Metro Herald, Wednesday, April 9, 2014 by Metro Herald

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Send in the Calvary

Director McDonagh not so cross »p15

Forging a future together

President Michael d Higgins last night joined the Queen at Windsor Castle for a state banquet to honour his historic state visit to the UK. the first irish head of state to be officially invited to Britain, Mr Higgins and his wife sabina were welcomed to the Queen’s home on the first evening of their four-day stay. returning the Queen’s much lauded visit to ireland in 2012, President Higgins thanked her for her kindness, generosity and hospitality as he raised a toast to his host. ‘However long it may have taken, Your Majesty, i can assure you that this first state visit of a President of ireland to the United Kingdom is a very visible sign of the warmth and maturity of the relationship between our two countries. it is something to be truly welcomed and celebrated,’ he said. during her three-minute address to the 160 guests, who included northern ireland deputy First Minister and former irA commander Martin McGuinness, the Queen said that Britain and ireland would ‘no longer allow our past to ensnare our future’. in her speech, in front of the political elite and stars such as daniel day-Lewis and rugby legend Brian O’driscoll, the Queen

by catherine Wylie

said the goal of modern British-irish relations could be ‘simply stated’. she said: ‘it is that we, who inhabit these islands, should live together as neighbours and friends. respectful of each other’s nationhood, sovereignty and traditions. ‘Cooperating to our mutual benefit. At ease in each other’s company. ‘After so much chequered history, the avoidable and regrettable pain of which is still felt by many of us, this goal is now within reach.’ President Higgins said: ‘ireland and Britain live in both the shadow and in the shelter of one another, and so it has been since the dawn of history. ‘through conquest and resistance, we have cast shadows on each other, but we have also gained strength from one another as neighbours and, most especially, from the contribution of those who have travelled between our islands in recent decades. ‘tonight we celebrate the deeply personal, close neighbourly connection which is embodied in the hundreds of thousands of irish and British people who have found shelter on each other’s shores’.

‘In the shadow and shelter of one another’

Friends and neighbours: President Michael D Higgins visits the Queen at Windsor

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METRO HERALD Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Wednesday 09/04/14 How to contact us

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Today’s birthdays

Dennis Quaid, actor, 60; Peter Canavan, GAA legend, 43; Robbie Fowler, former footballer, 39; Rachel Stevens, pop singer, 36; Paddy Barnes, Olympic boxer, is 27 (pictured).

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Today will be mainly dry and cloudy. During the evening, outbreaks of rain and drizzle will develop in the northwest and west. Temperatures between 11°C and 12°C in light to moderate, locally fresh, southwesterly winds.

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Tonight

12�C

12�C Sunrise: 6.40am Sunset: 8.15pm

Min: 3°c

Tonight will be largely dry although in the northwest a band of rain will start to move inland. Temperatures between 3°C and 7°C in moderate southwest winds.

EUROPE today

Tomorrow Rain will slowly spread southeasterly, but southern areas may stay dry until later in the day. Temperatures between 10°C and 13°C in moderate northwest winds.

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13�C

10�C 13�C 12�C

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Brussels London Geneva Madrid Paris Rome

13 °c 18 °c 26 °c 16 °c 19 °c

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 METRO HERALD

Higgins offers condolences to Bob Geldof

UK State visit fans the flame of friendship President Michael d Higgins has hailed the transformation of relations between ireland and Britain from a period of doubt to trust and mutual respect. in a historic address to the British houses of Parliament – the first time an irish head of state has been given the opportunity – Mr Higgins said the two countries now have a closeness that once seemed unachievable. He said ireland and Britain must take pride in the peace that has been built in northern ireland. ‘i am conscious that i am in the company here of many distinguished parliamentarians who have made their own individual contributions to the journey we have travelled together,’ he said. ‘i acknowledge them and i salute them, as i acknowledge and salute all those

HISTORIC: (from top left): Mr Higgins and his wife Sabina take a moment at the Westminster Abbey monument to Lord Mountbatten; with Prince Philip, a new coat for the Irish Guards’ Irish wolfhound mascot, Domhnall; the Queen shows the President a gift given to Queen Victoria in Windsor Castle; the banquet hall in Windsor Castle pictures: pa/fennells

by DAviD HUgHES who have selflessly worked to build concord between our peoples. i celebrate our warm friendship and i look forward with confidence to a future in which that friendship can grow even more resolute and more productive.’ in a wide-ranging speech, the President touched on themes which his fourday state visit to the UK will explore, including emigration and shared history. the significance of the President’s visit was further deepened by the invitation for him to stay at the Queen’s home, Windsor Castle, where a state banquet was held in his honour last night and the presence of northern ireland deputy First Minister and ex-irA commander Martin McGuinness at the royal dinner.

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PRESIDENT Higgins has offered his condolences to Bob Geldof, following the death on Monday of his daughter, Peaches (pictured). Mr Higgins was due to meet with the Dubliner during his State visit to the UK. A post-mortem is due to be carried out on the 25-year-old’s body today. The mother-of-two was found dead at her home in Kent on Monday. Police are treating her death as ‘unexplained sudden death’. Peaches’ sister Fifi Trixibelle yesterday posted a picture online of the two of them as young children, writing: ‘My beautiful baby sister.... Gone but never forgotten. I love you Peaches x.’

Commonwealth ‘a matter for the Irish people’ THE Irish people and government must be left to decide if they want to be part of the Commonwealth, Britain’s Europe Minister has said. Ireland withdrew from the Commonwealth, which has 53 member countries, in 1949. But David Lidington was yesterday asked by Democratic Unionist MP Ian Paisley if he had had any meetings with Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Gilmore on the issue of membership. He told MPs: ‘Not to my knowledge. We take the view this is a matter for the government of Ireland.’ The question emerged as President Higgins met Queen Elizabeth on his state visit to the UK.

METRO HERALD Wednesday, April 9, 2014

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Wednesday, April 9, 2014 METRO HERALD

Woman stole charity box to pay off her drug debt

by AOifE Nic ARDgHAiL

Second package to Shatter a hoax ANOTHER suspicious package discovered at a Dublin sorting office and addressed to Justice Minister Alan Shatter was a hoax. Gardaí were called to the sorting office in Rathfarnham yesterday when white powder was seen coming out of the package. The parcel was removed to Rathfarnhan Garda station and the Army Explosives Ordinance Disposal Unit was called. Last week, the bomb disposal unit was called to Mr Shatter’s home after a package containing a powder was delivered there.

Rehab ‘programme of change’ begins Picture: robbie reynolds

A FORMER civil servant robbed €25 and a charity box from a tanning shop receptionist after three failed attempts, a court has heard. Mother-of-two Elisa Lennon, 38, who will be sentenced later, told gardaí she had been smoking crack cocaine when she got a call about her €800 drug debt. She took a large kitchen knife and got into her car to look for people to rob, but returned home when she had failed to rob a Home Focus shop manager and a lady in an Ikea car park. She later tried to rob an elderly lady before taking the €25 and Barnardos charity box from a nearby tanning shop. Lennon, of Hampton Wood, St Margaret’s Road, Finglas, pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted robbery and to robbery at Tansun Tan and Tone, Clune Road, Finglas. Gardaí had identified Lennon, who apologised to all concerned in court, from video footage at the Home Front store and after a witness took her car registration number. Judge Mary Ellen Ring adjourned sentencing to see Lennon’s commitment to drug treatment.

Dairy, dairy me

Sonia O’Sullivan and Glenilen Farm co-founder Alan Kingston put themselves in the picture as they launched the company’s new yoghurt range with a pop-up farm in Dublin

DISABILITY charity Rehab is to undertake a root-and-branch review of its operations in light of the row over executive pay and its links to government lobbyists. As well as concerns about a scratch card scheme which barely turns a profit, the influence of Fine Gael strategist and former chief executive Frank Flannery, who quit last month, has provoked a backlash. Chairman Brian Kerr said the board aims to ‘rebuild the reputation’ of the organisation.

METRO HERALD Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Eu court axes data spying legislation THE European Union’s top court has dealt a blow to law enforcement agencies’ spying on phone and internet records, saying the lives of citizens should not be ‘the subject of constant surveillance’. The European Court of Justice scrapped EU legislation allowing the indiscriminate collection of such communication data in crime-fighting efforts, ruling that the rules were too broad and offered too few privacy safeguards. ‘The judgment finds that untargeted monitoring of the entire population is unacceptable,’ said TJ McIntyre, chairman of Digital Rights Ireland, who filed the lawsuit. Other rights groups also hailed a landmark victory for privacy, but governments stressed they still need to access phone records to prevent or investigate serious crime such as terrorism. ‘Data retention for the purpose of investigating serious crimes is necessary and that remains the case,’ German in-

VAT storm in a cuppa for herbal tea afficionados

Tea drinkers are boiling mad. Those who fancy a herbal twist to a cuppa are about to be scalded when it comes to paying for the pleasure. Herbal tea prices are set to rocket by 23 per cent after the Revenue Commissioners confirmed such drinks are in a different VaT category to traditional or black tea. The ordinary cuppa is zero-rated and historically herbal teas, such as camomile or Rooibos were similarly treated price-wise. But Revenue has clarified that only teas from the tea plant are now zero-rated.

by cOn DOHERTy

terior minister Thomas de Maiziere said after the ruling, urging agreement on more narrowly defined legislation. Germany highlighted the ambivalence towards the directive and did not implement it despite court challenges and domestic political differences. Yesterday’s verdict nullifies the EU data retention directive, rendering national laws vulnerable to local court challenges. The 2006 legislation required telecommunication firms to store phone calls or some online communication records for at least six months and up to two years. The data typically revealed who was involved in the communication, where it originated, when and how often, but not content. Still, the Luxembourg-based court said the rules must be narrowed down to ensure any privacy infringement will be restricted to ‘what is strictly necessary’ for fighting serious crimes.

Breakfast beats WiFi as the top hotel amenity

PICTUrE: PA

‘Untargeted monitoring of population unacceptable’

Sheep publicity

It wouldn’t be the first time a politician was accused of fleecing someone… Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney gets stuck in at the launch of the 16th World Sheep Shearing & Wool Handling Championships, which take place in Gorey, Co Wexford, with the festival like event taking place from May 17-25

60 seconds

Essex man RussELL KAnE has become one of the UK’s most beloved comedians thanks to his intelligent stand-up and TV roles including I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

You’re making a belated visit to Dublin next month when you play The Laughter Lounge. Are you looking forward to it?

I’m a bit nervous because, aside from Kilkenny Cat Laughs, I haven’t performed in Ireland very much. I played the Róisín Dubh in Galway once to a crowd of 20 guys gathered around a single table; they looked up at me, then asked each other: ‘What the f**k is that?’

In your recent Smallness tour you expounded on the British tendency towards introversion. Explain. A lot of the Small-

ness show is about Englishness and our crippling sense of shyness. When I was at university my Irish friends were exceptionally sociable; I think Irish people are far more convivial generally. It’s the opposite of Englishness – if we could exist in a hole with just one syllable for communication we would.

As an Essex lad, do you tire of the lazy stereotyping of your home county? Essex is an odd

place. The stereotype is that we’re an odd hybrid: comfortable and moneyed but moronic at the same time. So if you’re a Marxist we’re the worst of both worlds. It’s an odd thing to be associated with a place people consider to be full of shallow, thick people. It does annoy me in a way. It doesn’t matter what qualifications you have, there’s going to be a prejudice against you if you speak with my accent. You’re considered thick in a particular kind of way – it’s a form of cultural elitism.

To what extent did your relationship with your father, which you often discuss on stage, influence your decision to become a comedian? My dad

– God rest his soul – was probably the most negative person I’ve ever met in all my life. He wasn’t violent or abusive and he considered this to be his biggest achievement. He used to tell everyone down the pub ‘I’ve never hit my son’ as though it was akin to saying he drove me to football practice every week. If there was a traffic jam on our way to an event

you’d sense the black clouds descending on him and the entire day would be ruined. He just wouldn’t be able to snap out of it. That’s given me this quest to bring laughter to the world. It’s not like I was locked in a cellar as a child but it’s no surprise that I’ve grown up to be a please-give-me-attention kind of person. You don’t need to be Sigmund Freud to join those dots...

You recently co-hosted I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! with Laura Whitmore. Could you be tempted to enter the jungle as a contestant? I’m

not a snob when it comes to these shows – it’s only a matter of time before I end up on Strictly wearing a leotard or being fired out of a cannon into the Big Brother studio. I realise that’s every celeb’s trajectory in the end, but if you still have things to reach for I don’t think overexposing yourself in a reality show helps you get there. That said, I did get dressed up as Beyonce for Comic Release Let’s Dance and I loved every second of it.

“

It’s only a matter of time before I end up on Strictly wearing a leotard or being fired out of a cannon You also won Celebrity Mastermind where your specialist subject was novelist Evelyn Waugh. Were you a fan? I

knew nothing about him before I went on. I thought I’d pick an author with a relatively limited canon. I’ve noticed from watching the show that the more comical the subject, the more difficult the questions, so I decided to play it safe. Waugh turned out to be the most painfully English novelist I’ve ever read.

Has any Waugh factoid lodged in your brain? Evelyn’s

first wife was also called Evelyn and she had an affair with a man whose middle name was Evelyn and went by Evelyn. In the end Evelyn left Evelyn for Evelyn – f**ked up when you think about it.

Daragh Reddin Russell Kane plays The Laughter Lounge, May 8. www.laughterlounge.com

COMPLIMeNTaRY breakfast has knocked free WiFi off the top spot as the most preferred hotel amenity. a survey by Hotels.com polled travellers from around the world and found an accessible eaterie in second place, with free WiFi third. also cited among the top ten amenities in the ideal hotel were parking, 24-hour desk service, smoke-free rooms, a swimming pool, bar, air conditioning and tea/ coffee in the lobby. However, free WiFi was voted the most important in-room service.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 METRO HERALD

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METRO HERALD Wednesday, April 9, 2014

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Healy: We are yummy, even if we’re mummies T

he Saturdays say becoming mums won’t stop them turning up the heat in their sexy clobber. They say they feel saucier than ever since three of the fivesome have had babies. ‘I don’t think being a mum means you lose your sex appeal in any shape or form,’ Irish singer Una healy, 32, who o-yearhas had two-yearold daughter Aoife Belle with rugby ace hubby Ben Foden, told Metro herald. ‘I think a lot of women are at their sexiest in their 30s and 40s, whether hildren they have children or not. ‘I don’t feel like motherhood means that I can’t be sexy any more. Not at all – no,’ said the star, who is joined by the other mums in the Frank group, Rochelle humes, and Frankie Sandford, both 25. As for their steamy videos and wearing racy outfits, the stunning redhead said: ‘I don’t think it’s tricky (to still be sexy). ‘I look out there at loads of yummy mummies.’

Loved up: Zayn Malik, 21, and 20-year-old girlfriend Perrie Edwards share a selfie taken on a day off. The One Direction and Little Mix stars showed off a smile and pout on Instagram. They will be apart again soon as Malik heads out on tour with 1D

And healy says she can continue to juggle pop stardom and motherhood and can’t wait to expand her brood. ‘I very ry much enjoy enjo being a mum and would love to have more kids further down the line,’ line, said the star. And she has plenty of people to call on for babysitting duties in the future, such as her unmarried bandmates. ‘Mollie and Vanessa are in committed relationships but there is no-one saying “you’re old and boring” because we’re married with kids,’ kids, said healy. ‘They’re like the ‘The fun aunts. They are great. We’re all like a family really.’ really The singer says juggling singing and motherhood is set to continue for many years after denying the band’s upcoming tour and greatest hits album alb is part of a long goodbye and break-up. ‘People have a misconception when it’s a greatest hits,’ she said. ‘It’s not goodbye. We hope to go on and do another greatest hits in a few years’ time. It’s definitely not the end.’

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Wednesday, April 9, 2014 METRO HERALD

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Miley Cyrus cancelled a gig at just half-an-hour’s notice, claiming she had flu. Fans arrived for the Bangerz Tour date in Charlotte, North Carolina, to be confronted by a note saying the 21-year-old singer had been ordered to rest by doctors.

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Ed Sheeran is convinced that women only fancy him because he is a musician. The 23-year-old said learning to play an instrument has helped people all over the world be more successful with ladies. ‘All the most successful stars in the world, bar a couple, are unattractive people who were made attractive throughout their music, and that’s just what happens,’ the Give Me Love singer said.

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Going for gold: Cheryl Cole realises her blonde ambition as she poses for her latest L’Oréal ad – and it seems she could be a convert to the lighter side of life. ‘The thing I love about being a blonde is that you feel that you can have more fun,’ the 30year-old Geordie said after unveiling the sizzling new shots. ‘There’s that famous quote, “blondes have more fun” and I think they do!’

DY L A N

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Rob Lowe has turned to a psychiatrist to help him cope with being so ‘goddamn pretty’. The 50-yearold admitted he was worried about becoming a ‘narcissist’ and has to double-check with his therapist that he isn’t too preoccupied with his good looks. ‘The learned men of psychiatry assure me that I meet none of the medical criteria,’ the Sex Tape star said. Beyoncé urges female fans to unleash the beast. The 32-year-old says: ‘There’s a double standard when it comes to sexuality – men are free and women are not. That is crazy.’ The sight of Jennifer Aniston with scars disfiguring her pretty face and neck may alarm fans. But they can rest easy because the 45-year-old Friends actress had altered her appearance for her latest film role. She appeared on the LA set of Cake, in which she plays a member of a chronic pain support group alongside Anna Kendrick, 28, and Aussie actor Sam Worthington, 37. Tom Ford has dashed the hopes of male admirers by revealing he is married. The handsome former Gucci boss shocked the audience at a London Apple store by saying he’d tied the knot with his long-term partner Richard Buckley, 65. ‘We are now married,’ the 52-year-old said, proudly showing off his wedding ring at the ‘in-conversation’ session.

Done in 68 seconds: Nicole and Liam’s quickie divorce Nicole Appleton ended her six-year marriage to Liam Gallagher in just 68 seconds yesterday after he confessed to cheating. The All Saints singer has endured a turbulent time after it was revealed in July last year the Beady Eye frontman had fathered a child with US journalist Liza Ghorbani during an affair. However, their split was swiftly signed off by Judge Anne Aitken in the High Court in London after Appleton, 39, revealed in court papers that Gallagher ‘admitted adultery to me prior to it becoming publicised in national newspapers’. They have one son, Gene, aged 12. Gallagher, 41, agreed to pay ‘reasonable costs’, after also admitting an affair with his band’s ex-manager, Debbie Gwyther.

10 METRO HERALD Wednesday, April 9, 2014

olympians disappointed as White House stops president phone snaps

Is it the end of the selfie for Obama? A HANDSHAKE when you meet the president is tradition. But as Olympic athletes found out, a selfie with the so-called leader of the free world is not part of the deal. Fresh from winning 28 medals at the winter games in Sochi, US medallists were told to put their mobile phones away when they met Barack Obama. ‘I thought about trying to sneak one but they were pretty adamant about it,’ bronze medallist freeskier Nick Goepper said. ‘I’m sure that, if they allowed it, there would be 150 people who have selfies with the president right now.’ Emily Cook, an aerials skier for the US team, said she was not stopped from taking pictures on her visit. ‘It would have been fun to have a selfie but I wasn’t too bummed,’ she added. ‘He is the president, after all.’

Sparking up: Laura Baty, 18, gives change to a customer as the ecigarette shoots in her direction, scorching her arms Picture: ross Parry

E-cig sets barmaid’s dress alight

by SHARON MARRIS The apparent ban is in place after a selfie of Mr Obama, taken on a Samsung phone by Boston Red Sox baseball star David Ortiz, was later used in an advertisement. A top aide to Mr Obama, Dan Pfeiffer, said the president should not be used as a tool to sell products. The White House denied there was an outright ban on selfies with the president. But as posing for individual pictures with hundreds of people takes time, a spokesman said sticking to an official photographer is often more efficient. In a statement, the Red Sox said the White House told them: ‘Don’t worry about taking your phone out because there will be a photographer on hand.’ This is not the first time selfies have

Posing a problem: Obama’s selfie with a baseball star backfired on him given Mr Obama a headache. During a memorial for Nelson Mandela in December, he posed for a selfie with David Cameron and the Danish prime

minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt. His wife, Michelle, looked like she disapproved of the timing – or possibly the attractive Mrs Thorning-Schmidt.

Forget three, seven is the world’s real magic number SEVEN: It’s a number famously linked with deadly sins, Snow White’s dwarves and David Beckham’s football shirt. And yesterday, the number seven added another string to its bow as the world’s favourite number. Mathematician Alex Bellos asked 30,000 people which figure they liked best. Nearly ten per cent of them backed the winner. When asked why, one person said: ‘Seven is the number of stellar objects in the solar system. Seven is the number of chakras. Seven is Sunday. Seven is Russia’s calling code. Seven just feels magical.’

Family size has ‘maths effect’ CHILDREN from large families tend to do worse in maths and reading than youngsters with few brothers and sisters. A study reveals those with two or more siblings score lower in both subjects than average results for children from smaller families. It suggests girls and boys from larger families suffer from an ‘educational penalty’ – with boys affected more than girls. Researchers at the University of Melbourne found youngsters with at least two siblings had reading scores around four per cent lower and numeracy scores about five per cent lower than the average results of pupils from smaller families. They also found teachers tend to believe boys from large families are doing worse academically than their classmates.

Three and eight were runners-up in the poll, while 110 was the lowest number to receive no votes at all. ‘The reason why a reverence for the number seven is a constant throughout history can’t be known,’ Mr Bellos said. ‘I’ve been amazed how passionately so many people feel about their favourite numbers.’ There were, of course, some unusual entries – 41 people chose 1,729 as their best-loved number, while 29 others opted for the weirdly precise 142,857. A 16-year-old boy might be disappointed, however. He said: ‘People don’t tend to pick seven – and I like to be different.’

Artificial pancreas giving hope to diabetes sufferers wins prize AN ARTIFICIAL pancreas that can be implanted into the body and release insulin to help diabetes sufferers has won an invention prize at the Gadget Show Live. The device, developed at De Montfort University in collaboration with the Renfrew Group International, a medical technology company, won the inaugural Gadget Show Live British Inventor of the Year award. Michael Phillips, design development director at Renfrew Group said: ‘Yes, it’s a tribute to the team and to design and development.’ ‘The aim is principally to reduce the number of interventions a diabetic has to make during a day and during a week,’ said managing director Bruce Renfrew.

Award: The artificial pancreas ‘Anyone with type one diabetes would have to inject themselves up to five times a day, but with the artificial pancreas it can replicate the material for up to six weeks rather

than hours.’ The device is going through preclinical trials, and can be implanted into the body without relying on electronic controls to regulate glucose levels. Instead, a polymeric gel automatically controls the release of insulin. Mr Renfrew said: ‘It’s just really, really good. We’ve recently won other awards for some of our other projects so it’s been a good year for us.’ The device was up against a range of products for the award, including a smart bed that uses WiFi and Bluetooth to massage users and regulate temperature. According to a 2012 report, more than 191,300 people in Ireland suffer from diabetes.

A BARMAID had a narrow escape when an e-cigarette exploded in a pub and set her dress alight. Laura Baty was serving a customer when the device gave out a loud bang and shot towards her. The flames singed her arms and burnt her dress as she tried to get away. Part of the device hit a customer and left a red mark on his stomach. The e-cig – which had been charging behind the bar – then landed on the floor and scorched the tiles before it burnt out. CCTV footage captured the split second after Ms Baty heard the explosion. ‘I could see the fire coming at me and I felt the heat as I ran away,’ said the 18-year-old. Ms Baty, who works at The Buck hotel in Richmond, North Yorkshire, added: ‘I thought the fuse box had blown up or a firework had gone off.’ The device belonged to barman Stewart Paterson who had it plugged into his iPad charger. ‘When I looked back at the footage I saw how close the fireball came to Laura’s head. If she was stood a couple of inches to the right she could have been badly hurt,’ the 21-year-old added.

Glucosamine may have life-extending powers A POPULAR dietary supplement used by arthritis sufferers may have the power to extend people’s lifespans, it is claimed. Scientists who fed glucosamine to ageing mice found the animals lived almost ten per cent longer than usual – the equivalent in human terms of eight years extra life. Laboratory worms previously exposed to the compound, which occurs naturally in the body and helps rebuild cartilage, responded in a similar way. The Swiss researchers believe glucosamine is also likely to have a life-extending effect on humans by altering metabolism. Support for the claim comes from two recent epidemiological studies involving more than 77,000 participants which linked glucosamine supplements to reduced death rates. The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 METRO HERALD

Russia accused as Ukraine rebels ‘take 60 hostages’

RUSSIA is stirring up rebellion to try to give itself an excuse for seizing more of Ukraine, John Kerry warned amid reports separatists had taken 60 hostages. Vladimir Putin’s soldiers are behind seizures of government buildings in eastern cities, the US secretary of state added. ‘It is clear Russian special forces and agents have been the catalyst behind the chaos of the last 24 hours,’ he said yesterday. ‘This could potentially be a contrived

World

Murderer gets life for webcam attack

CAnADA: An attacker who raped and murdered a Chinese student while her helpless boyfriend watched on a webcam in Beijing has been convicted. Brian Dickson was sentenced to at least 25 years for the death of Liu Qian, 23. Dickson, 32, appeared in her flat in Toronto while she was in a Skype call with Meng Xian. Meng saw her pushed to the floor and fall silent before naked Dickson turned off her computer in April 2011.

by DOMInIC YEATMAn pretext for military intervention, just as we saw in Crimea.’ Rebels who occupied a building in Luhansk, 24km from the Russian border, denied the claims they had taken hostages. They were also reported to have boobytrapped the building with explosives. Ukrainian police responded to the takeover by blocking roads to Luhansk. Shots

Plane ping has now gone quiet for four days THE hunt for wreckage from Flight MH370 goes on after officials said not even the faintest signal from its black boxes has been heard for four days. Angus Houston, the retired Australian air chief marshal leading the search far off western Australia, said listening equipment on his Ocean Shield ship has picked up no trace of the sounds since Sunday. It is likely the battery on the box beacon has expired.

digest Chicken cup is sold for a record €26.3m

HOnG KOnG: A rare Ming dynasty wine cup smashed the world record sale price for Chinese porcelain by fetching €26.3million at auction yesterday. The poultrycovered ‘chicken cup’, crafted between 1465 and 1487, was bought by collector Liu Yiqian after a three-way tussle at Sotheby’s. Only 16 of the vessels remain, with four in private collections. The previous record was €23.6million for a Qianlong vase sold in 2010.

pastor ‘tried to flog Minister ‘executed fake Hirsts to police’ by flame-thrower’

AMERICA: A minister peddled a fake Damien Hirst artwork to a police officer, despite being warned about its authenticity, a court heard yesterday. Kevin Sutherland, who leads the Mosaic Miami Church, tried to sell two ‘spin’ paintings and three ‘spot’ prints for €133,000. He denied he had been told by Sotheby’s that one was suspect. Sutherland denies attempted grand larceny. The trial in New York continues.

were fired as troops forced rebels from the regional assembly base in Kharkiv but separatists still hold buildings in Donetsk. Moscow warned Kiev it risked ‘civil war’ if it tried to quell the rebellions by force. British foreign secretary William Hague said the occupations ‘bear all the hallmarks of a Russian strategy to destabilise Ukraine’. A brawl erupted between rival parties at the parliament in Kiev yesterday, after a heated debate over the events in the east. Blows: Brawling MPs

nORTH KOREA: A ‘disloyal’ minister has been executed by a flame-thrower, it has been claimed, possibly on the direct orders of leader Kim Jong-Un. O Sang-Ho, a deputy minister in the public security department, was killed because he allegedly helped Mr Kim’s executed uncle Jang Songtaek. The unconfirmed reports by a South Korean paper say he let Song-taek safeguard his business dealings through the ministry.

FRAnCE: Riot police take cover behind shields as farmers bombard them with hay and leaflets. Protests took place in Le Mans and other cities against cuts in European aid Picture: Newzulu

and finally... pOLAnD: A toy shop has apologised to parents after it accidentally put rubber penises and breasts on sale. It received the sex toys in place of a box of plastic fruit and veg – but staff in the city of Bialystok ‘did not notice’.

wALKInG On bY: College students walk past pinatas, including those in the shape of ‘minions’ from the movie Despicable Me, along a street in downtown Guatemala City Picture: reuters

IMF: World economy to grow by 3.6% in 2014 THE global economy is strengthening but faces threats from super-low inflation and outflows of capital from emerging economies, the International Monetary Fund warned. The IMF expects the global economy to grow 3.6 per cent this year and 3.9 per cent in 2015, up from three per cent last year – those figures are one-tenth of a percentage point below its forecasts in January. It makes no changes to US growth forecast. The IMF and the World Bank will hold their spring meetings in Washington this weekend. Finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of 20 will meet tomorrow.

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12 METRO HERALD Wednesday, April 9, 2014

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‘Mail’ to 53131* Facebook.com/ metroherald

*Please include a name and location. Emails with attachments cannot be received. Texts cost €0.30 per message + standard network charges. SP. Oxygen8 Communications, 4th Floor, Malt House North, Grand Canal Quay, D2. Customer service number 0818286606

Eye for eye charges needed to curb lethal motoring

he lack of criminal charges for dangerous drivers is a real cause of bad driving habits. Why aren’t people charged with manslaughter, rather than reckless or dangerous driving, if there is a fatality at a crash caused by them? This might make people think twice before breaking red lights, etc. I’m not saying all accidents are as simple as this, but people need to follow the rules of the road. They are the law and the punishment should have a similar measure of grief for the perpetrator as it does for the victims of mostly needless accidents. I am a driver who obeys the rules to the best of my ability, and if I am approaching an amber light, I stop. No ‘if’s or ‘but’s. People just need

Quick pic

Aidan Gillen appears in Calvary: From the director of The Guard comes a blackly comic thriller about a priest played by Brendan Gleeson who is told he will be shot in seven days

to be more patient. The lights only take about 20 or 30 seconds to go green again. Colin

Send your photos to pictures@ metroherald.ie with ‘Quick pic’ as the subject and we will print the best each day in the paper

■ I passed by the Gate Theatre where a week ago they had a poster of Oscar Wilde with his arm around a man to advertise their new run of An Ideal husband. Now these posters have been replaced by a poster of a woman with her hands tied. They’ve never done that with any other play. What’s that all about? Ulysses

first thing in the morning to have to listen to your conversations, even with earphones in. Do us all a favour and keep it down!! #commutercommonsense. Carol

■ Again… maybe I wasn’t clear enough to the guy who gets on the Luas from heuston Station around 8.15am in the navy Liverpool Adidas jacket, talking – actually roaring – down the phone about servers, backups, etc. Please, please, keep your voice down. It is extremely frustrating

■ Metro herald, check your facts before printing. It’s not the first time a respected newspaper has blatantly twisted facts about the Ukraine situation. In your article yesterday, it was stated that a Russian soldier shot an unarmed officer. In fact, a group of Ukrainian officers attacked a now Russian

yEH big RiDE ● To the girl with the long brown hair who gets on the Luas at Dundrum every evening, I like the way you wear that Columbo-style coat. Any chance you might take down my particulars? JR

Chalk lines: Mauro Pastore sent us this colourful picture of a bicycle track

gOOD On yA ● A big thank you to the lovely young man who helped me pick out the book I was looking to buy for my nephew in town yesterday. I had lost the details of it, but your clever questions narrowed it down and I was so happy you found it in the end. Much appreciated. Gloria

in the know, on the go

● Cormac on the No.41! You have the rugged handsomeness of a young Russell Crowe, or an old Leonardo Di Caprio. You have seen me drooling over you. If you are interested, come down and talk to me – you know where I sit every morning.

Camilla

● To the rediculously hot guy who delivered the water cooler barrels to the office today, you have literally made a grown girl weak at the knees. Think I need a sit down and glass of water… would you mind? Josie

● Thanks to Gary from Bray who gave me the money for the Dart when my Leap card ran dry… I was under pressure to catch that train and you really helped me out. Clare

● Belated joy that Russell Crowe graced our city at the Savoy for the premiere of Noah the other week. Sad to see though, following your petty public spat with that journalist, that your mind hasn’t expanded with the same vigour as your belly. Maturity in a man is a sexy thing. Fickle Fan

RAnDOM AcTs Of kinDnEss

yOuR RusH-HOuR cRusH

base. The police were called but the Ukrainian officers ran away, only to come back later and attack a Russian officer. As a Russian on his own, he had no chance against five-to-six people and was forced to shoot one of the attackers. Max ■ Thanks to the taxi driver who picked my mother up from hospital this morning and charged her twice what the fare should have been. It takes someone really special to overcharge a woman who has just left hospital. Bravo. Keith

TREnDing #President’s State visit to UK ● Michael D Higgins doing us proud on #StateVisit. Perfect combination of charm, wit and formality. Glad to have him in the Áras. @adamlong80 ● Obama may have swag, but Michael D Higgins is a better orator because he has none, and still makes an impact. Everytime he speaks it’s awesome! @Philstalking

Keep Killester free of politics ■ As a resident of Killester, I am deeply concerned by a newly-organised campaign to erect a British Army memorial in our area. It is unclear what group is in charge, but it seems to draw support from outside the area. A laminated Union Flag has appeared on the door of our Community Hall. Two issues are being confused here. Most local people favour preserving the hall, which was built by a British Army charity, as were a number of the bungalows, in 1929, but which has been used by the local community for children’s classes for many years, with no reference to history or politics. Its preservation will enhance the architectural integrity of the area, and its ‘garden village’ status. A British Army memorial, however, would not. So, please, keep our area out of politics and let us retain the quiet residential garden village we all enjoy living in. Jim

● “Gasps were heard when Irish President Michael D Higgins addressed the audience in English.” @AllanCavanaghl ● Michael D Higgins was the right choice for president.

@hermione_d

● President Michael D Higgins – what a remarkable speech, delivered with such finesse – he’s a gem! @AinedeFaoite ● Michael D and the Queen would make a lovely couple.

@Goggs_

@metrohnews #metromailbox

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 METRO HERALD

14 METRO HERALD Wednesday, April 9, 2014

television

★ Must see

Film

Drama ★

Sony TV, 9pm

Politically volatile Singapore in the 1960s is the setting for this interesting crime thriller that has shades of movie classic The Year of Living Dangerously about it. Muscled Don Hany (above) stars as troubled investigator Sam Callaghan, a man haunted by a violent childhood spent in a Pow camp. His first case gives him flashbacks to those dark days: a US sailor who has been framed for murder and, with the CIA turning a blind eye, it seems that only Callaghan can help him.

the £60,000 puppy: cloning man’S BeSt FrienD CHANNeL 4, 10PM

It’s controversial: For the right price a South Korean biotech company will clone your dog. They’ve launched in the UK market with a competition offering a free clone to the lucky winner. This emotionally/ethically confusing tale starts with company reps, toting a couple of fluffy white ‘product samples’, making home visits to the hopefuls.

▲

New oN DEMAnD ghghghghgh

Available to rent/buy now

Svengali

Based on his hit YouTube webisodes, Shameless star Jonny Owen’s lo-fi rock’n’roll comedy follows naive, Britpop-loving South Wales postman Dixie (Owen, right) chasing his dream to manage a band. Owen’s plot seems about as likely as a genuine Oasis reunion but he hit the contacts book for starry support Martin Freeman, Katy Brand, Matt Berry while music industry insiders Alan McGee and Carl Barât provide diversions.

motorway

Car-chase thrillers don’t get much simpler than this. With the copschasing-robbers plot kept to the minimum needed to stitch the stunts together, director Pou-Soi Cheang’s Motorway is really just about gasp-inducing driving through night-time Hong Kong, filmed with loads of style. An easy option – and short and sweet at less than 90 minutes – it’s one for Fast & Furious fans more than Drive aficionados.

Factual maStercheF irelanD RTÉ1, 7.30pm & 8.30pm. on this week’s show the contestants receive a masterclass from Michelin star chef Daniel Clifford. Later the seven cooks compete for a place in the quarter-final using equipment from a mystery box and an open pantry. Can they rustle up a dish that inspires passion and which shows simplicity and versatility in 90 minutes?

DeaD FamouS Dna Channel 4, 9pm

There’s something weirdly fascinating about this tasteless trawl through the biological bits and bobs of famous types in the name of science. Presenter Mark evans flits from Hitler to elvis by way of JFK for a final time, convinced he’s on the verge of cracking some kind of genetic code. A show that is to science what Dan Brown is to literature.

★

Sport championS league live RTÉ2, 7.30pm

Manchester United have perked up in the Premiership and the pressure has eased on manager David Moyes (above). But it will still be a major upset if they get the better of Bayern Munich in tonight’s Champions league quarterfinal second leg. Bill o’Herlihy is joined by eamon Dunphy, John Giles and Liam Brady for live coverage, which includes highlights of Atlético Madrid v Barcelona. Second Captains Live with the radio team of eoin McDevitt, Ken early, Ciarán Murphy, Simon Hick and Mark Horgan follows straight afterwards.

ghoSt

Serangoon roaD

BateS motel Universal, 9pm

Is Norman (Freddie Highmore) the real psycho in this Hitchcock prequel or is it his disturbed chum Bradley? The crazed girl is hiding out in the Bates basement following last week’s shooting while up on ground level Norm and his mom (Vera Farmiga) are acting like everything’s normal. They’ve even signed up for the local community musical…

law & orDer: uK ITV, 9pm

on the surface, the death of an elderly Arab woman appears to be suicide. But DS Ronnie Brooks (Bradley walsh) suspects foul play and, while his instincts are rarely wrong, the more sensitive approach of DS Joe Hawkins (Ben Bailey Smith) could prove crucial in unearthing vital leads in a distressing case involving female genital mutilation.

BoneS

Sky Living, 9pm Though you might question if dealing with death on a daily basis would mean you’d stay quite this perky, this forensic pathology procedural still feels fresh well into its ninth season. when the remains of a teenage gymnast are found, Booth (David Boreanaz) suspects something doesn’t add up where the girl’s father is concerned.

More4, 9pm The highest-grossing film of 1990 and still, despite its flaws, the perfect excuse to cuddle up on the sofa. Patrick Swayze is the murdered banker, Demi Moore the pottery-mad lover he returns to earth to protect, and whoopi Goldberg the comic-foil psychic oda Mae Brown, in a performance that bagged Goldberg an oscar nomination.

enigma

BBC4, 9pm Michael Apted’s well-crafted world war II thriller, based in part on Robert Harris’s novel, is set around the codebreakers at Bletchley Park. The impressive cast features Kate winslet, Saffron Burrows and Game of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster waldau, headed up by Dougray Scott as a cryptanalyst in the middle of a personal and professional crisis.

★

ScarFace ITV4, 10pm

Nominated for three Golden Globes and a regular in ‘best films of all time’ lists, oliver Stone and Brian De Palma’s bloody, cult gangster classic is always worth catching, not least for helping launch the careers of Mary elizabeth Mastrantonio and Michelle Pfeiffer. But it is Al Pacino’s show, of course, his turn as increasingly deranged Cuban crim turned major-league Miami coke dealer Tony Montana a frenzied joy to watch. And where would he be without his M16? All together: ‘Say hello to my leetle friend!’

in BrugeS

Film4, 10.40pm A welcome chance to catch this brilliantly scripted black comedy from Martin McDonagh, featuring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as two Irish hitmen sent to lie low amid the canals and cobbles of Bruges by their psychotic boss – an unexpectedly excellent Ralph Fiennes.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 METRO HERALD

A divine comedy? Director John Martin McDonagh talks to Pavel Barter about embracing the dark side of comedy for his latest film Calvary

lthough John Michael McDonagh and his brother, the director and playwright Martin McDonagh, have never worked together, they keep a close eye on each other’s projects. A few years ago, John Michael spent a day on the set of Seven Psychopaths, in California. Returning the favour, Martin came to Sligo during the making of Calvary. After watching a scene in which Calvary’s priest visits a cannibalistic serial killer in prison, Martin turned to his brother and muttered, ‘I thought this was going to be a comedy?’

➔

16 METRO HERALD Wednesday, April 9, 2014

film

➔

features@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010

John Michael McDonagh, however, prefers his comedy with a side order of darkness. ‘I don’t think I’d ever do a straight drama with no humour. I’d find that quite dull,’ says the director, in a hotel suite the morning after Calvary’s Irish premiere. ‘But I don’t think I’d ever do a straight comedy that has no melancholic or sad elements. It’s just the way I entertain myself.’ In McDonagh’s 2011 debut, The Guard, Brendan Gleeson played a dodgy cop. In Calvary, he’s a good priest who receives a death threat during confession. With only seven days to live, the priest tries to help his hostile parishioners and troubled daughter, played by Kelly Reilly. More a who’s-gonnado-it than a whodunnit, Calvary is High Noon in a dog collar. The film’s ensemble cast includes Chris O’Dowd, Dylan Moran, and Pat Shortt. ‘I like working with comic actors,’ says McDonagh. ‘There are a lot of comic actors in both my films. They’re a good laugh on set and fun to

“I’m not sure I could have written this ten years ago” be around. Comic actors know they are not taken seriously, so they want to do dramatic work. On this film, everyone wanted to do the best for Brendan. They all raised their game.’ Gleeson’s performance as a humble man, suffering for the sins of others, is a career highlight – although the treadmill of abuse his character received over the 29 day shoot wore him out. Sligo and the town of Easkey, where most of the film was made, look stunning. McDonagh wanted to create a mythic, widescreen backdrop to the story. ‘I hate films that are described as “little gems”, so I was trying not to make a “little gem”,’ he says. McDonagh drew on his own past for inspiration. The director grew up in London, but his mother is from Easkey. ‘She was really jealous when we made The Guard, which is set where my father is from in Galway. We went to Easkey for our summer holidays when we were kids. I like setting stories in locations I know. There’s a ruined castle behind Brendan in one of the shots. Martin and I used to play there when we were kids.’ Back then, the brothers attended mass every Sunday, although it ‘felt more like a social habit’. Irish people have fallen out of that habit, and are demoralised with the church after an endless succession of scandals, says the director. The film also explores recessionary themes, through Moran’s disgruntled aristocrat character. ‘I’m not sure I could have written this ten years ago, or even five years ago,’ McDonagh continues. ‘There had to be a long settling down period. There’s usually a ten-year gap with stuff. The best Vietnam war films came out ten years after the war ended.’

Father figures: McDonagh with Calvary stars Kelly Reilly and Brendan Gleeson, and below, Dylan Moran with Gleeson in a scene from the film Despite Calvary’s topical nature, the story exists in the same heightened reality as The Guard. Inspector Stanton (Gary Lydon), who appeared in The Guard and

McDonagh’s short film The Second Death (2000), makes an appearance. ‘I feel Gerry Boyle [Gleeson’s character in The Guard] could wander into the town in Calvary and meet the priest. I don’t know what that would be like. There would be some sort of implosion.’

CDONaGH brought back many of his collaborators from The Guard. amongst them, cinematographer Larry Smith, who shot Eyes Wide Shut for Stanley Kubrick. ‘I think he had a grumpy relationship with Kubrick. Kubrick would phone him up at 4am wanting to chat.’ The Guard also happened to be the most successful Irish independent film of all time. No pressure then? McDonagh laughs. ‘You know what, there is no pressure. There would be pressure if The Guard

bOOk nOw THEATRE Ballyturk In Enda Walsh’s most recent play Misterman, a chilling Cillian Murphy gave a superlative performance as a self-proclaimed prophet of God, who hides out in a bleak industrial space in the ‘sin-riddled’ village of Inishfree. The impossibly talented duo are back later this year with the bittersweet new work Ballyturk, which makes its world premiere at the Galway Arts Festival in July. Murphy will join Stephen Rea and Mikel Murfi in this latest dispatch from Walsh’s fecund imagination, which will arrive in Dublin later this year Aug 7 to Aug 23, Olympia Theatre, 72 Dame Street D2, 7.30pm, from €27.50. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.ballyturk.com

had bombed because I’d feel like a failure. It’s unlikely Calvary will be as financially successful in Ireland as that film. It was kind of an anomaly – a once in a lifetime box office bonanza. Not that I saw any of that money.’ The director is planning a third instalment to his Gleeson trilogy. The story, set in his local stomping ground of South London, will cast the actor as an angry paraplegic. ‘I’m going to use a cast of disabled actors. Brendan plays this really aggressive personality who tries to get his life in order by solving the murder of one of his friends.’ McDonagh is not turning his back on black comedies, then. But neither is he ready to collaborate with his brother. ‘No, we argue too much. We were playing five a side football a few days ago and we had a bitter argument that stopped play for ten minutes.’ They may not be creatively compatible, but two McDonaghs is definitely better than one. Calvary (16) is out Friday

Life home cinema

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 METRO HERALD

An uplifting story of activism and hope

How To Survive A PlAgue (no cert) DVD HHHH✩ The iniquities visited on the homosexual community at the height of the Aids panic in the 1980s and 1990s have been highlighted by the awards-hoovering success of Dallas Buyers Club. That renewed interest has sparked the DVD release of David France’s hard-hitting documentary, which was Oscar-nominated in 2013. When HIV/Aids hit the Western world, New York’s Greenwich Village was ground zero but hospital workers turned away the dying, the medical establishment refused to draw up a proper treatment research agenda and the government looked the other way – or, in the case of senator Jesse Helms, told the gay community it deserved it. But amid grief, terror and rising homophobic violence, that community came together and fought back, with everything from mass kiss-ins to teaching themselves pharmacology and demanding a role in identifying promising new drugs. France uses astonishing archive footage and stark testimony from activists to build a vivid tribute to those who effected radical change and saved countless lives. It also acts as a complementary piece to Fire In The Blood (released on DVD last week), which reveals how the West, once effective medication had been found, blocked access to it by countries in the global south. Siobhán Murphy

HomefronT (15A)

DVD, Blu-ray, VoD

HHH✩✩

This actioner is from the pen of Sylvester Stallone, who you can just imagine playing the lead – 20 years ago. Instead, the

role of an ex-drug enforcement agent who kicks ass to protect his family goes to the ever reliable Jason Statham, as nifty as ever with the punches and takedowns required here. Statham’s Broker is living a quiet life in Louisiana with his young daughter (promising Izabela Vidovic). Quiet, that is, until he annoys some of the local meth heads (including Kate Bosworth and Winona Ryder), who are lorded over by baddie James Franco. The plot gets a bit muddled but Stallone does allow his characters room to breathe, mixing up some father-daughter stuff into the face-offs. But the chief thrill is watching the Stath wipe the smug grin off Franco’s face. Sharon Lougher

CArrie (15A)

DVD, Blu-ray, VoD

HH✩✩✩

Remaking one of the most iconic horror movies ever made is pretty much a doomed mission but hopes for this one were atypically high. Not only does it star the usually excellent Chloë Grace Moretz (Let Me In, Kick Ass), it’s directed by Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry), which suggested a potentially radical

Five films to see at the cinema

1 2 3

20 Feet From Stardom oscar-winning, crowd-pleasing documentary that shines the spotlight on backing singers. Mick Jagger, Sting and Bruce Springsteen are among those singing their praises. The Double richard Ayoade’s tricksy adaptation of a Dostoevsky novella – with Jesse eisenberg playing a mild-mannered loser and his successful doppelganger – is a disorientating visual delight.

Under The Skin Scarlett Johansson (pictured) is sensational in this slice of unforgettable alien weirdness from the director of Sexy Beast. Like an arthouse version of Species, set in Glasgow. But better than that sounds.

feminist take on Stephen King’s blood-splattered coming-of-age best-seller. Sadly, though, it doesn’t click. The self-assured Moretz (pictured left) is fundamentally miscast as Carrie, a quaking teenage girl in homemade clothes, brought up by a mentally disturbed fundamentalist Christian mother (Julianne Moore). Bullied by the mean girls at school – who film her getting her first period in the shower, then post it online – Carrie snaps after a prom night prank, unleashing her telekinetic powers with bloodily unmemorable CGI results. A scene-by-scene (though without the killer ending) retelling of the Oscarnominated 1976 version, it feels a pointless exercise, especially because it’s just Not That Scary. You’re better off downloading the 18certificate Brian De Palma original. SM

looking AHeAd We Are the BeSt!

A Story Of Children And Film critic and filmmaker Mark cousins offers a passionate, profound cine-essay on how cinema has depicted childhood – sweeping through decades and continents to offer a thrilling toy box of clips.

The Grand Budapest Hotel Wes Anderson’s quirky, visually scrumptious, caper is packed with stars – from ralph Fiennes to Adrien Brody (pictured) – and sparkles with razor-sharp wit.

Swedish director Lukas Moodysson is not exactly known for upbeat movies (Lilya 4-ever, anyone?) – but this 1980s-set, girl-power drama about three teens forming a punk band is a warm-hearted delight. out April 18.

18 METRO HERALD Wednesday, April 9, 2014

body matters

features@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010

gO figuRE alternatives Skin fold test Also known as the pinch test, this uses calipers to measure the amount of fat beneath the skin. It involves pinching the skin and taking readings at specific points on the body. These are then converted to an estimated body fat percentage. It can be done at home but it is best to have it done by a professional as the calipers and testing points can have an influence.

Is BMI just a big fat lie?

When a health index says the woman pictured is overweight should we trust it any more? Vicki-Marie Cossar investigates

y any normal standard, bodybuilder Anita Albrecht would be considered the picture of health. yet the 39-year-old personal trainer was told by a nurse she should go on a strict diet. The reason? Her body mass index was 29 – meaning she was just short of obese. But what

is BMI? And should we still be using a system designed in the early 1800s? BMI was created by Belgian statistician Adolphe Quetelet around 1830 as a measure of obesity and adopted by governments in an effort to promote healthy eating. It is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in metres, then dividing the answer by your height again. This ratio is then compared to an index chart (known as the Quetelet index, main picture) to see whether you are underweight (a score of under 18), normal (18.5-24.9), over-

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The European Commission Representation in Ireland would like to draw the attention of interested parties to the publication of a tender entitled:

Cleaning services for the premises of the European Union House in Dublin Contract Notice is available in the Official Journal of the European Union No.2014/S.70 and tender documents on: http://ec.europa.eu/ireland/tenders_and_grants/dublin-rep-tenders/index_en.htm

weight (25-29.9) or obese (over 30). Albrecht is 1.5m tall and weighs 66kg – giving her the reading of 29. Accordingly, the nurse told her to exercise more and limit herself to 1,000 calories per day – just half the recommended number for a woman. For a competitive athlete, this was not good advice. ‘The last thing someone like Anita needs to do is restrict herself to 1,000 calories a day,’ says Caroline Finucane, health editor. ‘Muscle cells need more energy to maintain than fat cells, so she’s already burning calories like there’s no tomorrow. Taking into account her fitness, waist measurement and factors such as cholesterol level and blood sugar would have given a much more accurate picture.’

InuCAnE says for most adults BMI is a quick and simple way to check whether you need to take action. But she admits it’s not perfect and doesn’t work for everyone. ‘It doesn’t distinguish between fat and muscle,’ she says, ‘so if you’re one of the few very muscly people like Anita, it could put you in an overweight category even if you have very little body fat. For this minority of people, BMI’s a fat lot of good.’ Although BMI might be a good rule of thumb for most, industry professionals say there are better alternatives for those who work out regularly. ‘BMI assumes we’re all made of the same proportion of fat,

muscle and bone,’ says Pratik Sufi, weight-loss surgeon at the private Spire Bushey Hospital in Hertfordshire. ‘It’s not the most accurate measurement but because it is used so widely, it’s difficult to change. It’s something people recognise and trust, so to change it would take a huge concerted effort.’ So what’s the best way to see if you’re overweight? A cheap, simple and non-invasive method is to check your waist-hip ratio. ‘I don’t go by BMI because it doesn’t take into consideration 100 per cent of the population,’ says Greg Small, from the Register of Exercise Professionals. ‘But a waist-hip ratio is a good indicator of health and the risk of developing serious health conditions.’ In 2005, the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Copenhagen said people who carry weight around the waist (apple-shaped bodies) face more health risks than those who carry more weight around the hips (pear-shaped bodies). And in 2008, The World Health Organisation published a report concluding: ‘The fundamental question of whether waist circumference and waist-hip ratio are useful measures for predicting disease risk was answered with convincing evidence.’ As an ex-professional rugby player, Small says his BMI puts him as morbidly obese. ‘For those working out regularly I wouldn’t use BMI,’ he says. ‘The waist-hip ratio is a much better assessment of where you are storing fat.’

Hydrostatic weighing (underwater weighing) First you are weighed on land, then, in minimal clothing, you sit in a seat, expel all the air from your lungs and are lowered into a tank until all body parts are submerged. You’re not allowed to move while your underwater weight is recorded. A formula then calculates your body density and body fat percentage. Air displacement plethysmography This uses the same principles as underwater weighing but is based on air displacement. It works by measuring the volume of air a person or object displaces inside an enclosed chamber – known as a plethysmograph. The device uses the relationship between pressure and volume to calculate your body volume. From this, your body density is calculated and body fat percentage estimated. Bioelectrical impedance It involves standing on two footpads with built-in electrodes (some devices require electrodes to be touching both the feet and hands) while an electrical signal is sent round the body to measure the resistance caused by body tissue. The current flows more easily through parts of the body composed mostly of water (blood, urine and muscle) than it does through bone, fat or air. Your bioelectric impedance measurement is then combined with your height, weight, gender, fitness level and age to estimate your body fat percentage.

open book

to advertise, call 01 7055010

seizing their fate I’m addicted to reading and have spent a lot of money on my bookbuying habit, allowing one book to lead me to another. For years I limited myself to fiction until somewhere along the way, I began to buy and read books about writers: biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, essays, diaries and letters. I discovered A Writer’s War, a biography of Russian journalist/ writer Vasily Grossman and later read Grossman’s big novel Life And Fate about the battle, and civilian life under Stalin. Inevitably I bought Beevor’s best-selling Stalingrad and by this stage was hooked.

Fighting spirit: Pierce’s new book is set in the streets of Stalingrad in 1942

Ou know what’s worse than finding a defect in your car? Finding out it was a spider that caused it. This week, in a story that made you double check what date in April it was, Mazda made the chilling announcement that the mildly venomous (but still venomous) yellow sac spider loves the smell of petrol in Mazda 6s so much they creep into your engine – and your nightmares – and weave a web that can set the engine on fire. Bizarrely, it’s not even the first spider-related product recall for Mazda, and it’s definitely not the first time spiders have made a nuisance of themselves; they also like hanging out in…

TOp issuEs cAusED by THE spiDER

Two stories in Beevor’s book jumped out at me. A Russian teacher was ordered by the NKVD to enrol his class of thirty 16-yearold boys to fight in Stalingrad. By the time he reached the registry office half the class had vanished.

world’s most venomous species. Fact: the banana spider is so nicknamed because, as you read above, it likes to hide in banana plants, and not because of the painful, lengthy and potentially dangerous erection its bite can cause.

AiR TRAffic cOnTROL TOwERs

Air traffic controller, alongside postal worker and stay-at-home parent, is infamously one of the most stressful jobs in the world. So what you do not need while trying to co-ordinate thousands of metal tubes filled with people hurtling around the sky is a swarm of spiders hatching around your nether-regions. But that is what happened to flight control at Kansas Airport when an infestation of spider eggs began hatching beneath their desks, causing an evacuation and flight delays. The spiders were probably looking for flies…

cARgO sHips

It’s not just Mazdas spiders like to set up shop in; last year Toyota was forced to recall hundreds of thousands of vehicles after discovering spider webs could set off their airbags. By cleverly clogging the air conditioning drainage tubes, water was diverted into the airbag controls, either causing the warning light to come on, or worse again deploy when you’re driving, or worse still not deploy when you crash.

In 2010, port authorities in Guam swiftly sent a freight ship back to sea when thousands of spiders began offloading themselves along with the cargo. Officials didn’t know what type they were, nor did they care. The island nation is already currently home to 40 times more spiders than any of its neighbours, thanks to the introduction of another foreign creature – the brown tree snake – which is responsible for wiping out ten of the country’s 12 native bird species, who used to keep the spider population in check.

bAnAnAs

REMOTE inDiAn viLLAgEs

OTHER cARs

And it’s not just cars they like to hide in either. Last year British supermarket Sainsbury’s was forced to recall a bunch of bananas it sold to one unfortunate customer, after a family of Brazilian Wandering Spiders spilled out of it. Consi Taylor was actually half way through eating them before she noticed, and like a trooper began to hoover them up, but that was before she found out they were the

features@metroherald.ie

Dublin author Nicola Pierce on her new young adult novel City Of Fate

How SPIDERS can cause scares other than just seeing one in the bathroom, writes Ross McDonagh

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 METRO HERALD

Everyone remembers the terrifying story of the ‘previously unknown tarantula-esque’ spider that invaded the remote Indian town of Sadiya, killing at least two people and seriously injuring many others. Of course, whether it was the spider bites or the followup medical care from the resident witch doctors that actually caused the fatalities was never confirmed.

Beevor could not confirm the teacher’s fate but it’s highly probable that the man paid for this ‘infraction’ with his life. The second story concerned a massacre of a Jewish village in rural Russia. The parents were shot first and then, following some debate, so were the children – even the babies and toddlers. It’s not the sort of thing one can easily forget. I had absolutely no idea how I was going to work it into City Of Fate but I was determined to include it, though even now I can’t explain why.

From the very beginning I had the characters of two boys in mind. I didn’t know who they were but they kept turning up in my mind’s eye, walking through the ruined streets of Stalingrad, mostly oblivious to the two warring armies around them. I wanted to tell the story of the teacher and the 15 pupils who stood by him. What is it like to be a schoolboy one minute and then

an inexperienced soldier in the midst of a deadly battle? I tried my best to imagine the fear and confusion, especially when it came to actually having to kill another human being who was trying to kill you.

The story grew thanks to the characters. I don’t plan out my books and generally have little or no idea what I will write, from day to day. I wanted to include as much fact as I could, as I did in my first novel Spirit Of The Titanic. I also wanted to show that there can still be beauty in wartime, whether it’s a solo rendition of Beethoven or a charcoal drawing of Mary and the baby Jesus. I wanted to explore what motivates a person to fight and to keep fighting when all seems lost. I think I managed to work it out: I think it’s about the importance of ‘home’. City Of Fate by Nicola Pierce is out now. For more information visit www.obrien.ie

20 METRO HERALD Wednesday, April 9, 2014

puzzles

METROSCOPE

by Patrick Arundell

NEMI by Lise

Aries Mar 21 – Apr 20

Your ruler, Mars, and the Sun move into an exact opposition. This can create a push-pull dynamic, especially in relationships. However frustrating someone’s behaviour seems, try to avoid confrontation. For your forecast, call 15609 114 70

For your forecast, call 15609 114 76

Taurus Apr 21 – May 21

scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22

It could be said that our forebears, though not necessarily having easier lives, had more straightforward decisions to make. So, if you’re feeling stressed out, how you unpick this may not be as clear.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 71

Gemini May 22 – Jun 21

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

You can find yourself on a mission to improve the social dynamics of your life. Yet you can’t assume every person you know will be on the same page. Certainly, within group dynamics, not everybody may be getting on as well as you’d like. For your forecast, call 15609 114 72

Cancer Jun 22 – Jul 23

Balancing your ambitions with what’s truly compatible for you at an emotional level could prove rather challenging. The great news is that a promotion or advancement is very possible but this may require you to adjust your personal life.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 73

Leo Jul 24 – Aug 23

PEARLs BEFORE swINE

situation today. You could find yourself unusually frustrated, exasperated or irritated by the actions of others. Something that’s lain dormant within you could come to the surface in the most unexpected of ways. What can prompt this may be the sharp words, or perceived criticisms, from someone else. Your feelings can be turbulent. For your forecast, call 15609 114 77

sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21

If you’re in a relationship where your partner has always had an ambivalent attitude, you may find this issue comes back into play. The fact is, many people want a part of you. Measured communication can help quell the disquiet. For your forecast, call 15609 114 78

Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 20

Since last December, Mars has been marching through the most highprofile part of your ‘scope. However, since the start of March, he has been in retrograde. If you are finding it more difficult to deal with authority, this can come to the fore. For your forecast, call 15609 114 79

If you’re travelling today, turn up the music or enjoy the scenery with the thought you’ll get to your destination eventually. If you decide you are going to get from A to B as rapidly as possible, you may find it is a case of less haste, more speed.

Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19

Virgo Aug 24 – Sep 23

For your forecast, call 15609 114 80

For your forecast, call 15609 114 74

Very often, you can be a rebel with a cause, standing up for those who are less fortunate, or supporting charitable efforts. Yet, if you get on your soapbox today, be sure it can take your weight. Someone may challenge you.

You could encounter someone who has a charismatic aura. They may seem to exude a magnetism you find fascinating. Equally, you might not like something about them, yet still find them captivating.

Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20

Libra Sep 24 – Oct 23

For your forecast, call 15609 114 81

For your forecast, call 15609 114 75

If there’s a big ticket item you’ve been contemplating buying for some time, you can find yourself signing on the dotted line. Now, if the finances are truly in place, enjoy your new possession. If not, you may regret it.

DOWN 1 Drilling tool (5) 2 Placed (8) 3 Confidential (6) 4 Parched (4) 5 Terse (7) 6 Parsimony (10) 9 Wavering (10) 12 Patronage (8) 14 Assert (7) 16 Decorated (6) 19 Mad (5) 20 Species (4)

Yesterday’s Solutions Across: 6 Barrier; 7 Annoy; 9 Try; 10 Interests; 12 Reparations; 15 Shorthanded; 17 Community; 19 Way; 21 Agent; 22 Passive. Down: 1 Parry; 2 Dry; 3 Keen; 4 Undesired; 5 Content; 8 Retain; 11 Detriment; 13 At hand; 14 Through; 16 Waive; 18 Tray; 20 Ask.

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

ENIGMA Clothes with which we’re all encased, Always worn below the waist. Anything that’s bad or naff Is also called this, for a laugh. WHO AM I? A cricketer, I was born in Preston in 1977. I scored 142 against South Africa at Lord’s in 2003, breaking my bat in the process. I’m nicknamed Freddie, after a TV cartoon character.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? WHO… founded the branch of biology known as genetics? WHAT... are the names of Gemini’s twins? WHERE... is Naxos, the largest island of that group? WHEN... did James Bolger become prime minister of New Zealand?

SCRIBBLE BOX

ACROSS 1 Help (10) 7 Taut (5) 8 Red wine (7) 10 Recounted (8) 11 Row (4) 13 Really (6) 15 Restraint (6) 17 Every (4) 18 Equatorial (8) 21 Sturdiness (7) 22 Intone (5) 23 Unnecessarily (10)

For a live one-to-one consultation with one of my gifted psychics, call 15809 113 68 or 1800 719 688 to book using credit card

QuIz

Crossword No. 951 See next edition for solutions

QUIZ ANSWERS: ENIGMA: Pants. WHO AM I? Andrew Flintoff. WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? Gregor Mendel; Castor and Pollux; The Cyclades; 1990.

QUICK CROsswORd

Your credentials as a diplomat can be compromised if you let the role of Mars gain too much traction in your

golf masters

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 METRO HERALD

No excuses if I miss ON THE spOT out again, says Rory Adam Scott

The Masters champion beat Angel Cabrera in a play-off at Augusta last year to claim his first major and become the first Australian to win the green jacket. He returns this week looking to become only the fourth man in history to defend the title.

by MATTHEw NAsH RoRy McIlRoy admits there will be no excuses if he does not give himself a chance to complete the third leg of a career grand slam. McIlroy has won the US open and US PGA Championship and finished third in the 2010 open but his best finish at Augusta remains a tie for 15th in 2011, when he led by four shots going into the final round but crashed to a closing 80. A year ago McIlroy arrived on the back of a second-place finish in the Texas open, but this only masked his struggles to adapt to his new Nike equipment. He became embroiled in legal battles with his former management company and a sponsor but got his game back in shape and ended the year on a high with a victory in the Australian open.

age: 33. WORLD RaNKINg: No.2. HONOURS: Masters Champion 2013; The Open runner-up 2012; 26 Tour victories. n You took a good break over the winter, how’s your game looking heading into Masters week? My preparations have been going well and everything is heading in the right direction. In January and February I took six weeks off and I did some really good work. Last year I took 11 weeks off between events so big breaks are not new for me as they help me prepare for the year ahead. n You’re back at Augusta as champion. Is there any added pressure or is it an advantage? The excitement is building, that’s for sure. Coming back to Augusta National to defend my title is going to be an incredible experience with so many positive memories from last year. n As the champion there will be more commitments before you tee-off. Do they get in the way of preparations or does it add to the experience? Attention at tournaments and things like that have increased but that’s to be expected, it goes with the job. Really, there’s no burden on me outside of that. Managing my time at events has been an adjustment but other than that, it’s been smooth sailing. To have that green jacket hanging in the closet is worth a few extra commitments.

‘It’s about not getting ahead of myself’ A final round of 65 in last week’s Houston open meant the Northern Irishman was in high spirits as he discussed his chances of following in the footsteps of Adam Scott. ‘Mind, body, equipment, it’s all there,’ he said. ‘There’s no excuses if I don’t play well this week. ‘Everything’s in the right place to allow me to play well so it’s just a matter of managing my expectations, not getting ahead of myself, not thinking about Sunday.’ McIlroy noted the branch of a tree on the tenth hole, which in 2011 hit his chances of success when his drive smacked into it and was deflected way off course, has been removed. A triple-bogey seven there precipitated a back nine of 43 that left him ten shots behind winner Charl Schwartzel. ‘That’s probably the only time I’ve cried over golf,’ he added. ‘Blowing a lead in the final round of the Masters, you never know if you’ll get that opportunity again.’

On the up: A focused Rory McIlroy practises yesterday at Augusta National

sELECTEDfIRsTROuNDTEETIMEs

Debut: Reed

(British Summer Time) 2:13pm: Angel Cabrera, Gary Woodland, Ian Poulter 2:35pm: Graeme McDowell, Rickie Fowler, Jimmy Walker 2:57pm: Zach Johnson, KJ Choi, Steve Stricker 3:08pm: Miguel Angel Jimenez, Bill Haas, Matteo

Manassero 3:41pm: Adam Scott, Jason Dufner, Matthew Fitzpatrick 3:52pm: Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed, Rory McIlroy 5:20pm: Matt Kuchar, Louis Oosthuizen, Thongchai Jaidee 5:53pm: Bernhard Langer,

ODDbALLs

Francesco Molinari, Chris Kirk 6:04pm: Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson 6:15pm: Bubba Watson, Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia 6:48pm: Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Justin Rose 6:59pm: Harris English, Lee Westwood, Russell Henley

Pele: a tuft diamond

scolari puts limits on the loving BRAzIl coach luiz Felipe Scolari has warned his players he will not tolerate anything too energetic in the bedroom during this summer’s World Cup finals. The former Chelsea boss insists while he is happy for his squad to indulge in a little loving away from the pressures of attempting to win the trophy on home soil, he will be watching out for anything ‘too

PICTURE: AP

acrobatic’. Asked during a press conference whether he planned to issue a ban on his players enjoying pleasures of the flesh during the tournament, Scolari said: ‘The players can have normal sex during the World Cup. Usually normal sex is done in a balanced way but some like to perform acrobatics. We will put limits and Clean sheets: Phil survey the players.’

FOOTBALLING legend Pele has unveiled an unusual piece of memorabilia to coincide with this summer’s World Cup in his homeland. Strands of the 73-yearold’s hair have been turned into diamonds and added to a limitededition souvenir. The sparklers are made using a high-pressure process during which the hair is charred. Encased in a gold-plated box the souvenir features a statue of Pele in action and is made up of 1,283 diamonds – one for each goal in his career – worth €5,000.

‘I’d have loved to have had pies at cocktail hour’ n What’s on the menu for the Champions Dinner (which took place last night?) I’ve been working on it with a friend of mine who is a chef, Jay Gross. It has an Australian theme, and includes Moreton Bay Bugs (a type of lobster) and pavlova made to my mother’s own recipe. It’s along the lines of surf and turf, with food from the barbie, which is what I like. I would have loved to have served some meat pies at the cocktail hour, but it couldn’t be arranged! I won’t just serve them all Vegemite on toast. n Only three players have won back-to-back Masters. What would it mean to emulate Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods? To join such a prestigious group of players would be a huge honour. n It was such a dramatic finish last year. What are the most vivid memories now, 12 months on? My celebration on the 18th was probably slightly out of character, but maybe that was all the years of frustration and everything coming out of not having won a major at that point. At those moments, you see how much it means to anyone competing out there, and that was a big one for me obviously. I can’t help but smile when I see that. Adam Scott is international golf brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz www.facebook.com/MercedesBenzGolf

INTERvIEw: DANIEL JONEs

22 METRO HERALD Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Roo gamble not a toe-tal risk, Moyes assures Roy DaviD Moyes insists he is not jeopardising Wayne Rooney’s place in england’s World Cup squad by playing him at Bayern Munich. Rooney sat out saturday’s win at Newcastle because of a toe injury suffered in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, a 1-1 draw against the Germans. However, the striker is expected to start tonight after having a pain-killing injection before kick-off. it is a situation that has ominous parallels with a tie at the allianz arena in 2010 – Rooney injured his ankle in the first leg and was rushed back for the return fixture, only to be taken off after 55 minutes. The 28year-old went on to have a poor World Cup, partly because of the injury. But United boss Moyes said: ‘We think it’s okay. We wouldn’t do anything medically wrong. ‘Wayne is determined to play and if he is determined we would be mad not to [play him].’ United recently installed a multimillion pound scanning suite at their Carrington training complex, so it

Bayern Munich v Manchester Utd Big chance: Welbeck

KEY BATTLE: Danny Welbeck v Dante

PICTUREs: PA

If United are to advance, they are going to have to score and their best bet may be to catch Bayern on the break. David Moyes’ men nearly managed that at Old Trafford when Welbeck found himself bearing down on goal, only for Manuel Neuer to save his ill-chosen dink. Dante (right), who was suspended for that game, is solid but prone to lapses of concentration and he could be Bayern’s weak link.

by jAMEs BOYLAn was slightly bizarre to hear from Moyes United had been unable to diagnose their star player. ‘We’ve not had clarification on the injury yet,’ the scot replied when first asked about Rooney’s problem. When pushed on the matter, Moyes conceded the club did know what the injury was but he was just unwilling

‘We would be mad not to play Wayne’ to divulge the information. ‘The doctors know,’ Moyes added. What is not in doubt is Rooney’s commitment to play in a game in which United must score to make it through to the last four. ‘He is able to train and is massively keen to be involved,’ Moyes said. ‘He is happy to take an injection, which shows you his feeling for the game and the club, and we need him as well.’

words by Danny Griffiths

did you know? Manchester United have won only one of their seven meetings with Bayern Munich since beating them in the Champions League final in 1999, drawing three and losing three

pOssiBLE TEAMs Bayern: Neuer, Alaba, Dante, Boateng, Rafinha, Ribery, Lahm, Gotze, Kroos, Robben, Muller. Man Utd: De Gea, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Jones, Carrick, Fellaini, Valencia, Kagawa, Welbeck, Rooney.

Psyched wayne is a true Blue-liever WAYNE RooNEY is optimistic Manchester United can defy the odds and triumph over Bayern Munich, just as unfancied Chelsea did in the final two years ago. The striker said: ‘of course [I believe we can win it]. Everyone has their favourites every year – the likes of Barcelona and Bayern – but it does not always happen. When

No Wayne, no gain: Rooney is expected to return for United after having a pain-killing injection to numb his toe injury

7.45pm, sky sports 1

Chelsea won it they nearly went out of the competition three times. We believe we can go through. We have good enough players. It will be tough. In my opinion Bayern and Barcelona are the two best teams left in it, so we have to be at our best. We are ready. It’s an exciting game for us all – the players and the fans.’

‘We’ll play on their doubts’

Mind games: Moyes

BayeRN Munich’s recent poor record against english teams will play on their mind tonight, believes David Moyes. They may have gone 53 Bundesliga games unbeaten [until last saturday] but they have failed to win their last four home ties against english sides. and Manchester United boss Moyes admitted: ‘They will have that doubt in their mind and we will try to use it to our advantage.’

PICTURE: PA

Pep expecting ‘defensive’ United to park the bus

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola expects Manchester United to defend in vast numbers when they visit the allianz arena. Bastian Schweinsteiger’s second-half equaliser at Old Trafford last week means United have to score at Bayern’s fortress to have a chance of reaching the semi-finals of the Champions

League. But Guardiola is not expecting an attacking approach from United this evening, remembering his recent experience of taking on Chelsea when he was Barcelona coach, with the Blues battling their way to a semi-final win over the Catalan giants in 2012. ‘They are so defensive,’ the

Bayern coach said when asked about his experience of playing english teams. ‘They use the counter-attack very well. It’s always difficult when one team stays there just to defend, and waits until you make a mistake. ‘Obviously when they play at home they attack a little bit more but when they play away they

defend. Maybe [United manager] David Moyes thinks another thing but I think they are going to wait back with eight or nine players in the box, await our mistake and wait for a free-kick or a corner to punish us.’ Bayern have twice knocked United out since the famous 1999 final, in 2001 and 2010.

Home guard: Guardiola

football

Fightback raises the Ba for Blues Jose’s joy as Demba clinches it

Marco in Real sweat

cHAMpiOns LEAguE

B DoRTMUnD .2 ReAl MADRID.0

ChelseA .............................2 pARIs sAInT-geRMAIn ... 0

(MADRID WIn 3-2 on Agg)

A MArco reus double ensured a nervy night for real Madrid in Dortmund. Holding a 3-0 advantage from the first leg the Spaniards were

(3-3 on Agg: ChelseA WIn on AWAy goAls)

by DAnny gRiFFiTHs DEMBA BA was the unlikeliest of heroes as Chelsea swept past Paris Saint-Germain and into the last four. The Senegal striker is expected to be moved on in the summer as Jose Mourinho brings in expensive new forwards but he bundled in only his sixth goal of the season to level the aggregate scores at 3-3 and give the Blues victory on away goals. It had appeared as if it was going to be a frustrating night for Chelsea as they suffered a huge blow in the 21st minute when Eden Hazard limped off to be replaced by Andre Schurrle. But the substitute then gave the 2012 European champions the lead in the 32nd minute when a long throw from Frank Lampard was flicked on by David Luiz for Schurrle to sweep in with a sweet first-time drive. PSG had been in control but the goal turned the game on its head and Gary Cahill should have increased the lead only to swipe his finish wide from eight yards. It seemed it may not be Chelsea’s night when Schurrle and Oscar then both rattled the same spot on the crossbar within minutes of each other soon after the break. Blues target Edinson Cavani should have wrapped it up for PSG with 12 minutes remaining when he fired high after being put through by Yohan Cabaye’s superb pass. It was a costly miss as Ba struck with three minutes left to send Mourinho running down the line in joy.

FOOTBALL DigEsT

Brand mission: Allam

Hull owner waits on final FA verdict The Football Association is due to rule today on hull’s controversial bid to rename themselves hull Tigers. The FA Council is expected to block the rebranding proposals of club owner Assem Allam after the governing body’s own membership committee unanimously recommended they be rejected last month. That would be in spite of a poll conducted by the club which appears to offer some evidence of support among fans for the change. In a ballot of City season-ticket holders, 2,565 voted for the rebrand, with 2,517 against, while a sizeable 9,159 did not vote. These results were published on Monday – too late to be included in any written submission the club may have made ahead of the FA meeting.

Leeds takeover is now a done deal

stunned after reus’ (pictured) first-half brace put the hosts within sight of a remarkable comeback. But real held on to book a place in the semi-finals.

Back in the game: schurrle enjoys his opener for Chelsea PictuRe: action iMages

chelsea’s flop strikes it lucky

Winning feeling: Ba celebrates after his late strike secured overall victory

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 METRO HERALD 23

MAssIMo CellIno (pictured) has officially completed his takeover of Championship leeds. The Italian’s company eleonora sport limited has finalised its purchase of 75 per cent of the elland Road club’s shares and the 57-year-old has taken his place on the leeds board of directors. ‘Massimo Cellino has now been appointed a director of lUFC holdings & esl has completed its purchase of 75 per cent of the shares of lUFC holdings,’ his legal representatives Mishcon de Reya tweeted.

Ronnie owns up

TRAnMeRe manager Ronnie Moore has admitted a Football Association misconduct charge relating to ‘multiple breaches’ of betting rules. Moore, who has been suspended by Rovers, has requested a personal hearing.

REsuLTs

Mourinho has slated his strikers – has he got something to grumble about

ChAmpions LeAgue quArter-finALs, seCond Leg Chelsea ................ 2 paris st germ..... 0

Dem’s the breaks

Borussia dort ...... 2 real madrid....... 0

mourinho’s criticism of his forwards has bordered on ridicule – reverse-psychology motivation or an attempt to detract from his own failings? the portuguese will probably claim the former after forgotten man demba Ba came off the bench to send Chelsea through with a typical poacher’s goal.

schurrle-y not Andre sChurrLe has played as a makeshift striker and the winger showed why by netting Chelsea’s first and hitting the bar. But schurrle’s not the answer up front for the Blues, whose dependence on midfield goals was again highlighted last night.

(3-3 on aggregate. Chelsea win on away goals) (real madrid win 3-2 on aggregate)

FiXTuREs (Both 7.45pm) Champions League quarter-finals, second legs Bayern Munich (1) v Man Utd (1) ................... TV Sky Sports 1 Atletico Madrid (1) v Barcelona (1) ................ TV Sky Sports 2/Sky 1

24 METRO HERALD Wednesday, April 9, 2014

No excuses if McIlroy doesn’t make it at the Masters

ireland to take on England at Aviva by pADRAic MORgAn IRELAND will welcome England to the Aviva Stadium for a friendly international in June, the Football Association of Ireland and the Football Association have jointly announced. The fixture will take place on June 7, and will serve as a warm-up for the European Championship qualifier against Scotland on Saturday, June 13. England will face Slovenia in their European Championship qualifier on the same day. It will be the first time that England have played in Dublin since crowd trouble caused the referee to abandon a friendly between the two sides in 1995 after 27 minutes. The Lansdowne Road riot was one of the darkest episodes in the history of English football. Right-wing extremists among the England supporters in the ground’s upper west stand threw objects onto the pitch when David Kelly had given the Irish the lead. The referee took the players off the pitch moments later and they never returned. Bridges were rebuilt last May when Ireland

spEciAL nigHT fOR THE spEciAL OnE Chelsea’s manager Jose Mourinho joins in the celebrations after Demba Ba scores his side’s second goal during the UeFA Champions league Quarter Final match at

stamford Bridge which saw the english side progress to the semi-finals Picture: PA

MATCH RepORT – pAge 23

Leinster turn to Ospreys tie to restore confidence

Heaslip: Focus on Pro12

Payne: Caught Red handed

Payne faces hearing for straight red

Ulster full-back Jared Payne will face a disciplinary hearing today following his red card during the Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat against saracens last weekend. Payne was dismissed after just five minutes at ravenhill by French referee Jerome Garces. He received his marching orders for an alleged dangerous charge on his opposite number, saracens’ england international Alex Goode, who was subsequently carried off the pitch. european rugby Cup confirmed that simon thomas of Wales has been appointed as independent judicial officer for the hearing, which will take place in Dublin.

‘The game is likely to be a 50,000 sell out’ visited Wembley to play a friendly which they drew 1-1. The match passed off without any crowd trouble. The two nations have faced each other 14 times before. Ireland have won only two and drawn seven, losing the other five. The game is likely to be a 50,000 sell out, but no decision has been made on how the tickets will be allocated. The FAI and FA are confident there will be no repeat of the trouble that marred the fixture 19 years ago. It is understood that intelligence on potential trouble-causers will be shared between the police forces of both nations. The chances of trouble occurring are lessened by the expectation that most – if not all – tickets will go to members of official fans’ groups, rather than via general sale. The FA said there were no arrests for football-related violence around the 1-1 draw last year, s organised as part of the organisation’s 150th anniversary celebrations.

«see pAge 21

AFter the dust has settled on leinster’s Heineken Cup campaign for this season following their quarter-final defeat to toulon in Marseille, attention now turns to the raboDirect PrO12 and a big chance to restore provincial pride against the Ospreys. Captain Jamie Heaslip admitted the loss in France was a crushing blow, but says his side remains

focused on the league, with four rounds to go and a trip to Ospreys next on the agenda. Despite the toulon defeat in which Heaslip admitted ‘they were the better team on the day’, and added: ‘they were probably more accurate with the ball, a lot more clinical, definitely, with the ball, and controlled the game very well,’ leinster should bring a lot of

confidence into the clash in Wales. they are unbeaten in their last 14 matches against Welsh regions in all tournaments and have won their last eight Pro12 ties, while Ospreys’ only victory in their last four league games was a 34-9 win over Cardiff Blues in round 17. However, Ospreys have won their last three games at home against leinster in the PrO12.

nissan signs soccer deal NissAN will replace Ford as a sponsor of Champions league soccer from next season to support its efforts to become the leading Asian carmaker in europe, the Japanese company said this week. Nissan said the fouryear agreement was its largest sponsorship deal but declined to comment on reports it was paying as much as $75million per season for the rights. Nissan said the Champions league had a tV audience of four billion from september to May. Nissan is also a sponsor of the 2016 Olympic Games in rio de Janeiro.