Metro Herald, December 6, 2013

Friday, December 6, 2013

Ireland’s horrible history

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Nelson Mandela 1918-2013 ‘Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father’ picture: reuters

South Africa president Jacob Zuma

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METRO HERALD Friday, December 6, 2013

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Today is...

Saint Nicholas Day, the feast day of the fourth-century bishop who gave his name to Santa Claus. In Holland, children receive gifts on the Eve of St Nicholas; in Hungary, children leave shoes out overnight – to find them full of toys the next day

From the archives (2006): Enjoy Christmas – then go to jail

Two thieves sent to prison for stealing beer won’t have to start their sentences until the New Year so they can enjoy Christmas.

They were given six-month jail terms at New Ross Circuit Court after stealing ten kegs of Guinness and two of Budweiser.

Today’s birthdays JoBeth Williams, actress, 65; Peter Buck, rock guitarist (pictured), 57; Nick Park, animator, 55; Gordon Durie, former footballer, 48; Judd Apatow, film producer 46.

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Friday, December 6, 2013 METRO HERALD

Madiba loses his last battle World mourns Mandela

by TARiq TAHiR NELSON MANDELA, whose long struggle against apartheid ended with him becoming president of a non-racial South Africa, died last night at the age of 95.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner passed away at his home in Johannesburg after fighting a lung infection that hospitalised him for three months earlier this year.

South Africa president Jacob Zuma made the announcement at about 9.50pm, saying: ‘Our nation lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father. What made him great was precisely what made him human.

‘We saw in him what we seek in ourselves and in him we saw so much of ourself. He is now resting.

He is now at peace.

‘Our thoughts are with the South African people who today mourn the loss of the one person who, more than any other, came to embody their sense of a common nationhood.

‘Our thoughts are with the millions of people across the world who embraced Madiba as their own, and who saw his cause as their cause.

This is the moment of our deepest sorrow.’

Taoiseach Enda Kenny paid tribute to the freeman of Dublin in a state-

n TRIBUTES have poured in from all over the world to Nelson Mandela. The actor Samuel L. Jackson wrote on Twitter: ‘Never met a better person in my life.’ Former UK prime minister Tony Blair called Mr Mandela a ‘great man’ who had made racism ‘not just immoral but stupid’. Footballer Vincent Kompany said: ‘RIP Nelson Mandela... my only ever hero.’ Bill Gates said: ‘Every time Melinda and I met Nelson Mandela, we left more inspired than ever. His grace and courage changed the world.’ ment: ‘Today, a great light has been extinguished. The boy from the Transkei has finished his long walk.

His journey transformed not just South Africa, but humanity itself.’

From the White House, Barack Obama said: ‘I’m one of the countless millions who drew inspiration from Mandela’s life. The first thing I ever did in political life was a protest against apartheid.

‘So long as I live I will do what I can to learn from him. We will not likely see the likes of Nelson Mandela again, a man who took history in his hands and bent the moral arc

of history towards justice.’

Mr Mandela’s condition deteriorated this week and his family began to gather at his home.

Earlier yesterday his daughter said he was still putting up a courageous fight from his ‘deathbed’ but rumours began circulating of his death in the early evening.

His passing away came as a film about his life, Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, premiered in London.

Mr Mandela spent 27 years in prison after being sentenced under the old racist apartheid regime.

His release in 1990 followed worldwide protests about his treatment and helped usher in a new era in South Africa.

The first all-race South African elections in 1994 voted him in as the country’s first black president.

After stepping down five years later, he devoted his attentions to global health and human rights campaigns, including the battle against HIV. Mr Mandela was widely acclaimed for his commitment to forgiveness and co-operation with people of all colours.

Memorably he took centre-stage as South Africa hosted and won the 1995 Rugby World Cup. He handed the trophy to home captain Francois Pienaar wearing a South Africa shirt.

Dignified: Nelson Mandela, pictured in 1990, has died aged 95 Pic: reuters

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METRO HERALD Friday, December 6, 2013

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Friday, December 6, 2013 METRO HERALD

‘I did not blame RUC men for their own deaths’ – Adams SINN Féin president Gerry Adams has said it is nonsense to suggest he blamed two of the most senior RUC officers killed by the IRA for their own deaths.

The republican leader said those who attack him are at odds with the Smithwick report, which raised concerns about the security arrangements in place for Chief Superintendent

by sARAH sTACk Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan.

Politicians in Dublin and Belfast reacted in disbelief after Mr Adams yesterday said the men effectively drove themselves to their own death.

Mr Adams claimed his comments reflect what was recorded by Judge

Peter Smithwick at the end of an eight-year investigation: ‘Everyone knows the IRA was responsible. That was never in question,’ he added.

The tribunal found an unidentified IRA mole in the Garda station in Dundalk tipped off a terrorist hit squad that the men were attending a meeting in the town on the day of the murders, March 20, 1989.

Meanwhile, former detective sergeant Owen Corrigan has accused Judge Smithwick of placing a cloud of suspicion over all gardaí who worked in Dundalk. He welcomed that there was no finding of collusion on his part in the murders.

In 2000, MP Jeffrey Donaldson alleged the detective sergeant colluded with Provos in the 1989 murders.

Simon says sing...

RTÉ’s Aoibhinn Ní­ Shúilleabháin with singers Liga Selavina, Niamh Byrne, Ciara Halpin and Elizabeth Fearns at the launch of Sing for Simon. Each year the campaign brings together around 100 choirs who sing carols in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow. For more, see dubsimon.ie Picture: conor mccabe

Former solicitor Rabbitte: Let LRC charged with fraud mediate in ESB row A FORMER solicitor has been charged with seven counts of fraud amounting to €2.8million. Ruairí Ó Ceallaigh is accused of stealing the funds from seven client accounts within his family’s Phibsboro law firm over a four-year period.

Dublin District Court heard the 42year-old, of Collegeland, Summerhill in Co Meath, was arrested by appointment yesterday morning in the city. Ó Ceallaigh was charged with dishonestly appropriating sums of cash – ranging from €75,000 to €1.5m – on dates from July 2006 to May 2010.

Judge Patricia McNamara granted bail.

The case was adjourned until January 16.

ENERGY Minister Pat Rabbitte has asked the Labour Relations Commission to intervene in the ESB dispute.

In a statement last night, Mr Rabbitte said: ‘After several days of discussions, no resolution of the dispute has yet emerged. It is unthinkable our economic recovery should be jeopardised… and our country’s reputation undermined by a disruption out of all proportion to the issues in dispute.’

ESB workers have threatened to go on strike on December 16 in a row over reduced pension payments due to a funding shortfall.

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siege man dies A MAN at the centre of an armed siege in Dublin died in hospital yesterday. The man, aged in his 40s, suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was rushed to hospital following a stand-off with gardaí on Wednesday.

The incident happened at Farrenboley Park, Windy Arbour, Dundrum. Gardaí arrived at the scene around the time a gunshot was heard. There were no shots fired at gardaí or anyone else during the incident. The stand-off, which lasted under two hours, was brought to an end at 5.20pm.

A Garda source has described the incident as a personal tragedy.

METRO HERALD Friday, December 6, 2013

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60 seconds GARETH MALOnE, 38, is still putting choral music back on the map with shows such as his latest project, Voices. These days the choirmaster has less bow tie, more beard

Who is in the new choir for your album, Voices? I put out

an all-points bulletin looking for great choral singers who had a foot in the 21st century and who could also sing a pop song.

Are you saying the Military Wives don’t have a foot in the 21st century? Of course

they do! But they can’t read music. I wanted people who would share in my general sense that choirs are great but were also able to sing something like A Little Respect by Erasure without it sounding too dweeby. And that’s surprisingly hard to find.

they’re good-looking, I would say they’re all performers, they all have that ability to connect with an audience and it just tended to be that the people who didn’t think about their appearance much, for whom a pop song meant Frank Sinatra, just didn’t connect. I’m not a looks fascist.

Or maybe I am. I don’t know.

It must have been a weird project with the Military Wives, who have never sung in front of people…

Because it just built up by degrees, it felt normal. We had lots of experience of performing and then – pow! – we were But there are some suddenly in all the pagreat singers pers. I got lots of messages from who can’t read the wives afmusic. Yeah.

Miley Cyrus? Isn’t terwards, like: I’m not saying that all going horribly ‘What just that… I love happened? It Paul McCartwrong? I don’t think was like a ney but he can’t there’s much musically dream.’ read music.

“

He also can’t sing any more, but hey… You may

going on there

say that…

Was it like The X Factor auditions? Did anyone come in and sing You Raise Me Up, having told you a story about their grandad? It was

like choral X Factor but a lot tougher. And there was not a single version of the ubiquitous You Raise Me Up. And there were no discussions about their background. With Military Wives it was about them and getting them to sing, and I thought: ‘I just want to make this totally distinct.’

And all the people in this choir are just coincidentally nice-looking, aren’t they?

Well, that was a happy coincidence. I think, rather than saying

You beat Simon Cowell to No.1… That felt

good. But, to his credit, he said he bought two copies.

In the classical music world, do they think of you as a sell-out? Well, it’s a good ques-

tion. I’m sure there are some of them who are cross that it’s not them but, genuinely, most of the conductors and musicians that I know are very nice and they realise I’m just trying to get wider appreciation for the music.

Do you worry about credibility in general? Do you mind if people buy the album for their granny? Does

buying it for your granny make it non-credible? I’m after inspiring people to listen to choral music.

Do I worry about credibility? Yes,

to an extent. I don’t want anyone to think what I’m doing is some sort of pantomime. To quote everyone on The X Factor, music is my life. I give it 110 per cent every day. I give it a million per cent.

Your look has moved on…

I like to move with the times. The bow tie was only ever a fashion moment, though in America they do like a Brit in a bow tie – but it was one of those fashion moments that came to define me.

But I don’t really want to be a cartoon character so I thought I might just take the bow tie off for the odd hour.

What is your guilty pleasure? Miley Cyrus? Rihanna?

Oh no, it’s neither of them. Miley Cyrus? Isn’t that all going horribly wrong? I don’t think there’s much musically going on there. I don’t know how they handle it.

Can you imagine actually being Justin Bieber? Cameras literally everywhere. He’s got that all day, every day, wherever he goes.

Late night bus, train and tram for Christmas COMMUTERS will be able to take late-night public transport over the Christmas period on all of the city’s main public transport providers.

Dart services will run after midnight at weekends from December 13 to 21, with 12.30am services operating from Pearse to Howth and Malahide and from Connolly to Bray.

Normal Dart fares will apply and security staff will be on board the fourcarriage late night services.

In a statement, Iarnród Éireann said it decided to run the service following an online survey of rail customers. A spokesman said it hoped the service ‘translates into people coming home from Christmas nights out on these convenient and great value travel options’.

by jOAnnE AHERn

He added that, depending on demand, it would look at expanding the service in future years, in terms of frequency and destination, to include Greystones and other commuter routes.

Meanwhile, Luas also announced its Christmas and New Year schedule yesterday, with 12.30am trams on December 27, 28 and 30, and New Year’s Eve. Night Luas on the Green Line will run until 3.30am on December 13, 14, 20, 21 and 31, though not from Brides Glen.

Dublin Bus will begin its Nitelink service on selected weekdays from December 12, running at 12.30am and 2am.

Visit Dart.ie; Luas.ie or DublinBus.ie for full details.

Justin Bieber walking around next to naked is kind of looking for attention. I suppose so. But it’s not a world I would want to be in.

Do you get any intrusiveness? Not really. I’m fairly bor-

ing. I’m married with two children and I like going to the park and listening to music in the evening. I would much rather do that than go to Chinawhite. Is that still the place? I don’t even know.

Spoken like a true square!

And what’s the one they go to in Towie? The Sugar Hut? No, I really have no interest in that at all.

Simon Gage Voices by Gareth Malone is out now.

by Luas

SEASOn THiCkET: If you’ve ever wished you could create more personal space on a overcrowded train, this spiked waistcoat could be just the thing.

The Spike Away vest is the brainchild of designer Siew Ming Cheng (pictured), who was tasked by lecturers at the National University of Singapore to develop something that would help people to feel less cramped on public transport.

Although it looks scary, the vest is made from plastic spikes designed to keep birds off buildings – however, the Spike Away is unlikely to be appearing in a store near you due to the likelihood of it prompting personal injury claims.

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Friday, December 6, 2013 METRO HERALD

METRO HERALD Friday, December 6, 2013

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Keating gets new job as a postman

by pHiL ATELy

RONAN KEATING has been added to the cast of Postman Pat: The Movie – playing the singing voice of the cheery postman.

He joins actors such as Harry Potter’s Jim Broadbent and Rupert Grint and former Doctor Who David Tennant in the animated movie which is due to come out in May. Green Wing and I’m Alan Partridge actor Stephen Mangan is playing the speaking voice of Pat, who was first seen by TV audiences 32 years ago.

In addition to his singing role, Keating, whose solo hits include Life Is A Rollercoaster, will have a role as a TV talent show contestant.

The northsider, whose version of When You Say Nothing At All appeared in the film Notting Hill, said: ‘It’s been a true honour to help bring Postman Pat’s singing voice to life. I grew up watching Pat and all the great characters in Greendale, so I can’t wait to take my kids along to see them all on the big screen.’

In the film, Pat enters a talent show and, as success beckons, he has to wrestle with the prospect of leaving home.

The original voice of Pat – and the man who sang the theme tune to the show – was actor Ken Barrie, now 70.

Jess delighted: Ronan to sing as children’s TV favourite

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CUP WINNER: Roz Purcell wowed the crowds on the red carpet at the UK premiere of Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom in Leicester Square, London, last night, wearing a stunning Junk Kouture dress entitled crystal Ghost – made from recycled polystyrene cups – designed by Irish student Cathy Brennan Picture: Brian Mcevoy

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Friday, December 6, 2013 METRO HERALD

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Simon Cowell is free to marry his pregnant girlfriend Lauren Silverman after she finalised her divorce from the TV mogul’s one-time best friend Andrew Silverman in New York.

Naomie wishes she’d kept 007 rumour a secret

Naomie Harris wants to get a few things off her chest about life as a Bond girl. She was the one who started rumours that Idris Elba, 41, wanted Daniel Craig’s role as 007.

The Skyfall star, 37, said: ‘A journalist asked me, “Who will be the next Bond?” I’d just worked with Idris, and said, “I’d vote for him”. Then there were headlines saying Idris wants the job. It’s all he gets asked about now,’ she told Esquire magazine, out now. The pair star in Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom.

Niall and Katy have a New York dinner date Revealing: Naomie Harris, who is Miss Moneypenny in the 007 films, shares some secrets of her life as a Bond girl PICTURE: EsqUIRE

Niall Horan called up old friend Katy Perry for a dinner date when One Direction touched down in New York. The 20-year-old ate at exclusive members’ club Soho House with the Roar singer, who helped put the band together during her 2010 guest appearance on The X Factor. The singleton and Perry, 29 – who’s dating musician John Mayer, 36 – avoided being pictured together.

Gaga: Dive into anti-gay states at your peril, Tom

By ANDREI HARMSWORTH

L

ady Gaga has urged Tom daley to boycott diving in countries that have antigay laws as she called for Russia to be barred from holding next year’s winter Olympics.

The singer said she supported the teenager’s coming out story this week but ranted that his fellow athletes should pull out of the Games in Sochi.

‘I don’t think that we should be going to the Olympics at all,’ she fumed.

‘I mean I would never take anything away from their hard work, I just think it is absolutely wrong for so many countries to send money the way of a country that doesn’t support gays.

‘They pepper spray and beat them in Russia,’ she tells alan Carr on his Channel 4 show Chatty Man. and even though daley doesn’t compete in the winter Olympics, she explained: ‘It made me very sad to see the pain that some of the gay kids are in in Russia and for the world to send their finest for the Olympics… I can’t, it just feels so wrong and sad. I hate saying that because I’m so excited for those like Tom daley to go and to win and to rejoice.’

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old artpop singer opened up about her drug binges, saying she returned to her pre-Gaga days in New york when she was high.

‘I just take a puff and I’m me when I was 17 again, in my white go-go boots, looking for a job on the Lower East Side, and there’s something quite creative and liberating about it.’

Watch Gaga’s interview on Chatty Man tonight at 10pm on Channel 4.

Chatty girl: Lada Gaga on the show

Tom Daley’s alleged lover, Dustin Lance Black, first hinted he had his eye on the Olympic diver on comedy website Funny Or Die earlier this year.

The 39-year-old screenwriter got flustered in August when comedians Erin Gibson and Bryan Safi asked whether he would consider taking part in reality show Splash!. ‘As long as I could do the British version – the host is much cuter,’ Black replied. Daley, 19, this week revealed he had been dating a man since spring – but refused to confirm whether the LGBT activist was the man to steal his heart.

★

Hugh Jackman is ‘all good’ following his cancer scare.

The Wolverine actor had surgery last month to remove a growth on his nose. He chirped: ‘I’m all good. It’s all out.’ The Aussie star, 45, revealed he had ‘no worries’ when the red dot appeared on his skin.

10 METRO HERALD Friday, December 6, 2013

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‘Stop saying I’m a drug addict’

by AIDAn RADnEDgE

EXASPERATED celebrity chef Nigella Lawson challenged the courts to put her on trial as she fiercely defended herself over drug-addiction allegations.

The so-called ‘domestic goddess’ insisted she felt ‘ashamed’ of taking cocaine and cannabis.

However, she denied being a ‘regular’ drug-taker as she faced accusations of stashing cocaine around her €45million home – including in a box containing her late husband’s wedding ring.

Giving evidence against two former aides accused of fraud, she told the court: ‘I really feel if you want to put me on trial, put me on trial. I don’t feel it is right to have

Angered: Nigella Lawson leaves Isleworth crown court me here as a witness for the Crown and treat me like this.’

She faced a barrage of allegations from defence lawyer Karina Arden, including claims her drugs were discovered by her children.

Judge Robin Johnson advised Miss Lawson not to reply when asked whether her children gave her a Mother’s Day card with a ‘spliff’ attached.

Ms Lawson rejected suggestions

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cannabis dealers would come to her home and that she often had a ‘runny nose’ with white powder around it.

The 53-year-old mother-of-two insisted: ‘I promise, regular cocaine users do not look like this. They are scrawny and look unhealthy.

‘If you think I’m going to sabotage my health and leave my children as orphans, you are very wrong. I’m not proud of the fact I have taken drugs but that does not make me a drug addict.’

Ms Lawson was giving a second day of evidence at the trial of sisters Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo, the PAs accused of defrauding almost €845,000 from her and ex-husband Charles Saatchi. The siblings each deny one count of fraud. The trial at Isleworth crown court continues.

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GARDAÍ at Blanchardstown are seeking help from the public in finding Candice Crichlow (top right). The 15-year-old has been missing from her home in Tyrrelstown on November 28.

She is 5ft 6in, of slim build, with long black hair, dyed blonde on the fringe and sides, with three piercings on each ear. She also wears glasses.

Meanwhile, gardaí in Clontarf are also looking for Leon Quirke (right), last seen in the Fairview area at around 12.30am on November 27.

The 17-year-old is 6ft tall, thin build, with brown hair and blue eyes.

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Storms leave two dead by nicOLE LE MARiE

TWO people were killed, tens of thousands were evacuated from their homes, and Scotland shutdown as the worst storm in 60 years sent lethal winds and a tidal surge to Britain.

One man died when he was struck by a falling tree in a park in Retford, Nottinghamshire, when winds of up to 228kmph battered some of the worst-affected areas yesterday.

A lorry driver was killed when the HGV he was driving was blown on top of two cars on the A801 near Bathgate, West Lothian, injuring four others.

High winds also affected parts of Ireland, with wind speeds of 130kmph recorded at Malin Head in Co Donegal. Several thousand homes were without electricity for a time in counties Donegal, Meath and Westmeath, while Sligo residents had to deal with flooding.

In the Dublin area, an overhanging tree closed the northbound N11 at Glen of the Downs and, separately, debris caused problems for motorists on the M9 Dublin/Waterford road.

Irish Ferries also cancelled some ferry crossings, but it was business

Sea spray: Reader Paul Garry sent in this photo of Bray Harbour yesterday the River Tyne burst its banks in as usual at Dublin Airport.

As England’s east coast prepared Newcastle.

Communities along the Lincolnfor the worst tidal surge in 60 years last night, more than 10,000 homes shire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex were Kent coast were at the highest risk evacuated after officials warned of flooding yesterday and today, the ‘lives were at risk,’ along the coast. Environment Agency warned.

Although the country has adScotland faced a shut-down yesterday, when at the storm’s height vanced its flood defences since the more than 130,000 homes lost pow- floods of 1953 which left 307 dead, er, all forms of transport were halt- the Environment Agency said some ed and schools closed. In north defences could be overtopped by Wales, lifeboat crews rescued resi- the combined effect of high tides, dents from flooded homes, while high winds and a large tidal surge.

An Taisce in court challenge to nuclear plant Cars take cash.

Buses take Leap Card.

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A DECISION to give permission for a new nuclear power station on the coast facing Ireland should be quashed, the UK High Court has heard.

An Taisce has brought a challenge over the legality of the decision by the UK’s Secretary of State for Energy to grant development consent for the project at Hinkley Point in Somerset.

Lawyers for An Taisce say there was a failure to undertake

‘transboundary consultation’ with the Irish people beforehand, as required by the EC’s Environmental Impact Assessment Directive.

The British government says such consultation was not necessary as it had already dealt with the potentially severe impact nuclear accidents could have, were they to happen.

Transboundary consultation was only required in relation to significant environmental

effects of which there was a ‘real risk’, it argued.

Today, at the start of a twoday hearing, David Wolfe QC, for An Taisce, said the failure to consult was unlawful.

James Nix, policy director for An Taisce, has said: ‘This case is not about interfering with the right of the UK authorities to make their own decisions… it is about ensuring the rights of the Irish public are not excluded from those decisions.’

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Friday, December 6, 2013 METRO HERALD

13

No verdict in vandalised Monet trial

Battered: The gales cause havoc in Blackpool, top, at The Black Pearl adventure playground in New Brighton, Merseyside, far left, Leeds, left and Manchester,

Pictures: PA/ BoB WArWick/rossPArry/ Men

THE jury in the trial of a man accused of vandalising a €10million Claude Monet painting at the National Gallery has been discharged after failing to reach a verdict.

Andrew Shannon, 48, of Willans Way, Ongar, pleaded not guilty to causing criminal damage to the painting in 2012.

He claimed he felt weak and ‘collapsed’ against the painting because of his heart condition.

After deliberating for nine hours the jury foreman said it had reached a deadlock.

Judge Desmond Hogan remanded Shannon in custody pending a bail application.

During the trial, the jury saw CCTV footage from the moment Mr Shannon entered the gallery carrying a can of paint stripper in a plastic bag, until he was brought out by paramedics a little over half an hour later.

Two tourists standing nearby said they saw Mr Shannon lunge at the painting with his clenched fist ‘like a hammer’.

The 1874 painting Argenteuil Basin With A Single Sailboat was left with rips and tears.

A new trial date has yet to be confirmed.

14 METRO HERALD Friday, December 6, 2013

World

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Robbers exposed to My hunger inspired toxic load ‘may die’ my work, says Ono

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AMERiCA: Identical triplets Abby, Laurel and Brindabella Hepner in hospital in Sacramento, California. The chances of giving birth naturally to three such babies are at least a million to one Picture: AP

Bank has Bit of bad Actor faces new trial news for online cash over fatal road crash CHinA: Bitcoins were banned by the country’s central bank yesterday because they don’t qualify as a legal currency.

Financial institutions are not allowed to use the virtual online currency that is gaining acceptance in other states. ‘Ordinary people are free to participate in transactions at their own risk,’ the bank said. Thailand’s central bank banned Bitcoins in July.

inDiA: Bollywood star Salman Khan will face a fresh trial on a homicide charge for a fatal hit-andrun more than ten years ago. The 47-year-old could be jailed for ten years after a homeless man died when Khan mounted the pavement outside a bakery in Mumbai in 2002. He was facing a lesser offence but a court ruled he should be charged with culpable homicide in February. He denies the charge.

and finally...

SpAin: A four-month-old baby was accidentally sold €4,700 of shares by a bank. The child’s contract with Novagalicia Banco was ordered null and void by a court in Ponferrada. It is not clear how the error occurred.

Pope forms panel of experts on sex abuse POPE Francis is assembling a panel of experts to advise him about protecting children from sexually abusive priests and helping victims who have already been harmed.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston, announced the creation of the commission at the conclusion of a meeting between Pope Francis and his eight cardinal advisers who are helping him govern the Catholic church and reform the Vatican bureaucracy.

Boston was at the centre of the 2002 clerical sexual abuse scandal in the United States.

Archbishop O’Malley said the commission would study current

Commission: Pope Francis Picture: AP child protection programmes, better screen priests, train church personnel and suggest initiatives to be implemented both in the Vatican and worldwide.

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Friday, December 6, 2013 METRO HERALD

15

‘Death road’ delays Syria arms mission

Loyal support: A girl in Bangkok waves the Thai flag on the 86th birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej Picture: WeNN

King’s birthday brings peace to Thailand

STREET battles and demonstrations were put to one side yesterday as Thailand celebrated the 86th birthday of its revered monarch. Anti-government protesters and police observed a truce for King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Crowds, dressed in the royal colour of yellow, lined the roads in the seaside town of

Hua Hin to catch a glimpse of him. Many shouted ‘Long live the king’ as his motorcade drove slowly to Klai Kangwon palace, which means Far From Worries. In a faltering speech, the king asked citizens to ‘work together for the good of the whole country’ as they had done in the past.

SECURITY issues could scupper plans to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons cache, the head of the mission warned yesterday.

Safe passage from Damascus and the northern city of Homs is proving impossible as the motorway linking the two remains the site of fighting between government troops and rebel forces, Sigrid Kaag said.

The Dutch diplomat, who is leading the joint UN and Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons mission to disarm Syria, revealed ‘there are factors beyond our control’, which could mean the mid-2014 deadline will need to be put back.

Mrs Kaag said she was forced to travel via the Lebanese capital Beirut as she headed to the port of Latakia, where the containers of chemical agents will be taken for export and later destruction.

She added that it was a real issue for the Damascus to Homs route to be

by jOEL TAyLOR

cleared as the preparation of the chemicals for transport was under way.

France’s UN ambassador Gérard Araud said getting access to chemical weapons and shifting them on to containers has been possible but the next crunch point would be getting them safely to Latakia, ‘which is doubtful’, and then transporting the arsenal out of Syria.

Mrs Kaag called on OPCW members to contribute to a trust fund to cover the estimated €35million bill for the weapons’ destruction.

Another hold-up is being caused by clearance not yet given by one member state for the use of its ports to transfer the containers to a US ship, on which the most dangerous chemicals will be destroyed at sea.

‘We’ve done everything we can.

Now we need to see that we can actually do it,’ said Mrs Kaag.

16 METRO HERALD Friday, December 6, 2013

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UN sanctions use of force as African killings spiral

THE UN Security Council has given the green light to French and African troops to use force in the Central African Republic to protect civilians following the slaughter of 105 people in fresh fighting in its capital Bangui yesterday.

The 15-member council also asked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to establish an inquiry into human rights abuses in the landlocked, mineral-rich nation of 4.6 million people, embroiled in violence after Seleka rebels ousted President Francois Bozize in March.

Meanwhile yesterday the Security Council imposed an arms embargo on Central African Republic.

Senior UN officials have warned that Central African Republic is at risk of spiraling into genocide. The UN estimates 400,000 people have been displaced and 68,000 have fled to neighbouring countries.

by MicHELLE NicHOLs ‘History has told us that the worst may happen, history has told us that the Security Council needs to act,’ French UN Ambassador Gerard Araud told reporters after the vote. ‘This country is in the midst of a tragic crisis.’

Central African Republic’s interim President Michel Djotodia, the former Seleka rebel leader, has failed to control his mostly Muslim fighters. Rights groups say both sides may have committed war crimes.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power described the French and African mission as the best option at the moment ‘to halt the carnage in the CAR the most quickly’.

Escape: Christian children from the village of Bouebou in the Central African Republic are packed in the trunk of a taxi to flee sectarian violence Picture: aP

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There is a 2,500-strong peacekeeping force in CAR deployed by the Economic Community of Central African States. The African Union is due to take charge of the force later this month and boost its size to 3,600 troops.

Mr Ban, due to report to the council within three months on recommendations for a UN peacekeeeping mission, said in a report last month that at least 6,000 UN peacekeepers and 1,700 police would be needed.

Friday, December 6, 2013 METRO HERALD

17

Fast food workers strike FAst food workers are striking in support of higher wages in cities across the Us. Walkouts were planned in 100 cities, with rallies set for another 100, with Democrats pushing to raise the minimum wage of $7.25 (€5.30) or $15,000 (€10,970) a year. tyeisha Batts, a 27-year-old Burger King employee in New York City earns $7.25 an hour. she said she can get only ten and 20 hours a week because under Obamacare employers will be required to provide healthcare to full-time workers.

Fast food giants such as McDonald’s and Burger King say they don’t control wages.

However, labour advocates have said they control other operations, such as suppliers through their franchise agreements.

18 METRO HERALD Friday, December 6, 2013

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Google ignites robot wars IT LOOKS like a close-up of an eye but this image is of a vast rotating storm on Saturn. The hexagonal jet stream spans 32,000km (20,000 miles) and whips up winds of 320kph (200mph). The weather system, filmed

by Nasa’s Cassini spacecraft, is the only one of its type in the solar system Picture: reuters/Nasa

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Web giant develops army of machines to make deliveries

GOOGLE is fighting back against the Amazon drones with an army of robots.

The internet giant has revealed it is investing heavily in robo-technology, days after the online retailer said it was developing drones that could deliver goods within ten years.

Google, which is already working on a driverless car, has admitted buying seven robotics companies in the US and Japan in the past year.

It is looking at using robots for delivering goods and on assembly lines, a source told the New York Times.

Google engineer Andy Rubin, who built the Android software and is handling the

by DANIEL BINNS firm’s robot research, told the newspaper it was part of a ‘ten-year vision’.

‘I feel with robotics it’s a green field,’ he said. ‘We’re building hardware and we’re building software.’

His comments have prompted speculation about Google’s plans, including predictions it wants to develop a fleet of automated taxis or even use robots to drive deliveries to homes.

It comes after the company launched a same-day delivery service in September that provides groceries from shops around San Francisco and San Jose.

Woman live-tweets crash that killed her husband A VANCOUVER woman unknowingly live-tweeted the car accident that killed her husband.

Police scanner enthusiast Caran Johnson posted a seemingly innocuous report about a collision on a stretch of motorway that has ‘too many on ramps, speeders and too few lanes’.

However, the 41-year-old – whose Twitter name is @ScanCouver – soon became increasingly worried when she realised husband Craig, 47, was travelling on the same road. After news broke that there had been a fatality on Interstate 205 in Vancouver, her tweets became increasingly desperate.

One read: ‘How long do I wait for him to come home before I call the police?’

As Ms Johnson, from Washington State, became ‘a basketcase’ her 1,000 Twitter followers tried to reassure her. But – two hours after her first post – she tweeted: ‘It’s him. He died.’

One of those who saw her posts was April Sturdevant, who tweeted Ms Johnson to tell her she was at the scene of the crash and with Mr Johnson for ‘his last breath’.

Police confirmed he was killed when his Hyundai Elantra crossed the road and hit a lorry. The lorry driver survived but was seriously injured.

Live tweets: Caran and Craig Johnson

Wreckage: Remains of Mr Johnson’s car after the crash on Interstate 205

Prisoner’s bed claim dismissed PRISONERS in Mountjoy Jail have their own ‘information superhighway’ that dates back to earliest Victorian times, a Circuit Civil Court judge heard yesterday.

They stand on a bed or a chair, which brings their heads to window level, and then ‘talk out’ to prisoners in separate cells, Judge Matthew Deery was told.

The prison governor claimed it was while participating in such communication that prisoner Anthony Lawlor fell from his bed and fractured his right elbow.

In his €38,000 damages claim against the authorities, Lawlor, 27, told the court in evidence: ‘I fell through the bed, not off it. The mesh spring was defective.’

Judge Deery dismissed Lawlor’s claim, awarding legal costs to the prison authorities.

TO WIN, JUST ANSWER THIS QUESTION! BOOK EARLY

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Friday, December 6, 2013 METRO HERALD

19

features@metroherald.ie

Our horrible history Missed the bus? Low water pressure? These are 21st-century problems – you haven’t been reduced to eating the person beside you or wondering whether you will live out the month. Seven centuries ago, our ancestors faced some stark choices when Ireland was gripped by one of its worst cycles of violence. Finbar Dwyer, author of a new book called Witches, Spies And Stockholm Syndrome, Life In Medieval Ireland, takes a look at one of the darkest chapters in this country’s history The Time Of Disturbance 1294-7

Ireland began a nose-dive toward Armageddon in December 1294.

The trigger was the kidnapping of Richard de Burgh, the Earl of Ulster and most powerful noble of the day. His captor was his great rival, the Lord of Offaly John Fitzthomas, and in the following months a major conflict broke out which dragged in many other noble families. All the while, the poor suffered as violence and murder were the order of the day in an event known as the Time Of Disturbance.

Game Of Thrones has little on this chapter of our history. Thomas Shorthond was just one individual caught up in these events.

During this violent upheaval, he disappeared from his home in Kildare. He was only found three days later when birds were spotted circling over something in a field. This turned out to be Shorthond, or what was left of him, namely his head and foot. He had been attacked and killed by Gaelic raiders who were just one of the factions involved in the violence.

Eventually by 1297 the upheaval came to an end and law and order was re-established to some degree, but it didn’t last long.

Bruce Invasion In 1315, Ireland plunged further into the abyss in a series of events that could make a great sequel to the movie Braveheart. In their quest for independence, the Scots invaded Ireland in 1315 to attack the King of England’s numerous supporters and allies here. Over the following three years they unleashed one of the most destructive wars in Irish history, heaping misery on a population already enduring the worst famine of the era, when the average life expectancy of most adults was around 30.

Led by Edward Bruce, the Scots army ran amok across Ireland, taking what little food there was and often burning what crops they couldn’t carry. However those fighting the Scots were no better as Ireland buckled under the weight of war.

By the end of 1315, Dublin’s

Things just Scot worse: Army pillaged Ireland

fleas of rats, this disease was one of the greatest killers in human history.

Most of those who contracted it died an excruciatingly painful death in a matter of days. Depending on the form it took symptoms varied. Some coughed and spat blood, others developed horrific buboes – pus-filled swellings in the groin and armpits while the skin of some victims turned black from internal bleeding.

Whilst enduring these symptoms, the victim burned with fever in their final days, often becoming delirious.

One contemporary described Dublin as being ‘destroyed and wasted of inhabitants’. Indeed, when it had run its course, somewhere in the region of 50 per cent of the town’s population had succumbed. While the passing of the plague bookended this particularly dark

period of our history, improvement was slow as war and plague frequently returned.

So the next time you’re about to talk of having a bad day, spare a thought for your ancestors.

Finbar Dwyer, 32, originally from Kilkenny, is a Dublin-based historian who blogs and podcasts about medieval Ireland on IrishHistoryPodcast.ie, which has been top of the Irish iTunes charts on several occasions. For more gruesome tales from medieval Ireland, Finbar’s first book, Witches, Spies And Stockholm Syndrome, Life in Medieval Ireland, published by New Island, is in bookshops for €19.99.

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suburbs had already been destroyed. This was not the work of the invading Scots, but instead the King’s soldiers in Ireland passing through – on their way to fight these same Scots. Infamous deeds were committed on both sides. While the Scots burned a church full of people at Ardee in 1315, the following year the besieged garrison of Carrickfergus

Plague arrived in 1348 and wiped out half of Dubliners castle ate Scots prisoners in order to survive.

By February 1317, Dublin was again in the firing line, when the Scots appeared outside the walls.

Fearing an assault, the citizens set the western suburbs ablaze to

€28

stop them being used by the Scots. Unfortunately, the fire was soon out of control and destroyed as many as three quarters of Dublin’s houses.

After three years of chaos, this war came to a fittingly brutal end in 1318. Edward Bruce was defeated and killed and his body was cut into pieces. His head was sent to England and other pieces sent to towns across Ireland. Terrifying as these years had been, worse was yet to come.

Black Death Having endured the worst war and famine in centuries, our ancestors in the 14th century had yet to live through the worst catastrophe in recorded human history. In the summer of 1348, ships arrived in Howth and Drogheda carrying a plague known as the Black Death. The narrow dirty streets and high population density of medieval Ireland’s towns proved an ideal breeding ground. Carried by the

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Daley hype may help others to be open about sexuality

A

melia, the reason why Tom Daley revealing he is in a relationship with a man is such hyped-up news is that there’s a strange lack of openly gay or bisexual people in sport today. many believe this is because there’s a general fear in the sporting world that ‘coming out’ would be received badly by fans, teammates, etc.

With that in mind, it’s good Tom Daley’s story has been over-hyped as the reaction is very positive to it. This will hopefully encourage people who are afraid of what others might think to be more open about their sexuality.

Oisin ■ amelia, did you watch the video? it explains at length why Tom Daley, a shy man who values his privacy, felt the need to ‘disclose his private life to all and sundry’. as for the media coverage, it should be a big deal, because while Daley did receive some wonderfully supportive messages, he also received torrents of abuse.

and this isn’t unusual. Homophobia is still a major issue the world over. Celebrities publicly coming out highlight the good and the bad sides of opinion on a very sensitive subject. Daley’s coming out, despite your saying it comes as no surprise, seems to have made you uncomfortable. maybe you should have a think about why.

For my part, i hope some day i’ll have the nerve to say the words ‘i’m bisexual’ aloud, but between the abuse lGBT friends of mine have endured, the passive-aggressive comments and ‘jokes’ i too often hear from people in my workplace and elsewhere, to the years of school bullying i already endured for reasons having nothing to do with sexuality, i think i’ll be keeping my head down for a while longer.

Sionnach ■ i note a recent contributor was struggling to choose a Christmas present for her father; ‘a man who has everything’. might i respectfully suggest in such a scenario the correct present might be... a burglar alarm.

Yours helpfully.

The Slickster

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Quick pic OH CHRISTMAS TREE...

HOW LOVELY ARE YOUR (LIBRARY) BRANCHES: The Library committee from Alexandra College are very proud of their Christmas tree made from books. And very festive it is too!

Send your photos to pictures@metroherald.ie with ‘Quick pic’ as the subject and we will print the best each day in the paper

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● I just want to thank the man in the newsagent’s at Connolly Station. He found my dropped wallet and rang my friend.

Thanks so much.

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● Here is an Irish politician showing he is ‘down with the kids’ by using the term.....#amazeyballs .’ @daithaigilbert

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Win tickets to the Irish Premiere Screening of

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

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the release of the highly anticipated film, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug , from To celebrate the creators of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, we’ve teamed up with Warner Bros. Pictures, ™

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and New Line Cinema to offer you the opportunity to see it ahead of anyone else. The Irish Premiere screening will take place at The Savoy Cinema on Tuesday 10th December and we have tickets to give away! rom Academy Award -winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes The Hobbit: The Desolation of F Smaug , the second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, ®

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by J.R.R. Tolkien. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug™ continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on an epic quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.

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THE DWARVES THINK BILBO IS A:

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THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SM AUG OPENS ACROSS IRELAND ON 13 DECEMBER

2013 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and The Hobbit ™, and the names of the characters, events, items and places therein, are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

©

Metro Herald Terms and Conditions: The competition closes at Midday Friday December 6th 2013. The winners will be chosen at random from the entries received and notified by telephone or email. Usual Metro Herald rules apply. The Editor's decision is final. By entering this competition you agree to sign up to the Metro Herald promotions list - To optout text NOMETRO to 51155. SP. Oxygen8 Communications, 4th Floor, Malt House North, Grand Canal Quay, D2. Customer Service number 0818 286 606.

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Friday, December 6, 2013 METRO HERALD

Ex-racer held over death of wife in Dubai

Up close: A pair of beautifully coloured lorikeets seem to enjoy the attention while a leopard stays focused (right)

A FORMER superbike racer was arrested at Heathrow airport yesterday over the death of his wife in Dubai.

Sean Emmett (pictured), stranded in the United Arab Emirates for ten months after the death of Abbie, was held when he stepped off the plane Before the flight left, the 43-yearold tweeted: ‘Oh yes!!! It’s been a long while coming. See you all in Blighty my lovelies xxx.’

His wife, 27, died in February after falling from a hotel window, days after their wedding in South Africa.

Dubai authorities believed the death was suicide. A British coroner later confirmed it was not suspicious.

However, Dubai police reopened the case in October.

Nearly 4,000 people signed a petition asking the British government to allow the 43-year-old, from Surrey, to come home. He remains in custody while inquires continue.

Pictures: Joshua arlington

Zooming in… at the zoo

by HAyDEn SMiTH

Y

Comfort break: An orangutan

Lunch break: A Geoffroy’s tamarin eats as a penguin looks on

Tuohy, 21, of Old Church Avenue, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty to trespass and criminal damage at Clondalkin Sports Centre on November 14, 2012.

He has 16 previous convictions for public order, trespass and theft offences.

Judge Ring, adjourning sentencing until next April to await an updated probation report, said it is the people of Clondalkin who are the main injured parties since they were deprived of the use of the centre through Tuohy’s actions.

The judge remanded him on continuing bail and suggested Tuohy find a way to repay the

community in some way.

Garda David Brennan told the court that Tuohy and his friend had been up drinking and taking prescription drugs all night before they broke into the centre which was closed at the time.

They were caught on CCTV trashing several areas including the reception, the crèche, the pool and the café. The floor was covered in broken glass, computers and stock had been destroyed and fire extinguishers had been emptied. The entire pool area was covered in broken glass and blood from where the men had cut their feet while going for a swim.

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OU might see some of these expressions again on Facebook once the Christmas party season gets into full swing. Rookie photographer Joshua Arlington captured all these striking images not in the wild, but at a zoo.

They include a giraffe who has lost its manners, a brooding leopard staring ominously into the lens and an orangutan snuggling under a blanket.

Joshua, 22, has been taking pictures at the Erie Zoo in Pennsylvania since he took up photography two years ago.

‘My animal portraits are taken from the same vantage points as other regular visitors to the zoo, he said. ‘I’m not exactly close to any rainforests.

‘But it’s my dream to become a wildlife photographer. The zoo is a place where I can escape for a few hours and, if only for a moment, live my dream.’

He hopes to help with conservation efforts, particularly for orangutans.

‘The palm oil industry is wiping their habitat off the face of the Earth,’ he said. ‘I would give anything to be able to photograph them in the wild someday, and it scares me that I may Got it licked: This giraffe had no inhibitions never have that opportunity.’

GARDAÍ alerted to an incident at a community centre spotted a suspect dressed only in his boxers, carrying a fire extinguisher, with his feet bleeding from broken glass, a court has heard.

Christopher Tuohy had decided to go for a swim after drinking heavily and taking drugs with an accomplice during the rampage at Clondalkin Sports Centre which caused €14,000 worth of damage, Judge Mary Ellen Ring was told.

Describing the incident as an ‘act of madness’, Tuohy’s lawyer said the men were ‘not a crackteam of professional burglars’.

21

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22 METRO HERALD Friday, December 6, 2013

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television WEEKEND WATcH i’m a celebRity... get me out of heRe! 3E, SUNDAy, 9pm

ell the time on an old school watch, He’s learned to tell made the acquaintance of stick insects and eaten anything put in front of him – so can anyone stop Joey Essex from being crowned king of the jungle? Only Westlife’s Kian Egan looks to have any chance of upsetting the Towie lad’s applecart as Ant and Dec bring another year Down Under to a bubbly conclusion.

stephen hawking: a bRief histoRy of mine c4, SATURDAy, 7.15pm

The life story of Britain’s most acclaimed scientist, from his days as a carefree Oxford undergraduate, through a battle with depression when diagnosed with motor neurone disease, to his later life as the best-selling author of A Brief History Of Time. Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch, Yes Man Jim Carrey and Virgin billionaire Richard Branson are among those singing Mr Hawking’s praises.

Robbie williams: one night at the palladium bbc1, 8pm Remember those old clips of Robbie Williams’s dad doing his nightclub crooning thing? It’s clear that the acorn didn’t fall very far from the tree because, these days, Robbie is every inch the family entertainer, taking to the stage of the London Palladium, backed by a big band to belt out brassy tunes from his charttopping Swing Both Ways album. It’s all a long way from squishing about in jelly with Take That, with Robbie on full charm offensive as he welcomes guests Rufus Wainwright, Lily Allen and The Muppets duo Miss Piggy and Kermit The Frog.

cleaR histoRy SKy ATLANTic, 9pm US comedian Larry David (right) take us on a joyride that feels like an extended spin on his TV shows as he plays veteran hippy Nathan Flomm, marketing head at Electron motors, who throws a hissy fit and flounces away from what turns out to be a billion-dollar fortune after his boss (Jon Hamm) infuriates him by calling their mould-breaking new electric car Howard. A decade on and Nathan seizes the opportunity to wreak irrational revenge.

the late late show RTÉ1, 9.35pm Ryan Tubridy, sans naff Christmas jumper, is back in his usual chat show host mode following last week’s toy show madness, with an impressive line-up including X Factor judge and Take That singer Gary Barlow (right) and comedian Jason Byrne, Love/Hate’s Fran aka Peter Coonan is on with homeless activist Fr Peter McVerry and photographer Perry Ogden who will discuss the ‘Coola Boola’ Santa Hats they hope will raisee money for Peter McVerry Trust and Sport Against Racism Ireland.

the jonathan Ross show UTV, SATURDAy, 10.15pm

It’s been quite a week for Olympic diver Tom Daley and now, in the wake of his Facebook post and the tidal wave of celebrity support, he manages to upstage fellow guests Olivia Colman, Jack Dee and Ellie Goulding by talking true love and coming out with Jonathan Ross.

That’s quite a way to make a splash…

kangaRoo dundee bbc2, 8.30pm cute doesn’t begin to cover the sight of the tiny kangaroos enjoying the new lease of life provided by Australian kangaroo saviour chris ‘brolga’ barnes and his network of like-minded souls around Alice Springs. but trouble is brewing: stroppy male Roger has him running for his life. He’s looking for a fight with anyone who gets in his way, including his long-suffering dad/ mum brolga. Kids, eh?

film of the day burn aFter reaDing, rtÉ2, 9pm the Coen brothers follow up their Oscar-laden epic no Country For Old men with this screwball sex comedy thriller, which sparks off with arrogant Cia spook Osborne Cox (John malkovich) being sacked over his drink problem. His ball-breaking doctor wife Katie (tilda Swinton) is unsurprised, but is busy with her affair with Harry (george Clooney) – a compulsive jogger who is obsessed with quality floorboards. Harry, in turn, is cheating on Katie and his wife with Linda (Frances mcDormand), a gym employee who, after finding a disc of Cia secrets in the locker room, is trying to blackmail Osborne with the help of her dim colleague Chad (brad pitt in hilarious himbo mode, pictured with mcDormand), in order to fund her plastic surgery… and that’s just the first 20 minutes. Darkly barmy caper packed with quirky characters that may just charm the pants off you.

www.greatoutdoors.ie

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Friday, December 6, 2013 METRO HERALD 23

weekend

To a different Beat Daniel Radcliffe talks to James Mottram about groupies, gay sex and Ginsberg

‘I

’m crap,’ sighs Daniel Radcliffe. ‘I never take pictures of my life. I’m getting to the point now where I really should’ve taken pictures of some of the cool things I did.’

As one of the most photographed 24-year-olds in existence (not to mention one of the wealthiest, with a €70million fortune) surely the young actor who came to prominence as Harry Potter has no need to worry about blanks in his photo album?

There must be literally millions of pictures of him in existence, taken by fans and paparazzi alike – part of a hysteria that certainly hasn’t abated since he finished playing JK Rowling’s boy wizard in 2011. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, he says. ‘I’ve definitely noticed a big change in the intensity since finishing Harry Potter, and it’s got a lot more... it’s become a lot more intense.’

The last time we met, at the Venice Film Festival, the 5ft 5in star was running for his life from hoards of screaming Italian teenage girls, high on Radcliffe fever.

‘Five hundred people chased me to the toilet,’ he giggles.

‘I made it, thankfully, but people were trying to come in, in front of me! I was like “You can’t come into the toilet with me!”’ Not that he’s complaining; rarely is an A-List star more fan-friendly than Radcliffe.

Holed up in a tranquil five-star hotel just off Trafalgar Square in London, dressed in a maroon jacket, black jeans, T-shirt and trainers, Radcliffe is today experiencing the calm before yet another storm – the London premiere of his latest film, Beat poet drama Kill Your Darlings.

The reviews have been good, much to Radcliffe’s relief. ‘There is always that moment where you have a complete loss of faith in your own judgement

and go “What if it comes out and everyone else disagrees with me and thinks that it’s s**t?”’

With Radcliffe cast as the beard-bothering Allen Ginsberg, the drug-fuelled writer behind the controversial poem Howl, you can understand his reticence. From Harry Potter to a hairy pot-head is quite a leap – though fortunately in John Krokidas’ film we see him as a clean-shaven Columbia University student (as seen below), when he first meets Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs, the respective authors of On The Road and Naked Lunch.

‘I think what will be really exciting for people is seeing these three guys before they were the venerable old men of American literature,’ he says. ‘They were just running around New York, tearing it up, doing drugs and having this wild life, and becoming liberated. It’s the story of that time in their life and it’s the story of them all meeting.’

Radcliffe certainly made an impression on his co-stars. Depending on which gossip site you follow, he’s either dating or dumping 28-yearold actress Erin Darke. Then there’s Dane DeHaan, who plays Lucien Carr, the fellow student Allen falls for. ‘Daniel’s a real actor and he wants to challenge himself,’ DeHaan tells me later. ‘He wants to keep it different, and he doesn’t want to repeat himself.’

Which probably accounts for why Radcliffe simply shrugs off the gay kiss he and DeHaan share on screen, pointing instead to the more traumatic fully-nude scene in the 2007 West End production of Equus that he endured nightly. ‘A gay sex scene held no fears for me!’ he notes, explaining how proud he is of his snog with DeHaan.

➔

the gibson hotel german christmas food market open monday-sunday 16.00-21.00 www.thegibsonhotel.ie 01 6815000 three courses with glühwein €35 right beside The O2 dublin last stop on the red luas line

24 METRO HERALD Friday, December 6, 2013

films

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features@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010

Intergalactic Gary

‘I thought it looked good. It was quite a good kiss!’

While he might not be playing the late great gay singer Freddie Mercury as was rumoured (‘completely untrue’), Radcliffe’s following in the gay community is already strong. He recently took Best Actor at the Attitude Awards for playing Ginsberg. ‘I don’t think I could ever countenance someone being homophobic in front of me,’ he tells me. ‘That doesn’t really wash well.’

Beyond this, Radcliffe – whose own father Alan is a former literary agent – can’t help but compare himself to Ginsberg. ‘I am at a very similar point in

“I thought it looked good.

It was quite a good kiss” my life where Allen is at in the film.’

Not least, he says, worrying if he’s capable of succeeding in his art form. ‘[I keep thinking] “Am I doing the right thing? Should I be doing this? Am I good enough to do this?”’

He compares his own journey to that of Kristen Stewart, who finished on Twilight to look for more adult roles. ‘I’ve met Kristen, and she seems like someone who really wants to work and do interesting movies. She’s a very cool girl. We were

cLubs

Intergalactic Gary (pictured right) is one of the world’s greatest DJs. Hailing from Holland, Gary, real name John Scheffer, has not achieved his status by ghost producing big tunes or becoming a ubiquitous presence on social media, but the old fashioned way – playing great records that make people dance, laugh and cry. Check out a legend at the club inspired by his stage name.

Tonight, Gary’s Gang, Sweeney Mongrel, Dame Street D2, 10pm, free.

Rodhad

Despite having just three records to his credit, Berlin DJ Rodhad’s diary is full of international dates. He is in high demand thanks to his hypnotic DJing. Get a taste of Berlinstyle techno this weekend.

Tomorrow, Emergence/Pogo, The Twisted Pepper, Middle Abbey Street D1, 10.30pm, €10 to €12.

The Magician

Young love: Radcliffe and Dane DeHaan as Lucien Carr and Allen Ginsberg there [on the Potter films] for ten years and I think there’s a lot of pent-up desire to play a lot of other parts. But not to get rid of the image – we’d be fools to get rid of the image.’

A

FTeR the huge success of the film of supernatural chiller The Woman In Black last year, and his exhilarating turn as a bright-eyed country medic in the black Bulgakov comedy A Young Doctor’s

Notebook (alongside John Hamm), Radcliffe is certainly on the right track to leaving Hogwarts behind. Next up is fantasy film Horns then his first rom-com The F Word, followed by a new take on Frankenstein (he’s playing hunch-backed assistant Igor) and a biopic of Olympic Gold medallist Sebastian Coe. ‘Basically, the end goal is to be considered an actor rather than a character,’ he says, ‘And I think I’m quite a way towards that.’

Kill Your Darlings opens today (see review opposite)

Stephen Fasano (pictured left) used to be part of disco act Aeroplane, but now flies solo as The Magician. Like his previous project, the Belgian producer continues to make dance music with a pop undercurrent. Expect him to work wonders at the Button Factory.

Tonight, The Button Factory, Curved Street D2, 11pm, €13.50.

Richard brophy

HOT TIckETs

MusIcAL REvIEw

Cirque du Soleil: Dralion Celebrating its 15th anniversary, Cirque Du Soleil’s awe-inducing Dralion show comes to Dublin next summer after a globe-dominating tour. A lavish blend of circus arts and street entertainment, expect a dreamlike, impossibly grand spectacle May 28 to Jun 1, 2014, The O2, East Link Bridge, North Wall Quay D1, 6.30pm, from €39.05. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.cirqueclub.com

wIckED HHHII Wicked is more than a little popular – at this stage it’s a hit on an industrial scale. Produced by the live theatre division of Universal Pictures, there are currently nine productions touring worldwide, including the one that has just hoved into view in the BGE Theatre. Based on Gregory Maguire’s novel, this slick, bellsand-whistles show gives us a sympathetic back story to the boo-hiss witches who fetch up in the Wizard Of Oz. The performances are excellent – Nikki Davis-Jones is particularly good as ‘Wicked’ witch Elphaba, with a beautiful voice not just technically perfect but a genuine pleasure to listen to, while Marilyn Cutts is hilarious as Madam Morrible, the pragmatic sorcery tutor who ends up as press secretary to the Wizard.

And the big number, Defying Gravity (which you’ll recognise as the song currently played

non-stop in an ad break near you) is very much the enjoyable little earworm…

So, taken on its own merits as a full-on Broadway-style production, it’s hard to fault such a well executed operation. However, while the idea is intriguing in itself, the sublime and unsurpassable campfest of The Wizard Of Oz film is replaced with a cloyingly earnest alternative in which the characters give gushing, expository numbers about their ‘journeys’ (such as The Wizard And I). The plot makes clunking references to the War on Terror, while the backstories about how the Tin Man became tinned and Prince Fiyero became the Scarecrow are pure melodrama.

Still, as long as you don’t take this musical as seriously as it sometimes takes itself, it’s a fine sheena Davitt night’s entertaintment.

Until Jan 18, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Grand Canal Square, Docklands D2, various times and prices. Tel: 0818 719 377. www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

✹

We have a pair of tickets to Cirque du Soleil: Dralion on May 28 at The O2 with dinner and overnight stay at The Sandymount Hotel.

For your chance to win, answer the question below and text LIFE followed by your full answer, name and e-mail address to 53133 (texts cost €0.60c + standard network charge).

Q In which city were Cirque Du Soleil formed? A Quebec B Galway

win

Terms & Conditions: The competition closes at noon today.

The winner(s) will be chosen at random from the entries received and notified by telephone. Entrants must be over 18 years of age. Usual Metro Herald rules apply. The editor’s decision is final. SP. Oxygen8, 4th Floor, Malt House North, Grand Canal Quay D2. Customer service number: 0818 286 606.

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Disney’s cool girls THE Big RELEASE FROZEN (G) HHHH✩

Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale The Snow Queen, Disney’s Christmas movie is, on its exquisitely animated surface, another storybook classic.

Once upon a time in the Nordic kingdom of Arandelle, there are two princesses. The elder, Elsa (pictured far right, voiced by Idina Menzel), is cursed: everything she touches turns to ice. It’s a secret Elsa keeps from everyone, including her warm, bouncily impetuous sister, Anna (right, voiced by Kristen Bell), until one day she can no longer keep her powers buttoned up

NEbRaska (12A) HHHHH

This week’s Oscar contender is a cinema must-see thanks to its beautiful black-andwhite widescreen. Within these wistful, MidWestern vistas lies a captivatingly simple story: a grumpy old man called Woody (a career-best Bruce Dern who’s already been awarded best actor at Cannes for this) receives a letter telling him he’s won $1million. His family try to tell him it’s just junk mail but Woody stubbornly sets off – on foot – to Nebraska to collect it. ‘He just needs something to live for,’ declares his middle-aged son (Will Forte), whose own life is going nowhere, and so opts to accompany his increasingly senile dad on his 750-mile journey. That Alexander Payne’s film is a meandering, wryly observed comic look at male midlife crisis will come as no surprise to fans of his previous Oscar-winning hits Sideways and The Descendants. Yet this is his most sincere, authentic and hauntingly humane work to date. A moving, subtle, warmly funny road trip into what keeps each of us trucking along life’s highway. Li-Z

and her quick-freeze skills are chillingly unleashed.

‘Fear will be your enemy,’ Elsa’s late father told her – all well and good, but it robs the tale of an iconic baddie. Indeed, aside from Olaf, the huggable snowman with a naïve love of sunshine, neither the characters – nor their songs – are massively memorable.

What is, however, is that Disney’s 53rd animated feature is also their first ever to be co-written/directed by a woman (Jennifer Lee). Disney has attempted to ‘girl power’ up its princesses before, but these are their first convincingly rounded (aside from their wasp waists – there’s still some way to go there), emotionally complex, credibly modern heroines whose familial love for each other trumps that of any Prince Charming. This is not just for girls though – or kids.

Adults should get there early to catch ‘Get A Horse!’, Disney’s most ingenious cartoon short to date (and that’s female-directed too).

Larushka ivan Zadeh

ALSO OUT

kill yOuR DaRliNgs (16) HHH✩✩

black Nativity (PG) HH✩✩✩

A starry African-American ensemble singing their socks off is the main attraction in this Christmas story, adapted from a musical by jazz poet Langston Hughes. The po-faced preaching is unrelieved by any charm and a platinum-wigged Mary J Blige as an angel takes the Christmas cake. Angie Errigo

HOmEFRONt (16) HHH✩✩

Acting – or rather, action – by Jason Statham and script by Sylvester Stallone means you know what you’re in for when Jay-Stay’s widowed DEA Agent (still wiv a cockney accent) fails to seek a quiet life in Louisiana. Brooding machismo comes with a crazy side-order cast: James Franco as a red-neck meth-dealer, Kate Bosworth as his junkie sister and Winona Ryder as a ‘meth whore’? What were they all smoking?

Satisfying tosh. Li-Z

gig

A classic, magical Disney musical with a subversively subtle gender agenda. A gift not just for Christmas.

vERDicT

Daniel Radcliffe is back in Potter specs and student scarf, but he’d be expelled from Hogwarts for his naughty sex ‘n’ drugs carryings-on here. He’s inspired casting in what’s basically The Beat Generation: The College Years as the young incarnation of gay poet Allen Ginsberg who finds his mind expanded by William Burroughs (Ben Foster) and loins stirred by fellow student Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan). The shenanigans are over-familiar, but this is worth seeing for DeHaan – a star is born there. Li-Z

OlDbOy (18) HH✩✩✩

The Korean original won the Grand Prix at Cannes, but Spike Lee’s remake is unlikely to be a hit anywhere except the DVD bargain bins. Josh Brolin plays the businessman kidnapped and locked in a room for 20 years where TV news informs him his ex-wife has been murdered – and he’s the prime suspect.

He emerges seeking vengeance. Nasty, brutish, but not, sadly, short. Li-Z

ROBERTA RIZZO

dreaming a way

ART EXHIBITION

11 to 13 December

THE PiNS

PAINTINGS may be ordered by choosing particular colours or dimension, depending on your taste

A UL DE RF T I DE GIF ON AS A WISTM R CH

You wait years for a grumpy fem-pop quartet with Joy Division overtones, then two trundle along over the space of six months. On the heels of Savages, a group so severe you could almost give yourself a paper cut listening to one of their songs, come Manchester’s Pins, a stonyfaced crew in the finest monochrome tradition of North of England independent rock. With a sound that evokes images of crumbling suburbs and vacant factories, Faith Holgate and her bandmates have quietly established themselves as one of the most exciting new acts in the UK, their ferocious,

hyper-articulate songs going off like a series of tastefully curated incendiary devices. Signed to Cocteau Twin Simon Raymonde’s Bella Union, they recently put out a forceful debut album, Girls Like Us, a strident affair packed high with guttural guitars and very angry emoting from frontwoman Holgate. Adding to their appeal is a determination not to be pigeonholed. ‘Phrases like “girl band” are thrown around extremely easily, as if it’s a trend or something,’ Holgate said in a recent interview. ‘It certainly isn’t a big factor for us. We do not see ourselves in Eamon de Paor those terms.’

Tonight, Workman’s Club, Wellington Quay D2, 8pm, €13. www.wearepins.tumblr.com

preview Wednesday 11th, 5 – 7.30 pm daily viewing Thursday 12th & Friday 13th The Back Loft c/o 12 - 7.30 pm or by appointment La Catedral Studios, 7/11 Saint Augustine St. www.lacatedralstudios.org info & location map www.dreamingaway.org Dublin 8 PERSONALISED more info robertarizzo03@libero.it

May peace, love and prosperity follow you always

Friday, December 6, 2013 METRO HERALD 25

26 METRO HERALD Friday, December 6, 2013

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puzzles

METROSCOPE

by Patrick Arundell

NEMI by Lise

Aries Mar 21 – Apr 20

A challenging link between Mercury and Neptune suggests you could get easily bored and in need of a way to escape from routine. Ironically, an intuitive hunch could be spot-on, so be open to possibilities too Aries.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 70

Taurus Apr 21 – May 21

You may have an instinct that guides you to explore a new idea or trend which could get you noticed. Perhaps you’ll feel like enhancing your image, especially if you are in the mood to boost your profile.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 71

Gemini May 22 – Jun 21

METROKU Easy, Moderate and Challenging. For solutions, visit Metro.co.uk/metroku

Creative ideas filled with imagery concepts may grab your attention, as opposed to more detailed matters, which you might prefer to avoid. You may feel like visiting an art exhibition or going to a concert, where the music can merge with your senses.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 72

Cancer Jun 22 – Jul 23

You may find yourself more willing to tackle a difficult issue or get to grips with creative plans, as Jupiter makes a supportive link with Saturn. Perhaps you’ll see any awkward or onerous tasks as a step to achieving greater fulfilment, in the long-term.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 73

Leo Jul 24 – Aug 23

You may be particularly receptive to new ideas, as a Moon Mercury link, which combines the elements of air and fire, brings conversations alive.

You’ll also be tuned into other people’s feelings, including those that share gentle insights.

PEARLs BEFORE swINE

For your forecast, call 15609 114 74

Virgo Aug 24 – Sep 23

You could be a bit vague in your communications, as a challenging Mercury Neptune connection might coincide with misunderstandings or mixed signals. You may also resist being pinned down to a time and place, which can be a bit unusual for you.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 75

Libra Sep 24 – Oct 23

The Moon’s link with Mercury and Uranus can tune you into positive and cutting edge trends. Magazines, surfing the internet or hanging out with cooler friends can help you to tap into a mine of sparkling ideas and information.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 76

scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22

A developing influence might encourage you to try something that has a liberating outcome. Jupiter’s link with Saturn may also remind you of a plan that you’ve abandoned, but now want to pick up again.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 77

sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21

Daring to express a skill or talent that you might normally keep hidden, could be very freeing for you, especially if it’s artistic or entertainment-based. So, if you’re a natural comedian, don’t keep it yourself.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 78

Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 20

You may have trouble focusing on routine jobs, especially as a very fluid Mercury Neptune connection suggests you might prefer to do something escapist, or do anything rather than have to knuckle down.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 79

Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19

Social trends may be exciting today as the Moon in your sign links with Mercury and Uranus. Friends may have ideas for entertainment, or you may have a suggestion that gets the weekend off to a good start.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 80

Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20

In planning for the future, don’t let fears prevent you from enjoying experiences that could be very good for you. A Jupiter Saturn link may help push you from your comfort zone but in turn open up many possibilities.

DOWN 2 Freight (5) 3 Defining position in series (7) 4 Figure (6) 5 Examine accounts (5) 6 Wild fancy (7) 7 Hindering (11) 8 Liberal (4-7) 14 Coach (7) 16 Trusty (7) 17 Small amount (6) 19 Handle (5) 21 Plaster of Paris (5)

Yesterday’s Solutions Across: 1 Spotless; 5 Maim; 9 Acts; 10 Palettes; 11 Comic; 12 Defence; 13 Rough and ready; 18 Solution; 19 Best; 20 Drained; 21 Wagon; 22 Echo; 23 Properly. Down: 2 Piccolo; 3 Testing; 4 Standing order; 6 Antenna; 7 Mastery; 8 Heifer; 13 Residue; 14 Unleash; 15 Hating; 16 Embrace; 17 Despoil.

ENIGMA Type of dance they used to do, And the music for it, too.

Wave those arms and jerk those hips.

When it’s up, you’ve had your chips.

WHO AM I? A TV presenter, I was born in London in 1928. I hosted the 1960s TV series Saturday Night at the London Palladium. I currently host BBC1’s Strictly

Come Dancing with Tess Daly.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? WHO… wrote the musical Oliver!?

WHAT... group of vitamins does niacin belong to?

WHERE... is the Northwest Passage?

WHEN... did RTÉ first broadcast rural soap Bracken starring Gabriel Byrne?

SCRIBBLE BOX

ACROSS 1 Book-keeping (11) 9 Ennui (7) 10 Less wet (5) 11 In that place (5) 12 Outermost (7) 13 Innumerable (6) 15 Landed property (6) 18 Towing vehicle (7) 20 Forebode (5) 22 Meeting-place (5) 23 Subtle discrimination (7) 24 Fraternity (11)

Astrology calls cost 1.27 euros per min from a BT landline. Live Services cost 2.40 euros per minute. Calls from mobiles/other networks may cost more. Callers must be 18 or over to use this service and have the bill payers permission. For entertainment purposes only. All calls are recorded. PhonePayPlus regulated(ComReg in ROI) UK SP: StreamLive Ltd, NR7 0HR, 08700 234 567. ROI SP:Moveda, 1 Courtyard Business Park, Orchard Lane, Blackrock, Co Dublin, 0818 241 398

QuIz

Crossword No. 874 See next edition for solutions

For a live one-to-one consultation with one of my gifted psychics, call 15809 113 68 or 1800 719 688 to book using credit card

QUIZ ANSWERS: ENIGMA: Jig. WHO AM I? Bruce Forsyth. WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? Lionel Bart; B; North of Canada; 1978

QUICK CROsswORd

For your forecast, call 15609 114 81

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Friday, December 6, 2013 METRO HERALD 27

YOUR DUBLIN WEEkEND with daragh reddin fEEL fEsTIVE fOR… It’s A Wonderful Life

THEATRE REVIEW… The Risen People HHHII

As the 100th anniversary of the Lockout comes to a close, it’s apt that James Plunkett’s theatrical account of the tumultuous event has been reinterpreted for The Abbey, where it was first staged in 1958. Under the aegis of director Jimmy Fay, this multi-disciplinary work sees Jim Sheridan’s version of the play supplemented by a new score from Conor Linehan with sensitive, balletic choreography courtesy of dancer Colin Dunne.

Where Plunkett’s novel, Strumpet City, sought to present a broad cross-section of society during the Lockout, The Risen People, which features several of the same characters, hones in on the tenement dwellers who’ve fallen under the spell of the messianic James Larkin.

Although Plunkett, a committed socialist, was influenced by Sean O’Casey’s great tenement plays, there’s little of O’Casey’s zingy dialogue here; instead the characters are often mouthpieces for rabble-rousing rhetoric. While the many declamatory scenes capture the revolutionary zeitgeist, it’s the domestic stories that resonate most: hapless Mr Hennessy (Phelim Drew) and his shrewd wife (Hilda Fay) facing the ire of the strikers; foreman Fitz (Ian Lloyd Anderson) struggling to square idealism with the reality of supporting a family; and, of course, the bathetic Rashers Tierney (a superb Joe Hanley) eking out an existence as a pawnbroker. Conor Linehan’s score is vigorous and affecting, while Neil O’Driscoll’s video Daragh Reddin projections offer a wry take on the crude propaganda of the period.

Until Feb 01, Abbey Theatre, 26 Abbey Street Lower D1, various times and prices.

Tel: (01) 878 7222. www.abbeytheatre.ie

GET DOWN TO....

Rocket from The Crypt

Christmas Village

Every weekend in December the courtyard at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre will be transformed into a craft village with hundreds of artisan gifts and stocking-fillers for sale. Meanwhile, Father Christmas will be doing the rounds daily to finalise his naughtyand-nice list while storytelling takes place in the centre’s towerhouse. For a more adultoriented alternative, check out the Craft & Design Christmas Pop-Up in Block T on Smithfield Square this weekend Sat & Sun throughout Dec, Phoenix Park Visitor Centre, Phoenix Park D8, 10am to 5pm. www.phoenixpark.ie

Handel’s Messiah

The Irish Baroque Orchestra presents Handel’s Messiah, with its epic Hallelujah Chorus, in Christ Church Cathedral tonight – a stone’s throw from where it was first performed in Fishamble Street in 1742 Tonight, Christ Church Cathedral, Christ Church Place D8, 7.30pm, €25 to €30. www.irishbaroqueorchestra.com

Little Green Cars

While they’ve earned a special place in the hearts of indie rock fans, San Diego punk rockers Rocket From The Crypt never quite parlayed their punchy soundscapes into mainstream success, cult status of 1995’s Scream, Dracula, Scream LP notwithstanding. Having disbanded in 2005, frontman John ‘Speedo’ Reis and co are back for a brief Irish and UK tour, their quirky sense of humour very much intact – fans sporting a tattoo of the band’s new logo (a purple phallus relieving itself on three rolled tacos) get in for free...

Tomorrow, The Button Factory, Curved Street D2, 7.30pm, €25.

Tel: (01) 670 9202. www.buttonfactory.ie

BE CHARITABLE fOR…

Financial ruin followed by a depressive episode might not sound like the stuff of festive cheer, but in Frank Capra’s yuletide classic they become a springboard for so much more. James Stewart plays George Bailey, a failing businessman who becomes so disillusioned he contemplates suicide on Christmas Eve – until his guardian angel sets him on the right path. Film Fatale presents a special screening this weekend at The Sugar Club followed by live music from Jaime Nanci & The Blue Boys and a retro DJ set from The Andrews Sisters’ Brothers Tomorrow, The Sugar Club, 8 Leeson Street Lower D2, 7.30pm, €12.

See www.entertainment.ie for tickets

Irish indie-folksters Little Green Cars scored a transatlantic hit with literary-themed single Harper Lee earlier this year, and the estimable songwriting and vocal harmonies on the Americana-seeped Absolute Zero helped make the album a commercial and critical smash. Little wonder then it’s taken two dates at Vicar Street this weekend to sate the appetite of their Irish fanbase Tomorrow & Sun, Vicar Street, 58-59 Thomas Street D8, 7.30pm, €18.50 (tomorrow sold out). Tel: 0818 719 300. www. vicarstreet.ie

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The Four Seasons Hotel has launched a toy appeal in aid of Temple Street Children’s Hospital and to celebrate is hosting a series of Teddy Teas throughout December. If you’d like to donate a soft toy, simply pop down to the hotel – preferably with a child in tow – and in return you’ll enjoy a meet-and-greet with the Hamleys Bear (pictured) and a special festive tea filled with cakes, sandwiches and hot chocolate. Free entry for children under six Tomorrow, Dec 14 & Dec 21, The Four Seasons Hotel, Simmonscourt Road D4, 3pm to 5pm.

To reserve tel: (01) 665 4000. www.fourseasons.com/dublin

Mick flannery

The painfully modest, exceptionally talented Cork singersongwriter – and sometimes stonemason – unleashes his raspy baritone on The Olympia this weekend. Expect tracks from his most recent album, the splendid Red To Blue, to be very much to the fore Tomorrow, Olympia Theatre, 72 Dame Street D2, 8pm, €22. Tel: 0818 719 300. www. mickflannery.com

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28 METRO HERALD Friday, December 6, 2013

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Business&Careers

Ireland tops the best place for business list

it MAY not be great for people who hate emigrating, but ireland is the best country in the world for business, according to influential US financial magazine Forbes.

Each year, it ranks 145 countries based on 11 metrics, including stock market performance, corruption, freedom (personal, monetary and trade), taxes, technology, property rights, innovation, red tape and investor protection. the assessment is based on data from reports from the World Economic Forum, World Bank, Freedom House, Heritage Foundation, Property Rights Alliance and transparency international.

Forbes said despite ireland’s economic problems, it ‘maintains an extremely pro-

by jOAnnE AHERn business environment that has attracted investments by some of the world’s biggest companies over the past decade’. it said ireland is the only country to rank in the top 15 per cent in all 11 factors examined and ranks ‘near the very top’ for personal freedom, investor protection and low tax burden. it said ireland’s move up the list, from last year’s sixth place, is because of its better monetary freedom and stock market performance. the rest of the top five is made up of New Zealand, Hong Kong, Denmark and Sweden.

Canada is in eighth place, Australia is

ranked 11th, followed by the UK, with the US taking the 14th spot. Guinea rounds off the list, in 145th place.

Welcoming the report, iDA ireland CEO Barry O’Leary said: ‘this Forbes ranking will reach senior business people across the world – making them aware of all the advantages available to those that locate businesses here.

‘Country rankings like this are used by companies across the world when they make initial decisions to investigate the possibility of locating their businesses internationally.’

Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton also welcomed the ranking, saying it was ‘a testament to the hard work and innova-

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Next challenge – show Like more and more all this at interview. industries these days, How? By coming up with they are not interested examples or stories to in coasters who always reflect these skills. run with the status quo Remember, even if you and make safe linear have developed the choices. above skills in a different They even give tips on context or industry, you applying. ‘Do your are still in with a shout. research, show Career coach Jane Downes is the author of The Career Book enthusiasm and express (thecareerbook.ie) and your personality’ which principal coach of Clearview are ‘just some of the Coaching Group, many attributes that you clearviewcoachgroup.com.

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Friday, 20th December 2013

rugby leinster

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kearney eyes up two big wins in clash with saints

picture: inpho

by DAnny HOgAn

Leinster full-back rob Kearney sees the fierce proposition of northampton saint George north as a ‘manageable’ threat at Franklin’s Gardens tomorrow.

‘He’s obviously a world-class player and he’s developing every week it seems. But, you know, we had him in the Heineken Cup last year with scarlets and we managed him pretty well,’ he said. the problem for north is that northampton will have to plan without full-back Ben Foden, centre George Pisi, utility back James Wilson and wing Jamie elliott, limiting the resources inside him. northampton flanker tom Wood has spoken of how they ‘owe’ Leinster one for that incredible comeback in the 2011 Heineken Cup final. the english club is flying high in second in the Premiership, just behind saracens, and they have made it their mission to make Leinster the latest victims of their ambitions to take control of Pool One. ‘Of course, i wouldn’t expect anything less from them – that they’ve been eyeing up these two weeks as a massive part of their season – but so have we,’ said Kearney.

Leinster have their own point of motivation. it was at this juncture last season during the back-to-back clashes with Clermont-Auvergne that their discipline cracked.

‘We’ve been eyeing up these back to back games for a while now too. it’s the one area where we suffered last year and it cost us progressing in the Heineken Cup,’ said Kearney.

‘You know, it’s something we’ve spoken about – that these Christmas back-to-backs are crucial if you want

Looking forward to it: Kearney and Leinster are motivated for the big games bring that then we’ll certainly be in the game.’ northampton will look to overpower Leinster at the set-piece as they did in the first-half of the 2011 Heineken Cup final. ‘they play to their strengths. they certainly try to get dominance up front and off the back of the space that creates, they’re probably a bit more dangerous out wide than they have been. ‘they’re winning games and scoring tries. they’re playing good rugby,’ warned O’Connor.

to progress in the tournament.’

Coach Matt O’Connor described Brian O’Driscoll ‘as good as gold’ and how club captain Leo Cullen is ‘going to be important’ as the saints get first shot at playing at home at Franklin’s Gardens. ‘i wouldn’t imagine it to be an advantage. You’ve got to play them so it doesn’t really matter the order of it,’ he said.

‘We know what we need to do to go over there and be as good as we can be and i’m pretty confident if we

Friday, December 6, 2013 METRO HERALD 29

Life of Brian: O’Driscoll has suffered from concussion frequently as he puts his body on the line

picture: inpho

LET’s pRAy bOD ALMigHTy cAn sTAy fREE Of injuRy

NOT surprisiNgly, Brian O’Driscoll has been passed fit for tomorrow night’s trip to Northampton as he sets down a path of dwindling ambitions, but from this vantage point we will watch with a mix of fear and hope.

With the New Zealand disappointment behind him, the 34-year-old is left only with the opportunity to win one last Heineken Cup and have a final shot at claiming a second grand slam or six Nations title, but as we saw against the All Blacks he will stop at nothing to satisfy this hunger.

There is little doubt that O’Driscoll still possesses the attacking talents to wow rugby supporters, but increasingly his influence is measured in defence and against the All Blacks he removed himself from the equation by running into Brodie retallick, a man who has meat of about 19 stone on him, and the Dubliner’s reward was a concussion.

We cannot measure the amount of concussions the player has suffered in his career but we do know that they are becoming a more frequent sight and while O’Driscoll’s bravery, commitment and timing in defence is second to none, you fear he is sacrificing his body

more in collisions because his natural gas is not what it was.

However, the hope exists that not only does O’Driscoll remain injury free for the rest of the season but that he is allowed to make the most of his abilities in teams that are awash with attacking threat. The leinster centre still commands huge respect from opposing defences and few, if any teams, are brave enough to leave him in a one on one situation, which means he always sets off panic when he has his hands on the ball.

What O’Driscoll has excelled at in the past number of years is taking advantage of the attention paid to him by creating opportunities for others. His ability to offload, throw no-look passes and expose aggressive defences is a huge asset for leinster when you look at the talent that will surround him tomorrow night. rob Kearney, luke Fitzgerald and Zane Kirchner all possess serious pace and if O’Driscoll can manipulate the Northampton defenders alongside gordon D’Arcy and Jimmy gopperth then leinster have all the strike runners to do some serious damage.

Hopefully, ireland’s greatest ever talent will not be responsible for self-inflicted damage.

spORT DigEsT

Honours even in Adelaide THEy sAiD iT... English clubs out cRickET Two wickets for no

runs in successive overs helped to keep England competitive on a fluctuating opening day of the second Ashes Test. Australia scored 273 for five, as England kept eking out a wicket just when they needed one most at the Adelaide Oval. But after halfcenturies from Chris Rogers (72), Shane Watson (51) and George Bailey (53), Clarke himself was still unbeaten at stumps two short of another 50 to ensure honours close to even and a chance for England to level the series.

‘Neil’s definitely improved, everybody knows that. I used to own his ass years ago’

Stephen Maguire colourfully reflects on the fact he may be left behind by snooker’s top names after he was beaten 6-2

by Neil Robertson in the quarterfinals of the UK Championship at York’s Barbican Centre

2 month

of Heineken Cup

Rugby England’s clubs will be

missing from next season’s Heineken Cup after confirming they will not participate in any competition run by European Rugby Cup. Owners and chief executives from all 12 Aviva Premiership teams met yesterday to discuss the decision by their French counterparts to abandon the breakaway Rugby Champions Cup. A Premiership Rugby spokesperson said: ‘The English clubs are now pursuing other options.’

Former Giro d’Italia winner Danilo Di Luca has been banned from cycling for life by the Olympic Committee (CONI) for committing a third offence. The 37-year-old (pictured) tested positive for EPO in April.

ban for golfer Simon Dyson following his disqualification from the BMW Masters for signing an incorrect score

30 METRO HERALD Friday, December 6, 2013

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Holtby: we will never lose faith in Villas-Boas by nick METcALfE

LEWIS HOLTBY insists it is a siege mentality inside the Tottenham camp that has led to an improvement in fortunes over the past week.

A Europa League victory, draw with champions Manchester United and crucial win at Fulham on Wednesday have eased the pressure on manager Andre Villas-Boas, who is ‘very close to the team’ according to Holtby.

The 23-year-old, who scored Tottenham’s winner at Craven Cottage, said: ‘We are sticking together. We are not discussing things that are happening outside – that is not our job.

‘Our job is to get points to win games and make the fans happy.

‘That is our main objective. We have to do our talking on the pitch.

We were responsible for that disaster at Manchester City [a 6-0 defeat] but the way we responded has been good.

We have to carry on doing that.’

Insisting Spurs are growing more tight-knit thanks to Villas-Boas’ influence, Holtby added: ‘He bonds

picture: pA

coleman warns rivals to treat everton seriously

Key strike: Holtby celebrates his winner for Tottenham at Fulham picture: ActiON iMAGeS

us together and is very close to the team. Everyone accepts him and his way of playing football.

‘There is a lot of negativity coming from outside but we are all sticking

together. Bringing this bad mood into the team will not help.

‘We are positive and know the season is long. We all stick behind the gaffer. We give our best.’

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EVERTOn defender Seamus Coleman hopes the Toffees can start to be taken seriously following their fine win at Manchester united.

Everton, the only team to have lost just once this season, moved up to fifth in the table after Wednesday’s win and Coleman feels the Merseysiders have served notice of their intentions. ‘i hope people start taking us seriously now,’ said the Republic of ireland international. ‘We have a very good team and a great bunch of lads. ‘if we can go to Manchester united and win, we can go anywhere and do it.

‘That is what the manager has been telling us all season, not to be afraid of anyone.’

Toffees goalscorer bryan Oviedo underlined the fact boss Roberto Martinez wanted their side to prove a point at Old Trafford. ‘The manager got us together and asked us what we wanted from this game,’ said the Costa Rica international.

‘He said it was very important because it was a chance to show we should be at the top of the league.’

Oviedo has now scored in successive games and added: ‘This has been my best week in football. it is a bit of history for us and a very good night.’

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TODAY (7.45pm unless stated) The FA Cup with Budweiser Second Round Port Vale v Salisbury ..............................

Scottish Premiership Motherwell v Celtic........................... TV BT Sport 1 SATurDAY (3pm unless stated) The FA Cup with Budweiser Second Round Bristol Rovers v Crawley Town ..............

Carlisle v Brentford ................................

Chesterfield v Southend ........................

Fleetwood Town v Burton Albion .........

Grimsby v Northampton........................

Hartlepool v Coventry............................

Kidderminster v Newport County .........

Leyton Orient v Walsall .........................

Macclesfield v Brackley..........................

Milton Keynes Dons v Dover .................

Oldham v Mansfield ..............................

Peterborough v Tranmere .....................

Plymouth v Welling ...............................

Rotherham v Rochdale ..........................

Stevenage v Stourbridge .......................

Wycombe v Preston ...............................

Barclays Premier League Crystal Palace v Cardiff ..........................

Liverpool v West Ham ...........................

Man Utd v Newcastle .......(12.45pm) TV BT Sport 1 Southampton v Man City.......................

Stoke v Chelsea ......................................

Sunderland v Spurs ............(5.30pm) TV

Suarez: Hammer time

Sky Sports 1 West Brom v Norwich............................

The Sky Bet Championship Birmingham v Middlesbrough ..............

Bolton v Doncaster ................................

Brighton v Leicester ...............................

Burnley v Barnsley .................................

Derby v Blackpool ............. (12.15pm) TV Sky Sports 1 Ipswich v Huddersfield ..........................

Leeds v Watford .....................................

Millwall v Wigan....................................

QPR v Blackburn ....................................

Reading v Bournemouth .......................

Sheff Wed v Nottm Forest .....................

Yeovil v Charlton ....................................

Sky Bet League 1 Notts County v Gillingham ....................

Sky Bet League 2 Morecambe v Cheltenham ....................

Scottish Premiership Dundee Utd v Hearts .............................

Hibernian v Partick ................................

Ross County v Kilmarnock .....................

St Johnstone v Aberdeen .......................

St Mirren v Inverness CT ........................

SunDAY The FA Cup Second Round Cambridge v Sheff Utd .......... (12noon) TV BT Sport 1 Tamworth v Bristol C ............... (2pm) TV ITV1 Barclays Premier League Arsenal v Everton....................(4pm) TV Sky Sports 1 Fulham v Aston Villa.......... (1.30pm) TV Sky Sports 1

calmer Denis says he is no longer a menace Dublin ace Denis bastick has admitted he used to be ‘a liability’ to the team because of his infamous fiery streak, writes Paul Keane.

The twice All-ireland medallist, 32, is currently mulling over whether to return to county action next year.

He’s undecided and will make his mind up in the coming weeks. but he’s proud that he’s learned to control his temper which used to cost him and his team dearly.

The big midfielder has received several red cards over the years, from his involvement in the 2006 battle of Omagh to separate sanctions in 2009 and 2010.

There was also a high-profile red card earlier this year in the O’byrne Cup final against Kildare.

That was a hammer blow as he was unable to nail down a regular spot early in the Allianz league, though generally he is a reformed character.

gaa ‘I’ve had issues’: Bastick talks about his fiery streak

picture: iNphO

‘Definitely i had issues with discipline,’ admitted bastick. ‘There were areas i had to try and focus on personally and sometimes that’s harder because it’s mental, it’s not a physical thing there to work on. it is purely mental and i tried to deal with that.

‘it has helped because, in the past, some of the disciplinary issues probably added to the reason why i wasn’t kept around the team.’ bastick was cut from the Dublin panel in 2008 by then boss Paul Caffrey and captained the junior team to All-ireland glory.

The Templeogue-Synge Street club man returned to the senior panel in 2009 and has since won two senior All-irelands. but he admitted that the perception of him as a volatile player didn’t help at the time.

‘Yeah, a liability to the team, which i was,’ he continued at the announcement of this year’s GPA/DCu business School Masters scholars. ‘You know, you are no good to anybody if you are not going to complete the full game or if you are going to leave the team a man down. That is no good to anybody, which i fully agree with. it’s not easy to (control) but i did it through my own different ways and it seemed to work.’

football premier league

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Friday, December 6, 2013 METRO HERALD

31

Giggs: United must bounce back from Toffees sickener by jON HARvEy

Pards: David can fill Fergie’s shoes

RyAn GIGGS has demanded an instant response from Manchester United after suffering yet another body blow to their Premier League title aspirations.

Good enough to smash five past Bayer Leverkusen in one of the all-time great European performances barely a week ago, Wednesday’s 1-0 home defeat by Everton means they have collected just two points from their past three games.

They lie ninth in the table and their tally of 22 points from 14 games represents their worst return since the start of the 2001-02 campaign, when they ended up finishing third.

Giggs recognises United’s poor form must be reversed quickly if the club are to stand any hope of retaining their crown.

‘We have to pick ourselves up,’ said the 40-year-old Welsh midfielder.

‘We can’t feel sorry for ourselves for too long. We have a home game against newcastle on Saturday and hopefully we will get a different result.

‘We were on a pretty good run. We just

NeWCAstle boss Alan Pardew has backed David Moyes to get it right as he attempts to fill sir Alex Ferguson’s shoes at Manchester United. the two men go head-to-head at Old trafford tomorrow and Pardew said: ‘everybody knew that the first person to follow Alex, it was going to be very, very difficult. But he’s a strong man and he can handle it, and there’s a long, long way to go. they’d gone 12 games unbeaten [until Wednesday’s defeat to everton] so it’s not as if there’s a crisis there.’

‘We have to get over it and go on another run’ have to get over this disappointment now and get on another.’

As he is also a member of David Moyes’ coaching team, Giggs knows where United’s present problems lie. yet again on Wednesday, they were guilty of wasting opportunities and paid the price when Everton’s Costa Rican left-back Bryan Oviedo struck late on at Old Trafford.

The result leaves United 12 points adrift of leaders Arsenal and five behind Liverpool, who occupy the final Champions League berth.

But Giggs is not panicking. ‘The gap is bridgeable,’ he said.

‘Hopefully we can start picking up points again but we will get a better idea come the new year.

‘We have had a few disappointing results over the last couple of weeks.

‘The performances haven’t been that bad. When we have been on top we have not taken our chances.

‘If you do that in this league, you are going to get punished.’

Bad night: Moyes suffered defeat at the hands of his former club PICTUre: ACTIoN ImAGeS

TRANSFER TALK

Pogba to snub capital gain Former manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is primed to dash the hopes of Arsenal, Chelsea and real madrid by signing a contract extension with Juventus. The France international has seen his stock rise significantly Monthly Certified Distribution Sep 30 - Oct 27, 2013: 59,764

with the Serie A champions since moving to Turin from old Trafford in 2012. He has attracted interest from europe’s top clubs but is expected to follow Juve team-mate Arturo Vidal in penning a new deal.

Juve deal: Pogba

u West Brom boss steve Clarke believes the Baggies can keep hold of star man Youssouf Mulumbu. the Congo midfielder has said he is eager to leave the Hawthorns, possibly for Arsenal, but Clarke said: ‘I think we can satisfy a lot of the ambitions he talks about.’ u reAl Betis and Valencia want to end Iago Aspas’ liverpool nightmare by signing him in the January transfer window.

Published by Fortunegreen Ltd, 1st Floor, Independent House, 27-32 Talbot Street, Dublin 1 Printed by The Irish Times at Citywest in Dublin Editorial: (01) 705 5088 Advertising: (01) 705 5077 Distribution: (01) 705 5007

Reds target pure Granit lIVerPool are set to make a January bid for Borussia monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka as Brendan rodgers plans for life after Steven Gerrard.

Gerrard, who signed a

new deal at Anfield in June, will be 34 by the end of the season and rodgers is keen to bring in a midfield replacement – namely Xhaka, 21 – as his captain approaches retirement.

32 METRO HERALD Friday, December 6, 2013

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