Cara Magazine September 2011

Cara Magazine September 2011

September 2011

Irish Theatre Northwest Ireland Disney World

Surf’s up

Gran Canaria Malaga

Catch the best Irish waves

Munich Milan

IT’S SHOWTIME

The Irish theatre folk stealing the limelight

TV CHEF RACHEL ALLEN On having it all

GRAN CANARIA

A hiker’s paradise

HAVE A MAGICAL DAY!

How to do Disney caramagazine.com

PLUS CITY GUIDES TO MALAGA, MUNICH, MILAN

AUGUST 2011

| 1 COMPLIMENTARY COPY

Your experts on the ground in Ireland.

Welcome from Ireland’s leading corporate banking team.

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 in our power 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 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 Global Corporate Banking still believes in keeping it personal.

Contact details: Diarmuid O’Neill Head of International Corporate Banking, AIB Global Corporate Banking, AIB Bankcentre, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.

Tel: +353 1 641 4808 Email: diarmuid.e.o’neill@aib.ie

AIB Global Corporate Banking Making Business Happen

AIB Global 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 .

Contents September

42

24 In the limelight

Surfer’s paradise

NEWS 06 ARRIVALS We meet new arrivals at Aer Lingus’s home terminal, T2 08 NEWS DIARY September: the cultural highlights in Ireland, the UK and Europe 10 NEWS HOTEL Refurbs, openings or just somewhere special to stay, it’s all here

FEATURES 24 IT’S SHOWTIME Some of the stars lighting up the Irish theatre scene talk to Susan Conley

50

The magic of Disney World

42 SURF AND TURF Discover the best waves and walks with Pól Ó Conghaile in Northwest Ireland

14

NEWS CULTURE The best show in town opens its doors. Gemma Tipton previews Dublin Contemporary

16

NEWS SHOPPING Gadgets to Go: cool hunter Ingmar Kiang on this month’s best travel accessories

18

NEWS PEOPLE My Travel Tips: photographer Christian Ammann shares advice with Sive O’Brien

22 NEWS BOOKS Shelf life: bibliophile Claire Brophy reviews the latest releases

50 MAGICAL MOMENTS Disney doubter Dave Robbins is taken on a whirlwind tour of Orlando – led by his enthusiastic six-year old

REGULARS

58 STEP THIS WAY Matthew Hirtes explores the magnificent mountains of Gran Canaria on foot

68 TAKE ME TO THE SUN Oda O’Carroll stops in Malaga for a spot of sight-seeing, shopping and first-class cuisine

66 WELL PLAYED Golfer Graeme McDowell talks to Tony Clayton-Lea about his new charity, The G-Mac Foundation Hiking in Gran Canaria

Smart packing

NEWS RESTAURANT Looking for somewhere fresh to eat?

Look no further

20 NEWS PEOPLE What’s in my suitcase: businesswoman and frequent flyer Naomi McMahon packs light

36 EASY AS PIE TV chef Rachel Allen makes it all look so easy. Bridget Hourican finds out how

20

12

58

70 48 HOURS IN MUNICH Weekend break? Kate O’Dowd has some suggestions 72 INSIDER’S GUIDE TO MILAN Irishwoman Karen Benn has the inside track on Milan 75 AER LINGUS INFLIGHT News, inflight entertainment and route maps to smooth your journey 96 TRIP OF A LIFETIME For artist Dorothy Cross, a trip to California turned out to be the start of a much longer journey September 2011

Surf’s up Catch the best Irish waves

IT’S SHOWTIME

The Irish theatre folk stealing the limelight

TV CHEF RACHEL ALLEN

On having it all

GRAN CANARIA A hiker’s paradise

HAVE A MAGICAL DAY!

How to do Disney caramagazine.com

PLUS CITY GUIDES TO MALAGA, MUNICH, MILAN

AUGUST 2011

| 1 COMPLIMENTARY COPY

Cover: Lee Wood of Narosa Life, photographed by Peter Matthews at Tramore Strand, near Dunfanaghy, Co Donegal

Smart traveller

eDItOral editor Frances Power editorial Consultant Laura George editorial assistant Cassie Delaney editorial assistant Claire Brophy Contributors Sive O’Brien, Kate O’Dowd art art Director Clare Meredith aDvertISING account Director Clodagh Edwards, 01 271 9634, clodagh.edwards@image.ie ad manager Mary Ryan, 01 271 9625, mary.ryan@image.ie advertising Copy Contact Derek Skehan, 01 855 3855, dereks@typeform.ie aDmINIStratION Head of Pr & Promotions Linda McEvitt 01 271 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 Robert Power Director Ann Reihill Director Patrick Dillon-Malone 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, 01 280 8415; advertising sales, 01 271 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, PPA UK, FAEP and FIPP.

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 MARY RYAN ON 01 271 9625 OR EMAIL MARY.RYAN@IMAGE.IE

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AUGUST 2011

CONtrIButOrS Irish photographer linda Brownlee moved to London eight years ago, and her work has since been featured regularly in Vogue, Dazed & Confused, the Guardian, Times and Telegraph magazines, as well as showing in London’s National Portrait Gallery.

She recently published Achill, a book of portraits shot in Achill Island, a place where she has spent many long, happy summers. This month for Cara magazine, she photographed some of the talent involved in Irish theatre – from actor to director to costume designer – at Earlsfort Terrace in Dublin, page 24, a space which is to be dusted off for Dublin Contemporary’s forthcoming multimedia exhibition.

“Earlsfort Terrace was an incredible space to shoot in, I would happily move in there tomorrow!”

When matthew Hirtes told his then work colleagues as they lunched looking out at another grey Isleworth day, of his impending relocation to Gran Canaria, they predicted a life along the lines of a video of Wham’s “Club Tropicana” on repeat. However, Matthew has been too busy to sip cocktails by the pool, writing on everything from learning Spanish to taking surf lessons to covering lucha canaria (Canarian wrestling) fights for the likes of A Place in the Sun, Condé Nast Traveller, and Sports Illustrated. His first book, Going Local in Gran Canaria (Summertime Publishing, £9.99), comes out in December. “Writing about hiking in the mountains of Gran Canaria for Cara [see page 58] re-emphasised how the island offers a true surf-and-turf experience with the possibility of sunning yourself on the beach in the morning and trekking in the afternoon.”

Author and journalist Bridget Hourican’s first book, The Bad Karma Diaries, for twelve-year-old “tweens”, came out in spring to great reviews. Her next book Straight from the Heart, Irish Love Letters is due in October. She likes to cook “quick, easy-to-assemble meals” and is “obsessed with using up leftovers” so was naturally drawn to Rachel Allen’s new book Easy Meals. In this issue of Cara magazine, Bridget interviewed Rachel in Ballymaloe Cookery School in Cork, page 36, where her career began and where she still teaches. “She very kindly fed me – not her own food, but the students’, plus cucumbers from the Ballymaloe greenhouses. She is genuinely all about cooking easy, nutritious meals – and with her schedule she’d have to be! She seems permanently just off a flight and getting her kids’ lunches together. Lucky she loves flying …”

Arrivals Backpackers and students

 SHEENA SEGADY and MICHAEL HURLEY arrive at Terminal 2 after a brief spell working on a farm in Scotland.

They plan “to ride bicycles and camp” in Ireland.

Friends back from holidays, students visiting from abroad and backpackers touring the country, Cara magazine met them all at Aer Lingus’s home terminal, T2. Photographs by Anthony Woods

 Fresh off a plane from Oregon, this group of AMERICAN STUDENTS is off to NUI Galway to take courses in everything from music to history and literature.

Highlight? An introduction to the mysteries of the GAA.

 Friends EMMA BARRON, AOIFE JOHNSTON and SUSAN McGINNELL were on holidays in Crete when Aoife fell and hurt her leg. Not that it put a damper on the holiday – the three arrive home full of smiles and stories.  Travel itinerary? Not for MICHEAL LEHMANN and ADRIAN SPYDER, both from Switzerland, who opened their guidebook for the first time on the plane. First stop? Cork.

WORDS BY CASSIE DELANEY

 HEIDRUN KELICHHAUS from Germany is living the dream. She spends six months of the year working and six months “happily exploring the globe”.

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 Who needs a taxi?

After their cycling holiday, ROBBIE BRYSON and JEAN FLANAGAN get straight off the plane and on to their bikes, ready to cycle home to Blackrock, Co Dublin.

 Dublin is the first first port of call for Swiss sisters NAIMA, above left, and SAVANNAH VOGT, above right, where their Dublin friend VOGT McGUINN is waiting to meet them.

MADDY M

SEPTEMBER 2011

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news DiArY

September

What’s happening this month

12

Open House London Ever wondered how architects decorate their own homes? Now’s your chance to find out – over 700 architects' homes, government buildings, historic landmarks and towers (Crossness Pumping Station, right) – open their doors to give the public a peek, all at the Open House London Weekend. Admission is free, booking necessary for some locations, runs September 17-18; openhouselondon.org.uk.

Aer Lingus fLiES frOm dubLiN, SHANNON, COrk ANd bELfASt tO LOnDOn HeAtHrOw dAiLy

29

Donka, A Letter to Chekhov, Dublin Cirque du Soleil meets Chekhov in this intoxicating performance inspired by Chekhov’s plays and diaries and interpreted by a magical troupe of actors, acrobats and clowns. Wonderful escapism.

September 29-October 1; dublintheatrefestival.com.

1

Mountains to sea the much-loved dun Laoghaire literary festival has a stellar line-up this year, what with Sebastian barry, Joe O’Connor, Emma donoghue ... but the real star is flann O’brien (it’s the centenary of his birth), whose novel, The Dalkey Archives brings the neighbourhood alive. don’t miss the Saunter to Sandycove, a walk in his footsteps with all sorts of surprises, and, of course, a pint of plain. runs September 1-11; mountainstosea.ie.

6

noctú, the irish repertory theatre, new York Riverdance has spawned many successful offspring, one is Noctú – a breathtaking dance show, choreographed and directed by ex-Riverdance principal dancer, breandán de Gallaí. Guaranteed to get the pulse racing. At the irish repertory theatre, New york, September 6 to October 2; irishrep.org.

Aer Lingus fLiES tWiCE dAiLy frOm dubLiN tO new YOrk, ANd fLiES frOm SHANNON tO new YOrk, mON, WEd, fri ANd SuN.

16

Jane Austen Festival, Bath Jane Austen fans, don your bonnets and elbow-length gloves, it’s time for the annual festival of all things regency. Expect soirées, literary chit-chat, trips to the Pump room, quadrilles and readings. runs September 16-24; janeausten.co.uk. regiOnAL OPErAtEd by AEr ArANN fLiES frOm dubLiN ANd COrk tO BristOL dAiLy ANd frOm BeLFAst tO BristOL Six timES A WEEk.

23

Culture night, ireland yes, folks, it's Culture Night, when museums, art galleries, public libraries, churches, historic houses and cultural venues all over the country stay open late and the atmosphere is carnival. Admission free, September 23, nationwide; culturenight.ie.

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SEPTEMBER 2011

YOUR WORLD, YOUR WARDROBE, JUST WALK IN

VIEW OUR NEW SEASON FASHION & BEAUTY EVENT DIARY AT BROWNTHOMAS.COM

news hotel

esCape The places to stay for business or pleasure. la mas Candille, niCe Just down the road from Cannes, and a short drive from nice, Le mas Candille is a five-star hotel with a michelin-starred restaurant, three swimming pools and the first shiseido spa in europe, all set in the little medieval village of mougins. Close to Grasse, the centre of perfume-making in France, the local plant lavender features large in the spa treatments – you can also organise to visit Fragonard for a workshop in creating your own scent, with the option of re-ordering your blend. From €345 per room, per night in peak season, perfume workshop prices on request; Boulevard Clément rebuffel, mougins, 0033 492 28 43 43; lemascandille.com. aer lingus FLIes From DuBLIn To niCe DAILy AnD From CorK To nICe, Tue AnD sAT.

Conservatorium hotel, amsterdam If you’re visiting Amsterdam and hoping to see the sights – the Van Gogh museum, the Hermitage Amsterdam, the Anne Frank house, among others – the new Conservatorium Hotel, opening later this month, alongside P C Hoofstraat, the shopper’s heaven, is perfectly placed for explorers. The hotel itself has a rich historical heritage – built originally as the sweelinck music conservatory at the end of the 19th century, it’s been revamped and given a contemporary makeover (including a stunning Wellbeing retreat – check out the watsu pool). From €355 per room per night, 0031 020 672 822; conservatoriumhotel.com. aer lingus FLIes From DuBLIn AnD CorK To amsterdam DAILy.

new hotel athens If off-beat design is your thing, check out the new Hotel in Athens. masterminded by the Campana brothers, known for their wacky Brazilian carnival-themed productions, the hotel contains 3D wooden walls that are a work of art in themselves, handmade chairs and lamps, and a gallery worth of art, all housed in the former olympic Palace Hotel, a modernist creation dating from the 1950s, and set in the centre of the city. expect, as they say, the unexpected. From €160 B&B per double room, per night; Filellinon 16, 0030 21 0628 4640; yes.hotels.gr. aer lingus FLIes From DuBLIn To athens, Tue, THurs AnD sAT.

KempinsKi hotel, Bahía, malaga If your relationship needs some TLC, or you’re on honeymoon, or just in sync, book yourself into the Kempinski Hotel, Bahía, where their awardwinning garden is playing host to outdoor massages á deux – don’t worry, privacy is guaranteed. Top of the hitlist is a hot stone massage. From €245 pps plus VAT, for a deluxe double room with B&B, hot stone massage, €130 for 80 minutes; Kempinski Hotel Bahía, 0044 800 42 63 13 55; kempinski.com/estepona. aer lingus FLIes From DuBLIn, CorK AnD BeLFAsT To malaga DAILy.

nships, of course. This awardwinning exhibition is a Where do broken hearts go? Well, to the Museum of Broken Relatio keys and teddies to fluffy hand-cuffs. Each piece display of the humour and angst of the love forlorn, and contains everything from Bates Theatre, London; brokenships.com is accompanied by details of its thwarted relationship. Until September 4 at Tristan 10 |

SEPTEMBER 2011

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news resTauranT

fooD file New openings, fresh offerings – what’s on the menu in Ireland and abroad.

CuT, lonDon The man behind Spago, the restaurant on speed dial to Hollywood’s glam set, is Austrian chef Wolfgang Puck. He’s also behind the US string of CUT restaurants which have bagged award after award Stateside.

Now, at last, his first European venture is to open this month at 45 Park Lane, the Dorchester Collection’s new hotel. Expect impeccable service, a top-notch wine list and the best steaks. The upstairs bar looks set to be a crowd puller. 45 Park Lane, 0044 207 49 34 554; 45parklane.com. aer lingus FLiES FroM DUBLiN, SHANNoN, CorK AND BELFAST To lonDon heaThrow DAiLy

The Cake Café, Dublin We’re big fans of the Cake Café in Dublin’s coolest district, Portobello.

After all, with a menu that serves homemade baked beans or sardines on toast, followed by the stickiest cakes, what’s not to like. But now, they’ve gone one better. Following the love thy neighbour ethos, they are serving Saturday breakfast in bed to locals – sausage sandwich, rasher butty, muesli and the works delivered to your house, they’ll even pick you up a newspaper on the way. Genius. Daintree Building, Pleasants Place, Dublin 2, 01 478 9394; thecakecafe.ie.

ThirTy-six, Duke’s hoTel, lonDon This month, the former Dining room at Duke’s Hotel London, re-opens under the expert eye of Chef Nigel Mendham. Previously of the Michelin-starred Samling in the Lake District, Nigel plans to put quintessentially English dishes with a modern twist on the table. But this is no homage to molecular gastronomy – instead, Nigel prefers to keep technology out of the kitchen, using traditional techniques and the best of English produce – think roast quail with terrine forestière, braised leg and quail jus and rhubarb crumble with ginger custard.

St James’s Place, 0044 207 49 14 840; dukeshotel.com. aer lingus FLiES FroM DUBLiN, SHANNoN, CorK AND BELFAST To lonDon heaThrow DAiLy

avoCa, Dublin Avoca’s flagship store in Kilmacanogue, Wicklow, is always brimming with cute, bric-a-brac delights. From home-wear to books and clothing, the Avoca stores have become a one-stopshop for design luvvies.

Likewise, their restaurants and gourmet foods never fail to impress. So, hurrah then, for their new store and café opening this month in Dublin’s southside suburb of Monkstown.

Happily, the café, foodhall and deli will deliver all the familiar favourites, plus a few fresh surprises.

The place to stop for lunch after a stroll down Dun Laoghaire pier. The Crescent, Monkstown, Co Dublin; avoca.ie.

fingered experts Joy Larkcom, Don’t miss: Calling all gardeners who grow their own (veggies that is) – greena weekend of masterclasses, Bob Flowerdew, and foodies Darina Allen, John McKenna and more kick off 10-11; giyireland.com. forages, feasts and other fun at the GIY Gathering in Waterford, September 12 |

SEPTEMBER 2011

Celebrating an Amazing Year

Your friend, Cammie Hi, I’m Cammie the Chameleon, and I’m celebrating the first anniversary of the opening of The Convention Centre Dublin.

In our first year we’ve hosted over 300 events, with over 190,000 delegate days!

We’ve welcomed guests from all over the world to our wonderful venue, showcasing the best of Irish Hospitality, in this amazing city.

Among our visitors has been an impressive range of international associations, corporations, and a host of VIPs. From renowned business leaders like Johan Gorecki, founder of Skype, to eminent politicians, academics and medical pioneers. From Hollywood stars including Pierce Brosnan and Brendan Gleeson, to popular music artists like Westlife and David Gray. And, not forgetting, the recent historic visit of Queen Elizabeth II and Irish President, Mary McAleese.

Our client feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with tremendous praise given to our wonderful team whose innovative approach to every event ensures an unforgettable experience.

Now we want to welcome you to The CCD! So celebrate with us and contact our friendly sales team today to enquire about your next event, and tell them Cammie sent you!

Image of The CCD lit for Google event courtesy of Marc O’Sullivan

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

BOOk it

news culTure

Art Talk

Aer Lingus ail passengers can av unt co dis nt ce r pe of a 15 ice pr on ssi mi off the ad at by booking online y.com, rar po tem on nc bli du de, and entering the co r. ffe s.o gu rlin DCae

bare the greed, vanity and egos of some of its major players.

The event headquarters are in the re-discovered splendour of former university buildings dating from the Georgian period, Earlsfort Terrace behind Dublin’s National Concert Hall [and the location, this month, for Cara magazine’s shoot, page 24]. Closed to the public for over a decade, Castro says they “smell of history”. The exhibition also spreads out and into some of the city’s best-known cultural landmarks. This means that visitors can take in the National Gallery, where Irish artist, Brian O’Doherty is creating a special new work for the space. O’Doherty, who has lived in New York since the 1950s is one of Ireland’s most important artists. His work takes in architecture, politics, literature and ritual, so his new project should be unmissable.

At Dublin City Gallery the Hugh Lane, the work of another Irish artist, Willie Doherty is on show. Twice nominated for the Turner Prize, Doherty took the Troubles in Northern Ireland as a starting point, but his work has developed to address universal themes of anxiety, surveillance, violence and its aftermath. The Royal Hibernian Academy is showing the hugely successful American artist Lisa Yuskavage. The figures

COuRTeSy Of keRLIn GALLeRy, DuBLIn

T

his September and October, Dublin can be counted among the world’s great art destinations, as Dublin Contemporary throws open the doors of a once-secret space, right in the heart of a city more usually famous for its music and literature.

Over one hundred artists, including 34 from Ireland, have been invited to be part of this massive city-wide event that aims to show what the world’s leading artists make of the world we live in today, what makes it work, and how things could be. As Jota Castro, who, along with Christian Viveros-Fauné, has curated the exhibition, says: “It’s not a show ‘against’ things, but a show ‘about’.

It’s a show that asks ‘what if …?’”

Taking its theme, A Terrible Beauty, from the WB Yeats poem, “Easter, 1916”, there will be beauty in the works that fill Dublin’s beautiful city, but there is more. “It’s a very important moment to talk about the social and political issues. As artists we don’t represent anything, we don’t represent power, so we are the people to do it,” says Castro. Cuban artist Tania Bruguera, for example, uses film and performance to explore how art re-addresses politics, while Omer Fast, from Israel, makes videos that challenge how history is made. The art world itself comes under scrutiny, with American artist William Powhida’s witty drawings that lay

COuRTeSy Of THe ARTIST AnD IMMA

Dublin Contemporary, a multi-venue Irish and international art exhibition, kicks off in the capital this month.

Art critic Gemma Tipton previews it.

Top, “In the Wake (of)” by New Yorkbased Irishman Brian O’Doherty, shows at the National Gallery; above, Willie Doherty’s “Shifting Grounds (The Walls, Derry)” at the Hugh Lane.

in Yuskavage’s paintings are made up of an unsettling mix of dewy-eyed innocence, with the hyper-sexualised imagery of soft porn.

There are also exhibitions at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the Iveagh Gardens, and more. Just off Earlsfort Terrace, the Iveagh Gardens are the city’s own hidden garden, and for the moment, are transformed into a cutting-edge sculpture park. So what next? What happens in November, when Dublin Contemporary closes its doors?

Well, Dublin has been shortlisted as host city for Manifesta 2012, the European Art Biennial. So it could be time to book a return ticket to Dublin – the new Capital of Art.

3 Other ShOwS tO catch ...

1

“MeekOnG MuD MAn”

ApichAtpong WeerAsethAkul, For Tomorrow For TonighT The awardwinning Thai film director and screenwriter also works in video, short films and installations. This multi-media exhibition explores the theme of night (see left), a recurring motif in his work. Runs at IMMA, until October 31; imma.ie.

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September 2011

2

clAre lAngAn meTamorphosis This awardwinning short film by artist and film maker Clare Langan explores the relationship between man and the forces of nature.

Stunning. At Bandon Town Hall, September 23-25; for times of free screenings, engageartsfestival.com.

Runs September 6 to October 31; dublincontemporary.com.

3

Toulouse-lauTrec and Jane avril Beyond The moulin rouge A dancer at the Moulin Rouge, and a close friend of the artist, Jane Avril personifies the world of bohemian Paris of the 1890s he depicted so well.

Runs at the Courtauld Gallery, London, to September 18; courtauld.ac.uk.

“Quintessential Irish Pub”

The is how this one could be classed. Seated on top of the Dublin Mountains in Glencullen this pub has brought a multitude of visitors to the area, in fact, the footfall figures are an astonishing 250,000 people per year who make the scenic trek up the mountain roads to this “step-back-in-time” pub.

The Food

The Price

Famed for it’s height and also for it’s menu, Johnnie Fox’s truly has it all, from wonderful seafood platters to signature dishes such as Scallops or Mahi-Mahi Diablo and whilst known for the seafood Johnnie Fox’s also has succulent tasty Mountain Steaks, drop off the bone Lamb Shanks and of course a range of other dishes including vegetarian and even a childrens menu.

The € is set “just right” because Johnnie Fox’s steers clear of “early birds” and “lunch specials” by running a special “Value menu” alongside it’s acclaimed a la carte menu and what is more they run it all day every day (and night). The “Value Menu” sees main courses starting from as little as €9.95. and with good selection one can have a 3 course meal from as little as €16.85.

The Hooley Show An outstanding “up-close and personal show” - traditional Irish bands, great food, great drink and the world famous “Johnnie Fox’s Dancers” all combine to make this a real night to remember. Advance booking is required as it fi fills lls up very quickly and 48.00 per person one can at only €49.95 see why. This is the show the others try to mimic.

Located a stones throw from Exit 15 (M50), 5 mins from Enniskerry, 10 mins from Dundrum Town Centre and 30 mins from Dublin City Centre - phone us and ask about the bus service.

Telephone: (01) 295 5647

Email: info@jfp.ie

Website: jfp.ie

NEWS SHOPPING

GADGETS TO

go

Travel light with the latest cunning devices. Ingmar Kiang reports.

TAKE NOTE As used by Ernest Hemingway and Bruce Chatwin, Moleskine notebooks are famously rugged, practical and stylish. The Moleskine City Notebook range covers numerous destinations, each with city layout and metro maps, street indexes, placemarkers, and translucent sticky sheets for tracing routes and sharing itineraries. Moleskine City Notebook, €16.50 at Eason or moleskine.co.uk.

HIGH DESIGN Brussels celebrates the best of design with an wide-ranging exhibition, Design September, this month. On offer to visitors are exhibitions, conferences, visual art (see, Mario Botta’s “San Giovanni Battista Church, Switzerland”) and open houses, inviting the design savvy or just plain curious to interact with contemporary Belgian design. September 1-30; designseptember.be.

FINISHING TOUCH Hi-tech wizardry and traditional Swiss craftsmanship make the Tissot T-Touch ll a winner, especially suitable for travellers with action-packed schedules. It has a dazzling range of functions: compass, thermometer, chronograph, dual time zones, two alarms, backlight, perpetual calendar, altimeter and barometer – phew! Tissot T-Touch II, €745 at Weir & Sons or tissot.ch.

IS IT A BIRD, IS IT A PLANE? No, it’s the Iomega Superhero, coming to the rescue of all those stumped by the Byzantine complexity of syncing an iPhone via iTunes. But with the Superhero you can back up all your data to its 4GB SD card, safely and simply (it’s a one-touch job). Good thinking, Batman. Iomega Superhero, €54.99 from expansys.ie.

DATA PROTECTION ACT The world’s first waterproof and shock-resistant portable HDD, the Adata SH93 500GB Shockproof Drive laughs in the face of knocks and spills. Water-tight even after total submersion for 30 minutes, it has also passed US military-standard drop tests. Now that’s a really hard drive.

Adata SH93 500GB Shockproof Drive, €112.99 at Maplin or adata.com.

SKI SCENE Ever wanted to share what you see on the ski slopes? With Summit HD Ski Goggle you can do just that – all in stunning 720p HD. With a camera integrated into the fog-resistant goggles and the wind-proof mic, it ensures you get a clear slice of the action. The wide-angle lens captures the views exactly as you see it. Footage is saved to a 32GB memory card allowing up to two hours of video and thousands of snap shots. Summit HD Ski Goggle, £249.99; firebox.ie.

those to learn a whole new language? Based on the science behind APP IT When faced with a quick trip abroad, who’s got time es for iPhone uses melodies and rhythms to get key words and phras MBT orms Earw head, your in stick that songs y catch ingly annoy MBT for iPhone, €7.99 at the App Store, earwormsmobile.com. orms Earw ive. effect gely Stran ory. mem term longyour in d roote 16 |

MONTH 2011

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news PeoPle

My Travel Tips Christian Ammann

The fashion photographer and film director talks to Sive O’Brien about how he travels smart.

Not surprisingly for a leading photographer, Christian Amman is always behind the lens of a slick-looking camera. Growing up in Bantry Bay in Co Cork has given him an appreciation for the beauty in everything he sees. In great demand for European magazines like IMAGE, Flair, Elle, Cosmopolitan and Jalouse, he spends his time flitting from one country to the next, photographing and filming fashion folk and celebrities like Kylie Minogue and Lenny Kravitz. In those rare moments between assignments he lives in Zurich with his wife, the singer Annakin.

HeAlTH RIsKs If you’re travelling to a country that has potential health hazards, check out who.int/ ith/ – The World Health Organisation’s geographical distribution of potential health dangers within that region. It’s invaluable for advice on vaccinations, food warnings and other nasties.

TRAVel APPs iPhone users take note: to keep an overview of travel itinerary, use a nifty app like Flight Track. It’s brilliant, once you receive your initial itinerary email, just forward it to the app’s email address and it updates your schedule instantly – so no extra bits of paper to bring or lose.

ADAPToRs Always bring an International plug adapter to charge electronic gadgets. It’s so important to bring one with you as often hotels won’t lend and it saves lots of time and hassle. Buy one in the airport while you are waiting to board.

THe BesT PHoTo For the perfect picture and HD filming on holidays, I recommend the Nikon COOLPIX P7000 – its classic design allows you to take it to the most fashionable spots without looking like a tourist!

BUY CosMeTICs ABRoAD If you’re off on a

long holiday, buy some of the heavier items abroad such as shampoo and sun factor. It can save you a fortune in overweight luggage and sometimes the prices are better abroad too [see below]. loYAlTY PRoGRAMMes Sign up to airline loyalty programmes – these give you the benefit of lounge access, upgrades and extra baggage allowance. Crucial if you’re a frequent traveller.

TRAVellInG wITH CHIlDRen Keep a recent photo of your child or children in your wallet, just in case one of them gets lost in a crowded area, particularly, if you are in a place where English is not the spoken language.

UnDeRwATeR PHoTos The cheapest option for good underwater photos is to use special housing bags from Ewa-marine (ewamarine.com), they fit on most digital cameras and you can dive up to a depth of 50 metres with them.

THe RIGHT lIGHT To get the perfect holiday snap, stand in the shade just beside direct sunlight, this will create a lovely soft light. Then, make sure you take a series of photographs in succession, not just one image, so you get the best option.

Smart Shopping Travelling to the US? Stock up. Some cosmetics are half the price Stateside, others are simply unavailable in Europe. IMAGE magazine’s beauty editor, Liz Dwyer, rounds up her favourite US beauty buys.

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The US Neutrogena range is four times the size of Europe’s - one bestseller is Build-a-Tan Gradual sunless Tanning lotion, $9.65/€6.70. Its popularity may be down to the size of the bottle – it keeps you going for weeks, plus it has one of the highest concentrates of DHA (the compound that makes skin turn golden) in this genre of tans, which means a deeper tan.

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Mane ‘n Tail shampoo, $5.10/€3.50, became an overnight consumer sensation when Sarah Jessica Parker and Jennifer Aniston attributed their shiny locks to its de-frizzing prowess. Originally for horses, a human version has since been formulated and as well as calming coarse hair, devotees swear that it makes hair thicker.

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olay Professional Pro-X Advanced Cleansing system Brush, $29.99/€21, is like the high street version of the much pricier cult Clarisonic cleansing brush. It increases the efficacy of your cleaner tenfold and massages the product deep into the dermal layers, increasing lymph drainage and muscle tone by proxy.

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No one does pearly whites better than the Americans.

Diluted versions of their original Crest Whitestrips have arrived in European pharmacies, but they’re already onto something better Stateside – Crest 3d 2 Hour express whitening kit, $50/€35.

Thanks to a high concentration of hydrogen peroxide, it gets the job done in less than two hours.

*Currency conversion correct at time of going to press.

NEWS PEOPLE

WHAT’S WHAT’ IN MY SUITCASE

Naomi McMahon Originally from Dublin, Naomi now calls the hip hub of New York City home.

And, she’s well-placed in the fast-paced world of Manhattan – working on Madison Avenue with other creative minds, as vice president of business development for Sony Music Entertainment. She’s a marketing force to be reckoned with – her previous role with Enterprise Ireland took her Stateside to help Irish fashion labels, designers and technology companies boost exports to the US. Other roles with Harley-Davidson and New York ad agencies mean she has travelled the globe in the line of work. Just as well, as travel is her favourite past-time (as well as shopping of course). Her job with Sony means a smart wardrobe is a must and luckily there’s shopping aplenty in the Big Apple to meet her love of labels. Just back from a trip around Australia (pictured), far-fl ung escapades are her thing. Next up, a holiday far-flung in South Africa and Africa, then a business trip to Japan. Here’s what she’ll be packing. Sive O’Brien

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1 NIKON COOLPIX CAMERA €112 at Conns Cameras 2 DENIM JEANS Hudson, €270 at Harvey Nichols 3 LUXE CITY GUIDE €6.99 at Hodges Figgis 4 BLACK SUNGLASSES €195 at gucci.com 5 SAMSONITE COSMOLITE SPINNER CASE €290 at samsonite.co.uk 6 UV PLUS SPF 40 Clarins, €36 at pharmacies 7 TOUCHE ÉCLAT CONCEALER Yves Saint Laurent, €35 at pharmacies 8 STRETCH COCKTAIL DRESS €225 at Reiss 9 MONOGRAM LEATHER POCKET ORGANISER €230 at Louis Vuitton 10 ORIGINS GINZING EYE CREAM €30 at Arnotts 11 STRIPE BIKINI TOP €59; BRIEFS €47; both Seafolly at Brown Thomas 12 HAIR STRAIGHTENER GHD, €120 at Peter Mark 13 PATENT LEATHER SHOES €195 at LK Bennett

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newS bookS

Shelf life

Crime, culture, love and travel – Claire Brophy reviews the latest reads.

Snowdrops by AD Miller (Atlantic Books, £12.99) out September 1. AD Miller’s debut crime novel, set in Moscow, is a compelling portrayal of human nature when faced with the dark underbelly of a foreign city. Not unlike Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, Snowdrops draws you into the isolated world of the outsider in the persona of the narrator, Nicholas, an expat lawyer working in Moscow. A gripping, vivid foray into how a city can reveal itself, and how a chain of events can lead straight to the centre of dark secrets.

Un Amico Italiano: Eat, Pray, Love in Rome by Luca Spaghetti (Duckworth, £8.99) out now. Remember Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert’s bestselling book and its feelgood Hollywood spin-off?

Well, Luca Spaghetti was her real-life Italian host in Rome, and his book, Un Amico Italiano gives a glimpse into what it is about the Eternal City and its inhabitants that can truly feed the soul. Written in three parts, Spaghetti begins by reminiscing about his youth in Rome. From there, we journey across America and, finally, we meet someone in need of a Renaissance, as Luca

Spaghetti welcomes both Elizabeth Gilbert and his readers into Rome with open arms. Charming and good humoured, Spaghetti’s book will put a smile on your face – and yes, that really is his name.

Jude in London by Julian Gough (Old Street Publishing, £12.99) out September 6. Written

by Julian Gough, a Galway man now living in Berlin, Jude in London will restore your faith in satire – and with fans like Tommy Tiernan, and comparisons to Flann O’Brien and Roddy Doyle – looks set to have a cult following. Gough’s writing is wickedly funny, intelligent, and a delightful bundle of contradictions.

Complete with a scattering of comic illustrations, Jude in London is for anyone in search of something a little more literary with a good dose of magical realism.

Light Lifting by Alexander MacLeod (Biblioasis, £14.99) out September 1.

Canadian Alexander MacLeod’s linguistic agility is clear in the precision with which he pens his first short story collection, Light Lifting.

Shortlisted for the Frank O’Connor Short Story Award this year, the

collection comprises seven short stories, centred on his characters, their nuances, and the critical moments of decision (or indecision) that form their every day lives. These stories will catch your attention and engage it.

GUiDe book Andy Warhol’s New York City by Thomas Kiedrowski (Frances Lincoln, £9.99) out September 6. It’s a niche market, the Andy Warhol fanbase, but one that author Thomas Kiedrowski knows well – he’s retraced Warhol’s footsteps in the city he loved and turned the landmarks in his life into four walks.

Punctuated with illustrations, images and snippets about his hero’s life – the pretzel print he designed is now in the Met – this slim volume is the perfect NY walking companion to introduce you to the city’s museums, art galleries, boutiques and clubs.

Top 3 webSiTeS for Daily browSinG

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Thebrowser.com – you’ll find features by everyone from Colin Thubron on the best travel writing to novelist Hari Kunzru on the Mojave desert Byliner.com – at last glance, Eric Schlosser and jonathan Franzen featured alongside a curated reading list that included MTV at 30, and the London riots Longreads.com – culled from Vanity Fair, The New Yorker and The Atlantic, essays to get you thinking

Scandinavian crime writer Liza Marklund remembers her favourite place

PHOTOgrAPH By jŠNSSON

The Irish guidebook was unconditional in their opinion about the small town: Don’t go there. No need. Absolutely nothing to see. Avoid!

Me and my husband both read it, looked at each other and the map and said: Do you think we’ll make it there by nightfall?

We did, barely.

The town was Belmullet, a small place at the end of the world. We reached it by a tiny road on the far end of the Mullet

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Peninsula, surrounded by bog.

We stayed at a little hotel and ordered meat with vegetables and potatoes in the restaurant.

We got meat with potatoes and potatoes. When we asked where the veggies where, the lady pointed at the potatoes and said: What you call that?

Me and my family spent more than a month in Ireland, driving all over the country, but our strongest memory to this day is from Belmullet.

After dinner we went out on the town. Not much was happening.

We entered an empty place and ordered beer. The lonely bartender had once worked in Stockholm, our home town. He liked it. And he liked Belmullet.

So did we. He gave us a beer glass as a memory that I still have. One day I’ll go back.

Liza Marklund’s latest novel, Exposed (Transworld, £6.99) is out now.

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people

It’s showtime

It’s September in Dublin, which means it’s curtain up on the fringe festival and the theatre festival. Add in touring productions and new openings abroad and it’s clear that Irish theatre – and theatre-goers – have never had it so good. Susan Conley meets some of the people behind the footlights. Photographs by Linda Brownlee.

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hink of Irish theatre and it is the names of the playwrights that spring to mind: Shaw, O’Casey, Yeats, Synge, Beckett, Behan, Keane. Then there are the relative newcomers, such as Friel, McGuinness, Carr, Murphy, McPherson, Barry … and the roll call is still growing. For hundreds of years, Ireland has punched way above her weight in the quality of her dramatic literature. And it’s not just writers who have kept the flag flying: theatre companies, actors and designers have been making their mark all over the world.

This year has been a big one for Irish theatre artists abroad, with Culture Ireland’s Imagine Ireland initiative exporting work to America throughout the year. Druid, a theatre company at the forefront of bringing work to worldwide audiences, toured its production of Sean O’Casey’s The Silver Tassie to New York’s Lincoln Center Festival in July. The production debuted at the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival last year, and its road trip is a clear indication that works developed on home ground continue to have a global audience.

Five other shows from last year’s festival programme are currently on tour, including Pan Pan’s The Rehearsal, and Playing the Dane, which shows in Melbourne Festival in Australia in October.

So, what is it about Irish theatre that not only plays so well at home, but travels so well abroad?

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Conor McPherson, playwright and director Set in 1822, Conor McPherson’s new play, The Veil, signifies a departure for the playwright, while still staying close to what he does so well: evoking the supernatural onstage.

It’s an unusual choice of period for the writer, the body of whose work has been utterly contemporary. “I found that setting a play 200 years ago allowed me to write characters who are much more articulate than the characters in the plays I set in the present,” he explains. “There is no swearing in this play and I have allowed them a range of vocabulary I would never permit my modern characters to utilise!”

McPherson is also directing the play, which starts previews in the Lyttleton Theatre, London, in late September. “It’s great to be able to work with the actors in an unmediated way because you can actually mould the writing around the particular performers if necessary,” he says.

“The greatest challenge with directing your own work is that you carry all the responsibility. You are their leader and they must never feel your doubts – so sometimes you are ‘acting’ as much as any of the cast during rehearsals.”

McPherson has been staging spine-tinglers ever since The Weir, which won the Lawrence Olivier BBC

Award as the Best New Play of 1997-98. He sees theatre as the perfect medium for scary stories that contain universal truths. “The theatre is a magical place,” he says. “As we watch actors on a stage and witness a story unfolding in the darkness, we invest in the belief that we are peering into another world. Out of the chaos around us we create the story of our own past, present and future every single day. Without this capacity we are utterly lost.”

Previews for The Veil begin on September 27 in the Lyttleton Theatre, London. See nationaltheatre.org.uk.

SEPTEMBER 2011

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Róise Goan, director, ABSOLUT Fringe Unlike many fringe festivals, the Dublin fringe festival is a curated affair. According to director Róise Goan, this sets the Irish extravaganza apart. While other fringes accept any show as long as it has got its registration fee, “ours is a wholly curated festival, and all the shows in ABSOLUT Fringe are very carefully selected,” she explains. “We spend time working with and supporting the artists we present because, at the end of the day, that care and attention results in better work, and that’s a win-win for artists and audience alike.”

This year the over-arching theme of the programme is Brave New World, which is certainly apt enough for the times we live in. Such a theme, Goan believes, demonstrates the belief that artists of all disciplines have the power to create “stories that connect with our souls, told in all kinds of ways that might lead the way towards a new way of being in a radically altered Ireland”.

She estimates that, in the line of duty, she sees up to 300 shows a year. Despite the volume, she still loves it.

It’s not just the diversity of the productions that keeps that love alive but the variety of the actual viewing experiences. “I’ve sat in theatres in other countries and been utterly bored, only to witness rapturous applause at the end,” she says. “Likewise, I have been utterly energised by performances that just didn’t connect with the audience as a whole. That’s the most amazing thing about live performance. It’s never the same and it’s always about who shows up on the night. Who are they, where did they come from and why are they here? There’s a thrill in that I could never get tired of.”

ABSOLUT Fringe runs from September 10-25.

See fringefest.com.

Almost from its beginning, Irish theatre practice has existed overseas as much as it did at home. As far back as the mid-18th century, Irish playwrights such as Oliver Goldsmith and Richard Brinsley Sheridan turned to London to develop their talents. Despite this, they are unequivocally considered Irish writers; Sheridan’s father was manager of the Smock Alley Theatre, a venue that has been revived to great effect in the last few years, and one that will host shows from both the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival and the ABSOLUT Dublin Fringe Festival this year.

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That’s a nice piece of history, and there’s a feeling of history, of lineage, that imbues Irish theatre and is a large part of its appeal. Indeed, playwright Conor McPherson talks about its influence in regard to his new play, The Veil, which premieres in London this month. Set in a 19thcentury Big House that also happens to be haunted, The Veil takes place in an era that is an unusual choice for the playwright, but it proved to be an illuminating undertaking.

In the course of his research, McPherson discovered that “I had to accept Irish history as my own history … I had always felt free of historical

baggage, but I know now that that is impossible – especially when we consider the extraordinary events that Ireland has been through in the last 20 years. It seems so probable that our recent, self-inflicted misfortunes have their roots in our psyche stretching back hundreds of years.”

This need to dig into the Irish psyche, to uncover truths, no matter how unflattering, and to present them fearlessly is perhaps the cornerstone of Irish theatre. That the plays manage to do so with a sense of humour is, perhaps, one of the reasons that Irish work presents so well on the international stage.

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Annie Ryan, director Inspired by Hollywood action/adventure blockbusters, Man of Valour is the headline act of this year’s ABSOLUT Dublin Fringe festival. The one-man show was created by actor Paul Reid, with writer Michael West and director Annie Ryan of Corn Exchange, a production company founded in 1995 by the Irish-American Ryan. Its approach draws on the methods of commedia dell’arte, a form that uses exaggerated makeup and relies on the actor’s body as much as the text to communicate thoughts and feelings.

In Man of Valour, Reid plays Farrell Blinks, “a guy who lives in a city that’s crumbling, who needs to conquer his own fears – he’s a terribly cowardly person, and he builds his fantasy world around himself instead of confronting what’s in front of him,” says Ryan. As with the 2009 festival hit, Freefall (for which Ryan won the Irish Times/ ESB Theatre Award for Best Director), this show incorporates high technology with high standards of performance. It also incorporates a soupçon of optimism that won’t go amiss. “Freefall was very much about grieving and the shock of loss,” Ryan explains, “but this one is about dusting yourself off and rising from the rubble!”

Ryan has a unique perspective on Irish society and feels that, despite almost 20 years in residence in Dublin, “I’m always going to have an outsider’s point of view – but I am totally fascinated by the country, and fascinated by my own misconceptions of what I thought Ireland was. It’s challenging to look at the unfolding story of this country, and how we see ourselves as Irish people and how the world sees us.” With any luck, the world will see more of Corn Exchange, whose presence on the Irish theatre scene continues to be vital – and vitally creative.

Man of Valour runs at the ABSOLUT Fringe until September 25. See fringefest.com.

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SEPTEMBER 2011

Joan Bergin, costume designer “I always wanted to be an actor,” reminisces costume designer Joan Bergin. “For seven years I was at the Focus Theatre with the great Deirdre O’Connell – it was one of the few theatres that had a theatre school attached to it. I remembered you’d spend all these weeks rehearsing and somebody would be wearing their mother’s cardigan, and I decided rather recklessly, while playing Natalia Petrovna in A Month in the Country, that I would also do the costumes! That was how I started.”

She has certainly made a good job of it, as she recently won her third Emmy for her work on the period drama for TV, The

Tudors. “The second one was that thing that people say, it showed the first one was real, but the third one, I was genuinely shocked.”

The leap from costumes of the 16th century to those of the 20th is, perhaps, an unexpectedly tricky one. She is currently working on Sam Shepard’s 1978 play, Curse of the Starving Class, an unflinching look at poverty and desire. “Often people would say to me that modern work must be so much easier but actually, in modern work, you’re trying to make it special and unique and different.” She says, “It’s a tonic to do something that is so different. I like the

play enormously because … it’s people’s aspirations that you’re trying to show, not just that they’ve fallen upon hard times but what they would have aspired to.”

Bergin has no preference for the past or the present in her work because the play really is the thing. “Regardless of what it is, I have always tried to seek out to marry the audience’s sensibility with what the play is telling you. You want them to look and smile and weep – from the performances as well I hope, and not just from the costumes!”

Curse of the Starving Class runs in the Abbey Theatre until September 10. See abbeytheatre.ie.

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Sabine Dargent, set designer Sabine Dargent is the set designer of B for Baby, by Carmel Winters, a play set in a care home for intellectually challenged adults. It deals with many sensitive subjects, not least sexuality. After first reading the text, Dargent decided that “it seemed to be it was better to do something surrealistic, so we went for that.

The set has a feeling of the sky and of a safe place. Because the subject matter is delicate, we tried to get something very soft and very safe, and everything is covered in white felt.”

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Dargent is a native of France but has been living and working in Ireland for 14 years. “I didn’t think I was going to stay so long!” she laughs. “Also, I didn’t have any English when I arrived, so I had to learn. I started doing some set painting. I started to do films a little bit but then came back to theatre, which is really my passion.”

Her passion has netted her two Irish Times/ESB Theatre Awards for Best Set Design, and in speaking to her, it is clear that the thrill and challenge of a new piece is something that is never likely to dull.

When it is pointed out that the audience may not be aware of the fact that the entire set of B for Baby is covered in soft material, Dargent agrees with, well, passion. “I love that in design – I don’t think that you need to understand everything, but if you feel something, even if you don’t understand with your head, your heart gets something. I love that.”

B for Baby goes on a national tour this autumn, before returning to the Peacock Theatre in November. See abbeytheatre.ie.

people

Aaron Monaghan, actor Aaron Monaghan quite literally leapt into Irish theatre-goers’ consciousness with his performance as Tony Lumpkin in the Abbey Theatre’s 2003 production of Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer. The graduate of Trinity College’s Samuel Beckett Centre took the comic role to new heights, with the sort of physicality that one didn’t often see in a satirical Restoration comedy. “In college, I remember I was suddenly discovering that I was good at being physical, and loud, and a little bit funny,” he says, “And I thought, ‘That’s my career, I’ll be in all those plays where you chop and change characters’ and I would have been happy with that.”

His career hasn’t exactly followed that trajectory, but he seems happy with that. Several serious roles later, primarily in “costume dramas”, he’s taking part in the ensemble piece that is Sixteen Possible Glimpses, Marina Carr’s offering in this year’s Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival, an impressionistic, multi-media look at the life of

Anton Chekhov. “I’m playing his brother Kolya, the artist. It’s an ensemble piece, so there’s going to be lots of actors. Part of the appeal of it is the ensemble nature, and that there’s going to be loads of multi-media, live cameras and such, which wouldn’t really be my thing. It’s really important to keep on challenging yourself.”

The cast of Carr’s play numbers twelve, rather large given the current nature of arts funding. Monaghan believes that it’s all about practitioners playing not only to their strengths but to the nation’s. “The arts are being looked at very positively at the moment,” he says. “The arts are really important in terms of how we represent Ireland because that’s what we’re good at.”

Sixteen Possible Glimpses opens on September 30 in the Peacock Theatre as part of the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival. See dublintheatrefestival.com.

Photographed at Earlsfort Terrace, a venue in the multi-location, large-scale, visual art exhibition, Dublin Contemporary, featuring leading Irish and international artists, which runs September 6 to October 31; dublincontemporary. com. Our thanks to all at Dublin Contemporary. Photographed

by Linda Brownlee, assisted by Garvan Gallagher. Make-up by Seána Long, hair by Carolann Moylan, both at Brown Sugar, 50 South William Street, Dublin 2, 01 616 9967; brownsugar.ie.

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SEPTEMBER 2011

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interview

36 |

SEPTEMBER 2011

Easy aspie

She’s been hailed as “Ireland’s answer to Nigella” – much to her embarrassment. She’s a bestselling cookbook author, a TV chef, mum to three kids and she’s married into the Ballymaloe foodie dynasty, Rachel Allen seems to have it all. How does she do it? Bridget Hourican finds out.

R

achel Allen has just tasted 30 dishes. (No, not her own; it is exam time in Ballymaloe Cookery School.) This is not good news for me. I’ve arrived starving, which is pretty cheeky – we don’t turn up to interview dancers expecting them to whirl us into a waltz, or tennis players expecting help with our backhand, so why do we insist that chefs feed us? But, faced with packaged sandwiches at Cork train station, I thought I’d take a gamble on being offered food.

However, Rachel is digesting 30 exams and definitely not thinking lunch. “Tea?” she suggests brightly and my heart sinks. I guess she has developed a sixth sense about hunger, though, because she takes me into the school’s kitchen to

choose from the remaining student dishes. (Excellent soup, monkfish, peas – and whoever made the rhubarb and strawberry fruit salad should get a distinction.)

Later, walking around the school greenhouses, she breaks off a cucumber and a tomato for me, and, of course, they’re delicious.

Okay, that’s my conflict of interest out of the way: this interview was conducted on a full stomach and I have nothing but nice things to say about “Ireland’s answer to Nigella” (a catchphrase that makes Rachel squirm, on which more later). She’s warm, considerate, generous with her time, and easy, relaxing company. It’s annoying, in a way. I’ve seldom interviewed anyone who better personifies the Spice Girl dream of “having it all” – SEPTEMBER 2011

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interview

“On the first day, Darina said: ‘This is a seed, we’re going to plant it – this is where it all starts.’ And I found that incredible. I’d never thought of what was behind food.” the career, the children, the books, the looks, the lifestyle (country house by the sea), the dynasty (Ballymaloe), the multiple TV shows (syndicated to 33 countries, and familiar to Irish audiences from BBC Food and UKTV Food Channel). It would be fun – in a nasty, schadenfreude way – to report that she is uptight, fake, Botoxed, a perfectionist. But, sorry, the worst I can say is that in another life she would have made a good Blue Peter presenter. She’s got that kind of cheery kindergarten teacher vibe.

But that’s Blue Peter presenter in the sexy Caron Keating mode, which, of course, men love.

Famously, Rachel Allen came from Dublin to do a three-month cookery course at Ballymaloe, aged 18, and never left. “At school

[Alexandra College in Dublin] I’d no idea what I wanted to do.

One day I’d want to be an actress; the next a shoe designer. I went on an NCAD summer course with my cousin Marc O’Neill, but when I saw what he did, next to what I did ...” (Understandably a rude awakening – Marc O’Neill started designing for A-Wear straight out of college.)

She went to Ballymaloe almost on a whim – because friends of her sister enjoyed it. “On the first day, Darina [Allen] said: ‘This is a seed, we’re going to plant it – this is where it all starts.’ And I found that incredible. I’d never thought of what was behind food.” Towards the end of the course she got together with Isaac, Darina’s son, but then “he went to Paris to work as a

photographer, so I wasn’t staying for him”. She worked for 18 months in the kitchens in Ballymaloe House restaurant and occasionally covered for teachers in the school, and so discovered she preferred teaching to chef-ing.

“But all the time I had itchy feet, and I’d go off travelling for months.

I think it was because of people saying, ‘Oh, Darina was a daughterin-law and now you’re going out with Isaac, you’re going to take over the business’, and I’d think, ‘What?

No! Hang on a second!’ I knew in a way this would be my life, but I was only 22, I resisted. Then I worked for eight months in a friend’s clothes shop and that sent me right back to cooking.” She remains interested in fashion and swears by Dublin designer Lucy Downes’s cardigans, wraps and dresses: “I always travel with one of her pieces.”

She married Isaac, had her first child, Joshua, and continued teaching in the school. The way she tells it, the subsequent stellar career “just happened”. The playwright and producer, David Hare, was doing a course in Ballymaloe and

rachel on …

Places to stay in ireland “I always love Ballyvolane in Castlelyons, Fermoy, Co Cork. It’s lovely – really comfortable, olde-world style, lovely art on the walls.

A group of us stayed recently for my sister-in-law’s hen party. In Dublin, I love the Merrion – it’s got everything: great location, lovely staff.”

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SEPTEMBER 2011

eating in ireland “In Cork city, I’ll pop into isaac’s restaurant, where the dining room is a bit of an institution, or I might go to les gourmandises, a great French restaurant run by a lovely couple.

And I stayed recently in gregan’s castle in the Burren, Co Clare. The food there is so interesting, really good. We had this amazing beetroot meringue with foie gras.

And the children’s tea … They set the table beautifully at half five and gave a really good meal, not dumbed down at all. There was this delicious potato soup – they put a garlicky pesto at the base of the bowl and then put the soup on top, so it looked quiet on the surface but when the children started to stir, the green came through, and they were like ‘ooh!’”

Books “I’m currently reading The Slap which I’m enjoying – all those different reactions to the one incident. I love to read – most reading I do on planes because

otherwise I don’t get time. I should probably challenge myself more with reading. I tend to go for quite nice, easygoing books. I’ve a few now I’m waiting to read, including Room. Okay, Room doesn’t sound so easy-going!”

Phone aPPs “I’m addicted to the ‘Words with friends’ app. Basically it’s online scrabble. I tend to play with people I know, but you could play with strangers. I should be checking my emails but instead I’m playing ‘Words with friends’.” travel tiPs “I love flying. Luckily, because I do so much. I always remember when I was little, that exhilarating feeling when the plane takes off – I still have it. I always pack a throw or a cardigan, especially early morning, so I can snuggle into it and maybe even nap.

I generally take a banana. Water, of course. A good book.”

interview

suggested she try TV. Then she got a book deal (with Gill & Macmillan) and Antony Worrall Thompson suggested she meet his agent. You might be suspicious of the airy way she recounts these successes – was it really that simple? Isn’t there always heavy paddling going on under the gliding on the surface? She clarifies that she is ambitious but doesn’t make plans. Her trick seems to be saying yes to opportunities and not stressing out. Plus, by the time she was on TV, she’d been teaching for years, which amounted to a long training: “I still find TV like doing a demo in front of a class.”

This explains why her recipes are easy to follow on page and screen.

She doesn’t use shorthand chef words like flambé or julienne but tells or shows you how. And pausing to explain about adjusting temperatures or checking seasoning comes as second nature to her.

She works incredibly hard.

There’s “no such thing as a normal week”, but typically she’ll be in London a few times a week for TV filming, food shows, or publicity.

This involves getting up at 4.30am to catch the 7.15am plane from Cork city, and coming back at night (by the 6.30pm flight if she’s lucky, otherwise in the door at midnight).

Days she stays home, she’ll write recipes, test them, come up with kitchenware designs (for Tipperary Crystal) and teach in the cookery school, which “remains the core of what I do”. And she tries to visit as many countries as possible “to meet the people who are selling the show”.

So, actually, given that she has three young children, this probably isn’t everyone’s idea of “having it all”. But she “thrives on being busy”, has great au pairs and is lucky that Isaac is her manager. When one of them is travelling, the other stays at home with their three children.

“But I’m not going to say it’s easy.

It does take quite a bit of juggling.

And some days I’m exhausted.”

This hectic lifestyle doesn’t leave her time to prepare long, elaborate meals. Cooking on the hoof provided the inspiration for her latest book, Easy Meals. There’s a great section, 40 |

SEPTEMBER 2011

One Pot, on throwing ingredients into a pot and coming back a few hours later to delicious smells: “Easy doesn’t necessarily mean fast; it means simple to assemble,” she says. Of course, “easy” is a pervasive theme with today’s cookery writers – is anyone doing “elaborate, impossible meals”? But Rachel isn’t jumping on the bandwagon; she has always been about simple home cookery. “I used to be a bit apologetic about it. I was in Singapore at a food show and there were loads of amazing chefs, and I said to Antony [Worrall Thompson] ‘Oh God, there’s Kevin [Thornton] doing incredible molecular stuff, and here I am doing my soup and soda bread!’

Antony said, ‘Rachel, don’t worry, I am too. There’s room for everyone.’

He’s right, of course. And I love what I do.”

Her home cooking is part of what gets her compared to Nigella, but mainly of course it’s the sexy mum look. Although she says carefully that the “comparison is incredibly flattering”, it’s also embarrassing. The only time they almost met was at an event organised by a TV channel. “The

Rachel with Isaac and their three children, Joshua, baby Scarlett, and Lucca.

organisers had me billed as ‘Ireland’s answer to Nigella’, which was cringey anyway, and then she was present! I was mortified but thought I’d better say hello. So I was on my way over to her when I saw she was reading the programme and laughing – well, who could blame her? – so I just turned around and went back to my seat. What was I going to say: ‘Hi, I’m Ireland’s answer to you’?”

The emphasis on simple and fuss-free is Rachel’s only contribution, so far, to the whole food/health/obesity debate.

Nutrition is something she feels passionate about. “Get me after a few glasses of wine and I’m on my soapbox,” she says, but she’s averse to lecturing people. “I am so ill-informed when it comes to government money – like what’s the food budget for hospitals. And it’s easy for me to say we should all have organic chicken and grow our own when I live in the country. And there are people’s jobs depending on processed food. So it’s complex and there are so many factors. It would be really silly of me to start shooting my mouth off.”

But she’s adamant that “whatever way you look at it, it’s an advantage to be able to cook – for your health, budget and selfconfidence”. She does her bit by taking the fear and complexity out of home cooking, and one soapbox she would put her name to is reintroducing home economics to schools. “Children should be leaving school able to cook. Some are practising recipes at home but not all. So yes, make it obligatory.”

She hasn’t quite started a Jamie Oliver-style campaign yet. But home economics teachers could do worse than get inspiration from her latest book, starting with her recipes for mashed potatoes and poppy seed scones – neither requiring mixers, blenders or other electrical devices; just hands and taste buds.

Easy Meals by Rachel Allen (Collins, £25hb) is out September 15. For more information on Ballymaloe Cookery School, see cookingisfun.ie.

Northwest irelaNd

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SEPTEMBER 2011

SurfandTurf Sligo and Donegal offer some of Ireland’s best surfing and walking, without the crowds. Pól Ó Conghaile visits the Northwest. Photographs by Peter Matthews.

T

he wave approaches. This time I’m determined to own it. Floating in the foamy fringes of the Atlantic, arms and legs flopping over the sides of a bright blue surfboard, I start paddling. A rush of water lifts the back of my board. Its nose dips.

Everything accelerates.

I do my best to replicate the popup manoeuvre my instructor made look so easy on the beach. In a split second, it all comes together. I snap onto my hunkers, release my grip on the board, stand up and … fall headfirst into the washing machine of a breaking wave. Again.

Surfing has exploded in popularity

in Ireland over the past decade or so.

In Bundoran, Co Donegal, where I splutter to the surface grinning from ear to ear, you could even say it has saved the town. Sure, you still have the amusement arcades, the forlornlooking buckets and spades. But there is new blood. Several surf schools in the town have been stretching the holiday season out to Hallowe’en.

Word has spread, too. In Madden’s Bridge Bar, pictures of ten-time world champion American Kelly Slater hanging out with local children are among the memorabilia on the walls. From the upper windows, you can see little black dots in the water – surfers lining up

to catch the Peak, a delicious reefbreak right in front of the Victorian seafront outside. This very wave will be at the heart of the action when the European Surfing Championships come to Donegal on September 23.

Of course, Bundoran is just the start of it. From Inishowen in Co Donegal to Inchydoney in Co Cork, a legion of surf schools has sprung up to capitalise on a priceless natural resource off the west coast. The waves were always there. It’s just that now we have the cheap wetsuits and safe boards to drag a maverick sport into the mainstream. And the rain? Pah! Who cares, if you’re getting wet anyway?

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Northwest irelaNd

Surfing has always been cool, but some key moments sealed Ireland’s arrival too. One was the discovery of Aileens, a monster wave under the Cliffs of Moher.

Another was Waveriders (2008), a film on the history of Irish surfing.

Its closing scenes showed Bundoran boy Richie Fitzgerald and Gabriel Davies surfing some of the biggest waves ever seen in Ireland during a mutinous swell in Sligo. Delete the grey skies and Mullaghmore could have been mistaken for Maui.

Of course, only the tiniest number of surfers could ever aspire to tackle these big beasts. But the beauty of surfing in the northwest is that there’s pretty much a wave to suit everyone.

Take Enniscrone, a sandy sickle of a Blue Flag beach in Co Sligo. Looking out to sea here, you can see across Killala Bay to the point where General Humbert landed in 1798. You’ll also see little pods of beginners, in bright vests and wetsuits, practising their popups on the sand. Because it’s such a shallow beach, with small and bankable waves, Enniscrone is ideal for first-timers.

“Every surfer is looking for a 44 |

SEPTEMBER 2011

quieter spot,” says Ger Byrne, who The Victorian mountains, safari parks or virgin seafront at rainforests, but it has world-class runs Seventh Wave Surf School Bundoran, Co water, and the notion of upping with his wife Linda and daughter Donegal, home to Ione, who will be competing at the wave known as sticks for the wilds of Donegal Eurosurf in Bundoran. “There was “The Peak”. (which alone has twelve Blue Flag beaches) is appealing to weekend nobody here when we bought our warriors who have pared back on place but it has taken off in the foreign holidays. past five years. Surfing is all over Drive towards the old fishing the media too. It does get quite village of Dunfanaghy, for crowded when there’s a good example, and you’ll find Narosa swell, but you can always find Life Surf School giving somewhere to go.” seaweed lessons and yoga classes At other well-known soak on a suite of regularly beaches, such as Post-surf, check into one of empty beaches. “Narosa Strandhill, Co Sligo, the seaweed baths on offer in is Irish for ‘where the and Rossnowlagh, Enniscrone or Strandhill, a great way to headlands meet the Co Donegal, you’ll ease any aching muscles. Try Kilcullen’s sea’,” the school’s find surf schools ready Seaweed Baths, Enniscrone, 096 36 director, Lee Wood, and willing to cater 238, kilcullenseaweedbath.com, €25 explains. There are for all sorts – college with steam bath; VOYA Seaweed sheltered coves for kids, bleary-eyed stag Baths, Strandhill, 071 916 8686; beginners, powerful and hen parties, school voyaseaweedbaths.com, beach breaks for seasoned groups, corporate team€25pp. surfers, and the water quality builders, curious individuals, is unrivalled in Ireland. “When families. The vast majority are the weather is good here you look after a bit of fun, the chance through the surf and see the sun to say they stood up on the board, dancing in the sand!” rather than a real-life version of Not too long ago, I drove north Point Break. to Ballyhiernan Bay, at the very The real beauty of the northwest tip of the Fanad peninsula in Co is that the further you travel, the Donegal. The white shore is a more remote the landscape gets. popular spot for Letterkenny surfers, Ireland may not have Alpine

surf’s up!

Best wave for BegiNNers …

Sligo’s enniscrone is the ideal intro to surfing and a lot quieter than nearby Strandhill. “It’s a shallow, lovely flat beach and there are no stones,” says Ger Byrne of Seventh Wave Surf School. “The waves break far out and roll in. Unless it’s a big swell, we don’t have rips and currents.”

but it was practically deserted, with a quick wind whipping the top layer off chino-coloured sands.

Iain Gilmour, originally from Jersey in the Channel Islands, has been running his Adventure One surf school here for five years. It’s next-stop-Outer-Hebrides kind of territory, the polar opposite to jampacked Lahinch in Co Clare.

This is what is unique about surfing in Ireland – and the northwest in particular. Along a jagged coastline of hundreds of miles, you just know there are waves still waiting to be discovered. I don’t see palm trees and flower garlands when I surface on Tullan Strand back in Bundoran. But the waves are brilliant, the cliffs and dunes are fringed with emerald-green grass, and the craic is mighty.

Top, Tramore Strand, near Dunfanaghy; top right, surfer facing into the waves; above, Jaws, one of the surf shops popping up in the area.

Best wave for serious surfers … the peak in Bundoran, Co Donegal (where the European Surfing Championships will be held for the third time in September) is one of the top waves in Ireland.

It is definitely not for beginners.

“The name describes it perfectly,” says Kieran O’Connell of Donegal Adventure Centre. “It’s an ‘A-frame peak’, breaking on a rocky reef, which gives it a bit of extra kick and creates a nice shape. It’s even each side, the pocket is steep, and it suits all manoeuvres and styles of surfing.” the surf schools … adventure one (074 915 0262; adventureone.net). Based at the tip of the Fanad peninsula, Iain Gilmour’s school charges €30/€25 for a two-hour lesson, including boards and wetsuits. donegal adventure centre (071 984 2418;

donegaladventurecentre.net).

Charges €25/€20 for a two-anda-half hour lesson in Bundoran, including all gear, hot showers and tea and coffee.

Narosa life (086 883 1090; narosalife.com). Located in Dunfanaghy, in northwest Donegal, two-hour lessons cost €35/€25 including all gear. Beach yoga and walking are also available. perfect day surf school (087 202 9399; perfectdaysurfing. com). Based in Strandhill, the Sligo school offers a 5:1 instructor ratio and women-only surf classes.

Lessons from €30/€20. seventh wave surf school (087 971 6389; surfsligo.com).

Lessons on the beginner-friendly Enniscrone beach cost €30/€25 for two hours, including all gear.

Many of the schools also offer accommodation with surf lesson packages. what to pack …

All good surf schools provide boards and wetsuits (some even provide booties, hot showers and a cup of tea), so all you need to get started is a pair of togs, a towel, and a can-do attitude. A dash of Vaseline stops wetsuits chafing the neck and sunscreen will spare you the famous Atlantic “tan”.

SEPTEMBER 2011

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Northwest irelaNd

“The beauty of the northwest is that it suits 90 per cent of walkers. Anyone with average levels of fitness would be able to do the northwest mountains.”

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SEPTEMBER 2011

Lough Arrow in Co Sligo, and, right, along the Sligo Way which stretches from Lough Talt in the Ox Mountains to Dromahair in Co Leitrim.

walk oN …

Best walks for childreN … glenveagh National park (glenveaghnationalpark.ie) runs guided ranger walks; €5 for adults, with children going free. Other family-friendly strolls include the Lough Eske lakeshore stroll and Ards Forest Park, a 1,200-acre mixing up walking trails, sand dunes, forest and playground.

Best walks for strollers …

Donegal’s horn head loop (starting point: car park, Horn Head) ranges from windswept Tramore beach to the cliffs rising out of Sheephaven Bay, taking in Neolithic stone circles, passage tombs and World War Two bunkers along a 9-kilometre route that ends up in Dunfanaghy. Allow three hours.

Best walks for hardcore hikers … the Blue stack way (starting

point: Donegal Town Centre) runs 47-kilometres from Donegal Town to Ardara.

Link routes segue into towns and villages along the way, adding to the distance, and you’ll need maps and a compass if you plan to explore the 600-metre plus peaks. the sligo way is a 74-kilometre route from the Ox Mountains to Dromahair. the experts … sean Mullan (074 915 9366; walktalkireland.com) has a three-day weekend walk in Donegal including full board, B&B, two meals and three guided walks for €290pp, from 28-31 October.

Jim McMorrow (086 600 0550; jimmcmorrow@eircom.net) is a Fáilte Ireland approved guide who leads groups in the northwest. Walks start from €20pp, depending on numbers and distance.

the festival … the Big ramble (1-2 October; narosalife.com) is a free walking festival in northwest Donegal, including guided walks on Muckish Mountain and the gun loop around Horn Head, with barbecues and céilís thrown in. Walks are available for all ages and abilities. what to pack …

A little preparation always pays off. On longer or difficult walks, wear hiking boots and bring a first aid kit. No matter what grade of walk, tell someone where you’re going, when you’ll be back, and don’t forget to bring raingear, water, a snack and your mobile phone.

For more on walking in the northwest, visit discoverireland. ie/walking, coillteoutdoors.ie, letswalkdonegal.com or call the excellent Sligo Tourist Office at 071 916 1201.

Of course, you don’t have to wipe out in the Atlantic to get a feel for the wilds of Sligo and Donegal.

Walking and hiking routes are braided throughout the northwest, ranging from country lanes to coastal loops, from buggy-friendly forest parks to weekend-consuming waymarked ways. Whether you’re a hardcore hiker looking for a challenge with the compass, or a parent pottering along for as long as little legs will last, you’ll have no trouble finding a loop here. It won’t cost you a penny, either.

Sligo’s big walk is the Sligo Way (starting point: Lough Talt on the R294), stretching 74-kilometres from Lough Talt in the Ox Mountains to Dromahair in Co Leitrim. The route kicks off in the mountain moorland, and stays more or less on a level from there, which makes it a good option for hikers looking for a long ramble.

Grouse, fox and peregrine falcons are all on the cards here, and the views are stunning no matter which way you look.

The Sligo Way passes Lough Gill, home to Yeats’s “Lake Isle of Innisfree”, early in its meanderings – and this is also a good hub for gentler strolls. Hazelwood Demesne features in “The Song of Wandering Aengus”, and also brushing Lough Gill is Dooney Rock Forest Park, which you can reach by car along the R287 towards Ballintogher. Pull in here and, within seconds, you’re standing in a magical little woodland bowl.

Dooney Rock itself, easily climbed, is plonked like a meteorite in the middle of everything, and the view stretches all the way to Ben Bulben.

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stay at …

Budget donegal adventure centre in Bundoran is running a recession session, with two nights B&B in Homefield Rock Hostel and two surf lessons, €99pps. Donegal Adventure Centre, Bundoran, Co Donegal, 071 984 2418; donegaladventurecentre.net. arrowrock hostel on the shores of Lough Arrow in Co Sligo is well sited for walkers, €225pps for a double room, ensuites also available. ArrowRock Hostel, Ballynary, Lough Arrow, Co Sligo, 071 966 6073; arrowrockhostel.com.

Mid price castle Murray house hotel on the Slieve League peninsula is offering two nights B&B and one dinner, until end September, €150pps.

St John’s Point, Dunkineely, Co Donegal, 074 973 7022; castlemurray.com. harvey’s point in Donegal town is a four-star hotel offering two nights B&B and one gourmet dinner, €169pps. Harvey’s Point, Lough Eske, Donegal Town, 074 972 2208; harveyspoint.com. splurge temple house is a Georgian manor set in about 405 hectares with its own lake, two nights B&B and one dinner for two, €195pps. Temple House, Ballymote, Sligo, 071 918 3329; templehouse.ie.

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SEPTEMBER 2011

Top right, the distinctive peak of Mount Errigal in Co Donegal, and, above, Slieve League’s cliffs in Co Donegal, an unforgettable hike.

But, on Ben Bulben, a word of warning: the mountain lords it over Sligo like the hull of a capsized ship, but it is not the place for a casual climb. Part of a plateau that stretches to Truskmore Mountain on the Leitrim border, it can be sheathed in mist literally in the space of 20 minutes.

Knocknarea, on the other hand, is do-able even with younger children. Overlooking Sligo town to the southwest, the summit shouldn’t take more than 45 minutes and the reward is a panorama that stretches from Donegal Bay to north Mayo.

Knocknarea is crowned by a mound of stones reputed to be the grave of Queen Maeve. The mystery lingers – it has never been excavated.

Further north, in Donegal’s Derryveagh Mountains, lies Glenveagh National Park, a deeply atmospheric thatch of mountains, bogs, lake and woodland. Rangers guide walks with deer-rutting

themes throughout September and October, and if you’re lucky, you may even spot a golden eagle.

“Big mountains like Ben Nevis or Snowdon are really only suited to 10 per cent of climbers,” says local guide, Jim McMorrow. “The beauty of the northwest is that it suits 90 per cent of walkers. Anyone with average levels of fitness would be able to do the northwest mountains.”

The best of coast and countryside combine on the awesome Slieve League peninsula. This is where Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick have their Donegal holiday home, where Castle Murray House Hotel was voted one of Travel + Leisure magazine’s Top 50 Most Romantic Hotels, and yet it’s largely devoid of the tour buses clogging the Ring of Kerry. Head out towards the Gaeltacht village of Glencolmcille, and you’ll find several walking loops striking out from St Columba’s Church.

The showstoppers, however, are the Slieve League cliffs. Though not as sheer as those at Dun Aonghusa on the Aran Islands or the Cliffs of Moher in Co Clare, they’re arguably more awesome. Dropping 601-metres into Donegal Bay, spotted with intrepid sheep and splashed with a palette spanning rusty red to verdant green, they’re amongst the tallest cliffs in Western Europe, and an unforgettable hike.

The cliff walk sets out from the car park at Bunglass, and one of its famous features is a knifelike arête stretching 90 metres or so along the mountain top. The aptlytitled “One Man’s Path” should be avoided in wet or windy conditions (and by the faint-hearted generally), but walking the ridges here, gulping down the fresh Atlantic air, you’re well and truly in the wild.

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Magical Moments Disney World in a heatwave? David Robbins and his six-year-old daughter brave the queues and tropical temperatures and still manage to be entranced.

I

t is a steamy July evening in Florida. A pick ’n’ mix of Disney characters are performing a live show in front of Cinderella’s castle.

Peter Pan is here, and the witch from Sleeping Beauty, along with Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Mickey and Minnie. No one is sure who is gatecrashing whose fairy tale.

The thermometer soars and so does the action. It’s 42.2°C (108°F).

My six-year-old daughter, Grace, is wilting in the heat (God knows how the guy in the Mickey Mouse suit is bearing up) but her eyes are riveted on the stage. Donald, it seems, does

not believe that dreams can come true. Mickey and company disagree, and enlist the audience’s help.

“If we say it really loud, boys and girls, then he’ll have to believe,” says Mickey in his trademark squeak.

And we do. Thousands of mums, dads and kids all shout in unison: “Dreams DO come true!” It’s a strangely moving moment and one that encapsulates the Disney achievement – creating a piece of magic that transcends its sentimental and commercial context.

We are, of course, in the Magic Kingdom, a 58-hectares theme park

at the centre of Walt Disney World in Orlando. The Magic Kingdom is divided into various “lands” (Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland, etc), and it’s packed.

It was opened in 1971 and has the feel of a place built to accommodate smaller crowds. It’s coping with today’s huge numbers, but only just.

We have several attractions on our to-do list, so we head deeper into Disney. Making lists and plans is a strange by-product of a Disney holiday. The logistics of getting to the parks – there are four theme parks, two water parks and 34 resort

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From left, Grace no pyrotechnics or thrills, yet it’s undoubtedly useful, but made the and David snapped charming and uplifting, and my undertaking sound a little more at the Arabian daunting than it was.

Nights; much- six-year-old loved it. (The guidebook Our initial assault at 9am was loved faces of says you’ll need a buck hoe to get disney; the thrill of the theme song out of your mind beaten back by the heat. Th ere There the Magic Carpets afterwards and it is right. I’m still was a 40-minute wait to board the of Aladdin; ferryboat or monorail to get across humming it a week later.) fireworks over to the Magic Kingdom. We queued The Haunted Mansion was Disney – a magic for a while, but decided to retreat moment. another favourite, not so much for and regroup. When we returned at the ride itself (which is half scary, 5.30pm, we strolled onto the ferry half funny), but for the clever, mock and headed out into the lake, taking tombs and haunted bookcases that our bearing from Cinderella’s castle. keep you amused as you weave along Our prior reading had braced us the queue. Pirates of the Caribbean for monster waits at every ride, but – the ride that inspired the movie hotels in Walt Disney World – and we encountered none. We checked franchise – is impressive, showcasing travelling between them mean the in for Peter Pan’s Flight (a ride over the best of Disney’s “imagineering” whole thing must be planned like a London’s rooftops and an aerial and audio-animatronics. military campaign. tour of Neverland) without The Magic Carpets of There are websites, blogs and NOT JUST any waiting.

Aladdin is a fairground FOR KIDS many books devoted to the subject It’s A Small World ride in which four-seater of the best way to “do Disney”.

For a grown-up night out, relax – a boat ride through buggies go around There’s even a smartphone app that over dinner in Downtown Disney. Then a cutesy, Disneyfied and around and up shows the wait times at various rides head to the Magic Kingdom where the United Nations – was and down. “Higher, in real time. The bible for our threepark turns romantic by night. The famous also quick to board. higher!” shouted day Orlando blitz was The Unofficial Disney Electric Parade and the fireworks It’s an old-school my daughter, but I Guide to Walt Disney World 2011 display are must-sees. If you want to go attraction, with thought we were quite (Wiley, US$19.99), which was high enough, thank the whole hog, try the Disney Escape you. That’s another Wedding (from $4,750) and invite thing a Disney holiday a Disney character for teaches you: you may be $1,000 extra.

Disney base one-day tickets cost $79 for kids, $85 for adults (plus wimpier than your kids. She tax). You can add a “park-hopper” option (allowing you to visit more than didn’t like the look of any of one Disney park) for about $35 the big-ticket roller coasters – Space A night in the luxury Disney Grand Floridian hotel costs $440-$1,145 Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big per night Thunder Mountain Railroad – and A night in one of the many resort suite hotels in Orlando (we stayed in that was fine by me. the Pallisades Resort in Kissimmee) costs from $70 per night A quick trip on the Jungle Cruise Tickets to Cirque du Soleil cost between $57 and $124 each – a boat ride through a series of Tickets to Arabian Nights cost around $50, including dinner river-themed jungles (the Amazon, Nile, etc) aboard an African Queen-

orlanDo in numbers

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style boat – and we were almost done.

We’d been on seven or eight rides – several of them twice – and considered our visit a resounding success. But Walt wasn’t done with us yet.

On our way back from Adventureland, we noticed crowds lining the exit route. Many sat behind ropes on the side of the thoroughfare.

Curiosity got the better of tiredness and we waited to see what would happen. Disney’s Electrical Parade, an illuminated pageant of themed floats and dancers, filed through the darkening park.

There was Alice, on day release from Wonderland, and Mickey, Minnie & Co, there was Aurora, Tiana from The Princess and the Frog (Disney’s first “princess of colour”) and a supporting cast of dancers and tumblers. Each float was lit up by thousands of tiny, sparkling lights and the effect was mesmerising. This was Disney at its best. Other parks have bigger rides and scarier roller coasters, but only Disney has that mix of cutting-edge technology and old-fashioned showbiz.

As we left the Magic Kingdom, Main Street USA (a faux turn-ofthe-century, small town street) was thronged. There must have been tens of thousands gathered there and in the semi-circle in front of Cinderella’s castle. Their eyes were fixed forward and, as we passed, we heard the word “fireworks” whispered excitedly in one family group after another.

By this stage my daughter was fast asleep on my shoulder. We found the exit and made our way to the ferryboat. Her eyes opened briefly. “Look, Dad!” she said. We turned and saw the fireworks burst above the turrets and towers of the castle. Moments like this make all the queuing, the heat and the hassle

worthwhile. The fireworks were reflected in the waters of the lake as we sailed back to reality.

The next morning, my daughter had processed her feelings on her Disney adventure. She had only one regret. “We didn’t see Cinderella,” she said. “Or Ariel. Or Snow White.

Or Belle,” she added, warming to her theme.

I explained that our trip was a little last-minute and that we didn’t have time to book “Cinderella’s Royal Breakfast”, which sells out 180 days in advance. And we just weren’t lucky enough to bump into one of the princesses as they do their meet-and-greet stuff around the park. I didn’t mention that I could have asked a Disney “cast member” to call the princess hotline to find out where they were hanging out.

Best leave well enough alone.

My daughter and I decided that we needed to sample other aspects of the Orlando “offering”. A couple of night-time shows seemed like a good idea, not least because the theatres would be air-conditioned.

Arabian Nights, a sort of horse pageant performed in a huge arena in Kissimmee, was our first stop.

After a horse-top photo-op (she was on the horse, not me), we settled in for a non-stop sequence of equine entertainment. There were cowboys and cowgirls, gypsies and desert horsemen, all tied loosely together by a plot concerning the search for a prince on horseback. There was a two-course dinner, too, with complimentary beer, wine and soft drinks. “What was your favourite part?” I asked my daughter. “The ice-cream,” she said.

The following night we went to the famous Cirque du Soleil show in Downtown Disney, a theatre, shopping and dining area in the Walt

Disney Dos anD Don’ts 3

3 3

3 3 7

7

7

Do rent a car It’s possible to get to and from the major theme parks by shuttle and public transport, but it adds to the already complicated logistics. Parking is $14-$16 per day. Dollar car rentals will rent out a GPS/sat-nav system (about $14 per day extra); it’s invaluable in navigating the intricacies of Highway 192 and Interstate 4.

Do measure your kiDs’ heights before you go Many rides have height restrictions and it’s better to know in advance that your six-yearold is too small for Splash Mountain.

Do use Disney’s free fastpass system If the queues at your chosen ride are too long, you can swipe your entrance ticket through a Fastpass reader. You get a ticket and a time window for returning later. When you do, you can use the Fastpass lane, which brings you right to the attractions boarding area.

Do book in aDvance if you want to Dine at Disney or want to have a “character meal” (one at which a Disney character mingles with the diners).

Do take a note of where you’ve parkeD The parking lots at the theme parks are huge and you don’t want to wander around them in the heat.

Don’t go in July or august unless you’re gooD in the heat It can hit 43°C (110°F), with 90 per cent humidity, and there are frequent thunderstorms. Locals say February is the best time climate-wise.

Don’t stay at the parks all Day All the guidebooks advise you to get in early, then take a break at your hotel and hang out by the pool, and return to the theme park in the relative cool of the evening.

Don’t panic In planning your Disney trip, you will become caught up in the drive to beat the queues and to get to see everything on your list.

Relax. It’s supposed to be a holiday, remember.

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Disney worlD

“Higher, higher!” shouted my daughter, but I thought we were quite high enough, thank you.

Disney World complex. La Nouba features some breathtaking highwire acts, trapeze artists and bike stunts, but it was the four clowns who kept my daughter spellbound for the evening. There is a stunning trampoline “ballet” at the end too, but sometimes all you want is a clown who walks into walls.

It’s possible to spend a whole holiday in Walt’s world. You could stay at a Disney hotel or resort for a week or ten days and, with Animal Kingdom, Epcot, ESPN Wide World of Sports, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and water parks Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, never feel the need to leave the 63 square-kilometre campus.

After the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is second on most people’s must-see list. It’s popular with kids and provides a nice change in pace from the more manic Magic Kingdom. Many exhibits are walk-through and the safari ride is a highlight. Clever design and cunning

feeding times mean you’re likely to see the “Big Five” animals during your visit. Its Expedition Everest “mountain” is the second highest peak in the flat, flat state of Florida.

But after our visit to the Magic Kingdom, we had a hankering to explore the world outside Disney.

Universal Studios beckoned, and the call of Shamu, the performing killer whale, could be heard from Sea World.

For much of the past 40 years, Disney has had a free run at the theme-park holiday market. But Florida is now a bear pit of competing attractions.

Busch Gardens is making a comeback and Universal upped its game by opening The Wizarding World of Harry Potter last year.

Universal has two adjacent theme parks in Orlando: Islands of Adventure (featuring the Harry

Potter section, Seuss Landing, the Incredible Hulk roller coaster, etc) and Universal Studios Florida (featuring movie-based attractions such as Men in Black Alien Attack and Shrek 4-D). Universal has also taken on Disney in the resort market, with two hotels on site.

On our visit there, the Wizarding World was full to capacity by 9.30am. We were given a ticket to return between 10.40 and 11.40am. When we did, the place was still thronged with visitors buying wands or sampling the nonalcoholic butterbeer.

My daughter was too young for the two main rides and didn’t like the look of the one she was eligible for, The Flight of the Hippogriff coaster.

We retreated to Seuss Landing, which, with its quirky collection of rides based on the Dr Seuss rhymes, was much more her speed. I made the mistake of letting her at the controls of our buggy for the One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish ride. She was

the wiZarDing worlD of harry The fight over who would secure the theme park rights to Harry Potter was as fierce as any Road Runner and Wile E Coyote encounter.

Disney and Universal were both in talks with HP creator J K Rowling, who demanded a considerable level of creative control. Eventually, Disney walked away from the deal and Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened last year.

It covers about 8 hectares of Universal’s Islands of Adventure park (Universal’s other park, Universal Studios Florida, is next door) and features a faithful replica of Hogsmeade village and Hogwarts school.

There are three rides in the Wizarding World: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, a motion-simulator dark ride; Dragon Challenge, a loop-the-loop roller coaster, and Flight of the Hippogriff, a kiddies’ coaster.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is fast becoming the most popular

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theme park attraction in the US. The ride itself is impressive but, oddly enough, it’s the queue that is the most enjoyable aspect of the whole experience. J K Rowling insisted that there be no express queue for this ride, so everyone must take their time.

The queue winds its way through Hogwarts, via Dumbledore’s study and through a series of pre-show rooms designed to explain the “plot” of the ride. Especially enjoyable is the quick-fire exchange between Harry, Ron and Hermione in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.

Dragon Challenge is the highest roller coaster in the park, featuring a 35-metre drop. Two trains ride at the same time and a collision between them often seems inevitable. At one point, the two trains are a mere 30.5 centimetres apart. Again, a series of pre-show rooms (or tents in this case) set the scene for the ride as part of the Triwizard Tournament from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Flight of the Hippogriff is a more

modest affair, affair, lasting about one minute. It’s one for younger kids, although it was too fast for my six-year-old.

Much of the charm of the Wizarding World comes from the attention to detail in the recreation of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. They have even managed to get ravens to circle Hogwarts as it looms above the park. This faithful recreation of the Potter world was largely down to Rowling’s insistence that the texture of the Warner Bros movies be copied exactly.

See universalorlando.com.

DISNEY WORLD

THE EURO OPTION Rosa and Pól

Pól Ó Conghaile and a young princess visit Disneyland Paris.

Got a budding Belle, Buzz or Jack Sparrow in the house? You don’t have to fly all the way to Florida to make their dreams come true. With an early start, you could be riding the Flying Carpets Over Agrabah, zapping the Evil Emperor Zurg or clutching Rapunzel’s autograph before lunch.

Disneyland Paris isn’t just for kids, of course. Split into two parks, which are divided into several mini-parks, each of which is overflowing with rides, sideshows, shops and attractions … well, you get the picture. From handpainted carousels to plunging elevator shafts in the Tower of Terror, there’s something for everyone – provided you’re prepared to queue. Our favourite was Fantasyland in Disneyland Park, a stone’s throw from Sleeping Beauty Castle. Rosa, my five-year-old daughter, loved the carousel and It’s A Small World, but the ride that knocked all of our socks off was Peter Pan’s Flight. Sitting into a little galleon, we whooshed through the Darlings’ bedroom and shot out over the starlit city of

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London towards Neverland.

Later I snuck off to test the roller coasters. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril is a short, jerky spin with a 360-degree loop when you’re least expecting it. Space Mountain hurtles through the darkness at supersonic speed.

Big Thunder Mountain is themed as a runaway train.

Walt Disney Studios is the second park, home to Lightning McQueen’s stunt show and the new Toy Story Playland, designed to make everyone feel the size of one of Andy’s toys. Rosa loved the gentle Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin here, while Dad couldn’t get enough of the RC Racer, a real-life, remote-controlled car that catapults you up a 25-metre half-pipe. Wham!

Tips? You may have to queue for up to an hour at peak times, so use the Fastpass system. A new

iPhone app not only allows users to check live info on waiting times but also on character locations (especially useful if your little girl is looking for those all-important princess autographs).

With hotels, the more you pay, the closer you stay to the parks. The four-star Disneyland Hotel is right at the gate, for example. The three-star Sequoia Lodge or two-star Hotel Santa Fe are that bit cheaper, but a longer walk or short bus ride away.

Come 5.30pm, the daily Once Upon A Dream Parade sets off down Main Street USA, with hordes of happy punters watching from the sidelines. “Follow Jasmine, Daddy!” instructs the tiaratoting slave-driver on my shoulders, kicking her heels in like I’m her personal magic carpet.

See disneylandparis.ie.

Aer Lingus flies daily from Dublin and Cork to Charles De Gaulle Airport, where shuttle buses connect to Disneyland. Flights, hotels, transfers and park tickets are packaged by Abbey Travel (abbeytravel.ie) and Breakaway (breakaway.ie) amongst others. Day tickets cost from €58/€52.

supposed to manoeuvre us away from the water jets but was just a tad slow on the joystick. Result: one wet dad and one giggling daughter.

Our last morning was spent at Sea World, a huge water park full of rides and educational exhibits. The star attraction is Shamu, the giant killer whale. His trademark trick is to circle the tank, sluicing water over the side with his huge tail. Sitting in the lower half of Shamu Stadium virtually guarantees a drenching.

Still wary after my Dr Seuss soaking at Universal, we sat at the back.

Over the course of our trip, I was constantly surprised at the rides or attractions that captivated my daughter. I thought she would love Harry Potter but she preferred Seuss Landing; I thought Shamu would enthrall her but she wanted to spend more time on a little sea-themed carousel in the kiddies’ area.

Her real favourite at Sea World was a giant climbing net that soared about four storeys above ground.

Once you started to climb, there was no way out. You had to continue over nets and through tunnels to the end. Encumbered by a camera and a backpack, I found myself wedged into tiny plastic tunnels or clinging to hemp ropes for dear life. “Can we do it again, Dad?” she asked when we finally made it back to terra firma. “Maybe next year,” I puffed.

We made our way out of Sea World and drove to Orlando International Airport. Our stay had been all too brief. We agreed that anyone who does not enjoy a trip to Orlando, with its mixture of magic, thrills and sparkly Americana, is just a curmudgeon. As I boarded the flight home, I realised I was humming “It’s A Small World After All”.

See disneyworld.disney.go.com; seaworld.com.

Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Orlando on Tue, Thurs and Sat. Passengers can also connect daily with JetBlue through New York and Boston through United Airlines; aerlingus.com.

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escape

Step this way Winter sun is wonderful but the glory of walking in Gran Canaria’s mountains, says Matthew Hirtes, is even better. Photographs by Marcos de Rada.

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T

hink Gran Canaria, think sunning yourself on the beach and working on that tan. Think again.

For, located almost 60-kilometres north of the worldfamous Playa del Inglés, lies Artenara – which promotes itself as the Cumbre de la Naturaleza (Nature’s Summit). Although, given the contrast between the dry and arid Playa del Inglés and the verdant Artenara, you’d assume you were in another time zone altogether.

We’re here to hike, and meet our husband-and-wife guide team, Roger (aka Rambling Roger) and Eileen Bradley, outside the pretty

whitewashed Iglesia de San Matías, the village of Artenara’s main church. Roger, author of Don’t Leave Gran Canaria Without Seeing It – 25 Great Hikes, rebukes me gently for not wearing a hat as, despite Artenara being the loftiest village on the island, at 1,270 metres high, its sun still shines brilliantly. He’s appeased, however, when I point out I’ve applied plenty of sun cream.

We’re in July after all and hiking off season – the great outdoors here is usually enjoyed during the cooler months of October though to March.

Yet when photographer Marcos and I set out earlier from Las

SEPTEMBER 2011

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escape

Matthew with his guides, Eileen and Roger Bradley.

Marcos talks of “micro-climates” and, true to his prediction, the clouds of Moya in the north of the island give way to bright light when we enter the western outpost of Artenara.

Palmas, it was raining, which prompted me to pack my mac. Not for nothing is Gran Canaria known as a mini-continent. Marcos talks of “micro-climates” and, true to his prediction, the clouds of Moya in the north of the island give way to bright light when we enter the western outpost of Artenara. Later on, Roger will tell me, “there’s as much an east-west divide climatewise as a north and south one.

Whilst the temperature is hotter in the south than the north, the west is generally clearer than the east.”

This is especially true in the months of June, July and August. Summer is the season of the panza de burro, the donkey’s belly, an oppressive cloud which envelops the city of Las Palmas and surrounding area.

Roger explains that we’re going to start our day’s walking with his short Artenara circle, a two-hour trek which, he points out, is “actually more a figure of eight” – once a 60 |

SEPTEMBER 2011

maths teacher, always a maths Roger is on a mission to help teacher (Roger worked in the UK boost Gran Canaria’s status as a as one). During our walk and talk, hiking destination for the Brits Roger reveals himself to be a mine and their neighbours across the of information about the island.

Irish Sea, arguing that if the Using his walking stick to point Scandinavians and Germans come out interesting sights as much as to over in great numbers as ecosteady his footing, he reveals: travellers, why shouldn’t those “I’m not known as Rambling from the UK and Ireland taKeaWaY Roger because I like to hike too. In the introduction Although beer (Tropical) but …” as he takes a rare to his walking book, and local wine (full-blooded pause for breath, Eileen Roger claims, “the great reds and dry whites) are popular completes the sentence attraction of hiking on beverages, the national drink is for him, “… because Gran Canaria is the undoubtedly a cubata, a rum and coke. you don’t half go on.” tremendous variety Pick up a bottle of Arehucas Carta “Matthew, he’s of walks on such a watching you,” says relatively small island”.

Oro at any local supermarket or Roger, wheeling around He believes the after a free tour at the Destilerías and wielding his stick, interest in hiking is due Arehucas, Arucas’s rum high above his head, back to a shift in what tourists factory; arehucas.es. in the direction we’ve come want. “People are retiring from. Perplexed, I turn to see earlier. They’re able to engage a mini version of Rio de Janeiro’s in more active breaks. Lying on a legendary art-deco Christ statue. beach all day soon gets tiresome, so Nonetheless, it’s still tall enough to they want to see more of what the dwarf the sightseers gathering below. island offers.”

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A traditional Irish Country House atmosphere that offers a uniquely wonderful experience

escape

We’re walking along one of the caminos reales, made just wide enough for a farmer to be able to travel with his donkey and cart.

Top, the Artenara circle walk along a section of the caminos reales; centre, a lone sheep encountered on the descent; left, the mountain peaks are visible in the distance.

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SEPTEMBER 2011

The heart of Gran Canaria remains an unexplored oasis for most visitors. Roger shares the story of a successful Irish businessman who had been coming to the island for his holidays for 20 years. He was unaware of the hiking routes until he went on a tour with Roger and Eileen. It was a real eye-opener for him and he has become what they call in the trade “a repeat client”.

Roger delights in showing me new signposts: “If we were here twelve months ago, you would see the area was less hiker-friendly as they simply didn’t exist.” We’re walking along one of the caminos reales, royal pathways built after the Spanish invasion of the late 15th century. They were made just wide enough for a farmer to be able to travel with his donkey and cart. The paths were also used to make pilgrimages. Today, like the more famous one in Galicia, Gran Canaria boasts its own 60-kilometre Camino de Santiago, extending from Maspalomas to Galdar, and taking in the shrine of Santiago in Tunte.

We head off the beaten track,

however, for our first water break.

A clearing opens out into a natural mirador, or viewing point. It’s easy to make out the emblematic Roque Nublo (Rock in the Clouds) and the beautifully preserved Tamadaba pine forest.

The avuncular Roger turns history professor. “See Roque Bentayga there. That’s where Bentejuí, the last of the Guanartemes (aboriginal kings) retreated to with his men. They threw stones and boulders over the advancing Spanish soldiers.

But when the soldiers kept on coming, they withdrew southward to the crags of Tirajana. Here they launched themselves off the cliffs rather than surrender.”

The lecture continues: “Matthew, what do you think that large white building with the pink roof is?”

Momentarily lost for words, I can’t even hazard a guess. Roger answers for me: “It’s a school. Contrary to what many people say, the dictator Franco wasn’t all bad. He built many rural schools because he felt education should be available to all. Now he might have wanted people to be able to read more so they could better understand his propaganda, but most children in such isolated areas had gone uneducated before Franco.”

Before we return to the camino real, Roger wants to point out one last thing. “Look down there, those

eat at …

el puertillo (0034 928 62 75 37; Paseo Marítimo del Puertillo 12) located above the beach of the same name on the ruggedly charming north coast is a popular draw – not least for the welcoming hospitality provided by the Hormiga family. As well as the freshest fish, there are any number of vegetarian dishes including croquetas de gofio y berros, toasted cornflour and watercress croquettes, paella vegetariana and papas arrugadas, boiled baby potatoes cooked in salty water served with mojo, a piquant sauce typically prepared with cumin, coriander, parsley and olive oil.

When in Triana, the main shopping street in Las Palmas, make your way to La alquitara (0034 928 38 49 59; Calle Domingo J Navarro 9). Ignore the tacky Chinatown-style pictures of food which “adorn” the restaurant’s exterior. The tasting menu, lovingly crafted by head chef and owner Emilio J Cabrera López, is one of the most imaginative on the island and if you

can’t find a decent wine to accompany it, you’re obviously not looking hard enough – given that there are 1,200 labels to choose from.

stay at …

The four-star rural hotel La Hacienda del Buen suceso (0034 928 62 29 45; Carretera Bañaderos, Km 1), despite its location next to a working banana plantation, provides a chance to get away from it all. Unless they’re hosting a wedding that is, which tends to disturb the tranquillity like somebody rippling the water of a fishbowl. With just 18 bedrooms, the Hacienda combines comfort and elegance to winning effect.

A modernist triumph nestling in a natural mountain setting, the five-star sheraton salobre (0034 928 94 30 00 Urbanización Salobre Golf SN, Maspalomas) offers a respite far from the madding crowd.

Aloe vera is native to this island and widely considered to be a wonder herb for its healing properties. The Aloe-vera wrap is the signature treatment at the Sheraton’s spa.

Dance at …

Vegueta is the oldest part of Las Palmas but at night it attracts the young and the young- at-heart who flood its numerous bars and clubs. For a more relaxed option, head out of town to Las Brujas (lasbrujas.net) in Barranco Seco, a converted 16thcentury mansion, which is a joy to tour – drink in hand.

Dress to impress at Ibiza’s finest export, pacha in Playa del Inglés (pachagrancanaria.com), haunt of the beautiful people. Open until daybreak, it’s the hippest club on the island and the place to hear the latest and greatest banging house tunes.

waLk witH …

Headwater offers weeklong walking holidays from January to April, exploring the mountainous interior of Gran Canaria. For rates, contact 01 295 8901; headwater.com.

For guided or independent walking holidays, island adventures runs week-long holidays in Gran Canaria, from £569pp, including accommodation, meals and transport. 0044 208 123 3917; island-adventures.co.uk.

SEPTEMBER 2011

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escape

Galdar moya

Las paLmas

artenara

Roque nublo

maspalomas

playa del inglés

are the Acusa caves. Now they formed a settlement in the year 500 AD. That’s 500 years before William the Conqueror.”

We come across some fruit trees gone wild. “Fig,” says Eileen.

“Avocado?” I venture. Roger corrects me: “I thought so too. It’s actually walnut. Took me ages to get my hands clean after cutting it in half. No wonder it makes such an effective wood stain.”

We end up above Artenara, literally on top of its celebrated cave houses inhabited by modern-day Flintstones, albeit with all mod cons.

“We’re walking on people’s bedrooms here,” Roger says. “Traditionally, the living quarters were built at the front and the sleeping areas at the back under where we are now.”

At a glance cLimate An all-year-round resort, there’s no bad time to visit Gran Canaria, which explains why it’s also known as the “Island of Eternal Spring”. Summers (from May to November) are hot and dry with average temperatures in the mid-20ºC (mid-70ºF), while the Sirocco blowing in from the Sahara can push temperatures up to 30º C (80ºF). Winters (from December to April) are slightly cooler and more showery, and temperatures average 22ºC (70ºF). Gran Canaria attracts scores of visitors from Northern Europe in the months leading up to and following Christmas.

Best time tO waLk Guides Roger and Eileen Bradley advise: “The south of Gran Canaria is best walked in the winter, roughly November to Easter, the north is best walked from February to June, when there is an abundance of blossom and wild flowers.” wHat tO weaR Conditions can be changeable, so pack a hat, sunblock, a map, water, a snack, and wear sturdy walking shoes.

Stopping for lunch next to bakery specialising in the local pan the Ermita de la Virgen de La de papas (potato bread) and to the Cuevita, a chapel dug into a cliffstate-run La Silla for a loo break. face 400 metres above the village “It’s the toilet with the best vista centre, I make a faux pas, not my in the world,” says Roger. After first false step as I’d wobbled a few making our way through the unlit times on the descent, but my first cave entrance, we reach a beautiful verbal one. “Would anyone sun terrace. And I can confirm best like a beer?” “No, I never the loo is certainly a room map? do on the job, Matthew,” with a view.

According to walking guide says Roger. He then tells Next, we head to Roger Bradley, the best visual an anecdote about a Barranco Honda (barranco Scandinavian couple he means ravine) and more guide to walking in hiked with who shocked cave houses built into Gran Canaria is the map by him and Eileen by the side of a ravine.

Kompass, No 0237, which covers removing smoked salmon Our tour ends outside the whole island, with a scale and champagne from their the barranco’s small of 1:50,000. £8.50 at rucksack as part of an al ethnographical museum, mapsworldwide.com. fresco banquet. an attraction Roger and Our next detour takes us Eileen claim never to have seen past Panaderia Artenara, a open – unlike the quaint tourist information office in Artenara where “you’re free to summon Jenny away from her computer in the cave during office hours”. Eileen gives us a leaving present of plums from the garden of their Fataga finca that we eagerly devour, as much to rehydrate as anything else. This hiking lark is thirsty work.

To order Roger’s book, Don’t Leave Gran Canaria Without Seeing It – 25 Great Hikes, or to get a quote for a guided tour, log onto ramblingroger.com.

aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Las Palmas Tue, Thurs and Sat and from Belfast to Las Palmas on Mon and Fri.

64 |

SEPTEMBER 2011

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CHARITY

It’s not all about golf for Irish professional Graeme McDowell.

He talks to Tony Clayton-Lea about his new charity, and why he wants to give something back.

P

ortrush-born professional golfer Graeme McDowell – the winner of the 2010 US Open, no less – understands the importance of helping those less fortunate than himself, which is why he has recently set up The G-Mac Foundation.

Inaugurated at a special fundraising event in New York at the end of August, the foundation’s primary function is to support children’s medical research on the island of Ireland and in the US. “As a professional golfer and sportsman,” says Graeme, “I get the opportunity to meet a lot of people, and in that I’m in a very privileged position. Many golf players do significant things for charity, and it’s hugely important to give back. There are so many ways to raise money, and the golfing community is very much involved in doing just that for charities. But it made sense to me to have my own foundation, and to be motivated to have my own golf days, functions, fundraisers, and to really channel my efforts towards a few things in particular. Ultimately, it gives me something to focus on off the golf course other than myself.”

The “few things in particular” include developing even stronger relationships with Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin, and the Children’s Hospital, Royal Victoria, Belfast. “We’re looking at helping them put together new facilities and research options.

Having visited the hospitals, you can understand their need for funding; their facilities really need upgrading 66 |

SEPTEMBER 2011

and modernising.” Graeme also realised that he wanted to make the foundation a cross border initiative, which is something that has always been close to his heart.

“And then, of course, along with Aer Lingus, we’re putting together a dream trip scenario where we will collect a group of children and their families, and bring them to Orlando for an experience that, ordinarily, they might never have a chance to do.”

Graeme says that at this early developmental stage of The G-Mac Foundation, “we’re just scratching the surface of what we want to do. The foundation is there as a vehicle to raise funds for charity, as well as areas that I have a personal relationship with.

My mum is an MS sufferer, and Multiple Sclerosis charities are something we’ll be looking at, as well. The childrens’ hospitals in Crumlin and Belfast, and the dream flight to Orlando, are just the beginning.”

As well as the forthcoming Aer Lingus-partnered trip to Orlando, there are numerous plans for fund raising. While nothing is written in stone, as yet, The G-Mac Foundation nonetheless aims to get together with an American restaurant chain to do a Celebrity Waiter night, whereby using his

PHOTOGRAPH BY KEVIN MURRAY

Well played powers of infl uence and influence persuasion, Graeme brings in well-known sports people to wait on tables, and the evening ends with a charity auction.

“I’m also planning my own Golf Day, but there are so many other ideas in the planning Graeme stages, ideas from which McDowell in I can hopefully raise a action earlier lot of money – as well this year. as some of my own prize money – for a lot of very worthy charities.”

Th Thee timing couldn’t be better, agrees Graeme, what with the Irish contingent in golf being justifiably lauded for their regular world beating achievements.

“In the context of The G-Mac Foundation, it would be great to take advantage of just how big Irish golf is on the world stage these days. There’s myself, as well as Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington … All the Irish professionals, really, are making an important impact on the global stage. It’s a good time for us all. A lot of players have charitable wings to their set-up, and this is just the beginning of mine.”

For more information on The G-Mac Foundation, or to make a donation, log onto graememcdowell.com.

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take me to the sun

Viva Malaga

Heading to the Costa del Sol? Make sure to stop a while in Malaga.

Culture, shopping, first-class cuisine, plus fiestas a-plenty make this ancient city the perfect Spanish stay. Oda O’Carroll pays a visit.

F

or most visitors to Spain’s Costa del Sol, Malaga is little more than an airport pit stop en route to the “real” holiday further along the coast. But hang back, give it a while and this ancient Andalucian city will work her magic charms on you. If you want culture, you’ve got museums and galleries galore; for shopping there’s fashionable Marqués de Larios and the surrounding web of alleys, and for nightlife, well, you’ve come to the right place – Malagueños are renowned for their exuberance and love of fiesta.

see anD Do

Malaga is a friendly, vibrant, working city. You’ll get a good handle on it by wandering on foot and, in typical Malágan style, stopping to refuel at one of its thousand tapas bars en route.

The opening of the Picasso museum (Palacio de Buenavista San Agustín 8, 0034 952 602 731; museopicassomalaga.org) in an opulent 16th-century Andalucian palace over a decade ago, gave a welcome boost to the historic quarter, which now has more cafés per square metre than any other part of the city. The museum’s impressive collection spans all the creative periods of Picasso’s life. It’s a nice stroll from here to the artist’s birthplace on nearby Plaza de Merced, now home to the Picasso Foundation (fundacionpicasso.es).

Early evening is a good time to head up to the imposing hilltop, Moorish alcazaba fortress (C/ Alcazabilla), dating from 1065, and take in the wonderful views from its orange-filled garden or stroll down to the incredibly ornate Renaissance cathedral (C/ Molina Larios), known locally as “La Manquita” or one-armed woman

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To people watch, take a seat in Plaza del Obispo, in front of “La Manquita” or the “the one-armed woman”, as the ornate Renaissance cathedral is known.

because only one of its two towers was completed. After a long day pacing the pavements sightseeing, nothing could be more welcome than a sublime hot stone or seaweed massage at Malaga’s hammam (C/ Tomás de Cózar 13, 0034 952 212 327; elhammam.com). A bath house once used by Muslims to provide “full body ablution” before entering the nearby mosque, this serene, candle-lit spa, with its cool marble and decorative, North African tiled rooms, offers welcome respite from the busy streets.

On summer weekend nights, you can enjoy a steam bath and massage before dining on a sumptuous Arabic feast on the rooftop terrace.

staY at …

Casa de la mercedes This charming little townhouse secreted away in a narrow laneway in the historic quarter was built by a nearby convent in the mid-1700s.

Its nine quaint rooms are furnished with antique furniture, some original baroque pieces as well as Moorish-influenced big wooden beds, colourful hand-painted tiles and beautiful ceramic basins. A bougainvillea-filled inner courtyard, with

a marble fountain where you can take a refreshing afternoon drink, is like an oasis of calm. From €35.50 pps, including breakfast; C/ Hinestrosa 18, 0034 952 060 152; casadelamercedes.com.

Parador de malaga Gibralfaro You won’t find a hotel with better views over the city and the bay than the small, four-star Parador on pineflanked Mount Gibralfaro, opposite the Alcazaba, high above the city. Rooms are spacious with cool terracotta floors, lots of soft pastel furnishings and many with balconies. Best room in the house though is the Picasso room, a loft-like suite on the top floor with private terrace overlooking the bullring, cathedral and bay. The hotel’s well-regarded restaurant specialises in Andalucian cuisine, Spanish wine and has a very good children’s menu. From €90 pps, including breakfast; Castillo de Gibralfaro, s/n, 0034 952 221 902; paradores.es.

Room mate Lola In the heart of the old town

and within walking distance of everything, this funky (and very reasonable) 50-bedroom hotel was given a thoroughly modern makeover by celebrated designer Lorenzo del Castillo. Monochrome rooms, with more than a nod to art deco, are simply furnished with comfy leather armchairs, mirrored headboards and writing desks. From €45 pps, room only; C/ Casas de Campos 17, 0034 952 579 300; room-matehotels.com.

eat at …

BuDGet el Vegetariano de la alcazabilla For something different you could try this quirky little vegetarian restaurant with colourful patio on a quiet laneway in the old town. Diners’ scribbled notes on the walls, check tablecloths and wildflowers in tin cans add to its playful, shabby-chic atmosphere. Here you’ll find gluten-free and vegan offerings, as well as local specialties, empanadas and a variety of delicious tapas.

Calle Pozo del Rey 5, 0034 952 214 858. moDeRate tapeo de Cervantes Some say this is the best restaurant in Andalucia – it’s certainly one of the most reasonable. This friendly, family-run, buzzing eatery near the Teatro Cervantes in the old town serves outstanding tapas – octopus and squid risotto, sea bass on aubergine, Andalucian black pudding on sweet potato – in a rustic room with less than ten tables.

Booking is advisable. C/ Carcer 8, 0034 952 609 458; eltapeodecervantes.com. sPLuRGe La moraga The zinc counter at Michelin-starred chef Dani Garcia’s on-trend La Moraga gastrobar has fast become a magnet for Malaga’s sophisticated diners. The delicious sevencourse tasting menu is a popular choice and includes inventive tapas such as morcella y manzaga (local blood sausage with melba toast served in a jar on slices of apple), oxtail ravioli and marinated lamb on couscous. Calle Fresca 12, Locales B-C, 0034 952 226 851; lamoraga.com

aer Lingus flies from Dublin, Cork and Belfast to Malaga daily.

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Being there

Munich 48hrs in

It’s known for Oktoberfest and beer gardens, but there’s another side to Munich. Kate O’Dowd takes a closer look.

M

unich ranked seventh get cultural at ...

The central point for art is in Mercer’s 2010 undoubtedly the Kunstareal Quality of Living (pinakothek.de), where you’ll find the Survey. It’s Monocle alte and neue Pinakotheks, with magazine’s number masterpieces by Durer, Rubens, one “most liveable city”. And Raphael, Cezanne and Van yet it’s not a place most OKTOBERFEST Gogh; the Pinakothek of us know a whole lot Who would have thought a der Moderne is four about – did somebody festival dedicated to beer would modern museums – art, say Oktoberfest? For paper, architecture starters, with more still be so popular? It’s the world’s and design – in one; galleries and theatres largest fair, with more than five million and the Museum than any other people attending annually. This year it runs Brandhorst, which German city, it’s September 17 – October 3, and looks set holds all things postwidely regarded as to be as raucous as ever. Top tip? Reserve modern, from Andy the country’s cultural your beer tent tables well in advance Warhol to Damien capital. A hub for (see oktoberfest.de for contact Hirst. Check out industrial design and details) – they fill up fast and no sculptor Walter de Maria’s future technologies, the seat means no service.

“Large Red Sphere”, the economy is doing just fine, sole exhibit at the turkentor thank you. It’s only an hour (the renovated bunker where from the Alps, so the surrounding a young Adolf Hitler made some countryside is breathtaking. And did of his first political speeches). Or I mention there’s surfing in the park? just get on the underground – the interiors of the U-Bahn stations at Westfriedhof, Munchner Freiheit and am Moostfeld are the creations of lauded lighting designer Ingo Maurer. Film buffs should head for the Bavaria Filmstadt, for interactive guided tours (you get to re-enact some scenes) of the sets of iconic movies, such as Wolfgang Petersen’s Das Boot, or Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (0049 89 64 99 20 00; bavariafilmtour.de).

Surfing at the Englischer Garten

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SEPTEMBER 2011

get Out anD aBOut at …

If you’re feeling energetic (and your hips are in good nick), climb the Peterskirche tower, near the Rathaus – there are 306 steps but

the view over the city is unbeatable.

Shopaholics: saunter down swanky Maximilianstrasse (home-from-home to the likes of Gucci and Prada); or perhaps Die glocke (what locals call the area around Glockenbachviertel and Gärtnerplatz) is more up your street, for an easy-going, trendy vibe.

Despite being land locked (by a long shot), Munich is popular with surfers in pursuit of waves. Yes, those in the river at the englischer garten might be artificial, but they’re no less radical than their maritime brethren. From the city centre, a 15-minute journey on the number 17 tram will take you to the palace and gardens at Schloss nymphenburg. Or take the hour’s drive to either Wallberg or alpspitze for some Alpine skiing (Zugspitze is quite a bit further, at 90-kilometres away, but reputedly worth the journey). And after all this, treat tired muscles to a sauna at Müller’sches Volksbad, public baths in a beautiful Art Nouveau building (swm.de). eat anD DrinK at …

Two-Michelin starred tantris is widely regarded as Munich’s best gourmet eatery, and has been for over 20 years – the head chef, Hans Haas, was once voted Germany’s top chef. It serves food that is creative and refined, in an environment to match (0049 89 36 19 590; tantris. de). The restaurant at the legendary gourmet food store, Dallmayr, is its Michelin bedfellow, but not the only reason to visit the emporium – foodies will want to go for lunch, wander through the store, then stay for dinner (0049 89 21 350; dallmayr.

Dallmayr_Haus

Zugspitze

Chinese Tower

Maximilianstrasse

Schloss Nymphenburg

com). If you need a breather, grab what many say is the best coffee around, at Bar centrale (0049 89 22 37 62; bar-centrale.com) – it also does a great breakfast. No trip would be complete without sampling quite a few local beers with Weisswurst.

The state-owned, cavernous hofbräuhaus (hofbraeuhaus.de) is the first go-to for most tourists (though, locals go too – it’s famous because it’s good), but if you fancy getting out into nature for a drink, try either Seehaus (by the lake) or the 200-year-old chinese tower, both in the Englischer Garten. But when you’ve had your fill of sausage, Prinz Myshkin serves some of the most inventive and delicious vegetarian food, anywhere (0049 89 265 596; prinzmyshkin.com).

SleeP at …

For hip lodgings, either of Munich’s Design Hotels comes up trumps. The five-star louis hotel is excellently located on the Viktualienmarkt (the city’s renowned open-air market) and features individually-designed Alpine-feel rooms, full of texture and character (from €97.50 pps,

0049 89 41 11 90 80; louis-hotel. com). While its sister, hotel cortiina, cuts a sleeker shape with feng shui the top priority (from €112.50 pps, 0049 89 24 22 490; cortiina.com).

For formal old world grandeur, hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski is the oldest, largest and most famous and digs of choice for visiting royals, politicians and A-listers (from €117 pps, including breakfast and use of the spa, 0049 89 21 25 27 99; kempinski.com/munich). Local mini-chain h’Otello provides three well-priced, fresh and modern options around the city centre (from €46 pps B&B, 0049 89 45 83 12 00; hotello.de). But go to hotel lux for unique rooms co-designed by local artists – some of which, such as the Ponyhof room, designed by local artist Hans Langner, aka Birdman, have something of a Marmite appeal (from €74.50 pps B&B, 0049 89 4520 7300; munich.hotel-lux.info).

aer lingus flies from Dublin to Munich daily and from Cork to Munich on Tues, Thurs and Sat.

SEPTEMBER 2011

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BEING THERE

Castello Sforzesco

Milan AN INSIDER’S GUIDE

FOR SKIIERS

Where do the stylish Milanese go to shop, dine and party? Irishwoman Karen Benn opens her little black book.

SHOP AT ...

Milan and shopping go together like Florence and art; you can’t have one without the other. The triangle of Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga and Via Manzoni are where all the fashion designer flagship stores can be found. The fashionista’s Mecca 10 Corso Como is always worth a visit: a lifestyle emporium of clothes, books, beauty, and design, it is also home to the best record shop in Milan, an art gallery and serves food every bit as good as its fashion (10corsocomo. com). Established over 30 years ago, Il Salvagente (salvagentemilano.it) is a retail institution with three-floors of discounted designer labels for men and women and La Rinascente, in Piazza Duomo, is a one-stop shop for fashion. Don’t forget about furnishings when you’re in Milan – this is the capital of Italian design and it’s worth seeking out some of the best of Made in Italy’s talent. Many of the showrooms are located along Via Durini and its immediate environs in Brera, including contemporary

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SEPTEMBER 2011

Milan is a convenient gateway for skiing. Many of Italy’s top ski resorts are only a couple of hours drive away, including the Milky Way (Via Lattea), not another galaxy, but an excellent Italian ski area of over 400 kilometres furniture company are Aimo & Nadia (via around the villages of Montgenèvre, B&B Italia (bebitalia.

Montecuccoli 6, 0039 Sestrière, Sauze d’Oulx, Clavière and it), the whimsical 02 41 68 86; aimoenadia. designs of Alessi’s com) and the two-MichelinBardonecchia. The French resorts domestic objects (alessi. starred Cracco (Via Victor are also easily reached.

com), and Poltrona Frau (poltronafrau.it), known as the Hermès of Italian furniture.

EAT AT …

A little distance from the city centre in zona Navigli is the gourmet restaurant, Sadler (Via Ascanio Sforza, 0039 02 58 10 44 51; sadler.it). The chef Claudio Sadler is one of Italy’s culinary stars, and the restaurant is considered to be among the best in the city. Be sure to book. Two other gourmet favourites

About Karen Benn …

Karen, who has been living and working in Milan for the last twelve years, loves to scour the city’s chic fashion boutiques and food shops. At the weekend she retreats to the countryside where she hikes in the Tuscan hills.

Hugo 4, 0039 02 87 67 74; ristorantecracco.it). For classic Italian fare in a traditional Milanese setting, Alla Collina Pistoiese has been serving the city since the 1930s (Via degli Amedei 1, 0039 02 86 45 10 85; allacollinapistoiese.com). When the weather’s mild, take a seat outside Bar Principe on the lovely Piazza Sant’ Alessandro and enjoy lunch or an aperitivo, Milan’s chic version of happy hour.

DRINK AT …

As evening descends, the locals take to the bars for aperitivo, when, for the price of your drink, you can enjoy plates of complimentary snacks along with the hum of chat. Go bar-hopping around Corso Como while, during the summer, the Navigli and Brera areas and around Basilico di San Lorenzo are buzzing.

Cavalli e Nastri vintage clothing shop

Duomo and the piazza

SIGHTSEE AT …

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is one of Milan’s most famous and stunning landmarks. Nicknamed “il salotto di Milano,” or Milan’s drawing room, the decorative arcade is full of cafés, bars and shops. It also connects two of Milan’s other famous landmarks, the grand Duomo di Milano (cathedral) and Teatro alla Scala, Italy’s most prestigious opera house with an incredible history and legacy.

Not to be missed by art lovers are “The Last Supper” mural by Leonardo da Vinci at the Santa Maria delle Grazie (but book in advance, 0039 02 92 80 03 60; grazieop.it), and Castello Sforzesco (Piazza Castello; milanocastello.it), a sprawling 15th-century fortress which now houses several of the city’s museums and art collections.

And of course, the Pinacoteca di Brera (Via Brera 28; brera. beniculturali.it), which holds the city’s most important art collection.

SLEEP AT …

Fashion isn’t just about shopping for the Milanese, it’s a way of life, even when catching forty winks. Leading the way is the glamorous five-star Bulgari Hotel with its understated luxe interiors and palatial garden (from €520 per room, Via Privata Fratelli Gaba, 0039 02 80 58 05 1; bulgarihotels.com). The Anderson hotel is a landmark spot for the Italian fashion industry. Close to the city centre and the Centrale Train Station, it has everything you’d expect from a five star hotel – except the price (from €180 per room, Piazza Luigi di Savoia, 0039 02 66 90 141; starhotels.com). Run by the same family for over 40 years, Antica Locanda dei Mercanti is an inviting haven of tranquillity (from €205 per room, Via San Tomaso, 0039 02 80 54 080; locanda.it).

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II Corso Como nightlife

In conversation with Antonia O’Keeffe

Aer Lingus flies from Dublin to Milan daily.

SEPTEMBER 2011

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InFlight

Welcome Aboard........................... 76 Aer Lingus News ............................78 Entertainment ................................80 Wellbeing ..........................................86 Route Maps ......................................87

For your guide to our new and exciting On Demand movies and television programmes, including Arthur (pictured), turn to page 80.

SEPTEMBER 2011

| 75

WelcomeAboard aer lingus is delighted to welcome you on board Tá áthas ar Aer Lingus fáilte ar bord a chur romhat

For your comfort and safety Please pay attention while the cabin crew demonstrate the use of the safety equipment before 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 takeoff 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.

Your seat must be in the upright position during take-off 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.

Ar mhaithe de do chompord agus le do shábháilteacht, 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, however devices equipped with flight mode, or the equivalent, may be used. Flight mode should be selected before the device is switched off.

Devices PermitteD at ✔ any time: Devices powered by micro battery cells and/or by solar cells; hearing aids (including digital

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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 MP3player). 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 selected, Laptops, PDAs with built-in Wi-Fi with “Wireless Off” setting selected.

Devices PrOhibiteD ✘ at all times: Devices transmitting radio frequency

intentionally such as walkie-talkies, 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, provided the WLAN option is turned off and subject to the restrictions associated with the use of laptops detailed above.

the cabin crew will do everything possible to ensure that you enjoy your flight, so please don’t hesitate to ask them for assistance or advice Tá an fhoireann cábáin anseo le cinntiú go mbaineann tú taitneamh as do thuras, mar sin ná bíodh leisce ort aon chabhair nó comhairle a iarraidh orthu.

Food and bar service

seirbhís bia agus beáir

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.

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 neamh-mheisciúla 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.

news, music and movies 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.

We hope you have a comfortable and pleasant flight. thank you for choosing to fly with aer lingus.

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

Tá suil againn go mbíonn turas compordach taitneamhach agat agus go raibh maith agat as taisteal le hAer Lingus.

smOking In line with Irish government regulations, Aer Lingus has a no-smoking 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.

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 MP 3). Ar mhaithe le compord na bpaisinéiri eile, níor choir na gléasanna seo a úsáid ach amháin le cluaisíní. Cluichí

ríomhaire (m.s. Gameboy). Níl cead gaireas forimeallach a úsáid le cluichí láimhe ríomhaire am ar bith (m.s. 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 (m.s. luch). Printéirí PC. Schríbhneoiri DVD, CD agus taifeadáin Mini-disk 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(m.sCentrino)aúsáídlelinnnaheitilte ar choinníoll go bhfuil WLAN curtha as agus faoi réir na srianta a bhaineann le húsáid ríomhhairí glúine (thuas luaite).

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AerLingusNews HERTZ, FOR A BETTER JOURNEY …

Whether your journey is for business or pleasure, we have it covered so drive more than the ordinary this autumn. With Hertz you get the best selection of top cars to choose from – all at great value prices. With great deals

On Wednesday, August 10, Co Clare artist Michael Hanrahan stepped on board Aer Lingus flight EI156 to begin a truly memorable journey to deliver his painting of “The Queen and the President at the Garden of Remembrance” to Buckingham Palace.

The oil painting, from the memorial garden in Dublin, commemorates the men and women who died in the struggle for Irish freedom and shows both Heads of State laying wreaths in the Garden. Michael becomes the only living Irish artist with work in Her Majesty’s Art Collection.

The painting is one of a collection of seven, the remaining six are to go under the hammer at Whyte’s Art Auction in the RDS on Monday, October 10 2011.

For more information, go to michaelhanrahan.net, whytes.com.

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To book your NeverLost and these great car hire rates, simply log onto aerlingus.com and click on the Hertz icon. Alternatively call reservations on +353 1 813 3844.

Need the ultimate travel partner? – the New NeverLost Hertz Navigational system gives you turn by turn directions with the most up-to-date European and US mapping, making driving far from home easy. So drive like a local, find your hotel or the closest parking to the beach every time.

If you are travelling and haven’t booked your car yet but would like to get a great deal on car-hire, simply call to the Hertz desk on arrival with your boarding card.

Aer Lingus “Iolar” takes flight at nI International Airshow

Captain Julian Ticehurst, left, with artist Michael Hanrahan, right, on board Aer Lingus flight EI156.

A flight fit for a Queen

throughout Europe and America, rest assured that the Hertz service and quality will make your journey, whatever the reason, a journey to remember.

HOTEL DEALS expedia affiliate network (ean) has signed a long term hotel supply partnership with aer lingus. those booking flights at aerlingus.com will now have exclusive booking access to more than 135,000 hotels across the globe as well as the ability to create their own holiday packages when combined with aer lingus flights.

Don’t forget to check out the great aer lingus hotel deals when you’re booking your next flight.

The Aer Lingus “Iolar”, a six-seater De Havilland 84 Dragon will fly once again at the NI International airshow on Saturday 3 and Sunday, September 4 in West Bay, Portrush, Co Antrim.

The DH84 Dragon is the sister aircraft of the original “Iolar” which operated the first Aer Lingus flight between Baldonnel and Bristol on May 27 1936, carrying just five passengers.

To coincide with Aer Lingus’ 75th Anniversary celebrations this year, the Iolar has been lovingly restored by a specialist group of Aer Lingus pilots

You don’t have to chase around for travel insurance!

Whether travelling to Europe or beyond, it’s essential you’re protected in case the unexpected happens. We make it easy to arrange the travel insurance you and your family need for your holiday. You can simply include it as an option to your online flight booking. Travelling regularly? Our annual multi-trip policy may suit you better. Terms and conditions apply. check it out next time you visit aerlingus.com

and engineers. It has since featured heavily in special events to mark the anniversary and has also taken part in airshows across Ireland and the UK.

inFlight ENTERTAINMENT

Movies

Rio

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.

riO

limitless

reD riDing hOOD

Adventure/Animation/Comedy (G) 95 minutes

Thriller/Action/Drama (PG 13) 105 minutes

Fantasy/Horror/Mystery (PG 13) 100 minutes

RIO is an animation feature from the makers of Ice Age. Set in Rio de Janeiro, it centres on Blu, a rare macaw who thinks he is the last of his kind. When Blu discovers there’s another, he leaves the comforts of small town Minnesota and heads to Rio. It’s far from love at first sight between the domesticated and flightchallenged Blu and the fiercely independent, high-flying female, Jewel. Unexpectedly thrown together, they embark on an adventure of a lifetime. RIO brings together a menagerie of vivid characters, a heart-warming story, and energising Latin and contemporary music.

Out-of-work writer Eddie Morra believes that he has zero future. This changes the day an old friend introduces Eddie to MDT, a designer pharmaceutical that makes him laser-focused and more confident than any man alive. Now on an MDT-fuelled odyssey, Eddie can achieve anything his heart and mind desires. As the former nobody rises to the top of the financial world, he draws the attention of a business mogul who sees this enhanced version of Eddie as the tool to make billions. However, the brutal side effects of MDT jeopardise his meteoric ascent.

Valerie is in love with a brooding outsider, Peter, but her parents have arranged for her to marry the wealthy Henry. Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter are planning to run away together when they learn that Valerie’s older sister has been killed by the werewolf that prowls the dark forest. Hungry for revenge, the people call on famed werewolf hunter, Father Solomon, to help them kill the wolf. But Solomon’s arrival brings unintended consequences as he warns that the wolf, who takes human form by day, could be any one of them.

stars vOices OF Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Jamie Foxx, Will I.AM, Tracy Morgan, DirectOr Carlos Saldanha

stars Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro, Anna Friel DirectOr Neil Burger

Red Riding Hood

stars Amanda Seyfried, Lukas Haas, Gary Oldman DirectOr Catherine Hardwicke

more movies on demand:

Limitless

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 battle lOs angeles Aaron Eckhart  yOur highness James Franco  sucker Punch Emily Browning  the Way Martin Sheen  the beaver Jodie Foster  thOr Anthony Hopkins  sOul surFer Dennis Quaid  sOurce cODe Jake Gyllenhaal

 the lincOln laWyer Matthew McConnaughey  that’s What i am Ed Harris  cinema verite Tim Robbins  beastly Vanessa Hudgens  hOP Voice of Russell Brand  sPaceDOgs Voice of Anna Bolshova  tangleD Voice of Mandy Moore

Movies

Water for Elephants

FLIGHTS FROM THE USA

From boston, chicago, new York and orland 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.

Water FOr elePhants Adventure/Drama/Romance (PG 13) 118 minutes

hanna

Action Thriller (PG 13) 111 minutes

kung Fu PanDa 2

As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. For Jacob, the circus world he remembers is both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student, he is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star.

And he meets Rosie, an untrainable elephant who is the great gray hope for this third-rate travelling show. The bond that grows among this unlikely trio is one of love and trust, and is their only hope for survival.

Hanna is a teenage girl who has the strength and stamina of a soldier; these come from being raised by her father, an ex-CIA man.

Living a life unlike any other teenager, her upbringing is geared to making her the perfect assassin. Hanna is sent on a mission that leads her to journey stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless intelligence operative with secrets of her own. As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity.

Po is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters. But Po’s awesome new life is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. It is up to Po and The Furious Five to journey across China to face this threat and vanquish it. Po must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.

stars Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Christoph Waltz, Hal Holbrook DirectOr Francis Lawrence

stars Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana DirectOr Joe Wright

Animation/Family (PG) 90 minutes

Kung Fu Panda 2

starring vOices OF Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Dustin Hoffman DirectOr Jennifer Yuh

more movies on demand:

Hanna

 arthur Russell Brand  triage Colin Farrell  the music never stOPPeD J.K. Simmons  Paul Simon Pegg  Win Win Paul Giamatti  ceremOny Uma Thurman  Fast Five Vin Diesel  scream 4 Courtney Cox

 WelcOme tO the rileys James Gandolfini  meek’s cutOFF Michelle Williams  JumPing the brOOm Paula Patton  there be DragOns Dougray Scott  Diary OF a WimPy kiD: rODrick rules Zachary Gordon  curiOus geOrge 2: FOllOW that mOnkey Voice of Jamie Kennedy  tOy stOry 3 Voice of Tom Hanks

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Television

Mildred Pierce

ON DEMAND

On Demand TV allows you to control your TV content and select the most up to date comedy and drama. New cOmeDy highlights feature 30 Rock, Entourage, Family Guy, How I Met Your Mother, How To Make It In America and Nurse Jackie. Recent comedy takes in Father Ted, The Mighty Boosh, Sex and the City and classic comedy set in Boston in Cheers.

Drama features Dexter and, fresh from HBO, Game of Thrones and In Treatment, as well as the critically acclaimed first episode of The Kennedys.

Available exclusively to Aer Lingus is Mildred Pierce, the five-part brand new mini-series from HBO starring Kate Winslet, Guy Pearce and Evan Rachael

The Kennedys

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Wood. Described by critics as “Magnificent and captivating” (Rolling Stone); “Stunning …

Winslet is at her best” (Vogue) and “Unlike anything on TV” (Variety). Don’t miss three episodes of BBC’s hot new drama Zen. Zen has been touted as the detective drama of the year and as compelling, intelligent and stylish. Rufus Sewell stars in this series from the makers of Wallander.

Available are five episodes of new drama Blue Bloods starring Tom Selleck. Created

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

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

The first-class medley of Drama TV also takes in five episodes from Season 2 of the critically acclaimed Good Wife, and fresh from HBO select seven episodes of the very impressive Boardwalk Empire.

Variety has described this series as “Television at its finest”. teens onboard can enjoy Glee, Jonas LA and Sonny With A Chance. kiDs will love Barney, Phineas and Ferb, Generator Rex and more.

Blue Bloods

liFestyle anD reality highlights take in Grand Designs, Top Gear, Khloe and Lamar, Videofashion News, World business special edition, Premier League Goals, Vacation, Vacation, Vacation, New York City Food and more.

DOcumentary highlights feature Human Planet, Biography (Howard Schultz), Living The Wildlife, Inside the Actors Studio (Bradley Cooper), so long Fu long, The Meaning of Life (Gabriel Byrne), Seven Ages of Rock and more.

inFlight ENTERTAINMENT

Radio ON DEMAND

barry Dunne Barry Dunne plays three hours of Dublin’s Best Music Mix to kick off your workday on 98FM Monday-Friday from 10am-1pm. You can hear anything from chart toppers like Jessie J and Bruno Mars to classics like U2 and Bananarama.

98Fm’s classic hits On 98FM’s Classic Hits with Darragh O’Dea, weeknights from 7pm to 9pm, you will hear everything from David Bowie, Eric Clapton, ELO, Howard Jones, Hall and Oates, Simple Minds, U2, Simply Red, Toto, Bruce Springsteen, Joe Jackson, Lionel Ritchie and loads more!

Fitzpatrick hotels

aer guitar

clear for take-Off

Non-Stop 80s

This is a contemporary easy-listening collection of songs from both sides of the Atlantic, brought to you compliments of The Fitzpatrick Hotel Group USA. With 2 hotels in downtown Manhattan, Grand Central and Fitzpatrick Manhattan, Fitzpatrick’s is the place to stay in NYC.

Marty Miller is on air weekdays from 2pm on Dublin’s Radio Nova 100FM playing seriously addictive music and having a lot of CRAIC along the way.

Tune into AER Guitar – Guitarbased music, while you’re in the air.

You’re cleared for take-off with Pat Courtenay from Radio Nova 100FM. Tune into Pat Courtenay every morning 6 until 10am Monday to Friday. Then put down your refreshment tray for Nova Breakfast Reheated every Saturday from 8 until 10am.

Dee Woods from Dublin’s Radio Nova 100FM is on a journey of Non-Stop 80s.

Remember the decade that gave us stilettos, shoulder pads and leg warmers? Dee Woods takes a nostalgic look back at the good stuff from the 80s: the rock! Let Dee take you back to the good old days with classics from icons like David Bowie, Steely Dan and Phil Collins on Non-Stop 80s.

cooper’s collection Steven Cooper on 98FM brings you the biggest dance floor fillers every Saturday night with six hours of remixed chart toppers and biggest dance-floor fillers. Steven Cooper presents his weekday show on 98FM from 1pm to 4pm, Monday to Friday, and Coopers Club Collection on Saturday nights from 6pm to Midnight.

lyric Fm classics

the big 10 The Big 10 on 98FM features ten songs with a connection.

Tune into this countdown every Sunday morning at 10am as we count down The Big 10, ten songs with a connection.

Each week a different set of songs feature, all with a different connection such as the biggest Irish acts, the biggest comebacks in music and the biggest female artists of all time.

in tempo Join Paul Herriott for the usual broad blend of classical music, including full works and his CD of the Week. In Tempo features classical music by Bach, Shostakovich, Smetana, Dvorak and more. The featured CD stars German soprano Juliane Banse and our Coffee Concert highlights the RTE NSO with soloist Gavan Ring and conductor Gavin Maloney.

RTÉ lyric fm is the only recording label for classical music in Ireland and showcases a wealth of Irish musical talent. Our aim is to promote classical music, Irish musicians and composers at home and abroad by creating a commercially available, quality record of how much incredible music is being made in this country.

blue of the night

Jazz alley Blue of the Night connects different musical landscapes and is presented by Carl Corcoran from Monday to Thursday on RTE lyric fm (96-99fm). There’s a world of sounds on Blue of the Night – variety, scope and joy in the endless richness of centuries of music make the Blue of the Night the best late-night radio in the land.

Take a stroll down Jazz Alley with Donald Helme of RTE lyric fm (96-99fm).

This featured show is a special tribute to George Shearing, the Britishborn pianist who died on February 14th 2011.

Donald Helme presents an hour of his music in tribute to one of the alltime jazz greats.

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inFlight ENTERTAINMENT

Radio ON DEMAND

ceili house

Documentary On One

south Winds blows

Ceili House is Irish traditional music and song from some of the country’s finest performers. This show comes from the Conservatory of Music and Drama in Rathmines, Dublin with the Traditional Music Ensemble and tutors.

The multi awardwinning radio documentary strand from RTÉ Radio 1 is currently the most successful documentary unit in the world, telling stories about real life in Ireland and abroad.

Singer, musician, broadcaster and film-maker Philip King brings his unique and wideranging musical knowledge to the airwaves from the picturesque setting of the Dingle peninsula.

the rolling Wave

risin’ time

ronan collins show

The Rolling Wave is a prize-winning RTÉ Radio documentary

by Peter Browne telling the amazing story of Andreas Rogge, who made his way from East Germany and a term of political imprisonment to become a top class Uilleann pipe maker.

Shay Byrne’s Risin’ Time eases RTÉ Radio 1 listeners into the morning with an easy mix of classic and contemporary music, all delivered in Shay’s own unique style.

Ronan’s daily programme The Ronan Collins Show airs from 12-1pm weekdays and continues to be one of the biggest radio shows in the country.

So for a break from all that news and information throughout the day, check out Ronan Collins on RTÉ Radio 1 at midday where you’ll find a feast of music and laughs.

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Fully charged

sPin hits with nikki hayes

the big handbag

Fully Charged with Ryan and Tracy on SPIN 1038 can be heard weekday mornings from 06.45 to 09.45 and is the best way to start your day! Tune in for 3 hours packed full of music, hot celebrity interviews and ingenious games with brilliant prizes.

SPIN Hits with Nikki Hayes is all about the music!

Nikki plays 10 SPIN hits in a row featuring the biggest hits on the planet.

Watch online with SPIN TV and keep in touch on facebook.com/spin1038 or at spin1038.com.

The Big Handbag is presented by Becky Miller of SPIN 1038 and is stuffed full of amazing tunes to get you in the mood for your Saturday night. This is an awesome mix of 90s dance-floor classics, hits you will be hearing in the club on and future hits we love and think are going to be MASSIVE!

sPin balance

sPin cinema

sPin hits

Balance is presented by Paul Webb of SPIN South West and is the premier home-grown dance show in Ireland.

Known for playing the hottest music before it hits the other clubs, Webb is an internationally recognised DJ.

SPIN Cinema presented by Peter Murphy airs on SPIN South West every Sunday from 8:45am. This show premieres the best in new movie releases, the latest DVDs and hot entertainment gossip every week. Throw in a couple of soundtracks from your favourite movies, sprinkle it with popcorn and this movie show will make your radio sound 3D!

SPIN South West plays the most music and 10 SPIN hits in a row is what we do best! Every Monday to Friday, Eoghain is joined by the SPIN team as they travel the South West with great giveaways.

Green on Red is presented by Ashley Keating of “The Frank and Walters” fame and is aired every Sunday from 7pm to 10pm, on Cork’s Number 1 radio station for Hit Music, RedFM. Green on Red features the very best of Irish music, signed and unsigned. The show is the soundtrack to what’s up and coming on the Irish music scene.

Green on Red has scooped “Best Weekly Show” at the 2003 PPI National Radio Awards and continues to shine the spotlight on Irish talent. You can listen live on www.redfm.ie or on our iPhone App which can be downloaded from iTunes free of charge.

moncrieff Moncrieff is a lively mix of funny, engaging and irreverent features, its insightful and different format gives listeners a unique listening.

Tune into Moncrieff every weekday from 1.30-4.30pm on Newstalk 106108fm for a lively mix of phone-ins, insightful text messages and stories from around the world and down your street. Text 53106 Email: afternoon@ newstalk.ie Twitter SeanMoncrieff

Phantom rock

andy Preston

Phantom Rock is 60 minutes of great songs that will make you want to turn the volume up to 11!

With the best in rock from Ireland and around the world, Phantom Rock is presented

by Michelle Doherty of Phantom 105.2 – the home of rock in Dublin! Michelle presents Finest Worksongs, MonFri from 10.30am to 2.30 pm on Phantom 105.2

FM104 is Dublin’s Hit Music Station, and we play nothing but hits! Presented

by FM104’s Andy Preston, we’ve packed in the hottest artists and songs into this 60 minute show.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE IRISH TIMES

green on red

copeland classic hits Copeland Classic Hits is brought to you courtesy of Louis Copeland and Sons, a name synonymous with men’s tailored suits.

From Brioni, Armani, Canali, Versace to Hugo Boss and more, visit www. louiscopeland.com.

larry gogan

rick O’shea

Legendary broadcaster Larry Gogan brings the best tunes to RTÉ 2fm. From one-of-a-kind features and interviews to the famous “Just a Minute Quiz”, it’s not difficult to see how legendary broadcaster Larry Gogan has become a familiar and much-loved voice in households across Ireland.

Larry spun the first-ever disc on RTÉ Radio 2 (as it was then known) back in 1979.

Rick O’Shea presents his weekday radio show from 2 to 4.30pm on RTÉ 2fm. Along with Cormac Battle, his trusty provider of Pointless Pieces of Research of the day, Rick and Cormac play the best of contemporary and classic tunes with lively audience interaction. You can tweet Rick later at @rickoshea

Dan hegarty Dan Hegarty is a familiar name to listeners of late night radio with his show on RTE 2fm. The show mixes a wide spectrum of acts, including Toro y Moi, the Rolling Stones, Tinariwen and far beyond.

Phil cawley’s classic 9

the lighthouse

Test your musical knowledge with Phil Cawley as he plays nine tracks from the same year. With some clues to help you along, see how quickly you can guess the year that these chart-toppers hit the airwaves!

Musician and DJ Dave Couse presents an eclectic music show every Sunday evening on Today FM featuring the best alternative pop classics. This show takes a closer look at the best music from New York City.

SEPTEMBER 2011

| 85

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 wellbeing 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. ● Exercising your feet and legs periodically helps to reduce any possible effects of long-duration travel. ● Circle your ankles clockwise and anti-clockwise. 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. ● 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 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.

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.

carry-on baggage

Passengers with wheelchair requirements 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.

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: email: specialassistance@ aerlingus.com telephone: ● (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

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)

aer lingus regiOnal

Maximum weight

43cm (17ins)

10kg (22 lbs)

20cm (8ins)

Maximum weight

7kg (15 lbs)

40cm (16ins)

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. ● as a service to passengers, alcohol is served in the airport

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SEPTEMBER 2011

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

Vilnius Hamburg

Dublin

Berlin

Amsterdam Dusseldorf

Brussels

Stuttgart

Rennes Geneva Milan

Bordeaux Bilbao

Santiago de Compostela

MALPENSA

Marseille Perpignan

Milan

LINATE

Venice Bucharest

Nice Dubrovnik Rome

Barcelona

Ibiza

Budapest

Bologna

Madrid Lisbon

Vienna

Munich Zurich

Lyon

Toulouse

Krakow

Prague

Frankfurt Paris

Warsaw

Bourgas

Naples

Palma Majorca

Alicante Faro

Izmir

Athens Catania

Malaga

Aberdeen Glasgow

Agadir

Blackpool Manchester

Dublin Birmingham

Fuerteventura Lanzarote

Tenerife

Edinburgh

Cardiff

Bristol

London (Heathrow) London (Gatwick)

Gran Canaria

Jersey

To & From dublin austria Vienna

czech republic Prague

belgium Brussels

Finland Helsinki

bulgaria Bourgas

France Bordeaux Lyon Marseille Nice Paris Pergpignan Rennes ■ Toulouse

canary islands Fuerteventura Gran Canaria Lanzarote Tenerife croatia Dubrovnik

germany Berlin Dusseldorf Frankfurt Hamburg Munich Stuttgart greece Athens hungary Budapest

italy Catania Bologna Milan (Linate) Milan (Malpensa) Naples Rome Venice lithuania Vilnius the netherlands Amsterdam

Poland Krakow Warsaw Portugal Faro Lisbon morocco Agadir romania Bucharest

spain Alicante Barcelona Bilbao Ibiza Madrid Malaga Palma Majorca Santiago de Compostella switzerland Geneva Zurich turkey Izmir

united kingdom Birmingham Edinburgh Jersey London (gatwick) London (Heathrow) Manchester united kingdom

with Aer Lingus Regional Operated by Aer Arann

Aberdeen Blackpool Bristol Cardiff Edinburgh Glasgow

■ Aer Lingus Regional routes operated by Aer Arann SEPTEMBER 2011

| 87

inFlight ROUTE MAPS

EUROPEAN ROUTE NETWORK

Edinburgh

Glasgow Knock

belFast Manchester

Dublin

Birmingham

shannOn

cOrk

Amsterdam

Bristol

London Heathrow lOnDOn gatWick

Jersey

Paris Munich

Rennes

Nice Rome

Barcelona Palma Majorca

Lisbon Alicante Faro

Malaga

Lanzarote

Tenerife

Gran Canaria

To & From belfast, cork, shannon & Gatwick FrOm belFast canary islands Gran Canaria Lanzarote Tenerife

FrOm cOrk united kingdom London Heathrow

italy Rome Portugal Faro

88 |

canary islands Lanzarote Tenerife

Portugal Faro Lisbon

France Nice Paris Rennes ■

spain Alicante Barcelona Malaga Palma Majorca

germany Munich

spain Alicante Barcelona Malaga

italy Rome

SEPTEMBER 2011

FrOm gatWick

the netherlands Amsterdam united kingdom London Gatwick London Heathrow

united kingdom

with Aer Lingus Regional Operated by Aer Arann

Birmingham Bristol Edinburgh Glasgow Jersey ■ Manchester

ireland Cork Dublin Ireland West Airport (Knock) Shannon spain Malaga

FrOm shannOn France Paris united kingdom London Gatwick London Heathrow united kingdom

with Aer Lingus Regional Operated by Aer Arann

Birmingham Bristol Edinburgh Glasgow Manchester

■ 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 New York

usa Washington DC

SEPTEMBER 2011

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inFlight ROUTE MAPS

Connecting europe, the usA & canada Edmonton

Calgary Winnipeg

Vancouver Seattle Portland OR

Minneapolis

Salt Lake City Denver Sacramento San Francisco

Kansas City Las Vegas

Oakland

chicagO

Omaha

Detroit

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

90 |

SEPTEMBER 2011

Helsinki

Aberdeen Edinburgh

Glasgow

Vilnius Dublin

Manchester

shannon

Birmingham London (Heathrow)

Cardiff

Bristol

London (Gatwick)

Jersey

Berlin

Amsterdam

Warsaw

Dusseldorf Brussels Krakow

Frankfurt Paris Vienna

Munich

Geneva Venice

Milan (Linate)

Bucharest Marseille

Dubrovnik Rome

Barcelona Madrid Palma Majorca

Lisbon Faro

■ via Dublin with aer lingus                        

Alicante Amsterdam Barcelona Berlin Birmingham Brussels Bucharest Dubrovnik Dusseldorf Edinburgh Faro Frankfurt Geneva Helsinki Jersey Krakow Lisbon London (Gatwick) London (Heathrow) Madrid Malaga Manchester Marseille Milan (Linate)

        

Alicante Malaga

Munich Naples Palma Majorca Paris Rome Venice Vienna Vilnius Warsaw

■ via Dublin with aer lingus regional operated by Aer Arann     

Aberdeen Bristol Cardiff Edinburgh Glasgow

■ via shannOn with aer lingus    

Naples

London (Gatwick) London (Heathrow) Manchester ■ Paris

■ 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 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 SEPTEMBER 2011

| 91

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

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

inFlight SKY SHOPPING

Men’s Ultimate Shave Collection by liz earle Naturally Active Skincare

This award-winning collection of hard working, no-nonsense products really makes a difference to the look and feel of skin. The kit includes everyday essentials to wash, shave and moisturise, for clean, clear skin at home, at the gym or when travelling.

What’s insiDe? • Sensitive Shave Cream 100ml • After-Shaving Moisturiser 50ml • Face and Body Wash 30ml • Face Scrub 30ml • 1 towelling cloth and zip-up kit bag

Anitah Black Patent Leather Purse by ted baker As practical as it is glamorous, this Anitah black patent leather purse from Ted Baker features a contrasting metallic interior with 8 slots for credit cards and a coin

section with a satin rose lining. The iconic vintage style clasp ensures all your valuables will be protected and there’s even an external zip on the rear of the purse.

Eternity for Men Summer by calvin klein

Eau de Toilette - 100ml

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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SEPTEMBER 2011

The tranquility of the summer sun and a warm breeze rustles through lush fields of grass, capturing far off memories in a fresh fougère fragrance.

Citrus, mint, coriander, star anise and cedarwood invoke the sensuality of summer. Fresh, crisp, serene.

DOESN’T TIME FLY?

aer lingus - its history

This book highlights the significant contribution the airline has made to the development of Irish aviation and to Irish society in general.

It draws heavily on the company’s extensive archive of photographs, posters and advertisements, as well as the ephemera and memories of our former and current staff.

This hardback book contains many images from the earliest days, from the founding of Aer Lingus in 1936 and through its subsequent 75 years. It will be of interest to passengers who’ve flown with us, those connected with the airline or who are fascinated about how the company transported Irishness over the seas. Mike Cronin, the author, has written widely on Ireland’s history including a book to mark the 125th anniversary of the GAA.

Scott Black Sunglasses

by Ted Baker New from Ted Baker, these sleek men’s shades feature a gunmetal frame and logo detail on the temples. Designed to complement all face shapes, with durable spring hinges and adjustable nose pads for added comfort. Offering full UVA and UVB protection, these sunglasses come complete with a travel case, cleaning cloth and a 1 year guarantee.

Daisy Eau So Fresh

by Marc Jacobs Eau de Toilette - 75ml Vibrant, charming and whimsical, Daisy Eau So Fresh is the spirited new version of the original Daisy. It is a bright, floral, fruity fragrance.

Playful with a whimsical spirit, this

scent radiates with crisp raspberry, sensuous wild rose and deep warm plum. Lose yourself in a field of flowers with Daisy Eau So Fresh!

Fresh, fun, free.

Sky Shopping

Aer Lingus welcomes you to our extensive range of amazing quality items and reduced prices onboard during September Sekonda Fashion Watch Contemporary watch with round plastic case with rotating bezel. Black dial with magnified date window and black silicone strap. Water resistant to 50 metres. Guaranteed for 2 years.

Women’s Silver Mesh Gold Case Watch Stainless steel appeal. Signature Skagen silver mesh bands connect to a slim stainless steel IP gold case with gold border. The vertically brushed chrome dial features 12 indicators made with CRYSTALLIZED™ Swarovski elements.

Lifetime warranty on the movement.

Sniffy Basset Hound

by Russ Berrie Look who’s making eyes at you!

Sniffy, the Basset Hound is a new addition to the Lil’ Peepers collection and this wide-eyed cuddly hound is the perfect gift for everyone.

SShkopyping

Sky

S h o p ping ing ngs Shopp ...ex tra savi whe n you f ly

...ex tra savings ...e when you f ly

1936-2011

1936-2011

Doesn’t time fly?

Doesn’t time fly?

Please check your Sky Shopping brochure for all prices SEPTEMBER 2011

| 95

TRIP OF A lifetime

PHOTOGRAPH BY SUE FLOOD

TRIP OF A LIFETIME

Artist Dorothy Cross draws inspiration from being in nature. One trip in particular sparked her imagination ...

A

journey to northern California when I was a student turned out to be the starting point for many other journeys around the world. I was studying for a Masters degree in Fine Art at the San Francisco Art Institute.

My brother Tom, a marine biologist, knowing of the fantastic swimming and diving off the northern Californian coast, delighted in sending me maps showing where shark attacks had occurred around San Francisco Bay. There is a strong family connection to the sea and to swimming. We lived on and in the water for three months every year and then our brother lured us into competitive swimming. I and my sister Jane swam on the Irish team, and Tom was the national coach.

Great whites breed in the ocean north of the bay and migrate south along the coast of California past Monterey, where waters full of sealions provide their food.

I went to dive in Monterey in the

96 |

SEPTEMBER 2011

famous kelp forests where sea-lions sped around me as I dived. The light filtering through the giant kelp was like an underwater jungle. The sharks did not appear and the dive was spectacular.

Later I visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium not knowing about its famous displays of jellyfish. The giant tanks are lit magically. One can view the animals there and it’s as close to the sensation of diving as I have ever seen. It was an extraordinary experience.

That memory stayed with me and, years later, when I was working on a short film about Medusae jellyfish, I came back to Monterey to film in the aquarium.

The film was a collaboration between science and art, funded by

Still from Jellyfish Lake, which shows Dorothy floating with jellyfish in Micronesia.

the Wellcome Trust in the UK, and I was working on it with Tom, my brother.

A friend had told me the story of an extraordinary woman called Maude Delap who suceeded in breeding jellyfish in bell-jars in her father’s house on Valentia Island in Co Kerry in 1902. She was an amateur naturalist who did then what is still considered difficult to do in the 21st century. Our film was my study of Maude’s life through fragmented memory, and my brother’s study of the swimming techniques of a jellyfish that lives off the east coast of Australia, called Chironex fleckeri – which is the most venomous animal on the planet.

Jellyfish are much maligned and misunderstood animals. They are ancient and extraordinary: structureless in air, they defy easy examination. Under water, they are the most lyrical and graceful of sea animals.

The film expanded into further travel looking at different species of jellyfish. As well as filming in Monterey, we travelled to Palau in Micronesia to fi lm jellyfi sh in the wild. film jellyfish The famous lakes there are full of nonstinging Rhizostomae that seemed almost curious as we fl oated floated through tropical lakes of skin-warm water for hours, with the jellyfi sh jellyfish pulsating round our bodies and though my hair.

Returning to Ireland, I made “drawings” by placing jellyfish I found stranded on the shore on linen damask. They created drawings of themselves when dried, resulting in flowershaped stains, like the Turin Shroud of jellyfish.

Dorothy Cross lives and works in Connemara. She is represented by the Kerlin Gallery, Dublin, and The Frith Street Gallery, London. Her work can be seen in “Gravity” at the Crawford Gallery, Cork until October 29; crawfordartgallery.ie.

It’s been said that the course of a trip runs from point A to point B. Which is fine if you’re on a trip. But at Hertz, we believe in journeys and all that driving entails. That’s why we offer more choice in our Prestige, Green and Fun collections which now includes the all new Audi A1.

So while we know the value of a great deal we also know that what makes a journey memorable is the experience.