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Gazette BLANCH

Oct 27 - Nov 2, 2016

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Tragedy fuels renewed call for road safety measures  IAN BEGLEY

Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you

SEND IN YOUR HALLOWEEN SNAPS

AFTER yet another needless death on the Hartstown/Hunstown Road, Fingal County Council have been asked to step up funding for effective traffic calming measures in the area.

Stephen Hyland’s tragic death this week is the second fatality to occur on this road within the space of a year.

In January, a women died after being struck by a car, alongside her friend who was seriously injured.

Pressure on the council spurred them to install speed reduction cushions,

speed readers and appropriate signage earlier this year.

However, many people believe more should be done.

Deputy Ruth Coppinger said this week: “This incident yet again highlights the need to proper investment in effective traffic calming measures.

“I understand that one of the main arguments against the inclusion of chicanes was cost.

“I am calling on Fingal County Council to alter the proposed scheme to include chicanes.”

TRIBUTES FOR STEPHEN - Page 5

2 BLANCH GAZETTE 27 October 2016

COUNCIL | CALL FOR BETTER SERVICES

91% of planning decisions are given approval  IAN BEGLEY A STAGGERING 91% of planning decisions made by Fingal over the past year have been given approval, with Malahide seeing the most applications made.

There has been an increase of 16.6% in the volume of planning applications received by the council to the end of August compared to the same period last year.

Chief executive Paul Reid told councillors at the October meeting of Fingal County Council that 822 planning applications were received in the first eight months of 2016 of which 758 deemed valid.

The majority of applications were in the Malahide area with 232, while Castleknock had 218, Balbriggan 200 and Swords 172.

He added that 850 planning decisions were

made by the council to the end of August, of which 739 were valid decisions with 91% of these granted permission.

The breakdown of the permissions revealed that 83 were for single house construction, 326 were for domestic extensions, 202 were in respect of commercial or retail permissions and 40 were for housing developments.

Of the latter, seven related to developments in excess of 100 for more housing units and 24 related to developments of less than 20 units.

Cllr Roderic O’Gorman (GP) told The Gazette that while the increase in planning applications for residential properties is welcome in light of the lack of housing across Dublin, it raises the need to facilitate better services in Dublin 15 for new residents, particularly when it comes to public transport.

He said: “The Census

2016 figures released earlier this year demonstrated three of the ten fastest growing areas in the entire country are in Dublin 15.

These planning application figures confirm that this trend will continue over the next few years.

Our bus and rail services are becoming increasingly congested and require additional resources to deal with this extra population.”

Meanwhile, there has been a significant increase in the number of FOI requests received by Fingal County Council since the Freedom of Information Act 2014 came into force.

The figure has risen from 54 in 2014 to 108 in 2015 and this is set to be exceeded in 2016 as 147 requests have been made up to the end of September. The majority of requests have come from members of the public and journalists.

We’re on the look out fur the perfect pic from our readers

WE AT the Gazette are just nuts about this photograph of an inquisitive squirrel sent in by Nicholas Keys.

The cute critter took time out from running about to have a quick snack, giving Nicholas the perfect opportunity to get this great shot.

The Gazette is always happy to feature photos from our readers – indeed, we’re looking out for

more of your shots!

If you’d like your photo (or photos) to appear in the paper, or to be shared on our social media, email your shot/shots to picturedesk@dublingazette.com.

Don’t forget to get the permission of whoever is in your shot(s), and we’ll also need to know Who, What, Why and Where, if relevant.

Good luck, and get snapping!

Residents urged not to supply bonfire material  IAN BEGLEY RESIDENTS are being advised not to supply bonfire material to youths this Halloween and instead avail of Fingal’s temporary free recycling centre.

Each year the council spend approximately €100,000 cleaning up bonfire remains. In an attempt to reduce this number Fingal are opening Coolmine Recycling Centre free of charge for the disposal of combustible materials such as wood, beds, sofas, chairs, etc to residents of Dublin 15 only.

Philip Jennings, coordinator of Safer Blanchardstown said: “Halloween is a time when young chil-

dren have loads of fun dressing up and playing Halloween games.

“Bonfires attract lots of drinking, anti-social behaviour and of course horrible looking expensive damage to local green spaces.

“Don’t support the bonfire material to youths in your area.

Fingal spends approximately €100,000 each year on cleaning up after youths.

“If you think this money could be better spent then support our Halloween initiative.”

To avail of this free service proof of address will be required.

This service will be available up until Saturday, October 28.

“Bonfires attract lots of drinking and anti-social behaviour.”

27 October 2016 BLANCH GAZETTE 3

Gaiety greats

HERE ARE JUST SOME OF THE MANY IRISH STARS WHO’VE SPARKLED AFTER ATTENDING THE SCHOOL

Musician Peter Devlin and fashionista Lorraine

Gaiety School of Acting director Patrick Sutton with actors Tara Egan-Langley, Victoria

Keane with director Patrick Sutton

McQuaid, Georgina Miller, Aileen Mythen and Joanne King. Pictures: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Star machine turns 30  EMMA NOLAN

SOME famous faces were spotted in Temple Bar on Sunday, as graduates of the Gaiety School of Acting celebrated the school’s 30th anniversary.

Lorraine Keane and PJ Gallagher were just two of the familiar faces dropping by for the celebrations, where they rubbed shoul-

ders with many up-and-coming stars. The school is known as the Alma Mater of a myriad of prominent actors, writers and theatre makers.

With former students including the likes of Colin Farrell, Aidan Turner, Olivia Wilde, Charlie Murphy, Sarah Greene, Deirdre O’Kane, Stefanie Preissner and Mark O’Halloran, the impact that

the college has had on the cultural landscape in Ireland is apparent.

In October, 1986, theatre director Joe Dowling opened The Gaiety School of Acting at a modest venue in Baggot Street.

His intention was to begin a tradition of professional actor training in Ireland that had thus far been lacking in the country.

Fast-forward 30 years, and

Dowling’s legacy lives on, as today Gaiety School of Acting graduates grace the cast lists of most films, television shows and theatre productions, both nationally and internationally.

Now under the directorship of Patrick Sutton, The Gaiety School of Acting still delivers a variety of courses to more than 2,000 students a year.

4 BLANCH GAZETTE 27 October 2016

COURTS | MAN FAILED TO DECLARE MONEY MADE FROM SELLING TWO PROPERTIES

Former hairdresser pleads guilty to €100,000 tax evasion THE father of a man from Clonee behind a multimillion euro hair extension company has pleaded guilty to evasion of €100,000 in tax.

John O’Sullivan (54) filed tax returns in 2009 which failed to declare money he made from selling two properties on Dublin’s North Strand Road in 2007.

He also admitted three charges of failing to make income tax returns for 2009, 2010 and 2011.

The former hairdresser’s son, Shane O’Sullivan, is the owner of Easilocks, a hair extension com-

pany that has projected a turnover of €5 million for this year.

John Fitzgerald BL, defending, told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that his client was now working for his son’s company.

He provided Judge John Aylmer with a folder detailing the many celebrity endorsements of the hair extension product and features from fashion magazines Vogue and Cosmopolitan.

Counsel said his client had not taken on any responsibilities for the tax affairs of Easilocks, whose turnover grew from €700,000 in

2013 to €1.9million in 2014.

The court heard that the total of the back income taxes and capital gains tax was €299,658.

O’Sullivan, of The Grove, Hunter’s Run, Clonee, Dublin has paid back €92,3921, leaving an outstanding debt of €207,267.

He has nine previous convictions, all for failing to make income tax returns.

In 2003, he was fined €2,856 at Dunshaughlin District Court for not making returns between 1995 and 2000.

He has been making regular

monthly repayments of €4,330, counsel said.

O’Sullivan pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to knowingly or willingly delivering an incorrect return for 2007 and to evasion of payment of tax on June 30, 2009.

Counsel for O’Sullivan said that the father-of-six began buying and selling property during the boom but when this ended, his funds dried up very quickly.

Mr Fitzgerald said that money his client had put on the long finger to discharge his tax liabilities was sud-

denly no longer available to him.

Changes He said the success of his son’s company had resulted in a sudden and radical change in his client’s financial circumstances and he asked the judge to allow his client to remain out on bail so he could continue to pay off his debt.

Judge John Aylmer agreed to do this and adjourned the sentence to October of next year.

He said he would like to see an increase in the amount of the regular repayments by that time.

Irwin plans Dail protest over kids’ hospital snub  IAN BEGLEY JACK & Jill Foundation CEO Jonathan Irwin has vowed to stand outside the gates of Leinster House in protest of being “locked out” of a meeting about the National Children’s Hospital.

Campaigners calling for the new children’s hospital to be built on the Connolly Hospital Jack & Jill Foundation CEO Jonathan Irwin campus instead of at the St James’s site will The foundation’s CEO Cancer Society present.

“This is a message that be attending a Leinster Jonathan Irwin, is highly House Committee on critical of the commit- matters to all Jack & Jill tee’s decision, saying families and supporters.

October 27.

The Connolly for Kids “without inviting Jack It is a flat no, with absoHospital (C4KH ) group & Jill along is like talk- lutely no explanation as were granted a public ing about cancer without to why.”

The Jack & Jill CEO meeting with the Joint the Irish Cancer Society is encouraging his supOireachtas Commit- present”. tee on Health who will In an open letter on porters to email a letter also hear the views of Facebook, Irwin wrote: of complaint, asking why the National Paediatric “As I’ve said to the chair- the children’s charity Hospital Development man of the committee, has been “locked out” of Dr Michael Harty, hold- the meeting on October Board.

However, the Jack & ing an enquiry into the 27.

Jill Foundation – one location of the location Plans are already of the main supporters of the National Chil- underway to locate the of the campaign group dren’s Hospital without new hospital at the St – has had a request inviting Jack & Jill along James’s campus in the to attend the meeting is like talking about can- city centre, but camcer without the Irish paigners are urging the rejected.

decision to be reversed.

Even though he wasn’t invited to the meeting, Jonathan Irwin has vowed to be at Leinster House on the day.

He added: “The location of the National Children’s Hospital is not a done deal and this inquiry by the health committee, which includes our good friends Connolly 4 Kids, is both timely and hugely important, as it’s never too late to call a halt to the wrong decision.

“One way or another I intend to be there on October 27, even if it is in the visitor’s gallery, or I’ll stand outside the gates of Leinster House in protest if I have to.”

During the meeting, C4KH will be able to outline their views in a five-minute opening statement and take part in an open discussion with members of the committee.

The meeting starts at 9am and will be aired live on the Oireachtas TV channel.

27 October 2016 BLANCH GAZETTE 5

HERITAGE

Adrian’s in step with all councils  SYLVIA POWNALL

A N OV E L r e c o r d attempt moved a step closer earlier this month when Fingal County Council welcomed Adrian Hogan to the public gallery at County Hall in Swords.

Adrian plans to attend a full council meeting in each of the 32 counties this year, to mark the centenary of the 1916 Rising, and has just four to go.

Mayor Cllr Darragh Butler (FF) was happy to accede to his request for a letter on council paper verifying his attendance.

DEATH | ‘IN SHOCK AND HEARTBROKEN TO HEAR OF THE PASSING OF STEPHEN’

Tributes paid to Blanch man killed in motorbike accident  IAN BEGLEY TRIBUTES have poured out for the young man who tragically lost his life in a motorcycle accident last weekend.

Stephen Hyland, a 24-yearold motorcycle enthusiast who lived in the Blanchardstown area, has been described as a true gentleman “who would do anything for anyone”.

Gardai said that Stephen’s bike collided with another motorcycle on the Hartstown Road at approximately 6.50pm on Saturday.

It has now emerged that friends riding alongside Stephen desperately tried to resuscitate him before paramedics arrived.

He was then rushed to Connolly Hospital where he died

Stephen Hyland was just 24

a short time later. The second motorcyclist was uninjured.

Beloved friends of Stephen took to Facebook to express their condolences and memories of the Blanchardstown local.

One friend wrote: “I thought I’d never have to put up a status like this but I’ve been waiting for someone to tell me it’s a dream and the sad news to hear that Stephen Hyland had passed away. Absolutely shocked that this had happened.

“Stephen you were one of the nicest people I have come across. You always had a smile on your face and never had a bad thing to say as a brother, son, godfather ,and friend to everyone tat has known you.”

Another commenter said: “Absolutely in shock and heartbroken to hear of the passing of Stephen. A true gent... you were always popping into my last flower shop with lattes for me, or for a chat or to give my then puppy some

cuddles.”

Another close friend of Stephen wrote: “I’m devastated me brother Stephen Hyland passed away. Was only talking to him today. He was the absolute rock in the job that kept me head together in work.

“God takes the best pal. I drove home behind ye every night from work to make sure u got home safe brother.”

Fr Binoi Mathew of Blakestown church said he witnessed the aftermath of the accident.

“I was doing an evening mass in Hartstown last evening when the accident happened.

When I stepped outside I saw all of the commotion.

“I’m still not aware of all the details, but I saw the ambulance and fire service trying to give CPR and resuscitate

the young man next to the two bikes that collided.

“The accident that occurred was about 200 metres before the roundabout near the crossroads in Huntstown.

“When I came back to the area after doing another mass I saw that the guards had cordoned off the area.”

The Hartstown Road, at the Community College was closed in both directions for the forensic collision investigators to carry out their investigations.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information is asked to contact them at Blanchardstown Garda Station on 01 - 6667000, The Garda Confidential Line 1800 666111 or any Garda Station.

6 BLANCH GAZETTE 27 October 2016

DUBLINGazetteGALLERY |

PARTICIPANTS FROM COMMUNITY COMPETE IN

Minister Leo Varadkar competing in the Kube Ivan Hennigan, Helena Kelly and Claire Martin. Pictures: ALISON O’HANLON

Ann Duffy and Emma Goodall

Tanya Ennis and Ian Byrne

Laura Courtney, Trish Gilmartin and Angela Lacey

27 October 2016 BLANCH GAZETTE 7

THE KUBE, RAISING MUCH-NEEDED FUNDS FOR JUNIOR AND SENIOR SCHOOLS

All fun and games for a good cause L

OCAL politicians Minister Leo Varadkar and TD Jack Chambers were on their game as they took part in a fundraising version of popular TV show Kube in Westmanstown Sports and Leisure Club. The

event was organised by Mary Mother Of Hope National School in Clonee and it also saw the school’s principal and many teachers taking part. As well as Kube games there were plenty of goodies to be raffled.

Linda Mathews and Tracy McGuirk

Monica Bridgette and Mick Flanagan

Ashley King and Marian Sheridan

Mark Breen competing in the Kube

Lisa Buckley, Susan Markey Pollard, Lee Haines, Paul Kavanagh, Colette Haran and Mark Cunningham

Jackie Carroll, Amanda Gearon, Lindsay and Catherine Clancy

Fianna Fail TD Jack Chambers

Jean Murdiff, Yvonne Cunningham and Lorraine Uzell

8 BLANCH GAZETTE 27 October 2016

MARIA | ‘BETTER TREATMENT, IS THE ONLY THING THAT IS GOING TO HELP THESE CHILDREN’

Mother of child with rare skin condition appeals for funding  IAN BEGLEY A BLANCHARDS TOWN mother whose one-year-old daughter has a rare and painful genetic skin condition is asking people to help to ease her child’s suffering by wearing a special butterfly tattoo this week.

Little Maria Spirge has a severe form of the “butterfly skin” disease EB (epidermolysis bullosa) which leaves most of her body covered in open wounds.

This incredibly painful condition causes the skin layers and internal body linings to blister and wound at the slightest

touch.

One of only 300 people in Ireland with EB, Maria has to be bandaged almost from head to toe to protect her from everyday life.

“Before Maria was born I had never even heard of EB, to discover what it means was an awful shock,” said Maria’s mum Gunita.

Originally from Latvia and Lithuania, Gunita and her partner Greg and son Mark (8), have made Blanchardstown’s Waterville area their home.

“When it’s severe, what EB does to the skin is scary,” said Gunita.

“Children like Maria cannot have a normal

childhood. There will be no playing in the playground for her.

Even in her own bedroom everything has to be padded.

“This is why we need research to help find a cure and better treatment, it is the only thing that is going to help these children and the adults who have EB.” Dr Avril Kennan, head of research at Debra Ireland, explains why more research is needed.

“EB brings a lot of pain and another major side effect is the awful itching that accompanies the healing process,” she said.

“We all know how much you want to scratch

a healing wound, so imagine having wounds all over your body that itch horrendously as soon as they start to heal.”

O c t o b e r 2 4 -2 9 i s National EB Awareness Week and Debra Ireland, the charity that supports EB patients, is trying to raise vital funds to help people with EB through day-to day family support and research to find a treatment for one of butterfly skin’s most harrowing side effects – extreme itch.

Text costs €4. DEBRA Ireland will receive a minimum of €3.25. Service Provider: LIKECHARITY. Helpline: 076 6805278.

Baby Maria Spirge and her family

27 October 2016 BLANCH GAZETTE 9

Out and About

Clare Lacey, Fiona Kerrigan and Edel Armstrong

Marking a milestone

COOLMINE Musical Society celebrated 35 years of entertaining the local community and further afield in the Crowne Plaza last weekend. It was a night of great stories, music and lots of dancing. Some of the founder members including Esther Gray, Aine Cody, Celia Quirke and Catherine Kennington enjoyed sharing what Coolmine Musical Society meant to them.

Grace Ibikunle, Caragh Costello and Pamela Lamikanra

Andew Gallagher

Robbie & Kim Quearney.jpg

Sarah Hall, Stuart Pollock and Eva Kelly

Esme Molina and Ray Lowry

10 GAZETTE 27 October 2016

GazetteGALLERY

| SUPPORTING A BOY SEEKING LIFE-CHANGING SURGERY

Robbie Kane and Allanna Hennessy

The star of the evening - Rory Gallagher with his mother, Shauna. Pictures: Louise Hannon Photography

Voice of Ireland winner Patrick James

Mr Ireland, AKA Darren King

Gathered in Lillies to help little Rory A

HOST of well-known faces rubbed shoulders at a Lillies Bordello fundraiser last weekend to help support a brave little boy called Rory Gallagher. The four-year-old was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at age six months, and cannot walk. However, his parents – Shauna and Gerry – have persevered to help Rory all his life, and are currently trying to raise €80,000 to send Rory to America for operations on his legs. Hosted by Fair City’s Dave O’Sullivan and George McMahon, some of the familiar faces supporting Rory’s night include Steven Mangan (Red Rock), Teena Gates, Miss Ireland Niamh Kennedy, Mr Ireland Darren King, Allanna Hennessy and more.

Lynn Brooks

Miss Ireland 2016, Niamh Kennedy

George McMahon, Robbie Kane, Dave O’Sullivan and Steven Mangan

Relaxing despite the excitement

27 October 2016 GAZETTE 11

GAZETTE

12 GAZETTE 27 October 2016

DUBLINBUSINESS

Chopped to create 120 jobs LAUNCH | NCBI NOW HAS AN ONLINE PRESENCE CHOPPED, Ireland’s leading healthy fast food outlet, has a recruitment drive to fill 110 new positions across Dublin and Kildare.

The positions on offer, a mix of full- and parttime, will service five new Chopped outlets opening in the next month.

T h e f a s t g r ow i n g healthy food chain is looking for new store managers, supervisors, breakfast chefs and choppers.

Aramark, which recently agreed to an exclusive five-year stra-

tegic partnership with Chopped to expand the healthy fast food chain’s presence in the corporate, education and industry sectors in Ireland, will open and manage the new Chopped outlet at The Loop at Dublin Airport.

In addition to the new Chopped airport experience, four other outlets will open over the next month in the Pavilions Shopping Centre in Swords, O’Connell Street, Talbot Street and in the Whitewater Shopping Centre in Newbridge, Co

Kildare.

The impressive growth of Chopped over the past year has recently seen the company named Ireland’s “Best Emerging Franchise” at the Irish Franchise Awards in April and Brian Lee named as a finalist in the “Best Emerging Entrepreneurs” category at the 2016 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

To work with Chopped p l e a s e v i s i t w w w. chopped.ie/jobs.html or follow Chopped on Jobbio.

Charity bids to appeal to eBay customers  EMMA NOLAN

CHARIT Y shops are getting with the times.

What once used to be a rummage through the ‘seco’ for a bargain is now being transformed into a streamlined user friendly experience.

NCBI, the National Council for the Blind of Ireland, have just launched a charity shop on eBay Ireland.

The move comes as the charity strives to expand their offering by appealing to the 162 million global users of eBay and adapt to the current perception of charities in Ireland and how they’re run.

“Irish people don’t tr ust charities any more,” CEO of NCBI tells The Gazette.

“Charities have gained a terrible reputation in the Irish media due to the corruption that was unveiled this year.”

As a result, Chris says that NCBI’s funding has dramatically decreased.

Chris White, CEO of NCBI and Hazel Mitchell, site director of eBay Ireland, at the launch of NCBI’s eBay

loved designer brands to first edition copies of classic literature titles.

NCBI provide a number of services for people with sight loss including librar y, employment, training and counselling services.

Chris says that all of these services and more are in need of additional funding because it’s not coming from the Government.

In Dublin, there are 22 NCBI charity shops.

store. Picture: MAXWELLPHOTOGRAPHY.IE

“All charities have been hit with this lack of trust now, so we had to come up with another way to make ends meet.

“We need to come up with innovative ways to generate funding and we’re trying to do is appeal to a bigger market.

“So rather than people who would come and visit our shops in Ireland, we’re looking to broaden our offering to a global market.”

Chris believes that having an online presence will be an armour for charity shops in the future and says that NCBI are modelling their approach on the British Heart Foundation who are raising £1.5million a year from their eBay shop alone.

“We’re trying to get into a digital space that we haven’t been in before,” he says.

The online store features a diverse range of items from coveted pre-

Banana firm’s campaign appeals to award judges S WOR D S - b a s e d b a n a n a importer Fyffes has reason to celebrate – the company was honoured with the Best Marketing Campaign award at the recent 2016 Louth Business Awards.

Coupled with its contribution to both the local and wider community in Ireland, Fyffes, which also has operations in Dundalk, was acknowledged for its recent Discover More communications initiative – the impact of which can be seen across

the organisation’s corporate and brand communications platforms throughout its core European markets.

Accepting the award on behalf of Fyffes at the annual gala dinner attended by over 500 guests, the company’s sales and marketing manager Emma Hunt-Duffy (right) said: “Fyffes is honoured that the Discover More campaign has been recognised with this award, alongside the many grass-root charities and initiatives we are involved in.”

Disaster Just last week, disaster struck at their Francis Street premises when it was burned down when a rogue firework caused the shop to set fire.

Despite this set back, Chris says they have started to rebuild the premises and hope to reopen soon.

T he eBay store is gaining traction too as they just sold a Versace handbag online for €350.

“A bargain,” Chris says.

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



GAZETTE

DUBLINLIFE

27 October 2016 GAZETTE 13

Highlighting the horrors of poverty  IAN BEGLEY

HALLOWEEN is being brought to Dublin classrooms with a new campaign that gives students the chance to go to school dressed up while helping people living the horrors of poverty overseas.

Primary and secondary schools are signing up for the Hunger Heroes campaign, run by Irish aid agency Concern Worldwide, which teaches students about world hunger and food waste.

The campaign involves fun-filled awareness and fundraising activities, like a Hunger Heroes Day where stu-

dents dress up for one day.

Scoil na Mainistreach in Celbridge, Co Kildare, asked their 600 pupils to leave their grey uniforms at home and to arrive in costume, which saw many dress as super heroes and other colourful characters.

The pupils, aged four to twelve, dressed as Star Wars villains Kylo Ren and Darth Vader and there was also a ghostbuster, Captain America, Spiderman and Batman.

Concern’s school programme officer, Claire Marshall, said: “While Halloween is a fun holiday for us here in Ireland, a real horror exists for millions of people living in hunger and

suffering the effects of climate change.

“People living in countries like Malawi, Mozambique and Ethiopia live in what would to us be a nightmare with their livelihoods and food sources destroyed by droughts and floods due to the effects of climate change, exacerbated by the El Nino and La Nina weather events.

“The frightening result of this, mixed with conflicts and other issues, is that every night, 795m people go to bed hungry and every morning 66 million children go to school hungry.”

Concern said people can fight climate change by changing how they dispose of their waste and by not

wasting food, which involves ensuring we store our food correctly.

Claire Marshall added: “In Ireland, over one million tonnes of food waste is disposed of each year and one third of that is from households. If that food waste is put into general rubbish bins it ends up in a landfill and creates the ozone damaging methane gas, which contributes to climate change and the droughts and crop failures that leave millions in need of food aid.

“Hunger Heroes is about fighting hunger and food waste locally and in our schools, and even in our kitchens.

“One of the things we teach is how to store food properly in a fridge and

how foods like mushrooms, onions and potatoes should be stored.

“We are urging schools and students to become hunger heroes and learn how they can use their own powers to help fight this problem.”

Every school that takes part is sent an information pack full of games, posters, fact sheets and lessons for students, who each get a Hunger Hero certificate for participating, and a Concern representative can also go to the school to help set up campaign workshops. To take part in the campaign, contact Concern’s Claire Marshall at schools@concern.net or 01 4178078.

GAZETTE

14 GAZETTE 27 October 2016

DUBLINLIFE

DIARY

Dublin Zoo gets into the Halloween spirit TO celebrate Halloween, Dublin Zoo has announced a spooktacular line-up of activities taking place on Monday, October 31.

From 12 to 4pm, visitors are invited to Dublin Zoo for an unmissable afternoon which will include a creepy animal trail, festive keeper talks as well as spooky arts and crafts!

Face painters will be on hand to give trick or treaters the exciting opportunity to transform into friendly or scary Halloween characters for the annual monster-themed disco on the Great Lawn.

What’s more, children who come to the Zoo dressed in costume can get in for half price!

For more information,

visit www.dublinzoo.ie or https://www.facebook. com/DublinZoo/.

TRICK OR TREAT FOR TEMPLE STREET THIS Halloween, Imaginosity, the Dublin Children’s Museum in Sandyford kick off their celebrations with a special after hours “Trick or Treat for Temple Street” Halloween Spooktacular.

Taking place on Friday, October 28 from 5.30 to 7.30pm, visitors will be treated to a Halloween disco, spooky storytime, Halloween games, superhero meet and greet and a monster raffle.

Limited tickets are available for the event and go on sale each Friday during October

from 9.30am, by calling 01-2176130.

All proceeds from the night will go directly to Temple Street Children’s Hospital.

There will be lots of additional spooky goings on at Imaginosity to keep the kids entertained until October 31.

Visit www.imaginosity. ie for further information.

BETTING STOPPED ON NIALL’S FUTURE BOYLESPORTS have been forced to suspend betting on Niall Horan to leave One Direction before the end of 2017 after a flurry of bets last Thursday morning.

Niall was initially installed at 11/2 to leave the band before the end of 2017 earlier in the

“Another bet of €100 was placed within an hour of the first bet along with numerous bets of tenners and twenties.

Our traders smelled a rat and had no choice but to pull the plug on the market.”

REAL LIFE STARS OF ‘NARCOS’ COMING FANS of Netflix

DEA agents Steve Murphy and Javier Pena played by Boyd Holbrook and Pedro Pascal in TV show Narcos

week, as well as being priced at 9/2 to land his own UK or Irish chat show after impressing on Graham Norton’s show.

The Mullingar native is 33/1 to have a statue erected in his home town before the end of 2020.

Liam Glynn, BoyleSports’ spokesperson said: “We were flooded with bets on Niall Horan to leave One Direction on Thursday morning with the biggest being a bet of €150 placed in his home town.

show Narcos may be excited to hear that the two agents portrayed in the show are coming to Vicar Street in December.

DEA agents Javier Pena and Steve Murphy were responsible for taking down drug lord Pablo Escobar and were the inspiration for the hugely popular Netflix crime series which tells

the story of Colombia’s infamous drug cartels and Escobar’s fight to maintain his position as the most powerful player.

Agents Pena and Murphy will be joined on stage with Mike Sheridan, of entertainment.ie, and will speak about the rise and fall of the Medellin Cartel and the role the Agents played in bringing down its notorious leader, the ‘King of Cocaine’.

The evening’s discussion will shed light on their input into the hit Netflix series, where they will reveal information which does not feature in the show, followed by a Q&A session with the audience.

Tickets are on sale now from Ticketmaster at €33.50.

27 October 2016 GAZETTE 15

GAZETTE

FOOD&DRINK

It’s getting hot in here!

Currabinny have teamed up with Tabasco and created some hot ’n’ spicy recipes  EMMA NOLAN

CURRABINNY, the catering business set up by Snapchat star James Kavanagh and his partner William Murray have teamed up with Tabasco and created some hot ’n’ spicy recipes.

James and William have come up with some interesting ways to use the cupboard staple with their own unique twist.

“Spicy doesn’t necessarily mean volcanic; you can easily add a nice depth of flavour with Tabasco which gives certain dishes a delicious kick,” says James.

James Kavanagh and William Murray

Spicy Halloumi Burger Ingredients l 1 aubergine l 5 tbsp. olive oil l 1 tsp salt l 1 x 200g pack of halloumi cheese l 4 burger buns l 170g mayonnaise l 60g tahini l Two tablespoons lemon juice l 1 clove garlic – minced l ½ teaspoon salt l few drops of tabasco l Two limes Method Preheat oven to 200 C

Slice the Aubergine and arrange on a roasting tray, season and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for roughly 20 to 25 minutes.

In a bowl whisk the mayo, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt and tabasco until creamy, add more lemon juice if the mixture is too thick.

Slice the Halloumi and pan fry until golden on both sides. I like to squeeze some lime juice over the halloumi while I fry it.

Toast the burger buns and add a large dollop of the tahini and tabasco sauce on each bun.

Arrange slices of halloumi and

BITESIZEDNEWS

Pasta made from Buckwheat and Chickpeas is now on Irish shelves

aubergine and top with a little rocket.

Smoked Mackerel with Tabasco & Lime Potato Salad Ingredients l 340g of new potatoes l 1 lime zested and juiced l pinch of pink peppercorns l smoked mackerel For the dressing l handful of parsley l handful of coriander l juice of 1 lemon l Three anchovies l tsp Dijon mustard l few drops of tabasco l 1 garlic clove l white wine vinegar l salt and pepper l 2 tbsp olive oil.

Method Cut potatoes in half,

needed.

Arrange potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle generously with the dressing.

P u l l t h e s m o ke d mackerel fillets gently apart into large pieces and arrange on top with slices of lime and add as little chopped coriander.

Roast Cauliflower and Bacon Soup Ingredients l One large head of Cauliflower cut into florets l Tabasco – a few drops l One small onion finely chopped l One clove of garlic crushed

Leave those pounds behind with an alternative pasta LOVE pasta but hate the bloat that comes afterwards?

A new brand of pasta made from Buckwheat and Chickpeas is now on Irish shelves.

Made in Dublin and Available at Supervalu, Leaves pasta is high in protein and is great for when you’re craving starchy goodness but are trying to watch your carb intake.

It has 50% more protein and three times more fibre than regu-

place in a large saucepan and cover with cold salted water.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes until cooked through.

Drain and toss with lime juice and zest.

Blitz all of the ingredients for the dressing in a food processor adding more oil if

lar pasta and it is also free from wheat, dairy and eggs.

While it doesn’t pass for the real thing, it will definitely appeal to fitness enthusiasts and is a decent substitute for regular pasta for weight loss.

It has a nutty taste that will stand up well to most sauces.

Leaves costs €3.99 for the 300g pack and €1.99 for the 100g pack in Supervalu and online at www. leavespurefood.com.

One tbsp. butter 1 bay leaf l Three tbsp. of Yoghurt l Thin bacon cooked until very crisp l Chicken stock l l

Method Preheat oven to 190 C Arrange cauliflower florets in a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with a few drops of tabasco. Roast for around 25 minutes until tender. In a pan cook the onion and garlic with the butter until soft. Add Cauliflower and cook for a further two minutes before adding enough chicken stock to cover everything along with a bay leaf. Simmer for 15 minutes and blend with a hand blender until smooth and creamy. Stir in yoghurt. Serve in bowls with crispy bacon and a few drops of tabasco.

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FEATURES

DON’S DUBLIN

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Faye Mulvihill, Tori O’Connor, Annya Mulville, Mary Kate Reidy and Fiona Kelly. Pictures: Robbie Reynolds

Home for ‘old soldiers’ is our best preserved 17th century building I don’t know how I had managed to avoid visiting The Irish Museum of Modern Art before, but I’m sure glad that I finally put that right.

Although it obviously concentrates on the Modern, there is much history to learn, too.

It’s a terrific place to visit, and I expect you’ll need a

Shannon O’Rourke, Ciara McParland and Margaret Soper

second one to “get it all in”.

The Irish Museum of Modern Art was established by the Government in 1990 as the first, national institution for the collection and presentation of modern and contemporary art. It was opened officially by An Taoiseach, Charles Haughey, on May 25, 1991, and since then it has become an influential presence in both Irish and international art. It is

la, Rathfarnham Girl Guides Caitriona Brennan, Inshiya Kagalwa y pictured Rosita Jackson, Rosie Gillis, Laura Tuite and Louise Dunleav IGG after receiving their Trail Blazer Awards. Also pictured are president Maureen Dillon, Rathfarnham Guide leader Heather Branch Bowen, IGG chief commissioner Helen Concannon and Guide

recognised for its extensive and informative exhibitions that attract 500,000 visitors each year.

The site where the building stands has an interesting history. James Butler, Earl of Ormonde and

chair Carol O’Brady.

Viceroy to King Charles II, was granted permission to build a home for “old soldiers”. He was impressed with the building Les Invalides, erected by France’s Louis XIV, and selected William Robinson (he also

Lara Johnston, from the Tavoli Girl Guides, Dun Laoghaire

designed Marsh’s Library) as the architect.

The old hospital on the site that dated back to the days of Strongbow was removed, and the foundation stone was laid in 1680. The work was completed in four years and what you now see is Ireland’s best preserved 17th century building. Much work by the Office of Public Works in the 1980s has really made the place “easy on the eye”, and it is no surprise they received a Europa Nostra in 1986.

Apart from the building you must visit the 18th century formal gardens. It was a treat walking past the neatly trimmed hedges, fountains and many, lovely statues.

There are art works at different points around the grounds, and you can always consider your next move in the friendly restaurant. The mixture of “old and new” works very well – it’s a delight.

Zara McGe, Megan Lawlor, Katie Redmond, Chloe Sheehan and

Don Cameron

Abigail Byrne

www.donsdublin.wordpress.com

Blazing a trail to the very top S

ixty-eight Girl Guides from around the country blazed a trail to Croke Park with their proud families and Guide leaders to celebrate reaching the pinnacle of Guiding. The Trail Blazer National Guide Awards were made in recognition of the successful completion of a series of challenges, including teamwork activities, outdoor survival skills, community service, global awareness and working with younger IGG members to help them develop confidence, independence and essential life-skills.

The 18th century formal gardens feature trimmed hedges, fountains and many lovely statues

Chief commissioner Helen Concannon, Lt Jennifer Larkin and President Maureen Dillon

Saidhbh Greene of Lucan Girl Guides pictured after receivin g her Trail Blazer Award at Irish Girl Guides’ National Award ceremo ny

Kellie Flannery of Howth

Girl Guides pictured after receiving her Trail Blazer Award at Irish Girl Guides National Award ceremony in Croke Park. Also pictured are IGG President Maureen Dillon, IGG chief commissioner Helen Concannon, Guide Branch chair Carol O’Brady and Regional Development officer and Howth Guide leader Mary

Chloe Hughes and Aoibhe Conway of Rivervalley Guides, Swords, pictured after

Clarke

receiving their Trail Blazer Awards

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fast

TRAVEL

Airline changes check-in window for passengers

IN a move that will most likely annoy and inconvenience many people, Ryanair is knocking back the check-in window for passengers who don’t pay for allocated seating.

From November 1, anyone who doesn’t have their seat assigned by the airline for free will only be able to check in from between four days and two hours before their flight.

Previously this service was available from one week in advance.

As many passengers will not be able to check in for their return flights before they leave home, this is likely to be inconvenient for those with

limited access to Wi-Fi or printers while abroad.

Passengers’ grievances around this new move include that data roaming can be expensive and not every airport is equipped to accept mobile boarding passes.

If technology proves problematic for passengers, there are hefty costs associated with printing boarding passes at the airport (€15/£15) and not checking-in in advance (€45/£45).

Some people feel that the move is designed to persuade travellers to pay extra to select their seats, as those who do so can check in up to 30 days before their flight.

Irish shop abroad rather than home for savings BARGAIN loving Irish shoppers say “better savings than at home” is the main reason they shop abroad, according to the survey from Expedia.ie.

Over 30% of Irish travellers admit to pinching pennies by stocking up abroad, second only to the Danes (35%) when admitting to shopping abroad to save.

The top reason for the romantic French, Spanish and Italian travellers is the love of shopping (34% 37%), only 22% of Irish travellers say the enjoyment of shopping is the reason they spend abroad.

Irish travellers top the list for buying clothes abroad, with 77% of Irish holidaymakers saying the shopped for clothing

on their last holiday.

Best value New York is considered by Irish travellers to be the best value for money (19%) and to have the highest quality items on sale (20%), while a huge 48% of Irish respondents surveyed said New York was the top destination they wanted to visit outside Europe, followed by Dubai (10%).

Dublin was towards the bottom of the list of European cities respondents wanted to visit to shop, less than 2% of those questioned rated Dublin as a shopping destination in Europe.

London, Paris, Milan and Barcelona were the top four destinations rated by the European respondents.

C’Mon The four-star Muckno Lodge with its private fishing lake is an idylic holiday destination in the beautiful Monaghan countryside

MONAGHAN IS A HIDDEN GEM JUST A SHORT DRIVE FROM DUBLIN  ALISON O’HANLON

SEDUCED by its serene beauty and “splendid isolation”, Paul McCartney showed he actually was still capable of impeccable taste when he chose the Monaghan countr yside as the “secret” location for his wedding to Heather Mills.

And yet, 14 years on from Castle Leslie owner Sir Jack Leslie famously letting slip to the world’s press that the wedding “is on Tuesday, but it’s a secret”, Monaghan is still one of Ireland’s least known destinations.

But that’s beginning to change as more and more Dubliners take the short drive north to the Land of Little Hills.

Just an hour from Dublin, Muckno Lodge is a stunning home from home in the rolling hills along the Monaghan border with South Armagh.

Nestled between its ow n private fishing lake, Lough Muckno and Concra Wood, the lodge is the per fect place to get away from it all. It’s the ideal destination for an intimate New Years gathering, a lads’ fishing trip or in our case, the perfect family weekend away.

The renovated traditional stone cottage is a fine example of old and new in perfect union (no offence to Macca) and this place is deceptively large – sleeping up to 10 comfortably.

Mod cons The lodge boasts all the usual mod cons, including free wifi and a fully equiped modren k i t c h e n t h a t wo u l d make Nevin Maguire jealous.

There’s even a games room with an air hockey table that doubles up as a pool table, so the kids will never have a dull moment.

With it’s fascinating, colourful history, Carrick is the picture perfect market town

Speaking of tables – the busy market towns of Castleblayney and Carrickmacross, with their numerous wecloming pubs and restaurants are just a short drive from Muckno.

Free walking tours of Carrickmacross, known locally as Carrick, can be arranged

by contacting the local Chamber of Commerce, and Jo, our guide, was as charming as he was informative as he took the family on a wondefully interesting tour of the old lace town.

A relaxing evening in front of the fire back at the Lodge was the perfect end to a great

d ay e x p l o r i n g C a rrick and the wonderful unspoiled countryside made famous by Monaghan’s favourite son, poet Patrick Kavanagh.

The following morning, after a refreshing stroll down to the lake with the kids, we took the short trip north, passing Glaslough and

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everybody

Alison’s “pencil holder” next to daughter Heidi’s wonderful jam jar

Castle Leslie and on to the beautiful old mill village of Mullen, home to Busy Bee Ceramics.

If you’ve never had a go on a pottery wheel, this is the place to give it a try. Put quite simply, it’s great fun!

Master potter Brenda McGinn has the patience of a saint, and she has a way of bringing out the creative side in anyone – even this reporter.

As Brenda explains: “We are all creators

at heart – its just we rarely get the chance to be creative, and that’s where I come in.”

The kids had a great time pottering about (sorry) and even mum and dad got to have a turn, though you’ll be glad to hear it was nothing like that scene from Ghost.

As well as produce beautiful, handcrafted pieces, Busy Bee Ceramics do hen parties, family days, birthday parties, and more,

and the experience is both novel and fun.

Brenda’s own original designs derive from a combination of Irish landscape and symbolism of ancient sacred tradition present all over the celtic realm.

Each Busy Bee Ceramics piece tells a story. Brenda spent a decade living in Killarney where the red deer of the National Park inspired her work.

Having returned to the “stony grey soil” of

Busy Bee Ceramics’ Brenda McGinn shows Anna how it’s done

her native Monaghan, she is now looking to the poetry of Patrick K av a n a g h a n d t h e region’s drumlins to inspire her new work.

Each piece is made by hand, either on a potter’s wheel or using a rolling pin.

Where to stay The plush four-star Muckno Lodge (mucknolodge.ie) has two self-catering units available: the large 5-bedroom cottage (sleeps up

to 10), from €390 per party for two nights; and a one-bedroom apartment next door that sleeps up to 3 from €150 for two nights.

Weekly rates are also available.

If self catering isn’t your thing, the Nuremore Hotel (nuremore. com) in Carrick has t wo - n i g h t m i d we e k breaks from €130pp (B&B plus one evening meal).

Carrickmacross Chamber offers free

heritage walking tours of the tow n, taking place every Saturday at 11am. Email info@carrickmacrosschamber. com for more details.

Busy Bee Ceramics (busybeeceramics.ie) organises pottery making and painting for individuals and groups.

Open 2-6pm Saturdays and 10am-5pm Wednesday to Friday.

Private bookings (groups of 10 or more) can be organised out of hours.

Heidi shows her handywork

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DUBLINLIFE

FEATURE

Accessorize

Bat Party Headband €8.90

Creepy Crawly Spider Ring €3.90

have a great selection of spooky-worthy pieces and dress up costumes that are sure to send a few chills down your spine

Cat Face Stickers €6.90

Swizzels, has launched a variety of fun Halloween themed sweets that are perfect for Halloween sharing occasions, from ghoulish parties with friends and family to trick or treating

Glitter Devil Horns €4.90

HALLOWEEN TREATS For the ultimate trick or treat party M&S has a great range of sweet treats that are in store now.

50 Zombie Jelly Brains €4.50

Eerie Eyeballs & Pumpkins €3.00

Dealz have some monster value in thier stores with everything from Halloween decorations to DVDs and ebtertainment

Keep Out Scary Sign

Warrior’s Axe

Light Up Ghost

Ghostly Mini Bites €3.90

Petrifying Pumpkins €3.00

Light Up Spider

27 October 2016 GAZETTE 21

WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN Spooktacular Gazette contest Congratulations to this week’s winner of the Gazette’s Halloween reader pix competition, Sharon Graham from Dun Laoghaire. Sharon sent in pictures of her fantastic garden full of creepy characters.

She wins a €100 voucher for BASE Entertainment Centre, Ireland’s newest and largest family entertainment centre.

Keep those spooktacular snaps coming in folks – we have great prizes for the best decorated Halloween garden, and we’ll have more for the best – and worst – dressed trick-or-treaters. Just email competitions@ dublingazette.com or upload your pix to our Facebook page. Happy snapping and have a safe and fun-filled Halloween everyone!

A special shout out to the students and Parents’ Association at St Marnock’s National School in Fingal for their fangtastic Halloween themed garden (below). Grrrreat work guys!

DUE to phenomenal public demand, Russia’s Ice Vision have announced extra dates for both Alice In Wonderland and the eagerly awaited Dracula On Ice, The Story Of Eternal Love at the National Show Centre in Swords next month.

And to celebrate the extra dates, The Gazette has THREE family passes to give away for BOTH spectacular productions.

To win a special day out for your family, all you have to do is visit The Gazette’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/DublinGazetteNewspapers, Like and Share our Ice Vision competition post and write which of the two shows you’d prefer to see in the Comments section.

So if you’d like to win four tickets to see Alice in Wonderland on November 24, just write “Alice” in the comments section, or if you’d prefer tickets to see Dracula on Ice the

GET YOUR SKATES ON

following day, just write “Dracula”.

Featuring top professional Russian skaters, the unique productions are sure to thrill audiences of both children and adults.

The beloved tale of Alice in Wonderland is transformed in a new and amazing spectacle for all the family.

Musical numbers in union with the art of dance on ice creates an unforgettable impression and enchanting show, permeating the soul of audiences of all ages.

The performance takes place on large-scale video scenery that plunge the viewer into the picture so spectators can experience the effect of following Alice through the rabbit hole.

Dracula On Ice retells Bram Alice in Wonderland Stoker’s classic novel featuring

Jonathan Harker, his beloved Mina, young Lucy, courageous and brave Van Helsing who devoted his life to fight dark forces; hungry and ruthless vampires and, of course, ominous Count Dracula.

Dracula On Ice includes acrobatic elements, air gymnastics, fire juggling and much more. Visitors will see large scale video-installations, exquisite costumes, interactive decorations, lighting and mirror balls incorporating the entire venue.

The mystical show features fog, red steam, flying vampires, fire on ice and extremely demanding ice skating elements: high support, death spirals, triple jumps – all complemented by charming music.

Visit www.mcaevents.ie for full details on the productions.

Dracula on Ice

Seeking talented BASE tour guides BASE Entertainment Centre want to let parents know about the fun things kids can do at the centre so they are recording a series of videos (to be posted on Facebook) to showcase their themed party rooms and activity areas.

They are seeking expert help from young people who can talk on camera about the fun that can be had at Base Enter tainment and show off the different rooms.

If there is a young person in your life who is a natural in front of camera, a comedian or just an all-round show-off, they want to hear from you.

To apply, please Facebook message them a clip of your child in action or email it to marketing@baseentertainment.ie To record the guided tour video clips on-site at Base, each competition winner will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

And at the end of it all, they will invite your superstar back to Base Entertainment with nine friends for a party on them valued at €250.

Entry deadline date Friday, November 4.

Swizzels launches spooky selection of sweet treats for Halloween Swizzels, has launched a variety of fun Halloween themed sweets that are perfect for Halloween sharing occasions, from ghoulish parties with friends and family to trick or treating.

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DUBLINLIFE

Darren Lacken, from Crow Street Collective, Temple Bar, winner of the Gold award in the Color Vision Category, with his model

Winners of the Silver and Bronze respectively in the same category, Alex Reid and Sinead Berrigan, with their models

Success is a snip for Wella colourists in a top UK/Ireland final  EMMA NOLAN Style Editor

SIX Dublin hairdressers have placed Gold, Silver and Bronze at the Wella Professionals TrendVision Award UK and Ireland Final 2016.

Darren Lacken, from Crow Street Collective in Temple Bar, was awarded one of the highest colour accolades in Ireland, winning the Gold award in the Color Vision Category.

Alex Reid, from Keville for Hair on Anne Street South, was awarded the Silver award in the same category, while Sinead Berrigan scooped the gold.

In the Creative Vision

category, Shauna Foreman and Nadine Walshe from House of Colour scooped the Silver and Bronze awards respectively.

Speaking on this year’s competition, Sinead O’Sullivan, education and events manager of Wella Ireland: “This is a huge accolade. There was fierce competition this year from amazing hairdressers throughout the country.

“The Wella Professionals TrendVision award is widely respected and not only recognises new talent, but encourages creativity at its finest. We wish the winners every success for the coming year.”

ALL ABOUT CLOTHES OF GREAT BEAUTY

&Other Stories

 EMMA NOLAN Style Editor

AHEAD of the & Other Stories Grafton Street opening this December, The Gazette previewed the brand’s Autumn/Winter 2016 collection.

Created in the Paris and Stockholm ateliers, this season’s collections feature a dark palette that is brought to life through shiny embellishments and pretty textures.

The Paris collection reflects the aesthetics of retro-futurism, which is a key inspiration throughout the season.

The Stockholm Atelier collection meanwhile conveys a sleek and precise

expression that is key for the current mood.

A date for the opening of the Dublin store – the first & Other Stories shop in Ireland – has not yet to be set, but it is likely it will be before Christmas.

It will replace the recently closed HMV on Grafton St, much to the delight of fashion lovers who can shop the brand online but have until now missed out on the beautiful store experience. & Other Stories is a member of the H&M family, along with COS, Monki, Weekday and Cheap Monday, and will offer women a wide range of shoes, bags, accessories, beauty and ready-to-wear selections.

27 October 2016 GAZETTE 23

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DUBLINLIFE

CINEMA ReelReviews

INFERNO

Still flaming awful THE latest blockbuster based on Dan Brown’s work continues its big screen run. In Inferno (Cert 12A, 121 mins) Tom Hanks returns as a globetrotting historian supersleuth, and this time he’s trying to prevent a deadly plaque breaking out and wiping out half the world. It’s a tired plot that Inspector Morse would have sneered at – Inferno will just be hellishly dull for many viewers.

While Doctor Strange doesn’t quite have the same widespread recognition as other Marvel figures, this film does a great job of introducing him, and shaking things up

DOCTOR ... WHO? YOU MAY NOT KNOW THIS CHARACTER, BUT YOU SOON WILL

Something Strange is afoot

A N O T H E R M a r ve l Cinematic Universe release, another review that comments on the studio’s well-worn cinematic formula.

D o c to r St ra n ge (Cert 12A, 115 mins), like all the MCU instalments before it, is fraught with the familiar beats, upbeat tone and signature brand of humour we’ve come to expect from Marvel.

While the studio’s “if it ain’t broke” approach has been steadily growing a little tired, Doctor Strange pushes the formula forward with a hallucinatory, mindbending blend of action and aesthetic unlike anything we’ve experienced on the big screen.

From the film’s earliest trailers, many have picked up on elements on Inception – indeed,

 MARTIN MACNAMARA

its impossible to miss its visual influence here.

H o w e v e r, D o c t o r Strange builds on the architecture-bending aesthetic of Christopher Nolan’s 2010 sci-fi film, incorporating action in such a way that will have audiences twisting their bodies into obtuse shapes to follow the flow of movement.

T his time around, Disney and Marvel have put their faith in Sinister director Scott Derrickson and assembled an unlikely, but brilliant, group of actors.

This may not be Mar-

vel’s most high-profile cast, but it’s certainly their most highbrow, featuring Oscar nominees Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofar, and Oscar winner Tilda Swinton.

As an origin story, Doctor Strange echoes the studio’s trendsetting first feature, Iron Man, depicting a witty, arrogant genius who, after being struck by tragedy, learns the errors of his imperious ways – as well as gaining a few superpowers, naturally.

Cumberbatch plays Dr Stephen Strange; a brilliant surgeon whose life is drastically changed when a car crash horribly mangles his hands. When western medicine fails him, Strange travels east in search of a mysterious cure.

Along with the mystical secret to his recovery, Strange encounters an otherworldly battle with dark forces and must decide whether to return to his former life, or join Mordo (Ejiofar) and the Ancient One (Swinton) in saving the world from another case of imminent destruction.

Like Marvel’s other origin narratives, the story here is somewhat overshadowed by setup.

However, the leap from fact to fantasy in Doctor Strange is sudden and swift – in typical Marvel style, the narrative doesn’t get bogged down in realism and grit.

The studio trusts us to suspend our disbelief when watching a superhero movie (unlike a certain other cinematic

superhero universe) , and Doctor Strange is all the more enjoyable for it.

It’s odd that this cast, perhaps the most respected to grace the MCU, should appear in its most fantastical instalment.

Doctor Strange goes above and beyond the multi-dimensional fantasy of Thor, and everyone involved seems to be having a fantastic time with the out-there material.

T he beats may be familiar at this stage, but with that comes an expertly paced narrative replete with wonderfully dynamic action sequences and plenty of well-placed, punctuating moments of drama.

If it wasn’t for the genuinely innovative aesthetic and FX-driv-

en fight scenes, maybe Doctor Strange would stick a little too close to the borderline hackneyed formula – thankfully, we don’t have to worry about that.

Doctor Strange is the most visually innovative superhero movie yet, and perhaps the only one to genuinely benefit from a 3D-viewing.

Regrettably, Mads Mikkelson’s villain is a little underwhelming – with all the talk of “infinite multiverses” and “infinite dangers”, what’s really at stake in Doctor Strange often gets a little lost in the flood.

The trick here is to lose yourself with it and let the mind-boggling blend of action and aesthetic sweep you away.

Verdict: 8/10

STORKS

Wings it with the myth THE mysteries of where babies used to come from is solved with Storks (Cert G, 90 mins), which reveals how our feathered friends moved on from the baby-delivering business to packages instead. However, a mix-up at the factory sees one last baby to be delivered to its waiting family ... The animation is great, but the choppy editing and frentic scenes may leave some in a flap.

GIRL ON TRAIN Stays on track

EMILY Blunt brings some nervy energy to The Girl on the Train (Cert 15A, 112 mins), the film based on the bestselling book. Blunt is pretty decent in the role of a troubled commuter who may have witnessed something awful, and while the film ends up at a predictable destination, wobbling in a few places along the way, it’s rail-ly not that bad to ride along with for two hours.

27 October 2016 BLANCH GAZETTE 25

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TECH

So what on earth is ‘VR’ when it’s at (your) home?

Whether lazily exploring the ocean depths, blasting through ferocious space battles, or experiencing a strikingly realised setting, the PS VR has a diverse and strong range of launch titles and experiences

REVIEW | SONY’S VR HEADSET FOR PLAYSTATION 4

It’s Virtually a whole new world  SHANE DILLON

Tech Editor

YES, that is indeed my good self over on the right, doing my best to try not to bump into the furniture.

Oh, I don’t mean the furniture in the living room at home, where I was trying out the PlayStation virtual reality headset (PS VR) in front of the TV – I mean the dusty and cobwebbed furniture in Lara Croft’s run-down manor, which I was gawping at as I put the PS VR through its paces.

(Note that you’ll find a quick refresher course on modern VR, and how the PS VR works, over in the panel on the right.)

Virtual reality (VR) finally burst properly into the public – and commercial – sphere this

year, with a number of VR sets looking to stake a claim in this bold new entertainment frontier.

Now that the tech has finally caught up with the dream, and the promise, VR has lots of potential uses to appeal to a consumer market, in everything from gaming (of course) to media consumption, education, training and tourism.

Sony are making arguably the first main assault on the home market with its mid-price, mid-range PS VR (€400 upwards; PlayStation 4 console extra) headset.

In this regard, the PS VR works, and it works very well indeed, despite a couple of caveats.

I tried a number of games and media browsing experiences, with similar results from them all, but

Controller, camera, headset and Move controllers – PS4 unit (required) not shown

turned to our tomb raiding friend, Lara Croft, for my most extensive testing of the PS VR headset (noting that VR experiences are tailored to what you’re doing, seeing or playing).

After all, her recently released PS4 game has some VR-enabled bonus content to try – a stroll through the run-down Croft manor, exploring and delving into her family’s past.

With the VR headset in place, I was able to walk around all over the manor, with the first seconds of use creating a real sensation of “Wow!” Looking around, with the view behaving as I expected it to as I looked behind me, tilted my head, peered ‘over’ bal-

cony edges and so on, created a tangible sense of immersion I’ve never experienced in a game.

It’s hard to tr uly describe the innate instinct to reach out and touch the damp stone, cold metal and pitted wood in the world passing by, or to duck in low doorways, as I felt a sense of tangible reality in ways that I’ve never experienced in a hundred firstperson-view games down the years.

That ‘being there’ experience was repeated in other titles I tried, such as being trapped in a lunatic’s kitchen, exploring a beautiful American national park, or blasting through a frentic

Busy failing his Daft Punk audition ... Tech/Games editor Shane Dillon tries out the PlayStation VR

wireframe game, and more.

In this regard, honestly, I have to say that I was – and am – very impressed by the PS VR tech. And now, those couple of caveats I mentioned earlier.

There’s no getting away from the fact that my eyes loved the experience – but my stomach, not so much, as I often felt queasy after each VR session.

Perhaps my eyes, brain and stomach were subconsciously arguing over the different signals they

were all being fed; still, I know many people are perfectly fine with VR. Although the headset works great, I didn’t find it particularly comfortable (then again, I also hate wearing headphones, so I’m not someone to put anything on my head at the best of times).

Ultimately, I was very impressed by the PS VR, and think it could be a real game-changer for some. So if you have the chance to try one – definitely do so, and see if it fits what you’re looking for in a VR headset.

VIRTUAL reality – or VR – has been around for decades – at least, its premise has – but it’s only in the past couple of years that VR has become an affordable, practical reality, with 2016 seeing several VR headsets and tech reaching the market.

Although unique in its own right, the workings of the PS VR headset and system are straightforward enough.

A camera connected to your PlayStation 4 sits at your TV set, and tracks your head (and hand) movements, with the light sensors on the headset and controller(s) helping to locate you, what you’re doing, and adjust what you see accordingly.

For example, as you look at the small screens inside the headset (a little like raising binoculars to your eyes), if you turn your head left, the headset adjusts the view to match that view, while the controllers – whether a standard PS4 controller, or the Move controller – move you around, or let you interact with the world.

In this way, VR can help to really place you ‘in’ the scene, whether in a virtual world while gaming, or watching real footage shot with increasingly common 360-degree cameras, letting you look all about you.

26 BLANCH GAZETTE 27 October 2016

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28 BLANCH GAZETTE 27 October 2016

SPORT

FastSport OLD BELVEDERE KNOCKS RAILWAY OFF TRACK: RAILWAY Union let slip another lead, the fourth time they have lost from a winning position this season, going down 17-12 away to Old Belvedere in women’s rugby’s All-Ireland League.

Out-half Nikki Caughey’s first half try and another, this time from tighthead Katie O’Dwyer, had the visitors two points up.

They were still leading with ten minutes to go when they conceded a penalty. Ireland star Nora Stapleton opted to kick for touch instead of going for the posts, and from the resulting lineout, the pack drove within a metre of the Railway line before hooker Jennie Finlay managed to crash over.

Stapleton converted from far out on the left hand side to put five points between the sides. Despite severe pressure, Old Belvedere stood firm for a victory that sees them three points behind UL as the league takes a week off.

BASKETBALL: RAHENY CLUB GET THEIR FIRST WIN OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE

KUBS sweep to Super win over Eanna  KARL GRAHAM sport@dublingazette.com

KUBS BC recorded their first win of the season as they defeated Comercial.ie Eanna 72-65 in the Hula Hoops Men’s National Cup at Greendale last weekend.

The game was a tight affair with the score tied on 50 points going into the final quarter but it

was the Dublin 5 natives who got the better of their Southside rivals.

Brian Edwards and Kevin Foley put in standout performances – scoring 23 and 20 points respectively.

Head Coach Mark Ingle revealed after the game how happy he was to finally get their first victory.

“It is never easy. We

hadn’t had a win yet because we are a new team coming together and we have a lot of young players in our squad. We have eight players under 22 years of age and with me coming in as a new coach, it is about gelling them into a team.

“We will look at the tape and see what we can improve on. They had a

KUBS in action against Eanna last weekend.

great start with a lot of good shots so we have to try and cut down on them shots. If we play with the intensity of that second half, I’ll be happy enough.

There were also wins for UCD Marian, Templeogue and DCU Saints in the cup over the weekend.

Ingle also tasted victory the following day when he led DCU Mercy to a 78-51 win over the NUIG Mystics in the Women’s Super League at the DCU Complex.

The win was their second of the season after three games and was aided by 24 points from Sarah Fairbanks.

It proved a tough week-

end for the Mystics as they were forced to play Mercy less than 24 hours after defeating Singleton Supervalu Brunell.

Ingle was equally as delighted to pick up a win for his women’s side.

“I’m feeling happy now that we have won. It is a new team so we are still trying to put some stuff together but we are getting better week by week.

“We didn’t start off the season well against Meteors and we’ve got them again on Sunday in the cup so we probably needed this game.

“I know they played last night and they were probably tired in the second half but we played

well enough to win comfortably.”

With a new squad being assembled, Ingle believes that as the players get to know each other they will continue to get better and better.

“I think it is the fact that we have seven players from our underage teams making their debuts at Superleague level and we have the two scholars over from America, as well as Aisling Sullivan coming from Killester so it is new for everyone.

Elsewhere, Pyrobel Killester beat Meteors and Courtyard Liffey Celtics lost out to UCC Glanmire.

Murray drives to second Brands Hatch victory  sport@dublingazette.com

Dubliner Niall Murray on the rampage. Picture: Tony Todd

DUBLINER Niall Murray added another major win to his rapidly growing collection when he scored his second victory in four years in the final of the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch, He took the chequered flag a comfortable 3.7 seconds ahead of Britain’s Scott Malvern, who started the race from pole position.

Earlier, these two had each won a semi-final with Malvern getting the advantage on the grid because his winning speed was

faster than Murray’s. However, once the race got under way, the Irishman showed his class and pulled away from his rival.

Already this year, the 21-yearold Dubliner has won the British Formula Ford title by a huge margin and taken the Martin Donnelly Trophy race at Kirkistown earlier this month.

As a result of his British Championship win, he has qualified for the shootout stage of the Mazda Road to Indy programme which carries a $200,000 prize of a drive in the 2017 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship, pow-

ered by Mazda.

Sixteen year-old Jordan Dempsey from Mullingar was the next best Irish finisher in the Festival Final, driving the Sport Ireland/ Motorsport Ireland car to ninth place at his first attempt at the end of season race meeting.

Double European Touring Car Rallycross champion Derek Tohill was the clear winner at Mondello Park yesterday in his Parts for Cars Fiesta, finishing well clear of the opposition in both the Supercar Final and the main race of the day, the Super Final.

27 October 2016 BLANCH GAZETTE 29

GAZETTE

Marathon man Mark on awareness mission

FASTSport

Clondalkin man tells JAMES HENDICOTT why his 120th marathon on Bank Holiday Monday will feature a sleeping bag, a monkey hat, a tracksuit and strong messages of hope MARK CONLON, who will reach an astonishing 120 full-length marathons should he successfully complete the course in Dublin on Sunday – will represent one of the more unusual distance-running stories pounding Dublin’s streets for the annual city mega-run on bank holiday Monday.

Based in Clondalkin, Conlon ran a single marathon in 2008 and another in 2009, got the bug and has gone on to clock up some fantastic feats in the sport, not least two intensely demanding marathon series sessions.

The first saw him complete 26.2 miles ten times in ten days, and the second bettering that by running ten more marathons in just five days.

A former marine, Conlon’s latest outing is inspired by a story from Dublin’s pre-race expo a couple of years ago.

“After the expo I was having a pint with a couple of American tourists, and a guy ran past covered in a sleeping bag and soaking wet,” Conlon told GazetteSport. “I went out and gave him some money for a hostel and to get a new sleeping bag.”

Since returning from serving abroad, the Clondalkin-based athlete has been heavily affected by the extent of Dublin’s homeless crisis, and is running his latest race in aid of the Simon Community.

Having fundraised for Pieta House during previous events, this time he’s focusing on awareness instead. A lot of the inspiration for his race comes from that one moment.

“I’ll be running draped in a sleeping bag covered in messages from the Simon Community, wearing a monkey hat and tracksuit” Conlon

Mark Conlon is on course to complete his 120th marathon

explains. “It’s really an awareness raising exercise. The Dublin Marathon gets a huge crowd and if some of them act on what they see, that will make it worthwhile.

“There’s a huge problem with homelessness in Dublin, as we all know. I think part of the problem is with shelters. Some people are scared to go into them.

“I’d like to see separate shelters for women and children, and separate shelters for drug users and alcoholics. The winter is an incredibly difficult time for these people and it’s obviously very difficult for them not to be able to use the facilities. I don’t see any reason not to provide more services.

“Even for the average person to go out there with soup, sandwiches or warm clothes makes a difference. Some people don’t like handing over

money for whatever reason, but people have died on our streets and little things make a real difference.”

Despite having more opportunities to do so than most, Conlon has yet to fail to complete a marathon. His one DNF came at an overnight 100-mile race in Wicklow, where he was forced to pull out

around fuelling, clothes and self-preservation.

Conlon deals with his marathon pains by cooling down in the sea for 20 minutes and easing back in the next morning, but recommends less abrasive remedies for the newcomer: “Get your gear setup properly. Wear old clothes to the start line that you

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

‘The Dublin marathon gets a huge crowd and if some act on what they see, it will be worthwhile’ - Mark Conlon

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

at the halfway mark having lost a toenail.

He admits, though, that the races don’t really get any easier and points to grit and determination as essential factors in any marathon finish. “I have good days and bad days,” he tells us. “This won’t be one of my faster marathons, for obvious reasons.”

Having run so many marathons and with the time for Dublin training long since passed, Conlon identifies some things runners can do to make life easier on the day.

“Don’t go off too fast” is a key tip: after so many races, Conlon’s become adept at spotting runners who “could be half an hour in front of you, and end up lying on the ground with a few miles to go because they go off too quickly.”

Other essentials are

can then throw away [in Dublin, they’re also given to the homeless]. Eat a lot of carbs in the week before the race, but something normal for you the night before.

“Take sports gels on the way around. Get an early night the night before, and when it gets hard, that’s when to keep going. If you freeze up, just run slowly for a while and eat a gel and your legs will come back.”

Of all the runners taking to the street for the city event - “the best marathon I’ve done, because of the support” - Conlon should know what it takes.

The Marathon Club Ireland athlete will be donating his medal to the Simon Community in a presentation case, complete with messages of hope for the future. In his 120th 42km run, he’ll be doing his own small part.

Buser ends Pembroke’s Irish Senior Cup dream BALLSBRIDGE side Pembroke were edged out of the Irish Senior Cup by Lisnagarvey 3-2 to fall at the first round stage.

It earned the Ulster side a huge tie with another Dublin side, Monkstown, in the second round of the competition – hockey’s oldest club tournament in the world – in a repeat of last year’s final.

Twice Pembroke had come back from a goal down, Alan Sothern and Maurice Elliott counteracting efforts from Andy Williamson – a corner for 1-0 at half-time – and Daniel Nelson.

But Daniel Buser converted his stroke with four minutes remaining, though, to win the day and a home date with Monkstown on December 3.

Another eye-catching second round tie is Banbridge’s tie with Three Rock Rovers. Rathfarnham’s Rovers – with a 7-1 win over NICS – were the highest scorers in the first round which went pretty much to the form book. Luke Madeley and Ben Walker both scored a brace.

UCD eased to a 4-1 win over Rathgar while Corinthian beat Raphoe on the same scoreline.

Mossley were too good for Blackrock’s Avoca in a 3-0 result.

In the Leinster league derby, YMCA came from a goal down against Clontarf to win 3-1, Thom Ritchie, Rob Anderson and Jamie Tobin doing the damage.

John Mullins missed an early stroke but atoned for the miss when he scored from play as the Bulls had the best of the first half with Andrew Poynter giving their attack an extra focal point while goalkeeper David Lawless made his debut.

But YM had much more of the play in the second half and got level from the spot via Ritchie and they never looked back. Their reward is a tough away trip to meet Cork C of I. In the other ties in the second round draw, Railway Union enter the competition with an away date at Mossley; Annadale meet Instonians in a tasty Ulster derby; Corinthian’s hosting of Glenanne has a similar interest to it, pitting an ambitious provincial league side against a currently out of sorts national league side. UCD will fancy their chances at Kilkenny.

GAZETTE

30 BLANCH GAZETTE 27 October 2016

SPORT

FASTSport

SOCCER: MOCHTA’S BOW OUT OF THE FAI INTERMEDIATE CUP

McCullagh sets Corduff on course for victory CORDUFF’S Under-15 Premier 1 side continued their perfect start to the season with a 2-0 win over Rivervalley Rangers in Damastown in an entertaining tie, marked by some end-to-end football.

It was the lads from Blanch who pounced first when Luke McCullagh pressed the Rivervalley keeper inside the box and won the ball to tap into an empty net.

Again, 10 minutes later he was doing it again only to be denied by the keeper who recovered wonderfully to save with his feet.

With the wind behind them, Corduff pushed and pushed but were denied time and time again by a solid Rivervalley side but, with a few changes at half time Corduff came at them again.

Ugo Anny-Nzekwue picked up the ball inside the opposition half after some good football to find himself out numbered three to one.

But, with some dazzling footwork, beat all three to find himself one on one with the keeper and there would be only one outcome for last season’s top goal scorer as he coolly finished into the bottom corner.

Killian Philips was awarded the man of the match title for his display in the middle of the park as his side moved six points cleat at the top of the table ahead of St Kevin’s Boys at this early stage in the season.

The Dublin 15 club’s Under-12 Premier side had a similarly impressive outing when they got the best of St Kevin’s 5-1 with Josh Clarke and Peter Knowles among the scorers.

It was their second win from five outings and has them sitting in third place in their division behind East Meath United and Phoenix FC after five rounds of matches.

At Under-14 Premier level, Jack Crowe rose highest to a corner from Jordon Redmond to hand Corduff a 1-0 win over Swords Celtic in a tie when captain Sean Farrell and last season’s top scorer Nick Pavlov also shone.

They have three wins from five outings in what is set to be a shortened season due to the changes in schoolboy soccer from a winter to a summer schedule.

Heavy traffic in the St Mochta’s penalty area

Saints left singing Blues

FAI INTERMEDIATE CUP St Mochta’s Bluebell United  JAMES HENDICOTT

1 2

sport@dublingazette.com

BLUEBELL United got the better of hosts St Mochta’s in a fiercely competitive FAI Intermediate Cup second round game on Sunday, with former Mochta’s player Gareth Cooney proving key for the visitors at Porterstown Road.

Facing a tough draw, Mochta’s – who will go above Bluebell in the league should they grab a modest return from their two games in hand – could not quite carry the league momentum that

has them unbeaten in the Sunday Senior so far this season into the cup, with the visitors from Red Cow coming out on top 2-1.

Both sides might have felt slightly aggrieved by the strength of their opponents so early in the intermediate contest, with the pair ranked the second and third best sides in Leinster’s intermediate tier by current Leinster Senior League standings yet drawn in opposition in the unseeded draw.

It was league title holders Bluebell who came out of the blocks faster, putting plenty of pressure on their hosts over the opening fifteen minutes before Cooney broke the

SEASON OPENER Tridents shot down by Rathmines late surge TRIDENTS Basketball Club fell to a 42-31 loss in their first Division 3 game of the season with some old and new faces on board.

Rathmines had strong post players that gave them an early lead in the first quarter but great shooting by Yvonne Coscaddan put Tridents 19-17 up at half-time. Despite great attacking by newcomer Kotryna Cikanaviciute, Rathmines were too strong and pulled away after the interval.

Picture: Martin Doherty

deadlock. The midfielder had left Bluebell last year to spend a season with the then newly promoted Mochta’s side, though evidence suggests they didn’t learn how best to counter him in that time, with Cooney a constant threat.

He finished a smart move by hammering past impressive home keeper Morgan Cranley on fifteen minutes to rewards Bluebell’s early dominance.

The visitors continued to assert plenty of pressure on Mochta’s as they looked to put the game to bed early, and Andy Noonan’s charges could easily have done so, with Cranley forced into a number

of sharp saves before half time.

Philly Hughes had by far the best chance of the half for Mochta’s, with Graham Bedford forced into action in the Bluebell goal just before the whistle, but an equaliser would have been harsh on the visitors.

A tighter second half saw great chances for both sides, with Mochta’s coming out with more of a cup-tie, nothing-to-lose approach.

A midfield battle developed, with Cooney again proving influential against his former club, and both sides grabbing little more than glimpses at the opposition net for

much of the half.

When Robert Bayley was sent off for Bluebell with15 minutes remaining, Mochta’s might have sensed an opportunity but instead of trying to shut the game down, Bluebell responded with the killer blow.

Cranley’s desperate stop from Sean Byrne of a pacey Bluebell attack only fell to Shane Stritch, who tapped past the stranded keeper to put the game to bed.

Philly Hughes grabbed a late, late consolation for Mochta’s, but with seconds left of the clock, Bluebell had the game tied up at 2-1, and they progress to round three.

27 October 2016 BLANCH GAZETTE 31

GAZETTE

LEAVING A LEGACY

Brogan and friends celebrate fine year

CLUB NOTICEBOARD ST BRIGID’S

MEMBERS of the Legacy Consultants team

(l-r) Elaine Caffrey, Matthew Gavin, Bernard Brogan, James Brogan, Emily Crawley and Kevin Moore enjoyed a celebratory day out at Castleknock Golf club last Friday. They were joined by fellow Dublin stars as well as clients and friends of Legacy Consultants, who specialise in communications and sports sponsorship like AIG, Largo Foods, SuperValu and Volkswagen.

ST BRIGID’S GAA will be hosting a foun-

For further information and queries,

dation coaching course in the coming

contact David on 085 8340169.

weeks.

with the reserve, now also at €15,000.

delivered online with one face to face

There was no jackpot winner in last

session to cover the practical ele-

week’s draw. This week’s draw will

ment. If interested, please contact

take place in The Roselawn Inn on

club GPO, David Galway: david.galway.

Thursday, October 27. Many thanks to

gpo.dublin@gaa.ie or 085 8340169.

everyone who supports our club lotto

Congratulations to the players,

HURLING: EXTRA TIME NEEDED TO SEPARATE RIVALS

Our lotto jackpot remains at €15,000

The theory side of the course will be

and to our great lotto committee.

management and parents of our U-13

St Brigid’s/Spleodar Irish club for

camogie team who won their champi-

teenagers runs every Thursday in the

onship finals on Sunday afternoon.

club hall from 7-9pm. Open to all but

The St Brigid’s nursery runs every Saturday in Russell Park from 9.30am

Irish must be spoken at all times. Cost is €3 per week.

to 11am. We welcome all four to sev-

St Brigid’s are proud to support

en-year-olds in the Castleknock and

Movember along with the wider GAA

Blanchardstown area and new mem-

Community. See the club website for

bers and families are always welcome.

further details.

CASTLEKNOCK BEST wishes to our senior football-

Division 8 lads who just lost out on the

ers who take on St Jude’s in the Dublin

title.

senior football championship semi-

Please check out the website for the

final in Parnell Park on Thursday,

actors who are participating in our

October 27 at 7.30pm.

fundraising Oskars and support their

We need all available support so see

Naomh Peregrine and St Brigid’s played out a super Under-16 B shield final. Picture: Martin Doherty

Dunphy’s D15 derby delight for Brigid’s

UNDER-16B SHIELD FINAL St Brigid’s 2-14 Naomh Peregrine 1-15  sport@dublingazette.com

TWO points from St. Brigid’s captain Andrew Dunphy in the final moments of extra time was enough to secure St Brigid’s the Under-16B hurling shield title at Russell Park last Saturday.

In a high tempo and competitive encounter, the Russell Park side did just enough to edge out their near neighbours St Peregrine’s in one of the most exciting games of the season.

Peregrine’s opened the scoring with a free from

an in-form Eoin Gleeson, the first of his nine scores.

And the Blakestown side led for most of the first half with the help of further scores from Dylan Martin and a point from Sam Beirnes from a seemingly impossible angle.

Despite early misses from Dunphy, both himself and James O’Connell racked up four points from frees between them in the early stages.

Points from play were at a premium but St Brigid’s added further points from O’Connell and an industrious John Meagher to keep them in touch.

B r i g i d ’s t a l i s m a n O’Connell was involved

in a ding-dong battle with Gleeson as each side sought dominance but it was Brigid’s Andy Brady whose late first half goal gave them the edge at the break on a score line of 1-6 to 0-7 Peregrine’s started the second half with a flourish as the influential Beirnes pointed twice in as many minutes. The tempo stayed high as both sets of defenders were involved in frantic action in front of their own goals.

Among those who impressed was Peregrine’s net minder Luke Davis who was kept busy, dealing with the threat from a formidable attack.

Gleeson and Dunphy kept the scoreboard ticking over for their teams but goals from Brigid’s Darragh Byrne and Peregrine’s Eoin O’Connor made sure that the sides were level at 1-13 to 2-10 at the end of regulation time.

The first period of extra time saw the Blakestown Road outfit match two points from Dunphy through scores from Gleeson and Beirnes.

But the second period was marked by a series of frees conceded by the visitors which Dunphy converted to give St Brigid’s a two-point winning margin.

fundraising activities.

you all there. Hard luck to our Division

Tickets for the Oskars on November

5 footballers who lost out in their pro-

5 are now available; please see www.

motion play off.

castleknock for details.

Congratulations to all our juvenile

Sincere thanks to all who helped

camogie players over the weekend

out as “extras” over the weekend and

who participated in competitions.

thanks to all who facilitated the film-

The U-13s won the Division 2 camogie

ing. Great craic was had by all.

championship; the U-14 and U-15 girls won their Division 1 shield finals.

This brings a season to near the

Juvenile awards night is November 17 in Westmanstown - put it in your diary!

end and great appreciation must be

Our nursery, in association with

given to all the players, mentors and

Tiger Childcare, for four to seven-

parents.

year-olds is back in full swing and

Congrats to our U-14 footballers

new members are very welcome.

who clinched the Division 1 title over

Just come down to Tir na nOg (beside

the weekend to end an unbelievable

Castleknock Community College) this

year for all involved. Hard luck to the

Saturday at 10am and say hello.

NAOMH PEREGRINE

WELL done to the adult hurlers who

their camogie championship final

booked a semi-final playoff place with

against St Brigid’s; this is their sec-

a four-point win against St Kevin’s.

ond year in a row to win it.

Hard luck to the U-16 boys hurlers

The club main pitch is not to be used

who were narrowly beaten in their

for training without prior approval of

championship final in extra time by

Dave McEneaney/Paul Harte.

St Brigid’s after a very brave performance.

Our nursery (born 2011 and 2012) and academy (born 2009 and 2010)

Best wishes to the senior football-

kids train every Thursday (5-6pm for

ers in their championship quarter-

all) and Saturday (9.30am nursery

final match away to Thomas Davis

and 10.30am academy). Newcomers

on Saturday, October 29 at 4pm and

always welcome.

to the hurlers playing at home to Na Fianna on Sunday at 2.30pm.

Bring gum shields, helmets, hurls, water and subs. Details on Facebook

Congratulations to senior ladies

“Naomh Peregrines GAA Academy” or

football team on their high scoring

parents can register for the What-

win against Ballyboden St Enda’s in

sapp group.

the shield final.

Excellent win by the U-15s girls in

For further details, contact Niall on 086 607 3190 or Barry on 087 618 3868.

GAZETTESPORT ALL OF YOUR BLANCH SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 28-31

BLUE SUNDAY: Mochta’s bow out of the Inter Cup as Cooney comes back to haunt his former club P30

OCT 27 - NOV 2, 2016

THE MARINE MARATHON MAN: Mark Conlon’s 120th 26.2 mile effort set to be extra special P29

Knock’s meteoric rise hits new height  KARL GRAHAM

sport@dublingazette.com

CASTLEKNOCK’S meteoric rise on the verge of hitting yet another stratosphere on Thursday evening in Parnell Park when they take on St Jude’s in their maiden Dublin senior football championship semi-final.

Just 18 years since foundation, the club beat Skerries Harps by 2-14 to 0-10 last week in the quarters to set up another historic night having risen from the very bottom of the ranks to this point.

And club chairman Charlie Spillane told GazetteSport about how delighted they are to see the

side surpass their wildest dreams.

“It is a great occasion. Less than 20 years old and getting to a senior championship semifinal is beyond our expectations.”

Spillane pointed to the excellent work being done every week in their nursery when asked what such a rapid rise could be put down to.

“A very strong emphasis is placed on bringing kids into the game. An awful lot of the kids that join the club may not have a GAA background but they end up very much GAA so I think if it is not right at the nursery, then it is not possible to get to senior one or achieve these sorts of

events.

“Of the team who played against Sylvester’s in the previous round, 11 of the starters came through that nursery.”

Ciaran Kilkenny is undoubtedly the highest profile player but Spillane believes there will soon be more making an impact in the sky-blue jersey.

“We are moving a little bit faster than we thought we would so we didn’t foresee this run in the championship, that’s for sure.

“Obviously if you are playing in a championship semi-final, it does put yourself in the shop window and it gives the Dublin management something to think

about.

“They are certainly not afraid to bring in young lads and give them a chance so we would be very hopeful.”

Spillane has been at the club since it was founded, helping out as treasurer and coach before taking up the position of chairman last November and he says the excitement has built in the area.

“It has revitalised the club in a way in that you would have an awful lot of people on the periphery with an interest to some degree are tending to come back into the club and it is a big benefit.”

Castleknock’s Ciaran Kilkenny on the rampage against Skerries Harps. Picture: Niall O’Connell