Oct nov 2013 newsfour1 40lr by News Four

Web: www.newsfour.ie = Email: newsfour@gmail.com = Local newsdesk phone: 01 667 3317 Serving Sandymount, Irishtown, Ringsend, Pearse Street, Docklands, Ballsbridge & Donnybrook

PRESIDENT HIGGINS OPENS THE JUNCTION

By Liam Cahill he Junction, a new youth and enterprise centre on Macken Street, was officially opened by President Michael D. Higgins. The opening, which took place in mid-September to much fanfare, aimed to expand the services of the nearby St. Andrew’s Resource Centre who developed the building in a collaborative effort to celebrate its 40th anniversary. “This is a different type of project that is going to enhance a corner of an area that was derelict,” said Susan Menton, the

Overall Project Manager and Developer of St. Andrew’s Resource Centre. During the planning and building stage of The Junction, St. Andrew’s joined forces with Inner-City Enterprise (I.C.E) in a bid to create a building which acted both as a hub for young people, and as an enterprise spot for local start-ups. The Enterprise centre, which functions throughout the day, helps people with business plans, access to research to help streamline ideas and offers advice on potential ﬁnancial avenues. Susan said that in the

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October / November 2013

IN YOUR FAVOURITE LOCAL PAPER…

At the Beech Hill Gathering Carol O’Brien, Laura Paul, Michael O’Brien

coming weeks the enterprise centre hopes to launch a number of youth employment initiatives. The youth café is based upstairs and acts as a central hub for young people to come and hang out and share ideas. Even though the project has been launched, Susan indicated she was “unsure how we’re going to fund the actual running of it but we’ll get there.” The refurbishment of the building, and creation of The Junction, was funded by a variety of local business and public organisations such as Pobal, State Street Bank, UBS and Dublin City Council, who pro-

vided the building. The project was also helped by the enormous generosity of local people and the long list of volunteers who work with St. Andrew’s and I.C.E. Above: President Michael D. Higgins cuts the ribbon. Pictured left, from left to right, back row: Noel Watson, Louisa Murray, Nina Buckley, Carmel Walshe, Danielle Doolin, Eileen Nalty, Orla Cullen, Susan Menton, Emma Wilton, Josephine Brennan, Lisa Kellagher. Front row: Scobie Larkin, Debbie Moore, Danielle Larkin, Edward Fitzpatrick, Donal O’Callaghan.

Read about Halloween events for your little horrors on pages 10–11

The NOM NOM Collective includes works by Loki, above. See page 28

Autumn beside the pond in Herbert Park. Photo by Ross Waldron

The literary legacy of Seamus Heaney is examined on page 34

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NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

The Letterbox

NewsFour Editor Karen Keegan Assistant Editor Caomhán Keane Staff Trish Kelly Liam Cahill Eric Hillis Ruairi Conneely Emma Dwyer Contributors Eric Murphy Ann Ingle Jimmy Purdy Lorraine Barry Felix O’Regan David Nolan Nessa Jennings Kirstin Smith Jim O’Doherty Noel Twamley Nicky Flood Ruth Kennedy Gemma Byrne David Carroll Design and Layout Eugene Carolan Web Designer/Ad Design Karen Madsen Photographer Ross Waldron (All photos by Ross Waldron unless otherwise stated)

Sandymount Community Services, RICC, Thorncastle Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4.

Dear Editor, The coastline of Sandymount Strand, Irishtown Nature Reserve and the South Wall is an integral part of our local landscape. A unique home to many bird and shellﬁsh species, Dublin Bay is an important area for biodiversity in Ireland. Coastwatch needs the help of communities in the area to participate in the annual eco-audit of Ireland’s coast, which is running from now until the 15th of October. We are looking for local volunteers who enjoy their local natural environment, and would like to help us by completing a short survey of their coastline. Information collected will be used to ascertain the health of our coastal ecosystem, and pinpoint areas which need attention or improvement. This will ensure that Sandymount Strand and the surrounding areas can be enjoyed for years to come. The Coastwatch survey includes questions on shore use, marine litter, pollution, and the different plants and animals that are ecologically important in the area. It involves walking 500m along the beach at low tide in easily accessible areas, and takes less than 30 minutes. Local coordinators are on hand to provide help and information about how you can get involved, and we look forward to hearing from you! For more details or to download our survey, please visit www. coastwatch.org, email coastwatchsurvey2013@gmail.com, or phone Katharine on 0879784851.

The Hack of Ye

By Liam Cahill

With so much going on, I managed to inadvertently promote one business over another in our last issue with the use of the word Editorial instead of Advertorial on pages 10 and 36. Editorial is an endorsement by the Editor while Advertorial is a purchased advertising space. My sincerest apologies to those affected by my error. Are you interested in working in your community or do you know someone who is? Can you turn a phrase? If you have good organisational skills, can adhere to deadlines and are passionate about a career in journalism then send your CV to newsfour@gmail.com. We currently have two vacancies which are subject to Community Employment eligibility criteria. And ﬁnally...

NewsFour NEEDS YOU… to check your attics, bedside lockers, cars, presses and worksheds. We are currently taking stock of our back issues and are missing the following: Apr/May 2011 – Return of the Ferryman

Council made the announcement at their monthly City Coun-

Should you have any spare copies of these, please contact us on 01 667 3317.

revolutionary Rosie Hackett (1892 – 1976). Dublin City

cil meeting in early September.

They voted in favour of Hackett from a long list of 85 ofﬁcial

names which included Willie Bermingham, a ﬁreﬁghter who founded

ALONE and Dracula author Bram Stoker. Each councillor was given a sheet of paper and asked to rank names from one to ﬁve on each.

Each number one ranking received ﬁve points. Hackett received 192

E-mail: newsfour@gmail.com

Army. She also played a part in the 1916 Rising which sowed the

Website: www.newsfour.ie

strike at the Jacob’s factory in 1911 – a prelude to the 1913 Lockout,

Printed by Datascope Ltd, Wexford

My Assistant Editor Caomhan Keane has been cast out of the Garden of Eden that is NewsFour and moved on to hotter climes (returning to rule over his fiery kingdom in Hell). He will continue to regale us in national newspapers. The spark will remain in the office as the flame-haired Emma Dwyer picks up his well-twirled baton.

June/July 2007 – High Rises for Ballsbridge Site Rejected.... for now

points, winning the contest.

Opinions expressed in NewsFour do not necessarily represent the views of Sandymount Community Services.

t’s been a topsy-turvy world of late here at NewsFour with all the comings and goings of staff. We would like to wish a very fond farewell to our Sales Manager Eimear Murphy as she continues to age backwards and welcome Trish Kelly in her stead.

he new Marlborough Street Bridge is to be named after Irish

Telephone: (01)6673317

NewsFour Newspaper is part of a DSP Community Employment Programme.

The Editor’s Corner

Hackett was a trade unionist and a member of the Irish Citizen

June/July 2012 – Get Out and Get Smart

For regular updates in between issues, please like us on Facebook and visit us on www.newsfour.ie Karen

NEWSFOUR AROUND THE WORLD

seeds for the independence of the nation. She was a key player in the which she also played a part in.

Iris Charles Centre Bridge

A 10-week beginner’s course in how to play the game of bridge commenced on the 19th of September, with a second course to follow in January. The ultimate aim is to establish the basis of a regular Bridge Club. Each lesson will cost €10 per person. The course instructor is Bronagh Considine, a former Junior International Champion of the game. The ten weeks will teach the game from the very basics and proceed through bidding, scoring, responding and variations, such as the Stayman bidding convention. The Bridge Club will take place on Thursday evenings, between 7:30pm and 9:30pm. All proceeds will go towards the Iris Charles Centre. Contact Phyllis on 0876225471 or Claire on 0872358548.

Rachel Croke and Adam Sheehan are pictured with their NewsFour having fun in Loughshinney on their summer holidays.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

By Liam Cahill t. Andrew’s Resource Centre, since its inception in the 1980s has fuelled the local communities of Pearse Street and the Docklands with events and services. The building that now houses St. Andrew’s was opened in 1895 as a public school for the boys of Westland Row. After a steep decline in the local economy – including Pearse Street, Ringsend and the faltering docklands – the school was closed in 1976. The Dublin Archdiocese, who ran the school, made the building available to be redeveloped as a community resource centre. This took place between 1986–1989 with the help of FÁS and local government. “When we started off we had a really big building and weren’t sure what to do with it,” said John Fitzsimons the Manager of St. Andrew’s who was involved in the initial setup of the centre. “So, we decided to build a supermarket of services,” he said. J o h n and his team asked around to see what the community wanted the most. Due to the lack

ST. ANDREW’S

‘A SUPERMARKET OF SERVICES’

of jobs and opportunity in the area, it was clear a combination of education and social services needed to be offered. “In the early days, we had nothing,” said Betty Watson, Manager of Adult Education and one of the two Bettys who were there at the start. “We had these women who wanted to come back to education, they had tried to go to night classes, but it didn’t work because some were pregnant, some had jobs.”

If the centre was going to be a success, Betty knew that education, including courses certified by the VEC, had to be a pivotal part of the overall project. “We were mad into education and we were often freezing in the building – the women wore fingerless gloves – but many were into education, that’s basically why it started,” she said. The centre initially offered a number of key services such as childcare and education.

PAGE 3 Then in the 1990s, things like IT classes were offered (the Digital Community Project) which organised a number of groups and clubs for the techsavvy generation, or those just hoping to get to grips with technology. There was a seniors’ centre, a job centre, a welfare rights information centre, an off-site state of the art fitness centre (Gloucester Street Sports Centre) and a Talk About Youth program (TAY). “We take groups away on exchanges, we have summer projects and we have things for Halloween,” said Orla Grimes, Youth Worker with TAY. The participation rate in TAY has been rising each year as the programme gets more publicity. Currently, a group of 20 teenagers are away in Malta and Norway meeting local young people, experiencing local sites and absorbing a different culture. TAY also run weekly groups

for 8 – 10 year olds and 10 – 18 year olds in activities such as alternative sports, guitar lessons, film clubs and a DJ group. Facilitating all these programmes is a staff of 204 workers, with 90% coming directly from the local area. Such community inclusion has allowed St. Andrew’s to build up a reputation as a hub for everyone. Although recent years have seen cuts, the centre has managed to extend, keep afloat and consistently give back to the community. For more information visit www.standrews.ie Below: Part of the garden.

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TERROR COMES TO TIDY TOWN

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

BEAT THE WINTER BUDGET BLUES

By Eric Hillis n Thursday 22nd August, Sandymount was entered by Dublin City Council into this year’s Pride of Place competition. According to Tom Dowling, Chairman of Pride of Place, “The competition is about showing respect and inclusion for every sector in our communities, young, old, rich or poor and cre-

ating communities to which the people are proud to say they belong”. A garden party was held in the afternoon on the village green to welcome the judges, who were so impressed they ended up staying for the whole afternoon. Sandymount’s entry into the competition is a joint initiative between Sandymount Tidy Towns com-

mittee, local businesses and the Sandymount and Merrion Residents Association (SAMRA). The results will be announced in early November. Last year, Sandymount was awarded the Tidy Towns Urban Village award, but this October terror is coming to the tidy town in the shape of two Halloween themed contests in conjunction with Christ Church Sandymount’s harvest festival. The Harvest Thanksgiving takes place across Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th October, and to add to the spooky Halloween atmosphere, SAMRA have organised scarecrow and pumpkin contests. Residents and local businesses are encouraged to erect scarecrows in an area visible to passersby; front lawns, shop windows etc. A panel of six judges will inspect the scarecrows and announce the winners of the residential and business categories at 1pm in Christ Church hall on Saturday 19th as part of the Sandymount Market Craft Fair. The church, which will be open to the public from 11am to 5pm, will itself be decorated with scarecrows. Those wishing to enter the pumpkin contest should bring their creations to the village green at 2pm on the same day, where judging will take place alongside children’s events including fancy dress, ghost stories and face painting. Prizes for both events will be donated by local traders. Application forms are available from Bennett’s Auctioneers on the green and the entry fee is €10 for a scarecrow and €5 for a pumpkin.

By Eric Hillis ne of the things we all love about the Summer months is the notable reduction we see in our energy bills, as the rise in temperature essentially means we get to heat our homes for free. Now, however, we’re coming into Winter, which, along with glum weather, brings charges that seem to get more expensive every year. Thankfully, with a bit of focus and discipline, there are several ways you can cut down your dreaded Winter energy bills. Here are my tips for making those bills more manageable. TURN OFF THE LIGHTS It seems blatantly obvious but how many times have you gone to bed and left the living room light on overnight? Doing this once in a while won’t make much difference but if you’re leaving the lights on every night you’ll see a notable and unnecessary increase on your bill. Try to get into the habit of turning off the light every time you leave a room. LET YOUR DISHES DRY NATURALLY If you use a dish washer, turn off the drying function and let the dishes dry naturally. USE A CLOTHES HORSE Rather than running up costs with a tumble dryer, set up a clothes horse for your drying, preferably in a small room that will heat up easily. UNPLUG YOUR PHONE CHARGER Having your phone plugged into a charger runs up unnecessary costs as we often forget it’s plugged in and may even leave it on charge overnight. To avoid this, set your phone’s alarm for an hour from the time you plug it in. TURN OFF YOUR PC As it can take a while for a PC to boot up, it’s all-too-tempting to leave it permanently on for instant access. Many of us want to hop on straight away first thing in the morning to check our emails. Why not turn it off at night and back on before your morning shower? By the time you’ve dried off, your PC will have booted. Also, make sure any peripheral equipment, such as printers or scanners, are only plugged in when you intend to use them. MANAGE YOUR CENTRAL HEATING The best way to do this is to use a timer efficiently. There’s no point having your house warm when there’s nobody at home to appreciate it, so make sure your radiators are only on when they’ll actually make a difference. USE A HOT WATER BOTTLE You’d be amazed at the difference this tried-and-tested method can make on a chilly winter night. TURN OFF APPLIANCES One of the first things we often do upon arriving home is turn on the TV, whether we actually intend watching it or not. Cut out this habit and only turn it on when you’re sat in front of it. Likewise, appliances like microwaves and DVD players should only be plugged in when you need to use them. Following the above tips won’t enable you to buy that yacht you’ve always wanted, but it will lessen the terror of opening those dreaded Winter energy bills.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

L EARNING

By Ruairi Conneely he one rule in a CoderDojo classroom is ‘Above all: be cool’. Most teachers would cringe at the thought of how inadequate a rule so simple and general would be when it comes to keeping discipline in a room full of kids. But CoderDojos are not ordinary classrooms. A non-proﬁt organisation that establishes ‘coding clubs’ for children and young persons aged 8 – 18, the clubs are free to attend

THE

but you must bring your own laptop. Coderdojo teaches kids how to write coding languages and design apps for digital platforms or games and other programs. CoderDojo was established in 2011 by James Whelton, at the computer club of his high school, where he taught basic coding to other interested students. James acquired some accidental media attention by hacking his iPod Nano so it could play movies and even

C ODES

simple computer games, rather than just playlists. This bit of household innovation led to an invitation to speak at the Dublin Web Summit 2011, where James met Cork-based venture capitalist and entrepreneur Bill Liao. The pair went on to establish CoderDojo as a non-proﬁt company within the year. NewsFour spoke with James Crook, a mentor at the CoderDojo that operates in the Science Gal-

PAGE 5 lery on Pearse Street. The clubs are intended to run every Saturday afternoon, from September through June. James’ enthusiasm for the organisation is palpable. “I first heard of CoderDojo through the Computers in Education Society of Ireland who have been trying for 40 years to introduce computers to schools. I attended a talk given by a CoderDojo mentor and was so impressed that I volunteered immediately.” The CoderDojos are structured as small groups placed together according to capability. “We have a projects group, where the kids work on specific things that interest them. To join, you have to have an idea of what you want to do. This could be something to do with re-purposing electronic devices, or with game design. Learning what you want, you progress by leaps and bounds, compared to conventional school learning.” The other group is for kids who are just finding their feet. “Someone will lead that group and demonstrate something simple, like how to create an animation frameby-frame by sticking bits of code together. We have our own simple

introductory programming language called SCRATCH that’s easy to grasp and learn to use.” James suggests that the teaching model of the CoderDojo runs on the enthusiasm of the students. “Our job as mentors is to supervise them teaching themselves, to help them over the road bumps they encounter. What’s great is when you show one of the students how they might simplify a code procedure they’re working on. They don’t act like you’ve taken something away from them, they’re happy because they’re learning.” www.coderdojodublin.com Left: CoderDojo group in action. Below: James Whelton mentoring a CoderDojo group. Images courtesy of CoderDojo

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LIFE THROUGH

AN INTERNATIONAL LENS

By Eric Murphy he sound of a mobile phone spurting out techno in a church has tried the patience of even the most saintly parishioners. The serenity of the house of God combined with the latest internet technology is not a pairing that settles easily with everyone. Yet despite being frowned upon by many of the eld-

erly community, modern technology has carved a niche into older people’s lives through regular radio and TV broadcasts of religious services, particularly amongst the less mobile members of the community. Website firm MCN Media from Northern Ireland has picked up on the idea of providing live webcam coverage from 83 church-

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013 es and cathedrals around the world. 21 of these are based in Dublin, including one from Ringsend. Whilst most of the time you will be faced with an empty altar, many can now enjoy a local church event from the comfort of their own armchair, no matter what the time. It also means the viewer gets a good view of the proceedings without having to get dressed up. Friends and relatives in far-flung corners can witness a church occasion live. Sadie Fitzsimons is one of the local parishioners who regularly attends to the upkeep of St Patrick’s church in Ringsend. Sadie is delighted with the webcam and the live online coverage. “I’ve a relation in Chicago who watches it regularly. He can see the local events and it gives him the opportunity to see me the odd time in our church from far away.” Sadie says she knows of people in the States who get up at odd hours of the day to watch the religious services here.

ANOTHER ENDEAVOUR BY SEANIE

Early this year NewsFour featured the story An Endeavour for Noel about the dedicated construction of a model ship by Ringsend man Seanie Raethorn in honour of his brother Noel’s dying wish. Tracy O’Brien who wrote the article bought the same model for her father but it was never built. Her dad wanted to give Seanie his unbuilt ship as a gift but Seanie refused and selﬂessly offered to build the ship on the condition that it be displayed in the community for all to see. Joe Donnelly is pictured here with Seanie and the Endeavour which has pride of place close to the Good News Wall in the Fair Play Community Café on York Road in Ringsend.

ADVERTORIAL

WHY IS A CREDIT UNION CAR LOAN BETTER?

hen it comes to ﬁnancing the purchase of a car, many people simply look for the lowest rate on offer and believe it to be the best option. Headline rates may attract the most attention, but the devil is very much in the detail. Many ‘car ﬁnance loans’ offered by garages and some banks are actually hire purchase agreements.

The main difference between using a personal loan and a hire purchase agreement to buy a car is that with a personal loan you borrow money, pay for your car, and own it immediately. With a hire purchase agreement, you don’t own the car until you make the final repayment. This means you cannot sell the car if you run into problems making your repayments. Watch out for the range of additional fees and charges which you may incur as part of a hire purchase agreement. This would include a documentation fee (for setting up the agreement) and completion fee (a fee charged to end the agreement and pass ownership to the car purchaser). If you run into difficulty in meeting the terms of the hire purchase agreement, you may be charged a penalty fee for missed repayments, a rescheduling fee (if you need to change the terms of the agreement) and a higher rate of interest may be charged on any repayments which you missed. You may have to pay a large final payment (known as a balloon payment) at the end of the term, a payment you may not have budgeted to meet. It can be a real sting in the tail for some. Thankfully, a car loan from Sandymount Credit Union is much more straight forward. You borrow the money from your credit union, you pay for the car and you own the car immediately. You agree a repayment schedule with the Credit Union. Interest is charged on the reducing balance of the loan. If you run into difficulty, you can talk to the Credit Union to see if you can come to an agreement on the repayment terms. Should you be in the happy position of being able to repay the loan early, you may do so without any penalty charges. If you’re thinking about your options for financing a car purchase, look no further than Sandymount credit union. Ph: 01 668 5079.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

PAGE 7

ORGAN DONATION OPTING-OUT

By Ruairi Conneely rgan donation rates in Ireland fell 17% in 2012, from a record high in 2011, placing us below the international average. Under new proposals by Health Minister James Reilly, Ireland could switch its organ donation policy from ‘opt-in’ to ‘an opt-out’ option. Healthy organs would be harvested from the deceased as a matter of course unless the deceased person had registered themselves as wanting to opt-out. The next of kin would retain their right to halt the donation procedure, which the Department of Health emphasise makes this option a socalled ‘soft opt-out’. Although the core argument made by the Health Minister and supporting parties is that this will automatically raise the number of organs available for donation, not everyone is convinced. NewsFour spoke with Fianna Fáil Senator Mark Daly, who feels the new pro-

OR OPTING - IN

posals are misguided. The Senator regards the optout proposal as compounding the recent error where they divided the responsibility for quality and safety of organs for transplant between the Irish Medicine Board and the HSE, so that now there’s no central authority to oversee and make decisions. “The opt-out approach is a distraction from what works. Other EU countries have tried it and it doesn’t increase rates of donation in real terms. Spain adopted it from 1979 to 1988, before changing policy. What works is having an Organ Donor Co-ordinator in hospitals, talking with families.” Characterising the proposal as being equivalent to setting a national speed limit for all roads and then firing all the guards, Senator Daly also felt that the idea of making everyone a de facto organ donor conflicted with the stipulation that the next of kin retain power

of consent. This seems to be a contradiction. In agreement with the Senator is Mark Murphy, CEO of the Irish Kidney Association. “Opt-out is a complete waste of time. In practice, the next of kin have to be approached, so

they have the final word.” Mark explained that the optout was first brought to government attention under the previous Fianna Fáil/Green Party administration. “A report was submitted to Mary Harney’s office by a Deidre Madden of

Cork University, and was discussed at a policy round table in 2009. I was in attendance and was one of the 30 out of 31 attending representatives who said: ‘Please don’t do this’. Harney listened to us.” In 2011 however, the Labour Party’s manifesto featured the opt-out model as a proposed solution to the low number of donors. “Presumably, they were not aware of the previous rejection of the Madden Report.” The Department of Health argue that presumed consent is standard in the EU with the exceptions of the UK, Germany and the Netherlands, and that the next of kin retaining consent is a practical advantage to the system, rather than a contradiction. However, countries like Spain, Belgium and Austria, which have the most limited form of opt-out system, have very high rates of organ donation. Mark Murphy insists that Donor Coordinators be trained and paid by an independent body, which they would also report to. “Independent assessment could lead us, as in the UK, to as much as a 50% increase in donor numbers.”

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STUDENTS RAISE €12,400 FOR POP-UP PARK

By Emma Dwyer ith the economic collapse came the pop-ups. Restaurants, shops, and now a park are creating a buzz, then going away leaving a legacy in their wake.

Granby Park was open on Dominick Street Lower from the 22nd of August to 22nd of September this year. The park was built in 17 days and had been planned for over two years by non-profit voluntary

arts collective Upstart. Upstart’s aim is to show the importance of creativity in a society looking for alternative solutions. With this project they took an empty site and transformed it into a park to demonstrate the potential of vacant spaces around Dublin city. The site had previously been given to private property developers, on the condition that new housing and commercial units would be built, some of which would be allocated to social housing. The developer pulled out, but not before some of the blocks of ﬂats had been demolished, leaving behind the empty site. NewsFour spoke to Upstart member, Aaron Copeland, about the park. “The whole point of the park is to show one of the potential uses for vacant sites. Vacant sites are a permanent feature of any city. We’d like to be able to develop a model that city councils could use all over the country. These sites can be used short term before the actual planned thing happens. It’s not a solution; it’s an installation that is used to promote other pieces of dialogue.” That dialogue was sparked around a huge amount of events, including music gigs, conversations, cinema screenings, family days, a trade school, as well as art installations in the park. There was a café run voluntarily which got its produce locally and run on a cost covering basis. There was also a “free play space”, an area for children with no solid structures, “allowing children to en-

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

gage with the space on their own terms, not how adults think they should play.” The focal point of the park was a project they worked on with Sean Harrington Architects and Casey & O’Rourke Engineers to design an amphitheatre based on the structure of a pallet bonﬁre. Aaron told us that three of the girls who helped to build the amphitheatre should have been living in the development that was planned for the site. Locally, they engaged with younger kids, whom they nicknamed the Granby Grafters. They were on-site helping with the build and maintenance of the site, painting fences and so on. They expected there to be issues with security, vandalism and anti-social behaviour, but there were absolutely none. This they credit to the local kids’ engagement with the park. Aaron, who is also a teacher at St Michael’s College, had some of his students fundraise for the park as part of their community involvement in religion class. “They were my heroes,” Aaron said. NewsFour spoke to two of his students. “Mr Copeland asked us to collect money from people in our school and we took down their emails as well. With the emails we entered an online competition, in which we won 10 grand for the park, which is brilliant,” says student Sean Daly from Killiney. The competition they won was the Better Together 2011 fundraiser award, which is a web-

based fundraising model. The organisation that attracts the largest number of unique donations during the 28-day Challenge won the prize of €10,000. With the help of St. Michael’s students Upstart attracted 1,013 unique donors to their cause. In total they raised €12,400 for the park, “€2,400 in donations and €10,000 in the prize money,” says student Conor Smurﬁt from Ailesbury Road. When NewsFour asked Conor and Sean what they thought of the park they said, “It’s brilliant, colourful, very creative.” They were proud to have been a part of its development; a blueprint for potential future creative projects. For more information visit: www.upstart.ie Pictured clockwise from top left: Conor Smurfit, Aaron Copeland and Sean Daly; enjoying a stroll around the park; a greenhouse made from old windows; a work-in-progress mural.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

By Ruairi Conneely t can’t have escaped anyone’s attention that security has gone from being a capital ‘S’ concern, at a national and international level, to a more personal one. Aside from concerns about surveillance, webbased platforms deal in personal information whether casual or critical. What can the ordinary user do to secure their personal data? Encrypting your web connection is something that in principle should be as standard as installing anti-virus software or not opening unsolicited e-mails, but it has been regarded as more of a concern for businesses which trade in conﬁdentialities. A simple place to start for more secure web-browsing might be downloading the Tor package from torproject.org. Tor channels your incoming and outgoing information through an international network maintained by volunteers. Your outgoing information is encrypted several times over and dispersed through relay points within the Tor network, effectively scattering your trail. If you were to sit in a café, browsing the Premier League tables, any-

HOW TO STAY SECURE ONLINE

one monitoring would be able to tell that someone was looking up their team’s results – but they wouldn’t be able to tell who. For iPhone users, there is a mobile browser called Onion which performs the same function. These programmes are recommended by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an internet freedom lobby group who were set up to protect consumer’s digital rights. The only sacriﬁce is that your web connection will be somewhat slower. Martin Byrne, Technical

Director with Zoo Digital, a reputable creative Irish digital consultancy has a pragmatic attitude. “The main risk to personal security is what people decide to share online. Best practice is more important than encryption tools,” he told NewsFour. Common sense precautions, such as making sure online banking transactions are encrypted by the service provider are a basic responsibility. “Look for an icon in the address bar of your browser, which will be a padlock, lock or similar.”

Martin indicated that there is a lot of paranoia around web security matters but unwise web practice is the main cause of difﬁculty. “I am asked a lot by people to help ﬁx their computers and I encounter the same problems of computers running slowly because people have installed toolbars and add-ons; avoid installing add-ons. Also be careful of Facebook where an image of you might be tagged and so attached to your online identity. Similarly, there is a reason to keep your web camera

PAGE 9 secure, again so your image isn’t acquired. I recommend installing AVGfree for security and uninstalling any McAfee software.” There are simple programmes that can be found online for free and are as much about comfort of use, rather than explicit security concerns. Things like AdBlock (which will make your browser run faster by not loading the adverts on pages) also prevents sites from leaving strings of code which will record your movements online. This sounds sinister but it is standard market research practice in the era of internet shopping. In case you were wondering, that’s how web adverts always seem to reﬂect your interests, however loosely. If you don’t want to switch over from your current browser, there are an abundance of plugin programmes with added security features such as Mailvelope (www.mailvelope.com) for Google Chrome. This provides a suite of encryption options for more or less conﬁdential messaging. If you want to know more, well, look it up online. Just don’t Google it. Use the DuckDuckGo search engine who claim they don’t track you.

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NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

FRIGHTENING FESTIVE FUN

Mount Merrion Friendship Club

By Emma Dwyer p The Rise in Mount Merrion, tucked behind the church, is the meeting place for the Merrion Friendship Club. It is a social day care group, unique in the area, for retired locals who are still lively yet not mobile enough for the Active Retirement groups. Day Care Manager Mary Bartley spoke to NewsFour about the club. “The club was established about twenty years ago. We have about 53 clients and a waiting list as our service is in great demand.” She has been working with the elderly for 19 years and in the Mount Merrion Community Centre for nine. Mary loves working with the elderly and ﬁnds it really rewarding. Her role involves organising the three meetings each week; Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The groups meet each morning at 11am, have tea and coffee, involve themselves in an activity such as music exercises, quizzes, the daily papers, talks, discussions, bingo and plenty of laughter. Then they’re fed a lunch of soup, a main course, tea or coffee and dessert. They will always remember someone’s birthday which they celebrate with cake. Apart from Mary the club is run by volunteers. “The main purpose of the group is to help those living alone to socialise and keep up with local news. Being a member here for our seniors means having fun, company and social interaction,” explains Mary. They have two outings a year; one in the summer and a Christmas party in the Stillorgan Park Hotel. The two ladies’ groups run on Wednesday and Friday and a men-only lunch club runs on a Thursday. To contact Mary Bartley, phone 2884411, Wednesday to Friday, 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. Outside these hours, an answering service is available. Pictured above: Emily Kirwan, Irene Wilson, Peggy Lyons, Bridy Doris, Olive Gallagher, Bernie Flannery, Vera Scully, Aoife Vaughan, Edna McLaughlin, Maura Dixon, Frances Dowling, Mary Bartley, Mary O’Neill, Mary Cleary, Ann Roberts, Eileen Reinhardt, Mary Nolan.

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NO JOB TOO SMALL OR TOO LARGE

By Emma Dwyer ored of the usual bonﬁre on the green and constant trick or treaters knocking down your door? Or are you simply looking for an extremescream mid-term break for the kids? We have searched the length and breadth of the country to bring you our favourite Halloween highlights. The Hill of Ward in Meath, during medieval times was the site of great festivals, including Samhain, the pagan forerunner of Halloween. The most traditional of events is the torch-lit procession that takes place every Halloween from Fairgreen, Athboy to the Hill of Ward. This free event is part of the Spirits of Meath Halloween Festival which also hosts drive-in movies, haunted spooktaculars and a friendly witch event, to name but a few. More info here: www.spiritsofmeath.ie Another destination worth visiting is this year’s city of culture Derry. Their Halloween Hooley will take place on Queens Quay and Guildhall Square from 26th of October to the 3rd of November. This is allegedly Ireland’s largest FREE Halloween party. Highlights will include the Carnival Parade on October 31st, followed by a ﬁreworks display along the River Foyle, the Shapeshifters Ball in the historic Guildhall, as well as lots of children’s activities. There’s plenty to keep the adults entertained too with Halloween-themed walking tours, a seasonal country market and continental market and the lucky few who got tickets for Chic and Nile Rogers. For more information visit: www.derrycity.gov.uk/halloween The annual Virginia, Co. Cavan Pumpkin Festival 25th to 30th October is all about the

pumpkin. Another tradition originating from Samhain is lantern carving. Originally turnips or beets were used and these were replaced with the better-known pumpkin when emigrants from Scotland and Ireland went to America bringing their traditions with them. Highlights from the festival include the pumpkin weigh in – pumpkins from around the world, almost bigger than a small family will be competing in stature, as well as the live theatre, music, pumpkin carving, haunted forest walks and of course ﬁreworks. This is not a free festival – you will have to pay per event which varies in cost up to €15. More info here: www.pumpkinfestival.ie The pumpkin will also be centre of attention at Kilruddery House in Bray where you can go to their pumpkin patch and pick one out with the farmer, then design your pumpkin and watch a craftsman carve it out. A little less obvious but they’ll also host a scarecrow competition, where you can design and build your own scarecrow. More information at: www.killruddery.com/whats-on Another big old house that will don the cobwebs is 18th century Westport House in Mayo. Their annual Halloween Fest runs

from October 26th to November 3rd and is most suitable for families, the main attraction being the Pirate Adventure Park. As well as fancy dress, they will put on events including a re-enactment of Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video in the formal large dining room. Tickets to Halloween Fest are priced per normal Pirate Pass ticket prices which cost from €11.55 to €52.50 for a family pass. For more info visit: www.westporthouse.ie/eventscalendar/halloween-fest Closer to home there’s the Bram Stoker Festival, which began last year to celebrate the centenary of the horror novelist Bram Stoker’s death. From the 25th to 28th October this year the festival will bring you to lesser known parts of Dublin city to experience its Victorian macabre on walking tours. In honour of the literary theme there will also be writing workshops exploring horror writing with award winning authors for both teens and adults. More info: www.bramstokerfestival.com For more adult fun you might have seen a bus around town trying to pass itself off as a cottage. Hidden Dublin’s bus, while not all that spooky-looking, will take groups on a Haunted Spooktacular tour to Meath every night this Halloween week. Once there, they promise a ‘four dimensional assault on the senses’ combining live actors, special effects and sounds over 10 acres of the Horror Farm. Cost €25 per person. www.hiddendublinwalks.com Above: Virginia Pumpkin Festival. Photo: thisiscavan.ie Below: Halloween Pumpkin Festival. Photo: Robert Michael Photography

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

RINGSEND’S

GHOULISH GATHERING

By Liam Cahill he annual Ringsend Halloween Festival is set to kick-off from Wednesday October 30th until Friday November 1st. The event, which celebrates Halloween

throughout Ringsend and Irishtown, is billing 2013 as one of its best, encompassing the close community spirit the area is known for. “The event will be very similar to last year,” said Mary Doolin, Director of

PAGE 11 the Ringsend Community Services Forum. “There will be face painting, a Halloween party and story telling.” Much like last year, the list of events for young and old is expansive. Wednesday October 30th includes an FAI Kids Soccer Camp at Irishtown Stadium from 10am – 1pm, a GAA Halloween Kids Camp in Clanna Gael from 10am – 2:30pm, and a Halloween Family Disco at Stella Maris Rowing Club from 6pm – 8pm. Thursday October 31st, Halloween, includes “Really Scary Stories” in Ringsend Library from 1pm – 2:30pm, a Halloween Party at the Spellman Centre from 3pm – 5:00pm and The Monsters Parade from Irishtown Stadium at 5pm. On Friday November 1st Irishtown Stadium will host more FAI Kids Soccer Camps and run a Multi-Sports Camp. The Ringsend Community Service Forum, an umbrella organisation that includes 29 groups, runs the event in conjunction with local leaders and families. In its sixth year now, it was at one time organised by the Joint Policing Sub-Committee and the Ringsend Park

Working Group in a bid to drive young people away from anti-social behaviour. “While we may not have changed the mindsets of older age groups – who see Halloween as ﬁres and drinking – the young people are starting to identify Halloween as a time when there’s loads going on in

the area,” said Mary. For more information you can contact Mary Doolin at Ringsend and District Response to Drugs or visit the website ringsendhalloween.com. Left: Adam Caulﬁeld and his friend get in the spirit. (Halloween Festival PR photo)

A CLEAN HALL

Above: Kitty Nassah Byrne gives the thumbs-up on the recent cleaning of the Bottle Makers’ Hall.

PAGE 12

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

CAR PARKING CHAOS

Anyone for Scrabble?

By Emma Dwyer ant to join Madonna, Sting and the Queen in a passion that Janet Street-Porter once described as being more addictive than cocaine, champagne and group sex? Get playing Scrabble. Whether or not you know that there are 124 two-letter words containing every letter in the alphabet (except v), or that ten of those are spelled with vowels only, there’s a scrabble club in Irishtown and Ringsend Community Centre that welcomes all, novices or pros. Every Wednesday from 11am to 1pm the Scrabble group meet. It is open to both experienced players or those who want to learn in a relaxed environment. The sessions are free and tea, coffee, and biscuits are provided for €1. Parking is available. Contact Aine at 085 860 7665 for further details.

By Ruth Kennedy here to park your car has got to be up there with what people jokingly refer to as “ﬁrst world problems”. But it’s clear that this issue speaks to more than just the irritations of those of us privileged enough to be able to afford a car. I came to this issue for a very personal reason – my elderly and bed-bound father lived in a cul-de-sac in Dublin 4. Like everywhere in the area, commuter parking had taken over on the street, which was still not converted to disc parking. The degree of obstruction by vehicles was such that I was concerned that an ambulance could not access the house for large periods of time during the working week. In my family’s case, it never came to the feared crisis, but I was hooked on the issue. Initially it seems that, while there are differing views, many residential areas of South East Dublin have seamlessly made

the transition from free parking areas to disc parking areas, availing of the Council’s balloting system which allows residents in a given street the option of introducing disc parking if they so wish. This means sacrificing their freedom to park when and where they will on their own street without paying for it, but it frees up most streets from commuter parking. Mr Fred Dunn, of Wilfield Road, has been engaging with the problem of parking for over ten years now. Over the years, the street had become increasingly used by commuters and it became impossible for residents and their visitors to find parking spaces. Located very close to the Sandymount DART station and the RDS, the pressure on parking on Wilfield Road is intense. All the more so because it is surrounded by streets which do have disc parking in place. A residents’ ballot as per the Dublin City Council regulations rejected the

implementation of disc parking, but no alternative options were discussed with residents. The current situation is that the road is filled with cars of commuters during business hours – many of them parked on the footpaths. Mr Dunn has actually seen commuters in the early morning scramble for places and come close to blows over who saw an empty space first. Parking on the footpath is technically in breach of parking regulations, but is officially tolerated by Dublin City Council, who refuse to clamp cars parked on the footpath on Wilfield Road. In desperation to get something done about Wilfield Road, Fred wrote to the Office of the Ombudsman, who in turn contacted Dublin City Council. Quoting directly from their correspondence with the Council, the Ombudsman confirmed that footpath parking was “in breach of parking regulations,” and that “it is not Council policy to enforce partial footpath parking on residential roads where parking (legally) on both sides would cause an obstruction.” So how does this relate to the need to keep streets free of obstruction so that emergency services can access premises where necessary? What makes a lot of sense logistically is putting lives at risk and makes an ass of the law. Permitting commuter parking in this way would appear not only to go against current regulations, but to fly in the face of the Dublin City Development Plan 2011 – 2017, which states that it is the policy of Dublin City Council “To discourage commuter parking and to ensure adequate but not excessive parking provision for short-term shopping, business and leisure use.” The residents of Wilfield Road seem to be victims of a system which has decided that the law is irrelevant in their case.

Magician Gerard Kearney entertains the guests at the launch of Epic Restaurant in the Grand Canal Hotel.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

WORKING TOGETHER ON POLICING

By Liam Cahill imited resources and cuts have made local communities across Dublin 4 work closer together in an effort to signiﬁcantly reduce crime. “Our job is to create awareness and ask the Guards to work with us,” said Carol Finlay, a Community and Social Development Ofﬁcer, who works with the Ringsend/Irishtown Local Policing Forum. The Forum was set up in 2006 in a bid to allow both the community and other organisations, like the Gardaí and local people, to get directly involved in crime issues. The Forum holds meetings every few months to deal with a range of issues from anti-social behaviour to underage drinking. “The thing is to create the awareness within the community. If you see something happening, you ring the station. People aren’t ringing, so the information being given to the Guards means the statistics are all off,” said Carol. Crime statistics provided by the Gardaí concerning Ring-

send/Irishtown and Sandymount suggest from January to May 2013 there were four robberies, 50 burglaries, 164 drug searches

and three assaults causing harm. The most common crime in the area was theft from unattended vehicles – which includes lap-

PAGE 13 tops, phones and handbags – and domestic burglaries, such as those from open windows. Over the past few years, the Forum has worked closely with the South East Area Joint Policing Subcommittee, both in terms of manpower and in general discussions regarding crime. That committee is made up of representatives from Dublin City Council (such as Mannix Flynn and Dermot Lacey), Chief Superintendents Michael O’Sullivan and Brendan Mangan, and local community representatives such as Carol. SEAJPS covers a larger area from Ballsbridge and Donnybrook to Ringsend, Irishtown and the Docklands and gets updated on all crime related issues. “It takes its work very seriously,” said Cllr Edie Wynne the Chairperson of the sub-committee. “The Gardaí in all of these meetings would give reports on crime statistics and from those reports we’d be able to see if there’s an emphasis somewhere on a crime at a certain time, in a certain area, and we would press them on that and look if it can be prevented.” Edie emphasises that the subcommittee, the Gardaí and the

local forums work together in a bid to raise, and more importantly, solve the crime issues across Dublin 4. “We have to let people know what is on offer, how they can make contact if they have a problem and show that we want them to become involved,” said Edie. It should be noted, that Ringsend is not the only area that has a policing forum; Pearse Street and Charlemont Street have their own local versions while Donnybrook has a Garda Station, which also covers Ballsbridge. The work of these groups has created a climate of co-operation, much-needed in times of diminished services and resources. Although there have been efforts to harness a sense of community, Donnybrook Garda Station have recently seen their operating hours cut back. Despite this, the relationship between local policing groups and the Gardaí is still a positive one. The next meeting of the Ringsend/Irishtown Local Policing Forum is due to take place October 17th. For more information contact Carol Finlay at Carol.Finlay@dublincity.ie

PAGE 14

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

By Emma Dwyer n the last issue of NewsFour we looked at 90s rave culture in Dublin 4’s former textile factory Columbia Mills. In this issue we speak with those behind Mabos, a DIY space located on Hanover Quay in a former Raleigh warehouse, who are actively and creatively engaging with the surrounding community rather than offering a home to today’s ravers. The space houses a workshop, studios for artists and an entertainment area and “flips over” quickly to accommodate its needs at any given time. Mabos is run on funds raised at its events. These events include table ping-pong competitions, Excel and pallet furniture making workshops as well as skill days for local kids, discussions, film-screenings, parties and trad gigs. Dave Smith, who, along with Christian Reeves and a handful of others, “spearheaded” the development of the venue over the past year, describes it as a “space that gives over to a social cohesion; it breaks barriers really

B RIDGING C OMMUNITIES IN THE G RAND C ANAL B ASIN

quickly”. As an entertainment space it’s beyond the norm of a club or a bar. “It is a space designed for interaction, with

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ping-pong boards, giant game boys, interactive computer games; experiential entertainment,” says Smith. “We didn’t model this space on anyone or anything. It was kind of like a group of people had a desire to do something collectively in a space,” says Smith. Mabos feels like a truly unique place, all of the furniture has been built from pallets or found materials. There are sofas with perfectly fitted cushions, a beautiful light made from a pallet covered with a sheet of Perspex, parquet coffee tables again made from pallets or a larger, more intricate table made from an old door. There’s an old Wurlitzer organ, a giant robot, and a huge screen which houses a Wii type computer game. This isn’t student digs furniture; it’s displays of a honed craft and skill which is shared at their workshops. “There’s obviously a duty of care with the space, the minute you let people into it there’s a responsibility,” says Smith. That responsibility they address by keeping their capacity to 200 people, which is very small considering the size of the building. They employ a security guard and run a registration policy for their events. “Because it’s a warehouse there’s a perception that this place is home

to raves. That’s just not true. It’s a really clean-fun space,” says Smith. Some local residents were initially dubious, complaining of noise, but later came round when their complaints were addressed and they saw the good that was happening. They have taken their social responsibility out onto the streets in the Grand Canal area in one of their latest projects, The Meitheal Initiative. Meitheal, an Irish word for which there is no direct translation, means a collective effort for the greater good of the community. “10 years ago there was absolutely nothing in the area, now it’s quite a cool little neighbourhood, with both residential and corporates, but there’s a disconnect in it as well. No

one takes ownership of cleaning the place up.” Mabos have contacted the businesses in the area as well as local residents (many of whom work in the nearby technology industries) inviting them to connect to their immediate environment and assist in a general sprucing up of the area. A collective effort will regularly be put into weeding, picking up rubbish from the water and ground, painting over bad graffiti and planting ‘help yourself’ herb gardens or hanging baskets. Mabos was founded after their successful Kings of Concrete festival, which ran for seven years. The festival, sadly not funded this year, was – in its inception – a skateboarding and street culture festival. “The festival had outgrown its space, so we saw this particular stretch in the Grand Canal as the setting for our new vision of where we wanted to take it,” says Smith. They envisioned a permanent home for the annual festival, which had it been funded, would have used the warehouse as a base for events and the build-up to the festival. They rent from a bank who own the building, getting funds for the rent from their events. But the events have been met with red tape by authorities. Their future is unfortunately not secure, but their enthusiasm and openness to change is unmoveable. If you want to support Mabos check out the donators section on their website – www.mabos.ie To see events: https://www. facebook.com/pages/Mabos/ 296035950507748?fref=ts Pictured: Dave Smith a nd his dog Avi recline on the palette furniture in the Mabos warehouse.

‘A Social and Natural History of Sandymount, Irishtown and Ringsend’ which was ﬁrst published in 1993 is available to buy from the NewsFour oﬃce and Books on the Green, Sandymount for €13.99 Phone 6673317 for details. Also available on eBay

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

PAGE 15

OUT FOR COFFEE WITH… BRYAN DOBSON

By Liam Cahill ryan Dobson, a journalist and presenter of RTÉ’s Six One News, met me for a coffee at Browne’s Coffee Shop in Sandymount. “I wasn’t born in Sandymount, but I was brought up here,” he said. In fact he was brought up in Farney Park, which he touches on as he orders a cappuccino and a hot tea for me. Bryan seems taller in person than on TV, and he exudes the calm, confident exterior expected from a newsman of his calibre. His journalistic career began with a stint at Rathmines College in 1980 where he studied communications. This gave him experience in all things media-related; writing for publications and radio production. Back in the 80s before radio regulation Bryan worked at Southside FM – a pirate radio station based in Dun Laoghaire. Then, in 1981 he

made the move to Radio Nova. “Radio Nova was a bit hairy at times. It was illegal, so there was always the threat that it could be shut down and, on at least one occasion, it was,” he tells me. In 1983, Bryan landed his first mainstream news role in BBC Radio Ulster, covering a mixture of news; bombings, local council meetings and even a local dog show. The job gave him a better understanding of news and how to cover both local and national stories and more importantly, do it right. When he moved to RTÉ he worked on This Week on Radio 1 before making the transition to TV, first in a presenting role and then news reading. “I moved rather reluctantly because I liked reporting but then the way the role was presented to me, was that I would be the presenter of Nine News and there would be a lot more involvement in the programme,” he said.

It would be Bryan’s tenor as the presenter of the Six One News that would make him a household name and one of the most recognisable faces in the country. He broke major events like 9/11 and played a central role on General Election nights. “The big stories are kind of evident. The banking thing was slightly different as that evolved in steps,” he said. RTÉ explained the prob-

lems at hand as they unfolded – a dysfunctional banking system that was running on empty and a property market that was about to collapse. “There was a failure by the media, in a general sense,” he said, not highlighting any specific outlets. “I think we failed to see what was going on, by and large. I think the media has a case to answer in its grasp of what was happening.” People

were left with a feeling of puzzling bewilderment after a run on Anglo in March 2008. Explaining is the job of a journalist; it’s true that most of our memories of the banking crisis or September 11th included Bryan Dobson. His calm manner tells us how things transpired and, more importantly, how they got there. And with that, we wrap it up and are on our way.

PAGE 16

ANTHONY ‘FLYER’ FLOOD REMEMBERED

Birthday Remembrance for Anthony ‘Flyer’ Flood Ballinteer, Ringsend 8th of October. No ﬁner man a world could hold A happy face with a heart of gold A family man through and through We will never stop missing you Instead of a card We send our love Instead of a gift, a prayer To the one we think the world of And miss beyond compare. Your Loving Family and Friends X X X

MIND OVER MATTER

By Eric Hillis hen we think of hypnosis, we often picture the cliché of stage acts with overgrown moustaches telling random audience members to “look into my eyes, look into my eyes”. Hypnotherapy, however, is an increasingly respected form of healing. You’ve probably heard of someone who used the practice to give up smoking, but more and more are availing of hypnotherapy to aid weight loss. Aidan Sloan is a qualiﬁed hypnotherapist who operates out of Fitzwilliam Place, and is keen to dispel the myths around his trade. He stresses that the hypnosis itself is only a very small part of how he works; the therapy that follows is what really counts. Using a dental analogy, Sloan explains this to NewsFour. “When the anaesthetic has taken effect, the dentist does their work,” he says, “for me, the hypnosis is merely the anaesthet-

ic; the therapy is the real work.” Growing up, Sloan had believed hypnosis was a gift people were born with, but later discovered hypnotherapy was a skill that could be acquired. He studied at Cork’s Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy before going into practice for himself. Sloan explains to NewsFour that hypnosis is something we experience naturally every day by ourselves. “When you ﬁnd yourself daydreaming, you’re in a hypnotic state, I simply help guide you into this state.” Understanding how some people feel paranoid about the idea of being hypnotised, Sloan is quick to provide reassurance, stating that nobody can be made to do something they don’t want to. This means that anyone wishing to undergo hypnotherapy must approach the process with a positive attitude. “If the client isn’t willing to participate, then there’s no point going ahead

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

with the therapy,” he says. “What I do is leave a positive emotional imprint, but it’s the client who chooses that specific imprint.” The weight loss process involves the idea of a virtual gastric band. “I don’t make my clients believe they have a gastric band,” Sloan clarifies, “instead I train their minds to help them simply behave as if they have a gastric band.” Pearse Street resident, Eileen Nolan who volunteered to have her hypnosis journey documented by NewsFour can confirm the effects of Sloan’s method. Following the death of her daughter in 2009, Eileen plunged into a state of depression for the following four years. Such was her weight gain that she increased from a size 12 to a size 18. “Earlier in the year, I visited a medium who put me in touch with my daughter who told me to stop being so negative,” she

tells NewsFour. “After getting nowhere with diets, I decided to try hypnotherapy.” Nolan has seen instant results, going from a size 18 down to a size 14 in just her ﬁrst three weeks of therapy. “When I stood on the scales after the ﬁrst week I couldn’t believe the massive drop. People in the area have been telling me I’m looking fantastic,” she says. Nolan puts this down to Sloan instilling a positive attitude through his therapy, a process she recommends for anyone struggling with weight issues. “There are people paying for fat removal surgery when there’s no need for it.” For more information, visit www.aidansloan.ie Pictured: Eileen Nolan, left, before and above with Aiden Sloane after hypnotherapy.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

Naturopathic Nutrition S.A.D?

Beat the Blues Naturally

By Nicky Flood s the days grow shorter and the sunshine fades, giving way to rainy days and dark nights, many of us get a touch of the blues. Most people are only mildly affected by feelings like this during winter and can continue on with everyday life -possibly with the help of just a few extra layers. For some however, the winter months can have a more debilitating effect on mood and behaviour, resulting in a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, aptly abbreviated to S.A.D. S.A.D. is believed to affect up to 10% of the general population and is more commonly seen in women than men. Symptoms of S.A.D. include fatigue, lowered motivation, hypersomnia (sleeping too much), increased appetite and weight, loss of libido, irritability and reduced sociability. These symptoms only occur during winter months, developing slowly as the seasons progress and go into remission in the spring and summer months. The exact mechanism behind how and why daylight changes cause S.A.D. are still not fully understood but there are a number of interrelating factors involved: disruptions to circadian rhythm, melatonin disturbances, genetic susceptibility, neurotransmitter imbalances and nutritional deficiencies. Deficiency in Omega 3 fatty acids are a contributing factor to mood disorders. Interestingly, population studies have found that countries with a higher fish intake have a lower incidence of S.A.D. regardless of geographical location. B Vitamins are essential for energy production as well as facilitating the synthesis of many mood-regulating neurotransmitters. S.A.D. sufferers are often found to be deficient in Vitamin D. When exposed to direct sunlight, our skin naturally produces Vitamin D and deficiency of this crucial vitamin is becoming more common as we spend less time outdoors. This is impacted in winter due to the lack of full sunlight available and our reluctance to go outside in the cold weather. There is now an overwhelming amount of evidence showing that light therapy, particularly in the morning, is effective for improving S.A.D. and has a positive, normalising effect on our circadian rhythm and melatonin secretion. Dating back as far as the second century, sunlight has been regarded as an essential factor for human health. The ancient Greek physician, Aretaeus, stated ‘lethargics are to be laid in the light and exposed to the rays of the sun for the disease is gloom’, so get yourselves outdoors and give yourself a brighter outlook! Nicky is a Naturopathic Nutritionist practising in Dublin. She writes, speaks and advises nationwide on all aspects of health, nutrition and wellbeing. Check www.nickyflood.com for further info, upcoming courses and workshops.

PAGE 17

NEW DEFIBRILLATOR BILL COULD SAVE LIVES

By Liam Cahill new Private Members Bill by the Seanad concerning the installation of defibrillators in public areas has been broadly welcomed. The Bill titled Public Health (Availability of Defibrillators) Bill 2013 was sponsored by Independent Senator Feargal Quinn and deals directly with the installation of defibrillator machines and the implementation of training courses. “We believe legislating to provide more automated external defibrillators (AEDs) is a vital pre-requisite to increasing the life-saving role of bystander CPR,” said Chris Macey, Head of Advocacy, for the Irish Heart Foundation. According to the foundation, 5,000 people die from sudden cardiac death in Ireland annually and of these deaths, 7 in 10 happen in public view, leaving many bystanders helpless to intervene. CPR training has become a ma-

jor component of the Irish Heart Foundation’s promotion for a healthy life and healthy heart. To date, they have 190 training centres – situated in local hospitals and community centers around D4 – with 2,000 instructors offering 55,000 people nationwide a chance to learn CPR. “Our courses are from the most basic level aimed at lay people, so the man or woman on the street, through to advanced courses which are targeted at those working in acute medical areas such as emergency departments and consultants,” said

Sarah Cain CPR Department Manager at the Irish Heart Foundation. The training programme focuses primarily on what Sarah calls the ‘Chain of Survival’ which has five parts: understanding that somebody is in need of help, calling emergency services, instigating early CPR or defibrillators, carrying out medical care, followed by hospital care. The foundation has been strongly behind the proposed new Bill, supporting its promotion of defibrillators in public places. In Dublin 4 and the Docklands area, the Aviva Stadium, The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre and the National Convention Centre are fitted with defibrillators and in one case – according to an Aviva spokesman – this has helped save a life. “In principle, making them a natural part of the landscape in Ireland is a very positive initiative,” concludes Sarah.

PAGE 18

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. C ORRAL

By Noel Twamley he South West of the United States was truly a mad, wild and lawless territory. Everybody was armed and would shoot you dead for a chance remark or a perceived dirty look. It really was the Wild West. This was the crazy world that Wyatt Earp lived in. Wyatt himself was a horse thief, card sharp, brothel keeper and had many wives in the many towns he lived in. In 1876 he decided to become a lawman in Wichita, later becoming the Sheriff in Dodge City, with Bat Masterson, another gunman. Both men robbed

as much as they could and got away with it because they wore a tin star on their chest. They were Lawmen! In 1877 Earp and his three brothers – Jim, Morgan and Warren became ‘The Law’ in Tombstone. Here, he met Doc Holliday, who saved his life in a gunﬁght, and they became best friends for life. Doctor John Holliday was a tall, slim, erudite man. Always charming and smiling, he could read and speak Greek, French, and Latin. When he graduated he discovered he had TB (or consumption as it was called then) and moved to Arizona’s warm, dry climate to help his lungs. In the middle of this mix were the Clanton and McLaury gangs – 40 plus gunmen, who terrorised Tombstone. On 26th October 1881, the Clanton boys shot up the town. Forget the many fanciful Hollywood versions, this is what really happened. Wyatt called his three brothers and Doc Holliday and all four tooled up and headed across town. Doc was wearing a long cotton dust coat and carried a shotgun. They slowly walked down Free-

mont Street and turned left to the O.K. Corral (which stands for Old Kindersley). Here they met four of the Clanton gang, including Ike Clanton. They stood 10 feet apart. Doc Holliday fired at Ike first and missed, then all hell broke loose. Bullets flew everywhere. Wyatt shot Frank McLaury dead, Morgan Earp shot Billy Clanton dead and Doc killed Tom McLaury. Ike escaped in all the confusion. Then it was all over, lasting all of 30 seconds. The three bodies were washed and dressed by the Clanton Gang and put on display in a shop window on Main Street Tombstone to the chagrin of ‘The Lawmen’. In the years following the OK Corral gunfight the Wild West got

law and order, thanks mainly to the Texas Rangers and their new Colt 45 repeater. They took few prisoners, simply shot dead every crook, including Bonnie and Clyde in the 1930s. They are still a force to be reckoned with. In 1881, Wyatt’s brothers Morgan and Virgil were both shot dead. He and Doc found the killers and shot them dead. The next 25 years were spent wandering and robbing his way around the Wild West before ending up in Hollywood as an advisor on silent cowboy movies, even acting as an extra in some. His best pal during this period was Tom Mix, a silent movie star, Holliday having died of his TB in Colorado aged 36. When Wyatt Earp followed him to the great

beyond in 1929, Tom Mix wept openly at the funeral. Doc told his nurse “I am dying with my boots off” the week he died. This was unusual as most gunmen die with their boots on. Hence the name ‘Boot Hill’ for western cemeteries. Like our own plot for Michael Collins in Glasnevin, many thousands of people visit Doc’s grave each year. As they stand reading his tombstone something very strange happens. First they look puzzled, then bafﬂed and then the penny drops and their faces light up with a big smile. Written across the grave, plain and simple, is the following: ‘Doc Holliday. He died in bed’. Bottom left: Doc Holliday. Below: Wyatt Earp.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

L OCAL L EGACY

By Emma Dwyer hile we all should know that Pearse Street is named after Padraig Pearse, it’s not as obvious that other streets in the area, and a lot of social housing, is named after others who died in the 1916 Rising. An armed rebellion was staged during Easter week by Irish republicans hoping to end British rule in Ireland. The leaders were executed. Pearse was one of the first to be killed, on May 3rd at Arbour Hill Barracks. Pearse Street, which used to be called Great Brunswick Street was re-named in 1923, after the man himself. O’Rahilly House, a block of ﬂats built in Ringsend in 1936, twenty years after the rising, on Thorncastle Street was named in honour of Michael Joseph O’Rahilly (1875–1916), or more commonly known as ‘The O’Rahilly’. The O’Rahilly, a Kerryman, adopted his name as a de-anglicising measure. It means ‘head of the O’Rahilly Gaelic Clan’. Despite his efforts to prevent the rising, when he heard

of the plan to march on the GPO on Easter Monday morning he decided to join them. He drove from 40 Herbert Park, Dublin 4, into town to join Pearse and the other leaders at Liberty Hall. Arriving in his red sports car he allegedly said; “Well, I’ve helped to wind up the clock – I might as well hear it strike!” He was the only leader of the Easter Rising to die in action. While evacuating the burning GPO he was shot dead on Henry Place.

R ISING

Neighbouring Whelan’s House, also built in 1936, was named in memory of Patrick Whelan, a local Dublin 4 man and active Gaelic Leaguer who was killed in the cross fire between Bath Avenue and Trinity College, near Boland’s Mill. Boland’s Mill was another key location in the Rising, led by De Valera, and is now the site of the Treasury Buildings on Barrow Street. A local young man, Edward

PAGE 19 Ennis, who was accidentally killed while watching the crossfire on the railway between Bath Avenue and Trinity College, gave his name to Ennis Grove. Macken Street, previously Clarence Street, was renamed in 1923 after Peadar Macken, who was also accidentally shot in the fighting at Boland’s Mills. Malone Gardens – a small estate off Bath Avenue built between 1928 and 1929, was named for Michael Malone, a volunteer, who had been a member of De Valera’s Boland’s Mill battalion. On Wednesday he led a small number of men towards Mount Street Bridge (a key crossing point into Dublin city) to prevent British reinforcements from entering Dublin. Once there he was stationed at Number 25 Northumberland Road with a handful of others. They held off the British for five hours. But the lower half of the house was bombed and the upper half was stormed by the British Troops and it was here Malone died, in the bloody battle of Mount Street Bridge. Also involved in the battle of Mount Street Bridge

was Section Commander George Reynolds who occupied Clanwilliam House, a large three storey Georgian building that commanded an excellent view of Mount Street Bridge and Northumberland Road. Reynolds fell dead at the window of Clanwilliam House before it was set on ﬁre. George Reynolds House was built in 1950, is in three blocks and is named after the man born in Ringsend. Pictured: George Reynolds House, left, and Ennis Grove.

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A WITCH’S HALLOWE’EN

By Ruairi Conneely hese days, Hallowe’en is a time for costumed antics for all ages. Everyone knows the origins of the festival – a holdover from the days of our ancestors who believed the world of the supernatural was “close at hand”. It is one of the four major holidays of the Celtic year, whose original name is Samhain, and the building and gathering around a bonﬁre is a tradition older

than Christianity. For some, however, Hallowe’en is more than just a holdover from days gone by. NewsFour went in search of contemporary “pagans” whose traditions have been revitalised and reinvented to ﬁt the times. On Crow Street in Temple Bar we ﬁnd The Black Rabbit – “a magical little shop”. Behind the counter is Rachel Butler, proprietress with her husband Stuart. She describes her-

self variously, and often with hearty laughter, as a “hedge witch” or “a kitchen witch”. Does that mean she’s a Wiccan? Apparently not: Rachel explains the broad divisions, as she sees them. There are the Wiccans, formal orders of practising witches who operate in a coven structure; and there is “the High Magick crowd”, ceremonial lodges like the Golden Dawn and the Ordo Templi Orientis, enshrined in popular imagination by their association with people like W. B. Yeats and Maud Gonne on one hand, and the infamous Aleister Crowley on the other. “There’s a lot of work going on between Druidry and the Trad Witches at the moment – we all have more in common than we realised, I think. Practising together showed us that.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013 Paying attention to the land, what the stars are doing, and having a tradition which is passed on in a lineage.” For her part, Rachel feels that the traditional strand represents “witches as they would have been” in the days of the pre-Medieval era of midwives and wise men or women. “We use roots, powders, herbs and oils in our magic, we do divination.” Commonly known as fortune-telling, divination methods involve interpretation of oracular devices like Tarot cards, or the Nordic magical alphabet known as Runes. “We might also do healing work. There’s no coven structure, no initiations; you either are or you aren’t. The tradition involves learning from each other and gleaning knowledge from everything.” For Rachel, Samhain retains a pre-Christian signiﬁcance of being a harvest festival. “It would have been the time of year where there’d be no more fresh food that year; it all would

have been stored for winter.” Winter was when nature, in a sense, dies, Rachel explains, so Samhain was the point where the world of the dead drew closer to the living. Rachel’s tradition is inherited from her mother and grandmother. She remembers bobbing for apples. “We’d peel them and do divinations with the skins. Her grandfather would tell ghost stories to create an atmosphere and it was at this point when odd things might happen. It wasn’t done in any ritual fashion but “if anyone wanted to get in touch from the other side, they would often do it then,” she says, frankly. “At the end of the night Granny would say the Hail Mary for those who had passed on. My family regarded themselves as Christians – just ones who kept in touch with the old ways.”

the RICC takes two trips on Fridays after 10am Mass and at 2.30pm. This service is free of charge and collection and drop-off is at Ringsend Church. For further details contact the RICC @ 6604 789

Funded by CDETB. Contact RICC @ 6604789 or call in on Wednesdays @ 7.45pm

RICC YOUTH CLUB We cater for 5–9 year old boys and girls and meet every Wednesday in the centre from 3.30pm-5.00pm and it only costs €2. Activities include crafts, kiddersize, clay modelling, sports and much more.

BINGO Every Thursday 3.pm–4.30pm

Left: Rachel Butler, owner of The Black Rabbit.

By Lorraine Barry ingsend and Irishtown Community Centre are currently preparing the schedule for the Autumn/ Winter period. We aim to provide services and activities for all members of the Community. If you would like any additional activities organised, please call down, we would be delighted to discuss them with you. For now, please see some of the services on offer: KETTLE BELLS Monday 9.30am–10.30am and 5.30pm–6.15pm CIRCUIT TRAINING Wednesday 9.30am–10.30pm and Thursday 5.30pm–6.15pm €5 per session, please call in or ring Marian @ 6604 789 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED RICC are currently looking for volunteers to help with the activities organised for the community; RICC Radio, May Day Parade, Summer Project and Tall Ships events. This is a great opportunity to gain experience while helping out in your community. Full training will be provided. For further details contact the centre on 6604 789. COMPUTER TRAINING Beginners; Intermediate; ECDL; Social Media Monday–Friday. Contact RICC @ 6604 789 POST OFFICE BUS RUN TO BARROW STREET In order to continue to facilitate the Post Ofﬁce move to Barrow Street

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMME Available for children in 1st to 6th Class. Monday–Thursday 2.30pm–4.45pm (every school week). Includes Lunch, supervised homework and enjoyable activities; computers, arts & craft and football Contact Barbara @ 6604 789 WATER’S EDGE DRAMA CLASS In RICC, every Wednesday from 7.45–9.45pm. Beginners Welcome. A warm and supportive environment to explore: Conﬁdence Building, Communication skills, Improvisation, Physical Movement, Character Development.

SLIM FOR LIFE Thursdays @ 5.30pm–6.30pm

SCRABBLE Every Wednesday 11pm–12pm CITIZENS INFORMATION Every Thursday 9–1 pm in RICC FLAC Every Monday @ 7pm in RICC. No Appointment Necessary RICC would like to thank the people of the community for their support to us throughout the year. Pictured above: Ellie May Reynolds Doyle, Leah Reynolds Doyle, Stephen McPeake, Sean McPeake and Cian Thormley from St Patrick’s GNS and St Patrick’s BNS are pictured with some of the Leinster Rugby team in their UCD Headquarters at the Launch of the Irish Youth Foundation Children’s Hour fundraising campaign which runs from Nov 13th to early 2014.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

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OPERATION SMILES ALL ROUND RE-DRESSING GLOBAL WARMING

By Emma Dwyer ast July, Lucy Nugent, from Ranelagh, visited Tamale in Ghana to volunteer with Operation Smile Ireland (OSI) a company based in Dublin 4. Operation Smile is a registered Irish charity providing free surgery for children born with clefts in the developing world. OSI are part of a global alliance of organisations who run volunteer programmes for 5,000 volunteers globally, a hundred of which are in Ireland. Clefts result from incomplete development of the lip and/or palate in the early weeks of pregnancy, affecting approximately one in every 700 born in this country. “If a child is born with a cleft in Ireland it will be identified while the child is still in the womb,” says OSI’s In-Country Manager, Mairéad O’Callaghan. “They would receive surgery within the first six months of life. In the developing world, 75% of cases go untreated. This goes on to create various levels of problems for the children and their families.” In the first year, parents have a really hard time nourishing their children. The mortality rate for a child born with a cleft in the developing world is 10%, so one in 10 will die before their first birthday. If they survive past that point, they have difficulty developing their speech and they continue to have difficulty feeding. As they grow older the really harrowing part is the isolation they suffer as a result of their facial disfigurement. They rarely go to school, they

rarely work and they often live on the margins of society. Among those who have received this life-changing surgery is Brigid. “I was born with a cleft lip in Kaptrit, a small village in western Kenya. My parents didn’t know that the repair of my lip was possible, and many of the children in our village were afraid of me. When I was 13, my family learned from our neighbour, Joseph Zewedi, that Operation Smile doctors would be providing surgery in Nakuru. Unfortunately, my parents didn’t have enough money for the trip to the hospital.” Kind-hearted Joseph started a collection in the village for the money -about $3.50for a one-way bus ticket to the project site. “I began our eight-hour journey to Nakuru. Now, the children in my village not only accept me, they believe I hold some kind of magic. I have more friends than ever,” she told OSI after her surgery. Lucy, who works in management at the Children’s Hospital, Temple Street, volunteered as a medical records nurse for two weeks in July. As Mairéad explains, “For the most part volunteers need certain skills because it is a medical charity providing a very specific medical procedure. Our volunteers are mostly medical profession-

als; from plastic surgeons, to aenethesisits, to paediatric nurses, theatre nurses, speech and language therapists, dentists. We have the medical records, who would be nonmedical professionals maintaining the medical charts.” After a-one day training course with Operation Smile Ireland, Lucy was assigned a trip to Ghana. “I expected to be moved by the stories of the children, adults and their families living with a facial deformity, but was not expecting to be so impressed by the dedicated team of professionals from all over the world that I was fortunate to join. Everyone was so welcoming and full of useful advice – some of them having done in excess of 40 missions,” said Lucy. “I would do it all again in a heartbeat. In a world where we are too busy to take the time of day to engage with others, this was two weeks where I felt reconnected to the world. I am now trying to remember the basics that people need – to be accepted and not shunned for looking different, to be able to feed normally, to speak and be understood and to smile to let the world know you are content,” said Lucy. For further information on Operation Smile, please log onto www.operationsmile.ie or call Operation Smile Ireland at 01 6676659. Above: Brigid Nanjala now 16 years old, three years after surgery at the Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital, Nakuru, Kenya. Below Brigid at 13 shortly before her cleft palate operation. Both photos by Jason Towlen

By Eric Hillis or two days in September Sandymount Strand was transformed by a highly unique live art installation. Between Friday 20th and Saturday 21st, as part of this year’s Dublin Fringe Festival, 4/704 was staged, its purpose to highlight the issue of rising tide levels. Organised by ReDress, a fashion initiative founded in 2008 by Sandymount native Rosie O’Reilly in order to promote ethical practices in the Irish fashion industry, the Sandymount Strand installation involved the use of four dyeing units, used in the clothing industry to dye garments. They rose and fell with the tides, staining the garments with dye visually capturing the mark of the rising tides. O’Reilly saw Sandymount as the ideal location for such an installation. “I grew up in Sandymount and know from cycling in the area that it’s the most low-lying part of the city, making it one of the areas that will be affected by rising sea levels,” she says. “We’re always seeing people being airlifted off Sandymount Strand during the summer because they don’t understand that the tides come in twice a day and find themselves in trouble.” John Sweeney, of NUI Maynooth’s geography department tells NewsFour of the importance of tackling the issue of rising tides. “Global sea level is expected to rise by up to a metre over the next 80 years. For low lying areas of Dublin Bay, such as Clontarf and Sandymount, areas with a long history of coastal flooding, stronger defences against storm surges will be required to ensure they are not exposed to increased hazard.” The event was staged as part of We Are Islanders, an ongoing project and clothing label from ReDress. “The idea of We Are Islanders came from my background in sociology and philosophy, but also design,” O’Reilly says. She decided to launch an ethical Irish fashion label, using research she had conducted over the last five years. “The label uses my work as a visual artist to raise awareness of issues,” O’Reilly says, “It’s a metaphor to talk about how, as islanders, Irish people can be apathetic towards issues that will affect us, like rising tides.” O’Reilly points to Hurricane Sandy as a recent example of how people can ignore an issue until something catastrophic occurs. “Islands are disappearing as we speak,” she says, “A perfect example is The Maldives, where the parliament recently issued a press release underwater to highlight the problem.” The unique garments created in the Sandymount Strand installation will be put up for sale during October at the Royal Hibernian Academy on Ely Place. Proceeds will go towards funding further ReDress projects. For more information, visit www.re-dress.ie Pictured above courtesy of Des Moriarty: This garment visually displays the mark of rising tide levels.

PAGE 22

By James O’Doherty he pageant of the seasons continues and autumn the harvest season beckons, the season of mists and fruits; a lovely time to enjoy nature. The swallows have said goodbye and soon it will be fall. Each month has its own special charm in the garden and I love these autumn months. The country will soon be covered in gold, crimson and copper as the leaves fall. The soil is still warm so we can welcome the autumn ﬂowering bulbs such as crocus speciosus, nerine bowderii, the colchicum and the lovely gladiolus murielae. As I write this, in my own garden the trees and shrubs are covered with spider webs and the hawthorns are covered with fruit, it’s a busy time in the garden. To have success in gardening it’s important to understand the soil. Your plants need nutrients and especially at this time of year. The three main nutrients are Nitrogen – for the leaves, Phosphorous – for the roots and Potassium – for the ﬂowers and fruits. So apply plenty of organic matter and help this with the odd fertiliser to meet these requirements. The days are getting shorter and there is a noticeable nip in the air – a sure sign that you

S PACE

THE GREEN SCENE

can now harvest your vegetable crops. You can plant onion sets and shallots now, and transplant spring cabbage. Sow broad beans, hardy peas and lettuce in a sheltered spot and plant garlic cloves and some herbs. Start your winter digging. Give Brussel sprouts and winter cabbage a feed of general fertiliser. It’s also a good time to plant evergreen and deciduous plants and blackcurrant bushes. The main job now is to plant all spring ﬂowers and bulbs – for-

By Eric Murphy number of residents of George Reynolds House have been actively involved in a self-organised horticultural development project on its grounds. However, there is also an increasing frustration which has started to grow amid the new greenery. The Irishtown complex has had a number of renovations over the past four years and whilst most of the work has been welcomed, many feel the upgrading didn’t go far enough. Anthony Byrne and Bernadette Keogh are two of the residents spearheading their own gardening and allotment campaign which they feel has been given little, if any, encouragement from the local authorities. Both spoke with NewsFour to highlight the initiative within the complex. “It started as something to brighten up the place,” states Bernadette (a lifelong resident) before pointing to one of

get-me-nots, bellis, wallﬂowers, pansies, foxgloves, Sweet William, Canterbury bells, tulips, daffodils, crocus, snowdrops, hyacinths and outdoor cyclamen. As a special treat buy three bulbs of the lovely fritallaria imperalis the crown imperial (snake’s head lily), you must plant them eight inches deep in a sunny position. It is also a good time to plant herbaceous perennials, roses and heathers. And remember you can still plant many lilies during October. Give your grass an autumn

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013 feed and don’t forget to raise the blades of your machine. Remember, gardeners need to be planners. All gardeners know that winter will arrive before we know it and though it can be a harsh season there is still much to enjoy in the garden. Plan ahead and ease the winter landscape with good planting and displays. Winter flowering heathers are very valuable in the garden now, particularly Erica Carnea and Erica Darlyensis. Plant up containers for a winter display using variegated shrubs and heathers. The great weather we had in July followed by rain in August has been great for the butterflies; very welcome visitors to our parks and gardens. Keep an eye out for them. Legend has it that if a butterfly is close by then those we have loved and lost are also close; a nice thought the next time a butterfly joins you in the garden. So you have a few ideas now of the tasks in the weeks ahead and the plants and bulbs to select. As the old biblical quote reads, “for everything there is a season...” This is the harvest season – enjoy it. On a different note, in our last issue I wrote about the dieback fungus on our ash

G ROW

a number of concrete bedding troughs built by Dublin City Council. “When the corporation ﬁnished, these things were left with just weeds and all sorts of stuff.” The troughs now contain a variety of different ﬂowers and vegetables. “We’d heard reports of how they renovated other places and then just let them go. Right from the beginning we said that’s not happening here. It took us a bit of time to get it going, but now everyone, especially the kids love it and most of them get involved.” The pair said the prospects of growing vegetables slowly sparked enthusiasm amongst the residents. “When we started growing and giving out vegetables, all we asked in return was a packet of seeds. A lot of residents would then buy a packet when they could spare it,” explained Anthony. Different seed types were usually followed with queries about growing different types

of vegetables and this prompted Anthony to set up individual allotments. He admits enthusiasm of expansion may be subdued by both ﬁnances and local council policies. Private and council funding has been limited, but ﬁnancial donations from local businesses such as Dyno-Rod and materials such as topsoil from gardeners in Ringsend have been seen as a huge local

boost for the project. It soon becomes clear to me that this is more a labour of love, but Anthony says there’s a bone of contention with local authorities regarding the large strip of land to the south of the complex. An uneven mounded area runs directly from the Dodder River pump house near London Bridge to Irishtown Road, and beneath the land tract lies a

trees and the damage it is doing. Now the horticultural world is on the alert for the return of the killer Dutch elm disease. This fungal disease is spread from tree to tree by the elm bark beetle. Many years ago this disease wiped out twenty-ﬁve million elms worldwide. Locals may remember the beautiful elm walk on the roadway at Herbert Park that was destroyed by this disease. The bad news is that it has recently been spotted in Brighton. I will keep you up-to-date with any developments but let’s hope our elms are not under threat. Pictured: Sweet William, left, and foxgloves.

large ﬂood overﬂow pipe which continues to an outlet at Sandymount. The residents want to use the land strip to expand the project into designated allotments, but Anthony says, “The council don’t know what to say or do about it. They won’t let any heavy work start on it due to the drains, and even the (council) gardeners aren’t sure what they’re to do with it either, yet nobody’s objected so far to us working on it.” Anthony said residents currently take it in turns to manually level out the area themselves, despite repeated appeals to the council to clear and level the area during and since the renovations. When contacted by NewsFour regarding the project, local Councillor Dermot Lacey said he was not aware of the project and would be anxious to help the residents in any way possible. He plans to raise the matter with the Council at their monthly meeting. Pictured: Bernadette Keogh and Anthony Byrne.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

DCC

By Liam Cahill reland’s unemployment rate stands at 13.4%. Youth unemployment is 30%. 415,300 people are on the Dole. 50,900 people have emigrated in the past year – a majority between the ages of 15 and 24, according to the Central Statistics Ofﬁce. Household bills are going up. The cost of living is up. Personal debt is up. Water charges

NOTES are on the way up. Economic growth has flat-lined. Despite all this, Labour Cllr. Mary Freehill decided a discussion about cutting grass at Herbert Park was more important at the recent Council meeting. “How would they make a decision to cut the grass?” Cllr. Freehill asked at the Dublin South East Area Council meeting. “They (meaning his workers)

The bronze statue of Phil Lynott is welcomed back to its home outside Bruxelles off Grafton Street by his mother Philomena. Rumour has it Phil was rugby tackled by two pub goers who didn’t realise the statue was hollow. The remorseful pair reported the incident to the local Garda station and contributed to the cost of the restoration. This included reinforcement works that would ensure that it could never be knocked over again.

PAGE 23

would be provided with a lawnmower,” replied a Council official. This debate went on for 40 minutes, bringing this observer close to insanity. Fine Gael Cllr. Paddy McCartan kicked the meeting off in style by shouting, “There’s nobody here,” only to be countered by Labour Cllr. Dermot Lacey with, “Ah sure, we are, we’ll continue to serve the people.” With that, the Council heard a presentation on the proposed re-development of Crampton Buildings in the heart of Temple Bar. A Council official laid out a regeneration of the court, which right now, is only in the design and consultation phase. The court, which has been run down for some time, is set to get new landscaping and car parks. “People are stealing tiles from the roof,” said Independent Cllr. Mannix Flynn when the discussion ended. Flynn’s interjections were quite spontaneous at times; he’d nod and move a lot. Sometimes he’d take a long walk to fetch a few glasses of water, knocking them back like there was no tomorrow. The Council discussed an ongoing debate concerning the installation of fitness equipment along Sandymount Strand. The equipment, which is being donated to the Council by an unknown party, will give people

a chance to get physical; similar instruments are available along the Clontarf coastline. The Council welcomed the initiative, in broad terms, but some Councillors, such as Fine Gael’s Kieran Binchy were against the idea. “I’ve never seen people use the ones that were put out in Clontarf,” he said afterwards. “Irish people don’t like exercising in public. It’s all very trendy to say ‘we’re putting in exercising equipment’ but I’ve not seen any evidence that people actually want it.” Fianna Fail Cllr.

Jim O’Callaghan welcomed the plan but cautioned, “If you put it down, you need to maintain it.” The Council touched on an “ugly monstrosity” which sits outside City Hall, disguised as a flagpole holder/traffic diverter. The topic triggered a passionate debate amongst the Councillors who had a bone to pick with Council officials who allegedly make important decisions, despite the elected representatives’ objections. “I am fed up to my teeth with Council officials, either we have a democratic system or not,” said Cllr. Lacey. The next issue was supposed to be more simple, the planting of a tree for former Fine Gael Cllr. and Lord Mayor Joe Doyle. Cllr. Lacey stipulated that he had campaigned for several trees to be planted in Herbert Park – with the idea being that a new tree would be planted when a new Councillor got elected. Due to red tape, or just an unwillingness to get it done, the Council had failed to move ahead. They failed to move ahead even when Councillors offered to pay for the trees themselves. “After 20 years on this Council, I’m really becoming frustrated. Officials do what officials want,” said Cllr. Lacey. Shortly after, his tone changed when he said, “I really think we’re going to get it done, I’ve had a very successful meeting with the (City) Manager subsequent to the meeting and I think my strong words were probably productive.” Cllr. Flynn supported Lacey’s calls for a resolution to the tree debate in Herbert Park. “Nothing like a cup of tea and a biscuit in a park,” he said.

GILMORE SOLICITORS 22 BRIDGE STREET, RINGSEND, DUBLIN 4 Tel: 6677170 * Fax:6673809 E-mail: info@gilmoresolicitors.com

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NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

GROW IT YOURSELF AT RTÉ

By Eric Hillis ublin is unique among European cities in having three naturally reproducing salmon rivers within the city boundaries; the Liffey, the Tolka and the Dodder. While salmon have the run of the former two, in the Dodder they are confined to the area downstream of Donnybrook. This is due to a series of eight impassable, three metre high, man-made weirs constructed over 200 years ago, at intervals between Donnybrook and Tallaght. This is set to change, however, with new plans approved to modify the weirs in order to allow the salmon (as well as sea trout) full access to the entire length of the Dodder. Martin O’Grady of Inland Fisheries Ireland, is involved in the project and spoke to NewsFour about the plans. “When we heard there was to be a flood release programme in the lower Dodder we suggested the engineers consider putting in fish passes, as there is an existing salmon and sea trout population in what is one of the shortest rivers in Europe,” O’Grady told NewsFour. “As it is, the fish can come up past the Aviva Stadium but only as far as Donnybrook Garage.” The weirs were constructed in pre-Victorian times in order to power mills, long before the advent of electricity. “There was no thought given to fish passage at that time so, once the weirs were built, the salmon population became extinct. As a result, it’s well over 200 years since fish had access to places like Templeogue and Firhouse,” O’Grady says. He credits the quality of the Dodder water in attracting salmon, “The water is very clean, which is a prerequisite for a salmon population.” . Along with fish, another interesting creature, the Sea Lamprey, which O’Grady describes as “a very ugly-looking animal that looks like an eel with a sucker in place of a mouth”, is expected to make use of the river. The project is expected to be completed within two years.

By Emma Dwyer TÉ let themselves go after the death of Gerry Ryan. Well they let their allotments go, which had originally featured on the late presenter’s show. Until recently they lay abandoned in the grounds of RTÉ. Their CountryWide radio programme, presented by Damien O’Reilly, now has ownership of the allotments. “When CountryWide took over the allotment, earlier this year, it had been lying fallow for about two seasons,” Producer Sinead Egan explained when she spoke to NewsFour. “Before that The Gerry Ryan Show had it and after Gerry died, The John Murray Show took it over for a season during 2011. Now we have it and the Sandymount Grow It Yourself group were approached to take beds in it.” GIY Sandymount is a group of about 15 like-minded growers from the local area. They are interested in building sustainability at a local level and consider the growing of organic food a big part of that process. “We’ve been meeting now for three or four years,” said Kathy Herbert a member of GIY Sandymount. “We’re all novices. One or two of us are skilled and the rest of us are learning as we go. “GIY is about vegetable growing, which we try to do in as organic a manner as possible. We started off by having meetings where we’d compare notes.” They used to get speakers to come in and talk which was popular but difﬁcult to organise. It was decided that the most important thing was the growing of the vegetables and to learn about that. GIY carried on talking to each other about their experiences of growing, their suc-

Leinster’s win against against Cardiff Blues at the RDS recently made the trip from Chicago even sweeter for Colin and Brian Donovan.

Family and friends gathered at the unveiling of a boat to commemorate local man Dylan Lacey who died recently. From left, rear: Tony Jones, Deke Rivers, Chloe Bennett, Anne Jones, Robert Lacey, Helen Jones, Lesley Ann Jones. Front row: Glen Cassidy, Graham Benson, Thomas Murray and Aran Blount.

Weir Today, Gone Tomorrow

cesses and their failures. This is GIY Sandymount’s ﬁrst allotment where they could put their theory into practice on a shared plot, rather than in their own back gardens. “When we got the allotment it was like a Godsend because all of a sudden it was practical,” said Kathy. While growing in her own garden, Kathy, herself, was getting terrible results because the soil wasn’t great. “The soil in the allotment is fantastic.” She produced turnips – “the size of a head,” – which she dug up while CountryWide were broadcasting from the allotments. “Everything is huge.” Located just across from the set of RTÉ’s long-running soap Fair City, the structure of the plots was already in place when GIY Sandymount went in. There were raised beds and fruit trees, but a lot of work was required to get them back to working order. “When we ﬁrst got the allotments they were derelict. We had to spend a couple of days out there just digging and cleaning. Even the paths and everything were full of weeds. We

each have a patch about a metre wide by four metres long.” The allotments are now home to 12 spaces, a glasshouse, and some fruit trees. Their crops include rhubarb, apple trees, redcurrants, white currants, potatoes, cauliﬂower, onions and of course Kathy’s much remarked on white turnips. The growers take their crops home and are given the land to tend for free. In August this year, RTÉ’s CountryWide programme broadcast live from the allotments, with a mobile farm and Nevin Maguire cooking up a storm using the harvested crops. CountryWide intend to check in on the allotments once every two or three months, “just to see what they’re planting, how they’re growing,” says Sinead. “The growers are up here a lot, they will come up once or twice a week to check their own beds and it’s looking fantastic.” To follow their progress check: http://countrywideallotment. wordpress.com/ Kathy with the giant turnips! Photo by Kathy Herbert

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

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PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DOCKLANDS

By Liam Cahill f you like Donna Summer, the Village People, Kylie Minogue, or any other artist that alludes even the slightest sense of camp, you’ll love Priscilla Queen of the Desert. The show, which is now in its seventh year since kicking off in Sydney in 2006, follows the adventures of three men who dress in drag and travel around the Australian outback in a giant bus named Priscilla. The cast includes Jason Donovan as Tick, who is seen in the opening of the show performing at a strikingly unglamorous club when his ex-wife asks if he could perform his drag act at her resort hotel. Enter Richard Grieve as Bernadette – an eccentric transsexual whose recent spate of bad luck leaves him destined for a change and Graham Weaver as Felicia whose explosive camp style brings him to the brink of extinction. Although Priscilla has a strong cast of amazingly camp characters, it’s the costumes that make the show shine. The show features some 500 pieces, all with their own personality and individual character traits. There are feathers, tight mermaid-like dresses, giant pink, blue and yellow hats that look like Bassetts Allsorts, slim suits, big suits, ﬂower dresses, a dress made from sandals, safari dresses, a dress with ripped abs and a multi-coloured feathered hat. “I didn’t realise it was going to be as difﬁcult as it was,” said Lizzy Gardiner, the Costume Designer speaking to AOL. “The show just grew and got bigger and bigger and bigger and the costumes just got bigger and bigger and bigger. Every single costume on this show is a challenge.” Most, if not all of the costumes used on the show, are for fun, including one costume named Wottle

which is green with giant furry balls stuck all over it. “It looks hilarious and ridiculous on a man on stage,” said Gardiner. “The thing about drag and men and dressing men as women is it sounds a lot more challenging than it actually is and the men love it.” The flamboyance of the stage show is featured heavily in the original film version launched in Australia in 1994. The film, seen as groundbreaking for not flinching at the sight of men in drag, plays around with the long-held notion of masculinity and uses Adam Whitely’s (Guy Pearce) flamboyance as something to laugh along with. “Men in drag go way back,” said Dr. Harvey O’Brien a lecturer at UCD’s School of English, Drama and Film and the author of the new book concerning masculinity called Action Movies: The Cinema of Striking Back. “Drag in comedy has also been around a long time, and you often got either plots or sub-plots about the necessity to dress in women’s clothes or assume a female identity. Usually, this was kept all thoroughly in the realm of heterosexuality though,” he said. Both the stage shows and movie have used what Harvey calls the “sissy character” – a familiar gay

stereotype where the man is used as a comedic pun. “I’m not saying it doesn’t exist in the gay world or that some gay men aren’t camp, but we’re talking about a recurring stereotype here that’s used to signify ‘otherness’ or ‘difference’ in a non-threatening, comical way. It’s a clown part, though you are often allowed to see beneath the make-up and understand that they are human with human needs, you’re assumed to only be able to do so because you are safely distanced from them to begin with,” he said. Despite this analysis, Priscilla Queen of The Desert, both the ﬁlm and the stage show, show the gay man as a ﬁghter. In one scene, used in both productions, a rather butchlooking woman approaches Bernadette in a club and says her kind isn’t welcome. Bernadette’s retort (too vile to include here) is hilariously funny and represents a moment when the gay man isn’t the victim. The stage show of Priscilla Queen of The Desert opens in the Bord Gáis Theatre from Tuesday October 15th until Saturday October 26th. Tickets start at €20. Above: The cast of Priscilla. Below: Jason Donovan as Tick and Graham Weaver as Felicia. Photos by Paul Coltas.

ORSON WELLES AND A DUBLIN GHOST STORY

By Eric Hillis rson Welles was the ultimate renaissance man; an actor, director, writer and producer who worked in theatre, radio, cinema and television. His early association with Dublin is well-known: in 1931, as a 16 year-old, Welles performed at the Gate Theatre under the tutelage of actor Micheál Mac Liammóir and Hilton Edwards, manager of the theatre. Less known is that, 20 years later, Welles returned to the city, this time appearing on screen rather than stage. By 1951, Welles had become one of the most famous names in Hollywood. Movies like Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons and Macbeth, which he not only starred in, but wrote, directed and produced, had been praised by critics (Kane to this day tops many critics’ lists of the best films ever made). Unfortunately for Welles, this critical respect failed to translate into financial success. In Hollywood, then as now, the bottom line was bums on seats, not five-star reviews. Welles found it a struggle to finance his dream project, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello in the US and in 1948 left for Europe, where his work was more appreciated. It took the next three years for Welles to complete Othello, filming it in segments whenever budget and availability of resources allowed. Much of the film’s cast came from the Gate Theatre and, during one of the many breaks in filming, Welles’ old mentor, Edwards, asked him to come to Dublin to star in a short he was filming. Welles often said he owed his career to the Gate and so was happy to appear in Edwards’ film, a short ghost story titled Return to Glennascaul. The film is an atmospheric black and white tale of a motorist who has a spooky late-night encounter with two female hitch-hikers on the road to Dublin. Welles narrates the short and appears as himself, pictured directing a scene from Othello in the movie’s opening. With its supernatural theme and twist ending, the short is a precursor to TV shows like The Twilight Zone, which would become popular a decade later. It’s a little-known piece of both Hollywood and Irish film history, and well worth checking out for fans of Welles, or those who love a good ghost story. The film can be viewed on YouTube and tends to show up every year around Halloween on RTÉ, usually in the middle of the night. Above: Orson Welles as Othello.

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NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

L OCAL

PICTURE ROUNDUP

1st Port Dublin Sea Scouts, Pigeon House Road, Ringsend in 1962 Left to right: Francy Murphy, Willie Gobbins, Liam Boland, David Clarke, Henry Quinn. Pictured supplied by Henry Quinn

From the NewsFour archives: Does anyone know who this little rascal is? Photograph by Kim Haughton

St. Patrick’s Rowers Under 12 Ringsend Regatta, St. Patrick’s Rowing Club. Captain Karl, then Cian, Cillian, Dillon, and Igor.

Family and friends celebrating Norman Behennah’s 80th birthday on 5th August in Sandymount.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

PAGE 27

August Monday Wicklow Regatta 1949 Hammond Cup Winners Coxwain: Muddler McDonnell (Still has children living in Ringsend. His daughter is Maura Doyle and lives in George Reynolds House). Stroke: Willie Lax Murphy (Late of Cambridge Court). 2nd Stroke: Pierce (Pierre) Murphy (Late of Whelan House and Canon Mooney Gardens). 2nd Bow: John Power (Late of Whelan House). Box: John Swinger Bissett (Late of Stella Gardens). Picture courtesy of Patsy Doolin, Ringsend

BP Auto Craft is a family business that has been running from the premises in Shaw’s Lane for 24 years. Run by Brendan and Marian Young (pictured here with their little dog Rossie), they have decided to sell up and retire. July 30th was the last day they were open for business and also their 37th wedding anniversary. They’ll be sadly missed by all the neighbours and community.

1st Class Senior Boys 1943–44

Some of the names in the picture are: Nago Ingle, John Molloy, Peter Gannon, Tommy Bolger, Bernard Mullen, Matt Garland, Billy Nolan, Fanning, Murphy & Murphy Jnr, Michael Fagan, Thomas Whelan, Michael Gaffney, Fran Duffy, Thomas Hulgraine, Jack Byrne, Noel Reilly, Franco Nalty, Owen Bermingham, Weafer.

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NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

ARTISTS IN PROFILE: SPLINK AND THE NOM NOM COLLECTIVE

By Ruairi Conneely o you Love Lamp? Does that mean anything to you, beyond the obvious source (the 2004 movie Anchorman)? Artwork named and themed around the quote has been a staple of Dublin street art for quite some time now, stickered and postered wherever eyes might pass over it. We spoke with Splink, the street artist and graphic designer

behind the recurring icon, about that particular creation, and the work of the NOM NOM Collective, of which he is a part. The origin of the group was simple. All were working individually as artists but were constantly invited to showcase their work together. “After a few years we just decided to put a name on it,” Splink tells me. Predominantly known as a street art collective, NOM NOM are a diverse bunch of practitioners. Splink works as a graphic and packaging designer and teaches urban art classes for teenagers (a natural outgrowth of his long-time commitment to graffiti). Loki has illustrated children’s books for publishers such as Veritas. Lints and Askim are self-taught artists and professional mural painters, and Poncho, D$ and Jine are graphic designers. The structure of the group is loose and informal, closer to the model of a grafﬁti crew than a ﬁne art house. Each pursues their own careers while

periodically meeting up to collaborate. “We don’t really have an agenda,” Splink explains “we just like to hang out and paint walls.” Did the ubiquity of the I LOVE LAMP series affect its creator? “I did recently get in contact with a few photographers via Facebook and Flickr to get permission to use their photos of my work for a short film chronicling the evolution of the I Love Lamp street art campaign. I hadn’t realised I had put up so many lamps. It may have got a little out of hand.” There were plans to retire the series, after Splink became

bored. He took a break to work on other things, but it seems the Lamp won’t lie still. “I don’t think I can ever kill it off entirely. It’s part of me now, whether I like it or not.” There’s an irony to this, as the intent behind the work was the appeal of deliberate obscurity. “Lamp was an experiment in not using a name at all, but using a logo: a small rebellion against being in the grafﬁti scene for many years, where your name is the most prominent feature within your practice.” In researching NOM NOM, another group of the same name was discovered, operating in Denmark. NewsFour wondered

if there was a connection, and it turns out there is. “We are the Danish Nom Nom crew. We have been invited over to Copenhagen several times to exhibit and to paint large scale murals at an art festival called Galore. Also, myself and Loki have travelled to Demark on many occasions to visit Lints and his beautiful wife. As street art is highly valued and appreciated over there, it would be rude of us not to partake.” NOM NOM Collective are online at Facebook and Vimeo. Clockwise from top left: Artworks by Loki, Lints, Askim and Lamp by Splink.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

STUDENTS’ CHEAP EATS

By Emma Dwyer ith college grants being cut in this year’s budget, college registration fees rising and average rents increasing in Dublin, students either have to budget or go hungry. While cheap instant noodles, sliced pans, ketchup pasta and frozen pizza will do for some, there’s plenty of advice out there for those with a hunger for good food at good prices. Whether you’re heading away from your parents to go to college for the ﬁrst time or you’re living at home, cooking is easy and can be cost effective with some forward planning. First you’ll need to kit yourself out with some kitchen essentials. You’re far more likely to cook once you don’t have to chop all your veg with a blunt knife on a chipped plate. Dublin blogger Adam who runs www.cookityourself.ie has a section dedicated to student food. He advises you to “pop down to Ikea, it’ll cost about €100 for everything to kit out a kitchen”. He has compiled a list of all the equipment you need: frying pan, one large pot, one small pot, colander or sieve, mixing bowls, whisk, roasting tin, baking tray, bottle opener, tin opener, peeler, spatula, wooden spoon, grater, good cook’s knife, bread knife, measuring jug and two chop-

ping boards. You will also need to stock up on some essentials: oil, salt and pepper, vinegar, flour, sugar, tinned tomatoes, dried pasta, rice, noodles, stock cubes, and condiments. A small selection of dried herbs and spices are also great to add flavour to a meal. Choose ones that pop up on your favourite recipes again and again, and don’t be afraid to substitute one spice for another. There’s 21 meals in a week, so put together a plan for each one. Lunch can often be leftovers from dinners. A bag of porridge can last you weeks and costs next to nothing. A full chicken often costs little more than just two breasts and can cover several meals, including a stock for a leftover chicken

noodle soup, or cheap carrot and coriander soup. Take inspiration from a young single mother living in England who just over a year ago began a blog about feeding herself and her young son for £15 a week. Before this she was at her lowest when at breakfast she let herself go hungry and fed her son a Weetabix mushed up with water. She then went to the supermarket, bought one of everything in the budget range and made a plan of what to cook. She has since signed a book deal with Penguin and has a video blog on the Guardian website: http:// agirlcalledjack.com/ Her recipes are extremely low budget and healthy, meals will cost you next to nothing once you’ve a well-stocked cupboard. She prices each meal by how much you will use of something, so a bag of flour will be spread across many meals or a teaspoon of cumin will cost only a few cents. If you must eat out, or have a hangover that means you can’t face cooking, then check out this blog for suggestions on where to eat a decent meal for a ﬁver: www.eatforaﬁver.com Also worth checking out for some money-saving tips is the recently launched www. voucherpages.ie/save-moneyonline

STUDENT RESIDENCES FOR DOCKLANDS

By Eric Hillis major development has been announced for the Docklands, with Urbanest UK purchasing a 0.68 acre site at the corner of Sir John Rogerson’s Quay and Creighton Street. Urbanest UK bought the site from NAMA for a fee of over €7 million and plan to invest a further €36 million in developing the site as a custom-built student residential centre with an excess of 300 bedrooms. The company specialises in providing upmarket accommodation speciﬁcally for students

and has residential centres in three of London’s most soughtafter locations: Hoxton, King’s Cross and Tower Bridge. Residents are encouraged to actively socialise with one another, with

regular social events held at the Hoxton centre. Staff are permanently on hand to assist with tenants’ needs and perks include free broadband and the use of bicycles. Urbanest Australia runs

PAGE 29

The kids are all-right... kinda

By Liam Cahill he annual cost of living for students either at home or independent of it has increased since last year, according to a new survey titled DIT Campus Life’s Annual Cost of Living. It examined the cost of living for students and amenities such as food and transport costs. According to the survey, the annual cost of living away from home for students stands at €7,902 a modest rise from the 2012 survey. Students are being hit the hardest when it comes to paying rent, with the prices in the Dublin market rising by 4.5%. “Fewer students are able to get part-time work, and many families are struggling to support their children in college,” said Brian Gormley, Manager of DIT Campus Life, who also said a large number of students expressed being stressed by their financial situation. Despite the financial challenges facing college students, the overall living costs associated with going to University are less than 2008 (some €500 less according to DIT) and the renting situation isn’t as crazy as it was. Campus student offices, in many recognisable educational institutions in Dublin, offer a variety of help for those struggling, such as: financial advice, tuition payment plans and information on accessing student advisors. Many student offices provide information on a range of funding programs for students – such as SUSI – and have dedicated services and offices for mature students. According to DIT, the cost of basic amenities, including transport has increased significantly yearly – the monthly Hop ticket has seen a €6 increase and this does not include the cost of the Leap Card or other services. Food costs stand at €1,548 yearly, books and materials will cost €639 yearly and having a functional social life will cost a student €1,152. “A lot of students struggle financially,” said Patrick Clarke, a current UCD student studying Geography Planning and Environmental Policy. “Many are relying on college grants for rent money,” he said. Patrick lives in a relatively modern duplex not too far from the campus, where he commutes daily for classes. Despite the worrying statistics, there are always silver linings: SUSI – the Government’s college grant system – offers a grant to students which, depending on household income, will cover the cost of tuition and a monthly contribution towards living costs. similar centres in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide. According to Urbanest UK, up to 220 jobs will be created in the construction of the centre in the Docklands. The company hopes to acquire planning approval in time to allow work to begin early next year to facilitate the opening of the centre for the start of the 2015–2016 college year. Save for the two protected buildings at numbers four and five Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, the current site will be demolished. Estimating that there are approximately 70,000 students in attendance at Dublin’s various higher education institutes, Urbanest UK believes there is a

demand for their speciﬁc type of accommodation which isn’t being currently met in the city. Fine Gael Councillor Kieran Binchy has reservations about the development, fearing the size of the project could upset existing residents. “I welcome any proposal to make use of the site, which has been derelict for some years, but any development of the site must take into account that there is a settled residential community in the area, and must protect and improve the amenities of the area,” he said. “This proposal as currently formulated does not meet these criteria.” Picture supplied by Urbanest Uk

PAGE 30

BEATLES FANS TO COME TOGETHER

By Eric Hillis his year marks the 50th anniversary of the one and only Irish appearance of The Beatles, an event arguably second only to Handel’s Fishamble Street premiere of The Messiah in the history of live music in the city. The band played two sold-out shows on the evening of No-

vember 7th 1963, and, to mark the anniversary, The Dublin Beatles Festival will take place from Thursday 7th to Sunday 10th November. Festival organiser Stephen Kennedy tells NewsFour he’s had a lifelong obsession with the Liverpudlian quartet. In 2010, his play, Lennon V McCartney, was staged at Liverpool’s

Beatles Festival, inspiring him to create a similar event in Dublin. “Travelling to Beatles Festivals across Europe, I had met various tribute bands,” he says. “One band, Revolver, from Scotland, impressed me so much I brought them over for two shows in Whelan’s and The Workman’s Club.” When both shows sold out, Kennedy knew there was a huge demand for a Beatles Festival in Dublin. The Gresham Hotel was home to the band during their brief Dublin visit and this is where the festival will kick off, with the cast of tribute show Get Back performing the exact set of songs heard on that night in 1963. Other highlights include an appearance by the surviving

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

line-up of The Quarrymen, the band formed by schoolboy John Lennon in 1956, later boasting Paul McCartney and George Harrison among its members. As well as live music, the festival will feature memorabilia and art displays, plays and a table quiz, all held across a variety of city centre venues. Local legend has it that, following the Adelphi shows, The Beatles attended a late night par-

ty at an address in Ballsbridge. If any of our readers have any further information on this, please get in touch. For more information, visit www.dublinbeatlesfestival.com Pictured clockwise from top left: Festival organiser Stephen Kennedy at Liverpool’s Cavern Club; The Beatles arriving at Dublin Airport; The Beatles, as illustrated by Dublin artist Georgina Flood.

and make sure not to overdo it. No secret scarfing or guilty scoffing in the middle of the night. Make sure the food hits the sides, and taste everything correctly. Make water your preferred drink. Walk everywhere. Leek soup is prescribed for the two-day fast and cleanse. Get the two things that every French woman needs: a black polo neck and a decent bloke. Never lose sight of pleasure and don’t dream about entering a gym. Only Anglo-Saxon women bent on suffering do that. For one, they can never keep it up. Neither can they stand tall or move gracefully from all the self-defeat. Question de confiance! The most les femmes Fran-

cais will do is swim or cycle, and again, walk. Does this all sound smug and self-satisﬁed? Superieure, non? This is just normal standards for the author. Champagne is recommended before meals taken out. This comes naturally so long as you’ve been raised that way. The good news is that you can lose a few pounds just by contemplating this stuff. And with all the recipes, it’s highly practical, but hardly an actual diet book now, is it?

River Liffey’s run at Dublin Theatre Festival

By Emma Dwyer show in this year’s Dublin Theatre Festival features the Liffey as one of its main characters. “The Irish name for the Liffey is Life,” says Olwen Fouéré, writer, director and the only performer of Riverrun. “She is the river that flows through Dublin, she is also all the rivers of the world, including our body’s bloodstream.” Adapted from James Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake in which the Liffey is embodied in the voice of Anna Livia Plurabelle, the show can be seen from October 2nd to 6th at Project Arts Centre, Dublin. Fouéré has always been interested in the language of Finnegan’s Wake as potential material for performance. Two years ago, when in Sydney, Australia, she gave a reading from it. “I read the last page, where the river dissolves into the ocean, and I knew there and then, in the middle of the reading that something extraordinary was happening and the voice of the river would be my next project.” She began working with the idea, researching and carving her own journey through the text. Having gathered a team of collaborators together, they performed various readings in Dublin, Paris, Lyon and Galway during the two years of its development. Each performance continues to be different, depending on the location, audience or the way it flows on the night. Joyce wrote this, his final book, in Paris over a period of 17 years. It was published in 1939, two years before the author’s death. A notoriously difficult book, Finnegan’s Wake is a linguistic journey, a place where language loses meaning and instead becomes a “sound dance”. So does one need to have read Joyce’s work to enjoy the play NewsFour asked Olwen, “Absolutely not. In fact, not knowing it may even be the best way to experience the performance.” This year’s Dublin Theatre Festival will run from 26 September to 13 October. Tickets can be booked at www.dublintheatrefestival.com Above: Olwen Fouéré. Photo by Ros Kavanagh.

BOOKS French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano

Reviewed by Nessa Jennings here’s deﬁnitely a feelgood factor about this book. It’s full of recipes for dishes typically enjoyed by the author from the Alsace Region of France, with no nutrient breakdown or calorie counting. Preparation instructions – complicated enough, bear no real clue as to the alchemy performed in the cuisine Français. No matter, it’s still consoling to believe how fantastic life can be, how full, how varied. As for the food it’s plentiful, fresh and ﬁlling. Use the eyes and the nose to double the apparent, but not actual consumption (small plates s’il vous plaît). Mentally carry around a balance sheet of up to seven-day blocks of time, keeping it real

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

OPEN HOUSE FOR GOOGLE AND RTÉ

By Emma Dwyer ne of the best companies to work for or one that will slowly take over your life by feeding, watering and exercising you all whilst on the clock? This is one of the questions often asked about Google who have their headquarters on nearby Barrow Street, locally known as ‘The Google Belt’. The newly constructed 14-storey Google Docks will feature as part of this year’s Open House Dublin, which runs from Friday 4th to Sunday 6th October 2013. The programme will feature 100 great buildings, with the tag line: ‘from the obvious to the overlooked’. Of those 100, four are in Dublin 4. Designed by DEWG in conjunction with O’Mahony Pike architects, Google Docks is the tallest commercial building in Dublin and makes up part of Google’s European HQ campus on Barrow Street. Each of the

FILMS THE IRISH PUB Reviewed by Eric Hillis

howing in Irish cinemas from October 4th, Alex Fegan’s documentary takes a wry look at that great national institution – The Irish Pub. Many ﬁlm-makers tackling this subject would likely focus on the history of such establishments and their place in the modern world, but Fegan isn’t interested in simply giving his viewers a lecture. Instead, he steps back and allows his lead-

14 levels of the building has a different theme based on Google’s functions and policies. The offices are way more than just small cubicles, with a gym, alternative working spaces, informal meeting spaces and 360 degree views of Dublin. The public will be able to see the offices of one of the most intriguing companies, without having to do three or four interviews to secure a job there. Another first for the Open House Dublin programme is nearby RTÉ, designed by Scott Tallon Walker architects which was constructed in 1960 by Messrs. E. Stone & Sons Ltd. from Thorncastle Street in Ringsend. In 2009 RTÉ announced its long-term plans for the redevelopment of the entire Donnybrook site to replace most of the current 1960s and 1970s buildings there. This will be an opportunity to access the private grounds and see them as they stand today. Opening its doors again this ing men and women – the landlords, bar workers and patrons – to take centre stage and tell their, often hilarious, stories. There’s no voice-over narration and little in the way of traditional structure. Most of the film sees a static camera set up directly in front of the bar, allowing the characters, on both sides of the bar, room to entertain. And entertain they do. Taking a visit to most of these establishments serves as an alternative to a night out at a comedy club, as the landlords, most of them with a lifetime of experience in the trade, spin all manner of humorous yarns. You can sense some of these characters are twisting the truth somewhat,

PAGE 31 year is Donnybrook Bus Garage. Built in 1952 the construction was designed by Michael Scott with the Danish engineer Ove Arup and as such is part of our architectural canon in Ireland, yet would be more of the overlooked variety. Also returning to the programme is Residence de France at 53 Ailesbury Road, Ballsbridge. Home to the French Ambassador since the 1930s, this will be an opportunity to voyeuristically see how the other half live. Last year NewsFour featured Open House Dublin in our October issue and many of our readers complained that when we went to print most of the tours of buildings, locally and beyond, were booked up. NewsFour spoke to the Director of Irish Architecture Foundation Nathalie Weadick – who runs Open House Dublin – to see if this issue had been addressed. “Most buildings are open access across the weekend, which means all you need to do is turn up. To avoid disappointment, make sure you check the list of buildings to ﬁnd out what buildings are open and at what times. We have removed the pre-booking system but a small percentage of buildings are preallocated through a lottery, and everyone can register for the lottery from the 4th of September on www.architecturefoundation.ie/openhouse.” Google HQ, above, and Donnybrook Bus Garage.

SCREAMS ON SCREENS

By Eric Hillis very October bank holiday weekend, for the past 12 years, hordes of horror movie fans have flocked to the Irish Film Institute, like zombies in search of fresh brains. The reason is Horrorthon, an annual festival celebrating all that’s great and gruesome about the horror genre. When Horrorthon premiered in 1998, it was a one-day event, held on one screen. Due to increasing popularity, recent years have seen it greatly expand. This year’s festival will run for five days, from Thursday 24th to Monday 28th October, across several of the institute’s screens. The early years saw the festival dominated by screenings of classic films (including rare 35mm prints of classics like Halloween, The Thing and Jaws), but Horrorthon has gained such international respect that most of the films featured now are brand new, with several world or European premieres taking place over recent years. There are other cult genres, such as blaxploitation, thrillers and movies that are so bad they’re fascinating, like Plan Nine From Outer Space, considered the worst film ever made. Big names from the horror world have attended the fest, including Ruggero Deodato (director of the highly controversial Cannibal Holocaust), Michael Biehn (star of Aliens) and last year’s guest of honour, scream queen Danielle Harris, best known for her roles in the Halloween series, who screened her directorial debut, Amongst Friends. These may not be household names (unless your household resembles The Addams Family) but they’re icons to fans of the horror genre. This year’s festival will be dedicated to Peter Walsh, the late IFI programmer who originally took a chance on allowing the festival to take place at the institute. The line-up will be announced in early October and can be found online at www.ifi.ie or www.horrorthon.com. Tickets are available individually or in the form of day or weekend passes, and the organisers advise booking early to avoid disappointment. Pictured above is ‘Scream Queen’ Danielle Harris, last year’s guest of honour.

but that’s all part of the fun (to quote from that great western, The Man who Shot Liberty Valance, “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” There are anecdotes you sense have been told over

and over, honed to perfection by expert storytellers. Some of them you may have heard in another variation, as these yarns tend to travel the length of the land, but they’re all thoroughly entertaining.

Fegan’s film has a real anarchic feel, reflecting the logistical nightmare of filming in such establishments. Rather than smoothly editing down the various anecdotes, Fegan presents his footage in a raw, unpolished way. Landlords have their stories constantly interrupted by impatient drinkers demanding another pint, passersby wishing to discuss the results of “the match” and even mischievous kids. If you’ve ever wondered where the phrase “going for a jar” came from, or just what the original purpose of an enclosed snug was, The Irish Pub has the answers, along with a whole lot of entertainment.

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NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

REAL

HORROR VERSUS REEL HORROR

By Eric Hillis or most of us, a trip to the cinema is an escape from reality, a chance to put your worries on hold for 90 minutes. The horror film often provides the greatest release, giving us the adrenalin rush of a rollercoaster ride. Being terrified shouldn’t be a state we actively seek out, yet while other cinematic genres come and go, horror has been consistently successful through the decades. The most successful horror movies are often those which tap into timely societal fears, feeding them back to the audience through a filter of shadow and fog. The first successful wave of Hollywood horror came in the early thirties. With the US plunged into depression following the stock market crash of 1929, Americans began to grow hostile towards the immigrants who had been arriving en masse since the turn of the century, fearing the extra competition for scarcely available jobs. Three of the biggest horror movies of the time, Dracula, The Mummy and King Kong, feature villains arriving from foreign locales to wreak havoc and have their wicked way with fair-haired American actresses. In the fifties, Britain was experiencing simi-

lar mass immigration and, once again, it was Dracula and The Mummy terrorising audiences, now courtesy of Hammer films. The real-life trauma of the Second World War meant the production of horror films was largely halted during the 1940s, as movie producers (naively?) assumed audiences would rather indulge in lighter fare. By the fifties, however, horror was back in a big way, this time preying on the tensions of ‘The Cold War’ and the fear of communism. Both Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Invaders From Mars feature residents of small-town America having their personalities stolen, becoming mindless drones whose sole purpose is to serve an invading alien race. With the threat of nuclear war lingering in the air, B-Movie producers gave audiences a host of films featuring giant creatures, usually the result of exposure to radiation and secret military tests. American towns and cities were attacked by giant ants (Them), giant spiders (Tarantula) and even a giant housewife (Attack of the 50 Foot Woman). Across the Pacific, with the memory of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki attacks still fresh, Tokyo was being destroyed, this time by Gojira, (or Godzilla as the creature became known to western audiences).

By the early seventies, America was deeply embroiled in the Vietnam War with victory seeming less likely with every day. On a nightly basis, Americans were exposed to graphic news reports detailing the latest US defeat. It’s no coincidence then that horror hits like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Deliverance and The Hills Have Eyes feature protagonists (usually ‘city folk’) who find themselves out of their depth and terrorised by natives (usually ‘rednecks’) in an unfamiliar and hostile locale (rural Texas, backwoods Georgia, the Arizona desert). The 1978 Oscar-winning drama Coming Home dealt with the struggle of returning Vietnam vets in readjusting to civilian life. The ‘slasher’ genre came to prominence at this time and the most common plotline involved a young man returning to his hometown after a prolonged absence with killing on his mind. This can be seen in the film that kicked off the cycle, John Carpenter’s Halloween and many of its imitators. In the 1980s, America was experiencing an economic boom and horror film-makers were keen to expose the unsteady foundations this new-found wealth was built on. In Poltergeist, a young middle-class family fall victim to malevolent spirits after discovering their suburban dream-home was built on top of a Native American burial ground. Dawn of the Dead has its heroes shack up in a huge shopping mall to avoid the hordes of zombies lurking outside; a thinly disguised comment

on class divisions and consumerism. The real-life terror of the AIDS virus was reflected in two of the biggest horror films of the 80s. The Thing features an alien parasite that moves from body to body with deadly consequences, while The Fly has Jeff Goldblum’s body decaying in a dramatic and shocking manner. With American troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, the 00s saw a repeat of the type of horror films seen during the Vietnam War. Movies like Hostel, Turistas and The Human Centipede have young Americans terrorised while visiting foreign lands in a sub-genre often referred to as ‘torture porn’. The current trend in horror re-

volves around haunted houses (Paranormal Activity, The Possession, The Conjuring). This can be read as a reflection of the fear many mortgage holders have of literally losing the roof over their heads in this economic climate. To counter the old question of “Why not just leave the house?” these films usually include a scene in which the family are told the spirits will follow them, like bad debt. The next time you’re enjoying a horror film, ask yourself if it’s an escape from reality, or a reflection of it. Clockwise from top: King Kong (1933); Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956); The Conjuring (2013).

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

AUTHOR IN PROFILE: CHARLES LYSAGHT

By Ruth Kennedy uilt on reclaimed land, and located on the Strand Road in Merrion, the home of Charles Lysaght – historian, biographer, barrister and obituary writer, is steeped in history. The social and geographical landscape of the area has changed since Charles’ childhood – Leveret and Frye in Sandymount have been replaced by Tesco, Mr De Valera no longer strides up and down the strand on his daily visit from nearby Booterstown, but for him the past is everywhere alive in Merrion. A lot of the houses and roads are exactly the way they were when Charles was a child. The people are different however, “I suppose the social composition has changed, it’s become completely a middle class or upper middle class area. When I was growing up there were big houses and ‘artisan dwellings’, there was a better mix of people, and everyone knew each other.” Reclamation in the area started in the 1700s, and stretched as far inland as Donnybrook. One of four regency villas was built in the mid-19th century by the O’Brien family (of Johnson Mooney and O’Brien fame). The house had been lived in by a succession of people, including former chief of staff of the IRA Dr Andy Cooney in the 1930s. During Cooney’s time there, a court martial of Sean Russell was held in the house by Sean McBride, then chief of staff of the IRA.

Given that his family home is steeped in such prestige, is it any wonder that Charles would dedicate a significant amount of his life to history. After graduating from UCD, he went on to study in Cambridge University, where he became president of the Cambridge Union, beating Vince Cable (currently a Liberal Democrat minister in the British government) in the election to be head of the famous college debating society. During his time in London, Charles was asked by The Times of London to write obituaries of prominent Irish people. At any given time he has about a dozen ready to go, or in the process of being researched. Obituaries are never signed, and Charles explained that it gives the writer more freedom to give a more rounded picture of a life. In conjunction with The Times of London, Charles edited a collection of obituaries, many of them written by himself, called Great Irish Lives. The book covers The Times obituaries of Irish politicians, artists and literary figures stretching from Henry Grattan to Nuala O’Faolain. The anonymity of an obituary writer not only gives the writer freedom, but also some authority, according to Charles. He says occasionally relatives can be annoyed at what is written. “There is a great culture of the gushing eulogy in Ireland. We may not speak well of the living but we speak well of the

PAGE 33 dead – a gushing eulogy does nobody any justice as we are all ‘light and shade’.” I asked Charles what he would like to see in his own obituary. He said he is often asked that question, but that he simply doesn’t know and says he hasn’t thought of it much. “I sometimes think I should write it to help them out!” Charles says that unlike the people he writes about, his own life has not changed the course of history. “I have lived a life on the sidelines, commenting on things.” Charles Lysaght has spent much of his writing life recording the lives of people who have made history. While lecturing in law at London University, Lysaght became interested in the mysterious life of Brendan Bracken and went on to write a biography of the Irishman who became the most trusted colleague and great friend of Winston Churchill. Brendan Bracken was the son of a Tipperary stonemason. His father was a republican and one of the founders of the GAA. Brendan’s mother sent what the Old Limerick Journal in an article entitled Brendan Bracken – The Emergence of an Imperialist called “her troublesome son” to Australia as a teenager. He found his way back to England some years later. He talked his way into a British public school by telling people that he was an orphaned Australian whose parents had died in a bush fire. He worked as a journalist and went on to become an MP and was spin doctor for Winston Churchill during the war – although the term had not been invented. Because of their closeness, and their shared red hair, there were always rumours that Bracken was Churchill’s son. Churchill reportedly said many times that he wished it was true – much to the annoyance of his actual son, Randolph. It is to Lysaght’s credit that Bracken’s biography was written at all. Bracken had left orders that his personal papers be destroyed after his death. It took his driver Alexander Aley a full week to burn the documents. Charles explains Bracken’s contrary attitude in his biography: “… his sense of past was not accompanied by a reverence for the materials out of which history is made.”

Could you be the next Catherine Cookson?

riters’ groups are wonderful for providing encouragement and support but participants don’t always receive the direction or more critical evaluation they might feel their work needs. I belong to a writer’s group that meets every week in St Andrews Resource Centre on Friday mornings but we have all become such good friends that there is rarely a critical eyebrow raised when we read out our work. So that is why I signed up for a course in the People’s College last year and found it both entertaining and useful. I’m not in the league of Maeve Binchy yet but I’m still trying. Susan Knight (Ph.D) runs the Introduction to Creative Writing course which is aimed primarily at people who want to write but don’t quite know how to get started. It takes place on Thursday mornings from 10.30am to 12.00pm commencing 10th October or there is an evening course on Tuesdays from 6.15pm to 7.45pm commencing 8th October. The cost for the ten week course is €70. Ann Ingle PEOPLE’S COLLEGE 31 Parnell Square Dublin 1 Tel: 01 873 5879 Email: info@peoplescollege.ie

Sean and Elaine renew their marriage vows Journalist Ruth Kennedy was invited along to the recent Beech Hill Gathering event in Donnybrook on the 1st of September, where she got this great shot of a gorgeous young couple, Sean and Elaine Timlin. They had a spontaneous renewal of their marriage commitment in the gazebo in the middle of the football pitch. Sean had lost his ring so a new one was bought. One of the local priests gave the happy couple a blessing causing great excitement for all the generations of Beech Hill residents who shared the special day.

Ringsend Active Retirement visits Newbridge Ringsend Active Retirement group would like to thank the Ringsend and Irishtown Community Centre for providing the transport on their recent visit to Newbridge Silverware in Kildare. A great day was had by all. Left to right: A. Holgraine, O. Farrell, R. Behan, C. McGee, G. Ramatour, A. Heavey, R. Donnelly, M. Dent, M. Montgomery, B. Downey, B. Flynn, F. McDonnell.

PAGE 34

POET IN PROFILE SPECIAL:

SEAMUS HEANEY

By Ruairi Conneely y original intent for this month’s Poet in Profile was seasonal – I was on the lookout for a writer of Hallowe’en or spooky poems, someone with a whiff of brimstone in their work for this corner of the year. And then, abruptly Seamus Heaney died. Nobel laureate, lecturer, translator, Heaney was a towering influence of modern letters. His career spanned decades, from the early sixties in Belfast, where he began to write and publish his poetry in his spare time, to the publication of his last collection The Human Chain in 2010 and his donation of his personal literary archive to the National Library in late 2011. Personally admired by those who encountered him, if not universally lauded within the contentious world of poets and their critics, Seamus Heaney was – and still is – a figure that three generations of poets have had to define themselves in relation to. NewsFour reached out to some verse-smiths to hear their thoughts on the late poet. The first port of call was our previous Poet in Profile, Noel Duffy. In the lengthy interview conducted for that article, Noel mentioned Heaney frequently as a formative influence. He was happy to expand further, “I started to write just out of college, around 1993, and at first I was writing very impressionistic stuff, putting down my feelings. Then the poet Pat Boran introduced me to Heaney’s collection Seeing Things. After that, it really clicked with me that poems have to have concrete images. That was a penny-drop moment for me.” Heaney was at times criticised for a perceived evasiveness around issues of Irish sovereignty and the North, his supposed refusal to take a side or address the matter at length in his written work. However, Noel invites the curious to consider the 1975 collection North. “The language in these poems is almost entirely stripped of the Latinate elements of English. It’s very Anglo-Saxon, curt and guttural, and the subjects are tribalism and Iron Age ritual killings. Punishment in particular, has resonances with the Troubles, which were at a frenzied peak around the time of publication.” “But,” Noel adds, “the first and last poems of the collection Moss Bawn and The Singing School are about civility and subtle shows of mutual respect. That seems significant to me.” Further afield, NewsFour contacted Patrick Chapman, poet and screenwriter, whose most recent collection A Promiscuity of Spines: New and Selected Poems is available now from Salmon Press. “I met him briefly once at a reading he gave, and he was lovely. My only anecdote is oblique. Back in 1995, my then-girlfriend and I were in line to check in at Dublin Airport when we saw Seamus and his wife ahead of us. The Heaneys, we read later, were bound for Greece. That was the holiday they were on when his Nobel win was announced. I like the idea of that: being away on a remote island when Oslo calls you up. It seems fitting for a poet.” Regarding the work, Patrick highlighted the poem Mid-Term Break as a personal favourite and a crucial influence. “It stirred something in me as a child, my first intimations of mortality, and the power of language. There seemed to be no difference between the medium of the poem and the reality it imparted.” In Sandymount, reaction to Heaney’s death has been sincere, although for many the man was hardly a constant face about town. Joycean and poet Rodney Devitt expressed regret that he and Heaney’s paths never crossed, and felt it notable that such a celebrity was content to be a quiet presence. Rodney’s favourite is probably the most famous of all, 1966’s Death of a Naturalist. In Sandymount, Heaney’s collections of poetry are selling strongly, according to proprietor Brian O’Brien of Books on the Green, with new print runs on the way. If you’ve never read Heaney, or it’s been a while, now might be the moment to rediscover this literary icon.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

FAIRE MAKES GOOD

By Ruairi Conneely aire by name and fair by nature, the Dublin Mini-Maker Faire took place during the summer at the Science Gallery on Pearse St, and on the Physics Lawn of Trinity College. This was the second annual faire of its type, intended to showcase homebrew engineering know-how and introduce young and old to the skills and possibilities of what is known as ‘Maker Culture’. The Maker movement is a type of DIY culture based on using engineering skills to play with – and often re-purpose established technologies. The widespread use of devices such as smartphones and mp3 players has created a need for a layman’s understanding of what is often very technical knowledge. This, and the natural curiosity of engineers, has led to unexpected innovation, with DIY techies creating

MAEVE’S TIMES Edited by former NewsFour journalist Roisin Ingle

viable commercial products almost by accident. The turnout at the Faire was large and the proceedings had a village green feel, with a future-oriented edge that revealed itself on closer inspection of the marquee tents housing the exhibitors. All the exhibitors were running heavily-subscribed free workshops. TOG – the Dublin Hackerspace, a creative workshop based in Chancery Lane hosted basic How to Solder lessons where visitors constructed the circuitry for their own ﬂashing LED badges and the Physics in the Field tent hosted Paper Glider and Cardboard tube Rocket seminars. An array of foot-pumps lined the cricket pitch of the Physics lawn for the periodic test launches. The practical skills on display ranged from the high-tech to the very ancient. In the latter category, Galway-based sculptor Donnacha

BOOKS

Reviewed by Emma Dwyer n Maeve Binchy’s ﬁrst outing as a journalist with The Irish Times she reported on the wedding of Prince Charles’ sister Anne to Captain Mark Phillips at Westminster Abbey. Rather than the po-faced royal family treatment, Maeve went all out with lines like “The bride looked as edgy as if it were the Badminton Horse Trials and she was waiting for the bell to gallop off.” Her break with tradition did not go down well with some readers, who expressed their concern with her sense of humour on the letters to the editor page. Though some people let themselves laugh, including a man from Listowel who wrote “When Maeve Binchy stops contributing to your paper I’ll stop buying it. May she live forever!” Sadly, she did not live forever

and passed away in July 2012. In a tribute to the much-missed, muchloved, and extremely successful author Maeve Binchy, The Irish Times – together with Orion Publishing and Hachette Books Ireland – have produced Maeve’s Times.

Cahill demonstrated metalworking with forge, hammer and anvil. He ﬁelded questions about creating his sculptures in metal, some of which were on display. One example was a snarling metal Doberman (a version of which can be seen on exiting the Arrivals lounge of Dublin Airport). Another was an impressively-horned ram. More contemporary was the Fabrication Zone tent. Arguably the star attractions there were the 3D Printers, which constructed wholepiece models (such as a hard plastic Statue of Liberty) layer by layer. The Fabrication Zone also hosted a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine: very ﬁnely controlled sculpting tools operated by a design-assisting computer. The result was a ‘desktop fabrication mill’ that could produce a whole machine, piece by piece, on spec, based on designs fed into the computer.

Above: PBRobots, a selection of robots made from found parts. Below: Donnacha Cahill, sculptor.

This collection of Maeve Binchy’s Irish Times journalism includes Maeve’s ﬁrst and last-ever piece of writing for The Irish Times and many in-between. She wrote for the newspaper from the sixties to the noughties. Before joining the staff of The Irish Times in 1968, she hadn’t intended becoming a journalist. Without her knowing, her dad sent the letters she had written home in to newspapers and the Irish Independent were impressed enough to commission her. This was followed by Binchy’s ﬁrst published book, a compilation of her newspaper articles titled My First Book published in 1970 but now out of print. Roisín Ingle, Irish Times columnist and former NewsFour journalist, selected the new collection with Mary Maher as editorial consultant. With an introduction written by Maeve’s husband, the writer Gordon Snell, this brings her oeuvre full circle and reminds us why we miss this writer so much.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

FIERY DRAGONS TAKE OVER DOCKLANDS

By Liam Cahill undreds of paddlers ﬂocked to Grand Canal Dock on the 14th and 15th of September to take part in the Annual Dublin Dragon Boat Regatta. The event has built up a cult following locally as a competitive race that promotes team building and athleticism. “As a sport, it’s not only competitive; but it’s also very sociable and great fun too. What’s more, it’s very inclusive – people of all ages, abilities and ﬁtness levels have a go,” said Julie Doyle, the Chairwoman of the Irish Dragon Boat Association (IDBA). Organised by the IDBA in conjunction with Waterways Ireland and the Plurabelle Paddlers, it boasted a turnout of a few hundred. Similar races are also held worldwide which, according to the IDBA, boast a participation rate of 50 million.

This year participants were split into categories: U18s, International, and a Breast Cancer category which featured the local Plurabelle Paddlers – Ireland’s ﬁrst breast cancer sup-

port dragon boat team who are based in Grand Canal Dock. “It was a hectic but fun couple of days,” said Fiona Tiernan, founder of the Plurabelle Paddlers. “People turned up in fancy dress, we had a prize for the wackiest team outﬁt.” The sport originated from China as a way to train for naval warfare. The boat consists of a gondola style set-up with a crew of 22 people including a drummer who ensures the paddlers are sticking to an even pace by playing a loud drum from the front of the ship. Proceeds for the event will go towards the development of Plurabelle Paddlers and the promotion of dragon boat racing across Ireland.

Pictured: Passing under the Pearse Street Bridge.

FLIGHT PATH

By Eric Hillis n the blustery afternoon of Sunday, September 15th, the River Liffey was transformed into a ﬂight path for a variety of aircraft, both vintage and modern, for Flight Fest, a Gathering event organised by the Irish Aviation Authority in association with Dublin City Council. Despite heavy winds, the event went ahead without a hitch, and a crowd of over 130,000 lined the Liffey, from the East Link Bridge to the Talbot Memorial Bridge, with another 40,000 viewing an online stream, making it the biggest event of this nature ever staged.

Over 30 planes and helicopters from around the world flew at low level over the river, providing a rare chance to see such aircraft in flight at such a close proximity. The aircraft ranged from commercial airliners to military craft, spanning World War II to the present day. Vintage World War II planes involved included a United States Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress and a Royal Canadian Air Force Catalina Flying Boat PBY-5A, both of which are based at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, England. Ireland’s Air Corps provided several ﬂy-pasts, including a quartet of Pilatus PC-9 (small

aircraft used in the training of pilots) ﬂying in formation. A variety of commercial airlines contributed to the event with planes from Aer Lingus, British Airways, Ryanair, Etihad and others on display. As well as planes, several helicopters were on show, including the Sikorsky S61, a craft primarily used on oil-rigs, and a trio of Aer Corps’ AW139’s, used for transport and air ambulance missions. The event was rounded off with an appearance by the giant British Airways Airbus A380, the world’s largest commercial aircraft. Photo: Air Corp Casa group.

PAGE 35

THE NEWSFOUR CROSSWORD COMPILED BY GEMMA BYRNE

20 21

28 29 30

Name:…………………………… Telephone:………………… Address:………………………………………………………… Prize of a €25 book token. Post entries to NewsFour, RICC, Thorncastle Street, Ringsend, D.4 by 22th November 2013. Winner of our August/September crossword competition was Samantha McGreer, Sandymount, Dublin 4. ACROSS 1) Celebration of beer in the 10th month (11) 7) Gearwheel (3) 9) Forefathers (9) 10) Insinuate (5) 11) Forest clearing (5) 12) Egg shapes (5) 13) Poem dedicated to a doe? (3) 14) Desire (4) 17) German supermarket (4) 18) Haulage vehicle over 3.5 tonnes (1,1,1) 19) Shed a tear (3) 21) Kidnap (6) 23) Deadly (5) 24) Untruth (3) 25) Income/proﬁt from business (7) 26) Climbing evergreen plant (3) 28) Multinational music company which folded in 2012 (1,1,1) 29) Biblical garden (4) 30) World renowned baby photographer, Anne ______ (6) 31) Seasonally affected or just unhappy? (3) DOWN 2) Small sticks for lighting ﬁres (8) 3) Later than expected (7) 4) Wild and uncontrolled (7) 5) Overwhelmed with joy (8) 6) A symptom of dehydration (6) 8) Viscous, clear, sweet liquid used in baking and pharmaceuticals (9) 13) Responsibilities (11) 15) A person removed from a dangerous place (7) 16) Subtracting (9) 18) Negotiating a bargain (8) 20) Those forced to leave their country to seek safety (8) 22) Laughed like a witch (7) 27) Court these 3 feet (4)

PAGE 36

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

THE PURDY-CURRAN CHRONICLES

By Jimmy Purdy few months ago I was watching the TV programme C o u n t r y f i l e when a picture flashed up on the screen of a German U-boat covered in mud on the seabed. I think it was from the 191418 war and it was being shown on air for the first time. Then the programme showed a convoy of ships leaving Liverpool for America. These ships were keeping Britain going through trade. As a young boy living in Ringsend, I often heard conversations about the 1914-18 war. I always knew my father was in the Royal Navy because he kept a British war medal in a glass case on the tallboy in his bedroom. Ireland was under British rule then, so to seek work in England would have been normal at the time. As recently as eight years ago, I discovered that my father’s logbook was kept in the family home in Whelan House in Ringsend and showed entries from the Great War. This prompted me to

investigate my family’s history because, as a young boy, I was not allowed to ask questions and I never got any answers when I did. I started by looking in the National Library of Ireland. My great-grandfather was a shipwright and the sea was in our blood from the time the family lived at number 4 Bridge Street, Ringsend in the 1800s. The house is still there. I don’t have much more information on my great-grandparents but their son, my grandfather John Purdy, who was also a seaman, married Margaret Moore from Bath Avenue and they had ﬁve children, maybe six; Peter, Richard (my father), James, and two infants Mary and James (both died when a few months old) and there was a John who was in the 1901 Census but that’s all the information I found. At the time, it would appear that my grandfather was working in the Dublin Port and Docks Board as a night watchman on one of the Piling Fleet. I discovered that he went on watch on the 11th October 1924 and was reported missing the next morning. His body was found at Clontarf foreshore on October 24th. I discovered the coroner’s report in the National Library with the help of a good friend. After some more investigation I found the newspaper clipping (pictured) relating to his death. My own father Richard (Dick) Purdy joined the Royal Navy giving his age as 17, when he was in fact only 15. This was done by a lot of men during this terrible war. While it is recorded in his logbook that he was born in

1896, his official birth cert states that he was born on the 6th June 1899, which confirms my theory about his age on enrolment. He was listed as a fireman and later as a trimmer in his logbook. Records show that he served on a ship called SS Kenrane Head Belfast which docked in Dublin on January 18th 1921. According to his logbook he received the British Star medal for service in 1914–15 and the Chevron medal in 1914. He also received the Victory medal. Unfortunately, none of these medals are in my possession. My father got his discharge from the Royal Navy in Belfast on the 18th of March, 1921. I believe he came home to Ireland then because things were changing there and Ireland was close to becoming the Free State. In the 1901 Census his family lived in Shaw’s Lane, Sandymount. They also lived for some time, after he

returned to Ireland, in Thorncastle Street, Ringsend. Throughout his career, his work and character is entered in the logbook as “very good”. During The Emergency 1939–45 he was enlisted in the Irish Navy and after that war went back to his job in the Dublin Port and Dock Board. My father married my mother Margaret Curran in Westland Row Church on the 30th of April 1924. Her brother Henry Curran was also involved in the First World War. In the 1901 Census Henry was eight years of age. My mother’s family moved from Kerry to Scotland for what reason I do not know but at one point they lived at 2 Great Clarence Street, D u blin. Uncle Henry was living in Glasgow when he enlisted in the

King’s Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB) 6th Battalion. His rank was Private. He was killed in action in 1917, aged 24. My reason for writing this is that a picture of him hung on the wall of the main room at 28a Whelan House, Ringsend. At family gatherings, when I was a very young child, aunts and uncles would talk about not knowing where he was buried. My mother died still unaware. I think during the Second World War 11 men were identified by their dog tags when their unmarked grave was destroyed by shell fire in Tees Trench Cemetery No 2, Tilloy British Cemetery, Tilloy-Les-Mofflaines, France. These were the men of the 6th Battalion KOSB and one of the eleven was my mother’s brother Henry. Medals Awarded to Uncle Henry were the British War Medal and Victory Medal. In this, my old age, I am happy to write this family history for my mother and my granny Curran who, in their reward in heaven, now know the story. I am proud too of what my father achieved. There must be lots of similar stories out there. You’re never too old to find out about your family history and you’d be surprised how accessible information is these days. The photos featured were only discovered since I started to write this article. Clockwise from top left: Newspaper clipping relating to grandfather John Purdy’s death; unknown man standing, Richard Purdy seated (wearing the Royal Navy uniform); Margaret and Richard Purdy (Dick wearing the Irish Navy uniform); Uncle Henry’s grave is the last one on the right alongside the wall; Uncle Henry.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

By Eric Murphy s with all things in life, Shelbourne Park has changed s o m e w h a t throughout the years. The former football ground, beside the Dodder River, is now better known for the noble sport of greyhound racing than goal scoring. Yet this sport has brought about its own changes to the Ringsend venue. For almost a quarter of a century, Doc O’Connor has been regularly tic tacking, a language of hand and arm movements used to signal changing odds in trackside betting – the tracks of Dublin’s greyhound circuits. Trackside bookmaking is something Doc (or “The Doc” as he is known locally) has always wanted to do. “I’ve loved the excitement and thrill of it since I was a young fella,” states the now 60-year-old. A familiar face at horse racing festivals in Galway, Leopardstown and The Curragh, the Ringsend native feels that, since the Celtic Tiger years, changes imposed by the country’s gambling legislators have become overly severe. “They brought in all these new regulations where you have to pay for everything,” Doc says, “Even if you didn’t go to meetings, you’d have to pay to keep your stall.” The economic downturn has resulted in Doc scaling down his business interests following a massive fall in revenue. At the height of the Celtic Tiger, Doc had seven-ﬁgure annual turnovers, which he says quickly fell once recession hit. “I bought a pitch (stall) a good few years ago and sold it for the same €90,000 I’d paid for it,” he says, “You’d be lucky if you got €10,000 today with the way the business has gone.” Recent redevelopments at Shelbourne Park and Harold’s Cross haven’t been favourable for the trackside bookies. The stands at the renovated greyhound stadium have been redeveloped to cater for more upmarket clients,

BARKING

PAGE 37

MAD? CRICKET, LOVELY CRICKET

By Liam Cahill

o celebrate the Gathering, Pembroke Cricket Club held a reunion for its past members in May. The event in-

cluded a gala dinner and a memorabilia exhibition in

the club’s grounds. The organisers requested that members

bring old photographs or other items from the club’s history in a bid to celebrate its past.

At the event that day was Brian Brady, a man now in his

70s, who has been a member of the club since 1948. He gave the club old photographs to display at their event and used the time to reminisce about why he loved cricket so much. groups and families. New features include package deals for group bookings, along with family-orientated evenings. The new enticements to pull in the crowds include silver-service style dining, with complimentary tableside betting facilities. Punters don’t even have to worry about the weather, as races are televised live and broadcast to monitors around the glass-housed stand. “That was the downfall for me, really,” Doc says, “Families are now bringing their kids because they don’t have to hire babysitters, so they can have a meal and a few drinks.” Other than the fact he was born and bred in Ringsend, Doc believes there was a major personal preference to Shel-

bourne over Dublin’s other big greyhound stadium at Harold’s Cross. “The short distance to travel was hugely beneﬁcial during the good days,” he says, “Your pitch was in competition against other bookies, so the bigger race cards meant you had to get to Shelbourne earlier, but in later years there were just three of us there.” Doc notes a distinct difference between Shelbourne and the Harold’s Cross track. “Shelbourne is for Dublin people, in so far as it’s Dublin dogs and Dublin trainers,” he says, “Harold’s Cross tends to be more countrywide.” Settling into retirement for Doc O’Connor appears easy, but he admits he does “miss it big time”. He recalls one practice that happened a number of times while trackside, when a couple of paid lads could fix a race by throwing clothing at leading dogs as they approached the turns. “Things like that were gas, although not for the owners or backers,” he says, “I do miss it.” Above: Paul Sharpe of the Bernard Barry Firm signals 8-1 in Tic Tac Langauge. Left: And they’re off!

“I have a long-standing attachment to cricket,” said Bri-

an. “I lived near three cricket clubs; YMCA, Merrion and

Pembroke and I remember a cup match between Merrion and

Pembroke at Anglesea Road when Pembroke scored 330, with young Stan Bergin and Ciaran O’Maille batting down the order and bowler ‘Spud’ Murphy scoring 87.”

Brian’s history with Cricket began when he was a student

at both Willow Park School and Blackrock College where he captained the U14s. During the summer of 1948, he mentioned to a friend, Paddy Dempsey, how much he was going

to miss school cricket now that the term was over. Paddy remarked how he knew friends in Pembroke Cricket Club and this opened the door for him to join.

“I was hooked. I also made several new friends and it was

the start of a love of the game. India with Vinoo Mankad and

Australia’s Bradman were the initial heroes and highlights,” said Brian.

Pembroke Cricket Club was founded in 1868, located at

Sydney Parade on Park Avenue near Sandymount. The club

has six men’s teams and three ladies’ teams, all with equal

amounts of success including wins at the Leinster Senior Cup in 1935 and on twelve occasions since. In 1948, and with the

London Olympics kicking off, the buzz of the event was starting to have an effect on Brian’s squad members.

“We invented our own Olympics with a burning bean tin

stuffed with oily rags. We hung them on the rugby posts at the Wilfield Road end and the marathon was to run all around Sandymount,” said Brian.

The gathering event offered Brian a chance to shed a new

light on what the game was like in days gone by.

PAGE 38

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

ST PATRICK’S CYFC UPDATE

By David Nolan elcome to our first update of the 2013/14 season. We’ve had a sabbatical of sorts from NewsFour since just before the end of last season but we’re back now to keep you updated on all things CY. In particular, through this publication, it’s important to keep our more senior supporters informed who may not have access to digital media. There have been changes at the club since then. As you may recall, we had an interim management team in Ed Saul and Paul Andrews toward the end of last season. The guys did a fine job steering the team to safety in the league while also reaching the Metropolitan Cup Final which CY eventually lost 3-2 to Wayside Celtic. However, the club felt it wise to formally advertise the managerial position and received great interest. Eventually after an intense interview process, Declan Roche was offered the position. His first instinct was to appoint Ed (Saul) as his assistant and

Derek Bowden as Saturday team manager, with Paul Andrews also joining the coaching team. Declan’s appointment is a departure from the club’s policy in the past to promote from within but it was felt a fresh approach was required and the new manager fits the bill perfectly. Declan has enjoyed a career as a professional player along with success as an amateur and holds various UEFA coaching qualifications. So to the action, it’s been a mixed start to the league campaign for both our senior and Saturday sides. As we go to print, the senior side has played four, winning one and losing three but the beginning of the season has been hampered by a break in fixtures due to player availability. That, added to some injuries, has limited the options available to the

CLANNA GAEL FONTENOY

By Felix O’Regan ike so many GAA clubs throughout the country, Clanna Gael Fontenoy is very much at the heart of its community – in our case a large and diverse community that stretches from the inner city to the inner suburbs of Dublin 2, 4 and 6 in particular. As such, the club is delighted to encourage the involvement of members of our community, whatever their age and in whichever way they wish to become involved. This was recently illustrated in the Club Fun Day in September when hundreds of people – young as well as not so young – came down to Sean Moore Park to partake in the fun, games and general entertainment which was laid

on free of charge. Dublin senior hurler, Ryan O’Dwyer, was on hand to meet and greet people, to present medals to our U-13 hurlers and to partake in the poc fada competition – which he duly won! On the playing ﬁeld, all of our underage teams have been acquitting themselves very well. For instance, the U-16 footballers have continued to impress following last season’s tremendous winning performances which eventually saw them capture the league title in the ﬁnal in Parnell Park. At the time of writing, our U-13s lead their league table in football and are closely contesting the lead in hurling; while the U-12s deliver consistently strong performances against all

new manager. The Saturday side have fared a little better in the League and have also progressed through to the next round of the Noel Ryan Cup. On a ﬁnal note, let us cast our minds back to just over twelve months ago! CY took on the famous Shamrock Rovers in what was dubbed the “Battle of Ringsend” in the Leinster Senior Cup Final. Rovers eventually won the game by a single goal to nil at Tallaght Stadium in front of a crowd of 1,800 spectators. The picture above features the starting eleven, some of whom are currently out injured or have moved on to pastures new. Let’s hope we have many more such occasions to come and would like to wish the new management team all the best for the season ahead. comers. Not to be outdone, many of the girls’ teams have surpassed expectations with notable stand-out championship performances from the U-14 footballers. The recent arrival of Claire Ryan as the club’s new Games Development Ofﬁcer will ensure further developmental support, not just for the juvenile section of the club but also the academy section for kids up to the age of six in “the cage” every Saturday morning. Claire brings a wealth of experience as a coach at inter-county level with her native Tipperary and with Dublin; also as a medal-winning player at county and all-Ireland level. Nor has the senior section of the club been without its success. While the senior hurlers have struggled to deliver consistency, at time of writing the intermediate footballers look like they’re holding their own in their division as do the senior and junior ladies football teams and the camogie team. And of course it was two of our leading female players, Kim Flood and Rachel Byrne, who helped the Dublin Ladies team become TG4 Leinster Champions for the ninth time! Clanna Gael Fontenoy is generously sponsored by Dublin Port Company. Above: There was loads of fun and games at the Club Fun Day in September.

Epworth Badminton Club

Epworth Badminton Club are a friendly, sociable club based in Sandymount in Dublin and welcome new social and league players. New players are welcome to come down at any time during the season, chat to members and try out the club!! Club play is on Tuesday and Friday nights 8pm-11pm. Please contact David Bowles on 086 817 8306

Calafort Átha Cliath

Dublin Port Company Port Centre, Alexandra Road, Dublin 1. Telephone: 887 6000, 855 0888 Fax: 855 7400 Web: www.dublinport.ie

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013

PAGE 39

RAILWAY UNION HOCKEY CLUB

By David Carroll ailway Union Hockey Club are pleased to announce the recent sponsorship of their new playing kit by Krystle Nightclub, Harcourt Street. Krystle is a top nightclub in Dublin. Railway are immensely grateful for the support of Rangan Arulchevan. Rangan is a longtime supporter of Railway Union across many sports. The agreement includes the sponsorship of the Men’s 1st and 2nd team playing kit. Railway Men’s 1st team are building on a successful 2012/13 season where they brought back two trophies to

Park Avenue; the Neville Cup and the National Indoor Trophy. They will be looking to build on this and promise supporters a fast attacking brand of hockey. Home matches are played on Saturday afternoons and all details of fixtures and club news can be found on Facebook at Railway Union Hockey Club and on twitter @RailwayUnionHC. We welcome everyone down to Park Avenue, young and old, to enjoy an afternoon of attacking sport and entertainment. Railway would also like to welcome the arrival of Jake Morton who will play for them for the 2013/14 sea-

RAILWAY UNION CRICKET

By Kirstin Smith he new season is well and truly underway at Railway Union RFC, with men, women and underage teams all back at training since July. Sunday 8th September saw the launch of the Railway Locos, the minis pro-

Pictured at the recent announcement of Krystle sponsorship of Railway Union Hockey Club’s 1st and 2nd men’s teams shirts are from left to right: Peter Yates-Railway Union 2nd XI Captain; Rob Abbott, Railway Union 1st XI Captain; Rangan Arulchevan, owner of Krystle, Harcourt St. Lakelands school cricket teams. Their attitude and consistent training is an inspiration to all young local cricketers who are hoping to progress in cricket and sport in general. The Gary Player quote “The more I practice the luckier I get”, certainly still holds true in 2013.

By David Carroll wo Railway Union cricketers were recently honoured with picking up two of the most coveted individual awards following the conclusion of the Leinster League season. Pat Collins was awarded with the Marchant Cup. This is awarded to the player with the best batting average in Leinster Division 1. Pat had an astonishing average of 79.40 including ﬁve times when he scored 100 or more runs in an innings. Pat scored 1,035 runs for Railway this season and has gone to Brisbane to play for Western Suburbs in the Queensland league for the winter but will return to

son. Jake is 22 years old and is from Tasmania, Australia. As well as playing for Tasmania, Jake has also played for Grange HC from Scotland in last year’s European Hockey League. Jake is an ex-Australian Army private and will bring a skillful and direct style of play to Railway which is what Australian Hockey is renowned for.

Railway in Spring next year. Ciaran Divney was awarded with the Hopkins Cup for the most wicket keeping dismissals in Division 1. This was won by another Railway player Sam Farthing a couple of seasons ago. Ciaran had a total of

19 dismissals, which included 13 catches and 6 stumpings. This was a great achievement for Ciaran as he missed some matches due to his football commitments with Clanna Gael and it was also his ﬁrst full summer of senior cricket.

Both of these young men contributed a lot on the pitch but also as much off the pitch where they did a lot of coaching with the local youths throughout the summer and helped with the coaching of the successful Star of the Sea and

gramme which caters for boys and girls aged between 6-12. Over 50 kids turned up with many parents coming along to meet the coaches, see the club facilities and even lend a hand. Leo the Lion was assisting the coaches with games and drills and everyone enjoyed a BBQ afterwards. Locos Training takes place from 10am to 11.15am on Sunday mornings in Park Avenue. For further details, please email locos@railwayunionrfc.com Other exciting news in Railway was the selection of Emma Murphy to the Irish Under 19 Girls team. Emma and the team achieved a 4th place finish at their first tournament, the UK School Games. Emma, a pupil at The High School Rathgar, became Railway’s first ever

RAILWAY UNION RFC

the only Dublin club offering competitive rugby for girls of this age, Railway is intent on providing quality coaching to uncover future Leinster, Irish and Olympic stars. www.railwayunionrfc.com www.facebook.com/railwayunionrfc

female international and the club’s first Irish international in over 100 years. Ringsend’s Stacey Flood had been in the final training squad only for injury to rule her out of the last session. Railway’s Girls Schools 7s programme last February was the first time both girls played rugby. Since the conclusion of the programme in April, they’ve been training in Railway’s girls 7s academy. All teams are still recruiting and anyone interested in joining should email info@railwayunionrfc.com. U15s and U18s girls rugby has also kicked off at Railway. As

Pictured: Railway Union girls were delighted to welcome the Sri Lanka Ladies team in July to their ground at Park Avenue. Sri Lanka were in Dublin taking part in the World T20 Women’s Cricket Qualiﬁers and used the ground to practice for their matches in addition to passing on coaching tips to the girls and making friends with everyone they met. Railway Union look forward to welcoming the Men’s team from Sri Lanka in 2014. Photo by Rock Photography Left: Leo the Lion hugs a happy kid at Minis Rugby Open Day. Below: The Irish U19s girls team. Emma Murphy, Railway’s representative is in the back row and second from the right.

PAGE 40

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2013