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May 14-20, 2015

castleknock • Blakestown • Hartstown • Tyrrelstown • Laurel Lodge • Corduff • Mulhuddart • Ongar

INSIDE: Acclaimed writer Dermot Bolger talks exclusively to The Gazette about his new book P22

travel: The open road calls on visitors to discover the beauty of New Zealand P20-21

Africa day launch: Celebration of culture is coming Soccer:

HHFC’s mixed emotions in league and cup Page 30

bianca Simari, Tina Akinola

and Franciscah Heii pictured at Farmleigh House for the launch of Africa Day 2015. Africa Day events are due to take place in various locations across the country in the next week, with the flagship day in Dublin taking place in Farmleigh House on May 24. For full event details visit Africaday.ie

Pictures:Marc O’Sullivan

Hurling:

Feile glory for Castleknock Division 6 side Page 31

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ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES....................... 8 DUBLIN LIFE....................11 OUT&ABOUT...................17 CLASSIFIEDS.................26 SPORT............................28

Hansfield en route to completion – at last First phase gets under way but concerns raised about next stage

 keith bellew

THE official launch of the first phase of Hansfield housing development in Ongar has been welcomed, but concerns about the second

phase have been raised.

The first residents moved in around 2006, but the developer went bankrupt in 2009 and the development was left without proper infrastructure.

McGarrell-Reilly acquired the development last year and, having completed the first phase, is now seeking permission for 128 houses for the second phase.

A Fingal County Council

official said it had asked the developer to submit noise mitigation proposals and to review its proposals for road entrances, advising that only one will be permitted.

Full Story on Page 2

2 BLANCH Gazette 14 May 2015

housing Details on three entrances needed for second phase

‘Little issues to be honed’ as Hansfield progresses THE OFFICIAL launch of the first phase of Hansfield housing development in Ongar has been welcomed, but concerns about the second phase have been raised.

The first houses were built and the first residents moved in around 2006, but the developer Manor Park Homes went bust around 2009 and much of the develop-

 keith bellew kbellew@dublingazette.com

ment was left without the creation of proper street layout and networks, and a number of houses were left unfinished.

McGarrell-Reilly acquired the development last year and have just completed the first phase. They have now sought planning permission for the construction of 128 houses which will be the second phase of the development.

Fingal County Council has sought additional information on the application in relation to three new entrances onto the rural Hansfield road and boundary treatment to deal with noise coming from the nearby Johnston, Mooney, and O’Brien bakery.

Cllr David McGuinness (Ind) said “It’s good to see the first phase finally being completed, a lot of people spent a lot of money on their homes.

“There’s a fantastic residents’ association in Hansfield and they have been pushing to get this estate completed, so this is just a culmination of all that work and effort, which is very positive for that growing commu-

The estate was built in 2006 but was left unfinished

nity.”

He went on to say that the council promised residents that the N3 / N2 link road would be completed before any additional traffic would come out onto the rural Hansfield road, and this has not been done.

Cllr Mary McCamley (Lab) said there had to be some sort of a barrier between the estate and the nearby factory, and that having three different exits onto the rural Hansfield road would be

dangerous.

“There are a few little issues that need to be honed before the second phase can go ahead.

“I was talking to the factory owner and it’s a 24/7 operation that they run there. When those issues are tweaked, I think we would welcome the second phase,” she said.

Chairman of Hansfield Residents’ Association, John McConnell said that residents were very happy with the completion of their estate as there were a lot of things that the previous developer, Manor Park, had not got around to finishing off.

“There were man-hole covers left open, sewerage that hadn’t been capped off and all that kind of thing. When McGarrell Reilly came in they had to re-do pipe-work in the

main drains, there were a lot of problems with that. There were roads that had muck underneath instead of a hard core. There were all sorts of temporary things that [needed] finishing off,” he said.

In relation to the second phase he believes that sound barriers will be necessary for phase two as the bakery operates all night, and the issues with the road must also be resolved.

A council official said that they had asked the developer of the site to submit proposals in relation to noise mitigation measures due to the

proximity of the bakery.

“They [the residents and the bakery owner] are both going to have to live side by side so we’re going to have to work this out before permission is granted,” said the spokesperson.

In addition, the spokesperson said the developer had been asked to review the proposal for three entrances to the rural road and had been advised that permission will be granted for only one.

Johnston, Mooney and O’Brien was contacted several times for comment but had not responded at time of going to press.

Dublin Gazette Newspapers, Top Floor, Clarendon House, 39 Clarendon Street, Dublin 2 Tel: 01 - 6010240. Email: sales@dublingazette.com news@dublingazette.com web: www.dublingazette.com twitter: @DublinGazette Visit us on Facebook at DublinGazetteNewspapers

14 May 2015 BLANCH Gazette 3

council

Leddy: planning rules must be abided by for diswellstown units

Relaunch of sports facility

Council to keep eye on housing project  keith bellew

FINGAL County Council has confirmed that it will be monitoring a housing development of 225 units under construction in Diswellstown.

This comes as Deputy Mayor of Fingal Ted Leddy (FG) said he believed a close eye must be kept on the development to make sure that the guidelines stipulated by the council when granting permission were honoured.

“This is one of the first developments in the area since building recommenced after the crash, and quite a few neighbouring estates in the area have had huge problems over the years with

aspects of the building not being completed and estates not being taken in charge. What I’m trying to do is see if there’s a way that we can avoid a repeat of a situation like that here.”

He said he was very concerned the conditions attached by the council when granting permission would not be enforced. “In neighbouring estates like Mulberry and Kyle Wood they weren’t enforced and lots of problems exist to this day, 16 years later. I am concerned that some of the reports the builders were supposed to produce before building commenced didn’t happen. I think it’s up to us councillors and residents

to keep a very close eye on the development and insist that all the planning conditions are abided by.”

A council official said council representatives visited the site and spent a number of hours with the builders to outline what they expected in terms of the construction of the development and compliance with the council’s conditions.

“It only gets legal when there is an enforcement issue where they have actually deliberately done something they are not supposed to have done,” the official said, adding that the council had let the builders know that they would “keep an eye on what’s happening”.

Birthday gift: Ground Espresso fans full of beans over new loyalty card pictured is Nuala Catney who, along with the rest of the team

at the Ground Espresso Bar in Next, Westend Shopping Park, Blanchardstown, celebrated Ground’s 14th year in business. The Westend cafe was the first Ground Espresso Bar opened in the Republic. Ground celebrated its birthday by launching a new loyalty card, which gives customers points when they spend money in the cafe. These points can later be redeemed as discounts for other purchases in Ground Espresso bars, which has a number of outlets on both sides of the Border. Pictures: John Murphy/Aurora Photographic Agency

The all-weather pitch at the Mulhuddart Community Centre has reopened following major renovation works.

The project, which includes a new playing surface, floodlighting and an extension to the carpark cost €150,000, which was funded by Fingal County Council with matching funding from the Sports Nation Fund.

Mayor of Fingal, Mags Murray (FF), was on hand to relaunch the facility along with Fingal chief executive Paul Reid.

She said the facility would be enjoyed by various members of the community including pupils of Ladyswell NS, Foroige youth project, and the many sports clubs that operate in the Mulhuddart area.

4 BLANCH Gazette 14 May 2015

live Register ‘Jobs being created are low paid and casual’

Sceptics challenge 13% fall in jobless  keith bellew

The latest figures released by the CSO show a reduction of 13.6% in the number of people signing on the Live Register in Blanchardstown.

In the Blanchardstown office, the Live Register numbers have fallen from 7,855 in April 2014 to 6,786 in April of this year, a reduction of 1,069.

Tanaiste and Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton has said these

figures are a sign of the continuing jobs progress being made by the Government and an important staging post on the road to full employment.

She said her objective was to increase the momentum and ensure unemploy ment falls below 9% by the end of the year. “[These] figures are further evidence of the strength of the jobs-led recovery that is firmly under way. At its peak,

unemployment was more than 15%. It is now at 10%, but we’ve much more to do, and I’m determined to see unemployment fall below 9% by year’s end.

“That would set us well on the way to reaching our target of full employment in 2018, as set out in the Spring Economic Statement,” she said.

She said the Department of Social Protection would shortly appoint a number of staff to work as

key account managers in the employer engagement unit to assist in that process. These managers will work closely with some of the 460 largest employers in the State to identify and plan recruitment requirements and actively promote candidates from the Live Register for available positions.

Deputy Ruth Coppinger (AAA) said that while any reduction in the Live Register was always welcome, many of the jobs being

The local jobless figures have fallen from 7,855 in April 2014 to 6,786 last month

created were casual and low paid.

“A huge number of the jobs being created are casualised and quite low paid. Then you have a huge number of people who are on Labour activation so-called schemes,” she said.

Cllr Paul Donnelly (SF) said that in March the Blanch figure was 6, 782 which meant a monthly increase of four people

signing on and that on a national level the unemployment figure had stayed static at around 10% for the last three months.

Based on these figures, he questioned whether the Government targets of replacing all jobs lost during the recession by 2018 was achievable.

He added that further digging into into these figures and taking into

account the fact that there were 89,704 people on activation programmes, like JobBridge the reduction was not as significant.

“If you added all of the people who are on activation programmes, then the real figures of the standard unemployment rate would go to 20% of the labour force which is really significant,” he said.

14 May 2015 BLANCH Gazette 5

pollution Irish Water claims to have had no recent complaints

Sewer smell ‘an absolute disgrace’  keith bellew news@gazettegroup.com

ODOURS coming from sewers at Church Road in Mulhuddart are an “absolute disgrace”, according to a local politician.

Irish Water, Fingal County Council and Meath County Council are liaising on the problem, following the decision of Cllr Edmond Lukusa (SF) to raise it with Fingal.

He had received representations from local residents on the issue.

The odour is being

caused by water coming through the ninth sea sewerage system in Meath, which comes through Mulhuddart on its way out to sea.

There is an agreement between Fingal and Meath local authorities that deodorant is put into the water before it reaches Mulhuddart.

Cllr David McGuinness (Ind) said this issue had been ongoing for the last few years and the smell over that stretch of road was an “absolute disgrace”.

“We’ve been told in

numerous reports that it has no impact on health.

It has a detrimental impact on the quality of life of the people living in Mulhuddart.

“It’s an absolute disgrace that it’s ongoing, and I feel sorry for the residents, who can’t leave their homes without what is nothing short of a disgusting smell in their community.”

Fingal council and Irish Water claimed not to have any record of recent complaints about the odour.

Cllr McGuinness was

Cllr David McGuinness: “I am very disappointed [Irish Water] has no record of complaints about odours in this area because I personally raised it with them.”

not happy with this, saying: “I am very disappointed that they have no record of complaints about odours in this area because I personally raised it with them.”

Cllr Paul Donnelly (SF) also said he had raised the issue with Irish Water.

He said “They have

confirmed there will be a new ninth sea pipe installed in the area and work on this is due to start next year.”

A Fingal council official said it only received complaints about the odour once every few months and that an inspector visited Church

Road on a daily basis to assess whether or not there was an odour emanating from the sewer.

In the event of the odour being present, the inspector contacts Meath council, which then increases the dosage of deodorant in the water.

charity Tech staff to help hospital Mulhuddart-based company Tech Group Europe has chosen Temple Street Children’s University Hospital as its charity partner for 2015 Dublin The medical device contract manufacturer has launched its 2015 West Without Borders campaign and has chosen the children’s hospital for the fourth consecutive year.

Vice president and general manager of Tech Group Europe Don O’Callaghan said the company was delighted to have chosen Temple Street as its charity partner this year.

As part of the fundraising campaign, the staff aim to collectively cycle 500km on stationary bikes at Blanchardstown Shopping Centre on May 22.

6 BLANCH Gazette 14 May 2015

business Key networking opportunities at annual technology summit

Fingal to welcome delegates from Silicon Valley  keith bellew

Fingal will welcome delegates from a number of big companies from the Silicon Valley this month as it hosts the seventh annual Irish Technology Leadership Group (ITLG) Silicon Valley Global Technology Summit.

The summit will be hosted by Fingal County Council, Fingal Dublin

Chamber of Commerce, Dublin City University (DCU) and the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB) at the DCU campus on May 25 and 26.

Visiting companies from the global tech sector that will attend events throughout the county will include Intel, Dell, Arvato and Disney. The event will be moderated by Forbes journalist and technology analyst

Paul Noglows and the agenda will focus on key tech trends such as Big Data and Cloud, the Internet of Things and wearable technology.

Discussions will also take place on education, investment and entrepreneurship which are integral parts of the technology boom.

Tony Lambert of Fingal Dublin Chamber said: “This is a not-to-be-

missed opportunity to network with tech leaders from Silicon Valley and beyond led by ITLG chairman, Dr Craig R.Barrett (former chief executive Intel).”

Fingal director of economic development Ethna Felten said the local authority was committed to supporting business and attracting foreign and domestic investment alike.

“Fingal is home to many wellknown international companies and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s €1bn investment in their Dublin 15 premises indicates that Fingal is one of the top European investment locations for US companies,” she said.

For more information on the events visit: www.fingal.ie/businessand-economy/

Blanch man’s way with words nets top slot in Strokestown Blanchardstown man John Murphy was crowned the winner of the Strokestown International Poetry competition recently.

The competition is a major event on the Irish arts calendar, and was judged by renowned poets Vincent Woods and Eva Bourke. Murphy beat off stiff competition in the form of around 800 entries to be crowned this year’s winner He was awarded the first place cash prize of €1,500 for his poem The Nod, the subject of which is a man remembering himself as a young father sitting in a rural kitchen with his wife’s 86-year-old

grandfather, and over the course of three hours having a conversation with just two sentences and one gesture that tells a larger story about passing generations.

In the past, Murphy has been shortlisted for numerous awards including the Patrick Kavanagh prize, the FISH prize, and was twice shortlisted for the Hennessy Cognac / Sunday Independent New Irish Writer of the Year. His debut collection of work, The Book of Water, was published by Salmon Poetry in 2012 For information on Murphy’s work, visit http://www.salmonpoetry.com.

Tanaiste Joan Burton said the announcement was another reason to be positive about the area

industry: Alexion invests €450m in Irish operation

US pharma set to create 200 jobs  keith bellew

TWO hundred jobs will be created in Blanchardstown as Alexion Pharmaceuticals has announced a €450m expansion of its Irish operations.

The company is to construct its first biologics manufacturing facility outside the US. This four-year project at Alexion’s College Park site in Blanchardstown is expected to create more than 800 construction jobs and about 200 additional full-time jobs when complete.

I n A p r i l 2 014 , i t received planning per-

mission for its global supply chain facility, which is expected to be operational by the end of this year.

We l c o m i n g t h e announcement, Tanaiste Joan Burton said the expansion was an extremely strong endorsement of Dublin West as an attractive location for high-end investment from the pharmaceutical industry.

She said: “It’s another reason to be positive about the area and its future as a place to live and work in. As Tanaiste and Social Protection Minister, my Depart-

ment stands ready to assist Alexion with their recruitment needs.”

Senator Catherine Noone (FG) said the investment was a further testament to the growing strength of the economy, and would provide welcome employment growth in Dublin West in the years ahead.

Tony Lambert of Fingal Dublin Chamber of Commerce said it was great to see how far along the construction of the first phase of the facility had come.

He said: “It’s a wonderful day for the area to see such a high quality

company investing in the area.

“They really are at the top of the game. They are a very profitable company, they’re really interested in expanding quickly into Europe and have chosen Ireland and Blanchardstown as an attractive location.”

He said that coupled with the announcement

by Bristol-Myers Squibb last November of the construction of a new state-of-the-art facility in Mulhuddart, this investment strengthened the area’s reputation as a great place for big companies.

14 May 2015 BLANCH Gazette 7

8 BLANCH Gazette 14 May 2015

gazetteGALLERY gazetteGALLERIES

Lydia Kehoe, Ben Griffin and Bethany Carson. Pictures: Ronan O’Sullivan

Championships: National Aquatic Centre hosts irish open

Grainne Murphy

Getting in lane to claim crown

14 May 2015 BLANCH Gazette 9

Aine O’Neill, Beth Gardiner and Cliona Colvin

USA coaching team Daniel Jacobs, Allison Kurtz and Kate Lundsten

Oliver Dingley Maria McHale and Nika Russell

Coach Tamer Ali Zienhom and swimmer Mania Moro Emmet Crowley, Sophie Blewitt and Alex O’Connor

Gerry O’Neill, Patricia Cleary and Sarah Keane

from Eqypt

10 gazette 14 May 2015

gazetteGALLERY

Avril Donnelly and Martina Hilliard

Niamh Daly, Ciara McGuone and Ciara McCormack. Pictures: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Peninsula services: soiree at East point covers all bases

Business and cocktails at state-of-the-art HQ

P

eninsula Business Services held a business soiree in its brand new Ireland HQ situated in Block W, East Point Business Park, Dublin 3 recently. The evening also marked 18 years helping Irish employers protect their business and the creation of a number of

jobs which will be announced in the coming weeks. The evening began with a cocktail reception followed by award-winning cuisine, music from Gypsy Reel Rabble and entertainment from illusionist Colm Dawson. Alan Price, managing director of Peninsula Ireland, said:

“In line with our growth strategy, Peninsula continues to thrive and expand in Ireland and Northern Ireland. We are very excited about future developments and would like to thank all our clients and partners for joining us at our soiree and making the evening so enjoyable�

Joseph Rzepkowska and Magdalena Rzepkowski

Alan Price, managing director of Peninsula Ireland; Peter Done, managing director of Peninsula Business Services, and Geoff Ford, Lyndsey Smyth, Lynn Carson and Lynsey Carson

group sales director

Anthony Bagshaw, Natalie Day and Peter Done

14 May 2015 Gazette 11

feature P14

business P16

asdfsdaf P27

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



Gazette

escape P13

what’son showcasing a thousand years of irish love

UK singer Marcus Collins: “After a long day I like to unwind at home with my partner. I’m watching Revenge at the moment, Game of Thrones and RuPauls Drag Race.”

a day in the life: singer limbers up for his role in big stage show

West is best for Marcus  ian begley

Best known for his appearance in the X-Factor finale in 2011, UK pop singer Marcus Collins is working around the clock in preparation for his role in the stage show West End Men. This week The Gazette caught up with the 26-year-old singer to find what a day in his life is like.

“I normally wake up at about 10.30am but I’m not a morning person by any means. It seems that the more interesting my breakfasts are the better the day is. When I’m in training and really want to be healthy I’d have something like granola with fruit or salmon on brown bread. Often though, when I’m feeling fat I’d just

opt for the full English breakfast.

“I’m not training as much as I should be, but every day I do miniworkouts that take about 30 minutes to complete – 20 minutes jogging and 10 minutes working on my abs.”

Collins, who lives between London and Liverpool, adds that he owns several properties and spends a lot of his time dealing with his tenants and taking care of other business obligations.

“I don’t work normal office hours, but there’s never a time when my phone isn’t off from business.

“I’m always travelling between London and Liverpool, but whenever I get the chance I love to spend time with my friends and family.

“I’m forever cooking for my partner,

who is a professional dancer, and we always try our best to eat together. I also love cooking for other people and prepare all sorts of food for my guests at home regularly.”

Collins said that a lot of preparation has gone into West End Men and is finding the rehearsal process intense but very exciting.

“The West End Men is a collection of music from the best hits that have come out of the West End. We mix all those songs in with some contemporary numbers and rework them using our own unique vocal abilities. The dynamics are great and there is something for everyone.

“After a long day I like to unwind at home with my partner. I’m watch-

ing Revenge at the moment, Game of Thrones and RuPaul’s Drag Race, which I’m obsessed with.

“I’m also reading The Catcher in the Rye which is part of my New Year’s resolution to read more and get through the top 100 books ever written.

“I’m a big night owl and don’t get to bed until after midnight, which has been a habit of mine for years.”

Marcus Collins is in the one-night show The West End Men, coming to the Bord Gais Energy Theatre on June 7.

It is a celebration of the leading men of musical theatre as well as some of the most iconic songs in musical theatre history.

ONE thousand years of Irish love will be showcased in a unique production from May 11 to 16 at the New Theatre in Temple Bar. Teanga an Ghra – 1,000 Years of Irish Love is the latest offering from Guthanna Binne Siorai, the theatre company that won acclaim in recent years for its bilingual shows featuring the work of Nobel Laureates Seamus Heaney, WB Yeats and Samuel Beckett.

Directed by Tristan Rosenstock, the new show combines Irish poetry, sean-nos singing and instrumental performances, and features some of the best-known exponents of traditional Irish culture.

Cathal Quinn, artistic director of Guthanna Binne Siorai, said: “For this show, we have dipped into the treasure trove of Irish declarations of love down through the centuries.

This production dramatically brings to life the raw emotions at the core of these works. It places ancient songs in a modern context.”

For further information, see www. thenewtheatre.com, or email: everlastingvoicesperformance@gmail. com.

Gazette

12 Gazette 14 May 2015

dublinlife

diary

letter to the editor

Vote Yes to extend real equality to all families

THE Irish people who are voting No in the marriage equality referendum need to consider the global impact of this, and the vivid impression of Ireland that this will give all around the world. It will tell married gay people from other parts of Europe and America, for example, that Ireland does not recognise their status equally.

This is the first time in history where Ireland has the opportunity to spread light around the world by showing their support for Irish lesbian and gay citizens. The No side claims to be supportive of Irish lesbian and gay people, but outlines that it is for the children they are promoting a No vote.

Firstly, although it is completely unrelated to the question being posed to the Irish electorate, based on clinical experience across a range of medical disciplines and a review of the academic literature, there is clear evidence that children raised by same-sex couples are at no disadvantage when compared to children raised by heterosexual couples.

The four largest Irish children’s’ charities (Barnardos, the Irish

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Foroige and the Children’s Rights Alliance), the Irish College of General Practitioners, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and the Irish Law Society all advocate a Yes vote.

Secondly, many children are currently being raised by lesbian and gay couples in Ireland. A No vote is a discrimination to these families, telling them that their family is not equal under the eyes of the law.

As an Irish person presently living in England – if a No result in the referendum occurs, this will not just be an insult to the lesbian and gay citizens of Ireland, but an undoubtedly complete and utter embarrassment for Ireland – and for everyone Irish abroad.

As one of my British colleagues recently asked me: “Is gay marriage not legal in Ireland yet?”

I 100% will be ashamed to be Irish if a No result occurs. Telling a small portion of Irish citizens: “You are equal but we will actually just give you separate laws” is not equality.

By voting No, it is telling all the Irish lesbian and gay people to get back in the closet and if they want the opportunity to get mar-

ried, they will have to emigrate to a country that will accept them for who they are, and thus give them equal rights. Alternatively, they will have to pretend to be heterosexual when they know deep down this is a lie, and this will cause pain and regret in their later years.

This referendum result will affect real people, and real peoples’ lives.

This is a once-in-a-generation chance for Ireland to show that it values inclusiveness and diversity.

Listen to the experts – the Irish children’s charities and the doctors, nurses and lawyers. Listen to the minority of Ireland who have laid their personal lives bare on radio, TV and social media over the past few weeks in an attempt to get Ireland to identify with what it is like to be gay in Ireland, and to not have equal rights.

Show some human compassion and understanding for diversity and inclusiveness.

Vote Yes on May 22.

Aidan O’Callaghan, B Pharm O’Callaghan studied at Trinity College Dublin and is a hospital pharmacist working in the UK. He will be coming home to vote on May 22.

Every year, colourful characters help add to the upbeat mood at the annual Citywest Fun Walk in aid of Barretstown’s work with seriously ill children

Step up to help Barretstown The annual Citywest Fun Walk in aid of Barretstown takes place on Friday, May 15 at 1pm at Spar, Citywest.

The route is about 5km long and should take no longer that 40 minutes to complete. The route will begin and finish at Spar in Citywest. This year, Barretstown hopes to have over 600 people, working in the Citywest area and beyond, walking, running or jogging the route to raise vital funds for the charity and camp for children with serious illness.

Dee Ahearn, chief executive of Barretstown, said: “We’re hoping to make this year the biggest fun walk to date and I encourage all staff working in the Citywest area and beyond to join us on May 15.”

Registration costs only €15 and all proceeds go directly to Barretstown.

To register or for more information, see www.citywestfunwalk. org or contact Caroline Dunne at Caroline.

Dunne@Barretstown.org or on 045 864 115.

new group calls for a no vote

THE StandUp4Marriage group launched its no campaign at the Alexander Hotel, Fenian Street on Thursday, May 7.

The event was attended by Senator Jim Walsh (Ind), who spoke in support of the campaign.

He said he was worried that a Yes vote would result in marriage not being taken seriously enough, and that young people might not recognise the importance of it.

According to StandUp4Marriage chairman Barry Jones, the campaign centres on what marriage is, what marriage is not, and the consequences expected from each. It argues that marriage itself is immutable and cannot be changed.

He said: “Same-sex marriage can never be marriage; civil partnerships provide a reasonable solution that best serves the common good, and the Constitution should be left alone and kept free of pretence.”

He said the theme of the campaign is that it’s okay to vote No, and people should not feel guilty about doing so.

all is fair and square at fun family event A FAMILY fair hosted

by CreActive Breakfast and Aris Fairs for children and their parents is taking place in Market Square, Dublin 8, later this month.

Admission is €3 and for each workshop the fee is from €3 to €7. The fair starts at 11am and goes on until the afternoon. Activities lined up include workshops in family dance, fashion and recycling. There will also be a catwalk dance show featuring the work done in the workshops. A host of stalls will be set up with maternity, baby and children’s goods on sale.

The CreActive Breakfast Family Fair will be held on Sunday, May 24, at The Dublin Food Cooperative, 12 Newmarket, Dublin 8.

14 May 2015 Gazette 13

FEATURE escape the mayhem: Darragh O’ToolE

Between a Red Rock and a hard place in hit show

 DAirne Black

CURRENTLY starring in TV3’s hottest property, Red Rock, rising star Darragh O’Toole is busy portraying Conor Tyrell, a young man hooked on heroin.

Having broken his leg while on the lethal substance, Conor is still trying to get his fix, unbeknownst to his mother and Garda sergeant Angela, and local taxi driver Tommy.

This week, The Gazette spoke to Darragh about how he escapes the mayhem of playing such a heavy-going role and juggling a filming schedule.

Originally from Tullamore in Offaly, Darragh moved up to Dublin when Red Rock started, but goes home most weekends to catch up with family and friends.

Unlike his Red Rock alter ego, O’Toole is a fit-

ness fan, regularly working out at his local gym here in Dublin.

O’Toole revealed he’d happily like to play a friendly game of soccer against members from the Carrigstown-based soap, Fair City.

If acting hadn’t worked out, it seems O’Toole could have given Rory McIlroy some competition, speaking about his keen interest in golf. He said: “I was junior captain in Tullamore in 2010 and play a five off handicap.”

Still getting used to life in the capital, he enjoys taking a wander around the city and seeing what’s on. With a wide circle of friends both in Dublin and at a home, he enjoys heading out and about.

An avid Manchester United supporter, O’Toole tries to catch the games when he can, as well as fitting in a bit of FIFA to really chill out.

Despite being busy with Red Rock, he has also found time for some other projects, and it is clear that acting is something that he enjoys, and doesn’t consider work.

“I’m doing a short film with Sean Doyle and Amelia Stewart; it’s written by Emmet Kirwan and directed by Nicky Gogan at Still Films.

“Then I’m going to be in a feature film directed

by Ger Walsh. It’s his second feature film, called South, and it’ll be shot in Dublin, Cork and Sligo.”

With previous roles including Moone Boy, Toy Soldiers and a Sinead O’Connor video, and a busy summer ahead, O’Toole will no doubt be hitting the golf course or perhaps the soccer pitch to truly escape the mayhem.

Red Rock airs every Wednesday and Thursday at 8.30pm on TV3.

Red Rock actor Darragh O’Toole divides his time between Dublin and Tullamore

www.dublingazette.com All of your latest local news, sport, features and pictures are now just a click away

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14 Gazette 14 May 2015

dublinlife

features

Scotland says thank you for help in Buckley inquiry  ian begley

The senior investigating officer in charge of the investigation into Karen Buckley’s murder has written an open letter thanking the Irish people for their help during the investigation.

Over the past couple of weeks, Police Scotland have stated that they received a high number of letters and emails from members of the public in both countries, expressing their appreciation for

the work carried out in the Karen Buckley investigation.

Detective Superintendent Jim Kerr of Police Scotland thanked people for their support as he and his team investigate the murder of the 24-year-old Cork woman, who was buried recently.

T he letter reads: “Throughout our investigation into the death of Karen Buckley in Glasgow in April 2015 we received and continue

to receive messages of appreciation from people in Ireland.

“I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank everyone for taking the time to contact us and for their thanks and continued support.

“It is very much appreciated by myself and the dedicated team of officers who are involved in the investigation.”

A 21-year-old man has since been charged with Ms Buckley’s murder.

Helping to launch the upcoming ninth annual Bloom festival. Picture: Robbie Reynolds Photography

Ninth year: gardening and food again to the fore

Blooming great idea certainly catches on  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

LAST week Bord Bia launched its ninth Bloom festival – the gardening and food family event – due to take place in the Phoenix Park from May 28 to June 1.

This year’s special themes see a mixture of Peter Pan, stiletto heels, WB Yeats and home brewing all coming together to inspire this year’s Bloom show gardens.

Bloom 2015 will once again be a five-day event packed full of gardening inspiration, gastronomic delights and family entertainment.

Now in its ninth year, the Bord Bia festival in the Phoenix Park attracts great crowds each year, with more than 106,000 people attending last year.

Bord Bia Bloom show manager Gary Graham

told The Gazette: “We’re flying with the preparations. As long as the rain holds off, we’ll be fine.

The big gardens have started and then the 13 medium gardens will be started next.

“It’s really busy here on site with all the contractors working. It’s great to see it all coming together; after a whole year of organising and working, the fruits of that labour are happening.

“There will be a presidential opening as President Higgins is our patron. I’d encourage everyone to come along, no matter what the weather, as we’ve around five acres under cover, with the biggest marquee in Ireland where there are lots of restaurants,” he said.

This year, the 25 Bloom show garden designers have teamed up with organisations such as Pieta House, The Ronald

McDonald House, Goal, The Atlantic Youth Trust, ITB Blanchardstown and Fingal County Council to create gardens with powerful messages on social and cultural issues.

Also included this year is a garden entitled, Yeats’s Secret Garden in Sligo.

This unique garden is part of the 2015 celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of WB Yeats, and is based on his wellknown poem, The Lake Isle of Innisfree.

A new feature at this year’s festival will be Bloom in Transition (BIT), through which transition year students get to showcase their creativity with projects and installations around themes such as agriculture, food science, horticulture, environment and more.

The festival also offers something cerebral with a marquee entitled, The

Banter at Bloom. Here, discussions and talks will be held on issues such as food and sustainability.

For visitors who prefer to sample the fruits of the land, the Quality Kitchen stage offers a number of cooker y demonstrations throughout each day with Ireland’s top chefs, including Neven Maguire, Catherine Fulvio, Rory O’Connell, The Lazy Chef Simon Lamont, David and Stephen Flynn (The Happy Pear) and Fiona Uyema, to name but a few.

There will also be daily competitions in the Quality Kitchen, with visitors encouraged to drop by from 10.30am every day for the first demonstration, and to be in with a chance to win some tasty prizes.

For further information on the Bord Bia Bloom Show, see www. bloominthepark.com.

14 May 2015 Gazette 15

Gazette

16 Gazette 14 May 2015

dublinlife

Workshop at DCU on family business DUBLIN City University’s Centre for Family Business is inviting family business members to attend its Dublin workshop on May 19 at the William Fry offices from 8am to 11am.

These interactive workshops, entitled “Professionalisation of the Family Business – What it is and why it matters?”, will be facilitated by leading family business academic and founding director of the Australian Centre for Family Business, Professor Ken Moores.

A veteran family business chairman and nonexecutive director of a fourth-generation family business, Professor

Moores will speak about structuring the family business and the importance of professionalisation.

Local Dublin businessman, Ray Reihill of the Tedcastles Group, will also give a talk on his experience of professionalising and succession.

All workshops will encourage attendees’ involvement and groups will work together to find solutions for common business challenges.

For further information, or to register for the event, see www.dcu.ie/ centre-for-family-business/news-and-events/ events/family_business_ roadshow.shtml.

business business

R&D: hot water a key factor to ‘Exyrgen Drive’

Dublin firm awarded €2.48m to develop new engine type DUBLIN SME Exergyn Ltd has been awarded €2.48m by Horizon 2020 – the EU’s research and innovation funding programme – to help develop an engine that runs on hot water.

The funding will go towards further developing its technology (called Exyrgen Drive) and bringing it to full commercial production.

The company will also be using the grant to conduct industrial trials, to become manufacturingready, and to prepare the company and the market for full commercialisation

of the Exergyn Drive in 2017.

Alan Healy, Exergyn chief executive, said: “Exergyn is delighted and honoured to have been selected for the SME Instrument [funding].

“This funding is crucial to our ability to move our technology forward and commercialise it, so the whole world can begin to make use of the vast amounts of low-grade waste heat produced each year.

“I would recommend other SMEs – if they have confirmed that their business/project is the kind that fits the Horizon 2020 mould – to apply.

“Ireland has an active start-up/early-stage company community and the EU funding is well known to people in this community.

“We have developed an engine that runs on hot water. It will enable, for the first time, electricity to be generated from waste hot water, less than 100C, in a commercially viable manner, ie inexpensively.

“If fully deployed worldwide, our first product could reduce world carbon emissions by about 2%. Industrial customers form our target market,” he said.

He went on to say that the use of hot water for energy could increase industrial efficiency as hot water is a waste product in many industries, citing industrial power plants which are currently dumping huge volumes of hot water as a necessary by-product of their process.

Healy said: “They are therefore making no use of the waste heat, and in many cases, expending power to cool the hot

Alan Healy, Exergyn chief executive: “We have developed an engine that runs on hot water. It will enable electricity to be generated from waste hot water.”

water before dumping it.”

EU Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, Carlos Moe-

das said Horizon 2020 was helping many highpotential SMEs to develop their ground-breaking innovative ideas for prod-

ucts, services or processes and to grow and expand their activities into other countries, in Europe and beyond.

14 May 2015 Gazette 17

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OUT&ABOUT Never be out of the loop on what’s happening in Dublin! Let Out&About be your guide to all that is stylish, cultural and essential across the city and beyond this week

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Pets Playful collie cross needs a loving home

Music fans are sure to come running to Temple Bar for the upcoming Down With Jazz festival, where the Dublin City Jazz Orchestra (above) are just one of many great acts

back to the 1930s: the down with Jazz festival in the heart of temple bar

Pssst … Time for an illicit hooley  keith bellew

An illicit hooley will take place in the heart of Temple Bar on May 30 – 31, with a line-up of shameless jazzy grooves and lascivious foreign rhythms, defying the morals of 1930s Ireland.

The Down With Jazz festival is an annual city-centre celebration of musical rebellion, with jazz, experimental and world music acts over two nights in Meeting House Square.

The festival is a tongue-in-cheek nod to 1930s Ireland when jazz and “foreign” music were seen by many as a force of corruption, and a repressive “anti-jazz” campaign pushed to ban jazz from the dance halls and airwaves of Ireland.

Speaking to The Gazette, festival director Kenneth Killeen said Down With Jazz is really a testament to how far Ireland has come musically, socially and culturally. He said they were trying to showcase the music of the day and juxtapose it against a backdrop of the moralistic standards of 1930s Ireland, which were insular to the point of xenophobic.

“There was very much a fear, particularly from nationalists at the time, that this foreign music was corrupting the morals of young Irish men and women.

We’re presenting music that’s happening today against that backdrop,” he said.

The festival will see 10 home-grown jazz and world music bands perform-

ing over two days with five shows per night.

Killeen said that the line-up is broadly reflective of what’s happening in the scene in Ireland today and is a domestic showcase of some really high quality music.

“We have Louis Stewart playing with a really good quintet. Louis would be one of the first exports from the country in terms of jazz music. Then we have Isotope, which is a band that has been running in various different guises since the late 70s, they’re representing the old school approach to the idiom. We will close on Sunday night with the Dublin City Jazz Orchestra which is a big band.

It is a very contemporary twist on the big band sound,” he said.

He said that there are lots of other different things mixed in with the standard jazz including various dynamic fusions.

“You have a band like Tongue Bundle who are a Frank Zappa meets Miles Davis type of band. Then we have Mixtapes From the Underground who are going to headline on Saturday night.

That’s a project led by the drummer Dennis Cassidy who has studied jazz for a number of years, but he has a real hip-hop / funk background,” he said.

There is something for everybody at the festival, says Killeen, with a mix of the progressive music of today and the more traditional style.

For more information on Down With Jazz, see www.downwithjazz.ie.

The Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs. Our Dog of the Week this week is Dani, a oneyear-old Collie cross.

Dani is only a young girl but she is very worried by handling. Due to this, she would need an experienced dog-owning home who understand she will need time to settle in and help teach her that the world is not so scary. Dani is super clever and will enjoy training games with her new family. An adult only home is needed for this girl.

If you think you could give this playful lady a loving home, please contact Dogs Trust on 01-879 1000.

They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on 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.

Hat €3 3

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Swim suit

€7.9

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ts €28

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op € led t s s a nd T

sla

Hipanema

Necklace €17

rI Rive

Warehouse Fringed gypsy dress €46

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18 GAZETTE 14 May 2015

Karen Millen Perforated pochette €50

Warehou se Feather prin bikini top € 21; bottom t €18

14 May 2015 GAZETTE 19

GAZETTE

STYLE The Body Shop Big & Curvy Waterproof Mascara €17

al Penneys Flor

triangle bikini

set €7

BRUSHING UP ON YOUR

MASCARA

Panache Navy and white bikini top €47; bottom €25

NOTHING changes your look more dramatically than a sweep of mascara. Even if you don’t wear another thing on your face, your eyes look brighter and pop more with a lick of mascara! Here, we pick six of our favourites.

Benefit Roller lash €26

t €70 Hipanema Bracele Elizabeth Arden Colour lash enhancing mascara €26

Oasis Fluoro st ripe top €20; bottom bikini €17

Belle d

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Belle de

Teint €4 3

Max Factor Masterpieve Glamour Extensions €13.99

Mac InExtreme Dimension €24.50

House of Fra bikini top € ser Floral 32; bottom €20

Chanel Sublime de Chanel €31.50

GAZETTE

20 GAZETTE 14 May 2015

OUT&ABOUT

Portable and delicious nutritious nuts and fruit

Tips to help make your long-haul comfortable  SUZANNE SHEEHY

I OFTEN hear the expression, “It’s a small world!” – but not when you have a long-haul flight, spending up to 12 hours or more in the air.

Getting to your dream destination isn’t always fun. Following on from my trip to New Zealand, I have refined my survival techniques – so here they are.

My essential onboard toiletry kit would be a toothbrush, baby wipes, moisturiser and hand sanitiser, deodorant (travel size) and spare clothing. Freshen up every few hours; you’ll be amazed how you’ll feel after.

Carry-on food Airplane food has little nutritional value, so in my carry-on bag I had some dried fruit and nuts as they are both portable and delicious. To keep hydrated during the flight, I always travel with a refillable water bottle, and drink herbal tea such as camomile. I bought Melissa Dream tea, which helps to calm your mind and body.

Lastly, choosing a seat is a matter of personal choice. For greater comfort, I booked my seat at the time of booking my tickets. I chose a window seat with the wall to rest my weary head on.

Happy travels!

Already world-famous for spectacular scenery, New Zealand is now also celebrated as the playground of Hobbits, given the country’s vital role in the Lord of the Rings films. However, away from its stunning landscape, its cities – such as Auckland, right – offer modern, cosmopolitan hubs.

NEW ZEALAND: STUNNING SCENERY RIDES ALONG ON A CYCLING JOURNEY

On the road to adventure  SUZANNE SHEEHY

ITWAS the biggest adventure of my life – just over a fortnight in New Zealand, where the people dubbed the Kiwis are friendly and down-to-earth.

It was the perfect place for a solo traveller – there’s nothing like the freedom of exploring a new place on your own terms.

Going alone meant I had to make more effort to meet new people and trust my instincts. My itinerary was flexible – last-minute changes were possible.

And I can only say if there’s ever a country you want to see but have no one to go with, just go solo.

You’ll learn so much about yourself and others and return with

fond memories and new friendships.

So, however you travel, you can choose to see New Zealand’s North or South Islands. Most travellers flock to the latter, famous for its glaciers and spectacular Southern Alps.

But don’t underestimate the North Island – it too is magnificent.

I chose a unique way to experience this stunning terrain – by bike.

A favourite quote from author Ernest Hemingway sums up my trip: “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.

“Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such

accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.”

I was one of 80 competitors who flew into New Zealand to join 220 Kiwi riders at the starting line on April 11 for

Island to Wellington.

The event was about celebrating the country’s great rides, encouraging cyclists to give it a go, and promoting NewZealand’s biking opportunities.

Competitive but social, the tour was spread

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‘I flew into New Zealand to join 220 Kiwi riders at the starting line for the Tour Of New Zealand cycle’

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the North Island stage of the Tour Of New Zealand cycle.

I was offered two direction options – from the top of the North Island to Wellington, or from the bottom of the South

over seven days, covering 700kms of gruelling climbs and fascinating road trails.

The first three days we spent travelling through Northland, famous for its native forests, as we

stopped at Tane Mahuta – a giant 2,300-year-old kauri tree, probably the largest tree I’ll ever lay eyes on.

The route, through the centre of the North Island, comprised one amazing day after another including a stop at the iconic Chateau Hotel with Mt Ruapheu towering behind it.

Some rides started flat and neutral but later turned into rollercoasters. Every day was different and while I struggled on some, finding it hard to latch onto passing peletons, I had a great big grin on my face crossing the finish line each day.

The views en route were awesome.

The faster team members were always there to cheer me and fellow riders in on the final laps.

The camaraderie among cyclists made it easier each morning to leap bike-wards and feel fully charged up.

As days passed, my strength rose. But undoubtedly the trip’s highlight was the people I shared it with, from the bike mechanic to the crew and riders.

One day, I cycled more than four hours with a 72-year-old. He refused to allow his age to stop him from being physically active and achieving his goals.

The Tour Of New Zealand shows that by bringing together people around a shared interest, age and background dissolve into a very enjoyable event with great spirit.

Tour Of New Zealand also had a charitable focus, with many riders

14 May 2015 GAZETTE 21

GAZETTE

TRAVEL

Geronimooo ... Suzanne Sheehy takes a leap of faith with a bungee jump 134m above the Nevis River Whether cycling or otherwise journeying across New Zealand, the Suzanne Sheehy (centre) with fellow cyclists along the route

scenery can often feel like Ireland

Once-in-a-lifetime experiences await NEW Zealand is a fantastic place to visit, whether with a group or on your own.

Getting around, you can fly by Jetstar (a lowcost airline) between Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington. I flew from Wellington to Queenstown (price NZ$199/€131).

It is here where adventure awaits you.

My chosen adrenalinerush activity was the Nevis Bungee Jump, from 134m above the Nevis River. Costing €181, it was a once-in-alifetime experience.

Chateau Tongariro in Tongariro National Park

Head up, up and away by gondola to the top of the peak overlooking Queenstown, and a great look at the rolling landscape around the historic town

TheEssentials Suzanne Sheehy (centre) with fellow cyclists, including Tour Of New Zealand director Peter Yarrell (far right)

working to raise a total of $250,000 for chosen charities, including The Heart Foundation, St John, Tear Fund, Akina Trust (bikes in schools), and Unicorn Foundation (a trust set up by John Keys cardiologist Malcolm Legget for cancer research).

This third tour was made possible by the commitment, organisation and dedication of

event director Peter Yarrell and secretary Coral MacDonald and his teams of volunteers.

Plans for 2017 Plans for 2017 are aready under way – mark April 22-29, 2017 in your diary for this truly amazing event. For further information on this exciting event, see www.tourofnewzealand.co.nz.

Believe me, New Zealand is not that far away.

Some careful planning, a few sacrifices and a lot of saving can make the trip possible. You don’t have to wait till you’ve retired!

But take it from me, don’t forget the padded shorts – I could not have made it without their unstinting support!

And remember, wherever you go, go with all your heart.

Traveling to New Zealand Flights to New Zealand from Ireland depart from major cities. The duration of the flight to New Zealand is about 25, hours and common stopovers include Dubai, Kuala Lampur, Melbourne, Sydney or San Francisco. I booked flights with Trailfinders, and found it helpful in planning a flight itinerary.

My return flight cost about €1,000, but this varies according to season and demand. For further information, see www. trailfinders.ie.

Food and drink You will not lack places to eat. I spent a few days in Auckland at the end of my trip and was surprised at the variety of food and drink options, from authentic Thai to Japanese cuisine. Take in Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour, where restaurants and trendy bars dot the waterfront.

Accommodation New Zealand has good accommodation which can suit most pockets. Visit TripAdvisor for up-to-date news and reviews by fellow travellers. Also see www.newzealand. com, which is useful for accommodation and things to do.

Next up was the white water rafting (above) on the Grade 3-5 Shotover River. Undertaken with a very organised crew, the views were spectacular (and not forgetting the bus trip along a cliff edge to get there – yikes!) This cost NZ$209 (€138), but if you book several activities agents occasionally give you extra value on your booking.

For a rest day, I took a trip out to Milford Sounds, in the Fiordland National Park, widely acknowledged as one of the world’s most scenic areas.

Although there was heavy rain and poor visibility, (above) it was definitely worth the trip. The rain meant spectacular waterfalls along most of the route; a highlight was seeing the fur seals.

My Real Journeys tour included stops to take pictures. I chose the coach/cruise/fly package; however, due to bad weather, I returned by coach, and a full refund was given for the fly section of this package.

I would suggest visiting Milford Sound, come rain or shine.

Queenstown is also well known for its tracks and trails which suit all fitness abilities and time frames. I recommend taking the gondola to the peak summit above the city (NZ$32), or hiking up, which took me 45 minutes, to take in breathtaking views.

Accommodation is plentiful, ranging from backpackers’ hostels to apartments, B&Bs and hotels. I used TripAdvisor as my source of reviews and referrals.

Make Queenstown an essential part of your New Zealand itinerary; although costly, it will not disappoint.

Gazette

22 Gazette 14 May 2015

OUT&ABOUT

Theatre Love/Hate’s Peter Coonan, who stars in Before Monsters Were Made at the Project

Seeing how monsters can rise in idle rumours  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

IF YOU missed the first few performances of Before Monsters Were Made, a play by Ross Dungan and featuring Love/ Hate’s Peter Coonan, you are still in with a chance to see it as it continues its run at Project Arts Centre until May 16.

So far, the new thriller has been going down a storm with audiences. It tells the tale of David, a man struggling to hold his marriage together in a small town that has been rocked by the untimely death of a local girl.

Rumours As details are uncovered, rumours and talk take hold of the town, and it starts to force David to revisit old memories.

The play is set in 1960s rural Ireland, and focuses on how suspicion and old stories can spread like a virus, causing untold damage.

Tickets for Before Monsters Were Made can be booked at Project Arts Centre by contacting www.projectartscentre.ie, or by calling 01 8816 913.

ARTS

interview: dermot bolger at his best

Nothing like getting tangled up in novels  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

When The Gazette spoke to writer Dermot Bolger last week, he was getting ready to go back to his old school in Finglas to talk to students about his teen novel, New Town Soul, currently on this year’s Leaving Certificate.

Bolger is famous for his mercurial talent in many literary genres from teen literature to poetry, drama and novels. He told The Gazette of the challenges involved in some of these genres.

“They all have different challenges but firstly, I’m just a storyteller and love to tell stories. It’s a huge privilege when people hear your stories.

You write in the medium which presents itself to you…The most challenging [literary genre] is actually the novel. When you start a novel, you’ve no idea if you will finish it and you’re trying to create a narrative, as I tried to do with Tanglewood and know it’s going to be two, three or four years before it’s finished.”

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

‘I’m just a storyteller and love to tell stories. It’s a huge privilege when people hear your stories. You write in the medium which presents itself to you …’

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

Dermot Bolger, writer --------------------------

Bolger met a ver y tricky problem with his latest novel Tanglewood as he began writing it 10 years ago during the height of the Celtic Tiger but by the time he was finishing it, the property bubble had burst.

“One of the huge problems for me was that the world in which it was written, disappeared overnight. For years I couldn’t finish the book because I said people wouldn’t build

that house now because property has collapsed.

“It was like writing a novel in the summer of 1913, which was an absolutely gorgeous summer and people were going about their lives with no cognisance of the fact that the whole world around them was going to be totally changed by the war in a year’s time.”

To navigate around this problem, Bolger decided to finish the book as intended by leaving it set in 2007.

He said: “The book is really about marriage and relationships and I don’t need to go into the whole collapse of the economy. The reader, once they see that date, will know what the character doesn’t know, the reader will know what’s going to happen. So I don’t need to tell that story; that’s implicit.”

Bolger said the Celtic Tiger and its fall-out damaged several generations including the present crop of young emigres “who grew up thinking that they were the culmination of 700

Writer Dermot Bolger whose works span literary genres from teen literature to poetry, drama and novels

years of history and were the chosen generation who would simply walk into jobs in their own country. Now I’ve nephews and nieces who’ve emigrated and I don’t know where my own sons will wind up.”

Old school

Bolger frequently goes back to his old school Beneavin De La Salle College, and last week was due to speak to Leaving Certificate exam students about New Town Soul.

“It’s important to go out to schools because when I was in school I didn’t think I could possibly make a living by doing this.

“I became the world’s worst library assistant and worked in factories.

I had no notion I could make a living from my dreams.

“So, I think it’s impor-

Tanglewood explores the lives of a cohort of suburban Dubliners

tant to go into schools, prisons and various places and say you need to cherish your dream and see where it brings you.”

Dermot Bolger’s latest novel, Tanglewood, is available at the end of May for €13.99 and is published by New Island Books.

14 May 2015 Gazette 23

Gazette

FOOD&DRINK RECIPECORNER

Versatile lamb always goes great with a good salad

Make the most of lamb with a terrific salad YO! Sushi

Japanese restaurant

Clarendon Street, D2 A popular eatery away from the hustle and bustle of nearby Grafton Street, YO! Sushi has been delighting

diners with its top

Japanese fare for a long time, and has a new menu to further please its foodie fans. Pictures: Paul Sherwood

The Picky Eater

SET close to Grafton St, YO! Sushi has been a perennial on the restaurant scene in Dublin, and it’s a great place to pop in for a quick bite.

I used to be a massive sushi fan – in my late 20s I made it my business to dine out on the stuff at least once a week. But it sort of lost its appeal; I think I overdid it once or twice and haven’t really craved sushi in a long time.

So, when I heard YO! Sushi was launching a new menu recently, I thought this is the perfect opportunity to see if I can rekindle my love for the Japanese dish.

The new menu includes old favourites such as chicken yakitori, as well as new additions including popcorn shrimp tempura, beef tsukune, salmon and yuzu salsa tataki, chocolate dorayaki and banana and chocolate harumaki.

Devised by group executive chef Mike Lewis, the new YO! Sushi menu brings together f lavours of amazing street food in Tokyo, along with lots of great regional dishes.

For those of you who don’t know the brief with YO! Sushi, there is a conveyor belt with lots of small plates containing everything from norimaki to sashimi to wasabi peas.

Remembering It’s a bit like The Generation Game, but instead of remembering everything you see, you eat everything you see!

Sit in the booths or on high stools and pick your dinner up as it passes.

I brought my twoyear-old along and he almost hyperventilated with the excitement.

Granted, he didn’t go in much for the sushi, but he did like the fruit plates, the miso soup

and the rice, as well as all the chocolate treats they have on there too.

For those of you who find this a bit too harebrained, you can order hot dishes from the menu, too, but that just takes away from the experience, in my opinion; although we did mix it up a little and selected from both.

This is a great place to bring kids as they get to eat with their eyes as well as their mouths, and small plates make it easy to eat fast and run.

We did so, as our darling son, who had behaved impeccably up to this point, decided the conveyor belt would be a great place to send his toy cars and trucks for a little ride.

Now that’s something the other diners certainly didn’t expect to pick up in a sushi bar.

For further information, see go to www. yosushi.com.

THIS week, we have a delicious recipe for marinated lamb, courtesy of Bauknecht ovens. To accompany the lamb, we recommend serving fresh quinoa, tomato and cucumber salad with ciabatta croutons.

Lamb and marinade ingredients 2kg butterflied leg of lamb Juice of 4 oranges Large pinch of saffron 3 x star aniseeds 1 x dessert spoon of honey ½ vanilla pod (split) 1 tbsp. of coriander seeds Preparation • To marinade, squeeze the juice of 4 oranges into a small pot, then add in all remaining ingredients, bring to boil and then leave to cool.

• For the lamb, butterfly cut the leg of lamb (or ask your butcher to do it).

• Massage the marinade into the lamb and leave for at least three hours (or overnight for best results).

• Turn your Bauknecht oven to turbo grill – medium setting 4.

• Cook for 25 mins for medium-rare, or for 35 minsplus for medium to well-done.

• Leave to rest for two mins in a warm place, then carve and serve.

Quinoa, tomato and cucumber salad with ciabatta croutons ingredients 250g of cherry tomatoes 1 x cucumber 100g of quinoa Juice of 2 lemons ½ clove of garlic 4 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil 1 loaf of ciabatta

A feast for the eyes as much as the stomach, Yo! Sushi’s colourful conveyor belt of food will satisfy both senses

Conclusion

MUCH like its visually pleasing conveyor belt of food, you should give YO! Sushi a whirl (at Clarendon Street, Dublin 2; tel 01 672 8950). Its well-thought out menu features a wide range of Japanese staples, as well as more accessible selections, too.

Preparation • For the ciabatta croutons, cut ciabatta into cubes and mix with 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.

• Place on oven tray in warm oven at 125°C Forced Air Cooking, and cook for 30 mins (until crispy).

• For the quinoa salad, bring a large pot of water to the boil, then add quinoa and boil for 15-20 mins.

• Drain and refresh in cold water, then quarter the cherry tomatoes.

• Half, peel and deseed the cucumber, then chop finely.

• For the vinaigrette, finely chop half clove of garlic, then add to lemon juice and 2 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil. Finally, mix, season and serve to taste.

Gazette

24 Gazette 14 May 2015

OUT&ABOUT

CINEMA

ReelReviews

AVENGERS: ultron Not totally Marvel-ous

MARVEL builds on its smash-hit Avengers franchise for the biggest film yet, with Age of Ultron (Cert 12A, 142 mins) rounding up the gang (Captain America, Hulk, Thor – you all know who by now) and adding new characters to the mix, all in the name of battling Ultron.

But their battle against this latest nemesis and his legions of robot goons add little that is new to the mix.

child 44

A chilling Soviet tale THERE’S something extrarotten afoot in Soviet-era Russia in Child 44 (Cert 16, 110 mins), with a series of child murders pointing at a cover-up at the highest levels. Investigator Tom Hardy follows the ever murkier trail, but the threat of danger grows stronger, the closer he gets to the truth ... It’s a decent role for Hardy, with Gary Oldman delivering reliable support.

fast & furious 7 Still vroom to improve

YES, technically, Fast & Furious 7 (Cert 12A, 140 mins) does come with a plot – something to do with terrorism, vengeance, family life – but in reality it’s just the latest in the highly-popular, incredibly dumb franchise. Expensive cars get driven very fast and furiously indeed, as ludicrous sequences ramp up the excitement and highamp silliness. Park your brains at home for this one.

The discovery of unsettling old footage from many years ago plunges Dublin film archivist David (Rupert Evans) into an unsettling and increasingly disturbing reality

the canal: despite some flaws, this is a solid and interesting film

Irish horror makes a splash A GOOD horror movie is a rare thing – for every Babadook, there’s a host of terrible films.

Just glance through the IMDB scores of what the genre has offered in the past few years and you’ll see the most constant element is a mediocre rating.

Audiences flock to the cinema in the hopes of titillating a primal rush of fear, but too often leave disappointed.

The power of that fundamental captivation we have with the supernatural is highlighted in the opening scene of The Canal, which sees film archivist David (Rupert Evans) addressing the camera, which pivots to reveal a cinema audience of unruly school kids, evidently on a class trip.

 Dave phillips

A shout of “W ho wants to see some ghosts?” quells the c l a m o u r, a s D av i d continues to explain that all the people in the archive footage the group are about to watch are long dead – cue groans of frustration from the kids. It’s a strong, self-aware and promising start to a particularly nightmarish journey.

Shot in Dublin, Irish director and writer Ivan Kavanagh’s disturbing ghost story focuses around the central

character of David.

Things are looking rosy for him and his pregnant wife Alice (Hannah Hoekstra) as we see them settle into their Georgian house by the canal.

F a s t f o r w a r d f i ve years, and we see some obvious changes – their son Billy is well established in their home, and more importantly some cracks are beginning to show in their relationship.

David seems to be quite familiar with a female colleague, and at the same time is jealous of the attention that Alice gets at work.

Accompanying her on a work night out, he surveys her body language when speaking with clients and suspects that she is having an affair.

Things take a significant turn for the worse when, in the course of work, David watches some archive crime scene footage and finds out that a century earlier a violent murder took place on Black Street, in the very house where David and his family are now living.

After watching the footage, something shifts in David’s world – he starts to see movement in the shadows, have strange dreams, and become increasingly hostile and suspicious of his wife.

It is the otherworldly sequences that really set The Canal apar t from its peers. Lulled into familiar territory of marital disturbances, it is a shock for the viewer to enter the twisted

dreamscape of David, where he is haunted by the figure from the video.

There are some golden moments here that are reminiscent of Don Cascarelli’s Phantasm series, where the mundane and the supernatural worlds meet in a feverish, murky, and electrifying meld.

The bulk of the film oscillates between these peaks of intense, engaging, and effective horror and the banalities of David’s life as he tries to understand what is happening to him – it’s the latter where the film at points falls a little flat, with some heavy-handed dialogue and an overreliance on jump-cut editing dispelling some of the tension built up in the creepier

scenes.

Like a smorgasbord of horror, The Canal seems to have a little bit of ever ything. In the wonderfully inventive dream sequences, there is a throwback to a distinctly 80s-kind of ethereal horror.

We’ve an abundant helping of gore and jump-scares, but also a touch of psychological depth as the story can be read – albeit with a little effort – as an exposition of fear around birth.

T he problem with incorporating such a variety of styles is that it never feels like it masters one, but overall The Canal is a solid helping of creative and effective home-grown horror.

Verdict: 6/10

14 May 2015 gazette 25

26 blanch gazette 14 May 2015

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Gazette

28 Gazette 14 May 2015

SPORT Top swim award for Dub stars

FastSport

top athlete: portmarnock club member wins big at annual event

o’donoghue and good win Belgan title:

TEmpleogue native Shane O’Donoghue and Shankill’s Kyle Good helped Antwerp-based Dragons to the Belgian Hockey League title last weekend in stunning fashion.

One of Europe’s top three leagues, the Irish pair were both on the score sheet in an incredible final victory over Royal Leopold, running up a 10-0 aggregate victory in the two-legged final.

Both scored in Saturday’s 4-0 win before Good finished off the rout on Sunday with his side’s sixth goal.

It completed a memorable season for the pair following their summer switch from UCD and Monkstown, respectively.

They finished the regular season in fourth place but managed to get the better of tabletoppers KHC Leuven in the semi-finals.

O’Donoghue linked up with the Irish national team a day after the league win in Germany to play in a series of challenge matches.

 sport@dublingazette.com

FIONA Doyle was last night named High Performance Athlete of the Year at the Swim Ireland Annual Awards in the Citywest Hotel, Saggart.

Doyle, a previous Gazette Sports Star of the Month and Portmarnock club member, had an outstanding year in 2014 and won the award based on her performances, in particular her 50m breast-

Bert O’Brien with Sarah Keane

stroke final at the European Championships in Berlin.

Doyle has already shown her desire to secure a place at the Rio 2016 Olympics in 2015 with a number of new Irish records and will target qualification for Rio 2016 at the World University Games and World Championships this summer.

A total of 12 awards, which celebrate and honour the fantastic work and outstanding accomplishments of Swim Ireland’s athletes, coaches and volunteers, were handed out on the night.

Among them was Bert O’Brien, from Sandycove SWPC, who was awarded the Water Polo

Rachel Lee, left, is presented with the Open Water Swimmer award by Sarah Keane

Outstanding Achievement Award for his involvement with the sport which spans over 40 years.

Malahide’s Rachael Lee was winner of the Open Water Swimmer of the Year award. She won the 2014 Liffey Swim as well as the 10K National Open Water Swim at Lough Dan. T here was a huge cheer as Brian Sweeney collected the Club C o a c h o f t h e Ye a r Award; a huge number of members of his Templeogue Club attended to celebrate the occasion.

Club swimmer of the year went to Tallaght’s Antoinette Neamt for her outstanding perf o r m a n c e s i n 2 014

which included a number of Irish junior records.

Ten junior international athletes were also honoured on the night, they represented Ireland at European junior championships in swimming and diving and at the World Youth Olympics.

Over 20 volunteers were honoured with awards for their services and involvement in the aquatics over the past 20 years.

The final part of the evening saw two inductions into the Swim Ireland Hall of Fame. Anne Cummins presented the first in a touching tribute to her sister Marian Fenton and the second was presented by past

president Wally Clarke to Norman Green who had huge involvement in swimming in the 1970s and 1980s.

Speaking after the event, Swim Ireland’s chief executive Sarah Keane said: “We are delighted each year to be able to celebrate the great accomplishments of our athletes and coaches and to recognise our volunteers for the hard work that they do, that sometimes goes unnoticed.

“The awards night gives us the opportunity to celebrate and remember the hard work that ever yone puts into our sports; swimming, water polo, open water, diving and masters swimming.”

Aughney lays out 2015 Dublin marathon route  sport@dublingazette.com

Maria McCambridge on her way to finishing second in the women’s 2014 SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon

DUBLIN marathon race director Jim Aughney confirmed the route for this year’s race this week at the Mansion House with the event set for Monday, October 26.

Over 19,000 people took part in the SSE Airtricity Dublin Race Series last year, and over 14,600 runners, joggers and walkers entered the SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon.

The 2015 marathon route will follow the same course as the previous marathon in 2014 where changes had to be made

due to the Luas works in Dublin City Centre.

The route will start on Fitzwilliam Square and end at Merrion Square as per recent years, but it will run along St. Stephen’s Green towards Meath Street, Lord Edward Street and Parliament Street, taking in City Hall and Dublin Castle – two well-known Dublin landmarks – before entering the quays and moving towards the Phoenix Park.

Last year’s race finish from Mount Street Lower towards Merrion Square proved a success

with the runners and spectators so it remains the same for 2015.

Last year, Kenyan Eluid Too was a surprise winner of the overall title with a time of 2.14.47 while defending champion Maria McCambridge lost out by four seconds to EstherWanjiru Macharia of Kenya who crossed the line in a great time of 2.34.15.

“As the leading marathon in Ireland, we are continuing to improve the standard of marathon running in this country while also increasing participation rates.

“This year, the SSE Airtricity

Dublin Marathon is one of two major events announced as part of the new initiative to attract members of the diaspora to participate, with numerous networking events being organised in the lead up to our races,” said Aughney.

The SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon was also announced as the winner of the best international event at the Running Awards in London last month where they were up against tough competition from the Boston Marathon and the TCS New York City Marathon.

14 May 2015 Gazette 29

Gazette

Christie’s mission to Box and Burn in LA Lucan BC’s Kerrie Christie is aiming to become one of the world’s top female boxing coaches; she tells JAMES HENDICOTT of her move to the US to hone her skills BOXING coach Kerrie Christie has gone in search of her slice of the American dream, moving to Los Angeles to hook up with notable pro gym Box N Burn.

The move is the Lucan native’s latest in her ambitious mission to become “boxing’s premier female coach”.

Christie already has an impressive sporting background, coming to boxing after injuries forced her from soccer and immediately taking to the sport.

She quickly won an invite to train at Paschal Collins’s Dublin pro gym the Celtic Warrior Boxing Club, where she’s been for the past four years.

There, she worked with the likes of prospects Luke Keeler and Jono Carroll who are making big strides in

the professional game as well as world title hopeful Stephen Ormond.

Recently, Christie became the first Irish woman ever to gain a formal coaching qualification, picking up her BUI licence earlier this year. It’s a success for which she’s particularly grateful to Collins.

The move to LA, of course, brings with it a host of new challenges.

“I’ve become a very small person in a big city,” the Dubliner says of her Californian relocation. “I have to establish myself as a hard worker and a reputable trainer.

It’ll take time, but as the years go by I’ll be looking for that world champion.”

It sounds ambitious, but Christie’s going in at a top location, and is well-placed to make seri-

ous strides.

B ox N B u r n h a s recently developed into a small chain, and has seen some high-profile athletes pass through over the years.

These have included world champion boxer Chris Van Heerden and UFC champion Chris Weidman.

“The gyms are owned

by Tony Jeffries and Kevan Watson”, Christie told the Dublin Gazette.

“Tony is an Olympic medal winner and an undefeated pro boxer, and Kevan is one of the world’s leading fitness trainers. Ireland’s own Wayne ‘Pocket Rocket’ McCullough is also part of the team.”

To get her foot in the door, Christie took the direct approach, presenting the owners with her impressive CV on her sec-

Kerrie Christie, centre, with Tony Jeffries and Kevan Watson

ond trip to LA They were evidently impressed.

“The two guys sponsored my visa”, she explains. “They gave me so much support along the way. They’ve made the dream a reality.”

The faith shown comes in part from a lifelong knack Christie has for

“Blue skies, amazing weather, lovely beaches and people who want to stay fit and healthy; it’s an amazing place”, she tell us. “As [gym owner] Tony always says, ‘it’s like living on holiday’.”

Not that the holiday feel is slowing Christie down. “I loved the

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

‘My mission is to become boxing’s premier female coach - Kerrie Christie’

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

connecting when coaching.

“I’ve been told I have great patience and can adapt to how different people learn, and being very passionate helps, too. When it comes to boxing, it can be a very mental game.

“The biggest challenges you’ll face are trying to get inside your fighter’s head and understand how they think and how they work before and during a fight. It’s a tough sport to be in, and sometimes, if your head’s not right, you can lose a fight before it even starts.

“Packie Collins at Celtic Warrior has a great understanding of the psychological side having studied sports psychology.”

It’s not taken long for Christie to take to her new environment, but then again, why would it.

gym from the moment I stepped into it,” she says.

“It’s packed on a daily basis, from pro athletes to members of the public who want to learn to box.

“The atmosphere’s electric. I want to do the best job I can with these guys,” says the driven athlete, who cites Katie Taylor as a major inspiration. “Katie made the path for women a lot easier, which has really helped me.

“There’s never been a female world champion with a female trainer. It’s a wild dream, and it’ll take years to get to that level, but it’s achievable.

“I can’t wait to spend my next five years here and help the Box N Burn name keep growing throughout LA.” With Christie’s record and determination, you’d be a fool to bet against her.

FastSport

Wild Rovers and Declan’s land Dublin Masters titles THE third Dublin masters tournament saw men’s Over-40s and Over-50s along with the women’s Over-40s teams from home and abroad battle it out for the title at a series of games across Dublin.

This year’s line up of teams was arguably the strongest yet and the standard seen at all levels is a testament to the quality of players participating.

Following the group games, the men’s Over40s saw Aberdeen and St Declan’s meet in one semi-final and St Vincent’s versus Trailblazers in the other. In two enthralling encounters, St Declan’s clawed back a 10-point deficit to win by four points, while Trailblazers just about overcame St Vincent’s by two points.

In the Over-40s women, 2014 winners Wild Rovers had to work very hard to beat a very good Edinburgh team and Oblate Dynamos held off the Dublin All Stars.

It set up a series of top notch finals in the Oblate Hall on Sunday. The Over-50s final proved a classic between Rathmines and London Eagles. London Eagles built a six-point lead and held it for most of the game. In the last 20 seconds, though Sean Wynne hit four free throws to tie the game and bring it to overtime.

By this stage, London had lost three key players to foul trouble and Rathmines went on to lift The Mick Brew Memorial Trophy.

Following the game, Rathmines Paul Gallen was inducted into the Irish Masters Basketball Hall of Fame in recognition of his dedication and service to Masters Basketball in Ireland.

In the women’s final, Oblates were missing a key players due to injury for their title battle with the Wild Rovers who contained current Irish international Suzanne Maguire and former internationals such as Catriona White. They ran out comfortable winners and retained the Joe Kavanagh Cup. The eagerly awaited men’s Over-40s cup final saw St Declan’s team pay tribute to John McDonagh who sadly passed away in February.

His former team mates were not going to let him down as they powered to an early lead which they never surrendered.

Gazette

30 BLANCH gazette 14 May 2015

SPORT

FastSport

soccer: dublin 15 club miss out on Liam Dodd Cup to Colepark

Excitement building for Knock’s Mini World Cup EXCITEMENT is starting to build at Castleknock Celtic following the announcement that their popular Mini World Cup is back for 2015.

This fun-based event has gained momentum in recent years and is much anticipated by families in the Dublin 15 Community. This year the theme is “football is coming home” and is open to all boys and girls born between 2002 and 2007. It takes place from Tuesday, June 2 to Saturday, June 6.

The last day is the family and finals day where all participants will play in their own World Cup final. For details, go to www.castleknockceltic. com.

Elsewhere, this weekend sees Castleknock Celtic take part in a series of DDSL finals: the Under-12s in the Hillary Cup against Whitechurch FC; and in the Under-13s Gerry Murphy Cup against Tolka Rovers. The games will take place on Saturday in the AUL Complex in Clonshaugh from 10am. The Celtic-Tolka final is a repeat of last season’s meeting when Tolka won.

Celtic are also continuing to chase down league titles. Their Under-11Gs tightened their grip on promotion and likely league title when they narrowly defeated Jobstown in Porterstown, with a hat trick from James Daly and one from Liam Greally, in one of the games of the season which swung both ways before being decided.

The Under-11D1 and F1 teams are also in the mix while the Under-12B team has secured promotion for the second successive season.

The Under-13A side, pictrued, were crowned league champions in the last week and promoted to the Major-division at Under-14.

Hartstown Huntstown endured mixed fortunes with their Sunday side confirmed league success but the Saturday side fell in the cup final

Hoolahan breaks Harts liam dodd cup final Colepark United Hartstown Huntstown sport@dublingazette.com

3 2

HARTSTOWN Huntstown were edged out of a lively Liam Dodd Cup Final last Saturday, losing out 3-2 to Colepark United at St Mochta’s home ground in Porterstown.

As has been something of a theme this season for Ballyfermot’s Colepark, English Championship star Wes Hoolahan’s cousin Paul’s goals proved vital.

The newcomers have now taken an incredible four league titles and the Sheeran Cup on top of this week’s win, all in just five years of existence.

Hartstown Huntstown

started the stronger, testing Colepark goalkeeper Steven O’Toole with a number of early efforts.

The pressure seemed to spur Colepark forward, however, with Hoolahan quickly bagging his first with a confident and precisely placed finish after winning a free kick for himself just a few yards outside the Hartstown penalty area.

The number 10 was to prove a constant threat, quickly doubling his tally shortly afterwards in a confident display.

He smashed into the Huntstown net from a Daniel McTiernan headed through ball, finishing with some serious power on the volley.

The side, nicknamed the Goats, found them-

selves with a comfortable lead going into half time.

Hartstown’s goals were a touch scrappier. The first came from a messy corner kick, smashed into the corner of the Colepark net by Chris Grace after the United defence couldn’t clear the bouncing delivery.

Colepark were able to keep Hartstown at a distance, however, despite some promising football from the Dublin 15 outfit.

With a 3-1 lead to hang onto, the lads in black and white looked convincing going forward, and proceeded to eke out several more impressive chances.

They were to face some hairy late moments, as a defensive mistake saw

Hartstown pull the score back to 3-2 with Grace snatching his second of the game.

T h e B l a n c h cl u b charged back to midfield to try and engineer a draw and extra time over the dying seconds.

It wasn’t to be, as a confident Colepark United side hung on to take the trophy.

Colepark’s miraculous rise over the past few years has arguably reached its most sensational this year, which also saw them come from 14 points behind then league leaders Liffey Wanderers with five games left to play to lift their fifth consecutive – and perhaps most unlikely - league title.

They even faced five of

the top seven sides in that sublime winning run, so Hartstown Huntstown were up against some substantial momentum.

Colepark’s 2-1 defeat in the final of the Liam Dodd Cup last year had prevented the side completing a league and cup double.

Only the night before this year’s encounter, Hartstown Huntstown had secured their own silverware, winning the LSL Sunday Major 1 title with a 2-0 victory over Inchicore Athletic that gives them an unassailable advantage ahead of their opposition at the top of the table.

Noel Bligh was on the mark in the victory to continue their swift move up the league ranks.

14 May 2015 BLANCH gazette 31

Gazette

Erin Go Bragh downed by the bankers  sport@dublingazette.com

ERIN Go Bragh opened their junior E championship campaign off with a tough tie against AIB on Sunday, falling 2-9 to 0-7.

The game, originally scheduled for AIB’s home ground of DCU St Clare’s, was played in Hazelbury Park after DCU was declared unplayable on

Friday evening.

It was the visiting team who opened the scoring and extended their lead to three points in the opening 15 minutes.

Erin Go Bragh eventually got a score on the board 20 minutes into the game but had they been a bit more clinical in front of goal this may not have been the case.

The hosts eventually settled into the game and for the final 10 minutes placed the bankers under pressure to reduce the deficit to a point at half time.

Similar to a recent tie against St Monica’s, halftime appeared to be Go Bragh’s worst enemy as they lost the momentum of the first half with AIB

starting the second half brighter.

The two sides traded scores until an AIB goal put some daylight between the sides.

Erin Go Bragh tried hard to reduce the deficit but couldn’t convert enough of their chances and a late second goal sealed the points for the visitors.

hurling: somerton side win delayed final

Club Noticeboard st brigid’s FEILE Peil 2015 will take place this Sat-

Our club nursery runs as normal

urday and Sunday. St Brigid’s will host

this Saturday, May 16 from 9.30 to

the Division 3 Feile in Russell Park.

11am.

Best of luck to our U-14 footballers.

year-olds in the Castleknock and

place from Monday, June 8-13: Gaelic

Blanchardstown area and new mem-

football league for boys and girls from

bers and families are always wel-

U-6 to U-12 (and any U-13 kids still in

come. For more information, contact

national school).

Paul on 087 9154748.

The mini-leagues are open to St

Well done to our adult football

Brigid’s club members and non-

teams in the Dublin club champion-

members alike. To register online,

ships last week with four wins from

visit www.stbrigidsgaa.com.

four. This week sees the return of the

The annual golf classic will be held

The club lotto jackpot remains a

22. For further information, see the

massive €15,000 with the reserve ris-

club website or contact Paddy Davey

ing to €6,400 for this week’s draw in

on 086 8229312.

Myo’s on May 15.

THERE was no winner of this week’s lotto. The numbers drawn were 20, 21, 22 and 24.

Next week’s jackpot stands at €2,200.

Hard luck to our senior and junior A teams that both bowed out of their championships at the weekend.

The attention turns

Swan leads way for kings of the Castle

to the hurling champi-

division 6 feile final

championship semi

Castleknock Lucan Sarsfields  sport@dublingazette.com

4-8 1-1

CASTLEKNOCK’S Under-14 hurlers were crowned Division 6 Feile champions following a dominant display against Lucan Sarfields at Somerton Park last Saturday.

An impressive performance saw the local side run out 4-8 to 1-1 winners in the final with their west Dublin neighbours in a tie delayed by a week due to the inclement weather.

They had initially reached the final by emerging from a group

featuring Clontarf, Lucan and St Pat’s, Palmerstown before winning their semifinal by a single point against Na Fianna 1-2 to 1-1 thanks to a late goal.

That put them through to the final which was scheduled to be played in Blakestown but a deluge of rain meant that the fixture was postponed to Somerton last Saturday.

There, they put in a breathtaking performance to land the title.

Castleknock’s Luke Swan led the way with a personal tally of 2-5 in a match where the home team hardly put a foot wrong.

The early exchanges were fast paced with Dublin 15 side’s PJ Campbell and Cian McFadden quickly getting to grips with the game.

Sean Greene and Alan Kelly kept the forward lines well supplied with Knock full forward Swan taking full advantage and 1-3 to his credit in the first half.

Lucan’s fight back was rewarded with a pointed free from Jake Mooney but an Eoin Egan score gave Castleknock a six-point margin at the break.

After the break, Swan started smartly with a point and Egan scored

his second point. A busy Greene pointed a free to put distance between the sides.

Lucan battled throughout and Cahir O’Donnell and Jack Molloy defended well for the home side.

Luke Neville did snatch a goal for the visitors but further goals from Castleknock’s Niall Dolphin, Sean Clyne and Luke Swan put the result beyond doubt.

It continued the club’s excellent run in this year’s Feiles with the ladies footballers winning the Division 2 title while the A hurling side were Division 1 finalists.

Dublin hurling championships.

in Royal Tara Golf Club on Friday, May

Saint peregrine’s

The Castleknock Under-14 hurlers who won the Dublin Division 6 Feile title last Saturday. Picture: Jenny Benson

We welcome all four- to seven-

The annual mini-leagues will take

onship this week with our seniors taking on Kilmacud on Friday night. All support is more than welcome.

Our U-16 footballers battled bravely, but came up just short, against a very strong Parnells side in their final on Saturday. Well done to Tony and the lads and the very best of luck to Parnells in the final.

Our Feile footballers aim to go one better than the hurlers this weekend and best of luck to Ger, Dereck, Enda and the lads.

They host their group on Saturda y morning so ple a se come and suppor t them.

Don’t forget that this is the last week for the All Ireland Predictor competition.

32 blanch gazette 14 May 2015