Dublin city

Gazette DUBLIN CITY

FREE

December 4-10, 2014 Month XX, 2012

AVAILABLE IN: DUBLIN CITY CENTRE • FINGLAS • COOLOCK • BALLYMUN • RAHENY • FAIRVIEW • SANTRY • WHITEHALL • DRUMCONDRA

INCHICORE • RINGSEND • SANDYMOUNT • BALLSBRIDGE • RATHMINES • DRIMNAGH • TERENURE • WALKINSTOWN • BALLYFERMOT • CRUMLIN

INSIDE: Let your Gazette Gift Guide map out your Winter Wonderland shopping P22-23

CHAMPIONS: St Jude’s claim the AHL Division 1 title at O’Toole Park P39

‘Homelessness – I’ve never seen it so bad’  MIMI MURRAY, DUBLIN GAZETTE EDITOR

THE number of people sleeping rough on the streets of Dublin has grown by 20% since last year, according to the Dublin Region Homeless Executive.

This news was released just before John Corrie (right; Picture: RTE), a homeless man, was found dead on Molesworth Street, just metres from Leinster House.

The executive says 168 people slept rough across the Dublin region on November 11. In the same month last year, 139 people were sleeping rough. This is a rise of 20% – or an extra 29 people without a roof over their heads as Christmas approaches.

On the night of the count, 1,526 adult individuals were

put up in homeless accommodation across Dublin.

Mike Allen, Focus Ireland’s director of advocacy, said: “The continuing rise of people sleeping rough is very worrying and unacceptable.

“This shocking increase ... shows that homelessness is not just about the terrible crisis of families being forced to live in hotel rooms. It is also about single people losing their accommodation and some having to sleep rough on the streets.”

In an exclusive piece for

The Gazette this week, Sr Stanislaus Kennedy, life president and founder of Focus Ireland, says: “The harsh reality is that as you read this, at least one family lost their home today. Some single people would have also become homeless. I have never seen it so bad.

“These families live under terrible stress and it’s the children suffer the most. Rents have shot up by between 15% to 17% across Dublin over the past year. Many people can’t manage as rent supplement is too low.”

A Department of Environment spokesman said the social housing strategy aimed to take the individual needs of people in need of housing and respect their preferences to the greatest extent possible.

See Pages 10–11

Another homeless person sleeping rough on the capital’s streets this week. Picture: Aishling Phelan

2 dublin city gazette 4 December 2014

mental Health Long-term solution needed, say councillors

Closure of Tus Nua prompts HSE plan for ‘interim’ service The HSE has announced that it will begin an interim programme for mental health patients in Ballymun to compensate for the closure of Tus Nua at the end of the month.

According to the HSE, the programme of activities will commence to facilitate the clients who require access to mental health services and who have not been referred to an alternative mental health day service. This interim programme will be delivered in the Ballymun Mental Health Centre Suite in the Ballymun Civic Offices.

“This initiative will provide a programme of activities tailored to the specific needs of the service users attending through the use of the group room and community resources. All users of the service are being informed of this plan directly by their mental health team.

“All ser vice users under the care of the

 keith bellew kbellew@dublingazette.com

Community Mental Health Team have either had an alternative service identified for them or will attend this interim programme of activities commencing on December 1.”

While numerous councillors have welcomed the interim decision, they are all in agreement that a long term solution is needed.

Cllr Noeleen Reilly (SF) said: “I have raised the concerns about the closure of Tus Nua for the last number of months. I had a motion at the September North Eastern Health Board meeting calling for the HSE to reconsider its position and keep Tus Nua open and to also find alternative accommodation in the Ballymun area.

“The announcement from the HSE falls short of this but I see it is a vital first step in keeping the service in Ballymun. I am now calling on them to make this a permanent arrangement. Tus Nua was the only walk-in day centre in Ballymun for mental health patients and its closure is a blow to the area.”

Cllr Noel Rock (FG) said: “This is a welcome outcome and comes following a lot of pressure which I have put on both the Minister for Health and the HSE. “While it’s not the end of the issue, and it’s only an interim service, I believe it is a first step on the path to a better outcome and a better future for mental health services in Ballymun.

“As somebody whose family has experienced mental health issues in the past, I know better than many in politics just how impor tant these vital facilities are to people both in Ballymun but also nearby.”

Cllr Paul McAuliffe

The closure of Tus Nua prompted concern and calls for a replacement mental health service. The HSE has put an interim plan in place which will be delivered in Ballymun Civic Offices. Picture: Photocall Ireland

(FF) also welcomed the interim decision saying: “There are 43 people who use this service and for them Tus Nua is a lifeline it is an important part of their health plan.

“When we first heard about this in May, we

didn’t believe that the HSE would make such a drastic cut. T hey made a blatant attempt to use the closure of the shopping centre in Ballymun as the reason it [Tus Nua] should close.

“We saw through that

very quickly and were able to fight for it at the health forum, and I’m glad that the HSE, as a result of that pressure from across par ties, has got an interim programme in place. I still have concerns. They use the phrase interim pro-

gramme and we have to get answers about how long it will be in place and what resources are available.”

T he HSE has not confirmed whether or not it plans to make this arrangement permanent.

Salvation Army to hold carol fundraiser The Salvation Army in Dublin is gearing up for its Christmas carol fundraiser to help tackle homelessness in the city.

This year’s concert takes place on December 6 at St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street, and will feature musical perform-

ances from the Rathmines Folk Group and The Salvation Army’s Lurgan corps band.

The annual event has been running for more than 10 years and has raised almost €30,000 for projects that support homeless men and

Dublin Gazette Newspapers, Top Floor, Clarendon House, 39 Clarendon Street, Dublin 2 Tel: 01 - 6010240. Email: sales@dublingazette.com news@dublingazette.com web: www.dublingazette.com twitter: @DublinGazette Visit us on Facebook at DublinGazetteNewspapers

women.

The free concert starts at 7pm and members of the public are encouraged to attend. A collection for the homelessness work of The Salvation Army in Dublin will be taken.

Last year’s concert raised €2,500 and this year’s event features a video showing the various Salvation Army services and those who have benefited from the donations.

Money raised from

the concert will go to The Salvation Army’s Granby Centre, Lefroy House and York House – which between them provide 200 beds for people of all ages.

Major Stuart Dicker, leader of The Salvation Army’s Dublin city centre church, said: “The Salvation Army’s three centres in Dublin are more than hostels or shelter for the night.

They get people’s lives back on track.

“Our centres offer

accommodation for anyone in need of housing. But, more than this, we offer activities and training to help improve the self-esteem, mental health and employment prospects of our service users. People who attend our carol services are always happy to give generously and help us continue our social work in Dublin.”

For more information on the concert call Major Dicker on 0860 464 733.

4 December 2014 dublin city gazette 3

memories

college green: bid to restore area to ‘pedestrian friendly civic space’

Dublin’s forgotten cinemas

‘Anti-motorist’ traffic ban blasted  Keith Bellew

A Dublin senator has criticised a proposal by Dublin City Council to ban traffic from one side of College Green next year as part of plans to restore the area to a “pedestrian friendly civic space”.

The plan proposes to close down traffic lanes temporarily to test the feasibility of creating a pedestrian plaza in front of the Bank of Ireland.

The proposal would see the area in front of the Bank of Ireland blocked off to traffic and a two-way system introduced in front of Trinity College. Northbound traffic travelling from Dame Street

towards College Green would be diverted down Westmoreland Street on the Trinity College side of the road and southbound traffic would be reduced to one lane.

Senator Catherine Noone (FG) said: “This represents a seriously anti-bus, anti-motorist and anti-commuter move from Dublin City Council. Not alone will many bus routes now be squeezed into one lane, where they’re already choked in a two-lane setup, but cars will also be squeezed into one lane each way in this new setup, it’s madness.

“While I understand we need to work to improve our pedestrian and cycling infrastruc-

ture, it seems entirely premature to just try to squeeze bus and road traffic entirely in order to make this work. Put simply, there are a great many people who, for a great many reasons, can’t cycle or walk to work, and I’m not sure these moves will help the maximum number of people.”

A council spokesperson responded saying that it is only at concept stage.

“We will as always be open to considering new ideas and when we reach a point of a preferred option we will engage in a public consultation process with all the key stakeholders and the wider public.”

Lighten up time: Festive geansais brighten faces on O’Connell Street frances, Sarah and Mark Hyland lit up the night with their

sparkly, colourful Christmas jumpers at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony on O’Connell Street on Sunday, November 30. Dublin’s Lord Mayor Christy Burke turned on the lights, and the crowds were entertained by the Army Band, the National Children’s Choir, Vladimir and musicians from the National Concert Hall and some of the cast from Aladdin panto from the Olympia Theatre. Picture: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

A short retrospective documentary about Dublin’s forgotten picture houses has recently been made.

The Picture House, directed by Paul Butler Lennox, and shot by Stephen C Walsh, was made as part of KinoD’s international Kaberet festival, where filmmakers from all over the world descend on Dublin to make collaborative films.

KinoD is a community initiative based out of Dublin that aims to push Irish film and filmmaking forward.

The Picture House is a nostalgic look back at urban cinema-going memories, told through anecdotal stories by the patrons themselves first hand. The Picture House can be viewed at www. youtube.com

4 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 4 December 2014

REACH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE IN DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE TO ADVERTISE IN YOUR LOCAL AREA CALL THE GAZETTE PH.60 10 240 DUBLIN GAZETTE NEWSPAPER HAVE OVER 200,000* READERS EACH WEEK

POPULAR IFA and council Christmas present

Live animal crib at Mansion House THIS year the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) will once again host a live animal crib at the Mansion House.

The crib will be opened on December 11 at 11am and there will be performances from local choirs, street entertainers as well

as face painting for the children.

The live crib, which has been a joint venture between Dublin City Council and the Irish Farmers’ Association since 1995, is constructed so it is the actual size of the nativity stable to give

it an especially authentic appeal.

The size also adequately accommodates sheep, donkeys and goats which are brought in each morning and returned to a farm on the outskirts of the city each evening.

It is open to the public

at the Mansion House until Christmas Eve from 11am to 6pm daily (Christmas Eve 11am to 2pm).

Although admission is free, the public may give a contribution and all funds raised go to the Mansion House fuel fund.

*Publishers Statement

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS TO OUR READERS CALL 01 60 10 240

Merchants Quay Ireland has reported an an emerging trend of people who use performance enhancing drugs using its needle exchange service. Picture: Aisling Phelan

DRUGS: MERCHANT QUAY SERVICE REPORTS NEW TREND

Steroid users show at needle exchange  KEITH BELLEW

MERCHANTS Quay Ireland (MQI) says there is an emerging trend of people who use performance enhancing drugs using its needle exchange service.

The organisation worked with a sample of 89 individuals who use performance and image enhancing drug (PEID) and attend the needle exchange programme.

The report highlights the relatively new phenomenon of these users presenting at Irish drug treatment services.

They are at serious risk across a range of physi-

cal, psychological and behavioural areas it has been revealed. The report focuses on exploring this emerging trend and examining ways in which to address the associated risk.

The sample was all male with an average age of 24 years and an age range of 18 to 40 years.

Half of those had never been tested for HIV or hepatitis C and of those who had 10% were Hep C positive.

Users of steroids or PEIDS reported a range of negative side effects including increased aggression (38.2%) ,

sudden mood changes (31.5%), anxiety (19.1%), and depression (18%).

To ny G e o g h e g a n , director of Merchants Quay Ireland, said: “The use of PEIDs is associated with a wide range of adverse impacts, which may manifest in physical, psychological and behavioural problems.

“The varied needs of this group require integrative approaches, with emphasis on developing inter-agency links and establishing care pathways between general health services, harm reduction services, and mental health services.”

Cllr Tina McVeigh (PBP) said: “It’s not the recreational, mind altering drugs which we would usually associate with hypodermic needles.

“There’s not a lot of information about this out there and it’s something that definitely needs to be looked into and addressed and it’s a good thing that Merchants Quay are noting this. There is pressure to see how far we can push our bodies.

“Awareness and support needs to be there, also in terms of the effects of excess of exercise on our bodies.”

4 December 2014 dublin city gazette 5

6 dublin city gazette 4 December 2014

education All-day strike in opposition to proposed changes

Teachers picket over Junior Cert  ian begley

SECONDARY school teachers in Dublin City held an all-day strike on December 2 outside their schools over proposed reforms to the Junior Cert.

Their demonstration was part of a national ASTI protest where more than 350,000 secondary school students were forced to take a day off as a result of the strike. A second stoppage is scheduled for the new year.

The main issue at hand is that teachers are being asked by the Department

of Education to mark 40% of their student’s coursework.

This is down from 100%, which was first proposed by the Department, but teachers feel that mark-ing their own student’s State exams would fundamentally affect their relationship with their stu-dents and change the way they do their jobs.

Commenting on the teacher’s action, Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan said the strike was “unnecessary and disproportionate”.

As part of an ASTI agreement, teachers

demonstrating outside their schools did so in small groups, in shifts, throughout the day.

Jim O’Neill, from St David’s CBS in Artane, and ASTI representative for north Dublin, said people seemed supportive of their demonstration, which comprised 45 teachers.

He said: “These proposals have been on the table for a number of years now. Basically, it’s a new structure on the syllabus and they’ve proposed different assessment methods for students.

“They want teachers to

mark their own students’ State exams, but for a long number of years ASTI have been fundamentally opposed to that because it changes the relationship between the student and teacher, and also the teacher and the parent.

“Now that the teachers are expected to mark their exams, it changes the relationship completely.

“It mightn’t be too bad in Dublin, where teachers can remain anonymous to a certain extent. Down in the country, where you have one school, teachers and parents would be mixing in the same social circle, which could cause very difficult situations.

“We’re really out to protect the integrity of the examination system, which is the one system in the country that has never been called into question.

“We were left without any choice but to take strike action and it’s unfortunate that students had to take the day off, but in the long run,

Teachers protesting at St David’s CBS in Artane

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

‘We were left without any choice but to take strike action and it’s unfortunate that students had to take the day off, but in the long run, our demonstration will result in a better and fairer education system for everyone’ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jim O’Neill, St David’s CBS in Artane; ASTI representative for North Dublin

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

our demonstration will result in a better and fairer educa-tion system for everyone,” he said.

ASTI president Philip Irwin said in a statement: “Teachers care deeply about the education system that they work in and the students they teach.

“They are reluctantly taking strike action in protest at what they see as a significant threat to

education standards and education quality in Ireland.

“However, we are open to further engagement with the Minister [for education] on this issue in an effort to seek a solution,” he said.

On December 2, Minister O’Sullivan said: “I believe the strike could have been averted and I think it’s very disappointing that the teacher

unions didn’t come and have meaningful talks.

“I’ve offered very significant proposals which involve the best of both worlds as it involves a final written exam and also school-based assessment.

“I do think the strike is unnecessary; I do think it’s disproportionate and I think it’s disappointing that the schools are closed today,” she said. planning Notice Dublin City Council

I Elaine Groves am applying for planning permission at 45 Belclare Park, Poppintree, Dublin 11 for a 2 storey, 3 bedroom detached house to side garden with new vehicular entrance to front garden & associated works.

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 that a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the 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.

22602

4 December 2014 dublin city gazette 7

8 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 4 December 2014

DON’SDUBLIN

FASTNews

PANTO: BOOT CAMP’S NEWEST STARS

Temple Bar has plenty Elegant Casino of free gifts to give

Completed in 1775, the Casino at Marino harks back to the then European-wide vogue to take inspiration from classical architectural rules and designs

dublin

gazette

.com

JAMES Caulfield, the first Earl of Charlemont, was born in Dublin in 1728 and certainly left a mark on his native city.

At the age of 18, and with little formal education, he set off on a Grand Tour in the company of a teacher, Rev Edward Murphy.

At the time, it was common practice for young men of his class to travel around Europe learning about classical art and history.

They certainly took their time, and Caulfield spent nine years visiting Holland, Germany, Italy, Egypt and Greece, where he was particularly impressed by the ancient architecture.

He made countless drawings of buildings, and these helped inspire the plans for his pleasure house, the Casino. When he returned to Dublin in 1755, he decided to build his casino (“small house”) on land he had been given by his stepfather, in Donnycarney.

He renamed his estate “Marino”, after the small town that lies south of Rome.

During his Grand Tour, he had met William Chambers and asked him to design the Casino.

Chambers was the most sought-after architect of his day, with buildings such as London’s Somerset House and TCD’s exam hall to his credit.

He drew up the plans but, unfortunately, never came to Dublin to see his work completed.

However, the work went ahead and it was finished in 1775, with the Casino considered one of the finest neo-classical temples in Europe.

When built, it had a clear and spectacular view of Dublin Bay and the mountains beyond.

It is full of surprises and uses plenty of architectural tricks to maximise and display the wonderful Georgian interior.

Far from being a single space, the Casino has three storeys and 16 rooms.

The lavishly decorated rooms, ornate plaster work and intricate marquetry floors are stunning and hark back to the Casino’s glory days.

Sadly, access to the roof is not permitted, at present, and a glimpse of Dublin Bay – such as Caulfield had – will have to wait ...

A SERIES of free events and happenings around the theme of “giving” will take place in the Old City area of Temple Bar on Saturday, December 6.

Treats in store during the day will include children’s choir Ossia Youth Choir serenading passersby, traditional Christmas buns and goodies available from local bakeries Queen of Tarts and The Bakery and the opportunity to have your photo taken with Santa in the grotto at Gaiety School of Acting, between 1 to 2pm on December 6. For Further information visit: www.facebook. com/NewintheOldCity.

www.

is an enduring classical gem

All of your latest local news, sport, features and pictures are now just a click away

Pictured with wicked stepmother Mary Murray, also known as Love/Hate’s Janet, and ugly sisters Aidan Mannion and Eoin Cannon are: (front) Niamh Grimes, Caoimhe Joyce Mooney, Bobby Flannery and Kate Kavanagh with Chloe Doyle and Abbie Flannery at the back. Picture: Conor McCabe

Northside kids get their big theatre break  KEITH BELLEW

A GROUP of northside schoolchildren are all set to light up the national stage in the Cinderella pantomime at The Helix, having won their ticket to theatrical stardom by excelling at Ireland’s only panto boot camp.

The northside’s newest singing and dancing stars include Grace Kelly and Molly Barrett from Drumcondra, Clarke and Robyn Poole from Clonshaugh, Joanne Butler of Glasnevin, Eoin Kenny from Clarehall, Elisha Stanley from Whitehall, Sarah Phelan from Clontarf and Anna Wynne from Raheny.

They were among 200 hopefuls who were put through their paces at the panto boot camp this summer. Their lessons included singing, dancing and the art of panto and the top talent was picked to perform at The Helix.

Having joined Mary Murray, best known for

her role as Janet in Love/ Hate, for The Helix pantomime on November 28, these talented youngsters will continue their first foray onto the national stage until January 1.

Ten-year-old Grace Kelly, who is in fifth class at Corpus Christi national school Drumcondra, said: “I love everything about performing. I love the anticipation of waiting in the wings, then there is the excitement of seeing a big audience and of course being on stage is wonderful.”

Seven-year-old Clarke Poole who is in second class at St Brigid’s primary school, Glasnevin said: “When I found out I was in the panto I jumped up and down and cried with joy, I was so thrilled.”

The young hopefuls will be sharing Cinderella’s six-week run on The Helix stage with some of Ireland’s leading performers.

The northside crew are among a group of 46 chil-

dren and teenagers aged seven to 14, who have graduated from panto boot camp to becoming a cast member.

Panto w riter/pro ducer Claire Tighe said: “Because there is a limit to the amount of time young people can perform on stage our child star crew is divided into seven teams. All the children will appear in a selection of shows over our six-week run at The Helix.”

Ten-year-old Eoin Kenny from Clarehall said: “Being in the panto is such a great experience to have, I can’t believe I’ve been so lucky and it’s going to be so much fun.”

Having kicked off on November 28, Cinderella at The Helix runs until January 11. Performance times include matinee, evening and school/ group performances.

Tickets and further information is available at: www.helix.ie or 01 700 7000.

4 December 2014 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 9

ADVENT Series of events guarantees to ramp up Christmas atmosphere

Rathgar decks the halls for a festive concert  KEITH BELLEW

RATHGAR Parish kicked off the Advent season recently with a concert of liturgical music based on traditional Irish prayers, psalms and hymns at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Harold’s Cross.

The concert was performed by the acclaimed Fuaimlaoi

choir formed by composer Ronan McDonagh and based at St Teresa’s Church, Clarendon Street.

This was just the first in a series of scheduled festive events in the Dublin 6 area in the run up to Christmas.

Rathgar Methodist Church will host its Christmas Breakfast on Saturday, December 6 from 8.30 to 11.30am in con-

junction with its art exhibition which runs until 5pm and continues the following day from 2pm to 4pm.

T he Ranelagh Christmas Tree lighting ceremony will take place on Saturday, December 6 at 5pm on the triangle.

Performances on the day will include Ciaran and Martin Tourish and Mark Kelly

from trad group Altan, plus Emilie Conway and her band.

The Terenure Bumper Village Market will be held on Sunday, December 7 along with the Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

The market runs from 11am to 6pm. There is space for up to 50 stalls on the day and many craft and food stalls have already been confirmed.

The Christmas tree lighting festival will run from 4pm to 6pm with visits from Santa Claus and the snow queen.

There will also be a North Pole letter box for the kids to send off their Christmas lists and live entertainment including Irish dancers and brass bands.

Christ Church Rathgar will hold its Carols for All event on

December 12 at 6.30pm which will be followed by mince pies and hot drinks.

President Michael D Higgins will attend the 10am Mass in the Church of the Holy Name at Beechwood Ave, Milltown on Sunday December 21.

For further information on festive events in the area visit www.rathgarparish.ie.

REACH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE IN DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE TO ADVERTISE IN YOUR LOCAL AREA CALL THE GAZETTE PH.60 10 240

A significant quantity of alcohol was stolen from a warehouse at Park West, with police now warning people to be on the look-out for cheap alcohol on sale from unlicensed suppliers

CRIME: GARDA ALERT FOLLOWS AGGRAVATED BURGLARY

Public warned not to buy cheap alcohol

 KEITHE BELLEW

GARDAI are appealing to members of the public who are offered cheap booze this Christmas season to contact them.

This follows an aggravated burglary, which occurred at a warehouse in the Park West Industrial Estate, Ballyfermot in mid-November.

Two men entered the building between 3pm and 4pm, armed with iron bars, and forced the employees to open the loading bay.

At least three more men arrived and the employees were tied up.

The raiders then used two 40ft trucks to steal

2,580 cases of Jameson Whiskey, with each case containing six 700ml bottles; a number of cases of Bombay Sapphire Gin, with each containing six 700ml bottles; and a number of cases of Jack Daniels whiskey, with each containing six 700ml bottles.

Gardai believe that this stolen alcohol will be offered for sale in the runup to Christmas.

The trucks left Park West between 4pm and 4.30pm, and headed in the direction of the Red Cow roundabout. It is not known whether the trucks travelled on to the M50 or continued out the N7 towards Naas.

One of the trucks is described as having a red cab with a bank of spotlights along the top of the cab with a white solid container, and the other is described as having a white cab – with a trailer – which had a blue curtain.

Cllr Greg Kelly (SF) said: “It’s disgraceful. I would ask anyone who is offered cheap alcohol to report it to gardai. I appreciate that in the current [economic] climate people are always looking for a bargain, but we have to make sure not to buy or encourage stolen goods.”

The batch numbers for the Bombay Sapphire Gin, and Jack Daniels Whiskey are unknown,

but each of the Jameson cases stolen has one of these three batch numbers: L428112153, L428312172, L428016141, with each bottle having a corresponding batch number on the rear of the label.

Investigating gardai are appealing to members of the public who have already been offered cases or bottles of Jameson, Jack Daniels and/or Bombay Sapphire Gin from persons other than licensed suppliers of alcohol to contact the incident room at Ballyfermot Garda Station at 01 666 7227/01 666 7200, or the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111.

10 dublin city gazette 4 December 2014

opinion There’s a lot we must do to help others – Sr Stan

We can’t ignore the homelessness crisis THIS week Sr Stanislaus Kennedy writes on the worrying dramatic rise in homelessness, both in Dublin and across the country.

CHRISTMAS is a special time of year for many reasons. It is a time we all think of our home and family.

However, not everyone has a home, and sadly more than 800 children and their families have become homeless in Dublin this year.

The harsh reality is that as you read this, at least one family lost their home today. Some single people would have also become homeless.

I have never seen it so bad. These families live under terrible stress and it’s the children who suffer the most.

Rents have shot up by between 15 to 17% across Dublin over the past year.

Many people can’t manage as rent supplement is too low.

Families struggle to keep a roof over their heads. Then, one day, they lose this fight. They have been called “the new homeless” – people who become homeless for purely economic reasons.

Some families who are homeless are squeezed into hotel rooms – five or six people in one room, with nowhere to cook or for children to play. It would break your heart to see where children are forced to live.

It’s not just families – many single people and couples are homeless for months, and even years.

Focus Ireland is the organisation supporting families who are homeless in Dublin. We do this on behalf of Dublin City Council.

We support families around the countr y, including in Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Sligo.

Our charity also supports single people and many others.

Focus Ireland is working hard to help and we depend on the generous support of the public and businesses to help keep our services and housing going, so that we are there to help people when they need us.

I am asking people to please give what they can afford to support our urgent Christmas appeal – please see the details at the end of this piece.

Need support We need your support more than ever, as Focus Ireland supported more than 10,000 people last year, which was a massive 25% rise since the previous year.

We all know there is much work to be done to help prevent homelessness and to lift people out of poverty.

I believe it is a national disgrace that the number of children in poverty increased by 130,000 between 2008 and 2012.

This did not just hap-

pen out of the blue – political and economic choices were made which caused this. Cuts to health, education, housing and welfare supports have caused this.

During 2008 and 2012, the Irish State paid back billions to unsecured bondholders; some of these [payments] on bonds that were actually bought after the banking collapse.

These children in poverty, and the growing homelessness crisis, are the human result of these decisions.

I believe it makes moral sense to tackle these issues now to help the people in question.

It also makes economic sense, as it will save much future State spending across emergency accommodation, State care, the judicial system and many other areas by lifting children and families out of these conditions now. It will help to build a more just society.

Sr Stanislaus Kennedy: “The harsh reality is that as you read this, at least one family lost their home today. I have never seen it so bad.”

We must remember the Government has the power to prevent more people from becoming homeless. They must raise rent supplement payments to match market rents. They didn’t in the budget [2015], and more people have become homeless.

The Government must also regulate rents to provide better long-term security for tenants in their homes. Any system must work for all, and we

have called for tax breaks for landlords to make it feasible and affordable for them to rent.

T he Government has taken steps to help some families – which is welcome – but far from enough is being done.

On the positive side, Focus Ireland welcomed the launch on November 26 of the new social housing strategy, which maps out the €2.2bn social housing investment over the next three

years announced in Budget 2015. This is the investment and long-term planning that was needed for years.

It must be built upon to make up for decades of social housing neglect.

However, it will take 18 months until the first homes are delivered.

Until then, we need an effective short-term strategy to tackle the current crisis in family homelessness and in access to affordable housing for single people.

We must all work together to end homelessness and build a society where everyone has a right to a place they can call home.

Sr Stanislaus Kennedy Life president and founder, Focus Ireland

To help support Focus Ireland’s Christmas appeal, please donate at www. focusireland.ie, or telephone 1850 204 205.

If you are worried about your housing situation or have become homeless, you can contact your local service at www. focusireland.ie, or phone 01 671 2555.

4 December 2014 dublin city gazette 11

Focus Ireland ‘Increase must act as an urgent warning’

People sleeping on streets up by 20%  keith bellew

The number of people sleeping rough in Dublin has increased by 20% since last year, this is according to figures released by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive.

These figures were released just prior to a homeless man in his 40s being found dead on Molesworth Street recently. The man was discovered early in the morning, a doctor was called and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Gardai are not treating the death as suspicious.

According to the

homeless executive figures 168 people slept rough across the Dublin region on November 11. There were 139 people sleeping rough in November 2013 which amounts to an increase of 29 persons or 20%.

There was a 60% increase between winter 2012 and winter 2013 figures. On the night of the count, 1,526 adult individuals were accommodated in homeless service emergency accommodation across the Dublin region.

Ho m e l e s s c h a r i t y Focus Ireland said the 20% rise must act as an urgent warning that

immediate action is needed to address the critical lack of affordable accommodation.

Focus Ireland director of advocacy Mike Allen said: “The continuing rise of people sleeping rough is very worrying and unacceptable.

“This shocking increase of the numbers sleeping rough shows that homelessness is not just about the terrible crisis of families being forced to live in hotel rooms.

“It is also about single people losing their accommodation and some having to sleep rough on the streets.”

In the wake of the

publication of the housing strategy 2020, the Peter McVerr y Trust has urged the Government not to ignore the needs of young, single males who make up the largest group of homeless people.

Pat Doyle, chief executive, Peter McVerry Trust, said: “We believe that in the early years of the social housing strategy priority should be given to homeless households as they represent the most deprived and most vulnerable of all households on the social housing waiting list.

“We would also urge the Government not to

Focus Ireland director of advocacy Mike Allen said: “The continuing rise of people sleeping rough is very worrying and unacceptable.”

ignore the needs of the largest cohort of the homeless population, young, single males.

“Given that 80% of all new cases of homelessness are individuals

or couples we need to ensure that future social housing delivery provides for this group.”

A spokesperson from the Department of Environment said the social

housing strategy aims to take the individual needs of people in need of housing and respect the preferences of individuals to the greatest extent possible.

12 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 4 December 2014

ASK THE POLITICIAN A weekly Q&A with local representatives looks This week The Gazette asks the politicians: Will the changes to bus, rail and Luas fares discourage commuters from using public transport?

DUN LAOGHAIRE-RATHDOWN COUNTY COUNCIL: CLLR HUGH LEWIS (PBP)

FINGAL COUNTY: CLLR DAVID MCGUINNESS (FF)

No investment in our transport structure

Fares have increased but service to commuters has not matched hike

YES. Unfortunately ourpublic transport costs are already some of the highest in Europe. The Government does not invest in our public transport system or infrastructure as it should. As a result the high fares charged act as a direct barrier to people in switching from private modes of transport to public.

Two central factors limit the use of public transport, the first is the infrequency of buses.

This has been caused by

years of consistent cuts to government funding of Dublin Bus. Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Labour Party have all defended these budgetary cuts and dressed them up as efficiency saving measures.

This translates in reality to fewer drivers, fewer buses, fewer routes and less certainty of reaching your destination on time.

The other obvious factor is the current high cost to the consumer. The fare of €3.05 from Bally-

SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS

ADVERTISE WITH THE GAZETTE CALL 60 10 240

brack to the city centre for example is a huge expense to someone o n a l ow income.

There are fine examples across Europe of effective public transport systems that demonstrate it is possible to make the important switch. There are also important environmental, economic and social reasons why the current cost of the fares

LOCAL

MATTERS

on our public transport need to be reduced drastically. It makes no political sense to starve people of an affordable and accessible transport system, especially given the social and environmental challenges that we all face.

The last thing we need is a step backwards and another rise in fares. Only through a properly funded public transport system, supported through progressive central taxation, can we provide a transport system that the people of Dublin need. To achieve this we must revolutionise the way we view public transport, something this Government has thus far refused to do.

I HAVE been highly critical of the failed public transport policy in this country for some time.

Former Transpor t Minister Leo Varadkar and current Minister Paschal Donohoe have pursued a policy of drastic fare increases since taking office in 2011. On average, fares are now up by 40 per cent but commuters will point out that the service has not made a comparable improvement in that period.

In addition, staff in Dublin Bus and Iarnrod Eireann have not seen their wages increase by a single red cent.

A bus journey from Blanchardstown to Dublin City Centre will now cost €3.30. Over the course of a full week, a commuter would pay €33 in cash, get on a bus that is regularly

overcrowded and can expect delays and, at times, anti-social behaviour.

Ta k i n g t h e car is an easy alternative to this and that is a failure of the Government.

Public transport is quickly becoming too expensive and now Fine Gael and Labour are moving to privatise some routes on our service. This needs to be fought by those of us in public life who support our constituents and don’t want them ripped off at every turn.

Public-transport policy in this country represents nothing short of broken promises. We were told fare increases would be minimal but they have been exorbitant. Now the M50

is heavily congested, while people search for real alternatives to sitting in traffic, the Government lump on fare increases with gusto and snooker commuters in their cars.

Given that a bus, train or Luas journey rarely gets anybody directly to their destination, surely we should add flexibility to commuters and allow them to use all services after buying a ticket? This happens around the world. Ireland should be no different.

ABC CERTIFIED 57,358 COPIES EACH WEEK

CALL 01 60 10 240 ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS TO OVER 200,000* READERS EACH WEEK *Publishers Statement

(ABC: Group MFD, March- April 2014)

4 December 2014 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 13

at topics that are concentrating minds across the city and county DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL: CLLR ANTHONY CONNAGHAN (SF)

We must look to European transport systems COMMUTERS with cars will certainly be discouraged from using public transport with rising costs.

This increase is another in a long line of increases. Reductions in public subsidies to public transportation have resulted in the general public having to shoulder the burden again.

The NTA said in 2013 that an increase was needed due to the decline in passenger numbers and rise in fuel prices. What’s their reasoning now as fuel costs have decreased?

Transport prices have generally increased by about 40 per cent in recent years. If we want to attract more passengers we need to be providing them with reductions in the cost of using public transport.

The tax-saver initiative on public transport is a good incentive and should be pushed and promoted more throughout the country. Aside from fares, work must also be carried out to improve the fleets and frequency of the transport system.

When you compare costs of using your car

against using public transport you need to be seeing a saving in order to take the public transport, otherwise it is far less convenient.

When you look at public transport in other comparable European cities you can see the possibilities that lie in an adequately funded public transport system.

It’s down to political will but consecutive governments in Ireland have reduced subventions to public transport. The neoliberal agenda is plain to see across many State

SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL: RUTH NOLAN (PBP)

Latest price increases will deter more people from using buses, trains, Luas BETWEEN the universal social charge, property tax, water tax and cuts to people’s wages – when will the hard-pressed taxpayer in this country catch a break?

A round trip into t ow n f r o m L u c a n costs €6.30. People on a minimum wage of €8.65 per hour or people on an internship with JobsBridge or any of these schemes who only receive an extra €20 per week will find it nearly impossible to pay any more in travel expenses.

So I think the rises will deter people from using public transport greatly. A lot of people will only travel when they have to.

T h i s w i l l h ave a domino effect on traders in the city centre for example as you also pay through the nose

when you take your car to town. I think we will start to see a new type of commuter who will organise themselves in car pooling or taxi sharing, for example.

We had a Dublin Bus strike last year because of cost-cutting measures they were bringing in for staff.

Now alas the burden is put back on the commuter. As a mother of

two teenagers they tell me they paid €6.50 home to Lucan on the Night Link. €6.50 multiplied by five people would have seen them to their door in a taxi safely. I think they just might be shooting themselves in the foot on this one. But I would be sure these new fares will entice private companies to Dublin Bus.

departments with Government favouring private enterprise as opposed to affordable public services.

We need greater investment in public

transport to ensure a greater take up and entice people away from private car use and into more sustainable environmentally friendly transport.

14 dublin city gazette 4 December 2014

gazetteGALLERIES

Eoghan McDermott and Gill Keogh. Pictures: Richie Stokes

kicking their heels: CELEBS HIT THE FLOOR FOR BREAST CANCER

O

VER 1,000 people lent their support to watch well-known Irish personalities take to the dance floor at The Convention Centre Dublin for Strictly Against Breast Cancer. The glamorous event was held to raise funds for Breast Cancer Ireland. Celebrities including RTE’s Eoghan McDermott, stylist Cathy O’Connor and model Karena Graham were paired with breast cancer survivors and their supporters, and spent two months practising in dance classes run by a team of professional choreographers.

Jake and Lee O’Neill and Alfie Saunders posting their letters to Santa Claus. Pictures: Brian McEvoy Winners Alan Lewis and Annie Gribbin

Model Karena Graham

Charlie Bird and Jenny Buckley Debbie, Sam and Marcus O’Donnell

Nicola Walsh and Catherine Clifford

4 December 2014 dublin city gazette 15

Model Kerri Nicole Blanc and daughter Kayla

Grace, Jennifer, Thomas and Eoghan Walsh

Sophie Kennedy

Lottie and Babette Ryan

share the magic: DISNEY STORE IN FESTIVE MOOD

Get on top of this toy story T

HE Disney Store’s Share the Magic Christmas charity campaign has been launched at the Dublin branch on Grafton Street.

Families can post their letter to Santa

Chloe Byrne, Emily Reynolds and Ava Byrne

there or via their website, for which Disney will donate soft toys to Children in Hospital Ireland. The charity’s volunteers will then distribute these toys to children’s units, wards and hospitals across the country.

Sarah Quinn, Holly McCarton and Denise Clarke

Nick MacInnes and TV3 presenter Aisling O’Loughlin, with their children Patrick and Louis

16 GAZETTE 4 December 2014

GAZETTEGALLERY

Yvonne Harrington and Aifric Murphy

Stephen, Hannah and Trisha Williams meet everybody’s furry friend at the Savoy’s Irish premiere of Paddington. Pictures: Patrick O’Leary

Laila Boufarsee

Sam Meephan

SAVOY PREMIERE: PADDINGTON COMES TO TOWN

It’s bear-y funny!

Director Paul King and Louise King smiling with the bear of the moment

y, and Ryan Kelly Lyndsey, Faolan and Tristan Barr

Thelma and Rh ian Byrne with their cuddly fri end

4 December 2014 Gazette 17

diary P18

asdfsdaf P27 business P20

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

a day in the life: Actor Frank kelly lets us in on his day to day routine

what’son

The real Fr Jack Hackett Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

He is best known as the cantankerous Fr Jack Hackett in Father Ted but the reality of Frank Kelly is very different, as The Gazette found when chatting to him about an average day in his life.

“I have seven adult children and 17 grandchildren and my unfortunate wife spends most of the year buying presents for family occasions of one kind or another. We’re all very close and surprisingly enough we all live roughly in the same area.

“I’m an early riser if required. Other than that I like to lie on but it depends on how busy I am.

“I am a breakfast person and I have wholesome food. My wife gives me slender porridge cereal with apple and cinnamon and a poached egg and toast and a cup of tea. I’m very wellminded.

“Then I do a lot of paperwork and

like a lot of actors, I spend time at the kitchen table and I phone people everywhere who are all contacts of mine.

I consider myself a one-man business as an actor.

“Of course, I use my agent but if you don’t get your ass in gear and contact people and keep your contacts alive they’ll forget. It may seem like selfpromotion but it’s just like work.

“I also pay bills and have to answer enquiries and I get a great deal of fan mail for Father Ted, all of which I religiously answer. They send off for autographs too, so I do that and it’s not for ego reasons.

“I get fan mail from every part of the world. One of the most moving contact I had was from a young teacher who spent a winter with a very remote tribe of Indians and he was the only non-Indian in the place. He wrote to me telling me that tapes of Father Ted had kept his sanity… the amazing



Gazette

yule love our helpful gift guide P22-23

hospital close to poet’s heart in fundraiser

Frank Kelly leads a very busy day and not a priest’s collar in sight!

thing is its appeal has such an extensive spread.

“At lunch I work on my second book called The Next Gig and I’ll have a nice snack my wife has prepared for me.

“I go out for walks up over Killiney Hill and Dalkey for exercise. In the evening we’d go out by invitation mostly and I love the company of friends in the evening by the fire with good wine and then getting a taxi home.

“We watched Love/Hate recently and loved it. I’m over 50 years acting and my wife and I are 50 years married, which we celebrated recently in grand

style in my daughter’s house in Foxrock.

We both watch Time Team and late at night we’ll have a cheap snigger at Graham Norton and Jonathan Ross.

“We would go to bed at about 11pm as we have a dog and let her in and tickle her tummy, so we give her an innings for a while in front of the fire before going to bed.”

Frank Kelly appears in John B Keane’s Moll at the Gaiety Theatre from January 27 to February 14. Tickets, at €22.50, are available from the Gaiety Theatre booking line at 0818 719 388.

THE Mater Foundation has been presented with a cheque for €8,382 by Blanchardstown poet Kieran Eager.

Eager organised a charity race night at Harold’s Cross Greyhound Stadium in memory of his granddaughter, Ella Bury, who died in July from sudden adult death syndrome (SADS).

Eager raised the funds for two appeals that are close to his hear t: the cancer appeal and the heart appeal at the Mater Foundation.

Speaking about the fundraising event, Eagar said: “I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who attended the charity race night on October 24 and everyone who helped support me in raising these vital funds.

“I was overwhelmed with the generosity.”

This appeal raises much needed funds for the Family Heart Screening Clinic at the Mater Hospital, which aims to reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death in young people in Ireland.

Visit www.materfoundation.ie to find out more about these appeals.

Gazette

18 Gazette 4 December 2014

dublinlife

DIARY

A sneak peek behind magic of the Big Top thrilling way.

Performances are by members Ken Fanning and Tina Segner, accompanied by harpist Ursula Burns, known as the most dangerous harpist in the world.

Damn the Circus is on at Axis, Ballymun on December 5 and 6 and tickets are €10 are available at www.axis-ballymun.ie.

Tis the season for donations Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin are appealing to the public to donate toys and help

out children in hospital this Christmas.

The hospital has made a list of toys and games it is seeking for its donation day on December 18, including art and craft items such as paint materials, small tubes of play dough, glue sticks, pipe cleaners, glitter, crayons and colouring pencils.

Toys such as dolls house furniture, cars, trains, tractors, farm animals, plastic teasets, jigsaws puzzles, and baby toys are needed as well as board games like daughts, Battleship, Con-

nect 4 and Guess Who. All toys must be brand new to guard against infection.

However, Xbox’s, PS 2/3’s and controllers, which are also sought, may be second hand.

For more information contact info@childreninhospital.ie or call 01-8780448

to russia with love? it’s a date This Christmas Irish charity To Russia With Love is helping 12 single men in their quest for love.

With the support of

New show from Tumbler Circus comes to the Axis Theatre in Ballymun

Irish people, the initiative works with some of Russia’s most vulnerable children in one of the most desolate regions.

Shying away from modern methods of dating, the charity is asking single women from across

the country to write a “sweetheart’”letter to their chosen man and post it for consideration to “With Love”, To Russia With Love, 2 Vernon Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin 3.

On December 10 the

men and chosen ladies will come together in a Dublin venue where they will all meet as a group for the first time.

To donate to To Russia With Love’ text HUG to 50300 or visit www. torussiawithlove.ie.

SUPPORT

Local BUSINESS

SHOP LOCALLY



Winner of the Best Circus Show at the Adelaide Fringe Festival 2012, Tumble Circus’s new show, Damn the Circus, comes to Axis in Ballymun this December.

The show is a tale about three youngsters from Dublin, Belfast and Sweden who grow up to join the circus.

The performers explore the dream of joining the troupe and deal with the harsh reality behind the beautiful illusion.

Hailed as contemporary circus at it’s best, it takes it into the 21st century in an intelligent and

Call the Gazette on

60 10 240

4 December 2014 Gazette 19

Gazette

20 Gazette 4 December 2014

dublinlife

Q&A thomas stone, President of ITT

Educational investment must be a priority Thomas Stone was appointed president of the Institute of Technology Tallaght on September 1 this year.

He is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) as well as having degrees in commerce and strategic management and planning from UCD. He worked as a professional accountant in practice and industry befoer joining the Revenue Commissioners as an inspector of taxes for over five years. He then commenced his academic career in IT Tallaght as a lecturer in accountancy specialising in taxation and progressed to establish the Department of Accountancy and Professional Studies in the institute. He was then appointed secretary / financial controller and held that post for the past nine years.

How long have you been in business?

IT Tallaght, which registered its first students in 1992, offers undergraduate, postgrad, professional and in-company workplace accredited programmes from level 6 (higher certificate) to level 10 (doctorate) recognised nationally and internationally on the National Framework of Qualifications.

The institute currently has 4,768 full and part-time registered students on a diverse range of academic programmes.

What makes your business successful?

The institute has a very student centred approach and culture to support participation on our academic programmes, provided by dedicated academic, administration and support staff.

Success in higher education is where the institution focuses on the student and his or her development to maximise their potential.

Our programmes and supports deliver successful outcomes for our students and is recognised by employers who repeatedly engage with the Institute and return again and again to source and fill job vacancies.

What do you offer your clients that differs from your competitors?

IT Tallaght is focused on addressing and providing opportunities in higher education.

The institute not only targets school leavers but also supports businesses, public and private enterprises, as well as community activities and projects, such as through the Synergy Centre on campus and our step up facility in Synergy Global in the Citywest Business Campus, As well as a vibrant and expanding part-time and distance education programme, we have a long history of meeting regional needs in terms of bespoke workplace accredited academic and training programmes, par-

business Increase in residential property prices The latest CSO Property Price Index shows that, in the year to October, residential property prices at a national level, increased by 16.3%.

This compares with an increase of 15% in September and 6.1% recorded in the 12 months to October 2013.

However, Dr John McCartney, director of research at Savills Ireland, cautioned against reading too much into the data as the lag time in compiling the index means that it is referencing deals that happened when trading is naturally slower in August.

He said a scalingback of investor demand should lead to a damping down of the rate of house price growth: “Over the past two years, strong demand from cash-rich investors – who have been willing to pay more due to capital gains tax [CGT] incen-

tives – has fuelled sharp house price growth.

“However, falling yields have caused investor demand to halve over the last 12 months, and this trend will accelerate in the New Year with the withdrawal of CGT incentives for investors.”

ticularly in the multinational pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.

How has the recession affected your business?

Everyone here has tried to minimise any possible negative impact on the services and programmes provided.

We have not reduced the number of places or programmes on offer to date and have offered some new programmes, for example a BSc in data analytics and interactive marketing.

Like all public sector organisations, we have seen Government funding reduced. The moratorium on new staff has also been challenging for us.

What law or regulation would you change overnight to help your business?

I will suggest a more optimistic perspective regarding possible changes in existing law. IT Tallaght is at a very advanced stage in planning to merge with IT Blanchardstown and Dublin Institute of Technology to become a Technological University in Dublin and the second largest university in the country.

The legislation is being drafted by Government to facilitate the creation of this new type of university.

It will enhance and provide more opportunities in the provision of higher education and research activity particularly to the south Dublin region and IT Tallaght would like to see this legislation enacted as soon as possible.

As the country leaves recession, capital investment in higher education should be a priority. The demographic shift in Dublin’s age profile is moving to increasing numbers in primary and second level education, leading to an increased demand for higher education places.

Now is the time for investment to take place to accommodate the expected increase in student numbers.

IT Tallaght is ready to accommodate such an investment programme.

Intel staff in celebratory mood as the company celebrates its milestone event

intel: 25-year celebrations for Leixlip-based plant

‘An incredible journey’ Intel recently celebrated it’s 25th anniversary of operations in Ireland.

To mark the occasion, a number of external guests joined with Intel Ireland employees at the Leixlip campus to commemorate the day and reflect upon the milestones of the past 25 years.

Intel based its technology campus in Ireland in 1989 and the production of motherboards and systems began the following year. Since then, €12.5bn has been invested in the 360-acre former stud farm, turning it into the most technologically advanced industrial location in Europe.

Over the past two decades Intel in Ireland has come to represent a range of activities across the spectrum of Intel business from advanced manufacturing to cutting

edge research and design.

Today, the company has 5,200 employees across the country.

The celebratory event was attended by a number of special guests including Mayor of Kildare Fiona O’Loughlin(Ind); US ambassador to Ireland Kevin O’Malley; Minister for Business and Employment Gerald Nash; vice president of the Intel technology and manufacturing group Ann Kelleher; and Intel Ireland general manager Eamonn Sinnott.

Opening the event Sinnott expressed pride in the successes of the past 25 years.

He said: “It has been an incredible journey since Intel first decided to locate here in 1989 and since then we have gone on to become the largest private investment in the

history of the state, something of which we are very proud.

“Intel’s investment in Ireland has had a significant impact on the country with an average of €880m being contributed each year to the economy, more than 7,000 full-time jobs supported and almost €2m each year being contributed to both community and education initiatives across the country. It really is exciting to think what the next 25 years may hold”.

Most of the Intel workforce in Ireland is based at the Leixlip campus which is the location for Intel’s high-volume, advanced manufacturing facility which is currently preparing to produce Intel’s latest 14 nano metre process technology.

There are 250 employees at the Intel Shannon

campus who work to deliver Intel’s strategies in the communications and storage infrastructure, automotive and retail spaces.

Dublin headquartered games technologies company Havok is also an Intel company with 120 employees focused on servicing the most demanding technical requirements for leading customers in the commercial games and entertainment industry.

This event marks the culmination of celebrations throughout 2014 to mark the 25th anniversary of Intel in Ireland and the celebration comes on the back of a special achievement for Intel in Ireland as it was named as the Multinational Corporation Initiative of the Year at the ISA Software Industry Awards.

4 December 2014 Gazette 21

cinema P29

asdfsdaf P27 music P30

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



Gazette

travel P26

Pets help shy dora explore a new life with a loving home

Elf the Musical stars Ben Forster, who plays Buddy, and Aoibhinn McGinnity, who is Jovie. Picture: Brian McEvoy Photography

families: elf the musical gets ready to run at bord gais energy theatre

This’ll sleigh audiences  ian begley

JUST in time for Christmas, the Bord Gais Energy Theatre is hosting Elf the Musical, based on the beloved 2003 movie hit starring Will Ferrell.

Running from December 16 to January 10, Elf is the hilarious tale of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole.

Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy’s enormous size and poor toymaking abilities cause him to face the truth.

With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New York

remember the true meaning of Christmas.

British actor and winner of the 2012 ITV show Superstar, Ben Forster is starring as Buddy in this year’s production and he told The Gazette that he’s very excited about taking on this new role.

He said: “It’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had in a rehearsal process and it’s really hard work and there’s a lot to do and lots to learn.

“In every respect, the show is rising from the ground up in the last four weeks, and there’s hundreds of people involved in this production.

“Throughout the weeks of rehearsal we’ve been watching the set being built, the costumes being made, the Christ-

mas trees being decorated and the band practising their musical score.

“You can be so creative with something like Elf and we’ve stuck to the magic of the movie and have expanded on all the silly little moments in the film that people have come to love.

“The show was [staged] on Broadway a few years ago and was a huge hit, and now that we’ve bought the rights to bring it from America, the production has become really well known,” said Forser.

‘An amazing score’ “It has an amazing score that was written by a brilliant Tony Award-winning team of writers and is very much like old-school Broadway, with Big

Band music with singers and dancers.

“It captures every magic moment of the movie, and all the famous oneliners in the movie have been turned into whole songs.

“My fellow cast members are a lovely group of people, which is something I always worry about when beginning a new production!

“With theatre companies, you become like a family and are always left wondering what type of people you’re going to be working with, but, honestly, this is like a dream cast,” he said.

Elf the Musical tickets are priced from €20 to €60; under-threes are not permitted. For further information, see www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie.

the Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs.

Our Dog of the Week is gorgeous Collie cross Dora who we think is about four years old.

She arrived at Dogs Trust pregnant and had a gorgeous little litter of pups, who’ve all gone to homes. Dora is a typical Collie: super intelligent and a bundle of energy.

However, she’s shy and would love a quiet home, one with perhaps another doggie friend already present.

If you think you could offer Dora a loving home, please call Dogs Trust on 01 879 1000 or pop into the centre. They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50. You can also find them on Facebook www.facebook. com/dogstrustirelandonline or Twitter @DogsTrust_IE. Treats and toys are always welcome!

mpe r€ ng j u

ych r

istm a

sjum p

ers .c

THE countdown to Christmas is continuing, and this week, The Gazette has another selection of possible presents to help bring a smile to a loved one’s face in a few weeks’ time.

Whether looking for a fun gift, or something that’s a little easy on the pocket – either way, the spirit of Christmas should make your gift a treasure to receive – this week, we have a range of gifts that range from the practical to the fun, with something for readers of all ages ...

Sant a bli

Presenting more gifts...

Vikingdirect.ie Letts A5 diary 2015 €14.95

om

Avoca Gift pack soap €14.95

39.

99

OUT&ABOUT

Fun k

Gazette

22 Gazette 4 December 2014

Craftbay.ie Bog oak clock €70

Widely available Barbie Malibu house €130

00ml

au !ve E L e t acos

1 ilette de To

€69

L

The Body Shop By teaming up with War Child, the global charity for children affected by war, The Body Shop is aiming to provide more than six million lessons in war-torn areas.

For specially selected Body Shop gifts, the chain will make a contribution that funds a class for a child. See in-store for products/ranges.

4 December 2014 gazette 23

Gazette

GIFT GUIDE MOTORING

Charity card Available from LauraLynn children’s hospice, and from www.lauralynn.ie, these unique 12 Days of Christmas cards celebrate the life of baby Daniel Farrell, who died in 2007 of an undetected heart condition. The Irish designers’ cards have, to date, raised more than €300,000 for the children’s hospice. €10 x Pack of 12 cards

Cra ftb

ay. ie

Fox ford sc

Avoca Hill socks €16.95 pair

arf

Treasured Dolls Princess Elsa-inspired blue dress and silver shoes €35 Available at Dundrum Town Centre, and www.treasureddolls.ie

Vikingdirect.ie Apple TV – perfect for streaming lots of content from your Apple gadget (eg your phone or iPad) to your TV €110.69

Widely available Fisher Price crawl around car €90

€20

Gazette

24 Gazette 4 December 2014

OUT&ABOUT

STYLE

Say ‘Hello, possums’ to the latest in high-warmth style  ian begley

incredibly durable.

At 57 inches, the long, elegant wraparound accessory is perfect to dress up a coat or jacket, providing lightweight comfort and style.

For a full range of what K iwi Countr y Clothing has to offer, see www.kiwicountryclothing.ie.

Create your own individual look this Christmas courtesy of YSL, using the seven harmonious shades of the Palette Collector – Wild Edition (top, €85), or the striking Rouge Pur Couture Vernis a Levres Collector (above, €35)

YSL Opium Eau de Parfum 50ml €95

KIWI Country Clothing, which has just opened up at Number 18, South Anne Street, h a s a n i m p r e s s i ve selection of luxurious possum fur accessories for lightweight, stylish winter warmth.

For those who are unaware, possum fur if of a very high quality, with hollow fibres that trap warm air, creating outstanding heat retention.

It is luxurious to the touch, feeling softer than mink, and very durable. The pest – which is humanely culled in New Zealand – has fur which is rec-

ognised for producing warm, hard-wearing, stylish luxury items.

Kiwi Country Clothing, r un by Elizabeth McGuinness, is the home of possum merino and possum fur clothing in Ireland and is offering value for money items for the winter months.

For some examples, try the Kossack hat with reverse velvet (€255) and long possum fur scarf (€179, both inset, right).

The stylish, full fur r e ve r s i b l e K o s s a c k hat is hand finished to a high standard, with premium grade possum fur, making it lightweight, warm and

YSL Touche Eclat Collector – Wild Edition €35

WITH less than a month to Christmas, the party season is almost upon us and, as any girl knows, we all want to look our best when we catch up with friends, or go out with colleagues.

And so, ’tis the season ... for a wide range of top-of-the-range new makeups to hit the high street from all of

Lancome Poudre de lumiere €45

face up to new marvellous make-ups our favourite brands.

This week, GazetteStyle features some of the luxurious new make-ups from a couple of our favourite brands, with all ensuring that no matter which look you go for, you’ll definitely be a Christmas cracker over the coming party season ...

Lancome Lip Lover set €25 Lancome Venus in Love nail polish X 3 €19

4 December 2014 Gazette 25

Gazette

26 Gazette 4 December 2014

OUT&ABOUT

As we’ve all seen from the movies, parts of Hong Kong are an overwhelming assault on the senses, as towering streets can be full of colourful lightbox signs, strangely-shaped buildings crammed into any available space, and elevated walkways over the crowded roads

hong kong: iconic city has endless amounts to see and do

Eastern adventure  kate crowley

SO THERE I was, out at midnight in Soho – Soho, Hong Kong, that is – discreetly wiping sweat from my forehead, while my phone showed: “Temperature: 29C. Humidity: Perfect for fishes.” My acquaintance leaned over and said, conspiratorially: “Ah, but it gets really hot here in summer…” Phew.

Gasp. Hot then, eh?

Thanks for that.

Heat and humidity aside, if you’re looking for a terrific destination that offers a fascinating mix of bustling city life and laidback relaxation – and set in one of the world’s iconic cities, to boot – then Hong Kong rings all the right bells this Christmas.

With October to January recommended for visitors looking to avoid the city’s worst summer heat and the effects of seasonal monsoons, I recently spent more than

a week there as a firsttime visitor.

Truth be told, apart from a vague feeling that I “knew” what Hong Kong was like, courtesy of Hollywood, television and random cultural references (something about views from The Peak, endless high rise towers, super-dense cityscapes, Bruce Lee, Godzilla attacks – or was that Tokyo?), I really didn’t know what to expect.

However, Hong Kong turned out to be a wonderful, fascinating city, thanks to its endless activities and fusion of cultures, creating a city that’s very tourist-friendly while simultaneously retaining a strong individual identity.

With HK loosely divided into two parts (HK Island, and everywhere else over on the mainland, bordered by China proper), I stayed in

the heart of HK Island, in Soho: a bustling, cosmopolitan spot with lots of tourists and ex-pats in the area, and a busy nightlife.

Being just up the road from Central’s main Metro station – or, rather, up several steep hills and sets of steps, as Hong Kong island contains approximately 83.7% of the world’s steps – Soho was a great location to set off from each day.

I t ’s wo r t h pointing out that Hong Kong’s urban footprint isn’t all that big, which partly

explains why so many people are crammed into a comparatively small area. This compactness is useful, making HK Island easy to get around, with many parts easily accessible and within walking distance of Metro stops.

For many people, Hong Kong is well-known as a shopping mecca, with something to suit all tastes and budgets.

Helped by a conversion rate o f 10 HK dollars to €1, it’s very easy to get an instant understanding of the price

and “worth” of anything, and although Hong Kong can be a ludicrously expensive city for some people, it’s also very reasonable and downright cheap for many things (hello, public transport).

I steered my way past the enormous flagship stores for every luxury brand you can think of (so big and ostentatious, they make Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue look provincial), sidestepped the endless High Street chain shops from home that sit alongside their eastern counterparts, and made sightseeing and exploring the focus of my trip, rather than shopping or getting lost in one giant ultra-luxurious shopping centre after another.

In this regard, Hong Kong has tons to see and

Hong Kong’s arguably most famous son – Bruce Lee – is immortalised at the Avenue of Stars, along with many Chinese film stars

Hong Kong and its environs present a diverse range of compared to the city’s dense urban setting (right).

do, given its confident fusing of eastern and western culture, fashion and food in style, creating a singular city that also feels like an internationally-flavoured version of Chinese.

That said, Hong Kong is Hong Kong – like Manhattan on steroids, many parts of the city seem like an overwhelming assault on your eyes, as you regularly face sheer cliff-like walls of buildings, with bases coated in air con units like barnacles, while shoals of red taxis scoot past.

Apart from simply soaking up the visual impact of the city’s bustling streets and towering canyon-like walls, there are very many things to see and do around Hong

Kong – and away from the city, as its many outlying islands, villages and secluded beaches are destinations in their own right, while families throng its diverse theme parks, such as Ocean Park, or Hong Kong Disneyland.

But just being a tourist by myself, I went to “bucket list” my way around the city.

I ticked off some of the main tourist attractions and things to do for first-time visitors, at least, including:  Taking spectacular views across the HK Island cityscape at day from The Peak Tower (and taking in its equally stunning views at night, despite the Bus-Aras-on-

4 December 2014 GAZETTE 27

GAZETTE

TRAVEL

Travel award winners are announced  IAN BEGLEY

THE winners of the Blue Insurances Travel Media Awards 2014 were recently announced at a gala event in the Clyde Court Hotel, Dublin.

MCd by presenter Kathryn Thomas (above), the gongs were handed out for the best travel destinations, hotels and transit companies and many more.

T he awards were organised by TravelMedia.ie and sponsored by Blue Insurances, with

contrasting environments. The serene “Big Buddha” (main) out at Po Lin Monastery offers a calm setting Whether by land or sea, you’ll never run out of things to see and do in this bustling city. Pictures: Kate Crowley

Christmas-Eve scrum of onlookers at night).  Getting dizzy wuth an incredible glass-bottomed cable car ride over rolling hills out to “the Big Buddha” at Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, which offer serene views over the surrounding mountains and dense vegetation, all set in the shadow of the giant statue, which requires visitors to ascend dozens of steep steps.  Gazing out at the cityscapes from the side of a cheap but very pretty Star Ferry sightseeing spin around Victoria Harbour – perfect for studying the cliff-like serrated rows of skyscrapers and tower blocks marching down the sides of HK Island.

 Taking in the dizzying 360-degree looks around Hong Kong’s sprawl from the superelevated Sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck, high up in the International Commerce Centre, Kowloon (the seventh tallest commercial building in the world).  Joining the locals and tourists strolling along the Avenue of Stars, which celebrates Chinese film stars, and provides sweeping views of Hong Kong Island’s cityscape across the harbour.  Taking in the dizzying range of colourful street signs and lightboxes along Nathan Street.  Visiting famous Man Mo Temple, where incense-heavy air wafts

around scrolls, prayers and offerings from devotees.

Ultimately, I’d heard that a week is “too long” to visit Hong Kong, that “you’ll see it all in a few days”. However, this proved totally untrue, falling far short of the reality.

As a city that’s full of modern metropolis attractions and has a very

dynamic pace, yet also has quiet parks and laidback corners, Hong Kong has a lot of appeal for first-time or repeat visitors alike.

Upon arrival, its combination of familiar sights and new experiences in a modern city that feels both familiar, yet refreshingly new, make Hong Kong a delightful destination that’s well worth heading far, far east to ...

GETTING THERE There are regular long-distance connecting flights to Hong Kong; flying Dublin to Heathrow with Aer Lingus, then on to HK with Cathay Pacific for c. €780 economy return. (Seasonal flights/offers vary.) For further information, see www.cathaypacific.com.

the pre-awards reception sponsored by Amadeus.

This year, London City Airport and the Italian National Tourist Board were also welcomed as sponsors.

Aer Lingus was announced as the Best Short Haul Airline, while Stena Line was honoured with the title of Best Ferry Company.

The Best Irish Hotel award was awarded to Ashford Castle and the Red Carnation Hotel won the Best International Hotel Group.

Speaking about the event, Ciaran Mulligan, managing director of Blue Insurances, that scooped the title of Best Insurance Provider, said: “We are delighted to be the main sponsor of this great event for the third year running, and to see it go from strength to strength. Thank you to all the media who voted and to the trade for showing their support on the night.”

For a full list of the winners, see www.facebook. com/TravelMedia.ie.

GAZETTE

28 GAZETTE 4 December 2014

OUT&ABOUT

TRAVEL NEWS The opulent and extensive lobby

Something suitable for every taste IAN BEGLEY

THE four-star Bridge House Hotel, Spa and Leisure Centre, based in Tullamore, Co Offaly, boasts an impressive variety of dining venues, comfortable settings and leisure activities suited for all tastes and personal requirements.

I was impressed by the hotel’s interior – a lavish and extensive lobby with a beautiful red carpet stairwell and chandelier. The room my guest and I stayed in was spacious, well equipped, comfortable and clean, yet nothing out of the ordinary.

We went to the Bridge House Bar for pre-dinner cocktails on their new terrace built above a flowing river which created a somewhat exotic ambience.

Afterwards, we ventured to The Charleville Restaurant in the hotel. Our four-course meal was exquisite and the attention to detail on each culinary dish was phenomenal. For starters I had a display of prawns presented delicately on a sea shell with a touch of dressing and salad on the side. For my main I ordered the veal which was cooked to perfection. We were then presented with champagne sorbet which was soon followed by a dessert of raspberry mousse with a caramelised design towering vertically above the cuisine.

Following dinner, we returned to the Bridge House Bar to view the live band performing modern hits.

The following morning I received my first ever hot stone massage at the hotel’s spa and leisure centre.

Being a complete newbie to massage treatments I hadn’t a clue what to expect, but within a matter of minutes the hot stones did their job and for the next hour or so I was in a complete state of nirvana.

We went to the hotel’s Italian balcony restaurant for lunch where we had the opportunity to create our own traditional stone-based pizza. Despite my terrible job at kneading the dough and overloading my pizza with toppings, it turned out very nice!

Overall, my experience at Bridge House Hotel, Spa and Leisure Centre was fantastic. I will be back for the friendly service, leisure activities and dining.

HOTEL BREAKS

KINGSLEY HOTEL: A LOT GOING ON IN THIS VIBRANT HOTSPOT

On the way to becoming Cork’s top place to stay

 DAVE PHILLIPS

OPEN under new management since earlier this summer, the Kingsley Hotel is an exciting new spot to stay when visiting Cork city.

Situated just a short drive from the city centre, the Kingsley’s location overlooking the River Lee, and right next to Fitzgerald Park is one of its high points.

The new owners, who are based in Beijing and also run the gorgeous Fota Island Resor t, bought the hotel in 2013 and judging from a recent visit it was evident that they are keen to reinstate the Kingsley as one of Cork’s top places to stay.

The four-star hotel has over 100 rooms available, including several junior suites, and a two-storey penthouse, as well as several long-stay apartments, so it is safe to say all bases are covered.

One of the immediate elements that hit me when staying was the

friendliness and enthusiasm of the staff, who went out of their way to make sure everything was perfect – even when bad weather meant we arrived running a little late for a scheduled spa treatment.

One of the key features of the Kingsley for guests (and no doubt Corkonians who are fond of pampering) is the spa and thermal suites.

There are a full range of day and half-day packages and retreats available, and the hotel regularly runs special offers that include accommodation, a dinner and a treatment.

On our visit we went for the Arabian Nights treatment, which includes a body scrub that is infused with gold, caviar, and champagne, followed by a wrap, and a full-body massage – it all happens in the quiet, minimalist, and cosy privacy of the treatment rooms where you can chill out afterwards to drink a smoothie and read the morning

The spa suite above, and inset, the exterior of the Kingsley

papers.

If you fancy starting the day with a swim, next to the spa there is also a swimming pool, and once you book a treatment you’ll have access to the steam baths and thermal suites.

While the city is temptingly close, if you’re stay-

ing at the Kingsley make sure to eat there. The evening menu at the Fairbanks Restaurant is developed by chef Paul Lane and is definitely a worthwhile treat – as you might expect there is a delicious selection of seafood, the scallops were especially delicious, but

veggies and meat-eaters won’t be disappointed either.

T he rooms at the Kingsley are superb and with the standard checkout at midday, it means plenty of time to enjoy a later breakfast or get to enjoy the gardens at Fitzgerald Park – there’s a lot to keep you comfortable here – but, who knows, on our next visit we might even make it into the city.

For further information, see www.thekingsley.ie.

A winter retreat in Westmeath  DAVE PHILLIPS

IF YOU like being in the middle of things, Athlone, Co Westmeath, is the place to be.

Sitting snug on the River Shannon, the town is a draw at this time of year with plenty of outlets for Christmas shopping coupled with some gorgeous heritage sites and a gepgraphical location the locals are proud of.

Staying in the Radisson in the centre of town, we were advised that the

best way to get a unique perspective of the area is from the water.

Departing from a dock behind the hotel, a replica Viking ship takes you on a short trip of Athlone and Lough Ree, where you can learn all about the history of the area. The trip stops off at Hodson Bay and, if you’re brave enough, you can don a wetsuit at Baysports!

The water sports centre is a great way to spend an afternoon, especially with kids,as the shallow waters

aren’t near as cold as you imagine. A two-minute kayak trip from the centre will get you to a rock that purportedly lies at the dead centre of Ireland – at least according to the centre’s manager, who was enthusiastically incredulous about it!

If all the splashing about doesn’t float your boat, there is plenty to do in town, and the Radisson’s restaurant – Elements Bistro – is well worth a visit, especially since there are some

great package deals available over the Christmas season.

The Connemara Lamb confit in filo pastry, and the pork belly are particular standouts from a recent trip. Just over an hour’s drive, and with

early booking rates in the Radisson available from under €50, Athlone promises an easy and affordable escape.

For more info, see www.radissonblu.com, www.vikingtoursireland. ie or www.baysports.ie.

4 December 2014 GAZETTE 29

GAZETTE

ENTERTAINMENT

THEWRITESTUFF Weird, wacky and wonderful – yet completely true!  BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

An Atlanta mother (Taraji P Henson) soon comes to regret her act of kindness when she lets a stranger (Idris Elba) into her house to use the phone ... which, in true Hollywood fashion, soon ends in a cat and mouse game as (surprise, surprise), he’s a cold-blooded killer

NO GOOD DEED: AN EFFECTIVE BUT UNORIGINAL STORYLINE

Looks good, yet feels hollow CERTAIN films may make you realise that we have a very peculiar cultural appetite.

The kind of stories that grip us collectively tend to revolve around what have commonly been thought of as the darker sides of human experience: while they may not be the most noble of themes, there is something of an obsession with film plots based around sex, violence and revenge.

No Good Deed is the kind of film that seems keenly aware of this cultural bias and is crafted precisely to scratch that itch – a fact that makes it simultaneously satisfying but also a little abhorrent.

We’re introduced to Idris Elba’s character Colin in the back of a police van, where he is manacled and under the watch of an armed escort on the way from

 DAVE PHILLIPS

prison for a parole hearing. Full of hope and promising potential, Colin’s chances are scuppered once a parole board member voices his serious concerns about Colin’s rehabilitation.

The scene echoes a feeling that resonates with the viewer throughout the film - we have seen Elba on superb form, especially in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, and despite a much more limited and linear role in this film he manages to maintain a strong presence on screen – to a large extent through his sheer physicality.

And it’s the physicality of things that provides

many of the problems for No Good Deed – Colin is linked to a string of very savage assaults and murders against women and it becomes very quickly evident that there is no twist in that tale: he is a misogynist cold-blooded killer without a shred of remorse.

Elba is villainous and violent to such an extent that it makes the films tagline “first he gets into your house, then he gets into your head” seem unintentionally comical unless they meant it to be interpreted in the most literal sense – the film offers effective discomfort but little to no psychological depth.

Making a shift to a home invasion movie most of the action takes place at the house of Terry (Taraji P Henson), an affluent but lonely housewife who is planning on having a girls’ night in with her best

friend while her husband is out of town.

When a handsome stranger calls at the door to use the phone, Terry just can’t stop herself from bringing him in and filling him full of wine.

If you are one of those people who facepalms at ridiculous and frustratingly bad decisions being made on screen, for the good of your forehead wear some soft gloves during this film.

A special award for exasperation must go to the scene where Terry reveals how her job involves profiling and prosecuting males who commit domestic violence.

Despite the bad writing, Henson gives a solid performance and there is the sense that with some characters that were not two-dimensional, there could have been something a lot more interest-

ing going on.

Director Sam Miller’s background is in TV crime and that experience shows. Aside from an annoying habit of leaning too heavily on dramatic music to ratchet up the tension, the film looks and feels like a good thriller – there is a genuine sense of danger in the dark, rainy anonymity of suburbia – it is an experience that is effective but in no way original, eventually descending into that familiar realm of playing hide-and-seek with handcrafted household weaponry.

No Good Deed stands as a difficult film to rate as despite all it manages to do right ostensibly, it never manages to transcend an uncomfortable feeling of hollowness - at its best it can be meaningless entertainment.

Verdict: 4/10

IT BEGAN as popular slot on Hector O hEochagain’s Breakfast Show on 2FM a couple of years ago, and now MediumSized Town, Fairly Big Stor y has been turned into a book.

Author Ronan Casey has scoured the country to find the funniest stories taken from regional papers and the result is an amusing and interesting read. MediumSized Town, Fairly Big Story contains such gold as could only be found in Ireland and many of the stories seem straight out of an episode of Father Ted. From the off we’re transported to a scene reminiscent of Father Ted, but instead of Bishop Brennan’s face appearing on the skirting board, it is the image of the sacred heart appearing on the back of a spider in Longford.

Some of my favourite stories in the book are about farm animals. In Balinrobe, the Mayo News reported a bullock, who was due to go under the hammer, “made a break for it” and headed home, hotly pursued by its owner.

“He was like Shergar and I was like Usain Bolt,” said the owner, who followed the pointing fingers of onlookers through the town as he continued the chase.

The bullock was caught when the farmer put the animal’s mother into a field as bait and the bullock, wanting to reunite with his mum, walked into the trap.

A more surreal story in Kerry’s Eye, was the one about a Valentia Island man, who was convinced time was slowing down on the island which he thought must be slipping into a parallel dimension. It turned out that plenty more on the island were experiencing the same thing with 23 minutes being lost each week, according to their alarm clocks. The answer, however, was very simple.

Workers on the island had been using generators around the clock and sapping the ESB supply.

The great thing about this book is that it is ideal to dip in and out of and would make an ideal accompaniment to Christmas dinner conversation. It was a clever decision to publish the book in hardback as it will last for years as a resource or simply as a source of amusement about life in Ireland from 2010 to 2013.

It’s published by Gill and MacMillan and is available in bookstores for €10.99.

Gazette

30 Gazette 4 December 2014

OUT&ABOUT

FASTtunes

The Coronas go The Long Way round for new album release The Coronas have come a long way and a lot of sales since their first outings on 3u Records and their first long-playing record, Heroes Or Ghosts. Last month they released their first major label album, The Long Way, on Island Records.

The album again plays to the band’s strengths - anthemic, passionate songs and personal lyrics - but like third release Closer To You, The Long Way is precisely what it is another Coronas record.

Fans will adore the album, but a more adventurous approach is needed to give them the chance of breaking on the international stage - hint: go listen to some Puressence.

The Long Way is out now, and The Coronas play Whelan’s of Wexford Street this Saturday, December 6 before they hit the 3Arena on February 21 for what is certain to be a huge homecoming show.

Join Bell X1’s Dave Geraghty at Abner Brown’s this weekend Bell X1’s Dave Geraghty is playing a special free intimate gig at Abner Brown’s in Rathmines next weekend as his side project, Join Me In The Pines, continue to promote their debut album, Inherit.

Following sell-outs shows at the Unitarian Church and Coughlan’s in Cork, as well as a number of festival appearances, this is a unique chance to see the band in close quarters.

Geraghty has previously released two acclaimed solo records, Kill Your Darlings, which was nominated for the Choice Music Prize in 2007, and The Victory Dance in 2009, as well as being a key member of Bell X1.

Join Me In The Pines play at Abner Brown’s on Saturday, December 6, and doors open at 7pm.

MUSIC

vinyl revolution: because grooves are in the heart

Spin the black circle  ROB heigh rheigh@gazettegroup.com

Last week saw the announcement that for the first time in over two decades, vinyl record sales in Britain had gone beyond one million units for the year.

This is part of an ongoing trend that has been helped along by a combination of factors, from independent labels and acts committing to the format to fans seeking out a less intangible musical experience than the digital age offers.

Speaking to Gazett e Mu s i c l a s t we e k , Stephen Fitzgerald, the group managing director at Golden Discs explained vinyl started coming to his attention again after the format had spent years in the wilderness.

“We were hearing that managers were being approached by customers coming into stores and looking for vinyl, and in tandem with that, the record labels had been releasing more vinyl to meet the demand.”

Fitzgerald says the types of music being sought out by fans of the form are not limited to particular genres or time periods.

“It’s very mixed. People are picking up old classic albums and those they would have remembered from the past and have a nostalgic connection to, and equally a lot of current rock and indie bands are releasing on vinyl, as a badge of honour.

“Vinyl sales have been primarily driven by indie

Audiophiles and people who want more of a tangible musical experience have started to go back to black, and vinyl displays like the one in Golden Discs below are becoming a more common sight in stores across the city

labels, who started this bandwagon rolling, and the majors are all getting on that now, and more releases are appearing on vinyl as well as CD. CD sales have huge challenges, so anywhere you can see growth, whether it is in digital or physical format, has to be a good thing.”

Golden Discs have also been involved in Record Store Day, the annual celebration of record shops which has become an international event since it began in 2007, and participated in selling limited edition vinyl releases by some of the biggest acts in the world.

“We participated in Record Store Day and it was a great success. Each year it seems to get bigger and bigger. Next year, more record companies look like they are going to get involved, and it will be bigger again.”

Recent sales information has shown the diversity of acts selling their wares on vinyl. The recent Pink Floyd release has been the biggest vinyl success of the last 20 years, selling 6,000 units in a single week, and the recent U2 and Hozier albums have also staked their place in the vinyl sales charts. The bestselling vinyl album of the year to date has been AM

by Arctic Monkeys, and Royal Blood have helped to reconnect the rock audience with the revived music format.

As well as having an ordering service for customers, Golden Discs have a number of record players in store (including the Steepletone USB Norwich Retro Record Player pictured above) to help people really explore vinyl as a format of choice.

Vinyl’s appeal is a tactile and tangible thing, a music experience more real than a digital download and the sound has a warmth that is missing from the digital format, as Fitzgerald confirmed.

“People say about iTunes and digital formats that is like looking at a massive spreadsheet,

and there is no emotion or romance in it, whereas vinyl you can see the care that has gone into the creation of the artwork and inlays and lyrics, and actually just holding the record [makes it special]. The sound quality is undeniable, there is certainly something different you get from vinyl.”

4 December 2014 gazette 31

Gazette

HEALTH a new diet: reap the multiple benefits

Try the Paleo Diet: eat like a caveman  suzanne sheehy

The year about to end popularised many diets: low carb, gluten-free, the Mediterranean diet, Paleo diet and more. It can be hard to keep pace with the trends let alone make sense of them.

But GazetteHealth is intrigued by the Paleo or caveman diet. Its boasted benefits include improved muscle tone (without even training), reduced inflammation, a reduction in auto-immune diseases, improved mental clarity, better skin, nails, hair and reduced risk of heart disease. Its approach emphasises returning to a more basic approach to eating: if you can’t hunt or gather it (figuratively speaking), don’t eat it.

I spoke to Gary Kealy about the challenge of switching to such a regime. Kealy, a personal trainer, nutritionist

who has adopted Paleo, has reported significant improvements in his general health, body composition and energy levels.

Deconstructing the Paleo diet What’s in? Most vegetables, some fruit, meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds.

Unprocessed foods. Taking the time to source quality ingredients is key to good health.

What’s out? Anything the body doesn’t recognise as food such as highly processed foods along with grains, gluten, pasteurised dairy, refined sugar, legumes (this includes peanut) How can this be healthy?

Excluding grains, legumes and dairy – these are good foods and surely we need calcium and complex carbohydrates for a balanced diet?

Kealy explains: “For our body to use the calcium that we consume in our

food there must also be magnesium present in the ratio 3:1 (calcium: magnesium). Essentially, calcium needs to be consumed with magnesium for our body to absorb it. In effect, the bioavailability of calcium in milk products is far less than the dairy industry claims.

Green and leafy vegetables like kale, spinach and broccoli are a far better source of calcium.”

But what is so wrong with grains, which are good sources of fibre, minerals and B vitamins?

“Their processing by the gut can cause serious problems, for example

IBS. Grains, by their very nature, are designed to survive the digestive tract of animals. This could get very complicated but again in general, fibre, minerals and all vitamins can be obtained far more easily from vegetables, meat and eggs,” says Kealy.

If you spend an extra €20-30 a week on good quality, healthy food you will increase your performance across the board and have much more mental acuity and day-to-day vitality. So a Paleo diet, if it suits, could be valuable.

Before embarking on

Paleo has benefits and with the extra effort the rewards can be great. But give it time to allow the results to come through. For more info on Paleo contact Gary Kealy, cofounder with brother Dan (an outdoor adventure trainer) of Fresh

Start Foods. Their firm delivers food boxes with recipes, meal planners and a range of health products. Visit: www.fsf.ie or phone 086 8758758.

Smile again in confidence BLACKROCK’S Seapoint Clinic, a specialist in creating the perfect smile, is a dental practice popular with celebrities that has built a reputation for excellence over the years.

The clinic specialises in correcting many of nature’s dental imperfections so that people can feel confident and smile freely.

According to Seapoint, many people feel uncomfortable or unhappy smiling over issues such as loose dentures, missing teeth or even wobbly teeth.

The clinic offers a solution for all these dental problems, offering a comprehensive service including general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, ClickTite dentures, six-month braces and teeth whitening at its centre of excellence in Blackrock.

At the clinic, there is a strong emphasis on tailoring all dental treatments to the needs of the individual, and an onus on making dental treatment accessible to everyone.

Seapoint Clinic has a specialised and handpicked team of highly

trained dentists and staff working in relaxed surroundings.

Customers are ass ign ed t heir ow n patient coordinator to ensure their treatment and experience at Seapoint runs smoothly.

If you have any dental issues you would like to have remedied and may have put off for years, you can go online and check out all the available treatments on offer at www. seapointclinic.ie, or see Seapoint Clinic’s Facebook page, where you can read patients’ testimonials about the clinic.

Alternatively, call the clinic at 1890 837 049 to discuss the various treatments suitable for you.

All vitamins can be obtained far more easily from vegetables, meat and eggs.

the Paleo diet, remember that life is meant to be fun, exhilarating and

joyful. If a day passes and you feel none of these things, try to touch base

with what is important: family, friends and helping others.

32 Gazette 4 December 2014

4 December 2014 gazette 33

34 Gazette 4 December 2014

dublin cityCLASSIFIEDS CLEANING

sERVICES

roofing

planning Notice Dublin City Council

Collins Roofing Ltd

For all your roofing needs Call Sean on 0861274202 CARPENTRY

DVD’S

DVD TRANSFERS ďƒźVideo & Camera Tapes ďƒźCineFilms ďƒźPhotos & Slides converted to DVD ďƒźMusic & Titles added Tel: 01-2807838 / 087 9132265 alleventsvideo@eircom.net

dESIGN

DUBLIN Gazette newspaper HAVE OVER 200,000* READERS EACH WEEK *Publishers Statement

---------------------------Contact: Thomas: 087 1154 505 dublinroofrepairs @gmail.com

WINTER

SALE GET UP TO

35% OFF

WINDOWS AND DOORS FITTED IN JANUARY

UPVC ENERGY ‘A-RATED’ WINDOWS AND DOORS C ONTACT L ORRAINE ON 086 838 5014

advertise your business to our readers call 01 60 10 240

planning Notice Dublin City Council

DJS Engineering & PM Services wishes to apply for planning permission for two storey extensions with flat roof to rear of existing dwelling houses, raising of existing ridge heights, installation of first floor accommodation, roof light installation and all associated works at No: 1 & No: 3 Hope Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4 on behalf of Suzanne Bugler. The planning a p p l i c a t i o n m ay b e inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of Dublin City Council during its public opening hours and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the 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 22586

FOLLOW US TODAY ON OUR SOCIAL NETWORK

BRICK BLOCK AND STONE â–Ş Garden Walls â–Ş Brick piers â–Ş Arches â–Ş sheds â–Ş Patios & paving â–Ş Driveways & paths â–Ş Concrete â–Ş Repair to damaged masonry â–Ş Stone walling & paving Call Dave 0872917647

planning Notice Dublin City Council

Permission is sought to construct new vehicular access with off street car parking, and associated works, to front of 13 Brookwood Lawn, Artane , Dublin 5 for Luigi Borza. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of Dublin City Council during its public opening hours and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the 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.

FOLLOW US TODAY ON OUR SOCIAL NETWORK

I, Mr Wayne Cunningham intend to apply for Planning Permission for first floor extension consisting of two bedrooms and bathroom, over existing converted garage at gable end and rear of house also all associated site works at 35 Lorcan Crescent, Santry, Dublin 9.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 Dublin City Council during its public opening hours and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of five weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the application.

22564

Registered & Insured RooďŹ ng Contractor Flat RooďŹ ng Specialists Industrial, Residential & Commercial • Felt work • Slating & Tiling • Organic Seedom • Guttering Fascia & SoďŹ ts STUART MASTERSON P:01 4439398 M: M:087 - 7712463, 086 - 2006217 E:mastersonrooďŹ ng@gmail.com stuartjmasterson@hotmail.com W:www.mastersonrooďŹ ng.ie

planning Notice Dublin City County Council

I, Mr. Stephen Harkin, intend to apply for permission for development at the site 129 Dolphin Road, Drimnagh, Dublin 12. The development will consist of a two storey extension to rear of the existing midterrace house. Extension to include new kitchen / dining room at ground floor, 2 new bedrooms at first 22576 floor and attic storage space within mansard roof with removals 2 velux windows. Development will include internal alterations including new stairs to attic and all associ#"$, 50 5)& 8&45 0' *3&-"/% ated site and drainage works.The planning application ."/ 8*5) 9- 7"/ may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding 'PS )PVTF "QBSUNFOUT the reasonable cost of making a copy ,at the offices of Dublin City Council during its public opening hours.

SFNPWBMT %FMJWFSJFT A submission or observation in relation to the applicaâ—? $POUSBDU 8PSL tion may be made in writing to the planning authority â—? OBUJPOXJEF on payment of the prescribed fee (â‚Ź20.00) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by â—? 6, NPOUIMZ SVOT the authority of the application, and such submissions â—? 7"5 3&( or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The 1IPOF

planning authority may grant permission subject to or PS without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission.

22560

4 December 2014 Gazette 35

athletics P37

asdfsdaf P27 gaelic games P39

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

Hockey P36

DublinGazetteNewspapers 2014 dublin sports awards november winners

H STARof the MONTH

luke keeler Scott Evans will be attempting to replicate his success of 2012 when he takes to the court for the 2014 Irish Open in Baldoyle this weekend

badminton: top-ranked player takes on best in men’s game

Keeler extended his run to seven wins in succession with a first-round stoppage over England’s Gary Boulden on the Macklin undercard at the 3Arena this month. The Ballyfermot man wasted little time in dispatching his opponent.

Evans returns on world high TEAMof the to challenge for Irish Open H MONTH This weekend sees Ireland’s number one badminton player and world number 33, Scott Evans, return to Dublin in an attempt to reclaim his men’s singles title at the Carlton Irish Badminton Open which takes place this year at Baldoyle Badminton centre until Saturday, December 6.

Evans has chalked up some of the best performances of his career during recent months and hopes his winning form will continue when he competes at the open.

In 2012, Evans became the first Irish winner of the men’s title in over 25 years when he

beat French qualifier Lucas Corvee in a thrilling final. His bid to retain the title in 2013 came to an end when he lost in the quarter-finals to Lukas Schmidt of Germany.

However, Evans’s recent win at the Brazilian Grand Prix and second place at the $120,000 Bitburger Open sees him at the top of his game and poised to reclaim the title.

Despite his excellent form, the 2014 event brings no guarantees for Evans with players such as Denmark’s Rasmus Fladberg, Tzu Wei Wang of Taipei and Yan Kit Chan of Hong Kong looking to take the win

from the Dublin favourite. Finland’s Ville Lang is also back in town which is sure to delight the Irish fans.

In the women’s singles, Ireland’s Chloe Magee will be looking to make her mark against former Irish Open winner Denmark’s Line Kjaersfeldt and European silver medallist Anna Thea Madsen.

Sam Magee pairs with his younger brother Joshua for the first time at an Irish Open.

Since forming a Men’s Doubles partnership the pair have gone from strength to strength with impressive results at the 2014 Canadian Open and the

2014 Brazilian Grand Prix where they secured a silver and bronze respectively.

A total of 300 players from 36 countries have signed up for this year’s Irish Open in Baldoyle Badminton centre. With the Irish players on form it promises to be a great tournament for the home side.

The Irish Open 2014 will be streamed live on badmintonireland.net/bitv.

Results will be updated live via Twitter @bad_min_ton and more information throughout the tournament will be available at the Badminton Ireland Facebook page.

st pat’s athletic FORMER Swords Rovers man Conan Byrne, along with Swords native Lorcan Fitzgerald, were celebrating last Sunday as they helped St Patrick’s Athletic land their first FAI Senior Cup since 1961 in the Aviva Stadium against Derry City.

Gazette

36 Gazette 4 December 2014

SPORT

FastSport rovers sign four players ahead of 2015: Shamrock Rovers have completed the signing of four players ahead of the 2015 season.

The club’s 2014 Player of the Year, Barry Murphy has signed a new two-year deal to keep him at the club for another season, as has goalkeeper Craig Hyland.

Two new faces join the Hoops squad, with Gavin Brennan and David Webster also putting pen to paper on deals with the club.

Brennan (26) joins from Drogheda United, while 25-year-old Webster had a long spell at Bray Wanderers.

Shamrock Rovers manager Pat Fenlon said: “I’m delighted to have brought the two lads in and I think they’ll fit in well to the squad that we’re building for next year.

They’re both still young players but they also have a lot of experience in the league.

“I’m glad to have completed deals with our two goalkeepers.

They both had good seasons this year.”

hockey: Tense ties as clubs attempt to reach the knock-out phase

Dublin sides shine in IHL group stages  sport@dublingazette.com

DUBLIN’S sides prospered for the most part in last Saturday’s Irish Hockey League but reigning champions Monkstown still look to have a bit of work to do to progress to the knock-

out stages.

They ended up drawing 1-1 with Cookstown at Rathdown to sit fourth in the group, albeit with a game in hand as a result.

Jon Ames’ deflection put the County Tyrone side ahead on half-time but Richard Sykes nailed

Monkstown’s Peter Caruth in flight

his 12th goal of the season with nine minutes to go to earn the draw.

The Tyrone side took the game to the Rathdown hosts from the start and drew some early stops from Jamie Carr, standing in for David Fitzgerald who has a back injury.

Peter Caurth, however, was returning after a lenghty spell out of action with an injured foot. As time pressed on, Monkstown started to create their main chances but found Ian Hughes in top form.

He denied Davy Carson on the spin while another effort was cleared off the line. But the half’s defining moment came in the final minute when Ames was picked out at the near post to turn home.

Cookstow n subsequently hit the left hand

Monkstown’s David Carson challeges Cookstown’s Ian Hughes. Pictures: Adrian Boehm

post from another corner and they held the hosts at bay. Hughes kept out Stephen Cole with another top stop as well as Carson and Sykes but the pressure eventually told when the drag-flicker pushed low and true.

Carr then kept the two points intact with a top save to his right. The draw puts extra pressure on Monkstown’s back match with Pembroke.

That is because the Serpentine Avenue side outclassed tournament newcomers UCC 6-1.

Karl Lynch put them in front on 12 minutes from the penalty spot after Mick O’Connor was felled Matthias Podpera put Pembroke two up from

a corner. Fionn O’Leary pulled one back in the third quarter but the hosts duly raced ahead as Podpera scored again from Pembroke’s seventh corner.

Cillian Hynes added another couple while Tim Hill also chipped in for a comprehensive win.

In Pool B, Three Rock Rovers lead the group after they dispatched UCD 5-1. Rovers were 3-0 up at half-time and while Shane Madeley pulled one back, Rovers killed off the tie with final quarter efforts from Jonny Bruton and Ross Canning.

Canning had popped home the first goal early on with a penalty corner effort before Jody Hosk-

ing produced a brilliant second goal, roofing from a narrow angle wide on the right of the circle.

Bruton then brilliantly thrashed home a backhand shot from a powerful run to complete the first half scoring. Madeley fizzed a powerful drag-flick past his former team mates to give UCD a lifeline.

But it disappeared when Canning finished off an excellent team move and Bruton volleyed home another chance to make it 5-1.

Elsewhere, Railway Union produced amazing final quarter comeback to record their first win of the campaign, beating Cork C of I 3-2 in Garryduff.

O’Brien exits championship, lines up Legends event  sport@dublingazette.com

Fergal O’Brien is bringing together some of the best in the game to take part in the Irish Legends Cup on December 29 and 30

FERGAL O’Brien bowed out of snooker’s UK championship at the hands of Brazil’s rising star Igor Figueriedo 6-4 last week in York.

The Lucan man got off to a good start with a break of 88 in the second frame but found himself 4-1 down with the Brazilian scoring a fine 61 to win a tight fourth frame 76-51.

A century and an 89 saw O’Brien win frames six and

seven to put the game back into the balance and he was level at 4-4 when he won the eighth frame 62-53.

But Figueriedo finished the stronger with a narrow 68-55 win courtesy of a 56 break to nudge back in front 5-4 and completed the win with a 67 in the tenth frame.

Ea rlier in the week, O’Brien had reached the sixth round of the Kreativ Dental Ruhr Open in Germany with wins over Luke Garland, Adam Duffy and

Michael Wasley to continue his decent season which sees him currently sitting 28th in the world.

He is also busy preparing for the Irish Legends Cup, in Goff’s, on December 29 and 30, 2014. This is a match between Ireland and England, in a Ryder Cup format, with players playing singles and doubles matches against each other.

The Ireland team will be captained by Ken Doherty, with Denis Taylor, Joe Swail and O’Brien completing

the line-up.

Ireland will be playing the England team, captained

by Jimmy White, with Steve Davis and 10-times former World Ladies Snooker Champion Reanne Evans taking par t, while the organisers are still awaiting confirmation of the fourth team member; however, this is currently expected to be another world champion, Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The tournament will be played over four sessions, over the two days.

4 December 2014 Gazette 37

Gazette

Hailing the athletes on the right track The National Athletics Awards at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry provided an opportunity to salute the best in Dublin and Ireland after a season of positive performances UCD’S Mark English was named the Athlete of the Year at the National Athletics Awards last week in the Crown Plaza Hotel, Santry following his run to become a European bronze medallist.

On a stunning night of athletics in the Letzigrund Stadium Zurich, English claimed the bronze medal in the 800m final at the European championships. The performance by the 21-year-old was Ireland’s first ever medal in the 800m at any major outdoor championship.

Speaking at the event, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring said: “2014 has been another excellent year for Irish athletics with numerous distinguished performances from both established and up-andcoming athletes.

“There is no doubt that the support provided to athletes through Athletics Ireland’s High Perform-

ance system has helped athletes to deliver one of Ireland’s best performances at a European Athletics Championships.

“I am delighted that these awards also honour the people on the ground who help to make it all happen. I would like to applaud the selfless contribution that volunteers make to sport. Their considerable efforts and willingness to give of their own time is of immense benefit to the sport of athletics as well as the wider community.”

Among those to be honoured at the event were Clonliffe Harriers’ Frank Murphy who was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Murphy enjoyed multiple international successes including winning a silver medal over 1500m at the 1969 European Athletics Championships in Athens.

While the National Athletics Awards is a cel-

ebration of the many successes of our international and national athletes, it also commemorates the association’s exceptional volunteer base.

Long time Belvedere College teacher Phil Conway was named the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, the pinnacle volunteer award. Conway has played a very significant role in Irish Athletics as an athlete, coach, mentor, statistician, volunteer and organiser. Conway is above all a gentleman of our sport and the award is a fitting recognition for all those years of service.

President of Athletics Ireland Professor Ciaran O’Cathain said: “We had plenty to celebrate this year with Irish athletes delivering one of Ireland’s best ever performances at European Athletics Championships in the summer with Mark English bronze medal in the 800m being a highlight

Harry Purcell, Castleknock College, and Alannah Lally, Presentation College Athenry, winners of Schools Boy and Girl Athlete of the Year. Picture: Barry Cregg / SPORTSFILE

performance.”

He added: “It is right and fitting that we acknowledge the clubs and the volunteers who play a vital role in the development of athletes in Ireland” The Endurance Athlete Award went to Fionnuala Britton (Kilcoole AC) –

the heats and then going on to place fifth in the final in another new Irish record of 3.01.67.

The Mountain Runner of the Year was awarded to Sarah McCormack (Clonliffe Harriers AC).

McCormack enjoyed a spectacular year in 2014 including a win at the

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

‘It is fitting that we acknowledge the clubs and volunteers who play a vital role in developing athletics’

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

Britton had a consistent year of results including an eighth place finish in the 10,000m and a tenth place finish in her debut in the marathon at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich.

Junior Athlete of the Year was awarded to Karl Griffin (UCD AC) who reached new heights in 2014. It was a year in which he made the semifinal of the 800m at the World Junior Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA. Griffin also ran a personal best of 1.47.44 at the Morton Games which ranked him fifth in the European Junior rankings.

The Irish Men’s 4x400m Team was presented with the Performance Team of the Year Award. The team excelled at the European Championships setting an Irish record of 3.03.57 in

prestigious Snowdon International Race and she was also Ireland top finisher at the World and European Mountain Running Championships.

The Ultra Running Award was presented to John O’Regan (Le Cheile AC) for finishing first at the Energia 24-hour national championships in Belfast.

He is also ranked 38th in the world rankings for 24 hour racing.

The Tailteann Schools’ Awards were awarded to Alannah Lally (Presentation Athenry) and Harry Purcell (Castleknock College).

Maria O’Sullivan (Trinity College Dublin) and John Travers (Athlone IT) were the standout performers on the University athletics scene in 2014 and were duly recognised on the day for their achievements.

FastSport

FAI salutes participants in Castle soccer project The Ballyogan Youth Centre recently played host to an FAI achievements award evening to recognise the participants who took part in the Castle Project, a Garda Youth Diversion Project (GYDP).

These projects are local community-based activities which work with children to help them move away from behaving in a way that might get them or their friends into trouble with the law. They can help children develop their sense of community and their social skills through different activities.

During 2012 and 2013, a group of seven players from Ballyogan participated in a soccer coaching programme.

The participants in the project undertook many hours of training, learning soccer skills and drills as well as how to plan sessions for each age group, how to set up the pitches for each activity, which equipment to use, along with many other life skills such as communication skills and conflict resolution.

Their hard work culminated in them providing a free soccer camp to local children during the summer of 2013. This allowed them to use their newly acquired skills as soccer coaches but it also allowed them to participate positively within their own community, and was very successful.

Following on from this challenge, the team of coaches then went to Wexford to exchange with another Garda project, played a friendly match and put on another soccer camp for local kids over the October mid-term break in 2013.

The participants then returned to Wexford over Easter 2014, where they had three days of intensive training where they all achieved their FAI Soccer Coaching badges for both Kick Start 1 and Kick Start 2. They are all now fully qualified to coach young people from age six to nine and 10 to 12 years of age.

All have recently been invited to apply for jobs as soccer coaches with Samba Soccer, and some are waiting to hear about placements.

One has applied to become a USA Camp counsellor to travel to the United States next summer with his soccer coaching skills.

Gazette

38 dublin city gazette 4 December 2014

SPORT

FastSport

boxing: prizefighter opportunity for finglas fighter

Balbirnie tonne leads Ireland to Kiwi victory ANDREW Balbirnie’s maiden 100 for Ireland led his team to a well deserved fourwicket win against a strong New Zealand A side at the ICC Global Cricket Academy in Dubai last weekend.

The former St Andrew’s College student was at his positive best, continuing his impressive form shown on the recent acclimatisation tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Balbirnie stroked 21 fours and two sixes in his innings of 129 from just 96 deliveries, having reached his landmark century from just 70 deliveries.

The Pembroke club man shared a second wicket stand of 133 in just 103 balls with an almost equally impressive Niall O’Brien.

The Sandymount keeper-batsman hit 68 from 67 balls (10 fours, one six), and was content to play second fiddle to Balbirnie, having dominated his opening stand of 33 with skipper William Porterfield.

Balbirnie’s dismissal sparked a mini collapse in the Irish ranks, as they lost three wickets for just two runs, going from 231 for 3 to 235 for 6 in their pursuit of 253 for victory.

Vice-captain Kevin O’Brien (22*) however showed all his experience in tandem with Alex Cusack to guide Ireland over the finishing line for a morale boosting win.

Earlier, O’Brien (4-39) had been the star of the show with the ball for Ireland, as his four wicket haul saw New Zealand falter to 121 for 4, after Anton Devich (61) and Martin Guptill (41) had shared an opening stand of 101 in 19 overs.

Colin Munro (50), Nathan McCullum (38) and Hamish Rutherford (28) kept the New Zealand innings on track at 222 for 5, but a further late collapse saw the last five wickets add just 30 runs in the final six overs.

Craig Young (2-52) and John Mooney (2-58) both picked up two wickets apiece in a disciplined Irish bowling performance, which ensured their target was always withing reach.

Jono Carroll in action against Declan Geraghty at the 3Arena recently, a bout that propelled him to the York fight. Picture: Sharon Flanagan

Carroll tipped for the top  stephen findlater sport@dublingazette.com

S T E PH E N O r m o n d says his Celtic Warrior stable mate Jono Carroll can go a long way following his dramatic recent entry into Irish boxing consciousness.

Carroll stunned Declan Geraghty in a high octane four-rounder at the 3Arena recently, a surprise outcome that earned him an unexpected shot at the Prizefighter event in York on December 6.

The Finglas superfeatherweight sustained a nasty cut to the forehead in the first round

of his war with Geraghty but that is likely to have healed up in time for the Prizefighter night which could propel his career forward.

It is something of a bolt from the blue as the 22-year-old – a former Irish intermediate champion – only arrived back in Ireland a couple of months ago with two professional contests under his belt from his time in Perth.

Since then, he teamed up with Paschal Collins at the Celtic Warrior gym in Dublin 15 where he has picked up some high-quality sparring.

Among them have

little wonders Terenure hit the turf at RDS for half-time tie THE TERENURE RFC team who played in the Bank of Ireland half-time minis league match at the RDS last weekend during the break in the Leinster v Ospreys Guinness Pro12 match took pride of place on the pitch with Leinster players Richardt Strauss and Brendan Macken before the game in Ballsbridge that saw the home side win 18-12 courtesy of penalties from Ian Madigan and Jimmy Gopperth.

Picture: Piaras O Midheach / SPORTSFILE

been Ormond, recently named the WBO European boxer of the year, who is building to a world title eliminator on December 13, and the Clondalkin man says Carroll is a big prospect.

“Jono came in from Australia and sparred me a couple of months ago,” he told GazetteSport.

“I gave him hell and he just says afterwards ‘see you tomorrow’. This fella is really tough.

Every time I train with him, he is getting better and better.

“I told Paschal he was going to be good

while nobody knew about him.

“He’s got a nice little whack and can actually drop down to a lower weight as well. He has no problem with that; he has a good engine and is a little warrior who wants to come forward and fight you.”

It is the first Prizefighter event since April a n d s e e s t h e e ve n t return to its spiritual home of the York Hall and will be played out live on Sky Sports with Carroll hoping to pick his way through a field of eight all vying for the title.

Of his Celtic Warrior

stablemates, Steve Collins Junior continued his unbeaten start to his career last Saturday night in the Copper Box Arena in London on the Bad Blood card.

Collins was made to wait until after 2am but kept his focus to record his fourth professional win, seeing off Latvia’s Mareks Kovalevskis on points on the same card as Chris Eubank Jr lost to Billy Joe Saunders.

The Castleknock native came close to gaining a stoppage as he had his opponent down twice in the bout but had to settle for the points victory.

4 December 2014 DUBLIN CITY gazette 39

Gazette

Honour for gavin Dublin manager receives medal after US match

FastGAA

 sport@dublingazette.com

IN ONE of the success stories of 2012, S

dublin manager Jim Gavin was presented with a medal after recent 2013 All Stars vs 2014 All Stars match at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton, Massachusetts by Uachtaran Chumann Luthchleas Gael Liam O’Neill, which saw the 2013 side claim victory by 10-7 to the 2014 team’s 5-5.

Picture: Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE

hurling: crokes miss out in division 1 decider

Kilkenny and O’Brien set to make their Dublin returns

St Jude’s held off the challenge of a depleted but battling Kilmacud Crokes to secure the AHL 1 title

Jude’s triumphant in AHL1 league final ahl div 1 final St Jude’s 1-13 Kilmacud Crokes 0-13  sport@dublingazette.com

ST JUDE’S held their nerve to defeat 14-man K ilmacud Crokes as Fionn O Riain Broin continued his scoring form this year to help the Tymon club land the AHL1 league title at O’Toole Park last Sunday.

Crokes were up against a big task when Bill O’Carroll was shown a straight red card when he was deemed to have interfered with Danny Sutcliffe’s faceguard in the very first minute.

With Sean McGrath, Rory O’Carroll and Caolan Conway all enduring injuries in Kilmacud’s Leinster championship loss to Ballyhale Shamrocks a week earlier, it left the Stillorgan club on the back foot.

And Jude’s subsequently took advantage to build a 0-4 to 0-1, with O Riann Broin clipping three frees. He would end with seven points in total, and a Ronan Joyce point from play moved them along nicely.

The accuracy of Ryan O’Dwyer was keeping Crokes very much in contact, scoring a couple of frees before landing a

score from a very tight angle.

His 65 levelled the tie at five points each in the 16th minute and his sixth point pushed them in front soon after but, just as Crokes edged ahead, John Ryan’s goal saw Jude’s regain the lead.

He pulled on a loose ball from close range after Crokes struggled to deal with ball fired into the danger area. O Riain Broin’s free put three in the difference but points from Barry O’Rorke and Ross O’Carroll reeled the gap in to the minimum at half-time, 1-6 to 0-8.

Crokes levelled matters on the restart with a

Barry Mulligan point but Jude’s responded well with Danny Sutcliffe scoring the first of his three points and further points from Ryan, Sutcliffe and O Riain Broin had their side four points to the good with 20 minutes remaining as they sought to end the stoic Crokes’ resistance.

While Crokes kept going to the finish the were met with stiff resistance by the Jude’s defence as the Tymon North side went on to victory with Mulligan’s point the only score they could muster down the final stretch as Jude’s stayed clear.

CASTLEKNOCK man Ciaran Kilkenny, along with Naomh Mearnog’s Kevin O’Brien, is on schedule to return to action with Dublin’s senior footballers in the new year following their respective cruciate knee ligament injuries earlier this year.

Both missed out on action in this year’s league and the Dubs entire championship campaign.

“Their training programmes have gone to plan and their plan would be to see action at the start of the year,” says Dublin manager Jim Gavin.

The Dublin manager is expecting a decision in the next fortnight from Alan Brogan and Denis Bastick regarding their future plans at intercounty level.

Gavin met with both players recently: “We’ve had discussions with those players, but it’s really not until we go back as a group in early December that they will make final decisions.”

“I’ve discussed it with them, and they are both important to Dublin football - but the fit has to be right.”

Dublin’s 2015 campaign begins with the O’Byrne Cup on January 4 with a tie against Athlone IT/NUI Maynooth before playing Offaly three days later and concluding the group phase on January 11 against Laois.

2014 Dubs Stars named with nine Vincent’s in list NINE St Vincent’s club men have made the starting line-up for the 2014 Dublin Bus Dubs Stars football team following their performances throughout the year.

The back-to-back Dublin champions and reigning All-Ireland club champions were in imperious form throughout the year and are lining up

a potential second successive Leinster title. For their efforts in the Dublin senior championship, Michael Savage, Jarlath Curley, Hugh Gill, Ger Brennan, Michael Concarr, Eamonn Fennell, Gavin Burke, Diarmuid Connolly and Ruairi Trainor were all given the nod.

The Dubs Stars will play Jim Gavin’s Dublin Selection in Chanel, Parnell’s club pitch on New Year’s Day as part of the annual doubleheader with the hurling duel.



Got a story? we want to know!

Call our sport team on 60 10 240 and SELECT OPTION 3

or email sport@dublingazette.com

GazetteSPORT all of your DUBLIN CITY sports coverage from page 35-39

hot prospect: Carroll has chance to make a mark as he fights on Prizefighter card this weekend P30

december 4, 2014

an array of awards: The best in Dublin athletics honoured at ceremony P37

Kearney named first Irish PGA #1  sport@dublingazette.com

ROYAL Dublin GC’s Niall Kearney became the first Irishman to be crowned the PGA number one following his wire-to-wire victory in the Titleist PGA playoffs.

The 26-year-old star rose to the occasion over the PGA Sultan Course at Antalya Golf Club in Turkey with rounds of 65, 67 and a closing 67 to finish on 14-under-par – two shots clear of the pack.

His victory secured him his main aim of a place in next year’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, but also brought with it a place in the Great Britain/Ireland PGA Cup team and a cheque for £2,000.

Kearney, who won with his dad Joe on his bag and his mum Fiona watching from the sidelines, said: “It’s huge to be the number one. I played really well all week.

“I led from day one which was difficult at times as I felt a bit of pressure. My game was there and it was just one of those weeks. It’s great I can come out here and play against the top guys from the regions and capture it.

“I’ve never played the BMW PGA Championship and that was my goal coming out here. It’s going to be a dream come true. I’ve watched it on TV every year and to be part of it is going to be a real treat.”

Kearney, who played Walker Cup

in 2009, held a two-shot lead going into the decisive third round of the £15,000 tournament.

He took a firm grip as he opened with a hat-trick of birdies from the first before dropping his first shot in 30 holes at the sixth. He instantly hit back with a birdie at the seventh and added one more birdie at 14 parring the remaining holes to seal a conclusive and competent victory over Englishmen Jason Levermore and former Tour winner David Dixon. Both will join Kearney at Wentworth next May and will also be GB&I team-mates at next September’s PGA Cup match against the United States, being held at CordeValle in California.

The PGA Cup is the Ryder Cup equivalent for PGA Professionals and features 10 players. The rest of the side will be completed next year with six from the PGA Professional Championship in June, with captain Jon Bevan having one pick.

Bevan was enthused by Kearney’s qualification. He said: “Niall has got a great pedigree. He’s played the Walker Cup, sampling match play at the highest level that he could at the time and will be a great asset.”

Kearney, who played on Challenge Tour this season, is now weighing up whether to have a stab at Asian Tour school in January 2015.

Royal Dublin Golf Club’s Niall Kearney celebrates his victory in Turkey