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see page 18 February 27, 2014

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Eviction worries as rents rocket  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

HOMELESSNESS look set to rise in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown in the near future, according to local politicians who say people cannot afford the area’s high rents, and that the current rent allowance payment is insufficient.

At a recent council meeting, Cllr Hugh Lewis (PBP) said: “The reason this is particularly bad in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown is that the rents have gone up by 15% in the

past three months.”

Cllr Denis O’Callaghan (Lab) said approximately 20 families are made homeless in Dublin each month.

His party colleague, Cllr Lettie McCarthy, said some of her constituents had been evicted as they could not pay increased rents.

However, the council’s director of housing, Tom McHugh, said any increase in rent allowance might drive rents up even more.

Full Story on Page 2

Hat’s lovely: Lady in black races to best-dressed final stillorgan woman Laura

Mitchell was highly commended by the judges of the Hennessy Best Dressed Lady 2014 recently, which was held in association with Harvey Nichols Dublin at the Hennessy Gold Cup. As a finalist

in the competition, Laura wore a black Ted Baker dress with gold zip detailing, with a black DKNY faux fur jacket, an Edel Ramberg hat and shoes from Zara. The overall winner was Louise Allen from Slane, Co Meath. Picture: Kieran Harnett

2 DUNDRUM Gazette 27 February 2014

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housing Councillors’ alarm at increases

Homelessness fears as rents spiral upwards  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain bnibhraonain@gazettegroup.com

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LOCAL politicians are predicting a huge problem of homelessness in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown due to high rents and what they see as the insufficiency of rent allowance given to people in need.

At a recent council meeting, Cllr Hugh Lewis (PBP) said: “The most important function we have in this council is to provide people with a home.”

Cllr Lewis said that the current cap for rent allowance – at €1,000 a month – was not reflective of rent prices in the county and tenants would find “nowhere in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown for that [rent]”.

Cllr Lewis went on to say that the lack of social housing in the county was forcing people to move to the country or emigrate.

He said: “The reason

In response to councillors’ concerns over the rise in DLR rents, Tom McHugh, director of housing and community with Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, said: “I don’t know if any increase in rent allowance is going to be a solution to the problem, because that might just drive prices up even further”

this is particularly bad in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown is that the rents have gone up by 15% in the past three months.”

Approximately 20 families a month are being made homeless across Dublin, according to Cllr Denis O’Callaghan (Lab), who also said that the problem has expanded beyond rent allowance

recipients to working people who cannot afford the high rents in the DLR region.

He said: “Not all landlords are bad, but unscrupulous landlords are driving up rents by €400 and €500 per month out of the blue. This is far over the rate of inflation.

I think it is time for the Government to act.

“We have brought it to the notice of the Department of Social Protection and to the Minister for Housing [Jan O’Sullivan] and it is my understanding that the Minister is currently reviewing the situation.”

Cllr Lettie McCarthy (Lab) said: “The reality is that in our areas, even during the bad years, rent never actually came down.

“One lady who contacted me was moved three times in a matter of 10 weeks, and each time she had to try to get a place close to [her children’s] school, and that’s very disrupting. She was actually in tears on the phone.”

Cllr Melisa Halpin (PBP) said: “The social housing policy was announced with great aplomb in 2011, and it’s an absolute unmitigated disaster. A wait of 12 to 14 years is not unusual [for social housing] nowadays.

‘Waste of money’ “If we were providing social housing, we wouldn’t have the reliance on rent allowance, and you wouldn’t have the absolute waste of money – which costs €700m for rent allowance and rental accommodation scheme [payments] each year; [a sum that is going] straight into the pockets of landlords.”

In response to the councillors’ concerns about housing and rent allowance in the county, Tom McHugh, director of housing and community with the council, said: “I don’t know if any increase in rent allowance is going to be a solution to the problem, because that might just drive prices up even further.

“The only thing I can suggest is if the council resolve to write to Ministers of the Environment and Social Protection.

“There is talk [at the moment] of replacing rent allowances with a new house assistance payment that would replace the current system and move it from [the Department of] Social Protection back into the housing system, but that is still in the pipeline, and there is no indication of when [it may happen].”

However, he added that he did not know if this would address supply and demand [of social housing], and said that it would not address the current difficulty of high rents in the county.

In response to the councillors’ concerns, a Department of Social Protection spokesperson said: “The Department continues to monitor the effect of rent limits on those who claim rent supplement. There are no plans to further increase rent limits ahead of December 2014.”

27 February 2014 DUNDRUM Gazette 3

st tiernan

charge: dlr councillors agree to seek exemptions for some citizens

School plan is rejected

‘Waive property tax for the elderly’  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

A MOTION to write to Minister for Finance Michael Noonan, calling for exemptions to the local property tax (LPT) for some homeowners in Dun LaoghaireRathdown, was agreed by councillors at a recent council meeting.

Cllr Tom Murphy (FF) initially proposed the exemption for elderly homeowners. He said: “11% of the population in this country are over the age of 65, and 1% or 2% of those are in a really difficult situation. Their only asset is their home, and they are using money for food and heating to pay the property tax.”

According to Cllr Patri-

cia Stewart (FG), those with incomes under €15,000 a year have 100% of the LPT deferred, and those with an income under €25,000 have 50% deferred.

Cllr Melisa Halpin (PBP) said: “This [waiver of LPT] should also apply to lots of other people. [The Government] should only tax people who are able to pay.”

Cllr Gerry Horkan (FF) said: “[In DLR] we’re collecting more property tax than the whole of Connacht. €1.8m has been collected in DLR – that’s more than 10% of the total collected by the population in this country.”

The motion was amended and the word “elderly” removed. It now

reads: “That the manager write to the Minister [for Finance, Michael Noonan] and ask him to consider a waiver system for homeowners who can show an inability to pay the property tax.”

A spokesperson for Southside Partnership said: “The elderly should not be asked to pay out on these crazy charges, and I think that water charges should be waivered [too] for the elderly.”

A spokesperson for Age Action Ireland said: “Many older people find themselves living in valuable property, having paid their mortgage and stamp duty while living on a modest pension, and they are afraid of how high the LPT will go in the future.”

 Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

Helping Haiyan victims: €17k given to support UNICEF’s Phillipines fund staff at The Marlay Nursing Home Rathfarnham – Vergilio Cabello

and Kyra Putt – are pictured with a Nursing Home Ireland cheque for more than €17,000. The funds were presented to UNICEF Ireland’s Philippines Emergency Children’s Appeal, to assist with its work there following the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan in late 2013. Haiyan affected 14.1 million people in the Philippines, of which 5.9 million are children, with UNICEF Ireland’s work ongoing to help families and children in the region. Picture: UNICEF / Cribbin

LOCALS and the principal of St Tiernan’s Educate Together school in Ballinteer have expressed disappointment that planning permission for the construction of a school has been refused for a second time.

Permission for the development of the twostorey primary school was refused by the council due to the proposed access to Wyckham Way. Marie Gordon, the school’s principal, said: “While it is disappointing, the board and I are confident that we will collaborate with the Department of Education to overcome the issue of the entrance and start construction of our 16-classroom school soon.”

4 DUNDRUM Gazette 27 February 2014

event Feast to bring together women of different nationalities and cultures

Women’s Day gives breakfast an international flavour  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

In celebration of International Women’s Day which is on March 8, Southside Partnership and Women4Women network Dun LaoghaireRathdown are once more organising an International Women’s Breakfast.

The breakfasts have become a staple since 2011 and have attracted

women from all over the county.

They are held every four to six weeks

by Women4Women DLR and Southside Partnership and often in conjunction with the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland.

Each breakfast offers a feast of food prepared by women of different nationalities and cultures who come together to celebrate their cultures and share information.

The breakfast to celebrate International Women’s Day will also highlight the yearly Aontas Learners Festival where there will be an information fair about education and training opportunities in the county. The breakfast will take place on Wednesday, March 5 from 10am until 1pm in Marlay House, Marlay Park, Rathfarnham and women from all over the county are invited to go

along, bring a dish and a friend too.

This project is co-financed by the European Commission under the European Integration Fund and is supported by the Office for the Promotion of Migrant Integration in the Department of Justice and Equality and Pobal.

The Southside Partnership DLR is an independent local development organisation serving Dun Laoghaire

Rathdown. They support the Women4Women network DLR and offer a wide range of training opportunities for migrant women living in the county. Women4Women network DLR is a non-profit networking group for women with different life experiences and from different cultures living in the county. For more information, go to www.women4women.ie.

Enterprisenews Food Academy Start Training Programme Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board, in partnership with the County & City Enterprise Boards, Bord Bía and Musgraves, have developed a two month training programme for those looking to develop and grow small-scale food & drink production businesses.

During this programme you will develop an in-depth knowledge of the tools which can be used to assess market background, understand core technical issues facing your food or drink business, learn how to grow sales for your product range through better branding and packaging design and gain all of the tools and knowledge necessary to launch and build a successful food business in Ireland.

The programme will consist of three full training days (dates to be confirmed). Mentoring is also a significant aspect of the programme with one mentoring visit taking place after each module, in conjunction with the content delivered during the previous training day.

The cost of this programme is only €200 per person (inclusive of all course materials, training and mentoring provided) and if you are interested in further information, please contact Georgina Sweetnam on 01 4948400 / georgina@dlrceb.ie.

For full details on all supports offered by the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board are available on www.dlrceb.ie.

Stepaside business owners have organised the only St Patrick’s Day parade to be held in the DLR region this year. Picture: Google Earth

stepaside: plan for st patrick’s day

Hopes 4,000 will attend parade  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

THE only St Patrick’s Day parade to be held in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown this year is being organised by Stepaside business owners.

The parade is being set up by the newly-established Stepaside Business Association to celebrate our national day while encouraging local trade.

The Gazette spoke to John McCluskey, owner of The Step Inn, about the parade.

He said: “I think it’s the only St Patrick’s Day parade in Dun LaoghaireRathdown; the nearest one is in Bray.

“The Stillorgan Business Association came together after the closure of Stepaside Garda Station, so something good came out of that.

“We’re hoping the parade will attract around 4,000 people, with 500 people in the parade itself, and to have four or five floats, a few vintage and sports cars, and [the involvement of] local schools and GAA clubs.

“It’s a lot of work, but everyone is rowing in and took on two and three jobs each. We’ll be having another meeting soon to see how things are going, but once people come together it’s going to be a lot of fun,” he said.

“The parade is taking on a life of its own and everyone’s talking about it. People in Stepaside are delighted it will be held in the village, as opposed to having to drive into Dublin, park about two miles away

and walk into the city.

“We’ll have face-painting, leprechauns, stilt walkers and more,” said McCluskey.

Cllr Lettie McCarthy (Lab) said: “A big congratulations is due to the businesses of Stepaside for coming together and forming a business association.

“It is great to see their energy, enthusiasm and determination to work together for the betterment of the village.

“The Patrick’s Day Parade will be an opportunity to celebrate and showcase all that is good about the area.

“It will be a great opportunity to celebrate the diversity and changes that Stepaside has experienced over the past 10 years,” said Cllr McCarthy.

27 February 2014 DUNDRUM Gazette 5

6 DUNDRUM Gazette 27 February 2014

FastNews

council: application forms at hand

Up to €3,000 available Live screening of War for shopfront works Horse from London SHOP owners in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown whose premises front on to public streets can avail of a scheme where 50% of the cost for shopfront improvements (up to €3,000) will be met by the council. The scheme’s aim is to make the refurbishment of shop facades more affordable for small businesses. Eligible shop owners can apply to the council’s architecture and culture department, and the planning and enterprise department, by April 30 to avail of the scheme.

A LIVE screening from the West End in London of The National Theatre’s production of War Horse will be broadcast in Stillorgan’s Odeon cinema on February 27 at 7pm.

War Horse is based on Michael Morpurgo’s novel and was adapted for the stage by Nick Stafford. It has been a worldwide hit since it first opened in theatres in 2007, and traces the journey of a boy from the rural fields of Devon to French trenches in World War One.

Regarding the issue of delays in issuing housing adaptation grant forms, Cllr Victor Boyhan (Ind) said: “People are seriously stretched and want to avail of the limited funding [there is]”

Delay in housing revamp grant draws criticism  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

Application forms for the housing adaptation grant are now available for eligible people in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown after a delay due to changes to qualifying criteria.

Local politicians attending a county council meeting recently were critical of time delays and a lack of application forms for people seeking housing adaptation grants.

Cllr Victor Boyhan (Ind) and Cllr Melisa Halpin (PBP) questioned the council’s director of housing and community Tom McHugh at a recent council meeting about the grants on behalf of their constituents.

Cllr Halpin said: “I know somebody who’s been waiting six months for a shower [to be installed] and they have been told they’ll have to wait another six before they can have something that is accessible to them for their disability.

“Is there anything we could do or the manager could propose so people don’t have to wait what is really an untenable amount of time for a basic necessity?”

Cllr Boyhan said he wanted an explanation about the current delay in issuing this year’s grant forms: “People are seriously stretched and want to avail of the limited funding [there is].”

Delay

Tom McHugh answered saying: “As to application forms [for the housing adaptation grant], there was a delay. The Department of the Environment told us that they were issuing new guidelines and new application forms. They’ve just been received this week and we have them now.”

Principal adjustments made to housing grant applications deal with all household members’ incomes and proof of local property tax compliance. There was also a reduction in the number

of income bands with the new cut-off point in earnings beyond which no grant is available going from €65,000 to €60,000.

McHugh said: “Housing adaptation grants for 2014 [for DLR amount to] just over €1m. It’s broken down that a portion of that has to come from the council’s own resources, which is just over €200,000.

“Time delays would depend on whether or not the houses were council or privately owned and the extent of the work needed, the paperwork submitted by the person themselves.”

According to a council spokesperson: “The council received a total allocation of €1,055,183 for 2014, in relation to housing adaptation grants for older people and people with a disability, of which 20% is payable from the council’s resources.”

Application forms can now be downloaded at www.dlrcoco.ie and are also available at council offices.

27 February 2014 DUNDRUM Gazette 7

8 DUNDRUM Gazette 27 February 2014

charity Support Syrian business

courts Man is spared custodial sentence for his

 Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

Rugby

A NEW charity shop opened in Dundrum recently in aid of Human Appeal, a non-profit humanitarian organisation working with people across the globe.

The new store on the Dundrum Road is the first of a chain of similar Human Appeal Ireland stores due to open around Dublin. It was opened by Minister of State for Primary Care Alex White.

Human Appeal’s vision for the new chain of outlets is to provide not only retail units but to create community hubs where local people can meet, chat and get a coffee.

Customers can also buy second-hand goods as well as items from Syrian refugee micro-businesses.

A LIMERICK r ugby player who plays for English First Division Nottingham Forest has been spared a custodial sentence that would have ended his rugby career.

Neilus Keogh (26), formerly of Milltown Hall, Mount St Anne’s, Milltown, had pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm on Michael Frisby (56) at Sporting Emporium, Anne’s Lane, Dublin 2 on April 5, 2012.

Keogh, who is originally from Limerick but now lives in the UK, was given 12 months to complete alcohol and anger management courses and was required to return to the court in a

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard of as assault by a rugby player, formerly of Milltown

year with an additional €10,000 to show “real remorse”.

Garda Jennifer Keyes told Elva Duff y BL , prosecuting, that Mr Frisby was playing cards with eight other people in the Sporting Emporium casino where he regularly played cards.

Keogh, whom he had never seen before, was sitting to the victim’s left.

Out of the blue Gda Keyes said there was “good banter” at the table, but when Keogh lost money in a hand he stood up and out of the blue hit Mr Frisby in the face, and threw a chair on top of him.

Mr Frisby was taken to St James’s Hospital,

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27 February 2014 DUNDRUM Gazette 9

attack on another gambler in city centre casino

player avoids jail where it was discovered that he had suffered three broken bones in his face and had damaged nerves around his mouth.

An operation was required to insert two metal plates in his face, held together by eight steel screws.

In a victim impact report read out in court, Mr Frisby said he had no chance to defend himself and was struck with a chair while lying unconscious on the floor.

Gda Keyes agreed with defence counsel, Ronan Kennedy BL , that Keogh appeared generally remorseful for what he had done, and that he caused no further disturbance in

the casino following the assault on Mr Frisby.

Counsel explained to the court that Keogh had a clause in his contract which would terminate if convicted of an indictable offence.

“If the court convicted him, it would effectively bring his rugby career to an end,” Mr Kennedy said.

Mr Kennedy said his client was fully aware of the hurt and distress he had caused Mr Frisby. He wrote a letter to Mr Frisby, but following legal consultation, was advised the letter should be presented to the court.

He said the assault was out of character and, having read Mr Frisby’s victim impact

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

‘Judge Patrick McCartan said the assault on Mr Frisby was borderline between what is harm and what is serious harm, and Keogh was lucky the offence was not more serious.

The judge said Mr Frisby will carry metal plates for the remainder of his life, which he can feel when he lies on them and during cold weather; all of which was as a result of what the accused man did that night.’

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

Judge Patrick McCartan

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

report, “he was clearly moved”.

Judge Patrick McCartan said the assault on Mr Frisby was borderline between what is harm and what is serious harm, and Keogh was lucky the offence

was not more serious.

The judge said Mr Frisby will carry metal plates for the remainder of his life, which he can feel when he lies on them and during cold weather; all of which was as a result of what

the accused man did that night.

On the other side, the judge said, was the argument that Keogh’s career as a rugby player would come to an end if he received a custodial sentence.

Judge McCartan said: “I don’t think anybody’s interest would be served by him going to prison.”

He said Keogh’s career would be over, he would be left with a stigma for the rest of his life and the taxpayer would pay for his incarceration, and added: “We would all be losers if this man goes to prison.”

He said Mr Frisby struck him as a man who would not get satisfaction from seeing Keogh spend time

behind bars.

He adjourned the case for a period of 12 months so that Keogh could complete alcohol and anger management courses.

Judge McCartan also ordered that he Keogh “by whatever means” bring €10k, in addition to €3k he brought to court, as a gesture of real remorse.

He said: “This is an incident which occurred 90 odd weeks ago, and if you divide that into the sum presented [today], Mr Frisby had a right to feel aggrieved. It was insulting.”

The case was put back to February 2015, so that Keogh could prove he had met the judge’s requirements.

property Welcome for new controls  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

A LOCAL councillor has welcomed new planning controls introduced by the Department of the Environment.

The controls require builders to give prior notice and design drawings in accordance with building control regulations.

Cllr Lettie McCarthy (Lab) welcomed the new controls. She said: “During the boom years, it was almost impossible for the [council’s] planning department to keep up with the amount of development.”

Cllr McCarthy went on to say she hopes: “Every effort [will be made] to ensure there will not be a repeat where best practice was not adhered to.”

10 DUNDRUM Gazette 27 February 2014

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Sarah Walshe, Shiseido, Harvey Nichols Dundrum

Frances Winston and Natalie Lough, assistant business manager, Johnson Brothers Prestige. Pictures: Geraldine Woods

Shiseido makes a flawless appearance

H

ARVEY Nichols welcomed another arrival to its already extensive range of beauty products with a celebratory launch party for Shiseido recently.

The immaculate make-up brand laid on a perfectly presented party to mark its arrival at the busy store for fashionistas, with a number of spring/summer styles showcased by experienced

Shiseido make-up experts, who were happy to discuss and demonstrate Shiseido’s range of skin care, make-up and fragrance products for the styleconscious shoppers at Harvey Nichols.

Sile Coleman

Anna Keogh, sales and Gen Vann

Light refreshments made the evening sparkle

marketing, Shiseido

Sian Howel bags a Shiseido bargain

27 February 2014 DUNDRUM Gazette 11

lauralynn Buyer ‘delighted money is not going to a bank’

Wicklow land sale helps local charity  laura webb

A Dubliner who bought a site in Wicklow is delighted to see the proceeds from the sale go to charity rather than the banks.

Anthony Murphy, a gas fitter from Blackhorse Avenue, Dublin 7, bought the site in Kiltegan, Co Wicklow, during an Allsop auction in the RDS

recently. All proceeds from the sale will go to Ireland’s only children’s hospice, LauraLy nn House in Leopardstown, under the request of the seller Catherine Harold.

When asked about the sale, Murphy said he was initially unaware of the LauraLynn House connection but when he found out he was “delighted to see it go to charity

The site in Kiltegan, Co Wicklow, was bought at an Allsop auction for €13k and all proceeds from the sale will go to LauraLynn House in Leopardstown

rather than a bank”.

The father-of-three said he bought the site for his children. “I bought it for the kids. I was just looking to secure something for their future. I didn’t think I would get it at that price,” he said. Asked what he plans to do with the site he said he will maintain it for now.

The site was sold for €13,000, €3,000 more than the reserve price.

Meeting Murphy after the auction, Catherine Harold thanked him and said: “You have done a really nice thing”.

Great-grandmother Catherine had hoped the site would go for €25,000 so the LauraLynn House Hospice could build “more rooms” at the hospice but said the money will “still do a lot of good for them”.

Catherine’s daughter, Caroline, who was with her on the day said it’s “not too disappointing” because someone has bought it adding that they are “happy to see it sold”.

Catherine went on to say that people can still donate to the charity if

they wish and said she will continue to donate where she can for the cause.

A few years ago, she found out about the LauraLynn hospice after seeing a TV segment which said that it needed fundraising support. “I just

thought, these are children, for goodness sake.

Everyone has the right to die with dignity, especially a child. Children do need their own space.”

Catherine bought the site in 1972 and had hoped to develop on it but she never got around

to doing anything with it.

“Murray Flynn, our solicitors, has done the work for nothing and Allsops are not charging. So all the money will go to LauraLynn House,” she said.

To donate go to www. lauralynn.ie.

12 DUNDRUM Gazette 27 February 2014

gazetteGALLERIES

Declan Hughes,

principal, was happy to introduce

the many acts

at the show

Judge Eoghan McDermott takes centre stage (front) alonside St Tiernan’s staff, students and the team mascot. Pictures: Margaret Brown

The overall winner, Neo Morake

Teachers Catherine Martin and Catriona Lynch

Members of “Mr Bradley’s Band” strike a pose

27 February 2014 DUNDRUM Gazette 13

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Zivile Mazonaite and Naomi Quinn

Judge Eoghan McDermott

with Ciara Gray, Naomie Walshe, Ciara Jones

and Erin Byrne

John Hynes, Stewart Davy, Chloe O’Doherty Ryan, Darren English, Tamara Deans Nitai Block

and Lauren Usher

St Tiernan’s: smiling faces at grand finale

Only winners on judgement day!

T

HE grand final of Tiernan’s Got Talent took place recently at St Tiernan’s Community School, Dundrum, at which students showcased a diverse range of talents. From dance to drumming, the students impressed, with the judges finding it difficult, as always, to choose an overall winner. Neo Morake was declared the overall winner by the judges, which included RTE Morning Ireland business correspondent Emma McNamara, Dr Martin O’Leary of NUI Maynooth, author and columnist Martina Devlin and Voice of Ireland host Eoghan McDermott.

First prize winner Neo Morake is congratulated by judge Emma McNamara, show producer Catherine Martin, and judges Martina Devlin and Dr Martin O’Leary

Lauren Byrne-Whelan with a spongy mascot

14 gazette 27 February 2014

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More colourful characters were also represented

Perhaps spurred on by the saying: “There are no small roles, only small actors”, the extras certainly gave their all. Pictures: Geraldine Woods

A splendid view of a new Penny Dreadful

T

HE Gazette was happy to leap upon its high wheeler bicycle to move precariously across the cobbled city centre streets to Dame Lane recently, where upcoming horror series Penny Dreadful was being recorded for users of modern televisual projection devices.

Featuring the finest sights, sounds and fashions of the bygone Victorian era, Dame Lane was almost unrecognisable, such was the

proliferation of products from the period that were on show, as respectable wellto-do gentlemen and ladies mingled with common folk around the wares of coopers and candlemakers. While Penny Dreadful’s leading luminaries – such as Timothy Dalton, Josh Hartnett, Billie Piper and Eva Green – were not present at the time, the extras dazzled in their own right.

Were one but to stroll a moment away from the hustle and bustle of Dame Street, one could have taken in a disparate

From civilians to the military, a wide cross-section of Victorian life was to be spotted ambulating around Dame Lane

group of characters from a somewhat more genteel era

27 February 2014 Gazette 15

asdfsdaf film fest P27 P18

diary P17

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

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feature P16

Samantha with Mr Tayto launching Popcorners, a crisp Sam’s favourite snack when she comes home to Ireland is a Tayto crisp sandwich.

made from popcorn. Pictures: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland.

a day in the life: Samantha Mumba on hiking, writing and juice for breakfast

Sam’s home and she’s gotta tell us something  Laura Webb

Living and working in Los Angeles and travelling to Ireland to visit family and friends can be tiring work for anyone but for singer Samantha Mumba this is just part of life as she knows it.

Back on home soil to release her new single, Only Just Begun, we caught up with the pop star to see how a typical day goes for her. Waking up at a reasonable time of 10am she isn’t a big breakfast person and instead opts for a juice.

“I would juice instead of breakfast and then

it is off to the gym. I have to get it [the gym] out of the way in the mornings otherwise I will just get too lazy, not at night, no, I lose the will to do it, plus evenings are too busy anyway – I like to have the gym to myself,” she laughed.

So from the gym it could be on to work or if she is at home she might go hiking. “I live a little outside LA so I would usually have to drive in to see management, go for meetings, auditions, usually if I am recording that would be in the evenings. Otherwise I would be at home with my stepson making him lunch.”

Once her busy day heads towards evening, it’s back to the kitchen for some cooking.

“I love to cook. It is a little passion of mine.

Pinterest has expanded my cooking skills. I just love trying different things. I would be known in my house for my brown sugar garlic wings and I do a good macaroni and cheese.”

When it comes to an easy snack, her favourite is a Tayto crisp sandwich, which she says is what’s great about coming home because her beloved crisps are hard to find in her adopted town, LA.

Once her day is over and evening sets in, she says: “I wouldn’t go to bed early. Once my stepson is in bed, we would sit down with a glass of wine, watch our shows, watch a movie. I would probably go to bed about 12 or one-ish. But if I am writing, I can only write late at night, I am a weirdo like that, that could be until three or four in the morning,” she said.

Samatha is touring at a number of venues in Ireland. Her latest single, Only Just Begun, was released on February 21 and is produced by Mariah Carey collaborater Justin Gray.

GAZETTE

16 GAZETTE 27 February 2014

DUBLINLIFE

AERONAUTICS

Here to support and report! Advertising, editorial and marketing staff at Dublin Gazette Newspapers

We’ve just got bigger and better DEAR READER,

DUBLIN Gazette Newspapers has successfully operated in the greater Dublin region for the past 10 years.

We offer quality local coverage and report on the stories that may not make it to the national papers, but impact greatly on the lives of our local readers. Quite often these stories do make it in to the national media, after we have highlighted the issues.

We intend to bring this same passion for what goes on, in and around Dublin city, to the readers of our new Dublin City Gazette, out this week.

Although local is our bread and butter and what our readers look forward to each week, we also print a quality lifestyle section containing everything from travel to style, cinema, food and drink, art and literature and motors.

We intend to develop and grow this section within our new Dublin City Paper while maintaining a superior local news section.

Our secret diner, The Picky Eater, will check out the food scene in Dublin city and county. Well known Dubs, young and old, will talk about their favourite place to Escape the Mayhem in a busy city - this could be a city garden, museum, pub or somewhere so secret, we don’t even know about it yet! Our Day in the Life column will each week follow an individual from their waking moments till they hit the pillow that night.

They say the best things in life are free and why should the news be any different? That’s why our free, self select publication should be your number one weekly read.

You can pick us up in hundreds of outlets across the city and county each week.

We’ve got the suburbs covered and now Dublin City has its own dedicated local paper, which will be essential to the lives of those living and working within the Dublin City Council region.

Mimi Murray Editor, Gazette Group Newspapers

Views from the Eclipse 550 jet – a snip at $2.65m – undoubtedly add to its already sky-high allure

THE HIGH LIFE: ECLIPSE 550 IMPRESSES AT MANY LEVELS – IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT

Off to cloud nine  ROB HEIGH

IT WAS not a regular Wednesday afternoon when I took to the skies recently in the first Eclipse 550 plane to be introduced to European airspace by Aeris Aviation, based in Devon and brought to Dublin by the company’s chief executive, David Hayman, and the rock ’n’ roll aviator, Bruce Dickinson – singer with legendary metal band Iron Maiden.

The 550 is described as a revival of the Eclipse 500 that the manufacturer, Eclipse Aerospace of Albuquerque, was hailed for before the economic downturn meant that they had to file for bankruptcy in 2008.

But, with investment from aviation giants Sikorsky, the company and the plane have a new lease of life, and its arrival in Dublin was part of Aeris’s mission to introduce the Eclipse 550 to a new, more confident market.

This has seen the plane grace the runways of several air shows and trade events across Europe in

recent months.

Hayman was kind enough to invite me on board the Eclipse at Weston, and I stepped into its compact and classy interior – the first time I had been in a plane so small.

This marked my first flight in what the industry term a very light jet; a type of airplane designed to be flown by sole pilot owners.

With the ability to fly at altitudes up to 41,000 feet at a maximum cruising speed of 430 mph, the Eclipse 550 is described as the most efficient twinengine jet on the planet, and is the equivalent of a Formula One car in the aviation world.

Obviously, the price point is beyond the reach of most mere mortals, but the thrill of taking to the air in the Eclipse 550, well ... eclipsed any reservations about the $2.65m (€1.93m) price tag.

With Hayman taking the controls, we took off from Weston and headed north-west into the airspace over Kildare and Westmeath, jetting up to Mullingar and back in a

Vanessa Cunningham and Dave Scully, from Dublin Weston Airport’s marketing team, flank pilot Bruce Dickinson, front man with Iron Maiden

matter of minutes.

The controls were fascinating in themselves, with what looks like an expanded iPad interface containing all of the necessary flight and mechanical data to fly the plane.

Once we were up over the clouds, the smooth sailing trip felt more like a car journey than a plane ride.

Speaking after the flight, Hayman talked about what it meant to the company to have such an internationally recognised face as Dickinson on board with the project.

He said: “It’s great to have Bruce on board – his positive energy, knowhow and expertise in aviation are amazing, and he really is a great frontman for our business.”

Although we may think that being involved in aviation is out of reach, Dickinson said that although he had a long association with flying in his family, his initial uncertainty that he could be a pilot faded when he realised what was possible with application and self-belief.

He said: “It started when I was five years old. My godfather was an

engineer in the RAF in the second World War, and my uncle was in the RAF as well.

“I was terrible at maths and physics at school, so I decided that there was no way that I could be a pilot, because all the people I knew at school who wanted to be pilots were all ‘Brains of Britain’ types at maths. But, of course, it’s a load of nonsense, as I discovered later – you can teach yourself all you need to know if you’re motivated.”

For further information on the plane, see www. aerisaviation.co.uk.

27 February 2014 Gazette 17

Gazette

diary

Fab women have last word The National Leprechaun Museum is hosting a nightly show of Fabulous Females, which celebrates the forgotten women of Irish folklore.

Running nightly from February 27 to March 8, Fabulous Females aims to reconnect audiences with the incredible women of our oral folklore.

Irish legends tend to focus on great male warriors such as Fionn McCumhaill, Cuchulainn and Oisin, whereas females have taken a back seat.

With their diminished roles in the tales, they have tended to be relegated to wives, mothers,

messengers, or lovers to lead men astray; full of sorrow and destruction.

However, this brand new one-woman production will showcase the power of those forgotten female legends.

Tickets priced €15 to €20 are on sale now from the National Leprechaun Museum’s box office at 01 873 3899, or online at www.leprechaunmuseum.ie.

Shows start at 8pm.

Paddy’s day salvo sparks an invitation MINISTER of State for Tourism and Sports Michael Ring has hit back at the Dublin

Lord Mayor’s criticism of this year’s upcoming St Patrick’s Day Festival, welcoming him to organise his own festival instead.

Mayor Oisin Quinn said recently that the “tacky” St Patrick’s festival in Dublin city would encourage people to get drink and “throw on leprechaun hats”.

Mayor Quinn also said that the organisers of the parade appeared to be staging events in a bid to generate money.

He went on to criticise the decision to install a Funderlandtype event in Merrion Square.

However, Minister

Ring responded by saying “if he wants to organise something alongside this festival, he is very welcome to do that.”

say halo to a way to spruce up your home C E L E BR I T Y a r c h i tect Dermot Bannon is offering householders advice on how to reinvent a home when he launches the new stateof-the-art Halo Tile and Bathroom showroom, which is located at Ballymount retail centre.

The people at Halo a r e g i v i n g aw ay a €5,000 home makeover prize on the day, and a weekend away in any

Meet celebrity architect Dermot Bannon at a showroom event in Ballymount

one of the well-known Talbot Hotel Group hotels.

There will be advice o n r e c e n t G ove r n ment grants for home improvement, and big-

name products such as Velux, Dulux, Boru Stoves and Worcester Boilers will also be there to give advice.

The showroom will open on March 1, and

Dermot will be on hand from 1.30pm to 3.30pm to offer advice on the b e s t u s e o f c o l o u r, space, design and light when making over your home.

Gazette

18 Gazette 27 February 2014

dublinlife

reel insight: the gazette catches up with john hurt at the savoy

Happy to ‘be Irish’  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

WITH another successful Jameson Dublin International Film Festival (JDIFF) coming to an end this week, The Gazette caught up with screen legend John Hurt at the red carpet premiere of John Michael McDonagh’s new dark and humorous film, Calvary.

Hurt, who starred in

movies such as Elephant Man, Alien and The Naked Civil Servant, had no part to play in Calvary, but took on the role of Marlowe in Jim Jarmusch’s romantic vampire movie, Only Lovers Left Alive, which was also screened during JDIFF. At the red carpet outside the Savoy cinema, excitement was in the air as stars such as Brendan

Gleeson, Aidan Gillen, Dylan Moran, Marie Josee Crozee and Killian Scott arrived for Calvary’s gala opening.

Speaking about the importance of JDIFF and other festivals for the Irish film industry, Hurt said: “I think they’re important for any film, and the fact that we’re doing it [the film’s premiere] here in Ireland means that we’re

Soundbyte: Brendan backs Fassbender CALVARY star Brendan Glee-

Michael Fassbender to win

son, who was also at the film’s

the Academy award for

star-studded premiere at the

Best Supporting Actor

Savoy cinema in the city cen-

at this year’s Oscars

tre, told The Gazette that he

for his turn in Twelve

is rooting for fellow Irishman

Years A Slave.

supporting the whole understanding of what film is about for lots of people in this country.

“It’s fantastic, I mean – it’s really, really important [to do this], and Ireland is important to me personally.”

Five years ago, Hurt took part in the TV show Who Do You Think You Are?, but his conviction that he had Irish roots was shaken as no Irish connection was found by researchers.

The Gazette asked Hurt what he thought of those genealogical revelations. “Rubbish! They didn’t go around all the right avenues. I am Irish!

“I mean, I’m Irish in an area – only a bit, but I’m Irish. I love Ireland and I would hate to be without this little country,” he said.

Hurt also spoke of his involvement in Jarmusch’s latest offering.

He said: “The marvellous thing about Jim is that he absolutely and resolutely refuses to say what any of his films are about.”

Hurt is currently working on film projects, but refused to disclose them.

However, when asked, he said he would like to film in Ireland soon: “Oh, that would be wonderful!

Yes, absolutely.”

Speaking of his love for Ireland, screen legend John Hurt (pictured signing autographs at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival) batted away the failure of researchers to find any Irish roots in his family line, saying: “Rubbish! They didn’t go around all the right avenues. I am Irish!” Picture: Photocall Ireland

27 February 2014 Gazette 19

ESCAPE THE MAYHEM: Media pundit on how to unwind

Hook on the blessings of a good, thick book

Each week the Gazette speaks to Dubliners about how they like to unwind in a bustling, busy city. George Hook goes first  Laura Webb

The stress of everyday life takes its toll on many but it’s what people do to relieve that stress and get away from it all that we’re keen to find out at the Gazette.

Whether it’s a yoga class in the park, a walk along the strand or a movie, there is something for eve-

ryone to help escape the mayhem of every day life in Dublin.

This week, Escape the Mayhem caught up with broadcaster and rugby pundit George Hook at a life skills seminar and asked him what it is that helps him to unwind.

“I must say I read more now than I have ever read and I was an impressive

reader.

“But I have to say electronic books have become an incredible boon for me. I carry books around all the time on an iPad. What I do now is I read,” he said.

Finding a corner

So where he goes to read and unwind? “I love just going away in a quiet corner, with no television, finding a corner for me and my book.”

When taking time out to read and forget his problems George says the

feeling he gets from his escapism is “incredibly uplifting” and he recommends it.

“That is the great thing about a book. You carry it with you so it goes wherever you go,” he said.

So if the stress of life is taking its toll take a leaf out of George Hook’s book and find a quiet corner and read.

Hook was in attendance at the seminar which is run by Aware and is based on the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy.

George Hook: “I carry books around all the time on an iPad”

Gazette

FEATUREs

Gazette

20 Gazette 27 February 2014

dublinlife

business

Advice on keeping or selling rental property John Lowe, the Money Doctor, gives two Gazette readers invaluable advice on keeping or selling rental property I AM a reluctant landlord with a property in a large estate in Swords.

I bought the four-bed semi-detached property in 2004. I paid €375,000 and thankfully got a tracker mortgage.

I lived there until 2011, when I moved to Co Limerick with my family, renting there.

We put the property on the market in 2011, but despite dropping the price several times, it did not sell.

Thankfully, it has been rented by a very nice family who have looked after the house very well.

I was getting €1,150 rent per month. My mortgage is currently €1,308.56 monthly, but between other costs and tax, I’m paying about €2,000 per annum.

Now the tenants are moving out, and I need to decide if I should sell or hold onto it as a rental property, as we have no retirement plan or pension to speak of, and I know how valuable a tracker is.

Having spoken to an estate agent today, the house will realise between €260,000 and €280,000 [if sold at cur-

rent market values].

I still have c. €190,000 to pay on the mortgage, with 12 years left.

I should still be able to obtain about €1,000 rental per month.

Your advice would be appreciated.

JOHN SAYS: Thanks for the note. The first issue is tax relief at source. Since you first rented the property, you are ineligible to receive this – so, hopefully you have already stopped this.

You can still claim 75% of the interest as tax relief on your rental income tax

liability.

Selling depends on your next move and career. If you can sell now, it would be cleaner – your full income would allow full mortgage entitlement on your next mortgage, plus you would not have to worry if it ever gets sold, or if you can continually find tenants to rent – not to mention the additional €2,000+ per annum to be found, and the “hassle factor” that is now a landlord’s lot!

However, keeping the house – fully rented all the time – means that inexorably your mortgage will be repaid ... primarily by your tenant, so it is like a little mini-pension.

And what will the property be worth then? My guess would be, it would

be worth a lot more than it is now.

If the €2,000 is not a problem at the moment, and you do not want to buy again, if you cannot sell the property, it won’t be a problem – but if you can sell now, I would.

Good luck with it ...

Getting a mortgage...

I AM building a house later in the year. Between my girlfriend and myself, we have €150k cash, and the site is family-owned (being the proceeds of a house sale and some savings).

I’m a carpenter, and will do the bulk of the work myself, but we will need some additional funds to finish the house; possibly up to €50k.

Are we better off

putting all our money in one account and negotiating a loan at this stage, or should we build the house and take out a mortgage against it once it is structurally complete?

JOHN SAYS: I would always look for pre-approval before undertaking such a project, as the last thing you want is to find you cannot obtain a loan to finish off the house.

Today, €50k is not a huge sum to look for, but you will need steady income from a secure employment – generally, a minimum [wage of] €25,000.

The site is also worth something – from your parents, perhaps? You are allowed up to €225,000,

and say the site is worth €50,000 – it means the property should be worth in excess of €250,000 on completion, so [this would be] a 20% loan to value for the lucky lender!

You obviously have a bank account; that should be your first port of call – they know you.

What is the cheapest standard variable rate under a 50% loan to value? KBC Bank, at 3.85% – email me for details (jlowe@moneydoctor.ie).  Contact John with your money questions at jlowe@ moneydoctor.ie or visit his website at www.moneydoctor. ie. John Lowe, Fellow of the Institute of Bankers, is founder and managing director of Money Doctor

27 February 2014 Gazette 21

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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

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TRAVEl P22

PETS

can you give dashing roman his true home?

Artastic characters, Piyanuch Chanphet (left) with Rachel Laley and Moe Coakley in St Stephen’s Green at the launch of St Patrick’s Festival 2014. Pictures: Robbie Reynolds

drowning the shamrock: three-year theme for four-day festival

Feel the love, St Patrick  Ian begley

ST PATRICK’S Day is set to kick off this year with an explosive variety of cultural, theatrical and festive events from March 14-17.

Taking centre stage this year will be the festival’s cultural programme I Love My City along with a four-day programme of events that are mostly free to attend.

For the first time in its history, St Patrick’s Festival has created a threeyear theme and narrative for the Festival Parade.

The thematic journey of Past, Present and Future will be explored respectively in the period 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Speaking to the Gazette, Susan Kirby, chief executive of St Patrick’s Festival,

said: “The four-day festival is absolutely jam-packed, full of really super events for everyone from the ages of eight to 80.

“The I Love My City cultural programme is a series of inspiring, intimate and cultural events curated by the fes“The ceili will have around 7,000 people engaging. The Big Day Out event will have over 90,000 people on site, and the festival Treasure Hunt welcomes about 5,000 people.

“A lot of work goes into the festival from the artists, producers, creators, and dancers. We also have volunteers who come from all over the world to take part in the festival.

“We have a real festival family and community spirit and they work very hard to produce the festival every year,”

said Kirby.

This year, an array of eclectic events and renowned figures from musical talents to literary figures will be showcased during the festival.

New to the Paddy’s Day line-up is the most anticipated Live on the Green event, which will take place on Saturday, March 15.

Meteor Music Award winner Jerry Fish will headline this free live music event, which it is hoped will get everyone into the festival spirit.

Speaking at the launch of the St Patrick’s Day Festival on February 20, Minister for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring said: “The festival is hugely important for Irish tourism. The support from the Government, Failte Ireland and others like Dublin City Council helps this

world-class festival go from strength to strength.

“It’s one of our most important events for international visitors, whose numbers rocketed to 140,000 overseas people last year.

“That’s 37% higher than in 2010. It gives us a sense of national pride as Irish people, and gives visitors something extra special for their trip,” said Minster Ring.

Overall, the numbers engaging with the festival is about 1.6m over the course of the festival weekend.

The parade will welcome in the region of five hundred thousand people onto the streets of Dublin.

For a full programme of the St Patrick’s Day Festival events visit www. stpatricksfestival.ie.

The Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs. Our Dog of the Week is romantic Roman, a sixyear-old male Boxer with a heart of gold. He arrived into Dogs Trust in quite poor condition recently and has been given oodles of TLC from all the staff and is now thriving and full of personality! He is a true gent and would need to go to a loving family who can continue his development by bringing him on several short walks a day to help him build up his muscles again. He is happy to hang out in his new forever home with big kids 10+ and maybe a canine pal. If you think you could give this handsome man his perfect forever home, please contact the Dogs Trust reception a call on 01-879 1000 or pop into their rehoming centre based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website www. dogstrust.ie. You can also find them on Facebook www.facebook.com/ dogstrustireland or Twitter @DogsTrust_IE.

22 Gazette 27 February 2014

Gazette

&ABOUT OUT fast TRAVEL NEWS

A Highlife chalet in France would be an ice retreat!

Chill out with a cool French chalet break  natalie burke

IF YOU fancy celebrating Paddy’s Day with a difference this year, Highlife Ski and Snowboard are inviting you to take to the slopes in Val d’Isere, France – a resort renowned for its sensational highaltitude skiing and chic village setting.

The resort offers a great range of nursery slopes for beginners, as well as extensive skiing for the more skilled, along with quirky boutiques and a main street lined with cafes.

Stay in a cosy Highlife chalet, complete with log fires, saunas and an outdoor hot tub, and on St Patrick’s Day, gather round the table and tuck into a piping hot traditional Irish stew prepared especially by your chalet chef, followed by a delicious round of complimentary Irish coffees to further warm you.

As part of the all-inclusive Highlife packages, all wine, beers and soft drinks are available as part of the complimentary bar in your chalet, so you can enjoy apres-ski evenings chilling out by the log fire at no extra cost.

St Patrick’s Stay packages with Highlife Ski & Snowboard start from €1,075, per adult, and €886, per child under 12, arriving Sunday, March 16. For full details, see www.highlife.ie; call the team at 01 677 1100, or email info@highlife.ie.

america: celebrate our national holiday in style in new york city

Turn the Big Apple green on March 17

 natalie burke

BEING Irish is something that is celebrated almost every day of the year, but with the arrival of St Patrick’s Day, it is the perfect excuse for the world to really paint its towns and cities green.

The celebration is considered serious business in New York City, with the Empire State Building going green for the occasion, and everyone who is anyone claim-

ing an Irish connection somewhere down the bloodline.

With more than 150,000 people marching in the New York City parade every year, which has been held annually since 1762, heading stateside this St Patrick’s Day could be the ideal way to celebrate your heritage with a little difference.

While watching the marching bands on Fifth Avenue is probably already appearing on

your must-see list, there are plenty of other shenanigans around the Big Irish Apple to check out.

For something a little different, head to the Irish Art Centre on 51st Street on March 17 and catch an afternoon of authentic Irish music, with performances from the NYC Harp Orchestra, as well as Irish dancing performances by the Niall O’Leary School of Irish Dance.

There’s also a tin whis-

New Yorkers outdo even the Irish when it comes to dressing up and celebrating St Patrick’s Day in the heart of their city

Whether you’re standing on Fifth Avenue (above) or are St Patrick Day celebrations are a truly unforgettable

tle workshop and Irish language lessons on the agenda, along with crafts, films and a good old music seisiun, too.

For those with an interest in film, the Craic Festival series (presented by Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey) starts on March 6.

It’s a three-day event that takes place at the Tribeca Cinemas at 54 Varick Street, celebrating the newest generation of Irish filmmakers.

Highlights include the opening night US premiere of Danny Boy, starring Gabriel Byrne, and the US premiere of 14 Days, directed by Dermot Lavery.

The Craic Music series also runs from March 7-8, and is bound to bring in the crowds with the line-up that is headlined by The Rubber Bandits and Duke Special.

To follow your cultural adventures, there’s always a good Irish bar around the corner for a pint of Guinness and a little visit back to Irish soil.

One of New York’s most historical offerings is McSorley’s Old Ale House on 7th Street.

Established in 1864, it’s NYC’s oldest “Irish” tavern, and has seen the likes of Abe Lincoln and John Lennon – and a host of civil rights and union movement activists – pass through its doors.

T hink “sawduststrewn floors and history-patched walls” - it wasn’t until the 1970s that women were even allowed to enter!

In fact, a visit over Paddy’s weekend coincides conveniently with the much-celebrated St Paddy’s “Luck of the Irish” pub crawl

27 February 2014 GAZETTE 23

GAZETTE

fast

Travel

TRAVEL NEWS For Mother’s Day, whisk her off to Dubai’s sun

Treat your mum in a million to a break in the glorious sun  NATALIE BURKE

WITH just weeks to go until Mother’s Day, now is as good a time as any to pencil in the all-important March 30 date in your diary.

If you’re tempted to give mum a well-earned break away, there are plenty of getaway options and last-minute deals with the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) out there to show her your appreciation. If you’re looking for the perfect trip for a mother-daughter getaway, take her for a sevennight getaway to Morocco, for just €449 per person.

The Agadir Beach in Morocco won the TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Award in 2013 due to its unspoilt beauty and stunning sunsets, making it the ideal place to plan your holiday.

Stay in the Argana Hotel, located just 300m from the sea, with its own swimming pool, wellness centre, poolside gym and sauna. You can even treat Mum to a new ’do, with a hairdressers on site, too.

Nearby, the La Medina D’Agadir is a must-visit village, full of arts and crafts stalls set amongst stunning architecture. For just €449PP, departing on March 29, travellers can avail of seven nights’ accommodation, return flights, checked in luggage, transfers and breakfast each morning.

For further information on this offer, that is available from TravelAgent.ie, see: http://itaa.ie/ mothers-day-gift-morocco/.

taking in the sights elsewhere in the city, New York’s experience. Pictures: Shane Dillon

( w w w. p u b c r aw l . com).

The event takes place this year on Saturday, March 25, taking in bars such as the Village Pourhouse, Traffic East and American Whiskey, and tickets must be purchased in advance.

However, if your idea of culture is soaking up the sights of the city rather than the closest bar, then perhaps a ramble through the Little Ireland district of the Lower East Side could be the order of the day.

Big Onion Walking Tours (www.bigonion. com) host a special St Patrick’s Weekend Irish New York tour, taking you right through the role of Irish immigrants in the history of New York City.

The Lower East Side is said to have boasted more Irish residents than Dublin during the 19th cen-

tury, and walking tours take place on March 15 and March 16.

As for where to stay, just one block away from the main parade route lies The Hotel @ Times Square – a trendy boutique hotel located in midtown Manhattan.

Located just a few blocks away from the Irish Art Centre, and a short subway ride from the Tribeca Cinemas, the hotel offers complimentary continental breakfast, wi-fi and phone calls nationwide.

You can stay for about €142 (at current exchange rates) per person, based on double occupancy in March.

For further information or to make a booking, see www.applecorehotels.com/the-hotelat-times-square, or call 0044 808 178 6363.

(Note that flights and transfers not included.)

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For further information or to make a booking, call the Thomas

action at the three-star Four Points

Cook team in Dublin at 01 514 0328, or

Sheraton Hotel in downtown Chi-

see www.thomascook.ie.

Delight at a trip to Dubai Alternatively, why not travel that bit further and whisk your mum in a million to Dubai for a weekend getaway? A city of striking contrasts, Dubai is one place where modern sophistication meets beautiful tradition. (Think: shopping, great food and sunshine.)

Depart on March 28 for just €696PP and let the team at Orient Travel (www.orienttravel.ie) tailormake your holiday, taking in a half-day city tour, a 4X4 desert safari, a show cruise dinner and return flights, staying at the three-star Ewa Hotel.

For further information, see http://itaa.ie/dubaicity-break-for-mothers-day-4-days-from-e696-pps.

For other special offers from ITAA, see www.itaa. ie/offers.

Gazette

24 Gazette 27 February 2014

OUT&ABOUT Patent leather clutch €89

Yellow dress with draped neck (TBA) Draped neck sleeveless top with drawstring €55

Cut-out cuff €29

Just Yellow circle cut skirt €125

Honeycomb knit sky blue zip-up drop shoulder cardigan €89

Floral print sweater €69

be COS! While music lovers get used to their favourite music store moving premises, fashion followers are only too happy with their new neighbours as COS gets set to open its first standalone store.

Tower Records has left the building and has taken up space on Dawson Street leading the way for a new brand to make itself known in the iconic spot.

COS has found some fierce following in Ireland thanks to its concessions in BT2 in Grafton Street and Dundrum, and in Brown Thomas in Cork and Galway, making way for its next chapter – to open a standalone store. And it’s almost here.

The store will be located on Wicklow Street mixing well in the main shopping area, alongside both highend brands and boutique labels.

The store, which plans to open in spring, will be spread across 574m over two floors. It will feature the full collections of womenswear,

menswear and childrenswear and will open with the fresh and dynamic spring summer 2014 collection comprising bold shapes and soft colours.

Marie Honda, COS overall brand responsible, said of the expansion: “Since opening our first COS concession in Ireland in 2010, we have been fortunate that the brand has received such a positive response. We hope our customers will continue to enjoy the brand, the collection and the new store.”

Remaining aligned with the COS aesthetic, the store interior will focus on the use of natural materials and stylish minimal features, creating a relaxing and enjoyable shopping environment for all. The store interior will be an example of the brand’s second generation design concept, redeveloped over the years to ensure modernity.

For further fashion news from COS see: cosstores.com

Cut-away silk cotton aqua dress with draped pockets and skirt €125

27 February 2014 GAZETTE 25

GAZETTE

STYLE

A symphony of colours for spring wit h Jessica Nails ADD a splash of colour to hands and feet with irresistible shades from Jessica Nail’s coral symphony range.

Pastel and coral can be seen on catwalks across the globe as we hit the spring season, while lilac adds a burst of spring time to any look.

Nails are great for adding a splash of the season’s favourite palette.

Jessica Nails spring 2014 palette, Coral Symphony, is inspired by oceanic corals and blooms.

There are six uplifting, spring time shades that perfectly capture the hottest catwalk colours of the season.

Clours include Conch Shell, a pretty pink ,while Starfish Glow is a vibrant hot pink. Ocean Bloom is a lively lilac that will add a colour pop.

The collection also includes Ocean Bloom, Tropical Sunset, - a beautiful coral tone and Sharktooth continuing the white nail trend.

Coral Symphony is also available in 3 week GELeration.

Price: Jessica Nails Coral Symphony range €12.95 for custom colours and €25 for GELeration.

Jessica Nails are available from salons nationwide and online at www. frenchbeautyroom.com. Jessica Nails: offerings inspired by corals and blooms

BEAUTY news Keep your feet neat with Micro Pedi IT’S a tough life juggling work, families and domestic bliss and Irish mothers can often feel the strain on their feet.

From shopping, cooking, cleaning and carrying out chores, mothers are on their feet almost all day.

So why not encourage mum to put up her feet this Mother’s Day with a gift of a Micro Pedi? This revolutionary at-home pedicure device, that’s fast and easy to use, giving salon standard results every time. This handbag-sized, portable device will remove even the roughest of skin, leaving beautifully, soft skin on heels, soles and toes.

The Micro Pedi system has a unique micro-mineral roller which safely, gently and effectively buffs away hard, jagged and rough skin giving immediate, lasting results, leaving a mum’s feet instantly softer and smoother.

The Emjoi Micro Pedi is available from Boots, leading pharmacies nationwide and online from www. micropedi.ie The Micro Pedi is priced at €39.95 and replacement rollers also available for €14.95

Style Saturday events at the Kilkenny Shop MAKE room in the diary for the Style Saturdays events taking place in the Kilkenny Shop Nassau Street every Saturday until March 22.

From 12 noon to 4pm, top Irish designers will be in store to give customers expert style advice on the latest season trends as well as showcasing looks from their own spring summer collections.

Fiona Heaney, founder of renowned Irish label Fee G, started Style Saturdays in the Kilkenny Shop February 22, while Aideen Bodkin, Jennifer Rothwell, Niamh O’Neill and design duo Lennon Courtney are also scheduled for the coming weeks.

Learn how to dress from the experts with Style Saturdays at Kilkenny.

No booking is necessary to attend these free events – for further details on dates and times, visit www.kilkennyshop.com or ask in store. Dates for your diary - March 1: Aideen Bodkin; March 8: Jennifer Rothwell; March 15: Niamh O’Neill and March 22: Lennon Courtney

Gazette

26 Gazette 27 February 2014

OUT&ABOUT

Theatre Damien Devaney, one of the lead actors in The Bridge Below The Town

tale of 1950s love set to tour the country  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

SET in a small town in 1950s Ireland, Pat McCabe’s The Bridge Below The Town is a tale of the power of love and a couple’s triumph over great adversity.

Livin’ Dred Theatre Company will tour the play, stopping in 10 theatres around Ireland in March and April, starting with a performance in its home county, Cavan, before travelling on to eight others, with two dates in Dublin.

This new production of the play is directed by Padraic McIntyre, and includes actors such as Malcolm Adams (of Ripper Street fame), Gina Moxley (Game of Thrones, Stardust, The Butcher Boy), Damian Devaney (The Clinic, Raw), Janet Moran (Trivia, Love/Hate, Breakfast on Pluto), Roseanna Purcell and Barbara Bergin (The Snapper, Intermission, Love is the Drug).

The Bridge Below the Town comes to the Pavilion for two dates on March 25 and 26, and the show will end its tour in Tallaght’s Civic Theatre, with a run starting on April 1 and ending on April 5.

Tickets costing €18 and €16 are available from the Pavilion Theatre at www.paviliontheatre.ticketsolve. com, and from the Civic Theatre at www. civictheatre.ie.

ARTS

book review: rebel romancy

History is the star in uneven love story  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

A C H U R C H T OW N resident and engineering academic at UCD has taken a leap into the unsure waters of writing historical novels.

Writing his historical novels from a deep love of Irish history, which began as a hobby, and originally from Galway, Paul B McNulty now lives in Churchtown.

His latest novella, A Rebel Romance, is set during the 1798 Rebellion, one of Ireland’s many disastrous attempts at revolution against the British.

The story follows on from McNulty’s previous novel, Spellbound

by Sibella, and depicts the love story of Sibella’s illegitimate daughter, Cecilia Lynch.

The heroine of the story, Cecilia lives in relative luxury as the illegitimate daughter of a baronet and an exotic mother who has a history of dabbling in witchcraft.

Cecilia meets an eligible young man in John Moore, a United Irishman who goes on to be appointed president

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

‘Another troubling feature with the book was the stilted dialogue, which was McNulty’s attempt at an approximation of how the Irish landed gentry spoke in the 18th century’

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

of Connaught by General Humbert in the briefly-established Irish republic during the 1798 Rebellion.

H e av y t h e m e s o f illegitimacy, women’s rights and democracy are all woven together in the novella, although the story cannot bear the weight or breadth of such matters.

T here are several problems with the story, not least the galloping pace which takes us from introductions to the characters through

to their love stor y, the rebellion, battles, imprisonment and the dramatic conclusion in huge leaps.

As such, McNulty’s choice of the novella is surprising for such a sprawling tale. The literary form of the novella is quite an antiquated one, and it is rare to come across it today.

T he novella was always a curious hybrid, as it was born in the 14th centur y from a need to extend a short story.

It is therefore a very specific medium, and was best exampled by Henry James’ Turn of the Screw, Kafka’s Metamorphosis and George Orwell’s Animal Farm.

Another troubling feature with the book is the stilted dialogue McNulty’s attempt at an approximation of how the Irish landed gentry spoke in the 18th century.

One of the most remarkable examples of this occurs during a scene where Moore produces a bottle of champagne to toast his and Cecilia’s engagement, and she says: “Are you

The cover of Paul B McNulty’s new historical novella, A Rebel Romance, set in 1798

going to offer me a celebratory potation?”

This is surprising as although McNulty has a good grasp of Irish history on a grand scale, there is however enough historical source material (through prodigious amounts of correspondence from that era) to gauge how people naturally spoke to each other on a daily basis.

On the positive side, A Rebel Romance is the kind of light read that many people enjoy and takes the reader back to a more genteel time.

McNulty is also a keen amateur historian, and by setting his stories against the backdrop of Irish historical events, he not only educates the reader but also depicts many important turning

The novella’s author, Paul B McNulty

points in Irish history which have never been tackled in literature, and especially not from

the Irish perspective.

A Rebel Romance is available on Amazon and costs €4.99.

27 February 2014 Gazette 27

Gazette

FOOD&DRINK BITESIZEDNEWS

The atmospheric vault bar at ely in the IFSC is a great setting for an upcoming fundraising banquet

L’Ecrivain

French restaurant

Lower Baggot Street Standing on the site of two former Georgian coach houses/mews, the multiple award-winning French

restaurant L’Ecrivain

has had several updates over the years, but retains its reputation for some of the best food in Dublin

The Picky Eater AFTER weeks of perpetual rain and floods, we finally decided to venture out for a bite to eat, and plumped for a stalwart of the Irish food scene, and made reservations for L’Ecrivain.

Brollies in hand, we set off for the Lower Baggot Street establishment, which has fed the great and the good of Dublin for close to 25 years.

Packed out on a Tuesday night, the dining room was abuzz with couples and suits coming straight from work.

In one corner, the editorial team of a rival paper were guzzling vast amounts of red wine poured from huge decanters that were almost as big as the diminutive sommelier.

L’Ecrivain is always a great place for peoplewatching, and so we took our time in ordering, soaking up the atmosphere and the room.

As a centrepiece, the main dining area has a huge Knuttel carpet

adorning its wall, and this draws the diner’s attention immediately. The place is warm and inviting, and we cosied in for a long evening of good food and chat.

After ordering a Pinot Blanc from the Alsace region (€40) we examined the menu closely, but the winning options stood out immediately.

For starters, I went for scallops while my companion ordered the rabbit.

An amuse bouche – which consisted of something with peas – was my least favourite dish of the night, but things only got immensely better from there.

The scallops (€20) were tender, seared to perfection and were served with mushroom and bacon, a shallot puree and fermented scallop brandade.

My companion’s loin of rabbit (€17) with bacon and leek farce was outstanding, with a little confit leg tortellino, lentil

ragout and parsley root puree.

An unusual palate cleanser consisted of a lemon sorbet that had a creamier texture to most sorbets, and some lemonade-like liquid poured on top.

Our waiter recommended that we mix both together and drink it like a shot, which we promptly did and got a lovely icecold, cleansing kick.

My main of pork belly (€37) had been slowcooked for 16 hours, and under the crisp crackling, the meat fell away.

This was complemented with a carrot and mustard puree and date confit carrots. The accompanying sauerkraut was tangy, and hit the right note with the pork.

The meat on my companion’s halibut (€38) was snow-white and flaked into moreish chunks. This was served with haricot beans, smoked eel and a verjus and celeriac puree.

A fermented garlic potato dauphine finished

The simple but elegant dish presentation at L’Ecrivain was also of note. Picture: The Picky Eater

off the dish. “Sublime” was her only comment.

Enough said!

Dessert was a shared chocolate eclair (€13.50) that had notes of coffee, filled with cream and was sprinkled with chocolate coffee beans. It was a nicely-sized dish and was dispatched in a couple of mouthfuls.

The petit fours that come with coffee are always a welcome treat as the finale of a meal, and the chocolate truffle and raspberry macaroons ended a splendid evening in food exploration.

For further details on L’Ecrivain, see www.lecrivain.com or call 01 661 1919.

Conclusion THANKS to its masterful mouthfuls, served with an irresistible dash of people-watching, L’Ecrivain (at 109A Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2; tel 01 661 1919) more than lives up to its reputation as a top French restaurant, which oui certainly liked.

A delicious fundraiser to support Barnardos  natalie burke

THE ely bar & brasserie at the CHQ building in the IFSC is set to host a unique fundraising evening of food, wine and craft beer modelled on the Crimean War Banquet of 1856.

Stack A, as the CHQ building was originally known, was completed in 1821 as a cast-iron, bonded wine, spirits and tobacco warehouse.

The 1856 banquet was organised to honour the Irish veterans of the Crimean War. Today, ely is inviting guests to visit its vaulted wine cellars for an evening of history and celebration, beginning with a drinks reception, followed by a feast styled on the 1856 banquet.

The ely banquet for Barnardos, the children’s charity, will be held on Thursday, April 10 from 7pm at the ely bar & brasserie in the IFSC. Tickets cost €80 and proceeds raised from ticket sales will go to Barnardos.

For further information or to purchase tickets, see www.elywinebar.ie/banquet.

Kids will go nuts for these new fruit snacks DENMARK’S top-selling lunchbox snack, Fruit Heroes, has made its debut in Ireland, offering a delicious and healthily nutricious snack.

Primarily targeted at children aged six to 12, and simply designed with a fun cartoon character to reflect their pure and simple ingredients, the Fruit Heroes range features great tasting, healthy and natural pure fruit bars in four flavours: apple and raspberry, banana, blackcurrant and strawberry varieties.

Made from freshlypicked and sun-dried fruit, and with no added sugar, preservatives, colourings or artificial ingredients, five-bar multipacks are available in selected Tesco stores around the country for €2.29. For recipes and further information, see www.fruitheroes.ie.

Gazette

28 Gazette 27 February 2014

OUT&ABOUT

CINEMA

ReelReviews

UNDER THE SKIN Alien seductress

Under The Skin is the long-awaited latest visual treat from director Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast, Birth). Dark, and at times disturbing, the film sees Scarlett Johansson as an alien who arrives on earth to prey on vulnerable males on the streets of Scotland. The story is left deliberately vague, Johansson’s femme fatale character, Laura, is part of a group of unnamed, unknown aliens who take human form in order to – well it’s not exactly clear what they want to do but it doesn’t look healthy. Laura sets about seducing people at the fringes of society, young people without families, loners, easy targets who won’t be missed. They are disposed of stylistically, wilfully submerged in some otherworldly black stasis that’s never explained.

Glazer and cinematographer Daniel Landin have created a wonderfully intoxicating, oil-slick, psychedelic world for Johansson to explore.

And it is intriguing to watch for a while, especially to a remarkably well-suited soundtrack. But once it becomes clear, around 45 minutes in, that the narrative may also be from outer-space, cleverly attempting to wear the skin of a traditional story then it all begins to crumble. The intended mystery quickly becomes tedious, and at times it seemed Over the Head might have been a better title. There seem to be fleeting glimpses of grander themes on display, and if you really wanted to you could read the film as a form of the classic thought experiment about how our society looks to the outsider, or it could also say something about gender roles in Western culture, or the predatory nature of life, but you would be putting in a lot of work to do so. Verdict: 4/10

Inventor Tim Jenison works on a re-creation of one of Johannes Vermeer’s paintings

TIM’S VERMEER: A creative documentary that examines the artist’s work

Brush up on some art theories Researching the painting techniques of a 17th Century Dutch Master may not sound like your typical cinema fare, but Tim’s Vermeer is an absolute joy for anyone interested in a gripping story.

The Tim in question is Tim Jenison, an inventor and founder of Newtek, a company that ushered in a new era of video production in the 1980s, and continues pushing the boundaries of video broadcasting and 3D rendering today.

This effectively means as well as having his finger on the pulse of digital imaging, he now has the means and opportunity to pursue some rather quirky personal obsessions - like figuring out how Johannes Vermeer painted such exquisitely detailed images.

 Dave phillips

Jenison argues that in paintings such as The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Vermeer creates images in an almost photographic style, capturing the fall-off of light in ways which the human eye doesn’t pick up.

Having worked with cameras for all of his professional life, Jenison becomes convinced that Vermeer’s paintings show lighting effects that are only visible through the lens of a camera and hypothesises that either Vermeer had an eye that was drastically differ-

ent to any other human eye, or that he used a camera.

The idea that burgeoning camera technolog y was utilised

by Vermeer and other painters is not new.

As the film details, there is a canon of work showing how the camera obscura has been used across centuries to create incredibly detailed images.

Jenison builds on the existing theory firstly by suggesting a unique way a mirror could be used to account for the lighting effects, and secondly by taking on the role of an experimental archaeologist and attempting to put the theory to practice in painstaking detail, despite never having wielded a paintbrush.

The film is produced and directed by Penn

and Teller who have been gracing our screens for decades as stage magicians and professional debunkers.

At this point they are dab hands at skillfully unravelling a good yarn, and it is evident.

Across 80 minutes the film never misses a beat, taking us on the highs and lows of Jenison’s

obsessive journey which sees him travelling around the world in search of answers from artists, scientists, and historians; testing the limits of his (and his family’s) patience in his quest to recreate a Vermeer.

Through seeking to physically recreate a Vermeer, Jenison also metaphorically paints a portrait of the artist.

T he picture that emerges is one of Vermeer as the archetypal Renaissance man, a polymath who is

both an exceptionally skilled artist and an avid technological tinkerer, a person who is obsessed with the details and possessed of a tenacity to realise them.

Despite the centuries and professional labels that adorn them, the two men seem to have a lot in common.

Tim’s Vermeer is a film that seeks to shrink the ideological gulf that can exist between high art and technology – it is an engaging, entertaining, and educational underdog story that exposes inextricable links between genius and hard graft.

Verdict: 8/10

Nicely echoing our other review starring Scarlett Johansson this week, here she is in the recent hit film about one of Vermeer’s best-known paintings, The Girl with the Pearl Earring

27 February 2014 GAZETTE 29

INTERVIEW: THE GAZETTE TALKS TO FORMER WESTLIFE STAR

Filan great about his hot new album  ROB HEIGH rheigh@gazettegroup.com

THE process of leaving world-conquering bands and heading off on your own is beset on all sides by the car wrecks of failed solo careers.

However, someone who has navigated the choppy early waters of the solo life, delivering a solid first album and selling tens of thousands of tickets to loyal fans, is former Westlife singer, Shane Filan.

He exclusively spoke to Gazette Music ahead of the start of his first-ever British and Irish tour in Liverpool last Thursday, which will end in a three-day celebration at the Olympia on March 11, 12 and 13.

He said: “I’m really excited ahead of the first show in Liverpool; I don’t know what to expect. It’s the first-ever Shane Filan concert, which is kind of weird.

“It’s hitting home that I’m on my own solo tour now, and it’s really exciting,” he said.

Having had a long career with Westlife, and having taken to considerably bigger stages than the ones he will stand on in the coming weeks, Shane said he was a little nervous ahead of the tour.

He said: “I’m playing in theatres, playing to 2,000

GAZETTE

MUSIC&ENTS CELEBRITYspy

with Q102’s Rebecca Lee

Oh, baby! Simon will be kept X-tra busy IT’S certainly been a busy week for Simon Cowell, between becoming a father and announcing his return to the X-Factor UK. The X-Factor judge is said to be ecstatic following the birth of his son Eric, with girlfriend Lauren Silverman. He’s also expressed his excitement about returning to the X-Factor UK after a three-year break.

Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon believes Simon’s return is vital in bringing life back to the show. She told Dublin’s Q102 she feels Simon will help rake in the viewers and talent.

BEYONCE’S going to be one minted miss when she wraps up her world tour.

It’s estimated the Bootylicious singer will have earned a cool €146 million by the time it ends in March.

The tours unsurprisingly is set to be the most successful of her career. She not only stars in the show, but serves as its director and executive producer (how amazing is she?)

HUGH Jackman says he’s looking forward to hosting the Tony Awards again.

The star is set to MC Broadway’s biggest event in New York this June. Jackman announced the news in a tweet; it’ll be his fourth time hosting the event.

On recording his new, solo album, You And Me (right) in Nashville, Shane Filan said: “I got to write with some amazing writers. I found my sound, and I love the country-pop style.”

to 3,000 people a night, which to me, right now, feels like 80,000.”

Before becoming a solo artist, Shane was able to prepare for the future while still in Westlife as they made the announcement of their split some eight months ahead of going their separate ways.

He said: “Once we decided we were going to split as a band, we all started planning what we were going to do, and for me the only thing I wanted to do was sing.

“So I mentally had to prepare for that – for the end of Westlife. It was a daunting thing to walk out of such a massive band and take on a new role and stand on the stage on my own.

“The band ended and all the other stuff that happened – financially, I wasn’t in a good place – it was a scary time for me. I had no certainty going forward, as I had no record deal and no songs.

“But, once the process [of recording the album, You And Me] started last January, that was it,” he said.

Nashville The record is a set of bright and catchy pop songs with a country tinge, something that came from Shane’s experience working and writing new music in Nashville, which inspired and gave him confidence in his solo venture, as well as giving it a clear direc-

tion.

He said: “I was three or four weeks into the writing process, and the record company booked me to go to Nashville.

That, straight away, was daunting, as it is where some of the best songwriters in the world live, so you can’t go over there and not come back with something.

“It was a bit of pressure straight away, and I was thrown in at the deep end, but I learned a lot.

I got to write with some amazing writers. I found my sound, and I love the country-pop style.”

With such a vast back catalogue of tracks as well as his new solo material, Shane said he found it tricky to pick the ideal set list for the tour.

“It’s not just about performing your songs, you need to make it a show, make it interesting and exciting, up-tempo and ballads as well.

“I think it’s a good set list; there are a lot of Westlife numbers [too], which I think is important. I have tried to make them fit in to my style of music, changing them here and there, and the set list really flows now.”

As for ending the tour in Dublin, Shane says that he was delighted that he got such support from his home audience that he was able to add the additional shows when the first one sold out.

He said: “No better place to finish it up. The Olympia is such an iconic venue!

MAN of the moment Robert Sheehan has been busy scouting locations in India for his new movie.

The ex Love/Hate star has been checking out locations in Goa with his production team for his new film, Jet Trash.

The 26-year-old has been filming projects non-stop since he was killed off in the hit TV series more than a year ago.

VOICE of Ireland winner Keith Hanley says he doesn’t hear from Jamelia any more.

The 2013 winner, who was carried through the show by the superstar singer, told me they’ve cut ties.

Keith made the comments during a chat about his new single, Blue, which has just been released on iTunes.

He told me it doesn’t bother him that they’ve gone their separate ways, and that he feels Jamelia did her best while they were working together on the show.

Gazette

30 Gazette 27 February 2014

OUT&ABOUT

TECHNOLOGY

APPSWATCH

Yes, you could stand out in the street looking for bus updates – or you could just glance at the same info on your phone

REASONS TO BE APPY

Beat – or avoid – the traffic with these downloads GIVEN the continuing inexorable rise of smartphone and tablets all around us – frankly, you can hardly hop on the bus or Luas any more without someone almost poking your eye out as they play Candy Crush Saga (see below right), let’s look at some of the useful apps for the city’s travellers.

A surprising number of people still don’t have these useful apps, so don’t put off installing them any longer, and help to make your commuting life a little easier.

Whether you’re an experienced app-ster, or late to jump on the tech bus, there should be something here for you ...

SPEAKING of buses, the official Dublin Bus app (free, IOS, Android) is a must. Just a tiny bit clunkier to use than it should be, it’s nevertheless a must-have for bus users, as it provides the very latest updates on when your next bus(es) are due to depart, based on the GPStech that the bus fleet uses.

As it uses the same GPS data that the real-time stops display, it can be a little prone to the same “ghost buses” issues that randomly hit them, but it remains a consistently useful, if not essential app nonetheless.

FOR those looking to jump on board the rush-hour sardine tins otherwise known as the Luas, you’re in luck – Luas (free, IOS, Android) is worth making tracks to, as it’s another pretty useful app for that service’s users. It has the same real-time updates for the next tram along the Red or Green line, along with associated useful data. Again, another must-have for regular travellers.

CAR users enjoying traversing the biggest mobile car park in Europe (otherwise known as the M50), or those who are competing in the daily “Who can take the slowest trip along the Quays?” contest will have plenty of time to browse through the useful AA Ireland Breakdown & Traffic app (free, IOS, Android).

If you tire of customising the app with your own AA info (just in case you ever need to worry about such matters as help in a breakdown, renewing your tax, setting an NCT reminder and so on), you can also read the latest Roadwatch traffic updates – perfect for learning all about the jam you could have avoided two miles back if you’d just checked your app in time.

IF YOU’RE one of the many people spotted risking life and limb on two wheels in town – I salute your braveness, one and all – Dublin Bikes is indeed a great facility to have. Apps for it … not so much.

Appsolute Editions’ Dublinbikes (free, IOS, Android) seems to have a mixture of 50:50 happy/dissatisfied users at present.

In theory, the app tells you how many available bikes/free slots are at the stations around town, but in practice, the data updates may not be the most reliable. In common with all these apps, there’s room for improvement. And, for all the motoring apps, there’s vroom for improvement.

Tech watchers and business analysts are peering into their crystal balls, attempting to calculate what will happen to WhatsApp – the extremely popular mobile messaging service – following its sale to Facebook for $19bn. Illustration: Shane Dillon

communications: why facebook paid €19bn for company

WhatsApp with that deal?

WHENEVER you hop onto Dublin Bus or the Luas at the moment, you’ll easily see two apps in widespread use on smartphones – Candy Crush Saga (see below), and WhatsApp. For those who may be new to smartphones – even today, there are still many who are – WhatsApp is a free (for the first year; minimal charge thereafter) messenger app that uses 3G or Wifi to send free texts and other media contact to anyone using the same app – thus completely bypassing mobile carrier services.

Until very recently, WhatsApp had a comparatively low profile, without any of the social buzz surrounding the likes of Instagram, Snap-

 shane dillon

sdillon@gazettegroup.com

chat, or Facebook. Speaking of which …

Enter MarkZuckerberg, Facebook’s founder, who made a pretty astonishing deal in late February to buy WhatsApp for the Dr Evil-ish sum of $19bn (in euro by my calculations, that’s … a lot of money).

“Facebook buys WhatsApp for $19bn” is a headline that’s been widely reported, and which you may have already seen.

However, there’s been a comparative lack of insight into why Face-

book paid such an eyebrow-raising figure for an app that doesn’t generate any major revenue at present.

Gazing into The Gazette’s crystal ball, and using the same finelyhoned guesstimate skills that tech watchers and financial analysts are using at the moment, I can confidently gues- err, predict that this latest tech acquisition was a tactical move by Facebook.

After all, while Facebook has leapt into the public eye and imagination in recent years, there are certain markets – such as across various Asian countries, for example – where its uptake hasn’t been as rapid, or unchallenged.

In such sectors, What-

sApp (and similar services) have a strong presence, with communications messengers providing a bigger challenge to social media than in our Western markets.

Bearing this in mind, WhatsApp’s acquisition is a way to further bolster the Facebook brand globally, and especially in such comparatively weaker markets.

For now, the $19bn deal – comprising a hefty chunk of money up front, stock shares and further payments down the road – sees Facebook as owner of the hugely-successful messenger service.

With that, it can be presumed to start automatically data-mining all of the data exchanges that WhatsApp users have

been sending for a few years.

Armed with this data, Facebook could work on further refining its advertising strategies and algorithms, as well as seeking to further monetise WhatsApp (possibly by introducing tailored advertising to the currently adsfree, streamlined app) while a wild card guess could see WhatsApp integrated into Facebook – all of which add value to the overall Facebook brand.

In the short term, it seems like a crazy figure to have paid out, but in the long run, it could turn out to be a prescient purchase for Facebook.

And, at least it didn’t pay a truly ridiculous price for the company like, say, $20bn …

PRETTY SWEET FINANCIAL FIGURES BEHIND CANDY CRUSH SAGA HAVING surpassed Angry Birds in the public consciousness, the nearly-ubiquitous Candy Crush Saga has some impressive economic statistics behind its candy-swapping gameplay.

Recent reports reveal that its maker, King Digital Entertainment, is currently pulling in about €580,000 ($600k) a day from the title – a pretty sweet set-up for King, or any gaming business.

The game’s currently sitting near the top of the food chain when it comes to the free-to-play gaming business model, whereby a game is free to download and play, but if just 1% of its daily players decide that they’d like to pay a small fee to unlock extra game features – well, it’s not hard to see how the figures could be a delicious package for potential investors to take a bite at.

So, given some of these hard-boiled financial figures behind the smash-hit phone and tablet game, King has filed an IPO in America, seeking to pull in an initial $500m. Based on its huge number of Irish fans, Candy Crush Saga is unlikely to be running at a floss – sorry, loss for quite some time ...

27 February 2014 Gazette 31

32 Gazette 27 February 2014

Gazette

&ABOUT OUT road NOISE

Ford EcoSport SUV

Delorentos set to have sport with Ford – Ole ole ole!

Irish band Delorentos are taking part in an exclusive concert hosted by Ford later this month.

Taking place on February 26 in Barcelona, the concert will be broadcast live on Spotify and streamed live on Ford Europe’s YouTube channel.

The event, that also features such acts as Natalie McCool from the UK; and Mickael Miro from France, will mark the launch of “EcoSport Live!” an innovative social media campaign built around the all-new Ford EcoSport.

For “EcoSport Live!” Ford will loan 100 new Ford EcoSport SUVs for up to six months to music, fashion, food and sport bloggers from 10 European countries; they will share their experiences through social media.

The bloggers – who will share their experiences of the car on social media – will test Ford’s new in-car connectivity system Ford SYNC with AppLink, which enables drivers to voice-activate apps from such providers as Spotify, Radioplayer and Audioteka while on the move. Ford also will announce special EcoSport Live! events in each of the 10 countries – including local challenges and celebrity drives – that will take place throughout the year.

“We’re excited about EcoSport Live! because it puts our new EcoSport SUV and SYNC with AppLink in the hands of some of the most creative and socially connected people in Europe and they decide what they create and share,” said Roelant de Waard, vice president, marketing, sales and service, Ford of Europe. “A concert with 10 great up-and-coming new acts that is available to everyone online is a great way to kick off EcoSport Live!”

A growing number of service providers has already confirmed they are enabling their apps to work with Ford SYNC with Voice Control and AppLink in Europe. Ford has previously announced apps from ADAC; Audioteka; Cityseeker by Wcities; Die Welt; Eventseeker by Wcities; Glympse; Hotels.com; Kaliki; Spotify; Radioplayer and TomTom.

opel meriva: more efficient, more functional and better looking

Gold cert and the stars well earned  cormac curtis

Opel have made some changes to its popular Meriva, making the car more efficient, better looking and more functional.

Gazette motoring will carry a full road test of the car once it becomes available, but in the meantime we have the latest specs and features of the versatile MPV. Launching on these shores in April, the new Meriva will be available from a lower price of €18,995.

On the exterior the Meriva, stands out with a crisper design, new chrome accents and newly designed front and rear lights. Opel’s new generation 1.6 136hp turbo diesel engine is introduced, this is the quietest and most efficient engine in the class, consuming as low as 3.8 litres per 100km and qualifies in vehicle road tax band A4 (€200).

Later this year and for the first time in a petrol

or diesel MPV, emissions will go under 100g– with just 99g/km CO2 when a 1.6 CDTi 110hp variant is introduced.

The Meriva comes with features such as: rear-hinged FlexDoors to make access easier, variable rear seating system called FlexSpace, ergonomic front seats and numerous storage solutions. Opel’s very own FlexFix, a fully integrated, rear-end bicycle carrier system is ideal for active individuals and families.

The new IntelliLink multimedia system is also introduced, allowing the streaming of music and calls through Bluetooth phones, tablets or portable devices. Voice commands for navigation, phone calls and music tracks have also been introduced. It will even display texts to stay connected throughout every journey.

The new Meriva has achieved the maximum five star result in the Euro NCAP crash test. Additionally, in the new Ger-

man TÜV Report 2014 found that the Meriva was found to be the car with the lowest defect rate and also best quality among two to three year old vehicles and even beat other manufactures in the premium segment for this accolade, as a result it has been awarded the TÜV Gold Certificate.

Trim options for the Meriva are:

Entry Model S: Features daytime running lights, FlexSpace adjustable rear seats, FlexFloor – an adjustable luggage compartment floor that can be lowered to give you more load height and volume, CD with USB for iPod/ MP3 player and aux-in sockets, electric front windows and heated door Mirrors, door-to-door illumination, remote central dead locking and driver’s seat height adjuster, electronic stability programme-plus and an anti-lock braking system.

Best Selling SC Trim: Adds additional features

Opel’s new generation 1.6 136hp turbo diesel engine is the quietest and most efficient engine in the class

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

The Meriva, stands out with a crisper design, new chrome accents and newly designed front and rear lights

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

such as air conditioning, cruise control, activesafety front seat head restraints, FlexRail centre console system featuring aluminium rails and sliding tray/cup holder, Full-size curtain airbags, active-safety front seat head restraints, steering wheel mounted audio controls, ambient lighting in centre console, front seat back pockets, 12-volt electrical accessory socket in rear centre console, rear courtesy lights, Remote control security alarm system on 1.6CDTi models.

Premium SE Trim: Add addional features from SC such as; Panoramic glass roof with

electrically operated sunshade, 17-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, front fog lights with chrome surrounds, dark-tinted rear windows, multi-function trip computer, electrically operated rear windows, leather-covered steering wheel, leather-covered gear knob (manual models only), front sliding centre storage module with armrest and lid, aviation-style folding trays on front seat backs, driver’s under seat storage box, front passenger’s under seat storage tray, front and rear door sill step plates, full body-colour door mirrors, chromeeffect lower side-window mouldings.

27 February 2014 Gazette 33

Gazette

MOTORS

audi tt: the love affair continues

Taut, muscular, athletic, poised – what’s not to like?  cormac curtis

THE Audi TT - it’s already been a huge success, and Irish motorists have been enjoying a love affair with it from day one.

Now it’s time for the next incarnation.

Taut and muscular, athletic and poised: the new Audi TT will be making its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show next week.

In anticipation of its release, Audi have released this stunning concept of the car to give an idea of what to expect.

For the third generation of the compact sports car, the designers have reinterpreted a host of ideas from the first TT generation from 1998 – in a dynamic, diverse way. The front end of the new Audi TT has dominant horizontals.

The single-frame grille is broad and flat. Two contours form a V-pattern over the engine hood. The position of the four rings is also new: they now sit centrally on the hood, echoing the R8.

Struts divide the large

air inlets. The headlights repeat this motif – they are structured with divider struts acting as reflectors for the daytime running light. Audi can supply the headlights as an option with LED technology or its pioneering Matrix LED technology, where controllable individual light-emitting diodes generate the main beam.

Many details of the new Coupe’s profile are reminiscent of the first generation’s classic design. The sill contour forms a powerful light edge and the wide wheel arches constitute distinct geometrical entities. At the front, the wheel arch intersects the hood join, which continues over the door as the tornado line and extends all the way to the rear. The flat greenhouse looks like an entity in its own right.

The shape of the C-post, with a slight kink, gives the TT a powerful, athletic look and enhances the impression of tension.

At the rear, too, horizontal lines reinforce the wide, sporty impression. The struts in the

rear lights pick up on the headlights’ motif. They remain permanently on – another Audi innovation.

The third brake light with a flat strip shape links the two units on either side.

All engine versions have two large, round exhaust tailpipes in the diffuser.

Like all Audi S models, the TTS features four tailpipes.

Inside, too, the styling is so light it almost seems to float, evoking the clean sports car character of the new Audi TT. The centre console and door trims have flowing, matching shapes. The round air vents, a classic TT feature, evoke the engines and incorporate the air conditioning controls. This solution – and the elimination of the central MMI monitor, now replaced by the Audi virtual cockpit – pave the way for the dashboard’s slim architecture.

The third generation of the Audi TT, the design icon, has been systematically refined in every department, both inside and out – resulting in a pedigree sports car.

The new Audi TT will be making its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show next week

34 GAZETTE 27 February 2014

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Planning permission is sought by Mr.Afif Elkhuffash and Ms.Anne Doherty for the construction of a one storey porch to the front of existing house at 14 College Park Way, Ballinteer Rd., Dublin 16. and the conversion of existing attic in to a bedroom plus en suite bathroom complete with gabled roof plus dormer window and a velux rooflight to front and rear.

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Guillaume and Ciara Roca wishes to apply for full planning permission for the conversion a domestic garage into habitable rooms, to convert the flat roof on the existing garage into a pitch roof, The construction of a ground floor extension onto the front of dwelling and permission for retention for a velux window at side of dwelling at 24 Woodley Park Kilmacud west Dublin 14. The planning application may be inspected or purchased for a fee not exceeding a reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority, Marine Road, DĂşn Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, during its public opening hours of Monday to Friday from 10:00am to 4:00pm.A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the Planning Authority, on payment of a fee of â‚Ź20 within 5 weeks of receipt of the application by the Planning Authority and such submissions or observations will be considered by the Planning Authority in making a decision on the application.

The Planning Authority may grant permisson subject to or without conditions or may refuse to grant permission 20220

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DUN LAOGHAIRE RATHDOWN COUNTY COUNCIL

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Retention of development is sought for the development at this site. The development consists of an amendment subsequent to the previous granted planning application ref: D12A/0273 for the retention of a 2m ground floor extension to the rear (approx 26 Sq m), at Rodela, Mart Lane, Foxrock, Dublin 18, by Des Winter. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority, County Hall, DĂşn Laoghaire during its public opening hours. A submission/observation may be made on payment of â‚Ź20 within a period of 5 weeks from the date the applicationis received by the planning authority.

Application is being sought

by Absolute House Plans Ltd., 1, Killoran Terrace, 1 Catherine Place Limerick City, 061 319004, on behalf of Deirdre & Ken Morrin to the above authority for full planning permission to construct a second storey extension over existing garage, convert garage to a habitable room, construct a single storey extension to the front and rear of existing dwelling and all associated site works at 10, Marley Walk, Marley Grange, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14.

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

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27 February 2014 GAZETTE 35

CROWDFUNDING P37

ASDFSDAF P27 GAELIC GAMES P39

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



GAZETTE

SPORTS AWARDS P36

FastSport DUBLIN HAILS O’DRISCOLL IN RUGBY SURVEY:

St Pat’s Athletic players Ger O’Brien and Killian Brennan (inset) who have both been nominated for Airtricity Player of the Year. Main picture: Billy Galligan

SOCCER: FAI SHORTLISTS SHOWS RANGE OF LOCAL FLAIR PRESENT ON WORLD STAGE

Dublin talent aplenty on list of international nominees A WEALTH of Dubs and Dublin-based players have been named on the shortlists for the 24th annual Three FAI International Football Awards, which will take place on Sunday, March 2 at RTE Studios, Donnybrook.

St Patrick’s Athletic duo Killian Brennan and Ger O’Brien have both been rewarded for excellent seasons with a spot on the SSE Airtricity League Player of the Year shortlist.

They helped the Inchicore side land the League of Ireland title and are on the list with former Crumlin United man Richie Towell completing the line-up following a fine 2013 with Dundalk.

Tallaght man Robbie Keane is up for

both senior international player of the year along with Three International Goal of the Year. He is up against former Belvedere and Shelbourne man Wes Hoolahan in the latter shortlist for his first international strike against Poland.

On the women’s side, Peamount’s Julie-Ann Russell will battle it out with former club mate Louise Quinn – who now plays in Sweden – for the women’s player of the year gong. They are joined on that list by US-based Shannon Smyth.

In the underage categories, Sam Byrne – formerly of St Joseph’s Boys – is in the Under-19 selection courtesy of his performances in the international side while

he has impressed in the Manchester United as he notched several goals for the reserves. Belvedere’s Pierce Sweeney is also an Under-19 nominee while Shane Griffin makes up the trio.

Byrne’s Joey’s club mate Katie McCabe – now with Raheny - is in line for the girl’s equivalent Under-19 title along with her current club mate Claire Shine.

Going down the age groups, St Kevin’s Boy’s Jack Byrne and Stella Maris’ Cody Mulhall are Under-17 boys nominees; Keeva Keenan from WFTA and subsequently Shelbourne is nominated in the Under-17 girls category.

At Under-16 level, Malahide United’s Robert Duggan and St Kevin’s Anthony

Dolan are included, too.

Of the Junior internationals, Sherriff YC’s Darren Dunne flies the Dublin flag while Martin Cramer’s performances for Crumlin saw him get one of the three shortlist spots in the intermediate player of the year.

Three nominations were chosen across the categories by a panel from the Soccer Writers’ Association of Ireland.

Also at the awards, a former Republic of Ireland great will be inducted into the FAI’s Hall of Fame, while there will also be a Special Merit Award, and an International Personality of the Year Award, all of which will be announced at the event.

DUBLIN rugby giant Brian O’Driscoll was announced as the nation’s greatest-ever back according to a survey released by IRFU community partner and sponsor of the 6 Nations, Ulster Bank.

The survey, based on responses from across the country revealed O’Driscoll as Ireland’s best back of all-time, with 75% of the vote, easily beating Ronan O’Gara in second place with 8%.

Clubs can still enter RugbyForce, the Ulster Bank initiative which provides clubs with the opportunity to win support packages for their club, with the top prize of €10,000 and four provincial prizes of €5,000.

For further information, log on to www. ulsterbank.com/rugby

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 6230 or 01 651 6205

Gazette

36 Gazette 27 February 2014

SPORT

DublinGazetteNewspapers 2014 dublin sports awards february nominees

ANOTHER month of fantastic Dublin sport to report on, and all this in spite of weather that would otherwise indicate the end of days... or at least the truth of global warming.

We have another illustrious set of nominees for the Dublin Sports Awards, featuring a wide array of sports that survived the elements and showed the depth of talent in sport right across the capital.

We have a huge amount to look forward to from these stars and teams over the coming months, and we’ll be bringing you all the developments on their respective progress.

We’re also delighted to announce that the Dublin Sports Awards for 2013 will have their gala presentation evening on March 27 - more details to come soon.

H STARof the MONTH

stephen mcphail

caroline ryan

sinead DENNY

rush man McPhail made his debut for Shamrock Rovers last week in the quarter-final of the Setanta Sports Cup and made a prodigal return when he scored for his new club in their 5-1 demolition of Belfast side Glentoran.

THE Garda Club cyclist returned to the World number one spot this month in the 3km individual pursuit, a huge confidence boost ahead of her appearance at the 2014 World Track Championships in Colombia.

DSDAC athlete Sinead Denny followed up her successful 2013, where she claimed silver in the 2013 championship and represented Ireland at the European team championships with gold in the 400m at the AAI National Indoor Championships in Athlone.

three rock rovers

collinstown fc

st mochta’s

THREE Rock Rovers Hockey Club brought four decades without the national title to an end this month when they kept their nerve to claim the Irish Senior Cup at Belfield on penalties after they had ended the final against Pembroke Wanderers level at 2-2

Collinstown reached the last eight of the FAI Junior Cup competition for the first time when they defeated Mervue United in a hard-fought encounter that saw the Clondalkin side’s rehearsal of their penalties skills pay off in the shoot-out.

ST MOCHTA’S Sunday Senior 1A side have defied the odds to reach the quarter-final stages of the FAI Intermediate Cup, most recently getting the better of Ulster side Cockhill Celtic 2-0 to set up a showdown with LSL giants Tolka Rovers.

TEAMof the MONTH H

Malahide cricket event wins international recognition  sport@gazettegroup.com

The packed crowd at Malahide Cricket Club last September when ireland played England in an ODI

On the same day as Ireland won an historic victory against West Indies in their T20 encounter, Cricket Ireland’s promotion and marketing of the Ireland vs England one-day international won a prestigious ICC global award.

The event in September 2013 saw 10,000 fans attend the north county club as part of a record sell-out crowd.

Cricket Ireland marketing manager Andrew Leonard said: “We are absolutely delighted

to receive this Global ICC Award. It’s a fantastic honour for everyone at Cricket Ireland, including the volunteers who worked so tirelessly to make the match the undoubted success it was.

“That day that will live long in the memory of many Irish cricket fans, with a superb game of cricket being matched by glorious weather, a recordbreaking crowd and the magnificent debut of our newest international venue in Malahide. It was a special day which showed Irish cricket at its very

best.”

The support which roared Ireland on that day is hoped to be in place again at Clontarf when the national team meet Sri Lanka in two one-day internationals on May 6 and 8.

ICC global development manager Tim Anderson said: “I’m really pleased to congratulate the winners of the Pepsi ICC Development Programme Annual Awards 2013, who have all demonstrated incredible dedication to growing cricket globally.

“Cricket Ireland’s sell-out

ODI against England confirmed the major market potential that Ireland has for our game.”

This year’s judging panel featured current ICC president Alan Isaac, previous ICC presidents Malcolm Gray, Ehsan Mani, David Morgan and Sharad Pawar, as well as John Stephenson as a representative of the MCC. All Pepsi ICC Development Programme Annual Awards 2013 winners receive a cricket equipment grant to their national cricket body.

27 February 2014 Gazette 37

Gazette

Pledge project aids sport stars’ ambitions Dublin sports people have adopted the new crowd-sourcing approach to realising their dreams, and James Cluskey and Cian Curley explain how it can transform their careers  stephen findlater

sport@gazettegroup.com

NINE Irish sports stars have banded together with Pledge Sports in a bid to pursue their sporting dreams, hoping that this new initiative can provide a way to support their elite ambitions.

With Irish Spor ts Council funds being shaved year on year and wholesale sponsors diminishing, the initiative provides a platform for “crowd-funding” via their website. It is something that the likes of Dublin triathlete Kevin Thornton, Lucan golfer Cian Curley, Swords tennis player James Cluskey and Aer Lingus swimming Olympian Barry Murphy have all jumped on board.

It has enjoyed success in the US to date, open-

ing a portal for athletes to receive funding from fans and commercial sponsors. For Metro St Brigid’s runner John Coghlan, this has already allowed Teneo - a consultancy firm in New York - to provide a donation that pushed him over the 60% of his funding target as he embarks on his first full year as a professional having previously won European gold as part of the Irish Under-23 team.

For each participant, their motives are different depending on their sport but the aim is the same — to get the helping hand they need to push for higher ground in the sporting world.

Barry Murphy, meanwhile, is looking to compete in a world with heavily-funded American and Australian college students with his current

support structure a fraction of his rivals.

Nonetheless, he won a 50m breaststroke world bronze in 2013 as well as a European short course third in the same event. His stated goal is to become a European champion.

In 2013, James Cluskey showed just what this leg up can do. With Sports Council funding for the first time, he was able to travel to more events on the world tennis tour and became Ireland’s highest-ever ranked doubles player, and was just the third Irish player ever to win a Challenger level event.

This year, funding may be limited from that avenue, so he is hoping to use this route to fill the gap and push for a Wimbledon doubles spot, something that could

Lucan golfing star Cian Curley explained that it can cost over €20,000 to simply get on the first rung of the ladder to European success

have a long-lasting effect on tennis in Ireland.

“The more tournaments and sometimes the further I can go to find a better schedule, having a bit of security there will help me break the top 100 in the world and play Wimbledon.

“I went to Johannesburg last year and lost

the first rung, the Euro Pro Tour, of the ladder.

“On the Euro ProTour, there’s 15 or 16 events a year,” he told GazetteSport. “It will cost €800€1,000 per event. At the end of year, you get to Q-school where the entry fee alone is €1,700.

If you were to go through all the phases of qualify-

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

‘The costs of playing on the tour adds up very quickly. For me, it was a no-brainer’ - Cian Curley

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

the first round. One of the reasons I think I lost was I put more pressure on myself because of the cost of getting there. Having more money would help me get to those tournaments that I want to play so I can make my decisions number one for tennis rather than other reasons.

“I am not a big fan of being negative about how difficult it can be. At the same time, no one is forcing me to play tennis. But I am 150 in the world and am going in the right direction and really close to Wimbledon. It would be a really big moment for tennis, like when Conor Niland played.”

For Curley, his target is getting a foothold on the European Tour after a impressive amateur career. It is a notoriously tough thing to do with start-up funds of €20,000 required just to get on

ing school, you are looking at €5,000 to €6,000 for that alone to get you onto the main tour.

“You are looking at €20,000 at least for your flights, your car rentals, your hotels and your entry fees at a minimum.

It all adds up very quickly.

“When I researched what Pledge Sports was all about, it was a nobrainer for me. It is something that has been very successful over in the US. It is the first time it has been tried on such a scale in Ireland. It’s good to be involved and, hopefully, it can work out.”

With funding in place, it would allow Curley to travel to more tournaments to give the golfing prospect a stronger base to take a tilt at qualifying school to the European Tour, a level where he would be able to sustain a long-term career as a pro.

FastSport

Dublin hockey acclaimed in national awards list DUBLIN clubs, players, coaches and umpires to the fore in Irish Hockey Awards as they are landed six out of the seven prizes announced last Thursday while a further two of the three remaining gongs are guaranteed to stay in the province.

It was an incredible day for Beaufort side Loreto who were awarded three trophies with a high possibility of landing a fourth on the awards night, to be held on March 21, as three of their players – Sinead McGirr, (pictured above), Ali Meeke and Nikki Keegan will battle it out with Kate Dillon for women’s club player of the year.

Already in the bag are Umpire of the Year for Fiona Davitt – the Leinster Hockey Umpires President this season – while Inez Cooper wins Volunteer of the Year. She has recently been coopted onto the European Hockey Federation executive board having played key roles in the delivery of the Irish Hockey League among other roles in recent years.

Graham Shaw also gets a partial nod from the Loreto camp as Coach of the Year having helped the club to the Irish Hockey League finals in the judging period while also getting Rathdown to their first senior cup final. His magnum opus, though, was delivering an IHL and Irish Senior Cup to Monkstown, the latter their first national title in 99 years.

In addition, Town can celebrate Lee Cole’s Under-18 player of the year having starred with the Irish Under-18s in Poland, too. The Sky-Blues are up for club of the year along with Loreto, Railway Union and Muckross.

Mount Anville won school of the year following their Senior Cup win last season while their talisman last season, Sara Twomey – who plays her club hockey with Hermes – won the Under18 women’s player of the year.

As well as the women’s club player of the year, the men’s club player of the year will also be named from a shortlist at the event with Monkstown’s Gareth Watkins, UCD’s Ross Canning and Pembroke’s Mark Ingram on the list along with the solitary Munster representative, Dave Egner.

The President’s Award will also be awarded on the night and is decided upon at the sole discretion of the president to recognise an individual for their outstanding contribution to the sport of hockey.

Gazette

38 DUNDRUM gazette 27 February 2014

SPORT

FastSport

soccer: dundrum beaten by lucan united in second round

Old Wesley bounce back with home win in Div 2 Old Wesley bounced back from last week’s narrow defeat to City of Derry with a win against Rainey OB in Division 2A of the Ulster Bank League at Donnybrook. The result of this rearranged fixture lifts the Donnybrook side to 27 points in the table just a point behind the visitors, but they remain in ninth place.

The first half was error strewn with both sides finding the conditions difficult to handle. The home side started the brighter, exerting dominance in the early scrums and making good ground in the loose.

However, it was Rainey who took the lead in the 12th minute with a penalty goal from in front of the home posts and almost immediately extended this with a second wellstruck penalty from 45m.

After two missed penalties, Wesley opted for a line-out from their next opportunity, and the quick delivery saw hooker Craig Telford cross the line for the first try; McLaughlin converted to give the home side a 7–6 lead.

The second period started in disastrous fashion for the Donnybrook side as they conceded a soft penalty directly from the restart and Rainey edged into a two-point lead. This stunned Old Wesley into action and, within minutes, they bounced back with a fine try by scrum half Ian Cassidy.

McLaughlin converted to make the score 14–9.

This sparked a purple patch for the visitors who crossed the whitewash close to the home posts, and the conversion put the visitors ahead again by 16–14.

A 15m penalty by McLaughlin restored the Old Wesley lead and then, with five minutes remaining, wing Conor Lavelle, who was prominent throughout the match, fielded a loose kick to set up a counter attack close to the half way line. Having made good ground Lavelle delivered a great miss pass to set Alan Large free and, when stopped short of the line, he offloaded inside to Rory Stynes to touchdown.

Rainey hit back but failed to penetrate an organised Old Wesley rear guard as the home side held on to a deserved victory.

Glenmore Dundrum were unlucky not to capitalise on their chances but exited the Metropolitan Cup against a strong Lucan United side

Glenmore bow out of cup metropolitan cup Lucan United Glenmore Dundrum  sport@gazettegroup.com

3 0

Lucan United advanced to the third round of the Metropolitan Cup after a 3-0 victory over Glenmore Dundrum last weekend. Goals from Stephen Lawless, Sean Hughes and substitute Jack Carey saw the home side progress.

Lucan started the match well and dominated possession in the opening exchanges, forcing Glenmore to defend deep.

The early pressure paid

off after only eight minutes when Chris Dunne’s shot was blocked for a corner kick. From the resulting delivery, Glenmore were unable to clear the ball properly and Stephen Lawless was first to react with a shot on the turn which took a deflection and squeezed between the post and Daniel Murphy on the line.

Lucan kept the pressure on Glenmore and had shots from Rutherford and Byrne well saved

by Lloyd Merrigan in the Glenmore goal.

Glenmore began to come more into the game and had chances through

dunboyne determination

Rathfarnham team shine in Co Meath race shane O’Neill from Rathfarnham WSAF Athletic Club was in action last weekend in Dunboyne, Co Meath, when he took part in the masters men’s race during the Woodie’s DIY Intermediate, Master and Juvenile Development crosscountry championships. Club members Barry Minnock, Paul Fleming, Ronan Kearns and Gerry Doyle also featured in the event.

Picture: Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE

Stephen O’Brien and Tony Breslin. On the half hour mark, O’Brien raced away from the Lucan defence and was brought down just outside the box.

From the resulting free kick, Paul Dignam saw his effort charged down and the opportunity was gone.

Glenmore nearly snatched an equaliser just before half time when good work from John Whiriskey led to Breslin letting fly from 20 yards, with Conor Barcoe saving well in the Lucan goal.

The second half began with Glenmore dominating possession and

chasing the equaliser and Lucan looking to hit them on the break through the pace of Mark Rutherford.

On 60 minutes, James Doyle was booked for a late challenge on Rutherford as the Lucan man looked to break from the middle of the park.

The game was beginning to open up as both sets of players were finding more space on the large pitch as legs began to tire.

W i t h 15 m i n u t e s remaining, Glenmore became the masters of their own downfall when goalkeeper Merrigan tried

to switch the play from his own free kick but only resulted in presenting Sean Hughes with the simplest of tasks of heading into an unguarded net.

Things got worse for Glenmore two minutes later when Doyle was shown a second yellow card.

Substitute Carey rounded things off for the home side with the last kick of the game when he fired low into the bottom corner of the net with a fine finish from the edge of the box to send Lucan through to the third round.

27 February 2014 DUNDRUM gazette 39

Gazette

Local talent on show as Dublin rescue draw  sport@gazettegroup.com

BALLYBODEN St Enda’s Natalia Hyland scored two vital late points for Dublin’s ladies footballers as they remained unbeaten after three rounds of matches in Tesco HomeGrown NFL Division 1, tying 1-13 each with Monaghan in their refixed game in Inishkeen.

Honours were even after a topsy-turvy tie that swung both ways over the course of the hour last Sunday.

Dublin struck for the game’s opening goal in the 11th minute when Noelle Healy capped a surging run with a cracking finish to hand the visitors a 1-3 to 0-3 lead. Dublin were 1-6 to 0-5 in front before

Niamh Kindlon grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck.

She converted a free to leave just three points between the sides before her goal levelled the tie.

At half-time, the teams were deadlocked at 1-7 apiece and the secondhalf would also fail to separate them.

Dublin, with Sinead

Aherne (0-7) and Lindsey Davey in good form, lost Leah McCaffrey to a yellow card and when Monaghan pushed two points clear, 1-13 to 1-11, last year’s beaten All-Ireland finalists were on course for victory. But two points from Hyland, including a sensational long-range free, rescued a draw for Dublin.

football: close-run end to opening day fixture

Club Noticeboard ballyboden st enda’s The countdown is on for Ballyboden St

There was no winner of this week’s

Enda’s Strictly Dancing Experience.

Lotto draw. The numbers drawn were:

Over the last six weeks, 16 couples

20, 12, 2 and 11 . Match first three win-

have been rehearsing twice a week

ners are Veronica Naughton, Patrick

perfecting their pirouettes and pre-

Rohan, Ken Morgan, Ray Casey, Moire

paring for the biggest night of their

O’Brien and John and Iris Kirwan.

dancing career. If you haven’t bought

Martin Gilligan won our weekly sub-

your tickets yet contact Peter Wall

scriber’s draw. Next week’s jackpot

(087 133 2308) or email events@bod-

will be € 3,500.

engaa.ie.

Congratulations to our senior hurl-

Congratulations to our repre-

ers and camogie players who were

sentatives on the Dublin senior hurl-

formally recognised by South Dublin

ing team who overcame All-Ireland

County Council last week. Mayor Der-

champions Clare in the National Hurl-

mot Looney and the elected members

ing League.

of South County Council extended a

Best of luck to the Ballyboden St

formal invitation to representatives

Enda’s players who are playing Cork

from Ballyboden St Enda’s players and

this weekend in the National Football

management to attend a civic recep-

League.

tion in recognition of our recent suc-

Sportsprophet returns after the

cess in winning the senior and minor

winter break. The 2014 competition

county hurling championships and

will once again test your sporting

the camogie senior championship.

knowledge, with questions on football,

Congrats to all involved. Photos from

hurling, golf, soccer, rugby and more.

the event are on www. bodengaa.ie

The entry fee is once again just €20,

For fixtures, results or any infor-

with the chance to win a first prize of

mation on social events - log onto

€500.

www.bodengaa.ie

ballinteer st john’s THERE was no winner of last week’s

in 2014 in your clubhouse now to avoid

Lotto draw for €5,400. Tickets are

disappointment.

available online at www.ballinteerstjohns.com or from the usual outlets.

Ballinteer St John’s Glen Whelan was part of the Ballinteer side who were closed out by a determined Lucan side

Ballinteer battle but Sarsfields prevail afl division 2 Ballinteer St John’s Lucan Sarsfields  sport@gazettegroup.com

1-8 1-11

BALLINTEER St John’s succumbed to a Lucan Sarsfields who showed a determined edge as they began their bid to bounce straight back up to AFL1 with a strong victory.

The belated start to the league season was played out in slippy, windy conditions at Marlay Park, making for a slightly scrappy affair, especially when combined with the early season cobwebs.

Playing down the hill, Lucan made much the

better start as Gallagher and Dara Stapleton caused plenty of problems. Their side kicked the first three points and they should have been further clear but contrived to let two huge goal chances slip inside the opening six minutes.

It meant that they were still within range of Ballinteer who took 15 minutes to get off the mark while Stephen Fitzsimons reduced the gap to a single point soon after, his dipping effort punched over the bar by the backpedalling Lucan defence.

The visitors countered with a 1-2 salvo as Sean

Cleary and Sean Newcombe produced some key interventions, allowing Stapleton, Gallagher and Stephen Garbutt to add to their tallies.

The goal came in the 29th minute courtesy of Gallagher’s clever deception before driving past his man and powerfully finding the net.

Ballinteer rallied to trail 1-5 to 0-4 at the break but three more Gallagher points early in the second half put the game to bed.

Former Dubs Stephen O’Shaughnessy and Paul Casey were winning a lot of dirty ball to frustrate young bucks like Aodan

Clabby and Glen Whelan while Garbutt’s second point left seven between the sides with 12 minutes remaining.

Clabby, ghosting forward into the full-forward position, did thrash home a goal from Shane McCann’s threaded pass, firing a vicious shot over the head of Keith Brennan.

Paul Cronin’s quicklytaken free reduced the margin to four while Clabby had another close range free but opted to clear the bar. It left three in it, but there was no time for the kick-out, leaving Lucan the winners.

Bingo every Monday night in the clubhouse starts at 8pm and all are welcome for a great night’s entertainment.

Please book that special function

Wishing Dermot Lee, our clubhouse bar manager, a happy birthday and hope he enjoyed the surprise party in the clubhouse.

Congratulations to our junior B and C football teams on wins over Kilmacud Crokes and St Francis’ Gaels.

naomh olaf Well done to our senior footballers

ets are only €10 and all money raised

who beat St Mark’s by four points on

is retained by the club. Prizes include

Sunday.

a trip to the 2014 International Rules

Hard luck to our junior football-

series in Australia, the ultimate

ers who were pipped by a point by Na

football package 2014, travel vouch-

Fianna.

ers to the value of €1,500 and many

Hard luck to David Byrne and his

more fantastic prizes. For more

UCD teammates who were beaten by

information on the prizes please

UUJ in the Sigerson Cup semi-final.

see the posters located around the

Tickets are now available from

clubhouse. Please do your best to

behind the bar for the national GAA

support this great initiative by the

club draw. The draw takes place on

GAA to help raise some much-needed

Monday, March 17 in Croke Park. Tick-

money for the club.

wanderers Best wishes to Karl Boland who was

tact pro@wanderersgaa.ie or Stephen

forced to retire from the men’s foot-

on 086 048 9379. All memberships must

ball team due to injury. Thanks for eve-

be fully paid no later than March 1.

rything, Karl, and see you soon around the club.

There was no winner of the lotto jackpot. Numbers drawn were 9, 17

Membership now due and this year

and 31, €25 to Terry Heavey, Jamie, Zoe

you are able to pay online, see www.

and Lexi, Gerry French, Marie and Tina

wanderersgaa.ie for details or con-

Roche.

GazetteSPORT all of your dundrum sports coverage from page 35-39

first footballers: Ballinteer St John’s bounce back into action in AFL2 but just miss out on win P39

february 27, 2014

crowdsourcing the future: Locals join new programme to help fund their ambitions P37

Three Rock Rovers’ senior mens team celebrate their Irish Senior Cup final success at Belfield last weekend after they claimed the title in a penalty shoot-out

Rock roll back the years Three Rock Rovers break 40-year spell to claim Irish Senior Cup in dramatic final against Pembroke Wanderers last weekend  stephen findlater

sport@gazettegroup.com

THREE Rock Rovers Hockey Club ended a 40-year wait for the men’s Irish Senior Cup final in nerve-shredding fashion last Sunday at Belfield as Peter McConnell kept his cool to fire home the crucial penalty stroke.

It sparked wild celebrations, not least from the large number of members of the 1974 team, after an epic encounter with Pembroke Wanderers after normal time had finished 2-2.

In a cagey tie, Pembroke led early in the second half when Conor Harte scored a penalty corner rebound but Three Rock were quickly level. Huub de With supplied a pin-point cross that Mitch Darling turned home and it was 2-1

to the Grange Road club soon after when Peter Blakeney fired home.

McConnell, though, was sin-binned for 10 minutes toward the end of normal time and Pembroke duly grabbed an equaliser when former Three Rock man Tim Hill dived onto a Harte pass.

It led to extra-time and subsequently penalties all of which were successful bar Karl Lynch’s fourth round effort as he saw Stephen West dive to his right and pluck the ball out of the air with a strong glove.

That left McConnell with a chance for redemption after his earlier indiscretion, one which he duly took with an assured push to the bottom right corner.

He was one of three survivors in the Three

Rock side from their last appearance in the final of world hockey’s oldest club competition along with Alan Bothwell and Garry Ringwood.

That was all the way back in 1999 when Rovers fell 4-3 to Cork C of I with McConnell only in fifth year in Wesley College at the time.

Since then, the side has endured some major swings in fortune, winning the Irish club championships in 2007 and competed in the EuroHockey League but fell back to the worst ever finish in the Leinster men’s Division 1 in over 120 years two seasons ago when they finished eighth.

The current revival, however, has been built on the emergence of young players through the ranks with seven teenagers in their weekend squad of 20. Sixteen of that panel have come

through the youth system but they have benefit in recent times from some high profile arrivals.

Player coach Joe Brennan – a former international – has been working with the side for the past two seasons and was joined in the coaching sphere by Paul Fitzpatrick, a highly decorated player with Glenanne.

Irish international Jonny Bruton is another key addition while de With, a Dutch student in Ireland studying English, proved one of the finds of the season.

He put in a man of the match performance in the incredible 4-0 semi-final win over Monkstown on Saturday – the reigning champions who had pipped Rovers to the Leinster title just two weeks earlier.