Feb mar 2009 newsfour by News Four

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

NewsFour Free Community Newspaper serving Sandymount, Irishtown, Ringsend, Docklands, Ballsbridge and Donnybrook Web: www.news4.ie • E-mail: newsfourscs@eircom.net • Local Newsdesk: Phone 6673317

AMY REVISITS CHELSEA FC N

ewsFour printed a story in 1998 (below) about Amy Louise Smith being the youngest shareholder in Chelsea Football Club. We can now tell you ten years later that Amy Louise has been back to Chelsea to be Match Mascot against Stoke City. Before the game Amy was invited into the dressing room to meet the team and the then-manager, Mr Scolari. She met her favourite player, John Terry, (pictured here with Amy). Amy was disappointed when John Terry got injured in a pre-match warm up but she said Frank Lampard was just as nice. Amy led out the team with the other mascot and she was very proud. She will never forget the day. A special thanks to Kim Mall at Chelsea FC and her Aunt Sandra for making Amyʼs dream come true.

‘U RBAN L ANDSCAPE ’

ublin Docklands will be hosting three lectures in association with the Architecture Association of Ireland, the

LECTURES AT

Irish Architecture Foundation and the Irish Landscape Institute, on the theme of ʻThe Urban Landscapeʼ. The lectures will take place in the

D OCKLANDS

chq building, IFSC, Docklands on selected Thursday evenings during February and March. The ﬁrst lecture on Thursday

AMONG OUR SNOW-FREE CONTENTS Glenda goes to New Mexico on page 4, Brian to St Lucia on page 26 and Stephanie to Jamaica on page 38. A well-travelled trio!

It is 50 years since Buddy Holly, right, was killed in a plane crash. Noel Twamley remembers him on page 13

Tom Cruise as a oneeyed German army ofﬁcer? Our ﬁlm reviewer, Michael Hilliard was underwhelmed. See page 18

Those polished performers Rose Henderson and Helen Norton contribute to Women’s Day events. See page 19

12th February is by Martin Biewenga from the Rotterdam-based urban design practice, West 8. Best known for Borneo Sporenborg in Amsterdam, this company has worked on a number of strategic projects for the Docklands Authority, including the campshire vision for the Liffey and the Poolbeg Planning Scheme. Boston-based Martha Schwartz will deliver a lecture on her work on Thursday 5th March. In Dublin she is famous for the unique design of Grand Canal Square, the dramatic public space in South Docklands. The third lecture on Thursday

26th March will be delivered by Olivier Philippe from Agence Ter, the award winning Paris-based landscape architectural practice he co-founded in 1986. In 2006 Agence Ter won the RIAI competition for a Linear Park along the Royal Canal in Docklands. In 2007 they were awarded the prestigious Grand Prix du Paysage for a riverside park in France. All lectures are free of charge and take place on Thursdays starting at 7.30 pm in the chq building, IFSC. Please contact Architectural Association of Ireland (AAI) Tel (01) 635 1428 or email aaiadmin@eircom.net

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NewsFour Managing Editor Ann Ingle Advertising Manager Grainne McGuinness Staff Audrey Healy John Cavendish Nessa Jennings Stephanie Morris Louise Hanrahan Glenda Cimino John Fitzgerald Paula Young Contributors Shay Connolly Martin Moore George Humphries James O’Doherty Danny Scahill Christy Hogan Noel Twamley Jean Giff Turtle Bunbury Brian Kelly Maria Parodi David Nolan Michael Hilliard

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

The Editor’s Corner

ith this cold winter weather upon us, I am glad we have no less than three articles about warmer climes to get you thinking about holidays. New Mexico, Jamaica and St Lucia are all featured. I thought we were turning into one of those Sunday supplement travel magazines but then I realised we have featured a diversity of articles as well. James is helping us keep our bonsai trees alive (page 6), Noel is remembering Buddy Holly (page 13), Stephanie keeps us upto-date on her love life (page 25) and the rest of our team and contributors have done us proud once again. I am particularly pleased that local

man Christy Hogan is the winner of our short story competition with his wonderful tale of The Lady at the Lighthouse (page 36). Kate Holmquist of ʻThe Irish Timesʼ kindly agreed to adjudicate and she was very impressed with Christyʼs work. Over the next few issues we will publish some of the other entries. I canʼt give you any financial advice because it is well out of my field of expertise but I can urge you to find joy in every day, look after one another and keep warm. That is what I am trying to do and it seems to be working and keeping me happy. Take care of yourselves. Ann Ingle

RINGSEND COMMUNITY SERVICES FORUM

Photography John Cheevers

Community Services, 15 Fitzwilliam Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4. Telephone: (01)6673317 E-mail: newsfourscs@eircom.net Website: www.news4.ie NewsFour Newspaper is part of a FÁS Community Employment Programme. Opinions expressed in News Four do not necessarily represent the views of Community Services.

Swimming in Sportsco

We have a Swimming Session Every Sunday Morning from 11am to 1pm in Sportsco. Price: €35 per 3 Month Session or €5 for one Swim. Children under 3 years are FREE! This Swimming Session is open to any one who wants to join. It is not just confined to people living in the Sth. Lotts Rd. area. For further Info just call over any Sunday between 11am & 1pm. Ask for Mary or Billy.

Ringsend Active Retirement Association Retired with time on your hands?

Web Designer Andrew Thorn

Design, Typesetting, Layout Eugene Carolan

SHELBOURNE PARK RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION LTD

he Forum consists of a number of local groups in the Ringsend/ Irishtown area. A number of organisations came together in 2006 with a commitment to assist voluntary groups and provide help in whatever way possible.

The Forum aims to: * Support community services and groups in Ringsend & Irishtown to come together for the purpose of co-operation and collaboration. * Provide a space for member groups to share information about their work. * Provide opportunities for member groups to explore and analyse issues of mutual interest. * Provide opportunities to undertake collective work initiatives in the interest of the most disadvantaged members of the

communities of Ringsend and Irishtown. * Provide peer support to the staff of community services and groups in Ringsend and Irishtown. The Forum acts as a catalyst so that groups can share information and support. One of the aims is to facilitate co-operation between community, voluntary and statutory groups in the area.

group/ Creche Stella Maris Rowing Club St Patrickʼs Rowing Club Dodder Sea Scouts Ringsend/ Irishtown Karate Group People Against Clawback (PAC) Power of 1 (Lone Parents Group) South East Lesbian Gay Rights South Inner City Drugs Task Force Community Rep

Currently the following groups are members: Ringsend/ Irishtown Football Assocition Spellman Centre (RDRD) Clanna Gael Fontenoy Community Training Centre Sandymount Community Services Poolbeg Training Ringsend Action Project Ringsend Community Play-

The Forum is working in partnership with South East Anti Poverty Forum (DICP), South Inner City Drugs Task Force and Dublin Docklands Authority. If you believe your group is isolated and would like to join the Forum in order to network and improve your opportunities please contact Derek Bowden (086 8012845) or Teresa Rooney (087 7675655).

Why not visit us at the CYMS in Ringsend any Tuesday to Friday from 2.30 pm New members (men and women) always welcome

Mr Tilly with his splendid array of lights in December 2008 raised €3,850 for Our Ladyʼs Hospice in Haroldʼs Cross. Well done once again Mr Tilly.

Our address: NewsFour, 15 Fitzwilliam Street, Ringsend Phone: 6673317 • Email: newsfourscs@eircom.net Visit our website at: www.news4.ie

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

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CONDEMNED BY A KISS H ECTOR M C K ECHNIE (RIP)

By Martin Moore

t was Palestine 1947 and I was a British Constable in the Palestine Police. In all there were approximately 5000 of us trying to keep the peace and administer justice in a very troubled land. At the time 47/48 I was stationed in Jaffa. Watching the turmoil and slaughter in Gaza today, I was forcibly reminded of Palestine as I knew it. I feel very little has changed. While I was stationed in Jaffa, another British Constable was transferred for his safety from Jerusalem. Hector McKechnie had served in Jerusalem for some time when information was received that his life was under threat. Hector had become involved romantically with a

young Jewish girl. Hector in a candid conversation with me had extolled the many virtues of his beloved. She embodied all the virtues, her beauty was breathtaking and he believed she loved him as he loved her. He realised if the romance led to marriage, he would have to resign from the police but he was prepared to sacrifice his career for love. Lisa, he told me, was her name and it was engraved on his heart, he was truly smitten. Nearing the end of December, Hector was all agog with the knowledge that in a matter of days he would be seeing Lisa again. Being a Scotsman, he was hoping for a double celebration in Jerusalem, New Yearʼs Eve and engagement to Lisa, his dream girl. He even went to the length, in order to impress, to borrow my hardly

worn light raincoat. It was reported to us afterwards that Hector and Lisa met outside a cinema in Jerusalem, that Lisa kissed him passionately and then for

some reason departed into a nearby shop. While she was absent, Hector was shot five times in the back. He died on the way to hospital and Lisa was nowhere to be found. He

was twenty-three. Love is often a dicey emotion, sometimes only one of the pair suffers the pangs, but in most cases the path of love is seldom smooth. However, it is not often that oneʼs love is betrayed to the extent of death. Hectorʼs body, complete with coat, was returned to Jaffa for burial. I saw the coat, there were five bullet holes in the back and it was soaked with blood. My last tribute to my mate was to be a member of the guard of honour that escorted Hectorʼs body to Ramleh cemetery and who fired a volley over his grave. Hectorʼs killers were never arrested and Lisa, of course, had disappeared. Although sixty-one years have passed, I can still see Hector as he departed with high expectations to Jerusalem. I have never visited his grave and am unlikely to do so now, but I have never forgotten Hector or forgiven Lisa. Left: British policemen in Palestine during the late 1940s.

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NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

TAOS – RUGGED BEAUTY, HIDDEN PERILS

By Glenda Cimino

n Irish friend of mine bought a house last year on the mesa outside of Taos, New Mexico, and invited me to take a break from my motherʼs house in Georgia to visit him for a week or so. So I set out. I found that Greyhound buses are still running and still, barely, the cheapest if most gruelling mode of transport. Hour stops turned into 15 minute

stops, so that the bus could keep its schedule. Days flowed into nights, nights into days, America is a big country. However, you donʼt get x-rayed and taken apart by Homeland Security, which I also experienced on this trip. In one airport I was singled out because I had a one-way ticket. Evidently, no self respecting terrorist, planning to kill all on the plane, would bother to waste money on a return. I went through a machine that

Geraldine M. Lynch (formerly of Irishtown Road)

General Legal Practice Telephone: 087 9874577 for appointment Email: glynchburke@eircom.net

x-rayed me, shot hot air at my body (what is that about, anyway?) took off my shoes and got searched by hand. I protested mildly as they ransacked my bag. But this was not the last indignity. The security person who checked my bag forgot to mark my ticket– so shortly before departure, I had to go through the whole routine again! I refused to go back to the security section in case I got in a long queue and missed my plane– so they reluctantly but determinedly came out to the departure lounge and searched me again. I had to stand with my right foot out, left foot out, arms at certain angles, bags searched again in front of all the other passengers. After declaring that they were wasting their time as I was a pacifist, (which made them take longer) I allowed that they had a very hard job, and they softened somewhat at the sympathy. But New Mexico! I lived all my youth in Georgia, Florida and New York, all east coast, and moved to Ireland in 1972, where I have lived since. My friendʼs “welcome home” to New Mexico was greeted by me with “this place is as foreign to me as it is to you!” My friend lives in a house built by a Buddhist in ʻoutlaw territory,ʼ off the grid on the mesas. What are we, 7,500 feet high? Above us, the Sangre de Cristos mountains rise higher still, snow on their tops. The sunsets and sunrises over the desert are amazing. The ground is so dry that the cacti are crumbling like paper in your hand. The air is dry. Some people not used to the altitude suffer from dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, and other ailments. But what really causes me to shudder is the animal and insect life and bacteria around here. In Ireland, you can poke around in your closet or in a box of books, without fear of putting your life in danger. Not so in New Mexico. There is a breed of spider called the ʻbrown recluseʼ which is deadly if not treated immediately. It bites you, and you get a kind of anaesthesia effect. But then, it injects you

with a flesh-eating enzyme which turns your tissue into a liquid which it then sucks out. Unfortunately, the enzyme can stay in your bloodstream years after treatment, emerging from time to time as blisters or other ailments. One of my Irish friends was bitten by a brown recluse– on two occasions. The first time, on his toe and he had to fight to stop the doctor from amputating it. The treatment is to cut out as much tissue around the bite as quickly as possible, before the enzyme spreads. There are also black widows, and something also deadly called white widows. Cycling through the desert, I have had to turn the wheels in gravel to avoid running over giant tarantulas crossing the road. The routine here is: shake out your bedclothes before you get into bed each night. Shake out your clothes. Be extremely careful and donʼt stick your hands into places you canʼt see. Bang your shoes on the ground, in case one is clinging inside. I find this nerveracking. T h e n there are the snakes. Seven kinds of rattlesnakes live here (some donʼt actually rattle). I am told there is no antidote in the Taos area hospital, so you have to be airlifted to Albequerque.

A mountainy fellow from Washington State who has lived here for nine years in the desert says not to fall asleep outside. Rattlesnakes wonʼt seek you out to attack you, but they may be drawn to nestle up to you for bodily warmth. Heaven help you when you wake up and move. They wonʼt like it. I am thinking I will sleep sitting up in my chair. As if that werenʼt enough, the denizens of the local shop, Poco Loco in Carson, New Mexico, tell me that there is plague and hanta virus in the soil. Not to worry, it tends to affect only people with low immune systems, old people and children being most vulnerable. A couple of years ago no one was allowed to go outside for two weeks, because of West Nile virus, carried by mosquitos. They had a few fatalities locally. Well, I canʼt wait to get back to the relative safety of Georgia– and then to Ireland, with no snakes or nasty death-carrying insects.

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NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

PAGE 5

YOU CAN TALK TO THE S AMARITANS AT ANY TIME

Chiropractic Dr Gemma Bailey (DC BSc (Hons) Chiro) Dr Danny Scahill (DC BSc (Hons) Chiro)

he Samaritans offers completely confidential emotional support 24 hours a day by phone, email, letter and face-to-face. There are over 2,000 Samaritans volunteers in Ireland and the charity receives over 315,000 dialogue contacts per year.

Calls to the helplines have increased recently and currently one in ten calls are related to financial stress. Unfortunately, suicide risk increases during times of recession, so if you are worried about someone, donʼt hesitate to seek help. If you have things on your mind

CHRISTY DUNNE AND THE SEVEN SWIMMING ANGELS

By George Humphries

illie Nelson and Ray Charles sang ʻSeven Spanish Angelsʼ, there is a star cluster known as ʻThe Seven Sistersʼ, in mythology there are seven daughters of Atlas and there is the seventh son of a seventh son. Seven seems to be a favourite number for a lot of people, so when Christy Dunne needed help in organizing the mini-triathlon out in the Forty Foot over the last few years, he certainly picked the right number. The seven ladies in the picture were the only ones to make it into ʻNewsFourʼ but I can assure you that it took a lot more than seven people to do all the trojan work they have done over the last couple of years. What started out as a mini-fundraiser in aid of breast cancer awareness has now caught on big-time with the folk of the Forty Foot. Each November a mini-triathlon is organized and a lot of folk brave the cold water, take a short spin on the bikes then ﬁnish off with a good, brisk walk. Many people have been involved selling rafﬂe tickets, donating spot prizes and organising a beautiful breakfast buffet, which is laid on for anyone who is out in the Forty Foot on the morning when this wonderful event takes place . Last November they raised a staggering €32,000 for breast cancer– fair play to all who assisted in whatever way– keep up the good work.

you can talk to Samaritans at anytime. 24 hour telephone helpline: 1850 60 90 90 24 hour email helpline: jo@samaritans.org www.samaritans.ie Above: On a recent visit to the Samaritans national office, Paddy McCartan discussed the charityʼs tremendous work in Ireland with Samaritans, Gina Phillips (centre) and Suzanne Costello.

Straighten Up… Love Yourself Improve Your Posture Free Spinal Health Checks Mondays and Tuesdays 12-1pm Evening Health Workshops

19 Fitzwilliam Square South, Dublin 2 Phone 01 6618949 info@ﬁtzwilliamhealth.ie www.ﬁtzwilliamhealth.ie

PAGE 6

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

THE ART AND SKILLS OF BONSAI By James OʼDoherty

friend of mine told me recently that he received a Bonsai tree as a Christmas gift this year. And he, like so many of us, confessed he hasnʼt a clue how to look after this precious plant. It is a new phenomenon in the gardening world– the availability of bonsai plants is growing. We can even get them in our supermarkets. This year many of these plants were given as Christmas presents. This concerns me immensely. For you can be assured that over 99% of these plants will eventually die. Bonsai are like pets but even more so. They need perpetual care and yet they are sold without even the basic instructions of how to care for them. The ﬁrst example of Bonsai originated in China around 2,000 years ago and later in Japan with most of these plants coming from the mountainous areas of these

countries. Today, these miniature trees are very popular worldwide and there are many Bonsai societies operating internationally. Most of the growers operate in China and Japan. Bonsai comes from the Japanese word meaning a tree or group growing in a container. In Bonsai you create a living work of art. By using a wide variety of horticultural techniques you can grow miniature trees in the form of full-size mature trees using the

same varieties. For instance Japanese maples are used extensively in Bonsai. In Bonsai the container, the tree and soil surface must certainly complement each other. Most people acquire a readygrown Bonsai, probably a small one in a small container. These are around four years old. You can if you wish pay more money for a good quality one as it takes many years of hard work to produce such a specimen.

But a word of advice– Bonsai can be expensive so at ﬁrst it is better to begin with a cheap one and learn as you go along. It takes a long time to acquire the skills necessary to succeed in this ancient art– growing, training environmental conditions, outdoor or indoor Bonsai– you choose. Most Bonsai trees are hardy and kept outdoors. There are, of course, plants that can be grown and kept indoors. Make sure the environmental conditions are correct. You can use weeping ﬁg and/ or Indian laurel. You will need to keep the soil moist and spray the foliage on a regular basis to create a high humidity. All indoor Bonsai should be put outdoors during the summer months of June and July. It is

better to grow outdoor Bonsai as these trees are more hardy. In growing Bonsai, watering is certainly the hardest art to master. Do not let the soil dry out completely, but do not over-water either. In the summer daily watering is essential and the best time to do this is in the early evening, indeed a good daily shower would be welcome. Keep in mind that wind can dry out the plants. Bonsai is a living art and I have barely touched on the subject. If you have a Bonsai there are many books that will help you– select one that will inform you and introduce you to this ancient art form. In time and with practice you develop the necessary skills to care for your Bonsai– enjoy it, itʼs a precious art. Good growing.

CLLR. SARAH RYAN DUBLIN SOUTH EAST

Introducing your new Councillor CLINIC TIMES Sarah Ryan is available to her constituents at: Ringsend Community Centre Saturdays 10.30 to 12.00 St Andrew’s Resource Centre – Pearse St. Tuesdays 7pm to 8pm

CONSTITUENCY OFFICE If I can help in any way, you can contact me at: Members Room, City Hall, Dublin 2 Tel: 087 637 4285 Email: cllr_sarah.ryan@dublincity.ie

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

B URNING

By John Cavendish

ublin City Council Waste to Energy Management held an open day on Saturday 17th January at Clanna Gael Fontenoy, which included a slideshow displaying the beneﬁts of the Community Gain aspects of the newly approved massburn Incinerator to be built on the Poolbeg peninsula. A Community Liaison Com-

What is Good Posture? Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while standing, sitting or laying down. Good posture involves training the body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments. The benefits of Proper Posture: • Keeps bones and joints in the correct alignment so that

Spot the early signs of Postural Problems The head tilting to one side Forward Head Carriage Rounded Shoulders Stiffness and pain in the neck and between the Shoulder Blades Discomfort or fatigue sitting up straight for any length of time One Shoulder higher than the other or one hip higher than the other Uneven wear on your shoes

RESENTMENT

mittee, as required by planning permission, is to be set up to manage a fund combining an initial once-off lump sum of €8 million, about 3 % of the capital cost of the plant and an additional annual €1 per tonne of waste burned added, some €600,000. This will be updated in keeping with the consumer price index. At the Open Day, information on the Community Gain Fund focused mainly on the conditions in the planning permission on the

S TRAIGHTEN By Dr Danny Scahill

PAGE 7

setting up of the Community Liaison Committee, who will have a role in administering the fund and monitoring of the operation of the Plant. Peter Morley of Dublin City Council Waste to Energy says that he will advertise to invite expressions of interest in joining the Community Liaison Committee and proposing projects for funding (see page 37). The functions of this committee will include; the administration of

UP AND STAND RIGHT

muscles are being used properly. • Helps decrease the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces. • Decreases the stress on the ligaments holding the joints of the spine together. • Prevents fatigue because muscles are being used more efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy. • Prevents backache and muscular pain. • Contributes to a good appearance. How Does Poor Posture Develop? Common causes are uncorrected physical stresses from the birth process, sports injuries, car accidents and far too much time spent slouching in front of a TV, playing on video games or working at a PC. Will Poor Posture Lead To Arthritis? Yes it will. Arthritis (spinal decay) can result from abnormal, chronic adaptation to incorrect body posture. It has been said that sitting down is to your spine what sugar is to

your teeth i.e. itʼs no good for your spine at all! The body deposits calcium on malfunctioning spinal joint surfaces in a bid to stabilize the joints, which leads to bone spurs and eventually fusion of the joints. If you or any of your family members show any of these signs, then you need to have a Spinal Health Check to assess what may be causing the problem. These assessments may be carried out by qualified Physiotherapists or Chiropractic. Spinal Health Care talks & assessments are being held in the Fitzwilliam Health Clinic as part of their Straighten Up Dublin campaign. The talks are taking place on 24th February at 1pm and 5th March at 6pm. (Tel: 6618949). Dr Danny Scahill graduated from Glamorgan University in 2006 and is a full member of the Chiropractic Association of Ireland.

Your New Incinerator and Community Gain

the Community Gain Fund and to act as a liaison group with the local community regarding the ongoing monitoring of the incinerator. The Community Gain proposals submitted in the EIS to An Bord Pleanála back in 2006 are identified under three headings: 1. A Community Gain Fund that will be used to finance facilities/ services for the benefit of local community. 2. District Heating to be generated by the Waste to Energy Plant. 3. The refurbishment/ rede-

velopment of the former Pigeon House Power Station, the old former Hotel and adjacent site (circa ﬁve acres), for appropriate uses, in partnership with the local community. With regard to this proposal, the intention is that Dublin City Council, in partnership with the local community, will seek proposals from the private sector for the refurbishment and redevelopment, where appropriate, of the buildings around the site for suitable uses. Above: Incinerator protest at Clanna Gael.

PAGE 8

Can you write songs? Writer of song lyrics seeks male or female to work with. If they can read music or play an instrument this would be a decided advantage. Telephone Derek Sandford 6641017 between 12 noon and 12 midnight every day except Sunday.

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

S MOKE - FREE

By Christy Hogan

n January 1st St Vincentʼs University Hospital, Elm Park, became smoke-free. The introduction of this measure is far removed from the days when visitors were permitted to bring cigarettes to their loved ones in hospital. Time was when visiting a relative or friend the not

E LM P ARK

to be forgotten bunch of grapes and twenty cigarettes were purchased. Since the smoking ban was introduced by Minister Micheal Martin, smoking was permitted in specially erected shelters on the hospital grounds. However, from January 1st 2009 this practice has ceased and smoking is forbidden on campus. Why ban smoking? Well, the answer to that question is found

in the promotional leaflet. St Vincentʼs University Hospital is a ʻHealth-Promotingʼ hospital. The smoking ban is not intended to stop people smoking altogether, but to stop smoking on the hospital grounds. Before the campus ban was introduced, patients could be seen standing in their dressing gowns at hospital doorways puffing away on the dreaded weed. In providing a smoke-free environment the hospital is of the opinion that this will help with the recovery of patients. Sounds very logical and sensible, donʼt you think. Going smoke-free can help with the prevention and treatment of numerous illnesses. Heart and lung disease, cancer and early recovery from all illness can benefit from the nosmoking ban. Thereʼs lots of information available from the HSE and from St Vincentʼs Hospital itself. Advice includes stop smoking courses and nicotine patches and gum. If you smoke, and are on the list

to be admitted to hospital, do plan for your admission. Mind you, with the recession ongoing youʼll have plenty of time. The waiting list is as long as your arm. Have a chat with your GP and ﬁnd out what services are available close to where you live. Nicotine products are available at your local chemist. If you have a medical card you can get them buckshee. If, unfortunately, you become an in-patient you can ask the doctor or ward nurse about nicotine products as part of your treatment. Nicotine products are free while you are a hospital patient. And ﬁnally, St Vincentʼs Hospital would like to thank all patients and visitors for not smoking on campus. They thank you for leaving your cigarettes at home.

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

PAGE 9

R EMEMBERING T ONY G REGORY 1947 – 2009

By Audrey Healy This interview was first published in the book ʻDubliners Whatʼs the Story?ʼ a compilation of interviews with famous Dubliners, published by Currach Press in 2002 and available in Easons. It is published now as a tribute to former Independent TD Tony Gregory, who fought a brave battle with cancer in 2008 and sadly passed away on January 2nd 2009.

“I

was pretty wild!” admits the late Tony Gregory TD about his boyhood schooldays, “but it wasnʼt earth-shattering stuff! I robbed orchards and we used to scuttle on the grain lorries! I remember the great excitement when I saw Sheriff Street for the first time– I jumped off one of the lorries and saw all these huge blocks of flats. I didnʼt rob cars or anything because there werenʼt any to rob but if there were, I might have!” Born in Charleville Avenue, off the North Strand, this highly respected public representative had a colourful and eventful early life in terms of his education. He first attended the Loreto Convent in North Great

Georgeʼs Street, at the age of three. It was labelled ʻHill Streetʼ because pupils entered the school by the back gate of a yard leading on to Hill Street. The earnest scholar later went to St. Cannonʼs Christian Brotherʼs school on Dublinʼs North Circular Road, which had just introduced a unique venture known as a ʻcorporation scholarshipʼ, specifically aimed at catering for children from the outer suburbs. Those typical inner-city schooldays were, according to Tony, “not particularly unhappy, but tough.” Tough seems a mild description, given the extent to which corporal punishment was in operation at the time. “I remember the severe hidings on my hands and knuckles from the Christian Brothers. I remember playing on the fire escape at break time and I threw a banger which exploded and got a great cheer from the assembled crowd! Then the Head brother nicknamed ʻFish faceʼ, because his name was ʻHerringʼ, threatened to beat everyone if the culprit didnʼt own up, so myself and another lad owned up and he beat us on the knuckles with a round pointed stick!” Emerging as a bit of a rebel, the youthful Tony was nonetheless a sensitive soul who

was forced to deal with a wide range of emotions throughout his adolescence, partially in light of the fact that his mother suffered from TB, ensuring unpredictable periods of illness for her, fuelled by constant anxieties about the future. “It was a hard and an unhappy time,” he admits candidly. “We were always worried about her going into hospital and maybe losing her,” he says, his voice trailing off in sorrow. In later years Tony achieved degrees in History and Irish in UCD and embarked upon a teaching career, while maintaining a keen interest in local politics. He was heavily swayed by the views of his father, who continually related stories of historical and political events such as the 1916 Rising and the Black and Tan Years. “My father was a great admirer of Michael Collins and hated DeValera, while the rest of the country admired De Valera and hated Collins! But he was a big influence and when you spend twelve years of your life in one room with someone and no running water and no toilet, itʼs bound to have an effect– you become interested in equality in Ireland and the differences between those who have and those who have not,” he explains. Tony Gregory initiated his first political campaign in 1979 and worked intimately with community associations in the north inner city. He was elected to the Dail in 1982 as an Independent TD. He involved himself in a long line of significant issues, thereby firmly establishing his standing as a man of the people. He rapidly became the voice of the downtrodden and underprivileged, delivering much for the inner city through the famous ʻGregory Dealʼ, hatched with then-Taoiseach Charles Haughey, in return for the Independent TDʼs support for a Fianna Fail government. “I focus on what other politicians donʼt,” he states confidently. “I represent the people

who are demanding support and arenʼt getting it, things that have a devastating effect on the area– the plight of the Moore Street women traders; animal cases, areas the mainstream politicians find too awkward.” So what of Dublin, the city of his birth? “The north inner city is in the process of continual change. Housing conditions have changed dramatically from the overcrowded tenement areas. The transformation of the North Wall and the financial services centre– itʼs a world away from what I grew up with. Iʼve always had an attraction for Henry Street at Christmas,” he smiles. “The trees, the lights and the stars are incredible and I can never understand how the city council and big stores wanted to get rid of that. It is part of the catalyst that attracts people to the city. Itʼs also where the struggle of the Moore Street traders took place and where my mother did her shopping– itʼs a part of Dublin,” he says. This round-the-clock campaigner deals with an extensive amount of daily requests, both from his Leinster House

office and advice centres located throughout the city. For Tony Gregory, one staunch crusader of the past remains a source of deep inspiration: Noel Browne– for a number of reasons. “His parents died of TB and my mother died of TB. He became Minister for Health and crusaded on social issues. I would never aspire to compare myself to him but I admire him greatly.” Unfortunately, in spite of the great advances of the past few decades, one issue of major concern remains the horrific plague of drug abuse. “The main problem is social disadvantage and social inequality. Until we get to the stage where we create a more just society, treat all the children of the nation equally and oppose the ready availability of drugs, we wonʼt progress. If we get equality, people will be less likely to want to destroy themselves with escapist drugs.” Some may view this as an unrealistic pie-in-the-sky dream, but itʼs an admirable goal to aim for. Should it materialise, this man will surely have played a contributory role.

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NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

OLD SEA DOG The skiffs are on their moorings The seagulls on the wing The cormorants starch as statues The foreboding church bell rings. Old men stand on the corner Old women by the gate Old priest waits at the doorway Old Sea Dog donʼt be late. Heʼs coming past the Bottle House Heʼs motoring in style Heʼs at the head of a mighty crowd Heʼs within a quarter mile. We halt the hearse and ease him out We hoist him shoulder high We carry him over his beloved bridge We share his load with pride. At last heʼs docked by the altar side At last heʼs freed from sin At last he ships for his final trip At last his boatʼs come in. By Kevin Thompson 15 August 1999 This poem was written for ʻKingʼ Billy Murphyʼs funeral. ʻThe Kingʼ who was a deep sea docker all his life officiated over events in Ringsend Regatta days for many years. The tradition of skiff racing evolved from the days of sail when dockers used to row light open boats out into Dublin bay to meet the schooners or clippers on their way into port. The first boats to get their grappling hooks and lines aboard the traders were afforded a free tow into the docks and secured the right to work the vessel. Likewise the right to be carried over the ʻBrudgeʼ is a traditional ritual afforded to all deceased citizens of Ringsend and Irishtown to this day.

Ballsbridge, Donnybrook and Sandymount Historical Society

SQUARE MEAL IN A BOX AT CHQ By Nessa Jennings

y dining companion described Tossʼd Noodles and Salads, the newly-opened noodle bar, in the Ely CHQ building in Dublinʼs IFSC, as ʻtrendyʼ. There was no sign of recession on the day we visited as there were plenty of staff and customers. We ordered off the short noodles menu, and it was a pleasure to be served by the efﬁcient and ready-to-please staff, and to eat ʻoutsideʼ, on the 45-seater terrace, while insulated from the February cold, still inside the well-appointed and plush CHQ Building. The service was fast, making it ideal for even a short lunch break. And the food arrived piping hot in neat, white take-out boxes, meaning you could easily take it outside, or back to your desk. In a city full of cafes where a squashed panini and a skinny latte can be €10, this food represents great value, very tasty and ﬁlling, and hot starting at €8.50.We chose Cinnamon Beef Noodles, and

H OW

Singapore Fried Prawns. Each dish was bursting with ﬂavours, and we could taste curry-infused noodles, fragrant cinammon egg noodles, coconut, dill and wasabi. The noodles were freshly-prepared and cut through with a lot of vegetables, made for a ﬁlling meal. You can feel especially good after eating noodles, and as lunch, it was perfect, although you need a decent amount of time to get it eaten. There is also an extensive range of mixed salads available, or you can assemble your own from a list of salad ingredients. Tossʼd Noodles serve Illy coffee which is great, but no desserts as yet, only snack bars

TO IDENTIFY A NIGHTMARE WORKPLACE

On Thursday, 19 March, the Historical Society will have a talk on ‘Early Motoring in Ireland’, by Bob Montgomery at the RIAC, 34 Dawson St., Dublin 2, at 8 p.m., and a tour of the RIAC. Book early as numbers will be limited at this venue. Contact Gail Wolfe by 13 March either by text or call to 087 648 3388.

PLUMBER Reliable, Qualified, Experienced Derek White, 21 Howard Street, Ringsend Tel: 087 228 7981

and muffins. The restaurant itself is modern in design, with open-plan counter and kitchen. There are high tables and stools inside for rapid service and quick and sociable lunches. For those who like to start their day with a healthy breakfast, Tossʼd Noodles and Salads also offers a delicious range of breakfast alternatives including fruit muesli, granola and organic porridge with maple syrup. It is owned and run by Feidhlim and Helen OʼCarroll (pictured above). Feidhlim is a former business analyst, with a background in cooking including five years at Ballymaloe House and you may remember Helen as she worked in Mapotherʼs on Sandymount Green for some time. Tossʼd Noodles and Salads is definitely worth a return visit. And it might be a good idea to order as a take-out. The restaurant is open from 7am to 7pm. Tossʼd Noodles and Salads, CHQ Building, Georges Dock, Dublin 1 (Tel: 8291607).

Here is an extract from ʻThe WorstCase Scenario Survival Handbookʼ by Joshua Piven. You may think things are bad in your present job, but be careful! Things can be worse. 1. Interview at the beginning or end of the day. Arrive early for your morning interview and observe the workers as they arrive. Slouching, pouting, and dejected expressions indicate low morale. Note whether workers acknowledge the receptionist with a smile and a greeting or are oblivious to the receptionist. With an interview at the end of the day, observe if large numbers of workers leave promptly

at quitting time, which may indicate a bored, clock-watching staff. Large numbers of people working late may indicate that employees are overworked, and deadlines are unrealistic. 2. Examine the bathrooms. Are the bathrooms clean? Is there enough toilet paper? Are paper towels strewn about the ﬂoor? Lack of attention to these small details may indicate a lack of respect for the workplace and a lack of attention for larger details. 3. Monitor the air quality. Does the work area have natural light and outside air? Is the environment quiet? Is the air too hot or too

cold? Are there any rancid or chemical smells? Is smoke billowing from any vents or machinery? Are workers sniffing or sneezing frequently? All of these are indicators of poor air quality or a ʻsickʼ workplace. 4. Look for signs of a troubled workplace. * Droopy eyelids obscuring the whites of the workersʼ eyes. * Employees sleeping, doodling, or fist-fighting at meetings. * Employees with their foreheads on their desks, fists pounding the desktops. * Flickering or humming fluorescent lights. * Music playing through speakers in the ceiling. * ʻWarning: Hazardous Wasteʼ signs * Groups of workers whispering * Individual workers whispering to themselves * Groups of workers silently praying * Office layout based on slave ship rather than feng shui * Carpet stains that could be coffee, could be blood If you observe three or more of the above danger signs, you may have discovered a nightmare workplace.

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

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NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

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NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

By Noel Twamley

he 3rd February 2009 was the 50th Anniversary of Buddy Hollyʼs death. Singer-songwriter Buddy Holly was born 7th September 1936 in Lubbock, Texas and died 3rd February 1959 in that awful plane crash in the snow-filled fields of Iowa. This was the date about which Don McLean wrote the song ʻAmerican Pieʼ. I first heard Holly in my Aunt Elizabethʼs house in Old Camden Street. She had bought a Telefunkin radio (no TV then) in Mayʼs of St Stephenʼs Green. Older readers will surely remember this lovely, big music store. The radio truly had a great, warm, rich sound and it was perfect to catch the sound of Holly and the Crickets and the crashing, jangling fender Stratocaster guitar. Holly was a ground-breaker. He wrote his own songs, played lead guitar and wore glasses. Until he came along, the idea of a bespectacled rock star was unthinkable. In his late teens he formed his group and named them The Crickets. He recorded his first track on the Decca label and they insisted he record only country songs, which sank without trace. In 1957 The Crickets went to the Norman Petty Studio in

PAGE 13

T HE

DAY THE MUSIC DIED

Clouis, New Mexico, and recorded Buddyʼs own ʻThatʼll be the Dayʼ, which was a huge hit. It was followed by ʻOh Boyʼ, ʻNot Fade Awayʼ, ʻPeggy Sueʼ and the list goes on and on. All of his songs were issued on the Coral label and The Cricketsʼ tracks were released on Coralʼs sister label Brunswick, a very sharp money-making move by Coral. The money was pouring

in to Norman Petty, but the band saw little of it. Petty built himself a new home and studio in Clouis which was nicknamed ʻThe House that Holly Builtʼ. In late 1958, Holly split with Petty and The Crickets and went to New York where he recorded solo songs on tape. When Holly died his family gave these tapes to Petty. This was a bad move as Petty dubbed and overdubbed the tapes and made a

mess of them. In 1978 Coral issued a sixLP box set of all his work. Remember he only had a recording life span of one and a half years. Such a small

catalogue, yet everyone of note has covered his songs including the Beatles, Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys. Don McClean dedicated his album ʻAmerican Pieʼ to Holly. When Holly died his family sold his catalogue of songs to Norman Petty who, in turn, some years later sold them to Paul McCartney. In early 1959, Holly was in New York, newly married, a baby on the way and no money. He went on tour. It was bitterly cold and the coach had no heater and was constantly breaking down. When the tour party got to Clear Lake, Iowa, he decided to hire a small plane to fly to their next gig. That fateful night in a heavy snowstorm, minutes after taking off, they crashed, killing all four on board, Ritchie Valens, Big Bopper Richardson, Buddy Holly and the pilot. Letʼs leave the last word to Bob Dylan who said “Hollyʼs music transcends nostalgia. I carry it with me all the time. Buddy Hollyʼs music is as valid to me today as it was so many years ago.”

RODNEY DEVITT, D. P

OD. M., M. CH. S. I.,

PODIATRIST / CHIROPODIST Is now in private practice four full days at 62 Tritonville Road, Sandymount, Dublin 4

For consultation, advice and treatment for all foot conditions Telephone 6680485 for an appointment Monday to Thursday inclusive, 8am to 5pm The surgery is at garden level – no stairs NewsFourʼs financial advisor, John Lee, is shown presenting his late fatherʼs book ʻA History Of The Dental Professionʼ to President Mary McAleese and her husband Martin in Áras An Uachtaráin recently.

Four minute walk from No. 3 bus (Star of the Sea Church) Off-road car parking – free

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NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

The Letterbox Dear Editor, I am trying to trace up any photos of my father and maybe your readers may be able to help me. My father was Edward (Eddie ʻFeathers Baneʼ) Behan from Whelan House in Ringsend. He was born in 1926 and married Annie Kelly from Derrynane Gardens in Sandymount. I was delighted to see a picture of the Confirmation Class of ʻ37/ ʼ38 Ringsend National School showing my Dadʼs brother, Joe. The family likeness was instantly recognisable. If there are any of your readers out there who can come up with any school photos, etc. of my Dad I would be very grateful to them and would copy and return them immediately or pay for the copies. I enjoy reading your paper. Sadly my Dad passed away in 1994 but I spent the first half of my life walking Ringsend and Sandymount and the Pigeon House with him and have a great fondness for the area. Thank you in anticipation and keep up the good work. Yours sincerely, Irene Fagan nee Behan Dear Madam Editior I received the December/ January edition of NewsFour and was rather irritated to find that my name appeared in three places incorrectly spelt. On page 2 under ʻcontributorsʼ, on page 11 in a letter from Jean Lynch to you (though I was

heartened to have the ʻShelly Banksʼ article in a previous edition appreciated) and on page 34. The surname of LYON is something we in our family are very proud of. It has a long history and my relatives will be also displeased to see the name from our family miss-spelt by adding an ʻSʼ since that version is a distinctly separate family to ours. In other words: NewsFour has arrived at my door I cringed as I saw the mistake My surnameʼs not Lyons, as you make Please write me as Lyon, to be sure. This name is most historic, you see For our Lyon has no ʻSʼ ʻCos thereʼs one letter less Now correct it, please do it for me To all of your good readers, I say Be not confused by the mistake But our dignity, is surely at stake This Lyon is a Lyon every day. Sincerely, Geoffrey P. B. Lyon Humblest apologies to you Mr Lyon (Ed) Dear Madam Editior A friend of mine in Ringsend sent me a paper called NewsFour. On page 29 I noticed a conﬁrmation picture of a group of boys who went to Ringsend National school. I also went to that school

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and made my confirmation in June 1939. I would like to get a copy of the confirmation picture of the class of 1939 if possible. Do you have a copy or can you send me an address or any contact information so I can request a confirmation picture with my year. I am 82 years old and left Ringsend in 1953. I was wondering if some of the students my age are still alive and living in Ringsend. I was born in Dublin and was adopted by a family living in the Pembroke Cottages in Ringsend. The family name was Paget. There was no legal adoption in those days so I was given the name of Simon Paget and was known by that name until I left for Canada in June 1953. My legal name on my birth certificate is Simon James Moynihan. I would appreciate if you know someone who knows me. Sincerely, Simon Moynihan Redwood City, California We have emailed the picture to Simon (Ed) Dear Madam Editor Many thanks for your excellent Christmas edition. I refer to James OʼDohertyʼs writing. I always enjoy his articles none more so than his tips on choosing a good Christmas tree. I would be interested in knowing Mr OʼDohertyʼs thoughts on the so-called Christmas tree that was erected on OʼConnell Street. I recall fondly the days when Mr OʼDoherty and his team were responsible for giving us glorious green and Irish grown trees on our main street. Some things are better left alone. Sincerely Ken Farrell, Irishtown Ed: The following are two of the many letters sent to us when we reminded our readers of the subscription rate for receiving NewsFour by post. Dear Madam Editor My sincere apologies for not sending my subscriptions over the past couple of years. Sheer laziness is my only reason. I am so used to paying everything online that the sheer effort of putting pen to paper has become too much to contemplate! Please accept my subscription and a small donation to cover postage over the last two years. As I lived in Ringsend up until

Bodies Exhibition at the Ambassador Theatre, O’Connell Street The Bodies Exhibition has caused some controversy since it opened last month. The bodies which have been dissected and placed on display are those of Chinese people and whether their permission was obtained is questionable. Every organ in the body is shown and the exhibition is not for the squeamish, especially if you are a smoker. Blackened lungs of long-time smokers and other diseased organs are on display. The exhibition (www.bodiestheexhibition.com) will run for at least three months and the organisers have written to every Irish school inviting them to use it as an educational tool. Whether schools will think this is a good idea remains to be seen. For more information go to: www.bodiesdublin.com, Entry price: €20.00 to €12.00 I was seventeen I really appreciate receiving your newspaper. I may be living in Templelogue for over thirty years but my heart is still in Ringsend and surrounding areas. I also dabble in a bit of blogging with many references to my spiritual home. Thereʼs one post there called ʻA childhood sceneʼ describing a memory from my childhood of a snow covered Ringsend Park in January. The blog can be viewed at: annbrien.blogspot.com. Kind regards, Ann Brien, Templogue Ed: Annʼs blog is well worth a look

Dear Madam Editor Thank you for sending me NewsFour and I enclose my yearly subscription for post and packing of €12. It is a great, enjoyable read and I look forward to receiving it. When I finish it, it is sent over to Yorkshire to my Uncle John Kelly who is 92 years of age. He was born and reared in 24 Seafort Villas and loves catching up on the news about present day Sandymount. So keep up the great job you are doing. Yours sincerely, Eileen Hennessy, Kill, Co. Kildare

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NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

PRAISE OF CRANE OPERATORS

PAGE 15

M ESSING

ABOUT ON THE WATER ?

By Jean Giff

ould he like to be a sailor, a policeman or a vet, a soldier in the army, or the pilot of a jet? No! He has decided (to all he makes it plain) he doesnʼt like their offers; he wants to operate a crane! So, when his learning days are over, and his stiff exams are past he can call himself a ʻcranemanʼ, and now heʼs free at last to have the longed for interview (where he proves heʼs bright) well able to be a craneman on a building site. The crane saves a builder time, men and money. To move loads without it would not be funny! So every builder loves the crane but without our craneman there would be no gain. His job is really most unique, some might consider it both lonely and bleak. He misses all the jokes that go around among his work mates on the ground. His day begins with some aerobics and itʼs not a job for agoraphobics! Leaving his friends, perhaps some foes, up and up and up he goes into his box (hung out to dry) suspended there ʻneath earth and sky. So his long and lonely day will start, no ʻcraicʼ up there to cheer his heart. Not much time to gaze oʼer land and sea. His job is to move stuff from A to B. A 4-cable winch on the craneʼs long arm ensures each load is conveyed without harm. The cables are secured by a heavy weight hanging over each load, to keep it straight. Someone on the ground below directs where every load must go. Our craneman moves the arm with skill, the winchʼs cables drawn up until they hang precisely above the load, then, released, descend slowly to the road, to where the waiting hands are able to hook a huge load to the powerful cable. Up goes the loaded cable in the air, clearing obstacles with room to spare.

By John Fitzgerald

he 25th annual Irish Marine Federation Boat Show begins in The RDS Simminscourt Arena on 18th February. The main sponsor of the event is The Allianz Insurance Group. The largest show of its type in Ireland, it is held just after the London

Then the craneʼs long arm is swung around to where the load is needed on the ground. Our craneman slowly releases the winch and the load arrives safely, itʼs really a cinch! Hour after hour, his work continues, cooped up in his box (has he aching sinews?). As tons and tons of material is moved, the worth of the cranemanʼs skill is proved. Day after day, high up in the sky, heʼs alone up there where the songbirds fly. Then, unwinding stiff limbs at the end of each day, he climbs back down to earth for a hot cup of ʻtayʼ. Without our skilful cranemen we would be lost, for if building work slowed, there would be a cost. So, to all lonely cranemen we take off our hat, they are speeding our building, no doubt of that. The cranes go round and round, the cables up and down, enabling new building to go up all over Dublin Town.

Boat show, with many exhibitors and visitors attending both events. The selection of products and features that will be on offer at the show reﬂects the huge choice of marine activities that are available in Ireland. Quite literally, there is something for everyone at this yearʼs event, from the latest chandelry to extreme water sports to inland cruisers to marine based holidays at home and abroad.

Captain Sean Lyons, pictured, who runs The Rib Centre in Cork has attended the show for the last decade. He says the show has weathered all sorts of storms and continues to go from strength to strength. “Some people just love boats,” he said. Whether new to watersports, or if you are already an active participant, then the 2009 event is the perfect place to ﬁnd out whatʼs new and how to acquire the latest equipment. If you are coming back to watersports, this is the place to reconnect with one of Irelandʼs fastest-growing leasure sectors. Tickets are €12 per adult, €25 for a family and €6 OAP/ students. Opening hours: Wednesday 18th February 11am to 7 pm, Thursday 19th February 11am to 8 pm, Friday 20th February 11 am to 8 pm, Saturday 21st February 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday 22nd February 10 am to 6 pm.

A CTIVE • E XPERIENCED • H ARDWORKING

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NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

Bookworm Reviewed by Audrey Healy

INSIDE THE MIND OF SHARON COLLINS ʻLYING EYESʼ by Emer Connolly and ʻTHE DEVIL IN THE RED DRESSʼ by Aisling Rieley.

ever since the case of Catherine Nevin has a woman captivated the attention of the nation so much– when Sharon Collins from Ennis Co. Clare was found guilty of conspiring to hire a hit man to kill her husband P J Howard and his grown up sons Robert and Niall. This was a story of greed, pure and simple. In reality, PJ was not Sharonʼs husband for he refused to marry her, though they had been together for eight years. He had already lost his ﬁrst wife and subsequent second partner to illness when he met Collins and he now wanted to protect his substantial assets for his two sons. The pair had taken part in an

intimate church ceremony in Italy and Sharon had changed her name from Collins to Howard, but they were not legally married so she would not have any legal claim on his fortune. This was not good enough for her. She had set her eyes set on his bank account and having already secured a fake passport and marriage certificate in Howardʼs name, she was quietly confident that should PJ meet his death she would indeed benefit. And so began a web of lies and deceit and, as in the case of Joe OʼReilly, were it not for the crucial evidence of technology– computers, emails and mobile phones, Sharon Collins may never have been caught. She also had the misfortune to hire, not a professional hit man but a bumbling fool who grew impatient and put the whole plan into jeopardy at the last minute. He confronted the Howard sons at their home just days before the

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planned hit and offered them the opportunity to buy out the hit on their lives and giving them time to alert the Gardai which, of course, they wisely did, setting off a chain of events that ultimately led to Sharon Collinsʼs downfall. In a deliberate, calculated and ruthless move, Sharon Collins, calling herself ʻLying Eyesʼ logged on to hitmanforhire.net and made contact with Egyptianborn and Las Vegas-based Essam Eid, who called himself Tony Luciano. She asked him for a quote to kill “three males in Ireland, two brothers, oneʼs aged 27, one 23. I want it to look like an accident,” she wrote. “The third is an older man, aged 57. Again, it is imperative that it does not look like a hit. I would prefer suicide or is it possible for it to look like natural causes?” Eid replied immediately, quoting $50,000 per person “but because it is three birds in one stone it will be $90,000.” In later emails Sharon describes her lover of eight years, PJ, as “a real asshole who makes my life hell. I have thought about this long and hard and I realise that it is necessary or there is no advantage to getting rid of my husband other than not having to look at his miserable face again.” Eid warns Sharon not to use her work computer for their correspondence, as deleted ﬁles can be retrieved, but it is too late and though she removes the computer and hides it, it is later found in bushes and contributes to her downfall. Sharon Collinsʼs main defence throughout this case is that she began emailing a writer called Maria Marconi, who was apparently coaching her on how to write a novel. She says she conﬁded in her about her about the deteriorating state of her ʻmarriageʼ and that Marconi then went on to blackmail her– however Marconi was never found. The carefully-orchestrated plan really fell apart when Eid grew uptight and frustrated and confronted Robert and Niall at their home. He told them he had been offered $130,000 to kill them but didnʼt want to do it and offered them the opportunity to buy out the contract, arranging another meeting with them 24 hours later. In the meantime the two broth-

ers contacted the Gardai and Eid was trapped on his return, setting the wheels in motion for one of the biggest investigations ever seen in this country. The presence of the deadly poison ricin was also a central ingredient in this case, as it was discovered in a contact lens case in Essam Eidʼs cell. He refused to talk about this and also refused to comment on emails and telephone calls exchanged between himself and Sharon, other than to bizarrely claim that he and Sharon had been involved in a three-year affair, despite having only set eyes on her for the ﬁrst time ever in the court room at the height of the drama. PJ Howard has emerged as perhaps the true victim in this sorry tale. The 57 year old wealthy businessman gave evidence in the trial and point black refused to believe that Sharon Collins would do anything to harm him. She had taken great care of him when he was ill, he said and none of this made any sense. “When I wasnʼt well she looked after me extremely well. She made a very good life for us and we didnʼt feel there were any serious problems between us until this situation arose. It doesnʼt make sense to me. It is totally out of character. I ﬁnd it very hard to believe.” Following his emotional testimony and to the incredulity of the

public at large and surely his exasperated sons, he kissed her on the lips and following her conviction and six-year imprisonment in the Dochas Centre where she now has time to dwell on her cruel act, he visited her. Now he has pledged “if sheʼll still have me when she gets out, we will go somewhere else and start a new life together.” Love is blind they say. It is no surprise that Howardʼs two sons say the incident has damaged their relationship with their father. This case is a sad one for all involved. There are no winners. ʻLying Eyesʼ is by Emer Connolly while ʻThe Devil in the Red Dressʼ is written by Aisling Rieley. Both books are available in all good book shops.

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009 died. In 1783, Charles Spalding, a Scotsman who ran a sweetshop in Edinburgh, arrived in Dublin Harbour with a bell of his own creation. It boasted a very long leather tube designed to reach the surface and, by dint of an air pump, ensure a supply of fresh air. Unfortunately, Spalding died showing off his invention when his signal ropes became entangled, but the stage was set for the new age in diving bells. The diving bell on Rogersonʼs Quay was designed by Bindon Blood Stoney, the improbably named Chief Engineer for the Port and Docks during much of the Vic-

PLUMBING THE DEPTHS

By Turtle Bunbury

trolling along Sir John Rogersonʼs Quay, one is apt to be so caught up in the shimmering developments of this new horizon as to miss a huge salmon pink wrought iron yoke shaped not unlike a sink plunger. And indeed, plunging is to the fore for the origins of this peculiarity. Mankind has been fantasising about living underwater ever since Noah got the tip-off about the

PAGE 17 torian Age. It was built in Drogheda by Thomas Grendon & Co and completed in 1866. The bell, pictured left in August 1999 before its restoration, was used to create the North Wall Extension and the Alexandra Basin. A team of six men would climb the ladder on the 38ft high funnel, pass through an airlock and then climb down into a 400 square-foot chamber, which was just about high enough for a man to stand. From here, the men were able to level the riverbed in preparation for the laying of the 350-ton prefabricated super-blocks that form the North Wall Extension. It was unpleasant, claustrophobic work. The

chamber was often unbearably hot and the pressure was particularly unpleasant for anyone with a cold; ears frequently bled and many men never recovered. Stoneyʼs bell continued to be used for repair work in the Docklands until 1958. The St Andrewʼs Resource Centre later secured it for the Southside and gifted it to the Docklands Authority who, working with FÁS, the Irish Nautical Trust and Dublin Port, ensured its restoration as a 2000 AD Millennium project. The above is an extract from Turtle Bunburyʼs book ʻDublin Docklands– An Urban Voyageʼ (Montague Publications 2009). Available in March.

Flood. By 1690, Edmund Halley, he of the Comet, had devised a diving bell capable of remaining submerged for long periods of time. The principle was much the same as when you plunge a glass, mouth down, into a bucket of water and it ﬁlls with air. In Halleyʼs bell, there was sufﬁcient air for a man to be safely contained within and sent underwater. The only problem was that, with increasing pressure, air compresses and so, as the bell sank deeper, its occupants invariably went ga-ga or

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Councillor Michael Donnelly Contact details: Phone: 4970935 Email: mdonnelly@bfcd.ie

PAGE 18

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

Film Scene By Michael Hilliard

‘Frost/Nixon’ Resting upon Frank Langellaʼs remarkable performance as Richard Nixon, director Ron Howard delivers a satisfying drama about David Frost (Michael Sheen) and his

ground-breaking interviews with Nixon. Based on the stage play by Peter Morgan, the film reunites both Langella and Sheen from its first run, a good decision in Sheenʼs case, but an essential one in Langellaʼs.

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‘Role Models’

the most interesting perhaps, was the Valkyrie project, a coup organised by high-ranking officers of his own army. For a tale with such huge potential, ʻValkyrieʼ is rarely thrilling and ultimately, rather underwhelming. Bryan Singerʼs direction is pedestrian at best, a far cry from his early efforts with ʻThe Usual Suspectsʼ, and ʻApt Pupilʼ. At the core of the scheme is Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise), a career Nazi soldier, who becomes disillusioned with his fuhrerʼs direction, upon losing sight in one eye, a hand, and several fingers during a battle in North Africa. Stauffenberg then joins the German Resistance and commits himself to the assassination of Hitler and the return the German government back to the people.

ʻRole Modelsʼ stars Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott as Danny and Wheeler, two energy drink salesmen who write-off their company car after Danny gets dumped by his girlfriend and has a minor meltdown. Given a choice between jail or community service, they end up in the Sturdy Wings programme, mentoring problematic children, an ultra-nerdy fantasy role-player Augie, and foul-mouthed 10-year old Ronnie. Under close scrutiny by the programme leader (ex-addict/convict), Danny and Wheeler have no choice but to bear the brunt of the kidsʼ ﬂair for anarchy. ʻRole modelsʼ is nothing new, but the tried-and-tested formula it adheres to, throws up some serious belly-laughs, with Rudd in particular perfecting his nonchalant everyman schtick.

3.5 out of 5

The interviews, of course, ended up being the closest thing to a trial that Nixon would ever get, and the explosive admissions of the disgraced ex-president, went some way toward satisfying the American publicʼs demand for accountability, post-Watergate. Of course, Langellaʼs performance is the primary draw here, though Sheenʼs work as the initially unlikeable and smarmy Frost, gradually sways audience opinion, developing layers of an intriguing personality, as the much-derided TV presenter, matures and steps up to face the master politician, and simultaneously restore his own professional credibility. 4 out of 5

‘Valkyrie’ Throughout the period of Nazi rule in Germany, there were forty two documented attempts on Hitlerʼs life. One of

LET’S WALK AND TALK Join local residents for a weekly walk When: Every Thursday at 2 pm Where: Meet outside Sandymount DART station How long: 90 minutes walk along Sandymount strand or to neighbouring suburbs For information on weekly walks in other areas and historical walking tours contact DCC on 2223726 (9 to 5 pm)

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

W OMEN ’ S D AY

PAGE 19

TO RELAX

International Womenʼs Weekend Ringsend/ Irishtown and District 6th/ 7th/ 8th March

s part of the Womenʼs International Day that will take place all over the world on Sunday 8th March, the Ringsend & District International Womenʼs Day Committee will host a weekend of pure enjoyment, where women will be spoilt for choice in entertainment, relaxation, mind & body health classes and holistic treatments. Commencing on Friday night 6th March at 8pm Ringsend/ Irishtown Community Centre will host the launch of the weekend with the highly-acclaimed play ʻRuby Tuesdayʼ (see box on right) with a cheese and wine reception. Tickets for the play will be on sale from the 20th February. Tickets cost €5.00 each and will be available from the Commu-

nity Centre. On Saturday 7th March from 12 to 6pm Holistic treatment sessions, Health Assessments, Mind & Body classes are just a few of the programmes that will be on offer in the Spellman Centre and Irishtown Stadium. Just in case you miss the Saturday, all programmes will be repeated on Sunday 8th March in the Ringsend/ Irishtown Com-

munity Centre and Irishtown Stadium from 2pm to 6pm. For more information please contact: Aideen OʼConnor (Dublin City Council Sport & Recreation Ofﬁcer) 0871271921 Mary Doolin (Spellman Centre) 01 6677666 Lorraine Barry (Ringsend and Irishtown Community Centre) 01 660 4789.

‘Ruby Tuesday’ Performed by Rose Henderson (Sr. Assumpta in ʻFather Tedʼ) and Helen Norton (ʻPaths to Freedomʼ), pictured left. Director Deirdre Molloy. In her gilded cage out in the leafy suburbs of Dublin, Mrs. T lives the middle class dream in a state of quiet desperation. Every Tuesday, Ruby, her cleaning lady, calls to clean the house and blow away the cobwebs of Mrs. Tʼs life with sarcasm, wit and common sense. This keenly observed comedy brings together two women who can never be friends– just dependent on each other for laughter and sanity, while the tail end of Celtic Tiger Ireland disintegrates around them. As their stories unfold we see how banter and laughter help them to deal with the petty betrayals of children, the cold indifference of a failed marriage and the domestic catastrophes behind the double-glazing, spit and polish.

School Reunion for Roslyn Park Class of 1978 The class of 1978 left school 30 years ago and a school reunion is being planned. If you left Roslyn Park School in 1978 and would like to meet up with your friends again please contact Megan at 6672922

PAGE 20 Beat the Recession Blues and come and join us At the Holiday Inn, Dublin City Centre for

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

E VERYONE BENEFITS FROM CHARITY SHOPS

Laugh at Lunchtime Letʼs face it… there is enough doom and gloom at the moment without having to hear the news when youʼre trying to enjoy your lunch and relax so at the Holiday Inn we want to change that. So come join us for Breakfast or Lunch and enjoy some of the all-time great comedians. All news channels are now BANNED at the Holiday Inn so you can enjoy your Full Irish Breakfast, Carvery Lunch or full deli counter while watching the likes of Laurel & Hardy, Brendan Grace, Ken Dodd and Les Dawson Breakfast is served MondayFriday 7:30am to 10:30am and Lunch, which includes full carvery menu and deli bar, is served Monday to Friday 12:00pm to 2:30pm. So come and join us from Monday 2nd February and relax and have a laugh!! If you would like any more information on this or would like to make a lunch booking, contact Lauren Bekir 01-6770340 or email sales@holidayinndublin.ie

By Louise Hanrahan

n general, the range of charity shops which are on the go all over Ireland are institutions in themselves. They are retail outlets which sell mainly second-hand, donated goods to raise funds for their parent charities. Anyone who pops in for a rummage in any of the shops will find a wide range of items available. Most of the

goods sold in charity shops are donated by the public, however some of them sell what are known as ʻboughtinʼ goods. These are new goods which are bought and sold for profit. Many shops especially smaller ʻHospiceʼ shops only sell donated goods, but ones such as Oxfam sell both bought-in and ethically-produced ʻfairtradeʼ goods. They also get many donations of bric-a-brac, and you never

know what gems you could come across. The clothes are usually the biggest seller. There is always a wide range of clothes for men, women and and children, books galore, toys, ornaments, kitchenware, videos, all different kinds of music to suit every taste! Some sell furniture and other household goods, which are obviously a lot cheaper than the high street retail prices. Many of the people working in the charity shops give of their own personal free time and energy and volunteer in order to give support to help sick and deprived children, homeless people, mentally and physically disabled and animal welfare and lots of other causes. Volunteering can be very enjoyable, as it gives a chance to meet new people, make new friends, become part of a team while learning new skills. Special training isnʼt needed but the feel-good fac-

tor of giving your own spare time is very rewarding! Anyone of us can call into any of the shops and donate goods, but for any item that would be deemed too large as in space-wise, check with the shop first. Charity shops are a great help and have a huge impact on the environment. If a large proportion of the clothes donated were not accepted, they would end up being discarded into domestic waste. The shops ensure that most of the goods are reused. Clothes that cannot be sold are recycled. It all contributes to a cleaner and greener environment. People from all walks of life bring items into the charity shops on a regular basis and when you see the price tags attached to almost everything on display itʼs a real bonus. Mrs. Quins Charity Shop in Ringsend, for instance, has bargains galore so pop in and browse.

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NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

PAGE 21

S OMETHING

TO BELIEVE IN By Nessa Jennings

he inauguration of Barack Obama on 20th January seems to have inspired us with the hope and promise of a new world order. The causes of world strife and conﬂict rooted in racial difference we hope will be eradicated, just like our colour blindness towards this remarkable man. His predecessors had anglicised names of the establishment: Bush, Clinton, Lincoln, Washington, Regan, Carter, whereas Obama has names reminiscent of the world of terrorism (Osama Bin Laden and Sadam Hussein). There was a prayer on everyoneʼs lips for his safety, Iʼm sure, when he walked around so freely after his inauguration, just like the prayer most of us have for this man in whom we have placed such huge expectations for everything from a dayʼs work to world peace. Obamaʼs success can be attributed to several factors: • The grass-roots nature of his campaign and support, and his personal charisma and rhetoric. • The language of his message and delivery, so moving and solid. • His election, as a black man, a deﬁning moment in American his-

tory, and the scale of his achievement bringing tears, euphoria and elation. • His executive actions in the first days of his presidency: pay freezes for top officials, the banning of lobbyists and special interest groups from the doors of the White House. • The cessation of trials condemning prisoners to torture and the horrors of Guantanemo Bay inspire confidence. • ʻYes We Canʼ. John Farreau, the 27 year-old aide, who coined the famous election slogan, is responsible for Obamaʼs powerful acceptance speech, and is said to have worked on it 16 hours a day for 8 weeks. When he spoke, it was as if the gods were with him. There were three miles of people stretching from the White House, down Pennsylvania Avenue, to the Lincoln memorial. It was not so much an election, as a movement. He was like Caesar, the people kept almost total silence, with only a few odd ripples of applause. When he spoke, he seemed to actually elevate peopleʼs sense of self. As well as being a politician, Obama published his book ʻDreams From My Fatherʼ in 1995, when he was the first black president of the Harvard Law Society. It is his memoir which became

F IRST F RIDAY

FILM CLUB

a bestseller soon after it was reissued in 2004. The book is a masterpiece: the writing is elegant and vivid, describing the birth of social conscience and awareness borne of his background and race. A rounded, balanced and calm leader has emerged from the most unpromising of beginnings. Born to a white mother from Kan-

sas and a black father, a visiting student from Kenya, he was exposed early to the ugly realities of racism but did not become embittered. His parents separated when he was a toddler, his mother subsequently marrying a man from Indonesia, where he lived and went to school until he was 10. Back in America, he was raised in Hawaii

by his grandparents, his much loved Gramps and Toot. His mother, who died prematurely from cancer, instilled in him a social conscience. As a young man, he campaigned among the poorest of Chicagoʼs poor and subsequently went to Harvard. It is the extraordinary story of a man in search of himself.

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Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

The First Friday ﬁlm club is a Dublin City Council Arts Ofﬁce initiative supporting neighbourhoods arts development in association with Rathmines Library and the Irish Film Institute. ʻWalk the Lineʼ– pictured above, covers the life and music of the legendary musician and performer Johnny Cash. Film intermission with live performance by singer/ songwriter Lynda Lucas. Friday 6 March 10.30 am in Rathmines Library, admission free.

10am–12.30pm 2–5pm 10am–12.30pm 2–5pm 10am–12.30pm 2–5pm 10am–5pm 2pm–8pm

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ʻBaconʼs Arenaʼ– a documentary on the artist Francis Bacon with introduction by Jessica OʼDonnell of the Hugh Lane Gallery. Friday 3 April 10.30 am in Rathmines Library, admission free.

Free Loan Protection and Life Savings Assurance For more information visit our website at www.sandymountcu.ie

For more information on screenings see www.firstfridayfilmclub. com or contact Susan Finn on 087 7949938. For more information on film clubs contact contact Jim Doyle, DCC 2227845.

SANDYMOUNT CREDIT UNION IS REGULATED BY THE FINANCIAL REGULATOR €100,000 GOVERNMENT SAVINGS GUARANTEE APPLIES

PAGE 22

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

ARTIST ASKS …

By John Cavendish

andymount Artist Carole Shubotham, pictured above, has a suggestion for all holiday home owners, if your holiday home is vacant during the working weeks of the year: Would you be willing to let an artist take up residence for a couple of months so that they could draw and paint your

holiday location? She says that this could be beneﬁcial for both the holiday home owner and the artist, who could maintain the house and leave behind a work or two to thank the owner. I talked with Carole in her workshop, the Back Alley Studio off Newbridge Avenue, where she discussed her work and the paintings she enjoys producing, from locations such as the old Head of Kinsale, the Cliffs of

HEADWAY By Audrey Healy

e only have to read the newspapers every day and observe the tragic numbers of road trafﬁc accidents and street brawls to see that brain injuries can happen to anyone at any time– the effects of which can be devastating, not only to the person themselves but to the family and friends who can be expected to become twenty-four hour carers overnight. Headway is the Irish National Association for Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). Founded in 1985, it develops, provides and promotes services to enhance the potential of people with an acquired brain injury. It also works to heighten public and political awareness of acquired brain injury and the impact it has on individuals,

Moher, the Burren and the Arran Islands. Her landscapes are full of the colour of the scenery. They also express the feeling of the artist in touch with her surroundings and contain all the mood and impression of a place of beauty. She said that she likes a large canvas for a picture: “The bigger the better,” she says. Carole studied ﬁne art at the National College of Art when

it was in Kildare Street and is a member of the United Arts Club in Dublin and the Visual Arts Association. Her training has ranged from ﬁne art to fashion. For many years Carole did ﬁgure drawing in Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology with Mary Burke. She says she loved the work of Soutine and Igon Schiele. In addition to her landscapes, she says that the only time that she ever stopped doing life drawing was when she was pregnant and unable to draw. She has two daughters and now her grand-daughter Shauna, 5, comes to her studio where she has great fun doing art, something Carole encourages and fosters. She has a lively young Labrador dog called Lucy who gets drawn when sheʼs resting. She likes to get in a swim in the Forty Foot in the morning to start the day, she is very much an outdoors artist but has also covered many life and still work projects in her time. Art has recently taken Carole to work on a drawing marathon in the New York Studio School of Drawing Painting and Sculpture and last year she travelled to Umbria in Italy where she attended the International Arts School. She works with oil but uses water colour, depending on the subject, such as a damp day on a coastline. She has a van and often heads out to Greystones or

Wicklow with all her tools and canvases. Carole Shubotham has also completed a number of commissions. Some of these included works for the Dublin Civic Trust, the writer and playwright Peter Sheridan, the RDS, the Irish Embassy in Singapore, the writer Fiona OʼBrien and for the newly-built Irishtown Garda Station. She has exhibited across Ireland from the Cherry Lane Gallery in Delgany, the Cong Art Gallery in Mayo, the Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, the Soda Parlour in Doolin in County Clare, the United Arts Club, Dublin and also at the Gallery Monte Castello de Vibio Todi in Italy. Caroleʼs next venture is to spend some time with Cill Rialaig Art group in Kerry and she may have an exhibition of her Irish coastline paintings coming up in Vancouver in Canada. She has worked with painting and drawing groups such as the Donnybrook Art Studio and the Back Lane Painters, which included Irish artists John Dinan, the late Desmond Hickey, Tony McCarthy, Tom Scott, Sean Tiernan and a big inﬂuence to Carole, Patricia Sellmer. So if you have a holiday location that you would like to get an artist to paint, you can ﬁnd Carole on the internet at www.caroleshubotham.ie or she can be contacted on 086 241 7054.

FOR PEOPLE WITH BRAIN INJURIES

families and carers, identifying its mission as to ʻbring about positive change in the lives of those affected by an acquired brain injury.ʼ They boast a range of community-based rehabilitation services for people affected by ABI, including rehabilitative training, day rehabilitative services, psychology, therapy and family support, information, outreach, community access and employment services. Part of their work involves reaching out to the wider community, including the Community Centre in Ringsend. In many cases people with a brain injury have no obvious physical disability but the effects can be profound and unique to each individual. Due to the many and varied effects of acquired brain injury, people affected require specialist support to live independently, work or

return to education, participate in social and leisure activities and maintain family roles and personal relationships. The Headway Day Service Centre for Dublin South is situ-

ated in Ringsend and Irishtown Community Centre, Thorncastle Street. They meet on Tuesday and Thursday from 10 am to 4 pm. For more information please ring the Helpline 1890200278 or

01 8102066 or log onto www. headway.ie Pictured above at Ringsend and District Community Centre are Helen McCarthy of Headway and Councillor Daithí Doolan.

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

P OETS

IN PROFILE

T IM C OSTELLO

By Glenda Cimino Tim Costello is a poet living in Donnybrook. How did you first become interested in writing poetry? My interest in writing poetry came from a need to create a record of emotional atmospheres that I felt only poetry was capable of. Though I could possibly point to earlier attempts to write, or engagements with other peopleʼs poetic work, it was only as this need emerged that I seriously began to write poetry as opposed to verse and gained some insight into the larger poetic tradition. How does poetry differ from verse? Poetry is an attempt either to penetrate or to reflect reality while verse is the representation of what someone feels either poetry or reality ʻshouldʼ be. A young girl plays being a mother with dolls, invoking the feelings within herself of how she imagines motherhood should be. However, when she grows up, she may well have a real infant to take care of who, unlike a doll, cries and demands attention at times that may not be convenient. And yet, the process of real motherhood is much more emotionally fulfilling than playing with dolls. Verse is playing with dolls to poetryʼs motherhood. Of course, this distinction to a certain extent is an arbitrary personal one, though I believe that there is an essential difference of a moral order between the works of poets like T.S. Eliot and Gottfried Benn, and one who, in my opinion, is a versemaker like Alan Ginsberg. And why do you consider Ginsberg a versemaker? In my opinion, his is essentially a religious poetry, in that it represents how people ʻshouldʼ feel as opposed to how they really do feel. Poetry deals with ʻconcreteʼ facts and feel-

ings arising from those; hence, Yeatsʼs admitted struggle between his attachment to neo-platonic philosophy and his vocation as a poet, which involved dwelling on immediate experiences as opposed to transcendent principles. What poets have you read who have inﬂuenced your own writing? Firstly, Charles Baudelaire (18211867), not in terms of technique, but his devotion to reality, which drew out from the often sordid atmosphere of the Paris of his day, its native beauty. Unlike the romantics, who were experimental in form but reactionary in content– I donʼt mean politically reactionary, but in that they remained under the spell of classical or pastoral themes, largely ignoring the new world that was arising out of the industrial revolution. Could you give an example? Yes, but it is impossible to get the full sense of what I mean unless you read a poem in its entirety. A poem is an organic whole in which parts cannot be taken out without their mutilation. I feel very uneasy about quoting parts of poems. I agree, but it would be good to give our readers a taste of what you mean, even if they canʼt have the entire feast. OK– from Baudelaire, ʻThe Seven Old Menʼ: Suddenly I saw an old man, in rags, Of the same yellow as the rainy sky, His aspect would have made alms rain down Except for the wicked gleam in his eye. Baudelaire was a conservative classicist in form, but drew the inspiration for most of his work from the actual day-to-day reality of his times. However, in my own poetry, I feel form should never be arbitrary but should be made to serve the purpose of expressing the truth of the poemʼs content. I do not believe as long as this is remembered that form should be a topic for polemi-

PAGE 23 cal debate. The poet who has inﬂuenced me probably the most is the Austrian expressionist poet, Georg Trakl (1887-1914). I like the way Trakl develops an emotional atmosphere purely by presenting various images that by their own power invoke the mood and allow the truth he seeks to express to emerge organically from the scene, as in ʻHelianʼ: When autumn rises The grove is a sight of sober clarity. Along the red walls we loiter at ease And the round eyes follow the ﬂight of birds. In the evening pale water gathers in the dregs of burial urns. How and when do you write poetry?

People say that a poem is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. But without being inspired, there is nothing to perspire over. For me at least, the initial inspiration is everything, and if it doesnʼt come, then I am incapable of producing any poetry. Usually, a line or a phrase will come to me during the course of a day, and the poem will slowly emerge from and around that, rather than from a theme. I am unable to write or at least write well about what I am experiencing in the moment or too recently to have an emotional distance from it. Often I ﬁnd that the poems of mine that I am most fond of are the ones written with the most emotional intensity– not necessarily the best, or the poems which appeal most to

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others. In fact, from a purely artistic point of view, they are usually my worst work. Poetry, however, at the end of the day is an art, and serves a greater end than the sentimental satisfaction of the poet. The fact that someone puts anything down on paper or indeed forms any impression or expression into language implies a wish to communicate. That which we are in the middle of or very close to often we cannot understand properly– it is only when we have an emotional distance from an event or feeling that we can comprehend it enough to be able to fashion an expression of it into art. The purpose of poetry is to increase human understanding. Timʼs poem ʻIn Place of Vengeanceʼ appears on the poetry page.

PAGE 24

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

IRISH SAILORS AND SOLDIERS LAND TRUST

andymount historian, Patrick Hugh Lynch, presented his research at a lecture for the Lord Mayor Eibhlin Byne in the Mansion House on 6th November. He conﬁrmed that the formation and ultimate demise of the Irish Sailors and Soldiers Land Trust contributes to the complex role Irish people played in the Great War of 1914 to 1918. Patrick has pioneered academic research that previously did not focus on the large numbers of traumatised persons who were placed into civilian life without the ʻtherapeutic support mechanismsʼ. There were spasmodic expressions of political support for the ex-service community through the activities of Captain W.A Redmond T.D, son of Willie Redmond MP. Kevin OʼHiggins, who was later assassinated, discussed in March of 1927 the location of the

Irish National War Memorial: “A tree can but grow from its roots. If you try to substitute others you will have a poor tree. This State has particular origins, and particular roots, and we should not suggest either to ourselves or to people coming here amongst us that it has any other roots. Some men went to France; 50,000 of them did not come back. Others stayed here at home at the time, and joined issue with Dublin Castle and the British administration, and the net result of that was the Truce, the Treaty, and this State.” During his work at the National Archives in Bishop Street, Patrick unearthed the minutes of the W. T Cosgrave-inﬂuenced ʻCommittee for the Claims of British Ex-servicemenʼ. The minutes, report and memorandum for government provide the deﬁnitive statement of the relationship between ex-servicemen and Free State authorities.

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Land Trust residents in Killester took a test case to the Free State Supreme Court in 1931. The judgement provides a wonderful comment by Justice Johnston delivered in his decision on the Leggette Supreme Court Action in 1933, on the Irish contribution to the Great War of 1914 to 1918: “This case may be said to be the direct outcome of that hideous dislocation of society for which the Great War was, and is, responsible. Amongst those who suffered most from that dislocation, there was a large body of men who had lost their place in the social economy and who required help to gain a footing again– help which could not– which certainly ought not to be regarded as in the nature of a

N EW

charity, but more in the nature of a right.” The arrival of Lord Killanin (Thomas Morris) as a Land Trust Trustee lit a slow-burning fuse in the provision of ex-servicemenʼs welfare. The Trust originated in the horrors of trench warfare, eventually evolved, through the remaining Trust funds to be used to ʻproduce and constructʼ a ʻliving and working memorialʼ to the fallen in the form of restoring the Ballyconnell-Erne canal link and the purchase of George Bernard Shawʼs birthplace in Dublin. Patrick Hugh Lynch has worked with the Royal British Legion– Republic of Ireland, The Irish National War Memorial Committee and the Department of the Taoiseach, Ofﬁce of

Public Works, on the role of the ex-servicemen in the early years of the Irish Free State. Patrick was educated at Sandymount High School and has a special interest in ofﬁcial government documents as source material. Above: A presentation of documents relating to the Irish National War Memorial Gardens to the Royal Dublin Fusiliers Archive at the Dublin City Archives. From left: Major-General David OʼMorchoe, President, Royal British Legion Republic of Ireland; Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Eibhlin Byrne; Patrick Hugh Lynch; Tom Burke, Chairman, Royal Dublin Fusiliers Association.

VOICE , NEW IDEAS

icky Crosby has been selected as a Fianna Fáil candidate to contest the forthcoming local elections for Dublin South East Inner-city. Vicky, a 34 year old accountant has lived in the area for the past 17 years, and has been actively involved in politics since she was 17 years of age. Vicky is now dedicating all of her time to community affairs in the area and as she says herself is “available at all times to make representations on behalf of the community and for anyone who has an issue of personal, local or national concern.” Vicky is very aware that the time is very short between now and the elections and so to strengthen her chances of winning one of the four seats, she has put her professional career as an

accountant on hold to dedicate all her time to this election. Issues of particular concern for Vicky are providing for social and affordable housing and improving support for existing apartment residents. She also

passionately believes that a fair and equitable health system should be available for everyone. Security is another issue which she wants to focus on and if elected she promises to make security for the people of Dublin a top priority of hers. Vicky also believes that we can manage waste through recycling, reducing and reusing, and that under no circumstances should an incinerator be located within the community. If you have any issue that you would like to discuss with Vicky you can phone her on 01-6674122 or 087-7924688. She will be more than happy to make representations on your behalf and assist you in any way that she can.

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

L OVELORN

PAGE 25

NO MORE

By Stephanie Morris

alentineʼs Day is upon us. Restaurants are being booked. Lingerie is bought. Love is in the air. The shops are filled with pinky paraphernalia. Forced flowers look happy and colourful, at least for the day. I am not a great fan of Valentines or any Hallmark anniversary. Last year I was lovelorn. The pining for a love just gone. I was in a state of yearning. I could not shake this love from my brain. I carried him around like a sparrow tapping at my conscience every minute or so it seemed. This lasted until this Christmas just gone when we finally parted for good. Sadly, it was not healthy but neither of us seemed to be able to walk away. Though we never argued, we were bound by the same fears– fear of loving, fear of rejection and fear of abandonment. Fear is the oppo-

site of love. Love conquers all, Fear destroys all. Healthy love is bliss. Being in love is magic and sustaining this love is easy for some. For others reaching this place is difﬁcult and painful. We seem to repeat the same mistakes over and over again and forget to look at ourselves. We continue to look out. Not in. The infatuated, obsessional love appears to keep me hooked

like no other and I ﬁnd it very difﬁcult to overcome the yearning I suffered in my heart. The excitement generated by a cocktail of emotions that fuel my veins can be chemically powerful. These emotions are fearbased. You have heard the saying ʻyou always want what you canʼt haveʼ. I discovered a book recently written by a monk from Glenstal Abbey. ʻManikon Eros: Mad

P RIMARY C ARE C ENTRE

he new HSE Primary Care Centre for Irishtown and Ringsend opened its doors to the public on the 1st of December last. The new centre is a two-storey replacement for the original health centre in Irishtown. It was designed by A&D Wejchert Architects as a sustainable building with a central atrium to allow lighting to central circulation and waiting areas. The Irishtown and Ringsend Primary Care team aim to provide easier access to health services for people in the area. The team includes the GP Practices of Dr Tony OʼSullivan and Dr John Ryan, community nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social work and

community welfare. Network services such as community dental services, minor surgery, visiting mental health services and addiction services are planned. Ray Kavanagh, Acting Local Health Manager Dublin South City said: “This team will endeavour to ensure that patients receive high-quality services as close to home as possible from a team of professionals. The opening of the new Primary Care Centre shows that real progress is being made and delivered to people that matter the most, our patients.” The Primary Care Team will serve to strengthen the primary care system in the Irishtown/ Ringsend area and play a more

OPENS

central role as the ﬁrst and ongoing point of contact for clients within the health-care system. They will enable patients to access services more readily and enhance the capacity for primary care in the areas of disease prevention, rehabilitation and personal social services to complement the existing diagnosis and treatment focus. As part of the percent for Art Scheme a number of Artworks have been commissioned from the artist Bea McMahon, which are currently being produced and will be on display from June 2009. Bea McMahon is also running a number of four-week art workshops for the local community from February which includes a womenʼs workshop, active retirement workshop and a workshop with the ﬁrst year students in Ringsend Technical College. For further information on the workshops, please contact Lorraine Barry at Irishtown and Ringsend Community Centre (6604789). For further information on services provided by Irishtown and Ringsend Primary Care Team please contact the centre on 01 6608629 or call in.

Crazy Loveʼ by Mark Patrick Hederman. This book is about ʻdesireʼ. We are all creatures of Desire. He explains, learning how to love is learning how to be ourselves and love ourselves. Desire is what we are at our deepest. It is what makes our heart miss a beat. Without love we are nothing. Love for ourselves ﬁrstly is the essence of our being. I have suffered because of addictive infatuated love. Sadly, addiction has crept into many areas of my life. This love is bound by obsession, just like any addiction. Even when the person shares the feelings, I do not trust or believe. This is something lacking in me. Hederman states that ʻAddiction swamps and saps the energy of our more personal desire. It is a widespread panacea for anesthetizing this reality. Enslavement to nicotine, chemical substances, alcohol, work and many kinds of sexual and love addictions afﬂicts a much larger percentage of the planet than we would think.ʼ Addiction is a perfect distraction from looking at oneself. Often the addict will get cured from one addiction and switch to another. This is common in Love.

We spend our time analyzing, pondering and obsessing over the character of our love. We forget to look at ourselves. Addicts tend to be extremists. Always looking for the buzz, normal is boring so to speak. Itʼs difﬁcult to overcome, but possible with awareness and patience. The spiritual journey can help but it is not for all of us. Hederman suggests, ʻBe, donʼt have. Be free to desire and not be a slave to need. To love means to let goʼ. He also suggests that we must no longer see ourselves as the focal point around which everything and everyone else is a possible possession. We must swap our natural physical place for a more real and metaphysical one. Becoming human is a process of rebirth. Being open to change is the ﬁrst responsibility of any person suffering addiction to anything or anybody. At least, I am no longer in that painful place of feeling lovelorn. I am neutral and happy. Who knows next year, I may be writing a different tune. But to be content alone is happy for me. Happy Valentineʼs Day. Manikon Eros: ʻMad Crazy Loveʼ by Mark Patrick Hederman, Veritas Bookshop €2.00.

Valentine’s at Mount Herbert Hotel ! Treat the one you love on Valentine’s Night Saturday 14 th February 2009 5 Course Candlelight Dinner Only €35 per person!

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Mount Herbert Hotel Herbert Road, Sandymount, Dublin 4 Tel: 614 2000

PAGE 26

By Brian Kelly

ananas. For years this crop was the mainstay of the economy in St Lucia. But when the fruit business went pear-shaped a decade ago, a more viable and lucrative source of income for this eastern Caribbean island was found. Tourism. Luxury resorts were developed on the southwest coast. More followed on the north where the bays are plentiful and the beaches superb. Today the natural beauty of St Lucia, bathed all year round by tropical sunshine, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year to its warm water shores. Unlike some of its more wellknown neighbours in the West Indies, St Lucia has been careful with its tourist development. Most of the countryside remains unspoilt by commerce, with resorts for the most part confined to small pockets of this 238 square mile isle. Wishing to extract myself from the long march of the Irish winter, girlfriend and I booked a stay in a four-star hotel in Rodney Bay on St Luciaʼs northeast coast. Location-wise, we couldnʼt have asked for much better, with a string of fine restaurants and the islandʼs finest beach, the Reduit on our doorstep. This was to be our home for the next two weeks and we quickly adjusted to the St Lucian lifestyle, where the daily temperature turns everybody into a sun lounger lizard.

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

T HANK

HEAVENS FOR

St Lucia

Bookending one end of the beach was Pigeon Island, once a U.S military base, now a national park and one of the highlights of St Lucia. The island (actually no longer a real island with the water dredged to join it to the mainland) has two summits which offer contrasting but spectacular views of St Lucia. One peak provides a glimpse of the mountainous interior of the island, while the other vantage point reveals a panoramic view of the Caribbean with the French-owned Martinique visible in the distance. In between hilly ascends, history buffs will learn something of the island from the nearby museum, military cemetery and Interpretative

Centre. The most famous sight on St Lucia is the twin peaks of the Pitons. Dominating the southwest coast of the island and breathtaking to behold, Petite Piton and Gran Piton rise to over 2,000 feet and can be climbed by the more adventurous visitor. Framed by lush vegetation and the cobalt blue of the Caribbean, this UNESCO World Heritage site is the natural symbol of the island and forms the quintessential picture postcard of St Lucia. Close to the Pitons and often referred to as the worldʼs only drive-in volcano, La Soufriere Sulphur Springs was once an active volcano measuring some 13 kilometres in diameter before it collapsed around 40,000 years ago. Today the Springs provide a daily geological show for visitors, with boiling hot waters and pungent gases bubbling up to the surface on a continuous basis. One of the islandʼs main attractions, La Soufriere Sulphur Springs are a real curiosity and for a small fee you can hire a guide who will take you through the sights, smells and history of a volcano which could, in theory, erupt anytime in the future. Away from the gorgeous scenery and golden sandy beaches, St Lucia has a history which makes it one of the more interesting islands in the Caribbean. The English ﬁrst landed here in 1605 but the French set up a colony in 1635 and the two countries then proceeded to ﬁght over the island for the next 200 years. Between the 17th and 19th centuries, St Lucia went from

British to French rule, swapping hands 14 times before English rule eventually dominated. The country was granted full independence in 1979, though it is still a member of the British Commonwealth. English is the official language but the French influence still prevails, not least in the use of Creole, which is the chosen dialect for most natives. (Most children speak Creole first and donʼt learn English until they attend school). Creole has its origins in the days of slavery when landown-

ers attempted to communicate with their African captives. The language is a loose mixture of French, English and African tongues with a smattering of Spanish thrown in for good measure. St Lucians are proud of their indigenous language and everywhere you go on the island you will hear it spoken. Creole is not just a language, though. Each year islanders celebrate a series of Creole festivals covering music, folklore, arts and cookery. For a long-haul getaway anytime of the year, St Lucia packs an awful lot into a small space. If you get tired of lounging around (as if you would), 31% of the country is covered in rainforest and is just waiting to be explored. There are waterfalls, nature trails, bird sanctuaries and botanic gardens, all within short driving range. The coral reef is worth the travel alone and you can swim, snorkel and scuba dive to your heartʼs content. And did I mention the people, which is after all what makes a holiday for me. Everywhere we went we were asked by the locals “What do you think of St Lucia?” We would always answer the same: the place is beautiful and the people are very friendly. Theyʼve probably been told it a thousand times before but judging from their expressions, they always seem glad to hear it.

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

PAGE 27

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PAGE 28

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

NEW MASTER PLAN ADOPTED FOR DOCKLANDS Significant New Community Gain Initiatives Included After the publication of the draft Master Plan in June last year, over 120 submissions were received and each was carefully considered and incorporated where appropriate. The amended draft Master Plan was then presented to the 26-member council of the Docklands Authority, which includes community representatives, local councillors and stakeholders, and adopted on 27 November, 2008. The 2008 Master Plan lays the foundations for the next five to ten years of the Dublin Docklands project. Building on the success of both the 1997 and 2003 Master Plans, it will provide the reference point for the roll-out of projects, programmes and policies for the sustainable regeneration of the Docklands. Paul Maloney, Chief Executive, Dublin Docklands Development Authority said “When this Master Plan can be delivered, it will bring enormous benefits to all stakeholders including the city of Dublin, the

THE NEWSFOUR

CROSSWORD COMPILED BY KILLIAN HOLMES

local community, and the new community, and will play an important part in delivering jobs and economic prosperity for our city. The current unfavourable economic climate will pose many challenges for all of us as we pursue our ambitions on behalf of Docklands. However, I am conﬁdent that Docklands will continue to be a vibrant and positive regeneration project for the city of Dublin.” Community Facilities and Community Gain The 2008 Master Plan commits to provide community gain and community facilities in tandem with physical development of the area. It is intended to secure this gain for the community through the introduction of a new type of community development scheme whereby developers will be required to deliver community gain projects. In addition, the Docklands Authority will ensure the continued provision of 20% social and affordable housing within its Planning Scheme areas, a policy which was ﬁrst introduced in 1997. The Master Plan fur-

ther enhances housing delivery by including the concept of integrated housing management, which provides for the management of social, affordable and private housing in a more sustainable way. Local Employment Charter One of the major changes to the amended Master Plan is a policy to include certain requirements to comply with the Local Employ-

Name:…………………………… Address:………………………… Telephone:…………………

ment Charter in all new planning schemes. Through this initiative, the Docklands Authority plans to encourage and support training and employment projects so that more local people will benefit from opportunities on both building sites and businesses that will be located there subsequently. Environmental Sustainability A policy to encourage energy efficient, environmentally sustainable developments in Docklands Planning Schemes has been introduced. This policy provides for certification of developments which meet the best environmental standards and encourage the best international practices in urban living. New Planning Schemes The Master Plan 2008 recognises that communities gain most when Section 25 Planning Schemes are developed in their area. In particular, it encourages the development of the Poolbeg Planning Scheme and the Amendment of the existing North Lotts Planning Scheme. In the context of North Lotts, the scheme will consider creative and innovative development proposals for the campshire and River Liffey, provided they are consistent with the amenity and

conservation of the area, and enhance the use of these amenities by members of the public. Land Ownership Historically, in all of the Planning Scheme areas within Docklands, the Docklands Authority has owned land and awarded itself Section 25 planning approval. This has enabled greater control over the successful development of the land to deliver on community development, education, employment, civic infrastructure, social and affordable housing and architectural legacy to ensure that the long-term sustainability of Docklands is secured. Transport As part of the continuing ambition to provide a world-class transport system for Docklands, a Docklands Rapid Transit (DRT) system is proposed. The Dublin Docklands Master Plan 2008 will be available for download free of charge on www. dublindocklands.ie from Wednesday 21 January 2009, and from February for inspection at the Authorityʼs ofﬁces at 52-55 Sir John Rogersonʼs Quay, Docklands, Dublin 2. It will also be available for purchase for €40.

The winner of the December Crossword was Joe OʼBrien of Sandymount. Entries for this competition to win a €25 gift token should be received by 25 March. ACROSS Mostly used now instead of leaves (3,3) 1 5 Winston Churchill was fond of these (6) 10 Community living arrangement in Israel established in 1950s. 11 Go away Mr Bee (4,3) 12 The wife of James Joyce (4) 13 The national theatre of Ireland (5) 15 Volcanic mountain in Sicily (4) 17 Sphere, globe (3) 19 Servants in a noble household (of the guard?) (6) 21 A drop of this for Granny at Christmas goes down well (6) 22 Person who gives suggestions about betting on horse races (7) 23 A cylinder bulging at the middle often containing beer (6) 25 Moves from side to side, in and out (6) 28 One of Homer Simpsonʼs favourite expressions (3) 30 Measurement of land (4) 31 Famous Irish Showband singer, Joe ----- (5) 32 Song for solo voice at the opera (4) 35 Entangle, throw into confusion (7) 36 Patron saint of Ireland (7) 37 Scattered about (6) 38 Machines functioning like humans (6) DOWN 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 14 16 18 20 21 23 24 26 27 28 29 33 34

Suspension of trading, etc (7) Colour (4) Summer house (6) Spiderʼs home (6) Strip of land currently in the news (4) Domestic cock (7) Not fat (6) County in the midlands (6) Port in SW England (7) Boyʼs name meaning rock (5) The Taming of the ----- by William Shakespeare (5) Nothing (3) Use a needle and thread (3) School uniform for children or smart jacket for men (6) Welsh delicacy on toast (7) A decision or judgement (7) Savage fish of the type featured in the film ʻJawsʼ (6) Small fishing village on the west coast famous for traditional music (6) Basket of goods things to eat and drink (6) Slang term for unemployment assistance (4) Pierce with a knife (4)

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

By Maria Parodi

n 6th December 2008, I stood alongside parents, teachers and students from St. Patrickʼs GNS; as well as sixty thousand others at a rally to protest the education cuts in the governmentʼs most recent budget. Budget 2009 has included some devastating cuts, many of them in key areas of the economy. However, education has seen some of the worst. Some of these include: * Increasing class sizes in primary and secondary schools * Increasing exam fees for the Junior cert and Leaving cert * Cutting funding for school books by €7.5 million * Increasing Third Level Registration Fees from €900 to €1500 * Reducing the Back to Education Allowance * Abolishing grants for language support teachers and equipment grants for resource teachers

PAGE 29

EDUCATION CUTS ENDANGER CHILDREN’S FUTURE

* Withdrawing a large number of supports provided under the Disadvantaged Area Status The unfortunate knock-on effect of these cuts will be seen in the local primary and secondary

T HE L IGHTHOUSE ,

schools throughout our area. The increases in college fees will also create a barrier for students trying to attain third level education. Ultimately, parents will have

to shoulder the burden of increasing fees, teachers will face the prospect of losing their jobs and students will not receive the education that they deserve. The whole idea that the govern-

A NEW BEACON IN

ment has decided to cut funding in education displays extremely short-sighted thinking on their part I strongly believe that this government is out of touch and given the current economic climate we ﬁnd ourselves in, I believe that this is the time we need to invest in our childrenʼs future the most. They need to receive an education that will prepare them with the necessary skills and knowledge they need to achieve whatever goals they set for themselves. In an effort to raise more awareness and demonstrate local opposition to the cuts, I set up an online petition against the education cuts. If you would like to sign the petition to get the cuts reversed, please visit http://www.petitiononline.com/educuts/petition. html Pictured above, from left: Abbey Kelly, Amanda Kelly, Amy Kelly, Maria Parodi, Ms. Gibbons, Mary Egan, Caoimhe OʼReilly and Cian OʼReilly.

S MITHFIELD

tural cinema consortium for the project to get up and running. The Lighthouse Cinema delivers a special night out for any one in its intimate surroundings. The ﬁlms are adaptable to any taste, and appeal to audiences looking for new, exciting ﬁlms that are a bit different, and a bit special with unknown directors hoping to make their mark. In general, the Lighthouse Cinema and the foyer have a very welcoming atmosphere.

There is a lovely foyer alongside a cafè bar at ground ﬂoor which is completely wheelchair accessible. There are also lifts which provide access to the four auditioria at every level. The staff are friendly and courteous and are happy to deal with any questions. The Lighthouse has without a doubt carved a rich and distinctive niche for itself and is providing an invaluable contribution to the artistic life of the city.

Liam Deering By Louise Hanrahan

mithfield is a buzzing area. First and foremost, the most recent Lighthouse Cinema that offers foreign films galore is attracting everyone from far and wide. Itʼs a custom-built four-screen cinema with a 614-seat capacity, lending itself to the intimacy and intensity of the particular films on show. The four screens will allow for enormous flexibility in terms of film showing, and whatʼs on offer delivers a wide choice of films to attract any cin-

ema-goer. This new venue offers stunning, imaginative architecture, and as the original architect Colin Mackay said “The organisation and distribution of the screens will allow patrons to walk over, under and around the forms, affording an alternative and dramatic cinema experience.” The Old Lighthouse Cinema on Abbey Street, Dublin 1, closed in 1996. This new addition to Dublinʼs central hub is extremely popular and will hopefully breathe some life into this up-and-coming Smithﬁeld development.

This area has had its share of difﬁculties in attempting to create a sense of community and activity around all the new swish buildings, but now with the Lighthouse and the quirky art gallery alongside, the area has taken on a new dimension. Smithﬁeld also lends itself to horse fairs and lots of activity on a regular basis. It has taken the Lighthouse Cinema almost 12 years to get up and running. An Taisce described it as a ʻcultural beaconʼ in the north inner city. It was very rewarding to know that a lot of support was given by the cul-

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PAGE 30

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

T HE W INE B OUTIQUE , R INGSEND By Louise Hanrahan

he ﬁrst instant I entered the Wine Boutique I was struck by the ambience, and the friendliness of the service. Therese and Ciara are sisters-in-law and their enthusiasm for their business is obvious. Thereseʼs dad was a postmaster for a long time in Ringsend in the very building that is now the Wine Boutique. After 30 years Therese took on the premises for this venture which has been open four months. The wines on offer are superb and come from all over the

world. I was informed that the Italian and Spanish wines are the most popular at present. Therese and Ciara are professionals in this ﬁeld. The wines are personally assessed and they employ their own ʻtasting notesʼ. Therese and Ciara have diplomas with the Wine and Spirit Education Trust and are associated with the Wine Board of Ireland. The Wine Boutique offers a genuinely personal service which is more into quality than quantity. Not only can you buy wines, a range of ﬁne foods is also on offer, such as Lavazza coffee, Sheridanʼs gourmet

W ORD By Glenda Cimino ʻExperience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to himʼ – Aldous Huxley (1894 - 1963)

hen I blithely offered to write a short article on paradox, I thought I knew what a paradox was. It was simply a statement that appeared to contradict itself. For instance, Oscar Wildeʼs ʻI can resist anything except temptationʼ. But little did I know what a complicated subject I was taking on. The Chambers Dictionary 2006 deﬁnes paradox as ʻsomething which is contrary to received conventional opinion; something which is appar-

ently absurd but is or may be really true; a self-contradictory statementʼ. So far, so good. But two statements which contradict each other are not a paradox; they are an antinomy. The word ʻparadoxʼ comes from the Latin paradoxum, ʻa statement seemingly absurd yet really true,ʼ from Greek. paradoxon, ʻcontrary to expectation, incredibleʼ, from para ʻcontrary toʼ and doxa ʻopinionʼ. The ancient Greek word (paradoxos) means simply ʻunexpected, strangeʼ. But I learned from Wikipedia that paradox is just one of a class of nonfalse dilemmas, such as: Chicken or the egg: a seemingly unbreakable cycle of causation, which has an unknown origin. Cornelian dilemma: a choice between actions which will all have a

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cheese, glassware, cigars and even to top off the ideal gift… greeting cards! There are regular wine tastings twice a month, so be sure to watch out for any advertisement on the blackboard outside the shop. The Wine Boutique is closed each Monday, and the hours are from 12 to 7.30pm Tuesday to Friday, 12 to 9pm at the weekends, and on a Sunday, 2pm until 8pm. The Wine Boutique is situated at 2 Thorncastle Street, Ringsend, email: therese@thewineboutique.ie, Phone: 01 667 5281. They also

MAGIC :

have a Facebook page, which is quite a novel approach to keeping in touch with customers.

Above: Therese and Ciara pictured with Thereseʼs father Brendan.

P ARADOX

detrimental effect on the chooser or on someone they care for. Deadlock: in computing, when two commands reach a standstill or impasse; paradoxically waiting for the other to ﬁnish. Double bind: a forced choice between two logically conﬂicting demands. Hobsonʼs choice: the choice between taking an option or not taking it. Lesser of two evils principle: a choice between two undesirable outcomes. Mortonʼs Fork: a choice between two equally unpleasant alternatives. False dilemmas- which are not paradoxical- included circular logic, irony, or a no-win situation – where real choices exist, but none lead to success. I began to think that trying to write this article was a no-win situation. Paradoxically? Thus ʻCatch 22ʼ by Joseph Heller, which I thought was the epitome of a paradox, is actually a no-win situation. ʻThere was only one catch and

that was Catch-22, which speciﬁed that concern for oneʼs own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind.ʼ Well, F. Scott Fitzgerald said that “the test of a ﬁrst-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” Is this having your cake and eating it too? A claim that two apparently contradictory ideas are true is a paradox also. However, I am told that two statements which contradict each other are not a paradox but an antinomy. Modern physics tells us that there are no separate observers, that we are part of and affect what we observe. Yet each of us has the sense of being an observer. And the statement that there are no observers is an observation! The plot thickened even more when I discovered that there are many different kinds of paradoxes, too numerous even to mention here.

The Paradox of Time Travel Sometimes supernatural or science ﬁction themes are held to be impossible due to resultant paradoxical conditions. The theme of time travel has staged many popular paradoxes arising from the traveller interfering with the past. Suppose Rowan, who was born in 1950, travels back in time to 1901 and kills his own grandfather. It follows that neither his father nor he himself will be born; but then he would not have existed to travel back in time and kill his own grandfather; but then his grandfather would not have died and Rowan himself would have lived. This is known as the grandfather paradox or as simply the time paradox. Some suggest that if multiple universes exist, this problem disappears. Only, no doubt, to be replaced by other problems. Liar Paradox Paradoxes that arise from apparently intelligible uses of language are often of interest to logicians and philosophers. ʻThis sentence is falseʼ is an example of the famous liar paradox: it is a sentence which cannot be consistently interpreted as true or false, because if it is false it must be true, and if it is true it must be false. Therefore, it can be concluded the sentence is both true and false. According to one version of an ancient paradox, an Athenian is supposed to say “I am a liar.” It is then argued that if the statement is true, then he is telling the truth, and is therefore not a liar. The need for paradox is no doubt rooted deep in the very nature of the use we make of language, and in our paradoxical universe itself.

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

PAGE 31

THE POETRY PLACE

23rd of November One beautiful calm evening, on the 23rd of November I strolled in solitude, to allow my mind to wander Past the old clubhouse, to the mouth of the Dodder Where there in your company, I indulged in your pleasure.

Friday Night

Friday night was always great I knew that young Pat was down at the gate. Watching my workmates pass out on their way Theyʼd be smoking and chatting and checking their pay. Pat is my niece, she was about seven years old She had lovely blue eyes and her hair shone like gold

I sat under the old lamp, dangled my legs over the wall And reminisced how as a child, you made me feel so tall I close both my eyes, I see your image everywhere When I reach out to touch you, itʼs just the cold winterʼs air.

She came to meet me every Friday night She knew it was pay day, sure isnʼt she right? I hang my old overalls in the usual place Then I went to meet Pat with the big smile of her face Weʼd run down the path and sure we wouldnʼt stop

You captain your ship, towards the slimy slipʼs edge With Gonzo your ﬁrst mate, home from your long voyage Carrying a full cargo, of coal and wild salmon You call out to me loud, “tie up a rope me old son.”

ʻTil the both of us landed in Mrs Boyleʼs shop. Mrs Boyleʼs shop had a bell on the door And inside the shop there were goodies galore There were chocolates and sweets,

In place of Vengeance

The footsteps forcing forward A wheel barrow Will leave the ghost of you Behind them, will Abandon that phantom here To crumble The way a shadow does Retreating over the red soil From the face of the noonʼs Sun And lapping against a shore of heart Is blood, that liquid boundary Between a body and its soul, while The sun bites jaws of heat Through the fabrics he is wearing Kniﬁng teeth under cotton And the sweated washed denim of the Afternoon, troubling it. If you close your eyes here You can almost hear the ﬁres of hell Singing, see forms of souls Spasming a dance within and the long grasses Knuckled by the spiralling hardness Of the plum treesʼ wood With swarming insects shiver, a breeze Extinguishes herself against This mountainʼs side. By Kim Costello

ice-cream and crisps And smacking ice lollies on little white sticks.

“Hey Da itʼs me, look how Iʼve come on” But you canʼt seem to hear me, must be the wash of the Liffey foam If youʼd just reach out, wipe the tears till theyʼre gone Iʼll keep it our secret, wonʼt tell anyone.

And so it was for two years or more ʻTil Patʼs little sister was aged about four One Friday night Pat proudly did stand The bright eyed Brenda holding her hand. Brenda was a child who was so full of chat

Then you stare back at me, take your cap from your head Donʼt worry my son, weʼll meet up again So itʼs then Iʼll return, next 23rd of November And each and every day, Iʼll always remember.

And how we did talk as we walked down with Pat Now Brenda would hear, what Pat heard before The sound of the bell on Mrs Boyleʼs door. How the years have passed, and By Noel Boland

Marie is Magic Marie is my best friend if she was not in my life it would be tragic to have such a true pal is magic. Caring and funny she is worth more to me than a bundle of money Always a kind word never a frown, never gossipy or unkind I will be her friend for all time By Derek Sandford

I sure feel their weight No more are the girls seen down at the gate Theyʼre all grown up now and they need something more Than the sound of the bell on Mrs Boyleʼs door. By Victor J Cunningham

As always, we welcome contributions to The Poetry Place, which can be sent to the ʻNewsFourʼ ofﬁces at 15 Fitzwilliam Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4.

Memories He sits in the window that looks on to the street Watching the people and traffic pass by, He is old and his life if restricted, Heʼll be the last of his old pals to die He lights up his pipe and his thoughts wander back To the days when he was a healthy young man A few sad tears trickle down his wrinkled face, As he remembers as much as he can, His memory is failing itʼs just not the same, All those past years have taken their toll, He remembers the day he played his first match, That was the day that he scored his first goal, He remembers his friends and the good times he had, When they went everywhere together, To parties and dances and holidays too, Always together what ever the weather, He remembers the day when he first met the girl, Whose charms he could never forget And the day he married the love of his life, Is the one day that heʼll never regret. Many years have gone by, now he lives all alone. And all he can do is look through the glass. Them he pulls the blind down and he shuts out the light On a world that has gone by too fast. By Sonny Kinsella

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NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

The Fontenoy Files By Shay Connolly

Continuous Growth in 2009

appy New Year to all and sundry in the Dublin 4 area and hereʼs wishing you a great year ahead. As I type, my fingers have stuck together with the cold as the snow belts down on my window pane. I am afraid to turn on the heater because I donʼt know whether I will be able to afford the next ESB bill because the news that I hear every day through our media tells me that this little island of ours is about to fall into the sea. Fall it can, but Clanna Gael Fontenoy wonʼt be falling with it because we have work to do. And plenty of it at that! All our Juveniles are back training and fixtures have resumed. Despite the harsh January weather the numbers attending training are well up on last year and the Floodlit Ball Wall arena is a great attraction to all the youngsters. The Ball Wall Arena is the provisional name that we have attached to it but this is open for debate as there are quite a number of other names floating about lately. One of these strangely enough is ʻThe Cageʼ. You would swear we were in Dublin Zoo sometimes, as you hear Pat, J.J., Gay, Dave, Bernard and Roger ʻWhoʼ McGrath bellow out “Right lads into the cage.” Other names include The Square, The Hurladrome, Theatre of Dreams, The Cowboy Field (??), The Netting, The Faculty, etc, etc. So with all that uncertainty regarding the name, Ladies and Gentleman of the whole wide world we

are now inviting people to enter our competition to find an everlasting title to our ???. Appropriate titles should be etched on a five-cent coin (recession folks!) and flung over the hurling wall where newly-unemployed people will be waiting to catch it. The prize for the winner, which will be chosen by a panel consisting of retired Anglo Irish Directors, is shares in that same company at last weekʼs prices. My God what an incentive! Staying with Juvenile matters, the Club are very sorry to announce the departure of Games Development Officer, Donal McGovern. Donal had done some trojan work in the last 12 months in implementing our five-year plan. Donal has gone back

to study for a teaching post and the club wishes him every success in the future. When asked why he chose a teaching career, Donal said that he had learned so much from his daily lectures with the Legend that he felt compelled to pass on such a vast knowledge to a wider population. The good news, folks, is that Donalʼs replacement, Declan Power comes with a wealth of experience in this field. Declan has worked for the Croke Park, Leinster Council and a host of GAA clubs throughout the county. Declan will take up his post immediately and will continue on with the rest of the Juvenile Development plan. Welcome on board Declan. Star of the Sea junior footballers had their day out in Croke Park in December. This was the first final that the school reached in many years. The jitters got them in the first ten minutes as they found themselves 10 points down but they soon settled. Ten minutes into the second half and the Sandymount boys had brought it back to one point and an epic battle ensued from there to the finish. Alas, the mighty effort they put into getting back into the game caused them to fall just short by two points in the end. The young lads, their parents and all supporters headed back to the clubhouse for some grub and refreshments and the disappointment

was palpable. This was their AllIreland and it was understandable that such disappointment was so visible. Teachers Brian McDermott and Kevin Munelly, who had put such a mighty effort in getting them there, were no less shattered. Principal, Una Condron was likewise but I also sensed the pride etched on her face that the lads had done the school and the area proud. Believe me, every one of those lads will remember their day in Croker, as I do 40 years on and they will talk about it for the rest of their lives. Thanks to all at the school for giving them that chance to remember. Marian College have reached the

Junior Football final and at time of writing the Seniors await their semi final fixture. We wish both teams every success! Tremendous strides to report on the schools front! The Under 8s made the journey to Portarlington just before Christmas for some fun games with the locals. A great time was had by all and well done to Roger ʻWhoʼ McGrath for organising such a great weekend. We also hosted a trip from Roscommonʼs Strokestown when they paid us a visit in November. Once a stalwart at the Club, Declan Kavanagh, who wore the Club and County colours for over 20 years and who now resides in Strokestown in Roscommon, brought his U10 and U11 charges to challenge his old club. On a beautiful winterʼs afternoon in Sean Moore Park, the two sides produced a wonderful feast of football in a three-match event. Clans just pipped the visitors by winning the series two to one. In the after-match party in the clubhouse, where burgers, chicken nuggets and chips were provided for everyone, the Roscommon club invited the Clans down for return games this summer. Staying with trips, the Seniors hurlers have just returned from their annual ʻTrip to Tippʼ. This is the second year of this excursion and aptly named the Hurling Spa weekend. The boys were subject to 6.00 a.m. rises, fitness tests, swimming, video analysis of the beautiful game (hurling that is) and many hurling drills. The boys came back entranced, repeating the mantra “I am a Senior Hurler and a Senior

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

Hurler I am going to stay.” Conor Thorpe seems to roar it more than anyone else. This same team ran a Hurlathon in the cage or whatever you want to call it in December, where continuous hurling was played for 12 hours. Many of the Juveniles and their parents joined in and we even had a guest appearance from The Legend in the morning. Everyone was enthralled at the sheer skill of this Grandfather and many parents were delighted that they did not miss the show. Many thanks to all those who returned sponsorship cards and who helped out on the day. The Camogie team have started back very early indeed under new Coach and trainer John Rimmer, a veteran of the 90s Hurling Campaign and Ladies Football welcome new coach Clare OʼMara.

PAGE 33

Santa Claus paid a visit to the club yet again in December. (When else would he arrive?). He seems to be getting younger each year and the youngsters all seemed to know him by his ﬁrst name. The Inter footballers are preparing hard for their season, which is due to start next week and with some new signings, who have recently moved into the Docklands area, ensures that no positions are guaranteed. Can this be the year, on the 30th anniversary of when we departed Senior ranks that we will ﬁnally smash the tape and cross over the line to the Holy Grail. The Shop is now up and running and it is a glorious sight altogether. You can talk about your Arnotts and your Roches but they havenʼt a patch on the sheer quality on display in this new store. Expertly

staffed by the Three Desperate Housewives, Christine, Laura and Lisa (CLL for short) (or the Terrible Triplets as they are sometimes known) there are bargains galore that are the envy of IKEA. Whether you are a new-born or an ageing grandparent, this boutique has it all. Jerseys, Polo Tops, Hoodies, Rainjackets, Slippers, Bras and Gearbags are just a sample of choices available. Fat, Skinny, Giant or Dwarf, it doesnʼt matter for we have all sizes. So come on down to Clannatown! Opening Hours are Thursday night 7 to 9 and Saturday morning 10.30 to 12.30. Free Supervised Car Parking and cheap refreshment upstairs. Where would you get it!! The Annual Awards night was held in the Hilton Hotel this time around and amid a packed attendance the following were the recipients: Clubperson of the Year: Roger ʻWhoʼ McGrath. (Karen Flood has just started a fan club in his honour) Senior Hurler: Shane ʻSnifferʼ Hilliard Inter Footballer: Kevin ʻTo hell or to Connaughtʼ Munnelly Camogie: Antoinette Maguire Ladies Football: Lynn Flood Chairman Eugene Davey gave his usual no-nonsense speech until he had them all standing on the tables chanting ʻEugene, Eugeneʼ.But not all were standing on the tables! Eugene, unfortunately has developed a turn in his eye due to the many hurling belts he got over the years. This led to the audience believing that he was talking to one side of the room only. Hence not everybody stood on the tables. When Eugene was ﬁnished his back was slapped by one

half of the room while his ribs were broken by the other half! The AGM followed a couple of nights later. Amidst nail biting tension and ferocious lobbying, the crowd settled down to hear all the reports of the year. As the serious business of elections neared, the front benches and the back benches were clashing like a Roman Senate. All sorts of accusations were flung across the room. Men and women, seemingly friends throughout the year, were now seemingly bitter enemies. There was a serious amount of daggers passed from chair to chair as the Chairman tried in vain to keep order. The Clubperson of the Year, Roger ʻWhoʼ McGrath kept his council, despite many provocations and with a bit of help from The Legend sitting beside him. Juvenile Chairman, Dave Walsh fought like a seasoned pro, fending off daggers left right and centre. Tipperary Tom bellowed out flame after flame but with little fire. As the votes were cast, the other Tipperary Tom was like a modern day investor as he watched his dreams go up in smoke. His tally men had given him wrong information! The Ladies Section formed a formidable force as they took the centre of the arena. Not a mo-

tion was discussed without an input from this centre squad and hell had no fury like a woman scorned jumped to mind each time. Secretary, Ciaran Murphy slid in his chair and tried to hide under the table as the accusations ﬂew at that top table but Chairman Eugene always caught him by the collar and forced him back up into view again. Some like Yankee Saunders whose face got redder and redder with embarrassment throughout the battle scene were simply afraid to open their mouths. Others just watched and enjoyed the sheer excitement of it all. After all the hustle and bustle, everyone adjourned to the bar upstairs where now seemingly enemies downstairs were now friends upstairs. There is no doubt about it but this organisation known as the GAA is one of the greatest, if not the strangest in the entire world! Roll on springtime when we are all together shouting, encouraging and cajoling all our troops under the common banner of Clanna Gael Fontenoy!!! Page 32, top: Star of the Sea Seniors ready for action. Below: Photos from the trip to Portarlington. This page: Shane Hilliard receives his Senior Hurler award from Chris Andrews TD.

Calafort Átha Cliath

The team of 1951/52

Dublin Port Company Port Centre, Alexandra Road, Dublin 1. Telephone: 887 6000, 855 0888 Fax: 855 7400 This photograph of a Gaelic football team was sent in to us by Geoffrey P. B. Lyon from Stafford. It was taken in the Phoenix Park (circa 1951/ 52). Do

any of our readers know the team or the names of any of the young men? The clue– it is connected to Sandymount.

Web: www.dublinport.ie

PAGE 34

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

ST PATRICK’S CYFC By David Nolan

e are well into our first season in the Dublin & District Schoolboys league (DDSL) and have just played our first match after the Christmas break in which we beat the league leaders Broadford rovers 3-0. Two cracking goals from Craig Nangle and a third from Jordan Barnes capped off a terrific performance from the boys who controlled the match from start to finish on a windswept Ringsend Park. All bodes well for us as we are now unbeaten, lying second just one point behind the league leaders with a game in hand and into the quarter finals of our U15 league cup. Yes, St Patrickʼs CY have an under 15 schoolboy team and they also have an under 13 team. Just over two seasons ago we were approached by the committee of St Patʼs CY. We were then known as Bath United but as a result of many meetings became known as St Patrickʼs CY.

This decision to join with Pats wasnʼt taken lightly as we knew that when most schoolboy teams amalgamate with a senior club they tend to lose their identity. We did not want this to happen! We knew it would take quite some time to establish a schoolboy section in the club. Our vision was to develop St Patrickʼs CY in the schoolboy area over the following years so when we came out of the negotiations we were delighted to call ourselves St Patrickʼs CYFC. We had just done the double, gaining promotion to the premier league in the SDFL U14, season 2007/ 2008 came and what a great season we had, ﬁnishing second in the league and won the very prestigious Blessington Cup beating a well-fancied St Francis side 1-0 in the Final. In order for us to progress, we decided to join the DDSL. We also decided to form an U13 team. This was a huge undertaking for the club. On joining the DDSL we were placed in the under 15a1 and the under 13 team were placed into

O BSERVING

the U13b1. The under 13 are coming along fine. It is their first season together and it takes time and hard work to gel. If any under 13 boys wish to join, please come down to Ringsend Park on Tuesday at 6.30 or contact any member of CYʼs committee. Training is now every Tuesday and Thursday evening down in the schoolboy all-weather pitch in Ringsend Park. These are very lively and fun training sessions. Being part of this great club, the support coming from the senior side is starting to flourish and the senior coaches, Dave Nolan, Anthony (Anto) Owens and Mark Benson lend their expertise to the boys. The managers of the boysʼ teams are delighted with this, as

THE UNIVERSE HAS NEVER BEEN NEVER EASIER entist & Technology Exhibition in Dublin. January 8 saw the launch of another two International Year of Astronomy highlights in Ireland. Professor Michael Redfern, Director of the Centre

‘The European Space Agency’

By Glenda Cimino UN Designated International Year of Astronomy Opens In Ireland

he International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) is a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions

these boys will some day play for the senior teams. On setting up the schoolboy sections, we now realise how much hard work and money is needed in order to keep it running so a big thank you to our sponsors: Mason, Hayes & Curran Solicitors in Barrow Street, Waterbourne River Productions, Ringsend and Irishtown Community Centre, Anthony Quann Legal Cost Accountant and Tom Kennedy of Tom Kennedyʼs Lounge in Thomas Street. A special thank you to all the local businesses who sponsored our very ﬁrst and successful Race Night which was held in the Raytown Bar. To the management staff and patrons of the Raytown bar, a special thank you for your generos-

ity in supporting us. Finally, thanks to the staff in the Spellman Centre for the use of the Spellman bus for the away matches Finally, a big thank you to Jason Flood the manager and his assistant Peadar Owens who are doing a great job looking after the U15 and also to Paddy McGuinness who coached the team for the last 18 months who also drives the Spellman bus. The lads really like training with them, more importantly they enjoy their football without being under pressure. On a personal note, I would like to say a special thank you to David Kemple, known locally as Smasher, for his exceptional commitment, positive attitude and adaptability in the running of St Patʼs CY. To all who help in the background thank you also The parents of team members set up a committee and the club is now under new management with David Kemple Chairman/ Treasure, Peter Dowling Secretary, Paddy McGuinness Child Welfare Ofﬁcer . Jason Flood: Team Manager of the under 15s, assisted by Peadar Owens, Alan Browne: Manager U13 Team coaches: Mark Benson, Anthony Owens and David Nolan.

to society and culture, highlighted by the 400th anniversary of the ﬁrst use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo Galilei. The year was ofﬁcially opened in Ireland, in the presence of the Irish President Mary McAleese and the Northern Ireland Minister for Education, Caitriona Ruane, in a most impressive launch ceremony, at the BT Young Sci-

By Professor David Southwood, director of Science at ESA. Monday March 09 2009 at 8:00pm. In May 2001 David Southwood took up his post as Director of Science (D/SCI), in charge of the ESA Science Programme. One of Davidʼs most challenging tasks was to head the team that built the magnetometer for the Cassini Saturn orbiter of the NASA/ESA Cassini-Huygens mission. This will be an incredible opportunity to hear a man who has a unique perspective of mankindʼs exploration of the universe.

for Astronomy, National University of Ireland Galway and IYA2009 Single Point of Contact, launched the Faulkes Telescope Universe Challenge. This is a competition for students to undertake astronomy projects using the state of the art two-metre telescopes in Hawaii and Australia. The prize, very generously sponsored by the European Southern Observatory, even though Ireland is not a member, is a trip to see the worldʼs largest telescope in Chile. A programme of events is being organised for IYA2009. The activities will involve the major science centres: Armagh Planetarium, Blackrock Castle Observatory and the Science Gallery in Dublin, as well as science universities and amateur astronomy clubs from the whole island of Ireland. Further information can be found throughout the year at http://astronomy2009.ie. The main sponsors for the events of the International Year of Astronomy in Ireland are Discover Science & Engineering, the European Southern Ob-

servatory and BT. Astronomy Ireland will be helping run hundreds of events all over the country which are available to everyone. The next public lecture will be on Monday, March 9, at Trinity College. Professor David Southwood, director of Science at the European Space Agency (ESA) will speak. Over the past 35 years David Southwood has published more than 200 publications and scientiﬁc articles, and has worked on a variety of space missions. According to Astronomy Ireland, ʻThis will be an incredible opportunity to hear a man who has a unique perspective of mankindʼs exploration of the universe. We are currently living in the golden age of space exploration. There have been countless missions to nearly all the planets in the last 10 years with many new projects planned for the future. Dr. Southwood will outline the achievements of the last few years and give an update on the missions planned for the next 10 yearsʼ. More information can be found at www. astronomyireland.ie

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

‘LE EITHNE’ – FLAGSHIP OF THE I RISH N AVY

By John Fitzgerald

recent and frequent visitor to Dublin, the ʻLE Eithneʼ is considered by many to be the flagship of the Irish Naval Service. Like the seven other ships in the fleet– ʻLE Emerʼ, ʻLE Aoifeʼ, ʻLE Aishlingʼ, ʻLE Orlaʼ, ʻLE Ciaraʼ, ʻLE Roisinʼ and ʻLE Niamhʼ– the ʻLE Eithneʼ moors at Sir John Rogersonʼs Quay on the river Liffeyʼs south side when visiting Dublin. ʻLE Eithneʼ was commisioned on 7 December 1984, so she is in her 25th year of service to the Irish Nation. She was built as the only Helicopter patrol vessel in the fleet. The equipment fitted was to a very high standard and included the Naval Services first operations room with integrated control of armament and aircraft to a designated centre, remote from the bridge. The main armament is a Bofers 57mm anti-aircraft gun with a LIOD fire control system. Second-

ary armament is provided by two 20mm Rheinmetal guns. ʻLE Eithneʼ is also equipped with a DAOS Air Surveillance Radar. She weighs 1,760 tonnes, is 80.8 metres in length and is operated by 9 ofﬁcers and 77 ratings, giving a total crew of 85. She has a top speed of 20 Knots and a range of 7,000 nautical miles at 15 Knots. Like her sister ships, she spends an average of 210 days on active patrol around the Irish coast, the remaining days being spent in port. Although the shipʼs main port is Haulbowline Island in Cork Harbour, ʻLE Eithneʼ has a particularly close relationship with the town of Dun Laoighre in Co Dublin. ʻLE Eithneʼ is closely associated with Our Ladyʼs Hospital for Sick Children in Dublin, and conducts fundraising efforts on the hospitalʼs behalf around the coast. She also frequently brings the children down to visit the ship for a morale boosting day out during their recuparation from illness. In the summer of 1986, ʻLE

PAGE 35 Eithneʼ scored a notable first by becoming the first Irish Naval Service ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean, when she sailed to the United States, visiting Hamilton, New York and Boston. In the Autum of 2006 she scored another first, being the first Irish Naval Ship to cross the equator on a 12,000 nautical mile round trip to South America. She was invited to visit Argentina to celebrate the anniversary of Admiral Browne, a native of Co Mayo, who founded the Argentinean Navy.

Pictured at the BT Young Scientist event in the RDS recently are category winners Daniel and Christopher Hobbs from Maynooth Post Primary School, whose exhibit studied sonics.

THE NAVAL SERVICE keeps the tradition of naming its vessels after famous women from Irish and Celtic mythology. The name Eithne was borne by many characters in Irish history and mythology, but the Eithne after whom this ship was named was the tragic heroine of an early Irish Romantic tale. She was the daughter of the one-eyed Formian King, Balor, and there was a prophesy which said that Balor would be slain by his own grandson. Unlike some others Balor was a man who heeded these prophesies and as he had but one child, Eithne, he believed that this would be an easy prophesy to circumvent– Eithne had to be killed. Bad as he was Balor could not bring himself to kill the child, so instead he had her walled up in a huge castle on Tory Island off the Donegal coast. There she grew up, guarded only by women, for no

male was allowed set foot on the Island. The story of the beautiful Princess walled up on Tory spread around the country and many warriors tried to capture her, but those few who survived the treacherous seas were killed by the guards. However, one eventually did get through, disguised as a servant girl, and some time later King Balor learned that he had a grandson, Eithne had given birth to a healthy boy. The furious king had Eithne and her lover killed and the infant thrown into the sea. But Mannin, the God of the Sea, took pity on the child and had a wave throw the child up on the beach, where a local farmer found him and reared him as his own. He grew up to be wise and strong and when he heard of the injustices perpetrated by King Balor, he set out to rid the land of this tyrant. Needless to say he succeeded and in slaying Balor, he fulﬁlled the prophesy.

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PAGE 36

NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

The Lady at the Lighthouse

WINNER OF THE SHORT STORY COMPETITION SPONSORED BY POWER VIDEO PRODUCTIONS AND NEWSFOUR

By Christy Hogan

ettigrew dismounted his bright red bicycle. It was a ﬁne August day and he longed for a walk and some fresh air. After ensuring his bicycle was secured, he commenced his walk along the Great South Wall at Ringsend, where it embraces the briny waters of Dublin Bay. It was 6 pm and he could hear the bells tolling from St Patrickʼs Church. Pettigrew was 55, and lived alone. He was ﬁnicky and checked his pockets to ensure he had everything for his two mile walk. “Iʼve me morning paper, Iʼve me mobile phone and Iʼve me biro to do me crossword,” he muttered. “Everythingʼs tickity boo,” he chuckled. Pettigrew passed through the barriers that prevent cars from driving down the pier. The only sounds to be heard until he reached the Poolbeg Lighthouse would be the waves crashing against the rocks and the chatter of people passing by. The sun was strong and Pettigrew wore a baseball cap to protect his head. As he walked he kicked some debris from the pier into the sea, pretending to take penalties for Manchester United. The unfortunate goalkeeper hadnʼt a chance. After walking for ten minutes Pettigrew sat down at The Half Moon Swimming Club. He opened his newspaper at the crossword page and read a few clues for some of the swimmers to hear. One down, “postmanʼs bag,” he read aloud. “How many letters?” a swimmer inquired. “Fuckinʼ thousands,” bellowed Pettigrew to the indignation of the swimmer. Pettigrew then removed his jacket and his shirt. He looked towards

the sun with closed eyes and palms facing outwards. Pettigrew seemed to be meditating and people would nod amusingly in his direction as they passed by. “Iʼll keep me head covered and get a little sun on me body. I donʼt want to end up with one oʼ those melanoma things,” he muttered. He knew all about it, melanoma, carcinoma, barcelona. He laughed aloud at the idea of Barcelona and some swimmers glared at him and made eyes to heaven. Pettigrew could see people walking towards the lighthouse. There were ﬁshermen and families and people with dogs coming and going along the pier. And among them he noticed an old lady and she was dressed for the middle of winter. “Jasus thatʼs funny,” he said, “and I donʼt mean funny ha ha, I mean funny peculiar. A big heavy overcoat and a scarf, sure thatʼs not right. Sheʼll be a ball oʼ sweat be the time she makes the lighthouse. And she has her shopping trolley with her as well, not right, couldnʼt be right.” It was almost 7 oʼclock and the sun danced on the incoming tide. Pettigrew didnʼt complete his crossword. “Iʼll ﬁnish it after me tea,” he muttered. “Thereʼs a thing now,” he said “whatʼll I have for me tea? Maybe a nice tin of salmon and a few slices of brown bread with lashings of butter. And a tomato sliced thin to go with the salmon, gorgeous.” He licked his lips in anticipation. “Oh, and some hot tea to wash down the salmon and the tomato and the brown bread, mighty.” Pettigrew kept a well stocked fridge ever since his mother had died eighteen months ago. He did his ʻbig shopʼ as he called it on Friday evening at the local supermarket. He brought a list of all he needed and ticked them off as he put them into his shopping basket. Pettigrew rose from the seat at the swimming club, put his paper into his pocket and headed towards the lighthouse. “Sure isnʼt every-

thing tickety boo,” he repeated. He noticed the yachts in the sea off Dun Laoghaire. And his gaze followed the wash from the Stena as it crashed onto the rocks beneath him. In the distance he could see the old lady who was dressed for the middle of winter. She had almost reached the lighthouse. “And pushing a trolley,” said Pettigrew, “not right, deﬁnitely not right.” He sat on the pier wall and from his breast pocket he produced a small white napkin and placed it in the palm of his hand. He opened it, and gently touched the contents with his middle ﬁnger. A tear welled in his eyes as he caressed the wedding ring. “Bollocks, I hate feeling like this,” he said, “all sad and fucked up.” He drew the sleeve of his jacket across his face, smearing the tears. He touched the gold chain and the miraculous medal that nestled

beside the wedding ring. Iʼm supposed to chuck these into the briny, God knows sheʼll never wear them again, and thatʼs for sure. You donʼt need jewellery when youʼre in a box, or miraculous medals for that matter. He declined the seaʼs invitation and instead folded the napkin over his motherʼs jewellery. Pettigrew returned the napkin to his breast pocket, “Iʼll keep them for another little while,” he said. He then continued his journey along the pier. As he neared the lighthouse he could see the old lady who was dressed for the middle of winter, her frail ﬁgure resting on a red wooden bench. She was eating a sandwich and

drinking tea which she had poured from a flask. “Well be Jasus sheʼs come prepared, Iʼll give her that,” said Pettigrew. Sandwiches and tea no less, she must be here for the long haul. He sat on the bench, with the flask and sandwiches between himself and the old lady. “Would you like a cuppa scald,” she said. “Iʼd love one,” said Pettigrew. She took a mug from her shopping bag, filled it with tea and handed it to him. “God bless ye Missus,” he said, as he sipped the tea. He felt like asking “do ye come here often?”, the way you would at the dances when showbands were playing. But he just continued sipping his tea. He could see the old lady was wearing a coat and scarf, and corduroy slacks. “Do ye feel the cold much,” he asked, trying not to laugh. “Not a bit,” she replied. “Well be jasus I wouldnʼt like to see ye in the middle of winter,” he thought to himself. ʻItʼll be dark in an hour and this onesʼ showing no signs of moving.ʼ Pettigrew and the old lady sat on the bench dwarfed by the lighthouse, eating sandwiches and drinking tea. “I wonder is she well, in her head like,” thought Pettigrew. Pettigrew was getting worried about the old lady who was dressed for the middle of winter. Itʼll be dark soon and sheʼll be here on her own with only the lighthouse for company. “Do you live far?” he enquired. “No, not far,” she replied. “By Jasus youʼre a bundle of info,” he said sarcastically. “If I went home, would you be lonely here on your own?” “Not a bit,” she responded. “Things ainʼt tickety boo here,” said Pettigrew. He wanted to find out how old she was. “I turned 55 in June,” he said. “And what do ya want, a medal?” she scoffed. “Sure Iʼll be 80 at Christmas if God spares me.” Ah, ʻinfoʼ at last, thought Pettigrew. An eighty-year-old who pushes a shopping trolley and dresses for the middle of win-

Our judge for this short story competition was Kate Holmquist, who is a columnist and editor with ʻThe Irish Timesʼ. She has written two books, ʻA Good Daughterʼ and ʻThe Glass Roomʼ. ter. “And whatʼs your name,” he pressed. “Mrs Dalton,” she said. “Mrs Dalton,” he repeated aloud. She rolled up the sleeve of her coat to retrieve a paper tissue. As she did so, Pettigrew noticed a nametag on her wrist. One of those yokes you get when youʼre in hospital. It was almost dark and Pettigrew was up to ninety. He slipped his mobile phone from his pocket, moved casually away from the old lady who was dressed for the middle of winter, and made the phone call. He then returned and sat down beside her once more. “Do ye do crosswords?” Pettigrew enquired. “I do,” she said. “Hereʼs one for ye so. Postmanʼs bag.” “How many letters?” she asked. “Fuckin thousands,” said Pettigrew. The old lady laughed at Pettigrewʼs joke. In the distance Pettigrew could see the blue flashing light. “Theyʼve moved the barriers he thought. Here comes the meat wagon.” The ambulance came to a halt. Two men got out. Pettigrew arose from the bench eager to explain. “Everythingʼs tickety boo,” he said, suggesting all was under control. “Itʼs the old lady, sheʼs dressed for the middle of winter, and sheʼs pushing a shopping trolley. She likes tea and sandwiches and she does crosswords.” One of the attendants took Pettigrew gently by the arm. “Thatʼs fine John,” he said. You hop in there and weʼll check the old lady. John Pettigrew climbed calmly into the ambulance and sat down. “Sure isnʼt everything tickety boo,” he said. As the ambulance pulled away, Pettigrew looked back at the lighthouse and at the bench where he had been sitting. But there was no trolley and no flask and no old lady who was dressed for the middle of winter.

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NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009

JAMAICA – A MAGIC LAND By Stephanie Morris

have not had a proper holiday in a number of years, one in which you flake out and let the sound of the tide take away your worries. I landed on the island of Jamaica on Christmas Day. My flatmate and a wonderful friend, Marlene, invited me to spend Christmas with her family. It was magic. I do not consider myself a worldly traveller but I have hopped around various continents in my time and spent eight years living in America before re-rooting myself back on Irish soil. This leaves me puzzled as to how Jamaica slipped under my radar. Jamaica is located in the Car-

ibbean Sea south of Cuba and west of Haiti and Dominican Republic. Jamaica is a tropical island 234 km long and 80 km across, making it a little small-

er than Ireland with a population of three million. Jamaican Patois is sung in the same manner as English spoken in deep Kerry or Cork. The anthem is ʻJamaica, Land We Loveʼ and their motto is ʻOut of Many, One Peopleʼ. I believe from meeting many Jamaicans, they are ruled by the heart and not the head. I travelled to Port Antonio (above) for a few days and then on to Negril (below, left and right) with the sun beating down on me and the blue sea washing over me. Aside from loving the island of Jamaica, a land of luscious green, rolling hills and ʻboketyʼ roads (Cavan springs to mind) I loved the Jamaicans. Jamaicans are colourful characters bursting with charm and humour. They have many talents, being great musicians, skilled handcraft workers and they have the gift of the gab. Many share the same wit as our country lads, the ones we refer to as ʻcute whoresʼ. They seem to do their business with the same ʻglint in the eyeʼ as our own country men may do. Though I am no history buff, I could not wait to research the Irish in Jamaica. I felt so at home there and found so many place names relating to Ireland: Sligoville, Athenry, Bangor Ridge, Clonmel, Dublin Castle

The Mill Theatre, Dundrum presents

THE ODD COUPLE by Neil Simon Directed by Tom Kibbe Pavilion Theatre, Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire Monday, 16th to Saturday, 21st February 2009 at 8pm Tickets: €23/€20 Booking: 01 2312929 www.paviliontheatre.ie Those in need of laughter can be happy… The Nualas are back! The Odd Couple, the female version with an Irish twist of this hilarious comedy of two mismatched room-mates, one uptight, compulsively tidy and neurotic, the other slob-like and slovenly in her ways, stars the superbly funny Sue Collins and Anne Gildea. They bring their undeniable overall talent to this updated and rejuvenated version of this classic comedy and ﬁll the stage with the chemistry of friendship, an explosive one at that, supported by an all-Irish energetic and capable cast. In short, theyʼre fun.

and many more. In order to understand the history and background of the Irish in Jamaica, one has to go right back to the year 1655. That was the year Admiral Penn and General Venables, having failed miserably at taking Santo Domingo in Hispaniola and not wanting to return home empty-handed, turned their attention to Jamaica, where the Spanish settlers could put up only a token resistance. The English quickly captured Santiago De La Vega but they lacked workers to exploit their conquest. Barbados and the Leeward Islands– St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Monserrat– were already under their dominion, and from them the new owners brought manpower to colonize Jamaica. Records show that the vast majority of the first wave was made up of young Irish men and women, mostly servants, bondsmen, or bonded servants. And how did they reach Barbados? For that, we have to

thank Oliver Cromwell, In his own words after the siege of Drogheda, “the officers were knocked on the head, every tenth man of the soldiers killed and the rest shipped to Barbados.” They were then traded to Jamaica as ʻwhite slavesʼ. Cromwell instituted a system of forced labour, which would also provide British planters in the Caribbean with a massive influx of white indentured labourers. Cromwellʼs son, Henry, was made Major General in command of the forces in Ireland. It was under his reign that thousands of Irish men and women were shipped to the West Indies. The Irish prisoners made up for a serious labour shortage caused by the English planterʼs lack of access to African slaves.

Numbers vary, but reliable estimates put the number of Irish shipped out at between 30,000 to 80,000 people. In 1775, nineteen-year-old Charles Fitzgerald, naval officer, write to his mother that ʻthe jet black ladies of Africaʼs burning sands have made me forget the unripened beauties of the Northʼ. A few months later he followed with the news that she could look forward to a ʻcopper coloured grandchildʼ. Relations between the Irish men and African women were as much a staple of the Caribbean as malaria, yellow fever, rum drinking and turtle soup. Jamaica is a beautiful island. Many Jamaicans have blue and navy blue eyes. They are by nature nosey, always dying to know where youʼre from. I found them chatty and funny, just as if I landed in a bar in Connemara. It was a wonderful experience and Jamaicans obviously retain an inherited Irish culture. I certainly felt at home, now I know why. I was not aware of any Irish influence before I went. I will be back in Jamaica for sure as soon as I can.

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FOOTBALL : SENIORS UPDATE By David Nolan

urrently our 1st & 2nd teams top their respective leagues (Inter 1B & Major 1C) but not all is as it seems, in intermediate 1B whilst John Youngʼs charges top the pile it is only on goal difference with rivals Postal United level on points but crucially with a game in hand. In the Gilligan cup we faced fellow 1B side Valeview Shankill away from home on a cold wind-lashed Sunday morning. Having fallen just weeks previous to a league defeat in the same venue this was always going to be a tough encounter. CY started very well and were the dominant side in the ﬁrst half but somehow found themselves 2 nil down at the break from two wonderful strikes from the home teamʼs lively centre forward. With 45 minutes to rescue the game CY continued to play good football and were eventually rewarded when centre half Thomas Nolan scored a header from a corner kick. Minutes later we found ourselves level when top scorer Anto OʼConner turned superbly on the edge of the box to shoot under the keeperʼs desperate dive.

At two each it was anybodyʼs game and in the third minute of added on time left winger Glen OʼConner beat his marker and hit a sweet daisey cutter in off the far post. The home team barely had time to re-start the match when the referee blew for fulltime. The following week against Garda at home in the Moore cup we fell to a disappointing 2 nil defeat. The Guards have improved drastically since being clinically disposed of earlier in the season at Irishtown stadium by twelve goals to two! On the league front three wins and two draws have taken us to the summit of 1B and we are now unbeaten since the start of November. The 2nd team have played six league games since our last report winning ﬁve and losing one, most notably a home victory over league rivals Castleknock Celtic. The scorers in that important win over the Knock were Mark Boland and Thomas OʼBrien. The 2nd team also begin their defence of the Joe Tynan cup away to Brendanville on Saturday the 24th of January. The 3rd team have unfortunately fallen away in Sunday Division two having suffered recent losses to rivals Cabinteely & Mourne Celtic but still remain in 2nd spot and will hope to rally as they did last sea-

R ETURN

By John Fitzgerald

n his book “A History of the Oyster and the Oyster Fisheries” published in 1858, author Thomas Cambell Eyton lists Poolbeg on the south side of Dublinʼs River Liffey as one of Irelandʼs main oyster fisheries. There were also oyster fisheries at Malahide, Sutton and Poolbeg. Dublinʼs relationship with the oyster goes back to its original settlers. Viking excavations at Wood Quay in the 1980s revealed mounds of oyster shells known as ʻmiddensʼ left behind by the Norse invaders. The ʻNativeʼ or European oyster, ʻostrea edulisʼ, was an easily harvestable protein source that thrived at the mouth of the Liffey. People have fed on oysters so long that the man whom Jonathan Swift called brave for eating the first one is quite out of range of historyʼs eye. His name was Sergia Orata, a Roman engineer who lived in the first century BC and cultivated oysters in southern Italian lakes by bring-

son to resume their league and cup challenge. All in all, all three senior sides still have a league and cup competition to play for between now and the end of May– as they say no silverware is handed out in January. PLAYER PROFILES: Over the next few editions we will pay homage to some of our current senior players. Thomas Nolan: Thomas (above left) has been with us since the 2002/03 season. Starting off in central midﬁeld Thomas is now playing his best football at centre half for the clubʼs 1st team, captain of the Polikoff winning side in 2005 also scoring the ﬁrst goal he also skippered the 1st team to its double winning season in 2006/07, picking up a 2nd Polikoff and the Major Sunday title taking the club into Intermediate football for the 1st time. In that same season the club was honoured by the Leinster Senior

OF THE

ing them to spawn on rock piles that he surrounded with twigs, which the cultivator could monitor easily. When the oysters grew to marketable size, they were plucked off and sold. The reason for the tradition of not eating an oyster in a month without an ʻrʼ is to do with the spawning season, which can span from May to August. During these months, the ﬁsh are somewhat weaker and the meat tends to be thin and ﬂat-tasting. They spawn by releasing gametes into the water. A female releases clouds of eggs in a series of wet piffs, while males send forth sperm in a stream. Fertilisation occurs when opposite gametes meet in the water; hence the advantage offered by proximity. The spawning process takes about 45 minutes during which time a female will emit anything from 10,000 to 60m eggs, only a small fraction of which will be lucky enough to meet their mates. Once the pair of gametes meet, they connect and become a larva that drifts in the tidal current,

League when awarded the team of the year gong, Thomas has won the clubʼs player of the year title on three occasions the last being 2007/08 jointly with Graham Hannigan, a former Sherriff YC & St Kevins schoolboy player. Thomas is again in the thick of it as the 1st team chase more honours this season. Graham Hannigan: The midﬁeld general (above centre) has been part and parcel of CYʼs 1st team since the 2004/05 season joining from successful schoolboy side Pearse Rangers. Graham has won two Polikoff cups and the Major Sunday league title scoring the crucial second goal in the 2005 Polikoff ﬁnal. Unfortunately, that success has not extended itself to his favourite Premiership team as he suffers year while Man United dominate. Ben, as heʼs known as, was the clubʼs top scorer in the 2004/05 season with 12 goals with 10 of those coming from penalties. He has also won the clubʼs player of the year in

P OOLBEG

propelling itself by means of a little organ ringed with cillia called a velium. This is an oysterʼs only taste of free movement. When the larva grows to a size of 300 microns, it extends its foot and seeks a suitable surface on which to set. Having found one, it grows into a spat, which already resembles an oyster, the shape of its shell already visible. It prefers settling on hard, chalky surfaces and given a choice will settle on an old oyster shell. Overﬁshing combined with pol-

the 2007/08 season to follow in his fatherʼs footsteps also a form club player of the year. Wayne Byrne: Wayne (above right) has been a loyal player since the late 1990s, a winner of the Billy Murphy cup during his ﬁrst season Wayne also stuck it out through tougher times from 2000 to 2002. A deadly centre forward, he added to his medal haul by winning the Polikoff cup in 2004/05 playing an important part in the second goal that balmy May evening. Wayne dropped down to our 2nd team the following season after the arrival of lots of new younger players but the winning didnʼt stop as he was part of the 2nd team which won two league titles in consecutive seasons and also last season winning the 3rd team league title. Wayne has had to retire from playing with a bad back complaint but is still very much involved as assistant to Anthony Owens in running our 2nd team.

OYSTER ?

lution has done huge damage to Dublinʼs oyster population. As far as the health of marine ecosystems go, perhaps no single pollutant does more damage than nitrogen. It occurs naturally in human and animal waste. Fossil fuel combustion produces nitrogen oxides which rise into the atmosphere and come down as nitric acid. In the water, nitrogen serves as a major nutrient for microscopic organisms called phytoplankton. Individually, they are invisible

to the human eye but when present in quantities they cause massive blooms, preventing the sunlight getting down to the plants that need the sunʼs energy. When these phytoplankton die, they like all organic matter are eaten by bacteria which deplete the vital oxygen from the water, thus causing more damage to the sealife below. Fortunately, few species filter nitrogen from the water as effectively as oysters. The oyster is pretty particular about what it eats– not so about what it filters! A single oyster can filter 50 gallons of water per day. As the oyster eats plankton, it draws in everything around it, including nitrogen. What it does not eat, it expels as solid pellets of waste, which eventually decompose and bubble up into the atmosphere as nitrogen. Maybe it is time to restock the traditional Poolbeg oysterbeds and now with the treatment plant working, this remarkable creature can keep doing what its always done–keep the waters clean and healthy, and provide a sustainable protein source.

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NEWSFOUR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2009