Gazette MALAHIDE
Say goodbye to 2013 in style with a New Year’s Eve getaway break
SEE PAGE 25 December 19, 2013 Find us on
M A L A H I D E • P O R T M A R N O C K • K I N S E A LY • C L A R EMonth H A LXX, L CINEMA: Journey into the deep and dark with the latest instalment of the Hobbit P22
FREE
2012
CELEBRATION: Local religious leaders offer a Christmas message of faith and joy P6
Merry Pringles: A cracking day at Clarehall RAYMOND and Roisin Sheridan
Swimming:
Doyle prepared for Glasgow test against US team Page 32
from Beaumont met the Pringles man at the Merry Pringles day in Tesco, Clarehall last Saturday, December 14. Local shoppers customised their can of Pringles in the shape of a Christmas cracker with a photograph and personal message, making them into festive gifts. Mr Pringles reckons that almost 4 million cans of Pringles will be eaten in homes across Ireland this Christmas.
Picture: Philip Leonard
Football:
Late goal kills off Sylvester’s final hopes Page 31
ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES...................... 8 DUBLIN LIFE...................11 OUT&ABOUT ..................17 CLASSIFIEDS ................26 SPORT ...........................27
Council budget meeting postponement blasted Councillors go into 2014 without council budget having been set
NATALIE BURKE
NORTH Dublin councillors have criticised the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government after Fingal County Council had to postpone
their annual budget meeting until January. The meeting was due to be held on December 20, but last week the council announced that it would be deferred until January 10. At the time of the decision,
the local authority had not received their budget allocations for 2014. The allocations have since been issued to councils nationwide, but the meeting remains deferred until the New Year. Following the
postponement, Cllr Darragh Butler (FF) said the council “had no choice” but to defer the meeting. “So we are going to go into 2014 without a council budget having been set,” he said. Full Story on Page 3
2 MALAHIDE Gazette 19 December 2013
dublin GAZETTe Initiative Poster campaign for Dublin 15 newspapers i n f o r m at i o n Block 3A, Mill Bank Business Park, Lucan Tel: 01 - 6010240 Dublin Gazette Newspapers publish eight weekly quality free titles, covering the greater Dublin area from Swords to Dun Laoghaire
Group aims to reduce risk of home burglaries laura webb lwebb@gazettegroup.com
c o n ta c t s Managing Director: Michael McGovern mmcgovern@gazettegroup.com Editor: Mimi Murray mmurray@gazettegroup.com Production Editor: Jessica Maile jmaile@gazettegroup.com Sports Editor: Rob Heigh rheigh@gazettegroup.com Picture Editor: Hiromi Mooney picturedesk@gazettegroup.com Group Advertising Manager: Conor Mahon cmahon@gazettegroup.com Direct Ad Sales Manager: Tatum Rooney trooney@gazettegroup.com Advertising Production: Suzanne Sheehy ssheehy@gazettegroup.com Advertising Sales: 01 - 6010240 sales@gazettegroup.com Financial Controller: Carly Lynch clynch@gazettegroup.com
Find us on
www.gazettegroup.com Gazette Group Newspapers Ltd. Terms and Conditions for acceptance of advertisements Reserve the right to omit or suspend or alter any advertisement(s) in any of its publications. We also decline any responsibility in the event of one or more of a series of advertisements being omitted for any reason whatever, nor do we accept liability for any loss or damage caused by an error or inaccuracy in the printing of any advertisement. If your advertisement appears incorrectly, contact the Advertising Department immediately, as responsibility cannot be accepted for more than one week’s incorrect insertion. Responsibility cannot be accepted if the complaint is made more than two weeks after insertion. If one places an advertisement for more than one week and then cancels it after the first week, no refund or credit will be given for weeks cancelled. The advertiser undertakes to indemnify the Proprietors against any liability for any civil action arising out of the publication of the advertisement or any other matter printed or published in the Blanchardstown Gazette, Castleknock Gazette, Clondalkin Gazette, Dundrum Gazette, Dun Laoghaire Gazette, Lucan Gazette, Malahide Gazette and Swords Gazette. The placing of an order or contract will be deemed an acceptance of these conditions.
Joint Policing Committees from Fingal have come together to launch a Lock Burglars Out campaign, which asks homeowners to lock up before heading out. This is the first such initiative that is being run across the Joint Policing Committee for Fingal in partnership with gardai, Safer Blanchardstown and Swords/Balbriggan Local Policing Forum. The aim is to target the one third of preventable burglaries that occur as a result of residents leaving their home in a rush, even for a short period of time, without locking up properly. As part of the initiative, posters will be displayed in areas across Dublin 15, Swords and Malahide at different times for different periods of time to remind people about the importance of locking up.
The campaign is targeting the one third of preventable burglaries that occur as a result of residents leaving their home in a rush
This is the first time Swords/Balbriggan Policing For um has taken part in the initiative. Commenting on their involvement, community policing sergeant, Kevin Toner, said: “We haven’t done this campaign, we have other initiatives regarding burglaries including information check points for people, call backs when a house is broken into we will call to houses each side or in the vicinity and give crime prevention advice to them. We are always monitoring the bur-
glaries over periods of time. “With this initiative we hope to create public awareness for individual citizenship and responsibility – keep an eye out for the neighbour and going back to the days when people did know who was around. We are really telling neighbours to be nosey and if they do see anything suspicious – if something looks suspicious it tends to be suspicious – there is no such thing as a stupid call. “Also, it goes back to common sense housekeeping, lights on when you leave the house,
don’t go on Facebook and let people know you are away. Alarm your house. The more people do this with their house the less likely they will be broken into because a burglar wants to get in and get out and doesn’t want to be stopped in any way. “This is a great visual image that will stay in people’s heads.” Speaking at the launch in Blanchardstown Library last week, Inspector John Kelly of the Community Policing in Blanchardstown said: “T his is crime prevention advice we are giving people, that
Got a story? we want to know! Call our news team on 60 10 240 and SELECT OPTION 2
or email news@gazettegroup.com
Got a photo? Call our news team on 60 10 240 and SELECT OPTION 2 email news@gazettegroup.com
basically before you go out you take a minute before you go and lock up. “Particularly at this time of the year people have extra valuables in their house, we are conscious that people could be targeted at this time of year, either opportunistic or specifically, so it is important people are aware of what they should be doing. “We would also advise again, a lot of people’s cars are stolen through fishing, where someone comes along with an extendable aerial or something with a magnet at the end and fish it through the letter box, so we would ask people not to leave keys in their hallway near the front door, that they put them somewhere safely. “For every ten burglaries committed at least four of them are from fishing. “We will put posters up targeting specific parts of Dublin 15 [and Swords] not for any particular reason, we will just pick an area each week, put the posters up just to warn people to be aware and be conscious of crime prevention.”
19 December 2013 MALAHIDE Gazette 3
gazette
council: annual meeting gets deferred until January 10, 2014
Local papers to merge
Budget meeting delay is slammed North Dublin councillors have criticised the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government after Fingal County Council (FCC) had to postpone their annual budget meeting until January. The meeting was due to be held on December 20 but last week the council announced that it would be deferred until January 10. At the time of the decision, the local authority had not received their budget allocations for 2014. The allocations have since been issued to councils nationwide, but the meeting remains deferred until the New Year. Following the post-
ponement, Cllr Darragh Butler (FF) said the council “had no choice” but to postpone the meeting. “So we are going to go into 2014 without a council budget having been set,” he said. “What makes this even more unusual,” he continued, “is that the Government this year passed its budget in October, earlier than normal and property owners had to declare their 2014 Local Property Tax payments in November just gone.” Cllr Butler said the delay could potentially cause cash flow problems for the council. Also reacting to the decision was Cllr Ciaran Byrne (Lab), who said he found it “incredible
and unacceptable” that the Government had not issued budget allocations in time to have a meeting in December. “I mean, did they ever hear of computers? Do they not actually know how to crunch numbers and get results? They must, presumably from last year’s property tax, have some idea what the income from that source is going to be.” A spokesperson for the Department of Environment said that the details of the funding that councils would receive from Irish Water through their Service Level Agreements, which used to be paid via the General Purpose Grant system, were being finalised.
Donation: Hilton Dublin Airport give a hamper and scooter to charity the Hilton Hotel at Dublin Airport got into the festive charitable spirit recently as they presented a large Christmas hamper and a scooter to local charity Northside Partnership. General manager of Hilton Dublin Airport Chris Douglas made the presentation to the charity’s employment and enterprise manager, Cepta Dowling. The hotel’s staff donated a range of items for the hamper, such as soft toys, sweets, pasta and tea. Northside Partnership works to bring about positive changes and to improve the opportunities for people and communities in north east Dublin.
From January 2, we will be amalgamating our Swords and Malahide papers. Malahide stories will now be covered by the Swords Plus Gazette and we will continue to cover many local stories from the Malahide area. We ask you to continue to send your local good news stories to the Swords Plus Gazette. This paper will continue to be stocked in all the usual outlets in Malahide. We feel we will reach a wider audience with the amalgamation of these papers and we thank you for your continued support and loyalty and hope that you will continue to enjoy the weekly Gazette, serving your local area.
4 MALAHIDE Gazette 19 December 2013
FastNews
R1
jobs Company actively seeking successor
Inquiry into Howth burglary Gardai in Howth are investigating an aggravated burglary that occurred at Casana View, Howth last week. According to gardai, four men entered the house on Friday, December 13 at approximately 9.15am. They threatened and demanded money from the woman of the house. One man was armed with a nail bar. The men escaped with a sum of money and the owner’s car, which was abandoned later in Howth. Anyone with any information can contact gardai on 01 6664900.
Last minute chance for a gift Lucky boys and girls in north Dublin could get a special treat this Christmas if they post any last minute letters to Santa at their local Eurospar supermarket. Christmas post-boxes have been set up in Eurospar in Malahide, Rush and Skerries to take letters directly to the North Pole and lucky children could even receive a reply from the man himself. Last day for posting letters is December 20 and postage is free.
FOR UP TO DAT E N E W s follow u s :
charity
Appeal for children in need Natalie Burke
Pharmaceutical firm MSD announced that it will close its Swords plant (pictured) by the end of 2017 resulting in the loss of 570 jobs. Picture: Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland
New buyer is sought to save 570 MSD jobs
Natalie Burke news@gazettegroup.com
There is hope for the 570 jobs at risk in north Dublin after it was revealed that local pharmaceutical company MSD is actively seeking a successor. The company had recently informed employees at its Swords facility of its proposed plan to cease operations at the site by the end of 2017. The closure would result in the loss of 570 jobs between now and the end of 2017. The recent announcement of optimism comes
after Fingal County Council held a meeting with MSD last week to discuss the future of the plant and its workers. According to the council, the pharmaceutical company believes its highly-skilled workforce and the diversity of potential business processes that can be accommodated within the plant footprint, are major selling points which will attract interest from prospective buyers. Management at MSD told the council that there are certain factors that are hoped to attract investment in the facility.
These factors include the facility’s strategic location and proximity to the national motorway network as well as to the airport and port tunnel. Its location places it in a prime position for accessing markets in Ireland or abroad, ensuring it will attract interest from a wide range of manufacturing and logistics-based firms. The continuous investment put into modernising the plant in recent years has also succeeded in making it a very attractive facility. Deputy Alan Farrell
(FG) also held a meeting with a senior management at MSD last week, which was followed by a meeting with the IDA and the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton. “I met with representatives from the IDA and Minister Bruton to discuss what is being done to find a buyer for the plant,” he explained. “An international broker has been engaged and is tasked with sourcing a buyer for the Swords facility. We were advised that the broker is confident that a suitable buyer can
be found as expressions of interest from potential investors have already been received,” he said. Deputy Farrell indicated that MSD has invested in the region of €150 million in its Swords plant over the last 20 years, making it a state-of-theart facility which could prove to be a very attractive site for a pharmaceutical company looking to establish itself in Ireland. “I remain hopeful that a buyer can be found in the near future so that as many jobs as possible can be saved,” Deputy Farrell said.
Caulfield’s SuperValu in Malahide have teamed up with RTE 2fm for Operation Santa, the nation’s biggest ever charity toy appeal in association with the St Vincent de Paul Society. Malahide customers will be able to donate toys at their local Caulfield’s SuperValu store and customers are encouraged to give what they can for their local children in need. T he RTE 2fm toy appeal for St Vincent de Paul is in its fourth year and SuperValu’s 193 stores will be available to donate toys in. “What really appeals to us about this initiative is that toys are distributed in the locality where they are donated and that way benefit local families in most need” said Anne Marie Caulfield of Caulfield’s SuperValu. Ciaran Collins, manager of Caulfield’s SuperValu, said it couldn’t be easier to donate. “Simply drop in any toy at our store and we will pass them on to the local Vincent de Paul centres, who will in turn distribute them in time for Christmas,” he said. “If it is easier we will also accept cash or vouchers which we will pass on to the St Vincent De Paul. No child in our local area should be without a toy this Christmas.”
19 December 2013 MALAHIDE Gazette 5
6 MALAHIDE Gazette 19 December 2013
faith Some special Christmas messages Swords Baptist Church
Cribs are a lovely way to focus on the true meaning of Christmas, and the legacy of Jesus Christ
Wishing you all a joyous celebration St Sylvester’s Parish, Malahide THE Time Magazine’s Man
pel story – the central figures of
There is a deep truth in all of this.
of the Year - Pope Francis
Jesus, Mary and Joseph with some
Christmas is about the son of God
- chose his name because
image of a manger, Bethlehem, the
entering fully into human life and
he was so inspired by St Francis of
star, shepherds and various ani-
not only becoming one of us but also
Assisi. As we all prepare for Christ-
mals.
becoming our brother. Through his
mas one of the ways that St Fran-
Even though we know that Jesus,
birth we are all invited to belong in
cis has an influence on us too is in
Mary and Joseph were a poor Jew-
his one family. If we can accept that
the custom - which he began - of
ish family from 2,000 years ago
invitation it is the foundation for
making a Christmas crib. The crib
we often try to make them more
the gift of peace in our world which
has become such a standard part
like ourselves. A lot of our cribs
is also one of the great themes of
of Christmas that we could hardly
can make the holy family look like
hope that we celebrate at Christ-
imagine our churches or homes not
a European family and one of my
mas. May this Christmas bring you
having a crib of some kind to help us
favourites represents them as
all the peace of the Christ
celebrate the birth of Christ.
an African family in a reed hut. No
child.
We often go to a lot of trouble to
doubt many cultures today do the
make sure our crib has some fea-
same – we all want to claim the holy
Monsignor Peter Briscoe
tures that connect it with the Gos-
family as our own.
St Sylvester’s Parish, Malahide
Brackenstown Parish
When I was six, J F Kennedy came to Cork. My Dad Denis parked the two of us in a place known locally as the “boggy”, which was where the president’s helicopter was positioned. On alighting from his limousine, JFK moved in my direction to shake hands with the crowd of well wishers gathered around me. He came within three feet of me, before being ushered away by his security men. I nearly got to shake his hand! If only I had put mine out. I indeed missed a historic opportunity. Christmas 2013 had come around. An opportunity to get some rest, to eat well, to be with family, to reflect on family who have passed away. Christmas time 2013 also affords each of us an opportunity to reflect on the fact the the Son of God, Jesus Christ came to this Earth, for and because of you and me. Something worth reflecting on? Why not pause and take the opportunity that Christmas 2013 affords you and me to thank the Lord God for sending Jesus to this Earth to die for you and me. Best wishes to all from all of us who make up the Christian Community know as Swords Baptist Church.
One of the best things about this time of year
churches to help the peoples of the Philippines and
is hearing the children in school practising
Syria and last week the same generosity was seen
for their carol services. As you go through
in the annual Christmas collection for the Vincent
the schools you hear Silent Night, Hark the Herald
de Paul Society alongside the huge amount of food
Angels agus na Tri Ri. One of my favourite carols is In a
that has been given to them. This generosity brings
Bleak Mid Winter which tells the story of the coming of
out the true spirit of the season and really puts
Pastor Clem Hegarty
Jesus in a hopeless world and the peace he gives. The
Christ into Christmas.
Swords Baptist Church
last verse is particularly beautiful: “What can I give
I hope that as we gather as family, as friends and
him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a
as community this Christmas that we will share
lamb; if I were a wise man, I would do my part; yet what
together the joy and peace that Christ brings
I can I give him: give my heart.”
into the world. I pray that his message of love will
Giving our hearts to him is all that he asks. To be
be sown deep in our hearts so that in the
generous, caring and kind towards one another and
coming year we may share this gift with
particularly to those who are in need or excluded.
others.
In the lead up to Christmas this year there has been an extraordinary sharing in our community.
Fr Paul Thornton
Two weeks ago thousands of euro were given in our
Lucan Presbyterian Church
The Riasc Centre
FOR UP TO DAT E N E W s fo l l ow u s :
19 December 2013 MALAHIDE Gazette 7
garda TD blasts force’s ‘lack of accountability’
Drop in crime rates are of ‘no comfort’ Natalie Burke
Reduced crime rates in the local area have come as “no comfort” to many homeowners in north Dublin, according to local Independent TD Clare Daly. She says the news of lower crime statistics bring no relief to families who have experienced their homes being burgled. “And indeed the escalation in violent assaults and deaths, a number of which hit the national headlines,” she added. Deputy Daly’s comments come after figures were released by An Garda Siochana
OUR READERS WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE To advertise
IN YOUR LOCAL PAPER call 60 10 240 OR E M AIL NEWS@ G A Z E T T E G RO U P. CO M
highlighting a downward trend in crime rates across Malahide, Swords and Balbriggan. Speaking about the issue, Deputy Daly said that the recent Garda recruitment announcement “masks the fact” that 1,000 experienced gardai will be leaving the force in an incentivised retirement scheme. “This will leave a serious gap on an already stretched force which the recruitment will not cancel out,” she said. “Recent events have exposed serious problems inside An Garda Siochana with the tone being set by the com-
missioner, one of lack of transparency and accountability. T his attitude at the top is undermining the work of ordinary gardai on the ground, who try to protect and serve the public.” The recent crime statistics were released at a Joint Policing Committee meeting earlier this month. T hey showed that there had been a “significant” decrease of 33% in crimes involving assaults causing harm, while aggravated burglar y crimes had dropped by a total of 66% since 2012. Welcoming the sta-
Independent TD Clare Daly says that the drop in aggravated burglary crimes bring no relief to families who have experienced their homes being burgled
tistics for the local area, Deputy TD Alan Farrell (FG) said the figures show a “positive trend”, which has been possible because of the proactive and targeted approach being taken by gardai. “These recent statistics are progressive news for [north Dublin], where gardai have placed a clear focus on providing people with crime prevention and
security advice,” Deputy Farrell said. Referring to Deputy Daly’s comments, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice said it is “entirely speculative” to suggest that 1,000 gardai will leave the force on an incen-
tivised career break. “The Minster is committed to maintaining Garda strength at 13,000 and the number to be recruited will be determined by the level of departures, for whatever reason, from the force.”
dog fouling Signage may be reworded Fingal County Council will be examining the possible rewording of anti dog fouling signs in the north Dublin area. T he signs will be reworded in an attempt to provide information to parents and children about the link between dog dirt and childhood blindness. The council said that the purchasing of new anti dog fouling signs takes place at the beginning of each year. The council can also purchase new signs when stocks need to be replenished. At a recent area committee meeting, a spokesperson for the council said that the council will purchase new signs in the new year.
8 MALAHIDE GAZETTE 19 December 2013
GAZETTEGALLERIES
Michael Wright, The Wright Group
David Doyle and Mary Cunninghan, DCU Accommodation
Joanne Moody, Tifco Hotels; Guy Thompson, Castleknock Hotel and Lisa Halligan, Clarion Hotel at the Fingal Dublin Chamber Christmas a feel-good, optimistic air among the attendees who came to end the year on a high. Pictures: David O’Shea
Maureen Lambert, Fingal Dublin Chamber; Tony Lambert, CEO Fingal Dublin Chamber and Maura Cassidy, DAA
Darren Doyle, Acuman Swords; Linda Barrable, Michael Barrable Motors and Michael Barrable, Michael Barrable Motors
Angela Fitzpatrick, Ulster Bank; Joanne Buckley, Stream Global and Gerry Buckley, Stream Global
19 December 2013 MALAHIDE GAZETTE 9
Have you seen yourself in the Gazette? Buy photos online from only €6.99 at www.gazettephotos.com
Carmel Dunne, DAA); Siobhan Moore, president of Fingal Dublin Chamber of Commerce and Mick Feehan, DAA
Mary Redmond, Noel Redmond and Hannah Levy
FESTIVE FUN: FINDLATERS ROLLS OUT A VERY WARM WELCOME FOR SANTA Maurice Cregan, Cregan Accountants; Kenny Morgan, Bank of Ireland and Padraic Callam, Cregan Accountants
C
HRISTMAS spirit was bursting through the rafters at Findlaters in Howth recently as they held a special ceremony to welcome a visit by Santa and switch on their Christmas lights. It was a great event for all the family to enjoy with carol singers, mulled wine and mince pies ensuring a very festive atmosphere.
Don Early, Webcloud; Freda Farrell, Fingal Dublin lunch at the Clarion Hotel, Dublin Airport. There was
Chamberand Michael O’Connor, Webcloud
CLARION AIRPORT HOTEL: FINGAL DUBLIN CHAMBER
Robert Keenan, Zeb Jordan and Josh Danker
Christina Molloy, Joan KeallyKelly and Lorna Patton
Andrew, Rebecca and Hannah Blomfield
Ethan Danker and Suzanne Mulvey with Santa
Festive lunch fun
Andrea Molloy, Clarion Hotel; Mark Beazley, Dogs Trust; Katrina Bentley, Dogs Trust and Tony Lambert, CEO Fingal Dublin Chamber of Commerce
Mary Redmond, Ellen Drum and Ann Sorahan. Pictures: David O’Shea
10 MALAHIDE gazette 19 December 2013
gazetteGALLERY
Have you seen yourself in the Gazette? Buy photos online from only €6.99 at www.gazettephotos.com
Leinster Area president Jim Fay and Brigadier General Paul Fry
Maeve Summers, Johnny Dunne, Paddy O’Reilly, Declan Kennedy, Sean Staunton, Paddy Kennedy,Tim Malone, Ben Murphy and Alice and John McKenna at The ONET Roger Casement Branch which recently hosted their annual Christmas lunch in the West County Hotel in Chapelizod. Oglaigh Naisiunta na hEireann Teoranta (ONET), otherwise known as the Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen and Women, look after the welfare of ex-service personnel of the Irish Defence Services. Pictures: David O’Shea
June L’Estrange, John Connolly, Doreen and Philip Brunkard
Tony Roe, Myra Lyons, Paddy Goodman and Ronnie Brian Rabbitte, Charlie Wren, PJ Mc Caffrey and Gene McCarthy
O’Connor
Chapelizod: ONET branch enjoy annual dinner
A Christmas treat Michael Reddy, Catherine Kennedy, Matt Kennedy, and Michael, Deirdre and Marie Niall Crowley and JC O’Sullivan
Sheila and Harry Donnelly
Prince
John Clarke, Catherine O’Lally, Conor Swords, John Clarke Sr and Michael Lally
Ollie Gaughran, Jim Byrne, Michael Delaney, Eddie Humphreys, Louis Hayes, Frank Murray, Leslie Murray and Christie Dunne
19 December 2013 GAZETTE 11
GAZETTE
DUBLINLIFE Let Dublin Gazette Newspapers take you on a tour of the news and events taking place across the city and county this week
INTERVIEW: MICHELLE JACKSON ON THE THEMES OF HER LATEST ROMANCE NOVEL
what’sON
The lasting effects of a first love NATALIE BURKE
AFTER five successful novels, a popular Dublin author has just launched her sixth book in time for Christmas. Michelle Jackson, a native of Howth and a teacher in Malahide, recently launched Six Postcards Home, and says she is particularly excited about her newest story. Her first five novels have centered on different locations around the world. However, the sixth takes a journey back in time instead. Six Postcards Home is a story about first love and the impact it has on the two main characters over a 30-yearperiod. She said: “I wanted to write a longlife love story that represented love at a younger and older age. “I took a couple who met as teenagers and developed their characters over the years. In life, there are certain people who pop up and cross paths. I thought
that would be an interesting theme.” The inspiration for the book came from a box of old letters Michelle had written to a friend as a teenager. “There were about 10 or 12 letters of in-depth detail of a summer in my past. It documented TV, the clothes we wore, the places we went and even the language we used. “It brought all these memories back to me about life in the 1980s. That was the starting point.” As a busy mother-of-two, Michelle admitted it can be difficult balancing life with writing. “You do sometimes feel like you’re being pulled about, but writing is a timeout for me. “I get great support locally. I’m always getting messages on Facebook and Twitter. People don’t realise how important it is for an author to get that sort of feedback.” With Christmas coming up, Michelle is encouraging shoppers to support Irish
ASDFSDAF P27 DIARY P14-15
FEATURE P12
CELEBRATE 125 GREAT YEARS OF FOSSETT’S
Howth native Michelle Jackson and the cover of her latest, and sixth book, Six Postcards Home
writers and refrain from downloading free books. “The Digital Age is the way forward, but I do think it’s important to stop and remember the consequences if people
www.gazettegroup.com All of your latest local news, sport, features and pictures are now just a click away
don’t pay for what they get – artists won’t be able to go on and make more.” Six Postcards Home is published by Poolbeg and is available at bookstores for €16.99.
ONE of the oldest continuously touring circuses in the world, Fossett’s Circus is celebrating their 125th birthday this year at the GloHealth Christmas Wonderland at the RDS. Since 1888, Fossett’s have brought their own special brand of magic to towns and villages across Ireland. It was 125 years ago that George Lowe, from Mallow, returned to Ireland, having toured America with the famous Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. He began a new circus, bringing magic and thrills to the four corners of the country. This Christmas, the all-human show will feature Santa’s Christmas Circus, and will see a dazzling troupe of acrobats, clowns, aerialists and illusionists delight families. Everyone who has grown up with the circus in recent years or decades is invited to celebrate the 125th anniversary with Fossett’s at the GloHealth Christmas Wonderland, which runs run until January 12. For further information or to make a booking, see www.fossettscircus.com.
Gazette
12 Gazette 19 December 2013
dublinlife
feature a day in the life: christmas grotto is a lot of work
Busy but enjoyable work, helping Santa laura webb
Ah, it’s yours-elf ... Rebecca Mulvey took a quick break from helping Santa at Blanchardstown Centre to tell The Gazette about their busy Christmas period
SANTA and his elves are in full swing getting presents ready for all the good boys and girls, so while they work in the North Pole, his helpers are sent out to shopping centres across the country to bring Christmas cheer to little shoppers. T his week, T he Gazette caught up with one busy elf, Rebecca Mulvey (22) , who is working hard in Santa’s Grotto in Blanchardstown Centre.
On a typical day, she might have a half-nine start, but she wakes up early and is sometimes lucky enough to get a lift with her friend, who is also an elf at the grotto. “At the weekend, once I get in, there is sometimes a big queue out the door and around the corner, so it is straight into business. “During the week, I can sometimes grab a coffee or a hot chocolate with Santa,” she told The Gazette. Throughout the day,
-------------------------------------------------------
‘I love working with Santa. He is really nice. He chats away, and always asks how I am.’
--------------------------------------------------------
Rebecca Mulvey, assistant elf
-------------------------------------------------------
she is busy bringing visitors in to see Santa. “When visitors come in, they pick what they want, like a picture for a snow globe or keyring, something like that, then I bring them in to take the picture and give it to them.” For lunch she usu-
ally grabs something quick to eat. There is no day off for Rebecca around this time of year, because there are so many children that want to see Santa. However, once she finishes up on Christmas Eve, she hangs up her elf shoes and relaxes for the rest of the year. “The weekends are so busy – Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday are just crazy! I am constantly busy, working here, but it’s great. “When I get home, I would watch movies with the family and see what is on telly – that is usually what I do to unwind. “I try to get to bed early, but it doesn’t always happen. I think I might have to start sleeping early, though. “If I am really tired from the day, I will go to bed straight away,” she said. Being an elf means you get to spend time with Santa, so we had to ask, what it’s like to work with the man in red? “I love working with Santa. He is really nice. He chats away, and always asks how I am. “Some of the kids that come in are a little shy, or start to cry, so I try to calm them down and all they really want is to have a good time.” Santa will be at the Blanchardstown Centre until Christmas Eve.
19 December 2013 Gazette 13
Gazette
14 Gazette 19 December 2013
dublinlife
In association with kitchen product company Fairy and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, celebrity chef Catherine Fulvio joined Santa Claus to help Andrew Burke’s wish came true, with the gift of a puppy
A Fairy good way to OVER the past 10 years, Fairy has helped the Make-A-Wish Foundation grant many magical wishes. This Christmas, it’s simple for everyone to be a Fairy godmother (or, indeed, father) and help children fighting lifethreatening medical conditions to see their wishes fulfilled. At the recent launch of the 10th anniversary of the Fairy Make-A-Wish Winter Partnership, wish child Andrew Burke saw his wish come true when the foundation arranged for him to get a puppy. Andrew lives with nephrotic syndrome, which means his kidneys don’t function properly. To become a Fairy
Godmother (or father), look out for special packs of Fairy Make-A-Wish washing-up liquids and Fairy dishwasher tablets in stores now. Also, for the first time, you can donate €2 directly to Make-A-Wish Ireland by texting MAKEAWISH to 50300, with 100% of donations going to the charity. For further information, see the Facebook page at w w w.Facebook.com/ FairyDish.
love dublin? this is for you LOVE Dublin Day is ready to start with two days full of free arts, cultural and musical events in some of the most distinguished venues in Dub-
lin. From December 30 to 31, there will be 34 acts taking over the city’s coffee shops, restaurants, bookshops and pretty much anywhere they can fit their instruments into to help sing the city into the New Year. Dublin Genius, a festival of ideas, will also celebrate some of Dubliners’ best-known talents in the fields of literature, comedy, and distinguished talkers. The must-visit Little Museum at 15 St Stephen’s Green will be hosting a History Ireland Hedge School, which will cover the breadth of Ireland’s literary history. Nearby in Temple Bar’s Button Factory, the politi-
cal cabaret Leviathan will be examining the role that Ireland’s writers have played in the political life of the country, while the Irish poetic tradition will be upheld in a swathe of pubs across town. For further information, see www.nye.visitdublin. com/dublin-genius.
learn how to make cocktails FOR those intrigued by what goes into making modern cocktails, and who are looking to hone their skills as mixologists, Harry’s On The Green, at King’s Street South, is offering cocktail master classes in the run-up to Christmas. Each class will have a dedicated, expert mix-
19 December 2013 Gazette 15
Gazette
diary
help a sick child’s dream come true ologist, who will talk participants through every cocktail step by step. Different packages are available for eight to 25 people at a time, and would be suitable for Christmas parites. The master class offers something a bit different for those celebrating in the city this Christmas. Reservations for the course must be made in advance by emailing info@harrysonthegreen. ie, or by telephoning 01 475 8504.
funderland’s fab 40th for all FUNDERLAND’S 40th anniversary celebration is under way at the RDS, and will continue to run until January 12.
Funderland will once again present the best thrill rides and family attractions at Christmas. From Bounceworld and the Fun Factory to its Take Off and Inversion “white-knuckle” rides, Funderland presents an array of attractions to suit all ages and tastes. For those who prefer to remain on terra firma, there are lots of games that will offer hours of pure fun and give attendees the opportunity to win one of Funderland’s famous soft toys. Besides being able to pay-as-you-go, Funderland offers a wristband option that may be used for any three consecutive hours of your choice for unlimited rides, subject
to the usual height and safety restrictions. Funderland opens from Monday to Friday at 2pm, and from 12 noon on Saturdays, Sundays and during school holidays.
keane keen to return to tv3? SHE shocked the Irish TV industry back in 2009 when she decided to step down from her presenting slot on TV3’s Xpose to spend time with her family, but now Lorraine Keane’s back – well, for one day, at least. The mother-of-two was back in the studio at Ballymount to host the Late Lunch Live show, giving its female host, Lucy Kennedy, a well-deserved day off.
Lorraine made an appearance on the show as a guest just days before she stood alongside Martin King to host the show. There has been speculation that she is to return to TV screens, so it came as no surprise to see her wean herself back into presenting by stepping in for a day. Foster & Allen took to the Late Lunch Live sofa on the day to talk about their new book, while chef Niall Hill, from the Butler’s Pantry, and resident wine connoisseur Derek Davis was also on the line-up. Late Lunch Live, with Lucy Kennedy and Martin King, airs weekdays from 2.30pm to 3.30pm on TV3.
Lorraine Keane made a one-day appearance as a host on TV3 recently, sparking speculation that she may be set to return to TV screens
16 Gazette 19 December 2013
19 December 2013 Gazette 17
18 Gazette 19 December 2013
MOTORS P24
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
Gazette
food P21
PETS
two-yearold Timon deserves a real happy ending The Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs. Our Dog of the Week is Timon, a two-year-old male lurcher. Timon was found wandering and wasn’t in the best of shape when he arrived here to the centre. He was a little on the thin side, with some scratches and scrapes, and a lump on his neck. Our dedicated vet team and canine carers have been looking after him very well, and we’d all just love to see him find his happy ending. This handsome dog is a bundle of love, and has real charisma and charm. If you think you can offer Timon a home, please contact Dogs Trust at 01 879 1000. They are based in Finglas, just off Exit 5 on the M50, and directions can be found on www. dogstrust.ie You can also find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ dogstrustireland or Twitter @DogsTrust_IE
Whether you’re supporting a small trader in town, or looking for a Christmas market around the corner, shoppers have plenty of choice away from traditional outlets
shopping: dublin has many venues to bag a brilliant christmas bargain
Markets galore for gifts Bairbre Ni Bhraonain
IF YOU still have Christmas shopping to do and are looking for presents with that extra special touch, this year sees a plethora of Christmas markets dotted around Dublin for the discerning Christmas shopper. The Airtricity Docklands Christmas Market at George’s Dock in the IFSC district is back for its ninth year, and organisers are saying it’s the biggest year yet. This year’s market has more than a few surprises in store to make the shopping experience as enjoyably festive as possible. Extras, including a Victorian Carnival and Santa’s grotto, will add a touch of magic to the market, where a feast of
artisan food and crafts are on display, with opening hours of noon to 8pm, Monday to Wednesday noon to 10pm, Thursday and Friday; 10am to 10pm, on Saturdays, and from 10am to 8pm on Sundays up to December 23. Dun Laoghaire town’s Christmas market, running right up until January 1, will feature unique arts and crafts for that extra special gift. While shoppers peruse the goods on display, they will be treated to crepes and other hot food, which can be sampled along the market route. The Dun Laoghaire Christmas Festival market runs from Thursday to Sunday each week until January 1, from 11am to 6pm, and on Monday and Tuesday of Christmas week. On Saturday and Sunday, until
December 22, the Upper Courtyard of Dublin Castle will be transformed into a traditional Christmas market. Choirs will perform each day under the Christmas tree from 1.30pm to 3.30pm, and visitors can sample tasty treats, including mulled wine, hot chocolate, gingerbread cookies and traditional chimney cake from the array of Christmas vendors on site. Nearby, the popular Dame District Christmas Market at Dame Court is back for its third year this Christmas, and organisers are calling it the funkiest and best yet. There is something for everyone at this market with more than 24 stalls full of a variety of crafts, food, drinks, fudge, wooden toys, hand-crafted jewellery, gourmet produce and much more.
The market runs until December 22 and, as a special Christmassy touch, each night a special free concert will take place on its Christmas stage. Two other on-site stages will offer more Christmas entertainment, while Saturday and Sunday are Kids’ Christmas Days, with face painters, a children’s disco and over-sized games. Last but not least, and running until December 22, from 11.30am until 5.30pm, stall holders at the Christmas Market in Trinity Bar and Venue on Dame Street are all genuine arts and crafts professionals who make all of their products themselves, including jewellery items, slate and more. So, whatever your Christmas shopping preference, this year’s Dublin Christmas markets have got it all covered.
19 December 2013 Gazette 19 Commercial Feature
Don’t forget to visit Santa in his Magical Toy Workshop at Blanchardstown Centre
shopping: the only trip you need this season
Loving Christmas at Blanchardstown Centre Love Christmas? Well then you will love Christmas at Blanchardstown Centre, the only trip you will need this festive season. Situated in the heart of Dublin 15 and just off the M50, Blanchardstown Centre has gifts that delight, toys that thrill, party wear that dazzles and that something special that sparkles, whatever you have on your Christmas list, for you, for her or for him – you will find it all at Blanchardstown Centre. Spend half the day shopping for special gifts, then take a little time out at one of the many delicious eateries located throughout the centre to re-energise for some more shopping in the afternoon, or during the late night shopping nights. Not only are there tons of shops to enjoy, you could also take some well deserved time out to catch up with some
festive movies at the cinema. The kids will really want to go shopping this December to visit Santa and his Magical Toy Workshop, who will be there until December 24. Looking for the perfect gift? Give the gift of shopping with a Blanchardstown Centre gift card which is available at the customer service desk. Another reason for going to Blanchardstown Centre is parking is completely free so you can shop till you drop in over 180 stores and not worry about how much change you need for parking. Stores and restaurants include: Debenhams,
M&S, BT2, Penneys, Dunnes Stores, French Connection, Superdry, H&M, Topshop, River Island, Oasis, Warehouse, TK Maxx, Compu B, Aldo, Zara, Harvey Norman, Currys/PC World, DFS, Milano, Nandos, Captain Americas, Wagamama and many more! You’ll find everything you need for a perfect
Christmas at Blanchardstown Centre so make Blanchardstown Centre the number 1 choice for shopping this Christmas. For information on Christmas opening times visit the new website at www.blanchardstowncentre.com and their Facebook and Twitter pages for more details.
20 GAZETTE 19 December 2013
GAZETTE
CHRISTMASGUIDE CHRISTMAS Blue Book Gift Voucher With a Blue Book Gift Voucher you have the choice of Ireland’s most romantic country houses, historic hotels, castles and restaurants. Vouchers are available in denominations of your choice and may be used as payment or part payment for a stay or a meal in any Blue Book House or Restaurant. Vouchers come in a gift folder along with a complimentary copy of the Blue Book brochure (see image above). To order www.irelandsbluebook.com or call 01 6769914
Cuddly Elephant €5 from www.tiger-stores.ie
Bia Beauty Lip Balm €4.95 www.biabeauty.com
Mrs Browne’s Boys boxsets €24.99 at HMV and Xtravision
Now That’s What I Call Christmas €17.99 from HMV and Xtravision
Last-minute gifts…
THIS is the last week of our Gift Guide, so here are some last-minute things you might want to go out and buy if you haven’t been lucky enough to get everything you need already. Happy Shopping and Merry Christmas
Mini Hand Warmer €8.50 Mini hand warmer that can be used again and again. Comes with a soft cover that’s delicate on the skin and will keep you toasty and warm on those chilly winter days. €8.50 available at Muji, 45 Chatham Street, Dublin 2 or online www.muji.eu
Pyjama Set €26
Tesco Festive Jumpers from €10-€22
A mix and match Pyjama Set from Change Lingerie. Change Lingerie is found in six locations in Ireland and in Dublin they are located in three places, Liffey Valley, and Omni Shopping Centres and Pavilions Shopping Centre Swords. Besides lingerie, a wide selection of briefs, shapewear, hosiery and nightwear – as seen above – are also available in store.
19 December 2013 GAZETTE 21
GAZETTE
GAZETTE
FOOD&DRINK OUT&ABOUT BITESIZEDNEWS Lynda spills the beans on her delicious dishes PEOPLE: AWARD-WINNING CHEF PUBLISHES HER FIRST RECIPE BOOK
NATALIE BURKE
THE founder of the award-winning Dublin Cookery School has realised a long-held dream with the launch of her first book. Lynda Booth features more than 140 recipes in her book, From Lynda’s Table, which is filled with the best of her culinary memories. The book depicts her personal journey through food, spanning almost two decades, and also features the work of fashion designer Liz Quinn and photographer Joanne Conway, who styled the food photography. Lynda’s enthusiasm for food has seen her travel and work with some of the world’s best restaurateurs and chefs, from The Four Seasons in Canada to the acclaimed Relais Chateaux hotels in Italy. Included in the book is Robert de Niro’s Chocolate Hazlenut Cake, which she created for the actor’s birthday celebrations in Vancouver, where he was joined by fellow Oscarwinner, Sean Penn. Suitable for beginners and experienced cooks, From Lynda’s Table challenges the reader to try new things and, according
to its creator, is a musthave for every kitchen. Lynda said: “My book is aimed at the type of adventurous spirit who loves to keep learning and extending their skills. “It gives an understanding of technique and a confidence in using a whole array of ingredients. My hope is that when you open the fridge door, you will be flooded by new possibilities. “I have put my heart and soul, as well as my best recipes, into this book,” she said. The book’s contents are devised into five easyto-follow themes, all with Lynda’s unique explanation of her inspiration. The engagingly written stories give a background to Lynda’s approach to cooking, including “Foundations” – a fresh take on important basics. “Going West” sees Lynda’s range of recipes inspired by holidays in the West of Ireland, while “Branching Out” challenges the reader to try new things. In “Going East”, Lynda presents an array of dishes inspired by world-cuisine from Thailand and India. She has hosted classes by David Thompson and Atul Kochhar, leading
To save time, or take the hassle out of Christmas cooking, why not order some or all of your menu from a company that uses locally-sourced foods?
Find fine festive fare in The Butler’s Pantry
Award-winning chef Lynda Booth, and the cover of her new (and first) book, From Lynda’s Table
chefs in Thai and Indian cuisine. In the book, Lynda draws not just on their recipes, but also on their tips and wisdom to get to the heart of their cooking style.
The book concludes with the aptly-titled “Sweet Endings” section, where Lynda, showing her passion for desserts, featuring a selection of mouth-watering recipes and techniques.
From Lynda’s Table, published by DCS Publishing, is available from all good book stores, priced €24.99, while signed copies are available from www.dublincookeryschool.ie.
THE Butler’s Pantry are ensuring that everyone’s Christmas can be perfect by offering you the opportunity to order their hand-made Christmas menu online and have it delivered from their kitchens in Bray right to your Christmas table or party. The Butler’s Pantry has always been about seasonal local ingredients, so for anyone not in the mood for cooking, but who still wants the lovely Christmas smells in the kitchen, you can order just about everything for Christmas dinner direct from the company. Christmas preparations started many months ago in their kitchens, sourcing the best fruit for Christmas puddings and cakes. Whether you just need goose fat, a hand-made Christmas cake, starters or perhaps the whole Christmas dinner, The Butler’s Pantry have everything you could need. So, forget the hours of prepping – instead, spend time with your family and enjoy Christmas whilst The Butler’s Pantry make Christmas by hand just for you. Everything at the company can be ordered and delivered to your door just in time for the big day (with deliveries up to 4pm on Christmas Eve). Parties big and small are also catered for, with food, waiting staff and everything a host or hostess could need. The Butler’s Pantry have ten shops, based in Castleknock, Bray, Clontarf, Donnybrook, Sandymout, Mount Merrion Avenue, Temple Hill, Rathgar, Greystones and Sandycove. Their eleventh store is online, www.thebutlerspantry.ie, where you can order, or email food@thebutlerspantry.ie, or call into any of its outlets.
Gazette
22 Gazette 19 December 2013
OUT&ABOUT
CINEMA
ReelReviews
Frozen
An ice film from Disney AFTER a few too many CG duds in recent years, Frozen (Cert G, 108 mins) sees Disney back on sparkling form, with catchy songs, likeable characters and top-notch animation. The snowman hogging most of the trailers is only part of this film’s family appeal, with sibling rivalries, magic, feisty leads and a quest to save the land all adding up to Disney’s coolest film for ages.
As the world’s least likely burglar, Martin Freeman once again delivers a very likeable Bilbo Baggins – the hobbit with surprising depths of courage and ingenuity. Here, Freeman takes centre stage for a climactic sequence in The Desolation of Smaug, where he comes face to face with the dangerous dragon under the Lonely Mountain.
film of the week: the desolation of smaug will make viewers happy
GRAVITY
Still out of this world ON RELEASE for a while now, Gravity (Cert 12A, 91 mins) is still pulling audiences in like an apple dropped from a tree. Sandra Bullock makes up for a long run of terrible films with her compelling, moving turn at the heart of the film, which boasts not only truly stellar visuals, but has plenty to say about love, life and loss. Not bad for a film about an astronaut in big trouble...
THE HUNGER GAMES 2
A hot ticket for many WHAT we’re calling The Hunger Games 2 (Cert 12A, 160 mins) is a big improvement on the hit original, with tighter focus and more story, less exposition to fit in. Following their win at the 74th annual Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta have a Victor’s Tour to undertake – but it’s soon clearthat a rebellion may be brewing ...
This much-improved sequel is a hobbit you’ll want to keep THE first instalment of The Hobbit trilogy in 2012 was a schismatic film – staying close to the source material, it was a carefree romp, complete with singing dwarves, a pioneering but slightly jarring frame rate, and some overlong scenes that alienated people who expected some of the epic action and grandeur they’d encountered in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In contrast to the infamous dinner party scene that dragged open An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug starts with a cameo from director Peter Jackson hastily chewing a chicken leg. It’s a fitting scene-setter, as this is a film that gets straight to the meat
Dave phillips
of the matter. Continuing on their quest, Gandalf, Bilbo and the dwarves are being pursued by orcs, and the diseased Mirkwood Forest is just one of the obstacles that stands between them and the Lonely Mountain. Visually stunning, the framerate quirks of the last episode have lessened. The action flows smoothly, and while there is still a HD starkness with none of the “warmth” of film for this production, it quickly becomes normal and, in
a way, lends itself better to the dark and sodden sets encountered. In general, you don’t have as much of a chance to sit and ponder because, thankfully, there is an unrelenting momentum to the story. Tolkien purists may well baulk at the introductions of new characters, but they go a long way to creating that momentum. The fiery-haired elf Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) who is torn between Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and the dwarf Kili (Aiden Turner) adds something essential to the mix, allowing us to see character development that was sorely lacking from the previous helping. As it becomes evident
that a greater evil than expected is at play, we see the hitherto omnipotent Gandalf struggle. Martin Freeman again is excellent as Bilbo, particularly compelling in his scenes with Thorin (R ichard Armitage) , whose character begins to darken as the group draw closer to their goal. The Ring remains a consistent motif throughout the film, and through Bilbo we see hints of the seductive allure we know it has. However, the Arkenstone – the gem that lies guarded by Smaug in the Lonely Mountain – is a more overt representation of the dangers of greed and corruption, and the quest to reclaim it brings about bigger questions of loyalty and
motivation. There’s an epic feel to this instalment; it’s an episodic journey as the group encounters one fascinating character and situation after the next. Stephen Fry plays the wonderfully repulsive leader of Laketown, and Luke Evans is introduced as Bard the Bowman, a hero-in-waiting for the final installment. But it’s Smaug’s eventual appearance that makes the film. Benedict Cumberbatch voices the narcissistic beast, that is obsessed with vanity, wealth, and power. The famous encounter between Bilbo and Smaug is the standout scene of the film, and acts as an interesting mirror to Bilbo and Gollum’s meeting in the first film.
Anyone unconvinced by last year’s offerings should be in for a treat. The film retains some of the carefree spirit of An Unexpected Journey, but introduces deeper, darker themes served up with a far more compelling storyline. Despite getting tied up a little toward the end, it maintains an incredible momentum, and it contains what must be the most entertaining scene involving beer barrels in film history. The Desolation of Smaug is the Hobbit film that many people expected to see a year ago, and will have you eagerly awaiting the conclusion of the trilogy come next December.
Verdict: 9/10
19 December 2013 MALAHIDE GAZETTE 23
GAZETTE
ARTS
Theatre THE PAVILION THEATRE 01 231 2929 Hansel, Gretel & Bosco’s Magical Christmas
THE biggest little star in town takes a starring role to help tell the tale of Hansel and Gretel, with boys and girls sure to enjoy our favourite redhead’s help with a tale that’s fit for all the family. Come along on Saturday, December 21 at 1pm or 3pm, with tickets priced €8/family tickets €30.
MILL THEATRE 01 296 9340
Big Big Trouble with The Santa Claus Double
Familiar to many as Janet (above) in RTE’s gritty gangland drama, Love/Hate, Mary Murray (also inset) shows off her versatile acting skill to remarkable effect in No Smoke Without Fire, a striking one-woman comedy at the Viking Theatre, Clontarf
THEATRE: PLUM ROLE SEES LOVE/HATE STAR PLAY SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH APLOMB
One actress, seven stars BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN
NO SMOKE Without Fire, currently running at the Viking Theatre in Clontarf, is certainly a family affair. The play is a onewoman comedy show performed by Irish Times Theatre award-winning Love/Hate actress, Mary Murray, and written by her father, Paddy Murray. Mary plays seven character roles in a tour de force of versatility as she slips in and out of each persona with great ease. The story revolves around a €60,000 post office robbery, and all the action happens in the smoking area of a Dublin pub. Scandalous gossip and
the intermingling of the characters’ lives are well documented and finely written by Paddy. The author was more than blessed to be able to place his play in the hands of such a brilliant actress – otherwise, things might have become a little confused, to say the least. Mary is completely in charge of the plot as she inhabits the seven characters in turn and reacts to questions from invisible adversaries and allies. In theory, this device should not really work, and smacks of an elaborate audition, but Mary is so entertaining and gifted that she not only makes the strange structure of the play work, but fills in all the blanks more than
satisfactorily, creating an entire world before our eyes. Never for a moment does the audience slip from their suspension of disbelief as they put themselves willingly into Mary’s safe hands. She demonstrates how competent an actress she is, not only by managing the twists and turns of a complicated script and its many characters, but by doing so in a very small venue where the audience is practically on the stage beside her. Viking Theatre is the kind of venue you would expect to find in New York’s thriving artistic areas, and is Mary’s preferred forum because she thrives on intimacy and
the challenge of holding an audience in the palm of her petite hand. With so many multiple personalities to depict, No Smoke Without Fire allows Mary a unique opportunity to show her acting chops. My favourite character portrayal was of an old lady, mother of the robber of the post office.
Transformation The transformation that occurs in Mary when she is slipping into the old woman’s persona is remarkable. Already very petite, the actress shrinks visibly before our eyes as the old lady takes hold. Her mouth skews into a jibbering pulp, and her voice and accent alter
into an older Dublin dialect with a shaky, elderly quality. This dear old lady is a lovely, sentimental character with a wry wit. She tells the tale of how she met her husband, and is very authentic as one of many Dublin women of a certain generation we have all met over the years. When she met her late husband, he had a Honda 50 and thought he looked like Marlon Brando, she tells the audience. Of course, he didn’t – well, not until the end of his life, when there was a resemblance indeed as he gained excessive weight and weighed 20 stone. Other characters represent several Dublin types
of people, and slightly different accents, which Mary executes with great delicacy and nuance. The play is highly entertaining and Mary is remarkable as its solitary star. It is a small example of exciting, living theatre in Dublin today, and is well worth going to see. The show lasts just over an hour, with no interval, and its producers are currently in talks to take it to the first Irish Theatre Festival in New York next year. No Smoke Without Fire, by Paddy Murray, runs at Viking Theatre on Clontarf Road until December 21. Tickets, which can be booked at www.vikingtheatredublin.com, cost €10.
TIME’S almost up to catch this great show, which ends on December 23, and features everything from a memorable dame to an evil double of Santa Claus to cheer (or boo) in this entertaining Christmas romp for the family to enjoy, with music, song and plenty of excitement. For the full range of times and prices, see milltheatre.ie.
DRAIOCHT 01 885 2622 Kathy Herbert
ARTIST in residence Kathy Herbert is nearing the end of her residency, with her work’s focus on art and ecology, using natural materials, having fascinated people since the start of July. With a strong focus on sculpture and drawing, Kathy’s work has featured strong audience interaction, with her carved, cast and drawn works examining our relationship with the world. Kathy’s residency concludes on December 31.
CIVIC 01 462 7460 Red Riding Hood
RED’S in a whole lot of trouble out in the woods, with nothing but a ditzy, badly-dressed lady to help protect her, in true and memorable panto style. And did somebody mention a wolf? For the full list of Christmas times, see www.civictheatre.ie, with tickets priced €10.
24 MALAHIDE gazette 19 December 2013
Gazette
&ABOUT OUT road
MOTORS
NOISE
While tyres may not be an obvious Christmas gift, Michelin are urging parents to consider them for young drivers, who may be using unsafe tyres
New tyres could be a wheely important life-saving present PARENTS of new drivers are being urged to consider buying tyres for their children this Christmas. Michelin made the call after research by TyreSafe, a British tyre safety organisation, concluded that young drivers are at greater risk of being involved in a tyre-related accident than older motorists. A survey by the organisation found that more than a third of drivers aged between 18 and 25 had never checked their tread depth – and two-thirds had not checked their tread within the past month. In addition, a quarter of respondents said they had never checked their tyre pressures, with three out of five saying they had not checked them in the past month. Now, tyre manufacturer Michelin is calling on parents to help their children stay safe on the road.
Same patterns Malcolm Scovell, commercial director for Michelin in Britain and Ireland, said: “The TyreSafe research was carried out in the UK, but I would be amazed if the same patterns didn’t apply to young drivers in Ireland. “That’s a real worry, because ignoring tyre maintenance costs lives. “Drivers who have passed their test this year may well be asking parents for upgraded in-car entertainment equipment or other accessories this Christmas. “However, before parents splash out on fancy speakers and the like, I would urge them to look at their children’s tyres. Are they up to the job, or are they putting new drivers at risk? “Good-quality tyres may not be as easy to gift wrap as a set of speakers, but they will help keep your loved ones safe for a long time to come,” said Scovell. Parents can find out which tyres are suitable for their children’s vehicles by using Michelin’s tyre selector at www.michelin.co.uk.
The Rapid Spaceback 1.2 TSI – just one of a number of Skoda vehicles driven by motoring journalists to test fuel consumption
skoda: fuel-effiency examined in 333km economy challenge
Petrol’s power put to the test for charity
cormac curtis
FOUR teams of Irish motoring Journalists took each other on in the name of charity recently, as well as showing the power of petrol. Skoda Ireland set 15 journalists, divided into four teams, the task of getting the best possible fuel consumption from Skoda’s range of petrol models. Commenting on the thinking behind the challenge, Raymond Leddy, Skoda Ireland’s head of marketing, said: “The modern petrol engine is more economical and more frugal than ever before, and with prices for some of our petrol engine models costing – in some cases – thousands less
than their diesel equivalents, it is worth noting that it can take up to 10 years of ownership to claw back the difference in price. “We wanted to show that petrol-engine cars are now very economical, so we set the motoring journalists a challenge.” The four teams of journalists were each given a charity, with Dogs Trust, The Irish Cancer Society, Irish Autism Action and The Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association set to benefit from their efforts. The team that, on average, produced the best fuel economy figure after driving the Fabia 1.2 HTP, Octavia 1.2 TSI, Citigo 1.0 MPI and the Skoda Rapid Spaceback 1.2 TSI would get €1,000 for their given
The range of Skoda vehicles that took part in the 333km fuel efficiency challenge
charity, with €750 awarded for second place, €500 for third place and €250 for fourth place. The teams set off from The Gibson Hotel in Dublin before travelling towards Kells, Lakeside Manor outside Virginia, then on to Longford and finally back to Dublin on a mixture of primary, secondary and motorway routes comprising 333km in total length, designed to test the cars’ fuel-sipping ability.
Leddy said: “Motoring journalists often drive cars to the limit, but it’s a tough test of skill to drive as frugally as possible, and it ended up being quite a tense affair in the end.” The winning team comprised Stephen Watson from Torque.ie, Cathal Doyle from The Irish Sun, TV3’s The Driving Seat presenterAidan Timmons and Sean Creedon, of Dublin People and Cork News. On average, across the
four cars and four legs of the challenge, they averaged 4.33 l/100km (63.2mpg), just ahead of their nearest competitors. The winning team was representing The Irish Cancer Society, who will receive €1,000 on behalf of Skoda Ireland. The runner-up donations saw €750 set to be presented to The Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association, €500 to Irish Autism Action and €250 to Dogs Trust.
19 December 2013 MALAHIDE gazette 25
party time: find the perfect getaway for a memorable auld lang syne
Out with the old, in with the New Year celebrations natalie burke
FROM cosy country houses and five-star estates, to chic gala dinners and relaxing spa retreats, there is plenty of choice when it comes to choosing an Irish getaway to ring in the New Year.
The Twelve Hotel, Galway Where better place to be when the clock strikes 12 than The Twelve? It’s the perfect place to ring in the New Year; with two sittings, guests can enjoy the special New Year’s Eve menu, along with a glass of bubbly, a six-course dinner and DJ entertainment. Details: The Twelve Hotel offers the NYE package for just €215pps, including breakfast. Telephone 091 597 000; see www.thetwelvehotel.ie. The Cliff House Hotel, Waterford If you fancy dancing the night away at a New Year’s Eve black tie gala dinner, then head to The Cliff House Hotel – a stylishly comfortable five-star hotel in Waterford. Say goodbye to the old
year with a lantern-lighting ceremony before joining the party for champagne and canapes. Dinner will be served in the Michelin-starred House restaurant, before guests enjoy entertainment by the house band. Breakfast on New Year’s Day will be served until noon. Details: NYE at The Cliff House Hotel costs €825 for two nights, based on two adults sharing. Telephone 024 87 800; see www.thecliffhousehotel.com.
The Shelbourne Shining brightly in Dublin city centre, The Shelbourne Hotel is often the meeting point of choice for friends and family in the run up to the New Year. This New Year’s Eve, glamour, style and delicious food is the order of the day and guests can enjoy a three-course meal in The Saddle Room restaurant, before ringing in 2014 at No 27 Bar and Lounge. Enjoy the overnight stay in one of the hotel’s deluxe rooms, followed by a traditional Irish breakfast on New Year’s
TRAVEL Slope off to a great holiday on the piste natalie burke
Enjoy an indulgently delightful New Year’s Eve getaway at Castlemartyr Resort, Cork
morning. Details: Rates for NYE at The Shelbourne start from just €240pps. Telephone 01 6634500; see www.theshelbourne.ie.
Castlemartyr Resort, Cork New Year’s Eve at Castlemartyr is an indulgent event, where the Manor House is the perfect backdrop to an evening of sophisticated fun. Guests can enjoy a five-course evening meal in the elegant Bell Tower and mingle afterwards in the Knights Bar. Details: T he NYE package at Castlemartyr Resort offers one night’s accommodation including breakfast, a predinner drink and a fivecourse meal for €190pps. Telephone 021 421 9000; see www.castlemartyrresort.ie. Lyrath Estate, Kilkenny Guests heading to Lyrath Estate Hotel for New Year’s Eve this year have one final decision of the year to make – deciding between two tempting packages. One features a celebratory dinner in stylish res-
Gazette
TRAVEL fast
You could ring in the New Year with considerable style at the Shelbourne Hotel, or head to Killiney for a memorable celebration at the Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel
taurant, La Perla, and the other in Yindees, Lyrath’s popular Oriental restaurant. Both options include two nights’ accommodation and breakfast each morning with a celebratory dinner on NewYear’s Eve with your choice of restaurant, along with a glass of bubbly, canapes, surprises and late night entertainment. Details: Lyrath Estate Hotel offers the two-night package from €239pps. Telephone 056 776 0088; see www.lyrath.ie.
Year, and this year is no different. Guests will enjoy a prosecco reception on arrival, followed by a five-course dinner with entertainment by Frankly Buble, the Sisters of Sound and, of course, a DJ until late. Details: For just €170pps, treat yourself to a getaway at Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, including your gala dinner ticket, bed and breakfast. Telephone 01 230 5400, see www.fitzpatrickhotels. com.
Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Killiney Each year, the Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel hosts an evening of style and glamour to help count down to the New
Farnham Estate, Cavan If your idea of ringing in the New Year is by indulging in a relaxing weekend, perhaps the Radisson Blu Farnham
Estate Hotel would be the perfect choice. Arrive anytime from 2pm on NYE and enjoy a swim in the outdoor infinity pool, or take a stroll along one of the estate’s 7km walks. Later, enjoy welcome drinks by the log fire before dining in the Botanica restaurant. Post-dinner entertainment will continue in the Wine Goose cellar bar before ringing in the New Year with an exciting fireworks display at midnight. Details: NYE packages at Farnham Estate are priced at €175pps, including breakfast. Additional nights are available from €70pps. Telephone 049 437 7700; see www.farnhamestate.ie.
I F YOU ’ R E p l a n ning a post-Christmas break, perhaps a trip to the slopes in Austria, Andorra or France is the best way to get 2014 off to a flying start. With Crystal Ski Holidays, choose from a number of sevennight packages from just €315pp. Travel to Austria on January 4 and stay in the two-star Maximillian Resort, Soll, on a B&B basis from €399pp. Alternatively, travel on January 11 and stay in the two-star Guesthouse, in Mayrhofen, on a B&B basis from €499pp.
Self-catering Departing on January 5, visit Andorra and stay at the threestar Sant Roma Apartments, Arinsal, on a self-catering basis from €315pp (based on four sharing). If you’re hoping to hit the French slopes, depart on January 18 and stay at the threestar Grand Bois Apartments in La Tania on a self-catering basis (based on four sharing) from €389pp. To book, visit www. crystalski.ie or call the Crystal Ski Holidays Specialists at 01 433 1055.
26 MALAHIDE GAZETTE 19 December 2013
MALAHIDECLASSIFIEDS GRAVESIDE
ATTIC
LANDSCAPING
GRAVESIDE MAINTENANCE
the LARGEST storage area in your home
We can supply and ďŹ t a 2 section aluminum loft ladder
FOR ONLY â‚Ź145
TAX
KEVINMCMAHONLANDSCAPING.IE
Removal of debri old flowers Leaves discolored stones etc, general cleaning and tidying of complete grave and we will also r eplace any decora tive stones or other items that you may wish to replace.
*Grass Cutting *Hedge Pruning *Weed Control *Roll out Lawn *Grounds Maintenance *Bark Mulch *Decorative Stone
Although we will clean the headstone, (We ar e not per mitted to interfer e In any way with the structure of the grave)
Tax Consultancy Service
Domestic / Commercial I ns u r e d / Fr e e Q u ot a t i o ns 045-863688 / 087-2670648 Info@kevinmcmahonlandscaping.ie
This is a newly for med irish family business And we aim to supply an excellent ser vice a t extr emely r easonable r a t e s . Yo u d o n o t p a y o n e c e n t u n t i l y o u are 100% Satisfied with our work. L E T U S W I T H R E S P E C T M A I N TA I N T H E R E S T I N G P L A C E O F Y O U R L OV E D O N E S . C A L L M A U R I C E A T G R AV E C O N C E R N O N 086 0724447
PHOTOGRAPHY
8FEEJOH TVQQMFNFOU +BO UI 5IF SFBM EFBM DPVOUEPXO PO #FBVUZ #FBVUJGVM #MPPNT %SFTT %JMFNNBT 5SBEJUJPOT :PVS %JSFDUPSZ )POFZNPPO
CALL 087 3880966 CV
GUTTERS
CV Preparation -------Application Forms -------Interview Techniques
SERVING 8 THRIVING COMMUNITIES OF SUBURBAN DUBLIN. F O R U P TO DAT E N E W S F O L LOW U S : @DUBLINGAZETTE HOMELESS
Wednesday Evenings 6:00pm - 8:00pm Starts 8th January - 29th January Contact John on 086 895 3208
--------
Ph.087 3946882
www.johnlalorphotography.ie www.johnlalorwedding.ie
#PPL ZPVS BEWFSUJTJOH TQBDF OPX BOE BEWFSUJTF UP PVS SFBEFST BU WFSZ DPNQFUJUJWF QSJDFT 1)0/& &."*- TBMFT!HB[FUUFHSPVQ DPN
DOG TRAINING DOG TRAINING. â—? Residential guaranteed dog training in Obedience and behaviour problems for all breeds, ie pulling on lead, housetraining, aggression, recall, chewing, jumping up etc. â—? Assistance/service dogs and training available for Assi Autism, Diabetes, Hearing, Seizures and Mobility. â—? Over 20 years experience, having trained in the UK, USA and Europe. QuailďŹ ed master dog trainer, veterinarian + dog shelter recommended.References available. To ďŹ nd out why people travel to us from all over Ireland visit, www.TopdogTraining.ie or phone 087 0514467.
DVD’S
DVD TRANSFERS
LIVING
LIVE HOW YOU
Dream
;lYc`e >Xq\kk\E\njgXg\ij
WEIGHT Lose up to a stone in 9 days!
WE ARE RECRUITING
ARE YOU A FREEL ANCE PHOTOGRAPHER? www.livehowyoudream.com www.facebook.com/ livehowyoudream
www.facebook.com /HealwithAloe
PL ANNING AND LEGAL TO PLACE A PLANNING OR LEGAL NOTICE CALL NICOLA ON 60 10 255 OR EMAIL N F E E H A N @ G A Z E T T E G R O U P. C O M
GazetteClassifieds To place a classified ad call us on 60 10 240
Do you want to work for a dynamic local newspaper? The Dublin Gazette Newspapers is always on the lookout for freelance photographers to join our team. If you are interested in working with Dublin’s fastest growing regional newspaper group. send your CV and samples of your work to picturedesk@gazettegroup.com.
.... Find your local businesses .... advertise locally .... Local Matters
19 December 2013 MALAHIDE Gazette 27
ollie baker P29
asdfsdaf gaelic games P27 P31
dublinsport Let the Gazette keep you up to date with all the best local sporting action from around the city as we cover all the stories that matter to you and your community
Gazette
rugby P28
FastSport stellar year for O’Brien:
Dublin boss Jim Gavin speaks to Ger Brennan ahead of the 2012 Dubs Stars game
manager’s award: clondalkin man honoured for perfect 2013 season
Gavin hailed for endeavours at Phillips’ yearly celebration DUBLIN football manager Jim Gavin became the first manager of the capital to win the prestigious Phillips Ireland Sports Manager of the Year Award last week. Gavin won two monthly awards for his work this year, landing the April title in the wake of Dublin’s national league success while he shared the September monthly award with Clare hurling boss Davy Fitzgerald as a result of their respective All-Ireland wins in Croke Park. In doing so, he was nominated for
the title ahead of Fitzgerald along with Philip Doyle, manager of the Irish Women’s Rugby team that landed a first ever Grand Slam in March, and Willie Mullins, straight off a plane from Hong Kong, who led the charge in Ireland’s most successful ever assault on the Cheltenham Festival last March. This was the eighth time a Gaelic football manager has won the award following on from Mickey Harte of Tyrone on 2005, Joe Kernan of Armagh in 2002, Sean Boylan of Meath in 1999, Brian McEniff of Donegal in 1992, Pete
McGrath of Down in 1991, Billy Morgan of Cork in 1990 and Mick O’Dwyer of Kerry a full 30 years ago. The presentation took place at the Shelbourne Hotel and saw a host of leading lights from coaching across the sporting spectrum. Speaking at the ceremony, he said that he was “humbled” to receive the award but said it was more a tribute to the players and his backroom team who all bonded together to produce a perfect season, winning the National League and the Leinster championship, too.
“After a game, the most satisfying moments are the few minutes together in the dressing-room,” he told the audience at the event. “It was just the players, the management team and some County Board officers. “It’s important to let the players bask in the moment. They should enjoy that time because it’s a special moment. “I said to them that we would probably be never together as a group in the same room again. Players get injured, retire, lose form so that is the case.”
DUBLINER Kevin O’Brien has claimed the Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year award. O’Brien was honoured at the ICC awards after a year in which he helped Ireland qualify for both the Cricket World Cup and the World Twenty20. He also played a key part as Ireland landed the intercontinental cup last Friday, getting the better of Afghanistan in the final of the competition. An inspired display of new ball bowling from Man O War man John Mooney who finished with the amazing match figures of 10 for 81 has led Ireland to a fourth Intercontinental Cup trophy and an amazing treble of trophies in 2013.
c o n ta c t s Sports Editor: Rob Heigh rheigh@gazettegroup.com
For more information or to send in news and photos: sport@gazettegroup.com Phone: 01 651 6205
Gazette
28 malahide Gazette 19 December 2013
SPORT
FastSport Nigel owens on hand for Barnhall event: BARNHALL RFC’s Under-12s will host an evening with world renowned rugby referee Nigel Owens on March 6, 2014 at Celbridge Manor Hotel entitled This is Not Soccer. The event will be held ahead of Owens’ 6 Nations game between Ireland and Italy in Dublin when the referee will speak about his life as one of the leading officials in the world. During the event, he will recount his story both on and off the field, from his stand-up comedy gigs to steroid addiction to his sexuality to bulimia and his attempted suicide, before conducting a questions and answers session. Limited tickets are available which are available for €65 including booking fees on www.eventbrite.ie. All proceeds go to Barnhall U-12s. Call Declan on 086 265 3480 for more details.
rugby: local contingent to the fore in epic win over Australia
Rock six power by Aussies sport@gazettegroup.com
SIX Blackrock College players along with one from King’s Hospital played their part in a memorable night for Leinster rugby when the province’s Under-19 schools
team beat the Australian Schools 27-17 in Donnybrook. Rock full-back Joey Carbery was joined in the backs by out-half Sean Kearns while Dane Fitzpatrick, Jack Dwan, Conor Oliver and vice-captain
Nick Timoney formed part of the forward unit. King’s Hospital man Ntinga Mpiko was in the front row for what was a high octane battle. Early on, Timoney almost got away down the left flank from a long flat
The Leinster U-19 schools team that beat Australia in Donnybrook
Leinster’s Nick Timoney produced a huge display
pass by Kearns as both sides showed plenty of early intent with Kearns scoring a penalty for the hosts to make it 3-0 in the 18th minute. Soon after, the Australians broke at pace, wing Adrian Henley offloading slickly for flanker Douglas McMillan to be the link man for Mitchell Third to outstrip the cover, converting for 7-3 in the 23rd minute. And the visitors moved further ahead when an excellent counter-ruck. Australia lock Ned Hanigan set off on a sensational course from a quick ball to wrong-foot the home defence, converted by Third, in the 34th minute. The tempo resumed straight away in the sec-
ond-half with Carbery doing brilliantly under pressure to deny one attack while Kearns’ clever kick turned defence into attack and duly led to his second three-pointer in the 45th minute. Flanker Will Connors slipped a beautiful ball inside, locks James Ryan and Jack Dwan went on the rumble, centres Fergal Cleary and O’Brien making heavy yards. The result was a stretched line and Kearns cut inside it for an excellent try, which he converted in the 50th minute. This was the signal for Australia to bring on their highly rated fly-half Andrew Deegan, but the hosts returned to the front-foot. There was a tighter focus to their driv-
ing game, captain Ryan carrying to the line in traffic. The conversion from Kearns made it 20-14 in the 53rd minute. Deegan nailed a penalty for refusal to roll away at a ruck to make it a threepoint game. But Leinster stayed calm and worked the ball and Blackrock man Kearns went for the touchline when a penalty was coughed up right on the edge of his range. It was the right decision. Replacement scrumhalf Tim Schmidt served Timoney on the short side and he bumped a defender and made the whitewash. Kearns converted for 27-17 in the 64th minute to seal the win on a famous night for the province’s Age Grade system.
‘Outstanding’ Twomey a new face in Irish squad sport@gazettegroup.com
Mount Anville student Sara Twomey has been called up to play a series of matches in Spain in January
MOUNT Anville schoolgirl Sara Twomey could make a very early debut for the Irish senior women’s hockey team after she was named in a training panel to travel to Terrassa, Spain for a ten-day training camp. She was one of eight uncapped players named in an experimental squad for a four-game series that runs from January 7 to 16. It follows her excellent performances for the Irish U-18s last summer as well as for the Leinster U-18 side in the interprovincial
tournament in the autumn. She is one of four players of that age group – along with Old Alex player Emma Duncan – to make the big step up while former Loreto Dalkey student Kate Lloyd, who has previously played with Ireland A, is another uncapped player in the mix. Speaking about the travelling panel, Smith said: “Over the October and November national training block, we selected some new players to join the training which allowed us to look at some of the exciting talent coming through the school, club
and age-group programmes and expose them to the senior training sessions. “We have asked outstanding players who played in the U-18 interprovincial tournament to travel to Terrassa and do some work with the senior squad. Sara Twomey performed an anchor midfield role for Leinster. “She was outstanding for her province and deserve to be involved in Spain next month. What is also exciting is that there are more on the horizon that we definitely have our eye on. I can see this in the national U-18
squad that coach Graeme Francey is trying to narrow down at the moment.” Twomey is one of a large number of Dublin-based players included in the panel. Hermes club mates Emma Gray and Audrey O’Flynn are also in the panel while six UCD players are involved – Deirdre Duke, Katie Mullan, Anna O’Flanagan, Nikki Evans, Emily Beatty and Gillian Pinder. Loreto’s Ali Meeke; Old Alex’s Pamela Smithwick and Railway Union midfielder Kate Dillon complete the line-up.
19 December 2013 MALAHIDE Gazette 29
Gazette
Baker prepares to return to the fray
FastSport
The former Offaly boss and double All-Ireland winner reflects on his return to senior hurling management as he takes up the reins at Kilmacud Crokes St Pat’s stars nominated for series of annual awards
paul healy
sport@gazettegroup.com
N e w K i l m ac u d Crokes’ senior hurling manager Ollie Baker has a clear ambition for 2014 - for the Stillorgan club to regain the Dublin club hurling crown they relinquished to rivals Ballyboden St Enda’s this year. “First and foremost, we have to get [Kilmacud]back on top of the
pile, where the lads were in 2012,” said the former Clare legend when he spoke exclusively to Gazette Sport last week shortly after his appointment was announced. In a wide-ranging interview, the double AllIreland winner with the Banner County began with his thoughts on returning to club management, following his two-year stint as Offaly supremo, having previ-
New Kilmacud Crokes manager Ollie Baker
ously managed Roscrea in Tipperary. “I wouldn’t consider [this new appointment] a step down [from intercounty management], considering the size of Kilmacud and the buzz that’s around Dublin hurling and Dublin GAA in general at the moment, but it’s on a different scale and, obviously, it presents a huge and very interesting challenge. “It’s something I’m eager to tackle and meet the challenge head on and I’m really, really looking forward to the whole experience now.” With his former Clare captain and team-mate Anthony Daly heading the momentous revival in Dublin’s inter-county hurling fortunes in recent years, Baker was a keen observer of Daly’s progress. “There’s been a huge upward curve in Dublin hurling over the last number of years, even at club level, with Ballyboden representing the county on a very positive footing and Kilmacud, in 2012, who were unlucky to lose their game in the Leinster championship. “There’s a huge ambition and freshness about Dublin hurling at the moment. The amount of work that has gone into underage hurling, over the last 10 years in particular, is bearing fruition now in the senior grade and the Dublin cham-
pionship is a real, real tough one and probably as competitive a championship as what’s in the country right now.” Reflecting on his tenure as Offaly boss, the new Crokes’ manager highlighted the huge pressures on players and mentors at inter-county
immediate future, something he welcomes. “Looking at the fixture list that’s outlined [for Dublin clubs in 2014], you’re going to be playing 19 or 20 matches throughout the year. I’m looking forward to that aspect of it because you’re going to be play-
--------------------------------------------------------
‘The Dublin championship is as tough a championship as any in the country now’ - Ollie Baker
--------------------------------------------------------
level nowadays and how he grew annoyed at the imbalance in the ratio of games to training. “T he inter-county [scene] is so demanding in terms of the amount of time you put in. I would have been a huge critic of the amount of games that are actually played in relation to the amount of training that’s done. “All you want to do [as a manager] is put your team out and test them against different opposition and see where you’re going because there’s nothing as frustrating as constant training, training, training and no matches coming up. “You can be training for three months with no matches and, whilst inter-county level is the showpiece, for players and coaches it’s about playing matches.” Those long gaps between games won’t be an issue for Baker for the
ing matches every other week with the league and getting a run going ahead of the championship itself.” The Doora-Barefield native, whose on-field presence also propelled his home side, St Joseph’s, to an All-Ireland club title in 1999, appreciates the size of the task awaiting him at Kilmacud. “As I said before, it [the Dublin senior hurling championship] is really competitive and we’re not going to take anything for granted. It just won’t happen with a flick of the switch so a huge amount of work has to go into it.” Yet Baker reiterated his opening ambition. “We won’t make any bones about it. There are four or five clubs in Dublin who are eyeing up the championship this season and Kilmacud are certainly one of them.”
If winning the league title for the first time in over a decade was not enough, St Patrick’s Athletic will be hoping some of their stars can taste individual glory in the comings as they take up half of the nominations for this year’s Airtricity/ SWAI Personality of the Year award. Manager Liam Buckley, Saints’ striker Anto Flood (both pictured above) and midfielder Killian Brennan and are all on the six-man shortlist which was announced recently. Buckley, who brought the league title to Richmond Park for the first time in 14 years, is a previous winner of the award. He took the prize back in 2009 when his Sporting Fingal side, from Division 1, defeated Sligo Rovers to win the FAI League Cup. Killian Brennan has enjoyed individual silverware already this season having been crowned PFAI Player of the Year last month. Flood meanwhile, who has now moved to Australia, finished the season in double figures and played a key role in Pat’s title winning season. The trio face stiff competition from the other nominees in the category however. Dundalk boss Stephen Kenny gets a nomination for his side’s title run-in with Pat’s and securing European football for his team. One of his players, former Crumlin United and Celtic man Richie Towell also joins the list having enjoyed a fantastic season in the Airtricity League. The final name on the list is Roddy Collins, who masterminded Athlone Town’s return to the Premier Division. Collins subsequently left Athlone and is the new boss at Derry City. St Patricks’ Brendan Clarke could also win an award at the January 10 event having been nominated for the Airtricity/SWAI Goalkeeper of the Year award. Pat’s recently added to their title winning side with the return of Mark Quigley to the club following a free transfer from Dublin rivals Shamrock Rovers. Quigley scored an impressive 52 goals in 154 appearances in his last stint in Inchicore. Chris Forrester has also resigned for the club after many believed he was set to join Bristol Rovers having trained with them on a number of occasions, but following the departure of manager Sean O’Driscoll, Forrester decided to stick with the Saints.
Gazette
30 malahide gazette 19 December 2013
SPORT
FastSport
mma: flyweight champion left in lurch in newcastle
Malahide hold steady in third in Division 1B MALAHIDE closed out 2013 with a key Leinster League Division 1B 31-18 win over Kilkenny to end the year in third place with hopes of promotion still very much on the cards. A strong Malahide start instilled belief and as rucks were cleared with ruthless precision and the ball was moved quickly through the hands the visitors started with two quick tries in the opening 20 minutes. First, Killian Sweeney made inroads and although he was pulled down just short of the line, a combination of Brendan Guilfoyle and Dave Biggins took the ball over the line for the opening try. Kilkenny replied with a penalty soon after the restart but Malahide nabbed a second try when Hugo Nolan and Marcus McAllister stretched the Kilkenny defence. After a couple of quick phases, Colin Corkery put Brian Geraghty clear and he was left with the straightforward task of touching down to score the visitors second try. It set a platform and while Kilkenny were a little dazed, they did start to put some decent phase together, earning good field position. From a lineout just short of the Malahide line, a first drive was repelled but Malahide got caught short on the blindside and the Kilkenny back row exploited the gap to score their first try. Malahide, though, picked off a third try to more accurately reflect their control of the game in the 35th minute. A flowing move saw Corkery breach the Kilkenny defence and touch down under the posts for a 17-8 lead at half-time. But handling errors and poor decisions littered the Malahide display early in the second half and Kilkenny calibre seized the opportunity. They pounced on an ill-judged Malahide quick line-out to score their second try and get back within four points. As Kilkenny exerted major pressure on the Malahide scrum, Nolan showed great skill to pick the ball from the retreating set piece on the halfway line and proceeded to evade all wouldbe tacklers on his way to a fine break and the bonus point try under the posts. Kilkenny replied with an unconverted try but Malahide were home and hosed when Richie Forbes’ excellent 40m break saw the ball find its way to Brian Geraghty and the wing got in for his second try of the game.
Neil Seery’s hopes of making the card at UFC Dublin were scuppered when Ulysses Gomez failed to make the weight for their bout
Seery angry after no-show peter carroll sport@gazettegroup.com
Wor l d c h a m p i o n f ly weight Neil Seery has blasted UFC veteran Ulysses Gomez after he collapsed trying to make weight for the Dubliner’s first title defence in Newcastle earlier this month. T h e Te a m R y a n o man, who won his title in June via armbar over Mikael Silander, revealed that he only found out the fight would not go ahead 10 minutes before the weigh-ins. “I was only told 10
or 15 minutes before the weigh-ins,” said the champion. “Andy and the lads in my corner were keeping it under wraps. “They knew about it but they didn’t want me to fly off the handle. In the end, it was actually Brian Adams, Phil Harris’s coach, who let it slip. “We were just standing around waiting to weigh in and he said, ‘sorr y to hear about your fight’, and then Andy explained what happened. I was in shock.” The Baldoyle-based
all set for the semis Under-19 league cup draw takes place at HQ In attendance at the Airtricity Under-19 League Cup semi-final draw held at FAI headquarters in Abbotstown recently were Cobh Ramblers’ manager Shane Kavanagh and Cobh’s captain David Walsh, Fran Reilly from loi19. com, Shelbourne FC manager Martin Murray, and Republic of Ireland U-19 manager Paul Doolin. Picture: Barry Cregg / SPORTSFILE
fighter has claimed that Gomez acted unprofessionally in the build-up to their bout and explained how he believed the American made no real effort to get down to the 125 lbs limit.
Gomez out “W hen we got to the hotel on Thursday night, I checked my weight using the official scales and when I was on the way in, Gomez was walking out. “That night I weighed in at 133 lbs and I asked the guy who was there what Gomez had
weighed and he told me he was at 140. “So he’s five pounds off bantamweight, never mind f ly weight, and when I went out to the lobby to get something to eat I saw him there sitting around doing nothing. “Now, he’s 140 the day before a weigh-in and he’s not trying to cut weight? It makes no sense,” said Seery. Many believed that a win for Seery over G o m e z wo u l d h ave guaranteed him a place on the UFC’s Dublin card, something that the Dubliner admits he
didn’t think about until after the opportunity was taken away from him. “Obviously, you had asked me before I went and I told you it wasn’t something I really cared about, but now it’s hard not to,” said Seery last week. “If he had have fought me and I won, there’s a good chance my name would’ve been on the shortlist for that UFC Dublin show. “The other thing is that I knew he was a good opponent, I knew he would be a big test for me,” he added.
19 December 2013 MALAHIDE gazette 31
Gazette
mouthguards for all Kilmacud star launches new GAA/GPA link-up
Club Noticeboard st sylvester’s THE senior football team just failed
members. Thank you to Gibneys for
in their bid for the league title. St
generously sponsoring this event.
O’Sullivan and Valerie Mulcahy from Cork’s ladies footballers were on hand to launch the GAA/GPA partnership with OPROshield mouthguards in Croke Park last week. Mouthguards are now a mandatory piece of safety equipment at underage level football.
Brigid’s got the last few scores to
Food will be supplied by our neigh-
secure the victory.
bours Café Provence and the music
Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
especially the players who put in a
Kilmacud Crokes footballer Cian
It was a valiant effort and we played some fine football to take the lead late in the second half. Congratulations to Gabriel and everyone involved with the team long year of very hard work.
football: syl’s fall at final hurdle once more
Gary Penrose is inviting club members to the St Sylvester’s Club
will be provided by The Not a Bother Band. We send our sincere condolences to Les and Henry O’Shea on the death of their sister Madeline. Thank you to everyone who gave generously of their time and efforts to the club and our thanks also to our generous sponsors.
Party on Thursday night. On offer
We sincerely thank and send
are festive music and festive drink
our appreciation to Panner, Enda
prices and the chance to celebrate
O’Brien and Gary Penrose for your
a great year with fellow club mem-
great service to the club over the
bers.
year.
On Saturday night we are hosting a Christmas party for our senior
We wish all our members and supporters a very happy Christmas.
Naomh Mearnog On behalf of our chairman Conor
Our underage ladies football teams
Kavanagh, we wish all our members,
enjoyed an end-of-year celebration
our friends and the entire community
in the club on Sunday evening. With
a happy and peaceful Christmas.
the numbers and the enthusiasm on
We wish to alert all members to the fact that homes and business
view, the future looks very bright for this section.
premises in the area are being tar-
Don’t forget that our annual mar-
geted by “undesirables”. Please take
ried versus singles games take place
care.
on St Stephen’s Day. The hurling is at
Our Christmas raffle takes place on Wednesday night in the bar. First
12 noon with the football immediately afterwards. All are welcome.
Plunkett fires killer blow for St Brigid’s
prize is a turkey and ham which was
The All Weather schedule for 2014 is
kindly presented by John Fahy of
being prepared at the moment. All the
Smyth’s Butchers. We have many
relevant sections will be contacted.
afl1 final
St Sylvester’s Eoin Fanning attempts to escape the clutches of Alan Daly
St Brigid’s 2-10 St Sylvester’s 0-12 stephen findlater sport@gazettegroup.com
S T S Y LV E S T E R ’ S endured final heartbreak once again as Daire Plunkett’s goal seven minutes from time inspired a late St Brigid’s fightback in the AFL1 final in Balgriffin. Plunkett’s goal ended a 15-minute scoreless spell for the Russell Park men and they duly added three more points without reply to close out the win. Syl’s, though, had
looked well set to claim the title after they bossed much of the second half but could not land a killer blow and were caught by a peach of a goal to turn the tide against them. It was a thing of beauty as Plunkett burst onto Lorcan McCarthy’s perfectly weighted hand pass. Plunkett was in the clear and he picked out the bottom corner with the outside of the right boot to land the vital blow. Early on, it was nip and tuck with Philly Ryan and Plunkett exchanging points with Alan Foy and Nigel Dunne. On nine minutes, though, a
very nice Brigid’s team move unlocked the door for Eoin Maguire to finish off. From there, a gap of three points was maintained for the most part as Brigid’s controlled more of the play, with Cian Mullins to the fore, but never got out of reach. Plunkett cracked the crossbar while Stephen Finnegan saved brilliantly at the feet of Kevin Bonner. Those let-offs allowed Syl’s an avenue to get back into the tie and they closed out the first half much stronger with two Dunne points, 0-7 to 1-5
at the break. And they carried the momentum into the second period, outscoring Brigid’s five points to two to build a two-point lead with Brian Sexton picking off one particularly neat score. Eoin Fanning was powering them at this stage but they were caught in the last 10 minutes when McCarthy worked an opening wide on the left for Plunkett. With Ryan, Emlyn Mulligan and Maguire all chipping in down the stretch, Brigid’s made it a second successive final frustration for Syl’s.
more prizes. Tickets cost €5 and can be purchased in the club.
Sam Maguire is scheduled to visit the club on January 4.
Fingallians Membership is now available for
man Santa and his supporting elves,
2014. Forms are available in the club
especially the U-15 squad who also
or on the club website, www.fingal-
raised a sizeable sum of money for
lians.com.
the Irish charity, Bothar.
The final game of the year will
Beidh coisir Nollaig ag ar nGrupa
take place next Saturday, Decem-
Comhra ar an gCeadaoin seo sa
ber 21 under lights at 7pm. Parents
chlub. Ma ta uirlis no party piece
will take on the mentors prior to the
agat tar anuas agus beidh an craic
party in the club.
a gainn. Our Irish conversation
Congratulations to the winners
group will have a Christmas party
at the athletic awards night on
in the club this Wednesday night.
Wednesday. The senior award went
If you have an instrument or party
to Fiona Tuite and the juvenile award
piece come along. This group is open
went to Anne-Marie Tornsey.
to all, regardless of Irish level, each
The annual mentors’ party night
Wednesday at 9pm. It is all about the
will take place in the club on Satur-
promotion of the language and eve-
day, December 21, with spot prizes
ryone is welcome.
for the best Christmas jumpers.
Our U-8, U-9 and U-10 girls would
Tickets for the annual Christmas
like to thank Fingallians and Dub-
hamper raffle are available from
lin Star Sinead Ní Fhionnagain who
behind the bar.
visited them for their end-of-year
The annual kids’ Christmas party
pizza party. Knowledge and expe-
was a fantastic success and a spe-
rience was shared. Go raibh maith
cial word of thanks to that busy
agat.
GazetteSPORT all of your malahide sports coverage from page 27-31
syl’s miss out: Late St Brigid’s goal denies Saints the AFL1 title in play-off match at Balgriffin P31
R1
december 19, 2013
offaly big hurling ambition: Ollie Baker takes the helm at Kilmacud Crokes P29
Doyle set for US test Colin O’Brien is keen to show his restored capability after his absence from competitive action due to a wrist injury
Portmarnock swimmer puts short-course championship behind her to focus on Glasgow meet which is set to feature world’s best in pool rob heigh
sport@gazettegroup.com
PORTMARNOCK swimmer Fiona Doyle said that she was disappointed with her performance at the European short course championships in Denmark last week, but is determined that her main focus for the month, the Duel In The Pool which takes place this weekend in Glasgow and which will see the 44 best male and female swimmers from Europe pitted against their American counterparts will prove as satisfying as the rest of her 2013 has been so far. She has previously won silver with a superb performance at the World University Games in Russia in July in the 100m breaststroke matched with an Irish record-breaking time
of 1.07.66, before coming 11th overall in the same event at the World Championships in Barcelona. She also finished 14th overall in the 50m breaststroke semi-final. Speaking to Gazette Sport before she flew to Glasgow for the event, she was confident and excited ahead of the challenge of taking on some of the best in the world. “ It’s going to be incredibly fast and really exciting, I’m really looking forward to competing and I’m honoured that I was chosen for the event. “There are no medals this weekend, but it will be the world’s top swimmers going there, and I’m getting close to that at the moment, so I’m excited to see how I will perform against them.” The progress Doyle has made this year has
been down to a conscious effort to get to the next level that was driven by her not being a part of the team that went to London 2012. “Not making the Olympics last year was tough for me, and I changed some things in terms of training and diet, to see if that would make a difference in my performances. “I went into last September trying to change my whole attitude, trying to be more positive and make smarter decisions. I started to see an improvement in how I was reacting to workouts and going in and giving my all every day. To make those small changes and to see such a change was fantastic. “I hit the goals I set out to achieve, and even surpassed them. It was great to see everything finally fall into place for me, and makes it really exciting for me coming into the summer and
ahead of the Olympics in Rio.” Doyle is keen to make sure she does not miss out on another major meet again, and begins her journey to the 2014 European longcourse championships next August in Berlin as soon as the new year arrives. “There is a qualifying process to go through which starts in January. I basically have to go and hit the time I have already done to qualify, and I am hoping to do that early in the year before I come home to the Irish nationals and give that another go. “The long course championships will be a main focus for me. Europe has some of the fastest swimmers in breaststroke, my main event, so the meet in Berlin will be an indication of where people are going to be at in the next few years. “