Metro Herald, Wednesday, March 19, 2014 by Metro Herald

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Did you graduate from UCD in 2004? Join your classmates from Class of 2004 and return to Belﬁeld on Friday 28th March for your 10 year reunion celebration

Book your ticket today at www.ucd.ie/alumni/my-class-reunion

Yes Egan: Kian edges back to reality

SKY Catwalk star sings from the soul

»p6

»p13

‘War crime’ as Russians kill soldier

A UKRANIAN soldier was shot dead in Crimea yesterday as tensions with Russia boiled over into violence. The officer died from his wounds after being shot in the neck at a military base on the outskirts of the territory’s capital Simferopol. There were mounting fears last night the escalation could lead to war, with interim Ukrainian prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk describing the attack as a Russian war crime. He also authorised his servicemen to use weapons ‘to defend their lives’ and said the conflict had ‘moved from the political to the military stage’. A military spokesman said another solider at the base had been injured

ANTI-TERRIER UNIT: A sniffer dog is kitted out during training ahead of the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague, Netherlands, which takes place next week picture: epA

by DANIEL BINNS

while the rest had all been arrested. It is the first army death in the conflict since Russian troops surrounded military bases in Crimea when they invaded last month. Only hours earlier, a defiant Vladimir Putin officially declared Crimea part of Russia as his officials mocked Western-imposed sanctions as ‘insignificant’. The Russian president signed a treaty confirming the move a day after 97 per cent of voters in the peninsula backed plans to formally split from the rest of Ukraine. Meanwhile, the USA and EU contin-

ued their tough talk against Moscow and vowed further punishment following their announcement on Monday of travel bans and asset freezes against 29 influential Russians. But the threats were laughed off in Moscow, with some even describing the sanctions as a badge of honour. Duma member Sergei Mironov, who is on the EU sanctions list, said: ‘It’s funny that they’re freezing accounts… I have no accounts. Let them impose whatever sanctions they like.’ In a Kremlin speech, Mr Putin accused the West of hypocrisy for ‘suddenly remembering’ international law

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

METRO HERALD Wednesday, March 19, 2014

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From the archives (2013): The pope? Then I’m Napoleon

He may be Catholicism’s new leader, but that wasn’t enough for one doubting receptionist. Phoning a Jesuit residence in Rome, Pope Francis identified himself, only to be told: ‘Oh yes? And I’m Napoleon.’ The 76-year-old pope finally managed to convince the receptionist of his identity.

Today’s birthdays Philip Roth, novelist, 81; Ursula Andress, actress, 78; Glenn Close, actress (right), 67; Harvey Weinstein, film producer, 62; Bruce Willis, actor, 59

CLOCkwORD

The solutions from 1 to 12 are all six-letter words ending with the letter N in the centre. Moving clockwise from 1, the letters in the outer circle will spell out the name of a late Hollywood film director. 1. Big gun 8. Unsullied 2. Concealed 9. Eastern sub3. --- Doody, continental Indiana 10. Lay out Jones actress 11. Source 4. Blush 12. Logic 5. Non-expert Yesterday’s solution: 6. Flag Kaspar Hauser 7. Western bar

Weather Weather Today

Max: 17°c

Today will be very windy but very mild. Strong and gusty southerly winds are expected. It will be mainly dry with sunny spells, the best of the sunshine in eastern areas. Western coasts will have patches of light drizzle or rain. Temperatures between 13°C and 17°C.

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Donegal

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15�C Belfast

Cavan

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Tonight

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14�C Sunrise: 6.30am Sunset: 6.36pm

Min: 5°c

Starting off mainly dry. However, heavy rain will develop in the west by midnight and will spread to all areas by morning. It will be quite windy also with fresh to strong southerly winds. Temperatures between 5°C and 8°C.

EUROPE today

Tomorrow

Follow us on Twitter: @metrohnews @metrohsport Join us on Facebook for news and updates throughout the day: facebook.com/metroherald

Starting off wet with heavy rain in many areas. The rain will clear eastwards with showers following. Temperatures between 6°C and 9°C in moderate westerly winds.

6�C 7�C 9�C 8�C

9�C

Athens

19 °c

Barcelona

18 °c

Berlin

12 °c 17 °c

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Brussels

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London

9�C Max: 9°c

Geneva Madrid Paris Rome

18 °c 18 °c 21 °c 16 °c 18 °c

Wednesday, March 19, 2014 metro herald

Sex, drugs and B&B by metro herald Staff

A mAn who rented his flat out for the weekend via Airbnb was shocked to discover an orgy was taking place when he returned. Ari Teman, 31, reportedly found people tossing around his furniture when he opened the door to his apartment in Chelsea, new York. He had rented it out to a man called ‘David’ for $300 (€215) per night through house share website Airbnb.com, he wrote in a blog post. ‘my first impression was that I had been robbed by a very large crew,’ he told the new York Daily news. ‘There was a huge posse of large men and women in hip-hop attire looking like they got tossed from a club, hanging out in front.’ Teman, who is a comedian, apparently discovered a sex party was taking place when he put ‘David’s’ number into Google and found an advertisement for a ’booty bash’. He added: ‘I had to call 911 and have these “XXX Freak Fest” people removed from my apartment.’ Despite reportedly receiving $23,817 (€17,000) from Airbnb.com for the damage caused, Teman said he was still getting evicted by his landlord.

Summit to prove IF YOU thought life was a balancing act then you haven’t met these guys. Pictured against the beautiful backdrop of Snowdonia, Wales, thrill-seekers walk 75m in the air. The stunt made for a spectacular photo opportunity as Guy Ruyssevelt, Jacob Hirsch-Holland and Tom Parker slowly inched their way along a 40m long rope at the summit of Mount Tryfan. ‘They made it look incredibly graceful and, from a distance, it looked as if they were walking in the sky,’ said photographer Ray Wood, who trekked two hours up the mountain to snap the daredevils. pictures: ray wood/caters

METRO HERALD Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Mellon spared speeding rap CHARITY boss Niall Mellon has been spared a speeding conviction after paying €250 to charity. The property developer appeared at Dublin District Court yesterday as a result of the non-payment of an €80 speeding fine. A fixed penalty notice had been sent to his address but was not paid. Mellon, of Goatstown, Dublin, told Judge Michael Coghlan he spends a lot of time overseas. Judge Coghlan told him to pay €250 to the poor box. Meanwhile, former ‘king of the clubs’ Robbie Fox was cleared of speeding yesterday after his wife Martina confirmed she was driving at the time – and was fined €100.

Neary was ‘not alarmed’ at Quinn’s secret Anglo stake by ED cARTy

Burglar shot by farmer’s son A DRUG addict was left with 17 pellets in his arm when the son of a farmer shot him as he tried to flee from a house he had broken into. Matthew Fahey, 36, had burgled the house of Richard Lowndes, 79, in Swords, Co Dublin. Mr Lowndes’ son confronted Fahey and discharged his shotgun at him. Fahey, previously of Cappagh Road, Finglas, pleaded guilty to a number of burglaries.

Picture perfect Brian Ormond, Pippa O’Connor and their son Ollie got in the frame to launch National Portrait Day, kicking off a fundraising initiative in association with Canon for the ISPCC. For one week from March 29 you can get a professional portrait for €25. See www.nationalportraitday.ie Picture: leon farrell

IRELAND’S former financial watchdog has said he was not alarmed when one-time billionaire tycoon Sean Quinn called personally to his office and mentioned he had a secret shareholding in Anglo Irish Bank. Patrick Neary told the fraud trial of three former Anglo executives that Mr Quinn was free to invest in Contracts for Difference (CfDs) without being questioned by regulators. The bankrupt businessman built up a secret and ultimately doomed €2.4bn stock holding using the then unregulated contracts. Former Anglo bankers Sean FitzPatrick, 65, of Greystones, Co. Wicklow, Willie McAteer, 63, of Rathgar and Pat Whelan, 51, of Malahide, have pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 16 charges of providing unlawful loans for clients to buy shares in the bank to unwind the Quinn holding in July 2008. Mr Neary repeatedly denied knowledge of Mr Quinn’s secret CfD position before March 21, 2008, despite the private and unplanned meeting with him in the regulator’s headquarters in Dublin two months earlier. Mr Neary said: ‘His private investments were his own business. He [Quinn] ventured to tell me he had a small portfolio of CfDs in Anglo and Ryanair and he was getting rid of them. I don’t think it raised any alarm with me when he said he had small positions and he was going to liquidate them.’ The trial, which began in February, is expected to last for another several weeks. Mr Neary resigned from his position as financial regulator in January 2009 at the height of the financial crisis in Ireland.

Accident forces Irish ice walkers to turn back from Polar mission 2 Year Diploma in Drugs Counselling Theory & Intervention Skills (NFQ Level 7) 2014/2016 Certificate applicants (Year 1 candidates) may exit the programme on successful completion of the course with a Certificate in Drugs Counselling Theory/Intervention Skills. The Diploma is awarded by University College Dublin. It is listed in the National Qualification Frameworks, at Level 7, with 60 ECTS credits. This professional training course is an opportunity for individuals with a serious interest or currently working with drug users to gain intensive training in this interesting and complex field. The course includes classroom teaching and placements in specialist drugs services. This course offers a progression pathway into a degree programme, Bachelor of Social Science (BSocSc) with UCD.

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TWO Irish adventurers have been forced to abandon their attempt to walk to the North Pole. Clare O’Leary and Mike O’Shea – also known as the LifeProof Ice Project team – made the decision to turn back because of injuries sustained following an accident. The pair, who were attempting to become the first Irish people to walk to the North Pole, had covered 14km on Saturday. On Sunday, while lowering O’Shea’s 80kg sled, a large block of ice became dislodged and moved before falling, injuring both walkers. Mr O’Shea suffered an injury to his back and Ms O’Leary’s knee was damaged. A charter flight scheduled to resupply the team on Monday was able to land on the ice at their location and brought them back to their base in Resolute, Northern Canada. The walkers are expected to return to Ireland over the next seven to ten days. Through Twitter they thanked wellwishers and said they were ‘sore and disappointed but safe.’

On ice: Mike O’Shea and Clare O’Leary hoped to walk to the North Pole The team began their 778km expedition, which is described as one of the toughest challenges in the world, on March 7 from Cape Discovery in Northern Canada. They had covered over 60km in rough conditions.

Steve Daverio, European managing director of project sponsors LifeProof, said: ‘We could not be prouder to have supported Mike and Clare in their daring attempt to reach the North Pole.’

Wednesday, March 19, 2014 METRO HERALD

Witnesses sought after man fatally injured on street GARDAÍ want to speak to a taxi driver as part of their investigation into the death of Jason Saunders. who was found with serious head injuries outside a pub yesterday. Investigating officers believe Mr Saunders, 21, was attacked with a golf club early yesterday morning after attending a party in the Fassaugh Avenue area of Cabra. He was discovered outside a shop near the Cabra House Pub at 7.40am. Emergency services attended to the man at the scene and he was taken to the Mater Hospital, but pronounced dead at 8.30am. The scene was sealed off for a full technical examination and State

Book your place Nahla Burke and Children’s Books Ireland Book Doctor Kim Harte celebrate the eight books shortlisted for the Children’s Books Ireland Book of the Year Award. See childrensbooksireland.ie Picture: Photocall

A VETERAN republican was questioned last night about the murder of Jean McConville – a mother of ten abducted, shot dead and secretly buried by the IRA more than 40 years ago. Ivor Malachy Bell, 77, was detained at his home in the Andersonstown area of west Belfast. Police refused to identify the man, but republican sources confirmed it was Bell. Mrs McConville, 37, was seized at her home at Divis Flats beside the Falls Road in Belfast by an IRA gang in December 1972, after being accused of passing information to the British Army. An investigation later carried out by the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman rejected the claims. Louth TD and Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, has consistently denied having anything to do with her disappearance even though former members claimed he ordered the kidnapping. Mrs McConville’s remains were found in August 2003 on Shelling Hill beach in Co Louth. No one has ever been charged with the murder.

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A GLOBAL gaming company is to create 250 jobs at its customer service centre in the west of Ireland. ZeniMax, which has set up its European operations base in Galway, is to hire 70 French speakers and 30 German language experts, as well as 150 English speakers to support players on an online game. The company created the popular The Elder Scrolls series and is enhancing its customer services to meet demand for troubleshooting for players via in-game chat and email. ZeniMax created about 180 jobs in Galway after announcing plans for the centre in 2011 and now plans a further 250 positions as it expands operations. The company, headquartered at Hunt Valley, Maryland, in the US, bills itself as a premier developer and publisher of gaming software and is working with recruitment firm Kelly to hire the new staff. Boyd Beasley, customer support director at ZeniMax, said: ‘We have been impressed with Kelly’s willingness to partner with ZeniMax to develop creative ways to staff our team with the qualified candidates we need.’

Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy performed a post-mortem examination on the body. Garda Superintendent David Taylor said that they are eager to speak to a taxi driver who dropped off a number of people in the area. He said: ‘If you’re the taxi man who dropped people here at Fassaugh Avenue near the Centra shop we’d like to talk to you as you may have important information.’ A 23-year-old man was arrested and was being detained last night at Finglas Garda Station while a 25year-old man was also being held

in connection with the case at Blanchardstown Garda Station. Superintendent Taylor also appealed for people with any information to come forward, especially a number of people who stopped to assist the victim. He said: ‘Fassaugh Avenue is a very busy road that leads into the city, and it would have been busy at this hour of the morning with people heading into work and also people making deliveries. ‘There are a number of convenience stores along Fassaugh Avenue, so we are calling on anybody who was heading into work or making deliveries to come forward.’

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Missing MH370 families threaten hunger strike in search for answers DISTRAUGHT relatives of the missing Malaysia Airlines passengers have threatened a hunger strike unless they are given more accurate information. Families vented their frustration over ‘contradictory’ statements about search efforts for Flight MH370. As tempers became frayed during a meeting with air-

by SHAROn MARRiS

board. About 26 countries have joined in the search for the aircraft, which was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Among the latest theories is that of a US-based pilot who said the crew could have been trying to reach an airstrip at Palau Langkawi,

Threat: A relative of a Chinese passenger on board Flight MH370 shows a paper reading ‘Hunger strike protest, respect life, return my relative... tell the truth’ after a meeting with airline officials in Beijing

Flames come from the wreckage of a US news helicopter after it crashed near a TV station, leaving two people dead yesterday. The KOMO-TV aircraft was trying to land on the studio roof when it is believed to have hit the side of the building in Seattle and smashed on to the cars below pIcturE: ap

60 seconds

Ex-Westlifer and Voice of Ireland judge kiAn EgAn, 33, has released his first solo album, Home, but will be happy to be back surfing in Sligo when it winds down Home is your debut album, how have you found it? It’s

been pretty daunting to be honest, coming out of Westlife and being thrust into the idea of doing it on your own. It wasn’t something I had planned, I wasn’t saying ‘I’m going to come out of Westlife and release a solo record’. It was more a case of, I did I’m A Celebrity… last year and I came out of that and got offered a record deal. I didn’t actively look for one at all. I just thought what an amazing opportunity, I’d be crazy not to take it. After that I just went into the studio and started recording, started playing around with it. I definitely feel like I’ve separated myself a little bit from Westlife. It’s not a gazillion miles away, it’s not a heavy metal album, it’s a little bit grittier, a little bit grainier. Not as polished as the Westlife stuff.

Did you find the songwriting process different? The song-

writing process in Westlife was a bit unusual in that it didn’t exist. It was very much a case of here’s a load of songs, what do you like, or here’s a load songs, here’s what we like. Whereas with this I got to sit down and pick the songs myself

and pick the ones I want to do. The record label was very happy to let me make decisions, which is cool.

You had a bit more artistic control, so? Don’t get me wrong,

we weren’t super controlled in Westlife but because there was more than one person having an opinion it was quite a different take on it all. So for me, this is so much different and so much more me, and I’m having so much fun doing it. I’m just really happy with it.

Was it a lot of fun being back in the studio after a while away? It was quite nerve wrack-

ing at first. It was fine in Westlife because you always had someone to fall back on. If I couldn’t hit that then Shane or Mark could take those parts, they’re much better singers than me. So when I got back into the studio, I was thinking is this going to be good enough, am I going to be able to do this? After recording the first two songs and hearing myself back I was absolutely going for it.

Did you have a lot of support from the Westlife fanbase?

The Westlife fans have been

“

When the jungle came around I thought: ‘What’s the worst case scenario?’ I make a t*t of myself and get chucked out

incredibly nice. Things like Twitter and Facebook lit up continuously with people saying well done. It’s lovely to hear and I’m taken back by it all. For me, it’s not about people buying my album; it’s not about how successful it is. It’s about that I got to do it. Hopefully I get to get to get on stage and play it. I play guitar on the tracks, it’s more of that for me than it is standing at the side of a boy band singing backing vocals.

last 15 years of my life doing has ended, and even though it’s been amazing, lingering on that could have a negative effect. I was lucky to have something to move on to. When the jungle came around, I thought why not? What’s the worst case scenario? I make a t*t of myself, I get chucked out, and I come back. And low and behold, three months later, here I am releasing an album.

Are you going to play some gigs? I mean this has happened so

Have you enjoyed spying out some new talent on The Voice? The Voice is an amazing

quickly, I came out of the jungle, I signed a record deal, I made an album, I put it out St Patrick’s weekend. It’s incredibly quick. Right now, I’m thinking let’s do this bit and we’ll worry about that afterwards. I don’t want to come back and do gigs on my own. I want to do the mini festivals like the Sea Sessions in Bundoran or the random little festivals around the country. I just want to be part of that scene more.

Has the recording and TV work helped you after the end of Westlife? Doing those

things was lovely to refocus my brain. The thing that I had spent the

an archipelago near the Malaysian mainland, after a blaze broke out. Chris Goodfellow said: ‘The loss of communications makes perfect sense if there had been a fire.’ But other flight experts insisted pilots ‘will always inform someone of a fire’ before it disables systems. Meanwhile, Malaysia urged all countries on the plane’s potential path to re-analyse radar data.

platform for people that struggle to get out there. You can come, you can enter a show, and if you get chosen, it can be a great platform. A lot of people that have done The Voice, OK haven’t gone on to sell millions of albums worldwide, but they’re all making a living from being singers. I would love to find someone that can cross over but the industry is so small, it’s more difficult.

When the album buzz has wound down, have you any plans to relax? If the album

winds down in the next month or

Deadly dispatch

line officials in Beijing, one Chinese woman said she was considering a hunger strike in protest. She turned to others in the room to ask who would support her and saw a show of hands. Malaysian authorities insisted they were only holding back information when it was ‘necessary’ to do so. The Boeing 777 went missing on March 8 with 239 people on

two, I’ll go back to Sligo. Put my feet up, go surfing and enjoy the summer. That’s one plan. The other plan is, if it goes well, I’ll probably go back out on the road. I’ll probably spend the summer touring the UK and Ireland. Just have to wait and see. I had something solid for a long time, so it’s exciting not knowing what I’ll be doing.

Sam Williamson Home (Rhino Records) is out now

Wednesday, March 19, 2014 METRO HERALD

EU RO

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MARY

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ELECTIONS

FITZPATRICK DUBLIN’S EUROPEAN CANDIDATE www.maryfitzpatrick.ie

ABOUT MARY

POLITICAL CAREER

PRIORITIES

» Educated in Cabra & UCD » Graduated with a Degree in Italian & German » Emigrated in 1980s - worked in France, Germany, Italy & USA » 20 years in hospitality, manufacturing, education, construction & telecoms sectors » International business & marketing roles in pioneering businesses (Associated Press and Verizon) » Returned to Ireland in 1998, in an International Business Role » Married to Seán with 3 children

» Dublin City Councillor since 2004 » Leader of FF Group on City Council » Chair of Dublin Central Joint Policing Committee » Chair of Strategic Policy Committee (Arts & Culture) » Board Member of Dublin City Enterprise Board » Founding Member of Cabra for Youth

» To be a strong voice for Dublin in a fair and equal Europe » Ensuring adequate infrastructure to drive Dublin’s economic recovery » Supporting Small & Medium Sized Enterprises to create employment » Promoting Dublin as a European Research & Development hub » Tackling crime in the capital » To make Dublin a better place to live, work & enjoy

Phone: 086 832 3961

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T w i t te r : @ vo te m a ry fi t z

Fo ll ow M a ry o n Fa c eb o o k

METRO HERALD Wednesday, March 19, 2014

★

★★ ★ ★

I’m a flabby size 8 and I need to get bum toned S

arah harDING is paranoid her solo bid is being weighed down by her ‘bouncing thighs’ after the star dubbed herself as ‘a flabby size 8’. Despite her enviable pop figure, the 32-year-old has hit the treadmill in a bid to regain her washboard stomach. ‘I was a size 6 from all the dancing in Girls aloud and I must have been under eight stone and that is not a healthy weight,’ the blonde star admitted. ‘Now I am a flabby size 8 and my thighs and bum really need toning. I don’t want them bouncing back on me! I was always sporty before the band and I was a gym bunny.’ harding is the last of the disbanded girl group to go it alone in the music business, which she is now game to do after putting rehab and wild partying behind her. ‘My twenties were definitely for break-ups and hangovers and it’s a real learning curve. I think your twenties are the most dramatic years

Mamma M.I.A! Can I have $16m, Madge?

by ANDREI HARMSWORTH of your life,’ she explained. ‘I am forever going to have that coming back and biting me on the arse but we all make our mistakes. ‘I went through a lot of s***… mine just got publicised.’ harding insists she has ‘grown up a lot’ and hopes to have kids by 35 after falling in love with childhood pal, DJ Mark Foster. But first up, she must overcome a daunting debut tomorrow when she will perform in front of royals at Kensington Palace in London with an acoustic set for charity. ‘I guess when you take time out of the limelight, your confidence does take a knocking,’ admitted the anxious star. ‘I have never met William and Kate before so hopefully I will get to meet them.’ Lining up a musical treat for the royals, the star added: ‘There is this one particular track called alter-Ego that I love. It’s a bit of a sinister track. It talks about my other side.’

M.I.A has pleaded with Madonna to give her $16million (€11.5m) to get her out of the never-ending Super Bowl legal battle. The 38-year-old Bad Girls rapper is being sued after she flipped the bird during a half-time performance with Madge at the 2012 game – witnessed by 167million viewers. ‘@madonna ummm ..... can i borrow 16 million?’ the star, real name Mathangi ‘Maya’ Arulpragasam, asked on Twitter. The American National Football League has upped its lawsuit from an original demand for €1.2m, citing breach of contract.

Going it alone: Sarah Harding makes her solo debut tonight

PICTURE: foRm PhoTos

miley keeps it clean... but her bus is smoking

iend pole dance danc in New Ne Orleans PICTUREs: PaCIfIC CoasT NEws Clothed: Miley and a friend

Miley Cyrus stunned everyone when she pole danced… and managed to keep her clothes on. The pop stripper kept things tame by her saucy standards as she practised her moves on a pole during a boozy night out with pals in New Orleans. A visit to a voodoo store, karaoke bar and a fried chicken shop were all part of the fun. In fact it was all fun and games until disaster struck when one of the buses on her Bangerz tour went up in flames. Cyrus’s younger sister Noah, 14, captured the blaze on video before tweeting that they were a ‘bus down’. It was first thought church

protesters had torched the vehicle – but it was later said to have caught fire when a tyre blew as it travelled towards Miley’s show in New Orleans. Despite the bus being completely destroyed, Noah tweeted: ‘Yes, everyone got out safe no one is injured what so ever!! Everything is okay!!’ The Wrecking Ball singer also retweeted a photograph of the charred scenes but has yet to comment on the incident. It was another blow for the 21-year-old whose set designers are being sued by a builder who claims he was injured by a giant tongue used in the show.

Kanye tries to be cool

Kanye West has been sent to anger management classes after dodging jail for an attack on a photographer. The 36year-old struck a deal after pleading no contest over the incident with Daniel Ramos in LA last year. West agreed to 24 sessions, 250 hours of community service and 24 months of probation.

The big bet theory pays out in waves for Hawking

Gogglebox? Turn it into a Googlebox MANY of us have stared in wonder at shiny internet-ready TVs that come with some of our favourite websites built-in – only to gulp at the hefty price. But the answer could be a €35 dongle that gives your ageing set instant access to the likes of YouTube and Netflix. Google’s Chromecast, which goes on sale today in the UK, plugs into a standard HDMI slot found on most flatscreens and streams a range of content while using the viewer’s Android or iOS smartphone as a TV remote. It has been available in the US since July where its makers claim it has been well received. Its competitive price means it is cheaper than similar devices from Apple and Roku. While no date has been set for its Irish release, Chromecasts bought from the UK will be fine with Irish televisions. Stuart Miles from gadget website Pocket Lint said: ‘Chromecast has huge potential to “smarten” your TV for a fraction of the cost it has been possible before. While it might not be as powerful as the Apple TV, the idea of being able to quickly share content from your phone to TV will appeal to many.’

Wednesday, March 19, 2014 METRO HERALD

by nicOLE LE MARiE

Biting the dust Roman Polanski stands in a coffin as he takes part in the presentation of musical Dance Of The Vampires in Paris Picture: reuters

TO MANY scientists, a breakthrough in understanding the big bang was the most exciting news for generations. But to renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, it was a chance to win a bet with a rival. The discovery of gravitational waves in the universe proves his theory of ‘inflation’, and shows Neil Turok is wrong to believe there were a series of big bangs. ‘It is another confirmation of inflation,’ Prof Hawking told the BBC. ‘It also means I win a bet with Neil Turok, director of the Perimeter Institute in Canada, for cyclic universe theory predicts no gravitational waves from the early universe.’ Inflation is the huge burst of energy after the big bang, when the universe inflated in size by 100trillion times, in a speed faster than the speed of light,

But Prof Turok, who has worked with Prof Hawking, may not be ready to admit defeat just yet and said the find revealed by a US team in the South Pole on Monday Wager: Hawking was ‘not entirely convincing.’ He said the bet rested on results from the European Space Agency’s Planck space telescope, which last year failed to spot signs of gravitational waves. Prof Hawking is well known for waging bets with other scientists. He lost about €70 to Gordon Kane at the University of Michigan after betting scientists at Cern, home of the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, would not find the Higgs boson. They succeeded in July 2012.

10 METRO HERALD Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Rocker dismisses claims he had split from L’Wren Scott before she killed herself

Jagger: I’ll never forget her

DEVASTATED Mick Jagger yesterday paid tribute to girlfriend L’Wren Scott and admitted he was struggling to come to terms with her death. The Rolling Stones singer opened up about his pain on Facebook, while dismissing claims that he had split from 49-year-old Scott before she was found hanged in her New York apartment on Monday. ‘I am still struggling to understand how my lover and best friend could end her life in this tragic way,’ Jagger, 70, wrote online. ‘We spent many wonderful years together and had made a great life for

by ANDREI HARMSWORTH

ourselves.’ He also celebrated Scott’s glittering fashion career as it emerged her business, LS Fashion Ltd, was more than €4million in debt. ‘She had great presence and her talent was much admired, not least by me,’ added Jagger, who thanked stars of the fashion world such as Anna Wintour, Naomi Campbell and Nicole Kidman for their backing. ‘I have been touched by the tributes that people have paid to her and also the personal messages of support that I have received,’ he added. Jagger, who

dated L’Wren for 13 years, ended his message by adding: ‘I will never forget her.’ Jagger’s 22-year-old model daughter Georgia immediately shelved a trip to Melbourne where she was due to take part in a fashion parade. The rocker broke his silence as friends revealed Scott had been ‘acting strangely’ in the weeks before her death and had stopped answering calls. It followed further claims that she had self-harmed and battled depression.

Jagger learned about Scott’s death while in a Perth restaurant. Following the news, the Rolling Stones postponed all seven dates of their 14 On Fire tour of Australia and New Zealand. In a statement the band thanked followers for their support ‘at this difficult time’ and promised to rearrange the gigs. Reaction from fans on Twitter was supportive. Sue@Suerow tweeted: ‘It’s a blow for the fans but I’m very glad to hear the Stones have called off their tour. It’s the only right thing to do.’ In love: Jagger and Scott

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Sombre: Georgia May Jagger makes her way through Sydney airport after cancelling a planned appearance at a fashion parade in Melbourne

PictuReS: SPLaSh/ePa

2-year-old killed by Mafia Italy, and riddled with machine gun A BOY of two and his mother were fire, instantly killing Orlando along among three people shot dead in a with his girlfriend and her Mafia hit against a child, who was sitting on mobster. his lap. Two other boys, The child, called aged six and seven, were Domenico, was in a car unhurt in the back seat. with his mother, Carla Italian prime minister Maria Fornari, 30, and Matteo Renzi expressed her new partner, Cosimo his shock at the killings, Orlando, 43 – a convicted saying: ‘This is a painful mobster recently released atrocity and I feel it first on parole. as a father and then as The vehicle was forced premier.’ off the road near Taranto, Painful: Renzi

.99

UN chief fears fresh Gaza conflict A UN POLITICAL chief has claimed a surge of IsraeliPalestinian violence last week brought the Middle East to the brink of a new crisis and underscored the importance of forging ahead with flagging USled peace talks. Jeffrey Feltman, briefing the Security Council yesterday, also called attention to the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, appealing to donors to help raise €180,000 a month needed to resolve an acute shortage of medical supplies. Feltman’s comments came a day after US president Barack Obama met with Palestinian counterpart

Mahmoud Abbas (pictured) in an effort to help break the logjam to the peace talks. With the negotiations due to end April 29, there has been a growing sense of pessimism in both sides and few signs of a break-through. Last week saw the heaviest

fighting between the two sides since 2012. Militants fired some 70 rockets into Israel while Israel carried out a series of airstrikes in Gaza. ‘Last week, with the situation in Gaza, we came very close to the brink of another crisis in an already volatile region,’ Feltman said. ‘We should take this as yet another reminder of the need to work together to restore prospects for durable regional peace.’

Wednesday, March 19, 2014 METRO HERALD

Police altered scene, World say Pistorius lawyers

digest

Most wanted drug lord surrenders

PHOTOGRAPHS of the bloody scene where Oscar Pistorius killed his girlfriend show evidence was interfered with, a court has heard. They illustrate that evidence – including the 9mm pistol with which the Paralympian shot Reeva Steenkamp through a closed bathroom door – was moved, his lawyers argued. Images of a cricket bat Pistorius used to hit the door also showed inconsistencies,

by niCOLE LE MARiE chief defence lawyer Barry Roux told the high court in Pretoria, South Africa. Questioning police photographer Bennie van Staden, Mr Roux said it ‘seemed there was movement of the bat’ in the interval between two images. ‘It seems like that,’ replied Mr van Staden. The photographer also conceded two images of the gun indicated a mat underneath

it could have been shifted. Under questioning, he reiterated his assertion that he was alone while taking the pictures. Pistorius, 27, is accused of murdering Ms Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year at his home in the capital. He has pleaded not guilty, claiming he mistook the 29-year-old for an intruder. Prosecutors say Pistorius killed the model following an argument. The trial continues.

SERbiA: A drug lord who was on the run for five years has been arrested following a CIA hunt. Darko Saric (pictured) surrendered after being tracked down to Latin America. The 43-year-old Serbian was taken to Belgrade for questioning. He has been in hiding since his alleged multi-million-pound cocaine smuggling operation was disrupted by police in 2009.

Surfer girl’s ‘shark bite’ may have been mackerel AUSTRALiA: A young surfer sparked a shark attack alert yesterday when she suffered a ‘significant hand injury’. The ten-year-old, a regular at the Lennox Head, New South Wales, boarding hot spot, was taken by paramedics to Lismore Base Hospital. However, later reports suggested her assailant was merely mackerel and that she suffered a ‘scratched thumb’.

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VEnEzUELA: A protester holds a stone in front of a burning bus in San Cristobal as protests continued against President Nicolas Maduro’s government Pic: ReuteRs

boy, 12, exposed as country’s youngest hitman pERU: A hitman who led a shoot-out in a café that murdered three rival gang members and a policeman was just 12 years old, it emerged yesterday. The boy is the youngest hired killer that has ever been arrested in Peru. Acting with two 16-year-old accomplices, the young mob enforcer collected protection money and illegal taxes from businessmen in the central city of Chincha.

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and finally... CHinA: A restaurant owner who couldn’t be bothered to take the small change from his business to the bank has used it to buy himself an Audi. Li Peng spent a week counting the money which was readily accepted by a dealer in Handan.

Britain warns of dangers posed by Russia’s ‘chilling message’ « fRoM PAge 1 following its invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, but insisted Moscow had always respected the territorial integrity of Crimea and was merely reflecting the will of its people. ‘In the hearts and minds of people, Crimea has always been and remains an inseparable part of Russia,’ he said. He also promised not to ‘carve up’ Ukraine following complaints from Kiev that Russian forces have been massing on its eastern border. ‘Don’t believe those who try to frighten you with Russia and who scream that other regions will follow after Crimea. We

do not want a partition of Ukraine.’ But UK foreign secretary William Hague told the House of Commons there was a ‘grave danger of provocation’ in Ukraine which Moscow could use as a pretext for further intervention. and called for international monitors in the region. Prime Minister David Cameron added later in a statement: ‘The steps taken by President Putin today to attempt to annex Crimea to Russia are in flagrant breach of international law and send a chilling message across the continent of Europe. ‘It is completely unacceptable for Russia to use force to change borders, on the basis of a sham referendum held at the barrel of a Russian gun.’

Grand Cer: Putin and Crimean leaders sign the draft bill in Moscow’s Grand Kremlin Palace PictuRe: ePA

12 METRO HERALD Wednesday, March 19, 2014

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Why fogey Roche and not BOD for Paddy’s Day Marshall?

hy was Stephen Roche the Grand Marshal of the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin? his achievements, while indisputable, date back 20-something years at this stage. Why not Brian O’Driscoll? he’s well back from France by now. If you’re looking for a contemporary Irish sporting legend, surely BOD’s your only man, not someone whose last big achievement was in the 1980s. SH, D2 ■ hear, hear Ciara. I’m sick of having to stand in the rain outside bus shelters because some selfish smoker is standing inside indulging in his or her disgusting habit. There are designated smoking areas in the grounds of hospitals, so it’s about time those who are waiting to use other public amenities can do so without a lungful of smoke. Why just the other day I (politely) asked a

man who was standing smoking in the doorway of a Dart carriage, with the fumes blowing back into his fellow passengers, to please stand away and to have consideration for others. I couldn’t repeat his response, but suffice to say it was as noxious as the smoke coming from his cancer stick. Any suggestions on how to deal with these kind of situations would be very welcome. Coughing Carol ■ Now that a solution has been found to help hardcore cigarette junkies give up, the Government has to jump on the opportunity to make some money via taxes. This will push up the price of these electronic cigarettes, thus discouraging other would-be quitters from trying them. If they really cared about the health and well-being of smokers, as they say they do, they would be glad of an alternative that works. OK, they still have nicotine, but at least not the tar and many other carcinogenic substances found in real fags. Vaping Vinnie

Quick pic

MELLOW YELLOW: A bee collects nectar from some colourful flowers in Cabinteely Park on St Patrick’s Day. Colin Byford captured this lovely spring shot. Send your photos to pictures@ metroherald.ie with ‘Quick pic’ as the subject and we will print the best each day in the paper

gOOD On yA

yEH Big RiDE

● Thank you to the 15B driver who paid for my 15-year-old daughter’s taxi after she missed the last bus out of town on Saturday night, she had no credit to ring us. Thankfully she got home safe! We are all so grateful. Thank you. K, Ballyroan.

● To the lovely fair-haired specked lady who comes up to me to buy daffs every weekend but who lives in Dublin, you really are my favourite customer... Dinner? ;)

RAnDOM AcTs Of kinDnEss

TREnDing

#EdnaKenny

● Eh, something not quite right...@PRyan: Honored to meet with Taoiseach Edna Kenny last week. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Journalist @fionnansheahan

● Edna strikes again: US politician Paul Ryan misspells Taoiseach’s name in tweet.

@orlaryan

A (not so secret) admirer

yOuR RusH-HOuR cRusH @metrohnews #metromailbox

● Irish news has a laugh @ Paul Ryan for mixing up PM Kenny’s name on Twitter ’

@dnewhauser

● Him. & Ron Burgundy should get together to discuss Irish politics #EdnaKenny.

@mcbride_caitlin

WIN TICKETS TO A SPECIAL PREVIEW SCREENING OF

THE WINTER SOLDIER! Metro Herald have teamed up with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Ireland to celebrate the release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, based on the popular Marvel comic book series. After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” finds Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk.

The exciting event takes place on March 24th at the Savoy Cinema, O’Connell Street. To win a pair of tickets simply answer the following question:

WHICH ACTOR PLAYS THE TITLE ROLE OF CAPTAIN AMERICA? A. CHRIS EVANS B. BEN AFFLECK C. CHRISTIAN BALE Text CAPTAIN, followed by your answer A, B or C, your name, email and postal address to 53133 (texts cost 60c + standard network charge).

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Wednesday, March 19, 2014 METRO HERALD

claire bidwell smith’s powerful memoir on losing her parents p18 Singer sky Ferreira won’t be told how to look – which has gone down better in fashion circles than with music execs, writes Naomi Mdudu

e’re all familiar with what happens when successful child stars dare to come of age and seek independence in the public eye. US singer Sky Ferreira did things the hard way, insisting on working on her own terms. Despite being only 21, she’s already had a fraught career thanks to battles with her record label, which was intent on pushing her as a mainstream pop artist. ‘The best outcomes I’ve ever had with stuff is when I’m being myself and not changing, or toning it down,’ she says.

‘even though that route is a lot harder, slower and more painful when people judge and poke fun at you, at least I’m doing what I want and I can stand behind what I do.’ And there’s been no ‘toning it down’ of late: she’s been touring with fellow wild child Miley Cyrus, and made headlines when she carried on performing despite suffering a nasty injury to her leg in a backstage fall. Ferreira is often painted as moody and difficult but the young woman I meet, sitting knees up, relaxed on the sofa in a London hotel suite, is far from that picture. While there’s definitely a take-noprisoners side, what is instantly apparent is that there’s also a vulnerable, sensitive soul underneath, who feels as though she’s spent most of her life fending for herself. With the highly anticipated release of her debut album, there’s a lot to talk about, but Ferreira is primarily here to discuss

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interview

her latest gig, fronting a campaign for haircare giant Redken. ‘My mum used to chase me around the house with Redken products because I never comb my hair, which is why it’s so ironic that I’m doing this,’ she laughs. Ferreira grew up in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, raised principally by her grandmother, who was Michael Jackson’s hair stylist. ‘As a kid, my hair would have these big matted bits,’ adds Ferreira. ‘It would literally look like a rats’ nest so my mum would sit with products trying to comb the mats out.’ Ferreira hated school and turned to music as an escape. ‘I got bullied,’ she says. ‘I just remember thinking, “Once I make all of these albums everyone will understand me and I will never have to explain myself again,” which is ironic because it’s been the complete opposite. I guess I could be doing a lot worse – at least I love what I do.’ She talks at length about having an identity crisis. Music executives tried to mould her into whoever was topping the charts and shelved her music that went against that. Combined with the pressures of social media – she is constantly targeted by online trolls – it’s enough to take its toll on any young adult. ‘I’ve been through it all already. I think that’s why I’m so grounded

and haven’t let it get to me,’ she says. ‘I’ve been shelved like ten times and have been publicly bullied so I feel like I’m glad that all happened before my album came out.’

AVIng ‘been through it’ also refers to her arrest last year. Police accused her of possessing ecstasy and her boyfriend was charged with possessing heroin. At the time, her career was on the up after the release of her hit Everything Is Embarrassing, one of the surprising anthems of 2012. Friends made fun of her and posted her mugshot on Facebook and it went viral. Her mum found out by watching Cnn. While she admits she put herself in a bad situation, she strongly denies having a drug problem and, rather than allowing the episode to overshadow her music, focused on her debut album, out last January. Five years in the pipeline, night Time, My Time feels like Ferreira’s arrival. It’s the music she’s always wanted to make, fusing strong pop vocals with krautrock and electronic influences and despite the delay, she had it written, mixed and mastered in just three weeks. ‘I had a lot of anger in me that I think was suppressed,’ says Ferreira. ‘I have a hard time communicating things so when I finally recorded the album it was like: “Oh, I finally said it.” It was therapeutic.’ Argentine film director gaspar noé shot her topless and vulnerable in a shower for the cover art; a move that didn’t go down well with her label, which wanted something safer – a look, she says, that’s the opposite of what the record is about. Vulnerability is a theme that runs across her performances. She

Her way: Model and singer Sky Ferreira’s unconventional looks seem to be a winner with designer fashion labels has broken down in tears at gigs and wanted to use the record to talk about the sexual abuse she experienced as a child as a way to connect with fans who have gone through similar situations. ‘I think that honesty is why I’ve

All change: A stylist tends to Sky Ferreira’s hair; right, a photo shoot for haircare giant Redken brings out the softer side of the Los Angeles native

maintained my fan base over the past five years,’ she says. She puts much of her success down to support from the fashion industry and modelling gigs that funded her music when her label wouldn’t. She’s starred in campaigns for adidas with nicki Minaj, walked the runw runway for Marc Jacobs and is the muse of Saint Laurent designer Hedi Slimane, whom she met after dropping something off at his LA studio for a friend. ‘I hadn’t combed my hair for two days and had racoon eyes after sleeping with eyeliner on,’ she says. ‘I got there and I didn’t kno who he was. It’s know more about personality. I’m not necessarily a conve ventional model. I don’t

think people hire me for my height and my body and stuff. It’s not really to wear the clothes it’s the way I wear them.’

“They hire me for the way I wear the clothes” Right now she’s enjoying both worlds. ‘I’m always up for trying different things. That’s why when people ask me if it bothers me that people put me as a “model slash musician”, I say no, because I get to be something outside myself and try new things.’

Life home cinema

Wednesday, March 19, 2014 METRO HERALD

Game-changing, action-packed smash ender’s game (12)

the hunger games: catching Fire (12A) dVd, Blu-ray, Vod HHHH✩

At last – a blockbuster sequel you can actually look forward to! Part two of this game-changing, female-led action franchise based on Suzanne Collins’s dystopian YA best-sellers reunites us with cinema’s coolest heroine, 17year-old archer Katniss Everdeen (iconic Jennifer Lawrence). Having survived and won the ‘Hunger Games’ – wherein teenage representatives from each district in a fascist state are sent to fight to the death, shown as live entertainment on TV – Katniss here emerges as the reluctant symbol of a burgeoning social revolution. As such she is a danger to President Snow (a superbly dastardly Donald Sutherland) who hurls her back into what’s essentially the ‘celebrity’ version of the games, where she has to fight against previous adult victors. The CGI-heavy action stuff doesn’t pack many original surprises, but it’s effective enough in what’s essentially a bridging instalment scripted intelligently, if too faithfully to its original, by

dVd, Blu-ray, Vod

HHH✩✩

Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire, The Full Monty). There’s now a sad reminder of the passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman, who appears as Plutarch Heavensbee (he will be CGIed into the final part of the trilogy). Meanwhile, Lawrence’s mature, penetrating performance lifts the material to another level. Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Harrison Ford wears his best stern face for this futuristic thriller based on the young adult novel by Orson Scott Card. He’s a colonel training kids to fight aliens in space – and he reckons Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) is their best chance of defeating a hostile race known as the Formics. The focus is chiefly on Ender and his fellow military recruits, a diverse group of young teens struggling to adjust after being plucked out of school and plonked into training. Butterfield is likeable as the seemingly average boy discovering his leadership qualities, while Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) makes a decent tough-girl ally and Abigail Breslin delivers as Ender’s older sister back home. None of the characters have the depth they could – there’s a lot of video game-style action to compete with, some of which outstays its welcome. But this still effectively explores the moral dilemmas of a young man thrust into a position of power. A solid teen sci-fi that should appeal to fans of the book. Anna Smith

short term 12 (15A) dVd, Blu-ray HHHH✩ How childhood can make or break you is the theme pulsing through writer/ director Destin Cretton’s South By Southwest award-winning US indie film, which throws humane light on the residents and staff at a shortterm foster care facility for at-risk teens. Brie Larson has rightly garnered huge acclaim for her role as twentysomething Grace, the caretaker at this halfway home, who deals with her dozen charges with compassion, alongside her co-worker boyfriend Mason (John Gallagher Jr). But a combination of a suddenly uncertain future and the arrival of hostile, self-harming Jayden brings Grace’s own tumultuous past rushing back and sends her into a tailspin of emotional outbursts. This could easily have been a syrupy, sentimental movie – but Larson captures Grace’s pressure-cooker intensity with extraordinary vividness, and Cretton walks the line between tough and tender with remarkable skill throughout, making us care for all his characters. Siobhan Murphy

DAncE REvIEw From Mack the Knife to the poignant Julia, from the bawdy taverns of Wapping to German secret agent ‘Vicky’, Bolger has ensured that every facet of Bernelle, and her cabaret persona, emerges: the energy and the caustic wit, the joy and melancholy, harnessed with her irrepressible passion and artistic drive. All the nuances of bawdy humour and tenderness are caught in the strutting, technically shining dancing of Justine Cooper, Mónica Muñoz Marín, Emma O’Kane, Nick McGough, Jonathan Mitchell and Don King Rongavilla – individually and in exuberant collusion. Atmospheric, vivid and almost haunting, try to catch this show in the very theatre where Agnes worked for many years with her trademark voice and spirit.

AgnES, COISCÉIM DANCE THEATrE ‘And I don’t only sing with my voice,’ confides the late Agnes Bernelle – the eponymous heroine of this bewitching dance show – in her throaty tones. Choreographer David Bolger and his electric ensemble of six dancers prove this to be immaculately true through their highly physical evocation of her life and spirit. Berliner turned Dubliner, chanteuse, actress, wife and mother, wartime secret agent and cabaret artist extraordinaire, Bernelle comes vividly to life, in public and private, through the dancers’ insinuation and the clever selection of the songs she recorded. Sinead McKenna’s intuitive lighting, partnering with the simple mirrored set design of Maree Kearns, is as chameleonlike as Bernelle herself and we are seamlessly transported and immersed in those songs and in her times.

Five films to see at the cinema

1 2

Under The Skin Five-star reviews for this marvellously mysterious masterpiece about a sexy, maneating alien (Scarlett Johansson, right) who falls to Earth in Glasgow.

The Grand Budapest Hotel Ralph Fiennes (playing the world’s smoothest concierge), Bill Murray, Jude Law and a barely recognisable Tilda Swinton are just some of the guests starring in this elegant and witty caper from Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums). The Lego Movie Because sometimes you just want to go and watch brightly coloured things bip about and make you happy. Witty – and way way too good for kids.

Seona MacReamoinn

Until March 22, Project Arts Centre, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. Tickets from €15

The Unknown Known The latest work from the inestimable Errol Morris (The Fog of War) is a portrait of donald Rumsfeld, which sees the oscar-winning documentarian grilling the former uS defense secretary about his part as a key player in the war on terror.

Her An inspired, high-concept romcom, about a man (Joaquin phoenix) who falls in love with a honeyvoiced computer programme, that snaffled the best original screenplay oscar right from under American hustle’s nose.

last chance to see ThE RockET

hugely uplifting hope vs adversity tale of one ten-year-old boy’s struggle to lift a family curse. Think a mini Slumdog Millionaire, set in Laos.

looking ahead ThE MuppETS MoST WAnTEd

It’s (nearly) time to play the music! It’s (nearly) time to light the lights! It’s the forthcoming Muppet sequel grownups – and kids – have been waiting for. out March 28.

16 METRO HERALD Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Life television WhaT I’m WaTChInG Kate mara VeeP

I think Veep is absolutelyy hilarious and everyone in that show is ridiculously good. I particularly like Tony Hale, who plays Gary Walsh (pictured right), ’s the aide to the Veep. He’s an of such a genius. I am a fan watching political shows – but this is a very different take on it to House Of Cards, which I’m in.

W1A BBC2, 10pm If you enjoyed the satirical comedy Twenty Twelve’s take on the world of PR then you will be delighted to see that having delivered the London Olympics, Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville, centre), the go-to man for looking mildly baffled by the madness of bureaucracy, has another big job on his hands: defending the BBC. Or, more accurately, he’s their new Head of Values, whatever that means. Jessica Hynes (far left) is also back as deliciously vacant PR Siobhan Sharpe, now posting selfies from around the meeting-room table. As Fletcher tries to find a desk to put his feet under, he’s whisked off on a round of meetings about meetings. The tone is spot-on from the start and David Tennant’s narration is the cherry on the cake.

film of the dAy ROBIN HOOD, FILm4, 9pm No, not the one that has the Bryan Adams song that topped the charts for what seemed like four years – this more recent take on the hooded outlaw tale sees Russell Crowe forsake tights for some burlier leather as Robin Longstride (we don’t know where the name came from either). Freshly returned from the Crusades, he finds himself embroiled in a rebellion against England’s new King John, and as an experienced warrior is unable to sit on the sidelines as his country falls apart. It’s basically Gladiator with bows and arrows, but director Ridley Scott portrays an eye-catching backdrop as Crowe grunts his way admirably through Sherwood forest and beyond. Cate Blanchett adds to the fun as the Lady Marion, a woman whose actions do not exactly make her live up to the name of ‘lady’.

GirlS

I just love it. It’s not any one thing – I wouldn’t call it a comedy and I wouldn’t call it a drama. What I love is the mind of Lena Dunham (pictured above with Patrick Wilson). It’s not necessarily about relating to it, although I’ve lived in New York, it’s because it’s so unique. You don’t know if it’s going to be funny or if it’s going to be dark.

mi the miNdy ProjeCt

ChAmPioNS leAGUe liVe RTÉ2, 7.30pm It’s been an awful season so far for manchester United, and tonight they sit in the last chance saloon in their pursuit of silverware, possibly having to win the Champions League in order to qualify for the group stages again next year. It won’t be easy for David moyes’ men either, as they face Greek champions Olympiakos, who go to Old Trafford with one eye on the next round, clutching a 2-0 lead. Can Wayne Rooney (pictured) and co turn it around, or will they play out another Greek tragedy?

my fAVoUrite tV ChArACter

the fASteSt-ChANGiNG PlACe oN eArth RTÉ1, 11.40pm White Horse Village is a tiny farming community deep in rural China, but it won’t be for long. Ten years ago, it became part of what is the biggest urbanisation project in human history, the Chinese government planning to turn

It’s weird, I’ve picked another show with hilarious women, but I just love this. Mindy (pictured left) is so talented and she’s had such hilarious actors on that show. But I do love watching dramas, too – I saw Broadchurch and The Fall. I watched all five episodes of The Fall back to back and I thought Jamie Dornan was just great in that. It took my breath away.

it into a city of more than 200,000 people in just a few years. This documentary follows the lives of three people over six years as they watch the creation of a new road network and 300 of the world’s biggest dams.

It’s so hard to pick one, there are so many. But I’ll go for Adam Sackler in Girls, played by Adam Driver (right). He’s such a complex character and Driver plays him so well. You don’t know if you’re supposed to love him or hate him, he’s so layered. What can I say? I like interesting people. Kate Mara stars as Zoe Barnes in House Of Cards. Season two is available now on Netflix.

dance

to advertise, call 01 7055010

Rising to the occasion This was Gweedore in the 1970s. There was huge pride and interest in the traditional cultural forms, so loads of six-year-old boys like myself did it. I knew I was interesting in pursuing dance, having spent a summer in the US taking classes in all forms – jazz, tap, modern ballet – but then I went off to study physics at DCU. I taught physics and maths for a while but was still keeping the Irish dance thing going Riverdance was the big break for me. I was invited to be in the original in 1994 and there were a few of us handpicked by Michael Flatley, so we referred to ourselves as the Birmingham Six. I became dance captain and then took on the lead role when Flatley moved on... it was a terrific experience. I always wanted to make my own dance. After 2,500 shows with Riverdance maybe it was time to do something different as there is always the risk of becoming institutionalised. I went back to study, did an MA in Dance from the University of Limerick and then went out into the world of creativity. My first show Nochtú was a success and in a way was about what I wanted to do. This was a show about stripping back to the essentials of dance and getting inside the identity of the dancer. I was

WHy is nOT sAfE TO usE My MObiLE pHOnE On A pLAnE? It totally is. The Mythbuster boys on the Discovery Channel completely debunked this. You think an airliner carrying hundreds of people thousands of miles in the air in millions of euro of equipment would even allow you step on board with a device that could potentially affect the controls? And be honest – you totally just put that iPad to sleep and then immediately start playing again the minute the air steward walks past, and you haven’t died in a plane crash yet, have you?

WHy is A sEATbELT sO fLiMsy in A pLAnE cOMpARED TO THE REAL DEAL in A cAR? Some argue seatbelts on a

plane are pointless – Michael O’Leary is one – while others argue they are actually counterproductive, and that people can be so panicked during a crash they cannot get them off. To understand the difference between car and plane seatbelts, you need at least some understanding of basic physics. Cars go forward, and sometimes hit things. That seatbelt helps stop you hitting things inside the car. But a plane has a whole other, ahem, plane to move on: up and down. The chances of crashing into another plane are slim; but if

features@metroherald.ie

I started dancing back in the Donegal Gaeltacht where I grew up. My parents were very engaged with Irish culture, so I had no choice, and then it turned out I liked it. Also, it was a great substitute for sport.

With everybody out looking for Malaysia Flight MH370 this week, Ross McDonagh answers the questions you’ve always wanted to ask about that safety speech at the start, but.... Come to think of it, why didn’t you ask these?

Wednesday, March 19, 2014 METRO HERALD

Choreographer Breandán De Gallaí got his break in Riverdance but is now wowing the crowds in The Rising, a new dance piece about 1916 by Joe O’Byrne lucky – we were nominated for a prestigious 2012 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography.

Things went fromt he sublime to what some might think as the surreal we went to the Fleadh Cheoil in Cavan last year. I always felt a bit marginalised and wanted to explore how to place Irish dance in the Irish contemporary arts arena. I seized the chance to work with the aerial and circus group Fidget Feet and put on a fusion version of Rite of Spring in the grounds of Cavan Cathedral for the Fleadh audience of thousands. Now, I am really enjoying working on The Rising with Joe O’Byrne who as they say really ’gets it’. We now have a project for Oscar Wilde’s Salome in the pipeline. I still keep the door open as regards Irish dancing and with some global pockets of Irish dance mania I can still travel for workshops in places from Oslo to St Petersburg. I try to keep healthy but I’m not completely pure. Not smoking, sticking to a few drinks, bikram yoga and the odd Irish dance workout helps. The Rising, Powerscourt Theatre until Friday

the aircraft should hit severe turbulence and drop fast, you really want to be attached to it, rather than freely floating about the cabin.

crushed by collapsing plane bits or luggage, and decreases the distance between your skull and the seat in front it will inevitably smack off.

ARE OxygEn MAsks REALLy jusT TO cALM pEOpLE DOWn? Never mind that Tyler

WiLL THis LigHT AnD WHisTLE REALLy ATTRAcT ATTEnTiOn WHEn i’M fLOATing in THE sEA?

Durden, he was just imaginary – remember? (Sorry, spoiler). In Fight Club, he asserts oxygen masks are dropped during plane crashes to get people high on lots of O and make them as ‘calm as Hindu cows’ so they’re not all shrieking and running up and down the aisles and they just accept their fates. But you know what calms people even more than loads of oxygen? No oxygen, what with being all dead and stuff. It’s pretty hard to breathe when you’re flying higher than Everest, which is why cabins are pressurised. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a plane crash for the pressurisation to fail. But yeah, if it’s a plane crash, chances are your plane is quickly descending to a more breathable atmosphere anyway.

is THis cRAsH pOsiTiOn A LOAD Of OLD… TuRbuLEncE? It’s nonsense, right? You’re in a

flaming death tube hurtling toward Earth, so does it really matter if your head is between your knees? Actually, yes, if those Mythbuster boys are to be believed again. A long established rumour purports airlines ask you to adapt brace position because it increases chance of death, promising you a nice quick clean one and not a horribly disfiguring injury instead (with lots of insurance payouts). The idea of putting your feet flat on the ground is so your legs don’t get smashed to bits when they flail about, and your head down stops it being

The entire world is searching the entire world for an entire plane... Yeah, they’ll totally spot you floating in the middle of the Pacific if you flash that little light. @rossvross

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Tel: 01 830 9677

18 METRO HERALD Wednesday, March 19, 2014

body matters

I was angry for a very long time

Safe: Claire Bidwell Smith as a young girl reading with her mother and with her own two daughters. The years between these photos saw her tumble into despair

here are some books that are so powerful, you read them compulsively, missing work deadlines and becoming oblivious to the demands of family and friends. Claire Bidwell Smith’s brilliant, brutal memoir, The rules Of Inheritance, is one such book. When Bidwell Smith was 14, her parents were diagnosed with cancer. her mother, Sally, would die in her late fifties when Bidwell Smith was 18, followed by her father, Gerald, seven years later in his early eighties. The rules Of Inheritance is an attempt to make sense of that loss. It’s an extraordinarily honest coming-of-age story and a guide to dealing with grief. Bidwell Smith now works as a grief counsellor and is adept at capturing that awful loneliness after someone close to you dies. In the US, her book has been a sensation, attracting rave

Claire Bidwell Smith holds nothing back in her memoir about how she lost her way after her parents died. ‘I was on the run from myself,’ she tells Sarah Hughes reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations. Oscar-winning Silver Linings Playbook actress Jennifer Lawrence has signed up to star in and produce a film version. It will be directed by Denmark’s Susanne Bier and based on a screenplay by The Iron Lady writer Abi Morgan. ‘It’s all been very surreal, almost like an out-of-body experience,’ says Bidwell Smith, sounding a bit overwhelmed. ‘I’m so honoured because they’re all really smart storytellers and Jennifer is amazing. She loved the book – she hasn’t really experienced grief but I think she related to it as a coming-of-age story.’

Loss: Claire Bidwell Smith’s parents both died of cancer. Her account of dealing with that grief will be turned into a film starring Jennifer Lawrence (right)

Bidwell Smith realised early on that The rules Of Inheritance would work only if she was honest, both about her self-destructive behaviour and how she felt after her parents’ deaths. ‘I knew I had to put it all out there and not care what people thought,’ she says. The result is a powerful and raw piece of writing, which hops back and forth to Bidwell Smith at various points in her life, chronicling her journey through the various stages of grief towards acceptance. Throughout it all, she refuses to pull punches. When her mother is dying, she records in forensic detail her failure to drive straight to her hospital bed, choosing instead to drink the night away with a boy she likes. After her mother’s death, riven with guilt, she enters into a controlling relationship with a man whose sister was murdered, a situation that arises from her desire ‘not just to be loved but to be owned’. She drinks, she makes bad decisions and then worse ones. She drinks more. Aged 25, she is an orphan, rootless, alone and, with no one to guide or advise her, increasingly

untethered from life. ‘I was definitely on the run from myself,’ she says. ‘I threw myself into different situations just to see what would stick. I was searching for an anchor.’ In one of the book’s most telling passages, Bidwell Smith admits: ‘I often wonder who I would be had my parents not died. I watch my friends, envying the security they feel… They don’t even realise they feel so safe but I can see it in the way that they try out different career paths and relationships.’ By contrast, Bidwell Smith drifted. She dropped out of college to live in New York with the controlling boyfriend. Then she moved to LA with him and got a job on a glossy magazine only to quit after a Devil Wears Pradastyle dressing down. She ran away from everything: jobs, friends, relationships, even at times her increasingly sick father. ‘I think I was just really angry for a really long time,’ she says. ‘I had a lot of resentment. It wasn’t until I finally let go of the anger and accepted the pain I felt that I began to understand that.’ If The rules Of Inheritance was just a howl of pain, it would be close to unreadable but many of the book’s most affecting passages come from the strength of Bidwell Smith’s relationship with her parents. It’s because of the closeness of that bond

that her pain at losing them hits so hard. She quit drinking and started going to therapy after her father died. ‘I drink again now but in a different way because I’m not trying to disappear,’ she says. ‘Our natural instinct is to run away from problems but I realised I had to face life. I had to stop disappearing into relationships and alcohol or running away travelling.’ Bidwell Smith believes becoming a mother herself saved her. ‘It wasn’t until then that everything came full circle,’ she says. She is married to Greg Boose, a fellow writer, and they have two girls, Veronica, five, and Juliette, 18 months. ‘The moment I held my oldest daughter in my hands, I felt like everything made sense. My children anchored me.’ As for the future, she is working on a second book – about death and the afterlife. ‘I’m not grieving any more but I am left with a lot of questions,’ – dealing with hollywood’s interest in The rules Of Inheritance and still working as a counsellor. She also writes a moving blog, often in the form of letters to her daughters and parents at clairebidwellsmith.com. ‘We live in a world where there’s too much pressure to move on from grief,’ Bidwell Smith says. ‘I wrote this book because I wanted to allow other people to feel OK about grieving, to reassure them that they weren’t crazy, that grieving is hard and painful and sometimes frightening but they’re not alone.’

The Rules Of Inheritance (Headline) is out now.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014 METRO HERALD

Gut bacteria aids chocolate benefit

GO HOLLY, HOLLY, HOLLY, HOLLY: Model Holly Carpenter was in many guises as she launched the Irish Cancer Society’s Race Partners for 2014. To get on your marks, set, go for the Irish Cancer Society why not take on one of these challenges: the Spar Great Ireland Run, Fit City Series, Electric Run, or the Dublin Staff Relay. For more information visit www.cancer.ie Picture Andres PovedA

BODY AND MIND DIARY TO GALWAY AND BACK Up to 250 cyclists will travel from Maynooth to Galway and back as part of this year’s Galway Cycle. The event, which has been running for 27 years, has raised more than €1million for a range of charities and this year’s chosen charity is the Prader Willi Syndrome Association Ireland. It is characterised by a chronic feeling of hunger, low muscle tone and delayed development amongst infants and children. The cycle journey is almost 200km each way, and starts at NUI Maynooth on Friday at 6am. Cyclists arrive in Galway that night and then spend the next day fundraising on the streets of the city before making the cycle back to Maynooth on the Sunday. Mar 28 to 30, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Kildare. Find out more about the event at www.galwaycycle.ie.

Fundraising: Prader Willi syndrome sufferer Henry Tierney with his mother Emma

BECAUSE I’M HAPPY Get happy on United Nations International Day of Happiness at Dublin City Council’s civic offices tomorrow. As part of the Sharing Happiness exhibition there will be an evening of happiness featuring music, poetry, video presentations and more. The idea for the day came from the Kingdom of Bhutan, the country whose citizens are considered to be some of the happiest people in the world. Admission is free to the day of happiness celebration, but spaces are limited. Reserve your place by calling 085 145 0880. Until Friday. The Atrium, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, D8. www.happinessinireland.com. PAIN IN THE HEAD Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School Dr Elizabeth Loder is coming to Dublin to address the national migraine seminar. The Migraine Association of Ireland’s 20th anniversary celebration seminar will host eminent speakers talking about migraines, treatments and the association’s work. There will also be a panel discussion and a formal anniversary toast. Mar 23, Ballsbridge Hotel D4. To register contact info@migraine.ie Tel: (01) 894 1280. www.migraine.ie. SCIENCE BEHIND HAPPINESS What do scientists know about happiness and what is its influence? That is what this year’s Trinity Week will examine. Cognitive researcher Nancy Etchoff will be giving a public lecture about the ways we try to achieve happiness and the surprising effect it has on our bodies. While the mini symposium will focus on the keys to happy and healthy ageing with talks by members of Trinity’s Faculty of Health Sciences and author and Professor of Psychology Ian Robertson, there will also be Tai Chi in the square, relaxation classes, music, film and more. April 7 to 11, for full listings visit www.tcd.ie/ trinityweek. Trinity College, College Green D2. Angharad Williams

ChoCaholiC gut bacteria may be one of the chief reasons why dark chocolate is good for the heart, research suggests. By breaking down indigestible chocolate compounds and fermenting cocoa fibre, they generate a potent antiinflammatory effect. it is this, scientists believe, that helps to protect the heart and arteries from damage. Researcher Maria Moore, from louisiana State University in the US, said: ‘We found that there are two kinds of microbes in the gut: the “good” ones and the “bad” ones. ‘Good microbes, such as lactic acid bacteria, feast on chocolate. When you eat dark chocolate, they grow and ferment it, producing compounds that are anti-inflammatory. ‘Bad’ gut bacteria, such as Clostridia, help to trigger inflammation. The team tested three types of cocoa powder in an artificial digestive tract consisting of modified test tubes. ‘in our study we found the fibre is fermented and large polyphenolic polymers are metabolised to smaller molecules, which are more easily absorbed,’ said Dr John Finley, who led the louisiana team. ‘These smaller polymers exhibit anti-inflammatory activity. When these compounds are absorbed by the body, they lessen the inflammation of cardiovascular tissue, reducing the longterm risk of stroke.’

puzzles

METROSCOPE

by Patrick Arundell

NEMI by Lise

Aries Mar 21 – Apr 20

Cast your mind back to early February. Then, Mercury and Neptune combined for nearly two weeks. This may have been a period of expanded consciousness but also one where you were bogged down in uncertainties. Expect more of this now.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 70

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

For your forecast, call 15609 114 71

sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21

Gemini May 22 – Jun 21

On the face of it, several strands of your situation can be filled with excitement and this may be filling you with a sense of anticipation. But don’t take too much at face value. A swirling fog of confusion can blow into your situation over the next week.

Cancer Jun 22 – Jul 23

Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 20

Leo Jul 24 – Aug 23

For your forecast, call 15609 114 79

Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19

Virgo Aug 24 – Sep 23

Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20

For your forecast, call 15609 114 75

Libra Sep 24 – Oct 23

The heavens are alive with exciting

For your forecast, call 15609 114 80

Your fortunes can be boosted by someone you used to work with, efforts that you have put in over a long period of time, or from money you’ve squirrelled away being worth more than you first thought. The trick is being clear with your next steps. Try to be decisive. 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

QuIz

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

Dublin North. WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? WHO… as minister of health inaugurated the HSE? WHAT… is the name of the twoday holiday at the start of the WHO AM I? Jewish New Year? A politician, I was born in Newbridge, Co Kildare in 1968. WHERE… is the Norwegian Sea? I was elected to the Dáil on my WHEN… did Zaire change its name to the Democratic Republic fourth attempt in 2011 as an independent socialist TD for of the Congo? ENIGMA Though moving house is said to be Traumatic, this is equally as bad. The marriage ends. You split. What’s the word describing it?

QUIZ ANSWERS: ENIGMA: Divorce. WHO AM I? Clare Daly. WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? Mary Harney; Rosh Hashanah; Between Norway and Iceland; 1997.

QUICK CROsswORd

You want to hear from a friend and you may well do so today. This is also a time when you could find yourself discovering your own Cash In The Attic or garage, when a de-cluttering session could prove profitable, as well as create more space. Your feelings can be much closer to the surface. Connections with decision-makers, bosses or even people who report to you can be positive. Yet, your charisma is shining brightly at this time, and your dazzling aura can bring many things to you.

The Moon is asking you to be mindful of others and their points of view, as much as wanting to express yours. Someone could also come up with a great piece of advice.

Yesterday’s Solutions Across: 1 Pettifoggery; 7 Greet; 8 Tramp; 9 Ere; 10 Protector; 11 Unsure; 12 Finish; 15 Suffering; 17 Ban; 18 Twine; 19 Curve; 21 Unseasonable. Down: 1 Prerequisite; 2 Ire; 3 Option; 4 Gathering; 5 React; 6 Apprehensive; 7 Guess; 10 Persevere; 13 Imbue; 14 Discus; 16 Feign; 20 Run.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 78

Caring and sharing needs to be applied in the right way. There is part of you that may want to break out of confines and do something rather more dashing. But it would be very possible to be too generous to someone today. For your forecast, call 15609 114 74

DOWN 1 Mutter (6) 2 Crumbles (13) 3 Riddle (5) 5 Offers (7) 6 Comradeship (13) 7 Make certain (6) 8 Near (5) 13 Sovereign (7) 15 Climb (6) 16 Perfect (5) 17 Pay bill (6) 20 Nip (5)

For your forecast, call 15609 114 77

If you find yourself fancying a change in your work, you need to remain resolutely realistic. Not every job allows us to demonstrate creativity. And if you’re feeling frustrated, it may be wise to look towards something you can develop outside.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 73

ACROSS 1 Retiring (6) 4 Firm (6) 9 Mixed (13) 10 Loiters (7) 11 Anaesthetic (5) 12 Cleave (5) 14 Employers (5) 18 Denude (5) 19 Dispossess (7) 21 Amusement (13) 22 Abandon (6) 23 Pure (6)

scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22

The Moon connects with Mercury. This will give you an enviable ability to both tune in and decipher situations. In fact, you’re set to go through another phase of incredible inspiration creatively over the next week.

You tend to believe things have to have a tangible edge, a meaning and functionality. Yet, you’re no slouch when it comes to good taste. But this is one of those times when the practical side of your nature holds even less way. Inspiration is the key.

We can either see the world as being an amazingly big place, that gives us opportunities to explore, or one which is accessible through the internet and, therefore, more within reach. Whichever it is for you, tapping into all this can seem very exciting at this time.

Crossword No. 936 See next edition for solutions

For your forecast, call 15609 114 76

Taurus Apr 21 – May 21

For your forecast, call 15609 114 72

PEARLs BEFORE swINE

possibilities. Even if you’re someone comfortable with what you have at the present, visiting somewhere different with someone else can prove to be great fun.

SCRIBBLE BOX

20 METRO HERALD Wednesday, March 19, 2014

rugby six nations

Wednesday, March 19, 2014 METRO HERALD

schmidt is not Racing to bring sexton home

pIctures: Inpho

by DAnny HOgAn

Ireland coach Joe Schmidt believes Jonathan Sexton will see out his racing Metro contract, despite admitting he would be ‘delighted’ if the Ireland fly-half returned home early. Sexton is expected to complete his two-season deal with Paris club racing, despite widespread speculation the IrFU had tried to prise him home a year early. Ireland boss Schmidt has refused to hide the fact he would welcome the former leinster playmaker’s return, but was forced to concede it is unlikely to happen. Instead Schmidt vowed to forge stronger links with racing’s coaching team in a bid to ensure Sexton does not suffer a repeat of his hectic autumn schedule of 13 club games in ten weeks. ‘It would be great to have Johnny back in the country,’ said Schmidt, reviewing Ireland’s 2014 rBS 6 nations triumph. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever made any debate of that.

gOLf Another meltdown by John Daly, this time at Innisbrook, did not affect his playing partner Padraig Harrington. Daly (pictured) signed off for a 90, but Harrington said he was ‘perfectly fine to play with’. The Irishman added: ‘He was very respectful, no issues at all in terms of golf.’ Daly opened with a 74 in the Valspar Championship, and his second round got off to a rocky start with a four-putt double bogey on the second hole. ‘He came out pressing – as we all did – on Friday,’ Harrington added. ‘But he was very respectful to play with. He didn’t stop trying. He tried to hit the right shots. It didn’t seem to us he was shooting that score.’

cycLing Alberto Contador won the Tirreno-Adriatico in Italy yesterday. 3rd place Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky), the 2012 Tour de France champion and Olympic time-trial champion, finished the 9.1km course in San Benedetto del Tronto in ten minutes 24 seconds as Adriano Malori (Movistar) won the stage in 10mins 13secs. Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo), the 2007 and 2009 Tour winner who held an advantage of more than two minutes entering the final day, was 29th on the stage to comfortably take the overall honours ahead of Nairo Quintana (Movistar).

Stringer to extend his stay in Bath Man of his word: Sexton is expected to see out his contract in France with Racing Metro rate, but former english teacher Schmidt is con- 2015 and already talk turns to extended build-up fident Sexton’s second season in Paris will come and how Ireland capitalised on claiming their with a stronger relationship between racing and first Six nations title in five years, but Schmidt the Ireland management. has refused to let the world tussle distract Ire‘I’ve had some good dialogue with the racing land’s far more immediate concerns. coaches, particularly talking with laurent labit ‘I’m a lot more short-term focused than that,’he said. ‘The short-term is about reviewing what we when I was in Paris,’ said Schmidt. ‘and we’d hope we can work more closely next did well in the Six nations, and analysing where year, just to try to balance Johnny’s game time.’ we can improve. Our wider squad contributed Some 18 months out from rugby World Cup massively, the atmosphere was fantastic.’

Battle on to find Ireland’s new centre of attention

Joe Schmidt has been building ireland’s new dynasty of outside centres to replace Brian o’driscoll for nine months. head coach Schmidt (pictured) said ireland have tried to ‘bleed as much as we can’ out of centre o’driscoll in his final moments on the international scene. Schmidt wants to keep o’driscoll close to the national set-up until the 35-year-old retires fully in the summer, following his 141st and final test against France. Leinster stalwart o’driscoll has already mentored Robbie henshaw and darren cave in the

spORT DigEsT Harrington stoic as Daly wobbles

Contador wins on the Adriatic Tour

‘It would be great to have Johnny back int he country’ ‘To be honest the talk is outside anything that we’ve done right now. If there’s a chance of it happening I’d be delighted. It’s fantastic what the IrFU have done with all the players who came up for contract, our targets this season, they’ve signed them all on. ‘If Johnny were to come back it would be great, but one of the problems with that is that Johnny is pretty much a man of his word. ‘He’s committed to racing, and it would be pretty hard to see him coming out of there. I can’t see it, unless racing were interested in the idea – and Johnny’s done a pretty good job for them.’ Ireland’s central contracting system allows Schmidt a hefty say in when top stars play and when they rest. The four provinces are amenable to protecting players from overwork too, aiming to prolong the careers of frontline stars. Ireland players based overseas are offered no such protection or sympathy, hence Schmidt’s clear desire to see Sexton return home. The thumb ligament injury Sexton suffered against england raised friction between Ireland and racing, with country and club issuing differing recovery timescales. Ireland’s prognosis was proved the more accu-

ireland squad, and Schmidt believes Ulster’s Jared Payne will be a definite contender. New Zealand-born Payne qualifies through residency in November, and Schmidt admitted the 28-yearold will be in immediate international contention. ‘the search for his successors started when i got the job, and he and i sat down,’ said Schmidt.

‘there were pretty clear parameters about how long he would be available. We’ve been doing that for the last nine months, because we knew this day was coming. ‘We’ve certainly been watching players, and i think both Robbie and darren have profited from time spent working with Brian.

‘We’d be delighted if Brian stayed reasonably close to the group, because of the character he is as well as the on-field intelligence he brings. ‘i guess that depends a little on Sadie and Amy [o’driscoll’s daughter and wife] and other commitments he might have beyond the end of the season. Schmidt said ‘class player’ Payne will do battle with the likes of Luke Fitzgerald, Fergus mcFadden, henshaw and cave in the long-term fight for ireland’s now-vacant 13 shirt. ‘those guys, we’ll obviously keep an eye on,’ he added.

Rugby Bath scrumhalf Peter Stringer has signed a new oneyear contract at the Recreation Ground. Stringer, capped 98 times by Ireland, has been at the Aviva Premiership club since January 2013 after initially arriving on loan from Munster. ‘Bath is a great place to be at the moment,’ Stringer (pictured) told the club’s website. ‘There’s a lot of exciting young players in the squad, and it’s a group building towards a bright future. I still have a lot of rugby in me, and still enjoy getting out there and training and playing with the lads. I’m looking forward to the rest of this season and next, and seeing how far we can go.’

Bernie wants noise f1 Bernie Ecclestone has vowed to address growing concerns surrounding the sport’s lack of an appealing noise. Following Sunday’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Ron Walker, chairman of the organising company that stages the race, complained to Ecclestone about the lack of sound after the removal of the piercing V8 engine scream. ‘I was not horrified by the noise, I was horrified by the lack of it,’ the 83year-old said.

22 METRO HERALD Wednesday, March 19, 2014

D pIcturE: Inpho

cricket twenty20

pADDy’s DAy Luck fOR iRisH bOxER’s DEbuT

OlYMPIC boxer John Joe nevin marked his debut as a professional beating Puerto rico’s alberto Candelaria over six rounds in Boston on St Patrick’s day. Fighting at junior lightweight, the 24-year-old silver medallist from Mullingar was in control of the fight from the early rounds as he landed his punches with more regularity than his opponent. Candelaria was forced to go on the offensive in the closing rounds but nevin withstood a couple of decent right hands in the fifth and landed some big left hooks in the final round to close out the contest against a previously unbeaten opponent. all three judges scored the bout 59-55 in favour of the Irish fighter. dublin lightweight Jamie Kavanagh opened the card at the House of Blues over eight rounds against another Puerto rican fighter in andres navarro.

Aware of danger: Porterfield

Ireland aim for a flying start with Emirates Ireland may have passed their sternest test having disposed of Zimbabwe on Monday but captain William Porterfield is adamant this afternoon’s game against United arab emirates will be just as challenging as his side look to make it two wins from two and put one foot into the next round of the World Twenty20. The dramatic last-ball victory on St Patrick’s day ensured Phil Simmons’s side got off to the perfect start in a group where any slip could prove fatal but they must now beat both Uae, today in Sylhet, and netherlands on Friday to be assured of a place at the business end of the tournament. The two countries have met four times in the shortest format and

‘We know the UAE can be dangerous’ although Ireland’s record reads played four, won four against their asian adversaries, Porterfield has warned against underestimating a side facing a do-or-die scenario after their disappointing reversal to the dutch two days ago. ‘It is a great start for us,’ Porterfield said. ‘Obviously there are three games in the group and we know how dangerous Uae can be, especially in sub-continent conditions. We have played two games against them in the qualifiers and they were very good games. That is our next test.’ Having endured a swing-bowling appraisal against Zimbabwe, Ireland’s batsmen will encounter a different proposition this afternoon under the lights at the Sylhet national stadium. With the opposition equipped with an arsenal of spinners who are accustomed to operating on subcontinent surfaces, Porterfield admitted they’ll be keeping an eye on conditions beforehand. ‘We have got a night game next so this is going to be crucial for us. The Zimbabwe match was the first game in the stadium, the next game will be under lights on Wednesday. It did change coming into the 14th-15th over when the lights started to take effect. That is something we will have to monitor. The ball started to do a bit – something we have to factor in.’

boxing

O’neill to cast keen eye over summer friendlies Food for thought: Martin O’Neill has seen his squad’s strengths so far but wants to make further assessments this summer

international

pIcturE: Inpho

by pADRAic MORgAn IRELAND boss Martin O’Neill will use a series of end-of-season friendlies to further assess the depth of his squad. Ireland will play Turkey at the Aviva Stadium on May 25 and are yet to formally confirm a second outing against Italy at Craven Cottage six days later as well as proposed games against Costa Rica and Portugal in the United States in early June. However, whatever fixtures the Republic eventually finalise, O’Neill will spend the time he has together with his players honing his squad for the start of the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign in September. ‘We have a couple of friendly matches at the end of the season. There’s a possibility at this minute of maybe even a few extra games, but that has not been confirmed yet,’ he said. ‘But a bit like Scotland in that sense, we are concentrating on trying to implement some sort of a plan, trying to see as much of the players as we possibly can. ‘This period we will have at the end

of the season, while not ideal for players, is absolutely fine for us and of course, it’s an opportunity to see as many players as possible.’ O’Neill and assistant Roy Keane have been in charge since replacing Giovanni Trapattoni and his staff in November last year, recording a 3-0 home win over Latvia and a 0-0 draw in Poland before a 2-1 defeat by Serbia in Dublin earlier this month. They know the big tests will come once they return to competitive action, and the manager has been given food for thought by what he has seen so far. O’Neill said: ‘We have had three games – at home to Latvia we would expect to win and we did; the draw in Poland was fine, and although for long periods against Serbia, I thought we played very well and possibly could have won the game, we lost the match. We have plenty to discuss.’ The Republic qualified for the Euro 2012 final under Trapattoni, but missed out on this summer’s World Cup after finishing fourth in their group behind Germany, Sweden and Austria.

Warner rubbishes new Qatari payment claims FOrMer Fifa vice-president Jack Warner has dismissed new allegations against him as ‘foolishness’, insisting there is a witch hunt against Qatar. It has been claimed the FBI is investigating payments from a company owned by Qatari Mohamed Bin Hammam to Warner and his family. Both men left Fifa in disgrace following a 2011 corruption scandal. Qatar 2022 World Cup chiefs have reacted to the latest claims from UK’s The daily Telegraph by insisting they adhered to all Fifa’s rules. Warner, now a politician in Trinidad,

football world cup And the winner is: Fifa President Sepp Blatter reveals Qatar as hosts of the 2022 World Cup in 2010 PICTURE: REUTERS

said: ‘I have no interest in joining in the foolishness now passing as news on Qatar and Jack Warner. nor do I intend to join those who are on a witch hunt against the World Cup 2022 venue.’

Qatar’s 2022 World Cup organising committee said in a statement: ‘The 2022 bid committee strictly adhered to Fifa’s bidding regulations in compliance with their code of ethics.’ But a British MP who is campaigning for reform of the world governing body said Fifa should re-run the bid for the 2022 World Cup if an FBI investigation proves corrupt payments were made in connection with the vote. damian Collins used Parliamentary privilege in 2011 to state allegations that two Fifa members had been paid to vote for Qatar 2022.

‘Foolishness’: Warner

football champions league

Wednesday, March 19, 2014 METRO HERALD 23

Did’s a dud as Chelsea cruise to quarter-final LAsT 16, 2nD LEg

CHElSEA ..................................2 GAlATASARAY........................ 0

New deal: Ramsey

Ramsey insists best still to come after penning new deal

by DAnnY gRiffiTHs SAMUEL ETO’O rolled back the years to show Didier Drogba he is now Stamford Bridge’s favourite old timer. Prodigal son Drogba returned to his old stamping ground with Galatasaray and received a tremendous ovation from the home fans before planting a kiss on Jose Mourinho ahead of kick-off. But the smacker was barely dry on his manager’s cheek when Eto’o blazed Chelsea into the lead and a step closer to their second Champions League trophy in three years. Eden Hazard started the decisive move by turning his marker to set Oscar free. The Brazilian picked out 33-year-old striker Eto’o, who scored with a fine angled drive which Fernando Muslera perhaps should have kept out. It was all too easy for Chelsea after that and they doubled their lead just three minutes before the interval. Gary Cahill scored his second goal of the season from point-blank range when Muslera could only parry John Terry’s towering header from Oscar’s corner. It was a miserable homecoming for Drogba, who spent eight prime years with Chelsea. The 36-year-old from the Ivory Coast cracked a free-kick high into the stands – against a banner proclaiming him a legend – before being booked for a niggly foul and scuffing a late opportunity. Drogba embraced Terry at the final whistle but it was Eto’o’s night.

fOOTbALL DigEsT

AARON RAMSEY is in no doubt his best form is yet to come after he and Santi Cazorla agreed new contracts at Arsenal. The Wales international is currently recovering from a thigh injury and hopes to be back in action soon to boost the Gunners’ push for the league title and FA Cup. The 23-year-old, who scored 13 goals this season before his latest fitness setback, said: ‘I feel like there’s plenty more to come. This season I’ve proven a lot of people wrong. There was a tough time in the period after my injury but I’ve got through that, and I feel really confident and feel like I’m improving with every game. Hopefully now I can get back out on to that pitch as quickly as possible.’ That’s Sam start: Eto’o celebrates his early opener at Stamford Bridge PICTURE: PA

REsuLTs ChaMPiONS LEagUE ROUND Of 16, SECOND LEg Chelsea ............................2 galatasaray.............0 (Chelsea win 3-1 on aggregate)

Real Madrid.....................3 Schalke.....................1 (Real Madrid win 9-2 on aggregate)

SKY BET ChaMPiONShiP Charlton........................... 1 Bournemouth............0 Sheffield Wednesday ......3 QPR............................0 Wigan ..............................3 Yeovil..........................3 SKY BET LEagUE ONE Colchester........................ 1 Shrewsbury................0 Crawley............................2 Wolves........................1

KEY bATTLE: nemanja Vidic v Joel Campbell IT IS imperative United keep a clean sheet if they are to turn this tie around and that means Vidic, who leaves for Inter Milan this summer, has to turn in one of his best performances of a troubled season. The Serbian, sent off against liverpool on Sunday, must stop Joel Campbell and his team-mates grabbing a potentially critical away goal. Forward Campbell, on loan from Arsenal, curled in a cracker in the first leg, and another top-bracket display will only enhance the Costa Rican’s reputation and boost his cult status with the red half of north london.

pOssibLETEAMs Manchester United: De Gea, Rafael, Evra, Vidic, Jones, Januzaj, Carrick, Fellaini, Kagawa, Rooney, Van Persie. Olympiakos: Roberto, Miguel Torres, Holebas, Maniatis, Papadopoulos, Papazoglou, Perez, Samaris, Machado, Dominguez, Campbell.

fixTuREs (7.45pm unless stated) Champions League round of 16, second leg B Dortmund (4) v Zenit St P (2) .......................... Man Utd (0) v Olympiakos (2) ........................TV Sky Sports 1 Sky Bet League 2 Newport County v Dag & Red ............................ Scottish Premiership Motherwell v Inverness CT .................................

Moyes insists he has full backing of board A defiAnt david Moyes brushed off speculation over his future yesterday and vowed that Manchester United would ‘rise again’. With the pressure on the under-fire boss at an alltime high after Sunday’s shambolic 3-0 defeat at home to Liverpool, United head into tonight’s return Champions League clash with Olympiakos needing to overhaul a 2-0 first-leg deficit to keep their disastrous season alive. there has been speculation the patience of the Old trafford board is beginning to wear thin and a failure to get past the Greek visitors could be the final straw.

But Moyes insisted he retained the confidence of the club’s hierarchy, including his predecessor Sir Alex ferguson. ‘My future has not changed one bit,’ he told a press conference. ‘i have a great job. i speak with [ferguson] regularly. He told me before i came in it was a difficult job but he is always here to help. ‘Him, [director] david Gill, [vicechairman] ed [Woodward], all the board are very supportive. ‘the biggest assurance is that they let me get on with the job. ‘We talk about the future, we are making big plans for the years going forward.’

0 Senior centre-backs fit for

Tottenham’s Europa League tie at Benfica tomorrow after it emerged Younes Kaboul is struggling with injury. Jan Vertonghen (banned), Vlad Chiriches and Michael Dawson (injured) also miss out.

Villas-Boas back in the game at Zenit ANDRE VIllAS-BOAS has been confirmed as the new coach of Russian club Zenit St Petersburg, signing a two-year deal. The Portuguese (pictured) makes his return to management just three months after his departure from Tottenham, having also previously been dismissed by london rivals Chelsea. The new job gives the 36-year-old the chance to rebuild his reputation, which suffered during his two ill-fated spells in the Premier league.

Cellino ruling sees Leeds enter limbo

lEEDS are braced for a period of uncertainty after an Italian court found prospective owner Massimo Cellino guilty of tax evasion. Cellino has been waiting for the Football league to approve his takeover since his company Eleonora Sports agreed a £25million deal to buy 75 per cent of the club’s shares in February. leeds MD David Haigh said last week there is ‘no chance’ of the club going into administration.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

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