News Four June 2005

JUNE 2005

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

HERE COMES SUMMER!

T

he recent spate of good weather has gone to our heads here at ʻNewsFourʼ and we wanted to devote our front page to news of some of the great Summer events that are happening right on our doorstep.

The Docklands are alivealive-oh! The Docklands Development Authority has pulled out all the stops to ensure June is a special month for us all.

To be or not to be, thatʼs the question! The Docklands Shakespeare Festival is the perfect chance to get reacquainted with the work of the Bard without having to go too far. Itʼs a six week festival featuring French travelling theatre company Footsbarn which brings two Shakespeare works ʻPerchance to Dreamʼ and ʻThe Tempestʼ to a purpose-built 500-seater marquee

theatre afloat in Georgeʼs Dock in the IFSC. The festival runs from June 14th to July 3rd and you can find out more about this thespian shin-dig inside ʻNewsFourʼ on page 18.

Ship ahoy! The Maritime Festival is bound to be hugely popular because the last time the tall ships came to the docks they were a bigger hit than even the organisers could have imagined. During the festival the ships berthed on both sides of the quays and were open to visitors for tours.

Sailings on the ʻJeanie Johnstonʼ will be available on Friday, June 17th.

A food market and Art Exhibition on the Campshires will be held along the quayside. The market will hold over 40 stalls selling an array of fresh produce, breads, sweets, flowers, crafts, clothing and jewellery.

Other activities will include RNLI Sea Safety Show/ Demonstrations, childrenʼs activities, face-painting, wall climbing and young pirate competition. Itʼs all happening from June 17th to June 19th.

Sink or swim! Two more water-based events are taking place on the Liffey this month. The traditional Liffey Swim (above) is scheduled for June 25th for all those brave enough to take the plunge.

The Docklands Liffey Challenge is a yacht racing contest which takes place on July 22nd.

For more information on all these events log onto www.docklands.ie or on 01 8183300.And donʼt forget– from July the Docklands area will be even easier to access with the new Sean OʼCasey pedestrian bridge.

Have a great Summer!

CLEAN-UP TIME

Pupils from St. Matthewʼs School in Irishtown recently took part in a big litter clean-up in the locality. Shown above at work on Sandymount Green are, on left, Brendan OʼNeill and Dylan King.

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NewsFour Managing Editor Ann Ingle Advertising Manager Grainne McGuinness Staff Rose Hogan Frances Corr Maggie Neary Patrick Duffy Denis Murphy Brian Kelly Kate McAlister Lisa Berigan

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

The Editor’s Corner

IT FEELS as if summer has really begun and we hope you will be out sitting in the garden reading this edition of ʻNewsFourʼ.

As always, there are lots of interesting articles and photographs. You are sure to know somebody! Shay Connollyʼs heartfelt and honest report of the current situation in Clanna Gael Fontenoy should be of interest to many of you concerned about the welfare of the young people of the area.

On page 4 Battie White has made a statement regarding odour complaints especially for ʻNewsFourʼ readers.

You may remember that I had an opera-

tion on my arm last October which resulted in my not being able to walk (donʼt ask).

Well the good doctors in April decided that I was not healing sufficiently and decided to do it all over again. May went by for me in hospital, recovering and now nearly back to normal. The staff here in ʻNewsFourʼ were as usual able to take the reins and run with the paper. If we have left something out that you particularly requested please forgive us this time and get in touch.

We will be back again in August with more local news and stories. Please donʼt forget we love to hear from you at 6673317 or email: newsfourscs@eircom.net.

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.

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.

Ask for Mary or Billy.

CALLING ALL PAST PUPILS OF MARIAN COLEGE

Music Correspondent Brian Kelly

Photography John Cheevers

Swimming in Sportsco

For further Info just call over any Sunday between 11am-&-1pm.

Contributors Derek Buckley James O’Doherty Austin Cromie Patrick Purcell Shay Connolly Michael Hilliard Rodney Devitt Derek Sandford Sammy Best Niall Feery Partick Maguire George P. Kearns Christy Hogan Father Alan Hilliard

Web Designer Andrew Thorn

SHELBOURNE PARK RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION LTD

Relay for Life in Irishtown Stadium Postponed The Irish Cancer Society ʻRelay for Lifeʼ, which was planned to take place in Irishtown Stadium on Saturday 18th June, has been postponed. There are a number of other fundraising events taking place in Dublin city around the same time, including the Ladiesʼ Mini Marathon on 6th June, and the organisers of the ʻRelay for Lifeʼ feel that the event will attract more participants if it is held at a more suitable time.

The Irish Cancer Society would like to assure you that the event will be taking place at a later date, and ask that you please contact us if you are interested in taking part, on Callsave 1850 60 60 60 or email fundraising@irishcancer.ie.

For more information on the ʻRelay for Lifeʼ visit www.cancer.ie

Volunteers required for Summer Project If you can be of any help to this very worthwhile venture Please contact: Peter Tobin at 6604789

Above: Some of the helping hands behind the scenes at the recent Special Olympics event at Irishtown Stadium.

MARIAN COLLEGE is celebrating 50 years with a Past Pupils Black Tie Dinner Dance on Friday 28th October in the Burlington Hotel.

The organisers are very anxious to get in touch with all past pupils. If you are interested telephone 6684036 or email: past pupilsmariancollege@eircom. net with your name, leaving cert year and phone/email details.

Your year representative will then contact you.

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

We pay you €11.55 per hour (gross) to visit and care for vulnerable elderly in the community For further information, phone Brenda Dempsey at 087- 9292119

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

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

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‘CPAUGHT B OD N C AMERA ’ C HOTOGRAPHS

Y

OCKLANDS

HILDREN

Geraldine M. Lynch (formerly of Irishtown Road)

By Brian Kelly IN 2004, the Dublin Docklands Development Authority launched a photographic initiative aimed at school children and students in the Docklands area.

1200 disposable cameras were given to fledgling photographers with the instructions being to record a snapshot of their immediate environment. One year on and the best efforts from the initiative have been released in an attractive, well-designed book entitled ʻCaught on Cameraʼ.

The photographs produced are like a reflection of the childrenʼs own lives: happy, carefree, spontaneous, joyous, but also thoughtful and poignant in places. The DDDA won an Allianz Business and Arts Award for this initiative.

Overall, the book succeeds in capturing a real sense of what life is like for young people in inner-city Dublin today.

A limited edition of ʻCaught on Cameraʼ is available from the Dublin Docklands Development Authority offices, Custom House Quay, Dublin 1. Telephone 8183300. Priced €25.

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

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NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

The Letterbox Dear Madam Editor The Dublin 4 Special Olympics Club has just been born!

We are looking to recapture the spirit of the Special Olympics (SO) in Dublin 4 by setting up a local club and weʼd like NewsFour to help us let the community know!!

Over the last few months a handful of residents from all over Dublin 4 have been getting together and have formed a new SO club for those with learning disabilities in the area (In conjunction with S.O. Ireland).

Our aim is to establish the SO club and get as many athletes as possible involved (and extra volunteers as the club grows). At this stage we need to get some publicity to get the ball rolling.

Our initial goals are to: 1. Locate and recruit potential athletes and find out which sports they would most likely to participate in.

2. Source local sports clubs that would provide their facilities and possibly coaching 3. Run a competition for local National schools to find the Club a more appropriate name and have a reception for the winner.

4. Try and source some funds to support the club.

Any assistance we can get to help us achieve our goals and create awareness will be greatly appreciated.

Yours sincerely, Ailbhe OʼBriain Contact Details with NewsFour. Ed

Hi Folks, My wife and I enjoy reading ʻNews Fourʼ which was sent regularly by her aunt until her death and we do miss it. My wife was brought up in Pembroke Cottages, Ringsend by her Grandparents after the death of her mother. We married almost 42 years ago and May came to live in Glasgow my home City.

We frequently made trips back to Dublin and visited the old places which I have grown to love.

Can you please advise me if you have a postal subscription that would enable to let us have copy as it is printed.

Yours sincerely, Sam Ritchie Your name has been added to our mailing list. Ed Dear Madam Editor Thank you for the untold pleasure that you give to people like myself, who love the place of their birth, through News4. Now that we can get it on your web site it is like a slice of heaven. Keep up your great work. I hope to be over there later in the year as I have a son in Dublin and he is loving it.

All the best Dick Pollard Dear Madam Editor I have read with interest the many articles from James OʼDoherty in your newspaper over the last few months. It is great to get such varied and enjoyable articles about our city.

There is a wealth of history in our city and a shame that so many of

us know so little about it. I particularly enjoyed reading about the Christmas Tree in OʼConnell Street and the Stardust Garden.

Memories abound.

I remember James when he was a young man showing great talent for all things of nature. Many a day I walked through Merrion Square over the years and saw the fruits of his labour.

I look forward to reading more from him through your excellent newspaper.

Regards Michael Farrelly Youʼll be pleased to see another article from James in this issue, Michael. Ed Madam Editor I recently visited Ringsend, Sandymount and Irishtown after a gap of almost 50 years for a stroll down memory lane.

My father Michael was born at 45 Irishtown Road in 1903 where my grandparents lived until it was demolished to build George Reynolds House. My grandma then moved to 38 Stella Gardens opposite the river Dodder.

As a child between 1946 and 1956 every year I spent the 6 weeks summer holidays in and around Irishtown and Sandymount, cockling on the shelly banks and playing on Sandymount Strand. The recent visit brought back many happy childhood memories and also reminded me of the tales my dad told of Star of the Sea school and his apprenticeship as a bottle blower in Ringsend bottle works.

Thanks for a very interesting newspaper and it will certainly not be another 50 years before I visit again.

Best Regards Alan Wylie Kent

Statement to News Four SINCE THE Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Works was opened in June 2003 there have been intermittent odour problems with the Works which have given rise to complaints from local residents.

Some of the odour complaints related to teething problems following the commencement of operations, and these have been substantially resolved. Other odour problems were dealt with by the installation of additional odour control equipment prior to the summer of 2004, which did result in some improvement to the situation over that of summer 2003.

Dublin City Council accepts that there are still odour control issues at the Works which must and will be resolved. We are working actively with the Contractor, the ABA Consortium, to resolve the outstanding issues. As part of this process, Dublin City Council have engaged international consultants Camp Dresser McKee (CDM) to carry out a comprehensive independent review of the odour control systems at Ringsend, and to recommend measures to resolve the odour control problems once and for all. The review by CDM is in progress and their draft report will be available at the end of June. In the meantime the Contractor ABA is required to manage and operate the Works to ensure that unacceptable odour emissions are eliminated, or reduced to the absolute minimum, so as not to inconvenience local residents.

The review by CDM will recommend further measures to be carried out at the Ringsend Works to resolve outstanding odour issues.

Dublin City Council is committed to carrying out whatever measures are necessary in cooperation with the Contractor, in the shortest possible time.

The Ringsend Treatment Works is an advanced plant incorporating innovative technologies resulting in a high quality effluent from the Works, which has very positive benefits for Dublin Bay. Ongoing analysis of the water, and indeed visual evidence of swimmers, divers, sailors and other users of the Bay, all confirm that the water quality in Dublin Bay has improved very significantly. Dublin Bay has been awarded two Blue Flags for 2005, Dollymount and Seapoint.

We very much regret that, despite these positive developments, there have been odour emissions from the plant which have caused nuisance to local residents. Whatever needs to be done to resolve the problem will be done, in the shortest possible time.

There has been media coverage recently regarding plans to expand the Ringsend Treatment Works. It was intended from the start that the Works would be built in two phases. The EIS for the Works, published in 1997, indicated that treatment capacity could be updated by the installation of additional reactor tanks and equipment provided sufficient land was made available. The Contract documents, prepared in 1998, provided for an area of 0.8 Hectare to be reserved for future construction of works to treat additional flows related to the ultimate design year (2040).

The Assessment of Needs Study approved by the City Council in 2003 included the Ringsend Treatment Works Expansion. In May 2004 the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government published their Water Services Investment Programme (2004-2006) which again includes the Ringsend Treatment Works Expansion.

It is intended that the odour problems at the existing Works will be resolved before the expansion of the Works on the reserved 0.8 Hectare area is commenced.

Battie White Deputy City Engineer June 9th 2005

LITTLE BO PEEP

L

By Rose Hogan

ittle Bo Peep Pre-School in Sportsco, Ringsend has been up and running for the last two years now with great results.

Pauline and Eimear who run the PreSchool for children from two up to school-going age have a very professional and organized schedule keeping the children busy during their day.

Set in bright, colourful surroundings the Pre-School is well equipped with everything necessary for the childrenʼs educational development. The introduction to languages

(French and German) which Pauline incorporates into the day is also beneficial as young children have a great ability for soaking things up at this early age.

Alongside games, art, puppet

shows, yoga, and basic computer work, the children still found time to take part in the Danone Toddle for charity. For the second year running they toddled around their lovely, safe green area outside, which they have

access to every day.

The Danone Toddle is a new fundraising event where children get to help other children around the country by raising vital funds for Barnardoʼs, Irelandʼs leading

childrenʼs charity.

On Monday afternoons from 2 to 3pm there is a free Mother and Toddler group in the Pre-School room available to any young mothers in the area. Birthday parties can also be booked for Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The Pre-School is separate to Sportsco and is open to all NonMembers.

Pauline and Eimear are delighted to announce that sometime later in the year, around August or September, they are expanding their business to the new Irishtown Stadium, where they will provide a full dayʼs service for toddlers from 2 up to school-going age with a hot meal included.

If you have any queries regarding Little Bo Peep you can contact Pauline on 086 0582864.

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

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NEW BUILDERS’ AND GARDENERS’ HEAVEN

THE NEW buildersʼ providers on Pigeon House Road is proving to be a great success. The business recently opened and Marie Fitzgerald from AIB Bank Sandymount was there to welcome them to the area. Marie is enthusiastic about new local business ventures in the area and wishes the proprietors every success.

Martin Byrne, on behalf of the firm, presented Marie with €500 towards an operation fund for a local boy.

Ringsend Builders Providers is a one-stop shop for all your building requirements selling timber, sand, cement, plaster, etc. There is also a very impressive garden centre with plants, garden sheds and decking available. This new venture is badly needed in the area and is a great source of local employment. Take a trip to 85C Pigeon House Road and it might just set you off on a spot of DIY for the summer or encourage you to brighten up the garden.

CYCLONIC OUTING!

SOME OF the participants from the large number of cyclists taking part in the recent Docklands City Cycle. It is hoped the leisurely evening cycle round central Dublin will become an annual event.

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NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

DA VINCI’S MASTERPIECE

By Denis Murphy

L

eonardo da Vinci left his home in Italy behind him forever in the autumn of 1517 and crossed the Alps on the back of a mule along with all his possessions into France.

Here he would spend the remaining two years of his life. French king Francis I had made him an offer that sixty-year old Leonardo Da Vinci found too irresistible to refuse: a fixed pension, payments for his works and a luxurious chateau for his home, where he could enjoy the freedom to “dream, work and think.”

In his possession he had three of his own paintings, one which is now popularly known as the ʻMona Lisaʼ.

Her most famous characteristic is the enigmatic smile that appears as if it is for you alone. Her legions of fans number into millions and they constantly besiege her home, just to obtain a glimpse of her face.

Being over five hundred years old, she is a survivor and a very famous one. Kings, queens and emperors, have feted her and in her lifetime she

was also kidnapped and assaulted. Yet through all these ordeals, she never lost her smile, which has enchanted everyone, who has ever gazed on her face.

Her home in Paris is the Louvre gallery, where she has resided for nigh on half a millennia. She recently moved to a new €4.81 million room specially built for her.

The architect, Lorenzo Piqueras finished the walls in beige earth tones, re-opened two windows looking onto the Louvreʼs courtyards, restored the skylight and improved air conditioning and acoustics. She made her last journey to Moscow and Tokyo in 1973 and the Louvre officials say she will never again be allowed to travel.

Mona Lisa was the wife of Florentine merchant, Francesco di Bartolommeo del Giocondo, which gives the alternate name to the masterpiece ʻLa Giacondaʼ. Leonardo only completed about a dozen paintings in his lifetime and in all of his copious notes there is not one mention of Mona Lisa.

On Tuesday 22nd August 1911 when the Louvre opened for sightseers it was found that her painting

was missing. In the week following the theft the gallery director Homolle was sacked. More people showed up to look at the blank space on the wall, than had ever viewed the painting during her whole stay there!

Twenty-seven months later it was discovered. An Italian, Vincenzo Perugia, had attempted to sell it to the Uffizi gallery in Florence for $100,000.

To steal the painting he had hidden throughout Sunday night in the Louvre in an obscure room unknown to many, creeping out in the early hours of the morning when the gallery was empty. He cut the canvas from the frame, coming to a locked door he unscrewed the doorknob and walked out into the pages of history. When questioned by the police following the theft his easy-going calm demeanour finally settled their doubts that he could possibly have been involved.

The portrait of Mona Lisa revolutionized painting, introducing the half-turn that has now become almost universal. The subtle blending of colours and tones was instantly copied by Raphael and many others

Iannelli’s 6 Bath Street

of the Renaissance.

After Leonardoʼs death on May 2nd 1519, the painting was bought

by King Francis I of France for 4,000 gold coins and displayed at Fontainbleau.

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

New Constituency Office: 60 Upper Grand Canal Street, Dublin 4.

(Above Washboard Launderette, opposite Slattery’s)

Fresh Fish Daily • Home Made Pizza Kebabs • Southern Fried Chicken Delivery Service Available 6.30 to 11.30pm

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

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

O NE

PAGE 7

MAGICAL NIGHT IN

D ALYMOUNT P ARK

By Denis Murphy

D

uring the 1950s the highlight of the soccer seasons were the Inter-League games between Ireland and England. These were not only soccer matches but also gladiatorial contests, with national pride at stake.

One memorable Wednesday night ignited a fire in Irish hearts that would leave a long, warm glow, remembered with great pride by all who witnessed the wonderful, exciting soccer ballet performed that evening.

The proud Irish part-timers performed a miracle competing against the créme-de-lacréme full-time professional English Football League eleven. The venue was Dalymount Park and the date was 19th September 1956.

The English eleven named that night was: Matthews (Coventry), Hall (Birmingham), Byrne (Man. Utd), Clayton (Blackburn), Wright, Capt. (Wolves), Edwards (Man. Utd), Astall (Birmingham), Quixall (Sheff. Wed), Taylor (Man. Utd), Violett (Man. Utd) and Grainger (Sheff. Utd). On paper they looked extremely formidable and an unbeatable combination.

The Irish eleven named for the game was: OʼCallaghan (Rovers), Burke (Rovers) Crawford (St. Pats), Dunne T,

M ARIAN

(St Pats). Mackey Capt. (Rovers), Nolan, (Rovers), Conroy (Transport), Peyton (Rovers), Curtis (Shelbourne), Hamilton (Rovers) and Tuohy (Rovers).

The most famous English sports reporter of that time was Henry Rose of ʻThe Daily Expressʼ. Henry wrote in his column that morning that if England did not win by five clear goals, he would eat his hat.

Before the game commenced Henry Rose was introduced to the crowd of 32,360. He waved his bowler hat in the air and bowed to the four corners of the ground. He smiled and bowed his acknowledgement to the packed masses. With his black bushy eyebrows and thick moustache, he could easily have passed for Groucho Marx.

In the first half Ireland kicked into the schoolhouse

end and in a frantic start were one-up in minutes when Touhy crossed a hard, low shot across the goal. Matthews could only parry it and Hamilton swooped in to net the loose ball.

Excitement among the home fans reached fever pitch as they swayed with joy. Dalymount was delirious with ecstasy as the supporters danced on the terraces.

Four minutes passed and England were level when Quixall scored. Four minutes later Taylor gave them the lead with a wonderful headed goal from an Astall corner. In the 38th minute Violett blasted past OʼCallaghan, to make it 1-3.

The crowd was somewhat subdued as the half-time whistle blew. While the players trooped from the field two spectators at the halfway line were in conversation. “What

PAST PUPILS CELEBRATE

are you looking so down in the mouth for, Jembo?” “Jaysus, 3-1 down and still forty five minutes to go.” “I wouldnʼt worry too much about that, shure theyʼve been beating us for over seven hundred years, whatʼs another three quarters of an hour!”

Whatever the Irish team manager said at half-time seemed to have a galvanizing effect on them in the second half. Curtis and Hamilton began to run riot with the English defence. They set about the English team like starving vampires as they went for the jugular.

It was seesaw soccer as England fought to impose domination on the lowly part-timers.

They began to play fancy party tricks but the fighting Irish were not to be denied.

Fifteen minutes from the end Conroy limped off with cramp

and the home cause seemed hopeless. Hamilton measured a through ball to Tuohy who quickly scampered away, pursued by Wright. As he crossed the ball Curtis bustled the English goalkeeper and Tuohy tearing in made no mistake. 23 and all to play for, the ʻDalymount Roarʼ was in full cry.

Peyton cheekily beat Byrne and passed to Curtis who shot a belter flying past a bemused Matthews. As Conroy limped back to the field Peyton was felled by a brutal Wright tackle.

England then began to fight for their very lives as the huge crowd urged Ireland on. Quality players like Clayton, Byrne and Edwards hoofed the ball into the crowds at every opportunity as they attempted to keep the rampant Irish side at bay.

At the end of ninety minutes England were one relieved team as they left the field of play with their heads bowed low. Hamiltonʼs former Manchester United colleagues sportingly congratulated him for his deserved man of the match performance.

The joyful home crowd roared for Henry to eat his hat.

He ate some of it, but it would be many years later the crowd found out that it was made of liquorice. He was tragically killed in the 1958 Munich air crash, which wiped out many of Matt Busbyʼs first great young team.

Beach Road Tyre Services (Rear Kilroy College)

CAMBRIDGE ROAD, RINGSEND, DUBLIN 4 PHONE: 6683805

Computerised Wheel Balancing Fast Puncture Repair New & Remoulded Tyres Stocked MARIAN COLLEGE Past Pupils Union have organised a special celebratory night to mark the Golden Jubilee of the College. It will take place in the Burlington Hotel on Friday 28th October and it is expected that up to 500 past pupils and

their partners will wine, dine, dance and reminisce about times past with their classmates and teachers. Please contact Ann at the College 6684036 for further information and class contacts or email: marianpastpupils@eircom.net.

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

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NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

AT HALF MOON IN THE AFTERNOON

rious stuff and everyone gave their twopence worth on Pope Benedict XVI. Formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany, he had been installed as Pope that morning, succeeding Pope John Paul II, who had died two weeks previously.

There were diverse views on the new incumbent and while Catholicism is not a democracy the bench at the Half Moon is.

By Christy Hogan

C

ast your mind back to Sunday April 24th in the year of Our Lord 2005.

If you canʼt remember, let me remind you. It was a mighty fine day, at least it was in Dublin.

We were blessed with brilliant sunshine and the world and his wife were out taking in the first decent day of Spring. I headed for my favourite local spot, the Half Moon swimming club on the south wall.

The sun was beaming, the tide was full in and the placid waters were enticing. Alas, I never packed the togs, and skinny dippinʼ these days is dodgy, very dodgy.

There was a time when skinny dippinʼ was the norm and togs were for wimps. Those men who liked freedom while splashing in the briny endured a longer swim on hearing the words “woman on the wall, woman on the wall”.

For now, propriety prevails and togs are obligatory.

I sat on the bench and stripped to the waist. Some of my Half Moon colleagues had already taken the plunge and were sunninʼ themselves and talking and putting the world to rights. Two

dogs, a Weimaraner and a mutt squared up to each other, but it fizzled out and was no more than handbags at Half Moon.

Two ladies sat for a while and we chatted about ʻThe Da Vinci Codeʼ, ʻThe Remains of the Dayʼ and Chris Tarrant, he of ʻmillionaireʼ fame.

One of the ladies recalled the days of a ʻmen onlyʼ Half Moon.

She enquired as to how the transition had come about? “Women just muscled their way in,” I replied. At this there was lots of laughter and one of the ladies simulated ʻmuscling inʼ by pushing her elbows backwards and

forwards and nudging the person on either side of her.

Then we returned to the se-

Just sittinʼ and listeninʼ was an education in itself. The ʻDa Vinci Codeʼ came up again as did

Hans Kung the renowned theologian given the cold shoulder

by Ratzinger.

Two serious walkers with walking poles sat down and unfurled two enormous rolls stuffed with ham and cheese and the devil knows what. They said they were committed walkers and had been to Glendalough the previous Sunday. When replete, the two washed the rolls down with bottles of sparkling water and were on their way once more. Next stop K2, Nepal, I guess.

A noisy moped carrying two fishermen passed by, hopeful of not exceeding the EU quota at the lighthouse. Two beautiful golden retrievers entered the sea at the Half Moon slipway. And having completed their ablutions duly shook themselves over everyone in their wake.

Well, that was just one afternoon at the Halfmoon– education, observance, debate and banter. The Half Moon was founded in 1898. I wonder what marvellous stories have been secreted in the walls of this building over the past one hundred and seven years.

Drawing by Philip Donnelly.

‘S PRING C HICKEN ’ P ARTY

The Yacht Thorncastle Street, Ringsend, 6680977

By Brian Kelly

‘For a Quiet Pint’

THE YACHT pub in Ringsend recently held a party in honour of the senior citizens in the area.

Organised by Bernie Smith, Philip Grey and the late John Farrell of the Old Folks committee in The Yacht, the party was supported by contributions from local business.

The 32 party-going pensioners who arrived on April 5th last, were treated to a night of complimentary drinks, spot prizes for everyone plus dancing and a good old-fashioned sing-song. MC for the night was local man Robert Curtis.

According to The Yachtʼs owners Bob and Monica Prior, the Spring Chicken night– as it was christened– was a great success with the craic and the ceol carrying on until the wee small hours.

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

PAGE 9

ertisement feature - Advertisement feature - Advertisement feature - Advertisement feature - Advertisement feature - Advertisement featu

DRAFT WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN THE DRAFT DUBLIN WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN 2005 -2010 WAS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED ON 18TH APRIL 2005.

The four Dublin local authorities viz. Dublin City Council along with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin County Councils are working together to manage our waste.

The Draft Plan 2005-2010 aims to achieve: 59% RECYCLING: Recycling Centres, Bring Banks, Green Bins and Brown Bins for householders and facilities to recycle commercial and construction and demolition waste.

25% INCINERATION: Thermal Treatment Plant (with energy recovery) at Poolbeg Peninsula proposed for waste that cannot be recycled.

16% LANDFILL: New Fingal landfill required to replace existing Baleally and Arthurstown facilities We all generate waste, at home, at work, at school and when we are socialising, so how we manage our waste affects each one of us.

Written representations in relation to the Draft Plan may be made up to 4.00 p.m. on Thursday 30th June 2005 to: Executive Manager, Engineering Dept., Dublin City Council, Civic Offices, FREEPOST F001, Wood Quay, Dublin 8 (no postage stamp required), or by email to: engineering@dublincity.ie.

All correspondence should be headed ‘Proposed Replacement Waste Management Plan’. ertisement feature - Advertisement feature - Advertisement feature - Advertisement feature - Advertisement feature - Advertisement featu

PAGE 10

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

THE MYSTERY OF THE ‘ASSEMBLY PICTURE HALL’

By George P. Kearns and Patrick Maguire

I

n 1922 the Press Censor ordered that a notice of censorship on all war films be served by hand on the owner/managers of Dublin cinemas by uniformed DMP Officers. When served, the DMP Officer had to file a signed return to his stationʼs superintendent stating that he had served this notice and to further state to whom he had handed it.

The DMP Officers were further charged that should they have any knowledge of a cinema not on the list of cinemas that came with the notices to each station, then the Press Officer should be immediately notified.

While a DMP Officer from the Irishtown station duly served the notice on Mr James F. OʼNeill of 59a Serpentine Avenue the stated

owner of the Assembly Picture Hall which was on the Press Officerʼs list, a fellow officer from the Rathmines Station informed his superior officer that there were two cinemas on Serpentine Avenue, and here the mystery

began.

We have made extensive enquiries and to date have not found one person from the Sandymount area who remembers or knows anything about the Assembly Picture Hall cinema.

We cannot pin-point exactly where the Assembly Picture Hall stood, although all our findings are leaning towards 59a Serpentine Avenue. There is, however, definite proof of its existence on Serpentine Avenue, as there sur-

FIANNA FÁIL

vives an advertisement from an evening newspaper paper of the time.

The Assembly Hall was owned by a Mr James F. OʼNeill who also had an address at St Helenʼs Avenue, Booterstown and we

know for sure that this cinema existed between the years 1913 to 1923.

The other cinema referred to by the DMP Officer could only have been the ʻShackʼ situated at 78 Serpentine Avenue. The ʻShackʼ was the forerunner to the Sandymount ʻAstoria Cinemaʼ which later changed its name to the ʻRitzʼ which in time became the ʻOscarʼ cinema and theatre.

The building concerned still stands and now houses a Mosque.

The ʻShackʼ was in effect a shed, where films were shown and we know that it was operating in 1919 in direct competition with the Assembly Picture Hall. On one occasion it offered its patrons an episode from the ʻPearl Whiteʼ adventure series and a feature film entitled ʻElmo the Mightyʼ, both of which were released in 1919.

James F. OʼNeill also founded the ʻAstoriaʼ and the ʻRitzʼ Cinemas. While some may care to differ, we also have knowledge

and records of the Whittle family and George Jayʼs involvement with this cinema. As a matter of interest, the entertainment on Serpentine Avenue didnʼt centre on cinemas alone, because there once stood a skating rink at number 3, owned and managed

by Joseph Mason.

We would welcome contact with any relative of James F. OʼNeill the founder of the Assembly Picture Hall and the Astoria/ Ritz cinema, and by really pushing our luck any relative of the owner of the original ʻShackʼ cinema.

We are in the process of compiling the history of all old Dublin cinemas which we hope to publish in book form. We are interested to hear about any cinema or venue that showed pictures from that historical 20th day of April 1896 when a moving picture was shown in the ʻStar of Erinʼ Theatre, right up to any cinema that was built in the late sixties.

We would be very interested in any information NewsFour readers might have and maybe a copy of any old photos of cinemas or

advertisements. Perhaps a reader might even have a story to tell about their local cinema.

The fact that we had in the past a skating rink and a second cinema in the Sandymount area, which nobody now appears to remember, is proof positive that a good part of our local history is dying with the older generation. We would suggest that anybody with details of our past history should take a little time and record this in writing and pass it on.

George Kearns has published a book on the history of the Princess Cinema, Rathmines, and some other Dublin cinemas.

Copies at €25 are available by contacting him at 8345811. The book is a limited edition, A4 in size and consists of 200 pages and is available only on a first come, first served basis.

If you have any knowledge to impart on the mystery of the Assembly Picture Hall or history of Dublin cinemas please get in touch either through NewsFour, by telephoning George at 8345811 or by email number to cinelore@hotmail.com

J IMMY AND M ARIE CELEBRATE Chris Andrews and Eoin Ryan T.D.,M.E.P. Working together for our Community

If you have any concerns that you would like to raise with either of us, you can contact us on 087-2851515 or Eoin on 6184375

JIMMY AND MARIE HOPKINS celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary with their extended family, nurses and patients on 10th April at the

Royal Hospital, Donnybrook. Jimmy and Marie, who are from Stella Gardens, were married on 12th April 1955.

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

PAGE 11

R OSSI

HAS THE WRITE IDEA

By Denis Murphy

T

here are many great Irish religious relics, but the most famous and memorable one of them all was ʻAn Bachall Iosaʼ or The Jesus Staff.

The faithful believed that Jesus appeared to St Patrick and handed him the staff on an island in the Mediterranean, before he began his mission in Ireland.

In the Annals of Ulster and the Four Masters, both mention that it was a symbol of Patrickʼs authority here. St. Bernard of Clairvaux described it as ʻcovered with gold and adorned with the most costly gemsʼ.

It was then in the possession of the visiting St. Malachy, Archbishop of Armagh who had had to purchase it from Niall, the usurping lay-primate before he could take up his See. When disputes broke out among Irish chieftains, treaties of peace were

made and signed over it and solemn vows taken in its presence.

It was originally held in Armagh but during the eleventh century it was brought to Ballyboghill, north of Dublin.

In 1173 when Strongbow captured the city he granted the town and the staff to Christchurch Cathedral, where a special shrine was erected to hold it. The Normans and Irish considered it the most important relic there.

The Normans continued the Old Irish practice of having oaths and treaties sealed over it.

During a fierce storm in 1461 the staff miraculously survived when the great east window was blown in, while many other relics in the shrine were completely destroyed.

For the next three and a half centuries making treaties and taking oaths continued in Christchurch. In 1529 the trial for treason of Sir Gerald Mackshayne was held “upon the Holie Massbooke

By Brian Kelly

B

allsbridge resident Rossi Costello could be the southside answer to Roddy Doyle if sales of his debut novel start to take off. ʻSatanʼs Whiskerʼsʼ follows the fortunes of four Dublin twentysomethings who buy shares in a racehorse and watch the nagʼs progress from also-ran to Cheltenham favourite.

Itʼs not a million furlongs away from Doyleʼs prose with its strong Dublin characterisations, rich humour and dialogue-driven narrative.

On the eve of the publication of ʻSatanʼs Whiskerʼs, NewsFour caught up with Rossi to talk some horse sense.

First of all, I have to ask where did the name Rossi come from?

I have always been a big soccer fan so when the World Cup in 1982 was on, I was 9 year old at the time and Paul Rossi, the Italian striker was one of the big stars of that tournament. I was playing football at the time for a local team and someone christened me ʻRossiʼ, because I was scoring a few goals for the team, so I guess the name stuck and I have being using it since.

Where did the idea to write the book come from? and the great relike of Erlonde (Ireland), callid Baculum Christi, in the presence of the Kyngeʼs Deputie, Chancelour, Treaseror, and Justice”.

Less than a decade later, during the Reformation, Henry the VIIIʼs appointed Bishop of Dublin, George Browne, was ordered by the king to gather all the precious jewels and gems from statues and shrines and then have them forwarded to London for his treasury. He carried out the orders enthusiastically and destroyed many of them by burning in front of the cathedral.

Among the priceless pieces destroyed was the irreplaceable Bachall Iosa. One of the few relics that were saved was the heart of St. Laurence OʼToole, which is still in Christchurch.

For the next fifteen years Browne served Henry and his son Edward faithfully and when Mary came to the throne, he repented and was reconciled to the Roman Catholic Church.

On right: Did the staff resemble this crozier of Cormac McCarthy from the 13th century?

I wasnʼt inspired by any writer in particular. It was more a case of having read a novel and thinking to myself: “That was rubbish– I could do better than that myself”. I was privileged enough, a couple of years ago, to be earning good money in London, so I could afford to take time off and actually give the novel idea a proper go.

About the writing process itself. How did you go about working on this book?

In terms of sitting down in front of a computer screen for x numbers of hours per day, that wasnʼt the way it worked for me.

I had no set regime. I just sat down when I was in the mood and worked away for a few hours. Others days, I got nothing done. It was very much a case of going with the flow.

Do you have writers you feel have inspired you?

I suppose if I was describe the style of my writing it would be light-hearted and humorous, so guys like Roddy Doyle and Nick Hornby would be people I admire and maybe be influenced by. I have also read some Marion Keyes– even though blokes are not supposed to like her books– but I always found her style enjoyable. I am also inspired by the bad books I have read!

How did the horse racing theme in the book come about?

I am a horse racing fan and would be keen to get to Punchestown and Leopardstown every now and then, have a flutter and enjoy the day out. But really, the horse racing idea was just the theme to draw the different characters together. The inspiration really was my group of friends and our camaraderie. As I was living in London at the time of writing the book, this was a way of bringing my friends close to me.

Was it difficult trying to get the book published?

It was a fair old slog. I probably sent away about 25 manuscripts, both here and the UK. I think I got 18 rejections back and was down to last few hopes when I got positive news from my publishers. After all the rejections slips, I nearly had a heart attack when I read the good news!

PAGE 12

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

G ROWING

UP IN

F OND M EMORIES

S ANDYMOUNT

FROM

M AY N OLAN

By Rose Hogan

M

ay Nolan from Lea Road in Sandymount wrote to us in our last edition and shared some memories of life growing up in Sandymount. May wrote regularly for Irelandʼs Own back in the 60s and 70s and has kept most of her articles, of which we might see one or two of in News Four in the future. May is the oldest inhabitant of Lea Road, which is situated just off Strand Road and leads down almost as far as Lakelands Convent.

Mayʼs memories stretch back to the mid 1920s when she first went to live on Lea Road with her parents. There were only six houses and it was surrounded by fields. It certainly paints a different picture to the Lea Road of today.

There was no Durham Road at that time and sheep could be found grazing in a field nearby which later became part of Gilford Road. May and her school friend had many a scratched knee from climbing trees in the area.

When they werenʼt climbing trees they might be found cycling along the Strand Road dodging the waves– the tide came right up to the sea wall back then and May got many a good soaking.

ST PATRICK ’ S ROWING CLUB EXTENDS AND REMEMBERS

F

By Niall Ferry

or close on sixty years St. Patrickʼs Rowing Club has remained at the heart of our community. Since 1936 the club has become entwined into the fabric of the area and on a fresh spring morning in late April the club gazed to the future with the opening of their new extension at their clubhouse on York Road.

It wasnʼt only a day for the future though, as the club unveiled a beautiful tribute to the past with a memorial to all the hobblers, seafarers, fisherman and dockers that passed by the Point on their way to work.

Over the years, hundreds of men would have passed the Point on their way to etch out a living on the river or the sea, to catch

the old Liffey ferry to bring them to the North Wall in the days before the East Link Bridge.

Eoin Ryan MEP, a long-time supporter of both the club and coastal rowing, did the honours (right) by snipping the ribbon as ʻthe Paddiesʼ celebrated other great day. It was also a chance for the club to thank their many sponsors. MEP Ryan was accompanied by fellow elected representatives Kevin Humphries and Daithi Doolin.

Their lives and stories inspired John Hawkins into action and the ʻHawkʼ, along with others like Noel Murphy and Brian Maher, created a wonderful and beautiful tribute to the generations of men that earned a hard living from the waters around our area.

Eoin Ryan then snipped the ribbon on the new extension to the club to ensure that the St.

Shopping was done in Leverette and Frye, which was situated on the corner of Sandymount Green where the Spar shop is today, or Findlaterʼs which is now Marioʼs Italian Restaurant. However, the Patrickʼs Rowing Clubʼs future will be a proud one, just like the glory days over the past six decades.

The clubhouse was originally built back in the early eighties as the club went from changing at the side of the slipway at the river to the lap of luxury. Since then the clubhouse has housed and helped many oarsmen and women as St. Patrickʼs went on to dominate the East Coast Rowing Championship.

The extension comes at a critical time in the history of both the club and rowing in general. As trends change in our community, the age-old art of rowing has had to adapt to survive.

The St Patrickʼs Rowing Club has not only adapted and survived but the club has flourished and today remains a vibrant part of the area.

With top quality facilities to match their passion for the sport, the club will no doubt remain at the very top of the coastal rowing heap.

local kidsʼ favourite was Miss Paisleyʼs sweet shop on Seafort Avenue, where you could feast on a variety of sweets, eight for a penny. God be with the days, you wonʼt get value for money like that again.

Whilst walking to School, the Holy Faith Convent on Haddington Road, it was a familiar sight for May to pass the horse-drawn carts which delivered bread and milk to the houses at that time.

The driver would be perched on top as he rattled his way along with his load.

On the odd occasion she did make use of the local transport, which happened to be the bogey tram. This was a topless tram which travelled along Bath Avenue and was specially customized to fit under the bridge at the end of the road. The fare was a penny haʼpenny or three haʼpence as they called it. They were happy days spent in Holy Faith, and May still sees one of her former teachers Marjorie Quinn in and around Sandymount today.

After her school years she went to work for Imco, the dry cleaning company in Merrion, owned

by the three Spiro Brothers– Louis, Harold and Campbell. They eventually sold out to Prescotts but they kept May on, working in their offices in Pembroke Road.

Finding them very generous employers, May continued working for them for over 20 years.

Louis, the oldest brother, had a sponsored programme with Eamon Andrews at the time, it was called ʻThe Imco Showʼ. Some of our older readers might remember it, they called themselves ʻSpotless and Stainlessʼ.

May and her husband Patrick loved to travel and made sure to make the most of this during the years they had together. May has many stories from around the world, but her favourite was when she and Patrick were in Durban St. Africa on Saint Patrickʼs day some years ago.

On the lookout for some festivities in honour of St. Patrick, they spotted a hotel named Killarney, written in big green letters over the top. Convinced that this was where the action was, they went inside. May approached the African gentleman behind the desk and said “Is there anything going on for Saint Patrick today?” To which he replied, “I donʼt know, what room is he in?”.

May has many more amusing stories like this, enough to write a book, and maybe she just might, itʼs never too late.

May is pictured, above left, during a trip to Canada.

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

PAGE 13

VICTORY FOR INDOOR BOWLERS

By Sammy Best

T

he art of Indoor Bowling is a skilful and very competitive indoor sport. We at Ringsend Active Retirement Association are very fortunate to have a first team that excels when representing us in the many competitions during the bowling year.

As Active Retirement members we are proud to be associated with the names of two very talented and excellent bowlers, namely Tommy Hulgrain and Donald OʼBrien.

The confidence behind these two lads is enormous, as is evident by the magnificent success they achieved in winning the DAIBL John Heaslip Perpetual Pairs Competition Trophy 2005.

Assisting Tommy and Donald in the final was Carmel Magee, a bowler of immense skill and expertise, thus ensuring that the John Heaslip

TV

COPS FOREVER !

By Derek Sandford

T

here have been many ground breaking crime series on television usually from America. In the 1950s there was ʻDragnetʼ with Jack We b b ( p i c t u r e d o n t h e

right) as tenacious Los Angeles detective Joe F r i d a y.

We b b w a s a c h a r a c t e r born in 1950s ʻBʼ movies. One of his more impressive roles was as W i l l i a m H o l d e n ʼs f r i e n d in ʻSunset Boulevardʼ. ʻJoe Fridayʼ was another great favourite.

His catch phrase when interviewing witnesses was ʻJust the facts, mam. Just the factsʼ.

Another gem from the fifties was ʻRichard Diamondʼ with a very young David Jansen, a role that launched his long and distinguished career in TV and movie roles. He was perfectly cast as the smooth, hard-nosed private eye in ʻRichard Diamondʼ.

Another hit from this era was ʻPeter Gunnʼ devise by Blake Edwards, with the lead role played by Robert Lansing (shown on the left). Peter Gunn was a debonair

Trophy was on its way to Ringsend once again, having been won by Bernard Flood and Philip Murphy in 2002.

Ringsend has produced many sporting stars in the past but our Association is now honoured and privileged to place the names of Tommy Hulgrain and Donald OʼBrien high on this star-studded list.

We also congratulate other Association members on the success they achieved in 2005.

Tommy and Donald are always there at the ready to pass on the finer points of bowling to other members and this is much appreciated. To be a successful association, special leadership is required.

Ringsend Active Retirement Association has no problems on this front, being guided by our Chairman Bernard Flood and his devoted Committee working on our behalf.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Active Retirement Association contact Carmel Magee at 6688174 Pictured with their trophy are Tommy Hulgrain Donald OʼBrien and Carmel Magee.

D-O-NEE Kitchen Co. RING BILLY AT 087 2706356 OR 6688361 WEBSITE: WWW.D-O-NEEKITCHEN.COM

sophisticate and became an instant hit in the late 1950s.

It was revived more recently with the excellent Peter Strauss in the leading role.

H e r e ʼs t o t h e d e t e c tives one and all– I eagerly look forward to the new batch of policemen and private eyes which I am sure will grace our screen in the 21st Century created for us by the excellent teams of screen writers residing in Hollywood.

FULL RANGE OF BOTH SOLID WOOD AND P.V.C. AVAILABLE WE ARE NOW AGENTS FOR ULTRAGLIDE SLIDING MIRROR WARDROBES

ALL DUBLIN

AREAS COVERED

PAGE 14

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

Ruairí Quinn is definitely not retiring!

RUAIRÍ QUINN TD will be publishing his memoirs this autumn. In late September, ʻStraight Left– A Political Memoirʼ will be hitting bookshelves near you. This has led to speculation in certain quarters that he is about to retire. Ruairí spoke to us recently about the book and his future.

“Iʼm very much looking forward to having my memoirs published– not least in order to have some free time again. I have some great memories of my political career to date, and I wanted to share them with as many people as possible. I also hope that this will give me an opportunity to open up some of the secrecy that surrounds Government in Ireland, and let my friends and constituents see some of the inner workings of the system.”

And is he about to retire? He told us: “Contrary to rumours, Iʼm not retiring just yet. I definitely intend to run in the next General Election and to continue to represent the residents of Dublin South East in the Dáil, and hopefully in the next Government.”

Ruairí Quinn TDʼs book is due to be published in September 2005, and will be available in all good bookshops. ISBN-0340832967, published by Hodder Headline Ireland.

Dublin Port Company welcomes launch of new ferry service DUBLIN PORT Company has today welcomed the launch of the Irish Sea Express daily service from Dublin to Liverpool.

This service, which plans to carry 200,000 passengers in 2005, will complement the 16 ferry sailings per day and 1.4 million passengers who travel through Dublin Port each year.

At the launch Mr. Enda Connellan, Chief Executive Dublin Port Company said: “Tourists who arrive by ferry travel further into the country and spend more per head than their airline counterparts. This new service, which will carry 200,000 passengers per year, will provide a much welcome further boost to this countryʼs tourism revenues.”

More Cycle Support needed CYCLISTS RESPONDED to the governmentʼs announcement that they intend funding a doubling of the number of cycle tracks in Dublin, by calling for an urgent rethink of government policy on how to promote cycling. David Maher, PRO of the Dublin Cycling Campaign (DCC) explained “Cyclists in Ireland certainly welcome the governmentʼs announcement that they are willing to invest in cycling. However, the current policy seems to be that the best way to promote cycling in Ireland is by building more cycle tracks up on footpaths. This is not a view shared by Irish cyclists.”

The current standards, based on the Dublin Transportation Office (DTO) Design Manual, for cycle track design, construction and maintenance in Ireland are extremely low, possibly verging on the negligent. Off-road cycle tracks are beset with hazards to cyclists– undulating surfaces, piecemeal cycle tracks, illegally parked cars and a loss of right of way at junctions.

Maher continued “Our position is that the public road is for all road users. We are in favour of the provision cycle tracks, but only when they are well designed and have the function of prioritising rather that penalising cyclists. What is needed is a radical rethink of road design standards to ensure that our roads are safe for cyclists.”

Key issues that cyclists are campaigning for: • Restrictions on Heavy Good Vehicles (HGVs) and SUVs in urban areas • Cycle friendly junction layouts Enforcement of speeding, drink driving and illegal parking laws • Traffic reduction measures • Implementation of 30 kph in housing estates, outside schools and city centres • Road calming measures

L UNCH T

AT

T HE V INTAGE

By Brian Kelly

hereʼs a suitably old-fashioned feel to The Vintage bar on Irishtown road.

Trends may come and go outside the walls of this hostelry, but inside the décor and the ambience is very much traditional.

The only nod to the present day is the large plasma screen TV, but thankfully it was turned off. A smaller television was silently showing, rather aptly, an old black and white John Wayne movie in the corner.

As I sat down to peruse the luncheon menu, I noticed the photographs and illustrations on the wall belonged to a bygone era. Here was a display of Ireland of yesterday with framed newspaper cuttings heralding great sporting successes of the 80ʼs and 90ʼs. On the adjoining wall, sketches of old Irish screen and stage luminaries looked on, some of whom have long passed on.

I arrived in the Vintage just before 2pm, just missing the lunchtime rush. I also missed the shepherdʼs pie, the last of which was consumed by the hungry office hordes. I settled instead for the dayʼs special: smoked haddock with potato gratin.

The menu in The Vintage has plenty of variety for what is quite a small pub. There is a

D ON ’ T

good choice of starters and main courses, or if you prefer something less substantial, plain and toasted sandwiches are served, all reasonably priced.

My smoked haddock arrived promptly and was well prepared, with the potatoes melted perfectly into the fish. Though I am not a great lover of smoked fish, this particular dish had an excellent taste, and was good value at €8.95.

I fancied something sweet for dessert, so I ordered death by chocolate accompanied by vanilla ice cream.

The Vintage also does a full complement of coffees, which are always an excellent way of cleansing the palette after a meal. In addition to the usual lattes and cappuccinos, they also have something I never came

FEEL THE BURN

across before called a cappucrena which is espresso and foamed milk flavoured with syrup.

I thought Iʼd save that for another day. I settled instead for a tea to accompany my excellent dessert, which was just as filling as the main course.

The bill for my two course lunch was €13.65. My companion, who was on a liquid lunch, remarked that The Vintage was the kind of place in which one could happily while away the afternoon, such is the relaxed, convivial atmosphere in the place.

If you fancy somewhere different from the usual cafes for lunch, The Vintage has a lot going for it in terms of good food, friendly staff and quick service.

I shall return and find out what a cappucrena really tastes like!

–

FEEL FIT !

KEEP FIT takes place each Tuesday afternoon from 2.30 pm in the CYMS Hall in Ringsend. Anyone not up to the gentle movements involved can do the exercises sitting down. Many members of the Keep Fit will tell you that itʼs the cup of tea and a bit of a chat that brings them back each week. New members are always welcome and more information can be obtained from Maura Sweeney at 6607702.

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

PAGE 15

Bad Boys of the bird world

H

By Brian Kelly

a v e a l o o k a ro u n d y o u .

Yo u ʼ l l s e e t h e m e v e r y w h e re . I n o u r b a c k gardens. In our parks. On our ro o f t o p s . A n d r i g h t n o w, c i rcling over my head as I write this.

L o u d , a g g re s s i v e a n d f a i n t l y s i n i s t e r, m a g p i e s a re t h e b a d boys of the bird world. Forget v u l t u re s a n d r a v e n s , m a g p i e s a re s t r a i g h t o u t o f h e l l a n d a re , I ʼ m c o n v i n c e d , A l f re d H i t c h -

B OATS

c o c k ʼs i n s p i r a t i o n f o r ʻ T h e Birdsʼ.

M a g p i e s f i r s t a r r i v e d i n I re l a n d i n 1 6 7 6 , w h i c h w a s a ro u n d t h e t i m e O l i v e r C ro m w e l l a rr i v e d h e re ( s u re l y n o c o i n c i dence). Possibly it was the black markings of the bird which made people superstitious, but f o r w h a t e v e r re a s o n m a g p i e s w e re s e e n a s a b a d o m e n . T h e p h r a s e ʻ O n e f o r s o r ro w ʼ s o o n became associated with them.

To p ro t e c t t h e m s e l v e s a g a i n s t suffering, people began to make t h e s i g n o f t h e c ro s s w h e n a

FOR

magpie was spotted. They would then raise their hat to the bird o r s p i t t h re e t i m e s o v e r t h e i r right shoulder saying “Devil thee, devil thee, I defy thee”.

Dubliners got their first glimpse of magpies in 1852 and t h e y h a v e b e e n h e re e v e r s i n c e .

The city now has one of the highest densities of magpies in t h e B r i t i s h I s l e s . T h e y a re t h e 8th most populous bird in the c o u n t r y, a c c o r d i n g t o B i r d w a t c h I re l a n d w i t h a n e s t i m a t e d 1 6 0 , 0 0 0 b re e d i n g p a i r s n o w f l y i n g a ro u n d o u r s k i e s .

The worst thing about magp i e s i s y o u h e a r t h e m b e f o re you see them. They have a very distinctive cackle, which to my mind sounds like one of those o l d f o o t b a l l r a t t l e s . W h e n t h re e or four of them get together it sounds like Manchester United a re p l a y i n g i n y o u r b a c k y a r d .

Their high-pitched cackle is annoying enough for us humans, b u t i t s c a re s t h e h e l l o u t o f songbirds.

M a g p i e s a re b u l l y b i r d s .

Wa t c h t h e s e c o c k - s u re p re d a t o r s s t r u t a ro u n d c h e s t o u t , t a i l h e l d h i g h . T h e y ʼ re i n s t i n c t i v e killers whoʼll take the eggs and the young of smaller birds. Just to rub it in, theyʼll take the nest as well. Magpies have also

been known in this country and a b ro a d t o c a t c h a n d k i l l f ro g s , lizards, snakes, bats, mice, voles and rabbits.

A gentleman in my locality informed me that he witnessed a flock of magpies swoop down f ro m t h e s k y a n d a t t a c k a c a t .

The poor animal didnʼt stand a chance and was pecked to death by the angry ʻpies. Clearly they a re n o t b e t r i f l e d w i t h .

B u t b e f o re y o u a l l s t a r t re a c h ing for you pellet guns and air r i f l e s , t h e re a re l e s s v i o l e n t m e t h o d s o f p ro t e c t i n g l i t t l e b i r d i e s f ro m m a g p i e m a s s a c re .

G o o d h a b i t a t i s t h e k e y. T h i c k c o v e r i n g a r d e n s p ro v i d e d b y h e d g e s , b u s h e s a n d c re e p e r s w i l l h e l p s h i e l d t h e l i k e o f s p a rro w s , t h r u s h e s a n d ro b i n s . Yo u can also help by feeding little b i r d s w i t h i n a w i re - n e t t i n g c a g e with a mesh which excludes the m a g p i e . I t m a y n o t l o o k p re t t y, b u t i f i t d e t e r s o u r f e a t h e re d f o e , i t ʼs w e l l w o r t h t h e e f f o r t .

A m o re n o v e l s o l u t i o n t o t h e overpopulation of magpies m i g h t b e t o i m p o r t g re a t s p o t t e d c u c k o o s f ro m s o u t h e r n E u ro p e .

These clever fellows have got one over on magpies by laying e g g s i n t h e i r n e s t s , t h u s re d u c ing the chance of magpie eggs b re e d i n g . N i c e w o r k c u c k o o s !

S RI L ANKA

CHARITY PLANT SALE FULL RANGE OF BARGAIN BEDDING AND TRAILING PLANTS TO SUIT BASKETS, POTS AND CONTAINERS

THREE SCHOOLS in Ringsend–Ringsend Technical Institute, St. Patrickʼs Boysʼ and St. Patrickʼs Girlsʼ National Schools– recently raised over €9,200 in a fund-raising drive organised to support the victims of the Asian Tsunami Disaster.

The funds will be used to purchase boats for Sri Lankan fishermen. It was felt that this would be an appropriate way of respond-

ing to the disaster given the long association of Ringsend with the sea.

The money raised will enable the purchase of three boats.

Great thanks are due to students, parents and teachers in all three schools who organised and undertook the various fund-raising activities. Also, gratitude is due to everybody in the community who contributed to the

fund-raising activities.

Above: Students from all three schools with the cheque to be presented to the Irish Sri Lanka Trust Fund. Also in picture Ms. E. Campbell, Principal St Patrickʼs GNS, Ms. C. Deevy and Ms. Y. Bowden, Parents St. Patrickʼs GNS, Mr. P. Coyle, Principal St. Patrickʼs BNS and Mr. C. McManus, Principal, Ringsend Technical Institute.

AT THE ANCHORAGE PROJECT, 10A YORK ROAD RINGSEND, (OPPOSITE EAST LINK TOLL PLAZA)

ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THIRD WORLD CHARITY PROJECTS EACH YEAR OPEN EVERY TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND SATURDAY FROM 11am – 2pm PHONE 6600517 or 0860612127

PLANTING SEEDS OF HOPE LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY!

PAGE 16

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

Film Scene •••By Michael Hilliard

‘Sin City’ Co-directed by graphic novelist Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez (ʻEl Mariachiʼ, ʻFrom Dusk Till Dawnʼ), ʻSin Cityʼ is the most faithful comic book adaptation ever attempted. The movie uses three of Millerʼs stories: ʻSin Cityʼ (now renamed ʻThe Hard Goodbyeʼ), ʻThe Big Fat Killʼ, and ʻThat Yellow Bastardʼ.

All three stories share particular situations and characters, using a fractured timeline in much the same way as ʻPulp Fictionʼ, albeit to a lesser extent. The story goes that Miller was persuaded to entrust these beloved characters to the film-making process, when Rodriguez presented him with a short scene (now the filmʼs intro.) as an example of the look and feel he was trying to achieve.

Miller, of course, was blown away, and agreed to a co-direction partnership. In order to achieve this, Rodriguez had to resign his membership from the Directors Guild of America, a move which, if nothing else, showed just how seriously committed he was, to his dream project.

ʻSin Cityʼ is a film where the three central characters are just about the furthest away from your typical comic book heroes as you can possibly get. Marv, a man “born in the wrong century, heʼd be more at home swinging an axe into someoneʼs face on an ancient battlefield” is played by Mickey Rourke(in heavy prosthetics) in a career-defining role.

Dwight McCarthy, “an ex-killer with a new face” is brought to life

by Clive Owen, and grizzled but “do-gooder” cop, John Hartigan is skilfully portrayed by Bruce Willis. These three fundamentally flawed protagonists are the closest we get to having good guys in ʻSin Cityʼ. ʻSin Cityʼ is a sadistically violent movie, in which characters are beheaded, limbs are torn off, guts are spilled, reproductive organs are detached from their owners (twice!). There are hit and runs, and multiple gun shot wounds and stabbings.

This is comic book violence at its most explicit, but it is still comic book violence. The stylistic approach, mimicking the graphic novelʼs black and white aesthetic, allows for more intensely violent imagery to be put on screen, uncut and in its intended form. (Film censors seem to only have an issue with excessive blood letting if the blood is actually red on screen, but ʻSin Cityʼ overcomes this obstacle through its stark monochromatic visuals).

Within the ʻSin Cityʼ ʻuniverseʼ, characters speak like something out of a Humphrey Bogart movie. This, of course, underlines the movieʼs ʻfilm-noirʼ tone and

themes, while also making lines such as “The hell Iʼve sent him to must seem like heaven after what Iʼve done to him” sound good. ʻSin Cityʼ is also the first digitally shot movie, using virtual sets and locations, which has truly worked, from both a technical and artistic standpoint. It looks amazing.

Rounding off quite an incredible supporting cast (the sheer scheduling of whom, must have been a logistical nightmare) are Benicio Del Toro, Michael Madsen, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Nick Stahl, Michael Clarke Duncan, Rutger Hauer, Powers Boothe, Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, Jaime King, Devon Aoki, Alexis Bleidel and Josh Hartnett.

Be sure to look out for the scene in the car with Clive Owen and Benicio Del Toro, surely the filmʼs most bizarre and funniest moment, shot by guest-director, Quentin Tarantino. Sin City is highly recommended viewing.

4.5 out of 5

‘Star Wars: Episode III– Revenge of the Sith’ ʻRevenge of the Sithʼ is a perfectly fine Summer blockbuster. It offers nothing new to entice anyone already uninterested in the Star Wars story. In fact, it may well be impossible to follow. But it is after all, a movie for the fans.

This was always going to be the best of the prequel trilogy, due simply to what events must take place.

Anakin Skywalker must turn to the dark side, and become Darth Vader. The twins, Luke and Leia must be born and separated at birth. The Duel, between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, referenced in the first ʻStar Warsʼ movie.

Numerous loose ends are tied up and nods to the films of old are present and correct. ʻRevenge of the Sithʼ does its job, successfully leading the audience back to where it all began in the original movie.

It has taken him thirty years, but film-maker George Lucas has finally completed his six-part space saga. The box-office monolith that practically invented the summer blockbuster in 1977, has had its fair share of detractors, especially

since the idea of a prequel trilogy was announced in 1997.

Both episodes one and two have come and gone, simultaneously attracting a new generation of ʻStar Warsʼ fans and excluding some disgruntled original trilogy ʻpuristsʼ.

What the older generation of ʻStar Warsʼ fans seem to forget, is that when they first set eyes on a galaxy far, far away, they were kids, impressionable and looking for something to call their own.

Lucas has stated that his ʻStar Warsʼ movies have always been aimed primarily at the 8 to 13 year old market.

Itʼs as if the older generation of fans, presumably fuelled by nostal-

gia, refuse to recognise movies pre1977. Understandably, everybody has a favourite movie, and for a lot of kids in 1977, ʻStar Warsʼ would be the yardstick to which everything else would be compared.

Of course, as with any film, if you dig deeply enough, there are layers of subtext to be found, characters based on established mythological archetypes, etc. Lucas was a disciple of Joseph Campbell, an ʻexpertʼ in the construction and cultural resonance of mythology.

His books ʻMasks of Godʼ and ʻThe Hero with a Thousand Facesʼ are widely considered the ultimate guides to what has enthralled the world for centuries.

Similar to the way in which

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005 ʻThe Matrixʼ movies have inspired some overly enthusiastic fans to study the cod-philosophizing and meditation on the nature of reality, the ʻStar Warsʼ Universe naturally lends itself to deeper investigation.

Put simply, the viewer will get out of it, exactly what they want to get out it.

As Lucas realises that even the new generation are old enough now to watch the brutal incineration scene, decapitated villains and murdered ʻyounglingsʼ, he has pushed proceedings in a slightly darker direction this time round, compensating somewhat for the complaints voiced over the overlycutesy shenanigans in the first and second episodes.

Personally, the really interesting stuff is whatʼs happening behind the scenes. Episode three was filmed almost entirely on blue screen, with effects, sets, worlds and thousands of characters being added digitally.

Some say that Lucas is all about style over substance. Arguably, true, but what is an indisputable fact, is that he has been the driving force behind digital technology, sound and visual effects in the movie industry.

Wealthy enough now to be com-

PAGE 17 pletely independent from Hollywood studios, rumour has it that his next film-making goal is to reintroduce to world to 3D movies, ʻthe way they should have been doneʼ.

3 out of 5

Previews ʻBatman Beginsʼ– June 24th Christopher Nolan (ʻInsomniaʼ, ʻMementoʼ) directs Christian Bale, who dons the cape and cowl, for the fifth Warner Brothers ʻBatmanʼ film since 1989ʼs Tim Burton effort. A prequel of sorts, this movie deals with how Bruce Wayne becomes the Dark Knight of Gotham.

With support from a stellar cast including Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe, and Gary Oldman, this should be the best ʻBatmanʼ yet. ʻWar of the Worldsʼ– July 8th Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise reunite for an adaptation of H.G. Wellsʼs classic ʻvisitors from Marsʼ epic. Teaser trailers so far released hint at a more subdued tone than say ʻIndependence Dayʼ, while Spielberg insists this

is quality over quantity, with only 500 effects shots– relatively few considering ʻRevenge of the Sithʼ has 2,200.

Dakota Fanning and Tim Robbins co-star. ʻFantastic Fourʼ– July 22nd Yet another comic book adaptation. This time however, director Tim Story is aiming for more of a family comedy than an action extravaganza.

Four privately-funded astronauts are blasted with cosmic rays in an outer space accident. Farfetched but entertaining, the movie stars King Arthurʼs Lancelot, Ioan Gruffudd as Mr. Fantastic, Jessica Alba as The Invisible Woman, Chris Evans as the Human Torch, and Michael Chiklis as The Thing.

Trailers so far are promising, detailing some great effects work, and witty one-liners. ʻCharlie and the Chocolate Factoryʼ– July 29th Apparently more faithful to the book than the 70s version starring Gene Wilder, this is Tim Burtonʼs take on the Roald Dahl classic.

Starring Johnny Depp as the nutty confectioner, old Irish favourite David Kelly (pictured) also stars.

Dublin Waste Management Plan still entails Incinerator for Dublin 4 THE FOUR Local Authorities of Dublin which are Dublin City Council, Dun Laoghaire/ Rathdown, Fingal and South County Dublin, are working together to implement a new waste Management Plan, for 2005 to 2010. This plan includes the building of an incinerator to burn waste from the four local authorities which they are unable to recycle. The proposed site for this incinerator is still in the middle of Dublin 4.

Since 1999 CRAI (the Combined Residents Against Incineration) have continued to lobby against this proposal and to encourage the adoption of a waste management plan that targets a reduction in waste which can lead to the adoption of a zero waste target.

According to the draft review of the waste management plan households, businesses and industry in the greater Dublin area generate more than 1.1 million tonnes of waste every year. The construction and demolition industry produces an additional 4 Million tonnes of waste. This construction and demolition waste has contributed to the filling of the existing landfill sites. This product is not waste, but a valuable asset that can be reused and recycled. Over the last 6 years the local authority continued to give planning permission to thousands of builders and developments without requiring them to re-use or recycle their waste.

The Draft Waste Management Plan Pamphlet asks us to give our views on this plan. They encourage us to reply to the plan by the 30th of June. Beware of the loaded questions. The first asks do you support the integrated nature of the draft plan, i.e. 59% recycling, 25% Incineration, and 16% landfill, you are required to answer ʻyesʼ or ʻnoʼ. To answer ʻyesʼ to this question will mean you are supportive of the building of an Incinerator in Poolbeg. If you do reply on these forms answer NO to the first question.

Please lobby your local Political Representative and tell them this community does not want an Incinerator in our area. We want more recycling, green bags and bins collected on a weekly basis and green waste recycling facilities.

By Frances Corr

PAGE 18

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

Get thee to the Docklands! (for the Shakespeare Festival)

H

arry Crosbie and Aiken Promotions have announced details of a six-week Shakespeare Festival scheduled to take place in Georgeʼs Dock at the IFSC in Dublinʼs Docklands in June and

July. French travelling theatre company, ʻFootsbarnʼ, are set to bring two of Shakespeareʼs most compelling works to Dublinʼs Docklands.

For six weeks, the unique theatre company will perform

ʻPerchance To Dreamʼ and ʻThe Tempestʼ in a purpose-built 500seater marquee theatre afloat in Georgeʼs Dock in the IFSC. Founding Footsbarn director, John Kilby, said the company have great memories of previous visits to Ireland, and are particularly excited about the unique location in Georgeʼs Dock and spending the summer in Dublin.

The ʻFootsbarnʼ experience is more than just a theatre show– it is a whole event that will bring the audience back to the essence of story telling. Story telling originally took place under the stars among small gatherings of people. The floating marquee theatre, with intimate seating will provide the audience with this authentic atmosphere. ʻPerchance to Dreamʼ will

preview on June 14th and 15th and will run for 3 weeks until July 3rd. ʻThe Tempestʼ will preview on July 6th and 7th and will run for 3 weeks until July 24th. Both shows play on Sundays.

Tickets for both productions go on sale through Ticketmaster and are priced €33. For further information contact: Sorcha or Niamh on 01 4546656.

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

By Maggie Neary

W

hen Ron Smith-Murphy, National Chairperson of ISANDS (Irish Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society) spoke with me, she gave an emotive account of the area of Glasnevin cemetery known as the ʻOld Angelsʼ Plotʼ which was in use up to the 1970s when the New Angelsʼ plot was opened.

Glasnevin Cemetery is a consecrated burial ground, privately owned and not affiliated to any one religious group. Within its vast area is one section that for many years was the burial place of adults who were unable to pay for burial privileges.

When this ʻPaupers Groundʼ was closed it lay unused for around 30 years before it became available in the 1930s as the resting place for stillborn and neonatal death babies. These innocents had one thing in common: they died without baptism which is held by the Church to be a sacrament only for the living. Furthermore, in those days the Church denied permission for any unbaptised to be buried in their consecrated cemeteries, thus creating a tragic problem for the parents of these babies.

Glasnevin is one of the few

PAGE 19

cemeteries that allowed these babies to be buried in consecrated ground. Throughout the country separate areas known as ʻcilliniʼ were believed to have been created for the internment of unbaptised infants.

These appear to have been in use in some places as recently as the 1960s, with the burial being carried out quickly after death so that the dead infant was not mourned in the traditional way.

The Old Angelsʼ Plot is a resting place for over fifty thousand infants. Up to 20 years ago, when dads were usually totally excluded from the experience of childbirth, mothers of stillborn babies in the Dublin maternity hospitals or nursing homes never saw their baby at birth. The hospital involved would arrange for the baby to be buried in the Old Angelsʼ Plot and for lots of parents the bill for this would be the only recognition that they had for their baby.

Many of these parents come back, years later, to trace where their baby is buried. As up to 50 babies were laid to rest in each grave it is difficult for parents to place a marker on their babyʼs grave, it being possible for up to a hundred families to be associated with each grave.

With the general changing of attitudes, it became possible for

grieving families to be enabled to express their needs. ISANDS was formed in 1983 and is a support group for all parents of infant mortality. It involved itself with the restoration of the Old Angelsʼ Plot.

Over 500 parents who attended a meeting held in August 2004 gave their support for the restoration plan and Dublin Cemeteries Committee conse-

quently decided to go ahead with the restoration.

To landscape the Angelsʼ Memory Garden, the areas which have sunk or collapsed will be raised with topsoil. Seating will be placed around the garden, flowers and trees will be planted and the garden divided into named areas where parents will be able to find out which area their baby is buried in.

It is acknowledged that this may cause some upset for those who have already put a headstone or memorial in place and these families are being given the opportunity to place these markers in a designated communal area.

The overall plan strives to respect all the parents, including those who cannot mark their childʼs grave and want to so badly, as it could never be possible with the numbers of parents who have an interest in each grave.

There will now be the opportunity to have each childʼs name carved on a memorial stone. The Memory Garden also ensures that this plot can never be used for burials again.

The Dublin Cemeteries Committee in Glasnevin and the staff have offered support throughout the years in helping parents and families trace where their baby is buried.

They have also prepared the area each year for the annual Blessing that was first held 15 years ago and was attended by over 2000 parents and families in 2004. On the 19th June this year at 3pm the inauguration and blessing of the Angelsʼ Memory Garden will take place.

ISANDS is a national organisation. They hold support group meetings countrywide and once monthly in Dublin for the men, women and children of grieving families. Their website is www. isands.ie. The postal address is ISANDS, Carmichael House, 4 North Brunswick Street, Dublin 7. Contact telephone number is 01 8726996.

ing tormented by their demented nun or teacher, or the turkey in the bar at Christmas, or the roguery employed to slip unpaying into the pictures. The rendition of the evocative song ʻPal of my

Cradle Daysʼ by Rose Hogan had many of us in the audience singing along. A great night.

The Watersedge Community Drama Group was founded seven years ago and has many produc-

tions under its belt. They meet from September onwards in the Ringsend and District Community Centre on Tuesday nights from 8 to 10pm. All are welcome to join.

R ETURN OF ‘O VER THE B RIDGE ’

By Maggie Neary

T

he Play ʻOver the Bridgeʼ was performed by the Watersedge Community Drama Group in Ringsend Technical College at the end of May. The series of acts, scripted and directed by Paul Kennedy, depicted a history of the locality.

The hall in the Tech was for this occasion transformed into a theatre. A sense of anticipation grew as we sat chatting before the show. Friends and families of the performers filled the seats before the play took off as a ʻgardaʼ cy-

cled his bike onto the stage and the narrator began the story.

Each of the 16 performers had anything up to three different roles as they acted out for us the local ways of life around Ringsend from when it was known as Raytown, right to the present day shenanigans of waiting till you drop for the No. 3 bus. The bigger picture of the changing face of the area from the times of Cromwell to high-rise was narrated with the benefit of slides.

Laughter rolled through the audience during acts such as the hilarious ʻsixties school scene of hapless smoking girl students be-

PAGE 20

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

F UN D AY T IMES THE CHILDREN pictured above at the Anchorage, York Road, are playing the ʻparachute gameʼ and clearly having great fun.

On left, competing at the Docklands Secondary Schools Dragon Boat race were, left to right, Leanne Lindsey, Neil Flaherty, Ciara Donnelly, Michaela Dunne and Danika Ryan from Marino College, Dublin.

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PAGE 21

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PAGE 22

I

By Denis Murphy

n the late 1940s and early 50s when summer days seemed warmer and longer, Leo and Tess would gather their children and head to Bray.

Tess would rise early on the Sunday morning to make sandwiches, with fresh bread purchased from Kielyʼs, loaves or turnovers, just before they closed on Saturday night. Leo would have taken his Primus stove out and given it a good checking, making sure that there was enough paraffin and everything worked perfectly.

After the family had attended Mass their maternal grandmother Katie would arrive and at about ten-thirty they would head for Westland Row station. While Leo was purchasing a family day return ticket the children would rush up the stairs and wait near the gate for the grown-ups to arrive.

When the ticket had been clipped the children scampered onto the platform, followed by their parents. One red machine they found great amusement in was a nameplate maker, where if a penny was inserted, your name and address could be programmed onto a tin foil strip.

Kathleen being the eldest seemed to know how to use it best of all.

The shrill shriek of the approaching train whistle and the thundering sound as it crossed the Loop Line Bridge informed

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

them of the imminent arrival of the eleven oʼclock ʻSea Breezeʼ to Bray, stopping at all stations along the way.

Coaches then were divided into single compartments and the rush to find an empty one was frantic. Most of Leoʼs children had graduated from many three-penny rushes and that benefit soon became apparent.

With everyone safely boarded, the guard would go along the coaches slamming the doors, making sure that all was secure.

Waving a green flag he would blow his whistle and with a huff and puff the mighty steam engine chuffed out from the platform.

With the train in motion, sometimes their grandmother would offer three pence to whoever could name all of the stations to Bray. Leoʼs son being a clever dick knew them all by heart, which annoyed his sisters no end.

Passing Sydney Parade and heading for Merrion Gates, the incoming tide added the smell of ozone to the air, which delighted them all, as they gazed at early sunbathers stretched the full length of the strand. Leo and Tessʼs children looked forward to the long tunnel after Dalkey station before the train exited the darkness, to display the magnificent panoramic sweep of Killiney Bay, with the Big and Small Sugar Loafs, majestic in the distance.

With no lights on in the compartment, their granny would

Yes, itʼs Sonny Knowles again! He was spotted recently serenading the ladies at the ʻBalroom of Romanceʼ celebration in the CYMS, Irishtown Road.

touch someone on the leg lightly, forcing a frightening scream from the chosen one. When the train emerged from the tunnel she would be found sitting as innocent as an angel in her seat, sucking contentedly on a hardboiled sweet, with a hint of mischief in her warm blue eyes.

From the Station Hotel all along the grass lawn running parallel to the esplanade, were amusements of all kinds, loaded with children whose parents could afford to pay for the short duration of the ride. Leo and Tessʼs children envied those lucky ones but soon got over the disappointment.

The family always headed for their parentsʼ favourite spot, which was on the other side of the railway tracks, at the bottom of the entrance to the climb for the summit. It was a square grass plot overlooking the swimming

pool in Naylorʼs Cove.

With the food unloaded from the bags, his children would go down the hill to fill the teapot with water from the pump outside the wall of the Crofton Hotel.

No matter how careful the sisters were, their brother always managed to accidentally splash them with water as he rinsed the teapot. Sometimes being the only boy among the girls Kathleen, Marie, Frances, Rose and Betty was a blessing, there was always so much to tease them about.

With the teapot full and heating nicely on the Primus, if Leo had worked overtime that week he would send his son down to the chipper for four singles. At the seaside, chip butties taste so much nicer with lashings of salt and vinegar, a feast more than fit for a king.

After refreshments the girls would venture to climb the head, but their brother fancied the amusements more. Not that he had any money to spend but he usually picked up a penny or two from machines, where people would walk away, not realizing that they had won a few coppers.

While the days seemed sunnier and longer, they still ended far too soon and around half past six everything was packed ready for the return journey home. At the railway station hundreds of other parents had the same idea and the platform throbbed with tired but happy city children, who had all enjoyed the Sea Breeze Special to Bray. For the luckier ones among them, this would be a joyous event to be repeated many Sundays each summer during their formative years.

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

PAGE 23

P ASSION AND PAINT

By Maggie Neary

H

enry Buckley born and reared in Pearse Street, known to family and friends as Harry and now living in Ringsend for many years, says of himself “Iʼm a part-time artist as I have a full-time job.”

However, his “compulsion” to paint has kept him at it for the past 30 years and during April of this year 26 of his works were exhibited in the Phoenix Park Visitorsʼ Centre.

I met Henry in his house near the East Link Bridge.

He and his wife were just back from a holiday in Prague. When I asked him if he had done any painting there he shook his head and explained that he is aware that painting is not a social

type of hobby and being a family man with three children he has always tried to keep this in mind.

This said, his daughters do seem to appreciate art, liking to draw and paint and his eldest daughter has a degree in Fine Art and is forging a career in this area.

In his early 20s he started with watercolours but now prefers the greater intensity that he feels he can express through the medium of oils.

I asked if he took classes to develop skills. He said he is self-taught and gleaned his knowledge from books and experiment. His exhibition in the Park was solely of landscapes, many done in the locality.

Three of them were snatched up by his employ-

er, one being a painting of the old ESB station. He also paints still-life and does life drawings. Henry has no studio and says his work hangs around the availability of space and time.

He likes to show his work but finds that monetary reward is not as important to him as knowing that a work of his has touched someone

so much that they want it.

Selling his paintings frees up space and encourages him to move on.

On the walls of the living room where we talked hung three still-life oils with marvellous depths of colour and vigour. Henry then unwrapped some landscapes on which the local area sprang into life:

Sandymount Strand from the Merrion Gates, a view across the bay from Bull Island encompassing the old ESB station, and the sea at Sandycove, so real I felt I could dive right in for a swim.

Anyone interested in purchasing these or other works of Henryʼs can contact him at 01 6682067.

PAGE 24

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

T HE M AN M E M OTHER M ARRIED L IFE

WITH

N OEL P URCELL (P ART 5)

By Patrick Purcell Fare Thee Well hen Dad was in hospital in the Adelaide, he was often in rare form, telling tales and gags to the alwayssupportive patients. Dad wanted to get home, because, as he said, “Hospitals are for sick people!”

He was on oxygen most of the time and would always want a cigarette, but as soon as the tube was removed so he could have one, the urge left him. I cannot say enough about the doctors and staff at the Adelaide, who gave the most wonderful and caring treatment.

I remember visiting Dad one day and my brother Glynn was with him. Sez Da: “Me numberʼs in the Frame!” (He had been saying this since 1970, when he hit ʻThree Score Years and Tenʼ) Says Glynn: “Well, let me know when, so I can rent the dark suit” Da: “Donʼt bother yer arse!! And Iʼll tell you something else, some miserable hoorʼs pinching me Paddy!”

The nurse whispered to us that no one was pinching it, that dad wasnʼt remembering having any.

Actually, virtually all his visitors, from The President of Ireland to famous theatrical names came bear-

W

A LONG D

aithí Doolan has come a long way since he left the banks of the Lee in Cork back in July 1987.

Daithí, a former community development worker in Ballymun, was elected as Sinn Féin Councillor for Dublinʼs South East Inner City in June of last year. Daithí has been involved in politics for all his adult life, campaigning on a wide range of issues from his involvement in the Anti Apartheid Movement in the 1980s, through the anti-drugs movement in the 90s to the current anti-incineration campaign here in Dublin 4.

He is currently a member of his partyʼs Ard Comhairle and has been to the fore is developing Sinn Féinʼs policy on environment, housing and economic development.

Having been elected to Dublin

ing gifts of the Water of Life, so his bedside cupboard was loaded to the gills with the stuff.

The staff at the Adelaide took the utmost care of dad and I want to thank them for making his last

weeks on this earth as comfortable as possible.

Oonagh and I stayed for two weeks and, due to work dictates, we had to return to Sydney. We got the final call two weeks after that, on 6th March, 1985. Dad had faded and was very low and Mum asked him if heʼd like a glass of water. He nodded, and Mum went to find a nurse. When she returned, she was met by my brother Vic, with tears in his eyes and the words “Heʼs gone”.

Just as he had always done Dublin proud, so the City returned the compliment, with a huge funeral and, as Dad had been honoured with the Freedom of the City of Dublin, the Cityʼs flag was draped over his coffin. That flag is now my proudest possession.

As the procession went from the Adelaide, past the Gaiety, St Stephenʼs Green, the Olympia, and all the other theatrically famous places, the population of Dublin stood and farewelled him, especially those with whom he felt most at home, the ladies of Moore Street, Sandymount, the North Wall, his racing chums and all the ʻordinaryʼ people.

I put the ʻordinaryʼ in parentheses, as Dad was convinced there was no such thing as an Ordinary Dubliner. Each was unique to him.

Sure, there were the chancers, the rip-off merchants, the hard-chaws and the gurriers and gougers and, of course, the Internal Revenue(!), but all in all, Dubliners had that personality and ability to charm that kept him from moving to more lucrative movie-making cities. He loved Dublin and Dubliners with a passion and they, in return, loved him.

He was buried in Deansgrange in a simple grave off the beaten track, even at the end trying not to big note himself. He had wanted to be buried in the Cemetery in Raheny, because “Thereʼs a nice sea-breeze there, very healthy!” I recently obtained permission from Pete St. John to put the final verse of ʻThe Rare Oulʼ Timesʼ on the gravestone as his epitaph, and I honestly cannot think of a more appropriate one.

Fare thee well, sweet Anna Liffey, I can no longer stay and watch The big glass cages rise Up along the Quay.

My mindʼs too full of memories, Too old to hear new chimes, For I was part of what was Dublin In the Rare Oulʼ Times.

Noel is pictured signing autographs during the making of ʻMoby Dickʼ at Youghal in 1954.

WAY FROM THE BANKS OF THE

City Council, Daithí was elected Chairperson of the Economic Development, Planning & European Affairs Strategic Policy Committee (SPC). This committee researches and develops policy for Dublin City. He hopes that this committee will introduce policy

which continues to promote Dublin as a city of inward investment while also promoting sustainability, social inclusion & anti-poverty measures.

Sinn Féin has recently appointed Daithí as Dublin Spokesperson on Environment, Economic Development and European Affairs.

He is the partyʼs representative on the National Forum on the Future of Europe where Daithí has argued against a European superstate and for an Ireland of equals in a Europe of equals.

Daithí left Cork back in 1987, having left school, and like so many others emigrated to London. He worked in a wide range of jobs, including shop assistant and storeʼs assistant in the Tate Art Gallery. He then travelled around Europe working and living in Greece, Turkey and Ger-

many before returning to London.

In London Daithí spent much of his time campaigning against anti-Irish racism, homelessness and for a British withdrawal from his native Ireland.

Coming back to Ireland in 1992 Daithí settled in Dublin where he has lived ever since. He very quickly immersed himself in community politics, particularly tackling the causes and consequences of drug addiction. He, along with residents in Ringsend, went on to form the Ringsend & District Response to Drugs in 1995. This was a genuine community response to the drug problem in our area. It is now housed in the Spellman Centre, where is he is currently the Treasurer. In 1997 he married Bridget Kildee, who hails from Michigan USA, and they now have a beautiful

L EE

daughter, Síofra, who was born in April 2004.

Looking to the future, Daithí remains focused on the work at hand in ensuring that “no incinerator is built on the Poolbeg Peninsula. What Ringsend, Irishtown and Sandymount needs is homes and amenities. And I have the confidence in our community that we will stop this incinerator.”

Outside politics, Daithíʼs interests include history, reading and supporting his native Cork to further All Ireland hurling victories.

If you wish to contact Daithí on any issue that concerns you, he can be contacted at his weekly advice clinic or call him directly on 086-8534666.

Cllr_daithi.doolan@dublincity. ie Tel: 086-8534666 www.dublinsoutheast.com

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

PAGE 25

MY OLD VICTORIAN HOUSE

By Rodney Devitt I LIVE in an old Victorian house In the heart of Dublin Four.

It was built in the year of Her Majestyʼs reign, Eighteen fifty-four.

WITH GRANITE steps and railings of iron Itʼs a pleasant sight to behold.

The problem is, for owners like me, The bloody thing is so old.

ITʼS THE sort of building they love to view And write about at length In that paper of record, The Irish Times Property Supplement.

ITS VENERABLE age and desirable features Fills them with elation.

And needless to say it passes the test Of location, location, location.

MY PLASTERWORK mouldings and decorative tiles Have been featured in ʻHomes and Interiorsʼ, And when Senator Norris saw my dado rail,

He admitted that his was inferior.

OF COURSE, itʼs a listed building now, And thatʼs the way it should be.

So the draughty old timber sash windows must stay, And donʼt mention P.V.C. THE GABLE is leaning, the slates are askew, The chimney stack looks set to tumble.

But itʼs part of our cultural heritage now So weʼre not allowed to grumble.

BUT JUST you try screwing a hook for a shelf, Or inserting a rawl plug quite small, And youʼll soon find youʼre covered in crumbling plaster With a massive great hole in the wall.

AND AS for repairing a cracked piece of gutter– Cast iron, and weighing a ton– I have to conserve the original section, And Wavin I must shun.

MY FINE marble mantelpiece has to be seen, And my ornate fireplace and

fender.

But the draft down the chimney would give you blue knees And chilblains around your suspenders.

YOU CAN see your face in my letterbox lid And my knobs and knockers all brass.

But the time I must spend with the polishing cloth Just gives me a pain in the arse.

MY OLD kitchen range is the pride of the terrace, Its black-leaded top is impressive.

But just to cook dinner or even make tea I end up with a fuel bill thatʼs massive.

BUT I do love my fine old Victorian home With its gracious proportions and style.

And although I may crib when my house shows its age, I intend to remain there a while.

SO IʼLL sing you a new Victorian song In twenty-first century style, And Iʼll celebrate gladly being able to live In my old Victorian pile.

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PAGE 26

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

Albums of the Year... so far By Brian Kelly

We are six months into the year, so time for a half-time report on the records that rocked my world in the year of our Lord 2005.

The Secret Migration ʻMercury Revʼ Taking inspiration from their surroundings in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York, Mercury Rev have produced another superb collection of songs in The Secret Migration.

Jonathan Donahue possesses a singular unique voice, high pitched, almost ethereal in tone. He uses it to great effect to articulate on the greatest love of his life: nature. Couched in the language of lovers, almost every song is an ode to the subtleties and serenity of the natural environment.

Following on from 2001ʼs All is Dream, Mercury Rev are producing some of the best music to come out of America at the moment.

TSM will hopefully win them an army of new admirers.

Guero ʻBeckʼ Beck is back. After the introspection of 2002ʼs Sea Change, Mr. Hansen has put his dancing shoes on again with Guero, an hour long odyssey of fast, funky cuts from the man with no musical boundaries.

Closer to the spirit of Midnight Vultures and Odelay, Guero finds Beck mix and matching music genres and rapping away like a spontaneous street preacher.

Re-united with his old sparring partners, the Dust Brothers, who co-wrote all the music on Guero- Beck has produced his most satisfying and joyous album in years. The opening track and single E-Pro sets the pace. Thereʼs enough hooks, licks, samples and surprises thereafter to keep Beck devotes happy for many a day.

Hal ʻHalʼ If we are going to have a great summer in Dublin this year, let this self-titled album from Dalkey quartet, Hal be the soundtrack.

Gorgeous hooks and harmonies abound and you can almost hear the sunshine in singer Dave O Brienʼs voice. If you are looking for reference points, the West coast of America in the late sixties and the Beach Boys might help you, but really, thatʼs just a starting point. Thereʼs enough songwriting craft on evidence here, to suggest Hal can enter the big time. Definitely, one of the finest Irish debuts albums in recent times.

Funeral ʻArcade Fireʼ Canada rocks! Itʼs official. From Montreal, comes one of the yearʼs most audacious and compelling recordings. Partly inspired– if thatʼs the right word– by the death of so many close family relatives, Arcade Fire christened their debut album ʻFuneralʼ.

I donʼt know if genius and grief are intertwined, but this is one album that quickly burns right through to your brain.

An ensemble effort by the six members of Arcade Fire plus 9 other musicians, this is raw, heartfelt emotion backed by a taut, beautifully controlled sound. Never will the words ʻfuneralʼ and ʻdirgeʼ go together again.

I am a bird now ʻAntony and the Johnsonsʼ Make room in your record collection for a torch-singing transvestite from NYC. Some records are so out there, so extraordinary, they defy classification.

This is one of them.

Over the sparest backing track, sometimes just a piano accompaniment, a large white man sings songs of love, loss, friendship and redemption. He draws you immediately with the eloquence of his delivery and power of his voice.

Close your eyes and youʼll think youʼre hearing a black man singing baritone. Other times, the voice is soft, feminine, almost soprano. Stick this album on late at night, pour yourself a drink and listen to the drama unfold. Never has melancholia sounded so magnificent.

Music News THE NEXT few months promises to the best-ever summer for Irish music fans, with a feast of festivals and major acts performing onceoff shows. If you havenʼt got tickets for U2, donʼt worry, thereʼs plenty more music to keep us all standing in fields supping cool beer all summer long. Hereʼs just some of the musical treats coming to a park or stadium near you.

Elton John – RDS ARENA July 2 Tickets are still available going to press from €54 to €130.

Oxegen – Punchestown July 9/10 The biggest and best value music fest of the summer with more than 80 acts performing over 2 days on 5 stages.

Tickets are €64.50 for the day or €120 for the weekend. oxegen.ie will give you the full line-up.

The Chemical Brothers – Marlay Park, Dublin August 19.

Basement Jaxx – August 20 After R.E.M and Coldplay in June, it time for the dance meisters with the Brothers on the Friday and the Jaxx the following evening.

Tickets €49.50 for both.

The Pixies – (Above) Lansdowne Road August 23.

Tickets €59.50 with support from the excellent Kings of Leon.

Scissors Sisters / Frank Ferdinand – Lansdowne Road August 24.

Two gigs in 2 days for Dublin 4. What will the neighbours say?

Tickets are same price as The Pixies. Take your moma!

Electric Picnic – Stradbally Estate, Co. Laois. September 3/4 Probably the best line-up for any festival this year.

Kraftwerk, Nick Cave, The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Fatboy Slim, Public Enemy and Human League are just some of the highlights along with top class comedians on a comedy stage. electricpicnic.ie for full details Tickets €64 for a day or €104 for two days.

Slane – Slane Castle September 17 The original and final festival of the season.

Not confirmed yet, but expect a certain Slim Shady to headline supported by 50 Cent. Start saving now.

Solo album from O Snodaigh On a completely different note, fans of Kila and traditional/folk music in general, might be interested to know that singer Ronan O Snodaigh has released his third solo album called The Playdays. Take a listen and if you like what you hear, you can pick it up at kila.ie.

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

PAGE 27

O’C ONNELL CBS–

graphs and other memorabilia and a book collection of thirty thousand volumes spanning all aspects of Irish social political and cultural history

AHEAD OF THE CLASS !

I

Much has changed and the school is now catering for the educational needs of the inner-city and a high ratio of immigrants– 35 nationalities.

Under the tutelage of Michael Finnuacne, Principal of the Secondary School, Patsy OʼKeefe, Principal of the Primary School and the Staff, the school is in safe hands. The hard work and dedication of these tutors will ensure that the pupils will be well prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.

By Austin Cromie

f great schools are judged by what they achieve on and off the field, then the record of OʼConnell School is one of distinction.

Called after Irelandʼs famous son Daniel OʼConnell, it was destined for fame when a massive crowd of 100,000 turned up for the official opening on the 9th June 1928.

In no time OʼConnell became a beacon of hope and over the years it produced a number of scholars, sportsmen and politicians.

1916 Rising A comparison between four Christian Brothersʼ schools in Dublin reveals that in 1916, of those who took part in the rising, thirty were past pupils of Synge Street, twenty-four were from St Josephʼs Marino, thirty were from Westland Row and one hundred and twenty-five were from OʼConnell Schools.

Three former pupils, Eamon Ceant, Con Colbert and Sean Heuston were executed for their part in the 1916 rising.

Golden Years The heydays were 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. The curriculum of the school was typical of other CBS with emphasis on Maths, Irish, English and History. Discipline was strict but fair and personal development of the pupils was all-important. The ability to lead, plan, organize and influence others was instilled at an early age. There was an emphasis on good manners and a respect for your elders. In 1963 the new primary and secondary schools were opened.

The school can claim four prominent people in public life who graduated from the old buildings: two presidents, Sean T OʼKelly and Cearbhall OʼDaligh and two Taoiseachs, John A Costello and Sean Lemass. Others in the literary world included Tom Kettle, Oliver St Gogarty and Tom Kinsella. It provided a studio of well-known broadcasters

such as, Michéal O Hehir, Sean Óg OʼCeallaghain, Michéal OʼMuircheartaugh (teacher), Jim Sherwin and Pat Kenny.

Ronnie Delaney Undoubtedly the greatest sportsman out of OʼConnellʼs and from St Johnʼs Road, Sandymount, Ronnie Delaney was the winner of an Olympic Gold Medal in the 1500 metres at Melbourne in 1956. His astounding performance lifted a nation when the country was going through a depressing period. Recently, this writer presented him with four mint stamps which were issued in 1956 by the Australian stamp authority to commerate the games.

Gaelic Games The school has a special niche in the annals of the GAA and has contributed enormously to Dublin hurling and football. Two club hurlers, Mick Bohan and Larry Shannon, were on the Dublin Senior Team so narrowly beaten

by Tipperary in the 1961 All Ireland Final. Both players are included in the ʻTeam of the Centuryʼ, chosen by the club members.

In football, the panel chose Robbie Kelleher and Tony (Scout) Hempenstall, a popular choice though likely to provoke debate in the clubhouse

soccer. Eoin Hand, later to be both Irish soccer international and manager, won league and championship medals with the 1962 and 1963 under-16 panels and went on to win the under-21 championship with the 1967 team.

Golf Joe Carr (Sutton GC) Winner of 3 British Amateur Opens from 1953-1960, and runnerup twice.

Rugby Around the mid-forties a group of senior students formed a Rugby Club and quickly immersed itself in controversy.

The Brothers frowned on ʻForeign Gamesʼ and decided to give it a short existence. After it disbanded the northsiders joined Clontarf RFC and some of the Southsiders joined Railway Union, including Harry Gale, one of the giants of the club. His achievements on the rugby field are legendary, and in administration he was president, chairman, team secretary and captain of the club. In 1974 the Rugby Club elected Harry Gale a life member.

Chess In the 50s Paul Cassidy was up there with the best and later became chess columnist with the ʻIrish Independentʼ.

Library The Allen Library holds a large collection of archives, letters, documents, photo-

Ringsend and District Credit Union Ltd. 5 Irishtown Rd., Dublin 4.

Phone: 6686676 • Fax: 6686288

At Ringsend Credit Union we now offer • Highly Competitive Lending Interest Rates • Foreign Currencies • Travel Insurance All Business Transacted During Opening Hours OPENING HOURS Monday–Thursday 9.30am-12 noon • 2.00pm- 4.30pm Friday 9.30am-12.30pm Closed Wednesday Afternoon

PAGE 28

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

H OW

SAFE IS YOUR MOBILE PHONE ?

By Kate McAlister

M

obiles are as much a part of todayʼs culture as the Internet. They shape how we plan, they allow us to not plan. No longer are we tied to the landline. Important phone calls can be taken anywhere. It would be difficult to walk down the street and not see someone speaking on a mobile phone. Almost everyone has one. But how safe are they?

January of this year saw a spate of articles warning the public about the dangers of electromagnetic radiation emitted by handsets. Fatigue, headaches, loss of concentration and memory as well as possible DNA damage have all been linked to excessive mobile phone use.

Current research on the issue has produced tangible evidence that mobile phones are indeed not good for our health. Most notably, scientists are particularly adamant that children under the age of nine should not use mobile phones.

The thinness of their skulls allows more radiation into the brain.

Adult skulls are thicker and denser and are thus less vulnerable to the effects of electromagnetic radiation.

But why should we listen to these reports? After all, if mobiles were really dangerous, why are there fifty billion of them out there and more on the way? Perhaps there are fifty billion guinea pigs attached to them, myself included. I decided to conduct my own study on the reactions of mobile phone users to the effects of electromagnetic radiation.

Q: Do you take the recent health risk warnings about mobile phones seriously? Would you ever give up your mobile phone or prevent your child from getting one because of these risks?

Elizabeth, 28: I havenʼt heard any warnings about mobiles but Iʼd certainly believe them if I did.

When I use my phone my ear and my head feel very hot. I feel a bit dizzy if I use it even for a minute.

The physical effects are too slight to outweigh the benefits of having one. Iʼm used to having it now and would miss it if I gave it up. People

expect you to have one and youʼre a bit out of the loop without it. Iʼve been tempted to get my daughter a phone, just for the security of it.

She has been asking so I suppose I will eventually break down and get her one but I donʼt feel 100% OK with the idea.

Morgan, 25: I hate them. They make my head hurt. I canʼt use them for two or three minutes at a go or I get a headache for a long time. I take the warnings seriously but I would find it difficult to be without it because friends, family and coworkers complain if I donʼt have one. I give it up occasionally but I always go back to it. I wouldnʼt let my child have one, no.

Lawrence, 55: These are devices that are designed to reach transmitters 25 miles away and yet we put them a couple of centimetres from our brain. I need my phone for work so no, I wouldnʼt stop using it.

Val, 7: I wish I had a mobile phone. Because I only like the games on it and I think itʼs really fun to send messages.

Orla, 19: I canʼt afford to talk for a long time so I just send text

messages. I donʼt think there is any reason to be concerned. If I had a child, I wouldnʼt mind getting a phone for them.

The fact is the majority of people now rely on mobiles. They have quickly become an integral part of our lives and culture and no matter how much we are warned we will probably continue to use them.

The good news is there are clear and simple steps mobile phone users can take to vastly reduce their exposure to electromagnetic radiation. * Keep phone conversations short and to a minimum * Get a hands-free kit (make sure the wire does not fall straight down from your ear as this effectively turns your whole head into an aerial.) * Buy a phone with an external aerial so that it is as far away from the head as possible when in use * Phones with a long talk time are more efficient and produce less powerful emissions * Donʼt buy a handset with a high ʻSARʼ value, which means it emits more radiation.

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NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

Bath Rangers– David OʼNeill

PAGE 29

St. Patʼs CY– David OʼConnor

St. Patʼs CY– Damien Moore

Bridge Utd– Niall Goad

Cambridge U9C Thomas Walsh

JUNIOR WINNER Cambridge Under 11– Michael Kilroy

SENIOR WINNER Liffeys Andrew Doolin

NEWS FOUR ALL STARS

OUTSTANDING PLAYERS OF THE 2004–2005 SEASON COMPILED BY DEREK BUCKLEY Railway Union– Figo Murphy

Always a winning team

Railway Union– Alan Kavanagh

Bridge Utd– David Ryan

Bath Utd Under 10s–Lee Flyod Bath Utd Under 16s– Steven Dillon Pearse Rangers Under 18s– Harry Eager

Cambridge Under 8C– Jordan Graham

Markievicz Celtic– Gerry Doyle

Pearse Rangers Under 13– Akay Kilic

Irishtown Over 35s– Jason Flyod

Bath Rangers– Paul Mullen

Irishtown Over 35s– David Hughes Cambridge Under 9F– Ross Gaffney St Patʼs CY Under 17s– Steven Kelly

Liffeys– Dan OʼConnor

Markievicz Celtic– Karl OʼBrien

PAGE 30

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

The Fontenoy Files Is there anything you can do to help?

By Shay Connolly

A

fter the visit of all the very important people to us in February we all got down off our high horses and started again with the dayto-day running of the Club. And this can be a very onerous task most of the time.

To try and put better structure for the way forward, we organised a day-long seminar in the Holiday Inn on Saturday 14th May. It was my birthday and instead of going for a sumptuous meal with my darling wife I found myself eating from a doughnut with one candle flickering a faint light from it.

The meeting was divided out into workshops and the findings were later discussed in an open

forum for all. And it came up with many surprising results.

One subject that was discussed in depth was how we are perceived by the community and how much in fact the community knows about us. The meeting was attended by public reps, Tom Crilly, Daithí Doolan and Chris Andrews. (Many other public reps sent their regrets) Their view of us was very interesting. They saw us a very well run organisation. It was when they listened to all the problems that we aired that they realised that everything is far from rosy in our organisation.

This column has probably painted the wrong picture over the past while, in that the article seems to portray that everything is AOK with us. So let me

in this article try to balance that myth.

Before we commenced on our new development some years ago, we fielded at every age group at Juvenile level.

At present we donʼt have U13, U14 and U15 teams. We have the players to field teams but we cannot get any mentors to go out with them. Many mentors are looking after two and three teams with chairman Pat Kane involved in 4 different teams.

The present activists in the Club are near burn-out as we strive to keep the young active in our games. Getting mentors to look after a team is now the biggest problem that we face.

Whether this is the Celtic Tiger where people donʼt have time any more or other reasons, we are not quite sure.

But in the end it is the kids who suffer. If it is possible for 45 kids to slip through the net because we cannot get anyone to look after them, then all the energy that we put into our new facility is worthless. For it was the children of the area that we always had in mind when we prepared ourselves to expend such energy in the first place.

What does it profit a child to get involved in sport? There are many advantages including a healthy mind, avoiding obesity, interaction with other children, discipline etc etc. We can do all this but we cannot do it without mentors. In a sense this is an SOS to all who may wish to help us out. If you feel you could answer this call please donʼt hesitate to drop into us or

give us a ring at 6604064.

Another topic that came up was finance. Another perception that came from our workshops was again that we were AOK. It costs the Club €165,000 to run the playing end of it each year.

Our main source of income towards this expense is our weekly lotto, our All-Ireland forecast competition and our sponsors Dublin Port Co. But, believe me folks, we struggle to make ends meet each year.

Each grant that we have got towards the new facilities all had to be match funded. In other words if we got a euro in grants then we had to come up with a euro ourselves before we could draw down the grant.

And whilst we are extremely grateful for all the grants we received, we had to raise some serious euro ourselves to make it all happen. And we borrowed most of those euros. Thus, we have hefty repayments for the foreseeable future.

Another view to the forefront was that we are all one big happy family. Well, let me tell you that we have some serious ʻdebatesʼ in our club. But I suppose it is the same for most voluntary organisations but we do our best to overcome them and move on– and we do move on.

But one thing we agreed on was that there are a certain few people in our area who seem to have serious problems with what we do. I would like to ask that if Clanna Gael Fontenoy was not in this area would the area be better off– I doubt it.

Would children be better off

if Clanna Gael Fontenoy was not in this area? I doubt it.

Would the services in this area be better if Clanna Gael Fontenoy were not here? I doubt it.

We feel that we have the support of the vast majority of the community and that is what is most important to us but continuous complaints about a voluntary organisation from a certain few can sap your energy sometimes.

We have an open door. If anyone, and we mean anyone wishes to walk in that door and better our system then we gladly and genuinely welcome them.

A follow-up meeting is planned. The facilitators will collate all the information and will give the report of their findings back to us in July. I hope we are brave and honest enough to accept their findings and recommendations.

So folks, I have given it to you straight from the hip (one of my failings). Our operation, for all its good points is no tin of gloss. When it was raised at the meeting about public awareness of our problems, this page was suggested as one of the avenues to get the message across and I thank Ann Ingle and her staff at News 4 for allowing us this space to begin it. * If you have time on your hands please call in to us * If you fell out with us in the past, please return to us * If you have problems with us, please be patient with us So there you have it folks. We wish everyone a long, hot and beautiful summer!

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005 Backchat: * Will those who keep robbing the Dublin Flag from outside the Club please refrain from doing so until weʼve won two matches in a row. It could be a long time before the flag is safe. Mick Kerins is helping Irishtown with their enquiries. * Stephen ʻStickyʼ Dunphy, was the host of Ringsend when he chipped in with 4 goals in an U.16 match last month. Not since the legend himself in 19?? has such an achievement been matched. Stephenʼs Father, Matt has not come down from cloud nine since. * Most Caring Club Person Award for 2005 went to Michael Fitzgerald. Mick rings at least 10 different people each day to collate all the goings on and then gives his expert advice free of charge to all. Now, where would we be without the bold Mick! * Fair play to Celine Kemple who organised many locals to run in the Mini Marathon on the June Bank Holiday weekend to raise funds for the Abbie Rose Trust. The club has organised beds and respirators when they return to prepare for the night ahead. Music is provided by the Hangovers who are giving their services free. * Inter footballers are unbeaten in the league. ʻNo play-offsʼ is Albertʼs cry this year. Over to you, players! * Works on the new balcony in the bar have commenced so smokers can enjoy their pipe in comfort from now on. * New romances are still continuing in the Club. The latest

PAGE 31

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Mills and Boon story is the evergreen Peter Burnett and the blossoming Gillian Early. The early bird always catches the worm. * The Nicholson family is offloading their offspring at an alarming rate. Last year Brian packed his bags and crossed the Liffey with his belle. It is told that son John has been kidnapped by a rare bird and has not been seen since. Other son Dermot has moved into the Sadlier household in Sandymount and is pursuing a serious career with one of their offspring. Father Jack has never

been so happy in all his life as he can now listen and dance to Céili House each Saturday night in the kitchen uninterrupted. * Meanwhile Martin Neville is pining for his true love who has taken flight to the U.S.A. for the summer. Mamma Noeleen is currently fund raising to help with the phone bill. * Stephen Cox has landed himself a big part in Fair City in the not-too-distant future.

Stephen has to put on five stone to play the character. Heʼs almost reached it. * Ger OʼNeill, he of Soccer goalkeeping fame in the area over the last fifty years finally fulfilled a lifetime ambition to play for Clans when he togged out for the third adult team some weeks ago. Gerʼs son Gerard also played full back on the same team. Ger was like an acrobat in goal but got himself booked by the referee for continuously shouting ʻhandballʼ at him. * The footballing women have reached the quarter final of the Championship. If by any chance they go on to win it, I want to warn the area that some serious celebrations could be done by these amazing amazons. * Best of luck to Brian McDermott, Kevin Munelly and Star of the Sea Junior hurlers who have reached the final of Cumann Na mBunscol to be played at Croke Park this month.

See ʻGael Force at Clannaʼ on page 32 for more photos.

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PAGE 32

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

Gael Force at Clanna

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

PAGE 33

IRISH A RT PLASTER C OMPANY A S O 1956 NNUAL TAFF

UTING

Dating from 21st July 1956, this very happy group of people worked for the Irish Art Plaster Company, now closed. The photo was taken in Irishtown. Weʼre sure many of these people are still living locally and will recognise their younger selves. We would really like to to know how everybody fitted on that little bus!

W RITE

TO

C ELEBRATE 2005

By Maggie Neary

W

rite To Celebrate 2005, a collection of writings from The South Inner City Literacy Service, was launched on Thursday 19th May in Ringsend Technical Institute.

An air of conviviality and celebratory anticipation filled the hall as people poured in. We had to halt our chatter when Kathleen Ingoldsby, Organiser of the Ringsend Adult Literacy and Basic Education Programme called on Charlie McManus, Principal of the Tech. to say a few words and then introduced Roisin Ingle, a native of the area and well-known journalist in The Irish Times, to launch the book.

For the next hour a mixture of tutors and students with their friends and families sat in rapt attention as some of the authors read their pieces. A variety of experiences unfolded, offering glimpses into the lives

of people from diverse cultural, educational and social backgrounds.

The strength of applause for each reading reflected the admiration and appreciation of the audience.

The night concluded with a feast of delicious sambos, some cheese delights and a celebratory glass of wine. Smiling faces acknowledged the eveningʼs success.

Ringsend Adult Literacy Service is based at the Technical Institute on Cambridge Road, where I met with Kathleen Ingoldsby, the Organiser and Maeve OʼTuama, the administror on the morning of the launch.

In their large sunny workroom they spoke about the Free Adult Part Time Basic Education which is available to anyone who finds it hard to read, write or spell and is offered in morning/afternoon and evening classes. Currently over 100 adults from Ringsend, ranging in age from 20 to 70, are availing of these classes, some take one-to-one tuition to help with spelling, read-

ing or writing while others work in small groups concentrating on English, Maths or Computers.

Last year 25 adults were successful in FETAC (Further Education Training Awards Council) modules in Communications, Maths and Computers. Kathleen emphasised that they endeavour to run the Service with a flexibility that meets the need of each individual learner and that creates an atmosphere of sharing and fun.

She expressed appreciation to the Principal of the Ringsend Tech, Charlie McManus for his spectacular support and to the porters whose warmth and energy make all who enter feel welcome and at home.

To wrap it up in the words of one who came back to learning after a

lapse of many years: “I did not think I would be able to restart again but I met Kathleen for the second time and explained to her how I wished to restart learning again. I knew there was so much more I needed to learn with spelling, reading and writing. I was involved in so many other things I could not see where I would get the time to fit my class in.

“Kathleen asked if I could come for a one-to-one class for the spelling, reading and writing. I picked Monday night. Then she asked if I would like to do a computer class.

Again, I did not know when I could fit it in. She asked me would I be able to cope with the two classes on the one night and I jumped at the idea.

“I began the two classes back in October and I must say I am enjoying them. I feel better about reading out loud and am getting better with spelling.

I know I still have so much more to learn. My teachers are great and I feel at ease with them. I am happy to come back every week. I was even able to write a little short story for the scheme book which I never thought I would do.”

Full information on the Service can be got from Ringsend Technical Institute or by phoning Kathleen at 6684571.

From the Liberties Writersʼ Group, from left, Matt Callaghan, Samantha Kavanagh, Maria Riordan (Tutor), Paul Gorry and Angela Lawlor.

PAGE 34

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

D ERMOT O’H URLEY A HERO OF HIS TIME

By James OʼDoherty

I

t was a lovely spring morning, the daffodils were dancing in a light breeze and the temperature was slowly rising. A walk into town was the order of the day.

Down Irishtown Road, turn left past the Credit Union and as I walked, on my left an avenue of fifteen beautiful cottage-type houses caught my eye– Dermot OʼHurley Avenue.

My thoughts flew back to an Ireland under the Tudors and to the many martyrs of the Penal Laws. In the reign of Elizabeth, the fear of the English power and the desire to placate it increased over Ireland.

When bishops and priests were executed, the officials emphasised that they died not for their faith but for treason

against the Queenʼs Majesty.

I wondered how many of the residents of this Avenue and indeed the people of Irishtown and Ringsend knew about this man.

Dermot OʼHurley was born near Emly, Co. Tipperary around 1530. His family were well-off by the standards of the time. His father was an agent for the Earl of Desmond and his mother Honora OʼBrien descended from the Royal House of Thomond.

In 1551 he graduated with an MA in Louvain University, then a doctorate of Law and was appointed Professor of Philosophy in one of Louvainʼs greater colleges where he remained for 15 years.

In 1574 he was appointed Professor of Canon and Civil law at Rheims, where he spent 4 years. On 11th September 1581, while still a layman, Pope Gregory XIII appointed him Archbishop of Cashel. He was ordained and consecrated and in 1583 set out on his mission.

He was aware that his appointment would mean a life as a fugitive, ministering where possible in dangerous conditions. He arrived at Skerries near Drogheda, the same spot where St. Patrick landed in Ireland in 432. Dermot came ashore in the autumn of 1583.

St. Patrick sowed the seeds of Christianity. Dermot came to make sure these seeds did not wither.

Through its elaborate spy system, the government in Dublin had knowledge of Dermotʼs appointment to the See of Cashel and Elizabethʼs spies were soon on his tracks. He never reached Cashel. While sheltering at Slane Castle he was recognised. By October he was arrested and imprisoned in Dublin Castle.

Believing that he was actively participating in a plot to overthrow the English rule in Ireland, Dermot was repeatedly interrogated and tortured.

This included the stocks, the medieval cross for common malefactors.

Head, arms, legs were thrust through the openings and the legs up to the knees were immersed in a mixture of oil and tallow in raw leather boots.

A red hot fire was brought to bear on the legs. The heated oil penetrated the soles, legs and other parts. Pieces of the skin dropped from the flesh and portions of the flesh from the bare bones.

Throughout this torture, Dermot protested that his mission was one of peace and he had no information to give his captors. The Lord Justices got permission from London to have the sentence of death passed on him by martial law.

Dr. Hurley, having neither lands nor goods, could not appeal against martial law.

Before dawn on the Saturday before Trinity Sunday, June 30th 1584 Dermot was drawn in a cart by soldiers to the usual place of the gallows in the fields where Fitzwilliam Street and Baggot Street now intersect, that is between Fitzwilliam Street and Pembroke Street.

He was strangled with twisted twigs and his body was buried by his executioners in the field of the gallows. A Dublin man, William Fitzsimmon, unearthed it and placed it in a wooden box and when evening had fallen the body was buried in the ruinous church of St. Kevin in Camden Row. Today, the great modern Kevin Street Technical School looks down on the ruined church of St. Kevin in Camden Row where Dermot is buried.

This old church and graveyard is now a beautiful inner city park.

The design and landscaping is in keeping with the atmosphere, tranquillity and character of what was once an old church and graveyard, retaining the appearance of high antiquity and treating with the utmost respect the memory of all who are buried here.

Dr. OʼHurley was beatified

by Pope John Paul II in 1992 and his feast day is June 20th.

It took me many years to convince the City Council to erect a memorial to Blessed Dermot in St. Kevinʼs in Camden Row. Dermot OʼHurley drank the chalice of Christʼs passion, willing to endure anything for his sake. May his cause have a happy and speedy ending.

May he rest in peace.

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

PAGE 35

THE POETRY PLACE Thank you Thank you for being Here with me today Thank you for giving me The strength to live without a care For bright is the day I want you to share And green is the grass on which we lay Amid a beautiful summer day.

By Dolores Duffy

Wondering Sometimes I sit and wonder why All this time is passing by On the streets all alone No friends no family Not even a home I sit on the street Heartbroken and cry Hating the way people just pass me by Trying to show them Iʼm a human being But they only judge by what theyʼre seeing But when Iʼm rich after being poor People who were good to me Iʼll remember for sure.

Nicole Katie Murphy, aged 11

You’ll have to learn to keep up I looked around and they had all gone I was alone.

The lake was on my right The wood on my left Ahead the path disappeared And the lake merged with the wood I peered into the wood It was thick, no light Iʼm not going there.

I hurried along the shore We had played at the lake It was no longer my friend Menacing clouds had darkened it.

My eyes searched the wood again No way out Where did we come through?

I was carrying my sandals and socks A sock dropped in the water.

I bent down and squeezed the water out of it.

I looked up; there he was wearing his worried face.

“Come along,” he said. I ran towards my father “Somebody must have been in a dream Youʼll have to learn to keep up with the others.”

He picked me up and strode through the trees.

“Youʼre nearly getting too heavy for me to carry,” he said “Your socks are gone,” my mother said, “but youʼre here.”

We all piled into the car

By Carmel McCarthy

Ducks on the Dodder I see you often from Ballʼs Bridge The temperature at times like a fridge Youʼre there in the rain, the snow and sleet Icy water rushing through your webbed feet How can you stand in the cold and rain Do your feathers really keep out all the pain What do you think of the damp and dirt When you peck at the plastic does it not hurt Bottles and rubbish you seem to ignore Youʼve learnt to avoid this hazard before The river smells you stand there still Why doesnʼt it ever make you ill You are rarely alone flocking together Why donʼt you go south better weather Could it be minnows you seek to find Flowing towards you nature so kind Few people pause to watch your antic Their days too busy and work too frantic On week-ends and holy days we stay in bed Sending you our plastic and rubbish instead

By Stephen Carter

Grandad My Grandad died, when I was nine Grandad I love, Grandad I miss I pray for you every night But I donʼt see the bright light Grandad I need, Grandad I hope to see you soon.

Now I am 13 I still cry Why did you die?

By Tara Dent

Let Life Begin Life begins at forty, so I hear Thatʼs why Iʼm looking forward, to next year When everybodyʼs wishing me Happy Birthday, Thereʼs only one thing Iʼll want to say, Let Life Begin let it Begin.

Life begins at forty so Iʼm told Thatʼs why I never worry ʻbout growing old I know exactly what the act is, Iʼve had thirty nine years to practice So! Let Life Begin let it Begin.

At 21 my life was full of fun At 30 it took a dive But at 40 Iʼm only coming alive Life begins at forty so they say And things keep getting better every day Life can offer so much more And I am just about to score So ! Let Life Begin let it Begin.

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

“Pull yourself together!”

In a pit of despair I once loomed, Feeling so desperate, angry and doomed, Not knowing why I had these thoughts in my head, Selfishly wishing, that I was dead “Pull yourself together!”

“Whatʼs the matter with you?”

“Lying in bed with nothing to do” “There was no trauma, no history of abuse” “Stop crying so much, you have no excuse!!”

I donʼt want your pity; I donʼt need your shame, But I wish you could feel, just an ounce of my pain.

Iʼm trying so hard; itʼs just hard to shake, I long for a normal life for Godʼs sake!

I know that you worry, but Iʼll find my own way, Iʼll get to that Place, that Iʼm at today.

Sometimes I still sink, but Iʼll never go deep, Iʼve found a new strength and I want it for keeps, Iʼve realised now, that to be truly strong, just accept your own Faults and then move on, For Iʼm living proof of complete succession, That there is in fact life, for us after despression.

By J

Thunder Mist moves across fields And flowers shiver, While petals turn inwards, Reaching back to buds hiding From thunder that shakes Buildings around this place.

I feel torn apart but then The sun shines, new strength Comes from strange sources: Seeds take root, trees grow To great heights, making me Wonder how I ever doubted This force, this everlasting Force that moves me on and on.

Mary Guckian

Miserére (Mount Carmel Hospital) Oh Pain, my unwanted companion, be gone!

Unbidden, you came; unrivalled, you rule My body, a play-thing that writhes at your will, A puppet that answers each string that you pull, Now darkness unequalled surrounds me as faster I spin in a whirlpool of torture and pain.

Wracked and tormented, I beg God for comfort, And know that my pleadings shall not be in vain, As once in a garden You suffered Your torment, Forgotten, neglected, You prayed there alone.

Bid pain– that relentless one– ever more leave me, Not my will, dear Jesus, but Thy will be done.

By Marie McAuliffe

PAGE 36

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NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

PAGE 37

RAILWAY UNION GIRLS ON TRACK

are welcome to participate Full details will be available in all local schools or from the club in Park Avenue.

Second camps will start on July 18th

Guitar Lessons Professional Teacher Contact Tony at 087 9743775

Calling all sports fans in Dublin 4 Come and watch the new exciting 20/20 cricket in coloured clothing on Tuesday June 14th at Park Avenue 6.00p.m.

Railway Union CC v Pembroke CC. Old Wesley RFC, Donnybrook, Dublin 4 www.oldwesley.ie top of form office: 6689153 fax: 668 6471 email: info@oldwesley bottom of form

A

fter a lapse of some ten years, Girlsʼ Cricket has been reestablished with enthusiasm at Railway Union, Park Avenue in Sandymount.

On May Bank Holiday Monday, the girls made a successful competitive debut at Rush Cricket Club in North County Dublin. A series of further friendly matches have been arranged for this Season and the in 2006, the team will en-

ter the Leinster U-13 League.

Elaine Coburn from Derrynane Gardens is the driving force behind the revival and all girls living in the Dublin 4 area, wishing to play cricket should contact Elaine on 087 235 2426.

Our photo shows the team in Rush with their new coach John Anderson, who had flown in from South Africa just 72 hours earlier. Included are: Sophie and Isobel Reddy,

Jenny Lynn, Nicola Walsh, Rachel Blennerhassett, Breifne Byrne and Lucy Siggins.

Sinead Kennedy and Aisling Stokes were away on this occasion.

Reminder Railway Union Cricket and Sports Camp will start on Wednesday 29th June at 2.00pm and run also on Thursday and Friday.

All boys and girls aged 6-13

A W ALK W ITH W ARNER

By Brian Kelly

D

ick Warner, broadcaster, environmentalist and keen water enthusiast recently gave a running, or rather walking commentary on the history of the Grand Canal.

Assembling at Portobello Bridge, on a damp Saturday in April, Dick with loudspeaker in hand, treated 20 or so walkers to an entertaining and informative essay on the 166 mile long canal, which stretches from Ringsend

right through to Ballinasloe in Co. Galway.

As a flock of adolescent mute swans listened in behind us, Dick explained that the first sod of the Grand Canal was laid in 1756 at Sallins, Co. Kildare. It was an extraordinary undertaking at the time, because of the almost biblical scale of the project involving 5,000 men diverting water from the nearby river, without the use of machinery.

The canal enjoyed over 200 years of commercial activity with barges taking cargo to and

from the city on an almost daily basis. The Georgian buildings around Portobello were in fact, constructed from gravel and stone brought from quarries in the midlands by canal transport.

Guinness was probably the most well-known trafficker on the Grand Canal and dray horses pulling barges with barrels of the black stuff were a familiar sight to Dubliners in the 19th and 20th century. The last commercial cargo on the canal was, fittingly enough, a Guinness barge to Limerick in 1950.

Decades later, the Grand Canal has become a leisure amenity for boat people, fishermen and strollers, who can follow welldesigned walkways from the city basin to the middle of the country.

And if you are looking to get a foothold on the property ladder and canʼt afford exorbitant house prices in our capital city, perhaps you might consider a houseboat on the Grand Canal. You can sail home to your supper for just €20,000 or less. Start ordering those deck shoes now!

PICTURED ABOVE are Wille and Mary, two of the members of Active Retirement and their friends who took part in the European Neighboursʼ Day at the CYMS, Irishtown Road.

Counselling at Ringsend Community Centre Declan Tarpey is offering free counselling to anyone who requires it.

If you have any problems regarding personal development, relationship issues, bereavement, depression or anything at all he would be very happy to work with you to resolve them.

His approach is person centred.

He can be contacted at 086 818 7074 or email: declantarpey@oceanfree.net for an appointment.

PAGE 38

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005

‘SS UNSHINE A UMMER IN

M

ost stereotypes hide a shiny nugget of truth.

What Paris is for art and Venice is for romance, Amsterdam is for a healthy dose

IN A BAG ’

MSTERDAM BY

K ATE M C A LISTER

of earthy liberalism that is just, well, relaxing.

What sets this city apart is its laid-back, or as the Dutch say, Gezellig atmosphere. (Gezellig

translates as an environment that allows good times to happen.)

Bicycles, very few of them locked, crowd the sidewalks and railings of bridges over the canals.

In the dark anyone could easily take one, but they donʼt. Such social cohesion in a city full of people from somewhere else is striking indeed.

Your first port of call when planning a trip to the city should be the Internet. Whether itʼs for a hostel or a hotel, online deals abound. I got on the Internet for an arduous hour-long trawl a mere six days before the date of departure and managed to glean a halfprice deal for France Hotel, a very convenient, clean hotel less than five minutes walk from Central Station.

Convenient transportation is

one of the cityʼs hallmarks. Itʼs easy to get to the city from the airport due to the integrated train station with trains leaving every thirty minutes. Amsterdam has an excellent tram system and almost anywhere is within twenty-five minutesʼ walk. If you hire a bike, (try Mikeʼs Bikes for €7 a day 6227970 Kerkstraat 134) you can make it even faster.

Leidseplein is an ideal base for the afternoon as it has an abundance of good cafes and restaurants. It has good shopping and is only a few minutesʼ walk from all the major museums. Although I briefly visited the Rijksmuseum

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NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005 gardens I didnʼt go inside.

Sights werenʼt a priority on this trip, although I did hit a few on my way to somewhere else. I really only wanted to see two places: a windmill and the house where Anne Frank and her family hid from the Nazis. I resolved that the house would be a more achievable destination, so I set off fairly early one Saturday to find it.

The walk along the quiet, sunny canal was beautiful. Despite it being a city, the scent of early spring permeated the sunlit morning air and people were already clustered around little round tables having their morning coffee.

As I approached the tall, thin house with its queue of impatient visitors snaking out from the entrance, I hesitated for a second before walking on. I was surprised at the awkward wave of grief that gripped me and even the regular sight of tourists with sunglasses and bum bags didnʼt temper it.

Anneʼs famous diary description needed no improving on.

Equally touching was the lily strewn Homomonument, a smooth triangle of marble which jutted straight out into the canal near Anne Frankʼs house. A girl sat alone on the edge and looked at the flowers and the water flowing tranquilly past beyond them.

After having coffee and delicious strawberry cheesecake in a small café on a sleepy little street called Prinzenstraat, where there were also a few good antique shops, I soon found myself at a huge, bustling open air market.

Noorder-markt, located on the street by that name, happens on Mondays from 9am to 1pm. Saturday is also a good day to go as

PAGE 39 theyʼve merged with a food market that takes place on that day.

About a hundred stalls sell food, clothes, antiques and much else.

One woman who ran a stall explained that in Amsterdam open air markets are traditionally where most of the trading happens. For very little, I purchased a wall hanging from India and a few rounds of cheese as gifts.

Amsterdamʼs internationalism is reflected in its diverse range of really good restaurants. ʻLos Palonesʼ (Kerk Straat 63 just off the Leidse-Straat) is an absolute must if you like Mexican food. It is a traditional, as opposed to Tex-Mex, restaurant with great cocktails and funky décor. I had a vegetarian taco and endless little baskets of warm tortilla chips with fresh salsa. As I sipped my pina colada I noticed another customer with a strawberry margarita and quickly gave myself permission to try that too. (At €5 so would you!) ʻFoodismʼ (Oude Leliestraat 2) is practically next door to the ʻGrey Areaʼ, a well-known coffee shop. So if you find yourself in this quiet little alleyway it is a great place to have lunch. Itʼs a vegetarian restaurant but donʼt let that put you off if you arenʼt.

I ordered a generously-sized plate of tagliateli with truffle salsa accompanied by a long glass of deliciously foamy Chai tea and it was superb.

Dessert was a freshly-baked orange chocolate brownie served with lightly flavoured orange ice cream. When I put my fork down one word formed in my mind, ʻamenʼ. Iʼd go back for that alone.

Continuing in the chocolate

vein, ʻPuccini Bomboniʼ is a small chocolate ʻboutiqueʼ located just around the corner from ʻFoodismʼ. Itʼs a great place to buy gifts.

Most people would appreciate chocolate over miniature wooden shoes or blue porcelain windmills anyway. I bought a few black pepper chocolates and gave the gift to myself as I walked back to the Leidseplein.

Donʼt let yourself just fall into the nearest eatery. I did and wound up with a bowl-full of MSG laden ʻThaiʼ food. Every dish had the same sickening red sauce– even the banana fritters were horrible.

A good rule of thumb is to not eat in or around the red-light district area. Prices there are higher than anywhere else.

Predictably, the cityʼs nightlife is kicking. The range of entertainment in and around the Leidseplein area is huge. There are plenty of nightclubs, theme bars, live comedy (like ʻBoom Chicagoʼ), cocktail bars and late night coffee shops. ʻThe Bourbon Street Blues Clubʼ (motto: ʻWho needs New Orleansʼ) is a great place to go if you like jazz and blues.

When I stopped in a band called The Brenda was playing covers of mostly blues songs. Large crystal chandeliers hung from wooden beams and a giant Converse Allstar shoe presided high above the bar.

Whether itʼs for the sights, food, shopping or nightlife, Amsterdam is definitely a great choice for a short break this summer.

From left: Tour boats on an Amsterdam canal, one of the marvellous paintings from the Van Gogh Museum and the car that took the wrong turn!

LIVING IN FEAR

IN THE LAND OF THE FREE

S

he was in her early thirties, attractive and full of life. Her accent told of her Northern origins: “My children tell me I donʼt belong here,” she stated, “They also ask why canʼt we visit our granny and granddad, do they not like us?”

Being undocumented in the US was never a great place to be but it is getting to be an increasingly more difficult place. Recent legislation which is security-driven is making life tough for those who left Ireland for the US in the eighties.

The lady I mention above runs a business with her husband.

They own their own home and have two beautiful children who attend Catholic schools. They live in fear that it could all disappear tomorrow. If granny and granddad get sick then mammy canʼt go home as they would not be able to re-enter the United States.

There are between ten to twelve million undocumented in the United States. They canʼt all be deported. They have allowed the economy to grow. Most have paid their taxes, contribute to society and have done their best for their families. Hollywood recently made a film entitled ʻThe Day the Mexicans didnʼt Come to Workʼ. The film highlighted the fact that if the undocumented didnʼt present for work the country would grind to a halt.

There are many humanitarian issues being raised by the present state of play. A person who may be a victim of domestic violence has no power to address the issues as they fear that when they present themselves they could be deported so they hide their pain and live with compromise. More people have died on the American border with Mexico than died along the iron curtain during the cold war.

What can be done? Last Tuesday the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) launched a campaign entitled. ʻCatholic Campaign for Immigration Reformʼ. The campaign marks a new effort to educate and galvanize Catholics on the need for “justice for immigrants” Speaking at a news conference held at Catholic charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick said the goals of this multi-year campaign are four-fold: * To educate Catholics and others of good will about the benefits of immigration and the benefits to the nation. * To strengthen public opinion about the positive contributions of immigrants. * To advocate for just immigration laws which promote legal status and legal pathways for migrant workers and their families. * To organize Catholic legal service networks to assist immigrants to access the benefits of reforms.

One of the goals of the campaign is to try to change laws “so that immigrants can support their families in dignity, families can remain united, and the human rights of all are respected,” Cardinal McCarrick stated.

The Irish Episcopal Commission for Emigrants visited the US to lend its support to this campaign as it is a ray of hope on a dark horizon for the undocumented Irish.

For more information, contact emigrants@iecon.ie

By Father Alan Hilliard

PAGE 40

NEWSFOUR JUNE 2005