Metro Herald, Monday, May 12, 2014 by Metro Herald

Monday, May 12, 2014

Rose byRne Election 2014

»p10

How candidates would solve our housing crisis

Everybody needs Bad Neighbours »p13

Giro’s Irish holiday goes out with a bang on streets of Dublin

Kittel bit of magic

by david young

Benvenuti a Dublino: Race leaders in the Grand Partenza of the Giro d’Italia arrive in Dublin City centre for the finish yesterday

HUNDREDS of thousands of people lined highways and byways in Ireland to bid arrivederci to the Giro D’Italia. One of the world’s most famous cycle races crossed the border from Armagh into Louth at lunchtime, then whizzed its way along the east coast towards Dublin. Young and old packed the streets of Castlebellingham, Drogheda, Skerries, Swords, Malahide and Clontarf for a glimpse of the speeding peloton and the famous Maglia Rosa – the leader’s pink jersey. Many were kitted out in pink ponchos and raincoats to protect them from the earlier rain. But the sun came out to welcome the 200-odd cyclists at the end of their 187km route. Marcel Kittel was in the pink as he celebrated his 26th birthday in style by clinching victory in the stage three Irish leg. The German rider collapsed off his bike at the end of a gruelling sprint finish after arriving into a thronged Merrion Square where crowds roared on the competitors outside Government Buildings. ‘It was close,’ he admitted. ‘Actually, I thought I lost the race already because I was really not in a good position, but when I saw the finish line I thought, ‘You don’t give up now, you give everything you have.’ The three-week race, won by Stephen Roche in 1987, now heads back home to Italy.

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Picture: iNPHO

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METRO HERALD Monday, May 12, 2014

Monday 12/05/14

Today is...

Odometer Day For something so common, the odometer has surely got one of the, er, oddest gadget names going. That widget that counts up your car’s mileage year after year… yes, that’s the one. Here’s to William Clayton’s 1847 invention!

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Burt Bacharach, musician, 86; Steve Winwood, singer, 66; Gabriel Byrne, actor (pictured) 64; Emilio Estevez, actor, 52; Stephen Baldwin, actor, 48; Samantha Mathis, actor, 44; Domhnall Gleeson, actor, 31.

The solutions from 1 to 12 are all six-letter words ending with the letter D in the centre. Moving clockwise from 1, the letters in the outer circle will spell out the name of a World War I poet. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Wrap Put on Sinful Linked Abraded Persistent Yanked Detestation

9. University city 10. Robbed in the street 11. Nut type 12. Instant Friday’s solution: Sophie Aldred

Weather Weather Today

Max: 15°c

A cool and rather cloudy day with occasional showers. Many places will have a bright start with sunny spells during the morning. The showers will be widespread during the afternoon. Temperatures between 12°C and 15°C in moderate westerly winds.

12�C

Derry

Donegal

13�C

13�C Belfast

Cavan

Galway

14�C

Athlone

Dublin

15�C

12C

Tipperary Waterford

Tralee

Cork

Tonight

15�C

14�C Sunrise: 5.31am Sunset: 9.13pm

Min: 4°c

Dry in many areas, with clear spells, but some scattered showers will occur, mainly in the north and northwest. Mist and fog patches also. Temperatures between 4°C and 7°C in light northwesterly breezes.

EUROPE today

Tomorrow Many areas dry, with sunny spells, but a few scattered showers are possible, mainly in parts of the north and east. Temperatures between 12°C and 16°C in light northwesterly breezes.

23 °c Barcelona 20 °c Athens

13�C 12�C 15�C 12�C

16�C

15�C 16�C 16�C Max: 16°c

Brussels

15 °c 14 °c

London

14 °c

Geneva

Paris

16 °c 28 °c 15 °c

Rome

23 °c

Berlin

Madrid

Monday, May 12, 2014 METRO HERALD

Austrian drag queen mobbed after Eurovision victory – and reveals 007 dream

Spread the love: Fans show their support for Conchita in Vienna PicturEs: rEutErs

She’s the fuzzed lady of Europe by ANDREI HARMSWORTH

Eurovision generated

5,384,678

tweets Most tweeted about moments

EUROVISION winner Conchita Wurst made a triumphant return home to Austria yesterday... and revealed how she could leave Daniel Craig with serious stubble rash if she has her cheeky way. The bearded Austrian drag queen told how she dreams of being a Bond girl after triumphing with her song Rise Like A Phoenix in Copenhagen on Saturday. Asked about the prospect of a 007 romp, the brunette – real name Tom Neuwirth – coyly responded: ‘I think you know the answer.’ Then she added: ‘Of course!’ The 25-year-old dedicated her win to diversity and tolerance after she caused upset in parts of Eastern Europe with her participation.

Conchita gains

34,000

followers after her victory

Austria’s win is announced

47,136 tweets per minute

Conchita performs Rise Like A Phoenix

42,660

Belarus even called for the show to be cancelled. However, it was the star who had the last word, declaring: ‘I really dream of a world where we don’t have to talk about unnecessary

things like sexuality, where you’re from or who you love. I really felt tonight Europe showed it is full of respect and tolerance.’ She also indicated she’d like to return to Eurovision – as a host. Austrian president Heinz Fischer called Wurst’s success ‘not just a victory for Austria, but above all for diversity and tolerance in Europe’. Ireland’s Kasey Smith and CanLinn failed to qualify for Saturday night’s final, one of five countries that didn’t make it from Thursday’s second night semi-final. The Heartbeat singer tweeted that she was ‘gutted’ by the result ‘but that’s the way the cookie crumbles sometimes’. Twitter revealed yesterday the contest generated more than 5million tweets on social media. Vision of success: Conchita Wurst shows off the trophy in Vienna PicturE: AP

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METRO HERALD Monday, May 12, 2014

Dracula dropped, as Meyers tipped for King Taking a stand: Philomena Lee with actor Steve Coogan

‘Philomena Project’ help for adoptees A CHARITY set up by Philomena Lee – the Irish woman whose tragic tale inspired the award-winning movie Philomena – has succeeded in reuniting 50 adoptees with members of their birth families in just over three months. The Philomena Project launched in late January to provide support and services to the ‘thousands of Philomenas’ who have been unable to trace children taken from them by forced adoptions. The charity said it remains a challenge to help the hundreds of adopted people and birth mothers who have turned to them, because of the difficulty in gaining access to State-held adoption records. The organisation said it hopes the new Minister for Children, Charlie Flanagan, will show a commitment to making legislative changes to release the records of the estimated 60,000 adopted children in Ireland.

JONATHAN Rhys Meyers won’t be getting his teeth stuck into any more victims, after NBC pulled the plug on the drama series Dracula. The Cork actor played the lead in the first series of the ten-part show, which also starred Irish actress Victoria Smurfit. But according to reports, NBC – which has dropped several other dramas in recent days, including

Revolution and Community – won’t be commissioning a second season due to poor ratings. The 36-year-old actor was reportedly paid almost €75,000 an episode for the first series, which was also screened on Sky Living. NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt is said to have pursued Rhys Meyers to accept the role as the tortured vampire. But the Victorian-set

BY JOAnnE AHERn Philippa Watkins and Sinead Quirk with Buddy and Minnie turned out along with 10,000 others at Dublin’s Phoenix Park on Saturday morning for Pieta House’s annual Darkness into Light 5km dawn walk/run. An estimated 80,000 people at 37 locations across Ireland, as well as venues in London and Sydney, took part in the event in aid of the suicide and selfharm treatment centre. To find out more visit pieta.ie. Picture: Photocall

Barkness before dawn

Man arrested after fatal crash A MAN has been arrested after a fatal collision in Co Wicklow early yesterday morning. A passenger, a 23-year-old male, died when the car hit a wall near Croneyhorn on the R725 between Shillelagh and Carnew at about 4am. Meanwhile, a woman in her 70s was killed in a collision between a car and an SUV near Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, at about 2.45pm yesterday. The deceased was a passenger in the car. The car’s driver, a woman, also in her 70s, was seriously injured. The SUV’s driver, a woman in her 30s, sustained nonlife-threatening injuries.

Not all Vlad news: Meyers could be in the running for Elvis role

Justice Department ‘not fit for purpose’ – Minister

Body found on side of road DETECTIVES have appealed for witnesses after a man’s body was discovered at the side of a road. A passer-by found the man – aged 35 – at Carnalogue, Louth village, at around 4.40am yesterday. Paramedics were called to the scene where the man was pronounced dead. His body was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda for a post-mortem examination. Investigating gardaí in Ardee have appealed for anyone who was travelling on the road at Carnalogue between 4.15am and 4.45am to contact them.

drama series was panned by critics and suffered low viewership figures on both sides of the Atlantic. However, The Tudors star looks set to return as Elvis Presley in a big screen biopic after he won critical acclaim for his portrayal of The King in the 2005 CBS miniseries, Elvis. Baz Luhrmann is reportedly in talks to direct a movie about Presley for Warner Bros.

THE Department of Justice is ‘not fit for purpose’ and major changes need to be made, Transport Minister Leo Varadkar has said. Speaking on RTÉ yesterday in the wake of the publication of the highly critical Guerin Report into how allegations from Garda whistleblowers were dealt with, Mr Varadkar said An Garda is in crisis and public confidence has been damaged. He added that former Justice Minister Alan Shatter made a mistake in accepting advice unchallenged. He said: ‘I always had the sense that the Department’s role was less to control the gardaí but to just accept whatever they were being told and to back them up. ‘One of the criticisms that’s made in the report is a fair one and it’s something that all politicians now have to have regard to – to challenge advice. I think one of the difficulties for Alan Shatter, as one of the brightest and most capable people in Irish politics, is that he accepted that the former Garda commissioner was telling him the truth and he trusted his officials to brief him properly, and that didn’t happen.’ Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil’s Sean Fleming said the Department of Justice should be dealing with policy and that it ‘must change’. He called for an independent policing authority, which, he said, would remove this power from the Department of Justice. Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said further allegations of garda misconduct are ‘very serious’ and it’s important that they are investigated ‘as quickly as possible’. Garda whistleblower Sgt Maurice McCabe had his access to the Garda Pulse system restored over the weekend after being blocked from the database for 18 months.

Housing crisis ‘getting worse’ as rents keep rising DUBLIN city centre rents have risen by 14 per cent in the last year, research from property website Daft.ie has found. The average rent in the city centre is now €1,289 per month. However, this was surpassed by south Dublin city, which saw a 14.3 per cent increase, bringing the average rent there to €1,347 per month. North Dublin city, meanwhile, saw a 13.4 per cent rise, with an average rent of €1,185. South Dublin county saw a 13.2 per cent rise –

up to €1,441, West Dublin county was up 12.1 per cent to €1,076 and North Dublin County was up 10.9 per cent, to €1,064. Rental rates in commuter-belt counties Wicklow and Kildare saw a nine per cent annual increase, while Meath was up six per cent. All other Irish cities also experienced an increase in rents, ranging from a 6.3 per cent rise in Cork to 1.4 per cent rise in Waterford. Rents rose in every county, bar Donegal, Mayo, Roscommon and Cavan, with an average four per

cent rise nationwide. Meanwhile, the number of available rental properties is now 4,000, down from 11,000 in 2012. Daft report author and TCD economist Ronan Lyons said: ‘This latest Daft.ie report shows that the housing crisis in Dublin is getting worse. He added: ‘The solution is not capping rents, which will limit the supply of new homes, but rather addressing the underlying problems, in particular streamlining the cost of land and of regulation.’

Ukraine goes to polls to decide on independence

MOOOvE OvER: Two Herens cows lock horns during the qualification round of the annual Battle of the Queens, a traditional Swiss competition, in Aproz, in the western Alpine canton of Valais. The competition continues until a new queen forces the other cows to retreat Picture: reuters

Terror kidnap escapee ‘too scared to go back to school’

One of the teenagers who escaped from Islamic extremists who abducted more than 200 schoolgirls in nigeria says the kidnapping was ‘too terrifying for words’ and she’s scared to go to school. nineteen-year-old science student Sarah Lawan said that more girls could have escaped, but they were frightened by threats to shoot them. She said the girls were driven in a truck for hours after the gunmen took them from their school in the pre-dawn hours of April 15 before the truck stopped. They were asked to get down and she and a friend bolted into the bushes. Ms Lawan spoke in a phone interview from Chibok, the site of the mass abduction in northeast nigeria. She is among 53 students who escaped while 276 remain captive. A leading nigerian rights group is now urging the Un Security Council to impose sanctions on the extremists, saying concern and condemnation are not enough. The Socio-economic Rights and Accountability Project said it is time for the council to ‘act decisively’. The cost of inaction is ‘too high to contemplate’, they said.

Monday, May 12, 2014 METRO HERALD

by cOn DOHERTy

It comes as more experts are expected in nigeria to help in the search, including US hostage negotiators. nigeria’s government belatedly accepted offers of help this week from the US, Britain, France, China and Spain amid mounting national and international outrage at its failure to rescue the girls abducted by Boko Haram. The militants are threatening to sell the girls into slavery. The call for action adds to the growing condemnation by Muslims in nigeria and abroad against the Boko Haram terrorist network and its acts. Former nigerian military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida urged the country’s Muslims to rise up against the extremists sullying the name of Islam. Boko Haram has staged many attacks in northeastern nigeria over the years, a campaign of bombings and massacres that has intensified in recent times despite a strong military offensive. The group has killed more than 1,500 people this year, compared to an estimated 3,600 between 2010 and 2013.

Highway signs tell Boston drivers to: ‘Use yah blinkah’ VISITORS to the city may have trouble understanding, but signs on highways in Boston are now telling drivers to ‘use yah blinkah’ when switching lanes. The move by the Massachusetts department of transportation to use the distinctive Boston dialect on road signs aims to make the roads safer for locals. An official said public safety messages may become like wallpaper and drivers may not notice them, but by changing the graphics and the language they hope to Safer: Dialect sign grab drivers’ attention.

THeRe were long queues around eastern Ukraine yesterday, as two regions rocked by violence held a referendum on whether to become independent states. Thousands cast their votes to defy the central government in Kiev, which called the ballot illegal and funded by Russia. It could result in Donetsk and Luhansk becoming people’s republics. Both areas have seen pro-Russian insurgents occupy state buildings and clash with Ukrainian troops and police in recent weeks.

‘For us, the most important thing to show the legitimacy of the referendum is the amount of people who will vote,’ said Denis Pushilin, the self-proclaimed leader of the Donetsk People’s Republic. election organisers said more than 30 per cent of the electorate had cast ballots during the first three hours of voting. In one polling station, all voting slips in the clear ballot box favoured autonomy. Many of those against independence are expected to abstain from voting.

METRO HERALD Monday, May 12, 2014

Sweet-toothed youngster has extreme surgery after tipping the scales at 7st

Rishi, four, loses 2st with op by niCOLE LE MARiE

son. He was slowly dying and surgery was our last hope.’ When his weight hit its peak Rishi suffered sleep apnoea owing to breathing difficulties and had to be carried to the school bus by his mother Henna, 34, as he could not walk. Born weighing just 1.6kg (3lbs 9oz) doctor say his weight rocketed because he suffers from Prader-Willi Syndrome – which means his body cannot burn calories properly. But having been forced to ditch his favourite jalebi treats – a coil of batter coated in syrup – for a semi-solid diet of soup and juice he’s finally shedding

Resigned DJ claims racism row due to PC ‘obsession’

A VETERAN radio DJ has quit his job after accidentally playing a song which featured the N-word. David Lowe, a BBC Devon presenter, had broadcast an 82-year-old version of The Sun Has Got His Hat On. The track features the lyric, ‘He has been tanning n*****s out in Timbuktu, now he’s coming back to do the same to you’. The 68-year-old offered to apologise to listeners – but bosses said this would draw attention to the mistake. He was told to step aside and say he was ‘pursuing other interests’, but he refused. Mr Lowe later declined the BBC’s offer to reinstate him and said the furore was due to an ‘unforgiving obsession with political correctness’.

the pounds. And he is keeping the weight off by playing cricket and cycling with friends. Housewife Mrs Khatau, of Kolkata, India: said: ‘I don’t think we were to blame by giving him food. ‘He’d beg and beg for more food. He never felt satisfied with his meals, it baffled us,’ she added. His 39-year-old father said: ‘After the op we saw a change in his sleep almost immediately. It makes me very happy that my son is getting his life back.’ ‘He still has a craving for sweets, so we make him share his food, that way he’s having what he wants but only half the actual portion,’ he added.

n GUESTS were evacuated from the luxury Finnstown House Hotel in Lucan on Saturday after a suspect device was found in the car park. It’s understood that the hotel was evacuated at around 10.30pm. Gardaí from Lucan and members of the army bomb squad attended the scene into the early hours on Sunday. A Garda spokesman said that the device, believed to be a pipe bomb, was viable. A man in his 50s was arrested in connection with the incident. A spokesperson for Finnstown House declined to comment last night.

60 seconds

JOsH CHARLEs, 42, began his career in Dead Poets Society and starred in an explosive episode of legal drama The Good Wife last Thursday night. Spoiler alert! Your final Good Wife episode ended in tragedy – how is Will’s legal buddy Diane going to cope? I just know that

she will cope. Diane’s a strong woman. From the get-go, Christine Baranski [who plays Diane] and I became as thick as thieves and hers is one of the relationship, both on and off set, that I will miss.

How did you react when you found out the manner of your exit? I always wanted to do right

by the show and knowing I was leaving gave them a few options to give the character a proper goodbye. The writers took the more dramatic, more shocking one and I supported that. I think it sets the show in a new direction. It’s been a grieving process for me, even though wanting to leave the show was my decision.

Why didn’t you renew your contract? I don’t know. It’s a very

personal thing. Doing a network show is an incredible gig. This experience has been one of the most

rewarding of my career. But four and a half years working nine-plus months out of the year, long hours doing the same role… I felt I had really explored a lot of what I wanted to explore and was just ready for some new creative experiences. This was never about money for me.

Did your co-star Julianna Margulies try to convince you to stay? She was instrumental

in having me stay on a bit beyond my contract so they could really give the character a proper goodbye. And as my friend she understood and respected my point of view.

Was it hard to keep your character’s death a secret? Did you tell anybody? Yes, I

told people. I wasn’t supposed to but I told people that I knew could keep a secret. You know, loose lips sink ships. You don’t share it with people unless you know they’ve got the secret-keeping goods.

Do you think you would have made a good lawyer in real

life? Oh God, no. I don’t think I would. Too many words. Why has The Good Wife been such a huge hit? It’s a well-

written show with great actors. The writers do a great job of working in storylines that are interesting and informative but not preachy or pretentious – it never loses sight of it’s being there to entertain.

How have you changed as an actor in those four and a half years? I think you’re always

changing as an actor. What the rigour of a television schedule forces you to do is learn material very quickly and turn it around very quickly. It’s not really the ideal way for actors to do their best work – you want to have some time with the material, be able to sit with it, read it, sleep on it, think about it.

Your career break was Dead Poets Society in 1989. Has it turned out the way you wanted it to? I started out so young in this crazy

Boy wonder: Rishi Khatau, 4, is believed to be the world’s youngest to have undergone a bariatric surgery

“

A network show is an incredible gig. This experience has been one of the most rewarding of my career business that you never quite know. The journey has taken different paths but now I actually feel like I’m in a good place creatively and personally. You can’t really look back and have a lot of regrets, but there have been times in my career where I felt very frustrated.

What’s

your

plan?

I’m just going to keep working as an actor on some films, theatre, other television. Just exploring projects. Putting stuff together that I want to direct. And I’ve just finished an independent film.

Can you give us any hints?

I can’t really right now. I really don’t care so much about what medium it is – the only thing I care about is having some time to do other things throughout the year, be it travel, spending time with my family or working on a little project. I feel like some of my best work is ahead of me and that’s an exciting place to be. I feel cautiously optimistic.

sharon Lougher

PicTure: SPlaSh

A BOY of four, believed to be the youngest person in the world to have weight-loss surgery, has lost 13kg (2st) six months after his operation. Rishi Khatau had ballooned to 44kg (7st) and was wearing large adult T-shirts and 92cm (36in) waist trousers when doctors performed a gastrectomy – where they cut away nearly threequarters of his stomach. The surgery has the same effect as a gastric-band and doctors only took the decision to carry out the €3,700 operation after Rishi failed to shed weight on an enforced diet and exercise regime. His father Dipen, a textile trader, said: ‘We had no other way of saving our

Giro d’Italia gets a céad míle fáilte

Monday, May 12, 2014 METRO HERALD

The wheel deal: German Marcel Kittel is kissed as he celebrates on the podium after winning the third stage while, left, Michael Matthews wears the pink jersey at the start of yesterday’s third stage

Race freewheels into Dublin from Armagh at the end of its three-day Irish leg

pictures:reuters/ inpho

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5 Day and 30 Day Rambler Adult Tickets moving to Leap Wearing the colours: Kalum O’Reilly, ten, from Tallaght, watches the final stage of the Giro d’Italia on Lombard Street, Dublin (below) pictures: conor Mccabe

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In May 5 Day and 30 Day Rambler Adult tickets are moving to Leap. To continue to avail of the great value and flexibility Rambler tickets offer, you will need a Leap Card which you can buy for €5 (fully refundable deposit). Simply ask your Leap Card agent for your preferred ticket (5 Day or 30 Day) and they will load it onto your card. There is no change to current retail price of your ticket, €27.50 for 5 day and €137.50 for 30 day. A Leap Card is a reusable smart card which can contain Travel Credit and up to 5 tickets. Travel Credit can be used on Dublin Bus, Luas and Dart / Commuter Rail services for individual journeys. You should register your card at www.leapcard.ie to ensure that you receive a replacement if your card is lost or stolen. Any remaining days of travel or Travel Credit will be transferred onto your replacement Leap Card. You will continue to validate your Leap Card - Rambler ticket on the right hand side as you enter the bus, your Leap Card will take a full second to validate until a green or orange light appears. Local hero: Nicolas Roche at the Big Start from The Mall, Armagh, to Merrion Square picture: inpho n A CERTAIN well-known bookie tried to capitalise on the Giro d’Italia as it made its way to Dublin. For the stunt, cyclists were offered ‘clean urine’ at a stand at the side of the road in Dunleer, Co Louth, as they, ahem, whizzed by. No doubt in reference to the doping scandals that have bedevilled the sport, the stand was set up out of sight of race officials between 1pm and 2.30pm and the company hired a photographer to snap the images of the ‘Clean Urine Stand’. See gometro.ie for pics

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METRO HERALD Monday, May 12, 2014

★

★★ ★ ★

Fat chance of Theron ever having bad sex

Charlize Theron boasted about her satisfying sex life after appearing in a fat suit and wig for a Saturday Night Live stunt. The 38-year-old actress was unrecognisable in New York as she dressed up for a skit which saw her play a

clueless Italian tourist. Back in the studio, as her usual glamourous self, she joined the cast for a singalong. She admitted she had a terrible voice but said she didn’t mind because at least she’s ‘never had bad sex’.

Action man Aaron takes on might of Godzilla

Family night out: Aaron Taylor-Johnson with Sam Taylor-Wood Pictures: PA

aron Taylor-Johnson says he’s still not as heroic as his on-screen characters despite undergoing military training for his blockbuster role in Godzilla. The hunky 23-year-old revealed his hellish rehearsal regime as he stepped out for the flick’s red carpet premiere in London last night accompanied by his leather-clad wife Sam Taylor-Wood, 47. ‘It was very exciting,’ said the father-of-two, who is seen skydiving and fighting giant beasts in the Hollywood monster movie. ‘I’ve been on military tanks, trains with missiles, we jump out of helicopters. I did actually jump out of an aeroplane, but it was still on the tarmac.’ The star told how he received intense military training for the film role in which he plays a bomb disposal expert. ‘I did quite a lot of the stunts involved and there was an amazing team. I had a marine guy who I worked with

by SEAMUS DUFF closely on the movie. I got used to the equipment and learnt to fire rounds,’ he explained. ‘and I got used to the military lingo they use – it’s like a boys club.’ Co-star and on-screen wife Elizabeth olsen (pictured left) was also in Leicester Square. She said Taylor-Johnson is like family, since they play lovers in Godzilla and siblings in the upcoming avengers: age of Ultron. ‘He definitely feels like a brother. We have that playful, teasing relationship. and it is also the first time I’ve ever worked with the same actor on two projects so there is a comfort there,’ the 25-year-old american told me. She also revealed her real sisters – twins Mary Kate and ashley, 27 – still give her old clothes. ‘I don’t really like shopping so my sisters used to give me handme-downs, but now they make clothes for a living so I wear that,’ she giggled – while wrapping one of her sister’s The row jackets over an Elie Saab evening dress.

Monday, May 12, 2014 METRO HERALD

★

Puff Daddy had some words of advice for students as he accepted an honorary doctorate. The 44year-old hip hop mogul – real name Sean Combs – gave a speech at Howard University in Washington DC. ‘Change the world – let that sink in for a moment – you will change the world,’ he said.

Perry makes sick joke out of Gaga

She’s not really one for flashing the flesh but Victoria Beckham showed off her assets to her 7.5million Twitter followers while fixing a wardrobe malfunction. The 40-yearold designer proved she is not too posh to sew her own threads when her top broke on a trip to show off her new collection at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore.

by JENNI McKNIGHT

Katy Perry has injected a bit of bile into her row with Lady Gaga by poking fun at her rival’s vomiting stage antics. The singer targeted 28-year-old Gaga’s infamous sick stunt by spewing up coloured paint during a stage video montage on her Prismatic world tour. Appearing to poke fun at her rival, the video shows cheeky KP putting her fingers down her throat before spitting out blue and green paint. Perry then continues to chuck up

Row: Lady Gaga and Katy Perry paint all over herself and the walls, ending with her covered from head to toe in colour. Gaga hit the headlines at SXSW festival by having a performance art-

Special delivery: Ronan Keating and girlfriend Storm Uechtritz arrive on the red carpet for the premiere of Postman Pat: The Movie at the Odeon in London’s West End. The Boyzone star, who is Postman Pat’s singing voice in the movie, has recently moved to London with his television producer girlfriend to focus on his acting career. Meanwhile Harry Potter star Rupert Grint got closer to his childhood dream of being a postie by being in the new Postman Pat film. Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the Potter movies, said: ‘He was probably the first TV character I loved. He was just a normal postman, and I wanted to be a postman. The five-year-old inside me is very excited.’ The film sees Pat find fame in an X Factor-style show.

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ist throw up on her. The New Yorker has previously hit out at 29-year-old Perry by pointing out similarities in their stage shows. ‘Looks like green hair and mechanical horses are the thing now,’ Gaga hissed on Twitter after Perry’s opening show in Belfast last week. Meanwhile, more paint has been flying in Gaga’s world but this time in the bedroom. Her boyfriend Taylor Kinney said he and the G.U.Y hitmaker keep the spark in the bedroom alive with provocative painting sessions after hinting they splat paint in the buff.

Fall girl: Jennifer Lawrence shows she is still struggling to master the art of walking as she takes another embarrassing stumble. The 23year-old actress slipped at the world premiere of X-Men: Days Of Future Past in New York

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Plus 10 runner-up prizes of DART Family Tickets to attend the festival

To be in with a great chance of winning follow us on Twitter @DocklandsFest and like us on Facebook Dublin Docklands Summer Festival, sending us a private message with your name and contact details. Winners announced in Metro Herald Friday 16th May

Check out www.docklandssummerfestival.com for details.

NO on-water or quay-side activity other than that licenced by Waterways Ireland. WATER HAZARD Children must always be accompanied by an adult.

10 METRO HERALD Monday, May 12, 2014

election housing D

news@metroherald.ie

Rent is too damn high ELECTION 2014: In the first of a series ahead of the May 23 European and local elections, Christina Finn asks candidates what they would do about the problem of housing in the capital

arah rYaN, Fianna Fáil candidate for Dundrum, says as a young person renting she is acutely aware of the pressures put on people as rents and utility bills rise. ‘This is trapping people into renting for longer than expected and is draining the resources of people who want to save for a deposit in order to buy,’ she says. ‘The lack of housing stock is a huge issue, with a massive amount of competition for both renters and buyers,’ says ryan, adding that councils need to re-think how they spend their funds and use available land. ‘Instead of spending €36million on a new library in Dún Laoghaire, why not refurbish existing housing stock, give planning permission for construction and buy up properties from Nama?’ she asked. running in the European elections for the People Before Profit alliance, Bríd Smith says that as young people return to the capital for jobs, nothing has happened in the way of new builds to house people. Smith adds that more people are vying for rental accommodation because social housing isn’t functioning properly, with some landlords refusing rent allowance which ultimately pushes up rents for all. She has put forward a motion for the next Dublin City Council meeting calling for emergency funding to be released for the construction of 10,000 homes in the city. She warns against Celtic Tiger bad legacies such as pyrite builds, shoe-box-size housing and properties like Priory hall, adding that when building resumes there need to be checks and balances. Sinn Féin candidate for Donaghmede, Mícheál Mac Donncha, says housing is the main issue in this year’s election. ‘There is a

LOcAL c0unciLs n The overall number of councils operating in Ireland has reduced from 114 to 31. n There are 950 seats, down from 1,627. n The number of seats in Dublin went up by 53 under new local government reform. n There are four local councils in Dublin – Dublin City Council increased its seats from 52 to 63 councillors, Dún LaoghaireRathdown from 28 to 40, Fingal County Council from 24 to 40, and South Dublin County Council from 26 to 40 councillors.

deepening housing crisis in Dublin,’ he says, adding that the increase in rents and the overreliance on the private sector is causing serious issues for councils. he says that social housing and the private sector housing market is all interlinked, warning that there is only a tiny supply of social housing. ‘There are no new houses being built in the city and the landlords now have the power to increase their rents because of this,’ says Mac Donncha. Independent candidate for Ballymun Seán Tyrrell says more and more people are living with their parents later in life because they cannot afford to get on the property ladder. ‘additional funding should be supplied to local authorities to set up a scheme whereby an applicant can have their home purchased by the council and become a council tenant (only if they genuinely can’t repay the current mortgage) after a set period of two-five years, for example. There should be a “buy back” clause in the contract whereby the tenant can buy back their home from the council if they wish to do so,’ he says. ‘I feel it can be very easy to get sucked into another housing bubble. a “you do half we’ll do half approach” would act as a good incentive to get the private sector and developers building again,’ says the 21 year old. he explains that houses could be built by both the council and private developers, with half the houses to be sold privately, and the other half to be used as social housing. however, the biggest issue, he says, is the councils’ ability to borrow. ‘They can’t. I feel that allowances should be made for councils to borrow money to support developments.’

N OrDEr to stop further bad builds, Tyrrell says there needs to be strict supervision with builds subject to unannounced random checks. ‘I feel there should be provisions made in law to disqualify homes below a certain size from being built. I also feel that regulations need to be put in place to test all materials used in the building of accommodation for defects such as pyrite,’ he says. he calls for planning measures to stimulate building, but only where a developer could show they will be able to sell most of the

units and that they are of a decent size. Most candidates agree that use of derelict sites in Dublin needed to be a priority. Seán Tyrrell says the council needs to issue penalties to people in possession of sites that are not being developed, as long as the penalties can be suspended for anyone waiting for planning permission. Fine Gael’s Patrick Martin for Dublin North Inner City says he, too, is concerned about the number of vacant houses in the city. he says: ‘I will be looking to get funding so that boarded houses can be upgraded and put on the market and that new initiatives are introduced to use un-used sites in the city.’ Martin says he would be supportive of any housing group showing an interest in joining up with the council in order to get new houses built on council sites. But as for the council working with any developers, he says he would want to ensure the council got the ‘right deal’, adding: ‘I would not want any portion of lands to go to developers so they can make large profits.’

Meanwhile, richard humphreys, a Labour Party candidate based in Stillorgan, says a number of his constituents are in financial difficulty, and many have found the banks inflexible and unsympathetic. ‘We need to use the full suite of measures to address the housing issue, including bringing more housing into the rental market. ‘There are a number of unoccupied residential properties in the Dublin region and clearly Nama also has a potential role here in terms of the use of residential buildings in its ownership,’ he says. however, he does not believe more land needs to be rezoned for housing. ‘There is an amount of land already rezoned which has not been developed for various reasons, as well as unoccupied properties,’ he says. ‘In relation to derelict sites, I would like to see more robust measures. ‘The legal definition of derelict sites seems to be very restrictive and very often there seems to be little councils can do in relation to such sites under existing legislation.’

THE HOusing issuE n In the last three months of 2013, the average rent for an apartment in Dublin was €1,070 (Private Tenancies Board) n The average rent for a house in Dublin is €1,168 (Private Tenancies Board) n The Housing Agency says Dublin needs 37,581 housing units (Future Analytics Consulting on behalf of the housing agency) n Average asking price for a house in Ireland is now €177,000 (Daft.ie) n Average price for three-bed, semidetached house in Dublin city centre is €294,000 (Daft.ie)

n Average price for a three-bed, semidetached house in South County Dublin is €405,000 (Daft.ie) n Nationally, 8,488 houses were completed in 2012 compared to 93,419 in 2006 (Housing Agency) n Dublin City Council has 300 vacant sites that have not been developed (Dublin City Council) n There are fewer than 2,300 properties listed in the capital, the lowest since June 2006 (Daft.ie) n There are fewer than 800 Dublin houses coming on the market each month (Daft.ie)

n House prices in Dublin are now 15 per cent higher than this time last year (CSO) n People living in houses in the Greater Dublin Area built after 2006 are likely to have a commute of more than 20 minutes. (Trinity College research)

Monday, May 12, 2014 METRO HERALD

TD hopeful says he was blackmailed over ‘racist’ remark video A CANDIDATE in the Dublin West Dáil byelection says a video of him making an apparently racist remark has been released to ‘intentionally smear’ him. Mortgage campaigner and Independent candidate David Hall reported a €10,000 blackmail attempt to gardaí in relation to a

secret video of what he says was banter between him an a Sri Lankan friend playing poker. Speaking to Metro Herald yesterday, the Make-A-Wish Foundation founder said the clip had been taken out of context to blackmail and derail his election campaign. He said the video was taken in the Fitzwilliam

Card Club on Fitzwilliam Square in 2007. In the clip, Mr Hall can be heard saying, ‘everyone should have one’ in reference to ‘blacks’. He said what was not on the tape was his friend’s reply – that every house should have ‘a fat, bald, Irish man’.

‘Smear attempt’: Hall

EUROPEAN AND LOCAL ELECTIONS DÁIL BYE-ELECTIONS (Dublin West and Longford-Westmeath) Friday, 23rd May 2014 Electors with Physical Illness or Physical Disability Electors with a physical illness or physical disability who have difficulty gaining access to their local polling station may apply to have their vote transferred to a more accessible station in their constituency/local electoral area. This facility is intended to assist electors who find access to their

local station difficult because of the situation or design of the building. In order to avail of the facility, an elector should apply in writing to the local returning officer for his or her constituency/local electoral area by Friday, 16th May 2014 at the latest.

A special application form is not necessary. The names and addresses of the local returning officers are given below. If possible, the elector should suggest an alternative polling station in the constituency/local electoral area, which is both suitable and convenient to him or her.

Local Returning Officers Area

Name & Address

Area

Name & Address

Carlow

Marie Garahy, Circuit Court Office, Courthouse, County Hall, Hill Street, Wexford.

MarieGarahy@courts.ie

Leitrim

Kevin Doherty, Circuit Court Office, Shannon Lodge, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim.

KevinDoherty@courts.ie

Cavan

Joseph Smith, Circuit Court Office, Courthouse, Cavan.

joesmith@courts.ie

Limerick

Patrick Wallace, The Courthouse, Merchants Quay, Limerick.

patwallace@courts.ie

Clare

Patrick Wallace, The Courthouse, Ennis, Co. Clare.

patwallace@courts.ie

Longford

Imelda Branigan, Court House, Main Street, Longford.

imeldabrannigan@courts.ie

Cork City

Martin A Harvey, 33 Washington Street, Cork.

corkcitysheriff@eircom.net

Louth

Mairead Ahern, Court House, Market Square, Dundalk, Co. Louth.

MaireadAhern@courts.ie

Cork County

Sinead McNamara, 3rd Floor, 6 Lapps Quay, Cork

sineadmcnamara@fitzsols.com

Mayo

Fintan J Murphy, Courthouse Castlebar, Co. Mayo.

FintanJMurphy@courts.ie

Donegal

Geraldine O’Connor, Circuit Court Office, Courthouse, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.

GeraldineOConnor@courts.ie

Meath

Mairead Ahern, Courthouse, Trim, Co. Meath.

MaireadAhern@courts.ie

Dublin City

James Barry, 13 Fownes Street, Dublin 2.

info@dublincityreturning officer.com

Monaghan

Joseph Smith, Courthouse, Monaghan.

joesmith@courts.ie

Dublin County

Fergus Gallagher, Unit 17, Tolka Valley, Business Park, Ballyboggan Road, Finglas, Dublin 11.

info@dublincounty returningofficer.com

Offaly

Paul Fetherstonhaugh, Courthouse, Tullamore, Co. Offaly.

paulfetherstonhaugh@courts.ie

Roscommon

FintanJMurphy@courts.ie

Galway

Marian Chambers Higgins, Circuit Court Office, Courthouse, Galway.

marianchambershiggins @courts.ie

Fintan J. Murphy, Government Buildings, Roscommon.

Sligo

Kevin Doherty, Courts Service Office, Courthouse, Sligo.

KevinDoherty@courts.ie

Kerry

Padraig Burke, Circuit Court Office, The Courts Service, Floor 2, Centre Point, John Joe Sheehy Road, Tralee, Co. Kerry

PadraigBurke@courts.ie

Tipperary

Mary Delahanty, Courthouse, Clonmel, Co Tipperary.

MaryDelahanty@courts.ie

Waterford

Niall Rooney, The Court House, Catherine Street, Waterford.

info@waterfordreturning officer.com

Westmeath

elizabethmsharkey@courts.ie

Kildare

Eithne Coughlan, Circuit Court Office, Courthouse, Naas, Co. Kildare.

coughlaneithne@courts.ie

Elizabeth Sharkey, Office of A/ Returning Officer, Court Service Building, Church Avenue, Mullingar, Westmeath

Kilkenny

Marie Garahy, Courthouse, Parliament Street, Kilkenny

MarieGarahy@courts.ie

Wexford

MarieGarahy@courts.ie

Laois

Paul Fetherstonhaugh, Courthouse, Portlaoise, Co Laois.

paulfetherstonhaugh@courts.ie

Marie Garahy, Circuit Court Office, Courthouse, County Hall, Hill Street, Wexford.

Wicklow

Mary Delahanty, Unit 28, Block F, Southern Cross Business Park, Bray, Co. Wicklow.

elections@wicklowreturning officer.com cc to - MaryDelahanty@courts.ie

12 METRO HERALD Monday, May 12, 2014

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

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Eurovision’s beardy lady a triumph for equality, acceptance

ove the fact that Conchita’s win at the eurovision on Saturday night is causing such a stir among the fascists. Those whose noses need to be put out of joint have been given an unmerciful blow by the out and proud beardy lady – who rocked her look and gave an amazing performance by the way… next James Bond song anyone? I did think it was a little unfortunate that the two 17-year-old Russian twins were booed by the crowd at every given opportunity though – shooting the messenger and all that. But having said that, I was booing from my sofa too. A good night for those of us who value peace, equality and acceptance of each other. Let’s hope the message lands where it needs to. Maybe next year Pussy Riot will enter! Tina Tolerance ■ Why didn’t Dublin pink itself up to celebrate the Giro d’Italia? Have we become

so blasé about hosting high-profile people and events in this city that we can’t get excited about something as big as this? Joe ■ They gave us the age of austerity. They presided over the collapse of the banking system. They can’t protect us from Russia. They hand over your emails to the NSA. They replaced elected officials with technocrats. They presided over the meteoric rise in youth unemployment. They made you run referendums again when they didn’t get their way. They created the new extreme right and left at the same time. They gave you water charges and property tax. They failed every budget audit. They are the eU and they achieved all this in just five years. They are asking for another five years… imagine what they will achieve! Kevin ■ Is Siptu ever going to stop looking out for the interests of the Labour party and start looking after the people that pay its wages – ie, the hard-pressed, hard-working people of this country? No Parasán

Quick pic

THE SHEAR IRONY: Mr Cranky writes: ‘Found myself in Ikea at the weekend. Check out the aptly named scissors. For cutting things, like’ Send your photos to pictures@ metroherald.ie with ‘Quick pic’ as the subject and we will print the best each day in the paper

gOOD On yA

yEH big RiDE

● Thank you to the taxi driver who rolled down his window and gave me directions at Beggars Bush yesterday so I could beat the Giro traffic diversions, instead of my head against the steering wheel! Decent

● To the gorgeous, elegant, blonde girl with the prettiest eyes and smile ever, getting on the Dart at Sydney Parade and off at Pearse St at 8.30am – you brighten up my day, every day. Marry me! Dinner’s fine too. Smooth Norm

● Thanks for the fifty shades of grey clouds for the Giro, weather gods! Harumph

● Conchita – a true gentlewoman! So Proud

yOuR RusH-HOuR cRusH

RAnDOM AcTs Of kinDnEss

TREnDing

#ConchitaWurst

● I’m so inspired by #ConchitaWurst and could not be happier that she is this year’s #Eurovision winner. @Mullet_Rock ● I’m so happy. Going to have to dye my grey beard black. @Colmogorman

To celebrate the release of Warner Bros. Pictures “Edge of Tomorrow” on May 30th, we’re giving you the chance to see it ﬁrst before anyone else at an exclusive 3D Preview Screening on Monday May 26th at the Savoy Cinema O’Connell Street. Oscar ® nominee Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt star in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ sci-ﬁ thriller “Edge of Tomorrow,” under the direction of Doug Liman. The epic action of “Edge of Tomorrow” unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an

@metrohnews #metromailbox

● So delighted, well deserved landslide victory. Take that you bigots. @shazh250 ● I’m home <3. I don’t know what to say… THANK YOU!!!!!

@ConchitaWurst

unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world. Major William Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop—forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again… and again. But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

To win just answer this question: Edge of Tomorrow is directed and produced by the same filmmaker behind the Bourne trilogy and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Name the director. A. Joss Whedon B. Bryan Singer C. Doug Liman Terms & Conditions: The competition closes at Midday Friday 16 th May 2014. The winners will be chosen at random from the entries received and notified by telephone or email. Entrants must be over 18 years old. Usual Metro Herald rules apply. The Editor's decision is final. By entering this competition you agree to sign up to the Metro Herald promotions list - To optout text NOMETRO to 51155. SP. Oxygen8 Communications, 4th Floor, Malt House North, Grand Canal Quay, D2. Customer Service number 0818 286 606.

Cert 12a.

Monday, May 12, 2014 METRO HERALD

Your new girlf’s reading How To Get Pregnant? DEAR DOLLY sorts it p17

The nagging killjoy? As if 3

MONTH

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Bad Neighbours star ROSE BYRNE on frat boys, torsos and straddling Seth Rogen… ➔

Come into club, call 0818 243 798 or visit davidlloyd.ie/metro Terms and conditions apply. Facilities, fees, classes and membership contracts vary. Certain activities may incur additional fees. *Monthly rolling contract after a 3 month initial commitment.

14 METRO HERALD Monday, May 12, 2014

interview

features@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010

Women can be as bad as men Rose Byrne lets her hair down in Bad Neighbours – and it seems there’s a real-life rebel beneath that poised surface too, writes Jane Mulkerrins

f all the places one might expect to find the delicately beautiful Rose Byrne, straddling Seth Rogen in the living room of a suburban house probably isn’t the first that springs to mind. ‘The part is really wild,’ the 34year-old Australian actress acknowledges of her role in new comedy Bad Neighbours. ‘But you can’t go into a film like that with any reservations – you have to just trust the director and then go for it.’ And go for it Byrne does – impressively so, in fact – as Kelly, a foulmouthed former party fiend now saddled with a baby and struggling to fully adapt to the responsibilities of family life, alongside her husband, Mac, played by Rogen. ‘We wanted to avoid making her a traditional female character in a male comedy, who are often very nagging killjoys,’ she says. ‘It’s kind of a shame that it is such a revelation that Mac and Kelly have a different dynamic; women can be just as diverse and as irresponsible as men.’ Byrne and I are sitting at opposite ends of an expansive sofa in a New York hotel suite. She’s in a casually elegant green Marni blouse and J-Brand jeans, but she has a reputation for edgy dressing, often running against the tedious, traditional redcarpet rules. When I mention that her choices are always highly praised by Kelly Osbourne on the acerbic panel show fashion Police, she is thrilled. ‘Really? Wow. They are a tough crowd,’ she says. ‘I will definitely

take that. It’s hard not to look too cheesy but it’s fashion, so it should be fun. You are never going to please everybody, so it’s more important to please yourself.’ Immaculately made up but without shoes, Byrne is poised and professional, a world away from the arrested development of her onscreen character. ‘I am in my early thirties and lots of my friends are now settling down and having kids, and people really do handle it differently,’ notes Byrne who is dating fellow actor Bobby Cannavale. ‘It’s funny to watch how different couples handle that transition and how the kids affect their personalities as well as their social lives.’ What most couples don’t have to deal with, however, are hedonistic frat boys moving in next door and conducting epic, round-the-clock raves, as depicted in the film. ‘Not having grown up in the US, I really only knew about frat culture from movies like Revenge Of The Nerds,’ admits Byrne. ‘It is a distinctly American cultural phenomenon. I didn’t even know what hazing was, I had to do research. And from an anthropological point of view, it’s a really interesting phenomenon.’ The film is a riot of booze, bongs, penis jokes and scenes so eye-watering that those of a squeamish sensibility will need to look away. However, there is also beauty, in the form of a frequently shirtless Zac Efron as frat leader Teddy. Was it tricky to maintain focus when faced with that torso? ‘Well, everybody had their shirts off – me, Seth – no one was safe,’ Byrne laughs. ‘What I liked most about it, though, was that Zac was willing to make fun of his own media persona and the vanity of his character really served a purpose in the film. ‘Is it bordering on exploitation?’ she muses. ‘I don’t think so. If you work that

Comic turn: Rose Byrne has always wanted to work in comedy roles

hard at looking that good, you don’t want to be having to wear a shirt.’

ORN in Sydney, Byrne is the daughter of a school administrator and a statistician. She began taking acting classes at eight years old and landed her first film role, Dallas Doll, at 15. She later appeared in Two Hands, alongside the late Heath Ledger, before winning roles in Hollywood, including Troy and Marie Antoinette. She relocated to New York seven years ago – where she lives in a former funeral parlour in Manhat-

tan’s East Village – for her role as Ellen Parsons in TV drama Damages, which ran until 2012. ‘Doing a series is all-consuming but I did enjoy being in one spot – I like to create a community where I am and I think it probably suits my temperament a little more,’ she says. ‘Constantly shooting films on location can be disruptive.’ Though Byrne’s CV is stuffed with serious roles, she’d wanted to try comedy since her early twenties. ‘I was very lucky to get the role in Get Him To The Greek,’ she says. ‘Nick [Stoller, the director of both that film and Bad Neighbours] knew me from Damages – which was a

very serious, dramatic thriller – and even he has admitted that he didn’t expect the audition to go well.’ But with roles since in Bridesmaids, Bad Neighbours and the forthcoming Spy – currently being shot in Budapest with Melissa McCarthy – is her experience a sign that strong comedic roles for women are becoming more common? ‘Independent film has produced a lot of great female comedy roles but it is still a male-dominated business,’ she says. ‘I hope things are changing, and it is a good discussion to have, but it’s also a shame that we still need to have the discussion.’

Bad Neighbours is out now.

YOUR DUBLIN wEEk Jimi Goodwin

GIG

On recently released solo LP Odludek – the Polish for ‘recluse’ in case you were wondering – Doves frontman Jimi Goodwin hooked up with a number of his peers and the results are some of the most inspired of his career. Simon Dine, the producer who helped reboot Paul Weller’s career, co-writes the slow-burning northern soul ballad Didsbury Girl, while Goodwin’s old pal Guy Garvey adds a very hymnal, Elbow-ish vibe to tracks such as Hope and Panic Tree. The results are woozily gorgeous and should find a perfect live home within the modest confines of Whelan’s. Tonight, Whelan’s, 25 Wexford Street, D2, 8pm, €18. Tel: 1890 200 078. www.whelanslive.com

OpERA Nixon In China

When Richard Nixon, the scourge of communists, visited China for five days in 1972, it was hailed as a great coup. John Adams’ brilliant opera breaks open the ideological and emotional cracks that lay underneath the visit in a manner that encompasses intellectual comedy, political theory, farce and breathtaking fantasy. Wide Open Opera in association with Bord Gáis Energy Theatre and RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra bring one of the most influential modern operas to Dublin this week. Wed & Sat, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, D2, 7.30pm, €15 to €85. Tel: 0818 719 377. www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

THEATRE

An Ideal Husband

Oscar Wilde’s timeless comedy is beautifully realised in director Ethan McSweeny’s production for The Gate. Social scandal is threatened when the mysterious Mrs Cheveley (Aoibheann O’Hara) resurfaces to blackmail politician and do-gooder Sir Robert Chiltern (Garrett Lombard) over a questionable episode from his past. Wilde’s witty, aphoristic dialogue is mined for laughs by Marty Rea’s caddish Lord Goring, with excellent costumes and set design from Peter O’Brien and Francis O’Connor. Until Jun 14, Gate Theatre, D1, 7.30pm (Sat. mat. 2.30pm), from €25. Tel: (01) 874 4045. www.gate-theatre.ie

music

Monday, May 12, 2014 METRO HERALD

features@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010

Because Music

HHHHI

Hailing from Gothenburg and featuring dreamy-voiced Japanese/Swedish singer Yukimi Nagano, Little Dragon have seemed impeccably cool and on the cusp of big things – collaborating with the likes of SBTRKT and Gorillaz, as well as winning plaudits for their lo-fi, trip-hoppy electronica. Ritual Union, the title track from their last album, probably gave them their breakout and now the synth riffs and jazzclappy pop of new lead single Klapp Klapp sees them almost approaching a conventional strong structure. Elsewhere, there are sexy slow jams for the hip (Mirror and Cat Rider) and some woozy funk (Pretty Girls). There’s a dancefloor presence here too – from the subtly thumping Paris to the slowbuild of Only One. Namuba… sounds like Little Dragon hitting their stride, without making any sacrifices on subtlety. Amy Dawson

THE big RELEAsE

MICK FLANNERY BY THE RULE Universal HHHHI

ome artists could really use a good stage-name. A case in point is mick Flannery, who, were he called something like T-Bone Wainwright, would probably be acclaimed as a channeler of a compellingly dusty Americana. Alas, show-business flummery is kryptonite to the County Cork native and he is destined to remain plain old mick, the former stone mason with an interesting croon and a talent for baroque arrangements. It’s a shame he doesn’t ham it up more – from Bob Dylan to Kurt Cobain the best artists have always understood that shtick and sincerity make for a potent blend. Still, judged strictly on his songs – not that anyone does that nowadays – Flannery continues to develop at an impressive clip. His first record to be released through Universal music following the collapse of his previous label, emI, By The Rule is even richer

and more satisfying than 2012’s Red To Blue (recorded after a spell of writer’s block). He sounds like a young Neil Young on the crepuscular, lulling Get What You Give while on Small Fire and even Now, the 30 year old

suggests he may have a future as a Glen Hansard you don’t want to punch on the nose. Flannery’s talent is not in question – now all he has do is work a little harder at building his personal mythology.

Eamon de Paor

A killer mix of lively, tricky grooves FUJIYA & MIYAgI ARTIFICIAL SWEETEnERS Yep Roc

HHHHI

not only are Fujiya & miyagi not Japanese, they’re not a duo, either. They’re a Brighton trio who make smart electronic pop

that’s brighter than a thousand DayGlo suns, and more infectious than Ebola. Artificial Sweeteners is the perfect title for their fifth album, which fizzes, judders and grooves from start to finish, sounding thoroughly modern while tipping its hat to the history of electronic dance music – Aphex Twin and Carl Craig, as well as neu!,

Alexander Robotnick and Arthur Russell. The result is a killer mix of the upbeat and slightly sinister, strengthened by David Best’s quietly malevolent voice. So many electronic pop records now outstay their welcome – that this one leaves you gagging for more says a lot about the talent responsible. sO’C

53°20’52”N 6°15’35”W

EvENT Jameson black barrel Craft series

Whiskey aficionados can learn the art of coopering and other artisan practices in the final instalment of the Jameson Black Barrel Craft Series. Tomorrow night (at Mabo’s Warehouse, 8 Hanover Quay, D2, 6.30pm) features Peter O’Gara of Bluefingers on the art of screenprinting and his collaboration with Donegal Tweed. Cooper Ger Buckley will explain how Jameson gets its distinctive charcoal flavour and there’s music from folk rock progenitors Corner Boy. For a chance to win tickets visit www. facebook.com/JamesonBlackBarrel

fiLM

ursuit Digital Pursuit 6pm, Thursday 5th June

frank

Acclaimed journalist/author Jon Ronson (The Men Who Stare At Goats) provides the script for the strangest film to date by Lenny Abrahamson (Adam & Paul, Garage). Oddball musician Frank – played by Michael Fassbender in a papier-mâché mask – hooks up with Jon (Domhnall Gleeson, pictured), a songwriter who joins Frank’s band after one member has a psychotic episode. What keeps this dark, funny film from being offput-tingly quirky is Gleeson, who anchors proceedings by proving the accessible entry point to the story’s madness. Gen release

Opening doors for homeless people

Starting from the Harbourmaster , Customs House Dock, IFSC, Dublin 1. How well do you and your friends know Dublin? Teams of 3-5 with a registration fee of €100.

Post event BBQ in the Harbourmaster!

For further information: E: fundraising@pmvtrust.ie T: 01 823 0776

Peter McVerry Trust, 29 Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1. Tel: 01 823 0776 Email: fundraising@pmvtrust.ie CHY 7256 Registration Number 98934

www.pmvtrust.ie

thE bLACK KEYs TURn BLUE Nonesuch HHHHI The nashville-based duo have grown slowly but steadily from a cultish, garage-rock act to platinum-rated Grammy awardwinners whose last album, 2011’s El Camino, debuted at number two on the Billboard chart. As they’ve grown, their lo-fi, retro roots have been gradually grubbed out in favour of a more polished and immediate hook-heavy sound, which peaked with the inescapable single Lonely Boy. But on their eighth album, the bluster that marked El Camino has gone. Guitarist and singer/ songwriter Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney have eased off on the glitz and toned down the driving rock riffs, letting the pain of their interim life experiences (both are recently divorced) seep through. It’s a deeply melancholic rather than indulgently sad-sack record, given loads of groovy swing and plenty of psychedelic pop lift (notably on the title track). They exit with the cheerfully chugging Gotta Get Away – maybe mindful of the fact that rock demands that, eventually at least, the good times will roll. sharon O’Connell danny clinch

Shtick your neck out Mick LIttLE dRAgoN nAmUBA RUBBERBAnD

16 METRO HERALD Monday, May 12, 2014

television

★ Must see ★

Man v weird

Channel 4, 10pm

Simon Farnaby (above right), a familiar face from Horrible Histories and Yonderland, is our (slightly squeamish) guide to some of the more outlandish talents and powers possessed by folk around the globe. Quite how you discover that swallowing a snake or drilling a hole in your head won’t kill you is a mystery but the chaps featured here have survived to tell the tale. on a lighter note, Eastern Europe appears to be a hotbed of men who can store electricity in their bodies. It could be useful in a power cut.

dolores keane: a sTorM in THe HearT RTÉ1, 9.35PM

NEW oN ghghghghgh

▲

DEMAn D 12 years a slave

Chiwetel Ejiofor (below) electrifies and Michael Fassbender devours the screen in Steve McQueen’s award-laden adaptation of the true tale of Solomon Northup, kidnapped into slavery in 1841. Hard-hitting and essential – but prepare for unflinching scenes of brutality.

copacabana palace BBC2 9pm

Drama HinTerland BBC4, 9pm

This glowering Welsh detective drama is high on mood, if a little languid in pace. Tonight, the discovery of a body in a quarry lake near an isolated village has DCI Tom Mathias (Richard Harrington) digging into the secrets of a close-knit community – in between staring soulfully at the mournful hills.

★

Sport easTenders RTÉ1, 8pm

UTV, 9pm

cupcakes

Pining for Eurovision already? This candycoloured comedy follows an oddball group of neighbours, whose composition ends up as Israel’s official Universong entry. The ‘be true to who you are’ message and a soundtrack from Scissor Sisters’ Babydaddy buoy the camp fun.

A chance to gawp at how the other half holiday as cameras take us inside the palatial suites of Rio’s most exclusive hotel – which is the closest most of us are likely to get. It’s a pleasure palace for the pampered, the luxury a sharp counterpoint to Rio’s impoverished favelas, only a short drive away.

priMeTiMe

RTÉ1, 10.35pm

As the European elections approach on May 23, tonight’s programme takes a look at the rise of the ‘Eurosceptic’ Right parties which are expected to do well across the 28-nation bloc. Robert Shortt examines the reasons behind the trend and the impact it is expected to have on the character of the future European Parliament.

prey

Fugitive cop Marcus Farrow (John Simm) feels like a fly ensnared in a spider’s web as he gets to grips with the intricacy of the trap that’s been set for him in Chris Lunt’s twisted thriller. Names bounce about like drunks on a trampoline, so make sure you’re paying attention as we hurtle to a climax and the rotten cops are rooted out from the heart of a paranoid conspiracy. When it comes down to it, can anyone be trusted to do the right thing?

Modern faMily Sky1, 8.30pm

The grown-ups take a trip to Las Vegas, where Jay blags a hotel room upgrade, which includes their very own butler, played by Stephen Merchant. Meanwhile Phil neglects Claire as he hangs out with his new buds – the magicians. And then there’s a morto moment for Mitch when he bumps into an exboyfriend who he dumped by e-mail. However it seems there are no hard feelings when he invites Mitch and Cam to his bachelor party. There’s gonna be trouble...

In the first of what is likely to be a long, long line, Jake the cook (in the pantry with a whisk?) is the first to be arrested by the police as they play Cluedo in the Lucy Beale case. The heat is on the law enforcers to look like they’re making some kind of progress – the scandal-mongers at the Walford Gazette have run an incendiary interview with Lola (Danielle Harold, above) about Lucy that has tongues wagging all around Albert Square.

diy sos: THe big build BBC1, 9pm

Nick Knowles leads his volunteer team of plumbers, painters and decorators to Sunderland, in the north east of England, where they come to the aid of June Finlay, who has been forced to sleep in a hospital bed in her kitchen since a brain infection four years ago left her unable to walk or talk. There will be tears.

Film godzilla

Sky Sci-Fi/Horror, 6.30pm With the newest incarnation of the mega-lizard all set to rampage through multiplexes from Friday, here’s a chance to revisit its last outing. A giant reptile, mutated via nuclear tests, stomps over to New York to hatch its eggs. Awesome effects – shame about the rest.

★THe 40-year-old virgin

ITV2, 9.30pm

sullivan & son RTÉ2, 7.30pm

Stand-up Steve Byrne plays a hotshot New York City lawyer who returns to his parents’ Pittsburgh neighbourhood to buy their bar before it’s sold to a new owner. In this first episode, Steve thinks seriously about leaving the cut-throat corporate world behind him.

abouT a boy Sky1, 9pm

She’s known for her distinctive soulful voice, but Dolores Keane has been under the radar for many years as she battled with alcoholism, depression and, more recently, breast cancer. Now the singer, who had a huge hit in the 1990s with Eleanor McEvoy, Mary Black, Sharon Shannon and Frances Black and their compilation album A Woman’s Heart, has reemerged from the shadows to share her story. Using words, archive and music, this fascinating documentary tells the story of her journey.

Available to rent/buy now

Fun

Factual

This US sitcom-style spin on Nick Hornby’s novel is rather more sentimental in tone than the Hugh Grant movie version but the male-bonding theme is still a touching one. Tonight, Will isn’t happy when Fiona turns up to his boozy poker night. Meanwhile Marcus is attending his first-ever sleepover. Comedy, starring David Walton, Minnie Driver and Benjamin Stockham.

★

THe island wiTH bear grylls C4, 9pm

Sweet-natured gross-out comedy from the Judd Apatow stable (Knocked Up, Anchorman, Bridesmaids). Steve Carell (above) is the titular virgin, a mild-mannered man happily heading to middle age with an apartment full of Star Wars collectables until his colleagues clock he’s never ‘done it’ and decide to get him laid. Catherine Keener is the lucky lady they zoom in on. Watch out for the ouchinducing chest-waxing scene – it was done for real.

THe running Man Film4, 10.50pm

Arnold Schwarzenegger memorably dons a golden quilted bodysuit in this dystopian sci-fi actioner set in the then way-ahead future of 2017. He’s a wrongly accused murderer who is given a shot at a pardon if he wins a gladiator-style fight to the death between ‘Runners’ and ‘Stalkers’.

★

norTH counTry

TG4, 9.30pm Posing the question ‘could ordinary blokes survive off their wits in the wild?’ is a bit of a no-brainer. obviously not. Come on, how do you survive if you haven’t got a Nando’s (other food outlets, etc) in your neighbourhood? So watch and wonder what the 13 volunteers in this test of butchness set by Bear Grylls (above) thought they were letting themselves in for. It’s day three, hunger is biting on their Pacific island and the only potential takeaways are pelicans and crocodiles…

Charlize Theron swaps her Hollywood hair for a scruffy headscarf in this based-onreal-life story of abused wife Josey Aimes who leaves her violent husband and returns to her hometown in Minnesota to work in the iron mines. She soon befriends her female co-workers, but some of the men begin to abuse her and the other women. When the abuse escalates they bring a sexual harassment lawsuit against the company. Also stars Frances McDormand and Sissy Spacek.

Life dear dolly

Monday, May 12, 2014 METRO HERALD

deardolly@metroherald.ie

Got a problem? No one else can help? Our resident agony aunt tells it like it is

Dear Katie, Husband number three has apparently been banished to the garden shed having had a ‘full blown sexual affair’ with your ‘best friend’ of two decades. ‘Jane Poutney is 50 next year, cloned into me with my help she is a whore home wrecker slut!’ you tweeted in the very same week as revealing you’re six months pregnant with Kieran’s second child. Despite your relative youth and overinflated sexuality, even you couldn’t keep your man. What they did

My boyfriend and I are arguing over summer music festivals. He wants to camp, I don’t. I’ve done my time in leaky tents and having a ‘wash’ with baby wipes. Likewise, he refuses to book a hotel for FOMO. What to do?

Anna

He camps with his mates and you stay in a hotel with your girlfriends? Let’s face it there’s nothing romantic about soggy sleeping bags and going for a sneaky wee in the awning at 4am because you can’t be bothered to walk all the way to the Portaloos. So, cut your losses and do your own thing. If that’s not an option, the C-word is a beautiful thing: compromise. Spend one night in his tent, one in a B&B. The third in a pod/yurt? They don’t come cheap but it might be a happy medium – a halfway house, if you will.

My girlfriend of five months was showing me something on her e-reader and I noticed a How To Get Pregnant guide. That we are trying for a baby is news to me. I don’t want to upset her by saying it’s too early for baby talk but at the same time it’s niggling

at the back of my mind every time I Furrowed Brow feel amorous.

So you’re happy to get physical with her but you won’t just ask her a pertinent question about parenthood? Just tell her that you saw her reading list and is there anything you need to know about. It’s not what you say but how you say it, so keep it light. It could be that she bought that e-book a few relationships ago, and it has absolutely nothing to do with you or the current situation. But you’ll only know if you ask. LAST WEEK:

My younger brother shagged my new husband’s aunty at our wedding last month – and

fREE ADvicE fOR…

Katie Price

was wrong. But your serial monogamy, narcissism, and shades of body dysmorphia, makes me think you’d be better off securing a good psychotherapist than a business plan on how best to market this latest soap opera. So put away those nonsense norks and mosquito-stung lips, and consider radio silence for a change.

they’re still at it, despite the 22-year age gap. We’re the only family members who know about this, and they’ve begged us to keep it under wraps. We’re so disgusted though that we feel like our parents should know. Should we tell, or let AntiMILFs it run its course? YOU SAiD:

If they are both consenting adults and single why is it an issue? Yes, their age gap is fairly big but are they hurting anyone?

Tendai Marsupial Muzwidzwa

Get over it!! You’ve just gotten married, worry about making your own relationship work rather than worrying about everyone else’s.

Karen Dowling

Party People

OvER TO YOU:

My husband and I are atheists but sent our child to a religious school because it was the best in our area. She’d made friends with what we thought was a ‘normal’ family, but I overheard the little girl’s mum evangelically banging on about God to our daughter. I told my husband, calling her a Christian fundamentalist, before realising Bible Mum had heard everything. Do I apologise for our daughter’s sake, or stick to our principles?

HeavenisaplaceonEarth

What do you think? Lend Dolly your words of wisdom on our Facebook page or at deardolly@metroherald.ie. Best replies published next week...

Out and about in Dublin

On show: Laura Buckley and Elaine Roseanne Kavanagh at Rethinking the Everyday Exhibition at Farmleigh Gallery

Sister style: Bloggers Alex and Teddy Coptil take some time out from swapping and shopping to pose for a picture at the Galaxy Style Exchange in the Morgan Hotel

Baby blue: Actress Kelly Thornton was at baby Sam’s seventh annual lunch in aid of the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation at the Four Seasons Hotel

Feeling peachy: Ciara Doherty and Deric Hartigan look after their complexions at the Micro Blur Skin Protector launch at Kiehl’s on Wicklow Street

Pictures: BriaN McevOY; aNthONY wOOds; PhOtOcall; Patrick O’learY; kieraN harNett

Locks of seagull: Stephen Byrne and Paul Walsh aired their matching hairstyles at the Lidl ‘Secret Garden’ in Meeting House Square

18 METRO HERALD Monday, May 12, 2014

Jobs&Courses Chinese by pictures, it couldn’t be easier

news@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010

ShaoLan Hsueh devised a simple picture system that unlocks one of our toughest languages. By Siobhán Murphy

L Word wizard: ShaoLan Hsueh spent two years working on the linguistic system that’s capturing the world’s attention

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earning Mandarin or Cantonese may be all the rage but there’s one rather hefty stumbling block: Chinese is the hardest written language in the world. How do you find a way into that forest of intricate, beautiful, baffling characters? ShaoLan Hsueh thinks she may be able to help. as a child growing up in Taiwan, ShaoLan learned Chinese characters the standard way – through hard slog. But as the daughter of a calligrapher and a ceramicist, she was steeped in an appreciation of the beauty of the written language. ‘i had a habit when i was young of just reading the dictionary; i loved finding words i didn’t know,’ she says. So when she found herself bringing up her two children in england and wanted to teach them to read and write Chinese, she looked for patterns in the writing to make it easier. The result is Chineasy. ‘i broke down thousands of char-

acters to find a methodology,’ she explains. ‘it took about two years to create it on the computer, working at night while the children were in bed.’ ShaoLan discovered key characters function as building blocks, either appearing within other characters or added together to make new words. in Chineasy, each of these is turned into a cartoon-style illustration – adding them together in different combinations reveals an eye-catching, memorable way to learn new words. in the book, ShaoLan explains the origins of characters, where she tracked them down, or adds a joke as an extra aide-mémoire. This

products have shown that only awesome designs can really bring awesome technology into life,’ says ShaoLan, who is nevertheless thrilled her project, backed by funding platform Kickstarter and launched after a TeD talk last year, has garnered such recognition. This isn’t the first time ShaoLan has found a fun way into a daunting topic. as a 21-year-old MBa student, she self-published a guide to Microsoft Word that incorporated poetry, music, art and literature, and ended up being bundled with every Word pack sold. ‘i’d tried to do everything technical to be different from my artistic upbringing and to do something totally un-Chinese,’ she says, ‘but now it’s like i’ve completed a circle. Chineasy is a homecoming – east and West, traditional and modern, art and technology – it’s culture but highly analytical as well.’ The characters ShaoLan uses as the basis of her illustrations are a mixture of traditional (used in Cantonese and Taiwanese) and simplified (used in Mandarin on mainland China) – but often, she insists, the characters are actually the same in both. Where they differ, she shows the other version. ‘it’s like British english and american english: you see both all the time, so i try to encourage people not to differentiate,’ she says. The Chineasy website highlights differences and gives pronunciations in Mandarin. Soon there will be videos showing how you write characters with the correct stroke order (not covered in the book). although it was never intended as a teaching programme (‘if you want to learn how to ask for a cup of coffee, you’ll have to look elsewhere’), there’s an enthusiastic community building around the Facebook page, where daily lessons, weekly tests and monthly wordsearches offer exercises that don’t appear in the book. an app will launch within the next couple of months. and there has already been interest in a Chinese version of the book, with charities keen to use her system for literacy drives in mainland China. Chineasy could soon be unlocking secrets for everyone.

storytelling reveals aspects of Chinese cultural history: the character for ‘argument’, for example, is the character for ‘woman’ written twice. in a feudal Chinese household, with many generations and multiple wives living under one roof, two women might well equal a row. ‘among the native Chinese speakers following me, there are teachers who borrow ideas, design lovers who know the characters but never thought about how they’re made up, and those who just love the stories i tell,’ says ShaoNow accepting final applications Lan, who left a tech business in Diploma in Java Programming Taiwan to move with Oracle Certified Java Exam Preparation Modules to Britain. 15th May 2014 Chineasy has already been Diploma in Digital Marketing & Social Media named as ‘lifewith Online PR, SEO, Google AdWords & E-Commerce modules enhancer of the 25th June 2014 year’ in the Wallpaper* design Diploma in Event Management awards and is with PR, Online PR & Social Media modules shortlisted for a 30th June 2014 2014 Design Museum award. Speak to a Course Expert now on 01 283 4579 ‘i knew that Limited Places Remaining design was the only way to go – Chineasy (Thames & Hudson) €15 is info@fitzwilliaminstitute.ie www.fitzwilliaminstitute.ie all the top tech out now, www.chineasy.org

Evening Courses Dublin City Centre

that’smybusiness

ESTELLE GORBY is the international strategy director at the Acorn advertising agency. The 38-year-old Dubliner was recently announced as the inaugural IAPI Doyenne Award. She speaks to Joanne Ahern about her business What does your role involve?

We build cutting-edge effective and measurable customer acquisition and retention campaigns. My job involves working with clients to understand their customer, turn the world of data into insights and use these insights to define the right message for the right audience delivered at the right time in the right place (media) in a measured way.

What’s your typical day? When

I’m working, I’m up just after 6, get ready in record time, play with my little girl who is an early riser and then head into the office early to beat traffic. Between 7.30 and 9am, I get to think properly and crank out a ton of stuff. The rest of the day, I’m meeting with clients to discuss campaigns, their challenges, what we can do for them or else I’m meeting with the account and creative teams discussing how we can solve all these challenges and bring campaigns to life. I leave the office at 5.15pm to head to collect my daughter at the crèche and we get home for about 6pm.

What is your career/education background? I started out

my career in 1996 exploring. I graduated from International Marketing and Languages at DCU and wanted a job that would help me see the world. I was picked as part of the graduate placement programme for a marketing role in Asia so I got the best of both worlds – able to gain experience whilst still exploring. I worked in a variety

of marketing roles in Asia and then back in Europe. I was excited to come back to Ireland ten years ago, I got a great job in Dell in their online team and then managed the EMEA advertising team, a role that truly was instrumental in my career as I learnt the art of measuring the effectiveness of your advertising.

Why did you go into advertising? When I decided to study marketing, I didn’t really know why I was doing it. But then I studied it and I really enjoyed it!

What do you enjoy most about your job? I love translat-

ing insights into meaningful campaigns. I also love helping build brands and companies.

What do you find the most difficult? You are only as good as the next pitch you win.

How is your work/ life balance? I’m still

using some of my parental leave at the moment so that’s helping me hugely. Acorn is a pretty flexible company so it’s great and my boss is really respectful of work/life balance. I come in, I work hard while I’m there but I always have to leave to collect my little girl… that’s the biggest responsibility of my day.

You co-founded the Acorn advertising agency in

Who: Acorn Advertising Established: 2006 Employs: Around 100

Dorset College www.dorset-college.ie Excellence Through Life-Long Learning

Up-Coming Courses Computing & Multimedia Animation for Games Level 5 ECDL-European Computer Driving Licence

Healthcare Studies (Level 5) Healthcare Support Certificate

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www.dorset-college.ie

Tel: 01 830 9677

2006, why did you decide to go out on your own? An old

colleague and friend of mine started Acorn and called me. We felt there was a gap between us and agencies and Acorn was going to bridge that gap. We developed a model that could tell a client which audience would react best to their message, which creative would drive more demand and how the campaign was going to deliver, how their above-the-line and below-theline or digital spend would translate into things like cost per lead and cost per customer.

What did you learn from that experience? I realised that if you

work in a place that you love, it makes work a lot easier. And you can make things happen quickly when bureaucracy is removed.

What’s the five-year strategy for the agency? We are trying to

create something different in the industry. We are changing the way clients engage with their target audience and changing the conversation away from advertising and towards customer engagement. We’re now part of Epsilon, a worldwide agency network. We want to continue to focus on our existing clients, to make their campaign work hard and also to work better.

you watch M a d Men? I

love it. But if o n l y the advertising

Monday, May 12, 2014 METRO HERALD

features@metroherald.ie to advertise call: 01 705 5010

world was like that… I could do with a drink during the day sometimes!

How has the advertising field changed? The agency world is funda-

mentally changing and trying to evolve as the landscape changes. But I think the ones that will win out will be the ones that focus on the consumer and use the masses of data and technology that exist to connect with them better.

What do you think are important qualities for advertising professionals? Personable,

coming into the client-facing side.

You won the IAPI Doyenne Award. How important do you think it is to celebrate women leaders? I’m

all about celebrating talent. I think the award is a great way of putting a spotlight on all the entries. There is a marked decline in women in top management that is way below the UK and way below levels at middle management. This award is aimed at raising the of women and The ones that win will profile it’s really hitting the be those that focus on mark.

“

the consumer and use the masses of data to connect with them

I mean very personable, professional, straight talking, is obsessed with what consumers want and has strong attention to detail.

What one piece of advice would you give to those looking to enter the profession? You have to seriously

enjoy working with people to think about

What’s on your desk? A photo of my

husband and my daughter, my award, my phone and a mess!

What do you do to relax?

Spending time with my family.

If you were a kangaroo, what do you think you would you keep in your pouch? My phone.

puzzles

METROSCOPE by Patrick Arundell

NEMI by Lise

Aries Mar 21 – Apr 20

Libra Sep 24

For your forecast, call 15609 114 70

Venus is challenged by Mars. This may see you surprise somebody by being much more direct in your approach. In some ways, this can be a really good thing and help you take the initiative around a relationship.

You may have done a lot of thinking or talking over the weekend about how you can work with your resources for the best outcome. And with the Moon in Libra today, you can get further feedback. But this could include some more outspoken points of view.

Taurus Apr 21 – May 21

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

scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22

Gemini May 22 – Jun 21

For your forecast, call 15609 114 77

For your forecast, call 15609 114 71

sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21

Cancer Jun 22 – Jul 23

For your forecast, call 15609 114 78

For your forecast, call 15609 114 73

Leo Jul 24 – Aug 23

This can be one of those periods where your appetite for new experiences can be high. Yet, the irony is if you do get speaking to somebody new, you might understand this will bring challenges as well as some opportunities. Patience is going to be key. For your forecast, call 15609 114 74

Virgo Aug 24 – Sep 23

The desire side of your nature is ratcheted up. This can make it hard to withhold the temptation of splashing out. Yet, your impulses could threaten long-term financial prospects if you cave in on something really expensive.

Friday’s Solutions Across: 1 Sobs; 3 Advocate; 9 Abscess; 10 Ensue; 11 Dispossessed; 13 Rarest; 15 Recess; 17 Improvidence; 20 Egret; 21 Ignored; 22 Fiendish; 23 Lend. Down: 1 Standard; 2 Basis; 4 Desist; 5 Overspending; 6 Austere; 7 Even; 8 Remonstrated; 12 Ascended; 14 Remorse; 16 Avoids; 18 Nurse; 19 Deaf.

Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 20

Try not to be too dominant in a sensitive discussion. Someone may not understand what you want and this could be frustrating. But you’re better to try to come to a mutually agreeable place than force things, which could create the potential for resentment. For your forecast, call 15609 114 79

Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19

There’s part of many Aquarians that likes to shock but you don’t necessarily use it all the time. Today can be a time when you decide you will rock the boat and enjoy every minute of the reverberations it creates. For your forecast, call 15609 114 80

Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20

If you meet somebody new, try not to be impressed if they are particularly well off, or at least better off than you. Around any romantic situation, as much as looks are important they may not necessarily be the basis for a sustainable involvement. For your forecast, call 15609 114 81

For a live one-to-one consultation with one of my gifted psychics, call 15809 113 68 or 1800 719 688 to book using credit card Astrology calls cost 1.27 euros per min from a BT landline. Live Services cost 2.40 euros per minute. Calls from mobiles/other networks may cost more. Callers must be 18 or over to use this service and have the bill payers permission. For entertainment purposes only. All calls are recorded. PhonePayPlus regulated(ComReg in ROI) UK SP: StreamLive Ltd, NR7 0HR, 08700 234 567. ROI SP:Moveda, 1 Courtyard Business Park, Orchard Lane, Blackrock, Co Dublin, 0818 241 398

QuIz

DOWN 2 Doze (3) 3 Unsuitable (5) 4 Interior (6) 5 Copy (7) 6 Of one mind (9) 7 Barrenness (11) 8 Reinstatement (11) 12 Height (9) 15 Plunder (7) 17 Complete (6) 19 Should (5) 21 Beverage (3)

You and yours could have a more intense interaction today. Part of this could be because something you want for your future may be very individual to you but might not suit them quite as well. If you’re single, there could be someone who takes on a much greater attraction.

ENIGMA A type of African wild sheep That’s found on mountains high and steep. This version of its name does rather Sound like ‘cry of pain’ and ‘father’. WHO AM I? A boxer, I was born in Bray in 1986. I won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. I am the current Irish, European, World and Olympic Champion in the

60kg female category. WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? WHO… is the presenter of RTÉ’s The Saturday Night Show? WHAT… element is charcoal a form of? WHERE… did rugby player Brian O’Driscoll and actress Amy Huberman get married? WHEN… was Irish radio station 2RN’s first broadcast?

QUIZ ANSWERS: ENIGMA: Aoudad. WHO AM I? Katie Taylor. WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? Brendan O’Connor; Carbon; Lough Rynn Castle Hotel, Co Leitrim; 1 January 1926.

QUICK CROsswORd

For your forecast, call 15609 114 75

ACROSS 1 Unwise (11) 9 Pinch (3) 10 Enchant (9) 11 Upright (5) 13 Chronicler (7) 14 Suit of woollen cloth (6) 16 Pious (6) 18 Intrigue (7) 19 Attack (5) 20 Garment-making (9) 21 Also (3) 22 Powerful (11)

Something could make you feel profoundly envious today. But don’t be fazed too much by appearances. Your affections tend to run deep and it’s better to tune into these than to look to others.

Someone can seem desirable to you, perhaps someone you work with, but you may not feel ready to tell them about this. Yet, if you’re too demanding in an ongoing relationship, a partner can be unwilling to agree to bend to your needs. Age difference issues can come up in relationships today. This may be down to different factions within your family seeing things in contrasting ways. Or if you’re a care giver, you might find yourself juggling to keep everyone happy.

Crossword No.970 See next edition for solutions

For your forecast, call 15609 114 76

You may feel someone is going out of their way to undermine you, even if they’re not making this obvious. You could find yourself walking a thin line between speaking up and being too passive.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 72

PEARLs BEFORE swINE

– Oct 23

SCRIBBLE BOX

20 METRO HERALD Monday, May 12, 2014

cycling giro d’italia

Kittel makes a grande finale to Dublin stage by METRO HERALD REpORTER

Germany’s marcel Kittel celebrated his 26th birthday in style with victory on stage three of the Giro d’italia in Dublin yesterday. the Giant shimano rider won in a sprint finish ahead of Briton Ben swift (team sky) and italy’s elia Viviani (cannondale) for a second successive stage triumph. michael matthews of Orica Greenedge retained the pink jersey with an eight-second overall lead over alessandro Petacchi (Omega Pharma-Quickstep). isolated from his team-mates and lead-out man tom Veelers in a frantic finale of the 187km route from armagh, Kittel latched on to the wheel of swift, who was being led out by team mate norwegian edvald Boasson Hagen, before powering for the line. ‘i came here with the goal to win the first (road) stage and after that the pressure is off slightly, but today was not easy and it was really close at the finish,’ said Kittel.

spORT DigEsT Annalise makes it two on Lake Garda sAiLing Irish

Olympic sailor Annalise Murphy has taken gold, retaining her Eurosaf crown at Vela Garda Trentino Italian Olympic Week. Having won five of the eight races throughout the week on Lake Garda, Murphy was a clear 16 points ahead of Italian Silvia Zennaro going into the medal race. The only threat yesterday was Zennaro but Murphy made sure she could not be overhauled by engaging her on the start line. She finished sixth to secure the 2014 title. The ISA’s James O’Callaghan said: ‘This reflects well on the progress being made towards Santander which is the first opportunity for Olympic qualification for Rio 2016.’

ATHLETics Champion Fionnuala

Britton of Kilcoole AC finished fourth place at the Highgate 10k in London on Saturday. The race was billed as a headto-head between Britton and current European cross country champion Sophie Duarte. The pace was set up to bring the athletes under the 32.15 qualification standard for Zurich. After passing the halfway point in 16.09, Britton started to lose ground. Britain’s Jo Pavey won in 32.11.04; Britton’s time was 32.57.49. Maria McCambridge of Dundrum finished seventh in 33.19.43.

Double success for Rea in Imola win MOTO Honda’s Ride on time: Marcel Kittel will have a birthday to remember after claiming the stage 3 win could wear my long sleeve jersey and show off the mountains competition. Having retained the maglia rosa matthews my pink jersey and pink bike. everyone was spoke of Kittel’s ride: ‘He’s pretty incredible on shouting for me. i still can’t believe it after wearthe flat stages. He’s shown that he’s the fastest ing it all day and i’ll be so happy to wear it in man in the world. With form that he has, and the italy the day after tomorrow. Winning stage one lead out that he has, yeah, he’s pretty unbeatable. as a team brought the whole team spirit up. then But i think when it starts to get a bit hilly, it’ll for svein [tuft] to wear the jersey yesterday and take some of his top-end power off him and for me to wear it today, we showed that we’re keen to ride at the front and show ourselves.’ someone like me might be able to have a go.’ the race transfers to southern italy with a rest On wearing the maglia rosa yesterday, he said: ‘it was incredible. i was thankful that the day on monday before resuming with tuesday’s weather was pretty much OK at the start, and i 112km route from Giovinazzo to Bari.

Four-midable Hamilton ends Spanish drought

Elated: Hamilton wins Grand Prix

Britton runs fourth at Highgate race

‘When I could see the finish line … I gave it everything’ ‘the road got really narrow with two kilometres to go and we knew that we had to be in front here and we were, but i got sandwiched and it was a choice of letting go of tom’s wheel or probably crashing. ‘this put me out of position slightly and a bit far back, but i was never going to give up on the chance to win a stage. ‘When i could see the finish line after the final corner i gave it everything and it was really close, but i just concentrated on the line and managed to come past everyone. ‘it is extra special to win on your birthday and i must thank my team-mates for the work they did for me again today. ‘We can have a day of down time now before targeting the next flat stage in italy.’ there was a split behind the first 32 riders, creating an 11-second gap, with ireland’s nicolas roche (tinkoff-saxo) finishing among the general classification contenders after working his way back to the group following a puncture with 6km to go. also for the second time in consecutive days, maarten tjallingii (Belkin-Pro cycling team) joined the early breakaway. He won both categorised climbs on the stage to increase his lead in

Monday, May 12, 2014 METRO HERALD

Lewis HamiLton served up a psychological hammer blow to mercedes team-mate nico Rosberg with his first victory in the spanish Grand Prix. it was Hamilton’s fourth successive win, and the team’s fourth consecutive one-two. this race, however, is likely to be one that will hurt Rosberg for some time ahead of Formula one’s blue-riband event in monaco in a fortnight. although Hamilton was clean away from pole, the 29-year-old grumbled often throughout the race, complaining about

spanish grand prix

oversteer, the back end of the car sliding out, graining on his tyres, strategy and how much time he lost to Rosberg in the pit-stops. to give the German his shot at victory, mercedes altered tyre plans from the first stop onwards, and as the race reached its finale, Rosberg reeled Hamilton in. But despite managing to get within a second late on, Rosberg ran out of laps and not once had a crack at making a pass on Hamilton, who ultimately won

by just 0.6 seconds. it means for the first time since June 2012 Hamilton now leads the drivers’ standings, moving three points ahead of Rosberg. ‘it means everything to me,’ said Hamilton. ‘Getting my first Grand Prix win here after being in the sport eight years, it’s very difficult to put into words. never have i had a car like this, nor a gap like this to anyone before. ‘But i know i was not fast enough. nico was quicker, i struggled with the balance, but fortunately i was able to keep him behind.’

Jonathan Rea won both races of the fourth round of the World Superbike Championship, moving to the top of the riders’ standings. He set the fastest time in Saturday’s SuperPole session and ended four points clear of compatriot Tom Sykes and his Kawasaki. Rea said: ‘I couldn’t have imagined doubling up coming here. But I knew we’d be strong because it’s a circuit I really enjoy and one that the bike goes really well at. The Ducati of Chaz Davies took two second-placed finishes. Sykes finished third in the first race while Sylvain Guintoli filled the final podium place.

Course death slam gOLf The European Tour has been

criticised for finishing the Madeira Islands Open despite the death of caddie Iain McGregor on the course. Zimbabwean McGregor, working for Scotland’s Alastair Forsyth, suffered a heart attack on the ninth hole. The decision was taken to resume play at 6pm, with Daniel Brooks winning. The decision to finish was criticised by players, including Joel Sjoholm and France’s Jean-Baptiste Gonnet.

22 METRO HERALD Monday, May 12, 2014

football

Rodgers: Title race has got us believing again pREMiER LEAguE liverpool .........................2 newcastle ....................... 1 by jAck fOx Despite falling agonisingly short in the title race, Brendan Rodgers insists Liverpool now have the belief to take on the premier League’s best for years to come. A battling victory over nine-man Newcastle – Daniel Agger and Daniel sturridge scoring in the second half after a Martin skrtel own goal – was not enough for the Reds to catch Manchester City. But, after a season that has seen his side secure 26 wins and score 101 goals, Rodgers was eager to concentrate on the positives of what has been a memorable campaign. ‘My overriding feeling at the moment is one of sheer pride for the players,’ said Rodgers.

Positive thinking: Rodgers ‘We have just finished short but we’ll be back. the goal is to try to win the title next year.’ Rodgers revealed he tried to inspire his team with the words of a Reds fan desperate for the glory days to return to Anfield. ‘i read a letter to the players on the first day of the season from a supporter called Ben,’ he said. ‘He talked about us getting into the top four but not to just think about fourth, but to think about winning. ‘i read the same letter back again today and the words that went back into the players’ minds were the same at the beginning of the season. ‘the word now is belief. We now believe we can be up here challenging, and all the young players will be much better for that.’

jOsE vOws TO HAvE BLuEs cHALLEnging nExT sEAsOn

Captain Cole: Ashley salutes Chelsea fans at Cardiff yesterday picture: epa

Cardiff...............1 Chelsea.............2 Fulham............2 Palace................2 Hull..................0 Everton.............2 Liverpool.........2 Newcastle..........1 Man City..........2 West Ham.......0 know but I don’t think so. He was not captain to say goodbye.’ Mourinho also expects Torres to stay, adding: ‘Fernando and Demba [Ba] have contracts. I am happy with them.’ Meanwhile, Cardiff boss ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists he

WEST BRoM boss Pepe Mel will demand assurances over the club’s future plans when he holds talks with chairman Jeremy Peace this week. A Gareth McAuley own goal and a late strike from Charlie Adam handed the Potters victory despite Stephane

pREMiER LEAguE norwich........................0 arsenal.......................... 2

In the thick of it: Wilshere on his return

southaMpton............1 Man uniteD .................1

Norwich...........0 Arsenal..............2 Southampton..1 Man Utd............1 Sunderland......1 Swansea............3 Tottenham.......3 Villa....................0 West Brom.......1 Stoke..................2 retains the support of controversial owner Vincent Tan. ‘We did have a good chat last night,’ he said. ‘It’s important for me that he trusts me to keep managing the club and taking it forward.’

Mel wants proof of Baggies ambition

Thumbs up: Adam

ARSENE WENGER insisted he would still be Arsenal manager next season after he watched his team finish their Premier League campaign on a high. The long-serving Gunners boss dismissed reports he was set to join French outfit Monaco. Wenger has yet to sign a contract extension but he said: ‘I wish Monaco well but there is

New United boss named this week, claims Ryan pREMiER LEAguE

carDiff......................................1 chelsea....................................2 JoSE MouRINHo has insisted his Chelsea side will be genuine title challengers next season after wrapping up his first term back in the Premier League with victory at relegated Cardiff. Fernando Torres netted the winner after substitute Andre Schurrle had cancelled out Craig Bellamy’s firsthalf opener. Mourinho was left to bemoan the losses to Aston Villa and Sunderland as the Blues finished four points behind champions Manchester City, but insisted his team would return stronger. ‘Next season, if we do our work in a successful way during the summer market, I want to start day one saying that we are going to fight for the title,’ he said. ‘The club will not run away from the responsibility of bringing in a couple of important players.’ Mourinho says his squad does not require major surgery and wants to keep John Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole, who was captain yesterday and according to reports last night will not be named in England’s World Cup squad. Asked if it was Cole’s final appearance, Mourinho said: ‘I don’t

Bloodied: Vidic after being caught by Lambert

west broM ...................................1 stoke.............................................. 2 Sessegnon’s reply. Mel said: ‘I’m going to listen to the chairman to find out what he wants for the future.’

I’ll be at Arsenal next season, says Wenger no interest there.’ Ahead of next Saturday’s FA Cup final against Hull, Arsenal were comfortable winners at Carrow Road as Aaron Ramsey fired them in front with a glorious second-half volley, and Carl Jenkinson added a second. And there was good news for

England boss Roy Hodgson ahead of today’s World Cup squad announcement, with substitute Jack Wilshere making his return from a fractured foot. ‘We just wanted to finish the season well, so it is a good basis to prepare for the FA Cup final,’ Wenger said.

RyAN GIGGS believes the next Manchester united manager is likely to be announced within the next week, and says the absence from European competition next season will help the new man. Interim boss Giggs saw united finish their troubled season with a 1-1 draw on the south coast, leaving them in seventh place. Asked if he was any closer to knowing his own immediate future, Giggs replied: ‘No, I’m not really. I’ll decide within the next week. I think the managerial situation will be sorted out in the next week. ‘[I’ll] think of my own position and decide what I am going to do. Whether to play on or not. Whether to stay on the staff. Whether I take a year off from football. These are the decisions I have to make.’

£27million Bid

for Luke Shaw reportedly made by Manchester United last night As he entered the press room at St Mary’s, Giggs asked for the TV sets showing Manchester City’s title celebrations to be turned off. But after united failed to qualify for the Europa League, Giggs added: ‘Hopefully it will help us in our league form and we have good cup runs which we didn’t this year.’ A fine Juan Mata free-kick cancelled out Rickie Lambert’s opener. Lambert appeared to elbow Nemanja Vidic in the build-up, leaving the defender bloodied on his final appearance for the Reds. Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with the Tottenham job but refused to be drawn on the speculation, and said he would sit down with the club’s owners today. ‘I still have one more year on my contract,’ he said.

football

pellegrini a prize guy say City boys Stars give boss credit, as well as the bumps

Sam’s the man: Nasri puts City ahead while, inset, things get bumpy for Pellegrini

pREMiER LEAguE MAN CITy .......................................2 WEST HAM .................................... 0 by DAvE fiLMER manChesTer City calmly saw off West ham to secure their second Premier league title in three seasons in a party atmosphere at the etihad stadium. liverpool beat newcastle united 2-1 at anfield to finish two points behind the champions but goals by samir nasri and Vincent Kompany ensured City came out on top at the end of a thrilling title race. nasri calmed City nerves with a fierce strike in the 39th minute before captain Kompany’s neat finish four minutes after the interval rounded off a superb debut season for manager manuel Pellegrini. The Chilean was given the bumps by his delighted players after the trophy ceremony, and they lined up to praise his influence on the squad. nasri said: ‘I’m so happy for the manager because it’s his first title in europe. he remained calm. It was a pleasure to work for him. It was an amazing league all year. everyone put his ego on the side.’ City goalkeeper Joe hart added: ‘he’s a winner, he wants us to win. he is a measured man and he believes in what he does.’ But hammers boss sam allardyce was in defiant mood over his future at West ham and insisted his record speaks for itself. ‘If you are a manager, this is the highest level in the world, and I have competed at this level for many, many years. There’s only arsene Wenger who has competed at this level longer than me,’ he said. ‘I know how to manage in this league and I know how to turn teams into better teams than when you first take them over. We have had no real threat of relegation for a while.’

Monday, May 12, 2014 METRO HERALD 23

fOOTbALL DigEsT

Opener: Hughes

McClaren hails a ‘perfect’ victory DERBy .........................................4 BRIgHTON .................................. 1 (DERBy WIN 6-2 ON AggREgATE)

STEVE McCLAREN felt the performance of his team was ‘almost perfect’ after leading Derby to the Championship play-off final with a comprehensive victory over Brighton. goals from Will Hughes (pictured), Chris Martin, george Thorne and Jeff Hendrick sealed the club’s first appearance at Wembley since 2007. McClaren said: ‘We were awesome, mixing energy and entertainment to thrill our wonderful supporters. We looked a damned good side and were almost perfect.’

Dunne tells Hoops to take big chance RICHARD DUNNE has urged QPR to seize their second chance when they face Wigan for a place at Wembley tonight. Rangers were favourites to win the Championship but faltered after a bright start and had to settle for the play-offs. Both teams are seeking an immediate return to the Premier League and the semi-final is level after a goalless first leg. ‘It’s all or nothing. Whatever pressure is on us, it’s important we rise to it and don’t be afraid of it,’ said Dunne (pictured).

Final table P (C) Man City 38 Liverpool 38 Chelsea 38 Arsenal 38

W 27 26 25 24

D 5 6 7 7

L F 6 102 6 101 6 71 7 68

A Pts 37 86 50 84 27 82 41 79

Everton 38 Tottenham 38 Man Utd 38 Southampton 38 Stoke 38

21 21 19 15 13

9 6 7 11 11

8 11 12 12 14

39 51 43 46 52

61 55 64 54 45

72 69 64 56 50

Newcastle Crystal Pal Swansea West Ham Sunderland Aston Villa Hull West Brom

38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38

15 13 11 11 10 10 10 7

4 6 9 7 8 8 7 15

19 19 18 20 20 20 21 16

43 33 54 40 41 39 38 43

59 48 54 51 60 61 53 59

49 45 42 40 38 38 37 36

(R) Norwich 38 8 9 21 28 62 33 (R) Fulham 38 9 5 24 40 85 32 (R) Cardiff 38 7 9 22 32 74 30

Fans condemned THE managers of Atalanta and AC Milan condemned the actions of supporters who allegedly threw a banana at Milan defender Kevin Constant in yesterday’s Serie A match in Bergamo. Atalanta boss Stefano Colantuono said: ‘Whoever threw the banana deserves to have a coconut thrown back at them.’ Milan manager Clarence Seedorf added: ‘I hope they find the culprit.’

Roberto protects duo felix fuming at lack of fight Poyet: I’m here to stay RobeRto Martinez rested youngsters Ross barkley and John Stones against Hull to protect them for possible international action this summer. the pair were absent as James McCarthy and Romelu Lukaku goals secured a seasonending win at Hull, with Martinez

HULL ........................... 0 EVERTON ....................2 explaining he was keen to keep them injury free for possible World Cup duty. ‘there is the opportunity of representing the senior side but if not there is the Under-21s and the toulon tournament,’ he said. ‘they are going to be busy.’

Fulham boss Felix magath criticised the lack of fighting spirit shown by some of his players in their Premier league survival bid. The Cottagers’ 13-season topflight presence ended with a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace. ‘We never fought as a team that fights against relegation,’ said magath. ‘I asked my team what was going on and one player told me, “we cannot fight”. I’ve never

FULHAM ............................... 2 CRySTAL PALACE ................. 2 been at a club before where a player has told me they can’t fight. I was surprised to hear that.’ Palace took the lead twice through striker Dwight Gayle and manager Tony Pulis said: ‘he’s improved immensely. I expect a good return from him next season.’

SUNDERLAND .................1 SWANSEA ....................... 3 GUS Poyet is confident he will still be Sunderland boss next season amid fevered speculation over his future. the 46-year-old said: ‘the rumours are natural. ‘but that means you are doing something special or you are being recognised for

Final touch: Bony something, whatever it is.’ Nathan Dyer, Marvin emnes and Wilfried bony gave the Swans a final-day win. Fabio borini replied for the hosts.

24 METRO HERALD Monday, May 12, 2014

Kittel dominates in Dublin and Matthews’ retains Pink jersey

We’re one Pell of a team

«see page 21

piCture: epa

City had to be united before turning on style, says Manuel Manuel Pellegrini last night hailed Manchester City’s success in both winning the Premier league, and doing so in such stunning style. a comfortable 2-0 win over West Ham saw City triumph by two points over liverpool in the title race, while scoring a record 156 goals in all competitions. Chilean Pellegrini, who has become the first non-european coach to win the english top flight, said: ‘it was my first season in the Premier league and i had to change a lot of things. ‘The most important thing was we changed absolutely the way this team

by DAvE fiLMER play. When i arrived at this club maybe the relations between the squad were not in the best moment. ‘it was very important to convince all of them how we can play and how it was important to be close – all of us, managers, players and fans – to try to win a very difficult title. ‘The way we played was as important as winning the title, the way we did it with the players and the fans enjoying it.’

Holding role: City captain Kompany lifts the trophy

« City Celebrate – page-23

poor edinburgh show a ‘clear reminder’ for pro 12 campaign

No excuses: Coach Matt O’Connor said emotion of BOD’s and Cullen’s farewell was not a factor for listless game piCture: inpho

leinsTer coach Matt O’Connor labelled his side’s listless display against edinburgh as a ‘clear reminder’ that they need to be right at the top of their game if they are to retain their Pro12 title, writes Gareth Makim. The scottish side came close to spoiling Brian O’Driscoll’s and leo Cullens’ big night as the province made a farewell presentation to the duo after a game in which leinster trailed at half-time before edging it 15-13, thanks to tries from Jordi Murphy and Dave Kearney. But O’Connor refused to blame the celebratory mood for leinster’s performance. The result sealed top spot in the standings and home advantage throughout the playoffs, which begin this weekend against ulster, and O’Connor said: ‘We probably

weren’t in the right frame of mind. We were probably wanting it to be a little easier than it was and we got caught out. ‘it was a flat performance. There was a lot of emotion around the province, but it wasn’t a factor from my point of view. ‘The margins at this level are small. if you’re 10 per cent off

‘It was flat. There was a lot of emotion around’ you’ll lose, and that was a really clear reminder. ‘no one is under any illusions as to what is expected. There is clarity as to what is required. We’ve a very tough game against ulster, but we’re at home and have given ourselves the best chance.

‘But knockout rugby is all about putting out the performance when it matters.’ leinster’s prospects were boosted by the return of sean O’Brien and Fergus McFadden for their first action since December and early april respectively, although hooker richardt strauss has been ruled out after he suffered a hamstring injury in the first half. ‘(Having sean back) is a really positive boost to the group. He brings so much intensity to training and the blokes love having him in the room because of the way he drives everyone to get the best from themselves,’ O’Connor said. ‘Having Ferg back is also a huge boost because we didn’t think we’d get him back after the knee injury in Toulon. They were a bit rusty, but they’ll feature next week.’