Metro Herald, December 9, 2013 by Metro Herald

Monday, December 9, 2013

www.dublinatchristmas.ie Visit facebook.com/dublinatchristmas #DublinatChristmas

Guilty Pleasures

In Life we learn netiquette with netiquet Randi Zuckerberg Ra

He’s the Kian of the jungle »p8

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ESB strike threat lifted after talks A THREATENED strike by ESB workers that would have seen homes and businesses across the country plunged into darkness has been averted after unions resolved their dispute with management. Workers were poised to stage a walk-out next Monday in a row over the company’s pension fund. But the action has been avoided after a weekend of crunch talks with union and management representatives. Unions withdrew the strike threat after saying it had secured protections for the pension scheme. The resolution was facilitated by the Labour Relations Commission. A statement on behalf of the ESB Group of Unions said staff had been subjected to unfair public criticism during the dispute. ‘The ESB workers have been publicly vilified for nothing more than protecting themselves and their families against an attempted destruction of their bought and paid for pension rights,’ it said.

by david KEarnS

The statement also praised the ‘unity and determination’ of the workers, their representatives and the trade union movement. The ESB welcomed the withdrawal of the strike notice. In a statement, it said: ‘A strike would have had extremely damaging consequences for electricity consumers, businesses, the economy and the company.’ The company said its ‘financial strength’ had been protected by the settlement and expressed regret for the ‘unnecessary worry, inconvenience and uncertainty caused by the threat of power outages’. Energy Minister Pat Rabbitte said the settlement was ‘unqualified good news at this critical juncture of the year and of the country’s economic recovery’. He added that both parties deserved credit for ‘ending the uncertainty’ that threatened to do ‘disproportionate damage’ to the country.

GRAFTON STREET & STEPHEN’S GREEN CENTRE

GET YOUR CHRISTMAS ON!

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piano palS: Rachel Hekova, 7, Kilkenny and Keeva Fennelly, 4, from Waterford play some plinky plonk at the launch of singer-songwriter JP Ryan’s charity Christmas gift card single, Home, in aid of The Carers Association available from selected outlets and www.jpryan.com PICTURE: PaT mooRE

€

THIS WEEK ONLY

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METRO HERALD Monday, December 9, 2013

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Today is...

International Anti-Corruption Day A day observed every year since the United Nations Convention Against Corruption

was signed on October 31, 2003.

From the archives (2011):

4 The number of

victories enjoyed by the four Irish provinces in the weekend’s Heineken Cup rugby action

Olympic Torch Dublin-bound

London Olympic chiefs decided to break with tradition by allowing the Olympic flame to travel outside the host nation and into the Republic ahead of the 2012 Games. The Irish Olympic Council planned a large celebration to mark the historic event.

Today’s birthdays

Ireland’s rate of newsprint recycling is now up to 79%. Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you.

Judi Dench, UK actress, 79; John Malkovich (pictured), US actor, 60; Nick Seymour, Dublin-based musican (Crowded House) and producer, 55.

CLOCkwORD

The solutions from 1 to 12 are all sixletter words ending with the letter Y in the centre. Moving clockwise from 1, the letters in the outer circle will spell out the name of a US politician’s ex-wife. 1. S. American 7. Ball game Feline 8. Rematch 2. All the same 9. Notoriety 3. Airstrip 10. Tennis shot 4. Office 11. Hostility receptacle 12. Cure 5. Treasure fleet Friday’s solution: Andrew Motion. 6. Discreetly

Weather Weather Today

Max: 13°c

A very mild and breezy day. Many areas will stay dry but some rain or drizzle is likely in the west and southwest later. Temperatures between 10°C to 13°C in moderate to fresh southerly winds.

Kate O’Sullivan The Vanilla Pod Eatery Start-up day: 28-4-2011

Allen Garrard

11�C

Donegal

11�C

PolytunnelsIreland.ie Start-up day: 12-2-2009

Derry

10�C Belfast

Cavan

Galway

13�C

Athlone

Niall Roche

Dublin

12�C

Hooked Kitesurfing Start-up day: 24-8-2012

Tipperary

13�C

Waterford

Tralee

Patrice Fanning Technically Write IT Start-up day: 16-8-2010

Cork

Dee Fitzgerald Secret Fashion Fixes Start-up day: 4-10-2012

Everyone remembers their Start-up day. Tell us about yours. AIB has launched a Business Start-up Hub where you can view customer Start-up day stories, learn from their tips and advice and upload your own Start-up day story. After all, who better to learn from than other Start-ups!

Drop into any branch • 1890 47 88 33 • www.aib.ie/startup

Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

Tonight

12�C

12�C Sunrise: 8.28am Sunset: 4.07pm

Min: 4°c

Tonight will be dry but probably rather cloudy. Winds will remain fresh or strong, southerly and this will keep it mild. Temperatures between 4°C to 7°C.

Submit Your Story

EUROPE today

Tomorrow Outbreaks of drizzle will affect the southwest and west of the country but other areas will stay dry, with the chance of a few sunny breaks. Temperatures between 11°C to 13°C in fresh to strong southerly winds.

Barcelona

15 °c 14 °c

Berlin

10 °c

Brussels

8 °c 11 °c

Athens

12�C 13�C 12�C 12�C

12�C

11�C 13�C 12�C Max: 13°c

London Geneva Madrid Paris Rome

4 °c 12 °c 4 °c 15 °c

Monday, December 9, 2013 METRO HERALD

There isn’t a dry eye as scuba divers Chris and Janet get married underwater

We’ve taken the plunge

Underwater love: Chris and Janet Wright say ‘I do’ with cards by nicOLE LE MARiE AS BILLY Idol almost sang – it’s a nice day for a wet wedding. That’s certainly what Chris and Janet Wright thought as the scuba-diving pair exchanged their vows under the sea in the Maldives. Their wedding outfits may have got ruined but at least they were guaranteed a big wet kiss at the end of the ceremony. As talking would have meant taking in a mouthful of water, the couple held up signs saying ‘I do’ in front of guests, which included some exotic marine life. They opted to swim, rather than walk, up the aisle 12m below the surface as they are both keen scuba divers. ‘I was hoping she wouldn’t keep me waiting at the altar – if she had been too long I might have run out of air,’ said 63-year-old Mr Wright. ‘It was just awesome and well worth doing.’ The 58-year-old bride said: ‘It was totally amazing. They’d created a whole stage area with a swinging seat, it was completely magical. ‘There were curtains and flowers, there was an aisle to swim down and a big welcome sign. My big day was incredibly special; I couldn’t imagine

Darling it’s better down where it’s wetter: The scuba pair signal all is well as they sit 39ft under the sea PiCTures: CaTers a better setting for our wedding.’ After the ceremony, the couple emerged into the sunlight to tour on a catamaran with a ‘just married’ sail billowing in the wind.

They then changed into dry clothes and enjoyed champagne and cake on Centara Grand Island. Chartered accountant Mr Wright, from Cottingham, East Yorkshire,

added: ‘We’ve been scuba diving for years and we thought, “Why don’t we get married out here? How nice it would be to have an underwater wedding ceremony”.’

Happy: Chris and Janet Wright

Get cracking. Last posting date to USA.

METRO HERALD Monday, December 9, 2013

Gardaí to focus on tackling traffic jams over Christmas Tackling congestion in Dublin is to be a major focus for the garda this December as the force launches Operation Open city to keep traffic flowing over the christmas period. Running alongside the christmas Road Safety Enforcement campaign, the aim is to keep public traffic disruptions to a minimum, with particular focus on areas such as car parks and shopping centres. as part of the operation, there will be patrols on all major routes and link roads in the Dublin area during morning and evening commuting

hours, and a garda presence on late night luas and nite link services. The operation will run until December 24 and follows on from consultation between an garda Síochána and key stakeholders such as the national Transport authority, Dublin city council, transport providers and local businesses. Meanwhile, figures from irish Rail show that 30 per cent of Dart and commuter services ran more than five minutes late last month, mainly due to leaf fall. it has to be 10 minutes late before it’s termed delayed.

Keaveney an ‘opportunist’

LABOUR Minister Pat Rabbitte has accused his former party colleague Colm Keaveney of being willing to join Hezbollah if he thought it would advance his career. Speaking on RTÉ, Mr Rabbitte dubbed Keaveney’s move to Fianna Fáil ‘political opportunism’. Questioned about the analogy, given

Hezbollah’s history of violence against Israel and support of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, Mr Rabbitte dismissed any sinister motive behind his words, adding that, ‘He would join anyone if he thought it would advance his career.’ Labour has been openly disparaging about Keaveney’s move to Fianna Fáil six months after he quit the party.

OH, cAROL: Mairéad Sparkes, 12, with Síle Seoige and the CIÉ Male Voice Choir serenading commuters in Heuston Station to launch Carols For Commuters. The events in Heuston, Connolly, Pearse and Cork will raise funds for Make-A-Wish Ireland, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening conditions PIC: jason Clarke

Number of homeless families has doubled CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR ALL THE FAMILY AT FANTASTIC PRICES!

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THE number of families becoming homeless in Dublin has doubled in the last six months, a charity has warned. With 16 families now losing their home every month in the capital, there are currently five children a week being made homeless in the city, according to Focus Ireland. The charity said it had recorded an almost 20 per cent increase in enquiries from people across Ireland who have been made homeless, or were in fear of becoming so, over the last year. It supported a total of 9,237 people so far this year who were homeless or at risk of losing their home, compared to 7,819 people during

the same period last year. The charity highlighted the problem as it appealed for public donations to help its work. It said it had been affected by State funding cuts at a time when

‘We are seeing more people at serious risk of losing their homes due to the recession’ demand was on the rise. Focus Ireland’s director of fundraising and marketing, Lisa Nicole

Dunne, said: ‘We are now seeing more people at serious risk of losing their homes due to the impact of the recession and it’s highly concerning to see the rise in the number of families becoming homeless. ‘In Dublin alone, the number of families becoming homeless has recently doubled from eight to 16 every month. Worryingly, five children a week are losing their home.’ She added: ‘Focus Ireland will simply not be able to cope with the massive spike in demand for our services in 2014 without public donations. ‘Every euro counts and people can rest assured 90 cents of every euro raised is spent directly on services to combat and prevent homelessness.’

Two bikers die in Skull found after separate crashes search for body TWO motorcyclists died in road accidents in Wicklow and cork yesterday. a 50-year-old biker died after a crash involving two motorcycles and a car at around 1.50pm yesterday on the R755 at Ballinastoe near Roundwood, co Wicklow. He was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver of the other bike and the car driver were taken to hospital to be treated for non life-threatening injuries. gardaí have appealed for witnesses to come forward. Meanwhile, gardaí at Ballincollig in cork are investigating a fatal road traffic collision in an area known as garryhesta at 5.15pm yesterday. a male motorcyclist was fatally injured when his motorcycle collided with a wall.

A HUMAN skull has been found close to where dismembered parts of a murdered drug dealer were dumped. It is suspected the skull discovered by gardaí in Clonee, Co Meath, belongs to 37-year-old Christopher Gaffney. Other body parts were found in the same rural area last month. Those remains were identified as those of Gaffney, from Blanchardstown, by matching fingerprints on the Garda database. He was reported missing by his family in October. The skull has been removed to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown for tests. A formal identification is not expected until DNA analysis has been completed.

Monday, December 9, 2013 METRO HERALD

Pecks appeal A DOZEN cockerels have become unlikely pin-ups. The preening poultry feature in a calendar recreating famous Hollywood moments. One copies John Travolta’s dance moves in Saturday Night Fever while others give James Bond, Batman and crime drama The Usual

Suspects a rooster makeover. The scenes were shot by fashion photographer Dan Kennedy for the

Nation weeps for Madiba MILLIONS of tearful mourners united in a day of prayer for Nelson Mandela yesterday amid meticulous preparations for his final send-off, with people crammed into churches across South Africa to honour their former president. At least 53 heads of state and government will be travelling to South Africa to pay their respects. President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina, as well as Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Eamon Gilmore will join a capacity crowd at the 95,000-seater FNB Stadium in Johannesburg for a memorial service tomorrow, where US president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle will also be in attendance, along with UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, former US presidents George W Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, as well as Bono. Three more stadiums will welcome crowds to watch the proceedings on big screens. Mr Mandela’s body will lie in state from Wednesday to Friday in Pretoria, with millions expected to want a last glimpse of him. It will then be taken for the funeral in

by AiDAN RADNEDgE his home village of Qunu, where an upbeat, dance-fuelled remembrance service was held yesterday. South African president Jacob Zuma, who called the day of prayer, said: ‘We felt it important we should have a day where all of us as South Africans can come together and pray for our first democratic president and reflect on his legacy. But it is also to pray for our nation – to pray that we not forget some of the values he fought for.’ Mr Zuma’s predecessor Thabo Mbeki questioned whether the current leadership was living up to the first ANC president’s ideals. ‘Let’s not betray the noble legacy that Mandela left behind,’ he said. In Ireland, the Mandate trade union said it and other unions were in the process of arranging the attendance of the Dunnes Stores anti-apartheid strikers at Mr Mandela’s funeral next Sunday. The 1984 action started when cashier Mary Manning was suspended for refusing to handle South African goods.

Tears: A woman wipes her eyes as she stands in front of flowers placed outside Nelson Mandela’s home in Houghton, Johannesburg Picture: ePA

n A book of condolence for Nelson Mandela will move to the South African Ambassador’s Residence, 20a Shrewsbury Road, Ballsbridge this morning and will be available for signing daily from 10am to 3pm until Friday. Lord Mayor of Dublin

Oisín Quinn was one of the first to sign the book when it opened at the Mansion House on Friday. He said that it had been a ‘great privilege’ for Dublin to award Nelson Mandela the Freedom of the City for his humanitarian efforts in 1988.

Happy Egg Co. Marketing director Steve Horton said: ‘Since we can’t have real cockerels on our farms, it’s

great to offer our broods some pinups.’ It will be sent to all the company’s producers.

Eggs certificate: Roosters recreate Batman, The Usual Suspects and Saturday Night Fever for the calendar Pictures: PA

METRO HERALD Monday, December 9, 2013

60 seconds Smoker ablaze as she lit up in mask

MARy J BLiGE, 42, is a Grammy-winning, 50million-selling superstar with an acclaimed perfume, a new Christmas album and a new movie, Black Nativity A few years ago the idea of you doing a nice Christmas album would have felt weird. You used to be such a bad girl. Not really because I did Christmas songs when I was a so-called bad girl or horrible person, the reputation I had. I was always a person searching for love, and Christmas was my favourite time of the year.

You said ‘horrible person’. Was that reputation right? I was

young and I was trying to protect myself as best I could. And I have always had a really good monitor for trouble, especially back then.

You’ve stopped drinking completely. Is Christmas going to be tricky because it’s the time everyone says: ‘Oh, go on…’? I stopped drinking about a

mum helps. Everyone does the cooking.

What about eating, because you’re in amazing shape. You were even on the cover of Shape magazine, weren’t you?

Thank you. Well, I mean, for Christmas you’ve got to give yourself that, you just got to eat. But I train so hard and I don’t mind doing two or three miles to burn the fat. I work with my trainer three or four times a week. And when I get back on to the dieting… it’s not a hardcore diet, it’s just not eating a lot of junk.

What brought the fitness thing on? Did you hit 40 and think: ‘Must try harder’? No, I’ve been

training since 1997. My break-out training moment was when I had a show at Radio City Music Hall and I remember getting ripped for the first year and four months ago and I’ve time and I wore this little studded bra been to parties… it’s just something top and these low-waist leather pants I’m not doing now. I’m not and that was my first time of saying I would never do getting a taste of looking it again. good. Then I fell off. You get older, you You do a duet When you’re young, fall off, but you with Barbra keep going. I you make a lot of Streisand on thought: ‘This mistakes. That’s time, I’ve got to the album. reach my zenith.’ how you learn. How did that I’m older and I happen? My I made a thousand need to feel good. producer David

“

Foster has a relationship with her and he asked me if I wanted to do a song with her, When You Wish Upon A Star, and I said absolutely, yes.

Imagine if you’d said: ‘Nah, not into it.’ You’re not going to say

no to Barbra Streisand! I remember being a fan of hers when she did her first r‘n’b album with The Bee Gees, Guilty. I love her as an actress, too. She’s everything you want to be. When I met her, she was just so wonderful.

You were friends with Whitney Houston. How much of a shock was her death, or did you think it was inevitable? That just hurt

really bad. I loved her and still love her and miss her so much. She was so much fun and she was the biggest giver. She really gave advice. Whatever you needed, Whitney was giving it to you. And that I miss.

What sort of Christmas do you have? It’s kind of in the middle. It’s not ginormous. It’s mostly family and a few friends.

Do you do the cooking yourself? No. I have a chef and my

A SMOKER is fighting for her life in hospital after she lit a cigarette while wearing an oxygen mask. The 47-year-old was engulfed in flames as she attempted to light up at her home. She suffered severe facial burns when the spark caused the oxygen to explode, triggering a fire in the bedroom of the terraced house. Neighbours woke to find several

by AiDAn RADnEDGE

fire engines and police cars arriving to tackle the early morning blaze in Heywood, Greater Manchester. The woman received treatment at the scene on Friday and was taken to Fairfield Hospital in Bury. She remains in intensive care in an induced coma. Frances Tennant, 85, who lives

Commie is too taboo but Nazi is okay

A BiT Of ELfHELp: Maria Stokes of Bord Bia was joined by Nessa and Charles Last to launch the Bord Bia Christmas Food Market taking place at CHQ, IFSC from this Thursday to Sunday piCture: Gary o’Neill

GATE THEATRE

You have your tenth wedding anniversary to Kendu Isaacs coming soon. What’s your secret? My secret is

prayer and loving myself and not looking to someone else to make me happy or fix me. That’s my secret.

He’s your manager, isn’t he? What’s it like working with your husband? You have to let the person

know: ‘I appreciate you. What do you need me to do…?’ My career is both of our visions. But mine mostly, where I want to go, what I want to do, and he’s trying to get me there.

And you have Black Nativity out. Yeah, with Jennifer Hudson,

Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker and Tyrese. It’s uplifting.

Do you ever look at younger artists and think: ‘I know what you’re doing wrong’? When

you’re young, you’re going to make a lot of mistakes but the only way to learn is to make the mistakes, so you have to let them make them. That’s how I learned. By making a thousand mistakes. Simon Gage

The new album, A Mary Christmas, is out now.

opposite the victim, said: ‘It’s a bit of a shock that this has happened and I hope she’s OK. ‘I could see police cars on the corner and plenty of activity with the fire service and I wondered what was going on.’ The fire was already out by the time firefighters arrived. The family of the woman, who has not been named, declined to comment.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Adapted by James Maxwell “My good opinion once lost is lost forever.” Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice Tickets from €25 Selling Out Fast – Limited Availability

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IT WAS a slur which could have ruined your life in 1950s America. But in a war on words, a council has banned the word ‘Commie’ – the term used by Senator Joseph McCarthy in his Cold War witch hunt against patriots with leftleaning political views. If you must have a go at ‘lefties’ the terms ‘pinko’, ‘Bolshevik’ and ‘red’ are allowed as are right-wing jibes ‘Nazi’ and ‘fascist’. A total of 130 words have been outlawed by Birmingham City Council including nipple, testicles, orgasm and foreskin. If any of the banned words are used in an email sent to the council, the message will be blocked. However, if anyone wants to start a ‘cyber war of words’ with a council official they can replace a letter of the banned word with an asterisk or space. Explaining why some words are blacklisted, and others are not, a council spokesman said: ‘The email monitoring products we use are American, and the default word and topic lists are based on web use in that country.’ Surprisingly, while viagra is banned in incoming emails, it is allowed in messages sent out by employees.

Monday, December 9, 2013 METRO HERALD

Little things make Christmas perfect. Leaf an impression

How I Live Now star and Carlow girl Saoirse Ronan was beaten to the Best Actress award by veteran thesp Lindsay Duncan for her role in Le Week-End at the British Independent Film Awards in London last night picture: snappers

Donors urged to give blood over Christmas

Leukaemia ‘cured’ by immune cell tweaking

MORE than 20 patients, most of them children, have been ‘cured’ of leukaemia after having their immune cells genetically tweaked to kill cancer. Out of 27 people to undergo the treatment, 18 of them remained cancer-free almost three months on. Only six of the patients relapsed. The first of 22 children to have the therapy was eight-year-old Emily Whitehead, from the US, who is cancer-free since her treatment in April 2012. Prof Stephen Grupp, of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said: ‘Our results serve as another important milestone in demonstrating the potential of this cell therapy for patients who have no other therapeutic options. We are also very excited that this approach has worked and been safe in patients who have relapsed after a bone marrow transplant.’ All patients have the highly ag-

Fears are high that Irish blood supplies will be difficult to maintain in the run-up to Christmas. The Irish Blood Transfusion service said the mid-week timing of Christmas and New Year will mean the loss of more than 1,500 donations in December. IBTs director of operations Paddy Bowler urged donors ‘to give a priceless gift this Christmas – give

by TARiq TAHiR

gressive form of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. The therapy involves using a disabled form of the virus that causes Aids to reprogramme the immune system and attack specific invading disease cells – in this case, cancerous B-cells. It is hoped the treatment, which costs €14,900 per patient, will eventually replace bone marrow transplants. Leukaemia is the most common childhood cancer, with about 25 teenagers and young adults diagnosed with the most common form acute lymphoblastic leukaemia each year in Ireland. Cancer Research UK’s Dr Emma Smith said the study was promising: ‘Harnessing the power of our immune system to attack cancers is an exciting field and there are many new clinical trials investigating this approach.’

blood’. some 14,000 donations will be needed in hospitals over the Christmas period. The extra clinics will be open on the sunday before Christmas (December 22), sunday December 29 and the sunday after New Year’s Day (January 5). see www.giveblood.ie for more details.

METRO HERALD Monday, December 9, 2013

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★★ ★ ★

I’m the Kian of the jungle EVER modest Kian Egan paid tribute to his I’m A Celebrity co-stars after being named the winner of this year’s show. The 33-year-old former Westlife singer said: ‘I don’t know what to say, everyone here deserves to be in this chair. None of us would have got through this without each other.’ Egan, who was crowned by last year’s winner Charlie Brooks, beat fashion designer David Emanuel to triumph in UTV’s jungle show. Earlier the pair ate pig’s penis and an ostrich anus tapas dish during their final bush tucker trial. And the seasoned bug-munchers showed little sign of squeamishness.

by NIcOLE LE MARIE ‘He’s a big boy,’ remarked Emanuel, as he sampled his ‘cock au vin’ dish, while Egan declared his ‘tap-ass’ was ‘like chicken’. Their reward was a farewell feast of smoked salmon and steak for Emanuel and pizza and a huge cheeseburger for Egan. Egan told his sole remaining campmate: ‘You’ve come in here and outlasted everyone else and that’s because you are a good guy and people

vote for nice people. ‘I have a fan base of Westlife fans but nothing like what Joey has – he has more than 2million followers on Twitter, I have 250,000. That’s still a lot but even so, he has 1.75m more than me so it’s like, what has happened? It’s way beyond my expectations. I never expected to be here in the final. I’m gobsmacked.’

Feast: David Emanuel and Kian (far left) tuck into a final feast PIctureS: rex

Posh: I lost passion for the Spice of life ★ Victoria Beckham has confirmed that she has said goodbye to the Spice Girls for good after falling out of love with the band. She rubbished rumours of another reunion tour with the girls by claiming she knew her career in pop was over five years ago. ‘I realised it was finished for good in 2008, when we reformed for our reunion tour,’ the 39-year-old singer-turned-designer said. ‘The day of the concert at Madison Square Garden, the other girls spent time relaxing in bed, shopping and in the gym before heading off to the soundcheck. ‘I arrived with three kids in tow in a tight dress because I’d been in meetings all day. ‘I put my bags and the children down, I picked up the mic and I sang. It should have

been the best moment of my life but I just wanted to be elsewhere. It wasn’t a lack of respect for the girls or the audience but the passion just wasn’t there. By contrast, in my new career, the passion grows every year. I still want more.’ She also revealed how she was riddled with insecurities during her time in the group. ‘I looked moody. But I wasn’t. I was shy, not very sure of myself,’ Posh told Paris Vogue. ‘The other girls would sing and dance on tables with no complexes, I wasn’t confident enough to do that. ‘I had to invent a character and I thought

of that – staring at people and pouting. ‘My insecurities helped me create the character in a way. Nowadays, it’s like a barrier that comes back whenever I go out. That’s the way fame has affected me.’ But she credits moving to Los Angeles with helping her

stay sane. ‘It could have been a lot worse. I don’t have a single stint in rehab to my name,’ she said. ‘Someone said to me once, LA’s like a giant rehab centre for celebs. It’s so far away from everything that people leave you alone.’

Britney Spears has learned much about matters of the heart after two marriage breakdowns and numerous failed relationships. And her advice on how to get over the heartbreak of a split is simple. ‘Just get another guy, really quickly,’ the star, 32, told her fans in a US radio interview with Ryan Seacrest. Speaking as she makes the final preparations for her two-year residency at Las Vegas’s Planet Hollywood, which starts on December 27, Spears added: ‘If you get another boyfriend it’s really easy to get over it.’ It’s a tried and tested technique for the Toxic singer, who moved on to David Lucado just two months after ditching her long-time fiancé Jason Trawick earlier this year.

Monday, December 9, 2013 METRO HERALD

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Lady GaGa has been accused of being a backstage demand diva after she reportedly insisted on having three international phone lines in her dressing room at a nightclub in London where she was performing for a HIV/Aids fundraiser. The 27-year-old also allegedly refused to talk to other stars Adele and Sting at the event.

Joey’s jungle meltdown Joey Essex has suffered a ‘meltdown’ after his shock exit from the jungle. Fears for the Towie star’s wellbeing were raised by his father, Donald. ‘It’s been emotional for him,’ his father said. ‘He’s really cut up,’ he added, as it emerged Joey, 23, had refused photo requests at his hotel hideout in Queensland. As Essex left I’m A Celebrity on Friday, he said: ‘I went

Leona: Ich liebe Jauch but I won’t marry... yet

into the jungle as a boy... faced my fears and I’ve become a man.’ Of his favourite camp-mate, Amy Willerton, 21, he said: ‘Amy is a proper salty potato. She looks well decent in her bikini.’ Meanwhile, he has wasted no time in bulking up after losing 9.5kg in the jungle. On Saturday, he ate three meals before lunchtime, including a fry-up and a curry.

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Things appear to be heating up between Harry Styles and Kendall Jenner after the pair were spotted on another date in New York. The One Direction singer and 18-year-old reality TV star were seen enjoying each other’s company at the Gansevoort hotel in the city’s Meatpacking District on Saturday. Styles, 19, and his bandmates had touched down in the Big Apple for the weekend where they had a starring role on Saturday Night Live. The boys appeared alongside the cast of Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.

EONA LEWIS has revealed her rocky romance with Dennis Jauch is back on – but she won’t be marrying him any time soon. The 28-year-old singer admitted things had not always been rosy with the German dancer but insisted the relationship was now ‘really good’. ‘We’ve been on and off for a little while. Currently on, which is nice,’ she told me. ‘We haven’t talked about marriage yet. It is something I want to do at some point. I did want to get married in my 20s. That was always a weird thing for me. ‘But now I’m like, “No, no, no. I’m not ready”. I feel like you think you are going to be ready but then you get to your late 20s and you’re not.’ And there is no language barrier be-

by SEAMUS DUFF tween her and her continental lover as she has been picking up a few essential words. ‘I know all the swear words. So if he tries to swear at me in German, I know what he’s saying,’ the former X Factor star said. And while marriage might not be on the cards, Lewis has turned her attention to children. ‘My mum was brought up in a children’s home and, although her childhood was good, she never had a mum or a dad,’ she said. ‘And then she went on to be a so-

Stepping out: X Factor reject Tamera Foster kicked off her shoes to belt out hits by Beyoncé and Rihanna in her first performance since leaving the UTV show at G-A-Y in London on Saturday Picture: reX

cial worker. So I saw a lot of foster kids coming in and out. ‘I feel like it is important to give kids a permanent home – even though foster parents are amazing too,’ she told me. ‘I don’t think I’d have as many as Angelina Jolie. I could probably only cope with one. ‘But I think adoption is important – to have a sense of belonging and have parents. ‘Maybe one day I will adopt but not yet. I’m still a kid myself. I’m still 18 in my head.’ Lewis’s Christmas single, One More Sleep, is out now.

10 METRO HERALD Monday, December 9, 2013

BOOK EARLY: see www.thehelix.ie or call 01 700 7000

Red card claims: Sam Sodje said he can fix Premier League matches

Six arrests over star’s ‘match-fixing boast’ SIX people have been arrested in a new investigation into football spot-fixing after an ex-Premier League player claimed he once rigged a game for £70,000 (€83,000). Nigeria international Sam Sodje was filmed claiming he had punched a rival player in the groin to get sent off while playing for Portsmouth in February. It is also alleged he told undercover reporters he could rig the outcome of Premier League matches and was preparing to fix games in next year’s World Cup finals in Brazil. The former Reading and Leeds United defender claimed he controlled a net-

World

by AiDAn RADnEDgE

work of players who would be willing to get yellow cards and even sent off in return for cash. The arrests, made yesterday by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), come after the Sun on Sunday passed it information about spot-fixing. Sodje, 34, also claimed on camera that his brother Akpo, who plays for Tranmere Rovers, was happy to get booked for money ‘six, seven games in a row’. Oldham Athletic player Christian Montano, 21, also allegedly boasted he had deliberately got himself booked for

digest

Violence is feared after opposition walk-out

THAiLAnD: The main opposition group has quit parliament saying it refuses to work with the ‘illegitimate’ government – fuelling fears that protests will turn violent. The Democrat Party, which last won an election in 1992, is linked to demonstrators who will call for a non-elected council to take charge. Elected premier Yingluck Shinawatra relies on the rural poor’s support.

King of rock’n’roll’s blue suede shoes have sold AMERicA: Elvis Presley’s sole pair of blue suede shoes have sold for €60,000. The King’s footwear was snapped up at a Los Angeles auction at the weekend. ‘They are to Elvis what the white dress is to Marilyn Monroe and the red slippers are to Judy Garland,’ said auctioneer Darren Julien.

Oscar-nominated film director dies fRAncE: The Oscar-nominated director of French farce La Cage Aux Folles has died in Paris, aged 85. Edouard Molinaro (pictured) was described by president François Hollande as a ‘great, appealing, original’ film-maker who won ‘the admiration of the public and his peers’. His career, which spanned six decades, also included crime films and historical adaptations.

campbell’s in the soup over Pearl Harbor tweet AMERicA: Campbell’s Soup has apologised for marking the anniversary of Japan’s World War II attack on Pearl Harbor with a tweeted picture of its mascot jauntily holding a US flag. The Twitter account for its canned pasta brand sent a message asking followers to ‘remember’ the event accompanied by the cartoon figure licking its lips. The tweet was later deleted.

and finally...

cROATiA: Romantics can soon get married on a heart-shaped island. Bulldozers have moved in to spruce up Galesnjak, in the Adriatic Sea, to turn it into a dream destination. ‘The interest has been incredible,’ said owner Tonci Juresko.

a gambling syndicate placing bets on yellow cards during games. The NCA is working with the Football Association and Gambling Commission to investigate the claims. Portsmouth spokesman Colin Farmery said: ‘If these allegations are true, we are extremely shocked and saddened by them.’ The Football League said it was treating the claims ‘with the utmost seriousness’. The inquiry comes days after four people, including non-league players Michael Boateng and Hakeem Adelakun, were charged over separate allegations of match-fixing.

Three ‘slaves’ discovered on traveller sites in UK THREE men believed to have been kept as slaves were freed yesterday after a series of police raids in the Bristol area. They were found after officers stormed three Traveller sites, a business unit and house in South Gloucestershire and a residential property in Bristol. One man in his 30s, another in his 40s and a British man in his 50s were receiving medical treatment ‘in a place of safety’, Avon and Somerset Police said. Officers have yet to discover how long they were allegedly held. Two people were arrested in connection with slavery offences and five others on suspicion of offences including failing to appear in court, money laundering and handling stolen goods. A ‘significant quantity of cash’ was found at one address. Chief Supt Julian Moss said: ‘Victims in such cases are often forced to live and work in poor and unsanitary conditions, sometimes with little or no pay.’ But the actions of a small minority were ‘not reflective of the wider Travelling community’, he added.

Monday, December 9, 2013 METRO HERALD

Proposed pay rise for MPs is ‘inappropriate’ UK MINISTERS have condemned plans for an 11 per cent MP pay rise at a time of austerity, with one calling them ‘wholly inappropriate’. MPs’ basic pay would go from £66,400 (€79,100) to £74,000 (€88,200) under proposals from the UK’s Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. But ministers from every party criticised the idea, with Liberal Democrat treasury secretary Danny Alexander saying he would turn down the extra cash.

‘I think it would be wholly inappropriate for MPs to get such a large pay rise at a time when every other public sector worker sees their pay rise capped at one per cent,’ he said. All party leaders have criticised the plans, with both Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg having pledged to shun the extra money. UK prime Minister David Cameron, meanwhile, stopped short of that – but agreed their pay should not rise while others faced restraint.

Enraged: Protesters take turns battering the toppled statue of Soviet hero Vladimir Lenin with a giant hammer Picture: AP

Lenin statue demolished as 200,000 join protest PROTESTERS tore down and decapitated a statue of Lenin yesterday as chaos erupted during a mass rally against Ukraine’s president Viktor Yanukovych. Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to central Kiev in sub-zero temperatures to denounce moves to align the country closer to Russia. Several took turns beating the toppled statue of the Bolshevik leader, while others chanted ‘Glory to Ukraine’. Authorities said it would allow a peaceful rally to go ahead after riot police lashed out at demonstrators the previous weekend. But there were concerns some opposition activists would be goaded into violence. A meeting on Friday between Mr Yanukovych and Vladimir Putin raised fears among the pro-EU opposition that Ukraine was on the verge of surrendering its political sovereignty to Moscow. A letter read out by the daughter

“PROMISES TO BE THE MUST-SEE BLOCKBUSTER THIS CHRISTMAS” Yahoo!MoviesUK

by AiDAn RADnEDgE of jailed opposition leader and former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko called on Mr Yanukovych to resign and announce an early election. She declared: ‘Yanukovych has lost legitimacy as president. He is no longer the president of our state, he is a tyrant.’ In her letter, Ms Tymoshenko told the crowd: ‘Don’t give in, not a step back, don’t give up. The future of Ukraine is in your hands.’ World boxing champion Vitali Klitschko also demanded Mr Yanukovych’s removal from office. ‘We will fight and we are confident that we will win,’ he said. The opposition branded the demonstration in Kiev the ‘march of a million’ but the crowd, which was dotted with Ukrainian and EU flags, was estimated to be about 200,000.

Rally for change: Pro-EU supporters flock to Kiev to condemn efforts by president Viktor Yanukovych to align Ukraine with Russia Picture: reuters

BUY THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY ON 3D, BLU RAY AND DVD NOW TM

12 METRO HERALD Monday, December 9, 2013

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‘Mail’ to 53131* Facebook.com/ metroherald

Mandela’s light will always live, say readers in mourning

elson Mandela showed and acted out in front of the world what the true meaning of ‘fight for what you be-

lieve in’ is. Thank you for giving humanity your humbling spirit every day until the very end. I am so happy that one day my future children will learn about you as a genuine leader of love and peace. An example to all. Sian Rhian Morton ■ After having 27 years of his life stolen from him, nelson Mandela deserved to live to a ripe old age. I believe his death is among some of the worst international news I’ve seen in my lifetime. He didn’t just want peace in his country, he strived for world peace. After spending so long locked in a cage, he came out still believing peace was the answer. This man was born not to feel hate. Derek Bulloch ■ Taoiseach enda Kenny remarked that nelson Mandela’s passing was like a great light being extinguished. He is wrong, however – nelson Mandela’s light will always live. Chiko ■ Daniel o’Connell once said: ‘In

Ireland, the whole policy of the Government was to repress the people and to maintain the ascendancy of a privileged and corrupt minority.’ It’s amazing they’ve been able to continue in this fashion for almost 200 years since. Time for a change? Ordinary Human Being ■ Boys and men: Why do you constantly spit in public? Disgusted Female, Dublin ■ Well done to Philip King and all of his amazing team in Dingle for yet another incredible other Voices festival. I was lucky enough to make it down to the intimate but world-famous concert series and was one of 80 ticketholders to sit in st James’ Church during filming to see Hozier, Patty Griffin and lisa o’neill. The atmosphere was only magic right across the town, and all the performances aired live in the pubs so everyone could enjoy the music. It was also a great excuse to revisit one of the most beautiful places in Ireland. Thank you Dingle, and thank you other Voices. DR ■ A heartfelt thanks to all four of our rugby provinces for banishing the pain of the recent All Blacks defeat. Proud

*Please include a name and location. Texts cost €0.30 per message + standard network charges. SP. Oxygen8 Communications, 4th Floor, Malt House North, Grand Canal Quay, D2. Customer service number 0818286606

Quick pic A DOG IS HOT FOR CHRISTMAS: Going by this picture that Jess Reinthal sent us, we’re assuming her bulldog Archie is looking forward to Christmas. However, we’re not so sure about Harry the boxer (far left) who looks slightly unfazed Send your photos to pictures@ metroherald.ie with ‘Quick pic’ as the subject and we will print the best each day in the paper

gOOD ON yA ● A big thank you to the lovely driver of the No.27B last week who let me on the bus at Liberty Hall. I was heading home to go to my son’s school show. Still some kind bus drivers out there! Maria, Artane ● To the honest person who found and handed in my iPhone in H&M Dundrum last Thursday. Thank you so much! I’ve donated €100 to Concern in gratitude for your kindness. I hope your honesty comes back to you as great luck, love and happiness! Forgetful & Grateful

● What happened to the hottie handing out Metro Herald at Clontarf Road? Her smile brightened up my mornings! Bring her back, or tell me where I have to move to! Heartbroken

● Well done to the chap who saved the dog who was running on the train tracks at Balbriggan on Friday morning. Our hero. Elle & Claire

● Ellen de Generes look-a-like is a first! I usually get Daniel Craig. I’ll keep an eye out for you... 007

RANDOM AcTs Of kiNDNEss

TRENDiNg

#HCup

@metrohnews #metromailbox

● Toulouse were 6.5kg a man heavier than Connacht. It’s not the dog in the fight, it’s the fight in the dog. @VaughanShoes

● Emphasise again – this #Leinster team is made up of ALL Irish players! A sensational statistic – and performance! @sportsdes (RTÉ’s Des Cahill)

● When it comes to upsets in the #HCup has there ever been anything bigger than @connachtrugby winning at @StadeToulousain? @ercrugby

● Well done @Munsterrugby @leinsterrugby @ UlsterRugby and @connachtrugby on showing Europe who the daddy is! #HCup #rugby @ireland

● Outstanding by Leinster. And English teams think they should be calling shots on European club game? @cooper_m (Today FM’s Matt Cooper)

● Perhaps the narrow defeat to the All Blacks inspired the Irish provinces with all four winning this weekend in the #HCup @GeraldineLynch

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Monday, December 9, 2013 METRO HERALD

randi zuckerberg, author of a new guide to net manners, is trying to escape Mark’s shadow by warning about technology by jAMEs DAy

features@metroherald.ie

oR someone warning about the dangers of oversharing on social media, the first thing on Randi Zuckerberg’s mind seems to be telling the world what she’s up to. ‘I so need to take a selfie with this,’ says the sister of Facebook founder Mark as she spots a rotary dial phone in the Covent Garden Hotel’s drawing room. The author of a new guide on netiquette and balancing online life has already faced criticism for posting a photo of her family pretending to ‘sext’ on their smartphones, and using Veterans Day to promote her book on Twitter, but she remains philosophical. ‘There are opportunities and challenges in the fact we now have these megaphones,’ she says. ‘on one hand it’s wonderful that I can get my message out there louder than ever on my own, on the other hand you open yourself up to the peanut gallery of billions of people. I can tweet the most innocent thing about us being here right now and someone will be offended.’ The former Facebook marketing executive admits her brother raised his eyebrows at her writing an anti-online book. ‘Absolutely, but it’s funny because there have been so many different headlines,’ she says. ‘Within five minutes of one another, I saw one headline that said: “Randi Zuckerberg tells people to never use Facebook again,” and the other said: “Randi Zuckerberg tells people to use Facebook more.” It’s a sexy headline to say

➔

Time to face Facebook facts

14 METRO HERALD Monday, December 9, 2013

Life&Style cover story

➔

“Zuckerberg siblings at war”, but some of the greatest minds in tech are really good at knowing when to unplug.’ Zuckerberg worked at Facebook for six years and says it was very easy to get ‘caught up in what you’re building’. ‘When I left, I noticed some of the technologies we were building to improve the world were creating new complications in people’s lives,’ she says. In the book, she urges people to switch off from work. ‘I remember when you had your desktop computer, it was powered down and you’d go home. Now, your work comes home with you. If you start creating unspoken boundaries – like don’t answer emails after 11pm – eventually you train the people around you to respect your time.’ Zuckerberg switched from hard-nosed New York to the college campus environment of California’s Silicon Valley after her brother

RAnDI’S wEb wISDOM On Snapchat…

‘they’ve mastered the “surprise and delight” phenomenon. Studies show you get a burst of dopamine in your brain that brings you pleasure when you receive a message. Snapchat has perfectly captured that. But it lulls you into a false sense of reality that the message has vanished when in fact it’s very easy to take a screenshot. Never post anything online you wouldn’t be comfortable seeing on the BBC.’

On Tinder…

‘it leverages social media to show if you have friends in common. it’s made dating easier but, on the other hand, there are new etiquette boundaries being crossed – 30 per cent of relationships are ended by text message, which seems quite heartless. We’ve become afraid of confrontation.’

“Some of the technologies were creating complications” asked her to join his new project that was growing exponentially from a nondescript house. ‘I expected to see a soccer mom and a minivan, and instead it was a group of 20year-old guys coding and surrounded by cans of Red Bull,’ she says. ‘It was a college frat house on the inside and suburban Americana outside, but it was very clear even at that moment that Facebook was going to be one of those companies that only comes around once in a decade.’ After negotiating her salary on a napkin – ‘That’s how it works in Silicon Valley, we write things on napkins’ – and thanking Mark for a ‘crash course in how equity works’, Zuckerberg helped

On celebrity and tech…

Switching off: Ex-Facebook executive Randi Zuckerberg; below left, with her sister Arielle, her brother Mark – founder of the social networking site – and parents Karen and Ed shape Facebook’s relationship with media and politics, including organising a ‘town hall’ meeting for President Obama. She also credits her brother with demonstrating the benefits of a thick ‘I’ learned from him it’s skin. ‘I’ve imp important to have a clear mission despite w what people around you are saying, she says. saying,’ ‘They hurled the worst insults, called him “T “Toddler CEO”, but he e turned everyone around.’ She eventually left the company ex exhausted and pregnant with son Asher ‘Having a son shaped my Asher. ow views of technology. I thought own ho it about his digital identity and how be begins before you’re even born, from that first moment you anyou’ pregnant or post an nounce you’re ultrasound. With that comes a lot of responsibility. Anything you share

adds to that permanent footprint, so it really made me take stock of my own online behaviour and question whether I was setting a good example for my son.’

O FOLLOWED Dot Complicated and a children’s companion guide called Dot. ‘A tech-life balance is appropriate to anyone aged two to 102,’ she says. ‘My husband and I send texts and Asher picks up the television remote and pretends to do the same. One of his first words was “phone” – Edison would be rolling over in his grave right now, or maybe he’d be celebrating – and at Thanksgiving dinner, the only person who asked for an iPhone was my two-and-half-year-old son – he was promptly told “no”. ‘I’ve had very passionate responses to the children’s book and part of that is a realisation society has changed for children. The birds and the bees is no longer the most awkward

On My PLAyLIST tiMMy Matley of the Overtones ROAR by katy perry

I love this song. I think it’s her best yet and it’s got such a good, uplifting message. Let’s be honest: we all love a good roar every now and then.

SOMEwHERE OnLy wE KnOw by keane and lily allen

I do love Lily Allen’s version of Keane’s song. Her vocal is so sweet she sounds like a little girl. I met her at a party recently and she’s far from a little girl. You guys have seen the video for her new single, right?

LET ME gO by gary barlow

I love the Mumford-And-Sons feel of this Gary Barlow song. He’s been a good supporter of The Overtones and I have to say I think he’s one of the nicest guys in the music industry.

SAy A LITTLE PRAyER by aretha franklin

This grabs me from the first line – ‘The moment I wake up, before I put on my makeup...’. I don’t wear make-up, er, except for TV. Who cares? I love this song.

‘Both worlds have crossed. Our struggle at Facebook was deciding whether to embrace celebrity culture. Myspace was all about celebrity so we went in another direction. But celebrities carry tremendous influence; ashton Kutcher (pictured) trying to get a million followers was the first time most americans had heard of twitter. Go to any investor day in Silicon Valley and it’s frequent to see lady Gaga or Justin Bieber, or their managers.’ conversation with children, it’s “be mindful of what you post online”.’ Zuckerberg’s next mission is encouraging more women in the sector. She says: ‘My hypothesis is to make engineering cool, to make it sexy, aspirational and exciting. Things are improving but it’s still rare to see a woman CEO at a tech company.’ Although Zuckerberg speaks fondly of her brother, the family dynasty could yet spawn a female tech CEO: their younger sister, Arielle: ‘Arielle is brilliant,’ says Zuckerberg. ‘She’s already worked for Google and is now with a stealth start-up. She’s quite a force, has an engineering and design degree, and represents a new generation of young women who stand to be our next great tech leaders.’

Dot Complicated (Bantam Press) and Dot (Doubleday Children’s Books) are out now

PRETTy wOMAn by the overtones

This is a classic from an all-time amazing film, Pretty Woman. I’m really happy with our version as there are a lot of harmonies on there and beefy drums to get you going. The Overtones new album Saturday Night At The Movies is out now. They play The Olympia on Feb 18

Mr R Kelly is V grubby r kElly BLaCK panTieS rCa HHIII

Self-styled ‘king of r‘n’b’ r Kelly has been a main player since the 1990s. his repertoire has grown increasingly surreal since then, whether it’s chat-up lyrics (‘you remind me of my jeep’) or his sprawling musical soap series, Trapped in The Closet. he’s recently reasserted his mainstream status, and he’s keen to push more buttons on his 12th studio album, Black panties. Kelly obviously possesses vocal chops, but it never entirely engages before everything lapses into autoTuned groaning. my Story is a cringe-inducing memoir. Some of Kelly’s productions are immaculate but these sentiments are mostly limp; tracks such as Throw money On you or marry The p***y don’t feel sexy or provocative, just grubby. you know exactly where Kelly’s overtures are going; you don’t want to think about where they’ve been. Arwa Haider

Pogue ochón...

THE big RELEASE

thE PoguEs 30 yearS warner HHIII

I Should Fall From Grace With God, A Pair Of Brown Eyes, and Dirty Old Town, Ewan MacColl’s ode to the northern English industrial enclave of Salford (sorry barstool Dubs, it has nothing to do with your home town). The only reason for uber-fans to spring for the new collection, arguably, is the inclusion of a live CD dating from the short intermission during which The Clash’s Joe Strummer fronted the group. It isn’t all terrible: the late Philip

Chevron (the Pogues’ token actual Irishman) shines with his keening emigration dirge Thousands Are Sailing. But then, there is Fairytale Of New York, with its boozy ennui and suffocating self-pity. It’s like being stuck next to a singing drunk on the last Nite Link – listening to it you silently cheer the Pet Shop Boys for keeping the song off the (UK) Christmas number one slot all those years ago.

Eamon de Paor

yOUR DUbLin wEEk with daragh reddin bUy POPCORn fOR… Mary Poppins

Thirty years after Pl Travers penned her first Mary Poppins book, the 1964 Disney film captured its spellbinding antics with an innovative mix of animation and live action Tonight, IFI, 6 Eustace Street D2, 6.15pm, €8.50. Tel: (01) 679 3477. www.ifi.ie

Die Hard

gET DOwn TO… Hypnotic brass Ensemble

This merry band of Chicago family talents are best experienced live, where they add house-styled rhythms to their jazzy, funky brass blend. There’s no excuse to miss them this week – they’re playing four consecutive nights in The sugar Club with homegrown special guests on each night Thu to Sun, The Sugar Club, 8 Lower Leeson Street D2, 7.30pm, €20. Tel: (01) 678 7188. www.thesugarclub.com

Josh Ritter

ireland’s beloved adopted son fetches up in the capital this week as part of a nationwide acoustic tour, with two sold-out dates at The unitarian Church tonight and vicar street tomorrow Tomorrow, Vicar Street, 5859 Thomas Street D8, 8pm, €30. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.vicarstreet.ie

ALSO OUT More new albuMs revieweD bEEdEEgEE Sum/One 4aD HHHHI

The alias belongs to brian DeGraw, a producer and musician best known for his founding membership of new York’s Gang Gang Dance. although that band has been treading an experimental synthpop/psychotropic-rock path for more than a decade now, this is DeGraw’s solo debut. it’s a more maverick record than recent Gang Gang Dance releases but no less groovy. and whether he’s summoning the abandonment of the dance floor, as he does on (F.u.T.D.) Time of waste or channelling Kanye west via looney Tunes on Quantum Poet riddim, DeGraw never loses his grip on melody. Sharon O’Connell

o some The Pogues represent a quasimystical articulation of the Celtic spirit, while to others they are a bunch of (mostly) English people inhabiting their favourite Plastic Paddy stereotypes – the London-Irish equivalent of House Of Pain no less (though obviously they never released anything as good as Jump Around). Whichever side of the debate you fall on, your opinion is unlikely to be altered by this sprawling, nine – nine! – disc retrospective marking the ragtag crew’s 30th anniversary. On the one hand there is Shane MacGowan’s slurred poetry and bottom-of-the-glass ennui and, on the other there is… Shane MacGowan’s slurred poetry and bottle-of-the-glass ennui. You’ll already know vast swathes of the material here: If

Monday, December 9, 2013 METRO HERALD

John Mclane and his vest take on alan rickman’s muahha-ha terrorist baddie in this festive favourite for the boys Wed, Light House Cinema, Smithfield Square D7, 8.30pm, €8.50. Tel: (01) 872 8006. www.lighthousecinema.ie

fEAST yOUR EyES On… Create ii

street art finds a temporary indoor home this week as Clement & Pekoe play host to Create ii, a celebration featuring work from Johnny McKerr, aidan Kelly, Jessica Tobin and solus (work pictured). Pop down on Thursday night for the launch when complimentary drinks and music from boss level i will bolster proceedings Thu, Clement & Pekoe, South William Street D2, 7pm, to 10pm. www.picturethisdublin.com

british sEa PowEr FrOm The Sea TO The Land BeyOnd rough Trade HHHII last year, these art-rockers recorded a soundtrack for Penny woolcock’s documentary of the same name, knitted together from archive bFi footage of coastal britain. There was no voiceover in the film, leaving bsP’s music to illustrate these antique images. Most of these tracks are instrumentals based on older material, where bsP dispense with their brand of post-punk and move into the atmospheric territory of Mogwai’s soundtracks. we lose a lot without the visuals but there’s a simple beauty and majesty in much of this music. John Lewis

Nick cavE aNd thE bad sEEds Live FrOm KCrW bad seed/Kobalt HHHHI

nick Cave always gives a good live album. with the early bad seeds, live shows were visceral. over the past decade, their outings have been gentrified affairs, with choirs and string sections. This set, recorded for a Californian radio station last year, strips out the upholstery with nine deliciously dark readings of old and new material. There are hymnal readings of old faves (The Mercy seat, People ain’t no Good) and expansive versions of recent tracks such as Higgs boson blues, while a thrashy, encore of Jack The ripper is a reminder of the manic Cave of yore. JL

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16 METRO HERALD Monday, December 9, 2013

Life television Screen Talk The greatest story ever told

Touched By An Angel star Roma Downey and her producer husband Mark Burnett are behind epic ten-hour mini-series The Bible. The Derry actress also stars as Mother Mary in the series which will be shown on TV3 over five days during the festive season.

neven maguire: home cheF – chrisTmas special rTÉ1, 8.30pm It’s Christmas dinner at the Maguire homestead with Neven trying out a new twist on the seasonal meal using traditional ingredients. Dishes include a crown of turkey marinated in buttermilk – which the chef promises is the most moist and most delicious turkey you’ve ever tasted – chocolate sensation, oatmeal biscuits, and a pineapple salsa to accompany the MacNean glazed ham. And Neven shares recipes which he hopes will take the fear out of entertaining this holiday season.

That’ll be the day

TV and musicals usually steer well clear of each other but Victoria Wood (pictured) is bringing the two together in Tubby And Enid, a featuretion of length adaptation her stage play That or Day We Sang for BBC2. The tale of two child choristers who spy the hope of a new life when they meet 0 at a reunion 40 years on, Tubbyy And Enid will star Imelda Staunton and Michael Ball.

The old ones are the best

Film oF The day Music anD lyrics, TG4, 9.30pm

The opening 1980s music video spoof alone will have you helpless with laughter. Reprising his usual role of emotionally incapable bachelor, an ever-more crinklyeyed Hugh Grant plays Alex Fletcher, a has-been who was essentially the Andrew Ridgeley of a group called, er, Pop! until a new Britney/Aguilera-alike sensation gets him to write her new song. Trouble is, Alex can only do melody. Where will he find words? Enter Drew Barrymore’s ditzy plant waterer with a gift for lyrics. Be warned: you’ll be humming ‘Pop goes my heart!’ for longer than any song from Dreamgirls.

seT lisT: sTand-up WiThouT a neT Sky aTlanTic, 10.15pm He’s best known these days as an Oscarwinning Hollywood film star, but throughout his career robin Williams (pictured, left) has been renowned for his stand-up comedy too. so he should be well equipped to survive the challenge of thinking up a new routine on the spot, with just a word or phrase to set him off on a stream of scatty humour. it’s an interesting idea for a comedy show, with the promise of a laugh – or a cringe – lurking around every corner.

The royal varieTy perFormance UTV, 7.30pm Ice stars Torvill and Dean celebrating their 1984 Olympic gold-medal winning Bolero routine is one highlight of the pick and mix that is this typical Royal Variety bill. Dame Edna Everage in regal regalia is another standout of the John Bishop-hosted line-up, with Mary J Blige, John Newman and shadow theatre specialists Attraction potential show-stealers in a line-up that also includes comedians Jason Byrne and Seann Walsh, singers Gary Barlow, Jessie J and Olly Murs and a sneak preview of Harry Hill’s I Can’t Sing! The X Factor Musical.

Foul play rTÉ2, 10pm

Alison Steadman, Stephanie Beacham, Russ Abbot and June Whitfield are among the top comedy talent signed up for Grey Mates, a new BBC1 sitcom that promises to take a fresh look at life after retirement for a trio of coastal couples. To speed up or slow down? Is 60 the new 40? Let’s just hope it’s not an old jokes home…

Fire up the scraphead

He loved buzzing around in a retro classic in Life On Mars and now actor Philip Glenister will be indulging his love of motors in a new series, provisionally titled Cars (start thinking of your own pun now) which follows Glenister as he sets about rescuing abandoned classics from the scrapheap. On his wish list? The Mini Cooper MK1, Triumph Stag and the DeLorean, to name but three.

an irish take on punk’d, presenter aidan power sets out to see if some of our sporting stars really are good sports. comedy trio eoin ronayne, colm reid and rob O’Hanrahan, who have appeared in republic of Telly sketches, know the right buttons to press as they set up scenarios to ‘play’ the players aided by other well-known faces. among those featured are boxer kenneth egan who turns up for a TV interview with ryan Tubridy, but all is not as it seems. meanwhile leinster and ireland rugby player cian Healy goes out for dinner with girlfriend and model Holly carpenter, where the waiters serve up more attitude than food.

Life dear dolly

fREE ADvicE fOR… Heidi Klum

A man I sit next to at work has had a vicious cold, possibly flu, for three weeks. It is now doing the rounds. I can’t decide whether to give him a tissue and sympathy or force feed him a bumper pack of lozenges for being disgusting and selfish. Any advice? Lemsipper

Dear Heidi. Last week you said that at the age of 40 you were retiring from the catwalk: ‘I wouldn’t model with my underwear down the runway anymore. I think I would find it a little uncomfortable,’ she told Access Hollywood Live, before adding, ‘I still do photo shoots for [magazine] covers and advertising

Whether you work in an office, shop or call centre, no one needs to hear your mucus. If he won’t listen, convince your manager to insist he fester at home. Yes, sick leave costs companies €1.5billion per year but it would be reduced if these martyrs listen to their bodies and take a duvet day now and again to prevent the lurgie spreading. Plus, there’s nothing more distracting than a soundtrack of sputum when you’re trying to watch a YouTube clip of kittens in mittens.

I started a new job and my wife and I are going to the company’s black tie ball. Her dress has serious side-boob and, given my team mates are very blokey – and their droopy wives may feel threatened – we can’t decide if she should cover up or get them out? I want to impress my boss. P

Party y People P

Open Gate: Alyson Boyle at the opening night of Pride And Prejudice in the Gate Theatre

In the zone: Ronan Keating and Storm Uechtriz scrubbed up well for Keith Duffy’s Masquerade Ball at The Powerscourt Hotel in aid of Irish Autism Action

deardolly@metroherald.ie

Got a problem? No one else can help? Our resident agony aunt tells it like it is

Monday, December 9, 2013 METRO HERALD

Despite major fissures in the glass ceiling, trophy wives are always in vogue and if your boss hires a blokey team then ‘celebrating’ your wife’s bangers may not be such a bad idea for earning Brownie points. However, if he’s much better looking and more charming than you (it goes without saying he’s more successful) insist she wear a horsehair sack, otherwise he’ll be whisking her off to the K Club before you can say tit tape. LAST WEEK:

My other half is into bondage and role play. I’m no prude but that stuff just doesn’t turn me

on and never has – it’s too contrived. She didn’t make her fetishes known at the beginning of our relationship and it’s now driving a wedge between us. Can a sexually incompatible couple ever survive? DB YOU SAiD: Just bite the pillow and get it over and done with, and don’t forget to pick a memorable ‘safe word’!

Andrew Nolan

I wonder if there would be as many ‘man up’ type comments if the person in question was female. If he is that uncomfortable and has no interest in trying then he shouldn’t. Relationships are built on

stuff.’ Mais oui! Who wouldn’t hide behind the safety of Photoshop, far, far away from the cold, scrutinous glare of the catwalk? If any woman is going to feel the tyranny of youth, it’s a ‘veteran’ model. So may I suggest that rather than disappear you fly the flag for ‘older’, surgery-free women in the media – they are so few and far between, and you may finally get the sisterhood on your side.

more than one person’s fetish and a frank discussion should solve any problems regarding this.

Amanda Pullen Kennedy

OvER TO YOU:

I met a girl who is perfect – except she’s teetotal. She’s s**t hot in bed, and I drink less when I’m out with her, which is probably not a bad thing, but I’m nervous about introducing her to my mates at the pub and stuff. Can Ale Fan this have a future? What do you think? Lend Dolly your words of wisdom at deardolly@ metroherald.ie. Best replies published in next Monday’s paper…

Out and about in Dublin

On the ball: Brian Br McFadden and Vogue Williams also looked look the part at the K Keith Duffy Masquerade Ball Lady in rred: Sinéad Considine glowed at the Military Order of Lazarus Schu-in: Louise Murphy, Gemma Arnold and Wendy Cheevers raised a glass at the launch of gala ball in Trinity College beauty destination Anna Schu in Stillorgan Pictures: LeON FarreLL/briaN mcevOy/kieraN harNett/jOe keOGh

18 METRO HERALD Monday, December 9, 2013

BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS: Ali Horan, Aisling Gannon, Hannah Murphy, Avril Hotlon and Orlaith Cullen look to the future after successfully completing DCU’s Centre for Talented Youth Engineering course sponsored by Intel

picture: Marc O’Sullivan

Jobs&Courses SEVEN DEADLY SKILLS: presenter mentor Rowan Manahan takes to the podium on Wednesday as part of national college of ireland’s Seven Deadly Skills series in association with Metro Herald and Jacob’s creek. He’ll be tackling envy, in the guise of presentation skills What is the key to a good presentation? To be a lot less

interested in yourself than you are in your audience. Good presentation is entirely abut the audience – their disposition, their needs, their worries.

Are good presentation skills innate or can you learn them? I

don’t know about you, but I was born naked, incontinent and without the ability to stand up, much less speak. Kidding aside, the vast majority of strong presentation/speaking skills are learnt from observed and modelled behaviours. To that end, introversion can actually be an advantage for a speaker.

Who do you think is the best orator in the world at the moment? Gawd, there are so many. I love

anyone who can speak with credibility, passion and reason in a way that doesn’t jar on my ear. Malala’s (Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenager who was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman for promoting girls’ eduction) speech in the UN bowled me over. [Author and journalist] Christopher Hitchens’ fluency and irrefutable logic always resonated with me. Locally – Bob Geldof and Bono are both powerfully articulate speakers.

If you were having a dinner party, what five world figures (living or dead) would you like to have around the table? Hitchens – definitely. [Author] Maya Angelou. [Comedian] Bill Hicks. Hillary Clinton. Winston Churchill.

What can people expect from your Seven Deadly Skills talk? I

In good company: Staff members can get to know colleagues in a more relaxed setting at the company Christmas party, but don’t get too familiar

try to embody what I preach. My recipe for a good speech or presentation is to show respect for your audience with: (a) Clarity of message. (b) Understanding the audience’s needs and being flexible around those needs. (c) Slide in the ideas as palatably as possible – appropriate tone, visually/aurally pleasing, nice comfortable pace. Presenting is simple – it’s just not easy. There are no shortcuts, but if you work on the right things, you can massively improve your skills in this regard. Let’s see if we can generate some envy with your newfound skills after Wednesday. Rowan will be joined by freelance journalist, stylist and TV personality, Rosemary Mac Cabe at Wednesday’s Seven Deadly Skills talk. The series celebrates National College of Ireland courses, which include an MSc in Management, Marketing or Web Technologies; MA in Human Resource Management and MBA. New professional education offerings include a Certificate in Digital Marketing and The Coach’s Programme, one of the world’s most prestigious coaching training programmes. All events are free and take place at NCI’s city centre campus in the IFSC. Register via the website ncirl.ie, and early booking is recommended.

Monday, December 9, 2013 METRO HERALD

news@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010

The Christmas do (and the don’ts) THE OFFICE PARTY: Christina Finn investigates the ways to avoid those embarrassing moments at the annual shindig

hristmas is rapidly approaching, everyone is working hard to get everything done and sometimes the only thing that is getting us through it all is the thought that the Christmas party is just around the corner. the office Christmas party is a time when many employees feel they can let their hair down and have a welldeserved drink for all the work they have done during the year – but it also has its risks. so, what is acceptable behaviour at the annual work do? ‘People should enjoy themselves at these events, they can be a great way to get to know your colleagues better, but people should also be conscious that they are at a work event,’ says Caroline mcEnery, founder and managing Director of hr & Business solutions. One of the main components of the work Christmas party is alcohol. We often only see the people we work with in a professional capacity, and when put into a room with them with Christmas tunes, we can sometimes use a few drinks to get into the spirit. mcEnery says just as a few drinks can make you more relaxed, it can also

lower your inhibitions. she says she has seen cases where people have felt they are being overlooked or they’ve missed out on a promotion or think they deserve a rise, and they think raising this issue at the bar is perfect. ‘the advice would be to act as if you would in the office on a normal day. it can be easy to say, “to hell with it, i’ll tell him and her now,” but there is a time and place and it is not at the Christmas party,’ she says. No one is saying you can’t enjoy yourself and have a few drinks, she says, but nothing screams unprofessionalism more than being the drunkest one in the place. mcEnery says Christmas parties can also be a time when sexual advances, unwanted or otherwise, can be made. You may have fancied someone from afar all year and now he or she is standing under the mistletoe. it’s the perfect opportunity to swoop in, you think. however, in the cold light of monday morning everything can look different and the awkwardness could seriously impact your work, she said. ‘if something happens with someone you work with and afterwards you feel you can’t interact with them, then that has a huge impact on your working relationship and your job,’ she says. it could also get worse. an online survey of 505 women in ireland in November by Lloyds Online Doctor ireland found that one in three women used the morning after pill during the festive season, with usage spiking after the office Christmas Party.

she says the line between management and employees can also be breached in this regard, stating that she has seen cases where the boss has made unwanted advances at junior employees that have resulted in cash settlements. Fighting, name calling or saying something out of turn is also common, says mcEnery, who adds that an official office party is not the place to do any of these things. she adds that social media is now becoming a problem. ‘People can take photos and videos now of people in a compromising position professionally, like taking a photo of the managing director being drunk. it can put the company in a bad light if these images get spread around. my advice would be to not take photos of people without their consent, and certainly don’t share them.’ she adds: ‘make sure you drink lots of water, eat either before the party, make a conscious effort to watch what you say and book a taxi home for a certain time.’ however, if you wake up with ‘the fear’ and know you have made it on to the office wall of shame, what should you do? ‘if you have acted inappropriately or a complaint has been made against you, management will investigate, but if you feel embarrassed yourself about your behaviour, nip it in the bud come monday,’ says Caroline. ‘acknowledge that you had a few too many and say you hope you weren’t too much of an embarrassment.’

Legal Eagle Robert Crowley

Sorry, not tonight With the Christmas party season getting into full swing, no doubt one of your colleagues, a little worse for wear, will fall foul of a bouncer ‘Management reserve the right to membership of the Travelling refuse admission’ is common community. signage one will encounter in So if you ask a disobliging shops and pubs across the country. bouncer why he’s not letting you However, putting up a sign does in and he tells you it’s because not change a proprietor’s legal you’re a Jehovah’s Witness, you obligations, and a publican’s right may have a strong case to bring to of refusal is not without its court. limitations. It is likely you will be given no Shop owners and public houses reason. Many publicans will have have a general discretion in law as been advised that it is preferable to who they admit on to their to stay silent rather than risk an premises. For public houses, this equality legislation challenge. must be viewed, because of the A prudent publican will brief requirement under their liquor their staff fully on the licence, as a way to keep a discriminatory grounds ‘peaceable and orderly contained in legislation house’ and be of and similarly keep a ‘good character’. This of all A pub is legally logbook requirement means incidents where obliged to turn people are refused that a pub is actually legally obliged to entry or service. away ‘bad turn away ‘bad If a bouncer is eggs’ eggs’. being However, this unreasonable in general right of refusing you entry, refusal does not raise it with permit them to management. act illegally. It is advisable to Under equality wait until the legislation, a following day. premises is not Arguing about entitled to refuse equality legislation entry to a person at based on a 3am is unlikely to number of end up being a discriminatory night to factors, including remember. age, race, sexual Robert Crowley is a practising barrister. orientation or

“

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20 METRO HERALD Monday, December 9, 2013

puzzles

METROSCOPE by Patrick Arundell

NEMI by Lise

Aries Mar 21 – Apr 20

Mars is going to help you be more assertive. And with Mercury also forging a fantastic angle to Uranus, the more open you are to new ideas, the better. Yet, the Moon today suggests there may be moments when you could find yourself hankering for some quiet time. For your forecast, call 15609 114 70

Taurus Apr 21 – May 21

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

An opportunity to better your lot in life can come in the most unexpected of ways. This is because Uranus continues to evoke less obvious possibilities. This may relate to how you lead your life in a practical way, your work or even your approach to health issues. For your forecast, call 15609 114 71

Gemini May 22 – Jun 21

An exciting new dawn has broken for you and this sees Mars, the planet of drive, enthusiasm and raw energy, influencing a fantastic part of your horoscope. This can also give you the wherewithal to enjoy the run up to Christmas in the most sociable of ways. For your forecast, call 15609 114 72

Cancer Jun 22 – Jul 23

The Moon’s location today suggests there could be moments when you find yourself daydreaming and wishing you were back in the weekend. The reality is that there is a lot you can achieve around property issues or handling domestic affairs.

PEARLs BEFORE swINE

Libra Sep 24 – Oct 23

The arrival of Mars in your sign is a fantastic opportunity to be more selfconfident and give your sex appeal a boost. Your mind can be particularly lively today and this can also lead to some upbeat banter with one person. For your forecast, call 15609 114 76

scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22

The Moon in Pisces today can arouse the more affectionate side of your nature. And, yet, with Mercury in your sector of everyday finances connecting brilliantly with Uranus, you can buy a most imaginative Christmas present for someone.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 77

sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21

You often love unusual ideas and strands. Part of this comes from your need to constantly sate your curiosity. This side of your nature is emphasised today. Yet, to seize the opportunity, you might have to move out of your comfort zone. For your forecast, call 15609 114 78

Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 20

Someone may amaze you by sharing a secret. Many of us probably keep a little bit of ourselves back. If you are told something confidential, it’s important to keep this to yourself.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 73

For your forecast, call 15609 114 79

Leo Jul 24 – Aug 23

Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19

It’s often important for you to have your voice heard. If you have an opinion on something, you appreciate it when others take it seriously. This is going to become a much bigger issue now.

You can be one of the most futuristic signs and today’s angle between Mercury and Uranus is a great chance for you to demonstrate how skilled you can be in understanding trends and people’s needs.

Virgo Aug 24 – Sep 23

Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20

For your forecast, call 15609 114 74

Look again at a domestic issue that has been stuck. There is definitely an opportunity to take a fresh look at this old problem. Mars is also going to give you a great deal more desire to get value for money now, or to just feel that you can maximise your talents.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 80

A boss may ask you to take on an unusual task. Your first instinct may be to doubt its relevance but try not to be too fixed in your thinking because an open approach could see you generate an amazing idea. For your forecast, call 15609 114 81

1 3 8 9 11 13 14 17 20 21 22 23

Helps (4) Scatter (8) Sort (4) Beginning (8) Orders (12) Essence (6) Eraser (6) Sweat (12) Dexterously (8) Irritation (4) Pleases (8) Minus (4)

DOWN

1 2 4 5 6 7 10 12 15 16 18 19

Achieved (8) Lay down (7) Whole (6) Special (10) Rule (5) Brink (4) Objecting (10) Ditches (8) Fragile (7) Requisitioned quarters (6) Incorporate as member (5) Attack (4)

Friday’s Solutions Across: 1 Accountancy; 9 Boredom; 10 Drier; 11 Thorn; 12 Extreme; 13 Untold; 15 Estate; 18 Tractor; 20 Augur; 22 Venue; 23 Finesse; 24 Brotherhood. down: 2 Cargo; 3 Ordinal; 4 Number; 5 Audit; 6 Chimera; 7 Obstructive; 8 Free-hearted; 14 Trainer; 16 Staunch; 17 Trifle; 19 Treat; 21 Gesso.

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

ENIGMA Anything distended or Swollen more than heretofore. Famous battle (World War Two). Lots of people fight it too! WHO AM I? A singer, I was born in Miami in 1990. I am part-Jamaican and was rumoured to be lined up for the part of Christopher Wallace in a film about the Notorious B.I.G. My debut single, Beautiful Girls, topped the charts in Britain and America.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? WHO… played the part of the hyperactive Father Noel Furlong in sitcom Father Ted? WHAT... group of plant-like organisms has blue-green, yellowgreen and golden-brown varieties? WHERE... is the John F Kennedy Arboretum located? WHEN... did Admiral Richard E Byrd fly over the South Pole?

SCRIBBLE BOX

ACROSS

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

Crossword No. 875 See next edition for solutions

QUIZ ANSWERS: ENIGMA: Bulge. WHO AM I? Sean Kingston. WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? Graham Norton; Algae; near New Ross, Co Wexford; 1929.

QUICK CROsswORd

For your forecast, call 15609 114 75

gaa leinster club sfc final

Victory for Heffo’s men after Vin-tage display ST vINCENT’S..................................3-12 PoRTlAoISE...................................3-09 by pAuL kEAnE At one stAge in tullamore yesterday, a group of st Vincent’s supporters who’d hung a Kevin Heffernan banner from the main stand were asked to move it. Undeterred, they marched over to the terrace behind the goals at o’Connor Park and held aloft the image of the club’s iconic leader there. From that vantage point, ‘Heffo’ watched his beloved club edge victory in dramatic circumstances at the end of a six-goal thriller. A bit like those who carried the banner, Vincent’s were forced to alter their plans early on to find another way to achieve their goal. It all seemed to be going smoothly for tommy Conroy’s side after early goals from Ciaran Dorney and Ruairi trainor, which left them 2-4 to 0-4 clear. But when seven-time champions Portlaoise pulled two goals back in the space of just 90 seconds, both from Craig Rogers, the game took an unlikely turn. From there, it was a tit-for-tat encounter that saw the sides deadlocked at half-time on 2-5 apiece before Portlaoise pulled clear. the Laois champions kicked a third goal after 36 minutes and entered the final third of the match leading by four points. Vincent’s have as much courage as class though and when the game hung in the balance their big players stood up. shane Carthy firstly sniped a great goal after a ball over the top from Michael Concarr, evading the ‘keeper with a neat solo dummy before netting. It helped them to draw level for the sixth time at 3-8 to 3-8 with 14 minutes left. Captain ger Brennan got more involved in attacking from defence, setting up one neat put daylight between the sides. score for tomás Quinn who led the line suDiarmuid Connolly was quiet on his return from perbly. suspension but did weigh in with one important In all, Quinn score 0-8 and four of his points late point. came in the last quarter of the game to finally ‘Mossy’s last point put us three up and that was

Jubilant: Diarmuid Connolly and Jarlath Curley of St Vincent’s celebrate with the cup after their win against Portlaoise in Tullamore on Saturday Picture: inPho

when you could finally breathe a little sigh of relief,’ said boss tommy Conroy after an epic affair. ‘We got the two goals and then handed them straight back. so we made life tough but thankfully we can still look forward to Christmas!’

Jimenez has eye on ryder history after hong Kong win Winner: Miguel Angel Jimenez with his trophy after his Hong Kong Open victory a closing 66. ‘i played very well this week and tied the record with four victories.’ The last of Jimenez’s four Ryder Cup appearances came at Celtic Manor in 2010. He

spORT DigEsT

Britton fourth in cross country crown

ATHLETics

Fionnuala Britton finished just outside the medals in fourth place at the European Cross Country Championships in Belgrade yesterday. Sophie Duarte of France took the crown, with Britain’s Gemma Steel second after a tough battle to the line with Ana Dulce Félix of Portugal in the Serbian capital. Britton, who was chasing an unprecedented third European cross country title in a row, battled hard to stay with the leading pack throughout, and while she briefly threatened for third, the Wicklow woman had to settle for fourth place. The Irish women’s team were unable to retain their title and finished in sixth.

Second Test sees lively English play

golf hong kong open Miguel Angel JiMenez has ambitions of becoming europe’s oldest ever Ryder Cup player after claiming a recordequalling fourth Hong Kong Open on Sunday. Defending champion Jimenez birdied the first hole of a sudden death play-off with Prom Meesawat and Stuart Manley, the trio having finished tied on 12 under par after a dramatic final round. The 49-year-old has now won 20 european Tour titles, 13 of them since he turned 40, and extended his own record as the oldest winner in Tour history. ‘i love this place, i love this golf course,’ Jimenez said after

Monday, December 9, 2013 METRO HERALD

turns 50 on January 5 and would beat the record of Ted Ray, who was 50 years and two months at the inaugural contest in 1927, if he can qualify for gleneagles next September.

‘if i play the way i am playing this week i will be in the Ryder Cup team,’ he added. Meesawat looked set for victory when his second eagle of the day on the 13th briefly gave him a three-shot lead, but he bogeyed the next and saw Jimenez draw level with birdies on the 13th and 14th. When the players returned to the 18th Jimenez gained a massive advantage by being the only player to hit driver off the tee, Meesawat coming up just short of the green with his approach while Manley’s second shot from almost 200 yards was pushed off target and clattered into a hospitality tent.

cRickET England finally showed some fight Down Under as they held up Australia’s victory charge on day four of the second Test. By the time you read this, the likelihood is Alastair Cook’s side will be 2-0 down in the series. But the spirit they showed will stand them in good stead for the challenge that awaits them in Perth for the third Test. England, clinging on at 247 for six by the close, stood toe to toe with Australia to keep their opponents in the field for 90 overs, while Joe Root looked at home batting at No.3 as he battled his way to a gutsy 87.

Ryan wins bronze in Track World Cup cycLing After a controlled and gutsy performance in the Women’s Individual Pursuit, Caroline Ryan won bronze from Ukraine’s Anna Solovey at the Track Cycling World Cup in Aguascalientes in Mexico. Ryan, a former international rower, had qualified for the bronze medal ride-off with the fourth fastest time, but rode outstandingly in the final, to seize the medal in a new Irish record of 3.34.257. This is Ireland’s first Women’s World Cup medal at the elite level. Gold was won by Australia’s Rebecca Wiasak, who is the world number one ranked pursuiter, while silver went to GB’s Elinor Barker.

Simmons stays on cRickET Ireland coach Phil Simmons has agreed a two-year contract extension that will see him remain in charge until the end of the 2015 season. The former West Indies international has led Ireland to a period of unparalleled success that includes qualifying for six global competitions. ‘It wasn’t a difficult decision to agree a further two years. I love Ireland and the people, who have a similar outlook to life as West Indians,’ he said.

22 METRO HERALD Monday, December 9, 2013

rugby heineken cup

Master class: Brian O’Driscoll proved he still has plenty in the locker as he took Saints apart

Lam’s giantslayers cause major upset connacht ........................................ 16 toulouse ......................................... 14 by DAnny HOgAn

Picture: iNPHO

AwEsOME LEinsTER sEnD OuT MEssAgE TO RivALs

THE IdEA that European silver will be reserved only for the elite teams from England and France was kicked firmly to touch on Saturday night. It was an immense display of power and accuracy from Leinster and to have wrapped up the bonus point before halftime was a serious statement of intent. The individual performances by Luke Fitzgerald and Brian o’driscoll were to be marvelled at. A hat-trick for the winger can hopefully prove a turning point in his wretched run of luck with injuries, while o’driscoll proved his vintage class has not yet dimmed. Between them the pair were responsible for six of the province’s 14 line breaks and o’driscoll’s between the legs flick pass for Fitzgerald’s second try was simply mouth-watering. This column cannot pass without also highlighting the contribution of Rhys Ruddock at blindside flanker. The former Irish Under 20 skipper has had a frustrating time with injuries and selection since bursting on to the scene

as a teenager but finally his brute strength and blunt force physicality were illustrated in 80 minutes of high-level rugby. The next challenge is to back up this display at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday and while Northampton will not be short on motivation, Leinster must rubber stamp their Heineken cup aspirations by collecting another bonus-point victory. The Leinster players will have their own motivations to wipe away the bad memories left by the defeat to clermont Auvergne at Lansdowne last season, while many of the team experienced the bitter loss to New Zealand just a few weeks ago. The game is fast approaching 40,000 tickets sold and if Leinster are to remain the bookmakers’ favourites for the competition (they were priced at 10-3 yesterday) then they will need another five points to start building towards a home quarter-final. Secure a dublin berth for the last eight and hope that the draw keeps them at the Aviva for the semi-final and the path to a fourth crown in six seasons will open up.

Joy: Physio Martin Joyce and Robbie Henshaw celebrate Picture: iNPHO

Anscombe preparing for a Treviso backlash

ulster coach Mark anscombe (pictured) played down any prospect of an easy outing in the heineken cup next weekend. anscombe’s men tightened their grip on Pool Five with a 48-0 whipping of Benetton treviso in the ravenhill leg of their back-toback clashes. however, he does not believe victory is a formality on saturday. anscombe said: ‘...You’ve got to be happy. But we know that no

two days are the same in this game. and we’re not going to kid ourselves that next week is going to be a walkover.’ ulster led 22-0 at half-time thanks to tries from Paddy Jackson, luke Marshall and John afoa, before completing the rout with tries from Dan tuohy, sean Doyle, andrew trimble and Marshall.

Wood ‘ashamed’ of Leinster defeat toM Wood has apologised to supporters for northampton’s 40-7 rout by leinster, admitting the team are ‘ashamed’ of a performance that has ended its heineken cup hopes. a night at Franklin’s Gardens saw the

saints’ whitewash breached six times. leinster host the second of a double-header at the aviva stadium in Dublin on saturday having opened up a five-point lead at the summit of Pool one.

ConnaCht produced one of the biggest upsets in the history of the heineken Cup as they rounded off a perfect weekend in Europe for the Irish provinces with a 16-14 win in toulouse. Connacht were outscored two tries to one but Kieran Marmion’s second-half try combined with the boot of fly-half Dan Parks – who successfully kicked two penalties, a conversion and a drop goal – saw them claim a huge scalp. Four-time champions toulouse notched tries in either half through Jean-Pascal Barraque and thierry Dusautoir but could not find a way to break down the Connacht defence in the closing stages as they slumped to a rare home defeat in Europe. and the French giants could have lost by more had the tMo not spotted a knock-on after Robbie henshaw had streaked away for what seemed like a brilliant second-half try for the visitors. Connacht had turned desperate defence into thrilling attack after toulouse had turned the ball over in the visitors’ 22. Gavin Duffy and Marmion had combined to send the full-back racing clear, but Romanian referee Marius Mitrea asked the tMo to check the origin of the move. Unfortunately, the tMo discovered a slight knock-on back in the play by a Connacht player. that could have been critical because 7mins later toulouse kicked to the left corner and rumbled skipper Dusautoir over for a try which Lionel Beauxis converted of the touchline. that cut the gap to two and set-up a thrilling final 15mins in which Connacht never stopped taking the game to their illustrious opponents. Following on from Leinster’s rampage at northampton, Ulster’s Benetton treviso whitewash and Munster’s bonus point victory against Perpignan, Pat Lam’s Connacht side had the whole country celebrating a clean sweep. toulouse had not been beaten at Stade Ernest Wallon for five years in the tournament, yet they only led for five minutes in the match. Despite the result, toulouse still top the pool (with Saracens) with 10 points, with Connacht now one point behind and a return game against the French side in Galway to come next weekend.

Penney wary of Perpignan’s home threat

HEAd coAcH Rob Penney insisted his Munster side will face a ‘massive challenge’ in Perpignan next Saturday, despite their 36-8 bonus-point win at Thomond Park. Munster outscored Perpignan by five tries to one in the first of the sides’ back-to-back matches, moving two points clear of Gloucester at the top of Pool 6 of the Heineken cup. Sean dougall, david Kilcoyne and man-of-the-match Keith Earls touched down as the Irish province took a 22-0 half-time lead, before both a penalty try and pushover effort from James coughlan wrapped up the five points. Perpignan had a penalty from captain James Hook who put Joffrey Michel through for a late consolation try, but a much tighter

Big challenge: Penney knows the French side will pose problems this weekend Picture: iNPHO

affair is in prospect when two-time European champions Munster travel to the Stade Aime Giral for the return leg next Saturday. Looking for improvements from his side, Penney said: ‘We are hamstrung to a degree. We have teams on the rack and then there is an errant pass or a poor decision being made. But we are a lot better than we were 12 months ago.

‘It is a massive challenge going to Perpignan next week, with the passion and fervour they have for the game down there. It is something we are used to here, but rather than be at our backs, it will be in our faces this time round. ‘That will be a big challenge for us, to be able to adjust, not to get caught up in the hype of the opposition’s venue. discipline is going to be a key issue heading into next week in France.’ Munster have a major injury concern over their Ireland and Lions scrum-half conor Murray. Penney fears Murray will not be available for selection owing to a knee injury. ‘We don’t know how bad it is,’ Penney said. ‘But I suspect he won’t be around next week.’

football

Keeping his cool: Berbatov celebrates after scoring Fulham’s second piCtuRe: Ap

Monday, December 9, 2013 METRO HERALD 23

Berba helps to get Rene off the mark at Cottage Rene Meulensteen believes Dimitar Berbatov showed his commitment to Fulham with a sparkling performance in yesterday’s win over Aston Villa. Berbatov was the talisman as the Cottagers ended a run of six straight league defeats, teeing up steve sidwell for a welltaken opener before coolly dispatching a penalty. the 32-year-old’s agent

pREMiER LEAguE

fulhaM........................2 aston villa................0 confirmed his client is ‘not happy’ at Craven Cottage last week and will seek a move in the January transfer window. But Meulensteen, who picked up his first win since taking over from former boss Martin Jol, hailed Berbatov’s focus

despite being unsettled, although he refused to discuss the future of the Bulgarian. Meulensteen said: ‘I thought he was excellent [in the 2-1 loss to tottenham] on Wednesday as well and today again you saw what he was capable of doing. ‘We know what games we have coming up all the way to January and he’s fully committed to Fulham and the games we’ve got ahead of us. I

Wenger cries foul as Toffees hit back leaders were roughed up, claims Arsene by jAMEs bOyLAn ARSENE WENGER accused Everton of dirty tricks after the Toffees held the leaders in a hugely-entertaining game at the Emirates Stadium. Everton followed their 1-0 win at Manchester United in midweek with an even more assured display, controlling the first half and beating their opponents at their own slick-passing game. But Wenger felt Roberto Martinez’s men had a cynical approach to thank for their dominance. ‘When we got out of the pressure and got into our passing, they stopped us every single time with a foul,’ he said. ‘To just make a foul without being punished by the referee is a huge advantage because after that you play ten against ten in one half again.’ Despite their superior possession, the Toffees fell behind to a Mesut Ozil effort on 80 minutes. However, Martinez’s men produced an instant response as Gerard Deulofeu lashed a bullet of a shot home. The Gunners, though, almost snatched victory at the death when Olivier Giroud’s 25-yarder hit the woodwork. ‘We played against a very good side, in the end we are a bit disappointed to get caught back with a 1-0 result but overall it’s still a point,’ added Wenger, whose team now lead Liverpool and Chelsea by five points. Martinez was encouraged by Everton’s poise against quality opposition for the second time in a week. ‘We played well at United but played even better today,’ he said. ‘These results show we have got over the mental block when playing away at title contenders.’

pREMiER LEAguE aRsEnal.................................. 1 EvERton ................................. 1 Deul in the crown: Deulofeu celebrates Everton’s late leveller piCtuRe: kieRAn gAlvin/CAmeRAspoRt

premier league table

P arsenal 15 liverpool 15 Chelsea 15 Man City 15 Everton 15 tottenham 15 newcastle 15 southampton 15 Man utd 15 aston villa 15 swansea 14 stoke 15 hull 14 norwich 15 West Brom 15 Cardiff 15 West ham 15 fulham 15 Crystal Palace 15 sunderland 15

W 11 9 9 9 7 8 8 6 6 5 5 4 5 5 3 3 3 4 4 2

D 2 3 3 2 7 3 2 5 4 4 3 5 2 2 6 5 4 1 1 2

L 2 3 3 4 1 4 5 4 5 6 6 6 7 8 6 7 8 10 10 11

F 30 34 30 41 23 15 20 19 22 16 20 15 12 14 17 11 13 14 10 12

A 11 18 17 15 14 16 21 14 19 18 19 20 18 28 21 22 19 26 22 30

Pts 35 30 30 29 28 27 26 23 22 19 18 17 17 17 15 14 13 13 13 8

results arsenal ........................ 1 Everton...................... 1 fulham ........................2 aston villa ............... 0 Saturday Crystal Palace..............2 Cardiff ...................... 0 liverpool ....................4 West ham................. 1 Man utd ..................... 0 newcastle ................. 1 southampton ............. 1 Man City ................... 1 stoke ............................3 Chelsea .....................2 sunderland ................. 1 tottenham ................2 West Brom ................. 0 norwich ....................2

couldn’t be more delighted with his performance, it shows he cares.’ However, dejected Villa boss Paul lambert was left to rue slim pickings for his lacklustre side at Craven Cottage. lambert said: ‘I don’t think we did enough to win the game. ‘If you lose any game you’re always disappointed but you pick yourself up and go again.’

FOOTbALL DigEsT

On target: Hooper

Hughton has high hopes for Hooper noRWiCh boss Chris hughton believes striker Gary hooper is starting to find his form after his goal set the Canaries on their way to a 2-0 victory at West Brom on saturday. it was the former Celtic striker’s third Premier league goal, and his fifth in total, after an injury-hit start to life at Carrow Road. ‘he [hooper] is now physically fit. as a striker, to get injured one week before the start of the season when you have just arrived makes it very difficult. But Gary is one who if we provide him with chances will score goals,’ said hughton. ‘his Cv shows he is someone who is a very good finisher but of course you have to have opportunities, so we have to give him a service that will allow him to do that.’

leon: Facing tigers is Hull of a memory lEon BRitton believes swansea and hull will always be united by a special bond as they prepare to meet for the first time in the Premier league tonight at the liberty stadium. swansea were on the brink of being relegated from the football league in May 2003, but a 4-2 win over the tigers all but saved the swans from financial oblivion. Midfielder Britton, who played in the 2003 game, said: ‘We’ve played hull a few times over the years but every time it evokes the memories of that day because it’s arguably the biggest and most important game in swansea’s history. We’ll always have a special rapport with hull because of that game.’

24 METRO HERALD Monday, December 9, 2013

Deulofeu snatches point for Toffees as Gunners go five clear

«see page 23

picture: inpho

You’ll not see nothing like the

TomÁs Quinn says AiB Leinster club football success is all the sweeter when you’ve done it the hard way, writes Paul Keane. The former Dublin star gave another storming display as st Vincent’s overcame Portlaoise 3-12 to 3-9 to claim a dramatic fifth provincial crown. Vincent’s were six clear at one stage in Tullamore, only to find themselves four behind approaching the final third.

Mighty Vins

But just like the county final replay win over holders Ballymun Kickhams and the Leinster semi-final success, they

showed class to win. Aside from joining Éire Óg in second place on Leinster’s all-time roll of honour list – two behind Portlaoise – the reward is an All-ireland semi-final. ulster champions Ballinderry shamrocks play London’s Kingdom Kerry Gaels next sunday and

Vincent’s will take on the winners. ‘When you make it that hard on yourselves it’s more special when you hear the final whistle,’ said Quinn. ‘maybe some day we’ll find out what it’s like to have a game won with ten minutes to go. We don’t seem to know how to do that but it does make moments like this a bit sweeter.’

Match report – page 21

Connacht’s upset gives Provinces clean sweep

by DAnny HOgAn

ConnACHT coach Pat Lam was delighted at the way his side held their nerve to pull off one of the biggest wins in the history of the Irish province and put them back in the hunt for a Heineken Cup quarter-final place. A 16-14 triumph over Toulouse at Stade Ernest Wallon took them to within one point of the top in Pool 3 – held by Toulouse and Saracens – who have 10 points, with three games, two of them at home, to play. Monthly Certified Distribution Oct 28 - Nov 24, 2013: 60,208

‘We had a lot of belief coming to this game. Although we are at the bottom of the table this year, every single game we played we could have won,’ said Lam. ‘We have a team with no superstars, we missed so many opportunities throughout the season, but we still came here confident. We just had to make sure that everyone did their job. ‘There was a lot of trust out there – I’m very proud of that tonight. Last week against Edinburgh we should have won comfortably, but they scored three tries in the last five

minutes. ‘At the time it hurt, but it might be the best thing that could have happened to us. We had a look at our shape and it was badly wrong, we spent a lot of time at the start of the week getting back to our defensive shape. ‘When we had that today we were able to put pressure on Toulouse. We’re

very happy that the boys were able to do that, because then we could play as a team. ‘At half-time, we mainly talked about ourselves, about playing our game. I said: “They’re giving us opportunities, we just need to recognise t h e m .” T h e

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homework we did on them paid off – every time we attacked, we had opportunities. ‘The try they scored before halftime happened because someone left the gate open, it was just a bad call, a system error. We’re alive, and now we have to go and do the same in our own backyard. ‘This will be a big effort, because we’ll face a hurting Toulouse team. They’re going to be written off and told how bad they are. They’ll come to us fired up.’

«a faMous win – page 22