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Welcome
Welcome to Edition 48 of InTallaght
Since our last edition Tallaght's reputation was once again attacked by the lazy and sensationalist Irish media who should stick to covering stories about the British royal family and Celebrity Strictly (insert name of rubbish show in here) Factor as news.
With talk of the Civil Defence being sent onto the streets and the supposed breakdown of law and order, we decided to do something to try and counteract this constant negativity and so the idea for a website showing the positive side of Tallaght was born. “Love Tallaght” will be a place where local people can report on all the positive things that happen in the community and hopefully provide an antidote to the moral panic. Everyone can do their bit to be proactive and show the best of Tallaght. This includes local media who have a responsibility in not feeding the sensationalism with over emphasis on crime stories.
Ok rant over! In this edition we have interviews with Love/Hate actress Mary Molloy, Aisling Connolly who is flying the flag for Tallaght in The Voice, and local record breaking sprinter Keith Doherty along with all the usual content you've come to expect. Until next time. Love Tallaght!
CHECK US OUT ON
ADDRESS
Level 3, The Square, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Ireland
TELEPHONE WEBSITE
01 451 9717
GENERAL EMAIL www.intallaght.ie
NEWS DESK
admin@intallaght.ie
REGISTERED IN IRELAND editor@intallaght.ie
VAT NUMBER 480606
ISSN
IE 9706242N 2009-4574
_____________________________
DIRECTORS
Edward Lam edward@intallaght.ie Riyadh Abdelkader riyadh@intallaght.ie
DESIGN
Edward Lam edward@intallaght.ie Riyadh Abdelkader riyadh@intallaght.ie Gwen Taylour gwen@intallaght.ie
PHOTOGRAPHY Fergus McNally fergus@intallaght.ie George Kelly
ADVERTISING Pat pat@intallaght.ie
FEATURE WRITER Padraig Conlon padraig@intallaght.ie
ASSISTANT WRITERS Rachel Lynch rachel@intallaght.ie Linn Heldal linn@intallaght.ie
CONTRIBUTORS
THIS MAGAZINE IS ALSO AVAILABLE On The App Store On iPad, iPod & iPhone
6
Online Through
& On Our Website At
www.intallaght.ie
Colm O'Muiri Gwen Taylour Olivia Ormonde Karen Hammond
GAMEWEEK 26 TOP 20 STANDINGS #
TEAM
MANAGER
1 TELFY'S TROOPS joseph telford 2 THIS YEAR AGAIN paddy troy 3 Anfield F.C Stephen Dillon 4 Bohs_Celtic Peter Furlong 5 Cipolla F.C. Burak Kaptan 6 The Baby Jesus's F.C Thomas Murphy 7 To Defend & Rule! Anthony Davis 8 Second best Jacinta Driver 9 Dont look down Alan Dartnell 10 Özilona keith o toole 11 Borussia Teeth David Keaveney 12 Norfolk-In-Chance Paul Mcnamara 13 Shake and Bake Mark kelly 14 TaSS eoin farrell 15 Smallville Crowes Neil Farragher 16 Shamble Rovers Richard Moore 17 The Mighty Ducks Sean Bohan 18 dazzlingdazzlersXI DARREN BYRNE 19 The Xanthos Stephen McGovern 20 Losers again doug barnes 114 115
have not a kalou Newton Heath
alan Barry Owen Connolly
PTS
1,612 1,605 1,594 1,589 1,582 1,569 1,566 1,565 1,548 1,532 1,529 1,522 1,513 1,513 1,511 1,484 1,481 1,481 1,478 1,476 766 743
League Code: 856866-204390
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Contents
16
34 24
10
Game
42 48
22 Aisling Connolly
Mary Murray
News
8
Sq. Magazine
Cinema
36
Music
44 46 Book
Motors
Entertainment Business
58
60
Writers’ Corner
Sports
58
RUA RED
40 Tech
54
InRovers
62
Events
58
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65th Greenhills Scouts Are Presented With Their Cheque
Mayor’s Fund Presentation Ceremony
Over 100 representatives from local communities all over South Dublin County gathered in County Hall, Tallaght on Monday January 27th, to be presented with their cheques. The Mayor's Fund was introduced by Mayor Dermot Looney and Deputy Mayor Eamon Tuffy, who together allocated a combined total of €10,000 from their allowances during their term of office to this new community initiative.
75 groups applied with 50 organisations proving successful in securing a grant of €200 from the Mayor’s fund for their group. The groups represent all of the electoral areas in the county and work in areas as diverse as older care, girl guides, martial arts, active retirement and youth work.
Mayor Dermot Looney in his speech said “At a time when Tallaght and other parts of South Dublin County are under criticism, the breadth of groups and the fantastic attendance at this event are indicators of the strength of community participation locally. This fund is not only about the cheque you receive; it is about recognising the work you all carry out in your communities." For a full list of successful recipients see:
www.intallaght.ie/mayors-fund
TPASG Autism Awareness Day Coffee Morning
Hobby Hub - a New Social Group for Craft Enthusiasts
Do you like to knit, sew, crochet, do embroidery or enjoy any other craft? Then why not meet up with like-minded people every second Wednesday from 6 pm at Tallaght Library. Hobby Hub will run from Wednesday February 12th and will then every second Wednesday from 6:00 -7:45 pm. Bring whatever you are working on (sewing, knitting, crochet etc.), have a chat and swap ideas over a cuppa! No booking necessary. Please note that this will replace the former Knitting Club evenings.
The seventh annual World Autism Awareness Day takes place on Wednesday April 2nd. Every year, autism organisations around the world celebrate the day with unique fundraising and awareness-raising events. Local group Tallaght Parents Autism Support Group will be holding a coffee and information morning in the Green Isle Hotel from 10.30am - 1.30pm. Admission will be €5 on the door, which includes tea or coffee and a scone. For more on the group see www.tpasg.com or search for them on Facebook as Tallaght-Parents-
Autism-Support-Group.
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Pictured Left to Right: Noel King, Cathal King, Jack Martin, Dermot Looney, Sue Ronan, John Delaney & Danny McLoughlin
Tallaght Stadium have announced an exciting new partnership with the FAI for its Under 21 and Senior Women’s football teams.
Mayor Dermot Looney, County Manager Danny McLoughlin and FAI CEO John Delaney were on hand to announce that ten international fixtures are to be played at Tallaght Stadium in 2014.
They were joined by Women’s Senior Team Manager Sue Ronan, Under 21 Manager Noel King and The Square Director Of Retail Jack Martin to help promote the matches and call on local football fans to come out and support both teams.
Tallaght Stadium and South Dublin County Council and it's fantastic to formalise this relationship in 2014. It's great to find a home for U21 and Senior Women’s football as we embark on an important year.
“I'd say to local people come out and support the teams, it'll be a great day out in a terrific stadium. We have a great team now, with a great manager Sue Ronan, and they have been improving year on year. I'd also like to thank The Square who have been fantastic in their support for local football.” Mayor Dermot Looney said the announcement is great news for Tallaght.
“As someone involved in schools football locally I know how Eight competitive fixtures are due important it is for girls to have to take place in Tallaght Stadium sporting role models to inspire this year, among them being the and encourage them. With stand out game in April which will international football on their see the Senior Women’s team doorstep I have no doubt that a take on Germany who are new generation of women currently ranked number one in footballers will be inspired by the FIFA world rankings. the links that have now been established.” Speaking at the launch John Delaney thanked South Dublin The first of the scheduled fixtures County Council and said he was sees Noel King’s U21 side take on looking forward to the fixtures Montenegro on March 5th. in Tallaght. For a full list of fixtures visit the all “We are delighted with the new Tallaght Stadium website at hospitality we received from www.tallaghtstadium.ie
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News
Come Dine with Nurture & Andrew Rudd
Join charity Nurture and renowned chef Andrew Rudd for an exclusive evening of food, wine, music and fun. Andrew will hold a 30 minute masterclass on how to make delicious canapés, the perfect way to host your next dinner party in style! Canapés will be served to all guests and they will be greeted with a cocktail on arrival. The event will be held in Medley on Drury Street, D2. This will be followed by live music, drinks and a raffle. Tickets cost €40. Events like this are vital for Nurture to continue to provide front line support services as they are not Government funded
Andrew Rudd is a chef, food writer, broadcaster, and event organiser. He features regularly on TV3’s Late Lunch Live and Sunshine Radio shows, and has kindly offered this wonderful evening in his private venue, in aid of the charity that offers support and counselling surrounding pregnancy and childbirth. mental health. See nurturepnd.org for more details and to book.
Short Film Comp Senior Winners: Scott Leigh, Daragh Doyle, Logan Mac Bride & Daniel McCarthy
Credit Union Quiz
On Sunday February 2nd over 120 primary school children from six schools from the Tallaght and district credit unions catchment area took part in the Annual Credit Union primary school quiz. Scoil Maelruain cleaned up on the day and took the honors in both the Junior and Senior quizzes. The questions were asked by founding member of the credit Union Jack Ennis.
Time travel novel gives lonely widower his wife back
Published by Emu Ink, Twice Upon a Time, by Tallaght man Andy Halpin, draws on the author’s experience of grief in losing his beloved wife of 44 years, Annette, to cancer, and takes the reader on fantastical journey back to Dublin in the 1960s.
The novel was launched by award-winning local poet and writer Eileen Casey. Casey described it as a "very clever and moving" read. It drew a huge crowd to the County Library in Tallaght.
Back in this time Andy is just a boy and Annette a 14-year-old girl and, against all the odds, they meet again and fall in love
NOISE Flicks 2014 is looking for creative talented young people (14-18 years) to enter their short film competition. The short film (2-15 mins) can be of any type: drama, comedy, action, dance, documentary or animation. Selection will be based on originality and creativity, strength of story/script and quality of contribution of editing, camera work and directing to the overall story. Deadline for entry is March 4th. Films will be shortlisted for screen-ing in IMC Cinema, Tallaght on Friday March 21st.
www.noisedublin.ie
Photo By Leah Fagan
once more – five years earlier than before – but their union is not without its complications.
Andy said: “Twice Upon a Time is a novel about second chances. It's about a second chance to live your life again with the person you love, and I gave myself that chance when I wrote it. After Annette passed away in 2009 all I wanted to do was live again, the life that began at the foot of Bray Head in 1965, and ended so suddenly and unexpectedly forty four years later. Twice Upon a Time is available to buy now and rent digitally from the Fiction section of www.emuink.ie
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Dublin: One City One Book Choice for 2014 Announced
If ever you go to Dublin town In a hundred years or so Inquire for me in Baggot Street And what I was like to know. (If Ever You Go to Dublin Town'by Patrick Kavanagh) The Dublin: One City One Book title for 2014 is something completely different yet very Dublin. Dublin City Public Libraries and Dublin: UNESCO City of Literature have announced that If Ever You Go: a map of Dublin in poetry and song will be the One City One Book choice for April 2014. If Ever You Go: a map of Dublin in poetry and song is a collection of poems, ballads and songs from a range of literary luminaries connected with Dublin, including Tallaght’s own Eileen Casey. The book is arranged street by street so the reader can continually make new connections and discoveries on a virtual tour of the City of Words.
Since the initiative started in 2006 Dublin: One City One Book has encouraged everyone to read a book connected with Dublin during the month of April. A full programme of associated events throughout the month of April will intrigue and engage Dubliners and visitors to the city. The programme will be launched in March 2014.
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Love Tallaght Recent comments in the local district court of a “total breakdown” of social order in Tallaght led to the usual sensationalism from the Irish media regarding this community.
Stories about crime have always been meat and drink to reporters and Tallaght has borne the brunt of lazy and negative reporting for the past 40 years. Crime news does not accurately reflect the real world and it fills up our media because it is shocking and it sells, not because it is typical of the way we live our lives. Increases in crime figures are seen as newsworthy, decreases aren't.
A recent example of this regarding Tallaght was two years ago when CSO figures on thefts were released and Tallaght came out on top with 922 incidents reported to the local Gardai. Cue the usual, tired lazy headlines the next day: “Tallaght worst place in Ireland to live!” “Tallaght Burglary Capital of Ireland.”
Both tabloid and broadsheet were equally guilty in this smear and neither seemed too worried about the consequences to the reputation of Tallaght.
When one analysed the figures however a different story emerged. Tallaght, with a population of 71,500 is served by just one Garda station and the number of burglaries was offered as a whole number.
By Padraig Conlon
The ratio of one Garda station to 71,500 population is one of the largest in the country so if you have more people it will more than likely follow you will have more crime.
Another thing worth noting is the most recent crime figures from the Central Statistics Office show that crime has actually decreased in Tallaght, with the number of assaults and attempted murders down by more than a third from 429 in 2002 to 278 in 2012. Public Order Offences likewise are also down from a high of 1077 in 2007 to 675 in 2012 as are drug offences which dropped by more than half from a peak of 992 in 2008 to 453 in 2012. With this in mind we decided to set up a website called “Love Tallaght” which will serve as an online space where people from this community can give a real opinion on all the positive things happening here. The general public will get a sense of what Tallaght is really like, from the people that really matter, plus we hope it will serve as a tourism information site for potential visitors to this country.
Edward Lam, Managing Director at InTallaght said “Myself and Riyadh (Director at InTallaght) both being from Tallaght are really proud of our area and the advances it has made over the years. We felt that we needed to do our part in making Tallaght’s real voice be heard, hence the magazine you’re reading and this great new website”. Robert O’Leary is the headmaster of Sacred Heart School in Killinarden and author
of Tallaght4kidz and he believes the children of Tallaght are surrounded by too much negativity.
“They are surrounded by negativity in all kinds of ways and this is not right. They should be proud of where they are from, there should be more notice given to the positive things happening in Tallaght. I have worked in Tallaght 30 years and the overwhelming majority of people here are decent, hardworking people who are dedicated to their families.”
Local TD Eamon Maloney also believes that as regards negativity enough is enough. “Tallaght has transformed from being a rural country village to the third largest urban centre in Ireland.“ It’s a vibrant, modern place with a community committed to making Tallaght an even better place to live. Over the years great changes have taken place and there is much to be proud of. “We owe it to the young citizens of Tallaght to build a better future for them. Lets “speak up” for Tallaght. No one else will.”
Jack Martin, Director of Retail in The Square also recognises that the local community must let people know the truth about the place they call home. “We are very proud to be the Town Centre of Tallaght. The Square has an average weekly customer count of over 170,000 and these are not just people from the local area. We get a large number of visitors who constantly tell us how impressed they are with The Square.
“These visitors usually come with a stigma about Tallaght however after visiting and experiencing the Centre, go away with a much more positive opinion which they will then in turn, tell others about.”
What Love Tallaght will do is give you, the people of Tallaght, or people who have had good experiences of Tallaght, the chance to highlight the positive aspects of a place that is constantly attacked in the national media. The overall goal of the website is to inform those outside the area and the world of all the positive things that are happening here.
Tallaght is a force to be reckoned with and like New York, which had its problems and overcame them, we believe Tallaght is well on its way to becoming a major tourist destination for vistors from all over the world in the coming years.
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Mary Murray
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INTERVIEW
When did you start performing regularly in plays?
By Padraig Conlon
Mary Murray is probably familiar to readers as brothel madam Janet in Love/Hate. Away from her work on one of Ireland’s most popular drama series the Ballyfermot native is a highly respected award winning theatre actress who has performed all over the world. InTallaght Magazine met up with her ahead of her appearance in The Civic Theatre this month as part of the cast of the play Chancers.
Chancers has already received great reviews from its run before Christmas, could you tell our readers about the play?
It’s a comedy written by and directed by Robert Massey and it’s set in the present, recessionary times. Myself and my husband are going through the mill, we’ve lost our home, looks like we’re going to be losing our business and we’ve a very good friend who’s in the same predicament but luckily the local battleaxe buys a winning lottery ticket in our shop, which my husband fails to tell her about! So the plan is to get hold of that ticket without her knowing. You can imagine plenty of arguments ensue; it’s just great craic and a wonderful play to be involved with.
How did it all start for you? Well my first taste of acting was when I was 5 I did a little talent competition around the corner from me. I said a poem, I thought I was great! I came third and I was delighted because I didn’t laugh and I didn’t make a mistake. I wanted to do more and for years after that I didn’t! I always wanted to do drama classes but they were very expensive when I was a kid, in Dublin there was only Betty Ann Norton or The Gaiety schools.
I remember when I was eight ringing the Gaiety to see how much the price was to do classes. I used to ring them constantly to check if the price had gone down! Eventually, by the time I was 13 I discovered I was a very good singer so I did some singing
lessons at Digges Lane where they did all kinds of singing and dancing, drama, it was brilliant, a real hub of activity.
You would get people like Boyzone, Brendan Gleeson, Rory Conroy walking around the building. I was just completely starstruck, and I thought “This is what I really want to be a part of.” I was in Digges Lane for a long time, it moved along to the Factory in Barrow Street where they have the actor’s studio now.
By the time I was 15/16 I was getting a lot of work as a singer and as an actress locally. I was running karaoke nights and doing competitions, it was great, I won a lot of money between the ages of 16 and 19 which was great because it meant I didn’t have to be a lounge girl.
There was a local drama group where I grew up called The Ballyfermot Theatre Group and although I wasn’t one of the group what would happen was they would get stuck just before a run was about to start, maybe someone would get sick and drop out, and they knew that I could pick up a script and learn it quickly. So I would be brought in the last few days before it started and be asked to do the job for two weeks. I’d get two weeks off school, so from the time I was 16 I was performing probably about 20 hours a week and it just continued from there. I would do everything from radio plays to theatre, animation, whatever was going.
When you were starting out did you have one target in mind i.e. movies or theatre?
No I only had one target which was I wanted to act for my career. That’s all I wanted to do and if that just meant I could get a weekly wage that would be enough for me, as long as I could act. I’ve got to do that. The other stuff is all perks. I never expected that I would be able to travel all around the world and get paid for it or meet all these amazing people, people I never expected to meet. Sometimes I’ve met some of these stars at parties and I haven’t got a clue who they are! Acting is a brilliant life, people say it’s very hard but I have to say it’s never been hard for me because I’ve always just loved what I did.
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[CHANCERS IS] JUST GREAT CRAIC AND A WONDERFUL PLAY TO BE INVOLVED WITH
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Zachary Main 3 Quinto
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I’M 34, I’VE SEEN A FAIR AMOUNT OF THE WORLD. I LIVE IN DUBLIN, I’M FROM BALLYFERMOT SO I HAVEN’T BEEN MOLLYCODDLED
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Was it intimidating joining Love/Hate as most of the cast had been together a few years?
It wasn’t intimidating, no. There were quite a lot of people in Love/Hate that I knew from the theatre and the people I didn’t know made me feel very welcome.
The first person to come up and chat to me was Robbie Sheehan and he was so lovely. They were all so lovely and down to earth actually; I didn’t know them well or anything. It was lovely to be made welcome before I even started filming. There’s always the fear when you’re doing a small part that you won’t get a chance to show what you can do. There’s also the fear that if you do something wrong they’ll never employ you again! Love/Hate is like a big family really. The director David Caffrey is just such an amazing director. He has an amazing mind and a great personality; he makes everyone from the very top to the bottom feel equal. Stuart Carolan likewise is such an amazing person to work with and a really brilliant writer.
How did your casting as Janet come about?
Maureen Hughes (Casting Director Love/Hate) had cast me in some stuff in the past and she just asked me to come in and audition for a small part. She told me I was a bit young for the character but she thought I’d be right for it. She
got me to improvise a scene in a brothel with a few of the extras, which went well and was good craic.
What was it like working opposite Tom Vaughan Lawlor (Nidge)?
Tom is an absolutely gorgeous individual and getting to work with him was fantastic, it was an amazing experience to watch how he works. Maybe I was a little starstruck by Tom because I had seen him on the stage, a play called The Rise and Fall of Arthuro and I was mesmerised, I thought he was incredible. There was a lot of mutual respect between us. He’s so lovely to everybody on the set, if a new extra comes in he makes it his business to make sure they’re alright. He’s a real leading man.
Did you do much research to play the role?
Yes when I read the script and found out she is working in a brothel I thought I need to know a bit about them so I did a bit of Googling to find out what’s happening in the world of brothels! I wanted to get an idea of the going rate and it was shocking to see what was on offer, words I’ve never come across before! I was like “Wow!” You realise then that it really is a horrible existence.
You have to take a lot from what you see around you as well. I’m 34, I’ve seen a fair amount of the world. I live in Dublin, I’m from Ballyfermot so I haven’t been mollycoddled, it hasn’t been
Mary Murray
difficult for me to see a fair amount of underworld antics.
Your brothers played IRA men in series 3?
Yes that’s right; my brothers Jim and ‘Patzer’ were Lizzie’s brothers. How it happened was they were looking to cast two brothers and I suggested Jim and Patzer among a few other people. It was only later when I found out that the characters had a sister I was saying why didn't they cast me, but it worked out really well for all of us.
You have a huge background in the theatre, is this where you see yourself in the future?
Yes, theatre is where I love to be, mostly because it’s constant work, you have three or four months, five and a half days a week and you’re always developing the character. Whereas in film or TV it’s sporadic, you’re doing scenes back to front, it pays well and if it’s a successful show like Love/Hate you get the kudos from being associated with it. But the reality is when you do a theatre show it’s a test every night. If you fail you’ve completely killed your career, as far as I’m concerned, so you’ve got to be on the ball every night.
Could you tell us about the one woman comedy show you did recently? Yes it’s called No Smoke Without Fire. It’s about these women
outside in a smoking area and is written by my Dad, Paddy Murray, and directed by Jimmy Smallhorn who plays Git in Love/Hate. I play all six (sometimes seven) different characters in it.
It must have been very daunting being up there on your own?
Yes it’s a very scary thing, it’s terrifying but it’s also very gratifying and such a delight to feel the audience reaction. The show’s success is entirely down to you on the night so the foundations need to be strong and that’s all down to the script editing and the rehearsal process.
If you don’t deliver on the night, there’s no-one else to blame, but yourself. It’s a scary thought but it’s a good incentive to put all of your blood sweat and tears into it.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Probably doing a play called The Pride Of Parnell Street because that brought me all over the place. It’s a Sebastian Barry play and I was involved with it over the course of four or five years, got to travel and meet some wonderful people long the way. It was a part that stayed with me and feels kind of celestial; like that human being actually exists. It’s such a beautiful piece of writing. When a writer is so good, like Sebastian Barry, they can make a turn, an emotion, on a couple of words. He was wonderful to work with.
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You’ve played a lot of tough characters, what’s it like playing that type of character?
It’s great as it’s easy to dip into when you’ve played similar characters before. Janet has a lot going on you know. She is a bitch but she’s also got a heart, she’s real. As long as she wasn’t your boss she’d be grand!
Do you ever worry about getting typecast? Well you can get typecast and I have been typecast, as you said I’ve played a lot of Dublin characters, luckily on stage I’ve got to play enough different characters that people can see I can play other people! I don’t think any character is difficult to play as long as you have a bit of time because I think you have to become the character and learn their world. Sometimes it’s easy because you are of that world.
You also teach drama, what in your opinion is the most important advice for kids who want to get into acting?
What I would say to them is you could be waiting a long time or you could be very lucky and get it in a day but whatever happens keep working away, keep reading and asking questions. You’ve also got to enjoy it, because if you don’t then it’s not for you. Also don’t panic over auditions, enjoy them. I love teaching and I’ve got some incredible kids that I teach.
What actor/actress inspired you?
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Meryl Streep and Cate Blanchett are incredible. Irish wise probably Eileen Walsh. She’s a theatre actress who’s also done a lot of film as well. Marie Mullen is another fabulous Irish actress. There is so much talent in this country for theatre.
What are your thoughts on the recent upsurge in the fortunes of the Irish movie industry?
Yes it’s definitely getting better. For a while there it wasn’t too good. I did a little part recently in Penny Dreadful (US TV series) and it’s a wonderful thing to be able to get big productions like that in this country. We have incredibly skilled people in camera and editing so it’s great they have the opportunity to work as well.
Finally Mary what are your plans for the year?
I’m just about to go back for rehearsals for Chancers before it goes on the road. Then Love/Hate starts filming in March, I don’t know what my schedule’s going to be like for it yet. I also want to bring “No Smoke without Fire” back but I can’t confirm dates until Love/Hate dates are clarified. Somebody is writing a film for me at the moment, I can’t say anything about it yet, it’s a lead part with a really incredible director, we’ll see what happens, these things take time. I also want to learn four languages, Italian, Chinese (Mandarin) Spanish and German. For the moment!
Chancers comes to Civic Theatre, Tallaght from 18th - 22nd February.
Win 2 tickets to see Mary in Chancers in Civic Theatre, Tallaght, Plus an overnight stay in Abberley Court Hotel on Friday 21st February! Keep an eye on
facebook.com/ intallaghtmagazine to
be in with a chance to win!
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Aisling Connolly
INTERVIEW By Padraig Conlon
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nerves in the next round of the show as there was in the blind auditions because the judges are all looking at you and we won’t be singing to no one. That bit is so weird when you know they’re just listening to you and you can’t perform at all. I’m more inclined to perform a song. Plus we’re all used to seeing them now in rehearsals everyday so you’re not thinking “Oh there’s Bressie or Jamelia!”
How did you feel when Kian turned around? Aisling Connolly is a 24 year singer from Kingswood who recently made it through the blind auditions of RTE show The Voice. Next up for her is the “Battles” round and she will be hoping the whole of Tallaght is behind her as she takes her next step on what we hope will be her road to glory.
How did you end up on the show?
My partner and myself were just watching the show one night and he said “You have to do that!” He made me do it!
You did an excellent job with your chosen song Cloudbursting by Kate Bush, what was your reason for picking it?
I’m a big time fan of Kate Bush, I love her voice and her music. I first did it at a wedding this time last year and I loved it, I thought it was really different. I did Gemma Hayes’ version of it. It was a bit risky, a bit of a gamble doing it because people usually do pop songs on the show.
I just went in with my eyes closed and decided I was going to do what I wanted to do.
It kind of shocked me. Well maybe shocked is too strong a word but I was upset about it but you just kind of have to get over it. There’ll I probably should have gone with be much more of that down the a more popular song but it line. People don’t care what they worked out well in the end! I knew say online even though they know singing that song was a gamble you’ll see it. That was the first time as soon as I’d sang it but I wasn’t I’ve ever read something like that prepared for what people were about myself. going to say. But then you have to weigh it up, I The Voice put up the question on got loads of lovely comments as their site: “What do you think of well. I think you need to concenAisling?” Some said they loved trate on the good don’t you? me, some said it was a rubbish song and my song choice was terrible and I shouldn’t have got Were you nervous? through and somebody else should have got through instead Oh yeah, really nervous, you could of me. see that on my face when I went on stage and I was visibly shaking! I’d never done any How did you feel competitions like that before. reading that? There shouldn’t be as much
I was so shocked because he’d left it so late I didn’t think anyone was going to turn around. I had kind of accepted that and then suddenly at the last second he turns around and completely shocks me! We’re waiting on our song reveal at the moment, that’s going to be coming soon. For the battles you don’t get to pick, Kian will do that for me, we don’t have any say in our song choice. He’s been lovely to work with, he’s a really really nice guy and he’s helped me so much.
How do you get on with the other contestants?
We all get on great, everyone is really close and getting on very well, all going out together and that. Everyone is helping each other as well, there’s a really good vibe off the whole thing really.
Could you tell our readers a bit about your musical background?
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I only started singing three years ago when I was 21. I was a hairdresser, I’d never done any singing when I was a kid, and I used to do a bit of singing in the salon. It was my colleagues who made me get out there. We were all at a party one night and they all made me sing.
Since then they’ve pushed me to go on and do gigs. So I started gigging and left the hairdressing behind. Now I mainly do weddings which keep me very busy.
Are you in a band?
Yes I am, I’m in a band called All Talk, we’re a wedding band. They’re all really good musicians. There are five of us in the group, we have a brass section as well, the two brass lads are amazing, they both play with Imelda May. We do everything from the Beatles to Emeli Sandé, Annie Lennox, who is also a big influence on me, as is Lana Del Rey, Kate Bush, Joss Stone, Van Morrison.
My dream person to work with would be Imelda May, I’m a big fan.
Viewers got to see your little daughter on the show with you, has it been tough to juggle family life with your career so far?
I have a little girl, Hannah, she’s one and she’s already been on the television loads! You see her at my audition, she’s there with me from the start. It’ll be funny for her to look back on when she’s older. We even have footage of her eating her shoe and everything! It’s good to have. The one thing they’ve encouraged me to say on The Voice is don’t give up on your dreams. There was one time I was gigging when I was pregnant and a man came up to me and
Aisling Connolly
started giving me abuse during my gig. He started saying to me: “ I hope you’re going to give this whole thing up when you have that baby!”
I was in an awful state afterwards. Then I thought will I give up my singing? No way! That’s where my whole motivation has come from, to show people they don’t have to take that sort of talk off anyone. It’s going to be hard juggling both, I know that, but you can be a great Mam and follow your dream. I would hate to think in a few years “Oh why did I give it up?”
What is your ambition musically?
My ambition is just to work with songwriters, I’d love to eventually record my own song. Just to have a single would be amazing. From being on The Voice I’m hoping to get my name out there for the weddings and I’d also like to work with songwriters. I don’t really have the confidence to write my own songs.
There are so many talented songwriters in this country, I hope this gives me a stepping stone to work with some of them. So if there are any songwriters who may be reading this, get in touch!
Finally Aisling what has the support for you been like in Tallaght?
It’s been absolutely brilliant. I play in the Dragon and The Abberley and they’ve both been great. I went into the Dragon after being on the show and they had posters everywhere that they’d made themselves which was amazing.
The next stage now is the battles where I’ll be put up against one of the other contestants so I’m going to need as much support as possible.
Watch Aisling on The Voice of Ireland, on Sunday nights at 6.30pm, RTÉ ONE.Follow Aisling on Twitter: @aisyconnolly and Instagram at: Hannahaish For more info on Aisling’s wedding band, All Tallk, see their website:
alltalkweddingband.com
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Welcome to the second edition of the Square Magazine of 2014.
So far the year has been dominated by one man, Garth Brooks who has now sold an incredible 350,000 tickets for his Croke Park shows, we are looking forward to giving away some tickets to our loyal customers so dust off the cowboy hat and keep an eye on our Facebook page!
We are delighted to be involved in the excellent Love Tallaght website which launched on St. Valentine’s Day. This site, which pledges to showcase all that is good about the Tallaght area, is sure to go from strenght to strenght in the months ahead, check it out! In this edition we take a look at what Debenhams
SQ. MAGAZINE
EDITION 2 2014
have on offer for the upcoming Communion season and give you a few ideas on what’s instyle at the moment. We are very proud to have been the first choice for Tallaght families in all their Communion needs for over 20 years.
A big welcome goes out to Dove Dry Cleaners who have recently opened their doors at the East entrance on Level 1, it’s always great to bring new tenants to the centre and we will have some more exciting new tenant news in the coming months! Love is in the the air at the Square.
On Saturday 15th February we have our fantastic first fashion show of the new year, which will showcase the best of the Spring /
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Summer collections from our stores here in the centre. It’s going to be absolutely fabulous.
And finally don’t forget to checkout our Facebook page for more fantastic competitions, including a chance to win tickets to the Civic Theatre to see “Chancers”, the prize also includes an amazing overnight stay in the beautiful Abberley Court Hotel.
___________________ Cathryn McMenamy The Square Town Centre, Commercial Manager
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ESB Electric Cars Initiative
Our Electric Car Charging Points have now been installed at the South Carpark on Level 2 in close proximity to Argos. They are due to be commissioned in the next few weeks by the ESB. We hope that Electric Cars will become a regular sight around the centre in the coming years and we are delighted to be playing our part in making a sustainable and a clean alternative to the standard fossil fuels.
Nissan Euro LEAF, Renault ZOE, or a Renault Kangoo Z.E. commercial electric van for a four month period during 2014/2015.
Last year the ESB ran the same initiative and it was a huge success which saw 21 ecar Ambassadors take part in the first Great Electric Drive, with Ambassadors covering approximately 105,000 km of pure electric driving on Ireland's roads.
ESB are calling on anyone who is interested in signing up to become an ecar Ambassador and get into the electric driving seat. ESB are looking for 24 ecar Those interested can apply on Ambassadors, across a wide esb.ie/GreatElectricDrive or altervariety of ages, lifestyles, natively see ESB ecars Facebook occupations and commuting page www.facebook.com/ patterns, as well as organisations ESBecars, for more details on to get involved in this year's trial. how to get involved. The closing The lucky 24 that get choosen will date for applications is trial one of a selection of electric March 4, 2014. vehicles such as the BMW i3, Citroen C Zero, Mitsubishi iMiEV, Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid SUV,
Sq. Magazine
Security Improvements Around The Centre We have made several security upgrades around the centre over the past couple of weeks which we would like to bring to your attention. Firstly the Multi-storey Carpark is undergoing a number of changes including new security lighting and signage. Additional patrols and CCTV coverage are also being implemented into the carpark.
New Guest Arriving At The Aquarium We are delighted to announce that we have some new beautiful fish added to our Aquarium on Level 2. Our newest tenants are a Clown Fish (Like Nemo), a Horse Shoe Crab and a Marine Betta, the Marine Betta looks like Dracula because it has a black cloak with white spots!! We will also be adding two new fish each
We have also added security lighting at the ATM machines at both the East and West entrances for additional safety and security for our customers.
A special mention must go to Tony Mulraney from G4S Security, who’s quick thinking and fast action helped a fellow member of staff and we would like to say a big thank you to him. It’s another example of the great work and quick reactions that our security personnel do here in the Square. The G4S team work extremely hard to keep the centre a safe place for our tenants and customers.
week to the Aquarium, next we will be welcoming a large Angel Fish and Lipstick Tang, the Lipstick Tang is part of the surgeon family because it has a sharp blade on either side of its tail!!
Due in a couple of weeks is the much anticipated Square Fish also know as the Cow Fish! We can wait to see the new additions to the tank...Make sure you keep your eyes open for them!
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Proud To Love Tallaght
We'd like to let everyone know about a new website being launched on February 14th called “Love Tallaght” which aims to highlight all the positive things happening in our community. The idea behind “Love Tallaght” is to create a space online where we can showcase what a great place Tallaght is to live and work in.
Calling All Students!!
We are delighted to announce that we recently sponsored the ITTSU hoodied track tops along with the jackets for the ITTSU committee members. The hoodies will be sold to students through out the college. Keep an eye out for the students wearing the tops.
Have you signed up for your Student VIP Card yet??...If not then
Director of Retail Jack Martin said: “We are fully behind “Love Tallaght”, the Square is proud to be the main town centre for Tallaght as this is a place with a wonderful community spirit and great people. We want as many people as possible to see how proud we all are and we hope the people of Tallaght will get involved in the new site by adding their own testimonials about all the great things that happen in the area.”
you are missing out on getting up to 25% off in many stores throughout the Square. So far over 3000 students have signed up for VIP Cards and are reaping the fantastic discounts our retailers in the centre are offering. For more information log onto www.thesquare.ie.
Carnival Atmosphere Added To The Centre Mall
We Welcomed John Delaney To The Centre On Tuesday 11th February we had the pleasure in welcoming John Delaney, FAI CEO along with Noel King, Irish Under 21 Manager, Sue Ronan, Womens Senior Manager, Mayor Dermot Looney, Councillor Cathal King and County Manager Danny McLoughlin to the Centre to launch the partnership between Tallaght Stadium and the FAI.
You may have noticed on your recent visit to the Centre that we have had some new graphics added to the Centre mall which have really added to the look of the centre. Our friends in 20th Century Fox have supplied beautiful graphics for their upcoming movie, Rio 2 which will be shown in IMC on Level 3 this coming April. The first movie was a huge success so make sure you don’t miss out!
Nicola Coffey, Tallaght Stadium Manager, said “We are delighted to have been choosen to host the Women’s Senior, Under 19’s and 21’s Irish matches in Tallaght Stadium for the coming season. Everyone involved with the Stadium are really looking forward to hosting the matches for the FAI.”
For more information on the new partnership or upcoming FAI matches at Tallaght Stadium checkout their brand new website www.tallaghtstadium.ie.
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Sq News 2
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The Square Keep On Hooping
We here at the Square are delighted to announce that we will be continuing with our sponsorship with Ireland’s most successful soccer club, Shamrock Rovers. We have had close links with the Hoops since they moved to Tallaght and are delighted to be one of the main sponsors for the club, we look forward to
Dove Dry Cleaning seeing our logo embroidered onto the club kit this season. Make sure you check out our fantastic window display on Level 3 opposite Currys/PC World, showcasing the new home and away kits.
Rovers kick off their 2014 campaign against Derry City on Friday 7th March and the Square will continue to provide free parking on Level 3 on match days for all of the supporters going to Tallaght Stadium on match days! The Square management will be there in force to cheer on the lads on the night! in the country when he broke the Irish Junior 60m record last month at the National Championships in Athlone IT. He has been a member of Tallaght Athletics Club since he was 8 years old. He works in JD Sports here in the centre and has been accepted for a Sports Scholarship to DCU in 2015.
Keith Doherty is an 18 year old sprinter from Kilnamangh, who became one of the fastest people
On winning the award Keith said, “I’d like to thank the Square for this great award, I am truly honoured to be awarded with the Community Champion award. It’s nice to have all the hard work acknowledged”.
Dove Dry Cleaners have arrived at the Square, they recently opened their doors at the East entrance on Level 1. They offer a professional, fast service at competitive prices, and for the whole month of February they are offering 50% off all dry cleaning and laundry. So whether your looking for your shirts cleaned, wedding dress care, alterations or a full laundry and ironing service drop into Dove Dry Cleaning on Level 1.
Facebook Competitions Are you part of our Facebook family, if not why not “Like Us” so we can keep you up to date on our fantastic offers, like our wonderful competition on at the moment where you can win 2 tickets to see our cover star, Mary Murray, in “Chancers” in the Civic Theatre, not only that you will also win an amazing over night stay in the beautiful Abberley Court Hotel.
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A Closer Look At...
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JUST WING IT
OPEN THE DOOR TO A WORLD Of fLAVOUR
Just Wing It, Ireland’s first specialised wing joint has opened its doors here at the Square at the East entrance of Level 1.
From Mango Habanero to Jerk BBQ, from Soy Garlic Glaze to Cajun and all the points on the Scoville Scale in between. You can also choose Boneless wings, big Chunks of Chicken Breast in a light cornflour batter with the same choice of sauces.
Brisket ,Perky Turkey and The Notoriuos P.I.G which is pulled pork cooked low and slow for 14 hours, covered with delicious BBQ sauce until it literally melts in the mouth.
Even the side dishes offer a wide choice, there are three different type of fries, Regular, Waffle Fries, which Their mouthwatering Range of Burgers called “The Lucys” are made are perfect for dipping and Sweet with a full half pound of 100% Irish Potato Fries also Nachos, Smoky Fries Beef with a variety of toppings. Unlike and Corn on the Cob are available to your usual run of the mill burgers, compliment your mains. The Lucy’s have the cheese cooked When you open the door to their within the (thick) beef patty itself!! restaurant you are entering a world If its just a snack you are after you of flavour and their signature dish the These burgers are fast gaining a can choose from the sharable section reputation as being the best in town! which includes such treats as authentic and delicious New York The “Wraps n’ Whiches” section of Style chicken wings come with a Mozzerella Sticks, Game Day Ribs the menu features Badass Beef mind-boggling array of sauces! and many more and there is even a
dessert menu for those of you who have a sweet tooth.
The friendly staff are ready to help you go through the delicious menu and make the very tough decision on what to order from their tasty, mouthwatering range of options. If you havent had the pleasure of trying this delicious authentic BBQ food then make sure you get down to Just Wing It very soon!!
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Cinema
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NON-STOP By Rachel Lynch
Irishman Liam Neeson takes on the leading role in director Jaume Collet-Serra’s modern action/thriller Non-Stop.
THE LEGO MOVIE By Rachel Lynch
It’s LEGO as we have never seen it before. Warner Bros. Pictures have brought one of children’s favourite toys to the big screen.
The children may be impressed with the storyline but the adults won’t be bored silly, the number of a-list actors starring in this movie is pretty impressive. It includes Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Channing Tatum, our very own Liam Neeson and
Morgan Freeman to name but a few. The LEGO Movie centres around an ordinary mini-figure LEGO man Emmet (voiced by Chris Pratt) who is mistaken as being the Special (the greatest Master Builder who can save the Lego universe).
With the help of an old wizard named Vitruvius, a tough young woman named Wyldstyle, Batman, Uni-Kitty, Benny, and a pirate named Metalbeard, Emmet will have to unlearn everything he saw in the instructions and learn the power of imagination to defeat the evil tyrant Lord Business, who is bent on destroying the Lego universe on Taco Tuesday and recreating it as he sees fit by gluing it together
If you enjoyed Neeson in Taken well then this movie is a must see. It’s action packed from the beginning. I would suggest if possible not actually watching the trailer before you head to the cinema as story wise it spells things out pretty clearly.
Neeson plays Bill Marks, a gruff air marshal who must spring to action on an international flight from New York City to London, after he begins receiving text messages from some mystery party, presumably onboard, who demands that he make the government transfer $150 million to an off shore account otherwise, a passenger will be killed every 20 minutes. It goes from bad to worse for Marks when the bank account the government is instructed to
pay into is discovered to be under his name and a bomb is found aboard the plane. Marks is branded as a hijacker. Can he prove his innocence and save himself and the remaining passengers onboard before it is too late?
The trailer highlights a few of the stylistic choices that Serra made. He needed to be clever with the whole production, as you can imagine keeping an audience engaged while the majority of the storyline is set in one place is a tough challenge for even the greatest of directors but this seems to be his strong point and the film seems to showcases this excellently.
This certainly looks like a move the whole family can enjoy. RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 14 BOOK NOW AT: www.imccinema.ie
RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 28 BOOK NOW AT: www.imccinema.ie
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MR PEABODY & SHERMAN By Rachel Lynch
Mr. Peabody & Sherman is a 3D computer-animated adventure comedy film based on the characters from the Peabody's Improbable History segments of the 1960s animated television series The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.
The film features Mr. Peabody, a talking dog who is the smartest being in the world, he has invented everything from energy-saving vehicles to the fist bump and a time machine of course, which he and his adopted son Sherman hop into and visit the past to learn about history. All goes swimmingly until Sherman comes into conflict with another classmate, Penny Peterson. The adoption agency informs Peabody that they will
reclaim Sherman if any more incidents occur.
To complicate this issue, after Peabody invites the Petersons over to break the ice, Sherman's misuse of their time traveling WABAC machine to impress her results in the pair getting lost in history with disastrous and comical results, it is up to them to put things on track before the space time continuum is irreparably destroyed. The animation is what you would expect from DreamWorks Animation who have brought to the screen both Shrek and Madagascar, the 3D computer graphics an expected improvement on the flat 2D 60s version, the bobble headed characters are cute, and there are some interesting history lessons along the way that are just hilarious.
RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 7 BOOK NOW AT: www.imccinema.ie
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Entertainment Could Philip Seymour Hoffman's Mockingjay scenes be added digitally?
already shot most of his scenes, but there are still a few key sequences that were left in limbo. In that case, a source close to the studio reveals that technology may come into play. The film may digitally re-create the actor for those missing scenes.
"You can do digital things, you can have conversations where you’re not focusing on him but the people he’s talking to," the source told The Hollywood The film world is still reeling from Reporter. Veteran film effects the death of Philip Seymour supervisor Rob Legato also Hoffman. The Oscar-winning chimed in, saying, "These days actor lost his life to an apparent the technology of using drug overdose. His passing shook someone's likeness is a whole lot his fans to the core and made easier to do. I won't say you could many wonder about the status of generate a Philip Seymour his upcoming films. Hoffman with all the acting ability, but you could certainly replicate The biggest question mark him for a shot or two." hovered above Lionsgate's The Hunger Games: Mockingjay The Hunger Games: Mockingjay sequel. Hoffman played — Part 1 opens November 21st. gamesmaker Plutarch Mockingjay — Part 2 is set for Heavensbee in the film and had November 20th, 2015.
Ireland's top model Rosanna Davison is set to open her own private clinic in nutritional science.
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health and gut health, said she Ireland’s top model Rosanna will work with people on weight Davison is set to open her own private clinic in nutritional science. loss, fitness and advising on the most appropriate healthThe former Miss World attended supporting diet for their individual make-up. the College of Naturopathic Medicine to become a nutritional Speaking to the Sunday therapist – and now she is on a mission to change the way we eat. Independent before she celebrated her graduation with a family dinner, Rosanna said: "I She also intends to write a book have been able to help my friends on fitness, channeling her experience of staying in shape for and family with various health problems, and for me, that makes her modelling career. Rosanna, it all worthwhile." who has specialised in mental
Chris Pratt teases the catalyst behind the secret plot of Jurassic Park 4
Here’s an excerpt from what he told MTV News:
“What I liked about it was it answers the question of ‘Why It’s taken a long time for Jurassic would you do that?’ Like, how do Park 4 to actually happen, and you suspend disbelief to be like, the big holdup has been coming ‘Oh yes, let’s make this mistake up with a story worth telling. With again. We haven’t learned out filming set to finally start on the lesson about dinosaurs, we sequel, new star Chris Pratt is should definitely live with them here to alleviate our fears. and see how that works out!’ after like three tries at it. They Pratt, who will probably be a answer the question really well much more bankable movie star through the script. Colin did a once Guardians of the Galaxy great job of writing it and opens later this year, is also justifying it and in his own way signed on to star in Jurassic Park having fun with that, so anybody 4. Pratt teased that his character who goes in with that question is a “combination” of the cynicism will be really amused—the from Goldblum’s character and way I was—about how they the excitement of Sam Neill’s answer that.” character from the original film. Intriguing. “[Trevorrow has] got a great vision for the movie… It’s He also touched on the plot and awesome that Steven Spielberg is said that new director Colin taking a chance on this guy Trevorrow (Safety Not because he’s got a really clear Guaranteed) really does have a vision. I sat down with him and it great story that will address the was kind of like with me and obvious question of why the heck [Guardians of the Galaxy director] we’re actually messing around James [Gunn], we just kind of with dinosaurs again after things started getting excited about this.” have gone so wrong in the original trilogy.
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Amy Huberman to appear on as a sexy teacher in Sky One's Moone Boy alongside Irish comedian Chris O'Dowd.
Here are the two actors who almost beat out Jesse Eisenberg to play Lex Luthor
The actress, who has been married to Brian O'Driscoll for three years, is making her return to tv screens with a guest appearance on Sky One's Moone Boy.
Like it or not, Jesse Eisenberg is the new Lex Luthor in Batman vs. Superman. But who did the studio approach first before signing the Social Network star as the Man of Steel’s new nemesis?
And she's also preparing for the premiere of Irish film The Stag, billed as our version of The Hangover. She teamed up with close pal Chris O'Dowd for a role on his awardwinning series about a boy growing up in 1980s Roscommon and his imaginary friend Sean Murphy, played by O'Dowd.
Huberman plays his primary school teacher, and by the looks of things, she becomes Martin's first crush.
In the newly released trailer for the highly anticipated second series, the camera closes in on Huberman embracing a boho style and pouting for the camera. It marks her biggest role on tv since Threesome on Comedy Central was cancelled last year.
Some new information about Warner Bros' casting process has leaked out via The Hollywood Reporter, and it seems the studio first approached Girls co-star Adam Driver and Walk the Line star Joaquin Phoenix for the Man of Steel sequel. According to sources, Driver couldn’t take the role because of a scheduling conflict, while Phoenix reportedly flirted with the idea but ultimately passed. At 30 years old, the same age as Henry Cavill and Eisenberg, Driver could’ve been a good fit for a young Lex Luthor. Phoenix is a bit older, at 39, but the guy’s one heck of an actor, so it makes sense they’d have found a way to make it work.
As for all those other rumored casting options, from Bryan Cranston to Tom Hanks? It turns out neither of them was ever even approached for the role, though the option of Hanks was reportedly discussed internally at some point. Snyder has already shown he wants to make a very different version of the Superman we’re used to seeing on the big screen, and bringing in a young Luthor is definitely one way to differentiate the Man of Steel-verse from all the previous films. Only time will tell if it’s actually a good idea.
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Music
LEADERS OF MEN Alexander House
LUCCI MINX When It Rains By Linn Heldal
By Padraig Conlon
It’s been just under two years since InTallgaht last interviewed Kilnamanagh rap artist Lucci Minx. Since then her career has gone from strength to strength. She has just recently released her brand new single When It Rains.
The model and urban dance artist’s new track is similar to her previous material which can be viewed on Youtube but this is Lucci’s first single release.
Local Indie rockers Leaders of Men have just released their first official single For Want Of A Better Word.
Taken from their EP Alexander House which is also due for release this month, it marks a memorable debut for the lads. To put it in football terms, Leaders of Men have just come off the bench and scored two against the Germans! The track opens with a backwards sound that reminds me of the start of Waterfall by The Stone Rose before the band come crashing in with a heavy earworm of a hook and vocalist Bash is telling the story of how he's apologising to a girl. As she's just about to kick him out he manages to “crawl away, for want of a better word.”
The song deals with the breakdown of a relationship and all the “guilty and helpless” feelings that go with it. It's a wonderful tune, catchy without being cheesy, with just the right amount of darkness to keep it authentic.
"The best analogy I’ve had for songwriting is that it’s a bit like archaeology. I feel like songs are already there, so you really stumble upon something and you go about excavating
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This type of genre has worked well for the local girl as she certainly stands out from the crowd, in Ireland especially where it is still somewhat a niche market. it and revealing it." Paul Banks, Lead singer Interpol. I know the band are big fans of Interpol and I hope they appreciate this quote because in my opinion they have unearthed something very promising here which bodes well for their debut album due out later in the year. The rest of the Alexander House EP, which was recorded in Voltaire Road Studios under the tutelage of renowned producer Cameron Blackwood, consists of two other tracks: At Ease and She. At Ease is a wonderfully dark tune where Ed Porter’s guitar belts out a riff while lead singer Bash sings that “time won't go away, time is here to stay.” She is a slow tempo song with an excellent drum beat running through it which deals with loneliness and alienation.
This year could be a very memorable one in the careers of Leaders of Men and I hope the single and the EP are the first steps on the road to recognition and success for the lads. I admire their authentic sound and their commitment to staying true to themselves, two commodities pretty rare in the modern music world. For Want Of A Better Word deserves to do well and I wish the band all the very best.
Some people aren’t fans of rap but what Lucci has done with this new track When It Rains will convert many and highlight the talent involved.
She has an excellent vocal range and the beginning of the track showcases just that. As the track moves into the chorus we are hit with the more dance and rap element which suits the song perfectly. The music video also accompanies the sound of the track well and could be favourably compared to many of the top dance videos out there today.
Lucci’s previous tracks, such as Love Hate You, along with When It Rains is available to view on Youtube or follow her on Twitter @lucciminx for any further updates.
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Tech
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Style-Eyes
By Linn Heldal
Style-Eyes is a clever little app that makes it easy to ‘find the look’ and it really is a must-have for all Irish fashionistas.
Imagine you see a picture of Nicole Scherzinger in a magazine, or online, wearing an amazing dress that you just love. Simply take out your Style-Eyes app, snap a picture of it and Style-Eyes will search through over 550 leading highstreet retailers to find a similar dress, or shoes and handbags.
The Style-Eyes team, consisting of Mark Hughes, Bobby Pringle and Oisin Mac Fearai, developed the app in Dublin City University over the last decade. The app embeds a really clever image recognition technology, which is a computer’s way of doing what your eye does; see a picture and understand it.
“We train the technology by feeding it thousands of images of
dresses and shoes so that it learns the difference, and then begins to learn the different types, shapes, colours and details of the garments,” Bobby said.
The app has really taken off in Ireland and the UK and it has been covered by Vogue, Cosmo, Elle, Grazia, Forbes, Bloomberg and Refinery 29.
The Style-Eyes Team is continuing to add new features to make it more exciting and engaging. “Now a lot of men are looking for the app, so there are plans to expand into men’s fashion in the near future.”
For now the target audience is women from 16 and upward. This is because their product range has something for everyone, with close to half a million dresses and 250,000 pairs of heels. “No matter what you take a picture of, we will always bring back a range of shoes,
dresses or bags. After this you can search by price to find something that suits your budget and taste.
It is packed with all the well-known retailers, including River Island, Phase Eight, Miss Selfridges, UGG, Jimmy Choo, Ollie & Nic, and Christian Louboutin.”
After downloading it to my phone, I find the app to be a brilliant tool if you have one of those days when you just can’t get the outfit right, or find anything you like in the shops. Another thing is that if you find something you really love, but it’s still a little pricey, you can save your fashion find into your favorites and wait until it drops in price.
The app is available to download on iOS and Android and the best part is that it’s 100% free.
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Game
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METAL GEAR SOLID 5: GROUND ZEROES By Colm O’Muirí
Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes is the latest game in a long list for the franchise from creators Konami and once again features Snake (Big Boss) in the titular role.
The game is set in 1975 sometime after the events of Peace Walker and is set as a premise to the events of the next MGS game The Phantom Pain, two separate games but telling one story. Snake’s main goal is to work with the Militaires Sans Frontieres to infiltrate an American black site on Cuban soil called Camp Omega.
Fans of the Metal Gear Solid franchise look set to be in for a major upgrade on previous games with the gamer having control over their experience according to Konami. With previous games being A to B type games, players will now be given a more open world experience. With a more open world you can also now choose to travel to the mission area by using a plane, helicopter or motorcycle. Konami has also introduced more new sneaking methods into the game. Another new feature for this instalment of Metal Gear Solid is that the cut scenes will also be reduced with Konami believing that the longer cut scenes have become outdated. The game is available on both next-gen consoles, the PS4 and the Xbox One, but those who don’t yet have a next-gen console will be pleased to hear it will also be available on both the PS3 and Xbox 360; it is released on March 21st.
INFAMOUS: SECOND SON By Colm O’Muirí
Infamous Second Son is the third game of the franchise and the first one to not feature Cole McGrath, the main character in the first two Infamous games, but instead, a new character called Delsin Rowe. Not only is this game following a new character but we have also moved location again. The first was set in Empire City, the second in new Marais, and now this is set in Seattle, Washington.
Seattle is under the jurisdiction of the DUP, the Department of Unified Protection. The DUP is in place to arrest or kill all Conduits and to make sure that what happened in Empire City and New Marais does not happen again.
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Delsin is a 24 year old graffiti artist who one day witnesses a bus crash and in the process of trying to help comes into contact with a Conduit who awakens his Conduit abilities. With the help of his police officer brother Reggie, Delsin fights back against the DUP including other Conduits such as Abigail “Fetch� Walker. Delsin looks to be a completely different character from Cole McGrath who had the power to control electricity in the first two games but Rowe, who starts out by being able to control smoke and neon based lights, can also expand his powers.
Sucker Punch, the games creators, have revealed that part of his powers will be that he is able to absorb more powers as the game progresses, like the previous games and the smoke and neon is only the beginning. Gamers who have also played both of the previous games in
the franchise should also be happy to hear that some of the characters from previous games will be in Second Son but Sucker Punch have not yet released any details on who, as they want the gamers to experience it as they progress through the game.
The main feature of the game returns in Second Son with Delsin, much like Cole, having to choose between good and bad karma with the decisions you make determining how the game turns out and whether or not you will be a hero or a villain.
Infamous is sure to please owners of the PS4 and much like Killzone you don’t have to have played the previous games to pick up on the storyline or to enjoy the game at its full capacity. Infamous is available exclusively on the PS4 and is set to be released on March 21st.
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Motors
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MINI COOPER By Rachel Lynch
For me the Mini is one of the greatest cars on the road. They say good things come in small packages and this has always been the case with Mini until now. The new 2014 Mini Cooper Mini is in fact larger than any of the previous models to date.
Mini this month have launched their third generation model. It is ten centimetres longer, four centimetres wider and one centimetre taller than the outgoing model. Yet don’t worry it still has that distinct Mini look, with minimal overhangs and the usual stylish design which of course you can personalise with a variety of standout options that suit your taste.
The most important new features of the third generation model are the completely fresh set of engines. You have a choice of five, two 1.5-litre diesels delivering 94bhp or 114bhp. The petrol units are two three-cylinder turbo units, a 100bhp 1.2-litre in the Mini One
and a 134bhp 1.5-litre in the Mini Cooper. The Cooper S has a four cylinder 2.0-litre punching out 189bhp.
If you are an owner of a Mini or just a fan, the most noticeable changes are the increase in interior quality. There is more soft touch plastic and it generally feels a whole lot more sophisticated than ever before. The design team has rearranged some of the buttons, the window switches are no longer placed in the centre but more conveniently placed on the door.
The car starter switch is placed within the centre with is a trendy new feature. A big change for me owning a Mini myself is the central pod. It is no longer used for the speedometer. All the key driving information is now placed directly over the stirring wheel. Don’t worry the main feature piece is still there but now it houses a “MINI Controller” dial which provides drivers with the ability to control much of the infotainment system.
Even with all the changes the interior is still recognisable as a Mini. Passengers traveling in the back get a few more centimeters knee room, but the sizing is as you would expect for a car of its size. The boot sees a huge improvement, it’s 30% bigger than before and at 221 liters it’s about Mini will still be referred to as a the same size as a Nissan Juke. “cute” car but it’s a cute car that is You also have the option of an now more practical than ever. adjustable floor. So the new Mini has grown up in more ways than one. It was always believed the Mini was a car produced for a particular target market. Not any longer.
To test drive the new Mini Cooper drop down to Frank Keane Mini on the Naas road or visit www.frankkeane.mini.ie for more details.
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Book
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MARIAN KEYES The Mystery of Mercy Close By Linn Heldal
Marian Keyes is actually one of the main reasons why I have left rainy Norway to settle down in even rainier Ireland.
For me there was just something about the way Marian described Ireland in her novels, with such warmth, wit and wisdom. I have read all of Marian’s books and I couldn’t wait for The Mystery of Mercy Close to be released. Fans of Marian will recognise the main character, Helen, as the youngest of the five famous Walsh Sisters. Helen’s book is long awaited-in fact it’s been eight years since Marian last released a book about the Walsh clan, Is There Anybody out There?. Helen is now 33 years old and still working as a Private Investigator. When the recession hits she loses her apartment and her work office and finds herself moving back home with Daddy and Mummy Walsh. On top of that her boyfriend, Artie Devlin, although committed to Helen, has an ex-wife that isn’t quite ‘ex’ enough for Helen’s liking. When her charming, but dodgy exboyfriend, Jay Parker, shows up to offer her a
job tracking down Wayne Diffney, missing member of the washed -up boyband, Laddz, it means trouble. Helen can’t refuse the offer and finds herself drawn into a dark, glamorous world on the search for Wayne, but ends up spending most nights in anxiety-ridden sleep on Wayne’s living room floor, hoping he will turn up. Marian has done a fantastic job in highlighting depression and mental health issues in her work and she is very public about her own illness. It becomes apparent early on in the book that Helen struggles with the shadow of depression and I immediately warmed to Helen’s at times dark, but hilariously charming mind-set. There are scenes in the book that break my heart and also scenes that have me in stitches-classical Marian Keyes! Although this isn’t really a love story, Helen and Artie’s relationship is heart-warming and a positive twist. The stories about the Laddz rehearsals for comeback gigs are quite frankly side-splitting. The story has a few unexpected twists and turns and it answers some questions left open in previous books, something that I love about Marian’s novels.
Maybe I enjoyed the actual storyline in her earlier work, like Rachel’s Holiday, Watermelon and Angles a little more, but that’s ok, because in my opinion Marian could write a leaflet about vacuumcleaners and still make it touching, warm, brave and brilliantly funny!
About The Author
Marian Keyes is an Irish novelist and nonfiction writer, best known for her work in women’s literature. She has sold over 22 million novels worldwide and her books have been translated in to 32 languages. The novel, Is There Anybody Out There, won the British Book Awards award for popular fiction and the inaugaral Melissa Nathan prize for Comedy Romance. The bestseling This Charming Man won the Irish Book award for popular fiction. Although her novels are often tagged as chick lit, they tackle serious issues as drug addition, domestic violence, mental illness and bereavement. Her books are known to be an unusual mix of comedy and darkness and are often influenced by her own experiences.
When Marian was in her twenties, she moved to London after earning a law degree from Dublin University. During this period she developed alcoholism and clinical depression. Her illness led to a suicide attempt and a stay in rehab in 1995. She started writing short stories while struggling with alcoholism, and when she came out of rehab she sent them off to a publisher. This resulted in her bestselling novel Watermelon, and 17 more novels to come, so far. She is now sober for 20 years and lives in Dún Laoghaire with her husband Tony Baines, after returning to Ireland in 1997.
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Business
Babytalk Pregnancy & Baby Fair
Rachel & Marie, the creators of babytalk, wear lots of hats: business owners at event, graphic and web design company curious design, bloggers at curious casa, and festival directors at babytalk. Babytalk is the pregnancy and baby festival they wanted to go to but couldn’t find. Together with their team and event partners they’ve been working hard to create a pregnancy and baby event with a difference. They believe that information is power and want to promote clear and unbiased information for the parents of Ireland. Whether you are a proud parent, a Mum or Dad-to-be or just feeling a bit broody Babytalk has something for you! They’ve gathered together a selection of clever products and services, speakers and entertainers under one roof, in O'Reilly Hall, UCD, on Saturday February 22nd and February 23rd, from 10.00am to 5.00pm. Hand-picked exhibitors will be showcasing their clever products and services – the perfect chance to browse, ask questions and maybe nab a bargain! A series of short talks from respected expert speakers provide introductions to a wide range of topics from trying to conceive, pregnancy well-being, infant nutrition, baby’s first year and more.
All the details for a fun stress-free day out have been considered with free car parking, buggy parking, baby changing areas, lots of comfy spots to feed either out and about or in a quiet feeding area and their gorgeous Easy Parenting café area where you can refuel and relax. Have fun for all the family with facepainting and a children’s play area plus our exciting entertainment programme of music, stand-up comedy and children’s entertainers.
See babytalkfestival.ie for more info and to book your tickets.
No better time to start a new business
For anybody currently out of work and considering starting their own business the government's new, Start your Own Business (SYOB) scheme could be of great help. Availing of this scheme means sole traders will not have to pay any income tax on the first €40,000 they make for two years. You need to have been unemployed for 12 months before you start
the new business but time spent on training courses and schemes will be treated as time spent unemployed.
Greg Murphy, owner of TaxAssist Accountants, said 'This is a really welcome measure. I work with a lot of people starting a new business and the first few years are hard cash-flow wise. Sometimes new businesses just cannot find the cash to pay their tax bill and they
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end up taking out loans. This new scheme will give people a bit of breathing room in those all important first years'.
SYOB is geared towards people setting up as sole traders or in partnerships; the new business cannot be a limited company. You don't have to operate in any particular industry and you do not have to be pre-approved by the social welfare.
Britain's ITV to launch pay-TV channel
Teeling to build new Dublin distillery
The Teeling Whiskey Company (TWC) has announced plans for a new whiskey distillery to be located in Dublin's Newmarket Square in The Liberties, Dublin 8 that will create 30 new jobs. This will be the first new distillery in Dublin in over 125 years and brings the Teelings home to their ancestral roots. The Teeling Whiskey Distillery will start production in the fourth quarter of 2014 with the visitor centre opening its doors
in early 2015, investing €10 million into The Liberties based location and creating at least 30 full time jobs. The distillery will also see 50 jobs created in the construction phase.
The brand is already on sale in Ireland and over 18 export markets. The proposed new Pot Still distillery will have the capacity to produce 500,000 litres of whiskey on an annual basis and will consist of three traditional copper Pot Stills reviving the traditional style of the old Dublin distilleries.
ITV is launching its first pay-TV channel, one dedicated to British drama, exclusively on Sky's satellite and online platforms as part of a new four-year partnership with its pay-TV rival, the UK broadcaster said today. ITV Encore, due to launch later this year, will broadcast re-runs of shows previously transmitted on ITV's freeto-air channels, ITV said, and from 2015 it will also screen original commissions. Drama has been a highlight of ITV schedules in recent years, with shows such as Broadchurch and Downton Abbey helping its main ITV free-to-air channel increase its share of viewing last year for the first time in a decade.
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UPC launch 500Mbps Business Broadband
make a very welcome contribution to our reputation for broadband capacity and to our overall economic recovery.
UPC's new 500 Mbps service will first be made available in Dublin, Waterford and Galway and UPC's new 500 Mbps will then be rolled out to superfast broadband service other towns and cities. will be offered to businesses across the country. The "The Government has made company said this will more jobs the top priority. We are than double currently supporting businesses to available speed offerings, grow, invest and add jobs. making a significant Day by day we are contribution to regional improving our attractiveeconomic development and ness as a location for powering the digital inward investment. This economy. announcement by UPC will
Irish manufacturing grows well again
Irish manufacturing activity grew for the eighth straight month in January, albeit at a slightly slower pace than in December, a survey showed today, as the country looks to build economic momentum and post solid growth in 2014. Ireland became the first euro zone country to exit an international bailout last year and is becoming increasingly confident it can deliver economic growth of 2 percent this year after two years of near stagnation.
"Although production growth slowed in January, new orders remained relatively robust, with improved demand reported from both domestic and export customers. Once again, the UK market was highlighted as a source of particular strength," said Investec Ireland chief economist Philip O'Sullivan.
“It will support a key aim in the Government's Action Plan for Jobs of increasing the number of businesses trading online so that Irish companies can grow new business at home and abroad and ultimately create more jobs," the Taoiseach said. UPC Ireland CEO, Magnus Ternsjo said, "We have invested over half a billion euro upgrading our fibre power network to world class standards and are constantly improving our product offerings.”
€85 million spent on energy retro-fits last year
Last year saw the Better Energy programme spend E85m last year with 250,000 homes upgraded and the number of homes with a Building Energy Rating (BER) reached 420,000, according to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
It said that the programme achievements for 2013 helped maintain 3,000 jobs.
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Keith Doherty
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INTERVIEW
I've been a member for almost ten years now. When I started out with Cecil (Johnston) initially it was cross country I was involved with. Cecil is brilliant, I have such respect for him because he started me off but running around Phoenix Park, through the muck, early in the morning didn't really appeal to me!
By Padraig Conlon
Keith Doherty is an 18 year sprinter from Kilnamanagh who became one of the fastest people in the country when he broke the Irish Junior 60m record last month at the National Championships in Athlone IT. This month he will compete in the Senior Nationals.
Keith massive congratulations on breaking the record!
Thanks very much. When I crossed the line it was a bit unexpected but after the race I realised that because of the hard winter session that I'd put in from September to December it was definitely deserved. During the winter I was working a seven and a half hour shift with my job so I was doing my two hour training sessions either before or after work.
Could you give our readers an insight into the type of training you were doing?
Well we call them back to back 150's, basically you sprint 150 metres and then you sprint back 150. You do that up, down, up,
down and you get a 30 second recovery and then you sprint again. We'd do three sets of that. That would be the stamina work. From December to August is when I do my speed work because I'll be racing during that part of the year.
You raced against your younger brother Eoin in that record breaking final, is there big rivalry now between the two of you?
Yeah there is, it's only really this year. He's always been brilliant but there was a gap between us ‘til now. Towards the end of last year he was running some crazy times.
He's been saying to our father “I'm going to beat Keith this year!” so obviously that's pushed me on! It's great for the two of us because we do the same training side by
side and we push each other on. The only person I was worried about in that final was Eoin!
Growing up you played for Shamrock Rovers, Thomas Davis and represented Ireland in Olympic handball, are you still involved with any other sports outside athletics?
No I had to give them up because I was pushing myself so hard every week. It was a great experience and brilliant for my endurance but it was hard to keep them all up and work on my sprinting so now I'm concentrating on just Tallaght Athletic Club.
How long have you been with the club?
I started watching Tyson Gay, who would have been the fastest in the world at the time, and decided I wanted to be a sprinter. I then went to train with Tony and the sprinters and he taught me how to run properly, how to sprint properly.
Then a year and a half ago Daniel Kilgallon, a Mayo man who is also the Dublin Youth Coordinator for Sport, took over. Daniel was a brilliant sprinter, who trained himself, and he has changed the way we train.
He has put so much time into us, I have such respect for him, everything he does revolves around us, he's always there, he's never ever let us down. He's the reason the whole sprinting group is doing well, to have three athletes run under 7 secs in a final is unheard of. I was so delighted for Daniel, we're close, I was nearly happier for him than myself when I broke the record. I'd love to see him get the recognition he deserves. For more information on Tallaght Athletic Club see their website: www.tallaghtac.ie or search for them on Facebook:
Tallaght-Athletic-Club
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Rousing Rugby
would take it “One test at a time”.
Joe Schmidt was careful not to let expectations get too high and insisted that his team
The Irish ladies who are defending their crown are also unbeaten following their first two fixtures, also against Scotland and Wales and have scored an impressive 73 points while conceding only 6.
There have been two sets of games in the 2014 RBS Six Nations and Ireland sit proudly on the top of the pile with victories over Scotland and Wales. Ireland lead on points difference from France while our next opponents England lie 2 points behind us after their opening day defeat by the French.
The supporters leaving the Aviva after the Welsh game were not being as cautious and the collective confidence of Irish Rugby is quite high at the moment!
Hudson Highlights
The talent of the Thomas Davis player shone brightly in the Mullingar sunshine as he scored 4 points in the closing stages of Dublin’s National League fixture against Westmeath.
Hurling Update
The U-21 Dublin Hurling Championship restarted this month after it was delayed late last year due to the weather and other issues and there were mixed fortunes for the local clubs. Thomas Davis took the B Championship, their first ever at this level when they beat Erins Isle in the final on the Kiltipper Road.
Reigning A championship champions St Judes were defeated at the Semi Final Stage by Kilmacud Crokes in a game that was controlled by a strong wind. Crokes await the winner of Ballyboden St Endas and Ballinteer St John in the final!
Dublin had peppered the Westmeath goal but were denied chance after chance by the Lake County’s keeper Darren Quinn and the All Ireland champions were rocked by a goal by the veteran Dessie Dolan.
The Dubs kept their cool and it was Hudson who had replaced McManamon with just 19 minutes remaining who was the difference in the end as Dublin ran out winners by 4 points to maintain their 100% league record.
Do you have some sports news for us?
If your local sports club has an event we should be letting our readers know about or if you know of a particularly good sports news story from the area, just email it to us on sports@intallght.ie and you might see it in our next edition!
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Emma Wheatley INTERVIEW By Padraig Conlon
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(l-r)Paddy Delahunty, Danielle Tutty Robinson, Emma Wheatley & Gerard Wheatley At Setanta Cup Final Against Dundalk in 2011.
Emma Wheatley is a Rover’s fan and we spoke to her about her hopes for the season ahead. What are your expectations for Rovers for the coming season?
For me, European qualification is a must. To continue to attract the best players we need to be there or thereabouts. I’m realistic, we may not challenge for the title, but we have to be challenging for a top four position. It will be a young side, and coupled with a lot of new signings, they’ll need time to gel, but the expectation to succeed won’t change…it’s Rovers after all.
What do you think the team need to improve from last season?
I’d like to see a settled team. With the exception of injuries, I want to see the same starting 11 every week. The manager should know his best 11 within the first few
games, chopping and changing will do little for stability, we saw that last season. Discipline also has to improve this season, although in fairness, I’m not sure it could get much worse.
What was your highlight of last season?
There weren’t many to be honest. The Setanta Cup campaign was possibly the only real highlight on the pitch, with most of the real successes happening off the pitch during the close season.
The new sponsorship deal with the Pepper Group, becoming the first Irish side to wear the Warrior brand, and the announcement that we’ll be fielding a team in the First Division for the 2014 season…these were the main highlights. However, off the field progression will translate to on field success.
At the moment, I'm happy with that.
What are your opinions on the personnel changes at Rovers with regard to players in and out?
Obviously retaining the likes of Finn and Sheppard, and seeing players like Kilduff and Madden return are big pluses. Losing a player of Richie Ryan’s calibre, however, is definitely one of the minuses.
I’m looking forward to seeing new signings Conor Kenna and Ryan Brennan, with Eamon Zayed almost like a new signing! I would have liked to have kept Rice and McCormack, they’re the type of professional you’d like to see at your club, but I trust Croly’s decision to release those he did, and his long-term outlook for the Shamrock Rovers.
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Game you're most looking forward to?
Derry away. It’s always been my favourite away ground to visit, so it's always the first fixture I look for. And with the added excitement…or incitement, that Roddy Collins brings, it’s definitely one I don’t want to miss.
Which of the other teams do you think will be challenging for the title?
I feel last season’s top five will remain the same, with Derry and us swapping positions. I think it’ll be between Sligo and Dundalk for the title, with last season’s champions third.
What current non Rovers players playing in the league would you love to sign? There’s not too many that really stand out, Kenny Browne and Richie Towell would be a good addition to any team though.
Derry and Sligo have made some interesting signings from outside the league, I’m looking forward to seeing them…and if they're any use, seeing how long they’re contracted for!
Whereas before we might have lost some of our best young players to other sides, the First Division team can now provide another route for these players who aren’t quite ready to break into the first team.
With this growth in team and player numbers it could also provide opportunities for current players to move into coaching roles if they so desired, a great example of this being Shane Robinson’s new role within player development in the Youth Section of the club.
Who is going to be Rovers most important player? This season Rovers’ most important player by far, will be our number twelve.
“”
IF THE FANS DON’T GET BEHIND THE TEAM AND THE MANAGER FROM THE VERY FIRST KICK-OFF… WE’LL STRUGGLE.
What are your thoughts on Rovers entering a B team in the First Division? Predictions for Rovers in the league and the cups?
It’s an incredibly exciting time for the club. With regard to long-term development it really gives us the edge on other clubs in the league.
A top-four finish in the league, to retain the three cups won last season, and an FAI Cup final!
InRovers
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Shane Robinson
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INTERVIEW
deserve great credit for going this route because they've invested a lot.
By Padraig Conlon
Has it been tough for you personally to juggle your new role with your own playing career?
Shane Robinson has been handed the responsibility to oversee the revamp of Rovers underage structure and many would agree he is an excellent role model to teach young footballers what it takes to make it at the club. InRovers spoke with him to find out how he is adapting to his new job.
Shane could you tell us about your new role at the club?
My overall role is to link the schoolboy section with the senior section. We've a new pathway now with the First Division team which we feel will offer a new route for young players. Presently we probably look outside our schoolboy section to draft players for our Under 19s which is something we want to change and get players into our system as early as possible.
So from eight years on we want to get players into our club and provide better facilities, better coaching, and better everything really for them so that when they eventually get to the age where they're competing for the First Division team or the first team it'll be no big change for them, they'll be used to playing for Shamrock Rovers, which is important
because sometimes players come here and it's a bit of a culture shock for them because it's a big club to play for.
On a day to day basis what does it entail for you? Our schoolboy system at the moment has 150 players and I want to know everything about every one of them, where we're strong and where we're not strong. Most of my evenings are spent down at the Spawell, Sacred Heart Killinarden or the AUL getting to know the boys.
I'll be learning along the way myself working with all our coaches. Our schoolboy system has made massive jumps in the last few years, we have volunteers who have taken it this far, they've been great and that'll continue. As well as that Trevor has been brilliant which is great when the head coach takes such an interest
in the schoolboy section. We want to open the gates of this club to all the schools in Tallaght because this is their club and we feel we can develop them the whole way through. Hopefully people around here will all buy into it.
Are you excited about the new B team and what lies ahead for them? Yes I am, I think it's fantastic for the young players, whether we win lose or draw is not really important, the development of the players is what's important to us. If we lose a game 3-2 but get a player of 17 out on that park who gets man of the match, that'll still be a positive. Obviously we want to win matches as well as that breeds a good mentality in the lads and it becomes a habit, but it's not going to be win at all costs in the First Division. I think the board
No it hasn't because as a footballer you have so much spare time and throughout my career I've got used to using that time well. When I played in Finland I used to coach the whole time so this is ideal for me. Outside of training it's just about living right and eating right. On a personal level training has been going great, I've had a good three weeks and I'm injury free touch wood. We've changed squad again, it's very young and to me it looks like a hungry squad, very driven and everyone wants to play. We've signed players who really want to play for Shamrock Rovers, which maybe wasn't the case last year or the year before. We're together, we spent a couple of days down at the Curragh with the army last week which was great. We all dug in and worked hard, we've got to show that now. The signs are very positive so far.
From your time coaching in Finland is there anything we could learn in this country from their approach? Yes there is, they train a lot more, a hell of a lot more. Two nights a week is a lot here, they train 4/5 nights a week. The involvement with schools over there is much bigger, they allow access from clubs into the schools to take PE etc one day a week.
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First Division Signings
I'm already involved in St Aidans but I'd like to go to more schools. A lot of the boys in St Aidans play for the likes of Cherry Orchard which is great for them because they provide good facilities and coaching but we want to do this for Tallaght.
The Hoops have signed nine players so far specifically for the First Division team and the rest of the squad will be made up of players from the current Under 19 team.
So hopefully Rovers can discover the next Robbie Keane or Richard Dunne in the area?
Yes, they're already here, it's just a case of getting them into our system as early as possible. It'd be great for the supporters as well if we have a 16/17 year old who everyone knows is going to go on to a higher level as they'll get the chance to watch him as he develops before he goes away. A lot of our players have been away in England and come back, they could tell you some stories about life over there, I don't think it's the be all and end all when you're 17/18.
The kids can see that what Rovers are now offering is an opportunity to stay here and do your Leaving and train at a very high standard. I don't think many 17 year olds will get to train every day in England with players of the calibre of Ronan Finn or Gary McCabe, more than likely they'd be in academies working with players their own age. This is a big road for me personally and I want to make it work. I'm not afraid of hard work and this next three or four years could be very important for Shamrock Rovers. I want to help everyone and make a difference.
These players are:
Colin Hawkins was unveiled as the manager of the Rovers First Division team with Noel White installed as his assistant. At the press conference to announce his new post Hawks spoke about the expectations for this new team.
“My remit is to keep pushing players into the 1st team. We don’t have the pressure on us to win every game. It’s more important for me to help players progress than to win the league but we’re still in it to win it, we will be hoping to take points off the likes of Waterford, Shels and Longford. We have some very good 17/18 year olds and we’re looking to push them on and instil in them a winning mentality so that if and when they step up to the first team they can cope.”
Daniel Purdy Liam Traynor Adam Whelan Mick Kelly Chris Lyons Conor O’Malley Ryan Coombes Kevin Knight Corie Treacy.
Speaking to InTallaght Daniel Purdy said he was delighted to make the switch from Longford Town:
InRovers
“”
I'm from the area and I grew up supporting Rovers and going to their matches since I was 7 as my Dad played for them for four years so this was an easy decision to make. I could have stayed at Longford but after I spoke to Hawks I made up my mind. This is a great club with a great stadium and fan base. My aim is to eventually play for the first team. I think the First Division team is a great idea as it gives the younger players a big chance and if you're hungry you'll play better. I've trained with the first team and they're all great lads, very friendly. I'm looking forward to the season getting started now.
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RUA RED
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Hi everyone,
We’ve had an eventful few weeks here at RUA RED HQ between Pop-Up Openings and Operation Transformation in full swing. We’ve starting getting pretty excited about our birthday too - on these pages this issue we have some details about our a Pop-Up maker, some inside perspectives from a tenant here just in case you were wondering what exactly it’s like running a centre like ours day to day. A bit more goes into it than you might think!
Also with us being five and all we would love to hear from you and your experiences at RUA RED. You can send us a message on Facebook (/rua.red) or Tweet us @RUARED, or even send a good old fashioned email if you prefer. With our birthday coming up we’d like to reminisce about the last five years and who better to hear about it from than the people who were here through it all. Until next issue,
The RUA RED Team
Each Garment Is Screen Printed By Hand
Pop-Up Spotlight
With our newest Pop-Up now up and running we will be putting the spotlight on some of our fantastic artists and makers over the next month. With ten makers from Dublin and Tallaght including Moobles and Toobles, Lollipops and Daydreams and Shen Wong Jewellery there’s definitely something for everyone this month. From gorgeous vintage print cushions to fabulous cake stands, cute baby-gros to unique cuddly toys we have our gifts all sussed until next Christmas. Here’s a closer look at one of our featured makers this month, Nadia from Moobles and Toobles:
Moobles And Toobles is a range of hand printed baby basics and gift sets designed and printed in Dublin. The baby-gros, bibs and hats are made from 100% cotton and printed using water-based eco friendly inks. Moobles and Toobles have been featured on Xpose, in The Irish Times and in The Daily Mail.
“Nadia makes each illustration before developing it on to screen at her home studio. She then prints each garment by hand using the traditional screen printing process, therefore each one is a unique little piece of wearable art. Her hand drawn designs are a mix of traditional, iconic and vintage imagery with a modern twist.
Her inspiration goes back to items she was fascinated with as a child from Mamushka dolls to vintage robots and kitsch ornaments. A lot of the designs are unisex and can be printed in numerous colour combinations, from traditional Pink or Blue to bold Vermilion Red, Aqua and Neon Pink”.
Balloon 3 Piece Set (Red) – Moobles & Toobles, RUA RED Pop-Up, €30
SONAS
Our first ever Sonas meeting was held last Tuesday afternoon to a fantastic reception – a massive thank you to all who attended! As a result we will have a regular meeting here in the building on the last Tuesday of every month at Moobles and Toobles will be 1.30pm, the next being on available from our Pop-Up Shop February 25th. If you are over 55 until March 7th. and would like to meet the rest of the O55s community here in RUA RED come along to the meeting www.mooblesandtoobles.com/ after the morning film. @mooblestoobles/ For more information you MooblesAndToobles can email Rebecca at rfitzpatrick@ruared.ie.
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Writers’ Corner BUM SKID By Martina Delaney
Bum skid, bum skid, Why did I have to do it? I thought I had The place to myself, But then I went And blew it! I got myself Into position, I thought I Had it right.
Then mammy came Into the room And gave me A terrible fright! Oh bum skid, Oh bum skid, Sometimes it just Has to be done.
For there’s no way To cure a thing As bad as An itchy bum!
Martina has had several other poems published in InTallaght. She lives in Newcastle, Co. Dublin and had been writing for many years.
A FALL By Csilla Toldy
Trembling thrill flows down on my spine I am anxiously aware of the walls Falling apart. Weights of defence drop to the ground Uncovering a vulnerable core Taken away by the winds of life.
Csilla is originally from Hungary and now lives in Northern Ireland in Rostrevor, on the border between North and South. She works as a tutor of creative writing for the Open University, Open College of the Arts and for herself. www.csillatoldy.com
CONNEMARA
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By Sharon Piggot
Your brooding lakes instil in me an unfamiliar calmness, as my body undulates to its cryptic rhythms. The evening sun caresses rugged shoulders, turning your emerald cloak an earthy brown. Soft rain eagerly falls on lazy beds, nourishing your hungry soul. Your boundless terrain offers refuge from concrete towers shrouded in grey. A selfless and savage beauty you share, with the weary traveller – lost. Effortlessly replenishing my broken spirit, you watch me walk your crimson and golden valleys, climb your temperamental hills and follow your rebellious streams. Searching feverishly for the wise mentor, until Erebus visits with shimmering skies, the moon envelops and slumber beckons.
Sharon has been writing on and off for years and studied creative writing as part of an English Literature degree. She likes walking, reading, cinema and theatre and has recently started bodhrán lessons. This is her second piece to be printed in InTallaght.
ARE YOU AN ASPIRING AUTHOR OR POET?
If you’re interested in seeing your work published in InTallaght, simply submit your poem or short story (no longer than 400 words please!) to editor@intallaght.ie and you could see your creative writing in print in one of our future editions!
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Local Events
15 18 24 01 01 07
FEBRUARY
County Library
FEBRUARY
County Library
FEBRUARY
MARCH
MARCH
MARCH
??
Prepare For Your Irish Orals - 5 Week Course
Saturday February 15th - Saturday March 22nd - from 11 am to 1 pm Are you a Leaving Certificate student? Do you need some help with your oral Irish? Free Course. Places are limited so booking is essential. To book telephone 01 462 0073 or ask at library desk.
Storytime for Children
Tuesday February 18th Storytime happens every Tuesday @ 3.30pm in the Junior Library All welcome, suitable for ages 4 to 7 Visit www.southdublinlibraries.ie for more details
Tallaght Stadium Rovers v Glentoran
Kick off @ 8.00pm Visit www.shamrockrovers.ie for more details
Louder Voices
@ The Unitarian Church (In aid of Teen-Line Ireland) Saturday March 1st Fundraising gig featuring 48:Hours, Mongoose, Theresa McKenna, Find Home, SecondHarmony, Calvin Hynes and Kevin Rooney. Visit www.facebook.com/teenline for more details
2014 National Pancake Party
in aid of The National Children's Hospital, Tallaght
You can host a Pancake Party at a location of your choice between March 1st and March 4th Visit www.thenationalchildrenshospital.ie for more details
Tallaght Stadium Rovers v Derry City
Kick off @ 8.00pm Visit www.shamrockrovers.ie for more details
Get Your Event Some FREE Publicity
Are You A Non-Profit Organisation That Has An Upcoming Event? If So, Email events@intallaght.ie With All The Relevant Information. *Terms & Conditions Apply
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