Metro Herald, February 7, 2014 by Metro Herald

Friday, February 7, 2014

Penneys competition

Win €100 to spend on your Valentine »p11

SIX NATIONS rugby

O’ O’Connell back for showdown fo with Wales wi »p22-24

I’ve got friends in no places

Gunfight at the Croke-day Corral as residents up in arms over record fifth Brooks gig

‘DISGUSTED and incensed’ Croke Park by jOANNe AherN locals are said to be considering legal action over the number of extra big events at use of Croke Park, with six events planned GAA HQ this summer, after an incredible in excess of the three which automatically get permission. fifth Garth Brooks gig was announced. Mr Gates said the community has not The country superstar has now sold 400,000 tickets to his July shows, after been consulted about these events and that the decision to hold five nights in a his fifth concert sold out yesterday. He is due to play July 25 to 29 and will row was ‘greed taking over regardless of be the first artist to play five consecutive how it impacts the community’. Some residents are considering seeking sold-out dates at Croker. One Direction are due to play a three- a legal injunction, he added. Mr Gates criticised politicians, council night run in May and there are also plans officials and An Garda for their ‘pathetic’ for an American football game. Patrick Gates from the Clonliffe and support of the residents. A public event licence application has Croke Park Area Residents’ Association to be made to Dublin City said the community experiCouncil for all non-GAA ences ‘major disruption’ durevents and third parties can ing events at the stadium, make submissions on this. with the area ‘in lockdown’. In a statement, Croke Park This includes roads being director Peter McKenna said: closed, residents having to ‘These events are hugely show proof of address to positive for the city but we drive in, difficult access for acknowledge the impact on taxis and ambulances, as well the local community.’ as noise pollution and the He added that Croke Park anti-social behaviour. is ‘committed to working He said there had been a Oh bother, where with the community’. ‘real intensification’ of the Garth thou? Brooks

Keep Dublin tidy – Please recycle this Metro Herald when you are finished with it

BEAR WITH ME: Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald compared teddies with sisters Rosa and Juliette Hickey to launch Teddy Bear Story, an exhibition from the V&A Museum of Childhood in the UK featuring teddy bears from around the world and bear-themed workshops and events running from tomorrow until April 6 at The Ark in Temple Bar PICTURE: PhoToCall

METRO HERALD Friday, February 7, 2014

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men who prefer to communicate on their smartphone than faceto-face, compared with 30 per cent of women, according to a survey Ireland’s rate of newsprint recycling is now up to 79%. Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you.

Today is...

Charles Dickens Day Literature owes a debt of its own to this Victorian author, forced to leave school and work in a factory when his father was thrown into debtors’ prison. Here’s to the creator of Scrooge, Miss Havisham and Oliver Twist!

From the archives (2012):

If Heineken did world records…

Irish ultra runner Richard Donovan has revealed beer helped him become the only man on the planet to run seven marathons on seven continents in under five days. The Galway native broke his own record with a time of four days, 22 hours, three minutes.

Today’s birthdays

Mick McCarthy, footballer/ manager, 55; Garth Brooks, country singing resident of Croke Park, 52; Eddie Izzard, comedian, (pictured), 52, and Ashton Kutcher, actor, 36.

CLOCkwORD

The solutions from 1 to 12 are all six-letter words ending with the letter N in the centre. Moving clockwise from 1, the letters in the outer circle will spell out the name of a British actor. 1. Eastern garment 2. Cricket team 3. Pure 4. Insult 5. British scientist 6. Melted 7. Everyday

8. Country, people 9. Firearm 10. Type of sail 11. Balm 12. Sycophant

Yesterday’s solution: Nikki Grahame

Weather Weather Today

Max: 8°c

The morning will be dry and bright in most parts, with frost and fog gradually clearing. Some scattered showers will occur, mainly near west and northwest coasts. Cloud will increase gradually from the Atlantic, bringing patchy rain and drizzle. Temperatures between 5°C to 8°C in strong southerly winds.

Derry

5�C

Donegal

6�C

Cavan

Galway

7�C

Athlone

Dublin

7�C

8�C

Tipperary Waterford

Tralee

Cork

Tonight

Belfast

8�C

8�C Sunrise: 7.59am Sunset: 5.20pm

Min: 2°c

Widespread heavy rain will gradually turn more showery with the risk of flooding. It will continue windy in many areas. Temperatures between 2°C to 4°C.

EUROPE today

Tomorrow A day of heavy, thundery downpours and sunny spells. Winds may ease for a time before increasing very strong and gusty. Temperatures between 6°C to 8°C.

Barcelona

16 °c 17 °c

Berlin

12 °c

Brussels

10 °c 9 °c

Athens

6�C 6�C 7�C 8�C

9�C

7�C 9�C 9�C Max: 8°c

London

Paris

6 °c 10 °c 11 °c

Rome

16 °c

Geneva Madrid

Friday, February 7, 2014 METRO HERALD

Think some of the stuff at modern art galleries is weird? Meet the Sleepwalker

This sculpture is more of a frieze by DANIEL BINNS THIS creepy, pot-bellied figure is supposed to spark an impassioned debate about gender and sexuality. The trouble is, most people think he’s total pants. Stumbling through the snow with his eyes closed, Sleepwalker offers yet more evidence that you can dress up, or dress down, any old rubbish and call it art. It has certainly left its mark on the unfortunate female students of Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Three hundred of them want him to sleepwalk right off their campus and keep going until he meets a passing lorry. ‘This highly life-like sculpture has, within just a few hours of its outdoor installation, become a source of apprehension, fear, and triggering thoughts regarding

Life-like: A visitor keeps a safe distance sexual assault for many members of our campus community,’ states their petition. ‘While it may appear humorous, or thoughtprovoking to some, it has already become a source of undue stress for many.’ The controversy is music to the ears of its creator Tony Matelli. He said: ‘I was talking to the curator of the exhibition and my assistant this

morning and we were saying, ‘‘When was the last time a work of art was talked about so much and got so much attention”?’ Exhibition director Lisa Fischman said: ‘The very best works of art have the power to stimulate deeply personal emotions and to provoke unexpected new ideas, and this sculpture is no exception.’

Amin plans to know more about a hurler’s technique than Richie, Henry or DJ.

Cold shoulder: Made from painted bronze the photo realism of the figure has spooked hundreds of students at Wellesley College in Massachusetts PICTURE: AP/REUTERs

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The researchers at the SFI Research Centre, Insight Centre for Data Analytics are working with the GAA in pioneering the use of wearable sensors. By producing 3D renderings of their styles of play, they can help the training of clubs worldwide and digitally preserve traditional skills.

- One of the companies hiring at Career Zoo, 15.02.14.

Meet Your Future.

METRO HERALD Friday, February 7, 2014

Missing teenagers REPORTS that DCU student Patrick Halpin had been found are ‘inaccurate’, police in London said yesterday. The 18year-old from Loughrea, Co Galway, was last seen at the Zoo bar and club off Leicester Square around midnight on Tuesday. Meanwhile gardaí have asked for help in finding 15-year-old Katie Kearney, from Kilpedder, Co Wicklow, last seen in Kilcoole yesterday morning.

Quinn ‘reluctantly agreed to loans after angry talks’ Former billionaire Sean Quinn reluctantly agreed to loans from Anglo Irish Bank to unwind his secret shareholding, following an ‘angry’ conversation with the bank’s executives, a court has been told. The bankrupt tycoon’s second-in-command told the fraud trial of three ex-Anglo executives the plan to create a perception about the bank’s value on the stock markets involving loans of €625m – €450m for the

Venture further. O N

by ED cARTy

‘maple 10’ and €175m for members of the Quinn family – was put forward at a series of meetings in hotels and by phone. Liam mcCaffrey, former Quinn Group Ceo, said a conference call on July 14, 2008 ‘ended badly’ with either mr Quinn walking out or David Drumm – now living in the US and not on trial – hanging up. He told the

court all along mr Quinn had an underlying belief the share price would recover. Former chairman and Ceo Sean FitzPatrick, 65, former chief risk officer Willie mcAteer, 63, and former mD of lending Pat Whelan, 51, have denied 16 charges. Whelan has denied a further seven charges relating to the alteration of loan facility letters. The trial is expected to run until the end of may.

‘Angry’: Quinn

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Arms and the man Louis Wild shows Eva Bresnihan a clean pair of hands at the Dowtcha Puppets launch event where the company kicked off its annual Saint Patrick’s Day parade workshops Picture: clare keogh

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cigarette smuggler Yellow alert as risk saving cash to study of river floods high A mAN who evaded excise duty on almost 150,000 cigarettes was in possession of two false passports to avoid paying higher tax in order to save money for college, a court has heard. Vladislav Kan, 35, told gardaí he had two false Czech passports so he could get different PPS numbers for different work and avoid paying higher income tax. He claimed he was trying to save money for a computer science degree. Kan, originally from Uzbekistan, with an address in riverstown House, Spencer Dock, who has lived in Ireland for 11 years, admitted to the charges. Judge Hogan adjourned sentencing to a later date to await a probation report.

IT’S going to be a wet and windy start to the weekend, with Met Éireann forecasting heavy rain and gusts of up to 110kph. The Yellow alert, which covers Dublin, Wicklow, Meath, Louth, Cork, Kerry and Waterford, warns of gusts of 80 to 110kph, and wind speeds of 45 to 65kph. It remains in place until noon tomorrow. Heavy rain brings with it a risk of localised flooding, it said. The National Coordination Group said that the forecast rain ‘poses a major risk’ as it will ‘serve to top up the already near-capacity of our rivers’.

Kenny: I’ll march in NY parade despite snub TAOISEACH Enda Kenny will march in New York’s St Patrick’s Day Parade after the city’s mayor said he would snub the celebration over gay rights. Bill De Blasio will be the first New York mayor in two decades not to take part in the Fifth Avenue procession, because of the organisers’ refusal to allow marchers to carry gay pride signs. But Mr Kenny, who said he intends to take part in parades in New York, Washington and Boston, said he was aware of Mr De Blasio’s remarks, but hoped he would be welcomed at the mayor’s official residence as was the tradition for visiting Irish dignitaries on March 17. Meanwhile on RTÉ’s Raidió na Gaeltachta yesterday, Brian Sheehan of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (Glen) appealed to the Government to match Mayor Blasio’s moral leadership by not taking part in the parade.

Friday, February 7, 2014 METRO HERALD

Roache back to Corrie for a pint after being cleared

by AiDAn RADnEDgE

CORONATION Street star William Roache was told a pint was waiting for him at the Rovers Return after he was cleared of raping girls yesterday. The actor – who plays Ken Barlow – vowed to get ‘back to work’ on the TV soap as soon as possible and was promised a warm welcome by cast and crew. His co-star, Beverley Callard, responded to yesterday’s six not guilty verdicts by tweeting: ‘Ken, there’s a pint waiting for you in the Rovers.’ Outside court, Roache said: ‘In these situations there are no winners. Now, if you will excuse me, I would like to get back to work.’ Roache, 81, had faced two allegations of rape and four of indecent assaults on girls under 16. The five complainants said he abused them in the 1960s at Granada Studios in Manchester, in his car or at Lancashire homes he owned. But his defence team claimed the allegations were ‘full of inconsistencies and contraditions’. He was cleared after the jury deliberated for nearly six hours. Ken Morley, who played Corrie’s Reg Holdsworth, said the case was ‘part of the Jimmy Savile witch-hunt’.

Rovers Return: Coronation Street actor William Roache speaks to the media outside Preston Crown Court yesterday, with his son Linus (centre left) and daughter Verity (right) picture: pa

They say you can’t learn to be a great salesperson. Rafa begs to differ.

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METRO HERALD Friday, February 7, 2014

Actor backtracks on Hurley affair claims, admitting it was just a drug-fuelled rant

Tom: My Clinton clanger ACTOR Tom Sizemore has dismissed his own claims that Elizabeth Hurley had an affair with Bill Clinton as ‘the ramblings of a drug addict’. The 52-year-old had gone on record suggesting he put Hurley and the former US president in touch in 1998, sparking a year-long affair. However, the Saving Private Ryan star yesterday admitted he didn’t even know Clinton, 67, let alone play matchmaker for him. ‘I was never at the White House and I

never met Bill Clinton,’ he told HuffPost Live. ‘I’m not denying I said these things. I don’t remember saying these things. ‘They’re the rantings of a guy that it has been well-chronicled had a very severe drug problem.’ Sizemore claimed Hurley, 48, was flown by private jet to the White House for a four-day romp while Clinton’s wife, Hillary, slept in a room next door. He suggested the president called things

off after he felt he was falling ‘in love’ with the model. Sizemore, who claims to have had an affair with Hurley in the early 1990s, has seen his own life take a downward spiral having been in and out of jail for drugrelated problems since 2005. Last month, he was caught on camera allegedly smoking crystal meth while on a drink and drugs binge. Hurley dismissed the claims as ‘ludicrously silly’ and said she was taking legal action.

ALERT: Ruth Walsh, fire prevention officer with the Fire Service engineering team, who will visit schools as part of Engineers Week 2014, showed Engineers Ireland director John Power, Ava Craig, ten, and Cameron Simpson, 9, the ropes at a mobile command centre. See www. engineersweek.ie for details

Picture: nAoise culHAne

Relieved: Liz Hurley is pictured out in London yesterday, after her ex Tom Sizemore said he was high on drugs when he made claims she and Bill Clinton had a year-long affair

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Picture: sPlAsH

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Friday, February 7, 2014 METRO HERALD

METRO HERALD Friday, February 7, 2014

★

★★ ★ ★

I dressed a stalker in Anna’s gear says Enrique E

nrique iglesias has revealed how one obsessive fan ended up leaving his house dressed in girlfriend anna Kournikova’s designer gear. iglesias said the intruder was found sopping wet, dressed only in her knickers. But far from calling police, he called his ex-tennis star lover anna down and asked if she had anything she could let the stalker wear. ‘i had a girl that swam across a bay – we’re talking about a mile of swimming,’ he told me. ‘she was from Belgium and she left her clothing under a bridge and in her underwear swam across a bay and ended up in my house. ‘Which was nuts.’ The fan had flown over to see him perform two songs on a radio show and had taken it from there. He discovered the 23-year-old was in the grounds after a security guard picked her up and sat her in the pool house at his Miami pad. ‘she broke my heart because when i saw her, she was skinny, frail and cold,’ iglesias said. ‘she didn’t have any clothing. ‘They had her in a plastic coat so i took her to our house.

Sutherland ‘will not watch episode of 24’ Kiefer sutherland has said he will not be tuning in to the new series of 24, admitting he has not watched himself on screen for almost 30 years. The 47-year-old actor also said his character in the hit show, agent Jack Bauer, might be ‘a little slower’ this series, as the years catch up on him. appearing on tomorrow’s edition of The Jonathan ross show on uTV,

sutherland said he had not watched himself on screen since he was in stand By Me in 1986 because he was so upset with the way he came over on screen. He said: ‘i was mortified and my girlfriend was saying, “i thought it was really great.” i said, “Don’t patronise me. i need to get another job”.’ He added: ‘i haven’t watched an episode of 24. But i know how it goes, i have read the script.’

by ANDREI HARMSWORTH My girlfriend brought me some clothing and i took her to the hotel and they made sure she got a flight. ‘she promised me she was going to get a job.’ asked if he wanted to press charges, he continued: ‘i was like “Of course not.” i felt so bad so i actually ended up going to the guard house because i was curious.’ The story took another twist as he appeared a few days later on radio in Paris. ‘she called in. Her name is Valerie. ‘i’m talking to her going, “are you taking care of yourself?” i couldn’t believe she actually got through,’ he said. ‘she said that her parents were mad and cut her off. i told her to concentrate more on work.’ as for his unexpected goodwill mission, iglesias, 38, said he was not afraid of his legions of hysterical female fans. He added: ‘i’ve never been scared. i guess if i was a girl celebrity and a guy was doing that i would be a little afraid but come on, a girl? What is she going to do?!’ i’m a Freak featuring Pitbull is out on March 16 along with his comeback album sex and love.

Madonna: My gay crusade Zac: Fan gave me skin

Zac Efron faced his own awkward moment after a diehard fan took ‘gimme some skin’ literally and sent the star a piece of flesh. The unusual gift did not seem to trouble the 26-year-old though, as he joked about it with his That Awkward Moment co-star Miles Teller, also 26. ‘I was like, Zac, what’s the craziest thing a fan has sent you?,’ Teller recalled. ‘He was like, “Oh, I had a fan send me a piece of their skin”.’ Still praising his fans, Efron said: ‘Dude, imagine when I got it. It’s hilarious because you don’t know how to handle it. You’ll never get around it. I love all my fans.’

Madonna has branded herself a ‘freedom fighter’ after revealing she was targeted with death threats for defying Russia’s controversial anti-gay laws. The defiant Queen of Pop told fans at an Amnesty International concert in New York the Kremlin threatened her with jail if she promoted ‘gay behaviour’ – but claimed she refused to change even one moment of her show. ‘Eighty-seven of my fans were

Speaking out: Madonna PICTURE: aP

arrested for gay behaviour – whatever that is,’ she said. ‘I’ve always considered myself a freedom fighter since the early

1980s when I realised I could sing about more than being a material girl,’ the 55-year-old added.

Femi’s got The Voice, says wife of TV hopeful

Friday, February 7, 2014 METRO HERALD

Singing hopeful Femi Santiago aims to start his music career eer via The UK Voice after his wife put him forward for the show. Femi, 27, has been making music since he was a boy but it took his other half to convince him he can make a living by singing. He told Guilty Pleasures: ‘My wife put me in a situation where I had no choice. She slyly said to me, “Have you thought about going on The Voice?” I said it was something I might try. She said, “Good!” and turned her emi, of laptop around so I could see she had applied for me.’ Femi, nder’s London, will try to impress judges by singing Stevie Wonder’s hit My Cherie Amour. ‘That is my flirtation song with my wife,’ he said. And he hopes his soulful style will tempt childhood crush Kylie Minogue to turn her chair for him. ‘She’s the one I’m focused on,’ he said. Femi appears on The Voice on BBC1 tomorrow at 7.10pm.

Cara keen to show her metal Public show: Daniel Craig and his wife Rachel Weisz in New York PICTURE: SPlaSh NEwS

★

Charlie Sheen has promised to stop trolling Ashton Kutcher – his successor in Two And A Half Men – after the 35-year-old pleaded with him on TV to ‘shut the f*** up’. Sheen, 48, tweeted: ‘Message received. My bad, I was p***ed & took it out on you.’

★

Prince’s comeback single looks set to bomb in the charts this weekend. The 1999 singer’s newest offering, Pretzelbodylogic, with new group 3RDEYEGIRL may fail to make the top 100, according to midweek predictions from the Official Charts Company.

Cara Delevingne has followed in the footsteps of Madonna and Rihanna by sporting her very own set of ‘grillz’ – personalised with her name. The 21-year-old model showed off her new metal mouthpiece, designed by Dolly Cohen, in a black and white snap on her Instagram page.

Amnesty for Craig and Weisz Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz put on a united front as they made their first public appearance since Sienna Miller spoke of an ‘affair’ with the Bond star. Craig, 45, and Weisz, 43, were in the crowd for the Amnesty International charity concert. The pair sang along as acts such as Madonna, Pussy Riot, Imagine Dragons and Blondie performed at the Barclays Center in New York. Their outing came after Miller, 32, admitted to having a ‘brief’ affair with Craig before he was with Weisz but insisted that she was just being friendly when she left him a voicemail message saying: ‘I love you.’ She told the phone-hacking trial at the Old Bailey last month: ‘Me saying I love you, whether anything romantic happened briefly or not, there was nothing significant.’

10 METRO HERALD Friday, February 7, 2014

Tick tock, it’s snack o’clock for dieters As PEOPLE try to stick to a healthy start to 2014, it is the time of 4.12pm when they should most be on their guard, according to research. A study found people are most likely to crave unhealthy food in the afternoon – with the most popular time being 4.12pm. Just under half of respondents, some 45 per cent, said afternoon snacking was the main reason they broke their new year diets, while 35 per cent succumbed to the daily afternoon hunger slump, with crisps, biscuits and chocolate named as the biggest downfalls. The research questioned 1,000 men and women about diet failures. According to the poll, 59 per cent said other people often contributed to their diet failures – more than a third (37 per cent) blamed their partner, while 11 per cent said colleagues forced unhealthy snacks on them. Just over a quarter (27 per cent) said a lack of flavour in their diet made it harder to eat healthily, while 36 per

‘Twin thing’ gives boost to disabled sister’s progress

by ELLEn bRAnAgH

cent blamed it on seeing other people eat what they want. The research carried out in the UK for soft fruit campaign seasonal Berries also suggested that men have more willpower when it comes to diets, with 69 per cent sticking to their healthy eating plan one month on, compared with 63 per cent of women. Nutritionist Dora Walsh said: ‘sticking to a diet for some people can be tricky, and understanding that 4.12pm is the time people crave unhealthy snacks means you should be prepared for this so you don’t ruin a diet plan. ‘At this point in the day, blood sugar can be low and cause you to crave sweet treats, but doing things like eating little and often throughout the day and having pre-prepared snacks can help. snacking on berries is easy as they are very versatile and also easy to snack on and they are very low in sugar and calories but highly nutritious.’

Copycat: Viola Fuller, top, has made good progress thanks to the help of her twin sister Nigella PICTURE: CATERS

TWIN sisters have such a powerful bond that one of them has made startling progress, despite having a learning disability. Viola Fuller, six, who has Down’s syndrome, has surprised her parents by learning to talk, walk, sing and dance at a younger age than expected – by copying her twin Nigella. Their mother, Agata Fuller, said: ‘They really do have that twin thing going on. When Nigella began to crawl, we didn’t expect Viola to be able to reach that goal so quickly. But when Viola started crawling too and becoming more mobile, we realised how important Nigella was to her sister.’ The girls were just a few hours old when she and their father Nigel, 47, were told by a doctor that Viola had Down’s, which can slow development and shorten life expectancy. Mrs Fuller, 34, said: ‘The doctor kept speaking but I felt like someone had put a glass wall between us. ‘As the doctor left us with some leaflets, he told me to enjoy my baby. Those words really stuck with me and they still do now.’ The girls, from Gillingham, Dorset, go to the same school, where Nigella sticks up for her sister. ‘Viola is cheeky, funny, outgoing and has a wonderful confidence that we adore. She rewards and touches everyone that comes into contact with her.’

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Pope’s Holy Harley sale revs €256,000 for the homeless

WIN €100 to spend at

GETTING a crash helmet over his mitre was always going to be difficult for Pope Francis, so it’s probably for the best that he has sold a Harley-Davidson motorbike for charity. The head of the Catholic Church doesn’t get much time to cruise the streets of Vatican City so sold the 1,585cc bike for more than €240,000 – 20 times its original auction estimate. The Harley-Davidson, given as a present to the Pontiff last year, sparked a frenzied six-minute bidding war at Bonhams Paris auction house. The machine, signed by Pope Francis, was eventually sold to a private, anonymous collector. A leather biker jacket, also signed by the Pope, sold for €56,000 – bringing the total to €256,000. The Pontiff had donated the bike and leathers to the charity Caritas Roma, which will use proceeds from the sale to build a soup kitch-

Picture: ePa

by TARiq TAHiR

Heaven’s angel: Pope Francis pictured with his Harley Davidson last June en in Rome that will help 1,000 jacket.’ Enrico Feroci, director of Caritas homeless people a day. Ben Walker, the head of motorcy- Roma, added: ‘We are delighted cles at Bonhams, said: ‘It has to be with the results of the sale, which a world record bid for a 21st cen- have far exceeded any of our extury Harley-Davidson and leather pectations’

World

digest Bodies of 8 miners found after quake

ARGEnTinA: Firefighters tackle a warehouse blaze in which seven fire crew and two rescuers died. The building in Buenos Aires was used for storing documents by US-owned company Iron Mountain Picture: caters

sOUTH AFRiCA: The bodies of eight gold miners, who were trapped when an earthquake started a fire, have been found. The tremor also triggered a rockfall 1.6km (one mile) beneath the Doornkop mine beside Soweto near Johannesburg, hampering rescue efforts earlier this week. A ninth miner is still missing.

Fancy bagging yourself a Valentine’s Day treat from Penneys? To be entered into the draw We have TEN €100 gift vouchers to give to win one of these fantastic €100 Penneys gift vouchers, away this week for tell us, which is your you to splurge on preferred bra style? yourself or lavish on A. Plunge B. Balcony C. Brazilian D. T-shirt your other half.

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Deaf composer ‘was navy picks up 1,000 Bullfighting fake who could hear’ migrants from Med schools must JAPAn: A ghostwriter has revealed iTALY: More than 1,100 North close, says Un he secretly penned ‘hits’ for an African migrants packed aboard

acclaimed deaf composer fondly known as Beethoven. Takashi Niigaki also claimed that Mamoru Samuragochi was able to hear. The 50-year-old composer, credited with writing Hiroshima Symphony No.1, has since admitted he had not created his own music for 18 years.

nine inflatable rafts were rescued by navy vessels yesterday in the Mediterranean. The latest group attempting to land in Italy included 100 women and children. Patrol helicopters spotted the migrants floating about 220km south of Sicily.

and finally... BOsniA: A Supreme Court judge was sacked for sunbathing at work... in the nude. She was seen exercising naked in her offices in Sarajevo, before lying on her desk – and caught on camera by workers across the road.

PORTUGAL: Child matadors taught to plunge swords into calves are victims of a form of abuse, the UN claims. Boys as young as ten are being ‘indoctrinated into violence’ which contravenes their human rights. About 100 youngsters are at bullfighting school in Portugal. The UN wants them to be shut down.

Terms and Conditions: The competition closes at Midnight Friday 7th February 2014. The winner will be chosen from the entries received and notiﬁed by telephone or email. Entrants must be over 18 years old. The promoter of this competition is Metro Herald Usual Metro Herald rules apply. The Editor's decision is ﬁnal.

12 METRO HERALD Friday, February 7, 2014

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Is price tag for super bus routes too high at €600m?

s a bus driver for Dublin Bus, I have to scratch my head about the usage estimates of 2,400 to 3,600 passengers per hour and the €650million price estimate for the proposed Bus Rapid Transport system. The busiest Dublin Bus routes – the 46A, 39A, 16 – don’t carry anywhere near this amount of people per hour, even during rush hour going in each direction and stopping frequently to let passengers on. If a bus doesn’t stop that often, no one can get on. There are going to be some empty buses – mark my words. As for the €650million – that’s a bit steep. Dublin Bus vehicles cost around €300,000 each. A really fancy articulated bus costs around €400,000 to €500,000. Even a hundred of them would cost maybe €50million. So road widening, redesign and Luas-style platforms are going to cost €600million? Yeah, right. One can understand how a project like the Port Tunnel cost €800million, but I think

Quick pic

LITTLE NUT: Reader Martin Doherty sent us this picture of a brave gray squirrel who left the comfort of hibernation behind and braved the recent stormy weather for a fresh taste of spring

€600million for that little is a joke. Makes me think of the Sochi Olympics cost controversy in Russia. Darren ■ Don’t worry Laura, Eric is obviously a middle aged man living with his mother, wearing hand knitted cardigans and still traumatised over all the wedgies… oh, and he’s also a complete moron. Jim ■ To Dublin Woman (Mailbox, Thurs), tarnishing an entire profession because of a rude few? Will you be targeting immigrants and the different races next? And the four minutes of his time represents years of study and long long shifts that still continue. I guarantee he has so many patients to see every day, that four minutes is sadly all that can be given. Feel free to also make a joke about the golf course. I think you’re about at that level. Dublin Man ■ Irish Rail is considering reducing staff wages. They might generate more revenue by fining those who hog seats with bags/feet. Greg

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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 l I’d just like to thank the lady who paid for my bus fare to

Chapelizod yesterday evening when I didn’t have enough money left on my Leap card. I very much appreciated your kindness in the pouring rain! Claire

RAnDOM AcTs Of kInDnEss

TREnDIng

#GarthBrooks

l I hope there’s as much hype if Richie Kavanagh announces a comeback tour @hayzer114 l Breaking News! The #GAA cancel all major championship games over the summer as #GarthBrooks announces a 40 night Croker residency!

@Bduffyphoto

@metrohnews #metromailbox

l My god that investment in an unironic cowboy hat factory is finally going to pay off #GarthBrooks @ChrisieOC l I guess a lust for country and western music is Ireland’s dirty little secret. 400,000 tickets. #GarthBrooks @PaulieCeee

l Just want to say ‘wow’, to the girl who walked up the broken escalator, took the 6.40pm mainline train at Tara Street station on Wednesday and got off at Dun Laoghaire. You smiled a beautiful smile, we spoke for a few seconds and I forgot about the rain. Would love to share a mandarin with you sometime! E

Feeling the heat Tinariwen’s latest album comes from the Sahara via California but the journey hasn’t been easy. Arwa Haider catches up with the globetrotting outfit ahead of their Dublin date later this year

hen Tinariwen guitarist and vocalist Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni opens the door of a Paris apartment, I momentarily have to double-check that I’ve got the right place. he’s dressed in jeans and a casual sweatshirt, rather than the traditional Tuareg turban/veil and robes he and his blues outfit perform in, representing their Saharan nomad heritage. Instrument cases stacked in the corner offer further hints that a touring band are flitting through town. Ag Alhousseyni hands me a glass of bittersweet Tuareg-style green tea, and

settles down to chat, with his manager helpfully chipping in with translations when my French falters. Tinariwen’s global reputation has steadily flourished since their 2001 release The Radio Tisdas Sessions, though they originally formed decades earlier. Recently, they played India and Chile, before arriving in the French capital via a Berlin date (‘It was so cold,’ shudders Ag Alhousseyni). Tinariwen’s brooding Tamasheklanguage grooves, and even their name (which translates as ‘open space’) evokes their desert home, around Mali’s northern region. For their sixth album, emmaar (meaning ‘the

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Friday, February 7, 2014 METRO HERALD

14 METRO HERALD Friday, February 7, 2014

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heat on the breeze’, a reference to political tensions as much as Saharan temperatures), they’ve taken that concept further, choosing to record in California’s Joshua Tree national park. ‘We always try to go deeper with our desert inspiration, because it’s the only way of life we know,’ explains Ag Alhousseyni. ‘Each time we discover a different desert, it seems new but familiar. The animals and plants might be diverse, but the spirit is the same thing: the sun, the moon, the stars, and the freedom of being in an empty space. The fact that you can move in any direction reminds us of home.’ He gestures around the apartment: ‘Here, you have to leave by the stairs or the lift. Perhaps our next album will be created somewhere else – we’d like to visit all the deserts on the planet.’ Although their musical style feels deeprooted (another band member, Eyadou Ag Leche, likens it to the American blues: ‘It’s

“We always try to go deeper with our desert inspiration” the music of exile’), Tinariwen have long been open to collaborations. They’ve worked with international producers (Justin Adams; Patrick Votan on Emmaar) and are as likely to headline rock arenas as world music festivals. Still, Emmaar’s gruff English-language spoken intro – by US poet/rapper and Tinariwen fan Saul Williams – feels like an unexpected twist. Ag Alhousseyni insists that they won’t be compromising their identity. ‘We’re bringing a message from the Tuareg people, but if you want to be understood by the diversity of the world, you have to adapt a bit,’ he says. ‘Sometimes it’s interesting to have a few words of explanation. And simplicity is important.’ ‘Simple’ isn’t an obvious word that springs to mind when you see Tinariwen play live,

even if their sound is immediately gripping. There are usually at least eight members on stage on various instruments and vocals, and they’re a fairly fluid collective without a conventional frontperson.

HoUgH they’re united by their Tuareg culture, individual members’ experiences have been broadranging; Ag Alhousseyni spent his teens in Algeria, while shock-haired founder guitarist/singer Ibrahim Ag Alhabib (notable for his grizzled tones) joined the Tuareg rebel movement, and received military training under Colonel gaddafi’s Libyan regime. Life has obviously changed radically for Tinariwen since then, though it certainly hasn’t been without turbulence. ‘Tuareg people are more visible than we were 30 years ago, but we still have to deal with a lot of issues nowadays,’ says Ag

Alhousseyni. ‘After the 2012 political coup in Mali [when military rebels overthrew Malian President Touré], there was no administration, so we still had the problems but didn’t know who to address. There’s now hope that things will be better, but nothing concrete.’ The Malian coup also posed a serious threat to musicians in the areas captured by militant faction Ansar Dine, whose subversion of Islamic law banned music as sacrilegious. Tinariwen member Intidao had a run-in with the authorities last year (though he escaped unscathed), while Ag Alhousseyni felt it best to lie low. ‘Luckily, most of us weren’t in the same territory as Ansar Dine,’ he recalls. ‘But I have a guitar at home, and I was careful to play it really softly. And when I went out, I’d roll up my trouser legs because the Sharia law decreed that men’s trousers shouldn’t touch the floor.’

Unlike prominent Malian muslim musicians (including ngoni star Bassekou Kouyate) who created work challenging these unfounded rules, Ag Alhousseyni seems to quietly take things in his stride; this might just be another form of ‘adaptability’, but he reasons, vaguely: ‘People can do much worse things than play music.’ It does raise the question of whether it’s tricky for Tinariwen to retain a political standpoint when they’re also increasingly established world entertainers. ‘It’s difficult if you become known purely for talking about politics,’ admits Ag Alhousseyni. ‘But if you’re honest, you can achieve a lot. It’s not about us, or winning grammy Awards. It’s about creating something that our people can be proud of.’ Emmaar (PIAS/Co-Op) is out Monday. Tinariwen play Custom House Square, Belfast, May 4. See www.tinariwen.com for details.

cLubs Veronica Vasicka

If you accept the premise that the main role of a DJ is to bring new music to their audience, then Veronica Vasicka (pictured) is one of the leaders in her field. The New York-based DJ set up the Minimal Wave label in 2005 as a platform to re-release long forgotten 1980s electronic and synth obscurities, such as Oppenheimer Analysis’s Devil’s Dancers, In Aeternam Vale’s La Piscine and, more recently, Blancmange’s Irene & Mavis. The label’s releases are beautifully packaged but more importantly they have had an understated influence, with many contemporary producers inspired by these

early experiments with electronic music. Tonight is Vasicka’s Dublin debut and she’s sure to bring a box full of undiscovered gems to the Odessa Club tonight. Tonight, Wave Forza, Odessa Club, Dame Court D2, 9pm, €10.

Kassem Mosse

Working as Kassem Mosse, Gunnar Wendel has rewired house music’s circuits. The German producer has released primarily on Workshop, Boddika’s Nonplus and Mikrodisko, bringing his chaotic rhythmic

sensibility and ear for minute, melodic details to bear on one of electronic music’s oldest genres. Mosse’s live shows are improvised and unpredictable – expect the unexpected from him this weekend. Tomorrow, Pogo, Twisted Pepper, 54 Middle Abbey Street D1, 10.30pm, €13 to €15.

Tiga

Canadian DJ Tiga rose to prominence at the start of the noughties with his irresistibly droll reshape of 1980s pop star Corey Hart’s Sunglasses At Night. This put him at the centre of the short-lived electroclash scene, but Tiga was savvy enough to reinvent himself. This he has achieved most notably via his label, Turbo, which has championed the kind of bruising underground techno he’s likely to play tonight. Tonight, Dice, The Button Factory, Curved Street, Temple Bar D2, 11pm, €15.

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THE Big RELEAsE

Dallas Buyers CluB (16) HHHH✩

A three-star Aids drama with five-star performances. Odds are Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto will pull off the best actor/supporting actor Oscar double.

vERDicT

Star turns: McConaughey (right, with Leto), shed three stone for the role captivatingly charismatic as the give the film its heart. Bravely, it offers outwardly unlikeable Woodroof. And neither a ‘feel-good’ nor ‘feel-bad’ though McConaughey gleaned diet tips payoff. However, the story’s momentum from Tom Hanks, who won best actor fizzles out, its characters often feeling for 1990s Aids movie Philadelphia, disconnected from each other and us. Dallas Buyers Club lacks the same This was famously shot for less than reach-for-the-tissues Hollywood $5million in just 25 days – and, sentiment. Indeed, it’s up to Jared Leto’s ultimately, that shows. transsexual ‘angel’ to jerk the tears and Larushka ivan-Zadeh

ALsO OUT Mr PeaBODy & Mr sherMaN (G) HHHH✩

The only movie to see this weekend – if you’re under 12 that is – is, thankfully, a jack-in-the-box of jollies. Mr Peabody is a know-it-all Nobel-prize-winning genius, who happens to be a dog. Sherman is his goofily eager adopted son, who happens to be a seven-year-old boy. Together they time-travel everywhere from Ancient Egypt to the Renaissance, stopping off for a spot of cake with Marie Antoinette en route, and causing hilarious historical mayhem. With its cute role-reversal of the dog/ master dynamic and a welcome by-pass of over-trodden kiddie zones (no dinosaurs) in favour of adult-tickling quips, this 3D cartoon comedy has a zingy originality. And a farting sphinx. Plot-wise, it’s chaotic; the non-stop, quick-witted scamper of episodic gags make you feel you’re gobbling up an entire TV series in one go. But who doesn’t enjoy that? Director Rob Minkoff (The Lion King) strains too hard for his emotional sucker punch, crassly scored to John Lennon’s Beautiful Boy no less; but, that aside, you’ll be wagging your tail with pleasure. Li-Z

rOBOCOP (12A) HHHH✩

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Underdogs take the biscuit The beloved underdog of this year’s Oscar nominations, this best picture ankle-biter was turned down 137 times by Hollywood’s money men, who thought no one would pay to see a period Aids drama with a homophobic hero. Frankly, they might have been right, had not the ‘hero’ been played by Matthew McConaughey. Once a shirt-refusing himbo with a cheese-eating grin, a CV of cheerfully awful romcoms and a penchant for naked bongo playing, McConaughey has since successfully repimped himself as a serious actor with cred indie dramas such as Mud, Killer Joe and The Paperboy. But his all-out commitment here is exceptional. He dropped nearly three stone to play Ron Woodroof, a redneck, sexist homophobe with a booze, blow’n’hooker habit who finds he is HIV-positive. Instead of dying, Woodroof finds lifeprolonging treatment in Mexico via drugs unapproved by the US, which he smuggles over the border to set up a private ‘buyers club’ for fellow victims (as long as they have the cash). Starved to minus-size-Zero levels, a Golden Globe-winning McConaughey is

Friday, February 7, 2014 METRO HERALD

The 12A certificate alone will deter fans of Paul Verhoeven’s original 1980s satirical 18-cert splatterfest. But, paucity of gore and nudity aside, this packs more thoughtful fire-power than your average remake cash-in (hello, Total Recall). Alex Murphy (a sensitive, conflicted Joel Kinnaman) is a critically-wounded cop who is thrown an ethically dubious lifeline when Michael Keaton and his mega-multinational conglomerate OmniCorp offer to transplant what’s left of him into a giant killer police robot, or ‘RoboCop’ if you will. Set in 2028, the special effects are seamless but it’s the chilling, provocative near-reality of the scenario that delivers maximum impact. And it’s not just Gary Oldman’s superbly conflicted scientist or RoboCop’s hefty black motorbike that gives this a touch of the Dark Knights. With Samuel L Jackson injecting evil laughs, director José Padilha reboots this Li-Z way above expectation.

gig

BOOk nOw CONCerT Ennio Morricone: The Farewell Show Following a superb – if rainsodden – series of concerts at the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham last summer, acclaimed Italian composer Ennio Morricone returns to Dublin this winter for a farewell tour. Once again conducting The Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra and a 100-strong choir, the indefatigable octogenarian will take music fans through a rousing set filled with highlights from a career that has seen him oversee such seminal soundtracks as The Mission, Cinema Paradiso and The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Dec 12, The 02, East Link Bridge, North Wall Quay D1, 7.30pm, from €86 to €156. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.enniomorricone.it

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What’s in a name? Less than you’d imagine in the case of Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros, given there isn’t actually an ‘Edward Sharpe’ – it’s a handle adopted by frontman Alex Ebert, who several years ago set out to invent himself as a hippyish dude, carried aloft by internallygenerated good vibrations. This wasn’t mere idle fancy. Having fronted an icy synth band and wrestled with depression and substance abuse issues, one day Ebert had an epiphany: why chase the darkness when you could step into the light? Thus was born the Magnetic Zeros, a kindhearted crew whose happy-clappy folk pop had the good fortune to arrive just as Mumford And Sons, their spiritual kindred, were conquering the world with their jaunty banjos and even jauntier beards. Helping their cause immensely is uber-hit Home, which has enjoyed a (presumably lucrative) second life soundtracking TV montages and commercials. In keeping with his blissed-out sensibility, Ebert sees the song less as a smash than as a special moment for the group and for its fan-base, which is why he makes a point of playing it at every single show. ‘We adore doing that song,’ he said several years ago. ‘In the US, for a lot of people, it’s the first dance at their weddings. It’s this miracle song that helps people. The public response has definitely affected how we look at it. Home is a beautiful song about friendship.’

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Tomorrow & Sun, Olympia Theatre, 72 Dame Street D2, 7.30pm, €26.50. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.edwardsharpeandthemagneticzeros.com

16 METRO HERALD Friday, February 7, 2014

television weekend wAtch

winter olympics 2014 bbc2, 9pm After the controversial build-up to the Sochi Winter games the focus shifts away from politics to see what the Russians can conjure up by way of an opening ceremony (3.30pm) – Vladimir Putin parachuting into the Fisht Olympic Stadium perhaps? With nothing on the RTÉ schedule, it falls to the BBC’s Hazel Irvine, Clare Balding and Jonathan Edwards to get us in the mood with Torvill & Dean: The Perfect Day (9pm), which looks back at the moment the British ice dancers took Sarajevo 1984 by storm with a perfect Bolero. Topping it all off is Alan Davies: Après-Ski in which the QI regular skids around the lighter moments at the games. Pictured here is Team Ireland snow-boarder Seamus O’Connor in action in Sochi yesterday picture: Ap

DrAÍocHt Sun, tG4, 7.30pm

In this mind-blowing series a new name in the world of Irish magic aims to astound viewers with some spot-on predictions, while he dazzles the public with some on-street magic. This week Paul Gleeson or RUA (Paul’s stage name) attempts his most dangerous challenge yet while surrounded by sharks. Later on he helps his celebrity guests, model Rozanna Purcell (below with RUA) and presenter Paddy McKenna, to uncover their magical powers.

liVe: siX nAtions rUGBy Union SAt, rtÉ2, 1.30pm

Former Ireland winger Shane Horgan (pictured) ed) joins presenter Tom McGurk, George Hook and Conor O’Shea, with Brent Pope at pitchside, for live coverage of Ireland v Wales from the Aviva ick off is at Stadium. Kick 2.30pm. Followed by Scotland v England live from Murrayfield with commentary from George Hamilton and Ralph Keyes.

Film oF tHe DAy miss pettigrew lives For a Day, rtÉ1, 11.55pm Marilyn Monroe meets Mary Poppins in this sophisticated little chick flick. Sparklingly adapted from Winifred Watson’s beloved cult novel, it sees downtrodden, middle-aged governess Miss Pettigrew (a dowdy Frances McDormand) about to hit the soup line unless she can bag a last, longshot job as PA to young, dizzy, mink-for-brains nightclub singer Delysia Lafosse (a perfect Amy Adams), whose main talent is between her silk sheets. If Miss P, a spinster vicar’s daughter, is to negotiate this saucy new high society world, she must finally seize the day. McDormand brings a Chaplinesque pathos to this snappy period comedy. Fabulous frocks, tasty men, female bonding, sparkling dialogue and art deco apartments to die for, it’s like Sex And The City in the 1930s. Get set to lose yourself in a blissfully warm whirlpool of sophisticated froth.

DUck qUAcks Don’t ecHo SkY1, 10pm Lee mack (right) is no stranger to comedy panel shows, having been a long-time regular on bbc1 would i Lie to You. in this new show, a sort of Qi meets bang Goes the theory, statements of fact are put to the test, with guests ruth Jones, dara Ó briain and mel c each pitching a hypothesis which is then subjected to scrutiny by experts and hands-on experimentation, with waitresses, random strangers and a studio full of puppies featuring as the first guinea pigs.

tHe lAte lAte sHow rtÉ1, 9.35pm

Ben FoGle: new liVes in tHe wilD c5, 9pm

Joining Ryan Tubridy tonight is Senator and gay rights campaigner David Norris and Dublin actress/ singer Samantha Mumba, who is set to begin a new Irish tour reveals her five-year plan, which includes babies. Scottish singer-songwriter Eddi Reader, vocalist of 1980s band Fairground Attraction, will be popping by. It’s gonna be..eeee perfect.

the ever-intrepid Fogle takes himself off to the Himalayan foothills for a close encounter with fighter pilot turned farmer steve lall, who commands the forested Jilling estate. lall’s lifestyle ranges from milking buffalo to naked meditation and Fogle throws himself into it with gusto. though shooing away leopards is one of the more high-risk activities.

woUlD yoU BelieVe? A clADDAGH From mAnUelA Sun, rtÉ1, 10.05pm

This heartbreaking documentary focuses on Arlette and Hans-Peter Riedo, the parents of 17-year-old Swiss student Manuela, who was raped and murdered while on an exchange trip to Galway in 2007. The response of the people of Galway, including Connemara farmer Tom Connell (below with the Riedos) who had a cross erected at Manuela’s murder site, together with the couple’s own big-heartedness, has fostered an unlikely bond of love and hope between them and the place where Manuela died.

Friday, February 7, 2014 METRO HERALD

YOUR DUBLIN WEEkEND with daragh reddin

Unhappy day MUSICAL REvIEW

Happy Days: A New Musical HHIII

wop, dancing and dreadful dialogue. There are a few zany moments – a slowmo wrestling scene, a visit from elvis and James dean – in which you get a sense of the brilliantly daft show this could have been, but they’re few and far between. Freeman lacks sufficient quiff and charisma to bring the Fonz to life, leaving former sugababe Heidi range, as Pinky Tuscadero, to carry the can. a misfire. Daragh Reddin Until tomorrow, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Docklands D2, 7.30pm (mat Sat, 2.30pm), from €17.50. Tel: 0818 719 377. www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

picture: susan wood

eaders of a certain age may have a lingering affection for Happy days, the squeaky-clean sitcom set in an idealised 1950s Wisconsin which dominated TV-land in the 1970s. Henry Winkler’s bequiffed, elvis-channelling hero The Fonz not only became an international star but bequeathed to pop culture the phrase ‘jumping the shark’ – something this stodgy crowdfunded musical is guilty of mere moments after it gets going. director/choreographer andrew Wright does an admirable job in terms of staging: his retro, candy-coated smalltown america is certainly beautifully realised and an exuberant supporting cast is more than up to the task; but a leaden storyline, forgettable songs and painfully naff humour prevent this production from ever capitalising on its title. When the future of arnold’s diner is jeopardised (I can’t quite remember why), The Fonz (Ben Freeman) and his wide-eyed teenage cohort fix on a solution that involves plenty of doo-

FEAST YOUR EYES ON… Close-Up: Iconic Film Images From Susan Wood

Her name may not ring a bell with many cineastes but photographer Susan Wood is revered within the industry thanks to the seminal images she took on the set of such iconic movies as Easy Rider and Leo The Last. Commissioned by major-league studios such as Paramount Pictures, United Artists and 20th Century Fox, Wood’s assignments afforded her access to such titans of Hollywood as Peter Fonda (pictured), Dennis Hopper, Monica Vitti, Marcello Mastroianni and John Wayne. Some of those images, curated by photojournalist Deirdre Brennnan, goes on display today as part of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival Until Feb 22, Irish Georgian Society, City Assembly House, South William Street D2, Mon to Sat, 10am to 5pm, free. www.jdiff.com

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Seminal Berlin electronic outfit Modeselektor (Gemot Bronson and Sebastian Szary) go back a couple of decades – essentially, they’re genresmashing dance veterans from the postWall German capital. For their Moderat project they’ve joined forces with fellow Berliner Apparat (Sascha Ring) and created some beguiling electro-pop. Sunday’s gig has been moved from The Button Factory to Vicar Street to accommodate demand Sun, Vicar Street, 58-59 Thomas Street D8, 7.30pm, €26. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.vicarstreet.ie

Pharoahe Monch

Brooklyn indie-rap legend Pharoahe Monch presents tracks from 2011’s hard-hitting, sociallyconscious We Are Renegades LP while also roadtesting work from his forthcoming Post

FOR YOUR BENEFIT.... Nyet! Nyet! Soviet

Politically-engaged works from a host of homegrown and international playwrights are being staged tonight at Trinity College in a show of solidarity for the LGBT community in Russia. Potential highlights include Oscar Wilde fetching up with a backing band in tow, a playlet in honour of Pussy Riot and a number of heartfelt monologues about oppression in its various guises. All proceeds go to the Russian LGBT network Tonight, Samuel Beckett Theatre, Trinity College D2, 7.30pm, €10. Tel: (01) 896 2461. www.tcd.ie

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Traumatic Stress Disorder album Tomorrow, The Sugar Club, 8 Lower Leeson Street D2, 7.30pm, €19. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.thesugarclub.com

OUT OF TOWN.... The Titanic And Other Poems

A collaboration between trad champ Donal Lunny (pictured) and Anthony Cronin, The Titanic And Other Poems will see the Dublin poet read his acclaimed 1961 epic about the ill-fated liner, while the former Planxty member provides a musical backdrop. Vocalist Allison Sleator joins them for an intimate evening of poetry and song Tomorrow, Mermaid Arts Centre, Main Street, Bray, County Wicklow, 8pm, €18 to €20. Tel: (01) 272 4030. www.mermaidartscentre.ie

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Business&Careers

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sony to stop making PCs to focus on tablets and TVs Sony is to stop making personal computers after more than 30 years as it shifts focus to tablets and smartphones, amid what it described as ‘drastic’ changes in the industry. The Japanese electronics giant is disposing of its loss-making PC business, which trades under the Vaio brand, as part of a shake-up which will also see it shed 5,000 jobs. It is also seeking to return its TV arm to profit by concentrating on sales of high-end models. Sony launched its first 8-bit personal computer, the SMC-70, featuring BASIC computer language and 3.5-inch floppy drive, in 1982. More recently it has developed slimline ‘notebook’ Vaio devices. It said neither its TV nor PC businesses will be ready to return to profitability in the current financial year to the end of March. It aims to conclude an agreement to sell Vaio to Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) by the end of next month. Sony has been challenged by stiff competition from Samsung and Apple, and has instead identified its divisions making cameras, Playstations and Xperia smartphones as three core businesses to drive its growth in electronics. The company said: ‘Following a com-

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prehensive analysis of factors, including the drastic changes in the global PC industry... the company has determined that concentrating its mobile product line-up on smartphones and tablets and transferring its PC business to a new company established by JIP is the optimal solution. ‘As part of the business transfer to JIP, Sony will cease planning, design and development of PC products. Manufacturing and sales will also be discontinued after the spring 2014 line-up to be launched globally. Even after Sony withdraws from the PC market, Sony customers will continue to receive aftercare customer services.’ It came as the company predicted it would swing to a 110billion yen (€802million) loss for the current financial year, after a €314m profit in the year ending March 2013. However there was a €197m profit for the third quarter, helped by improved sales of its smartphones and the launch of the Playstation 4. Sony said it would cut its global workforce by about three per cent by the end of March next year, with 1,500 job losses in Japan and 3,500 overseas.

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n VEHICLE maker AB Volvo said its profits fell by 37 per cent in the fourth quarter and it will lay off 4,400 employees in 2014, including the previously announced reduction of 2,000. Volvo’s chief executive olof Persson said in a statement, the job cuts will affect employees worldwide. Mr Persson said the cuts will help Volvo utilise its resources more effectively and are a consequence of the transformation the company is undergoing. Volvo said fourthquarter net profit fell by 37 per cent to 548m kronor (€62m) from 869m kronor a year earlier. Sales for the period rose by 8 per cent to 76.6bn kronor (€8.7bn) from 70.8bn in the fourth quarter 2012.

Calling on the doctor

Student representatives and student nurses Joe O’Connor, Emma Day, John Connor and Sarah Farrell wheel ‘Dr James Reilly’ to Government buildings to launch the Everybody Loves Nurses campaign, highlighting the low level of pay for newly-graduate nurses Picture: conor Mccabe

Passengers up for airlines Two major budget airlines carried an increased number of passengers last month. Ryanair numbers reached 4.6 million in January 2014 – a 5.0 per cent rise on the January 2013 figure. The Irish-based budget airline carried 81.6 million people in the 12 months ending January 2014 – a three per cent increase on the figure for the 12 months ending January 2013. EasyJet announced it had carried 4.02 million passengers last month – a rise of 3.7 per cent on its January 2013 total. Its planes flew 85.4 per cent full last month compared with Ryanair’s figure of 71.0 per cent. Its passenger numbers for the 12 months ending January 2014 totalled 61.47 million, which was a 3.6 per cent rise on the previous 12-months. n oPTIMISM about Britain’s economy has reached its highest level since 1997, thanks to an unexpectedly strong recovery, boosting prime minister David Cameron’s economic credentials ahead of a 2015 election. A poll by Ipsos Mori out yesterday, found one in four people trusted Mr Cameron more than other party leaders to manage the €1.85trillion economy, which is the sixth largest in the world.

n oNLINE store Amazon. com released its second batch of TV pilots yesterday and asked for feedback to help determine which shows to develop into series for its video streaming service. The company is investing in original content to attract customers to its Amazon Prime service. Prime also includes free two-day shipping for Amazon products. The new pilots include comedies and dramas for adults, plus five children’s shows, with a decision on how many to put into development to be made after customers have their say by leaving online comments and ratings.

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Twitter sees €5billion wiped off share value TwiTTer saw $7billion (€5.17bn) wiped off its value after its first set of results as a public company disappointed investors and sparked a wall Street backlash. Shares fell by as much as 24 per cent in New York after the figures raised fears its recent explosive growth is slowing down. The micro-blogging website ended the quarter to December 31 with 241 million monthly users, a rise of 30 per cent on a year earlier. The San Francisco-based company’s addition of nine million new monthly users was also a slowdown from the previous three quarters, when it was adding an average of 16 million new accounts each quarter.

by gRAEME EvAns its shares slumped in after-hours trading on wednesday night and dropped further in the subsequent session, even though its revenues more than doubled to €180m in the last quarter. Losses of €378m for the period compared with €6.4m a year earlier. Twitter began trading on wall Street last November with an initial price of $26 and has more than doubled in value since then, leading to concerns it is expensive compared with similar stocks such as Facebook and Linkedin. CeO Dick Costolo said he’s excited about the initiatives under way to further build on

the Twitter experience. ‘we are the only platform that is public, real-time, conversational and widely distributed.’ Twitter’s public debut was the most highlyanticipated since that of Facebook in May 2012. One of the major challenges facing Twitter, which launched seven years ago, is to generate more revenues from outside America – more than 75 per cent of users are outside the US, but just 26 per cent of its revenue comes from abroad.

Friday, February 7, 2014 METRO HERALD

Career Doctor Jane Downes

I was really shocked to hear of Philip seymour Hoffman’s death. Here was a brilliant actor who enjoyed the esteem of peers and public alike. Yet all of a sudden it was just taken away, apparently at the prick of a needle. Or was it? Hoffman himself may no longer be with us, but his magnetic presence on the screen surely outlives him. His legacy already seems secure. Legacy. It’s a word the rest of us mere mortals rarely get to think about. we’re too busy sweating the small stuff to think of our careers in such grandiose terms. actually, I think a strong case could be made that a great many career missteps are down to avoiding the L-word. without a powerful desire for legacy in my chosen field, I will struggle to find meaning in my daily commute to work or my relations with colleagues and clients. I will lose the big picture. The overriding ‘why’ will get drowned out by an endless series of little ‘whats’ and ‘whens’ and ‘hows’. ‘why am I doing what I’m doing?’ is not just a philosophical question, it’s about the most hardnosed practical question you can ask yourself right now. Nothing clarifies what is at stake in the present tense like a bit of mental time travel into the future. Have you thought about what your legacy will be? what you will be known for? If you quit next week, how easily would you be replaced? Nothing reveals the quality of a person’s presence more than the thought of their absence. Think about it. and then have a nice day. Career coach Jane Downes is the author of The Career Book (thecareerbook.ie) and principal coach of Clearview Coaching Group, clearviewcoachgroup.com.

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puzzles

METROSCOPE by Patrick Arundell

NEMI by Lise

Aries Mar 21 – Apr 20

Yesterday’s Quarter Moon asked you to be realistic about financial benefits of any long-term plans you have. It also cautioned you about mixing business with pleasure. Sadly, a lack of trust can have a negative impact in the next few days. For your forecast, call 15609 114 70

Taurus Apr 21 – May 21

The Sun is urging you to set your targets high. Yet, if you’re not getting feedback from people in the know, you may feel miffed. But how you see a situation, and how others see it, can vary hugely. For your forecast, call 15609 114 71

Gemini May 22 – Jun 21

METROKU Easy, Moderate and Challenging. For solutions, visit Metro.co.uk/metroku 3

2 6 9

4 5

It would be easy to get one situation hugely out of proportion in your mind. You may need to accept that progress can be mixed. Even if something solid seems to shape up, soon enough, it can get unpicked or changed.

6 6 9

2 3

1 1

For your forecast, call 15609 114 72

Cancer Jun 22 – Jul 23

2 4

3 8 6

PEARLs BEFORE swINE

If you make travel plans, whether for now or for later in the year, it may be wise to factor in contingencies. Even if there are no glitches showing up, something over which you have little control could put the proverbial spanner in the works. For your forecast, call 15609 114 73

Leo Jul 24 – Aug 23

If you’re looking for sources of finance, it is going to be important not to plump for the first option that shows itself. Scrutinise your options. If you’re talking to a financial adviser, permit yourself to talk to someone else too. Then make your choices. For your forecast, call 15609 114 74

Virgo Aug 24 – Sep 23

There’s a saying that hard work never did anyone any harm. But if you work in a competitive sector, you may find the demands of others draining. Even though you are one of the most virtuous zodiac members, conserve your energy.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 75

Libra Sep 24 – Oct 23

ACROSS 1 Jot (4) 8 Silence by surprise (6,4) 9 Agreeable (8) 10 Performs (4) 12 Rub out (6) 14 Took notice (6) 15 Protects (6) 17 A planet (6) 18 Serpents (4) 19 Wins back (8) 21 Honest (5,5) 22 Transmit (4)

DOWN 2 Crawling (2,3,5) 3 A continent (4) 4 Lubricate (6) 5 Drawing (6) 6 Nearby (8) 7 Recedes (4) 11 Moscow citadel (3,7) 13 Rough (8) 16 Writer (6) 17 Gregarious (6) 18 Sad to say (4) 20 Joins (4)

Yesterday’s Solutions Across: 7 Moist; 8 Compute; 9 Abysmal; 10 Heart; 12 Oppression; 15 Amateurish; 18 Evoke; 19 Retract; 21 Council; 22 Rouse. Down: 1 Immaculate; 2 Sibyl; 3 Stem; 4 Ocular; 5 Emphasis; 6 Lunatic; 11 Tongue tied; 13 Pretence; 14 Baroque; 16 Rarely; 17 Vague; 20 Tire.

scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22

If you’ve met somebody or have formed something of an attraction, it may take a little while before you can figure out what all this will mean. With this week’s Quarter Moon still potent, put the emphasis not on what you’d like to believe but on what your sixth sense tells you. For your forecast, call 15609 114 77

sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21

If you hope to move home, or do home improvements, and you are reaching out to get the support of others, things may not go quite as swiftly as you’d like. Irritation around delays is possible, yet, try to be philosophical. For your forecast, call 15609 114 78

Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 20

However much you like somebody, if you are insulating them by being over protective, it isn’t going to be good for them. And ultimately, you could eventually resent the flow of power in the relationship. For your forecast, call 15609 114 79

Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19

Someone close may have disappointed you over the past few days. Perhaps they lack the enthusiasm you have for one key scheme. If you’re encountering someone who doesn’t see the big picture, celebrate your strengths not their weaknesses. For your forecast, call 15609 114 80

Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20

Info can be feeding into you but if you are hearing it third-hand, you’d be best to take it with a pinch of salt. Someone may be telling you the things that they feel you want to hear. This could be because they want to ingratiate themselves with you. For your forecast, call 15609 114 81

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

QuIz

Crossword No. 909 See next edition for solutions

For your forecast, call 15609 114 76

ENIGMA Certain animals, we’re told, Dislike this season’s days of cold. So they do this all winter through, Asleep till spring comes into view. WHO AM I? A saint, I was beheaded in 303 for refusing to give up my faith. My feast day is April 23. I am the patron saint of England.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? WHO… had a No. 1 hit in 1965 with The Carnival Is Over? WHAT… is sometimes called the fourth estate? WHERE... did Horatio Nelson marry Frances Nisbet in 1787? WHEN… did composer Felix Mendelssohn visit Staffa, inspiring his Fingal’s Cave overture?

QUIZ ANSWERS: ENIGMA: Hibernate. WHO AM I? Saint George. WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? The Seekers; The press; Nevis; 1829.

QUICK CROsswORd

This continues to be a time when you may wish to be giving to others but

you need to be clear that it is of your own violation and that you’re not being manipulated by anyone else. As much as you can want to take someone’s story at face value, it may be best to scrutinise it.

SCRIBBLE BOX

20 METRO HERALD Friday, February 7, 2014

football premier league

Friday, February 7, 2014 METRO HERALD

wenger believes there are no more ‘invincibles’ by MATTHEw nAsH

suAREz swOOp is nOT yET Off TAbLE

Manchester city’s surprise defeat at home to chelsea on Monday proved that no team in the Premier League is ‘invincible’, according to arsenal manager arsene Wenger. the Gunners head to fourth-placed Liverpool in tomorrow’s lunchtime kick-off looking to maintain a slender two-point lead at the top of the table over city, who saw their 100 per cent league record at the etihad stadium ended by a dogged display from the Blues. Despite the plaudits being given to Manuel Pellegrini’s free-scoring side, Wenger has always maintained even city have their weaknesses. those were exploited to perfection by Jose Mourinho’s men and Wenger says, unless every team is focused over the remaining 14 games, there will be more slip-ups in the title race. he said: ‘I said that one month ago and you did not believe me – there is no invincible team because there are so many quality teams in the league. ‘It is just how close you are to your best every time which decides the game.’ Despite chelsea’s win, Blues manager Mourinho played down his side’s chances, claiming the title is between ‘two horses and a little horse that still needs milk and to learn how to jump’. Wenger, though, is not impressed. ‘they are in there, of course. It is easy to move out [of the title race] if you don’t want [to be in it],’ he added. ‘We focus on our side and do not listen too much to what people say.’ arsenal are now heading into a run of fixtures which should define their campaign, with Manchester United set to come to the emirates stadium next week ahead of an Fa cup fifth-round date with Liverpool and the first leg of their champions League last-16 clash with Bayern Munich. Wenger admitted: ‘this is a massive month for us. ‘We have fought very hard up until now to be in this position, so let’s enjoy it and do our best.’

Mind games: Wenger laughed off Jose Mourinho’s claims that Chelsea can’t win the title

Arsene Wenger has refused to rule out making a new bid for Liverpool striker Luis suarez – although he admits a deal is unlikely. Arsenal spent most of last summer trying to agree a deal to sign suarez (pictured), with Wenger slapping in a £40million plus £1 offer in the hope of prising him out of Anfield.

23 League goals for Suarez in 22 games

PReMIeR LeaGue fIxTuReS TOMORROW (3pm unless stated) Barclays Premier League aston Villa v West Ham .............. Chelsea v Newcastle ................... Crystal Palace v West brom ........ liverpool v arsenal (12.45pm)

Norwich v man City .................... southampton v stoke ................. sunderland v Hull ....................... swansea v Cardiff (5.30pm) SuNday Barclays Premier League man utd v Fulham ............ (4pm)

It was eventually rejected, and the Uruguayan stayed put, but ahead of the gunners’ clash with Liverpool at the weekend, Wenger wouldn’t rule out trying again for the player. ‘You regret it when players who played for you score goals or do well somewhere else,’ he said. ‘suarez was never our player; the deal did not come off. ‘Would I bid again? At the moment no.’ Wenger’s refusal to categorically rule out going after suarez again comes amid talk he will go on an £80m recruitment drive in the summer.

pic: Action imAges

golf

Hungry: Ryder Cup pro McDowell

‘i want more pebbles’ says mcDowell

rYder CUp star graeme Mcdowell returns to the scene of his greatest personal triumph for the first time this week, insisting his major victory at pebble Beach will not define his career. The northern Irishman is making his first appearance at the California course since 2010, when he became the first european to win the Us Open for 40 years. He will encounter a different experience at the AT&T pebble Beach national proAm, but there will also be a degree of familiarity as he will be playing alongside his tenhandicapper dad Kenny, who was present nearly four years ago for that landmark win. ‘It was weird being out there. I forgot how slopey these greens are here at pebble, how small they are,’ said Mcdowell in his pre-tournament press conference. ‘A lot of people ask me, “how come you have never been back since 2010?” I say, “well, what’s the point? It’s not going to get any better than how it felt last time I was here”. ‘It was pretty tough to top the experience that weekend – the emotions, being with my dad on Father’s day, winning my first major championship – it doesn’t get any better than that. But I’m not going to say that is the highlight of my career because I want more. ‘I want more pebbles, I want more major championships.’

fOOTbALL DigEsT

Gold: No choice but to go legal West Ham’s co-owner David Gold has claimed the club has been forced to take legal action over andy Carroll’s red card because they have no alternative. the Hammers want the Football association to take the case to an arbitration panel after referee Howard Webb’s decision to send off the striker after a clash with swansea’s Chico Flores was upheld by a three-man Fa appeals body. Carroll (pictured) is now facing

a three-match ban and Gold said that could mean the difference between relegation and top-flight survival. Gold said: ‘It’s not ideal, the last thing I want to do is going to some kind of legal issue because I think it is a footballing issue. but we are fighting for our lives. If we were mid-table we would probably get on with it but we are fighting for our lives to retain our Premiership status.’

Paul happy to get Randy

Paul lambert is expecting no problems when he discusses a new contract with aston Villa owner randy lerner. the Villa boss, who is midway through a three-year contract, said: ‘I’m sure the discussions between me and the chairman will be the same as they’ve always been, pleasant, with no problems whatsoever.’

Pochettino: I’m staying sOutHamPtON boss mauricio Pochettino insists he is content at southampton despite being linked to real madrid. He said: ‘at the moment I am really happy at southampton and that is my present right now.’

Rodgers: Luis is a big-game performer lIVerPOOl boss brendan rodgers insists luis suarez does influence the big games and, with fellow striker Daniel sturridge, they can break a club goal-scoring record this season. the uruguayan has scored 23 Premier league goals this campaign, but none in matches against arsenal, Chelsea or manchester City. With those sides all yet to visit, starting with arsenal tomorrow, he has the Backing: Rodgers chance to rectify the situation.

22 METRO HERALD Friday, February 7, 2014

football premier league Swan dive: Laudrup is frustrated he cannot say a proper farewell to his players PICTURE: ACTION IMAGES

Laudrup may sue after his ‘hasty’ axing from Swans

by DAnny gRiffiTHS

MIChAeL LAudruP is considering legal action after being sacked by Swansea City at the start of the week. The dane was made unemployed on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after chairman huw Jenkins dismissed the notion he would be the first manager to be

‘I’m deeply disappointed to have been dismissed’ fired by the club since Bryan Flynn was given his marching orders in 2004. Laudrup has consulted the League Managers’ Association (LMA) about his dismissal, and said in a statement: ‘I am deeply disappointed to have been dismissed as manager of Swansea City. ‘In particular, the manner in which it happened and the actions the club has taken since notifying me in the briefest

of letters which gave no reasons why such hasty and final action was deemed necessary. ‘I am, of course, taking legal advice and the LMA have already written to the club asking for a proper explanation as to why I was summarily dismissed.’ Laudrup revealed he has been banned by Swansea from going to the training ground to thank the players for their efforts during his time in charge. ‘The club has informed me that I cannot visit the training ground to say my farewells to the players, so I do that now through this statement,’ he added. ‘The players have been fantastic and their contribution under the very professional guidance of my coaching staff has been absolutely fundamental to the club’s recent successes.’ Swansea have picked up just six points from their last ten Premier League matches and are two points above the relegation zone heading into tomorrow’s derby at home to Cardiff.

O’Connell r

Fighting fit: Paul O’Connell has shrugged off his chest infection and is ready to face the Welsh tomorrow

pIcture: INpHO

Wales ready for ‘fired-up’ Ireland side Wales front-row warrior adam Jones says he is ‘under no illusions’ about how fired-up Ireland will be in saturday’s RBs six Nations clash. The fierce rivals’ latest meeting has its trademark backdrop of a huge amount being at stake. although it is only the second weekend of this tournament, saturday’s victors could take some stopping after establishing strong title momentum. Ospreys prop Jones has won 90 caps and featured in eight previous six Nations games against Ireland, but he will struggle to remember one with more hype surrounding it than this weekend. Many Ireland supporters still bristle at memories of star player Brian O’Driscoll being controversially overlooked for last summer’s test series decider against australia that the British and Irish lions won 41-16.

Tough test: Jones under ‘no illusions’ It was a decision made by lions boss and current Wales coach Warren Gatland, and one that saw him fiercely criticised by Irish fans, former Ireland players and media pundits. ‘I am under no illusions how fired up they will be,’ Jones said. ‘They’ve talked down the O’Driscoll-Gatland thing, but I’m quietly confident ‘Paulie’ (Ireland

captain Paul O’Connell) will have them revved up come half-pasttwo on saturday. We know what to expect.’ Jones, though, has no doubt it is a healthy rivalry that exists between players on both teams. ‘since we’ve been on tours with them (Irish players), you get to know them. There’s no dislike there, but we want to beat them, obviously,’ he added. ‘For the last couple of years we’ve been the best two teams among the Celts. The Irish boys are very similar to us, they’re good guys. ‘I am sure it will be very physical, come saturday, but I will look forward to having a pint with them afterwards. ‘That is what’s so good about this sport. You can knock seven bells out of each other, then shake the guy’s hand and have a pint with him afterwards. There will be no hard feelings.’

rugby six nations

Friday, February 7, 2014 METRO HERALD 23

ready for Wales by DAnny HOgAn

Paul O’COnnell is confident he can play through any lingering effects of his chest infection against Wales in the Six nations on Saturday. The Ireland captain admitted he was embarrassed with his last-minute withdrawal from last weekend’s 28-6 Scotland victory. The 34-year-old Munster lock made a full return to training yesterday after sitting out Tuesday’s session entirely. Boss Joe Schmidt had no qualms pitching O’Connell back into his Ireland line-up to face Warren Gatland’s Wales, with Gordon D’arcy replacing luke Marshall the only other change. O’Connell has completed a course of antibiotics and expects to be at full speed for Saturday’s Dublin showdown, despite suffering flak from former Ireland team-mates on last week’s absence. ‘I’ve just got a little bit of a cough left, that’s all,’ he said. ‘It’s a bit embarrassing really. I’ve copped plenty of slagging from the old-school players I’ve played with for years.

‘I’ve just finished a course of antibiotics; I’ve played matches on them before, so I don’t struggle with it at all. ‘You almost wish you’d had something worse than a chest infection. ‘I’m experienced enough to know how to handle things like this, I’ve dealt with similar things before. ‘I broke ribs against england, and had to withdraw late the next week from a game against Italy. ‘It was very frustrating and very disappointing then, and the same last weekend. ‘I’ve worked hard to get into a position where I could play in the Six nations, so to miss out on the first game was frustrating and disappointing. ‘But I think you have to have respect

iRELAnDTEAM

for your team-mates as well, particularly the second-row, Dan Tuohy has been playing great this season, and Iain Henderson had been in camp all week. ‘and I really didn’t think it would affect the team in a big way, and I thought I might write myself off for this week if I did play.’ O’Connell admitted it was an easy decision in the end to put the team first last weekend and step back to allow ulster lock Tuohy to start. anticipating a fearsome tussle against Wales, he said: ‘I was asking myself that during the week, whether if it were a Grand Slam decider would I try to play. But I think you still have to have respect for your team, the body wasn’t right, and there were two

R Kearney (Leinster), A Trimble (Ulster), B O’Driscoll, G D’Arcy, D Kearney (all Leinster), J Sexton (Racing Metro), C Murray (Munster), C Healy (Leinster), R Best (Ulster), M Ross, D Toner (both Leinster), P O’Connell (capt), P O’Mahony (both Munster), C Henry (Ulster), J Heaslip (Leinster). Replacements: S Cronin, J McGrath, M Moore (all Leinster), D Tuohy (Ulster), T O’Donnell (Munster), I Boss (Leinster), P Jackson (Ulster), F McFadden (Leinster).

guys there who were right and ready to go. From that point of view while it was frustrating and disappointing, it wasn’t a difficult decision either.’ Italy subdued Wales at the scrum last weekend, Martin Castrogiovanni getting the better of Paul James in the eyes of the officials. Centurion Gethin Jenkins returns to shore up Wales’ front-row, with O’Connell expecting a completely different complexion at the coal-face from the visitors after their troubles last weekend. ‘The scrum is just a very difficult thing to predict from week to week,’ said O’Connell. ‘I know ourselves we had a poor day against australia in the autumn. We struggled to deal with them. ‘Italy have an excellent scrum and also Wales have made a change there in bringing in Gethin Jenkins, who is a very experienced player. ‘I know it’s an area where we can do well though, and we just want to play off quality ball for the backs. ‘a lot of these fixtures are one-score games, so you need to score in the last quarter, in the closing stages if you want to get a result.’

Shock: Munster boss Rob Penney has rejected new contract

Penney to move to cash-rich Japan MunSteR wanted departing head coach Rob Penney to stay for another year, says Paul O’Connell. boss Penney rejected a new one-year contract offer and will leave the province at the end of the season. It is understood Penney will take up a lucrative contract in the cash-rich Japanese league. Former Munster and current Ireland captain O’Connell said Penney will want to be closer to his native new Zealand, where his children will go to university. ‘I know they were eager for him to stay for another year and I think it’s a pity he won’t be staying,’ said O’Connell. ‘It’s disappointing, but he’s got to do what’s right for his family. ‘Hopefully Munster will put someone in place quickly who can continue the improvements Rob has brought in the last two years,’ he said.

24 METRO HERALD Friday, February 7, 2014

Laudrup mulls over legal action after Swans sacking

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gatland’s BOD snub ‘no issue’ for Ireland by DAnny HOgAn The rumbling fallout from Warren Gatland snubbing Brian O’Driscoll on the Lions tour will not derail Ireland’s bid to see off Wales in Dublin on Saturday, according to Joe Schmidt. head coach Schmidt believes the Gatland-O’Driscoll circus is a ‘non-issue’ ahead of Ireland’s second RBS Six Nations clash this weekend. Gatland was pilloried from many posts after omitting centre O’Driscoll from the Lions’ decisive final test in Australia in the summer. The Lions blasted to 41-16 victory, with boss Gatland feeling entirely vindicated in selecting Jonathan Davies at outside centre. Ireland’s most-capped player O’Driscoll conceded it was hard not to hold a grudge in the aftermath. Both Gatland and O’Driscoll have moved to play down continued frostiness between the pair in the build-up to this crucial Six Nations showdown. Former Ireland boss Gatland even lambasted reporters for continuing to quiz him on the issue at the start of the week. Schmidt, the former Leinster boss, said the fuss has not even registered among the Ireland camp this week. ‘Certainly the match, and a good performance, is far more important for Brian and everyone internally,’ said Schmidt.

‘It’s a non-issue for us to be honest. It’s something that happened over the summer, there’s a lot of water under the bridge since then. ‘I think they’ve both known each other for a long time. I know it’s not a distraction for Brian and it certainly hasn’t been evident that it’s been a distraction for anyone else. ‘It’s just about trying to get as well prepared as we can be in the windows that we’ve had.’ Fit-again Gordon D’Arcy has replaced Luke Marshall at inside centre for Saturday’s clash, after missing out with a stomach bug last weekend. Ireland saw off Scotland 28-6 in their Six Nations opener on Sunday, with Schimdt admitting a big step forward will be required to see off the Welsh in round two. D’Arcy and O’Driscoll will extend still further their already world-record combined caps haul for an international centre partnership against Wales. O’Driscoll will retire at the end of the season, with the Six Nations his Ireland swansong. Whatever misty-eyed reminiscences fill column inches and terrace talk, Schmidt said sentiment will not cloud the judgement of his stalwart midfield pairing. ‘The one thing they both know, on behalf of the team, is that it’s what they do on Saturday that is of utmost importance,’ said Schmidt. ‘If we put things in a historical context, it is exactly that, that’s what happened, in the past. ‘It’s about making sure they make the things happen that need to happen on Saturday and I know they are really conscious of that.’

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About turn: O’Connor failed to emerge from his heat in the slopestyle snowboard event but will hope to improve in the half pipe picture: pa

O’cOnnOR nEEDs A sEcOnD cHAncE snowboarder seamus o’Connor failed to qualify from his heat at the sochi winter olympics yesterday morning. Just the top eight of 30 riders got through the heats, with o’Connor finishing second last in his 16-man group after scoring two 40s in the best-of-two runs competition. norwegian medal prospect Torstein Horgmo broke his collarbone in training last Monday, forcing the organisers to adjust the slopestyle course to make it less dangerous. slopestyle is making its debut as an

olympic discipline and america’s two-time olympic champion shaun white pulled out of it due to safety fears, to concentrate on his half pipe speciality. o’Connor, 16, born in California but with paternal grandparents from dublin and drogheda, is regarded as a future medal prospect, but at the moment is a raw talent and the second youngster snowboarder at the Games. He has a second chance to make a final when he competes in the half pipe event next Tuesday.