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Godzilla is here and looks set to stomp its way to a smashing hit

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Month XX, 2012 malahide • Balbriggan • Applewood • boroimhe • Airside • Portmarnock • Kinsealy • clarehall

INSIDE: To Russia With Love founder Debbie Deegan on how she escapes the mayhem of her hectic life P15

beatlemania: ‘Paul McCartney’ tells us about their upcoming Bord Gais gig P19

Congrats: Small entrepreneurs have big ideas Soccer:

Malahide to face Mayfield in FAI Ford Cup tie Page 30

the inaugural National Junior

Entrepreneur Programme was celebrated at Tayto Park by some Fingal pupils recently. Michael Dawson of the One4All group, and John Tuohy of Nightline Parcel Motel, joined Rossa Eble Killeen, from Clonsilla; Sue Gao, from Baldoyle; Sara Motac, Tabita Karlivane and Liam Kiernan from Swords, and Samuel Elebiola from Donaghmede to celebrate the completion of the programme, which saw 1,000 fifth- and sixth-class pupils across Dublin taking part and learn a range of business skills.

Picture: Conor McCabe

Football:

Dublin pipped to National League title Page 29

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Fears service change will lead to ‘lives lost’

Calls on Minister to protect Dublin Fire Brigade’s ambulance service

 keith bellew

CONCERNS are growing in North Dublin that if the Dublin Fire Brigade’s (DFB) ambulance service is transferred to the HSE, “lives will

be lost”. Last month, hundreds of Dublin fire fighters took to the streets to protest.

Swords man Paul Clifford credits the DFB for saving his son, Reuben, who stopped breathing at four days old.

He said: “It was the speed with which the firefighters arrived, along with their professional and expert medical knowledge, which made all the difference for Reuben.”

Cllr Darragh Butler (FF)

called on the Minister for Health to intervene and protect the DFB ambulance service, saying: “If the ambulance service is removed from DFB, lives will be lost.”

Full Story on Page 4

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4 swords gazette 15 May 2014

dublin GAZETTe newspapers i n f o r m at i o n

concern Dublin Fire Brigade’s service

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Cllr Darragh Butler (FF), Cllr Mary Fitzpatrick (FF) and Garry Hayden of Dublin Fire Brigade Swords. Picture: Tim Ralph

Save our ambulance – local FF councillor  keith bellew

THERE is serious concern in North Fingal that the Dublin Fire Brigade Ambulance Service may be transferred to the HSE by next year.

Early last month, close to 500 Dublin Fire Brigade members and their supporters marched in protest to Dublin City Hall over these concerns.

Swords man Paul Clifford credits the DFB with saving the life of his seven-month-old son, who stopped breathing when he was just four days old.

He said: “I immediately called 999. Within four minutes four firefighters had arrived.

They immediately put their medical expertise to work and succeeded in reviving Reuben in minutes. It was the speed

with which the firefighters arrived, along with their professional and expert medical knowledge, which made all the difference for Reuben.”

M i c k Wa l s h f r o m Malahide also credits the DFB with saving his wife’s life after he awoke to find her without a pulse.

He said: “I rushed to ring 999. Within nine minutes the Dublin Fire Brigade arrived.

Within seconds she was out into the ambulance and under the care of a trained paramedic.

She received a shock from a defibrillator that brought her out of cardiac arrest. The speed and cool headed manner in which they set about their work basically saved her life.”

Cllr Darragh Butler (FF) has called on Dublin North based Minister

for Health James Reilly to intervene and protect the Dublin Fire Brigade Ambulance Service.

He said: “I am extremely concerned that the HSE are proposing to remove the ambulance service from the Dublin Fire Brigade by 2015. This nonsense has to stop and to stop now.

Lives will be lost in Dublin and Dublin North if this goes ahead.”

“What more evidence does Minister Reilly and the HSE require to leave the DFB Ambulance Service alone? If anything, they should be replicating this service around the country.

“I am calling on all Swords and Dublin North residents to make their feelings known and to come out and support the Dublin Fire Brigade Ambulance Service.

“This should be the

number-one election issue for Swords because if the Ambulance Service is removed from the Dublin Fire Brigade, Swords and Dublin lives will be lost.

“Between the equally h a r d - wo r k i n g H S E Ambulance Ser vice based in Lissenhall and the DFB Ambulance Service, what we have here in Swords and Dublin North works and if anything, this Dublin model should be rolled out around the Country.”

Cllr Butler tabled a motion at a recent Balbriggan/Swords area committee saying: “This Committee supports the Dublin Fire Brigade calls for a fully independent review of the Ambulance Service to include agreed terms of reference, stakeholder representation and

persons with fire based emergency medical experience; to take into account the efficiency of the service and the most up to date international research into the best way to deliver emergency services; and that the Dublin Fire Brigade must be properly resourced to enable it to continue to provide a rapid delivery of emergency medical care.”

A spokesperson for the HSE said in response: “T he HSE National Capacity Review is not scheduled to be completed until the end of the summer and as such it is now envisaged that the DFB Review will report before the end of 2014.

“This will also allow the review team to give stakeholders more time to compile their written submissions.”

15 May 2014 swords gazette 5

skerries

education: three go through in prestigious irish aid contest

RNLI’s thanks to locals

Local schools in regional awards  keith bellew

THREE schools from Fingal have been selected from hundreds of entries for the regional finals in the Our World Irish Aid Awards 2014.

St Ciaran’s National School, Hartstown; Gaelscoil Bhrian Boroimhe, Swords and Mary Help of Christian’s National School, Navan Road will have their projects on display at regional finals taking place in Sligo, Dublin, Limerick and Cork.

The Our World Irish Aid Awards have been running since 2005 in an effort to increase primary pupils’ awareness and understanding of global development issues – in particular, the millennium

development goals and the work of Irish Aid. At the announcement, junior minister for Trade and Development Joe Costello said: “It is heartening to see the level of work the students of Ireland have taken on with these projects.

“In highlighting the crucial work carried out

by Irish Aid, and the scale of the problems in the developing world that we, as a nation, and as a global community are facing, we can all look forward to a brighter future as Ireland pushes forward to reach the 2015 millennium development goals.”

These goals include eliminating hunger, promoting gender equality and achieving universal

primary education.

The leaders of 189 signatory nations have agreed to try to achieve the eight goals by the year 2015. This year’s Our World Irish Aid Awards theme – A Better Future for All the World’s Children – relates to all the goals and enables children to explore all aspects of Irish Aid’s overseas work.

The 12 chosen schools from the regional finals will go forward to the national finals in Dublin Castle on Tuesday, June 17. Each school at the national finals will get a special trophy in recognition of their work, and the winning school will take home the Our World Irish Aid Awards overall winners’ trophy.

Stringed safety: Puppet brings road safety road show to local schools PUPPETEER and educational talks presenter Steve Wright and his puppet Bez were welcomed to Malahide Community School by the principal Patricia McDonagh, as they recently hosted a talk on Driver Safety to transition year students. Steve’s talks are sponsored by tyre manufacturer Michelin as part of their theatre in education series of safety awareness events, and also included visits to Portmarnock and Donabate Community Schools. With the help of Bez, he illustrated stories of real young people whose lives have been affected by dangerous driving, and delivered guidance on how to resist peer pressure.

SKERRIES RNLI held their second annual Yellow Wellie day on Sunday, May 4 and once again it was a huge success with great fun had by all.

The team at Skerries RNLI said: “We would like to thank all those who worked so hard to make the day a success.

“In particular, Tesco distribution centre Donabate, who provided treats for the children; HX brass band for providing live music; Rachel Clifford, Roisin Patterson and all the face painters and Warren Conway for refereeing the Tug-O-War.” The RNLI also thanked the fundraising committee and all their volunteers, as well as “most importantly, everyone who came along on the day and supported their local lifeboat”.

6 swords gazette 15 May 2014

election Local candidates talk to The Gazette about what Swords local election candidates

Philip Lynam Sinn Fein

Valerie Harvey Non-Party

Darragh Butler Fianna Fail

Howth/ Malahide local election candidates

Adrian Henchy Fianna Fail-

Cian O’Callaghan Non-Party

John Hennessy Fianna Fail

Eoghan O’Brien Fianna Fail

Anne Devitt Non-Party

Aileen Woods Fianna Fail

Duane Browne Non-Party

David Healy Greens

Ken Duffy Greens

Judy Dunne Labour

Gerry McGuire Labour

Brian Mc Donagh Labour

Duncan Smith Labour

Anthony Lavin Fine Gael

Diane Sexton Fine Gael

Marie O’Toole Fine Gael

Robert Dowling Fine Gael

Keith Redmond Fine Gael

Eugene Coppinger Anti

Daire Ni Laoi Sinn Fein

Austerity Alliance

Lech Szczecinski Non-Party

Fergal O’Connell Non-Party

David O’Connor Non-Party

Mark Savage Non-Party

Jimmy Guerin Non-Party

Joe O’Neill Non-Party Frank Mulville Non-Party Ian Croft Non-Party Joe Newman Non-Party

Tom Kelleher Labour Lech Szczecinski Non-Party

Contenders set out their stalls for ballot WITH the local elections just over one week away, The Gazette joined local election candidates on the campaign trail for election 2014,or spoke to them about their intentions if they are successfully voted in.

The campaign has been a tough one for this slew of candidates, with Government party

contenders having to explain themselves on water charges and property tax, as well as homelessness which is an issue to the forefront of many voters’ minds.

There have also been changes to the electoral boundaries, and many areas are gaining a number of council seats.

For those voters who still haven’t made up their minds, Keith Bellew is continuing to examine the local election candidates running in your area. This week and next, the election hopefuls are continuing to let you know what they stand for and, hopefully, will help you to make your decision.

brian mcdonagh: labour candidate for malahide

People expect more of Labour LABOUR Party councillor for the Malahide area Brian McDonagh has been canvassing for the local elections since last October.

When asked how his campaign is going, he said: “It’s going really well, particularly in the areas where people know me.

“We are pulling out of the [economic] crisis, and though some people like to attack the things we were forced to implement, in local planning issues it is recognised that Labour have been incredibly good.”

He said that the main issues that his constituents have raised are “water services and water pressure in Portmarnock and Malahide, and the local property tax. Then there are the bread-and-butter local issues such as the trimming of trees, the traffic problem in Balgriffin, and getting paths and roads fixed in Kinsealy and Baskin”.

He went on to say that there are people living in managed estates that are paying a management fee on top of the property tax.

“I would like to see a tax credit for people living in managed estates.”

It was put to him that many people are angry with the current Government, and when asked if he had come across many angry citizens, he said: “Most people are good, but you do occasionally come across people who are in trouble and are angry.

“People want to find out more about who you are, which means spending more time talking at doors. We are in with Fine Gael, and people want more of a Labour government.”

When asked what the key issues are for him, he said: “There is a local housing crisis in Portmarnock and Malahide where house

prices are starting to go up a lot.

“We need to incentivise developers to build the houses they have permission for.

I would like to see a site tax for developers occupying sites, because some are sitting on supply, hoping to create another housing bubble. We need to learn lessons from the past, and I would reject [the Minister for Finance] Michael Noonan’s assertion that this is not a problem.”

anthony lavin: fine gael candidate for malahide

Voters haven’t referred to water charges very much WHILST on the campaign trail Cllr Anthony Lavin says that his canvassing in the Howth/Malahide ward has become “more intensive” over the past few weeks.

The Fine Gael councillor told his constituents at the doors: “I was co-opted to Fingal County Council in March 2011 following the election of Alan Farrell to Dail Eireann.

“I have been on your council for three years, and have worked hard for Malahide. I hope you will consider voting for me, so I can continue that work.

By and large, most residents were quite receptive to Cllr Lavin. While some weren’t overly friendly, none was angry or hostile, he said.

Although the issue of water charges is a big talking point in most other areas, Cllr Lavin said that it has not come up all that often when he has been out canvassing.

“It doesn’t come up that often. It didn’t come up yesterday, or the day before.”

When asked about the issues to which he would give priority if re-elected, he said: “I will seek to reduce the property tax by up to 15%, and fight to ensure fair and competitive commercial rates for Fingal businesses.

“I will also work towards the completion of the Casino and Fry Model Railway Project in Malahide, and the Broadmeadows Way across the estuary, from Malahide to Donabate.”

He added: “If the greater Dublin drain-

age scheme gets the go-ahead, I will work to ensure that it is delivered efficiently, to the highest standards, and that overflow does not affect local bathing waters.”

On that note, he said that he will also work for Blue Flag status for Malahide and Portmarnock beaches.

Cllr Lavin is a member of the Fingal Joint Policing Committee, and said that he would also work to “maintain Howth and Malahide Garda Stations”.

15 May 2014 swords gazette 7

they stand for, and the issues the electorate is raising darragh butler: fianna fail candidate for swords

Locals still respect my work WITH the local elections just around the corner, Fianna Fail candidate for Swords Cllr Darragh Butler said: “It’s been going well. I’m getting a lot of positive feedback, which is great. It’s a lot better than it was canvassing for the last general election, and the council before that.”

A big issue is the proposed Swiftway bus link, about which he said: “I have two requirements: if it comes to Swords, it has to go somewhere else. We have to come up with a better route, because the residents don’t want it, and it can’t be a consolation prize for Metro North.”

From observing Cllr Butler on the campaign trail, it is apparent that, regardless of any illfeeling of voters towards his party, he has a strong personal vote.

Cllr Butler said: “You get people who don’t want to vote Fianna Fail, but they’ll vote for me because they consider me a hard worker. I keep people updated with emails and newsletters, so they recognise me when I come to the doors, and know that I fight for them and fight for Swords.”

Another big issue is Swords Castle, and the regeneration of the town’s main street. “If we want to regenerate Main Street, the way forward is opening up the castle as a major tourist heritage centre.”

Social housing is also a cause of concern.

“The waiting lists for social housing are up to about nine years! People who are on rent allowance can’t afford to rent in Swords any more, because rents are going up.

“Social housing is being pushed out of Swords and into places further from the city centre, which is totally unfair and immoral,” he said.

ken duffy: green candidate for swords

Swords needs more support KEN Duffy is a Green Party candidate for the Swords constituency, and is currently on his second canvassing tour of the area in 14 months.

Duffy says: “There’s not the anger that there was at the last election when we were coming out of the coalition Government; the reception has actually been very good.”

When asked whether he was confident that the Greens could regain some of the ground that the party lost last time around, he weighed up his personal prospects: “All I can go on is the fact that I have been an activist in Swords for the past 20 years.”

As is well-known, the proposed Swiftway rapid bus link is a huge issue for Swords.

Duffy says: “I am totally opposed to Swiftway, because it takes away green spaces, and if that gets the green light, Metro North gets the red light.”

Another issue he is interested in is the lack of funding allocated to Swords. “I believe Swords has been treated very badly. It’s like it’s always the bridesmaid, never the bride!

“The main street has been dying since The Pavilions Shopping Centre opened, and the

renovation of Swords Castle is going on in a piecemeal fashion.

“Malahide Castle was renovated – why not Swords? It is the capital of Fingal. Swords Castle is so close to the airport, it could be great for tourism.

“We need to get rid of the apathy in Swords; there is so much potential, but no appetite.

Job creation is a key issue, too; it’s all part of the package.”

When asked what initiatives he would like to introduce, if elected, he said: “I would love to see a multicultural festival in Swords. There are up to 20,000 foreign nationals living in the area.”

8 swords gazette 15 May 2014

health Crowds gather for annual suicide support event

6,000 walk in Malahide for Darkness Into Light  keith bellew

A P P R O X I M A T E LY 6,000 people flooded into the grounds of Malahide Castle and Gardens as the seaside town took up the Darkness Into Light mantle for north Dublin on Saturday, May 10 on what proved to be a morning to remember.

Crowds of families, friends, school children, work colleagues and even dogs walked or ran a 5km route in locations from Cork City to Letterkenny, and from Galway City to Bray, in solidarity with those who had lost loved ones to suicide.

With twice as many

participants as last year registered at several venues – including the flagship Phoenix Park event – registration closed days beforehand as maximum capacity was reached.

Due to the huge amounts of people wishing to participate in the event in the Phoenix Park last year, a north Dublin venue was added at Newbridge Demesne, Donabate, at which 3,000 people participated.

This year, the Pieta House event was moved to Malahide Castle, and with capacity constraints, coupled with the increase in registrations this year, Pieta House was required

to apply a limit of 4,500 to the numbers allowed, in the interest of the safety of participants.

Online registrations were also capped at 4,000, in order to facilitate these constraints.

The event organisers took to their Facebook page to thank all participants, saying: “What a morning. We, the committee of Darkness Into Light North Dublin, would like to thank everyone who came out in the middle of the night/ morning. You make the event what it is.

“We know we didn’t get everything right, but we will strive to do it even

Taking part at the Malahide Darkness Into Light event were Margaret Day, Cllr Anne Devitt (Ind), Cllr Darragh Butler (FF) and Claire Ralph

better next year. All our love to you all. See you next year!”

Speaking following the event, Joan Freeman, founder and chief execu-

tive of Pieta House, said: “I can’t believe the huge numbers that have turned out this morning to support our cause.

“It’s a testament to how

far we’ve come as a society – suicide is no longer something we fearfully brush under the carpet.

“Let the thousands of people gathered in

towns and cities all over the country send a strong message to our Government: the people of Ireland are serious about tackling suicide and we need action now.”

The theme for this year’s Darkness into Light event was Mind Our Men. Because men are four times more likely than women to take their own lives, participants were encouraged to bring a male friend or family member with them on the walk.

Dublin GAA responded to this call with the entire Dublin football team taking part in the Malahide event.

Plan for fitness trail at valley  keith bellew

TELL US YOUR STORY Call our news team on 60 10 240 and SELECT OPTION 2 or email news@dublingazette.com

We would love WHAT HAS IT to hear it!

HAVE YOU WHO DISCOVERED? CHANGED WHAT YOUR DID YOU LIFE? INSPIRED FIND? YOU?

A FITNESS trail has been proposed by Fingal County Council for the Ward River Valley, where it is intended to provide two clusters of outdoor fitness equipment.

The cluster nearest the community centre is to consist of four pieces of equipment, focusing on stretching and flexibility exercises that are suitable for users of all abilities, but particularly popular with older users. The second cluster of equipment consists of four pieces that focus on strength and power exercises.

At the site of the old playground, an outdoor gym area will be installed, consisting of 11 exercise pieces such as chin-up bars, steps and hurdles.

Cllr Darragh Butler (FF) welcomed the announcement, saying: “Well done to all involved and I look forward to trying out the fitness trail myself by the end of the summer.”

15 May 2014 swords gazette 9

council: welcome for decision

FastNews

Evening for the support Advice on household tax of bereaved parents A PARENT evening will be held by Anam Cara on Monday, May 19 from 7.30 to 9pm at Applewoods Community Centre, Castleview Lawn/Bunbury Gate Road, Swords.

Anam Cara support groups to provide bereaved parents with a safe, comfortable environment where they have the opportunity to connect with other bereaved parents who understand the intensity of the grief and loss. Services are available free of charge to all such parents.

Cllr Judy Dunne (Lab) welcomed the council’s deferring of the proposed rezoning at Offington Park, citing fears it would “set a dangerous precedent”

Offington Park rezoning plan is deferred

 keith bellew

REZONING at Offington Park in Sutton has been deferred, it was decided at a Howth/Malahide area committee meeting recently.

The area borders part of the Howth Demesne, which is classified as a special amenity area (SAA). The proposal made by Cllr Joan Maher (FG) was to revert the classification back to “residential”, so that three houses could be built there.

The proposal cannot be considered until the next development plan, in two year’s time.

There was great concern among local residents that if this small patch were to be reclassified, then another piece would follow, and that they would lose their SAA status piece by piece.

Planning authorities are empowered (under Section 202 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000), to make a spe-

cial amenity area order for reasons of an area’s outstanding natural beauty or its special recreational value, and having regard to any benefits for nature conservation.

The purpose is to preserve or enhance landscape character, and to prevent or limit development. The three such orders in Dublin are for North Bull Island, Howth Head and Liffey Valley.

Cllr Judy Dunne (Lab) has welcomed the decision to defer the proposed rezoning, due to the area’s proximity to the SAA. She said: “I welcome the council decision, as I believe that any proposed rezoning at this site had the potential to set a dangerous precedent, as it borders the special amenity area in Howth.”

Independent councillor for the Howth, Sutton and Baldoyle areas, Cian O’Callaghan, also welcomed the decision to defer the rezoning, saying: “As the lands of

Offington are part of the Howth Demesne, and are so close to the special amenity area, I think they should be preserved, so I am delighted to see that the proposal didn’t go ahead.”

More good news for residents discussed at the committee meeting included that some of the issues of traffic management along the R125 at Holywell have been addressed.

These include that slow markings will be provided on the roadway in order to slow traffic exiting from the M1, additional children crossing/school crossing signage has been erected, and the traffic signals at the pedestrian crossing have been adjusted to give additional time for pedestrians to cross.

In addition, the vegetation in the centre of the second roundabout will be cut back in the near future, to improve sightlines for motorists and pedestrians alike.

A NUMBER of Knocksedan residents have received bills for €200 with regard to the household charge from 2012, for which Knocksedan was classified as being exempt due to the fact that it is an unfinished estate.

The charge originally cost €100, but those who did not pay incurred penalties, which brought the total sum to €200. Cllr Darragh Butler (FF) advised residents: “If you get such a letter, please call them on the number included and remind them of the Knocksedan exemption. This has worked for anyone that I have spoken to and they have not had to pay.”

10 swords Gazette 15 May 2014

gazetteGALLERY Nora Owen

Sarah Dunne and Aj Banaghan

Andrew McCann and Caroline Dunne both cut quite a dash in their finery

Stepping out to help support Belarus kids T

HERE was a great response to the Strictly Come Dancing evening held in Kettle’s Hotel, Rolestown recently, which saw more than 450 people attend to help support The Sunflowers Chernobyl Appeal, raising more than €10,000 for the charity in the process.

Dedicated to the memory of Nollagh McCann, a former group member, who died in November 2013 after a short illness, the evening involved 15 couples battling it out to become the Sunflowers Strictly Come Dancing Champion 2014, with Nicky Fay and TK Arthurs claiming the

coveted title.

The charity’s founder, Pat Dillon, was on hand to thank everyone, sharing a real insight into the work of the charity with children in Belarus. It was a fitting and upbeat way to mark the 28th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.

Senator Darragh O’Brien, Willy Bell, Brid Walshe, Ciara McConnell and Michael Bond. Pictures: David O’Shea

Mo Kinsella and Elaine Dunne

Fianna Fail

Mark Kerrigan and Adele Sheehan

15 May 2014 swords gazette 11

12 swords gazette 15 May 2014

gazetteGALLERY

Lotti Brady cheers on the cyclists

Cyclists race through the final stage of the

Kalum O’Reilly

Giro d’Italia on Lombard Street in Dublin.

Pictures: Conor McCabe

Giro in the pink

T

HE 97th Giro d’Italia cycle race rolled into the streets of Dublin on Sunday, May 11.

The race from Belfast to Dublin attracted

thousands of people who lined the streets dressed in pink, the official colour of the race, and these pictures show spectators at the final stage on Lombard Street.

Elliot and Isabel Warnock

Jon Jerromes

15 May 2014 Gazette 13

asdfsdaf Business P27 P16

diary P14

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

a day in the life: andrea horan on finding time to work and play

what’son

It’s a busy Tropical Popical life  laura webb

MANY sleeping beauties out there have made a friend of the alarm clock’s snooze button and for Tropical Popical owner Andrea Horan, that button is starting to be her new BFF (best friend forever).

Running a busy nail bar in the heart of the city centre on South William Street means Andrea tries to find her zzz’s early in the morning.

Speaking to The Gazette about her busy life it seems every day brings something different for her to do.

“I would usually put the alarm clock on for about 7am, then 7.15am, 7.30am, 8am and usually fall back asleep and don’t end up get up until 9am.

“When I do get up, I would usually wait to eat.

I have a supply of lemon and hot water that is the winner for me.

“If I am working from home, I will make something later but if I am going into Trop Pop I would usually grab a yoghurt on the way in, grab a coffee and usually remember to eat later in the afternoon – only when I am in there because it is usually hectic.

“You really don’t get a minute, so it’s more when you have a chance to eat rather than when you want to eat.

“The day is so busy in Trop Pop. I was in there yesterday and we had a wedding party in getting their nails done, so there was champagne, strawberries and all that hap-

imelda and ava say frock out to help a great charity event

pens. Then it was backto-back appointments and by the time I looked around it was 5pm – so the day really flies in,” she said.

At home

If she is at home, Andrea takes time out to go to a cafe down the road from where she lives.

Working late nights at Tropical Popical means meeting friends after work is usually how she spends her evenings, but two nights a week she dedicates her time to special clubs – which is really just an excuse to meet up with some buddies.

“I have a group of friends called the Cinema Club so we go to the cinema once a week and another group of friends call the Concert Club



Gazette

bloom P12

Andrea Horan, owner of Tropical Popical Nail Bar

so we go to a gig every week.

“We are mad for the clubs so that takes up two weekdays. I can be busy – I suppose that is why I can’t get up in the morning.

“I tr y to do some

activities during the day too. I was hoping to go on an open top tour bus of Dublin yesterday but it was raining, but I would try to do things like that or I would stroll into town with my dog.

My days vary so much

that I really don’t have a typical day. It’s great because I get bored fast so it is good that I have lots to do.”

For further details on Tropical Popical, see www.tropicalpopical. com.

SINGER Imelda May is rocking up support for the Down Syndrome Centre’s Buy My Dress campaign, which is taking place in the RDS this month.

Six-year-old Ava Leahy was with Imelda this week to help her let people know about the event, which takes place on Sunday, May 25.

Now in its sixth year, Buy My Dress invites women of all ages to dig out onceloved and lightly worn dresses from their wardrobes and donate to the oneday, pop-up sales taking place around the country – including in the RDS – in aid of the Down Syndrome Centre.

For further information, and to find the centre closet to you, see www.buymydress.ie.

Gazette

14 Gazette 15 May 2014

dublinlife

theatre: add your favourite memory

Help mark the Abbey’s 110th year

 Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

IN CELEBRATION of the 110th anniversary of our national theatre, The Abbey has launched a novel digital micro-site on which patrons over the years can recount their memories of the theatre.

The site aims to capture 110 funny, historical or poignant moments of Abbey life.

Launched on May 7, the interactive site allows people to add their own memories and share their personal experiences of the theatre.

The site is intended to become an archival treasure-trove of information, from the foundation of the national theatre in 1904 right up to today.

Organisers are encouraging people to go online at w w w.abbey theatre. ie/110moments, where a new user-submitted moment will be added every month until the

Abbey Theatre’s birthday on December 27.

Speaking about the initiative, Fiach Mac Conghail, director of the Abbey Theatre, said: “This is an opportune time for us to delve into our rich archive to remember the major moments that make the Abbey Theatre what it is today.

“T his is another way to experience the spirit of the theatre and its role in Irish life.

I would love people to share their Abbey Theatre moments with us to mark our 110th anniversary.”

T he theatre was founded by WB Yeats and Lady Gregory in 1904 to “bring upon the stage the deeper thoughts and emotions of Ireland”.

Over the years, the Abbey has nurtured and premiered work of major playwrights such as JM Synge and Sean O’Casey, as well as contemporary classics from Brian Friel, Frank Mc Guinness, Thomas Kilroy and

The Abbey Theatre was founded in 1904 to show the best of Ireland’s theatre

Lilly Kapele daintily takes a closer look at some of the vibrant flowers that can be seen at the upcoming Bloom 2014 festival. Picture: Marc O’Sullivan

phoenix park: annual event gearing up to be even better

Flower festival will be Bloom-ing great  ian begley

BLOOM, the much anticipated anual gardening, food and family festival, is returning this summer with a strong programme of activities on offer.

Ireland’s largest garden and food festival runs for five days over the June bank holiday weekend in the Phoenix Park, running from May 29 until June 2.

Now in its eighth year, Bloom continues to attract a nationwide audience, with last year’s festival attracting more than 110,000 people, who wandered around soaking up the atmosphere.

Bloom 2014 will showcase 30 exquisite show gardens from the very best of Ireland’s landscape gardeners and designers.

This year’s bespoke garden creations will include the Crumlin Children’s Hospital Garden, Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Garden, and a 10ft-high Mr Tayto, which will overlook the Tayto Garden.

Visitors to Bloom will also see what can be achieved with a limited budget, and gardens which reflect new trends affecting and influencing garden design today, such as new approaches to horticulture, ecology and sustainability in garden design.

For the second year, Bloom will also host a number of “postcard” gardens designed and constructed by some of the country’s most passionate amateur gardeners.

T hese provide an opportunity for garden

clubs and societies to demonstrate their abilities and to inspire other nonprofessional gardeners to experience the joys and benefits of gardening.

A team of expert judges from the world of horticulture will once again preside over this year’s event, including Andrew Wilson, award-winning garden designer, lecturer and writer; Mark Gregory, winner of 55 Chelsea Flower Show medals; Karen Foley, landscape architect and educator; and Paul Maher, curator of the National Botanic Gardens, Drumcondra.

They will be joined by guest judge, award-winning landscape architect and garden designer, Feargus McGarvey.

Food enthusiasts will also be delighted to hear that Bloom’s food village

will be making a return with an even greater choice of tasty treats and culinary delights to savour.

A wide range of dining options will be available at Bloom, from Bistro (Bloom’s restaurant, cafe and seafood bar) to the all-new Donnelly Fresh Food Parlour.

A host of other options will be available in the picnic and outdoor entertainment area, along with numerous pit-stops for coffee and delectable nibbles, showcasing the very best of Irish artisan food.

Lovers of Irish cheese will also enjoy the Irish Cheese Awards 2014, which will be taking place at Bloom to display Ireland’s renowned farmhouse cheese producers.

Guests are also invited to try some of Ireland’s

craft beers and spirits in the Bloom Inn. In addition, the Quality Kitchen stage – a firm favourite with Bloom regulars – is sure to once again be a major attraction in the food village Some of Ireland’s most loved chefs, including Neven Maguire, Kevin Dundon, Donal Skehan and Catherine Fulvio, will host a number of daily demonstrations showcasing a range of new recipes made from Bord Bia Quality Assured products, and the best of local ingredients.

Tickets for Bloom 2014 are on sale now at www. bloominthepark.com.

For further information, see www.facebook. com/bloominthepark, or join the conversation on Twitter using the tag @Bloominthepark.

15 May 2014 Gazette 15

feature escape the mayhem: from russia with love founder debbie deegan

Happy to be Russian off to a quiet Cork house IN THIS week’s Escape The Mayhem, Debbie Deegan, the founder of the charity To Russia with Love, talks about how she gets away from the busy life she is currently used to as she helps children in orphanages in Russia S PE A K I N G t o T h e Gazette just before heading off to Ballyconneely, Debbie was in high spirits, thinking about her quiet weekend away with just her thoughts and two dogs – an escape that got us asking if we could join.

“It is literally out in the

middle of nowhere! Out on the bog, I don’t talk to anybody, I don’t talk to my neighbours – I just absolutely listen to silence. It is the only time in my life that I do that.

“I go maybe five or six times a year. My husband bought it [the house] about 15 years ago, in the hope that it would cut me off from the rest of the world – there was no email and there was no landline.

“When I went down, initially my hands were shaking and I thought: ‘My God – I have no

phone, no coverage and I have no email!’

“I absolutely detested it, but as Russia got more and more manic, I was travelling so much spending so much time in airports and orphanages it became sort of a mystical place for me.

“I would be in an airport, thinking: ‘God, I could be on a beach in Ballyconneely now!’

“I don’t care if it is lashing rain, thunder or lightning there – I just light the fire, open a bottle of wine, and it is my only time in the world that I get down-

time.

“It is just lakes, the smell of heather, with sandy beaches and no people – I love it,” said Debbie.

To Russia With Love has just launched a short animation with the help of Brown Bag Films to highlight the work of the charity. It is available to see at www.torussiawithlove.ie, and charts 20 years in the life of Anya, a Russian orphan.

To donate €4 to support the work of To Russia With Love, text HUG to 50300.

To Russia with Love founder Debbie Deegan

Gazette

16 Gazette 15 May 2014

dublinlife

diary

Going gold to support fight against cancer Mairead Farrell and Des Bishop have cosied up on a sofa – but all for a good cause, as Ballygowan goes gold in a fundraising drive.

They have paired up to help support a new campaign to raise much-needed funds and awareness on vital cancer support services.

Speaking at the campaign launch, Des said: “Both my family and I

know only too well how tough this fight can be.

For this very reason, the campaign from the Irish Cancer Society and Ballygowan really struck a chord with me.

“It allows everyone to play their part in the fight against cancer, both through raising awareness and most importantly, raising money to fund vital nursing services.”

From now until Sep-

tember, Ballygowan Gold bottles will bear a specially designed label promoting the Irish Cancer Society’s National Cancer Helpline.

A donation will be made to the charity for every Gold bottle sold.

Malaria Museum creates a buzz DUBLIN now has it own Malaria museum, based on the top floor of Tropical Medical Bureau’s Grafton

Street headquarters.

The non-profit museum aims to highlight the vital work of organisations which continue to advocate and educate the public on the dangers of the mosquito-borne illness.

Combining scientific information with a visual style, the facility aims to educate and entertain visitors in the life cycle of the parasite, the history and medications

used to combat it, and the ground-breaking innovations promising a malaria vaccine with the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives.

Admission to the museum is free and it is open to the general public from 11am to 7pm, Monday to Friday.

colin’s piling on the pounds Since coming home to Ireland a month ago to shoot his new film, The Lobster, Colin Farrell has been piling on the pounds to transform himself into a pudgy, moustachioed and bespectacled man.

Farrell was spotted on set in Dublin last week, looking nothing like his usual glamorous self as he and co-star Rachel Weisz

Colin Farrell offers a handshake from a distance

began shooting scenes.

The film is a romance set in a dystopian future where single people are arrested and ordered to find a mate within 45 days or they will be turned into an animal and set free to roam the forests.

Dublin 15 resident Rachel Banks snapped

this picture of Farrell from a distance in Blanchardstown Centre as security did not allow people take pictures with him while he was in character.

“He thanked everyone and apologised, and then gave a thumbs up for a pic. He was dead sound,” she said.

15 May 2014 Gazette 17

Gazette

18 Gazette 15 May 2014

dublinlife business Upbeat Ilac Centre nears full capacity retail: national economic lift reflected at key shopping hub

 laura webb

networking breakfast

An on-the-ball leadership talk from rugby ace Ronan O’Gara  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

A FREE business networking breakfast, complete with a talk on leadership and management by none other than Irish rugby ace Ronan O’Gara, is being held at the Aviva Stadium on May 21.

Lincoln Recruitment Specialists is organising the event, during which attendees will have the opportunity to question the sports star on the strategies he has used to achieve success both on and off the playing field.

O’Gara sets great store by maintaining a unique focus and dedication to hard work – a philosophy that has made him one of the most significant and admired icons that rugby has known.

Lincoln Recruitment is inviting business people to attend the complimentary breakfast presentation with O’Gara as he re-lives the glory of the drop goal that clinched Ire-

land’s first Grand Slam title for 61 years.

He will detail the successful techniques he learned from rugby colleagues such as John Langford, Jim Williams and Rua Tipoki, and how they changed his attitude to training, leadership, management, performing and winning.

O’Gara will also share his thoughts on his experience with Munster and Ireland, and talk about his relationship with Brian O’Driscoll over the years.

Booking To attend the discussion and breakfast on May 21 in the Havelock Suite of the Aviva Stadium, interested attendees are advised to book a place by contacting the organisers at www.eventbrite.ie.

Registration for the breakfast is from 7.30am, with the talk beginning at 7.50am and continuing until 9am.

THE extent of businesses taking up retail space at the Ilac Centre means the well-known shopping district is now almost operating at full capacity.

Pharmacy chain Boots recently reopened in a new spot, while TK Maxx – set to open in June – will become a flagship store, following in the footsteps of Dunnes Stores and Debenhams.

“We very rarely have empty units,” says the centre’s marketing manager, Ann Sheehy. “TK Maxx [located at the Moore Street entrance] is the first phase of some wonder ful plans we have to transform this entrance.”

A walk through the centre shows that there seems to be pretty much something for everyone, from unusual gift shops to home-stores, fitness and health supplement outlets to PC repair areas.

Several international brands are found within the bright Ilac Centre, adding to the districts’s shopping allure

It isn’t just a repository for the fashion outlets, and there are also about 13 eateries scattered around the centre, which means taking a break from shopping is easy to do.

According to Sheehy, the Ilac’s footfall aver-

ages a weekly 350,000 people, thanks to its many entrances – at Parnell Street, Moore Street, Mary Street and Coles Lane – along with ample car parking spaces.

Familiar brands remain loyal to the centre, with Catch – a

young fashion retail outlet; Gerard – for the older shopper; Unique menswear, and jewellers Thomas Gear all longterm residents, to name but a few.

Sheehy said: “Stores often move from premises to upgrade, but they

seldom move out of the centre. There is very little we don’t have here.”

With the Henry Street area set to be re-branded as a prime shopping destination, the Ilac Centre certainly seems to hit the right spot with shoppers.

Taxback.com urges taxpayers to file early and avoid fines ANY Irish taxpayer who falls into the self-assessed tax return category is obliged to file a tax return before the October 31 deadline. That may seem like a long way off but global tax specialists Taxback.com is encouraging taxpayers to file now to avoid a last-minute panic later in the year.

Many people may not realise they are obliged to file a tax return and think it’s only selfemployed people or contractors who need to do this. However, if you receive any additional

income such as rental or investment income, you are obliged to report this to Revenue in the form of a self-assessed tax return.

Colm Murray, Irish marketing manager with Taxback.com, says: “The deadline is in October but you can file your tax return any time. We encourage people to start thinking about their tax returns now. Sometimes the preparation of a tax return can be a bit more complicated than people think so it’s worth getting it organised

in good time. We have a team of tax specialists that can put together your tax return and make sure your tax liability is minimised.”

The Taxback.com Irish tax return service sets out to offer an affordable solution for people who may want help with their tax situation but are not in a position to pay an accountant to do so.

Murray says: “A lot of traditional accountancy firms charge by the clock. If you’re running your own business and

perhaps a one-person operation, the last thing you want is to be shelling out big money to an accountant. We have a flat fee structure and will give a free quote at the outset so you know exactly what you’re paying.”

To reward early bird customers, Taxback.com is offering a 10% discount on its tax return filing service for people who register for the service during this month, May. To get your no-obligation quote, call 1800 991 805 or check out our website, www.taxback.com.

15 May 2014 Gazette 19

travel P20

asdfsdaf P27 motors 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 P18

Pets

How about a loving home for Hubble

The carefully groomed cast of Beatlemania go through the classic Beatles repertoire, which fans are sure to love in their upcoming show at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre

music: beatlemania star discusses his key role ahead of bord gais gig

‘Easy to be Paul McCartney’  laura webb

BEATLEMANIA is coming this way with renowned musical Let It Be taking centre stage later this summer.

Showcasing the music of the world’s most successful rock ’n’ roll band, The Beatles, the show goes through the Fab Four’s legendary back catalogue, from their humble beginnings in Liverpool’s Cavern Club through to the height of Beatlemania and their studio masterpieces.

John Lennon and George Harrison may have passed on, but Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are still rocking on.

Playing the role of McCartney is singer/songwriter James Fox. The Cardiff man got his first national break on

BBC’s Fame Academy in 2003, coming fifth, and went on to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2004 before signing to Sony Music with a solo career.

Ahead of his Dublin arrival, Fox told The Gazette that his audition had a modern twist.

“This audition was slightly different to a normal audition, in that I sent a video, so I didn’t actually meet anyone before being offered the part.

“It was very strange – I literally sat in my room, filmed myself singing a few Beatle records, sent it on and I got offered the part – it was all done over the internet.”

Playing McCartney was an easy enough task – he’d been a fan of the superstar for years, and could play the

same instruments.

“I can play [the piano and guitar] so that was okay, and I found it easy enough learn the music. With many acting parts, you can put your own stamp on things, but with this role it is more of an impression really.

‘Mannerisms’ “It is an endless study to get the talking voice right, the singing voice, his mannerisms – even his eyebrows, you could never stop studying to be like someone.”

When he is not starring in the show, he works on his own music. “You do miss playing your own music when you are doing someone else’s.

“I try to balance it out. I took four months off from the show last year to

do my own music, and then I went back on tour. I hope to go back to do my tour in July, but it is a lot of fun being in the band,” he said.

According to James, this show has wide appeal with many different generations coming to see it and singing along to the 44 songs squeezed into the performance.

“It’s like a pop concert. It is like The Beatles concert that never happened.

Within five minutes the audience are on their feet really getting into it.

“We put everything into it but you get it back from the crowd which is great,” he said.

Let It Be rings out at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre from June 16-18. For further information and ticket prices, see www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie.

The Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs. Our Dog of the Week is Hubble, a one-year-old female crossbreed.

Hubble is a recent arrival at Dogs Trust and she’s finding life a little overwhelming.

She will need an active home, which can commit 100% to her training and who will understand that her fears are very real to her, and that she will need time to settle in. Hubble would love if there were another confident dog already in the home.

If you think you can give Hubble all the cuddles and love she deserves then why not give the Dogs Trust reception a call on 01-879 1000 or pop in to their rehoming centre based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website www. dogstrust.ie<http://www. dogstrust.ie/>. You can also find them on Facebook www.facebook.com/ dogstrustireland<http:// www.facebook.com/ dogstrustireland> or Twitter @DogsTrust_IE.

Gazette

20 Gazette 15 May 2014

OUT&ABOUT

FOOD&DRINK

BITESIZEDNEWS

Harmony of Creamy Goat’s Cheese

Dishing the news on a delicious starter One of the appetisers which feature on Uisce’s new and exciting menu is Harmony of Creamy Goat’s Cheese. Here executive chef Jason Banyon shares his recipe for this delicious dish. Serves 4

Ingredients Panna Cotta 142ml whole milk 142ml double cream 100g goat’s cheese (crumbled) Thee gelatine leaves Fondant 225g double cream 120g goats cheese (crumbled) One lemon zest Candied Walnuts 100g walnuts 100g caster sugar

Bon Bon 50g goat’s cheese 1 medium egg Breadcrumbs 30g plain flour Beetroot Puree and Carpaccio 2 medium beetroots Lemon juice Garnish Chicory and pea shoots

Preparation Panna Cotta • Warm the milk and cream in a pan.

Soak the gelatine in cold water for approximately five minutes. Bring the milk and cream mixture to about 90C then pull off the heat. Add the crumbled goat’s cheese and leave the mixture for a couple of minutes to infuse. Whisk until smooth and silky.

Season then pass through a fine strainer. Mix in the lemon zest and set in the fridge for two to three hours.

Candied Walnuts • Soak the walnuts in some warm water for approximately 30 minutes. Drain and toss them in the sugar. Bake at 180C for 10 minutes and turn frequently. Crush with knife when cooled.

Bon Bon • Blitz the goat’s cheese in a food processor. Roll into balls the size of a cherry tomato. Place into fridge to set. Arrange three containers; one with beaten egg, one with seasoned flour and another with the crumbs. Take out the set goat’s cheese balls.

Use one hand to pass them through the egg mix, then the four, then finally using your clean hand to roll through the crumbs. Repeat this process a second time as this double coating will prevent the bon bon from bursting. Deep fry at 180C then season with rock salt.

Beetroot Puree And Carpaccio • Wash the beetroot then simmer in seasoned hot water for two hours. Slice the cooled beetroot into thin slices and then use a cutter to get a perfect round. Puree all the trimmings in a processor with seasoning and lemon juice. Pass through a fine strainer and season.

Uisce Restaurant at The Hilton Dublin is just a short distance from St Stephen’s Green and overlooks the Grand Canal

Testing the waters  hiromi mooney

If you’re looking for a memorable fine dining experience, look no further than Uisce Restaurant at The Hilton Dublin in Charlemont Place.

Just two Luas stops away from St Stephen’s Green and overlooking the Grand Canal, the hotel’s restaurant boasts a new and exciting menu by their executive chef Jason Banyon.

The Wimbledon man joined Uisce Restaurant in October and carries 23 years of culinary experience, of which he spent 10 years working at sea on celebrity cruises where he served thousands of people every day.

Now that he’s back on land, he has revamped Uisce Restaurant’s menu and has many ambitious plans, which he has shared with the Gazette.

Can you name some of the most famous people you have ever cooked

for?

I’ve actually worked alongside some top chefs; I’ve worked next to french chef Hubert Keller. We did have a few celebrities coming in. In the past I’ve worked in a lot of hotels where, in New Zealand for instance, I’ve cooked for President George W Bush and singer songwriter Anastasia.

What was it like working on celebrit y cruises?

They call it celebrity cruises because of the standard that they wanted to implement. We looked at ourselves as a five-star luxury cruise line where we provided top quality food.

You’ ve cooked for around 3,000 people a day when you were working on celebrit y cruises. Did you feel much pressure cooking for that many people?

I’ve never looked at kitchens as pressure to

be honest. I have a good motto, and I say “Happy cooks is happy food, and happy food is a happy guest.” So whenever my cooks have cooked - be it having 160 cooks on the ship or having 12 cooks here at The Hilton, I’ve always tried to make sure that they work happy, and I believe that way that if they work happy, they’re going to really put a lot of passion into the food they make. So I never really looked at pressure.

W hat makes this restaurant different to other restaurants?

With Uisce, for the food I want to put out, I need a good plate.

For instance, some people have a black plate or a white plate, some people have a long plate or a square plate, some people had a different bowl to the other bowls.

So I wanted to change the food to make it more fun and more home-

Executive chef Jason Banyon

cooking with a little twist to it, so that was really important to me.

I’m trying to bring a lot more traditional dishes with a lot more creativity towards it and a lot more fun.

What would you say to encourage people to dine at Uisce Restaurant?

At the end of the day, if you want to tantalise your taste buds, then come along to The Hilton Dublin because Uisce is a restaurant which is changing.

This hotel, when it comes to food, is changing. I’m working to try and bring a completely different experience to the culinary side and the service side.

We ’r e l o o k i n g t o bring some cooking classes here; hands-on cooking classes and things like that, so it’s something for the future we’re looking at. So come here to enjoy the food, enjoy your time.

There’s a nice buzz here, and that’s what we need to bring here. It’s a fantastic restaurant.

15 May 2014 Gazette 21

Gazette

TRAVEL westmeath: wineport lodge is a hit in athlone

A lakeside retreat to soothe and relax you  dave phillips

A RECENT visit to the Wineport Lodge and a day trip around its surrounding area served as a reminder as to why Co Westmeath is a must-see for lovers of the Irish scenery – especially when you don’t want a long drive to be part of your weekend.

The Wineport Lodge, resting quietly on the shores of Lough Ree just outside Athlone, is reason enough to make the trip.

Less than an hour from

Dublin and surrounded by an array of walks in the wilderness, a stay here will appeal to both the active and the more easygoing guest alike.

The cedar-clad, log cabin-style exterior follows along the curve of the lake, allowing the rooms to take in the view through wide windows and balconies.

A small reception area leads into a network of cosy connected communal spaces – curling up with a book and a drink

seemed to be the order of the day when we visited, and there are more than enough nooks and cushioned corners to make yourself at home.

The bedrooms are spacious and gorgeously designed, with some great touches – our suite had a Sono music player installed, which streamed songs through the living area and bathroom; a nice treat if you fancy a soak in the bath.

However, a bath isn’t the only treat you can

have at Wineport. Before dinner, we decided to try out the outdoor hot tubs, these are in a warm, sheltered area and look out onto the lake.

Watching dusk settle from the comfort of a hot tub is a rare treat, and added a nice touch of glamour to the stay.

An evening meal at the restaurant is definitely recommended. Head chef Cathal Moran has curated a menu that is laid back, yet has very definite touches of a fine

Wineport Lodge has a fabulous lake view across lovely Lough Ree

dining experience.

The atmosphere is very enjoyable and the service was both professional and homely at the same time. Talking to other diners, we found it is also one of the most sought after Saturday night restaurant bookings in Athlone; something that came as no surprise to learn.

After dinner, we settled into the nooks. Lakeside seats are also an option, and there’s a ready supply of blankets and chiminea for the evenings.

Another special touch at Wineport is that breakfast can be delivered to your bedroom at no extra cost. There’s no better way to gear up for a day

of walking.

For those looking to take a one- or two-night break without heading too far from home, Wineport is an incredible option.

Beautiful, modern, and unfussy – everything has been designed with relaxation in mind, making it the perfect spot for couples to get away.

Gazette

22 Gazette 15 May 2014

OUT&ABOUT

CINEMA

ReelReviews

songs for amy

Hits a few dud notes THE latest in a streak of Irish films hitting the cinema this season, Songs For Amy tells the story of Sean (ex-Eastender Sean Maguire), a struggling Galwegian musician who is due to tie the knot with the love of his life when disaster strikes.

A stag night gone wrong sees Sean and his crew missing the wedding, so Amy flees to America and hooks up with a bona-fide rock star. Sean is forced to record an album of songs – for her ears only – in an attempt to win her back. If you’re thinking it sounds like a mash-up of The Hangover and Once, you’re not far off.

Director Konrad Begg has an eye for detail; the Rizla and Buckfast are offset by gorgeous softfocused shots and hazy harbour-side vistas that capture a more tender side to Galway.

Outrageous However, efforts to tastefully capture the heartbreak and romance are scuppered by the film’s more outrageous comedy elements. It ends up as a bit of a Jeckyl and Hyde situation, with an earthy love story trying to unfold within a booze-filled caper.

Maintaining the balance is a difficult task to set and, unfortunately, not one that the film manages to achieve.

It’s the more outlandish high jinks that work the best, with Sean’s bandmates forming a good supporting cast – you can’t help but wonder whether a much better film could have been made by ditching some of the sentimentality.

A flawed film that showcases encouraging work, Songs For Amy never quite hits the right notes, but may leave you holding out hope for the second album.

Verdict: 5/10

It’s very much a case of mayhem in the middle for Bryan Cranston, continuing his unlikely but brilliant transformation from a top comedic actor into a leading man on the small and big screen alike. Here, his slightly unhinged but likeable character adds some humanity to the updated version using Godzilla lore.

godzilla: CONTEMPORARY TALE Crushes the 1998 film into the dirt

Set to be a roaring success in 2010, Hollywood sat up and took notice when Gareth Edwards’ lowbudget film, Monsters, delivered a long-overdue overhaul to the monsterfilm genre.

Edwards was quickly snapped up as director of Godzilla – a reboot of the familiar city-wrecking story, this time with a fittingly goliath budget.

Monsters focused on the human relationship amid an alien invasion, and a passable attempt is made at that again in Godzilla.

The story takes place 15 years after a nuclear disaster in Japan, which leaves a massive area offlimits due to radiation.

Joe Brody (Br yan Cranston), a plant engineer at the time of the

 Dave phillips

accident, isn’t buying the official line that seismic activity caused the meltdown.

A newspaper-clipping collecting obsessive, string-linking incidents together, he sets out to discover what the government is hiding in the evacuated area, along with his son, an all-American hero, Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

Fans of Monsters expecting the teased-out, nuanced style of storytelling that Edwards

showcased in his 2010 film will be immediately disappointed.

W hether Edwards was bullied into it by the studio, or whether he is wilfully embracing the spirit of previous Godzilla films, will remain a mystery for now – but it becomes instantly apparent that we are dealing with stock characters in stock situations.

It is a bit of a let-down, considering the level of talent on board – Ken Watanabe and Sally Watkins play a pair of gormless researchers in charge of the Godzilla project, adding to a line-up of great actors in incredibly restrictive roles.

Thankfully, the quibbles are quashed once the real star of the show

makes his appearance.

Godzilla is a film that demands to be seen in the cinema. There is a real terror triggered by the sheer scale of destruction accompanied by the blasting horns of the soundtrack.

Edwards masterfully crafts the action. Our first MUTO (massive unidentified terrestrial object) meeting comes through the foggedu p f i r s tperson lens of a gas mask.

From here, a n d throughout

the film, we are treated to incredible, chaotic scenes – from tsunamis roaring down streets, to jet fighters plummeting from the skies – in shots that capture the perspective of the onlooker.

W h e t h e r l o o king through windows, through binocul a r s , through wind-

screens, Edwards constantly makes us aware of the potent theatrical spectacle he has concocted.

Those going to see Godzilla and expecting a gripping story, or a new level of depth, will be disappointed by this latest version.

However, once you embrace the fact that you are going to see a film about giant monsters thumping one another, you’ll have one of the best cinema experiences of the year.

Verdict: 8/10 Inquisitive scientists are both heroes and villains alike in this slightly darkhearted reboot

15 May 2014 Gazette 23

24 GAZETTE 15 May 2014

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15 May 2014 Gazette 25

rugby awards P28

asdfsdaf gaelic games P27 P31

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



Gazette

cycling P29

FastSport GOAL’s penalty fundraiser:

Stackstown golf club’s Padraig Harrington who hopes the newly formed Confederation of Golf in Ireland will build the sport in the coming years

golf: three time major winner padraig harrington gets behind initiative

New confederation sets out to shape golf’s development THREE-time major winner Padraig Harrington has lent his support to the development plan of the recently launched Confederation of Golf in Ireland.

The Stackstown man said of the initiative: “Promoting the game of golf in Ireland at every level is hugely important, from the beginner to the keen amateur, as well as those players who are looking to turn professional.”

The Confederation of Golf in Ireland (CGI), the new body set up to support, promote and develop the game on the

island of Ireland, presented its plan which outlines the organisation’s strategic vision for the game’s future here.

The CGI was created last year by the Golfing Union of Ireland, the Irish Ladies Golfing Union and the Professional Golfers Association to complement the work of the three associations in advancing the sport.

The aim is for the CGI to work in partnership with Irish golf clubs to help them broaden their membership base by offering services, training, education and promotional programmes designed

to create and drive participation in the sport at every level.

Speaking at the launch, Harrington added: “Accessing the right level of support structures is essential for players at all levels and it’s great to know that the CGI will be on hand to make this process as easy as possible in the coming years.

“There really is no doubt that golf has a very bright future in Ireland and I wish the CGI the very best of luck in its endeavours.”

The development plan includes the

roll-out of a range of service programmes for golf clubs which will enhance the day-to-day activities of the club, support existing members and encourage new participants to the sport.

It aims to provide support and a “spiritual home” for aspiring Irish tournament professionals and develop a high performance programme for early stage professional golfers The CGI will also act as a single port of call for the Irish Sports Council and Sport Northern Ireland as well as the Olympic Council of Ireland.

RUGBY star Ian Madigan along with Irish soccer international Stephanie Roche are calling on schools from all over Dublin to compete with each other (and their teachers) in a race or a penalty shoot-out for charity.

The fundraiser hopes to boost fitness levels among children and teenagers, and also raise money for some of Goal’s programmes for vulnerable children.

Schools can run their Goal Sports Challenge at any stage before the end of the school term.

For schools interested in signing up, please email schools@goal.ie, contact Alan Vard at Goal on 01-2809 779 or visit www.goal.ie.

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

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

Gazette

26 Gazette 15 May 2014

SPORT

FastSport russia never lose their grip in irish game: The Republic of Ireland women’s senior team suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Russia in their FIFA World Cup qualifier at Tallaght Stadium.

Two early goals from Ekaterina Sochneva and Ekaterina Pantyukhina put the Russians firmly in control and, although Fiona O’Sullivan pulled a goal back after 35 minutes, the visitors regained their grip on the game with a third goal just before half-time when Pantyukhina got her second of the night.

The introduction of Stephanie Roche midway through the first half certainly lifted the Irish performance and the Peamount United striker almost got them back into the game during the second period when her long-range effort came crashing off the crossbar.

The result consolidates Russia’s position in second place in Group 1, five points ahead of Ireland.

rugby: kearney, toner and jennings win big at annual irupa awards

Leinster stars top of class  sport@gazettegroup.com

THE Hibernia College IRUPA Rugby Players’ Awards for 2014 took place last week with an array of Dublin and Leinster rugby stars saluted for their achieve-

ments in the season just ended at the Double Tree

by Hilton on Burlington Road.

The event is Ireland’s only national awards ceremony for the sport and celebrates the best in Irish rugby and the

achievements of the professional players both on and off of the field.

Among the local players hailed for their 2013-14 performances were Rob Kearney, who won the VW Try of the Year for his intercept try

Mike Ross, Supporters’ Player of the Year Devin Toner and Kevin McLaughlin

Brian O’Driscoll, Rob Kearney and Dr Sean Rowland with Omar Hassanein, IRUPA

against New Zealand during Ireland’s heartbreaking defeat to the world champions in the Autumn International series. Devin Toner was presented with the Newstalk 106-108fm Supporters’ Player of the Year as chosen by listeners of Off the Ball.

Additionally, Leinster’s Shane Jennings was awarded the Hibernia College Medal for Excellence, which rewards on field effort combined with off field commitment to the game.

Nominees were voted by their peers but were also judged on their contribution to the sport through community involvement, education, work and charitable initiatives.

The inaugural BNY Mellon Women’s Sevens Player of the Year 2014 as voted by members of the Sevens squad was presented to Nicole Cronin.

She won for her consistent performances during the qualification tournaments for the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016.

In a season of standout performances and memories, members of the public voted Ireland’s 6 Nations title win as the Powerscourt Hotel Rugby Moment of the Year via Twitter.

The award was collected by Gordon D’Arcy and Ireland team manager Michael Kearney.

Omar Hassanein, c h i e f e xe c u t i ve o f IRUPA, said: “Winning an IRUPA award is the

highest honour a player can receive in this country, and all the winners and nominees should be congratulated for the high recognition they have received amongst their peers.”

Dr Sean Rowland, president and founder of Hibernia College, said: “It has been an excellent year for Irish rugby and Hibernia College students Andrew Trimble, Michael Swift, TJ Anderson and Tommy Bowe.

“Andrew’s success at the awards highlights the continuing need to design and provide flexible graduate and postgraduate programmes to meet the ever-changing needs of these individuals and their demanding lifestyles.”

O’Neill on hand to launch Etihad’s memorabilia box  sport@gazettegroup.com

Uachtaran Chumann Luthchleas Gael Liam O’Neill with Lisa O’Leary, Etihad lounge manager

ETIHAD Airways added some GAA history to the first and business class lounge in Terminal 2, Dublin Airport recently and Uachtaran Chumann Luthchleas Gael Liam O’Neill was on hand to launch the first GAA Museum memorabilia box in the world.

President O Neill said “This novel innovation has now placed Gaelic games and some of our treasured memorabilia in the middle of Dublin Airport, which is not exactly the first

place that springs to mind on mention of such items.

“Etihad Airways have helped us to raise the profile of hurling in particular overseas.

“And I hope many of their passengers will take the opportunity to view what are important GA A historical items before setting out on their journeys.”

Guests travelling now admire the historical objects dating back to the early 20th century.

The features include official match programmes and admission tickets from the 1961 and

1962 All-Ireland Hurling Finals.

1961 was the last time Dublin appeared in an All-Ireland hurling final when they were beaten

by Tipperary.

An antique hurley from the early 20th century which was used in New York stands proudly beside sliotars from the 1940s and from the 2002 All Ireland Hurling Final in Croke Park.

Another hurley displayed in the GAA Museum box is signed by members from the 2001 and 2002 All-Star teams.

GAA fans will remember the 2002 All-Ireland hurling final

which saw Kilkenny beating Clare and the legendary DJ Carey scoring 1-6.

The most recent items in the GAA Museum box which will go down in history, are official match programmes and admission tickets from the 2010 AllIreland Hurling Final.

Beatrice Cosgrove, Etihad Airways’ general manager Ireland, said: “We hope our guests will enjoy viewing the latest addition of historical GAA hurling memorabilia to the Etihad first and business class lounge”.

15 May 2014 Gazette 27

Gazette

Roche revels as Irish fans paint Giro pink Dundrum native Nicolas Roche conceded he was ‘speechless’ at the reception he received on the streets of both Belfast and Dublin as the Grande Partenza sets local cycling pulses racing NICOLAS Roche, taking the stage at Belfast City Hall, entered the arena at Thursday’s team presentation beaming from ear to ear, stating he was near “speechless” at the welcome.

As team leader, his team mates walked to the stage before he followed them up the ramparts on his bike to a rapturous ovation.

“It is such a huge surprise. I had thought wouldn’t it be great to line out in front of my home crowd in Ireland? Maybe for a Tour of Ireland but to do it at one of the biggest sporting events in the world is amazing.

“I have made a big change in my programme for 2014 in order to be part of this.”

Speaking ahead of the race, he said he was keen to end up in the top 10 of

 stephen findlater sport@gazettegroup.com

the second biggest event in world cycling, a gruelling three-week tour to rival the Tour de France.

Every two years, the Grande Partenza sees the first three stages of the tour take place outside of Italy, turning Belfast and the road to Dublin pink to honour the occasion.

“My condition is good,” said Roche.

“I did everything I could to arrive here in a good shape. The team has really been supportive after my injury and bringing me here in the best condition.

“Hopefully things will

go well and I will be competitive. A good result would be a top 10 in the general classification. I have worked hard and I think I can make the top 10, and I will be disappointed if I don’t make it.”

From there, the Dundrum native enjoyed a superstar status with his Tinkoff Saxo team bus thronged in the paddocks prior to Friday’s team time trial with Irish cycling fans from Lucan and Skerries cycling clubs conspicuous in trying to get a glimpse of Roche.

While he was fully focused on his warm-up, Roche took time to shake hands and sign umpteen autographs following a strong team time trial.

His Tinkoff team of allrounders ended in fourth place, traversing the route from the rejuvenated

Titanic quarter under the iconic Harland and Wolff cranes toward Stormont before returning to city hall for the finish with Roche’s family and friends in the audience.

There was awful news, though, for Roche’s cousin Dan Martin, a fancied contender to take a stage

the Causeway coast saw Roche finish safely in the bunch, a feat he also managed on the roll into Dublin albeit having to chase down the pack 6km from the finish with a flat tyre.

Having negotiated the crowds of his hometown, traversing the Fingal roads via Balbriggan, Skerries,

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

‘I have worked hard and think I can make the top team and will be disappointed if I don’t make it’ - Nicolas Roche --------------------------------------------------------

win or potentially a top three overall finish.

But a slippery manhole cover just over halfway around the course saw him sent flying and a broken collar bone ended his Giro before it had started in earnest.

Day two’s stage around

The crowds gather around Nicolas Roche as he warms up prior to the Giro d’Italia’s start in Belfast

Lusk, Swords, Malahide and Portmarnock, dicing with the rain throughout, he endured the puncture at the worst possible time.

It came as the peloton whipped into top gear for a big sprint finish after a lap of Merrion square.

Nonetheless, he replaced his bike quickly and his team helped him link up with the rest of the bunch with only minimal damage.

Overall, that left Roche in 27th place in general classification following a memorable three days in Ireland for the sport and one not likely to be replicated in his career, lining out in a grand tour in front of his home crowd.

As such, he flew out to Italy on Tuesday with 37 seconds to make up, a manageable tally when the racing continues in earnest in Italy.

FastSport

Dublin set to host high profile cricket fixtures IRISH CRICKET has been handed a massive boost with the news that both Australia and England have agreed to play one-day internationals here as part of their 2015 itineraries.

The exact date of the England clash has still to be confirmed, but Australia will meet Ireland on Thursday, August 27 following the conclusion of the 5th Ashes Test at The Oval.

Ireland last week lined out against World T20 champions Sri Lanka, pictured above, in a oneday international but the second tie was washed out by the weather.

2015 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting ever for Irish fans, starting with their third ICC Cricket World Cup, which begins in Australia and New Zealand in February and March.

In addition to the home fixtures against England and Australia, Ireland are co-hosting the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers with Scotland, a competition which will see 14 countries battling it out for six qualification slots. The event runs from July 9 until August 2 for the right to reach the finals in India in 2016.

Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom was clearly delighted at securing further high profile fixtures: “We are thrilled to welcome both England and Australia to Ireland once again,” he said.

“Although opportunities to find space in the Future Tours Programme are rare against the world’s leading teams, it is apparent that Cricket Australia and the ECB are committed to ensuring that the top associates, like Scotland and Ireland, have a chance to test themselves against the best and to help us to improve.

“Off the field, the visit of such teams gives a massive boost to the profile of the sport, gives a terrific injection to the local economy and provides a wonderful day out for our fans.

“2015 promises to be a landmark year for Irish cricket with the World Cup, home ODI’s against two of the world’s top teams, and cohosting the World Twenty20 Qualifiers.

“All these events represent a wonderful business opportunity for a potential sponsor as our highly successful seven year association with RSA draws to an end.”

Gazette

28 SWORDS gazette 15 May 2014

SPORT

FastSport

soccer: celtic’s 11 wins in 12 games lands unlikely title

NBA stars bring skills to Swords for camps Two top flight representatives of the NBA are coming to Swords in August to bring their skills and experience to the Thunder National Basketball Academy at the ALSAA Sports Complex from August 5 to 8.

Former Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic player Brandon Hunter and Andre Oupoh, trainer to a number of the top stars in the NBA including Kevin Durant (pictured above) will be in attendance at the camp, in addition to other top coaches determined to bring out the best in the participants.

Speaking about the event, camp director and manager of Swords Thunder, Dave Baker, said: “With Brandon’s college and NBA experience, he will bring so much to the camps, and with Andre’s individual workouts and knowledge of training the best in the business, the players can only get better from being coached by these stars.

“There are so many good camps in Ireland with great coaching staffs, and we felt we could lift the bar again. Having worked with both Brandon and Andre in the States over the past few years, I reached out to them and discussed the possibility of them giving up some holiday time and bringing their talent to Ireland to help us raise our game.

“We are so excited to have these guys involved and can’t wait to see them train and help some of the players get better this summer.”

In addition to participating in the coaching camps, Oupoh will put the Swords Thunder senior players through their paces each night of his visit as part of their preseason training for the 2014-15 season.

Swords Basketball Camp will run in two sessions each day, with children aged six to 12 in the session running from 10am to 1pm, and children over 12 in the session running from 1.30 to 4.30pm each day.

Participation in the camp costs €65, and there is a €10 discount for people who book and pay for their place at the basketball camp by May 30.

For more information, email swordsthunder@gmail.com.

The Swords Celtic LSL Saturday Division 3 side celebrate teir victory at Balheary last weekend

O’Toole’s Swords cut loose lsl saturday div 3 Swords Celtic Leicester Celtic  sport@gazettegroup.com

1 0

SWORDS Celtic’s incredible run of 11 wins from 12 games was capped with the league title as they beat LSL Saturday Division 3 rivals 1-0 last weekend to dramatically deny Leicester Celtic.

After an opening day 10-0 win over Spartak Dynamo in Marlay Park, Swords’ feet landed firmly on the ground with a 3-2 defeat to AIB. This turned out to be one of only three league defeats throughout the season.

Walkinstow n took all three points as did Leicester Celtic in the away games and by October an average middle of the table season looked on the cards for Swords

By Christmas, the side had moved up to second place while a 1-0 away win to Cloghertown, with Donegal blow-in Johnny Keenaghan scoring a last minute goal gave the team a feeling that a challenge for the title just might be possible.

By April Leicester’s lead had been paired back to three points.

Swords knew that winning all their outstanding

Cliodhna on call Dublin star launches new GAA skills camps naomh mearnog and Dublin football

star Cliodhna O’Connor was on hand at Croke Park last week to launch the Lenovo GAA Skills Hubs, offering the chance for boys and girls aged 13 to 15 years of age to learn the skills of Gaelic football, hurling and camogie from their heroes and heroines, in high quality venues across the country from June to August this summer. For more information, log on to gaa.ie/lenovoskillshub.

Picture: Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE

games would give them the title.

Esker Celtic threw a spanner in the works with a 4-4 draw in spite of Mikey O’Toole putting the Balheary side ahead with precious little time left, landing a hat trick in the process.

The Lucan side also knocked Swords out of the cup but a win over Blackrock, with goals from Jimmy Rock and the team’s top scorer Mark O’Connor, set the stage for big final day of the season with a win over Leicester last Saturday landing them the title.

From the first blow,

Swords showed their intent to attack at every opportunity. On the wings, Keenaghan and Rock easily outpaced the visitors while O’Connor and Colin McDuffy darted around the middle of the park.

There was a brief worrying moment when the Swords keeper, Gareth McGrath, stayed down badly winded after making a save. However, after a few minutes recovery he continued.

Despite having the wind in the first half, the visitors made little use of it. As the second half, kicked off, the wind had

picked up in favour of Swords. Urged on by the large home crowd Swords pushed forward but shot after shot failed to hit the net until a superb piece of skill in the Leceister box by sub Mikey O’Toole gave Swords the only goal of the game.

Leicester responded by upping their game and counter attacking. Only some committed defending by Gavin Logan and two outstanding saves by Swords keeper McGrath kept Leceister at bay.

The final whistle took forever to come - but when it did the celebrations were uncontrolled.

15 May 2014 SWORDS gazette 29

Gazette

Sylvester’s hurlers battle for win and draw  sport@gazettegroup.com

St Sylvester’s hurlers came away from their championship matches with a draw and a victory at Broomfield last week.

The senior hurlers recorded a draw against Naomh Fionnbarra at their home ground in blustery conditions that blunted their attacking

efforts in the first half, although Alan Kelly scored a goal which kept them in the hunt and only six behind at the turn.

The second half saw Sylvester’s come into their own and scores from Collie Byrne, Alan Morris, Dave Casey brought them back into contention, though Finbarrs kept their side of the scoreboard

ticking over from frees.

However, the contribution of Andrew Richardson a well taken goal by Colie Byrne gave Syl’s a brief lead before Finbarrs equalised from a free that the home side could not respond to to take all the points in Group B. At the same venue, the junior hurlers recorded victory against Parnell’s in

the junior championship tie played out in similar conditions. Although the visitors scored two goals and six points, consistent shooting particularly from Colm O’Connor with four points and two apiece from Fergus Rooney, Stephen Keogh, Colm Boran and Claude Scully gave Syl’s juniors the required edge.

football: Dublin’s title wait set to continue

Club Noticeboard fingallians THIS week, the Under-7 to Under-

New players are welcome. Please

13 boys football festival begins this

contact captain mcnallystephen20@

week. Registration, with €5, will take

yahoo.co.uk

place prior to commencement. For

Diary dates: football summer camp,

more info, please contact GPO Nicola.

July 7-11; hurling camp, July 14-18;

fitzgerald.gpo.Dublin@gaa.ie

hurling School of Excellence, July 30 -

The second round of the Intermedi-

August 1; football School of Excellence,

ate Football Championship will take

August 6-8 and Kelloggs\ Cul Camp,

place in Garristown on Saturday, May

August 18-22.

17 at 6pm: Fingallians v St Vincent’s.

The mobile bloodbank wishes to con-

Congratulations to Emer Ni hEafa

vey their thanks to all those who sup-

and Niamh Rickard on making this

ported them last week. The clinic was

year’s Dublin Ladies Under-21 panel.

a great success over the two days.

The best of luck to the Swords pri-

The Swords donors have ensured that

mary schools who will play in the

patients throughout the country will

upcoming Fingal League finals in Par-

get their cancer treatments, opera-

nell Park.

tions will go ahead, lifes saved in A & E

The first society golf outing is on this

and paediatric wards.

Friday, May 16 in Beaverstown from

They will return to the club on

2pm. The time sheet is available in the

Wednesday, August 6 and Thursday,

bar for any intending players.

August 7.

st sylvester’s Two big championship matches com-

quest for the league title with a great

ing up this week for our adult foot-

win away to Castleknock and the minor

ballers: the seniors are in action

As kept their play-off hopes alive with

against St Maur’s in the Naul on Friday

a win over tabletoppers St Maur’s.

(7.15pm), and the intermediates face

The U-16 boys had double success,

Clann Mhuire in the second round at

the As advancing to the shield final

St Margaret’s on Saturday (6.30pm).

with a good win away to Fingallians and

Please give your full support to the

the Bs making it to the D championship

two teams.

final with a fine win over Clontarf.

There were some wonderful results

There is a a table quiz in the club on

Jackies confounded

by Rebelette’s yell

on the playing fields in recent days

Friday night – after the senior match

with the U-13s girls maintaining their

– in aid of the U-14 Feile teams.

National league final

Clann Mhuire’s Carla Rowe produced an impressive performance for Dublin against Cork Picture: GAAPics.com

Dublin Cork  sport@gazettegroup.com

2-4 1-9

FINGALLIANS’ Sinead Finnegan, Naomh Mearnog’s Cliodhna O’Connor and Denise Masterson and St Sylvester’s Niamh McEvoy and Sinead Aherne were all part of the Dublin side that came up just short against Cork 1-9 to 2-4 in the national league Division 1 final in Parnell Park last Saturday.

The Rebelettes showed their resilience and battling qualities once again, scoring six points in a row

to turn the game on its head.

Indeed, Dublin hit six wides after the break, the most crucial being when they trailed by a point with two minutes left.

Cork, appearing in their seventh league final in a row, used all their experience to see Geraldine O’Reilly expertly convert with 10 seconds remaining to kill off the tie In the first half, Lindsay Peat, who scored a hattrick in the semi-final win over Monaghan, was back among the goals with two cracking finishes.

There was good work by Noelle Healy, who passed

to Peat who blasted the ball high to the net.

Cork responded with a goal from Orlagh Farmer three minutes later with a low snapshot which flew past Cliodhna O’Connor.

Lyndsey Davey scored a long-range point for Dublin and then created Peat’s second goal, spinning brilliantly and unselfishly passed inside to Peat, whose explosive finish found the net.

In reply, Valerie Mulcahy played a key role and scored a point to leave her team trailing by just 2-1 to 1-2 at half-time.

When Dublin opened up with two points in

three minutes from Davey and Sinead Aherne to stretch their lead to four, they looked well set.

Cork had other ideas, however, and three Mulcahy frees and points from Geraldine O’Flynn, Doireann O’Sullivan and substitute Deirdre O’Reilly turned the game.

Aherne’s close-in free ended Dublin’s 21 minute scoring drought after 54 minutes to reduce the gap to a point.

But Cork showed they still had the confidence to play the possession game with O’Flynn kicking the insurance point to break Dublin hearts again.

Naomh Mearnog Congratulations and thank you to all

Michael O’Donoghue who suffered a

who were involved in any way with our

bad hand injury in our senior hurling

Strictly Mearnog fundraiser. Well done

championship game at the weekend.

to the overall winners Mary Ann May

The adult football championship

and Sean Whelan and a special word of

commences this weekend. The seniors

thanks to celebrity judges Kim Walters

play St Jude’s on Saturday evening at

and Eamonn Fennell. A full report will

5.15pm and our juniors are away to

appear on our website.

Round Tower, Lusk, on Sunday morn-

Our minor and U-15 footballers

ing at 11am.

continued their good form with each

Well done to Miriam Twomey who

recording an impressive league win

was selected for the Leinster camogie

during the week.

team to take part in Gael Linn Inter

We wish a speedy recovery to

provincial tournament.

fingal ravens OUR sponsored cycle takes place

day at 7.15pm in Chanel.

Monday, May 19 at 6.30pm from the

The second team play Naomh Bar-

club. For every €10 raised, cyclists

rog in the championship on Sunday

will get one ticket into our draw,

at 11am in Pairc Barrog.

with a top prize of One Direction tickets.

Well done to the ladies team and to the junior team on two great wins last week.

The senior team play Round Tower in the senior championship on Fri-

The third team play Castleknock on Sunday at 3pm in Somerton Park.

Best of luck to all.

There was no winner of this week’s lotto; €20 to Ned McDonnell, Betty Fox and Ronan Norton.

Next week’s jackpot is €9,780.

GazetteSPORT all of your swords sports coverage from page 25-29

on a roll: Leicester Celtic denied title by Swords Celtic’s LSL side who claim league in fine style P28

May 15, 2014

roche on tour: Huge reception for Giro as Dublin’s finest rides in P27

Malahide United’s senior side’s manager Pete Mahon has been disappointed in his side’s progress this season, but sees their cup run as the salvation of a tough year

Mahon targets success Malahide United’s manager looks to revive season with victory in their second round FAI Cup tie against Mayfield United next month  aron hegarty

sport@gazettegroup.com

Malahide United manager Pete Mahon says only a place in the FAI Cup third round will do after he admitted this season has been a disappointment for the club.

His north Dublin team will travel to Cork to face Mayfield United in the second round of the FAI Ford Cup on the weekend ending June 8.

The Gannon Park outfit previously reached the third round of this competition in 2010 and 2012, but ex-UCD boss Mahon says anything less than progress will compound a miserable campaign for his current club.

“To be brutally honest with you, it’s been a very poor season all around for me and the club,” he admitted.

“We’ve dropped 22 points against sides in the bottom half of the table and, although the results have improved since I took over in January, they had to; otherwise, we could have been relegated.

“It’s been a frustrating time.”

Mahon puts that feeling down to extraneous factors, including injuries, holidays and the fixture schedule this season.

“We’ve gone weeks without playing a competitive fixture; our next and final league game is not until Wednesday week.

“And if we progress to the third round, we

could find ourselves playing in the FAI Cup whilst trying to arrange our pre-season for next year.”

Malahide, establish in 1944, are currently sixth in the Leinster Senior League Sunday Division with one league game left to play and their safety assured.

Despite battling against relegation for much of the season, Mahon’s side has shown improved form since the turn of the year; losing just four from 12 league games.

At the end of last month, they defeated Tolka Rovers in the first round before being drawn to face Mayfield, who received a bye, in the second round.

The north-east Cork club made the third

round back in 2009 before suffering an 8-1 drubbing by Bohemian Football Club.

But Mahon, who managed St Francis FC when they were the last amateur side to reach the FAI Cup final in 1990, says there is a lot of work to be done both ahead of their upcoming FAI Cup clash and next season.

“We know absolutely nothing about them [Mayfield], so we will need to do some research on them,” said Mahon of his team’s second round opponents.

“But what has disappointed me the most is that, in the win over Tolka Rovers in the first round, we showed how well we can play, but we’ve missed out on points in the league where we shouldn’t have.”