News four april 2006 by News Four

APRIL 2006

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

THE STADIUM– OVERSHADOWING THE COMMUNITY?

oes anyone realise the scale of the proposed redevelopment plans for Lansdowne Road Stadium? The computer-generated visualisation shown here may be eyecatching but can you imagine living underneath that huge projectory? A resident of OʼConnell Gardens told ʻNewsFourʼ: “People donʼt realise the scale of this project. Iʼm looking out at daylight at the moment but in three yearʼs time I wonʼt see the sunshine and the outlook will be dark.” If the new stadium were to be built to the current plans it would rise to 160ft, which is higher than Croke Park (115ft). Some would say this is unacceptable in the midst of a residential area. However, another resident felt there might be a danger that if they didnʼt build the stadium then the land would be sold to property developers and high rise apartments would be constructed. Itʼs not too late for these plans

to be modiﬁed and at the present time things are not going so well for Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company (LRSDC). For many months, local residents have been objecting to the proposed height of the new stadium and have made their feelings known to Dublin City Council, who have obviously been listening. After receiving the redevelopment plans to make Lansdowne Road a 50,000 seat stadium,

ON PAGES 20 to 21 James OʼDoherty takes us ʻStrolling Through The Yearsʼ in historic parts of Dublinʼs Liberties, including Marshʼs Library, above.

Dublin City Councilʼs planners have requested further information on no less than 43 points. In over 12 pages of text, DCC have requested clarification on such issues as size, landscape and ecology, traffic, noise control, fire prevention, water supply and waste management. LRSDC have six months to provide the further information required. Under issues relating to size, mass, shadowing and glare, DCC are requesting two further

perspective photomontages from the north end of Havelock Square and from the centre of OʼConnell Gardens, looking south from the front of Nos. 14/15 OʼConnell Gardens. They are also concerned about the durability of the proposed polycarbonate roof in relation to sunlight and UV radiation and how the roof will be cleaned and maintained. They require a noise analysis in relation to the effect of rain and hail.

With regard to ecological issues, DCC are concerned that any work carried out would not interfere with fish spawning in the Dodder and Swan rivers. The development company are also requested to analyse the impact on flora, fauna, otters and birds. Reasons have to be given for the removal of trees and a tree survey undertaken. Detailed work plans are being sought for the safe removal of all asbestos on the site and for the monitoring of dust levels during demolition and construction. There are also concerns regarding access for fire services. Other matters under consideration include noise nuisance, sanitation, the objection lodged by Wanderers RFC, the capacity of the proposed pedestrian underpass and the impact on the operation of the Dart. ʻNewsFourʼ readers can obtain a copy of the further information required by Dublin City Council planners from ʻNewsFourʼ, 15 Fitzwilliam Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4.

DUBLIN CITY MOORINGS in the Docklands has been chosen as the home port for the inaugural Ireland Challenge which starts on 22nd April. 6 identical 72-foot yachts, each with a crew of 16, will race around Ireland non-stop over Easter.

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NewsFour Managing Editor Ann Ingle Advertising Manager Grainne McGuinness Staff Brian Kelly Maggie Neary David Hussey Grace McKenna Brian Rutherford Dorothy Cole Miriam Holmes Fergal Murphy Contributors Michael Hilliard Christy Hogan Saoirse O’Hanlon Tobin Mary Guckian Brian Siggins Helen Walsh James O’Doherty Eddie Hanratty Aidan O’Donoghue Fionn Ruadh Shay Connolly Jessica Fitzgerald Music Correspondent Brian Kelly Web Designer Andrew Thorn

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

The Editor’s Corner

his edition has a predominant Easter flavour. We had a great time tasting Easter eggs in the office (the things we do for our readers) and our rather unscientific findings can be seen on page 34. Benoit Lorgeʼs chocolate-making and the French Easter experience by Saoirse will have you on a chocolate high. The repercussions of 1916, the anti-incinerator meeting, the work of Enable Ireland and the Lord Mayorʼs call to nominate Unsung Heroes (p.24) are some of the features bringing us back down to earth. I would like to acknowledge the support that we have received from the Dublin Docklands Authority, Dublin City Council and Dublin Port. Without their grants and assistance our equipment would still be in the dark ages. Thanks to FÁS who fund this project and many other Community Employment projects throughout Ireland. Our advertisers are the lifeblood of the paper as we need their continued support to make ends meet. Thank you all. To all our friends who bring in photographs and articles for inclusion in the paper, thank you. I have enjoyed sharing memories with you. This is the last time I will be writing to you in the capacity of Editor of NewsFour. FÁS will not make funding available for any participant or Supervisor over the age of 66 and therefore I

I T ’ S N OEL …

must retire from this position and I will try to do so gracefully. Grace has written a lovely tribute to me on page 33 but I would like to acknowledge the work of supervisors who went before me: Dermot Rafter, Denis McKenna and Martin Lacey who all helped to make ʻNewsFourʼ and the project in general a success. Under Denisʼs leadership SCS produced three history books, helped many aspiring journalists and photographers and is remembered very fondly by everyone. The Sponsoring Committee of SCS has been a great support to me, especially the oracle that is Ed Penrose. I am going to miss my colleagues here. All of you have been loyal, hard-working and fun to be with. Eugene has had to put up with all the last-minute items I want him to squeeze in, Miriam has been a great help balancing the books, Grainne has remained smiling when I have urged her on to meet her targets and John is placid in his acceptance of my constant demands for photographs. I know I leave NewsFour in good hands and give my best wishes to the new Managing Editor/ Supervisor for the future. Ernest Hemingway said that retirement is the ugliest word in the language but Iʼm not really retiring– Iʼm just moving on!

Design, Typesetting, Layout Eugene Carolan Community Services, 15 Fitzwilliam Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4. Telephone: (01)6673317 E-mail: newsfourscs@eircom.net Affiliated to Comhairle, South-East Area Network, (SEAN) Local History Research, Community Resource Service, NewsFour Newspaper, FÁS Community Employment Programme. Opinions expressed in News Four do not necessarily represent the views of Community Services.

LEGENDARY Arsenal supporter, Noel McDonagh, paying homage to Arsenalʼs home ground, Highbury, which is to be demolished at the end of this season. We all remember Arsenal superstar and Ireland legend, Liam Brady, who celebrated his 50th birthday recently. Unfortunately, Noel was unable to attend the birthday bash as he had an important prior engagement with Clanna Gael that evening.

Avon Easter Competition

This year the Avon Breast Cancer Prize hamper of Avon beauty products to the value of Crusade starts earlier than usual with a set of three exclusive Crusade €100 including a set of three exclusive Crusade gifts. gifts launched in February: Just answer the following questions: a handbag-sized pink notebook, What date is Easter Sunday this year? a slimline silver and pink pen A: 16th April and a ribbon-shaped lapel pin. B: 9th April These products are available from What animal is associated with Easter? the Avon brochure. A: Reindeer B: Rabbit

Sent your entries by post to Avon Easter Competition, ʻNewsFourʼ, 15 Fitzwilliam Street Ringsend, Dublin 4 or email your answers to newsfourscs@eircom.net. Donʼt forget to include your name, address and telephone number.

Swimming in Sportsco

We have a Swimming Session Every Sunday Morning from 11am to 1pm in Sportsco. Price: €25 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.

Guitar Lessons Professional Teacher Contact Tony at 087 9743775

Ann Ingle

AGAIN !

Photography John Cheevers

SHELBOURNE PARK RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION LTD

To ﬁnd details of your nearest representative or to become a representative call Carol on 087 2032332 or email carol.wright111@hotmail.com

Ringsend Active Retirement Association Retired with time on your hands? Why not visit us at the CYMS in Ringsend any Tuesday to Friday from 2.30 pm New members (men and women) always welcome

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

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

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Ford Main Dealers Best Boot Forward!

The Over-35s Soccer Tournament, above, took place recently in Herbert Park. Pictured on right are, left to right: Joe Behan, Head Soccer Coach at New York University; Mick Behan; Gerry Cronin with Evan Healy-Cronin in front. Joe is on a short holiday and commented that the football was top-notch.

Beach Road Sandymount Dublin 4 Phone: 6686011

Sales and accident repair centre For your new Ford Ęť06 car or commercial We also have a large selection of quality used cars

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NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

Enable Ireland Enable Ireland provide a wide range of services for children and adolescents with physical and learning disabilities. At Enable Irelandʼs Sandymount centre, a range of staff including teachers, child care staff, social workers, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists cater for childrenʼs physical, educational and social needs from early infancy to adolescence. Every childʼs requirements are identified and addressed with an Individual Service Plan. At present, over 100 children from many areas of south Dublin use the services of Enable Ireland Sandymount on an ongoing basis. The Sandymount Centre works with children from a pre-school age right up to students preparing for Junior Certificate and the NCVA. Children are referred to Sandymount from primary schools, while others begin their education earlier with therapy and tuition specifically designed to each childʼs needs. To ensure the highest possible standard of education, Enable Ireland uses a specially adapted curriculum, aided by the latest technology and approved by the Department of Education. Teacher and pupil ratios are another integral feature of Enable Irelandʼs school services with one teacher to six pupils being the norm in each class. There are also a number of special needs assistants as well as a nurse to provide support to teaching staff.

E NABLING CHILDREN AND PARENTS

room with 11 other children: six able bodied boys and girls from the immediate area together with six children with disabilities from the wider south Dublin area. All the children play and learn together with three teachers on hand to ensure each child gets their full attention. Riain is very happy coming to Enable Ireland every day. On Fridays he loves going to the pool next door and swimming with

his mum. Riain was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy from a very young age and also has a learning disability. The support services in Sandymount mean Riain gets all the help in needs in terms of physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Riainʼs mother Lisa is delighted with the progress he has made since he started pre-school three years ago. Early diagnosis of his condition and a swift introduction to Enable Ireland by doctors in Holles Street where Riain was born means he enjoys, much like any other four year old, a full and active life. His term in Sandymount is coming towards the end (Riain will attend a Junior Infantʼs school in Ballsbridge in September, but will continue to receive therapy and treatment in Sandymount). Leaving Sandymount will be a wrench for both Lisa and her son. Lisa has made friends with other mothers who come to the school. However, she is happy in the knowledge that Enable Ireland will still be very much part of Riainʼs life for many years to come. Above: Riain with his mum Lisa in Enableʼs Sandymount centre. (Continued on page 5)

gives classes in French and Science at primary level. As a former beneficiary of the programme Hanlon, who lives in Sandymount, is aware of the need to support and motivate students in order to continue to allow students to achieve their full potential. Hanlon believes that while helping to build a childʼs self esteem and confidence at an early age it is essential to demonstrate that the learning process can also be enjoyable. When Hanlon noticed a need to encourage third year pupils who might otherwise drop out of education after the Junior Certificate he set up the Parallel Programme, which is designed to encourage pupils to stay in school through one-to-one tuition and extra curricular activities. “For many adolescents, second level schooling can be a form of involuntary incarceration,” he says. “Many find themselves in an environment that is socially intimidating to them. Schools must conform to a curriculum that students often have difficulty relating to.” It is hardly surprising then that many reject it. Hanlon believes that the only way forward is to recognise that the school will become the central and dominant building block in child development, with the family and

community playing more of a role. He also believes that for students to get that maximum beneﬁt from their education there should be benchmarking for teachers, so that problems in the classroom can be dealt with. The programme often picks up on issues that are unnoticed or ignored in schools. Most would accept that the future of our children lies in their education. Betty Watson, Ann Murray and Dolores Salmon put children in touch with the VTP, not just to complete their education but also to qualify for third level education and secure employment. These women were founder members of Adult Education Department in St Andrewʼs Resource Centre. The VTP is run as a student-community initiative and this partnership between Trinity students, parents and volunteers from the local communities of Westland Row, City Quay has created over ﬁve thousand pairs of pupil and student tuition partnerships over the past twenty years. Those who know the value of education will hope the programme continues for at least another twenty. For more information on the VTP contact Betty Watson at St Andrewʼs Resource Centre on 01 6771930 Above: David Norris cuts the cake!

Enable Ireland Third Annual Art Exhibition

Enable Ireland Third Annual Art Exhibition will be take place in the Sandymount Avenue Centre on Saturday 6th May 11.00am to 6.00pm and Sunday, 7th May from 11.00am to 6.00pm. The exhibition will be host to approximately 45 artists, some up to RHA standard. Up to 250 paintings will be on display. There will be an ofﬁcal opening on Saturday evening 6th May from 5 to 6pm, with special guests in attendance. All are welcome.

By Brian Kelly

This glamourous event takes place on Saturday 24th June in the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham and will be hosted by Anna Nolan (ex-ʼBig Brotherʼ contestant and current RTE presenter). The line-up wil include fantastic entertainment and a top Irish band in performance. If you would like to be part of this exciting fundraising event, tickets can be purchased for €150, or €1,500 for a table of ten people. This includes: Drinks reception in the Courtyard, gourmet five-course dinner with wine, entertainment and an auction and raffle. To reserve your tickets or table or donate a prize for the auction or raffle, please contact the Fundraising Office on 01-2615921 or email chazell@enableireland.ie

Riain Riain Verdon attends pre-school in Enable Ireland Sandymount. He is a happy, playful child who will celebrate his ﬁfth birthday next month. Riainʼs day begins when he is picked up from his home in Dundrum by coach and brought to Sandymount. He shares a class-

Mid-Summer Gala Ball

E DUCATION

s the Voluntary Tuition Programme celebrates its twentieth anniversary, ʻNewsFourʼ looks at the beneﬁts to the 5000 local people who have availed of the successful programme Back in the mid-eighties a local woman asked the Social Service Centre in Westland Row for help with her son who was struggling with maths. This led to Trinity College being approached with a request for college students to act as voluntary tutors. Negotiations began with Susan Parks of Trinity College Education Department, which resulted in Trinity student Eddie Manning providing tuition for one child at the beginning of

IS THE KEY

the year and ﬁnishing with six more joining by the end of the year. Over time more pupils and students came on board and this has evolved into the VTP (Voluntary Tuition Programme) which runs so successfully today. Funded by various local bodies, the programme offers children choice when it comes to their education. The VTP celebrated its 20th anniversary recently. “We aim to encourage and inspire students and to show them that with a solid education almost anything is possible,” explains TCD student Damian Hanlon, Vice Chairman of the VTP. The programme currently provides one-to-one tuition to nearly

400 primary and secondary schools from Ringsend, Sandymount and the Pearse Street area. In order for the programme to continue each year there is a huge drive during fresher week in Trinity to recruit approximately 250 new students that will go on to service the programme. Pupils and students meet once a week every week for the school year. This is a huge commitment from both pupils and Trinity students alike, not to mention the parents and community volunteers. The VTP with its partner, the St Andrewʼs Resource Centre, run a number of smaller educational programmes such as the Voluntary InSchool initiative for teaching, which

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

Killian Killian Pugh from Sandymount has been attending Enable Ireland since last September. Three mornings a week his mother brings him the short distance from Park Avenue for the pre-school créche service. Like Riainʼs class, Killianʼs is also fully integrated. He is able-bodied and his classmates are able-bodied as well as disabled. Not yet three years of age, Killian is another child who loves his time in Enable Ireland. His day is ﬁlled with play and activities of all kinds with a break at midmorning for some munchies. Killian will probably enjoy another two

PAGE 5

years in Enable Ireland before beginning in a nearby primary school. For his mother Theresa, Enable Ireland is as much a pleasure as it obviously is for Killian. In fact, Killian is her fourth child to have passed through the doors of Enable Ireland, Sandymount. Theresa cites a number of reasons why she keeps bringing her children here. “I love the noise in this place,” she says. “You sense the happy atmosphere as soon as you come in. You never see a grumpy face and the most common sound you hear is laughter. The atmosphere is really good and you can tell from looking at

all the childrenʼs faces how glad they are to be coming here. Itʼs a lovely, lively centre and I have to say all of it is down to the staff. They are terriﬁc with the kids and very personable with all the parents who come in.” Theresa Pugh considers herself very fortunate to have so many children come to Enable Ireland. Through word of mouth from parents, the Sandymount Centre has little need to advertise. The current waiting list stands at two years for its pre-school facilities. Above: Killian presents his mum with a gift bouquet he made for Motherʼs Day.

Geraldine M. Lynch (formerly of Irishtown Road)

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

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NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

The Letterbox

Dear Madam Editor I was in Dublin in August last year and while I was away my August ʻNewsFourʼ arrived and my daughter put it away and forgot to tell me. I just found it today and enjoyed reading it cover to cover. On Page 22 is a story about Ringsend chapel. Reading Jimmyʼs story I felt I was walking in chapel myself, so thanks Jimmy a beautiful story about somewhere I called into every evening on my way home from Arnotts where I worked. Is Jimmy Purdy the same man who worked with my late husband Gerry Lynch as I would love to know? Also Page 27 has a Photo of 1945 school childrenʼs

ﬁrst communion, Iʼm sure the little boy second row is a boy named Michael Sheridan who lived next door to my mammy in Coast Guard Station, Pidgeon House Rd. His grandparentsʼ name was Stapleton, his momʼs name Maggie. Iʼm sure itʼs him, even if itʼs 55 years since I came to Melbourne I knew his face right away. This ʻNewsFourʼ paper is so great for people like myself who live so far from home. When reading it I always feel Iʼm there in good old Ringsend. So thanks to you for all for your good news, it means a great deal to me and many others whom I pass it on to. J Lynch, Melbourne, Australia

Beach Road Tyre Services (Rear Kilroy College)

CAMBRIDGE ROAD, RINGSEND, DUBLIN 4 PHONE: 6683805

Dear Madam Editor I enjoyed very much James OʼDohertyʼs article on cherry blossoms in your last publication. Indeed I have enjoyed all his contributions to date in your excellent newspaper. I wonder If James can tell us anything about our own Sandymount Green. I have often wondered why it is not utilised more and when it came about etc. I am sure that James has something in his vast knowledge of Dublin Parks and landscapes about this amenity on our own doorstep. I wish you continued success with ʻNewsFourʼ, itʼs a great asset to our local community. I send a copy of every publication to my brother in Canada and he feels like heʼs still among us when he reads it each time. Thomas Maher, Durham Road, Sandymount Dear Madam Editor I am an Australian living in New Zealand, seeking information about my Irish antecedents. When Robert Wentworth Wade died in 1870 in Sandymount his death notice appeared in two southern New Zealand newspapers. He was my great great grandfather, who with his wife Annie Gibbons lived in Pembroke Street, Irishtown. I do not know anything about Annie or when she died. I only know of two sons, Frederick Wentworth Wade born about 1838 and Robert Wentworth Wade born about 1842. Both carved names for themselves in NZ. Frederick, who probably left home at an early age and was said to have been a midshipman, went ﬁrst to Australia and then to Invercargill on the southern tip of NZ where he eventually became one of the city fathers, and a practising solicitor and barrister. Robert turned up some 10 years later on the wild west coast of NZ where he was an

P LAYING

accountant and auctioneer and the Mayor of Hokitika in 1896-8. Both brothers married Irishwomen in NZ, but only Frederick had children, whose descendants are now scattered around Australia and NZ. Frederick died in 1912 and Robert in 1903. Would any readers have knowledge of the Wade or Gibbons families? One of Frederickʼs obituaries said he was connected to the Clonebraney Wades but I have been unable to prove this. I would welcome correspondence from readers - my e-address is ciotach@paradise.net.nz. Nancy Gibb Dear Madam Editor As a former resident of Ringsend, Irishtown and Sandymount, I follow with great interest the proposal by the Dublin City Council to have an incinerator installed in the Poolbeg area. No doubt, we have to have some efﬁcient method in dealing with the vast amount of ʻleft oversʼ, refuse and natural waste that our consumer society generates. In my days in Dublin 4 this was not such a big problem as Dublin and Ireland were not such huge consumers. Waste management is now a very big industry in Western society and Ireland is considered a very big country if not population-wise then in spending and consuming. Before rushing to the merits of having or not having an incinerator in the Poolbeg area, we could examine the pros and cons of the proposals. A little bit of history about Dublin 4 would not be amiss. I was born on Irishtown Road in 1934, when the Dublin City Council was beginning to off-load all the waste of Dublin on to the Strand at Irishtown. So for many years the residents of Dublin 4 had to endure the obnoxious smells from both the ʻDumpsʼ as the waste disposal area became known, and the sewage

plant down at the Pigeon House. This sewage was the effluent from all of Dublin. The scenario had to be lived through to appreciate and understand what was happening. Here we had trucks trundling through our town and these trucks and lorries were all open, not like the modern ones. The filth and dirt had to be seen to be believed. Then you had the seagulls all feeding on the waste. It was quite a scene and this went on for decades. The people of Dublin 4 were the salt of the earth and were not ones to complain. Anyway there were very few alternatives. That was then and this is now and now is the time to move the “whole process forward” to borrow a phrase from our politicians. Where can we put the incinerator? Iʼm sure our political parties in the area will have some good insights. Off the top of my head I could think of a few. Howth, St Anneʼs Park, Lambay Island, the Phoenix Park, Iʼm sure there are plenty of other areas that would be willing to take their share of the burden. But Ringsend, Irishtown and Sandymount have all done more than their share and itʼs now time for concerned others to get a chance. Dublin 4 is lucky to have good Residents Associations and there are of course the political parties. They will be very anxious to be seen to be involved with a General Election looming. Best wishes Bro. Martin J.Murphy S.J. Jesuit Mission Office Dublin 1 Dear Madam Editor I wonder if any of your readers would know of the address of Ann Cummins (maiden name) who lived at 4 Serpentine Road until the early fiftes. She was last heard of in London in 1989. I would like to contact her. Dick Pollard (rapollard@xnet.co.nz)

WITH FIRE …

Computerised Wheel Balancing Fast Puncture Repair New & Remoulded Tyres Stocked

FREE FITTING ALL WORK DONE WHILE-U-WAIT Open 6 Days a Week • Phone 6683805

St Patrickʼs Day, Merrion Square.

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

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F UND

A SPECIAL NEEDS SCHOOL IN K ATMANDU

wo Sandymount residents have set up a charity to help children with Cerebral Palsy in a remote part of the world. Bob and Fran Corazza ﬁrst visited Nepal in 1997 to work as therapists with young people affected by Cerebral Palsy. Realising the facilities they worked with were inadequate, the couple launched a fund-raising campaign to establish a new therapy unit for the children. The money was raised and construction began in 2004. In February of this year, a specially designed building was open for

business 7km south of the capital Katmandu. On the same plot of land, the couple now plan to open a school where they hope to house 60 children in 8 classrooms. Local peo-

ple using raw materials sourced from the nearby Katmandu valley will build the school. So far, one quarter of the estimated cost of €125,000 has been met. With your help, Bob and Fran can raise the remainder and help improve the lives of dozens of needy children living in one of the worldʼs poorest countries. If you would like to make a donation to the Nepal Cerebral Palsy School Charity, please contact Bob or Fran. You can also contribute by taking part in the Dublin MiniMarathon on June 5. The money raised in sponsorship for the event will contribute to the school building in Nepal. Contact Bob or Fran on 668 7538 for full details or you can email francorazza@hotmail.com

R EMEMBERING A UNT E LLIE Sailed from Cobh to New York on 24 March 1905

HOME DECLUTTERING IS THE THOUGHT of tidying the garage driving you round the bend? Maybe the idea of clearing out the attic is giving you the creeps. Well fret no more. Home Decluttering are a Dublin based clean-up company who will come to your house and sift through all your wares, separating them into ʻkeepʼ piles and ʻdonʼt keepʼ piles. Ros Sparks set up the company eighteen months ago after deciding to turn her love of ʻorganisingʼ into a business venture. As the decluttering consultant, Ros oversees the general house clear-out but also gives advice on what should remain on your wardrobe hanger. Any unwanted clothes will be sent to charity shops along with other discarded items like books and toys. The cost for this service does depend on size of house, number of rooms and clutter but a standard price for the service would cost around €800 per day (excluding skip hire). If you would like to arrange a Home Decluttering consultation with Ros, Tel: 086 8137984. Website details: www.homedecluttering.com By Grace McKenna

Four steps to a clutter-free home 1. Make sure to keep a box or sack beside your recycling area. 2. Top it up regularly with your clutter. 3. On the way to the recycling centre, pay a visit to your local charity shop. 4. Anything thatʼs not useful there can go to the recycling centre. Watch your clutter disappear....youʼll feel so much lighter without it!

Councillor Garry Keegan Phone: 6643548 • Mobile: 086 235 8913 Web: www.keegan2007.ie

By Mary Guckian

elphiniums in the vase ﬁll reception on my way to the library this morning. The heavy blue colour takes me back to the photograph in the garden where my Auntie Ellie stands among her family. It was on this day in 1905 that she sailed from Cobh, heading for New York. My memories of the garden continue to give me solace, a place full of colour among a path of boxwood, peony roses, sweet pea, lupines alongside raspberries and a sweet apple tree. Today, I wonder how my Aunt coped with leaving her family of seven children, and she the eldest, moving to a high-rise enormous city, searching for work, later sending home parcels and money, which helped her siblings keep healthy. Returning for a short holiday

before she married in 1910 she never made a trip again, but her family line have come to visit a few times during our last century, Patrick and Paul, her great grandchildren arriving last year, sitting around the home she left and all of us speaking about how Ireland was then, James Joyce leaving to do his writing, my cousin Larry lecturing on the history of Boston and the many Irish Politicians who helped to shape much of America. Now better-off here in Ireland, we depend on immigrants to do some of our menial jobs, as our own people are better educated,

work for Google and other technology companies. Many immigrants have left harrowing and traumatic times and are prepared to work hard. It is only a century and a half since so many of our ancestors left our shores, sent home money as our new immigrants do, to their homes hoping they can return with some help from our new Ireland. I will pass those Delphiniums on my way home this evening and will remember my Aunt Ellieʼs kindness to my Father, my Mother and my family, we need to thank the country that helped her settle, raise her children.

New Constituency Office: 60 Upper Grand Canal Street, Dublin 4. (Above Washboard Launderette, opposite Slattery’s) Advice Centres St. Andrew’s, Pearse Street, Dublin 2 Tuesdays 7pm–8pm Community Centre, Ringsend, Dublin 4 Thursdays 7pm–8pm

If you want to contact me please do so on 6643548 or 086 235 8913

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NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

Q UIZZING P ETER M URPHY I

By Grace McKenna

read an article recently about a man claiming he “knew people in every townland in Ireland.” I was fascinated. Ireland may be a small country but it has oceans of townlands. I was keen to know if Peter Murphy knew anybody in the ʻstony grey soilʼ where I came from. But first I had to find out how he came to be one of Irelandʼs best known TV and Radio personalities. Originally from Clonegal in Carlow, Peter began his career at Huntington Castle, where his father worked as a farm manager. He loved working in Clonegal and had no aspirations to move on or do anything else. It was only when he joined Macra Na Feirme (social and cultural organisation for rural living) he discovered a love for public speaking. I was curious to know what people debated about in those days. Having listened to my own father talking about how simple things were then, I figured there wasnʼt a lot to give out about. Peter remembers the topic of his very first debate with a smile. ʻWill the tractor ever take over from the horse?ʼ In 1950s Ireland, nobody ever believed it would. In 1953, Peter was selected by the Macra Na Feirme National Council to lead a campaign to form The Irish Farmerʼs Association. On the campaign trail he

met some of the most colourful characters he has ever encountered. One such character called George was from my hometown in Emyvale. I knew him well as he was the local healer who had cured my strep-throat. Peter remembers it as being one of the funniest interviews he had ever conducted. The day he arrived George was digging a well. Not one to stop work in progress, Peter interviewed George in the well– but there was a ʻslightʼ hitch. George had his dog in the well with him and every time George went to answer a question the dog barked, making it impossible for Peter to hear him. Peterʼs love and natural way

The Yacht Thorncastle Street, Ringsend, 6680977

with people captured the interest of Radio Eireann in 1960. There were no screen tests or auditions involved. Whelehanʼs, a Farm Supply Company, simply asked Peter to say a few words on a radio programme they were airing from a Spring Show in the RDS. When the heads of radio heard the programme they were so impressed with Peterʼs voice and personality they offered him a presenting job with the Whelehanʼs show. Peter accepted the job and it wasnʼt long before other farm supply companies wanted him as their front man. From these humble beginnings Peter went on to travel the world meeting all sorts of interesting people, including Muhammad Ali and the Pope. A love of quizzes from his Macra Na Feirme days resurfaced and Peter became the face of ʻCross Country Quizʼ which he hosted

C RICKET

COACHING AT

E ASTER

W ITH J OHN A NDERSON – 2006 Y OUTH C OACH What time? Where? Railway Union CC Park Avenue Sandymount

Happy Easter from Bob, Monica and all the Staff

for RTE. On his living room wall hangs a framed collection of his widely published quiz books and crossword puzzles. When I mentioned that my mother swears by crosswords for keeping Alzheimerʼs at bay and that she had now become a huge Sudoku fan, Peter ﬂinches in slight panic. Like the tractor versus the horse issue, Peter hopes that Sudoku doesnʼt kill off the crosswords, as he still enjoys compiling crossword puzzles for the ʻSunday Independentʼ, the ʻFarmers Independentʼ and the ʻFarmers Monthlyʼ. Whatʼs more, he loves it when people stop him on the street and ask him “whatʼs the answer to 21 Across and 3 Down in yesterdayʼs paper?” Before leaving, I asked Peter to share with me a few special moments heʼs had in his life. There are many, which include

marrying his lovely wife Bridie in 1967, the birth of his four wonderful children, fixing the flowers on Patrick Kavanaghʼs coffin as it crawled down the canal (a moment remembered not by him but by a local who recalled it to him later), being the last to interview Luke Kelly before he died and meeting Pope John Paul in 1984. Peter vividly recalls how that interview came about. The Pope was still recovering from his assassination attempt and was giving very few interviews at the time. Unperturbed, Peter contacted the Popeʼs private secretary, Monsignor John Magee and a meeting with the Pontiff was arranged. “It lasted seven minutes,” said Peter, showing me a photo of him and his wife (pictured left) meeting the Pope. I asked him if he remembered what they spoke about and what kind of questions he asked him. Peter laughs and tells me to ask his wife Bridie. “I asked him if theyʼre would ever be women priests?” said Bridie. To which the Pope candidly replied, “Not in my lifetime.” Peter is now happily settled in Sandymount but his heart will always remain in his beloved Clonegal. Every wall in his home is filled with photographs of all the folks he has met down through the years. To this day, Peter loves meeting people, which he does on his many walks around Sandymount and the surrounding areas. He has recently been approached by someone to write a memoir about his life and travels, which he is now considering. Hopefully, Peter will share his gift of story telling and charm us with stories of all the wonderful characters he met on his jaunts through Ireland.

When? Monday 10th April Tuesday 11th April Wednesday 12th April

11 am to 1 pm each day

For whom?

Boys and Girls from 8 to 15 years

Cost?

€9 contribution to cover 3 sessions

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

PAGE 9

Dublin Waste to Energy Project (Incinerator)

The Waste Management Plan for the Dublin Region has set out ambitious targets for dealing with Dublinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waste. This includes waste prevention, 59% recycling, 16% landfilling and 25% being dealt with through thermal treatment, which will be made up of household and commercial waste that cannot be recycled. Dublin City Council has been informing the community about this project and listening to their issues through a series of Open Days over the last number of years.

Do you want to have your say? Scoping Session for EIS Saturday 8th April 2006 12.00pm - 2.00pm Ringsend Technical Institute, Cambridge Road, Ringsend, Dublin 4 For further information contact: The Ringsend Regional Office, Cambridge House, Ringsend, Dublin 4 Phone: 01 2815918 www.dublinwastetoenergy.ie

PAGE 10

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

By Grace McKenna

ight years ago, Peter Kane left Philadelphia and moved to Dublin to take up a temporary teaching post. When his contract expired, Peter was offered a full-time position with the college, which he gratefully accepted. He had by now fallen in love with Dublin and made up his mind to settle here indeﬁnitely. Last year, the settlement became ofﬁcial when Peter was granted Irish Citizenship. “I was surprised at how easy it was,” says Peter recalling the application process, “I thought I would be required to speak a little Gaelic or at least have some knowledge of Irish History.” The only real requirement Peter needed to gain Irish citizenship was to have worked here for a certain number of years. Applying for the citizenship was for practical reasons, not some romantic notion he had of being an Irish man. Being a citizen meant he could enter other European countries on his Irish passport. Just recently, Peter gave up teaching English literature to con-

R ICH ,

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C ITIZEN K ANE

centrate on a writing career. At some stage, he plans to return to college, but not as a lecturer. He would like to do a PHD in ʻthe American identity combined with the works of Ernest Hemingwayʼ.

Since moving here, Peter has noticed a huge shift in Irish culture which saddens him. “I fell in love with Ireland because it was everything America was not,” says Peter talking about why he hopes American culture stops inﬁltrating the simple ways of Irish living. “When I moved here ﬁrst, I loved the fact that I could walk into a bar without worrying if I had a washboard stomach or super white teeth. Sadly, the world is catching up with America in its obsession with aesthetic perfection.” But Peter is not put off. His partner Frank lives in Dublin so he

DARK AND GOOD - LOOKING

ich, dark and good looking– chocolate is so enticing that our love affair with the cocoa bean has never waned since the days when Christopher Columbus discovered it in the South Americas in the 1500s. Today in an age of mass manufacture hand-made chocolate eggs are becoming more sought-after as the skill of chocolate makers such as Benoit Lorge offer an explosion of gourmet pleasure. With the Irish so well travelled their expectations and tastes, even with regard to chocolate, consistently up the standards of the most humble egg. As a result this Frenchman as I write is busy creating his selection of Easter offerings in The Chocolate Crust in Bonane, a tiny village just outside Kenmare in Kerry. Like all good chefs Lorge knows that success lies in its ingredients. Choosing only the ﬁnest French and Belgian chocolate in its preparation such as the renowned Valrhona, a name synonymous with quality, along with 50% almond in his marzipan and 60% nuts in his praline the ingredients dictate the superiority and excellence of his creations. Born in Nancy, France after qualifying as Head Pastry Chef, Lorge worked in different restaurants in France. After a stint doing military service, he wanted to study the Celt-

ic culture and learn English, which brought him to the Inverlochy Castle in Scotland, one of the most famous hotels in the British Isles. Lorge returned to France, working in the Michelin Star chateaux, La Villa, in Corsica. As the son of a train driver his passion for travel began at an early age when he toured the whole of France as a young boy. Itchy feet and curiosity about Ireland brought him to Le Chateaux in Athlone in 1999 where he fell in love not just with the people but also with the country itself. He chose Athlone to work because it is in the centre of Ireland and offered the possibility to easily explore the whole country which he did at every opportunity. When his partner became pregnant they decided to return to his home place for the birth of their son and to be near family and friends during which time Lorge worked as Head

Pastry chef in Zemp pastry shop in Nancy. But Ireland had got into his blood and having visited Kenmare during his travels he knew that it was the place he wanted to raise his son. So he returned to Kerry working for four years in the Sheen Falls Lodge in Kenmare. In December of 2003 during a quiet period in the tourist season Lorge asked if he could use their kitchens to make 200 boxes of chocolates to raise money for the Kenmare playground. His chocolates quickly sold in less than two weeks. Spurred on by this success Lorge invested all his money to build the Chocolate Crust in 2004, where he started to make hand-made chocolates in the traditional way that he had learnt in the chocolate shops Genot & Godart in France. To day he lives out his dream

wonʼt be moving anywhere too soon. Speaking openly about his sexuality, Peter was pleasantly surprised to find that Dublin provides a good home for gay people like himself. For him, it highlights the hypocritical ideals of where he originated from. “America is a constant bleat about freedom of speech, the land of the brave and free, and the American dream– but thatʼs OK if you fulfil everyone elseʼs dream– just not your own,” says Peter with a wry smile. But Peter is not idealistic about his future in Dublin. Marriage and adoption is a dream of his but he may have to go elsewhere to realise those dreams. “Providing a child with love is the easy part, providing him with answers as to why he has two dads is the difficult part,” says Peter. Itʼs not surprising, that Peterʼs appreciation for all things Irish extends to the weird and wonder-

ful world of art. In his Ballsbridge home hangs a Francis Bacon and a collection of works from his favourite artist Louis Le Brocquy (whose James joyce portrait is shown on left). Never in his wildest dreams did he think popping out for a pint of milk would result in a chance meeting with his favourite artist. “He was standing at the check out till next to mine,” says Peter recalling the day he met Le Brocquy in Tesco. “After packing their bags, Louis and his wife realised they had both left their money at home. To save them the hassle of having to go back home (Louisʼs wife was on crutches at the time), I stepped in and offered to pay for the groceries for which they were very grateful. “I gave Louis my address and a week later he sent me a cheque and a beautiful letter of thanks. I framed them and they now hang beside his James Joyce and W.B Yeats heads.” Peter hopes that living in Ireland will continue to inspire him as he continues his passion for short story writing.

working for a living making chocolate. Constantly updating his range of chocolates, he creates a new recipe every month. This month itʼs a mouth-watering concoction of white chocolate and coconut trufﬂe. Every occasion and celebration is catered for, from communion to conﬁrmation, engagement to weddings. He is kept busy supplying the local Kenmare Park Hotel as well as his former employers, Sheen Falls Lodge. While most of the west coast is fortunate enough to have Lorgeʼs

chocolates in their shops and hotels, in Dublin his eggs and chocolates are available in Mortonʼs in Rathmines and La Maison De Gourmet, Castle Street with The Merrion Hotel offering his assortment of sweet delights. So for all you sophisticated chocoholics out there, you can make your next special occasion a mouth-watering treat by contacting Benoit Lorge at 087-9917172 where he will design a chocolate sculptured masterpiece if you so require that will certainly be good enough to eat!

Clanna Gael Fontenoy urgently seeks assistance in the running of their 28 teams.

As part of the club’s new recruitment drive Foundation Courses will be provided for all newcomers. The Club has arguably the best facilities in the country and its €3.75 million investment in the last ﬁve years is the envy of top GAA clubs in Dublin. The Club does not belong to any one individual or individuals. It is a community run club and anyone who wishes to join will receive a warm welcome. The Club has a dream of where it wants to be in 3 to 5 year’s time but it needs a team at every age level to achieve this. The players are there but we have no one to train them. If you wish to be part of this dream and could assist in any way possible please contact any of the following: Shay Connollly 087-9011716 Pat Kane 086-3715944 Ciaran Murphy 087-2333720 Jacqui McDonnell 087-7832489

PAGE 12

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

S PEAKER ’ S C ORNER QUINN CHALLENGES MCDOWELL ON POOLBEG INCINERATOR Labour Party Deputy for Dublin South East, Ruairí Quinn, has challenged constituency colleague and Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, to allow a motion on the proposed incinerator in Ringsend to be debated in the Dail. Deputy Quinn said it is important that locals know precisely where Minister McDowell stands on the issue. Deputy Quinn commented, “The residents of Ringsend, Irishtown and Sandymount, as well as the wider community of Dublin Bay, are getting their ﬁngers burned by the proposed Incinerator at Poolbeg. “Michael McDowell and his Fianna Fáil friends promised at the last election that no incinerator would be built in Ringsend. The proposed incinerator contravenes the Dublin City Development Plan, and yet Michael McDowell allows it to be Government policy.”

CAL RESIDENTS Green Party Chairman and Dublin South East TD, John Gormley, said that the Progressive Democrats, at the last election, had stated clearly in their manifesto that, in government, they would “ensure no mass burn incineration”, a promise that they have now broken. “Michael McDowell is making great play of the fact that the planning application for Ringsend will be dealt with under existing legislation,” said Mr Gormley. “This is of little consolation to local residents who expected much more from him.” DOOLAN-DAIL MOTION TO STOP DUBLIN INCINERATOR Councillor Daithí Doolan, said

“Sinn Féin will be tabling a Dáil motion calling on the Minister for Environment to ensure that no further work is carried out in relation to the proposed incinerator on Dublinʼs Poolbeg Peninsula.” “If the proposed incinerator goes ahead in Dublin then incineration will get locked into the waste management cycle and becomes virtually impossible to remove.” FINE GAEL ANTI-INCINERATOR CAMPAIGN BEGINS Councillor Lucinda Creighton has criticised the Minister Michael McDowellʼs failed record on the issue as the promises he made to his own constituents in Sandymount and Ringsend in 2002 have been

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flagrantly breached. “The Minister, who claimed he would stop the development of the incinerator (below, left), has participated in a government, which recently signed a contract with Elsam Ltd to design, build and operate the incinerator. When Dick Roche signed the agreement in November of last year, Minister McDowell did not object, despite his posturing on the issue.” ABSENCE OF LITIGATION ON PLANNING VIOLATION ALARMING Dublin City Council initiates less than one hundred legal actions annually in relation to planning violations– just 8 % of the overall number of complaints received. This is despite a huge increase in recent years in the number of enforcement complaints recorded by Dublin City Council. This response is wholly inadequate, according to Councillor Lucinda Creighton “Over the period of 2003 to 2005, the total number of legal actions taken amounted to 267. This is a mere drop in the ocean relative to the total number of planning violations taking place annually. While warning letters are frequently sent to developers who are violating the planning laws, it seems that there is rarely any follow up in terms of legal action,” commented Cllr. Creighton. CITY GRAFFITI PLAGUE Chris Andrews, Fianna Fáil candidate for Dublin South East, has today called on City Council for urgent action to address what he calls the current “graffiti epidemic plaguing the city” and to provide all local businesses and retailers with full information regarding the upcoming Business Improvement District– BID– scheme. He said, although the council does provide a service to remove graffiti from public property, a concerted effort was now needed by all– Council, Community and Garda “to stem this unprecedented scourge before it gets out of control.” Cllr. Kevin Humphreys says that with the noticeable increase of graffiti appearing on walls and public spaces across the city it is

essential to put in place a pilot programme to deal with this growing graffiti problem in an organised and systematic manner. “This graffiti is an unsightly and lasting symbol of anti-social behaviour sweeping the city, it is a symptom of lawlessness that this government has failed to respond to. Clearing the graffiti will not tackle the root cause of the plague of anti-social behaviour but itʼs a step in the right direction.” USE OF SEWAGE SLUDGE Labour Cllr. Kevin Humphreys has challenged Dublin City Managers to answer the charge that they permitted the blatant breaches of the ʻUse of Sewage Sludgeʼ in Agriculture Regulations. The Environmental Protection Agency findings show that the treated sewage from Ringsend Treatment Plant was spread on land in Carlow that exceeded the legal limits for metal content. Since the opening of the Waste Treatment plant in July 2003 in Ringsend the local residents have suffered from foul odours emanating from the plant. CBS WESTLAND ROW SCHOOL MAY BE CLOSED Chris Andrews, Fianna Fáil Dáil Candidate, Dublin South East says that CBS Westland Row school is being closed by stealth. “This is not acceptable. The Minister for Education, whom I have been lobbying consistently on the issue, and will continue to do so, must address the issue as a matter of urgency,” says Andrews. “Pearse Street is a RAPID area and it needs its own school. The regeneration of the Pearse Street area is one of the many good news stories, however it will all be undermined if the school does not have the cloud of uncertainty currently hanging over it, removed. The Christian brothers and the Minister for Education need to sort it out between them and make it clear that the CBS has a future. The school has a very proud history and an excellent standard of education. It is particularly innovative in its teaching methods and plays a central role in the community.”

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

S EEING F

ed up with the usual two weeks in the sun on the beach, Alan Donnelly knew straight away after reading about i-to-i, the company that offers volunteer travel abroad, that his holidays from now on would offer far more than sea, sun and sand. Scanning the various projects he was delighted to see a placement where he could hone the skills he was learning on his journalism course in Grifﬁth College. Alan had some savings and didnʼt have to fundraise like some who go on these projects. Aware he was going on his own the fact that he would be met and looked after once heʼd arrived at his destination was a huge plus for him. He set out for Honduras in the summer of 2003, where he worked for the newspaper ʻThis Weekʼ. Tourism plays a huge part in the economy of Honduras so Alan travelled to various parts writing about places he had only dreamed of such as the Great Coral Reef and Bay Island in the Caribbean. Although he had no Spanish initially, he quickly picked it up after the lessons he received when he arrived. Alan stayed with a host family that treated him like one of their own, bringing him to birthday parties and family celebrations. When his time was up he was offered the opportunity of staying on at the paper in paid employment for a year. Unfortunately his Mother was ill at the time so he came home. His time in Honduras had only

PAGE 13

THE WORLD

whetted his appetite for more and he signed up again in 2005 with a different intention. Aware of how much he himself had gained from his time in Honduras, Alan felt he hadnʼt done enough and wanted an opportunity to give more. This time he went to Sri Lanka, post-Tsunami, where he was constantly busy. He worked at beach clearance during the morning, building houses in the afternoon and ﬁnally teaching children in refugee camps in the evenings. Alan loved every minute of it. Looking back Alan acknowledges he has developed as a person since his experiences in Honduras and Sri Lanka. He feels more conﬁdent, having improved his practical and social skills. He has made great friends and has an outlook on life now that has opened him up to the world. Heʼs heading back to Sri Lanka in July this year to work for his holidays again looking

E PILEPSY , By Brian Rutherford

ello, I am Brian Rutherford, a journalist for ʻNewsFourʼ and I suffer from epilepsy. Epilepsy occurs in about 40,000 people in Ireland and is caused by damage to the brain in one way or another. Causes include head injuries, strokes, brain infections , meningitis, encephalitis and birth defects. I donʼt know which of these caused my particular form of epilepsy but I have only had seizures at night while sleeping. The seizures started about two and a half years ago while I lived in Dun Laoghaire. I have had about three seizures in all, my second lasting for several hours. I was unconscious in St Vincentʼs hospital for the duration of this and had to be given a drip of ﬂuids until I

after orphans as part of a community centre project. If you are tired of the usual holiday, then how would you fancy teaching English in China, catching and tagging sharks, living with lions in South Africa, tracking Andean bears in Ecuador or working with street children in India? i-to-i has sent more than 4,000 volunteers to work on projects in 24 communities overseas. You can choose from hundreds of different volunteer projects worldwide. The ﬁve main types of volunteer projects are conservation, teaching, community development, building and media. The Irish Branch director of i-to-i, Ian OʼSullivan, became involved after his sister Deirdre Bounds set up i-to-i, ﬁrst as a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) company in Britain then quickly expanded to offer volunteer travel opportunities throughout the world. This led to

Deirdre looking at a market whereby volunteers could work not just teaching English but also helping in different areas like conservation and community development. For many, being thousands of miles away from home and in unknown surroundings can be daunting and Deirdre saw the need for co-ordinators to meet and greet volunteers as well as 24-hour emergency back up. i-to-i offers an amazing choice of work and places to choose from. People of all ages can be catered for from singles, couples to whole families. You can go on a short-term one-week basis to one year, depending on what you want and what is needed. i-to-i offers courses that include TEFL, travel photography, Spanish and travel writing that not only enhance your experience abroad but also can be used when you return. You have to pay your own return air

fair and project fee. Your project fee includes travel advice, choosing the right project for you, pre-departure support, and in-country support. Accommodation and food is also included and a local team will support you throughout your project. Post-project support includes advice on transferring your experience to your CV and opportunities to work for i-to-i itself. The afﬂuent societies many of us live in often make us want to give something back, which is what i-to-i allows people to do by contributing to worthwhile projects during their travels. They also provide local projects around the world with a consistent supply of trained and committed workers. If you want a holiday that will make a difference contact i-toi at Exploration House, 32 Grattan Square, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, Tel: 058 40050, Email: Ireland@i-toi.com or log on to www.i-to-i.com

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regained consciousness. Seizures are a very frightening experience and can lead to loss of blood from the tongue being chewed. I myself damaged my back after I fell during my ﬁrst seizure. The results of the seizures is that I have a well-chewed tongue, pieces are missing along each side of it. I was prescribed medication which I take each night and now sleep soundly. The thoughts of never having a normal nightʼs sleep are a bit depressing. I can only say that I am lucky that the epilepsy developed so late in life or I could have grown up without a normal youth. I will be 37 in three months and am old enough to know that I can control things for lifeʼs duration. Epilepsy has a lot of stigma attached to it because the illness makes a person feel isolated in

some way. People can come down hard on the person and not know what the real picture is, especially in todayʼs society. These people are not worth talking about and should know better anyway. I know when I was younger I had heard that a person had epilepsy and I immediately felt sympathetic towards them. I cannot understand why people donʼt think the same and feel this way too. If you see a person having an epileptic ﬁt, simply turn them on their side and make sure the tongue is not being swallowed or bitten and ring for help from the ambulance service. There is a chronic shortage of epilepsy specialists in Ireland so do what you can to help. For more information on epilepsy phone 01 4557500 or visit the website at www. epilepsy.ie

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PAGE 14

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

E ASTER

CUSTOMS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

By Fergal Murphy

very year Easter comes and goes and very few of us give any thought to its conception or to how others cultures celebrate it. Easter was originally a pagan festival which the ancient Saxons celebrated with an uproarious festival commerating their goddess of fertility and springtime. The

rabbit was such a fertile creature that it was adopted as an earthly symbol, which is where the Easter bunny originated from. In Bulgaria, Easter eggs are cracked after the midnight service and over the next few days one of the eggs is cracked on the wall of the church and then the ritual of cracking the eggs takes place before the Easter lunch. Each person selects his or her egg. Then people take turns tap-

ping their egg against the eggs of others. The person who ends up with the last unbroken egg is believed to have a year of good luck! Ever feel like killing some one Easter Sunday with the stress of dinner and all the family getting together? Well, donʼt in Norway because in addition to skiing in the mountains and painting eggs for decoration, it is traditional to solve murders at Easter. All the major television channels show crime and detective stories and magazines print stories where the readers can try to ﬁgure out who did it. That would make you think twice about committing a crime in Norway around that time of year! All over the world there are Easter celebrations, with the biggest being held in New Orleans. Mardi Gras is held on the Tuesday prior to Ash Wednesday.

This celebration is a raucous carnival with costumes, fireworks and floats. This is one of the most exuberant events of the Easter calendar and was designed as a way to ʻget it all outʼ before the sacrifices of Lent began. If you ladies think you have it hard over here with getting the dinner ready and trying to keep the kids on their best behaviour, try living in the Czech Republic or Slovakia, where a tradition of whipping is carried out on Easter Monday. In the morning males whip females with a special handmade whip. It must be mentioned that while whipping can be painful, the purpose is not to cause suffering. Rather the purpose is for males to exhibit their attraction to females: unvisited females can

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even feel offended. The whipped females give a coloured egg to the male as a sign of her thanks and forgiveness. A legend says that females should be whipped in order to keep their health and fertility during the next year. In the afternoon the females can get their revenge when they can pour a bucket of cold water on any male! Happy Easter, Everyone.

By Ann Ingle

n the last issue we reproduced a photograph of the late Dan Redmond in his confraternity habit. My colleagues and some readers were disappointed that I gave no further explanation other than the rather mysterious-looking photograph. In response to this I decided to investigate further and Tom Sheridan led me to Luke Heaney, who graduated from being an altar boy at 8 to joining the confraternity at the age of 13 until he was 32, when he moved away to Tallaght. His father was a member before him. Apparently it is a well known fact in Ringsend that anyone who was in the Confraternity goes to heaven the Saturday after they die. Luke tells me he is taking his scapula with him and hopes he goes on a Friday so he wonʼt be hanging about. The correct title for the confraternity is St Patrickʼs Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception. The beautiful habits were made by a lady in Stella Gardens and the members had to pay for them. Other members of the group were Harry Ince, Dan and Henry Warren, Mr Nannery,

Jack Lee and of course Dan Redmond. Every ﬁrst Sunday at 8 am they would attend mass in their robes. The members sang an ofﬁce every month in the Church and whenever someone died in the district they would go to their house and sing if requested. If one of the Confraternity died the members would all attend the funeral in their regalia. Luke recalls a protestant friend who attended one of these ceremonies saying that Luke looked like an admiral! The members would join up with other confraternities to sing and also walk in parades. It was no easy job but they did have an outing on a bus each year and also rowed in the Regatta. Luke says they always beat the other confraternity teams as the Ringsend men were good rowers.

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

PAGE 15

D OCKLANDS S ENIOR T ALENT S HOWCASE

Congratulations! CONGRATULATIONS TO Frank Molony of Haddington Road who is the winner of a €25 book token for our February Crossword Competition.

The Irish Ordnance Survey ON APRIL 26 Gillian Doherty, who has written a cultural and intellectual history of the Ordnance Survey which mapped Ireland from 1824 to 1846, will give a talk on this fascinating subject. She draws on an archive of remarkable material which gives insight to many aspects of the Irish people, their culture, folklore, historical memory and genealogy, religious practices and social structures in the ﬁrst part of the nineteenth century. Her talk will touch on the historical, archaeological and cultural aspects of Ireland before the Great Famine. Gillian Doherty is a lecturer in the Department of History in University College Cork. To book seats or for any further information for any of these events, please contact Gerard Whelan on 01 240 7256 or via e-mail at ger. whelan@rds.ie

Cambridge Court Senior Citizens Complex

PADDY BEHAN of North Strand was crowned winner of the fourth annual Docklands Senior Talent Showcase which took place at the Abbey Theatre recently. Hubert Gannon of Ringsend took second place and Mary Rose Mulpeter, also of Ringsend, came third.

The prizes were presented to the winners by former Republic of Ireland international soccer player Niall Quinn. Picture shows (left to right): Niall Quinn; Paddy Quinn, North Strand; Mary Rose Mulpeter, Ringsend; Hubert Gannon, Ringsend and Gerry Kelly, DDDA.

A NEW committee has been elected to Cambridge Court. After 20 years the Chairperson, Mary OʼToole, has stepped down and Willie Murphy has taken her place. All good wishes to past and present committees.

Mr Tilley raises €3,060 for charity MR TILLEY raised €3,060 for charity when he turned on his lights in Bath Avenue over Christmas. Congratulations and thanks to all those who contributed.

Working with you for an incineration-free future. Mobilise for April 8th protest against incineration.

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NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

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1916-

R EBELLION IN D UBLIN 4 By Brian Siggins

s the 90th anniversary of the 1916 Rebellion approaches and the reintroduction of the Easter Military Parade, my thoughts turn to the many connections that our part of Dublin had with the Rising. Outposts had been set up by the volunteers at a few places on or near Northumberland Road. At the Haddington Road corner No 25 was occupied by Michael Malone and three others. Further up, St Stephenʼs School and Parochial Hall were also acquired and across the canal bridge in Clanwilliam House, George Reynolds took charge. These four outposts were controlled to some degree by Eamon DeValera, who had his headquarter in Bolandʼs Bakery. This ensured that Beggarʼs Bush Barracks, the railway and two important roads into Dublin were made difﬁcult for any military wishing to move towards the city centre. The British set up cordons around the city, preventing the

ordinary citizen going about his lawful business. Despite the dangers, people kept venturing out, often under gunﬁre from both volunteers and military. One woman making her way to Bolands for bread was shot down on Ringsend Road near the canal bridge. During that week four people from the district were killed: Mr P Whelan of 25 Pembroke Cottages, John Doyle of Ringsend Road, William Gregg of 2 Simpsonʼs Lane, Irishtown and an 11 year old girl Bridget Stewart, 3 Pembroke Place Ballsbridge. On South Lotts Road, the Pembroke Power Station kept supplying electricity to the urban district, thanks to the staff staying at their posts for the duration of the Rising. One of those commended for his diligence was Jack Geoghegan of Thorncastle Street. He was later to become my father in law! Jack had previously been a student at the Pembroke Technical School (now Ringsend Technical Institute) and it was from there on May 1st 1916 that the caretaker Mr Clarke had phoned the

T HE B LOGGER , By Christy Hogan

his story, my friends, has nothing to do with a rogue with decaying teeth. Nor has it anything to do with a rodent involved in industrial relations. Blogger, Blue Tooth and IR Mouse are just new-fangled names that have emerged with new technology. All the ʻhard shawsʼ among you who know it all, are probably saying, sure we all know what they are. Well the fact is ʻwe allʼ donʼt know what the blazes they are. And yours truly only recently got his head around ʻBloggersʼ. Now be lenient with me because Iʼm only a learner with a big L plate. Blogger is short for ʻweb logʼ which is someone who basically logs onto the web. A blogger

THE

clerk of the Pembroke Council Mr J.C. Manly saying that there was and had been for several days and nights serious ﬁring there– he thought from Ringsend Park– and that people at the north side of the river Liffey informed him they were under the impression the ﬁring was coming from the school. “This he strongly denied and wished me to understand that

there was no truth in the accusation. He also informed me that he had telephoned the military authorities at Ballsbridge (the RDS) and at the north side of the river as he was afraid that unless they understood that ﬁring was not from the school the building might be shelled. I told him he had done quite correctly to telephone the military authorities.” The school was later occu-

B LUE T OOTH

will also set up their own website where he or she can receive or disseminate loads of info on all sorts of matters. Bloggers became big in the US during the last Presidential election. They challenged the manifesto and policies of G.W. Bush on the web and blogged all over America. The Bloggers encouraged debate on all things political during the election on websites from Alaska to Texas. Prior to this, politicians did the political tours, dished out leaﬂets and did sound bites for telly and radio.

The Blogger phenomenon in Ireland is expected to move into a higher gear when the general

AND THE

pied and much cortook respondence place with the military authorities seeking compensation for the period of closure. Permits to travel at this time were necessary and one used by JR Evans, Motor Engineering Instructor in the Tech is still extant. After the surrender, DeValera was placed under guard in the Weights and Measures Office in the Town Hall, Ballsbridge. The Instrument of Surrender signed by Patrick Pearse is dated 29th of April 1916 and in the five days the Rebellion lasted 1300 men, women, and children were killed or wounded. There are few signs today of those stirring times, here a few bullet holes, there a wall plaque but the Rebellion that started that sunny Easter Monday led to the War of Independence and in that conflict many Ringsenders went on to play their part. Above: The burnt-out GPO. (Sources: Sinn Fein Rebellion Handbook 1916, The Easter Rebellion by Max Caulfield, Pembroke Technical Schools History 1981 by Jim Cooke)

IR M OUSE

election takes place next year. Bloggers will be rooting for Bertie or Enda or Pat. The Blogger web page will raise debate on everything from agriculture to environment and from education to economics. If you are apolitical then give these web pages a wide berth. If you are a real ʻpoliticoʼ then set up your web page and start blogging to your heartʼs content. And what about the ʻBlue Toothʼ and the ʻIR Mouseʼ you may ask. Bluetooth enables you to join up all your digital parapherna-

lia without using cables. Yes, no unsightly cables in sight. Isnʼt it wonderful boys and girls. You can link your computer and your mobile phone and your palm handheld device. This is all done wirelessly within a 30 foot range with the wonderful magic of Bluetooth. Last but by no means least is the story of the IR Mouse. Truth is this little mouse has no interest whatsoever in industrial relations and has no intention of joining congress. He is in fact an ordinary computer mouse, but once again he has no cables attached. This mouse works on infra red light and interacts better with the computer screen than the old ever did. And what about the wonderful works of the wheelbarrow I hear you cry, well thatʼs for another day.

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NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

Film Scene •••By Michael Hilliard

‘V for Vendetta’ FROM THE creators of the matrix movies, ʻV for Vendettaʼ is an adaptation of Alan Mooreʼs

revered graphic novel, ﬁrst published as a single volume in 1988. Set against the futuristic backdrop of a totalitarian Britain, ʻV for Vendettaʼ tells the story of a mysterious vigilante, known only as ʻVʼ (Hugo Weaving), and the relationship between him and his new-found apprentice, Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman). A fascist singleparty state has risen to power, controlling the country through controlled media, secret police, and imprisonment without trial for racial, political, and sexual minorities. Dressed as Guy Fawkes, ʻVʼ embarks on a violent, yet theatrical, campaign to rally support

for his cause, and bring down the government. Much has been made of the political allegory presented in the movie, and certain elements have been added or updated, such as the mention of the Koran, references to Iraq, and dealing with a repressive government which exploits its peopleʼs fear of terrorism and brainwashes them with sanitized ʻnewsʼ broadcasts. The emphasis on technology, especially CCTV, recalls the 2001 US ʻPatriot Actʼ, which grants government authority to intercept “wire, oral, and electronic communications”. Interesting as these parallels may be, the movie must be able to hold its own as a piece of dramatic entertainment, and while mostly successful, some sloppy pacing in the third act, and occasional bouts of wooden dialogue hinder proceedings ever so slightly. The performances, however, are wonderful across the board. The successful big screen representation of the character ʻVʼ is crucial. The movieʼs authenticity rests on this character, and this daunting task was met with ease through Weavingʼs remarkable performance. Never unmasked, ʻVʼ is presented through Weavingʼs physicality and voice alone. Portmanʼs Evey, while occasionally falling into the Dick Van Dykeatrocious-cockney-accent trap, is a suitably emotional presence, effectively playing off of Weavingʼs cold, calculated ʻVʼ. Support comes in the form of Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, and the brilliant John Hurt. The movie also contains some beautifully ﬁlmed action sequences, however few and far between they may be. ʻV for Vendettaʼ is highly recommended viewing. 4 out of 5

‘Hostel’ Two American backpackers and their Icelandic friend take a trip to Amsterdam, where they learn of a Slovak hostel offering the worldʼs most beautiful women for prostitution, at very little cost, and with a preference for Americans.

When the trio arrive, however, all is not as it seems and one by one, they go missing. As horror concepts go, itʼs not incredibly original, but it is in the execution (pardon the pun) that ʻHostelʼ really shines. ʻCabin Feverʼ director, Eli Roth, has made an intensely gory second attempt to inject some life into the dying genre of the creative horror movie. While surpassing his ﬁrst effort in every way, ʻHostelʼ isnʼt perfect. A slowly progressing ﬁrst act may throw off some audiences, as the diverting tone implies almost an ʻAmerican Pieʼ type of teen sex comedy lies ahead (albeit slightly more graphic).

Once they reach the deceptively beautiful Slovak location, however, the pace quickens, as we painfully discover what lies ahead for the trio. Casting unknowns and utilising its micro-budget to astonishing effect, Roth has delivered a movie which lures you into a false sense of security before unleashing some of the goriest scenes seen on screen since ʻAuditionʼ. Hidden among the decapitated body parts, are themes of isolation, ignorance, and the perception of American insularity by most Europeans. Hostel successfully combines both brains and guts. 4 out of 5

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

PAGE 19

D O YOU WANT TO BE

ORDINARY OR EXTRAORDINARY ? By Helen Walsh

o you hate getting out of bed in the morning? Do you feel sleepy in the middle of the afternoon? Would you love to have more of a buzz in your day?…then read on. You can change all this in a decision that will take you 1 second! Just stand in front of the mirror and ask yourself is this what I want for myself? Is this the way I want to go through my life, struggling to get everything done. You need to be in a place where you are really not prepared to live with low energy anymore

Eliminating energy drains There are many areas of your life that cause your energy to be drained. If you are in a job you donʼt like, a relationship that isnʼt working or you are struggling with finances or even trying to come to terms with being a mother or father for the first time, then be brave enough to face up to it get some help and advice. Here are seven ways to make a start: * Hydrate: 4-6 glasses of water a day will lift your energy level quicker than anything else you do.

MACKEREL IN FOIL WITH HERBS 4 meduim fresh mackerel (gutted) Juice of 1 lemon Freshly ground black pepper Pinch of salt 4 small bunches fresh mixed herbs (taragon, chives, parsley, sage) A little olive oil Preheat oven. Wash the mackerel and sprinkle insides with lemon luice. Add a little salt and generous sprinkle of pepper. Put a bunch of mixed herbs into the cavity of each fish and brush the skin with olive oil to avoid sticking. Wrap each fish individually in foil, and bake for 10-15 minutes. Take them out of the foil, leaving the herbs inside them, and place them on a hot platter with their own juice. Serve with boiled jacket potatoes and side salad of chopped cucumber, tomato and onion in French Dressing. SMOKED FISH CAKES 1lb Smoked Cod or Haddock 1oz butter 1 onion, finely chopped 1lb cooked mashed potato Chopped Parsley To coat: 1oz Wheaten Flour or Porridge Oatflakes

Energy Do you know what it is to have real energy? This comes in various shapes and forms. One person might be happy to ﬁnd getting out of bed a bit easier in the morning, whereas another may need to run a marathon. Having worked with thousands of people over the years, it is my strong belief that many people are running on pretty low batteries and feel tired, sleepy and exhausted most of the time. This has a huge effect on our moods– we desperately want to be in better form but just donʼt have the energy. Wouldnʼt it be nice to land home from work and have lots of energy left over to play with your children or still be able for a social life during the week rather than hitting the couch?

Healthy dishes from the ‘Friends and Neighbours Cookery Book’

Place fish in cold water. Bring to the boil and poach for 5-7 Minutes. Remove, drain and flake. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add onion and sauté until soft. Add flaked fish, potato and parsley. Season with pepper and mix well. Form the mixture into 6 round cakes and coat with wheaten flour or oats. Fry in a little oil or butter until golden brown on both sides. Drain and serve immediately.

* Get fit: a half hour walk a day will help you manage your body weight and will send oxygen through every cell in your body– it is a great way to start your day. * Have some fun: sometimes we get so bogged down with life that we forget to have any pleasure at all, remember some of the things from your childhood that you liked doing and see if you can recreate any of this for yourself or your family now. * Relax: this is huge because most people laugh when they are asked to try and take more time to relax and they keep going at full pace. Completely relax for even ten minutes in the day and this will make a difference * Music: I have yet to meet someone that does not like music of some description. If you tap into that you will have a wonderful tool to boost your energy, go dance around your sitting room for 2 minutes a

day and see how good you feel… donʼt get caught!! * Sleep: This is our bodyʼs natural way to repair everything. If we go too long with a broken pattern of sleep we will become irritable, constantly tired and develop a low functioning immune system. Try to get some help with this if it is a problem. * Food: Always try hard to eat the best food you can at all times. Your body cannot give you what you need if you do not give it good fuel, so make a choice today that you are getting rid of all the rubbish food in the house and try eating well for a week and see how quickly you will feel so much better. Helen has a clinic in Sandymount and has just launched a new Hi-Energy class in The Factory Studios Barrow Street. For more information phone: 2605050. Or log on to: www. helenwalsh.ie

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NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

STROLLING THROUGH THE YEARS

By James OʼDoherty

t was a late spring evening and I found myself walking once again in my beloved Dublin. This time I was walking through the old-world quarter called the Liberties,- where once the nobility of Ireland had ﬁne houses and where hundreds of weavers plied their trade. If this old area could talk what tales it could tell, some stranger than ﬁction. As I walked down

Dublinʼs most ancient streets I decided to make acquaintance with my historic friends whose presence in this old part of Dublin will never die. Down Thomas Street where, at house number 151, I sympathised with Lord Edward Fitzgerald who was arrested there. On to High Street where at number 65 Sarsﬁeld was born and where the great Wolfe Tone was waked, then past old St. Audeonʼs Church built by the Normans in 1171 and named after St Owen of Rouen. I nodded

to Oliver Bond and Napper Tandy on duty as church wardens. On Fishamble Street, where Henry Grattan was born, I imagined I could hear the beautiful music of The Messiah as Handel performed it on the 15th April 1741. I

admonished the father of the great poet James Clarence Mangan, who lived in number 3, on the severity with which he treated his son. I looked down Castle Street and I recognised Daniel Bellingham, the ﬁrst Lord Mayor of Dublin. On

Our chefs select only the finest produce– organic and Irish where possible– and most of the suppliers get a special mention on the menu. This is especially important to customers nowadays. It isnʼt enough to just have great food and friendly service but also the reassurance about where the ingredients have come from. This is one of the cornerstones of the company: itsa bagel, Feast Catering and most recently, itsa4 restaurant. Although itsa4ʼs modern, smart & chic interior is as grown up and sophisticated as you can get, children (of all ages) are also welcome. Instead of a separate childrenʼs menu, itsa4 offer dishes in smaller and fairly priced ½ portion option. Similarly, it is also important to acknowledge that some diners come to itsa4 to have a quiet night out and that is why itsa4 asks that children are gone by 8.30pm – 8.45pm. It is essential that itsa4 lives up to its name: itsa4 kids, itsa4 parents and grand-parents, itsa4 quiet lunches, itsa for celebrations, itsa for everyone. The perfect neighbourhood restaurant, situated conveniently in the heart of Sandymount, at 6a, Sandymount Green. itsa4 is a new venture by Domini & Peaches Kemp who you may know from their well-established itsa bagel stores. You might visit for a quick coffee but donʼt be surprised if you find yourself staying to try something from the brunch or lunch menu. Lunchtime specials like the legendary “Roast in a roll”, smoked haddock fishcakes and itsa4 burger have kept the regulars coming back for more. At night, the warm and friendly atmosphere of itsa 4 is transformed into something a little more formal and this is reflected in some of the menu items. Roast rump of lamb with minted peas, broad beans and red wine jus, or the open ravioli of wild mushrooms with sage, Parmesan and truffle oil. Perfect for vegetarians.

For reservations tel: 01 2194676 Contact: Emma Donoghue/Trina Morgan Hours of opening: lunch seven days a week from 11am – 4pm. Sunday lunch 11pm – 6pm Dinner Monday – Saturday 6pm – 10pm itsa4 is also available for private hire as a venue. If you are planning a function or product launch, our associated company, Feast Catering may be able to suggest a tailor made menu for you. Contact CAROLINE on 086 384 4377.

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

my left the Church of The Holy Trinity, Christchurch, whose vaults date back to the Danes and beyond. In one of these vaults St Patrick celebrated the ﬁrst mass ever to be said in Ireland. In passing this historic building,

PAGE 21

I said hello to Strongbow and I remembered St. Laurence OʼToole, former Archbishop of Dublin, who although buried in France left his heart in his beloved Christchurch. On my right St. Werburghʼs Church was built by the men of Bristol on the site of an ancient church of St Martin. Lord Edward Fitzgerald is buried in its vaults. I continued on my way and approached St Patrickʼs Cathedral. It was once a parochial church and did not become a cathedral until the thirteenth century. Here I remembered Oliver Cromwell. He degraded this lovely church, using it to stable his horses. However I did congratulate him on introducing cabbage to Ireland! I said hello to one of Irelandʼs most gifted sons,

VACANCY Community Employment Supervisor required for Sandymount Community Services, 15 Fitzwilliam Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4

The duties of the selected candidate would include the supervision and organisation of training for 16 CE participants, the management of accounts on Excel spreadsheets, the use of Thesaurus wages software and the role of Managing Editor of NewsFour. The Supervisor will report to the Sponsoring Committee and liaise with FÁS staff on a regular basis. It would be an advantage to be a trained FÁS CE Supervisor, have good English and a working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and wages software. Good people skills are essential. Letter of application with CV should be sent to The Chairman of Sandymount Community Services at the above address by 24th April 2006

the great Dean Jonathan Swift and applauded his choice of ladies, particularly Stella and the lovely Vanessa. I greeted Primate Narcissus Marsh, still browsing in his famous library designed for him by Sir William Robinson, the architect of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. I also greeted Sir Edward Cecil Guinness, who set up the Iveagh Trust in 1890, a trust which greatly improved the lives of many families in this area and I realised how unique we are in possessing two ancient cathedrals which exist side by side and yet present a remarkable diversity of style. As the evening bells of Christchurch chimed over the city I left this ancient area so steeped in history. And as I made my way home I remembered all the great names, the men and women of history, so many brilliant stars that shine though the centuries. And although gone from our days they still shine from the distant past with a great splendour and enrich us today. From bottom left, clockwise: St Werburghʼs Church; Christchurch Cathedral; St Patrickʼs Cathedral; St. Audeonʼs Church; this arch is the only remnant of the Smock Alley Theatre, where the ﬁrst ʻMessiahʼ was performed; Marshʼs Library.

Sandymount Credit Union Limited 13 Bath Avenue, Sandymount, Dublin 4. Tel: 668 5079 / 073 Fax: 6681807 email: info@sandymountcu.ie Website: www.sandymountcu.ie Normal Opening Hours

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

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

STANDARD LOANS TO MEMBERS UP TO €15,000 9.4% APR MULTI-PURPOSE LOANS UP TO €30,000 7.5% APR PREMIUM LOANS OVER €30,000 5.9% APR SPECIAL LOANS TO STUDENTS/APPRENTICES 6.5% APR (INCLUDING MATURE STUDENTS) LOAN REPAYMENT CALCULATOR AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE

For more information visit our website at www.sandymountcu.ie

PAGE 22

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

R ONNIE D ELANEY – L OCAL H ERO I

mile credentials, John Landy was the overwhelming favourite to take the Gold. Only two weeks after Roger Bannister first broke the four minute mile, John Landy smashed his world record with a time of 3:58. In addition to being the fastest miler in the field, Landy had the added advantage of running in his native Australia in front of home support. Back home in Ireland, the ears of the nation were fixed to the radio at seven in the morning as commentary of the race was broadcast live. For most of the race Delaney remained tucked in behind Landy before unleashing a devastating burst of speed over the last 300 metres, which

he covered in 38 seconds, thereby claiming Olympic Gold and the Olympic Record of 3.41.49 in front of a crowd of 110,000. Years later Delaney remarked that his victory came as no surprise to him because although he wasnʼt the fastest miler in the ﬁeld, he was the fastest half miler and it was his speed over the lower distance that enabled him to kick past his opponents with such effect on the last lap. He also knew that he was going into the race in his best form. The picture on left features Delaney as he approaches the ﬁnish line, jubilant in the realisation that he is about to become Olympic Champion. Moments later, after breasting the winning tape, Delaney sank to his knees. The story goes that Landy, thinking Delaney was hurt, went to help him only to realise that he was in prayer. Before retiring from competitive athletics at the age of 26, Delaney went on to add a European Championships bronze medal to his Olympic Gold. He further attached a world indoor mile record to his name in addition to amassing a total of 3 NCAA Titles and four successive AAU mile titles in America. Yet it is Delaneyʼs enduring legacy as Olympic Gold medalist at the tender age of 21 that made him a household name and inspired generations of Irish athletes.

Bhí an comórtas ar siúl i mì Feabhra sa Mhuilleann gCearr. Tháinig a lán gaelscoileanna ó gach áit sa tír agus bhaineamar le chÈile a lán taitnimh as. Fuair ár scoil duaiseanna ʻscriptʼ agus canadh ʻsoloʼ. Bhí lá iontach againn.

Cuíosach: fairly Saibhir: rich Fód: sod An Seanghréig: ancient Greece Ag gearán: lamenting Cúrfa: chorus Feabhas: improvement Ciallmhar: sensible

By Eddie Hanratty

n this Golden Anniversery year of Ronnie Delaneyʼs famous Olympic 1500-metre gold medal winning performance in the green vest of Ireland, it was fitting that Dublin City Council honoured the great man on March 5th by presenting him with the Freedom of the City. In accepting the honour along with Bob Geldof, Delaney spoke of his strong connections not only to Dublin City, but also specifically to Sandymount, of which he was a resident at the time of his famous victory. Delaneyʼs connections to the area go further for it was on the old cinder track at Irishtown that Ronnie broke his first Irish record over 880 yards in 1954. Local Athletics club, Crusaders A.C., proudly acknowledge Delaney as their most illustrious member and it was in their colours that he claimed four national titles. The mid 1950s was a golden era of mile running for it was then that the race for the first sub-first minute mile was on. In June, 1956 after finishing his exams at Villanova University, where he was on an athletic scholarship, Delaney became the seventh man, the first Irishman, and at that time the youngest man to dip under the magical four-minute barrier. It was then

that Delaney realised that he could be a serious contender for the Olympic title. And yet an intersting nugget of Irish Olymic history is that the selectors were in two minds whether to select him for the games at all! A dip in form over the summer resulted in a number of signiﬁcant losses. Furthermore, the Games were to be held for the ﬁrst time in the Southern Hemisphere at Melbourne and due to the extra costs incurred by the long travel, the selectors felt obliged to select only those whom they felt would be contenders for a medal. In hindsight, the selectors made the wise decision to se-

C OIRM …

ach bliain in Éirinn, eagraíonn Gael Linn comórtas idir bun gaelscoileanna timpeall na tíre. Tugtar Coirm ar an gcomórtas sin. Tá mé i mo dhalta i rang a sé, Scoil an tSeachtar Laoch, Baile Munna. An bhliain seo, in ár scoil, bhi an Coirm faoi na 1970í nuair a bhí ár dtír cuíosach bocht ach ansin dʼéirigh sí saibhir. Ach anois tá tíortha mar an Ukraine agus An Pholainn agus tá siad mar a bhí Éire roimh an ʻtíogar ceilteachʼ. Rinne múinteoir ó rang 5 an téama bunaithe ar an smaoineamh sin, agus sheinm mo mháistir an ceol ar an pianó. Ar dtús bhi daoine ag canadh mar gheall ar Éire a bheith bo-

lect him and indeed Melbourne yielded Irelandʼs largest harvest of Olympic medals for the Irish with a further silver and three bronzes in boxing. However, it was Delaneyʼs run in the blue ribband 1500 metres event that captured the imagination of the nation on December 1, 1956. For Northern Hemisphere runners, the Olympics were held at a time of year in which they would have been unaccustomed to competing. Delaney still managed to fit in a couple of preparation races in California just before travelling to Melbourne. Delaney progressed comfortably though his qualifiying heat to reach the final. Despite Delaneyʼs sub-four minute

F IONN R UADH

cht sa na 1970í le ceol de ʻIʼd like to teach the world to singʼ. Is cuma cad a fheiceann tú, is cuma cad tá romhat, ni féidir rá o lá go là, an seasfaidh tú an fód. Bhí siad ag caitheamh róbaí dearga cosúil le scéalaí sa tSeanghréig. Ansin, tháinig daoine gléasta in éadaí 1970í amach ar an stáitse agus thosaigh siad ag canadh faoina daoine in Éirinn ag dul go dtí tíortha eile cosúil le Sasana agus Meiriceá agus An Astr·il. Bhi an ceol de ʻYesterdayʼ. Imeacht linn, gan mórán do dúchas fágtha ʻgain, go bhfaighimid seans chun teacht ar ais gan mhoill, o fágfaimid ar gcairde ʻs clann... Ansin tháinig mo chara Daithí amach agus thosaigh se ag

gearán faoina daoine ag imeacht ó Éire go dtí tíortha eile. Bhí brón air faoi sin. Thosaigh sé ag canadh amhráin le ceol ʻMy favourite thingsʼ ach go mór feargach. Cloisim na geallainti, bliain i ndiaidh bliana. Tiocfaidh feabhas mor air, ach sinn a bheith ciallmhar… San ʻactʼ deireannach, bhíomar le chéile in Latvia ag gearán faoi go gcaitheadh daoine i Latvia dul go dtí tíortha mar Eire. Ansin rinne cúpla daltai ʻsolosʼ in amhrán de ceol ʻAlleluiaʼ. Bhi cúrfa ann mar ʻThar na bánta, ina dtainte, siar go hÉireann, tá siad uilig imithe leo.ʼ Bhi na línte deireanacha ʻGan aoin staonadh, fós le chéile, ʻnois go hÉireann, tá siad uilig imithe leo.

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

PAGE 23

FUTSAL BLITZ!

JASON DONOHUE has recently been appointed Community Development Ofﬁcer by the Dublin City Council and the FAI. He kicked off by organising a Football Blitz on the Futsal pitch in Sportsco involving boys and girls at primary and secondary level in Ringsend, Irishtown, Pearse Street and City Quay. The winners are: City Quay (Primary School Girls), Marian College (Secondary School Boys1st and 2nd class) and St Patrickʼs with City Quay runners Up (Primary 5th and 6th Class Boys). Jason is keen to contact any members of the community who have ideas on how to progress his aim to keep children playing soccer throughout the year. He would be happy to assist in summer projects or other such events. Jason can be contacted by email at Jason.donohue@fai.ie or 0871250444.

Easter Greetings from Cranfield

CHRIS ANDREWS SELECTED TO REPRESENT FIANNA FÁIL IN DUBLIN SOUTH EAST

‘Chris Andrews and Eoin Ryan – working for you’ If you have any concerns that you would like to raise with me, you can contact me on 087-2851515

PAGE 24

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

EASTER

IN FRANCE – NOT THE SAME AS IN IRELAND Hands up for the Unsung Heroes CATHERINE BYRNE, Lord Mayor of Dublin City, has launched a new initiative to pay tribute to people of all ages who give their time free to benefit others within the community. Unsung heroes can be those who contribute formally through volunteer organisations in their community or those who contribute informally through simply being a good neighbour or friend to someone who needs a helping hand or a listening ear. If you know of anyone who you would like to nominate you can get application forms from the ʻNewsFourʼ offices at 15 Fitzwilliam Street, Ringsend or download an application from www.dublin.ie or www.dublincity.ie. All necessary details on how to make a nomination are contained in the application form. Persons who receive payment for their services are not eligible. Entries must be received by 30th April 2006. Each person nominated will receive a limited edition lapel pin and a Certificate of Recognition signed by the Lord Mayor. Out of all the received nominations, 25 of the most notable will be acknowledged as ʻAdvocates of the Cityʼ and one of these will be chosen for their outstanding contribution to be a City Ambassador. It is also intended to publish a book featuring the stories of the chosen advocates. Award ceremonies will take place in May 2006 in each of the five administrative areas of the Dublin City Council. On European Neighbours Day, 31st May, the Lord Mayor will formally acknowledge the invaluable contribution of Dublinʼs Unsung Heroes at a special gathering in City Hall. The Unsung Heroes Awards are being coordinated by Dublin City Council Housing and Residential Services.

Crossword

By Saoirse OʼHanlon Tobin

verybody gets chocolates from each other, but childrenʼs beliefs are different. Instead of Easter Bunny coming, the ʻclochesʼ come, which is the French for bells. They ﬂy through gardens, dropping unbreakable eggs. So, every Easter eve, all kids go to bed, waiting for a giant bell to pass overhead! In Easter 2004, when we lived in La Rochelle (on the west coast, between Nantes and Bordeaux) our neighbours knocked at the door, saying that the cloches dropped loads of eggs in the wrong garden, and asked us if we could come in after lunch to clean it up. We accepted straight away! So after lunch, we all went in, on a big egg hunt. Mum and Dad went in to the house for coffee, my sister, my brother and I starting looking around for any sign of chocolate. Their garden was very big, full of perfect little spots

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

here and there, so we spent nearly all afternoon looking for eggs. We found loads of stuff like giant chocolate rabbits, or chickens. It was a great Easter, the chocolates lasted forever. Our neighbours across the road did the same thing that evening, as they had no children of their own. So that was us occupied for the day. A lot of people take holidays around that time, to spend Easter with their family. Some people even go skiing, especially if Easter falls early enough. The other big thing here is the Easter Sunday meal. Itʼs a very big family meal. The whole family is around the table, to celebrate the feast. Older people also go to the church, to pray, sing and celebrate Easter there; but itʼs more a family thing here than religious. On Good Friday, in France, itʼs just a normal day, all the bars and cafés open, but a lot of people still eat fish. The majority of my friends eat fish every Friday. I find this very odd, because

France isnʼt particularly a religious country. And, Iʼve noticed, that most Fridays in school, ﬁsh is in the options for our meal, which is served up to us at the school restaurant. Last year, in my old school it was always ﬁsh, as well as most primary schools. As I said in my last article (ʻLetter from Franceʼ) the French love their chocolate. During the run-up to Easter, in supermarkets, some of the daily products are replaced by chocolate, from normal chocolate, to original hand made chocolates, and they take up something like 3 or 4 aisles. Last Year, my dad went to the local supermarket, to buy some superglue, and discovered that it had been replaced by a chocolate chicken. So he came home with a chicken, instead of glue. My mum said he wouldnʼt stick a lot with that, but we were all very happy with the egg! HAPPY EASTER TO ALL JOYEUSE PAQUES A TOUS Right: Spring in Old Nice.

Across 1 5 9

Tainaiste and Minister for Health (4,6) Ding ---- merrily on high (4) Used on the computer for storing information, not good to slip one (4) 11 &17 Well known Irish Times columnist who started her career with NewsFour (6,5) 12 Federal Bureau of Investigation (abbrv.) (3) 13 Type of lettuce (3) 14 To warm or dry clothes, sound waves travel through it (3) 15 Fighting men or their shorts (6) 18 Vow made in marriage ceremony (1,2) 19 Rare disease recently in the news again (2) 20 Metric units of capacity (6) 22 Distress signal (3) 24 Female sheep (3) 25 Slang word for having no money (5) 26 An air journey (6) 29 I in Latin, have a big opinion of oneself (3) 30 Colloquial abbreviation for going too far (3) 31 American taxi (3) 33 Time and ---- wait for no man (4) 34 Equipment or clothes (4) 35 So be it (4) 36 See 23 down

Down 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 10 11 16 21

A cylinder of fur for warming the hands (4) These warm homes by diffusing heat (9) Noahʼs mode of travel (3) Greek god of love (4) One sixteenth of a pound weight (5) Go further than Bray for a seaside location (10) Might take me to the pictures, but could be a Ford car (6) Sounds like breakfast food but really we read them on a regular basis (7) Fast but precarious way of getting about (6,5) Seat of the high kings of Ireland (4,2,4) Someone who believes in government by the people of the people and for the people (8)

23 and 36 across New Irish manager 27 A point of dispute or to publish (5) 28 I never bother with people I ---- (Lady and the Tramp) (4) 30 Opposite to even (3) 32 Where the hay is stored (4) 34 Former Portuguese overseas territory on the west coast of India (3)

The closing date for entries is Friday 28th April 2006

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

PAGE 25

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PAGE 26

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

M u s ic4 …

By Brian Kelly and Fergal Murphy

Forthcoming Attractions

Albums Ballad of the Broken Seas Isobel Campell and Mark Lanegan Strange bedfellows number 63. Weʼve had Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra, we had Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue, now weʼve got the ex-singer with twee Scottish Popsters Belle and Sebastian linking musical notes with the ex-front man of Queen of the Stone Age. As ying and yang couples go, you couldnʼt go much further unless you paired up Lemmy and Shirley Temple. This record sounds like nothing the duo has previously done which probably explains why it works so well. At times folksy, at times country, even whimsical in places, Ballad of The Broken Seas is timeless, dreamy pop full of seductive hooks and melodies. Miss Campbell takes most of the songwriting credits and also produces. Kudos is due to her for utilising the talents of Mr. Lanegan. The contrast of her angelic vocals and his deep, melancholic delivery works its magic on most of the tracks here.

Rodrigo y Gabriela This is the third album from Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela and is the ﬁrst instrumental album to go into the Irish charts at number one. One listen and you can hear why. Produced by John Leckie of Stone Roses and Radiohead fame, this album captures their mesmerising live essence. Listening to it you can almost visualise the notes dancing in the air with their mix of ﬂamenco, jazz and rock styles that leave you awestruck that so much sound could come out of two guitars. The songs are their own compositions except covers of Metallicaʼs Orion and Led Zeppelinʼs Stairway to Heaven, that will make sure you never listen to them in the same way again! The highlight for me was the bonus DVD which includes interviews with the duo and live performances where you can see as well as hear just how talented they are. If you like good music get this, if not I think Chico has an album out soon!

The Kooks Inside In/Inside Out The Kooks are a four piece out of Brighton following in the Artic Monkeys trail of kids with enormous talent (their average age is only 20). This is as good a debut album youʼll hear all year apart from the aforementioned Monkeys. The album is full of catchy little pop/ rock songs that grab you and leave you wanting more. So full of clever guitar riffs, hooks and choruses that try as you might you canʼt help but like the little upstarts! There is hardly a bad song on this album which is a rarity nowadays. Standout tracks include Seaside, Naíve (on which 19 year old lead singer Luke Pritchardʼs emotion ﬁlled lyrics instantly have you pressing the repeat button), Sofa Song and You Donʼt Love Me. The only downside is lyrically itʼs pretty much the same old theme of relationships and girls but what else would you expect from such a young group, profound statements about the political climate!

April Jack L Don Williams The Cardigans Janis Ian Saxon

Olympia April 18,19,20 Olympia April 21, 22 Ambassador April 23 Vicar Street April 24 Temple Bar Music Centre April 27 Chris Rea Olympia April 28 Jeff Wayneʼs War of the Worlds Point April 30 Ian Brown/ Republic of Loose Dublin Castle April 30

May Kaiser Chiefs/ Graham Coxon Richard Hawley The Kooks Jose Gonzalez Josh Ritter Take That Bon Jovi Hard-Fi Editors Elton John

Dublin Castle May 1 Whelans May 1 The Village May 2 Olympia May 8 Vicar Street May 12, 13 Point Theatre May 12, 13 Croke Park May 20 Ambassador May 23 Ambassador May 24 Point Theatre May 28

June The Wedding Present Billy Bragg G4 Robbie Williams Gun N Roses/ Motley Crue Metallica Bob Dylan / Flaming Lips

Ambassador June 3 Vicar Street June 3 Olympia June 7 Croke Park June 9 RDS June 9 RDS June 11 Nowlan Park, Kilkenny June 24

Music News • Music News • Music News • Music News • Music News Festival fever grips country

Dylan keeps it country

Infused with the success of the Electric Picnic, promoters POD Concerts are running a second boutique festival, this time aimed at the clubbing crowd, in Ballinlough Castle, Athboy, Co. Meath on June 4. The Garden Party, which will no doubt become a regular on the festival circuit scene, will take place across four stages in a beautiful walled garden that is part of Ballinlough castle grounds. The top class line-up already includes: Too Many DJs, Toots & The Maytals, Asian Dub Foundation, Fat Freddyʼs Drop, Nightmare On Wax Sound System, Guilty Pleasures, Scratch Perverts (DJ set), Booka Shade, Markey and Alexander Robotnik. Adding to the Whit weekend jollities will also include a cabaret, theatrical karaoke and a ﬂea circus. Tickets priced €65 are on sale now.

Still in June and still in the heart of this green and pleasant land of ours, Mr. Bob Dylan will once again headline The Kilkenny Source Festival on Saturday, June

24 in Nowlan Park. Special Guests will be The Flaming Lips, who judging by their performance in Electric Picnic last September will be one hard act to follow. Tickets for what could be the most interesting pairing of the summer are on sale now at €55.

Original glam rockers are back! Reunions, reforming and getting back together again is very much in the air these days. In fact, itʼs difficult to think of any band who split up years ago that hasnʼt attempted a comeback of some description recently. The latest major players to announce a comeback are Roxy Music, who are working on an album of new material with their original line-up for the first time in more than 30 years. And the good news gets even better when you realise Brian Eno is also taking part in proceedings The bandʼs last album was Avalon in 1982, but this new effort will be the first to feature Eno since 1973. No release date has yet been set but you can expect to hear

plenty of the new material when Roxy Music play one of the must-see gigs of the year in Vicar Street on July.

Punk’s not dead. Part 6 More good tidings for the 40 somethingʼs among us! The Slits, who could safely be described as ʻThe First Ladies of Punkʼ perform a reunion gig in Dublinʼs CrawDaddy on April 20 next. The all-female trio were early pioneers of punk. Their 1976 album Cut was a brilliant mix of punk, reggae and dub beats. Their career didnʼt last long but they have been and continue to be a huge inﬂuence on many female bands. Original members Ari Up, Viv Albertine and Palmolive will be joined on stage by dub maestro Adrian Sherwood whose has worked with many famous people including Sinéad OʼConnor. Ari Upʼs mum, Nora by the way, went on to marry Johnny Rotten.

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

PAGE 27

L ORD

OF THE

B ELL X1 –

R INGS

SPEED OF SOUND

By Brian Kelly

t is about time another Dublin band went global. U2 have been top of the tree for so long and have done us all proud, but the good citizens of the world have to realize there is more to Ath Cliath than Adam, Bono, Edge and Larry. Enter stage right Bell X1. Four hearty fellows from the western fringes of Dublin, who in the past four months alone compiled this impressive set of statistics: 1. ʻFlockʼ the bandʼs third album went straight to number one in the Irish charts. 2. Their recent nationwide tour was completely sold out. 3. Bell X1ʼs concert in the

M UNDY ,

RDS on January 31 was the ﬁrst time a Dublin band sold out this vast arena in many years. Bell X1, whose name came from the aircraft used by Chuck Yeager to break the sound barrier, formed from the ashes of

FROM

By Brian Rutherford

undy ranks among the top performers in Ireland. He is a singer/ songwriter with a certain depth that as you get to listen more, becomes uplifting. He has released three CDs, or albums as he likes to call them: ʻJelly Legsʼ, ʻ24 Star Hotelʼ and ʻRaining Down Arrowsʼ and a fourth is soon to be released. He has performed all over Dublin and Ireland, indeed the world, but still ranks the small-time gigs as the ones to remember. He now lives in Ringsend. I did a quick interview with him in between his busy schedule and this is what he had to say. Real name? Edmund Enwright.

B IRR

Juniper, a band which featured all the current Bell boys: Brian Crosby, Dave Geraghty, Paul Noonan and Dominic Philips plus one Damian Rice. Riceʼs rapid success as a solo artist contrasted with Bell X1ʼs

TO THE

Where do you come from? Birr in Co. Offaly. How long did it take to get a record deal? Fast, I came to Dublin when I was 17 and at about 19 people started to take an interest. I started out at the songwritersʼ club in the International Bar, which was run by Dave Murphy on Tuesday nights, and itʼs there that record companies heard about me. Where have you gigged? The International, The Manhattan Peanut Party in Finglas, Chebangs in Ranelagh and Slatteryʼs. Internationally Iʼve played the UK, France, America, Australia. Where was your favourite venue? Probably the International Bar, it was kind of a special place for me, but itʼs not in existence anymore.

W ORLD

Who are your influences? A lot of longterm writers like Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan and Lucinda Williams who is an American Country/ Rock singer. I like a lot of Indie bands as well What inspires your lyrics? Day to day celebrations and tragedies. My musical influences would not inspire me lyrically, more people and their day to day lives, and the world. How many CDs have you sold? Iʼve sold 40,000 with my second album in Ireland (ʻ24 Star Hotelʼ), 50,000 with my first album globally (ʻJelly Legsʼ) and 18 or 19,000 with my third (ʻRaining Down Arrowsʼ). Whatʼs it like living in Ringsend? Thereʼs a good community aspect and because Iʼm from the country I find it easier than a classified Dubliner, because Iʼm a bogman I suppose (laughs) and Iʼm not threatened because of that. Where do you drink locally? I drink in the Yacht and the Oarsman now and again but Iʼm a stoneʼs throw from Town, so Iʼd wander in there a lot. Any plans on marriage or children? Dreams, but nothing as yet. Whatʼs the new CD about? Itʼs a live CD recorded at the end of 2005 with a collection of audience favourites from the last three albums.

slow but steady progress through three albums and thousands of miles of travel and support slots in Ireland, Europe and America. The band made a signiﬁcant breakthrough with the release of ʻMusic in Mouthʼ in 2003. The album went double platinum in Ireland producing four top 40 singles. What makes Bell X1 stand out from all other contenders is the creativity and quality of their songwriting. Singer Paul Noonan is one of our most gifted lyricist and songwriters: his wry couplets and distinct turn of phrase mark him out as a genuine wordsmith amidst a school of rock hacks. Conquering the UK is next on the bandʼs agenda. An extensive tour plus the release of ʻFlockʼ will hopefully create a legion of new admirers for the band and generate enough press interest to raise the proﬁle of the boys in Blighty. Bell X1 have already enjoyed some success in the States where their song ʻEve is the apple of my eyeʼ was used as background music to a famous lesbian kiss on the hugely popular TV show ʻThe OCʼ. The ripple effect caused by the record has ena-

bled the band to gain a foothold in the country. They have toured the US several times, shifting thousands of copies of ʻMusic in Mouthʼ and completely selling venues on the last visit in 2005. The road to rock ʻnʼ roll success is paved with bands that never went the distance or never made the grade. It is more difﬁcult for bands to sustain a career now than in U2ʼs day simply because there are too many groups vying for the attention of record companies. As well as this, big labels rarely take the time to nurture and support bands on a long-term basis. If a bandʼs ﬁrst album doesnʼt sell, they donʼt always get a second chance. Bell X1 has got thus far on talent alone. They are simply the best band to emerge from the capital in the last decade. If they can sustain the momentum they have made to date, you can expect to turn on your television in a few years time and see the band with their glamorous model girlfriends beside them, interviewed by Lorraine Keane at the premiere of the latest blockbuster movie. It is all ahead of them. Proceed at the speed of sound boys.

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PAGE 28

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

A N INCINERATOR IN R INGSEND – WHO WANTS IT ?

your local politicians are you for this or against it. The local representatives must be held responsible even for their colleagues in Dáil Éireann. Name and shame politicians who donʼt give clear commitments or commend those that do.”

of it. The second is the volume of trafﬁc that itʼs going to generate in order to feed it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The third is because itʼs a Public Private Partnership and I donʼt trust the ability of the private sector to run in it a manner that would be safe and efﬁcient for us.”

CRAI ARE STILL CAMPAIGNING n the Reduce Reuse Recycle campaign that appears on television featuring celebrity gardener Diarmuid Gavin, one of the ads features a steel drum with burning refuse. The voiceover speaks out against the burning of waste material and of the harm it can cause the environment and the harm it can cause us, “the burning of waste causes dangerous dioxins (airborne particulates) to be released into the air which cause damage to the environment so you shouldnʼt do it.” etc etc. Yet it looks like the construction of a mass-burning facility or incinerator is to go ahead on the Poolbeg Peninsula to do just that, burn waste material and inevitably cause harm to the environment and presumably to those living nearby. CRAI (Combined Residents Against Incinerator) is the local group who are campaigning to put a stop to the incinerator. On March 28th at the Clann Na nGael Club in Ringsend they held a public meeting. Attending were all the local politicians representing their parties along with around 250 local residents. What was glaringly apparent at the meeting was that nobody, not a single soul, including the local Fianna Fáil man was for or knew anyone who was for the construction of an incinerator. So the question is who in the name of all that is holy was or is in favour of the building of the thing? At the meeting there was much

mention of PPPs (Public Private Partnerships). These are partnerships between the government and private companies. The government gives out contracts to private companies for them to provide a public service. In this case of waste management the building of this incinerator has gone to a Danish subsidiary, Elsam Engineering Ltd. Chris Andrews (FF), Senator Mary White (FF), Conor McQuaid (PD), Ruairi Quinn (Lab), Kevin Humphreys (Lab), Dermot Lacey (Lab), Dathai Doolan (SF), Lucinda Creighton (FG), Richard Boyd Barrett (SWP), Ruairi Ahern (PBPA) and John Gormley were among those present. During the meeting all the local politicians as well as the local residents were given a chance to take the ﬂoor and speak brieﬂy about the issue. What follows is a selection of the speakers and some of what was said:

Ruairi Quinn (Labour) “I oppose the incinerator for three reasons. The ﬁrst is that Dublin Bay is the most populated Bay on this island and it doesnʼt make sense to place an incinerator right in the middle

John Gormley (Green Party) “I think at this stage… an incinerator should not go ahead unless there was proper access. And access is the problem here because weʼre going to have 800 truck journeys to and fro, thatʼs the problem. So I have to say I will work day and night to stop it (the incinerator) because I truly believe this is a terrible thing for this community.” Senator Mary White (Fianna Fáil) “No incinerator should be built on a cul de sac (the Poolbeg peninsula); it should be built on a ring road.” There followed immediate vocal disagreement from some over this proposal for a ring road.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Socialist Workers Party) “Ultimately this is an issue of democracy. Whether the people of this area should decide what happens in this area or unaccountable people should force things on us. You have to ask

Councillor Kevin Humphreys (Labour) ʻLabour to a man have voted every single time against the incinerator. They want to put the incinerator beside the sewage plant to burn the sludge which at the moment is being sent down to Carlow by the ton. The incinerator is not acceptable to anyone in this community. Labour will continue to oppose it.”

Lucinda Creighton (Fine Gael) “The development of this incinerator is very much on track, the process has started. There is serious ﬁnancial incentive to burn as much as possible. Anyone who tells you that this is part of an environmentally friendly, well meaning, well motivated policy of the government or Dublin County Council to reduce waste in the city are effectively lying to you because this is a money-making operation. Itʼs a Public Private Partnership designed to make money for the company who have been awarded the contract. Itʼs not in the interest of the citizens of Dublin.” Councillor Dermot Lacey (Labour) “The proposal to build an incinerator here ﬁrst emerged in 1998 at a city council meeting. I opposed it then and I oppose it now. The decision to locate an

incinerator at the heart of this community, at the heart of the city is quite simply the wrong decision. This is a political issue. The city manager and three separate ministers of the environment have let it through. This incinerator has been imposed on this community by Dick Roche, Martin Cullen and Noel Dempsey. This is not acceptable to the people or the community or to me.”

Dáithí Doolin (Sinn Féin) “The incinerator is not an electric kettle, itʼs a mass burn facility that needs to be going 24/7. A cross-party coalition is the only way to stop the incinerator. This incinerator is not an act of God, itʼs not by coincidence, itʼs a political decision made by people who are unaccountable to the people in this room. We must win; we have to win, for our future, for our childrenʼs future.” Ruairi Ahern (People before Proﬁt Alliance) “To the Elsam group who have been contracted to operate the incinerator for 20 years it is worth one billion euro. We, the public, are paying for the incinerator by paying increased waste charges so if you think about it we are paying to poison ourselves. There are many problems with Public Private Partnerships such as the issue of safety of public services provided through PPPs. Through a sustained campaign of community power and organisation and protest we can defeat this incinerator.” Chris Andrews (Fianna Fáil) “I am just as concerned as you are. I will give you my support, if you donʼt want to take it you donʼt have to.”

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

PAGE 29

Conﬁrmation Class, Ringsend Boysʼ National School, 1944/45

Some of the names of the boys in the photograph: Back row: Joe Lawless, Jack Kennedy, Billy Dent, Danny Dent Second Row: Murphy, Doyle, Breen, Jim Moon-

This speaker had difﬁculty addressing the crowd because a member of the audience during Andrewsʼs address continued asking the politician for his resignation. The audience member was doubtful if Andrews was actually against the incinerator. Mr. Andrews said he was against it and regarding his possible resignation he replied that that would not happen. A local activist (Progressive Democrats) “The city manger has the power to put it through. I think a lot of effort should be put into fundraising and building the case against it.” On hearing this a woman

ey, Mick Kinsella RIP, Martin McKeever, Noel Murphy, R Lawlor, E Byrne, H Gannon, M Weafer, Liam Aherne, Andrews, John Tierney, Whelan. Third Row: Byrne, J Redmond, R Pullen, D Doy-

from the audience became exasperated. “But weʼve already done that!” There followed an exchange between the two until the silenced PD returned to his seat. John Hawkins (A local man) “Iʼm a resident of Ringsend and Iʼm very much involved in St. Patrickʼs Rowing club. Our club is situated on the point where the previous incinerator was over at the Lough gates. In the last two years two young members have died of cancer. A lot of people might think itʼs to do with other things but quite a few of our members now have children who have been born with little problems. Iʼm sure if they got someone to do a study theyʼd be shocked. We used to leave the boat upside down on the point and the dust from the original incinerator used to cover the boat. The boat was white with dust and every morning we had to wash it. We have ﬁrst-hand information and experience of what it was like from the previous incinerator.” (On the present government)

“I feel robbed that they put leaflets in my home and I went and voted FF and Iʼm ashamed to say that I did.” A local woman “This incinerator is going to be ﬁlled with rubbish and it need not necessarily be Irish rubbish, it can come from other countries as well. They are building it to make money and they donʼt care how they make it or how many people will die, or how much the cancer will increase. I was at a meeting a few years ago and I said that the previous incinerator had caused cancer in this area but no one listened.There is no democracy at all anymore. They do whatever they feel like doing to make money. It doesnʼt matter what it is.” John Cavendish (A local man) “CRAI is not just against the incinerator but against incineration, that is very important. The politicians from the government parties, the PDs and Fianna Fáil are giving us nothing but lip service.”

le, T Bermingham, T Murphy, Philip Murphy, Dan Redmond. Front Row: OʼConnor, N OʼReilly, C Rooney, F Weafer, W Hopkins, Kelly, Des Byrne, Kennedy.

On the other hand… * Dr Dieter Schrenk consultant to the World Health Organisation and the German Federal Environmental Agency believes that if a waste incinerator is properly managed and if controls are properly enforced there are no health risks for the surrounding community. He suggested that we should be asking questions about the levels of emissions so that the impact on local health can be accurately assessed. * Dr Hendrik Van Der Kamp, Head of Planning and Development in DIT Bolton Street and Senior Inspector with An Bord Pleanala said that most of the emphasis is on the inceration side of things, but such a plant would also be able to supply energy, which might be regarded as a positive outcome. * Frank McDonald, Environment Editor of The Irish Times, said that thermal treatment plants work very well and safely in other European countries but he felt that the same level of conﬁdence in the authorities does not exist in Irish society. * The Environmental Protection Agency monitors emissions from plants around the country and if any of these emissions rise over the approved level, inspection teams are brought in. The above is taken from the views of experts in the Record of Findings of the Ringsend CIG prepared by Mercator Marketing Research in October 2002.

PAGE 30

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

The Fontenoy Files Proposed Incinerator causing much concern among our members

By Shay Connolly

here are a lot of anxious people in our club at the moment. The club sees itself in the business of recreation and health for young people. We train and compete around the green ﬁelds of Sean Moore Pk and Ringsend Park. Is this healthy pastime to be destroyed by possible emissions from an incinerator right on our doorsteps? Will people send their children down to the club to be next door to an incinerator? Lots of serious debate lies ahead among our members and a meeting is to be called shortly to see what effective action our club, a club that has been in the area for almost 120 years can take. There are serious questions to be asked and we intend getting answers. Sorry folks about the last edition. Depression set in and it was hard to remove it. Why depres-

sion you may ask? Well I think I lost the run of myself in the previous edition. We had just won three finals in the latter end of 2005 and were contesting three more in early 2006. I forecast victories in all of these. Guess what happened. Yeah… We lost all three! The first one up was the Murphy Cup Junior Football final. This was fixed along with the Intermediate Football final at the same venue at Naul in Co Dublin. It was a horrible wet and grey morning as we left Ringsend for the long journey to the Naul. Apart from a spell in the first half, we were never in contention for the Murphy Cup and St Maurʼs were worthy winners in the end. But the big one, the Intermediate final was the one that all our hopes were focussed on. We had a brilliant campaign throughout the league and already had beaten our opponents in their own back yard early on.

IF WE cannot afford the high-rise prices of a riverside apartment, at least we can look forward to long, warm Summer days when we can, at last, sit by the Liffey on the new, stainless steel benches or follow the new cycle paths into Town.

It would be fair to say that we were raging hot favourites but favourite tags are not something we would be used to and from the very start we had problems with our shooting boots. We kicked 14 wides in this match and as the game progressed it became evident that this was not going to be our day and we were beaten by 5 points in the end. The long road back home was paved with disappointment. Still we had one last chance to gain promotion as we were now in the play-offs. Alas, all confidence was gone at that stage and we lost by 2 points in those playoffs. It had been a wonderful season up until those last two matches. Indeed, if score difference was applied to the league we would never have had to play off at all as we were 40-odd points ahead of our play-off rivals. The club would like to pay a huge tribute to Albert Hannon. Albert took over this team three years ago. The state of play at the time was that we had lost four or five top players and no one expected anything from this team. Indeed, relegation was a word that was mooted strongly around the place. However, Albert brought them to the play-offs in the first year and every year after that. Unfortunately, luck departed him at the crucial stages but no one can doubt the massive improvement he brought to the whole set-up. A measure of the man is that he has not walked away from us and is now training the U16 ladies football team and is also helping out with Gareth Saundersʼs U13 team. The last final we had to contest was the Junior hurling league final. Buoyant by their Championship win and promotion, the young lads gave it their all in their quest to land the double. With a couple of minutes to go the sides were level but Rahenyʼs experience prevailed and they got the last two scores to run out winners by two points. Some of the hardiest young fellows I have ever trained on a hurling pitch were reduced to tears in the dressing room afterwards. This told how much it meant to these young lads and

how much pride they had for their club and community. Oh if we could only bottle this stuff and pass around potions of it to every club member. So there you have it folks. Six Adult Finals. Won three and lost three. Two county championships secured and two promotions. You can take what you want out of that but to get to six finals in one year is formidable progress in any manʼs language. Add in a couple of league titles and promotions at Juvenile level and I believe that we can safely say that last year was a huge success. The ladies ran a very successful floodlit competition in the months of February and March. Our own girls lost out by the narrowest margins to Croi Ro nAaofain the semi-final. This competition was held in preparation for the girlsʼ new promoted league campaign. The club is planning to build a new all-weather floodlit surface at the rear of the clubhouse with a hurling wall. This area is a completely negative area at present with a hive of anti-social behaviour taking place at present. All we seek to do is to turn this area into a positive one where, instead of youths engaging in drinking and other irregularities, we will now see youths engage in all types of healthy recreation. As usual this area will be accessible to all members of our community. The annual presentation night held in the Holiday Inn was a tremendous success. Expertly organised by PRO Jacqui McDonald everybody thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Chairman Pat Kane addressed the packed crowd and told all what a wonderful year it was for the club. He said it could not have been possible to achieve what we achieved without the help of our Sponsors Dublin Port Co and the input of the DDDA over the years. He continued that there was much hard work ahead for all concerned but if we stick with the project and with everyone on board we can reach the pinnacle of our dreams. Joe Burke, Chairman Dublin Port Company responded that his company were delighted to

be involved in such a worthwhile community project and that the work that Clanna Gael Fontenoy had done for many years in this area deserved to be acknowledged in the highest fashion. Matt Bolton DDDA, Joe Burke and Stephen OʼShaughnessy presented the following with their player of the year trophies. Inter Football: Morgan OʼSullivan Inter Hurling: David Early Camogie: Antoinette Maguire Ladies Football: Sinead Vivash Junior Football: Thomas Joyce Junior Hurling: John Fitzgerald Minor Football: Bernard Lawless Minor Hurling: Cormac Connolly (For all the frolics on the night please see ʻBackchatʼ column) Inter footballers have got their new campaign off to a ﬂying start with two good wins against Naomh Mearnog and Good Counsel. It was great to see Shay White back in the club colours and some of his superb split passing in that match against Good Counsel as well as a beautifully taken point brought an extra dimension to our attack. The club also warmly welcomes back Anthony Darcy and the experience of both these players should help enormously throughout this yearʼs campaign. And in case Stephen Mulreaney starts sulking because I didnʼt mention him, he got the goal of the season so far and it will be hard beaten for the rest of the year. Inter hurlers under the new management team of Mick Fitzgerald and Ray Murphy have a lot of good work under their belt before the season starts. The Juvenile section is all up and running and match reports can be viewed throughout the year in this column. So we start off the new season once again in the hope that we can move forward to the very top of competition in Dublin GAA. Whilst winning is always sweet it is the participation that is foremost in our minds as we continue to provide recreation for hundreds of young people in our area.

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006 But before I leave this chapter folks, please let me share with you the terrible dilemma that the club faces at the moment and that is the forced emigration of the finest upstanding young people from our Club and community to the suburbs of the county and beyond. These young people who grew up in this area are simply not able to afford to buy homes in this area anymore. They are not even close to the finance required for a mortgage. Instead, they have to fulfil their dreams miles and miles away. The sight of Brian Nicholson after a recent hurling match not being able to warm down after this match painted a thousand pictures. Instead, he was running frantically to catch the last DART as part one of his journey home. And Brian and his like are doing this three and four times a week out of loyalty for their club and area. How long can they keep that up? This area needs a social and affordable housing plan put in place immediately so that just like the country itself not so long ago we will be not be exporting our young and finest to other areas. This is one for the politicians so you know where to put the pressure on. Backchat: * Congratulations to Therese Nicholson on winning the ʻOverseas Dublin Supporter of the Yearʼ award. Therese, a lifelong loyal supporter of the Dubs said she was overjoyed at such an accolade. After the recent infamous Dublin v Tyrone match in Omagh, Therese was so incensed at the unjust penalties

PAGE 31 dished out to the Dubsʼ players that she jammed every switchboard in RTE. After many failures Therese, like the rest of us resigned herself to the fact that if you are from Dublin you are discriminated against in the GAA world. * Also worthy of an award is local schoolteacher and Clannʼs player Kevin Munnelly. Kevin has been nursing fellow schoolteacher and fellow Clannʼs player Brian McDermott back to full health. Kevin can be seen regularly in the shops around Ringsend acting the nanny. Heavy on his shopping list are Kleenex for Mayomen, Bonnyconlon eye drops and Castlebar cough sweets. We wish Brian a speedy recovery * Poker classic in the form of ʻTexan Holdʼemʼ will be held in the Clubhouse on Thursday 20th April in aid of the Juvenile section. I believe you can win a fortune! Tickets from behind the bar or from Shay Connolly. * The Camogie section ran a very successful Quiz night in the clubhouse recently. Under the new Management team of Robin Booth, Conor Dodd and Paul Kennedy they have targeted ﬁnance as one of their objectives in the new campaign. All other teams please take note (Hint, Hint). The team would like to thank the following for their sponsorship on the night: Action Hire, American Holidays, Blasting & Painting Services, Rayʼs Shop, Yacht Public House, Clarkeʼs, Chris Andrews, James Morriarity PR, Ianelliʼs Takeaway, Jack Hayes and FleishmanHillard. (Gee they must have got close

on a million with those names!) * Sincere condolences to the Murphy, Byrne and Kelly families on their recent sad bereavements and also to Noel McDonagh on the death of his father. * The Christmas presentation night held in the Holiday Inn lived up to all its expectations. I forecast in the last edition that this was the night when all hairs hang down. I was my usual self, earwigging, eye squinting and nose sniffing. What I heard, saw and smelt was enough to fill this paper for a year. The amount of snogging that went on was hard to believe. It was as if the entire adult squad spent the night with gay abandonment. All alcoves, nooks and crannies around the hotel were engaged with players from all sides. In actual fact, some relationships born on the night are still blossoming. I had intended naming and shaming but all concerned coughed up with brown envelopes just in time. * DJ every Friday night in the club for our adult section with DJs Jonathon Rooney and Stephen Reilly * Special bar prices for members in operation every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. * Please see our advertisement on Page 11 of this paper regarding recruitment. * The Ladies football section recently paid a visit to their twin town Cappawhite in Tipperary where they etched out a draw against the burly natives. When asked about any scandal on the trip I came up against a wall of silence. Me thinks a bit of earwigging, eye squinting and nose sniffing is in order! Have a nice spring!

St. Matthew’s National School Summer Fair and Art Exhibition Cranﬁeld Place Saturday 27th May 12pm to 3pm ALL VERY WELCOME!

Children’s Green Theme Art Exhibition Cakes, Bakes and Homemade Produce Go-Karts • Bottle Stall Pet Competition • Wheel of Fortune Plant Stall • Lunches and Barbecue Little Tots Creche AND LOTS MORE! Telephone: 6603145 • Website at www.stmatts.ie

PHOTOGRAPHS NEEDED A low-budget ﬁlm is to be shot in Ringsend in May by Ringsender Pat Larkin as a pilot for a TV series ʻThe Coal Boat Kidsʼ based on a group of children around 1970 growing up in Ringsend. Pat needs photographs of people and places in the area around that time to use as stills at the beginning of the ﬁlm. If anybody has any photographs of Ringsend around 1970 Pat would be very anxious to see them and would return them all. If you can help, please bring your photographs in to ʻNewsFourʼ, 15 Fitzwilliam Street, Ringsend.

Calafort Átha Cliath

REMEMBERING CHARLES KENNY AT IRISHTOWN STADIUM

Dublin Port Company Port Centre, Alexandra Road, Dublin 1.

Telephone: 887 6000, 855 0888 PHYLLIS BYRNE is pictured below the plaque which was unveiled recently at Irishtown Stadium in memory of her father Charles Kenny, who was a director of Shelbourne FC and the original founder of the Stadium site. Also present among the group were Father Michael Coady, Eoin Ryan TD and Chris Andrews.

Fax: 855 7400 Web: www.dublinport.ie

PAGE 32

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

R INGSEND

THEN AND NOW By Maggie Neary

ingsend was the first planned village suburb of Dublin and had the No.1 electric tram servicing the area. St. Patrickʼs Villas was the first estate in Dublin to transfer from gas to electric power. Could Ringsend merit a first in the upcoming Dublin City Neighbourhoods Competition? Marks in this competition are awarded under the criteria of: built environment; absence of litter and dereliction; landscaping; culture and tradition; co-operation and communication; overall impression. Over the past decade Ringsend and its environs have been the focus of all sorts of high-powered attention. Developers have swooped down Pearse Street, along the backsides of Ringsend Road and into the heart of the village. Poolbeg, with its Great South Wall slowly yields

itself up to Sewage Plants, Incinerators and those who plan mini cities. Residents, and blow-ins like myself, react with varying emotions. Yet nothing and no-one can escape the reality that there is no stopping this march of 21st century progress. A local business man I spoke with says that Ringsend has a proud history with some of its buildings dating from the 1700s. During the last century the area was neglected, which resulted in the deterioration of buildings and public amenities. The Celtic Tiger has brought changes not only to the look of Ringsend but also to the aspirations of residents both new and old. The business man himself envisages the Ringsend of the future as an attractive business and shopping centre, with the image of the village being boosted by the restoration of the buildings along Ringsend Road to their original brickwork and the reinstating of traditional-style sash

“IT’S

windows and shop fronts. With strong lobbying of politicians and public ofﬁces, the area could be benchmarked for improvements such as high quality pedestrian streets, improved footpaths, new street furniture and an upgrade of public lighting that would enhance the church, river and older street areas. He did comment, however, that attention needs to be exercised so we do not end up with changes as inappropriate or dangerous to the safety of the community as the pavement work recently put in place around

the library and Thorncastle Street. Liam Handy, well known retired Ringsend butcher, is devastated by the recent remodelling of the village. This took place under the Ringsend Improvement Scheme, now being referred to locally as the Ringsend Disimprovement Scheme. In his 40 years working behind the library Liam came to see that area as the ʻvillage greenʼ of Ringsend. He recalls how the older generations, known as ʻthe Ringsend Dáilʼ gathered on the outdoor library benches, how the convenient parking offered easy access to library facilities and

how excitement grew amongst the various groups when they convened to await the hired buses that would whisk them away to their individual outings. Liam has seen the new arrangements discourage, or abolish completely, many of these communitygathering opportunities. He believes that election time is the best time to get politicians and councillors to listen, and encourages people not to feel helpless but to get out there and state their case loud and clear. Above; Bridge Street, Ringsend in the 1940s.

NOT ALL DOOM AND GLOOM”

Aidan O’Donoghue asks local residents what they think of the changes in the area…

ingsend has undergone many changes in recent years. Efforts have been made to improve the area and there is evidence of this in the new footpaths being laid on the main streets. Trees have been planted, the library transformed and Bridge Street boasts some beautiful-looking shop fronts which hark back to an earlier age. Yet much work remains to be done. Litter is an ongoing problem and it has been suggested that the corporation are planning to urge the people of the area to consider taking part in the Tidy Towns competition. This would result in a cleaner and better-looking Ringsend, complementing the many changes undergone by the village in recent times. We asked local people for their opinions on these and other matters… Helen Yourell looks at the area outside the church and she is not happy. “Itʼs downright disgraceful. The road and what is supposed to be the path merge into one. Itʼs very dangerous.” She fears for the

safety of pedestrians and worries about what might happen if things remain as they are. “There were four metal bollards there and now thereʼs only two

there because cars have crashed into them. That corner is a deathtrap.” Sheʼs lived in Ringsend a long time and knows what she is talk-

ing about. Although she is unhappy about some of the changes that have been made, there are others which she feels have improved the area, like the library and the shop fronts on Bridge Street. “I like the library, Iʼve lived across from it all my life and I think itʼs beautiful. It could do with some plants around it but the kids would wreck them.” Bridge Street looks good but the Chinese takeaway looks awful– it wouldnʼt cost them that much to do it up.” Helen thinks that there is a lot more to be done, pointing out that poor lighting and litter are problems which need to be addressed. “The street lighting is rotten, there are rusty poles all over and we donʼt have enough lighting at night. Then thereʼs the cigarette butts littered everywhere and the drains that donʼt work properly. They really need to do something to sort those things out.” Anna Goad has other concerns. With all the work that has been going on, she has lost a lot of her trade, and nobody in the Corporation seems willing to discuss these

matters with her. “The paths are wider which can make it impossible when youʼre driving. On top of that theyʼve put in a bike path right outside my door, so locals can no longer pull up outside and come in to buy their paper. So much of my trade is passing trade and they took that away from me. I had a lot of hassle when they were building the path, I lost so much business that they might as well have told me to take two weeksʼ holidays.” Anna is frustrated at what she sees as a lack of consultation. “I donʼt think theyʼre thinking of the people who have to earn a living. Not once did they come and discuss things with me or ask my opinion on anything and that is disappointing. The library is lovely and they are on the verge of improving the place but they need to think of the people more. Iʼve rung them over 20 times to talk to someone about this and not once has anybody returned my call.” There are good things and bad things about these changes, she says. And itʼs not all doom and

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

PAGE 33

‘NEWSFOUR’ BIDS FAREWELL TO ANN INGLE T

By Grace McKenna

he catchphrase around the ʻNewsFourʼ office has always been “this is a good news newspaper”. It was invented by Ann Ingle, our editor, who believes thereʼs enough bad news in the world without having to read about it. Well regretfully in this issue, we bring not so good news. Due to the fact that FÁS do not pay employees over the age of 66, Ann has to leave the ʻNewsFourʼ office. It seems unfair, when people like Ann, who are passionate about their work, are pushed out due to a small technicality like age. Years prior to landing the job as FÁS supervisor, Ann had worked voluntarily with Sandymount Community Services. She was delighted when her application for supervisory position was successful but was under no illusion that her new role would prove challenging. Annʼs career background was mainly in business and administration and not in the media. But thanks to her English degree and love of reading, it wasnʼt long before Ann mastered the art of editing. Speaking of her ʻmature studentʼ days, Ann recalls the huge anti-climax she felt when she graduated. “I expected to walk out of Trinity a genius!” laughs Ann. “Instead I walked out much the same as I walked in!” It wasnʼt long before Annʼs presence in the ʻNewsFourʼ office brought about change. As a result, colour pages were introduced, the ʻNewsFourʼ website was set up and the paper is now producing six issues annually. Through all the hard work,

Annʼs fun-loving nature always prevailed, especially at high pressure times when ʻNewsFourʼ was about to go to print. Ann upheld the idea that ʻNewsFourʼ was a ʻcommunityʼ newspaper. People mattered more than story content. “I think you can tell a good story– without upsetting anybody,” says Ann, speaking about how media infringement of privacy is unnecessary and unethical. This same level of care and respect was extended to staff and absolutely reciprocated. “Everybody has something to give and part of my role as supervisor is to bring out the best in each person,” says Ann, talking about the great satisfaction she has gained from helping people into further education and other employment. Ann doesnʼt ﬂinch on the subject of retirement. It is something she intends to embrace and make the most of. She is op-

“IT’S gloom. “Iʼm all for the docklands project and my kids have benefited from it, but itʼs all ʻbuild, build, buildʼ and Ringsend is changing, what with people moving in and the kids here not being able to afford housing.” Local man John Byrne is happy with the footpaths. “I like what theyʼve done with the footpaths, itʼs far better than the way things were as far as Iʼm concerned. But I canʼt say the same about the library– itʼs taken away the character of it.” What he doesnʼt like is the volume of traffic coming through Ringsend and the lack of planning that goes into developments. “Weʼve too much traffic coming through and I donʼt think there should be any heavy vehicles coming through this way. Thereʼs no protection for the people in this area: when you think of the incinerator and the traffic issue itʼs all

very haphazard. They improve the footpaths for walking on but thatʼs about it.” John thinks that a Tidy Towns campaign might be possible but the corporation must make the ﬁrst move. “Itʼs up to each individual. If they lead the way and lead by example there might be a chance. The corporation is falling down on their commitments. Theyʼre not enforcing the law when it comes to litter and you canʼt expect people to be cleaning up other peopleʼs rubbish.” “The only law around here is the clampers, everyone apart from motorists can do what they like. The corporation left bins but they werenʼt emptied often enough so the whole thing collapsed. Thereʼs not enough law and order to enforce any of these initiatives.” Mary Connolly looks at the footpaths with puzzlement. “I donʼt think much of the

timistic and says “Who knows whatʼs in store for me. In any case my eight grandchildren and the one on the way will keep me busy.” Ann has experienced great sorrow in her life. The tragic death of her husband Peter, meant rearing her children single-handedly but without compromise. “I gave all my children conﬁdence– if I didnʼt give them anything else,” says Ann recalling how hard times did not deprive her family of the important things in life like comfort and love. Walton Mountain it was not, but sitting around the dinner table every evening has kept Annʼs family close. Ann will be sorely missed by all her staff, most especially Miriam and Eugene who she has worked closest with. All here at ʻNewsFourʼ ofﬁce would like to wish Ann much love and happiness in the future.

The Dublin City Neighbourhoods Competition THE DUBLIN City Neighbourhoods Competition, previously known as Dublin City Councilʼs Tidy Districts offers an opportunity for communities such as Ringsend to pool the resources of residents and businesses in a combined or individual effort to enhance their environments. This is an area-based competition which selects the best out of each of the five Dublin City Council Areas. The winners of each category qualify for the following yearʼs National City Neighbourhoods Competition. The categories cover best school, new housing developments, apartment complexes, mature estates, traditional urban villages, retail and commercial districts. The overall winner of the 2005 Dublin City Neighbourhoods Competition was awarded to Boyne Street Residentsʼ Group, a neighbourhood which is situated close to Ringsend. Cllr Byrne, Lord Mayor of Dublin, presented the residents with a cheque for €1,250 and praised the community effort that had made their area a bright, clean and cheerful place. The Lord Mayorʼs chosen theme for her term of office is: ʻWhat we do alone remains a dream, but what we do together becomes a realityʼ. The details for the 2006 competition will soon be finalised and will be advertised in the newspapers. The closing dates for the receipt of applications should be around the 26th May. Information about the competition can be sourced at www.dublincity.ie or email: bernie.illis@dublincity.ie

NOT ALL DOOM AND GLOOM”

footpaths. Just look at all the dirt around the place. Theyʼre supposed to drain the water when it rains but it doesnʼt work and thatʼs a problem for the people in the

houses alongside the footpath.” “I like the trees if only people would leave them alone. The library looks pretty good but that sloping wall alongside it is an eye-

sore.” She likes Bridge Street but laments the need for security measures. “Bridge Street looks great and I think other businesses should follow suit and go for the traditional look. The only problem is the metal shutters outside businesses. I wish that they werenʼt there but thatʼs the times weʼre living in.” Mary supports the idea of a Tidy Towns effort. For her it means a chance for the whole community to pull together as one. “The Tidy Towns is a good idea but everyone would have to work together. Shops would have to keep the outside of their premises tidy, and the same for all those chippers around the place. “Itʼs a question of responsibility and every single one of us has a part to play.” The new Ringsend: Left, the Raytown Bar and far left Rebecca Murphy and Lauren Mitchell outside the Hobblerʼs End.

PAGE 34

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

T HE

EGGSPERTS ’ CHOICE

E ASTER

EGGS GET THE TASTE TEST dark chocolate, if however you donʼt… keep your money in your wallet. GREEN AND BLACK COCOA RICH MILK CHOCOLATE EGG. Price: €6.49 Weight: 110g Presentation: 5/10 “Dark and depressing, what has blue got to do with Easter?” asks Ann. Chocolate quality: 4/10 “Disgusting after-taste” says Grace. “Organic chocolate? I couldnʼt give a rats. Chocolateʼs chocolate!” says Fergal. Eggstras: none. Verdict: Safe to send to distant friends living overseas maybe, but for people you see on a regular basis… maybe not.

By Jessica Fitzgerald

tʼs that time of year again. And with Easter being a time of reflection, is there a better way to reflect than with chocolate? Everyone loves their chocolate, and Easter is a great time for a little indulgence in the good stuff– mounds and pounds of the good stuff, in every shape and size. The most common chocolate concoction at Easter is the egg, bought and exchanged as gifts on the day by friends and family all over the country. But why an egg? What does an egg have to do with Jesus Christ, sacrificing his life to save mankind? Yet an egg is the symbol of rebirth in many cultures. It symbolizes fertility and new life. In fact, the Easter egg tradition predates the Christian holiday of Easter. The exchange of eggs in the springtime is a custom that was centuries-old when Christians first celebrated Easter. Shockingly for us chocoholics, itʼs not always chocolate eggs being exchanged. Different cultures developed their own ways of decorating Easter eggs. In Greece they colour their

eggs crimson, to honour the blood of Christ. Austrian artists design beautiful patterns by fastening ferns around the eggs, which are then boiled leaving a striking white pattern. Probably the most amazing masterpieces are Ukrainian eggs, or Pysanki eggs. They are decorated using a wax resist method; the elaborate designs are not painted on but written on with beeswax. Yes, some cultures really go to town producing works of art for eggs at Easter, but when it really comes down to it I think the majority of the modern-day world lives for chocolate eggs, some masterpieces in their own right. They are devoured one by one, children bragging about how many they consume and how much they have left to savour. And with all the different assortments, fillings and flavours, one should make the most of their Easter and choose the best eggs. After all, it is only once a year. Our team of intrepid tasters bravely tested out a selection of the eggs on offer this year. Hereʼs the outcome. Just use this guide wisely and remember, never judge a book (or an egg) completely by its cover.

Tasters: Ann, Brian Rutherford, Grace McKenna, Fergal Murphy and Brian Kelly TOBLERONE Price: €8.99 Weight: 285g Presentation: 5/10 “Big box for a cheap egg,” says Ann. “Lazy, didnʼt make use of the Toblerone shape,” remarks Grace. Chocolate quality: 6/10 “Bland, standard, very ordinary,” says Brian. Eggstras: Toblerone sweets Verdict: An ordinary egg, nothing to write home about. CELTIC MINT CRISP Price: €9.25 Weight: 310g Presentation: 8/10 “Looks expensive,” says Brian R. “I like it because itʼs very Irish, good slogan too,” says Brian K. Chocolate quality: 7/10 “You either like dark chocolate or you donʼt,” remarks Grace, as Fergal bites into it and makes a shocked look of disgust. “Its nice and rich,” says Brian K. Eggstras: Box of Irish mint chocolates. Verdict: Great if you like

BUTLERʼS IRISH CHOCOLATE EGG Price: €9.95 Weight: 275g Presentation: 5/10 “Washed out, it looks like a mutant bunny rabbit!” says Grace. “Horrible looking, sickly, anaemic,” says Fergal.

Chocolate quality: 8/10 “Quality shines through,” says Brian R. “Premium, richer,” says Brian K. Eggstras: chocolate truffle eggs Verdict: Despite its rather weak appearance, you canʼt deny the strength of this chocolate. CADBURY EASTER EGG DELIGHT Price: €14.99 Euro Weight: 487g Presentation: 8/10 “Not your usual egg,” says Brian Rutherford. “Lovely colour, attractive pack,” Says Fergal. Chocolate quality: 7/10 “Too sweet,” Says Grace. “Nicest so far, full of flavour, creamy,” says Brian Kelly. Eggstras: Inside the main egg is another smaller egg, and inside this are small ʻflakeʼ pieces. The whole egg is sitting on a bed of ʻMini eggsʼ. Verdict: Itʼs the priciest and although a tad too sweet, this egg was by far the favourite with our tasters. An eggsellent result!

Pride of Ringsend, Shamrock Rovers Supporters Club SHAMROCK ROVERS have a rich history and association with Ringsend. The club was founded on Shamrock Avenue which is now the square, in 1901 and the area has provided the club with many players over the years. They have won 24 FAI cups and there was a Ringsender on the team every time. Now David Cassidy from Ringsend is a member of the Rovers first team squad. There is now a supporters club which had its first meeting on 10th February. They met at Gleesonʼs pub which is at the back of the Vintage. The Club is open to all ages and membership is €15 a year for adults and €5 a year for children under 18. The club has 40 members and is your ticket to all of Shamrock Rovers matches via minibus. Rovers play on Friday nights at 8 pm in Tolka Park and the trips will be the same when the team moves to Tallaght. The club visits the away games too and all excursions leave from Gleesonʼs. The Supporters club was the brainchild of Ed Saul and James MacClean. They are Chairman and Assistant, Justin Mason is Treasurer. New members are welcome. Rovers were relegated from the premier league last year and are now first division, but the clubʼs excitement and support is still as strong as ever. Pride of Ringsend, Shamrock Rovers Supporters club meet on different nights but you can reach the treasurer James Mason at 087 6613727 for all details. By Brian Rutherford

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

PAGE 35

THE POETRY PLACE

The Dreamer

Oh, to have little ﬂat, To own a DVD iPod and all The radiator upon the wall Listening to it heat up the bedroom and hall Knowing that my home will be warm and cosy in No time at all Steeping under my instant shower, Wrapping myself up in my preheated gown. Slipping into my warm bed, Knowing in my head that all the tech Will turn it off once I fall asleep To have a clock so wonderful and silent That wakes me up to the sound Of humming birds. During the day I could be busy, Watching TV or listening to music From my high Tec system. But instead I type up my CV, Hoping one day to get a job, As a program engineer. No need for my friends and I To be quiet as we party Long into the night, For not a sound can be heard For miles around, Nor from my nearest neighbour Who lives three metres away. But alas itʼs all a dream, For when I awake Iʼm still in OʼConnell Street, Wrapped in that tattered quilt, Waiting for a kind passer by To spare me a few cents To you big guy I pray, With these few cents Iʼll spare, To win the jackpot Would relieve my pain. And with that I promise you Iʼll share with those who are the same as me. By Fatimah Alaya Kenny, student at Scoil Mhuire (This poem is her modern version of ʻThe Old Woman of the Roadʼ)

My daddy’s a skeleton My daddyʼs a skeleton under the ground in the grave where thereʼs room for more; I wonder will Sister Death telephone ﬁrst or just barge in at the door when she comes for me in her black limousine with her black dog at her heels, and will I have time to pack my bags before the death-knell peals? Will I be like Marie who swam for two hours on the day she was taken away, or more like Janet who had a few months to get ready and have her say? Will I be like Laura who went for a nap at home, and never woke up, or Rosie who lingered for over a year while sipping the fatal cup? Will I ever be ready, I muse today, as I lie in my cosy bed, will I always be needing a little more time to get things straight in my head? By Dorothy Molloy (From Gethsemane Day, recently published by Faber)

Age is a quality of mind

Age is a quality of mind If you have left your dreams behind If hope is cold If you no longer plan ahead If ambitions all are dead Then you are old. But if of life you make the best And in your life you still have zest If love you hold No matter how the years go by No matter how the birthdays ﬂy You are not old. By Anon

For Pope John Paul II Some said you should retire and maybe they were right. Yet the faith your persistence showed brought solace and strength to many. Itʼs true you grew too old to steer a rudderless church but to the outside world you were a Christ ﬁgure stretching arms to embrace suffering, serene in your role at the centre of maelstrom. By Brian Power

Leaving He studied hard, wanting science points. Quiet reading time. Not always out with lads at week-ends. He saved his pocket money. For his dreams of a motorbike. He would be seventeen soon and after the Leaving, he and his dad would make his dream come true, whilst his mother prayed. Sweet music, as her son sped down the road. There would be sunny days before the university. The breeze would embrace him, Delivering pizzas to each smiling face. Motherʼs sigh of relief. The lorry driver didnʼt even feel the bump. Timʼs short life. Motor cycle wheels still spinning Departure morning– mournful pals. Tearful girls with ﬂowers. Leaving, science points– some answered prayers. By Paddy Kavanagh As always, we welcome contributions to The Poetry Place, which can be sent to the ʻNewsFourʼ ofﬁces at 15 Fitzwilliam Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4.

Walking the strand

An anniversary reminder made me search for you. They told me you were out walking the strand with your dog– and your acid-sweet memories? I followed and missed you yet you made me take a walk along Sandycove promenade saluting sentinel herons on their seaweeded rocks transmitting messages of stark endurance. I imagined you come running towards me with your collie but had to settle for James Joyce starting his journey to eternal fame from his tower in Sandycove to his rock at Sandymount where he listened for the bell of the Star of the Sea benediction. By Brian Power

Easter Her father said “The sun dances on Easter morning” “If youʼre up early enough” Had he seen it? “Why?” “Out of joy” “The Resurrection” She wondered Did it whirl? Were there streamers? Forks of light? Did it bounce across the sky Like a yellow balloon? Free No string “Pray between Friday and Sunday. Youʼll get what you want” “How?” “Jesus goes to heaven He brings the requests with Him” She knew what sheʼd ask for. By Carmel McCarthy (Apologies to Carmel as her last poem ʻGood Morningʼ in our February issue was attributed to Carmel Maguire)

Elm Tree They buried him in a plot Under the elm tree She watched and stood apart From all the rest. And as the family stood digniﬁed The howling winds and harsh elements Stood all around them Engulﬁng their now Windswept hair and clothes Now mingled with tears. The one that stood apart Numb with the cold, pain and grief Had always watched And stood apart So that no-one could see The pain that had always lived within By Dolores Duffy

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NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

Donna the Florist 51a Donnybrook Road, Dublin 4

D ONKEYS

D OCKLANDS

Donna Ryan, Interﬂora Award-Winning Florist has now opened her own ﬂower shop

Flowers for all occasions • Donna carries a wide range of exotic ﬂowers and plants • Also a wedding specialist

Opening Hours 9 am to 6 pm Monday to Saturday 11 am to 4 pm Sunday Telephone: 2194555 * Fax: 2611799

GEORGEʼS DOCK in Dublinʼs Docklands played host to a herd of ﬁfty donkeys during the St Patrickʼs Festival. The donkeys were a collection of life-size photographs by internationally acclaimed photographer Oliviero Toscani. Toscani was born in Milan and studied photography and design in Zurich. He was the creative force behind some of the worldʼs most successful brands, most famously the United Colours of Benetton. In 1990 he created ʻColoursʼ, the worldʼs ﬁrst global

magazine. His work as fashion photographer appeared in such magazines as ʻVogueʼ and ʻHarperʼs Bazaarʼ. Toscani opened the exhibition, a documentation of Portuguese donkeys, no longer part of the urban and rural landscape, having lost their main function as a means of transport. This wonderful exhibition also served to highlight the work of Irelandʼs Donkey Sanctuary, based in Mallow, Co. Cork. By John Cheevers

The Shelbourne House 2 Shelbourne Road, Dublin 4 Telephone: 6676380

Sunday lunch 12 mid-day to 5 pm Weekday lunch 12 mid-day to 3 pm Evening meals 5 pm to 8 pm

Music Friday, Saturday and Sunday Pool and Games Room upstairs– weekly competitions coming soom DJ Eddie on Saturday night playing 80s music

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

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F ATHER P ETER M C V ERRY “The objective is to do myself out of a job”

By Fergal Murphy

r Peter McVerry has recently received a lifetime achievement award from Meteor, which included a cheque for €100,000, in recognition of the good work he does with the homeless and people with addictions in our society. I caught up with him recently to talk about the past, present, and his hopes for the future. Peter, what directed you into this line of work? By accident, I was working in Summer Hill with young people and youth clubs. I became aware of a small number of youths who were homeless. I decided to open a small hostel for six kids aged 12-16 but when they were over 16 they were out on the streets so we opened a hostel for over 16s, then over 18s, then a detox centre and two drug-free aftercare houses, so the answer is we saw a need but by accident. Do you feel that your work is successful? I think that it has helped some young people. For a number of young people we have had a huge impact on their lives, for some very little inﬂuence on their situation and for others no effect at all. Overall, I would say in the majority of instances we have made a considerable im-

RNLI

pact on the lives of those we try to help. What would you like to achieve? I would like to ensure that through government policy adequate services would exist and that homelessness would be abolished. So the objective is to do myself out of a job. What would you say is the biggest block to achieving this? Well thereʼs a few: the ﬁrst being the shortage of long-term housing available to the homeless means that they remain with

the same homeless services for many years. But homeless people have other issues. The inadequacy of mental health addiction services and therapy to deal with unresolved childhood traumas means that people ﬁnd it very difﬁcult to overcome multiple problems that are facing. We also have to change the attitude of society to homeless people. The homeless are just like anyone else with the same dreams, hopes and fears and are entitled to the same respect and dignity from society as anyone else.

WALK A GREAT SUCCESS

Do you feel there is a lack of compassion in todayʼs society for the homeless and addicts? I think that people are scared because they donʼt know them. Some can be very difﬁcult and aggressive, but most simply want to be treated no differently than anyone else. What would you say has changed most about Dublin in the last twenty years? The breakdown of community– in the past many people who became homeless were known and looked after by the community. With the breakdown of community they now ﬁnd themselves isolated, alone and dependent on homeless services which can sometimes be very depersonalising. The closure of mental health institutions has led to an increase in homelessness amongst people with mental health problems. Do you feel there are adequate services to deal with todayʼs problems? No. Services have improved enormously over the last ten years because we have money to improve them but there are still enormous gaps and most importantly there is a lack of coordination between services. So people go for addiction to one service, mental health to one and employment to another. There is need for much better co-ordination. Do you think anyone cares? I think people do care but people feel powerless to know what to do. I often get calls from people to say going in to work they pass the same young person in the same doorway, what can they do? And to be honest I donʼt know, apart from giving money to a charity or writing to their lo-

cal TD but even if they do that the guy will still be there tomorrow. Powerlessness can look like not caring but people do care very much. What are your plans for the money you received from Meteor? We need to fundraise over one million a year to keep our services going. So the money will mean a little less pressure to pay salaries, ESB bills, buy food, etc. Everything we need as running costs. How did it feel to achieve such an award? I feel a bit uncomfortable; it seems to suggest youʼre doing something over and above others. There are people like Alice Leahy in Trust who have been working for as long as myself and are just as deserving of an award like that. We have a whole staff and by highlighting one individual… well it doesnʼt seem right. However I donʼt want Meteor to think Iʼm ungrateful. Iʼm pleased and happy to remind people that homelessness is still with us. Welcome Home Charity is a registered charity set up to raise funds for Fr. Peter McVerry to enable him to provide services for young homeless people in Dublin. They raise funds by appeals and events such as a Golf Outing on May 5th and the Wexford Cycle on September 16th. You can help by participating in these events or by making a donation. Welcome Home, 9 Annsbrook, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14, Telephone: 2830745, Fax: 283 0746, Email: info@welcomehome.ie, website: www.welcomehome.ie

SANDYMOUNT HOME HELP SERVICE Do you have two to four hours free every week and would you like to earn some extra money?

PHOTOGRAPHED ABOVE are some of the local people who took part in the annual Howth to Dun Laoghaire walk to raise funds for the RNLI. This was a very successful day which raised over €7200 and money is still coming in. I wish to thank all those who took part this year and also all those who supported them so generously. I would also

like to express the sincere thanks of all the walkers to the Stella Maris Rowing Club for opening their facilities and offering much needed refreshments to all who were taking part in the walk. Michael Dunphy, Honorary Secretary/Treasurer, Ringsend Irishtown Branch RNLI

We pay you €13.01 per hour (gross) to visit and care for vulnerable elderly in the community For further information, phone Brenda Dempsey at 087- 9292119

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NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

M ULTIPLE S CLEROSIS S OCIETY OF I RELAND ’ S A NNUAL MS S WIM

Tenors And Basses Tenors and Basses – St. Andrews Choir, Westland Row, are looking for you! Yes You! We rehearse on Thursdays from 8 to 10pm, and sing Mass on Sundays at 11.30. If you are interested contact the Parish Ofﬁce @ 6761270

THE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS Swim has been running for over 15 years, and is an excellent opportunity to have fun with friends, family or colleagues, while raising essential funds for people affected by Multiple Sclerosis. It is taking place in Marian College Swimming Pool on Sunday 7th May from 11 am to 5 pm. Swimmers can enter as a team of up to six or enter as an individual. Each team is allocated a lane and will have half an hour to complete a

sponsored swim. Swimmers of all ages and levels are welcome. Itʼs free to enter the swim, and all swimmers are provided with sponsorship cards to assist in collecting sponsors or donations. In 2005, participants raised over €11,000 through sponsorships and donations. To enter a team, please visit www.ms-society.ie/swim/index.html. For further information please contact Carlie Blake at MS Ireland on 01 678 1612.

NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

T HE

PAGE 39

ISLANDS IN THE MIST

By Brian Rutherford

he islands that surround the coast of Ireland hold stories, characteristics and breathtaking rock forms, crashing waves and bird life. At the beginning of the twentieth century, more than one hundred Irish islands were still inhabited. Today, barely thirty have year-round populations. Aran is in the middle of Galway bay, 30 kilometres to the north of Co. Clare and 30 kilometres to the south of Connemara. It is very popular with tourists from all over the world who travel to it all year round. On it lie the ruins of a fortress, named Dun Aengus. There is not much left of the fortress, but the remaining wall is a good windbreaker while you admire the magniﬁcent cliffs below. Aran has two other islands alongside it, Inishmaan and Inishsheer. Each island is made of limestone. Inishmaan is still inhabited as is Aran. The island of Owey in Donegal is 1 kilometre from the shore. Itʼs called sheep island, because farmers keep them there in order to lay claim to the island. It was left vacant in 1977 when the last of its inhabitants left. Aranmore is another island off Donegal. It is ﬁve kilometres long and four kilometres wide, and lies four kilometres from the mainland. In 1834 it had a population of 1,141 people. Famine then destroyed a large part of the population. Because of some families leaving for an island in Lake Michigan due

to land rates on Aranmore both islands are now linked across a great distance. It still has inhabitants to this day. Clare island, just off the coast of Clare, next to its neighbour Inishboﬁn is still also inhabited. It has bed and breakfasts if you feel like a break and here the weather is reported as great. Inishturk, translated means the island of the Hog, with a population of eighty people. Itʼs famous for ﬁshing and there is always plenty of it going on. It too has a few bed and breakfasts. This island smacks of prosperity. Friar island, beside Inishshark is a beautiful and wild island, once home to a hermit and, as with other islands off Ireland, is home to dol-

phins and seals. Inishshark itself has a macabre past, with sons of ﬁshermen drowning off it and men dying of illness on it. Due to violent storms the islanders decided to leave for houses on the mainland in the 1960s. It is now deserted. Caher island is supposedly the burial place of Saint Patrick and you can see why. There are ruins of ancient churches, burial stones and stone crosses and Croagh Patrick can be seen in the distance. This island is situated in Clew Bay and is uninhabited except for pilgrimages. Its history dates back to 441. The Great Blaskets are off Dingle in Co. Kerry, with Inishbro and Inishvichillane owned in recent times by Charles Haughey. The Blaskets themselves are famous for

their writers , the great Peig Sayers being one of them. In 1953 the Great Blasket was abandoned by its inhabitants and now only 3 people live there, a weaver, a German women and her friend. These two run a youth hostel, so itʼs there if you feel like holidaying on the western-most point of Europe. An American, believe it or not, owns one third of the island. The Skelligs are granite islands off Co. Kerry with a monastery from the sixth century. The Vikings attacked this monastery several times and killed the monks by leaving them on rocks to starve to death. The famous 670 steps from monastery to sea are still there, which the monks descended each day to

S AMUEL B ECKETT C ENTENARY F ESTIVAL THIS APRIl sees the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Samuel Beckett (pictured right). In Dublin throughout April and beyond there will be numerous events held as part of this centenary festival celebrating the writerʼs artistic achievements One of Irelandʼs foremost writers his work is stark, minimalist and deeply pessimistic. It is about human nature and the human condition with the pessimism eased by a great and often impious sense of humour. His later work explores his themes in an increasingly cryptic but composed style. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969 and was elected Soai of Aos-

dána in 1984. From novels to poems to one act plays, Beckett was a master of many genres. His works and powerful influence on other artists will be showcased in an exciting festival dedicated to celebrate the life of this incredible man. The Beckett Centenary Festival takes place throughout April and promises to be a unique celebration of one of Irelandʼs most influential writers. The exciting programme of events will include exhibitions, performances of his plays, screenings of films relating to his work, musical recitals and a five-day Beckett Symposium at Trinity College. For more information check out: www. beckettcentenaryfestival.ie

Aosdána The Arts Council established Aosdána in 1981 to honour those artists whose work has made an outstanding contribution to the arts in Ireland. Membership of Aosdána, which is by peer nomination and election, is limited to 250 living artists who have produced a distinguished, original and creative body of work. Members must have been born in Ireland or have been resident here for ﬁve years. The current membership is 208 and membership is now open to architects and choreographers. A number of members are recognised by their peers for outstanding achievement by the title of Saoi which is held for life. No more than ﬁve current members may be so honoured at one time.

fish. It was abandoned in the thirteenth century and is today one of the most famous places in Europe for pilgrimages. It is also home to the largest colony of gannets in Ireland and there is an ornithologist there all summer as a guide for tourists. Dursey island off Co. Cork, with its cable car joining it to the mainland, is a neighbour to Bere island. The cable car hangs 85 feet above the sea, holds six people and takes 6 minutes to cross. The weather is good due to the Gulf Stream. It is 6.5 kilometres long and 1.5 kilometres wide. This island is a relative paradise today, but it is where the Vikings kept the Irish as slaves and itʼs also where the forces of Elizabeth I pushed the Irishwomen, children and men off its highest cliffs into the Atlantic. The island has only seven inhabitants today. On Bere island in 1796 a battle between Wolfe Tone, a fleet from Napolean Bonaparte and an English fleet took place. The Irish and French lost, with the result that the British garrisoned the island until 1938. The port of Castletownbere which was built as a military stronghold by the British after this battle also served as a watch over this part of the Atlantic and was a port for American shipping during the First World War. This island now holds a steady population and the Irish Army train there. Ref: The Islands of Ireland, by Nutan a renowned photojouralist, published by Thames and Hudson (ISBN 0-500-51258-2) The picture above shows the Beacon outside Baltimore in West Cork overlooking historic Sherkin Island, which is inhabited.

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NEWSFOUR APRIL 2006

S UE B RADY ’ S MUSIC , SIMPLE AND PURE

ue Brady is one of those artists oft described as intrepid, daring or brave. One who looks beyond the horizon and into the distance and who thinks to them self, what lies beyond? She is an explorer, but in place of lost cities or long forgotten tribes, her ﬁeld of possible dis-

covery is music. Sue, a soprano, along with two friends Geraldine Meade and Jennifer OʼNeill (soprano and mezzo-soprano) have together created a new music group called Animae, a Latin word meaning Souls and in Latin pronounced any-na-mayah. Sue, Geraldine and Jennifer have their sights ﬁrmly set on

success but will keep their initial reason ﬁrmly intact. “For us itʼs not about doing lots of concerts and making lots of money,” says Sue, “Itʼs about discovering what repertoire is out there and what can be done with three singers who blend and listen to one another.” Of the musical genres that they will perform one is ʻEarly musicʼ which is music composed around the 16th century. It is a particular favourite of Sueʼs and of the group. “It is very unaffected vocally. There isnʼt much vibrato and there arenʼt any unnecessary emotional swells and dynamics. Itʼs all very simple and pure and that is its main attraction for us.” While the three singers intend to place particular emphasis on Early music they will also continue exploring different styles and periods. “There is a lot of repertoire that we all want to sing. From classical to jazz, so our concerts should be an interesting blend of different genres and different types of music.” They plan to initially perform ʻa cappellaʼ (unaccompanied

voices; from the Italian meaning ʻin church styleʼ) but will not rule out the possibility of instrumental accompaniment. The trio also plan to perform new music and are looking at the possibility of commissioning Irish composers to compose new works for them. This presents an exciting challenge. “Contemporary Music can be very difﬁcult

to take on but thatʼs what I love about it. You need to work a little bit harder to get the piece under your skin to understand and appreciate it. Of course this means that the audience too has to work a little harder.” The trio plan to record a Christmas album which will feature in Sueʼs words “unusual” Christmas Carols from around the world.

N EW B ARBERS

R INGSEND

BARBER Morris McCartney gives a trim to Pearse Redmond at the newly-opened Ringsend Barber Shop at 24 Thorncastle Street, Ringsend.

Clyne’s Master Butchers 13 Fitzwilliam Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4 Tel: 6680456

Spring Lamb for Easter *** Chicken and Beef Stir-Fry Made fresh daily *** Mexican Tortilla Wraps *** Southern Fried Chicken Drumsticks

Award Winning Chicken Kievs *** Chinese Spare Ribs *** Our Own Make 1/4 lb Beef Burgers *** We hang our Beef for 14 days

S ELECTION OF FRESH VEG • S ELECTION OF FRESH FROZEN FISH • S ELECTION OF FRESH MEAT PIES