October november 2008 newsfour

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

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

PHOTO FINISH AT DOCKLANDS

THREE PRIZES TO BE WON – SEE INSIDE As Halloween approaches, read about the history and traditions of this old Celtic festival on page 4

On a recent visit to Dublin, fashionistas Trinny and Susannah exposed themselves to some criticism. See page 9

The prospect of Sarah Palin in the White House may worry us, but it terrifies many Americans. See page 17

A

great deal of work has taken place in Ringsend Park over the last three years and on 6 September the re-opening of the Park took place officially. This has been a collaborative effort with support from local residents, community and sporting groups, Dublin City

Council, An Garda Siochana, the Dublin Docklands Authority and the Department of Education (see photo below).

A new playground, floodlit all-weather seven-a-side pitches, a multi-play area which can be used for basketball, five-a-side football, tennis courts and train-

ing are all part of the new development.

Meanwhile, Jack Mulcahy prizewinner from Star of the Sea National School is pictured above with Niall Quinn at the Docklands Schools Caught on Camera Schools Photographic Exhibition. See page 23.

Father Shay Cullen has spent much of his life fighting exploitation and injustice, and often winning. See page 29

PAGE 2

NewsFour Managing Editor Ann Ingle Advertising Manager Grainne McGuinness Office Manager Miriam Holmes Staff Audrey Healy John Cavendish Nessa Jennings Stephanie Morris Louise Hanrahan Glenda Cimino Fergal Murphy Contributors Shay Connolly Jimmy Purdy John Cheevers George P Kearns Dave Nolan Michael Hilliard Web Designer Andrew Thorn Photography John Cheevers

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

O

The Editor’s Corner

ur production guru Eugene said I could have a bit more space this issue so I am taking full advantage of his kind offer to bring you lots of good and happy news. I know itʼs all doom and gloom in the financial sector but here at ʻNewsFourʼ we are bucking the trend and actually giving things away.

We have three competitions on offer in this issue: our usual crossword with a prize of €25 gift token from Easons (page 28), a Halloween wordquiz for the under 14s prize €10 (page 14), our prestigious Annual Short Story Competition with a prize of €150 and the chance for all budding Tarantinos to make a film (page 15).

Congratulations to all the young photographers who took part in the Dublin Docklands Initiative (page 23). The exhibition in the chq is over now but the photographs will tour the local schools so look out for that.

Antonio Sierra who lived in Sandymount for many years when he worked with the Spanish Institute called in to see me recently. He is now retired and living in his native Spain but told me how much he misses his friends in Dublin 4.

He gave us the news that a street in Gotarrendura, Avila, Spain had been named after the famous Irish author Kate OʼBrien (page 5). It was great to see him again and he is now on our mailing list.

If you know anyone who is abroad and would like to have ʻNewsFourʼ sent to them just let us know and for €12 per year to cover postage we

will be happy to oblige.

Our next issue will be out early in December and if you wish to send greetings to friends and relatives through the paper please alert us about this in plenty of time. We will also be covering Christmas shopping in the area as we always like to show you how keeping it local can be the thriftiest option.

The hassle of trekking into town on the dreaded number 3 should be avoided at all cost and weʼre more than happy to show you all the great local gifts that are available.

In other encouraging news, Garda Derek Dempsey telephoned the other day to say that as he was cleaning out his desk he found a copy of the old Sandymount Directory and commented how useful it used to be to him.

The Directory was published in 1987 and is of course out of date but it set us thinking. We have decided to compile a similar directory for Sandymount, Irishtown, Ringsend, Ballsbridge and Donnybrook. This is a vast undertaking and will take several months. We hope to include everything from churches to pubs, from rowing clubs to bridge clubs, from residents associations to youth services. If you are associated with any organisation that would like to be included please let us know.

Better go now before I fall off the end of the page.

Keep smiling Ann Ingle

Design, Typesetting, Layout Eugene Carolan Community Services, 15 Fitzwilliam Street, Ringsend, Dublin 4.

SHELBOURNE PARK RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION LTD Swimming in Sportsco

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

Price: €35 per 3 Month Session or €5 for one Swim.

Children under 3 years are FREE! This Swimming Session is open to any one who wants to join. It is not just confined to people living in the Sth. Lotts Rd. area.

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

Ask for Mary or Billy.

Ringsend and Irishtown Community Centre Thorncastle Street, Dublin 4

GRINDS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL CHILDREN in Mathematics and English for first years, junior certificate and leaving certificate will begin at the end of September free of charge. Places are limited.

To reserve a place contact Lorraine Barry, Manager 6604789/ email: ricc@dublin.ie.

Telephone: (01)6673317 E-mail: newsfourscs@eircom.net

Ringsend Active Retirement Association

Website: www.news4.ie NewsFour Newspaper is part of a FÁS Community Employment Programme.

Retired with time on your hands?

Opinions expressed in News Four do not necessarily represent the views of Community Services.

Congratulations to Ringsend and Irishtown Community Centre. The Centre achieved first place for Best Garden in the South East Area City Neighbourhoods competition organised by Dublin City Council as well as an award for the Best Community Environment Initiative Category for provision of allotments to the Community.

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

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

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

FRIENDLY

H

ow friendly is your business? Do you know the friendliest business in Dublin?

The search is on to find

PAGE 3

BUSINESS?

the winners of the JCI Dublin Friendly Business Awards 2008.

JCI Dublin, also known as Junior Chamber International

Dublin, has been involved in promoting the efforts of young people, entrepreneurs and businesses in Ireland for over 51 years. This autumn they are

searching the city of Dublin for the most outstandingly friendly businesses.

The Friendly Business Awards are one of the highlights of the JCI Dublin year and the winners will be announced at a ceremony in The Mansion House on 30th October.

This is the second year of the Friendly Business Awards, which were set up to recognize the importance of small and friendly businesses in the Dublin area. Former winners of the prestigious award have been the Fresh Food Co, Donnybrook Fair and The Design Yard. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to promote the great work done by businesses in Dublin over the last year.

We are looking for those companies who deserve recognition for their efforts on behalf of the consumer in the capital city. While there are five categories of award, we are opening it up to all businesses in Dublin who feel they provide a friendly service and welcome customers in with open arms,� said Kevin Guerin, President, JCI Dublin.

The categories for entry in-

clude pharmacies, food retail shops, retail outlets excluding food shops, best retail international and travel agencies.

There is also an overall award for the business found to be the friendliest in Dublin.

An international team of experts will be carrying out incognito visits to all entrants to ensure that only the friendliest businesses get the recognition they deserve.

Full details of the competition can be found on the website: www.friendlybusinessawards. com or www.jcidublin.com If you know of a business, based in Dublin which has made a lasting contribution and effort to be a friendly and consumer-centred enterprise, why not enter them.

Closing date is 10th October 2008. Businesses or members of the public can register for the awards online or return application forms to JCI Dublin, Friendly Business Awards, 7 Clare St, Dublin 2.

Above: President JCI Dublin Kevin Guerin, Deputy President JCI Dublin Michelle Daly and Laura Hadade at the launch.

PAGE 4

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

A LL

H

ABOUT

alloweenʼs origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago, celebrated their new year on November 1.

This day marked the end of Summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death.

Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred.

On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future.

For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direc-

H ALLOWEEN

tion during the long, dark winter.

To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each otherʼs fortunes.

When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.

There are several games traditionally associated with Halloween parties. The most common is dunking or bobbing for apples, in which apples float in a tub or a large basin of water; the participants must use their teeth to remove an apple from the basin.

A variant of dunking involves kneeling on a chair, holding a fork between the teeth and trying to drop the fork into an apple.

Another common game involves

GILMORE SOLICITORS

hanging up treacle or syrup-coated scones by strings; these must be eaten without using hands while they remain attached to the string, an activity which inevitably leads to a very sticky face.

Some games traditionally played at Halloween are forms of divination. In Puicíní, a blindfolded person is seated in front of a table on which several saucers are placed.

The saucers are shuffled and the seated person then chooses one by touch. The contents of the saucer determine the personʼs life during the following year.

A saucer containing earth means someone known to the player will die during the next year, a saucer containing water foretells emigration, a ring foretells marriage, a set of Rosary beads indicates that the person will take Holy Orders (becoming a nun or a priest).

A coin means new wealth, a bean means poverty, and so on.

A traditional Irish and Scottish form of divining oneʼs future spouse is to carve an apple in one long strip, then toss the peel over oneʼs shoulder. The peel is believed to land in the shape of the first letter of the future spouseʼs name.

Unmarried women were frequently told that if they sat in a darkened room and gazed into a mirror on Halloween night, the face of their future husband would appear in the mirror. However, if they were destined to die before marriage, a skull would appear.

The custom was widespread enough to be commemorated on greeting cards from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (see above right).

Samhain Festival at the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street WEDNESDAY 29 OCTOBER 2008 1.00pm to 1.45pm Lecture: Samhain/ Halloween Lunchtime lecture and find out everything you always wanted to know about Samhain but never dared to ask.

2.00pm to 3.00pm Storytelling Shiver with Richard Marsh at the spine-chilling, spooky Samhain stories.

3.00pm to 4.00pm Celebration of Samhain Celebrate Halloween through the sound of ancient musical instruments, as played by Simon OʼDwyer!

Further Info: Web: http://www.museum.ie E-mail: educationks@museum.ie Tel: 648 6332

22 BRIDGE STREET, RINGSEND, DUBLIN 4 Tel: 6677170 * Fax:6673809 E-mail: gilmoresol@gmail.com

House Sales/Purchases Re-mortgages & Commercial Property Family Law Wills/Probate/Estate-Planning Employment Law District Court & Road Traffic Offences

A Friendly & Professional Service

Jorg Miller performs acrobatics inside an enormous test tube. He was part of the celebration of French theatre, Equilibre, which performed three open-air productions in Grand Canal Square recently.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

PAGE 5

KATE O’BRIEN HONOURED IN SPAIN Chiropractor Dr Gemma Bailey (DC BSc (Hons) Chiro) Dr Danny Scahill (DC BSc (Hons) Chiro)

Back / Neck Pain Shoulder Pain Ankle Injuries Sports Injuries Repetitive Sprains

M

embers of political parties on Gotarrendura Corporation, Co. Avila, Spain, unanimously voted last October 2007 to name a street in the town after the Irish writer Kate OʼBrien to mark her long association with Spain and the land of Teresa of Avila.

The formal ceremony of naming a street in Gotarrendura took place on a sunny day in June of this year when a plaque commemorating the links of Kate OʼBrien with Spain was unveiled by the Irish Ambassador to Spain, Peter Gunning, in the village of Gotarrendura, Co.

Sciatica Tennis Elbow Headaches / Migraines Arthritic and Joint Pain Disc Injuries

Fitzwilliam Avila, Spain. The Deputy Mayor of Limerick City, Jim Long, attended along with organisers of the Kate OʼBrien Weekend Winter School.

Under a clear blue sky, with temperatures in the mid-20s, a

large crowd of over three hundred people, including regional, county and local dignitaries, politicians, journalists, film crews and artists participated in the full programme of music and gastronomy organised for the event.

KATE OʼBRIEN, pictured left, who was born in Mulgrave Street, Limerick in 1897, is acknowledged to be one of the greatest women writers in English of the 19th and 20th centuries. Spain influenced her powerfully when she went there as a young woman working as a governess. ʻFarewell to Spainʼ was published in 1937, a work which criticised Franco to such an extent that she was barred from entering Spain for 20 years. Her work was at one time banned in both Spain and Ireland.

In 1951, she published ʻTeresa of Avilaʼ, a short biographical monograph of the saint, who she described as “a genius of the large and immensurable kind of which there has been very few.”

Her best-known novel is ʻThat Ladyʼ, published in 1946 and set in sixteenth-century Spain.

During her lifetime several of her books were controversial. Her novel ʻMary Lavelleʼ, published in 1936, which told the story of a young Irish woman travelling to become a governess in Spain and of the forbidden love affair she had there with a married man, was one of her novels banned in Ireland. Other works include ʻThe Ante Roomʼ, ʻThe Land of Spicesʼ, ʻThe Last of Summerʼ and ʻWithout My Cloakʼ.

Kate OʼBrien died in Canterbury, England, on 13 August 1974.

Health Clinic 19 Fitzwilliam Square South, Dublin 2 Phone 6618949 / 52 info@fitzwilliamhealth.ie www.fitzwilliamhealth.ie

Dublin City fm name studios in memory of Bill Drakeford 103.2 Dublin City fm has dedicated a studio to the memory of Bill Drakeford. Bill began broadcasting with the station when it got its first two-week licence nearly twenty years ago.

Billʼs weekly two-hour show, ʻA World of Musicʼ had a huge listenership every Sunday. He mixed classical, jazz and quirky with interviews and live performances.

Speaking at the dedication, Margaret Roche, Chairperson of Dublin City fm said: “Bill could have chosen to broadcast on any number of stations but it was our luck that he chose Dublin City fm. He was an absolutely true gentleman– unfailingly courteous to all of us who had the privilege of knowing him. Somebody called him the father of the station.”

The formal dedication of the new studio was attended by Billʼs family– his three sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren– and his many fellow broadcasters, admirers, friends and neighbours.

Above: Bill Drakeford junior, grandson of the legendary broadcaster of the same name.

PAGE 6

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

‘VISION’ – THE POWER OF ABUNDANCE

By Stephanie Morris

V

ision, a blueprint for an abundant life, is a programme delivered by Fr Flann Lynch at the Carmelite Avila Centre in Donnybrook. This is a two-day workshop taking place on 18th and 19th October, 2008 on Saturday and Sunday between 10 and 4pm.

Flann, as he likes to be called, is a down-to-earth man and can relate very well to our daily struggles. He emanates a sense of true cheerfulness and contentedness with a real ʻglintʼ in his eye! He is humorous, gentle and yet challenging and so very interesting. This will be my third workshop.

Very often, the simplest explanations are the hardest to find. Sometimes, we need guidance and awareness before we can take action to direct us out of the negative world, tangled up with feelings such as fear, anger, anxiety and worry.

Abundance is all about finding a way to let go of our false and negative beliefs or finding a way to deal

with negative situations. We are usually not even aware how easily we slip into negative thinking.

This workshop is about enabling us, with awareness, to tap into our own resource of unlimited power,

and connect with a power greater than ourselves through the use of imaginary light. The light itself can be your power.

Fr Flann demonstrates this with simplicity, using a candle and wa-

ter. Fr Flann advises how we can choose to live in the positive world of abundance by practising daily for a few seconds. Our minds will in time automatically connect with the light almost subconsciously, creating a sacred space.

The light can work miracles for hopeless situations where you are powerless. You can place a person in this light who may be experiencing difficulties, finding hope in the relief of an illness for a loved one, hope for one experiencing troubles with addictions or a person sitting exams, or any problems that create negativity in our own lives or that of others.

We place our worries patiently into this light channel and trust that the right outcome will come about. However, itʼs also a wonderful channel to share our gratitude.

Very often, we forget to be thankful for daily wondrous happenings. As we are so caught up in the negative world, we only express through complaining and we are often not even aware of it.

Flann works on our ʻattitudesʼ of which there are eight and he delivers gentle suggestions through meditation using silent words and light. Flann has written a beautiful little handbook that explains all this and itʼs filled with meaningful

poems.

I find it difficult to express the power of this workshop. It has become part of my daily routine.

Though I myself am not overly religious, I do believe in something greater than myself.

The workshop is more of a spiritually-based teaching than that of any particular religion. God is mentioned but Flann uses lots of other words for God like love, presence etc.

By the time Flann had finished making us aware of the positive (abundant) world to that of the negative (scarcity) world, the board was filled with writing.

He simplified the true meaning of finding quiet time to experience the abundance of happiness and a greater sense of well-being from within. This is truly a very powerful and freeing experience and enables us to ʻlet goʼ more easily.

Should you not be free for the two days on the 18th or 19th October, one day alone is very beneficial.

There is no cost for this workshop, however, donations are welcome.

Discover an Abundant Life– 18 & 19th October 2008, Avila Centre, Bloomfield Ave, Donnybrook, Dublin 4 on Saturday 10am to 4pm/ Sunday 10am to 2pm.

CLLR. SARAH RYAN DUBLIN SOUTH EAST

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

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

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

PAGE 7

POETS IN PROFILE: RORY BRENNAN

By Glenda Cimino

R

ory Brennan has lived in the Dublin 4 area for many years. While he was born in Westport, Co Mayo, in 1945, he grew up in Dublin. He mainly divides his time between his home in Sandymount and a farmhouse in Greece. He is married, with two grown-up daughters.

Rory, pictured right, studied at Trinity and is currently a Lecturer in Communications in Dublin City University Business School. His experience includes a decade as presenter and programme-maker in the Education Department of RTE Radio.

He was at one time director of Poetry Ireland with responsibility for organizing readings throughout the country and for publishing a quarterly review of international standing.

I caught up with Rory in Greece to ask him a few questions.

What inspired you to become a poet?

What drew me to poetry was an early awareness of the excitement and richness in language. Also, the capacity of poetry to say so much in so few words was very attractive, and so I was tempted to try myself.

At school, though poetry was taught as something to be ʻlearned offʼ, I could sense the underlying power of words when they are cunningly and forcefully arranged.

I have never been interested in ʻbeing a poetʼ and sometimes dislike having my cover blown, preferring to pass as an arts administrator, a broadcaster or a lecturer, the occupations I have followed.

Work has been important to me as

I do not think of myself just as a conventionally passive literary person, but also as someone who decides and implements things, a doer and maker as well as a reflective haunter of the book-lined study. ʻBeing a poetʼ is bit of a bore, writing poetry is one of the most enlivening occupations in the world.

Can you remember the first poem you ever wrote?

The first real poem I wrote was on holiday in a cottage in Sligo. It was the end of a holiday and I wrote a piece about the onset of autumn. The passage of the seasons is a constant theme in poetry, perhaps because the yearʼs passage echoes the human voyage from infancy to death.

Did you experiment with different poetic forms?

I began as a formalist in rhyme and metre and still use it. Once mastered, it can be very helpful. However, free verse can actually be harder as rhyme helps to stitch a poem together.

Were you inspired by other po-

ets?

The poets I still return to are cosmopolitan ones with a great variety of themes: Louis MacNeice and W.H.Auden. Their work has a bravado and style that was very seductive when I was young and that I still find refreshing when measured against earnest dryness or attempts at whimsical humour.

Auden and MacNeice had a ver-

nacular, apparently carefree style that was in fact the result of much effort. They dealt with private and public issues in a way that was original, witty and modern.

Has your writing changed in any way over the years?

My work has been influenced by periods abroad, especially in Greece, where I have had a small farmhouse for thirty years. The dramatic yet intimate landscape is a continuous source of imagery.

Would you have any advice for young poets?

The best form of advice is example, so read the poets you admire again and again, get to know the great classical tradition of verse in English as well as the modern, do not accept the verdict of established critics but decide for yourself, examine contemporary work but do not follow fashion, and finally keep an international outlook via translation if you do not know the language.

That is not to say I have always followed this advice myself!

Rory Brennanʼs work includes ʻThe Sea on Fireʼ (Dublin, Dolmen, 1978), which won the Patrick Kavanagh Award, ʻThe Walking Woundedʼ (Dublin, The Dedalus Press, 1985); and ʻThe Old in Raphalloʼ (Salmon, 1996).

Holding Hands (For Luca,born 2nd December 2007) Grandson, you have a splendid grip!

Your tiny fingers, palm and thumb Cling like a limpet to a ship.

Such a clasping strikes me dumb.

Days old, swaddled in a sailcloth bed, You seem to meditate and sleep, Dreaming of high winds ahead While in your so-small hand you keep My finger round as a rough mast.

Yours are so fine and yet so strong.

With such spirit you will last The voyage thatʼs a lifetime long.

Rory Brennan

Power Video Productions Bolbrook Enterprise Centre, Avonmore Road, Dublin 24, Ireland Phone 4560982 0872434474 087 2721927 Fax 4419418 ~ Email powervid@upcmail.ie

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If possible, it would be advisable to allow plenty of time for your work to be completed. In appreciation we will supply a second DVD ‘copy’ free of charge with every order from now until Christmas week.

Power Video Productions - Dublin - 21 Years at your service

Local Agent: Books on the Green, Sandymount From left: Jordan Maher, Kayleigh Maher, Kate OʼConnor, Keith OʼConnor and Deirdre OʼConnor of Ringsend Karate Club.

Phone: 283 7909

PAGE 8

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

DE MILO’S – A CUT ABOVE THE REST

By Louise Hanrahan

W

hen I first walked into Di Miloʼs hair salon, I was immediately impressed. Along with my friend, we were warmly welcomed by Jean Lynch, the owner herself, Kristen and all their work colleagues.

Thereʼs a staff of seven and Jean has also incorporated a nail technician into her business, along with waxing. This salon offers more than just a hair cut.

The salon has been on the go

for the last two years and offers a friendly, intimate and personal service. All the clients are residents from all over the Dublin 4 area, and needless to say endless clients from the local offices running in for a quick wash and blow dry before a business meeting.

When we discussed hair styles, the ʻVictoria Beckhamʼ bob is still a number one favourite. I even have one myself. I think itʼs just the versatility of the ʻbobʼ that everyone loves.

Di Miloʼs takes just six clients at a time, so when youʼre seated you know youʼre getting a total, professional makeover on your hair just for you. The salon is so warm and friendly, bright lights and soft music playing in the background– everything is totally conducive to relaxation and getting your hair washed and styled with a new image to boot. You can drift away and let the staff pamper you with a very pleasant experience.

Jean understands her clientsʼ needs. Di Miloʼs are experts in braiding and beading. Their goal is to add volume to a clientʼs hair and to suit their needs and special requests.

Only products that have natural vegetable colours for hair are used. Any client with a scalp disorder need not fear.

The staff will thoroughly discuss any worries around this sensitive area.

When I visited Di Miloʼs with my friend, she got her hair cut and received lots of personal attention. She was delighted with the assessment and personal sound advice.

They also have a DVD player sharing the latest GHD 1V styler, limited edition on screen. As you get your hair done, you can find out exactly how to straighten and style your hair in an instant.

Di Miloʼs decided on Joico Products. For over 25 years, Joico has been known for beautiful healthy hair. Itʼs a brand recognized for superior

product performance, innovation, technology and integrity.

When Jean was sourcing what her salon needed, she decided Joico was what suited her cli-

entsʼ needs best.

Di Miloʼs is a salon that understands their clients. Along with their professional outlook and smart uniforms, itʼs a business venture that is going from strength to strength in a prime location. Jeanʼs entrepreneurial skills and foresight have certainly paid off. After my friendʼs very flattering quirky cropped neat cut, I look forward to getting my blonde highlights touched up!

Di Miloʼs Hair and Beauty Salon, Morehampton Road, Donnybrook, Phone: 01 6683614.

B ETTY C OLVIN A GREAT CHARACTER

This Nostalgic DVD of Sandymount is a must for those who remember the ‘Good Old Days’.

Why not send one for Christmas to friends and family who live abroad?

It is available in all formats including USA and Canada.

B

etty Colvin passed away recently at the age of 87. “Betty was a lady of remarkably even temperament– she never seemed to be down in herself or in bad form. She was a lesson to us all in the care which she showed for everyone with whom she came in contact.” These words were spoken at her funeral by her good friend Tim OʼDriscoll to whose children she was a nanny for many years. Tim knew Betty from working with her in the 1970s. “From day one she was a huge hit as she has been a hit in all walks of life and with everyone whom she has touched. She was the most obliging person I have ever worked with– nothing was ever too much trouble for her.”

Betty Colvin was one of five children who all went to school in St Matthewʼs in Irishtown. She was descended from a glassblower from Scotland who married a Pullen from Ringsend. Betty moved from Cambridge Terrace to Tritonville Close, where she has been a huge part of life in that community and was unofficially in charge of the night bell for anyone in distress.

Betty was well-known in the Sandymount area as she cycled along the pavement. Indeed, she was on her bike two days before her sudden death. The bike has been bequeathed to Monica. The community garda threatened to summons her one day for cycling on the path.

“Put me up before Judge Frank OʼDonnell– heʼll look after me,” was her quick response.

Ronnie, Bill her nephews, extended family and the residents of Sandymount will all miss her greatly.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

PAGE 9

‘STYLE’ IN THE CITY WITH

By Nessa Jennings

T

he British fashion police hit Dublin in big style when Trinny and Susannah put on this event. For a posh pair they have some foul language as they try to communicate with the common people.

The show on British television has developed from a tasteful style magazine into

TRINNY AND SUSANNAH

an examination of the most common physical faults found in the public.

In the beginning, they just used to run a scissors through your old stuff, and give you a cheque for £2,000 for a trip to the high street.

Later, they started to make you change in a room with 360-degree mirrors.

Now women are stripped naked and viewed through

screens which show up all the bumps and bulges in the female silhouette just like an x-ray.

All women are beautiful, and can dress to suit their body types: apple-shaped, pear-shaped or top-heavy.

Even Trinny has ʻsaddle bagsʼ, which she showed us on stage, and Susannah has her own problems.

Some women were plucked from the audience according to their body shape.

Trinny and Susannah started feeling a woman all over to assess how top-heavy she was, trying to guess her bust size. She ʻdisappearedʼ behind a screen and had to change her bra, as apparently most of us are wearing the wrong one as we are not aware of our true size.

Susannah removed her own tights on stage, and put on a pair of magic knickers.

Trinny began to swear like Madonna. The result was what some would say was

LITTLE ATHLETICS PROGRAMME

M

artin Cullen TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism was at the Irishtown Sports Stadium in Dublin for the launch of the Athletics Ireland ʻLittle Athleticsʼ programme.

The Minister launched the initiative, which is sponsored

by McDonalds Ireland with Ol-

ympian Sonia OʼSullivan, the programmeʼs Ambassador.

Little Athletics is a programme designed by Athletics Ireland to address the specific physical requirements of children in the 5 to 10 year old age bracket.

This age group has been identified as the fundamental stage

in the long-term physical development of children, and the development of skills such as agility, co-ordination and balance, which will contribute to future sporting achievements.

Pictured above at the launch are Chris Andrews TD and Sonia OʼSullivan.

Orlaith and Olivia, as you can see, are already dedicated followers of fashion. They are pictured enjoying the ʻSummerʼ in Ringsend. the height of vulgarity.

The fashion show which preceded this exhibitionism was a range of Irish fashion which consisted of mainly beautiful clothes worn by stick-thin models who strutted the catwalk with a very high, exaggerated stride.

Itʼs great looking at nice clothes and the show was good, though not quite what it could have been. The champagne was flowing and there was lots of free stuff, like chocolate– apparently models eat a lot of this as

they are so busy avoiding other foods. There were also gift bags which turned out to be of little use.

Afterwards, we went to wander the various stalls, and I had a skin ʻanalysisʼ done. I have never been subjected to a more invalid unscientific test as there was no way this equipment could measure these things: sun damage, collagen, sebum and elasticity. Absolutely no way!

We bought some coconut oil and left.

PAGE 10

T HE

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

HISTORY OF LINGERIE

By Stephanie Morris

F

rom the old French ʻlingeʼ meaning linen, lingerie was originally introduced into the English language as a euphemism for scandalous underclothing! Lingerie, by virtue of personal choice, can now be as scandalous as you wish.

Looking back, however, should make any woman be thankful to be born during this particular time.

In the past, undergarments were painful, dangerous and downright bizarre.

The women of the pre-Christian times were expected to bare all.

Breasts were pushed up and out and more often than not left uncovered. By comparison, during the medieval era, it was a time of sexual repression and denial and lingerie reflected that.

Medieval corsets flattened the breasts almost to the point of nonexistence. The lingerie Renaissance of the 18th Century brought a new focus on womanly curves.

Cleavage was highly prized. Lingerie was designed to heighten this effect. Breasts up, waists in.

By the 19th Century consumer demands and doctor outrage brought about a lingerie revolution. Corsets became smaller and less restrictive. The brassiere was born, which is the French for support and stockings were also introduced. Women were now entering

the workplace and a more practical approach evolved.

When the men went off to fight in the First World War, women found themselves in a new status as the breadwinners of their families and more practical undergar-

ments were needed. Brassieres had to be light enough to be worn in just about any industrial work condition. This led to fabric becoming lighter and more breathable; style was functional and focused on support over appear-

ance.

The Roaring Twenties saw an end to the corsets. New ideas that surrounded sexuality and beauty were created by the Flapper Girls.

Boyish physiques were popularized with their short bob hairstyles and flapper dresses.

To bring the history of lingerie up to date, I visited Susan Hunter Lingerie shop at the Westbury Mall. Susan has twenty five years of hands-on expertise in lingerie, and this year the shop celebrates its silver jubilee.

Susan takes pride in stocking lingerie of top quality and designs.

La Perla would be renowned as the Waterford Crystal of lingerie.

It is Italian.

The skill and detail found in each piece, imaginatively crafted on small looms in colourful or sultry, delicate fabrics is wonderful to behold.

The French label, Lejaby, is very popular and designed for a-greatfit. Aubade is for bigger sizes. Susan showed me the brochure of a new Dutch design she is introducing called Marlies Dekkers.

This would be my own personal choice. One might compare it to wearing a beautiful floral silk dress with a pair of Doc Martens.

A look I personally love. A bit Agnes Deyn style.

Nighties and PJs of the finest of silks and cottons, namely ʻvoileʼ cotton, almost opaque

T HE ‘R EAL ’ G OURMET B URGER

By Louise Hanrahan

I

went along with my friend Alison after a long Monday, to try out Gourmet Burger and their very extensive burger menu.

The range and options available are extremely varied and exciting.

Your burger comes dressed with trimmings galore and the ample choices to choose from would make your head spin.

Gourmet Burger in Ballsbridge is in a prime location and is extremely popular with office workers in the immediate area. What struck me when I entered it, was the soft lighting and the lovely relaxed ambience, nothing is too stark.

There are lots of different variations to choose from the burger menu. They are all home-made

and the ingredients used are fresh and exciting. The beef burgers are made from 100% organic Irish beef.

For just under €10, the burger you desire is really worth every cent. Both Alison and I chose the chilli burgers. One was the ʻholy molyʼ. The chilli wasnʼt too overpowering on the palate, and when the burgers arrived they were dressed with salad, swiss melted cheese, tomatoes, crème fraiche.

Along with my spicy burger which was made with raw chillies running through it, we both ordered a side of rosemary fries.

These chips were scrumptious.

The roasted rosemary was sprinkled over the large cut chunks of potato. I was in heaven, as was my pal.

Itʼs not just beef thatʼs on the menu– lamb, chicken and venison

is also on offer. There are approximately three vegetables offered alongside each burger, and all the delicious sauces are home-made.

There are options for vegetarians and children, plus simple side orders of salad or chips.

The ʻOld Timerʼ is the most popular burger on the menu, so my waiter informed me. It consists of a burger cooked to your own preference and is served with melted cheese, mushrooms and bacon.

Thereʼs an extensive wine list, and the sweets are light and refreshing. The chocolate and berry crumble was divine.

The menu is so varied and extensive that you will be spoiled for choice. I reckon I will try the Old Timer on my next visit.

Real Gourmet Burger, Sweepstakes Centre, Ballsbridge. Telephone: 66700440

and the Celestine range of white long nightdresses are exquisite.

They wash and iron like a handkerchief and feel like treasured pearls adorning your skin.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Susan Hunter have their own Susan Hunter line of PJs. A linen and pure silk blend with French seams and drawstring-waist style, finished with mother of pearl buttons.

After visiting Susanʼs shop, an item can plague you hours later, when you step out of your hot, luxurious bubble-bath and imagine how that silk Japanese Kimono would feel next to your freshly-bathed skin.

All of a sudden, the Japanese kimono is a ʻmust haveʼ whatever the cost. A visit to Susan Hunter is an exhilarating experience, inspiring the imagination.

Will you go for the flowing Victorian nightgown or devil-maycare suspenders? Today, women have the freedom to wear what they like without being dictated to by social norms or fashion.

Susan Hunter, Westbury Mall, Grafton Street. Tel: 679 1271. www.susanhunterlingerie.ie

EXPERIENCE

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

By Nessa Jennings

T

hirteen people sit around in a group telling the untellable about their habit. If it wasnʼt the Education and Research centre in St. Vincentʼs Hospital, we would probably all be smoking.

Like tar to tissues, the participants on this course bond immediately, admitting things about themselves that they wouldnʼt confess to a priest.

We are about to use the powerful group method to get to the problem of what can sometimes be a thirtyyear addiction. Apparently a simple pleasure, from the outside, smoking can look terrible to others, losing you their respect. Each personʼs smoking habit has the complexity of each individual.

St Vincentʼs Hospital has decided to tackle this problem head-on, with this six-week course and a total ban, bringing in expert counsellors to facilitate the process of change, and that of restoring our self-esteem.

Smoking also attacks your confidence and messes with your personal energy. It can interfere with experiences and you can be excluded, by not being able to get a flat or a job position.

It might be that employers start to ban smoking breaks, as it takes time and is eating into their productivity

NO

PAGE 11

IT’S ONLY SMOKING

and profit, not to mention the sick days. Smoking is insidious because it is endless and you continue to do it despite the symptoms, and be-

SMOKE NOR FIRE AT

such as tea, coffee, alcohol. So you might have to give them up as well as the situations in which you smoke, including outside pubs and clubs when you have more opportunity to meet people. This has been called ʻsmirtingʼ, meaning smoking and flirting.

The smoking ban has gone a long way to help curb public smoking, but there is still a core of long-term smokers who canʼt seem to get away from the habit. Other consequences are that the cost can make your life unmanageable, somehow separating you from the true value of money. For younger smokers, it is starting to be seen as the gateway to harder drugs.

Nicotine Replacement Therapies are employed on this course as it is based on a medical model, and there are a lot of experts on hand as well as each other to help you through the first stages. So set a quit date, and read the next issue of the paper to see how it went.

Venue: Education and Research Centre, St Vincentʼs Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4. Time: 6.45 pm to 8.15 pm. Next Course is 4th November 2008. For more information contact Department of Preventive Medicine (2774958) or email preventive.med@st-vincents.ie

S T V INCENT ’ S

By Louise Hanrahan

S

t. Vincentʼs University Hospital is a health promoting hospital. As you approach the main reception area, you canʼt help but be struck by the repetitive voice over the Tannoy telling you of their non-smoking policy in and around the hospital.

At present, they have an indoor smoking ban, and from 1st January 2009 they intend to extend the ban to the whole of the campus, including the surrounding grounds. This is in order to give the best care possible to patients, staff and visitors in the safest environment.

It is not the intention of this new policy from the committee of the Department of Preventive Medicine to make life difficult or uncomfortable for anyone, and support will be provided to smokers. The help includes Stop Smoking courses, One to One sessions and Nicotine Products.

For patients who smoke, they can get advice by phone, by attending the local HSE service and from the hospital itself. Currently, less than a quarter of patients in St. Vincentʼs are smokers. Reassuringly, 90% stated in a study that they do not find it hard to avoid smoking when they

cause it stops you from doing other things.

Your habit can be meshed into your very identity. It affects the way

you feel about yourself. There are also contradictions: You canʼt stop, yet you canʼt continue. Then thereʼs the black shadow, which makes you nervous while youʼre doing it, the sure knowledge that youʼre doing harm to the body. Bluer skies and sharper senses restored after successfully quitting, thatʼs the relief.

The understanding nurse, with twelve years experience of smoking cessation counselling reassures us that she will help set us free. I think theyʼve got it covered on this course, as addiction will be explored, goals set and one of the biggest problems, the relapse, will be discussed.

There are tactics, such as Delay, Distract, Drink water and be Determined. This is a battle you will fight alone, as it is a drug you take on your own. How will you cope when you are suddenly deprived of the comfort from the way you take the drug in through the mouth, like food, plus something to do with your hands?

Smoking is a habit with image and associations. There are times and places when you smoke, so youʼve got to watch that, and the reasons– to help you concentrate, instead that lit cigarette is distracting you from what youʼre doing, as it is in itself an occupation.

Smoking is done with other drugs

are in a place where smoking is not allowed.

The proportion of staff who are smokers is falling, with the most recent survey showing that less than one in five smoke. The majority of hospital staff indicated that they would support the implementation of a ban.

The hospital feels that going smoke-free helps with all aspects of recovery. It can help with preventing and treating many illnesses, including heart disease, lung diseases, cancer, infections and recovery from surgery. A patient can bounce back quicker into good health. There is almost no illness that doesnʼt benefit from stopping smoking.

St. Vincentʼs would expect anyone who is to be admitted to plan beforehand. They advise smokers to discuss with their GP the different nicotine products such as patch, tablet, lozenge, inhaler and gum and

find the one that is most feasible to the user.

These products are available to help control nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Nicotine can be taken in various other forms that is safer for both the smoker and others in their company. This is called Nicotine Replacement Therapy.

Staff involved in the non-smoking services can help smokers prepare for admission by discussing the best ways of either quitting altogether or using nicotine products to help during a stay in hospital. They will help draw up individual plans to suit the patient, and want to offer the best support possible in an effective and compassionate manner.

Stopping smoking is regarded as the single most important thing a person can do to improve their health and lifestyle at any age. It can increase survival rates, and this new smoke-free campus could give people an incentive to try again, if they have tried and failed to stop smoking in the past.

It will be interesting to see how the no-smoking ban will take off in St. Vincentʼs and whether the other major hospitals will follow suit and take example.

In the meantime, our health is our wealth.

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NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

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NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

By John Cavendish

P

aul Doolin has a most interesting and unique hobby, collecting antique bottles. Paul moved from Donnybrook some four years ago and now lives in Rathcoole where he started collecting old bottles, stoneware, ʻBrewerianaʼ (old pub relics), jars, lids and ceramics.

The artefacts are sourced from all over the world.

Paul showed me a rare bottle that was dug up at Bury in England, called a Codd bottle. This is a type that was patented by an English Engineer by the name of Hiram Codd in 1872. His bottle had a marble in the neck which, under gas pressure, pushed against a rubber washer at the top creating a seal.

Paul explained that this had advantages over corking because the cork in a mineral bottle would dry out and not hold the pressure.

These bottles are rare because so many were broken by children who just wanted to get out the marble.

One had to get a ʻCodd Openerʼ to open a Codd bottle. This was a wooden device that pushed down the marble ball, releasing the drink. He also has a very rare dark green Codd bottle type called a Murphyʼs from Clonmel.

In July this year Paul won ʻBest in Categoryʼ and ʻBest in Showʼ at the International Antique Bottle Collectors Fair in the Elsecar Antiques Centre near Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

Amongst his display were such artefacts as a lid from a toothpaste jar titled ʻBewleyʼs and Draper,

PAGE 13

H AVE

YOU ANY BOTTLE ?

Chemists, 23 Mary Street, Dublin, Price 1 Shilling, Chemists to the Queenʼ, the Queen at the time being Victoria.

Other jars and ceramic lids are those that had contained ʻBearʼs Greaseʼ which was applied to the head to prevent baldness, although as Paul says it had no effect. He has both English and Irish types of this jar– all again are very rare.

Another type of bottle that Paul showed me was one with a flat side patented by Richard Grainger Nash, born on 25th January 1860, at Finnstown near Lucan, where

the house still stands.

Richard was a keen inventor, and took out numerous patents during his life. Paul has done some worthy research on the bottle designs by R. G. Nash and has contributed to the web page www.turtlebunbury.com/history/ history_houses/hist_hse_finnstown.htm where there is a photo of the original ʻNash of Lucan bottleʼ and among the many patents he took out was one for a ʻBottle Washing Machineʼ.

Paul also has a number of old ink bottles from all over the world going back to the day of

the quill, and a number of poison bottles. These bottles had a roughened surface because in times past when we didnʼt have the advantage of modern lighting a person searching in the cabinet for a drink in the dark would be able to tell a poison bottle by its feel.

He has some stoneware whiskey jars, including two types from Lockeʼs of Kilbeggan, one brought out for the Irish market with a bare-chested lady drawn on the jar, but when it was sent to America the lady had to be drawn covered up due to complaints.

There are also soda bottles from Thwaiteʼs, the oldest soda makers known. Paul told me a fishy story that in 1936 the Irish Sweepstakes was publicised by turning out thousands of bottles shaped as fish with the message ʻIrish Sweep– Good Luckʼ in raised letters on the glass.

These were dropped into the coastal waters around Britain and inside they had notices in three languages saying that the finder was ʻentitled to a bottle of whatever drink he or she chooses at the local hostelry and an invitation to drink to good luck in the Irish Sweepstakesʼ.

A large batch turned up on the coasts of Devon and Cornwall and brought out crowds of hopeful beachcombers. Two years later, one landed on a beach near New York and the finder claimed a bottle of whiskey from Jack Dempseyʼs Restaurant at number 61 Second Avenue.

There are a number of websites covering this fascinating hobby such as such as www.bottledigging.org.uk, ʻCodd & Cure Oholicsʼ at www.codds.3.forumer. com, also www.antique-bottles. net and a few quarterly magazines from the UK, such as BBR, which is online at www.antiquebottles-and-glass.co.uk and the ABC (Associated Bottle Collectors), who can be found at www. abc-ukmag.co.uk Paul Doolin asked that anyone interested in the subject of bottle collecting or who has some antique bottles or other breweriana that they might be willing to exchange or sell to contact him at paulpd07@gmail.com or call him on 086 8666523.

REMEMBERING THE LOST CHILDREN

S

By Jimmy Purdy

unday May 14th 1995 will always be a very special day to remember as itʼs the day Bernie and myself attended our first Bereavement Service for our babies, Mary Purdy stillborn 16th November 1964 and Peter Purdy born 4th June 1970 and died 5th June 1970.

The Service was in the Pro Cathedral and was celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Rotunda Hospital. I remember Bernie being very happy going to the Service as it was the first time our babies were being acknowledged in some way as at the time they were taken to the Angelʼs Plot in Glasnevin. I must explain this was the way it was done in 1964 and 1970 and as we werenʼt aware of another burial service we just accepted it.

It was at this Service in the Pro Cathedral that events began to change for Bernie and it was here we made contact with other mothers and fathers in the same situation in relation to where our babies were. From here, the whole situation started to change.

Bernie spoke to a person and if my memory is right it had to be Ron. Bernie embraced the information with such excitement and our first trip was to the hospital where our babies were born to get whatever information was there.

I will always remember when we first stood over the spot where our babies were buried. The sadness and the happiness that at last this is where Mary and Peter are. Just to remind you at the time it was the old Angelʼs Plot but it was like heaven to us at finding it.

We became members of ISANDS and Bernie set out to have our two little an-

gels remembered. She had Maryʼs and Peterʼs names put on the stone plaques that adorn the beautiful Angels Memory Garden in Glasnevin. I must tell you Bernie set out to do most of the seeking of information on all matters at the hospital where our babies were born, having names on the wall and when all this was done Bernie said to me “Jimmy, Iʼm finished grieving about where our babies are.” This stunned me and my grieving only started.

We have attended all the Service of Remembrance in St Nicholas of Myra and the Blessing at Glasnevin with the exception of one.

In remembrance of Bernie who Rests In Peace with Mary and Peter.

An ecumenical service will be held in Nicholas of Myra Church in Francis Street on 7th December at 7 pm.

PAGE 14

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

The Letterbox

Dear Madam Editor, Iʼve been very pleased to read the deserved tributes to Sara OʼReilly over your last few editions (see picture). I first met Sara c1958 when I went to work in the Gresham Hotel. She was then a member of the housekeeping department as were her sister Eileen Finnie and two other young women from the Ringsend-Irishtown area, Betty and Marie OʼDonovan.

While I had not met any of them before that, I did know Eileenʼs in-laws, the Finnies from Creighton Street, particularly her husband Ossie, his sister Margaret and his brother Dan through my friends Paddy and Danny Costello their neighbours.

I also knew of the OʼDonovans through their brother Peter, and their first cousin Michael Hanlon who was a neighbour and friend of mine.

Few employments then had sick-pay and retirement schemes and even in the luxurious and

busy Gresham Hotel there was need for action to deal with individual problems which were arising in these areas. The above named four and myself were amongst the more active in setting-up a trade union committee which went a fair way to alleviate those difficulties as they arose by fund raising and other means.

Eventually proper arrangements were arrived at, but in the mean-time Sara had been amongst the most active in ensuring nobody went wanting unnecessarily in sickness or retirement. Itʼs good to remember her, RIP. Yours etc, Christopher Sands, Collinswood, Dublin 9.

Dear Madam Editor, We really enjoyed the last edition of NewsFour. I was particularly keen on the article on page 30 by Rodney Devitt: ʻDublin Four: The image and the realityʼ.

I had read the article in the July is-

sue ʻWhat would we know about povertyʼ by Michael McAuliffe.

My first job after CBS Westland Row was as a clerical assistant in the head office of the St Vincent de Paul in Dublin. I lived on Pigeon House Road and I recall the dockers from Ringsend using the ferry to work. I think what has been written in those two articles ought to be kept safely as it is the real social history of Dublin 4. I am tempted to write a follow-up to these two important pieces by the two gentlemen mentioned.

I am still a fan of John Cavendishʼs work. I also enclose a poem you might like to publish.

Best wishes from our family here to all our relatives and friends in Dublin 4 and beyond.

Geoffrey P. B. Lyon, Stafford, UK

Hunt the Halloween words!

We would be very interested in a follow-up article, Geoffrey. Ed Dear Madam Editor, I would be grateful if any of your readers could give me some information about the Methodist Church on Sandymount Green.

I would like to know what year they replaced the old house beside the church with a new Manse. I was very young at the time, I think it was about 1940.

They put tennis courts in many years later. Across the road from the Church lived a family named Powell and Mr Powell was the caretaker of the Church.

All the best and keep up the good work.

Dick Pollard, New Zealand

PUMPKIN, TRICK OR TREAT, BROOMSTICK, DRACULA, HALLOWEEN, COSTUME, GOBLIN, BONFIRE, GHOSTS, SCARY, BRACK, APPLEBOB, MASK, GHOULS, WITCH, VAMPIRE Find all 16 words in this seasonal puzzle. Solutions may be forward, backward, horizontial, vertical or diagonal.

There is a prize of €10 for the winner of this under 14s competition. All entries to be in before 1st November. Happy Halloween hunting!

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Tony Stanley kindly gave us this photograph showing the removal of an old tree from under Londonbridge, which had fallen in the river during a storm.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

PAGE 15

A BALANCED VIEWPOINT

‘NEWSFOUR’ SHORT STORY COMPETITION WIN €150!

The winner will have their story published in the February issue of ‘NewsFour’, also receiving a prize of €150.

In addition, Leo of Power Video Productions, is offering you the opportunity to have the story filmed if it is suitable or possible to make into a film script.

All entries should be unpublished and contain no more than 1500 words.

Entries must be received no later than 1st January 2009 and should be sent to

In Grand Canal Square recently, French performers Equilibre put on three exciting productions. In ʻLes Etoilesʼ by Cie Les Colporteurs, one of the tightrope performers (above) keeps the audience enthralled.

F OOTBALL

MEMORIES

By Jimmy Purdy

D

own the years, there has always been a sporting rivalry between Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers, which is still alive and well today.

In April 1944, we had a FAI Cup Final played at Dalymount Park between the two teams.

Ringsend was alive with excitement and no more so than Whelan House, where me and my pals lived and were divided by the team we supported.

We would travel all over Dublin to see our team, mine being Shelbourne. To get to games quickly we used to run six lampposts and walk one.

For weeks Ringsend was getting ready for the big game. In Nelsonʼs Shop which was where the pub Hobblers End is now, was a statue of ʻGive it to Bobʼ, which referred to Bob Fulham.

He was one of the great players of the past, when Rovers had a team, all of whose names began with the letter F: Flood, Farrell, Fagan, Fulham and Fitzpatrick. Two of these lived in Whelan House, John Joe Flood and Bob Fulham.

On the day itself, the crowds started to assemble at the church after 12 oʼclock mass, which in those days was the last mass on Sunday.

As the time came to make our way to Dalymount Park for a 3.30 pm kick off, there were about 1,000 Rovers supporters on the move and I was probably the only Shelbourne supporter among them, but then I was only about ten years old.

The game was very exciting, with good football being played and goals being scored.

At the end of the match, Rovers were the winners by three goals to two but there was controversy as, coming to the end of

the game with Rovers winning three-two, Shelbourne were awarded a penalty and Paddy (Tonner) Kinsella, who was a penalty expert taker, hit the crossbar and the ball rebounded to safety.

The next morning in the Irish Independent there was a photograph of the handball and it clearly showed the Roverʼs full back (Matty Clarke) had handled the ball inside the net and so Shels were disallowed a goal, awarded a penalty which they missed and Rovers went on to win the cup.

Above: Dalymount Park as it is today.

Short Story Competition NewsFour 15 Fitzwilliam Street Ringsend Dublin 4 or by email to newsfourscs@eircom.net Sponsored by Power Video Productions and NewsFour

PAGE 16

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

Bookworm Reviewed by Audrey Healy

ʻWHOSE LIFE IS IT ANYWAY?ʼ by Sinead Moriarty Author Sinéad Moriarty is back with another humorous look at life and love in this, her fifth novel, ʻWhose Life Is It Anyway?ʼ. This novel seems to be at times stuck a little in the dark ages and although it is set in the 1980s the reader does wonder whether things really were that bad. Also the Irish family involved are somewhat stereotyped.

The plot centres on writer Niamh OʼFlaherty, who is not on the look out for love when sheʼs in a bar with her friends and meets the delectable Pierrre– tall, dark and handsome and she is soon won over by his charms and enjoys a whirlwind romance.

She is attracted to his sense of humour, his maturity and his devastating good looks and she canʼt wait to share her good fortune with her friends– her family though are quite another story.

Niamh was brought up in Liv-

erpool but her parents Mick and Annie are still Irish through and through– their home is a shrine to all things Irish, the Blessed Virgin is everywhere and all their children were forced to go to Irish dancing classes when they were younger– and the now adult children are expected to find a ʻnice Irish manʼ to settle down with– not an older French man who is black.

Therein lies the whole problem and from the beginning to the end of the book we follow Niamhʼs desperate struggle as she tries to pluck up the courage to break the news of her boyfriendʼs colour to her brother, sister, mother and eventually, her father. Why Pierre would stay with her and why she dragged out the issue is anybodyʼs guess.

In addition, the couple have the added problem of Pierreʼs posh parents who look down on Niamh and believe she is not good enough for him! They want ʻa nice French girlʼ like his last fiancèe. ʻWhose Life Is It Anyway?ʼ is interspersed with funny tales from Niamhʼs previous romances and the trials and tribulations of her

best friends. Will Niamh get her man in the end? Youʼll just have to wait and see…

Bestselling author Sinéad Moriarty, pictured right, lives in Dublin with her husband and two sons.

She was born and raised in Dublin, where she grew up surrounded by books. Her mother is an author of childrenʼs books. Growing up, Sinéad says she was inspired by watching her mother writing at the kitchen table and then being published. From that moment on, her childhood dream was to write a novel.

After university, she went to live in Paris and then London. It was at the age of thirty, while working as a journalist in London, that she began to write creatively in her spare time.

After a couple of years toying with ideas, she joined a creative writing group and began to write ʻThe Baby Trailʼ. Shortly after the novel was published, Sinéad had a baby boy– a very happy ending to

her own Baby Trail.

Since writing the book, Sinéad has moved back to Dublin, where she lives with her husband and baby son.

The second and last titles in the The Baby Trail series– ʻA Perfect Matchʼ and ʻFrom Here to Maternityʼ, are also published by Penguin. Sinéadʼs last novel was ʻIn My Sisterʼs Shoesʼ.

hoping for a conclusion and are instead left with a frustrating question mark.

Debbie is about to get married to Bryan, who is far from the perfect groom. He hasnʼt exactly won over the estranged parents of his bride-

to-be and is feeling just a little bit trapped with the idea of walking down the aisle, though he does genuinely love his future wife in his own way.

But there are problems… Debbieʼs parents split when she was just a child and she has never forgiven her father Barry for walking out on her. Even now, as her big day draws near she refuses to allow him to walk her down the aisle, despite her mother Connieʼs best efforts to persuade them to heal their long-standing rift.

Barry is confused and unhappy in his new marriage to younger model Aimee. He left Connie for her some time ago and together they had Melissa, now a rebellious teenager.

What ensues is a great story with some interesting characters, all of whom are faced with major decisions to make. ʻForgive and Forgetʼ is an enticing read and fans of Scanlan will enjoy getting immersed into the trials and tribulations of Connie and Barryʼs lives and their extended families. The only complaint I have about the book is the last three words which took the good out of it for me.

I would have thought a book should have had a beginning, a middle and an end. I felt cheated and it looks like Iʼll have to wait at least a year for a conclusion to this story and that I feel is a little unfair. ʻForgive and Forgetʼ is published by Transworld Ireland.

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NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

NO

PAGE 17

LOVE FOR

P ALIN

R

To say nothing of her complete lack of real preparation to become the second-most-powerful person on the planet.

We want to clarify that we are not against Sarah Palin as a woman, a mother, or, for that matter, a parent of a pregnant teenager, but solely as a rash, incompetent, and all together devastating choice for Vice President.

Ms. Palinʼs political views are in every way a slap in the face to the accomplishments that our mothers and grandmothers and greatgrandmothers so fiercely fought for, and that weʼve so demonstrably benefited from.

First and foremost, Ms. Palin does not represent us. She does not demonstrate or uphold our interests as American women. It is presumed that the inclusion of a woman on the Republican ticket could win over women voters. We want to disagree, publicly.

Quinn Latimer and Lyra Kilston, New York, NY.

eaders might be interested in a blog ʻWomen Against Sarah Palinʼ (right) that we came across which is circulating amongst American women.

Friends, compatriots, fellow-lamenters, We are writing to you because of the fury and dread we have felt since the announcement of Sarah Palin as the Vice-Presidential candidate for the Republican Party.

We believe that this terrible decision has surpassed mere partisanship, and that it is a dangerous farce on the part of a pandering and rudderless Presidential candidate that has a real possibility of becoming fact.

Perhaps like us, as American women, you share the fear of what Ms. Palin and her professed beliefs and proven record could lead to for ourselves and for our present or future daughters. To date, she is against sex education, birth control, the pro-choice platform, environmental protection, alternative energy development, freedom of speech (as Mayor she wanted to

Docklands must deliver jobs for local people-Doolan

ban books and attempted to fire the librarian who stood against

her), gun control, the separation of church and state, and polar bears.

Google 12 Lies of Sarah Palin for more anti-Palin comment.

Sinn Feinʼs Dublin Environment Spokesperson, Councillor Daithí Doolan, has today challenged the Dublin Docklands Development Authority to deliver jobs and retraining for the inner city.

Speaking recently, Cllr. Doolan said: “Sinn Fein has today made a full and detailed submission to the Dublin Docklands Development Authority Master Plan 2008.

We have called on the Authority to meet the new challenges for the inner city head on. We are calling for the reduction of carbon emissions by half, increasing social & affordable housing from 20% to 30% and building affordable rented accommodation. The Authority must provide a retraining programme for local people to meet the needs of a new and changing employment market. It is simply not good enough to allow young people walk off building sites back on to the dole queue.”

Cllr. Doolan explains, “The docklands authority have a responsibility to ensure local communities benefit, not just the developers. Our submission puts the needs of these communities at the heart of future development.”

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PAGE 18

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

Film Scene

By Michael Hilliard

‘Tropic Thunder’ Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) action supremo, low-brow comedian Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), and Oscar-winning Australian method actor Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr) are cast in an ʻApocalypse Nowʼ/ ʻPlatoonʼ style Vietnam war epic for studio boss Les Grossman (Tom Cruise).

Shepherded into the jungle by

neurotic British director (Steve Coogan), the crazed veteran author of the book the filmʼs based on (Nick Nolte), and a hillbilly explosives expert (Danny McBride), the cast soon find themselves in the midst of actual warfare, at the hands of a heroin cartel. However, they assume that itʼs all part of the directorʼs creative vision, to get deep into character, and encourage realistic performances.

The set-up is genius, and the cast make the most of the committed (if terribly dim) characters. The three leads are superb, with Downey Jr commanding the vast majority of laughs, while Cruise (an incredibly brave performance), McBride, Nolte, Coogan and Matthew McConnaughey (as Tuggʼs agent) all excel in supporting roles.

The standout, of course, is Downey Jr. He plays an Australian actor, notorious for his bad behaviour, but famous for his immersion in the characters he plays. Sound familiar?

Itʼs quite a good Russell Crowe impersonation, but Lazarus decides to take it to its logical conclusion– cosmetic surgery to transform himself into an African American for the movie.

The filmʼs first half is the funnier one as it does, quite badly, lose its way around the halfway

‘The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas’ Bruno at aged eight has just moved into an isolated house in the middle of nowhere and feels imprisoned by his motherʼs warnings never to venture beyond the gardenʼs high walls.

Heʼs captivated by the view from his bedroom window where he sees the workers in the fields. His curiosity leads him through an open door and to a huge electric fence, behind which sits a boy of exactly the same age– but with an entirely different story to tell.

The director, Mark Herman, adapted the childrenʼs bestseller of the same name by Irish writer John Boyne. The story is told through the eyes of a child

mark, criminally squandering the magnificent cast, to make way for the final over-indulgent action scenes.

The satire rapidly runs out of steam and the happy ending is

nothing you havenʼt seen before. However, Tropic Thunder, by its sheer audacity (some will cry political incorrectness), is well worth a watch.

3.5 out of 5

and Asa Butterfield, delivers a convincing performance as a sheltered young boy set loose in a brutal world.

Amber Beattie as sister Gretel, seduced by the Hitler Youth, is outstanding and Jack Scanlon as his unlikely friend Shmuel also performs well.

Vera Farmiga, as the mother Elsa, is making discoveries of her own. Her life goes to pieces as she uncovers the horror of the Final Solution and her own husbandʼs brutal role in it.

The music composed by James Horner is played over the dramatic moments of the film and seems completely at odds with the stark nature of the story and nearly ruins the filmʼs tragic denouement.

As Cosmo Landesman of the Sunday Times said: ʻHolocaust movies suitable for family viewing are few and far between. So itʼs good to see a new one that the entire family can watch together– and get depressed. Then again, what do you want from the Holocaust: uplift, laughs and a happy ending? ʻ 4 out of 5

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

PAGE 19

VALERIE AND THE CHILDREN’S THEATRE FESTIVAL

I

By Glenda Cimino

met Valerie Bistany (pictured right) in Dunne & Crescenziʼs one morning to find out about her role as coordinator of the Flip Flop International Childrenʼs Festival, which is being held from Sunday 19th October to Sunday 26th October 2008 this year.

Valerie has lived in the Sandymount area since 1991, having previously lived in Lebanon, the UK and Buffalo, New York, where she was Promotions Administrator for the Kavinoky Theatre.

Valerie is a very talented and accomplished individual, who is making great contributions to her chosen community. She has a young son in a local school who already shares her love of theatre and is looking forward to the festival.

She has an impressive background in theatre, from stage management to acting to directing, from arts administration and promotion to the evaluation of arts projects. For five years she was general manager of the Dublin Youth Theatre, and recently the Independent Evaluator for The Arkʼs Artist-in-Residence Programme.

The value of mentoring for artists is very important for Valerie, and she was Co-founder/ Director of the Mentoring Development Project (MDP), an action research pilot programme on arts mentoring commissioned by An Chomhairle Ealaíon, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Dublin City Council.

She was also facilitator/ men-

tor for diploma graduates of the Smashing Times drama workshop facilitation course, to help bring them into the next steps of using their new skills in a community context.

Last year was the first festival of childrenʼs theatre. It was felt that it wasnʼt just a question of audiences, but that theatre for children was an art form in itself. While the Youth Theatre serves 14 to 18 year olds, and there are about 80 youth theatres in the country, there is often

little in theatre for the preschoolers and under-12s in general.

The vision of the festival is not just about presenting theatre to children, but enabling them to participate as well. It is hoped that in future years, some children might come to workshops building up to the festival, with the idea that these school-related groups would produce a 5 or 10 minute performance themselves in the Pavilion.

“Childrenʼs theatre can be just as exciting and good for family mem-

bers as adult theatre. There is also a great pleasure for adults in watching your children enjoy themselves at performances,” Valerie emphasized.

The idea for the festival was proposed by Martin Murphy, Director of the Pavilion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire, to the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCC), who came on board enthusiastically to support it. Many people donʼt realize that the Pavilion is the municipal theatre of DLRCC, with a remit to serve the local area.

Valerie was hired to pull it all together last August. The Festival was a great success, and she was hired again this year to coordinate an even more extensive festival of childrenʼs plays and workshops, to be held in an increased number of venues around the county, including the Mill Theatre in Dundrum and a number of public libraries (See article on the festival for details).

The festival links in with schools in the area, sending them out materials in advance, particularly for the various workshops held in the libraries. Another local connection with the ʻNewsFourʼ area is that St. Matthewʼs School also participates in the festival.

In fact, their drama teacher, Orla

Maher, will be running a workshop this year, one in each of 5 libraries for 3 to 6 year olds, called ʻThe Story Huntʼ, in which a book thief has stolen all of the words from the books, and using clues and characters given by the Story Queen, the children are invited to act out their own stories.

Another interesting element of the festival is the Childrenʼs Fiction Slam, in which unpublished authors of childrenʼs writing are invited to read their work publicly, with feedback from judges. Last year, 12 new writers took part, and a good response is expected this year, too.

Another interest of Valerieʼs is the question of conflict resolution and restorative justice, organizing mediation and communication between victims and offenders. She trained in this area, undertaking the Glencree Conflict Resolution and Peacemaking Certificate Course.

She is a founder member of the Restorative Justice Group, Facing Forward.

Valerie Bistany is clearly a person of many talents who never shies away from a challenge. She is involved in many projects. She attributes some of her success in so many areas to the ability to break large goals down into manageable tasks, and having the self-confidence to take on what people ask you to do.

Through her freelance work and voluntary commitments, she should be considered a vital local asset.

The Flip Flop International Children’s Festival takes place from Sunday 19th to Sunday 26th October in the Pavilion Theatre, Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire and the Mill Theatre, Dundrum.

Booking and information at 2312929 www.pavilion theatre.ie

The Yacht Thorncastle Street, Ringsend, 6680977

Pictured above are Girl Guides from Ringsend with, left to right, rear: Ella Campbell, Clodagh McDonnell and Erika Ciara (Brigins). Front are Katie Berigan, Moya Costello and Nadine Byrne (Cygnets).

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PAGE 20

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

T HE

I

HISTORY OF PRINTING

By John Cheevers

n the modern world literacy is almost universally taken for granted. Back in the middle ages the people of Europe had little or no education and could neither read nor write.

The educated class were the churchmen who used oral instruction and pictures as a means to influence and stimulate intellect. The monarchs of the day surrounded themselves with such people because of their accomplishments and wisdom.

The written word was painstakingly transcribed by hand, mainly by monks. These books were few in number and circulated mainly to the churches.

However, this situation was to change with Europeʼs discovery of the printing press and movable type in the 15th Century.

Printing can be traced back to AD 174 in China. This is linked

to the invention of paper in AD 105 by Tsíai Lun of the court of Ho Ti. It was made from the bark of trees, hemp and cotton rags. It was not long before the Chinese and Koreans used paper to make prints from stone seals, wood blocks and bronze characters.

Papermaking next spread to the Arabic world in the 8th century and then to Europe about 1157 when Montolfier escaped from the Saracans, returned to France and started a paper mill, which still bears

his name.

Paper was first used by Europeans for handwriting before they engaged in block printing, which involved carving images in reverse on to a block of wood. These images usually depicted biblical scenes.

The next important advance was movable type. This invention is accredited to the German printer of the famous Mazarin Bible, Johann Gutenberg in 1440, although Pi Sheng created movable type characters in clay about 1042. This achievement was celebrated recently in the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. ʻThe Recuyell of the Historyes of Troyeʼ, 1475, the first book in the English language was printed by William Caxton and Colard Mansion in Bruges.

Gothic print was used up until 1530. Then Claude Garamond designed typefaces based on Roman, Greek and Italic letters which have been

universally used to this day.

In 1551, at Pricketʼs Tower, on Dublin city quays, Humphrey Powell from London produced Irelandʼs first printed book, ʻThe Book of Common

Prayerʼ, the Stateʼs official Protestant prayer book. Then in 1571, the first book using Irish characters was produced.

Printers in Ireland belonged to the Guild of St Luke, although

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NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008 Catholics were not allowed membership until 1793. Until then the British crown controlled Irish printing, bookbinding and bookselling.

Over the centuries various processes of printing evolved.

The oldest is Letterpress, which involves printing from a raised surface. Offset-lithography is a process of printing from a flat surface. Gravure is the exact opposite of Letterpress, as the image is etched below the surface. Another type of printing is the Screen Process Printing in which ink is forced through a stencil attached to a mesh of silk, or other suitable material which is stretched over a frame.

The process is still evolving with the advent of computers and the internet. The print shop of the past has been replicated in the exhibition at the National Print Museum in Beggarʼs Bush and is well worth a visit.

Page 20, from left: Johann Gutenberg; A printing press in 1568. The man on the left replaces sheets of paper while the one on the right is inking the type.

Children’s Workshops at the National Print Museum HALLOWEEN WORKSHOP Be afraid, be very afraid. Join the ghoulish fun during this frighteningly fun themed workshop!

Sunday October 26th 2008, 2.30 to 4pm • €20 per child Suitable for ages 8 to 12 Calligraphy Workshop Explore the art of calligraphy using special calligraphy pens.

Learn how to reproduce differ-

PAGE 21 ent writing styles and experiment with tone to create your own unique pieces.

Sunday November 30th 2008, 2.30 to 4pm • €20 per child Suitable for ages 10 - 15 Advance booking and payment required.

National Print Museum, Garrison Chapel, Beggarʼs Bush, Haddington Road, Dublin 4.

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NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

FLIP FLOP FUN FOR KIDS FLIP FLOP International Childrenʼs Theatre Festival 2008 will celebrate the best of childrenʼs theatre, Sunday 19th October to Sunday 26th October 2008

T

he Pavilion Theatre and the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council are combining their resources and talents to create the second FLIP FLOP Childrenʼs Theatre Festival.

The Festival will run in various venues from Sunday, 19 October to Sunday, 26 October, and is made possible through the support of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council [DRCC].

Anyone is welcome to attend, but the festival is primarily aimed at children 12 and under, as well as their families, friends, and school classes. Tickets for the five main shows and the Childrenʼs Fiction Slam are reasonably priced at €7.

Library workshops for children are free, while Pavilion theatre workshops are €5. Teachers who bring classes are offered two complimentary tickets per class group.

The Festival Director is Martin Murphy of the Pavilion, while the Festival Coordinator is Sandymountʼs own multi-talented Valerie Bistany (see interview in this issue on page 19).

Five main theatre productions on offer: There are five main productions on offer in the Pavilion, Dún Laoghaire, and/ or the Mill Theatre, Dundrum.

1. Sunday, 19 October: Circus Minimus shows the magic of everyday life, in which every family is a circus (Lyngo Theatre, UK/Italy).

2. Monday 20, Tuesday 21st, Wednesday 22nd October: Fables, Tales and Tattlers, an inter-active theatre piece in which dysfunctional storytellers Billy and Jilly need a hand from the audience to get it right (Theatre Lovett, Ireland).

3. Thursday 23rd October: Róisín agus an Rún (Roisin and the Seal) written by acclaimed Irish poet Nuala Ní Dhomnaill, with music

by Colm Snodaigh of Kíla. A girl befriends a seal-boy and helps him when a greedy fisherman threatens his world (Púca Puppets, Ireland).

4. Friday 24th October: Hansel and Gretel, with spooky characters, captivating songs and haunting imagery circus (Lyngo Theatre, UK/ Italy).

5. Sunday 26th October: Katzenjammer, a fast-paced show with spectacular piano gymnastics and comic banter.

In addition, there is the second Flip Flop Childrenʼs Fiction Slam, for unpublished writers of childrenʼs fiction, and childrenʼs workshops in the Pavilion and in libraries throughout Dún Laoghaire Rathdown. Also, for the first time,

the festival is teaming up with the Mill Theatre, Dundrum, for productions.

Also, you might not believe your eyes on the 18th and 19th October, when 9-foot Scottish Giant, Big Rory, and his uncouth dog, Ochie, may be spotted causing canine chaos around Dún Laoghaire and Dundrum.

FLIP FLOPʼs workshops include a story hunt (in 5 local libraries) which invites children to act out their own stories, a ʻcome in costumeʼ performance, clowning workshops, dance workshops, and

a mask making workshop inspired

by Rudyard Kiplingʼs animal tales.

Booking for all Flip Flop performances and Pavilion workshops is available from the Pavilion Theatre, either by phoning 01 231 2929, on line at www.paviliontheatre.ie, or in person at the Pavilion Theatre, Marine Road, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.

Booking for Mill Theatre performances only can be by telephone to 01 296 9340, online to www.milltheatre.com, or in person at the Mill Theatre, Dundrum Town Centre, Dublin 14.

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PAGE 23

D OCKLANDS

SCHOOLS CAUGHT ON CAMERA

Sean Scott, runner-up (centre, with his camera prize) pictured with his school friends from St Patrickʼs Boys National School, Ringsend.

A

n exhibition of over 600 photographs taken by school children from Dublinʼs Docklands was on show at the chq building in the IFSC from 1st to 3rd October. The exhibition was officially opened by former Ireland captain Niall Quinn.

The exhibition is the culmination of the Docklands Photographic Initiative, in which cameras were distributed to students and teachers in 13 schools in Docklands and they were encouraged to use photography to look deeper into the life of the community in which they live.

A further twelve prizes went to: Ciara Byrne, St. Laurence OʼTooleʼs Girls National School; David Carroll, St. Josephʼs Fairview; Jessica Caulfield, St. Patrickʼs Girls National School; Mark Dent, St. Matthewʼs National School; Craig Enriquez, City Quay National School; Ara Freeman Browne, Scoil Chaitriona; Kate Keogh, St. Brigidʼs Primary School; Jack Mulcahy, Star of the Sea; Mirella Paolcci, St. Vincentʼs Girls National School; Shane Rooney, St. Laurence OʼTooleʼs CBS; Sean Scott, St. Patrickʼs Boys National School; Alin Urziclanie, OʼConnellʼs Primary School.

Donal OʼConnor, Chairman, Docklands Authority, said “The standard and quality of the photographs on display from this yearʼs project are remarkable. These images will serve as a unique historical record of the changing Docklands environment. The exhibition highlights the pride, talent and spirit that make Docklands a unique area within Dublin city. It is a wonderful tribute to the school children, their teachers and the community,” he said.

Above: Donal OʼConnor, Chairman, Dublin Docklands Development Authority (left) and Niall Quinn pictured with Lauren Byrne Roberts, winner of the Docklands Schools Caught on Camera Schools Photographic Competition.

Niall Quinn is also pictured below with Jessica Caulfield, who was best photographer from St Patrickʼs Girls National School, Ringsend.

DÁIL ÉIREANN, LEINSTER HOUSE, KILDARE STREET, DUBLIN 2 TEL: 01 6183054 FAX: 01 6184146 EMAIL: CHRIS.ANDREWS@OIREACHTAS.IE WEB: WWW.CHRISANDREWS.IE

PAGE 24

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

LORD MAYOR EIBHLIN BYRNE AN EXPERIENCED VOICE

By John Cavendish

C

ouncillor Eibhlin Byrne (Fianna Fáil) was elected Lord Mayor of Dublin at the Annual Meeting of Dublin City Council on 30th June 2008.

Cllr. Byrne was co-opted to the City Council seat vacated by Sandra Geraghty in 2002 and was re-elected to represent the Clontarf Ward in 2004, which includes Fairview, Donnycarney and Marino. Cllr. Byrne is married to Ken and has three daughters Clare, Lisa and Aisling.

The Lord Mayor has held distinguished positions in advocacy throughout her career to date and is currently employed by the Daughters of Charity Child & Family Services, who offer therapeutic and counselling services to children and their families. She is a Senior Manager with responsibility for 10 family centres around the city.

Prior to this she held the position of Head of Communication, Advocacy & Policy at Depaul Trust homeless service, from 2003 to 2006, whilst concurrently holding the Chair of the National Council on Ageing and Older People. Before these appointments the Lord Mayor was a teacher and also ran language programmes between Irish students and young people in France, Germany, Spain and Italy.

Her responsibilities have included being a member of Housing Strategic Policy Group that

has special responsibility for housing and social affairs. She is on the Lord Mayorʼs Commission on Crime, (2004) and the Lord Mayorʼs Commission on Older People, (2006).

Cllr. Byrne is on the Dublin Regional Authority and the Dublin Bay Taskforce which is charged with review of proposals for the amenity area of Dublin Bay and is also a member of the Dublin City Fairtrade Steering Group, to help establish Dublin as an official Fairtrade City.

In a personal capacity, the Lord Mayor is a Board member of Console, which is an organisation under the patronage of President Mary McAleese, set up by the families of those bereaved through suicide.

I asked Eibhlin Byrne for her views on the current Dublin Docklands Development Authority proposals for the Poolbeg peninsula and she explained that the City council have bought into the whole idea of the Dublin Bay Taskforce as a member of Dublin Regional Authority.

“The port is an amenity for the entire city and further beyond,” she said. “I think it sends out an entirely wrong message for the Dublin Docklands to go ploughing ahead while the task force is in operation. I think there should be a moratorium on anything to do with the bay now until the findings of the Taskforce are published.”

She said, in response to the point that Dublin is somewhat

over-developed causing a water shortage and that the Waste Water treatment plant is at full capacity: “What we need to do is to stand back, in terms of the bay, look at everything, whether it be wildlife, population, questions of drainage, sewage, any of those questions, we are going to have to have an integrated approach to the Bay. It is going to have to be a planned approach and the Taskforce is going to be reporting in nine months.

Itʼs not as if it will be five years before it reports, so I do not see the need for a massive rush forward to development unless the reason to dash forward with development is to get in ahead of the Taskforce and in that case then we would need to question why we would be doing that rather than waiting for the Taskforce report,” she said.

We moved the discussion onto the subject of Fairtrade, as Cllr Byrne is on the Fairtrade Steering Group, and she said: “The City

now has Fairtrade status and the next thing is to get it as widely accepted around the City as possible, to support Fairtrade so that we increase the products that come in, thatʼs the important thing.

“In the early days of Fairtrade, part of the problem was that people didnʼt like the chocolate or the coffee. However, they have been hugely refined and people are more and more mainstreaming Fairtrade.”

She continued, “I donʼt think we can sit back from raising consciousness about Fairtrade, about helping people to understand it, as there are those who are still opposed and would argue against it so I think there is a duty of the City Council to promote it.”

Lord Mayor Eibhlin Byrne is optimistic that with a change of leadership in her party they are entering into a new era of politics.

“Iʼd like to think that we are all moving into the twenty-first century, itʼs about issues now.”

M ITCHELL & S ON W INE M ERCHANTS

M

She spoke about Brian Cowenʼs background coming from the Finance ministry and said “He should have an understanding of current challenges and bear in mind that the Taoiseach is not a Dublin Taoiseach and that will bring its own challenges for us in Dublin. As with every job, he should be given a chance to settle in.”

Cllr Byrne says that she got involved with politics to achieve change from within. When she was a student she took part in the protests about the City Councilʼs Wood Quay Civic Offices and now finds herself the Lord Mayor.

“In my twenties I protested at the Civic Offices and that is symbolic as now Iʼm in the Civic Offices and thatʼs the journey Iʼve made.”

Above: Lord Mayor Eibhlin Byrne with Enda Connellan of Dublin Port at the South Docks Festival.

FOR CHQ

itchell & Son, one of Irelandʼs best-known wine merchants, is to open a new 1,300 square foot retail outlet at the chq building in Dublinʼs Docklands. The shop is currently being fitted out and will open on Monday 13 October.

Established in 1805, Mitchell & Son Wine Merchants recently celebrated 200 successful years in business. The family business imports and distributes fine wines from all over the world. Mitchellʼs has operated at its premises at 21 Kildare Street since 1886 and also has wine shops in Glasthule and Rathfarnham. The move to the chq building follows the sale of its Kildare Street premises to the Shelbourne Hotel.

It is an appropriate coincidence that Mitchell & Son should be opening in the chq building which was formerly a bonded warehouse after it was built in 1820. Given that Mitchellʼs is Irelandʼs longest-established wine merchant, it is almost certain that some of its imports from the early years would have spent some time in the chq building.

The chq building (formerly known as Stack A), located in the heart of Dublinʼs Docklands, overlooking the River Liffey, was built in 1820 as a wine and tobacco warehouse. The then Stack A was made famous when it hosted the Crimean War Banquet in 1856, celebrating the return of 3,000 Irish soldiers.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

PAGE 25

D EPRESSION AND ‘A D AY C ALLED H OPE ’

G

areth OʼCallaghan, pictured above, wrote in his 2003 autobiography A Day Called Hope: “In past times the lion tamer came equipped with a whip and a chair; now I was going to arm myself with knowledge against my own ferocious and unpredictable beast.

“I was eager to learn as much as I could from other peopleʼs

knowledge and experience of depression: what might have caused it, what might eventually cure it, and what effects these strange pills were having on me while I tried to get back to normal.”

Balbriggan library is part of a scheme where quality self-help books for adults are stocked which people can access. These books can be acquired on pre-

scription from your doctor or a health care professional who recommends a particular book to suit you.

This is called bibliotherapy, or therapy through books, and might be as effective as medication, say the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.

These book prescription schemes started in Wales. Now we have quite a few participating libraries throughout Ireland.

Books recommended include Tony Bates on depression and anxiety, or the illustrated ʻI had a black dogʼ, or John Bradshawʼs ʻThe Homecomingʼ, which concerns reclaiming your inner child.

I think Gareth OʼCallaghanʼs ʻA Day Called Hopeʼ should be included. He spoke out about his depression on The Marian Finucane Show. In doing so, he helped countless people, including himself.

He says: “But an untold story can kill: with the benefit of hindsight I know it is imperative to let the light in and to enable

the talking to begin, openly and frequently, in order to encourage new growth, and to realize that there are many other people out there who are going through the same traumas and feeling the same way.”

Incredible stress exposes the illness. So we can start by learning strategies in order to deal with stress. Issues of self esteem and confidence also matter crucially in your well-being. Gareth OʼCallaghan, writer and broadcaster, talks plainly about the symptoms and consequences of his depression, and seems to have tackled his problem with intelligence and pragmatic action.

He remembers the day he went walking in the Phoenix Park with his dad after he had a flashing insight and made the decision to make himself bet-

ter: “I had obviously sent an incredibly strong message to my unconscious mind because the euphoria and peaceful acceptance, and the reassurance that I was at long last on the right path, left me breathless with amazement.”

This is a book of hope and a practical guide and can be read by anyone. One person said of it “Iʼve never met anyone with the ability to put words on feelings that I havenʼt been able to understand for years.” I hope that this book will be available on the bibliotherapy scheme.

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Herbert Road, Sandymount, Dublin 4 Tel: 614 2000 Fax: 660 7077

PAGE 26

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

T HE MAKING OF ‘V ALE R OAD ’

By Glenda Cimino

T

his week saw the launch of a 30 minute ʻsci fi/ romantic tragedy/ gothic horror/ period pieceʼ film called ʻVale Roadʼ, by a previously-unknown and somewhat unlikely writer /director/ producer: me, pictured right, with my dog Sam. This is the story of how it came to be made. About 10 years ago I wrote a short story called ʻThe Tenantʼ, which I later turned into a filmscript. I submitted it for funding, unsuccessfully.

I had a couple of local neighbours in Donnybrook willing to act in it at the time, and a would-be filmmaker who dilly-dallied while one of the perfect locations for the film, set in Donnybrook, turned into a new block of flats. The would-be filmmaker moved on, and I gave up.

Then, in 2004, as luck would have it, my daughter and I landed parts in a 10-minute episode of ʻA Scare at Bedtimeʼ, called ʻOld Acquaintanceʼ, with Podge and Rodge.

The Director, Julian Hills, wanted to make a film of his own, and I proffered my old script– now renamed ʻVale Roadʼ– and took him around all the locations I had in mind in Donnybrook.

These included the weir at the River Dodder, the old footbridge in Donnybrook, and my own 200 year old crumbling cottage. Julian loved the locations, but decided to shoot his own script, using my locations.

This became the prize-winning short, ʻDeathʼs Mailingʼ (2005) a short black comedy about grave robbers in the 19th century, loosely based on Burke and Hare.

I remember the day that two rather unsavoury looking characters, with beards and tattered old-fashioned greatcoats, arrived on my doorstep and demanded to be let in. It was a relief to learn that they were the actors Kevin Malone and James Kearney, in costume and makeup!

Then for about three days, about

30 people occupied my house and turned my kitchen into Boyleʼs Lodging House and a bedroom into a murder chamber. The art director ran his fingers over the old, fading wallpaper with newspapers peeking out behind it.

“Do you know what it would cost us to create such effects?” He said. “Donʼt change anything before the shoot!” I could have said, if I havenʼt got around to it in 25 years in this house, I certainly wonʼt get it redecorated by next week.

Anyway, my second opportunity to have my film made came and went. But Shane McCullagh, actor and freelance photographer on ʻDeathʼs Mailingʼ, met me in Janu-

Primal Scream ‘Beautiful Future’

I

f I told you that the ninth studio album from Primal Scream boasted collaborations with Lovefoxxx of CSS, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age and folk legend Linda Thompson, youʼd probably have some idea of how diverse the album is. ʻBeautiful Futureʼ is an eclectic mix of Philly soul, dark electro, accelerated rock ʻnʼ roll and pure British pop. In other words, itʼs the sound of Primal Scream at their playful best.

ary 2007 and asked me about ʻVale Roadʼ.

“Why donʼt you make it yourself?, he asked. Make it myself? He might as well have asked me to construct my own version of the Eiffel Tower.

The idea of making the film by myself on a no-budget basis had never occurred to me. He said when I was ready, he would do my stills for me.

So– I had my first crew member!

The fact that my film was set in roughly the same period as ʻDeathʼs Mailingʼ (1830s) meant that I had some idea what kind of set dressing and costumes might be required. I literally watched period films and wrote down the titles of the crew members required to make it. Letʼs

Produced by Bjorn Yttling (of Peter, Bjorn and John) and Paul Epworth (of Bloc Party), itʼs an album that unfolds at a cracking pace and revels in its ability to keep listeners on their toes. Opening salvo and title track ʻBeautiful Futureʼ sets the standard in effortless fashion, fizzing its way through some upbeat lyricism, handclap beats, chiming melodies and an emphatic chorus that really does feel like a party starter.

Itʼs immediately followed by the high energy rock ʻnʼ roll mix that is former single ʻCanʼt Go Backʼ, a euphoric mix of kinetic drum beats and scuzzy guitar riffs that really is invigorating. Bobby

see, we need a DOP– Director of Photography– and an AD– Assistant Director. And so on.

By June 2007 I had together a cast, but no crew other than Shane. Some of my actors, wondering if this film was ever going to happen, began to drift in other directions. I then learned one of the cardinal rules of film-making: get your crew together first, and a shooting schedule, then worry about your actors.

Actors are usually easier to get than crew. It is easier to find people who want to be in a film than people who want to do the hard slog behind the scenes.

So, finally, we had a shooting date: one short week in August

Gillespieʼs vocals provide the perfect accompaniment, imbuing it with very definite Primal Scream sensibilities, but also a wider appeal.

The other standout tracks are the ʻI Love To Hurtʼ (ʻYou Love To Be Hurtʼ), a topnotch collaboration with CSSʼ Lovefoxxx that drops a lively electro pulse, before slowing things down for the chilled out ʻOver & Overʼ, a blissful collaboration with Linda Thompson that marks a worthwhile cover version of the Fleetwood Mac original. Itʼs a nice piece of comedown music.

Make sure you catch them in the Olympia in November!

2007, which we had to make look like October, when the film was set. One coup was getting Andrew Edger, who had done the wonderful camera and lighting work on ʻDeathʼs Mailingʼ, to join the team as DOP. Having the advantage of having shot in my house before, I knew Andyʼs experience would also save time on camera set-ups. I had no idea how long the finished film would be.

The main character is a young, troubled Irish-American who comes to Dublin to get over a breakdown after his girlfriend drowns, and a flawless American accent was needed. To my amazement, while over 60 young actors really wanted this part at the audition, none were American.

It was clear that their concepts of a flawless American accent varied wildly and sometimes humorously.

Conor Drum, albeit Irish, worked on his accent with the generous help of accent coach Derek Chapman, and really understood the character.

When the film was shot, we had seven hours of footage. I began to discover the vagaries of technical equipment. After many searches and false starts, a brilliant filmmaker/ editor, Noel Brady, came to my rescue.

His first edit was a film, but not the one I had made. For one thing, my dog Sam, who was a key character in the plot, wasnʼt in it. “The dog stays in the picture!” I roared, paraphrasing studio head Darryl F. Zanuck. After about six edits, we got to something that approximated the film in my head.

Now we come to the next hurdle: distribution. By the way, if anyone wants to buy a copy of the DVD for personal use, including a slide show on the making of the film, please get in touch! I donʼt know if I will ever make another film. But if I do, it will have two characters in a room.

Copies of ʻVale Roadʼ are available from ʻNewsFourʼ at €12.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

TACKLING CO-DEPENDENCY

PAGE 27

M EN

THE NEW all-weather pitch, located in Ringsend Park, Dublin 4 was officially opened by Cllr Kevin Humphreys (pictured above, with Derek Bowden and Pat Curran) at an Open Day on 6th September.

The all-weather pitch is the final part of the re-development of Ringsend Park. This re-development

Reviewed by Louise Hanrahan ʻTHE LANGUAGE OF LETTING GOʼ by Melody Beattie

M

elody Beattie is a renowned author of best-selling selfhelp literature in the United States. Her specialised area of expertise is co-dependency. She gives the reader plenty to absorb and retain in her instructive life stories, personal reflections, exercises and self-help tests.

Melodyʼs book is one of daily meditations. The author integrates her own life experiences and recovery reflections inspiring readers to understand our own recovery process if we are struggling with issues of co-dependency.

A co-dependent person is one who, quite simply has let another personʼs behaviour affect them and who is obsessed with controlling that personʼs behaviour.

Their lives can become unmanageable as a result of being in a committed relationship with a person who has a chemical dependency. The life they lead eventually forms a pattern that is not healthy and stems from the reaction to someone elseʼs alcohol or drug abuse problem.

There are 366 daily meditations to read on a daily basis and the help and inspiration that the reader can get is extremely rewarding. She reminds us that problems are made to be solved, and the best thing we can do is to take responsibility for our own pain and self-care. We are guided through every day of the week and are encouraged to remember that each day is an opportunity for growth and renewal.

Melody Beattie also has other bestsellers which cover this topic. ʻCodependent No Moreʼ gives an insight into how to stop controlling others and start caring for yourself. ʻBeyond Codependencyʼ gives many personal stories and examples in helping us achieve positive, healthy relationships in our daily lives.

Iʼm glad to say Iʼm a lucky owner of this wonderful book and I have the pleasure to join Melody in my own personal recovery on a day-today basis, and depending on whether it be first thing when I wake up, or just before I switch off my bedside lamp, the meditation that I read on the day in question, will always give me just the starting boost I so need in going forward in my life.

FOR ALL SEASONS

has taken three years and now sees Ringsend Park as an example of best practice in the provision of modern parks and sports facilities in a city park.

These facilities are some of the many new state of the art parks and sports areas which have been provided in recent years.

PAGE 28

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

O XYMORON :

By Glenda Cimino

T

his word sounds like it has something to do with moronic cattle. It doesnʼt. I have known this word a long time, yet for some reason, I frequently have to remind myself what it means.

The word ʻoxymoronʼ is originally derived from the Greek elements: oxy = sharp and moros (moron) = dull (foolish). ʻOxymoronʼ is the singular form, and ʻOxymoraʼ (or ʻOxymoronsʼ) is the plural form.

So the word itself means sharp/ dull. Thus, the word oxymoron is itself an oxymoron.

An oxymoron is a combination of contradictory or incongruous words, such as ʻJumbo Shrimpʼ (Jumbo means ʻlargeʼ while Shrimp means ʻsmallʼ). ʻWebsterʼs Dictionaryʼ states that it is ʻA figure in which an epithet of a contrary signification is added to a word; eg. cruel kindness; laborious idleness.ʼ

THE NEWSFOUR

CROSSWORD COMPILED BY KILLIAN HOLMES

A MAGIC WORD

Oxymorons are not necessarily mistakes or errors. They make effective titles and appealing phrases, and some are meant to be humorous, such as ʻhis performance was greeted with a deafening silenceʼ.

Oxymorons are a subset of the expressions called contradictions in terms. What distinguishes oxymorons from other paradoxes and contradictions is that they are used intentionally, for rhetorical effect, and the contradiction is only apparent, as the combination of terms provides a novel expression of some concept.

The most common form of oxymoron involves an adjective-noun combination. For example, the following line from Tennysonʼs ʻIdylls of the Kingʼ contains two oxymorons: ʻAnd faith unfaithful kept him falsely trueʼ.

Wikipedia tells us that oxymorons can also be ʻwooden ironsʼ in that they are in violation of the

principle of contradiction which asserts that nothing can be thought if it contains contradictory characteristics, predicates, attributes, or qualities.

However, the American novelist, F. Scott Fitzgerald (pictured above in 1937) is quoted as saying that ʻThe test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make

Name:……………………………

Address:………………………… Telephone:…………………

them otherwise.ʼ We do live in a paradoxical universe, after all. But that is a subject for another day.

Richard Lederer assembled a taxonomy of oxymorons in an article in Word Ways in 1990– running from single-word oxymorons such as ʻpianoforteʼ (literally, ʻsoft-loudʼ) through ʻdoublespeak oxymoraʼ (deliberately intended to confuse; eg ʻthe war on terrorʼ) and ʻopinion oxymoraʼ (editorial opinions designed to provoke a laugh).

In general, oxymorons can be divided into expressions that were deliberately crafted to be contradictory, such as the previous Tennyson quote, and those phrases that inadvertently or incidentally contain a contradiction (often as a result of a punning use of one or both words).

Some examples of deliberate oxymorons include: Forward retreat, accidentally on purpose, following in front, living dead, panicking slowly. ʻMilitary intelligenceʼ is one of the many humorous oxymorons popularized

by George Carlin; it carries and implies a political judgment, that the military by its nature cannot be intelligent.

The term ʻintelligenceʼ is re-con-

strued as meaning not ʻinformation gatheringʼ but ʻintellectual powerʼ.

To claim ʻhonest politicianʼ is an oxymoron is based on the implied understanding that politicians are inherently dishonest.

In popular usage, the term oxymoron is sometimes used more loosely, in the sense of a simple contradiction in terms: ʻmercy killingʼ, ʻopen secretʼ, or ʻfriendly fireʼ.

An oxymoron may also occur unnoticed when a word or phrase changes meaning. Few people today pay attention to the inherent contradiction in eating with ʻplastic silverwareʼ or drinking from ʻa plastic glassʼ, because the word ʻsilverwareʼ has come to mean eating utensils of any composition, and ʻglassʼ is commonly used to refer to any cup from which one can drink.

For the reader with time on his or her hands, there are many collected lists of oxymorons available on the net, for example at oxymorons.info and atlantamortgagegroup.com So, the next time someone says, hey what is an oxymoron anyway? you can offer them your foolish wisdom!

Winner of our €25 prize for the August crossword is Al Altman of Wilfield Road, Sandymount.

Entries for this monthʼs crossword should reach us by 20 October 2008.

ACROSS 1. Sadness or financially speaking a prolonged recession (10) 5 &15. Recent events saw a financial crisis played out here (4,5) 9. Work out, understand (4) 11. One of the four big cats or a posh car (6) 12. Live and --- live (3) 13. Not yet a man (3) 14. Choose (3) 15. See 5 17. A stock or other security (5) 18. Period of time (3) 19. Not yes (2) 20. Robert ------ recently agreed to power sharing in 36 across (6) 22. Girlʼs name, Aoife in Irish (3) 24. 1999 memoir written by Frank McCourt, contraction of it is (3) 25. Imitate (5) 26. Of the Lost Ark, maybe (6) 29. Limb (3) 30. National Broadcasting Service (3) 31. You can do this in 34 across (3) 33. God of Love in Greek mythology (4) 34. American city in Nevada (4) 35. Only good in NewsFour (4) 36. Formerly Southern Rhodesia (8) DOWN 1. A device for the input of numbers in a telephone (4) 2. A slow musical composition suggestive of idyllic rural life (9) 3. Emergency signal (3) 4. Approval (4) 6. If itʼs 4 down you no doubt do this (6) 7. There is a red one at the end of the South Wall (10) 8. Not many of these around in Ireland this year (6) 10. A variety of mandarin orange (7) 11. Reporters, newspaper people (11) 16. Nominal rent or hot seed (10) 21. Nuclear weapon first detonated on 6 August 1945 (4,4) 23. You might get one at Halloween (5) 27. Not related by birth (2-3) 28. Not bumpy, smooth surface (4) 30. Read only memory in computer language (3) 32. Goes by so quickly when you are having a good one (4) 34. Curved or circular border of an object (3)

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

PAGE 29

FR. SHAY CULLEN – HOPE FOR THE POOR

By Audrey Healy

F

or over thirty years one Irish man has challenged and confronted the evils of the lucrative child sex industry in the Phillipines. Itʼs a long way from his native Dublin home, and this courageous and difficult crusade has seen Fr. Shay Cullen face accusations of libel, slander and even rape that could have led to the death penalty had it not been decisively proven to be false.

“But,” says Fr. Shay Cullen, matter of factly, “This is an occupational hazard. Itʼs part of the job.”

Born in Dublin on 27th March 1943, the youngest in a family of seven, Shay Cullen was a pupil of the Haroldʼs Cross (Elementary) Glasthule, the Christian Brothers, Monkstown Park and the Presentation College, Sandycove.

He entered St. Columbanʼs

Seminary, Dalgan Park, Navan, Co. Meath in 1963 and was ordained to the priesthood six years later, as a member of the Missionary Society of Columban.

Fr. Shayʼs very first assignment was to change his life– and that of many others– forever. On arrival in St. Josephʼs Church Olongapo City in 1969, he was immediately confronted with the colossal social and human problems caused by the sex industry, which thrived beside a US Navy base.

Sexual abuse of children was commonplace and the naval base was eventually closed down as a direct result of his campaigning.

His vision to convert the huge facilities into an industrial park succeeded and brought about the collapse of the sex industry and the provision of dignified jobs for thousands of Filipinos.

Following brief periods back in Ireland and with the late Mother Teresa in Calcutta, Fr. Cullen re-

Unpublished Writers can enter the Children’s Fiction SLAM Flip Flop proudly presents the second Childrenʼs Fiction SLAM, in the Pavilion Theatre on Tuesday October 21st at 7pm. Hosted by author and comedienne Aislinn OʼLoughlin, the event is an opportunity for unpublished childrenʼs authors to read a short extract from their work in front of an audience of their peers, friends and two invited judges from the Irish publishing world– novelist Sarah Webb, and award-winning fantasy author Conor Kostick.

No cash prizes, no free book deals to be won, just the respect of your peers, and maybe a modest award.

Writers who wish to enter the SLAM should email flipflop@paviliontheatre.ie for details. Anyone can enter as long as you have never been published. And even if youʼre not entering come down to hear what undiscovered talent is on show.

turned to the Philippines in 1972, where he took up further language studies and trained in the operation and management of a Drug Rehabilitation Centre.

He then returned to Olongapo City, north west of Manila and founded PREDA (Peopleʼs Recovery, Empowerment and Development Assistance Foundation Inc.) in 1974, with the co operation of Merly Ramirez Hermoso and Alex Corpus Hermoso.

Through this organisation, committed to helping abused children and working for human rights and development, Shay comes face-

to-face with the horrors and evils of child sexual abuse on a daily basis.

Living with a professional team of dedicated Filipino colleagues, he has established a reputation which made his name a familiar one to groups, non governmental organisations (NGOs) and solidarity movements and authorities worldwide in the battle against paedophilia.

In attempting to explain what motivates him to help the oppressed, Shay goes back to his own childhood and what drew him to accept ʻthe callʼ. “It was the challenge of a different and adventurous life in the great unknown that attracted me at first but the example of Jesus Christ was the overwhelming influence,” he says. “I realised how privileged I was just to be basically secure and to have an education. When I read about the oppression and injustice I felt I wanted to do something meaningful and worthwhile with my life and bring some small change to the lives of these people.

“It was no one thing, no ʻRoad to Damascusʼ experience, but a combination of these important realities. I thought it a good thing to do, a worthwhile way to live out life.

“Silence about abuse is consent,” he says. “I felt that to be honest with oneself, action is called for, not just talk and hand wringing at how awful it is. I am a committed Christian and I see this as a challenge as Jesus did.”

Shayʼs contribution has been recognised by many and he has

been the recipient of numerous human rights awards. He received a German Human Rights of the City of Weimar Award in 2000, an Italian Human Rights Award at the City of Ferrara the following year and was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. In September of this year he received the Rehab International Person of the Year Award in Dublin.

Martin Sheen the Hollywood film actor said of him: “Fr. Shay Cullen truly is a hero. I would be honoured to portray him in a movie. Thank God for Fr. Shay, he is a very powerful inspiration and has saved the lives of thousands of these poor children, and he has helped jail some of the worldʼs most evil paedophiles. What he has achieved is nothing less than a miracle,” Oftentimes a controversial figure, Fr. Shayʼs stubborn streak and a definitive refusal to accept the injustices of life give him strength.

“When I see the oppression and injustice in this world, the sea of poverty and the islands of glittering wealth and obscene extravagance floating among the bodies of the drowning, I feel something in me that says ʻDonʼt accept this, donʼt turn away, donʼt ignore it and seek the easy life.ʼ They want me to back down, he says defiantly, referring to his enemies, but I wonʼt.”

Father Shay Cullenʼs book is entitled ʻPassion and Powerʼ and is available in all good bookshops.

Pictured above: Father Shay Cullen and Audrey Healy.

PAGE 30

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

JOHNNY HOSKINS AND THE ‘QUEEN OF SPEEDWAY’

By George P Kearns

M

any are the claims that Speedway racing was invented by a man in a small town called Maitland in Australiaʼs New South Wales district in 1923, but yours truly would not agree to this use of the word ʻinventedʼ.

I believe that speedway evolved from motor cycle road racing, scrambling, hill climbing and/ or off-course grass track racing, which took place in various parts of the world, long before the introduction of speedway as it is known today.

However, Johnny Hoskins, the man who was credited with the discovery of speedway, did in fact put speedway on the world market when he organized a motorcycle race in a local fairground in Maitland, with a view to raising a few shillings for a local hospital.

Johnny, it would appear, had drifted into the town, more or less penniless and took on a job in the local fairgrounds with a fund-raising committee. Having staged a motor cycle race on the fairgroundʼs trot-

ting track that proved to be reasonably successful, he continued to run the event weekly and soon changed the name to Speedway and the rest as they say, is history.

The motorbikes at that time were simple roadsters and to sturdy them up a little, the riders removed the head lamps and other accessories from their machines and rode them around the oval-shaped grass track with their shirt sleeves rolled up and no goggles, gloves or other fancy gear.

There was no safety fence, or loudspeakers, or for that matter time marshals or stewards and they simply started the race with a push start when a pistol was fired into the air.

When the race was over, the lads put their bikes back together again and rode home, or at least those that could did and the unlucky few that couldnʼt, just slept rough overnight and fixed their bikes as best they could the next morning.

Large crowds turned up for these races and Johnny, being a showman and entrepreneurial type, recognized a good money-spinner when he saw it. Having realized that this new sport had the potential to attract

T HE

large crowds of spectators, he continued to run races throughout the rest of the season and hence Speedway was born.

It wasnʼt long before Speedway tracks began to appear in Australiaʼs larger towns and cities and Johnny himself took his riders to Newcastle and later Sydney and Perth. Speedway reached High Beech in England in February 1928 and Haroldʼs Cross Greyhound Stadium in Dublin in September 1928 and that was the beginning of Speedway in Dublin This was one of the few times that I came across such a momentous happening, that grew into such a worldwide and much-loved sport, without the involvement of an Irish person somewhere along the way. I had to dig a little deeper into the history of motorbikes and motor cycle racing.

In so doing, I made two very pleasing discoveries, which more than rewarded me for my efforts and in my opinion put Ireland firmly on the map as far as Speedway racing was concerned.

My first discovery was when I came across a mention of a young girl who was a boarder pupil with

Mrs Fletcher of 35 Fitzwilliam Square and later with Alexandra College in Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, whose only wish in life was to own a motorcycle.

This young lady was Fay Taylour (pictured above), one of three daughters of Herbert Taylour, a District Inspector of the R.I.C in Birr, County Offaly. Eventually Fay, or to give her her full and proper name, ʻFrances Helen Taylourʼ, while still at school achieved her dream.

When she left Alexandra College she went to England, where she began to race motorbikes on grass tracks and also took part in motorcycle trials.

She eventually made her way to Australia and, while competing there, she rode against the best that Australia could throw at her and beat

PICTURE SAYS IT ALL !

them all. Fay became one of the best Speedway riders in the world and soon earned the title of the ʻQueen of Speedwayʼ.

My second finding also had me busting with excitement, when I discovered that an organized motorcycle race, similar to that which had taken place in Maitland in 1923, was held in Dublin in 1902.

This event, which was the first of two meetings, took place in Ashtown, Dublin on a proper oval-shaped cinder-based trotting track and, just like the riders and their bikes in Maitland some years later, the machines used were simple roadsters There were a few distinct differences between the two events. The Ashtown track was cinder-based, while the Maitland one was said to be a grass track. The bikes, though similar, were not stripped-down as they were in Maitland, but quite the opposite because, the Motor Cycle Union of Ireland stipulated that all the bikes had to be full roadsters, complete with mudguards etc.

The meetings in Ashtown had nothing to do with fund-raising or profits and the MCUI, having staged two meetings which were more or less trials, moved on and continued with their road racing and general motorcycling activities. Race track meetings, it would appear, were not to their liking.

The name ʻSpeedwayʼ had as yet not been coined and most unfortunately no entrepreneurial type like Johnny Hoskins with an eye for showmanship and the knowledge on how to turn a shilling was in attendance. But nevertheless, dirt track racing, it must be argued, did begin in Dublin in 1902.

These storylines are extracts from George Kearnsʼs new book on the history of Speedway, which he hopes to have in the shops for Christmas 2008; however there is still time for anyone to get in touch with him, should they have any item of interest on Dublin speedway to pass onto to him, including old photos etc. Email George at: georgemamie@eircom. net or make contact with him through ʻNewsFourʼ.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

PAGE 31

THE POETRY PLACE

The runner-in

Life’s tough, you’re tougher

The first time I caught the number 3 I had been invited to Ringsend for tea Wet Nelly was served and I ate with glee Jam jars for everyone but a mug for me Iʼll never be called ʻone of our ownʼ I came from a different part of town Crumlin I was glad was ʻvery far awayʼ And we never ate cabbage with pissy ray I fondly remember a night out at the Ritz A pint in McDermottʼs and Ferrariʼs for chips A ʻwearʼ on the stairs of the flats was a treat And an offer of more the next time we meet Some Saturday nights Iʼd miss the last number 3 And too tired to walk Iʼd stay at the local B&B Sleep on the buses if you know what I mean Then rashers and eggs in the Bottle House canteen Over 30 years Iʼm here and still a runner-in Even though some Raytowners are my next-of-kin And always the Ringsend gulls will sit and judge Those of us who came from over the Brudge.

By Eddie Duff

You were right So you did it again You cut through my heart Left a big open wound And now weʼre apart

City without blinding lights No surprise nor illusional satisfaction; Cobble paved street lies in quiet, I open my eyes hoping to picture your reflection, Only find that thousand miles away buries that sensation.

Where are you from, where are you going for?

Lunatic yellow buses passing in my life everyday; Never been interested to take an aimless tour, Stoned as ever not knowing thereʼs a price to pay, Sink my head into a pool of clay.

No bridge of Terabithia could lead me to you right now, When the last city street goes off; I know youʼve already started your day, but how?

Imagination troubles my sanity, no need to prove, That, never could you nor will you know how youʼve been so cruel.

By Zhen Dong

A desert dream Through the humid desert night our camel train was long Then, dawn did break, and I could hear a distant happy song.

The Vision waited, in my tent An angel to my eyes Oh what pleasure, I recall Beneath those starlit skies.

No place left to meet No calls on my phone Emptiness crushed deep inside Just me all alone

Yet, must my dreams so cruelly end This much Iʼm sure is true Iʼll ride the wind, embrace the dawn Until Iʼm there with you.

The feelings we rescued That we thought were long gone The feelings we reignited We kept them held on

For someone calls, within my mind My heart is full of glee Iʼll take the magic carpet ride To fact or fantasy.

And this time you were right Though now I shed a tear And I long for your touch And I wish you were here

By Geoffrey P B Lyon

Love dreams My thoughts and dreams are of you to-day And in my dreams a special way Right from the start you had to be Godʼs blessing in this life for me And with that touch so kind and true Reveals the love I have for you Each day our love together seems To say I love you in my dreams.

And upon my wall Lies your face and your smile And I want you to be here Just for one more while But you did the right thing You walked from the pain And you chose not to hurt me Again and again

By David J. B. Lyon

They said we couldnʼt do it But yes they were wrong And our love will continue In the words of this song

By Audrey Healy

One day Iʼll fix that leaky tap And unblock that nasty drain Iʼll scrub the house from top to bottom Removing every stain.

One day Iʼll clean the windows And mop the kitchen floor Bath & shower will be spotless With elbow grease galore.

One day Iʼll hang that picture And scrub the filthy grill All grime will be banished From hall door to window sill.

One day Iʼll tidy out the shed And repair the garden wall The grass will get a short back and sides You wonʼt know the place at all.

One day Iʼll paint that ceiling And straighten the crooked shelf Iʼll wash up after dinner Drying all the delft.

One day Iʼll clear the gutter And mend the spade and rake.

One tedious task after another I will happily undertake.

By Brian Kelly

In memory of Christie Hennessy I only met you but the once But it was enough to make me realise That you were someone special By the light shining in your eyes

But, like vintage wine This tale I tell, had never really been The wine was spilt, I came awake For this was but a dream.

Oh the times that we laughed Oh the times that we cried Oh the good times we shared And the things we did confide

One day

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

Your soft voice gently lilting oʼer the crowd Singing over the chords of your guitar That mesmersised the people From here to further afar Your gentle soothing lyrics In each and every song Captivated every listener Long after you had gone Your jokes, your stories, your anecdotes, Would be nothing without your smile Infectious, mischievous, enthralling It invited us inside To see beyond the music To the man lingering within the husband and the father And the people closet to him Music was your first love But our love was simply you And no one will forget the songs you brought And the things you used to do Today they will still talk about you A gentle soul with a beautiful smile Who faced his toughest battle With resilience, hope and style So music man wherever you are now, be in it a place of peace and joy be happy, be at peace, be at one Messenger Boy Rest assured youʼll always be a legend here at home Remembered with affection by those near and far And that to so many of your fans At last You Are a Star.

By Audrey Healy

PAGE 32

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

The Fontenoy Files

By Shay Connolly

Brian Talty joins the set-up as club trippers survive Atlantic crossing

B

rian Talty has taken over as Manager of the Intermediate footballers and the Club is delighted to have such an eminent GAA figure around the place. Brian, who graced the centre of the field with Galway footballers for many a year and was a selector on the recent Dublin side that captured four in a row Leinster Championships, joined the set-up here last month.

Speaking with Brian, he told me that after the Tyrone game his appetite for football had waned somewhat. However, after the initial mourning period of one week, Brian decided to roll up his sleeves and get on with it.

He added that he was delighted to help out Clanna Gael Fontenoy as, having trained the Dubs in the Club for a year, he was aware of the fantastic work that was going around the place. “This Club has the best facilities that I have seen in my travels and in a sense it is a Trainerʼs Paradise with all-yearround playing pitches, floodlights and an all-weather training arena. I like a challenge and the challenge here in this Club is a very worthy one.

“I am conscious of the efforts that the Club are making in keeping the game alive in the Inner City and I see all around me the investment for the future I am hoping that the players will respond.

It may take a month or two to get the message across but from what

I have seen so far the players are certainly there.” The Club wishes Brian and the players every success for the rest of the season.

Reports from Juvenile affairs are very healthy indeed, with success being reported on all fronts.

The Academy is flying it and all under age teams are reporting steady progress. The U9s recently won the East Coastal Tournament in Ringsend Park, where such lofty names as Kilmacud Crokes, Cuala and Bray Emmets were vanquished.

Mentors Dave ʻThe Bullʼ Walsh and Bernard ʻWall Stʼ Bannon were very happy with how the

lads performed and no mountain is steep enough for this squad to climb.

Camogie girls faced their season-long rivals Craobh Chiaran in the quarter-final of the Championship and, having lost the previous two league encounters to this opposition, were in no humour to fall to them three times on the trot.

Producing a performance rolled in steel, they overturned recent results and had a bit to spare in the end. They now play Faughs in the Semi-Final and no matter what happens here their season has been a wonderful success to date.

Senior hurlers are still await-

ing their final and crucial league match against St Oliver Plunketts.

Itʼs a long wait but lads, please remained focussed.

The trip to Canada for the Ladies footballers (above) was a fantastic success, with the girls winning the Powerscreen World Seven A Side Competition. In the round robin stages they beat Cayman Island Gaels, St Michaels Toronto, and in a very close contest overcame Ottawa Gaels by a solitary point.

In the Quarter Final, they dispatched Cleveland Gaels before defeating Bramton Roger Casements in the Semi Final. In the Final they faced their closest rivals in the competition, Ottawa Gaels.

The first 20 minutes was a seesaw battle until, in the last 10 minutes, the class and guile of the Irish girls saw them through by an 8 point margin. So the areas of Ringsend, Sandymount, Irishtown and Pearse Street are now truly etched in the Canadian corridors of Gaelic Games.

The trophy is as big as you are likely to see and nestles proudly in the Clubhouse at present. Some of the lads who travelled made guest appearances for the local side in the menʼs competition. Below is a detailed account of the journey home.

THE TRIP TO CANADA It was the trip of a lifetime for all, that was until they stepped on

to the plane for the journey home.

I can only report to this paper the reports I received myself of this frightening return journey. An hour and a half out from Dublin, in the midst of the broad and vast Atlantic Ocean, the pilot informed all the passengers that one of the engines had failed and that they would be travelling the rest of the journey on one engine only.

Shock and awe and awe and shock set in with many as they fastened their seatbelts. This was the time for leadership and the hero of the hour and a half was none other than the Sniffer Hilliard. Hilliard, oozing with amazing calmness and showing all the steely grit of a Senior Hurler, marched up and down the aisle offering reassurance to the shaken passengers.

His services included the reciting of the Act of Contrition into the ears of many and hearing last confessions from some along the aisle. Hilliard tells me that one of the confessions was so horrid that he did not absolve the teller.

When he came to Tom Ryan senior, he asked Tom what he could do for him to which Tom sluggishly replied “make the brandy stronger.”

Tom A Ryan was asking for forgiveness for having received so much from his Eircom shares as Jacinta patted his beautiful head of hair.

Paul Kennedy was on his knees seeking redemption for having robbed his own club in an important league match during his refereeing career five years previously.

Sinead Vivash was doing likewise for having missed so many club notes throughout the last two years.

Grace Dunne was pledging to her astonished parents, John and Margaret that she would do some housework once every six months for the rest of her life.

Many girls were wailing sorrow for having given the Legend such a hard time over the past number of years.

Bernard Lawless was apologising to all for claiming that he was a senior hurler and for getting sent off in Canada for slagging the ref about his job as a merchant banker.

Others were doing novenas about affairs they never should have had

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008 with Canadian Mounties.

Meanwhile, up front in the cockpit Alan Foley had now joined the pilot. Alan, using all his experience from his days with Fingallians in Swords where he spent many an hour plane spotting while playing corner forward with his local side, instantly told the pilot that the plane would have to lose some weight on one side.

The pilot duly released some fuel (and the price of it!) over the blue waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

When this was not sufficient Pat Kane, Tom Ryan and a host of other heavyweights had to move from one side to another to balance it out.

Believing now that they were in grave danger, Martin Neville and Lynn Dunne asked Johhny ʻSnuckʼ Sadlier to wed them before it was too late. Johnny, once an altar boy in Star of the Sea, presided over the Ceremony in the ladies loo for a small fee with the Flood sisters as bridesmaids. Martin did not use Groomsmen as he just didnʼt like anyone enough to do so.

Albert and Jenny were coolness personified and for most of the hazardous journey debated the worsening economic crisis. At one stage Jenny offered to cut Albertʼs hair for nothing but Albert loves his own hair so much that he

wanted to leave this earth with as much of it as possible. Alice Foley, alias Mrs Doyle, was offering tea to everyone when stiffer drinks were in order. Niamh Foley and Serena Hannon might as well have been on the dart to Bray as she continuously combed her hair in the mirror.

Having got through the hour, worse was yet to come and the reports of the last half hour are legendary. Reports of the Sniffer Hilliard putting out fires on the last remaining engine hanging from trouser belts tied together are indeed tall, but are sworn to by the survivors.

Other reports need a little more verification, such as overpowering a terrorist with hurley sticks in the menʼs loo and dispatching him out the window.

All this was too much for the Afghan pilot and he reservedly handed over the wheel to Alan Foley and Paul Kennedy just as the lights of Dublin and Sean Moore Park came into view.

Kennedy and Foley, after wrestling for stardom with each other, safely landed the Boeing 747 in the Phoenix Park just next to Mary Robinsonʼs house. Come to think of it, Mary Robinson doesnʼt live there anymore so who is telling the lies??

Calafort Átha Cliath

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

Telephone: 887 6000, 855 0888 Fax: 855 7400 Web: www.dublinport.ie

PAGE 33

Page 32, bottom left: Many hands make light work– parents put their children through their paces at the Saturday Morning Academy. Above: The great walk of shame by Bernard Lawless.

B ALLSBRIDGE , D ONNYBROOK AND S ANDYMOUNT H ISTORICAL S OCIETY

T

he Ballsbridge, Donnybrook and Sandymount Historical Society was founded in Pembroke Library in 2007 with the aim of promoting an interest in local history in the area.

To this end the Society arranges lectures, exhibitions and walking tours. They also publish an ʻAnnual Recordʼ that details talks and events that went on during the previous year.

The Society has had a hugely successful inaugural year with a current membership of over 200.

Lecture meetings are held in St Maryʼs National School, Belmont

Avenue, Donnybrook.

Programmes and membership application forms are available from Pembroke Library, Anglesea Road, Dublin 4. For further information see www.bdshistory.org, email: pembrokelibrary@dublincity.ie or phone 01-6689575.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS: Thursday, 9 October 2008 A guided tour of the Treasures of the Royal Dublin Society - including the Membersʼ Club, Library and Reception Rooms– by Dr. Kevin Bright. Meet at the RDS Membersʼ entrance at 6.00pm. If you would like to come on this tour, please

contact Gail Wolfe (087 648 3388) by 3 October by text or call to her mobile phone. Book early as numbers will be limited.

Thursday, 27 November 2008 From Horse-Drawn Trams to the Dart– a history of transport through the area– Jim Scannell. Venue: St. Maryʼs National School, Belmont Avenue, Donnybrook at 8.00pm.

Parking is available. Event is free to members and €3.00 for guests.

Thursday, 11 December 2008 The Annual General Meeting and Membersʼ Evening giving members an opportunity to talk about an item of historical interest. If you wish to give a short presentation (5 to 6 minutes), please contact Gail Wolfe (087 648 3388) by text or call to her mobile phone.

Venue: St. Maryʼs National School, Belmont Avenue, Donnybrook at 8.00pm. Parking is available.

Above: Liz Turley (Senior Librarian, Pembroke Library), James McKeon (Lecturer), and John Holohan (Chairman of the Ballsbridge, Donnybrook and Sandymount Historical Society).

PAGE 34

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

ST PATRICK’S CYFC

By Dave Nolan Patrickʼs CYFC update season 2008/ 09

S

eason 2008/ 09 got off to an absolute flier for the ʻYsʼ 1st team when they took on what was in fairness a very weak Garda FC side at Irishtown stadium on Wednesday 20thAugust. With new additions to an already strong squad CY put an astonishing twelve goals past a flapping Garda side, the type of score line more akin to other sports such as table tennis or cricket and not Intermediate LSL soccer.

Anyway, you can only play whatʼs put in front of you and the goals were flowing with an Anto OʼConnor hat trick (four in total), two from winger Thomas Dunne, another brace from Phil OʼConner, the odd one in twelve from young Glen OʼConnor and a record hat trick (we think) from substitute Barry Young.

This win was followed up with a 5-2 home win the following Sunday against Valeview

Shankill. A disappointing defeat was to follow a week later at home to Postal Utd to put the brakes on and bring everyone crashing back down to earth.

Our 2nd team now playing in Major 1C Sat had a slow start to their new season. The Joe Tynan cup holders faced old foes Tymon in the 1st game and ended up on the wrong end of a 2-0 score line.

A repeat score line was to occur the following Saturday, this time away to another big rival of recent seasons, Castleknock Celtic. The show was finally on the road in the next game with a good 3-0 win away to Fairview CY, followed up by a convincing 5-0 thumping of Stillorgan Lakelands on the fantastic new all-weather surface in Ringsend park. A respectable 3-3 draw away to Postal Utd leaves the CY in 3rd position at the moment.

Our 3rd team are now three games in to their latest campaign (Division 2 Sunday) with a record that reads– played three, won one, drew one, lost one.

This season the 3rd team will make use of the great facility

M ARATHON

O

n the first Sunday of November the biggest road race of the year will take place in New York. It is better known as the New York Marathon. Starting on Staten Island the race covers 26.2 miles (42.2 km) through the five boroughs of New York, finishing in Central Park.

Marathon enthusiast David Mahony, Manager of OʼReillyʼs Pub, Sandymount Village is in pursuit of his tenth marathon, which he will run in New York.

He has become somewhat of a globetrotter, chasing his goal to complete a marathon in less than 3 hours 30 minutes. His best time so far is 3 hours and 31 minutes in Amsterdam in 2006.

David says, “It doesnʼt sound like much of a challenge, but you never know how you will perform on the day of a race due to weather conditions and your general well-being. You have to show a lot of respect to the distance, and pacing is very impor-

that is Irishtown stadium, which brings us nicely onto the subject on the lips of all football men and women in the Ringsend area: the new all-weather pitch adjacent to the stadium, fully flood-lit and UEFA licensed.

This is an absolutely fantastic addition to the growing facilities in Ringsend park. CYʼs 1st & 2nd teams will use this new pitch with our 1st team playing home games on Saturday nights, a real treat. The Under-13 team

shown above will certainly appreciate it!

The first such game took place on the evening of Saturday the 13th September when the ʻYʼ took on St Josephʼs Glasthule from Intermediate 1A in the Moore cup, in what was a good display. CY ran out comfortable winners by six goals to one with Anto OʼConnor and Thomas Dunne relentless in their goal scoring, picking up a hat trick apiece.

The same two were at it again the following Saturday night. this time getting one each to bring their individual tallies to eight goals each for the season in a 3-1 league win against Ballyfermot UTD. So far, a good, solid start all round from all three teams and the schoolboys are running along nicely also. Hopefully, some more good news to come in the next instalment so watch this space.

David could have chosen any charity to fund raise for in exchange for a place in the New York Marathon, but he chose Enable Ireland because they are part of the Sandymount Community and as David has worked in Sandymount for over 16 years

and feels like a local. he wanted to help out the local community.

David has started his fund raising campaign and already he has received sponsorship from local businesses such as JP Foley & Co solicitors and Bennetts Auctioneers.

Other sponsors include Bord Gáis Energy Supply, Cranfield Contractors and Caledonian Life. It is not just businesses that have helped kick start his campaign. Local residents and locals to OʼReillyʼs pub have also made contributions.

David aims to raise as much money as possible for Enable Ireland and would appreciate any fundraising help he can get, no matter how small. If you would like to help raise funds for Enable Ireland, you can call into OʼReillyʼs where there will be sponsorship cards available behind the counter. If you wish, you can give your donation to any member of staff and they will pass it on to David. You do not have to be a local to OʼReillyʼs in order to make a donation– just pop in anytime and they will gladly accept your donation.

MAN

tant. Times can vary by as much as 10 minutes which is a lot when you are chasing a goal.”

David has visited London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna and Edinburgh to name but a few of the cities where he has participated in a marathon. As a practice run, he ran a half-marathon in Windsorʼs Great Park, London in September.

David has a supportive network of friends and family who encourage him to do his training when he might otherwise like to sit with his family and watch telly on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Friends, family and customers of OʼReillyʼs have shown nothing but generosity and motivation in helping David to raise funds for Enable Ireland, who are making his dream of running the New York Marathon possible by offering him a place in return for sponsorship.

Enable Ireland is a national voluntary organisation providing essential therapy and services to

children and adults with physical and sensory disabilities throughout Ireland. They rely heavily on the generosity, support and goodwill of many individuals, companies and community groups to continue to provide and develop these essential services.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

Star of the Sea School, winners of the Johnston Mooney and O’Brien Cup The picture above is of the victorious Star of the Sea team who beat St Maryʼs Place by one goal in the final of the Johnston Mooney and OʼBrien Cup back in 1967.

The team was coached by Star teacher, the late Mr Tom McCarthy (inset), who spent many unpaid hours after school in Ringsend Park coaching the lads in the fine

PAGE 35

arts of hurling. The team honed its skills to the cries of “ground hurling, lads” from Mr McCarthy. In the end, it paid dividends. The final was played in OʼToole Park in Crumlin.

The match was originally scheduled for Croke Park but bad weather caused the change of venue. It was fitting that the Star should win the Johnston Mooney and OʼBrien Cup, named after the bakery, as their headquarters was in Ballsbridge and many locals worked there. The bakery

has long moved out and is now the site of the Herbert Park Hotel on the banks of the Dodder.

To name a few from the victorious team, there was Vincent Canavan, Pat Haugh, Denis McKenna (former manager of ʻNewsFour), Michael Bergin, Colm McKeown, Pat Sullivan, Damian Toffelli, Anthony Bridgeman, Tom Flynn. We would be delighted to hear from any of the members of that team to put names on the photograph and give their memories of that day.

J OE G RENNELL

By Audrey Healy

A

fter eighteen years working within the community in Ringsend, Joe Grennell is more equipped than most to speak of his time there.

Speaking to me from his new offices on Ormond Quay Dublin where he works as an Educational Co Coordinator, Joe told me of his time in Ringsend where he witnessed many changes and made many close friends and associates.

“The Ringsend Community Training Workshop successfully made an application to the Department of Social Welfare, as it was then known, for funding to do work on anti-poverty issues within the area and I subsequently got the job as Manager of the Ringsend Action Project (RAP).

“The idea at the time was to look at ways in which we could intervene in the locality, which was considered at that time to be a disadvantaged area.”

During his time with RAP Joe and his colleagues identified a

number of issues which they decided required immediate attention. “One of them was that it was almost impossible for a young person or a married couple who were working, to live in the area because Dublin City Council hadnʼt built houses in the area since 1986. This was 1990 and in 1992 we built the very first affordable houses ever to be built in the state,” says Joe with a hint of pride.

“We built seventeen houses and we sold them to local people for £41,000. We got a small group of people together, made up of myself, Ruairí Quinn and Charlie Murphy. We discovered that there was a piece of land for sale at the time in Ringsend and we contacted a developer and said this is what we want to do, we want to do this by the book and we want to buy this land and sell the houses.

“The Shared Ownership Scheme was just being introduced and six people bought their houses on that scheme and they were the first ever to use the scheme. After that, we went on to build another six houses in 1996, another seventeen houses

and five apartments in 1996 and established the City Housing Initiative.

“Another problem we noticed,” continues Joe, “was that people in the area who were on low incomes and in need of money for Christmas could not approach the banks for £200 or £500. The banks just wouldnʼt lend them that, so they were going to loan sharks. They couldnʼt go to credit unions because they had no savings in there so we established the Money, Advice and Budgeting Service which was one of the first branches set up in Ireland and is now active throughout

the country.

“For years Ringsend had a drug problem. We were running a youth project at the time and we noticed that when the kids were playing in the park or around the area they were coming across needles. We got together a group of people and called ourselves the Ringsend and District Response to Drugs and that organisation is now flourishing in Ringsend and works from the Spellman Centre.

“We also ran the Childcare Club and found that there was a low level of education according to the current census population, 29%

of the population had left school with their Junior Cert. We had a whole wide range of interests and my job was to manage all these interests and RAP now has eleven people employed. All in all, people working together in the area have achieved an enormous amount.”

The burning question, having achieved so much, why did Joe leave? “Well I just felt it was time for a change and my new job in the Dublin Inner City Partnership means that Iʼm working as an Educational Co-ordinator here and in actual fact I still have connection with Ringsend through education.”

Ringsend, is never far from the heart of this Glasnevin man and he remains close to its roots. “Ringsend has a very rich community spirit and is a close-knit village.

One of the first things I did was to negotiate for Ringsend to be included in the Dublin Inner City area.

“You always get the feeling when you go into Ringsend that youʼre going into a village. Most people socialise in the village and everybody knows everybody and thatʼs the way I think it should be.

Everybody is related to everybody else. I have seen enormous and positive changes in Ringsend over the years.”

PAGE 36

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

By John Cavendish

T

he recent changes to the City Council electoral districts by Environment Minister John Gormley have resulted in questions by opposition parties about the new arrangements, in particular the moving of a large part of Sandymount into the South East Inner City zone with Ringsend.

Sandymount was previously under the Pembroke ward, where the Council representatives were Dermot Lacey of Labour, Paddy McCartan of Fine Gael and John Kenny of the Progressive Democrats.

The other South East Area representatives were Michael Donnelly of Fianna Fail, Mary Freehill, and Oisinn Quinn of Labour alongside Eddie Wynne of Fine Gael in Rathmines.

Down in the old South East Inner City there was Daithí Doolan of Sinn Féin, Kevin Humphreys of Labour and Sarah Ryan of Fianna Fáil.

Due to the council district area changes, Councillors Kevin Humphreys, Sarah Ryan and Daithi Doolin find themselves canvassing in Sandymount. Dermot Lacey has moved into the new Pembroke-Rathmines sector along with John Kenny, whose political party, the PDs, might

M EET C ATHERINE N OONE PROSPECTIVE LOCAL CANDIDATE

not be around any longer than the next issue of ʻNewsFourʼ.

Cllr. Paddy McCartan and the Fine Gael group have introduced a new face to the new South East Inner City area by the name of Catherine Noone, who hopes to be the prospective candidate after

JAC K –

By John Cavendish

T

wo years ago, in November 2006, I received the very sad news that an old friend that I had known since school days had passed away. Jack OʼNeill, pictured right, was only 44 years old when he was felled by a rare and serious condition called amyloidosis.

Three months before his death, he had called to see me and told me that he had a medical problem. He said that he had been diagnosed with this condition that built up an accumulation of abnormal proteins in some key organs.

He also said that he had been told not drink as it was starting to affect his liver and he told me that evening how heʼd dearly love to have a beer.

In characteristic fashion, he was upbeat about his prognosis and was preparing for a trip to London to the Royal Free Hospital for treatment to get him into remission, but within a few short

ratification by her local party.

I spoke with Catherine on the seafront in Sandymount, where she told me about her background and why she is running in next yearʼs local election.

Catherine, pictured above, is from Claremorris in County

Mayo and first studied Italian and Classics before going on to qualify as a solicitor after Law School at the Dublin Institute of Technology in Rathmines. Her speciality is defence work in Litigation.

She gave me her reaction to the City Council boundary changes by saying “It has left people bemused in the sense that Sandymount is your quintessential village and they have split it down the middle, and I would like some explanation as to why this has happened. Both Paddy McCartan and myself are proposing to have, in the next few weeks, a public meeting on the issue.”

Catherine spoke about her family and how Fine Gael sympathies go back a long way. She said that none of her family had previously taken an active part in politics, but in her home there was always an interest in current affairs.

Just now, the state of the economy predominates the campaign message: “There has been very little foresight from the current government. Basically, they havenʼt insulated us in any way from this storm. Now we see the effects everywhere, with banks coming down and so on.”

Talking by the Strand, I asked for her views on the proposed buildings by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, about which she is not com-

pletely happy. She said: “What we need to do is to preserve the amenity that is here, I walk here all the time and I donʼt think that this is what is wanted by the people of Sandymount. There needs to be proper consultation on the issue.”

Making reference to the Dublin Bay Task Force set up by Minister John Gormley, she said that the area doesnʼt have proper representation on that group from the area. “Development on this scale is unsuitable for the area.”

Returning to the campaign ahead, she says that there will be a swing away from Fianna Fãil: “The government to me isnʼt a government that deserves an endorsement of a huge vote at the local elections.

Brian Cowen has proved himself to have been a terrible Minister for Finance. Weʼre in a situation where we had huge wealth, but it has been squandered on everything from electronic voting and the like and now weʼre in a position where the taxpayers and, in particular those on lower incomes, are likely to be the major sufferers.”

For further information regarding the issues she intends to raise, look up her website www.catherinenoone.ie , or call her on 087 982 2334 or e-mail catherinenoone@hotmail.com

SEEKING A CURE FOR AMYLOIDOSIS

weeks of commencing therapy he developed a complication, which brought his life to an abrupt and premature end.

Jack grew up near St. Michaelʼs College on Ailesbury Road where both he and I went to school, after which he went on to study Commerce at UCD. He moved to London in 1986, joining the logistics desk within the Mitsubishi Corporation and became a member of the Baltic Exchange in 1987.

He became quite an expert in the carriage of grain by sea and in 1989 he moved to the Grain desk at H. Clarkson, where he widened his client base. From there, he went on to join another firm, Howe Robinson in 1995, rising to become one of the worldʼs leading Panamax brokers.

By the following year he became a director and in 2003 he helped establish a new office for his firm here in Dublin.

He married Jacqueline Twoomey in September 1991 and had a family of three children, Mathew, Jennifer and Eoin. He was well re-

garded socially and was an active jogger, playing sport when he could.

After his death, his family, friends and his colleagues in London launched a memorial fund in aid of research into the disease. The charity is called JACk– the Joint Amyloidosis Charity– which has already raised €130,000 here in Ireland and something in the order of a quarter of a million in the UK. These monies have been directed at supporting research at the UK National Amyloidosis Centre in the Royal Free Hospital in London which has also some UK government support.

In addition, JACk has pledged funds to the hematology unit at St Vincentʼs Hospital, Dublin for Irish patients diagnosed with this condition.

On 19th September last, the charity had a sponsored football

fore the end.

Jacqueline said that they had been married fifteen years, that the house was empty without him and that she and the three children were devastated by his passing.

Another old colleague to both Jack and myself, Ray FitzGerald, who also went to St. Michaelʼs and has been a fundraiser for JACk, told me how well the charity set up in his memory was doing, with a new laboratory in the Royal Free in London named after Jack OʼNeill. Ray said “they have actually now cured a laboratory rodent of amyloidosis so thereʼs great hope for sufferers.” match in Railway Union sports club on Park Avenue in Sandymount, where Jack used to play football, with teams made up of his old friends.

I spoke with his widow Jacqueline after the game and she told me that they were only informed of the disorder some six months before he died and that he had been quite active until only a while be-

JACk is a registered charity that aims to fund research into amyloidosis, this rare disorder caused by the accumulation of abnormal proteins in key body organs, that can be fatal. For contributions, please send to the Jack OʼNeill Memorial Fund, 6 Mount Anville Park, Goatstown, Dublin 14. For further information, please call Liz Yeates at 086 826 7238.

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

PAGE 37

HUBBLE WORTH THE TROUBLE

second space shuttle that would be launched to rescue a stranded Hubble Space Telescope servicing crew in case of an emergency, was recently rolled out at the Kennedy Space Centre.

NASA ordered the backup to reduce some of the risks with flying the Hubble mission, which takes place too far from the space station for the outpost to serve as a temporary shelter for Atlantisʼs crew in case of an emergency.

On October 14, 2008, astronauts will board the Space Shuttle Atlantis for Servicing Mission 4 (SM4), the final trip to the Hubble Telescope. This mission will extend the Hubbleʼs life by several years into at least 2014.

According to NASA, the astronauts will undertake five spacewalks, during which they will in-

stall two new instruments, repair two inactive ones, and perform the component replacements that will keep the telescope working.

Atlantis will be carrying two new science instruments for Hubble, replacement batteries, and gyroscopes and repair kits to fix two of its cameras.

After this mission, Hubble will be more powerful than it has ever been. This is in large part due to the fact that two very high technology new scientific instruments are being put on Hubble.

First, a new camera will be fitted thatʼs capable of surveying the universe to very great depth over a very wide range of colours, from the ultraviolet, which is blocked by the Earthʼs atmosphere, to the near-infrared, which is impeded by the Earthʼs atmosphere, and all of the range of colours and wavelengths in between.

In addition, a cosmic origin

spectrograph will be installed which will be the most sensitive device of its type ever placed in orbit. Therefore, weʼll be able to look farther out across the universe and take these rainbow-ofcolour measurements on objects much farther away than weʼve been able to do in the past.

The $2 billion Hubble Telescope vaulted into space aboard the Shuttle Discovery in 1990, and the spectacular images it has beamed back to Earth ever since have captured the public imagination: enabling the earthbound to observe the universe as it was 12 billion years ago; peering into black holes at the centre of galaxies and observing the oldest burned-out stars in the Milky Way along with colliding galaxies and roiling caverns of dust and gas.

The Hubble telescope was originally designed to be launched and serviced by the space shuttle,

Fashion fix workshop

think creatively and reinvent the clothes you already own. Every single time you go through your

own clothes you will find something youʼve completely forgotten you bought or discover something that will go perfectly with a new purchase.

Some Tips: 1. Get dyeing– this is the cheapest way possible to create a whole new look.

2. Dye shoes. Donʼt cast shoes aside because they are the wrong colour. If you love the style buy and dye. Hey presto, in 30 seconds approximately you will have the pair you want.

3. Get handy with a sewing needle. Well, at least learn how

By Glenda Cimino

A

With Maggie Gibbons, Image & Life Coach and Anita Hanley, RedHOTStyleTips

R

ecycling is the new Black! Youʼre probably sick to the teeth hearing it but times are getting harder and for many people the cutbacks, downsizing, whatever you want to call it sadly now applies to your wardrobe. Itʼs time to

by astronaut crews in space suits going out on spacewalks. There have been four such trips so far, with 18 completely successful Extra-Vehicular Activities, EVAs, on past missions. However, those missions were accomplished during a period of time when NASA didnʼt realize what the threats to safety within the space shuttle itself were.

The Columbia tragedy in 2003 was a rude awakening to the dangers. Seven astronauts died because the shuttle was damaged during launch and broke apart during its return through Earthʼs atmosphere for landing. Shuttle crews now inspect their ships for damage during flight.

David Leckrone, Hubble senior project scientist, says that Hubble is so important because itʼs given the first clear view to humankind of what the universe really looks like.

“I think weʼre all very curious about where weʼve come from and where weʼre going. Weʼre all attracted to the night sky and

whatʼs up there, and whatʼs beyond the next star. I think that at heart weʼre all Trekkies, and although we canʼt literally fly across the universe in a Starship Enterprise, the Hubble can take us across the universe as a vicarious trip. I think ultimately Hubble has inspired people from all walks of life. And I think it also makes Americans very proud, that this is something positive that we have accomplished as a people.”

The ESA (European Space Agency) has produced a wonderful DVD, ʻHubble: 15 years of Discoveryʼ, which may still be available from Astronomy Ireland, and gives a breathtaking, if disturbing view of what the Hubble telescope is teaching us about our universe. For more information, check out the ESA website www.spacetelescope.org

to change buttons, add trimmings and alter the hemline.

4. On Trend: Tie a bow on a pair of old shoes and create an up-to-the-minute style. Buy some organza and stitch it or wonder web it to the end of a skirt, add ruffles to shirts, the possibilities are endless. The main thing is do it!

To book a place on our next ʻFashion Fix Workshopʼ contact: Maggie Gibbons email: maggiegibbons@iol.ie Tel: 087 6782406 or Anita Hanley RedHOTStyleTips email: anita_ hanley@hotmail.com Tel: 086

1967350.

Pictured left is Maggie Gibbons and below Anita Hanley.

Left: The Hubble Telescope in action. Below is one of its marvellous images, a composite of Jupiter storms.

PAGE 38

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

M u s ic4 …

BY FERGAL MURPHY * NESSA JENNINGS * AUDREY HEALY

Metier at Airfield House

By Nessa Jennings

M

Christine Tobin – a total jazz artist

By Nessa Jennings

C

hristine Tobin (pictured above) has impeccable taste, and is a total jazz artist, from her compelling live performances, to the albums she creates. Her latest, ʻSecret Life of a Girlʼ, is no exception. Christine comes from Walkinstown, Dublin and has been living in London since 1987, where she has forged her collaborations.

This year, she was named BBC Jazz Vocalist of the year, to coincide with this album. On her MySpace page, the genre she works in is described as Alternative/ Jazz/ Americana.

Like her previous recordings, the current release is mainly originals, with some covers. It is an album of remarkable unity with no weak spots. With her covers, sometimes Bob Dylan or John Martyn, this time, Leonard Cohenʼs ʻEverybody Knowsʼ and Rufus Wainwrightʼs ʻPosesʼ, she seems to apply tone where I, perhaps couldnʼt hear it, and makes it musical.

She also injects her unique attitude, leading you through the storylines of what were folk songs, turning them into jazz. In her appreciation of metre, she chooses her moment and paints in her meaning.

The writing here is as usual excellent, allowing a view into experience and imagination, the abstractions of the lyrics both implied and understood. Her band are top-notch and include her long-time collaborator and life partner, guitarist Phil Robson, Liam Noble on piano, and Kate Shortt on cello.

Ray Comiskey has given this release five stars. She is about to receive international recognition, and has a very impressive list of engagements to the end of year.

One thing: youʼll have to buy the CD online from babel.com, as they do not have it in Tower records. Another thing: she does not appear in Dublin often enough, but if you are in London in November, she will be at The Barbican (14th), and at Ronnie Scottʼs (18th). She also appears regularly at The Jazz Cafe in Soho, and The Vortex, where she is also a promoter and organiser. You can, for the moment, check her out on her MySpace website.

etier is a jazz quintet assembled and led by Ronan Guilfoyle (electric bass) in order to perform its membersʼ own compositions, recently recorded and released on the CD ʻCascadeʼ.

Supported by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council, I caught their live show at Airfield in September.

In the Airfield surroundings, a gig is like a recital.

They opened with ʻIt Never Happenedʼ, composed by Paul Williamson (trumpet), followed by Justin Carrollʼs (piano) ʻLate Developerʼ.

The front of the piano had been removed in order to get that bigger, open sound, and although the music is improvised, it sounds as if itʼs been exactly rehearsed, so accomplished are the musicians involved.

Michael Buckley (tenor sax) contributes a slow piece, and Sean Carpio (drums) adds his own composition, written after one of his idols.

Paul Williamson must have been in love with this material as his solos on trumpet were seamless and inspired.

Justinʼs playing is effortless and throws up some great surprises.

Sean Carpioʼs drumming has crystal clarity when isolated in a solo, when you can really hear it.

The second set consisted of four pieces, based on ideas from the Bebop period, mainly written after Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.

It is an academic exercise based on a deep understanding of the music.

All four pieces are composed by Ronan Guilfoyle. The writing is very strong, and there is definitely a contemporary take about this music, as you leave the concert wondering ex-

actly what genre you have just been listening to.

Airfield would be worth visiting around Christmas when they serve mulled wine and mince pies with lots of exciting events. Check www. airfield.ie for their programme of events and exhibitions.

Justin Carroll is very busy with a few collectives: Togetherness, Floater and Organics. You are most likely to see any of these projects at JJ Smythʼs in Aungier Street, Dublin 2.

The CD from this concert, ʻCascadeʼ, by Metier can be purchased on www.cdbaby.com

HAVE THEY LOST THEIR VERVE?

By Fergal Murphy

T

he Verve are back! ʻForthʼ is the fourth album by English alternative rock band The Verve and their first full set of original material since the career-defining 1997 commercial breakthrough ʻUrban Hymnsʼ. ʻForthʼ proves that The Verve still has it, and itʼs all about chemistry.

The original line-up, which reunited in 2007, strikes a balance between Ashcroftʼs love of wistful ballads and its original purpose: woozy, sometimes rollicking psychadelia. ʻForthʼ sounds like all eras of The Verve mashed together into one potent stew: Thereʼs epic noise (the tellingly titled ʻNoise Epicʼ), hazy balladry (ʻValium Skiesʼ), and at least one irresistible single, ʻLove Is Noiseʼ, whose hook is a jaunty backing vocal.

Sure, Ashcroft still manages to

stumble when he tries to make nothing-lyrics sound weighty (ʻI sit and wonder / I often wonder ʻbout the things she doesʼ), but when heʼs got the rest of The Verve to back him,

even the silliest sentiments (hereʼs looking at you, ʻNumbnessʼ) get lost in washes of beauty.

Keep it together, Verve, keep it together!

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008

PAGE 39

Music4 …

PAUL WELLER FOR RDS

By Fergal Murphy

B

orn in 1958 and raised in Woking, Paul Weller formed The Jam at 14, influenced by The Beatles, Amen Corner and The Small Faces.

In 1976 after hearing The Whoʼs ʻMy Generationʼ and seeing The Sex Pistols play Londonʼs Lyceum, Weller found the direction he was looking for and established the blueprint for what would be Britainʼs biggest band for the next five years.

From the release of their debut album ʻIn The Cityʼ through the seminal ʻDown In The Tube Stationʼ and ʻThatʼs Entertainmentʼ and the classic straight-in-at-number one singles ʻGoing Undergroundʼ, ʻA Town Called Maliceʼ and ʻBeat Surrenderʼ, The Jam were a huge critical and commercial success.

Weller penned a succession of songs, brilliantly reflecting his audienceʼs experiences, until in 1982, convinced heʼd taken the group as far as he could, he split The Jam to form The Style Council.

Radically different to The Jam, The Style Council, incorporated touches of jazz, rʼnʼb, funk and soul, meshing with Wellerʼs pop instincts. A string of classic singles from ʻLong Hot Summerʼ, ʻYouʼre The Best Thingʼ and ʻShout To The Topʼ to ʻLife at a Top Peopleʼs Health Farmʼ were evocative anthems of 80s Britain.

In 1989, heavily influenced by the dance/ house sound, The Style Council completed their fifth album, but when the work was rejected by their record company, the band split. Ironically, said record company were later to celebrate the work of The Style Council in a box set release which includes the lost

final album.

Following the computer programming, studio-based sound of The Style Council, Paul spent the next two years re-inventing himself. He returned to his roots, going back to the live-based, raw guitar sound and began work on his own solo album, eventually signing to Go! Discs.

His self-titled album went straight into the Top Ten. In the US ʻPaul Wellerʼ outsold all previous work by The Jam and The Style Council.

While his first solo album had firmly established Paul Weller as a potent solo artist, the second album, 1994ʼs ʻWild Woodʼ, was to see him hailed as one of the finest British songwriters of the last three decades, being seen to many as the English equivalent of Neil Young. ʻWild Woodʼ was nominated for the 1994 Mercury Music Prize, saw

him winning a Brit Award for Best Male Solo Artist and went on to sell double platinum. He was also honoured with an Ivor Novello Award for his outstanding contribution to songwriting.

Fast forward to 2008 and seven studio albums and nearly three decades of phenomenal musical output later, Paul Weller is playing in the RDS on 10th November. Be sure and catch the modfather in action!

In praise of Damien Dempsey write something.

The crowd have always been very receptive to this song and when I sing it I let the audience sing the quote at the end. When you hear thousands of people singing it back at you it gives you an amazing feeling.

By Audrey Healy ʻSpraypaint Backalleyʼ From the Album ʻShotsʼ

U

sually when I write a song I write with structure. I try to write two verses and two choruses but this time I decided I wanted to do something different and thatʼs how ʻSpraypaint Backalleyʼ came about. It didnít have a chorus and was just very different to the kind of stuff I would usually do.

Itʼs about being a youngster and

all the things I saw and the experiences I had while growing up. Itʼs a bit like the music of Planxty– they often started off a song with just one voice or one instrument before building up to something more dramatic and thatʼs what I do with this song. It lasts right through to the end.

I also wanted to include a favourite quote of mine from Oscar Wilde ʻWe are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the starsʼ. That quote really struck a chord with me and I sing it four times at the end of the song. I often do that, I hear one line or a quote and it inspires me to

BIOGRAPHY ʻA phenomenal voice,ʼ said the Sunday Times. ʻDempseyʼs arrow-true voice has a liquid quality… this is bold, compelling stuffʼ wrote another reviewer– not bad for the young Dubliner who dreamt of making it big, influenced by his musical heroes Bob Marley and the King of Rock ʻn Roll himself Elvis Presley.

Damien is also a talented sportsman and has boxed for Dublin, and practised Kung Fu and Karate.

Following his formal education he became a pupil of the Ballyfermot ʻRock Schoolʼ for two years, where he studied both musical performance and the practical demands of the music industry.

The school had its own record label and students who excelled were awarded a release on the label in question– step forward Damien Dempsey, who was chosen for that honour. This subsequently led to the release of the EP, ʻThe Contenderʼ,

in 1995.

Damienʼs first commercial single two years later, ʻDublin Townʼ, soared to number. 18 in the Irish charts. His next release, the ʻNegative Vibesʼ EP in 2002 saw him collaborate with Sinéad OʼConnor on the title track. Their union led to an invitation to support Sinéad on her 2002–2003 Irish, UK and European tour.

His second album, ʻSeize the Dayʼ was released May 2003 in Ireland on Clear Records via Sony and entered the charts on its first week of release at number 5. It has subsequently gone on to achieve double platinum sales. Released in May 2004 in the UK on IRL, the album was awarded CD of the Week in the ʻSunday Timesʼ and received enthusiastic reviews in the national and music press.

Damien scooped two awards in the 2004 Irish Meteor Awards, the only 2004 double winner. That same year Damien toured extensively, headlining his own shows as well as supporting Bob Dylan during the Irish leg of his European tour and making his debut appearances at The Fleadh and Womad.

He has earned the passionate support of his peers and his connection with Morrissey saw him receive yet another impressive invitation– the

chance to support him on various UK and Irish dates as well as his autumn 2004 US tour. Morrissey subsequently signed Damien to his Attack label, and ʻSeize the Dayʼ had its US release in October 2004.

His third album, ʻShotsʼ, was released in both Ireland and the UK in March 2005 and on it Damien is joined by Eamonn De Barra, Clare Kenny, Justin Adams, Wayne Sheehy, Graham Henderson, Michael McGoldrick, Kieran Kiely, Caroline Dale, John McLoughlin and Brian Eno, all of whom contributed their talents to the making of what is arguably Damienʼs finest album to date.

In February 2006, 2007 and 2008 Damien increased his Meteor Awards by winning in The Best Irish Male category.

His fourth studio album, ʻTo Hell or Barbadosʼ, released world-wide in June 2007, entered the Irish album chart at number 2. His latest album ʻThe Rocky Roadʼ was released in August of this year.

The above is taken from ʻThe Singer and The Songʼ, published

by Hodder Headline. The book is available at Easons nationwide and contains the stories of sixty Irish songwriters and their favourite songs.

PAGE 40

NEWSFOUR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2008