Web: www.newsfour.ie = Email: newsfour@gmail.com = Local newsdesk phone: 01 667 3317 Serving Sandymount, Irishtown, Ringsend, Pearse Street, Docklands, Ballsbridge & Donnybrook
A HELPING HAND AT CHRISTMAS
services, which attracted good numbers. As a result, they decided to hold a similar event this year. Across Dublin, Barnardos – who have teamed up with parcel store GLS – are running their annual Toy Appeal. People are invited to donate new toys, stocking-fillers or items they think Children may like and drop them into their nearest GLS shop. The company will then deliver the toys to Barnardos centres. Team Hope, an Irish Christian mission, will run their annual Christmas Shoebox Appeal. The charity aims to deliver over 200,000 to Children in need in Africa and Europe. “Simply find an old shoebox, wrap it up with Christmas paper and fill it with gifts for a child,” says Niall Barry, the Executive Director of Team Hope. The Shoebox Appeal has delivered some 2.8 million boxes to children to date. For more information, visit: AbundantGrace.ie Barnardos.ie Teamhope.ie
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By Liam Cahill or many, Christmas isn’t all about tinsel and tiaras, some people find it difficult to afford a Christmas dinner or even toys for their little ones. One group is trying to put a stop to that. “We’re just aware that Christmas is not what the TV makes it out to be for many people. We have this warm, cosy, lights-twinkling idea of Christmas and for many families that’s not the case,” said Sharon Perry, the Pastor of Abundant Grace, a Christian
FREE
December 2013 / January 2014
IN YOUR BIG
CHRISTMAS NEWSFOUR
Page 7: Can wheatgrass extracts help in cancer treatment?
Page 8: Sean Moore Awards return. Above: Carmel Malone and Deputy Lord Mayor Andrew Montague in 2005
Left: A girl in Swaziland with her Team Hope shoebox. Below: Sergei with his Team Hope shoebox. mission based in Ringsend. For the past two years, Abundant Grace has been at the forefront of delivering help to those less well off, by offering Christmas Day dinner and delivering hampers across Dublin 4. This year’s dinner will take place in Restored, a small charity shop facing the Ringsend Library. “It’ll be food and fun,” said Sharon. “We’re there for a few hours, so people chat and spend some time together as you do with family at Christmas.” Last year was the first year Abundant Grace offered such
Page 14: Emer Guiney, (MABS) Roisin Ingle, Ann Ingle, Lorraine Waters (MABS) at the NewsFour website re-launch
Page 22: Donnybrook’s Heritage Garden brings great emotional benefits
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NewsFour Managing Editor Karen Keegan Editor Emma Dwyer Staff Liam Cahill Eric Hillis Rúairí Conneely Leeza Kane Donna Dunne Contributors Eric Murphy Róisín Ingle Jimmy Purdy David Nolan Kirstin Smith Jim O’Doherty Noel Twamley Gemma Byrne Felix O’Regan David Carroll Ken Casey Gay Byrne Design and Layout Eugene Carolan Web Designer/Ad Design Karen Madsen Photographer Ross Waldron (All photos by Ross Waldron unless otherwise stated) Sales and Advertising Trish Kelly Sandymount Community Services, RICC, Thorncastle Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4. Telephone: (01)6673317 E-mail: newsfour@gmail.com Website: www.newsfour.ie
NewsFour Newspaper is part of a DSP Community Employment Programme. Opinions expressed in NewsFour do not necessarily represent the views of Sandymount Community Services. Printed by Datascope Ltd, Wexford
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
The Editor’s Corner
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ou know it’s Christmas when Mr. Tilly turns on his lights on Bath Avenue. Every year he raises much needed funds for the Hospice and your support and donations are very much appreciated (pg 25). We’re all excirah and delirah to bring you our bumper Christmas issue of NewsFour which is packed full of festive cheer to feast your eyes on. We have been as busy as Santa’s elves this year with big changes and new, exciting developments at NewsFour. We finally, officially launched our brand new website www.newsfour.ie which is seeing more and more activity from all over the world as the days go by. This now means that if you miss your chance to get into the printed version of NewsFour we can publicise your event or stories online and share it through our Facebook and Twitter pages. Please have a gander and help us spread the word (pg 14). We will now be outsourcing the distribution of NewsFour. You may be one of the lucky people to receive NewsFour in your letterbox. The door-to-door drops will change every issue ensuring that NewsFour is spread around all of the communities in the Dublin 4 area. But don’t fret; you will also be able to pick up a copy from any of the following distribution points: St. Andrew’s Resource Centre - Pearse Street Pearse Street Library NewsFour office – Thorncastle Street, Ringsend The Fair Play Café – York Road, Ringsend Ringsend College – Cambridge Road, Ringsend Ferraris Chipper – Thorncastle Street, Ringsend Clynes Butchers – Fitzwilliam Street, Ringsend Ringsend Credit Union – Irishtown Road Irishtown Primary Care Centre Tesco – Sandymount Village AIB – Sandymount Village Post Office – Sandymount Village Donnybrook Fair – Morehampton Road, Donnybrook Royal Hospital Donnybrook Sandymount Credit Union- Bath Avenue Pembroke Library – Anglesea Road, Ballsbridge St. Mary’s Church – Haddington Road
I have been the Editor at NewsFour for three years. The time has come for me to pass the reins to Emma Dwyer. Don’t worry I’m not going anywhere. I’ll still be here managing the administration side of things while Emma works wonders as Editor and I think you’ll agree she has done a great job on this her first issue. She’ll now take you through what’s in it…
I am delighted to be editing a paper at the heart of community spirited Dublin 4. It’s nearly Christmas and in Dublin 4 that means time for charity. In this issue we have looked at Sandymount’s Christmas Market who are donating proceeds to Barnardos, Enable’s Christmas Shop on Sandymount Avenue (pg 3), Abundant Grace’s Christmas day dinner and those at Team Hope with their annual shoe box appeal for children in Africa and Europe (pg 1). RTÉ’s Rick O’Shea goes out for coffee with Liam and tells him how he got into radio (pg 12). Fifty years since his assassination, we look at the man behind the myth, Kennedy (pg 28). We ponder two local historical mysteries; the artillery shells discovered on Shelbourne Road (pg 16) and the Docklands Glass House (pg 15). There’s loads more, with culture and sports towards the back of the paper and don’t forget to send in your crosswords to win a voucher for Books on the Green.’ Wishing all our readers at home and abroad a lovely Christmas and a happy new year.
The Letterbox
Dear Editor, Just wanted to send a message to say how impressive the internet edition/website is and the favourable impression it provides about NewsFour. Congratulations to all involved with your paper and its development. (Ron Waddling, Canada, from April issue 2013) Dear Editor, I would like to say a big thank you to everybody for their kindness, mass cards, flowers and prayers during my illness. I would especially like to thank the 10 o’clock mass goers for all their prayers. Sincerely, Mary O’Toole Thompson Dear Editor, We are writing a book about the history of St. Brigid’s Primary School, Haddington Road, Ballsbridge and would be grateful for information, recollections, personal stories etc. If anyone can assist us please contact Mary @ 0872397518 or Moya @0872358921. St. Brigid’s Primary School Haddington Road Ballsbridge Dear editor, Marian College PPU in Conjunction with the Aviva Stadium are delighted to announce the 2nd annual hosting of the Christmas lunch on Friday 7th of December 2013. This will be held in the Aviva Stadium’s Dunlop Room from 12.30 pm. The cost is €50 per person. Could anyone interested contact me, Hugh O’Byrne on 01 6684036 or visit the website www.mariancollege.ie. Kind regards Hugh O’Byrne Dear Editor, We held a coffee morning/cake sale in aid of Pieta House, The Centre for the Prevention of Self-Harm and Suicide and raised €765. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all who baked, donated and supported this event which highlighted Suicide Awareness Week 2013. Many thanks Jennifer Betts and family
NEWSFOUR
AROUND THE WORLD
From Emma, Karen and all the staff at NewsFour.
Society of Saint Vincent De Paul Appeal The Christmas Church collection will take place of the Share Collection at all masses in the parish on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th December. Non-cash donations can also be free posted to Society of Saint Vincent De Paul, St. Mary’s Conference, Sandymount, Dublin 4. If you need assistance from the Society of Saint Vincent De Paul, call their head office in confidence on 01 8550022.
Branislav from Bratislava is pictured in Antwerp reading his NewsFour.
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
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ENABLE’S GARDEN CENTRE
Christmas Market donating proceeds to Barnardos
afterwards he asked Santa “Have you got any sweets for me?” Emma Felton introduced herself to NewsFour by saying “I am the real boss and not everybody knows that.” Well Emma, your secret is out now. Anybody heading down to the garden centre, you know who to go to if you need help. Emma led the way around the shop showing us the colourful decorations, ornaments, traditional gifts, the Enable Ireland 2014 calendar, the Enable Ireland Christmas cards and all the other Christmas decorations. She also
By Leeza Kane t the core of Christmas markets is crafts, bargain hunting, Christmas cheer and in Sandymount, charity. James Bailie of Christ Church in Sandymount says, “It’s a chance for people to come in and socialise, it’s local with local vendors.” Last week, the church ran a craft market and raised €1,500 for Christian Aid, to help people working with victims of the typhoon disaster in the Philippines. This year, all proceeds from the Christmas Market will be donated to Barnardos charity for children. At Sandymount Christmas Market you can enjoy the atmosphere with tea/coffee and cake, soup and bacon butties for just €2 each. On sale will be jam and chutneys, knitwear, children’s clothes, jewellery and Christmas gifts. Sandymount village and residents can also look forward to the Christmas lights being officially turned on at Sandymount Green on the 6th of December at 5.30pm, organised by SAMRA, Sandymount and Merrion Residents’ Association, Tidy towns, local traders and Dublin City Council. This fun event will be attended by special guest Santa and marks the beginning of the run-up to Christmas. Sandymount Christmas Market is being held at Christ Church on the 7th and 14th of December, 11am to 4pm. Admission is free.
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By Donna Dunne nable Ireland’s garden centre on Sandymount Avenue officially opened their Christmas shop on the 14th November. The Avenue Garden Centre is focused on providing horticulture training for adults with physical disabilities and is also open to the public. NewsFour spoke to co-ordinator Gráinne Magee about how the garden centre came about. “We started the garden centre years ago, it must have been about 12 years ago. It was never set up as a business but some of the service users wanted to grow seeds. When the parents and neighbours came to see what we were doing, they wanted to buy some, so that’s how it developed.” There are three service users receiving training in the garden centre at the moment; Emma Felton, Caroline Farrell and David O‘Reilly, who were anxiously waiting on Santa to cut the ribbon so that they could get back to work. Santa was lucky enough to have Oscar O’Reilly assist him in the opening of the Christmas shop and
pointed out that there are Christmas trees for sale in the Garden Centre this year. The garden centre seeks the help of the local community to get behind them and support their Christmas shop this year. All profits go back to Enable Ireland. Supporting Enable Ireland ensures that services like this centre are funded so that they can grow and build a future for users with physical disabilities. Pictured above: Santa and Oscar O’Reilly.
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NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
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By Eric Hillis v e r t h e l a s t y e a r, the Sandymount and Merrion Residents’ Association (SAMRA) have been campaigning against a proposed expansion of the Rings e n d Wa s t e Wa t e r Tr e a t ment Plant on Pigeon House Road. SAMRA secretary Sarah Staunton spoke to NewsFour and informed us of the negative effects the association feel this expansion will have on the area. She calls the proposed method a “Victorian solution to a 21st century problem” as it relies on practices developed over a century ago. Staunton explains to us the three levels of water treatment, “The primary level just takes out the sludge and leaves you with dirty water,” she says, “The secondary level, as proposed here, leaves you with water you wouldn’t drink as it contains phosphates and nitrates.” The tertiary level, which is employed in cities like London, New York and San Francisco, is
WHAT A WASTE
Staunton’s favoured method as “all impurities are removed, making the water drinkable.” Along with the effects on the ecology of the bay, SAMRA fears the expansion will cause major inconveniences in the area for several years with 24hour tunnel works disrupting locals’ enjoyment of the adjoining amenities,
including the nature park. SAMRA’s goal is to have Dublin City Council change their plan for an outdated secondary level treatment facility to the more modern tertiary method. They also believe the current plans
will see the Ringsend plant treating too much water for its capacity and therefore would like to see the workload shared with other plants in the Greater Dublin area. Since raising their objec-
tions, SAMRA have been engaged in several court hearings that have proved expensive. Over €20,000 has been spent to date by the group and that figure will continue to rise. To help with the costs, SAMRA have been holding various fundraising events in the locale. Just before going to press, NewsFour received the announcement that SAMRA had lost their court challenge, with Justice Peter Charleton ruling in favour of the plant extension, however he did acknowledge SAMRA’s objection was not frivolous and for this reason costs were not awarded against the residents’ group. SAMRA will now consider their options regarding any further action in this matter. To keep up to date with the campaign or to see how you can become involved, visit www.samra.ie
SOUTHSIDERS RECYCLE LESS
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By Liam Cahill outhsiders don’t re-cycle as much as Northsiders, according to a new survey. The survey, carried out by Greyhound, one of the largest waste distribution companies in the country, measured the weight of waste collected from bins across Dublin. After the percentage of weight was allocated, a statistic was assigned to each area. The numbers show that overall the Northside has a higher rate of recycling (27%) compared to us in Dublin 4 (23%). More specifically, People living in Dublin 3 – Clontarf, the North Strand, East Wall and Fairview – are the top users of the green bin, followed closely by Dublin 1 (28%) and Dublin 9 (27.8%) For the brown bin, which is overlooked by most people as a recycling device, Dublin 5 is at the top at (22.7%) Dublin 4 came in last at (19.9%). “ I t i s e x t r e m e l y i n t e r-
e s t i n g t o s e e t h e d i f f e rences in the recycling rates right across Dublin. L e t ’s h o p e a b i t o f t r a ditional Dublin rivalry will see postcodes south of the Liffey doing better when we repeat this study in three months,” s a i d M i c h a e l B u c k l e y, t h e Chief Executive for Greyhound Recycling. The study is somewhat surprising, considering most of Dublin 4 is served by both Tidy Town campaigns and a number of recycling facilities with bring centres in Ringsend
and Rathgar. According to Dublin City Council, Ringsend Recycling Centre has a high usage rate amongst the public with 10,500 people using it between January and October of 2013. “I am surprised at the figures,” said Labour Cllr. Dermot Lacey. “Overall I know that the principle of recycling is embedded more and more in everyone’s consciousness and that in itself is a good thing.” Pictured: Ringsend Recycling Centre is in demand.
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
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By Rúairí Conneely fter an exceptional s u m m e r, the nights have closed in ruthlessly and the word is this winter will be a brute. For local kids the evenings after school are still for playing, being out kicking a ball, or of course, riding their bikes, which is not without its dangers, as Fine Gael Councillor Paddy McCartan and Ringsend local Anthony Byrne are aware. For a European city of its size, Dublin is richly provisioned with drivers. According to the Office of Central Statistics, 4,248 new privately-owned cars were licensed and registered in the county as of July 2013. A core issue concerning the traffic levels in t h e c i t y i s s a f e t y. T h e Road Safety Authority (RSA) statistics for 2012 paints a relatively positive picture of road deaths in decline but the fact remains that 30% of
HIGH VISIBILITY KIDS
road deaths are persons under the age of 25. C l l r. P a d d y M c C a r t a n and Anthony Byrne, a resident of the George Reynolds flats in Irishtown, have collabo-
rated to raise awareness among the kids in the area of the dangers of recklessness on the r o a d s . “ Aw a r e n e s s r e ally is the key idea we want to emphasise to the
c h i l d r e n , ” C l l r. M c C a r tan explained, “Be safe, be seen, as the slogan goes.” Anthony assented, “I used to drive everywhere, now I cycle and
PAGE 5 I’m aware of the dangers myself.” To t h i s e n d , t h e c o u n cillor contacted the R o a d S a f e t y A u t h o r i t y, who donated 30 hi-visibility jackets to be distributed for free to the neighbourhood children. Even without safety helmets, visibility makes a huge difference. Concerning the need for helmets for the kids, Paddy explained that the RSA were not in a position to provide free headgear “but if this exercise works and the jackets catch on, we might seek out sponsorship by local businesses.”He requested that NewsFour readers who run local busimight contact nesses his office phone number 6609202 if they are interested in being sponsors. P i c t u re d ab o v e : L o c a l s C l a i re , C h r i s t i n e , A n thony and Paddy Mc Cartan with some of the l o c a l k i d s f ro m G e o rg e Reynolds House.
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By Leeza Kane he super typhoon in the Philippines saw most staff at Oxfam attempting to liaise with people on the ground when NewsFour visited them in their new Dublin 4 office. Sorcha Nic Mhathúna, Communication and Content Coordinator of Oxfam said, “the team there were trying to assess the damage. They saw children holding up signs saying ‘save me’ and ‘help me’, ‘we need water and food’ and we have been responding quickly to emergency appeal.” Due to the massive devastation, it has been difficult to access the areas which have been badly hit as roads are impassable. Oxfam have deployed their Rapid Assessment Teams to Samar, Leyte and Northern Cebu to provide water, food and emergency shelter. Ringsend is the new home to Oxfam’s head office since they moved from Burgh Quay last month. The staff find it a refreshing change from the city centre, in part helped by getting to know the nearby Fair Play Café, who donate their profits to charitable causes.
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
OXFAM MOVE INTO DUBLIN 4
Sorcha says of Oxfam’s practice in poverty-stricken countries, “To help people lift themselves out of poverty, the majority of our work is through local partners on the ground who can judge a particular problem. Local com-
munity is really important to how we work”. They campaign, respond to emergencies and engage in long term projects such as Food For All, which help farms improve techniques such as water irrigation and develop links with
local businesses and create cooperatives. Other projects include tack-
ling stigmas surrounding HIV and AIDS, providing access to medical care and empowering women (who are more likely to be poor), by developing women’s groups to help them speak up for themselves. With the recession here in Ireland and the rise in commercial second-hand shops, which pay for items, charities have seen a significant drop in donations to their shops. Oxfam have a book donation bank in Ringsend Recycling Centre. For jobs, keep an eye on their website as they are now recruiting fundraisers who can earn up to €13 per hour. For more information check www.oxfamireland.org and oxfamireland.org/jobs Pictured on left: Staff at the new Oxfam head office: Helena O’Donnell, Caitríona Hennessey, Sorcha Nic Mhathúna, Ania Rutkowska and Martina Cabrera Pucurull. Photo by Leeza Kane.
THE ART OF LISTENING
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By Liam Cahill n early November, St. Andrew’s Resource Centre hosted a seminar concerning the importance of listening. The event, officially titled The Art of Listening, looked at the necessity of accurate listening and communication skills to deal with people who may be in trouble, or people who may need a shoulder to lean on. Brendan Gallagher, of the Dublin Samaritans and Dr. Tony Bates, the Founding Director of Headstrong, took part in the talk. “Listening is an art and with the amount of people in crisis, it’s an art that can literally save lives,” said Brendan. “A crisis for one person may be simply a new challenge for another. You should find a space where there are going to be no interruptions. Turn off your mobile phone and by doing so, you are telling the person what they have to share is important.” At the seminar, Brendan focused on the importance of active listening, suggesting that the feelings a person may have about a particular incident may be worse than the actual problem. Brendan also spoke about the importance of the Listening Wheel, which involves asking open questions, being able to summarise events, reflecting and clarifying what the person said. Dr. Bates also spoke at length about the importance of the Samaritans and highlighted some of the work Headstrong undertakes. The organisation has been influential within youth mental health, publishing reports and undertaking projects such as Jigsaw, a community-based mental health project with sites across the country. “Active Listening is a technique of the mind and the heart. This means that you can have a certain structure to the conversation,” said Brendan. In the past, both organisations held similar seminars concerning mental health related topics or, in Headstrong’s case, a talk by a Clinical Psychologist for children out in Ballymun. For more information on the Samaritans you can visit their website Dublinsamaritans.ie or you can have a look at the Headstrong website headstrong.ie
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
CAN WHEATGRASS CURE CANCER?
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By Eric Hillis t the age of 35, Cuiva Smith was diagnosed with cancer of the liver, spleen and lymphatic system following a visit to hospital with complaints of knee pains. Doctors told her she would experience an early menopause, rendering her incapable of having further children. Mother to a ten year old girl, Cuiva found her world disrupted, confined to bed for long stretches as the effects of her chemotherapy treatments took their toll on her body. “I was going through chemo for six months,” she tells NewsFour, “It gave me a lot of time to read, because I couldn’t do much else, so I started to research other healing alternatives to get myself through it, mentally as well as physically.” It was through this research that Cuiva discovered wheatgrass, a popular source of nutrition that can be bought as either a juice or in powder form. After locating a grower, Morna Lynn, in Wicklow, Cuiva began consuming wheatgrass through juicing, blending it with other vegetables,
and believes the plant’s healing powers were largely responsible for not only getting her through chemo, but recovering from the cancer itself. “Most people don’t realise that when you cook vegetables you actually destroy the nutrients,” she says, “that’s why I juice everything.” To supplement her chemo medicine, Cuiva began to juice religiously twice a day to flush the toxins out of her body. “Medicine alone isn’t always the answer,” she says, “so while the doctors pumped their drugs into
me I was pumping my own as well.” Cuiva puts so much faith in wheatgrass that she now devotes her time to helping others who have been diagnosed with cancer, introducing them to nutritional juicing. “I’m now able to give people some light where they might have otherwise thought there was no hope,” she says, “It’s nice to be able to give something back.” People come from all over Ireland to speak with Cuiva who has even received phone calls from cancer sufferers seeking guidance
PAGE 7 as far away as Spain. She also provides help for those indirectly affected by the disease. “I work a lot with older people who have lost their partners to cancer,” she says, “I teach them about nutrition and show them how to make juices, but mostly it’s just about talking them through coping with their situation.” Cuiva doesn’t confine her treatment to humans either. When her dog was also diagnosed with cancer, she immediately put the animal on a nutritional diet, injecting wheatgrass juice into its mouth. She claims the effects have been positive and now Cuiva enjoys walks on the beach with her four legged companion. Though Cuiva swears by the power of wheatgrass, medical professionals are reluctant to endorse its use. Richelle Flanagan, president of the INDI (Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute), tells NewsFour that her institute does not recommend the use of wheatgrass by cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, due to potentially adverse side effects. “Wheatgrass is not known to have any major negative effects, however there have been some reported concerns with the use of wheat
and increased nausea, which may ultimately affect a patient’s appetite and ability to take treatment or eat to maintain energy,” she says. “Another concern is the possible microbial contamination of the juice, which may potentially cause harm if given to an immune-compromised patient on chemotherapy.” Richelle understands that those undergoing treatment for cancer have special nutritional requirements but believes it’s best to ask a trained professional (a doctor or dietician) for advice on the matter. “Those who wish to take wheatgrass or any other complementary therapy should inform their consultant, GP or dietician,” she says, “They can discuss with you any side effects or drug interactions and discuss if it is safe for you to continue with a complementary therapy.” For more information on wheatgrass, visit: www.livinggreen.ie For advice on dealing with nutritional requirements, visit www.indi.ie Pictured: Cuiva Smith with the plant whose healing powers she swears by. Picture provided by Cuiva Smith.
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RETURN OF THE SEAN MOORE AWARDS
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By Róisín Ingle emember the Sean Moore Awards? We certainly do. They were memorable because unlike most award ceremonies they were not concerned with celebrity, showbiz or glamour. Not that they lacked sparkle. That could always be found in the twinkling eyes of the unsung heroes of our community who were the worthy recipients of the awards which were set up in
1988, as part of Dublin’s millennium celebrations. The good news is that after a bit of a hiatus the Sean Moore Awards are back. Organised by NewsFour and sponsored by the Aviva Stadium Community Fund, the awards are open to anybody – a person or organisation – who makes an exceptional contribution to the community. The original aim of thae awards was to acknowledge some of the huge number of
people who do good work in their communities and who rarely, if ever, get proper recognition. In general, they covered the Dublin 2, 4 and 6 areas. The awards were named after the former Fianna Fáil Councillor, TD and Lord Mayor of Dublin, Sean Moore who served the area so well for so long. (So well that both a road and a park in Ringsend are named after him.) Dermot Lacey, the Labour Councillor who established the awards and is still involved, says that from the beginning the principle of the scheme was that it only had two rules. “One, that it was for ordinary people – no famous people, no celebrities,” he explains. “The second is that it had no rules – no limiting criteria – it was open to men and women, young and old community groups, everyone really.”
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
There is no one reason why somebody should be nominated. It could be a good neighbour who is always doing good turns or a long serving youth, community, or residents’ association leader. “I believe that if Voluntary Ireland went on strike tomorrow Ireland would be forced to close down,” says Lacey. “These awards are a nice way for all of us to say thanks to some of the many people who make our community the great place that it is.” The awards will take place early in the new year and we are looking for your nominations.
Please send them to: The Chairperson, Panel of Judges, Sean Moore Community Awards, c/o NewsFour, Community Centre, Thorncastle Street, Dublin 4. Two photographs from the 2005 Sean Moore Awards. Left: Andrew Keegan, centre, won an award for outstanding assistance to local people. Above: Linda McMahon and Catherine Gorman of the City Housing Initiative (with Deputy Lord Mayor Andrew Montague) won the award for their project which provided modern housing for 61 families.
treat over 133,000 children a year, 50,000 for accident and emergency and 8,000 for surgical procedures, according to the hospital. Temple Street is also the national centre for transplant and renal dialysis, neurosurgery, neurology, orthopedics and plastic surgery for children.
The accommodation service is not known widely, although a similar service is offered in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin. For more information on donating to Temple Street Children’s Hospital you can contact the fundraising office directly on 01 878 4344.
TEMPLE STREET HOSPITAL
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OFFERING SUPPORT TO PARENTS
By Liam Cahill n the run-up to Christmas, hospitals like Temple Street Children’s University Hospital (above) are busy fundraising for a variety of causes. What is often overlooked, however, is the lengths the
hospital goes to for parents of sick children. Where possible, Temple Street accommodates families that are travelling long distances. It’s called Parent Accommodation, which is basically a number of free rooms with a bed, fitted out to provide parents with the com-
fort they need. “The only other option would be for a parent to sleep in a child’s bed or on a mattress,” said Róisín O’Connor the Fundraising Manager for Temple Street Children’s Hospital. “It becomes a very stressful situation if you’re away from home, you could have another child in school, there could be ramifications on you holding down a job. Then there’s the cost involved with accommodation and the cost of fuel. What we like to do is treat the entire family in a holistic type of way. We would have what’s called the Hardship fund, which we would give to parents to help with their petrol costs or whatever else. It was a fund that was put together a few years ago to help parents who are finding it generally difficult,” said Róisín. Temple Street Children’s Hospital has been operating since 1872, when it opened with a handful of patients and just eight beds. The hospital has now grown in size to
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
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By Donna Dunne ingsend College will be offering new initiatives for the incoming First Years in September 2014. The two new schemes are iPads instead of text books and GAA Sports Scholarships. NewsFour spoke to both the principal, Donnachadh Clancy and the new deputy principal, Tommy Brown, who expressed great enthusiasm and eagerness about the new plans for the school. “We’re really excited about the new initiatives we’re offering to incoming First Years. The iPad Initiative is going to be of huge help to students in so many different ways and will help get some students to be more interested and engaged,” said Brown. iPads could be the new era of e-learning within the classroom. Textbooks will still be available in the classroom and some classes will still be handwritten but now students won’t have to break their backs with heavy bags. The iPads will have educational apps to help students learn in new and exciting ways. There will be a reduced-cost iPad for each student and they can be paid for over three years so that there’s not that entire expense upfront. If students have their own iPads, these can
RINGSEND COLLEGE CHANGING WITH THE TIMES
be used but they must be theirs and not belong to anyone else in the household. GAA Sports Scholarships will also be offered to pupils starting in September 2014. The programme enables students to be coached in football, hurling and camogie for boys and girls as part of their timetabled classes each week. They will receive training, classes on tactics,
team play, nutrition and diet. Improving the basic skills of the game for students which can help them in their GAA club is the aim. They will be coached by AllIreland winning coach, deputy principal Tommy Brown. Brown managed the Dublin Ladies Senior Football team from 2006 to 2010 and in 2010 they won the all-Ireland against Tyrone. “The GAA
Scholarship is close to my heart due to my GAA background and it’s only the start of the sporting relationships we want to build in the area. We have every sport conceivable on our doorstep in Ringsend and we want to help any students with a talent in sport to get some extra help. Trying to build a very strong and diverse sporting culture in Ringsend College will
PAGE 9 be an important goal for the school over the next three to five years. We want to be competing with the best and indeed bringing home plenty of silverware, whether it is in GAA, soccer or any other sport we take part in.” For students who don’t like school, this new GAA Scholarship scheme might offer a complete turnaround for them. They may have some behavioural issues at home or in the classroom but this could give them that new focus and way of learning. Learning about their diet and nutrition along with the physical exercise that the pupils will be participating in will only give them a healthier mind. With these new schemes in place, Ringsend College is moving forward in the right direction, providing encouragement and more opportunities. Present and incoming students have the right support in a school that is caring, student-centred and changing with the times. F o r m o r e information, please visit their website www.ringsendcollege.ie Pictured: Niall Nolan teaches the students of Ringsend College using iPads and a digitial projector with screen.
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NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
TOGETHER AT LAST ADVERTORIAL
WHY IS A CREDIT UNION CAR LOAN BETTER?
W
hen it comes to financing the purchase of a car, many people simply look for the lowest rate on offer and believe it to be the best option. Headline rates may attract the most attention, but the devil is very much in the detail. Many ‘car finance loans’ offered by garages and some banks are actually hire purchase agreements.
The main difference between using a personal loan and a hire purchase agreement to buy a car is that with a personal loan you borrow money, pay for your car, and own it immediately. With a hire purchase agreement, you don’t own the car until you make the final repayment. This means you cannot sell the car if you run into problems making your repayments. Watch out for the range of additional fees and charges which you may incur as part of a hire purchase agreement. This would include a documentation fee (for setting up the agreement) and completion fee (a fee charged to end the agreement and pass ownership to the car purchaser). If you run into difficulty in meeting the terms of the hire purchase agreement, you may be charged a penalty fee for missed repayments, a rescheduling fee (if you need to change the terms of the agreement) and a higher rate of interest may be charged on any repayments which you missed. You may have to pay a large final payment (known as a balloon payment) at the end of the term, a payment you may not have budgeted to meet. It can be a real sting in the tail for some. Thankfully, a car loan from Sandymount Credit Union is much more straight forward. You borrow the money from your credit union, you pay for the car and you own the car immediately. You agree a repayment schedule with the Credit Union. Interest is charged on the reducing balance of the loan. If you run into difficulty, you can talk to the Credit Union to see if you can come to an agreement on the repayment terms. Should you be in the happy position of being able to repay the loan early, you may do so without any penalty charges. If you’re thinking about your options for financing a car purchase, look no further than Sandymount Credit Union. Phone: 01 668 5079.
Donal Bracken Local Electrical Contractor
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By Eric Hillis ack in May it was confirmed that a new primary school would be established in the Ringsend and Sandymount catchment area. On September 26th, the Department of Education announced that the patronage (the administration and day-to-day running) of the school had been won by D4 Educate Together. The school will come into operation next September with two classes (Junior and Senior infants, 58 spaces in total) initially for the 2014 – 2015 school year. One class will be added each year as pupils progress. Sandymount resident Jessica Ryan will now assume the role of school manager, having been chair of the D4ET start-up
committee, which she formed with local parents back in 2011. “Absolutely delighted,” is how she describes her feelings on her campaign’s success. Educate Together schools employ a multi-denominational ethos, with no focus on any one belief system. Ryan was schooled in America, where religion is kept separate from school life, and wishes her children to have a similarly secular education. It’s a philosophy she believes many Irish parents are now also adopting. “I’ve spoken to a lot of parents who want the religious element of their children’s lives to be a personal journey and let school be purely for schooling,” she tells NewsFour, “Even traditional Irish Catholic families are now look-
ing for something different.” The next challenge for D4ET is to find a home for their school. Ryan tells us the organisation is working hard to find a site locally, ideally in the Grand Canal and Ringsend area. “Right now we’re working on the assumption it will be a temporary location for 2014 with the hope of moving into a permanent site in following years,” she says. Close to 900 children have been pre-enrolled, illustrating the demand for places in the area. TD Kevin Humphreys, who supported D4ET’s bid, calls the announcement “A fantastic development for our local community.” Pictured: D4 Educate Together Committee and kids.
CAROL SINGING FOR SIMON COMMUNITY (under the umbrella of St Matthew’s, Irishtown)
12 Castle Drive, Sandymount, Dublin 4
We meet at 7pm sharp each evening and finish on or before 10pm with refreshments
Tel: 269 2278 • Mobile: 086 2651887
Thurs December 5th: Meet outside Brabazon, Gilford Road. (Oaklands Pk)
R.E.C.I. approved and insured
• Free estimates without obligation • Extra sockets, fuseboards etc supplied and fitted • All works undertaken, including domestic, commercial and light industrial
NO JOB TOO SMALL OR TOO LARGE
Fri December 6th: Meet at Whitebeam Rd., Clonskeagh Road end Mon December 9th: Meet at Belmont Garage, Sandford Road
Tues December 10th: Meet at Margaretholme, Claremont Road Wed December 11th: Meet Sydney Parade DART station gates Thurs December 12th: Meet at Tritonville Close Fri December 13th: Meet at Spar Donnybrook
Councillor Claire Wheeler will answer any queries. Tel: 086 383 1335
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
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By Liam Cahill ny user of Dublin city will at some point have noticed, underfoot, the river Liffey’s many bridges. But have you ever considered the significance of the bridges we use every day in the city? A new City Council website aims to showcase the historical significance of Dublin’s city centre bridges. The site, bridgesofdublin.ie, offers videos, pictures, biographies and timelines of our most famous bridges. It details facts, like the fact Mellows Bridge – situated near Smithfield – is Dublin’s oldest, built in 1768 or that Dublin has two O’Connell bridges – one of which is located in Stephen’s Green. The site gives interesting detail about each of the city’s bridges: did you know that O’Connell Bridge spans 45 metres? Or that an estimated 30,000 pedestrians cross the Ha’penny Bridge a day? The site has over 900 photographs and contains over 3,000 words, not to mention historical maps and statistics. “With a bridge history extending back hundreds of years, the team working on the Bridges of Dublin website did a tremendous job,” said Michael Philips the Di-
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A BRIDGE TO THE PAST
rector of Traffic at the City Council and City Engineer. “Compiling and editing vast quantities of information into what is an easy-to-use, responsive website which will prove to be a fantastic source of information for anyone
interested in bridges and Dublin’s history.” “Some of the images, like the building of the West Link Bridge, are quite striking,” said Peter Dee, a Senior Staff Officer at Dublin City Council who worked obtain-
ing images for the site. “We were looking for events, things happening on the bridges, and we got a lot of help from RTÉ, it was fascinating.” The site only details the 23 bridges throughout the city and the odd bridge in a cosmopolitan area such as Lucan and Chapelizod. The East Link Bridge, which connects Ringsend and Dublin 4 to the city, is the only bridge in the Dublin 4 area that gets a mention. What’s the historical significance of bridges in Dublin 4? “Bridges have been enormously important in the development of both Ballsbridge and the wider area of south Dublin,” said Hugh Oram, a local historian and author of Ballsbridge Then and Now. When bridges started to pop up in and around Dublin 4 it gave a boost to local businesses, allowing more people to fill the pubs and buy the produce. The Railway Bridge, situated near what is now the Aviva Stadium, served as a development link for commuters as far out as Greystones. This particular station didn’t open until 1870 with another station opening in Sydney Parade in 1835. As the years went on, other bridges began to come on board,
like the Grand Canal Dock Bridge and the Samuel Beckett, which provided a new lifeline for an expanding Southside. “A lot of Dublin 4 bridges are just slightly outside the Ballsbridge area, like the one at Londonbridge Road and further upstream, at Donnybrook. Baggot Street Bridge marks the boundary of Ballsbridge in that particular part of the city, likewise Leeson Street Bridge,” said Hugh. The new Council website hopes to expand to include other areas, including many parts of the city where bridges have been overlooked. The Council didn’t speculate on whether this will include Dublin 4. In November, the site won a Best Government and Local Government Website award at the annual Web Awards. Pictured left: A lock on the Grand Canal. Below: River Liffey viewed from Butt Bridge.
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NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
OUT FOR COFFEE WITH RICK O’SHEA
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By Liam Cahill ick O’Shea (pictured) isn’t your normal radio presenter, not content with his RTÉ 2fm afternoon slot he’s the Patron of Epilepsy Ireland, the winner of RTÉ’s Celebrity Masterchef, involved in writing a play for Under My Bed – an initiative where celebrities get to draft and perform a small stage piece charting the underworld hidden below their beds – an avid blogger, a voracious reader (some 30 books this year and counting are documented on his Rikipedia blog) and a slightly obsessed Tweeter (under the hashtag #obscureinjuries a follower admitted dislocating his knee while slipping on his trousers). He’s constantly popping up on national TV fronting a Tell Me a Story series on RTÉ Junior and speaking about living with Epilepsy on the Late Late. It’s an impressive list of accomplishments for a man who’s only 40, but where did it all begin?
LC: So, tell me where it all began? ROS: I was born in Drimnagh, where my Mum and Dad lived in flats, they lived with their parents – on opposite balconies – until we got a house in Crumlin. LC: Why Radio? When I was 15 there was a radio station running a competition where you could win €10,000 worth of prizes. I got through to the final but I didn’t win; nobody’s going to give €10,000 to a 15-year-old. I met a couple of people while at the radio station that said “you could do this for a living” and something in my head agreed. LC: How did you eventually get into radio? ROS: I’d no real interest in radio, I had mates who had stations in their bedrooms, I wasn’t one of those people – I just fell into it accidentally. While studying Arts at UCD they were starting their first
student radio station – UCD FM, now Belfield FM – so I stumbled through the door. I had about six weeks experience in a hospital radio station, so I was the most experienced person there. After that I went to Ballyfermot for a year, to study Broadcasting and Journalism. I then got some runner work at East Coast FM. That’s how you get jobs in radio. LC: It’s really about luck, then? ROS: A lot of people say it’s about knowing people, I’d say it’s about meeting people. When I first started out I didn’t know anybody at all, I knew a couple of guys when I was 15, three, four, five years down the line they remembered me. I got the East Coast FM gig through a guy I knew and the Atlantic 252 gig through a guy who just remembered me. I was there for a year and a half, I was in FM104 for five years and I’ve been here in 2fm
since 2001. LC: Have you liked working in radio all these years? ROS: You go through phases when you’re really enthusiastic about what you do and it depends on where you are, who you’re working with, what time you’re on, how the station is going. I’ve gone through times where I think ‘I don’t think I can do this anymore’ but then you say it’s the only thing I’ve ever done. There are guys who do this and say ‘yeah, it’s the greatest thing ever!’ but they’re lying to you. At the moment, I really like what we’re doing and I really like the guys I work with and every day I can pretty much do what I want. LC: What do you do when you’re not working? ROS: I do everything. I have three kids so I enjoy spending time with them, I read a lot. I watch movies a lot [he prefers anything foreign], I like trav-
elling, I go to the movies, did I mention that twice? LC: Yeah, what’s the obsession there? ROS: I don’t know I caught onto it quite young, some are more interesting than others. I ended up being a movie reviewer in a newspaper once and that was just because I liked it. I wonder about people who say ‘I don’t like movies’ that’s like saying you don’t like food. LC: Do you think you’ll ever quit radio? ROS: When the lottery comes into it. I know that everybody thinks that people from RTÉ go home in the evening and smoke a cigar but if you look at the list of what people earn they’re on good money, but there are other people who are on pretty average salaries. If I won the lottery tomorrow I’d be gone. I’d travel a lot; I’d spend a few weeks in America with my family.
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
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NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
NEWSFOUR LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE
Cllr. Gerry Ashe with Frank Kennedy
Mary Doolan, Teresa Weafer and Maria Bohan
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By Liam Cahill he launch of the NewsFour website took place in the Sandymount Hotel in late November. In attendance were the original founders of the paper; Labour Cllr. Dermot Lacey and former NewsFour Editor Ann Ingle who talked about the history of the project.
Austin Cromie, Cllr. Paddy McCartan, Brian Betts Lord Mayor of Ringsend and Irishtown and Jennifer Betts
Irish Times columnist Róisín Ingle spoke about her early journalism days with NewsFour and how far it has come. “It’s very different to the one I used to work for, I mean it has the same ethos, same themes and what you’re writing about is the same, but it just does it so much better. It’s brighter, there’s more in it, and it comes out more often. I think these things are very underestimated by people, if you didn’t have NewsFour you wouldn’t be informed,” she said. On either side of the room leather-bound books of all past issues dating back to the very first NewsFour in 1986 were perused by local representatives, NewsFour contributors, past employees and people from the many community groups in the area. In the centre, a big screen showed NewsFour’s inaugural leap into the digital era. The development of a user-friendly website that is easy to navigate, informative and contains current topics that stick to the community ethos that has defined NewsFour was the brainchild of Managing Editor Karen Keegan and Website/ Advert Designer Karen Madsen. “Karen wanted to revamp the existing website and she pretty much wanted to modernise NewsFour,” said Karen Madsen, “the rebranding of the NewsFour logo was the first step, then we went on to design the new website.” Lack of funds meant that the redevelopment had to be conducted in-house. Karen Madsen, Karen Keegan and past participant Gemma Byrne undertook the arduous task of designing and building the website from scratch with little or no experience. “We went on a little mission to build it ourselves. Everything was going well. We spent six months uploading content and it was looking really good, then we
got a virus which shut the whole thing down,” said Karen Keegan. That didn’t phase the girls but they realised they couldn’t build it without some technical expertise. Karen Keegan contacted Ciara Spillane of Google Give on neighbouring Barrow Street and asked if Google would be willing to help as part of their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). They sent Tim McParland, Strategic Partner Manager from their Online Partnerships Group. “Tim was great and simplified his computer language for our nontechy brains to understand. He totally took on board what we were doing and how we wanted NewsFour to be presented online. He was able to advise us on the best way to get the project off the ground. He started the new build again with Karen Madsen’s original design layout,” said Karen Keegan. On the night Karen Keegan gave a live demonstration on how userfriendly the site is and explained how the content is updated daily. She showed the archive section where issues dating back to 2003 can be read online. New Editor Emma Dwyer explained that in its first three weeks of going live newsfour.ie had over 5,000 page views and interestingly, 24 unique visitors from Japan. Yes, we’re big in Japan! Emma also showed how advertising campaigns redirect traffic to a client’s website and how newsfour.ie is interactive through Facebook and Twitter. newsfour.ie will be updated daily with local stories, which are exclusive to the website. NewsFour will continue to be printed bi-monthly and all of the content from the paper will be uploaded online. Don’t forget to read our online stories and to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Our readers’ support will help us with our move into the digital era.
Pictured above, from left: Karen Madsen, Karen Keegan, Ann Ingle, Eric Hillis and Rúarí Conneely. Below: Frank Kennedy, Ruth Kennedy, Denis McKenna and Róisín Ingle. Photographs by Leeza Kane.
Ann Ingle, Karen Keegan and Emma Dwyer
Anna Hulgraine Henry
and
Una
Phil King, Grainne McGuinness and Terese Sheehy
Liam Cahill, Nadine Keegan and Anita McPhillips
TD Kevin Humpreys and Cllr. Paddy McCartan
Frank Cullen, Brian Cullen, Jimmy Purdy and Terry Cullen
Claire McElvaney and Phyllis Ennis
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
FINDING FORT CRYSTAL
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By Rúairí Conneely Docklands based history group have addressed Dublin City Council with a formal submission, hoping to highlight the historical significance of an inner city site which has recently gone up for sale. The site, in the Docklands neighbourhood of East Wall, was formerly the location of Cahill’s Print Works, last in the news following a fire in 2007, but the East Wall History Group (EWHG) have uncovered indications that the corner of Church Road and East Wall Road may have a greater importance in the history of Dublin’s docks. NewsFour spoke with Sarah Lundberg of the EWHG group to learn more. She explained that general reading about Dublin and the lack of detail concerning the North Docks led to the group engaging in “the mystery of the Glass House.” “The South Docks were part of the Pembroke Township as it was constituted at the time but, beyond the Customs House, little is recorded. The area which is now the North Docks was privately owned in bits and pieces,” she says. Thom’s Irish Almanac and Street Directory for the area as it was in 1857, makes reference to ‘the Fort Crystal
glass house, in ruins’ and a number of surrounding cottages, which led the EWHG to believe that one of the earliest manufacturing houses of modern Dublin may have been situated there. Later editions of the directory refer to Fort Crystal Lodge, Fort Crystal Terrace and Fort Crystal Cottage, indicating that an industrial settlement existed adjacent to the glasshouse. Earlier sources, such as one John Dalton’s 1838 History of the County of Dublin indicate the former presence of a glasshouse near the North Wall, which is near the Cahill site. Additionally, a book published in 1920 with the lengthy title Irish Glass: an Account of Glass-Making in Ireland from the 16th Century to the Present Day features a description of the Docklands glass industry. In discussing bottle-making plants on Sherriff Street and south of the river in Ringsend, author Michael Seymour Dudley refers to maps of Dublin dated from 1819 to 1823 that showed “a glasshouse marked near the East Wall not far from Annesley Bridge”. In the 1819 map, the name Fort
PAGE 15 Crystal recurs. Sarah is keen to emphasise that since the Northside Docklands were not developed for industrial and residential habitation until the 19th century, a major piece of the city’s industrial history may be missing. There’s a certain romance to it all. “Fort Crystal would have literally been built from glass, as much as they could at the time, and the terrace may have housed a whole community. How it dropped from local knowledge is kind of a mystery.” Mysterious, indeed: the Docklands adjacent to the mouth of the Liffey have a long history of glass-making, which makes the forgetting of Fort Crystal notably unusual. The first glass plant in the region opened in Ringsend in 1787 (on Charlotte Quay), and subsequently glass factories were established, and flourished, on Fitzwilliam Street, Fitzwilliam Quay, Cambridge Place and Richard Street. The first automatic bottle-making machine used in Europe was installed in the factory on Charlotte Quay. The glass manufacture and bottlemaking industry remained bustling and healthy up to the late 1920s and the Great Depression. Now seems as apt a time as any to uncover and commemorate what has and hasn’t been forgotten. Pictured above left: The Fort Crystal site, formerly occupied by Cahill’s Print Works on the East Wall.
Taken on 26 November 2013. Isn’t winter fantastic when nature gives you skies like this?
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NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
THE HUMAN MILK BANK
By Eric Hillis n recent years, the word “bank” has become something of a dirty word but in Irvinestown, Co. Fermanagh there exists a very special bank, a human milk bank. Though such institutions are common in other parts of the world, the bank, run by the Western Trust and funded by the UK’s National Health Service, is the only facility of its kind in the 32 counties. The bank was set up in 2000 when a baby in the care of the Trust found itself requiring human breast milk. Ann McCrea, lactation consultant (a qualified breastfeeding specialist) found herself desperately trying to acquire milk. “We were ringing all the milk banks in England looking for milk and the reply was ‘We haven’t got enough ourselves’,” she tells NewsFour. “Nobody was prepared to help us out, so we got our local experts together and set up our own milk
bank under the guidelines that were current at the time.” Premature babies are susceptible to a condition known as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). This can cause the child’s gut to burst open, releasing harmful bacteria that can only be combated by human breast milk. “Often the child’s own mother will find themselves under so much stress that they physically can’t produce their own milk,” McCrea says. In the first year of operation, the bank began receiving calls from all over Ireland and now the facility finds itself serving the Republic as much as the North. Last year, 1,056 litres of milk were issued to 692 babies, including 95 sets of twins and 12 sets of triplets. When NewsFour initially called the bank, they were in the middle of an emergency, attempting to get milk out to a child who required it urgently. Thankfully, the crisis was resolved and the
child received the much-needed milk. Such emergencies are all too common, according to McCrea. “When it happens we have to abandon everything else and pri-
oritise the baby,” she says. Like any bank, the facility couldn’t exist without deposits. Last year, 253 individual women donated milk but more is required. NewsFour asks McCrea
if donors need to pass any specific health requirements, to which she replies “If you can be a blood donor, you can be a milk donor.” Milk donors are screened in the same manner as blood donors, with the milk then sent to a lab in County Tipperary, where it is screened rigorously by bacterial experts. If it passes their tests, it can be sent out to the babies that require it. The bank also employs a dietician who ensures the milk is labelled appropriately, ensuring babies get the exact type of milk they need. Donors are sent a thank-you card, a milk donor’s badge and are informed of exactly how many babies their milk has helped. McCrea is quick to thank all the mothers who have helped their fellow women through donating milk. “I really do admire them. If you’re looking after your own baby and then find time to donate milk, then you’re a superwoman,” she says, “it’s help that only a woman can give to another woman.” If you’re interested in becoming a breast milk donor or require further information, you can contact the milk bank by calling 048 6862 8333 or emailing: tmb.irvinestown@westerntrust. hscni.net Pictured: Ann McCrea in her bank’s vault.
MYSTERY OF THE SHELL-BOURNE ROAD
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By Rúairí Conneely n August of this year, a construction worker labouring in a residence on the Shelbourne Road, Ballsbridge uncovered an unexpected pair of genuine antiques. Unfortunately, this was not a cause for celebration but rather alarm and the Gardaí were called to the house, number 44 Shelbourne Road. The antiques in question were two artillery shells, believed to be as much as a century old. Unexploded devices are, of course, more than a matter of urban legend and the Gardaí in their turn contacted the Defence Forces. An Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team was dispatched to the scene following a Garda inspection around midday. Arriving around 2.45 pm, the bomb disposal squad were unable to determine the precise age and nature of the shells due to extensive corrosion, although this
in itself is an indication that the objects dated from the early part of the previous century, possibly from the War of Independence. An official statement from Defence Forces Ireland, issued late on the afternoon of the incident, Tuesday August 27th, stated that the shells were transported to “a nearby safe location” and destroyed in a
controlled explosion, seemingly putting an end to the mystery. Unearthing of antique ordnance is far from unheard of in older parts of Dublin, but this find apparently represented an unusually old find. Pictured: Old artillery shells from World War II. Photo by Karen Keegan.
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
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DOCKERS RE-ENACT 1913 SCENES
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By Rúairí Conneely ate in the morning of October 5th this year, a Dockside commemoration took place celebrating international solidarity in times of need. One hundred years previous to the day, the cargo ship SS Hare delivered the first batch of food parcels to impoverished families of locked-out workers. NewsFour spoke with Declan Byrne, of the Dublin Dockers Preservation Society, who was present along with fellow members, local historians and trade union members. Declan first sought to clarify that the Dockers Society were invited to take part by the organisers of the event; the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, SIPTU and the 1913 Lockout Commemoration Committee. “I would have been aware of the aid supplied by ships like the SS Hare, which just happened to be the first of many sent by the TUC (the British Trade Union Centre), and also through the work of a historian Ann Matthews who forensically examined the history of who fed the workers and their families through the time of the lock out.” Declan explained that prior to
the year of the lock out, there had been as many as a dozen dock workers unions, which would start up, persist for a time and then fold. It was Jim Larkin who counselled that they consolidate. By 1913, a great many dockers were members of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union. The roots of the gesture of solidarity from the British unions were established prior to the year of the lock out when dockers in Liverpool went on strike. The proxim-
ity and regular exchange of labour between Dublin and Liverpool inspired sympathy for the Dublin dockers. By the time the lock out was well-established, Larkin’s intensive networking had created an awareness of, and interest in, conditions in Dublin. The SS Hare made 11 journeys to Dublin bearing food packages, which could be collected shipside by families of striking workers; the packages were exchangeable by vouchers.
On the day of the commemoration, six present-day dock workers were allowed on board the ship (“only six for insurance purposes,” Declan adds) and they distributed the 11 parcels signifying the 11 journeys. After this, a dockers read was performed. “The bundy was the slang word for it at the time, probably named after the platform the foreman would stand on when he was calling the names.” The read is a call for available workers. Tradition-
ally, dock workers were casual labourers, a day-for-pay types. Registered names would be called and if they were present, the given labourer would work that day. During the re-enactment of this particular hallowed tradition, some wit was heard to call “He’s away on a message!” in response to certain names, which normally meant the worker had mitched off to the pub. The dockers read seems to be rich in such in-jokes. “Literacy would have been very low, even among the foremen, so people were recognised by sight and given a nickname, normally a sarcastic one; a slow worker would be called Flash, a fella who lost a lot of fights would be called Buckets o’ Blood, that sort of thing.” As for Declan’s feelings about the day? “It was a good turnout for an important commemoration, and it was good to see so many from the Dublin Dockers Preservation Society in their Sunday best.” Dublin Dockers Preservation Society are on Facebook and their photo archive is accessible at: bluemelon.com/alanmartin Image of the dockers read courtesy of the Dublin Dockers Preservation Society.
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NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
HEALTHY TEENS
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By Liam Cahill he number of teenagers eating junk food, drinking soft drinks and not exercising regularly is still a problem according to a new survey. Behaviour and Attitudes, a research company, on behalf of Bayer, a health and lifestyle company, surveyed 501 teenagers from the ages of 16–19 in Dublin and discovered some interesting facts. The survey was spilt into several categories concerning diet, exercise and how teenagers are feeling. In terms of diet, boys are more likely to eat junk food with (34%) saying they fell into the trap while just (52%) said they eat the recommended five servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Concerning physical exercise: one in three (34%) said they got the recommended 60 minutes of exercise daily, while (21%) were aware they should be getting two hours of physical education in school each week. Males displayed a higher level of physical activity (46%) than females (39%). More males take part
in sports (76%) than females (54%). “We would be concerned that only 34% of teens are aware that they should be getting 60 minutes of exercise per day,” said Sarah O’Connor, the Chief Executive of the Federation of Irish Sport. Sarah also remarked on the numbers indicating that females are less physical than males, saying such involvement would be beneficial in terms of developing team-building skills for later in life. “These findings show that teenagers have a lot on their plate not only at school but literally as well, because many are eating too much unhealthy food,” said Maureen Mulvihill, the Health Promotional Manager for The Irish Heart Foundation. “The high consumption of fast food and soft drinks – both high in calories – is of particular concern, especially as one in five young people are overweight or obese.” The survey coincided with several events highlighting unhealthy eating amongst teenagers and the importance of early
intervention at childhood. In October, Bayer, The Irish Heart Foundation and the Foundation of Irish Sport launched the second year of their Pumped Schools video competition, where teenagers are encouraged to make a short movie concerning a variety of topics including a topic on healthy eating amongst teens. Recently the Minister for Health, James Reilly, and the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald,
launched a Safefood Campaign on childhood obesity in Pearse Street Library. The all-island initiative, which is supported by the HSE, the Healthy Ireland Framework and Northern Ireland’s Fitter Futures, aims to encourage parents to reduce portion sizes for children and will include a barrage of media promotions through TV and radio. “Fast food is of course a problem (high calorie, low nutrition), but I’d be more concerned about what the students understand to
be appropriate and healthy eating and suitable physical activity,” said Dr. Tara Magdalinski, a Lecturer at the School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science in UCD. “The recommended physical education is not always met in schools and if it is, it is often taken casually by students and staff alike.” Commenting on an aspect of the survey that found teenagers (16%) would prefer to look good rather than feel healthy, Dr. Magdalinski said the survey was partaking in some scaremongering. “It is certainly a concern that any young person would privilege looks over health, but this is a cohort that does not always look at the long-term and who feel 25 years of age is ‘ancient’. Indeed, there is little difference between the number who ‘feel great physically’ and who ‘would prefer to look healthy over looking good’, and yet it’s presented as a radically different perspective. This is annoying.” For more information on eating healthy see www.safefood.ie Pictured above: Olympic pentathlete Natalya Coyle and Fergus McFadden at the launch of Pumped Schools.
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
SANDYMOUNT’S SILVER SURFER
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By Eric Hillis ince 2010, Age Action, in association with Google, has been encouraging senior citizens to engage with computers and the internet through the Silver Surfer awards. This year’s awards ceremony took place at Google’s Barrow Street headquarters on October 2nd when Sandymount’s Michael Gorman took home the Golden IT award, a prize issued to an individual over the age of 80 who has used technology to enhance their life. The win took 86 year-old Michael by surprise, as his daughter and two sons had entered him as a candidate in secret, only informing him on the day of the final announcements. Michael spent his entire working life at Bord Fáilte and it was there, in the early eighties, that he first encountered the world of computers. He attributes the help of the supportive in-house IT team there with kick-starting his interest in the, then new, world of computers. Using his newly acquired computer skills he began editing the
popular magazine Ireland of the Welcomes, a publication aimed at the Irish diaspora with over 190,000 readers, most of whom are based in North America. In 1992, Michael retired and ten years ago, when he began to experience mobility issues, he purchased a home computer. “First of
all I used it for very basic things like sending messages and getting general information, but gradually I started discovering its full range of uses,” he tells NewsFour, “It’s great for keeping one’s mind active, which is very useful when you’re getting older and not in so much contact with the world
PAGE 19 around you.” Michael proudly boasts of being one of the first Irish owners of Apple’s iPad tablet, a device he describes as “wonderful”. Fluent in French, Spanish and Russian, Michael travelled extensively as a younger man and now enjoys listening to foreign language radio stations through the internet. “It’s nice that I can keep my knowledge of languages active this way,” he says. A keen fan of music from the twenties through forties, Michael also enjoys listening to online stations that specialise in the music of his childhood. Michael regularly uses the internet to correspond with family and friends. “You can use Skype to talk to someone as far away as Australia,” he marvels. An avid reader whose eyesight isn’t as strong as it once was, Michael now uses his iPad to listen to audio-books, keeping his hobby alive without causing strain on his eyes. Earlier this year, Michael decided to stake out his own corner of the web and set up his very own blog, The Commonplace Book (which can be found at www.thecommonplace-book. com), named after the books that Victorian ladies used to record
items of interest they wished to remember. In a similar fashion, Michael uses the blog to record interesting quotes and anecdotes he comes across from famous figures like Winston Churchill and Groucho Marx. Michael believes technology can improve an older person’s quality of life but understands that computers can be intimidating. He advises thinking about your primary intended use before deciding on a device. “You might want to use it for reading, corresponding or even as a map system,” he says. Michael also suggests considering whether or not you require the ability to take the device with you on your travels. “If so, find a conveniently-sized device, as when you get older you’re not so capable of carrying heavy things,” he advises, “That’s why I went for the iPad; it has a good-sized screen and it’s very light.” Age Action provides training and support for senior citizens wishing to follow Michael’s lead into the world of computers. You can contact them on 01 4756 989 or online at www.ageaction.ie Pictured above: Golden IT award winner Michael Gorman poses with his certificate.
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NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
POETRY CORNER
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his punch line. “When it comes to the book launch, my old friend
Mary Coughlan will be launching it (I’m in one of her books Bloody Mary), and myself and Darragh from the band The Jimmy Cake will be performing. The book is a limited edition, each copy signed and hand-sewn. It’s dedicated to victims of abuse everywhere.” He explains that the core theme of Sea Journey is water: sea water, rain, river water, mountain pools. “There are some intervals away from that but returning to dealing with matters of grief, and frozen emotion is a big part of it. One poem, ‘Cowardice’ is about how men cope with grief and loss. I remember when my sister died, she killed herself and I put myself in the position of the rock, the strong one. I remember resenting other people’s effusiveness. A lot of the book is going through matters I didn’t deal with while they were happening.” Sea Journey by Martin A. Egan was published by Lapwing Press on November 28th.
Shay started the meeting welcoming the people who attended and Diarmuid introduced himself and Felim. “I have known Felim who is an architect, and have worked with him. I came up with this idea and business plan for another session called We Love Our Town. It’s basically doing what we did on Dirty Old Towns on a commercial basis. It’s about bringing the local factory and local big businesses in to take care of their corporate social responsibility by linking them with their communities and working to plan your initiatives. If you’re interested, we would like to listen and we would like to know what the community really needs, what the community is like and then we would like to bring that to some of the big companies and see if we could work together and make something happen,” explained Diarmuid. A discussion was then led across the floor to thrash out what exactly the community want and need. Shay started the talk: “There are no major
IT skills provisions in this area and if local IT companies have jobs and have to import people to do them, then why couldn’t we come up with some workshop programme under education with all the local principals to up-skill 10 kids from second-level education allowing Google to employ them down the road.” This was only one idea, other members mentioned derelict buildings that needed attention and the elderly people in the area that need to be looked after and the possibility of building a garden for them in Ringsend Park. Some other thoughts were to tidy up the town and to rebrand Ringsend. One person suggested looking at what’s not in the area and why these young people are slipping through the net. There were many people who spoke about what the youth need, that there is nothing for them to do and what, as a community they can create for them. Diarmuid took one last opportunity to ask everyone to spread the word in the area and to get others involved. “I think we should try to find a day to bring this together and maybe have one of those mini-workshops and I think that should be very soon.” A meeting open to all will take place Monday, December 9th in Clanna Gael Fontenoy at 7.30pm.
LAUNCH OF SEA JOURNEY
By Rúairí Conneely ome people are sound poets and some people are page poets, and some are both. The one common denominator for each of them is that they all like attention and money and there’s one tried and tested way to get both at once. You need to put out a book, and that means, you’ll need to have a book launch. Launches, like performances, are a given of the literary life and few experiences are quite so nervewracking as the build-up to a launch. It’s something all authors have to go through, but in the relatively lo-fi, low-cost world that most poetry publishers inhabit, it is a very hands-on process for the writer. NewsFour spoke with Martin A. Egan (pictured) who is at time of writing, anticipating the launch of his debut collection Sea Journey from Lapwing Press. Martin is a
singer, songwriter, painter, stand-up comedian and longtime performance poet. Although he has been writing and reading his words since the beginning of his career, Sea Journey is his first collection. “I began my career doing spoken word, and only began song writing because my whole family were musicians.” He went on to develop a significant career in music, writing the song Casey for Christy Moore, and achieving Platinum record status for his work in the late 1990s. In discussing launches, Martin’s mind is naturally drawn back to the launch of his first and only album (thus far) The Tune which was launched in Whelan’s in March 2010. “At a good launch, it’s simple. People show up, they have a good time, they buy a copy of whatever you’re launching, album or book, then they
go home and go ‘what the hell did I buy this for?’” He laughs readily as he delivers
A
WE LOVE OUR TOWN
By Donna Dunne meeting took place on November 20th in Clanna Gael Fontenoy about an Area Action Plan for the Ringsend and Irishtown area. Clanna Gael Fontenoy has been involved in discussions over the past year with a number of people with whom they have developed relationships over a long period. Following on from these discussions, they then approached Diarmuid Gavin (pictured) who is an Irish garden designer and television personality. Diarmuid hosts a TV series called Dirty Old Towns on RTÉ where he motivates the community to turn their much-loved town into something special. Diarmuid led these campaigns to give Ireland’s neglected spots their pride of place back – not with money, not with the government, but with action from the people living there. In attendance at the meeting was Diarmuid, his colleague, architect Felim Dunne, Padraic White – founding member of the Irish Development Authority and Chairman of the Northside Partnership Programme for 15 years, Fachtna O’Ceallaigh from Clanna Gael Fontenoy, Shay Connolly from Clanna Gael Fontenoy and members from the community.
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
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By Leeza Kane ith a gentleman’s agreement, an abandoned walled garden became a community project. The garden at the Avila Carmelite Centre in Donnybrook came to the attention of gardener Jacqueline Kelleher and she saw an opportunity for a restoration project. She approached Father Michael McGoldrick of the centre and they agreed that Jacqueline could take over the garden on the condition that she make it a community project. The project, The Heritage Garden is home to 200 year-old apple trees and is situated within the larger grounds of the centre. To begin, a core group of 10 volunteers set about repairing the gardens and preparing the ground. “The first year was the hardest, it was about making the soil suitable for organic growing,” said Jacqueline. Last winter, the 200 year-old trees were pruned and restored, with the help of a tree expert, to their current healthy condition with the hope of producing a harvest of apples soon. The group teach classes on vegetable growing, particularly
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
THE HERITAGE GARDEN
with limited resources. Vegetables, herbs and plants are the main interests here. Volunteer Kevin Corr explains, “The aim is to get people interested in growing their own produce for themselves, even if it’s just a windowbox for herbs.” During the summer, The Her-
itage Garden teamed up with Headway in Donnybrook, an organisation for those with acquired brain injuries (ABI) and set up a course which 12 clients took part in. Helen Gaynor of Headway talks about the advantages, “It involved designing and building a herb gar-
den and planting and growing vegetables. It was of immense benefit to our participants, who have all sustained an ABI. Being outdoors in the fresh air was a great solace and they all commented about the ‘special energy’ in the garden.” Therapeutic cognitive ben-
efits included focus, increasing attention span, problem-solving and logical sequencing of tasks. Relaxation, stress relief, having a common purpose in a group and growth in confidence were among the emotional benefits. Volunteer Jean Burtchaell emphasises, “An aspect of the gardens is to bring people to a positive place to work and learn.” There is also an interesting mix of one-off workshops for those with green fingers and a view to expanding their horizons with an introduction to bee-keeping, a bat workshop and homeopathy for the garden. The Heritage Garden is always looking for donations of seed, soil, compost, empty pots, tools and any items suitable for gardening. Visitors are invited to go along and enjoy the walled garden on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays from 10am to 4pm. Their website is www.theheritagegarden.com/ Tel: 086 409 5763. Pictured: Fuki Yoshida, Jean Burtchaell, Bernard Quinn, and Kevin Corr in the Heritage Garden. Photo by Leeza Kane.
GATE DISPUTE AT THE GREEN
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By Rúairí Conneely n Monday October 7th Dublin City Council workers arrived and cut the gate away from the south east length of the wrought iron railings that surround Sandymount Green. An impromptu protest established itself as word spread about the action. Previously, Sandymount Tidy Towns Association (STTA) had been engaged in negotiations, involving local Council representatives and the Parks Division, about the preservation and maintenance of the railings and the gates. Joe McCarthy, of the Tidy Towns Committee, explained that the wrought iron railings surrounding the green are “around 200 hundred years old. Wrought iron like this is no longer massmanufactured, so the railings and gates of the Green are of considerable worth in their own right. They are antiques.” Council representatives removed the gate as the culmination of an agenda based on health and safety concerns. The heavy iron gates were considered a risk:
heavy and difficult to open and close. The Council proposed to replace all the gates with steel replicas, on a spring-loaded hinge for automatic closing. STTA decided to mount their own programme of research, contacting the Bushy Park Ironworks, an artisan blacksmiths, who consulted on restoration and preservation provisions. STTA submitted a report to Parks and Recreation in April of this year, asserting among other things that the sprung-hinge steel gates were impractical for the elderly or the disabled and potentially dangerous to children. Instead, a restoration and upgrade was proposed, at an approximate cost of €30,000 to €40,000. STTA offered to raise half of this cost themselves. In light of these negotiations,
the decision to forcibly remove the gates without reaching agreement is seen by locals who were in attendance as running roughshod over the wishes of the community. Also present was Labour Councillor Maria Parodi, who explained that to the best of her knowledge, the matter had not been brought before South East City Council for debate. The risk on the day was the fate of the severed gate. Left chained to the railings, it was at risk from any opportunistic metal thieves. A local business offered to house the gate for safekeeping. Following extensive outreach to inform councillors, the gate was restored to its position on Thursday 10th. The Tidy Towns Committee intend to pursue the matter under the European Commission’s Arrhus Convention, which states an unincorporated body can challenge a governing body in court over their right to participate in their local environment. Pictured: Impromptu protest at Sandymount Green. Image courtesy Esmonde Kelly.
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
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DCC NOTES Compiled by Liam Cahill POOLBEG COSTS Dublin City Council allegedly paid two PR firms €200,000 a month in fees for work concerning the Poolbeg Incinerator. Earlier last month, the European Commission asked Dublin City Council to kill a pricey contract concerning the incinerator. The contract, which concerns advice and representative services, was billed to come in at €8.3
million – it turns out it has cost the Council €30 million. “This payment was supposed to have ceased in May, as far as we’re aware the payment is still continuing at €200,000 a month,” said Fine Gael Cllr. Paddy McCartan. In 2001, Dublin City Council signed contracts with RPS – a consultancy company and with a firm called COWI, another international consultancy firm who undertake the same job as RPS. “We should call a halt
now to the Poolbeg Incinerator,” said Labour Cllr. Dermot Lacey. “We need to develop and enhance Dublin Bay, not develop it for more industrial/incinerator use.” Cllr. McCartan said he will be putting a question to the Dublin City Council in its December meeting where he’ll ask if the contract was terminated and probe how much has been paid since February. Dublin City Council failed to comment about the allegations.
TRAFFIC ISSUES Cllr. McCartan raised an issue regarding disabled parking spots in Sandymount and asked for it to be brought to the attention of the Council. On another point, he said ramps on Pigeon House Road are slightly dangerous. “There is absolutely no reason for that degree of ramp,” said Cllr. McCartan. Cllr. Lacey said it’s time fellow councillors sat around a table with residents to “stitch together” a final solution to the traffic problems around Dublin 4 and the South East Area. On a separate question, Cllr. McCartan requested that Dublin City Council install speed limit signs on the Sean Moore Road in Ringsend. Dublin City Council said the speed limit on the road is 50km per hour and referred the matter to the Area Traffic Engineer for consideration.
Cllr. Jim O’Callaghan of Fianna Fáil asked Dublin City Council if the Strand Road, located in Sandymount could be considered for resurfacing and if a three-tonne limit can be applied to the road. Dublin Council said they had no budget to cover such a resurfacing in 2013’s budget but said the Strand Road could be considered for the 2014 budget. The Traffic Advisory Group will examine a proposal for a three-tonne limit. DRAINAGE ISSUES Cllr. McCartan put a motion to the City Council meeting requesting information relating to the Dodder Flood Relief works. He asked when the Dodder wall will be completed in Ballsbridge and if the flood preventions around Merrion Cricket Club can go ahead. Dublin City Council is still drafting a reply. Above: Sandymount Strand.
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House Sales/Purchases Re-mortgages & Commercial Property Family Law Wills/Probate/Estate-Planning Employment Law District Court & Road Traffic Offences
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NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
THE LAND OF HEART’S DESIRE
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By Noel Twamley n 20 Oct 2013 The Sunday Times ran a special section on the best places to live in Dublin and Ireland. Dublin 4 residents were delighted when Sandymount was declared best place to live in Dublin and Sligo won as best place to live in Ireland. I concur with the above 100%. My family and I have being visiting Sligo for 14 years; it’s like a home from home. As on any Irish holiday, when it rains there have to be things to do and Sligo has loads. There are golf courses, a horse racing track, swimming and surfing
at Strandhill beach, GAA clubs and the Sligo Rovers stadium. For folks who have an artistic bent there’s the Hawk’s Well Theatre, The Factory Performance Space and The Model art gallery. For all well-heeled Dublin 4 folk, you can shop all week, bring your plastic friend and call into Quayside shopping centre, it is an Aladdin’s cave of shops or for more high-end shopping call into Johnsons Court, a mini Dundrum shopping centre. Last July, along with our dear friends Martin and Kitty Doyle, we visited Tobernalt Holy Well, which is about three miles from Sligo city. I was astounded when I saw this well in a primeval forest. Tobernalt well has been in existence since 3,000 years BC, when it was used by the first Irish people as a pagan holy place. We walked along many pathways and found the mass rock from pagan times further on. The main altar is hacked out of a stone cliff face. We followed the well water as it ran into Lough Gill, which is arguably the most beautiful lake in Ireland.
We also visited the Ox Mountains in west Sligo which are the oldest mountains in Europe. They were formed in the Precambrian period, nine hundred million years ago. Yes folks, that’s 900,000,000 years, wow! Our own sugarloaf mountain near Dublin is a mere teenager at six hundred million years. Next time I have delusions of grandeur I shall read the above and wake up to reality. Ireland’s greatest poet WB Yeats, born in Sandymount, like myself fell in love with Sligo and its fine people. His Paean to Sligo ‘The Land of Heart’s Desire’ is now used
by the tourist board to promote “Sensational Sligo”. Yeats repeatedly told his wife that when he died she was to bury him under Benbulben’s head, in Sligo. In 1939 he died in Menton, France and he was buried at Roquebrune Cemetery in France from 1939 – 1948. In 1948 both France and British Navies kindly offered to bring his body home to Ireland but the Irish government instead sent our flag ship L.E Maeve to France. The Yeats family were offered a state funeral and burial in Christ Church, Dublin, but they brought the body to Sligo for burial. Written on Yeats’
BRUSH UP YOUR ART SKILLS
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By Leeza Kane ould you like to learn new skills in art or brush up on your current skills? A small private art studio in Sandymount offers kids, students and adults of all levels the chance to do just that in a warm, friendly and inviting atmosphere with oil painting, drawing, sculpture and more. There’s an unlimited amount of materials that can be used in art and students are encouraged to take their own approach. “Someone might want to do portraits, another focus on drawing, watercolour or oils, while kids are often drawn to clay sculpture, drawing mosaic and paper marbling,” says Triona Sweeney (pictured) who runs Sandymount School of Art and is first and foremost a painter. She studied at NCAD (National College of Art and Design) and worked as a teacher at C.U.S (Catholic University School). “I had this vision of teaching art, not just the technique but observing and interpreting in a person’s own style.” Classes are small and people can
treat the studio as their own space and everyone is given individual attention. “It’s not a group presentation so what I am doing is going around to each individual and working with them from the start.” Students of Leaving and Junior Cert or those wishing to enter third level can improve on academic studies and portfolio preparation. Triona also holds unique art birthday parties for kids where they
tombstone in Drumcliff is his lovely sonnet: “Cast a cold eye On life, on death. Horseman, pass by!” My own favourite words of Yeats which I am certain is his tribute to the people of Sligo is “There are no Strangers here only friends you haven’t yet met.” So hail and farewell to WB Yeats, sleep easy under Benbulbin’s Head. Finally may I wish all NewsFour readers a merry Christmas and a super new year. Above: Evening on Benbulben.
Left: Watersports at Rosses Point Photos by Eugene Carolan. can choose an art activity along with party food. In its seventh year, the school has its annual Christmas exhibition on 11th of December to celebrate the achievements of the artists. Classes are on-going and people can join at any time during the year. “There are people who came to the very first class and are still coming here today,” says Triona. www.sandymountart.ie Phone: 6678023. Photo by Leeza Kane.
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
THE GREEN SCENE
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By James O’Doherty s the year grows old and December days grow shorter, we accept the onset of winter as an inevitable part of nature’s course. The foliage is gone from the trees and now is the time to admire the lovely colours of the bark as they glow in the low winter sun. Though the weather is unpredictable at this time of year, there is still work to be done in the garden. Take the opportunity to check and maintain your machines and tools and equipment.
Give a good general cleanup of garden sheds, paths and driveways. This is a good time to plant apple and pear trees, raspberries and currants. Prune blackcurrants and deciduous trees, except the plum tree. In a sheltered spot sow beetroot, lettuce, turnips. You can plant tulip bulbs in January. Give your lawn a winter feed. In mild weather, grass will grow, so raise the blades and mow away. Plant bare-rooted hedges and shrubs from December to March. Plant shallots and
Above: Santa arrives in Donnybrook to turn on the lights on the Donnybrook Christmas tree on the 1st of December. Below: Michael Grant from Renualt sponsors Bridge United FC with new kit bags and uniforms.
garlic. Create a heather paradise for all-year-round colour. Start with erica carnea and remember small conifers make great companions for heathers. Prune late-flowering clematis. Plant your winter pots and window boxes. Use ornamental cabbage, winter pansies, cyclamen, polyanthus and also some evergreen for a winter show. Evergreens are manifestations of the plant world in winter when all seems dead. The holly is cheerful with berries and the pampas grass sways gently in the wind. All variegated plants come into their own to brighten our winter scene. Once again, it is time to select your Christmas tree. There are many synthetic imitations out there but for me nothing is quite the same as the real Christmas tree. I recommend you select from the following – nordmann fir with its lovely shape and dark needles or the best of all – noble fir, with a good shape, and blue spruce. There is also the real Christmas tree introduced into England by Prince Albert in the early nineteenth century – the Norway spruce. Make sure you secure your tree properly, keep it away from fire and heating appliances. Put the lights on first then decorations and remember to unplug these at night and when leaving the house. Christmas week is the ideal time to put up your tree. It will last longer over the festive season. Of course, it wouldn’t be Christmas without the beautiful poinsettia, the flower
PAGE 25 of holy night, brightening up your homes. This Christmas plant dislikes draughts and radiators, let it dry out then thoroughly water it. Give it good light and feed it every ten days with tomato feed and mist the leaves daily. Other plants to consider are cyclamen. Keep these out of direct sunlight, do not overwater but keep the soil damp and water from the bottom. Christmas cherry likes to stand in a tray of damp gravel and mist it occasionally with lukewarm water. Remember its berries are toxic. The beautiful peace lily should be kept away from bright light and again should be misted regularly. Azalea, which is a big favourite, likes a cool bright room. Plunge its pot in water until it is well soaked and mist it often. Feed it with an azalea fertiliser. Some pots of daffodils and hyacinths are nice at this time of year. Remember the volume of humidity in the air influences the health of your plants, so water them carefully. Use branches of the lovely rosemary for a beautiful scent. So we are in the winter months and the shortest day is fast approaching but spring is just around the corner. Soon we will greet the delicate snow drops, the Algerian Irish, the golden caps and the white aconites of the witch hazel. So that’s the garden and the festive plants taken care of. Let me share some after dinner Christmas trivia with you: • The Christmas turkey originated in Mexico almost four hundred years ago.
• St. Francis of Assisi introduced the first crib back in the twelfth century. • Carol singing goes back to the thirteenth century with Jingle Bells composed in 1757. • There are at least three towns in the United States called Santa Claus. • The traditional twelve days of Christmas begins at sundown on December 24th and finishes at sundown on January 5th. • In New York, the Empire State Building tower lights are turned off at midnight but are illuminated until 3 am on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. So now you know the answers to the questions in the Christmas crackers! Above left: Nordman Christmas trees. Above: Poinsettia.
fir
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NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
THE END OF YEAR
PICTURE ROUNDUP
Above: Christmas tree on O’Connell Street, Dublin. Below: Christmas lights on Grafton Street, Dublin.
Historical Walk around Ringsend and Irishtown. Paul O’Brien, centre, tells this group about the history of St. Matthew’s Church and how it was used by smugglers who hid stolen goods in the vaults beneath the church.
Mr. Tilly with his wonderful Christmas lights on Bath Avenue. As always, all donations to his collection bucket are going to Our Lady’s Hospice and Care Service, Harold’s Cross and Blackrock. Photo by Leeza Kane.
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
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Top left: The Lord Mayor of Dublin Oisin Quinn with Katie Taylor as they announce the fight between Katie and Melissa Parks from the US as part of her Road to Rio preperations.
Above: Lord Mayor of Ringsend and Irishtown Brian Betts and Paddy McCartan stand outside the Bottle Makers Hall in Ringsend, after spending the last year and a half lobbying to have the old building and its grounds tidied up. Since there was no one in the building the front had become overgrown and they feared it would become a dumping ground, but now since it has been cleaned up it shows what a wonderful piece of architecture it really is.
Below: The community crèche are holding a raffle this Christmas. First prize is the wardrobe for the Christmas raffle prize which carpenter Billy Brophy has donated. Five tickets can be bought for €5 from the crèche in Ringsend and Irishtown Community Centre. The raffle will be held in December. Bottom left: Christmas lights in Sandymount circa 1991.
Left: This picture comes from Bridget Mooney. Top row, left to right: Jimmy Kelly, Willie Behan, Paddy Quinlan, ?, Tommy Barry, Micky Barry, Harry Murray. Bottom row: James Redmond, ?, Charlie Sheridan, ?, ?
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NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
Memories of JFK’s visit to Ireland
THE KENNEDY LEGACY
Compiled by Liam Cahill “My mother was expecting the birth of my sister Mary, so she sent me into town to Clerys to get some nappies. There was a big crowd on O’Connell Street and when I asked what was going on they said that Kennedy would be passing by soon. I climbed up onto one of the large window ledges of Clerys to get a good view. Kennedy’s car came along but was gone in a flash. I glimpsed him for a few seconds as he waved to the crowd. So a simple errand into town resulted in me witnessing a historic occasion. My sister was born on the 27th of June and that day Kennedy’s helicopter flew over our house on his way to Wexford.” George Curry from Pigeon House Road, Ringsend now living in New Zealand. “All I remember is his teeth, he had these beautiful white teeth and brown skin; he looked like somebody from the movies, a Hollywood star if you will. I was standing right next to him in the Phoenix Park when his car turned and he waved. It was a pretty amazing moment. A few months later, while working for the Corporation, I found out he had been killed. Everyone came to our house because we had the only TV on the road at the time.” Billy Cahill from Ballyfermot, Dublin. “It was such a wonderful time for a 16 year old in Dublin, the whole thing was like magic. We were so innocent. This great man, tanned, tall, beautiful white teeth, standing up at the back of the car waving to everyone, beautiful wife standing beside him (we had no knowledge at that time of his history). It was like a dream come true for a 16 year old. The town was crowded, you couldn’t get a place to stand and everyone just wanted to be part of this great day. I can remember the sun shining and we cheered and waved as if he saw each and every one of us. He brought a breath of fresh air to a somewhat drab existence of Dublin in 1963.” Una Waldron from Skerries.
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By Liam Cahill ovember 22nd marked the 50th anniversary of the death of President Kennedy, which has left a lasting mark upon American politics and spawned a collection of books that could quite easily fill any library. As some notable authors have written – including the Executive Editor of The New York Times, Jill Abramson – people are interested in the assassination of the President, but what about the man behind the myth? Kennedy was a man who preferred small gatherings when discussing political strategy or issues. He was easily bored, used legal pads to jot down items of importance and gave impassioned pleas about how to win. Almost a year before the Presidential election of 1960, and before he had even clinched the nomination of his party, an important step to being elected, Kennedy – dressed in a sports jacket, slacks and loafers – spelled out his winning strategy to some of his closet advisors. He pulled out a map of the US, paused every now and then for brief observations and went on for several hours. This was very much the Kennedy style; calm, clear, precise, wellread, educated, and articulate. Forget about the barrage of books and rumours of sexual escapades in the White House, the man had substance and style. Those who worked closely with him remarked upon his character. “I came to marvel at his ability to look at his own strengths and weaknesses,” said Theodore C. Sorensen (a special assistant to Kennedy) in his biography of the President titled
simply Kennedy. Sorensen was one of the closet aides to Kennedy. As his Chief Speech Writer and Special Assistant, he would be influential on delivering the Kennedy voice to millions of Americans. Kennedy had “so quietly penetrated individual lives; no one realised how much he had changed things until his time was over,” said Arthur M. Schlesinger (another special assistant to the President) in his Pulitzer Prize winning book A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in The White House. Kennedy’s political career began in 1946 when he ran for Congress and held the seat for six years, followed closely by a Senate seat, then President. His presidency started in an era of heightened anxiety over communism and the ongoing threat of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. There was the Bay of Pigs in 1961, an aborted attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro, who had risen to power in the bid to bring revolution. The CIA had been involved in arming and prepping Cuban commandos. When it became clear the plan needed American military assistance, despite Kennedy’s many refusals, he remarked “They were sure I’d give into them, well they had me figured all wrong.” There was the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, which led Kennedy to threaten military force if Soviet missiles were not removed from Cuba. Kennedy would turn to a more domestic agenda in 1963, ploughing ahead to pass his Civil Rights legislation, which had been stuck in congress from the moment he drafted
the bill in 1961 until his death. In the summer of 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. indicated to Kennedy that he had wished to march on Washington. Kennedy was reluctant for the march, not because he didn’t firmly believe in civil rights, but because he feared violence on the streets of the nation’s capital. Turning to an aide he said “They’re going to shit all over the Washington Monument.” On the day of the March, Kennedy had the windows in the White House opened so he could hear King’s speech and see the millions of people who turned out. He watched the speech on a small black and white TV and remarked “Jesus Christ, that’s a terrific speech.” “JFK was a possibility that got thwarted,” said Fr. Thomas Murphy an Associate Professor of History at Seattle University. “His story will always fascinate Americans. If you look at other Presidents who died in office, especially Lincoln and FDR, they died at moments of great accomplishment – their deaths did not thwart their legacies.” By late autumn of 1963, he had signalled a willingness to engage with the Soviet Union on a joint manned space mission, he had worked back channels to get Castro on a more peaceful path, he said he wanted out of Vietnam and expressed his willingness to run and win in the upcoming 1964 election, which is why he decided to travel to Dallas. The rest is as they say history. Above: President Kennedy at Dublin Airport at the beginning of his Irish visit. Photo by Gerry O’Dea.
“It was a pretty cloudy day, I was only 16 and on my way to a dance when I’d seen the crowds gather to welcome the President. I had seen his black car and he was standing as he turned onto O’Connell Street waving. He had the best-looking teeth I’ve ever seen in a man. A few months later I was on my way to a dance – again – and my Dad said ‘You won’t be going anywhere, the President was killed.’ I have never seen so many people cry in all my life.” Mary Keeley, Ballyfermot Dublin. “I saw him and I nearly didn’t see him. We lived in Limerick at the time and it was Saturday and the milkman called for his weekly payment and asked, ‘why aren’t you out at the racecourse, President Kennedy will be there?’ I banged the door in the poor man’s face, shouting at my husband and young children to get into the car, ‘we’re off to see the President.’ We got there and joined the throng. When I saw him I just gazed because I had never seen anyone like him before. Tall and tanned, with a white, flashing smile and suddenly we parted like Moses parted the sea, and he walked up the steps to a platform. Then he spoke in his Boston accent telling us with a wide smile that he didn’t think he’d make it because he didn’t think he’d survive the Dublin traffic. We laughed. When his speech ended he came down amongst us and a thousand hands stretched out and mine was amongst them. He didn’t shake it, but his warm brown hand brushed off it.” Kathleen O’Connor, Glenageary, Co. Dublin.
When Gerry O’Dea captured JFK Having joined the Dublin Camera Club at 19, Gerry O’Dea developed a love for documentary photography. When President Kennedy arrived at Dublin Airport in Air Force One (above) on 26 June 1963, Gerry was on hand to capture the now-historic photos on this page. Gerry was also present when Kennedy was entertained at Iveagh House on St Stephen’s Green. He recalls there was a massive crowd of 500,000 in the area and JFK did not come out until 12.30 am. He leaned across the bonnet of his car and attempted to leave it, saying “I want to meet my people,” to the consternation of the Secret Service, who unceremoniously bundled him back in while the Gardaí cleared a path through the crowd towards Harcourt Street. Now retired, Gerry is busier than ever with several interests, but photography remains an enduring passion. He is a member of Dublin Documentary Group, five specialists in street photography, and is regularly on photoshoots about the city. Gerry is especially proud of a recent acclaimed photo project he did on people coping with disabilities. Above: Service staff leave Air Force One from the front, while JFK is foremost on top of the rear steps. President Eamon de Valera and Taoiseach Seán Lemass are among the group to the right of the rear steps.
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
BONFIRES ON NEW YEAR’S EVE
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By Gay Byrne ew Ye a r ’s Eve w a s c r a z y. A l l t h e gangs from the area would go gathering materials for the bonfires. They would collect pallets, wooden crates, tyres and anything else that w o u l d b u r n . T h e Vi l l a s , Whelan House, O’Rahilly House, G e o rg e Reynolds, Stella Gardens, St B r e n d a n ’s C o t t a g e s , P e m broke Cottages and the Pigeon House Roads would all have their own fires. Sometimes, if the gang h a d n ’t gotten enough s t u ff t o b u r n t h e y w o u l d r o b s o m e o n e e l s e ’s . I t g o t v e r y r o u g h w h i c h I d i d n ’t c a r e f o r, s o I h i d a l o t while there were running battles on the streets. One night, word filtered back that Stella Gardens a n d G e o rg e R e y n o l d s w e r e g o i n g t o a t t a c k t h e Vi l l a s
a n d r o b a l l t h e s t u ff w e ’ d gathered. Some of the older lads were ready for them. They took up fighting positions. I went into my typical fighting mode. I h i d i n m e M a ’s b e d room. P e e r i n g o u t t h e w i n d o w, I could see one of our lads hiding behind a huge tree outside Number 45, hurley in hand. A lad came down from Irishtown; I think it was my cousin Billy – me D a ’s s i s t e r ’s s o n f r o m G e o rg e R e y n o l d s H o u s e . When he passed the tree the older lad stepped out and smacked him across t h e f a c e w i t h t h e h u r l e y. He collapsed in a heap in the street; I collapsed in a heap in the bedroom. “Blood is thicker than wat e r, ” s a y s I , h i d i n g u n d e r the bed. A n o t h e r y e a r, w e w e r e collecting and we were
PAGE 29 expecting the usual raid. One of the older lads, Joe E a r l y, a s k e d m e i f I w o u l d like to go to the pictures. I was undecided – should I s t a y o r s h o u l d I g o . We c h o s e t o g o t o a N o rm a n Wi s d o m m o v i e a n d laughed from start to finish. When we got home, the bonfire was just about ready to be lit. I had ducked the fighting with my good looks intact for a n o t h e r y e a r. Mr McBryan was the master of ceremonies. All the men would be drunk and singing. The younger men would be drunk and fighting. McBryan would lead us all in Auld Lang Syne and great fun would be had when the fighting w a s o v e r. W h e n w e g o t u p the next day the fire would s t i l l b e s m o u l d e r i n g . We ’ d get it started again the next day and keep it going for days. Soon we would be fed up and that would b e t h a t f o r a n o t h e r y e a r. This in an extract from G a y B y r n e ’s b o o k I s i t D a r k Ye t M a ?
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NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
ARTIST IN PROFILE: SUEANN MOORE
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By Leeza Kane rom her flat in Countess Markievicz House, painter Sueann Moore (pictured) transforms her front room into an artist’s studio, using her coffee table as her easel, kids running in and out and neighbours knocking in as she paints. Sueann’s paintings are based around the theme of memory. She recreates buildings and scenes from the area – that are gone or have changed from their original state – using memories of family and friends who recount the architecture, shape and significance of these places. One family member is Sueann’s dad who guided her through his memory of the now demolished gasometer. Sueann says “That was the biggest landmark in Ireland at one point and it’s now the site of the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre. The old gasometer is almost echoed by The Conference Centre across the river, in its size and shape.” A native of the area, she was a self-taught artist until she decided to enrol on an art course in Roslyn College. Now qualified,
she remembers her first time walking into the studio there “When I walked in I was like Charlie in the chocolate factory when he walks into the warehouse full of sweets.” Sueann has a deep interest in history and her influences go back to the preRaphaelite painters John William Waterhouse and Arnold Bocklin. She admires the macabre and mysterious quality of their work which impacts on her own paintings. Sueann has her first exhibition in Pearse Street library, from the 9th to 31st of January called ‘Dockland Days’. Viewers will be brought on an historical journey through paintings of the Docklands and surrounding areas. To enter into a competition to win a painting by Sueann Moore go to www.facebook.com/SueannMooreArtist. Her work is availble on www.newirishart.com Above: Sueann in her home. Photo by Leeza Kane.
MATTHEW BEHAN’S STILL RUNNING
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By Leeza Kane oung Sandymount athlete Matthew Behan’s star is on the rise as he continues to win at running and hurdle races in Leinster and around the country. A 16 year old fifth-year student at
CUS (Catholic University School), Matthew’s two main interests are 100 and 400-metre hurdles. His achievements include Gold Medal in 400 metre hurdles at the All Ireland Tailteann Inter-provincial Schools 2013 and Leinster Cham-
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COLLIDE DANCE ACADEMY
By Donna Dunne shling Wo o d s Larkin started Collide Dance Academy in 2005 in the Enfield Community Hall with just six students before moving her classes to Ringsend. Thanks to her devotion and dedication, the academy has received numerous awards over the last eight years including the Dublin Bus Community Development Award, The Aviva Stadium Recognition Award, many Dublin Docklands Young Achiever Awards and also Hip Hop titles in the All Ireland International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA) Dance Championships. Collide’s success now sees the commencement of classical ballet classes in St. Patrick’s Boys School in Ringsend, a first for the area. Ashling trained in ballet from the age of four at Scoil Mhuire in Sandymount and went on to vocational training at Inchicore College. She gained qualifications with two of the world’s biggest teaching organisations, the IDTA and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) and trained in Vienna upon gaining a scholarship to the Impulstanz, the Vienna International Dance Festival. Ashling tells NewsFour, “Ballet in Ring-
pion for 100-metre hurdles 2013. He was placed on (AAI) Athletics Association of Ireland emerging talent squad for Leinster 2012/2013. Matthew trains with his club Crusaders based in Irishtown Stadium and also runs for CUS. Matthew spent a year of intense practice on his lead leg (the one that goes over the hurdle before the body) aided by his coach Maria Hetherington. He is driven by his love of sport, he says “I love being out there and doing it, I just find it a good way to get a release from everything but mainly I love running, being active and fit. Matthew trains three times per week for two hours, two times after school and on a Saturday. Although he doesn’t follow a strict diet, he avoids crisps and his mother Deborah makes sure he is well-fed to keep his energy levels high and his nutrition well balanced. Usain Bolt is his favourite athlete and he looks up to world champion American hurdler David Oliver. With the help of his parents, he has a well-organised routine in place for his sports and life balance. “My parents support me all the way, they bring me to every event I have to go to and they are there watching me always.” Winning is definitely on Mat-
send is something I have always dreamed of doing. I believe in Ringsend and all its character and I believe the children of Ringsend and surrounding areas deserve the very best in dance
education.” Ashling is extremely proud of her students and says, “I am beyond proud to have international standard hip hop classes with a world hip hop semi-finalist teacher and now ballet classes in my own community. Mr Booth in St Patrick’s Boys School has been instrumental in this big step for me. To do what I believe is my vocation and not my job, in my own community to such a high standard is an absolute honour and I cannot thank all my students and parents enough for their ongoing support. I would also like to wish all my stars and their families a very merry Christmas and a fabulous new year.” For more info: collidedanceacademy@gmail.com or find them on Facebook Above: (left to right) Lillie, Nicole, Sophie, Nevaeh, Aoibheann and Autumn Rose all ready for class.
thew’s agenda and he has a deadly competitive streak, not just in sports, “even a game of tiddly winks gets Matthew going”, his father Liam jokes. Before a race Matthew gets into the “zone” by taking a few minutes aside to warm up and he is driven by the idea of
being successful in sports. Does Matthew have advice for young athletes out there? “Yes, persistence, just keep at it and it will come together for you”. Above: Matthew Behan in action. Photo courtesy Liam Behan.
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
D4 LOCAL SCULPTURE EXPLAINED
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By Leeza Kane ave you ever stopped and watched the time set by the James Joyce solar pillar sculpture along Sandymount Strand? In bygone times, James Joyce himself walked the promenade making his observations that featured in Ulysses. He describes character Stephen Dedalus walking along the strand with his boots “crush, crackling, wrack” on the shells and as he strides along, the thought “open your eyes” intrudes into his mind. It’s Stephen Dedalus who ponders, “Am I walking into eternity along Sandymount Strand”, and perhaps artist Cliodna Cussen had a similar thought when she created a sculpture in dedication to Joyce. The sculpture resembles a single large open quotation mark with an accompanying second smaller square of stone,
yards away with the words inscribed An Gallán Gréine do James Joyce which translates as ‘A Solar Pillar for James Joyce’. The sculpture is arranged so that every year at winter solstice on the 21st of December when the sun rises, a ray of light appears to align itself along the two elements of the sculpture. It was unveiled on a winter’s day in December 1983 by Lord Mayor Michael Keating on behalf of Dublin City Council. An Cailín Ban stands high on north Sandymount Strand. This was created by Mexican artist Sebastian, who was born Enrique Carbajal González in 1947 and took on his pseudonym after Botticelli’s painting of St. Sebastian. Based in Mexico City where he has numerous sculptures, his work also features all over the world in
PAGE 31 places such as Germany, Sweden, Norway, Canada, Columbia, Japan and here in Dublin. His sculptures are monumental in stature and mainly made of steel and concrete. The sculpture on Sandymount Strand is the first work to be permanently placed here by a Mexican artist. It was erected in 2002 by Dublin City Council and presented by the then-Lord Mayor of Dublin, Dermot Lacey. It was donated by the Mexican government president Vincente Fox as a gesture of friendship between Mexico and Ireland. Originally called Geisha because of its shape, Sebastian himself renamed it to An Cailín Ban (The Fair Haired Girl). Harmony in Pearse Park, off Pearse Street, is a sculptural figure blowing a trumpet and set in a backdrop of urban residential houses in
this Georgian garden square, close to the city centre. This sculpture was erected to mark the opening of the newly refurbished park in 1998 by Dublin Corporation and was created by Sandra Bell. Before the refurbishment, there once was a bandstand where the sculpture now stands at 3.5 metres tall, the symbolic trumpet joining the past with the present as the figure aspiringly points towards the skies. In the Docklands, The Linesman is a bronze life-size sculpture of a man pulling on a rope and it represents a time when merchant ships docked in the river Liffey. Created by Dony MacManus, this sculpture was a winning entry into a public art competition organised by Dublin Docklands Development Authority as part of a major rejuvenation of the area. It was unveiled in February 2000 and
is located on City Quay between two notable bridges, the Talbot Memorial, which commemorates members of the Dublin Brigade who died in the War of Independence and the Sean O’Casey Bridge. Public sculpture is alive and well in the capital city and if we keep our eyes open to our surroundings we may be surprised by the interesting artworks and the stories behind the sculptures, there for our observation. Pictures from left: An Cailín Ban, by Sebastian, on Sandymount Strand. Photo by Ross Waldron. A Sundial For James Joyce, by Cliodhna Cussen, on Sandymount Strand; Harmony, by Sandra Bell in Pearse Square, off Pearse Street; The Linesman by Dony MacManus. Photos by Leeza Kane.
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SAVE RAINWATER, SAVE MONEY
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By Rúairí Conneely he recent water supply issues affecting Dublin seem to most people to be both disgraceful and painfully ironic, given that Ireland is worldrenowned as one of the rainiest places to live in Western Europe. The long, hot summer of 2013 has diminished reservoirs across the country, and replenishing the supplies has introduced novel problems for filtrations and purification. The disruption to water supplies this October and November echoed similar, considerably more critical shortages in Galway in 2007. A water filtration plant in Terryland – which supplied 30% of the region’s running water – was identified as the source for an outbreak of intestinal parasites. A notice was issued, advising people to boil all tap water before consuming or washing, which stayed in effect for the length of that summer. At the time, publications such as Business and Finance characterised Dublin as being one heat wave away from
a serious water shortage, and this year was the year. Fortunately, a new era of ecotechnologies is underway. NewsFour spoke with Denis Sheehy of the Clare-based Cloudbrook Water Company which specialises in supplying and constructing on-site infrastructure for rainwater capture and purification, servicing domestic, business or agricultural needs. Denis explained that the basis of what would become the company came from his professional background as an
architect. “I was very conscious that retro-fitting a rain harvesting system on a house would cost around €10,000, and that would only provide water for the toilets. So we got thinking, how can we do this so that 100% of the water that falls on a roof provides 100% of the water of the household, including the drinking water. Rainwater harvesting is one response to the on-going infrastructural challenges, and the rising cost of running a home. The forthcoming water charges,
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014 which were formally declared in July this year, to be implemented by the end of 2014, are regarded as a necessary evil at best, and at worst as yet another tax-based imposition on struggling households. However, when this is mentioned to Denis of Cloudbrook Water Company, he raises a few complicating factors. “The situation here in Ireland is that we have the same type of filtration as the UK but worse infrastructure. In Dublin, the average cost of 1,000 litres is €2.50, in parts of the Midlands, it’s as much as €2.89. With rain harvesting, you can get the cost down to 90 cent per 1,000 litres, because rain water is easier to filter and purify than ground water extracted from aquifers.” He also points out that whatever rate the water charges start at, they will inevitably rise. He quotes from memory the European average cost of water for a household as being €620 to €680 per year. The old adage that there are no political solutions, only technological ones haunts the edge of this controversy. The bacte-
rial contamination in Galway was eventually guaranteed against happening again through the opening of an ultra-violet treatment facility, where water stores are sterilised through the use of high-frequency light emissions, an industrial-scale version of simpler methods used by relief agencies in the third world. With the imminent water charges contributing to a dire sense of the rising cost of getting by, the possibility of partially detaching your house from the dependence on State infrastructure can appear increasingly tempting. Affordability is an issue, of course: the tech doesn’t supply or install itself. How the State might incentivise mass adoption is still an under-addressed question – there is a Code for Sustainable Homes, which has arguably been neglected and underdeveloped since the bailouts created a governmental need for more taxation. As with many matters of urgent public concern these days, the initiative must be taken by the people. Above: Rainwater harvesting system at RICC. Photo by Leeza Kane.
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
BANKING ON BREAKFAST O
FIGHT THE FINANCIAL FEAR
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By Eric Hillis hanks to fears over our financial well-being, the holiday season can prove for many the most stressful time of year. Nobody wants to be seen as a scrooge and because of this we often indulge in spending we really can’t afford. While you may have scrimped and saved throughout the year, the run-up to Christmas can make you feel like you’re plunging deeper and deeper into a bottomless pit of debt from which escape seems impossible. You might feel alone in your circumstances but, in these tough economic times, a large proportion of the Irish public shares your plight. It may require a willingness to swallow your pride and admit the severity of your problems but help is accessible in the form of several organisations. MABS (Money Advice and Budgeting Service) provides a free advice service for those who are struggling with debt and general financial worries. They won’t give you a hand-out but they will provide you with the knowledge of how to better manage your budget and deal with your creditors. In recent years,
ster.charteredaccountants.ie
the staff at MABS have seen an increase in clients from traditionally financially-secure backgrounds, as those who are new to money worries are often the least equipped to deal with them on their own. Among the services provided by MABS is a budgeting tool that allows you to calculate your incomings and outgoings and work out a sensible budget to stick to. If you have debts that you are simply unable to repay, MABS can assist you in applying for personal insolvency under the recently passed Personal Insolvency Act, which provides applicants with three options depending on the amount of debt owed and your personal circumstances. MABS can be contacted online at www.mabs.ie or on their helpline, 0761 07 2000. If you’re a small business owner who can’t afford the services of an accountant, an organisation called CAVA (Chartered Accountants Voluntary Advice) exists to provide free advice on dealing with business-related financial issues. You can find CAVA online at www.lein-
Information on tax and entitlements (medical card, rent supplement etc) is provided by the Citizens Information Board, who can be reached on 0761 07 4000 or online at www.citizensinformation.ie. CIB also man a dedicated Mortgage Arrears Helpline on 0761 07 4050. The stress caused by financial worries can often have a negative impact on your mental health, causing many to spiral into depression. If you’ve been affected in this manner, the organisation AWARE exists to provide help and can be contacted at www.aware.ie or on their helpline, 1890 303 302. Should you find yourself living in poverty, the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul provides a range of services, including hot meals, from their nationwide resource centres. You can call them on 01 838 6990 or visit www.svp.ie to find your nearest centre. You may feel a stigma when it comes to asking for help but remember you’re not alone and all the organisations mentioned will deal with you in a non-judgmental and confidential fashion.
By Eric Hillis n the afternoon of Thursday October 10th, the staff at AIB’s Sandymount Road branch held a cake sale in order to raise funds for Cheerios’ Childline Breakfast 2013, a nationwide event that took place between October 7th and 13th. Rather than the morning, which is usually the quieter period for the bank, the event was held in the afternoon. Thanks to popular demand, AIB Sandymount’s Emma Martin made the decision to carry the sale over to the following day. When the donations were counted, (and the crumbs swept up), an impressive €340 had been raised in total. Some of the cakes had been baked by staff members of the bank and were so tempting that even one or two NewsFour staffers put their strict dietary regimes on hold and could be seen scoffing away in the corner of the bank (apologies if we left a mess). Emma decided on the cake sale after being contacted by Childline director Susie Halpin, who was reaching out to businesses regarding fundraising. Halpin told NewsFour, “I would like to sincerely thank the staff at AIB
PAGE 33 Sandymount for taking part in the Childline Breakfast this year. Every Euro goes towards answering another call from a child who has reached out and needs to be heard.” This year marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of Childline. Halpin told NewsFour that, while the phone line continues to provide an invaluable service, Childline are working on building an online presence to continue providing support for young people. The phone line is accessible 24 hours a day and Childline hope to soon be able to provide a similar round-the-clock service online. The organisation receives funding solely through public donations, which is why events like the one hosted by AIB Sandymount are so crucial. If you would like to host a Childline Breakfast, you can call 1850 50 40 50 to receive a registration pack. €2 donations can be made by texting BREAKFAST to 50300 and every cent goes directly to Childline. Pictured from left to right: Emma, Brenda, Cathryn and Niamh with their selection of cakes.
PAGE 34 SAVING MISTER BANKS Reviewed by Eric Hillis t’s 1961 and for the best part of two decades Walt Disney (Tom Hanks), following a pledge to his daughters, has attempted in vain to convince British-Australian author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) to part with the screen rights for her bestselling children’s novel Mary Poppins. With bankruptcy looming, Travers reluctantly takes the advice of her agent and travels to Hollywood to consult with the mogul. There, she spends two tumultuous weeks collaborating with scriptwriter Don DaGradi (Bradley Whitford) and composer/lyricist brothers Richard (Jason Schwartzman) and Robert Sherman (B.J. Novak), making life as difficult for the trio and Walt as she possibly can. During her time in Los Angeles (a city she describes as smelling of “chlorine and sweat”) Travers reminisces about her childhood in rural Australia. We see through flashbacks how she idolised her father (Colin Farrell), a romantic-natured
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NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014 alcoholic who drives his wife (Ruth Wilson) to attempt suicide. The parallels between Travers’ childhood and the content of her famous novel are made clear, underlining her reluctance to part with the rights. There are few figures in American popular culture as divisive as Walt Disney. Should we remember him as the movie mogul who brought joy to millions of cinemagoers through his work, or as the Nazi sympathiser who invited Leni Riefenstahl to America and attended meetings of the pro-Hitler German-American Bund? Unsurprisingly, given the film is distributed by Disney, Saving Mister Banks opts for the former. It’s a celebration of nostalgia, almost a counter-argument to Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, which advised its audience to enjoy the present because those who lived in the rosetinted past you romanticise about probably yearned themselves for an earlier era. Saving Mister Banks tells us it’s best to sugar-coat our memories and while it’s an argument you
may not find thoroughly convincing, the film makes one hell of a pitch. The direction of John Lee Hancock, a protégé of Clint Eastwood, is assured and confident but lightly handled, allowing his cast room to breathe but keeping the story visually interesting. There are moments of cine-literate
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brilliance Spielberg would be proud of, best of all a shot that reverses the famous image of Richard Widmark’s arrival on the cattle buffer of a train in 1962’s How the West Was Won, the young Travers disappearing into the smoke filled distance on the back of a train bound for an uncertain future. Later, a simple blink-and-you’ll-miss-it glimpse of Travers’ painted toenails provides us with more insight to her troubled psyche than any wordy monologue
WHAT MAKES A CHRISTMAS MOVIE?
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By Eric Hillis hristmas. For some it’s a time to reflect on the birth of Jesus. For others, it’s about spending quality time with the family (or pretending to enjoy the company of your in-laws). But if you’re a movie lover, the holiday season is all about bingeing-out on your favourite festive flicks while flopped on the couch like a pregnant hippo, preferably with a glass of mulled wine in one hand and a
box of extremely fattening chocolates within reach of the other. There are certain movies that have become perennial required seasonal viewing, yet often their thematic relations to the holiday season are pretty tenuous. The action classic Die Hard can usually be found on some channel on Christmas night but, while its action may take place on Christmas Eve, it’s a film distinctly lacking in seasonal spirit. Likewise Lethal Weapon; it may open with the classic Christmas tune Jingle Bell Rock but you won’t find much goodwill to all men in its plot. The man behind Lethal Weapon is screenwriter Shane Black, who seems to harbour an obsession with Christmas. He’s used the holiday season as the backdrop for his scripts for not just Lethal Weapon but also The Long Kiss Goodnight, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and this year’s massive hit Iron Man 3, none of which contain the sort of storylines you might associate with the season to be jolly. The Jimmy Stewart classic It’s a Wonderful Life may have become essential Christmas viewing, but
very little of the movie actually takes place during Christmas. The film has become associated with its joyous finale, which sees Stewart run through his town yelling “Merry Christmas” after learning how much his life means to others, but most of the running time is quite dark, detailing the breakdown of America during the great depression. Because of this, the film was a huge flop on its original theatrical release in 1946, failing to break even. Just a year after the end of World War II, American audiences weren’t interested in a reminder of dark times. Decades on, however, it’s become the film most associated with the Christmas holiday. Many of us like to use Christmas as an excuse to revisit our childhoods. This accounts for the everlasting popularity of movies like The Wizard of Oz and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Unthinkable as it seems now, both those movies, as with Wonderful Life, were titanic flops at the time of their release. Neither Oz nor Wonka has a Christmas setting and, given how creepy some of their content is, both
might. Thompson is outstanding in her role, as tough on the outside as she is brittle on the inside. Hanks seems born for the role of Uncle Walt and provides a calm counterpoint to his co-star’s more showy role. Paul Giamatti quietly steals his scenes as the put-upon chauffeur assigned to shuttle Travers around LA. If Mary Poppins was set in an England that possibly never existed, the same could be said for Saving Mister Banks portrayal of sixties “Gee Whiz” Americana. The characters are all improbably good-natured, considering they work in the notoriously cut-throat world of Hollywood (though compared to today’s numbers-obsessed Hollywood, the movie industry of the sixties was positively altruistic). If you can accept its schmaltz early on and allow yourself and the film to run with it, Saving Mister Banks is a movie as charming as the best of classic Disney. Pictured: Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson in Saving Mister Banks. are probably better suited for Halloween viewing. The Wicked Witch of the West often provides a child’s first experience of onscreen horror, and don’t even get me started on those damn flying monkeys. The munchkins may have been created to appeal to children but, as with Wonka’s Oompaloompas, they’re more likely to send your kids retreating in terror behind the sofa. If you sum up the plot of Willy Wonka you’ll see it’s essentially the story of a strange man who uses candy to lure children to their deaths. Yet TV programmers see fit to repeatedly schedule the film for Christmas morning. Bah humbug indeed! As you hit the sofa on Christmas afternoon, chances are you won’t be in the best physical or mental shape, so it helps to pick a movie with a lengthy running time, preferably one you’re familiar with. This means you can repeatedly nod off without worrying about missing important plot details. Epics like The Great Escape, Ben Hur and The Magnificent Seven are ideal movies to snore your way through, given their familiar plots and excessive length. So, what makes a perfect Christmas movie? The evidence would suggest it should be at least three hours long, a flop on its original release and terrifying for children. A 180-minutes extended cut of Willy Wonka sounds just right. Above is Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka and, left, Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West.
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
THE CHRISTMAS CULINARY CORNER R BY DONNA DUNNE
CHRISTMAS BAKED HAM IN COLA If you don’t have children to wake you up on Christmas day, then I hope your Christmas dinner will! Some of us must be up early to prepare for the family to arrive for the festive feast while others, like me, still live at home with their parents with no children to enlighten the day. The only thing that I get excited about on Christmas Day is the back-to-back episodes of Only Fools and Horses and the smell of my mother’s home-baked cooking. My mum is a fabulous cook and it’s no wonder I don’t want to leave home with dishes like this being served to me. Here’s one of her recipes to cook a scrumptious ham. Ingredients 2kg gammon, mild cure 1 onion, peeled and halved 2 litres of cola, not diet For the Glaze 15 cloves (optional) 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or golden syrup 2 tablespoons Dalkey mustard 2 tablespoons of golden sugar Place the gammon in a large pot of cold water and bring to the boil. Once boiled, pour off water and repeat the process. Skim off any impurities. Once drained, put the gammon back into the pot with the skin facing down. Add the onion and cola, soaking the gammon with the cola. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer. Put the lid loosely on the pot. Cook for approx. 2½ hours, one hour per kilo. If the meat came straight from the fridge it will need another 15 minutes to ensure the inside is cooked. Meanwhile pre-heat oven to 240C / Gas mark 9. Remove from the pot and reserve the cooking liquid. Allow ham to cool a little before handling. When cooled enough to handle, remove skin but leave a thin layer of fat. Score fat with a sharp knife, making large diamond shapes. Place a clove in each diamond if using. Then cover the skin with the cooking liquid which should have a syrupy consistency. Then gently cover the skin with the Dalkey mustard and sugar. Cook in a foil-lined roasting tin for 10 minutes or until the glaze is browned and bubbling!
CHOCOLATE ROULADE This is another great recipe that my mother bakes on special occasions. She has a collection of old and new recipes that I have rummaged through. The recipe book doesn’t even have a front cover, it’s torn, has phone numbers written everywhere and it looks as though it has been through a lot of meal times. It’s called Sister Ann’s Recipes. Jamie Oliver’s book hasn’t got a patch on it! This chocolate roulade is without a doubt in a world of its own. Not only is it delicious but it is also suitable for coeliacs. Ingredients 3 eggs separated 3ozs (75g) castor sugar 1oz (25g) Gluten free Cocoa powder Fillings 4ozs (110g) plain chocolate (gluten free) 2 tbsp. Water 1 egg separated ½ pt (275mls) fresh cream Icing sugar Make the chocolate filling first: melt the chocolate and water either in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water. When melted remove from the heat and beat well. Beat the egg yolk and mix into the warm chocolate mixture. Cover and chill until semi-solid and spreadable. Make the cake by whisking the egg yolks, sugar and cocoa until mixture thickens and is shiny and smooth. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites to a soft peak. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until fully absorbed. Pour the mixture onto a swiss roll tin lined with greaseproof paper. Preheat oven 180C / Gas Mark 4 Bake the roulade for 15-20 mins until springy and well-risen. Leave to cool in the tin. It will shrink as it cools then whip the cream. When cool turn out onto a sheet of greaseproof paper dusted with icing sugar to prevent sticking. Spread the chocolate filling over the roulade, then spread the whipped cream over the mousse. Finally, roll the cake bringing the greaseproof paper with you as you roll to keep the roulade together. Delicious served on its own, with icecream or fresh strawberries.
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The Heyday of Skiffle
By Ken Casey ock and roll was born in the mid-1950s and took off in a big way with the young generation. To them it was a modern form of jazz. They danced to it in the same way their parents danced to Dixieland, Boogie and Swing. For those with a feel for music, rock and roll was easy to play. Popularity and success followed. Critics and real musicians, with years of training and practice behind them, resented this. Then, in 1957, skiffle came along. Skiffle could be described as poor man’s rock and roll. A guy who could play a few chords on a guitar could form a group by persuading two friends to join him, one with a homemade box bass and the other with a washboard. For some of the professionals this was the last straw, their resentment came very close to hostility. In spite of this, several groups achieved such a level of acceptance and popularity that skiffle could not be ignored. Across the water, in England, skiffle groups were formed by people who later became big names, such as Lonnie Donegan, The Beatles and Cliff Richard. To keep their dancing patrons happy in the Dublin ballrooms some bandleaders, such as Jimmy Honeyman in the Olympic, Earl Gill in the Four Provinces and Johnny Butler in the Ballerina formed skiffle groups as an added attraction, using their own band members. Any small group which included a washboard and box bass was described as a skiffle group, no matter what they played. Scores of groups appeared out of nowhere and disappeared almost overnight. In Dublin, indeed in Ireland, the skiffle scene was dominated by a small number of groups. The Atoms, The Louisiana, The Domino (pictured above) and The Dave Kane Group. All four had been finalists in the skiffle Contest which was held in the Top Hat Ballroom in Dun Laoghaire in late ‘57 and early ‘58, the Atoms being the overall winners. The Atom Skiffle Group, under leader Paul Maguire, from Rathfarnham, was booked for the Theatre Royal on several occasions, and also performed at the prestigious Herald Boot Fund charity show in the Capitol Theatre. The Louisiana Group was formed in Leeson Street by Brian Brereton, with the help of his dad. Other members were the Drennan brothers, Willie Sunderland, Eddie Dalton and Sean Fagan. They performed around the city, mainly on the Southside. Many years later, Brian assisted his son in reforming and updating the group. The Domino Group was put together in Cabra. Their first shows were at the local Boys’ Club. Soon they too were moving around the city. Dave Kane, reportedly from Glasthule in south Dublin, led an outfit which went through several name and style changes. They appeared on the Theatre Royal as a rock and roll band in March, 1958.
We would like to wish all our customers a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year and thank you all for your support in 2013 Bob, Monica and Staff
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NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
DONNYBROOK: A HISTORY
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By Leeza Kane he room brimmed at Elm Park Golf Club with memb e r s , f a m i l y, f r i e n d s , h i s torians and local residents for the launch of Dr Beat r i c e D o r a n ’s b o o k D o n n y b ro o k : A H i s t o r y o n t h e 7 t h o f N o v e m b e r.
BOOKS
A long queue quickly formed to purchase a s i g n e d c o p y, p u b l i s h e d by The History Press. The book describes the people, places, buildings
and events in Donnybrook from the eighth century to t h e p r e s e n t d a y. The author Dr Beatrice Doran, is a native of Donnybrook and an academic librarian, having spent 21 years as the Director of the Library at the Royal C o l l e g e o f S u rg e o n s . T h i s
is her second book, the first one being The Histor y o f M u c k ro s s P a r k C o l lege. Launching the book was fellow Dublin 4 resident F e rg u s D a r c y, P r o f e s s o r in Modern History at UCD who said “the book is very impressive in its scope. It is a joy just to flick through its pages looking at the pictures, many memories will be revived or enriched by the disc u s s i o n o f D o n n y b r o o k ’s various spots, local and national institutions.” Beatrice describied D o n n y b r o o k w i t h a ff e c tion and said how much she enjoyed the research. She discovered, to her own surprise, that Beaver Row was named after a b e a v e r h a t f a c t o r y, t h a t up to three million people
attended the Irish Internat i o n a l E x h i b i t i o n i n H e rbert Park in 1907 and how the original Donnybrook Fair lasted for 600 years. She went on to thank guests, colleagues, libraries and a “most special thanks to the people of Donnybrook who contributed generously their time and memories to the book.” The book is available to buy in various shops and newsagents in the Dubl i n 4 a r e a a n d i n E a s o n ’s bookshop. P i c t u re d a b o v e , f ro m l e f t : P re s i d e n t o f t h e G o l f c l u b B re n d a n C a r r i g g , D r B e a trice Doran, Lady Captain o f t h e G o l f C l u b M a rg u e r i t e M a h e r a n d P ro f e s s o r F e rg u s D a rc y. Photo by Leeza Kane
A Social and Natural History of Sandymount, Irishtown and Ringsend
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Reviewed by Rúairí Conneely his anthology of essays and images proposes to do exactly what the title says: within its pages are 32 essays on the history and environment of the famed Dublin 4 neighbourhoods named in the title. A collaborative project, published in 1993, A Social and Natural History of Sandymount Irishtown and Ringsend embodies one of the pleasures of an anthology format: you can dip in and out as interest dictates, without ploughing through page upon page of material that simply doesn’t appeal. Curious about the stories behind place names in Ringsend? There’s an essay or two here for you. Ever wonder what that building was before it was the Guru Nanak Darbur (the Sikh Temple on Serpentine Avenue)? Its many guises throughout the years are in this volume. Of the two topics addressed in the title, social history is covered most extensively, with 23 essays covering subjects like the founding of the townships, the once-extensive bottle-making industry situated in Ringsend, James Joyce’s Sandymount and the history of Beggars Bush. Although locals will inevitably be aware of much of this local lore, there are always gaps to be filled between what’s anecdotal and what has been thoroughly researched. The latter part of the book is dedicated to a natural history of the area and is rich with detail concerning the flora and fauna of the Dodder and parks such as the Irishtown Nature Park and of course Herbert Park. One stand-out is Philip Doherty’s Birth of a Naturalist, an unpretentious memoir of the author’s youthful enthusiasm for nature. Philip is also notable for having provided the extensive illustrations of animals, wildflowers and well-known landmarks which feature throughout the book. There are also a generous number of maps and old photographs to supplement the social history section. If you’re a history geek or just want local curiosities made clear, this book is worth a look A Social and Natural History of Sandymount, Irishtown and Ringsend is available from the NewsFour offices, Books on the Green, Sandymount and ebay.ie
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
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FOXY MUSIC
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By Donna Dunne hen young people watch the likes of The X-Factor, they see a one-way ticket to fame and fortune but do they realise the actual slog that’s involved for these hard-working bands and why they persist? Asking a plumber to mend your dishwasher for free is something you would just not do and this is where the hard slog takes place for artists. There’s no money in becoming a musician, but they do it because of the love, the growth, the passion and the satisfaction they get when performing live. “I guess the hardest thing about being an original act is staying in love with the job and not giving up on it. We have been extremely lucky and have had brilliant experiences and we have great support and encouragement from our fans and families,” Eimear Fox, of Fox E and The Good Hands, explains. She advises anyone who wants to make a career in music “to pace themselves for the long haul, do it because you love it, don’t give up and don’t expect for it all to fall into place.” Eimear Fox and her band The
Good Hands (right) have been on the music scene as a group for over three years, playing all around Ireland at festivals such as No Place Like Dome, Vantastival, Paircfest, Dublin Soul, Electric Picnic and Le Chéile. They have played in Dublin venues such as Le Circ, The Grand Social, The Ruby Sessions, Bruxelles, The Twisted Pepper, The Pint, Crawdaddy and Whelans. The band’s current line-up consists of Barry O’Farrell, Philip Donnery, Gordon Dunning, David McDonald and Paula Size. They released their first album Curvy in April 2013 at The Grand Social, Dublin. “The album took an awful lot of hard work, time and money,” says Eimear, “but we are all very proud of what we achieved, because for us this album was a representation of two solid years on the road capturing those experiences forever.” Fox E and The Good Hands recorded their album in Grouse Lodge in Mullingar, where legendary artists such as Michael Jackson have walked through the doors. These high-profile names come with a high price and to help
with costs, the band set up a Fund it campaign to raise money. Fund it is a crowd-funding website for Ireland’s creative projects, giving everyone the power to help good ideas happen. They saved every penny to fund their album, but needed help with mixing, reproduction, distribution and for the actual event of their album launch to take place. They released a Fund it YouTube video for their fans and had their target set to €3,500. In return for their fans’ donations, they set up rewards
which ranged from a hard copy of the album plus digital download of the album upon release at €15 or a vocal master class with Eimear herself for up to twenty people which cost €250. They surpassed their target and raised over €4,000 for their Fund it campaign. “Our fans are always there for us, supporting our events, campaigns, getting behind everything we do and without them it would be very difficult to stay positive.” Fox E and The Good Hands have had an incredible year and
are constantly moving forward and growing as a band. They are taking it easy this Christmas to prepare for their new EP which is set to be released in 2014 and they are also hoping to tour across Europe. With their latest music video reaching more than 20,000 hits on YouTube, Fox E and The Good Hands are noticing their hard slog paying off. www.foxeandthegoodhands.com Photo courtesy Fox E and The Good Hands.
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By Donna Dunne ecember 8th is the day the farmers come to the ‘big smoke’ to do their shopping and a massive day out for people from all corners of Ireland. But living in Dublin means it’s not such a novelty. Just a day to avoid an unusually busy town, if we’re honest. There is, however, a line-up of events across Dublin for us Dubliners to anticipate. Usually every Christmas it’s Funderland that takes place in the RDS, but this year Christmas Wonderland is there from the 6th of December to the 12th of January. Santa’s Christmas Circus, Funderland, i-skate on ice, Conor Lambert’s Custard Pie Puppet Theatre Show, a continental market, Guy Barrett (the illusionist) and Jingle Towns Grotto where children will step into a fantasy world full of exciting action and will entertain all ages. More info here: christmaswonderland.ie The Docklands is such a charming place during Christmas, especially when it’s lit up, so it’s no wonder the Docklands Christmas Festival is running for its ninth consecutive year on George’s Dock. The market, runs from the 12th to the 23rd of December offering a wide range,
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
CHRISTMAS EVENT GUIDE
from pottery, jewellery, woollen scarves to hand-crafted candles and seaweed cosmetics, amongst other festive, traditional crafts. There are also a wide range of performances to check out during the festival such as St. Patricks N.S Diswelltown Choir, Brazil Rock and The Afrobeat Orchestra. If that’s not enough and you’re feeling a bit peckish, there’s loads of food stalls to choose from. More info here:
The Musical Youth Foundation’s mission: to provide every child in Ireland with a musical education. A Funk and Soul Christmas gig is being held on the 20th December in Aid of The Musical Youth Foundation in the Button Factory. Soul Power and The Goods are to headline the Christmas Fundraiser. This will be a funk and soul night to remember but also to raise awareness and funding
for a great foundation. Doors open at 7.30pm. More info here: musicalyouthfoundation.org O’Reilly’s Pub in Sandymount are having a Christmas Party night on December 14th with a DJ and some live music. They will also be selling Santa Hats on the night for Temple Street Hospital. For more info visit: O’Reilly’s Pub Facebook page.
For anyone who wants to gamble their money this year on a few horses or a lot of horses, Leopardstown Christmas Festival runs from the 26th to the 29th December. More info: leopardstown.com/Leopardstown/Fixtures/Christmas-Festival-in-2013 The Ultimate Gathering is Dublin’s much-anticipated final gathering and farewell to 2013. The festival will be taking place at College Green and Dame Street to ring in the New Year with a musical line-up of Madness and Ryan Sheridan and other exciting performers yet to be named. More info here: thegatheringireland.com If you fancy something different, Funky Seomra is hosting an event for NYE in the RDS concert hall in which people celebrate without alcohol or drugs. This is their biggest night of the year, with live musicians, four DJ’s and many more acts that are yet to be announced. More info here: dancefree.ie Image courtesy of Dublin Docklands Christmas Festival, running from 12 to 23 December.
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
HOW MUSIC CHANGED MY LIFE
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By Donna Dunne ocal teenager Daryl Ward who attends Ringsend College tells NewsFour about how music changed his life. “Before I played the guitar I cared a lot about what people thought of me.” Daryl picked up the guitar at 14 years old and two years later he turned his life around with the help of an organisation called Musical Youth Foundation (MYF).
He is one of their first success stories, having participated in the programme for a number of years and the impact the music programme has had on him has quite literally “changed his life.” Furthermore, he has demonstrated a real willingness to share his newly-acquired musical skills with others and can often be found helping the younger or newer members of MYF to get to grips with their instrument at
St. Andrew’s Community Centre in Pearse Street. To acknowledge his success, Daryl was invited by Chris Maher, founder of the foundation, to become the first Musical Youth Foundation Ambassador. Daryl was asked by MYF to be featured in a three-minute video documentary telling his story. The documentary will show us how music education has helped him and given him the inspiration and desire to stay in school, to go on to college and to have a successful future. “Music has changed my life because it’s made me a much more outgoing person. I have made more friends not because of music directly but because music made me more outgoing. Career-wise I would love to be able to perform and make a living off of it alone, if that can’t be done I would love to be a sound engineer and do the sound for gigs and things. Before I played the guitar I cared a lot about what people thought of me but now I have more of a, if you don’t like me attitude then just go away.” The Musical Youth Foundation is a charity and platform for children to help them develop their social skills, communicate their feelings and to change their life through music. It gives a young person like Daryl, the confidence to re-engage with the education system and in many cases to go on and attend third-level education helping to ensure a better future, especially in terms of employment opportunities. The foundation has one simple mission: to provide every child on the island of Ireland with access to a musical education. For more information on MYF visit their website: musicalyouthfoundation.org
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THE CHRISTMAS CROSSWORD COMPILED BY GEMMA BYRNE 1
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Name:…………………………… Address:………………………… Telephone:………………… Prize of a €25 book token for Books on the Green, Sandymount. Post entries to NewsFour, RICC, Thorncastle Street, Ringsend, D.4 by 17th January 2014. Winner of our October/ November crossword competition was D. Moloney ‘Liscannor’, Stepaside, Dublin 18. ACROSS 1) The original Santa (5, 8) 9) And not (3) 10) Schubert’s Hail Mary (3, 5) 12) Haul, drag (3) 13) One is often scared to step on this after Christmas excess (5) 14) Even (5) 15) Wear away (5) 18) Spanish father often of the holy variety (5) 21) Speeds down a snowy hill (4) 23) Pub (3) 24) Consumed (3) 25) Tag (5) 28) Wild animals hunted for food (4) 30) Drilling a hole in a tedious manner (6) 32) These and conditions may apply (5) 33) Journey (6) 34) Took a seat (3) 35) Mobile phone text message (1,1,1) 36) Large species of deer (3) 37) ___ humbug (3) 39) Fat which is liquid at room temperature (3) 40) Jug (4) 41) One of Santa’s helpers (3) 42) Slightly burnt (6) 43) Affirmative (3) DOWN 2) Yellow liqueur (8) 3) More agile (7) 4) Hanging sticks of frozen water (7) 5) One third of Santa’s laugh (2) 6, 8 & 26) Come, they told him (Parapapampam) (6) (7) (3) 7) White winter precipitation (4) 11) Make use of (5) 16) Compulsory (10) 17) Pappa (2) 18) Seasonal, over the top theatre (oh no it isn’t) (9) 19) Most adored or expensive (7) 20) Walk on these so you don’t upset anyone? (9) 22) Deliberately scuppered (9) 27) Ages (4) 29) Deliverer of dairy (7) 31) Mesh (3) 38) Donations to the poor (4)
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By Jimmy Purdy uring the East Coast Skiff rowing season I got talking to my good friend Mick Curry. We were discussing an article in NewsFour about the Ringsend Gaelic Football team Inse Na Mara who won the 1901 All Ireland. Isles of the Sea, their name in English, were Dublin Champions in 1890, 1895, and in 1901 and were awarded the Dublin Championship cup to keep permanently. Mick mentioned the cup (below) is in the museum in Collins Barracks near Heuston station and that Jackie Mooney would know more about the cup.
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
ISLES OF THE SEA 1901
When I met Jackie he brought along some photographs. One of them was of the 1901 All Ireland Championship’s Inse na Mara (above). In this photo Jackie Mooney’s grandfather, Thomas Doyle, is seated third from the left in the front row. Also in the picture is Val Harris. Long before the likes of Kevin Moran played for both Manchester United Football Club and the Dublin GAA team, Val Harris, a Ringsender, was playing football for
Shelbourne, Everton and Ireland as well as Gaelic football for Dublin. In the 1901 Dublin Championship final, Isles of the Sea defeated Ballymun Kickhams. Isles had four Whelans in the team. I understand there is still a relative living in Ringsend. Perhaps our readers might have some more information on this famous team. Isles of the Sea now qualified for the 1901 All Ireland Final against London Hibernians, winning 0-14 to 0-2
points. Captain of the opposing London Hibernians was Sam Maguire, for whom the All-Ireland trophy would later be named. Jackie Mooney himself was a good centre forward with Shamrock Rovers, who were founded in Ringsend. On the 2nd of October 1963 at Dalymount Park Jackie played in the representative team of the League of Ireland, against the English team; The Football League. This English team were a star team of the time
and would be thinking of the game as a stroll but as often happens with Irish/English soccer matches, the Irish lads rose above themselves. This league of Ireland team defeated a top-class English league team by 2 goals to 1, scored by Eddie Bailham and Ronnie Whelan, at a packed Dalymount Park. In writing this story for Jackie it shows once again the many sporting talents of Ringsenders, from skiff rowing, Gaelic football and soccer, to camogie and hockey. Come on the Paddy. Come on Stella. My thanks to Jackie Mooney. Pictured: Isles of the Sea (Dublin Selection) McCullough (Dolphin’s goal), J. Fahy (Kickhams), Dan Holland (Isles), J.C. O’Brien (Kickhams), T. Doyle (Isles), McCann (Ben Edairs), J. Darcy (Isles) (Captain), P. ‘Cocker’ Daly (Parnell), M. Madigan (Kickhams), P. Redmond (Dun Leary United), M. Brien (Isles), McCann (Dolphins), J. Whelan (Isles), T. Lawless (Isles) and Val Harris (Isles).
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
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By Leeza Kane andymount village is the core of the community for many shops, businesses and local people and this is evident in the loyalty that residents show by continuing to shop locally. New and repeat custom is essential to keep business alive anywhere, and in particular for local shops. In Sandymount, a new loyalty card system has been introduced, to reward customers for their support. The new system, called Loylap, is set up for those who shop in Sandymount. Customers obtain a key fob from one of the
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REWARDING SHOPPING IN SANDYMOUNT
participating shops and activate the fob by registering online at the Loylap website. They then use their fob to earn points and redeem rewards. Further, customers with smartphones can download an app from the Loylap website and view their information such as how many points they have earned and what offers are available. Traders can incorporate this loyalty system into their business by simply signing up to the Loylap website, using a smartphone or tablet. They can then
choose their reward such as halfprice coffee. Businesses can obtain their customers’ spending profile and reward their customers according to their loyalty. Loylap was created by Conor O’Toole and Patrick Garry to help small to medium sized businesses gain back custom from the larger franchises in local areas. It was launched in Terenure as well as Sandymount. BJP Insurance sponsored 2,000 key fobs and worked closely with Loylap to boost the loyalty system. Terence Pierce of sister company Stability Financial stated, “We saw this
as a great opportunity to help promote business within the locality and reward the people of Sandymount for spending money locally”. Some of the rewards include €5 off on flowers from Scarecrow Flowers with 50 points, €20 off BJP Insurance with 200 points and a complimentary bike service from 2 Wheel Cycles with 100 points. Customers can also redeem their points across shops and businesses of their choice. Other businesses participating in the scheme include Books on the Green, Phoenix Framers,
Second Avenue, Daly Manning Opticians, Stability Financial, and Dr. Elizabeth Melvin Dentistry. A point is earned for every euro spent. To identify which shops are taking part look out for the sign with the Loylap, I Love Sandymount and BJP logo. To register the key fob and download the app go to: www.loylap.com Pictured on left: Books on the Green, one of the shops participating in the scheme. Images by Leeza Kane.
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THE FONTENOY FILES
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By Felix O’Regan hat a great season it has been for Clanna Gael Fontenoy, particularly at under-age level, with league or championship titles for our U-12 and U-16 boys’ teams as well as for our U-13 and U-18 girls’ teams. Not to mention the huge increase in the number of youngsters participating across a host of other under-age teams, as well as in
SPEEDWAY:
ONE MORE ROUND
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By Eric Murphy ecent changes in economic fortunes have meant a rebranding of Shelbourne Park’s image to cater for the threetimes-weekly greyhound racing meetings, but the venue’s oval track has a strong history of burning rubber and engine oil since 1927. Speedway racing is the competitive motorcycling sport which involves four to six riders racing each other on an anti-clockwise circuit. Competition rules are stringently regulated by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Racing bikes have no gears or brakes and the flat oval track at Shelbourne Park fulfilled the criteria needed for international racing during the sport’s heydays. The sport still draws a healthy
ST PATRICK’S CYFC UPDATE
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By David Nolan he wintery weather has arrived, a period when only the most hardened of supporters will stand rigidly on the sideline. That was indeed the case on Thursday November 14th as our senior side travelled north of the city to take on title hopefuls Tolka Rovers in a league tie. On cold nights such as this one you could do worse then watch a game at Frank Cooke Park. The Griffith Avenue venue is by far the best
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014 our Saturday morning Academy. Our U-16 boys set the standard early on by winning the ‘C’ Championship Final in Parnell Park, doing so with considerable style and passion; and they very nearly did the double by losing out in the league final after extra time. Not to be outdone, the U-12 boys scaled dizzier heights by winning the Division 1 South Dublin league title. It’s not often that Clanns can get the better of better-resourced and bigger clubs such as Ballyboden St Endas and Kilmacud Crokes, so this was an
outcome to be relished. The girls made sure that the boys were not having it all their own way. Our U-13 girls captured their third Division 2 Shield in a row – having won it at the same division as U-11s and U-12s; while the U-18 ladies had a comprehensive win over Cuala in their Championship final. At the same time, our adult teams in football, hurling and camogie have continued to represent the club with pride and skill, while the U-21 footballers have been blazing a trail through the championship. And of course it was Clanns man, Declan Darcy, who as one of the Dublin selectors helped to steer Dublin senior footballers to all-Ireland success again this year. So plenty to celebrate at the club’s Christmas Gala on December 7th in the Clyde Court Hotel, Ballsbridge and there’s much to look forward to in the season ahead. Clanna Gael Fontenoy is generously sponsored by Dublin Port Company.
Pictured left: U-12 Boys Division 1 League winners. Squad: Louis Clarke, Christopher Cosgrove, Odhran Darcy, Ruairi Darcy, Jack Guinan, Colm Kirby O’Briain, Ross Hanley, Conor Hennessy, Michael Hennessy, Aaron Lynch, Jim Meaney, Karl Morgan, Niall Madill, Seamus McCann, Oisin O’Leary Deane, Senan O’Shea, Alexis Sokora, Theo Scollard, Rory Tobin, Jeffrey Woods – with mentors Maurice Hennessy, Colm O’Briain, Stephen McCann and Ross Morgan.
Pictured above: U-13 Girls Division 2 Shield winners. Squad: Kate Benson, Ella Walsh, Laura Ferry, Mary Vaughan, Leah McDonough, Grace Tiernan, Batsheba Tobin, Emma Lohan, Mari a O’Dea, Niamh Shaw, Orla Flanagan, Anne Marie Crowe, Sally Vaughan, Ellen O’Byrne, Hannah Lohan, Clodagh Ferry, Emma O’Leary, Emily McCarthy, Maeve Bruen and Natasha Kilroy.
international following, with major competitions annually held in the US, Australia and Europe. Despite this, Irish speedway meetings have become more infrequent, with occasional meetings now usually taking place at Mondello Park or less-publicised circuits such as the Hell Fire Club in the Dublin Mountains. Local writer and historian George Kearns is a speedway fanatic who has long laid claim that the sport is actually an Irish one. “The first ever speedway type race took place in Ireland at Tramore (Waterford) in 1900, and there were regular dirt-track speedway competitions held at Shelbourne Park and Ashtown since 1927. I’d say most motorcycle enthusiasts are of the opinion that New Zealander Jonnie Hoskins invented speedway in 1923, but that’s rubbish,” he tells NewsFour. “He wrote books about it and was interviewed once by a speedway enthusiast reporter
asking if he had indeed invented speedway to which he replied ‘I was just telling people what they wanted to hear’ and the first few lines of his last book he’s basically admitted to spoofing it.” George used to attend regular speedway meetings at Shelbourne Park and despite never having competed in the sport himself he did write a book on speedway in
Dublin. Although there were a number of venues outside of the capital, the draw of some of the sport’s big names made Dublin and Shelbourne Park a huge draw. Another local who remembers speedway racing at Shelbourne Park is former bookmaker Doc O’Connor. “I remember speedway from when I was a kid. You’d hear the engines all over Ringsend and I went to the races a couple of times, but I wouldn’t have been a regular.” Shelbourne Park’s heyday of the sport began in the 1950s when promoter Ronnie Green would bring his team of American riders to Dublin from the UK to compete against British and Irish teams. The Sunday afternoon competitions drew large crowds from all over the country but it wasn’t long before the financial constraints on the travelling teams and fans began to be felt. The Sunday afternoon team, competitively known as the Shel-
bourne Tigers, consisted of some big names such as Nick Nicolaides, Don Hawley and Johnny Roccio – all regular competitors. Ireland had its own home-grown stars such as Bill Longley, Dick Shepard and Don Grey racing for the New Cross team. The sport was so popular images of the riders were sold as trading cards at the time. The regular Sunday meetings were hugely attended at the beginning of the 1950s with other Dublin tracks opening at Santry, Chapelizod, Ashtown and Harold’s Cross. However, it was Shelbourne Park which held most of the sport’s major domestic competitions. Sadly, by 1971 it had waned in popularity in Ireland, with just occasional meetings at smaller venues and occasional broadcasts on national TV. Despite this, enthusiasts such as George Kearns are optimistic about a return to the glory days and possibly the return of the sport to Shelbourne Park.
amateur football ground in Dublin and would put some of the facilities on offer in The League of Ireland to shame. A covered stand lines one side of the pitch with a shop selling tea and if you’re really feeling the chill you can watch the game from the comfort of the upstairs bar with a fantastic balcony view. CY travelled to Tolka having enjoyed a mini revival following the appointment of Derek Bowden as manager. A result on this night would be a positive one given the strength of the home side. CY got off to a flying start despite missing a couple of key players, after just two minutes Alan Murphy scored
what must rank as one of his best goals having cut inside from the right wing. With the ball hopping in front of him Alan struck from about thirty yards, the ball bending and dipping wildly as it found its way into the far top corner. Moments later striker Jay Doyle stabbed home from a Murphy corner kick. A two nil start just seven minutes in seemed to be just what the doctor ordered but also gave a quality opposition team playing at home eighty odd minutes to compose themselves and recover and that they did. CY eventually lost out by three goals to two on the night. That result leaves our first team
lying second from bottom, the three down three up system leaves the Y in a precarious situation but with sixteen league games to play and at least another four teams in a similar plight, there is a mini league developing at the bottom end, fighting for the right to remain in the senior division. On a brighter note CY have advanced to the 3rd round of the FAI Intermediate Cup and will entertain Glenville FC for the right to play in the last sixteen and gain entrance to the FAI Senior Cup for next season. Also in the Metropolitan CY dispensed with the challenge of Confey FC to set up a home 3rd round tie with Newbridge Town.
Our new look Saturday side continue to develop nicely and currently lie fourth in the top Saturday division. A recent 5-1 home demolition of Pheonix FC was the highlight from the past few weeks. They remain in the LFA Junior Cup and the domestic Lanigan Cup. Finally with Christmas fast approaching we will be selling our annual festive draw tickets during the month of December, our usual loyal customers will know it’s a very worthwhile cause with fantastic prizes. Your continued support is most welcome and the club would like to thank everyone for their valued support.
NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014
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By Kirstin Smith t Louis and Newpark claimed the Senior and Junior trophies respectively at the Railway Girls Schools 7s recently. Having been beaten in the final last April, St Louis were determined to go one better this time around. They accounted for a strong Muckross side in the semifinal. Muckross, who were ably led by Aoibhin Dwan, made all of the early running with Claire Cashman, Rachel Sparrow and Sophie Farnan dominating the early exchanges. However, the loss of star player Aisling McCann in the group stages turned the tide against them and, with such a high level of competition, this loss proved catastrophic. The final kicked off under floodlights in front of a large crowd, which included Irish coach Stan McDowell. Stacey Flood, who played a captain’s part all day, claimed two early tries to help St Louis race into a 10-0 lead. With
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St Louis and Newpark to the fore at Railway Girls Schools 7s
Eve Higgins pulling the strings at halfback, St Mac Daras continued to probe and strong carries from Katie McGowan, Jojo Clune, Roisin Tisdall and Caoimhe Guerin kept asking questions of the St Louis defence, before the excellent Lisa Callan broke numerous tackles to put the score to 10-5 and set up a grand stand finish. St Mac Daras piled on the pressure and were only kept at bay
by a huge defensive effort, with Hannah Hegarty, Emma Young and Eleanor Burke, in particular, to the fore. Despite being kept in their own half for most of the second half, St Louis held out to erase memories of their previous final loss to claim the title in what was a highly entertaining and nailbiting final. The Junior Competition was extremely competitive, with no
little skill on show. St Mac Daras, with captain Jessica Keating, the big tackling Sinead Aspell, Laura ‘Abercrombie’ Creighton excellent throughout, gave early indications of their promise in the group stages. Muckross, with Caoimhe and Jennifer Heckman, Olibhia Collins, and Grainne McGuill leading the way, meant any team making to the finals didn’t find it easy. However, St Louis and debutants Newpark emerged from the pack to face each other in the final. St Louis, who were chasing the double, had a very strong team on display with Aifric O’Leary, Claudia Alonso, Nicole Landy, Ellie Taylor, Lori Ann Taylor, Susan Iwanowicz, and Emily O’Reilly performing superbly all day. Newpark, for whom Darerca Lockhart-Keogh, Ciara Young, Katie Somers and Sophie Phelan stood out, had different ideas and raced into a lead which they never gave up to claim victory in their first schools 7s tournament.
The Player of the Tournament awards were hotly contested with some outstanding displays for all teams on the day. However, the referees and coaches decided that Eve Higgins from St Mac Daras and Aifric O’Leary from St Louis were the consistently excellent players throughout the tournament and were fully deserving of their awards. Irish Coach Stan McDowell was on hand to present the trophies afterwards. To apply to participate in the next running of the programme, please email girlsrugby@railwa yunionrfc.com or see www.railwayunionrfc.com/index.php/ age-grade-rugby/girl-s-schools7s-programme. A full gallery of photos from the day is on www. facebook.com/railwayunionrfc and a promotional video is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfRRw4jLLs Pictured: St Louis and Newpark face each other in the final.
Railway Union Cricket Club Annual Dinner October 19th 2013 Left: Long-time members Cyril and Des Stirrat enjoying the Dinner. Right: Susheel Kumar receives Player of the Season Award for 4th X1 from Franz Savino in recognition of an outstanding season. Both pictures courtesy of Patrick Dowling.
Railway Union Ladies prepare to compete again in Europe!
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By David Carroll urrent Irish Hockey League and Irish Senior Cup Champions Railway Union comprehensively beat local rival Pembroke Wanderers in the Dublin 4 Derby on
November 16th. Railway scored first from an Emer Lucey corner strike, with Kate Lloyd getting the second off her reverse following a good team move. Railway went 3-up when Kate Dillon scored a pen-
alty stroke before Pembroke got a late consolation goal. Railway currently lie second in the Leinster League table behind a strong UCD team, with whom they saw out a 2 – 2 draw the previous week. Railway also drew 2 – 2 against Loretto but have had comprehensive victories over North Kildare, Corinthians, Old Alex and Glenanne. Following last season’s success Railway will compete in the toptier Women’s Eurohockey Club Champions Cup in Den Bosch, Holland over Easter 2014 (18th – 21st April), being the first Irish women’s club team to compete at this elite level. They will face opposition from Holland, Germany, England, Spain and Azerbaijan. Current internationals Emma
Smyth, Alex Speers, and Grace O’Flanagan along with Irish Development Players Zara Delany, Kate Lloyd and Kate Dillon will be influential team players in this competition.
Left: Emma Smyth in action. Above: Railway Union Ladies celebrate a goal. Photos courtesy of Adrian Boehm / Irish Hockey Photographers.
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NEWSFOUR DECEMBER 2013 / JANUARY 2014