News Four October 2005 by News Four

OCTOBER 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

‘PROGRESS’ ON WASTEWATER ODOUR By Frances Corr

ublin City Council in its official brief to the members of the South East Area Committee of the council on the 23rd September 2005, stated that solving the intermittent odour problems at the wastewater treatment works on the Poolbeg Peninsula is the Councilʼs top priority. DCC officials are confident that the solutions to the complex, technical problems can be implemented. A Programme of Work, proposed by ABA, the international consortium that designed, built and will operate the plant for the next twenty years, has been agreed and has already begun. The work will continue through the Winter and into 2006, until it is completed. Assistant City Manager Mr Matt Twomey told the Local City

Councillors: “We have identified and agreed the key areas that are contributing to the intermittent foul odours that come from the plant.” He said “We have already carried out any remedial measures that could be carried out immediately and we are making progress,” He told the committee that among the actions being taken are increasing the odour collection capacity at the inlet works and re-balancing the airflow in that area. A re-fit of the sludge treatment plant, which has been the major source of many of the odours, will be undertaken as well as covering the primary settlement tanks and adding new odour control systems. Other remedial works include the installation of additional equipment to burn off gases from the sludge drying system. The sludge is dried and formed into pellets, which are used as

fertiliser. The Councillors were told the water in Dublin Bay is cleaner than it has been for over 200 years and Dollymount Strand was awarded a Blue Flag in 2004. The plant treats wastewater from a population of 1.6 million people daily. The plant has reached its maximum capacity and will be unable to cater for the future growth of Dublin and the surrounding counties. The city manager recently announced plans to build a new sewerage treatment plant in Portrane in North County Dublin, as well as extending and increasing the capacity of the Ringsend treatment works. Plans for any extension to the Ringsend plant will no doubt be strongly resisted by local residents. Right: Inside the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

HELEN WALSH ANNOUNCES A SPECIAL INTENSIVE CHRISTMAS WEIGHT LOSS COURSE FOR NEWSFOUR READERS COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE! Starting Sunday 23rd October 2005 Time:12 noon

Location: SportsCo Health Club, South Lotts Rd. Approximately 1 hour plus weight and measure (optional)

The weight and measure will be set up for you half way through the course and again at the end so you have a copy of the results. All you need to bring is yourself!! Helen is now taking enrolment for this one-oﬀ course that oﬀers you an unique opportunity to work intensively over an 8-week period. There are limited places available.

elen will work with you (women and men over the age of 16) to attain maximum benefit and peer encouragement for your weight loss goals. You will develop the skills and knowledge that will have long term benefits. The course focuses on four main elements that are the Secrets of Weight Loss (from Helenʼs book ʻThe Weight Loss Secretʼ): Nutritional Education, Motivational Techniques, Fitness Tips and Food Planning. You can expect to lose approximately one stone (depending on your metabolism), look great and feel positive and healthier. You will be working with Helen to achieve your goals in time for Christmas. Helen Walsh has 18 years industry experience, she has qualifications in fitness, nutri-

tion, and coaching. Helen has helped hundreds of people each year on the subject of Health and Weight loss for life. Her success stories include some of Irelandʼs top talent in the world of music, acting, politics and media. She has appeared on RTEʼs ʻOpen Houseʼ, TV3ʼs ʻIreland AMʼ, Channel 4ʼs ʻBig Breakfastʼ, ʻWorld Wrestling Federationʼ, RTEʼs ʻYouʼre a Starʼ, ʻThe Marian Finucane Showʼ and ʻThe Gerry Ryan showʼ. Helen Walsh is delighted to offer you this course free of charge. There are no hidden costs or gimmicks but you must book your place on 26 05 050 so we can monitor the numbers attending. If you feel you would like to make a small contribution on the day the course starts, there will be a box to collect funds for the Ronald Mc Donald House situated in Crumlin Chidrenʼs Hospital. If you would prefer a private consultation Helen runs a clinic in Sandymount, for prices and more information, you can call the number below. Private consultations are not part of the free programme and booking in advance is always required (waiting list now in place). www.helenwalsh.ie Phone: 01 260 5050 or email: energymanagement@eircom.net

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NewsFour Managing Editor Ann Ingle Advertising Manager Grainne McGuinness Staff Brian Kelly Frances Corr Maggie Neary Patrick Duffy Denis Murphy Brian Rutherford Contributors Michael McAuliffe Rose Hogan Derek Buckley James O’Doherty Shay Connolly Michael Hilliard Aidan O’Donoghue Sean Donnelly Christy Hogan James Keaveney George P. Kearns Music Correspondent Brian Kelly Web Designer Andrew Thorn Photography John Cheevers 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.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

The Editor’s Corner

orry we are a bit behind schedule coming to you this month. I went on a late holiday to visit my son Eddie and his family in North Carolina and held things up a little. However, I hope you think itʼs worth the wait. We have two great surprises for you. As you can see on the front page Helen Walsh has kindly offered a Christmas Weight Loss programme absolutely free of charge for ʻNewsFourʼ readers and friends. You may have heard her on the Marian Finucane Show. Helen really knows how to motivate people so give her a ring on 2605050 to book your place. Also, Michael McAuliffe, full of goodwill after his trip to New Zealand, is offering €50 if you can guess who the mystery man is on page 10 and are able to write 30 words or so about him. Elsewhere in the paper there are articles on such diverse issues as sand cleaning machines on the beach, the grotto in the ﬂats, the pavements in Ringsend and the caves of Niaux in France. We also have music, book and ﬁlm reviews for you.

Our next edition goes out in the middle of December and if you would like to send special greetings to any of your friends or family please let us know. Donʼt forget to tell people abroad that they can access NewsFour via our website: www.news4.ie. Sandymount Community Services/ʻNewsFourʼ will have been in operation for twenty years in November. We are anxious to get in touch with everyone who has worked on the project since its inception as we hope to organise a celebration. Please ring us on 6673317 or email: newsfourscs@eircom.net to give details of your current whereabouts. Have a good Halloween and keep sending in your stories. Ann Ingle We ran a story about Annie Conroy (nee Cox) in our October 2003 edition on the occasion of her 90th birthday. Annie died peacefully on 14 September 2005 in Birmingham. Our sincere condolences to her family and friends.

SHELBOURNE PARK RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION LTD Swimming in Sportsco

We have a Swimming Session Every Sunday Morning from 11am to 1pm in Sportsco. Price: €25 per 3 Month Session or €5 for one Swim. Children under 3 years are FREE! This Swimming Session is open to any one who wants to join. It is not just confined to people living in the Sth.-Lotts-Rd. area. For further Info just call over any Sunday between 11am-&-1pm. Ask for Mary or Billy. Below: Jack OʼBrien and Paul Madill of Ringsend and District Community Centre show the Environmental award which the Centre won in the South East Area City Neighbourhoods Competition.

The Letterbox Dear Madam Editor Una Dunne, 81 years old, Died 30th August 2005 in St Vincentʼs Hospital. Another statistic you might think. Una Dunne died as a result of several medical problems in the later months of her life. In this writerʼs opinion Una Dunneʼs death was a result of a broken heart. This lady took ill in her home St Stephenʼs night 2003 and was brought to St Vincentʼs Hospital. After about three months she was put into a second rate home for people with mental problems. It was while myself and my wife visited her at this home we were told by Una that she had been evicted by Dublin City Council from her home at 13A Beggarʼs Bush Court. As friends of Una we tried to ﬁnd out what exactly happened and all we were told was to back off as we are not relatives of Una and it was none of our business. Because this woman had no relatives to ﬁght her cause she was made a ward of court by some procedure created by being ʻevictedʼ and/or some doctor who never approached her friends to ask their opinions as to why Una was so down hearted. Una was broken hearted when she heard she had lost her home. We her friends could not even get Unaʼs funeral arrangements from the home she was residing in or from the Ward of Court solicitor because we were not relatives. I just wanted to bring this matter to the attention of your readers as a belated tribute to Una who was a grand old lady. Yours sincerely Eddie Gannon

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

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

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

Pictured at this Summer始s Ringsend and Irishtown Summer Project are the prizewinners in the Fancy Dress Competition. from left: Daniel Lane (Second Place), C茅ilim Robinson (First Place) and Colm Waters (Third Place).

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NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

Ringsend Summer Project THIS YEARʼS summer project in Ringsend was as successful as ever. 105 children took part. The trips organised included the Aqua park, quaser and bowling, sports day and the Zoo as well as many activities taking place in the Centre: magic shows, childrenʼs entertainers, arts and crafts and of course the last day activities which included the Fort Lucan trip, fancy dress, Bar-b-cue, disco and the medal presentations. The Summer Project would not have taken place without the help and support of: John Devoy, Antoinette Jenkins, Avril Henderson, Lisa Rooney, Lisa Gaskins, Vicki Glynn, Alice Foley, Rose Murphy, Catherine Robinson, Nell McLoughlin, Carmel Weafer, Paul Byrne, Tracey and Marie Stone, Audrey Murphy, Jennifer Doolin, Aisling Waters, Elaine Cummins, The Board of the Ringsend Community Centre, Peter Tobin, Ronan OʼDonnell, Pat Kane of Clanna Gael, Laura Murphy, Louise Kirwan and Pauline Byrne. Apologies if anyone has been left out of this list. The efforts of everyone who gave their time to help make the Summer Project so successful are very much appreciated. Brendan Wickes

COUNCILLORS’ CONCERNS

ouncillor Kevin Humphreys called on all residents of Ringsend, Irishtown and Sandymount to contact their Progressive Democrat and Fianna Fáil representatives to honour their election promises to stop the incinerator. “An incinerator on the Poolbeg Peninsula will lead to over 1,000 extra heavy goods vehicles a week through our community, it will also destroy the amenities of the Poolbeg Peninsula and Sandymount Strand and increase the dioxin in the air we breathe.” He says that local residents have “suffered foul odours from the sewage treatment plant for the last three yeas and this community stands united against another costly, foolish and untested plan to build an incinerator in the Poolbeg Peninsula.” Sinn Fein Councillor DaithíDoolan, has called for, “the establishment of a task force to develop the Poolbeg Peninsula to ensure that this opportunity is not squandered by developersʼ greed.ʼʼ Speaking recently Cllr. Doolan said, “the Poolbeg Peninsula is the subject of a proposed multi billion euro development, aiming to house 10,000 people over next couple of years. But what appears to be missing is the needs of the

‘SPIRIT By Frances Corr

he Lord Mayor of Dublin Councillor Catherine Byrne ofﬁcially launched the Liffey Voyage tour service on the 26th of September. The Spirit of Docklands the 48 seater boat was escorted up the river Liffey by a ﬂotilla of small boats bearing colourful characters including ʻVikingsʼ, ʻJames Joyceʼ, ʻU2ʼ, and various charters beating drums. The Spirit of Docklands operates between The Halfpenny Bridge and the East link bridge in Ringsend, exploring the historical sights and new land marks along the river Liffey. A tour guide on board delivers interesting information on the city and the Docklands area throughout the journey. The script for the tour guide has been devised by

Pat Liddy, the renowned Dublin historian. At the moment there is only one landing stage open at Bachelorʼs Walk. Further landing stages will be installed along the riverʼs campshires soon. Killary Cruises operates the

new residents and surrounding communities. “While I welcome the development of this area of Dublin, it must be environmentally, economically and socially sustainable. For too long this part of Dublin has been a dumping yard for dirty industry. Neighbouring communities of Ringsend, Irishtown and Sandymount must have their needs met with this development. We must ensure that this peninsula becomes part of the solution to the cityʼs needs and not simply a developerʼs paradise and a residentsʼ nightmare.ʼʼ Fine Gael Councillor Lucinda Creighton is concerned about the need for extra resources to police litter louts. “In light of the recent National Litter Report, which illustrated a huge challenge facing Dublin City in tackling dirt on our streets, we need to see immediate action,” she explained. “The Council recognises that Dublin City is beset by litter pollution, with one of the worst records in Europe. However, Dublin City Council has proven to be particularly poor in respect of ﬁning those responsible for this pollution.” Labour Councillor Dermot Lacey recently complained about what he regards as secret meetings held by Minister Ivor

Liffey Voyage tour service. Established in January 1998, Killary Cruises successfully developed and operates spectacular sight-seeing cruises on the Killary Fjord in Co. Galway on board ʻThe Connemara Ladyʼ, a

Callelly. “In what can only be described as a vote of no confidence in the Local Government system, Minister Ivor Callelly held the first of a series of secret meetings called the ʻClare Street Initiativeʼ to discuss an integrated traffic management system in Dublin.” “The meetings were deemed confidential and were not publicly announced and not one elected representative was invited to take part.” Lacey says that by not involving his fellow elected representatives, “he has ensured that any plan emerging from this process will undoubtedly be weaker and will take far longer to implement.” Cllr. Garry Keegan has called on Dublin City Council to immediately make €25,000 available to improve the surface of the pitch in Irishtown Stadium. Local football clubs such as St. Patʼs, Markevick Celtic and Liffey Wanderers have been left in a very difficult position with nowhere to play their league matches. If the pitch is not re-surfaced and the necessary irrigation system installed, these clubs will be forced to return to using the nearby Ringsend Park, which in turn will upset other local junior football clubs that are currently using the park.

DOCKLANDS’ SAILS

150-seater luxury catamaran. The Liffey Voyage project is part of the River regeneration strategy of the Dublin Dockland Development Authority, which aims to bring life back to the river Liffey. Other projects include the proposed purchase of the famine replica ship, the ʻJeanie Johnstonʼ as a visitor attraction on the Liffey and redevelopment of the Dublin City Moorings to provide accommodation for super-yachts and vessels up to 1,000 tonnes at Custom House Quay. The Liffey Voyage tours depart from Bachelorʼs Walk, from 10am till 4pm on the hour up to the end of October and ﬁnishes at 2pm in November and December. The journey takes approximately 45 minutes. High and low tides will restrict tours, when the boat will be unable to pass under the bridges.

Pictured, left, on board the ʻSpirit of Docklandsʼ are May Kane and Peter Tobin.

Guitar Lessons Professional Teacher Contact Tony at 087 9743775

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

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THE DISCREET CHARMS OF BALLSBRIDGE By Brian Rutherford

he famous Ballʼs Bridge, built in 1791, rebuilt in 1835 and widened in 1904, marks an area of Dublin, which may hold more secrets than you think. Many roads converge at Ballsbridge: Herbert, Elgin, Pembroke, Shelbourne and Angelsea. Central to this area are the RDS, The Herbert Park Hotel, The American Embassy, Herbert Park, Granite Place, City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee, and Pembroke Library. Ballsbridge is famous as being the place where Eamonn DeValera surrendered in 1916 and where members of the third Battalion Dublin Brigade died. There is a commemorative stone at the Herbert Park andClyde Road junction which stands in black marble with the words ʻDedicated to the memory of the ofﬁcers and men of the third battalion Dublin Brigade, who died for Ireland in 1916 and since, may they all be at Godʼs right handʼ. This was unveiled by Eamonn De Valera himself on 13 May 1973. During the Rising, the Pembroke Town Hall was occupied by the Military H.Q staff and Shelbourne Road Technical School was its headquarters. After surrendering at Bolandʼs Mills, 117 volunteers were herded in horse boxes in the RDS showgrounds. De Valera himself was treated as an ofﬁcer and placed under

guard in the weights and measures office of Pembroke Town Hall. Down the road is the Pembroke Library, built by W.F Beckett, father of Samuel Beckett, where writer Frank OʼConnor worked as a librarian and wrote ʻGuest of the Nationʼ, and ʻThe Saint and Mary Kateʼ. It was formally opened in September 1929. Herbert Park was chosen as the site for the famous Dublin International Trades Exhibition which was held in 1907. The main industrial hall covered over two acres and consisted of a central octagonal court with a dome 150 feet high and 80 feet in diameter. The only constructions relating to this period which remain are the bandstand and the pond. Today, the park comprises 32 acres and apart from the fine gardens and tree and flower-lined walkways, is home to soccer, gaelic games, tennis courts, bowl-

ing, croquet and a childrenʼs play area. The Earl of Pembroke at the coming-of-age of his son, Lord Herbert, presented the park to the Pembroke Urban District Council. The RDS was founded in 1731 and in 1815 its headquarters were situated in Leinster House. From 1880 the Society began to acquire and use land at Ballsbridge and moved there in 1924. Leinster House was requisitioned by the Dail. The RDS is one of the best venues in Dublin for any sort of show, be it sporting, artistic or musical and it is also where the Horse Show and Funderland takes place each year. Directly across the road is the Horse Show House, a well known hostelry for visitors to the RDS. The Herbert Park Hotel speaks for itself and there is an attractive metal sculpture just inside its gates of four modern young men holding a metal ball, well worth looking at. There is plenty to eat and drink in the area and restaurants include OʼConnellʼs, Bella Cuba, The Lobster Pot, Siam Thai, Al Boschetto, Baan Thai, Kites and Rolyʼs Bistro at Clyde Lane, or

across the road is the Embassy Grill. Just at the other side of the bridge is Granite Place, with Hemingwayʼs and Teppan and Croweʼs, where you might catch Don Baker playing a gig. That leaves us with one more place of interest, the American Embassy at Elgin Road. This ominous building is circular in shape and guarded 24 hours a day. It holds your ticket to the freedom of the USA, providing visas and other documentation for entry. The embassy also provides information on America in terms of political, economic and social issues. The design of the building incorporates ancient Irish architecture in a contemporary American design, and was built in 1964. The Embassy was designed by an American architect, John Mac L. Johansen in consultation with Irish architect, Michael Scott. It has five floors, three on top and two below. The floors are made of Conne-

mara marble. Next time you take a walk in the area, remember there is history all around you.

Geraldine M. Lynch (formerly of Irishtown Road)

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

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NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

By Denis Murphy

hroughout the centuries Dublin has hosted many famous feasts and banquets, but it is doubtful if any of them were quite as memorable as that held on October 22nd 1856. It had a guest list of almost four thousand, the majority of them Irish soldiers and veterans who had seen service in the Crimean War. In August of that year the Lord Lieutenant wrote a letter to the Lord Mayor suggesting that it might be a good idea to organise an event of such magnitude. The Mayor complied at once and a planning committee was set up immediately and at the same time a subscription list was instantly arranged among wealthy society to defray the costs. A meeting held in the Mansion House on September 8th 1856, included the Mayor and the eminent MP Isaac Butt with other prominent citizens also in attendance. They resolved to “invite to a National Entertainment, in the City of Dublin, all of the troops now serving in Ireland who are wearers of the Crimean medals.” Venues were discussed such as the Theatre Royal, the Rotunda, the upper yard in Dublin Castle and the grounds of Leinster House and they were all dismissed. It soon became evident to the committee that none of the venues were suitable and it was decided after advice by a prominent ofﬁcial of the Board of Works to hold it at Mr. Scovellʼs bonded warehouse on Custom House Quay, beside Georgeʼs Dock.

A B ANQUET

Banquets of this size required a great deal of organisation and everything was prepared meticulously. Well-established city firms like T&C Martin and Todd Burns offered to supply essential materials such as platforms, seating, table-cloths and whatever else was required. Offers began to flood in to provide foodstuffs, beer, wine and spirits and this munificence was accepted with open arms and delight. The iron roof trusses were painted red, white and blue set against a background of floral and regimental flags. Dublinʼs Lord Mayor would preside in the presence of the Lord Lieutenant and other prominent city

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notables. To announce the toasts, of which there were many, four trumpeters were stationed at the rear of the top table, sounding a “brilliant call” before each one. The food for the feast was specially prepared by the Spanacini and Murphy Company, the meal consisting of 250 hams, 200 geese, 230 legs of mutton, 200 turkeys, 250 joints of beef, 500 meat pies, 100 venison pies, 100 chickens, six ox tongues, 260 plum puddings and 100 rice puddings. All meat was provided by the cityʼs leading butchers, Farrellyʼs of South Great Georgeʼs Street and Ledwidgeʼs of William Street. There were 4,000 pounds of bread and three tons of potatoes. The meal was to be washed down with a quart of porter for each man and a pint of wine or sherry, which was supplied gratis by Henry Brennan, wine merchant. From every corner of the countryʼs army barracks, transport brought the veterans to Dublin to celebrate their safe homecoming in style. From the Curragh Camp there were 1,000 men. 1,500 came from the Dublin barracks and the rest from around the country. In Dublin they marched through the city streets, cheered on by great crowds. All of them passed grandly by Gandonʼs Custom House to Georgeʼs Dock and then in an orderly fashion into the lavishly-decorated warehouse. A large crowd of spectators were greatly amused to see ﬂeets of horse-drawn lorries come to dis-

FOR

H EROES

patch their appetizing wares. Along both sides of the quays many ships were festooned with flags and bunting, lending a festive air to the occasion. It was a chance for hungry street urchins to grab a bite to eat and scarper, scoffing their prized tasty morsel pursued by police, who seemed somewhat reluctant to apprehend them. Inside the hall on large flags were the names of some of the most notable battles in the Crimean War: Balaclava, Inker-

High jinks on the Liffey to celebrate the inauguration of the new Liffey cruiser.

man, Sebastopol and Tchernaya. Along the walls were names of the most famous people associated with the battles such as Florence Nightingale, Pellisier, Raglan and St Arnaud. After the arrival of the Lord Mayor, dressed in full regalia who took his place at the table of honour, dinner would not be served until the Lord Lieutenant was present. Shortly after a quarter past one he arrived and when seated, dinner was served immediately. Despite the vast amounts of food served to the multitudes, it was consumed in a little over half an hour, when the Lord Mayor said grace after meals. Then followed innumerable speeches and toasts and by four oʼclock the last soldiers had marched out and up the Quays to their various destinations. When asked if they had enjoyed the day, by a respectable well-dressed spectator, one Dubliner replied: “Had they given us treatment like that in the Crimea, we would never have left it!” For the few dissident republicans among them, it was a chastening and enlightening reminder of just how the well-off dined less than ten years previously, while their families and loved ones starved to death during the potato famine.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

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H ELEN D ILLON

abulous, gorgeous– thatʼs what I say looking through the hundredth gardening book Iʼve bought this year. Iʼd love a garden like that one day, closing the page on a Japanesethemed water feature. I decided instead of looking through my books to venture into a real garden. So I took myself off to 45 Sandford Road, Ranelagh, the home of writer, lecturer, TV personality, garden critic and renowned gardener Helen Dillon. Tucked away down a leafy cul-de-sac is an imposing 1830s house, which is the home of Helen, her husband Val and their two dogs, Reg and Daisy. Iʼd better admit at this stage that I am not a fervent gardener and Iʼm afraid I wouldnʼt know my berberis from my bellis! But that didnʼt quash my enthusiasm nor my ability to appreciate this wonderful experience, because that is what it was from the moment I was greeted at the front door by Helen and Sir Reginald, the Dillonʼs dachshund who has an awful lot to say for himself. Shown into the drawing room of their elegant house, I was immediately captivated by the view from the window that overlooks this garden. Sitting on almost an acre, this garden is the canvas on which Helen Dillon and her husband Val have created a constantly changing work of art that stems from her years of experi-

T HAT ’ S

ence. Colour, texture, form and structure are what this artist uses to create testimony to her knowledge and skill. Out into the garden, Helen says that it is “the result of 34 years of sweat and bother.” Taking centre stage is the Islamic-

style canal set in light and dark grey Irish limestone. This long sheet of water that ﬂows effortlessly from one level to another was done to reﬂect the sky and in winter catches the light and brings it down to ground level. The long borders facing each

other on either side show contrast in colour and content. On the left there are the strong, loud colours such as red and magenta, while on the right are the pale, quiet colours like blue and white The intensity of the colours of these blooms, I am told, is due to the fact that they are situated where the clouds donʼt allow the sun to blast the colour out of them. The combination of plant, form and colour gives to the innocent, untrained eye an impression that fools you into thinking it all looks so so simple. The ivy-clad arches lead from the canal to the rest of the garden, which has been designed into different individual spaces. From the bamboos set in gravel to the elegant greenhouse this is a jigsaw of design whose pieces are constantly changing. Described as Irelandʼs gardening ambassador, Helen Dillon is self-taught. Her love of gardening that started as a child in her native Scotland grew into a passion that has put her on the world stage. Familiar to us through RTEʼs gardening programmes and her column in the Sunday Tribune, she is renowned throughout the gardening world. She has been

honoured with numerous awards including a Royal Horticultural Society Veitch Memorial medal, and membership of the board of the New York Botanical Gardens, which gives a clear indication of the regard in which she is held. Dillon is in constant demand as a lecturer, both here and abroad, for her expertise and knowledge of plants. For those of you who have not enlisted in the green-ﬁngered brigade and have no hope of reaching for a list of plants for moist, dry, sunny or shady places or donʼt have the possibility to gain the expertise of half a century of gardening, Helen Dillon is available on a consultancy basis. All avid gardeners have the chance to gain endless practical advice from the book ʻHelen Dillon on Gardeningʼ, a compendium of columns from the Sunday Tribune which has been reissued by Townhouse. The Dillon Garden is open daily from 2pm-6pm in March, July, and August and on Sundays only 2-6pm in April, May, June and September (Adults €5.00, Groups by appointment). When the weather gets better go, see, enjoy! Website: www.dillongarden.com

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

THE WAY TO DO IT !

LAST SUNDAY I was invited to a large birthday party where the enterprising parents had acquired the services of Punch and Judy to entertain the children. Professor Mic Mac and his assistants Thomas Widger and John Cronin gave a great performance and left the audience… well, as pleased as Punch. Punch and Judy is a popular puppet show for children, featuring Mr. Punch and his wife Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between the anarchic Mr. Punch and the other characters, including a sausage-eating crocodile. It is irreverent, naughty and wonderfully entertaining. The Simpsons comes to mind when thinking of a modern day equivalent. 9th May 1662 is thought to be the birthday of Mr. Punch, for that was the first time the diarist Samuel Pepys observed a Punch and Judy show near St. Paulʼs Church in Londonʼs Covent Garden. Professor Mic Mac and his team are available for parties, weddings, school visits and corporate events. It doesnʼt come cheap but if you want something completely different, telephone Thomas at 086 1560869 or email profmicmac@yahoo.ie Ann Ingle

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

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

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NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

DAN’S UNUSUAL REQUEST I

Christmas Crackers An evening of Christmas Songs, Carols and Poetry featuring White Christmas, O Holy Night, Silent Night, Jingle Bells, Christmas Song and many more popular Christmas Classics.

Starring Red Hurley, Margot Daly and special guests RTE Cór na n-Óg

Presenter Kevin Hough (above) Monday 12th December National Concert Hall 8 pm Tickets €20 €25 and €10 Telephone 4170000 SPECIAL RATES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

The Yacht Thorncastle Street, Ringsend, 6680977

‘For a Quiet Pint in comfortable surroundings and a friendly atmosphere’

By George P Kearns

heard an item on the RTE news telling of some enterprising person who had secured a two-foot long branch from one of the London Plane trees that was cut down in OʼConnell Street and offered same for sale on the internet! This brought to mind a tale I had heard from Noel, a friend of mine, in the 70s about a request made by the head of a Los Angeles law firm to Dan OʼHerlihy, the Irish film star and director, some years back. My friend Noel at the time worked for Mercedes Benz in Dublin and on one occasion he was sent to Dan OʼHerlihyʼs house in Blackrock to troubleshoot his imported Mercedes Benz car, which had just arrived from LA. When Dan got into the car to go for a drive the car would not start. Apparently, it had been in storage for a long time. When Noel arrived at Danʼs House, he found that the car was an absolutely magnificent 1938/39 coupe, just like the Mercs which both Hitler and Himmler enjoyed during their reign of power in Germany many years earlier. It had large fenders, long running boards, left-hand drive and California plates. Noel made a list of the work which needed to be done and informed Dan that he would have to tow the car into the workshop for repairs. Closing the garage doors, Dan invited Noel in for coffee and a chat. During their chat Dan asked Noelʼs advice about another matter. “You come across to me as a most astute young man. Perhaps you could help me with a request I have just had that could save me $400. Could you tell me how I could find out where the rubble from Nelsonʼs Pillar was dumped as I would like to secure a small piece of it for a friend of mine.” Noel was astounded and wondered if he had heard right. Seeing the look on Noelʼs face, Dan smiled and handed Noel a letter which made everything crystal clear. The letter was from a law firm in LA called Goldberg and it appeared that they had represented Dan on a number of minor traffic offences in LA and attached was their bill for $400. However, the letter stated that if Dan could send them a small stone from the rubble of Nelsonʼs Pillar which could be used as a paper weight he could forget about the bill! Noel found this request hard to believe, but Dan assured him that the Pillar explosion was big news in the US a few years previously and such a paper weight would be an object of some interest. “Well,” said Noel, “you have asked the right man. I know for sure that a part of that statue lies in a corporation yard off Cork Street in Dublin, but why bother? Why donʼt you just nip out to the garden, select a nice stone and post it to LA. Mr Goldberg will never know the difference!” Dan exploded with laughter and, spluttering, he spilt his coffee on the front of his shirt. “My God, man,” he said to Noel, “youʼre a genius!” Moments later Noel took his leave of that lovely kind Irish actor and never saw him again and with Dan now dead and buried he will never know if Mr Goldberg received his paper weight from Danʼs garden in Blackrock or from the Corporation yard off Cork Street! Right: Nelsonʼs Pillar in its glory days (c.1948) and after its downfall on 8th March 1966.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

PAGE 9

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• DO YOU KNOW ALL YOU NEED TO ABOUT RECYCLING IN THE DUBLIN REGION? • DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR LOCAL RECYCLING CENTRE IS? • DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY RECYCLING CENTRES ARE IN THE DUBLIN REGION? To find the answers to these and many more questions about waste reduction, reuse and recycling, log on to www.dublinwaste.ie Dublin City Council, together with the three other Dublin local authorities have developed this interactive resource to help communities and households all around Dublin join the Race Against Waste. ertisement feature - Advertisement feature - Advertisement feature - Advertisement feature - Advertisement feature - Advertisement featu

PAGE 10

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005 In my seven weeks I slept in eighteen different beds and I met some great people. When people say to me “How did you get on in Australia?”, I feel half Kiwi when I emphasise New Zealand. I greatly admire their attitude to life, pride in their environment and their ʻcan do– will doʼ attitude that I would commend to young people when they seek overseas experience. So Australia may be ﬁrst on the schedule but do not omit at least four weeks in New Zealand, the experience of a lifetime.

AOTEAROA

LIONS ROAR IN NEW ZEALAND By Michael McAuliffe

hen I heard of the Lions Rugby Tour to New Zealand, the land of the Long White Cloud beckoned me for my sixth visit. The invasion of Lions was far greater than my expectations and caused considerable problems in obtaining tickets. With the help of my daughter Niamh, my sister Evey and my daughters-in-law in Palmerston North, I arrived in Auckland very early on the last Monday in May to begin my holiday. What a relief to be made most welcome at 6.15am. It certainly lifted my mental fatigue, let alone the physical side of twenty-eight hours travel from Dublin, then London and Los Angeles. I had visions of being told that my room would not be available until noon, but the ʻred carpetʼ was out for their visitors. This was just typical of the welcome extended to the Lions supporters throughout the whole of New Zealand. Obviously, not all towns were visited but, with camper vans and coaches wending their way along the roads, it resembled rural Ireland as the big day in Croke Park approaches, with ﬂags and bunting and banners. They love their rugby and after a gap of fourteen years they hungered for this tour. In Ireland, with approximately the same population as N.Z. we have three big sports, Rugby, Soccer and Gaelic Games and all experience a cross-over of support which, in a way, perhaps dilutes our fanaticism. These people long to see top-class rugby on their own soil, to meet rugby idols from the other side of the world, to have them visit shops, schools,

veteran homes, rugby clubs and local parades. Rotorua was the venue of the first match on Saturday and what a super welcome was extended to us. The slogan on banners and shop windows was ʻLions make yourselves 100% welcomeʼ. Easily thirty minutes was given over prior to every kick-off by wonderful dancing, singing and parading of Maori culture, tribal war dances and fireworks. There were upward of 15,000 Lions supporters by the time the first test of three was held in Christchurch, where Niamh and her many friends gave me a special welcome. Christchurch is the largest city on South Island and credits its lovely buildings to English traditions. However, it has no port but about twelve miles away lies Littleton a port of reasonable size at which a large cruise liner housed two thousand fans. This suited admirably because the second test was in Wellington and the third in Auckland, both sizeable ports. Itʼs hard to believe that at noon on Saturday 25th June (almost their shortest day) the sun shone beautifully on the

milling crowds all over the city, bands playing all over the place: marching bands, jazz bands and pipe bands (allegedly NZ has more pipe bands than Scotland). Seven hours later, we had ﬁerce hailstones just as the match started; the second half of what was to be the worst night for the Lions. Our captain, Irelandʼs own Brian OʼDriscoll, was deliberately spear tackled by an over-hyped All Black Captain and ably assisted by his hooker, this all happened in the ﬁrst ninety seconds of play. Bitter taste or not, it did not stop us all enjoying ourselves, the pubs and restaurants never had it so good. New Zealand comprises two islands with a population of only 4 million. There are super roads on which travelled the army of Lions bedecked in the colours of Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. Of course there was a lot of drinking done, coupled with a hell of a lot of singing by all of us– but the bouquets went to the Welsh. While on the subject, Guinness has taken off big-time and so has the quality coupled with a great upsurge in Irish Traditional Music. My sister, her husband Bob and daughter Ciara are all great exponents of our music in Nelson and recently recruited Gale Hogan from Swords to teach Irish dancing to their established classes. My best experience this time of a great session was in OʼCarrollʼs Bar in Christchurch with Larry Egan from Tinakely Co. Wicklow, a three times winner on the button accordion who also works

as a bar man. He was just one of the excellent musicians supported strongly by Barry and Kathy McDonald.

Main picture: Michael with his sister Evey and daughter Niamh and below, in the Big Country. Above: The reception at Palmerston included the Lord Mayor and the ʻQueenʼ!

S POT

THE PLAYER – AND WIN €50!

CAN YOU identify this British and Irish Lion whose portrait hangs in a rugby museum in New Zealand? Entries must give the name and write a minimum of 30 words about him. Michael McAuliffe has kindly donated a prize of €50 for this competition. Donʼt forget to put your name, address and telephone number with your entry. Entries should be sent to ʻNewsFourʼ, 15 Fitzwilliam Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4, marked ʻCompetitionʼ by 20 November 2005.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

PAGE 11

REMEMBERING KAY WHELAN

A Class Act

hree communities had the honour and benefit of Kay Whelanʼs loving personality: Pearse Street, Ringsend and Trim. She certainly got around and left her mark on each of these communities. Kay had the gift to motivate people that she came in contact with, encouraging them to make the most of their lives. She will be remembered for her organisational skills and committment to bringing happiness to many. Who can ever forget her ʻBurlington Bertieʼ or herself and Nancyʼs ʻCouple of Swellsʼ? We brought the house down with pride when they were winners in the Docklands over-60s Talent Competition in the Abbey. They were a class act. Of course Nancy and the McCabe family were also neighbours of ours in Pearse Street and Ringsendʼs gain was our loss when so many of our local talented people were exported. So my humble few words of tribute are also a tribute to Nancy and her lifelong friendship with Kay. Nancy was the sister that Kay never had and as Nancy told me they would always have to be friends, as they both knew where the bodies were buried. All of us who had the pleasure and benefit of Kay Whelanʼs love, good humour and loyalty share Nancyʼs loss. My special relationship with Kay was as a next-door neighbour and as a role model. Her involvement with community work started here in the parish of St. Andrewʼs and she was always open and available to us

for advice and direction over the years. The family moved to Ringsend when this community was depopulated but she never forgot her roots. She loved to come back to us and was always proud and encouraging to us in our work in Pearse Street. She will be a loss to the Ringsend Variety Group. When the Group gave their annual performance at the South Dock Festival in St. Andrewʼs Resource Centre, I would be brought up on stage and she would put me through my paces with their final number ʻThatʼs Entertainmentʼ. Kay Whelan didnʼt grow old gracefully, she didnʼt even grow old disgracefully, she just never grew old. So thatʼs my memories of a Class Act and an old trouper so Kay, on your next appearance wherever it may be, ʻBREAK A LEGʼ Betty Ashe Kay Whelan was a very committed member of Ringsend Parish where she was involved

in many activities. For her tireless work in the community she was elected Lord Mayor of Ringsend, won the Irish Life Pensioner of the Year and also a Sean Moore Award. Kay worked very closely with the residents of Cambridge Court, where she ran holidays, outings, keep-fit classes and many other activities. As a founder member of the Active Retirement Group, Kay, as usual, threw herself wholeheartedly behind the principle of older people being active. She, with her life-long friend Nancy, won a prize in the Dublin Docklands Development Authorityʼs Talent Competition. Truly, a remarkable woman and a staunch friend to so many. She will be sadly missed. May she rest in peace. Carmel Magee

A TOUCH OF TROPICS AT THE MERRION GATES AFTER THE completion of the promenade along Strand Road in 1975 much restoration work, including the realignment of the underground services at Merrion Gates, was carried out. A vast array of services converged here leaving a small open space with little room for tree planting. However, local residents requested that a cluster of evergreen oaks should be planted. Even if a space could be secured between the services to accommodate an oak, there was little chance of any dicotyledons surviving here. It was decided therefore to plant a cluster of monocotyledons instead, namely Cordyline Australias, the roots of which do not spread to interfere with the underground services. Twenty-ﬁve years on, the Cordylines have grown as expected and offer a touch of the Mediterranean to visitors and residents alike. By James Keaveney

FIANNA FÁIL

Kay Whelan (on left above and below) with Nancy McCabe at their Abbey triumph as a Couple of Swells and below, with Carmel Magee.

Chris Andrews Working for our Community

If you have any concerns that you would like to raise with me, you can contact me on 087-2851515

PAGE 12

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

O NE

H ALLOWEEN N IGHT By Denis Murphy

eechlawn House had stood empty a little over two years. It was a beautiful two-storied mock Georgian granite building containing ﬁve bedrooms in almost four acres of land, a little way off the Old Connaught Road in Bray. It had been listed for sale on the property market since then with not one single bid made for it. Rumour circulated around the area that the reason it had not been snapped up was that it was supposedly haunted. The last owner had vanished without a trace in very mysterious circumstances, leaving his elderly parents heartbroken and devastated. Overcome with grief, they moved back to England. Gardai in Bray kept an open ﬁle on the case but had

never brought it to a satisfactory conclusion. James Webster was a Dubliner from Sandymount who recently had the good fortune to become another Irish Euro Lottery winner, collecting a cheque for almost €11,000,000. With his new-found riches he decided to move out of the city and advised his solicitors to seek out some desirable properties within a twenty-mile radius of Dublin. They did so and within a few weeks had a selection for his perusal, among them Beechlawn House. Three weeks later the new abode was furnished to their speciﬁcations and James and his parents moved in. Settling in quickly, they began to appreciate living away from the hustle and bustle of the city. James bought a fourwheeled roadster and soon became familiar with the boreens

and back roads that passed the ruins of old churches and castles, in which he and his parents explored. One evening, while stowing his parentsʼ treasured memorabilia into the large attic, James found a painting resting against a back wall. He was surprised to discover it was a small masterpiece which strangely intrigued

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him. The painting measured thirty by twenty-four inches. It depicted a beautiful, lush green meadow with at least nineteen people in various modes of costume, ranging from late 17th century to the present day. When he showed it to his parents they felt decidedly uncomfortable with it, but could offer no explanation. He decided to place it in the room he had planned as his den. He had always longed to write and purchased the latest in computer technology. With the assistance of a typing tutorial, he quickly became proﬁcient and was soon writing articles on a variety of subjects, deriving great enjoyment from his efforts. On the wall behind his desk hung the painting. It seemed to inspire him to become more adventurous with his compositions. In the course of the next year ʻIrelands Ownʼ published one of his short stories that had ﬁnished second in the novice writing competition. With this came a small remuneration. It pleased his parents greatly, as they were avid readers of the magazine and had been for many years. He had written his memory recollections of growing up in Sandymount, forwarding them to the editor of ʻNews Fourʼ in the hope that they might manage to make an issue. As yet, they had not been published but the editor had kindly written to thank him for his submission and when space permitted they would eventually make an edition.

One miserable, wet, windy Halloween night, while sitting in his den attempting to write his first mystery story, he hit a brick wall. No matter how hard he tried, the ideas just wouldnʼt flow, so leaving his computer he sat down in his easy chair. He dozed for a while and woke to bid his parents good night, telling them that he might possibly work throughout the night. Shortly after half two in the morning, after drinking his third glass of brandy, he began to gaze intensely at the painting. It was so lifelike and everyone in it seemed to possess a look of horror that the artist somehow captured. It must have been completed by a modern painter as a few figures in it were wearing a style of clothes from the 20th century. He began to count the figures and discovered nineteen, which included eleven men and eight women. For some unknown reason he could not avert his gaze from the image. It seemed to have a magnetic intensity his eyes could not break free from. Too late, his befuddled brain snapped to attention as a soundless scream escaped from his lips and then he recalled no more. Next morning his parents could not locate him anywhere in the home. His roadster was in the garage and had not been used during the night. All the doors in the house were secured and the burglar alarm system still armed. His worried parents instantly called the Gardai and soon detectives were there to attempt to solve his sudden disappearance. It was almost identical to the last mystery. No break in with nothing disturbed. When they came to his den the computer was still on but it did not yield any clues. The similarities between this and the last case in this house were uncanny. Having taken statements from his bemused parents they told them that they mustnʼt lose hope. Had either one of the detectives looked closely at the painting they would have noticed that it now held twenty people. James was standing in the meadow almost shoulder to shoulder with the previous owner of Beechlawn and both of them had looks of incredible astonishment and horrific comprehension on their tiny, lifelike faces.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

PAGE 13

R INGSEND V ILLAGE – A PEDESTRIAN JUNGLE

By Christy Hogan

tʼs now more than twelve months since the final block was laid on refurbishing Ringsend. This article gives vent to anecdotal evidence of anger felt by many Ringsend residents– anger at the disgraceful layout of footpaths, roads and gullies that criss-cross Ringsend village. Robert from South Lotts spoke of congestion outside St Patrickʼs church during funeral services. The footpath has been widened he explained, leaving the road too narrow to accommodate the hearse and mourning coaches. The hearse now parks in the church driveway and the mourning coaches park on the footpath. The situation at weddings is not much better with limos and the wedding bus causing congestion on what was once a fine, spacious street. Inside the church grounds itʼs a nightmare and for anyone whoʼs bad on their pins– itʼs an accident waiting to happen. The slopes and inclines resemble the Sea of Tranquillity on the moon. And as Robert explains itʼs not so long since the church grounds were refurbished and wonders at the need to do it again. Clearly defining the road from the footpath outside the church is also causing problems. At this point there is a “blurring of edges” between road and footpath and one of the Bollards here has been damaged (since removed).

However, one of the most notorious spots is the footpath, if it could be called that, outside the Carlisle Cleaners on Bridge Street. There is literally room for one person only at this point. I suggest we put a trafﬁc light here so the pedestrians going in opposite directions can use the path alternatively. Iʼve watched elderly people trying to negotiate the many inclines, gullies and steps, yes, steps at Patrickʼs Villas, and had to applaud their courage and tenacity. The designers– I wouldnʼt give them Lego to play with– blew it again by widening the path at

the bus stop outside Bunnitʼs. Here, congestion reigns as traffic builds up behind the stationary bus. Rain retention on the road is also a big problem at the Bunnitʼs bus stop. As the bus pulls in, commuters have to step back to allow the spraying water to subside. Further traffic congestion is encountered when turning left from Thorncastle Street heading towards the library. Prior to refurbishment, a car could filter through on the left at the post office. The present situation means waiting for the car turning right and heading into town to move

on. An ʻornamental structureʼ outside the Post ofﬁce is the culprit here and need I say the trees that were planted in it have disappeared. Concrete blocks make up the surface on half of Thorncastle Street. Very aesthetic and nice to gawk at when going by in the bus. However, these blocks have another purpose– butt collection. Lashings of cigarette butts lodged in between the blocks, just a little cosmetic decoration to help brighten your day. To cross the road from either side of Thorncastle Street is a nightmare for those with walking sticks, Zimmer frames and in wheelchairs. Where Joe Soap would have made access easy for wheelchair users, some genius put in place an obstacle course for the disabled. The library is another example of someone with an obsession with steps and with making life awkward for pedestrians. Sarah, a local resident says “itʼs a gathering point for skateboarders and nothing else.” At night it lights up like an enormous spaceship ready to head off to another galaxy. Itʼs amazing how authorities and councils can ﬁnd monies–

your money– to do things no one asked them to do. The maxim ʻif it ainʼt broken why ﬁx itʼ does not apply to Ringsend. Get in there, boy, and cause mayhem seems more appropriate. And ﬁnally where was An Taisce, usually so ready to examine new developments. No sign of them. Maybe an audit of the work done is needed at this stage. Ah well, Iʼm off to Sportsco; Iʼm in training for negotiating the hills and valleys of my beloved Ringsend, see ye. Left: Betty Kealy from Cambridge Court negotiates the manmade canyons of Ringsend.

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PAGE 14

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

FROM SALT MARSH TO STRAND ROAD By James Keaveney

uring the last decade of the 18th century, the present-day sea wall from Merrion Gates along the Strand Road to Irishtown was constructed. This had the effect of isolating the vast area of Sandymountʼs salt marsh lands from the seaʼs regular incursions and, as a consequence, to pave the way for the development of these lands for housing and road systems. Some lands were levelled for recreation and to provide private ﬁelds for games. A very large deposit of sand at present-day Sandymount Green was used for brick manufacture. The Strand Road was lined out on the same site as it is today. Later, at Irishtown the wall was turned inwards across the bay to meet up with the Pidgeon House Road. This latter extension of

the wall had the effect of isolating an area of slobland westwards to Cambridge Road, which is now Ringsend Park. The pedestrian pathway now known as the Accommodation Walk was constructed on the Ringsend side of the sea wall over the new unique main drain system followed on one hundred years later. The sea wall was soundly constructed about four metres high, topped off with semi-circular shaped granite slabs. At its base it was given a tapered apron, built deep into the strand, designed to withstand the scouring action of receding high tides in strong south-east winds. Some damage occurred from time to time in positions above footfall level but never at its base, where it has remained solid during its 200 yearsʼ existence. In the meantime the Dodder River was harnessed by a stout wall

on each side, forming an estuarine channel 35 metres wide from the new bridge at Landsdowne Road to the Liffey at Ringsend. In times past, the Dodder in ﬂood spilled far and wide, forming new channels, none more spectacular than when, after a new bridge was built at Ringsend, it was left high and dry when the Dodder scoured out a new channel. In the 1960s, proposals to construct new facilities on Sandymount Strand over a proposed new main sewerage system to enter the strand at Merrion gates was met with hostile resistance from

Strand Road residents and generally from the people of Sandymount. The resistance to these proposals became so intense that a city Councillor to the Dublin City Council, James Torbay, was elected on a ʻSave Our Strandʼ ticket in 1967. However, with some modiﬁcations to the initial plans, the laying of the sewerage pipeline went ahead. It entered at Merrion Gates to travel along the strand parallel to Strand Road, passed the Sandymount Tower at a distance of about ﬁve hundred metres before diverting across the strand to the settling beds at the Pidgeon House. Considerable quantities of hardcore grit and soil were imported to raise the level of the promenade to its present-day level. Large quantities of rocks were set in at a suitable slope to resist and break up the wave action of the seaward side of the new promenade. A pedestrian path was laid at the seaʼs edge of this new promenade, furnished with garden seats facing the bay. Along the roadside, large beds of shrubs were planted at regular intervals. The plants chosen for these

shrubberies were mostly of New Zealand origin, known for their resistance to salt sprays like oleariad fosteria, traversii, haesti macrodonta; Phormium tenox (New Zeland Flax), Hebe cultivors, Escalonia macrantha and Cordylines. At the same time, provision was made so as not to block out views of the bay from the roadside or houses while creating a sufﬁcient density to form a sheltered background to users of the promenade by dimming the consciousness of the heavy trafﬁc on Strand Road. Car parks were provided to facilitate persons who may just wish to sit quietly while in their cars to gaze over the bay. It can be truly said that this promenade offers a wonderful recreational facility for those who value walking or for those families who picnic on the green grass sward as an alternative to the scarcely undiminished strand. The great pity is that this promenade was not continued to link up to the Sean Moore Park The promenade beside Strand Road, showing the recently installed elegant lighting standards.

DODDER YOUTH FORUM DEADLINE 28th October 2005 Hurry, hurry, hurry! FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR LOCAL YOUTH Have you got a football with not a net to kick it in? Tapping away with no beat? Financial problems holding you and your club back?

We are here to help! Apply for a youth grant today. It is not hard, pick up the phone and give us a call. Deadline for applications 28th October. Contact: Dodder Youth Forum at daytime: 6608876, evening 086 8424431 or 0857221832 Ringsend Community Centre, Thorncastle Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

PAGE 15

Burial at Sea By Sean Donnelly

he voyage was due to start a half past four on Tuesday. The urn had arrived home and all was set for the good send-off. There was black and white pudding with plenty of fried bread and a big pot of tripe and onions with plenty of pepper. There was a ﬁrkin of stout on tap in the garden so you could pull your own pint. There was Paddy in abundance. This was going to be the most unconventional funeral ever. “I wonder will he go to heaven?” said Buckets of Blood OʼToole, one of his old shipmates, “I donʼt think so,” said Horse. Feathers McRory. “He always hated going aloft, but he always had a soft spot for ﬁremen and all hands down in the stokehold.” “He may be reincarnated.” said Scoops OʼNeill. “He loved seagulls and he may come back as a seagull.” Two-Foots Breslin stood at the end of the stairs, the grease running down his chin from eating fried bread. “Wherever he

goes, I bet he will start a Union or some sort or organisation. Iʼll bet he is looking for conditions already!”said he. As it was getting near the time for the flushing, all hands were getting into position to see the trip to sea begin. They were twodeep on the stairs and four or five across the landing. The bathroom was full but the toilet was kept clear for his nearest and dearest to do the flushing. They made their way upstairs with the urn, your manʼs remains inside. As they did, the lads broke into song with: “Off to sea once more. Oh, a man must be blind To make up his mind To go to sea once more.” Flat Calm Flanagan was talking to Paddles McKeown on the landing. “Itʼs a pity his story canʼt be told. He has seen quite a bit: he was on ships, boats and barges, on lightships and lighthouses. He saw the wall go up and the wall go down. He rubbed shoulders with Dev

and shook hands with Alﬁe Byrne. He was at funerals with Charlie. He stood at Stalinʼs grave. He was in sail, steam, and motor… ah well Cʼest La vie.” The toilet bowl was snow white,

well-washed and had a lovely smell of lavender. The woman moved in with your manʼs remains, all hands uncapped. The woman shook the ashes into the bowl and with one quick ﬂush he

was on his way to sea. His mates broke into song: “Wrap me up in my tarpaulin jacket. No more on the Docks Iʼll be seen.” His last trip took him through his adopted village of Crumlin, where they said he was a runnerin. Now he is a runner out. Down by Pearse College on his port, side to Sallyʼs Bridge, hard to starboard, then straight ahead along the canal to Ringsend, Over the bridge into the village, through Irishtown, across the main drain, hard to starboard and down Pidgeon House Road, then out to sea at the Pidgeon House Docks. Out in the threeknot current, eau de vie. “A lovely way to go out of it,” said Snake Hips. “No flag-waving, no shots in the air, the last flush of life.” “All hands downstairs,” said the lady of the house. “Thereʼs drink and grub for all.” The day finished up with the singing of Bert Gordon the Mad Russianʼs song “Letʼs be happy. Letʼs be gay. Letʼs forget Heʼs passed away.” Cʼest La Vie

LONGS FOR THE DODDER CUP REMEMBERING THE G ALWAY HOOKERS JOE MURPHY (on the right of picture), formerly of Murphyʼs Boatyard, Thorncastle Street, Ringsend, and of Dublin Port and Docks Board, presenting full-size drawings of a 40-foot Galway Hooker– taken from the Morning Star– to Professor Patricia Lysaght of the Department of Irish Folklore, UCD on 31 May this year, with (left) Jim Cooke, formerly of Ringsend Technical Institute, who wrote a book on Joeʼs life. The drawings have been used worldwide, most recently by Aras Chron·in, the Irish Language and Culture Centre in Clondalkin, Co. Dublin.

The Dodder Cup is a golf competition between Kielys, the Vintage and Longs. Longs have won the cup for the last three years. Pictured are the three Captains: Terry Finnie, the Vintage; John Long, Kielys and Donal Hutchinson, Longs.

PAGE 16

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

Film Scene •••By Michael Hilliard ‘Serenity’ ʻFireflyʼ was an acclaimed television series, unjustly cancelled after only its first season due to a combination of the interference of inept network officials, and a misguided scheduling strategy. However, after belatedly finding its audience, mostly through its DVD release, its enormous sales and ever-increasing fan base prompted director Joss Wheedon to recreate the story for the big screen, using the same, largely unknown, cast and collaborators. “Serenityʼ isnʼt an easily classified movie. A universe populated with what at first, seem like stereotypical sci-fi characters (square-jawed all-American hero, feisty female second-incommand, etc.) infused with stylized, almost cheesy speech patterns and, at times, impenetrable dialogue, may turn newcomers off. But that would be their loss entirely. Given a chance, it soon becomes apparent, just how unique these characters and settings really are. Set in an unspecified future time, Earth has become severely overpopulated and humans have taken to ʻterra-formingʼ planets into inhabitable environments, under an intergalactic Alliance. Genre conventions are turned on their heads (main characters and heroes die in this universe!), while the usual sci-fi clichés are skilfully avoided. There isnʼt a single alien or strange creature to be found here, rather the human race spreading across the universe in search of new frontiers. In a way, ʻSerenityʼ is a lot closer in scope and feel to a western than a science fiction movie. The film is written in such a way that the audience is constantly being fed information

about this universe. Revealed mostly through witty, often very funny, dialogue though, it never feels like hard work. ʻSerenityʼ is highly recommended viewing. 4 out of 5

‘Land of the Dead’ George A. Romeroʼs fourth ʻDeadʼ ﬁlm (in as many decades), delivers every ounce of biting political satire, cuttingedge gore, and of course, fun as its much-loved predecessors. Romero is widely credited with the invention of the zombie genre as we know it, with

his 1968 feature ʻNight of the Living Deadʼ. Staunchly independent of studio interference, Romero is usually restrained by a low-budget look and feel to his movies, which (arguably) only adds to their charm. However, with this latest entry, you would be hard-pressed to tell it from any other Hollywood production, with perhaps the only obvious exception being the less than stellar cast. The biggest names here are Dennis Hopper and John Leguizamo. Hopper predictably hams it up as a crime boss who has managed to salvage one of the last remaining zombie-free cities. The remaining cast are mostly unknowns or TV regulars, but everybody knows the real stars of the show are the zombies anyway. Tom Saviniʼs effects are, as always, top-notch, delivering some of the most creative and inventive ways-to-die ever put to screen. 3.5 out of 5

‘Nightwatch’

‘A History of Violence’

Based on a novel by Russian author Sergei Lukyanenko, ʻNightwatchʼ (above) is the first in a trilogy (ʻDay Watchʼ and ʻDusk Watchʼ) of fantasy films, which was made for $4.2 million, and took over $16 million in Russia alone. Quentin Tarantino called it one of the best films of 2004. The idea is that ʻOthersʼ (witches, shape-shifters, vampires etc) live among us. ʻOthersʼ must decide between the Dark and Light, but thanks to a medieval truce, the two groups co-exist in a state of uneasy peace, policing each otherʼs activities. A prophecy says that a Great Other will come, and forever destroy the balance between Light and Dark. The central character Anton, learns he is an ʻOtherʼ after he visits a witch, asking her to cast a spell on his ex-girlfriend. He joins the Night Watch, but still has a dark streak, and he suspects a woman called Svetlana could be the prophesied virgin, who may destroy the city. ʻNightwatchʼ is an incredibly original and thoroughly enjoyable slice of farfetched fantasy filmmaking. Comparisons to other wildly-varying, but high quality, fantasy fare such as ʻThe Matrixʼ and ʻLord of the Ringsʼ have been made. They are justified. ʻNightwatchʼ is subtitled in English, but the sequels are being shot in English so as to broaden its audience. It deserves to do huge business.

Director David Cronenberg has delivered a fantastic tale of identity, violence, and the difference between reality and perception. Family man Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) has a run-in with two killers on the run, when they attempt to hold up his small town coffee shop. Our introduction to the killers is blunt: a child is murdered, and it seems Tom Stall is about to be killed. Out of nowhere, in a sudden burst of extreme violence, Tom manages to save himself and his customers and staff by reversing the situation and shooting the two killers. Televised attention to Tomʼs heroics catches the (good) eye of Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris), a scarred mobster from Philadelphia who claims Tom isnʼt who he says he is. Tom fervently denies it, but Carl lingers to menace Tomʼs family and exact revenge. Cronenberg cranks up a claustrophobic sense of unease, by portraying Tomʼs family life, as almost too perfect. The actors create an almost surreal sense of familial happiness, through their deliberately wince-inducing, sickeningly lovely dialogue. The audience is just waiting for it all to fall apart for them and it does so in spectacular style. Mortensen is perfectly cast. Watching his eyes, he conveys innocent disbelief, flirting with slight hints of a darker ambiguousness in the next. He, wonderfully, keeps us guessing the truth until we learn it in full. Highly recommended.

4 out of 5

4.5 out of 5

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

PAGE 17

MR. SANDMAN,

MAKE MY BEACH CLEAN…

Crilly’s ‘Cannon Fodder’ shortlisted CONGRATULATIONS TO local filmmaker Stephen Crilly who was featured in the August edition of ʻNewsfourʼ. Selected by a panel of BBC drama executives and producers, his film ʻCannon Fodderʼ, a short thriller about a case of mistaken identity which plunges a young couple into a frantic race against time to survive, has just been short-listed for the New Film Makers Award competition. It was one of nine selected from nearly five hundred entries. Thereʼs a first prize of £5,000, and £2,500 for two runners-up. Winning entries will be screened on BBC Three and at the Brief Encounters Film Festival in Bristol. Stephen along with the other eight filmmakers will also get the opportunity to pitch for a three minute short to be made in the spring of 2006. Clearly Stephenʼs determination has been rewarded and ʻNewsFourʼ wishes this ambitious young man every success in the future.

Messiah by Candlelight

SANDYMOUNT STRAND has a new weapon against pollution and sea erosion Once a week, a sand cleaning machine is driven from Costelloʼs Beach to Merrion Gates by Aidan OʼNeill. The machine which is a Barber Surf Rake is pulled by a Seme 95 hp tractor. Seaweed that has been raked up is spread over the marran grass along the sea shore The seaweed

helps the grass roots to bind and so stops the sea from washing it away. The machine also has a fork grab for large clumps of seaweed and debris. The Barber Surf Rake is a project of Dublin City Council Parks Division in Ringsend. It has been up and running for the past four months and has proved to be a great success. Another sand cleaning machine is also in operation at the Bull Wall.

THE CULWICK Choral Society will present a candlelit performance of Handelʼs Messiah at St Patrickʼs Cathedral, Dublin 8 on Wednesday 30th November and Thursday 1st December 2005 at 8.00 pm (Tickets: €25.00). The 140-strong Culwick Choral Society will be joined by top soloists Kim Sheehan (soprano), Deirdre Cooling Nolan (contralto), Eugene OʼHagan (tenor) and Conor Biggs (bass). The Conductor is Colin Block, with Orchestra (Leader: Alan Smale). Each year the Culwick Choral Society performs the Messiah, with all proﬁts going to charity. This year all proceeds from these performances will be donated to Enable Ireland. For tickets and credit card bookings: Enable Ireland, Sandymount Avenue, Dublin 4. Telephone: 1850 204 304/01 261 5917/01 261 5921 Email: eastfr@enableireland.ie Also Tickemaster– Telephone: 1890 925 100 (subject to booking fee) and St. Patrickʼs Cathedral Shop.

Rang Gaeilge CONVERSATION CLASSES in the Irish Language. Thursday 2.15 pm to 4.15 pm At the Community Centre, East Wall, Dublin 3 All are welcome

Poolbeg Peninsula must be developed for all the community. Homes and a future, not incineration!

PAGE 18

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

Oscar By James OʼDoherty

t was a late Autumn night, with the rain falling gently down as I made my way home from the theatre. Down Merrion Street and then right into Merrion Square– the reclining statue inside the park railings illuminated by the street light caught my eye. Oscar Wilde with his hand on his chin, looking across the road at house number one, where he spent all his childhood years. He seemed to me to be pondering on why it took nearly a hundred years for his county and native city to honour him with a statue. Born in 21 Westland Row on October 16th 1854 and christened Oscar Fingal OʼFlaherty Wilde, the family moved to number one Merrion Square when Oscar was eight months old. Educated at Trinity College and Magadalen College Oxford, a brilliant student, he married Constance Mary Lloyd in 1884. They had two sons Cyril and

Vyvyan born in 1885 and 1886 respectively. Despite all his problems, Oscar loved Mary all his short life. The magniﬁcent statue by the great sculptor Danny Osborne, who lives in the remote Beara peninsula in West Cork is one of intense vision, with magniﬁcent attention to detail. It took Danny two and a half years of continuous work to make this fabulous statue. He travelled extensively to obtain the different stones used. Oscar was a big man, 6ft. 3in. in height and we see him reclining on a large stone of quartz from Wicklow, 35 tonne in weight. He is aged about forty. The statue is carved from different coloured stones to simulate his clothing. His smoking jacket is carved from nephrite jade; his cuffs from the rare stone thulite. Oscarʼs trousers are blue stone granite from Norway. His shoes are black Indian granite. His shoelaces, buttons and green carnation are bronze. Oscar wears a Trinity red boy

tie made in glazed porcelain on top of a mauve porcelain shirt. The hands are solid porcelain with three rings of the same material. His wedding ring and an emerald ring on the middle ﬁnger of both hands, Oscar wore these all his life. The small ring on his left hand represents joy and the other misfortune. He said, “one cannot have joy without misfortune.” Oscarʼs head is porcelain and his face is described as both mask-like and lifelike. Danny Osborne, the man who fashioned this magniﬁcent sculpture, was born in England and moved to West Cork in 1971 and took out Irish citizenship. He is a man who loves and is inspired by remote places. He has concentrated for most of his career on painting, particularly landscapes of desolate and lonely places.

He has been on three expeditions to the Artic Circle and also on the ﬁrst Irish Expedition to the North Peak of Mount Everest. The statue, commissioned by Guinness Ireland group, was unveiled on October 28th 1997. As I made my way home, the

clock on St. Matthewʼs church chimed the midnight hour and I pondered on how this great city of ours can lay claim to so many famous people who have exercised a signiﬁcant inﬂuence on world literature and the advancement of human thought.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

PAGE 19

MABS OPENS BRANCH IN L OMBARD S TREET By Brian Rutherford

he official opening of the Lombard Street Branch of MABS was performed by Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Seamus Brennan TD on 27th of September 2005. The first question you might ask is: what is MABS? MABS is a company set up to help people with financial difficulties. They negotiate for people, empower them to speak to creditors and offer guidance. They deal with mortgages, renting property, cars and credit cards. They also offer community education, giving talks on managing money, on insurance and borrowing. There was a time when money lending was the only means of achieving financial stability, but this led to increased debts and poverty

Ruairi Quinn TD. Lorraine Waters, the co-ordinator, introduced everybody and spoke of the companyʼs expansion to Lombard Street and the success of MABS in general. She also gave thanks to the Credit Unions and St Vincent De Paul

Seamus Brennan gave a tribute to Jim and Lorraine and said that MABS serves 30,000 people. He praised it for its professionalism and confidentiality in dealing with incidents of poverty. He talked of the difference to the lives

for their great work. The chairman, Jim Prew, thanked the various organizations who helped them, particularly Leonard Burke in the Cork branch and Liam Edwards who pioneered MABS to its 65 branches today. Jim also thanked all politicians for their cross party support and said that teamwork was the key to their success.

of ordinary people that MABS makes in dealing with many issues. Information on the work of MABS is available on www. mabs.ie

in the long run. The service is free, independent and confidential and is based on practical budgetbased measures. It ensures people are in receipt of all entitlements, in particular, social welfare and taxation. The idea came from a report in 1992 from the Combat Poverty Agency. The funding comes from the Department of Social Affairs. It also introduces an idea called ʻNewspoorʼ which deals with social welfare recipients whose expenses exceed their income. It originated from the Ringsend Action Project (RAP). There is another facility included in MABS, that is Comhairle which offers training to staff and management committee members. At the opening there were people from many organizations and in particular Minister Seamus Brennan and

D RAWN

TO THE PAST

Pictured above, from left: Lorraine Waters, co-ordinator of MABS with Seamus Brennan TD, Madeline Hayden and Debbie OʼGrady.

40th Anniversary of the opening of

Margaretholme Sheltered Housing, Claremont Road, Dublin 4

Concert 22nd October 2005

at St Phillips and St James Church, Booterstown featuring the Culwick Choral Society, John Dexter family and Mr David English Admission €12 with concessions €10 SOME TIME AGO, John McEvitt, now living in Goatstown, sent us this pen and ink sketch based on a photo we have used in the past of Thorncastle Street, Ringsend as it was about

1905. We were very impressed with Johnʼs mastery of line drawing, a skill which is all-too-rarely seen in newspapers and books nowadays.

Celebratory Service on Sunday 23rd October 2005 Rev. Desmond Bain at Margaretholme, Claremont Road

PAGE 20

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

S ANDYMOUNT

PARENTS DISCOVER

M AGIC !

By Brian Kelly

magine this scenario: You are one of two busy parents, both working and both trying to balance the demands of your children and your career. You would love to have the luxury of placing your kids in a supervised, caring environment where they would have the opportunity to complete their homework after school under the guidance of a qualiﬁed primary school teacher. They would also have access to a whole range of games, toys and activities including music, art, drama, yoga and swimming. In the middle of all this afterschool care, they would be fed a hot nutritious meal cooked by a trained chef. Well, as and from September of this year, such a service has been up and running behind the Star of the Sea church in Sandymount. Magic Academy After School Care is already proving a real success with parents and children alike. With two separate programmes, one for 4-7 year olds, the other

for 7 to 12s, the Academy operates during school terms and holidays from 12.30 to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday with the children picked up from schools in the surrounding area and further afield, if necessary. The staff of five are all qualified people, experienced in different areas of childcare and young education. The relaxed, non-pressurised environment of the Academy means the children are free to enjoy and express themselves in a variety of different ways. An

outdoor play area is in use when the weather is ﬁne. Currently, the nearby church hall is also being used, as the children are in rehearsal for their Christmas play. In addition to the completion of their homework, the youngsters

are being taught the basics of a foreign language, which should prove useful to their studies in the future. Judging by the ever-increasing numbers on Magicʼs books, the Academy seems to be fulﬁlling a real need for quality, after-school

care in the south Dublin area. The good news is spaces are still available for this term. If you would like more information or to see for yourself what Magic Academy has to offer, call 626 5025 or email: magicacademy@mail.com

THE STORY OF WHELAN HOUSE GROTTO

hristina Kinsella, a resident of Whelan House for over 60 years, came into our ofﬁces to tell us the history of the statute of the Sacred Heart and the Grotto. A statue of the Sacred Heart has always stood in Whelan House. During the winter of 1981 this statue was destroyed by a coal van making a delivery in OʼRahilly House. The community in Whelan House felt incomplete without the Sacred Heart looking on and in February of that year the residents set about rectifying the situation. A committee was formed and the necessary money was raised through cake sales, bingo,

parish rafﬂes and by donations. Other local people came through in style, including Ruairi Quinn who donated the bricks and local resident Paul OʼDonoghue who built the shrine on the same base that had accommodated the old Sacred Heart statue for 30 years. After this the residents of OʼRahilly House got together and decided to erect a grotto to Our Lady. The community gave full support to the project and all of the tenants contributed generously to the fund. The ladies of Whelan House have co-operated in looking after the shrine. Paul OʼDonoghue recently repaired the grotto and

sealed it up where the rain was coming in. Local children have purchased plants from the Community Centre and have made a beautiful garden which they care for. Christina hopes that Sinead, Jessica, Tori, Danielle, Scott, Robin, Sarah, Shauna and Mellisa will continue to look after the plants. Once again the Christmas Crib will be erected beside the shrine in December. Pictured at the Grotto, from left: Danielle Pepper, Jessica Boylan, Robyn Allen, Helena Lawless, Toráigh Pearse, Sínead OʼKeeffe, Sarah Cleary and Melissa Sheppard.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

PAGE 21

Sandymount Credit Union Limited 13 Bath Avenue, Sandymount, Dublin 4 Tel: 6685079 / 5073. Fax: 6681807 Website: www.sandymountcu.ie Email: info@sandymountcu.ie

Your Credit Union

You won’t find ‘RIP-OFF-IRELAND’ at Sandymount Credit Union! AND WHY NOT, EDDIE? Because Sandymount Credit Union is ‘not for profit but for service of the community’. Just look at the facts, boy: * * * * *

There are no transaction or paperwork charges on members’ accounts. Members’ savings are covered by free life savings insurance (subject to conditions). Any undistributed surplus is returned to members by way of annual dividend. Members can apply for loans at unbeatable rates and conditions. Loans are insured, at no direct cost to the member, so that a loan is cancelled on the death of a borrower at any stage during the period of a loan. * Sandymount Credit Union is open until 8 pm each Friday for the benefit of members. * Never re-mortgage your valuable credit union loan into an extended financial institution composite term loan– it becomes very costly in the long run. * Other than at Sandymount Credit Union, where else would you get the following loan terms? Standard Loans up to €15,000 @ 9.4% APR * Multi Purpose Loans up to €30,000 @ 7.5% APR Premium Loans over €30,000 @ 5.9% APR * Special Full Time Student Loans @ 6.5% APR Loan Repayment Calculator available on our Website: www.sandymountcu.ie

Privacy, confidentiality and friendliness are all part of our everyday service

So RIP OFF now down to Sandymount Credit Union and see what’s on offer! MEMO TO MEMBERS: We extend to all members an early reminder and invitation to consider volunteering their services in the administration of their credit union. It is most interesting and rewarding work, either as a Board Director or committee volunteer. Nomination forms will be available from the credit union in early November and elections will take place at our forthcoming AGM. All members most welcome.

OPENING HOURS Monday: 10.00am–12.30pm / 2.00pm–5.00pm Tuesday: 10.00am–12.30pm / 2.00pm–5.00pm Wednesday: 10.00am–12.30pm / 2.00pm–5.00pm Thursday: 10.00am–5.00pm Friday: 2.00pm–8.00pm

USUAL CREDIT UNION TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY TO ALL TRANSACTIONS . SANDYMOUNT CREDIT UNION IS REGULATED BY THE FINANCIAL REGULATOR

PAGE 22

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

Bad ideas No. 3: Extra television channels LET ME SAY first, the remote control is one of mankindʼs great inventions. Who could forget having to get up from the couch umpteen times a night to press one of those inch-long buttons in front of the old TV sets? Now, one thumb does the work of two legs and we have instant access to more television stations than dishes in a Chinese Takeaway. More channels means more choice, right? More entertainment, more education and more of the things we love, like soaps, sport and good movies. Thatʼs the notion to which many of us now subscribe. Long nights in, reclining in front of our new plasma screens, remote control in one hand, glass of wine or beer in the other, TV guide on the coffee table and the room gently warmed by the silent heat of our energy efficient centrally heated radiators. Aaah bliss! The trouble with this picture of paradise is we are spoilt for choice. The more channels we have, the less attention we seem to pay them. Weʼre flicking around the television like hyperactive kids with Attention Deficit Disorder, looking for instant gratification with the flick of a button and the blink of an eye. Before cable and digital arrived into our homes, weʼd tend to turn off the box if there was nothing on. Now, with up to 100 channels on our screens, we always think ʻThere must be something good on somewhereʼ– which is why we keep flicking and keep watching. I recently subscribed to NTLʼs Digital Select Service, which gives me 50 extra channels for just €5 extra per month. Good value, you might say and youʼre not wrong, but apart from BBC3 and 4 plus a couple of music channels, I could happily dump the other 46 stations into a digital dustbin. Nobody needs all that visual clutter and information overload. Time to switch off the goggle box, hide the remote and lose yourself in a good book instead. By Brian Kelly

Revised Encyclopedia of Dublin SINCE FIRST publication of Douglas Bennettʼs Encyclopaedia of Dublin twelve years ago the cityʼs revitalisation both on a cultural, social and economic level has contributed to establishing it as a city which is comparable to any other European capital. The new edition of the encyclopaedia reﬂects the enormous transformation, with articles on the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, The Port Tunnel, The Ringsend Sewage Treatment and The Spire. Included in the introduction is the history of Dublin from the coming of the Vikings in the ninth century to the present day. Every street and square, lane and alleyway was walked and noted with compass and rule before being included in this work. The history behind streets, bridges, buildings and societies comprise an opportunity to study the background to Dublin as a whole and the people who have shaped this city into what it is to-day. From body snatching to the workhouse, the Sick and Indigent Roomkeepers Society (which still operates to-day) this book is a tapestry of historical detail. The Encyclopedia of Dublin Revised and Expanded is published by Gill & Macmillan and is available in hardback at all good book shops for the RRP of €29.99.

DODDER YOUTH SERVICE ACTIVITIES

odder Youth Service is currently under the management of Jacinta Connolly with youth workers Gillian Brien and Mark Tynan. They have devised the following activities for the youth of the area: Fun Factory– arts, games and other activities for 10 to 14 year olds. Halloween Night of Fun– fan-

cy dress and games for everyone Health related ﬁtness programme for those over 14. Survival tactics training programme/camping trip for over 15s. Senior Drop in– music, arts, games, mediation and ﬁlm nights for 15 and over. Music live training day– learn to rap and DJ in one day, for 15

and over. For more information contact Dodder Youth Service at 6608875 or 086 0791275. Above: Youth Forum members Gavin Quirke, Karen White, Ciara Cassidy, Karl Doyle, Stephanie Costello, Deirdre Rooney, Katrina Murray, Kelly Lawless and Shauna OʼNeil met the President recently.

T HE C OMMUNITY A FTER S CHOOLS P ROJECT

Craft Fair in aid of Enable Ireland CRAFTS PEOPLE are coming together in Enable Ireland, Sandymount Avenue, on Wednesday 16th November from 10am till 12.30pm. Stalls will include: Pottery, Knitwear, Christmas Cards, Scarves, Paper Gifts, Bags, Kitchen Woodwear, Jewellery, Candles, Flower Decorations, etc. Admission €10, includes Coffee, Tea and Biscuits. For more information please contact Fundraising Ofﬁce on 01-2615917 or email: eastfr@enableireland.ie

Temporary closure of Great South Wall THE GREAT South Wall at Pidgeon House Road will be closed to the public from Monday, 17 October 2005. This closure, which is to facilitate essential maintenance and site investigation works, will continue in operation for approximately 12 weeks to December 2005.

Poolbeg Yacht Club and Marina PIDGEON HOUSE Road, Ringsend, Dublin 4. Tel: 6689983 Poker Classic 21st October 9 pm Halloween Party 30th October 9 pm Live Music

THE COMMUNITY After Schools Project (CASPr) launched their Evaluation Report. CASPr began in 1995, since then it has two after-schools projects, a créche and a training programme for local adults. Pictured, left to right: Sean Lambe with Rose Mullen and Louise Whelan with their FETAC Records of Achievement and Mary OʼBrien.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

R ED

PAGE 23 earlier on this year on the show. Reacting to the news, Fine Gaelʼs Olivia Mitchell gave her reasons as to why she might have failed: “When I did the driving test there wasnʼt even such a thing as a roundabout or a motorway or a dual carriageway. I

LIGHTS FOR RUSTY REPRESENTATIVES !

here were red faces as the driving test results of our countryʼs transport ʻexpertsʼ were revealed on City Edition, NewsTalk 106. Paddy Pryle, a registered tester with the Irish Advanced Motoring Institute, was in studio to give the bad news: that all seven candidates– including Junior Transport Minister Ivor Callely and City Edition presenter Declan Carty– had failed their mock driving test! The other candidates who took part were Fine Gaelʼs Olivia Mitchell, Labourʼs Roisin Shortall, the Green Partyʼs Eamonn Ryan, Sinn Feinʼs Sean Crowe and Senator Tom Morrissey of the Progressive Democrats. The multi-party driving test challenge stemmed from a cheeky question put to Fine Gael Transport Spokesperson Olivia Mitchell by City Edition presenter Declan Carty

made no preparation I have to say. After the disastrous beginning where I didnʼt know how to open the bonnet, it was clear to me that I wasnʼt going to pass this test.” Eamonn Ryan of the Green Party admitted that he was overly-conﬁdent going into the test: “I went in with my tail slightly up because I met Olivia on the way in and when I heard that she didnʼt know how to open up her bonnet I said to myself ʻIʼm in with a chance hereʼ. “And then I met Sean Crowe as he was walking away from doing his and he looked as white as a sheet and then I thought Ministerʼs Callelyʼs feet ought not to touch the pedals anymore now that heʼs a Minister and is being driven around. So I kind of saw it as a competitive thing where Iʼm representing my party and itʼs looking good because Fine Gael canʼt open the bonnet.” Reacting to his failed test, Junior Transport Minister Ivor Callely said: “I have to say I didnʼt think that I was going into the full rigours of a full driving test.” The Minister then joked that he could at least take some comfort in the fact that he has a chauffeur.

Georgian Squares of Dublin THE IRISH Georgian Society in association with Dublin City Library and Archive will be holding lectures every Tuesday evening during November at 6.30pm in the conference room of the Library in Pearse Street. The lectures are concerned with the Georgian squares of Dublin and cover the design, construction, architectural history and conservation. The programme features Parnell Square (1st), Merrion Square (8th), Fitzwilliam Square (15th), Mountpleasant Square (22nd) and Mountjoy Square (29th). Advance payment to the Irish Georgian Society is essential. The fee is €10 per lecture or €45 for all five lectures. If you are interested in attending, telephone the Societyʼs office at 6767053 or call in to 74 Merrion Square where their office is open from 9.30am to 5pm. All proceeds will be donated to conservation works at 54 Mountjoy Square.

PAGE 24

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

N EW D UBLIN – N EW D UBLINERS

By Brian Kelly

f you were to look at Baile Ath Cliath from the air, youʼd think the powers that be were constructing a brand new city. Cranes seem to be a permanent structure in the skyline: these metallic monsters now tower over the city like alien invaders from a faraway galaxy. On ground level, such is the proliferation of construction crews and scaffolding, you feel everyone walking the streets should be issued with a hard hat. And try ordering a sandwich in a Dublin deli at lunchtime– youʼll ﬁnd a waft of burly builders in ﬂuorescent bibs and steelcapped boots in front of you. Clearly the city has gone building crazy. This is evident in the fact that the largest company in the state is not a bank, but CRH, the cement and builderʼs supply company. Personally, Iʼd love to leave Dublin and return in a few years when itʼs all complete, but the city is now one big construction site and like an ageing heavyweight boxer, it doesnʼt know when to quit. But despite the chaos, the noise and the constant disruption, Dublin is changing for the better. Take one street for example. Cork Street in the Liberties was once a place youʼd speed up in your car to get through. It was Dickensian in its long narrow strip of dismal, derelict buildings, punctuated by probably the worst road surface in

Dublin. Today, the street has been totally transformed. A few relics from the past have still to face the wrecking ball, but for the most part, this old street represents the new Dublin: high, wide and handsome with a colourful mix of retail, residential and ofﬁce developments and a two-lane motorway ﬂowing freely through it. With a little green space and the planting of young saplings, this could be one of the smartest areas to live in the coming years. Dublinʼs new-found wealth and prosperity means the city is almost completely unrecognisable from its semi-improvised past. Itʼs like we have built a new metropolis on top of the old one and only the most obvious landmarks could remain. Whole swathes of the city have disappeared from view in less than a generation and few of us are complaining about it. The whole of the north quay in the city centre, from Bachelorʼs Walk to Heuston Station was, in my youthful recollection, (circa early 80s) an eyesore. Apart from a few pubs and shops, the whole area had more rats living in it than people. Now, on both sides of the quay, itʼs wall-to-wall apartments all along the Liffey to the Phoenix Park and beyond. Along with the Dockland development, this is one of the great success stories of the cityʼs regeneration, turning a previous uninhabitable and desolate area into a place where thousands of

people are now happy to reside. A good city centre should always be an attractive place for people to live. This certainly wasnʼt the case in the past, but now our capital is teeming with life and there isnʼt enough room to meet the demand for inner city housing. Shopping is another example of how Dublin has improved as a city. Nowadays, we have shopping centres jumping out in front of us all over the city (with the prospect of more to come). In 1985, it was rather different. The height of sophistication for us was Grafton Street, with a ﬂea market on Stephenʼs Green every weekend as an added bonus. The place had the feel of a small provincial city in a farﬂung corner of Europe and thatʼs exactly what we were. Apart from the new buildings, the most obvious change in the city in recent times is the amount

of people now living and working here. Since the start of the new millennium, the population of the metropolis has reached its highest ever. Over one million people reside in the county of Dublin. Walking around Dublin streets less than 10 years ago felt like a gentle stroll. The place had the ambience of a big town rather than a capital city. Now, with thousands more people about, the pace of life has quickened. Suddenly there are a lot more bodies to dodge on the street. You need to walk a little quicker; your wits need to be a little bit sharper if you are to stay in touch and out of trouble. The great pouring of people from all over the world into the city is a real novelty for Dubliners and one we are still getting used to. In a short period of time, we have gone from a Caucasian city to a multi-national, multi-

coloured city. In a place where the most exotic creatures used to be a few busloads of Spanish teenagers, we are suddenly sharing the pavement with people from every continent. There are 50,000 Chinese students now living in Ireland, the vast majority residing in Dublin. The free movement of labour in the EU together with the 12 new states becoming members last year means that we now have 80,000 Polish people here. With 50,000 Romanians also in Ireland, not to mention many migrants from Africa and the sub-continent, it seems the global village has finally arrived in the fair city. For people-watchers like myself, the new faces are the most fascinating aspect of the new Dublin. The different dialogues are interesting enough, but I find myself constantly wondering what country such a person is from and what he or she think of living in their adopted home. The new arrivals bring a lot of positive benefits to Dublin. The city is livelier, more dynamic and more diverse than ever before. Foreign workers are also proving indispensable to this countryʼs economic success. Many of our manufacturing and service industries depend on migrant workers to work long, anti-social hours in menial jobs for a minimum wage. The Chinese in our fast-food restaurant, the Polish labourer on the building site, the Filipino nurse in our hospital. These are our new neighbours. These are the new Dubliners.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

By Rose Hogan

tephen Clarkeʼs book ʻA Year in the Merdeʼ is a comedy of errors, a monthly diary about being a Brit abroad. If you like Bill Brysonʼs style of wit, then you will definitely enjoy this.

PAGE 25

Paul West, a young British business man, arrives in Paris to set up a chain of English tea rooms for his new French boss Jean-Marie. He spends his first month familarising himself with the quirky ways of the French and having grasped the technique of how to be served by

the grumpiest Parisian waiter, learning to make amour and not war, and perfecting the art of zig-zagging his way along the footpath to work to avoid the piles of ʻmerdeʼ– obiously poop scoops havenʼt made their way to France yet– he settles down to some serious business. As the months move on and Paul settles into his almost perfect surroundings. Jean-Marie canʼt do enough to make him feel welcome, he even goes so far as to let him move in rentfree with his nymphomaniac daughter Elodie. Paris was beginning to feel like Heaven and then he woke up. Paul discovers that JeanMarie is not God after all, instead he finds the gangster has his finger in so many pies itʼs hard to keep track of him. Towards the end of the year, Paul finds himself in deep trouble with Jean-Marie, and with a definite ʻone foot in the merdeʼ he has to consider running or facing up to him, and so the story goes. Stephen Clarkeʼs follow up to ʻA Year in the Merdeʼ is called ʻMerde Actuallyʼ and is in the book shops now.

‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ COMES TO MARIAN COLLEGE MARIAN COLLEGE Musical Society celebrates its 30th anniversary this season with the ever popular ʻFiddler on the Roofʼ. The production runs from Wednesday 30th November to Saturday 3rd December in the Marian College Hall at 8 pm each evening. After 30 years in the orchestra pit, musical director Ray Ryan (pictured above) steps on to the stage this year to play the role of Tevye, the milkman, while his wife, Golde, is played by teacher Grainne McCarthy. All the other roles are play by students, including Chris Guilfoyle as Perchik, Stephen Clarke as Motel, Daniel OʼNeill as the Constable, Sean Creagh as Lazar Wolf, Grainne Pollak as Chava, Lucy Slack as Tzeitel and Ellen Fitzgerald as Hodel. Bernard Lynch directs, Marie Barber is the choreographer while Peter OʼDonoghue and Kevin Kelly look after the stage design and management. For bookings telephone 6684036 during school hours or you can buy tickets at the door.

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NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

Music4

Forthcoming Attractions

By Brian Kelly ATTENTION ALL LOCAL BANDS!

Got a gig you want to promote or a CD youʼd like to tell the world about? Music4 would love to hear from local bands in the area, so drop your details into us and weʼll make sure thousands of punters in Dublin get to hear about you– for free! Send your stuff to: NewsFour, 15 Fitzwilliam Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4. Or email us at newsfourscs@eircom.net

Albums ʻSupernatureʼ Goldfrapp Is Alison Goldfrapp the best British vocalist singer since Kate Bush? On the evidence of Supernature, the evidence MʼLord, is like Miss Goldfrappʼs talent-overwhelming. On her 3rd album, Goldfrapp along with songwriting partner Will Greenway have taken a visit to the synthpop world of Human League and Depeche Mode. Theyʼve liked what theyʼve heard, added in a little 70ʼs disco glamour of their own and produced one of the delectable sounds of the year. The seduction starts from the ﬁrst song. Ooh la, la might sound like Spirit in the Sky, but with a voice like a warm kiss on a cold night, whoʼs complaining. Lovely 2 CU and Ride a White Horse follow to even greater effect before we slow the disco down foe You never Know and let it take you. Such is the strength of Supernature, that every song could be a single. Essential.

The Frames come to the Point… ʻRoad to Rouenʼ Supergrass Road to Roeun is new terrority for Gaz Coombes and the boys. After last yearʼs best of complimation, Supergrass is 10, the band descended on Normandy to record their 5th studio album in 10 years. Whether it was the bucolic setting or the ageing process, but there is deﬁnitely a new sound at play here. Thereʼs no Caught by the Fuzz, Alright or Pumping on your Stereo here. Instead the mood is reﬂective, mellow, and even melancholic in places with Coffee in the Pot, the only obvious sign of the old Supergrass. The album is a bit of a slow burner; it takes a few listens for the quality to percolate through but stay with the Road to Rouen. Itʼs a worthwhile trip.

ʻOur Shadows Will Remainʼ Joseph Arthur Ohio-born Joseph Arthur is not too well known ʻround these parts, but hopefully his star will be in the ascendancy after the release of this, his ﬁrst album to be released on the Irish market. If you have heard of his classic song ʻIn The Sunʼ or indeed his version of ʻWild Horsesʼ on the Faultline album last year, you know the power and beauty of his voice, but on Our Shadows will Remain, his songwriting skills are given full focus with an album of brooding power and emotion. This is a quite a moody record in places with the musical colours deﬁnitely on the dark side on tracks like ʻStumble and Painʼ, ʻFailedʼ and ʻLeave Us Aloneʼ. The album is beautifully balanced though by the light of ʻEcho Parkʼ, ʻEven Thoʼ and the sublime ʻA Smile that Explodesʼ. All through the album you can do nothing but admire the stirring melodies, superb arrangements and a voice as varied as the music itself. Forget about the Grayʼs, Caseyʼs and Bluntʼs of this world. Joseph Arthur has raised the bar for singer/songwriters everywhere with this record. Seek out and enjoy.

ʻLovecraftʼ Super Furry Animals. The Furrys have been around a long time ploughing their own brand of spaced out/ early 70ʼs Welsh pop. The quality of their songwriting and power of their live shows has meant they have long since passed over from cult act into mainstream acceptance and adulation. On this their 7th album, the quirkiness and idiosyncrasies of Super Furry Animals remain, even if the mood has mellowed over the years. Musically, the band seemed to have thrown everything into the mix on Lovecraft. From retro to folk to tripped out pop and funk, the Furrys have created their own smorgasbord sound, which gets better with every listen. ʻOhio Heatʼ is the smoothest 60ʼs pop song youʼll ever hear. ʻCan I Walk You Homeʼ is a lush 70ʼs ballad and ʻBack on a Rollʼ is a self- referential country pop song with cowboys whopping it up in the background. If there is anything I have left out, youʼll probably hear it eventually on Lovecraft, as good an introduction to SFA you are ever likely to need.

November Mylo Sinead OʼConnor Tracy Chapman Bloc Party Billy Idol The Frames Sigur Ros Prodigy Franz Ferdinand Antony and The Johnsons Bob Dylan Blind Boys of Alabama

Ambassador Nov 1 Helix Nov 3 Point Nov 4 Olympia Nov 7 Point Nov 9 Point Nov 10 Olympia Nov 11 Point Nov 17 Point Nov 18 Vicar Street Nov 25 Point Nov 26 Vicar Street Nov 29

December David Gray Point Dec 1,2 Robert Plant Point Dec 9 Olympia Dec 12 Paul Weller Josh Stone RDS Dec 16 Sultans of Ping Village Dec 17 Dec 20 Blondie Olympia Dec 20 Foo Fighters Point Oasis Point Dec 21, 22 The Pogues (Original line-up) Point Dec 23

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

PAGE 27

M ARGARETHOLME 40

YEARS OF CARING

By Maggie Neary

argaretholme in Claremount Road, Sandymount is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. When I visited recently, the complex was quiet and orderly. Indoors, the smell of brasso from the recently-polished doorknobs, combined with the bright sunlight made for a relaxing wait on the comfortable seating of the lounge. Doreen Colvin, head of Margaretholme for eight and half years greeted me. She told me that there are 40 units, mostly single with some units for couples. At present, there are 14 men and the rest are women. Usually, the

residents are over the age of 70, though some are as young as 65. The staff offers unobtrusive, quality care to their residents in a way that maintains the residentsʼ independence whilst offering a sense of security with a 24-hour service. There is a daily morning routine check-up where the client puts up a sign in their apartment window. This allows staff the opportunity of knowing that all is well. Lunch is provided if required. Doreen tells how in the past few years they have strived in the changing times to provide a circle of caring. This included forging strong links with the Public Health Services to ensure the best medical attention for their own residents and the continuance of ongoing care should referral to a nursing home become necessary. Special reference was made to the excellent services now

provided by the Public Health Nurse. There is also a sick bay in the complex for minor illnesses. Sr. Mary Lalor who is the Director of Sheltered Housing with the Methodist Dublin Central Mission, and Bill Colvin, the Assistant Director in Margaretholme joined us. All three are totally committed to their work. At the start of the 20th century the Methodist Church set up the Dublin Central Mission to service the inner-city poor and especially address the plight of old people from the tenement areas. In the 1940s Sr. Margaret Hunter, who later became an ordained deaconess with the Methodist Church, began her 23 years of living and working for the needy of Dublin with the Dub-

lin Central Mission. Her greatest wish was to provide a place where the old and needy could have a home. She died in 1960, two months before the ﬁrst step was taken to start the Margaretholme project. Her vision was continued by Hugh Allen and others and in 1961 the house then known as Mount Hulings was bought. With government assistance and response to 13,000 appeal letters, the original house was demol-

ished and the apartments built. The Dublin Central Mission continues to place great emphasis on its ecumenical approach. There is a mix of religious denominations and those with no religious leanings resident in the complex or members of the staff. Sr. Mary who is a Roman Catholic nun had great praise for the success of this ecumenical approach and the vision of earlier Methodists who laid down these criteria for their services. There is an ongoing need for funding. Government funding is substantial at building level but is meagre to non-existent for the on-going running costs. With new legislation, volunteer input has decreased greatly thus increasing wage costs. Contribution from the residents helps but it is a constant struggle to keep up with rising costs. We can all help by remembering to contribute to the Help the Aged Flag Day held each December or by making donations or lobbying for more funding. Before I left, I met with a sprightly resident who enjoys an active sporting life. He came to the home some eight months ago and admits to a sense of trepidation about making this move but has no regrets. He ﬁnds the organisation friendly and inclusive and says “they go out of their way to make life very pleasant for the residents.” Another resident, Amy Stephens, has spent the last

twelve years in one of the chalets. She had a fall, which left lingering problems, and declares her deep gratitude for the assistance she has received. She feels a sense of belonging to a family. Amy once worked with Sr Margaret Hunter and reckons that Margaretholme is a ﬁtting memorial to her. In October 1965 at the opening ceremony the new name was announced, Margaret in honour of Sr. Margaret Hunter, and holme, a word which means harbour or place of refuge. A concert to celebrate the anniversary will take place at St

Phillips and St James Church, Booterstown on 22nd October. Everyone is welcome and the admission is €12. Every second Sunday at 3pm an interdenominational service is held in Margaretholme led by local church ministers and priests which is open to residents and friends. Above, from left: Doreen Colvin, Bill Colvin and Sr. Mary Lalor. Left, in the dining room: Mr. and Mrs. Jim Marshall. Below: The peaceful landscaped grounds.

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PAGE 28

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

By Brian Rutherford

he best way to start this journey is to board the number 16 bus at Aungier Street to Rathfarnham village, or Bushy Park at Terenure. Bushy Park, especially in Autumn, is a very enjoyable walk. The Dodder running alongside it is a winding river that ﬂows from the Dublin Mountains. The Rathfarnham Bridge connects the last village before reaching the countryside to Terenure and Dublin city. The walk up to Rathfarnham village is a steep one. The village is small and has only one street in which stands the Sarah Currran pub. You will see Rathfarnham Castle before you. The castle is open daily from May to October but the tea rooms are open all year round. Itʼs here that the Hell Fire Wood begins. A sinister atmosphere has been cast over the surrounding villages, probably because of its name, or maybe because of the reputation that the Hell Fire Club has had over the centuries, for it is here that the black cat was supposed to appear, the devil itself. On leaving the village you will reach the Tuning Fork pub and taking a right at the fork you will pass

T O H ELL F IRE

housing in a wealthy area of Dublinʼs Southside. Here is where the real walk begins. The lane is a quick left off the Tibradden Road, which runs to Tallaght. On the other side is St Endaʼs Park with Padraig Pearseʼs museum at its epicentre. The gardens of St Endaʼs park are probably the best kept in Rathfarnham. Adam Clayton of U2 lives in the area and the great Marley Park is very close, which is a story in itself. Marley Park was owned by the Love family until Dublin City Council opened it. It is a vast park with paths, waterfalls and trees winding

AND BACK

through it. There is also a courtyard with various craft shops and a coffee shop. The highlight is probably the peacocks, which parade around the courtyard displaying their plumage, great for photographs. Starting here is a black tarmac road which winds its way to Mount Venus Road, where a new cemetery has been built. There is then a dip in the road as we come to the second hill to be climbed. Hedgerows mark the journey and itʼs here that you ﬁrst glimpse a view of the city lying in Dublin Bay. On climbing this hill, you will arrive at Killakee House, serving some of the best cuisine on the Southside of

Dublin, recognisable because of its old stone belltower, where the cat is still supposed to appear. The Hell Fire Wood is clearly marked by Coillte, and cannot be accessed by car anymore. The wood is sparse but to walk through it with its smell of pine is a pleasant experience. There is a more direct route to the top of Mount Pelier. A road can be followed which winds its way to the back of the mountains. The direct route is a steep climb to ascend but there is a large boulder by which you can rest. The woods then clear and you see the building known as the Hell

Fire Club come into view. The view from here of Dublin is probably the best in Ireland, especially on a clear day, with the Pidgeon House chimney smoking in the distance. The Hell Fire Club has had many owners, one being the Countess Markevicz. It was built by William Connolly as a hunting lodge in 1735, there being a motley crew of young ofﬁcers from the nobility who basically drank, blasphemed and, some say, worshipped the Devil. The stories are numerous. One tells of some drunken men playing cards, one man seemingly dropped a card, when he bent down to retrieve it he noticed the player next to him had a hoof for a foot. He let out a cry in horror and the player bearing the hoof turned into the Devil and disappeared up the chimney in a ball of ﬁre. The chimney is still open to the public and can be climbed, leading to the roof of the building. Make of it what you will, I enjoy the experience and always have. On the return journey if you take a right down Mount Venus Road and then a left at Rockwood School, you will come to Sean OʼDohertyʼs pub and restaurant which has provided hospitality for more than 250 years. The 47A bus from across the road will then bring you back to the city.

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PAGE 29

M ORE THAN A SONG AND DANCE MAN By Denis Murphy

hen it came to making musicals nobody did it more extravagantly or lavishly than the Hollywood studios. Shortly after the Wall Street crash in the late 1920s and with the advent of sound, American people badly needed their ﬂagging spirits lifted. Fresh talent was always required and Hollywood sought out the very best from every corner of America. Gene Kelly was discovered in a Broadway show, starring as the lead in John OʼHaraʼs play ʻPal Joeyʼ with words and music by Rodgers and Hart. Elegant Astaire with his top hat and tails was replaced in peopleʼs affections by the working manʼs dancer. Kelly made his dancing seem so effortless, making him forever compulsive viewing in all of his screen roles. MGM had embarked on a programme of musicals under legendary producer Arthur Freed that would last twenty years and he

starred Kelly alongside Judy Garland in ʻFor Me and My Girlʼ. It was a colossal success and the studio signed him at once to a sevenyear contract. In an all-star cast of ʻThousands Cheerʼ he danced with a mop in the first instance of his brilliant use of inanimate dancing partners. In 1945 he was partnered with a young Frank Sinatra in ʻAnchors Aweighʼ, earning Gene his first Oscar nomination. In this film he danced a superb innovative duet with Jerry the cartoon mouse. He was teamed again with Sinatra in ʻTake Me Out To The Ball Gameʼ and made his directorial debut on location in New York with him also starring in ʻOn The Townʼ, where the returns at the box office were record-breaking. In the ʻThree Musketeersʼ he

played Dʼartangan and was coached by world champion fencer Jean Heremens who he fought and ʻkilledʼ four or ﬁve times in the ﬁlm in some of the best fencing scenes ever. His biggest hit by far was ʻSing-

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ing in the Rainʼ (left) and it would be the last great musical he would make. In the movie there were about seven dance routines of such breathtaking complexity that dancers the world over have studied them and often found that they were unable to reproduce them. When the movie was complete and a huge box ofﬁce success, Gene modestly underplayed his role in making it a smash. “It was the easiest of all my major dances. Technicians, who had to pipe two city blocks on the backlot with overhead sprays and the poor cameraman who had to shoot it through all that water, did the real work. All I had to do was skip down a sidewalk, climb a lamppost, have a drainpipe cascade on my face and jump around in puddles!” It wasnʼt quite as easy as Gene said it was, in fact he was feverish and unwell with a high temperature. His dancing and the lip-synching had to be split-second accurate. He had to hit marker after marker, which he could barely see on the underwater cobblestones that were very slippery and unsafe. He never

missed one and that, according to millions of fans worldwide, is what ʻSinging in the Rainʼ was all about. He also choreographed and directed it and it was a brilliant sendup of all the razzmatazz that Hollywood was about when they first started talkies. Over a fifty-year career that encompassed forty-four films, he paved a trail for younger dancers that choreographers are still trying to emulate. He took dancing away from the top hat and tails of the thirties and imprinted his ideas of it into an extension of natural movement. He died on February 2nd 1996 at the age of eighty-three, leaving behind a wonderful, lasting legacy of his unique genius. He has been rediscovered by a new, younger generation who can only marvel at the balance and grace of this very gifted human being, who as an actor, choreographer, dancer, director and singer was more, much, much more than just a song and dance man.

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THE MANAGEMENT and staff are delighted with the new look, as are all of the clients who attended the ofﬁcial opening of the newly revamped Central Hair Studio on Sandymount Road, which was performed by Mary Banotti on 5th of October. The Central Hair Studio has been completely redesigned, to create an atmosphere of comfort and glamour, beﬁtting its clientele. The new interior is bright, airy and comfortable. The unique feature of the salon is its beautiful garden and sheltered smoking terrace, an absolute haven for those who enjoy a cigarette with their cup of coffee. “One of the clients suggested that the smoking area should be called ʻAngelaʼs Ashesʼ”, said the proprietor Angela Doyle. Those who wish to stretch their legs during their make-over can stroll around the private garden. Many of the loyal clientele are older people, but the sa-

lon caters for all age groups and is unisex. The proprietor Angela Doyle and Helen Govendor started their career as hairdressers in Central Hair Studios in 1964– prior to this the shop had been Miss Murphyʼs Sweet Shop. The two ladies took over the establishment in 1974 and have been running it for over 30 years. They have vast experience in delivering what the client wants and have moved with the times and various fashion trends for over a quarter of a century. To avoid disappointment it is best to telephone 6683309 for an appointment. By Frances Corr Photo, front row: Ciaran Doyle. Angela Doyle, Mary Banotti, Helen Govender. Back row: Antoinette Manley, Gemma Doyle, Georgina Rooney, Stacey Byrne, Aoife Smith, Roseanna Dunphy, Eithna Cunnane.

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PAGE 30

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

The Fontenoy Files

Ladies’ Football Championship and Stephen O’ Shaughnessy arrive at the club

he Ladiesʼ Adult footballers finally, after the third time of asking, duly delivered the Dublin Football Junior Championship and brought the trophy home across Ringsend Bridge in a truly wonderful occasion on the 8th October. This was the second replay of this final and in the two previous encounters, including extra time, Garristown and the girls fought a terrific battle. After everyone traipsing out to Portmarnock for the two previous matches, OʼToole Park was a welcome venue for the Clannʼs girls. As we all drove up by the canals the news bulletins told of the Irish Soccer International match with Cyprus that evening. But we were in our own final and this was bigger than anything that the radio was bellowing out. We were going to represent the small villages of Ringsend and Sandymount and that was more important than anything else on this grey October evening. Alan Foley, father of Niamh showed his true spirit, after he forfeited his trip to Cyprus and a couple of hundred euro to boot to be at this match. Rumour has it that Liam Bolton and Mick Flood did likewise but I have to be convinced. The air was filled with tension as Garristown supporters to the left and Clanna Gael Fontenoy supporters to the right clapped both teams on to the pitch. First fifteen minutes was a replica of the drawn matches as nothing seemed to be able to divide them, including the crossbars, which were almost felled in those opening exchanges. However Clanns got a foothold midway through the first half and some excellent scores saw the girls in green, gold and blue lead by 6 points to 1 at half time. Sarah Seagrave was outstanding in goal and on numerous occasions kept the Garristown attack at bay with some wonderful saves. The half back line of Orla Bolton, Louise Kane and Sinead Vivash were thwarting the half forward line of Garristown– their main threat in the previous matches. Kim Flood and Grace Dunne were beginning to take a foothold at midfield and the excellent solo runs of Rachael Byrne were giving the inside for-

Winning Ladies… Left to right, back row: Antoinette Connolly, Louise Kane, Kim Flood and Grace Dunne. Front row: Sinead Vivash, Sarah Seagrave and Lynn Flood. ward line plenty of ball to work with. Alice Foley was by far the most vociferous supporter in the crowd. Standing exactly at the centre line of the pitch, she kept shouting “keep it down this end Clanns!” “And what end might that be, madam?” came the retort of the Garristown followers who included the legendary Barney Rock. Her husband and father-in-law kicked every ball in the stands and when young Niamh hit the crossbar in the ﬁrst half, both men lost 5 years from their lives. In the ﬁrst period of the second half Garristown threw a North County Dublin sink at us but we stood tall. Lynn Flood, used to getting kitchen sinks thrown at her (solicitorʼs letter on the way), caught them all at left full back and spat them out again. So, too, did the other full backs, Ita Gunne and Liz McDonald. Despite constant pressure, Garristown could only bring it back to 3 points. Then up stepped Lynn Dunne and kicked a point that any Tyrone forward would be proud of. And this seemed to settle the girls down again.

Antonette Connolly finished a lovely move with a point. Colleen Brierly was showing very well in the half forward line and Kathleen Murphy was a constant threat every time she got the ball, thus earning some very important frees for the Clannʼs girls. Niamh Foley then made a great forage along the end line and after her blocked shot came back out, Collen Briely was on hand to finish to the net. 0.8 on the Richter scale followed. Alan Foley and his father collapsed and just got up in time to see the veteran Elaine Maguire (another Solicitorʼs letter in the post) hit the sweetest of goals youʼre ever likely to see from all of 25 yards out. Down went Alan and his father again and only got up when the final whistle blew. The scenes were electric as everybody poured on the pitch. Tears, laughter, relief, joy and ecstasy were all there. Kim Flood, who was truly awesome throughout received the Player of the Match award. Captain Louise Kane gave the victory speech and thanked everyone involved including Manager Pat Kane and selectors Tom Ryan and Paudge

Kenny. Louise paid tribute to the subs that came on in various different matches and played a vital role in this victory and campaign. They included Deirdre OʼConnor, Siobhan Joyce, Rachael McLaughlin, Kathy Kenneally, Kathy Murray, Elaine Dent, Marie Brennan, Serena Hannon, Sarah Dunne, Shauna OʼNeill, and Jennifer Cox. Four years ago we had no ladies football in the club. Now this! A tremendous night was back in the Clubhouse where Chris Andrews helped fill the cup on one of the many times it was filled. Meanwhile the Club is proud to announce Dublin Footballer Stephen OʼShaughnessy as the new Club Coach. Stephen, who played such a pivotal role in Dublinʼs Leinster title victory this year including the RTE Man of the Match award in the Meath game, will be with us for the next three years at least. Stephen started earlier this month and is familiarising himself with all the local schools first. He will then be visiting each club team and passing on all his undoubted skills to each aspiring

youngster. I am sure he will tell them that they too can be like him some day. Stephen will be signing autographs for everyone, including me, over the not too distant future. We wish Stephen every success in his time here at the club. One other great match to report on was the U11ʼs trip to Newcastle in County Dublin. After gaining promotion last year these lads have found this higher league no great obstacle and only dropped two points in their campaign to date. However, the trip to Newcastle was a daunting one and not many teams come away from this fortress with the points. And so it seemed as the halftime whistle blew. The score read St Finnians 3-6 Clanns 0-1. A whopping 14 points in arrears. But Davis Trolan has been doing magical work with this team and despite the interval deficit David did not give up hope on his warriors. Slowly but surely, they started eating into the lead and magically won the day by two points in the end. Some marvellous performances were recorded on the day by Paul Casey, Jacob Farrell, Ciaran Stafford, Gareth Trolan, Eddie Doyle, Rory Shiels and Fergus OʼConnor. A league title is very much in sight and promotion again is a surety. Well done lads! Saturday morning Gaelic Academy is attracting massive numbers at present with 110 registered and growing. A competition was held recently among all the youngsters. They were asked to put a name on the Academy and it produced some wonderful answers. In the end the judges went for the wonderful name of CLANNÓG. The winning entry came from Mark Stafford aged 7. So parents if you wish to enrol your children in Clann Óg just pop down any Saturday morning at 11.00 or phone Jean Joyce at 086-1069543. So as our season draws near the Inter Footballers are very much in the shake-up for league honours and more importantly promotion. Junior footballers are in the semi-final of the Murphy cup. Junior Hurlers are in the League Final and Championship semi-final.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005 Ladiesʼ Junior footballers having captured the championship are leading the league with one match remaining. Girls U14 are top of their league with just a few matches remaining. U16 hurlers reached the championship ﬁnal and are in a play-off for runners up. Minor hurlers, despite a poor season by their standards, remain tied for 2nd place. U11 footballers are very much in contention for league honours and all other teams are biting away at the cherry in the hope that their day will come. And undoubtedly it will! Backchat: * After much legal wrangling it has been decided that Backchat can go to print while the matter is being deferred to Europe on some cases. However, names of club members are not to be mentioned again. * Colm Reynolds has been exiled to Norway once again. Colm spent some time there two years ago on an ʻIncredible Hulkʼ temper management course. However the treatment has worn off of late and his teammates had no other option only to send him on his way. (via Coventry) * The Legend was at again. Not happy to leave the young fellows at it, he was drafted into a recent Junior football match. On the pitch only a few minutes, the legend hit the ground an unmerciful wallop with that head of his. He got up and all of a sudden started talking sense again. Itʼs been a long time coming, but surely worth the wait. * Congratulations to Ian Kavanagh on his recent marriage to Tanya. * Thanks to all those who

PAGE 31 helped out in the recent AllIreland Forecast competition, especially Paddy Troy. Also the Minor squad who spent many hours on the checking. * The Balcony at the Club is now open and what a wonderful sight it is. If you turn to the right you can see Dun Laoire harbour. If you turn to the left you can view the historical sight of the old clubhouse. Look straight in front of you and you can see the old Irish Glass Bottle Company, itself a centre of employment for so many in this area. Look behind you and you see the wonderful stonemasonry of Jack ʻMichaelangeloʼ Nicholson. Who would want to go to Venice when you have it all at Clanna Gaelʼs new Balcony. And you can smoke there also! * Speaking of sights. Can anyone tell me of a nicer view than there is at Clanna Gaelʼs Bar. From there you can see the Dublin and Wicklow Mountains, Sandyford Industrial Estate and a host of other magniﬁcent landmarks such as Donnybrook Garda Station and the RTE mast. This mast is also a wonderful topic of conversation, like who youʼd like to hang from it etc. And as the nights grow short and cold where else would you want to be (unless youʼd like to be on top of that mast or, worse again– Sandyford Industrial Estate– or even worse again– Donnybrook Garda Station!) Astrologers, Stargazers and Norwegian explorers can all be seen in this wonderful Bar. (Plug-Plug-Plug) * Our sincere thanks to Martin Mannion, Manager of Winﬁeld Motors (formerly Crawfords) on the Beach Road for his kind sponsorship recently. * Great to see Brendan

OʼBrien out and about again. Rusty was his usual self when a referee came under his scrutiny at a recent minor hurling match in Ringsend. We wouldnʼt have it any other way, Brendan! * A speedy recovery to Anto Quinlan who broke his hand recently. Anto was so delirious about his own good performance in a recent match that he boxed the wall in St Brendanʼs Cottages on his way home. Suffice to say that he never boxed any wall before this. * Noel McDonagh is the bookieʼs clear favourite to capture this yearʼs ʻMoan of the Yearʼ Award. Seething with jealousy over last yearʼs winner Noel hasnʼt stopped complaining since! * Whatever you do donʼt forget Saturday 29 October at the clubhouse. Fancy Dress Halloween party with Magician and DJ. Itʼs the place to be! * Steve McGrath is still married! Incredible! * Our sincere condolences to the Carr and Allen Families on their recent sad bereavements. * Our sincere thanks to Keville Transport who kindly sponsored this yearʼs Tracey Staunton Memorial Competition. Both ladiesʼ teams reached the final but alas fell at the final hurdle. Traceyʼs parents once again were on hand to present the trophies to the winning teams. * Donʼt forget the Fancy Dress Party in aid of Temple Street Hospital on Halloween night in the Hall. Tickets from Shay Connolly. * If you wish to hire any of our facilities, donʼt be shy. Just pick up the phone and call Shay at 087-9011716. Youʼre guaranteed an interesting conversation at least!

RINGSEND LIBRARY Free Art Classes for children 7 - 12 years of age 10.30 - 11.30 Saturday mornings Booking essential, Telephone 6680063 RINGSEND AND IRISHTOWN COMMUNITY CENTRE THORNCASTLE STREET, DUBLIN 4 DID

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Telephone: 887 6000, 855 0888 Fax: 855 7400 Web: www.dublinport.ie Some of the young people who took part in the Summer Training Camp at Clanna Gael.

PAGE 32

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

S PORTS D ESK By Derek Buckley sponsored by

Alasta Autos and Pearse Tavern Markievicz Celtic v Alpine Express 2-0 ʻSKYʼS THE LIMIT FOR THE MARKIEVICZ WOMENʼ The intermediate cup final Venue AUI complex. This was the girlsʼ second final in a month and after losing their first final you could say heads would be down, and on top of that the girls were up against, not only a team that are a league higher than them but a team that took full honours (league champions) So what happens from there? Well for the first 15 minutes Alpine dominated the game. Markievicz looked nervous. But to Alpineʼs disadvantage they

Always a winning team lifted out of it. So it was up to McGuinness to put the record straight from the free kick, and how unlucky she was as her shot thundered off the post and fell to the feet of Kim Flood, who sent it back into the

The winning goal came from a quality ball from McGuinness who, in fairness, I would link to Roy Keane because her work rate and attitude was electric and from that pass Nangleʼs 40 yards shot ended in the back of the net

six yard box for a tap in by Amy OʼConnor, 1-0 in the 40 minutes and well deserved it was. By now Alpine couldnʼt find an escape route out of their own half and were fortunate not to fall further behind as Nangleʼs lob just went over. With only 5 minutes into the second half, Markʼs started the way they finished the first as Kearney squandered a good opportunity off a Nangle cross. At this stage, every player sprung to life. Safe hands Lisa Fagan was confident. Roseanne Whelan, Louise Rooney, Jessica Downes, Amy OʼConnor and Sarah Hurley moved up a gear, but for their extra efforts, legs started to tire and Alpine, out of the blue looked like equalising but, credit to Hurley, Rooney, Whelan and Flood as they mopped up any damage in defence.

as Alpineʼs keeper let the ball slip through her legs. Game set and ʻCupʼ to a welldeserved Markievicz side that held their heads high and were a credit to themselves. Quotes from both managers: Eddie Weafer: “Best team won on the day and they know it takes 90 minutes for results, Iʼm proud of them.” Ritchie Cummins: “To bounce back from the last cupʼs defeat was fantastic. Iʼm absolutely thrilled for them.” Attendance: 752. The committee would like to thank their main sponsors ABBA Blinds for all their help.

failed to capitalize and how could they as they failed to get past Markʼs back four! From there on, for the remainder of the first half Markʼs dominated, Rachel McGuinness had two half chances from free kicks but her efforts were unlucky. At this stage after 30 minutes Lynn Flood and Michelle Kearney were in full swing. Then came the first opportunity of the game as Erica Nangle with her solo run had only the keeper to beat but, credit to Alpineʼs goalie as she denied Nangle. As Markʼs dominated they knew that it was goals that count and their first goal came from a quality run from Kim Flood from inside her own half and as she was just about to pull the trigger from the edge of the box she was

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Above: ʻThe Fantastic Fourʼ. Left to right: Erica Nangle, Kim Flood, Rachel McGuinness and Amy OʼConnor. Below: Great celebrations!

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

PAGE 33

R INGSEND M IXED I NFANTS S CHOOL 1912

Unlike the happy children from Lakelands School pictured below, one suspects the life of the kids above was hard and sometimes depressingly brief. Not quite the Good Old Days.

Ballsbridge College of Further Education Shelbourne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4

BUSINESS & COMPUTING EDUCATION

C ONFRONTING B ULLYING S EMINAR BULLYING CAN cause enormous distress, often resulting in emotional damage, a lack of self esteem, depression and even suicide. As a society, we are only now coming to a deeper awareness of the extent to which bullying of every kind occurs in the home, school, workplace and the community in general. Many victims feel trapped, desperate and emotionally crippled as a result of the horriﬁc experience of bullying. Ringsend Action Project (RAP) is addressing this problem with a seminar to examine the roots

of the problem and identify effective strategies for confronting and dealing with bullying behaviour. The Seminar runs over two evenings the ﬁrst of which was on 18th October at 8 pm in Irishtown Stadium and the ﬁnal one is on Tuesday 25th October. Rev. Dr. Tony Byrne will talk on ʻBullying in the Workplaceʼ and Sr. Kathleen Maguire on ʻBullying in the Homeʼ. The evening will conclude with a 40 minute question and answer session. All are welcome to attend.

Phone: 6684806 Fax: 6682361 Email: info@ballsbridge.cdvec.ie Web: www.ballsbridgecollege.com

CDVEC All courses are supported by the European Social Fund through the National Development Plan

PAGE 34

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

R EMEMBERING K ATIE By Denis Murphy

ess was busily working away on an old pedal Singer sewing machine, trying to make a two piece suit for her nine-year-old son. Her brother Peter had bought a new crombie overcoat and given her the old one. This was her first attempt at making a suit for him and she didnʼt want to get it wrong. Her husband Leo was sitting near the fire soleing and heeling a pair if Kathleen and Marieʼs shoes. Having left the leather immersed in water in the sink overnight it made it pliable and easy to shape and cut. “Tess, the little fella was having trouble with his homework tonight, especially his sums and he asked me to help him out. In the end it was Kathleen who seemed to have a better grasp of them who managed to give him a hand”. “Iʼll have a chat with my mother because sheʼs wonderful with figures, maybe with some coaching from her heʼll buck up and improve”. The sound of laughter came from the bedroom as the girls giggled at their brotherʼs tales. He was telling them of a ʻBʼ film he had seen with ʻLaurel and Hardyʼ and exaggerating for all he was worth. Feeding on his sisterʼs laughter he was quite enjoying himself as his parents told him to quieten it down as it was getting late. A day or so later Tess had got her mother Katie to agree to give the lad some basic tuition in arith-

metic. In her youth she had once been a monitor tutor in Townsend Street girlsʼ school and mathematics was one of her subjects. One afternoon when her grandson had returned with her weekly turf allocation she sat him down and explained what she was about to do. “Numbers are from one to nine and then they become repeti-

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

tive. By adding numerals either before or after, you can then make them greater or lesser. Multiplication, addition, division and subtraction are relatively easy if you round them up”. She began to show him this in practice and he soon came on in leaps and bounds. Within a few weeks he was doing difﬁcult mental sums such as decimals and fractions in his head and coming up with the correct answer each time. His grandmotherʼs wonderful magic formula was working extremely well and his schoolwork began to improve immensely, especially in arithmetic. Each Friday in school, his teacher Mr. Gallagher gave the pupils a test in mathematics. The usual winners were Jimmy Gannon, Joe Ashmore or Stephen Kearney. Between them they had a secret pact to share the spoils whichever of them won, reasoning that a third of a sixpence was better than nothing. When Leo and Tessʼs son overtook them, they were shocked to the very core, wiping the smug smile from their faces. Having overcome the ﬁrst hurdle there was no stopping the lad now, he

had learned a wonderful new language. The most popular sweet shop for all of the schoolchildren in the area was the Happy Valley in Townsend Street. With his shiny sixpence he made for it to buy some toffees. A large notice on the wall caught his attention. ʻWin a Pound Note. How many Aniseed Balls are there in the Jar? Nearest to the amount winsʼ. To enter, a purchase of sixpence was required. His full winnings were soon spent and he was issued with a cloakroom ticket, his name on the duplicate and a cone-ﬁlled paper of aniseed balls. Recalling his grandmotherʼs lessons, he used her logic. It was a large seven-pound jar in which the seal had been broken: meaning that more must have been added to it. Over the next few weeks each time he was going to the Palace with his pals he would get them to shop there. By the time of the draw he had almost ten tickets in the drum, with his answers varying slightly. On reaching the shop the draw had already been made and he was delightly surprised to ﬁnd it was himself who was declared the

winner. “Congratulations, young man that was a very good guess. Having said that, if there had been a second and third you would have won them too, you were only three out. No one else even came near to your answers”. He admitted that it was a lucky guess on his part and accepted the brand new one pound note gratefully. Coming into flat 16h his mother scolded him. “Where were you till now? There was a competition, Ma, and I won it”. “And what was the prize?” “It was a pound note, Ma”, taking it out of his pocket and placing it into her hand. Tess was gobsmacked and she collapsed down onto a chair in shock and delight. “Thereʼs a film called ʻRandom Harvestʼ showing on the Capitol. Granny said that you and Dad took her to see it again because she said that you and Dad enjoyed it as well”. There were tears of love and pride in her eyes when she hugged her only son as he squirmed with embarrassment while his sisters chuckled at their brotherʼs discomfort. “Ah Ma, Iʼm getting too big for that now”. “You can be a nice little man when youʼre not teasing your sisters”. As they were all eating supper Leo and Tess were in a jovial mood as they went through the story repeatedly. Kathleen whispered something into Marieʼs ear and both of them burst out laughing. “What are you two muttering about?” “The winnerʼs name was in Irish and everyone said that it was a phantom name made up by Mrs. OʼBrien and she never paid anyone at all, but now we know it was our brother”. Everyone at the table exploded in fits of laughter at his clever little deception. Leo, Tess and Granny Katie dressed up in their finest that night and caught a tram to the Capitol Cinema where they enjoyed once more, Ronald Colman and Greer Garson in the wonderful timeless weepie, ʻRandom Harvestʼ. Years later the boy, grown to manhood, could look back with great love and affection for Katie, his caring, generous grandmother who taught him that there was a simple logic to all mathematical problems. It would serve him well as he passed those treasured lessons on to his own children and glow with the same pride his parents must have enjoyed, all those warm memorable years ago. Above: Photo in Sandymount Green 1949, Katie and her daughter Tess, with her grandchildren, Kathleen, Eileen Donnelly, Frances and Rose.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

PAGE 35

THE POETRY PLACE The Willing Seduction I saw her coming down the street, Her name I did not know, The glimpse I got was only ﬂeet, But enough to set my heart aglow. Her eyes were of the deepest blue, Her lips were moist and red, Her hair was of a golden hue, Upon these sights my heart was fed.

Rainy night

Real Love

The big shoes didnʼt

When somebody loves you

Let him down

You come ﬁrst no matter what

He walked them

Real love comes from the heart

Round.

Hidden deep in your soul forever

The other is singing

When somebody loves you It doesnʼt cause a thought to rip open your heart

On this rainy night

No matter where you are in this vast world of peace

He walks to the left

And yet again another day, she came into my view, My heart did miss another beat, What, oh what, was I to do, How this lovely girl, was ever I to meet.

Binding vows must be there forever more

She walks to the right.

When somebody loves you

Whispering in the rain

You think you know what they are going to do next

The melodies go up and

Before they do it

Down

I pondered long upon a thought, To take the plunge or wait upon my fate, For, I, in a fearful trap was caught, There all day and never to be late.

Even when youʼre at your lowest form

From the quay to Unity.

When somebody loves you By Patrick Duffy

But kindly fate did smile on me, And took my trembling hand, He opened up my eyes to see, And washed out all the sand.

When somebody loves you

She walks with me happy and free,

You would not ever take them for granted

Exciting times full of glee,

And the love would be very secure in your heart

I walk with her anxious and sad,

And theirs forever more

She has grown, Iʼm so mad, Itʼs happened so fast where did the time go,

So I held her in my gaze but was too shy to talk, She was the one who broke the ice, she turned to me and said, ʻIve waited for too long for you, so letʼs go off and walk, ʻAnd when weʼve walked and talked and talked and walked, ʻThen my loveʼ– she smiled and gave a kiss– ʻitʼs time to go to bed.ʼ A. E. Mouse

I wish she could stay here with me at home,

You would trust them with your heart

To meet new friends and explore,

And never want to say goodbye even at the end.

Anxious parents leave the gate, They wave goodbye, Oh the heartbreak,

Carmel McCarthy

Denise Fanning

Only to return to see how it went, The ﬁrst day at school and how it was spent.

On a tired housewife Here lies a poor woman who was always tired,

The worry will return every day,

She lived in a house where help wasnʼt hired. Her last words on earth were: ʻDear friends,

The ﬁrst of ﬁrsts Iʼm fully aware,

Sometimes, when your mood is bad It drags me down and makes me sad But you decided the mood to day I was stuck in Jan, you in May You knocked my door and came to play And, soon, we sang the blues away Ole, Ole Humour is infectious; the old cliché And I joined your happy mood today

And last of all When somebody loves you

But I have to let her go, I know,

Wondering always is she O.K.

Moods

And you would love them over the years And you want to grow old with them

First Day

For there, beside me, was my girl, At last weʼd met, without of any fuss, My heart, my thoughts were in a whirl, But fate had struck, and Thus was Thus.

You would die for their happiness

Just letting her know Iʼll always be there, To listen to tales of games that she played, And the great news of friends that she made. By Lisa Berigan As always, we welcome contributions to The Poetry Place, which can be sent to the ʻNewsFourʼ ofﬁces at 15 Fitzwilliam Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4.

I am going To where thereʼs no cooking, or washing, or sewing, For everything there is exact to my wishes, For where they donʼt eat thereʼs no washing or dishes Iʼll be where loud anthems will always be ringing, But having no vice Iʼll be quit of the singing. Donʼt mourn for me now, donʼt mourn for me never, I am going to do nothing for ever and ever.ʼ Anon

PAGE 36

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

L ET

HIM FINISH !

By Ann Ingle

“O

thers say it in black and white, Quinn says it in colour,” said Olivia OʼLeary at the launch of ʻStraight Left A Journey in Politicsʼ. She was referring to the days when she would be trying to get information from politicians on different issues and Quinn would always give her that bit extra. ʻStraight Leftʼ gives us a great deal extra and an insight not just into labour politics over the past fifty years but into the man himself. Growing up with five brothers and one sister, conversations in the Quinn household in Sydney Parade were noisy and boisterous. Everyone had their own opinion on things and discussion on current affairs was always encouraged.

When one of the family was talking, no matter how outlandish or off the wall the ideas expressed were, Malachi Quinn, Ruairiʼs father, would always say, “Let him Finish”. Malachi Quinn was a staunch Catholic and a supporter of Fianna Fáil and it is indicative of what a free thinker and courageous young man his son was that he turned his back on both of those institutions. In a poignant passage, Quinn tells of explaining to his mother that he was no longer going to Mass and that he would be in the Merrion Inn reading the Sunday papers when he was supposed to be in church. He felt at that time that it was not going to do his father any good to know about this and he didnʼt want to influence his younger brothers. Many of the books that Quinn mentions as having influence

on him growing up were books that would have inspired me as a young woman. Such books as John Steinbeckʼs ʻOf Mice and Menʼ, ʻThe Ragged Trousered Philanthropistʼ by Robert Tressell, ʻThe Rebelʼ by Albert Camus and ʻZorba the Greekʼ, the latter sparking an interest in Greece, which would lead to Quinn spending

time there in pursuit of his architectural studies. What makes a man want to become a politician? In Quinnʼs case his involvement began in his school days and continued into his college years. Wherever he saw injustice or the need for change, he was at the forefront of making things happen.

Quinnʼs involvement with the Labour Party began in 1965 when he helped Michael OʼLeary in his campaign to win the Dublin North-Central seat. “Leaving the comfort of Sydney Parade, getting the bus across town to Parnell Square and canvassing through the tenements of Mountjoy Square and Gardiner Street

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Sales and accident repair centre Parts and service now located at Maxwell Road, Rathmines Phone: 4973338

Left to right: Martin Mannion, Manager of Winﬁeld Motors; Jessica Dent, Prize Winner; Sean Fitzpatrick, Player of the Week and Eamon Clancy.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

PAGE 37

Time Gentlemen Please By Patrick Duffy

“I

in that derelict part of Dublin was a daily journey between two worlds within one city.” Quinn graphically describes the conditions in which people in that area were living at the time and the impact this made on his determination to bring about radical social change. The book is not all about him, the history of the Labour Party is well documented, however Quinn is not shy about recounting his successes. When he was in office, whether it was in the Custom House or the Department of Finance, he made a difference to the general ergonomics and aesthetics of the place. Among many such initiatives, he was involved in the opening of Merrion Square to the public, in the preservation of the Olympia Theatre when the proscenium arch had collapsed, he was behind the introduction of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority and was one of the architects who imaginatively designed what are still called ʻthe new housesʼ or ʻlegolandʼ. One of his greatest achievements was the innovative Social Employment Scheme now called the Community Employment Programme. Quinn says that this political initiative is the one of which he is most proud. Established 20 years ago, Sandymount Community Services was one of the first of those projects and is responsible for the production of ʻNewsFourʼ. It is well-known that Denise Rogers has played a great part

in Quinnʼs success. From the day he canvassed her house in Durham Road to the present day, she has been pivotal to his work. For a lot of that time she worked on a voluntary basis and after he persuaded her to leave her good job in UCD to work with him fulltime he was very embarrassed that Denise was without a job when he did not retain his seat in 1981. It was Denise who casually suggested to the Labour Party secretariat, at a coffee break, that Mary Robinson was an ideal candidate for the Presidency and the rest, as they say, is history. I will leave it to his political colleagues to judge the veracity of his commentary. As far as I am concerned, it has given me a glimpse into how the system works. Quinn said at the launch of his book that 60,000 words had been excised by his editor and one wonders what they contained. Maybe another book or maybe just the boring bits, in any case if you canʼt find your name in the index, thatʼs the reason why! Straight Left: A Journey in Politics by Ruairí Quinn published by Hodder Headline is out now in hardback, €24.99. Pictured, on left, at the book launch, Ruairi Quinn TD with Dick Spring and Olivia OʼLeary. Above: Malachi and Martha Quinn. Right: Tony Gregory TD, Councillor Kevin Humphreys and John Gormley TD.

tʼs cold up here,” he said as he got into his Toyota after selling an aerial photo. Below, the wind whipped the water into angry foam among the black rocks and you could hear the roar of the water above the sighing sea. All looked well but if a man had been out there with light enough to see leaves he would have ﬂed from that place. The rain fell in torrents but they did not heed it. Mrs McGlinchey smiled in a positive manner as she hurried back into the hillside house with a large framed photo of her farmstead. She had bargained hard but he stuck to his sales formula and friendly ways to conclude the deal over a cup of tea and scones with lashings of blackberry jam. He had stripped to the waist that morning and shaved himself carefully in front of the bit of a looking-glass. He had noticed lines on his forehead he had not seen before and there was grey in his hair. He paid these things little heed but they reminded him of time passing. He felt a great hunger come over him as he thought of the money in his pocket and a need to ﬁnd some place cosy, as he passed an old graveyard to his right. He had seen a country pub that morning which just looked like the right spot. He drove around for a while lost in his thoughts. Time passed as he listened to

the radio. He put his hand in his hair. The rain eased off. His scalp crawled. He had worked like a demon. As he hummed along to the tune from the radio, he remembered suddenly where it was– the cosy pub. He braked, almost drove into the ditch and putting his foot on the accelerator he backed up a nearby lane and drove off in the right direction. It was nearing sundown when he came upon it. There seemed to be no sign of life, but in response to his call, a fat grey ﬁgure appeared in the darkness of the doorway. The inside lights were dimmed and he could only see two people– the barman and a customer, sitting at the counter. There was a curious smell– a dry, sweet smell that while not obviously unpleasant made the hair on his neck rise. The other man, with a hat on, watched him without any expression. He went straight to the counter and ordered a pint. He took a seat to the left, a good distance from the other man whom he couldnʼt see clearly because of his black hat. He looked at him with rabbit eyes. The pint arrived, he sipped, it tasted perfect and just right for the moment. He relaxed, settled without a thought in his head, looking round the half-lit bar. Nothing happened. The man with the hat sipped, he sipped and the barman was in

between– he was tidying up and looking through his glasses, askew on his nose, at some book or paper on the inside of the bar. The man with the hat looked up for attention, each was probing for a gap in the otherʼs defence, sounding out the otherʼs reactions. Their movements were delicate. They caught each otherʼs eyes and gestured something and the words came out. “Thatʼs on me,” and “pull another for himself.” The barman busied himself taking great care to get the heads right. “The first today,” he said after a mouthful. The man with the hat smiled saying “Ay”. “Are you from these parts,” he said. “No, Iʼm from somewhere else.” “And where would that be?” “Ah, not here, just another place.” Time passed, the clock ticked, few words were spoken. The man with the hat paid for the next round without moving: he had everything in his grasp. The barman nodded. It was the comfort of the place which switched him off– he was in another world. “Time, gentlemen, please.” woke him up. He straightened up, arching his back, nearly fell off his stool and finished his pint. He got up stiffly, dead to the world after the dayʼs adventure. He made for the door, the man with the hat followed. There was a light outside. He turned to shake hands, he grasped his hand and when the hat was lifted, he couldnít believe his eyes– a pair of horns– he backed off, looking at him with shock in his face. He headed for the car in terror. Had he seen the devil or was it the son of a goat? After securing the doors he drove off into the night. The wind howled, the trees looked like vast monsters, the dark enveloped him.

PAGE 38

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

A FANTASTICAL CAVE EXPLORATION

By Maggie Neary

n early June this year I went on holidays with a friend to St Cyprien in the South of France. We spent a gloriously relaxing, sun-ﬁlled 10 days scouting around the locality on bicycles, buses, trains and boats and enjoying daily encounters with delicious French foods and wines. On the Saturday prior to our Monday morning return ﬂight from Toulouse we caught the 6.45am train from Perpignan to connect at Villefranche with the 9.05 Petit Train Jaune. This ʻlittle yellow trainʼ climbs through the Pyrenees along 63km of track, which once transported iron and marble produced in the region. Stopping at hillside villages, tooting its whistle, it progresses through spectacular mountain scenery before arriving some three hours later at the village of Latourde-Carol. After a sleepy two-hour

wait we took the next train north to Foix. There were no taxis to be had so we began to trudge uphill towards the town. A local, sensing our plight, stopped and gave us a lift to the centre of the town where we began room-hunting. This brought us on a journey of discovery. Discovery of a town steeped in atmosphere, a town still grounded in its own strong sense of identity, a feature one may or may not like. This is a place of little squares surrounded by medieval houses, tiny narrow cobbled stone streets, and a people who did not fear to regard the tourist as an oddity. We found rooms with the right mix of cleanliness, spaciousness and centrality offered at a reasonable price with a view from the shuttered windows of the wonderfully preserved medieval Chateau towering over the town. Our decision to head to Foix had been inﬂuenced by our desire to visit the Grotte de Niaux. These

caves, situated some 25k south of Foix in the foothills of the Pyrenees portray on their walls paintings from as far back as 13000 years before the Christian period. On Sunday morning, knowing that prior booking is obligatory, we phoned the Grotte and were lucky to get reservations for that dayʼs guided tour in English. A thirty-minute taxi drive brought us to the turn-off for the caves. Climbing steeply we came to the entrance, a nondescript appendage built into the side of the mountain. We paid the fee of €7

and were given a torch to share by our young female guide. We proceeded through the 800 metres of tunnel and caves, all left deliberately undeveloped and unlit but for the torches we carried. The arrival, some 400 years ago, of the first modern day ʻtouristsʼ was evidenced by the graffiti on the walls, and the missing sections of the stalactites and stalagmites which had been hacked off for sale as garden or house decorations. Otherwise the place felt as if I was the first human ever to have entered since prehistoric times.

Some distance into the tunnel is the first simple depiction, a few dots, lines and claviforms typical of many cave paintings in Europe and which it is thought may have had some meaning. Much further on, one enters the Salon Noir, the main epicentre of the Niaux cave paintings. In this cavern, where the high domeshaped ceiling echoes back any sounds sent up into its emptiness, horses, ibex, deer and bison, stand or gallop across the cave walls. With the light from her torch, the guide introduced us to each painting, engulfing us in the mystery of the who, how and why of the artists and the people of those faraway times. She then requested that all the lamps be extinguished and for some moments we felt the totality of darkness and silence which reigns deep inside the earth. As we returned through the chambers, I found myself seeing shapes of paintings waiting to emerge from stones and walls. Outside the exit the high, sharp air sent blinding squalls of mist-filled light from the nearby mountaintops. With great reluctance, I sat into the waiting taxi to descend once more into my 21st century reality.

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NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

PAGE 39

W HITHER N ORTHERN

IRELAND ?

By Aidan OʼDonoghue

he only thing that is for certain about the Northern peace process is its unpredictability. This year alone we have witnessed incidents such as the Robert McCartney murder, the Northern bank robberies, the untimely return of the Colombia Three and riots on the streets of Belfast by disgruntled members of the community. As efforts are made to contain one controversy, another ﬂares up elsewhere– shifting the media focus, stretching the actors involved and adding to the pressure on what are already strained relations. Grievances build up on all sides, spilling over from one contentious issue to the next and seriously hindering progress. Stalemate becomes a fact of everyday life. For some of us here in the Republic, Northern Ireland is but a distant relative, while for others it is a most urgent and emotive issue. Many people in the community are pleased with current developments and are hopeful for the future. One such person is John Langley, a Dun Laoghaire man out for a Saturday morning stroll in Donnybrook. “Iʼm happy with the decommissioning,” says John, “Itʼs all based on trust and you have to hope theyʼve given up all their arms. The unionists are worried about concessions that should have been given a long time ago anyway. They probably donʼt see it that way but itʼs really just about equality.” He feels that the focus on paramilitary activity is too one-sided: “Thereʼs a lot of shouting about nationalist decommissioning but there doesnʼt seem to be any great uproar about loyalist groups de-

commissioning.” Noreen Moynihan is rushing to be somewhere in Ballsbridge but is happy to offer her opinion on decommissioning: “Itʼs a fantastic achievement for the Sinn Fein leadership. I think that it was done patiently which tells me that it will be successful– they probably took their time so as to ensure that dissidents would not break it up.” She can understand the feelings of many unionists on the ground: “The Catholics have become politically astute, they are now welleducated and very ambitious. Something should be done for the Protestant community so that they are enabled to make the same advances.” As for the hardline politicians, Noreen feels that they will eventually move closer to the middle ground out of necessity. “They will absorb these latest events and be sufﬁciently politically wise to want the assembly up and running for their own sakes as well.” A ﬁnal settlement is the last thing on her mind: “I wouldnʼt be surprised if we saw a united Ireland but I donʼt think it matters a jot!” The wind is picking up in Sandymount and the clouds begin to gather. Local man Thomas Burke is out walking his dog. Heʼs quite sceptical about the motives of the IRA. “I donʼt think the IRA is acting in good faith,” he says. “When thereʼs no more extortion and no more fear

in nationalist communities then that would be a good step.” Last monthʼs rioting came as no surprise to Thomas: “I can understand the rioting in unionist areas because the parties linked to nationalist paramilitaries have done well out of this process, whereas those associated with loyalist paramilitaries have done nothing, so theyʼve effectively been left behind. Thereʼs nothing left for them.” He doesnʼt see any potential in Sinn Fein as a political party here in the south. “Their policies are not credible. All they can do is local politics and rally support. If Sinn Fein were in power and carried out their mandate all the multinational companies would leave and we would be ﬁnancially crippled.” The rain starts to fall and Deirdre Byrne takes shelter in a local shop. She doesnʼt have much hope when it comes to the North. “I donʼt think the IRA can be trusted. Everybody in the North would have to be convinced before real advances can be made.” The violence will only continue as Deirdre sees it: “There wonʼt be an end to it, certainly not within the next two years. The unionists arenʼt happy and theyʼve every right not to be convinced. I donʼt think theyʼre going to be passive about all this.” She is pragmatic when it comes to Sinn Fein as a coalition partner. “I can see Sinn Fein in government here in the Republic. Theyʼve done well in recent elections. People want them, so itʼs going to happen.” Thereʼs a different mood in Irishtown. Tommy Keegan is upbeat. “Itʼs brilliant. All parties are engaged in peaceful negotiation and everything will be fulﬁlled, perhaps not in the near future but eventually weʼll have peace in our land.” In order for problems to be ironed out, the party leaders have to take the initiative and lead from the front: “If the ordinary everyday unionists who are unhappy can use peaceful means, well then theyʼll get results and itʼs up to the party leaders to encourage them and to set a peaceful example which is

based on consensus.” Tommy is happy to see Sinn Fein in southern politics so long as they uphold peaceful values. “I can see no harm with their current leadership, theyʼre taking the path of peace. If Sinn Fein can do it, and if the IRA can do it, why not other people?” Itʼs surprisingly quiet for a Saturday afternoon in Ringsend and there arenʼt a lot of people on the streets. In one of the quieter areas is a man doing some DIY. He will talk about the peace process but wonʼt give his name. “Iʼd rather not,” he says gravely. At first he is cool in his opinions: “Itʼs not before its time. It remains to be seen if theyʼre acting in good faith but they canʼt really go back now.” When asked about the possibility of a united Ireland he is more forthcoming. “I think the ex-RUC man hit the nail on the head when he said recently that weʼll see a united Ireland in 15 to 20 years, and youʼll have a huge Republican-led mafia going on in the background as well.” He is dubious about the integrity of the Sinn Fein Party: “I wouldnʼt welcome them into southern politics. With the exception of Mary Lou Mc Donald, the current crop of Sinn Fein politicians are carrying too much baggage.” Their methods leave him unimpressed. “Because of their financial war chest they can hire people in deprived areas, giving the illusion that they are actually doing something. Theyʼre very critical of everybody else when in fact they do nothing themselves. I donʼt buy into any of it” His desire to remain anonymous was not because of any kind of shy disposition he might have had. Rather it was because he felt that there remained a sense of danger about the issue we call ʻthe northʼ. Still that hint of menace in the air– drifting over the border and permeating the south. In their opinions on decommissioning, members of the community expressed varying degrees of optimism, pessimism, indifference, fear, cynicism and hope. Which is most likely not altogether different from the feelings of those directly involved in the process. Above: The Northern Ireland Assembly building at Stormont. Left: Opening of first Northern Ireland Parliament in 1921.

HALLOWEEN TREATS PUMPKIN & BLUE CHEESE SOUP 900g (2 lb) pumpkin flesh, peeled, seeded and chopped 55g (2oz) butter 2 onions sliced 1 clove of garlic, crushed 2 oz smoked bacon 2 teaspoons marjoram or thyme or oregano, chopped salt and freshly ground pepper 11/2 teaspoons sugar 600ml (1 pint) milk 55g (2 oz) blue cheese such as Roquefort or Stilton, grated 300 ml (1/2 pint ) chicken stock Garnish: 4 tablespoons whipped cream 2 tablespoons chopped parsley Cut up the pumpkin, remove seeds and fibrous matter then cut off the skin and cut flesh into cubes. Next melt the butter in a saucepan, add bacon, garlic and onions and cook until soft. Add chopped pumpkin, coat in the butter, then the herbs, sugar, milk, salt and pepper, bring to the boil then simmer until pumpkin is cooked. Add grated cheese. Using a food processor or liquidiser process the soup until smooth, if it is too thick add some boiling chicken stock. Serve in bowls. Add the cream and sprinkle some finely chopped parsley on top. Serve at once with fresh crunchy rolls for a festive feast. PUMPKIN ROASTED SEEDS Pumpkin seeds Sea Salt Preheat the oven to 110c/ 225F/gas mark 4. Rinse the pumpkin seeds under cold water. Dry on kitchen paper. Put a single layer on a baking tray and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until seeds are crisp and crunchy. Store in an airtight jar.

PAGE 40

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER 2005

A ISLING ’ S STROKES OF GENIUS By Maggie Neary

isling Cooney, a young local swimmer is preparing, under the coaching of Bill McCarthy, to try for the European Junior Championships in Budapest next May. Succeeding at this would allow her to go on to qualify for a place on the Irish team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Aisling greeted me at the door of her Sandymount house with a wide smile. Aislingʼs love of swimming began when she was very young. She recalls the fun of being in the pool with her dad as a toddler and how her swimming developed during her years in Scoil Mhuire with Grainne Greene as her coach. By a stroke of luck, at the age of 11 whilst swimming in the ESB SportsCo with her brothers, the swimming coach, Bill McCarthy, saw her and recognised her potential.

Since then it has been all go for Aisling whose swimming successes began when, at 11 years of age, she achieved Second overall at the Irish Open Age Group Championships in Athlone. Her many accomplishments in 2005 include the winning in May of four Irish Junior titles and 10 Junior and Senior medals in the National Championships in Lisburn in August. Training continues, with planned visits to competitions in Cork and in December to the Long Course Gala in Bath, where qualifying trials for the European Junior Championships will be held. Aisling, now in transition year at St Louis High School in Rathmines, says she is aware that her lifestyle is different from many of her peers. Her commitment to competitive swimming requires that she train for 13 and a half hours every week plus at least one hour in the gym. This, along with study re-

quirements, takes up much of her after-school hours. She knows that in comparison to her peers she has less time to give to socializing but adds, with a huge grin, that the challenges and successes of her life as a swimmer bring their own exciting rewards and also the company of club friends equally committed to swimming. Bill McCarthy says: “Aisling is a super girl, quick, intelligent, and very talented, who knows how to keep a clear head when under pressure.” Aisling herself spoke of how important it is for her to have a positive attitude and sees how winning encourages hard work. On her recent award of the Swimmer of the Year trophy in the ESB club, she commented: “I just couldnʼt stop smiling, it was really exciting and a great thrill.” And indeed Aisling was still smiling as she accompanied me to the hall door.

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