Wicklow Voice Nov 2013

wicklowvoice SAY HELLO TO THE GARDEN COUNTY’S FREE, POSITIVE PAPER!

.ie

November 2013

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E: wicklowvoice@gmail.com

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wicklowvoice SAY HELLO TO THE GARDEN COUNTY’S FREE, POSITIVE PAPER!

.ie

November 2013

FREE

FREE

FREE

FREE

E: wicklowvoice@gmail.com

Donnelly: I’ll be back

Independent TD may join party ahead of Dail election Independent TD Stephen Donnelly is planning to run for the Dail again at the next General Election.

And, in a move that could cause considerable ripples throughout the county, the representative for Wicklow and East Carlow may join a political party before the election, which is due to be held in 2016.

“I’m going to run again but I don’t know what I’m going to run as,” the representative for Wicklow and East Carlow said.

“There are three possibilities: one as an independent; one as a member of an existing party; and one as part of a new party.”

Donnelly’s comments are likely to lead to considerable speculation as to which party he could or would join. “I have no idea if any of the political parties would have me,” he said, before adding that none of the parties had approached him.

Donnelly is a member of the Dail’s Technical Group, and is regarded as being centre right.

Despite Wicklow once being a Fianna Fail stronghold, the party has no TD. Bookmaker Paddy Power is offering odds of 1/7 for “any Fianna Fail candidate” to be elected.

The constituency has three Fine Gael TDs. Simon Harris is 1/3 to be returned and Andrew Doyle is 4/6. Billy Timmins (6/4) was booted out of the parliamentary party after he voted against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill and his future is uncertain. Sinn Fein Councillor John Brady is at 4/5 while Labour TD Anne Ferris is poised to take the fifth seat at 5/6. However, Labour is under pressure after Cathaoirleach Jimmy O’Shaughnessy quit the party in October, leaving it with no councillor on Wicklow County Council.

Donnelly made his comments in an interview with RTE’s Marian Finucane, when he outlined his journey into politics and his belief that the country’s health service can be fixed.

inside: Wicklow’s positive newspaper:

NEWS: 4 Kit sets sail after 46 years 9 Wicklow finally wins an All-Ireland ... sort of Opinion 10 Emigration is a necessity, says Cllr John Bray It’s a lifestyle choice, says Michael Wolsey property 18 Wicklow property tax ‘are going to other counties’

A little terror: Alfie Donnelly (3) enjoys the fun at Harbour Bar’s children’s Halloween party in Bray. » Lots of pictures from around the county inside

inside back 23 The Miracle of the Midlands as Bray Wanderers stay up after dramatic play-off

4 | NEWS

wicklowvoice.ie November 2013

Kit sails off into the sunset after 46 years with RNLI

news in brief Big September to play Academy Big September’s meteoric rise is gathering pace and the band is now set for their biggest Dublin headline to date when they take to the stage at the Academy for the first time on December 21.

Tickets cost €11 and are available from ticketmaster.ie and comes after the five-piece recently played the Late Late Show. The band also recently played a sold-ou gig in Cork’s Cyprus Avenue.

Grave matters

There was angry exchanges at the November Bray Town Council meeting following the presentation of an architect’s plan for the Springfield Cemetery in Ballywaltrim.

While there was almost universal acclaim for the quality of the work submitted

by Kinta Oakes of Peter Oakes, Sinn Fein councillor John Brady questioned the need for spending funds on architects. Cllr Mick Glynn of Fine Gael strongly refuted the assertions and stated that the project was a worthwhile undertaking.

Florence Bazzare and Mary Nabunje members of the Fields O Life African school choir who Recently performed at the Arklow Bay Hotel. (pic: Yvette O Beirne)

LIVE LOUNGE AT THE HARBOUR BAR FRI 8TH

LOVE MINUS ZERO SAT 9TH

VINYL ONLY SUN 10TH

LAZY HORSE FRI 15TH

BLOOD RED MOUNTAIN BAND SAT 16TH

THE LIXX SUN 17TH

HUNKY DORY FRI 22ND

BRIAN MEAKIN SAT 23RD

CUJO FAMILY FRI 29TH

GYPSY REBEL RABBLE SAT 30TH

THE HOT SPROCKETS SUN 1 DEC

WYVERN LINGO /theharbour_bar

/theharbourbarbray

Thank you from the Positive Paper!

The Wicklow Voice – the Positive Paper – would like to say thank to everyone for their support since we launched in September – the reaction from readers, retailers and advertisers has been phenomenal.

The Wicklow Voice is committed to highlighting all the great things that are happening in our county as our team of top quality writers cover local politics, property, fashion, fitness, gardening, food, children’s activities and much more. The Wicklow Voice will be coming through your letterbox near or available from our many distribution points.

You can contact us at wicklowvoice@gmail.com or write to us at 93 Giltspur Brook, Bray, Co Wicklow.

Calling all candidates!

Are you planning on running in next year’s local elections?

Do you want to be portrayed in a positive light by the Positive Paper?

Contact is now by emailing wicklowvoice@gmail.com with Local Elections in the subject line to register with our database for 2014 and help us to help you with your election campaign.

RNLI’s Owen Medland presents Kit Dunne with a framed certificate of service. (Pic: RNLI/Tommy Dover)

wicklow hero After 46 years at the helm, one of Wicklow’s greatest heroes sailed off into the sunset recently when Kit Dunne was honoured by the RNLI at a retirement presentation to mark his near half-century of service.

Kit first joined the RNLI in 1966 and has worked with several different coxswains either as crew or as a deputy launching authority, after taking up the post in 1993.

For the first 27 years with the RNLI, Kit served RNLI with distinction before retiring from active service in 1993.

However, that was only the starting point for the next stage of his stellar career with the organisation and Kit’s experience and loyalty was redeployed when he became a deputy launching authority, a position he held until his retirement at the end of last year.

At the retirement presentation in Wicklow Town’s Grand Hotel, divisional operations manager Owen Medland paid tribute to Kit’s outstanding dedication through the decades and presented him with a framed certificate of service.

Kit Dunne thanked all present and told of his great pride in serving such a great organisation as the RNLI before leaving

the stage to a standing ovation.

In 2005 Dunne was awarded the silver statuette by the RNLI for his service to the institution, which included coming to the aid of a pilot boat when he was aboard the lifeboat JW Archer as a crewman back in 1972 after the 18ft boat had engine failure and with a falling tide was in danger of drifting out to sea.

Wicklow RNLI chairman and former coxswain Gerard Haughton also spoke very highly of his time serving with Kit. At the end of the evening surrounded by family, friends and former colleagues, Kit was given a framed memento of the two lifeboats he had served on, the JW Archer and the Annie Blaker, by Wicklow lifeboat operations manager Des Davitt, who praised him for his outstanding service to his community and the RNLI. Then Kit was presented with a painting from his peers by local artist Pat Dover, which was presented by coxswain Nicky Keogh, second coxswain Ciaran Doyle and station mechanic Brendan Copeland on behalf of the crew.

They spoke of the knowledge and experience Dunne has passed down to the new crewmembers over many years.

Meanwhile, his son, Kit Jr, told of his pride in his father, who not only served his community but is also a great father and family man.

NEWS |5

Novmber 2013 wicklowvoice.ie

wicklow people in pictures

Sinead Kavanagh, Claire o’Brien (proprieter) and Claire Cullen in the newly opened Bear Paw Gourmet Deli, which has created five jobs in Delgany.

Pictured at the Bray Cancer Support Centre’s Purple Ball 2013 were Cassie Mohan and Jenny Doyle (P{ic: Joe Keogh).

Paige (8) and Darragh Warner (4) at the Bray Chamber of Commerce Trick or Treat on Bray’s Main Street

Wicklow Town Chamber of Commerce President John Sinnott of Sinnott Autos presents Pascal Burke of Burke Oil with his Lifetime Achievement Award in the Grand Hotel.

Little lady Bug Grace Ivers during Halloween in Arklow (Pic: Yvette O Beirne)

John Frazer (sales representative), Geraldine Vaughan and Richard Roche (pluming) of Chadwicks in Bray

6 | NEWS

wicklowvoice.ie Novmber 2013

Manager to face key vote

COUNTY manager Eddie Sheehy is expected to face a vote calling for his resignation when Wicklow County Council meets on Monday, November 11.

Sinn Féin Bray councillor John Brady is expected to table a motion of no confidence in Mr Sheehy after a fine of €355,000 was imposed on Wicklow County Council for breaches of health and safety laws in relation to a fire in which two firefighters died six years ago.

Brian Murray and Mark O’Shaughnessy died fighting a blaze at a derelict factory in Bray on 26 September 2007.

A representative of the council pleaded guilty to three charges of health and safety breaches half way through the criminal trial last June.

The first charge was amend-

ed to exclude a claim that the breaches had caused the deaths of the two men.

Judge Desmond Hogan said in his view the training provided by the council in the use of a new system was “wholly inadequate” and this was evident on the day. He said the system of work used was “antiquated, inefficient and flawed.”

The families of the two men said they were disappointed with the leniency of the fines but said they welcomed the remarks made by the judge and acknowledged the fines would be paid by the taxpayer.

At a sentence hearing in July the council had asked the judge to consider the cuts to its annual budget when imposing sentence. The maximum fine for breaches of the health and safety laws is €3m.

Terri Hanlon, Rita Duffy, Janet Smith, Noeleen Cleary and Ann O’Neill at the Bray Cancer Support line dancing marathon which was held in the Royal Hotel.

Jobs boost as Shoreline gets €400k extension Shoreline Leisure is creating a number of new jobs following the announcement of a €400,000 extension to one of its premises in Bray.

The 400sq m expansion will initially create a number

of construction jobs before Shoreline another two fulltime positions in the facility itself.

Speaking to the Wicklow Voice, CEO of Shoreline Leisure Dominic Gunshenan

explained that the new works, which began on October 31, will be completed in March of 2014.

“This extension would not have been possible without the continued supports of

Shoreline’s patrons who have been using the facility since 2008,” Dominic adds.

“It down’s to them ultimately that we are able to do this and I would like to thank them for their support.”

November 2013 wicklowvoice.ie

NEWS |7

8| HISTORY

wicklowvoice.ie November 2013

The day Miley and Ronnie came to town down the decades

May 1985 was a watershed month for the community of Newcastle as the fruits of their labour in their various fundraising endeavours, resulted in the building and opening of the new Community Centre in the village.

It was a very special cause for celebration and the local Newcastle Community Festival in its fifth year at this time was very much a part and parcel of the celebrations for the new building. There had been a huge and varied series of fundraising events run over several years by the committee to fund the project.

Pam Minnock of the Newcastle Community Centre and Festival stated that “we have been working very hard in Newcastle over the past few years to bring the centre to this stage and it will mark a great achievement for us.”

The cost of building the centre left an outstanding debt of £20,000 and the fundraising efforts continued. It was hoped that the festival would put a sizable hole in this debt and Sunday May 26 was the date

set for the grand opening, with a parade in the afternoon. The late Ronnie Drew of ‘Dubliners’ fame would be a special guest as would the late Mick Lalley ‘Miley’ from Glenroe, who was was lined up to present the prizes on the sports day.

Amongst those who helped bring the project to fruition were Liam O’ Neil, Pat Carey, Brendan Cosgrave, Pat Hempenstall, Paddy Lee, Eddie Farrell, Seamus Gregory, Caroline Whelan, Festival Princess for the past year, Eamonn Burke, and the AnCo men who did a lot of the work on the building.

The new building would “stand as a tribute to what can be achieved by a small but hard working community when they set out to achieve something.”

Stan J. O’ Reilly.

When Bray Unknowns battled Bray Wanderers

Bray Wanderers have been flying the flag for County Wicklow in the League of Ireland since 1985 but have a much longer history in Irish soccer.

Wanderers were formed in 1922 but local rivals Bray Unknowns were a superior team at this time, playing in the League of Ireland between 1924 and the mid-1940’s. After winning

ˆ

Residents of Bray on the Fairgreen down the Dargle circa 1955 - if you recognise any faces, email their names to wicklowvoice@gmail.com (courtesy of Tom Byrne). Above right, Mick Lally the FAI Junior Cup in 1950/51 and 1953/54 when they were playing in the Athletic Union League, Bray Wanderers moved up to intermediate football and joined the Leinster Senior League, twice winning the FAI Intermediate Cup (in 1955/56 and 1957/58, beating Drogheda United and Ierne]).

Around this time, two of Wanderers’ greatest ever players,

Andy McEvoy and Alan ‘The Cat’ Kelly were starring for the club. Both players were born in Bray and went on to be full Ireland international players and moved to English clubs.

McEvoy moved first, signing for Blackburn Rovers in 1956.

In the 1963-64 season he finished top-scorer in the old English First Division with 32 goals, and followed this up by fishing

news in brief Phil Hogan to attend dinner

Bray and District Chamber’s Presidents Dinner will take place on Friday, November 15 in the Esplanade Hotel, Bray.

“I am looking forward to the evening which is not only a social event but a great networking opportunity,”

the 1964-65 season as joint topscorer on 29 goals. Goalkeeper Alan Kelly also left Bray Wanderers in 1956 but spent two years with Drumcondra before joining Preston North End. He went on to play 513 times for Preston over a 15-year period, including an appearance in the 1964 FA Cup final which Preston lost to West Ham United.

Bray Wanderers went into says Rory Benville, Bray and District Chamber President.

This year’s guest speaker is Fine Gael’s Phil Hogan, Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.

Tickets are priced at €50.00 per person and are are available from the Chamber Office, 10 Prince of Wales Terrace or contact Stephanie or Kathy by phone: (01) 2828248 or email: info@ braychamber.ie.

decline in the 1960’s and by the early 70’s they were out of existence and Bray Unknowns were representing the town.

The current incarnation of Bray Wanderers dates from 1973 as an intermediate team, competing in the Leinster Senior League until 1985 and winning the Metropolitan Cup in 1976.

The Carlisle Grounds itself has a long history as a sporting venue, having opened in 1862.

In 1995 it was used to film the Croke Park scenes for the Neil Jordan Michael Collins film.

Brian Quigley.

Calling all historians!

If you like to contribute to this column, please email wicklowvoice@gmail.com and put Down The Decades in the subject line.

National awards for Garden County

Wicklow have two nominations for the annual Cornmarket National Cumann na mBunscol awards.

Allianz Cumann na mBunscol, Cill Mhantáin has been nominated in the Public Relations category and Kilcoole Primary School has been nominated in the School of the Year category. This is a countrywide competition and it is a huge honour to receive a nomination. The Cornmarket Awards Banquet will take place in Croke Park on November 16th. We wish all involved the very best of luck!

Educate Together school craft fair

Please join Greystones Educate Together National School on Sunday November 17th, for their annual Craft Fair. After the massive success of last year’s inaugural fair, this is sure to be an even more fabulous community event.

Vendors including local artists, artisans and craft people will make their way to Greystones with their wonderful handmade products. The location in the new primary school, located in Blacklion, Greystones (opposite Lidl) will offer free entry and a buggy park.

November 2013 wicklowvoice.ie

NEWS |9

(sort of )

Wicklow wins All-Ireland

ˆ

Special branch investigation finds Powerscourt tree is tallest in country It may have taken over 100 years but it appears that Wicklow has finally won an AllIreland … sort of.

A Douglas Fir along the Powerscourt River Walk in County Wicklow has been officially recognised as the tallest tree in Ireland since records began by leading tree expert, Aubrey Fennell, and is one of the tallest in Europe.

The tree stands at 61.5 metres, or 202 ft, towering above wellknown landmarks including Dublin’s Liberty Hall (59.5 metres), the Leaning Tower of Pisa (56m) and Niagara Falls (51m).

“It’s the first time any tree in Ireland has come near that height since the ice age,” Mr Fennell said.

“It’s in a sheltered place surrounded by the Wicklow mountains and neighbouring trees, which is why you find the tallest trees in Wicklow and places like Killarney.”

The Douglas Fir is an evergreen coniferous tree, named after the Scottish botanist David Douglas, who first introduced it to Europe from North America in 1827.

The Douglas Fir at

Brian and Saoirse Carroll outside the Steak Shop on Trafalgar Road, Greystones Powerscourt is the first tree to surpass 60m in Ireland and is the seventh-highest tree in Europe.

It has been an Irish champion for over 20 years, overtaking

other trees in Ireland including a Sitka spruce in Shelton Abbey and Curraghmore.

The seventh Viscount Powerscourt went on a spree in the 1860’s and 1870’s, plant-

ing an abundance of trees at Powerscourt including sequoia, Sitka spruce, Monterey cypress and Corsican pine that all now reach heights of 40 to 50m.

Located along Powerscourt

River Walk, the tree is open to the public through annual membership of Powerscourt, and to guests staying at the Powerscourt Hotel.

They are very privileged to access glorious woodland trails and Ireland’s own ‘Avenue of Giants’ that rivals all other contenders in Europe.

The champion tree at Powerscourt is included in Aubrey Fennell’s newly published book ‘Heritage Trees of Ireland’ available now from Collins Press.

The book is the result of 15 years of searching, recording, photographing and measuring over 10,000 trees for the Tree Register of Ireland.

The tallest tree in Europe is in Portugal and stands at a whopping 72 metres, while the highest tree in the world is a coast redwood in California at 115m, just five metres short of Dublin’s Spire at 120m.

Just 1% of Ireland’s native woodland remains, the smallest of any European country, after extensive deforestation in the 1500s by the Tudors who built ships and homes from the country’s forests.

news in brief Classics by Candlelight BACK by popular demand, Classics by Candlelight returns for its fourth year on Sunday, December 1 at Christ Church in Bray.

The musicians will include Francis and Sheelagh Harte, and David and Elaine Clark.

All are present or past members of the RTE National Symphony Orchestra and RTE Concert Orchestra.

Tickets are priced at €10 and all proceeds will go towards Chirst Church Bray organ Restoration Fund.

Tickets will be available from the end of October at the back of the church after services or by calling the Parish Office Tel 01 286 2968 or from The Travel Boutique, 2 Killarney Villas, Main Street, Bray, Co Wicklow Tel 01 2768114.

Don’t miss out!

Are you staging an event?

If you are organising an event in Co Wicklow, we want to hear from you!

Please send all information to wicklowvoice@gmail.com and we will be delighted to help get your event out there.

10 | OPINION

opinion&comment Emigration is not a lifestyle choice

C

an there be a greater barometer to the failure of policies of recent Governments than the spectre of renewed mass emigration?

Forced emigration sees sons and daughters, nephews and nieces, grandsons and granddaughters and even parents leaving their home to seek work abroad.

In the 26 Counties, there are now more than 460,000 people out of work and the unemployment rate has reached 14.8%. In Wicklow there are 12,164 people currently unemployed. The collapse of the building industry has left more than 100,000 construction workers jobless.

Youth unemployment has trebled since 2008.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions recently stated that one in three men under the age of 25 are unable to find work, in budget 2014 we see those very young people targeted with plans to reduce their social welfare to €100. This action will mean emigration is the only real alternative open to the 64,700 under-25s.

Unfortunately as shocking as these figures are, they don’t reflect the true picture of unemployment. Forced emigration has become accepted as part of what it means to be Irish.

For too long, emigration has been dismissed as a necessary evil; a stop-gap solution to our unemployment problem. It reduced dole queues, removed the disaffected, and quelled the potential for public unrest.

Over 87,100 people left this state last year, an increase of 6,500 over the previous year.

To put that in perspective, that’s more than the combined population of Bray, Greystones, Wicklow Town and Arklow. That breaks down at a daily average of 238, or one person every 303 seconds, which is just over five minutes.

More people left the state, than sat the leaving cert last year. A generation is being lost to emigration as our skilled young people are forced to leave the country. Despite 87,000 people leaving last year, unemployment only fell by 23,000, a 1% decrease in the unemployment rate.

An entire generation of young people have been driven overseas in scenes reminiscent of the 1950s and 1980s. In County Leitrim, half of those between the ages of 22 and 26 have left. Here in Wicklow unfortunately we are no different to Counties such as Leitrim. Behind the statistics there are communities and families that are torn apart. Once again people from every town and village and from almost every family, are being forced into involuntary exile.

My family is no different to the thousands of other families that have been torn apart; I have lost two brothers to emigration, one to Australia and the other to South East Asia.

The ‘brain drain’ sucked the marrow out of Ireland’s social and economic development in the last recession and we are again seeing history repeat itself with some of our brightest and best making what Finance Minister Michael Noonan disgracefully called a “lifestyle choice” and leave their friends and families behind in the hope of a brighter future on foreign shores. There is a wealth of knowledge and

skills that should be Ireland’s and Wicklow’s, but is, instead, distributed around the world.

The impact emigration is having on families and communities is devastating. Once again GAA clubs and sporting organisations up and down Wicklow are being stripped of their very lifeblood as younger members leave by boat and plane in search of work and hope and a future. In one small Wicklow village, Kilmacanogue 15 young men under the age of 30 have recently packed up and gone, this is an entire GAA team and these have been joined by two entire families who have sold up everything and left the village and county they loved, unfortunately probably never to return.

The overall point is that we are losing a significant slice of the present generation of young people. What is perfectly clear is that we need a change of direction. It may be too late for some but with a real economic alternative we can give our young people a life, a career and a sense of place in a modern Ireland.

We have tried the alternative and South East Asia, Toronto and Melbourne are reaping the benefits. As a parent of a young family I fear what the future holds for my children, I am a proud Irishman like many others who have had their families ripped apart but unless there is a change of direction I will find it very difficult to stop my children moving Down Under to find employment and a better life, and who knows they might even get to meet their dear cousin they have never had the joy of meeting.

John Brady is a member of Sinn Fein and sits on Bray Town Council and Wicklow County Council.

The ‘brain drain’ sucked the marrow out of Ireland’s social and economic development in the last recession and we are again seeing history repeat itself

with John Brady

“I

More often than not, it is a lifestyle choice. But commentators seem to believe that emigration is as harrowing now as in the days of the Dunbrody

with Michael Wolsey

Why one man’s emigration is another’s commute

have a daughter in England and another in Australia. I have a brother-in-law in San Diego and cousins in Toronto, New Jersey, West Virginia and Melbourne.

I’ve lost track of the places my nephews and nieces call home but I know they include Catalonia, Ibiza, Prague and several cities in the USA. I don’t think this is unusual. Irish families have always scattered around the globe.

None of my relatives was forced to leave Ireland. They left to improve their careers or their quality of life and to see a bit of the world.

Some of them will return and others will make their present home permanent. Some will move on again.

I don’t think there’s anything unusual about that either. It’s what the Irish have always done. Indeed, it’s what adventurous, enterprising people all over the world have always done and continue to do. I did it myself in my early twenties.

I didn’t go far, just the short flit to London. Nobody forced me to go.

I had a good job here but thought I might get a better one there. Anyway, I wanted to know what life was like in one of the world’s biggest cities.

I never regarded my move as emigration. Emigration was something from the Famine or the Depression. It was coffin ships, American wakes, cardboard suitcases and kids with holes in their shoes and no education going off to work as navvies or domestic drudges.

Emigration was sending money home to bring out a brother or sister, knowing you’d probably never get back yourself.

It wasn’t like that in the early 1970s. I could get home from London for the price of a day’s pay. Today, if you catch the right budget airline deal, you can be home for the price of a pint. A day’s pay will take you to New York. Yet we still persist in treating emigration as though the emigrants were thirdclass sailboat passengers on their way to Ellis Island.

Today’s emigrants are, by and large, well-educated and wellequipped for life abroad.

A very comprehensive survey, conducted by UCC, has revealed that only 23 per cent of recent emigrants were unemployed when they left Ireland. Forty per cent said they were leaving because they wanted to travel and experience a different culture. These were not huddled masses; they

were young people making a lifestyle choice. The biggest problem their departure caused the country was the ‘brain drain’, the lost of talent developed at a high price in our schools and universities.

But that’s the modern way. We export some of our brightest and best and import the brightest and best from Asia, Africa and eastern Europe. It’s a small world but a very interesting one in which travel is cheap and easy and restrictions on working abroad are few.

When I was a kid, people from this part of the country required a work permit to take up a job in Belfast. Today you can take employment in any of the 27 other EU countries without hindrance. Yet we continue to view emigration in terms which applied before any of this social change and to define it by national boundaries.

My daughter in Liverpool can get home quicker than if she lived in, say, Dingle, or Derry. My brother-in-law in San Diego moved there from New York, a distance of nearly 4,000 kilometres. Yet her journey is perceived as emigration, his is not.

When he moved from Ireland to New York that was called emigration. But the distance was only 500 miles more than his second trek.

And both moves were made for exactly the same reasons – he fancied seeing somewhere else and thought he might be better off there. That’s why most people chose to leave and, obviously, in times of economic depression more take that option.

But it is an option and, more often than not, a lifestyle choice. When the UCC survey made that simple point it was greeted with scepticism from commentators who seem to believe that emigration is as harrowing now as in the days of the Dunbrody. I fear some commentators have wallowed so much in gloom that they’ve grown to like it. They look at young adventurers heading off for new challenges and see only economic migrants shuffling to the docks.

If anything is driving young people from the country it is this miserable attitude of permanent pessimism. Not economic depression – just plain depression, full stop.

Michael Wolsey is a former deputy editor of the Irish Independent, features editor of the Irish Press and managing director of the Drogheda Independent group.

Michael sits on the judging panel for the National Newspaper of Ireland Journalism Awards.

OPINION | 11

November 2013 wicklowvoice.ie

focus on faces

This month we speak to Deborah Coughlan, who is the Area Manager for National Learning Network in Wicklow

The Network to get work

How are things?

Really good. Really busy.

What exactly it is you do?

I’m the Area Manager for National Learning Network in Wicklow.

For others they may have had to leave school early for some reason. In all cases, returning to mainstream education with big classes, short courses and high pressure just isn’t an option or getting a job without extra support isn’t possible.

Who are National Learning Network?

So what makes your training different?

What sort of people do you help?

What kind of courses?

We are a specialist training company, preparing people to get back to work or to go on to further education. We are funded by the HSE and FAS/ SOLAS.

Our students come from all walks of life, social background and age. Our youngest learner is just 16 and our oldest is 63!

What they all share in common is that they need extra support with their education, or getting back to work because of some setback they may have had.

What kind of setbacks?

Well, it may have been a mental health setback, perhaps a breakdown, severe anxiety or depression. For some it may be an illness or a disability that forced them to leave their job.

NLN works on a one-to-one basis and we have much smaller classes. We have a psychologist on the team and we work on building confidence as well as getting qualifications.

They range from personal development type courses to full FETAC Major Award courses in IT.

And where are you based?

Briggs Lane, in Arklow, where we have 30 students and two different training courses. In Bray we have five courses and 65 students and we can be found at Beechwood Close, off Boghall Road.

So how does your average day unfold?

I usually open up the Bray

centre at about 8.30 am, as I live in the town. After that every day is different. There’s always admin work to do, especially when you are State funded but the good side of that is that all our courses are free so I’m not complaining. Each week I try to get out to meet agencies that are involved in getting people back to health and work, so if our training courses can help their customers or patients, then I will work with them to make that happen. This week I’ll be meeting a new staff member in Lincara, in Bray, which is part of the mental health service.

I’ll be in Arklow on Wednesday to look at running a new short course there after Christmas and on Friday I’ll be putting on my guna nua for the Bray Chamber annual event. Employers in Wicklow are very important to us as most of our courses include work placements which help build up CVs.

some great successes. Earlier this year three of our students were accepted onto Access courses for Trinity College and UCD, that was a great day for us. When I see one of our students leave to a job, which happens a lot despite the economic climate, or go on to further education, then it’s the best job in the world.

It must be a very demanding job.

Have you always worked at NLN?

It can be at times, but it is also hugely rewarding.

“Employers in Wicklow are very important to us as most of our courses include work placements”

I can’t name individuals, obviously, but we have had

No, only since 2006. My brother describes me as a wide achiever rather than a high achiever! After school I qualified as a nurse, then I worked with AIB for ten years

in the late1980’s. Back then you would be writing down the lecture notes from a board or projector, and that was what you studied for the exams. Now the procurement of textbooks at third level doesn’t even have to involve a trip to a specialist shop like Fred Hannas. Instead they can be downloaded to a Kindle device. This is all good as far as I’m concerned.

Attending a lecture to hear the topic discussed and presented, safe in the knowledge that you will be getting the notes sent to your e-mail, allows for complete attention to be focused on the content of the lecture, and a subsequent perusal of the notes adds to what you have learnt.

So should this apply to children from the time they start school? Would we be losing

an unquantifiable part of the educational development of younger children if we followed this path? Do younger children need to master the art of writing as part of their confidence building and also to compliment the absorbing of information through their other senses? If there was no writing possibly the school experience would lose something? One of my daughters won a primary school hand-writing competition this year and it was a great confidence boost for her. It reminded me of Brother Maurice who, when I was in Presentation College Bray’s junior school in the late 1970’s, did an enormous amount to raise and maintain a high standard of handwriting through his annual competitions; they were quite

Give us an example.

before moving to what is now KBC Bank for 11 years. Then I worked with a Belfast training company for four years before moving to National Learning Network.It was the best career move I ever made. I’m very happy here.

How do you relax?

Every Saturday morning, at the crack of dawn, you will find me up the Wicklow mountains. I love hill-walking, it’s so beautiful and peaceful up there. That helps put whatever I might be worrying about in perspective. Last month I walked the first five days of the Camino de Santiago de

Compostela from France to Spain. I hope to keep going back for a week each year until I finish it - in 2018!

What are your hopes for the future?

That I could offer more courses to more people. Sometimes we have little control over the illnesses or accidents that happen to us and radically change the lives we lead. But everyone deserves a second chance.

To find out more go to www. nln.ie or phone 01 2829643 (Bray) or 0402 31370 (Arklow).

The writing’s on the wall for ... writing

W

riting may not be with us for m u c h l o n g e r.

T h e r e ’s a debate going on in France at the moment about whether they should bother teaching pupils to write anymore.

The debate centers on whether formal writing tuition for younger children should be abolished in favor of honing their touch-typing skills from school-starting age. I can see where this is coming from.

Children have laptops, mobile phones and other forms of technology from a young age nowadays. If they can master a keyboard from the time they

Brian Quigley are of school-going age, what’s the point in actually needing to write?!

I lecture part time in the Dublin Institute of Technology and all my lecture notes get emailed to my class. I send them out the week after the lecture to ensure attendance, but this is a very different environment to when I attended university

prestigious prizes to win!

They don’t write ... lyrics

God Is An Astronaut don’t write ... lyrics that is. They don’t need to given that they are predominantly an instrumental band. They are also one of Wicklow’s best-kept secrets.

In the genre of post-rock music they are one of the biggest bands in the world. Post-rock combines elements of spacerock [think Hawkwind], Krautrock [think Kraftwerk or Tangerine Dream] and heavy-metal and many bands who are active in this genre eschew lyrics and concentrate fully on the music tapestry. GIIA were formed in Glen of the Downs in County Wicklow in 2002 by twin brothers Niels and Torsten Kinsella

and are still based in the county.

They have released six albums to date since 2002’s debut offering ‘’The End of the Beginning’’ [the latest, ‘’Origins’’ has just come out]. Their current line-up - which has just returned from a European Tour that took in Switzerland, Russia, Portugal, Luxembourg, Italy, France, England, Germany and Holland – comprises long-time drummer Llyod Hanney, Jamie Dean and Gazz Carr alongside the Kinsellas. They have also successfully toured the US twice since 2008.

They sold out Vicar Street last year for a 10th anniversary concert and live they are fantastic, sometimes embellishing their songs with video backdrops to enhance the music and create a full audio-visual experience.

Check them out!

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wicklowvoice.ie November 2013

Activity of the month YARN - Bray’s Festival of Story and Song

Saturday 10 - Sunday 18, November 2012 Mermaid Arts Centre

Yarn is Bray’s story and song. It takes place over two weeks in November and is a celebration of story and song in their various forms including: theatre, opera, storytelling, and children’s events. From the story

of Caruso to the Spanish Armada the festival provides a distinctive view on a range of historical events. For the duration of the festival events take place in bars, cafes, and libraries across Bray. This year there’s a magnificent selection of storytellers and plenty of opportunity to enjoy this most ancient of art forms in an array of cosy and quirky venues around Bray.

EVENT of the month Wicklow Tourism’s Information Point Road Show County-wide between November 6 and and 18 Wicklow County Tourism will be travelling around the county over the next two months to bring its Tourism Information Point system to the public and the tourism trade. Wicklow Tourism is inviting anyone interested to come and meet with the team at one of the following locations: Wed 6th November: Powerscourt House Enniskerry; Tue 12th November: Arklow Bay Hotel; Tues 19th November: Brockagh Centre – Laragh; Wed 27th November: Blessington Library; Wed 4th December: Greystones Library; Wed 11th December: Bray (venue to be confirmed); Wed 18th December: Grand Hotel – Wicklow Town.

During this road show, Wicklow Tourism will be running a competition with great “Wicklow Prizes” to be won. For further info, go to www.visitwicklow.ie or call 040420070. Left: Leanne Ryan & Martina Hill from Wicklow County Tourism

Book of the month Lie Of The Land

by PJ Cunningham Bray-resident PJ Cunningham is a former deputy Editor of the Sunday Tribune and Evening Herald and former Sports Editor of those papers and the Irish Independent.

This book, from the author of the acclaimed GAA fictional book ‘A.N. Other’, captures both the innocence and cruelty of daily life growing up on a farm. It is a series of simple, warm, insightful and often heart-

breaking stories - from portraying the wonder of rearing animals inside their own house to the ultimate sense of betrayal at their slaughter and from rows with neighbours and internal family feuding lasting lifetimes. This book focuses on a way of life now largely accessible only in the minds and hearts of those who lived and knew The Lie of the Land. Available from Dubray Books.

Further info from Ballpoint Press on 01-2962272/086 8217631 or ballpointpress1@gmail.com

TV SHOW of the month Boardwalk empire

SKY Atlantic Saturdays, 9pm

Season four picks up in 1924 and Nucky has new problems in the form of Valentin Narcisse (Jeffrey Wright) and FBI Agent Loren Knox (Brian Geraghty). Patricia Arquette joins the cast as a speakeasy owner

Chillout of the month Mindfulness Day Retreat November 10, 09:30 - 17:00, The Old Rectory Donard Living mindfully is the practice of slowing down,it is living more consciously,being fully present to ourselves,our world and our experience. We do this by paying attention moment by moment cultivating a non judgemental attitude.

A day to reflect, be still and come home to yourself, an opportunity to deepen your Mindfulness practice.

The day will consist of guided Meditation, Body Awareness exercises, to include Chi gong, Yoga & deep relaxation. Open to all levels of Meditation experience and also suitable for beginners.

Facilitated by Ann Maria Dunne who has many years experience of Meditation from various Spiritual traditions. Certified MBSR teacher with the Institute for Mindfulness-Based Approaches, Germany. A delicious vegetarian lunch is included Registration at 9.30am for a 10am start and costs €60. Please wear loose comfortable clothing and bring a Yoga mat if you have one & slippers.

named Sally Wheet. Boardwalk Empire’s fourth season may not be the show’s most exciting, but it is in many ways its best—the one in which the HBO gangster drama finally got comfortable with itself after spending 30-plus episodes swaggering like a little guy in a toobig suit.

MOVIE of the month Philomena Gaiety Cinema, Arklow Based on the 2009 investigative book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith, The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, PHILOMENA focuses on the efforts of Philomena Lee, mother to a boy conceived out of wedlock - something her Irish-Catholic community didn’t have the highest opinion of - and given

away for adoption in the United States. In following church doctrine, she was forced to sign a contract that wouldn’t allow for any sort of inquiry into the son’s whereabouts.

After starting a family years later in England and, for the most part, moving on with her life, Lee meets Sixsmith, a BBC reporter with whom she decides to discover her long-lost son.

FAMILY Fun of the month Powerscourt Waterfall

Visit Powerscourt Waterfall, the highest waterfall in Ireland at 121m (398ft.). The waterfall is set at the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains, 5km from Powerscourt House And Gardens. Be drawn in by the sound of the water and relax as you stroll around the grounds with your family and friends. There is a vast amount of space to keep children entertained. There is also a refreshment kiosk, toilets and a playground for younger children.

As you drive from the gate lodge towards the Waterfall you are surrounded by Beech, Oak, Larch and Pine trees, some of which were planted over 200 years ago.

Look out for the Giant Redwood or Sequoia trees which are native to California and were planted at Powerscourt sometime after 1860. In their native land they may grow up to 80m high and live for 4,000 years, the trees at Powerscourt are still youngsters!

FUNDRAISER of the month MOVEMBER IN AID OF WICKLOW CANCER SUPPORT Barracuda, Oct 26 A large group of staff in Sinnott Autos VW Wicklow have committed to Movember on behalf of Wicklow Cancer Support.

Wicklow Cancer Support are appealing to all local clubs and businesses in the Wicklow Area to come on board.

Sponsorship cards will be available from Wicklow Cancer or at the Sinnott Autos VW reception.

Please contact Eileen at Wicklow Cancer Support 040432696 or 0868216694 or email wicklowcancersupport@ gmail.com.

Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington last year added his name to the list of Irish sporting figures growing a soup-strainer.

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WHAT’S HOT | 13

November 2013 wicklowvoice.ie

Gig of the month Blood Red Mountain Band The Harbour Bar, Bray, November 15 , 9.30pm Moonshine for your ears...Barbrawlin’ blisterin’ hoedowns.

Honest to goodness bluegrass love songs. All constructed from the finest country sunsets, broken hearts, and lost highways hidin’ the burntout shells of journeys long forgotten... The Blood Red Mountain Band play Country Soul and Rock’n’roll. The three boys and two girls of the BRMB have graced the stage of such

venues as Vicar St, Dolan’s, Limerick; Whelan’s and The Village in Dublin on several occasions and their thrice yearly gigs at The Cobblestone are always sold out.

Their influences are The Band, Arcade Fire, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Ryan Adams and The Flaming Lips. A spectacular line up of country fiddle, rockabilly guitar and boogie-woogie piano/bass/ drums take the listener home to songs they feel they know in their bones, with harmonies to die for.

‘Pullquote here– In the Mafia, those who go against the wishes AquaBabies at the glenview hotel of the Dons can have a short life’

COURSE of the Month From November 18

AquaBabies run classes all over the country teaching babies, toddlers and parents about pool safety and water confidence. The course includes learning how to teach your child to be submerged in a safe and trusting manner with both parent and child staying in control.

Claire Mulligan from Wicklow Town, swims in the Glenview Hotel with her daughter Laoise. “Our Aquababies journey started 19 months ago, when my daughter was four months old. During her first class she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it but we haven’t looked back since!,” shes says.

Owners of AquaBabies Deirdre and Phil Casey are parents to two young children and are qualified swimming teachers with internationally recognised qualifications from the STA (Swimming teachers association) in baby and pre-school(birth-three years).

14 | LIVING

wicklowvoice.ie November 2013

my favourite things November countdown

Christmas markets are no longer just in Vienna and Cologne.

Irish crafters are harnessing the enthusiasm expressed locally and creating great festive market days closer to home. We all seem to want to support our local enterprises and no more so than at Christmas. Here are some markets you might like to visit: Bray Cancer Support Christmas Market in Little Flower Hall (beside Holy Redeemer Church) Nov 24th Wicklow Town is celebrating it’s 25th year - Grand Hotel Nov 24th €2 admission Killruddery Estate outside Bray town starts their festivities on Nov 30th - free parking Avoca Powerscourt has Santa Claus arriving on November 30th, always extremely popular it’s might be good to book in advance.

One-off Surprise

Mrs Jones

Bejewelled

Loving this black cuff bracelet from Next with bejewelled detailing, it will add a lovely pinch of green sparkle to any black dress this party season. Look for yours in Arklow’s Bridgewater Centre.

Priced at €21 .

Here comes Helen Fielding with Bridget Jones: Mad about the Boy. Bridget started out as a 30-something singleton in London in the 1990s and she’s back in contemporary London. Will we see Renee Zellweger come back to the big screen as Bridget again? Secretly I’d love to see another in the series, so fingers crossed. Dubray Books have upcoming plans to host a lunch with Helen Fielding in the Westbury on November 22nd. Book is priced at 14.99 and the Literary Lunch is €45 and includes the book. Tel: 01 6463311 or email reservation@wildetherestaurant.com

with Audrey Vance wicklowvoice@gmail.com Festive Crafts

When November comes around it’s really starts feeling like a Christmas countdown doesn’t it?

Work parties are booked, shops are filling with beautiful stock, gift planning has started and the festive ads are already on the radio. It’s a lovely month with everything to look forward to.

Surprise your wife, sister, friend or daughter with a very special gift this Christmas.

Take a look at what Braybased company Wedding Dress Ink can create especially for your loved-one, with inks on watercolour paper.

Each one-off wedding dress illustration is uniquely created to capture the signature style of each bride on her wedding day. Order early for a Santa Claus delivery. Cost €295 mounted or €350 mounted and framed. For more info see www.weddingdressink.com or telephone Audrey: 0868036914

WHAT’s HOT

Dress Up

Face It

With lots of parties and gatherings happening in the next two months, I thought this stunning black ‘Stop Staring’ dress would be super versatile. Sexy in a demure way it could look different for each event with a change of shoes and jewellery. This dress is available in the gorgeous boutique Milan & Co on Florence Street, Bray for €265 but they also stock lots of other festive dresses from €150. Keep up to date with all their in-coming stock on their website www. milan-co.com or Facebook.

Tel: 01 2865733

Get your skin party-ready so easily this month with a beautiful night mask from skincare specialists Origins.

The intense moisture mask with avocado and apricot kernel oil deeply and instantly quenches compromised moisture reserves. Simply wake up with great newlooking skin. Available from Boots online or on Bray’s Main Street for €30.50. In a hurry… then try Origin’s Drink Up 10 minute mask, I love it! has started and the festive ads are already on the radio. It’s a lovely month with everything to look forward to.

Women in Wicklow Suffering from back pain and muscle tightness from constantly drawing, I’ve been irregularly going to Joan’s garden studio in Greystones for acupuncture therapy over the last eighteen months. I particularly love the increased energy levels from getting my body re-balanced and how well I sleep afterwards. Since meeting her, I now question whether I need a doctor visit or a ‘Joan’ visit! Interview by Audrey Vance Your Name?

Joan Connolly What does your business offer?

Acupuncture, Homeopathy and Stress Management How did you come to set up your business?

Working as a very stressed social worker in London, a friend suggested I try Acupuncture. It was life changing. I was so impressed, I embarked on a three-year course in Chinese medicine in London and then travelled to China for further studies.

After that I established one of the first Acupuncture practices in the NHS.

Plans for the future?

To continue to work in this area for the rest of my life.

Promoting health and well being awareness and to encourage everyone to really value their health.

Must have beauty product?

Bert Bee’s Carrot’s Nutritive Day Creme Most inspiring read?

“On being Human” Daisaku Ikeda Go-to fashion label for workwear?

Banana Republic and Zara How long are you in business?

by

Eighteen years, the last eight years in Greystones.

What has been the toughest moment in your journey so far?

When one of my patients who had successfully conceived through IVF lost her baby at 37 weeks.

This was a time when I realised the importance of promoting a much more integrated form of Medicine so that patients can benefit from both conventional and complimentary treatments as it is in China and the UK. How do you wish customers to contact you?

Website joanconnolly.com or 0876711164

PARENTING | 15

November 2013 wicklowvoice.ie

FOOD FOR THOUGHT and FUSSY EATERS fro battles. To make it easier, emphasise that attention is awarded for engaging nicely with mealtimes by continuing other conversations or praising a sibling for positive behaviour.

You could repeat a sentence in your head to help you relax (e.g. “I know he’ll eat when he’s hungry – this meal isn’t the end of the world”).

Children

Give small portions: Finishing allows them experience the achievement of completing the meal. They can always ask for more! Remember your child’s tummy is roughly the size of their fist.

Dr Katherine O’Hanlon Many children will be fussy eaters at some point.

Food fads, refusing food and reluctance to try new foods are all very common in early childhood.

They are a developmentally appropriate part of a child wanting to increase their independence and learning to say “No”, and given minimal attention these situations often resolve themselves. However, as food is closely linked to the giving of care and love, it’s unsurprising that children’s eating difficulties can become very emotional for parents.

It can be upsetting if your child rejects food you have carefully prepared, or anxiety provoking if it seems like they

Lewis Jones (6), Lucy Jones (7) and Daisy Jones (2) have some fun in Jungle Mania, Kilcoole aren’t eating enough.

Parental concern can lead to using strategies which seem helpful but actually make problems worse (e.g. bribery, punishment, pressure).

Additionally, children who are developing “normally” won’t do as they are told at least one third of the time, including mealtimes. So, if mealtimes are sometimes a struggle, you’re definitely not alone. Trying these ideas might help reduce mealtime meltdowns - yours and your child’s!

Praise your child: Giving attention to a behaviour is a way of encouraging children to do it more. Choose one or two behaviours at a time that you particularly want to encourage - this makes it more likely you’ll be able to praise them consistently, which is key.

When telling them what they’ve done that you’re happy with, be specific and praise immediately you see a desired behaviour being attempted (praise efforts, not just successes). Show enthusiasm - praise is more

effective when combined with smiles or a hug. Avoid combining praise with putdowns (e.g. “you did a great job eating dinner – why can’t you do that every time?”).

Don’t battle over food: Your responsibility is to provide a range of nutritious food, your child’s is to eat it!

Although ignoring irritating or provocative behaviours is difficult, it’s really worth trying.

It can also give everyone a break from exhausting to-and-

Keep trying! Allow your child learn whether they like a new food or not - this can take at least 10 -12 tastes. If they still won’t eat it after this time, leave it for now. Pair new foods with known favourites to encourage tasting.

Use Sticker Charts: Focus on one behaviour at a time. Let your child know what they need to do to earn stickers (eg eat some of two vegetables) and how many stickers are required to earn a small non-food reward.

Have short mealtimes and

limit snacks: This makes it easier to praise and teaches children they really do need to eat within that time. End mealtimes after 20-30 minutes no matter what has been eaten.

Eat together, at the table: This is more sociable and means less focus on the child. They also have the chance to see you eating well. Switch off TVs, computers etc. It’s hard to focus on eating if more tempting things are happening nearby!

Make food fun! Involving children in preparing meals gets them used to seeing and handling different foods.

Small children can help add ingredients or mix something.

Encourage playing with food, the messier the better!

Good luck and Bon Appetit!

Dr Katherine O’Hanlon is a clinical psychologist at the Novara Centre in Bray and lives in Co Wicklow.

Katherine offers child and adolescent psychology and parenting support sessions on an individual and group basis. www.katherineohanlon. com

16 | FOOD & WINE wicklowvoice.ie November 2013

recipe of month Pumpkin Soup

Peter Byrne

Head Chef at Sika Restaurant in The Powerscourt Hotel Now we are into November and there’s lot of lovely pumpkins around after Halloween. The following recipe will highlight what wonderful soups can be made from fresh vegatables.

Directions

Serves: 8

Pumpkin soup: 3kg pumpkin squash 700grms onion 20grms garlic 150grms celery 250grms red pepper 120grms tomato puree 2 whole star anise 1 cinammon stick 2ltrs chicken stock 200mls cream

smooth and season with salt and pepper.

Sage cream: 100 grams crème fraiche 1 lemon 5 sage leaves Salt and pepper Chop the sage leaves and mix with the crème fraiche. Add the juice of half the lemon and season. Bring the soup up to a boil and pour into a bowl.

Spoon some of the crème fraiche on top of the soup and enjoy.

Cook the onions, garlic, celery with the star anise and cinnamon in a knob of butter untill the vegetables are soft.

Add the pepper and tomato puree and cook out for 1 minute.add the pumpkin and chicken stock and cook untill soft. Blitz in a blender till

Spiced pumpkin soup served with a sage cream

Peter Byrne is Chef de Cuisine at Sika (fomerly Gordon Ramsay) at the Powerscourt Hotel, Enniskerry. Previously, he worked in Chapter One, The Morrison Hotel, Roly @ The Pavilion and the Killiney Court Hotel.

wine choice Made by one of the greatest winemakers in Spain this fruity, silky smooth Spanish is one of our most popular reds. The main reason is that the quality for price is extremely high; it is a very polished wine for this kind of money.

The 2009 vintage was ranked No.2 in the Top 100 Best Buys in the World by the influential Wine Enthusiast magazine.

Available from O’Briens for €8.99 on sale.

love me tender restaurant review

There was a time not so long ago when there were very few decent restaurants in Wicklow, now it seems to be awash with them.

Back then, there was The Tree of Idleness (long gone) on Bray’s Seafront and Greystones’ Hungry Monk (still going strong, thankfully), to name but two … but after that it was slim pickings.

The proximity to Dublin and its environs meant that the Garden County was permanently battling with the bright lights of the Capital.

I have to admit I was guilty of venturing north many-a-time and loved nothing more than taking the short trip up to PD’s Woodhouse in Dalkey.

So it was with great delight that I heard that James and David from PD’s had opened the originally titled (!) JD’s Woodhouse, just off Bray’s Main Street.

JDs specialises in oakwood barbeque to give the food a fantastic wood-flamed taste.

While it’s a meat lovers paradise, there’s a great selection of vegetarian dishes too. Priced at €19.50 for two courses and €23.50 for three, it’s great value

James Butterly and Clodagh Moriarty of JD’s Woodhouse for anyone looking for a good night out without breaking the bank.

Settling on ribs and halloumi cheese, our starters arrived promptly along with a bottle of Marques De Riscal Roble.

Her indoors opted for the Surf’n’Turf while I went for a rib-eye steak, all of which were a delight.

Despite the vast improvement in restaurants over the last few years, it can be very difficult to

get a steak cooked to my liking – when I say medium rare, I mean it! Most of the time you get an overcooked slab of leather but this time it was perfectly cooked and full of flavour.

The same went for boss’s Surf’n’Turf – lovely juicy prawns and melt in the mouth tender steak.

JD’s Woodhouse, The Village Gate Arcade, Bray, Tel: 01 202 2001.

OUTDOOR LIFE | 17

November 2013 wicklowvoice.ie

the Work doesn’t stop in winter closed and puncture a few holes in the bag to let air circulate.

If you leave this in an area out of sight ‘till this time next year and you will have made yourself some perfect leaf mould compost for your garden with next to no effort. Do not put in leaves of ever green plants though as they will not break down quick enough

Gardening

with John Adamson Brrrr......As the first winter frosts nip at the air, there are still a few jobs to be completed before putting the garden to rest for a bit.

Only collect leaves where entirely necessary. Do not leave them too long on the lawns or they will eventually damage or even kill the grass underneath. Where they have fallen in the flower beds and have not drifted too deeply, it is best to leave the earthworms to pull them into their burrows and to rot on the surface. Why not let mother nature do some of the work for you.

You could also put all the fallen leaves into a black sack and add some water to make the leaves wet. Then tie the top

If some of the smaller and tender plants have a large number of decaying or fallen leaves on then I would recommend that you remove them so that the air can circulate around the plant. Also make sure you keep your paths swept if there are large numbers of fallen leaves on it as they can get very slippery and slimy in wet conditions.

If you have some perennials that have now become skeletons due to the fact that the leaves have now died off for the winter I would leave them be until February before pruning them. The reason I say this is that when the frosts catch hold of the plant it adds a new interest in what would otherwise be a dead plant. Also it leaves you with one less job to do this month in the garden.

For those of you that are possibly growing exotic plants

Local surfer Paul Fennell makes the most of the recent high waves in Arklow (Pic: Yvette O Beirne) outside, guard the “hardy” bananas and tree ferns from frosts by wrapping their trunks and crowns in straw or bubblewrap and hessian.

If your Roses are in a windy area you can cut them now by a third to prevent wind rock at the roots of the plant. Also I would mulch the base of the roses with some well rotted manure to protect the roots from the frosts and to help keep them roots a little warmer.

Gather and dispose of all fallen rose leaves, particularly those that are diseased and infected

Tension mounts as car of the year list narrows

Gerry Murphy, Chairman of the IMWA and Tom Dennigan of Continental Tyres announce the final shortlist of contenders for the 2014 Continential IMWA Irish Car Of The Year

motors The shortlist of models for the Continental Irish Car of the Year 2014 has been announced by the Irish Motoring Writers Association (IMWA).

Sponsored by Continental Tyres Ireland, the overall winner of the 2014 title will be announced at an awards ceremony in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry, on Thursday 21st November.

The shortlisted models are as follows (in alphabetical order): BMW 4 Series; Citroen C4 Picasso; Dacia Sandero; Ford

Fiesta ST; Kia Carens; Mazda6; Nissan Juke Nismo; Peugeot 2008; Peugeot 208 GTi; Range Rover; Renault Clio; Skoda Octavia; Toyota Auris; Toyota Corolla; Volkswagen Golf; Volkswagen Golf GTI. From 51 eligible cars, selection of the shortlisted vehicles is based on votes from the 28 voting members of the IMWA, taking into account such factors as value for money, style, engineering and performance.

Tom Dennigan of sponsor Continental Tyres Ireland said: “As a snapshot of the range of excellent cars available to Irish

motorists, this year’s shortlist for the title has it all, from interesting and exciting new concepts to revisions of familiar old favourites”.

Gerry Murphy, Chairman of the IMWA, said: “What an excellent range of cars in this year’s shortlist – the most exciting for a number of years – they really show how, in latter years, the car manufacturers have developed a range of totally new car segments – it won’t be an easy task to choose a winner from this great line up”. The winner of last year’s Continental Irish Car of the Year was the BMW 3 Series.

with a fungus such as Black spot. Do not put rose leaves on the compost heap – the best thing to do is to bin them or burn them.

With November’s temperatures dropping you will notice that grass growth rate slows down. So with not much mowing to do it is the ideal time to get your mower cleaned and serviced. Why not also clean, oil and sharpen your garden tools like the spade, secretors, hoes etc for safe storage over the winter months.

As long as the ground is not

to waterlogged or frozen you can still plant your shrubs, herbaceous perennials, deciduous trees roses and fruit trees.

You can also continue planting your Pansies, Wallflowers, Forget-Me-Nots and Primulas, but remember that they need to be in by early November before the ground gets too cold and wet . Also plant tulip bulbs in containers indoors or outdoors for the spring.

Something good to try is taking hardwood cuttings from this year’s growth of deciduous

shrubs such as buddleia, cornus, roses, forsythia and viburnum. You could also try climbers such as honeysuckle.

It’s worth a try and if you succeed you get plants for free.

Remove the soft tips of the cuttings and cut into sections 15-30cm in length. Create a sloping cut above a bud at the top of your cutting and cut the base straight below a bud. By cutting this way it will help you to remember which way is up when planting as you don’t want to plant your cutting upside down. Also by cutting at a slope it stops moisture retaining at the top and adding to possible rot damage. Dip the base in a good hormone rooting compound. Insert into prepared ground or pots with two thirds of the cutting below the surface, with a layer of sand in the base. Lift after a year and replant.

And it is very important to start putting out some bird food too. As the cold days draw in and the frost get closer food can become hard to come by for our winter birds.

It’s a good idea to keep a food supply out in your garden and this will encourage them to regularly visit you and you will help keep them well fed over the next few months.

18 | TECHNOLOGY/PROPERTY

The gadget guide to an easier life Technology

with Simon Chapman The Internet of Things is coming. Even now, Wifi and Bluetooth can connect us in ways we have never imagined.

I’m going to let you in on a few gadgets that make my family’s life a little easier, safer and more fun. These gadgets can be bought online right now, are not that expensive and will offer you a glimpse of the future that will be part of our children’s lives.

Let’s start with the watch on my wrist. I bought a Pebble watch for my wife and one for myself as soon as I saw them on Kickstarter over six months ago. The watch is one of the first mainstream smart watches available on the market, and has changed our relationship with our phones since we received it a month or so ago. It connects via Bluetooth with our phones and displays the time (of course), the weather, who is calling, and what is coming up on our calenders. It can answer our phone for us, change songs and adjust the volume on our phone’s music player and take a

photo with the phone’s camera, and that’s just the beginning.

Developers are constantly working on new apps for the device.www.getpebble.com Another important gadget we’ve just ordered and are waiting to receive is the Guardian from BeLuvv. This device fits in a watch band or clip which you attach to your toddler, connects with your phone over Bluetooth, and alerts you whenever the child moves out of a predefined distance. No more lost kiddies in Dundrum or at busy festivals. If your child does make it past the perimiter, the phone application will display a picture of your child to show whoever can help.

A brililant bit of tech and for only $24USD a bargain as well. http://www.beluvv.com Next week we’ll look at some free technology available on the web that will streamline how you do business, saving you time and money.

Simon Chapman is the founder of Quotefish - making your life easier by getting free quotes from local businesses the easy way - online. www.quotefish.

wicklowvoice.ie November 2013

Wicklow property tax ‘going to other counties’

Property tax collected in Wicklow will not be spent in the county but instead will be used to subsidise other local authorities around the country.

Independent TD for Wicklow and East Carlow, Stephen Donnelly, has responded by saying that the Local Property Tax is grossly unfair to the people of Wicklow, due to the county’s relatively high property prices.

“It’s worth remembering that the Government promised that 80% of Local Property Tax would be spent in the county where it’s collected,” he said.

“They have now broken this promise and announced that all the funds will go into a central fund, which will be divvied out amongst all local authorities, and spent on establishing Irish Water.

“As a result, people in Wicklow, and specifically North Wicklow, will be subsidising local authority spending in counties like Roscommon and Leitrim where house prices are

much lower. “According to the latest Daft.ie House Price Report the average price for a four-bed bungalow in Wicklow is €319,000.

“The same type of property would cost, on average, €113,000 in Leitrim. Because the Local Property Tax is calculated on price alone, Wicklow residents’ payments will go towards the cost of services in other counties this year.”

Meanwhile Sinn Féin county councillor John Brady has stated that the state’s approach to housing is not only failing but also exacerbating the crisis.

Cllr Brady was commenting on figures released by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government which provide a breakdown of the location of any houses that have been transferred by NAMA to local authorities for social housing provision.

The figures show that from the 36 housing units in NAMA

stock identified for social housing use in Wicklow, seven were deemed suitable.

However no units have been completed or contracted.

“These figures provide further evidence that the state has abandoned its responsibility to provide social and affordable housing. We are now living through the biggest housing crisis in the history of the state,” Cllr. Brady said.

“The social dividend promised time and again by NAMA has failed to materialise while thousands of families languish on housing lists. In Wicklow we now have several thousand people waiting for housing and paying exorbitant rents in the private rental sector.

Homeowners will be able to do up their home for Christmas and still get the new Budget tax break worth up to €4,000.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan fast-tracked the introduction of the homerenovation scheme, after builders and suppliers reported

jobs being cancelled as the tax break wasn't due to come in until next year.

Works that will qualify for a VAT rebate include extensions, renovations, windows, plumbing, tiling and plastering.

The Home Renovation Incentive will provide an income tax credit on the VAT paid to homeowners carrying out work on their home in the next two years.

The measure was announced in Budget 2014.

The credit will be calculated at 13.5pc on spending between €5,000 and €30,000. The maximum level of tax relief is €4,000.

The scheme will support fully tax-compliant builders as the spending and relief will have to be registered with the Revenue Commissioners.

The Department of Finance was contacted by builders, suppliers and homeowners about jobs being deferred until the New Year because of the incentive.

hothouse Glenbrook, Mountkennedy Town Centre Summary

Ask the expert with Brian Cullen

My husband and I bought a two-bedroom townhouse during the boom and are now in negative equity.

We want to move to a bigger house as we now have children - can we get a ‘negative equity’ mortgage?

Glad you asked this question as a lot more clients have been asking me this question lately.

The lenders are giving negative equity loans but on a case-by-case basis. To be able to qualify you would have to have had a very good payment history with your

current mortgage and be able to qualify for the new loan as well as the negative equity part of your current mortgage.

On the other hand, in certain circumstances, the lenders will also look at you holding on to your current property and renting it out provided that the rent will cover most if not all of the monthly mortgage repayment.

I find this is an option that people are looking at more and more at the moment as rents are going up and what most people who do this are looking at is in the future

when they are back out of negative equity selling the property. Again this is very much on a case-by-case basis and the lenders will also look at where the property to be rented is and what type of property.

I would advise the readers who are in negative equity that house prices are starting to increase in most areas and that if they are looking at selling they may not be in as much negative equity as they thought they were.

If you are interested in finding out more we have experts who will be able to answer any of your questions.

Designed and specified to the highest standards, these select one, two and three bedroom homes at Glenbrook offer the pinnacle of modern living in a most privileged and amenity rich setting. Amid the exceptional facilities of the Mountkennedy Town Centre, Dwyer Nolan, true to their vision of adding value in every detail are proud to present Glenbrook Select homes that benefit from exceptional convenience, style, energy efficiency and a dramatic setting all in an environment designed for sustainable living in superior style and ease.

Overlooking the beautifully landscaped central park and gardens in the heart of this old village in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains.

Glenbrook boasts easy access to the capital city, the cosmopolitan facilities at the Mountkennedy Town Centre and direct pedestrian access to “the garden of Irelad”, all of which makes for a very special location indeed, here the Glenbrook resident enjoys a unique selection of urban and country amenities.

Call Mitchell Douglas on (01)-202 18 77 or drop in at 69 main Street, Bray.

Mitchelldouglas@live.ie

Asking price: Last few remaining from €150,000 BER: B2/B3 Luxurious custom designed fitted kitchens Contemporary white Roca sanitary ware comprising freestanding ceramic basin with single lever pillar tap Hardwood entrance door High ceilings throughout Glenbrook Apartments Contemporary luxury fitted wardrobes to all bedrooms specially crafted for Glenbrook by Cawley’s Furniture Natural gas central heating system Insulated electrical hot water tank located in airing cupboard / hot press Generous sized balconies provide exciting large external spaces as elegant extensions of spaces for outdoor living Secure underground car parking with lift access (GA).

Secure underground car parking with lift access (GA).

PROPERTY | 19

November 2013 wicklowvoice.ie

hothouse

Summary 4 Bed detached family home C. 126 Sq M (C.1360 Sq Ft) + additional C. 13 Sq M (C.140 Sq Ft) Sun room Sunny south westerly aspect rear garden Superb location close to heart of Greystones Village Remodelled kitchen in C.2011 Douglas Fir timber sun room Solid Canadian Walnut flooring in hall, living room and dining room Excellent condition throughout Gas fired central heating with feature “Jotul” gas fired stove Many additional electrical sockets conveniently located throughout Double glazed throughout Security alarm system Garden lantern “light sensitive” sensor activated Free to air satellite dish and terrestrial digital aerial Annual service charge of €752.71 Managing agent O’Dwyer Property Management

No. 10 Woodlands, Greystones No. 10 Woodlands has been maintained and upgraded to a very high standard and boasts solid Canadian Walnut flooring, a recently remodelled hand painted kitchen and also benefits from a sunny south westerly aspect rear garden. This four-bedroom detached property and location are sure to impress given its close proximity to the centre of Greystones and all the amenities it has to offer.

The Woodlands development built in 1996

by Ballymore Homes is a very well established and highly desirable location only minutes from the Greystones Beach and Dart Station along with many amenities that include schools, shops and restaurants not to mention a very large variety of leisure activities for all the family to enjoy.

The accommodation

comprises entrance hall with solid Walnut flooring, a bay windowed living room also with solid Walnut flooring and feature “Jotul” gas fired stove and Chesney stone fireplace, a dining room, a recently remodelled open plan kitchen/breakfast room, utility room with additional cabinets and work surface and a very pleasant Douglas Fir timber sun room that enjoys lovely views of the garden. Upstairs there is a bright and spacious landing, four bedrooms all with carpeted flooring, en-suite to the master bedroom and a family bathroom.

No. 10 is further complimented with very generous gardens with the front garden providing off street parking for two cars.

Contact DNG, Bray 54 Main Street, Bray or call 01 286 7625 or mail: bray@dng. ie.

Downsizing - dilemma or delight?

Property

with Clodagh Doyle

(wicklowvoice@gmail.com) Many of us at some stage in our lives may find ourselves either thinking of or having to consider the prospect of downsizing our homes. Perhaps the children have left the nest or maybe your spouse is no longer with you and your home is just too big and costly to maintain or your mortgage is placing a strain on your finances. With some green shoots emerging on the property front, others might consider freeing up some equity by investing in something smaller.

Whatever the reason, preparing to move house can be a stressful event but moving to a smaller space can pose a far greater challenge – especially if you are not fully prepared!

The longer we spend in a home the more we tend to accumulate over the years. Most of us are guilty of hoarding too much of something, whether it is books, furniture, exercise equipment, tools, or clothes. When moving to a smaller space you will have

to greatly scale back or dispose of many of your possessions, which can be a tricky, time consuming and an emotional process.

Hard and all as it may seem you need to consider a major de-cluttering operation inside and out. You need to be practical and realistic at all times as removal and storage costs money. You need to consider the emotional strain of having to scale back and letting go. Before downsizing you need to ask yourself will you miss your old lifestyle, space and many of your possessions?

Here are some good practical steps to help you with the downsizing process: • Access your actual needs by looking at how you live your life daily and give priority to the activities and items that are already part of your actual lifestyle.

• De-cluttering every cabinet, drawer and shelf unit in your home and only put back in what you could not live without.

• Find out the measurements of your new space and floor plan as you will need to know the layout and whether your furniture will or won’t fit into your new space especially large items like your sofa and beds.

• Access your new storage space so that you will have a good idea of exactly what storage space you will be inheriting and this will give you an idea of what you will need to dispose of before moving.

• Attack your old storage

areas such as attic, closets and garage, any items you have not used for years, you don’t need them - do not hesitate and get rid of them at once!

• Sell, Donate, Recycle or Up cycle as much as possible.

Get organised, before the move be placing your storage items into proper storage boxes (clear boxes, labelled) and on moving these can simply be placed in the new allocated storage space.

Move large items first, at the beginning of the move including all furniture as this will give you a better indication of where the smaller items will go.

• Put away storage items, directly into their allocated spaces where they will be out of the way.

• Organise labelled boxed items, into their respective rooms and the unpacking can begin.

• Organise your space as your pack, making the absolute most of your cabinet, drawer storage solutions as you unpack.

Professional house doctors who provide a one-stop range of affordable home improvement services – check out how you could benefit from the Home Renovation Tax Incentive Scheme on www.revenue.ie Get in touch on 086 815953, 01 25480701 or e-mail info@placelift.ie.

20 | CLASSIFIEDS

wicklowvoice.ie November 2013

services

Buying? Selling? Contact one of our team today

e: wicklowvoice@gmail.com w: www.wicklowvoice.ie

Wicklow County Council Alphaplan Design (Tel: 0404-64123 / 086-2461269) Seeks planning permission for proposed side window to dwelling, retention of two velux windows to roof, and removal of planning condition no. 2 of originally granted permission ref. no. 00/2569 at Ballygannon, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow for B. Cullen.

The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

NOW OPEN SaturdayS 10am to 4pm Free advice from Our Interior designer

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TRAVEL| 21

November 2013 wicklowvoice.ie

CruiseControl

Travel

with Dee Evans Cruising has become hugely popular over the last few years with the introduction of awe inspiring cruise ships, wonderful itineraries and exciting destinations.

Many customers choose cruises for their fantastic value for money, gourmet food, luxurious pampering,

and friendly atmosphere in one unique location.

A cruise is an ideal option for honeymooners and those looking to celebrate a special occasions or anniversary.

Certain cruises are fabulous for family holidays too.

Pools, water parks, mini golf, rock climbing, ice skating and zip lining are all becoming common

place on cruise ships but you can still enjoy the more conventional aspects of cruising such as luxury spa’s, world class fitness centres, quiet rooms to read or enjoy a board game, the choice is endless.

There is the added bonus that all your meals are included and you can even upgrade on some cruises to ‘All Inclusive’ meaning no bills at the end

of a memorable holiday.

The luxury of visiting many exotic and varied destinations without having to pack and move is another great attraction.

Nightly shows and numerous acts, casinos and cinema make choosing your nightly entertainment an easy task.

From the Indian Ocean to the South Pacific – you really can cruise the world

now. There are hundreds of cruise itineraries to choose from but the most popular cruises on the Irish market are the Mediterranean and Caribbean cruises.

Durations are not restricted to just seven nights, so if you are tight for time there are some five-night cruises available where you can always add a night or two pre or post cruise. You can also choose a ‘Stay and

en a + Chick z iz P m iu ks Any Med ) + 2 Drin m iu d e m ( Dippers

Wicklow 0404-20599 | Arklow 040 241400 | Greystones 01 2878000

Cruise’ option and enjoy a land holiday before taking off on your cruise. The options are endless.

As well as being on a few ship visits I was also lucky enough to go on a cruise myself and you can check out my cruise journal on www.travelcounsellors.ie/ dee.evans Dee Evans is a Wicklownative and lives in Kilcoole.

22 | EXERCISE

wicklowvoice.ie November 2013

no time like the present Training

with Eamonn Tilley Are we getting a bit over weight as an Irish nation??

In these changing times of gaming consoles, high carb diets, take aways, and lack of exercise have we forgotten to look after our bodies?

Over the last couple of years coaching I have seen a change in attitude towards how young kids, and even some adults, eating and exercise habits have changed.

The family meal doesn’t consist of sitting down together at 6-7pm eating a well-balanced diet together. How easy is it to lift up the phone and dial for a meal?

How many of us eat on the hoof? Do we actually think about what we are doing to our body? How much exercise do we actually do?

With the down turn in the economy I have seen an increase in feet on the pavement and people taking out their bikes.

However we should try, if

Participants take the plunge during Hell and Back ‘Titan’ in Killruddery House and Gardens.

Billed as Ireland’s toughest mental and physical endurance, the event attracted over 3700 entrants. (Pic: Tony Kinlan) possible, to look for ways to improve this, and make sure our temple is well oiled, fit and healthy.

We don’t want to look in the minor in five-to-10 years’ time and say maybe I could have changed my habits sooner.

Some simple tips.

• Set some short goals for getting fit NOW. Don’t wait for the New Year resolution.

• Train with a friend or a group of friends, if possible, as it can be difficult at times to motivate yourself but not always as easy

to let the friends down.

• KISS, keep it simple stupid.

Start off with a five-minute walk around the block. Yes, 30 minutes would be better, however, don’t put pressure on yourself as five minutes is better than no minutes. This could be a simple task like taking the dog out for a walk and why not bring the family along?

• Focus on your core, this will reduce injury and help you look great. Remember talk to an experienced coach before attempting these exercises.

• You don’t need to join a gym

or club. However this could help you get motivated. In Wicklow there are a lot of running clubs like Ashford, Wicklow, Kilcoole, Bray and Rathdrum who will be happy to help you get fit and have the craic at the same time.

• When you are hungry drink some water first, this will engage the brain suppressors and prevent you from overeating.

• Eat a well balance diet.

• Eat at regular intervals through out the day, small amounts.

• Don’t wait until you feel hungry.

• Eat something small directly after training, preferably within 20 minutes. Have something to hand when you finish a session.

• Warm up and cool down properly when training, allow the body time to adjust to the activity that you are looking to complete.

• Injury prevention: get the all clear form the doctor (medical check), get a massage during your training phases, stretch properly, don’t look at the way someone else is doing it, they could be doing it the wrong way. Focus on the muscle group that you are stretching, do you feel it in the right place?

• Get the right amount of sleep - if you don’t rest and recovery properly your muscles won’t have enough time to repair themselves.

• Have fun doing the exercise and you will enjoy it more.

Let someone know that you are going training and what time you intend coming back, just to be on the safe side and remember the high vis clothing on these dark evenings.

Be seen, train safe and keep warm.

Happy Days!

Eamonn Tilley is an international runner and head triathlon coach at etsports (.ie). ET (Extreme Team) Sports is a one-stop shop for coaching, sports products and events.

news in brief Sports Capital Grants call The Minister of State for Tourism and Sport has confirmed that a call for applications under a new round of funding of the Sports Capital Programme is likely to be made before the end of the year.

In a reply to representations made by Cllr David Grant, Minister Ring stated that his Department is presently working on the details of the new programme and an announcement before the end of December is likely to be made. The Minister also advised that applications will only be accepted through a new portal on the Department’s website.

Bray Emmets GAA Club AGM

Bray Emmets GAA Club will be holding their 2013 Annual General Meeting (AGM) at 7.30pm on Friday, November 29 in the Clubhouse.

Forms for nominations and for proposing motions have been circulated to all members by email which must be returned by Friday, November 16 to the Club Secretary either by email ( s e c r e t a r y. b r a y e m m e t s . wicklow@gaa.ie) or submitted to the Club Shop on Saturday mornings between 10.30 a.m. and midday.

‘You need to learn more from your defeat’

s

john mulvey profile

Horses

with Caroline Kennedy Wicklow Showjumper John Mulvey is a well-known face on the showjumping circuit in Wicklow.

John enjoys a great reputation as a talented jumper and producer of young horses, but this did not happen overnight.

His career began as an eager 12-year-old attending lessons in a little riding school in Kilcroney with his two sisters and quickly progressed with the arrival of their first pony.

This wild little 12.2 was a rescue pony and taught John a valuable lesson, which was, how to stay on! The family moved to Rathnew and John’s love of horses continued to grow.

When he finished school he was in no doubt as to the direction he wanted to take in

life and he got a job teaching in the nearby Broomhall Riding School.

His first real introduction to showjumping came when he went to work in Broomlodge in Ashford. There was no going back now.

From there he went to ride for Paddy Murphy in Ballycanew where he was involved in the breaking and training of young horses and laid the foundations for his future career.

With years of hard work behind him John just needed that special horse to make a name for himself. This came in the form of a horse he bought from Harry Williams in Enniskerry.

Now situated in a yard in Glenwood, Rathdrum, John spotted great potential in this young horse, Ballybrew.

His instincts proved correct and they went on to win the National Discovery Class in Milstreet.

Today John is based in his own yard in Ballycullen with

partner Ann and daughters Ella and Amy and his career continues to flourish. He plays great tribute to Micheal Lawlor, Kerri Anderson, Lauren Hunt, Liefe Holloway and Amy Byrne who all play an integral part in “keeping the show on the road”.

Looking back over his career to date, some horses hold very speial memories for John.

Horses like Winter Rain a young horse with enormous potential, Iago Two, the small horse with the huge heart and Mr Melody, Johns first Grand Prix horse.

Johns recent wins in the Finals of Barnadown Autumn League show that the desire to win and the ability to get the best from his horses is showing no sign of abating.

When asked for some advice for young riders starting out John says “you need to be able to learn more from your defeats than your wins because chances are there are going to be more of them.

“If you can do that the wins are all the sweeter.”

Ellie and Wayne O’Gorman after Glenealy won the Senior hurling championship by beating Bray Emmets in Aughrim (Pic Yvette O Beirne)

Sport| 23

November 2013 wicklowvoice.ie

insideback

with Brian Quigley

The Miracle of the Midlands!

Bray Wanderers sensationally clinched their League of Ireland Premier Division survival away to Longford Town on Friday, November 1. In a 2-legged play-off that was deadlocked at 2-2 after the first-leg in the Carlisle Grounds on Monday October 28, Wanderers won the return leg 3-2 to clinch a 5-4 aggregate victory and ensure the Garden County has Premier Division football for a record 10th successive year. Scorers for Bray on the night were Gary Dempsey, Kieran ‘Marty’ Waters and Kevin O’Connor. Wanderers led 1-0, 2-1 and finally 3-2 and had to endure an agonising 6 minutes of injury time before the final whistle was the cue for celebration time amongst the large travelling support.

Wanderers had previously recovered some good form at just the right time. Back to back wins at home to Limerick and away to Bohemians saw them climb off the foot of the League of Ireland Premier Division and avoid the automatic relegation spot (Shelbourne ultimately occupied this spot). Pat Devlin’s men deserve credit for hitting form and holding their nerve at a critical point in the season. The end of season awards night on Friday, November 8 promises to be a great night!

With the season coming to

GAA FOOTBALL League fixtures announced

Bray Wanderers players and management celebrate their victory over Longford. (Pic Mick Tierney) a close for the senior side, the Bray U19’s will keep playing throughout the winter as they don’t follow a summer-soccer schedule. Their home games

are every other week at noon on a Saturday in the Carlisle and admission is free. Well worth checking out.

Why not also try to get to some

Leinster Senior League games this winter. The season is in full swing and Greystones AFC are leading the way for Wicklow in Senior Division 1. Arklow

Town are also in this division while Greystones United and Wicklow Rovers have made solid starts in Senior Division 1A and 1B respectively.

It’s November now and this summer’s GAA championships plus Rathnew’s and Glenealy’s wins in the football and hurling county finals respectively, are starting to fade into memory.

The 2014 National Football League is just around the corner and the fixtures have been announced.

Wicklow are of course back in Division 4 where they will face London, Leitrim and Waterford at home in Aughrim throughout February and March.

Harry Murphy’s men will travel to Clare, Antrim, Carlow and Tipperary for their away fixtures in what looks like being a very competitive division.

We wish them the best of luck for the campaign.

Wicklow should put its best foot forward Congratulations to everyone in the county who took part in this year’s Dublin marathon.

Hopefully it went well for you! If you were in such pain at the finish that you were saying ‘’Never again!’’ it’s probable that at a remove of a few days during which you have recovered you are already planning your next one!

Staying on the subject of running, one of the fastestgrowing sporting events worldwide is the parkrun phenomenon.

Parkrun is the name given to the collection of weekly (usually Saturday) 5km running events that take place in several countries. The runs are all on park trails, paths and tracks and aren’t full cross-country runs.

All are free and run entirely by volunteers. Runners just need to register online in advance and this gives them their unique

athlete number, which can be used at any parkrun event worldwide.

Registered runners get emailed a link from which they can download their own barcode.

This is brought to the race and exchanged for a finishing token that runners get when they cross the line. Scanning both of these allows the runner’s exact time to be uploaded to the parkrun website. Each event has its own website that is generic but specific to the particular event.

The first parkrun was in England in 2004 and currently there are parkruns staged weekly in Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Wales, England, Poland, South Africa, USA and even Afghanistan (at Camp Bastion).

There are park runs in Dublin (Malahide Castle, St Anne’s in Raheny, Marlay Park and Griffeen in Lucan), Mayo

(Westport) and Cork (Castle Demense). This number is expected to keep rising as more volunteer groups set up parkruns in their areas.

Wicklow could join in here, as there are a number of venues that could be considered. How about Glendalough for one?

Or Killruddery? Or Avondale House? At first there might appear to be a conflict between the use of a facility for a running event and its main function as a public amenity, but this has been overcome in other venues, most notably in Cardiff where similar conflict has arisen.

Parkrun volunteers ensure there is a complete clean-up of the venue after each event and the numbers participating – Malahide regularly gets upwards of 300 –ensure there is a monetary spin-off for the area as runners stay for refreshments after the run.

A ‘Hellraiser’ works his way through a water hazard during Hell and Back ‘Titan’ in Killruddery House and Gardens. Billed as Ireland’s toughest mental and physical endurance, the event attracted over 3700 entrants. (Pic: Tony Kinlan)

24|

wicklowvoice.ie Novmber 2013

10 | OPINION

opinion&comment Emigration is not a lifestyle choice

C

an there be a greater barometer to the failure of policies of recent Governments than the spectre of renewed mass emigration?

Forced emigration sees sons and daughters, nephews and nieces, grandsons and granddaughters and even parents leaving their home to seek work abroad.

In the 26 Counties, there are now more than 460,000 people out of work and the unemployment rate has reached 14.8%. In Wicklow there are 12,164 people currently unemployed. The collapse of the building industry has left more than 100,000 construction workers jobless.

Youth unemployment has trebled since 2008.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions recently stated that one in three men under the age of 25 are unable to find work, in budget 2014 we see those very young people targeted with plans to reduce their social welfare to €100. This action will mean emigration is the only real alternative open to the 64,700 under-25s.

Unfortunately as shocking as these figures are, they don’t reflect the true picture of unemployment. Forced emigration has become accepted as part of what it means to be Irish.

For too long, emigration has been dismissed as a necessary evil; a stop-gap solution to our unemployment problem. It reduced dole queues, removed the disaffected, and quelled the potential for public unrest.

Over 87,100 people left this state last year, an increase of 6,500 over the previous year.

To put that in perspective, that’s more than the combined population of Bray, Greystones, Wicklow Town and Arklow. That breaks down at a daily average of 238, or one person every 303 seconds, which is just over five minutes.

More people left the state, than sat the leaving cert last year. A generation is being lost to emigration as our skilled young people are forced to leave the country. Despite 87,000 people leaving last year, unemployment only fell by 23,000, a 1% decrease in the unemployment rate.

An entire generation of young people have been driven overseas in scenes reminiscent of the 1950s and 1980s. In County Leitrim, half of those between the ages of 22 and 26 have left. Here in Wicklow unfortunately we are no different to Counties such as Leitrim. Behind the statistics there are communities and families that are torn apart. Once again people from every town and village and from almost every family, are being forced into involuntary exile.

My family is no different to the thousands of other families that have been torn apart; I have lost two brothers to emigration, one to Australia and the other to South East Asia.

The ‘brain drain’ sucked the marrow out of Ireland’s social and economic development in the last recession and we are again seeing history repeat itself with some of our brightest and best making what Finance Minister Michael Noonan disgracefully called a “lifestyle choice” and leave their friends and families behind in the hope of a brighter future on foreign shores. There is a wealth of knowledge and

skills that should be Ireland’s and Wicklow’s, but is, instead, distributed around the world.

The impact emigration is having on families and communities is devastating. Once again GAA clubs and sporting organisations up and down Wicklow are being stripped of their very lifeblood as younger members leave by boat and plane in search of work and hope and a future. In one small Wicklow village, Kilmacanogue 15 young men under the age of 30 have recently packed up and gone, this is an entire GAA team and these have been joined by two entire families who have sold up everything and left the village and county they loved, unfortunately probably never to return.

The overall point is that we are losing a significant slice of the present generation of young people. What is perfectly clear is that we need a change of direction. It may be too late for some but with a real economic alternative we can give our young people a life, a career and a sense of place in a modern Ireland.

We have tried the alternative and South East Asia, Toronto and Melbourne are reaping the benefits. As a parent of a young family I fear what the future holds for my children, I am a proud Irishman like many others who have had their families ripped apart but unless there is a change of direction I will find it very difficult to stop my children moving Down Under to find employment and a better life, and who knows they might even get to meet their dear cousin they have never had the joy of meeting.

John Brady is a member of Sinn Fein and sits on Bray Town Council and Wicklow County Council.

The ‘brain drain’ sucked the marrow out of Ireland’s social and economic development in the last recession and we are again seeing history repeat itself

with John Brady

“I

More often than not, it is a lifestyle choice. But commentators seem to believe that emigration is as harrowing now as in the days of the Dunbrody

with Michael Wolsey

Why one man’s emigration is another’s commute

have a daughter in England and another in Australia. I have a brother-in-law in San Diego and cousins in Toronto, New Jersey, West Virginia and Melbourne.

I’ve lost track of the places my nephews and nieces call home but I know they include Catalonia, Ibiza, Prague and several cities in the USA. I don’t think this is unusual. Irish families have always scattered around the globe.

None of my relatives was forced to leave Ireland. They left to improve their careers or their quality of life and to see a bit of the world.

Some of them will return and others will make their present home permanent. Some will move on again.

I don’t think there’s anything unusual about that either. It’s what the Irish have always done. Indeed, it’s what adventurous, enterprising people all over the world have always done and continue to do. I did it myself in my early twenties.

I didn’t go far, just the short flit to London. Nobody forced me to go.

I had a good job here but thought I might get a better one there. Anyway, I wanted to know what life was like in one of the world’s biggest cities.

I never regarded my move as emigration. Emigration was something from the Famine or the Depression. It was coffin ships, American wakes, cardboard suitcases and kids with holes in their shoes and no education going off to work as navvies or domestic drudges.

Emigration was sending money home to bring out a brother or sister, knowing you’d probably never get back yourself.

It wasn’t like that in the early 1970s. I could get home from London for the price of a day’s pay. Today, if you catch the right budget airline deal, you can be home for the price of a pint. A day’s pay will take you to New York. Yet we still persist in treating emigration as though the emigrants were thirdclass sailboat passengers on their way to Ellis Island.

Today’s emigrants are, by and large, well-educated and wellequipped for life abroad.

A very comprehensive survey, conducted by UCC, has revealed that only 23 per cent of recent emigrants were unemployed when they left Ireland. Forty per cent said they were leaving because they wanted to travel and experience a different culture. These were not huddled masses; they

were young people making a lifestyle choice. The biggest problem their departure caused the country was the ‘brain drain’, the lost of talent developed at a high price in our schools and universities.

But that’s the modern way. We export some of our brightest and best and import the brightest and best from Asia, Africa and eastern Europe. It’s a small world but a very interesting one in which travel is cheap and easy and restrictions on working abroad are few.

When I was a kid, people from this part of the country required a work permit to take up a job in Belfast. Today you can take employment in any of the 27 other EU countries without hindrance. Yet we continue to view emigration in terms which applied before any of this social change and to define it by national boundaries.

My daughter in Liverpool can get home quicker than if she lived in, say, Dingle, or Derry. My brother-in-law in San Diego moved there from New York, a distance of nearly 4,000 kilometres. Yet her journey is perceived as emigration, his is not.

When he moved from Ireland to New York that was called emigration. But the distance was only 500 miles more than his second trek.

And both moves were made for exactly the same reasons – he fancied seeing somewhere else and thought he might be better off there. That’s why most people chose to leave and, obviously, in times of economic depression more take that option.

But it is an option and, more often than not, a lifestyle choice. When the UCC survey made that simple point it was greeted with scepticism from commentators who seem to believe that emigration is as harrowing now as in the days of the Dunbrody. I fear some commentators have wallowed so much in gloom that they’ve grown to like it. They look at young adventurers heading off for new challenges and see only economic migrants shuffling to the docks.

If anything is driving young people from the country it is this miserable attitude of permanent pessimism. Not economic depression – just plain depression, full stop.

Michael Wolsey is a former deputy editor of the Irish Independent, features editor of the Irish Press and managing director of the Drogheda Independent group.

Michael sits on the judging panel for the National Newspaper of Ireland Journalism Awards.