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March 20, 2014

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Month XX, 2012 PALMERSTOWN • CELBRIDGE • LEIXLIP • ADAMSTOWN • DODSBORO • LIFFEY VALLEY • BALLYOWEN

INSIDE: With lots of great gift ideas for your mum, this year’s Mother’s Day is a snap P20-21

LIFE: With Love/Hate filming again, we caught up with one of its stars P13

Green party: Thousands take to streets for parade

Camogie: St Joseph’s secure AllIreland title Page 32

THOUSANDS of local people celebrated St Patrick’s Day in Lucan as the parade displayed the talents of about 35 different community, charity and sporting groups who marched from Hillcrest down the Millsteam Road and into Lucan Village. Pictured enjoying the parade are Zoe, Emma, Ryan, Emma, Mia, Sarah, Anthony, Michelle, Morgan, Lar, Aisling, Amanda, Noreen and Keith.

Picture: Cathy Weatherston

See Story on Page 2

Soccer:

Lucan United set up potential cup double Page 30

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ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES.................... 10 DUBLIN LIFE.................. 13 OUT&ABOUT ................. 19 CLASSIFIEDS ................26 SPORT ...........................27

Spate of shootings sparks call for action ‘Shocking escalation of gun crime’ demands immediate intervention – FF

 IAN BEGLEY

LUCAN is still coming to terms with what has been described as a “shocking escalation” in gun violence in west Dublin, with one fatal shooting close to the

village last week. In the space of two days last week, two people were murdered and three others injured in shootings in west Dublin.

Two men from Ballyfermot were injured in a gun attack; a woman was killed and her

daughter injured in Tallaght, and Stephen Douglas Moran was shot to death in Lucan.

Fianna Fail spokesperson on justice, Niall Collins, said: “This is a shocking escalation of gun crime. It’s clear that immediate intervention

is needed before more lives are lost.”

A spokesperson from Lucan Garda Station told the Gazette that each crimerelated incident is dealt with separately.

Full Story on Page 9

2 LUCAN Gazette 20 March 2014

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parade Thousands enjoy festive event

Lucan’s talent on show for St Patrick’s Day  ian begley ibegley@gazettegroup.com

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Streams of green, white and orange fluttered over the town of Lucan as thousands of local people celebrated its St Patrick’s Day parade on March 17.

A p a r t f r o m a l i ttle drizzle, the day remained reasonably sunny and warm to everyone’s delight.

Between 7,000 and 10,000 people attended the event, which seemed to deliver the same standard of excellence that it has provided the local community with for over 23 years.

Starting at 3pm, the parade included enthralling performances from live bands and showcased the many talented dancers and singers that Lucan has to offer.

The parade itself consisted of about 35 different community, charity

Melissa Hayward, Ita Bulate, Charlie Good and Luca Sinato enjoy the parade. Picture: Cathy Weatherston

and sporting groups who marched from Hillcrest down the Millsteam Road and into Lucan Village.

Some of the most prominent marchers this year included the Lucan Hedgehogs Special Olympics, Lucan Sarsfield GAA Club,

Lucan Tidy Towns, Tara Academy of Irish Dance, Academy Twirlers and St Laurence O’Toole’s Pipe Band.

Liffey Sound also took part in the festivities, amplifying music to the village from the local barber.

For the first time ever, the stage was placed in the centre of the village, where Irish dancers and other acts from a various number of local groups performed.

Barbra Cummings, one of the festival’s main organisers, said that this year’s parade was a fantastic success and gained a lot of interest from those who wanted to get involved.

Speaking to the Gazette, she said: “I think the parade went extremely well this year.

It was a lot bigger than last year and there was a huge crowd in the village.

We’re delighted with the outcome of the whole thing. It was a brilliant

and fantastic day for all.

“We also moved the big stand into the village for the first time this year, which I think worked out a lot better for everyone. “ We c o u l d h a v e done with more stewards though to help out because the crowd is getting bigger and bigger each year,” said Cummings.

Lucan Garda Superintendent Pat O’Sullivan a l s o we l c o m e d t h e parade’s success and commemorated the efforts of all who helped organise it.

Speaking to the Gazette, he said: “It was fantastic, an absolute success. It was great to see such a mix of all different age groups there.

I was surprised to see so many teenagers actually enjoying themselves, which is great to see in any village because with young people integrating and enjoying the parade it means they will have great memo-

ries of it and will be the ones to keep it going into the future.

“A lot of people from L u c a n we n t t o t h e parade in the city and then went to their own local one afterwards.

There were half a million people in Dublin city and thousands of people in Lucan. There must have been from about 7,000 to 10,000 people there.

“For people who go to the Lucan parade every year it is easy to take for granted the amount of background work that goes into organising it.

“It’s great for the community, and great for the organisers who spent months organising it. The main organisers Peter Brady, Barbra Cummings] and Mary Meehan put their hearts and souls into it every year.

“You can see the effort they put into by its flawless success of the parade on the day,” said O’Sullivan.

20 March 2014 LUCAN Gazette 3

business

council: planning permission on undeveloped lands has expired

New members wanted

‘Not obliged to carry out improvements’ South Dublin County Council (SDCC) has stated that the developer of the Paddock’s area is “not obliged” to carry out improvements at the abandoned construction site located to the south of the Paddocks that front onto Dodsboro Road/Tandys Lane.

A spokesperson from SDCC said: “The lands located to the south of the Paddocks that front onto Dodsboro Road/ Tandys Lane and which remain undeveloped at present were subject to planning permission under SDZ08A/0005.

“This permission expired on September 4, 2013 and no active permission remains for this section of the lands at present. Given that there

is no planning permission pertaining to these lands and no development has occurred to date on these lands, there is no planning requirement for boundary treatment.

“When planning applications are lodged, the treatment of these boundaries will be addressed as part of any grant of permission.

“At this time the developer is not obliged to carry out improvement works to these boundaries.

“In relation to the houses already constructed in the Paddocks that front onto Dodsboro Road/Tandys Lane, these dwellings were permitted under SDZ07A/0001.

This permission expires on August 21, 2017 and

all boundary treatment and landscaping must be completed before the permission expires.”

Ed O’Brien (FF) said: “The area adjoining Dodsboro is to all intents and purposes a ghost estate but residents are still required to pay their property tax.

“There’s no doubt that the failure to complete the Paddocks has had a knock on effect on estates such as Dodsboro and Hillcrest, and all issues should be dealt with by the council.

“There will inevitably be further development in the Adamstown zone and the council should ensure that this does not progress until such time as the Paddocks have been completed.”

Magical: Lucan’s Campion family win Acorn’s Disney Trip to Paris draw the Campion family from Lucan were crowned the winners of Acorn Insurance’s January draw for a Disney trip to Paris Draw. The competition was entered by Gina Campion, who collected their prize with Ray Campion and kids Anna (six), Ross (nine) and Sally (4), from Acorn Insurance’s Donal O’Doherty (left). Picture: David O’Shea

Business networking is strong at work with the Lucan B2B experiencing a record number of attendances and are now looking for new members.

Part of the South Dublin Chamber, the Lucan B2B meets every fortnight on Thursday in the Lucan Spa Hotel from 7am 8.30am. The main target is to increase the amount of business for each member through referrals and direct business.

Feargal McCarthy, painter and decorator and chairman of the group, explains: “The Lucan B2B has become a great way for business owners in the locality to help each other get more business.

Those interested in joining contact Feargal at 087 238 8571 or email info@feargalmccarthy.ie.

4 LUCAN GAZETTE 20 March 2014

LUCAN Daisy is out of the running  IAN BEGLEY

LUCAN Voice of Ireland star Daisy Valenzuela failed to secure enough votes on Sunday night’s live show and is now out of the competition.

Singing her own rendition of Lady Gaga’s Just Dance, the judge’s general consensus was that her specific choice of song was not right and received an overall score of 18.

Bressie commented that: “Modern music is so produced it’s nearly impossible to sing it live normally.”

However, Jamelia disagreed saying: “I believe Daisy performed as if she was comfortable, she enjoyed herself and I enjoyed watching her because she was happy.”

LITTER Private firm proposal gets short shrift

FG’s Lavelle unhappy with ‘left wing’ view  IAN BEGLEY

LUCAN councillor William Lavelle (FG) hopes that the current “left-wing controlled council” will change in the next local elections after Labour Cllr Mick Duff referred to private contractors as “mercenaries” at a recent county council meeting.

Lavelle made this comment to The Gazette in reference to a motion he tabled at the last South Dublin County Council (SDCC) meeting in relation to the possibility of

using private contractors to expand the council’s litter management service.

This motion was met by opposition from a number of Labour and Sinn Fein representatives who disagreed with the use of private contractors being hired by the council for litter management.

Cllr Lavelle said: “I’m disappointed with those who made comments objecting to my proposal.

One Labour councillor [Mick Duff] called private contractor’s ‘mercenar-

ies’, which I feel is completely unfair. We have a very left-wing controlled council which I hope is changed in the next local election.

“I’ve nothing personal against Mick, he’s a good councillor, but I disagree with him strongly and I think it’s very unfair to label the private sector and private contractors as mercenaries – they’re creating and sustaining so many jobs in their areas.

“The majority is a Labour/Sinn Fein council and it is a left wing majority, and that is just the reality and that has been the case over the last five

Cllr William Lavelle (FG) is hoping that the current “left-wing controlled council” will change in the next local elections

years, they’ve expressed their position to be very much against the private sector,” said Lavelle.

“I would have considered my motion to be a very reasonable suggestion. The council already have a very good record

and reputation with working with private contractors. The council has a direct labour fleet and can respond very quickly to do immediate work and when they do bigger jobs we get extra jobs contractors to do them and there

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has never been an objection to private contractors in that regard.”

Meanwhile, the council have not ruled out the possibility of using private contractors to expand the council’s litter management after intending to review their current litter management service in the coming months.

Lucan Cllr Eamon Tuffy (Lab) responded to Lavelle’s claims, saying: “When William was speaking he said his motion wasn’t ideological in a sense that it wasn’t from what I presume to be from a right-wing economic perspective. Some councillors disagreed with that verbally and I did express the view that there was an ideological aspect to it.

“We feel that the local authority workers do their work very well and the council has good employment and working conditions for their workers in terms of pay rates, holidays off, bank holidays, etc. That’s not actually the case with private firms. I doubt that employees in private firms have their working conditions and wages as good as we would be giving our employees,” said Cllr Tuffy.

Cllr Duff did not respond to a request for comment.

20 March 2014 LUCAN Gazette 5

6 LUCAN GAZETTE 20 March 2014

ACHIEVEMENT Local woman lost one stone seven pounds in just five weeks

Hillcrest’s Claudia claims the biggest loser title  IAN BEGLEY

HILLCREST local Claudia Gelling has been announced as Lucan Operation Transformation’s (LOT) biggest loser and overall winner, losing one stone seven pounds in just five weeks.

For her achievement, Claudia won an overnight stay in the Finnstow n Coutr y House hotel, along with a three month membership to their gym.

Speaking to the Gazette, Claudia said: “To be honest, I was a bit in shock to win because I missed one week and I hurt myself

another, but doing the walk for four weeks and sticking to the diet really made the pounds fall off.

“I tried Slimming World for my diet and the walking I did was part of the LOT. “With four weeks of purely exercising the results show for themselves.

“I never lost so much weight in my life.

“I’m still losing the weight – I lost nearly a n o t h e r 10 p o u n d s since then as well. It just seems to be coming off every week.

“When I heard about LOT, I said to myself I will I be able for this?

But once I got into it I just kept on going.

“Sometimes I bring my dog with me on my walks and you can spot me a mile away with yellow reflector gear walking around Lucan. “ W i t h e ve r y t h i n g flashing and me pounding the pavement it’ll be hard to miss me with my big golden retriever.

“I can’t believe the support people are giving me now. People I don’t even know are stopping and congratulating me and the people who do know me are amazed by my transformation.”

Organiser of LOT and local election candidate

Claudia Gelling pictured with her husband, Andrew

Liona O’Toole (Ind) said that the get-fit initiative was a fantastic success, and she is looking forward to the same

event in 2015.

Speaking to the Gazette, she said: “There was a desire for an Operation Transfor-

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mation in Lucan and I took it upon myself to organise it.

“It went over a span of six weeks in conjunction

with the programme on RTE and we were based at the Weston Hockey Club. “ S u p e r Va l u s p o n sored us as well and were very nice to supply us with refreshments every week.

“Overall, I think LOT was brilliant and so was the feedback.

“It has encouraged many people to continue walking, whether it be in the evenings, nights or mornings.

“As far as I’m concerned everyone who took part are and should be proud of themselves.

“We’re all looking forward to LOT next year.”

MARY’S MEALS: KIDS HELP KICK START OFFICE

Helping hand for a launch  IAN BEGLEY ibegley@gazettegroup.com

THE children from Educate Together in Adamstown helped to launch Mary’s Meals new office in Drumcondra recently by filling backpacks with educational items for children in need.

Mar y’s Meals provides daily meals to chronically hungry children all over the world in a place of learning.

In this way the hungry child is attracted to the classroom where they can gain a better future for themselves and their community.

Aoife Martin, fundraising co-ordinator of Mary’s Meals, recently hosted a talk at the school to tell the children about the organisation and how they can help other children all over the world to attend school and get the most out of their classes.

A spokesperson for Mary’s meals said: “Our

main focus is setting up school feeding programmes in some of the world’s poorest communities to alleviate hunger and enable children to gain an education, but we also run a complementary initiative called The Backpack Project.

“The children at Educate Together are currently filling backpacks with educational items to donate so that children receiving Mary’s Meals will be able to make the most of their opportunity for an education.

“Educate Together has a very multicultural role and many of the children have their roots in the countries where we feed.

“For example, when Aoife showed the class a picture of children in Africa carrying water on their heads, one girl said her mother used to have to do that when she lived there because she was poor.”

20 March 2014 LUCAN Gazette 7

appeal John Gilligan associate shot several times

Witnesses sought in Lucan murder  Ian Begley ibegley@gazettegroup.com

Gardai are continuing to appeal for witnesses in connection with the murder of Stephen Douglas Moran at his home in Earlsfort View in Lucan.

Douglas Moran, who was in his mid-40s, was shot several times after his killers forced their way into his home at around 7pm on March 15.

He was taken to Tallaght Hospital but later died as a result of his injuries.

Investigating gardai are questioning whether a car set on fire near

the scene, at Glenvale in Lucan, was linked to the murder.

T he car ’s make, model and registration number are yet to be established.

Moran was closely associated with gangland criminal John Gilligan, and has acted as his hired body guard and personal driver since he was released from prison last year.

On the day of Gilligan’s release from Portlaoise prison, Moran picked him up in an armour-plated BMW. Originally from Limerick, Moran also ran a security firm and was the owner of four pubs.

A post mortem was carried out by the Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Bolster, at the Dublin City Morgue earlier this week.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses or anyone who may have seen any suspicious or unusual activity at Earlsfort View, Lucan, between 6pm and 7.30pm on Saturday or on the days before the shooting, or who may have seen a vehicle being driven at speed or erratically on the Balgaddy Road, (adjacent to Ballyo wen Park), or a vehicle being parked/set on fire at Glen Vale, Lucan, to contact Lucan Garda

Station on (01) 6667300, The Garda Confidential Line 1800 666111 or any Garda Station.

Meanwhile, Gilligan lef t James Connolly M e m o r i a l Ho s p i t a l on Sunday, March 16, under Garda escort and has since left the country.

The recently released drug dealer was discharged from hospital around 12am, just two weeks after he survived an attempted assassination.

Wheelchair bound and holding onto a Dunnes Stores bag containing his belongings, the gang boss was escorted from hospital to a waiting car

Stephen Douglas Moran was shot at his home in Earslfort View. He subsequently died in hospital. Picture: Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

by a garda.

Gilligan was driven in a black Mercedes and taken to the ferry terminal at North Wall, where he was booked on the 2.15am Stena sailing to Holyhead.

Armed gardai followed Gilligan’s car to ensure that a second attempt was not made on his life.

Upon leaving, he was dressed in a black jacket and wearing a flat black

cap, and appeared to have lost a significant amount of weight.

Bruising on his face was also evident where a bullet had grazed his head during the attempt on his life.

8 LUCAN Gazette 20 March 2014

starcamp: numbers doubled

On the up for camp  Ian Begley ibegley@gazettegroup.com

Summer camp and per formance school Starcamp has had a very busy 12 months since appearing on Dragon’s Den last year.

Since getting ‘Dragon’ investor Peter Casey on board, Starcamp have doubled their number of camps in Ireland, launched new stage schools and have a new online shop.

Fruit produce company Fyffes have also come on board as their main sponsors.

Starcamp founder, Aideen O’Grady said: “T he Dragon’s Den experience was exhilarating and incredibly rewarding.

“A year on and parents are still booking as they saw it on Dragon’s Den. At a time when Ireland struggles economically -Dragon’s Den, despite being an entertainment show potentially offers businesses obvious financial assistance, but also a vital route to market.”

There are Starcamps in both Lucan and in Tallaght, which are now accepting children for this year’s summer camps.

For more information visit www.starcamp.ie or call 021-4377900.

national launch Organ Donor Awareness Week

‘I can truly say my life has turned around’  Ian Begley ibegley@gazettegroup.com

L u ca n r e s i d e n t Suzanne Best has been invited to the national launch of Organ Donor Awareness Week, March 29 – April 5, in celebration of her recent kidney transplant.

As the former head of marketing at the Shelbourne Hotel, Suzanne spoke to The Gazette about how much her life has changed since her operation, delighted to be able spend much more time with her sixyear-old daughter, and said she was even able to take her to the St Patrick’s Day parade.

She said: “I was ecstatic to be able to take my daughter to the parade for the first time since I got sick.

“She loved every second of it. I got slightly sore towards the end, but it was still really brilliant.

“We got a space at the very front and my

daughter never said a word because she was so enthralled with it.

“It was a really perfect day and to get to experience that was nearly tearful for me. I now have my life back --------------------------

‘I can never thank them or their family enough for what they have done for me’ --------------------------

because it was on hold for so long.”

Suzanne gave a personal account of the ordeal and the many complications involved with end-stage renal (kidney) failure.

She said: “I felt sick for the first time on December 6, 2009, aged 31. I called a doctor to my house and he told me to go straight to

the nearest A&E. I was having terrible trouble breathing.

“I arrived at Tallaght hospital A&E and my breath was steadily getting worse. After lots of blood was taken, I was told that I had to go into isolation in the intensive-care unit. I couldn’t believe what they were telling me.

“I felt like I was drowning - crying for it to stop. I was unconscious now and put on life support because my lungs had failed.

“When I woke up two days later and after six blood transfusions, and god knows what else, I found myself with tubes all over me.

“All I could think of was my baby at home and how much I wanted to hold her, but I knew I was sick, very sick and very weak.

“I went for a scan on my kidneys and they found I had end-stage renal failure and need-

Suzanne pictured with her daughter, Alannah (in white)

ed dialysis to remain alive.

“The hospital was fantastic, from my consultant down to the nursing staff. They helped me with ever y thing and without them I can sincerely say I would be dead.

“A plan was put in place that I would have a catheter (medical tube) put into my neck and had a tube put into my tummy so I could do my dialysis from home as I had a little girl to

care for.

“I then moved to APD dialysis, which can be done from home at night and I did this type of dialysis for two years.

“Then, I had a small operation on my wrist and I now have a fistula, and go to the Beacon Renal clinic in Sandyford three times a week.”

Speaking about receiving the call for her kidney transplant, Suzanne said: “I still cannot believe it. I received my gift of life

and can truly say my life has turned around.

I had everything against me, yet I kept a positive mental attitude and it’s paid off.

“Thank you, most sincerely to my donor. My shining light is always and will always be with me. I can never thank them or their family enough for what they have done for me.”

Visit www.ika.ie for more information about the Irish Kidney Association.

20 March 2014 LUCAN Gazette 9

crime Two murdered and three injured in shootings

Concern growing at rise in gun violence  Ian Begley ibegley@dublingazette.com

A wave of concern is growing over the “shocking escalation” in gun violence in the area in the last week.

In the space of two days last week, two people were murdered and three others injured in shootings in west Dublin.

On March 13, two men, aged 52 and 23, from Ballyfermot, were injured in a gun attack, while on Saturday, March 15, a man was charged with the murder of a woman and attempted murder of her daughter following a gun attack at a house in Killinarden Estate, Tallaght.

Also on March 15, Stephen Douglas Moran

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was murdered at his home in Earlsfort View, Lucan.

Fianna Fail spokesperson on justice, Niall Collins, has called for a dedicated Garda unit to tackle the dramatic spike in gun crime.

He said: “This is a shocking escalation of gun crime. It’s clear that immediate intervention is needed before more lives are lost.

“Unfortunately, these shootings are just the latest in a series of gun attacks in west Dublin in recent months. While local gardai are going above and beyond the call of duty every day to keep these residential areas safe, the reality is that the violence is escalating and

they need more resources to tackle it.

“These shootings are happening in busy, densely populated, wellestablished residential communities.

“It’s causing enormous anxiety to local residents, particularly older people living alone and families with young children.”

Lucan Cllr William Lavelle (FG) and vicechair of the South Dublin Joint Policing Committee has expressed his shock at the latest shooting in Lucan, saying the “community in the normally quiet Earlsfort estate were upset at the recent spate of high-profile crimes affecting the estate.”

Clondalkin Cllr Eoin O Broin (SF) sa id:

“I would say that the shootings in Clondalkin and Lucan are very concerning and they don’t represent the community as a whole. The people involved need to stop what they’re doing.”

Lucan resident and Fine Fail election candidate Caitriona McClean said: “Gangland crime is the curse of modern urban society and the area affected is growing now and we need to resource the gardai to deal effectively with gang warfare to safeguard all of the Lucan community.”

A spokesperson from Lucan Garda station told the Gazette that each crime-related incident is

Fianna Fail spokesperson on justice Niall Collins

dealt with separately with its own investigations.

“Each murder and each incident has its own ingredients involved

- very few of them are interconnected, but the ones that are [connected] to particular individuals and when you broaden

[the investigation] out you probably get more commonality with other incidents as well,” said the spokesperson.

10 LUCAN Gazette 20 March 2014

gazetteGALLERIES

Lorraine Madden and Pamela Murray

Martin Mulvey was DJ Orla Geary, Judy Cronin and Sheena O Connell

Pamela Murray, Lorraine Madden, Ciara Hughes Dunleavy, Polly Mulvey, Moya Mc Kearney, Leah Murray and Ciara Mulvey

Susanne Gore and Mary Curran

Tissa Gibbons

20 March 2014 lucan gazette 11

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Linda Brennan

Edward Gibson trying on a hat from Joanie J Crochet

Elaine Fox, Catherine O’ Mara and Ruth Nolan at Kenny’s of Lucan which hosted a Ladies Nite Pop-Up Shop in aid of the ISPCC. Several local craft businesses were in attendance, showing off their products.

Pictures: Cathy Weatherston

lucan village: Ladies Nite Pop-Up Shop in kenny’s

Enjoying a crafty night for charity

Rachel Keane and Fiona McGovern

Yvonne Melina and Grainne Whitmore

Sinead Mc Kearney

12 LUCAN GAZETTE 20 March 2014

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Jenny and Michelle Bowler

Michael Carron, Oisin Forde, Cian Mc Elhinney and David Cunningham were cool cats at Lucan Community College’s annual Arts Week, which featured dance, art and music workshops. The theme of this year’s Arts Week was the circus. Pictures: Cathy Weatherston

ARTS WEEK: LUCAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS TOG OUT

Characters unleashed Sam Fay

Pirates William Swaine and Don Harrington (left), Anne-Marie O’Keefe and Marie Kerwick (right) Aaron Myers clowns around

20 March 2014 Gazette 13

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what’son americans to add heavenly voices to choir

Now starring in Robert Massey’s Chancers (above), in Draiocht Theatre, Blanchardstown, Mary Murray spoke to The Gazette about her busy acting life

a day in the life: mary murray on her varied routines as an actress

‘My whole life is an escape’  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

MARY Murray had to get up close and personal with Nidge, aka Tom Vaughan Lawlor, in the last season of Love/Hate, and she has now bagged herself an IFTA nomination for the role of brothel owner, Janet.

She was preparing for the final performance of Robert Massey’s play Chancers, in Draiocht Theatre, Blanchardstown when The Gazette asked her to describe a day in the life of one of Ireland’s up-and-coming actresses.

She said: “My days will vary a lot because it depends on what I’m working on. If I’m working in theatre and am not

in rehearsal, it means I’ve got plenty of free time.

“I generally get up at 9.30am or 10am.

Then, I do a bit of exercise for about an hour, some push-ups and stretching and sit-ups, followed by breakfast, which is a big bowl of fruit salad – I love my fruit – and then a bowl of porridge, and then I’m ready for my day.

“I do a bit of email stuff and I’d be dealing with agency things for some of the kids I teach, so they might be asking for me to send suggestions of kids for films, and that takes a few hours.

“I might go in to teach a class, if I’m not doing a show. All I ever wanted to do was act, so my whole life is an escape.

“I am very grateful to do what I do, and lucky that I get lots of different work. But if I only did theatre work for the rest of my life, I’d be happy. I might read a book, look at a few things on the internet, go to the pub, go to the theatre, that’s it [for my day],” she said.

Of course, her daily routine often changes, particularly if she’s involved with a show: “If I’m doing a show, I’ll generally leave at about six o’clock and go into the theatre, have a cup of tea and maybe something to eat, and do a little warm-up which would entail not an awful lot.

“I’ll sing a song and walk around because, for me, I’ve done my warm-up

in the morning.

“Next, I’ll run the lines of the show in my head and get ready to go on stage.

“What happens after the show depends on the theatre. If it’s [at] the likes of The Civic or Pavilion Theatre, and others that don’t have theatre bars that stay open for very long, you have to go home!

“Otherwise, if I’m in The Abbey, or in theatres around town, you generally tend to go for a pint afterwards.

“I go home, I might watch a bit of telly, check a few more emails and, while I’m watching the telly, I fall asleep and wake up at about four in the morning and then go up to bed. I do that all the time,” said Mary.

SOME 67 female singers from the University of Wisconsin Eau-Claire will join the Sunday Saints’ Choir to give a special concert at St Joseph’s Church in Glasthule on Monday, March 24 at 8pm.

Wisconsin EauClaire Women’s Concert Chorale is one of the premier female university choral ensembles in the United States, and comprises singers from across all academic disciplines.

It will be the first time the choir has visited Ireland, and during their ten-day tour, they will perform in Limerick, Galway, Derry, Belfast and Dublin.

The programme chosen for the concert expresses the diverse musical traditions of both countries, in traditional and contemporary genres that includes American original songs, choral classics, African- American Spirituals, American and Irish folk songs.

For further information, contact Alison Moore at 0044 1306 741 000, or email alison@concertorganisers.com.

dublinlife

ESCAPE THE MAYHEM

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14 Gazette 20 March 2014

Nick Munier: taking time out from the madness of tv

Maitre d’ finds decaf turns moment golden Each week the Gazette speaks to Dubliners about how they like to unwind in a bustling, busy city. Nick Munier, MasterChef presenter, outlines his relaxation routine Renowned TV Maitre d’ and MasterChef presenter Nick Munier has an unending schedule of TV appearances, interviews, consultations and of course running his own restaurant in Dublin, Pichet.

With such a busy life it would seem that the British icon hasn’t a moment

to himself, let alone trying to unwind, but as the Gazette has learned this is not actually the case.

Earlier this week we caught up with Nick to learn what he does to escape the tumultuous mayhem that his life involves.

“I normally go for a coffee in Fade Street

Social in the afternoons because it’s relatively comforting there and I know the owner Dylan [McGrath] really well, along with the staff so it’s a good place to unwind.

“I get a decaf mocha as I can’t drink caffeine because I used to drink about 15 cups of coffee a day when I was running restaurants in London.

It was just all the fibrillations and the shaky hands that I couldn’t cope with it so I had to give it up.

“I knocked it off for a

while and suddenly got back into it because I love the allure of coffee and the smell of it, then I said to myself that I’ll try drinking decaf mochas instead.

“I don’t have it with milk because obviously milk is not very good for my health regime.

“There’s like a window terrace in the restaurant that’s very quiet where I can go with friends and just chill out for a bit – It’s lovely.

“I also like to paint to unwind and dedicate

TV Maitre d’ and MasterChef presenter Nick Munier

three times a week of my time to do this. I’m an avid abstract painter and that’s really my huge release. I really like JeanMichel Basquiat who is a famous Haitian American abstract artist.

“When I get home instead of watching TV I paint, which sort of

releases my endorphins and relaxes me, but sometimes it doesn’t always relax me because if I can’t get into it then it becomes very stressful.

“T he other way I unwind is taking my boys out to the cinema.

The weather has been so

bad lately and it’s been very hard to do things with them outside so we play the Xbox.

“They basically play this flipping Minecraft game that I don’t get so I just leave them to it and it’s nice to watch them fight, shout and scream.”

20 March 2014 Gazette 15

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16 Gazette 20 March 2014

dublinlife

Special Olympics Ireland give a shout out for helping hand Was your New Year’s resolution to volunteer for charity – have you done it yet? Well then this is for you.

Special Olympics Ireland’s annual collection day is taking place throughout Ireland on April 11.

Volunteers are needed throughout Dublin to look after collection points with over 1,000 volunteers needed at over

80 collection points from Ballymun to Ballsbridge and Skerries to Sandyford.

This is the biggest annual fundraising event in aid of Special Olympics Ireland. Money raised on the day helps Special Olympics Ireland continue its promise of offering people with an intellectual disability the opportunity to participate in sport in their area.

Liz Callery, regional director, Special Olympics Eastern Region, said: “If you have a few hours to spare on Friday, April 11 please help us by joining one of our collection teams at a location near you.

“With your help, we can all give our athletes a winning chance.”

See www.specialolympics.ie/collectionday for further information.

Daithi’s dig at Dempsey’s tan

Has anyone else noticed how tan-tastic Ian Dempsey is in his new Today FM ad? Well one person who did is friend, Today Show presenter Daithi O’Se. The ad on small screens across Ireland sees Dempsey imitating a game-show host and what would a game-show host be without some extra

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

Special Olympics Ireland members marching in last year’s St Patrick’s Day parade.

make-up? And boy, oh boy, does he slap it on.

Taking to Twitter to let his friend know that his new look has not gone unnoticed, Daithi tweeted: “Where did you get the tan @IanDempsey for the tv ad? I’ll need to

get it done for the Rose of Tralee!”

In response Ian tweeted: “@daithi_ose – I did it myself – got this ‘product’ called ShedSeal in Woodies – I might still have some left – it was a three litre can.”

Daithi was delighted saying: “@IanDempsey I’ll be over later to pick it up. You’re a horse and cart of a man” Readers please note this is just banter between the lads and ShedSeal is not a tanning product!

20 March 2014 Gazette 17

Picture: Photocall Ireland

fun and food delights The Dublin Bay Prawn Festival is, without doubt, one of the tastiest food festivals Dublin has. It is taking place in Howth Village on April 25-27.

Whatever way you

like your Dublin Bay Prawns - barbecued, whole, shelled, fried, skewered, marinated, sauced – Howth’s many award winning restaurants will serve your favourite prawn dishes in bite sized portions at the Dublin Bay Prawn Festival “Food Village”, in addition to a variety of other miniature dishes.

During the day there is street entertainment and a programme of walks, talks and seaside antics.

As the sun goes down over Howth Harbour the fun continues as each evening the festival offer choices such as a mystery dine around, special festival menus in restaurants and pubs, fireworks on the harbour and in-house musical entertainment in Howth’s Pubs.

For more information visit www.dublinbayprawnfestival.com.

doodling a way to a google win Thousands of students from across Ireland have Doodled 4 Google with the winner set to be announced at the end of this month.

Over 2,390 entries were received for the competition which sees students make artwork for the wellknown search engine.

There are five categories in the competition with prizes including a scholarship of €5,000 for the winner’s third-level studies; a €10,000 technology grant for the winner’s school; a Chromebook for both the overall winner and their teacher and their Doodle to be

Gazette

diary shown on the Google.ie homepage for a full day this month.

The winner is set to be announced on March 24 in Google offices.

searching for oldest brownie A nationwide search has been launched in order to find Ireland’s oldest Brownie.

The search is part of celebrations marking 100 years of Brownies in Ireland.

The Irish Girl Guides (IGG) branch launched in 1914 and today there are 4,000 Brownies across Ireland.

Over 3,000 of them will descend upon Dublin Zoo

Rathfarnham Brownies are helping to celebrate 100 years of the Irish Girl Guides

on Saturday, April 12 in one mega birthday bash and the hope is that they will be joined by Ireland’s oldest living Brownie.

Any prospective senior Brownie will have to beat

the current oldest known member, Peggy Allbutt, at age 95. The question is whether there is a Brownie in Ireland who is even older?

If you’re a former

Brownie and reckon you can lay claim to the title of Ireland’s Oldest Brownie, then IGG would love to hear from you. For more information phone 085 8570565.

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18 Gazette 20 March 2014

dublinlife

Q&A

business festival: speakers, workshops for event

Creative industry to be celebrated with Offset  ian begley

Thomas Spratt, DAS Academy owner

Taking steps to train the next generation Thomas Spratt is the owner and creative director of DAS Academy in Lucan. He is a choreographer and has choreographed The Late Late Eurosong winning entr y Heartbeat by Can-Linn and will be representing Ireland for Eurovision 2014 in Copenhagen.

Thomas has worked extensively in Ireland with his credits including Junior in the Hot Mikado, dance captain Singing in the Rain, Aida Opera, dance captain in Grease, Cork Opera House, Taylor’s Irish Dance Show, choreographed the Irish Premier of Jerry Springer the Opera, Bord Gais Theatre, Dublin,

Mad about Musicals at the National Concert Hall also Jack and the Beanstalk; Mother Goose; Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella at the Gaiety Theatre. Thomas has choreographed and performed alongside music artist Samantha Mumba.

His touring and international credits include Daniel O’Donnell, Rock and Roll UK and Ireland tour, Red Hurley show USA, Celtic Rhythms, Holland tour, dance captain Belle Et Fou, Berlin, Tony Kenny’s Irish dance show USA and associate choreographer A Tribute To Glee, Dubai.

How long have you been in business?

How do you use social media (Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin, etc) to help your business?

I opened the doors as owner and creative director for DAS Academy in September 2013 and am enjoying it very much.

What makes your business successful?

The team of professional teachers I have working for the academy teach in a way that we get the most out of the kids/teens in a fun and safe environment.

The combination of dedicated teachers and the kids/teens hard work and determination together as a team makes DAS Academy a success.

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

Every kid/teen in DAS Academy gets their time to shine. There is no favoritism. DAS Academy is about learning dance, acting and singing in a relaxed environment and building your confidence to be the best you can be.

I advertise on our Facebook the DAS Academy term dates and let people know about our workshops and guest teachers for the academy.

What is your ambition for the business?

To have a good reputation in Ireland for our professionalism and talent as a performance academy.

What is the best piece of business advice you ever received?

My parents told me from a young age never give up on my dream. “If at first you don’t succeed try and try again.”

What is your favourite thing about doing business in your local area?

I get to teach and work with local talent, it’s a very proud moment for a teacher be it dance, act or singing to see your kids perform knowing that you put it together and now they are performing it and most importantly enjoying themselves and having fun.

PREPARATIONS are in full swing for this year’s highly-anticipated creative festival, Offset, which is due to take place in the Bord Gais Energy Theatre from March 21-23.

Every year, the threeday festival attracts visitors from around the world to come and hear speakers from different creative industries and to take part in panel discussions and interviews.

They speak about their work, ideas and inspirations and give insights into their practices and personal perspectives.

Independently founded and run, Offset has grown from 450 to 2,000 delegates.

Bren Byrne, one of the festival’s directors, says he is extremely busy in setting up the many events for this year’s festival.

Speaking to The

Gazette he said: “Fellow director Richard Seabrooke and I have a huge amount of stuff on our plate in preparation for this year’s Offset festival.

“We are a part of a very small team of people who do a lot of work for the festival, such as inviting speakers to the event, organising presentations and panels, making calls, working on the social media side of things, and managing everything to ensure that the festival comes together really well.”

Speaking about the highlights of the event, Byrne said: “There’ve been lots of highlights in different ways, such as opening the doors on the first day and seeing the queues of people outside waiting to come in, the reaction the audience has for our speakers, and the respect [the speakers] have for the audience and for us.

Bord Gais Energy Theatre is playing host to this year’s Offset – a festival that celebrates creativity

“We see our guests more as peers, rather than talking to them from a professional perspective. In my eyes, we’re just creative people talking to people who have the same interest as us.

“We have a really great line-up of speakers this year and I’m sure they will have really interesting and insightful stories to tell to our guests.”

There is no VIP area, and no Green Rooms at Offset. The space facilitates both speakers and attendees, allowing both to mingle freely and settle

in for three days of inspiration.

The intimate surroundings of the Second Room of the Board Gais Energy Theatre allows delegates to get a little closer to some of the legendary speakers, who will give interviews, contribute to debates and take part in group discussions on the topics that are at the heart of the creative agenda.

For further information about the festival, and to see the list of events taking place, see www.iloveoffset.com.

Stock market investment I have a lump sum to put away and wonder is it too late to go back into the stock market. I am the cautious type and like most, don’t like risks. I understand there is a correction coming soon. Have you any suggestions that might work for me? Alison - Swords The stock market is a long-term investment. Mark Twain once quipped: “October. This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate on stocks in. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August and February.”

Bar the last 10 years, this sector has always been the best performing sector in any 10-year cycle. After the disastrous Irish and global stock market performance 2007 and 2008 in particular, the last two years has seen a fight back in share prices with the Irish stock market in particular being one of the leaders in growth. But before you start speculating, you should ensure that: 1. Your income exceeds expenditure. Otherwise you are dipping into savings or borrowing to bridge the gap.

2. You should have ideally three to six months annual income in a rainy day fund for three reasons. First, for emergencies – your car breaks down. Secondly sudden loss of income. Thirdly the investment opportunity – you might have the opportunity to buy a well-known

artist’s painting at a bargain price. Whatever savings you do have, ensure you are receiving the best rates (email me for free fact sheet on Ireland’s best deposit rates).

3. Not all your eggs are in the one basket. There are many asset classes apart from cash and property – equities, bonds, commodities, alternative investments including hedge funds and derivatives. Diversify and spread your risk.

4. If you do want to put the toe in the stock market waters, I would suggest the easy to understand managed funds. These are ranked in order of risk from 1 to 5 or 7 – 1 being the most CAUTIOUS and 5/7 being the most RISKY. Email me for details.  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

20 March 2014 Gazette 19

cinema P24

asdfsdaf P27 TRAVEl P25

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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STYLE P20

Pets

can you give gentle JILL a true home?

Joycean characters protest at a previous One City, One Book event in Dublin city centre, as part of the initiative’s focus on literature associated with our capital city

one city, one book: and now for something completely different ...

Dublin to be mapped out in poetry  natalie burke

People across Dublin are being encouraged to get reading this April as Dublin: One City, One Book gets under way.

The award-winning Dublin City Council initiative, in its ninth year, encourages everyone to read a book connected with the capital city during the month of April every year.

This year’s choice will see If Ever You Go: A Map of Dublin in Poetry and Song as the book at everyone’s fingertips, which features a collection of poems, ballads and songs from a range of literary luminaries connected with Dublin.

It will be the first time in the nine years of the initiative that a book of

poetry will replace the normal prose.

According to Jane Alger, director of Dublin UNESCO City of Literature, it will be something completely different, yet still very Dublin.

Influence

“We’re always open to suggestions when it comes to choosing the title every year and we like the idea of this one. It’s very Dublin and the poems and songs are all about places in Dublin covering a huge timespan.

It also covers the whole of the county of Dublin, not just the city. Different places have influenced the poets’ writings and there are some lovely, quirky things to expect from it.”

Throughout the month of April, a host of events, workshops and poetry

readings will be held all over Dublin city and suburbs.

These events include poetry cruises along the Liffey, walking tours of places explored by the poems, film screenings at the IFI and poetry bus tours.

Dublin City Bike Tours will also hold tours to explore the streets that have inspired the poems and songs of the book, while Glasnevin Cemetery will hold walking tours of the cemetery.

On Wednesday, April 9, Dublin’s Fair City will be held in Dublin Castle, where actor Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, DJ Rick O’Shea and a number of musicians and poets will speak about what poetry means to them.

While many people are strangers to reading poetry as a hobby, Jane says Dublin: One City, One Book is the

perfect time to get involved with Irish writing.

“People are resistant to poetry, perhaps they’ve been scarred from school. But I’d recommend people to pick up the book and have it by their bed and dip into it.

“Poetry expresses emotions you can’t do with prose. I’m also encouraging book clubs around Dublin to start and finish meetings with a poem for the month,” she said.

“Start with poems about your own area, and that will encourage you to read more,” she said.

The programme for Dublin: One City, One Book will be launched on March 25. For more details and further event information, visit www. dublinonecityonebook.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 Jill, a six-year-old German shepherd.

Jill was living in a home for two-and-a-half years but her owner couldn’t look after her any longer so she is back in the centre. Jill loves cuddles and going for drives in the car. She would need to be the only dog in the house, as she can be a bit nervous.

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

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

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20 Gazette 20 March 2014

CELEBRATINGMOTHER’S DAY Butler’s Chocolate €5 Belle Juicy floral necklace €30

Celebrate Mother’s Day at The Orchard in Kildare

Enjoy a special afternoon of tea and shopping For those who are looking for something that bit unusual to celebrate Mother’s Day, The Orchard in Kildare could be just the thing. Not only has The Orchard got a beautiful cafe which comfortably seats 200, but it offers the perfect Victorian walled garden backdrop for a special afternoon tea with mother.

After a spot of breakfast or lunch in the cafe, you and your mother can do what every mammy loves – browse and shop in the garden centre on site or pick up a few delightful titbits from the home and interiors department.

The Orchard is a five-star home and garden lifestyle location which won Garden Centre of the Year at the Bord Bia Quality Awards.

Set amongst the charm of a five-acre Victorian walled garden, The Orchard Cafe offers a relaxing atmosphere and a menu including breakfast from 9am until 12pm and lunch from 12pm until 5pm, with delicious desserts on the menu all day long.

The home and interiors department showrooms has a variety of giftware items, furniture and accessories in elegant surroundings designed by professional interior designers.

If you would like to find out about The Orchard for Mother’s Day, you can go to www.theorchard.ie.

Orla Kiely iPhone 5 wallet available at Harvey Norman €29.99

Gift

Guide

Next cropped sweater €38

Pink Sony Cybershot camera €202

Grey Rose by Jane Packer – Purple mixed flower arrangement in glass bowl €78

20 March 2014 Gazette 21

J’aime la Vie Romina green dress at Carraig Donn €69.95

M&S Jonathan Saunders Edition ombre dress €125

Opium perfume 30ml €36.86

Kiehl’s Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Cream €49

for mum Mum’s Marvellous Moments Photo Album, Littlewoods Ireland €15

 laura webb

ber her style and not your own. Something you might like may not be suitable for mammy, so keep that in

Although we really should treat and pamper our

mind otherwise you might find yourself digging out the

mammy every day, when Mother’s Day comes around

receipt to get it changed.

it’s really just another excuse to spoil her rotten.

This week, The Gazette gets styling so that mother’s can look extra special on the day, while also giving the kids some helpful hints on what clothes mum might

Gazette Style looks at must-have beauty products, accessories and simple yet colourful dresses that we reckon might be on the wish list for mums.

Don’t forget Mother’s Day is on March 30.

want for their special day.

When shopping for mum, it’s important to remem-

Stila brush set from Harvey Nichols €42

Orla Kiely Floral Stem Midi Sling Bag (Orange), at Kilkenny Stores €169 Birdhouse available at Carraig Donn €19.95

Carvela Shylock Cut-out Ankle Boots, Littlewoods Ireland €194

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feature

GAZETTE

22 GAZETTE 20 March 2014

OUT&ABOUT

FOOD&DRINK

BITESIZEDNEWS

This group shot shows the diverse range of winners at last year’s awards ceremony

Industries called to enter for food awards  NATALIE BURKE

DISHING up another chance for success and industry acclaim, the Irish Quality Food Awards is back for 2014 and is calling all retailers, food producers, wholesalers and food service operators across Ireland.

A unique collaboration between Food and Hospitality Ireland (formerly SHOP) and The UK Quality Food and Drink Awards (now in its 33rd year), these prestigious awards set out to recognise excellence in food and drink product development from a variety of companies across Ireland.

Once again, the judging will take place over two weeks at The School of Culinary Arts and Food & Technology in Dublin.

The results will be announced at a gala dinner in the Round Room at The Mansion House on September 11.

Repeating last year’s trade-media partnership with Retail News magazine, while forming a consumer-media partnership with Easy Food magazine, the Irish Quality Food Awards 2014 place food and drink products onto the tables businesses need for success.

The awards themselves are organised into three distinct sections: Category Q – products for the multiple and independent grocery retail market; Catering Q – products for the catering market, and Quality Drink Awards – alcoholic drinks for retail and foodservice.

Organised by Metropolis Business Media, its publisher, Helen Lyons, said the company is delighted to be organising the awards once again this year.

She said: “We are absolutely delighted with the success of last year’s awards and so pleased to be organising an equally exciting event for 2014.

“As former winners can testify, picking up an Irish Quality Food & Drink Award is a powerful marketing tool, with many winners using the awards’ logos on their packaging and in national press, television and outdoor advertising.”

Entries will be accepted until June 2 and judging will commence from July 7 to 18.

For further information and full entry details, see www.irishqualityfoodawards.com.

Terra Madre

Italian restaurant

Bachelors Walk In town, step on down to short but interesting

INTIMATE is one thing but Terra Madre’s dining room brings that cosiness to a whole new level.

Located at Bachelors Walk, this basement-level restaurant is not for the claustrophobic, and with my being more than a tad anxious in confined spaces, I eyed our corner table with more than a little trepidation.

A rather promptly ordered bottle of Trebbiano helped me to relax in our surroundings and with our rather rickety table.

This restaurant described its cooking as authentic and simple and the mismatched crockery and glasses, as well as the slightly wonky furniture, certainly is in keeping with the theme.

Decor is completely stripped back and nothing adorns the walls. The menu is very short, but there are many interesting things on there.

This is the place to go

a basement restaurant that may feel a little squished, but which also packs in plenty of variety into its “rustic” Italian fare (sample inset). While portions seemed somewhat small, the food had large appeal.

The Picky Eater if you’re all about the food and the owners have obviously plumped for sourcing the best, more delicious ingredients over presenting an elegant and grand dining room.

These guys use ingredients that have been foraged from Italy as components of some of their dishes. Many are scarce, and this makes for an exciting menu, in my opinion, even if it is short.

To start with, we had bruschetta of wild caper sprouts, which are harvested by hand and grown in the plains and hills of the Piana Di Sibari in Calabria – they are very rare. I love tart food and these, on toasted Italian bread, packed the right punch.

The Lardo Di Colonnata, which is a traditional Tuscan delicacy made with pork fat, herbs and spice, comes from the Apuan Alps where it has been matured for six to nine months in white

marble basins.

This looked insipid on bread, but the fat melted on the tongue. This bruschetta plate (€7.50) isn’t on the menu, but our relaxed waiter agreed to bring us out a selection as we couldn’t decide between the two. Our second starter was the real winner of the night.

House special

A house special of mozzarella, melted so that the creamy, delicate cheese oozed from the middle, was surrounded by anchovy, capers and tomato (€11.50).

It was divine, and the hunting down of only the best ingredients is evident in this dish. It looked clean and fresh on the plate, and I look forward to this dish again, maybe on a summer’s day served with a chilled glass of white wine.

For our second course, my friend had Pappardella with Chianina cow

ragout. Chianina is one of the oldest and most valuable cow breeds in the world. According to the menu, the cattle have been raised in Umbria, Tuscany and Lazio for at least 2,200 years.

The pasta was, of course, cooked al dente and the meat was tasty. (€14.50) My ravioli with black truffle and cheese fondue (€16.50) was very tasty, with the strong flavour of the truffle coming through and the homemade ravioli melting exquisitely on the tongue.

My only gripe is that portions are very small.

I don’t like lots of pasta, but these portions are far

from hearty and if you are hungry you may leave disappointed.

Dessert was chocolate biscuit cake served with orange and the second was an almond flan. Both of these dishes were fine (€6 each).

The chocolate biscuit cake is very much like one my grandmother used to make and was moist and rich. I didn’t consider it particularly Italian. The flan (above) was much more so and the flavours were intense and long lasting.

Two macchiatos, which the lovely waiter gave to us on the house, were well made. The bill came to €90.

Conclusion WITH rustic decor and Italian rarities on the menu, Terra Madre (at 13 Bachelors Walk, Dublin 1; tel 01 573 5300) is truly a gourmet journey through Italy. Although the menu is short and portions small, the tastes are interesting and varied.

20 March 2014 Gazette 23

theatre: stones in his pockets

Pavilion

A bit heavy going, due to its Oirish overtones  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

MARIE Jones’s play, Stones in his Pockets, has been around a while and has been a favourite across Irish theatres, both amateur and professional, since 1996.

This month saw the play return once more to the professional stage, and The Gaiety Theatre with a production directed by Ian McElhinney, and starring Damian Kearney, who played Garda Martin in Love/Hate, and Stephen Jones.

The drama is set in rural Kerry during the making of a big Hollywood film, and features two main characters who are extras.

Both actors also double, triple and quadruple as 15 other characters of both sexes throughout the play, changing their accents and demeanours in the blink of an eye.

As a dramatic device, this can be tricky, confusing and annoying, to say the least.

One moment, the actors are engaged in conversation as the

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

‘However, despite its popularity, the play was not to my taste.

‘It has more than a touch of the “Oirish” about it, and the characters are overly enthusiastic and childlike.’

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

extras, Charlie and Jake, and then, with barely a physical signal, they turn into completely different characters.

One of the smitten extras, Jake, played by Damian Kearney, is singled out for special attention by the leading lady, Caroline, and his uncouth attempts to take advantage of this are pure slapstick.

However, Caroline is not interested in Jake for any romantic reason but rather wants to learn

from him how to speak in an authentic brogue.

Stephen Jones’s character, Charlie, has aspirations to get his script made into a movie and carries it around on set looking for an opportunity to pass it to someone in the know.

Jones also plays the part of the leading lady, Caroline; a cliched transformation so complete that the audience can almost imagine her boa and stilletos.

The play is currently going down a storm at The Gaiety, and both actors are competent performers with a very authentic way with accents.

They go from Donegal to Kerry to American and English without much trouble at all.

Indeed, the accents are the main way that the audience knows which character is currently before them.

However, despite its popularity, the play was not to my taste. It has more than a touch of the “Oirish” about it, and the characters are a tad one-dimensional, overly enthusiastic and

Gazette

ARTS

Author Sebastian Barry will discuss his writing career

Temporary talk on book  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

As one half of the two-man cast, Damian Kearney brings great energy to the wildly different characters, male and female, that round out the play’s cast

childlike.

The main characters are full of testosterone and zeal, but with a gauche Irish innocence too, and their time, if they ever had one, is long gone now.

The play also shifts seismically from farce into tragedy, with no graduation or warning.

The result is an awkward silence in the audience as they adjust their perception to a more serious tone.

Stones in his Pockets has won many awards over the years, including the Evening Standard award, the Laurence Olivier award for best new comedy, and an Irish Times T heatre award for best play.

The production’s current run in The Gaiety

As with the other star, Stephen Jones impresses with the diversity of his performances

has proven so popular that it has been extended until March 29.

Stones in his Pockets

cost €25, and tickets are available from The Gaiety Theatre’s box office at 01 679 5622.

THE Pavilion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire is soon to play host to popular author Sebastian Barry, when he engages in conversation with broadcaster Myles Dungan in an upcoming event.

Due to take place on April 4 as part of the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Library Voices Series, the event will see Barry discuss his writing career and his latest novel, The Temporary Gentleman.

This, the sixth book in a cycle of separate but interconnected novels depicting characters based on his own family, tells the story of Jack McNulty – the eponymous gentleman of the title, who is an Irishman in the British army.

The story is full of drama as Jack recounts the adventures of his eventful life, yet the memory that weighs heaviest on Jack is that of the beautiful Mai Kirwan, with whom he had a tempestuous and heart-breaking marriage ...

A Dubliner, Barry – who is the son of the late Irish actress, Joan O’Hara – has written a number of successful plays, as well as novels and some poetry.

Tickets cost €10/€8 and are available through the Pavilion Theatre’s box office at 01 231 2929.

Gazette

24 Gazette 20 March 2014

OUT&ABOUT

CINEMA

ReelReviews

The book thief

Another Nazi tale awaits FINALLY making it to our screens, The Book Thief (Cert 12A, 131 mins) sees a young girl rebelling against local authority when she ends up living with a new foster family. However, as it’s set in World War 2, the inexorable march of the Nazi regime soon swirls around them and a mysterious refugee ...

Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson head an interesting, if familiar-feeling tale.

need for speed Vroom to improve

RACING into cinemas and hell-bent on challenging 300’s sequel (see below) for sheer awfulness, Need For Speed (Cert 12A, 132 mins) is one for particularly undemanding petrolheads.

Here, cars get driven very fast indeed as the plot careers all the way from A to B in a genre-conforming tale of manly men trying to settle old scores and get revenge ... by driving their cars dangerously. A lot.

Rise of an empire 300’s unwanted sequel

THE plot’s all Greek to us, but hey – if you want to see lots of grunting, musclebound lunks trying to chop each other into little chunks, courtesy of endless over stylised slowwwwwmotion set-piece battles, 300: Rise of an Empire (Cert 16, 102 mins) is for you. Leave your brain at home for this one, as the likes of Lena Headey ham it up against the Chippend– err, ancient Greeks.

Either the Muppets are trying to work out how to calculate the bill, or they’re discussing their next step as they get on with their current comic caper

muppets most wanted: comic stars don’t quite tug all the right strings

A Fozzie-ly directed sequel

THE latest offering in Disney’s lucratively rebooted musical franchise, Muppets Most Wanted literally builds on the success of its predecessor, with an opening shot featuring the Muppets in Hollywood on the set of 2011’s film, wondering what to do next.

The answer lies in their catchy first number, We’re Doing A Sequel, written

by Flight of the Concord’s Bret McKenzie – but the self-referential lyrics (“We’re doing a sequel, that’s what we do in Hollywood, but everybody knows that the sequel’s never quite as good”) may contain a little too much truth.

With the Muppet Theatre happily secure, the gang are persuaded to take their show on the road by PR guru Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais).

 Dave phillips

Kermit’s (voiced by Steve Whitmire) initial protestations and sneaking suspicions of the tour are drowned out by the rest of the Muppets’ celebrations.

Badguy (“It’s French, pronounced Bad-JEE”, he explains) knows how to manipulate the group and he swiftly nudges the mild-mannered Kermit out of leadership.

A more nefarious purpose to the world tour emerges when Constantine (Matt Vogel), “the world’s most dangerous frog” – who bears an uncanny resemblance to

Kermit – escapes from a soviet gulag.

A quick identity swap later, and Constantine is happily ensconced within the Muppets, while Kermit is languishing in the gulag under the obsessive watch of Nadya (Tina Fey), with no way to let the rest of the Muppets know the danger they are in.

Throw in Lady Gaga, some art gallery heists, and a marriage to Ms Piggy, and it looks to be the guts of an entertaining trip.

But, while the film is heavy with star cameo performances – too many to name here, and some are so fleeting that you’ll probably miss them – it is noticeably light in human leads.

Constantine’s ropy Slavic impersonation

of Kermit is over-relied upon as a means to carry much of the story and humour.

While falling back on classic body-swap scenarios remains funny for the most part, these scenes lack the humanMuppet chemistry found in the earlier film.

Ricky Gervais’s interactions with the Muppets feel more like Comic Relief sketches, and T i n a Fey’s o n e -

dimensional character leads to her scenes with Kermit in the gulag feeling somewhat repetitive and flat.

The closest the film comes to filling the Jason Segel-shaped hole is in the scenes with Jean Pierre Napoleon (Ty Burrell) and Sam the Eagle (Eric Jacobson), as French and American detectives forced to work together on the case of Constantine.

The human connection is missing in more than one sense.

The film seems to be l a c king,

not only in comparison to its predecessor, but in comparison to most other recent films aimed at children, due to its noticeably muted emotional undertones.

T he Muppets may gain a new appreciation of Kermit, but there’s no grander message on display.

Muppets Most Wanted is a straightforward romp – a colourful comedy that is content to pluck on the musical strings, but not tug on the heart strings.

The result is enough to keep you just about entertained, but never really inspired.

Verdict: 5/10

The new Muppet film stars a top comic who is much loved by his millions of fans all around the world. It also stars Ricky Gervais. Wocka Wocka!

20 March 2014 gazette 25

french getaway: enjoy a luxurious home away from home

TRAVEL

Camping in France has never been so good  natalie burke

When travelling with kids, especially ones old enough to have an appetite for running wild, your requirements for a successful, memorable holiday will most likely include the likes of a beach, a kids or teen club and a few easy going eateries.

Mobile home and camping holidays in France with Al Fresco are ideal if you’re looking for a family holiday with fun, flexibility, freedom and lots of great food. France is a holiday destination full of contrast and every region has its own character.

Al Fresco luxury mobile homes are on some of the best French campsites in Brittany, Normandy, Vendee, Champagne (near Paris), Loire valley, Charente Maritime, Aquitaine, Languedoc/ Roussillon and the Cote d’Azur.

The French holiday parcs are set in golden beach, lakeside and mountain settings and

provide some great facilities, restaurants and most importantly, a relaxed holiday atmosphere.

Wherever you choose to spend your holiday, France has a well-deserved reputation for its cuisine and good wine and there are plenty of markets and small town delicatessens located near or within the holiday parcs.

For a day away from the beach, there’s still plenty to do, with cosmopolitan cities and medieval villages to visit, activities and adventures to undertake and history and culture to soak up.

Many Al Fresco holiday parcs are toddler friendly, with creches and a toddler-friendly pool, while many will also feature a club especially for kids aged between four and seven, and eight and 12.

Here, they can get stuck into everything from mini-golf to magic shows. With multilingual staff on site, this means parents can relax with a good book and a

glass of wine knowing their family is in good hands.

Youth clubs, day trips and discos also feature for teenagers looking for some new friends and fun.

With tons of summer offers for 2014, Al Fresco offer packages based both on mobile homes or families.

Depart on May 31 and spend eight nights in a two-bedroom mobile home in Chateau De Galinne, Brittany, plus overnight sailings with cabins, from just €699 per family (based on a family of four).

T his holiday parc features a heated water park with slides as well as an indoor aquatic centre and is situated right next to a beach, and just minutes walk from Saint-Malo’s historic walled centre with fine restaurants and creperies.

Departing on June 20, seven nights in a two-bedroom mobile in La Croix du Vieux Pont, Champange, costs from €499 per mobile.

The parc is ideally

Gazette

TRAVEL fast

Irish Ferries have introduced a direct route to Cherbourg

New French route for Irish Ferries  natalie burke

Mobile home holidays in France are the ideal choice if you’re looking for a family holiday with fun

Many parks feature heated water activity areas

situated for a visit to Disneyland Paris with six times weekly coach excursions to the popular park and to Paris.

Or if the South of France is on your radar, why not depart on July 5 and spend seven nights in Le Sylvamar, Aquitaine, from just €485 for a two-bedroom mobile.

Toddler-friendly Le Sylvamar offers a range

of activities for all ages from surfing lessons to fitness programmes and also features a heated water park with a pool, a lagoon and a lazy river.

Biarritz is just 30 miles away and a trip to San Sebastian (46 miles) for tapas is a tempting day trip.

For a two-bedroom mobile in Esterel on t h e C o t e d ’A z u r, a

seven-night visit costs just €799 per mobile, departing on July 14.

Just three miles from a beach, families visiting Esterel can make the most of the outdoor swimming complex and indoor jungle paddling pool.

The parc also offers evening entertainment, fitness classes, a creche and kids clubs.​

Irish Ferries have introduced a new direct sea route to France, linking Dublin with the popular French resor t of Cherbourg.

R e c e n t l y vo t e d Ireland’s Best Ferry Company 2013 by Irish travel agents, Irish Ferries is confident that it will see more families than ever choosing a motoring holi day in France over any other, without having to drive to Rosslare to avail of the car ferry.

Irish Ferries’ new service is timed to arrive in Cherbourg early enough to facilitate easy onward travel to campsites and holiday centres throughout France.

Sailings will depart from the Ferryport terminal in Dublin at 3.30pm on Saturday, and will arrive in Cherbourg at 11.30am on Sunday morning.

It will then return to Dublin later that day, departing Cherbourg at 5pm and arriving in Dublin on Monday morning.

For more information, bookings or travel vouchers, visit w w w. i r i s h f e r r i e s . com or call 0818 300 400.

26 GAZETTE 20 March 2014

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We, Des & Claire Kelly are applying for Permission for Proposed Extension to the Side and Rere of the Existing Single Storey Cottage.

The proposed Extension to include for New Kitchen, Living / Dining Area, Utility, Bathroom, Bedroom & En-suite on Ground Floor and 3 No Bedrooms within the new Dormer Space. All of the above at 13 Esker Cottages, Lucan, Co. Dublin.

This application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of South Dublin County Council during its public opening hoursof 9am – 4pm, Mon-Fri, and a submission or observation may be made to South Dublin County Council in writing and on payment of the prescribed fee (₏20.00) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by South Dublin County Council of the application.

20400

20 March 2014 Gazette 27

catherine walsh P28

asdfsdaf gaelic games P27 P31

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



Gazette

soccer P28

FastSport roadmap rolls out at carton house: A SEMI-

Donnacha O’Callaghan at the Ilac Centre promoting the new 4Impacts advertising pod last week

rugby: rabo 12 pits province against province at aviva stadium next week

Donnacha set for the clash of titans as Munster come to town MUNSTER’S most-capped player Donncha O’Callaghan says that provincial players are well used to swapping Irish colours for club jerseys seamlessly as Leinster and the southern province prepare to lock horns on March 29.

It comes hot on the heels of Ireland’s Six Nations campaign with the two provinces set for a marquee date in the Aviva Stadium in a top-table Rabo Pro 12 clash.

Speaking from his vast experience to GazetteSport, he says that the players are able to quickly adapt from the Irish camp to their provincial commitments “Everyone gets behind the team when we are in green,” he said. “But of

course when you are involved, you do everything you can for the fella next to you and then two weeks later, you are knocking the head off each other. It’s the nature of things and is an enjoyable part of things.

“The big thing is that both sets of players care and that is what is important. They care about playing for Ireland and they care about playing for their province and that is massive.”

O’Callaghan was speaking to the Gazette at the Ilac Centre where he was promoting his new 4 Impacts advertising pod. The pod features a 55-inch high definition screen for rolling advertisements with an in-built sensor that has the ability to log the demographic

and engagement of passers-by, giving advertisers much more information about the effectiveness of their campaign.

The second row recently signed a two-year contract extension with Munster that will keep him with the province until 2016 but he is looking to set himself up for life outside the game.

“The demographic of our changing room has changed a lot. I am a married man with three kids, heading off to cinema after training isn’t really my thing any more! An awful lot of our lads study or do different things. For me, this is a sector I am excited about. There’s a good buzz about the people around the marketing sector and usually are enjoy-

able to deal with.

“I looked at what kind of things ran parallel with my rugby. It was always marketing, the bits we were used for like being in ads on billboards. With my work with Unicef, you would see how campaigns work. So I had massive interest in it and am looking to push it on.

“It’s busy but all aspects are massively important for me. When you look at the different things you are involved in, you want to give it 100pc. It’s lovely to have other interests along with my busy family life. This is my business and it really feels like my baby and when I walked into the building, I got a lump in my throat at how well they look.”

NAR to launch the Leinster golf strategy, Roadmap 2017, will be held in Carton House Hotel on Monday, March 24.

Roadmap 2017 provides an in-depth analysis of the game in Leinster.

It is based on survey results from more than 8,000 golfers and data from focus groups with key stakeholders.

A comprehensive action plan covering ten initiatives needed to develop and improve the game over the next four years has been formulated. Delegates from 170 affiliated clubs in Leinster have been invited to attend the seminar.

Castleknock’s European Tour player Peter Lawrie will be in attendance to give the delegates an insight into pace of play on the Tour together with GREENi who will give a short demonstration of an electronic Pace of Play Management System for clubs.

For more information, log on to www. gui.ie/leinster.

Gazette

28 Gazette 20 March 2014

SPORT

FastSport

Girls in green do Ireland proud in the Cyprus Cup A magnificent run in the Cyprus Cup came to an end in the fifth and sixth-place play-off match for the Republic Of Ireland’s women’s team who registered a series of results that belied their lowly status in the international women’s tournament, which they went into ranked 12 of the 12 competing teams.

It was Ireland’s first defeat in seven games, a run that stretched back 12 months to last year’s Cyprus Cup defeat by Finland, and only their second loss in 12 games.

Their progress was impressive in the tournament, opening with a win against New Zealand, ranked 17 places above Ireland in the world rankings, before a draw with eventual third-place finishers, South Korea. They defeated another side above them in the rankings, Switzerland, 2-1 before the play-off against Canada saw them take the side 26 places ahead of them in the world to the final moments of the game before the Maple Leafs secured victory.

For the fourth time in a week, manager Sue Ronan had nothing but praise for her side after they once again defied the odds, and their world ranking of 33, to leave one of the top teams in the world breathing an audible sigh of relief at the final whistle.

“They were absolutely brilliant,” said Ronan of her players. “They started with their strongest possible team and ended up having to make three changes at half-time to try and get back into the game.

“It has been a fantastic experience and is great preparation for the resumption of the World Cup qualifiers,” said Ronan. “We’ve finished with one win, two draws, one defeat, have scored five goals, and have led in every one of those four games against high ranking teams from four different continents.

“The players are growing in confidence, they are improving from game to game and bringing things to a new level. They want to push on and hopefully that will show in the games in April and May in Dublin which are going to be very tough.”

Ireland’s next game will be on Saturday, April 5, at Tallaght Stadium when they face world number two side and current European champions Germany as they resume their World Cup qualifying campaign.

An eternal Olympian exits the world stage Catherine Walsh has called time on her stellar career in sport after six Paralympic Games to start a new phase of her life - and maybe a triathlon or two...

ITTOOK Catherine Walsh a while to step away from elite sport after two decades as a Paralympian, in a breathtaking career.

It landed her an array of medals across two different disciplines; a life in sport that spanned six Paralympic Games.

A year-and-a-half since she landed a track cycling silver medal and a bronze on the road in London, she feels the time is right to step off the bike though there are times she still hankers to be back in the saddle.

Speaking to GazetteSport about her glittering career, she says that it is something she found hard to let go.

“At times, I wonder did I do the right thing? When you see everyone away

 stephen findlater sport@gazettegroup.com

training in Mallorca, you start to think, ‘it could be me’ but, at the same time, I also think now I am glad it isn’t me!

“It is difficult when you have trained consistently for so long and I do feel unwell when I am not challenging myself physically. But now I don’t get stressed if I miss a session, whereas before it would be the number one part of the day.”

Growing up in Swords, her parents were both coaches at Fingallians and

Catherine Walsh receives her Dublin Gazette Sports Star of the Year 2012 award in March last year

got her involved in athletics early on. Competing in the visually impaired pentathlon, long jump, 800m and discus events, she developed quickly enough to contest both the Barcelona and Atlanta Paralympics before hitting a zenith in Sydney in 2000, landing bronze in the P13 pentathlon.

Athens followed before Walsh made the big switch to track cycling and a new part of her career that culminated in a track cycling silver in London, in tandem with Fran Meehan, in the individual pursuit, along with a bronze in women’s time trial.

Speaking about her move to cycling, she simply puts it down to meeting “the right people at the right time”. While her brother had ridden a tandem in their youth and her cousins cycled competitively in South Africa, she says there was little inkling that this was a sport for her before a virtually enforced retirement from pentathlon.

Following Athens in 2004, there were not enough world level competitors to keep the fivediscipline sport in the Paralympics. As such, Walsh turned her attentions to attempting a triathlon but soon found her new calling.

“I wasn’t strong enough on a world level in the individual events from the pentathlon so I had basically retired and

had another kid; then I wanted to do a triathlon.

Through that, I learned a bit about bikes, something I was completely terrified about before but I started the track cycling and really liked it. It’s very measurable; road racing is very tactical whereas this is more similar to athletics.

embark on a new phase of life. Training is still ongoing and she does say that this year she might “finally get round to doing my triathlon!” but there is a clearer canvas to try out new things.

To that end, she went skiing with her family for the first time in February

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

‘When you see everyone away training you think, it could be me, but at the same time, I’m glad it’s not!’ - Catherine Walsh --------------------------------------------------------

I really like that and got completely addicted.”

It gave her a second career she scarcely envisaged, one she says that she relished in a different way to her athletics career.

“I thought I was finished with elite sport but it gave me another bite.

Sometimes when you are younger, you don’t appreciate opportunities that you get.

“This time, I definitely did [appreciate it] as it gets much harder when you are older to keep training with the demands on your time and increased responsibilities. While it was harder to do, I definitely appreciated it more.”

She entertained thoughts of defending the World Championship title she won in 2012 in Los Angeles but found 2013 a tough season and reckoned it was time to

while there are other avenues that she is looking forward to pursuing.

“Stepping back from it, I have left cycling in a good place. I am a little bit jealous that they are going to build the velodrome here and that could have made life a lot easier, not having as much time away from home.

“I don’t even want to do the triathlon competitively! It’s just to say ‘I did that’. Quite soon after London, I did my level one athletics coaching course with Fingallians.

My kids are now at an age where I bring them to sports that they are trying out and enjoying,” said Walsh, “I’m just doing normal things and hoping to stay involved in cycling in some form and help out people starting off and give them encouragement.”

20 March 2014 gazette 29

Gazette

30 LUCAN gazette 20 March 2014

SPORT

soccer: united sides in two finals

Lucan United’s Under-16s celebrate reaching the Umbro Cup final

Lucan on double  nathan kelly sport@gazettegroup.com

Lucan United have the chance to claim two pieces of silver ware this weekend when two of their girls’ teams are on the bill in the Metropolitan Girls Cup final weekend, taking place in the Oscar Traynor Centre.

R ichie Farrell’s Under-16 side booked their place in the Umbro Cup final just last Sunday and they did it in the best way possible. the magic of cup football alive and kicking in Whitehall Stadium as the side came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 against Home Farm in a thrilling tie.

The victory was made sweeter by the fact that a last-minute goal in extra-time proved to be the winner for the United girls.

Home Farm had raced into an early lead

but goals either side of half-time from Zara L aw l e s s a n d L a u r a Archibald levelled the game up at two apiece.

Just as both sets of managers may have been thinking about who was going to take penalties for their sides, C i a r a B u r ke n s h aw headed a late late winner from a Lawless freekick to book Lucan’s place in this Saturday’s final.

These Lucan ladies had overcome the likes o f Mo u n t M e r r i o n , Peamount United and Maynooth before seeing off Home Farm on Sunday. Their opposition in the final will be Newtown and, judging from the attendance at the semi-final, a large crowd is expected in the Oscar Traynor Centre to cheer them on.

With that game due to kick off at 3pm on the main pitch, Lucan may already have some

silverware in the bag as their Under-14 side play their final at 10am, also on the main pitch in what is austensibly a local derby against Peamount United in the Carlton Hotel Cup decider.

Mark Brophy’s side have beaten Terenure FC and Kinnegad Juniors AFC en route to the final, scoring nine goals in the two games.

The team are enjoying a decent season in the league too, as they currently sit in fourth place in the MGL Under-14A division.

With the centre playing host to 13 cup finals over the course of Satu r d ay a n d S u n d ay, and with a number of mouth-watering contests on show, the Oscar Traynor Centre could be place to be this weekend for football fans in Dublin, and in particular, for fans of soccer in Lucan.

United prepare for Easter camps  sport@gazettegroup.com

LUCAN United are set to run another season of their popular and successful Easter camps from Monday, April 14 to Friday, April 18 from 10am to 3pm each day.

Fees for the camp

are €40 per child, while there is a family fee that will be given on inquiry.

The camp will be broken into two sections, girls and boys, while the camps will be staffed by both male and female UEFA licensed coaches who will run a week of

skill-building, football matches, movies and other games during the Easter holidays.

For more information about the Lucan United Easter camp, contact lucanunitedfc@gmail. com or text Alan on 089 433 7430.

20 March 2014 LUCAN gazette 31

Gazette

Local stars help Dublin to deserved draw  sport@gazettegroup.com

LUCAN quartet Kate Whyte, Claire Rigney, Mari Moynihan and Ali Twomey helped Dublin produce a stunning late run of six successive points to claw back a draw against Tipperary at Driumnigh last Sunday.

It got them off the

mark for the 2014 edition of the National Camogie League with a 1-15 to 4 -6 draw.

After a brisk start, Aoife McGrath’s goal had Tipp in front with the first of four goals for her side.

Dublin responded with great zest. Orla Durkin made a scintillating run from midfield

allowing her to find Aine Fanning who rifled the sliotar to the back of the net, helping them get in front by a point at halftime at 1-5 to 1-4.

A run of 1-1 for Tipperary returned them to the lead as they ran up a six-point lead. It made for worrying times for Dublin as Tipp had already amassed 4 -6

but they managed to keep the visitors scoreless from then on in a superb fightback.

Points from substitute Aisling Maher, wing back Claire Rigney and four from Ciara Berkeley (two frees, one 45 and one from play) had the sides level when referee Ray Kelly called a halt to proceedings.

hurling: kilkenny quashed in tight-fought tie

Club Noticeboard lucan sarsfields Membership is now due for 2014. We

impressive victories over St Anne’s

encourage all members to renew

and Thomas Davis. There was great

as soon as possible by following the

skill on show with a number of scores

link on our website. We particular-

taken with either foot.

ly extend an invite to parents and

The U-12 footballers came up

guardians of our juvenile members

against an impressive Fingal Ravens

to consider one of our family options.

side in the grading league and strug-

All players up to U-21 are now includ-

gled to find form. In the A grading

ed in the family options.

league, they recorded an impressive

Many thanks to all the teams who

25 card drive every Friday night at

Full details can be found on our web-

9pm in the clubhouse bar – all wel-

site www.lucansarsfields.ie: over

come. €5 entry with €50 first prize.

550 players in action last weekend

A new members card system has

across all four codes from age seven

been installed in the bar on a trial

to 40 plus.

basis. The system will offer benefits

History was made in St Joseph’s

for club members and will initially

Secondary school last week as their

be trialled on a three-month basis.

U-16 camogie team captured the All-

Please support this initiative.

Ireland title. An excellent two-point

The golf society is running a Par

victory over Clare contenders Tulla

3 golf classic supporting Joe Whyte’s

in Nenagh last Thursday. A great

dancing shoes in Newcastle Golf Cen-

achievement; you all did your clubs

tre on Saturday, March 22. Contact

proud.

Michael at 087 233 1983 to reserve

Congratulations to all four CCC2 hurling teams who recorded victories in the league last weekend. The

Lucan Sarsfields’ Peter Kelly was one of the players who helped Dublin to a deserved win against Kilkenny

Local trio help Dubs to defeat Black Cats NHL Division 1A Dublin 1-22 Kilkenny 3-13  sport@gazettegroup.com

Lucan Sarsfields had two representatives on form when Dublin enjoyed their victory over Kilkenny in Parnell Park last Saturday night, while St Pat’s Palmerstown’s had one player feature in the game.

Peter Kelly and Jonny McCaffrey from Lucan both played their part in the 1-22 to 3-13 win over the Black Cats in the NHL Division 1A, with the latter grabbing a point during the game, while

Pat’s Liam Rushe’s distribution was key for the boys in blue.

The 1-22 to 3-13 victory over the Black Cats in the NHL Division 1A saw the Dubs continue their hot and cold form this season, the result giving them their second home win, the other coming against Clare, while two away games have resulted in two defeats at the hands of Galway and Waterford.

The performance of the hurlers was much improved from that loss to the Deise last weekend as Kilkenny, as expected, ensured the three-point

win was hard-fought.

Dublin dominated possession for much of the first half, and closed it by hitting 1-6 without reply.

The goal came in the 32nd minute through David Sutcliffe, when his point effort dropped below the bar and the Kilkenny keeper miscontrolled the sliotar which caused it to trickle over the line. Points from Boden man Keaney, as well as Sutcliffe and Joey Boland saw the hosts go in at the break leading 1-16 to 1-6.

There was a Kilkenny revival after the restart, however, as a goal from Colin Fennelly, a TJ Reid

penalty drilled past Boden’s Maguire, as well as a point from Jonjo Farrell saw the ten-point lead reduced to three in nine minutes. The Black Cats momentum was halted, however, when Alan McCrabbe scored two points from frees. The Craobh Chiaran man added another soon after, along with Mark Schutte and Ryan O’Dwyer to ensure the victory for Anthony Daly’s side.

The win leaves Dublin joint second in the league, having to play bottom placed Tipperary next Sunday in the final set of regular matches.

4-16 to 1-3 victory over Parnell’s.

sent in match reports this weekend.

your three-ball.

Set Dancing classes every Wednesday at 8.30pm.

U-13s had a three-point victory over

Strictly Come Dancing is coming

Ballyboden in AGP, the U-14s had one

to Lucan! Our events committee are

point to spare over Whitehall in the

appealing to our male members to

12th Lock, while the U-16s also over-

sign up for the show. There is loads

came Oliver Plunkett’s at home. The

of time left to practice the steps and

U-15s were last out on Sunday morn-

full training will be provided. Please

ing and ran out comfortable winners

contact Josephine Donohue, Mary

over Naomh Mearnog.

Reynolds or Mary Flannery.

On the football side our U-13 ladies

Our nurseries continue every Sat-

had an excellent two-point victory

urday from 1.30pm at the clubhouse.

over Na Fianna. Best wishes to Aoife

New players are always welcome and

Brophy and Abbie Green who are

registration is just €10 for both hurl-

recovering from a broken arm and

ing and football. This is your chance

broken finger. A superb standard of

to participate in a training session

football and a great win for Lucan,

led by Dublin hurling captain John-

our selection for player of the game

ny McCaffrey. Each week over 150

was split between Molly O’Tool and

boys and girls practice their skills

Abbie Shields.

and improve their overall physical

On the boys side, our U-9s took to

well being in a safe and controlled

the field against a strong Kilmacud

environment on our purpose-built

Crokes side. There was some great

al-weather facility. Check out our

skills and commitment on display

website for more details.

from both clubs. There were too

There was no winner of Sunday

many great performances to men-

night’s €7,500 lotto. The unlucky num-

tion individually with a number of

bers were 4, 7, 9 and 20. This week’s

nominations for the Sars’ Stars team

lotto is for a jackpot of €8,000, spon-

of the week. The U-10 footballers had

sored by Lucan Village Pharmacy.



Got a story? we want to know!

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

or email sport@gazettegroup.com

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

march 20, 2014

united on the double: Lucan girls set to appear in two Metropolitan Girls’ Cup finals this weekend P30

she’s a wonder walsh: Catherine calls time on her Paralympic journey P28

St Joseph’s are All-Ireland champs  rob heigh

sport@gazettegroup.com

St Joseph’s College in Lucan were celebrating last week when their junior camogie team secured the school’s first-ever All-Ireland title after coming from behind to beat St Joseph’s of Tulla, Co Clare, in a classic final at McDonagh Park in Nenagh.

In spite of going a goal down in the opening seconds of the match, St Joseph’s never gave up and their determination and purpose in playing for victory and for each other was a significant factor in bringing the national title back to Presentation Convent.

A goal rom Nicole Fitzgibbon brought them back in touch, but the

Tulla school pulled ahead again and were 2-3 to 1-1 ahead at half time.

But after the turn, the St Joseph’s girls brought their A game and powered back into contention, with points from Ciara Casey and Aoife McKearney, and a goal from Samantha Fitzgerald after an impressive driving run from Jessica McClelland.

Laura O’Mahony then delivered the score of the day, as she broke through two tackles and, having caught the ball twice already, bounced the ball past the oncoming defender with the stick, lifted and struck straight between the posts. Orlaith Murphy and Ciara Casey then added two fine points to give Joey’s the lead for the first time.

However, the Clare natives went back ahead with five minutes to play, and it seemed as though there was no way through. But they continued to throw everything at their opponents and when a long free from Jenny Ryan bounced into the square, corner-forward Katie Feeney was first to react and doubled on the volley into the net to send the Joey’s supporters into raptures.

Speaking to GazetteSport after the final, coach and teacher at the school, Dave Kirwan, was thrilled for his charges after their national success.

“The attitude of the players. I said to them after the match, for girls of that age to have that much character when it looked like they might have

been out of the game, and to be able to come back and dig out a result like that was incredible. “it is heartening to see them come through and see them achieve. It’s always enjoyable looking after the teams, but when you see them getting bigger awards like that, it’s fantastic to see when they put so much time and work into it.”

As regards the future of these players, Kirwan was certain of where they are headed: “There are a few of the players playing with Dublin teams already which shows how good they are and that brings them on as players as well. Whatever they get involved with, they will do themselves proud, and win a lot of titles.”

Action from the All-Ireland final with St Joseph’s College in control