Metro Herald, Monday, November 24, 2014

Monday, November 24, 2014

Brian ferry is back on song with new album

Dave Bautista talks bikes and fights pAGE 6

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BaBy found in storM drain pAGE 10

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star power

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What’s next for Elizabeth Banks?

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irish Breakthrough to Make coMputers faster pAGE 5

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hunt for gunman in drag second time’s after raid a charm for hamilton

LEWIS HAMILTON claimed a at the Abu Dhabi Grand Pri second F1 world championship yesterday 2008, said: ‘It feels like it’s x. The 29-year-old, who won his first title in the first time. This is the gre of my life, the greatest mo atest day ment of my life.’

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GARDAÍ are hunting for a man in drag who robbed a bar manager at gunpoint as he tried to lodge cash in a bank night safe in south Dublin in the early hours of yesterday.

The 44-year-old businessman pulled up to the AIB branch in Rathgar village at around 4.30am when he was confronted by a man dressed in a dress and a wig who pointed a handgun at him and threatened him.

The gunman was joined by a second man who also confronted the businessman and stole around €15,000 in takings from a well-known south pub Dublin pub.

Sources believe the robbers were wa waiting at the bank to ambush someone coming to lodge money in the

by Metro herald staff

night safe and may even have been targeting the man they robbed.

The robber who was dressed as a woman appeared to be using the ATM as the bar manager approached while his accomplice waited in a taxi.

‘They made escape in a bogus taxi’ The businessman received no injuries in the incident but was left traumatised by the robbery.

The robbers then made their escape towards Terenure in a bogus taxi with

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

false number plates. The car, a silver Hyundai i40 with the false registration number 12 CE 1549, had a taxi sign but lacked the standard taxi markings on the doors. It was later found in the Harold’s Cross area.

Gardaí in Terenure are appealing for witnesses to the robbery and want to talk to anyone who may have passed the ATM machine at the AIB branch on Terenure Road East in Rathgar village between 4.30am and 4.45am on Sunday and may have seen any unusual behaviour.

Officers would also like anyone who saw the bogus Hyundai taxi to contact them in Terenure on 01-6666400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800666111 or at any Garda station.

METRO HERALD Monday, November 24, 2014

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Monday 24/11/14

Best of the web…

Celebs stuck in traffic

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Ireland’s rate of newsprint recycling is now more than 80%. Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you.

Today’s birthdays

Social media Facebook.com/ metroherald

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Pete Best, ex-Beatle, 73; Billy connolly, comic, 72; John Squire, Stone Roses guitarist, 52; Shirley Henderson, Scottish actress, 49; Stephen Merchant, comic, 40; Katherine Heigl (pictured), actress, 36.

VIPs trapped in cars is prevalent these days. Now mimic Laura O’Brien has made a clip of what celebs might say if stuck in traffic. Watch Sofia Vergara, Katie Holmes, Kim Kardashian and Kristen Stewart curse their commuting luck.

In the know on the go Twiddling your thumbs on the http://gometro. train? Get tapping for the latest news and travel GoMetro.ie ie/celeb-traffic/

Weather Today

15kph

Max: 11°c

Frost and fog lifting in the morning.

But sunshine will become more hazy, as cloud increases from the west.

Rain in west coast areas will spread eastwards gradually, but will become light and patchy as it does. Clearing in the west later. Highs of 7° to 10°C.

Derry

7˚C

7˚C

Donegal

15kph

8˚C Galway

Tipperary Waterford Cork

15kph

Dublin

9˚C

Tralee

10˚C

10kph

9˚C

15kph

Tonight

8˚C

Athlone

15kph

11˚C

Belfast

Cavan

15kph

20kph

15kph

Sunrise: 8.06am Sunset: 4.17pm

Min: 0°c

Clearer conditions in the northwest will bring temperatures down below freezing there but elsewhere cloud and outbreaks of rain may linger through the night. Winds will be light variable and fog patches are likely again.

EUROPE today

Tomorrow Some rain or showers in places mostly in coastal areas, but it’ll become largely dry with sunny spells developing.

Highs of just 5° to 8°C with light south or southeast winds.

Another very cold and frosty night, falling below freezing in many places.

10kph

6˚C 7˚C

8˚C 10kph

9˚C

8˚C

9˚C

10kph

8˚C 9˚C

10kph Max: 9°c

Athens

16 °c

Barcelona Berlin

19 °c 8 °c

Brussels

11 °c

8 °c Geneva 16 °c Madrid 17 °c Paris 11 °c Rome 20 °c London

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Monday, November 24, 2014 METRO HERALD

STAR GETS KNICKERS IN A TwIST SMUGGLING HERBS INTO JUNGLE

Sykes: Gino told me to spice it up... but I’m not that naughty Kendra sobs

emotional: kendra Picture: itv/rex

as she sees family photos

Wash: sykes showers after her trial

by SEAMUS DUFF MELANIE SYKES has revealed she was told to smuggle spices into the I’m A Celebrity jungle in her knickers by former winner Gino D’Acampo.

The ex-model, 44, said TV chef D’Acampo – co-host on her daytime show Let’s Do Lunch With Gino & Mel – said the underwear trick would ‘guarantee’ her popularity among fellow campmates. ‘Gino told me to take

Michael Buerk’s wife says she is worried the 68-year-old newsreader is losing too much weight in the celebrity jungle. Watching him wither away on TV, christine said: ‘he works out at the gym and he walks a lot – but he hasn’t got any spare flesh on him.’ in seasoning to make people happy but I didn’t do it,’ she confessed.

‘I was given something called “insanity salt” but I’m such a conformist that I left it at home,’ she added.

Not her type: Pals scotched talk sykes wants to date Jake Quickenden

Kendra WilKinson burst into tears after receiving a photo of her children after she won a prize of a ‘care package’ during her jungle trial.

The 29-year-old former Playboy bunny was overwhelmed when she opened up a box containing a snap of five-year-old Hank and sixmonth-old alijah.

Wilkinson’s father, eric, told Metro Herald his grandchildren are missing her just as much.

‘The kids are having a really hard time. They miss her to death, but they know she is doing something good,’ he said after arriving in Brisbane, australia, to support her on the show. all the campmates received packages from home in footage screened last night.

Bugged out: Melanie sykes crawls through maggots in the hell’s kitchen trial, and (inset) is covered with bugs Pictures: itv

The mother of two was speaking out after being voted to face her first bushtucker trial – Hell’s Kitchen.

Viewers watched Sykes scream her way through the trial, which saw her rummage for food stars in a rat-infested kitchen in the Australian-based reality show.

Back home, Sykes’ estranged

husband, roofer Jack Cockings, 28, claimed in a tabloid newspaper that she is a violent drunk.

The toy boy, who was married to the star for just six months, claimed Sykes would slap him ‘around the face’ and spout ‘snide comments’ when she was drunk.

But a spokesperson for Sykes hit back, saying: ‘It is very sad

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Mr Cockings has chosen now to speak out about their marriage when Mel is in the jungle and is not in a position to have a right of reply.’

Meanwhile, her friend Adam Phillips, who is in Australia to support the star, said talk that she plans to run off with former X Factor hunk Jake Quickenden, 26, is ‘ridiculous’.

home news: Buerk and kendra

METRO HERALD Monday, November 24, 2014

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Broadcasting charge put on back burner

Appeal for help to end cruel dog tale

PLANS by the Government to replace the TV Licence with a new €160 broadcasting charge have been put on hold following the backlash over the water charge.

The new broadcasting charge was launched by former communications minister Pat Rabbitte in 2013 and was due to be introduced next year. It was designed to cover all devices that access TV and radio.

THE Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) has warned that the practice of ‘docking’ dog tails is illegal and has called on people to report any incidents they may come across.

Actress and animal lover Caroline Morahan is fronting a new campaign by the ISPCA to highlight the problem. The ISPCA recently rescued 28 puppies that had their tails illegally docked at a horse fair in Co Galway.

One of those puppies is pictured (left) with ISPCA chief inspector Conor Dowling. For more details, visit www.ispca.ie.

High costs ‘blocking bids for citizenship’ LOBBY groups for immigrants want to cut the cost and red tape which they claim are barriers to people becoming Irish citizens.

The Irish Immigrant Council and Nasc, the Irish Immigrant Support Centre, are calling on the Government to review the €175 application fee and €950 charge for a certificate, saying the two fees cause great difficulty for families with multiple applications.

Man, 90, injured in city car accident GARDAÍ are investigating the circumstances of a road traffic accident which left an elderly man with severe injuries.

The incident happened on Manor Street, in the Stoneybatter area of north Dublin, at around 9.20am yesterday. A 90-year-old was badly injured when he was struck by a vehicle. He was taken by ambulance to the Mater Hospital where his condition is serious.

Irish Water meter costs ‘€100m over budget’

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THE cost of the Irish Water meter programme was underestimated by more than €100million, it has been revealed.

A breakdown of figures, obtained

by RTÉ’s This Week programme, showed the cost of metering around the country was supposed to come to precisely €431.56million.

The figure is €107million lower than the final sum of €539million, which was eventually provided to the Department of Environment.

In a statement, Bord Gáis, now known as Ervia, said: ‘With capital projects of this scale, such changes between initial estimates and final

by LukE HOLOHAn contract costs are common, particularly when there is no comparable precedent. The final budget figure reflects the outcome of the detailed scoping of the project.’

Fianna Fáil wants a full investigation Sinn Féin has demanded the Government explain the jump in metering costs. Its environment spokesman Brian Stanley said: ‘The Government is not producing

figures to account for this huge increase in expenditure.

‘This is taxpayers’ money that is being wasted here – this lack of accountability is unacceptable. It is as if the Government has simply given a blank cheque to Irish Water.’

Fianna Fáil, meanwhile, is calling for a ‘full-scale investigation’ into the costs. Its environment spokesman Barry Cowen said: ‘The fact that installation costs have been revised upwards by over €100m is quite staggering. It reinforces the fact that the Government has failed to take control of the project from day one.’

Shipping container ‘housing solution’

CHANGING the way we perceive the modern home, Ireland’s first fully-compliant shipping container house is to be built this week.

The initiative will see a rusty 3.7sqm container, once used for transporting goods, refurbished into a family home. St Vincent de Paul is set to benefit from the bespoke abode, and it’s hoped a family in need can take up residence in the cutting-edge property before Christmas.

More than 60 professionals and trades people have completed thousands of hours of work in honing electrics, interior design and plumbing to make sure the container is state of the art.

Carol Tallon, one of the innovators behind the project, said: ‘A low-cost model of housing was inevitable after the property market crash, and this container project shows that there are new housing solutions available to accommodate different lifestyle choices for Irish people.’

Albert Perris of St Vincent de Paul said: ‘We are delighted to be part of this exciting and innovative project.’

Meanwhile, one of the country’s leading homelessness campaigners has said that the Government could stop families becoming homeless at the stroke of a pen by allowing welfare payments

keep pace with rocketing rents.

Sr Stanislaus Kennedy, of Focus Ireland, said 800 children and their families were made homeless in the first ten months of this year, with 45 families losing their homes in Dublin alone last month.

Pointing to soaring rents as the main problem, particularly Focus Ireland worker Rachel Murphy and son in the capital, the Billy launch its campaign charity founder said the Coalition was simply not doing enough to help people cope with the accommodation crisis.

‘The Government has voiced concern on the issue but the simple truth is it could stop more families and single people losing their homes tomorrow with the stroke of a pen by raising rent supplement to match market rents,’ she said. ‘They have taken some action which has helped some families which is welcome, but not enough is being done at all.’

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Monday, November 24, 2014 METRO HERALD

Irish tech breakthrough to make computers faster

IRISH scientists have developed a new solution to make computers and electronic devices faster and cheaper – by speeding up the way processors and memory chips ‘talk’ to each other.

The researchers from material science centre AMBER and the Department of Chemistry at Trinity College Dublin have developed a new ‘multi-level’ memory chip that increases the number of ‘bits’ stored in a single cell.

Replacing the existing single cells storing one bit of information with multi-level memory increases the

‘Scientists developed a new memory chip’ speed of communication by reducing the number of memory cells.

As processor speeds in devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones increase, a natural brake on the speed they can operate at exists due to the chemical properties of the wires connecting the processor and memory cells on the chip.

According to Professor John J Boland of AMBER, who led the team of researchers, processors and memory

By COn DOHERTy

use the ‘clunky’ language of binary code where information is stored as a series of 1s and 0s, reflecting the presence or absence of ‘charge’ at the memory location.

‘It takes time for the computer to access such a large number of cells and so the overall performance is impaired.

The new process reduces the number of cells required,’ Prof Boland said.

The new solution developed by AMBER, which is funded by Science Foundation Ireland, leads to a streamlined processing with fewer cells but with each having multiple memory levels.

Prof Boland said: ‘The discovery opens up a host of possibilities for the consumer leading to smaller, cheaper and faster electronics.

‘Having demonstrated six memory levels per cell, we believe the technology can be developed to display even more memory levels per cell.’

He added: ‘Further research will be focused on integrating this technology with existing industry fabrication capabilities, so that society can continue to reap the benefits with new and improved technology.’

Study leader Dr annette Erlangsen, from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the US, said: ‘We know that people who have attempted suicide are a high-risk population and that we need to help them. However, we did not know what would be effective in terms of treatment. ‘now we have evidence that psychosocial treatment – which provides support, not medication – is able to prevent suicide in a group at high risk of dying by suicide.’

BA jet twice diverted to Shannon A British AirwAys plane is being checked over after its crew twice had to make unscheduled landings in three days.

On each occasion, the Boeing 777 had to touch down at shannon Airport due to what BA described as ‘technical issues’. in the first incident on Friday, the plane was flying from heathrow to Boston when it put down at shannon.

After being checked over, the plane carried on to Boston. the same aircraft, with 220 passengers aboard, left seattle on saturday night heading for heathrow when it again had to divert to shannon where it landed at 10.30am yesterday.

Michael’s on property Fass track

Talking reduces suicide risk Talking therapy can prevent people bent on suicide from stepping over the brink, a new study has found.

Six to ten counselling sessions reduced suicide deaths by more than a quarter in a group of Danish men and women who had already tried to kill themselves.

Five years after the course of treatment ended, there were 26 per cent fewer suicides among those who had undergone therapy compared with those who had not.

Santa’s little helpers 2FM’s Nicky Byrne and Jenny Greene were on form as they launched the Give a Gift appeal for St Vincent de Paul in association with Aldi

it lOOks like hollywood star Michael Fassbender may be dipping his toe into the irish property business after his dad snapped up a commercial building in Cork on his famous son’s behalf for €1.4million. the Oscar-nominated actor’s German dad, Josef Fassbender, was the successful bidder at a recent Allsop space auction for the property in the heart of Cork’s business district. the Fassbenders should see a healthy return on their investment as the building at 57, 58 and 59 south Mall returns a total annual rental income from five tenants of €151,700, according to the sunday Business Post.

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METRO HERALD Monday, November 24, 2014 D

60 seconds Hollande had me DAvE BAuTisTA, 45, is an actor and former wrestler, who appeared in Riddick and guardians Of the galaxy. When he is not acting, he loves being out on his bike

Did you fancy a Hollywood career even when you were thriving in WWE? No. I didn’t

aspire to be an actor at all. I did a cameo, in a film called Wrong Side Of Town. I did it as a favour to a friend and because I’d done a little bit of stuff in WWE I thought it was going to be easy. But when I went to shoot the scene I realised how f***ing awful I was at acting.

I was feeling embarrassed.

Everything I said felt false and fake. I was so insecure about it but that made me want to be a better actor.

You broke down when you got cast as Drax in Guardians Of The Galaxy. Tell us why exactly. I was trying to pursue

getty

put me into a group home. I started working out there as they had weights and I really got serious about it. I discovered that it made me feel positive. I felt a sense of relief. It was like my therapy. I stuck with it and still, today, it is just something I do.

Everybody else gets up in the morning and puts on their clothes.

I get up in the morning thinking: ‘What am I going to workout on today?’ It has become my therapy, my sanctuary.

You tried mixed martial arts fighting after WWE but just the one fight. Why? Because I

trained for three months and really busted my ass and I didn’t make one dime from that fight. And at my age, I can’t afford to take three months and not work and not come acting when I was with WWE and out with anything. Also, I lost face they wouldn’t let me. So that’s in that fight because I couldn’t why I left WWE. It was a huge have come out from it in a winning gamble. It’s why I broke down situation. If I had a bad when I got the role on performance then Guardians Of The people would s*** Galaxy – because I all over me. But had finally made it I broke down in tears then if I and it hit me that had a great I had made the when I got cast in performance, right choice.

Guardians Of The they’re like: ‘Well, he fought Having Galaxy – I had finally a fat guy.’

So it worked with made it was really a noVin Diesel on win situation for me.

drugged, says the jilted ‘Rottweiler’

FRANÇOIS HOLLANDE tried to force his heartbroken girlfriend to take tranquilisers after revelations of his affair with an actress, she claimed yesterday.

The French president (pictured) allegedly told Valérie Trierweiler to increase her dose of sleeping pills so she would remain in hospital and out of his way.

With the English version of her kiss-and-tell account of their sevenyear relationship out this week, Miss Trierweiler spoke to the BBC about the night her world fell apart.

Asked by Newsnight’s Kirsty Wark about the drugs, she said: ‘I only know that he told me to take the medicines the next day and they were a higher dose than usual.’

However, the 49-year-old

by TiM MOyniHAn denied on The Andrew Marr Show yesterday that she was thwarted in a suicide attempt after learning of the fling with Julie Gayet, when Mr Hollande snatched a bag of pills from her.

‘I just wanted to go to sleep. I didn’t want to go through those moments, to see the photos, to face up to this new reality,’ she said. ‘I still haven’t seen all of them. I can’t look at them.’

As for her motives in penning Thank You For This Moment, Ms Trierweiler said: ‘I started writing it before knowing that it was going to become a book. For me writing is therapy.

‘It’s not a personal attack at all, it is the story of our relationship – there are good moments and bad moments I describe in it.’

Panic at Charing Cross over train fire

“

Riddick and Guardians, is he a bit of a diva? I heard that he

was high maintenance and I was a little bit worried when we did Riddick because it was right after Fast Five with The Rock [Dwayne Johnson] and I’d heard that their egos had clashed. I thought he might take it out on me. But I thank him a lot because Riddick helped me to get Guardians and Vin was always gracious to me. He is definitely not your normal, everyday guy but I never felt his ego.

What inspired your move into bodybuilding when you were a young man? When I

was younger, I was getting into so much trouble yet I wasn’t really a bad kid. I was an internalised person, an introvert, for sure. I bottled things up and I just didn’t have anywhere to channel it, and often it went into acting out on the streets and getting into fights.

Finally, I channelled all that into the gym.

Were you getting into a lot of fights at that time in your life? All the time, and the judge

That fat guy got a good shot in, though… It

really dazed me for a bit. If you get hit by a guy who is 200 pounds, it’s going to hurt and he caught me right on the chin. While I was trying to recover, he hit me again right on the chin. I was just trying to go through the motions until my head cleared up. I kept thinking: ‘When my head clears up, I’ll kick this guy’s ass!’

On a lighter note, you’ve apparently caught the cycling bug during your time living in the UK. Yes, I fell in love with cycling while I was in London. It was how I got around the place mainly. I was too afraid to drive there so I went along to the local bike store where I was and I fell in love with cycling.

So that is what I do mainly when I’m home in Florida now. I spend most of my days cycling these days.

Will Lawrence

Guardians Of The Galaxy is out today on DVD and Blu-ray.

Fierce flames: An orange glow fills the air behind the ticket barriers and (inset) firefighters gather outside Charing Cross station PictuRe: ePa

PASSENGERS fled one of London’s busiest rail stations after a fire broke out on a train yesterday. People running from the flames ed a bomb had gone off feared w heard and as bangs were thick black smoke billowed through Charing Cross.

Eileen Harris was sitting ting on the stationary train with son Daniel, 26, when the blaze started in a front carriage. iage. The T 60-year-old -y said: ‘Where the fire was, there weree big bangs and pops and flashes. And the smoke – the smoke was the worst thing.’ The fire in a carriage is thought to have been caused by an electrical fault. British Transport Police said there were no suspicious circumstances and no injuries were reported.

Bronze Age dagger Brainless Barbie book was bound for skip gets a viral makeover A BRONZE Age dagger, likened to a prop from Game Of Thrones, has a new home – after being used as a doorstop. The 3,500-year-old Rudham Dirk was dug up in 2002 in Norfolk, UK, but the finder didn’t realise he had come across an historic relic – and used it to prop open a door. In fact, he almost threw it in a skip.

Meanwhile, a medieval seal that belonged to Robert the Bruce has emerged for sale after going missing for more than 200 years. The Scots king commissioned the brass seal in 1322. It was lost in the early 1800s and came to light in a private collection. It’s expected to fetch €180,000.

A CAMPAIGN to right the ‘sexist’ wrongs of a Barbie book, I Can Be A Computer Engineer, has gone viral.

The book, first published in 2010, was intended to push Barbie beyond the original concept of the blonde girly-girl. Instead, it seems to have preserved gender stereotypes, with Barbie relying on the help of her male friends.

One patronising passage reads: ‘I’m only creating the design ideas,’ says Barbie, laughing. ‘I’ll need Steven and Brian’s help to turn it into a real game.’

Now a twitter hashtag – #FeministHackerBarbie -has hundreds of people online rewriting excerpts from the children’s book.

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Monday, November 24, 2014 METRO HERALD

METRO HERALD Monday, November 24, 2014

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Pixie: Skiing breaks the ice Guilty Pleasures’ Celebrity Of The Year nominee Pixie Lott tells Seamus Duff why she can’t wait to hit the slopes with her boyfriend

Not the end: Pixie says there are more albums to come in the new year

P

ixie Lott credits skiing for her family warming to lover oliver Chesire when he joined them on the slopes. ‘ollie really loves skiing, actually,’ the star told me in an exclusive chat. ‘the first time he went was with me and my family, when i first started going out with him. We signed him up to ski school so he was there with all the youngsters,’ she laughed.

‘We have been every year since we started going out.

He loves the sport now and he is the same standard as all of us – the average skier!’ the Strictly Come Dancing contestant is certainly not in the same league as violinst VanessaMae, who represented thailand in alpine skiing at the Sochi olympics this

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Chilling: Lott and Cheshire PiCTure: inSTaGram year. ‘to be honest, i am more into the whole après ski. it is a fun part of it,’ the All About tonight singer explained.

‘Me and my sister go up on the slope for a couple of hours and we have our chocolat chaud avec Baileys! that warms you up.’ the 23-year-old also revealed how the older she gets, the more cautious a skier she has become.

‘As i have gotten older i’ve gotten a bigger fear of heights. i still block it out and i go on the chair lifts and the gondolas and stuff,’ she revealed. ‘i am extremely cautious. So that’s why i could never do the slalom. i am not very high risk on the slopes. But i love ski season. it feels so Christmassy. i can’t wait,’ she said.

RLD

Pix

the release of st ever greate Pixie’s first oesn’t signal nd hits collectio music career, she r e h f o d n e more great the pe there are insists. ‘I ho in the future. It’s a nice e hits to com stmas before I start ri h C r fo g which I in th ext album, e n y m g in h t,’ sh finis xcited abou am super e ew album said. her n Pixie is Platinum out now.

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She could waltz her ictly way to victory on Str won’t t Pixie Come Dancing – bu time comes the start slacking when to leave the show.

I am going to be ‘I never know when be any week ld cou it as y ictl off Str cember 20. But between now and Des in my diary so ng thi er there are oth want there I’ll still be busy. I don’t release to p ga g to be a lon new music,’ she said.

Strictly stunning: Pixie does glam and casual PiCTureS: GeTTY/ BBC

the ss is pop prince d to rwar looking fo Christmas p her dressing u from boyfriend of p el ays h h it tree w hire. ‘I alw ee tr Oliver Ches four years y with the size of my in t go a bit crazne that’s too big to fi she and get o squeeze it inside,’ e to yl and I have decorating it. My st ll said. ‘I love or-all.’ At least 6ft ta is a free-f , can reach the Oliver, 26 r her. top fo

PIXIe LOtt has hinted she could record a duet with Justin Bieber. the singer struck up a friendship with the 20year-old while partying in Cannes and hopes their upcoming recording schedules will match up. ‘he is on another scale.

I think he is actually really talented,’ she said.

‘I think he might be starting on his new album at the same time as me.

So could we end up in the same studio at the same time? Maybe...’ she teased.

Lott wants producers from Jay Z’s Roc Nation company to create her fourth studio album.

Recalling singing for Jay Z at the tender age of 15 she said: ‘Apparently he was moving. he was into it. It was ages ago but I hope he would remember.’

talented: Lott is a Bieb fan

PiCTure: reuTerS

I’d love my Christmas song to rival Mariforahehr’s

h Carey a run PIXIe wants to give Maria tmas tune for her ris Ch a money after penning new album. e For Xmas to be as big She would love I Got Lov ‘Mariah’s song, All I as Carey’s festive classic. a song! It at Want For Christmas – wh year gle sin ry eve ve ssi ma is still til and will play every year unsays. t Lot ,’ ad de is way after she ney ‘She obviously has no mo ver ne ll wi problems, but she little have to worry. It’s a nice ing in!’ com p kee l wil t tha ck payche Carey festive spirit. Right: Mariah Wish list: Pixie gets into the

BIRD FLU? GIVE ME

trimmings: Pixie fears for turkey

CHICKEN

ChRIStMAS fan Pixie Lot t alarmed that thousands is of ducks are being slaughtered ov er fears – with the fear tha bird flu t it could spread to turkeys and aff ect Christmas dinners across the nation.

‘Will there be no turkeys Christmas? Really? Oh no for ! mean there won’t be en Does this ough turkeys?’ she frets. however, the UK pop sta then adds: ‘Do you know rlet actually? It’s not too bad. what, prefer chicken anyway. Because I So I’ll be all right.’

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Monday, November 24, 2014 METRO HERALD

m McBusted’s Matt:liI’fe t loving the qysuthie ings are looking

Host: Diaz presents Saturday Night Live in the US

t Willis sa MCBUSTED star Mat swapping hard partying for r te af nd ba up for the . fa so e th on id: ‘I’m nights er rehab patient sa The 31-year-old form k. I’ve just got a gym in my h kic currently on a healt boom.’

I’m up at 6am and s. lp he ich wh e m a quieter hous hi n ow sh ys have He said the McFly bo nd merged with Busted. ba side to life since the e cigars and snuggle up ok sm I d an e gi o added ‘Dou e City,’ said Willis, wh watching Sex And Thin Busted’s party days. ’ he ‘looked like s*** r Guitar is out now.

Ai e gl sin d’s te us cB M

Picture: NBc/ XPoSure

E I n n A s T E g z A I D T s E H c R E H f f O skIT t her CAMERON DIAZ le ng when her lki ta e th do cleavage her top during of t ou ll fe a br k blac e skit. a Saturday Night Liv hosting the US s wa ld -o ar The 42-ye e fourth time comedy show for th upcoming r and poked fun at he re she plays he w e, ni An of remake anage owner mean-spirited orph igan. nn Ha Miss Colleen ian Leslie Meanwhile, comed up orphan now gr Jones played a o saw als ow sh e Annie. Th s from ce musical performan k Ronson. ar M d an Bruno Mars be Annie is expected to th. on m released here next

: The Nights on the sofa

McBusted boys

simon’s my boss but sia’s the genius, says Labrinth

LABRINTH says he has learned more from songwriter Sia Furler than he has working with Simon Cowell.

The 25-year-old Londoner is signed to Cowell’s SyCo records but was left in awe of Sia, 38.

‘That girl is a genius,’ Lab gushed. ‘She’s an insane songwriter.’

Speaking to Guilty Pleasures after r last performing his new tune Jealous on The X Facto nds.’ seco in s song night, he added: ‘She can write

Angry: Katy Perry

Katy’s tirade over ‘perverted’ paps

KATY PERRY says she’ll decide when she flaunts her beach body after calling the Australian paparazzi ‘perverted old men’.

The 30-year-old labelled one of them a ‘true sicko’ for taking photos of her and her entourage while they were naked.

★

PALOMA FAITH is never one to hit a bum note – but she flashed her pert bottom while performing in the UK at the weekend. The 33-year-old shook her pompoms a little too vigorously.

It’s good to see she’s bounced back after her illness.

GATE THEATRE

It’s not Only The Young taking Bromley’s fancy

SELLING FAST – BOOK NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT

Singer admits to crush on bandmate’s mother

T

hey’re supposed to be squeaky clean – but Only The young singer Mikey Bromley fantasises about bandmate Betsy-Blue english’s ‘hot’ mother.

The 19-year-old from Carlisle jokingly confessed: ‘I was so upset because I only see Alison, who is Betsy’s mum, very rarely. every time she would come round I would make myself look as pretty as possible for her. ‘her cooking is awesome.

She makes the best curry. I reckon Alison fancies me. She’s not single, though. She’s got a long-term man. he’s a nice guy.’ Bromley, english, 18,

ing back: Mikey (thir t), Bouncing (third left), and Betsy-Blue (right), with the rest of Only The Young

along with Parisa Tarjomani, 20, and Charlie George, 17, were knocked out of The X Factor on Saturday after failing to secure enough public votes to go through to the next round. They are now ready to give the music business their best try.

‘We have been a band for two years before this and we are going to be a band for another 20,’ said George.

‘We are confident in ourselves to get a record deal and we will not stop working until we’ve got one.’

Adapted by Anne-Marie Casey TICKETS FROM €25 www.gatetheatre.ie / (01) 874 4045

10 METRO HERALD Monday, November 24, 2014

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police track down mother after newborn heard crying underground near a motorway

Baby in care after he is found down inside storm drain

by DANiEL BiNNS

A BABY is in a ‘serious but stable condition’ after being found at the bottom of a 2.5m storm drain.

The newborn was discovered by cyclists who heard his cries coming from the side of a motorway in Sydney Sydne yesterday morning.

They The lifted the heavy concrete lid off the drain and saw the infant wrapped in a hospital blanket at the bottom.

‘We ‘W actually thought it was some kitten or something like that,’ that, said cyclist David Otte. ‘It was wa only when someone went down do there and had a real good look at it that we could hear exactly ex what it was.’

Police took the child to hospital where he was treated for malnutrition and dehydration.

‘It was disturbing how the child was placed in the drain,’ said Insp David Lagats of Quakers Hill Police.

Found: The baby who was a drain (inset) picture: Ap

Olympic village METRO in Japan hit by 6.7 earthquake

Entombed: The drain where the boy was found in Quakers Hill, Sydney ‘We all thought the worst but the baby was still alive.’ The boy’s mother was traced after police checked hospital records and conducted door-todoor inquiries. She was taken in for questioning after a hospital check-up.

Police suspect the baby, believed to be two or three days old, was squeezed

through the drain’s narrow opening near the M7 road and dropped to the bottom. They did not say how long they thought the child had been down there.

Sydney has been dry for several days but heavy rain was forecast for last night.

world digest

Palestinian ‘killed looking for birds’

A MAGNITUDE 6.7 earthquake has destroyed at least 50 homes and injured some 41 people in Japan.

The hardest-hit area was the 1998 winter Olympic games venue of Hakuba.

At least 43 homes were destroyed there, and 17 people injured.

Seven more homes were lost in Otari, a village that lies to the north. No deaths have been confirmed so far. More than 20 people trapped under collapsed houses were rescued while 200 people from Hakuba and Otari were taken to shelters in the mountainous area.

Many other buildings are in various states of collapse.

Saturday night’s quake, at a depth of 1.8km, was followed by more than 60 aftershocks.

Firefighters and rescuers examine collapsed buildings in Hakuba Ap/Kyodo News

gAzA: A Palestinian searching for songbirds to sell at market was shot dead by Israeli soldiers, his family claim. Fadel Mohammed Halawa, 32, was killed yesterday near the Israeli border on the northern Gaza Strip – an area long designated as a ‘no-go’ zone for Palestinians. He is the first such fatality since the 50-day war which ended in August.

Pensioner attacked by naked student

Restaurant manager Ryo Nishino was in his cellar in Hakuba when it struck.

‘I’ve never experienced a quake that shook so hard,’ he said. ‘The sideways shaking was enormous’.

AMERicA: A student has been arrested after stripping naked in a ladies’ toilet, falling through a false ceiling and attacking an 84-year-old man at an airport. Cameron Shenk, 26, who is reportedly studying economics at Harvard, faces several charges including attempted murder and assaulting a person over 60 at Boston’s Logan Airport.

AMERicA: Volunteers clear snow in Buffalo, New York, after the historic 2.1m fall last week which killed 12 people picture: reuters

Putin could stay in office until 2024 RUSSiA: Vladimir Putin has not ruled out a fourth term as president. The 62-year-old (pictured) could stand again in 2018, which would extend his time in office until 2024. However, he said staying beyond that would be ‘detrimental to the country’.

and finally...

AMERicA: Forget scented candles – the answer to toilet smells is an electric fan in the seat that sucks up air and pushes it through a filter, says a Milwaukee firm.

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Monday, November 24, 2014 METRO HERALD

In-Sto re Now! With Lidl’s extended Deluxe range...

You have all the ingredients for a truly unforgettable Christmas feast!

Choose to live a little

11

12 METRO HERALD Monday, November 24, 2014

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Mailbox

Email: Twitter:

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

‘Mail’ to 53131* Facebook.com/ metroherald

Syria, Israel, thank yous, sorries and things going over heads...

B

oth Billy and Clancy Clearview seem to be searching for somewhere to point and say ‘they’re worse than Israel’.

Worldwide, there has been outrage, and the international community has condemned Bashar al-Assad, with the Arab League and the organisation of Islamic Cooperation suspending Syria’s membership, as well as the EU, and two UN proposals for sanctions on Syria which were vetoed

by China and Russia.

People are appalled by the situation in which 10,000 children were killed, just as they are furious at the disproportionate number of Palestinians killed in the ArabIsraeli conflict. For every 15 people killed in the conflict, 13 are Palestinian and two are Israeli. that’s a statistic we can’t ignore.

PMalone ■ Billy, who would you have us protest to re: Syria? their embassy? We’d have to get a boat if so because we don’t have one in Dublin. We do, however, have an Israeli

one to march to.

*Please include a name and location.

Texts cost €0.30 per message + standard network charges. SP. Oxygen8 Communications, 4th Floor, Malt House North, Grand Canal Quay, D2. Customer service number 0818286606

Quick pic MIST OPPORTUNITY: Cian Redmond sent us in this little reminder of last week’s amazing conditions that shrouded the whole city ty under a ghostly veil. We’re glad he did as our memory’s ‘a little foggy’! oggy See what we did there?

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

Niall

■ A Leavy, genuine apologies and I acknowledge my errors you pointed out. I regret any offence caused.

DM ■ I would like to thank Shay (who drives a black car with Co Laois licence plates) who assisted with a car emergency I had on the M50 on November 18.

I feel very guilty for not saying a proper thank you to you in person. the breakdown happened on the Dún Laoghaire stretch of the M50 almost at midnight on that November night. the technical assistance offered by my insurance was very inefficient. Shay was on his way to Naas and stopped, determined to find what was wrong with my car, fixed it, and offered to drive behind me almost all of the way to my destination in order to make sure that my car was back up and running oK. A big, big thank you, Shay.

Nadia ■ Dave, I think that one went over your head, you bossy hunk of a man...

Brian

gOOD On yA

yEH BIg RIDE

● Go raibh míle do Darren agus an cailín a chur glaoch ar an otharcharr nuair a thit mé ar an tsráid ar an taobh eile den Sráid na Canálach Móire. Tá m’aghaidh scriosta ach tá mo chroí lán.

Ursula ● Thanks to Pat, the legend from Skerries for handing my wallet in to Pearse St Station with all the money still in it. Cheers, man.

Damo

RAnDOM AcTS Of kInDnESS

TREnDIng

#IREvAUS

● Hope I’m not jinxing it but Ireland’s discipline has been superb. @GarethMakim ● Hang on Ireland! (ex-footballer) @Paulmcgrath5 ● This is phenomenal (Cian Healy) @ProperChurch

Win tickets to a special preview screening of

● To the wallaby on Saturday night on Leeson St. Your tears were so cute and I could see you were lonesome too. Why not hop over to me so I can help turn that frown upside down-under. It’s a long flight home but at least you have nicer weather.

Pocah

yOuR RuSH-HOuR cRuSH @metrohnews #metromailbox

● I love the respect shown at the end of a rugby game after killing each other for 80 minutes!

(Dubs star) @bernardbrogan ● Paul O’Concrete! #IREAUS #RUGBY

@Republic2fm

To be in with a chance to win simply answer this question:

On what date does Christmas fall?

To celebrate the release of the upcoming Christmas family film, Get Santa, on December 5th, we’ve teamed up with Warner Bros.

Pictures to offer you the chance to attend a special preview screening on Saturday 29th November at 11am in the Odeon Point Village.

A . December 24th B . December 25th C . December 26th

A 9-year old boy Tom (Kit Connor) finds Santa Claus (Jim Broadbent) in his garden shed after escaping the wreckage of his sleigh. It's just a few days before Christmas and his reindeer are running loose through the streets of London. Desperate to return to Lapland, and on the run from the police, Santa asks Tom and his dad Steve (Rafe Spall) for help.

Father and son must team up to save Christmas.

Text SANTA, followed by your answer A,B or C Your name, email, postal address to 53133 (textscost60c+standardnetworkcharge)

© 2014 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved

Terms & Conditions: Competition closes at Midday Friday November 28th 2014. The winners will be chosen at random from the entries received and notified by telephone or email.

Entrants must be over 15 years old. Usual Metro Herald rules apply. The Editor's decision is final. By entering this competition you agree to signup 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

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Monday, November 24, 2014 METRO HERALD

13

PLUS To-do list

Elizabeth Banks

What’s hot and what’s happening in the city, P17

The Hunger Games star talks funny women, fab fashion and what her latest plans are, P15

The Coronas

Terenure rockers’ fourth album their best yet, P14

TV tonight

Top picks for your on-thebox entertainment, P16

The Irish Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (IACP) will host a FREE Public talk on “Understanding the Suicidal Mind” Leading psychologist Dr Eoin Galavan will explain what happens in the Suicidal Mind and how we can understand the psychology behind suicide.

Suicide Free PublicTalk This Free Public Talk is open to the Public and Practitioners Everyone is welcome Venue: The Davenport Hotel, Merrion St., Dublin Date: Thursday 27 November 2014 Time: 7pm – 8:30pm

To Book your Free Place log on to www.iacp.ie Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

Promoting Safe and Effective Counselling & Psychotherapy To find a Counsellor / Psychotherapist in your area log on to www.iacp.ie

14 METRO HERALD Monday, November 24, 2014

music

D v1

features@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010

All-star Ferry back on song BRYAN FERRY

ONE DIRECTION

WO years after Ferry’s last album – a slightly baffling wheeze that featured instrumental trad jazz versions of old Roxy Music songs – Avonmore is something of a return to normality. It revisits the highgloss surfaces painted by Roxy Music in the late 1970s and, on first listen, nothing seems to be happening. Most of these songs are mid-tempo, minor-key grooves in a single chord. But the beauty is in the detail.

Ferry is backed by an incredibly expensive core band, featuring guitarists Johnny Marr and Nile Rodgers alongside Miles Davis bassist Marcus Miller.

Drummer Tara Ferry presumably came a bit cheaper, being one of Bryan’s sons who doesn’t carry knives, go fox-hunting or cause havoc in Parliament. Still, this impressive band helps each track dazzle like a beautifully cut diamond.

Marr’s coruscating jangle is most prominent on Soldier Of Fortune, which sounds a bit like a Smiths instrumental until Ferry starts singing. Mark Knopfler provides some lovely acoustic guitar flourishes to a ballad called Lost.

Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers plays some slap bass on the juddering, pulsating title track. And One Night Stand, an intricate funk groove, features an alto sax solo from Maceo Parker and a wall of sound knitted together from no fewer than nine guitarists. Right at the end come two cover versions – a wonderfully wobbly, Indo-tinged version of Sondheim’s Send In The Clowns and a ponderous, ambienthouse reading of Robert Palmer’s Johnny & Mary.

What’s particularly startling here is Ferry’s voice. He still sings like he’s yawning, taking a break from an M&S photo-shoot, but – aged 69 – his voice comes peppered with croaks, sighs, whispers and yelps. It’s aged like a fine wine, and his best album in more than 30 years slips down a treat. John Lewis

So much great pop music in recent years has been an exercise in sexually ambiguous, sugarsaturated sonic weirdness. Sadly, One Direction represent a retreat from such eccentricities.

Their fourth LP sees Harry, Niall and the other three, whose names we forget, drifting into dad-friendly AOR, with a series of hollering, fists-in-the-air, major-key rock anthems, most of them co-written with rather dreary producer Julian Bunetta. It’s only on the urgent, itchy bubblegum pop of No Control and the rockabilly stomp of Girl Almighty that we get any suggestion of how bloody amazing it must be to be 21 and the biggest pop stars on the planet. JL

AVONmORE (bmG) ★★★★✩

FOUR (SyCO/COlUmbiA) ★★✩✩✩

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AZEALIA BANKS

bROKE WiTH EXPENSiVE TASTE (AzEAliA bANKS/PROSPECT PARK) ★★★✩✩ The debut LP by NYC alt.rapper/singer Banks was scheduled for 2012, and doubts that it would ever appear intensified after she split from her record company earlier this year. But then last week it dropped without warning. Was it worth the wait? Mostly. It’s lean and has attitude, and, if less weird than might be hoped, it runs the gamut of contemporary beats music in a fresh way. ‘I try all the cultures,’ Banks says on Soda. Indeed she does, dipping into house, bass music, reggaeton, new wave, doo-wop, rave and UK garage, with Theophilus London and Lazy Jay doing guest turns. Sharon O’Connell

ALSOOUT… TV ON THE RADIO SEEDS ★★★★✩ Few bands equal TVOTR for joyful, experimental pop with a deep-soul core. Seeds is another sumptuous beauty, expressing doubts as well as love and hope, whether sourcing throwback R&B-pop (the righteous Right Now) or taking its cue from Danny Elfman soundtracks (the start of the darkly lustrous Ride). SO’C ARIEL PINK POM POM ★★★★✩ A 17-song set from the sonically loquacious LA native – and a welcome return from time spent on a more conventional pop path. Kim Fowley and Spiritualized’s Jason Pierce guest on this riot of prog rock, pop, glam metal, goth, psychedelia and punk. So silly, joyous, smart and heartfelt you want to applaud at the end. SO’C

Coronas’ evolution continues as new album eclipses earlier work The Coronas THE lONG WAy ★★★✩✩

Though ubiquitous on these shores, The Coronas’ brand of light indie-pop has yet to land in any meaningful way elsewhere.

This release – their fourth since the 2007 debut Heroes And Ghosts – might well be the one to change all that.

Opening with the bright pop shimmy of All The Others, it

immediately feels like a bigger, more polished creation. The production is bright and crisp, and well it should with notable hit-merchant Eliot James on board. Having worked with the likes of Two Door Cinema Club, Eliot has pedigree, and the Terenure four-piece are certainly not shy of taking a cue from some of their high-riding peers.

The driving riffs of lead single Just Like That channel The Kooks to wonderfully upbeat effect, but

it’s the insatiably funky Get Loose – which bears an unashamed likeness to The 1975 – that will be inescapable next summer.

Despite reverting to type with several romantically-inclined ballads there are clear signs of growing maturity here. The folky declarations and soothing harmonies of Tell Me Again are a world away from the juvenile first steps of San Diego Song. A definite progression.

Bryan O’Hanlon

Terenure boys: Fourth album is more polished

Hollywood’s funny woman Anna Smith meets Elizabeth Banks to talk comedy, her Hunger Games character Effie Trinket and what’s up next

‘i

bunker. She is rallied into action to LovE making people laugh. It’s addictive!’ says give wardrobe advice when Katniss Elizabeth Banks, probably (Jennifer Lawrence) agrees to be the face of the rebellion. the closest thing The ‘It’s been great to see a total Hunger Games: Mockingevolution for Effie over the course jay Part 1 has to comic relief. of the films,’ says Banks. ‘I love that ‘It’s so hard to consistently make she has the capacity for emotional people laugh and I am disappointed growth. I admire that she that critics don’t recognise that. admits that the old ways You get no awards. rds. It is so w are no good and is able difficult to makee a truly On Effie: to come to terms with funny, entertaining helping the rebellion movie. I feel that’s ‘It’s been gre a t despite the fact where my talent lies, f she to see her ev olution would prefer not to!’ in cultivating young and capacity And what did comedy as well.’ fo r emotional Banks make She may be a mak of her growth’ oscar-winning co-star, oscar cinematic queen of 24-year-old Jennifer laughs but when we 24-year Lawrence? ‘Her work meet to chat in a London w ethic and her attitude are hotel, Banks immediately things to be admired,’ she says. comes across as ambitious, The hardest part being in both the determined and someone who won’t Mockingjay Part 1 and 2 shoot for suffer fools gladly. While she Banks was the impact it had on her peppers her conversation with easy laughter, she’s in more serious mode life as a mum. ‘It was long,’ she explains. ‘So I commuted between when talking about her career.

LA and Atlanta to see my kids and Wearing a short white dress with preserve their life in LA.’ colourful detail and perfectly Banks is married to Max quaffed blonde hair, Banks looks Handelman, her college much younger than her 40 beau and father of her years. She’s on the phone children aged two and when I arrive but quickly three and born via apologises and answers surrogate. ‘It was a questions with womb issue for me,’ professionalism. she has revealed in We’re here to the past. ‘It’s a big talk about her leap, inviting this outrageously attired person to do this and flamboyant thing for you. our Hunger Games surrogate is character Effie extraordinary, Trinket, who for and she’s still this penultimate in our lives.’ instalment of the Handelman box-office was her cobehemoth is producer on horrified to be the college-set living with the Longtime love: Banks with musical rebels in an husband Max Handelman comedy Pitch underground

The eccentric: Effie Trinket is known to favour an outlandish costume change

Monday, November 24, 2014 METRO HERALD

GETTy

Life&Style cover story

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15

Elizabeth Banks on…

COMEDiC fiRsTs Since appearing in The 40-Year-OldVirgin in 2005, Banks’ star has risen dramatically, with parts in Role Models, Man On A Ledge and Pitch Perfect. ‘For me, The 40-Year-Old-Virgin was a total breakthrough in comedy. It heralded the advent of improvbased storytelling in a film and brought to the forefront all these amazing actors, including myself,’ she half-jokes in a fake luvvie voice. sTARTing OuT ‘When I was graduating, I wasn’t sure what to do with my life and I didn’t know any working actors so it felt like a total pipe dream. But the decision to go to drama school set me on the path to where I am today because it was committing to studying acting and taking it seriously.

‘When I graduated from drama school, I told myself I would give it two years to make money doing it. I luckily got a lot of commercials in my first year, so I paid off student loans, travelled to Europe and made money to get by.’

Perfect and new sequel, Pitch Perfect 2, which is Banks’ first feature as director. ‘It’s got more singing, more Fat Amy,’ she says, referencing the character from Bridesmaids, actress Rebel Wilson, who was a big hit in the first film.

Also in the pipeline is Magic Mike XXL, the follow-up to the malestripper drama starring Channing Tatum. ‘I play this Southern boss,’ she reveals. ‘When they call and say, “Do you want to shoot Magic Mike?” Why would I say no?’ she laughs, before adding frankly, ‘I’m just trying to play women that interest me. I would love to be doing more leading lady type roles but they are few and far between.’

The Hunger Games effect may change that but, in the meantime, fans keen for a slice of Banks need only go to her website that features videos in which she answers fan questions in a cheerfully snarky fashion on everything from ‘Does size matter?’ to ‘Did you f**k [sic] Seth Rogen?’ If your question is simply, ‘Is Elizabeth Banks Funny?’

– the answer is a resounding yes.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 is out in cinemas now

16 METRO HERALD Monday, November 24, 2014

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s ’ T H g i TOn

v T 0 1 p O T

2 The Walking Dead Sheriff Rick is back.

And so is his angst

1. The science squad RTÉ1, 8.30pm

In the latest instalment of RTÉ’s enjoyable science and technology magazine, Kathriona Devereux looks at the developments in stem cell research, Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin finds out about a new X-ray system and Jonathan McCrea goes on a date with a robot – we can’t wait to see how that turns out.

1 The Science Squad Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin examines the latest X-ray technology

2. The Walking Dead

Fox, 9pm They’ve been playing mind games with us Walking Deaders this season.

Where has Sheriff Rick disappeared to? Whole episodes go by without a single glimpse of Andrew Lincoln looking angsty. That’s just not on.

But he’s back tonight as the backstory stuff gives way to a groupsplitting rescue mission. Phew.

3 American Dad! Stan is given a murderous mission

by Patrick Stewart, no less

3. American Dad!

BBC3, 11.45pm Seth Macfarlane’s scurrilous cousin to Family Guy returns for a ninth series on BBC3 with a double bill enlivened by the stentorian tones of Patrick Stewart as Stan’s CIA boss.

He gives Stan a mission – kill a holiday resort’s activities officer.

We’ve all been there.

4. Abigail’s party

BBC4, 10pm Tomorrow night’s Imagine offers up a profile of great director Mike Leigh, so here’s a quick primer: one of the classic early works that made his name as a master chronicler of domestic life. Alison Steadman is ferociously hideous as Beverly, hostess of a suburban party filled with nibbles and marital breakdowns. It’s the stuff of nightmares.

5. posh people: inside Tatler

BBC2, 9pm It would be easy to take the royal mickey out of the plummy folk who earn an upper crust at Tatler, the glossy mag aimed at minted high society. To its credit, the first of this three-part, behind the front cover series takes a restrained approach, as if it doesn’t want to get up one’s nose. You can see why – these Tatler types don’t need any help in sending themselves up.

4

5 Posh People Tatler editor Kate Reardon is not afraid of sending herself up

Abigail’s Party Alison Steadman is in the mood for some entertaining

YOUR gUiDE TO THis EvEning’s EssEnTiAL viEWing 6. skint

C4, 9pm The makers of this look at life and modern hard times in the struggling port of Grimsby in the UK are at pains to distance themselves from the controversial Benefits Street.

Instead, it’s an honest look at the economic realities of life at the bottom end of the income scale – forget poverty porn and turning the likes of White Dee into reality TV stars, Skint aims to dig deeper and examine more.

7. Toast Of London

C4, 10.45pm Who is currently the second greatest exponent of acting in high winds? Why, none other than the luxuriantly tressed Steven Toast (Matt Berry), of course. So when number one Axel Jacklin comes a gale-force cropper, it looks like our actor chum has finally landed his big break. If only fate wasn’t so firmly fixed against him… cue blustery squalls of laughter.

8. i’m A Celebrity… get Me Out Of Here!

3e and UTV, 9pm They’ve been in there a week now and the cracks are starting to show amid the badinage and banter at camp. The early betting had it as a two-horse race between Jimmy Bullard and Melanie Sykes. We never argue with the bookies.

9. some girls BBC3, 10pm

Heading off for their first music festival is next on the rites of passage

list for the girls – but the newly engaged Viva is determined not to take drugs, have random sex or let slide her personal hygiene. Well, one out of three ain’t bad.

10. Today’s Film: The Exorcist

Sky Select, 12.15am This late-night screening of the 1973 film that made head-spinning and projectile-vomiting iconic for a generation still packs a devilworshipping punch. Max von Sydow and Linda Blair star.

Party ople People

going out Out and about in Dublin

Festive: Brian McFadden and Karen Koster at Tv3’s Toy Show at RDS on Friday

Star power: powe Aisling O’Loughlin at the launch of Share The Magic Christmas charity char drive driv in the Disney Store on Grafton Grafto St

Monday, November 24, 2014 METRO HERALD

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features@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010

HEaR RObERT PLAnT & THE sEnsATiOnAL sPAcE sHifTERs

Fresh from dates in the US and UK, leoninehaired legend Robert Plant arrives in Dublin with his band The Sensational Space Shifters to play tracks from the recently released Lullaby And The Ceaseless Roar LP. Tribal African beats underpin most songs from the new album, which leans on both the mystical, trance-like potential of the blues and its grittier, downdirty incarnation, as well as the Celtic folk tradition. Led Zeppelin die-hards can rest easy – Plant has been making sure tracks such as Whole Lotta Love and What Is And What Should Never Be also make their way into the mix.

Tonight, The Olympia Theatree,, 72 Dame St, D2, 7pm, €60.45. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.robertplant.com

YOUR DUBLIN

TO-DO LisT BOOk cATHy DAvEy & WE cuT cORnERs

P deliver at the Sponsorship g: An Post ing: enin Awarding even grassroots g away with best gr ridin week, l w ds last Awards y cycling Kell Se Sean The title for their sponsorship of ), James Post (An lan Whe ey Barn lef left) m team. (Fro Aileen and FM) ay (Tod n P Frank Dillo O’Reilly (WhPR), Mooney (An Post)

As its 25th anniversary celebrations near a close, Whelan’s has one last hurrah in store in the shape of this double headliner gig featuring acclaimed nu-gazy alt-rock duo We Cut Corners and the inimitable indie pop darling Cathy Davey who hasn’t played a full headline show in the capital in more than two years.

Dec 02, Whelan’s, 25 Wexford Street, D2, 8pm, €15. Tel: 1890 200 078. www.whelanslive.com

HEaR sEAn MAc ERLAinE

Best known for his work as one quarter of jazz collective This Is How We Fly, composer, producer and woodwind instrumentalist Sean Mac Erlaine launches his live album A Slender Song as part of The Little Museum’s Santa Rita concert series.

Wed, Little Museum of Dublin, 15 St Stephen’s Green, D2, 7pm, €15. www.littlemuseum.ie

Red alert: Mei Ling at the SoSueMe book launch at Lillies

Business lunch: Grainne Ross and Nicola Williams at the Upper Baggot Street Traders Association Christmas dinner in the Dylan

BRIaN McEvOY; PatRIck O’LEaRY; kIERaN HaRNEtt

17

HEaR LiTTLE DRAgOn

tRY DubLin AT WAR: 1914-1918

Under the aegis of History Ireland editor Tommy Graham, the National Library presen a lively debate presents tomorrow night as a host of historians and academics ponder what life was like in Dublin during the Great War Tomorrow, National Library Of Ireland, Kildare Street, D2, 7pm, free. Tel: (01) 603 0200. www.nli.ie

E fAiTH SEE DEfEnDERvinOefAwTH ard for new

Having won the George De ator Stuart Carolan has cre writing in 2005, Love/Hate emotionally-charged his tch Ca y. wa come a long The Faith, debut thriller Defender Of a farm on 6 which takes place in 198 r, where a straddling the borde find staunch Republican family ies alt loy their ‘Brits out’ when stretched to breaking point an be y the possibility that there ma head. ses its tra IRA itor in their midst rai Company. re eat Th t en Performed by Decad t Arts Centre, 39 Tomorrow until Sat, Projec €22. Tel: (01) 881 m, Essex Street East, D2, 8p e.ie ntr sce art 9613/4. www.project

Flying the flag for the Gothenburg indie scene – which has also produced José González – beguiling electro-pop outfit Little Dragon, fronted by Japanese/Swedish Yukimi Nagano, bring studiously cool electro pop to Dublin as part of a European tour.

Expect choice cuts from this year’s Namuba Rubberband LP, with synth-driven dancefloor fillers to dispel mid-week blues.

Tomorrow, Vicar Street, 58-59 Thomas Street D8, 8pm, €22 to €25.

Tel: 0818 719 300. www.vicarstreet.ie

18 METRO HERALD Monday, November 24, 2014

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Jobs&Courses Jobs

news@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010

Bullying hurts workers – and damages workplace Almost half of Irish workers say they have been bullied on the job. However, there are steps employers can take to root out this practice, writes David Kearns

E

mployment lawyers and they may consider leaving their and human resources position,’ said the employee rights’ consultants spend advisory group. countless hours at Although the impact of bullying conferences and on morale and productivity are conventions advising employers to clear, research shows that despite create workplace cultures in which their behaviour, bullies often get everyone is treated with respect. ahead as they regularly receive But this is easier said than done positive evaluations from when figures show that six out of supervisors because many firms ten employees believe they have actually benefit from bullying been bullied at work but were too behaviour. ‘the challenge in a workplace is frightened to report it.

It seems that many of us have that a lot of times, the same qualities traded the school yard for the that make aggressive, nasty bullies office as three out of four workers also make them quite good at their say they are aware of bullying in job,’ they said. their workplace.

‘If they’re high performers, great According to research conducted salespeople, major earners, that’s all by employment law consultancy the company’s looking at. And, so, peninsula Ireland, last year more the victim’s fighting an uphill battle than 40 per cent of to get the company to see past employees in Ireland that person’s performance.’ employers are under a claim to have been e r a s er bullied by their duty to take reasonable Employ uty to d manager, while steps to prevent under a ps to t s 62 per cent said bullying in the e tak e llying u b they had felt workplace, and are t n preve lace p k intimidated in required by law to r o w in the t act on work due to the act upon any complaints s u m and actions of another that are made about ints compla employee. bullying.

A Code of practice should And if you think bullying is not be standard for any firm, as happening in your organisation, should be ensuring that everyone in think again. It can take many the company knows its policies. this code is of interest to different forms and may include social exclusion and isolation; employees and employers as it sets damaging someone’s reputation by out guidance notes for effectively gossip or rumours; intimidation; addressing bullying in the aggressive or obscene language; and workplace. one way to address bullying is repeated requests with impossible tasks or targets. through a reporting process that Why employees bully other offers anonymity for victims. employees is a matter of much Complaining can be very dangerous debate, but studies have shown that in a work environment where a common trends have emerged that bully has formal power, insists include employees working in Workplace Relations, and many uninspiring jobs, tempting targets of bullying view the key to destructive behaviour as a source survival ‘as simply staying out of of stimulation, and individuals the way – a solution which can stunt getting stressed out by heavy motivation, performance, job workloads using bullying to cope satisfaction and result in fewer with their frustrations. opportunities for advancement.’

According to Workplace Relations, ‘What’s important is talking to while bullying is common it is still someone it’s safe to tell,’ the group often overlooked as it has only says. ‘Having someone ask recently begun to emerge as a questions and simply listen helps hot-button issue as more and more you form a coherent story. companies are recognising the ‘After you’ve done that, it’s a good negative implications of bullying on idea to find and keep any productivity and team morale. documentation you can: make a ‘targets of bullying often feel log of instances as they happen, anxious and stressed, they have save emails, and get co-workers to lower self-esteem, less self-efficacy, back you up.’

Work hell: Bullying can take the form of social exclusion and isolation, damaging someone’s reputation or gossip

D V1

ASIDE from getting a new job, putting an end to bullying can be tough because every work situation is different. But there are a few things you can do to help you deal with the situation 1. Do not blame yourself – this will only make you feel worse.

2. Keep a written record of events, such as emails, phone calls, and notes, as evidence of bullying.

3. Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself.

Speak to the perpetrator early and see if things can be resolved.

4. If the bullying persists, identify whether your organisation has a grievance policy and report the problem to a relevant individual.

Employers have a duty to protect their employees in the workplace.

5. Discuss it with your support network inside and outside of work.

Speaking about bullying can do a lot to improve one’s self-esteem and help put what is happening in perspective.

Monday, November 24, 2014 METRO HERALD

I was so low after finishing Class of ’14 work I’d go home and weep Case study: Mary* tells how her bullying experience affected her.

ONE of my first ‘real jobs’ was a paid internship in a company of about 50 people. I was working in a team of eight who all shared the same status within the firm, but one of my colleagues appointed himself my mentor.

Initially I was delighted – he seemed very friendly and encouraging and on the Friday of my first week, when he invited me to go for a pint after work, I was thrilled. I didn’t envision any romantic entanglement, but he did, apparently, and seemed put out when I rebuffed his attempt to kiss me, before fleeing for a bus.

For the next six months my working life was hell. He became relentlessly critical – he attacked my work on a microscopic level, constantly calling me over to his screen to show me what I had done wrong. He refused to interact with me normally, speaking too low for me to hear him and refusing to make eye contact. He would hedge me out of group conversations, and shut me down when I offered opinions.

The result was that I dreaded getting up for work in the morning. I’d consider myself a

positive person but I felt down, and at the end of the day, aged 22, I would go home and weep.

However, my eyes opened when two other team members pulled me aside one day to ask if I was okay, and told me not to mind my colleague. They said: ‘We don’t want to think anyone is getting bullied around here.’

It was only then that it occurred to me his behaviour was unacceptable. However, I was an intern hoping to be employed and he was family of a high-powered executive within the company, so I decided not to ‘gain a name for myself’ and pursued an informal bullying complaint rather than a formal one.

We had a meeting with HR, where he disagreed with my view of the situation, but agreed to try to be nicer. There was supposed to be a follow-up, which never happened, and I was finally moved to a different section, where I was stunned to be told by my new supervisor that I had a great aptitude for the job.

Nowadays, I see him moving up in the industry and wonder if I should have pursued a formal complaint. I worry for the staff he now has working for him. *Name has been changed

Proud moment: Tiego Phetla, of Portobello Institute, gets the Sports Student of the Year award, watched by a colleague Red letter day: Lauren Smith, who was conferred with BSc in Business and Management from DIT at St Patrick’s Cathedral pIcture: jason clarke photography

Award: Georgina Heffernan earned a Diploma in PR from the Public Relations Institute

CAO Open Evening Tuesday 25th November 2014 5pm - 7pm

Thinking about applying for a course through the CAO? Then why not come along to our Open Evening?

Our staff will be on hand to offer you expert advice on course options, student supports and fees & grants.

Plus, it’s a chance to see the state of the art facilities on our campus and get a feel of what student life is like at ITB. This event is FREE and open to all.

itbdublin

www.itb.ie info@itb.ie 01 885 1530

19

puzzles

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METROSCOPE

by Patrick Arundell

NEMI by Lise

Aries Mar 21 – Apr 20

The sun sweeps into a right angle with Neptune. Last month Neptune was a great influence as the sun moved through Scorpio, but this angle is more challenging. Things you would normally take no notice of can get under your skin.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 70

Taurus Apr 21 – May 21

You might like to think well of all the people in your social circle. But if someone’s sincerity or lack of it starts to impact on your peace of mind, do take the steps to protect yourself.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 71

Gemini May 22 – Jun 21

Your great talent is for expressing ideas. And the need to be crisp and precise in the way you get your views across is going to become even more important now. This will be especially so where you interact with influencers.

METROKU Easy, Moderate and Challenging

For your forecast, call 15609 114 72

cancer Jun 22 – Jul 23

Don’t try too hard. As much as you may want to extend a helping hand, consider that someone might need to learn from their own experiences. Yes, it is good to be protective, but also give people the space to make their own mistakes.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 73

Leo Jul 24 – Aug 23

You can be so creative at this time, be it how you entertain your kids, if you have them, to the Christmas gifts that you make or buy. Yet around all matters of speculation, this is perhaps not the best of times to take a punt.

PEARLs BEFORE swINE

For your forecast, call 15609 114 74

Virgo Aug 24 – Sep 23

This whole week may be one of some uncertainty, but there are things you can learn from. The ways in which you react to people or process information is at the root of this.

Events can ask you to be more flexible in your responses.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 75

Libra Sep 24 – Oct 23

For your forecast, call 15609 114 76

scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22

Someone you like, perhaps even love, may prove to be needy this week.

And you may find yourself offering a considerable shoulder for them to lean upon. But it is important to be clear about just what help you will or will not give.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 77

sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21

The moon begins today in your sign.

This is ongoing encouragement to demonstrate your flair. While some may give you bright feedback, another, perhaps closer person, could prove to be a wet blanket.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 78

capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 20

Your imagination can be exceptionally strong today. In fact, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the last few nights has coincided with some powerful dreams, with more in prospect today. The trick however, will be to avoid reading too much into certain situations.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 79

Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19

While as a rule, you see life’s big picture exceptionally well, subtle but powerful energies are set to affect you now, ones which can easily see you lose sight of the financial realities, and especially where a longheld hope is concerned.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 80

Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20

Your co-ruler has consistently been to the fore and so it is again now, as she angles sharply to both the sun and Venus. This suggests that your worldly aspirations will be highlighted. Yet do ensure that no one can doubt your intentions.

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 1 9 10 11 12 13 15 18 20 22 23 24

In vogue (11) Full of holes (7) Bizarre (5) Sudden fright (5) Schoolmaster (7) Tidily (6) Standing (6) Ignorant (7) Don (3,2) Tendency (5) Bishopric (7) Rule (11)

DOWN 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 14 16 17 19 21

Append (3,2) Spiral (7) Singularity (6) Smell (5) Shoe-fastening (7) Nearness (11) Stood for (11) Non-professional (7) Hurricane (7) Infrequently (6) Helped (5) Handle (5)

Solutions to previous puzzle: Across: 1 Continue; 5 Tsar; 9 Stun; 10 Distress; 11 Comic; 12 Twinkle; 13 Pronouncement; 18 Restrain; 19 Sage; 20 Treason; 21 Rivet; 22 Seem; 23 Alienate. Down: 2 Outdoor; 3 Tension; 4 Unintentional; 6 Speckle; 7 Respect; 8 Strike; 13 Pirates; 14 Obscene; 15 Onrush; 16 Mission; 17 Neglect.

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

ACROSS

ENIGMA French idea: small café where You eat outside and take the air.

Here, it’s something of a pain – You sit there in the wind and rain!

WHO AM I? An actress, I was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1945. I am the daughter of actress Maureen O’Sullivan. My films

include Rosemary’s Baby and The Purple Rose of Cairo.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? WHO... wrote Zorba the Greek?

WHAT... sort of creature is a grunt?

WHERE... is the smallest of the Greater Sunda Islands?

WHEN... did Hugh Capet become King of France?

QUIZ ANSWERS: ENIGMA: Bistro. WHO AM I? Mia Farrow. WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? Nikos Kazantzakis; A fish; Java; 987.

QUIcK cROsswORd

The pace of life is set to skyrocket

now, and if you like things to be fast moving and varied, you will be in your element. However, as your attention jumps around it would be easy to let a little detail miss your gaze.

SCRIBBLE BOX

20 METRO HERALD Monday, November 24, 2014

football

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Liverpool are sunk by another sel-out

premier league table

results

.....2 Arsenal ........................ 1 Man United ......... ..... 0 .........

Brom West ......2 ......... ......... ea Chels .......... 1 Crystal Palace..............3 Liverpool......... ........ 1 .........

Ham West ......2 .........

Everton ......... .......2 Hull............................... 1 Tottenham ......... ..... 0 ......... d erlan Sund 0 Leicester ..................... ........... 1 ......... sea Swan ....2 ......... .........

City Man ........ 0 Newcastle.................... 1 QPR .................. ...2 ......... ......... ey Burnl 1 . .........

Stoke ..................

LIVERPOOL crashed to a fourth successive defeat as their season went from bad to worse at struggling Crystal Palace.

Despite falling behind to a Rickie Lambertt goal after only two minutes, Neil Warnock’s men hit back to claim a deserved victory which lifts them out of the bottom three.

If Palace’s confidence was fragile, having failed to register a win since September, it did not show as striker Dwight Gayle levelled before the break.

Liverpool had suffered a late horror show at Selhurst Park last season, blowing a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 in a match which effectively ended their hopes of landing their first title since 1990.

It proved an unhappy hunting ground again thanks to two quickfire goals. In the 78th minute, Dejan Lovren was sold by Yannick Bolasie’s skill before the flying winger set up Joe Ledley for a tidy finish.

Mile Jedinak, back after suspension, then settled the contest four minutes later as he fired home a stunning free-kick.

The Reds have now lost six out of 12 league games and only twice before have they amassed fewer points at this stage of a Premier League season. That will not bother Warnock, who was delighted with Palace’s response to going behind.

pREMiER LEAguE crystal palace ........... 3 liverpool......................1

by John payne ‘The goal could have knocked the stuffing out of us,’ the 65-year-old said. ‘We said we wanted to play but got caught by a simple goal. You can score too early sometimes. But the way we played, constructed not kick and rush, we created some good chances and I’m disappointed we didn’t score more.

‘I think we’d have done that to most teams today. That’s just this league in general. If you take anyone lightly, you can get turned over.’

Liverpool could have few complaints and, having posed little threat to home keeper Julian Speroni, Brendan Rodgers’ men were left resorting to long balls.

‘We can cause any team in the league problems if we play,’ added Warnock.

‘We need to sort out clean sheets. Julian didn’t have too much to do today but we conceded early doors again.

‘One long ball and we ball-watched and were punished. I would love to get some clean sheets on board.’

Bruce: Jan’s act helped Spurs step on the Gas

HuLL Boss steve Bruce bemoaned Gaston Ramirez’s red card after losing to tottenham, blaming Jan Vertonghen for an overreaction and the officials for a lack of common sense. the tigers were 1-0 up after Jake Livermore scored against his former club but lost momentum when Ramirez saw red after lashing out at Vertonghen five minutes after the break.

Harry Kane levelled just after the hour mark, before Christian eriksen hit the winner in the 90th minute at the KC stadium yesterday.

pREMiER LEAguE

hull....................1 tottenham.....2

by simon Kay

Vertonghen, who had not been involved in the tussle that sent Ramirez to the floor, appeared to be an innocent party but Bruce disagreed ‘we talk about diving and allegedly cheating.

Vertonghen’s a big strapping, centre-back and he’s rolling around as if he’s been poleaxed and that can’t be healthy for

21

formula 1 abu dhabi

Mile-high club: Jedinak (left) celebrates Palace’s third with Brede Hangeland picture: epa

P W D L F A Pts 10 2 0 30 11 32 12 Chelsea 8 1 2 23 5 25 11 Southampton 7 3 2 24 13 24 12 Man City 5 4 3 19 15 19 12 Man Utd Newcastle 12 5 4 3 14 15 19 West Ham 12 5 3 4 20 16 18 12 5 3 4 16 13 18 Swansea 12 4 5 3 20 15 17 Arsenal 12 4 5 3 22 19 17 Everton Tottenham 12 5 2 5 16 17 17 12 4 3 5 13 15 15 Stoke 12 4 2 6 15 18 14 Liverpool West Brom 12 3 4 5 13 17 13 Sunderland 12 2 7 3 12 19 13 Crystal Palace 12 3 3 6 17 21 12 12 2 5 5 14 17 11 Hull Aston Villa 11 3 2 6 5 16 11 12 2 4 6 11 18 10 Leicester 12 2 4 6 8 20 10 Burnley 12 2 2 8 11 23 8 QPR

Monday, November 24, 2014 METRO HERALD

the league,’ said Bruce. ‘that’s the disappointing thing for me, because it is creeping in. Ramirez has shown what i would call petulance.

Vertonghen has a go which is

2 Number of Premier League points Hull City have managed to pick up from their last five matches there for everyone to see, provokes him, and he flicks out at him. ‘the letter of the law says it’s got to be violent conduct. But he has tapped him on the

backside. if that really, really takes him to the ground i can’t really understand that.’

Bruce also felt let down referee Craig Pawson and assistant Peter Kirkup, who saw the incident.

‘For me, the whole spectacle and the result was ruined because of that incident,’ Bruce added. ‘the big referees, the really top ones, have always got, even in my day, a common sense about them. ‘they realise these things happen.’ spurs boss Pochettino denied the sending off was the turning point.

Double champion: Lewis celebrates win

VicTOR HAMiLTOn HAiLs ‘gREATEsT DAy Of My LifE’ Lewis HamiLton soaked up the feeling of becoming a two-time Formula one world champion and declared it to be ‘the greatest day of my life’. it was some remark given Hamilton’s 2008 triumph was the culmination of everything he had worked for since the day when he was ten years old and he told former mcLaren team principal Ron Dennis he would one day drive for his team. But after taking the chequered flag in abu Dhabi, his 11th victory of a phenomenal second season with mercedes, all the emotion of a tough title fight with team-mate nico Rosberg came flooding to the surface. standing on the podium, with his family below following a surprise 11th hour visit, tears welled in Hamilton’s eyes. six years ago in Brazil, Hamilton won his maiden crown by the skin of his teeth, claiming the fifth position he needed with a move at the final corner on the last lap of the season-ending grand prix. on this occasion, the 29-year-old achieved the feat in the right way, with the victory.

‘In 2007 I was immature, today it was all different’ it was the kind of acclaim Hamilton missed out in Brazil, especially as virtually everyone at interlagos that day was rooting for Felipe massa, the home hero who won the race that day but was ultimately beaten in the championship. six years on, and in trying to express his feelings, Hamilton said: ‘i can’t really explain how much this means. it means even more than the first one. it feels like it’s the first time. this is the greatest day of my life, the greatest moment of my life.’ ‘it feels very surreal, like an out-of-body experience, like i’m back here (indicating behind him) watching this going on, that it’s not really happening.’ asked to explain the thoughts behind his sentiments, Hamilton added: ‘well, 2007 was a very bad experience. that year i was just immature. i didn’t have the knowledge i have now and i didn’t approach the race the same as i did today. so today is a whole different set of emotions for me.’

tackled by Alberto Lucchese and

22 METRO HERALD Monday, November 24, 2014

rugby leinster

rugby guinness autumn series

D

Making a dent: Lock Tom Denton bursting throuh a tackled by Alberto Lucchese and Ludovico Nitoglia picture: inpho

coach calls on team to cheika off soft image by sAM cOsTELLO

A DRAw in iTALy nOT ALL bAD nEws buT sTiLL MucH TO pOnDER fOR O’cOnnOR THE Leinster flight back from Italy must have given coach Matt O’Connor plenty of time to reflect on their draw with Treviso, but whether his mood had settled by the time they touched down In Dublin is hard to say.

The negatives probably outweigh the positives, and yet Leinster claimed three points which on another evening could have been five or it could have been two.

Jimmy Gopperth’s wayward drop goal was one of many chances squandered but the manner in which Leinster allowed Treviso into the game time and time again will really have irritated the coaches.

Travelling to Italy, all the provinces want to do is get in and get out with a win and forget all about it. The home grounds of Treviso and Zebre are terribly uninspiring and so too are their brands of rugby. But if you fail to control the game it will turn into a dogfight and that’s just what they allowed to happen at Stadio di Monigo yesterday.

Three of the four Treviso tries should have been stopped with poor defending, loss of control at the back of a scrum and a charge-down all handing easy five-pointers to the Italians. In fact, had the hosts not been so wasteful off the kicking tee they

17 the total number of points worth of kicks missed by both Jimmy Gopperth and Treviso’s Jayden Hayward. may have won this game with a few points to spare.

Still, the positives were plentiful. Dave Kearney looked like he has added some more beef to his upper body while retaining his agility and he took his try well. Bryan Byrne’s blockdown and finish was more evidence of his looserunning ability while Jack Conan is going to be knocking on the door for selection even when the internationals are back in camp.

However, Gopperth had a few miscues with his kicking out of hand and so far this season we have not seen as much zip in his play that we became accustomed to last year.

Again, it throws up the question about giving Ian Madigan a sustained run in the No.10 jersey, and knowing that Fergus McFadden and Dave Kearney are back in action it seems like an opportunity for the province to regain their groove in attack.

Ironically, yesterday’s game provided Leinster with their fourth try-scoring bonus point of the season – the most of any team in the Pro12.

Michael cheika has challenged australia to ‘harden up’ against england at Twickenham on Saturday to dispel any notion the Wallabies are a soft touch. australia’s frustrated head coach admitted ireland targeted his side’s perceived lack of physical threat in Saturday’s 26-23 defeat at the aviva Stadium.

The former leinster boss will not flinch from putting the Wallabies through the training wringer again this week, ahead of their final autumn Test. cheika believes the Wallabies have grown steadily grittier up front since he took the helm at the start of November, and challenged his players to prove it. ‘i think when ireland carried they thought they could outmuscle us a little bit more,’ said cheika.

‘It’s very disappointing to lose to them given the time I spent here’ ‘it’s up to us to harden up and shake off that image. i’m not sure why it’s there but we’ve been very physical in the last few weeks.

‘We’ve somehow got to shed that tag, and the tag that our scrum isn’t strong as well.

‘Our scrum was quite good on Saturday, but i don’t think we got the pay we deserved from that.’ australia out-scored ireland three tries to two, Nick Phipps claiming a brace and Bernard Foley also crossing.

Wings Simon Zebo and Tommy Bowe claimed ireland’s scores, with Johnny Sexton slotting 16 points with the boot. ireland held firm under increasing last-quarter pressure, edging to victory in a try-less second-half.

cheika admitted australia must add further steel to their silky backline touches in order to stand a chance of seeing off england in their final autumn Test. ‘i think we decided the game in that there were a couple of chances we didn’t finish off,’ said cheika. ‘it’s about keeping your composure. ‘it’s about believing in the shape for a little bit longer. ‘i thought Matt Toomua had a very, very good game and took a lot of yards against a defence that stood off him at points. ‘he makes key decisions as the second pivot, and we’ll need more of that (against england). ‘it’s hard to really like people then go out and smash them on Saturday, but that’s rugby, and it’s very disappointing to lose to them given the time i spent here (at leinster).

‘You want to beat them, because you like them and respect them, so it’s hard, but that’s the nature of rugby. ‘i know everyone was lying to me when they said good luck.

‘So it’s been mixed emotions but it’s really disappointing to lose this game.’ australia captain Michael hooper echoed cheika’s frustrations in admitting the Wallabies must sharpen up in the tight exchanges.

The openside flanker rejected any notion of proving points to anyone outside of the Wallabies’ camp, however.

‘We’re not trying to prove people wrong: we’re trying to prove to each other we can put in a physical performance in the pack,’ said hooper. ‘We’ve got to be consistently strong at the scrum, that’s the big aim.

‘Physically, we amped up there; we’re improving, but what we’re chasing is consistency.’

D

Monday, November 24, 2014 METRO HERALD 23

Best: ‘Takes a ruthless coach to win at this ruthless level’

by DANNY HOGAN

Towering performance: Devin Toner wins line-out ball for Ireland during Saturday’s thrilling 26-23 victory over Australia in Dublin’s Aviva Stadium picture: ap

Joe SCHmIDT’S ‘ruthless’ selection policy has forced Ireland to shed mental weaknesses that were costing victories, according to Rory Best.

Hooker Best admitted Ireland may well have failed to close out Saturday’s 26-23 victory over Australia in previous campaigns.

The Ulster front-rower conceded Ireland suffered ‘mental switch-offs’ in a 32-15 defeat to Australia and the last-gasp 24-22 All Blacks loss in November 2013.

The unwell head coach Schmidt delayed medical treatment to guide Ireland to their first autumn Test series clean sweep for eight years on Saturday, before being rushed to hospital to have his appendix removed.

‘The pleasing thing, compared to where we were 12 months ago, is that mentally, we stayed in,’ said Best.

‘If you look at it 12 months ago we went mistake after mistake, mental switch-offs if you like, but this time round in a similar position, we didn’t.

‘But this year we stuck to our system, we came off the line, we hit and stuck, and we really put pressure on Australia.

‘Ultimately they were the ones under pressure at the end of the match because they were the ones who had to get points in some shape or form.

‘We put pressure on them, everyone stuck to their job and the big thing for us is that no one threw in the towel mentally.

‘There are a lot of great coaches out there, but Joe is certainly one of the best I’ve worked with.

‘He just expects a high level from you – and if you don’t toe the line and you don’t come up to his fairly tight standards then he finds someone else that will.

‘It’s ruthless, but that’s where you want to be. This is a ruthless level we’re playing at: we’re playing the best teams in the world, the best players in the world.

‘You go back to 12 months ago, you make one small error and you lose a game. ‘on Saturday, we didn’t and that is ingrained in us now that you stick to the system.

‘You trust the guy to your right and the guy to your left, and ulti-

mately we have systems and protocols in place that can win you games in tight situations.’

Former Leinster boss Schmidt gritted his teeth through suspected appendicitis to stay on hand and direct operations against Australia, before heading off for medical tests at full-time.

Doctors at the Aviva Stadium sent Schmidt to Dublin’s St Vincent’s Hospital, where his condition was confirmed and he underwent surgery to have his appendix removed.

‘The big thing is that no one threw in the towel mentally’ The ex-Clermont coach was recuperating yesterday following the successful operation, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) confirmed.

Ireland cemented their status as the number-three side in the world rankings on Saturday, backing up their 29-15 South Africa victory with another impressive result.

Simon Zebo and Tommy Bowe claimed the tries for the hosts, with Johnny Sexton slotting 16 points from the tee.

Australia outscored the home side three tries to two, with Nick Phipps claiming a brace and Bernard Foley also crossing.

The resolve of Schmidt’s men mirrored the tenac‘One of the ity of the boss himself best I’ve however, as Ireland worked fended off wave after with’: Best wave of late attacks on Schmidt while the Kiwi head (left) coach played down his illness.

Centre Robbie Henshaw admitted he ‘didn’t notice’ Schmidt was unwell in the build-up to Saturday’s autumn-closing Test.

‘Joe is an amazing coach and his attention to detail, as mentioned before, is unbelievable,’ said Henshaw. ‘He gets you in the frame of mind where you have to know everything inside out.

‘It’s paying off, his work. He spots weaknesses in teams or where there is space in between teams.

‘He expects us to rise to the occasion.

‘We knew during the week it was going to be a physical game and that they were going to be ramped up.

‘We knew ourselves that we had to get one back on them from last year and we did that, thankfully.

‘He didn’t make so much of being unwell at all.

I didn’t notice, he seemed pretty normal to me.’

SPoRt Lucky 13

24 METRO HERALD Monday, November 24, 2014

D

Palace make it four to the floor for Brendan Rodgers

rising star is guided by the wisdom of Bod

by DAnny HOgAn Brian O’DriscOll is pulling out all the stops to mentor robbie Henshaw through his bid to claim ireland’s vacant 13 shirt.

Former British and irish lions captain O’Driscoll anointed connacht battering ram Henshaw as his great successor on his retirement at the end of last season.

Henshaw held firm at outside centre as ireland edged out australia 26-23 in Dublin on saturday to complete their first autumn Test series clean sweep in eight years.

The 21-year-old midfielder then revealed ireland’s record caps holder O’Driscoll is doubling as a personal analysis coach to help him realise his rich potential.

‘Brian and i stay in contact by text and a couple of phone-calls here

‘I said to Brian: “Don’t leave me now!”’

Robbie rockin’: Henshaw says he is being schooled on the side by legendary predecessor O’Driscoll

and there,’ said Henshaw. ‘He gives me a couple of things to work on, he has a look and studies my games.

‘He is really helping me a lot and i have a lot of respect for him. He hasn’t been in camp, but he has been on the phone.

‘He has been studying the matches, having a look at them himself, giving me things to work on and telling me what i’m doing well. ‘i made sure to ask for him to keep helping me after last season. i kind of said to him: “Don’t leave me now!” i

pIcTure: Inpho

said: “Give me a dig-out when you go and help me to improve”.’ ireland boss Joe schmidt has yet to reveal his hand on exactly who will prove O’Driscoll’s long-term replacement, and Henshaw may ultimately wind up at inside centre.

Gordon D’arcy’s absence from the 29-15 victory over south africa led schmidt to pair direct outsidecentre rivals Henshaw and Jared Payne in midfield.

Henshaw’s physical presence helped ireland subdue the springboks, while Payne’s foot sprain ushered fit-again D’arcy back into action for saturday’s australia battle. schmidt can keep his midfield cards shielded until the six nations then, with Henshaw simply happy to be featuring. ‘i’m trying to grow into it now and keep improving,’ said Henshaw. ‘i’ll keep the head down and work away down in connacht, staying in touch with Joe (schmidt) and Brian (O’Driscoll) to try to improve my game. ‘no doubt Mils Muliaina will give me a hand at the club as well, as he played a little bit of 13. ‘i’ll have a nice team around me so i’ll just try to keep improving.

‘There are a lot of serious contenders so nothing’s settled: Darren cave had a good game for Ulster at the weekend and Jared Payne, as you saw against south africa, he was amazing there as well.

‘There is serious competition, which will only make me want to improve even more.’

Dogged Treviso do Italian Job on uneven Leinster

Jimmy GoPPeRth missed a last-minute drop goal as Leinster were held to a 24-24 draw in their Guinness Pro12 match against treviso yesterday. the italian side – still looking for their first win this year – held a 19-17 lead until the 67th minute when a try by darragh Fanning and a Gopperth conversion edged Leinster ahead. however, davide Giazzon levelled for treviso when he touched down in the 72nd before full-back Jayden hayward missed the conversion. it left the scores level, with Gopperth unable to kick the winning points at the death.

treviso.....24 leiNster.....24

Misfire: Outhalf Gopperth missed a last-gasp drop op goal to seal a victory in Italy Leinster claimed first blood when wing Fanning crossed for his first try of the afternoon in the third minute. Gopperth

missed the conversion and ten minutes later, treviso were ahead after hayward added the extras to Andrea Pratichetti’s try. dean Budd crossed for the italians’ second in the 25th minute, and even though hayward missed the conversion, treviso took a 12-5 lead. dave Kearney cut the gap soon after, though, with the visitors’ second try on a day where the fly-halves were struggling to find their range, with Gopperth again missing the extra two points. treviso left the field at half-time 12-10 ahead but their advantage did not last long in the second half as Bryan Byrne crossed just

after the break, with Gopperth this time on target. hayward missed a penalty but a try from flanker marco Barbini got the home side back level before the full-back edged them ahead with a successful conversion.

With the game evenly poised going into the final quarter, it was Fanning who swung the advantage back to Leinster. treviso came back, with Giazzon’s try but hayward’s inconsistent kicking came into play again when he missed the match-winning conversion in the 76th minute.

«see page 21

Warrior: Schmidt battles through the game on Saturday

Schmidt has appendix out after victory Joe Schmidt was rushed to hospital and had his appendix removed straight after ireland’s 26-23 victory over Australia in dublin on Saturday. ireland’s head coach delayed medical attention to guide his side to their first autumn test series clean sweep in eight years, before being rushed to St Vincent’s hospital. the former schoolteacher was admitted and underwent surgery on Saturday night and is now recuperating, the iRFU has confirmed.

‘Joe would like to thank the doctors and nurses of St Vincent’s hospital and everyone for their well wishes and kind messages of support,’ a statement by the iRFU read.

Former Leinster boss Schmidt kept his counsel over

‘He toughed out the day in true Joe style’ his illness on Saturday despite his condition apparently worsening throughout the day.

Simon Zebo and tommy Bowe claimed tries while Johnny Sexton booted 16 points to secure ireland’s seventh consecutive victory, Nick Phipps’ brace and a further score for Bernard Foley not enough for the Wallabies. ireland assistant coach Les Kiss said boss Schmidt had ‘toughed out the day’ in typically understated fashion. ‘he had some pretty bad stomach pains through the day,’ said Kiss. ‘he toughed out the day in true Joe style.’ ireland captain Paul o’connell said that without prior knowledge, no one would have realised Schmidt was battling a nasty illness.

‘Guys were aware he was sick, he was kind of stand-offish, he was worried about passing on anything he had,’ said o’connell. ‘if you hadn’t have been told, i don’t think anyone would have known.’

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Cheika’s woe – p22