tuesday, March 4, 2014
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Parents’ torment laid bare as girls’ rapist jailed for life
‘are we lost to evil?’ THE father of one of two young girls lured away from a birthday party and repeatedly raped said when she first told him what had happened it was ‘like a bomb going off in my head’. The man said his six-year-old, who was attacked along with another girl of nine, repeatedly asks him why the accused did what he did. She described the pain of the rape as cutting like a knife. He said she freezes or panics when she sees ‘creepy men everywhere, everyday’ and refused to be on her own at any time, including at night. The 30-year-old attacker was handed two life sentences yesterday. Initially caught by relatives of the victims, it was only in his fifth interview with gardaí that the man admitted luring the children away from the green on which they were playing with a story about his six-year-old sister who was too shy to play. He told gardaí he had been drinking cider and vodka since 7am and had taken valium. He said a local priest had given him €10 that morning for food but he used it to buy cider. The man brought the girls to his flat in the midlands town, undressed them and repeateadly raped them orally and anally. During the 20-minute ordeal, among other horrors, he told them: ‘Do what I tell you or I will cut your parents’ throat and then cut yours’. Afterwards, he allowed them to put
by declan brennan
back on their clothes, but not their shoes, and left. The older girl opened a window and the pair climbed through. She told the younger girl they would be in the flat forever if they didn’t escape now. The mother of the nine-year-old said that since the attack she is living a nightmare, saying ‘the attacker made a cold, predatory decision to rape my daughter. He made her believe in her little heart that she would die if she didn’t comply. He gratified himself on the body of an innocent child.’ Sentencing, Justice Paul Carney said he found it too upsetting to recite the facts of the case. ‘A feature of this case was to observe the faces of the hard-boiled press corps having difficulty listening to the facts emerging,’ he said. He said that it was too serious a case for any discount in sentence. After sentence was passed the attacker asked to apologise to the victims. The man’s previous convictions include criminal damage and robbery, but there was no evidence of paedophilia in his extensive medical history. He was released from prison three days before the attack. The statement of the father of the other victim included a poem which he read to the court, asking: ‘What can a daddy do to protect this princess beauty? Are we lost to evil?’
‘He made her believe in her little heart that she would die’
Selfie promotion Ellen DeGeneres became the champion of Twitter after uploading a star-studded Oscar selfie that was retweeted more than 2.8million times. The 56-yearold host’s picture, taken by Bradley Cooper, was also favourited 1.4million times and smashed the previous record of 781,000 shares set by Barack Obama after his re-election in 2012. ‘If only Bradley’s arm was longer. Best photo ever,’ DeGeneres posted.
The photo included herself, Jared Leto, Jennifer Lawrence, Channing Tatum, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey, Bradley Cooper, Brad Pitt, Lupita Nyong’o and Angelina Jolie. Unfortunately Liza Minnelli was too short to make it into the background. Photobombing also proved popular with Benedict Cumberbatch getting behind U2 Oscars Guilty Pleasures page 8
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METRO HERALD Tuesday, March 4, 2014
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Today is...
Pancake Tuesday Shrove Tuesday, to give it its official title, is a day even the greatest heathen would no doubt salivate with
anticipation for. For the devout, the humble pancake with lemon juice and sugar is the pre-Lenten party to end all parties. Enjoy!
From the archives (2006): Concern at lack of bird flu plan
The Government was criticised by doctors for failing to draw up a comprehensive emergency plan to protect Irish citizens from a possible bird flu pandemic. The Irish Medical Organisation said the time to act was now, before any pandemic begins.
Today’s birthdays
Bobby Womack, soul singer, 70; Shakin’ Stevens, singer, 66; Chris Rea, musician, 63; Brian Crowley, politician, 50; Patsy Kensit, actress, 46, and Brooklyn Beckham, 15 (right).
CLOCkwORD The solutions from 1 to 12 are all six-letter words ending with the letter M in the centre. Moving clockwise from 1, the letters in the outer circle will spell out the name of an 18th-century Scottish burglar. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Bumper car Logo Ulster county Habit Performing well (2,4) 6. Flammable gel
7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
M
Small hen Beat Fungal spore Cathedral city Apprise Respect
Yesterday’s solution: Simon Templar
Weather Weather Today
Max: 9°c
Mainly dry in the capital with sunny spells at first but it will become cloudier with outbreaks of rain later in the afternoon. Top temperatures of around 8-9C and winds will be light southwesterly.
Derry
7�C
Donegal
7�C
7�C
Cavan
Galway
9�C
Athlone
Dublin
8�C
8�C
Tipperary Waterford
Tralee
Cork
Tonight
Belfast
8�C
7�C Sunrise: 7.04am Sunset: 6.09pm
Min: 2°c
Showers likely to die out as the evening progresses, leaving a partly cloudy and breezy night, with temperatures falling to between 2-4C.
EUROPE today
Tomorrow
Follow us on Twitter: @metrohnews @metrohsport Join us on Facebook for news and updates throughout the day: facebook.com/metroherald
Cold and frosty in the morning, but temperatures could potentially hit double figures by early afternoon. Mostly dry with good spells of sunshine
Athens
9�C 10�C 10�C 10�C
10�C
Barcelona
9�C 10�C 10�C Max: 10°c
Berlin Brussels London Geneva Madrid Paris Rome
16 °c 16 °c
10 °c 10 °c 10 °c 9 °c 12 °c 11 °c 13 °c
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Tuesday, March 4, 2014 METRO HERALD
When walking the plank simply isn’t dangerous enough, try walking the mast
Hoist the mainsail. And the mansail too
IT’S a long way up for sailor Alex Thomson – and you’ve got to make sure your angles are spot on. These photos show him perching on the 30m mast of his yacht as it lists at 60 degrees. Untroubled by the high-speed vessel whizzing along the Spanish coast, the
Mast man: Ross Daniel steers as Thomson climbs
Taking the plunge: A cool bath is just what’s needed after that
by SHAROn MARRiS 39-year-old scales his way to the top – the height of a ten-storey building – before taking a plunge into the sea. ‘There were lots of things that could have gone terribly wrong,’ said the British sailor, who became the youngest person to win a round-the-world race in 1998. ‘As it turned out, it was far more dangerous than I would ever have imagined.’ A medical team was on hand while divers in a dinghy sailed alongside the yacht for safety.
An Evening with
Dónal Lunny and Friends Sylvain Barou
www.nch.ie 01 417 0000
Zoë Conway
Tickets: ¤35, ¤30, ¤25
Pádraig Rynne concertina Sylvain Barou flute
Pádraig Rynne
Donal Lunny bouzouki Andy Irvine guitar/vocals Zoë Conway fiddle
Andy Irvine
Sunday 16 March 8pm St. Patrick’s Weekend at the National Concert Hall
METRO HERALD Tuesday, March 4, 2014
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BoI ‘profitable’ as pre-tax losses down Callely: To be sentenced in July
Callely pleads guilty to false phone invoice Former Junior minister Ivor Callely has pleaded guilty to fraudulently using an invoice to claim oireachtas expenses. Callely, 54, pleaded guilty to using a business invoice dated January 2002 as a false instrument on dates between November 21 and 22 at Leinster House. Judge mary ellen ring, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, set a sentence date of July 22, 2014. Tony mcGillicuddy, defending, said he expected the sentence hearing to take 40 minutes. The Fianna Fáil politician, of St Lawrence’s road, Clontarf, had been due to stand trial later this month after being sent forward from the District Court on charges relating to using invoices as false instruments for receipt of expenses for handsets and equipment, under the oireachtas members direct purchase mobile phone scheme.
Bank of Ireland has reported an underlying pre-tax loss of €569million for last year, down from almost €1.5billion in the previous year. The bank said it recorded an operating profit for the year of more than €1bn before impairment charges on loans of €1.6bn were taken into account. Its annual report revealed the level of defaulted loans at the bank has
fallen six per cent since June 2013. Bank of Ireland was bailed out by the government from 2009 to 2011 with some €4.8bn and the State holds 14 per cent of the bank’s stock. Richie Boucher, group chief executive, said the bank’s underlying performance improved by almost €1bn in 2013. ‘2013 was a year of further
substantial progress for Bank of Ireland,’ he said. ‘Taxpayers’ support for and investment in Bank of Ireland has been rewarded and repaid. We are profitable and generating capital in 2014.’ Mr Boucher said a key priority remains the solution of Irish mortgage arrears and challenges facing small and medium enterprises.
Stormy winter wettest in more than a century Pink walkers give ‘support’ to the tune of €50,000
Second arrest in park tent killing A SeCoND man has been arrested in the murder of a man in the Phoenix Park last year. Gerald Donnelly’s burnt remains were discovered in the Phoenix Park on November 29 last. The 36-year-old Tallaght man was believed to have been sleeping rough in the park. A 20-year-old man was arrested yesterday morning in the north inner city. He was in custody last night at Finglas Garda station. A 27-year-old man is currently before the courts over mr Donnelly’s murder.
Firms are fined for spam texts CArPHoNe Warehouse was fined €6,000 yesterday for sending unsolicited ‘spam’ marketing text messages to two customers. The phone chain, along with Valterous Ltd trading as the Therapie Clinic, are the latest firms to be successfully prosecuted at Dublin District Court by the Data Protection Commissioner. The case was taken after the watchdog received complaints from members of the public about being contacted for marketing purposes and the companies pleaded guilty to breaking data protection regulations.
Boucher: ‘Key priority is solution of mortgage arrears and SME challenges’
by ED CARTy The spate of winter storms that swept across the country over the last three months has set new records for rain, wind and waves. Met Éireann revealed that the frequent and persistent atlantic systems at the end of December and in January and February saw more rain dumped on some weather stations than in more than a century. Some €70million has been set aside to deal with the resultant infrastructure damage, and more money is expected to be needed. Valentia reported its wettest winter since records began in 1866 with 848mm while Malin head reported its wettest winter since 1885 with 530.7mm. The wettest day of the season was 34.5mm at Ballyhaise, Co Cavan, on February 17, its wettest winter day since 2008. Met Éireann said a new record was also set for the biggest seas off the Irish coast with a wave
‘Wettest day of season was at Ballyhaise, Co Cavan’
Kinsale went pink over the weekend as more than 900 walkers swarmed the streets. The East Cork town was festooned with bras in a range of fuchsias, powder pinks and lilacs to raise money for Action Breast Cancer. The Pink Ribbon Walk is an annual event, which has raised more than €250,000 over the last two years. In Kinsale alone, some €50,000 was raised last weekend
25m high reported at the kinsale energy gas platform on February 12 – that day’s storm left some quarter of a million homes and businesses without electricity. On the same day on the rigs about 50km south of Cork, winds gusted to 178kph. Meteorologists said winds were above average for the season with Dublin and Shannon airport recording their highest averages since 1943 and 1983. The highest gust inland was 159kph at Shannon airport on February 12 – the highest on record for 68 years. experts have said the series of depressions to hit Ireland, and Britain, this winter have been caused by a shift in the jet stream, the fast-moving layer of air in the upper atmosphere which dictates weather patterns in the north atlantic.
Sean’s love poem proves to be suitably Koh-mantic REAdER Sean Thompson from Phibsboro was one of the winners of dinner for two at Koh restaurant thanks to Irish Rail and Metro Herald’s #loveonthetracks competition. Here is his astoundingly rosemantic poem Roses are red, violets are blue Without my Metro Herald what would I do? Prefer printed version, I must admit Though would read online rather than miss it Full of news and of course sport
Added to that a business report Cartoon funnies, crossword and a letters page Posts in Yeh Big Ride all the rage The Career Doctor and Dear Dolly Then there is all the celebrity folly Telly page and a horoscope Sukodu if you’re not a maths dope Travel guides and technology news Cinema, theatre and book reviews Throw in a competition or two Metro Herald so helps me the day get through
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Tuesday, March 4, 2014 METRO HERALD
World threatens a raft of sanctions as Putin digs in
Grim: Vladimir Putin and Gen Buvaltsev, right, watch military drills Picture: AP
RUSSIA was last night accused of threatening to attack Ukrainian forces unless they met a deadline to surrender. Moscow defied international pressure by reportedly demanding that its neighbour hand over control of its warships. The Black Sea fleet was said to have told the Ukrainians: ‘If they do not surrender before 5am (3am GMT) tomorrow, a real assault will be started against units and divisions of the armed forces across Crimea.’ Although Russia denied any ultimatums were issued, Barack Obama last night said the country had violated international law and was ‘on the wrong side of history’. Russia has sent thousands of troops into the Crimean region following the downfall of the pro-Moscow leadership in Kiev. President Vladimir Putin has reportedly put 150,000 soldiers, 880 tanks and 90 aircraft on combat alert within striking distance of the border. Ukraine has denounced the military
East vs West stand-off Donetsk big thing...? FEARS of a split in Ukraine grew last night after pro-Russian protesters stormed a building in the eastern city of Donetsk. Hundreds of demonstrators chanted ‘Putin, come!’ as they overran the regional government centre – while police looked on. Police chief Roman Romanov told reporters his officers decided not to intervene to ‘avoid bloodshed’. Officials in Kiev claim Moscow organised the demonstration as a pretext to invade the region, which is a major producer of coal, steel and chemicals. It followed several days of pro-Russia rallies in eastern and southern Ukraine, where many people speak Russian as a first language. Earlier, Donetsk politicians agreed to a referendum on the city’s future but it was unclear what the public would be voting on and when the poll would be held. In contrast, the capital Kiev saw another day of anti-Moscow protests, with thousands of people gathered in Independence Square to hear speeches denouncing Russia. Moscow continued to tighten its grip on Crimea as troops poured in, setting up road blocks and increasing their hold over military bases. There were also claims Russian aircraft were openly defying Ukrainian airspace, as Western powers publicly admitted for the first time the region was no longer under Kiev’s control. Russian troops first entered the Ukrainian territory late last week and further extended their occupation yesterday by seizing control of a key ferry terminal in the city of Kerch, 20km (12 miles) across the water from Russia. Soldiers also forced their way into a naval Enemy at the door: Rival soldiers exchange words outside a military unit in Perevalnoye, Ukraine Picture: ePA base in Sevastopol.
by AiDAn RADnEDgE build-up, with interim prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk saying: ‘It is crystal clear that Russia invaded Ukrainian territory with no reason at all.’ Moscow faces being hit with a raft of political and economic sanctions as Europe faces its gravest crisis of the 21st century, world leaders have warned. Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Eamon Gilmore was in Brussels yesterday for an emergency meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council. Speaking to RTÉ News last night, he described the situation in Ukraine as ‘the most serious crisis that Europe has faced since the end of the Cold War’. He said that Russia’s actions were ‘in breach of international law’ and there was a call for Russia to withdraw its troops to barracks. Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov insisted they had done nothing wrong, blaming Ukraine’s new interim government.
Medvedev looking to bridge gap RUSSIA’S prime minister Dmitry Medvedev has approved plans to build a bridge linking Crimea and the Ukraine. He said the bridge, to go over the Kerch Strait, was backed by the ousted Kiev government in December, and he expects that deal to be honoured. He said the bridge will benefit both countries. ‘Ukraine remains an important trade and economic partner to us,’ Mr Medvedev told The Moscow Times.
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METRO HERALD Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Boy, 12, rapes sister, 7, after viewing porn A 12-yEAr-oLd schoolboy raped his seven-year-old sister after watching hardcore porn. The boy, now 13, walked free from Blackburn youth Court in the UK after the judge said it was ‘highly improbable’ he would reoffend and detaining him would ‘tear the family apart’ as well as expose him to ‘hardened’ youth offenders. The boy pleaded guilty to rape and added he was ‘disgusted’ with his actions.
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Five-hour fight ends with snake devouring crocodile whole
The loser was well eaten
Narrower taste in food ‘leaves us vulnerable’ GLoBAL food supply is becoming more vulnerable to climate change-related threats because we eat an increasingly narrow diet, scientists say. Higher living standards in the developing world are leading to a ‘standard global food supply’ and researchers from the the Germany-based Global Crop diversity Trust warned this threatens future food security by leaving us at the mercy of threats like drought.
Last bite: Tail slips down
by SHAROn MARRiS A SNAKE ate a crocodile whole in 15 minutes after killing it in a fivehour battle. The 3m serpent was spotted by a group of canoeists as it tussled with its reptile adversary in a lake, before strangling it and dragging it ashore.
n SNAKES swallow large prey whole by expanding their mouths far beyond their usual size. They pull food into their bodies with their hook-like teeth and force it down by compressing and releasing their muscles. It can take them weeks to digest meals. Tiffany Corlis took these pictures of the struggle at Lake Moondarra in
60 seconds
JERRy SpRingER, 70, has presented his fight-packed daytime chat show for 23 years. But he preferred being mayor of Cincinnati… Why do you say news programmes are more exploitative than the sort of show you present? The job of
journalists is to report stories they find out about, but aren’t concerned if the story will hurt your career or embarrass your children – newspapers and news stations make a profit from telling stories without giving any control to the people about whom they are written. Our show is 100 per cent voluntary and they choose what they talk about. They’re given a list of 21 possible surprises and they have to agree to every single one before they can be on the show. Nothing’s being done they don’t choose to have done.
Do you hold your guests up to ridicule? No, I don’t know
what there is to ridicule. They’re angry because their girlfriend is sleeping with another guy – we don’t deal with life-changing issues on our show like pregnancy tests – they’re angry, but they’re dating someone else the next day. There’s no serious part to it. The show’s been on for 23 years; it’s not to everyone’s taste, but a lot of people enjoy it.
Some transsexuals have said your recent episode ‘Trannies Twerk It Out’ was exploitative… Our show is about dysfunctional behaviour, about people who do inappropriate things. Southerners always say we pick on southerners, old people say we pick on old people, but it’s about inappropriate behaviour and you don’t get a free pass on that just because of who you are.
Are people quicker to take offence now than when you started? Do people really take
offence? You don’t see people walking down the street shaking their head saying: ‘Oh my God, did you see the Jerry Springer Show yesterday?’ It’s TV. No one takes it seriously. We’ve got serious issues to deal with in the world. It’s a silly show, but people like it enough for it to stay on the air.
Do you hold yourself responsible for Jeremy Kyle?
No, there are all kinds of talk shows and talk show hosts. I don’t watch them. I watch sport and political shows. Who am I to comment on whether other shows
Queensland, Australia. ‘It was amazing,’ she said.
“
Southerners always say we pick on southerners, old people say we pick on old people…
are good or bad? It’s not my business.
and we managed to sort it out in time for the Christmas holidays.
Do you regret not continuing your career in politics? I’m
What’s the worst job you’ve had? I’ve enjoyed all
still active – I make speeches, raise money and organise campaigns. I have always separated politics from making a living. Politics is something I believe in, but I don’t want to taint it by having to make a living from it. People in political office feed their families from it – they can’t afford to lose the next election or they’ll be out of a job, so they start to become intellectually dishonest, start to shade their views because they need to get re-elected. So I never thought I’d make my living from politics – I knew I’d go into business, I just didn’t know it would be showbusiness.
my jobs. Mayor was the only job I applied for. When I was at law school I was offered a job by a major law firm and I was offered a job on Bobby Kennedy’s campaign. I applied to be mayor, after that NBC offered me a job as a news anchor, then I was offered the talk show. It’s been a charmed, lucky life.
What are you proudest of achieving? Being mayor of
plane. I take it three times a week. I live in Florida, we do the show in Connecticut, do my crime show in LA, then I do the national tour of The Price Is Right and I have a place in Chicago. I’m flying all the time. Andrew Williams
Cincinnati. That was my favourite job. I’m proudest of building health clinics in the city, particularly in poorer neighbourhoods, and community centres, and of saving the transport system. We had a strike the day I took office, it was the first thing I needed to deal with,
Would you do another panto? I would, but I missed my
family over the holidays. I’d do it if it was at a different time of the year. I enjoyed playing Captain Hook – someone more evil than me.
What’s been your most extravagant purchase? My
The Jerry Springer Show is on weeknights on CBS Reality.
eaglepress
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Banker claims wife married his namesake A BANKER who claimed his wife married another man with the same name three days before their own wedding has lost his acrimonious divorce battle at the Court of Appeal. Amit Goyal alleged his wife, Anita, ‘married another Amit Goyal’ while he was relaxing six hours away. The 36-year-old investment banker pleaded that as they were never legally wed in the first place, his wife could neither divorce him, nor claim financial support for herself and their six-year-old daughter. Mrs Goyal had been granted a decree nisi last year by Judge Mark Everall, who described her husband as an ‘unreliable’ witness. However, former Barclays banker Mr Goyal called on an expert witness last year who highlighted ‘oddities’ about the wedding in Meerut, India. The marriage ‘irretrievably broke down’ and Mrs Goyal moved out in 2011. It is only then Mr Goyal said he realised the marriage was ‘invalid’. A UK appeal judge dismissed his claim.
Bitcoin firm blames loss on hacking theft The Tokyo bitcoin exchange which filed for bankruptcy protection has blamed theft through hacking for its losses and said it is looking into a criminal complaint. Mt Gox’s chief executive Mark Karpeles said illegal access in early February abused a bug in the computer system. Some 750,000 bitcoins from users and another 100,000 belonging to the company have disappeared.
Oscar Pistorius is watched by June Steenkamp, far right, as he arrives at court Picture: AP
Tuesday, March 4, 2014 METRO HERALD
Reeva crying in terror ‘before Oscar fired’
Neighbour casts doubt on athlete’s story as his murder trial begins
Killed: Steenkamp
OSCAR PISTORIUS’S terrified girlfriend let out ‘blood-curdling screams’ in the moments before he shot her dead, it emerged as the blade-runner’s murder trial began. Model Reeva Steenkamp’s cries woke neighbour Michelle Burger at her home hundreds of metres away, a South African court was told. ‘She screamed terribly and yelled for help,’ university lecturer Ms Burger said. ‘It was very traumatic. It leaves you cold. I can’t transmit the anxiety and fear in her voice.’ Paralympics champ Pistorius claims
By DOMINIC YEATMAN he shot Reeva, 29, four times through a locked bathroom door because he had mistaken her for a burglar at their home. But Ms Burger said the four shots rang out after the screaming started. ‘Because of the climax of her shouts I knew something terrible was happening,’ she added. A packed public gallery and worldwide TV audience looked on as Pistorius, 27, faced court in Pretoria yesterday. The gold medallist also came face-to-face
WINTICKETS TO EXCLUSIVELY with
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with his dead partner’s mother, June, for the first time since the killing on Valentine’s Day last year. Mrs Steenkamp, 67, said: ‘Whatever the court decides after the trial, I will be ready to forgive him. ‘But first I want to force him to look at me and see the pain he has inflicted.’ Pistorius – who denies murder – is also charged with possession of unlicensed ammunition, firing a gun out of a car sunroof and firing outside a restaurant by accident. The trial continues.
METRO HERALD Tuesday, March 4, 2014
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Sorry I’m late, says Cate, I was in the bar with Julia Cate Blanchett almost missed out on her moment of glory because she was too busy propping up the bar with Julia Roberts. The Aussie superstar said: ‘The blessing and the curse of this is it happens at the arse end of the evening and so you watch so many extraordinary people get up there and you lose track of the fact that you’re even nominated
and then you get taken by surprise – “It’s my turn!”,’ she confessed. ‘I was with Julia Roberts in the bar for rather too long and just got back to my seat in time.’ The 44-year-old, who picked up the best actress gong for Blue Jasmine, hinted she may soon quit. ‘Maybe it’s time to stop. Roles like this don’t come along very often,’ she said.
McQueen’s glory night as 12 Years wins best film gong
12 Years A Slave stole the show by winning best picture and space epic Gravity emerged with seven golden statuettes at the Oscars on Sunday. British director Steve McQueen celebrated the women who contributed to his harrowing historical drama picking up the top prize in his acceptance speech at the Acad-emy Awards in Los Angeles. ‘I have to say to all these womthey’ all the most en in my life, they’re
by SEAMUS DUFF
powerful. And my mother, obviously,’ the 44-year-old told the Hollywood audience after naming a string of female producers and publicists involved in the film. The London-born director highlighted the continuing struggle against slavery as well as the suffering endured by the real characters portrayed in his film, which has already won Bafta,
Winner: McQueen holds the statuette reuters
Golden Globe and London Critics’ Circle awards. Referring to the author of the 1853 memoir on which he based it, McQueen said: ‘This is the most important legacy of Solomon Northup. ‘I dedicate this award to all the people who have endured slavery and the 21million who still suffer slavery today.’ Alfonso Cuarón, born in Mexico but based in Britain, was crowned best director for Gravity. The film picked up six other awards in technical categories, including visual effects. The career renaissance of 44year-old Matthew McConaughey continued with his best actor award for Dallas Buyers Club. His co-star Jared Leto, 42, was best supporting actor. Cate Blanchett, 44, scooped her second Oscar for her role in Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine while relative newcomer Lupita Nyong’o, 31, triumphed as best supporting actress for 12 Years A Slave. With the ceremony taking more than three hours, host Ellen DeGeneres delighted the audience by ordering pizza. A delivery man dished out slices while she collected €180 in stars’ loose change in Pharrell Williams’ hat.
Taking the plunge: Kim Kardashian, Heidi Klum and Britney Spears turned Elton John’s Oscars party into a war of cleavages. The trio – aged 33, 40 and 32 – let it all hang out at the annual Aids Foundation bash at West Hollywood Park. Guests dined on food prepared by Gordon Ramsay and saw Ed Sheeran and DJ Johnny Dynell perform Pictures: aP/Pa/reuters
Lupita: I know I danced with
The unseen thing: Benedict Cumberbatch photobombs U2 on the red carpet Pictures: reuters
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Tuesday, March 4, 2014 METRO HERALD
OSCARS SPECIAL OSCAR And this Oscar goes to anyone without flu... Jared Leto was happy to let strangers ‘fondle’ his Oscar – as long as they didn’t have swine flu. The best supporting actor was soon passing it around backstage, offering it up to the world’s press for an ‘orgy’. ‘Does anybody want to try it out for size? You can. If anybody wants to fondle. Here. Pass it
around, but if you have swine flu, please don’t touch,’ the 42year-old joked. ‘I think this is the first, the first person to ever give their Oscar away for an orgy in the press room. If you guys want to get a selfie with the Oscar, go for it.’ Leto won for his role in The Dallas Buyers Club.
Lo fans rally to Loyal comfort poor Leo co Fa rushed to comfort Fans Leonardo DiCaprio yesterday after he suf suffered his fourth Oscars defeat by losing out to Dallas Buyers Club actor Matthew McConaughey. the Wolf Of Wall Street star, who was nominated as best actor for his performance as Jordan Belfort, put on a brave face and planted a kiss on his 44year-old rival’s cheek after he pick picked up his gong. However, twitter exploded with messages of support, making ‘poor Leo’ a top
I’ve made it – Bill Murray... L
upita Nyong’o says she finally feels ‘good enough’ to call herself a Hollywood star after her popular Oscar victory. the 31-year-old star credited self-acceptance for propelling her to the best supporting actress prize. ‘i have learned that i don’t have to be anybody else; and that myself is good enough; and that when i am being true to that self, then i can do – i can avail myself to extraordinary things such as this,’ the 12 Years a Slave star said. ‘i didn’t think (winning an Oscar) was necessarily possible; but i didn’t cancel it out of my realm of possibility, and i think that’s the
by JENNI MCKNIGHT
thing. You have to allow for the impossible to be possible,’ she said. the Mexican-born actress found herself a new BFF at the Vanity Fair Oscars party joining in a singa-long with veteran actor Bill Murray. the 63-year-old Ghostbusters star set his sights on Nyong’o for a photo opportunity before convincing the Oscar winner to jig along to the isley Brothers’ classic, Shout. Murray also danced with actress Rosario Dawson, 34, and director Spike Lee, 56, to Rod Stewart’s Do Ya think i’m Sexy. Not to be outdone, Benedict Cumberbatch sang along to Happy by pharrell Williams.
trending topic yesterday, with humorous memes of the 39-year-old circulating online. DiCaprio was previously nominated as best supporting actor for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape in 1994, followed by best actor nominations for the aviator in 2005 and Blood Diamond in 2007. to add insult to injury, the Wolf Of Wall Street – for which DiCaprio was also a producer – missed out on the best picture award, which instead went to Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave.
Dame Judi Dench may have missed the Oscars but a lookalike caused confusion on the red carpet. Fans of the 79-yearold – who lost out to Cate Blanchett as best actress – greeted the wife of Gravity sound mixer Chris Munro, Sue, with cries of ‘Judi, Judi, Judi.’ She real thing: Genuine Judi laughed it off, saying: ‘It’s the short hair.’
Hoult he heart leaps at Bono serenade
He may have had an Oscars hot seat next to lover Jennifer Lawrence but Nicholas Hoult was easily wooed by u2’s Bono. the 24-year-old X-Men star appeared smitten when the irish frontman launched into song. ‘Did anyone see Bono serenade me?!?!’ the British actor asked on twitter. ‘He wasn’t looking directly at me, but i felt it. #oscars,’ he added, suggesting he had been mesmerised by Bono’s rendition of Ordinary Love.
Hoult showed he and J-Law have put their troubles to bed by attending the awards together. american Hustle star Lawrence, 23 (pictured), lost out on best supporting actress to Lupita Nyong’o.
Fir up: Sienna Miller blazes a trail on the Oscars after-party Fired ci circuit in a red Alexander McQueen frock with six chunky r golden bangles reminiscent of 80s character She-Ra. The 32ye year-old was accompanied by fiancé Tom Sturridge, 28, at the Va Vanity Fair bash Picture: aP
10 Metro heraLd Tuesday, March 4, 2014
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Mouthing off and saddling up for some more of the cyclist bashing
I
wish to jump on the bandwagon for having a go at cyclists. This is not about the fact that i have nearly been run down a few times by them when crossing the street when they come through red lights, or having to move out of their way on the pavement. This is about the question: why are cyclists allowed to ride three abreast on back country roads? i travel between Enfield/Lucan at weekends, and i am always delayed due to this. But what really annoys is the organised events. A few weeks ago i was late for a meeting as i encountered a sponsored bike ride, where there were 100 bikes, and at the back was a van highlighting the fact there was a bike ride on. There was no way past them as roads are narrow with loads of bends. This went on through a couple of towns. how the hell do they get away with this? Angry driver ■ Mike, you sound like a motorist so it is with great concern that i remind you there are actually 40 questions on the Road Theory Test. Good for you for not giving a toss about the law being broken by countless people
everyday, consequently putting others’ safety in jeopardy. There is a reason there is so much bile directed at cyclists, they bring it on themselves with their disregard for other road users and pedestrians. i’m not tarring them all with the same brush, i’m speaking only about the number who do this. Based on your aggression towards a situation you claim not to give a toss about; it’s clear it is you who needs to get a life. Also, your comment about me possibly being a public servant? Believe me, i’m far from it. Danielle ■ i’d just like to make a complaint about the state of broadcasters’ mouths. Time was when RTÉ was home to some of the most well-shaped and tidy mouths on television, but these days they are all over the place. Brendan O’Connor has a distinctly misshapen and untidy mouth, while Ryan Tubridy’s mouth is so distorted it appears to be attempting to escape from his face. This is to say nothing of the Crimecall host, human hot pocket Phillip Boucher hayes, who appears to have a mouth made entirely of garlic bread and tears. Please sort it out RTÉ, before it’s too late. Eamonn
Quick pic
WINGING IT: Reader Goran Basek sent us this picture of a gull flying over the Liffey during the twilight hours 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
● Thanks to the kind people who helped me search for my earring on the Dart and at Pearse St station on Friday. It was my grandmother’s. We didn’t find it but I appreciate your help and kind words.
Ruthie
yeh bIg rIde ● To the ruggedly handsome guy with the green hat and toothpick on the Maynooth train in the mornings. I’ll let you clean my teeth any time.
Firey redhead
● Thank you to the very kind man who gave my friend change so she could get to the airport the other day. She was down to Petra her last euro.
● You: Green Line goddess. Me: Red Line redhead ruffian. The time: This morning. The place: The intersection where love and lust meet (aka the corner of Stephen’s Ruffian Green) Coffee sometime?
randoM acts of kIndness
your rush-hour crush
trendIng
#oscars2014
● Ellen can you like host my 18th birthday pls @TheEllenShow #Oscars2014
@JenShraLaw, actress Jennifer Lawrence
● Steve McQueen, artist turned moviemaker? Or movie-maker turned artist? Discuss.
Critic Waldemar @Januszczak
@metrohnews #metromailbox
● The McConnaisance continues, Matthew McConaughey wins Best Actor for Dallas Buyers Club. Jared Leto scoops Best Supporting Actor #Oscars2014 @Cineworld ● Cate Blanchett on being first Aussie twotime acting winner: ‘Don’t you f-ing forget it.’ @OscarInterviews
Cant tihnk of what two wright aboute?
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Tuesday, March 4, 2014 METRO HERALD
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12 METRO HERALD Tuesday, March 4, 2014
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Life television
Monday
Masterchef ireland RTÉ1, 8.30pM Tuesday
Wednesday
Slice that fillet and grab your skillet – MasterChef Ireland is back with a new series and a format that’s been spiced up. Nick Munier and Dylan McGrath continue to crank up the heat for 24 participants over six heats, with each cook having to prepare their signature dish in an hour. Having tasted the six dishes the judges will eliminate two, with the remaining four contestants returning the following night to experience the pressure of a busy lunch service in a professional kitchen for the very first time. If they survive that, they will return to the MasterChef kitchen to cook one more time for Nick and Dylan and to fight for their place in the final ten.
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
dOll & eM SKY LIVING, 10pM As dark, yet frothy, as a latte made by Tim Burton, this quirky study of a real yet fictionalised female friendship rumbles on tonight with the roles of successful actress Em (Emily Mortimer) and her best friend-turned personal assistant Doll becoming a little bit blurred. Em finds herself struggling in her new film role, finding it difficult to cry on demand, but Doll (Dolly Wells), playing an extra, discovers it is something of a talent of hers.
an hOUr tO saVe yOUr life BBC2, 9pM
Sunday
If you have ever sat in A&E on a Friday night you might be forgiven for thinking time does not exactly seem of the essence for the emergency services. But as this documentary shows, from the moment an ambulance is called a race against time begins, as these good people rush to help those in need of urgent medical aid.
Marley & Me filM4, 6.45pM Cheesy schmaltz featuring an impossibly blonde and tanned couple (Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston) and their impossibly cute golden labrador, this piece of Hollywood hogwash may be as warm and fuzzy as a puppy’s belly, but it is also a surefire tearjerker. Based on a memoir by John Grogan, it proved incredibly popular when released at the end of 2008 and still brings a tear to the eye of pretty much everybody who isn’t a cat. Any potentially dark elements (miscarriage) are swept over in favour of dog-jumping-in pool scenes, but despite being the sort of romantic comedy-drama both leads excel in, it is the pooch who steals the show, and the last scenes will have you howling like an abandoned husky.
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Tuesday, March 4, 2014 METRO HERALD
13 alice hawkins
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Blah blah blah bla h, blah, al;kfjd askl;dfj al;fj p??
Paloma Faith
The tragic romantic is still working like a charm
14 METRO HERALD Tuesday, March 4, 2014
music
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I felt like a competition winner The music biz may give Paloma Faith the heebeejeebies but some A-list fans have given her confidence, writes Arwa Haider
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aloma Faith is having a wardrobe malfunction in a Soho members’ bar, which she carries off with rather fabulous panache. ‘Can I just pull my lining down?’ she asks, breezily yanking at her vintage wool skirt as around us, london poseurs drink and pitch. Faith, 32, has been a bright-haired, fierce-voiced fixture on Britain’s music scene since her 2009 debut album, Do You Want The Truth or Something Beautiful? She’s always been a bold performer but if she was initially introduced in a amy Winehouse-inspired phase of homegrown soul-pop, she has proved her own characteristic flair since then. For her third album, a Perfect Contradiction, the soulstress from Hackney, east london, has teamed with an array of US big-hitters, including Pharrell Williams, Diane Warren and Raphael Saadiq. ‘These are people I’ve admired my whole life,’ says Faith. ‘I never would have approached Pharrell because I thought he was so out of my reach.’ In the event, Williams approached her and produced the album’s crisply funky lead single, Can’t Rely on You. Saadiq, meanwhile, agreed to work with her when she supported Prince at a 2011 concert. ‘I felt like a competition winner,’ says Faith, laughing saucily, sounding not unlike a Carry on film character. ‘I told Pharrell I was attracted to people with the right mix of contradictions and he said: “That’s your album title.” and everyone here is very knowledgeable on the history of soul music, which is what I wanted. They’re not just trying to emulate something.’ These creative encounters seem to have prompted a burst of self-belief that has translated into the vivacious energy of a Perfect Contradiction. ‘I definitely wanted this record to be more celebratory of life, more fun
Because I’m happy: Pharrell Williams (right) with Faith; St Trinian’s (far right) saw Faith on the silver screen
and uptempo,’ says Faith. ‘When you write quite a sad album, which I did with Fall To Grace [from 2012], you see it as therapeutic to offload those feelings at first. Then a year and a half later, you’re just picking a scab and you’ve had enough.’ There’s still a torch song melodrama to many of the new album’s track titles, including only love Can Hurt like This, Taste my own Tears and other Woman (co-written by fellow British star Plan B). ‘am I drawn more to the dark side of love?’ muses Faith. ‘I do think I’m a tragic romantic. actually, the benchmark was Candi Staton’s Young Hearts Run Free, that kind of song where you acknowledge hardship or sadness but you inject hope into it. ‘When it comes on at a party, everyone just thinks: “Yeah, some hard things have happened, I’m often my own worst enemy – but screw it, let’s dance.”’
w
HIle classic disco provided a musical influence, visual inspiration came from Italian baroque artist Caravaggio, upon whose painting The entombment of Christ (1602-03) the artwork for a Perfect Contradiction is based (Faith shows me the original image on her mobile phone). That lush, iconic imagery continues in the video for Can’t Rely on You, with Faith delivering an arty Italian voice-over. ‘I speak Italian quite well, even though people are criticising it on YouTube – but I’m not f***ing Italian, so f*** you,’ she says, dissolving into raunchy giggles again. ‘The first video is part of a longer film for this album. I’m dealing with the subject of separation and loss – as I usually am, actually.’ Why do those themes keep recurring in her work?
Bright outlook: Paloma Faith is bursting with self-belief on new album A Perfect Contradiction ‘Probably because I’m from a divorced family and my early memories are influenced by that,’ she says, frankly. ‘You get used to it and it becomes a pattern. I worry that I’ve become desensitised to it in a way and I talk about that a lot in the songs. I don’t think it’s positive to find abandonment easy.’ If Faith openly expresses her vulnerable side, she’s also undeniably gutsy and the overall effect is quite disarming. ‘When I first came into music, I remember feeling powerless,’ she insists. ‘I thought I couldn’t fund this myself, so I had to play a bit of a chess game. Do what I’m told, more or less, with the first record, get on TV and unleash myself. anyway, I don’t feel like I lack other career possibilities.’ Her CV is certainly colourful. Before Faith focused on singing in her twenties, her jobs included magician’s assistant, agent Provo-
cateur lingerie store girl, life model and cabaret artist, as well as various TV and film acting roles. ‘I’m very comfortable with being watched and they were all positions where I was observed,’ she says. ‘But there are a lot of things that give me the heebee-jeebies about working in music, such as pressure to succeed, misinterpretation.’ luckily, she never gets stage fright. ‘I enjoy screwing stuff up on stage,’ she says. ‘I’ll say to the audience: “We’re all human,” and they shout the words at me.’
as she explores references from 17th-century art to 1950s glamour and 1980s soul, it’s tricky to place Faith in a particular era. ‘You know how in the film Blade Runner where everyone looks kind of 1940s but it’s actually years ahead?’ she says. ‘I feel like that’s what I’m doing – it’s the future and the past, everything but not now.’ That’s a sharp line but it’s not strictly true – Faith sounds like she’s in the moment.
A Perfect Contradiction (RCA) is out on Monday.
AbOuT TOwn ART Collaboration 2014 Roscommon-artist Angie Duignan’s thought-provoking art offers an imaginative and touching memorial to six high-profile women who disappeared in the ‘Vanishing Triangle’ area of Leinster in the 1990s. The interactive installation sees a pair of shoes click together three times, Dorothystyle, as viewers approach, and serves as a poignant reminder that not only has no evidence of these missing women ever been found but that these women may never be able to magically find their way home Until Sat, Smock Alley Theatre, 8 Lower Exchange Street, Temple Bar D8. Tel: (01) 677 0014. www.smockalley.com/theatre
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food&drink
Tuesday, March 4, 2014 METRO HERALD
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features@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010
Batter up for Shrove Tuesday
Chloe Scott cooks tried and tested recipes to make the ultimate pancakes
cHLOE’s REcipE
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ingREDiEnTs serves 4
pock-marked, bubbly little numbers. It’s a sweet army of edibles that are more on the American side than in the european camp. They make me realise that, for Shrove Tuesday, I’m seeking the less glamorous flat Irish pancake, the one I have happy memories of tucking into as a child. Jamie oliver also offers a time-saver
olI jonES
hrove Tuesday was originally the last day of enjoying fatty foods before the ritual fasting of Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday. Pancakes became popular as a good way to use up all the rich foods such as eggs, milk and sugar that would spoil during the fast. Sweet or savoury, they are a versatile foodstuff found all over the world. Fluffy American stacks, lacy French crêpes, nutty russian blinis, squat Scottish dropped scones, lentil-rich Indian dosas and spongy Somalian lahoh, all fall under the same banner. But before we embark on a flipping extravaganza tomorrow, there’s a few tricks of the trade to explore. Nigella Lawson’s Instant Pancake Mix from Nigella express (Chatto & Windus) appeals. She describes it as a ‘real lifesaver’. You measure and mix dry ingredients (flour, bicarb, baking powder, salt and sugar) and store in a jar. When you want to make pancakes, you add an egg and milk to a cup of mix and away you go. one lovely Nigella twist is the use of vanilla-infused sugar. The idea of enhancing the batter with the creamy, woody spice is a comforting notion. So the outcome? The batter is viscous and – thanks to her use of all three raising agents (bicarb, baking powder and egg) – produces quaintly
FOOD NEWS THE MinT BAR
Once the preserve of the Dublin chattering classes, upmarket cocktails have finally become as popular among the city’s hoi polloi as pints of the black stuff. Not only have The Vintage Cocktail Club in Temple Bar and The Liquor Rooms on Wellington Quay quickly become two of the city’s buzziest nightspots, The Westin Hotel has just relaunched its Mint Bar with an on-trend new interior and a remastered cocktail menu. And to celebrate Oscar season, the Mint Bar is now serving a cracking new aperitif, Le Fizz, replete with Grey Goose vodka, elderflower, lime and soda (pictured, €12). See www.themintbar.ie
with his one-Cup Pancake recipe on www.jamieoliver.com. The idea is to use the same cup (or mug) to measure the flour and milk so you don’t need to drag out the scales. It’s another natty notion and the result is a another stack of fluffy, thick pancakes. I’m already in a ‘which flour?’ quandary so it’s useful when Jamie advises: ‘If you use self-raising flour the pancakes will be more American in style, lovely and fluffy and thick. Plain flour will give you thinner ones, more like european crêpes.’ Plain it is then. rose Carrarini uses an interesting technique to make lemon pancakes in how To Boil An egg (Phaidon). She uses stiffly beaten egg whites in place of baking powder, which she says can leave a ‘slightly metallic taste’. Compared with the other recipes I’ve tested, this one is considerably lengthy to prepare. I mix egg yolks, butter, ricotta and sugar, before folding through flour, lemon zest and juice, followed by the egg white. The
resulting little fluffy clouds couldn’t be lighter. The zest imparts freshness. I’m keeping it to enliven my finale. I always thought crêpe and British pancake recipes differed subtly. But, on investigation, I find this is not generally so. Michel roux Jr’s crêpe recipe from Desserts (Quadrille) is an exception. It includes something quite unexpected: double cream. I give them a go but on flipping, I start to lose confidence. The nadir is when my fourth cake sticks feebly to the pan. I scrutinise his formula again and realise it’s 325ml milk, 100ml double cream and two eggs to just 125g flour. Nearly twice the amount of liquid to flour compared with the others – no wonder it’s so wet. however, it’s an epiphany when one finally works. It’s mottled, lacythin, freckled and adorable. I want this crispiness without the fuss of several attempts so I’ll covet the cream but reduce its quantity. A final few notes. Some cooks use mineral water. I’m not convinced.
EAsTER AT cARTOn HOUsE An Easter-egg hunt in your bijou backyard will keep the little ones entertained for all of five minutes so why not have Carton House do the hard graft for you? This April, the luxury Kildare hotel is offering a special Easter package that includes a kiddie egg hunt on its vast verdant estate, with added foodie interest for the grownups. Enjoy breakfast, threecourse meal on one evening in the award winning Linden Tree restaurant and Sunday lunch as part of its Easter Family Escape. Apr 18 to 21, prices from €99 per adult sharing
120g plain flour ♦ 1 large egg ♦ 100ml double cream ♦ 220ml milk ♦ 50g butter, plus extra for frying ♦ 2tsp caster sugar ♦ grated zest of 1 lemon or a couple of drops of vanilla extract ♦ pinch of salt You’ll need a 18-20cm frying pan step 1 Melt the butter in a pan over low heat then turn off the hob. step 2 Whisk together the egg, double cream and milk in a jug. Sieve the flour, sugar and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix to a runny batter. Stir in the melted butter. Rest for 15min to an hour. I opt for the latter. Before cooking, grate in the lemon zest or dribble in the vanilla and stir. step 3 To cook the pancakes, heat a non-stick frying pan or crêpe pan over a medium heat. When it’s hot, swirl 1tbsp of butter around the pan so the base is evenly coated, then tip out the excess. step 4 Expect your first pancake to be an abomination but once you get going they will improve. Pour in 2tbsp of batter and swirl it gently across the pan so it is evenly coated. Cook for about 1min until the cake is golden underneath, shaking the pan a little to stop it sticking to the bottom (use a spatula if needed). Then flip it over. Cook for another 45sec. Slide out on to a warmed plate. Dust with caster sugar and squeeze over fresh lemon juice. Roll up or fold into quarters and eat hot. Milk aids crispness and flavour. Cooking over a high heat is obligatory – it’s the secret to any perfect pock-marked pancake. Some of my masters swear by resting, some don’t. I find letting the batter sit a while allows the gluten and starch to relax, and results in a better texture. happy flipping, darlings.
with kids staying for free. See www.cartonhouse.com
sHROVE TUEsDAY AT DYLAn
Fancy a topical treat this Shrove Tuesday? If you don’t have the time to cook up our recipe above, then head to the beautiful and bijou Dylan Hotel today for a traditional lemon and sugar pancake. Iconoclasts, meanwhile, can plump for a blueberry with maple syrup option, sweet crepe suzettes and savoury numbers with pear, blue cheese, spinach and walnuts (€6 to €8). www.dylan.ie
16 METRO HERALD Tuesday, March 4, 2014
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tech&gaming
editorial@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010
Thief’s a stolen opportunity ALsO OuT more new releases
You’ve been robbed: Thief’s reboot is a disappointment
THE Big RELEAsE
thief (16) XBoX 360/ Playstation 3/XBoX one/ Playstation 4/PC HH✩✩✩ Stealth is a concept at odds with modern gaming – patiently doing nothing for long periods as you avoid running into enemies that in any other game would be instant cannon fodder. It creates atmospheric and tense situations but it’s a hard sell to casual gamers. The original Thief, alongside Metal Gear Solid, popularised stealth gameplay. The only reason it isn’t better known is that it and its
sequel were PC-only. This fourth entry is very much the same sort of game: a first-person action adventure where the goal is not to mow down bad guys but to steal their stuff – ideally without them knowing. A half-baked story that dabbles with class warfare but never commits to it is the first problem to rear its head in this fumbled reboot. There are also serious issues with the size of the game world and the developer’s unwillingness to let you go off and do your own thing. In the original, you could perform any mission however you wanted. Here, you are shepherded along the route the game wants you to take and when you get there, your options are
severely limited – not least because the artificial intelligence of the guards is so glitchy. This is a real shame because the actual controls and stealth mechanics are very good, with a mix of old ideas, including special bows that can fire water or fire, and new elements such as the handy ‘swoop’ move, which lets you cross the ground without making a sound. Stealing items for fun and profit is addictive but while it’s an excellent kleptomania simulator, it’s too simplistic and repetitive to do justice to its predecessors. The chance to bring back a highbrow, first-person classic has been stolen from under the developer’s nose. David Jenkins
Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow 2 (360/PS3/PC) is a big disappointment. You take control of Dracula (right) but restrictive stealth sections and a terrible ingame cameraa ruin the experience. It’s also tediously linear, features a bland future London and has terrible dialogue spewed by Patrick Stewart and Robert Carlyle. Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare (360/XO) is not what you’d expect if you’ve only played the classic Tower Defense games. It’s primarily a third-person shooter but it’s unlikely to uproot Call Of Duty, though there’s a fair amount of depth to the combat and the setting is a welcome change. The controversial Senran Kagura Burst (3DS) is a sidescrolling beat ’em-up of fair quality and with all the sexist excesses of Japanese anime. More wholesome Japanese titles this week are PlayStation 2 RPG remake Tales Of Symphonia Chronicles (PS3) and an improved Windows version of all-time classic Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD Edition (PC). DJ
app happy new releases
Seene (iOS, free) Seene has just been crowned ‘the most innovative mobile company’ in the UK by a trade and investment group, and it’s no wonder with this wonderfully simple 3D photo app. By taking a series of snaps with your iPhone camera, Seene creates a movable 3D image that can then be shared on social media. With a bit of practice, it works perfectly well and gives your pictures an original edge without having to involve filters.
Timera (iOS/Android, free) If you’ve seen (and loved) any of the recent photo manipulations transposing scenes of old Dublin buildings on top of new, you’ll love Timera. This history buff-friendly app finds images from the past based on your current location. If you want to go one step further, you can compare and merge the old snap with one taken today and have a good old whinge about how lovely buildings were in the olden days.
TAkE 3 Best handsets from the moBile world Congress Samsung Galaxy S5 the s5 is expected to become the world’s best selling smartphone. a heart-rate monitor, fingerprint scanner that logs you into Paypal, 16mp camera, download booster that allows to use wi-fi and 4g at the same time are just some of its features. it’s even dust and water-resistant. April, www.samsung.com/ie Sony Xperia Z2 sony’s fully waterproof Z2 doubles as a 4K ultra highdefinition camcorder. the firm claims the Z2 has an iPhonebeating 5.2-inch iPs display with the widest colour palette on the market. another cool feature
is the 120fps slow-motion video capture similar to that on apple’s iPhone 5s. March, www.sonymobile. com Blackberry Q20 in a move that will please purists, Blackberry is returning to the classic physical keyboard from its 9900 (right) with the forthcoming Q20. this means the control bar between the screen and keyboard is back as well as an integrated trackpad. further details remain sketchy. James Day Summer/autumn, ie.blackberry. com
Only One (iOS/android, free) Not, as the name suggests, the latest dating app, Only One is a madly addictive eight-bit fighting game. Standing on an ancient pillar armed with a magical sword, your task is to defeat the oncoming hordes using your blade or by pushing them off the edge in a kind of medieval WWE Royal Rumble. Sounds basic, is basic, but all the better for it and there are 70 levels to complete. Although free, in-app purchases are available for special power upgrades.
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escape to: asia
Tuesday, March 4, 2014 METRO HERALD
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Take a risk and leap into Macau Macau & Hong Kong: Award-winning travel writer Isabel Conway visits the island territory of Macau where she decides against a bungee jump from its eponymous communications tower, before seeking some R & R in bustling Hong Kong
U
nless you spend your holidays looking for the scariest, highest bungee jumps on the planet, you may never have heard of the Macau Tower. I certainly hadn’t, until I found myself drawn like a lemming to its 338-metrehigh edge by the notice: ‘Why live on the edge when you can jump off?’
Eastern promise: Sunset in Hong Kong
Why indeed? Invited to pay good money to hurl oneself over the summit (following on the heels of adrenaline junkies like Jack Osbourne, Anthony Bourdain and Charlize Theron), or scale the mast of the tower on a two-hour long ladder climb, the place carries a health warning for anyone inclined towards vertigo.
➔
18 METRO HERALD Tuesday, March 4, 2014
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escape to: Asia
➔
We consider a gentle stroll around the outside observation deck to take in the panoramic views, the distant, misty outline of Hong Kong skyscrapers that look like tiny fingers across the South China Sea and mysterious, hilly mainland China behind us. Ooops… those forgetful builders didn’t add the handrail. Yet, long queues are snaking around the 61st floor of the Macau tower waiting to get out there and test their nerves, harnessed and attached to an overhead, steel-enforced lanyard, 233 metres above terra firma. The Venetian, MGM Grand, Sands, Wynn? No, it’s not Vegas – we are in Macau, the gambler’s paradise of Asia and home to 35 casinos (with more to come) that brought in a whopping $45billion (€32bn) last year, more than seven times that made on Las Vegas’s strip. Though decked with neon, Asia’s gambling mecca could never be mistaken for Vegas. Elvis impersonators are noticeably absent. So is the weird human zoo that tours the Vegas strip night and day. But big Vegas-style names are being brought here. Rihanna, Justin Bieber and Alicia Keys have performed in
“The gambler’s paradise of Asia brought in $45bn last year”
Asia’s Las Vegas: Macau is decked with neon
Macau and The Rolling Stones are expected soon. The vibe inside Macau’s temples to lady luck is one of reverence and silence. No shouts of victory and applause rent the air, just the occasional thump on a table to indicate fortunes made and lost. Nor will you be served free cocktails by scantily dressed smiling bar girls. I watched elderly women in dark uniforms shuffle around solemnly dispensing China’s favourite drug, a steaming cup of tea, to keep the gamblers at work. The Chinese philosopher Confucius said gambling was morally wrong. But he also said it was preferable to being lazy. More than 17 million mainland Chinese poured in last year. When The Sands Casino first opened, impatient crowds actually broke the doors down in their frenzy to get to gambling tables and one-armed bandits. After more than 400 years of Portuguese colonial rule Macau, a peninsula and two joined islands at the mouth of the Pearl river, has settled down to life as a Special Administrative region of China under ‘one country, two systems’.
SIA’S newest little tiger used to be more of a day excursion from Hong Kong which lies just 40 miles across the bay. Today, brimming with sights, museums and entertainment, Macau is well on the way to becoming an international tourist mainstay. Leafy squares of Portuguese pastel-coloured buildings give way to Taoist temples filled with joss stickwaving devotees. Laneways are crammed with bustle, food stalls displaying meat jerky, a speciality in these parts. Ritzy shopping malls tacked on to the casinos vie to relieve gamblers of their winnings. The southern countryside on Coloane Island has lush forest and hidden bays where pirates once hid. I was wilting after all the footslogging around Macau’s Unesco Heritage centre, including the elaborate A-Ma Temple and ruins of St Paul’s Church, once Asia’s most powerful Catholic landmark. Checking out the sumptuous So Spa at the Sofitel hotel, I decided to undergo their ‘jet lag relief’ massage. Would it work wonders? Yes, and I could (almost) have walked on the wild side at the top of the Macau Tower afterwards…
A
7 NIGHTS
a529 FOR UP TO 6 PERSONS T&C’s apply.
Taking in A spell of relaxation and calm in a spa was good preparation for the breakneck pace of my short stay in Hong Kong. True to the blurb the place is overwhelming, exhausting and completely fascinating. Arriving by boat at night from Macau, you gape in disbelief upwards at the illuminated monstrous feat of architecture – skyscrapers at the foot of hills, atop hills, somewhere half way up and down hills, appearing to defy gravity in this man-made world. In Hong Kong you hit the ground running, thankful they managed to squeeze in pavements at all in between all the skyscrapers. My Hong Kong-based friend Jakki has put together a whirlwind tour of the main attractions, foodie experiences and Soho nightlife. First we join the Saturday throng on the crowded Star ferries which have been running to Kowloon since the 1880s, chasing the perfect skyline view. Later, we are spirited up seriously steep hills on the world’s longest escalator (800m) called Central in the heart of Hong Kong island, the city’s commercial hub. After hours of shopping and footslogging, it is time for a rest. Jakki knows just how the locals deal with tired feet and stressed shoulders. Inside Gao’s Foot Massage Co on Century Square (open until midnight) we sink into oldfashioned deep armchairs, offering up muscle-bound calves and exhausted feet to young men with hands of iron who pummel them ferociously, yanking at toes, slapping
on oils as far as the knee, finishing with a deep soothing foot massage. Gao’s is a Hong Kong institution, several vast communal treatment rooms are filled with clients of all ages and a squad of masseurs works energetically on backs and shoulders, as well as feet. Hong Kong has a pace that is hard to describe. ‘The place seems to move so fast that if you blink the restaurant in front of you might have morphed into a mobile phone store,’ laughs an Irish ex-pat. Outside a Harbour City
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Tuesday, March 4, 2014 METRO HERALD
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TRAvEL DEALs Of THE wEEk TOp Tips MACAU: Be sure to sample one of the old Portuguese restaurants and Macanese fusion food. See www. macautourism.gov.mo for colourful festivals and events held throughout the year. In November the Macau Food festival is closely followed by The Fomula Three Grand Prix. HONG KONG: Public transport is excellent, but taxis are also cheap. Ride up to ‘the Peak’ aboard the funicular tram. As it whooshes up the steep incline, look right to watch the vertical city fall away from you. Join the locals and the ex-pats at Java Road market upstairs Food Court for amazing Cantonese food. n GETTING THERE: Cathay Pacific flies from London Heathrow to Hong Kong a few times daily. See www.cathaypacific.co.uk. Frequent ferry services link Macau with Hong Kong and the journey takes only 45 minutes with TurboJet ferries whose terminal is minutes from the airport arrivals hall. The MTR metro whisks you from the airport into the heart of Hong Kong at Central.
the view
shopping mall on Kowloon, visitors are sheltering from a sudden violent rain storm. Barriers are up around The Hermes store and police have taken up position. A robbery or a flood, you might think. No, in fact so many mainland Chinese shoppers have besieged Hermes that the assistants cannot cope with the mob. You can opt for the view from a 60th floor, middle-range chain bedroom in Hong Kong, stay in some of the world’s most exclusive
hotels, even CouchSurf. Or you can do what I did… take a trip back in time to Lamma Island, a gorgeous 30 minute-journey by ferry across the bay. My little hotel called Man Lai Wah was right on the water at Yung Shue Wan, the main village. The reception doubled as the family kitchen. No building is higher than two stories. Lamma is another world entirely, a rural paradise renowned for its cheap seafood restaurants, gorgeous walks and little beaches. Blissful.
n Destination: Phuket, Thailand Price: From €874pps Details: Includes seven nights accommodation in the four-star old Phuket resort Karon on a B&B basis. Return flights from Dublin with Etihad airways. Contact: Topflight Worldwide, tel: (01) 240 1788 www.topflightworldwide.ie n Destination: Golden Triangle, India Price: Eight days from €1145 pp, solo traveller from €1369 Details: Departs April 4. Price
includes flights, transfers, accommodation and all taxes. Contact: Sunway Holidays, tel: (01) 231 1800, www.sunway.ie n Destination: Trafalgar escorted tours highlights of the Italian Lakes Price: Eight days from €1159pp Details: Departs April 12. Contact: Sunway Holidays, tel: (01) 231 1800, www.sunway.ie n Destination: Romantic Danube – Amawaterways fivestar river cruises
Price: Seven nights from €1869pp – save €858 per couple. Details: Departs: April 14. Contact: Sunway Holidays, tel: (01) 231 1800, www.sunway.ie n Destination: Sunsail Club Vounaki, Greece Price: From £499pp (€605). Details: Departs May 4, 11 and 18. Seven nights half board. Flights from Gatwick, London. Free child places. Contact: Sunway Holidays, tel: (01) 231 1800, www.sunway.ie
Hire Terry. Hireland is a initiative of ordinary people who work in, and own, Irish businesses. We believe we have to change the way we think. Do things for ourselves. So Hireland is asking everyone who can pledge a job - to hire NOW. If just a small percentage of employers hire one person, we’re in business.
20 METRO HERALD Tuesday, March 4, 2014
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puzzles
METROSCOPE by Patrick Arundell
NEMI by Lise
Aries Mar 21 – Apr 20
You could feel pressed to come up with a plan, or even money. Inconvenient though this may be, you might find that it pushes you to solve an ongoing issue. Equally, conflicts and tensions could be exactly what’s required to create positive inner change.. For your forecast, call 15609 114 70
Taurus Apr 21 – May 21
Today’s Taurus Moon spotlights opportunities to connect with good friends and get the news and views. You may get more done over coffee with a pal than by attempting to find answers or opportunities yourself..
METROKU Easy, Moderate and Challenging. For solutions, visit Metro.co.uk/metroku
For your forecast, call 15609 114 71
Gemini May 22 – Jun 21
Getting a sense of what’s next could help relieve anxiety concerning your future. The presence of the Sun in Pisces at the top of your chart encourages you to formulate ideas, channel energies and review talents. Start small and take it one day at a time.
For your forecast, call 15609 114 72
Cancer Jun 22 – Jul 23
The wisdom of stepping back to get a fresh perspective on your situation, may seem sensible today. As a result, learning something new or enhancing a skill could be just what you need to get ahead of the game. This can be an opportunity to refresh your stock of ideas. For your forecast, call 15609 114 73
Leo Jul 24 – Aug 23
PEARLs BEFORE swINE
It could be the time to uncover useful data in order to advance your aims. The Moon’s link to Mars and Venus, however, suggests you may be tempted to skim over key information. Be prepared to go deeper and research your plan carefully. For your forecast, call 15609 114 74
Virgo Aug 24 – Sep 23
Strong desires may fuel your selfexpression, whether you channel this into a passionate romance or a creative project. With Venus now forging ahead and aligning with the Moon, you could be looking for pleasures that are lasting.
DOWN 1. Adornment (10) 2. Rub out (5) 3. Scorch (4) 4. Behind (6) 5. Slaughterhouse (8) 6. Plunder (7) 11. Circus manager (4-6) 13. Gently (8) 14. Accomplish (7) 16. Maintain (6) 17. Art (5) 20. Prevalent (4)
Yesterday’s Solutions Across: 1 Paralysis; 8 Own; 9 Crestfallen; 11 Dresser; 12 Alien; 13 Return; 15 Recede; 17 Class; 18 Average; 20 Intelligent; 22 Out; 23 Endlessly. Down: 2 Air; 3 Lotus; 4 Stairs; 5 Salvage; 6 Considerate; 7 Insincere; 10 Eventually; 11 Direction; 14 Rosette; 16 Pallid; 19 Exile; 21 Nil.
You could be provoked into doing or saying the wrong thing, particularly as today’s Moon Mars connection, might leave you feeling frustrated. Later, as the Moon edges into Taurus calming your mind and feelings, you may find yourself reflective. For your forecast, call 15609 114 76
scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22
It’s possible you’ll have an emotional reaction that might need a follow-up discussion, especially if opinions differ. Smoothing over any rough edges can require careful handling. You might also find forgiveness can be a soothing balm. For your forecast, call 15609 114 77
sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21
Crosscurrents could make this a trying day for certain alliances, particularly if you have doubts concerning the wisdom of someone’s idea. One way around this may be to ask a lot of questions and dig in a little deeper yourself. For your forecast, call 15609 114 78
Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 20
With Mars and Saturn rewinding, you may wonder how committed you are to your goals. Yet, even amid restrictions, delays or denials, it can help to muster your resolve and keep striving. For your forecast, call 15609 114 79
Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19
You may need to keep your cool today if someone shares an opinion, or points out your flaws. However, as the Moon glides into Taurus later, you might find it easier to hold your own. For your forecast, call 15609 114 80
Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20
Use your own style of sharing when communicating today, as this can bring additional co-operation from those in your everyday environment. However, enthusiastic plans may need careful monitoring. Get feedback on ideas you’ve been mulling over. 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
ACROSS 7. Ground (5) 8. Theme (7) 9. Notice (7) 10. Narrow to a point (5) 12. Loud-voiced (10) 15. Arsonist (10) 18. Artless (5) 19. Hits (7) 21. Abuses (7) 22. Sham (5)
Libra Sep 24 – Oct 23
ENIGMA Horses often take their ease, Upon the crops we grow from these. Also used (though it’s not pleasant), To describe a gormless peasant. WHO AM I? An actor, comedian and musician, I was born in Santa Monica in 1969. I have a comedy rock act called Tenacious D. My films include Shallow Hal and School of Rock.
WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? WHO… changed his name from Robert Zimmerman and found fame as a singer/songwriter? WHAT... type of mammal has a bottlenosed variety? WHERE... is Espiritu Santo, the largest island of that group? WHEN... did the Wars of the Roses begin?
QUIZ ANSWERS: ENIGMA: Hayseed. WHO AM I? Jack Black. WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? Bob Dylan; Dolphin; Vanuatu; 1455.
Crossword No. 926 See next edition for solutions
For your forecast, call 15609 114 75
L.IE.CC.01.2014.0204
Puzzled? www.berocca.ie Your daily high performance vitamin
rugby six nations
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Tuesday, March 4, 2014 METRO HERALD
O’Driscoll tips rising star Robbie to fill his boots by DANNy HOgAN Send-off: O’Driscoll will be playing his last Ireland home game against Italy this weekend picture: inpho
Brian O’DriscOll has backed robbie Henshaw to assume the mantle of ireland’s next great outside centre. Former captain O’Driscoll threw his backing behind the 20-year-old connacht centre to succeed him in ireland’s coveted no.13 shirt. icon O’Driscoll is fully fit and ready to surpass George Gregan’s world-record 139 Test cap haul in ireland’s rBs 6 nations clash with italy on saturday, but the 35-year-old rebuffed any sentiment ahead of his final ireland bow at Dublin’s aviva stadium before his summer retirement. Backing three-cap Henshaw to lead the next generation of midfield talent, O’Driscoll said: ‘robbie is a very, very talented young lad, who is a great listener, a really good young talent, and really good lad too. ‘i think he has all the attributes to be a seasoned campaigner for ireland for many years. ‘Then you have the beauty of guys who have played there before in luke Fitzgerald, someone like Jared Payne who qualifies in november.
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Wait: Tuilagi
tui soon to unleash Manu, says Lancaster Manu Tuilagi is back in the England set-up but coach Stuart lancaster has warned that this weekend’s showdown with Wales could be too soon for the midfield star. Tuilagi and fellow threequarter Marland Yarde have recovered from the respective pectoral and hip injuries that have prevented them from participating in the championship to date. With luther Burrell performing well in Tuilagi’s usual no.13 jersey, lancaster is under no pressure to rush him back, and the coach insisted Tuilagi and Yarde would have to produce something spectacular in training to be involved this week. ‘They’d have to go some in the next couple of days, it’s fair to say,’ lancaster said. ‘it’s a big ask for Manu to come back having had such a long period out.’ Elsewhere, italy have called up Scottish-born second row george Biagi to their squad for their trip to Dublin, replacing the injured alessandro Zanni. and tighthead prop Euan Murray has joined up with the Scotland squad ahead of Saturday’s visit of France after missing the opening three Six nations matches with a thumb injury.
‘Robbie can be a seasoned campaigner for Ireland’ ‘as 13s absolutely robbie and Darren cave are well-placed; we’ve an abundance of talent coming through. so i think we’re in a good place with guys coming through, and in no time no one will remember me!’ O’Driscoll admitted he thought last March’s 13-13 draw with France in Dublin would prove his final ireland turn on home soil, but threequarters of his bonus season later, he finds it easier to shrug off the emotions of retirement the second time around. and with ireland still top of the six nations table, O’Driscoll is refusing to focus on anything other than a title send-off. ‘i’m excited about it being a last home game, for sure, in that it will be one to remember,’ he said. ‘But at the same time and more importantly it’s an opportunity to put ourselves in an opportunity to win the six nations. ‘i really won’t think too much on the final games until it’s done and dusted, and there’ll be plenty of time to reflect on it afterwards.’
spORT DigEsT
Hamilton’s ready to pump it up FORMULA ONE
Lewis Hamilton says he has never felt more ‘pumped’ ahead of the new season. After a fourhour hold-up because of a gearbox problem, the Mercedes man posted the fastest lap on the final day’s testing in Bahrain. It was also the second quickest over the eight days at the Sakhir circuit behind Williams’ Felipe Massa. The new regulations remain a
concern for Hamilton ahead of this month’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix but the Briton remains confident. ‘There’s so much to learn with these new cars. It’s just mindblowing and I don’t think anybody can be fully ready for the challenge,’ he said. ‘But I feel as ready as I can be, and I’m looking forward to seeing where we are in Melbourne.’
THEy sAiD iT... ‘I didn’t play well enough to deserve to win today. It’s very disappointing’
Off to a flier: Hamilton
Rory McIlroy admits he only had himself to blame after blowing a two-shot lead on the final day of the Honda Classic and losing to American Russell Henley
Yes Khan do, says Pretty Boy
bOxiNg Floyd Mayweather Jr says he will fight Amir Khan if the Brit beats Adrien Broner. Mayweather fights Marcos Maidana in May, but said Khan could be next, tweeting: ‘I don’t
have an easy fight on May 3, 2014, so I can’t overlook @ChinoMaidana but @AmirKingKhan, if you and @AdrienBroner end up fighting each other on my show and you win [which you won’t]… I’ll fight you.’
Manning given the all-clear
NFL Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has passed a physical on his surgically repaired neck, clearing the way for him to play next season. League MVP Manning, who broke single season records for touchdowns and passing yards en route to a Super Bowl defeat, was contractually required to pass the exam.
22 METRO HERALD Tuesday, March 4, 2014
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football capital one cup final
premier league
City silver service not a given for Kompany
Sherwood plots raid on Bridge tim sHErWooD insists tottenham can surprise league leaders chelsea on their own patch this weekend. the 45-year-old spurs coach feels that pressure hampered his side in the 1-0 home win against cardiff on sunday. But as they come up against the table-toppers at stamford Bridge, sherwood hopes they can cause a shock as they attempt to ambush the champions League positions. ‘When the expectation is not with you, it makes it a little bit easier,’ he said. ‘Games against chelsea at the Bridge, arsenal at the Emirates and Liverpool at anfield, perhaps the pressure’s off us a little bit and we can cause a surprise. ‘We’re going to chelsea, and that’s tough, but sometimes the expectancy works against you.’
by DAnny gRiffiTHs Manchester city may have plans to dominate the footballing landscape but Vincent Kompany insists they will never take success for granted. city came from behind to beat sunderland 3-1 in sunday’s capital One cup final and could return to Wembley for the Fa cup final in May. Manuel Pellegrini’s side are also in with a great chance of winning the Premier League but must overturn a two goal first-leg deficit in their last16 champions League tie with Barcelona next week if they are to have any hope of landing a quadruple. sunday’s trophy may be the least prestigious on offer but city captain Kompany is determined to enjoy the moment all the same. ‘this victory means a lot to the fans; it means a lot to us,’ said the Belgian.
Benteke is tipped for greatness
‘We will cherish every time we win a trophy’ ‘there is nothing better than lifting a trophy. It is an incredible feeling. ‘But one thing at a time. Bear in mind for our club it is a new trophy [their first League cup since 1976]. ‘I want everybody to cherish it, first of all. It should give us the confidence and make us believe we can still win trophies, and we need to believe for the rest of the season. ‘But these experiences don’t happen too many times. We will cherish every single one.’ city are also spurred on by a determination to avoid a repeat of the upset of last term when they surrendered their league title and lost to Wigan in the Fa cup final. ‘Last year has been the fuel for our season so far. there are a lot of things you can do when beaten but the main thing was to improve and work harder. We are still doing so,’ he added.
Wink and you’ll miss it: Kompany is determined to savour every success that comes City’s way
aston ViLLa manager paul Lambert has hailed striker christian Benteke as a worldclass player, but one that is still far from the finished article. Benteke bagged a brace – a spectacular overhead volley followed by a header – in sunday’s 4-1 win over norwich to take his tally to ten goals this season. the 23-year-old hit the net 23 times in his debut campaign last term, and Lambert said: ‘if he does over the second half of this season what he did last season then we’re talking about having an absolute world-class player on our hands.’
Picture: aP
O’Brien seeking more Paddy’s magic ODDbALLs cricket John’s perfect Oscars pitch @MetroHSport
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Ambition: O’Brien
ExpEctations can weigh heavily on the mind but ireland’s cricketers are no strangers to carrying such a burden, and as they begin final preparations for this month’s icc World twenty20, Kevin o’Brien insists they can deliver another stirring performance on the global stage. the all-rounder was part of the side that shocked pakistan in 2007, an abrupt victory that initiated the vast and unfaltering cricketing blossoming, and seven years on is targeting another triumph on st. patrick’s Day, this time against Zimbabwe in their cup opener. ‘it’s been a kind day to us in the past and i hope it’s a good omen
for when we play Zimbabwe in the first match, it’s a massive game for both teams,’ he said. ‘We have serious ambitions about going all the way in this tournament, and if we play to our ability, there’s no reason why we can’t but we have to hit the ground running.’ ireland must initially negotiate a group containing Holland, the UaE and Zimbabwe, with any defeat likely to prove fatal. ‘it’s not ideal,’ o’Brien added. ‘However, if we can come through the first round, we’ll come into the tournament off the back of three competitive games which would be far more beneficial than a couple of warm-up fixtures.’
If ClevelanD Indians pitcher John axford had a few quid [or more accurately a few bucks] on the Oscars he would have made a fortune. axford (pictured) has posted predictions on his facebook page for the past few years, with a respectable hit rate, but left his fans stunned when he got 18 out of 18 correct this time. The
30-year-old was quick to share his delight with his 76,000 Twitter followers after the final award went to 12 Years a Slave to complete the clean sweep – and reckons he will go for all 24 categories in 2015, tweeting: ‘WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 18 for 18!’ In 2013, axford made 15 predictions and got only one wrong.
football international
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Keane eager for the phoney war to end by DAviD KEnnEDy
fOOTbALL DigEsT
In the dock: Adam
Potters to appeal Adam’s FA charge
Roy Keane is relishing the opportunity to bring his winning mentality to the Republic of Ireland’s bid to qualify for euro 2016. The 42-year-old former skipper admits he has enjoyed the four months that have passed since he accepted new manager Martin o’neill’s invitation to become his assistant. However, having attended last week’s draw for the new qualifying campaign in nice, which saw Ireland pitched into battle with Germany, Poland, Scotland, Georgia and Gibraltar, along with o’neill, Keane is desperate for the pleasantries to end. The pair led their side to a 3-0 home victory over Latvia and a goalless draw in Poland in november, but are now looking toward the games which really matter. Keane said: ‘I am enjoying working with Martin and [goalkeeping coach] Seamus McDonagh and all the rest of the staff and the players. ‘But we know, obviously, the bigger tests are to come. If we couldn’t have enjoyed the last few months, there’s something wrong. ‘We understand it will get serious in the next few months, and even with these friendlies – people have been very polite
SToke have vowed to ‘vigorously appeal’ Charlie Adam’s violent conduct charge for an alleged stamp on Arsenal’s olivier Giroud. The incident during the second half of the Potters’ 1-0 win over the Gunners on Saturday was not seen by referee Mike Jones and his officials at the time. However, the Football Association has acted retrospectively after viewing video footage of the match, and charged the Scot yesterday. But Stoke immediately issued a statement which read: ‘The club have learnt the FA have chosen to charge Charlie Adam following an incident involving olivier Giroud in the Premier League game against Arsenal. Charlie and the club are surprised and disappointed to learn of this and will appeal vigorously against the decision.’
12 Day break from the league for Swansea. ‘With recharged batteries we’ll be fit for the last ten games and hopefully we’ll get as many wins as possible,’ said full-back Angel Rangel.
‘It will get serious in the next few months’ and give us good backing, but we are here to get results. ‘We are under no illusions about that, Martin and myself. We have been in the game long enough. It’s well and good getting pats on the back, but we are here to win football matches, and that will be tough. But we are ready for it.’ The draw and the Group D fixture list which has now been drawn up have served to focus attention, and Keane admits he cannot wait for September and the opening game in Georgia to come around. He said: ‘I enjoyed the trip with Martin last week and I am looking forward to the games, very tough games for different reasons. But I always said to the players and every time I have been involved with Ireland, you have got to believe you can go and win every football match, and hopefully that’s what we can bring to the group. ‘It’s a very tough group, but one we’re looking forward to. everybody keeps saying that we’re going to be up against some good teams, but we’re a good team so, no, roll on September, we’ll be ready.’ o’neill, Keane and the bulk of their squad met up in Portmarnock on Sunday to begin preparations for tomorrow night’s friendly against Serbia at the aviva Stadium. Sunderland skipper John o’Shea, who suffered Capital one Cup final heartache at Wembley, and Crystal Palace defender Damien Delaney were both due to join up last night, while QPR keeper Brian Murphy has been drafted in as cover for injured newcastle counterpart Rob elliot.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014 METRO HERALD 23
Yeung verdict ‘no impact on Blues’
Long jump: Hull striker Shane Long leads the Ireland players through drills in Malahide yesterday
BIRMINGHAM City insist Carson Yeung’s conviction on moneylaundering charges will have no effect on the club. Yeung, the club’s majority shareholder, was found guilty on five counts of money laundering by a court in Hong kong yesterday. The 54-yearold, (pictured), had denied laundering Hk$720 million (€67.2m) through his bank accounts between 2001 and 2007. In a statement Birmingham’s acting chairman Peter Pannu said: ‘I’d like to reassure everyone that today’s verdict will have no impact on the day-to-day operations at the club.’
Hughton’s hopeful
Double act: Keane is settling in well alongside manager Martin O’Neill pictures: inpho
NoRwICH boss Chris Hughton is fully expecting City’s latest hammering to have another galvanising effect on his shell-shocked players. The Canaries were blitzed 4-1 at Aston Villa on Saturday, but Hughton’s men have a good record in bouncing back from bad defeats this season. ‘we’ve a side that has generally been able to pick itself up after a difficult period or result and to churn out a better result,’ said Hughton. ‘Now it’s how we respond, and we’ve a group of lads that generally responds very well.’
SPORT
24 METRO HERALD Tuesday, March 4, 2014
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picture: inpho
Winning will never get old for trophy-thirsty Kompany
«see page 22
iRFU ‘must seize any chance’ to get Sexton Bringing Johnny home would be huge boost, says o’Driscoll
by DAnny HOgAn
MOving On wiTH MARTin Roy Keane was firmly looking to the future yesterday as the Republic of Ireland began preparations for tomorrow’s friendly against Serbia. The Corkman spoke warmly of his relationship with current boss Martin O’Neill, above, and was unmoved by a weekend newspaper interview with
former Ireland manager Mick McCarthy which revisited the fall-out from the pair’s clash in Saipan in 2002. Asked if he had rolled his eyes when he saw the report, Keane replied with a smile: ‘Well, I roll my eyes most mornings. It doesn’t surprise me. I have no problem.’ FooTball – page 23
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Brian O’DriscOll has admitted that the return of Jonathan sexton to leinster ahead of the next World cup would be a massive boost to ireland’s hopes and has encouraged the irFU to jump at the chance to bring the out-half home should the opportunity arise. sexton is contracted at racing Metro until summer 2015 having left leinster last year, but there have been suggestions the irFU will seek to buy him out of the second year of his French contract to bring him back to leinster. sexton’s move to Paris leaves the union unable to control his playing schedule and the 28year-old suffered for overwork during ireland’s autumn Test schedule, picking up a hamstring strain after 13 club games in just ten weeks. a fresh injury wrangle last week – racing claimed a thumb injury picked up against England could rule the player out for up to six weeks while irish medics insist he could be fit to face italy this weekend – underlined head coach Joe schmidt’s complaint that ireland had ‘lost control of the player’. stalwart centre O’Driscoll refused to comment on behind-the-scenes dealings, but admit-
charged pards told to expect the worst ALAN PARDEW has been warned he could be banned for the rest of the season after the English Football Association charged him over his clash with Hull’s David Meyler on Saturday. Pardew appeared to headbutt Ireland midfielder Meyler and has been hit with a ‘non-standard’ improper conduct charge which means, if proved, the offence cannot
be treated in the same way as other more common disciplinary matters. There is no prescribed punishment and should Pardew admit the charge – his swift apology suggests he has little alternative – or be found guilty, he could face a significant penalty which may even amount to a stadium ban, with some speculation Newcastle could even
consider sacking him. Former Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd last night warned the 52-year-old to expect the worst. ‘It will be bigger than a tenmatch ban, they will really go to town,’ he told the BBC. ‘Twenty million people saw it and I have a feeling the FA will make an example of him.’
ted sexton’s return would be a boost to boss schmidt’s preparations for the World cup in England next year. ‘i don’t want to talk out of turn where Johnny is contracted to racing, and i think it Outside control: Sexton would be disrespectful to them to say we were looking at taking him away from them,’ he said. ‘i think everyone is in agreement that we didn’t want to see him go, and if a situation arose where he did come back, and some agreement was made, i don’t see that possibly being a negative. ‘i’m sure the national management would like to be able to control his game-time a little bit more than they currently can.’ ireland’s coaching staff hope sexton will be able to train today.
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boD Taps successor – p21
Season over? Pardew