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Shock as two men shot in broad daylight in a week

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THERE are renewed calls for CCTV cameras and other measures to tackle organised crime in the wake of two daylight shootings in the past six days.

On Tuesday morning, Christopher Maguire was shot three times as he sat in his car in a quiet cul-de-sac at the Dun Emer estate in Lusk, north Dublin.

The 38-year-old from Ballymun – linked to hitmen used by the Kinahan drugs cartel,

but not directly involved in the feud with the Hutch clan – was last night clinging to life at Beaumont Hospital.

Five days earlier, Daithi Douglas, 58, was shot dead in the south inner city outside his wife’s shop at Bridgefoot Street.

The new organised crime task force, including a beefedup Criminal Assets Bureau, is expected to be in place within the next two weeks.

However, Deputy Darragh O’Brian (FF) wants cameras along every road and in every urban centre across the capital.

He said: “Communities place value on CCTV [cameras] as a means of deterring crime and helping detect offenders. The Government must do all it can to assist communities affected by crime.”

Full Story on Page 5

4 DUBLIN CITY Gazette 7 July 2016

shortfall | impact will be severe - O’Broin

Council set to make €4.3m revenue loss  Aisling Kennedy Dublin City Council is set to make a €4.3m revenue loss this year thanks to a reduction in rates for utility companies and a lack of central Government funding to offset the reduction in rates.

The council received over €3m from Central Government this year to offset the €4.3m revenue loss but Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Simon Coveney announced that he will not be providing this funding again next year.

Deputy Eoin O’Broin (SF) who pressed Minister Coveney about the issue last week said: “Unfortunately councils across the State will miss out on millions in revenue because of this decision. The shortfall will be made up through further cut-backs in the provision of council services.

“The impact will be severe and will hit vital front line services to the county. €3m is a big amount of money and is a real significant reduction.

It is not yet known what services will be hit.”

He said that he believes it is “crazy” that utility companies are making profits while local authorities make a loss as a result of rate revaluations.

He added: “These companies are making profits so on the one hand the Government centrally revaluates the rates payable to the State by profitable semi-state companies so they get cash back, but in the meantime local authorities are left either having to cut services or in some cases they might have to look at increasing rates.”

Rates are set using global valuations. These look at the rates payable by companies operating in more than one local authority area, includ-

ing utility service providers such as the ESB and mobile phone networks.

Rates are set by central Government rather than on a case by case basis by each local authority.

The valuation office concluded its first global review in five years last November in respect of Gas Networks Ireland, Iarnrod Eireann, BT Ireland, Eircom, Vodafone, Three Ireland and Meteor.

The ESB was also included following an appeal.

The reduction resulted in a loss of €16m in revenue to local authorities nationwide with DCC out of pocket to the tune of €4.3m.

Deputy O’Broin said: “As minister with respon-

sibility for Local Government Minister Coveney should be advocating for the maximum level of funding for councils in the run up to Budget 2017.”

When asked why central Government is not providing funding to offset the reductions in rates, a spokesperson for Minister Coveney said: “The timing of the global valuations in 2015 caused particular difficulties for local authorities as they were published at an advanced stage of the local authority budgetary process. The Department engaged with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and it was agreed that there would be a onceoff adjustment in support

from the Local Government Fund in 2016 to local authorities affected by the global valuations.”

The spokesperson said that the elected members of each local authority have direct responsibility for all functions of the authority, which includes adopting the annual budget, and “are democratically accountable for all expenditure by the local authority”.

T he spokesperson added: “As such, it is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources.”

7 July 2016 DUBLIN CITY Gazette 5

GUN CRIME | CAPITAL ROCKED BY TWO SHOOTINGS IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN LESS THAN A WEEK

Shock as children out walking find shooting victim in quiet estate

 sylvia pownall

Picture: James Gabriel Martin

Tensions rise after murder

THE latest shooting to occur in the inner city took place on Bridgefoot Street in Dublin 8 last Friday afternoon.

The victim, David “Daithi” Douglas (right) was shot in the head and chest a number of times by a lone gunman as he stood in the doorway of the Shoestown Shop (above). The 53-year-old died in hospital a short time later.

Tensions in the area remain high, with regular armed garda checkpoints held during weekend.

Gardai believe that the incident is part of the bitter feud between the Kinahan and Hutch gangs.

THREE children walking with their mother came across the critically injured victim of the capital’s latest shooting at Dun Emer Place in Lusk on Tuesday morning.

Father-of-two Christopher Maguire, 38, was blasted three times in the face and upper body – but managed to call 999 and was conscious when paramedics arrived.

The victim, originally from Ballymun but living in the Dun Emer housing estate where the shooting occurred, was found lying on the footpath close to his car.

Maguire is not suspected of any involvement in the bloody Kinahan/ Hutch feud, but some of his closest associates are believed to be “guns for hire” for the Kinahan side and fled the country after being quizzed

over the murder of Gareth Hutch.

Detectives are also probing the possibility that the shooting may be linked to a row in the so-called “New INLA” faction over extortion cash.

Gardai removed the bloodstained clothes Maguire had been wearing when he was targeted by a hitman armed with a handgun and silencer. The weapon was later recovered in a burnt-out getaway car – a Volkswagen Golf – in a nearby field at Kilhedge Lane.

The driver’s side window of Maguire’s white Volkwagen Passat at the scene was smashed, with glass and bullet casings strewn on the road at the quiet cul de sac.

Detectives are now trawling through CCTV footage from a nearby premises that is believed to show the attackers making their escape.

Children on their summer holidays were among the onlookers who gathered at the scene.

Shocked resident James Jameson said: “I’ve been living here three years and there has never been anything like this. I knew something was wrong when the road was packed with police cars and ambulances.

I’m feeling scared here now.”

Another resident said: “It happened in broad daylight. You see all the kids out here on their bikes. If it’d been a bit later, God knows what could have happened.”

North Dublin Senator Lorraine Clifford Lee condemned the brazen shooting in “a quiet suburban neighbourhood such as Dun Emer”.

Fingal TD Louise O’Reilly also condemned it, and repeated her call for Rush Garda Station to be reopened.

6 DUBLIN CITY Gazette 7 July 2016

thieves take Irish team’s kit

The Irish team’s kit for the Medical World Cup is still missing after it was stolen from the boot of a car in Drumcondra. The team’s kit, which is worth €2,300, was stolen from a player’s car on St Colombas Road just before the team were due to leave for the World Medical Football Championship in Barcelona. Gardai are investigating and members of the public and local residents are being asked to keep a lookout for the green jerseys featuring the sponsor Affidea’s logo.

dispute | safeguards being sought

Move could see names off housing list  Aisling Kennedy A dispute over the possible removal of people’s names from Dublin City Council’s housing list has erupted this week.

Cllr David Costello (FF) told the City Gazette that he is alarmed that DCC are set to remove “a huge number of people from the housing list” following a proposal from DCC to contact people on the housing list by letter on three occasions.

Cllr Costello said: “The proposal from DCC as outlined in the Housing Needs Assessment 2016 could lead to the removal of a large number of people who are in desperate need of housing.

“There are many vulnerable people who through no fault of their own may not be in a position to respond to such letters.

“I personally know applicants who can’t read these letters. There are also many people who, due to the ongoing accommodation crisis, are forced to move from one rental to the next because of an unstable rental market.

“In such cases these letters will not be received by the applicants.”

Cllr Costello said he is calling on DCC to amend the proposals to include additional safeguards to prevent people from being removed from the housing list in error.

“T his step should involve the council attempting to contact the applicant by phone to establish their current living arrangements. We need to be certain that applicants are not being removed unnecessarily.”

A spokesperson for

Cllr David Costello

DCC told the City Gazette and said that he strongly disagreed with Cllr Costello’s remarks, however, and explained: “It is certainly not true to state that the City Council is set to remove a huge number of people from the housing list. The Minister has requested that an assessment of housing needs be

carried out so that accurate statistics are available for the number of housing applicants nationwide.”

The spokesperson said that DCC would contact all applicants up to three times if required and advertise in the press, public libraries and area offices.

He added: “Councillors were also provided with information so they too can alert people to the process.

“Every effort is made to ensure that all applicants are included in the assessment.”

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7 July 2016 DUBLIN CITY Gazette 7

8 DUBLIN CITY Gazette 7 July 2016

Gazettegallery

| Live Out Loud Charity fundraising fashion show

Pam Manning, Lorraine Gavin, Emma Gavin, Sherrie Gearheart and Jade Donnelly. Pictures: Una Williams

Audrey O Neill and Kate Vogelaar

Martha Jane Conway, Sharon McCarthy and Anna Waters

Jenny Lupton and Naomi Graham

Lending support to prevent suicide

Zoe Hickey and Rhiannon Gray

T

Michelle Hickey and Barbara O’Flaherty

he community came out in force to support the Irish Chapter of Live Out Loud Charity (LOLC) with a fundraising fashion show and suicide prevention seminar at the Glen Royal Hotel in Maynooth. The show for LOLC educated over 150 audience members and models on the signs of depression and suicide intervention. Sherrie Gearheart, founder of Live Out Loud Charity and Miss United Nations, hosted the evening’s event and said: “I am so proud of our Irish team and their hardwork. Emma Gavin, at age seventeen has been a worldwide ambassador for our organisation for two years and has saved several lives and has restored hope in many teens across Ireland and the world by sharing her bullying story and how she overcame her struggles. We are excited to see what Jade Donnelly will accomplish as our second Irish ambassador. We hope more people will want to get involved after the show.”

Iselina Hernandez and Carol Lombard and Valeria Buffi

Pau Manning

Kate Nugent, Charlie Simpson and Amy Downey

Momi Kay and Prab Brar

7 July 2016 DUBLIN CITY Gazette 9

Golden Towers

10 DUBLIN CITY Gazette 7 July 2016

celebration

Liberties festival returns

The annual Liberties Festival is set to return this July 18 for a week.

Featuring theatre, spoken word, music, performances, family-friendly fun, workshops and more with almost 30 events in 20 venues, the majority of which are free, the aim of this year’s programme is to acknowledge the vibrant past of the area while embracing its future.

The festival will launch with the opening of an exhibition in the Teeling Distillery entitled The Liberties 1980-1986, featuring the photographs of former news photographer Tom Hankey.

Highlights also include a performance from Liberties local Frances Black in the John’s Lane Church.

The festival will culminate with a family fun day in St Patrick’s Park on July 23.

ballymun to celebrate 50 years since residents moved into blocks  Aisling Kennedy

Above: Ballymun 50 years ago. Picture: Woman’s Way Magazine

Over the years the blocks have been replaced by new neighbourhoods

luas

Red line officially re-opened The Luas red line has officially been re-opened between Abbey Street and the Point.

The line was temporarily closed on May 22 to carry out construction works on the Luas Cross City line and it re-opened on Sunday, July 3.

A temporary bus route was put in place to facilitate any passengers effected by the closure.

There will be 13 new stops along the new route and it will take 21 minutes to travel from St Stephen’s Green to Cabra.

A spokesperson for the Luas Cross City said that the works “have progressed well with traffic movements and tram services resuming ahead of schedule”.

T he spokesperson thanked all Luas passengers for their patience during the updated works.

Ballymun will celebrate 50 years since the first residents moved into the tower blocks later this month and a birthday bash will take place to mark the date.

There will be music, a games area, an arty party, a picnic area hosted by Supervalu and free ice cream and it is a free community event that is suitable for all ages.

Cllr Noeleen Reilly (SF) said she is looking forward to celebrating Ballymun’s 50th birthday, adding: “In such a historic year it would be easy to forget that it is 50 years since residents first moved into the famous tower blocks.

“In 2015, the last tower block was demolished. The landscape of Ballymun has changed so much in those 50 years. This is a unique opportunity to remember everything that is good about Ballymun and it will be a great occasion to bring everyone in the community together.”

AXIS, an arts and community resource centre in Ballymun, will co-ordinate the event along with Dublin City Council, Ballymun4Business and other local organisations.

A group of local volunteers, along with the businesses who have helped to organise the big day out will host the community event on the plaza for the afternoon of Saturday July 23 from 2pm to 6pm.

For more information see http://allevents.in/dublin/ the-ballymun-birthday-bash/1029325527158154

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7 July 2016 DUBLIN CITY Gazette 11

don’sdublin One of the great Irish artists of the modern era Jack B Yeats, one of Ireland’s foremost painters, was born in London on August 29, 1871, the youngest child of John Butler Yeats and his wife Susan (nee Pollexfen). His father, who had trained as a lawyer, was also a painter although not nearly as successful as his son would become.

Jack spent his early years moving between London, Dublin and his maternal grandparent’s home in Sligo before moving to London in 1887. He studied at the South Kensington School of Art and the Chiswick School of Art where he met Mary Cottenham White who he married in 1894. They moved to Devon where he developed his artistic career as an illustrator for various journals and after focusing on watercolours had his first exhibition in London in the 1897.

The couple left Devon for Ireland in 1910, first settling in Greystones, Wicklow, before moving to Dublin and finally into 18 Fitzwilliam Square where they spent the rest of their lives.

Back in Dublin Yeats began to work in oils and travelled widely capturing images of rural life, particularly in the West of Ireland and of course scenes in Dublin. One of his most famous and beloved paintings is The Liffey Swim (1924) which is now in the National Gallery. He entered this in the Paris Olympics and won the Silver Medal which is part of the Jack B Yeats archive that was donated to the gallery by his niece Anne Yeats, herself a painter and stage designer, in 1996. In 1999, his painting The Wild Ones was sold at Sotheby’s, London, for £1.2 million, the highest price ever paid for one of his works.

He continued to produce work for publication including illustrations for JM Synge’s The Aran Islands. And he wrote numerous plays, a collection of short stories for children and novels through the 1930s and 1940s. He died on March 28, 1957 and is buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery. He was 85.

Don Cameron

www.donsdublin.wordpress.com

The Liffey Swim (1924) which is now hanging in the National Gallery

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12 Gazette 7 July 2016

dublinGazettegallery | some very well dressed guests attend The

Louise Cooney and Lauren Arthurs

Models Natalia Piechaczek and Gail Kaneswaran. Pictures: Brian McEvoy

Robyn Daly and Emer McEntaggart

Glen O’Connor and Anita Ryan

Kathryn McClune, Darshini Ramasubbu and Fiona Lamrock

Neasa Ni Ghrada and Stephen Henry

Jenna Culligan and Amy Cullen

Jane O’Halloran and Ursula Cullen

7 July 2016 Gazette 13

June Ball 2016 fundraiser at The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel

Having a ball at a black tie event O

over 700 guests attended The June Ball 2016 which took place at Dublin’s DoubleTree Hilton Hotel.

The Glitzy Back Tie event, which has become one of the annual highlights of Ireland’s social calendar, raises funds for the

Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Guests arrived to a complimentary drinks reception, while entertainment was provided by Smash Hits, followed by international dj’s who kept the attendees dancing into the early hours. The gala raised over €70,000.

Nicki Blair and Vanessa Blair

Suzanna Serradas and Rachel Barrett Laura O’Shea

Yvonne Czajkowski and Vicky O’Brien

Aisling Farrell

Hannah Thornton and Urban Lindsey Browning and Anna Cywinska

Aisling Dunne and Sarah O’Dwyer

Nichola Galvin and Karen McGoldrick

Monks

Gazette

14 Gazette 7 July 2016

dublinBUSINESS

people

23,000 thanks for Harvey Norman’s help to fight cancer

The Web Centre appoints a new SEO specialist

THE Web Centre is expanding their services and strengthening the SEO department with the incorporation of a new SEO specialist, Maria Ramos.

Spanish-born but Irish adopted, Ramos has worked for SMEs as a digital marketing specialist, working specially in SEO projects, boosting the presence of companies on the internet.

With a background in journalism, Ramos has worked for all kind of companies and organisations.

Since she left her birth city in the north of Spain, where she worked in different local media, she has always been linked to the digital world.

Strategy Ramos was in charge of the social media strategy for cultural companies such as Cultural Actex, and heading the digital marketing department of the NGO, Iande Oca – and organisation dedicated to open a school in a small village in Bahia, Brazil.

After she moved to Ireland, where she worked for Google during two years, Ramos started writing in online magazines, blogging about digital marketing in different platforms, and working for different Irish companies and organisations on their digital strategies.

Ramos joins The Web Centre with the aim of reinforcing the digital marketing department with new, fresh ideas on SEO, social media and content marketing, as well as contributing to the energy of the company.

FOR the fifth year running, Harvey Norman supported the Marie Keating Foundation through its nationwide Sleep Pink campaign, which raised €23,000 through a percentage of the sales of selected bedding products being donated to the foundation.

Customers were also invited to add a euro at the checkout to help the cause.

Pictured at the presentation of the funds are Linda Keating (second left), director of fundraising, Marie Keating Foundation with Harvey Norman’s Natalia Gaffney, PR and communications; Robbie Auckram, general manager, Harvey Norman Bedding and Laura O’Rourke, furniture and bedding advertising coordinator

Warning about vulture funds ‘driven by greed’ AN URGENT review of the future role of vulture funds, if any, in Irish society and the issue of commuter transport was called for by the incoming president of IPAV (the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers) at the organisation’s recent national conference in Dublin.

Delegates including the Tanaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, Francis Fitzgerald, heard Alan Redmond, managing director of Redmond Property Consultants, address such funds in his speech.

He said: “Many of these funds are simply driven by greed to flip the properties as quickly as possible with existing tenants often needlessly forced from their homes.

“As we go forward, Irish society needs to look at the notion of selling many more tenanted properties, much in the same way that the commercial sector operates.

“Tenants should have longer fixture of tenure, which should only be broken for breach of obligations, such as the failure to pay rent.”

The new president said the arrival of these vulture funds in the midst of a housing crisis was “highly questionable”.

Redmond also said the Minister for Housing, Simon Coveney, and Minister of State Damien English need to address the issue of commuter transport, in conjunction with the Minister forTransport, Shane Ross.

He said: “Thousands of people are still prepared to pay extremely high rents to live between Dublin’s canals ... because they’re not satisfied with the quality of public transport.

“The frequency, time and speed of these trains is way off what it should be compared to other cities if we are to make living in the suburbs a realistic option for working people.

“The same applies to broadband, which in part of the country [offers] some or none [coverage] and mobile telephone reception.”

Redmond also supports greater density of housing in the capital. “Whether we like it or not, more and more people – notably, younger people – will continue to live in the capital, which will be the major source of employment for the foreseeable future.

“In order to facilitate this growing population, we have to build upwards as well as outwards. In this regard, I warmly welcome the decision by Dublin City Council to allow planning permission for apartment blocks of up to 24 metres in height, even 28 metres or nine stories, which is the height allowed for commercial blocks.

“It is clear that cities around the world that have restrictions on height have high rents and high levels of homelessness.”

Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald and Alan Redmond, managing director of Redmond Property Consultants and the incoming president of IPAV

He cited Brussels as a city where people live very comfortably, and at very reasonable rents, in very good quality apartments in high-rise blocks.

Calling for a longterm strategy on renting, Redmond said: “Recent trends show that Ireland is slowly but surely following the trend of its EU counterparts by having an increasing proportion of the population living in

rented accommodation for much, or indeed all, of their lives.

“While the State can provide part of this need, it is the private sector that has traditionally come to the rescue and filled this gap.

“However, increasing regulation and lack of any incentives have seen many landlords drift out of this sector at a very critical time.

“As part of its Budget 2017 strategy, I am calling on the Government to introduce real tax incentives for ordinary buy-to-let investors, to encourage more to enter the sector.

“These investors, for example, should also be given the same tax latitude as the so-called vulture funds, which do not pay income tax on rental income,” he said.

7 July 2016 Gazette 15

asdfsdaf P27 cinema P22

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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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maggie may be the dog for you ...

Hand yourself over to some top comedy from Tara Flynn, Fred Cooke and Joe Rooney. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

comedy: fans in for a treat at 10th annual Vodafone Comedy FestivaL

A laughably good line-up  ian begley

SOME of the world’s funniest men and women will be in Dublin for the 10th annual Vodafone Comedy Festival.

The festival will see 80 comedians take to the stage at the Iveagh Gardens from July 28 to 31.

Some of Ireland’s best loved comedians, including Al Porter, the Apres Match crew, PJ Gallagher and more, will give the audience a bellyful of laughs.

Speaking at the launch of the festival, online sketch trio Foil Arms and Hog said: “The festi-

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‘The Vodafone Laughter Lab will host many of the grassroots comedy clubs from around the city’

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Festival director Bren Berry

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val is brilliant – it’s in Dublin; it’s 10 minutes away from where we live.

“They always book some of the best acts from around the world. Some other festivals might not book them, but you can come here and see mental acts from the States!”

Acts from all around the world will feature at the festival, including US comedy legend Bill Burr, UK star Milton Jones, and Des Biship.

Foil Arms and Hog added: “We’re looking forward to seeing Bill Burr the most; he’s incredible. We saw him at Vicar

Street a few years ago, and he was in Breaking Bad, so he’s great.”

Most fans are used to seeing the Foil Arms and Hog in their online sketches, but they think their live shows will offer even more.

They said: “We’ve been doing the stage stuff for about eight years and the videos for only two, so the stage stuff is way more honed, I guess. We are way better at stage [comedy] and it’s a lot more fun.”

Festival director Bren Berry, Aiken Promotions, said: “We are delighted to continue our

tradition of bringing exciting international talent to the Iveagh Gardens ... but most exciting of all is the continued development of amazing talent here in Ireland.

“It is a pleasure to work with this superb pool of artists. In recognition of that, The Vodafone Laughter Lab will host many of the grassroots comedy clubs from around the city, which are the lifeblood of the Irish comedy scene.”

For full details of the Vodafone Comedy Festival line up and programme information, see vodafonecomedy.ie.

OUR Dog of the Week looking for her #SpecialSomeone* is Maggie, a six-year-old female Labrador cross.

She is a beautiful, bright dog that is looking for a calm home as she has had a few knock backs in life and really needs to build up her confidence again.

Maggie can find the world to be a scary place and needs patient adopters who will show her this is not the case.

She adores playing fetch with her beloved tennis balls! Once she gets to know you, Maggie will lavish you with love.

If you can be Maggie’s #SpecialSomeone*, then please contact Dogs Trust on 01 879 1000. They are based in Finglas, just off Exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website, www.dogstrust. ie. You can also find them on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/ dogstrustirelandonline, or on Twitter @ DogsTrust_IE. *Dogs Trust has launched their new TV ad; the #SpecialSomeone campaign aims to bring to life just how important a new owner is to the dogs they rehome.

7 July 2016 Gazette 17

dublinlife

FEATURES

Young fans get into the X Factor spirit

Simon Cowell amongst X Factor fans in Dublin

X MARKS THE SPOT X Factor fans Lisa Kenny and Jenny Ashe

X Factor and Dublin Gazette fans at Croke Park

Judge Nicole Scherzinger

T

HE Gazette was at Croke Park on Friday to meet Ireland’s X Factor hopefuls before they faced the iconic panel of judges, who had returned to Dublin for auditions for the first time since 2010. Fans were delighted as first host Dermot O’Leary, and then Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger arrived at Croker, followed by Simon Cowell. Louis told The Gazette: “We’re not just looking for great singers. We want personalities, people with ambition and all of that.” Simon added: “It’s really fantastic being back in Dublin again. Niall Horan first auditioned here in 2010 and to find another talented musician like him would be very exciting.”

Judge Sharon Osbourne

Louis Walsh charms the Irish dancers at the X Factor auditions in Croke Park

X Factor fans are all smiles

Dermot O’Leary joining in with the Irish dancers

Gazette

Gazette

16 Gazette 7 July 2016

Gazette

18 Gazette 7 July 2016

dublinlife

DIARY

Legions of honour as French hail Irish fans

Irish fans are to be honoured for their sportsmanship and all round soundness at the Euro 2016 football tournament.

Fans are to be presented with the Medal of the City of Paris – the “Grand Vermeil” by the city’s Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who has informed President Michael D Higgins.

The award is considered the city’s highest honour, with past recipients including Rafael Nadal, Jane Fonda and Nobel Prize for literature winner Toni Morrison.

According to French news agency AFP, Mayor Hidalgo cited Irish fans f o r t h e “ e xe m p l a r y sportsmanship” and said that the country’s soccer supporters distinguished themselves by the atmosphere they created during their time in France.

Irish fans who travelled to France made headlines all over the world during the course of Ireland’s four matches, for their random acts of kindness, singing and good humour.

French football leg-

end Eric Cantona even commended the boys in green.

“The awesome Irish fans have been the life of the party. Singing with the police, putting babies to sleep, serenading the ladies,” he said.

“They also multiply bread, change water into beer, they even know the end to Game Of Thrones.”

fun run for st james’s hospital St James’s Hospital Foundation will hold their 8th Annual Liberties Fun Run once again on Thursday, July 21 in aid of St James’s Hospital.

Starting at 7:45pm, this unique 6k timed road race takes participants through the heart of old Dublin and attracts in excess of 1,000 participants every year.

Starting and finishing in the beautiful grounds of IMMA/Royal Hospital Kilmainham, the route takes in some of the most famous sites throughout the Liberties including St James’s

Gate, Francis Street and the Coombe.

Registration costs €30 and all participants will receive a free running top souvenir.

All of the proceeds from the 2016 Liberties Fun Run will go directly to the Guide Clinic at St James’s Hospital to upgrade patient facilities.

To register for the 2016 Liberties Fun Run, visit www.supportstjames.ie.

billy elliot set for first irish show Celebr ating ten extraordinary years on London’s West End, Billy Elliot, one of today’s most beloved musical theatre shows, , comes to Ireland for the first time this July.

Set in a small English mining town against a backdrop of the infamous 1984/85 miners’ strike, the inspirational story of Billy Elliot depicts a young boy’s struggle against the odds to make his dreams come true.

Join Billy on his journey of discovery, all in the comfortable surrounds of Dublin’s state-of-the-art Bord

Fans won plenty of praise for their behaviour at Euro 2016

Gais Energy Theatre.

This heart-warming story of family and community is sure to hit the right notes with you and yours.

Experience Elton John’s timeless score to spectacular dance routines in the show which has captivated audiences all over the world.

Tickets for Billy Elliot are priced from €25 - €65.80 and can be purchased at www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie.

Billy Elliot comes to Ireland for the first time this month

7 July 2016 Gazette 19

fast

TRAVEL NEWS

northern spain: four days of guided walking on the camino

Step right up for the famous hiking route

 Ian Begley

Pictured are Matthews.ie driver, Anthony Hoey with Noel Matthews, general manager and Paddy Matthews, managing director.

Picture: Conor McCabe Photography

Head to the beach and the kids go free Parents in Dublin can bring their kids to the seaside for free this summer thanks to an innovative coach company.

Matthews.ie, who run hourly services between Dublin city centre and Bettystown, have introduced a unique summer offer to revive the concept of the day trip to the golden sands.

“With the great weather we have had so far this summer, we thought that we could do our bit to encourage the tradition of a day out at the seaside,” said Matthews.ie managing director Paddy Matthews.

“During July and August, only parents will pay on our buses from Dublin to Bettystown, with a maximum of two accompanied children under 12 travelling free.

“This means that entire families can have a day out at the seaside for as little as a return fare of €15 if one adult travels.

“Bettystown has miles of golden sands and a host of facilities for the perfect summer’s day out.”

This offer is valid for

any ticket (Leap, single, return, free travel, commuter or 10 trip) purchased from Dublin to Bettystown.

Travel times are 8am12noon from Dublin and 12 noon to 6pm from Bettystown.

Matthews services run from North Cumberland Street and stop at Drumcondra and Whitehall – seeMatthews.ie for more details.

To add to the offer, they have teamed up with Funtasia Bettystown, who will give €10 worth of ride tokens usable on any of their fairground rides when you spend €10 and present a current Matthews bus ticket.

A m o n g i t s m a ny attractions and facilities Funtasia Bettystown has white knuckle rides for the thrill seekers and gentler attractions for the less adventurous.

Its multi-level Jungle Zone will keep the young explorers busy for hours.

Funtasia Bettystown also has a luxurious casino, 3D motion theater, American-themed pool areas and Ireland’s only rollercoaster on a roof.

Gazette

TRAVEL

This autumn, walk the Footsteps of the Camino on a seven-night holiday with four days of guided walking through sunny Spain.

Starting at Bilbao and walking west towards Santiago, your trip will begin with a guided walking tour along the banks of the Nervion River, followed by a visit to one of the world’s most famous art galleries. One of the most admired works of contemporar y architecture, the Guggenheim Museum boasts some of Europe’s most exciting and unusual art, including Richard Serra’s 340ft Snake.

Enjoy a guided tour through the most prestigious wine region of Spain, Haro in Rioja.

Take in the stunning vineyards and rich vegetable gardens in the lush country side before

partaking in a tour of a local bodega (winery.)

Walk through the Castillian wheat plains, with guide assistance, as you enjoy the spectacular scenery.

Cross the magnificent bridge at Puente de Orbigo and trek through wooded terrain to San Justo de la Vega, while taking in the sights of Monte Irago.

The “piece de resistance” of this journey is the final stretch of the Camino with a stop at Cebreiro, with breathtaking views from 1,300 metres above sea-level.

Complete your holiday by leaving a stone at the symbolic Cruz de Fierro (The Iron Cross) and like the pilgrims before you, leave all your burdens behind. There will also be free time to explore the beautiful Santiago de Compostela at your leisure.

This trip is ideal for moderately experienced

The scallop shell is used, along with the yellow arrow, to guide pilgrims heading to Santiago de Compostela (above) along its many different routes

walkers, with an average walking distance of around 10km per day on flat, gravel terrain.

Prices start from €899pp including

return f lights from Dublin, transfers, taxes and charges, 7 nights’ B&B accommodation, 5 evening meals and 4 days of guided walking,

with flights departing September and October 2016.

For more information and to book visit www. tdactiveholidays.ie.

Saddle up and escape to the west Escape the bustle of urban life on the 42km Great Western Greenway, the longest off-road walking and cycling trail in Ireland.

The Greenway is a traffic free cycling and walking trail which follows the route of the renowned Westport to Achill railway which closed in 1937.

Take some time for yourself and get some fresh air cycling through the wilds of Westport, County Mayo with a great package from Knockranny House Hotel.

The hotel’s Greenway Getaway includes two nights’ accommodation for two adults with a

hearty breakfast each morning and bicycle and helmet hire for one day.

Post cycle, and in need of something to help your aching muscles the following day, be sure and take full advantage of Spa Salveo’s vitality pool and thermal suite and maybe even treat yourself to a blissfully relaxing treatment.

The Greenway Getaway package is available from €198 per person sharing (midweek) and children under 10 stay for free (With bike hire extra).

For more information, visit www.KnockrannyHouseHotel.ie or call 098 28 600.

Gazette

20 Gazette 7 July 2016

OUT&ABOUT

STYLE

boys

Into the future ...  emma nolan

Vichy has brought out a range of facial masks designed with different skin types in mind.

The Pureté Thermal Mineral Masks target three common skin issues and are suitable for sensitive skin.

 emma nolan

Style Editor

Looking at the Penneys Autumn Winter menswear collection, it’s easy to see how it could easily be mistaken for a more expensive high street brand.

There is no novelty or juvenile slogans – this collection is a subtle capsule of soft muted tones

The Quenching Mineral Mask is specifically for dry, sensitive skin that lacks moisture and radiance. Infused with mineralizing thermal water, it gives the skin a hydration boost while reinforcing the skin’s natural moisture barrier.

The Pore Purifying Clay Mask is for oily sin with pores that block easily, using clay to absorb impurities and excess seabum.

that is both stylish and functional.

Five key themes underpin the collection; Urban Survivalist, Ashbury Book Club, Downtown, Tundra and Bolivian Pass.

Urban Survivalist borrows from the sports luxe aesthetic of the likes of Alexander Wang – comfort is combined with style as bomber jackets and joggers form the base for the look.

Cap €4, T-shirt €12, Jumper €14,

Hat €3, T-shirt 10, Jumper €13,

Bag €12, Trousers €16

Jeans €22

Downtown is a collision of decades, merging a 70’s palette with relaxed 90’s shapes, while Tundra is an ode the great outdoors. Jackets and coats for this story are made functional with padding, hoods and straps.

Bolivian Pass has a warm palette and focuses on denim and Ashbury Book Club provides a hint of preppyness.

The Double Glow Peel Mask gets rid of dead skin with its gentle exfoliating properties and plant extracts to tackle dry patches.

Coat €50, Shirt €17, T-shirt €6,

Each pot costs €18 and is available at Vichy counters in pharmacies nationwide.

Hat €4,

Jeans €13,

Coat €50,

Shoes €16

Hoody €10, Shoes €16

Jacket €40, Trousers €19, Shirt €17, T-shirt €10

Jacket €28, Shirt €9, T-shirt €8

7 July 2016 Gazette 21

BITESIZEDNEWS Nigeria still top of Irish fish importers Over 49,000 tonnes of fish were exported from Ireland in 2015 to third world countries according to new figures released by the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA).

Nigeria remains the highest impor ter, accounting for 46 per cent of Irish fishing exports, followed by China and the African countries of Cameroon, Ghana and Benin.

Surprisingly, exports to third world countries decreased overall during 2015 compared with the 2014 figures (50,068 tonnes), but some markets continued to thrive including leading importers Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Benin who maintained an increase in their volume of imports.

Mackerel, horse mackerel, blue whiting, herring, whelk and crab remain the preferred products with herring, whelk and crab all recording a year on year increase.

Commenting on the figures, Susan Steele, chair of SFPA said: “Export markets in the EU and third world countries are vital to the realisation of the Government’s vision for Ireland’s seafood industry, as set out in Foodwise 2025.

“Robust confidence in the quality and safety of Irish seafood is of critical importance to the maintenance of existing markets and to the expansion of the growing collection of third world markets.”

Gazette

FOOD&DRINK

Whipping up pasta magic for charity  aishling kennedy

A new cookbook called Pasta Magic has hit shelves and all the proceeds of the book will go towards the Make-A-Wish Foundation Ireland.

The founders of the pasta company Leaves Pure Food, Nico and Sabine, came up with the idea for the cookbook that features recipes and also a childhood wish or dream from some of Ireland’s most famous celebrity chefs, broadcasters, journalists, business and opinion leaders.

TV pundit and author Brent Pope was among those who shared their favourite pasta recipes. Picture: Andres Poveda

A savoury treat to enjoy on those summer afternoons THIS week, we have the perfect treat for a summer afternoon Chive and Lemon on Guinness Bread.

with Guinness and milk. Mix

Guinness Bread Recipe

Lemon & Chive Butter

• 250g white flour

• 200g softened salted butter

• 60g strong flour

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1 tsp br soda

• Six chives finely chopped

• 1 tsp salt

• Two twists of cracked black

• 30g pinhead oatmeal

pepper

with all dry goods, put in a greased tin and cook at 150o C for 75mins

• 1 tsp brown sugar • 30g wheat bran

Method

• 4 tbsp treacle

Place the butter and lemon

• 30g butter

juice in a bowl and mash

• 100ml Guinness

together, add the pepper, finish

• 200ml milk

with the chives and spread on bread straight away or can

Method

keep in the fridge for about one

Melt butter and treacle. Mix

week.

The recipe for the chive and lemon on Guinness bread is taken from the Castleknock Hotel and Country Club’s indulgent Summer Afternoon Tea Menu.

The menu is available in the Park Restaurant between 2pm to 5pm daily and the Summer Afternoon Tea will be served up on a threetier stand with each item of food placed on a bed of faux grass.

Savoury items on the menu include tomato and wild garlic bruschetta and poached salmon, chive and lemon on Guinness bread, and plenty of scones, sponges and truffles.

T here are three menu options starting from €21 per person to €32 per person with a €3 supplement charged on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. To book a table call (01) 6406363.

Contributions The cookbook features a total of 22 pasta

recipes by leading chefs including Kevin Dundon, Rachel Allen, Neven Maguire, and Donal Skehan as well as contributions from Brent Pope, Lucy Kennedy, Ken Doherty, Peter Devlin and many more.

Make-A-Wish chief executive Susan O ’ D w y e r s a i d : “A t Make-A-Wish Ireland we believe that it takes more than medicine to help children and their families to heal.

“Thanks to initiatives such as the publication of Pasta Magic, we will be able to grant more wishes in 2016.”

Pasta Magic (€5.99) i s av a i l a b l e t o b u y in SuperValu stores nationwide.

Gazette

22 dublin city gazette 7 July 2016

OUT&ABOUT

CINEMA

central intelligence: it’s a likeable bromance

This film’s Hart has some clever pairing  dave phillips

IF YOU are looking for a feel-good hit of buddymovie comedy, the odd couple pairing of Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson are winning cinemagoers over in Central Intelligence.

Two decades on from his high school graduation, Calvin Joyner (Kevin Hart) is adjusting to a life where things did not work out as planned.

Enigmatic, athletic, and unequivocally voted

as the Most Likely to Succeed, Calvin was a standout amongst his peers, but somehow lost his mojo along the way.

A 20th anniversary class reunion finds Calvin back in touch with his former schoolmate, Bob Stone (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), whose journey since high school has taken him on an opposite trajectory.

Once the victim of bullies, Bob has transformed into a crime-fighting Adonis who claims to

work undercover with the CIA. “I just did one thing to change,” he confides to the awestruck Calvin. “I worked out for six hours a day, every day, for the past 20 years”.

Bob brings all manner of chaos into Calvin’s life as he insists that only Calvin’s unique actuarial skills can help him stop some illicit deal that threatens the free world.

The humour may be aimed low, but you cannot deny its masterful

precision. Much of what works about Central Intelligence rests on the on-screen buzz between its two stars.

The great chemistry is kept alive through a rapid pacing from Dodgeball director Rawson Marshall Thurber.

The story thrums along quite nicely for the first 45 minutes or so, revealing some plot twists that keep us guessing as to Bob’s true intentions.

There’s good support from Amy Ryan, who

Despite its increasingly convoluted plot, there’s no denying the great on-screen chemistry between Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson

plays a CIA agent who is tracking Bob, and some cameos from Jason Bateman and Aaron Paul.

As the latter half of the film descends into near nonsense, you will probably lose much interest in who may be doublecrossing who and for what reason, but will be happy

to see the plot eked out just to get a little more of the great chemistry between Johnson and Hart.

Yo u ’ l l f i n d s u c h moments, but by the end things have turned too outlandish and you get the impression that even a tighter edit could not

have tidied up a slightly hackneyed finish.

Regardless, Central Intelligence is a fine summer comedy that delivers a lot more than it might seem at first glance, and brings out two great performances from its stars.

Verdict: 6/10

7 July 2016 dublin city gazette 23

nissan: THE BASIC AND UPGRADED MODELS ARE BOTH ATTRACTIVE BUYS

The sleek Pulsar is an impressive family car  dave phillips

MUCH of the rejuvenation seen in Nissan has been brought about through the brand’s focus on its successful Qashqai.

The crossover model has proved to be wildly popular, particularly in Ireland and the UK, where for the past decade it has effectively become the go-to model for new buyers.

However, the crossover appeal is not for everybody and Nissan’s new Pulsar has been introduced in the hopes of making a dent in the midsized hatchback market – no easy feat when you’re stepping up against firm contenders such as the VW Golf, Ford Focus, and Opel Astra.

Positioned towards the more cost-effective end of the scale, the Pulsar starts out from €20,995 and aims to offer some practical performance and sensible value.

The Pulsar comes with a choice between a 1.2 litre petrol, and a 1.5 litre diesel engine.

The former gives a smidgen more performance, while the latter gives slightly cheaper road tax and lower fuel consump-

tion overall.

It costs around €2,000 extra to go for the diesel build, and when you factor in fuel costs over the life of the car, this seems to make a lot of sense.

On the outside, the Pulsar goes for a sleek and sturdy look that mirrors its practical nature.

This isn’t the kind of car that will turn a lot of heads, but there are some nice touches, such as the mesh grill and subtle rear spoiler that add a bit of personality.

There are three trim levels available, with the top-level coming with a set of 17” alloys along with chrome window surrounds that also help to keep things looking fresh.

Spacious Inside, the Pulsar is spacious and well-laid out – the dash is clean and uncluttered, though a mix of hard and soft plastic feels slightly out of kilter with the rest of the trim.

The model we tested came with the premium SVE trim, which is around €5,000 on from the base price, with a lot of those upgrades coming in the form of interior technology.

There’s keyless entry, and a one-touch start, and the Connect 2 system – the one-stop infotainment system that you can find on most of Nissan’s range.

As well as providing intuitive sat-nav, the system also hooks up to your phone to handle your calls and can even sync with your Facebook account to provide you with ongoing social media updates while you drive, in case that floats your boat.

More importantly, the 7” display provides a feed for the rear camera, and can also provide a bird’seye view of the car by patching together pictures taken from each side.

There is a lot of safety tech that comes in on this trim as well, including blind spot warnings, moving object detection, and lane departure warnings.

All in all, the Pulsar may not be Nissan’s most exciting offering, but it is a solid and pragmatic family car, although you’ll need to upgrade to get some of its best features, and only time will tell whether it holds its own against some of the sector’s more established models.

The Pulsar goes for a sleek and sturdy look that mirrors its practical nature

The Pulsar is spacious and well-laid out – the dash is clean and uncluttered

Gazette

MOTORING

24 DUBLIN CITY Gazette 7 July 2016

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Gazette

26 dublin city gazette 7 July 2016

SPORT

FastSport

High quality shortlist nominated for award THE maiden New Ireland Assurance Player of the Month award nominees saw a string of high quality players put forward for the gong.

Clontarf’s Sarah McCaffrey, St Brigid’s Elaine Kelly, Foxrock Cabinteely’s Amy Connolly and Na Fianna’s Orla Egan all drew top plaudits for their performances in the group stages of the Dublin club championships to be in the frame.

McCaffrey has been among the driving forces for Clontarf in their initial run of three wins in the intermediate championship, powering to high scoring wins over Skerrier Harps, Clann Mhuire and St Margaret’s.

She has shown tremendous ability to break past players with speed and skill, create and take scores and generally influence the outcome of games.

Former Dublin corner-forward Kelly, above, has been one of St Brigid’s guiding lights in Group 2 of the senior championship, not just in June but since the start of the campaign. One club mate said “her commitment to the team is an example to the younger players on the team and a driving force everyone else.”

She helped her side finish second in their group to reach the knock-out stages thanks to a 3-14 to no score win over Parnell’s.

Foxrock Cabinteely topped that pool with Amy Connolly their star woman in a 6-18 to 1-12 success.

Proud sponsors of the DLGFA adult championships

ladies football: new ireland assurance player of the month

Monthly honour for fired up Flanagan  sport@dublingazette.com

B A L LY B O D E N S t Enda’s sharp-shooter Emily Flanagan was named the first winner of the New Ireland Assurance Player of the Month award.

T h e 18 - y e a r - o l d received the June award for a stellar performance in her club’s senior championship win over Fingallians last week, netting twice in the latter stages.

Those goals capped a victory as well as a fine all-round performance, breaking for ward at pace with aggression and determination.

Before her intervention, Boden trailed with 13 minutes to go but ended up running out nine point winners.

Just four days later, she was in action again for the Dublin minors, this time in a more defensive role as the county won

the Leinster title.

Club manager Claire Butterly, a former AllIreland club champion with Boden, has taken the reins this season and has been really impressed with her young charge, a product of St Colmcille’s Primar y School and Loreto, Beaufort, who she says is improving quickly.

“Emily is obviously a very talented young player and she plays with a great deal of maturity,” Butterly told GazetteSport.

“We’ve been really impressed with her understanding of the wider game and what she contributes to the team; it’s remarkable for such a young player.”

Flanagan’s performance against Fingallians certainly caught the eye, not least from the watching Dublin senior manager Greg McGonigle

Ballyboden St Enda’s Emily Flanagan

who said that he would certainly be keeping tabs on her progress “when she becomes available to me!”

Butterly added about her showing: “She had a wonderful second half; it really was a standout performance. But Emily’s playing with a lot of confidence and has been working hard and performing consistently at this level throughout the championship.”

As for Boden, themselves, the club has swept to three wins from three in the senior champion-

ship and are looking good for the playoffs.

Butterly is among a number of former players from their All-Ireland winning side in 2004 and 2005 like Fiona Corcoran and Aisling Farrelly who are now on the management team.

And Butterly says the side are “pleased with how things are coming along”.

“It’s a new set up and the players have been really open to the new personnel and new ways of doing things,” she said.

“Time will tell how the season progresses but the girls are enjoying each other and getting a lot out of their football at the moment, and that’s a great place to be.”

They complete their group phase on July 13 against Thomas Davis with a win ensuring they top Group 1. ** To nominate someone deserving of the July Player of the Month award, contact us at sport@dublingazette.com with their name, club and a couple of lines about why you feel they should be up for the honour!

7 July 2016 dublin city gazette 27

Gazette

Sure-footed Cian not fluting around Kilmacud Crokes star rejects suggestions Dublin are going through the motions in Leinster championship as final date with Westmeath on July 17 in Croke Prak comes into view  karl graham

sport@dublingazette.com

DUBLIN defender Cian O’Sullivan has denied suggestions made by Pat Spillane on The Sunday Game that the All-Ireland champions are “fluting around at the moment”.

Spillane made the comments after Dublin’s comfortable 10-point win over Meath in their Leinster semi-final – a result that saw them criticised in some quarters for not being more ruthless rather than celebrated for another emphatic win.

“I suppose the first half was quite a good half of football I’d say from a spectators’ perspective, it was a close game. I felt the intensity out there,” he said in the wake of the tie.

“In the second half, the

game seemed to go down a couple of paces and it was quite a flat performance from probably both sets of teams. I know we ended up winning by 10 points but, from our perspective, the aim was just to win and to get to a Leinster final and we achieved that.”

The level of criticism aimed at the team shows just how far they have separated themselves from the Leinster pack.

Indeed, there was a time when any win over Meath would have been celebrated almost as jubilantly as that historic win over Kerry.

“It’s funny how these things ebb and flow, teams go through patches of good and bad times. I remember my first year in the Dublin team we got to an All-Ireland quarter

final against Kerry.

“We got beaten by 17 points. That was in 2009 and two years later we were lifting Sam. In such a short space of time things changed and it’s something we are conscious of in the Dublin team,” O’Sullivan explained.

Dublin will have to be at their best once more if Jim Gavin is going to become the first manager of the county to win back-to-back All-Ireland titles, but winning Leinster tends to prove a lot less of a challenge.

This has led many pundits to claim that Dublin will continue to win the provincial title regardless of the teams they face, but Kilmacud Crokes man O’Sullivan explains how the players put this kind of talk out of their

Dublin star Cian O’Sullivan was speaking at the launch of deodorant brand Sure becoming the GAA’s first official statistics partner. Picture: Kevin Goss-Ross

minds.

“That is not something Dublin players concern themselves with or worry about. Our aim going out every year is to be the best football team we can be and to get to an All-Ireland final, and if we can get there, to win it.”

All-Ireland season

absence of full-back Rory O’Carroll but O’Sullivan believes they can cope without the All-Star.

“Any of the guys who have been playing in our full-back line to date have all been well capable and very good players. The direct ball and the high ball is always a threat

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

‘We got beaten by 17 points.

Two years later, we were lifting Sam.’ - Dublin defender Cian O’Sullivan

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

generally sees the papers plastered day after day with talk of whether anybody will be good enough to halt the Dublin juggernaut. Handling the expectation and hype is another animal that has changed from being perennial under-achievers to now being the side teams try to shoot down.

“There are some guys that can deal with it easily and some guys that can’t. I suppose it’s about knowing whether you’re a guy who can read the papers and subsequently shut that all that stuff out. Everyone is different; it’s about realising what works for you,” said O’Sullivan.

Lately, a lot of this talk has been about Dublin’s supposed vulnerability under the high ball, particularly with the

with or without Rory in the full-back line. It is always something we try to do and other teams try to do. It can be a dangerous play so it is something we are constantly working on.”

Dublin’s win over Meath was their 17th in succession in the Leinster Championship and sees them through to their 11th provincial title in the last 12 years. Understandably, O’Sullivan is enjoying lining out for the Dubs but knows that winning won’t always come so easy.

“It’s a great time to be playing football with Dublin but we’re conscious that it won’t last forever.”

The Leinster final will take place at Croke Park against Westmeath on July 17 at 4pm.

FastSport

Sundrive sees Irish shine at track international THE HOME crowd’s appetite for success was sated at the Dublin Track Cycling International at Sundrive as Ireland landed two gold medals, three silver and a bronze last weekend.

The event is one of the main events on the Irish cycling calendar and the home crowd boosted riders from across the island as they took on world class riders from across Europe.

In the individual pursuit, track newcomers Eileen Burns and Marc Potts impressed with gold and silver respectively in the race against the clock.

Josie Knight came agonisingly close to a win in the women’s omnium while Eimear Moran stormed to victory in the women’s Keirin.

Sprint specialist Eoin Mullen powered through the weekend to win silver in the sprint and bronze in the men’s Keirin.

The results in the individual pursuit were particularly impressive with Burns and Potts only recently turning their attention to track racing.

Burns has been making her mark in Irish racing in time trialling, with this weekend being her first foray into track racing: “This is my first time competing on the track, and the first time doing a full pursuit. This morning was the first time I ever used a start gate.”

Potts has spent the winter training on the track, and was pleased to get a medal “I’m fairly new to the track stuff so it was good to get a medal. In Portugal, a few weeks ago, I came fourth and just missed out on a medal.”

Another rider who has been focusing on the track over the winter is former rower Eimear Moran. Moran switched her attention to the track last summer, winning multiple national titles across the board. Moran won the Keirin in a straight final, enjoying this sprint event in particular saying “it’s great from the point of view that you are left off at speed, so that’s the bit I love because it is just flat out then. You build and build and build and then it’s flat out.”

This was the fourth year that Ireland has hosted the Dublin Track Cycling International, and it benefits significantly from the support of Dublin City Sports and Wellbeing Partnership.

Gazette

28 dublin city gazette 7 July 2016

SPORT

FastSport

soccer: brilliant baldoyle keeper snapped up by oakland

Donore’s Lawlor leads way for club and country SEAN Lawlor, above centre, produced one of the performances of the weekend despite adverse weather conditions at the GloHealth National Junior and U-23 track and field championships in Tullamore.

The Donore Harriers man won the junior men’s 100m in 10.85 seconds from Tallaght’s Joseph Ojewumi in 10.94 and Eoin Doherty in 10.98.

A number of athletes were looking to seal final selection for the European Youth Championships which run from July 14 to 17 in Tblisi, Georgia and the World Junior Athletics Championships from July 19 to 24 in Bydgosczc, Poland.

To that end, Lawlor has already pinned down his place at the worlds where he will be joined in the side by Ojewumi.

Indeed, there is a strong line-up from the club in Irish vests. Aoife Lynch will compete in the 200m at the European Youth championships while Alex Clarkin is in 110m hurdles action.

At the world junior championships, DSDAC’s Mollie O’Reilly is in the selection to run in the 400m along with Carla Sweeney from Rathfarnham WSAF who takes part in the 800m race. Celtic DCH’s Pierre Murchan lines out in the 5,000m Meanwhile in Tullamore, Jenna Bromell and O’Reilly did battle in the junior women’s 400m with Bromell getting the win in 54.26 seconds – O’Reilly finished second in 55.52.

The junior women’s 800m proved to be a tactical affair with Louise Shanahan from Leevale getting the better of Carla Sweeney and Rose Finnegan in a finishing kick. Shanahan won in 2.17.64 with Sweeney clocking 2.18.21 and Finnegan recording 2.18.97.

Sarah McCarthy, form Mid Sutton, won the Under-23 women’s long jump with 5.68m in what were bad conditions for jumping.

There is also a large number of Dubliners involved in the European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam which runs from Wednesday to Sunday.

Clonliffe Harriers’ Brian Gregan in the 400m and Declan Murray in the 800m, Crusaders’ Richard Morrissey in 400m along with UCD’s Karl Griffin (800m) and Ciara Mageean (1,500m) are among the contingent.

Nadine Maher makes a save while on Ireland duty ahead of her move to the USA on a soccer scholarship.

Maher’s American dream  james hendicott sport@dublingazette.com

HAVING sat out much of the last season at Kilkenny United in the women’s national league due to injury, former Shelbourne ladies’ player Nadine Maher’s conversion from Gaelic football has nevertheless found its fairytale ending.

Maher – who is also a member of the Irish national squad and will graduate shortly from Pobalscoil Neasain in Baldoyle – will be heading out to America on a soccer scholarship, with the goalkeeper hav-

ing impressed at a trial game in Bisham Abbey in December.

As a result, she won a scholarship at one of America’s top university sides, the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies.

Maher – whose ultimate aim is to turn professional, but sees the degree in Engineering offered alongside the soccer as no bad backup plan – came to the sport almost by accident.

“I was a GAA centre half, and one day they threw me in goal,” she said. “I thought I’d give it a go for a change but,

kbc world sailing Over 350 competitors confirmed for RSGYC royal St George yacht club has announced that 48 countries and 350 competitors are now confirmed to compete in the KBC Laser Radial Worlds (Youth and Men’s 2016 World Championships) to be held in Dun Laoghaire Harbour from July 23 to 30.

David Kelly, chairman of the event said, “Dun Laoghaire will be transformed into a cosmopolitan village with competitors now coming from all over the world. Our home sailors will face fierce competition but we are hoping for some top Irish placings.”

when I didn’t make it, I decided to convert to soccer.

“I went on trial with Shelbourne, and Pete O’Neill signed me that day. Eight months later I was playing at international level.”

The appeal of Oakland is obvious: their team won their division last year and Maher also mentions the presence of a Cork-born player on their panel as a bonus factor, saying she’s already spoken to the Irish player and got an idea of what to expect in Rochester, Michigan.

As Maher won’t trav-

el to the States until August, she hopes to play two or three games for Kilkenny in a return to the national league before travelling but is already looking ahead, having taken extensive advice from her new coach in the States on how to prepare.

“I’m expecting to better my game,” Maher explains. “There aren’t a lot of opportunities available when it comes to women’s football in Ireland, especially considering how good some of the players are.

“You don’t get opportunities like this and

I already have a real sense of the professionalism I can expect when I arrive. The information that’s already come out from Mags, my coach, gives a real sense of what it’s going to be like.

It helps that they have a really good engineering program, as well, of course.”

Maher won her place at Oakland through an agent called Pass4Soccer, whose trials for the 2017 and 2018 get underway in July. Her sporting endeavours in the US will run the length of her degree, finishing up in 2020.

7 July 2016 DUBLIN CITY gazette 29

Gazette

charity football

FastGAA

Sherlock lines out in memory of Aine Chawke jason Sherlock was among the legends in

action last Saturday at Somerton Park for a charity football match in aid of St Francis Hospice and the Mater Foundation.

The event was inspired by the memory of the late Aine Chawke, an ardent Castleknock supporter whose family are part of the fabric of the club. Ciaran Kilkenny refereed the game.

Picture: Shay Hogan

hurling: Clontarf man stars in leinster victory Dublin celebrate their Leinster minor win. Picture: Peter Hickey/GAAPics.com

Five goal extra time blitz blows apart Westmeath

Paddy Smyth recieves the Man of the Match award from Electric Ireland’s Jim Dollard. Picture: Stephen McCarthy

Captain Smyth leads Dublin to minor glory

Leinster mhc final Dublin Wexford  karl graham

2-12 0-12

sport@dublingazette.com

PADDY Smyth put in a man of the match performance as he led the Dublin hurling minors to victory over Wexford by 2-12 to 0-12 in the Leinster Final.

The Clontarf club man was instrumental at the back as he captained the side to their 15th Leinster title and their first since 2012.

Dublin were behind with five minutes to go after conceding four unan-

swered points, but late goals by Johnny McGuirk and Donal Burke helped them win by a somewhat flattering six points.

Wexford sprang out of the traps first to register two early points before forcing a superb vital save from Dublin ‘keeper Daire De Poire.

The Dubs managed to draw level with two placed balls from Colin Currie who, afterWexford went one point clear once more, finally scored their first from play in the 16th minute.

Burke then hit a hattrick of points to give Dublin a bit of breathing space

and when both teams followed that by scoring two points apiece, including a long range beauty from McGuirk, the score at the interval saw Dublin lead by 0-8 to 0-6.

Dublin started to get dominate more of the ball in the last quarter of the game but a failure to land several scores left them vulnerable to a Wexford comeback.

It eventually came in the form of four consecutive points to put them one up with just five minutes left on the clock.

However, it was Dublin who finished the stronger and when they compli-

mented two more points with those vital goals, Smyth took his place on the podium to lift the Hanrahan Cup in front of thousands of delighted supporters.

Smyth was joined on the Dublin panel by Na Fianna brothers Sean and Colin Currie, Whitehall Colmcille’s Daire Gray, St Vincent’s duo Conor Burke and Dara Perry, and Craobh Chiarain’s Conor Ryan.

Next up for Dublin will be an All-Ireland semifinal in August as they continue their search for a first All-Ireland title since 1965.

DUBLIN’S minor ladies football team needed extra-time but eventually thrashed Westmeath to win the Leinster Championship at Conneff Park in Clane 6-22 to 4-9.

In a topsy-turvy game, Dublin led the Lake County by nine pints with just eight minutes remaining before a goal blitz saw the teams tied at 1-17 to 4-8 at the final whistle.

Extra-time beckoned and when Dublin made some crucial substitutions, they by ran out champions by a hefty 19 points.

Dublin started corner-back Sinead Moran in a free role to combat Westmeath using their skipper in the much-discussed sweeper role, but it didn’t prevent them from conceding the first score.

A lively start to the game saw Dublin try to command a dominant lead, with points from Hannah O’Neill, Rachel Douglas (two) and Mia Jennings, but their midland rivals were keeping hold of their coattails.

However, a stunning solo goal by Dublin full-forward Julia Buckley on 23 minutes and an early sin-bin for Westmeath’s Louise Early helped create some daylight between the teams.

Dublin saw the temporary dismissal as a chance to stretch their lead and managed to put more points on the board to lead 1-9 to 0-4 at the interval.

After early scores for Dublin in the second half, the impressive Aoife Connolly was keeping Westmeath in slim contention and when Ruth O’Connor drifted a speculative shot over the head of Sky Blues keeper Katie Ronan they began to believe again.

The gap was narrowed further by a majestic three-pointer from Connolly, before O’Connor had the ball in the Dublin net once more.

Two minutes into added time and Dublin had thrown away a big lead when Connolly scored her second goal of the game to level the scores. There was just time for a further point each before another 20 minutes was needed to separate the sides. Westmeath’s fight-back had left them drained and a five-point blitz early into extra-time for Dublin looked to have put the writing on the wall.

Goals from Buckley, Clara O’Sullivan (two), Douglas and Ciara McDunphy rubbed salt into Westmeath’s wounds.

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maher’s the star: Brilliant Baldoyle goalkeeper earns Golden Grizzlies US soccer scholarship P28

july 7-13, 2016

No fluting around for Cian: O’Sullivan rejects suggestion Dubs going through motions P27

Dublin manager Greg McGonigle at Parnell Park on Monday evening. Picture: Peter Hickey/GAAPics.com

Greg wants Laois of life Dublin manager calls on those who signed petition to switch the Leinster ladies final to Croke Park to support Dubs’ trip to Portlaoise this Sunday  stephen findlater

sport@dublingazette.com

GREGORY McGonigle says that Leinster has missed a big opportunity to promote ladies football but insists this will not have a major impact on his Dublin side as they get ready to meet Westmeath in O’Moore Park, Westmeath on Sunday at 4pm in the provincial final.

Over 1,700 signed a petition to request the tie be pushed back a week later and put on the Croke Park bill where Dublin and Westmeath will also meet in the Leinster men’s senior football final.

And McGonigle says that is a lost chance, especially when these kind of moves have been commonplace in other province.

“Coming from Derry and having managed in Ulster, it’s not the first time that they have

done it [put the two games together],” he told GazetteSport. “Monaghan ladies played Armagh in front of Monaghan’s men in Healy Park in 2011; we also played in front of Donegal and Tyrone when we met Tyrone in Ballybofey.

“It seems to be a continuous thread. When Ulster GAA organise their championship, they do it as a combined unit of ladies’ football, camogie, hurling and football. As much as we knew it probably wouldn’t happen this year, it’s maybe something to force down the line.”

While the chance to play in Croker is not happening, McGonigle says the focus in his camp will not lessen in any way as his Dublin side are hungry for more honours.

And he would specifically like the people who signed the petition to back up their actions by travelling to Portlaoise.

“The group of players are delighted they are in a Leinster final. If it’s in Croke Park, it would have been brilliant; if not, it’s not going to affect us in Portlaoise.

“The key thing now is the people who bothered to sign the petition and raised their concern – let’s get off the couch and away from the shopping trip and let’s get a 1,000 people there.

The men’s footballers aren’t there, the hurlers aren’t on. Why wouldn’t you bring the sons and daughters along?”

His side is facing a Westmeath that they beat comfortably in Cusack Park in the group stages of the Leinster championship. McGonigle knows, though, that Sunday will be different gravy.

“If they improve by 50%, we have to go up by 50%. We believe our first touch can definitely improve; our work rate can go up. We pride our-

selves on hitting targets and our tackle count wasn’t up as high as we wanted. It’s something we will focus on.

“Our conversion rate and shot selection, too.

If we look after the targets we have and get close to them, that should look after the result.”

He will be without Muireann ni Scanaill who is a couple of weeks away from a return from injury while Fiona Hudson has a niggle sustained in the club championship last week.

But he has been impressed by the impact of the like of Siobhan Woods and Sorcha Furlong since moving from defence into midfield. Ciara Ruddy has done well off the bench, too, in all three group games and McGonigle says the use of the whole panel is crucial.

“Like the men, it’s about the people coming off the bench and adding to the team and this is something we do talk about.”