Metro Herald, Tuesday, February 25, 2014 by Metro Herald

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

24 Feb—02 Mar 2014 www.dineindublin.ie

leinsTer’s FrinGe beneFiTs

Inside The 22 »p20

MAM MAMeT’s Girl

60 Seconds »p6

AN INNOCENT man tried to escape by DeclAn brennAn after being stabbed with a broken bottle at a now notorious Swedish House what Sgt McCartan described as a Mafia gig – but another man chased four- to five-inch blade. Sgt McCarhim down and knifed him in the back. tan said gardaí were preparing to safeAnd yesterday, one of his attackers, ly remove Donnan from the crowd Raymond Donnan, 24, was jailed for when he and three other men immediately attacked a third victim, punchfour years for the brutal attack. Donnan was part of a group of eight ing and kicking him. Gardaí then moved in, surrounded males and four females who set upon music fans at the concert in the Phoe- Donnan and arrested him. Donnan, of Greenfort Crescent, nix Park on July 7, 2012. Gda Sgt Shane McCartan, who was Clondalkin, who has a previous knife attending the concert himself while possession conviction, pleaded guilty off duty, described how he saw Don- to violent disorder and assault causnan stab a first victim – who has nev- ing harm to Mr England, who surer been identified – three times in the vived the attack. His defence counsel, Michael Bowtorso, before he raced to find other man, said Donnan had been allowed gardaí and security staff. But on his return, they found the to consume an entire bottle of rum by gang had turned its unprovoked ag- security staff before entering the park but added there gression towas little he wards another could say to show attendee – defend what Andrew Engwas an ‘unproland. voked, gratuiOne man tous act of viostruck him over lence’. the head with a Judge Martin bottle and then Nolan said Mr used the shard England was to stab him in lucky not to the arm. have suffered When Mr Engworse injuries, land tried to get before he senaway, Donnan tenced Donnan stabbed him to four years in several times in prison. the back, with Swedish House Mafia: Violence at gig

Picture: ePA

4 yrs for stab thug at Phoenix Park concert

Residents say: ‘Baby, baby, baby, no!’ Frank Birch and Fred Singleton, residents of Buckhead, Atlanta, protest over the possible move of controversial Canadian pop star Justin Bieber to their town. A recent petition to the White House asking that ‘destructive and drug abusing’ Bieber be deported from the US has gained 204,500 signatures

Also inside: Music, Food & Drink, Tech & Gaming, TV, Travel and more Keep Dublin tidy – Please recycle this Metro Herald when you are finished with it

METRO HERALD Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Tuesday 25/02/14 How to contact us

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15 The number of

Jailbreak14 participants yet to find a way home from the Irish charity event which sees students trying to get as far away as possible Ireland’s rate of newsprint recycling is now up to 79%. Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you.

Today is...

Pistol Patent Day We’re not suggesting you run off to an NRA get-together proffering the blueprint of your very own Colt Revolver, but if you must ‘celebrate’ the gun, how about a neon pink, edible pistol that fires skittles? Could be yum…

From the archives (2011):

Irish trapped in Libya bloodshed

The lack of an Irish diplomatic presence in Tripoli has hampered evacuation of Irish citizens from Libya, officials have claimed. Some 31 Irish people in Tripoli have sought help to escape the bloody uprising, with 12 more in Benghazi, and six in the desert.

Today’s birthdays

Tom Courtenay, actor (Doctor Zhivago), 77; Diane Baker, actress, 76; Elkie Brooks, singer, 69; Neil Jordan, film director, 64; Lee Evans, comedian (pictured), 50.

CLOCkwORD

The solutions from 1 to 12 are all sixletter words ending with the letter L in the centre. Moving clockwise from 1, the letters in the outer circle will spell out the name of an American composer. 1. Fairy story character 2. Soup flavour 3. Ferret-like mammal 4. Plea 5. Repeated action 6. Nonsense 7. Relating to herbs

8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Antenna Standard Amble Trial Silvery-white element

Yesterday’s solution: Alison Uttley

Weather Weather Today

Max: 9°c

A blustery and showery day, with some severe gusts in exposed Atlantic coastal areas. There will be widespread heavy showers of rain or hail too, with an going risk of spot flooding and thunder. Temperatures between 8°C to 9°C.

Derry

8�C

Donegal

8�C

Cavan

Galway

9�C

Athlone

Dublin

9�C

8�C

Tipperary Waterford

Tralee

Cork

Tonight

Belfast

9�C

9�C Sunrise: 7.22am Sunset: 5.55pm

Min: 0°c

Tonight will be cold and windy with showers along Atlantic coasts, heavy at times, but the showers will be more isolated elsewhere with clear periods. Sheltered parts may have ground frost. Temperatures between 0°C to 3°C.

Dine in Dublin is the perfect week to enjoy delicious food in Dublin City Centre. See participating restaurants, bars and cafés offering special menus, events and activities throughout the week. Watch out for brand new features such as, our on street food pavilion, with top chefs and food tastings. Check out www.dineindublin.ie for delicious daily giveaways from participating restaurants

/dineindublin #DineinDublin / @dineindublin

EUROPE today

Tomorrow Expect sunny spells and some scattered showers in most parts of the country. Temperatures between 9°C to 10°C in moderate to fresh Southwest winds.

9�C 9�C 9�C 10�C

9�C

9�C 10�C 10�C Max: 10°c

Athens

14 °c

Barcelona

16 °c

Berlin

13 °c 11 °c

Brussels

Paris

10 °c 9 °c 13 °c 12 °c

Rome

15 °c

London Geneva Madrid

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 METRO HERALD

Damn, I’ve been spotted

Leopard on the loose gets away from police by DANIEL BINNS

CORNERED in a hospital with security men closing in, this leopard’s options seemed limited. But its would-be captors didn’t think it would try to flee through a hole in the wall. One leap of faith and it left them chasing shadows. The animal struck terror into the residents of Meerut, north India, when he popped into its cinema, swung by an apartment block and visited the men’s ward at the local hospital. Police armed with lathis – a type of martial arts stick – and tranquilliser guns have been trying to catch the big cat since Sunday, without success. It was caught in the hospital when a quick-thinking employee locked it in a room. But, after several hours, the enraged animal escaped by smashing through a window. Several of the seven people injured approached the leopard and tried to take photos. An onlooker was scratched so badly he had to be taken to hospital. Schools, colleges and shops have been shut until the big cat is captured. The pupils face a long wait. ‘We are unable to locate the leopard

and do not want to take any chances,’ district magistrate Pankaj Yadav told BBC Hindi. ‘This is only a precautionary measure.’ Senior police officer Supt Onkar Singh said: ‘We urged the

public not to go near, but they went close out of curiosity and it attacked them, inflicting minor injuries.’ Last week, a five-year-old boy was killed by a leopard in the courtyard of

his home in the state of Chhattisgarh, central India. Conservationists blame the increasing number of attacks on rapid urbanisation encroaching on the leopards’ natural habitats.

Why Slag Lane could be right up your street

What’s in a name: Model Nadia Forde and comedian Paddy Courtney celebrate after the town of Effin, Co Limerick, won its battle to keep its Facebook page, after the social media giant said it wasn’t a real place

FOR homeowners on streets with rude names, sniggering cabbies and teenagers taking selfies with road signs is the norm. But for those wishing to live on The Knob or on Cockshoot Close, house prices are a whole lot lower, according to an English estate agent. On average, properties on streets with innuendo-laden names are £84,000 (€100,000) cheaper than on a sensible road nearby. The residents of Cumming Street in Islington, London, found great pleasure in getting a flat for €80,000 less than on Britannia Street, just five minutes away. You would also be cock-a-hoop if you bought on CockA-Dobby in Berkshire, where a

detached house €194,000 less than nearby Longdown Road. But Annie Gray, who lives on Fanny Hands Lane in Lincolnshire, doesn’t think racy street names make house prices any cheaper. She said: ‘I would think it’s the other way round. The name was a factor for us because it always gets a giggle.’ Researchers from NeedAProperty. com asked 2,000 people to vote for the street name that would most embarrass them. There are certainly some bargains to be had if you live in Minge Lane in Worcestershire, which topped the list with a third of the vote. Second was Slag Lane in Lancashire.

Missed by a whisker: The leopard squeezes through a hole in the Meerut Cantonment Hospital Picture: Getty

QUESTIONABLE DUBLIN PLACENAMES Wood Quay, Dublin 8 Lad Lane, Dublin 2 Longwood Avenue, Portobello Ryder’s Row, Dublin 1 Beaver Row, Donnybrook Ball’s Lane, Dublin 7 Bangor Road, Crumlin Rogers Lane, Lwr Baggot Street Ringsend, Dublin 4 Stillorgan AND OUTSIDE THE CAPITAL: Cum, Co Mayo Bustyhill, Co Kildare Muff, Co Donegal Effin, Co Limerick Bastardstown, Co Wexford Nobber, Co Meath Letterfinish, Co Kerry Ring, Co Kerry Laytown, Co Meath Strangalowilly, Co Tyrone Mount Juliet, Co Kilkenny Ringaskiddy, Co Cork Kilcock, Co Kildare This list is by no means exhaustive, please feel free to point out any we may have missed: mail@metroherald.ie, @metrohnews

METRO HERALD Tuesday, February 25, 2014

More severe weather is on the way MET Éireann has issued another yellow weather alert for the Dublin area until 6pm today. The forecaster warned of winds reaching speeds of up to 110kph. The warning also covers counties Louth, Wexford, Wicklow, Meath, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Clare and Leitrim. Kerry, Cork, Waterford and Limerick were also put on alert, with the warning extending as far north as Donegal. The strongest gusts are expected in exposed coastal areas of the south and west of the country. A yellow weather warning means residents should be aware of a possible weather danger and allow them to take preventative action. Heavy showers and high winds are expected throughout today, better weather and lighter winds forecast for tomorrow.

Jailed former solicitor granted extra legal aid Former solicitor Thomas Byrne has appeared in court for a legal aid application over his trial for stealing €52m from banks and defrauding 13 clients out of their houses or money. Byrne, 47, received legal aid during his 27-day-long trial, and was later convicted. Yesterday his legal team applied for an extra day’s legal aid to cover a High Court hearing last october when the DPP applied to see a statement given to the Commerical Court prior to trial. During the hearing, Byrne’s legal team objected to the statement being handed over. Judge Patrick mcCartan joked to Byrne in court: ‘So you want to be paid for obstructing the course of justice?’ before granting the request.

When I asked to see the bill...

Gilmore: Taking issue seriously

A pink-backed pelican is examined by veterinarian Pia Krawinkel at Zoom Erlebniswelt in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The pelicans spent four months in the area’s winter camp to escape the worst of the winter weather, but were let out into the exterior compound two weeks earlier than usual because of the warm weather Picture: ePa

Gilmore rules out threat to Shatter’s job

Ní Bheoláin angry at photos in ‘rag’ papers by JOANNE AHERN rTÉ newsreader Sharon Ní Bheoláin is considering making a complaint to the Press Council over photos of her which appeared in a number of redtop newspapers yesterday. The 43-year-old Six one anchor (pictured) had been on annual leave from rTÉ since news emerged earlier this month that she was the victim of a celebrity stalker. Speaking to Joe Duffy on Liveline yesterday, ms Ní Bheoláin said she felt sore, embarrassed and humiliat-

ed by the publication. The intensely private journalist said she did not notice her photo was being taken on Saturday and Sunday as she was returning from a grocery shop and walking her friend’s greyhound, and first heard of the pictures when Ivan Yates mentioned them on Newstalk yesterday. She said: ‘I was probably more upset this morning seeing those photo-

To celebrate the highly anticipated film 300 Rise Of An Empire we’ve teamed up with Warner Bros. Pictures to offer you the opportunity to see it ahead of anyone else. The exclusive IMAX 3D screening will take place at Cineworld, Parnell Street, Dublin 1 on March 3rd at 6.30pm, followed by a drinks reception and we have tickets to give away!

IN MARCH77 INCINEMAS CINEMAS MARCH

graphs than I had been at any stage over the past six weeks.’ Agreeing that she looked like ‘a dog’s dinner’, she said: ‘This isn’t the Kardashians for goodness sake, I’m a very regular Joe Soap... my lifestyle is very, very ordinary.’ Describing the photographers who took the photos as ‘lowlifes’, she said the ‘rags’ that bought the images of her were ‘disgraceful’. She said: ‘I do think that this raises issues of privacy.’ The news presenter returned to television screens last night.

Based on Frank Miller’s latest graphic novel XERXES, and told in the breathtaking visual style of the blockbuster “300”, this new chapter of the epic saga takes the action to a fresh battlefield-on the sea-as Greek general Themistokles attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war. The action adventure directed by Noam Murro, stars Sullivan Stapleton ("Gangster Squad"), Eva Green ("Dark Shadows", "Casino Royale") and Hans Matheson (“Clash of the Titans”). Lena Headey reprises her starring role from “300” as does David Wenham and Rodrigo Santoro.

TÁNAISTE Eamon Gilmore has refused to be drawn on whether a wider inquiry will be launched in the continuing Garda controversies. The Labour leader denied there was any threat to Justice Minister Alan Shatter’s position as a result of the fall-out. But he said Government ministers are taking very seriously the latest dossier of alleged wrongdoing within the force, and will deal with the claims at a Cabinet meeting. Asked if Mr Shatter’s role was under question, Mr Gilmore said simply: ‘No.’ The Tánaiste said the Government was already working on legislative changes to make better arrangements for Garda whistleblowers to make complaints about alleged misconduct among colleagues. Questioned on whether a wider inquiry would be launched, Mr Gilmore said: ‘I think the important thing is that we deal with the substance of the material that was supplied last week, we are taking it very seriously, we are looking at it very seriously and we’ll deal with it at Cabinet.’

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Terms and Conditions: The competition closes at Midday Friday 28th February 2014. Entrants must be over 18 years old. The winners will be chosen at random from the entries received and notified by telephone or email. Usual Metro Herald rules apply. The Editor's decision is final. By entering this competition you agree to sign up to the Metro Herald promotions list - To optout text NOMETRO to 51155. SP. Oxygen8 Communications, 4th Floor, Malt House North, Grand Canal Quay, D2. Customer Service number 0818 286 606

Crimeans urge Russia to invade in Cold War fight

FEARS of Russian military intervention in Ukraine grew yesterday when Moscow accused the new government of being ‘dictatorial and terrorist’. Meanwhile, pro-Russian protesters gathered in front of Sevastopol’s city hall demanding intervention. Anataly Mareta, head of a Cossack militia in the southern city, said: ‘Extremists have seized power in Kiev

by AiDAn RADnEDgE

and we must defend Crimea. Russia must help us with that.’ Ukrainian politicians warned of possible Russian military movements around the Crimean border region, a peninsula at the bottom of Ukraine. Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev hit out at the EU for recog-

nising the new authorities that ousted Viktor Yanukovych. His angry intervention came as the world continued to wait for Russian president Vladimir Putin’s response, amid fears he could ‘send in tanks’. Mr Medvedev recalled its ambassador in Kiev for ‘consultations’ saying: ‘There is a threat for our interests and for the health of our people.’

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 METRO HERALD

He described Yanukovych’s overthrow as an ‘armed mutiny’ and insisted Russia would only resume relations with ‘a normal government’. Barack Obama’s national security advisor Susan Rice has urged Russia not to take military action and yesterday a Russian foreign ministry source suggested Ms Rice ‘give this kind of advice to the US leadership’.

Medvedev: ‘It is an armed mutiny’

A Mortgage Manager on your terms

Tribute: People lay flowers at the barricades in memory of the victims of the recent clashes in central Kiev Pictures: reuters/AP

Make an appointment at a time and place that suits you. Joanna is our Mobile Mortgage Manager and she would love to talk to you.

Yan on the run as he is accused over killing of Ukraine civilians The hunt for Viktor Yanukovych intensified yesterday when a warrant for his arrest was issued accusing the fugitive president of mass murder. The warrant was announced on Facebook by Ukraine’s new acting interior minister Arsen Avakhov, who accused him of ‘the mass killing of civilians’. At least 82 people, mostly demonstrators, were killed in clashes in Kiev last week after three months of protest. Some reports claimed the 63-yearold had been captured but officials

insisted he was still on the loose after criss-crossing the country at the weekend. he fled his Kiev mansion on Saturday after parliament voted to remove him as president. he arrived in Balaclava in Crimea, wearing a balaclava, about midnight on Sunday and told his security men they could leave. After that he got into the car of a close aide and drove off. ‘Yanukovych has disappeared,’ Mr Avakhov said, while holding a letter from Yanukovych explaining the release of his security men.

Aer Lingus strike 210 SuperValu jobs set for Paddy’s Day at three new stores AER Lingus has invited unions to a meeting on Thursday in a bid to avert strike action over St Patrick’s weekend. Siptu has warned the airline that a strike is now ‘highly probable’. The dispute is over a €780million deficit in the company’s pension scheme. Transport Minister Leo Varadkar told staff: ‘I think everyone will accept the strike action isn’t going to solve this problem – only negotiation will.’ Aer Lingus chief Christoph Mueller said the company has put forward a viable solution and can’t wait any longer to introduce a €30m cost saving plan. Strike action is expected to begin around March 13.

The country’s biggest supermarket chain is to create more than 200 jobs this year with the opening of three new stores. SuperValu, which took over Superquinn this year, recorded sales of €2.1billion in 2013, a one per cent increase on 2012. The company said it now has about a quarter of the market share and is set to open three stores this year as part of a €7million investment by its independent retail partners, which will see some 210 jobs created. SuperValu’s Martin Kelleher said the company’s success was down to ‘staying true to our roots’.

086 046 2709 joanna.ﬁtzpatrick@boi.com There are lending criteria and terms and conditions, and security and insurance are required.

Bank of Ireland Mortgage Bank trading as Bank of Ireland Mortgages is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

METRO HERALD Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Ó Briain warns panel rule ‘risks token women tag’

by AnTHOny BARnEs

FAIRTRADE AP-PEEL: A woman stands in front of a giant poster made from more than 5,000 bananas in Clapham, London, to launch Fairtrade Fortnight’s campaign to promote purchasing fairtrade bananas and stop supermarket price wars that drive down the price of the fruit, keeping its farmers in poverty

60 seconds

Actress ZOsiA MAMET, 26, daughter of playwright David Mamet, shares one thing with her character Shoshanna in comedy Girls – a favourite kitchen utensil

How do you pronounce your name? Like it rhymes with Sasha,

only slightly more ‘o’ sounding. It’s easy once you know.

Do people expect you to be like your character Shoshanna on Girls, who you’ve said speaks like a normal human on crack? I’m not a bit like

Shoshanna. [long pause]. So it can take people a few minutes to work that out. We’re not really alike at all.

Was it tough learning to speak so fast? Sometimes the words coming out of her mouth are almost a blur… It

was something we worked on from the beginning of episode one. She didn’t start out speaking that fast but it just seemed to get faster and faster. You kind of train yourself to do it.

Girls has got hardcore devoted fans but also some fierce critics. Why do you think it polarises opinion? It’s honest and

shows lives and characters in a really honest way. It’s really connected with people but that honesty can make people feel uncomfortable.

Is it an accurate depiction of

A NEW State-run cultural and heritage centre is to be established at the Bank of Ireland’s College Green premises in the city centre. Historical exhibitions and cultural events will be held at the former seat of the Irish parliament. The bank is making the space available to the Government for ten years and refurbishment work is expected to begin once planning permission is granted. Management of the centre will be the responsibility of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, in conjunction with the bank.

French solo tour to herald a new Dawn

picture: pA

TV PRESENTER Dara Ó Briain has hit out at a BBC ban on all-male line-ups for comedy panel shows, saying viewers will now see a female guest as a ‘token woman’. The Irish Mock The Week host said stand-up comedy has naturally tended to have a much larger share of male comics. And in an interview with Radio Times he said rather than dwelling on the representation of women in comedy, efforts would be better spent on tackling gender imbalances in other areas, such as the numbers involved in computer coding. His comments follow BBC director of television Danny Cohen’s pledge that ‘we’re not going to have any more panel shows with no women on them’. But Ó Briain suggested viewers will now view guests in a different light and said if changes were needed they should have ‘evolved’. ‘Katherine Ryan or Holly Walsh, who’ve been on millions of times, will suddenly look like the token woman,’ he said. ‘I wish a tenth of the energy put into the women-on-panel-shows debate was put into women in computer coding, in which there are hundreds of thousands of jobs in Europe – 11 per cent done by women.’

Heritage centre for iconic bank building

people you know? This generation was brought up to get whatever they wanted. We’ve been brought up without a sense of rebellion and with technology that means you can follow what your friends are doing all the time. It gives a false sense of individuality. I think Girls is the first show to explore how this generation is adjusting to that. There’s an irony in that you star in TV series and yet were brought up in a house without a TV. What was the thinking behind that? I don’t know,

you’d have to ask my mother about that. It never bothered me, we used to watch lots of old movies. I was brought up around a lot of artists, writers and creative people.

Is that why you became an actress? It was just something I

was naturally drawn to. I visited studios and sets when I was growing up and I just thought they were the most magical places on Earth.

Did criticism that Girls was cast as a result of nepotism – you’ve got a famous father, Girls creator Lena Dunham

has New York art connections – upset you? No, because it was

just a coincidence. We didn’t know each other before we were cast. It was just the way it worked out.

Shoshanna is quoted as being a typical example of a JAP. What does that mean? It stands

for Jewish American Princess. It’s a Jewish girl who is spoilt and loves nice things, it’s a well-known type in New York. It’s not me at all, if anything my upbringing was pretty bohemian.

You’re an actress who doesn’t like having her photo taken. How does that work? As actors

you’re endlessly being filmed and having your photo taken but a film character and a real person are two very different things.

You had a tough time at school. Why was that? I really

ACTRESS Dawn French is embarking on her first solo tour and said she is ‘sick with excitement’ at the prospect. The star, best known for her partnership with Jennifer Saunders and her title role of The Vicar Of Dibley, has teamed up with theatre director Michael Grandage to create the show 30 Million Minutes, which comes to the Olympia Theatre on July 9 and 10. She said: ‘I’m sick with excitement about this solo tour. It’s somewhere between a monologue, a play, and an autobiographical slide show with a few funnies thrown in.’

“

I never know what’s going to come out of my mouth as Shoshanna, it’s like an out-of-body thing posed series of Absolutely Fabulous. Was that fun? Yes, I played Saffy, it was a dream come true. I’d seen the British series on video and really loved it. It was a shame it never got made into a series.

You played Joyce in 1960s drama Mad Men. If you could choose another period to act in, which one would you choose? I’m reading Vanity Fair

SplASh

at the moment and I would love to be in a version of that. But I’m also really interested in the 1920s, that would be a super-cool period to inhabit.

In one episode Shoshanna obsesses over her favourite utensil. She opts for the spoon. What do you think when you get given lines like that? Oh, I love what’s going on

didn’t like school at all. I went to a school that was very progressive and I just didn’t connect with the way that they wanted to teach me. I felt trapped.

in Lena’s mind. I never know what’s going to come out of my mouth as Shoshanna, it’s like an out-of-body thing. She’s got so little filter on what she says, it all just comes tumbling out.

You made a US pilot for a pro-

What is your favourite utesil?

Oh, the spoon definitely. That’s one thing Shoshanna and I definitely have in common. The love of the spoon. Keith Watson

Girls is on Sky Atlantic, Mondays, at 10pm

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 METRO HERALD

WhatsApp could kill your phone bills Ramis: ‘Sorely missed’

Ghostbusters star Harold Ramis dies TRIBUTES have been paid to Ghostbusters star Harold Ramis, who has died aged 69. The actor and director died yesterday from complications of autoimmune inflammatory disease. Ramis is best known for playing the nerdy Dr Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters, but he also wrote the hit film with co-star Dan Aykroyd. He went on to move behind the camera for a string of successful films including Groundhog Day and Analyse This. He moved back to his native Chicago from LA in 1996, saying: ‘There’s a pride in what I do that other people share because I’m local, which in LA is meaningless. No one’s local.’ Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane tweeted: ‘Harold Ramis was a shining example for every comedy writer hoping to achieve excellence. He will be sorely missed.’

Woman to take to F1 race track BRITISH driver Susie Wolff will become the first woman in 22 years to compete in a Formula One event this year. The 31-year-old Scot will compete for Williams in two first practice sessions before the British and German Grand Prix races, in an expanded role as development driver for the team. Not since Giovanna Amati, who failed to qualify in 1992’s Brazilian Grand Prix for Brabham, has a woman taken part in an F1 event. Wolff joined the team in 2012 after seven years in the German Touring Car championship.

Dixons in talks with Carphone THE owner of PC World and Currys has revealed it is in talks with mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse over a potential merger. Dixons said discussions are at an early stage and that no decisions have been made about how a tie-up might be structured. Both companies are valued at some €2.18billion on the London stock market, after a rise of five per cent for shares in Dixons and three per cent for Carphone Warehouse. Carphone was founded in 1989 by Charles Dunstone, who owns 23 per cent of the company. It has more than 2,000 stores across Europe.

PHONe bills may become a thing of the past after Whatsapp announced it will be offering calls. The company could blow telecoms giants out of the water by introducing talk-time on the same basis as its free text messaging app. With 450million users worldwide already, it has scope to rake in hundreds of millions by charging only a nominal fee.

‘This has the potential to be phenomenal,’ said ernest doku, a telecoms analyst for consumer group uswitch. ‘We’ve already seen the impact on messaging – the growth is unparallelled. When you reach numbers like that, the subscription model is a very strong start.’ Whatsapp, bought by Facebook last week for €13.8billion, will

launch a calls app for android and iPhones in the spring, and for Blackberry, Microsoft and Nokia smartphones later this year. It did not reveal whether calls would be as cheap as texts, which are free to send for 12 months and 99 uS cents (73c) a year after that. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has predicted Whatsapp will hit one billion users.

New owner: Zuckerberg at the Mobile Phone Congress in Barcelona yesterday picture: ap

Mobile wars as Sony and Nokia reveal new devices by MEHREEN kHAN MOBIle technology giants Sony and Nokia renewed the battle over the smartphone market, announcing new devices at the Mobile World congress in Barcelona yesterday. Japanese handset maker Sony unveiled its Xperia Z2 smartphone and tablet range, which will introduce 4K high-resolution video technology to the mobile market for the first time. The Z2’s 20.7 megapixel camera will offer four times the detail of a Hd camera and will be the world’s first waterproof smartphone and tablet, according to the company. The new device will also feature digital noise cancelling technology and is the slimmest and lightest phone and tablet, say Sony. The Z2 will go on global sale from March this year. ‘With Xperia Z2 we have taken our premium Z series to the next level, delivering unique experiences only Sony can offer,’ said Kunimasa Suzuki (pictured), president and chief executive of Sony Mobile communications. Sony also announced details of its mid-range Xperia M2 smartphone, featuring waterproof technology and powered by android. The M2 will go on global release from april this year. Meanwhile, Finnish company Nokia also announced its first ever android smartphones – aimed at consumers in emerging markets. The Nokia X, X+ and Xl will use Google’s android operating system, but the low-cost Nokia X will not feature many Google services that come with android, instead emphasising Microsoft services Bing, Skype and Outlook. Microsoft is buying Nokia’s phone business and patent rights in a €5.4billion deal expected to be completed next month. The Nokia X – the cheapest in the new range – will retail at €89. Two new low-cost devices, the Nokia asha 230, €45, and Nokia 220, €29, were also announced.

Here’s booking at you, kids…

Author Cecelia Ahern, Laura Kearns, 7, and Tim Martin, 5, help launch the St Michael’s House Bring A Book, Buy A Book campaign, which asks the public to donate second-hand books to locations across the country where they can be bought for just €2 each from March 1 to 9 picture: johnny bambury

Cooked meat link to Alzheimer’s BarBecued, grilled or fried meat may contribute to accelerated ageing and alzheimer’s, a study suggests. Fatty and sugary foods could also be playing a part by boosting levels of harmful compounds called advanced glycation endproducts (ages). Scientists in the uS found evidence that dietrelated ages might aid development of dementia by suppressing a protective anti-ageing enzyme.

Previous research in animals and humans has linked abnormally low levels of the enzyme, Sirt1, to age-related brain and metabolic diseases. ages are formed by sugar reacting with amino acids and are abundant in ‘browned’ meat cooked at high temperatures. Barbecued and fried meat may contain especially high levels of ages. The compounds can also be derived from cheese, eggs, white bread, pasta, and cakes and biscuits.

Tweet rant at bridges ad A PROMOTIONAL banner attached to the Ha’penny Bridge will be removed at the end of the month, Dublin City Council has said. The advert for the Bridges of Dublin website was erected on February 3 to coincide with an exhibition at the Central Library, which closes on February 28 and moves on to Cabra library. Dublin City Council issued the response after a number of people took to Twitter to complain.

METRO HERALD Tuesday, February 25, 2014

★

★★ ★ ★

30 Rock star Alec Baldwin says he is finished with the entertainment business. The 55-year-old, who lost his MSNBC show last year in the wake of a homophobic tirade, wrote in his Huffington Post column the move was ‘necessary in order to bring safety and peace to my family’. His career spiralled after he was accused of using a slur against a photographer last year. Baldwin told New York magazine: ‘I’m not a homophobic person at all.’

Shia might be doing a Brando, says Franco James Franco has speculated that Shia LaBeouf’s apparent meltdown could be a sign that he’s succumbing to a nervous breakdown. He compared the star’s recent bizarre behaviour to that of Hollywood legend marlon Brando. But Franco said he hoped 27-year-old LaBeouf (pictured) is simply exploring an artistic outlet to vent his frustrations. ‘Actors have been lashing out against their profession and its grip on their public images since at least marlon Brando, who allowed his

weight to fluctuate, chose roles that were considered beneath him and turned down the oscar for best actor in 1973,’ hypothesised Franco, 35. He believed Shia’s behaviour ‘could be a sign of many things, from a nervous breakdown to mere youthful recklessness’, but he added: ‘For mr LaBeouf’s sake, I hope it is nothing serious.’ Writing in the New York Times, he said he felt a bit of a kindred spirit. ‘At times I have felt the need to dissociate myself from my work and public image,’ he revealed.

★

Damon Albarn insists he’s not going it alone for good despite releasing his first solo album. The 45-year-old Blur singer said playing in a band was ‘f****** brilliant’. He told Rolling Stone: ‘I’ve always made music. This one just has my name on it.’ He will promote the LP – called Everyday Robots – with gigs in April.

★

Matt Damon can give singing mermaid Ariel a run for her money after revealing he loves karaoke and The Little Mermaid. The 43year-old said he ‘relaxed’ by getting behind the mic with his wife Luciana. ‘I know all the songs to The Little Mermaid,’ he said. ‘Only because I have four daughters, you understand.’

Neeson opens up over the death of his ‘Ginger Rogers’ wife Natasha LIAM Neeson has compared his relationship with Natasha Richardson to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as he opened up about her death in a new interview. Actress Richardson died in 2009, aged 45, from head injuries following a skiing accident in Canada. Neeson, 61, spoke out about his loss in an interview with US show 60 Minutes conducted at his New York State farmhouse, where the couple were married in 1994. The Non-Stop star recalled working with Richardson when they starred together in Anna Christie on Broadway in 1993. ‘She was a radiant beauty,’ he said. ‘I’d never had that explosive chemistry situation with an actress. She and I were like (Fred) Astaire and (Ginger) Rogers. We had this wonderful kind of dance on stage every night.’ The actor admitted he still struggles to come to terms with her loss five years on. ‘It was never real. It still kind of isn’t,’ he confessed. ‘Grief hits you like a wave. It passes, becomes more infrequent, but I still get it sometimes.’

Girls Aloud’s Kim reveals her baby joy to the world

ormer Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh is keeping the band’s baby boom going by announcing she is pregnant with her first child. 32-year-old The broke the news on Twitter that she and boyfriend Justin Scott will welcome their own bundle of joy later this year. ‘Justin and I are so happy to let you all know we are having ving a baby!’ she wrote. ‘Couldn’t wait to share our lovely news with you all,’ she told her 580,000 followers. wers. Walsh and Scott, a former member of boyband Triple 8, have ve been dating for 11 years. While they’ve frequently requently said they are in no rush to get married, it’s clear they’re excited by the preg-

by sEAMus Duff nancy. Walsh signalled she was ready to start a family in September, by saying: ‘We’re both really broody. Friends laugh at us and say we’re the best babysitters. I really don’t think it’ll be now.’ too long no Naturally it wasn’t long beex-Girls Aloud bandfore Walsh’s ex Twitter to publicly mates took to Tw congratulate the couple. ‘Finally,’ gushed Cheryl Cole, 30. ‘I thought at one point I was burst,’ Nicola roberts, going to burst, ‘Secret’s out! I am 28, posted: ‘Secret’ bursting with love! Kimberley & Justin are having a baby! I am so happy and beside myself excitement.’ with excitement. 28, was the Nadine Coyle, Co first girl band member to become a mum. She gave birth to a girl on February 10, but has not yet been back on Twitter to announce the name of her daughter with ex-American footballer Jason Bell.

Making judges dance was insane, says Tom

Chemistry: Liam Neeson and the late Natasha Richardson pictured in 2008

picTure: pa

UK Voice contestant Tom Barnwell loves his day job as an ambulance controller – but says he won’t miss the more absurd call-outs. The 26-year-old hopeful, who wowed the coaches on the BBC1 show on Saturday, admits to being baffled by some of the requests people consider to be an emergency. ‘Once someone was giving out CPR instructions and then we realised the call was actually for a dog that had been hit by a car,’ the singer told Guilty Pleasures in an exclusive chat. ‘They came on the phone and said, “He’s not breathing”, so you automatically think, “Let’s

get the CPR going”,’ he said. ‘We suggested they administer mouth-to-mouth and they said, “I’m not doing that. It’s a dog!” ‘I don’t understand where that confusion comes from.’ Barnwell (pictured) was the only contestant to impress all four judges in the final round of blind auditions – and still finds it hard to believe his rendition of Estelle’s American Boy got them out of their chairs and dancing. ‘It’s insane. For them to get up on their feet and start dancing right in front of me? It was proper role reversal, as normally I’d be dancing to their stuff,’ he blushed.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 METRO HERALD

Low Fares

★

Avatar star Sam Worthington has been charged with assault for allegedly punching a paparazzo. The 37-year-old said he lashed out at Sheng Li after the lensman kicked his girlfriend, Lara Bingle, 26, in the shin as they left the Cubbyhole bar in New York. He is to appear in court tomorrow.

Dublin Airport 29

Basel

29 Lisbon 29 Biarritz 31 Bucharest 31 Nice 33 35 Zadar Bologna

★

Simon Cowell introduced his son auties in to a harem of beauties Miami. The X Factorr boss, 54, was chatted up by a gaggle of female admirers while his lover, adled Lauren Silverman, cradled their 11-day-old son Eric on Bal Harbour beach. The boy was then seen being licked by one of Cowell’s beloved Yorkie dogs (Squiddy and Diddly). Cowell has allegedly hired a pet expert to introduce the pooches to his boy. The family will divide their time between New York

(Otopeni)

and London Pictures: insight news/ FaMeFlynet

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SISTER ACT: Sisters Valerie Roe, Gillian Quinn and Bernie Caffolla get together to row in behind their sister Patricia (in red) in her bid to win Eurosong. The fabulous four have separately enjoyed high profile-careers in the spotlight, here and abroad, but are uniting in their support for songstress Patricia. The stunning brunette is currently topping the official poll on EurovisionIreland.net with mentor and sister Valerie by her side. Her Eurosong entry, Don’t Hold On goes on release today, having already achieved the No.1 spot on the Irish iTunes chart on its first day of presale. Now Patricia hopes to go all the way for Ireland Picture: Brian Mcevoy

Book until 27.02.14. Fares one way from. Travel Apr - May. See Ryanair.com for T&C’s.

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10 METRO HERALD Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Mailbox

Email: mail@metroherald.ie Text: Twitter: @metrohnews and Facebook: #metromailbox

‘Mail’ to 53131* Facebook.com/ metroherald

*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

Isn’t it time to launch a great tissue campaign on the trains?

fter yet another horrible journey into work in a crowded train carriage, listening to most of the carriage sniffing loudly and wetly in my ear; I am begging the Metro Herald to run a Great tissue Campaign. this Campaign would hopefully ‘educate’ people who seem to see no connection between having a runny nose and using a tissue. No, for these people it is entirely appropriate to pass an entire train journey in close proximity to lots of other people sniffing loudly and wetly in their ears. It is disgusting, not to mention highly irritating. If the Metro Herald ran an education campaign, then just maybe some of these lovely people might just get the hint... Demented, Greystones ■ Sean, why so concerned about the foxrock, Donnybrook and Blackrock accents? regarding myself, since the only bank closed in templeogue village a while back, I no longer state I have a templowgg accent. No, I now say I have a rather StillorJoseph Holland rgan one.

■ I am so angry after seeing the picture of a shark hanging from a boat in Perth, Australia (Metro Herald, Monday). they are being slaughtered so that people can enter their habitat and play in the water. the sharks don’t kill for fun, they kill through instinct. Anyone entering their habitat takes that risk. this is just another disgusting act of cruelty by the human race. We are the real threats to this world. Instead of killing the sharks, we should keep out of their home. Steven ■ I’m so sick of couples who force me to walk in the road because they can’t let go of each other’s hand to let me pass. Annoyed ■ In reference to the article entitled ‘Crowe pays tribute to top Model host’, in which it was written that Australia’s top Model host Charlotte Dawson appears to have taken her own life at her €1million home – why does it matter how much someone’s home cost? If they take their own life they were clearly suffering! Alexander Kinsella

Quick pic

NUTS TO SEE YOU: This furry little fellow was snapped by Garry Greene as it lurked in the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin 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

yEH bIg RIDE

● I’d like to say a huge thanks to the two lads in the white van who towed my broken-down car with my wife and sister in it last Thursday. You’re true Good Samaritans. We’d probably still be stuck without your assistance! We were all amazed by this truly altruistic act. Thanks again. Matt, Dublin

● I love you Laurent. Thanks for moving to Ireland. Laura loves Laurent from Lorient

RAnDOM AcTs Of kInDnEss

yOuR RusH-HOuR cRusH

TREnDIng

● To the gorgeous girl with love hearts on the right side of face beside her eye, you brightened up what was a dreary day. You boarded a 13 bus in Thomas St on Friday February 14, and had just broken up with your boyfriend. Deco

#truedetective

● Should probably catch up on True Detective, huh? Never seen so many people bug over a show like this before.

@johnrhealey

● Thinkin bout checkin out this “True Detective” show. Is it like The Naked Gun or Night Court? I’m lookin for light-heated laughs and gaffs.

@MarylandMudflap

@metrohnews #metromailbox

● I think that the issue for me with the women of True Detective isn’t that they are *mistreated*, it’s that they’re largely *untreated*.

@nprmonkeysee

● Haven’t seen True Detective but I *can’t wait* to read all your disappointed tweets about the final episode.

@gabrielroth

Cant tihnk of what two wright aboute?

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014 METRO HERALD

Defence minister to lead as entire cabinet resigns

THE entire Egyptian government resigned yesterday in a move that cleared the path for defence minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to run for president. Interim prime minister Hazem el-Beblawi made the shock announcement in a live TV broadcast, although he gave no reason for the wholesale resignations. ‘For the past six to seven months, the government assumed its responsibilities and duties... the government did not spare any

World

by DOMInIc YEATMAn

efforts to get Egypt out of a bad phase,’ the 77-year-old said. ‘It is time we all sacrificed for the good of the country. Rather than asking what has Egypt given us, we should be asking what we have done for Egypt.’ Although the cabinet had been criticised as industrial strikes and electricity blackouts engulfed the nation, Mr el-Beblawi had been tipped to simply con-

digest

collins becomes first Putin protesters get openly gay nBA star up to four years jail

AMERIcA: Jason Collins has become the first openly gay player in the National Basketball Association. The 35-year-old was greeted with an ovation from the crowd when he turned out for the Brooklyn Nets against the LA Lakers hours after signing a tenday contract on Sunday. ‘I don’t really have time to think about history now,’ he said before the game in Los Angeles. Collins came out last year when unsigned.

duct a reshuffle. However, government spokesman Hany Saleh said his colleagues had walked because of a ‘feeling that new blood is needed’. Field Marshal al-Sisi is thought to be a popular choice to succeed interim president Adly Mansour. He had a key role in the ousting of former president Mohamed Morsi. Elections are expected to be held in April. Sacrifice: el-Beblawi

Gays face life in jail as Uganda leader signs law UGANDA’S president yesterday signed a controversial anti-gay law that carries harsh punishments. Yoweri Museveni said the bill was necessary because ‘arrogant and careless Western groups’ tried to recruit children into same-sex relations. Under the law, punishments range from 14 years to life imprisonment. The death penalty was only excluded after an international outcry.

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RUSSIA: Seven campaigners were jailed for up to four years yesterday for attacking police and rioting at a rally against Vladimir Putin. They were among 28 people rounded up after a protest on the eve of the president’s 2012 inauguration. Outside the Moscow court, police detained about 200 of their supporters on public order offences. Among them were two members of protest group Pussy Riot who were recently released from jail.

You only pay for what you get. Not a cent more. Guaranteed. nORTH kOREA: Residents are really being kept in the dark as this International Space Station image shows the country almost without power, by contrast to China in the north and South Korea Nasa/Mercury

Girl, 8, dragged up ski lift by her scarf

AUSTRIA: A girl of eight was almost strangled when her scarf got trapped in a ski lift. The skier, from Holland, jumped off behind an instructor who was helping a child who had fallen off – but her clothes got caught and she was dragged by her neck up the mountain. The child is said to have been saved by a passing doctor who revived her. She was airlifted to hospital from Hintertux and expected to make a full recovery.

can’t talk now... I’m about to rob a bank

cHInA: A clumsy bank robber had staff in fits of laughter when he took a phone call during his raid. He also foolishly threatened clerks, sitting safely behind a pane of bullet-proof glass, with a machete. Bank worker Rung Ku was seen giggling on CCTV as the raider, 28, asked her ‘to hold’ as he leaned on the glass to tell a caller he was busy. His gaffe allowed security guards to overpower him. ‘It was bizarre,’ Ms Ku said after the raid in Shanghai.

and finally... GREEcE: Vagrants were given false hope in their search for a roof over their heads. They will only get a home if they provide proof of address, a housing scheme ruled. The shelter’s controversial stance sparked a riot in Athens.

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12 METRO HERALD Tuesday, February 25, 2014

puzzles

METROSCOPE

by Patrick Arundell

NEMI by Lise

Aries Mar 21 – Apr 20

Never mind about being in two minds, you might even be in three. Each representing a different corner of the triangle-shaped T-Square. Yet, the Jupiter Uranus link can give extra sizzle, and can coincide with a slice of luck that takes away the need for thinking. For your forecast, call 15609 114 70

Taurus Apr 21 – May 21

You may feel quite contrary and do the opposite of what’s expected, which some might find confusing. Yet, this could turn out to be liberating; opening exciting doors as you move out of your comfort zone Taurus.

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

For your forecast, call 15609 114 71

Gemini May 22 – Jun 21

Today’s Capricorn Moon catalyses the ongoing T-Square, giving it mini electric shocks, so an issue that’s been on your mind may snap to top priority. Keeping plans flexible could allow you to adapt to any spur-of-themoment happenings. For your forecast, call 15609 114 72

Cancer Jun 22 – Jul 23

Virgo Aug 24 – Sep 23

For your forecast, call 15609 114 75

For your forecast, call 15609 114 77

sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21

Interesting choices may open up, especially where romance and leisure are concerned. If you’re in a competitive mood, pitting yourself against someone in a spirit of fun could release tension.

Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 20

Your best laid plans could meet with opposition. Any disruption may require a new solution. Yet today’s TSquare may be on your side. Being put on the spot may call for a new perspective.

Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19

Could a surprise be waiting for you? Possibly, yet it could be masked by a situation that needs your attention. While trying to sort things out, you may come across information or an idea that is applicable to something else you’re involved in. For your forecast, call 15609 114 80

Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20

The desire for fun may be putting a bit of stress on your financial situation. Perhaps friends have something planned but the cost could spiral. If so, suggest an alternative that’s just as delightful yet less pricey.

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

QUICK CROsswORd

You might prefer a quiet day to too many chores. Yet, if there’s no way round them, then flexibility, adaptability and the option to delegate may make things easier. Concerning a decision – should you go ahead or wait? Consider baby steps.

ENiGMA In cars, this is that force which tends To make them turn on straights or bends. Around the necks of ancient kings, It’s twisted strands made into rings. WHO AM i? A cricketer, I was born in Johannesburg in 1977. I became captain of Middlesex in 2002. I made a century in my Test debut against New Zealand in 2004.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? WHO… in early English history was the wife of King Prasutagus? WHAT… is the capital of Burgundy, famous for its mustard? WHERE… is the Bridge of Brotherhood and Unity? WHEN… was Old Moore’s Almanac first published under the title Voice Of The Stars?

QUIZ ANSWERS: ENIGMA: Torque. WHO AM I? Andrew Strauss. WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? Boudicca; Dijon; Sarajevo; 1700.

Yesterday’s Solutions Across: 1 Thoughtless; 9 Dungeon; 10 Merge; 11 Lodge; 12 Settled; 13 Stress; 15 Reason; 18 Enclose; 20 Enter; 22 Crime; 23 Unusual; 24 Investments. Down: 2 Honed; 3 Useless; 4 Honest; 5 Limit; 6 Strolls; 7 Adolescence; 8 Leading role; 14 Ruction; 16 Execute; 17 Result; 19 Obese; 21 Trust.

scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22

For your forecast, call 15609 114 79

Today’s social scene may seem to show promise, perhaps because a romantic attraction comes into view. However, in this regard, things might not be as simple as you’d like. Be careful about rushing into anything. Background research may be helpful.

DOWN 1 Persuade (8) 2 Papal government (7) 4 Involve (6) 5 Make up (10) 6 Once more (5) 7 Orderly (4) 10 Examination (10) 12 Pickle (8) 15 Advance (7) 16 Elusive (6) 18 Ass (5) 19 Prevalent (4)

For your forecast, call 15609 114 76

Leo Jul 24 – Aug 23

For your forecast, call 15609 114 74

ACROSS 1 Small inlet of the sea (4) 3 Bias (8) 8 Eminence (4) 9 Flag (8) 11 Self-contradictory (12) 13 Awning (6) 14 Lethargy (6) 17 Impolite (12) 20 Begin (8) 21 Dam (4) 22 Lengthened (8) 23 Brink (4)

Romantic encounters could be a bit stressful and though cooperation and compromise might help, perhaps it won’t be enough. Today’s T-Square hints that your emotions may be as choppy as the sea. Until this settles, the appropriate solution might pass you by.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 78

Should things not meet your expectations today, thoughts could range far and wide to other people and places. As you seek to expand your horizons, plans for exciting, creative and unique projects could begin to shape up in your mind.

Crossword No. 921 See next edition for solutions

– Oct 23

The continuing Sun Neptune connection can act as a balm, enticing you to forget about urgent issues and lulling you into a false sense of security. Yet, if someone reminds you about what you need to accomplish, you could go to the other extreme.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 73

PEARLs BEFORE swINE

Libra Sep 24

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014 METRO HERALD

More Wilde than wild Wild Beasts show they are smarter than the average bear

14 METRO HERALD Tuesday, February 25, 2014

cover story

features@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010

Four-piece Wild Beasts tackle sex, literature and violence against women on new album present Tense, writes John Lewis

‘M

achismo is basically a drag act,’ says Wild Beasts frontman Tom Fleming. ‘There’s a gross swagger that usually accompanies masculinity and that’s something that’s learned and unnatural. it clouds our ability to discuss sexuality frankly, which is why many men are reluctant to talk about sex. Particularly men in pop groups. They’re afraid of looking ridiculous. and that’s not good enough.’ among a morass of identikit indie bands who have little to say and say it badly, Wild Beasts are something of an anomaly. They’re four

“On stage, you’re living in the skin of some superhero” schoolfriends from cumbria in northwest England who aren’t afraid to mix sonic weirdness with arcane literary references. They talk about sex and sexuality, about Rimbaud and Larkin, art and commerce, truth and beauty. it’s rare to meet a pop group who are as enthusiastic about playing assassin’s creed or Fifa soccer as they are about the feminist theorist hélène cixous. ‘There’s book-learning there,’ says hayden Thorpe, Wild Beasts’ other frontman and colyricist. ‘But our music is essentially quite visceral. i like henry miller’s idea that everything we ever learn just takes us away from our innate impulses. Every nuance and polite gesture you’re taught is just clouding a natural want. That question of the body versus the mind, the pushes and pulls between the two, springs up a lot in our songs.’ This yin-and-yang tension is replicated by the band’s two lead singers. Fleming is the gruff, beardy, baritone-voiced one, whose lyrics flirt with dark imagery. Thorpe is the camper figure, with an operatic falsetto that swoops into more rarefied territory. ‘most bands don’t have one

great singer,’ says drummer chris Talbot. ‘We’re lucky enough to have two. and, where their voices used to be very distinct on our earlier records, they’ve started to get closer and become complementary.’ after releasing three albums in three years – including the mercury-nominated Two Dancers – they took a year off. ‘We worked alone in our rooms for a while,’ says guitarist Ben Little, ‘and then reconvened to exchange ideas.’ Fleming adds: ‘our early work was the product of being in the middle of nowhere and having space to make a racket. Now we’re living in flats in London, so the music emerged from cramped spaces into headphones.’ The result, Present Tense, is possibly their finest album yet, one that augments their glacial art rock with burbling, brooding synths. They’re assisted by two producers – alex ‘Lexxx’ Dromgoole (who mixed their previous releases) and Brian Eno sidekick Leo abrahams. ‘Lexxx was the head, Leo was the heart,’ says Fleming. ‘Leo’s one of those infuriatingly good musicians who can listen to something you’ve just played and play it back to you, ten times better.’ The lyrics remain compelling, frank and slightly disturbing. sweet spot is a poetic

hymn to the orgasm (‘a godly state/where the real/and dream they consummate’); Nature Boy alludes to archetypes of male identity (‘the absurdities of machismo,’ says Thorpe) while Daughters is a dark meditation on violence directed at women (‘it’s about masculine weakness in the face of feminine strength,’ says Fleming). ‘in a way, by broadening the palette of the music, the pressure is off the lyricist,’ says Thorpe. ‘When we were using more conventional instruments – the meat-and-twoveg of guitars, bass and drums – the voices had to carry more of the impetus. Now, increasingly, all the weight and the drama is in the music.’

T hasn’t stopped some folks from reading rather a lot into the words. opening track Wanderlust mixes a Jarvis cocker-ish celebration of the underclass (‘we feel the things they’ll never feel/they’re solemn in their wealth, we’re high in our poverty’) with a sideswipe at shallow British acts who don’t sing in their ‘mother tongue’. some saw this as a feud with arctic monkeys. ‘it’s most certainly not about the arctic monkeys,’ sighs Thorpe. ‘it’s more about the

On My pLAyLisT Leaders Of Men piOnEER TO THE FALLs by Interpol

We picked this song because we’re all huge fans of Interpol and they have been a huge influence on us. I think this captures them at their best and moodiest, which is what we love them for.

BLuE As yOuR BLOOD by The Walkmen

Again, this song was picked because The Walkmen are one of the bands we all love and this track, with its underlying sinister atmosphere and amazing vocals, is a favourite.

TOMORROw nEvER KnOws by The Beatles

We picked this because The Beatles are the best band that has ever been and we had to put at least one song of theirs in this list. The reason I picked this one is that it’s so ahead of its time – I mean, The Chemical Brothers sampled it.

pAssing A MEssAgE by Villagers

There is so much good music coming out of this country

projection of sincerity in art. The X Factor is full of sob stories but it’s all just borrowed sincerity. if you’re trying to engage me emotionally, i’m not going to believe a word of it. When business is struggling, it asks art to do things that aren’t beneficial to art, which is to make big-business music, big-business gestures, big-business emotion. ‘at the same time, there is beauty in that big-business artifice. There are songs by Rihanna and Lana Del Rey that are fantastic. Tom and i did an acoustic version of miley cyrus’s Wrecking Ball for the irish radio station Today Fm. once you peel it back a bit, it’s a heartwrenching country song.’ There’s a comforting bathos in discovering that, for all their intensity, Wild Beasts’ relaxation activities are rather more pedestrian. They play computer games. ‘on stage, you’re living in the skin of some superhero, embodying a fantastical identity,’ says Thorpe. ‘The only natural path back down, after a gig, is to play Fifa and embody Ronaldo for a while…’ Present Tense (Domino) is out now. Wild Beasts play The Olympia Theatre on Mar 29. www.wild-beasts.co.uk

ABOuT TOwn

and Villagers’ last LP is one of the best recent releases. Conor O’Brien is an amazing lyricist and it was great to hear the band experiment musically.

wEiRD FisHEs by Radiohead

This is simply one of the best songs ever written. Every part of it is heartfelt, technically impressive and captivating.

six in A ROw by Sick Animation

This is a clever, deep and heartfelt song that has gotten me through some very difficult stages in my life. It’s a fantastic story doused in hooks and drama. If you haven’t heard this song you need to Google it immediately. Leaders Of Men’s new single For Want Of A Better Word is out now. The play Whelan’s on Mar 6

GIG Danny Brown The criticallyadored, dentallychallenged Detroit rapper – described as ‘a weirdo with a traditionalist ear’ – counts influences as diverse as Joy Division and A$AP. Little wonder he’s won over rap and non-rap fans alike. Tonight he drops tracks from latest album Old with support from Vic Mensa Tonight, The Academy, 57 Middle Abbey Street D1, 8pm, €24.50. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.theacademydublin.com

food&drink

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 METRO HERALD

features@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010

Tuck into some Mex eggs

cHLOE’s REcipE

Chloe Scott tests top recipes to cook the ultimate Mexican scrambled eggs

n my early twenties, I took a break from work to hitch across Mexico and Guatemala. Alongside the Mayan temples, buzzing markets and Mestizo music, one thing remains vividly memorable: breakfast. Huevos revueltos, eaten on a stool next to the woman frying it. The custard-yellow eggs, with ripe Mexican tomatoes, onions and chillies, enlivened the senses after any mezcal-induced fug or a night sleeping in a hammock. So here I am, 15 years on, trying to recreate some of those sunny flavours in a gloomy February kitchen. I turn to Diana Kennedy’s recipe from The Art Of Mexican Cooking and Cholita Diaz’s recipe in Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe cookbook. Both advocate lard for the scrambling. We used to eat lard guiltlessly. It has less saturated fat than butter, so it’s slightly better for you, and it allows you to cook at a higher temperature. But is it worth using with eggs? Initially, I think the eggs cooked in lard are a tad creamier than my others. Unfortunately, after a bit of scrutiny, I can’t taste much difference between the two. But lard is traditional – so I’ll keep it. Kennedy also stipulates breaking the eggs into a bowl and just mixing: ‘Do not beat.’ Whisking does seem to make them more airy and, as I want larger, voluptuous folds, I like this unconventional technique. nigella Lawson on nigella.com says of her Mexican eggs: ‘This is not only the best way to start the day but the best way to end it too.’ I’m excited by that. not only does she include spring onions (contentious, everyone else uses white onions), she also mixes in fried soft corn tortilla strips. My testers find the tortilla strips interesting but I don’t like them. I keep picking them out. The next issue is the onions. On forking Kennedy’s white onion huevos revueltos and nigella’s spring onion one together, the sautéed white onions seem to be a tad sweeter. As tomatoes are quite acidic, it’s a suitable

ingREDiEnTs serves 2 4 eggs ♦ 2 tomatoes, finely chopped ♦ Half white onion, finely chopped ♦ 3 serrano chillies ideally, or green chillies, finely chopped ♦ 1tbsp quality lard ♦ salt and pepper ♦ 1 avocado, skin removed, flesh diced ♦ large handful of coriander leaves

METHOD step 1 in a bowl,

balance. And the flavours are closer to those I’m trying to recreate. no one specifies a type of tomato but many of my chefs scoop out the seeds and dice the flesh. I can’t help feeling insulted on the tomato’s behalf. It’s all delicious so why waste it? Cheese is another divisive issue. It hadn’t occurred to me that it would feature but now I remember that soft mozzarella-like stringy Oaxacan cheese that appeared in my meals so frequently. Rick Bayless, an American chef who specialises in Mexican food, suggests one cup of cubed Monterey Jack or brick cheese on www.frontera fiesta.com. I substitute with Cheddar in my tests, although it’s more South East Ireland than authentically Mexican.

Thomasina Miers’s breakfast in Mexican Food Made Simple suggests 100g Pecorino or Lancashire cheese. Oaxican cheese is similarly young and mild, so I try Lancashire – but it’s no cousin of the Oaxican stringy stuff. Sadly, I don’t think any cheese on this side of the ocean is worth pursuing. And you can forget chorizo too – it rudely dominates the other flavours. To finish, there are a few vital notes to be made. Kennedy stipulates Serrano chillies – they’re a hot and tangy element. Bayless’s serving of avocado and fresh coriander with this breakfast is terrific. Whether it’s a hangover cure or a pick-me-up, for me it’s all about those lively Mexican flavours dancing around the mouth.

FOOD nEWs

sHOpping lisT BITE THE BULLEIT Bourbon is matured in oak casks that don’t need sulphur treatment and is thus becoming rather popular among the bibulous for its unique, spicy character. Thanks to this increase in popularity, Diageo’s Bulleit Bourbon (pictured) is now available at its US proof of 45 per cent and the Kentucky-based company’s Rye is adding to the fun too. The bottle has a whopping 95 per cent rye, as opposed to the industry standard of 51 per cent, making it an edgy drinking experience: it should make a mean Manhattan or Sazerac, but we’ve been enjoying it straight too, thanks.

Bulleit Bourbon (70cl, €34) and Bulleit Rye 70cl, €38) are available from selected premium retailers. COLOMBIAN SOLID Quality hot chocolate company Hasslacher’s, best known for its ‘Solid Bar’ Colombian hot chocolate, is proving a hit with supermarkets, with Tesco launching its new Solid Hot Chocolate Discs (pictured) made from criollo cacao liquor and easy to melt. They’re one of the few bars sold in Europe that are farmed and produced in the country of origin; most brands trade the beans, then have them imported here to process. Keep an eye on supermarket shelves. A 200g tube of discs costs €3.70.

DINE IN DUBLIN Hard as it might be to believe, Dine In Dublin, the capital’s much-loved foodie extravaganza, launched yesterday for the tenth time. As ever, the concept is simple but remarkably effective: specially-curated, competitively-priced Dine In Dublin menus are available throughout the week at more than 50 city-centre restaurants, with something to appeal to every budget and every culinary whim. New additions to this year’s line-up include the city’s first pop-up outdoor food pavilion at the top of Grafton Street and heavily-discounted cookbooks available from Eason’s on O’Connell Street. Until Sun. For full list of participating restaurants see www.dineindublin.ie

mix the eggs gently – don’t beat or season them. Heat the lard in a small to medium frying pan on a medium heat. Then lower the heat. Cook the onion, tomato and chillies for about 5min, stirring frequently until the onion has softened – but it must not brown. step 2 Now make sure the heat is low. Pour the eggs into the skillet and scramble them – don’t take your eye off them. if they cook too fast and are sticking to the bottom of the pan, remove them from the heat for a few seconds, then pop them back on. season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Don’t beat too hard – you want creamy cloud-like folds. step 3 After approximately 3min, take them off the hob. let them set. Garnish with the diced avocado and chopped fresh coriander. serve with tortilla or any bread you wish and you can drizzle with a hot chilli sauce.

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16 METRO HERALD Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Life television

Monday Monday

Tuesday Tuesday

Wednesday Wednesday

doll & em skY Living, 10pm Best mates turned star and assistant, Emily Mortimer and Dolly Wells, take their comedy alter egos off to a Hollywood party where Susan Sarandon and Chloë Sevigny are among the faces mingling, moving and shaking – and Dolly gets the chance to practise her babysitting skills with disastrous results. But it’s in the after-party hot tub that things crank up a gear as the duo compete for the favours of smooth-talking producer Buddy (Jonathan Cake).

Thursday Thursday

hair bbC3, 9pm

Friday Friday

Saturday Saturday

Sunday Sunday

film of the day 10 Things i haTe abouT You, e4, 8pm

When the moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with mars – oops, wrong kind of hair. here, eight amateur stylists gather for a coiff-off hosted by steve Jones (pictured), with judges Denise mcadam (Royal stylist) and alain pichon (celeb stylist) giving one hopeful the snip each week. The contenders include marvin, who uses dried china bumps to fashion a quiff, while Laura prepares to do her first-ever haircut. Well, you’ve got to start somewhere.

operation transforation RTé1, 8.30pm The six leaders take on the challenge of a 5km fun run – no mean feat for the average Joe – but a particularly commendable achievement after all the hard work that has been put in over the weeks. Kicking off Operation Transformation fun runs nationwide, they reap the rewards of their efforts.

fíorscéal Tg4, 10.25pm This documentary takes a look at the issue of food addiction and attempts to answer the question, why are we so compelled to eat vast amounts of processed food? Examining the world of agribusiness and how it influences our food tastes and nutritional choices and decisions, it also demonstrates ways in which people can battle those crisp aisle, rubbish food gremlins.

This high school romcom finds the late Heath Ledger in mid dream-teen era as moody outcast Patrick. When Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) arrives at Padua High School he is smitten by A-list babe Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) whose dad has forbidden her to date unless her boyhating big sister, Kat (Julia Stiles, pictured with Ledger), is also in a relationship. So Cameron pays Patrick to woo her. If it all sounds weirdly contrived, that’s because it’s based on The Taming Of The Shrew but it’s a zany, moving and feisty teen film in its own right.

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tech&gaming

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 METRO HERALD

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The squaring, sharing techie REUTERS

Kevin systrom may have sold instagram to Facebook but he’s still shaping its future, writes James Day

How do you convert the unconverted? Instagram is great

evin Systrom may just be the luckiest person in technology. The Bostonborn software engineer cofounded the photo sharing app instagram three years ago then sold it to Facebook for a cool $1billion (€720million) a year later. A drop in Facebook shares pushed the final value of the deal down to $715million (€520million) but the Stanford graduate is estimated to have netted more than half of that. Better still, he remains at the helm of the company he founded as chief executive officer. The buy-out surprised many. instagram has 150million users but it makes no revenue. At the moment, there is a discreet but intense operation at work to commercialise the service. We caught up with the 30year-old entrepreneur for an update.

What’s the secret to becoming a tech millionaire by 30?

I focused on what I loved – building products. I’ve always had a passion for technology, photography, start-ups, and connecting people. Bringing those aspects together made me successful. Do what you love and do it well – that’s much more meaningful than any metric.

is instagram under pressure to generate profit? There’s no

pressure to create revenue quickly, only to do it the right way. That’s why we’ve taken it slowly. We’ve been mindful of introducing adverts to the platform and thoughtful about everything from what the photos look like to the businesses we work with.

Did you know which of your

if you want to share photos but you’re not that technical. Or, if you’re not interested in sharing publicly, Instagram becomes a place where you can not only consume photos and videos from musicians or whoever, but send them directly to your friends.

isn’t it just about fancy filters making bad photos look better? We got popular for the

filters but the ambition has always been to create a giant network that allows people to share moments. Like photographer David Guttenfelder taking images behind the scenes in North Korea you wouldn’t normally get to see as a Westerner – that’s inspiring to me. Or CNN’s Jethro Mullen’s photos of the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan.

Stanford classmates would make it big? We all expected to

The awesome thing is that Mark is a fellow start-up co-founder, so I’m working with someone who understands what it takes to grow a company from the ground up.

be working for the people who had already founded the big things – the Googles and the Yahoos. What’s exciting is realising how many classmates have launched start-ups. It’s mind-boggling to think so much consumer value has been created out of one school but that’s people loving what they do and being entrepreneurial about it.

you did work for google...

Working there was fun and I met people who ended up mattering in my career. That network has

Donkey kong Country: tropiCal Freeze (3+) Wii U HHHH✩ If there’s one thing the Wii U doesn’t need, it’s another 2D platformer. When Tropical freeze was first announced, there were howls of protest, not just because it seemed an unhelpful indulgence but because it tied up Nintendo’s only Western developer, Retro Studios, on a game a Japanese studio could have made instead. It’s obvious Retro, which made the earlier

Do you get to hang out with Mark zuckerberg? Yes, a bunch.

High profile: Kevin Systrom is proud Instagram hosted images by Jethro Mullen (top) and David Guttenfelder

A platform for the past THE Big RELEAsE

you know who you are sharing them with, rather than anything around privacy and competition.

always been really strong; that goes for any company in the [Silicon] Valley. It’s a small, small place and you end up seeing people time and time again. So much of the value that’s been created out of the Valley rests upon those people interacting and coming up with cool ideas together.

is it like a college campus vibe?

I have more fun now than I did in college. Facebook’s campus has a lot of creative spaces: an analogue print shop, a candy store. It’s a dynamic place and one of the best environments I’ve been in, period.

What is instagram Direct about? Every time you post, you

post to everyone. But there are moments in your life – like if you see something that reminds you of your wife or friends – that you want to share directly with that individual or group. It’s like sitting down with friends, pulling out a shoebox full of old photos and passing them around – we wanted to create that experience digitally.

Was this to beef-up privacy or to rival apps like Snapchat? It’s

more about scope. About enabling you to take more photos because

It’s starting – you see things like SoundCloud and Spotify. It takes both education focused on technology and people who care about technology. We recently visited London and Berlin and there’s a lot of stuff going on.

What are your must-have apps? Spotify is how I get most of

my work done during the day. The other is the taxi app Uber. I know you guys use Hailo but Uber saves my life in San Francisco because it’s kind of hard to get around.

ALsO OuT mORE nEW RElEASES

Level best: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is bags of fun but you’ve essentially played it before

Donkey Kong Country Returns, is highly skilled at 2D platformers. Donkey Kong’s size and weight mean he handles very differently from Mario and co. As a result, the levels are designed for slower, more precise movement, and with a difficulty level that will test even the most experienced gamers. There are some great set pieces too, from

Hardly any european tech start-ups go truly global...

the iconic mine cart sequences to underwater levels that see you pursued by a giant octopus. Well crafted as the game is, though, there’s nothing surprising or new to it. If not for the higher resolution and more mobile

camera, it could easily be mistaken for a title from ten years ago. Overall, however, Tropical freeze is slick and fun. It might not quite advance the case for buying a Wii U but aficionados of the genre will love it. David Jenkins

Earth Defense Force 2025 (360/ PS3,) is the long-awaited next entry in the cult Japanese shooter series. The games have never impressed with their looks but are enormous fun, with a bizarre range of 1950s sci-fi monsters. This sequel adds some fun new online modes. Entertaining Japanese RPG Ys: Memories Of Celceta (PSV) is surprisingly accessible for non-fans of the genre. Sorcery Saga: Curse Of The Great Curry God (PSV) is less so but still enjoyably rogue-like. Also out are the Xbox One and PS4 versions of top-notch platformer Rayman Legends, while the biggest download is a surprisingly good reboot of coin-op classic Strider (360/PS3/XO/PS4/PC).

18 METRO HERALD Tuesday, February 25, 2014

travel

Land of Oz a

DOWN UNDER: All that glitters may just be gold in Australia’s sunny third city along its sparkling Gold Coast, writes Isabel Conway

n parts of Oz, having stopped in some remote desert to nervously check the rented car’s rapidly dwindling radiator water, you could, amazing as it sounds, stumble across a gold nugget the size of a brick. Though such a discovery might not do you much good in those circumstances. Australia has been the land of golden opportunity for generations and has been generous to us Irish in the past and in more recent recession-ridden times. Brisbane, capital of the Golden State of Queensland and Australia’s third largest city, has its fair share of success stories. I have come to this friendly, prosperous city to hear about a few of them. The ‘Brissys’ (Brisbane citizens), you immediately notice, smile a lot. Is it something in the water? Or the fact that the climate is so good for most of the year, that there are paradise beaches and islands on the doorstep and that they enjoy an enviable standard of living? We pass glitzy examples of Oz success stories, notably a billionaires’ playground called Gold Coast Waterways that connects Brisbane’s canal system with the ocean. Homes here have miniature liners berthed out front, others, helicopter pads as well. The skipper of our elegant electric boat – the kind that stores vintage champagne in the fridge – is pointing out pads that could only be acquired with a EuroMillions win. We glide through waters resembling liquid mercury, up the nerang River from Marina’s cove, inland from Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, the best known of the Gold Coast beach resorts, about an hour by road from Brisbane. ‘There’s Charlie Chan’s house – one of them,’ says Graham Kerr of boat hire company Duffy Down Under, pointing towards an oriental-inspired, dome shape in glass and steel. A vast neo-classical white mansion looms up to the right, towering above its near neighbours. ‘That place belongs to a plumber, lots of money in that line of business,’ I’m told. Welcome to a selection of Queensland’s mega-success stories. We pass palatial piles in which you could spend a morning just

Bird’s eye view: Sparkling with success, Brisbane has dropped its ‘cultural cringe’ reputation locating the back door. ‘Think they’re big? You want to see the ones up Runaway Bay owned by the ex-KGB mafia,’ confides Kerr. I longed for a negative shark report. Surely the super rich and famous residents, especially Russian criminal classes, here run the risk of a nasty shark nip so close to the coast? Kerr replies: ‘Bull sharks come in sometimes and a couple of years back a crocodile got into the canals’. Dame Edna Everage (Melbourne-born Barry Humphries) once quipped that ‘Australia is the Brisbane of the world’ – unkindly insinuating that if the reputation of Oz abroad lacks a certain sophistication, so too does Brisbane. That view today is as outdated as Dame Edna’s blue rinse. Brisbane morphed into what it is now – a cosmopolitan city with lively neighbourhoods, a multi-cultural vibe, great restaurants, cool cafés, hot clubs and renowned museums – years back. Over a couple of days in Brisbane, where you hear plenty of Irish accents, we take in the lively and diverse annual arts festival, enjoying an amazing circus troupe called Casus, whose acrobatics and dexterity are breathtaking. A late night adult burlesque show follows featuring provocative shenanigans in an on-stage bath in a small circus tent. The strippers were

predominantly male, boisterously cheered on by an audience made up of glamorous ‘ladies who lunch’ types. In between, we explored the culture district on South Bank, including a stunningly vibrant exhibition of Aboriginal art at the splendid GOMA Queensland gallery of modern art.

HE Irish have been in Brisbane since penal colony days when life was rough and tough, profiting also from Queensland’s huge agricultural potential. On a walking tour with knowledgeable ‘Brisbane Greeter’ Ann Marie White, the creepy story of one of Brisbane’s most successful and notorious Irishmen, Patrick Mayne unfolds. On his deathbed the by then fabulously wealthy Mayne, a former slaughter man who made a fortune and was one of the city’s richest citizens in the late 1800s, confessed to a grisly murder. He had robbed a young drinking companion and dismembered the corpse, so starting his business empire. To this day the city remembers, because Mayne’s widow and her family helped build the University of Brisbane and other public buildings and were among Queensland’s biggest benefactors, hoping to make amends for the Irishman’s terrible crime.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 METRO HERALD

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sunny haven

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Allow plenty of time to visit Brisbane and discover Queensland’s immense territory and diversity. The weather gets cooler after February. The Green Cauldron, off the beaten tourist track destination inland from the Gold Coast, is the site of the jungle set of the reality TV show, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. See www.greencauldrontours.com. Don’t leave Oz without cuddling a Koala at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, home to a huge array of marsupials and other native creatures. Plan your itinerary with www.experiencequeensland.com and www.visitgoldcoast.com. www.koala.net

GettinG there Emirates has daily flights from Dublin to Brisbane, via Dubai. Expect generous leg room and comfort, compared to other carriers, aboard A380 aircraft on the marathon journey to Australia, together with partners Qantas (www.qantas.com). Fares from €941 return in economy. See your travel agent for more options. Isobel was lucky enough on the homeward stretch from Dubai to Ireland to sample business class with Emirates. She says: ‘Even on a mega journey from Oz, you almost wished it would not end, such was the comfort and pampering. You can stretch your legs with a trip to the horseshoe shaped cocktail bar or have a proper sleep thanks to superb seat technology’ www.emirates.ie. Tel: (01) 779 4777

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20 METRO HERALD Tuesday, February 25, 2014

rugby six nations

leinster rugby

LEInsTER bEnEfITIng fROM IRELAnD’s fRIngE pLAyERs LOOkIng TO MAkE THE cuT INTERNATIONAL windows have a massive effect on who is available for Leinster, but the in-and-out presence of Ireland fringe players may well work in their favour this week. With Leinster and Munster now stretching ahead at the top of the RaboDirect PRO12 table (third-place Ulster trail Leinster by ten points) the focus must now switch to securing top spot and home advantage for the play-offs and final. Leinster also have the luxury (if you could call it that) of a home game with Munster at Aviva Stadium at the end of next month, and with just two points separating the sides in the table, picking up bonus points will be as crucial as the derby itself. To that end, Leinster can continue their excellent tryscoring form – highlighted in The 22 last week – against Glasgow on Saturday night. After a disjointed but profitable performance in Cardiff, many of the province’s shadow players will take a step back as the likes of Fergus McFadden, Ian Madigan, Luke Fitzgerald and Eoin Reddan look at this game as an audition for Ireland’s game with Italy in less than two weeks. Plugging in players of that

calibre is always going to make the team stronger, but when guys are motivated to prove themselves it can add a real edge to their play. Glasgow will also get one or two Scotland internationals back, but everywhere you look the hosts have quality and determination looking to come back into the squad. Mike McCarthy has been unable to get a look in for Ireland because of his head injury, while Jack McGrath and Martin Moore will want to make an impression if Ireland coach Joe Schmidt is considering shuffling his deck for the Italian visit. We also cannot leave out the durable performances of Tadhg Furlong and Jack Conan in the Welsh capital. Furlong looked more than dependable in the tighthead slot while No 8 Conan showed great awareness to pounce on a loose ball and claim a debut try. Everywhere you look at this Leinster squad at this time of the season there are players who have something to prove, whether it is young academy players trying to make an impression or an international trying to get his green shirt back. It must bring some energy to the dressing room and that is clearly showing on the pitch.

Alright Jack: Conan showed a lot of promise against Cardiff

Putting his body on the line: O’Mahony twists in an attempt to stop England’s Jonny May

picture: inpho

O’Mahony faces fitness battle for clash with Italy

Ireland flanker Peter O’Mahony faces a battle to be fit in time to take on Italy in dublin after suffering a hamstring strain in Saturday’s 13-10 england defeat. The IrFU has confirmed the 24year-old damaged a hamstring in the Six nations clash at Twickenham. Ireland host Italy in round four on Saturday, March 8, and the Munster back-rower will already be working flat out to be fit to take part. Stalwart centre Brian O’driscoll suffered cramp in his calf in the latter stages of the england defeat but is described as ‘very focused on his recovery’ and will be monitored by the medics throughout the week. O’driscoll should have no problems finding fitness for the Italy clash, provided he has sustained no damage to his calf other than the cramp that forced him off the field in the closing stages at Twickenham. Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt paid tribute to O’Mahony for being ‘pretty generous with his body’ in the wake of Saturday’s defeat. The former leinster coach will want the abrasive operator fit for Ireland’s Six nations run-in, especially with the title still on the line. ‘There are only so many seconds you can stay on the ball and be hammered away at without it taking its toll, and I thought he held on for two

by DAnny HOgAn

or three seconds at a time,’ said Schmidt of O’Mahony’s bravery at the breakdown. ‘If you don’t get the reward there are certainly a few bruises to show for it.’ Ireland’s squad will meet tomorrow for a two-day training camp in Belfast. Ireland’s loss to england means no team can claim a Grand Slam this season, but Schmidt’s side can still steal the title. england, Wales and France could all yet grab championship glory, though, leaving Schmidt circumspect about Ireland’s silverware chances. after victories over Scotland and Wales, Schmidt said the england defeat means Ire-

Positives: Schmidt was pleased with the effort put in at Twickenham picture: inpho

land can ill afford to look any further than facing the Italians. ‘The title might become a carrot if we can take care of Italy,’ said Schmidt. ‘We have to try to build piece by piece, especially when you trip up. We’d taken two good steps, but to trip up on this one, we don’t want to then try to take a giant leap, because you’re not in as strong a position. ‘You just want to make sure the next step is firmly planted, secure, and we’ll work towards that over the next two weeks. ‘You cannot come to Twickenham, roll your sleeves up like that and not feel proud of the people that put 100 per cent into it. ‘afterwards they felt frustrated and disappointed, and the least I can do is feel proud of the effort and endeavour. ‘We’re trying to help ourselves along though, so we’ll have a pretty forensic look at it, and be fairly brutal with each other about what we need to get right. ‘at the same time we’ll be pretty positive about that effort and endeavour, and a number of the things we did pretty well.’

football international

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 METRO HERALD

Tight group leaving On THE spOT stokes all to play for David Coulthard

by jOsEpH byRnE

Anthony StokeS insists the Republic of Ireland’s euro 2020 qualifying section is too close to call. Martin o’neill’s squad were drawn in Group D alongside Germany, Scotland, Poland, Georgia and Gibraltar. Celtic striker Stokes expects Germany to top the six-team pool but says the race for the second automatic qualifying slot could go right to the wire. he said: ‘It’s a difficult group, as most of them are. But I’m sure we will be able to compete and I’m looking forward to it. ‘Germany will be the firm favourites, while Poland have a very strong squad, so it should be interesting. It’s too hard to say which way it will go. every game will be important. It will be one of those groups that goes right to the wire.’ Stokes could find himself facing off against Parkhead team-

mates Scott Brown, Charlie Mulgrew, James Forrest and Leigh Griffiths when Ireland travel to hampden to face the Scots on Friday, november 14. ‘there’s already been a bit of banter with the boys,’ said Stokes. ‘I never used to get on too well with Broony (Brown) when I was playing against him so who knows what will happen this time. ‘But he’s a great lad and I

know his qualities. he will give us stiff opposition. ‘I think it will be two great games. It’s two closely-matched teams. you never know how it will go on the night.’ Stokes found himself

Hoop dreams: Celtic star Stokes will face several clubmates when Ireland face Scotland

ostracised by former Ireland boss Giovanni trapattoni when he pulled out of a Carling nations Cup game in May 2011 citing fatigue. he only made his return against Germany last october after two and a half years in the wilderness when the Italian was sacked a month previously. Former Celtic boss Martin o’neill is now in charge but Stokes admits he still has work to do to make himself a regular for his country. ‘I want to make an impact and I want to do as well as I can in training to give myself the best chance,’ he said. ‘I’ve played a few competitive games but I’ve never really had a spot in the team or had a chance to go to a tournament, so for me, to get through this group and reach the finals would mean everything to me. It’s something I have always wanted.’

Lennon: Celtic Park is ideal for Celtic clash

Lennon: Familiar ground

Neil leNNoN believes Celtic Park would be the ideal venue for Scotland’s home european Championship qualifier against the Republic of ireland – despite many of the visiting squad’s familiarity with the venue. Hampden could be unavailable for Scotland’s game against the irish on November 14 as work to reopen the stadium following its temporary redevelopment for the Commonwealth Games

will not be finished until late in the year. Celtic Park and ibrox are the only serious contenders to host the game, with the 60,000 capacity at Parkhead – 10,000 more than Rangers’ stadium – giving it the edge. The stadium is the former workplace of irish management team Martin o’Neill and Roy Keane and players such as Robbie Keane, Aiden McGeady and Daryl Murphy, while the squad

contains current Hoops striker Anthony Stokes. However, lennon feels that familiarity will be cancelled out by the fact that o’Neill’s replacement at Celtic, Gordon Strachan, has a number of Hoops players in his squad. When asked if staging the game at Parkhead might help the Republic of ireland, the Celtic manager said: ‘it may do but it will be the same for Gordon and the Celtic boys he has.’ PiCture: SPortSfiLe

gALvin gOEs bEspOkE fOR An pOsT’s suMMER cycLE sERiEs THe An Post Cycle Series will take place this summer with five events taking in Sligo, Clare, Meath, Waterford and Cork. Paul Galvin, who recently retired from Kerry’s intercounty set-up, is now an ambassador for the An Post Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford and he is hoping that putting in some hours in the saddle will help him to keep fit. ‘The An Post Cycle Series is a great initiative which allows every type of cyclist the opportunity to get involved, so i’d urge people to sign up and become a Series Cyclist.’

The Series gets underway on May 3 in Sligo, followed by the Tour De Burren in Clare on June 21/22, the Meath Heritage Cycle Tour on July 26/27, the Waterford Tour on August 23/24 and the Rebel Tour of Cork on September 13. An Post will launch a competition in March to find five Cycle Series ‘Spokestars’ who will win prizes, set their cycling goals and keep track of their progress along the way – watch out on Facebook/ anpostcycling for more details.

Fighting fit: Paul Galvin is an ambassador for the Waterford leg of the series

Former Formula One star David Coulthard, now a BBC analyst, reckons the new F1 season, which begins in Melbourne on Sunday, March 16, could be one of the most open for years. Coulthard is sporting his new TW Steel CEO Tech Special Edition watch

Age: 42. Born: Twynholm, Scotland. Grands prix: 247. Pole positions: 12. Wins: 13 Podiums: 62. Teams: Williams, McLaren, Red Bull n Sebastian Vettel has dominated F1 in recent years – is that good or bad for the sport? I can see both sides of the argument. If you listen to the fan base then the majority of them always want a wide open championship. But if you are a fan of Ferrari you wouldn’t have been upset at Michael Schumacher winning year after year and it is the same with Red Bull and Sebastian. n What was it like driving in the Schumacher era? He was a true sporting great, a fantastic driver and I only hope and pray that he pulls through his current problems. It is so tragic that he is still in a coma all this time [after his skiing accident]. n What is more important, the car or the driver? It goes hand in glove because the best driver will not win in a sh*t car and vice versa. If you have the best car but the driver isn’t up to it, that won’t get you anywhere either. n Red Bull are having difficulties in testing. They have a strong team with the engineers and technical staff all willing to put in long, long hours to get it right. It is ten years since they started and not many people gave them a hope of winning a GP let alone a championship, let alone four.

‘The best driver will not win a grand prix in a s**t car and vice versa’ n But F1 is all about the drivers, right? Of course, the drivers are the personalities of the sport. Ferrari is an amazing brand but it is the drivers people talk about – people like [Alain] Prost, [Ayrton] Senna, and [Jacques] Villeneuve. n How do you think Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button will fare this season? They are two different personalities and Lewis looks to have the brightest future at the moment. Jenson is more experienced but may need a big year just to stay ahead of the challenge from exciting young Danish driver Kevin Magnussen at McLaren. n Who would you favour to win this year’s title? I would think that one of the Mercedes-powered cars would be right up there. Ferrari have also been going about their business quietly but, the way things can change so swiftly in F1, that may not be the same a month or two down the line. n Vettel has won four titles in succession now. A change in regulations may herald a bit of a shakeup this year. It has gone to the wire, or close to it, a lot more in recent years than it did when Michael used to have it all wrapped up by the time we rolled round to Budapest. inTERviEw: DAnny gRiffiTHs

22 METRO HERALD Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Rodgers hails Swans ‘good man’ Monk LiverpooL boss Brendan rodgers believes his former club Swansea are in good hands with Garry Monk at the helm. The two sides contested one of the games of the season at Anfield on Sunday, with the reds emerging victorious when Jordan Henderson sealed a 4-3 success with his second of the afternoon. rodgers’ previous employers can feel aggrieved not to have taken anything other than pride from the game, having fought back from two early goals to level at 2-2 and 3-3. The away performance spoke well of Monk’s impact since being appointed caretaker manager earlier this month, when the club sacked rodgers’ successor Michael Laudrup. Having been on the Swans playing staff for ten years before moving to the dugout, nobody knows the club better than Monk, and rodgers sees him as the ideal man to take the reins permanently. ‘He’s absolutely first-class,’ said the Liverpool boss. ‘He’s a good man and he’ll be up early in the morning until late at night trying to make Swansea successful. ‘They had a wonderful spell with Michael in charge, but decided to make the change and Garry is a guy who can really carry the club forward,’ he added.

Wayne looks to e Olympiakos v Manchester United

7.45pm, tv3

Moyes eyes Acropolis wow on testing night in Athens

Pass masters: carrick, left, and Perez will clash

Manchester United have endured a rough time on the domestic front this season but with star names returning from injury they are the redhot favourites to see off the challenge of Greek side Olympiakos and reach the champions League quarter-finals. David Moyes takes his team to athens – fresh from a 2-0 win at crystal Palace and seeking to extend their unbeaten run against Greece’s best team. United have won all four previous meetings with Olympiakos, scoring 12 goals and conceding only two while keeping three clean sheets. It would be a major shock if those stats were not enhanced over the two legs in the round of 16.

KEY BATTLE

Michael Carrick v Hernan Perez

words by Danny Griffiths

class: swans boss Garry Monk tastes success

games since in-form Olympiakos suffered defeat in the greek Super League – they have a 20-point lead over nearest rivals PAOK Salonika

Big names Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Juan Mata usually hog the Old Trafford headlines, while Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand often muscle their way into the spotlight. But one of the key figures in the United side is Michael Carrick, the quiet man in the ranks whose actions often speak louder than words. When the England international is available, United are far tougher to beat as he disrupts opposition attacks while providing a link between defence and their highoctane strike force. Carrick will be required to do a job on new Olympiakos acquisition Perez, who was signed from Villarreal, and has responded with goals from midfield in each of his last two outings.

setanta sports cup kick in off the underside of the crossbar. Despite the driving wind and rain in their faces, the home side found themselves a goal up within seven minutes. Madden arced over a deep cross from the right for Waters to cushion the ball down perfectly with his head for midfielder robert Bayly to volley to the net from 12 yards. Glentoran levelled against the run of play on 23 minutes. David Scullion clipped a ball into the rovers area for John McGuigan who spun adroitly to get in a shot that deflected to the net.

DavID MOyes’ men will be without record signing Juan Mata (pictured), who is ineligible after playing in the tournament for chelsea. rafael and Danny Welbeck have recovered from injury and make the squad but Jonny evans, Phil Jones and nani are out. the Greeks will be without injured forward Javier saviola.

POssiBLETEAMs Olympiakos: Roberto, Holebas, Papadopoulos, Leandro, Salino, Manolas, Machado, ibagaza, Samaris, Campbell, Perez. Man United: De gea, Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, Smalling, Januzaj, Carrick, Fletcher, Valencia, Van Persie, Rooney.

ROVERs CLOsE iN ON CUP WiTH BiG WiN OVER GLENTORAN STepHen McpHAiL duly announced his arrival at Tallaght Stadium with a wonderful goal on his debut to delight the Shamrock rovers faithful and all but book the holders’ passage to the semi-finals of the Setanta Sports cup with a 5-2 win over Glentoran. rovers’ manager Trevor croly opted to leave marquee signing Mcphail on the bench from the start as he kept faith with the starting 11 which beat Drogheda United by the same score in last Wednesday’s Leinster Senior cup. Mcphail was sprung from the bench on 65 minutes and nine minutes after that a foul by Jason Hill on Waters presented him with his moment and he duly clipped an audacious free

Mata has to sit it out

rovers finally availed of the breeze in the second half to restore their lead with a fortuitous goal from Waters on 61 minutes. After Mcphail’s strike, Gary Mccabe blasted to the roof of the net from ciaran Kilduff’s deep cross on 79 minutes for their fourth goal. right-back Simon Madden added the gloss three minutes into stoppage time when shooting low to the net after good work by Mccabe. A solitary goal from chris Forrester gave St patrick’s Athletic victory at Ballinamallard United. eric odhiambo scored a hat-trick as Sligo rovers won 4-1 at crusaders while Dundalk lost 3-2 to coleraine at oriel park.

SHAMROCK RVS...5 gLENTORAN...2

Dream debut: stephen McPhail

football champions league

ease United pain Rooney eyes Euro glory to rescue season

Palace fan arrested after coin incident A CRYSTAL Palace fan has been arrested after Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney had missiles thrown at him during Saturday’s 2-0 win at Selhurst Park. Coins and bottles were thrown towards Rooney in the first half , something he drew referee Michael Oliver’s attention to. A Met Police spokesman confirmed one man was arrested on suspicion of throwing an object on to the field of play and had been taken to a south London police station. He added: ‘We will continue to make further enquiries over the coming days.’ The Football Association is also investigating the matter.

Wayne Rooney is desperate to ease the pain of a dismal domestic season for Manchester United by firing them to Champions League glory. With a £300,000-a-week new deal freshly penned, england striker Rooney goes into tonight’s clash with olympiakos keen to secure european progress. a european Cup winner in 2009, he said: ‘one is never enough, especially at this club. The feeling you get when you win a trophy is incredible so you don’t want to stop at one. ‘If we can go to the final it’d be great. It would be an opportunity to win another trophy, so hopefully we can. ‘We’ve got the quality in the team. We’ve been excellent in the Champions League this year and hopefully we can take that into the [olympiakos] game.’

5 Minimum number of days

on the sidelines for Thomas Muller, who pulled a hamstring after scoring twice in Bayern Munich’s 4-0 win at Hannover. He hopes to be fit to face Arsenal on March 11.

‘You don’t want to stop at winning one trophy’

Turning up the heat: Michel

fOOTbALL DigEsT

Targeted: Rooney hands a coin over

by DAvE fiLMER

of a title defence which has fizzled out spectacularly – United are sixth and 11 points off the top four – Rooney said: ‘as a group of players we have to take responsibility for our league position. ‘We know we’re better than that and we haven’t performed as well as we can do. ‘We know that and it hurts. now it’s important we finish the season strongly, but more importantly get into fourth spot and do well in the Champions League.’ Rooney’s strike partner Robin van Persie said yesterday the Champions League is wide open, although United are rated as 25-1 outsiders. and Rooney believes the sky’s the limit when they are both fit and playing – as they should tonight. ‘When we’re fit, we’ll score goals, but we’ve also got other players who can come in and score goals too,’ he said.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 METRO HERALD 23

Anelka ‘quenelle’ hearing underway

Wayne’s wise words: Rooney believes United can finish the season with a flourish

oLyMPIakos manager Michel believes Manchester United could buckle under pressure when the two sides meet tonight. With David Moyes’ men 11 points off the Premier League’s top four, United’s best potential route back into the Champions League could be through winning the competition. With the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid around, that could prove to be a tall order, and olympiakos hope the pressure of having to succeed could hamper United. Former Real Madrid star Michel said: ‘We know Manchester United are not allowed to make

pictuRE: ap

Pressure’s cranked up a notch by Michel any mistakes due to their position in the Premier League and probably this situation may weigh too much on their players’

‘The situation could be a burden to them’ shoulders. It could be an incentive to them or it could be a burden.’

Uefa ordered olympiakos to shut a small section of the karaiskakis stadium as a punishment for displaying a nazi banner during their group stage match against anderlecht in December. an olympiakos official caused outrage when he branded the punishment as ‘harsh’, but Michel offered a more refreshing take on the closure.‘If you break the rules you have to pay,’ he said.

NiCOLAS ANeLkA’S disciplinary hearing into his alleged antiSemitic ‘quenelle’ salute begins today. A three-man independent regulatory commission will hear the case, which is expected to be completed by the end of the week. The West Brom striker (pictured) faces a minimum five-match ban under the Football Association’s new antidiscrimination rules if found guilty. Anelka, 34, has denied that the gesture, made during the match against West Ham on December 28, was anti-Semitic.

Puncheon charged for Warnock rant CRYSTAL Palace midfielder Jason Puncheon has been charged by the Football Association following a series of tweets in reaction to criticism of his shocking penalty miss at Tottenham by Neil Warnock on talkSPORT. The 27-year-old (pictured) posted several comments on the social media site, which have landed him in disciplinary trouble with the game’s authorities.

24 METRO HERALD Tuesday, February 25, 2014