This had seared into the man’s psyche the idea that a man must bear his responsibilities, no matter what, and go it alone.

Lucey could not reach this man, who continued to refuse treatment, and continued to suffer his depression alone and in silence.

Another case focused on a man coping with depression and anxiety together, which is very difficult to treat.

Not only was he concentrating on past disappointments, but he was also anticipating more worry, so he was never fully in the present.

Lucey has created a very valuable record of

GAZETTE

ARTS

Bram Stoker’s Castle Dracula experience has a unique setting

Fangs for a great show  BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

In My Room is available now, priced €16.99, and is published by Gill and MacMillan

Irish mental health in this book but, like many academics, he falls into the trap of a slight dryness in his writing style.

This is a shame, because his subject matter is good, but the reader is often left disconnected when Lucey launches into jargon and vague, all-encompassing theories.

At such times, the reader really has to make an effort to stay focused and to read between the lines of jargon to get to the root of what is being said.

Lucey could do with using more analogies to illustrate these ideas, in order to emotionally reach as well as teach the reader.

That said, In My Room is a very worthy book full of insights into real Irish

The book’s author, psychiatrist Jim Lucey

people, and how they are dealing with depression and their thoughts of suicide today.

It is well worth a read, and his ideas are very sound, based on real research and experience.

Psychiatry is a true calling for Lucey, who is patently excited about

the new territory yet to be explored in this field, and like all good explorers, is willing to share his discoveries with the world.

In My Room, by Jim Lucey, is published by Gill and MacMillan and is available priced €16.99 in all good book shops.

AN EVENING of mystery, magic, fun and fear is lined up each Friday in Clontarf as Bram Stoker’s Castle Dracula comes to life in Ireland’s only graveyard theatre.

The extraordinary theatre comes to life in Westwood, Fairview in Clontarf at 7.30pm each Friday. Audiences (aged 15-plus only) can expect to be treated to the Vampire Show, a comedy magic show, and a tour of Bram Stoker’s Castle Dracula, complete with characters from the world’s most famous Gothic novel.

The unique venue hosts memorabilia from a number of Dracula movies, and reveals the history about the famous Irish writer, including stories, pictures, posters and even Stoker’s death certificate.

To book tickets, email tickets@secretcastleofmagic.com, or call 01 851 2151. You can sink your teeth into a preview of the show at www.SecretCastleOfMagic.com.

24 Gazette 10 April 2014

Gazette

MUSIC OUT&ABOUT FastTunes It’s Gazette Music’s Go selecta! Picking album round-up! the best for Fruit ’14

interview: festival booker dave parle making the right choices

Local boys have made very good recently - The Riptide Movement from Lucan inked their deal with Universal which should see them move into a much bigger pond, and on the back of that deal, they last week released new album, Getting Through. It’s a major step forward for the band in terms of sound and songwriting. The new single that they debuted on The Late Late Show, All Works Out, has a Killers-esque killer chorus, while other tracks like You And I and the title track show a new maturity and determination to capitalise on the potential they have always had.

Blowing up after appearing on another Late Show, this time the David Letterman variety, a couple of weeks ago are Baltimore band Future Islands, whose fourth album, Singles, has just hit the streets. Lead single Seasons (Waiting For You) is a sewn-up staple for the summer already, but the rest of the album is a blend of classic electro-pop with the Northern Soul vocals of singer Samuel T Herring adding a unique layer of class and power to these synth driven songs.

The best recent release by a long distance, however, is Lost In The Dream by The War On Drugs, the third album from the Philadelphia band and a beautiful, immersive experience it is. A spiralling, shifting, driving record, this is something very special indeed, and tracks An Ocean Between The Waves and closer In Reverse are peerless pieces of dream-pop Americana. It will keep fans of Tame Impala and Caribou happy until those two acts return to action, but The War On Drugs have the power to shoot past these two and be the preeminent indie rockers of the generation. They play at the Button Factory on May 29

 ROB heigh rheigh@gazettegroup.com

The heavy duty of picking a festival bill is certainly an onerous one – selecting the right acts to appear on your headline and secondary stages, making sure there is a flow to the vibe that the acts create and enough variety to ensure music heads and casual fans alike will have a memorable experience is an art form in itself.

The honour of doing that job for this year’s Forbidden Fruit festival, which takes place this year on Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1 at the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham, falls to Dave Parle from Tallaght.

Dave started out in the music industry promoting Antics, a weekly indie club night in The Pod on Harcourt Street.

For the last six years he has been a live music booker for Pod, booking multiple gigs and festivals. He is the head booker for The Button Factory in Temple Bar, and Gazette Music caught up with him to talk about how this year’s Forbidden Fruit came together.

What goes into booking a festival like Forbidden Fruit? When does the process begin?

The process never really stops but, generally, we all sit down together and discuss who we’d like to

Some of the acts at this year’s Forbidden Fruit festival: (clockwise) The Flaming Lips, 2ManyDJs, TEED, Public Enemy, Bell X1, Warpaint and, centre, Flying Lotus

see at the festival, what acts we love and which of these we love seeing live. So after that, we put together a target list we work on bringing them to the festival.

Do you have a wish-list of acts that you want to book? Is there a certain criteria that you follow to pick which acts will appear on the bill?

It’s definitely based on a wish list but we do also have to work with what acts are available on that particular weekend. It’s not always possible to get whoever you want as they might be on the other side of the world.

Are there acts you wanted to book but missed out

on, and equally, any acts who you were delighted or surprised when they said yes?

There’s always acts that are missed out on, that’s just the nature of the beast. Sometimes you can be having a tough few days and out of the blue you get some good news on an act you thought wasn’t going to be possible. It’s all very exciting.

What do you think it is about this year’s line-up that distinguishes this year’s festivals from previous years?

This year, we’ve made it more open to people who want to enjoy a good day out. You’re not obliged to go to both days

by any means, which is why each day is quite different to the other in terms of music styles.

The festival is a great way to enjoy a fantastic array of the world’s best acts right in the heart of the city centre so when the day is up, you can go home and be asleep by midnight if you so wish!

How much does your own taste influence what acts you target for booking?

Yes, it definitely influences it. We don’t book anything we don’t believe in ourselves. They’re all performers that if we weren’t working behind the scenes, we’d be out front enjoying the music.

I’m personally so excit-

ed about our line-up this year. Flaming Lips put on one of the best shows in the world. Flying Lotus has been an act I’ve been dying to see live for so long and his 3D show looks incredible. Then there’s Warpaint, Nils Frahm, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Public Enemy … We’re all very excited about our line-up this year.

What would be your own perfect one-day festival line-up?

That’s a tough one! It’d probably involve an LCD Soundsystem reunion and Radiohead.

For more information, log on to www.forbiddenfruit.ie.

10 April 2014 gazette 25

Gazette

MOTORING the irish rover Amy brings the style to Evoque promotion amy huberman was on hand recently

to help launch the inaugural Land Rover Style Award on Friday, May 2 at the Punchestown Irish National Hunt Festival. The most stylish lady on the day will receive the keys to an equally stylish Range Rover Evoque which will be hers to drive for the year. For further information, log on to www.punchestown.com.

SUV lUV: nissan’s new model proves popular

Qashqai heads most-wanted list

 cormac curtis

Anyone who read last week’s Gazette motoring pages will know that the latest Qashqai model went down very we l l i n d e e d i n o u r office.

So it is with no small degree of smug satisfaction that we can announce that the same car range has been announced by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), as the most popular car of choice in Ireland this month.

Despite only coming onto the market at the end of January the brand new Nissan Qashqai is proving once again to be a very popular choice with Irish consumers. To date, Nissan have sold 2,057 new Qashqai’s, accounting for 4.12% of the total car market.

While conventional saloons and hatchbacks still dominate the sales charts, crossovers and SUVs are now taking more space at the top table – 29 per cent of the top 10 best selling cars are now SUVs, with

The Nissan Qashqai is proving very popular with Irish drivers

the Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai ix35 and Kia Sportage leading the way.

Commenting on Nissan Qashqai’s success, James McCarthy, chief executive of Nissan Ireland, said: “We are delighted that the new Nissan Qashqai is once again proving to be one of the most popular cars on the market. The previ-

ous model pioneered a whole new type of car and surpassed all expectations, selling over 20,000 units to Irish customers since it was originally launched in 2007. It was hard to see how this level of success could be maintained with an everincreasing set of competitors following in its footsteps - until we saw the all new model late

last year. “ I n c r e d i b l y, t h e all new 2014 Nissan Qashqai has once again laid down the gauntlet in terms of style, technology, driving excitement and most importantly value for money and we’re very confident that the Nissan Qashqai will remain one of Ireland’s most popular cars for many years to come.”

26 GAZETTE 10 April 2014

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RK Kitchens & Wardrobes

We, Fiancon Builders Ltd, are applying for planning permission for works comprising the demolition of existing habitable two storey detached house and two storey outhouses/ stables attached to rear of same and the removal of existing boundary wall along Castleknock Road at Deerpark House, Castleknock Road, Dublin 15, construction of a 3 storey over basement/ underground car park detached block of 18no. apartments comprising 4no. 2 bedroom and 2no. 3 bedroom apartments at ground floor level, 4no. 2 bedroom and 2no. 3 bedroom apartments at first floor level and 4no. 2 bedroom and 2no. 3 bedroom apartments at second floor level, 6no. private terrace areas at ground floor level, 6no. balconies at first floor level and 6no. balconies at second floor level comprising 4no. balconies and 2no. ground floor level private terrace area to front elevation (south west), 2no. balconies and 1no. ground floor level private terrace area to north west elevation, and 6no. balconies and 3no. ground floor level private terrace areas to south east elevation all over basement/ underground car parking comprising 29no. car parking spaces, secure bin area, plant room, 18no. secure storage lockers and bicycle park area with the allocation of an additional 5no. surface car parking spaces (total 34no. spaces provided) to serve the proposed (total floor area: c.3,062 m2 all on a site area of c. 0.5327 ha) and access to same to the north and existing estate road circa 2.3m to the north within existing development, Fawn Lodge with vehicular and pedestrian access for the proposed development through existing Fawn Lodge development and for the extension of existing boundary treatment along Castleknock Road, open space, drainage, landscaping and associated development works all at Deerpark House and existing development Fawn Lodge, Castleknock Road, Dublin 15 (An Bord Pleanala Ref. PL 06F.205827 (Reg. Ref. F03A/1382), F04A/1765, and F08A/0281).

The Planning Application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority during its public opening hours and a submission or observation may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

20564

PLANNING NOTICE FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL

We, Tetyana Dobrovolska and Piotr Krupinski intend to apply for planning permission for proposed changes of operation and number of children for existing Montessori classroom previously granted under Reg. Ref. FW12A/0126.

The address is 15 Summ e r f i e l d M e a d ow s , Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. The Planning Application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority during its public opening hours and a submission or observation may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

20552

10 April 2014 Gazette 27

soccer P29

gaelic games P27 P31 asdfsdaf

dublinsport Let the Gazette keep you up to date with all the best local sporting action from around the city as we cover all the stories that matter to you and your community



Gazette

coaching P28

FastSport ireland back cancer campaign: The

Metro St Brigid’s athlete Sean MacSeoin celebrates completing the SPAR Great Ireland Run in Phoenix Park last weekend. Picture: Pat Murphy / SPORTSFILE

athletics: over 10,000 take to the roads in spar-sponsored annual event

Great Irish day out for runners in Phoenix Park JAPHETH Korir of Kenya and Iwona Lewandowska of Poland were convincing winners of the men’s and women’s races at last Sunday’s Spar Great Ireland Run in the Phoenix Park.

In sunny, warm and breezy conditions, Lewandowska dominated the women’s race from gun to tape and ran home in 33 minutes 39 seconds, nine seconds clear of European cross country champion Sophie Duarte of France.

Allesandra Aguilar of Spain was third and local favourite, Fionnuala Britton, was fourth in 33:54.

Two times European Cross Country Champion Britton started as one of the pre-race favourites along with Duarte of France. However there was a surprise in store when Lewandowska made her break with seven kilometres remaining.

Britton crucially allowed the Polish athlete along with Duarte to move away, a gap the Kilcoole AC athlete would never manage to close.

She had the consolidation of winning the national 10k title with 44-yearold Catherina McKiernan, 10 years

after winning the event, finishing a fine second with Dundrum South Dublin athlete Sarah Mulligan third.

In the men’s race, Korir, the world cross-country champion was comfortably in control from 4k onwards and kept Britain’s Andy Vernon at bay.

Korir crossed the line in 29:12 with Vernon seven seconds behind. Michael Shelley of Australia was third in 29:33.

First Irishman was Mark Hanrahan from Leevale in Cork in sixth place in 30:20.

Hanrahan, who had returned from a

recent spell of warm weather training in Australia, won the men’s national title in a time of 30:20 with Mick Clohisey (Raheny Shamrock AC) second in a time of 30:46 and Tomas Fitzpatrick (Tallaght AC) placing third in a time of 30:47.

The elite men’s mile was won by defending champion Paul Robinson of Ireland who finished in four minutes two seconds, two seconds ahead of his compatriot John Travers who was a further two seconds ahead of Britain’s Ross Murray.

Republic of Ireland women’s national team showed their support for Breast Cancer Ireland’s Lace Up For A Cure campaign by wearing pink laces during training in the lead up to their World Cup qualifier against Germany at Tallaght Stadium.

The campaign, which will officially launch later this year, is being spearheaded

by Peamount United defender and former Ireland international Susan Byrne who lost her mother Philomena to breast cancer in April of last year.

There are a limited number of laces available through www.breastcancerireland.com priced at €5 each.

c o n ta c t s Sports Editor: Rob Heigh sfindlater@gazettegroup.com

For more information or to send in news and photos: sport@gazettegroup.com Phone: 01 651 6205

Gazette

28 Gazette 10 April 2014

SPORT

FastSport Ireland to face world champs sri lanka: CLONTARF will play host to cricket’s World T20 champions Sri Lanka on May 6 and 8, adding an extra attraction to the already enticing fixture at Castle Avenue.

Ireland will play the visitors in two 50-over matches with plenty of big names in their initial touring party.

Among them are star batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan along with a healthily stocked spin department including Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath and Sachithra Senanayake whilst cricket fans will be excited to see fast-bowler Lasith Malinga.

Ticket sales for the matches have been strong with initial demand outstripping last year’s RSA Insurance ODI Series against Pakistan at the same venue. There are discount tickets for a two-match package, with adults being able to see both games for €35, U-16s €12, and a family package (two adults, two kids) being priced at €89.

coaching: irish institute of sport process identifies candidates

Pursuit sets programme for future  sport@gazettegroup.com

THE Irish Institute o f S p o r t t h i s we e k announced the outcome of the Pursuit of Excellence Programme (PEP) application process with 34 high performance coaches from 20 sports successfully joining the programme.

Gary Keegan, director, Irish Institute of Sport, explained: “This announcement signals our most ambitious investment into high performance coaching.

“Fifty-seven coaches from 21 sports applied to come on the Pursuit of Excellence Programme.

We were delighted with this response and we would like to thank our NGB partners for ensuring that such a high number of talented coaches applied for the programme.”

PEP involves two targeted support programmes for both senior and emerging high performance coaches and got under way in February.

Podium is a three-year coach performance support programme, targeting high performance coaches with an eye on the 2016 Olympic Games.

Horizon is a 15-month programme targeting Ireland’s top high potential performance coaches.

The Podium group includes Irish sporting luminaries like boxing guru Billy Walsh, Davis Cup captain Garr y Cahill and Paralympic swimming medallist Dave Malone.

Malone, from Ballinteer, is now head of swimming at Swim Ireland and says that working

with this group of elite coaches provides a great sounding board to help improve thus far.

“The term ‘pursuit of excellence’ for me is a constant journey of improvement as an elite coach, leading your athletes in their programmes into competition on the world stage and giving them that extra edge.

“This has given me the confidence to try out new ideas and open my way to new ways of learning and impact the programmes for my athletes in a better capacity.

“The highlight was engaging with the coaching community on a wider scale, different levels of sport and working with elite athletes for Olympic and Paralympic level and learning about their experiences.

Eoin Rheinisch is one of the local sportspeople who have been accepted onto the high-performance coaching programme with the Irish Institute of Sport

A lot of them were common; a lot were completely new. It’s been a challenging and rewarding experience.”

On the Horizon program, Salmon Leap kayaker Eoin Rheinisch is on the list along with the likes of fellow Olympian Kenneth Egan and Mo n k s t ow n h o c ke y club head coach Graham Shaw.

All are making the switch from international player to top level coach after glittering

careers with Rheinisch now heading up Canoe Ireland’s junior and Under-23 elite groups.

“The pursuit of excellence has been the same for me as it has been as an athlete, constantly putting yourself in a position of discomfort in order to better yourself,” he said “That means never standing still and always trying to push myself as a coach.

“In the last year, I have improved a huge amount in terms of how

effective I am as a coach.

As a technical coach, I have always been quite strong but in other areas I have fallen down and it has been highlighted to me on this programme.

“The highlights [of the programme] are being mentored by the podium participants, having someone like Billy Walsh - the most successful coach in the country - sharing his experience and his knowledge has been invaluable.”

Ireland bounce back to claim win in Czech Republic  sport@gazettegroup.com

Republic of Ireland Under-18 head coach Paul Doolin hailed his young squad after an impressive 2-0 friendly victory over Czech Republic in Libcice nad Vltauou last week which saw the boys in green bounce back from a 2-0 defeat against the same opposition three days previously.

Goals by Cobh Ramblers striker Ryan Goldsmith and West Bromwich Albion’s Jack Hallahan helped claim the victory.

Ireland’s preparations were hampered by an injury to starting

keeper Peter Burke in the warmup but Harry Doherty stepped in and produced an accomplished display.

The Irish went ahead on 29 minutes when Goldsmith found the net with a brilliant left-footed free-kick.

St Patrick’s Athletic midfielder Jack Bayly came close to extending that lead with a 34th minute effort that flew across the goal-mouth and six minutes later Suchan shot just wide from a free-kick for the Czechs.

Hallahan wrapped up the scoring in the 89th minute when he

produced a clever finish after an excellent Irish move.

“It was a very good performance,” said Doolin. “The goals we conceded on Tuesday weren’t great but I knew it would be tough as we only met the lads on Saturday whereas the Czechs have a full programme and meet four times a month.

“It was a fantastic result and very good to keep a clean sheet.

We scored two fantastic goals from Ryan Goldsmith and Jack Hallahan.

“We came here not knowing much about opposition but we

did very well. The defending was excellent Dylan Barnett, Jamie Mulhall and Sean Heaney all did well – everybody worked very hard and we had to deal with their physicality. They were aggressive and strong.

“It’s a fantastic result. It’s incredible how much access the Czechs have with their Under-18s.

“The Czechs had periods of domination in the first half but we put in a very good display. It’s been a decent week.”

10 April 2014 Gazette 29

Gazette

Longford calling for their football future

FastSport

While many League of Ireland fans travel to Richmond Park or Tallaght Stadium to see their favourite team, several young men from west Dublin are plying their trade at Longford Town Girls Soccernites moves  nathan kelly sport@gazettegroup.com

Last year, two young coaches and a handful of players from Liffey Valley Rangers left the schoolboy club to join Longford Town’s Under-19 team.

Coaches Mark Connors and Derek McDonnell are now at the helm of that side, and four of their long-serving players — Lee Higgins, Dylan Nolan, Craig Fitzgerald and Giordano Cinelli — signed first team contracts with Town a couple of months ago.

GazeteSport began by asking Connors to sum up the first year.

“A mixed bag. There’s been some some frustration, disappointment, but a lot more good times, and then, ultimately, with the boys getting their opportunity with the first team, there’s been excitement.”

Connors’ right-hand man, McDonnell, has been working with him for several seasons now, beginning at Liffey Valley before making the move together last year.

“Overall, I think it’s been a great experience.

In terms of the facilities you play in, the professionalism around the club, you know you’re not at schoolboy level any more,” said McDonnell.

“Like when things that would have been a problem at a schoolboy club aren’t even an issue. Even though some of the results haven’t been great, it’s a great learning curve. It’s not all about results but we’ll learn for next season and push on.”

For the players, the stepup from DDSL to Airtricity was always going to be a big one. Striker Dylan Nolan, who broke into the first-team last season,

said: “It’s great, you’re playing in better grounds and training facilities, it’s brilliant. The standard is good, better than DDSL, which is where we played before.”

Right-midfielder Craig Fitzgerald expressed how he felt when asked to sign a first-team contract.

“When it came up, I didn’t even think about it.

To be given that opportunity to just train with the first team, it’s a different level. The ball comes to you and you haven’t got time to take a touch and another and another, you just have to think quicker so it’s tough but good.”

Talk turned to Liffey Valley, and Fitzgerald said: “I loved that team, it was only five minutes away from home and when I began playing for Liffey Valley, I never thought I’d become a footballer playing at this standard. When

Longford Town coaches Mark Connors and Derek McDonnell with players Lee Higgins, Dylan Nolan, Craig Fitzgerald and Giordano Cinelli

I played for my previous team, you just went down and trained once a week, but when you went to Valley, with the two coaches Mark and Derek, they took it so seriously.”

That Valley side, which ultimately disbanded when the coaches and players left for Longford

me. For me personally, it’s worked out because of how serious they take it, and the way the like to play, so they’ve been very big for me.”

With all four lads having already tasted firstteam action this season, albeit in a friendly, the question was put to the

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

‘In terms of the facilities, the professionalism, you know you’re not at schoolboy level any more’ - Derek McDonnell --------------------------------------------------------

last year, can be deemed a big success for the Ballyowen-based club.

Five league titles, a promotion to DDSL Premier, three Kennedy Cup finalist places, 13 league representatives, four players offered trials in England (Fitzgerald tried out at Leeds United), four FAI emerging talent players, and one international through Dylan McKeever, who was with the Under19s last season but has now left Longford.

I put the question to Higgins, who was skipper at Valley for long periods, and has featured on the bench with Nolan for the first team this season, how big these two coaches have been in his footballing career so far, he replied: “They are two quality coaches, they take everything so serious, even at schoolboy level and that was big for

youngsters whether or not they are looking to break into the team this year or are happy to bide their time.

Cinelli’s answer reflected the thoughts of each of the lads: “I’m hoping to play, but I’m not too pushed with trying to get in right now, I’m only 17 so I can’t be expecting to play all the time but I’ll keep working hard and do my best.”

Amazingly, two more Clondalkin lads are also part of set-up at Longford Under-19’s, Keith Tomney and Jay Garvey are part of the backroom staff as fitness coach and kitman.

On that note, it is safe to say that the unique, footballing connection between Clondalkin and Longford is set to continue, and there is a bright future ahead in the game for the six young men I spoke to.

to Fairview for summer

Sport Against Racism Ireland (SARI)’s Girls’ Soccernites programme is moving its location this week and will be running every Friday evening from 5 to 6pm at Fairview Park.

The programme intends to use the game of soccer as a development and leadership training programme for young women from the ages of 13 to 18 years, and to increase equal participation of young women in soccer and sport in general in Ireland.

It involves inclusive participation for young women from different ethnic backgrounds in the inter-related divisions of the programme, which include on the pitch soccer training, a Leadership and Development Programme both on and off the pitch, outdoor and community activities and representing the team in national and international soccer competitions and educational programmes.

For more information on the Girls’ Soccernites, contact Tosin Omiyale on 087 266 1347 or Kerrie Clohessy on 086 265 2175, or e-mail info@sari.ie.

CYM close season with league double CYM’s women’s rugby team brought the curtain down on only their second season in the game by capturing the Paul Cusack Cup, and thus securing the Leinster Division 4 league and cup double.

Having booked their place in the cup final with a very convincing win over Blackrock RFC, the Terenure club saw off Templeogue’s St Mary’s in NUIM Barnhall last Saturday.

Hooker Ciara Flanagan and Brenda Healy scored tries to build a 10-3 lead at half-time before Healy extended the advantage in the second half.

The victory was sealed when woman of the match, prop Rachel Horan, ran from inside her own 10m line to score a well-deserved try, closing out the 20-3 win. “It is fantastic for the team to win the double. We all put in a huge effort this season to work towards this and it is great to achieve it. It was truly a team effort,” said captain Diane McIlhagga.

Gazette

30 BLANCH gazette 10 April 2014

SPORT

FastSport

soccer: home win against wayside secures division title

Westmanstown bowlers are back in business The bowling green at Westmanstown Bowling Club opened for the new season last weekend, celebrated by the unfurling of the club flag.

Ladies captain Bernadette Ui Dhuill, president Michael Griffin and men’s captain Kevin Byrne, pictured here, bowled the first end on the opening day.

Griffin said: “Our club is renowned for its pleasant setting and friendly company. New members always seem to enjoy the club, both socially and in the sport. We attracted 23 new members last year.”

Westmanstown Bowling Club has over 120 members and is always looking for new members. To find out more, contact Kevin Byrne on 086 120 4507 or Bernadette Ui Dhuill on 086 881 3682 or log on to www.westmanstownbowls.ie

EGB field their first-ever adult camogie team Erin Go Bragh once more made club history last week when they fielded their first-ever adult camogie team at Somerton.

The team was made up mainly of women from the first-ever girls

team in the club set up back in 2008.

The hosts Castleknock proved to be the more experienced team on the day, but the Erin Go Bragh team showed great fight and there were passages of play that showed that the ability is there within the team to make the step up from underage to adult.

Michael Wylie scores the second of his brace of goals against St John Bosco in their league clash in the DDSL Under-10E

Celtic are DDSL champions ddsl U-13A Castleknock Celtic Wayside Celtic  sport@gazettegroup.com

2 1

Castleknock Celtic’s DDSL Under-13As completed an excellent season by winning the division with two games to spare after they defeated Wayside Celtic at Porterstown Park last weekend.

It was fitting that this achievement coincided with the introduction of the Silent Sideline to schoolboy soccer, which is the brainchild of the Castleknock team coach Antonio Mantero.

It was Wayside Celtic who struck early on

the counter-attack and against the run of play to open the scoring.

A long ball down the middle was converted by Wayside’s Alex Armstrong to put his side 1-0 ahead.

The early goal didn’t rattle Castleknock and they continued to create chances.

The equaliser came in the 23rd minute when Alan Elliot was taken down in the Wayside penalty area. Captain Vilius Arbutus stepped up and placed the ball into the top right-hand corner, and Celtic had the title in sight.

The second half was more of the same, with Castleknock being denied

cooper in the pool Swim Ireland’s mile challenge a huge success today FM presenter Matt Cooper was on

hand at the National Aquatic Centre when he took part in Swim Ireland’s Swim for a Mile challenge which took place across Ireland last week, with over 1,000 participants signing up to swim one mile following a 12-week training programme. In 2013 Swim Ireland won a €25,000 prize from the Coca Cola Thank You Fund which was vital in running the Swim for a Mile Challenge at five flagship centres across the country.

by Wayside keeper Jordan Whyte.

Eventually, the pressure paid off and a thunderous shot from Akpiama in the 48th minute was too hard to handle and striker Brian Dalton who had been magnificent all afternoon got his just rewards for his persistence and hard work as he stroked the rebound into the corner, to put Castleknock 2-1 ahead.

Castleknock were in the driving seat and they weren’t going to let this title elude them after losing out by a solitary point last season.

On a day when the sidelines stayed silent and the kids coached themselves,

this was an enjoyable and memorable experience.

It was a double victory for coach Antonio Mantero, who is the organiser of the first-ever Silent Sideline weekend, spearheading its introduction across Ireland.

Credit to both groups of parents for sticking to the focus on the weekend - in Antonio’s words, “Let the kids play.”

Castleknock Celtic were also delighted before their game to receive a state of the art medical kit, sponsored by Edward MacManus, local election candidate.

Next stop for the league champions is a trip to Barcelona next week with DB

Sports Tours.

Meantime in the DDSL Under-14A1 division, Celtic surrendered a three goal lead, when they were defeated 4-3 by Leixlip United in their league-title deciding fixture.

Celtic will nevertheless be promoted to the Under-15A division for the coming season which is steady progress for this team. They are also in the semi-final of the Hollywood Cup which takes place next week.

Castleknock Celtic’s Evening with John Giles, including a Q&A, takes place this Friday, April 11 in Westmanstown Garda Sports Centre, starting at 7.30pm.

10 April 2014 BLANCH gazette 31

Gazette

Brigid’s inters claim good win over Chiarain  sport@gazettegroup.com

St Brigid’s intermediate hurlers claimed their second league win from three games last week when they overcame Craobh Chiarain in Russell Park.

Playing against a stiff breeze in the opening half, the home side struggled to get into the game

as Craobh opened up a 0-06 to 0-01 lead with some fine long distance shooting.

However, the momentum of the game started to change after Alan Thynne batted a high ball into the Craobh net. A Badger O’Halloran point drew Brigid’s closer still before a second goal from Eoin Thynne gave the home

side the lead for the first time in the game.

Brigid’s began the second half as they finished the first with midfielder Stephen Moore scoring a fine point, fielding a high puck out from Kieran Cahill before turning and striking a huge effort over the bar from the half way line.

Macdara Butler was

immaculate from placed balls, scoring two 65s in quick succession to stretch Brigid’s lead.

Craobh remained in touch with two frees of their own while a 21 yard free kept the visitors in touching distance up until the final whistle, but Butler and Morris points sealed a fine win for the home side.

hurling: lawless park tussle sees visitors win

Club Noticeboard st brigid’s THE Easter camps run from April 14 to

idsgaa.com for more info.

17. Sign up for a great week with sliotar

Our club shop runs every Friday

and Easter egg for all. Booking forms

evening from 7pm and every Saturday

available on the club website or via

morning from 10am. Orders are taken

John O’Loughlin on 087 780 1067.

in the club shop or by emailing Breege

Our club dinner-dance in the Crowne Plaza Blanchardstown this Saturday is sold out.

Annual club membership for 2014 is now overdue. Membership can be paid

at breegecarolan@hotmail.com.

There is an open handball session this Saturday morning from 11am to 1pm on both 40x20 and one-wall courts.

online or in the club. Any player who is

Full round of AFL games again this

injured at training or matches is now

weekend, details and times on the

not insured.

website.

There were good league wins for

Please leave any unwanted clothes

our senior hurlers and inter hurlers

in our collection bin beside the club all-

as well as our minor B footballers.

weather pitch.

There was no winner of last Thurs-

Tune into the Throw In every Mon-

day’s lotto jackpot. The jackpot now

day evening at 7.30pm on 92.5 Phoenix

rises to €10,800 and the draw will be in

FM.

Russell Park on April 10.

Please send any photos or match

Our club nursery continues every

reports you have of juvenile or adult

Saturday morning from 9.30 to 11am.

games to info@stbrigidsgaa.com for

We welcome all four- to seven-year-

our club website.

olds in the Castleknock and Blan-

A very sad week for the club with

chardstown area and new members

a number of bereavements. Deepest

are especially welcome. Contact Paul

sympathies to the Farrell, O’Shea,

on 087 915 4748 or email info@stbrig-

Greally and Priestley families.

castleknock Well done to the first team adult hurl-

Castleknock proved too strong for Fingallians when they travelled to Lawless Park

Fingallians fall to strong Castleknock ahl division 3 Fingallians 0-11 Castleknock 2-19  sport@gazettegroup.com

CASTLEKNOCK continued their impressive start to the AHL3 campaign when they saw off Fingallians with plenty to spare at Lawless Park, making it three games unbeaten at the start of the 2014 campaign.

It sees them build nicely for their first ever effort at the intermediate championship campaign as the league takes a back seat for the next six weeks.

For Fingallians, it was a rough outing as

they were unable to tame the likes of Niall O’Callaghan (0-8), Andrew Hughes (1-3) and Cian O’Dulaing (1-2) who ran up big tallies.

They started as they meant to continue with O’Callaghan firing over inside three minutes off the back of O’Dulaing’s great work.

O’Dulaing added a free before Fingal inter county star John-Matthew Sheridan broke his side’s duck with a classy score.

But it was brief respite as Hughes and Jamie Tunney, who had a key game in centre-forward,

split the posts for a three point lead that was extended to four when Tunney played in Conal Purcell.

With O’Callaghan metronomically tacking on the scores, Fingallians were clinging on via a Sheridan’s trio of frees, profiting from Peter Daly’s physicality.

Hughes did shoot over when well placed to go for goal while a couple of frees went awry, meaning that despite a big dominance of the general play, the lead was a manageable four points, 0-10 to 0-6.

But the tie moved quickly out of reach in

the second half when O’Callaghan’s free was cleverly flicked in by O’Dulaing for the first goal of the day.

Two Sheridan frees reeled in part of that gap but Fingallians were never to be closer than five points behind from there on in.

A glut of five successive points for Castleknock doubled the lead with Tom Quinn clearing the bar with a peach while Tunney also got in on the act. Andrew Hughes shot over while he also snuck his side’s second goal under the bar via a couple of ricochets en route to a 14-point victory.

Saturday.

ers who had a great win against Fin-

Well done to all our juvenile members

gallians on Saturday evening. Atten-

who took part in the Great Ireland Run,

tion now switches to football for next

and especially to Louis Woodger, who

weekend, when the first team play

won the event proudly wearing his

away to Skerries on Saturday, and the

club colours.

second and third teams are at home

The club will be holding the annual

on Sunday to O’Tooles and Na Fianna

quiz night in the Bell on April 11. Tables

respectively.

of four will cost €40, and the night will

The nursery is up and running on

kick off at 9pm. Teams will be made on

every Saturday morning at 10am in

the night, so don’t worry about coming

Somerton for four- to seven-year-

down without a full team.

olds. All new members and families are

A huge congratualtions to everyone

always welcome. If you are interested

involved in the play, Same Old Moon,

in joining, please contact Brendan

which was a great success last Thurs-

Phelan at 086 306 2801. The club shop

day. A big thank you to everyone who

is also open during the nursery every

supported the event.

st peregrine’s There was no winner of last week’s

ball Feile this weekend. Good luck to all

Lotto. Numbers drawn were 2, 5, 7 and

involved. Please email pro.naomhper-

17. Next week’s jackpot is €2,400. Direct

egrine@gmail.com for fixtures and

debit forms available from the office.

pitch allocation.

Fine wins for our U-12 hurlers and

All at the club would like to wish Keith

U-13 footballers in their final grading

Manley a speedy recovery following his

league games.

recent injury and subsequent illness.

Our senior ladies footballers got off

Memberships are now overdue.

to a good start with a win over Bal-

Membership must be paid to cover you

lyboden, next up is a trip to Croi Ro

for insurance. No player will be allowed

Naofa.

to train or play without paying.

Our junior As take on St Jude’s at

Junior footballers and hurlers are

11am on Sunday in our only home adult

holding a race night on Holy Thursday.

fixture this weekend, all support wel-

Anyone interested in buying horses or

come.

advertising, please contact any mem-

Our U-14 ladies compete in the foot-

ber of either team ASAP.

GazetteSPORT all of your blanch sports coverage from page 27-31

classy castle: Somerton side crush Fingallians in AHL Division 2 encounter at Lawless Park P31

APRIL 10, 2014

living la vida longford: Former Liffey Valley stars on life at League of Ireland club P29

McGee helps Ireland power to win  STEPHEN FINDLATER

sport@gazettegroup.com

JAMES McGee says that the freshness in the Irish team helped him power to a straight sets win over Egypt’s Mohmaed Safwat last Sunday to see his team over the line in the BNP Paribas Euro/ Africa Zone Group II Davis Cup relegation play-off with Egpyt in Castleknock.

Playing in front of his home club, McGee won 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 to give Ireland an unassailable advantage in the tie, adding to his victory in Friday’s singles and James Cluskey and Sam Barry’s doubles success on Saturday.

It was an outcome in stark contrast to the last time Ireland played Egypt, prevailing in the fifth set of the fifth rubber on the fourth day of a scorching encounter in North Africa.

But McGee hopes this comfortable win can be the catalyst to see Ireland move away from relegation issues in the future and push for promotion in the coming years.

Speaking afterwards about the tie, he said: “We need to make progress and not be hanging on by a thread in Group Two on a regular basis.

“With myself, Sam Barry, James Cluskey and Daniel Glancy, we have a good team and hopefully

Louk [Sorensen] will be available for next year as well.”

Reflecting on his own performance in the Safwat tie, he said he benefited from not having to play in the doubles following his Friday win over Karim-Mohamed Maamoun 6-0, 6-3, 6-2.

“It’s great that we have retained our place in Group Two, but it was quite a tough match for me.

“A good deal of the pressure was taken off me after we won the doubles, and as well, Mohamed had played two matches in two days whereas I had played just one.

“Also he had played seven sets whereas I had played only three, so physically I had a bit of an edge.

But still he’s a top 200 player and I could easily have lost to him today.”

Following McGee’s initial win, Sam Barry pushed Egypt’s number on Safwat all the way in a thrilling five-set tie but ultimately fell in the decider.

But, with doubles specialist James Cluskey lining out in the doubles leg with Barry, Ireland were put into pole position when they defeated Sherif Sabry and Safwat, leaving Ireland needing just one more rubber to win the tie.

McGee prevailed, rendering Mazen Osama’s win over Daniel Glancy as academic with Ireland winning out 3-2.

Local star James McGee’s straight sets singles win helped Ireland to victory