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January 21-27, 2016

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propelled into cool world of science

Supported by the RDS for the seventh successive year, the RDS Primary Science Fair Dublin, which displays at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, proved once again to be very popular with tens of thousands of visitors to the primary school projects.

Working under the supervision of their teacher, students are encouraged to be inquisitive and curious about the world around them. Pictured at the event are Samuel Johnson and Alexander Campean from Powerstown Educate Together with their project “What effect does the size of the blades have on the amount of energy generated?”.

Picture: Orla Murray/ Ark Photography

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Unemployment falls by 11% in Blanchardstown

‘Essential to analyse these figures over years rather than in isolation’

 Aisling Kennedy

Unemployment has fallen by 11% in Blanchardstown, compared to the same month last year, according to statistics released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) this week.

Tanaiste Joan Burton welcomed the drop in unemployment rates and said new initiatives including the Pathways to Work strategy for 2016, the USC reduction, and the increase of child benefit payments of €5 per child per family were

all working towards aiding the economic recovery.

Cllr Jack Chambers (FF) noted, however, that it was important to take all components into consideration when looking at unemployment figures.

He said: “The Dublin

15 area had a relatively stagnant and insignificant reduction in numbers on the Live Register prior to this so it is essential to analyse these figures over years rather than in isolation.”

Full Story on Page 4

2 BLANCH Gazette 21 January 2016

complaint | ‘company investigating incident’

Shock as cable tie restricts fire exit  Aisling Kennedy akennedy@dublingazette.com

A cable tie restricted access to an emergency fire exit door at Ice Skating Blanchardstown but has been removed according to the operator of the company

A c a bl e t i e t h a t restricted access to an emergency fire exit door at Ice Skating Blanchardstown has been removed according to the operator of the company.

Cool Running Events, operator of Ice Skating Blanchardstown, said the cable tie was removed this week following a complaint and was only there for a “moment in time”.

Cllr Sandra Kavanagh (AAA), who lodged the complaint, said she was shocked when she saw the emergency exit at the rink was inaccessible due to a cable tie in place on the door and she said she noticed it when she went to return her skates and collect her shoes.

Cllr Kavanagh told the Gazette: “I approached a member of staff when I noticed it and I asked why the exit door was tied up like that.

“I pointed out that it was in breach of fire regulations and I told her that it was not good enough.

“I was just so shocked because that particular area is where people go to collect their shoes and it is very busy so if anything was to happen it could cause a problem.

“Or if there was an e m e r g e n c y, p e o p l e might panic if they couldn’t get out and there could be a lot of

crush injuries.”

Cllr Kavanagh said she contacted the Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) to take the matter further.

When contacted, the DFB told the Gazette that they did receive a complaint in relation to the cable tie on the emergency exit door and that they are in the process of investigating the incident.

A spokesperson said: “We will send someone out to inspect it in the next few days.”

In response to the incident Neil Allister, operations manager at Cool Running Events, said that he was aware of the incident but he explained that their customer’s safety is of paramount importance to the company.

He said: “We have processes and procedures in place and emergency evacuation plans that would ensure that there is no serious threat to people’s safety.”

He explained that the cable tie was there for a “moment in time” and said it was there “due to a repair issue with the door”.

“We have seven other fire exits in the marquee and that emergency exit was manned throughout the duration that the cable tie was there.

“There would have been no issue at all exiting through that door in the highly unlikely event of an emergency,” said Allister.

Dublin Gazette Newspapers, Second Floor, Heritage House, Dundrum Office Park, Dublin 14 Tel: 01 - 6010240. Email: sales@dublingazette.com news@dublingazette.com web: www.dublingazette.com twitter: @DublinGazette Visit us on Facebook at DublinGazetteNewspapers

don’s dublin A church blessed with the nickname The Pepper Canister Nicknames are something that Dubliners are good at handing out, usually to friends and acquaintances, but it is rare that buildings are so honoured. So, I was really looking forward to visiting St Stephen’s Church, a place that I had passed many times but never entered and, like most people, called The Pepper Canister.

By the early 1800s, with the city spreading out into new suburbs, there was a need for a church to serve the growing community beyond Merrion Square. The Earl of Pembroke, a significant local landowner, gave the site for the church for free and an additional £700. It was one of the last Georgian churches built in Dublin and was designed by John Bowden who also responsible for the church of St Philip and St James, Booterstown. Sadly, he died during construction and the work was completed by Joseph Welland. It was consecrated by the Archbishop of Dublin, William Magee on December 5, 1824, and the final cost was £5,169.

The original building was rectangular and the colourful apse (east end) was added in 1852. But it is the front (west end) that is the most attractive and giving an unbroken view across Merrion Square southside, to Leinster House. It is a beautifully realised feature, unchanged in almost two centuries. The cupola at the top of the church is a model of the Choregos of Lysicrates in Athens and where we get the familiar nickname.

Inside, there are wonderful stained glass windows which were not original features but added in Victorian times. A piece by the renowned Beatrice Elvery and another in honour of Dr Joliffe Tufnell, a former president of the College of Surgeons, look great in the sunlight. The organ dates from the 1750s and the carved rosewood pulpit is particularly attractive. Upstairs I noted a plaque in honour of Captain Charles King, a man who survived the Battle of Balaclava. I definitely hadn’t been expecting that. Wonderful.

Don Cameron

www.donsdublin.wordpress.com

St Stephen’s Church, otherwise known as The Pepper Canister, was designed by John Bowden and consecrated on December 5, 1824

21 January 2016 BLANCH Gazette 3

fingal | the construction of units is Of ‘utmost urgency’

appeal

Fatal road collision

War of words over social housing  aisling kennedy

A war of words has erupted between Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell and the council this week following Deputy Farrell’s comments about the lack of social housing in the Fingal constituency.

Deputy Farrell called on the council to facilitate the construction of social housing units in Fingal “with the utmost urgency”.

He said: “The delivery of suitable social and affordable housing, as a result of the economic crash, remains unacceptably slow. The council has an ample supply of zoned land on which social and affordable housing could be developed.”

He said that by bringing

more social and affordable housing units on stream, it would provide many people on the housing list with their own home, while also increasing the availability of emergency accommodation for people who are homeless.

“Budget 2015 set out this Government’s €2.2bn Social Housing Strategy up to 2020, with the current allocation for social housing in Budget 2016 being increased from €68m to €414m. The aim of this increase is to secure accommodation for a further 14,000 households.

“The provision of social and affordable housing in Fingal is of the utmost importance and I would urge the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government,

and the council, to urgently prioritise the delivery of this vital infrastructure.”

In response, a council spokesperson told The Gazette that it is working towards the delivery target of 1,376 social housing units as set out under the Social Housing Strategy 2020 for the period 2015 to 2017.

Under the Strategy, €81m has been allocated by the council to provide social housing units in the Fingal constituency.

“This target will be delivered under a range of housing programmes.

“The council continues to work collaboraatively and to support approved housing bodies in acquisition, leasing and construction programmes throughout the county.”

talking technology

The Tanaiste and leader of the Labour Party Joan Burton visited the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition recently and met Alec O’Brien from St Vincent’s Castleknock College. Alex talked with Joan about his project, Machine Vision and Autonomous Systems, Design and Analysis of Robot Autonomy and Flying Robots. Alec designed the robot from scratch and it is able to carry out simple little jobs, with in depth sensors to see how far something is in front of you.

Picture: Orla Murray/ Ark Photography

Gardai in Blanchardstown are reappealing for witnesses to a fatal road traffic collision which occurred in Hartstown, Dublin, on January 3.

Two female pedestrians (40s) were seriously injured at approximately 2.40am when they were hit by a car on Hartstown Road. One woman was killed and the second woman remains in a serious condition in hospital.

Three males in their 20s are believed to have been in the car that was involved in the collision and none were injured in the collision. Gardai want to speak to any witnesses who were around the Topaz Garage/Convenience Store, Hartstown Road Clonsilla on January 3 between 2.30am and 2.40am. Witnesses are asked to contact Blanchardstown Garda Station 01 6667000.

4 BLANCH Gazette 21 January 2016

fingal Statistics | 790 fewer people on the Live Register year on year Starcamp to host summer camps Children’s performing arts network Starcamp will host summer camps in seven Fingal locations next July and August.

Starcamp creator Aideen O’Grady says the week-long camp for boys and girls aged 4-12 is “designed to teach performance and build confidence through song, dance, drama and games”.

The performing arts group is for children of all levels and abilities and its aim is to build children’s self esteem and confidence.

F o r m e d i n 2 0 0 7, Starcamp has won numerous awards.

Dates and venues where the camps will be held are St George’s National School, Balbriggan (August 8-12), Rush and Lusk Educate Together (July18-22), Malahide Community School (July 18-22), Skerries Educate Together School (July 25-29), Old Borough School Hall, Swords (July 11-15 and August 15-19) and Portmarnock (August 8-12, venue to be confirmed).

For more information see www.starcamp.ie

Unemployment sees reduction by 11% in the Blanch area  Aisling Kennedy

The Blanchardstown area saw a fall in unemployment by 11% in December, compared to the same month last year, according to statistics released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) this week.

Elsewhere, the Navan Road area saw unemployment fall by 8%.

In addition, statistics showed that there were 790 fewer people on the Live Register in Blanchardstown year on year, as the number fell from 6,845 to 6,055.

Tanaiste Joan Burton welcomed the news and said that the statistics show that unemployment has fallen by a third in both Blanchardstown and the Navan Road since the recession began in August

-------------------------------------------------------

‘All unemployment figures fail to reflect the missing youth of today who have been forced to emigrate’ --------------------------------------------------------

2011.

Deputy Burton said: “Unemployment in Dublin West is now at the lowest it’s been in seven years. We are creating 1,000 jobs a week, and are close to having two million people at work.

We want to continue this momentum towards full employment.”

Minister Burton said that new initiatives including the Pathways to Work strategy for 2016, the USC reduction, and the increase of child benefit payments of €5 per child per family were helping families as part of the eco-

nomic recovery.

Cllr Jack Chambers (FF) agreed with Minister Burton that the reduction of numbers on the Live Register in the Dublin 15 area is a positive step but he added that it is important to take all components into consideration when looking at unemployment figures.

He said: “The Dublin 15 area had a relatively stagnant and insignificant reduction in numbers on the Live Register prior to this so it is essential to analyse these figures over years rather than in isolation.

Unemployment in Blanchardstown has fallen by 11% in December

“All unemployment figures fail to reflect the missing youth of today who have been forced to emigrate. The challenge for this Government and

everyone in our political system is to build a future that brings this forgotten generation home and back into sustainable employment.”

Cllr Chambers explained that a substantial percentage of people who are signing onto the Live Register have been doing so for a year or more.

“This creates a major difficulty in helping them get new jobs in the economy. It is the case that the number of longterm claimants is falling but it is falling at a far

slower pace than those signing on for less than a year.”

Cllr Roderic O’Gorman (GP) said he welcomed the reduction in unemployment figures and added: “I’m conscious of the huge effort the council is putting into supporting economic development in Dublin 15 having recently completed a major re-branding of the industrial estates around Blanchardstown as the ‘Dublin Enterprise Zone’ to encourage more companies to establish themselves there.”

21 January 2016 BLANCH Gazette 5

Development Plan focus on Blanch

Fingal County Council has started the latest phase in the adoption of the Fingal County Development Plan 2017-2023.

One of the considerations includes a focus on Swords and Blanchardstown as the county’s two major urban centres, to maintain the right mix of urban, rural, coastline, small town and village characteristics, and also to plan and promote investment in infrastructure in the county over the lifetime of the Plan.

The Development Plan sets out the overall strategy for the proper planning and sustainable devel-

opment of Fingal for the next six years.

At a council meeting on January 15, councillors considered over 550 motions they submitted to the draft plan prepared by the chief executive Paul Reid and his planning department.

In introducing the draft plan to councillors, Reid said: “Fingal is the fastest growing county in Ireland, with a young, vibrant and diverse population.

“Located within the wider Dublin region, the county is a strategic location, with national assets such as Dublin Airport and strong for-

eign direct investment providing significant employment to the people of Fingal and the region generally.

“It is important that we plan and manage these developments in a sustainable manner but that we also maintain and cherish the distinct character, history and heritage that make Fingal a great place to live, work, visit and do business in.”

In his comments to members of the council, the chief executive also emphasised a number of strategic considerations that they need to take into account when making the Development Plan.

competition | soprano makes shortlist

Rachel hits the right note in auditions

 Keith Bellew

Blanchardstown Soprano Rachel Croash has succeeded through the initial auditioning process of the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition, which saw her make the shortlist of 160 applicants from over 35 countries.

The competition was inaugurated in 1995 to honour the lifetime work of Dr Veronica Dunne, Ireland’s Grande Dame of singing. 160 applicants from over 35 countries were auditioned in Milan, Munich, New York, London, Paris and Wexford before this year’s competition was launched in December 2015 by the Minister for Arts Heather Humphreys.

After an intense audition process, the competitors are preparing to go head-to-head in a series of heats from January 22 at Trinity College and the National Concert Hall, with the final taking place in the main auditorium of the National Concert Hall. Croash is a graduate of NUI Maynooth and The Royal Irish Academy of Music.

An Opera Theatre Company HUB artist, she was recently awarded the Wexford Festival Opera

Blanchardstown Soprano Rachel Croash

Aria Friends Bursary Award and The WFO and PwC Emerging Artist Award, 2015.

Recent roles include Susanna (Susanna’s Secret) for Opera Theatre Company, Renee (Koanga) and Dew Fairy (Hansel and Gretal) for Wexford Festival Opera, Valencienne (The Merry Widow) for Lyric Opera Productions, Narrator (The Oldest Woman in Limerick) for Wide Open Opera and Frasquita (Carmen) with the RTE Concert Orchestra.

Forthcoming engagements include The Wexford Proms with The Wexford Sinfonia at The National Opera House conducted by Fergus

Sheil, a lunchtime concert with The RTE National Symphony Orchestra and recitals for Music for Galway and Sligo Con Brio Music Series.

Croash said that when she began studying music she had no intention of becoming a Soprano, and would have happily become a pop singer.

“I actually came to singing quite late. I’d have sung in school choirs and I was in a group choir in Blakestown as well, the Blakestown Choristers. As I child growing up I was always involved in choral music but I never did any singing lessons or anything like that. I went to primary school

in Mountview and then secondary school in St Dominic’s, Navan Road and I had great teachers who were always very encouraging and gave me opportunities for solos with the school choir. That’s kind of how it started,” she said.

She said that she went to NUI Maynooth originally as she wasn’t sure of what she wanted to do, which was great, as the course was very general and included a bit of everything. It was only after getting her degree that she began singing lessons and with Virginia Clare at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. She encouraged Croash to pursue Soprano singing.

6 BLANCH Gazette 21 January 2016

ask the politician | in the build up to the general election the gazette Question: How would you deal with the current housing and homeless crisis in the city if elected?

Correcting the market distortions  Rosyln Fuller (IND)

In addressing the homeless crisis we need to differentiate between immediate relief for those who are homeless now and structural measures to prevent homelessness in the future.

Immediate Relief I would re-purpose close-to-completion NAMA properties to provide for those currently homeless and ensure adequate funding to existing shelters for rough sleepers.

I would make sure thete was swift compensation for those affected by flagrant building code violations (pyrite, etc.), as Government has a responsibility for not adequately enforcing the building code.

Mortgage repayments should be limited to a realistic assessment of home owner’s ability to repay (i.e. the assessment that should have been made before the mortgage was agreed).

FF will immediately increase rent supplement  Senator Darragh O’Brien (Fianna Fail)

At present there are over 800 families and 1,600 children sleeping in emergency homeless accommodation, with up to 80 families becoming homeless in Dublin each month.

The Government’s failure to take even simple measures, such as increasing the rent supplement or put a stay on mortgage repossessions, is forcing people out of their homes in the short term.

Fianna Fail will immediately increase rent supplement and implement a system of rent stability and certainty measures.

We will remove banks’ veto on dealing with mortgage arrears and ensure families struggling to pay their mortgage can stay in their homes.

However, even more worryingly, the Government does not have a medium-term plan for supplying homes to those who need them.

While 3,000 social housing units under the control of local authorities are sitting vacant nationwide, the Minister refuses to spend more than €30,000 on the refurbishment for these homes. Fianna Fáil will ramp up refurbishment of vacant social housing and prioritise its use for homeless families.

NAMA has the capacity and the land to deliver up to 20,000 new houses, however the Government is allowing NAMA to sell off these vital assets to private vulture funds while delivering less than 2,000 social housing units.

Fianna Fail proposes a 50/50 split between affordable/social housing units to private housing units in the NAMA development plan.

In the long-term, we will prioritise increasing housing supply. Our policy will increase the construction of social housing by 45,000 and stimulate the construction of 150,000 private homes by 2021.

Structural Measures I would limit annual rent increases to a certain percentage of current rent.

NAMA property should be split up and sold as smaller units to indigenous buyers instead of flogged off to foreign developers for a fraction of its worth. The living wage should be high enough for anyone in employment to afford a decent home.

There should be a strict enforcement of building code. I would also reform planning permission to be easier for individuals and small builders to obtain.

I do not see social housing as a panacea to the homelessness crisis as a) it has to be built first, and thus doesn’t provide immediate relief and b) those in employment should be placed in a position to be able to afford their own home at market prices. If this were currently the case, we would be experiencing less pressure on social housing.

This is why I have focused on immediate relief for those in need, and on correcting the market distortions that have led to the crisis.

21 Janaury 2016 BLANCH Gazette 7

relaunches its q&a with election candidates on the topics that matter

We have to invest and build now

I will endeavour to ensure the necessity of increasing the housing supply

 Clare Daly TD (Socialist Party)

Firstly, we’ve to stop making it worse, which is exactly what the Government has done over the last five years.

Their half-baked “rent certainty” measures pushed rents up even more – rents rose 11.1% in North County Dublin between summer and autumn 2015. They voted against rent controls in the Dail. They refused to increase rent supplement. All of which pushed more people into homelessness.

They have encouraged real estate investment trusts into the rental market, along with NAMA selling off blocks of properties to foreign vulture funds, giving rise to a virtual cartel across the city in rental prices.

A worker on the “new improved” minimum wage would have to spend 70% of their income to rent an average one bed apartment in Dublin.

Stronger rights for tenants – for example, any properties sold must be sold with tenants in situ – are crucial if we’re to tackle homelessness.

Telling landlords they can only raise the rent every two years instead of every year is nowhere near enough – without proper rent control people will still be made homeless by rent increases.

But the root of the problem is that almost

 Alan Farrell TD (Fine Gael)

no social housing has been built since they came to power. It’s a perfect storm, caused by free market ideology.

We need more social housing if we’re to address homelessness. Social housing has to be publicly provided. But the Government plans to provide the lion’s share through the private market, which is the failed strategy that caused the problem in the first place. We have to invest and build now. Of the 20,000 units to be provided by NAMA, at least 50% should be social – not the pathetic 10% currently envisaged.

The credit unions offered the Government access to their assets of €8.5bn, of which only about one third is loaned to members, in order to build social housing. This offer must be accepted to build the tens of thousands of houses needed now.

Affordable housing, built on a mass scale, is the key to crisis  terry Kelleher (Anti Austerity

Alliance – People Before Profit)

The homelessness crisis and the parallel housing crisis, are totally unnecessary. They are a damning indictment of the failures of the political establishment over decades. A modern society should be able to plan to meet the housing needs of the people.

These crises can only be solved by radical policy initiatives.

The A A A demands a massive, publicly funded, house building programme of social and affordable housing.

This could be funded partly through NAMA’s cash reserves of over three billion euro.

Tens of thousands of houses owned

by NAMA could be converted to residential use very quickly, if the political will was there.

We also demand real rent controls linked to wages, and prices generally, with security of tenure for tenants.

Without these it will be impossible to stop more people being pushed into homelessness.

There are, at present, over 5,000 people in temporary accommodation;

1,500 of these are children.

Rough sleeper numbers across the country, but particularly in Dublin, are at unprecedented levels.

There are 98,000 homes in mortgage arrears. 37,000 of these are over two years in arrears and face the threat of eviction and homelessness.

The AAA demands that there are no evictions from family homes and that there is a write down of mortgage debt to more affordable levels.

Disgracefully, the Government have more of less ended the building of social housing.

That is they have decided to abolish the only practical solution to ending the homelessness and housing crisis.

In Fingal only 203 local authority houses have been built since March 2011; and not one single house has been built since the start of 2013.

Despite this, there are over 9,000 applicants on the Fingal housing list.

Affordable housing, built on a mass scale, is the key to addressing both the homelessness and housing crises, and, if elected, I will be campaigning, along with the rest of the AAA, for this both inside the Dail and in our communities.

The core housing issue that we currently face is that of insufficient supply. In order to tackle the housing and homelessness challenges we face, Fine Gael in Government is committed to delivering on our Social Housing 2020 strategy.

This will deliver 35,000 new social housing units over the period to 2020.

In addition to these long-term measures, we are also working to provide interim solutions to deal with the immediate issues that many people face in terms of homelessness.

This is why, in Budget 2016, we increased funding for emergency accommodation for homeless people by €17 million, bringing it to €70 million, which is a 56% increase since 2014. Furthermore, this Government also increased the current allocation for social housing in Budget 2016 by €69 million, to €414 million.

It is of vital importance that the State continues to invest in the provision of social housing, and that Fingal County Council facilitates the building of social housing units as a matter of urgency.

By making more social and affordable housing units available, we will be able to provide people on the housing list with a home.

This would also assist in making more emergency accommodation available for people who are homeless, until the local authority can provide them with a home of their own.

If re-elected, I will continue to work towards tackling this issue head on in line with this Government’s commitments under the Social Housing Strategy 2020.

I will also endeavour to ensure the necessity of increasing the housing supply, particularly in terms of social and affordable housing, it is to the fore of the next Government’s agenda, coupled with the provision of the necessary funding to ensure homeless people have access to emergency accommodation until such a time as they can get their own home from the local authority.

8 BLANCH Gazette 21 January 2016

R1

R1

21 January 2016 BLANCH Gazette 9

10 BLANCH Gazette 21 January 2016

blanchGazettegallery | magical story casts a spell over

The Dame John Furlong

Ellie Quearney and Kirsten O’Brien

Kim Quearney

Ailbhe Travers and Deirbhile Travers. Pictures: Ronan O’Sullivan

21 January 2016 BLANCH Gazette 11

audiences at sell out performances

Ailish Jameson and sons Ken and Aaron Heery

Amy Conway, Lauryn McLeod and Lauren Power

IRA reenactors at Fingal’s 1916 Centenary Programme.

Pictures: Paul Raftery

EXTENSIVE LINE UP for CENTENARY PROGRAMME Monica Griffen, Ian McColgan and Dermot Byrne

Kim Quearney and Annette Fay

Robyn Whithaker and Niamh McCullagh

A

N extensive line up of events as Fingal’s part in the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme was launched recently at County Hall, Swords by the Mayor of Fingal Cllr David O’Connor (Ind) in the company of An Tanaiste Joan Burton with the chief executive of Fingal County Council Paul Reid, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs James Reilly, Minister Aodhan O Riordain and relatives and friends of the men and women in Fingal who played a role in the events. The line-up includes events and initiatives ranging across all seven strands of the Ireland 2016 programme.

Colm McGrathan, Keeley Syms and David Kennedy

A tale of true love for all the family

Eithne Malin, county council co-coordinator, poses with reenactors

C

oolmine Panto Group recently put on a magical performance of Beauty and The Beast which attracted rave reviews and sold out shows. This glittering pantomime for all the family cast a spell over the audience who laughed and enjoyed the music and dancing. The audience enjoyed following the adventures of Beauty and the mysterious Beast, who’s spell can only be lifted by true love. Beauty’s father and his friend Dame Edna Beverage come to their rescue and soon Beauty learns the most important lesson of all – that true love comes from within.

Police reenactors

Chief executive of Fingal County Council Paul Reid posing with 1916 reenactor

12 Gazette 21 January 2016

commonGazettegallery | movie fans enjoy creed Premiere

Niamh Ryan and Catriona O’Connor

Laura O’Neill

Olympian Kenneth Egan and Kyle Kearney. Pictures: Brian McEvoy

Hits above the belt

Becky Godfrey and Sophie Gorman

Andrew McCabe and Romy Carroll

Joanna Richards

21 January 2016 Gazette 13

asdfsdaf diary P27 P16

Trad Festival P15

dublinlife Let Dublin Gazette Newspapers take you on a tour of the news and events taking place across the city and county this week

cinema: The Revenant – a vengeful ‘inspired by true events’ epic

Haunting tale of survival How far would you go in the pursuit of justice?

That is the question that lies at the bloody heart of The Revenant – a visceral and vengeful “inspired by true events” epic that sees Leonardo DiCaprio as a frontiersman abandoned in the bleak American wilderness with revenge as his sole fuel for survival.

In a performance that sees its star crawling naked through the snow and consuming raw buffalo liver, it could be argued that the real question being asked here is – how far will DiCaprio have to go to in order to bring home that elusive Oscar?

And with The Revenant securing 12 nominations for the awards next month, including a Best Actor nomination for DiCaprio, this looks like it could be the year that finally does it.

It is a fitting follow on from last year’s ceremony which saw director Alejandro G Inarritu take home an armful of awards for the effervescent and psychedelic tour-de-force that was Birdman.

A plethora of award nominations is one of the only discernible links between both of Inarritu’s recent films.

 Dave phillips

While on the surface Birdman was whimsical and surreal, The Revenant is gritty, gruesome, and at times, overwhelmingly raw.

Based on a novel of the same name, which in turn was based on early 20th Centur y retelling of Wild West tales, this is a story that has had several layers of aggrandisement heaped upon it on its way to screen.

Hugh Glass (DiCaprio) is a tracker who embarks on an expedition to gather furs in the frigid depths of South Dakota under the command of Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson).

An intense opening scene depicts the absolute carnage that follows when the trappers are waylaid by a Native American war party, whose land they are pillaging.

The muddy, bloody battle becomes stupendous in its scope, and the few remaining fur trappers left in its wake

The Revenant is dominated by DiCaprio’s terrifying and primal performance

are forced to forge a path through the wilderness in an attempt to reach home.

Much like Inarritu brought the cityscape to life in Birdman, here the tall pine forests and snow-laden slopes become vitalized.

T he Revenant is thronging with stunning shots that at once capture both the inherent beauty and peril of the natural world.

Hugh Glass is scouting alone when he is attacked and utterly mauled by a Grizzly bear. Barely alive, the

crew are loathe to leave him, but do not have the resources to get him back to safety.

One of the frontiersmen, John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) is paid to stay behind until Glass dies and give him a proper burial, but chooses to abandon him, crippled and defenceless some days later, setting in motion Glass’ astounding journey to seek revenge.

Played out over almost two-and-a-half hours, The Revenant may be a gruelling tale, but it makes for an easy

watch. Dominated by DiCaprio’s terrifying and primal performance, and bolstered by Hardy and Gleeson’s also excellent turns, The Revenant is a film that strips things down their base components.

T he natural world becomes both exquisite and treacherous.

Human beings become both angelic and monstrous.

And brutality becomes both heinous and routine.

An overreliance on CGI at times mars what otherwise feels like a

deeply grounded and at times horrifically real film. But that should not discourage viewers too much.

Inarritu has managed to craft something special in The Revenant – by focusing on this small but extraordinary piece of history, he manages to obliquely tell a much larger story of the birth of the American frontiers.

It is a story dominated by men, exploitation, greed, and blood; and a story that you won’t regret watching.

Verdict: 9/10



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Pets

can you give avocado a loving home?

The Dublin Gazette has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for lost and abandoned dogs. Avocado is a threeyear-old female German Shepherd cross. She had a beautiful litter of puppies who have all found their forever homes and now it’s Avocado’s turn! She will need an adult-only home and it’s really important that someone is home for most of the day. Avocado forms very strong bonds with people and really panics when left alone.

If you think there is a place in your home for this bright, beautiful and loving girl, please contact Dogs Trust on 01 879 1000.

They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 o n the M50.

Map and directions can be found on their website www.dogstrust.ie. You can also find them on Facebook www.facebook. com/dogstrustirelandonline or Twitter @DogsTrust_IE

Gazette

14 Gazette 21 January 2016

dublinlife

Revup4dsi: flatley set for motorcycle challenge

The Lord of the Dance takes to the open road

 ian begley

ibegley@dublingazette.com

The lord of Irish dance Michael Flatley took time out of his busy schedule to help launch Down Sy ndrome Ireland’s (DSI) annual charity motorcycle challenge Revup4DSI. Motorcyclists across the country are preparing to take to the open road for the DSI event which takes place over the May bank holiday weekend, April 30 to May 2.

The successful event was co-founded in 2005 by a pair of keen motorcyclists, Michael McCor-

mick and the late Aidan Lynam, both of whom have daughters, Megan and Robyn, with Down syndrome.

Michael (CEO of DSI at the time) was looking to run a motorcycle event for DSI and Aidan (managing a bar at the time) was thinking along similar lines. So after a fairly brief but enthusiastic meeting Rev-up was born.

The round Ireland road trip has grown to become one the biggest and most popular fundraising events and has raised over €1.5m in much-needed funds for Down Syndrome Ireland over the last 10 years.

Down Syndrome Ireland are currently planning a number of special events for next year’s RevUp to honour the passing of their esteemed colleague Aidan Lynam.

Aidan was the instrumental part of a strong team behind the very first RevUp4DSI and was tragically killed during last year’s event. In memory of Aidan, DSI intend to have their most successful motorcycle challenge yet come May 2016.

Secret checkpoints

The event is a point-topoint navigation ride that takes in over 1,000km of

stunning Irish views within a three-day period.

On the Saturday, motorcyclists will gather at Joe Duffy’s BMW dealership in Finglas for their first in a series of route cards that will lead them through a number of secret checkpoints and to their base for the night. The following day’s ride will take on a poker run format where a playing card is collected at each checkpoint and the best hand will win.

All of which will add to the excitement and camaraderie on the road over this fantastic fundraising weekend.

Entry to the three-day

The lord of Irish dance Michael Flatley with Mark Reilly and David Clarke from Drogheda pictured at the launch of Down Syndrome Ireland’s annual charity motorcycle challenge. Picture: Gerard McCarthy

event is by donation, with a minimum requirement of €500 sponsorship per rider and €500 per passenger. Accommodation

and meals are all booked in advance to make it a very relaxing and rewarding weekend of twowheeled fun.

For further information, visit www.revup4dsi. ie, email revup@downsyndrome.ie or call 01 4266500.

21 January 2016 Gazette 15

features

Warm up winter with a banjo and Bovril  emma nolan enolan@dublingazette.com

Wave goodbye to the January blues and start the new year with music, dancing and… Bovril!

The Banjo and Bovril Trad Festival is making a welcome return to The Harbour Bar in Bray this January 27 to 31.

The festival celebrates the old tradition of the Banjo and Bovril nights that took place back in the day and is completely free to attend. When the winter days were coming to a close, the fishermen would arrive in from the sea and head for The Harbour Bar to warm up with steaming mugs of Bovril, before they settled in for a night

of singing and playing music.

With some of Bray’s favourites and a few of Ireland’s very best, the line-up includes Moxie, The Bonny Men, Mundy, Ye Vagabonds, John Spillane, Lisa O’Neill, Ronan O Snodaigh and Pete Pamf, Pine Marten, Sheila Garry and Elaine Hogan, Pete Cummins, Hank Wedel, Darren Eedens, Bunoscionn and Old Hannah.

Moxie are five young Irish musicians making waves on the Irish music scene with their fresh blend of jazz, rock, bluegrass and world music and The Bonny Men, will bring their set of trad tunes bursting with energy.

Mundy is sure to get the crowd going and brothers Brian and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn of Ye Vagabonds are just back from a tour with Glen Hansard.

A c cl a i m e d s i n g e r songwriter John Spillane will also take to the stage. Also performing, with her natural flair for storytelling and combined with a unique sound, Lisa O’Neill’s show promises to be something special.

K ila’s Ronan O Snodaigh joins forces with Pete “Pamf” Ruotolo on guitar and Dublin based trio Pine Marten will be bringing their Scandinavian, bluegrass influenced folk to the bill.

Singer songwriter John Spillane will take to the stage

Hailing from Clare, the admired talents of musicians Sheila Garry and Elaine Hogan will be performing and

Grammy Award winner Pete Cummins will be in the house.

New York-born and C o r k- r a i s e d s i n g e r

songwriter Hank Wedel will be warming up with some Bovril and guitar slingin’, banjo pickin’ Canadian Dar-

ren Eedens, who has been known to stand on tables while belting out tunes will also be paying the Harbour Bar a visit.

To round off one hell of a festival line up, some Harbour Bar favourites will take to the stage with the amazing tradsters Bunoscionn and from Sligo with their own brand of roots, it’s the brilliant Old Hannah.

The Banjo and Bovril Trad fest is the perfect way to spend a long, cold Januar y night, dancing away to worldclass Irish acts in a cosy pub with a steaming mug of warming Bovril bringing the traditional banjo and Bovril nights back to life.

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16 Gazette 21 January 2016

dublinlife

diary

Witnessing a C-Section birth a big eye-opener for students

The live Caesarean Section was broadcast to students via video link from an operating theatre in the Rotunda Hospital. Picture: Maxwell Photography

Last Tuesday January 12, more than 180 students from 90 secondary schools across Ireland witnessed a baby being born via a live caesarean section as part of the RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) transition year (TY) programme.

The week-long interactive RCSI TY MiniMed training programme was held between RCSI on St Stephen’s Green and Beaumont Hospital, Dublin.

The live caesarean section was broadcast to students via video link from an operating theatre in the Rotunda Hospital and was performed by a team led by Professor Fergal Malone, the new Master of the Rotunda Hospital.

During the procedure, students asked questions to Professor Malone and his surgical team, who answered them while guiding the students through the C-section procedure.

Now in its ninth year, the RCSI TY MiniMed programme, gives Transition Year students the opportunity to step out of their usual classroom setting and experience what it is like to train and work as a doctor in the setting of a real hospital.

DSPCA start off 2016 with special Tom cat tenner The DSPCA are delighted to start 2016 with a special Tom Cat Tenner Event which will see the neutering of male cats for just €10 Euro per animal.

DSPCA head of Education Gillian Bird said: “Cat populations in Dublin and surrounding

counties has gotten out of control and the DSPCA are urging pet owners and people who are feeding feral cats to act now before the breeding season begins.”

Each year the DSPCA take in over 1,500 cats and kittens most of which are born to wild or semi-feral parents.

By starting the neutering early in the year, the DSPCA hope to see a reduction in the numbers of feral and unwanted cats.

“A healthy and fertile male cat can father thousands of kittens each year, by being active every night of the breeding season.

“By neutering the male cats in a territory, the rival males will be kept away and the females will not become pregnant thus cutting down on the numbers of kittens born,” Bird said.

Male cats as young as 12 weeks of age can be neutered by the DSPCA Veterinary team. Visit dspca.ie to book your tom cat in for this discounted neutering.

in research carried out by Coyne Research on behalf of Irish Life.

The research found that 77% of the Irish workforce believe they deserve more money for the job they do, while 61% of the Irish working population have made friends for life through work and 46% socialise with their colleagues after work. The research was published to mark the launch of Irish Life Empower, an improved workplace pension plan.

domestic water revenue to date hits over €110m Irish Water has confirmed that 61% of customers are now paying water charges at the end of the third billing cycle compared to 55% at the end of the second cycle and 44% at the end of the first billing cycle.

Some 928,000 customers have now paid part or all of their bills, an increase of 98,000 customers who began paying charges for the first time in the past three months.

Total revenue from charges paid to date by domestic customers is €110.8m.

Revenue received during the third billing cycle was €42.3m, an increase from €38m in the second billing cycle and €30.5m in the first billing cycle.

Irish Water plans to spend €522m in starting to address the major deficits in Ireland’s drinking water and wastewater quality and capacity and repairing the most critical infrastructure in need of urgent investment in 2016.

Irish Water Customers can find out more on www.water.ie or by calling LoCall 1890 448 448.

Survey reveals the habits of the irish workforce A survey has revealed that nearly half of the Irish workforce regularly ‘dine al desko’ and can’t start work without a coffee or tea, while four in 10 people believe they could do a better job than their boss and over a third of employees admit to having had an office crush and an office romance at some point in their career.

The habits and opinions of Ireland’s workforce have been revealed

The DSPCA is offering a special Tom Cat Tenner event which will see the neutering of male cats for just 10 Euro per animal

Gazette

21 January 2016 Gazette 17

Learningcurve

courses: expanding your educational horizons in another country

Are you dreaming of studying abroad?

 ian begley

If you dream of studying in Australia or New Zealand then you’re in luck as it has become increasingly popular and accessible in recent years due to the exodus of Irish young people to these countries in search of work.

Even though Australia’s environment is vastly different from that of Ireland, its geography and culture present opportunities to study subjects that might be difficult to access in Ireland. This is one of the most interesting aspects of choosing to study abroad and there are a range of unique courses to choose from in the Study in Aus-

tralia section of Studyoptions.com.

New Zealand’s geographicalenvironmentalso provides unique opportunities for Irish students, particularly in the medium of science. Irish students can study physical geography among volcanoes, geothermal areas, geysers, glaciers and fiords; orlearn about the unique challenges to civil engineering in an active tectonic zone.

For more information see the Study in NewZealand section of Studyoptions.com.

For those who are interested in studying abroad, but do not want to stray so far from home, many of the top European universities are actively seeking Irish

students.

Places are available on degrees, in a wide range of subjects including: arts and humanities, engineering, life sciences, social sciences, business, IT and health sciences. Students can study degree programmes in a full range of subjects in English, with lectures, books and projects in English.

In addition to the educational advantages there are cultural and adventurous aspects of studying abroad also and the young people of Europe are fluent in English in many cities.

Entry requirements in Europe are lower than those in Irish universities, as are the entrance fees

Going abroad to study has many advantages such as experiencing new cultures, lower entrance fees and requirements an can look impressive on a CV

in many cases. There are no fees for Irish students studying in Scandanavia, while in Austria, Germa-

ny and Switzerland, fees are below €1,500 per annum in state funded institutions. Fees are also

reasonably low in Italy and the Netherlands, and some countries also offer Tuition Fee Loans

or grants to contribute to living expenses. Irish students who qualified for Maintenance Grants can take them with them, to public programmes on the continent.

Along with all of the other advantages, the standard of education is also very high. Programmes are offered by some of Europe’s leading research universities, as well as some top universities of applied sciences and career-oriented university colleges. Additionally, a qualification from a European institution looks very impressive on a CV. For more information on studying abroad visit: www.eunicas.ie/

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18 Gazette 21 January 2016

Learningcurve

IT Tallaght hold Open Day What differentiates an institute of technology from a university? Traditionally there have been three main factors; the additional entry options for students in the form of the Level 6 and Level 7 courses which can be used as a ladder to progress on to the Level 8 Honours Degree, the increased focus on exposing students to more practical skills through industry-style projects and assignments and, finally, the supportive learning environment which is achieved through smaller class sizes which facilitates more individual support.

IT Tallaght’s Open Day is taking place on Saturday,January 23from 10am – 1pm.

According to IT Tal-

laght, the 2015 computing graduates had an employment rate of 90% within three months in the ICT sector, with an additional 5% going on to further study. This is an exceptional progression rate of 95% after less than three months, with typical salaries in the region of €35,000.

The college itself has three schools; Business and Humanities, Science and Computing and Engineering with a total of 41 courses across all levels.

In 2015, the Culinary Arts department launched their own Masters Programme, the first of its’ kind globally.

For more information on the courses on offer, as well as the new initiatives in the college, visit www. ittdublin.ie.

money: the importance of budgets and paying bills on time

Learning how to manage finances  ian begley

Many people going to college this year will be living alone for the first time and will have no experience of budgeting and paying bills.

Managing your finances is just as important as managing your timetable and study plan.

According to Dublin City University, recent figures show that the total cost for a student living away from home in self-catering shared accommodation for the eight-and-a-half month academic year is almost €7,000. For those who

stay at home the total cost is €3,433. A further nontuition fee, in the region of €400, must be added for non-grant holders attending certain institutions.

According to director of student affairs at DCU Barry Kehoe: “The total cost-of-living figures are approximate. Some students will spend more on travel or food, while others may splurge on books or pay a higher rent.”

While the total spend seems like a lot of money, Kehoe says these are minimum amounts for survival with a small portion allocated to social life.

The following is a list of tips for first time students to survive their first academic year.

Always pay bills on time to avoid late fees. You don’t want to find yourself in a position where you have several bills to pay at once which cannot be put off any longer. If you have a credit card, make a personal note of every purchase you make as you don’t want to be taken by surprise with a huge bill.

When this dreaded bill does arrive, try to pay it off as quickly as possible, as bad credit follows you everywhere.

Never go food shopping when you are hungry, as you will invariably buy too much, some of which is bound to go to waste.

Don’t make impulse purchases, always make a shopping list and buy in bulk. Just because food is cheaper in discount supermarkets doesn’t necessarily mean its unhealthier so shop there whenever possible. Also, these are great places to save money on things like toiletries and household supplies. Always bring lunch from home and try to avoid eating out often.

Limit the number of times you allow yourself to eat out over the period of a month.

Create a budget, contact your student union to see if it runs second hand book schemes, take full advantage of student discount’s and always enquire if one is on offer.

Look for special offers everywhere and check out second-hand shops for clothes, books and furniture. Investing in a Leap card is a great way to save money. Many students will have to get four buses or more a day, and those few cents saved on each journey add up.

Creating a budget is just one way of managing your finances

21 January 2016 Gazette 19

series: Literature and revolutions

Spring evening lectures at Trinity  ian begley

T h e Tr i n i t y C o l lege School of English is hosting a range of spring evening lectures throughout the next several months, titled Literature and Revolutions.

The series is inspired by the centenary of the Easter Rising. Some of the talks will focus on this historic occasion and its impact on Ireland’s literature and culture while the rest will explore other revolutions along with their literary dimensions.

On Tuesday, January 19, Professor Patten will discuss the representation of the 1916 Easter Rising in fiction, looking at a range of novels from 1917 to the present day, and from Eimar O’Duffy to Roddy Doyle, to assess the role of the novel in depicting the revolutionary generation of Ireland’s early 20th century.

On Tuesday, January 26, Brendan O’Connell will present a lecture entitled The Beastly Rebels of 1381, which will examine works by writers such as Gower, Langland and Chaucer, exploring the various ways each uses animal imagery to convey the motives and

All lectures take place in the Jonathan Swift Lecture Theatre, Arts Building, Trinity College Dublin

actions of the rebels, and to articulate a wider political vision.

Professor Dawe will talk about his latest book Of War and War’s Alarms on Tuesday, February 16.

His volume presents a multifaceted study of war and revolution and their impact on the writing lives of Irish poets and novelists from WWI and the Easter Rising through the War of Independence to the Spanish Civil War, WWII and the Northern Troubles.

DrEmaVyroubalova will host a lecture on the literary and cinematic afterlives of the Prague Spring on Tuesday, March 8. She

will look at how the events of one of the revolutions taking place across Europe in the 1960s – the Czechoslovak Prague Spring of 1968 – and its suppression by the Soviet army the following summerwas re-presented, re-worked, and re-imagined by writers, playwrights and film directors.

On Tuesday, March 22, Chris Morash will also discuss an interesting topic on how time effected the 1916 rising. “At 12.20 noon onApril 24, 1916, the first group of volunteers stormed the General Post OfficeinDublin;inLondon, the clocks read 11:54am.

From 1880 until Octoberof

1916, Ireland had its own time zone - a situation that was changed at least partly in response to the Rising.”

This lecture will look at the ways in which Irish literature of the time, particularly theworks ofWBYeats signaled the sudden slipperiness of time itself.

The cost to attend the entire series of lectures is €50, with individual lectures priced at €6 each.

Concessionary rates for the full series will be €35 with individual lectures €5 each.

A full programme and booking form is available on the OscarWilde Centre website at www.tcd.ie/ owc.

Open day at Stillorgan College of Further Education  ian begley

Stillorgan College of Further Education are hosting an Open Evening on Wednesday, January 27, from 5.30 to 7.30pm, with details on what the college has to offer on display during the event.

The college offers courses in areas such as multimedia, animation, travel and tourism, journalism, media production, art, photography, business and computer skills and event management.

Stillorgan College recently developed a new course in multimedia production with games design. The interactive media and games sector has been identified as a priority area fortraining,as there is currently a skills shortage in this growth industry.

Another recent addition to the list of courses is a Level 5 course in animation.This introductory course prepares students with little or no experience for a third level course in animation production.With a dual focus on drawing and computer skills, the

course will cover all the fundamental areas required fora successful portfolio submission. Students will learn to visually develop and communicate their ideas through life drawing, storyboarding, character design, background design and planning.

Stillorgan College is also hosting a second Open Day on Wednesday, March 9, from 10.30am – 3.30pm.

More details about the college and the courses on offer are available from the college website at www.stillorgancollege.ie.

Gazette

Learningcurve

Irish Student Summit 2016 to take place in February  ian begley

The Irish Student Summit 2016 will take place on February 4 in Dublin Castle and will have over 600 students, 40-plus start-ups, 22 workshops and powerhouse business speakers from Silicon Valley and Ireland, with speakers from Twitter, Paddy Power, Silicon Republic, Ireland AM and Humans of Dublin.

One student start-up will also walk away with a €1,500 investment in their business idea.

A panel of judges will narrow down applications to the 10 best applicants from the online submissions and the public will be able to vote for their favourite two on Twitter and Facebook.

The final two applicants will go head-to-head in front of an audience and a panel of judges, who will

vote for the winner.

Students interested in applying for this investment are asked to upload a two minute video to YouTube with their business pitch and send the linkto Fiona. omalley@usi.ie.

Applicants must put ‘Student Summit 16’ in the video title before their name and ‘application’ at the end.

The judges are looking for new product ideas, new business ideas or new service ideas – either at infancy or development stage.

The rules of the competition state that all applicants must be second or third level students, must be the owners or founders of the company that the application is for or they must own the intellectual rights to the product idea they have.

To booktickets to the Student Summit, visit www.studentsummit2016.eventbrite.ie/

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20 Gazette 21 January 2016

Learningcurve

Special interest rates for education loans at St Patrick’s Credit Union St Patrick’s Credit Union offers an education loan at a special interest rate of 6.7%APRdesigned primarily for members who have a child going to third level (it can also be used for adult learning, primary and post-primary education costs).

Members can apply for approval for the full amount that will be incurred over the duration of the course (typically from one to fouryears) and then draw down the loan in various stages and amounts as and when required during this period.

This gives the member peace of mind knowing

they have the financial resources to put their child/children through college, and avoids the uncertainty of having to apply for a loan each year.

The credit union has offices at 22 UpperErne St (Pearse) 1a UpperOriel St (StLawrenceO’Toole)and 27/28 Herbert Place St Patricks Credit Union.

See their website www.stpatrickscu.ie for opening times and more details, or contact them on Free call 1800 94 00 77.

Credit union membership is determined by where you live and/or work. See their website to see if you qualify to become a member.

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stem subjects: Developing new approaches to teaching

Learning with Lego at Dublin City University  ian begley

Dublin City University is partnering with Lego Education to create an interactive learning hub that will help DCU student teachers and Irish schools develop innovative and creative approaches to teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects in the classroom.

The creation of the flagship Lego Education Innovation Studio (LEIS), will see the new Institute of Education at DCU’s St Patrick’s Campus, Drumcondra become the first centre of teacher education in Ireland to mainstream these innovative approaches across all its programmes.

The Institute’s students will develop new approaches to teaching that can be replicated in

Dan Gilbert, IT Services , DCU and Nicola Broderick, Science Education, DCU at the DCU announcement of a flagship Lego Education Centre

schools throughout the country, igniting a passion for STEM subjects from early childhood education right through to third level. By adopting Lego’s playful learning tools,

teachers graduating from DCU Institute of Education will be fully skilled in helping schoolchildren develop Hands-on Mindson’ 21st century skills such as creative thinking, problem-solving, teamworking and communication.

Professor Brian MacCraith, president of DCU and chair of the STEM Education Working Group said: “High quality STEM education is of pivotal importance to a knowledge-based society and economy such as Ireland. Our ultimate purpose at DCU Institute of Education is to inspire and develop students to think creatively, reason systematically and release the potential to shape their own future and the future of their students in turn.

“This unique collaboration with Lego Education can play a key role in transforming the future of STEM learning in Ireland, helping future generations to develop

a sense of wonder about the subjects that allow us to understand, measure, design and advance our physical world.”

The new studio will have the capacity to develop research projects through linkages with existing DCU research centres such as the Centre for the Advancement of Science and Mathematics Teaching and Learning and to explore cross-faculty research possibilities with the faculty of Engineering and Computing.

Internationally the Lego Education Innovation Studio at DCU will lead a European teacher education network to develop new teaching methods across Europe and exchange ideas and best practice. The network will include existing partners from Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland.

Speaking at the announcement of the new initiative at DCU St Patrick’s Campus, Dr Deirdre Butler said: “This

flagship innovation space is a wonderful example of a smart partnership enabling the Institute of Education to be the first to mainstream the Lego Education principles across the full spectrum of teacher education.

“It brings together Lego Education’s range of expressive learning materials with the Institute’s creative, innovative leaders in teaching and learning to design exciting learning environments in which our children can develop the range of skills necessary to thrive in this globally connected digital world.”

Outreach activities of the Lego Education Innovation Studio will include a range of continuing professional development for teachers; opportunities for teachers to bring their classes to use the resources in-studio; open days and evenings for schools and local community groups and hosting the first Lego and Junior Lego Leagues.

21 January 2016 Gazette 21

Gazette

counselling: being on your own can be tough for students

There is always hope and help when dealing with depression

î Ž ian begley

More than 450,000 people experience some form of depression at any one time in Ireland, according to Aware, a charity helping those suffering from depression.

Students and young people in general, make up a large portion of those who go through depression as many people experience the first symptoms of depression during their college years.

Factors such as living away from home for the first time, dwin-

dling career options and declining living standards can leave some students feeling lost and alone.

This can lead to some students feeling like there is no hope and no help for them but this is not the case.

There is help available on most college campus’ in Ireland and students embarking on a college course should be aware that these services are always accessible to them.

For any students who may be struggling, here

is a list of helpful services you can access if you feel you need to talk: UCD Student Counselling Service is a free ser vice and is open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm. You can call (01) 7163133 or call into the Student Health Centre in the Student Centre for more information.

UCD also have a programme called Please Talk which is a voluntary organisation run by students and staff and its aim is to provide information and sup-

port to students. For more information email ucd@pleasetalk.ie Trinity College provides support, guidance and treatment options for students suffering from mental health issues through their College Health Service and their Counselling Service. To contact the College Health Centre call (01) 8961591.

DCU run a Counselling and Personal Development Service which is a confidential and free service and is available to all students. For more

information, call (01) 7005165 or email counselling@dcu.ie Alternatively, there is a listening support service called Niteline that is a confidential phone service run by and for the students of DCU, NCAD, RCSI, TCD, NUIM and their affiliate colleges. Niteline is open every night during term time from 9pm to 2.30am and you can call about any problem you may be experiencing.

For more information, log onto www.niteline. ie or call 1800793793.

Students and young people in general, make up a large portion of those who go through depression.

Picture: Annifer Photography

Gazette

22 Gazette 21 January 2016

Learningcurve

More options in higher education The recent formation of a Regional Cluster Strategic Partnership, with DCU, Athlone Institute of Technology, Dundalk Institute of Technology and Maynooth University, is expected to provide “exciting opportunities for the development of higher education across the Midlands-East and North Dublin Region”.

The creation of this cluster is in line with the HigherEducationAuthority’s Towards a Future report which sets out a vision for the higher education landscape in Ireland.

The four parties to this agreement have distinctive yet complementary visions for higher educa-

tion across the region.

Each organisation will continue to function independently, but will collaborate on activities that are mutually beneficial to help them achieve national educational objectives.

Professor Ciaran O Cathain, president of Athlone Institute ofTechnology said: “Each of our organisations have clearly demonstrated a leadership role in our local environments. Maynooth University and Athlone Institute of Technology already have a shared history of successful collaboration on bi-lateral projects, as have DCU and Dundalk Institute of Technology.

student digs: research is key to finding accommodation

Finding a home away from home  ian begley

Searching for student accommodation in Dublin can be an arduous task with soaring rent prices and high levels of students in need of somewhere to live for the coming year.

The price of accommodation is a massive factor that needs to be considered when looking for accommodation. Rent prices can range from €300 for a shared room and continue up to €700 or more for a more luxurious apartment.

It is, therefore, very important to start searching for accommodation as early as possible before the start of the first semester or the closer it gets to the

beginning of the college year. It is advised to do as much research as you can online, but also to make sure to view the areas and accommodation you are considering renting in.

Ask friends or family living in Dublin about what the area is like and ask them for alternative recommendations.

Thoroughly check out public transport connections between the college and the accommodation Some areas can look close to the college on the map but may be difficult to reach by bus or Luas.

Also, make full use of any accommodation support offered by the college or student union, as they will be able to offer practical help and advice.

It is also very important to know your rights. In most cases, rent is usually payable monthly and in advance. At the beginning of a letting period, tenants are required to pay a deposit of one month’s rent which will be refunded when the lease is up or if the tenant decides to leave once the lease is up. If, however, a tenant causes any damage to the property, the landlord has the right to hold onto the deposit to fix the damage.

Make sure that the landlord gives you a rent book so that tax relief on any rent paid can be reclaimed. Ask the landlord if they are registered with the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB).

By law, landlords must be registered with the PRTB and if they have not registered there may be problems down the road.

Don’t forget there are other ways to rent in Dublin which include on-campus accommodation, longterm student hostels and accommodation with a family. Visit www.rent.ie/ student-accommodation/ for more information on what lettings are available.

Soaring rents can leave students bewilderd but starting your search early can help

21 January 2016 Gazette 23

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24 Gazette 21 January 2016

Learningcurve

investment: budget increase will support important initiatives

‘We are at a critical time for education in Ireland’ We are at a critical time for education in Ireland.

The economy is recovering, employment is increasing and tax receipts are ahead of targets. While we cannot afford to take this newfound recovery and stability for granted, those of us with a passionate interest in educationcanlookforward to increased investment over the coming years.

Budget 2016 saw important investment in education. The current education budget increased by €144m.

This additional expenditure allowed for important initiatives including a reduction of one point to average primary school class sizes, increasedguidancecounselling in second-level schools, the provision of 600 additional resource teachers, improvements to school leadership, ring-fenced funding forapprenticeships and some additional support for disadvantaged students at third level.

The education sectorwill also benefit from €3.8bn in capital spending up to 2021.

Budget 2016 was a good start in responding to the needs of the education system, but we will need to go much furtheroverthe coming years.

There is,of course,a need for investment in charting a renewed vision for education in Ireland,but money is not the only lever required.

We also need a commitment to reform. Overrecent years, despite the paucity of available funding, we have led a hugely significant programme of reform through all sectors of education, and

the commitment of each of the education partners to delivering that reform has been commendable.

This reformwill lead to long term change in the education system.

We have created greater choice in school patronage, literacy and numeracy scores have improved for the first time in a generation, school self-evaluation has been introduced and significant changes made to school inspection.

The era of unqualified teachers working in our classrooms is over, and underperformance amongst teachers will be tackled with new fitness to practice hearings.

We have reduced by 50% the amount spent on the inefficient renting of prefabs. We have published and funded a new digital strategy forschools thatwill transform our approaches to teaching, learning and assessment.

Measures This Government has taken several measures to expand and improve the provision of high quality early years education, including the establishment of a new educationfocused inspections of early years and the publication of the Aistear Siolta Practice Guide.

Initial teacher education has been dramatically overhauled and improved, with the number of teacher training colleges already reduced from 19 to 12. We have created 16 local education and training boards to replace 33 VECs, and cre-

para control 4. Dui el euguerostrud tie vel ullaor adio conullandrem inim dolorperit lorer sed magna alis nonum el dipis non

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‘In the coming months, we will be facing the conclusion of this Government’s mandate, and our collective thoughts must turn to the choices we will face in electing the next government’

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ated SOLAS to replace the discredited FAS. Four consortia are now working towards achieving Technological University status. QQI has been created to replace four different accreditation and quality assurance bodies. Regional skills fora are being established, to deepen the links between ETBs, Higher Education

institutes and local industry. Regional clusters have been put in place to improve cooperation between HEIs, while we have started to systematically analyse the performance of each University and Institute of Technology.

These are not individual, disconnected reforms, but all form part of a

system-wide programme of change that is designed to meaningfully improve educational outcomes at all levels. Through these reforms, we have four simple objectives: to improve quality and accountability; to support inclusion and diversity; to encourage learning for life; and to build the right systems and infrastructure.

In the coming months, we will be facing the conclusionofthisGovernment’s mandate, and our collective thoughts must turn to the choices we will face in electing the next government. Within education, we will face furtherchoices.

We have worked to deliver ambitious but achievable reform of the education sector. Some will argue for deeper, faster reform that takes less account of the views of stakeholders. And others still will argue for the retention of much of the status quo.

There will be no reenergising of the Irish state, and of our social contract,

without a commitment to education and to an ongoing renewal of education.

The choices we make in the coming months will make one thing clear to all: the degree to which different parties genuinely believe that the needs of those we serve in education, from the youngest pre-school child to the retired lady who decides to return to education, should dominate our thinking. I know they dominate mine.

Jan O’Sullivan (Lab) Minister for Education and Skills

Gazette

21 January 2016 Gazette 25

dublinlife

HEALTH

FlyeFit has opened their fifth franchise on George’s Street Dublin gym chain FlyeFit has opened its fifth franchise on George’s Street. The new inner city location offers the compact FlyeFit model that has become increasingly popular in recent years. Affordable and straightforward, this is a no-frills facility that gets the job done and the affordable price of €29 a month or €32 a month for roaming membership which includes access to its other locations; Ranelagh, Baggot Street, Macken Street and Swords.

The new George’s Street site fea-

tures a huge high performance area with 10 squat racks, as well as a free weight area. There’s a studio in the loft fitted with TRX equipment, a cardio zone equipped with numerous treadmills, cross trainers and rowing machines, a spin studio for spin classes and an astro floored studio for classes.

Classes are included in membership and are suitable for all levels of fitness. Personal training is also available with the FlyeFit trainers separate to membership.

The bones of the body become more porous and brittle from osteoporosis

Keeping your bones strong and healthy  Susan Boland Nutritional Therapist DipIHS NTOI

Fitness Coach IETA

Osteoporosis is a degenerative disease of the skeletal system that is characterised by deterioration of bone tissue, along with a decrease in bone mass making them fragile and more likely to break and affects millions of people in Ireland.

People receive hospital treatment for fragility fractures every year as a result of osteoporosis with wrist, hip and fractures of the vertebrae the most common type of breaks.

However, they can also occur in other bones, such as in the arm, ribs or pelvis.

Warnings There are usually no warnings an individual has developed osteoporosis and it’s often only diagnosed when

a bone is fractured after even minor falls.

Osteoporosis results from an imbalance between the ingestion and absorption of calcium into the body and its excretion.

Loss of bone-building materials can occur as the body ages, and is particularly prevalent among post-menopausal women, the early stage is osteopenia.

The architecture of bone requires many nutrients to maintain and restore its integrity but there are at least 20 essential vitamins and minerals that have to be obtained from food.

Causes include: family history/sedentary lifestyle/decrease in oestrogen.

Digestion: Poor uptake of minerals from the diet due to low acid levels in the stomach or other causes of malabsorption of food Stress: may cause low

acid levels in the stomach, high cortisol, tissue acidity and inflammation also inflammatory conditions may lead

Medication: which affects hormonal balance or bone strength such as cor ticosteroids/steroids, thyroid

--------------------------------------------------------

‘There are usually no warnings an individual has developed osteoporosis and it’s often only diagnosed when a bone is fractured after even minor falls’ --------------------------------------------------------

to cartilage and bone destruction Diet: An acidic diet/ high cortisol may cause calcium to be leached from the bones to restore the acid/alkaline balance.

Drinks: Caffeine, sugar and carbonated (fizzy) drinks affect calcium absorption or increase calcium excretion.

Social: Heavy drinking or smoking/Lack of weight bearing exercise/ Lack of sunshine

hormones, aluminum containing antacids and diuretics Drug therapies for osteoporosis include bisphosphonates, these drugs are associated with a growing list of concerns, including research that suggests a link between the use of bisphosphonates and oesophageal cancer.

More inf orma tion can be obtained from my website susiebwellness.ie/.

Take the pledge and make an eye test part of your routine Research shows that sight is the sense people fear losing the most and yet most don’t consider an eye test to be a core part of their health routine.

Some 21% of the population have never had a sight test at all, rising to 36% of those under the age of 35.

Now, as part of Healthy Eyes Awareness Week, January 18 to 24, eye health experts are urging people to take action and commit to having regular eye exams as part of a healthy lifestyle.

David Hewlett, chief executive of FODO Ireland, who represents opticians in Ireland said: “An eye exam is a vital health check which can detect a range of health conditions for which you experience no symptoms and where early detection can pre-

vent sight loss.

“These conditions can only be prevented if they are detected early and the key to that are regular eye exams.”

Peter Coleman, chief executive of the Assoc of Opticians in Ireland (AOI) said: “We want to remind people during the Healthy Eyes campaign that even if you think your eyesight is good, you only know for sure if you get your eyes tested regularly.”

Healthy Eyes Awareness Week is a chance for people to pledge their commitment to have an eye exam and encourages a positive attitude to all aspects of eye health. As part of the campaign people are encouraged to take pictures of themselves holding the Eye Pledge leaflet and share on social media #eyepledge.

26 blanch gazette 21 January 2016

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Gazette

28 gazette 21 January 2016

SPORT

FastSport

basketball: woods, painter and Mcdermott on flying form

Balbirnie’s extra training ahead of PNG contest FORMER Pembroke cricketer Andrew Balbirnie recently completed a three-day batting camp ahead of Ireland’s ICC Inter-Continental Cup fixture with Papua New Guinea.

Returning to Dublin for a couple of days before flying out to Australia for that match, Balbirnie took part in the camp, which was run by assistant coach Pete Johnston with the support of team manager Chris Siddell, along with six teammates.

Balbirnie spoke about the importance of the camp, especially given the time of year.

“It went very well, most of us haven’t hit balls since before Christmas so to get the chance to all come together before we go on tour to hit balls, either red or white balls, is key.”

The batters flew out to Brisbane to join up with the rest of the squad on Sunday, with a warm up match in Brisbane on the horizon before travelling to Townsville for the Inter Continental Cup match with Papua New Guinea on January 31.

DCU Mercy’s Sarah Woods combined for 75 points with Chelisa Painter and Aoife McDermott

DCU close in on league title  sport@dublingazette.com

DCU Mercy took a step closer to a regular season title with a 12-point win at defending champions Team Montenotte Hotel in the women’s basketball National League last weekend.

Chelisa Painter, Aoife McDermott and Sarah Woods combined for 75 points in the 82-70 win.

“They’re a very motivated

team right now now and moving the ball a bit better which always makes it easier,” said coach Mark Ingle.

“Our sights are set on trying to win the regular season but it is all about one game at a time. We’ve found a new way to win.

We’re not as fluent on offence but we’ve picked up our defence,” he continued. Mercy recovered from a 19-6 first quarter

deficit to lead by eight points at half time.

Meteors kept control of a playoff spot with a gritty 58-40 win at Courtyard Liffey Celtics.

In a game which failed to ignite after a low scoring opening quarter, Meagan McGuinness and Beth Meany helped push out Meteors’ lead down the stretch.

Pyrobel Killester toughed out a 64-59 win over UL Huskies in Limerick. 31 points from Sarah Benedetti put Huskies on course but with Rae Contreras on form for Killester, the Dublin side overturned the 36-33 half-time score.

Twenty points from Cathy Kavanagh helped understrength Maxol WIT Wildcats to a 71-56 at home to Portlaoise Panthers, but it wasn’t enough to break the Waterford side into the playoff spots. Claire Melia top scored for Panthers.

On the men’s side, GCD Swords Thunder inflicted Templeogue’s first defeat of the season

in what served as a Hula Hoops Men’s National Cup final dress-rehearsal.

Thunder upped their inside game in the second quarter with a 16-6 run and pushed Jason Killeen into foul trouble.

Templeogue’s efforts to regain parity were further hampered by the loss of Conor Grace to a hand injury while Thunder continued to apply tough defence.

Thunder Coach Dave Baker said: “When a team is unbeaten, everyone steps up to try and knock them down. Neither side played well tonight but they only beat us by a point last time out so we felt we owed them a little.

We’re just concentrating on making top four at this stage.”

SSE Airtricity Moycullen are up to eighth place in the table after a 76-68 win at home to Rathfarnham’s Eanna BC. American Raheem Lemons made his debut for the Galway side but it was Ronan O’Sullivan who topped out with 20 points. Eanna had the

better start and were also closing in on Moycullen in the fourth quarter before the final buzzer sounded.

The visitors had Conor Gallagher, Connor Poston and Sean Gordon in double-digits.

In the last game of the weekend, C&S UCC Demons beat UCD Marian 80-68 at the Mardyke Arena.

With just a basket between the sides at halftime, Lehmon Colbert’s 28 points helped Demons pull clear. The win moves Demons level on points with Templeogue, albeit with an additional game played.

Pyrobel Killester shook off their cup defeat in impressive style with an 84-61 win over DCU Saints.

N i n e t e e n - y e a r- o l d Eoghain Kiernan was top scorer with 19 points for Brian O’Malley’s side as they built on a 48-35 lead at half time.

Martins Provizors and Duane Johnson combined for 38 points on their second appearance together for DCU Saints.

21 January 2016 gazette 29

Gazette

annual awards: rcsi set to host celebration of a stellar year

Shorlist hails Dub sailors  sport@dublingazette.com

A STRONG Dublin contingent are in the running for the annual Irish Sailing Awards which will take place at the historic Royal College of Surgeons on

Thursday, February 4.

The annual awards celebrate Irish achievement and success on the water, both domestically and internationally in 2015 with Rathfarnham’s Olympian Annalise Murphy among the

star attractions.

Four awards will be presented on the day – The Afloat Sailor of the Year award; the Mitsubishi Motors Club of the Year award; the ISA Youth Sailor of the Year award; and the ISA

Nominees and winners from last year’s annual Irish Sailing Awards

FastSport Peas and Shels in a pod with WNL stalemate:

Howth duo Colin O’Sullivan and Douglas Elmes have been nominated for youth sailor of the year

Training Centre of the Year award.

The highlight of the day is the presentation of the Afloat Sailor of the Year.

Nominees Nominees this year include John Twomey, who qualified for his 11th Paralympics in December - an Irish record; Frenchman Sidney Gavignet, who beat the round Ireland sailing speed record on his MOD 70 MusandamOman trimaran in May; and Justin Slattery, a key crew member on board the winning boat, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in the Volvo Ocean race, viewed by many as the pinnacle of international ocean sailing.

The nominees for the Youth Sailor of the Year award were selected on the basis of medal results from world or European championships, including those with top 10 results from the year gone by.

This award is dominated by Howth YC with Aoife Hopkins, Colin O’Sullivan, Ewan McMahon and Douglas Elmes with Lough Derg’s Aisling Keller and Waterford’s Geoff Power also on the list.

The nominees for the ISA Training Centre of the Year award were selected on a regional basis and will receive a regional award on the day.

T h e ove r a l l w i n ner will be announced

from the following list of nominees: The Royal Irish Yacht Club (Dublin – Eastern Region); F o y n e s Ya c h t C l u b (Limerick - Southern Region); and Mullingar Sailing Club (Westmeath – Western Region).

The Mitsubishi Motors Club of the Year award is given to a club with sailing success at local, national and international level; and takes into account satisfaction of club members; the club’s impact in sailing development and training; the relationship with the local community, and relevant governmental and sporting bodies, both at local and national level.

PEAMOUNT United and Shelbourne Ladies LFC played out a highly entertaining 2-2 draw in the Dublin derby at Greenogue.

Noelle Murray opened the scoring for Shels - rifling into the top right corner of the Peamount net on 32 minutes.

The hosts were level three minutes after the restart. Amber Barrett’s shot rattled the Shelbourne crossbar and the rebound fell for Sarah McEvitt to drive into the bottom corner of Niamh Reid-Burke’s goal.

The game sprung to life and Shelbourne retained their lead on 51 minutes as Siobhan Killeen unlocked the Peas defence for Sarah Rowe to find the net.

High drama was left until the final minute as Barrett’s shot again rattled the woodwork and Roma McLaughlin saved a point for Peas with the equaliser meaning both sides are unbeaten in this year’s League Cup.

Brilliant Barton strike lands Premier title for Alex  sport@dublingazette.com

The Alexandra College side that won the Senior Premier League last week. Picture: Adrian Boehm

ALEISHA Barton’s extra time goal saw Alexandra College win back the Leinster schoolgirls Senior Premier League title on Tuesday afternoon at Grange Road, edging out Loreto Foxrock 1-0 in a tense final.

She swept home following a superb attack via Katherine Egan and Jan Cleary on the baseline. Cleary waited superbly before picking out Barton arriving late to finish off the move with four minutes

to go in silver goal extra time.

It was the only breakthrough as both goalkeepers, Caroline Nugent for Alex, Jane ConwayKenny for Foxrock, produced fine performances between the posts.

Earlier on, Foxrock had slightly the better of the first half exchanges with Christina Hamill – the Leinster Under16 captain – forging the clearest of chances when she cut through one-on-one.

Nugent, though, did superbly to spot the danger and slide out and make the save low

down. She subsequently was lobbed by another effort but somehow got her glove up high enough to clear the danger over the endline.

Alex were somewhat subdued in the opening period, a far cry from their semi-final when their business was all but done and dusted in a 7-0 win over Loreto Beaufort.

Foxrock had gritted their way through a 2-1 battle with Mount Anville and relished the contest with Ellen Curran in midfield and Hannah McLoughlin at the back dig-

ging in.

Alex, though, came out strong in the second half and dominated the play, pinning Foxrock in the 23m area for long periods.

McLoughlin managed to block a number of attacks down the middle before the Milltown school started moving the ball more dramatically to the left to Ava Beatty and Sophie Roopnarinesingh.

They won corners but could not convert until Barton’s precious moment in silver goal extra time.

Gazette

30 BLANCH gazette 21 January 2016

SPORT

FastSport

soccer: mochta’s on wrong end of 10-goal tie with Palmerstown

Castleknock start AUL second phase in style CASTLEKNOCK Celtic began the post-Christmas half of their AUL Premier B campaign with an important 2-1 win over Usher Celtic last Friday night at Blanch IT. It saw them bounce back from their disappointing exit from the FAI Junior Cup a week earlier and was a major confidence booster, seeing off the second place side in the division.

It was evenly contested throughout. Matthew McEntee was his usual self pressing defenders, implementing the golden rule of the first line of defence is your attack.

On 30 minutes, he got his reward when he dispossessed an Usher defender and slotted home to give the home side the advantage at half time.

Usher hit back early in the second half and drew level when Celtic failed to deal effectively with what appeared to be an innocuous cross.

It looked certain to be a share of the points when the sides were all square deep into injury time. Then, in the 94th minute, Killian Zambra got possession from a corner kick and his cross was steered home by John Byrne to the delight of the home team and supporters.

The result sees Castleknock move up to seventh place in the Premier B table but with plenty of games in hand on many of the sides above them in the table.

McGee misses out on berth at Australian Open CASTLEKNOCK’S James McGee just missed out on qualifcation for tennis’s Australian Open following a run to the third qualifying round.

He fought back to Moldova’s Radu Albot having trailed 5-0 at one stage in the first set to win out 1-6, 6-1, 6-2 against

a player ranked 72 places above him in the world.

But he was unable to get the better of another higher ranked player, the towering German Daniel Brands, in the final qualifying round.

He lost out 7-6, 6-4 to miss out on a place in the main draw but is confident he can build further on this performance and move up from 199 in the world toward the top 100 later in 2016.

The St Mochta’s Saturday Division 2 side

Saints stunned in thriller

lsl sat division 2

St Mochta’s Palmerstown FC  sport@dublingazette.com

4 6

ST MOCHTA’S Saturday side found themselves on the wrong end of a 10-goal thriller in Porterstown last Saturday, falling in an epic 6-4 encounter to Palmerstown FC in their first game of the second half of the LSL Saturday Division 2.

Mochta’s headed the table over the winter break and were in confident mood for the second half of the season but found themselves stunned by the fourth placed side, making it much tighter at

the top of the rankings.

The conditions were wet and muddy but a last minute pitch inspection from the referee was positive and the pitch was deemed playable. Brian Flynn’s side looked confident early on and passed the ball well in difficult conditions.

The two wingers, Dylan Sweeney and AJ Ryan attacked well and created plenty of chances with good vision and some clever link up play. As the half progressed, the Saints dominated possession, creating chances and keeping the Palmerstown keeper busy. At the other end the Saints

sponsor for a day Acutrace enjoy name in lights for Bath contest aidan McDonnell, second from left, is pictured taking in the match day atmosphere at the RDS last weekend along with Bank of Ireland’s Emer McDonnell, Ian Murray and John Lynch.

McDonnell is managing director of Acutrace who won Bank of Ireland’s Sponsor for a Day 2016 Leinster winner. As part of a sponsorship prize worth around €50,000, Acutrace had its branding displayed on the Leinster team jerseys for the European Rugby Champions Cup match against Bath.

keeper James Sheridan was a mere spectator with only a couple of touches in the Saints goal.

On 25 minutes, John O’ Leary opened the scoring slotting the ball home from six yards after the Palmerstown keeper parried a shot. Derek Rochford made it 2-0 10 minutes later with a powerful header.

Mark Sheridan hit the post from a superb strike from 20 yards just before half time. Porterstown Road, however, was stunned when the visitors turned the game on its head after the break, scoring three quick goals to take the lead.

Wayne Fay made it 3-3 on 64 minutes with a powerful strike that flew into the back of the net.

The Saints applied plenty of pressure but couldn’t find a goal and were soon punished.

Palmerstown made it 4-3 against the run of play when Sheridan was beaten with a superb strike into the corner. The home side threw caution to the wind searching for another equaliser were left exposed at the back and Palmerstown scored two goals on 80 and 84 minutes to seal the win and three points.

Dylan Sweeney scored the final goal of a thrilling

game in the 90th minute with a fantastic free kick.

T he result leaves Mochta’s on 18 points after eight matches this season, level with Drumfinn Celtic and Cherryfield United who have both played an extra game.

Palmerstown are three points off the pace with the same number of matches played, making for a fascinating couple of months.

St Mochta’s first team, meanwhile, lost 5-0 to Firhouse Clover in the LS Sunday Senior to sit in seventh place overall but still in contention with the leading pack.

21 January 2016 BLANCH gazette 31

Gazette

Interprovincials

Local student on hand to launch Leinster side

Club Noticeboard st brigid’s

castleknock CS student Niamh O’Neill,

left, was on hand to help launch the postprimary schools inter-provincial tournament along with Finbarr O’Driscoll (President Leinster LGFA) and Beth Molloy St Colmcille’s CC, Knocklyyon) A Leinster selection will take on the other provinces in a tournament on January 23 in Kinnegad.

A MEDAL presentation night for our

tion is now open for the 2016 season.

2015 teams and the 1 to 2,500 fund-

The deadline for registrations is

raiser draw will take place in Russell

March 31.

Park on Friday, January 29.

Picture: GAApics.com.

tered and finalised by this date. Full

this Saturday, January 23 in Russell

details and online payment are avail-

Park from 9.30am to 11am.

able on the club website.

We welcome all four- to seven-

The ticket book for Dublin GAA

year-olds in the Castleknock and

spring series tickets is open in the bar

Blanchardstown area.

and will close on January 24 at 10pm.

New members and families are

football: gavin’s side struggle in semi-final

All memberships must be regis-

St Brigid’s GAA nursery returns

always welcome. For further information and queries contact David on 085 8340169.

The annual mass for deceased members will be held in the clubhouse on Monday, February 1 at 8pm. All members are welcome to attend.

St Brigid’s club member registra-

Group passes are also available for teams - contact Mary O’Connor.

Managers and mentors wanted for adult teams for the 2016 season.

If you are interested, please contact Paddy Davey on 086 8229312.

Our deepest sympathies are extended to the Cahill, Balfe and Curran families on their recent losses.

castleknock A NIGHT of celebration recognising all

Please see the website for details of

take place on Friday, January 29 in the

coaching and refereeing courses being

Castleknock Hotel.

run by the Dublin Ladies Football Asso-

Please put this date in your diary

Longford bring Dubs winning run to an end

o’bryne cup semi Longford 1-12 Dublin 0-9  james hendicott sport@dublingazette.com

ST BRIGID’s men Paddy Andrews and Philly Ryan were both in action as Dublin continued their O’Byrne Cup campaign with Ryan looking sharp when he came off the bench with 20 minutes remaining.

Dublin were well below their emphatic best on Sunday, January 17 in Pearse Park, Longford, however, as the home side outfought the All Ireland champions, claiming a

place in the final with a 1-12 to 0-9 win.

Longford’s victory came as still more of a surprise given the relatively familiar look of the boys in blue, with Jim Gavin giving several of last season’s regulars their first run out of the 2016 pre-season.

On the day, Longford always looked slightly on top, a few days after their boss Denis Connerton described the current Dublin crop as “some of the best players of all time”.

The third-division side led 0-7 to 0-4 after a turgid first half, with the capital side out-scrapped in front

of a noisy home crowd, with Dean Rock and Johnny Cooper falling short of their usual standards, and Con O’Callaghan failing to build on an impressive showing last time out.

On his return to the side, Stephen Cluxton’s distribution was shy of his normal high standards.

There were promising moments in the second half, however, as a more fluid Dublin asserted themselves to close within a point, with Rock finding his rhythm and scoring three points in quick succession to make it a single point game with a few minutes left.

Longford were not to be denied, however, with Liam Connerton’s only score of the game – a well-taken goal – rallying the home side.

Longford outscored the Dubs in the closing minutes to pull away, and earn a shot at a first O’Byrne Cup title since 2000.

Last time Dublin faced Longford, their margin of victory was a breathtaking 27 points.

This time, Dublin are left to nurse their wounds and look ahead to the league season opener, at home to Kerry at Croke Park a week on Saturday.

ciation. A great chance to up-skill.

and join fellow members and friends

Dublin spring series tickets can be

of the club for this special club night.

ordered from Lisa on 086 1022296’ a

You are part of the club so be a part of

four-game package is €40 for adults,

the celebration.

€15 for juveniles and needs to be

The training schedule is now avail-

Paul Schutte, Sinead Goldrick, Johnny Cooper and Ali Twomey launching Dublin’s 2016 season. Picture: Ramsey Cardy

section.

the adult achievements of 2015 will

ordered by Sunday, January 24.

able for 2016 and many thanks to all

Castleknock GAA club have set up a

for their efforts and inputs into get-

chartered physiotherapy service led

ting the schedule finalised.

by James Sherry MISCP.

We are having our 2016 nursery

This clinic is open to all club mem-

launch this Saturday and it takes

bers and takes place in the Castle-

place on the all-weather in Somerton

knock Hotel every Saturday morning.

(beside the Castleknock Hotel) starting at 10am.

Treatment sessions are available by appointment only. James special-

We look forward to welcoming all

ises in the diagnosis and treatment of

our young nursery boys and girls back

back and neck pain and sports injuries

and we also look forward to welcoming

with over 10 years experience working

new members and friends.

in private and public practice.

January 2016 registration and

To book a physiotherapy appoint-

regrading forms are now available on

ment, contact James on 087 7553451 or

www.castleknock.net under the form

email james_sherry8@hotmail.com.

erin go bragh 2016 membership is now due. Forms

training returns on February 2 and is

can be downloaded off our website:

on Tuesdays and Thursdays in 2016.

eringobraghgaa.ie or are available

Contact Ciara on 087 9147154.

on request. Contact Finbarr on 086 3837411.

Adult hurling and football pre-season started on January 5. Our men’s

Our U-10 girls are looking for new

minor and adult teams are always

players. Call Ronan on 086 8066614.

looking for players. Anyone interest-

Our minor and U-16 ladies football

ed in playing football can call George

teams are looking for players.

on 087 9709795. Anyone interested

Our adult camogie team is looking for coaches; contact Jason on 086

in playing hurling can contact Karl 0872352074.

3541146. Adult camogie training con-

We are seeking a new management

tinues every Monday and Wednesday

team for our AHL7 adult hurling team.

from 8-9pm in Ongar Community Cen-

Previous experience desirable and

tre.

an ability to get the best out of a good

Gaelic for Mothers and Others team

bunch of lads essential.

32 BLANCH gazette 21 January 2016