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December 6, 2012 Find us on
Month XX, 2012 Blanchardstown • Blakestown • Hartstown • Coolmine • Tyrrelstown • Dunboyne • Corduff • Mulhuddart • Ongar
INSIDE: It’s go Harvey, go, as furniture giant gets set to open new Blanchardstown showroom P6
Soccer:
Corduff teams riding high in SFAI cup runs Page 30
Hurling:
St Brigid’s land AHL8 title with St Pat’s victory Page 31
Safety fears as car hits house HIROMI MOONEY
ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES.......................6 DUBLIN LIFE....................11 OUT&ABOUT...................17 CLASSIFIEDS.................26 SPORT............................27
good clean fun: Porterstown Cubs show off their community spirit Page 8
Fears have been expressed for the safety of local residents and school children after a car struck a house on Barry Lane in Ongar. Barry Lane is located opposite two primary schools, St Benedict’s National School and Castaheany Educate Together. Traffic becomes congested in the area during the
opening and closing times of the schools. Resident Frank McGrath said that the crash caused structural damage to his house. “Although it was an accident and our property was damaged, fortunately there was nobody injured. But the potential of somebody being injured is great,” he said. Full Story on Page 2
Well done: Jasmine’s joy at receiving prestigious award pictured receiving the Community and Social Responsibility Award for her work fundraising to promote water safety is Jasmine Flynn. Jasmine lost her sister Kayleigh Flynn in a tragic drowning accident. In memory of her sister, she ran a charity event in her school hall that raised €1,700 which will be used by IWS to
run drowning prevention programmes that help keep children safe. Jasmine received her award at the Irish Water Safety National Awards Ceremony from John Perry TD, Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the Chairperson of Irish Water Safety, Breda Collins.
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An example of the congested traffic on Barry Lane, which is located opposite two primary schools, St Benedict’s National School and Castaheany Educate Together
Fears for safety after car hits Ongar house
HIROMI MOONEY
F e a r s h ave b e e n expressed for the safety of local residents and schoolchildren after a car struck a house on Barry Lane in Ongar recently, causing structural damage. Resident Frank McGrath said that a woman who was trying to park in front of his house pressed the accelerator instead of the brake by mistake, and drove into the front of his house. Barry Lane is located opposite two primary schools, St Benedict’s National School and Castaheany Educate Togeth-
er. Traffic becomes congested in the area during the opening and closing times of the schools. “Although it was an accident and our property was damaged, there was nobody injured. But the potential of somebody being injured is great,” said McGrath. “It’s not the first time that somebody has mounted the kerb and hit the railing. If that car had been a foot to the right, it would have come in through my front window.” Frank said the ongoing traffic problems on Barr y Lane include: people double- or triple-
parking, bin collection trucks having no access to the bins, and damage to cars. In a separate incident recently, a woman reversed into Frank’s car and caused €1,200 worth of damage. C o u n c i l l o r D av i d McGuinness (FF) said that traffic lights and school wardens cannot be put in place, as the area has not been taken in charge by Fingal County Council. “The two schools have been very supportive and want to have this issue resolved. The community gardai have patrolled the area and issued tickets,
and FCC are working with receivers who now control the Ongar development in order to take the area in charge,” he said. Push
“I will put this issue down for discussion at the next FCC meeting to push council management to meet with the receivers about this specific problem,” he said. Principal of St Benedict’s, Noreen Behan, said that she fears the situation will get worse when the weather gets colder as cars can skid on ice. “We really would like
Barry Lane, to be exempt completely from traffic at those hours,” she said. “We have a fantastic parent body and most people comply [with the rules]. “I am very, very worried that somebody will be knocked down and there’ll be a fatality, and I think it has to be addressed immediately. Parents will have to park elsewhere, and we would encourage parents to walk their children to school, or to walk them across [the road],” she said. Castaheany Educate Together declined to comment.
Nulty joins parents in protest over counsellor reduction LOCAL TD Patrick Nulty (Lab) joined the Colaiste Pobail Setanta Parents Association in their protest against reducing the number of guidance counsellors in secondary schools outside the Dail last week. “I fully support the parents in
their protest. I was delighted to join them outside the Dail, and we made our views very clear to the Government, and also handed in hundreds of postcards from the parents [to the office of Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn].”
The parents group is particularly worried about the impact the reduction of the number of counsellors will have on their school. “I think it’s absolutely vital that there are no further cuts to education, and the guidance
counselling provides very important support for young people in their teenage years,” said Deputy Nulty. “Further cuts to education are totally unacceptable, and under no circumstances will I support them.”
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marketing NAC wins business award
retail: Store offering 45,000 sq ft of space and 15 new jobs
A new look for Harvey Norman Harvey Norman has unveiled its new-look retail unit at Blanchardstown Centre. It has combined its original 15,000 sq ft footprint with almost 30,000 sq ft of new retail space, and with it comes 15 new full time jobs. The showroom, located in the retail park at the Blanchardstown Centre, has taken over space that was previously occupied by Clerys and Reid Furniture and is adjacent to its existing Harvey Norman store. Combined, the retailer has created one enormous retail space of 45,000 sq ft. The new space is now a furniture and bedding showroom, which incorporates homewares. It
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‘It’s a tough market and we are competing very hard to sustain the momentum that we’ve built this year’ --------------------------
has been created to a bright, spacious architectural design that’s inspiring and provides the best shopping experience. Blaine Callard, chief executive of Harvey Norman Ireland said: “We are one of the very few major retailers, in any business category, who have expanded this year. That’s in direct response to more customers com-
ing though our doors, liking our products and services. “Whether, you’re a new homeowner, an interiors enthusiast, or just looking to freshen up your home, our new Blanchardstown store will have something for you. “It’s a tough market and we are competing very hard to sustain the momentum that we’ve built this year in terms of increasing sales and gaining market share. We’re also pleased to welcome another 15 new team members to the Harvey Norman family and will be announcing a considerable number of new temporary Christmas jobs next week,” the chief executive added.
Singing along: A giant karaoke session to launch Sing for Simon
the simon community has recently launched this year’s nationwide Sing for Simon campaign with a spectacular karaoke rendition of the wonderfully festive carol Merry Christmas Everyone at Meeting House Square in Temple Bar. Sing for Simon runs from December 1 until Christmas Eve and raises much-needed funds to help the Simon Community as it continues to provide vital services to the most vulnerable people in our society. Pictured at the launch was Leia Ryan (4) from Castleknock dancing along to the Sing for Simon campaign.
The National Aquatic Centre is swimming in delight after winning a marketing award at the Fingal Business Excellence Awards. The popular swimming attraction won the Best Sales and Marketing Campaign Excellence Category at the awards, organised by the Fingal Dublin Chamber. This was for the centre’s success in attracting teams from across the world in advance of the Olympics, some of whom trained there. Congratulating the team at the NAC, local TD and Minister for Sport, Leo Varadkar said: “The NAC has shown its worth since it opened, and will be central to the National Sports Campus, which is currently being developed at the site in Blanchardstown.”
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FastNews
project Creating art from nature
Blanchardstown library is a hive of activity this December BLANCHARDSTOWN Library is hosting a range of activities this month, including an art display by the Environment Department, which is taking place until Saturday, December 15. There will also be a photographic exhibition by Helena from Monday, December 17 until Thursday, January 10. Children aged nine to 12 can take part in Christmas Crafts with Natalie on Saturday, December 15 at 11am. Booking is essential for this event. The library will also have Postcards of Fingal Past and Present, in association with The Gathering, for sale for €1 each.
Permission is being sought for pastoral centre in Dublin 15 Permission is being sought for a single-storey pastoral centre to be linked up to a local church in Dublin 15. The St Laurence O’Toole Diocesan Trust is seeking permission for the construction of a pastoral centre at St Brigid’s Church on Church Avenue, Blanchardstown. As part of the proposed development, there will be a reception room, a meeting room and a parish office.
upgrade: fire doors
Local school to get funds for works
Some of the unusual sights at St Catherine’s Park created by Hartstown Community School students
Students create ecosculptures for park Students from a local school have taken inspiration from nature to develop eco-sculptures for a Dublin 15 park. Visitors to St Catherine’s Park may have noticed some unusual sights during their daily walks, including logs stacked together looking like a free standing pyramid or leaves strategically placed around a tree. Hartstown Community School recently worked with Fingal County Council and artist Elaine Griffin to develop works of Ephemeral Art or Land Art in St Cather-
ine’s Park, located near Westmanstown. Speaking to the Gazette about the project, the TY students’ art teacher, Niamh Comiskey, said the students had a great time making the sculptures. “They used material they found locally and then we used really simple things like toothpicks and a little bit of wire just to hold them together. It is a Fingal County Council initiative and Elaine is the artist who came to the students with the project and ran them through it,” Comiskey said.
Over a week the students worked with Griffin and they all went down on Thursday, November 15 to create their sculptures. “They went out and were cutting and sawing and gathering, it was great fun,” said Comiskey. This art form is known as ephemeral art and, according to Comiskey, the exercise has taught the children that it is a valued art form. “There is an artist called Andy Goldsworthy and all of his art is ephemeral art and some of his work can go for millions.
“T hey were really excited about it. The idea of having other people looking at it makes it that more exciting, it makes it more real. Even on the day, we caught a few people looking at it and they had their phones out taking pictures of what the stuff the kids have done – that’s good to see.” The school has taken part in many outdoor art projects; they have all been permanent fixtures, but this kind of art is a first. “This is the first time the school has taken
part in a project like this, where you use completely non-traditional art materials, and you’re making something that doesn’t last. All the material was found in the vicinity of where they were working so like leaves, tree-trunks and things like that,” Comiskey added. The project was part of National Recreation Week and consisted of three classroom-based design workshops with Griffin and cumulated with the sculpture construction at St Catherine’s Park on November 15.
Blakestown Community School has received approval to get funding for emergency works to upgrade its fire doors. Extra funding has been allocated to the school on health and safety grounds. According to councillor Peggy Hamill, who is also a board member at the school, the situation was very serious and should have been dealt with a long time ago. “They have been seeking this for a considerable length of time – to upgrade fire safety doors and to put in a new window in the gym. “The situation was very serious… none of the fire doors worked. They all lost their safety aspect of being able to close them centrally in the case of a fire outbreak. “It was an incredible situation to have been left to risk with over 500 pupils,” Hamill said. Dublin West TD Patrick Nulty welcomed the allocation of extra funding, from the Department of Education, for the works. “This will be welcome news to parents, pupils and staff, that resources have been found to address the [outstanding issues at] Blakestown School. When it comes to matters of health and safety then money must be found, and I commend school management for pushing the Department strongly on this issue,” Nulty said.
6 December 2012 BLANCH GAZETTE 5
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POLITICS Managers’ salaries are released
EVENT Exploring Chinese culture
Fingal County Manager gets €162,062 HIROMI MOONEY
www.
IT HAS emerged that Fingal County Manager David O’Connor is the second highest earner among Dublin managers, with a salary of €162,062. In highest position is Dublin City Manager, John Tierney with a salary of €189,301, while South Dublin County Manager Philomena Poole earns €162,062. Manager of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County, Owen Keegan
earns €153,260 a year. The figures emerged at a recent parliamentary questions session at the Dail. Deputy Leader of Sinn Fein, Mary Lou McDonald, asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Phil Hogan, to provide the remuneration information in tabular form. She asked for details of remuneration for: each of the four Dublin local authorities’ City and County managers; and for all heads of
Departments or senior managers of each of the local authorities. She asked the Minister to include a breakdown of pay and allowances such as travel and expenses; and contractual pension arrangements. “Without getting personal about it, I’d make the broad point that there’s an incredibly difficult budget being drafted this week,” said local councillor David McGuinness (FF). “That being said, I have no doubt that [the
Fingal County Manager David O’Connor is the second highest paid manager in Dublin
Managers] are ver y capable individuals, that they run huge public sector bodies that maintain serious financial controls. “I view things from a constituent’s point of view, and a lot of people are struggling, and they find it very hard to accept that there are those kinds of salaries for certain individuals.” The pay scale for Directors of Services wages
range between €90,000 and €106,900. FCC has nine such directors. Local councillor, Ruth Coppinger (Socialist Party) said: “It’s an outrageous salary in these times of austerity, and that at a time when the councils are making major cuts to services, and also that council workers are seeing their pay dramatically cut. The Socialist Party would believe that all public
sector salaries should be capped at €100,000.” Fingal County Council did not return a comment by the time of publication. A spokesperson for the Department of Environment and Local Government said that the pay of County Managers was “protected like everyone else under the Croke Park Agreement, and the Minister can’t do anything because the salaries are protected.”
A CHINESE cultural and music event will take place at St Patrick’s National School in Diswellstown on Sunday, December 9. The event is organised by the Dublin 15 Mandarin Chinese Club and takes place from 11am to 1pm. As it is coming up to Christmas, the music event will see members of the club perform some Christmas songs, as well as traditional Chinese music. Singapore musician Li Yunhe will be the guest of honour at the event. He has performed for the President of Ireland, President of Singapore and the King of Thailand. For further details, contact Ling Hensey at 087 657 2368.
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General manager in furniture, Ryan Pheloung
Harvey Norman’s CEO Blaine Callard with some staff members. Pictures: Ronan O’Sullivan
It’s all go for Harvey in Blanchardstown T
HERE was good news for Blanchardstown recently as furniture giant, Harvey Norman, got set to open its new showroom in Blanchardstown Retail Park, creating 15 new full-time jobs.
Christine McEntee and Monica McKenna
As well as the much-needed jobs boost, it’s also great news for home owners with an even larger selection of top quality furniture for them to choose from. Blaine Callard, chief executive of
Harvey Norman Ireland said: “It’s a tough market and we are competing very hard to sustain the momentum that we’ve built this year in terms of increasing sales and gaining market share.”
Emer O’Brien, Jennifer Geoghegan, Karl Buggy and Vera Zefi
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Rebecca O’Neill and Joanna Lawler
6 December 2012 BLANCH Gazette 7
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event
A day out that the entire family can enjoy
Santa to make a special visit to Dublin Zoo DUBLIN Zoo is housing a very special festive guest this month. Santa Claus has arrived from the North Pole and will be in his grotto every weekend
this month, and then every day from Thursday, December 20 until Christmas Eve from 10am to 4pm. The elves are looking forward to greeting the
children, and Santa will be waiting to hear about their Christmas wish list. He will also have a photo taken with them and give them a small gift at their visit.
There will be plenty for the whole family to enjoy as there will be arts, crafts and face-painting at the Meerkat Restaurant from 12 noon to 3pm. Children can also
take a trip around the zoo to visit the animals. Tickets cost €8 per child for Annual Pass holders. €10 per child for non-holders. General admission rates apply.
Go Cubs! Good, clean fun at park the big-hearted boys and girls of the Porterstown Tuesday Cubs showed off their community spirit last week as they took part in a clean up of the Tir Na nOg park in Carpenterstown. The group took on the work as part of their community special interest badge and cleared a number of bags of rubbish from the park. The group are part of the Porterstown Scouts and cater for children aged nine to 11. For more information, see www.porterstownscouts.com
information: Blanchardstown facility ‘one of the best’
A local historian defends library’s historical content laura webb lwebb@gazettegroup.com
A local historian is defending Blanchardstown Library after claims that it contained ‘basic’ information relating to the ever-changing Dublin 15 area. Historian and Gazette columnist Jim Lacey says the claims were simply not true, saying instead that it is one of the best public libraries in the country for local history content. Lacey read an article in this paper recently about a Facebook page, Blanchardstown Past And Present. The founder of the page, Olivia Leonard, commented that
she set up the page to get people talking about Blanchardstown’s days gone by and for people to enjoy and share their memories. When she was working on the page, she looked for information about the history of Blanchardstown online and in the library, which she said was “quite basic”. This quote prompted Lacey to defend his local library, saying: “It’s simply not true, in fact it is the direct opposite. “Blanchardstow n Library is one of the best public libraries in the country in terms of its local history content. Ritchie Farrell a senior librarian employed there
travelled the country amassing a huge collection of books relating to the history of Ireland and the Irish people and in particular relating to Dublin County. “I carried out a great part of my research in the old Blanchardstown Library in Roselawn the forerunner of the present library… it was absolutely brilliant. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful and there was plenty of books and information on hand, the present library has much much more. “It does not compete with The Gilbert Library in Pearse Street or Fingal County Archives in Swords or The National
Library but these are specialised libraries,” he said. Lacey says there are a vast number of local history books relating to this area that are available in the reference section of Blanchardstown Library. “There is a filing cabinet crammed full of research notes, documents, old newspapers cuttings, photocopies of Old Dublin Society papers relating to this area, copies of old maps and family records placed there by authors of local histories and researchers over the years,” he added. Large images of photographs dated back to
the late 1600’s lined the walls and 105 images were cleaned up, printed and edited for Heritage Week in 2011. “The library has also acquired the microfiche records of the Baptismal, Marriage and Death Registers of St Brigid’s Parish Blanchardstown that date back to 1775. These are some of the earliest Roman Catholic records available in any library in the country. “So there is a mine of information in Blanchardstown Library… The management and staff do great work and do it in a friendly and efficient way, so well done to all in Blanchardstown Library,” he said.
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gazetteGALLERY
Ivan and Lulu Varian and Ellie Balfe
Hamley’s Toy Soldier with Faye and Lily Monaghan
Hamleys has it all for Christmas F
or an extra special visit to Father Christmas this year, Hamleys in Dundrum has rolled out an exclusive five-star experience, with an hour-long visit with Father Christmas that includes entertainment and games, a Christmas goodie bag, and a tasty meal specially prepared in Santa’s kitchen. Numbers are limited to just 20 children per
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visit, and each child is guaranteed special time with Father Christmas. Running until Christmas Eve, visitors can enjoy an exciting breakfast, lunch, or tea-time meeting with Father Christmas and his elves, costing €25 per child. Bookings can be made: online at www.hamleys.com, in-store at the customer service point on the first floor, or call 01 292 4900.
Laura, Melanie, John and Michael Finn with Ciara, Matthew and Alex Burtenshaw
Toby Lee and Cillian
Caraleigh Doyle, Laura Finn, Corina Grant-Doyle and
McAllister
Corbyn-Rose Doyle
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Let Dublin Gazette Newspapers take you on a tour of the news and events taking place across the city and county this week, as well as the latest from our schools
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dance: tappy toes teaches little ones
Toddlers to get grooving as UK class arrives here
A NEW dance class for toddlers is set to take Dublin by storm, and will see little ones tapping their toes to their own beat. Award winning toddler group Tappy Toes is launching in Ireland. The latest activity was voted Britain’s best preschool activity and caters for kids aged 20 months to four and half years. The dance/movement class is considered to be
for a demographic that is often ignored. Parents and their toddlers are being invited to come along to dance, sing and play. Former ballerina Petra Durdikova will be delivering the new Dublin classes, incorporating fun and learning into dance with the use of bells, ribbons, and maracas as well as songs with actions and nursery rhymes.
She moved to England in 2002 where she spent 10 years teaching, choreographing and performing in local dance schools and annual shows. With four years’ experience teaching Tappy Toes in the UK, she is now ready to take this knowledge and share it with Ireland. The one thing this new business is looking for is that children involved are enjoying
every minute of it. Creator Claire Greenwood said: “Parents tell me our class is the highlight of their child’s week.” Children absorb basic fundamentals of dance in a warm, comfortable and enjoyable social environment resulting in physical, psychological and social development. For further information, or to watch a Tappy Toes demonstration, log onto www.tappytoes.ie
Grace Reilly gets the chance to tap her toes in the Howth Tappy Toes class
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12 Gazette 6 December 2012
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Steady, steady ... this young chef gets to grips with her meal at Wagamama Dundrum
diary
Children happy to wok to learn top Wagamama tips YOUNG child chefs showed off their culinary skills when they took part in Wagamama Dundrum’s cookery class programme recently. Children from St Andrew’s College lined up for the educational event, and had their wooden spoons and woks at the ready for an action-packed day of learning the secrets and skills of the restaurant industry. The class had the opportunity to learn about food, nutrition, order systems, the restaurant industry and the Wagamama brand. Restaurant manager, Brian Smyth, said: “This experience follows sev-
eral cooking-day experiences that Wagamama had undertaken with local schools last year. “Some of the previous participants had written letters to Wagamama saying it was the best day in school they’d ever had.” Wagamama is continuing its educational projects with other local schools every few months until next June. Interested schools should get in touch with the team via Wagamama’s Facebook or Twitter pages.
ring in 2013 at christ church AN EXPECTED 500 people will ring in 2013 with the Dublin Gospel
Choir at a special New Year’s Eve Gala Concert to be held at Christ Church Cathedral. The evening includes a post-concert champagne reception in the cr ypt, followed by a countdown to the ringing of the bells at midnight on the cathedral grounds. The Christ Church Cathedral New Year’s Eve Gala Concert is always hugely popular, so patrons are asked to book well in advance. Tickets cost €45 per person, and include the reception. Doors open at 8.30pm, and the concert begins at 9pm. To book your place at the concer t, call
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01 677 8099, or see Christ Church Cathedral’s website at www. christchurchdublin.ie/.
celebrations at docklands SANTA Claus is coming to town, and he’s set to give children a great holiday experience at the Dublin Docklands. Santa is arriving on Saturday, December 8, and will be meeting boys and girls every Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon to 7pm – what’s even better, it’s free to meet the man in red.
Charity To celebrate the true giving spirit of Christmas, Santa will be asking boys and girls to bring a gift and leave it at Santa’s Giving Tree, for distribution to a leading children’s charity. On Friday, December 7, Santa will officially switch on the Christmas lights for the Dublin Docklands Christmas Festival, which will run in the IFSC from December 7 to 23, from 12 noon to 8pm daily, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am. Entry is free, and the event promises to be a real delight for children and adults alike. For further information on the upcoming Dublin Docklands Christmas Festival, or to book space at the event, see the website at www.dublindocklandschristmasfestival.ie.
6 December 2012 Gazette 13
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feature
break away project
A cosy evening for Christmas The Break Away Project, a new performance group based in Dublin, is holding a cosy evening of stories, music and mulled wine as part of its Christmas celebrations this year. Artistic director of the project, Helena Byrne, spoke to The Gazette about the project and the upcoming storytelling evening. “The Break Away Project was founded in January and each month we hold an event. So far, we’ve hosted four readings, three concerts and, in October, put on a full play of Dr Seward’s Dracula in the Crypt of Christ Church. Links Rena Maycock and Feargal Harrington established Intro Matchmaking in 2011
Date with a difference Hiromi Mooney
With many Christmas nights ahead on the social calendar, there are plenty of opportunities to meet someone special. But what do you do if you feel that you can’t pluck up the courage to approach the opposite sex? Perhaps you find the idea of introducing yourself to strangers too daunting, or you have negative experiences in the past and lost your confidence. Whatever the reason, help is just a phone call away with Intro Matchmaking, a company established in September 2011 by Rena Maycock and Feargal Harrington from Malahide, which is based on Dawson Street in the city centre. They worked with focus groups for a year and a half before they set up, and discovered that up to 80% of people felt that bars and pubs were hostile environments to meet the opposite sex, and over 70% had admitted to telling lies on online dating websites
– such as exaggerating their height or reducing their waistline. They also discovered that some people set the bar too high. “There could be expectations that are so high in some people’s cases that we know that they’ll never be pleased,” said Feargal. “A very blunt expression here is ‘those who can be pleased will be’ – and it’s so true. I mean, we get stories that some people literally say ‘I’ll only meet that man if he’s above six foot, if he’s from a certain location in Dublin, if he’s never been married – only if he’s single, no children, and third-level educated in certain professions’. A la carte
“It doesn’t work that way, because it’s like they’re treating it as an a la carte menu in a restaurant. “We had some very difficult people to begin with, but (they) actually changed their mind, and ended up with people who are polar opposites to what they had come
in and initially specified as being their requirements.” Intro Matchmaking’s clients range in age from 22 to 79, and one in three of their members joined through word of mouth. Feargal said that since they have opened, one in four of their clients are now in long-term relationships. “It just proves that people wouldn’t go into a long-term relationship unless they really felt that it was definitely going to work,” he said. “We schedule dates. We book the restaurants for the couples and they’re booked under their personal names – never under the company name, so there’s no fear or worry that you need to actually be holding a rose or wearing a certain colour for the person to recognise you. So it’s kind of seamless in the sense that there’s no hassle.” Intro Matchmaking first speaks to clients by phone, and then meets them to check that they provide legitimate details and identification. It then assess them to help find
their perfect match. In this way – unlike online dating services, it can ensure that it’s members cannot make false claims about themselves. It also never makea their clients’ details available, which leaves them assured that it’s a very confidential,
trustworthy and discreet service. Now that Christmas is approaching, Feargal advises all singletons to attend all of the social events around them. For more information about Intro Matchmaking, visit www.intro.ie.
“For 2013 we have a lot of things planned as part of our remit is to forge links between Irish and American artists. One of the biggest upcoming events for the year of the Gathering will be our production of It Came From Mars by Joseph Zettlemaier, and he is due to come over for the production in Easter, hopefully. “This December, though, we’re having an evening of storytelling and music with tales of folklore from Ireland, Scandanavia and Italy. The music will be a mixture of unusual Christmas songs, not the obvious stuff you’d hear on the radio.” The candlelit Evening of Stories, Music and Mulled Wine will be hosted in the Centre for Creative Practices at 15 Pembroke St Lower, Dublin 2 on December 16 at 7.30pm. Tickets cost €12 and can be booked by calling the centre on 01 799 5416.
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DublinGazetteNewspapers cub reporters and photographers of the year November 2012 winners
H Reporter of the
MONTH
Aisling O’Fiachain & Julia Ryan Sixth-Year Notre Dame students Aisling and Julia showed their journalistic skills by bringing to life their school’s science fair that brought the wonders of chemistry, biology and physics to visiting primary school pupils.
Spikeball has proven to be a big hit with the children that the Transition Year pupils taught
Photo
colaiste cois life: sport teaching programme
of the H
MONTH
Wiktoria Stawasz ADAMSTOWN Community College student, Wiktoria Stawasz, sent in this shot of local nature, with squirrels still bounding about as winter looms. You can see more of Wiktoria’s work at wikta2703.deviantart.com/gallery.
schoolLife
Get involved with our new Gazette schools pages As part of the relaunch of the Dublin Gazette Newspapers, we are reaching out to all the schools in our catchment areas to become a closer part of our community than ever before. Schools are the beating hearts of communities, one of the last places around which a community can gather. We are calling on budding writers and photographers from all of our
schools to help fill the pages and, in order to encourage the next generation of journalists and snappers to get involved, we are partnering with Harvey Norman to present the Dublin Gazette Newspapers’ Cub Reporter and Cub Photographer of the Year awards. For more details, contact rheigh@ gazettegroup.com, or on 01 601 0240.
Transition Years teach Spikeball to local kids Aisling NI Bhlo-
scaidh and Ashley Nic Gabhann
Colaiste Cois Life, an all-Irish Secondary School in Lucan, was recently selected to take part in the Volleyball Association of Ireland’s Transition Year Girls SpikeBall Leaders Award Programme for 2012. The initiative is funded by the Irish Sports Council’s Women In Sport project, which encoura ges girls to actively participate in sport. O n O c t o b e r 18 , Colaiste Cois Life was visited by Mary Lalor and Graham Torrance, development officers
from the Volleyball Association of Ireland, for a full day course. Mary and Graham introduced us to the game of spikeball (an adapted game of volleyball). We learned the SpikeBall rules, how to play the game and how to introduce it to Primary School students. We also learned about coaching, refereeing, sports reporting and organising a SpikeBall Blitz. Fif teen girls were divided into five groups and were sent out to local primary schools in the Lucan area. These schools included Scoil Eiscir Riada, Gaelscoil Naomh Padraig and Griffeen Valley
Educate Together. The girls were coaching fifth and sixth class students in SpikeBall skills and prepared them ahead of a blitz on November 30. T he coaching was very beneficial to the leaders, and the students thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a huge learning experi-
ence for the Transition Year girls. The highlight of the course was the sense of achievement after successfully completing the course. T he toughest par t was getting the students attention and maintaining authority over them. Overall, it was a great experience for everyone involved.
6 December 2012 Gazette 15
Gazette
schools st conleth’s college: bond theme for event
Shaken not stirred at Build-A-Bank launch Conor White
THE Bond Bank in St Conleth’s College got itself off to an actionpacked start when it held its launch day on November 20. Students from throughout the school came to visit the bank and learn about the products it has on offer. Centred around the theme of ‘James Bond’, the bank is the school’s entry to the Build-a-Bank Challenge, a national competition overseen by AIB. Students are encouraged to set up bank accounts, apply for internet banking and avail of a debit card. The bank team, a group of six Transition Year students, open the
bank every Tuesday so that money can be lodged. At the launch, the visiting students were invited to listen to a presentation about what the bank could offer them, teaching invaluable skills about money and personal finance. However, the audiences were initially ‘shaken and stirred’ by the bank’s own advertisement created on the James Bond theme. Sales and marketing executive, Gavin Sheridan, donned a black suit and was filmed on his mission to withdraw from an ATM and use mobile banking, among other tasks. There was a rapturous response from all that attended. Most students created accounts and left the
room with an extremely positive attitude about the bank. It is hoped that this supportive relationship can continue throughout the year with the bank’s seasonal promotions and savings’ week in the pipeline.
St Finian’s CC: Olympic star Carruth stars at school’s awards night
Bank manager Conor White
Ojamiji Catherine Adaranijo
St Finian’s Community College in Swords recently held its annual awards evening, where the guest speaker was Olympic gold medallist, Michael Carruth. Mr Carruth spoke at the beginning of the ceremony and encouraged students with motivating words such as “if you believe, you achieve”. On the night, students received awards for their achievements in academia, sport and positively contributing to school life throughout the 2011-12 academic year. Notably, the junior student of the year was awarded to Jessica Gargan, and the senior student of the year was Sruthy Kumar. It was a very enjoyable evening of celebration for parents, students and teachers. Photographer – Clara Kinsella
GAZETTE
16 GAZETTE 6 December 2012
DUBLINLIFE
Managing a joint account
Q&A
OLLIE FLOOD, MANAGER, HARVEY NORMAN
Bedding down to succeed in Blanchardstown role OLLIE Flood has worked with one of Ireland’s leading retailers, Harvey Norman, since 2006. He has been working in home furnishings for 18 years, having previously worked with BB Blinds for 12 years before joining Harvey Norman in 2006. He worked in the Dundalk store initially, before moving to manage the Holywood store in 2009; he has now taken on the reins as manager
in Harvey Norman’s latest store in Blanchardstown Retail Park, at Blanchardstown Shopping Centre. He says: “For me, this is a fabulous step forward, running the most fantastic furniture store in the country. I look forward to seeing the store grow with our customers, keeping that important balance between working hard and having a great store and enjoying my day’s work.”
How long have you been in business?
What law or regulation would you change overnight to help your business?
I’ve been in the furnishing business 20 years; the last eight with Harvey Norman. Now, I’m in our newly opened, massively expanded 30,000 sq ft Harvey Norman store in Blanchardstown Retail Park.
What makes your business successful?
We know our customer, we know that they want the range and quality of products at competitive prices, and that’s what we offer them.
What do you offer your clients that differs from your competitors?
It comes down to two things: products and service. Our range of products is a great mix of both design and value, plus our trained staff know what they are selling and how to listen to the customer to ensure they choose the right product for them – what could be better?
How has the recession impacted your business?
It’s a flat economy, but Harvey Norman sales are up, and market share in key categories is growing.
What have you changed about your business to combat the effects of the recession?
It’s not a change; it’s a continuation – big selection, affordable pricing and an ever increasing focus on great customer service.
BUSINESS
Supported by AIB
Introduce legislation to abolish upward-only rent clauses in commercial leases. Our Irish rents are crazy.
How do you use social media (Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, etc) to help your business? We interact with our customers in lots of ways, so in that way we are very social. We regularly interact via customers’ own social media including Twitter, blogs, and boards. What is your ambition for the business?
For the new store in Blanchardstown to become our busiest Dublin furniture and bedding, electrical and computers store.
What is the best piece of business advice you ever received?
There is no such as thing as ‘No’.
What is your favourite thing about doing business in your local area?
Blanchardstown is a great centre, always busy, and our new furniture and bedding store is going to amaze people. I look forward to seeing those customers return again and again to buy from us.
What living person do you most admire?
Alan Sugar.
DISAGREEMENTS about personal finance can be very divisive – I have seen figures that suggest half of the couples who break up do so because of a disagreement about money. So, when I say that you need to agree a joint financial strategy with your partner, I don’t say it lightly. One approach that I have found works well is to: • Look for common ground. It is likely, for instance, that you both want the same thing – to be free of debt, and to have plenty of spare cash. • Communicate freely and honestly. Assess where you are, and how each of you have contributed to the current state of affairs. Be honest. Discuss each of your strengths and weaknesses, and the things you are doing right, and the things you are doing wrong. • Compromise. Don’t allow past behaviour and events to poison your chance of success. Put grievances behind you. Start afresh, and in doing so, accept that you will both have to agree to do things differently in the future. Here are some valuable tips on handling joint finances – whether with your partner, or with someone else. • Maintain your independence. A joint account is perfect for joint responsibilities, but it is a good idea to keep an account for yourself so that you have money available to spend as you want. Decide which areas are joint expenditure, and which you are each going to handle alone. • If one half of a partnership takes over all the money
management, it can lead to big trouble. The person in charge may end up resenting the fact that he or she is doing all the work ... and he or she may also become controlling. The person not involved is leaving himself or herself vulnerable, and is adopting an essentially childlike position. Both of you should take decisions together – even if one of you does the day-to-day accounting. • Be honest about how you each feel. If one of you wants to save and the other wants to spend ... admit it, and work out a strategy that allows each of you to do as you please. Compromise! • Plan for a future that isn’t completely dependent on staying together. I realise that this may seem pessimistic, but I frequently find myself counselling people who unexpectedly find themselves having to deal with money for the first time. Communication, of course, is the key. More next week. Contact John with your money questions at jlowe@moneydoctor.ie or visit his website at www.moneydoctor.ie. John Lowe, Fellow of the Institute of Bankers, is founder and managing director of Money Doctor
AIB: SEMINAR ON OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL FIRMS
Experts offer retail tips on e-commerce in 2013 LAST week, AIB hosted a seminar for over 200 of its SME customers, Retailing in Ireland – Prospects and Possibilities 2013, at the AIB Bankcentre in Ballsbridge. It provided information on current consumer spending trends and the likely profile of consumer spending in 2013, along with expert views on best practices for e-retailing from Google. A wide variety of retailers attended the event, from hardware to fashion to hotels, all with varying levels of experience in e-retailing. Gerard O’Neill, chairman of Amarach Research and a leading economic commentator on future trends and forecast-
ing, said that the online market in Ireland will be worth an estimated €6bn in 2016. Cian O’Mongain, senior industry manager at Google, also outlined best practice in this area for both novice and existing online retailers, sharing his tips and tricks to take advantage of opportunities that lay ahead. AIB’s head of business banking Brendan O’Connor said: “SMEs are critical to our economic recovery, for the maintenance and creation of thousands of jobs. “We are determined to assist our business customers to grow and develop their business, both through the access to credit they need and
Gerard O’Neill of Amarach Research, Louis Copeland, Mark Dinneen of John A Taylor Ltd, and Anthony Doyle from AIB at the seminar
through a range of supports such as this seminar today.” Through AIB’s Big Drive For Small Business campaign, it launched a new initiative to speed up SME loan decisions which assisted over 50 SME customers in creating their own TV and radio advertising campaigns, while offering coaching to 2,500 SME
customers. The bank also organised over 100 business management seminars, with 4,000 participating to date. AIB has exceeded the Government SME lending target of €3.5bn for 2012 and sanctioned 2,156 requests for credit from businesses across the Midwest region in the first nine months of this year.
6 December 2012 Gazette 17
gaming P21
asdfsdaf P27 motors P22
OUT&ABOUT Never be out of the loop on what’s happening in Dublin! Let Out&About be your guide to all that is stylish, cultural and essential across the city and beyond this week
Gazette
cinema P20
Pets can you give beau a home?
Celebrity chef Kevin Dundon entertains while cooking up a storm as part of the the Supervalu Roadshow in Churchtown, Dublin. Pictures: Geraldine Woods
food: tv chef kevin dundon joins forces with supervalu retail chain
Cook up a calm Christmas laura webb
Irish chef and TV personality Kevin Dundon has joined forces with SuperValu to bring customers a delicious range of signature dishes that will help destress the cook in the family this festive season. Over the past two-and-a-half years, Kevin has been working with the supermarket chain on its selection of fresh food. This year, he is travelling around Ireland in an air-stream caravan, which has an iconic silver-bullet style, to showcase the SuperValu Christmas range. Speaking to the Gazette ahead of the roadshow, where he visited a number a local SuperValu stores in Dublin before heading off around the country, he said
meeting the public was his favourite thing to do. “I love people. We pull up to a store and I just chat to people and talk about their dishes and how we can help, and we showcase our signature range and the other produce available in SuperValu. “[The supermarket chain] buy a lot of local products, and that is the whole ethos. That is something that I always believed in and it’s the main reason I got together with SuperValu,” he said. The SuperValu Christmas road-show showcases the store’s wide-ranging festive products, which extend beyond just turkey and ham. “Within the signature range, we have a fantastic rib beef on the bone, When you roast it up, it is very impressive on
the table and it also cooks really well. Salmon en croute is another – fresh salmon with spinach and a cream sauce wrapped in pastry. Make it in the oven and when you cut it, it looks great. “The dish I love, which I do on the show, is a rack of pork with crispy crackling on top and apple compote on the side. “However, I think, on Christmas Day, it is all about the roast. I like to tell people it’s just like cooking a Sunday roast: it doesn’t have to be stressful. You could cook your ham the day before and when you cook your turkey, take that out and let it rest for half an hour. Put your glaze on your ham and put it in the oven for a half an hour, you don’t necessarily have to have a hot ham with turkey dinner.
“Home kitchens are limited in space, and it is hard to juggle everything. Have your potatoes and vegetables already peeled and ready to go the day before – that also helps.” Growing up, Kevin was inspired by the women in his life. He said his mother and grandmother were great cooks who introduced him to cooking. He is still a firm believer in making dinner family time. “My family is mad busy coming up to Christmas and, for me, this time of year is for family. I love to cook, and I do cook Christmas dinner, but it’s not stressful for me because that’s what I do,” he laughed. Continued on Page 23
DUBLIN Gazette Newspapers has teamed up with Dogs Trust, Ireland’s largest dog welfare charity, to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs. Our ‘Dog of the week’ is Beau, a two-year-old Staffie cross. This is one beautiful boy with a big heart! He needs his confidence built as he can be quite a worried little man when meeting new friends but once he gets to know you, he will shower you with love and affection. This handsome hound would prefer canine company rather than cats or kids, and would probably love a home where he is the centre of someone’s world. He especially likes playing with his tennis ball and would love a big garden or getting out for a walk where he strides along wagging his tail admiring the world around him. If you think you could give Beau the fabulous forever home he deserves, contact Dogs Trust at 01 8791000 (www. dogstrust.ie). All their dogs are vet-checked, vaccinated, neutered and microchipped before being rehomed.
Gazette
18 Gazette 6 December 2012
OUT&ABOUT Debenhams €170
STYLE
Debenhams €54
Heatons €13
Christmas Guide - for him!
M&S €8
Laura Webb
It’s the second instalment of Gazette Style’s guide to Christmas presents for those special people in your life. Last week we showed you some very impressive gifts for the woman in your life, so this week it is all about the man. Now that Movember is over, some men may be in need of a shaver, or may want to keep it and so taming it is a must. We also have some great fashion for the man in the house, while aftershave is also the way to go for the other half. Check out our final instalment next week which will be all about the kids.
Debenhams €39
Urban Outfitters €111
Penneys €9 Emporio Armani See stockists for details
M&S €47.50
Debenhams €124
Debenhams €34
Next €49
Debenhams €17
6 December 2012 Gazette 19
Gazette
MUSIC FASTtunes with Dee Woods
Instant karma’s gonna get you... a bizarre wardrobe
Deftones’ Kai No Yokan pushes the band’s aural assault into a more powerful fresh direction
review: the ongoing resurgence of deftones continues
’Tones of survival rob heigh
A COMMON statement about bands who last, say, more than the average lifespan of a mayfly is that they are “survivors”. A genuine definition of survivors is a band of brothers who have been to the edge of personal devastation and disassociation and who have pulled together to create some of the finest art of their careers. That is the appropriate description for California’s Deftones. The band, formed in Sacramento in 1988, have proved themselves more than capable of weathering the kinds of storms that a 25-year career in the music busi-
ness can throw up. Having established themselves with a trio of platinum selling albums straight out of the blocks, one of which, Around The Fur, was a bona fide classic of the genre, Deftones proceeded to solidify their position in the alt metal scene. However, following personal tragedies, illness, drug problems and ultimately, a 1988 car crash that put bassist Chi Cheng into a coma, from which he is still to fully recover, the impetus to come back together from the battles that threatened to derail the band for good and make some of the best music of their careers found a foothold.
Since then, Deftones have been creating some astonishing soundscapes and have just released their seventh album, Koi No Yokan. To many, their overpowering aural assault would be too much, but listen just beneath the surface and there is a melodic texture and crafting seldom encountered in their niche. Be assured, this is no softer a record than Deftones have previously created. If anything, it is a heavier, more piledriving collection of songs than their previous release, Diamond Eyes, named by many as one of the defining records of the start of the new decade when it
appeared in 2010. Where Koi No Yokan departs from the immediacy that marked Diamond Eyes out as a classic in the making is in its construction. The longer gestation period that this album enjoyed has resulted in an impressive and multi-layered set of songs that chime with a unity of purpose and sing with a layered creativity that gives infinite hope for the
future of the rock genre. There are times when it is as gentle as Jane’s Addiction at their most brutal, at times as affecting as anything Deftones have recorded before. In spite of their tribulations, the rallying cause that they have found since the loss of Cheng has made Deftones a more uncompromising, and more impressive, rock survivor.
This weekend sees the 32nd anniversary of the death of John Lennon. It’s a time for Beatles’ fans and Lennon devotees around the world to reflect on the legend that helped shape the path of music forever... Or, if you’re Yoko Ono, it’s a time to unveil jockstraps and other saucy clothing designed in his memory. Ono has revealed a new men’s clothing collection inspired by drawings she gave her late husband as a wedding gift. Talking about her new collection, 79-yearold Ono said: “I felt it was a pity if we could not make clothes emphasizing his very sexy bod. So, I made this whole series with love for his hot bod and gave it to him as a wedding present. You can imagine how he went wild and fell in love with me even more.” But will people fall in love with the clothes? The fashion range, for American brand Opening Ceremony, includes jockstraps, skin-tight tops with strategic holes and trousers with handprints on the crotch. Check out the full range at www.openingceremony.us, if only to prove yourself wrong if you thought bras, pink mesh tops and open-toe thigh-high boots were only for women. Yes, they’re in the collection too. And they deliver to Ireland. Not sure it’d go down well with all John Lennon fans here, but worth a look nonetheless. The hoodie with the word “Dream” across the front, priced $75, might be a safer buy for the Lennon lover in your life. Ironic though, that a $200 jockstrap is included in a collection inspired by a man who once wrote You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away. Dee Woods @ Radio Nova
Yoko Ono and John Lennon wearing some more conventional attire in the late 1960s
Gazette
20 gazette 6 December 2012
OUT&ABOUT
CINEMA
more
theatre THE pavilioN THEATRE 01 231 2929 The Gloaming
THE Gloaming is a newly minted collective of five remarkable musicians poised to become a vital force in Irish music. Navigating between the contemporary and traditional genres, their creativity trumps predictability – with music that is haunting and beautiful in equal measure. Having started recording of their debut album in August, they end the year with a series of intimate shows. December 9, tickets are priced at €26.
Mill Theatre 01 296 9340
Miracle on 34th St ENJOY such popular songs as Pinecones and Hollyberries, It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas and My State, My Kansas, in this joyous, heart-warming musical of pure family entertainment. Miracle On 34th Street tells the story of a mother and daughter that are much too practical to believe in Santa Claus. Macy’s hires a kind, white-bearded, older gentlemen to play Santa at the store, but when the man proclaims to be Kris Kringle and Santa himself, his sanity is called into question. Presented by Glencullen Musical and Dramatic Society. December 5-15 at 8pm, tickets are priced at €20/18.
CIVIC THEATRE 01 462 7477 ABBA Forever
IT’S Christmas! It’s party time! It’s ABBA! From Waterloo to Dancing Queen, expect a dazzling, fantastic performance including the most iconic hits, Mamma Mia, SOS, Money, Money Money, The Winner Takes It All and many more. December 10 and 11, tickets are priced at €20.
Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook – not a bow and arrow or hangover in sight
review: cooper, lawrence, De niro and stiles at the top of their game
Silver? This is gold LOOKING at it objectively, you might say that the guy who directed The Fighter might aim a little higher for his next film than a self-penned, low-budget romantic comedy about a man with psychiatric problems. But, then again, this is the man who famously called Lily Tomlin every name under the sun in a rant on the set of I Huckabees. So really, all bets are off when it comes to predicting his next move. In Silver Linings Playbook, Russell actually makes a film that suits as a successor to the awards laden Fighter. Here, the family is as dysfunctional, the frustration at what might have been as palpable and the loving moments
paul hosford
phosford@gazettegroup.com
as tender. The only real difference is that Bradley Cooper’s Pat doesn’t have a heroin addict brother dragging him down. Instead, he has his ow n demons and a conviction for assaulting his wife’s lover. After being released from a state mental facility and moving back in with his parents, played by Robert De Niro and Jackie Weaver, Pat must confront his issues, his family and his newest friend, Tiffany. Tiffany comes with a whole slew of prob-
lems of her own, which makes everyone nervous. Law rence is an actress with the world at her fingertips at the minute, with The Hunger Games and X-Men establishing her on the A-list and her Oscar nomination for Winter’s Bone last year marking her as a truly special talent. She should have her pick of projects, which makes her appearance in Playbook all the more impressive. Eschewing what were certainly higher-profile roles for the chance to play what appears on paper to be a much younger love interest to Bradley Cooper. That age gap is barely noticeable, however, as Lawrence brings a maturity to the role that
Film of the Week: Silver Linings Playbook h h h h h (15) 122mins Director: David O.Russell Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Julia Stiles, Chris Tucker, Jackie Weaver
OUR VERDICT: THERE are small stumbles, small little frustrating stumbles, but all in all, this is a great piece of cinema. Brave, unflinching and superbly acted, End of Watch is as good a cop film as there is, but is abundantly more. A great dissection of character, a fantastic look at male relationships and a thoroughly brilliant piece of film-making. See it. See it now.
is much needed. Without it, Tiffany would become a bratty post-teen and her madness would be offputting. In Lawrence’s hands, it becomes appealing, almost attractive as she keeps a sure hand on the quirks of her character. Her work here proves that the nomination for Winter’s Bone was no fluke and she is a generational talent, some-
one who should be watched for many years to come. C o o p e r t o o p l ay s against type. Gone is the megawatt smile and easy charisma, replaced instead with an anger, a fr ustration and a deep set of problems that Cooper manages to make work, despite some shortcomings in the script. With Robert De Niro on fine form as Pat’s father and Chris Tucker
providing the comic relief, this is as well an acted piece of cinema as you are likely to see all year. A side-note; welcome back to Julia Stiles, it’s been too long. The star of the show, however, is Russell. His blistering announcement to Holly wood, 1999’s Three Kings, has been long-forgotten, but The Fighter announced the return of a real talent. With Playbook, Russell continues that form and will make many sit up and notice. That he is still best know n for the viral video of the Tomlin rant is sad, if understandable, but soon he will be known solely for his work. Especially if he keeps up this kind of form.
6 December 2012 gazette 21
Gazette
GAMING far cry 3: it’s pretty, crazy and fun
It’s so Far, so good in this fun threequel shane dillon
I TOUCHED on this in last week’s page, but space prevented me giving it more room. And so, I return to Rook Island, the central hub of just-released Far Cry 3, and quite probably the daftest, most unpredictable gaming playground we’ve seen this side of Just Cause 2’s Panau island. I’m not sure what it is about islands that makes game designers want to turn them into places the average SWAT team would want to avoid, but who knows – maybe one day, we’ll see an Irish designer come up with an analogous Aran Island setting, involving a quest for revenge after a cow gets kidnapped, or something. Anyway, mooooving right back to the game’s exotic tropical island set-
shane dillon sdillon@gazettegroup.com
ting (somewhere around the Indian and Pacific Oceans), and the playerprotagonist has much to enjoy here. As briefly mentioned last week, the player ends up on the island with his girlfriend and friends – only for the action-seeking group to get more than they want to when they run into the wrong type of people. The very wrong types, who have a habit of disposing of such guests, with guns, and other such extreme visitor controls. (Perhaps the guys should have just gone to lovely Fundoran instead, up near Sligo.)
BYTES&PIECES new title hits a very honourable sales target
From here on in, you’re in familiar territory, yet one that very much has its own clear identity and style. You’re tasked with saving your friends, and your girlfriend, and helping the few friendly people on the islands to claim back their territory – by tackling the bad guys, one group of thugs, or enemy stronghold, at a time; sometimes by stealthy means, yet more often than not by charging around like Chuck Norris with a headache. In order to do this, there are all kinds of toand-fro missions that you can carry out, gradually unlocking more and more areas, mission types and friendly characters, as your actions begin to change the control of power on the islands. Of course, there are all kinds of other distractions in Far Cry 3 to undertake
The tropical island setting of Far Cry 3 would be lovely to visit – were it not for the roving gangs of heavily armed thugs, occasional leopard attacks and, presumably, hotel prices in high season
instead, if you’d rather take a break from the main and side missions. After all, your friends would probably understand that, rather than rescue them from their hellish captors, you went looking for a hill peak to go hang-gliding from. I mean, who wouldn’t? As usual for such titles, there are lots and lots of treasure hunts and distractions to go wandering off on, away from the ‘real’ game, Whether collecting rare plants, going on animal hunts – or being hunted, by some particuarly dangerous beasts – searching out obscure parts of the
NEWS just in – Dishonoured (below), the particularly stylish first-person stealth-’em-up, has done better than expected at retail and, as such, has been decreed a new franchise, ripe for returning to. Its publisher, Bethseda, praised its sales, which have kept pace with the critical acclaim that the well-rounded title garnered on its recent release, and were strong in both physical and download form. It’s an all the more impressive feat, consid-
islands’ history, or just taking parts in races on land, sea and in the air, there’s an awful lot to do, with virtually everything you do gifting your character with experience points, with which to unlock ever more useful skills and upgrades. I should also mention that Far Cry 3 looks great, building on the detailed worlds that the series is famed for. While not perfect, there’s still a pretty immersive sense of scale and detail to its setting, making it a world that’s well worth getting lost in. A multi-platform title, Far Cry 3 is available in shops now.
ering its release near the end of the year, at a time when all of the Christmas heavyweights start limbering up to do battle, and particularly for a brand new title. With some downloadable content on the way to add to Dishonoured’s scale, it’s a welcome bit of news, as all too often slightly quirkier games get overlooked at retail, in favour of, say, bogstandard shooters featuring angry, bearded soldiers. (Yawn.) Not so with Dishonoured’s characters, whose late Empress, left, would surely welcome the news that gamers can expect to return to its setting, soon.
22 Gazette 6 December 2012
Gazette
&ABOUT OUT road
MOTORS
NOISE
Fiat 500L earns a fivestar safety rating The Euro NCAP released its latest round of results last week, and the FIAT 500L has earned a five-star safety rating from the independent vehicle safety assessment body. With an overall score of 83/100, the FIAT 500L’s coveted five-star rating was awarded on the basis of the scores it achieved. Adult occupant protection was (94/100); child occupant protection, 78/100; pedestrian protection, 65/100, and driver-assist safety system, 71/100. Thousands of hours of virtual simulations were employed during the creation of FIAT’s brand new “Small Wide” architecture which was engineered without the need for prototypes. To ensure there were no unforeseen anomalies, some 200 tests were conducted on components and sub-systems, as well as more than 100 shock test simulations and in excess of 100 crash tests. They took taking all possible types of impact into consideration: frontal impact, side impact, rollover, pile-up and impacts with pedestrians. Honours were also bestowed upon Skoda’s new compact saloon, the Rapid. It earned good marks in the Euro NCAP crash test for its high level of safety. It was recognised for its excellent test results in the areas of occupant protection for adults and children, pedestrian protection and safety assistance systems. “The Skoda Rapid is one of the safest cars in its segment,” says FrankWelsch, SKODA board member for technical development. “These Euro NCAP results are confirmation coming from an independent party. Our compact saloon is an ideal family car offering lots of space for five occupants and their baggage. It is functional, high quality and conforms to top-level safety standards,” said Welsch.
Skoda’s new compact saloon, the Rapid
The SEAT Mii boasts plnty of extras including alloy wheels, front fog lights and heated door mirrors
seat: a pleasant surprise for those looking for a city car
Mii makes driving plenty of fun again
n Cormac Curtis
This will be the second round of deja vu I’ve had on the motoring pages this year, as I am writing about the third sibling in what is affectionately know in motoring circles as “The Triplets”. In case you missed my verdicts of the Skoda CitiGo and the VW Up!, let me fill you in. T here has been a heated battle raging in the small car market all across Europe this year, in one corner there is the odds-on favourite, the VW Up!, in the other corner, there is the new boy threatening the established veteran in the shape of the Skoda CitiGo, and in the third corner (OK, this is not a traditional boxing analogy) there is the plucky
specs: SEAT Mii 1.0 Sport 5Door 0 – 100km/hr: 13.2 secs Top speed: 171km/h CO2 Emissions : 108g/km Tax Band: A Current Tax Rate: €160 Price: €12,000
underdog that is the SEAT Mii. You may be aware that all three cars come from the same family, namely the Volkswagen Group, so they share quite a lot in terms of chassis, gearboxes and the like. They all have a pretty similar look, but, to be fair, there’s not a huge amount you can do with something this size when you’re competing for the same market. But they all have their own distinct person-
alities, and the little Mii was a real eye-opener. As mentioned, I had already been in the Up! and the Citigo – in the case of the Skoda, I had tested it at its launch in Portugal as well as on Irish roads – so I was not really expecting anything to take me by surprise. But this car seemed to edge the other two in one key area – its noise. Even though I tend to drone on about points of contact and the tactile connection between car and driver – the sound is every bit as important for a car to have character. Don’t get me wrong, this car ticked plenty of other boxes that count just as much – but to get a symphony of exhaust notes thrown into the mix is a huge bonus for
a petrol head like me. To give you a mental picture, think of how the Minis in the Italian Job sounded as they made their way around Rome… that’s exactly how it felt driving the Mii, an absolute pleasure. That’s the thing about driving little cars, they remind us of how much fun driving can be. When you strip away the couch-like comfort and pampering of highend luxury saloons, the dizzying array of digital controls and touchscreen do-das, and the panoramic, all-glass ceilings of the modern people carriers, you are left with the basics – four wheels, a little poke, a short wheel base, and lots of manoeuvrability. How much fun is that?
But the Mii, like all the Triplets, boasts real world practicality too, and the 1.0 Sport 5-door I tested came with plenty of spec as standard. From the 15” ANIA alloy wheels; front fog lights with cornering; body coloured electric and heated door mirrors and handles to the electric windows up front; hill hold; leather steering wheel and gearstick for the all-important points of contact; SPORT Specific trim and upholstery; rear tinted windows; and front and rear sport suspension, nobody can accuse SEAT of skimping on the extras. The SEAT Mii will be a pleasant surprise to anyone in the market for a small city car and it really stands toe-to-toe with its siblings.
6 December 2012 BLANCH GAZETTE 23
GAZETTE
FEATURES
Interview KEVIN DUNDON FROM P17
Thousands of poinsettias being nurtured for the Christmas market. Inset top, the plants before they turn their distinctive crimson shade, and inset below, the poinsettia bloom.
HOUSEHOLD: MEXICAN PLANT IS A HUGE FESTIVE HIT HERE
The dark secrets of poinsettia growers... GARDEN centre retailer B&Q is expecting to sell thousands of poinsettias this Christmas, when this most popular houseplant makes its annual Christmas debut. Indigenous to Mexico and Central America, this plant is now a Christmas staple for many Irish homeowners. Over 100 million poinsettias are sold every year throughout Europe, but what many people are not aware of is exactly how the plant gets its
famous crimson colour. The secret – shading the plants in darkness for 50 days as it grows. Growers begin in May, six months before the plants will go on sale, to grow the plants and to ensure they all get that famous red glow. Poinsettias only develop coloured blooms when kept in darkness for a minimum of 50 days, for 12 hours a day. So, to ensure that the plant is available in October for homeown-
ers to buy, growers artificially control the environment, blocking out all sunlight. As a result, poinsettia fans can enjoy the first colourful plants as early as the end of October Ben Smith, horticulture bedding buyer at B&Q, said: “Not many people know the secret trick to getting a really red poinsettia, but it’s the help of our shorter days and artificial darkness which brings out the famous colour.
“For many, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without this red plant, but for those wanting a change this year, we’re also introducing the new Ivory Poinsettia.” B&Q’s poinsettias start out as any other green plant growing in daylight. Darkness falls for the last 50 days of the growing cycle to ensure Poinsettia’s turn red. Poinsettias are traditionally associated with Christmas due to
a 16th century Mexican legend. The story goes that a young girl was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus’ birthday, so was told by an angel to plant weeds from the street in front of the church altar. Crimson blossoms sprouted from the weeds which became poinsettias. This Mexican seasonal tradition was then adopted by more countries with the plant becoming a Christmas favourite.
KEVIN says: “But for a lot of people it is very stressful, so we trying to take the stress out of Christmas for our customers and people around Ireland. It’s all fresh food and it’s all Irish. I have devised recipes for our butchers in stores to put together, Brussels sprouts and cranberry with seasoning. They are in a tray, already prepared, and all you have to do is put them in the oven and you’ll have fantastic Brussels sprouts. “We make a point in our house to eat at 5.30pm every night when I am at home. We all have dinner together, very much a family event. It’s a time to catch up on what’s going on,” he said. Kevin’s impressive CV is just too extensive to mention everything he has achieved, but one thing that stands out is that he cooked for the Queen during his seven-year stay in Canada. So, what was the dish that was fit for a queen? “BBQ smoked salmon starter with maple syrup poured over the salmon and they had a rack of lamb. The mad thing was she brought her own china and there were tasters there too, who tasted the food before,” he told the Gazette. Not only will Kevin be visiting local stores, but he will also be appearing on our small screens. On December 17, a new TV series starring the renowned cook will air on RTE One at 8.30pm. Kevin Dundon’s Christmas Made Easy, is a must-see for tips and alternative recipes this Christmas. For further information on the Christmas Range, Roadshow or SuperValu’s festive offers log onto www.supervalu.ie, check out www. facebook.com/SuperValuIreland or drop into your local SuperValu.
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&ABOUT OUT fast TRAVEL
Busy elves in Wales SANTA’S elves will be at Bluestone National Park in South Wales this Christmas and, for families hoping to catch a glimpse of them in action, StenaLine is offering some great deals in the run-up to Christmas. Travel to the magical Kingdom of the Elves at the park, for just €419 for two adults and two children. The price includes four nights’ accommodation in a two-bedroom Caldey Lodge (pictured) in Bluestone National Park, from Monday to Thursday, including travel by car from Rosslare to Fishguard. For further information, see www. stenaline.ie/bluestone, or call 01 204 7733.
northern ireland: Lots of fun and urban delights in its capital city
Shake it up in Belfast with Cuban dance fever hiromi mooney
THERE’S always something exciting to do in Belfast, whether it’s a day out shopping, enjoying some of the fine dining the city has to offer, or sampling some of the talent in the concert halls or theatres – day and night, the city is bursting with various events or activities. Although you can drive to the city, you can also conveniently get a train from Connolly Station in Dublin city centre, and be brought directly to the heart of Belfast in two and a half hours. That’s how I travelled, anyway, and after a relaxed and carefree journey, I arrived at my destination. I checked in to the Malmaison Hotel, which is a boutique hotel located on
Victoria Street. Although it’s not the cheapest accommodation option, the experience there is certainly memorable. The hotel had a nice ambience, friendly staff, and the sophisticated MALBAR bar on the ground floor – which boasts a vast selection of cocktails. However, even if you decide not to stay there for the night, you can still sample some of their culinary delights in The Mal Brasserie restaurant. I enjoyed a pickled pear and pecan nut salad for starters, which was followed by duck for my main course, and, to top it all off, I devoured a Valrhona chocolate fondant for dessert – which went down quite a treat. The hotel and restau-
Malmaison Hotel, a boutique hotel located on Victoria
rant have some upcoming special deals in time for Christmas and New Year’s, so it’s worth looking them up. I went up North just in time for the 50th Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s University, which took place from October 19 to November 4. The festival was first formed by a group of students from Queen’s as the university’s first arts festival. Since then, it has been celebrating dance, music, theatre, visual arts, film, classical and world music, with performers from all over the world. Throughout the years, many of the world’s greatest musicians, writers and performers have appeared at the festival. The festival is also the perfect platform for new talent – no wonder it’s one of the main highlights
on the Belfast events calendar. This year, the 50th festival gave Belfast a chance to reflect on all of its past achievements, and to celebrate its new talent and future. One such event, which I attended, was an evening of Cuban music and dancing with The Buena Vista Social Club in The Ulster Hall.
World-famous In the 1990s, this group revived the forgotten repertoire of son, bolero, danzon and guajiro – which are now world-famous. Today, Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club continues their work, featuring new musicians. The lineup now includes singers Omara Portuondo, Idania Valdes and Carlos Calunga; pianist Rolando Lunal; trombonist Aguaje Ramos and trumpeter Guajiro Mirabel.
6 December 2012 BLANCH GAZETTE 25
GAZETTE
Travel Clearly some great deals with Crystal Ski travel ONE of the most popular destinations for a post-Christmas holiday often involves a warm chalet, white mountain slopes and, of course, a pair of skis. If you’re already thinking about your New Year break, Crystal Ski has a host of offers to take you to Austria, Andorra or Italy. Travel to Austria on January 12 and stay at the two-star Pension Sonja, Niederau, on a B&B basis from €399 per person. Travel on January 6 or 13 to La Thuile, in Italy, and stay at the threestar Apartments Planibel, from €399
WE HAVE 135,000* READERS EACH WEEK Street in Belfast, has a nice ambiance and first class entertainment like The Buena Vista Social Club (inset, above)
The Buena Vista Social Club performed many lively songs on the stage, while the audience gathered close to them on the dance floor. The strong rhythm of the music meant that you couldn’t help but swing your hips with the beat of the music – it was as if it was your body’s natural response to sway as soon as another tune came on. The closer the people were to the stage, the more they let loose. The group engaged really
well with the crowd as well, with everyone clapping, cheering and dancing – and the crowd even encouraged them to return to play one more tune. It was an extremely enjoyable alternative evening that celebrated Cuban music at its best. So, now that the festival has wrapped up, it’s time for the Christmas season to kick in with some more exciting events in Belfast – which calls for a good excuse to plan another trip up North
again soon. As the city is lit up with Christmas lights and decorations, Belfast is turned into a magical place, creating a whole new atmosphere and experience again.
Christmas Market The annual Belfast Continental Christmas Market at City Hall is now on until December 20, where there are more than 80 traders from 26 countries. Here, you’ll be spoiled for choice with a selection of Christmas
presents. Santa Claus will also be in Belfast at his indoor Grotto at the Hillmount Nursery until December 23. Children can tell Santa himself of their Christmas wish list and can also enjoy petting real reindeers and donkeys. So, whenever you decide to go to Belfast, you can be assured that there is plenty to do. You can plan your trip in advance by checking w w w.discovernor thernireland.com, and www.gotobelfast.com.
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per person on a self-catering basis, or the three-star Apartments Olympic, Sestriere, from €469 per person. Alternatively, why not visit Andorra, on January 6 or 13, and stay at the three-star Hotel St Gothard, Arinsal, on a half-board basis from €499 per person. For further information, or to book your ski break, call 01 433 1055, or see www.crystalski.ie.
26 blanch gazette 6 December 2012
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sports awards P28
asdfsdaf gaelic games P27 P31
dublinsport Let the Gazette keep you up to date with all the best local sporting action from around the city as we cover all the stories that matter to you and your community
Gazette
cumann na mbunscol P29
FastSport Graham leads the pack in mo run: LUCAN’S
Scott Evans is hoping for more celebrations in Baldoyle after he was ranked as the top seed for the event in Dublin which gets under way on Thursday
badminton: ballinteer man in good form ahead of irish open event in baldoyle
Bitburger run likely to inspire top seed Evans at Dublin event BALLINTEER man Scott Evans will head the bill at badminton’s Carlton Irish Open, which gets under way on Thursday, December 6 in Baldoyle, For the first time ever, home players are the top seeds for both men and women’s singles. On the men’s side Evans will play Maxime Michele of France in his opening match and then either Flemming Quach of Denmark, or a qualifier who could turn out to be Ireland’s Tony Stephenson. He is looking to progress from the
qualifying tournament as one of eight players to earn their ticket via that route. Other Irish players among the eight groups of eight include Nigel Boyne, Scott Burnside, Io Wai Lau, Tony Murphy, Stuart Lightbody, Josh Magee, Jonathan Dolan, David Walsh and Liam O’Leary. Dolan, currently the number 10 junior in the world, has a tough draw and is likely to face France’s Lucas Corvee before the deciding match in his group. O’Leary is in a group that includes No 8 seed Daniel Massersi from Italy.
Included in Scott Burnside’s group are Daniel Font from Wales and fellow Irish player Io Wai Lau. Should Evans progress, there is plenty of top quality talent to negotiate with Germany’s Marcel Router, England’s Toby Plenty and the dangerous Malaysian player Kuan Beng Hong, whom Evans came unstuck against in the opening round of the Welsh Open last Friday, lying in wait. Since then, Evans has spent the week training in England before coming to Dublin. Prior to that, he produced a
good run in the Bitburger Open, making it through to the quarter-finals before falling to England’s Raj Ouspeh. En route, Evans knocked out a pair of seeded players, enjoying a strong week all round. From there, he returned to his club side Gentofte in Denmark, winning two games against Henri Hurskainen and Anand Pawar. Chloe Magee, meanwhile, tops the pre-tournament rankings on the women’s side and potentially plays qualifiers in her opening two rounds of the competition.
Sinead Graham was the first lady home overall in the Mo Run 10km in Phoenix Park recently in a fantastic time of 44.12, beating her target of 45 mintues with plenty to spare. Meanwhile, at the cross country BHAA 6k Race in Santry, first home for Lucan Ladies, and third in her category was Bernie Stapleton in a great time of 30.10 minutes; quickly followed by Eileen O’Brien in a great time of 31.43 minutes, second in her category. For the men, first home in this 6k race was Gerry Martin in a time of 28.33 minutes followed by Jim Dwyer in a time of 35.21minutes.
c o n ta c t s Acting Sports Editor: Stephen Findlater sfindlater@gazettegroup.com
For more information or to send in news and photos: sport@gazettegroup.com Phone: 01 651 6205
Gazette
28 BLANCH gazette 6 December 2012
SPORT
DublinGazetteNewspapers
community games: dublin region honoured
2012 dublin sports awards november winners
H STARof the MONTH
Limekiln’s Marguerite Nylans, Olive Kavanagh, Tom Sheridan, Margaret Carroll, Director, HSE Community Games, Amanda Kavanagh, Siobhan White, Maureen Quinlan, Mary White and Brian MacManus
barry murphy THE Aer Lingus swimmer broke a string of Irish national records to show his form at the European short course championships in Chartres, France. He topped his best mark in the 50m butterfly and the 50m breaststroke.
TEAMof the MONTH H
Limekiln wins big at Awards night sport@gazettegroup.com
castleknock LEINSTER junior championship glory was annexed last week to go with Dublin honours as they had too much in the tank for St Fintan’s last weekend at Parnell Park. A truly breathtaking season continues with an AllIreland quarter-final in Britain.
DUBLIN area Limekiln/Templemanor picked up two awards at the HSE Community Games Area and Volunteer Awards Event last Saturday in Ballinasloe. It was honoured with the Dublin Area Award and a Special Merit award, the first time that the area has won the county title. The area is made up of two small estates consisting in total of 303 houses. While it is always easier for large population areas to win these participation awards, Limekiln/ Templemanor emulates the spirit of
the Community Games. The population is well under the Community Games area limit, and it has no halls or facilities to call their own. Limekiln/Templemanor circulate newsletters to all houses and almost every child is in an activity. It was instrumental in getting the skittles competition off the ground and this year it managed to field three teams with one getting through to the Leinster finals. In addition, it has a top class youth committee which organise fundraising; helps with coaching at area level; as well as helping
at county, Leinster and national finals. The area secretary is Eileen Reilly, who is also County Dublin’s children’s officer and takes the role of county manager at the national finals. Its adult volunteers co-ordinate and referee rounders at Dublin, Leinster and national level. Also honoured at the event was Balbriggan’s Siobhain White for her years of service. She joined Dublin Community Games in 1980 and has served as a member of the county executive committee and served as assistant county secretary for a number of years.
Balbriggan girls annex futsal title for the first time sport@gazettegroup.com
Loreto Balbriggan claimed the Leinster Futsal first years title in Gormanston last week
LORETO, Balbriggan and the Dublin Oak Academy were crowned FAI Schools First Year Futsal Leinster champions last week in Gormanston at the Post Primary Schools futsal competition. Now in its fourth year nationally, the competition caters for first-year students with both boys and girls categories catered for with 288 participants from 23 schools represented. On the girls’ side, Loreto had to work hard for their success
throughout the day as they came up against a wonderful St Leo’s College of Carlow in the ultimate decider in a hugely entertaining final. Loreto may have been the underdogs going into the final, but they held their own to overcome a classy Carlow side 2-1. T hey were impressive throughout their group stages winning four out of the five games played, only falling to Tullamore’s Sacred Heart. The Balbriggan outfit were well prepared by teacher Stuart O’Brien as they captured
the points with an opening win against rivals Eureka Secondary School, 3-1. Scoil Chriost Rí were a tougher test but they narrowly overcame the Laois side 2-1, while Presentation Kilkenny and Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon were also dispatched. It set up the final date with St Leo’s, an end-to-end tussle with Balbriggan claiming the tie 2-1. On the boys’ side, Dublin Oak had tasted success four years ago in Tallaght when the competition was only in its
infancy. Oak were up against groupone winners Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore in a cracking clash. They were under pressure for much of the game but managed a 3-2 victory to lift the prestigious title. They won five out of five of their group games, scoring 16 goals, conceding only four en route to the final and carried that form through to the final Loreto Balbriggan and Dublin Oak Academy will now progress to the All-Ireland finals.
6 December 2012 BLANCH gazette 29
Gazette David Dennehy of St Helen’s Portmarnock
The Scoil Archbishop Ryan, Balgaddy team with Corn Na Laoch in Croke Park Pictures: Ray McManus and Barry Cregg
Cumann feel the noise at Croke Park festival
L
OCAL clubs produced a carnival atmosphere in Croke Park last week as the finals of the Dublin football Cumann na mBunscol took place on the hallowed turf of the GAA headquarters. Over 1,200 children
took part in the competition for primary schools in some form over the two days with more than 20 finals taking place. There were first-time wins in the competition for the likes of Scoil
Archbishop Ryan while Scoil Lorcan in Palmerstown won their first title in 10 years with a win over Scoil Mobhi from Glasnevin while plenty of other silverware made its way to the various corners of the county.
St Brigid’s Roisin McGovern and Sarah Browne
Scoil Lorcain, Palmerstown captain Evan Walshe lifts Ruby Smith on the attack
St Oliver Plunkett’s, Malahide captain David McCormack lifts the cup
Nia Ni Chinneide
the Sciath Chumann na nGael shield
Gazette
30 BLANCH gazette 6 December 2012
SPORT
FastSport
soccer: dublin 15 club pushes on in national cup ties
McMenamy leads Spartan effort with Euro gold medal SPARTAN martial arts capped off a fine year last weekend at the WAKO European Championships in Bucharest, Romania, where three of the Dublin 15 contingent won silverware, with head coach Robbie McMenamy taking gold in his debut in the 84kg class. The reason for McMenamy taking the jump up in weight division was due to international sports federation, SportAccord, changing the world combat championships weight divisions with McMenamy winning the previous competition at his old weight, 79kg. The gold at the weekend guaranteed the Dubliner a chance at the world combat championships where he will look to bank a second consecutive gold medal in one of the biggest days on the martial arts calendar. Also in action for the Dublin 15 club over the weekend, Gintare Malakauskaite took her weight division by storm and clocked up a fantastic amount of wins before just coming up short in the final in the 70kg women’s division. Bo Mangan, one of the club’s most prolific competitors, proved she was up there with the best in her category, beating off Belgian opposition in the quarter-final before seeing off an English challenge to take a bronze medal home for the event. “I’m delighted with how everyone did,” said McMenamy. “It’s a huge tournament and I think we were the most successful club that went over. “The move up in weight division forced me to change my style a bit. But there were a lot of guys moving up from my old weight division to get a crack at the world combat championships which will be held in St Petersburg. “In the final, my opponent was 6’6’’, so that took some getting used to. But I got the win in the end and now I’m looking forward to getting myself and the team ready for the world championships next year. “There’s a lot to look forward to and we’re going from strength to strength, I think we can go on to even better things next year and I’d just like to say a big thank you to Dave McCann Tyres whose sponsorship made all of the club’s travel and competition possible,” finished the champion.
The Corduff U-14 side was one of two teams from the club to reach the last 32 of their respective SFAI Cup competitions
Big SFAI wins for Corduff SFAI U-14 Cup Corduff Trim Celtic peter carroll
6 0
sport@gazettegroup.com
CONTINUING a fantastic year for the club, Corduff has negotiated two of its schoolboy teams into the final 32 draw of the All-Ireland Cup. Last weekend, its U-15 side claimed a 4-0 victory against Glenmuir United on Saturday and the U-14’s gaining a one-sided 6-0 victory over Trim Celtic. David ‘Crouchy’ Gilshenan gave his side
a big edge on the day, claiming a hat-trick to mark the celebration of his 13th birthday, with Yassine En Neyah bagging a brace and Astab Muhammad taking another on the day for the U-14s. A solid back line and the safe hands of Jordan Dempsey also had a say in the result on the day, according to manager Stephen Morley. “The lads really listened and that showed in their performance,” s a i d Mo r l e y. “ T h e y came out well and were super from the start. We took our chances
special visitor Westmanstown Taggers welcome Donegal star ELIO Rabbitte and Adam Lawlor flank
Donegal star Michael Murphy with the Sam Maguire trophy at Westmanstown last weekend. Elio and Adam were taking part in a kit presentation day for the Westmanstown Taggers special needs’ tag rugby team who will line out at the Aviva stadium on December 15 as part of the half-time show during Leinster’s Heineken Cup match against Clermont Auvergne. Picture: Una Williams
and the lads kept their shape nicely at the back. Jordan was excellent in goal. “He made five saves that really allowed us to take a considerable lead. “This is the furthest we’ve ever gone in the competition and the team are really improving. If they perform the way they have they could go onto great things. “We have five lads on the team that play for the NDSL team and I can notice a real difference since they have been taken on the extra
training sessions. “The club has improved in leaps and bounds in the last year. “ We ’ ve b e e n we l l represented on panels, including the Republic of Ireland emerging talent squads. “I think it really shows how well the community clubs can do when they’re given a chance. “T he fact that we are in the All-Ireland and our U-15s are too, really says a lot about the wider focus of these competitions now. “Only a few years ago, it would be relatively
unheard of to have NDSL teams in the competition, but we’ve proven we deserve our spot. “The draw will be made next Saturday and the whole team are very excited about the prospect of an over night stay if we get a country team. “Considering the way they have played already in the tournament and the excitement that’s in the team, I really think the lads can get a good run in and hopefully our form continues,” Morley finished.
6 December 2012 BLANCH gazette 31
Gazette
McDonagh laments MFC timetable Club Noticeboard sport@gazettegroup.com
CASTLEKNOCK’S minor footballers are gearing up for a quarterfinal clash in the minor championship this weekend with St Sylvester’s, with the Malahide men holding the home advantage. Seeing off Brigid’s in the first game of the cham-
pionship group stages, Castleknock guaranteed their place in the next round of the competition when they beat Naomh Barrog so the final group stage loss to Balinteer St John’s didn’t put them off their championship trajectory. However, with the game booked for this Sunday, many coaches have
voiced their dissatisfaction for the minor championship timetable, with teams really struggling to find the intensity for championship football. Castleknock boss Fionan McDonagh echoed those comments, highlighting the distance between his side’s last league game and the beginning of their cham-
pionship campaign. “At this time of year it’s very hard to get warm-up matches for the lads,” said McDonagh. “We finished our last league game in June and we didn’t play our first championship game until October.” “I just think it’s too much to ask to have the lads playing a quarter final on December 9.”
st brigid’s CONGRATULATIONS to our junior hurl-
included. See the website for more
ers who claimed the league title yes-
information and to confirm your
terday beating St Pat’s in the final.
order.
It was a great achievement for this
The club lotto is €13,400 this week and
team, claiming 14 wins from 14 games.
takes place on Thursday evening in The
Thanks to all those who attended and organised two brilliant evenings last week for our 80th anniversary. It was kindly sponsored by Okra Green in Castleknock Village on Thursday and our club race night was on Fri-
hurling: Saints junior hurlers annex ahl8 title
day night. St Brigid’s GAA club nursery for
Roselawn Inn. Our club calendar for 2013 is now available in the club shop, from behind the bar or by contacting Cathy on 086 821 0502. The Throw In radio show continues every Monday from 7.30pm on Phoenix FM on 92.5FM.
four- to seven-year-olds continues
An update on the new club gym is
every Saturday morning from 9.30am
now on the club website. Any business
to 11am.
or individual interested in sponsoring
New members and families welcome. Contact Paul on 087 915 4748 or see the website for more information. Buy your Christmas tree from St Brigid’s this Saturday. Free delivery
any of the new equipment, please contact stbrigidsgaagym@gmail.com. Conditioning training for all adult players is on Thursdays in the hall; contact Willie on 086 314 8403 for info.
naomh peregrine BRILLIANT win for our minor hurlers
The club lotto was not won; numbers
The final, date and time to be con-
drawn were 1, 15, 17 and 27. Next week’s
firmed.
jackpot is €6,400.
All roads lead to the Carlton Hotel
Our Club shop vouchers are now
for our annual Penguin Ball this Sat-
available, details and contacts on the
urday.
club website CNP.ie . Follow us on Twit-
The executive committee would like to request that members willing to act as mentors with the various club After a tight first half, St Brigid’s pulled clear of St Pat’s Donabate at Russell Park last weekend in the AHL8 final
Brigid’s complete unbeaten season AHL division 8 final
St Brigid’s St Pat’s, Donabate peter carroll
0-10 0-6
sport@gazettegroup.com
ST Brigid’s became AHL8 champions last Sunday on home turf after going an impressive 14 games unbeaten in the league before seeing off St Pat’s Donabate in convincing fashion in the second half. Niall Plunkett was on form right throughout the affair and his three frees along with a point from play by Noel Kidd kept Brigid’s level with St Pat’s, who won free after
free to keep themselves in contention in the first half. The second half was a different story, however, and Brigid’s broke the play down well, not allowing the north county side to convert from dead-ball situations. Plunkett put over another three points in the second instalment, two of which came from 65s, while Maurice Sweeney came into his own in the wing forward position, putting three points over from distance to secure Brigid’s the win. “We knew coming
out in the second half we couldn’t concede as many frees so our blocking, defending and strength had to improve and it did,” said Brigid’s boss Tim O’Leary. “To go on the unbeaten run that we did this year was absolutely fantastic and the lads deserve it after giving every training session their all and never failing to be fully committed to the cause. “Since Oliver Cussen has come into the fold, I’ve seen a complete change in how the lads have played and all year his defensive coaching has helped us in every
performance. “That was the reason why we managed to win so many games. His experience and knowledge, having played inter county hurling for Cork, is a massive advantage to have – our first touches, striking and tackling have come on tremendously. “I think we’ll be well able for the step up next year, we’ve played a few challenge matches and we know that we can keep to the pace. We have a few lads moving up to the second team, but that’s to be expected as the third hurling team at the club.”
secretary for full details.
in the semi-final of the championship.
minor and adult hurling, football, camogie and ladies football teams and also on the various club sub-committees for the 2013 season contact the club
ter @peregrinesgaa. Entertainment this Saturday comes from Nite Shift. Bingo continues this Wednesday at 8.30pm, the jackpot is €1,300. Ladies’ night this Wednesday with music from Laurie Hartz.
erin go bragh THE kids’ Christmas party will now
7:30pm on 92.5FM.
take place on Saturday, December
Club lotto numbers were 5, 13, 21
15 and not this Saturday, December
and 25. There was no jackpot win-
8.
ner. This Friday’s jackpot is €8,100.
The Erin Go Bragh CLG AGM will take place this Thursday, Decem-
The draw is to be held in the Vineyard.
ber 6 at 8.30pm in the clubhouse
The roster is as follow: John Kin-
adjacent to Mary Mother of Hope
sella, Pat Keenan, Tom Madigan,
National School. Please note that
Martin Carroll and George Burke.
only paid-up members (member-
And f inally Seamus Bradley, a
ship and facilities fee) are entitled
member of Erin go Bragh since 2010,
to vote at the AGM.
has just published a book called
Thanks to all who supported the
Nothing To Prove.
juvenile sponsored walk last Satur-
The book looks at people’s val-
day which helped raise vital funds
ues, how they are shaped by the
for the club.
economic system, how this large-
We are looking for adult football-
ly goe s unques tioned and how
ers and hurlers for the 2013 season.
this impacts on societ y. Check
The contact for hurling is Gareth
out - w w w.authorhouse.co.uk /
Dalton (gazsandalton@yahoo.ie)
Bookstore/BookSearchResult s.
and for football (Cecil on 086 259
aspx?Search=nothing%20to%20
7789).
prove
This week our chairman, George
There is also a facebook page
Burke will be on the Phoenix FM GAA
for the book: www.facebook.com/
show The Throw In- Mondays at
nothingtoproveseamusbradley.
GazetteSPORT all of your blanch sports coverage from page 27-31
all-ireland dreams: Two Corduff sides make it into the last 32 of SFAI national cup competitions P31
december 6, 2012
cumann na mbunscol: Dublin celebrates best of primary school GAA P29
St Brigid’s celebrates 80th anniversary peter carroll
sport@gazettegroup.com
ST BRIGID’S celebrated 80 years in style last week as club chairman Billy Quane welcomed back all of the former presidents, chairpersons and secretaries of the club to an event that placed the glittering history at Russell Park centre stage last Thursday. “It was fantastic to have the former committee members back with their families,” said Quane. “We unveiled an honours board featuring the names of all the former presidents, chairpersons and secretaries and it was only right that they were there to witness it.”
Playing with the club since he was seven years’ old, Quane has witnessed major landmarks in the club’s history. “I can remember when we won our first junior championship and, moving on from that, I remember our intermediate side facing Raheny in a playoff that we won to get into the senior cycle. “Times like those were very significant when you consider the amount of inter-county talent that has come from the club when the Dublin team was more than likely selected from the senior leagues. “The building of the clubhouse in the mid-1980s was a huge moment for the club too. I remember think-
ing that we had really made it to the big time when that happened.” As for the future, Quane says that “youth is the cornerstone” of the Dublin 15 club. “Just looking at the success we had with the double for the U-14 lads and the girls camogie team at the same age group was absolutely fantastic. In the years gone we’ve always been at the top of the pile as far as juvenile games are concerned. I’d love that to continue. “We have some fantastic people coming back to the club to help out as coaches and I truly believe if we focus on the youth, there will be success when it comes to the adult games,” he finished.
On the night of celebrations, there were live cooking demonstrations from Okra Green in Castleknock village who donated the food. The event was made possible by the work of Stephen Moore and Tommy Phelan. “They have worked hard to tell the story of the club so accurately for the anniversary while the lotto committee made the evening possible. “The history of the club was at the forefront of everything on the night and when you see all of the success we’ve had on one wall, it’s quite hard to believe the amount we’ve done in 80 years,” said Quane.
St Brigid’s members past and present inaugurated a new plaque at Russell Park