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March 27, 2014 Month XX, 2012

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Canal cycleway work set for 2015  Laura Webb

Work on a new cycle path through the city is expected to begin in 2015, providing the missing link to cycle paths already in place.

The cycle lane will go from Portobello to Blackhorse (Inchicore). This is the second phase of the Grand Canal Premium Cycle Route, which is set to link up Sheriff Street to Grange Castle.

A funding allocation of €100,000

has been allocated by the Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar to facilitate preliminary design, the planning process, detailed design and preparation of tender documents for this section of the route. Construction work is expected to start in 2015.

Dublin South East TD Kevin Humphreys (Lab) said this route will further encourage people to cycle and they will use it as a mechanism to get around Dublin.

Full Story on Page 2

Joined at the grip: Helping to support anti-bullying campaign LEINSTER and Ireland rugby star Jamie Heaslip was joined by TVpresenter Kathryn Thomas at Bear restaurant in South William Street recently, where they jointly hoisted aloft the Six Nations Cup – just one of the attractions at a

special fundraising dinner and awareness evening in aid of the ISPCC. Held at the restaurant that Jamie co-owns with Joe Macken, the evening was specifically in aid of the ISPCC’s anti-bullying Shield campaign. Picture: Richie Stokes

2 dublin city gazette 27 March 2014

dublin GAZETTe expansion Second phase will create link newspapers i n f o r m at i o n Top Floor, Clarendon House, 39 Clarendon Street, Dublin 2 Tel: 01 - 6010240 Dublin Gazette Newspapers publishes seven weekly quality free titles, covering the greater Dublin area from the city centre to Dun Laoghaire

Work on city cycle route to begin in 2015  laura webb lwebb@gazettegroup.com

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

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

Work on a new cycle route through the city centre is expected to begin in 2015.

Cycle lanes from Portobello to Blackhorse (Inchicore) will link up current cycle lanes already in place in the city.

The new section, which is the second phase of the Grand Canal Premium Cycle Route, will see cycle lanes eventually link up Sheriff Street to Grange Castle.

Cycling in the city is fast becoming an alternative way to get in and around the area. With the expansion of the Dublin Bike Scheme it shows residents in Dublin are turning to cycling as an alternative mode of transport.

In a bid to encourage more bike users to go to and from the city, a number of Government initiatives including developing cycle routes through the city have been initiated including the Grand Canal Premium Cycle Route.

As part of this development, two sections have already been constructed

Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar on one of the cycle routes in the city

and opened, with the first section running from Sheriff Street to Portobello and the second section going from Blackhorse (Inchicore) to the Grange Castle area.

Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar has provided a funding allocation of €100,000 in 2014 to begin the process of seeing this new cycle lane become a reality.

According to a spokesperson for the Department of Transport, the funding provided will be used “to facilitate preliminary design, the planning process, detailed design and preparation of ten-

der documents for this section of the route this year.”

Dublin South East TD Kevin Humphreys (Lab) said the proposal is a very welcomed development and it will further expand the cycleway. “It will eventually connect the canal route. This is to further encourage people to cycle and use it as a mechanism to get around Dublin.”

He went on to say that in the long-term plan there is a possibility of building cycle bridges over the canal. “This would allow for cyclists from Ranelagh and Rath-

mines connect to the priority cycle route.

“Cycling is good for the environment, it’s good for your pocket and it’s good for your health.

This premier route will be a fantastic safe route for people going into the city and I think it will further young children and adults to use their bikes more often,” he added.

Dublin South Central TD Joan Collins (PBP) said she agrees with the upgrading of cycle routes to ensure safety but maintenance on regional roads needs to be prioritised. “We are told all the time that there is no

money for A, B and C, but there is a lot of work to be done on regional thoroughfares and roads and I think they should be prioritised.

“They do sort of have equal value, the cycle routes are a huge safety feature on roads but in the scheme of things I do think, at the moment, priority should be given to roads and then cycle routes,” she said.

A Department of Transport spokesperson went on to say: “The Grand Canal Greenway Route is part of the recently published Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan, and a connection from the Grand Canal Greenway Route into the Adamstown area is also identified on the network as a secondary cycle route.”

It is expected that construction of the section between Portobello and Blackhorse should commence in 2015, “subject to funding availability and the outcome of the planning and land acquisition processes”.

27 March 2014 dublin city gazette 3

works Ballymun site could be transformed

April decision on eco centre funding A decision on an EU funding allocation to transform the Boiler House in Ballymun into an eco centre is expected to be made in April.

It had previously housed the boilers for the district central heating system and supplied hot and cold water to the flat

complexes in Ballymun.

As part of regeneration completion works, it was set to be decommissioned and demolished.

However, an alternative proposal has since been suggested for it to be used as the home of the Rediscovery Centre cluster transforming it

into an eco centre.

The Rediscovery Centre has submitted, with the support of Dublin City Council and Ballymun Regeneration Limited, an application under the European Commission’s LIFE+ programme to fund the repurpose of the Boiler

house as an eco centre.

According to a spokesperson for Dublin City Council this proposal is on the list of projects that will be considered for LIFE+ co-financing. A formal decision on the outcome of this application is expected in April.

Win: Pupil doodles for Google dublin pupil Kelly McCabe from Scoil Carmel Junior National School, Firhouse, has beat 74 regional finalists to win the sixth annual Doodle 4 Google competition. The theme of this year’s competition was My Adventure, and Kelly’s winning doodle My Adventure in the Jungle offered a creative twist to Google’s logo, and impressed John Herlihy, head of Google in Ireland.

It can now be seen on the Google Ireland homepage.

Picture: Marc O’Sullivan

campaign: community seeks status as ethnic group

Motion passes for Traveller recognition

 laura webb

Dublin city councillors passed a motion to support a campaign by the Irish Traveller Movement to have the Travelling community recognised as an ethnic group in this community.

The motion was brought forward by Cllr Brid Smith (PBPA) to see the council demonstrate support for Traveller ethnicity by reflecting this in the Traveller accommodation programme set to be complete in May. Speaking to The Gazette, Cllr Smith said this issue really needs to be addressed by the State.

“The State should be giving Travellers the recog-

nition of being an ethnic minority. I am hoping that this will prompt the state and the political parties to do something likewise.

“But just in the immediate for us as councillors, it does help us really to be able to argue when we are drafting an accommodation programme for Travellers. We have statutory obligation to draft a Traveller accommodation programme every five years and, when we are drafting that, this adds a lot of strength to it, that the programme would acknowledge that Travellers are a separate ethnic community.

“It helps to be able to go to the relevant Gov-

ernment department and say we have an ethnic minority group who have a different way of life, sometimes they don’t and sometimes they do, but because they are recognised as an ethnic minority we recognise their culture and if some of them want to remain living together in clutters in halting sites then we should be willing to accommodate that,” she added.

According to a council official the actual responsibility for the designation of an ethnic group is with the Department of Justice.

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said the Minister is

engaging with other Government departments on the issue by way of identifying any possible implications arising from the recognition of Travellers as an ethnic group. Those consultations are continuing and are expected to be brought to a conclusion “shortly”.

These consultations will ensure that the Minister has a full analysis of all aspects of granting of ethnic status to Travellers in framing any proposals on the matter that he may wish to bring to Government, the spokesperson said.

At the time of going to print, the Irish Traveller Movement was unavailable to comment.

4 dublin city gazette 27 March 2014

don’sdublin

st anne’s park Millennium celebration

Thanks to Gandon for some of our greatest buildings Of all the people who have left their mark on Dublin, James Gandon has a special place. He was a London-born architect who, over 40 years in his adoptive city, designed and built some of the city’s greatest buildings. In late-Georgian Dublin, during a period of great expansion, he saw the completion of the Custom House, the Four Courts, Lincoln’s Inn and Carlisle Bridge (now O’Connell Bridge) in 1794.

In 1781, Gandon was invited to Dublin by John Beresford (Revenue Commissioner for Ireland) to construct the Custom House on swampy land by the Liffey. It was unpopular with Dublin City Council and local merchants, and Gandon had to be smuggled into the country and stay hidden in Beresford’s home for three months. It eventually cost £200,000 – an enormous sum for the time.

Although the building and much of its innards were badly damaged during the War of Independence in 1921, parts of it were rebuilt with a darker shade of Irish limestone. Gandon lived out his later years in Lucan where he died on December 24, 1823. After more than 40 years in Dublin, he was well respected and mourners walked from Lucan to his final resting place in Drumcondra Church.

After I visited his memorial, I headed for the exit and noted a plaque on the wall. It was to Patrick Heeney the man who wrote the music for Amhran na bhFiann (The Soldier’s Song), our national anthem. He was a friend and musical collaborator of Peadar Kearney (he wrote the lyrics) and wrote the music in 1907. It was sung by volunteers during the Easter Rising, and after the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922 it was adopted as the national anthem. Although I had gone to the graveyard to see where Gandon was buried, I now left knowing where another man lay, and one whose contribution to Ireland is part of the nation’s DNA. It was a wonderful surprise.

Don Cameron

www.donsdublin.wordpress.com

James Gandon was the architect behind the Four Courts

council: plebiscite support

Dublin favours direct mayoral election  laura webb

St Anne’s Park will transform into a Viking village to celebrate the millennium of the Battle of Clontarf

Going back in time to Battle of Clontarf  laura webb

lwebb@gazettegroup.com

St Anne’s Park is going back in time this Easter when it transforms into a Viking village to celebrate the millennium of the Battle of Clontarf.

The two-day event, taking place on Saturday, April 19 and Sunday, April 20, will see families come down and get a feel for how Vikings lived in 1014.

There will be activities throughout the day with a Viking village hosting around 100 stalls showing what life was like back then.

Visitors can interact with a blacksmith, silversmith, play Viking chess known as Hnefatafl, see archery displays, hear storytelling as well as falconry displays and mounted Viking displays.

According to organisers, the idea is that people just walk around taking in the many activities and interesting items that will be displayed.

To add to this stellar festival, there will be two large scale re-enactments of the Battle of Clontarf with hundreds of “Vikings” coming from across Europe to join local groups like Fingal Living History to take part in this free event.

The re-enactments are set to take place twice a day, each day over the festival.

The ambitious plan will see one of the largest Viking villages and living history battle re-enactments ever produced in Ireland.

“This event is for everyone. It crosses age groups, young and old will enjoy it. A lot of adults have

already said how interested they are in it. There will be music as well from brass bands and strings,” a spokesperson for the event said.

The Vikings will also show off just how strong they can be during The Strongest Viking event.

Dress up

A model Viking boat can also be seen in the pond at the park, which is located in Clontarf.

Kids will not be bored with a Brian Boru Treasure Hunt, a Viking Trail, an inflatable games area, face painting and much, much more. Visitors are also being asked not to shy away from dressing up as a Viking to really look the part walking in a Viking village.

The Battle of Clontarf was fought on Good Friday, April 23,0 1014, when

the high-king Brian Boru lost his life in the hour of victory against his Scandinavian and Irish foes.

The festival has the potential to attract 20,000 visitors each day. Visitors to the event are being advised to use public transport and a number of extra services will be put in place.

Clontarf councillor Damien O’Farrell (Ind) said there is a lot of excitement in the area for this event. “It is a fantastic event and so much work has gone into it.

It’s going to bring a lot of business and tourism into the area. I would encourage everyone to come along.”

For further information on the festival and other commemorative events taking place this year, see www.brianborumillenium.ie

Dublin city councillors have voted in favour of letting Dublin have their say on whether the capital should have a directly elected mayor.

A plebiscite was unanimously supported by members of the city council, with 50 voting for, one councillor, Paddy Bourke (Ind) abstaining and one absentee, Bill Tormey (FG).

The vote was passed despite a number of councillors voicing concern about Dublin having a directly elected mayor with some giving costs as a major concern and not enough information given regarding the actual role of a Dublin mayor.

Democratic

Despite the concerns, councillors felt it was a democratic right for the residents of Dublin to make a decision on whether they want a directly elected mayor.

Dublin City Council is the first council to vote on whether a plebiscite should take place on the issue. The three other Dublin councils, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin are set to vote on March 31.

Should one council vote against the plebiscite the process will not go ahead.

If the plebiscite succeeds then residents of Dublin will vote on whether to establish the office of a directly elected mayor for Dublin during the local and European elections set to take place on May 23.

27 March 2014 dublin city gazette 5

6 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 27 March 2014

ARTS: ARTIST’S COLLECTION BOUGHT FOR €44,872 IN LONDON AUCTION

The work of artist Christy Brown (inset) has found a home at The Little Museum of Dublin (above) and the National Library of Ireland. Picture: Noel Pearson / The Little Museum of Dublin

Brown’s work finds a home in city centre  LAURA WEBB

lwebb@gazettegroup.com

DUBLINERS will be relieved to know that a collection of work by celebrated artist Christy Brown has found a home in the city centre thanks to The Little Museum of Dublin and the National Library of Ireland.

The collection was bought by the Little Museum of Dublin and the National Library at a London auction for €44,872 last week.

It includes the personal and family archive of the Irish author and painter.

These comprise paintings, books, personal effects, including pediscript, manuscript and typescripts.

There is some 40 letters by Christy to Katrina Delahunt (Maguire), the social worker who was the first person outside the family to recognise

his talent as a painter and writer. Letters to Beth Moore, Christy’s American friend and lover; books belonging to him; paintings; drawings and illustrations he made are also part of the collection.

Exciting

Speaking to The Gazette, Trevor White, director of The Little Museum of Ireland, said it is a “very exciting moment in the life of the museum”.

“We had been campaigning for the last few weeks to ensure this archive remained here in Dublin.

“We felt it was very scandalous that a treasure trove like this might leave Dublin for good.

Christy was himself a Dubliner and he was one of the most extraordinary Dubliners of the last century, so we felt it

was very important that he be remembered here,” he said.

Asked what the plans are for the collection, he said: “We hope to put it on over the summer, the material will go on show and it will also be available to researchers in the National Library as well.”

He went on to credit Dublin City Council for the museum saying: “They are our patron’s here for the museum.

They own this building, the museum would not exist without the vision of Dublin City Council. We have had consistent support from the councillors and the entire body of Dublin City Council and the executive. It is a really exciting moment for the life of the museum.”

The Little Museum of Dublin is located at 15 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2.

FASTNews

Alabama choir to take the bandstand TAKE some time out in St Stephen’s Green this month to listen to music performed by the McGill-Toolen Catholic High School Band.

Coming all the way from Mobile, Alabama, The McGillToolen Catholic High School Band will perform at the bandstand in St Stephen’s Green Park.

The school band is one of Mobile’s and Alabama’s oldest musical organisations. On the day they will be performing a selection of lively and popular modern tunes to entertain the public. The band is directed by Sean Noah.

This free event is set to take place at the bandstand on March 31 at 1.15pm.

Funding for school works A NUMBER of schools north and south of the city are to benefit from funding through the Government’s Summer Works Scheme.

The first round of grants, which has not been allocated since 2011, sees 386 school projects get under way, including 56 in Dublin.

Successful schools will receive money to improve and upgrade existing school buildings. This first round of funding allows schools to carry out small and medium scale building works across three categories of projects – gas, electrical and mechanical work.

The second round of the scheme is expected to be announced in the coming weeks, this covers other types of improvement works with applications still being assessed.

27 March 2014 dublin city gazette 7

8 dublin city gazette 27 March 2014

gazetteGALLERY

The solemn occasion was accorded great ceremony

Relaxing before their official duties ... social activist Fr Peter McVerry, rugby legend Brian O’Driscoll and the Lord Mayor, Oisin Quinn (Lab)

The Round Room in the Mansion House was full to capacity Brian with his latest top award

for the event. Pictures: Fennell Photography / Conor O Mearain

Amy Huberman, actress and Mimi Murray, editor, Fr Peter with his award

Dublin Gazette Newspapers

people: FR PETER MCVERRY, BRIAN O’DRISCOLL AWARDED DUBLIN’S LEADING CIVIC HONOUR

Humbled to get city freedom  laura webb

THE honorary roll call for recipients of Dublin’s highest accolade had a couple of new signatures added to it when two of Dublin’s finest citizens were awarded the Freedom of the City of Dublin 2014.

Social activist Fr Peter McVerry, of the Peter McVerr y Tr ust, and world-renowned rugby player Brian O’Driscoll became the 77th and 78th people to receive the honour during a ceremony at the Mansion House.

They were both recognised for their work in the fields of social justice and sport.

Fr Peter has worked with and campaigned for the rights of Dublin’s young homeless for more than 30 years, while Brian is considered to be one of the world’s best rugby players, having captained Leinster, Ireland and the British and Irish Lions during his international career that ended a week before receiving the award.

The last time the Freedom of the City was

given was seven years ago, when artist Louis Le Brocquy and poet Thomas Kinsella received the honour.

The Round Room in the Mansion House was full to capacity, with family, friends, colleagues, politicians and fans of the two men gathered for the event.

Signatures Black and white pictures depicting the life of both Fr McVerry and O’Driscoll hung on the walls for all to see, while the signatures of previ-

ous recipients, including William J Clinton (or former US President Bill Clinton, as we know him) and Larry Mullen Jnr, of U2, scrolled down on big screens.

The Young European Strings Chamber Orchestra entertained guests before the ceremony began.

The two men were chosen by Lord Mayor of Dublin Oisin Quinn (Lab) to receive the award.

Surprised to be chosen, O’Driscoll told the Dublin City Gazette: “When

the Lord Mayor contacted me, the furthest thing from my mind was the freedom of the city.

“I looked at the list of people and I couldn’t see where rugby players fit in with it, but I am absolutely thrilled and I see it as one of the greatest honours that has been bestowed on me.

“What makes it more special is that I get to share the day with Fr Peter. He inspires everyone with the work he does.”

On the honour, Fr McVerry said: “When the

Lord Mayor rang me and asked me to meet him, I thought I was coming to talk about homelessness and then, when he told me [about the honour], I was taken aback.

“Then, I thought: ‘Oh, maybe you get free parking or something’, but then I was told you don’t,” he laughed.

“I never expected it, and I felt very humbled to be on the same list as Nelson Mandela, and even today I am humbled to be [listed] with Brian.”

In his acceptance speech, Fr McVerry said

the award was a recognition of the team at the Peter McVerry Trust for all the work they have done, and all the work they will continue to do.

He said homelessness cannot be “rejected or marginalised”, and said there is no reason why people should be homeless in 2014.

Both men seemed genuinely humbled by the award, and they both made their mark in history when they put pen to paper to sign their name in the book alongside the 76 other recipients.

27 March 2014 dublin city gazette 9

gazetteGALLERY

Suhala Oman-Carty

Maureen Ely and Minister Lynch

Be the cokey ... A light-hearted moment with Minister of State Kathleen Lynch (centre) and Cherry Francis, Elaine Shaw, Hilary Kingston, Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Martina Fitzpatrick, Sharon Sweeney, Mary-Jane Fitzsimons and Clare Healy. Pictures: Geraldine Woods

Caring to help out M

INISTER of State with responsibility for Disability, Older People, Equality and Mental Health, Kathleen Lynch, was on hand at the Irish Museum of Modern Art recently, where she presented certificates certificates to the first 16 graduates of Age and Opportunity’s creative exchanges programme.

She congratulated the graduates on their

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achievement, which saw them complete a programme designed to give activities coordinators the skills and confidence to organise good-quality music and visual art activities in nursing homes and care settings. In turn, the skills gained will have a direct knock-on effect in further improving the quality of life of older persons in care across the nation.

Ciaran McKinney, programme Sr Elizabeth Farrell and Minister Lynch

manager

10 dublin city gazette 27 March 2014

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Neeraj Tripathie and Vikas Kshatriya

The crowd is splashed with multi-coloured paint as part of the Holi Festival. Pictures: Cathy Weatherston

Merlin Elsa David and Thaara Rose Wilson

Hindu fest adds a splash of colour T

HE Indian community in Ireland recently celebrated the festival of colour Holi at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght.

This Hindu event marks the beginning of spring, and features vibrant colours that symbolise energy and brighten and celebrate life.

It was organised by Unitas Isac – a not-for-profit

A range of dance performances took place

organisation working to promote Integration through Sports, Arts and Culture in Ireland.

The crowds were entertained by a wide range of Bollywood, Indian classical and semi classical dancing and musical performances, as well as an arts table and face painting for children, and the spraying of coloured paint.

Julia Szmaj and Ciara Liu

27 March 2014 Gazette 11

escape the mayhem P15

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

business P16

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diary P12

what’son Electric Picnic line-up: Last

The Gazette talks to DCU student nurse Molly Breen about one day in her life

a day in the life: There’s hardly a moment to spare for student nurse, molly

‘I really enjoy what i do’  Laura Webb

Student life is tough, but when you are studying to be a nurse, it’s a very hands on experience and a day in the life of a student nurse can be quite hectic.

This week, The Gazette talks to DCU student nurse Molly Breen about one day in her life.

Waking up at 5.30am, it’s usually too early to think about eating anything.

With no buses operating at that time of the morning, it’s a two-wheel affair for her to her placement at Beaumont

Hospital.

“I leave at 6.30am, get in, get changed, be on the ward for 7.20am for hand over and my day starts there.

“I eat when I get in there. I get my breakfast at about 9.30am or sometimes I wouldn’t even get it until 11am depending on what I am doing – there are drug rounds and things like that, that I would have to do first. Then I would get lunch at about 4pm. I usually have to wait to be told to go to lunch because you need to look after the patients first,” she said.

It is often 9pm or 9.30pm before she

manages to leave the hospital.

“Once I get home, I would love to go running but when I cycle home it is usually about 9.30pm, 10pm so I am usually too tired to do much else.

“I would go to bed, maybe watch some TV but I don’t like doing that.

I like to go home and do something but because of the time constraints I don’t.

“If I do have the time to get home and relax I love to watch, and it is going to sound really silly, but I love to watch Grey’s Anatomy,” she laughed.

“I know there is a lot of my life spent

in hospitals but I love it.

“If I am not watching that I love The Mindy Project – that is also to do with hospitals. I just can’t get away from it. I also, like hockey and going to the gym.”

At the moment she doesn’t only intern as a nurse five days a week. “I do relief work sometimes in orthopaedic and I also do a bit of agency work for nursing. I might also do 24-hour or 48-hour shifts in homecare so really everything in my life is to do with caring. It never stops. But I really enjoy what I do,” she said.

Wednesday saw the announcement of this year’s exciting line-up for the Electric Picnic festival in Stradbally and the great and good of Dublin music lovers and festival supporters gathered at the art gallery and installation space, The Chocolate Factory, to celebrate the prospect of another memorable long weekend in Laois. With the best kept secrets in music finally announced, that this year’s headliners will be Beck, Portishead and the reforming Outkast, with performances from perennial favourites Pet Shop Boys, Simple Minds and Nile Rodgers as well as young guns Foals, St Vincent and Metronomy, there is certainly something for everyone as the festival capitalises on its tenth anniversary year being named as the best festival in Ireland at the IMRO Music Awards. Tickets are on sale now from ticketmaster.ie, and special deals are in place for experienced Picnicers, who receive a sizeable discount depending on the number of previous festivals they have attended. electricpicnic.ie

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12 Gazette 27 March 2014

dublinlife

‘Eggsplorers’ wanted to take part in a cracking good event Young “eggsplorers” are being invited to take part in a Cadbury Easter Egg Trail in aid of children’s charity Barnardos to be held in Merrion Square, Dublin on April 19.

A family ticket for the egg hunt costs €20 and Cadbury promises a day of great Easter fun as the whole family gets involved in finding the eggs.

Everyone will be a winner, though, as they pick

up their free Cadbury’s Easter egg when they finish the hunt.

Attending families will also be invited to help Cadbury set a new world record for the biggest egg ’n’ spoon race and everyone who participates will get more free treats.

TV presenter Lucy Kennedy, ambassador for the Cadbury Easter Egg Trail supporting Barnardos, said: “This is a

fantastic event for all the family to enjoy, knowing that they are helping to raise much-needed funds for Barnardos.”

Tickets for the hunt can be bought at www. eastereggtrail.com.

keen eyes spot kingpin nidge on the streets N i d ge i s b a c k o n the streets of Dublin again as season five of

Love/Hate began filming last week. Actor Tom Vaughan Lawlor was on location in Ballymun and was seen around The Towers pub between takes.

The filming attracted locals looking for a chance to meet Lawlor, who plays criminal kingpin Nidge and some fans were even lucky enough to get a few selfies with him.

Lucy Kennedy and Fergus Finlay, Barnardos chief executive, with Arona and Elliot, launching the Cadbury Easter Egg Trail. Picture: Patrick O’Leary

Makers of the IFTA winning gangland drama series are notoriously secretive about where shooting will take place as the well-known

actors draw large numbers of fans and onlookers to the set.

The actors are under strict instructions not to discuss locations and

are only informed of where they will be on the day of shooting.

T he current shoot now happening around Dublin will continue

27 March 2014 Gazette 13

until June with some of the filming to be done abroad as Nidge is rumoured to flee to Spain during the final season.

Tom Vaughan Lawlor and his fellow Love/ Hate actors Charlie Murphy and Mary Murray are all in contention for IFTAs this year which will be held on April 5.

Drake enjoys a drop of the black stuff W hat w o u l d S t Patrick’s Day be without a global celebrity taking to the city to enjoy a few

pints of Guinness ahead of his sell-out gig at the O2 – yes Drake we saw you.

The Diary was taking in the festivities on St Patrick’s Day when we had to do a double take to make sure our eyes were not deceiving us. Thankfully they weren’t, we were only too delighted to see Drake in full green getup celebrating the day among us.

The multi-platinum rapper had a big happy head on him texting someone on his phone – maybe he was telling his rumoured girlfriend, Rihanna, about all the fun she was missing.

He was enjoying himself in Bruxelles and was also spotted enjoying a drink in Temple Bar – hope you had fun Drake.

falling out over facebook friend deletion

Drake enjoying the atmosphere at Bruxelles Cafe Bar

There has been hair pulling and name calling in Clondalkin this week.

Local election candidate Francis Timmons (Ind) has a griev-

ance over Labour’s Cllr Breeda Bonner deleting him as his friend on Facebook.

Timmons repor ted the devastating news indicating: “She doesn’t

Support local business

like the truth.” Whatever that means.

The Gazette carefully looked into the Irish Statute Book to see if there are any laws regarding the deletion

of friends on Facebook, but alas there are none.

T his social media faux pas is only the start of what’s to come in the build-up to the local elections so we

Advertise with the Gazet te call 60 10 240

Gazette

diary

think it’s time to grow a thicker skin Francis.

Maybe after the votes are counted and the results are in you can become FBBFF’s once again.

Local

Matters

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14 Gazette 27 March 2014

dublinlife

comedy

interview: british comic and campaigner mark thomas on rebelling

Dissent the way that big business should work for us  rob heigh

IF THERE has been one voice in comedy happy to shout the loudest and point out the ludicrious inequities in society and the folly of our elected representatives, it has been Mark Thomas.

The English stand-up comedian and campaigner is returning to Ireland early next month and will appear at the Sugar Club on Thursday, April 3.

Following his remarkable Bravo Figaro show that won plaudits and

awards in 2012, Mark started about committing 100 acts of minor dissent in the space of a year, with the cut-off point being midnight on May 13.

Speaking to The Gazette, he discussed how things are going with the campaign, and said he has a special reason to make sure he hits his target.

“I will have done 80 [such acts] by the end of this month, and then I am in trouble! Either I have to mount an art exhibition, and a live show featuring all 100 acts, or I am pay-

ing [controversial British political party] UKIP £1,000. I woke up in a panic this morning at that prospect!

“I have two months left to finish off the acts.

I am planning later today to get banned from every Tesco store in London. I am going to start by asking them to ban me, and if they refuse, I will start performing actions in the shop.

“I am planning to buy a load of oranges, write a letter on every one, and go back and put them out on

the display to read: ‘What does it take to get banned

by Tesco?’,” he said.

One of those acts of dissent – regarding Apple – had a distinctly local angle, from an Irish perspective.

Mark said: “As Apple and many multinationals structure their affairs to minimise the amount of tax they pay, and as Ireland is a no- to-low tax rate country for corporations, Ireland is a tax haven for multinationals and corporations, making it a financial equiva-

lent of Guantanamo Bay – in that you can do things there that you can’t get away with in other places.

“I was arguing that, in a time of austerity, what you need to do is pay your proper level of tax in the place you are actually working or doing business in, which seems fair.

“So, we decided to create a counter-narrative by celebrating Apple’s Irishness. We went into their Regent Street store with a ceili band, played The Irish Rover, handed out

Mark Thomas prepares for another small act of minor dissent. Picture: Steve Ullathorne

song sheets, and then we left.

“These little acts of rebellion are joyous and wonderful things,” said

Mark.

For further information about Mark and his 100 acts, see www.markthomasinfo.com.

27 March 2014 Gazette 15

Gazette

ESCAPE THE MAYHEM

Nessa Childers: It’s a tale of three cities as mep takes a walk to get away from the noise

Banking on a good read for relaxation

Each week the Gazette speaks to Dubliners about how they like to unwind in a bustling, busy city. Nessa Childers, MEP, tells us how she chills out after a week of politics  laura webb

Travelling between three countries for work means downtime in the life of a European politician is a must for an MEP. Independent MEP Nessa Childers spends most of her week in Brussels and the rest going between Dublin and Strasbourg. Speaking to The Gazette about how she escapes it seems the simple things in life are

what help her get away from it all.

“I love green space and I would make time to leave wherever I live at least once a day usually early in the morning.

“I would walk for about an hour, sometimes more if I divide it up between morning and the evening.

“The easiest place to do that is in Dublin because I live next to Belfield. I’ve lived next to it for 25 years. There is

a lot of green space and pathways around it.

“If I was at home I would take off around Belfield and then if I am down in Sandymount, where my partner is, the dog features big time in Dublin.

“Whether it is Belfield or Sandymount strand I would be off down the strand right down to the lighthouse and back again with the dog, Milo.”

If she is not walking in Dublin, Nessa makes time to walk in a park in Brussels and around Strasbourg.

“There isn’t a lot of green space around me in Brussels so I walk up

to the park and I walk around it in circles.

Strasbourg is very difficult to get to but it is a beautiful medieval town and there are rivers and canals that you can walk down – I really like that about Strasbourg.

“I walk by myself because you try to get away from the noise to some degree.

“I used to climb a lot but I banjaxed my right knee so that isn’t so easy and I would lift weights too. I go to the gym too,” she told The Gazette.

If the weather goes against, it’s the old reliable book that helps her to take her mind off things.

Independent MEP Nessa Childers

“I am one of those people that can’t be without books but now I have a kindle. I am deep-

ly attached to it, it goes everywhere with me. At the moment I have 20 [books] on it. Some are

documentaries, thrillers – I would move from one book to another,” she said.

Gazette

16 Gazette 27 March 2014

dublinlife

schools

learning strategies: st dominic’s secondary school

Dedication to education and their local community St Dominic’s Secondary School in Ballyfermot have been encouraging young people to believe in themselves for years and principal Mary Daly has been a member of the staff since 1977, when she began her journey as a geography and Irish teacher. In 2000, she was appointed as principal.

Mary is married to sculptor Jarlath Daly, and they have three daughters.

This week she spoke to the Gazette about being committed to the Ballyfermot community.

Mary, originally from Castlefin, Co Donegal, is a

keen sports fan and enjoys travelling to rugby and GAA matches. Her sporting hero is Ronan O’Gara and she says she believes that his sheer commitment, dedication and leadership skills on and of the pitch are inspirational. The Department of Education and Skills has invited Mary and other school staff members in recent years to share their innovative teaching and learning methodologies.

“Our school community has been serving the communities of Ballyfermot, Chapelizod, Clondalkin, Lucan,

Inchicore and Drimnagh since September 1956.

Daly says parents choose their school because of the wide curriculum they offer students including higher level in all subjects.

“This wide provision of subjects has resulted in our school having the highest number of students progressing to third level and further education in the local area.

“During the past number of years, all staff have participated in continuous professional development in effective and engaging teaching

and learning strategies.

“We are also highly commended for our pastoral care, and the provision of mental health/ well-being for our students. We continue to offer a wide range of extracurricular activities and after school, holiday period revision classes, which are offered free to our students.”

Daly says that since 2008 there has been a reduction in their teaching allocation and funding.

“We as a management team have decided that our students will not have fewer opportunities

Principal Mary Daly of St Dominic’s Secondary School in Ballyfermot

in their educational journey. We have committed ourselves to providing the same curriculum with fewer staff, this has been possible because as a management team we have taken up other duties and teaching when necessary. Our staff have also assumed

extra responsibilities to ensure that our students do not suffer from these cut backs in education.

Daly says they also understand the importance of social media in the school.

“Since August 2012, we have school Facebook, Twitter and Linke-

din accounts which are updated daily by staff to share up-to-date information about our school.

Our school website has been developed in order to give the public access to all our school policies, curriculum and activities and this is updated on a weekly basis.”

27 March 2014 Gazette 17

music P23

cinema P24

asdfsdaf P27

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

style P18

Pets can you give dani a true home?

Authors participating in this year’s Franco-Irish Literary Festival include Laura Alcoba, Paul Lynch, John Montague and Philippe Vasset

anniversary: literary event celebrates 15 years of collaboration

Festival of Franco-Irish friendship  ian begley

The 15th anniversary of the FrancoIrish Literary Festival is taking place again this year at the prestigious George’s Hall at Dublin Castle.

The festival’s aim is to widen and enhance the long-standing friendship that exists between Ireland, France and other French-speaking countries.

It welcomes writers in both the English and Irish languages, together with writers of the wider francophone world.

In doing so, it provides an opportunity to showcase a wide selection of Irish and French writers for the Irish public.

Jean-Philippe Imbert, a founding member of the festival, spoke to the

Gazette about what’s in store for this year.

“We first started very small, but the Franco-Irish Literary Festival is becoming one of the leading literary festivals on the Dublin scene. It’s free for everybody to attend and we will have both French and English interpreters.

“We have 18 writers meeting at Dublin Castle over a span of three days – half of them are French and half of them are Irish. Most of them are leading writers and leading poets because we mix both.

“We have panel discussions which will be around different themes like metamorphosis and rebirth.

“We allow the audience to listen and interact with the writers and ask them

questions.

“There are huge historical connections with France and Ireland which have [existed] since the Middle Ages.

I’ve been in Ireland for 26 years and when I first came here, I was amazed at the amount of Irish people speaking French, and reading French literature and enjoying French culture,” said Imbert.

Some of the most notable literary figures that will be attending this year’s festival include: Paul Lynch, Deirdre Madden, John Montague, Philippe Vasset and Laura Alcoba.

The Franco Irish Literary Festival is the result of successful collaboration between the Alliance Francaise and the cultural service of the French

Embassy.

It has been supported to great effect by such Irish organisations as the Arts Council, Foras na Gaeilge, Poetry Ireland, Ireland Literature Exchange, Irish Writers’ Centre, by Irish and French sponsors such as Ireland Fund de France, l’Institut francais, CRH, Hennessy, Servier Laboratories, and by the Irish media and, in particular, RTE lyric fm.

The programme and selection of authors is made by a Franco-Irish committee made up of significant figures from the worlds of literature, publishing and academia.

For more information on the Franco Irish Literary Festival, visit www.francoirishliteraryfestival.com.

The Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs. Our Dog of the Week is Dani, a one-year-old Collie cross. Dani is only a young girl but she is very worried by handling.

Due to this, she would need an experienced dog-owning home who understand she will need time to settle in and help teach her that the world is not so scary.

If you think you could give this playful lady a loving home then please contact Dogs Trust on 01-8791000. They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50 and would love to show you around. Map and directions can be found on their website www. dogstrust.ie

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

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18 Gazette 27 March 2014

OUT&ABOUT

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Penneys Tropica

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Perfect for the pool ... Dunnes top €15, bottom €10

Make some waves  laura webb

HELLO, holiday season! It’s almost the fourth month of the year, and the sunny holiday season is nearing us – so now is the time to look at investing in some one- or two-piece swimwear.

The classic triangle bikini remains popular on the beach, but one trend that is taking over is the high-waist low-line bikini separates. This is a flattering fit

for women, and shows off all the right curves.

The swimsuit is also high on the agenda for keen beachgoers. A swimsuit doesn’t necessarily mean you should look like you are ready to go for a 50-lap swim – there is one-piece swimwear that has style, whilst also covering up.

This week, Gazette Style takes a look at some of the swimwear making waves this year.

27 March 2014 Gazette 19

Penneys Crochet floppy hat €5

Gazette

STYLE

M&S Top/Bottom €24/€19

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Penneys 1” heel sandal €18 (Available May)

Dunnes Aqua bandeau

print €20

20 GAZETTE 27 March 2014

GAZETTE

&ABOUT OUT fast

TRAVEL

TRAVEL NEWS

Cruise over to a show WHETHER you fancy setting sail for paradise on a Caribbean coast, sailing past the silent fjords of Alaska, or enjoying a cultural stop-off at one of your favourite European cities, the upcoming cruise holiday show hosted by e-Travel.ie should help you make some decisions.

The exclusive cruise event will feature many leading cruise specialists, covering fun-filled, actionpacked holidays for the whole family on board luxury ships bursting with amenities such as rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, surf parks, great nightlife, shopping, Aquaspas and gourmet cuisine.

Smaller, more intimate cruise ships and destinations will also be covered.

The cruise show takes place on Sunday, April 6, from 12 – 5pm at the Red Cow Moran Hotel.

Leave the hustle and bustle behind to linger by the lakeside at Lusty Beg Island, where the calming water and serene setting will greatly relax you

NORTHERN IRELAND: ENNISKILLEN TOWN AND AREA ENTHRAL

Waterside relaxation

 NATALIE BURKE

AS A county best known for its lakelands and notable playwrights, a visit to Fermanagh had been on the cards for quite some time.

Like many counties in our fair green isle, it’s a destination that captures all the elements of a picturesque getaway.

I hear there’s a trail for every interest, whether it’s cycling, lakeside walks or a trip down memory lane, but it wasn’t the outdoors I was there to see – I was checking out some of the county’s favourite hideaways instead, so I’m holding on to the wellies for next time ...

Our first destination was Enniskillen, the bustling main county town of Fermanagh. I was hoping to explore a little on foot, taking in the home town of Samuel Beckett, but that plan soon disintegrated after checking into the Enniskillen Hotel.

Deceptively spacious,

you’re instantly welcomed into a cosy, intimate setting. As my visit coincided with an unexpected shower of snow, a blazing fire was just the ticket to kick-start my weekend hibernation.

The hotel is more contemporary than country, with quirky quotes – some

by Beckett himself – to be found on the walls and menus. The rooms have been designed with a nofuss approach.

The rainfall showers, fluffy towels and freewifi all add to the homely experience, but it’s the friendliness of the staff that really struck a chord.

A pre-dinner drink was the perfect excuse for a cocktail-making lesson by the hotel’s experienced mixologist, before settling down for dinner in Beckett’s restaurant.

Here, the dishes are made from locallysourced produce and the menu is diverse in choice.

Rather than retiring to the couch for a night-cap, we

settled instead into Wilde’s whiskey-tasting room to truly make the most of “the water of life”.

Our mixologist returned, this time wearing his whiskey connoisseur hat, for our masterclass in Bushmills.

Next day, our journey took us right to the heart of Fermanagh’s lakelands.

Reaching the lakeside, a small two-car ferry transported us to Lusty Beg Island – a haven all by itself, meaning reality is always a five-minute boat ride away.

The entire resort takes inspiration from its surroundings and guests walk to and from the different amenities, making fresh air the order of the day.

There’s a selection of accommodation to choose from, including self-catering chalets and courtyard rooms. For outdoor enthusiasts, the island has a nature trail and activity centre on-site, while the retreat spa is the perfect place to unwind.

Enniskillen Hotel is contemporary home from home

After a refreshing walk around the island, we settled into a corner of the resort’s rustic bar to soak up the wholesome feeling.

Dinner is served in the Island Restaurant, with a diverse and carefully selected menu. The gambas pil pil (tiger prawns) were the highlight of the night, while the Lusty Beg steak went down a treat.

You can’t help but feel like getting back in touch with nature when surrounded by such impressive lakeside scenery, so it was up early the next

morning for another stroll before visiting the island spa. Using only organic products, the spa blends well with the rest of the resort, with an outdoor garden and hot tub.

For a well-deserved treat to round the visit off, the organic mud wrap is a must. With elements of peat, the wrap is full of anti-oxidants, tying in perfectly with the holistic feeling of Fermanagh’s favourite escape.

For further information, see www.enniskillenhotel. com, and www.lustybegisland.com.

27 March 2014 GAZETTE 21

BOOKS: THE BLACK SNOW GLITTERS

Pavilion

Masterfully transcends its farming background  BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

THE second novel by journalist Paul Lynch, The Black Snow is set in a farming community in the northwest of Ireland in 1945.

The date is of no real significance, as the fictional setting is based on many remote and timeless villages in Ireland that seem to have resisted the pull of modern life.

The story is about a family of “blow-ins” who have a large farm.

Tragedy visits their comfortable circumstances when a fire breaks out in the cow byre, killing the whole herd of 43 cattle, while a farmhand dies in the panicked attempt to free the beasts.

T he farm’s ow ner, Barnabas Kane, watches as his employee, Matthew Peoples, dies in the blaze.

Neighbours from nearby farms are quick to react and help out during the disaster, but turn very resentful and suspicious after Peoples dies.

Kane is blamed by Peoples’ wife, Baba, and many others in the

whole community for the man’s death, and the biblical connotations are stark in the names Lynch gives his characters.

Lynch is a young writer who is now coming into his own very significant power. This growth in confidence and assurance is mirrored in the current novel, which begins with a superfluity of description that seems forced at times, and hampers the flow of the story.

Introduction This is a real pity, because the introduction is just that – our first meeting with the story and its characters.

As such, it should effortlessly glide into our subconscious until the author has secured a commitment from the reader further along.

Thankfully, the introduction is something of a false start, and once the fire starts in the story, it sets off another one in the writer.

His dialogue is fabulously authentic and anyone who has ever spent even a small amount of time among

such weird and wonderful rural characters will be able to immediately identify this.

The characters’ speech and internal monologues speed the plot along, despite some slight confusion at times as we step in and out of different characters’ thoughts.

The thing is though, you really don’t care about which character’s mind you are hijacking because the writing is so good.

Lynch slips from a close omniscience where we are almost sitting on the characters’ shoulders into their subconscious with swift expertise and no warning.

It is a device underpinned by the utter absence of any inverted commas whatsoever when anyone speaks.

We go out on wild escapades through the characters’ thoughts and recollections, which match and even outdo the wildness of the scenery.

When Lynch does not push or force anything, and gets swept along by his own native talent and feel for language,

GAZETTE

ARTS

Aisling Riannon, Creating Space 2013.

Pictures: Tatyana Turchina

A showcase of modern dance skills  BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

A 1945 community turns on some “blow-ins” in The Black Snow (€14.99, Quercus)

he is quite literally, masterful.

He also shows great strength in depicting very abstract and unsaid things, such as the evolution of thought: “The way he saw the house unlocked something in his mind, an unthought thing that moved forward into thinking.”

This is unique writing which is based in a solid knowledge and sympathy for these fictional natives.

His forays into vulgarity are poetic and hilarious at once.

Apparent are literary traces of an Irish heritage, especially the likes of John McGahern and James Joyce, but Lynch makes use of them as raw, unbidden influences, which he makes into something new.

Author Paul Lynch greatly impresses with this tale, which has some brilliant characterisation

The Black Snow is not only a wonderful read by a significant new writer, it is a must-read by one of our future greats.

The Black Snow is published by Quercus and is available at all good bookstores, priced €14.99.

THE Dance Studio of Ireland is holding the first of its biennial Creating Space showcases at its premises in Dun Laoghaire.

The free showcase this March features the work of choreographers Aisling Riannon, Rachel Sheil, Liadain Herriott, Emily Aoibheann and Emma Fitzgerald, and each piece will be a short work in progress.

Biannual Twice a year, choreographers and dancers are invited to apply for the chance to devise an original piece, which is then shown to the public for free.

After the performances, the floor is opened up to the public for a questions and answers session with the choreographers.

Creating Space is on in the Dance Theatre of Ireland in Dun Laoghaire on March 30 at 3pm, and while admission is free, reservation is necessary.

To reserve a place at the showcase, email info@dancetheatreireland.com.

22 Gazette 27 March 2014

27 Month 2014 Gazette 23

Gazette

Gazette

MUSIC&ENTS OUT&ABOUT Reviews Dave is pining just a little to get out with his new album interview: bell x1’s singer on latest project, join me in the pines

Mary Byrne

 rebecca lee

Dublin Q102

BELL X1’s Dave Geraghty has been a very busy man of late. The Irish singer-songwriter has recently recorded an album under a new name, Join Me in The Pines.

The new collection sees him perform a host of new songs, alongside Irish singer Clare Finglass and his mother!

I caught up with Dave, who plays most of the instruments used on his album, and asked him about his unique solo title, working with his mum and life as part of Bell X1.

Tell me about Join Me in The Pines. Where did the idea to rename yourself come from?

I’d been searching for a pseudonym or project name for years. In fact, I wanted to release my second record, The Victory Dance, under a different moniker, but I just couldn’t find the right hook to hang the music on.

This time, similar to the spirit that the album was made with, I just decided on something I liked and ran with it.

The image of the pines, in part, inspired the songs and in part was evoked by the developing mood of the album.

Join Me appeared whilst watching a documentary on JFK. He was giving what would be his last speech in Texas, just before that ill-fated drive past the grassy knoll.

The reception to JFK was not as warm as he

would’ve liked, so he invited his wife, Jackie, who was adored in “the red states”, to join him to boost his PR. I just love that very human and gentle invite, “Join me…”, and also, the fact that JFK needed his girl.

What can fans expect from the new album?

I had a lot more fun with the recording of this album [than others].

It being studio album number nine, one would hope that lessons had been learned! That, and the fact that I had built a studio attached to the house.

T he arrangements are more stripped back, allowing space in the music. I worked a little more on the vocal arrangements, which was a lot of fun to hear materialising. You simply can’t beat the sound of the human voice.

I understand your mum features on the album. Is music something that’s always been in the family?

Yes, my mum was one half of a female vocal duo. Sure, she’s amazing, and she also works for free! The other lady is, of course, the wonderful Clare Finglass, who has sung on both [of my] previous solo records.

Is it true you recorded the album in your own home studio?

That’s correct. It’s a really great space to have.

Neil Young should’ve been singing about that – it’s not “a maid” that a man needs – it’s “a cave”.

A man needs a cave.

Apart from the Join Me

Next week sees the release of a new album from Dublin’s favourite singing check-out girl, Mary Byrne. Her new set is a collection of songs from the musicals and features her first self-penned song, Midnight Dreamer.

Magic Of The Musicals features The X Factor’s X-factor singing timeless classics like Cheek To Cheek, Hello Young Lovers, and Summertime, and she said: “I decided I wanted to do an album of songs which I grew up with and loved. ”

Kylie Minogue

Dave Geraghty, singer-songwriter, Bell X1

in The Pines album, all of the contender songs for Bell X1’s [album] Chop Chop were tried and tested here, so the space has well and truly been roadtested.

Was it difficult balancing working on the new album with touring with Bell X1?

Not really. To be honest, when it was time to go on tour with Bell X1, and down tools on the [new] record, it was never a bad thing to have a break from the intensity of working alone on the solo stuff.

There are plenty of hours on the road between cities to think about the strategy for when I got home and

back into the driving seat of Pines.

Do you write and produce all of your material yourself?

Yes! Try as I may to let some control away from my hands, I always seem to end up doing it myself.

How are things with Bell X1? Have you any plans to tour again soon?

Things are great with Bell X1, thanks. We’re looking forward to getting into the festival season again. Watch this space for festival announcements ...

If you could collaborate with any musician in the world, who would you like to collaborate

with and why?

I’ve been really digging Damon Albarn these last few years. I was a fan of Blur’s Think Tank when it came out, and then the whole Gorillaz thing happened.

I just love how he thinks about music. It’s full of emotion but it never strays into “overwrought” territory.

Do you prefer performing solo or as part of a group?

They are such different beasts, I could never say I prefer one over the other.

I’m really looking forward to getting out there with Pines and playing the new music. There are many different types

of adrenaline rush, and many flavours to savour.

Finally, what’s next for Join Me in The Pines?

We’re trying something we’ve never done before with this bare-bones tour in April. In conjunction with gigstarter.com, fans can have their say on what towns and cities Pines performs in.

It’s a new and exciting way to play places, where the most enthusiasm and warmth is [to be found].

FOR further information, see http://www.gigstarter.com/tour/join-me-inthe-pines.

Dave Geraghty’s new single, Joy is a Lion, will be released here on April 11.

Hot on the heels of the announcement that the perennial princess of pop Kylie Minogue is to play the O2 on November 8, arrives her latest album, Kiss Me Once.

Leading off with instant classic, Into The Blue, the album showcases a sleeker, more direct sound for Kylie that smacks of her change of label – she is now part of Jay Z’s RocNation – and change of production and writing talent, with the likes of Pharrell Williams, MNDR and Sia collaborating on the 11 tracks.

Gazette

24 Gazette 27 March 2014

OUT&ABOUT

CINEMA

ReelReviews

most wanted

A Fozzily told sequel KERMIE and co return with an upbeat sequel, with Muppets Most Wanted (Cert G, 112 mins) seeing the world’s most dangerous frog cunningly swap places with his doppleganger – the leader of the Muppets.

It ain’t easy being green, particularly when you’re languishing in a gulag and Miss Piggy’s hamming it up with the likes of Ricky Gervais. It’s an okay sequel to the great recent reboot.

Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and Steve Rogers’s (Chris Evans) alter egos, Black Widow and Captain America, don’t always agree on how best to save the day

need for speed

Much vroom to improve FOR those looking for films driven by a great plot, sparkling dialogue and charismatic actors – sorry, here’s Need For Speed (Cert 12A, 132 mins) instead. Managing to stretch out its Boys Own-ish plot (fast cars get driven recklessly; repeat) into an unlikely two-hourplus film, Michael Keaton takes the money and ... sits around shouting excitedly at the fast cars’ action.

Rise of an empire 300’s unwanted sequel

WHILE the critically-slated The Legend of Hercules opens on March 28, 300: Rise of an Empire (Cert 16, 102 mins) has been filling the gap for musclebound lunks successfully managing to say their lines without bumping into the CG furniture. Lena Headey is the leading name here as ancient Greeks, Spartans and Chippendales go to war – in lots of slow-motion and violent set-pieces.

the winter soldier: contemporary film also stays true to its roots

What a Marvel-ous sequel

FOLLOWING on from the success of Captain America: The First Avenger in 2011, and The Avengers in 2012, Chris Evans picks up the shield and a welcome change of pace in the much grittier Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Since his inception in the early 1940s, Captain America has been an intriguing, albeit straightforward kind of hero.

The story of the scrawny guy transformed into a muscle-bound Nazibasher functioned as part male-fantasy-fulfilment, and part patriotic propaganda.

The lack of any interplanetar y lineage or a billionaire’s budget meant Captain America stood apart from his comicbook peers, with a dearth of the usual flamboyance, resulting in an unrivalled level of everyman relatability – setting

 Dave phillips

him as a kind of Springsteen of the superhero world.

This latest instalment, set two years on from The Avengers film, builds on that level of realism.

As the man behind the mask, Steve Rogers continues to struggle to adapt to modern life; and as Captain America, he grapples for a sense of identity.

Long gone are the starspangled halcyon days of delineated good and evil – this is 21st century America: a corporate, homogenous world in which the moral compass Captain America traditionally relied upon

gives little bearing.

After a routine spot of pirate clobbering gets spiced up by a mysterious assassin, Captain America finds all his attempts to identify the man cut short by Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) and S.H.I.E.L.D. Working alongside Captain America by order of Fury, Black Widow (a returning Scarlett Johansson) acts as a brilliant counterpoint.

As a cunning mercenary who gets things done by hook or by crook, she stands in contrast to Captain America’s stalwart sensibilities.

The paired-opposites relationship between Captain America and Black Widow serves to introduce some of the underlying existential questions you might expect a 95-year-old superhero to have, and also provides comic

relief.

The constant closed doors that Rogers encounters lead to thoughts of a conspiracy, and in his rapidly losing faith in Fury, and unsure of who to trust, we see the evolution of a leaner, meaner Captain America.

To divulge more of the plot would spoil the fun, but fans of the more cut and dried style of the first film need not dismay; although it is wrapped in a more cerebral p a c kage, The Winter Soldier is still an action film at heart.

The set-pieces that tie the film

together are solid and effective – a welcome surprise, given that directors Anthony and Joe Russo’s background is in mild-mannered comedy.

The inclusion of MMA star George St Pierre as an entry-level bad guy is an early signal as to the direction the Russos are steering this new rendition of Captain America.

The action is rapid and aggressive, w i t h bonecrunchi n g thumps from wellaimed flying shields

replacing much of the explosions and ricocheting bullets of the earlier instalments.

While the writing is never as entertaining as Whedon’s The Avengers, the combination of visceral action and ongoing mystery, with a timid toe-dipping into deeper themes, carries the film a long way.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a refreshing take on the superhero scene, and a valuable addition to a Marvel universe that was teetering on the verge of vapidity.

As per usual Marvel rules, sit through the end credits for a teaser of the next chapter ...

Verdict: 7/10

The eponymous Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) has a direct connection to Captain America, making him an even more formidable character

27 March 2014 gazette 25

Technology takes a front seat in new GLA

NOISE Anna Daly with her SEAT Leon Sports Tourer

Breakfast presenter picks up her new Seat

 cormac curtis

At Gazette Motoring, we can be a jaded and cynical bunch, constantly reminiscing about how much better cars used to be, and always comparing new models to older, better and more beautiful models.

But in very recent years, the reliably conservative crew at Mercedes Benz have gone and thrown away the rule book and come up with a few pretty sweet motors in the process.

Not only have they brought out multiple “face-lift” versions of some of their old reliables like the E-Class, they’ve even gone so far as enter the highly competitive compact SUV segment.

Yes, any day now Irish motorists will get their first chance to see the all-new Mercedes Benz GLA, and if these pictures are anything to go by, then we’re in for something really special.

We haven’t had a chance to take one for a spin just yet, but in the coming weeks we will have a full road test to report, but in the mean time we have some juicy details about this exciting new motor.

In appearance, the GLA has an impressively attractive design that many young drivers will find appealing.

Built on the new A-Class platform, its confident, self-assured fascia, sleek profile and tallish shoulder line convey an impression of size and spaciousness.

Body styling features

road

Gazette

preview: new Merc has bags of appeal for young drivers

motoring

The GLA has an impressively attractive design that many young drivers will find appealing

Busy lives – especially when there’s a combination of work and kids involved – require a car that’s up to the task.

So TV3’s Anna Daly who combines her job as cohost of the station’s breakfast show, Ireland AM, with being a busy mum of two little boys, was delighted to receive the keys to her new Seat Leon Sports Tourer this week. Launched in January, the Leon Sports Tourer is the perfect car for the glamorous presenter combining fantastic design with exceptional everyday usability and offers the large luggage space that families need.

Speaking about her new car, Anna said: “I’m delighted with it. It is so spacious yet really easy to handle when I am driving in and out of work. Anyone with young children knows just how much space their belongings take up and the boot of this new car makes light work of both of my boys’ travel gear!”

The Seat Leon ST is available now at Seat dealers. Prices start from €20, 185. For more, visit www.

Seat.ie

Breakdown SOS App that include front and rear underbody protection panels, high-rise wheel arches and all-round contrasting dark grey cladding combine to underline its functionality.

Bonnet top power domes give the GLA a brawny, sporty-like appearance while its headlamp design, twin-louvre grille with inset “star” motif and vented front bumper come together to create an image of solidity and width.

In a vehicle aimed at younger drivers, it is not surprising that technology takes a front seat.

Features include Siri voice control, Facebook, Twitter, internet radio and iPhone integration,

to name but some.

There are four equipment packages to choose from – Style, Urban, AMG and Exclusive. Interior elements include rear seats that can be folded and adjusted for angle. It has a generously spaced luggage compartment of 421litres – which expands to 836-litres when seats are folded.

Dashboard features include a three-spoke steering wheel with 12 function keys, five integrated air vents and an infotainment display screen. All fitments are finished in silver-shadow metallic trim.

Four engines are available initially. First to arrive is the GLA200CDI which

comes on the market from €35,800 (ex works). Powered by a 2.2-litre, 136bhp engine, it delivers an economical 4.3 litres/100km fuel consumption.

Other models in the mix will be the more powerful 170bhp GLA220CDI and petrol versions that include a 1.6-litre, 156bhp GLA 200 and a 2.0-litre/211bhp GLA 250.

As you would expect from a car that follows in the wake of the new S-Class, safety features are to the fore in the new GLA. Standard elements include the acclaimed drowsiness detection and a radar-based collision prevention system.

Optional is a system that

can apply the brakes autonomously at speeds up to 200km/h to reduce the severity of a collision in cases where the driver fails to detect slower moving vehicles ahead. Other options include systems to monitor blind spots and assist with lane keeping, high beam control and parking.

Although perfectly suited to day-to-day urban driving, the GLA can be supplied with optional new generation 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive. Its extremely rigid body – with McPherson front axle and an independent multilink rear suspension – provides it with stable and safe handling.

If there is one area that every motorist should pay particular attention to, it’s safety. From choosing the right car to selecting the best insurance – every choice is an important one. Now even the apps on our smartphones can have an impact.

Motoring solutions specialist Easytrip has developed the Easytrip SOS App, a special breakdown assistance application for smartphones that can mobilise help anywhere a motorist is stranded.

The Easytrip SOS App puts the driver in touch with Easytrip’s traffic control centre which pinpoints the exact location of the breakdown, assesses the gravity of the situation and transmits the GPS coordinates and other information to the relevant roadside assistance organisation.

The app is a free 24/7 breakdown assistance service for Easytrip’s private and business customers.

“We’re in the business of making driving easier and safer for all our customers,” says Ciara O’Brien, general manager of Easytrip.

“With our app, drivers now know that if they break down they will be located and given the help they need, even in the remotest parts of the country.”

The app is available now for both iOS and android platforms and is free to download from apple iTunes or Google Playstore.

Log onto www.easytrip.ie or call 1890 67 67 68.

26 GAZETTE 27 March 2014

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27 March 2014 Gazette 27

football weekly P29

asdfsdaf gaelic games P27 P31

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

baseball P28

FastSport Mcgee back for ireland tie:

Runners and riders at the Irish Grand National are part of the tradition at Fairyhouse Racecourse where their family friendly meets begin on April 6

horse racing: historic venue opens its doors to new generation of fans

Family fun on the flat when Fairyhouse season begins With the great Irish spring weather finally getting better, Fairyhouse Racecourse has organised a series of family days on Dublin’s doorstep at the Meath venue which begin on Sunday, April 6.

In association with Choice Hotels Clarion Liffey Valley, Fairyhouse have come up with family fundays, on which all Under-18s are granted free admission into the racecourse where, in addition to the regular race cards there will be a fairground with rides, face painting, balloon modelling, as

well as a playground for smaller children.

Adults can enjoy some of the most appealing racing so far this year in Ireland, have the odd little flutter or just simply sit back and relax and enjoy the fabulous atmosphere whilst the outside world flies by.

Fairyhouse racecourse is one of Ireland’s premier horse racing venues, and is the historic venue where the Irish Grand National and Irish Gold Cup are held. Located near Ratoath in County Meath, it held its first meet

in 1848 and the first running of the Grand National was in 1870.

Fairyhouse manager Peter Roe said: “We’re issuing an open invitation for all families to come out and experience the best fun you can have together just 15 minutes from Dublin out in the beautiful rural Meath countryside.

“People are always so surprised when they discover how close we are to the city and our venue is so competitive compared to all the other family attractions especially as all kids are

free and the parents actually get to have fun, too.”

There is an eight-race card on April 6, with five graded races, and the racecourse is known through the years for discovering future Cheltenham champions.

General admission is €15 or €10 for students and OAPs which gives attendees five hours of top-class sporting action For more information about the family fundays, log on to www.fairyhouse.ie or call 01 825 6167.

CASTLEKNOCK’S James McGee will make a welcome return to the Irish Davis Cup team for their upcoming tie against Egypt in the BNP Paribas Euro/ Africa Zone Group II second round tie.

He will be joined

by Sam Barry, Daniel Glancy and James Cluskey for the tie at Castleknock Lawn Tennis Club from April 4 to 6.

Ireland captain Garry Cahill said: “We are delighted to have both Sam Barry and James McGee back in the team for the upcoming tie. We are hoping to see the Irish tennis fans getting behind the players in what promises to be an exciting tie in Castleknock Tennis Club.”

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

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

Gazette

28 Gazette 27 March 2014

SPORT

DublinGazetteNewspapers 2013 dublin sports awards march nominees

International, national and county champions are represented in this month’s list of nominees for the March Dublin Sports Awards.

It’s extremely hard at this time of year to pick even the nominees, let alone choose the winners of the awards, given the sheer number of competitions coming to an end and the sports people making an impression on us all with their dedication and commitment leading to championship performances.

Attaining the summit is the goal for all the sports stars we feature, and we hope some of you were present this week when we had the honour to present 2013’s Dublin Sport Awards - we’ll bring you full reports and interviews from the event next week.

H STARof the MONTH

siofra clerigh-buttner

devin toner

eoin rheinisch

Colaiste Iosagain’s Siofra CleirighButtner created history when she won the senior race at the Aviva All-Ireland Schools Cross Country Championships in Cork CIT, a historic sixth straight national schools title as she romped to victory in 10.34.

THE Castleknock College alumnus quietly but powerfully put in one of the performances of Ireland’s 6 Nationswinning campaign, playing all but seven minutes of the entire competition and providing an impressive and towering presence in green.

SALMON Leap’s three-time Olympian Eoin Rheinisch announced his retirement from international canoe slalom competition this month after an 18-year career that saw him come breathtakingly close to a medal in Beijing in 2008.

ballinteer st john’s U-21s

st vincent’s

killester

ballinteer were this month crowned Dublin Under-21 A hurling champions after an epic battle against near-neighbours Kilmacud Crokes at Sancta Maria, which saw them take the title by three points, 1-12 to 1-9.

A BREATHTAKING 2-5 from Diarmuid Connolly helped inspire St Vincent’s to their fourth senior football AIB All-Ireland Club Championship title in Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day as they ran out 4-12 to 2-11 winners over Castlebar Mitchel’s.

KILLESTER were crowned Basketball Ireland’s men’s Premier League champions this month as they picked up back-to-back wins to close out the campaign three points clear of C&S UCC Demons in the final rankings.

TEAMof the MONTH H

Baseball season kicks off in style at Corkagh Park  sport@gazettegroup.com

The 2014 baseball season swung into action in Clondalkin last weekend

Baseball’s adult A and B leagues kicked off last weekend on Saturday, March 22 at 11am in Corkagh Park, Clondalkin, with a replay of last year’s final between the current champions, Dublin Spartans and the Dublin Blacksox.

The Dublin Spartans came out on top with a double victory in both rubbers, winning 8-0 in the A league and 14-4 in the B league encounter.

Meanwhile, at the same time over in Blacksox Park in Shankill,

the Greystone Mariners had mixed fortunes when they took on newly-formed team the Dublin Tigers, with the Mariners taking the A game 4-1, and the Tigers taking the B clash, winning 16-1.

On the following day in Cavan, another newly-formed team in the B league, the Ashbourne Giants, edged out the Cavan Comets in a 9-8 thriller.

Baseball Ireland’s president, Peter Kavanagh, says “T he league has expanded to welcome two new teams, and is looking stronger than ever. The Ashbourne Giants and the Dublin

Tigers will make this year’s Irish Baseball League the most competitive yet.”

Baseball Ireland is the national governing body for the sport of baseball in Ireland. It operates both adult and youth leagues and tournaments across the island of Ireland, as well as competing in European competitions with a national team.

For more information, contact Tracey Metcalfe, public relations officer for Baseball Ireland on 086 373 1161, or log on to their website, www.baseballireland. com.

27 March 2014 Gazette 29

Gazette

Guardians of the podcast assemble

FastSport

The Guardian newspaper’s Football Weekly podcast reaches the parts other sports pods cannot reach, and we Dubliners shine at indoor spoke to its essential Irish element, Barry Glendenning championships in Athlone

 rob heigh

sport@gazettegroup.com

With the rise of podcasting as a medium to reach a specific audience, there have been a few shows which have become ubiquitous for sports fans.

One of these is The Guardian newspaper’s Football Weekly, fronted by long-time soccer analyst James Richardson, the former frontman of the late lamented Gazetta Football Italia television show.

Football Weekly has grow n from humble beginnings at the start of The Guardian’s online endeavours to become one of the most popular sport podcasts in the world, gathering hun-

dreds of thousands of downloads every week by soccer fans who appreciate the level of knowledge, analysis and humour displayed by the panel who talk through the major events in European soccer in the previous days.

Dublin was graced last week by a touring version of the show, with Richardson, Raphael Honegstein, James Horncastle and the very recognisable Irish voice of Barry Glendenning.

The Offaly man had a varied route to the sports department of Guardian online, as he explained w h e n h e s p o ke t o GazetteSport ahead of the show at Griffith College.

“After I left Hot Press,

I was working as a stand up comedian, and then went to London to try to get on the comedy circuit over there.

While I was doing that, I started doing shifts at the Guardian, who were just getting their online presence going, and did some work on their sport website.

“Through that, I gave up that stand-up, and got offered a full time job with Guardian Sport, and then got to writing articles with them.”

Clearly sport was not a natural fit at first glance for someone who had been a music journalist and stand-up, Glendenning always had an interest in a range of games.

“I was always a big sports fan. I didn’t play

Raphael Honigstein, James Horncastle and Barry Glendenning at the Football Weekly podcast at the Griffith College Conference Centre last week

GAA, but in the 1990s, Offaly were at their best on the intercounty hurling scene, which meant many frequent trips to Croke Park. I used to watch Shamrock Rovers when I lived in Dublin, and went to a lot of Ireland rugby matches.

“I never really expected

where you want to get in.”

The success of the podcast has been immense and influential to the way that sport and soccer is spoken about in the media –there would be no Second Captains without Football Weekly – but Glendenning is

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

‘If David Moyes had ducks, they would drown. He couldn’t buy good luck’ - Barry Glendenning

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

to become a sports journalist, but from working at Guardian Sport, we started doing the podcast, basically in a wardrobe in our old office - I am barely exaggerating - to have come this far with it is amazing when it was four of us huddled around a microphone in a box to begin with.”

Talking ahead of the M a n c h e s t e r Un i t e d match against Olympiakos at Old Trafford, which was aired during the live podcast, Glendenning gave his verdict on Man U manager David Moyes.

“I think if Moyes had ducks, they would drown. He couldn’t buy good luck, he has had no shortage of bad luck, and I think United will put in a performance.

But I think he’s doomed anyway. I think whoever succeeded Fergie was doomed - Fergie’s successor’s successor, that’s

surprised by the effect it has had.

“I’m not really aware of how big the podcast is.

I don’t look at the download figures, but I will be astonished that I am out somewhere and people will come up to me and start talking about it, and I wonder how they know who I am. But people recognise the voice, which is weird. And when I heard we had sold out one venue and had to be moved to a bigger one here in Dublin, I was gobsmacked.

“It’s a very pleasant surprise, but before we start getting big heads, we need to remember that Garth Brooks sold out four nights at Croke Park, so we have a lot still to do. That’s the dream stadium football chat.”

You can access the Football Weekly podcast via www.theguardian. com/football/series/footballweekly

DUBLIN’S athletes put in some strong performances at last weekend’s juvenile indoor athletics championships at Athlone IT last Saturday and Sunday with the second set of finals to come next weekend.

For Raheny Shamrocks, they were toasting a couple of gold medals with Emer Bannon landing the U-17 5kg shot put title with a throw of 13.27m, a metre clear of the field.

The club’s Cillian Kirwan landed the U-19 800m race in a time of 1.57.07, getting the better of Crusaders’ Kevin Woods and DSDAC’s Aengus Meldon in third place.

Brother’s Pearse’s Jennifer Hanrahan, with a 1.34m clearance in the U-12 high jump, landed her title on countback by virtue of her first time clearance, beating Eve Lacey who cleared that level at the second attempt.

Dunboyne’s Tadhg O’Muircheartaigh, won the U-12 boys’ equivalent, also on countback, with a 1.30m clearance.

Adamstown AC’s Joseph Mooney took the 1.5km U-17 walk with a full two minutes to spare ahead of Jordan Byrne, finishing in a time of 7.11.

Also in the distance events, Templeogue’s Nadia Power won the 1,500m U-17 women’s race in a time of 4.40, 12 seconds ahead of Claremorris’s Aisling Joyce.

Closing out day one, DSDAC’s Brian Masterson’s 51.16 in the U-18 400m race was enough to beat Mervyn Harris by an extremely narrow 0.06 of a second.

On Sunday – the second day of finals action – Crusaders’ Patrick Gilceava claimed the U-14 boys long jump in the sixth round. He had led the competition throughout with a first round jump of 5.10 putting him in pole position.

Fingallians’ Anne-Marie Torsney threw 13.06 in the 3kg U-18 shot put. Indeed, all six of her throws would have been good enough to defeat Ciara Mockler who came second with 12.22, the Fins woman showing hugely consistent form.

Donore Harriers’ Kolade Abiodun won the U-15 60m hurdles by just 0.03 of a second, beating Tramore’s Shane Monagle in a tight race.

The championships conclude on Saturday, March 29 with the juvenile indoor relay championships of Ireland.

Gazette

30 dublin city gazette 27 March 2014

SPORT

FastSport

soccer: gypsies lose for first time in airtricity league

Maolain contribution nets Caithriona title FOUR sensational second half three pointers from Scoil Caithriona’s Liam Maolain lifted the Dublin school to the U-19B Boys Basketball Ireland Schools League title over Rockwell College of Limerick at the National Basketball Arena.

Maolain’s long range accuracy kept Caithriona in touch throughout a second half that was dominated for periods by Rockwell’s co-captains of Liam Fahy and Tristan Fogarty.

Tight throughout, it was just a one point game with a minute to go when Caithriona’s Adam Mac Aogain gave the Dubliners a 43–40 lead that would be the final scoreline after supporters held their breath through a last second Rockwell heave that came up just short.

Raheny close in on Women’s National title RAHENY United edged closer to retaining their Bus Eireann Women’s National League title with a 2-1 win over Galway WFC last Sunday in Morton Stadium.

The reigning champions moved five points clear of nearest rivals Peamount United, who dropped two points in a 1-1 draw away to Wexford Youths.

That combination of results gives Casey McQullan’s Raheny side a bit of breathing space in pole position with just three games left in the league.

Raheny went

behind to a Sinead Taylor goal in the 25th minute of their game, but they bounced back immediately.

Only a minute after conceding the opening goal, the Pandas were level when Shauna Newman assisted Rebecca Creagh in the penalty area.

The hosts completed the turnaround in the fourth minute of added time at the end of the first half with a well-taken goal courtesy of Niamh Walsh.

Raheny defended their lead in the second half, and despite both sides having a fair amount of chances, the score-line remained unchanged and it finished 2-1 in favour of the home side.

LaShamrock Rovers inflicted Bohemians a first defeat of the season at Dalymount Park

Rovers register Bohs win  stephen findlater sport@gazettegroup.com

SHAMROCK Rovers got the run of the green as they inflicted a first defeat of the season on Bohemians, picking off a 3-1 win over their Dublin rivals at Dalymount Park in round three of the SSE Airtricity League.

Ronan Finn and Marty Waters goals settled the tie in Rovers’ favour in the second half after a controversial first period saw the visitors lead 1-0.

It came from the penalty spot though Owen Heary felt it should never have got to the stage where Jack Mem-

ery felled Gary McCabe, feeling the throw-in in the lead-up to the goal should have been given Bohs’ way.

Dinny Corcoran subsequently had a tidy effort ruled out for a contentious offside call.

The hosts got back on terms early in the second half from a Conor Kenna own goal but Rovers finished much the sharper with Finn and Waters cashing in.

Speaking afterwards, Rovers’ boss Trevor Croly praised Simon Madden for a virtuoso display, creating the second and third goals down the right flank, likening him

Fabulous futsal NCI secure intervarsity title against Athlone national College of Ireland captain

Glenn Shannon lifts the cup alongside team-mates, from left, Adam Deegan, Stephen Chambers, Leon Fahy Byrne, and Aaron Murphy, after defeating Athlone IT in the Colleges and Universities Futsal Cup final which was played at the Mardyke Arena in Cork last weekend.

Picture: Diarmuid Greene / SPORTSFILE

to Brazilian star Dani Alves.

Madden laughed off the suggestion, however: “I always laugh when you get compared to someone like that, it’s a different league, a different world I live in in comparison to someone like Alves.”

“That is the way I play, the way I like to play. I do my defensive work, but, if I can help out by setting up a goal or two, then even better. I don’t score too many, but I do enjoy setting them up for others and the boys did well to finish off from the crosses I sent in against Bohs.

Bohs’ manager Owen Heary, meanwhile felt the tie could have been very different had a few decisions gone his side’s way.

“They took their chances very well but I still think the game turned on a couple of decisions,” he said afterwards. “For the first goal, it should have been out throw before the penalty.

The Rovers player kicked it out and even the Rovers players ran away from it [thinking it was a Bohemian’s ball].

“Dinny’s [Corcoran] goal in the first half I don’t think was offisde; he makes a terrific run

and finishes it well. It took the linesman so long to put up the flag so he might have thought someone else touched it. A couple of decisions didn’t go our way but they took their chances well.

“You have to live with these conditions and hopefully they will even themselves out over the course of the year.

“We have a lot of positives apart from the result but we will keep building on it. The lads are disappointed and that is a good sign that they don’t just accept defeat. We will bounce back.”

27 March 2014 dublin city gazette 31

Gazette

Mannion double propels Dubs to U-21 win  sport@gazettegroup.com

TWO goals in the opening 12 minutes from Kilmacud Crokes’ Paul Mannion powered Dublin’s footballers to their second win of the Leinster Under21 football championship, seeing off Longford 3-7 to 0-6 in their semi-final at O’Moore Park, Portlaoise.

Those goals, combined with points from Cormac Costello and Eric Lowndes, built a 2-2 to no score lead from which Longford never recovered, though they did kick four points before half-time to trail 2-4 to 0-4.

Dublin started the second half on top but failed to capitalise on plenty of

possession and scoring situations, with Mannion going close to grabbing his hat-trick.

A pointed Costello free from 46 metres and McHugh point after great defensive work by Ross McGowan pushed Dublin’s advantage out to 2-6 to 0-4 by the 37th minute.

Longford laboured

hard in the second half but the Dublin defence remained resolute with David Byrne and Stephen Cunningham providing a solid spine.

With four minutes remaining Dublin added a third goal when sub Emmet O Conghaile fired to the net at the end of a move initiated by the tireless Lowndes.

FastSport

football: mcmanamon strike denies kilmacud

Division 3 Dubs secure top spot in league after win

Kilmacud Crokes’ Pat Burke was responsible for the assist for the opening goal in the match

Crokes pipped by late St Jude’s point afl division 1 St Jude’s 0-14 Kilmacud Crokes 2-8  stephen findlater sport@gazettegroup.com

K ILMACUD Crokes were denied a second win of the AFL1 season when a late Kevin McManamon point gave St Jude’s a share of the spoils at Tymon Park last Sunday morning.

He was one member of a large Dublin inter county contingent on display though Cian O’Sullivan’s early departure to injury could be a concern in the coming weeks for Jim Gavin as he left the stage

with a hamstring injury.

Paul Mannion was his side’s star turn and he showed his intent early on with a venomous shot that rattled the bar. He kicked a couple of points to build on Dave Campbell’s initial score while the first goal did not take long to arrive as Pat Burke powered forward before finding Barry O’Rorke who hit the net.

It put six between the sides but Jude’s set about etching away at that lead with McManamon leading the way with Chris Guckian also weighing in.

Crokes replied in kind

with goal number two from the penalty line as Mannion shot home but three more points in succession from Jude’s - Mark Sweeney, Enda Dalton and Kevin McManamon registering points - meant that there was just three in the difference at halftime., 2-3 to 0-6.

O’Sullivan departed soon after the break, following Longford man Brian Kavanagh off injured, it took away some of Crokes’ impetus as they saw Jude’s start the second half in ferocious fashion.

McManamon, on route to a tally of seven points, continued the charge

with Darren Gallagher also adding three points as they continue to reel in the gap. With Mannion kicking three points in addition to efforts from Kevin Nolan and Ross McGowan, they maintained a slender one point lead going into the final stretch.

But McManamon worked space for one last effort and landed the point that halved the spoils.

The result leaves Crokes mid-table with a win, a draw and a loss from their three games to date ahead of a game with Thomas Davis in April.

DUBLIN’S national league Division 3 side continued their good form as they defeated an understrength Carlow side 3-10 to 0-2 at Craobh Chiarain, Clonshaugh last Sunday.

Georgina Kelly clipped six points while Ali McGrath, Joelene Hoary and Roisin Collins were all on the mark with goals.

It was their third successive victory of the campaign, adding to successes against Armagh and Westmeath to

head up the group ahead of a date with Roscommon.

Dublin’s Division 4 side, meanwhile, bounced back as they saw off Meath 3-4 to 0-5.

Having lost their opening games away to Tyrone and Kerry, this win lifted them off the bottom of the table and they now look forward to a date with Limerick in two weekends’ time.

Lynn Devoy’s pair of goals underpinned the win.

Dublin Division 1 round-up

mas Davis not being played.

Ballyboden St Enda’s ensured St Vincent’s returned to league action with a bump after their All-Ireland club win. The Marino men initially got off to a strong start, leading 0-7 to 0-2 before three goals came for Boden – two early in the second half – to turn the game in their favour.

Ryan Basquel also chipped in with a number of scores to see them run out 3-11 to 1-11 winners.

Na Fianna were 3-16 to 0-9 winners over St Pat’s, Donabate, their second win of the campaign to make sure they are well in the early season mix while the Fingal side have just one point from three games since their promotion to the top tier of Dublin league football.

BALLYMUN Kickhams’ magnificent seven powered them to the top of the AFL Division 1 table after three rounds of fixtures with an emphatic 7-14 to 1-7 win over St Mary’s on Sunday morning.

Derek Byrne and Kevin Leahy both chipped in with two goals apiece in the thumping victory that lifts them to the top of the pile on points difference, tied with Raheny who dropped points for the first time with a 1-10 each draw with St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh.

St Maur’s, though, remain the one side left in the competition as a result as they were not in action over the weekend, their game with Tho-

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GazetteSPORT all of your dublin city sports coverage from page 27-31

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Ireland T20 world cup player Isobel Joyce in batting action against New Zealand in Bangladesh this week. PIcture: IDI/Getty Images

Women shine at Worlds Local cricket stars put in stellar performances against one of the best in the world as Ireland come close to catching New Zealand at world cup  sport@gazettegroup.com

ISOBEL Joyce says Ireland’s womens’ cricketers have plenty to work on as they face up to a game against reigning world champions Australia in the T20 World Cup following an opening day loss to New Zealand.

She was one of four Merrion club members to line out in their opening game alongside her twin sister Cecelia as well as Melissa Scott-Hayward and Elena Tice against the White Ferns in their opening tie in Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Despite bowling an immaculate four-over spell of one for 14, her side showed some nerves in the field and let a few chances slip

as they conceded an imposing 171 for three from their 20 overs.

In reply, Ireland played a few decent shots with Claire Shillington and Cecelia Joyce (39 off 28 balls) particularly effective, going at over a run-a-ball, but they never truly threatened pulling off a shock result, finishing up 42 runs short.

Speaking afterwards about the performance, Isobel Joyce said it was a tough outing as her side were not able to pull all the elements together to make it a close contest.

“There were parts that were good and parts that weren’t good,” she said following the match.

“We didn’t execute with the ball or in the

field fully. Some bowlers bowled well which is a positive we will take into the Australia.

Some of the shots and intent we showed with the bat and the way we ran was definitely a positive we will take.

“You need three of your top order to fire and one to get over 40. That’s what the stats tell us; with a few more bits and pieces here or there, we could have got 140. If we bowled and fielded better, we could have run them closer.”

Looking forward to daunting ties against Australia and South Africa, meanwhile, she is in upbeat form for the challenges they hold.

“There’s nothing really to fear. We have

the knowledge of what they come at us with; they’re not going to bounce us out or turn it sideways or hit a good ball out of the park six out of six times. We have to make sure we are on top of our game and hopefully we will turn over one of these teams.

“T20 does give us more chances than 50-overs. Hopefully, this team will be together for a while which gives you time to come up with a plan if something isn’t going well.” said Joyce.

“You can take them off straight away and get someone else in whereas in 50-overs, if you have one or two bowlers not going well, it’s 10 overs and they have to come back into the attack.”