Cara Feb March

CARA Magazine February/March 2012

February/March 2012

Singer Dolores O’Riordan Irish film-makers

Saddle up!

Gourmet Waterford Florida

On the trail in Florida

Madrid Vilnius

CRANBERRY SAUCE

Krakow

Dolores O’Riordan is back

Joseph O’Connor

THE FILM CLUB

Meet the Irish movie-makers

SPANISH GOLD

Berlin

Discover the magic of Madrid

COOK’S COUNTY

Take a gourmet tour of Waterford

INSIDER’S GUIDE TO VILNIUS

Where to eat, sleep and shop

48 HOURS IN KRAKOW All you need to know for a wonderful weekend

COMPLIMENTARY COPY

AIB - Ireland’s leading Corporate Bank to Foreign Direct Investment

Sharing Your Vision in Ireland

For International Companies operating in Ireland, AIB is the Corporate Bank of choice.

We’re a corporate bank that thinks globally. We see the big picture – we do everything we can to support visionary ideas.

We’re experienced, with dedicated teams working in sectors in which they have specific expertise. We strive to fulfil all your banking requirements and overseas companies locating here have benefited from that for years.

We have a dedicated unit focused on Foreign Direct Investment in Ireland. But we also remember that, for a company setting

Diarmuid O’Neill Head of International Corporate Banking AIB Corporate Banking Bankcentre, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4

AIB Corporate Banking is a registered business name of Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c.

Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Registered Office: Bankcentre, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, Ireland. Registered in Ireland, No. 24173

up a business in Ireland, getting the finance in place is just the first step. Because it’s not just about supporting business requirements, it’s about supporting people, and making the move as simple as possible.

In an increasingly complex business world, AIB Corporate Banking still believes in keeping it personal.

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AIB Corporate Banking

Contents February/March NEWS 06 arrivals We snap Aer Lingus passengers as they arrive home to Dublin Airport’s T2

52

The marvels of Madrid

09 news diary Save the date – February and March events you can’t miss 10 news hoTel From Irish grandeur to Berlin cool, we select the prime stays 12 news resTauranT What’s hot on the culinary scene?

We dish it up

FEATURES

14 news business The best bars for business drinks; and Frank Keane of MKO Partners on his favourite city

26 THE FILM CREW It’s film festival time in Dublin; Edel Coffey interviews some of the movers and shakers appearing in this year’s fest 36 COMING UP ROSES Singer Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries is back with her first album in over ten years; Tony Clayton-Lea meets her

16 news shopping All you need for a trip to the slopes; Sive O’Brien has gadgets to go 18 news people My Travel Tips – Shelly Corkery of Brown Thomas on travel how-tos; plus fashion-led hotels

42 WILD AND GREEN Waterford for gourmets?

Aingeala Flannery takes a foodie tour 52 SPANISH GOLD For nightlife, it’s got to be Madrid; Ingmar Kiang enjoys the social whirl

20 news people What’s in my Suitcase – designer Tom Maxwell on his travel style 22 news books Shelf Life – Bridget Hourican on the latest releases

REGULARS 72 48 hours: in krakÓw The lowdown on Kraków’s top spots; Orna Cunningham shares the knowledge 75 an insider’s guide To vilnius Dubliner – and singer – Erica Jennings shows us her favourite places

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60 THE WILD SIDE OF ORLANDO If you like wildlife, you’ll love Orlando. Oda O’Carroll goes hunting in Central Florida

Gourmet Waterford

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79 AIRSPACE An extract from writer Joseph O’Connor’s commemorative poem penned on the anniversary of Aer Lingus’s 75th birthday

Singer Dolores O’Riordan returns

83 aer lingus inFlighT Onboard entertainment for passengers – TV, film, radio and more 104 Trip oF a liFeTiMe Irish theatre director Lynne Parker on a memorable trip to Berlin February/March 2012

Saddle up! on the trail in Florida

cranberry sauce

Dolores O’Riordan is back

The FilM club

Meet the Irish movie-makers

spanish gold

Discover the magic of Madrid

cook’s counTy

Take a gourmet tour of Waterford

insider’s guide To vilnius

Where to eat, sleep and shop

48 hours in krakow All you need to know for a wonderful weekend caramagazine.com

August 2011

| 1 complimentary copy

cover

Dave Remenaric of Cactus Jack’s Trail Rides in Ocala, Florida, photographed by Peter Matthews

60

Onboard in Orlando

16 Smart ski-wear

Contributors August 2011

Cara Magazine e August 2011

EDITORIAL Editor Frances Power Editorial Consultant Laura George Editorial Assistant Cassie Delaney Contributors Sive O’Brien, Amanda Cochrane, Liz Dwyer ART Art Director Clare Meredith Acting Art Director Joanne Murphy

turf

THE

ADVERTISING Account Director Clodagh Edwards, 00 353 (0)1 271 9634 clodagh.edwards@image.ie Ad Manager Noelle O’Reilly, 00 353 (0)1 271 9621, noelle.oreilly@image.ie Advertising Copy Contact Derek Skehan, 01 855 3855, dereks@typeform.ie ADMINISTRATION Head of PR & Promotions Linda McEvitt 00 353 (0)1 271 9643, linda.mcevitt@image.ie Office Manager Tina Koumarianos Accounts Olga Gordeychuk BOARD OF DIRECTORS Managing Director & Publisher Richard Power, richard.power@image.ie Chairman Patrick Dillon-Malone Director Ann Reihill Director Robert Power PRINTING Boylan Print Group ORIGINATION Typeform Cara magazine is published on behalf of Aer Lingus by Image Publications, 22 Crofton Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland, 00 353 (0)1 280 8415; advertising sales, 00 353 (0)1 271 9625; fax 01 280 8309; image.ie, email info@image.ie. Company registration number 56663 © Image Publications Ltd. All rights reserved. Editorial material and opinions expressed in Cara Magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of Aer Lingus or Image Publications Ltd. Aer Lingus and Image Publications Ltd do not accept responsibility for the advertising content. Please note that unsolicited manuscripts or submissions will not be returned.

All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Production in whole or part is prohibited without prior permission from Image Publications Ltd.

Cara Magazine is a member of Magazines Ireland.

Image Publications Ltd is a member of the Press Council of Ireland and supports the Office of the Press Ombudsman. To contact the Press Ombudsman, visit pressombudsman.ie or presscouncil.ie Image Publications Ltd – PUBLISHING COMPANY OF THE YEAR 2010 TO ADVERTISE PLEASE CALL NOELLE O’REILLY ON 00 353 (0)1 271 9621 OR EMAIL NOELLE.OREILLY@IMAGE.IE

CLUB

Meet Ireland’s racing set

CORK FOR GOURMETS

Follow the foodie trail

SEBASTIAN BARRY On the writer’s life

HOURS in Barcelona

caramagazine.com

AUGUST 2011

| 1 COMPLIMENTARY COPY

Last June, Trevor Hart set off to photograph Ireland’s horse racing set in the Curragh for Cara.

It turned out to be what we call a “soft day”. In other words, the rain was so torrential, we almost cancelled the shoot. But we had reckoned without Trevor’s resourcefulness. His shots captured something very special. They showed racing as it really is, full of excitement, colour and, of course, mud, see left. We’re delighted that the judges of the Irish Magazine Awards agreed with us and have awarded Trevor the prestigious Photographer of the Year prize. His work that day, they said, was “stunningly good to look at, capturing its subject with exceptional character and speaking volumes about Ireland with a really contemporary feel”. We couldn’t have said it any better ourselves.

Travel writer Oda O’Carroll has written guides to France, Ireland, Corsica and the Caribbean for Lonely Planet books and has made several documentaries for television. She lives in Dublin with her husband and three children. This was her first assignment for Cara. “I’d forgotten how much fun being on the road in America is, the last time I drove from coast to coast was with friends over ten years ago in a clapped-out Cadillac.

Central Florida never ranked highly on my must-see list but it was a revelation – I had a blast. I was astonished at how beautiful and rugged it is, especially in the Ocala region, just north of Orlando. You only ever hear about the theme parks.” You can read all about her trip on page 60.

An American based in Dublin, photographer Peter Matthews travels all over Ireland, Europe, and the US for Cara Magazine and on commissions for a plethora of other publications, including GEO Magazine, National Geographic Traveler and Newsweek. For this issue, Peter flew to Florida to shoot the wildlife around Central Orlando, see page 60. “I never imagined I’d encounter more than Mickey Mouse and a slew of theme park critters. This trip was a revelation as we found a wonderful abundance of real stretching far beyond the palaces of the hyper real.”

Arrivals

This month in Dublin Airport’s T2, Cara magazine bumped into fleets of returning expats and holiday makers. Photographs by Anthony Woods.

 HILARY NIEHEUS arrives back on Irish soil after visiting her “life-long best friend” in Dusseldorf.

 EMMY LUGOYE, left, and LUCA DALFONSO, right, return to Dublin from Barcelona, wrapped up and ready for the weather. Both are heading to the city centre, where they work with Roddy Doyle’s Fighting Words charity.  JOYEUSE NDIKUMANA stops for a photo before heading home to Limerick after a holiday in Belguim.

NT, left,  GER ALDINE MORDAU NT, , are and her daughter, SIOB HAN , right in serious globetrotters. Siobhan lives her and ldine Gera and and, Zeal New husband live in the Middle East. Both to have just flown from Barcelona back their native Dublin to visit family.

 Older sisters SHAUNA, SHAUNA far left, and SIMONE CULLEN, CULLEN far right, are at T2 to greet younger siblings CAOIMHE, left, and ISSY, right, who are just back from Sri Lanka via London.  Limerick natives PAUDIE O’DWYER and AINE O’REILLY return home from Australia laden with baggage.

 JOANNE DOYLE, left, was waiting to greet MICHAEL COLEMAN, right, from Toronto, who plans to stay in Ireland for a few weeks before the two holiday in Morocco.

WORDS BY CASSIE DELANEY

JAVIER ROCHA, right, from Northern Spain, moved to Ireland four years ago and ANA DIEGUEZ, left, recently joined him. Both have flown in from Madrid where they were visiting family.

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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news DIArY

February/March

What’s happening this spring

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Macbeth may be bloody, but it’s also a rip-roaring theatrical drama and under talented David Horan’s direction the production of Shakespeare’s classic by Second Age promises to keep you pinned to your seat. Tickets from €20. February 2 to March 29; secondage.com.

Drew Jacoby, known as Holland’s “dance goddess”, and Rubinald Pronk, “Holland’s sexiest ballet dancer ever”, come together, left, in a sultry piece choreographed by itzik Galili. Sparks will fly in their performance at the annual Holland Dance Festival. korzo Theatre, Den Haag, netherlands. Tickets from €17.50. Runs February 16-18; holland-dance.com.

Jacoby & pronk, holland Dance Festival

Macbeth, on tour in Ireland

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Ireland v France RBS Six Nations, Paris The second weekend of the RBS Six Nations championship plays on with the French champions taking on Ireland. Could this be the year that Ireland banishes the Paris blues and secures victory on French soil? It’s all happening at Stade de France, Paris, at 8pm on Sunday, February 12; rbs6nations.com.

Aer LIngus FLieS FROM DuBLin AnD CORk TO pArIs, DAiLy.

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Cheltenham, england

Aer LIngus FLieS FROM DuBLin TO AMsTerDAM, DAiLy

31 Titanic Belfast

From LA to Cobh to Belfast, the preparations for the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s demise are under way. On March 31, the Titanic Belfast is unveiled – a massive hulk of a building, built like the prow of the ship, it houses a multi-dimensional exhibition covering all things Titanic; from her construction, launch and maiden voyage to the terrible loss. A must. Opens March 31; Queen’s Road, Belfast; titanicbelfast.com.

Whether you love racing, or dressing up for the festivities and a flutter on a horse, Cheltenham festival is the place to head. Tickes from £35. Runs March 13-16; cheltenham.co.uk.

Aer LIngus FLieS FROM DuBLin, SHAnnOn AnD CORk TO BIrMInghAM DAiLy; AnD FROM DuBLin AnD CORk TO BrIsToL DAiLy, AnD SHAnnOn TO BrIsToL Five TiMeS A Week.

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st patrick’s Day, new York We had never heard of Little ireland – a district in ny’s Lower east Side – until we came across Big Onion Walking Tours. For something totally different on Paddy’s Day, join them for a fresh perspective on the role immigrant irish played in the city.

Tickets from $18. Tour starts 11am, March 17, from outside St Paul’s Chapel, Broadway; bigonion.com.

Aer LIngus FLieS FROM DuBLin TO new York DAiLy.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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news hotel

esCape A country house stay, romantic breaks and where to absorb Berlin’s cool atmosphere.

Blakes hotel, london

If you’re looking for a romantic break, the new Corfu Suite at Blakes Hotel should be on the shortlist. In French Provençal style, all pale shades of cream and white, with a kingsized four poster bed, wafty gossamer-thin drapes and mother-of-pearl inlaid furniture, it’s a seductive spot (and there’s plenty of Bang & Olufson techno gizmos to keep kidults happy). With 24-hour room service, there’s really little need to step outside, but the adventurous are well-placed to hit the museums, art galleries and the big-name department stores such as Harrods and Harvey Nicks. Rates from £599.

33 Roland Gardens, SW7, 0044 207 370 6701; blakeshotels.com. aer lingus FLIeS FROm DuBLIN, SHaNNON, CORk aND BeLFaST TO london heathrow DaILY.

Ballyfin, laois

If you’re yearning after the Downton Abbey experience, book in here. You’ll get the five-star treatment from the moment you arrive and it won’t feel like a hotel stay, more like a country house weekend. This restored neo-classical house is a showpiece of the best of 19th century craftsmanship with marble and parquet floors and ornate fireplaces. The house, with just 15 bedrooms, manages to be relaxed and comfortable – and their new relaxation package offers lunch on arrival, Voya massage and seaweed bath, and five course dinner tasting menu in the grand State dining room. Packages from €1,210 per couple. Ballyfin, Co Laois, 057 875 5866; ballyfin.com.

relais Villa Vittoria, lake Como

soho house, Berlin

We suspect Berlin may be one of the coolest places on the planet right now, and Soho House might just be the epicentre.

Like all its sister houses (London, Babington, New York and more), it’s a private members’ club but don’t let that put you off, it’s now open for bookings to all comers. Once it was the Communist party’s Politisches Büro, now its industrial chic lobby has ping-pong tables and Damien Hirst on the walls.

Rooms are large and retro/modern, with smaller, good value rooms under the eaves. It’s got a cinema. and a rooftop pool. and a spa and a cocktail bar and a residents’ club. Forget iPod docking stations, these rooms have vintage record players and a selection of vinyls. Leave the kids at home, and enjoy the party. Rooms from € 130 per night. Torstraße, 0049 304 050 440; sohohouseberlin.com. aer lingus FLIeS FROm DuBLIN TO Berlin DaILY.

Imagine lying by an infinity pool, glass of champagne in hand, surrounded by mountains, lakes and staff with canapé menus. Picture Jacuzzis, pampering and hot stone massages. If you’re planning a weekend break, the Relais Villa Vittoria overlooking Lake Como is now open for 2012 bookings and offers all of the aforementioned.

The Villa is eqipped with a mooring where motorboats are available to rent. They’ll even pack you a picnic basket upon request. If views of the lake still don’t tickle your fancy, keep an eye out for George Clooney who famously holidays in the nearby village of Laglio. Via Vecchia Regina, Laglio, Italy, 0039 031 400 859; relaisvillavittoria.it aer lingus FLIeS FROm DuBLIN TO milan malpensa mON, WeD, FRI aND SuN.

packages, which include rose petals, Love is in The WesTbury – check out their Cupid’s Corner Valentine’s Day Dublin 2; doylecollection.com. champagne, and strawberries in your room upon arrival. From €339. Grafton Street, 10 |

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

news restaurant

Food File

Where to book in for a Barcelona pop-up and the coolest place in New York for cocktails.

Clos Maggiore, london Reputably the most romantic restaurant in London, Clos Maggiore is the only place to visit for Valentine’s Day. Set in a conservatory full of luscious cherry blossom trees, the restaurant’s roof opens up to make for an unusual al fresco space in the middle of London. Try the new seasonal five-course tasting menu for delights such as roasted goose foie gras and hazelnut or a slow cooked fillet of Cornish cod. Non-meat eaters don’t despair. The vegetarian menu has been revamped to include dishes such as chestnut pappardella, wild mushroom fricassée and truffle sauce. 33 King Street, Covent Garden, London; 0044 207 379 9696; closmaggiore.com. aer lingus fLieS fRoM DubLiN, ShaNNoN, CoRK aND beLfaST To london HeatHrow DaiLy.

Jezebel’s Clandestine dining, barCelona

it’s been affectionately nicknamed barcelona’s “hidden restaurant” – not because of a tricky-to-find location, but because, well, it has no actual permanent premises. Described by owner-chef Kathleen engelhardt as “hidden adventures for intrepid gastronomes, curious culinarians and hungry rogues”, Jezebel’s is a pop-up restaurant and, just like the everchanging location (it last appeared in an antiques shop, above), the menu is ever evolving, but always fusion food in some form – think Caribbean with a Southern twist, like crab mousse, sweet potato linguine and coca mustard with summer vegetables. for those who want to stray off the beaten track.

Next appearances, february 11 and March 10, reservations on 0034 610 898 494; jezebelsclandestinedining.com. aer lingus fLieS fRoM DubLiN To barCelona DaiLy aND fRoM CoRK To barCelona, WeD, fRi aND SuN.

CHapter one, dublin

for a big night out, there are few better Dublin restaurants than Michelin-starred Chapter one. Chef Ross Lewis is the man who created the menu for Queen elizabeth ii’s State banquet last year (it was a rollcall of the best of irish artisan produce). and so, as you’d expect, dinner is a reasonably formal, delightfully food-focused affair – you can even book a chef’s table and watch the spectacle of the kitchen staff preparing your plate. his latest project is to introduce art to Chapter one. first up, a work by irish-based Norwegian artist Magnhild opdol, “Running in Pairs”, which appears on the á la carte menu, as well as the wall. Will a meal here break the bank? Not if you opt for the early bird menu, €36.50, a snip for the best of irish cuisine. 18-19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1, 01 873 2266; chapteronerestaurant.com.

tHe wayland, new york

if you’re in the east Village, the place to head for the sharpest cocktails, a bite to eat and a laidback feel is the shiny-new Wayland. Tipped to be the watering hole of 2012, this cocktail bar with tiny but super-productive kitchen manages to seem like it’s always been there. Cocktails like Moonshine, the old back Woods (apple-pie corn liquor, homemade spiced apple bitters and apple wood smoked ice) and the Garden Variety Margarita (blue agave blanco tequila, ginger and kale juice, agave nectar and smoked sea salt) set this bar apart from its hipster neighbours. oysters are a daily speciality, as is the braised beef. a must-try is the roasted bone marrow with chicory slaw and tomato jam. Local musicians also pop up regularly to play sets of blue Grass and indie Rock. 700 east 9th Street Corner of avenue C; 001 212 777 7022; thewaylandnyc.com. aer lingus fLieS fRoM DubLiN To new york DaiLy.

from Can’t cook? Become a culinary clever-clogs this spring with one-day masterclasses wonder class while social DunbroDy Cookery SChool. Busy-bees will benefit from the one-pot butterflies will love the dinner party specialties; dunbrodyhouse.com.

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

NEWS BUSINESS TRAVEL

Smart TRAVELLER

Time-saving tips and all you need to know about Dublin for business. Lisa Hughes reports.

LITTLE BLACK BOOK DUBLIN

FRANK KEANE

Founding partner at Dublin-based MKO Partners, chartered accountants, Frank Keane travels regularly to the UK, Europe and the Far East but his favourite city to do business in is closer to home.

Dublin is my favourite city because … It is compact and friendly with a high level of connectivity in the business community. Any service an international business may require is just a phone call away from someone you know. It makes Dublin unique.

Getting around Dublin …

Public transport has come on in leaps and bounds and includes a successful city bike scheme (dublinbikes.ie) and a LUAS (luas.ie) light rail system, which connects the city centre with the Docklands, major train stations and a number of suburban areas.

Best spot for business lunches … Ely HQ (01 633 9988) in the Docklands is both convenient and affordable; its Grand Canal Square branch has a great atmosphere and Chez Max (01 661 8899) on Baggot Street is a favourite for simple food with a French twist.

Best hotel for business travellers … The Merrion

Hotel (merrionhotel.com)) – unbeatable location, atmosphere, a great bar and cellar restaurant and all at very reasonable cost compared to New York or London.

Best spot for business drinks ... O’Donoghue’s and Toners on Baggot Street, Café en Seine on Dawson Street or the Shelbourne Bar on St Stephen’s Green, all serve great pints of Guinness!

On Ireland’s competitiveness as a place to do business … The message here is close to my heart – I’m currently finalising a non-commercial Gateway to Europe Expo in the Seaport Hotel Boston. There, free for attendees, we will outline how Ireland is again very competitive for the major expenditure items such as the low direct corporate taxes, property-related costs, professional fees and staffing staffing costs. Prices for Irish hotels and restaurants have also all declined in recent years.

3 Reasons to do business in Dublin … Ireland rightly has a global reputation as a perfect home for high-growth companies and financial services vehicles and as a gateway to Europe and stepping stone to Asia. The need to explain exactly why it has this reputation has inspired the upcoming Expo, which will inform US entrepreneurs, corporates and their advisors on the real world practicalities of business in Ireland.

Budget business travel tip … Spending more on a hotel that is closer to your meeting place always pays dividends.

The Gateway to Europe Expo takes place in Boston on March 27. For more information, see gatewaytoeurope2012.com.

Whether you need to scan photos or back-up your essential travel documents, this multi-tasking mouse with built-in scanner lets you paste, share, save, print and edit documents or images (you can even edit scanned text in ce). £89; lg.com. lg.com MS Offi Office).

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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IMBIBE One of London’s best-kept secrets, Imbibe is a necessary port of call for quiet drinks or chats in the garden – weather permitting.

(173 Blackfriars Road, 0044 207 922 1223; imbibe-bar.com) 1 LOMBARD STREET With its grand dome, the opulent surroundings of 1 Lombard Street make you feel like you’re having a drink in a museum. A City hotspot. (City of London, 0044 207 929 6611; 1lombardstreet.com) THE ROYAL EXCHANGE GRAND CAFE AND BAR Dodge the hustle and bustle of the City with postmeeting drinks at this Grade I-listed building in London’s Square Mile. (Royal Exchange Bank, 0044 207 618 2480; royalexchange-grandcafe.co.uk) PURL Inspired by the Prohibition era, London’s latest offering for connoisseurs of spirits is a quirkier but relaxed setting for drinks with clients.

(50 Blandford Street, Marylebone, 0044 207 935 0835; purl-london.com) LOUNGELOVER Show you’ve got your finger on the pulse of London’s bar scene by whisking colleagues off to this funky, high-end bar, below, that’s never boring. (1 Whitby Street, 0044 207 012 1234; loungelover.co.uk)

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MUST-HAVE TRAVEL GADGET LG SCANNER MOUSE

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5 BEST BARS IN LONDON FOR BUSINESS DRINKS

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56%

of business travellers use mobile technology to search for and book hotels on the move

John Ryan, Head of US Offices

THE FIRST RULE OF SUCCESS SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE BEST The success of any law firm can be measured by the quality of its people and its clients. We have the best of both.

John Ryan, head of our US Offices, leads a team of tax, corporate and financial services lawyers, which focuses on advising US companies and financial institutions doing business in and through Ireland.

Matheson Ormsby Prentice. Lawyers of choice for international companies and financial institutions doing business in and through Ireland.

Contact John at john.ryan@mop.ie or your usual contact at Matheson Ormsby Prentice. funds europe

awards 2011

www.mop.ie

European Advisor

driven by excellence

DUBLIN

LONDON

NEW YORK

PALO ALTO

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Gadgets news shOpping

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TO gO

Take to the slopes with the hottest new gear. By Sive O’Brien.

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1 SKI GOGGLES Anon, €95 at simplypiste.com.

2 CHRONOGRAPH WATCH Sector Exp90, €99 at Fields 3 SKI GLOVES The North Face, €58.50 at Fifty Three Degrees North, Carrickmines, Dublin 18 4 AVALANCHE RESCUE KIT Ortovox, €420 at skibartlett.com 5 BOARD TUning KiT Dakine, €55 at Snow + Rock, Dundrum Town Centre, Dublin 16 6 SNOWBOARD Roxy, €446 at Quiksilver, Stephen’s Green Centre, Dublin 2 7 wATeRpROOF CAMeRA Speedo Aquashot, €110 at giftgenies.com 8 sKi heLMeT Bern, €75 at amazon.co.uk 9 gps wATeRpROOF FiTness wATCh Garmin, €284 at memoryc.com 10 sKis €2,500 at Chanel 11 eARphOnes Plattan by Urbanear, €60 at urbanear.com.

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MARCH 16TH - 18TH

ST. PATRICk’S FeSTIVAl 2012

JOIN US AND HELP MAKE IT THE FRIENDLIEST DAY OF THE YEAR There’s nowhere like Dublin to celebrate St Patrick’s day. It’s the friendliest city on the friendliest day of the year. And where else would you spend a day like that than at the Guinness Storehouse?

The very centre of friendliness. This year, to get everyone in the mood, we’ll be putting on some great food, live music and a pint or two of the black stuff itself. Well, when you’ve learned our time-honoured brewing secrets, how could you resist? And because there’s just too much friendliness for a single day, the celebrations will stretch over three, from Friday 16th to Sunday 18th March, 9.30am - 7pm. Come along and help make St. Patrick’s day officially the friendliest day of the year. You’ll find thousands of new friends waiting to welcome you.

Book online at www.guinness-storehouse.com for a 10% discount on adult tickets.

Visit

and

to find out more.

The GUINNESS and GUINNESS STOREHOUSE words and associated logos are trademarks. (c) Guinness & Co. 2012

STRAP NEWS PEOPLE

MY FAVOURITE PLACE TO HOLIDAY IS ...

Sardinia, it’s such a beautiful island. Both my partner and I have such a hectic life in retail, it’s a special place we can totally escape to, wind down and settle in to the relaxed Italian way of life.

MY FAVOURITE CITY IS ... Paris, I lived there after school for a year to study French so I have an affinity with it. On a recent trip, I took a little extra time to see Coco Chanel’s apartment and Marie Antoinette’s private apartment in Versailles – both were fascinating. New York city is a close second, I love downtown NY for the incredible shopping and the buzzy atmosphere.

I’M A FREQUENT TRAVELLER ... so I navigate the airport like a pro: I use fast track, the lounges and never fly without a big bottle of water and I never eat on flights.

IN IRELAND, WE HOLIDAY IN ... Kinsale with family, I love the area and especially the restaurants, Kenmare is a favourite too, we head there to chill out and walk, cycle, swim or just enjoy meals in the surroundings of The Park Hotel.

I’M A GOOD PACKER ... well, I do travel a lot so I need to have it down to a fine art. The secret is to put tissue paper around everything – often we have quick stops and a tight schedule so there’s no time for pressing.

PHOTOGRAPH BY RICHIESTOKES.COM

MYEL TRAIV T PS

Shelly Corkery The Brown Thomas Fashion Director talks to Sive O’Brien about the glamorous world of fashion.

Shelly may be based in Dublin but, for five months of the year, she travels the globe in search of the hottest fashion collections to bring to the Irish market. It’s a job that involves a keen eye and a strong sense of the next big thing. The average week might involve travelling abroad to meet with designers or to view and select from the next season’s collections. When Shelly is not jetting around she relaxes with her nine-year-old daughter and partner, Paul Kelly, managing director of the Selfridges department store group in London.

3 FASHION-LED HOTELS

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Maison Moschino, Milan, Italy – Where better to locate a fashion hotel than the fashion capital of the world? The Moschino fashion brand has done just that and transformed a neoclassical 1840s railway station into a design triumph. Inside are 65 fairytalethemed rooms containing design quirks such as giant teacup coffee tables or pillows designed as pastries, left. Rooms from €187; maisonmoschino.com.

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The g hotel, Galway – For a touch of vogue closer to home, try the g hotel. Inspired by a doll’s house, milliner Philip Treacy has designed a series of eye-popping lounges (the bedrooms are more sedate) from a shocking pink salon with psychedelic swirly carpets, to a golden lounge. The place to stay or meet for cocktails if you’re at the Galway races. Rooms from €150; theghotel.ie.

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THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE I HAVE MET ARE ... Diane von Furstenberg, she’s so animated and Victoria Beckham, who’s extremely hands-on with her fashion label, she’s also very personable and talks us through the collection directly, each season. Stella McCartney is another dynamic person and so nice to be around – her latest collection for spring is her best ever.

I WOULD LIKE TO MEET ... Miuccia Prada, she fascinates me with her “outside the box” ideas. For spring, she has managed to make an American cadillac print look cool on a chiffon skirt – amazing.

THE BEST RUNWAY SHOW IS ... the Chanel Show in Grand Palais, Paris.

It’s the most wonderful and extravagant fashion spectacle at Fashion Week – the designer Karl Lagerfeld knows how to put on an unforgettable show, every single time.

BUYING IS ... an addiction – it’s such a challenge to get it right but when you do, the buzz is palpable.

MY FAVOURITE COLLECTIONS TO BUY ARE ... Prada, Alexander McQueen, Lanvin and Dries Van Noten. When I’m viewing a collection, I look for feminine glamour, I like mixing old and new and contradictions like teaming fabric combinations such as silk with leather ... most of all I love simplicity and luxury.

Hotel Cheval Blanc, Courchevel 1850, France – Set in the upmarket end of the ski resort, Hotel Cheval Blanc was opened by the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) empire in 2006 and gives access to the vast playground of Les Trois Vallées.

Flirt with the summits but leave time for a visit to the hotel spa or the designer boutiques onsite. Prices on application; chevalblanc.com.

NEWS PEOPLE

WHAT’S IN MY SUITCASE

Tom Maxwell

At just 27 years of age, this Irish industrial designer has already designed what has been labelled “the best new toy to emerge in years”. The Turbospoke is a roaring success all over the globe (in more ways than one) – it’s an engine sound and exhaust system for kids’ bikes, which pimps up regular bicycles and at the same time, inspires a whole new generation of potential mini Formula One champions. When Tom Maxwell is not at home in Waterford, restoring his classic cars (currently a Triumph TR6 and Classic two door Range Rover), he’s on the toy trade circuit, globe trotting to Hong Kong, London, New York, Toyko and Melbourne or busy blogging; turbospoke.com. Sive O’Brien

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St Patrick’s Day on ice – No parade, no floats, no ceilí, but a weekend in an ice hotel, above, in the mountains of Romania, accessible only by cable car, where the dress code for dinner is anything green, and you dine in the catacombs of a Gothic church, before drinks in the local Irish-owned pub. Next day it’s Dracula’s castle and a final night in Bucharest. Don’t forget to pack your shamrock. Packages from €445 per person; icehotelromania.com.

Walk this way – What to do in Dublin after the Parade?

Make like St Patrick with a walking tour around the city through early Christian sites. You’ll take in Christchurch and St Patrick’s cathedrals as well as Dublin Castle.

All walkers get a discount on entry to the Guinness Storehouse and it’s free on March 17 to anyone named Patrick!

Tickets from €8. Tour starts 2pm, from College Green, Dublin 2, 16-19 March; walkingtours.ie.

Something in the Sky – The Wexford Quays provide the backdrop for a jaw-dropping pyrotechnic display at the National Lottery’s Skyfest, the grand finale of the St Patrick’s Day celebrations.

This year’s festival boasts a first – a 300m wide curtain of cascading silver fire, the largest firework ever in Ireland. Who needs the aurora borealis? Wexford Quays, 19 March; stpatricksfestival.ie.

Paddy’s Day, Chicago Whoever said, “it’s not easy being green” never spent St Patrick’s Day in The Windy City.

Watch the Chicago River go green at 10.45am on the day and stick around for the parade at noon. And for a more serene view of the river when the festivities cease, stay in Trump International Hotel and Tower. Water view rooms from $372 per night; 401 North Wabash Avenue, 001 877 458 7867; trumpchicagohotel.com.

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4 BEST ST PADDY’S DAY JAUNTS

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4 1 WAX JACKET Barbour, €349 at Arnotts, Dublin 1 2 NOTEBOOK Moleskine, €15.99 at Dubray Books, 26 Grafton Street, Dublin 2 3 WAYFARER SUNGLASSES Ray-Ban, €139 at sunglasses.ie 4 WOOL SWEATER Polo Ralph Lauren, €186 at my-wardrobe.com 5 PLAID WOOL SCARF €120 at Hackett, 21-26 South Anne Street, Dublin 2 6 SMARTPHONE HTC Desire HD, €450 at htc.com 7 SEAMASTER WATCH Omega, €6,000 at Brown Thomas 8 DIGITAL CAMERA Canon EOS 500D, €650 at elara.ie 9 DECK SHOES Dubarry, €130 at Fitzpatricks, 76 Grafton Street, Dublin 2 10 AFTERSHAVE Acqua di Gio by Giorgio Armani, €54.50 at Arnotts 11 LEATHER HOLD-ALL €399 at Tommy Hilfiger

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NEWS BEAUTY

Beauty on the go The smartest advice for travellers, by Liz Dwyer.

PHOTOGRAPH IMAXTREE

SPRING SKIN SOS Save face with these complexion comforters.

Alas, as low humidity and central heating leach all the moisture from the air, skin cell hydration levels plummet, leading to a dry, tight complexion and fine lines, especially around the almost permanently parched cheek and eye area. So while a nourishing moisturiser is paramount, exfoliation also takes on even greater significance in cold weather as dead skin cells build up, clogging pores and reducing the effectiveness of moisturisers and the absorption of water. The perfect time then to pamper your skin with de luxe moisturising masks and light fruit acid (AHA) peels, to help loosen the cohesion of dead cells on the skin’s surface and allow products to penetrate the dermis better. Here are a few extra skin boosters to help combat chilly climes.

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The perfect pick-me up for partiedout skin: slather on Clarins HydraQuench Cream-Mask, €35.50, for ten minutes and let the cocktail of hyaluronic acid and Katafray bark extract get to work binding water to cells and sealing in moisture.

Softer, smoother and spongier-looking skin guaranteed. At Clarins counters.

This Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Mask from Elemis, €63, is the go-to-gel

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when little red lumps and unsightly flaky bits are sullying your skin. Pop on for five minutes and it removes debris and dulling cells, instantly smoothing and perking up the complexion. At Harvey Nichols Dundrum and Elemis spas.

Engineered to mimic the effects of our A-list favourite oxygen facial, the Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Mask, €45, uses every chemistry trick in the book to give you fresher, younger-looking skin in under three minutes.

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Great for popping on just before touchdown. At Brown Thomas and Bliss counters.

Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster, €42.20, for skin aggravated and dried out by cosmetic triggers and erratic environments, this adds a huge boost to moisture levels. With oodles of hyaluronic acid to bind water to cells, it’s like a really refreshing drink for your skin. At Dermalogica salons.

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cloudy Skin still needs to be protected from damaging UVA/B rays even on sunless days. But instead of adding product to your regime, mix a little leftover facial ion. sun cream from the summer in with your daily moisturiser to up skin protect 22 |

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MY BEAUTY MUSTS Aisling McDermott is one half of the brains behind Ireland’s muchloved and award-winning blog, beaut.ie.

Her second book, Gorgeous to Go (Gill & Macmillan, €12.99), has recently hit the shelves and is packed with information on the best products out there. Here she shares her spring beauty regime.

I can’t get by without … facial oils. I love them, and I particularly like A’Kin and Trilogy Rosehip oils – super nourishing, hydrating and jam-packed with natural antioxidants. A great trick is to mix a couple of drops of oil into your regular moisturiser to give your skin an extra boost against those March winds.

Lips and tips suffer incredibly during frosty weather. While those little tins of Vaseline are cute, bear in mind that pure petroleum jelly will only provide a barrier and once it wears off will leave your lips as dry as ever.

Hilariously this leads to the “condition” of lip balm addiction – as soon as your balm wears off you need to apply a new layer to maintain moisture. Use a balm with a combination of ingredients to protect and nourish – Kiehl’s and Vichy Aqualia both have great balms.

Top of my wish list this year is … anything from the Tom Ford make-up line, the foundation, in particular – it’s pricey but really good. I’m also loving the eye shadows and the blushers. Actually can I just get Tom Ford himself please?

Our Team is Your Team CCD Events

At our launch in 2010, we said that ‘without people, a venue is just a building’.

Since then, we have hosted over 400 events, welcoming an impressive list of Irish and International corporate and association conferences and meetings.

Our clients, from Google to Alcatel Lucent, from TM Forum to the International Statistical Institute, have consistently praised, above all else, the warmth, calibre, flexibility and can-do attitude of our team.

When you book an event at The CCD, not only will you benefit from an iconic, world-class venue in the heart of Dublin, you will also be safe in the hands of our award-winning team, whose goal is to deliver truly amazing events on every occasion.

CCD Technical

In 2011 we won 9 industry awards, achieved ISO 9001 and 14001 accreditation, and a customer satisfaction rating of 96%. In 2012, our mission is to keep improving and innovating, to become the best conference venue in Europe.

We would love to talk to you about your next event, so call us today and find out how our team can become your team.

Contact our Sales Team on: +353 1 856 0000 Email: sales@theccd.ie or visit: www.theccd.ie

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NEWS BOOKS

Shelf LIFE

Fiction, fact and the books in between; Bridget Hourican reviews the latest releases.

Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria

by Noo Saro-Wiwa (Granta, £14.99) out now.

Dog shows in Ibadan, an amusement park where no one goes on the rollercoaster (you could die), personal ads where men are looking for “sugar mummies”… sounds like one of Louis Theroux’s eccentric travelogues, but Noo Saro-Wiwa is an insider-outsider in Nigeria. Brought up in England, she spent summers in Nigeria but after the murder of her father, the activist and playwright Ken Saro-Wiwa, didn’t go back for ten years. Now she turns fresh eyes on the country and finds it “stylish, sublime, beautiful … and always that little bit jagga jagga”.

Various Pets Alive and Dead by Marina Lewycka (Fig Tree, £12.99) is out on March 1. The pets include hamsters, poodles, a chicken, and rabbits … Marcus and Doro are

1960s hippies – all free love, spliffs, brown rice, lentils, and commune life.

Their kids predictably rebel – teacher Clara craves order, broker Serge cleans up in the City but can’t tell his parents, and Oolie Anna, who has Down syndrome, just wants to leave home and live independently.

Another clever farce from the bestselling author of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian.

New Ways to Kill your Mother: Writers and their Families by Colm Tóibín (Viking, £15.99) is out on February 23.

“Mothers get in the way of fiction,” writes Colm Tóibín, “they take up space that is better occupied by indecision, by hope, by the slow growth of a personality.”

Jane Austen preferred her heroines motherless – she killed off two mothers by natural causes and fostered one heroine out to aunts.

Aunts seemingly make fiction tick.

Tóibín, a novelist much exercised by family and a brilliant literary critic, turns, in these 13 essays, to writers’

family relations: Yeats and his father, Thomas Mann and his brother and children, Synge and his mother, Tennessee Williams and his sister.

Through these comic and savage tales of family dysfunction, Tóibín illuminates literary masterpieces.

Waiting for Sunrise by William Boyd (Bloomsbury, £18.99) is out on February 16.

Vienna 1913.

Young English actor Lysander Rief arrives in the city to avail of the latest cure for sexual dysfunction: psychotherapy.

He is spectacularly cured but finds himself under arrest and awaiting trial. With the help of the British embassy, he escapes via Trieste and returns to London – but he owes British intelligence a favour, and finds himself drawn into a dangerous game of wartime espionage. Part literary thriller, part love story, part psychoanalytic study, Boyd plays to his strengths with another excellent period piece.

Who’s reading what …

Irish writer Aifric Campbell reveals what’s on her bedside table.

What are you reading? I borrowed my mother’s copy of Philip Roth’s latest in Dublin at New Year and finished it on the plane back to Gatwick. Nemesis, set during the 1944 polio epidemic in Newark, is a compelling novel,

beautifully written.

I keep a few old favourites by the bed and right now I’m re-reading The Personal Journals of Captain Scott, Scott which were found tucked inside a pouch on the frozen body of the Antarctic explorer. It’s almost exactly 100 years since Scott and his colleagues died on their return journey from the South Pole and his diary tells an extraordinary story of endurance, heroism and camaraderie.

My Christmas present was a Kindle, which will be perfect for

reading in the car while my son is at football training. First up is Justin Cartwright’s novel Other People’s Money.

Where is your favourite place to write? Work has kept me always on the move and I grew to love New York and Hong Kong, but my favourite place in the world to write is Inchydoney strand in West Cork, which has a quality of light and air that I’ve never found anywhere else. I’ve written parts of three novels in a beachfront apartment in bursts of inspiration

that seem to rise out of the surf.

I’ve tramped for miles in sun and rain, looping across the dunes and along the winding road into Clonakilty. And when I’m not there I sometimes visit the Beach Camcorder and imagine myself perched high up on the cliffs watching the surfers face down the horizon, waiting for the transforming wave.

Aifric Campbell’s latest novel, On the Floor, £12.99, is published by Serpent’s Tail on March 1.

g from the App Store, everyone can A book/reading experience that turns into a film? With byooks, the latest offerin animation and sound effects in texts. Check turn into the kid from The Never Ending Story. Byooks incorporate pictures, ure of the Speckled Band. out the byook take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic, Sherlock Holmes, The Advent 24 |

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people

The

Film Crew

It’s Oscar season, and in Ireland that means it’s time for the Dublin film festival and the IFTA awards (and all the fun and frocks that go with them). Edel Coffey talks to some of the people in film – both in front of and behind the camera – about what they’re showing this year.

Photographs by Linda Brownlee.

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very February, Dubliners emerge from the receding winter into the warm embrace of the first big festival of the year – the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival (JDIFF). There is a real sense of a communal carnival as people throng cinemas, concert halls, supper clubs and bars during the JDIFF, which screens 130 films in various cinemas around the capital city over just ten days.

Much of the attraction of the festival is the atmosphere that takes over the city, with local bars and clubs getting involved and people hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite film star in search of a quiet drink after one of the festival’s popular Q&A sessions.

This year’s festival is bigger than ever, befitting its 10th anniversary, and Al Pacino will be guest of honour as he comes in for the Irish première of his film, Wilde Salome, a documentary about Oscar Wilde’s play.

Despite the recession, the Eurozone crisis and the bailout of banks, the Irish film industry

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continues to grow. Considering how nascent it was a mere 20 years ago, it is almost unrecognisable today, employing an estimated 6,000 people, from caterers to composers, and worth approximately half a billion euro to the Irish economy.

Thanks to the introduction of a generous tax break, Ireland has become a popular location for film production, from the likes of Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan to Harry Potter. With beautiful and varied landscapes for settings, along with excellent technical expertise in purpose-built studios such as Ardmore, it’s easy to see why. And it’s not just the film industry that benefits. According to Fáilte Ireland, 20 per cent of tourists visit Ireland as a result of having seen a film or television series set here.

The real thing that keeps Irish film going is that it continues to thrive amongst Irish audiences.

Each year sees the film festival schedule get bigger and bigger: JDIFF kicks it off, March brings the Dingle festival in Co Kerry and the documentary festival, Stranger Than Fiction, comes to Dublin

in April. The summer is punctuated with one of the biggest industry festivals, the Galway Film Fleadh, which promotes mainly Irish films. The art-focused Darklight Festival is staged in October and the Cork Film Festival closes the year in November.

But enough business talk! For local cinemagoers, the Dublin Film Festival is a rite of spring, as we shake off the sleepiness of winter and remember how to have fun. It’s a rare opportunity to be part of an intimate yet mass experience of watching once-off screenings, as most of the films shown will not return to Irish cinemas. It is also a chance to interact with onscreen heroes (past events have included a Q&A session with the elusive Daniel Day-Lewis) as well as those behind the camera, who walk the streets and populate the bars elbowto-elbow with the locals.

Above all, though, it is a giant dose of fun.

The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival runs from February 16-26. See jdiff.com for further details.

Ian Fitzgibbon, director Ian Fitzgibbon spent ten years as a RADA-trained actor in London before turning his hand to directing. He is the author and director of the cult mockumentary television series, Paths to Freedom, and directed A Film with Me in It and the gangster comedy Perrier’s Bounty. His latest film, Death of a Superhero, gets its Irish première as the closing film of the Dublin Film Festival.

Death of a Superhero has already won an audience and jury prize at the European film festival Les Arcs and will receive an American release in April. Fitzgibbon was drawn to the story, based on Anthony McCarten’s book of the same name, because of the central idea of “this kid who has a very intense attitude towards life because he knows every minute is precious because he’s ill.”

The film stars Andy Serkis (he of Gollum in the Lord of

the Rings trilogy and Rise of the Planet of the Apes fame) who Fitzgibbon describes as a phenomenal actor. “A lot of what he’s done in the past has this extraordinary primal energy so I was encouraging him to think about stillness and silence.

I think he relished it because he doesn’t get to do it often.”

Fitzgibbon likes to juggle projects and is currently working on a TV series, Threesome, for Comedy Central and a BBC project called Vexed. “All the directors I admire do a lot of different things. Someone like Michael Winterbottom would do a light comedy, followed by dark tragic story and a bit of television. You have to be like that in film, keep yourself fresh and open and not settle into a pattern.”

Death of a Superhero closes the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival at The Savoy cinema on Sunday, February 26; jdiff.com.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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Andrew Lowe, producer Andrew Lowe was, perhaps, not the most obvious candidate for a career in film. He studied languages at Trinity College, Dublin, around the same time that the Irish film industry was taking off in the early 1990s with films such as Neil Jordan’s The Crying Game and Jim Sheridan’s My Left Foot. After attending a talk by a producer, he was inspired to pursue a career in film, and so spent the next three years training to be ... a chartered accountant. He managed to work as an accountant on film productions, which gave him an insight into how films are financed from start to finish.

After two years as head of business affairs for the Irish Film Board, he set up Element Pictures with Ed Guiney (formerly of Temple Films). Their first film was The Magdalene Sisters, which won the Golden Lion in

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Venice, followed by The Wind That Shakes the Barley, which won the Palme D’Or in Cannes.

When they saw how well Pathé did distributing that film in Ireland, they set up a distribution arm and films such as Garage, Adam & Paul, and last year’s sleeper hit The Guard, which was recently nominated for nine IFTAs, all followed.

“What I like about the producer role is it’s a business role in a creative industry,” says Lowe. “I knew I wasn’t going to be a writer or a director so it was an opportunity to still be part of a creative process.”

Element Pictures has just reopened, and will run, Dublin’s arthouse cinema, the Light House, for the festival and beyond. “The festival plays a crucial role from an industry perspective. It’s a very important launch pad for Irish film.”

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people

Gráinne Humphreys, festival director Gráinne Humphreys is a vivacious presence, full of chat, bubbling with enthusiasm and a blur of gesticulation.

This is her fifth year as director of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival and she describes putting the programme together as akin to completing a Sudoku puzzle or directing air traffic at Heathrow.

Selecting the 130 films is a finelybalanced art, taking into account Dubliners’ tastes as well as the audience’s appetite for big-ticket talent. “It has to be a film you think will have some resonance with a Dublin audience. That’s the crucial

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thing. My job is to see films around the world but you have to keep an eye on what Irish cinemagoers are going to see. Anyone could have told you that the success of films like The Guard or Bridesmaids is as much about Irish people having an incredible sense of humour as it is about the fact they can embrace a fantastic range of films. The Dublin audience is really smart; they’re not just waiting for the rain to pass or getting through five kilos of popcorn. Film is a real art form to them so you have to think carefully about what you put in the programme ... And

Dublin is so small that if you meet people on the street, they’ll tell you what they think of it.”

Humphreys is aware of her huge responsibility to the domestic film industry.

“We’ve worked really hard to try and find a way of creating an event to bring international stars to Ireland and at the same time send Irish films out to the world.”

As for how she secured this year’s big attraction, Al Pacino, she jokes that she has spent the last three years as a “very polite but very persistent international host/stalker”.

Padraic Delaney, actor Padraic Delaney is perhaps best known to Irish audiences for his turn in the RTÉ television drama Raw, but his roles vary from George Boleyn in the international blockbuster TV series The Tudors to Teddy O’Sullivan in Ken Loach’s award-winning feature The Wind That Shakes the Barley.

Delaney, now 34, was a latecomer to acting and says his distinct lack of experience in amateur theatre was an advantage when he started the Drama and Theatre Studies course at the Samuel Beckett Centre in Trinity College Dublin. “I was more open to trying out new things.”

For someone who describes himself as “much happier in the lower-budget end of the Indie market”, he has had remarkably big-budget experience to date. While upcoming

films include a role in Indie writer Lenny Abrahamson’s take on Kevin Power’s controversial book, Bad Day at Blackrock, his latest film, Blackthorn, a western based on Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, co-stars big hitters Stephen Rea and Sam Shepard.

“I learned lots from Stephen. He would just do something in his approach to a scene and I would think, I didn’t know you were allowed to do that. It’s dream-come-true stuff. If you told me ten years ago that I’d be working with Sam Shepard – who I was studying at the time – I’d have told you to get lost.”

Blackthorn screens at Cineworld at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival on Saturday, February 25; jdiff.com.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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Kate McCullough, cinematograper, director of photography For those not familiar with the mysterious task of a cinematographer, award-winning director of photography Kate McCullough defines it simply as interpreting a director’s story using the tools of photography.

“The director is all about what they’re saying and I’m more about how it’s said. There’s something exciting about being able to order the world in such a way through the frame.”

McCullough studied film at the Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Co Dublin, having changed her mind at the last minute about taking a photography course. “I got scared of the idea of working on my own.”

Initially, she wasn’t sure if she had made the right decision. “I was quite shy. There were only about three girls in the class so I felt quite intimidated to pick up the camera.”

McCullough is now highly respected in the industry, having won the World Cinema Cinematography Award (together with Michael Lavelle) for the heartwarming documentary His & Hers at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. “I think ultimately the best thing about making

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films is somebody coming up to you and saying, ‘I came out of the film and something changed in my head’, as with His & Hers where people said, ‘I went home and told my mum that I loved her.’ For that hour and a half you’ve somehow gone through another world, you’ve stepped in and you can step back out again but you take a little bit of that world with you.”

McCullough recently worked on a documentary about the life of Nuala O’Faolain, called Nuala, which will première at the Dublin Film Festival and be screened later this year by RTÉ. It sees broadcaster Marian Finucane interviewing friends of the late writer. On top of that, her short film Cluck has just been nominated for an IFTA (Irish Film & Television Awards). It’s clear the sky’s the limit for this young film-maker.

Kate McCullough’s documentary, Nuala, screens at the Light House cinema at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival on Saturday, February 25; jdiff.com.

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KEHOES

9 South Anne, Dublin 2 Tel: 01 6778312

Situated off Dublin’s premier shopping street, Grafton Street. This is one of the finest, if not the finest, Victorian pub in Dublin. Although it is unchanged since 19th century, this is not a museum, it is a buzzing vibrant pub with a fantastic atmosphere and a special place in the heart of Dubliners. This is a must see.

THE STAGS HEAD

1 Dame Court, Dublin 1 Tel: 01 6793687

Established in the 1700’s, it was last renovated in 1895 and was the first pub in Dublin to change from gas lighting to electricity. A favourite haunt for those in the literary world including Joyce and Kavanagh over the years.

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THE QUAYS

11-12 Temple Bar, Dublin 1 Tel: 01 6713922 The Quays, Temple Bar situated in the heart of Temple Bar is one of Dublin’s liveliest pubs with a great mix of locals and tourists. Live Irish Traditional Music everyday makes the pub a magnet for those of us looking for a bit of craic and with a restaurant on the first floor.

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Quay Street, Galway Tel: 091 568347 The Quays, situated in the heart of Galway city and established in the 1600’s, it has kept the charm which gained it an international reputation for its traditional Irish music sessions.

Traditional Irish fare, the best of music and the 'craic' are the order of the day.

� 190 bedrooms � Amazing Wedding packages available Newlands Cross, Dublin 22. Tel: 01 403 3300 Email: stay@louisfitzgeraldhotel.com www.louisfitzgeraldhotel.com

AN POITIN STIL

JOELS RESTAURANT

Award winning thatched Restaurant & Bar with its own Stil and quirky museum. An Poitin Stil is one of Ireland’s Most Famous Pubs.

Modern and bright, Joels is one of Dublin’s livliest dining venues, with an extensive menu catering for almost every taste.

Rathcoole, Co. Dublin Tel: 01 4589244

Naas Rd, Dublin 22 Tel: 01 4592968

A warm welcome awaits you from all the staff at the Louis Fitzgerald Group

www.louisfitzgerald.com

Brenda Fricker is one of the best-known and loved character actors of her generation. She won an Oscar for her role in My Left Foot, and more recently was nominated for an IFTA for her role in the period drama, Albert Nobbs, written

by Glenn Close and John Banville, so it is somewhat surprising to see this doyenne of stage and screen arrive for her photo shoot in a no-frills outfit of T-shirt and jeans, accompanied by Jack, a much-loved dog she rescued.

For her latest film, Cloudburst, she had to gain two stone, playing a blind, ageing lesbian who goes on a road trip to Canada with her partner (Olympia Dukakis) in order to get married. How did she come across the part?

“It was nepotism, if you like. Olympia is a great friend of mine and Thom Fitzgerald wrote the film for her. They were auditioning in New York and Olympia kept saying, ‘the only person who can do this part is Brenda Fricker’.

Eventually Thom invited me.”

Fricker fell in love with the story, a tender portrayal of love.

“It’s a friendship and love story

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between two oul’ wans, two old broads in their seventies, who have been living together for 30 years. You don’t see films about love and old age ever – and never between two women.”

The film is described as “Thelma & Louise if they hadn’t driven off the cliff”, and while it is a love story, Fricker says: “There wasn’t any sex in it. There’s one kiss in it, which is not even sexual, it’s very loving. We bullied the director into changing a few things. He wanted a few more kisses in it and we decided there would just be one and it wouldn’t be sexual, just one of love. I find that scene quite moving.”

Cloudburst opens the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival on Thursday, February 16 at The Savoy cinema; jdiff.com.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Photographed by Linda Brownlee, assisted by Malcolm McGettigan, at Photography Studio, The Mill, Greenmount Avenue, Harold’s Cross, Dublin 12, 01 685 2223; photographystudio.ie. Make-up by Sheana Long, hair by Carolann Moylan; both at Brown Sugar, 50 South William Street, Dublin 2, 01 616 9967; brownsugar.ie.

Brenda Fricker, actress

O

’Neill’s is one of Dublin’s most famous and historic pubs.

Centuries of Dublin history surround the world-renowned O’Neill’s.

Just around the corner from Trinity College, Grafton Street and the Molly Malone Statue, trade has flourished uninterrupted for over 300 years. O’Neill’s is conveniently set in the heart of Dublin.

When you pay us a visit you will receive a warm and friendly welcome and you can enjoy its ageless character, numerous alcoves, snugs, nooks and crannies.

To make your visit as enjoyable as possible we offer you ... ●

Extensive Irish Food Menu and Famous Carvery serving only the finest Irish Meat, Fish and Vegetables

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Traditional Irish Music 7 nights-a-week

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Roof-Top Beer Garden and Smoking Area

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Largest selection of local Irish Craft Beers in Dublin

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Pour Your Own Pint tables

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Free Wi-Fi to all our Customers

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HD and 3D Screens for the Sports Fan with major international league games.

‘Really Good’ Full Irish Breakfast only

€6.95

Only Available Mon-Fri, 8am-11.30am as seen below

M.J. O’Neill Suffolk Street, Dublin 2 Tel. 01 679 3656 www.oneillsbar.com

Mon-Thurs: 8.00am-11.30pm Fri: 8.00am-12.30am Sat: 8.00am-12.30am Sun: 8.00am-11.00pm

interview

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Coming up

s e s o R

Dolores O’Riordan is glad to be back with “the lads” as The Cranberries release their first album of new material in over ten years.

She tells Tony Clayton-Lea why motherhood and life in Canada are so good for her. Photographs by Matthew Thompson.

S

he is the epitome of the word “elfin”, the personification of the word “slight”, but there is nothing fragile about Dolores O’Riordan. When she first started performing with The Cranberries, she would turn her back to the audience or keep her eyes fixed firmly on the floor of the stage. Shy, nervous back then, she has subsequently bloomed into – yes – Ireland’s most successful and steely female rock star.

But what’s this? Almost 25 years of The Cranberries? Who would have thought it possible?

Back in 1989, the quartet from Limerick were the kind of ingénue act that the more seasoned

observers of Irish rock music had thought would wind up operations after a few years and retire to whence they had come from.

Clearly, those observers were wrong; equally clearly, The Cranberries were tougher than perhaps even they themselves had reckoned.

Success came quickly to the band, resulting not only in a fan base that adored them and their music (notably the 1993 debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We), but also media attention, which the band members found difficult to engage with. As is usual in rock and pop bands, the focus was on the lead singer, in this instance a petite, pretty young woman by the name of Dolores

O’Riordan, whose innate durability seemed at odds with the daintiness of the band’s music. It’s fair to say that success rested uneasily on her slim shoulders, yet for a while in the mid-1990s The Cranberries could do no wrong: two further albums, No Need To Argue (1994) and To The Faithful Departed (1996) consolidated their worldwide appeal, making them a major, international rock music success.

The burden of being a successful rock star was bravely (and often publicly) shouldered by O’Riordan, but the way she tells it now – on the cusp of the release of Roses, The Cranberries’ first album of new material in over ten years – it is clear that part of those heady

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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times were not necessarily the best years of her life.

“For anyone who gets so famous so quickly and so young, you’re bound to be a bit of a casualty in some fashion,” says O’Riordan, looking quite the radiant 40-year-old rock star as she holds court, al fresco, at Dublin’s Four Seasons Hotel on an unusually warm winter’s day. (Her bright demeanour is underpinned by melancholy, however, as she is in Ireland for numerous reasons, the most crucial of which is to spend time with her ill father, who died a week after this interview was conducted.) “You go through life, and then you realise that you only live once, and that there are some things you might have lost or gave away when you were young, so you go back to find them.”

And so in September 2003, O’Riordan and the other band members (Noel Hogan, Michael Hogan, Fergal Lawler) decided to put a stop to proceedings. While “the lads” (as O’Riordan calls them) took up the musical equivalent of gardening and tending to their sheds, O’Riordan simply quit and split.

“I took the break and thought at that point that I would never go back to making music, that in my life I needed to find 100 per cent sanity, and that I wanted to be a mother and a wife. I didn’t want to be a famous person, or to be in a band. I didn’t want to have contracts in my life. In short, I needed to find elements of my life that I felt I had lost. I thought I’d start a different life, maybe go back to school; I started painting, as well, which was brilliant, as there was no pressure or pull from people to finish with the canvas. I found it very therapeutic, as well as a great way to pass time and to find myself, to a degree.”

Well, you can take the girl out of music but you can’t take music out of the girl, and so, as the months passed in a quieter, softer swirl of domesticity, motherhood (O’Riordan and her husband, Don Burton, who married in 1994, have three children: a son, Taylor, and two daughters, Molly and Dakota), painting, meditation and a teensy 38 |

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

“I took the break and thought at that point that I would never go back to making music ... that I wanted to be a mother and a wife.” bit of thumb-twiddling, O’Riordan found herself being drawn towards the family piano.

“It unfolded, and just happened,” she says of how the new material began took shape. “There was no great plan or anything like that. It was just that, despite myself, I started writing songs when the children were in school. And then it dawned on me: I knew I had to follow the very thing that I was here to do – write and sing music. And so I fell back into doing it.”

Part of the results of this acceptance were two creatively and commercially underperforming solo albums (Are You Listening? in 2007 and No Baggage two years later) that proved an important point about chemistry and constituent

Photographed at The Four Seaons, Dublin, by Matthew Thompson, make-up by Jennifer Collins.

interview

parts. Rewind to three years ago: when O’Riordan was bestowed with honorary patron status of Trinity College’s Philosophical Society, she and “the lads” clicked back into Cranberries mode. “I was told to stop messing around with the solo albums,” recalls the singer with much amusement. “I was also informed that we’re not getting any younger and that we had to make another album.

“So we got back,” she continues.

“We did the reunion tour and it was really successful. So many shows sold out, which really surprised me. We had taken seven years off from the music, and we had all gone into our own planets, yet when we went back on stage it was as if we had never left. You’d look over at the lads and

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interview

there’s a great chemistry there, and the crowds are there, and it’s as if they never went away, either.”

It seems as if, in the interim between putting The Cranberries on ice and taking them out of the freezer, O’Riordan has gained a stronger degree of self-confidence and belief. True?

She mulls this over for a few seconds before answering. “Well, I’m 40 now, which has been great for me. And, to be honest, I’m very happy with the fact that I have my daughters. I was very hard on myself, as a woman, in that I had thought I should be this weight or that size, and with being famous and young it isn’t just being a woman – it’s being a woman in the public eye. And you know what women are like – we’re bitches. Oh, we’re way bitchier than men – ‘ooh, look at the size of her arse!’ Guys aren’t like that, which is why most of my life I’ve had more male friends than female. It’s easier – it’s like Jekyll and Hyde with women, one face for this and another face for that. We’re deadly!”

Has she found a different side to herself by the age of 40? “It’s the latter, yes, because you get so tired of being on that treadmill,

running and running and trying of snow, but it’s the culture in that to keep up the façade. Come 40, you’re prepared for it, so it’s no you just couldn’t be bothered with problem. It’s freezing, yes, but you stuff like that. And my daughters have the proper clothes for it. And have helped me with that, too, there’s snow ploughs everywhere – in the sense that I’m a role even domestic houses have snow model for them. ploughs in order to shovel the Hear tHe “I’m there to say snow from your drive.” music live to them not to be Does she miss Ireland?

Catch Dolores O’Riordan and shallow or insecure, “Yes, but Ireland for me The Cranberries in concert – and or succumb to the isn’t going anywhere in take a summer break – in Barcelona pressures of society in that it’s always in me. I at Poble Espanyol, on July 9, or the ways that women can fly over and back, in Madrid where they perform are supposed to look, anyway; I miss my family appear or behave. and friends, of course.” at the Palacio Vistalegre, on You have to learn to be It’s time to head inside July 10; tickets available at yourself and be strong – the afternoon temperature thecranberries.com.

– they won’t know unless has taken a sudden dip, and their mother tells them. My this, coupled with the singer’s daughters helped me to realise naturally reflective nature, gives sway that it’s okay to have a bit of a spare to serious considerations. “My saving tyre. Who cares about that – it’s grace, I say it again, is my kids. If I your heart that counts.” didn’t have them, I’m fairly sure I Indeed. O’Riordan and family wouldn’t be here – seriously. When left Ireland several years ago, and you have them you live for them; you now live in a secluded area north of can’t be feeling too sorry for yourself, Toronto. Canada, she says, “is very or worrying about yourself, when you different – there are no off licences! have kids to look after.”

There are lots of Indian reserves, which are lovely and cool. The The Cranberries new album, Roses, wildlife is amazing and the experience is released on February 14. The band generally is out of this world. The undertake an Australian tour from March seasons change dramatically.”

17, and embark on European tour dates Snow? “Buckets of snow, yards from the summer.

DOLOreS O’riOrDAn’S FAvOUrite … … City “I don’t have a favourite city but there are places that I’m very fond of, such as Paris, Dublin, London, Toronto, New York. They all have their own significance and warmth in my life because I’ve lived in different regions.” … reStAUrAnt “I’ve a few favourite restaurants, but one of the best that comes immediately to mind is trattoria Dell’Arte, left (900 Seventh Avenue, between 56th and 57th Streets, New York; 001 212 245 9800; trattoriadellarte.com).

It’s located just across from Carnegie Hall, and has the best pizza I’ve ever tasted. It’s wafer thin, but not too crispy – it’s just amazing.”

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

… BAr “My favourite bar is probably the Black Swan, in Ballybricken, Co Limerick. I grew up in the town, and I remember my grandparents used to go in there – it’s a lovely, small bar.” … BOOKS “When it comes to reading I always like to have a couple on the go at the same time. I’m reading a really good one at the moment – The Weird Sisters, by Eleanor Brown, is one. It’s about three siblings who go back home because their mother has cancer. They all live in a small village, and some start dating guys they haven’t seen in 20 years, so it’s a bit of a laugh. The other book is Tinkers

by Paul Harding; it’s about the death of an old man, and how his

family gather around him in his hour of need.” … MUSiC “When it comes to music, I tend to calm it down a bit. I meditate a lot so I put on relaxation music for that. Other than that, my husband tends to take over the remote control. I try to put on Morrissey but it’s no good, he just can’t be listened to! Instead, it’s metal, and to be fair there’s some great stuff I’m hearing from the likes of Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin.

It isn’t all heavy, though, as I’m also listening to a Canadian singer-songwriter called Marshall Dane, who reminds me of a young Garth Brooks – really excellent. Oh – and I love Sarah McLachlan’s music, too.”

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LORRETTA BRENNAN GLUCKSMAN, CHAIRPERSON, AMERICAN IRELAND FUND ‘... inspires us to connect with the light within, creating more peace and joy in our lives.’

ROMA DOwNEy, ACTRESS (Touched by an Angel) AND MARK BURNETT, TV PRODUCER (The Apprentice) ‘brings beauty and nature together with simple elegance.’

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gourmet waterford

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Wild and Green

From foraging for fungi to the bliss of the blaa – there’s plenty to keep foodies happy in Waterford and its environs. Food critic and Deise girl Aingeala Flannery goes back to her roots to sample the best of the region. Photographs by Anthony Woods.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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GOURMET WATERFORD

STAY AT ...

T

he word is out: Waterford is the hottest place to eat in Ireland. After so many years in the ha’penny place, the so-called Deise has made the meteoric leap from frumpy to fashionable – seemingly overnight, when nobody was looking. These days every second person I meet quizzes me about the best places to eat in Waterford. Why wouldn’t they? I am, after all, a food critic – and, more importantly, a Deise girl.

What I try to impress upon them is that Waterford has always had a distinct food culture that strongly supported local producers, long before it was fashionable to do so. When I was a child there in the 1970s, if your father didn’t work for Waterford Crystal (or “the glass factory”, as it was known locally),

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The Cliff House Hotel – For a splurge to be remembered. Gorgeous location, the luxurious rooms with Irish artwork have floor to ceiling glass windows overlooking Ardmore Bay, private balconies, terraces and verandas. Midweek overnight stays with Michelin-starred dinner from €350 per couple. Ardmore, Co Waterford. From €100 pps inc B&B; 024 87800; thecliffhousehotel.com Hanora’s Cottage – A favourite among walkers and bird spotters in the Nire Valley, with comfortable, well-furnished rooms, pretty views and a Eurotoques chef in the kitchen. Great for relaxation.

Ballymacarbry, Co Waterford. Two nights’ accommodation from €150 inc From top, mist B&B, packed lunch and dinners; rising on the 052 6136134; hanorascottage.com Blackwater river, Richmond House – A lovingly restored chef Martijn Kajuiter of the 18th-century country house and now Michelin-starred a boutique hotel and a favourite with Cliff House Hotel; Irish gourmets who want a break from gourmet and city life. Rooms have views of beautiful Deise girl Aingeala grounds. Cappoquin, Co Waterford.

Flannery.

From €50 pp B&B; 058 54278; richmondhouse.net The Tannery Townhouse – Contemporary boutique GLASS ACT accommodation from Is Waterford Crystal the €55pps – perfect for country’s most popular wedding couples on a weekend break. Have a lie-in present? See for yourself how the and freshly baked molten crystal is blown and shaped pastries and coffee on the factory tour in Waterford city. will be brought to your Fascinating stuff. House of Waterford room. Dungarvan, Co Crystal, The Mall, 051 317 000; Waterford. From €100 waterfordvisitorcentre.com pps, incl dinner, B&B; 058 45420; tannery.ie Waterford Castle – Romantic and grand accommodation in large antique-filled rooms, but with all modern conveniences. The island location adds to the magic. Perfect he worked for Clover Meats or the for golfers, or for families – with 3 to 4 creamery. Most of the men in our bedroom castle lodges also available family fished for salmon on the for rent. Rates start from €69pps for River Suir, but their catch wasn’t a standard room – pay a little more for eating – it was for selling, to and you’ll be swept off your feet. The restaurants and the local well-to-do.

Island, Ballinakill, Waterford, 051 878 Offal was big in Waterford: 203; waterfordcastle.com liver, tongue and tripe. Cheap, SELF-CATERING Beautiful country nutritious cuts that were in plentiful house accommodation in a dramatic supply because of the meat industry. location. Keenly priced at €305-€750 a Corned beef was popular too – as week. Dromana House, Villierstown, was bacon, which was often “hairy”.

Co Waterford, 024 96144; But you wouldn’t complain for fear dromanahouse.com of being sent to eat in your auntie’s

house, where there could be half a

Guided Factory Tour, Opulent Retail Store featuring the largest collection of the world’s most coveted name in crystal.

House of Waterford Crystal The Mall, Waterford City, Ireland Call: +353 (0)51 317 000 E: houseofwaterfordcrystal@wwrd.com www.waterfordvisitorcentre.com

GOURMET WATERFORD Right, foodie heroes – Paul Flynn of The Tannery, and below, from top, Tom Dalton and Cormac O’Dwyer of Dungarvan Ale; Agnes and Wolfgang Schleibitz of Knockalara Cheese; Crinnaghtaun’s Julie Keane; Conor Lannen of the Country Store; and for the perfect plate to serve it on – Mary Lincoln of Ardmore Pottery.

Paul Flynn’s Little Black Book Anna Leveque Cheese – This young Frenchwoman, who is based at Killowen Orchards in Portlaw, is a rising star among artisan food producers. Her Triskel goat’s cheese is a must-buy. 086 074 4534 The Country Store – A great little shop that stocks not just fruit and veg, but a wide range of artisan foods including the locally produced Baldwin’s Farmhouse Ice-cream from a dairy herd in nearby Knockanore. Also check out Eunice Power’s baked goods, chutneys and fresh readystuff.. meals. Brilliant stuff Dungarvan, 058 43061; thecountrystore.ie Crinnaghtaun Apple Juice – Look out for the pretty label. This juice, made from Julia Keane’s own apple orchards, is traditionally pressed, golden in colour and cloudy. Crinnaghtaun is used by top chefs and sold in the best delicatessens throughout Ireland. Cappoquin, Co Waterford, 058 54258; irishapplejuice.com

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Dungarvan Brewing – A fantastic operation, its beers are stocked in pubs across Waterford and beyond. In the Tannery, Black Rock stout is used for braised ox cheeks and mussels are cooked with Copper Coast red ale.

058 24000; dungarvan brewingcompany.com Knockalara Cheese – Wolfgang and Agnes Schliebitz in Cappoquin are world-class cheesemakers.

Their award-winning ewe’s milk cheese – handmade from their own Friesland flock – is simply unbeatable.

024 96326 M&D Bakery – Bakes brilliant traditional blaas; ones made with seaweed (sourced from Nicholas Paul in Waterford’s Ring Gaeltacht) were served during last summer’s Tall Ships festival. Mount Sion Avenue, Waterford City, 051 378 080 Mary Lincoln Pottery – For gourmet visitors who want to bring home a piece of Waterford. Mary Lincoln’s cool blue and green pottery will beautify any dinner table. The Cliff, Ardmore, 024 94152; ardmorepottery.com

pig’s head or a pot of crubeens (pigs’ feet) bubbling on the range. It was said in Waterford that the only part of the pig you didn’t eat was the squeal. And that was true.

Potatoes – Kerr’s Pinks and Golden Wonders – were bought in four-stone bags, from a farm gate in Mooncoin. It wouldn’t have occurred to us to buy mushrooms, when you could pick them for nothing in a field. Likewise, a bought apple never tasted as good as one stolen from a tree. These are just some of the things you take for granted when you grow up around cows and orchards. And then there was Bubble-Up – a fizzy lemon and lime soda sold everywhere in Waterford, but unheard of anywhere else in Ireland.

Yet nothing – not even a chilled bottle of Bubble-Up – came close to a blaa. The native bread roll with a name that only locals knew how to spell. For hundreds of years, the people of Waterford have eaten blaas. Depending on the baker, they can be soft or crusty, but are always floury with a stretchy, chewy texture. Among the locals, there is

Left, artisan breads at Dungarvan farmers’ market and, above, Barbara Grubb and Emily Villiers Stuart of Dromona House, near Cappoquin, a stunning self-catering option set high above the Blackwater River.

great debate about the provenance and quality of blaas. Everybody has a favourite – be they “townie” blaas from Hickeys, Kilmacow blaas from Harneys, or Cappoquin blaas from Barron’s. What is unanimous though is: blaas are best eaten straight from the oven – and a blaa should never travel outside Waterford, because it contains no preservatives and will spoil and turn stale within hours.

I did not know that only Waterford people ate blaas until we moved to Dublin when I was ten years old. The mere utterance of the word “blaa” seemed provincial and ridiculous, so I didn’t talk about them – or about Bubble Up. Years later, when I began writing about food, my sense of country gaucheness was replaced with a sense of pride about where we came from. It was pure pleasure to rediscover my childhood home, to see how much it had changed and how much of value it had held on to. Forever playing second fiddle to the neighbouring counties of Cork and Kilkenny when it came to sport and culture, Waterford had

quietly, but solidly, become a wellkept secret among foodies with an appetite for artisan, local produce.

It began in Dungarvan, when Paul Flynn, now a well-known name among Irish gourmands, set up The Tannery Restaurant in 1997.

“Some people thought we were mad,” he recalls. “Imagine opening a restaurant in an old leather factory opposite a derelict house in a stinky part of town, but word of mouth got around and people were willing to travel to eat our food.”

Dungarvan today is a magnet for visiting foodies. The Tannery has been recognised with a Michelin Bib Gourmand and now houses a cookery school. Modest to the end, Flynn believes the town’s biggest gourmet draw is its weekly farmers’ market, because, he says, it has created a community for local

eat. Another big hit is Nude Food, where Louise Clark serves the best lamb burgers you’re likely to eat.

Quality is surely contagious because even the pubs in Dungarvan serve topnotch grub. Check out Queally’s, and Merry’s, both of which stock beers from the local Dungarvan Brewery: Copper Coast red ale, Black Rock stout and Helvick Gold blonde ale.

Heading southwest from Dungarvan, you will come to the pretty fishing village of Ardmore, where the White Horses restaurant serves the finest pastries and homemade desserts around. As you ascend the cliff towards the ancient ruins of St Declan’s Cell and Holy Well, you encounter the wonderfully located Cliff House Hotel, whose restaurant holds the country’s only Michelin star outside Dublin. Intrepid Irish foodies travel to chef Martijn Kajuiter’s table for his tasting menu. Expect monkfish and crab from Helvick Head, Ballynatray pigeon, and Black Angus beef, from Lismore butcher Michael McGrath.

North of Ardmore, you’ll cross the beautiful River Blackwater into historic Lismore, dominated by the spectacular Lismore Castle, erstwhile home of the greatest potato peddler of them all – Sir Walter Raleigh. Tucked away on the Main Street you’ll find O’Brien Chophouse, a gorgeously informal restaurant that does all it can to

rford Festival of Food runs Don’t miss – the southeast’s foodie festivals! the Wate Festival of Food April 12-15; waterfordfestivaloffood.com and the Wexford runs may 20-22; wexfordfoodfestival.ie. producers such as Barnawee Foods and Knockalara cheesemakers Wolfgang and Agnes Schliebitz. For artisan producers, there’s strength in numbers.

There seems to be a gourmet shop or café at every turn in Dungarvan. Tara Breen’s bakery keeps the townsfolk sweet with her legendary passion cake, while the Country Store is a cornucopia for locals who care about what they

promote local producers. If you like their style, the owners of the Chophouse, Justin and Jenny Green, also own Ballyvolane House just over the Cork border – it has quite the loveliest bathrooms you’ll find in an Irish country house.

Here’s a well-kept secret for visitors who like to self-cater: from Lismore, head for nearby Cappoquin and Villierstown, where you can rent a wing of FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

| 47

GOURMET WATERFORD John de Bromhead of Downes pub in Waterford city, which even bottles its own whiskey.

Dromana House, perched high above the meandering Blackwater and surrounded by forest. Dromana has everything you need for gourmet self-sufficiency. Down in Cappoquin village, you can buy blaas from the much loved Barron’s bakery, while the town’s Supervalu is inclined to support cottage industries by stocking, among other things, apple tarts and jams that are locally made.

Heading east towards Waterford city, you’ll pass verdant pasture.

Creamery trucks and cows have the right of way here, but keep an eye out also for orchards, and for

Kilmacthomas, which is home to Flahavan’s porridge – a staple on the Irish breakfast table for generations.

Before you hit the city, check out the under-appreciated (some would say shabby) Victorian resort town of Tramore; buy fish and chips from Dooley’s on the Prom, and eat them on the slip that leads onto the town’s famed golden strand. At the far end of the beach, there’s the T-Bay Surf Café, which is popular with locals for good coffee and cake. Vinophiles will appreciate Florrie’s fine wine shop on the Newtown Road as you head for the Gillameen Cove. And if you happen to be in Tramore after 9pm,

DON’T MISS ...

Esther and Joe Barron of Barron’s Bakery

Justin Green of O’Brien Chophouse

SHOP AT ...

Ardkeen Quality Food Store, Dunmore Road, Waterford, 051 874 620; ardkeen.com Barron’s Bakery & Coffee House, Cappoquin, Co Waterford, 058 54045; barronsbakery.ie The Country Store, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, 058 43061; thecountrystore.ie Florrie’s Fine Wines, Newtown Road, Tramore, Co Waterford, 051 393 582 M&D Bakery, Mount Sion Avenue, Waterford, 051 378 080 Michael McGrath, Butcher, Lismore, Co Waterford, 058 54350 FARMERS’ MARKETS Ardkeen Producers’ Market,

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second and fourth Sunday of every month; ardkeen.com Dungarvan Farmers’ Market, every Thursday; dungarvanfarmersmarket.com EAT AT ...

L’Atmosphere – A warm and welcoming restaurant with faultless service and authentic French cooking that doesn’t miss a beat (Henrietta Street, Waterford, 051 858 426; restaurant-latmosphere.com).

The Cliff House – Michelinstarred restaurant with a tasting menu that attracts gourmet guests from across Ireland (€85 – add €40 for wine pairing).

Beautiful location overlooking Ardmore Bay (Ardmore, Co Waterford, 024 87800;

thecliffhousehotel.com).

O’Brien Chophouse – Expect a nicely decorated, mid-priced restaurant with top-shelf cooking. Local producers are strongly supported, while fruit, veg and eggs all come from the owners’ country house, Ballyvolane (Lismore, Co Waterford, 058 53810; obrienchophouse.ie).

The Tannery – For exceptional cooking from Paul Flynn, alongside keenly priced locally sourced food. Stylish accommodation in the Tannery Townhouse is also a draw (Dungarvan, Co Waterford, 058 45420; tannery.ie).

GOOD FOR LUNCH Harlequin Café & Wine Bar – Small and basic looking, but keen prices and authentic Italian food. (Stephen Street, Waterford, 051 877 552; harlequin-cafe.com).

The Lemon Tree does good home-cooked ready meals (Dunmore East, Co Waterford; lemontreecatering.ie).

Nude Food – A quirky café, excellent affordable food.

Loved by locals (O’Connell Street, Dungarvan, 058 24594; nudefood.ie).

White Horses – A busy restaurant with a great line in desserts (Ardmore, Co Waterford, 024 94040).

PUB GRUB McAlpin’s Suir Inn – Another good spot for lunch. Seafood pie and huge traditional desserts (Cheekpoint, Co Waterford, 051 382 220; mcalpins.com).

Merry’s Gastropub – Top notch pub grub. Try the local brew – Copper Coast Ale (Dungarvan, Co Waterford, 058 24488; merrys.ie).

Rocketts of the Metal Man – Traditional local food – corned beef and cabbage is good (Tramore, Co Waterford, 051 381 496) The Spinnaker – For great seafood (Dunmore East, Co Waterford, 051 383 133; thespinnakerbar.com).

BEST PINT Henry Downes Pub, 8-10 Thomas Street, Waterford, 051 874 118 Geoff’s Café Bar, 8-9 St John Street, Waterford, 051 874 787 Power’s Public House, Queen Street, Tramore, Co Waterford, 051 381 617

For show & shuttle bus from city centre.

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the best place for a pint is the tiny Power’s pub; you’ll not find a truer character than the landlady Martha.

Another popular seaside town is Dunmore East, where regular visitors like to sun themselves outside the Spinnaker Bar, while tucking into a bowl of Ballyhack mussels – although the seafood chowder is pretty unbeatable. Worth a visit too is The Lemon Tree, a café that extends its opening hours in tourist season and does a brisk trade in homemade ready-meals. They also run the upstairs café at The Theatre Royal on The Mall in Waterford City.

Due north from Dunmore East, you’ll find the village of Passage

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Left, Cora Donnelly of Ardkeen Stores where small local producers get pride of place.

Right, the rich pasturelands of Cappoquin.

East from where you can take a 15-minute car ferry across the Suir Estuary to Ballyhack in Co Wexford. Aside from the beautiful scenery, the big draw here for gourmet visitors is Kevin Dundon’s awardwinning Dunbrody House in Arthurstown. Just up the road in Duncannon is the lesser-known and immensely stylish Aldridge Lodge, whose chef Billy Whitty is revered by Irish food critics for his modern, imaginative cooking and

strong support of local producers.

And finally to Waterford city, which is home to the best independent supermarket in the country – Ardkeen Quality Food Store. Small, quality brands that struggle to get a look in at larger supermarket chains are given pride of place on Ardkeen’s shelves.

A fishmonger, a butcher, a Sheridan’s cheese counter, wine, flowers, delicious, fresh-made ready meals and desserts – Ardkeen has it all. But what makes it so special is an ethos that celebrates and promotes the best local producers.

If you’re looking to eat out in Waterford city there is no shortage of restaurants, but the one that stands head and shoulders above the rest is L’Atmosphere – a dreary name for an outstanding restaurant that serves authentic French country cooking. Speaking of authenticity – proper oldstyle Irish pubs are something of an endangered species but Waterford city is home to one of the finest: Henry Downes Bar, which is run by the well-known horse-breeding family, the de Bromheads. As well as bottling its own whiskey (Downes No.9), this venerable establishment has its own squash court and holy well. It has been around for more than 250 years – and looks its age.

But Downes – like a floury blaa stuffed with Ballybeg ham – makes no apologies for being what it is: Waterford to the core.

GOOD FOOD IN GOOD SPIRIT Supporting and encouraging small producers of quality food products of quality food products

View our range of Fine Food Gifts & Hampers online at www.ardkeen.com Ardkeen Quality Food Store, Dunmore Road, Waterford.

Ardkeen Quality Food Store, Tel: 051 874620 www.ardkeen.com Dunmore Road, Waterford.

Tel: 051 874620 www.ardkeen.com

Madrid

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012 2012 52 | FEBRUARY/MARCH

Spanish Gold

Life in Madrid is a whirl of great tapas bars, superb live music and a social life that never tires. New arrival Ingmar Kiang finds that Madrileños don’t just work hard, they play hard too.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012 | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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Madrid

about anywhere in 20 minutes.

The Puerta del Sol is, quite literally, the centre of the city, Previous pages, the and of the country: it houses the he offer came out of the statue of Felipe III “kilometre zero” marker, from blue. It was only a shortstands in one of which all distance measurements are term contract, but the Madrid’s central work was interesting and squares, Plaza made in Spain. Nearby, the elevated it was a chance to get to Mayor. This page, statue of Carlos III on horseback is know a beautiful city. What wasn’t left, the Real Basilica a default meeting point for locals. de San Francisco Radiating from Sol is a patchwork to like? If things went well, I could El Grande and, even move there permanently. right, the colourful of districts – barrios – each with And so I jumped on a plane, facades of Calle de their own attractions and flavour, Segovia, both in hip each within easy reach of the other. and flew into Madrid’s blistering La Latina. Above, The scale of the town centre makes summer heat, carrying little more new arrival Ingmar it very user-friendly for visitors, as it than a toothbrush and credit card.

Kiang discovers the is all crammed into an area smaller The search for accommodation joy of hanging out, forced me into a crash-course in Madrid-style. than, for example, Dublin between the canals.

Madrid’s geography. The city is To the south, La Latina is huge – the third largest in cool and funky, home to the EU, with a population DAYTRIP Calle Cava Baja, a street greater than the whole Northwards, a short journey crammed with restaurants of Ireland’s. It is a and bars teeming labyrinth of wide from Chamartin station brings you with life at all hours. avenues intersecting to Cercedilla, a picturesque town in Beyond that, Lavapies, at elegant plazas, the Guadarrama mountains. Popular as a home to many interspersed with starting point for hikers, and as a pit-stop for ethnic communities. apartment-lined trippers making their way to Navacerrada Northwards, the “gay streets, but easily via the famously olde-worlde narrow district” of Chueca has navigable, thanks gauge railway, the area even offers yet more bars and clubs, largely to the excellent regular skiing during the and this theme extends Metro. Efficient, clean winter months. to neighbouring barrios. and inexpensive, Madrid’s Apparently there are more underground system puts restaurants and bars in Madrid those of London, Paris and New than in the whole of Belgium – all York to shame, and can get you just

T

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catering to the local pastime which is, essentially, hanging out.

Madrileños take their hanging out seriously, and like to refer to themselves as gatos – cats who come out at night. It’s an appropriate metaphor. They rarely entertain at home, preferring to go out to meet up for drinks, eventually sitting down to dinner around 10pm. Such hours are not just for the hip young things: you’ll often see three generations of a family finishing a meal after midnight, and a happy cause-and-effect of having grandparents and niños about at all hours is that Madrid’s streets feel, and are, very safe.

On any given night, central areas will be thronged, and the partying will continue until the not-so-small hours. Much has been made of the relaxed attitude to alcohol enjoyed in France, Italy and Spain, and Madrid’s drinking culture is no exception.

The locals drink, and drink quite a lot, all the time – yet nobody seems to get obscenely drunk. Beer, aka cerveza (pronounced ther-baytha), is available everywhere, even in McDonald’s and Burger King.

“Shorts”, and I use the term advisedly (they’re actually called “long drinks” here), are a different story: a gin and tonic or rum ’n’ Coke will set you back at least €7 – but the measures are hand-poured and invariably generous, usually equivalent to at least a triple. Beware.

Come the morning after the night before, the people here get back to work with an almost Teutonic zeal: it’s an exhausting schedule, and I quickly came to appreciate the value

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MADRID

3 MUST DOS

1

GET ONBOARD The obvious but very good place to start is with an open-topped bus that takes you on a panoramic tour of the city (madrid-tourist-guide.com), along two possible routes. Tickets give you access to both itineraries, for one or two days, and you can hop on and off at will. Running from the south side of Sol, you get to see all the major sights – the Palacio Real, the museums, Estadio Bernabeu, etc – and a few of the lesser-known spots.

GET CULTURED Rated by many experts as the world’s best art collection, the “Golden Triangle” formed by the Prado, Thyssen and Reina Sofia museums constitute Madrid´s biggest tourist attraction. The most famous of the trio, the Prado (museodelprado.es), houses works by Spanish masters Velazquez, Goya and El Greco, plus a huge Flemish/Dutch collection, featuring paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck, Brueghel and Bosch – including bedsit-poster favourites such as “The Garden of Earthly Delights” and “The Seven Deadly Sins”.

Originally a private collection, the Thyssen-Bornemisza (museothyssen. org) covers the few bases the Prado misses, and also boasts a major collection of 1960s pop art, while the Reina Sofia (museoreinasofia.es) concentrates on modern abstract works. Entrance tickets are available for each museum individually, or all three collectively – though attempting to “do” the lot in one day requires serious stamina.

GET IN THE SWIM Compensating for its lack of a beach, Madrid has plenty of beautifully maintained pools, most of which are run by the city council, accessible for less than a fiver. The best, and most popular by far, is at the edge of the Casa de Campo – the nearest Metro stop being Lago.

It’s a good, old-fashioned Lido, complete with a terrace overlooking the water, changing rooms, outdoor showers and a large, well-kept area for sunbathing and picnicking. Be prepared for huge crowds during high season, especially at weekends.

2

3

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Above, Madrid is a party town and cafés and tapas bars, right, are the best places for a visitor to sample the culture.

of a siesta. Statistics have shown that Madrileños work longer hours, and get less sleep, than anyone else in Europe. These simple facts speak volumes about the lifestyle and attitudes of the population: they don’t know when to stop.

Because while Madrid is indeed a party town, it also boasts the third highest GDP of any city in the EU. The city’s work ethic is even reflected in its diet: despite living about as far from the sea as is possible in mainland Europe, Madrileños are crazy – and I mean loco – about fish and seafood. They want the very best, the very freshest, and so every night convoys of juggernauts have to race hundreds of miles from the coast to meet demand. The end result is the daily availability of the best fish, prawns, shrimps, squid, octopus, mussels and sea urchins imaginable, which bizarrely makes land-locked Madrid a genuinely worthwhile seafood destination.

Madrid’s other great gastronomic passion is for ham, ranging from the cheap-and-cheerful blanco to the eye-wateringly expensive ibérico.

The latter is made from free-range pigs fed on chestnuts, and a nothuge portion can cost more than €20. Tourists and Madrileños alike love the Museo del Jamón, a chain of standing-only bars thick with the salty smoky tang of hundreds of hanging hams, which was

established to celebrate the local product and counteract the spread of American fast-food joints.

Then, of course, there’s tapas, which can be delicious but occasionally baffling. The word itself is a generic term covering anything from a few olives to a full-blown meat and sauce semi-dinner. To add to the confusion, some bars will serve a little tapa with every drink, free of charge; others don’t. And remember, never order tapas as such: it’s like asking a waiter for “food”.

Menus can be hazardous, as there’s much less differentiation between starters and main courses than at home. However, many dishes are available in two sizes – racione and portione – small and large respectively.

Although Spain ruled much of South America for centuries, the

the Monastery of El Escorial, just 50km northwest of Madrid, is well worth a daytrip.

Eat at ...

taberna txakoli (Calle Cava Baja 26, 0034 913 664 877) is a small, incredibly noisy, standing-only Basque tapas bar, selling pinchos – substantial tapas held together with a cocktail stick. Each costs about €3, and wouldn’t be out of place in a Michelin-starred restaurant.

La Consentida (Calle Hernani 53, 0034 915 336 216) is a typical local, homely restaurant and bar, run by a husband and wife team.

She does the cooking, he complains about working 364 days a year. The lighting is bright (as it is everywhere here), the Madrileño food authentic, specialising in fresh fish, and a mean rabo de toro.

A dazzling range of the world’s best cheeses can be found in the über cool surroundings of the Poncelet Cheese Bar (Calle Jose Abascal 61, 0034 913 992 550; ponceletcheesebar.es). A novel, but strangely memorable experience.

Mercado de San Miguel (Plaza San Miguel, 0034 915 424 936) is a beautiful, recently refurbished turn-of-the-century market, housing dozens of outlets selling snack food from around the world. Sample some local ham, then bring your glass of wine to the next counter for a skewer of chicken yakatori. Open until midnight most days, and until 2am, Thurs-Sat. Certified as the oldest restaurant in the world by the Guinness Book of Records, and a favourite of Goya and Hemingway, the food at Botín (Calle de los Cuchilleros 17, 0034 913 664 217; botin.es) is good, though the signature dish of suckling pig is bested by the lamb. Highly touristic, so be prepared for perfunctory service, and musicians performing Y Viva Espana, without irony.

StaY at ...

SPLURGE A baroque landmark at the heart of the “Golden Triangle” art district, Hotel Ritz was built in 1910 on the orders of King Alfonso XIII, to help Madrid compete with London and Paris as a great European city. Nowadays, it’s a favourite of Pedro Almodovar. Rooms from €280; Plaza de la Lealtad 5, 0034 917 016 767; ritzmadrid.com. abalu Hotel is a masterpiece of interior design and a luxury stopover. Centrally-located just 200 metres from Gran Via, the hotel offers in-room massage and spa services, and each room features a unique combination of designer furniture and quality artworks. Rooms from €125; Calle Pez 19, 0034 915 314 744; hotelabalu.com.

MIDPRICE A mix of modern four-star luxury

El Rastro Flea Market (Plaza de Cascorro in a classic setting, ME Madrid (formerly and Ribera de Curtidores) is held every the Grand Hotel Reina Victoria) boasts a Sunday and on public holidays, with huge spectacular rooftop terrace bar, and a great crowds arriving early (it starts to wind down location too – just a minute or two from Sol. from 2pm onwards) to trawl through stalls Rooms are luxurious, though not huge – tip: selling everything from antiques and trinkets ask for a room on an upper floor, which will to clothes and CDs, before stopping off give you a view of one of Madrid´s prettiest for lunch in one of many local restaurant/ squares. Rooms from €152; Plaza Santa Ana bars. Though actual bargains are few and 14, 0034 902 144 440; memadrid.com. far between, it’s a Madrid institution and a BUDGEt There are 40 spotlessly clean magnet for locals and tourists. Note: and efficiently run branches of NH it’s a magnet for pickpockets too.

Hotels (three- to four-star) in Yes, it’s just a department various locations in Madrid store, but with over a – the default choice for Living History hundred huge outlets business travellers and Just 50km northwest of in the country, visitors on a budget.

Madrid, the 16th century palace Corte Ingles Prices vary; of Felipe II, the Monastery of El (there are three nh-hotels.com.

Escorial, is the perfect daytrip for history in Madrid alone) buffs and architecture lovers (there’s an is an operation SHOP at ... architecture museum in the basement, of mind-boggling Calle Serrano is the complete with the original budget and proportions. You city’s best-known tools). A 50 minute bus journey can get anything affluent shopping here – from phone thoroughfare, rivalling (from Moncloa). Adults, €10; credit to a fur coat, a anything London or sanlorenzoturismo.org. computer or a car – even Paris can offer. All the top insurance for your car. The international brands such basement supermarkets are also as Dolce e Gabbana and Gucci the best in Madrid, and offer a particularly are either here or along Calle Ortega good selection of hams, cheeses and wines. y Gasset. You’ll also find many smaller The barrio of triball (near metro Gran boutiques selling the work of lesser-known Via) was run-down and awash with – but equally expensive – local designers. petty crime until 2008, when a business A pleasant, pedestrianised street running consortium set out to gentrify the area, north from Gran Via, Calle Fuencarral offering cheap rents to artists, designers, houses a mix of international brand restaurateurs and retail entrepreneurs. franchises and local outlets. Teens and Their work has been hugely successful twenty-somethings love the Fuencarral and this arty triangle has become a Market – a mish-mash of industrial design, hotspot for the trendy and alternative the latest fashions, gifts and cosmetics, – a model for future urban regeneration complete with an in-store DJ, piercing and schemes. tattooing bars, and a surrealist hairdresser’s.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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PhoTogRAPh ©TuReSPAÑA

Madrid

Latin culture of chili con carne, jalapenos, etc, has had zero influence on Madrid’s menus, so if you need a spice hit you’ll have to go ethnic.

These grumbles aside, the food in Madrid is beautiful, with an emphasis on home-cooked simplicity and quality ingredients, rather than cheffiness. The city’s signature dish, rabo de toro – oxtail slowly cooked in red wine – is a case in point, usually served with pride and enthusiasm, and a real treat for any meat lover.

Meanwhile, locally grown fruits and vegetables still have the flavours that many of our mass-produced equivalents have lost. On one of my first days in the city, I bought a peach from a grocer’s (for about 20 cent). It was almost an emotional experience, as its scent instantly transported me back to childhood, and the last time I’d had a peach that actually tasted of peach.

As a newcomer, I couldn’t help but notice that Madrid seems to have found a healthy balance between serving the needs of visitors and those of locals. There are very few out-and-out tourist traps, and even the restaurants and bars operating around Sol and Plaza Mayor enjoy regular local custom. The city is known to be relatively cheap – food, drink, cigarettes, taxis and public transport all cost less than in Ireland – so pushing the boat out in Madrid is unlikely to faze a visitor.

Of course, Madrid has much else to offer beyond food and drink. The place is full of cultural hotspots, the most famous being the conveniently 58 |

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Art lovers at the Thyssen, which with the Prado and Reina Sofia museums, forms one of the best art collections in the world.

adjacent Prado, Thyssen and Reina Sofia museums. This trio of institutions between them house one of the best art collections in the world, ranging from the major works of Velasquez and Goya, to Picasso’s magnificent “Guernica”.

Unlike certain other iconic pieces such as the “Mona Lisa”, which can be rather small and decidedly unimpressive when viewed in the flesh, “Guernica”, and the revulsion at the bombing of civilians it expresses, is a fullon, furious 3D experience. The painting is doubly significant in that its creator wished for it to remain in New York until the removal of fascism in Spain. When Generalissimo Franco eventually died in 1975, the nation’s relief, and painting’s symbolic return, helped trigger La Moda Vida – a joyous outpouring of free living and artistic expression by a people who had suffered decades of stifling dictatorship.

The spirit of La Moda Vida lives on in the everyday life of Madrid in its lively music scene, crowded theatres and opera, curiously large number of contemporary dance companies, and full calendar of festivals and family-friendly events.

Plus, of course, there is the football: even non-fans should try to see Real Madrid play at the Bernabeu Stadium. Tickets are hard to come by, and expensive, but the venue is spectacular, yet civilised and comfortable. Each game (some kick-off as late as 10pm) is a true theatrical event, bursting with life, noise and colour. Very much a microcosm of the city itself, and the boundless energy of its people. Madrid can be exhausting, but I just may have to move here after all.

aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Madrid daily.

the insider’s guide Garret Wall, singer/songwriter and leader of Track Dogs, a four-piece acoustic band, has lived in Madrid for over a decade. because it has great music, both live and with Your favourite venue?

DJs ’til late, and has often invested in bringing One of our favourites, taberna elisa (Calle de bands from overseas, helping to promote the Santa María 42, 0034 914 295 415), is more of soul/funk scene in Madrid. a cosy musicians’ pub than a venue: Spanish naMe one good venue for … stuff reaches far beyond flamenco – this is rocK Moby dick (Avenida the bar where Spanish Brasil 5) is great and has a and international folk long history of quality bands. musicians go after a gig or Sala el Sol (Calle de los for a jam. On weekends, Jardines, 3) is also legendary you’ll find Galician Celtic and more central, being a music, other Spanish folk, stone’s throw away from on Sundays, Bluegrass, Puerta del Sol. and Mondays is Irish JaZZ el Junco (Plaza Santa trad – the longest running session in Madrid (20 From left to right, David Mooney, garrett Wall, howard Bárbara 10) hosts regular Brown and Robbie K Jones. concerts and sessions of years). There are framed jazz, swing, funk and blues. photos of Dervish playing fLaMenco casa Patas (Calle Cañizares in “La Elisa”. We once set up Duke Special to 10) has regular flamenco concerts that will be play there when he was in Madrid on a night off the real deal but not at five-star prices. Great between gigs. If you know the front bar in the tapas and meals too!

Cobblestone in Smithfield, Dublin, you’ll know the type of place I mean.

The Track Dogs new album is available favourite cLub and whY? on Mondegreen Records, through iTunes el tempo (Calle del Duque de Osuna 8) (trackdogsmusic.com).

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escape to orlando

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

The Wild side of

Orlando

Florida for wildlife? You bet. Oda O’Carroll travels beyond Orlando’s theme parks to track down ’gators, herons, manatees and more. Photographs by Peter Matthews.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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escape to orlando

W

hen Walt Disney decided to open a big fantastical dream factory in Orlando in 1971, it was the best thing to happen to Florida’s economy since the land boom of the 1920s. And where there’s one success story, others will follow. Two decades later, Orlando had become the biggest familyfriendly tourist destination in the world. And rightly so, it’s something they do very well. But other than sky-high roller-coasters, life-sized Mickey Mouse characters and powder-pink candy floss, what does central Florida have to offer? Well lots, as I discovered on a journey to uncover Orlando’s wilder, more natural side.

You get a totally different perspective of a place from the water, so a kayak trip up the Dora Canal, which connects Lake Dora and Lake Eustis – cited as Florida’s most beautiful mile of water – seemed like a pretty good place to start. About an hour’s drive north of Orlando, I was met by old hands Kenny and Jenny Boyd from Kayak Central Florida (001 352, 589 7899; kayakcentralflorida. com) for a two-hour paddle – a really great way to watch bird and 62 |

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

wildlife, they assured me. But on a canal? Pah. We’d hardly pushed off the slipway when a kingfisher flitted by, some moorhens scuttled out of our way and Kenny pointed overhead to turkey vultures circling a bald eagle’s nest. Okay, respect.

Suddenly a snowy egret with almost fluorescent yellow feet flew off a moored boat beside us. At the end of the 19th century, its feathers sold for $35 an ounce for millinery, $20 more than gold. No wonder it didn’t want to hang around.

As we meandered quietly through the tea-coloured waterway, flanked by ancient cypress, oak and sleeping hibiscus, it felt like we’d been given a secret pass into another world.

Curious, long-necked anhinga birds, coloured like café crème, with black bodies and blonde heads, bobbed in the water before

Previous pages, left, uplands and marsh packed with wildlife, and right, a Great Blue Heron spotted on the Dora Canal.

This page, from left, massive lily pads at Bok Tower Gardens; a three-metre ’gator; cormorants on Lake Harris.

climbing up trees with their catch; families of water turtles and the odd brown water-snake basked in the sun on fallen trunks. “There can be up to 300 nests here in February and the chatter of baby chicks sounds just like Disney,” said Kenny.

Psst. Taking a bend off the canal, Kenny called for quiet.

We paddled silently towards a bank where a ’gator was perfectly camouflaged in the swamp fern and was – I could swear – eyeing us up. The distance in inches between the eyes and nose equals its length in feet so we were within spitting distance of a seven-foot carnivore.

We got in close enough for a snap and as the ’gator slid into the water below us, we did an about-turn and began paddling vigorously.

Buoyed by my first foray into nature experiences, I decided to get an alternative perspective on the terrain. Zipline Olando (4509 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Kissimmee,

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24 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, (beside Concert Hall/Stephen’s Green) www.silksclub.ie

Let Dublin truly capture your imagination! From shopping and dining to visitor attractions, festivals and events, Dublin has it all!

Visit Dublin’s Official tourist information and booking offices The Dublin Tourism Centre, Suffolk Street 14 Upper O’Connell Street, Dublin 1 Also: Dublin Airport T1 and Dun Laoghaire Ferry Port

escape to orlando

FIVe must sees

1

Architecture aficionados shouldn’t miss a trip to the pretty town of lakeland, about an hour from Orlando, to see the largest singlesite collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in the world. Arguably America’s greatest architect, Wright designed twelve separate buildings on the Florida southern college (flsouthern.edu/fllwctr/) campus in the 1940s, including an extraordinary water dome. Lakeland’s terrace Grille restaurant at the 1920s Terrace Hotel (001 863 688 0800; terracehotel.com) is one of the finest in the region.

Stay at the wonderfully eccentric chalet suzanne (001 863 676 6011; chaletsuzanne.com), near Bok Tower, a homely Swiss chalet-style inn by the lake, brimful of kitsch local paraphernalia and exotica gathered by original owner, Bertha Hinshaw, on her world travels. The restaurant’s signature chicken soup is so good, astronauts based at nearby Cape Canaveral in the 1970s chose to bring it onboard two Apollo missions; it has been renamed Moon Soup.

Visit an orange grove. You can’t help spotting the orange plantations as you drive through central Florida (the scent is wonderful in spring when the trees blossom). ridge Island Grove (ridgeislandgroves.com) in Polk County allows you to pick Honeybell, Valencia and the super-sweet Page varieties from the many being grown.

Witness spectacular wildlife in an almost undisturbed habitat at circle B Bar reserve (polkcounty.net). It may sound like an airport business class lounge but it’s a tranquil former ranch of 525 hectares of uplands and marsh plains where you can see more than 200 species of birdlife and visit their interpretative centre to learn about local ecology.

Try the legendary fried lobster at Gary’s oyster Bar at Lake Alfred (001 863 956 5055; garysoysterbar.com). People travel from miles to eat Gary’s ’gator strips, catfish and oyster at this small, friendly roadside bar.

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Above, kayaking through bald cypress trees on the Dora Canal and, right, Oda on the trail. Opposite, Gary’s Oyster Bar – the place to go for fried lobster.

001 407 808 4947; ziporlando. com), a 1.5km long course located on a seventh-generation, family-owned cattle ranch, offers the nearest thing to an aerial view without being on an aircraft. From the tree-top high-wires you may well spot Florida panthers, coyote, wildcats and golden orb spiders amid the lush 1,012-hectare terrain below.

If you open your eyes, that is. Too late to poop out, I got harnessed up and made my way up a metal tower to tackle the first of eight (yes, eight) wires and suspension bridges. Gulp. I looked down at the ever-diminishing ground below, heart thumping, mouth bone dry.

“Step up on the box, ma’am,” said the executioner-guide. Now at 20 metres above the ground, there was nothing for it but to step and jump. White knuckles grasping a canvas loop I closed my eyes and …

Wheeeeee, I choked. Am I enjoying this? Almost. Until I approached the receiving tower and Karl, the guide,

is shouting at me, “Catch the rope!”, but wait, my hands are stuck inside the now tightened loop. Almost reaching the tower, gravity returns me to the centre of the wire where I’m suspended for an interminable five minutes, until Karl zips to my rescue. My knees almost buckled when I landed but was I ready for more? As they say in these parts – “heck, yeah!”. Seven progressively more difficult wires later, I’m able to do a running jump backwards, squealing with sheer exhilaration.

Fear: 0; Oda: 1.

Winding down the pace a little next day, I drove up through neat

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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escape to orlando Magical Bok Tower in Lake Wales.

lines of citrus groves towards a curious sight in the distance. Bok Tower (1151 Tower Boulevard, Lake Wales, 001 863 676 1408; boktowergardens.org), a neo-Gothic, Art Deco wonder decorated with carved statuary and surrounded by a motte full of menacing-looking gar fish, stands 62 metres tall on a hillside. Why was it built? Well, Edward Bok, it transpires, was a poor immigrant from Holland who found the American Dream and, before he died, decided to give something back. The singing tower was unveiled in 1929 and donated “as a place of repose for the

oaks and creaking palms, and the 60-bell carillon ringing, the scene felt like something from a 1920s Gothic film. There’s something utterly mesmerising about the place. Massive green and orange lily pads like fluted pastry cases floated in a long pond and squirrels darted everywhere. The gardens, a patchwork of delicate flowers, wiregrasses, beauty berries and fragrant trees are full of surprises – a secret garden near an opulent 1920s villa, a vine-covered tunnel and an endangered plant garden dedicated to conserving Water Way endemic Floridian species.

The whole experience Florida boasts 17,700km of river human spirit”. Lofty was enchanting. and almost 8,000 lakes.

What better words indeed, until Only one day left. way to explore than in a swamp cruiser you take a look at The areas surrounding or the airboat?

Flat-bottomed with a big, Bok’s fascinating Orlando’s theme caged-in propellor, these boats can shimmy CV. Publisher of the parks are the most highly successful across water up to 190kmph, stop almost developed, as you’d Lady’s Home Journal, instantly and glide effortlessly through the imagine, but I really Bok was an influential reeds at low speed, perfect for spotting wanted to experience peace activist and wildlife. Try Captain Fred’s Airboat Florida’s wilderness. radical socialist who Tours (001 863-696-1637; Looking at the map it campaigned for health seemed like there were vast captfreds.com). and criminal justice reform. swathes of it not too far north I ambled around the tower of the city. Hit the I-75 heading at magic hour as an enormous sun towards Ocala National Forest, was setting in the valley below. the oldest national forest east of With back-lit tentacles of grey-green the Mississippi River covering Spanish moss dangling from huge almost 1,554 square kilometres,

24 HoUrs In orlando With all that communing with nature, you might want to get a hit of urban action on either side of your trip. Orlando will do just that. Head to the downtown area of the city that borders lake eola, best viewed at night when the reflections from the skyscrapers make for an atmospheric light show. staY at … The landmark Grand Bohemian Hotel (double rooms from $220 a night; 325 S Orange Avenue, 001 407 313 9000; grandbohemianhotel. com), the award-winning grand dame of Orlando hotels. Enjoy its outdoor heated pool, big comfy bedrooms and rare art-

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covered foyer walls.

GraZe at … Blank space Gallery (201 East Central Boulevard, 001 407 481 9001; blankspaceorlando.com) an eccentric gallery-room that hosts innovative shows, debates and screenings. Tasty nibbles and more than 100 craft beers available.

VIsIt … Wells’ Built Museum of african-american History (511 West South Street, 001 407 245 7535; pastinc.org), a quirky little museum exploring the African-American civil rights movement in Orlando, with fascinating memorabilia and a small collection of African art. stroll aroUnd …

Harry p. leu House and Gardens (1920 North Forest Avenue, 001 407 246 2620; lepeugardens.org), 20 hectares of camellia forest and extraordinary tropical plants gathered by the Leus on their travels. eat at … Urban Flats (183 South Orange Avenue, Suite 100, 001 321 332 6889; urbanflats.net), a funky, industrial downtown eaterie and wine bar with a wide selection of delicious flatbreads, as well as home-made ravioli, cedar-smoked salmon and sizzling steaks. taKe In a sHoW at … orlando Ballet (1111 North Orange Avenue, 001 407 426

1739; orlandoballet.org) for a memorable night of culture.

Orlando’s permanent company of dancers perform both classic and contemporary works.

Hear soMe MUsIc at … the Beacham (46 North Orange Avenue, 001 407 246 1419; thebeacham.com) a rocking, 1,500-capacity music venue in an old cinema in Orlando’s hippest quarter.

Go For … orlando International Fringe Festival, May, 2012 (Loch Haven Park, 900 E Princeton Street, 001 407 648 0077). Lots of street theatre, cabaret, improv and experimental shows all around the city.

exp Di eri nin Du enc g bli es i n n

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gainesville

escape to orlando

ocala dunnellon

daytona Beach port orange orlando

ridge Island grove lakeland tampa

Kissamee

gary’s oyster Bar lake alfred

circle B Bar reserve

port st lucie

and very soon the strip of neon and billboards gives way to golden prairies, white picket-fence ranches and proper rolling countryside.

People come from miles around to hike on horseback at Cactus Jack’s Trails (11008 South Highway 475, Ocala, 001 352 266 9326; cactusjackstrailrides.com) and when I got there it was easy to see why.

You ride along a variety of peaceful wilderness trails on the coast-to-coast Florida Greenway Trail, with Jamie Zito, a charismatic former pro-tennis player as your guide. Hiking at a very gentle pace through sunlight-dappled woodland – you could hear a pin drop it was so still – and the only other people we passed were a handful of locals on horseback who greeted us with a tip of the stetson. The old oak and sand pine forest is home to coyote, tortoises, armadillos, raccoons and

at a glance gettIng aroUnd BY car Car rental is comparatively cheap in Florida and is by far the easiest way to get around. clIMate Florida enjoys a temperate, sub-tropical climate year round, with an average temperature of about 22ºC. Defined seasonal changes occur during wet (June to September) and dry (October to March) seasons.

WHat to BrIng Sunglasses and sun protection cream are a good idea no matter when you go. An international driving permit (available from AA.com for €10) is a must if you’re hiring a car and binoculars, camera and mosquito repellent would be most welcome for visits to the swamp or water-based trips.

See visitflorida.com to plan your trip.

red-tailed hawks and the horses floridastateparks.org/rainbowsprings), are so well-trained you just need one of many natural crystalline to sit back in your deep comfy springs in this area. As I paid a American-style saddle and enjoy the $2 entrance fee at a little wooden show. From here it was only about kiosk, the lady said, “You’re in a 48-kilometre trip further north for your first ‘wow’ moment just to the breathtakingly beautiful around the corner.” She wasn’t chocolate-box scenery of Ocala exaggerating. Through a low ridge and its vast recreational areas of pines, I could see down to a dotted with oak, magnolia pool of sparkly clear water of an WATCH and dogwood trees. impossibly luminous, greenIT! Although managed blue colour, surrounded by Many of America’s major by the State Parks, karst boulders and trees. It league pro baseball teams, such it feels like you’ve was awe-inspiring. A few as the New York Mets, Phillies and happened on rugged bathers shrieked as they virgin territory, jumped off a wooden Detroit Tigers, decamp to Florida for their presence is jetty into the headspring, spring training, which means you get to so sympathetic which led into the wider watch them play matches up close in to surroundings.

Rainbow River – the small stadiums and at a fraction of I pulled in at water temperature in the normal cost. Baseball fans will Rainbow Springs the spring is at a constant feel like they’ve died and (19158 Southwest 81st balmy 22ºC year-round. gone to heaven.

Place Road, Dunnellon, You can see otters and even 001 352 465 8555; manatees in the Ocala rivers, so paddling is a wonderful and easy way to check in with nature. With a waterfall, picnic areas and glorious azalea-filled hiking trails, why would you want to leave this place?

On the way home I couldn’t help ponder, Orlando’s theme parks are a wonderful attraction in Central Florida but Mother Nature does a pretty mean job of it herself. aer lingus flies from Dublin to Orlando, Tues, Thurs and Sat.

The impossibly green-blue luminous waters of Rainbow Springs.

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Hertz car rental Cara would like to thank Hertz for their assistance. For best car rental deals, visit aerlingus.com and click on the Hertz icon.

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2012

USSHER EXECUTIVE EDUCATION COURSES A FORWARD LOOK TO THE MACROECONOMY OF IRELAND ADVANCED FINANCIAL MODELLING WITH MS EXCEL AN INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL MODELLING APPLIED ECONOMETRICS IN ENERGY MARKETS APPLIED ECONOMICS FOR วฆ BEHAVIOURAL FINANCE FOR

วฆ

BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMIC OUTLOOK FOR IRELAND CREDIT AND BANKRUPTCY PREDICTION CREDIT RISK MODELLING WITH MS EXCEL DOING BUSINESS IN RUSSIA DOING BUSINESS IN THE PERSIAN GULF ENERGY AND COMMODITY MARKETS

โ If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.โ Benjamin Franklin

Expand your horizons by investing in yourself and your organisation. It is imperative today that every executive in an organisation understands the ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ฦคย ย ย ย ย วก ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย วก ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ฦคย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย วค ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ฦกย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย วค ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ฦคย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย วก ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ฦคย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย วฆย ย ย ย ย around the challenges facing organisations on a daily basis.

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ENTERPRISE RISK MANAGEMENT: CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS FOR BEST PRACTICES วฆ

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC POLICY FORMATION EUROPEAN VENTURE CAPITAL AND PRIVATE EQUITY MARKETS EXTREME VALUE ANALYSIS FOR FINANCIAL RISK FINANCE AND CAPITAL INVESTMENT ANALYSIS FOR PROJECT MANAGERS FINANCE AND ECONOMICS FOR MEDIA PROFESSIONALS FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

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FORECASTING FINANCIAL MARKETS FOREIGN EXCHANGE DERIVATIVES

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INTRODUCTION TO DERIVATIVES INVESTMENT STRATEGIES FOR HIGH NET WORTH PRIVATE INVESTORS ISLAMIC FINANCE POLICY OPTIONS FOR THE IRISH ECONOMY PRACTICAL MACROECONOMIC FORECASTING REAL ESTATE ECONOMICS REAL ESTATE FINANCE REAL OPTIONS FOR CORPORATE CAPITAL INVESTMENT

Suite 3.4, The Tower Suite 3.4, The Tower Trinity Technology & Enterprise Campus Trinity Technology & Enterprise Campus Grand Canal Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland Grand Canal Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland www.ussher.ie www.ussher.ie

TREASURY MANAGEMENT BASICS UNDERSTANDING CENTRAL BANKS UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

“The Land of Saints and Scholars” The ongoing financial crisis has changed the way we look at finance, economics and the free market system in general. It has also made us look at ideas in a whole new way. The crisis was brought about by ideas, some that were in error, some that were misapplied and now some that are helping us understand what happened and what todo next. Financial Timescolumnist John Kay and New Yorker columnist John Cassidy in their recent books make it clear that the role of ideas in markets is crucial, just as professors Reinhart and Rogoff taught us, that this time is not different and new paradigms are often the same old bubbles in new bottles.

Economics and finance, as disciplines of study, have begun to reappraise their ideas, the ones that were taken as a given.

New ideas are being formed and old ideas, once trodden upon, are once again rediscovered. Education, which is provided in an accessible way for people who continue to be active in the labour market and aim to be or are at the height of their industries, is a requirement in today’s volatile and everchanging environment. As information technology and global travel shrink the globe in terms of supply chains and financial transactions, so must education change in order to meet new sources of demand.

For centuries, Ireland was a good example to the world in terms of education and learning, earning the sobriquet “the land of saints and scholars”. Irish universities and educational

establishments have continued to deliver high-quality and relevant educational offerings, enabling Ireland to become a world-leading exporter of many high-tech products. More recently the focus has begun to shift from Ireland being an exporter of things to Ireland as an exporter of ideas and issues.

My colleagues and I see it as our responsibility to make the best knowledge and most up-to-date research in the areas of economics and finance available to as wide an audience as possible. However, the academic timeframe and calendar all too often does not suit the requirements of organisations and it was obvious that this was a barrier to businesses and academia coming together in a hugely beneficial manner.

Emerging from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland’s oldest university and one of the leading universities of the world, a new campus company has been formed: USSHER Executive Education Ltd, offering world-class non-certified short courses in a wide range of economic, financial and business areas that are both academically grounded and relevant to the issues facing organisations today.

USSHER’s course moderators are all thought-leaders in their fields, bringing both academic and research insights as well as a great deal of experience in commercial and policy advising fields. Our aim is to bring ideas to business in order to generate value.

Brian Lucey Managing Director USSHER Executive Education Ltd USSHER Executive Education Ltd is a new campus company at Trinity College Dublin that aims to bring ideas, business and the world-renowned Irish tradition of scholarship together.

BEING THERE

IN S R U O H 8 4

Kraków

It’s a city with plenty to offer the weekend visitor – art, architecture, an Old Town that’s on the UNESCO historic sites list, and good value for money. Orna Cunningham explores Poland’s former capital.

K

raków is a place of contrasts. Medieval and modernist architecture sit comfortably together in a city that is based as much around religion and culture as around its turbulent history of war and Communism. On the banks of the Vistula river, packed with art and cultural sights, it’s the perfect spot for a weekend break.

Another boon is just how budget friendly the city is – one Polish zloty converts to around 25 cent and even the most upmarket of hotels and restaurants makes considerably less impact on your wallet than those of other European cities.

Fabryka Schindlera – the factory of Oskar Schindler – is now a museum.

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GET CULTURAL AT ...

Experience a realised socialist society by taking a walk through the post-1956 Nowa Huta district (english.nh.pl) built as a showpiece for Stalinism.

Fabryka Schindlera, the factory of Oskar Schindler (on whom Thomas Kenneally’s book Schindler’s Ark is based) in Kraków has been preserved as a museum.

(4 Ulica Lipowa, 0048 12

257 1017; mhk.pl) An odd attraction for Kraków, The Manggha Centre for Japanese Art and Technology, makes a fascinating diversion and has an array of artefacts dating from the time of the Samurai to modern-day Japanese culture. (26 Marii Konopnickiej, 0048 12 267 2703; manggha.krakow.pl) The Aviation Museum is well worth a visit – the

sheer variety and number of planes is a reminder of how the Second World War was won. (Al John Paul II; 0048 12 640 9960; muzeumlotnictwa.pl) A visit to Kraków isn’t complete without seeing the courtyard and yearround exhibitions in Wawel Royal Castle and a trip through the fabled Dragon’s Cave. (0048 12 422 5155; wawel.krakow.pl)

SHOP AT ….

The main shopping thoroughfare is Galeria Krakowska, where you’ll find high-end and designer fare (31-154 Ulica Pavia; galeria-krakowska.pl), but Kraków isn’t a traditional shoppers’ paradise.

To do some real shopping in Kraków, the outdoor

market Hala Targowa is best for Communist curios and authentically vintage gifts. (3 Ulica Grzegórzecka) Salon Antyków Pasja is a charming antiques shop laid out like a mini-museum (furniture is a specialty) and lovely for a browse. (9 Ulica Jagiellonska, 0048 12 429

1096; antykwariat-pasja.pl) Kraków is best known for its amber, and the Sukiennice (Drapers’ Hall), right in the centre of the main square in Old Town, is host to a number of small vendors selling handcrafts, glowing polished amber among them.

Left, Kraków’s main square is the spot for aperitifs, coffee and a spot of people watching and, below, Sukiennice (or Drapers’ Hall), is the place to head for souvenirs.

AL PARK, ly OJCOW NATION ve lo is w kó ra K of h Just 35km nort ations, range limestone form st s, ve ca e or pl ex n where you ca cow.pl. ride or rent bikes; oj gh ei sl n aw dr ers take a ho

SLEEP AT ….

Ostoya Palace Hotel has retained all the glamour and elegant design sensibilities of the palace as it was when it was occupied by the noble Ostoya family. Starting at €104pps, the chef can serve parties and sumptuous dinners of traditional cuisine by special arrangement. (24 Str Piłsudskiego, 0048 12 430 9000; ostoyapalace.pl)

Hotel Eden, situated in the Jewish district, the Kazimierz, is a beautifully restored building from the 15th century.

It also boasts the only mikvah (a ritual Jewish bath) in Poland.

(Rooms from €45pps; 15 Ulica Ciemna, 0048 12 430 6565; hoteleden.pl) Queen Boutique Hotel’s gigantic monochrome rooms and marble and granite fittings

EAT AND DRINK AT ...

The main square in the Old Town is the largest of the medieval European cities and a peaceful haven in the morning. Sit at the shaded terrace of Restauracja Gehanowska Pod Soncem for a midmorning coffee. (43 Ulica Rynek Główny, 0048 12 422 9378; gastronauci.pl) Kraków is a walker’s delight so make sure you eat downstairs in U Babci Maliny (38 Ulica Szpitalna; kuchniaubabcimaliny.pl/ nowa/). This jewel casket of a restaurant (complete with victrolas, eerie dolls and drapes) serves up traditional Polish grub and excellent service.

If you’re having an early

should suit a more modern taste perfectly. (Rooms from €45pps; 60 Ulica Józefa Dietla; 0048 12 433 3333; queenhotel.pl) For understated opulence, the Grand Hotel is probably Kraków’s most famous hotel and is the go-to for visiting heads of State. (Rooms from €139pps, 5/7 Ulica Slawkowska, 0048 12 424 0800; grand.pl)

dinner, the U Ziyada Restaurant and Cafe in Przegorzaly Castle (13 Str Jodlowa, 0048 12 429 7105; uziyada.pl) is a must.

The seasonal terraces overlook a stunning panorama of lush greenery.

Bistro cafe, Rozowy Slon (The Pink Elephant) is an 1980s comic book-cumLichtenstein cartoon explosion. (24 Ulica Straszewskiego; 0048 12 421 1047) Wash it all down at the drinking hall in CK Browar microbrewery with some delicious local ales. (6/7 Ulica Podwale, 0048 12 429 2505; ckbrowar.krakow.pl)

Above from left, the unusual limestone crags of Ojcow National Park; jewel in the crown – Wawel Royal Castle; the restaurant at Queen Boutique Hotel.

Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Kraków on Tues, Thurs, Sat and Sun.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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 THE HILL OF THE THREE CROSSES may not be quite as popular as Gediminas Tower, see over, but I love the view. Three wooden crosses stood here since at least 1636 but collapsed in 1869, and the Tsarist authorities did not allow them to be rebuilt. A new monument was covertly erected by Antoni Wiwulski in 1916 and blown up by the Soviets in 1950. Finally the crosses were restored and consecrated in 1989.

 I like THE SHAKESPEARE HOTEL, a beautiful 17th century boutique place near the Cathedral Square in the centre of town. (Bernardinu 8/8, 00 370 5 266 5885; shakespeare.lt shakespeare.lt)

An Insider’s Guide to

VILNIUS

 SEREIKIŠKIU PARK (beside the cathedral) is where I love to spend quiet time. We bring our children here to play, the dog too, and it’s beautiful any season.

From here, you can wander up to the top of Gediminas Tower and take in the view of the Old Town.

Post-Glasnost, Vilnius is a charming city, with a stunning Old Town just perfect for the weekender or a romantic break. Irishwoman and singer Erica Jennings loves the place. She opens her little black book of places to go.  DECOLTE is a gorgeous boutique shop in the Old Town where every girl should go – or her fella – with amazing clothes and accessories. (Saviciaus g 12)

NIÑO opened its doors in November and all thirtysomethings, like myself, said “Hallelujah” becau se finally fi nally Vilnius has a lounge bar! Owned by Dutch ex-pat Bernie who has run café/bar Cozy, next door, for the past ten years, he knows what he’s doing. A very chilled atmosphere, full of ambience, with comfy seats, good music and yummy tapas. The perfect place to start your Saturday night. (Sv. Ignoto 16; 00 370 5 26 1 1137)

MORE ABOUT ERICA

 Throughout the summer THE ROOM runs my beloved Vasaros Terasa (Summer Terrace), which is a must for anyone visiting. This winter it opened an indoor option for the colder months and it’s already proving popular. A small bar with tasty snacks and a good vibe. Love it. (Vilniaus 39)

I’m a Dublin-born-and-raised cailín, yet have lived all my adult life in my adopted home of Vilnius. A front-woman for the band SKAMP, last year I began a new project, The Ball & Chain, with my husband Jurgis Didziulis, releasing our debut album last November. We won “best music debut” of 2011. A mother of two boys, Pranas, four, and Antanas, two, I recently published my first bi-lingual book for children in Lithuanian and English, entitled Mano Gyvunai. My Animals.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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INSIDER’S GUIDE

 BISTRO 18 is in the heart of the Old Town and hands down my favourite place to eat. Delicious European cuisine, friendly and fast service. You’ll want to come back. (Stikliu g 18, 00 370 6 777 2091; bistro18.lt)

 LOFTAS is where I go to party. It’s the best place in town and was a very welcome alternative to the supershiny, top 40 clubs you usually find.

Live bands, both foreign and local, all play here; the parties are legendary and the punters all just want to have fun. Theatre, fashion shows and even opera are also staged at this muchloved art factory. (Švitrigailos 29; Check its Facebook page, facebook.com/loftasvilnius)

 Next to St Anne’s church, is the BERNARDINE CHURCH established by the Bernardine monks in 1469, it’s had a turbulent history, but was handed back to the monks in 1994. You can take a tour of the church – don’t miss the medieval frescoes in the naves. (Maironio g 10, 00 370 5 262 6004; bernardinuansamblis.lt)

 GEDIMINAS TOWER is part of the Vilnius Castle Museum and, besides showing reconstructions of the town in the 14th and 16th centuries, has a great view of the town from the top. You can take a funicular railway to the top (it’s a steep walk) from the foot of Gediminas Hill. (Arsenalo g 5; lnm.lt)

E THE THREE-HOUR DRIVE TOP TIP IF YOU HAVE AN EXTRA DAY OR TWO, MAK R TO NIDA. YOU’LL BE SO TO KLAIPEDA AND TAKE THE LITTLE FERRY OVE IS MAGICAL. ON THE WAY TO GLAD YOU DID. ANY TIME OF YEAR THIS PLACE WITCHES HILL – ONE OF NIDA, STOP BY JUODKRANTE AND CHECK OUT THE IN LITHUANIA. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, BREATH-TAKING PLACES

 Today STIKILU STREET is a warren of alleyways, restaurants and artisan workshops (you can watch them at work – ask at the tourist office, vilnius-tourism.lt), but it was once known as the Jewish Little Ghetto and has a tragic history. For more on Vilnius Jewish history, visit the Museum of Genocide Victims. (Auku g 2A, 00 370 5 249 6264; genocid.lt/muziejus)

Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Vilnius on Tues, Thurs and Sat.

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ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS © VILNIUS-TOURISM

 PILIES KEPYKLELE is my much-loved breakfast spot.

Scrumptious crêpes and desserts, the perfect place to start your weekend. (Pilies 19, 00 370 5 260 8992)

 I love SUE’S INDIAN RAJA and we often order in too.

Lovely views of Cathedral Square and a large menu of authentic Indian cuisine, cooked to perfection by head chef Rakesh. Owned and run

by Wing Commander Rajinder K Chaudhary (retired Indian Air Force) since 1997. (Odminiu g 3, 00 370 5 266 1888)

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Airspace

Lensman photographic archive/ the 1960s–ireLand in pictures

The very first Aer Lingus flight took place back in 1936, just over 75 years ago. To celebrate, author Joseph O’Connor was asked to write a commemorative piece.

Here, we publish chapters six and seven, along with their author’s introduction.

VI Mná na hÉireann Of our pilots, I sing, Of their courage, their labour.

The captains of Ireland, Mountain-cool in dark shades.

But of others, too, Our mothers, our sisters, Sky-women, armed with a smile And a welcome, Trained for all emergency, Calmers of the nervous, Who flew all night Down the starry decades.

W

hen I was asked to write a text that would commemorate the 75th anniversary of Aer Lingus’s first flight, I began to think about Ireland in May 1936, the month in which that inaugural journey took place.

The country of my grandparents’ youth was a poor one, only recently founded, facing immense challenges, yet its cultural traditions had survived and there was optimism that this small new democracy might one day be a place of freedoms. In our old literature, in our ballads and songs, in our poetry and legends, the imagery of flight appeared with striking frequency; a touching testament to the hopes of an island people who, as Yeats said, “have gone about the world like wind”.

It struck me as remarkable that a nation which not very long previously had been engaged in violent conflict and Civil War had progressed so quickly to establishing an airline. It also seemed to me that the story of Aer Lingus closely

tracked the story of independent Ireland, sometimes in counterpoint, sometimes in parallel. We have long been a migrant people – we still are, today – and every flight is an anthology, a collection of stories, some happy, some poignant, all our own. So, rather than write a factladen article studded with statistics and the names of aircraft, I asked if I could approach the commemorative piece as a series of verse-lyrics that might attempt to record the unique and indefinable aura that Irish people feel Aer Lingus has. “Airspace” was the result. I wrote it between Christmas 2010 and January of 2011, a month in which severe snow cut us off from the world for a while. In a small way, that separation reminded me of the longing we feel for other lands, other dreams, of the connections that Aer Lingus has existed to serve. I hope you enjoy reading the piece.

Joseph O’Connor

You were weary at Malpensa, Charles-de-Gaulle or O’Hare, And you stepped aboard the aircraft Already there.

Welcomed by more than a cabin crew.

Our sisters, our colleagues, our neighbour’s daughter, The girl we knew in college, The girl across the road, Our best friend’s aunt on the transatlantic route.

She was crewing on the flight brought The Beatles to Dublin, (‘Ringo was a divil. He’ d beautiful eyes.

He signed me an autograph and called me ‘My Sweet’.)

She was blessed by a Pope in ’79, To whom she served coffee at fifty thousand feet (‘And he had beautiful eyes as well.’)

(continued overleaf)

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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Joseph o’connor

VII Overflight

(... "Mná na hÉireann" continued)

In those days, all women, Sisterhood of comrades, Unflappable, collected, Professional, warm, Through rough descent Through thunderstorm, Through decades of turbulence, Difficult flight-paths, Early starts, Impossible hours, The orchestra of call-bells And unfastened belts.

Showers in hotel rooms At four in the morning, Passengers missing.

Ash-cloud warning.

They worked. They served. They soothed.

They strove.

‘Welcome,’ they said. ‘Tá fáilte romhaibh.’

Airbound ambassadors Who did more for their country Than any politician or poet.

As a boy, in Ireland, they seemed our movie-stars, Our Veronica Lakes, our unshakable Graces, Smooth in couture and assured as the air; Hard to be beautiful In certain shades of green, Awake all night On the red-eye; But they were.

Of a shamrock on a tail-fin That gave our dreams wing; Of Aer Lingus men and women, I sing. I sing.

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

A wing and a prayer, For this overflight of words.

Below us, the Liffey Winding like a sentence Etched by James Joyce In his riverrun mind; A ribbon of silver On a ballgown of green Laid out on a spring-time featherbed.

The ghost of Oscar Wilde on board tonight; That Dublin son, now flying high And lost in thoughts of lines he wrote When all was lost. He gives a sigh.

I never saw a man who looked With such a wistful eye Upon the little tent of blue Which prisoners call The sky.

The city-sprawl below you, And all the long years, And the yearning arms Of Dun Laoghaire’s piers And Killiney Hill With its obelisk of stone Built when a famine struck Dublin.

Radio-crackle.

Tailwind.

But the Captain’s voice, Smooth as a surgeon About to open a heart.

‘Sit back and relax.’

His altitudes of calm.

‘We’ll be speaking to you again before landing.’

To the south, the Wicklow Mountains, Where John Synge walked, Dreaming up jet-streams Of fiery Irish language, Sparking like an engine Turbocharged with rage.

His Sugarloaf gleaming, Seen from above, Like a sonnet etched On an Irish page, And the pine-forests dark as the sea.

Out over the townlands, The GAA fields and estates, The convents and cattle-marts The suburbs, the farmlands, The gorgeous irregularity of Irish fields, Grown glorious now in an Irish May. As a farmer looks up from his meadow.

He once went to Illinois To visit his daughter.

Didn’t like the food.

Couldn’t get a cup of tea.

Didn’t like her fellah For he talked too much.

And silence, for the farmer, Is the sign of a man Worth respecting and getting to know.

But every morning when this flight Carves its path through the sky, For Chicago’s O’Hare In the land of Illinois, He remembers that Christmas with love So sharp That absence is a presence, As he walks his empty fields, And he prays as the aircraft passes.

His call to remembrance.

His Angelus bell.

Five miles above him.

‘That all will be well For her and hers, this God-given day’ Is his prayer as the aircraft speeds its way Over high lonesome places Our music translates; Over Ireland’s Appalachia, Connemara, the Burren, The Twelve Bens Tough as a line of Bronx cops Whose ancestors suffered the coffin-ships.

Wild acres of limestone, Impossible wildflowers, Lakes named for saints.

Hotels and holy wells, The mouth of the Shannon, Broad and majestic, Where the music bubbles up through the mud.

And a memory looms Of the long Irish schooldays, Your imperfect country mapped On the cover of a jotter, Ragged, its coastline Of inlets and fjords, Devoid of straight lines In its history, its geography.

The glitter of the Atlantic.

The storm-blown islands, Like inkblots splashed by a careless cartographer, Now you are flying above them.

The sea, O the sea, Grá gheall mo chroí, Long may it stay between England and me.

A song that your uncle loved, Singing it often, In his digs on the Holloway Road.

A handsome man; quiffed, And his hands scarred by work, London in his accent, In his vowels, in his laughter, But Irish in his majestic and heroic sullenness And refusal to do what he was told.

‘My judge,’ he’d say, ‘is the man upstairs, Not these Holy-Joes and yes-men.

Be sure and say your prayers.

And every day he spares you, do a kindness twice.

And respect yourself, always.

And never take advice.’

It was he who once told you Of the great Book of Kells, How the blue in its illuminations, The impossible silver blue, How it came from Arabia, Crossing deserts, Crossing seas, Crossing mountains and valleys Mapped only by hope,

How it crossed the raging oceans, Through the ravaged lands of war, Through the atlases of ignorance, Fear and strange tongues, How it came, in the end, To adorn an Irish vellum, From a land so far That nobody knew it was there.

How an island people Are always at their best, When they open to the kiss Of the beautiful world That the Maker of all Skyways gave us.

When he died, he bequeathed you Old photographs, a scrapbook, And his Aer Lingus ticket From 1952.

Three pounds ten, And his name in neat cursive.

I kept it, son, always I kept it, for you.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

| 81

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InFlight

For your guide to our new and exciting On Demand movies and television programmes, including New Girl (pictured), turn to page 88.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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WelcomeAboard Ar mhaithe de do chompord agus le do shábháilteacht ...

For your comfort and safety Please pay attention while the cabin crew demonstrate the use of the safety equipment before take-off take-off.. Also, make sure to read the safety instruction card, which is in the seat pocket in front of you.

Seat belts must be fastened during take-off and landing, and whenever the “Fasten Seat Belts” sign is switched on.

We recommend that you keep your seat belt loosely fastened throughout the flight. flight.

Your seat must be in the upright position during takeoff and landing, but can be reclined by pressing the large button in the armrest. Other buttons (in the armrest or above your head, depending on the aircraft) may be used to operate your reading light and air vent, or to call a cabin attendant.

... iarraimid ort aird mhaith a thabhairt, ar an bhfoireann cábáin ag tús na heililte agus iad ag taispeáint conas an fearas slándála a úsáid. Iarraimid ort an cárta threoraca slándála atá i bpóca an tsuíocháin os do chomhair a léamh chomh maith.

Caithfear criosanna sábhála bheith ceangailte le linn éirí agus tuirlingthe agus ag aon am a bhíonn an comhartha “Fasten Seat Belts” ar iasadh.

Molaimid duit an crios sábhála bheith leathcheangailte agat i rith an turais.

Le linn éirí agus tuirlingthe, ní mór do shuíochan bheith sa suíomh ingearach. Ag am ar bith eile, is féidir an suíochán a chur siar ach brú ar an gcnaipe mór atá ar an taca uillinne. Tá cnaipí eile ann (ar an taca uillinne nó os do chionn, ag brath ar an eitleán) chun úsáid a bhaint as an solas léitheoireachta nó as an ngaothaire, nó chun glaoch ar bhall den fhoireann cábáin.

Portable electronic equipment Portable electronic equipment may interfere with aircraft equipment, creating a potentially hazardous situation. With safety as our priority, we ask you to pay particular attention to the following: Mobile phones and all other personal electronic equipment must be switched off and stowed safely as soon as the aircraft doors are closed. It is not permissible to use any electronic device to transmit or receive data during the flight, flight, however devices equipped with flight flight mode, or the equivalent, may be used. Flight mode should be selected before the device is switched off. off.

DEVICES PERMITTED ✔ AT ANY TIME: Devices powered by micro battery cells and/or by solar cells; hearing aids (including digital devices); pagers (receivers only); heart pacemakers.

●

DEVICES PERMITTED IN FLIGHT BUT NOT DURING TAXI/TAKE-OFF/ INITIAL CLIMB/APPROACH LANDING: Laptops with CD ROM or DVD drive, palmtop organisers, handheld calculators without printers, portable audio equipment (eg Walkman, CD-player, Mini-disk player, iPod and MP3-player). For the comfort of other passengers, audio devices should be used with a headset. Computer games (eg Gameboy, Nintendo DS).

Video cameras/recorders, digital cameras, GPS handheld receivers, electric shavers, electronic toys.

Bluetooth devices with mobile phones in “Flight” mode, devices with “Blackberry” technology with “Flight”/Flight Safe” mode

84 |

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

selected, laptops, PDAs with Off” built-in Wi-Fi with “Wireless Off” setting selected.

DEVICES PROHIBITED ✘ AT ALL TIMES: Devices transmitting radio frequency

intentionally such as walkietalkies, remote controlled toys; wireless computer equipment (eg mouse, keyboard); PC printers, DVD/CD writers and Mini-disk Recorders in the recording mode; digital camcorders when using CD write facility; portable stereo sets; pocket radios (AM/ FM); TV receivers; telemetric equipment; peripheral devices for handheld computer games (eg supplementary power packs connected by cable); wireless LAN (WLAN). Laptops with built-in WLAN (eg Centrino) may be used during flight, flight, provided the WLAN option is turned off and subject to the restrictions associated with the use of laptops detailed above.

Aer Lingus is delighted to welcome you on board Tá áthas ar Aer Lingus fáilte ar bord a chur romhat Food and bar service

News, music and movies

Seirbhís bia agus beáir

Nuacht, ceol agus scannáin

A new range of food items – including sandwiches, confectionery and a range of snacks – is available for sale on all Aer Lingus scheduled services to and from the UK and Europe. A charge applies for all drinks on UK and European flights in Economy class. On long haul flights, there is a charge in Economy class for alcoholic drinks, while soft drinks are complimentary.

Details of all items available for purchase are contained in an information leaflet, which is in all seat pockets.

On long haul flights, we offer you an extensive programme of viewing and listening options. For full details, turn towards the back of this magazine.

Tá raon nua bia ar fáil anois ar sheirbhísí sceidealta Aer Lingus a dhéanann freastai ar an Riocht Aontaithe agus ar an Eoraip. Ina measc, tá ceapairí, milseogra agus rogha sneaiceanna éagsúla. Ní mór íoc as gach deoch sa ghrád barainne ar na heitiltí seo.

Ar eitiltí Trasatlantacha, tá costas ar dheochanna neamhmheisciúla go fóill ar fáil saor in aisce. Tá sonraí faoi gach rud is féidir a cheannach ar bord foilsithe sa bhileog eolais atá i bpóca an tsuíocháin os do chomhair.

Ar eitiltí Trasatlantacha tá clár leathan féachana agus éisteachta ar fáil. Le hagaidh tuilleadh eolais, féach deireadh na hirise seo.

with Aer Lingus. sant flight. Thank you for choosing to fly plea and able fort com a e hav you e hop We h maith agat as taisteal le hAer Lingus. raib go s agu t aga ach mh nea tait h dac Tá suil againn go mbíonn turas compor

Fearas iniompartha leictreonach Is féidir le fearas iniompartha leictreonach cur isteach ar threalamh an eitleáin, rud a d’fhéadfadh bheith contúirteach. Agus sábháilteacht mar phríomhchúram ag Aer Lingus, iarraimid ort aird sa bhreis a thabhairt ar an mír seo a leanas: Caithfear gach guthán póca agus gach fearas pearsanta leictreonach a mhúchadh agus a chur i dtaisce a luaithe agus a dhúntar doirse an eitleáin. Ní ceadmhach úsáid a bhaint as uirlis leictreonach ar bith chun sonraí a tharchur nó a ghlacadh i rith na heitilte. Is ceadmhach, áfach, uirlisí le cumas “mód eitilte”, nó a chomhionann sin, a úsáid. Caithfear an lipéad “modh eitilte” a roghnú sula múchtar an uirlis.

GLÉASANNA A BHFUIL ✔ CEADAITHE I GCÓNAÍ: Gléasanna a bhaineann úsáid as

micreaceallairí agus/nó fotaichill; cluaisíní chúnta (gléasanna digiteach san áireamh); glaoirí (gleacadáin amháin); séadairí.

GLÉASANNA ATÁ ● CEADAITHE I RITH NA HEITILTE, ACH NACH

BHFUIL CEADAITHE LE LINN DON EITLEÁN BHEITH AG GLUAISEACHT AR TALAMH/AG ÉIRÍ DE THALAMH/ AG TABHAIRT FAOIN DREAPADH TOSAIGH/ AG DÍRIÚ AR THUIRLINGT/ AG TUIRLINGT: Ríomhairí glúine le tiomántán dlúthdhiosca (CD ROM) nó diosca digiteach ilúsáide (DVD). Eagraithe pearsanta boise. Áireamháin láimhe gan phrintéiri.

Clostrealamh iniompartha (ms Walkman, seinnteoir CD, seinnteoir

Mini-disk, iPod, seinnteoir MP3). Ar mhaithe le compord na bpaisinéiri eile, níor choir na gléasanna seo a úsáid ach amháin le cluaisíní. Cluichí ríomhaire (ms Gameboy). Níl cead gaireas forimeallach a úsáid le cluichí láimhe ríomhaire am ar bith (ms paca forlíontach cumhachta a cheanglaítear le cábla). Físcheamaraí agus fístaifeadáin, trealamh digiteach san áireamh. Ceamaraí digiteach. Glacadóirí láimhe chóras suite domhanda (GPS). Rásúir leicreacha. Bréagáin leictreonacha (seachas bréagáin chianrialaithe).

Gléasanna “Bluetooth” i gcomhar le gutháin phóca agus iad i “modh eitilte”; uirlisí a bhaineann feidhm as teicneolaíocht “Blackberry” agus “mód eitilte” nó “slánmhód eitilte” roghnaithe orthu; ríomhairí glúine; ríomhairí boise (PDA) le Wi-Fi ionsuite agus an lipéad “raidió múchta” roghnaithe orthu.

GLÉASANNA A BHFUIL ✘ COSC IOMLÁN ORTHU: Gléasanna a tharchuireann

minicíocht raidió d’aon turas.

Siúlscéalaithe. Bréagaín chianrialaithe. Aonaid fhístaispeána le feadáin ga-chatadóideacha.

Trealamh ríomhaire gan sreang (ms luch). Printéirí PC. Schríbhneoiri DVD, CD agus taifeadáin Minidisk atá sa mhodh taifeadta.

Ceamthaifeadáin digiteacha agus iad ag athscríobh dlúthdhioscaí.

Steiréónna iniompartha. Raidiónna póca (AM/ FM). Glacadóiri teilifíse.

Trealamh teiliméadrach. Ní cheadaítear fearas LAN gan sreang (WLAN) a úsáid. Is féidir ríomhairí glúine a bhfuil WLAN ionsuite iontu (ms Centrino) a úsáíd le linn na heitilte ar choinníoll go bhfuil WLAN curtha as agus faoi réir na srianta a bhaineann le húsáid ríomhhairí glúine (thuas luaite).

SMOKING In line with Irish government regulations, Aer Lingus has a nosmoking policy onboard its flights.

Smoking is not permitted in any part of the cabin at any time.

TOBAC De réir rialacháin Rialtas na hÉireann, tá polasai i réim ar eitiltí Aer Lingus nach gceadaítear tobac a chaitheamh.

Ní cheadaítear d’aon duine tobac a chaitheamh in aon chuid den eitleán ag aon am.

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

| 85

Aer Lingus 200 millionth passenger

Exciting new routes for summer 2012

Stockholm

AerLingusNews

Aer Lingus reached an historic milestone on Thursday, December 8, carrying its 200 millionth passenger since its first flight on May 27, 1936, just over 75 years ago. Annette O’Donovan from Kerry was presented with tickets to a US destination of her choice and treated to an upgrade to business class on her flight to Chicago that day.

Lucky ticket – from left to right, Eithne Lydon, Jamie Leigh Arthurs (Aer Lingus) and 200 millionth passenger, Annette O’Donovan (winner).

Aer Lingus recently announced the welcome addition of flights from Dublin to Stockholm and Verona, and from Cork to Brussels, to its extensive 2012 summer schedule. Along with these exciting new sun and city break destinations, Aer Lingus is also set to increase frequency on 13 of its other routes, including Faro, Perpignan and Zurich. For more information, visit aerlingus.com

lin recently, Aer Lingus won At the Irish Travel Trade Awards held in Dub ining the title for the third the award for “Best Airline to Europe”, reta prize for “Best Short-Haul successive year. The airline also scooped the ember. Aer Lingus cabin crew Airline” at the Travel Media Awards in Nov inflight sales achievements. This were also winners at the ISPY Awards for cted by Aer Lingus in 2012. brings to twelve the number of awards colle

A DELICIOUS NEw SKyDELI

The Aer Lingus inflight menu on UK and European flights has been refreshed with the introduction of some healthy new options in addition to old favourites such as chicken and stuffing sandwich and the hot Irish breakfast. The new deli-style menu carries a tasty and diverse range of foods from fresh fruit and salads to hot and cold pasta dishes.

Aer Lingus and UNICEF Ireland – Celebrating 15 years of working together to save children’s lives

Aer Lingus UNICEF ambassadors on a field trip to Kenya. From left to right, Sinead Kelly, Carmel Coyne, Clare Gillespie and Paula Lawlor.

86 |

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Change for Good™ is the UNICEF inflight collection of unused foreign notes and coins that helps save the lives of children around the world. In 2012, UNICEF Ireland and Aer Lingus are celebrating the 15th anniversary of this remarkable partnership that has raised nearly €12 million (US$15 million) for UNICEF‘s work for children in over 150 countries and territories across the world.

Every day, Change for Good™ collections take place on-board Aer Lingus transatlantic flights but, in times of crisis, special Change for Good™ collections also take place on all Aer Lingus flights for UNICEF’s emergency fund. Last summer, a special collection

on-board all Aer Lingus flights raised over €225,000 for UNICEF’s Emergency Appeal for the children of East Africa.

UNICEF Ireland also unveiled a brand new Change for Good™ video for Aer Lingus transatlantic flights in December 2011 to coincide with the anniversary. Presented by UNICEF Ireland Ambassador, Rory McIlroy, the video shows how Aer Lingus passengers are making a difference to children’s lives across the world.

UNICEF Ireland is completely reliant on voluntary donations and is extremely grateful to Aer Lingus and its passengers for their continued support of Change for Good™ over the last 15 years.

Flights, camera, action!

Introducing the very latest in in-flight entertainment systems; starring over 200 hours of blockbuster movies, TV shows, music videos and the latest interactive games on your very own personal screen.

Not only do we have a state-of-the-art entertainment system, but also the most modern fleet of aircraft flying to the USA from Ireland.

And once there we can even smooth your onward journey to over 40 US destinations with our partners jetBlue and United Airlines.

There is no better way to make time fly.

Great Care. Great Fare.

INFlIghT ENTERTAINMENT

FLIGHTS TO THE USA From Dublin to Boston, Chicago, New York and Orlando; from Shannon to Boston and New York; from Madrid to Washington. Movies available are listed below. All movie details and ratings can be accessed through your personal screen.

Movies

Puss In Boots

FLIGHTS TO THE USA PUSS IN BOOTS

ONE DAy

50/50

Puss in Boots – based on one of the most beloved characters of the Shrek Universe – tells the hilarious and courageous tale of Puss’s early adventures as he teams with mastermind Humpty Dumpty and the street-savvy Kitty to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs. This tale is about the events leading up to the swordfighting cat’s meeting with Shrek and his friends. It’s the adventure of nine lifetimes!

Based on the novel of the same name by David Nicholls, One Day tells the story of Dexter and Emma and their lifelong will they/won’t they love affair. The pair meets at college, where they almost get it together on the night of graduation, but end up deciding to remain friends. The audience is then brought through the ups-and-downs of their friendship over the next 20 years, focusing on where the characters are on the same “one day” each year – July 15. Emma pines away for Dexter, while he lives a life of excess – drugs, drink, women and fame.

Inspired by a true story, 50/50 is an original tale about friendship, love, survival and finding humour in unlikely places. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen star as best friends whose lives are changed by a cancer diagnosis in this new comedy directed by Jonathan Levine from a script by Will Reiser.

50/50 is the story of a guy’s transformative and, yes, sometimes funny journey to health – drawing its emotional core from Will Reiser’s own experience with cancer and reminding us that friendship and love, no matter what bizarre turns they take, are the greatest healers.

Animation / Family (PG) 90 minutes

STARS VOICES OF Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Billy Bob Thornton, Zach Galifianakis, Amy Sedaris DIRECTOR Chris Miller

Romance / Drama (PG 13) 107 minutes

Comedy/ Drama (R) 100 minutes

STARS Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess and Patricia Clarkson DIRECTOR Lone Scherfig

50/50

STARS Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anjelica Huston.

DIRECTOR Jonathan Levine

More Movies On Demand

One Day

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DRIVE Ryan Gosling ThE ThREE MUSkETEERS Orlando Bloom FOOTlOOSE Julianne Hough MARgIN CAll Kevin Spacey DREAMhOUSE Daniel Craig WARRIOR Joel Edgerton I DON’T kNOW hOW ShE DOES IT Sarah Jessica Parker ThE WhISTlEBlOWER Rachel Weisz

MARThA MARCy MAy MARlENE Elizabeth Olsen IN TIME Justin Timberlake WhAT’S yOUR NUMBER? Anna Faris AN INVISIBlE SIgN Jessica Alba DOlPhIN TAlE Harry Connick Jr hORTON hEARS A WhO! Jim Carrey ChRONIClES OF NARNIA: VOyAgE OF ThE DAWN TREADER Georgie Henley

FLIGHTS FROM THE USA From Boston, Chicago, New York and Orlando to Dublin; from New York and Boston to Shannon; from Washington to Madrid. Movies available are listed below. All movie details and ratings can be accessed through your personal screen.

Movies

Moneyball

FLIGHTS FROM THE USA MONEyBAll

ThE BIg yEAR

Comedy / Drama (PG 13) 100 minutes

Animation / Family (PG) 99 minutes

Based on a true story, Moneyball is a movie for anybody who has ever dreamed of taking on the system. Brad Pitt stars as Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland As. Forced to reinvent his team on a tight budget, Beane will have to outsmart the richer clubs.

The onetime jock teams with Ivy League grad Peter Brand in an unlikely partnership, recruiting bargain players that the scouts call flawed. It’s more than baseball, it’s a revolution – one that challenges old school traditions and puts Beane in the crosshairs of those who say he’s tearing out the heart and soul of the game.

Featuring a stellar cast including Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson, The Big Year is the story of three disparate men, each facing unique personal challenges, who try to outdo each other in the ultimate bird-watching competition in 1998. This was the year El Niño brought an unprecedented number of species to North America. Their quest takes them on an unforgettable trek throughout North America as ultimately this competition is an allegory for the challenges faced in their lives.

In this sequel to the Academy Awardwinning animated smash hit, Happy Feet Two returns audiences to the magnificent landscape of Antarctica, reuniting us with the world’s most famous tap-dancing penguin called Mumble. Mumble and Gloria now have a son of their own, Erik.

Erik’s reluctance to dance leads him to struggle to find his own particular talents in the Emperor Penguin world.

Drama (PG 13) 133 minutes

STARS Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright DIRECTOR Bennett Miller

hAPPy FEET TWO

STARS Steve Martin, Jack Black, Owen Wilson DIRECTOR David Frankel

Happy Feet Two

STARS VOICES OF Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Pink, Robin Williams DIRECTOR George Miller

More Movies On Demand

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

TINkER TAIlOR SOlDIER SPy Gary Oldman PARkED Colm Meaney REAl STEEl Hugh Jackman ThE IDES OF MARCh George Clooney JOhNNy ENglISh REBORN Rowan Atkinson kIllER ElITE Robert De Niro MARgARET Matt Damon ThE SkIN I lIVE IN Antonio Banderas

AlBATROSS Julia Ormond gRIFF ThE INVISIBlE Maeve Dermody ChAlET gIRl Brooke Shields ThE lEDgE Liv Tyler ThE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN Daniel Craig ICE AgE: DAWN OF ThE DINOSAURS Denis Leary AlVIN AND ThE ChIPMUNkS: ThE SQUEAkQUEl Zachary Levi

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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INFlIghT ENTERTAINMENT

Television On Demand TV allows you to control your TV content and choose from the very latest comedy and drama. Brand new COMEDy hIghlIghTS features New girl as well as Emmy award-winning Modern Family, how I Met your Mother, Family guy and from HBO watch out for Enlightened, how to Make It In America, Curb your Enthusiasm and Sex and the City. ClASSIC COMEDy takes in Just For laughs Stand Up, happy Days and Cheers. DRAMA features the wildly entertaining HBO drama True Blood as well as the brilliant Dexter. A respected member of the police force and a perfect gentleman, it is hard not to like Dexter, described by the Chicago Sun Times as, “Fantastic, fascinating, charming and gruesome.” Also featuring is an episode from Best Drama Emmy Winner 2011 – Mad Men. Set in 1960s New York, the stylised and provocative drama Mad Men follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising.

It’s time to fasten your seat belts for the eighth – and final – season of Entourage!

The HBO Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning hit comedy is executive produced by Mark Wahlberg and takes a

Blue Bloods

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

look at the life of Vince Chase, a hot young actor in Hollywood and the entourage he has brought with him from Queens, New York. Available are the first eight episodes of Season 8. game of Thrones is another HBO triumph and available On-Demand is the final eight episodes (Season 1) of game of Thrones. This ambitious and visually stunning new series is set in a quasi-medieval world with a mythic history riddled with conflict. Described by Newsday as “The best-written TV show of the year” and by the Los Angeles Times as “a great and thundering series … epic television.”

Don’t miss the final six episodes of the mini-series The kennedys, the story of the most fabled and legendary political family in American history. The Emmy-winning television mini-series chronicles the lives of the famous US family. It features a stellar cast including Greg Kinner, Katie Holmes, Barry Pepper and Tom Wilkinson.

Available On-Demand are eight episodes from Season 1 of The Borgias – the saga of a crime family set in Italy in 1492. Starring Jeremy Irons, The Borgias was created and executive produced by renowned Irish director Neil Jordan. This first-class medley of Drama TV also takes in the final five episodes from Season 1 of Blue Bloods starring Tom Selleck. Created

by The Sopranos’ alumni Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green, Blue Bloods is a solid, characterdriven, multi-story serial drama.

Selleck’s character serves as the anchor for four generations of police officers.

The Kennedys

ON DEMAND

Game of Thrones TEENS onboard can enjoy the multi award-winning glee and new from Disney, both Shake It Up and Wizards of Waverly Place. Kids can look forward to Angelina Ballerina, Bob The Builder and Irish animation in I’m a Monster. lIFESTylE, SPORT AND MUSIC hIghlIghTS include Top gear, Movie Talk, grand Designs, Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals, Man vs Food, Inside the Actors Studio, America’s Next Top Model, hSBC golfing World, Real Madrid highlights, The Show, horizons, Take That Progress live, hugh laurie – Down by the River and later with Jools holland. DOCUMENTARy hIghlIghTS take in National geographic Most Amazing Photos, Mystery Files, Waterways (The Royal Canal), Beyond Wiseguys, lifecycles, Ultimate Wildlife, Big Cypress Swamp and a Biography channel focus on George Clooney.

Radio

ON DEMAND

Fitzpatrick Hotels

Chart Hits

Phantom 105.2

The Big 10

This is a contemporary easylistening collection of songs from both sides of the Atlantic, brought to you compliments of The Fitzpatrick Hotel Group USA. With two hotels in downtown Manhattan, Grand Central and Fitzpatrick Manhattan, Fitzpatrick’s is the place to stay in NYC.

Chart Hits lifts the lid on the latest pop hits. From Brit award-winners that includes Rihanna, X Factor stars One Direction, Rebecca Ferguson and Cher Lloyd to true global superstars – Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry as well as newcomer Jessie J and oh so much more, this show is a thrilling mix of the most recent chart sounds.

Phantom 105.2 is quite simply the home of the very best music played on any Irish radio station. Phantom is committed to playing brand new music, Indie Rock but really we will play all genres of music – if it’s a great track, we will play it. Oh, we also like having a bit of craic along the way so why not try something different and tune into Phantom 105.2 – we promise you won’t be disappointed! We are Phantom – music that rocks!

The Big 10 on 98FM features ten songs with a connection. Tune into the countdown every Sunday morning at 10am as we countdown The Big 10, each week a different set of songs are featured each with a different connection. Presented Darragh O’Dea of Dublin’s 98 FM, this special show for Aer Lingus, looks at The Big 10 Irish songs of all time.

Best Hits of 2011 Take a recent trip down memory lane in this retrospective of the most popular hits from 2011. Best Hits of 2011 features massive hits including the biggestselling artist of the year, Adele, as well as other instantly recognisable songs from Maroon 5, Britney Spears, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Chris Brown, Bruno Mars and more.

Jazz Alley

Grace Notes

La Stupenda

Ellen Cranitch takes a look back at some of the recordings from the traditional music world that were released in 2011. Grace Notes includes music from some seasoned old hands, as well as new kids on the block. This is a nostalgic journey for lovers of traditional music as well as newcomers to the genre and features the finest traditional recordings from last year.

Presented by Liz Nolan of RTÉ Lyric FM, La Stupenda is a commemorative programme on the life and work of one of the great divas of the 20th century, the Australian Joan Sutherland. This Lyric Feature charts the beloved Dame’s long and illustrious career with the music which made her famous and the recollections of her colleagues from the opera world.

2011 marked both the 40th anniversary and 110th birthday of the great Louis Armstrong. In this Jazz Alley special Donald Helme takes the opportunity to collect his thoughts and speaks with renowned jazz expert Dan Morgenstern and jazz critic and author of Satchmo – The Genius of Louis Armstrong, Gary Giddins. In this fascinating show Helme and guests reflect on the life and achievements of the greatest and most popular jazz musician of all time.

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Radio

ON DEMAND

Soul Plane Sit back, unwind and while away your time with Soul Plane; a soothing and sublime selection of mellow grooves and laid-back songs. This impressive repertoire of relaxing Soul classics features legendary artists such as Barry White, The Drifters, Nina Simone, Chic, The Four Tops, Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding and more.

Best of Moncrieff

Aer Guitar

Broadway Favourites

Best of Moncrieff is a lively mix of funny, engaging and irreverent features. Its insightful format gives listeners a unique listening experience. Tune into Best of Moncrieff every weekday from 1.30-4.30pm on Newstalk 106-108fm for a lively mix of phone-ins, text messages and stories from around the world and down your street. Text 531006, email afternoon@newstalk. ie or follow Sean on Twitter @ SeanMoncrieff.

Tune into Aer Guitar presented by Marty Miller to hear some legendary rock classics. You can also hear Marty on Irish radio, weekdays from 2pm on Radio NOVA 100FM, from Dublin to the World! Aer Guitar features seriously addictive guitarbased rock music.

Broadway Favourites may tempt you to visit a Broadway show whilst in New York or indeed provide inspiration to tread the boards yourself. This show really is a moving collection of memorable songs from the world’s most famous Broadway musicals. Tune in to hear hits from Les Misérables, Guys and Dolls, West Side Story and many more. Enjoy!

That Decade – 1950s

That Decade – 1960s

That Decade – 1970s

Copeland Classics

Rock ‘n’ Roll emerged in the mid-1950s as the new cultural movement and as the music of choice for the masses. Elvis Presley was the leading figure of the new sound as he, along with other stars, including Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis became household names. Essentially the 1950s gave birth to Rock ‘n’ Roll as we know it today.

The 1960s was a revolutionary decade in terms of fashion, culture and music. This was the decade that saw the explosion of Popular Music and in turn the hit record became a phenomenon that continues to this very day. Artists featured on the show include The Monkees, The Beach Boys, Jackie Wilson, The Animals and The Isley Brothers.

The 1970s witnessed a new dawn in music spanning a range of genres from disco, glam rock to smooth jazz, electronic music and punk. That Decade – 1970s showcases an interesting repertoire of hits from a musically eclectic time.

Artists that can be heard include The Pointer Sisters, Santana, Hot Gossip, Heart, Earth Wind and Fire, Mac Davis and many others.

Welcome to the music of Copeland Classic Hits brought to you courtesy of Louis Copeland and Sons, a name synonymous with men’s tailoring in Dublin. Louis Copeland is a world renowned master tailor and provider of men’s designer suits for over 100 years. Louis Copeland and Sons can be found in Dublin on Capel St, Pembroke St and Wicklow St and beside the IFSC, as well as at Dublin Airport and in Galway on Merchants Road. From Armani, Brioni, Hugo Boss and Paul Smith – all leading labels are available at their stores. louiscopeland.com.

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It’s our business to keep your business moving

With convenient flight times to central airports, self-service check-in and allocated seats, we’ll make sure that getting to where you need to be is the least stressful part of your job.

Great Care. Great Fare.

Wellbeing Aer Lingus is pleased to bring you some suggestions and light exercises to enhance your comfort and wellbeing during your flight: Suggestions and light exercises to enhance your comfort and well-being during your flight: Wear loose-fitting clothes on board to allow your skin to breathe, and apply a good moisturiser throughout.

Stretch your legs as much as possible by taking a stroll through the cabin.

Circle your ankles clockwise and anticlockwise. Bend and straighten your ankles in a brisk manner with the knee straight.

Trace the letters of the alphabet with your foot by moving your ankles.

Exercising your feet and legs periodically helps to reduce any possible effects of long-duration travel.

Avoid sitting or sleeping in the same position for too long and gently stretch muscles to improve your circulation.

And remember to move your neck and shoulders during long flights to prevent stiffness.

We wish you an enjoyable experience.

Reducing the effects of jet-lag

Passengers with wheelchair requirements

To help reduce the effects of travelling and jet-lag before, during and after your flight, we have introduced an audio programme (available on Channel 6), which will play every other hour, offering 60 minutes of soothing and relaxing audio environments. The programme is designed to enhance your physical and mental wellbeing during the flight.

Our priority is to always ensure the safety and comfort of all passengers. We encourage passengers who may need assistance to contact us well in advance of their date of travel to enable us to assess their needs.

Apart from tuning in to the inflight relaxation programme, here are some other simple things that you can do to prepare for your journey.

Ideally, avoid heavy food, alcohol, tea or coffee the day before you travel.

When you arrive at your destination, try to adjust your activities gradually to the new time zone.

Mild exercise on arrival will also help to stimulate your circulation.

If you are a wheelchair user or require wheelchair assistance when travelling on Aer Lingus services, please advise us of your requirements at least 48 hours in advance, quoting your booking reference number. Our contact details are as follows:

Carry-on baggage Carry-on baggage on Aer Lingus services is restricted to one piece per person, as well as to the weights and measurements, illustrated below.

AER LINGUS

55cm (22ins)

email: specialassistance@aerlingus.com

Maximum weight

10kg

(Ireland) 0818 365 011 08:00 - 18:00 Mon-Fri & 09:00 - 17:00 Sat & Sun (UK) 0871 718 20 21 (Europe) + 353 1 886 8333 (USA) 516 622 4222

43cm (17ins)

(22 lbs)

20cm (8ins)

Telephone:

AER LINGUS REGIONAL

40cm (16ins)

Maximum weight

7kg (15 lbs)

28cm (11ins)

20cm (8ins)

Additional small items, such as cameras, personal stereos, overcoats and handbags are allowed on board. EU security rules regarding liquids, gels and aerosols in cabin baggage apply. Flights departing the USA are subject to TSA security rules. Passengers in Row 1, or at an emergency exit, MUST store baggage in an overhead bin.

Safety brief We would like to bring your attention to the following safety and security measures: Please pay attention to any instructions given to you by the cabin crew.

Any behaviour towards a fellow passenger or cabin crew that is deemed to be threatening or abusive (including the use of offensive language) is a serious matter.

As our priority is the safety of all passengers, it is important not to interrupt the cabin crew while they carry out their duties, and not to interfere with aircraft equipment.

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As a service to passengers, alcohol is served in the airport lounges and on board. In the interests of safety, Aer Lingus may refuse to allow you board if it is thought too much alcohol has been consumed. While the majority of passengers are responsible, there have occasionally been incidents where intoxicated passengers have caused serious safety hazards. Passengers are reminded also that during the flight you may not consume any alcohol brought onto the aircraft by you or any other

passenger. The consumption inflight of Duty Free alcohol purchased from the Sky Shopping service is also prohibited. This measure is, again, necessary in the interests of flight safety.

If incidents of this kind occur during a flight, the cabin crew is obliged to contact police on arrival at your final destination.

The Aircraft Captain may also divert the flight enroute in order to remove disruptive passengers. Should this happen, Aer Lingus will not

be responsible for getting you home, your ticket money will not be refunded, and – in addition to the authorities awaiting you on landing – you could be heavily fined and/or be liable to a prison sentence.

In many cases, other airlines may subsequently refuse to allow you to fly with them.

We emphasise that while on board the aircraft our priority is your safety. As always, we wish you a safe and enjoyable flight, as well as a safe onward journey.

RouteMaps EUROPEAN ROUTE NETWORK

Helsinki

Stockholm

Vilnius Hamburg

DUBLIN

Berlin

Amsterdam Dusseldorf

Brussels Paris

Stuttgart

Vienna

Munich Zurich

Geneva Lyon

Bilbao

Nice

Perpignan

LINATE

Venice Bucharest

Bologna

Verona

Rome

Barcelona

Naples

Madrid Palma

Lisbon Alicante Faro

Budapest

Milan

Milan

MALPENSA

Krakow

Prague

Frankfurt

Bordeaux

Warsaw

Catania

Malaga

Izmir Aberdeen Glasgow

Blackpool Manchester

DUBLIN Birmingham

Fuerteventura Lanzarote

Tenerife

Edinburgh

Cardiff

Bristol

London (Heathrow) London (Gatwick)

Gran Canaria

Jersey

To & From Dublin Austria Vienna Belgium Brussels Canary Islands Fuerteventura Gran Canaria Lanzarote Tenerife

France Bordeaux* Lyon Nice Paris Perpignan*

Czech Republic Prague

Germany Berlin Dusseldorf Frankfurt Hamburg Munich Stuttgart

Finland Helsinki*

Hungary Budapest

Italy Bologna* Catania* Milan (Linate) Milan (Malpensa) Naples* Rome Venice* Verona (new route,

The Netherlands Amsterdam

starts 24th March)

Portugal Faro Lisbon

Lithuania Vilnius

Romania Bucharest

Morocco Agadir

Poland Krakow Warsaw

Spain Alicante Barcelona Bilbao* Madrid Malaga Palma*

United Kingdom Birmingham Edinburgh Jersey* London (Gatwick) London (Heathrow) Manchester

Sweden Stockholm* (new route)

United Kingdom

Switzerland Geneva Zurich

Aberdeen Blackpool Bristol Cardiff Edinburgh Glasgow

Turkey Izmir*

with Aer Lingus Regional Operated by Aer Arann

* Commencing March 25 ■ Aer Lingus Regional routes operated by Aer Arann FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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INFLIGHT ROUTE MAPS

EUROPEAN ROUTE NETWORK

Edinburgh

Glasgow Knock

BELFAST Manchester

Dublin SHANNON

Birmingham Amsterdam London Heathrow Bristol Brussels LONDON GATWICK

CORK

Paris Munich Geneva

Nice Rome

Barcelona Lisbon Alicante Faro

Malaga

Las Palmas Lanzarote

Tenerife

To & From Belfast, Cork, Shannon & Gatwick FROM BELFAST Canary Islands Lanzarote Las Palmas* Tenerife

FROM CORK United Kingdom London Heathrow

Italy Rome Portugal Faro*

Canary Islands Lanzarote Tenerife Las Palmas France Nice* Paris

Spain Alicante Barcelona* Malaga

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Belgium Brussels* (new route)

Germany Munich Italy Rome FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

FROM GATWICK Portugal Faro* Lisbon*

United Kingdom London Gatwick London Heathrow

Spain Alicante* Barcelona Malaga

United Kingdom

Switzerland Geneva The Netherlands Amsterdam

with Aer Lingus Regional Operated by Aer Arann

Birmingham Bristol Edinburgh Glasgow Manchester

Ireland Cork Dublin Ireland West Airport (Knock) Shannon

FROM SHANNON United Kingdom London Heathrow United Kingdom

with Aer Lingus Regional Operated by Aer Arann

Birmingham Bristol Edinburgh Manchester

* Commencing March 25 â– Aer Lingus Regional routes operated by Aer Arann

USA ROUTE NETWORK

Boston

Chicago New York

Washington

Shannon

Dublin

Madrid Orlando

To & From Dublin, Shannon & Madrid FROM DUBLIN

FROM SHANNON

FROM MADRID

USA Boston Chicago New York Orlando

USA Boston (commences

USA Washington DC

March 25)

New York (commences March 26)

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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INFLIGHT ROUTE MAPS

CONNECTING EUROPE, USA & CANADA Edmonton

Calgary Winnipeg

Vancouver Seattle Portland OR

Minneapolis

Salt Lake City Denver

Kansas City

Sacramento San Francisco

Las Vegas

Oakland

Detroit

CHICAGO

Omaha

Indianapolis Cincinnati Saint Louis Louisville

Long Beach

Los Angeles San Diego

Phoenix

Houston

Portland ME BOSTON

NEW YORK

Columbus Baltimore WASHINGTON Washington (National) (Dulles) Lexington Richmond Raleigh - Durham Charlotte Atlanta

Dallas (Fort Worth) Austin

Syracuse Rochester

Pittsburgh Burlington

Cleveland

Nashville Burbank

Toronto Buffalo

Jacksonville

New Orleans Tampa Fort Myers

Miami

Orlando West Palm Beach Fort Lauderdale

Aguadilla

San Juan Ponce

FLY BETWEEN THE FOLLOWING CITIES VIA DUBLIN, SHANNON, NEW YORK, BOSTON & CHICAGO New destinations with Aer Lingus, in partnership with JetBlue, United Airlines and Aer Arann Getting to the US from destinations throughout Europe has never been easier.

Now US, Irish and European based customers can book a single low fare reservation between Ireland, Europe and a wide range of continental US destinations using JFK New York, Boston and Chicago as stopovers.

■ NEW YORK Connecting with JetBlue at JFK: When you arrive from Dublin, pick up your bags and clear customs Then all you need to do is drop off your bags at the Aer Lingus transfer desk before hopping onto the AirTrain to JetBlue’s Terminal Five for your domestic connection.

Passengers travelling from the US to Ireland and Europe will be able to check in bags at the JetBlue domestic departure point and then pick them up again in Shannon or Dublin.

■ BOSTON Connecting with JetBlue at Boston Logan International Airport: When you arrive from Dublin, pick up your bags and clear customs. Turn left towards the Aer Lingus transfer desk, where you drop off your bags and then take a short walk to Terminal C for your JetBlue domestic departure.

Passengers travelling from the US to Ireland and Europe will be able to check in bags at the JetBlue departure point and then pick them up again in Shannon or Dublin.

■ CHICAGO Connecting with United Airlines at O’Hare Chicago International Airport: On arrival at Terminal Five from Dublin, pick up your bags and clear customs before rechecking your bags at the United Airlines Recheck Desk (which is to the right of customs).

A nearby escalator takes you to the ATS (Airport Transit System), which runs every four minutes, to Terminal Five and your UA domestic departure point.

Passengers from the US to Ireland and Europe can check in bags at the UA departure point, then exit security in Chicago

O’Hare to take the Airport Transit System to Terminal Five for the onward Aer Lingus flight, and pick up their bags in Shannon or Dublin.

■ DUBLIN Connecting with Aer Lingus Regional (operated by Aer Arann) at Dublin Airport: Aer Lingus’s interline agreement with Aer Arann allows passengers connect to Aer Lingus transatlantic flights via Dublin Airport, where they can through check their luggage directly to their final US destination.

All routes correct at time of going to press

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Aberdeen Edinburgh

Glasgow

Dublin

Manchester

Shannon

Birmingham London (Heathrow)

Cardiff

Bristol

London (Gatwick)

Berlin

Amsterdam

Warsaw

Dusseldorf Brussels Krakow

Frankfurt Paris Vienna

Munich

Geneva Venice

Milan (Linate)

Rome

Barcelona Madrid Lisbon Faro

■ VIA DUBLIN with Aer Lingus                     

Alicante Amsterdam Barcelona Berlin Birmingham Brussels Dusseldorf Edinburgh Faro Frankfurt Geneva Krakow Lisbon London (Gatwick) London (Heathrow) Madrid Malaga Manchester Milan (Linate) Munich Paris

   

Alicante Malaga

Rome Venice Vienna Warsaw

■ VIA DUBLIN with Aer Lingus Regional Operated by Aer Arann     

Aberdeen Bristol Cardiff Edinburgh Glasgow

■ VIA SHANNON with Aer Lingus (commences March 26)  London (Heathrow)  Manchester ■

Naples

■ VIA NEW YORK with JetBlue                     

Aguadilla Austin Baltimore Buffalo Burbank Burlington Charlotte Denver Fort Lauderdale Fort Myers Houston Jacksonville Las Vegas Long Beach Los Angeles New Orleans Oakland Orlando Phoenix Pittsburg Ponce

            

Portland ME Portland OR Raleigh-Durham Rochester Sacramento Salt Lake City San Diego San Francisco San Juan Seattle Syracuse Tampa West Palm Beach

■ VIA BOSTON with JetBlue       

Baltimore Buffalo Dallas Fort Worth Denver Ford Lauderdale Fort Myers Jacksonville

                 

Las Vegas Long Beach Los Angeles New Orleans Oakland Orlando Phoenix Pittsburg Portland OR Raleigh-Durham Richmond San Diego San Francisco San Juan Seattle Tampa Washington (Dulles) Washington (National)  West Palm Beach

■ VIA CHICAGO with United to USA                     

Atlanta Austin Charlotte Cincinnati Cleveland Columbus Dallas (Fort Worth) Denver Detroit Houston Indianapolis Jacksonville Kansas City Las Vegas Lexington Los Angeles Louisville Miami Minneapolis Nashville New Orleans

          

Omaha Phoenix Pittsburgh Portland OR Raleigh-Durham Sacramento San Diego San Francisco Seattle St Louis Tampa

■ VIA CHICAGO with United to Canada     

Calvary Edmonton Toronto Vancouver Winnipeg

■ Aer Lingus Regional routes operated by Aer Arann FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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FlightConnections

CONNECTING TO ANOTHER AER LINGUS FLIGHT AT DUBLIN AIRPORT

FLIGHTS ARRIvING AT TERmINAL 2 FLIGhT ConnECTIonS Connecting flight departs Gates 401 - 426 Arrivals Route to Baggage Reclaim from Gates 400s

FLIGhT ConnECTIonS Connecting flight departs Gates 100s - 300s

To Gates 100s 300s

Immigration

Aer Lingus Flight Connections Desk

Immigration

Security Check

Lifts to Gates 401 - 426 Escalator to Gates 401 - 426

Terminal 2 Arrivals

If you already have a boarding card for your connecting flight, and your baggage has been tagged to your final destination, simply follow the sign for Aer Lingus Flight Connections Desk, which you will see on your left hand side as you enter the Immigration Hall. By following this sign, you will proceed to Immigration and Security Check.

After clearing these points, check the information screens and proceed to your boarding gate.

If your baggage has not been tagged to your final destination you must clear Immigration, enter the baggage reclaim area, collect your bag, exit through the Customs hall and proceed to Aer Lingus check-in on the departures level.

Once you have reached the departures level, check the information screens for your onward flight information, and proceed as directed to the appropriate check-in desk.

If you have any queries, or need further assistance, please go to the Aer Lingus Flight Connections Desk, which is located in the baggage reclaim area in Terminal 2, where our staff will be glad to help.

Please note: eU regulations concerning the carriage of liquids apply to your connecting flights at Dublin airport

Connecting at Heathrow Airport Transferring to an international flight at Heathrow? Please disembark from the rear of the aircraft where a dedicated coach will take you to the Heathrow Flight Connections area and reduce your journey time by an average of 20 minutes.

Please disembark From THe BACK oF THe airCraFT iF:

Please disembark From THe FRONT oF THe airCraFT iF:

 You are an international connecting passenger and all your luggage* is checked through to your final destination

    

*Pushchairs checked to London can be collected from the back of the aircraft

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london is your final destination Your onward connection is to a domestic Uk airport Your luggage needs to be collected from Heathrow You would like to leave the airport between flights You or someone you are travelling with needs special assistance

Discover the story of Dublin… and save 20% Michelin Bib Gourmand

History comes to life at this beautiful new museum in the centre of Dublin city.

Admission costs €5. Present this voucher and you’ll pay just €4. ’

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INFLIGHT SKY SHOPPING

Celtic Wave Gold-Plated Pendant Classic Celtic Knots are the focus of this stunning open work wave design pendant which is made in rhodium and gold-plate.

The Knuttel Collection Tea Light Set

Tea

Vibrant and unique assorted sets of tea lights, egg cups and spoons along with shot glasses by the internationally renowned Irish artist Graham Knuttel for Tipperary Crystal. There are 5 artworks featured in the sets: Menu, The Terrace, Blue Lagoon, Shark Ahoy and Seven Year Itch.

Presented in beautiful gift boxes, this is a unique opportunity to acquire striking and functional items of artwork from one of Ireland’s leading artists.

Glowla Her name is glowla... “her glam make-up kit”. She’s soft, seductive and Havana glam time! Glowla’s portable make-up kit is packed with everything you need for an unbelievably beautiful look! Glide on warm luscious colour with the 5 shade colour palette and pretty pink lip-gloss.

It’s sooo good to be glowla!

15-Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection

Kit contains: • CORALista coral-pink cheek powder with brush • High beam luminescent complexion enhancer • Moon beam iridescent complexion enhancer • 5 shade shadow palette • BADgal lash mascara • Life on the A List lip gloss • Fluff shadow / Hard angle brush

It’s Urban Decay’s party, and to celebrate we’re launching 15 new eyeshadow shades and only in this kit! With just the right balance of neutrals and brights, darks and lights, the 15-Year Anniversary Palette is both versatile and the UD junkie’s ultimate collection. Inside, the shadow tray pulls out to reveal a compartment that can be used to stash jewellery or whatever else you’re hiding.

Dior Homme Aer Lingus Fun Plane with FREE key-ring Aer Lingus fun plane with realistic engine sounds and flashing lights. It comes complete with batteries for hours of fun.

Also included is a FREE gift of a miniature plane key-ring.

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Extremely refined, the virile Dior Homme perfectly and singularly blends tradition and modernity. Discover this fragrance, constructed around an unprecedented Tuscan iris accord with a masculine touch.

Britta Sunglasses These women’s sunglasses from Ted Baker are the essential accessory and feature a zip-pull temple, inspired by Ted Baker’s apparel collection. A must-have for the fashion conscious this season. Offering full UVA and UVB protection, these sunglasses come complete with travel case, cleaning cloth and a 1 year guarantee.

Balenciaga L’Essence Balenciaga L’Essence is a leathery violet fragrance, revealing a vibrant trail of contemporary elegance. The violet leaves are set ablaze with warm spices at the top, while the heart becomes more sensual as the amber leathery facets of labdanum warm up the violet to express an asserted femininity.

Rock, Sensual, Modern.

Sky Shopping Aer Lingus welcomes you to our extensive range of amazing quality items at reduced prices onboard during February/March.

Sekonda Sports Chronograph Men’s Watch

Lego Private Jet A great new fun model for you to build. The pilot of this small, private jet is ready to take his passenger to new and exciting destinations around the world.

Grab your luggage, fasten your seatbelt and get ready for the trip!

SShkopyping

Large men’s sports watch with ivory cream dial, 1 second stopwatch timing up to one hour and 24 hour readout. This watch features a leather strap and is water resistant to 50 metres.

Guaranteed for 2 years.

Sekonda Women’s 2 Tone Analogue Dress Watch Featuring a white mother-of-pearl dial and stone set case. Water resistant to 50m, i.e. swimproof.

Guaranteed for 2 years.

Please check your Sky Shopping brochure for all prices FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

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STRAP TRIP OF A LIFETIME

All the city’s a

stage

Theatre director Lynne Parker is inspired by a visit to the magical, modern Renaissance city of Berlin.

E

very time you visit Berlin it changes you. I’ve been going there on and off for ten years, but this time had a particular resonance.

Maybe the sense of being at a turning point made me doubly aware of the watermark of history.

My theatre company Rough Magic runs a programme called SEEDS that aims to broaden the horizons of emerging theatremakers. The idea is to explore creative possiblities, and there’s no better place to do that than central Europe. Last year we included some established artists (life-enhancing trips shouldn’t only be for the young) and in May we all headed first to Warsaw, and then to Berlin. It was in Berlin that the significance of that journey dawned on me.

Both these cities had been comprehensively flattened during the war – Berlin morally as well as physically. Both have managed to resurrect and re-energise, literally 104 |

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out of the rubble. As we try to come to terms with the pickle that Ireland currently finds itself in, it’s inspiring – and chastening – to witness what can be achieved.

It’s the vibrancy of the cultural streetlife in the less economically favoured East that really grabs you.

The radical Volksbühne offers experimental theatre near Hackescher Markt, the funkiest of shopping districts, The laden with good restaurants. The Deutsches Theater gives you equally radical versions of the classics. Go West and Hau, the Schaubühne and the Festspielhaus offer superb music and great drama, especially during the Theatertreffen, a magnificent festival of theatre from all over Germany, Austria and Switzerland that makes Berlin a mecca for theatre-makers. Last year we saw an extraordinary piece from Köln called Das Werk/ Im Bus/ Ein Sturz –

Great drama, two-wheeled steeds and an emotional ambush by an impromptu concert – Lynne Parker found it all in Berlin.

a spectacular interpretation of three poetic works by Elfriede Jelinek, which comprised dance, choral speech and a 30-piece male voice choir. Oh, and they flooded the entire stage for good measure.

Afterwards we stood outside in the elegant gardens as the audience mingled with the cast. Children played on the lawn with the entirely tame and apparently much-loved rabbits that share space with the artists and technicians of the Festspielhaus. In the foyer, the wonderful gay choir had assembled for an impromptu concert; it was the birthday of one of their number and in his honour they sang, without irony or flaw and in perfect close harmony, “I Will Bring You Flowers in the Morning” a hit popularised by Agnetha Fältskog of Abba, no less.

I can tell you that this hardened cynic had tears in her eyes, as did many of the über-cool young theatre-makers of Ireland. The name of this choir is Zauberfloeten, or “Magic Flutes”. Glorious.

The next day we did Berlin by bicycle. While it has a thoroughly integrated vehicular transport system, Berlin is also one of the most bikefriendly cities in the world. My memory of the Rough Magic Company mounted on gleaming twowheeled steeds is one that I will treasure – an image of joyous motion and a perfect metaphor for theatre.

Stimulus and celebration; a modern Renaissance city. I was never so aware of the possibility of rebirth than last spring in the magical, civilised, wonderful Berlin.

Rough Magic’s production of Plaza Suite runs February 20 to March 3; their production of Improbable Frequency, runs March 13-24; both at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, 0818 719 388; gaiety.ie.