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

INSIDE: Presenter and fashionista Lisa Fitzpatrick talks us through a typical day in her busy life P11

Soccer:

Corduff starlet scores for Irish Under-16 side Page 30

Football:

Castleknock remain top in AFL Division 2 Page 31

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

fringe: Don’t hang about – make plans about what to see at exciting festival P17

Relief as pyrite scheme begins  keith bellew

The Pyrite Remediation Scheme began in Blanchardstown recently with the remediation of 38 homes in Castlecurragh Estate, Mulhuddart.

It emerged in 2007 that hundreds of homes in Dublin 15 were built with inadequate materials which contained the mineral pyrite, which caused houses to crack and crumble in parts.

The Pyrite Remediation Scheme, presided over by the Pyrite Remedia-

tion Board, was launched in 2013 for affected homeowners to apply for assistance in fixing their damaged properties.

The areas most affected are 0ngar, Mulhuddart, Castleknock and Hollystown.

Deputy Ruth Coppinger (SP) has welcomed the beginning of the remediation scheme in Dublin 15 saying it is a relief for the residents who’ve been living in defective homes for so long.

Full Story on Page 2

Pleased as punch: Locals come out in effort to help Sam walk Olympic boxing champion

Michael Carruth is pictured with Sam Grant at the recent family fun day in Clonee in aid of local charity Sams Steps. The charity was set up to help Sam overcome his disabilities and learn to

walk for the first time. The event featured a 5k walk, 50k cycle, live music a raffle and plenty more and helped to raise vital funds to help Sam continue his treatment. See full gallery next week Picture: Stephen Fleming

2 BLANCH Gazette 27 August 2015

dublin 15 Homes were built with inadequate materials

‘Relief for residents’ as remediation scheme is under way The Pyrite Remediation Scheme began in Blanchardstown recently with the remediation of 38 homes in Castlecurragh Estate, Mulhuddart.

It emerged in 2007 that hundreds of homes in Dublin 15 were built with inadequate materials which contained the mineral pyrite, which caused houses to crack and crumble in parts.

T he P y rite Remediation scheme, presided over by the Pyrite Remediation Board, was launched in 2013 for affected homeowners to apply for assistance in fixing their damaged properties.

The areas most affected are Ongar, Mulhuddart, Castleknock and Hollystown. In Ongar, the pyrite was used during the construction of the entire village, result-

 keith bellew kbellew@dublingazette.com

ing in problems with the deterioration of the streetscape.

This in turn has caused delays in the process of the council taking the village in charge, as this must be repaired before the council can do so.

Deputy Ruth Coppinger (SP) has welcomed the beginning of the remediation scheme in Dublin 15 saying it is a relief for the residents who’ve been living in defective homes for so long.

“Through no fault of their own but due to lack of building regu-

lations, defective infill was used in the foundations and contained pyrite which swells over time, causing cracks and other problems.

“As is often the case, residents have had to battle to get Government action. As a councillor, I first organised meetings on this as far back as 2009. The Pyrite Action Group also played a very important role in highlighting this nationally,” she said.

P yrite is a major problem throughout Fingal with thousands of homes in the north of the county like Lusk, Rush, Malahide and Swords affected by the mineral as well as greater Blanchardstown.

Deputy Coppinger went on to urge anyone affected by pyrite to contact the Pyrite Resolution Board or pyrite-

board.ie for information about the steps needed to get their homes fixed.

“I’m also concerned that estate agents appear to be selling homes in estates where pyrite is prevalent, without any checks or warnings. I’ve been contacted by people who bought pyrite properties in the last few years when this problem was well known,” she said.

She added that pressure must be kept up to ensure the Pyrite Resolution Board is adequately funded to deal with the full scale of the pyrite problem, and that developers, quarries and building insurance companies should be levied to pay, rather than the taxpayer.

As of June 7, the Pyrite Resolution Board has received 763 applications for the remedia-

Deputy Ruth Coppinger (SP) has welcomed the beginning of the remediation scheme

tion of dwellings with significant pyritic damage in Ireland.

Applications submitted are at different stages in the process: 115 are at validation stageeligibility of applica-

tion; 117 are at verification stage - confirmation that the damage is attributable to pyritic heave; 520 dwellings have been included in the scheme - process of planning/scheduling,

preparation of remedial work plans, tendering and dwelling remediation is underway; and eight applications have been refused as they did not meet the terms of the scheme.

Leaping to help out good causes Father Joe McLoughlin, 54, of St Patrick’s Parish in Corduff, is preparing to take an unusual leap of faith to raise funds for good causes locally and worldwide.

The popular priest is braving a tandem skydive at the Irish Parachute Club in County Offaly to facilitate an annual trip to bring parishioners to Medjugor je Youth Week.

Any remaining funds will be split between

charity Mary’s Meals and Suicide Awareness Dublin 15.

Father McLoughlin said: “People are asking if I’m nervous, but I’m sure jumping out of a plane will be a laugh.

I’ve seen how much our parish visits to Medjugorje help local people and families by reinvigorating them in faith and bringing a sense of peace.

“And the work being done by both charities

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

— Suicide Awareness Dublin 15 and Mary’s Meals — is vital to protect beautiful lives both here and across the world. I know what can be achieved when we all work together for good causes, and I’m happy to hurtle through the sky in freefall if it will encourage people to think of others and donate.”

Both charities are close to Father McLoughlin’s hear t.

Suicide Awareness Dublin 15 was started by a Corduff parishioner, Lillian Parker, after she lost her son in tragic circumstances.

Suicide Awareness Dublin 15 was estab-

lished in May 2010.

The group was convened by the Corduff Community Development Project. The group is comprised of people bereaved through suicide, or who have experienced suicidal feelings.

He first heard of Mary’s Meals – which provides a daily meal to more than one million of the world’s poorest children across four continents – when its founder and chief executive Magnus MacFarlaneBarrow spoke at Medjugorje Youth Festival.

To pledge a donation for Fr McLoughlin’s skydive, please call the Mary’s Meals Dublin office on 01 857 2155.

27 August 2015 BLANCH GAZETTE 3

DON’SDUBLIN Dublin native Elizabeth Bowen turns tragedy into literary gems ELIZABETH Bowen was born on June 7, 1899 at 15 Herbert Place, Dublin and baptised in nearby St Stephen’s Church, Upper Mount Street (the Pepper Canister) shortly afterwards.

The family owned a big house, Bowen’s Court, in Faraghy, near Kildorrey, Co Cork where she spent her early summers. However, when her father, Henry Cole Bowen, suffered a mental illness in 1907, she and her mother moved to Hythe, Kent. Years later, Bowen would return here before her death on February 22, 1973.

Her mother Florence died when Bowen was only 12 and she was brought up by various aunts in Ireland and England. This rootlessness gave her a feeling of not belonging and sharpened her observations on life. These themes pervade her writings, as do life in the Big House during the turbulent times following the creation of the Irish Free State. Many such houses were burnt to the ground, but Bowen’s Court survived and she inherited the property in 1930.

She often visited the court and spent a lot of money maintaining it, but in 1959 she was forced to sell it.

In London, she knew members of the Bloomsbury Group and one of them helped in getting Bowen’s first book, Encounters, published in 1923. She wrote 10 novels, 13 collections of short stories and numerous works of non-fiction. The Last September is the book she felt closest to and deals with the tensions of the early 1920s for the Anglo-Irish community. As a member, she wrote with an insider’s view, giving the story a reality.

During World War II she worked for the Ministry of Information and her book The Heat of the Day (1948) is considered by many commentators to be one of the most evocative observations of life during the Blitz. And, in the same year, her literary work was recognised when she was awarded a CBE. After she died in London, her body was brought home and she was buried in Faraghy churchyard, close to her beloved Bowen’s Court.

Don Cameron

www.donsdublin.wordpress.com

Elizabeth Bowen (inset) was born at 15 Herbert Place in 1899 and was buried in Faraghy churchyard, in Co Cork

CINEMA Prestigious true story for opening night

Auschwitz tale to launch festival FINGAL Film Festival has announced that the opening film for Friday, September 25 will be Surviving Auschwitz.

The film, by director Jacques Ouaniche, stars Brahim Asloum, Isabella Orsini and Bruce Payne.

It is a true story, based on the experiences of Tunisian Jewish boxerVic-

tor Perez, who became the World Flyweight Champion in 1931 and 1932, before being interned at the infamous concentration camp in 1943.

Whilst there, he was forced to participate in boxing matches. By 1945, Victor had survived 140 bouts in 15 months and won 139 of them.

This screening will be the official Irish launch of the film ahead of its 2016 release date, and it is hoped that the cast and crew will be present on the night.

Fingal Film Festival creative director Dave Byrne said: “We are delighted that High Fliers Distribution and Picture

Tree International have supported us this year by providing us with such a powerful and moving film. This film encompasses everything that we as a film festival are about.”

Fingal Film Festival takes place from Friday, September 25 to Sunday, September 27 at Movies@ Swords Pavilions Centre.

Tickets for the opening night film event are limited, so attendees are advised to book early.

Tickets can be purchased at tickets.ie, and there are early-bird deals on all screenings for tickets purchased before September 8. For further information, see www. fingalfilmfest.com.

4 BLANCH Gazette 27 August 2015

fingal Grant to improve group’s services and boost community spirit

Community groups to share Dublin Bus funding  keith bellew

A NUMBER of community groups in Fingal have been granted funding by Dublin Bus as part of its Community Spirit Awards. Baldoyle Boxing Club were the biggest winners with a €5,000 grant, while

St Peregrines GAA Club, The Blanchardstown Centre for the Unemployed, Sports Club 15 (Blanchardstown Special Olympics Group), Coolmine Therapeutic Community, and Malahide Fingal Hockey Club have been allocated €1,000 each.

The Community Spirit Awards are part of the wider Community Spirit Initiative.

Since 2004, a percentage of unclaimed passenger change has gone to the Dublin Bus Community Spirit fund and supported almost 1,500 voluntary groups.

This year, 85 local groups throughout Dublin have been shortlisted for grants totalling either €5,000, €2,000 or €1,000.

On Wednesday, September 23, the 85 recipients will attend a ceremony which will recognise all the shortlisted groups and award them with the grant in

order to improve their services and boost community spirit.

The patron of the initiative, exinternational footballer Niall Quinn, will be in attendance on the night to announce the award winners and give recipients their awards.

Ray Coyne, chief executive

of Dublin Bus, said the company is delighted to provide a programme that allows it to directly help the local communities that use its services every day.

For further information on the Community Spirit Initiative, see www.dublinbus.ie/.

Phoenix Park hosts final Bark in the Park of the year AT LEAST 200 dogs and their owners are expected to turn out for the final Irish Blue Cross Bark in the Park of 2015 in the Phoenix Park, on Sunday, August 30.

The 3km sponsored dog walk takes in the surroundings of the Phoenix Park, starting and finishing up near the Castleknock Gate entrance, at the junction of Chesterfield Avenue and Ordnance Survey Road.

Participants should be there between 2pm and 2.30pm to register for a prompt 3pm start.

Competitions on the day include: Dog with the Best Bark; Dog with the Happiest Smile; Dog with the Shiniest Coat and Dog with the Waggiest Tail.

These will be followed by a raffle draw for which tickets are sold on the day. In addition, Maxi Zoo sponsored

goody bags for all entrants are filled with canine and human treats.

Last year, the four Bark in the Par events took in €16,500, which goes directly towards veterinary work. The Irish Blue Cross aims to raise considerable funds again this year for the 27,000 treatments, tests and procedures required annually for pets of needy owners who attend its clinics.

St Anne’s, Marlay and Tymon have all hosted their own Bark(s) in the Park in recent years.

To register for a sponsorship card visitwww.barkinthepark.ie.

Alternatively come along early to the event and register on the day and make a donation.

For more information, please contact Fionn on (01) 4163032 or at fundraising@bluecross.ie

Porterstown Park is getting a substantial investment which will increase the number of people using it

Porterstown Park: council to examine crossing

60kph speed limit will not change  Keith Bellew

The 60kph speed limit at the road crossing at Porterstown Park will not be changed as the council believes it to be suitable for the road.

However it will be monitored to determine if additional measures are required to slow traffic in the vicinity of the playing fields which are currently being developed.

This comes on the back of calls by Cllr Roderic O’Gorman (GP) for measures to improve safety at the road crossing to be examined in conjunction with the development of the park.

The development of the park will see the provision of additional facilities including a cricket pitch,

300m all-weather running track, all-weather soccer pitch and both adult and juvenile sized GAA pitches under a new five-year master plan.

The work will be carried out over the next five years with phase one to be in place this year. It involves a car park extension, installation of toilet facilities, athletics long jump and a cricket training area. It is also intended to commence work on the development of the cricket pitch this year.

The number of children using the park should increase when the development is complete, and Cllr O’Gorman said a number of parents of children who use the various facilities at the park have expressed concern

about speeding on the Porterstown Road at the entrance to the park.

“While there is a pedestrian crossing in place linking the entrance to the Park to Fernleigh estate, the fact that so many kids are crossing back and forth means that this is a high risk area for kids running across the road.

As such, I feel we should look at slowing the traffic on this short stretch of the road, from the entrance to Porterstown Church to just past the existing pedestrian crossing,” he said.

The council has said that this stretch of road was not suitable for ramps, and Cllr O’Gorman said he is happy to work with council management to find an alternative but he

does not think the 60kph speed limit is suitable.

“Since the council is putting a substantial investment in the park which will increase the number of people using it, we should be taking all measures to make it as safe as possible for the children using it. I’ll continue to push this issue with council management as the redevelopment of Porterstown Park continues,” he said.

A council spokesperson responded saying: ‘The council will set speed limits in accordance with the speed limit guidelines published by the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport. The current speed limit of 60kph is suitable for this type of road.”

27 August 2015 BLANCH Gazette 5

autism Creating an environment where kids can be kids

Lack of resources sees group set up  keith bellew kbellew@dublingazette.com

JUMP Autism Support, a non-profit organisation set up by parents in Dublin 15, aims to bring services and educational support to children affected by the condition.

It recently held its inaugural summer camp.

The week-long event in Ongar Community Centre was the group’s official launch and founder Emma Thorpe says it was established due to a lack of resources for children with autism.

She and her fellow board members, Suzanne O’Connor, Karen Thorpe

and David Hosford, say the numbers affected by autism in Ireland are growing, and proper education, care, and support are serious issues for these families.

“I’m a parent of a child with autism myself, and there is very little support and resources out there for children with autism.

“The likes of Tayto Park is not suitable for a child with autism, the noise, the light, all of those things can cause a sensory overload and the children will maybe hear it a lot louder and they will get upset.

There’s nowhere for children with autism to

just go and just be kids.

“We are parents of children with autism ourselves and we have created Jump, and we aim to create an environment where kids can just be kids,” she said.

She added that the group aimed to give these children a chance to do normal childhood activities that would naturally bring on their development, in a supervised and appropriate setting.

“It would also focus on fun activities that can build social skills, confidence and communication, in ways applicable to a young child (play music etc).

“Most other charities focus on research, representing the child’s interests at a national level and have an inter vention ser vice attached.

“We aim to put all our money and time directly into activities the children will benefit from,” she said, adding that they are completely non-profit and no salary is taken from anyone involved apart from the service providers.

“We also aim to do this at a price which is affordable for all families and will not put further strain on their limited resources,” she said.

JUMP Autism Support aims to give children a chance to do normal childhood activities in a supervised and appropriate setting

The camp was full in the first 24 hours – with Facebook being the primary form of advertising – demonstrating the need for such a service.

“We could have filled the camp many times over from the enquir-

ies and we had parents show up on the days just in case there were any last minute cancellations,” said Thorpe.

Jump Autism Support is seeking support from local businesses and people to make it

successful, and can be contacted by email at info@jumpautismsupport.com.

For more information, visit the Facebook page at: https://www. facebook.com/JumpAutismSupport

6 BLANCH Gazette 27 August 2015

Draiocht: The Heart and Soul Theatre Company

housing Council announces upgrades

Play portrays the dangers of drinking  Keith Bellew

A play depicting the dangers of alcohol abuse written by a recovering alcoholic to try to make young people consider the repercussions before taking a drink will be performed at Draiocht Arts Centre on September 15.

The Grandeur of Delusions presented by The Heart and Soul Theatre Company is written by Hugh Murphy based on his personal experiences, directed by Anne Brophy, and performed by Noelle Brogan and Aaron Jenner.

It is described as a monologue for two people, a premise which, while a contradiction in terms, perfectly depicts the loneliness and isolation that addiction creates. It depicts an alcoholic talking to himself through the medium of his delusion, and a girl haunted by the absence of affection in childhood, both of whom drink to

escape their demons in an alcoholic oblivion. The play deals in an ironic and funny fashion with the trials and tribulations of alcoholism.

The show’s producer, Geraldine O’Malley said that the play demonstrates how alcoholism is almost always triggered by some hurt received in childhood, and that the theme of forgiveness is another big part of the play’s message. She went on to say that it’s very true to life and it’s not necessarily for alcoholics or people with addictions, it’s for parents as well, who might have children who are binge drinking. She believes that upon seeing the play, parents might question whether their own behaviour might be the cause of their child’s problem, and young people who over indulge might question the reasons behind their own behaviour.

See www.facebook. com/HeartandSoulTheatre

Many residents still have the original windows and doors that were installed almost 40 years ago

Corduff Grove, Park to get new windows  keith bellew kbellew@dublingazette.com

Corduff Grove and Park will have their long awaited window and door upgrades carried out in the coming weeks, Fingal County Council has informed residents this week.

Residents of Corduff Grove and Park had been very upset that their estates had been left out of the first phase of the Window and Door Replacement scheme announced in May. The houses are the oldest in Corduff and many residents still have the original windows and doors that were installed almost 40 years ago. The windows in particular have deteriorated significantly and residents have had to take drastic measures to stay warm in

winter including wearing their coats to bed. They have woken up to find ice on their inside windowsills in the morning.

The residents believed that they should have been included in the first phase of the scheme based on the criteria specified by the Council, namely, the age and condition of the windows and doors. “The only way others could be more in need would be if they had no windows and doors at all,” they said.

A planned protest by the residents was averted after Fingal County Council contacted the residents to arrange meetings with the residents to discuss the possibilities of carrying out the upgrades sooner than originally planned.

Speaking to The Gazette, Aaron Buckley

of Corduff Grove and Park Residents Association said himself and the other residents consider this a victory.

“It shows that sometimes a little bit of people power and maybe a little bit of rocking the boat can go a long way. If we had just taken the decision lying down, I would

play to them [the Council] for eventually coming around,” he said.

He went on to say that the fact that the work will be carried out in the coming weeks means residents won’t have to face another winter sleeping in their coats.

“For a lot of these residents it will be the first

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‘The only way others could be more in need would be if they had no windows and doors at all’

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Corduff Grove and Park residents

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hazard a guess that we probably wouldn’t have been on the list this time and it wouldn’t have been done this year. We may well have been on the list next year, but I don’t think it would have been done so soon. But fair

time in over 20 years that they’ve been sitting in a warm house for the winter period,” he said.

Cllr Paul Donnelly (SF) welcomed the commitment from Fingal County Council, saying most the homes there

have the original windows and doors that are now nearly 40 years old and in desperate need of replacement.

He also commended the Council, saying “I would like to acknowledge the efforts of the Fingal Estate Management staff who worked very hard to try to access further funding. They have followed up very swiftly on their commitment to ensure the Park and Grove would be first to access any new funding.

“I have spoken to many residents and they are delighted that they will finally have the new windows and doors, this follows on from the insulation scheme recently and will make a massive difference to the cost of heating the houses for residents,” he said.

27 August 2017 BLANCH Gazette 7

operation

slimming world: Man of the Year drops five stone on program

Gardai in drugs seizure

Noel weighs in on healthy eating HE lost over five stone in 10 months and now Slimming World Ongar’s Man of the Year Noel Clarke is, not surprisingly, promoting the benefits of healthy eating and exercise.

He was over 20st 8lbs in October 2014 but by August this year he’d dropped to 15st 7lbs.

Clarke says: “I’d been unhappy with my size for some time and tried to lose weight, but I didn’t really know how to make long-term changes.

“I would exercise and tried to watch what I ate, but I’d never lose much weight – or if I did it wouldn’t stay off for long.

“I’d never thought about joining a slimming

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‘I’d been unhappy with my size for some time and tried to lose weight’

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group because, if I’m honest, I always thought they were just for women.

“Then, when my wife lost weight with Slimming World I realised I didn’t have anything to lose – except weight – and I thought I should at least give it a go,” he said.

He was very nervous, he said, walking into the group for the first time, but soon found that everyone was friendly and were all there for the same reason.

The best part for Clarke was not having to go hungry as he learned how to make small changes such

as using low calorie cooking spray instead of oil and choosing lean cuts of meat.

“I can still have curries and Chinese dishes, steak and chips and roast dinners, which is great for me,” he said, adding that he has since become more active, starting with walking and building up to a 20km run.

“I’m more energetic with my kids and having recently enjoyed a family break away by the sea I realised how much fun I missed out on over the last few years with my young children,” he said.

History lesson: Local historian Jim Lacey shines a light on the past Luttrellstown Golf Club hosted the launch of local historian’s new book titled The Barony of Castleknock A History, published

by The History Press Ireland. The event was well attended by guests who included An Tanaiste Joan Burton and other local political figures and representatives of other organisations in the Blanchardstown/Castleknock area. The book was launched by James Connolly Heron, the great grandson of James Connolly.

James Connolly Heron is well-known for his work in the campaign to preserve the buildings and the area around the GPO, Henry Street and Moore Street as a historical battlefield site. Pictured are Jim and Gearldine Lacey with Tanaiste Joan Bruton.

GARDAI attached to the drugs and organised crime bureau and assisted by the Blanchardstown divisional drug unit recently seized drugs worth €889,000 and arrested one man in an operation in Blanchardstown.

As part of an intelligence-led operation, gardai searched a house in Blanchardstown and seized 300,000 Zopiclone tablets (estimated street value of €600,000), 280,000 diazepam tablets (€280,000), heroin (€3,600) and cannabis (€2,400).

During the course of this operation one man was arrested and detained at Blanchardstown Garda Station under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996.

8 blanch Gazette 27 August 2015

gazetteGALLERIES

Daniel O’Shea and his horse Kinmar

Natalie Kinghan checks out the

Night (5th Place) with David Conway

Sponsor’s List

show jumping: Amateur’s display

Trotting out a show of skills

Clodagh Fitzpatrick on her horse Reiss in the warm-up arena at the Leinster Regions Amateur Horse Show Joanna Curran and her horse, Ballytroddens Minnie Me, being presented with

held at the new state-of-the-art equestrian centre at The National Horse Sport Arena recently.

their winning rosette in the Amateur Grand Prix competition by David Conway

Pictures: John O’Neill

27 August 2015 blanch Gazette 9

Karen Pearson, Margaret Fullerton and Eileen Duggan enjoying the show

Cait Stafford and her horse Ola Lara in full flight during the Grand Prix Competition jump-off round

Miriam Murphy and competitor Clodagh Fitzpatrick

Emma Boylan ( NSC/National Horse Arena), Paddy

Gillian Blanche proudly displays her rosette after

Chris Harrington and

Mullen ( SJI Amateur President ) and David Conway

she and her horse Bellegrove PrimaDonna claimed

competitor Hayley Devlin

(chief executive, National Sports Campus )

fifth prize in the Welcome Stakes

10 GAZETTE 27 August 2015

GAZETTEGALLERY

Elliott, Lottie, Bonnie, Babette and Morah Ryan

Paul Harrington and Joe Harrington

Holly and Shay Byrne

Gay Byrne and Kathleen Watkins with grandchildren Sadhbh, Cian and Saoirse O’Byrne and (inset) Gay with Marty Whelan and Rory Cowan. Pictures: Brian McEvoy

BORD GAIS THEATRE: OPENING OF BELOVED MUSICAL

Dublin is alive with the Sound of Music

F

ANS of the timeless musical, The Sound of Music, flocked to the opening night of a production of the classic show at The Bord Gais Energy Theatre recently, where many well-known faces were to be seen. With accomplished West End stars joining some other top-notch actors and singers, the cast didn’t have to climb every mountain to reach dizzy heights of perfection. Their masterful story of the Von Trapp family’s escape from Nazis – and of a certain singing nun’s influence – delighted the audience. By the musical’s end, when it was time to say so long, farewell, everyone knew that they had seen something good, indeed.

Jessica Whelan, Maria Whelan and Caoimhe Karla Cosgrave and Holly O Connor

Faughnan

Nuala Carey

27 August 2015 Gazette 11

theatre P14

feature P16

asdfsdaf P27

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

a day in the life: lisa fitzpatrick balances her family and work

what’son

A mum with a mission  àisling kennedy

KNOWN for being Ireland’s numberone fashion guru and stylist to the stars, Lisa Fitzpatrick is one of the busiest stylists in showbiz.

She presents a fashion slot on Ireland AM on weekdays, appears on TV3’s Xpose regularly, runs her own fashion roadshow and is mother to two young children.

She took time out this week to talk to The Gazette about a typical day in her life.

“I get up at about 6am every day and I have a routine where I love to have my coffee and a bottle of water first thing in the morning.”

Lisa, who is married to Paul Fitzpatrick and is mother to Sophie (12) and Dalton (9), says that her son spoils her every morning and always makes her a coffee to get the day started.

“Dalton makes me my coffee every morning and he writes little letters on the coffee tray or puts a fake flower or a flower from the garden on my tray each day. He’s great, and a really thoughtful young man.”

Once she has her morning coffee, Lisa gets herself camera ready and heads to the TV3 studios in Ballymount for her fashion segment on Ireland AM. “I usually get to TV3 at about 7am, and I will then sit with my models, check the re-fit of their clothes, then do the Coming Up slot, and then present the slot at 10am.

“After that, I then head into the city centre for meetings at 10.30am. I always go into Clarendon St Church and light three candles, either before the meeting or after the meeting, for whoever is in my thoughts. I never go into the city centre without lighting candles in Clarendon St.” After that, Lisa pulls some looks for Xpose in stores around the city, and then at 1.45pm she leaves the city centre to pick up her children from school.

She is usually home by 4pm when she then sits down to have a healthy lunch of either a tuna salad or salmon and brown bread. She then turns her attention towards her children, and begins helping them with their homework.

“I usually cook dinner while the kids are doing their homework and then once dinner is finished at about 5pm, I get into mammy mode and prepare lunches for the next day, put washes on and do a bit of ironing.

“Then, at about 7pm it’s my time! I catch up on my TV box sets – I’m watching Madame Secretary, and Suits, at the moment.”

She is usually pretty tired from the early start, so she is always in bed by 9pm and asleep by 10pm, ready to start the next day again at 6am.

Lisa Fitzpatrick is currently relaunching her Fashion Fix roadshow in the Spencer Hotel on September 19.

Tickets for the roadshow are available at www.fitzpatrickstyle.com.



Gazette

diary P12

volunteer to help a wheely great event

TV presenter and style guru Lisa Fitzpatrick is kept busy with staying on trend for all the latest fashions, while also juggling her time as a wife and mother

EVENT volunteers are being sought for the Great Dublin Bike Ride, which takes place on Sunday, September 13 in Smithfield.

The event is a mass participation bike ride for people of all abilities – from novice riders to experts, and enthusiastic, reliable and safety-conscious volunteers are needed to help direct more than 2,500 cyclists through the course.

Volunteers will meet at Smithfield and Swords on Sunday, September 13. They are crucial to event operations, cyclists’ safety and contributing to the atmosphere of the day.

Volunteers are currently being recruited for event coordination, team support and cyclist registration.

Two scenic routes (60km and 100km) have been designed for the event (subject to change, pending approval of the relevant bodies), with both routes starting and finishing in the heart of Smithfield.

The Great Dublin Bike Ride is based on the international sportif model, which promotes cycling and mass participation.

You can apply online at www.volunteer.ie.

12 Gazette 27 August 2015

Gazette

dublinlife Festival set to brew up a storm Bac k b y p o p u l a r demand after its inaugural outing last year, The Dublin Coffee and Tea Festival 2015 is set to be another big weekend on the social calendar for coffee and tea lovers nationwide.

T he festival takes place once again in the RDS from September 11 to 13, with thousands of visitors expected to taste what the coffee and tea industry in Ireland has to offer.

The Dublin Coffee and Tea Festival fea-

tures: The Roasters Village hosting an array of coffee and tea micro roasters; T he SCAE Brew School where visitors will be shown how to use different brewing methods; The National Home Barista Championships as well as The Food Village for Artisan food and beverage suppliers whose products compliments the coffee and tea drinking experience.

The Festival has served as a fitting platform to promote the

renowned World Barista Championship which is coming to Dublin in June 2016 for the first time.

For further information visit www.dublincoffeefestival.com.

shatter shoots back on story Alan Shatter has hit back at a story that ran last week alleging he charged €12 passport photos to the Irish taxpayer during his tenure as Justice Minister. The former minister says the

claims are “totally false”.

The Star reported that Shatter claimed €12 in expenses for passport photos in October 2013 while he was earning a salary of almost €160,000.

However in a Facebook post the Dublin South TD torpedoed these allegations. He said the real story was that he undertook ministerial engagements in Lebanon, Jordan and Israel, in 2013 for which inoculations and photos were required for a Lebanese visa.

“I was asked to furnish all relevant receipts to the Department of Defence and did so,” he said.

This isn’t the first time Shatter has been in the spotlight over photographs. Back in 2007, he circulated a bizarre leaflet with pictures of his head photo-shopped onto a picture of Star Trek’s, Captain Kirk, and Simon Cowell with headlines like Shatter has the X-Factor.

Barnardos seeks volunteers Children’s charity Barnardos is seeking volunteers throughout Dublin to support its national collection day – Buckets for Barnardos – on Friday, September 18. Barnardos is hoping to recruit over 1,000 volunteers to raise funds for its work with vulnerable children and families. Barnardos works with over 11,300 children and families in 40 projects throughout Ireland To volunteer contact Grainne on 1850 217 217 or visit www.barnardos. ie/buckets. If you are unable to volunteer but would like to help you can text BUCKET to 50300 to donate €4.

diary

Model Holly Carpenter at the launch of the Dublin Coffee and Tea Festival 2015

27 August 2015 Gazette 13

FEATURE event: ‘The Festival is packed with lectures, debate, film and walks’

Rising to open Dublin Festival of History  Ian Begley

The third annual Dublin Festival of History is set to take place again this year with the question of how 1916 should be commemorated as one of the chief topics.

The festival runs from September 25 to October 10 in Printworks Dublin Castle, Dublin City Council public libraries, and various other venues.

A panel discussion of commemorations is only one of the topics in the 2015 programme, which will look at some of the greats of history in Napoleon, Caesar and Wellington, as well as the social history of Dublin throughout its sporting and culinary

life.

As the centenar y o f t h e 1916 R i s i n g approaches, the Festival will open with a panel of Irish historians reflecting on recent commemorative events, and looking ahead to the plans to mark the centenary of the Rising.

The 1916 Rising also features strongly in the programme in the branch libraries with talks on the fire brigade in 1916, the re-development of Richmond Barracks and the labour movement at Easter Week 1916.

There’s a focus on women’s history, with talks on the women who took part in the Rising, the lives of the Pearse sisters, and women’s

political participation in Ireland.

Speaking at the festival Dublin Lord Mayor Criona Ni Dhalaigh (SF) said: “The Festival is packed with interesting lectures, debate, film and walks and is a real treat for the history buff.

“The programme for the 2015 Festival runs from the 1916 Rising to the Second World War, from the history of soccer in Ireland to medics in the trenches, from the field of Croke Park to the field of Waterloo, and from the streets of Dublin to the streets of Samarkand.

“This year for the first time the Festival, run

by Dublin City’s public libraries, will include a

How 1916 should be commemorated will be a major topic at the Dublin Festival of History. Picture: Courtesy of Dublin City Library and Archive

family and children’s programme which takes place in Dublin Castle and partner venues and includes a specially commissioned walk, A Child’s view of Dublin Life through the ages.”

All lectures and children’s events at the Dublin Festival of History are free and tickets can be booked at www.dublinfestivalofhistory.ie.

Search is on for Silver Surfers Age Action is searching for people over the age of 50 who are getting online and mastering new technologies as part of this year’s Silver Surfers Awards. This year’s awards were launched by Newstalk’s George Hook at an event in DCU accompanied by past winner Marie O’Gorman and new learners Adrienne Swan and Noeleen Brennan.

Although as many as 70 per cent of older people don’t use the internet Age Action’s Silver Surfers have overcome the challenge of learning something new and are now expert googlers, skypers and tweeters.

Whether it’s keeping in touch with grandchildren overseas, paying bills, starting your own blog or researching your passion, Age Action wants to highlight the achievements of the

over 50s in Ireland and nominations are now open.

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

‘I was amazed by all the different contributions to technology’ -----------------------------------

One of last year’s winners, 86-year-old Paddy Crean, said: “I was amazed by all the different contributions to technology from different Silver Surfers, from finding crochet patterns online to writing stories for grandchildren to setting up online book clubs.”

Eamon Timmins, chief executive of Age Action, said there were more nominations last year than ever before and they are hoping to top

this in 2015.

“The Silver Surfer awards are a great way to show an older relative or friend your appreciation and we’re urging everyone right across Dublin who knows a great silver surfer to nominate them. We hope they will inspire other older people to take the plunge and to get online,” he said.

All nominees will be invited to the awards ceremony in October, organised by our partners for this year’s Silver Surfers, the DCU Age Friendly Project. Nominations can be made online at www.ageaction. ie/silversurfer or by phoning 01 475 6989. Closing date for nominations is October 4, 2015. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on October 20 at The Helix Theatre.

Gazette

14 Gazette 27 August 2015

dublinlife

award-winning : National Theatre of Great Britain

Thrilling new stage play has plenty of bite  Ian Begley

The National Theatre of Great Britain returns to the Bord Gais Energy Theatre this October with the multi awardwinning production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime.

Christopher Boon is a 15–year-old boy with Asperger’s syndrome (a form of autism) which

leaves him ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. When he falls under suspicion of killing Mrs Shears’ dog, it takes him on a journey that upturns his world.

Based on the awardwinning novel by Mark Haddon, adapted by Simon Stephens and directed by Marianne Elliott, T he Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a

thrilling new stage play from the National Theatre.

Speaking to The Gazette, director Stephens said that adapting the novel into a play was both daunting and tremendous fun.

“Mark Haddon is an extraordinar y writer and it was a real honour to be asked to adapt his novel into a play - it was

both a massive compliment and very daunting at the same time.

“Mark was such a brilliant, empowering collaborator. He basically said ‘I trust you’ and to do whatever I wanted with his novel. Because of this I felt more brave and confident about taking upon this massive feat.

I took a long time thinking about how to dramatise the novel which is entirely built around the interior voice.

“Drama deals with things that people do rather than the things people feel or think about. T he novel is all about what Chris remembers and what he thinks and observers. Finding a dramatic muscle to that was the real challenge.”

Stephens went on to say that Christopher’s teacher Siobhan is one of the chief characters in the play despite her playing only a minor part in the book.

“The novel pretends

Director Simon Stephens said that adapting the novel into a play was both daunting and tremendous fun. Picture: Alex Rumford

to be a book written by somebody else – Christopher. His teacher is quite a peripheral figure in the novel, but I made his relationship with her the real centre of the play.

“I have allowed Siobhan act as the narrator in the play by reading C h r i s t o p h e r ’s b o o k aloud.

“When she first picks up his book she finds something very special

in him which she finds astonishing.”

He added that he wants the audience to have the same sense of astonishment and curiosity into Christopher’s world as his teacher.

“We recognise ourselves in Christopher, but at the same time he’s unlike anything we have ever experienced.

“What Mark’s done is that he’s invented a character who doesn’t

h ave e m p a t hy a s a means of exploring how important empathy is because of his condition - he can’t understand people’s feelings.”

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is taking place at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre from October 6 to 10.

Tickets are priced from €15 - €55 and can be purchased on www. bordgaisenergytheatre. ie

Simon says please join its upcoming fun run THE Simon Fun Run will hold its 32nd charity run in the Phoenix Park this October.

The Simon Fun Run is a professionally timed road race which is registered with Athletics Association Ireland and will see runners such as Olivier Meisonnave from Dax Restaurant and the Hamleys Bear take to the track.

The five-mile route is open to

professional and amateur runners alike, with Simon inviting running clubs, school groups, corporate teams, family groups and friends to take part.

Activities There will be a Hamleys’ Kids Zone, Simon Food Court, live music and performers and much more activities on the day.

The run will take place on Saturday, October 3 and the meeting point is the Papal Cross in the park.

There is an entrance fee of €30 for adults, €10 for 13-18 year olds, while 12 years and under are free, and school groups can register as a group for €15.

To register, see www.familyfun. ie/dublin-simon-fun-run/.

27 August 2015 GAZETTE 15

FEATURES

Ryan Sheridan is set to release his new album, Here and Now , on August 28. Picture: Jelena Lihhatsova

RYAN SHERIDAN: SINGER/SONGWRITER RELEASES ALBUM

‘I’m ecstatic to get back to my native home’

 IAN BEGLEY

RYAN Sheridan, the acclaimed singer/songwriter from Monaghan, is set to release his new album in Ireland on August 28 following a much anticipated world tour.

His new album Here And Now was recorded in Ireland and Germany, and is the follow up to his Irish platinum selling debut The Day You Live Forever.

Featuring the massive hits Jigsaw and The Dreamer, that album was only kept from the top of the Irish charts by Adele’s 21.

A brand new single Hearsay is also being released to coincide with

the arrival of Sheridan’s new album.

2012 saw international deals done with Universal Music in Europe and Australia, and The Day You Live Forever climbed to the top of the German charts.

Thrilling

Extensive touring soon followed, and Sheridan spent much of 2013 thrilling European audiences with his highoctane live shows.

Speaking to The Gazette, Sheridan said he is very excited in the run up to his new album, along with performing in Dublin.

“After my first album in 2011 I’ve been touring around the world for

a total of four years and now I’m very pleased to be back releasing another one.

“Over the years I feel like I’ve progressed a little towards a more acoustic element.

“I was really inspired to bring the album back to my roots and back to a raw energy acoustic sound that I was looking for.

“I only just got back from a tour recently and then I have an Irish tour coming up starting on August 28 in Whelan’s Pub. It’s been about two or three years ago since I last toured around in Ireland so I’m ecstatic to get back to my native home.”

Sheridan went onto

say that his upcoming performance in Whelan’s Pub is something he is really looking forward to as it was where he first started out.

“Whelan’s is where it all started for me so I have a bit of a soft spot for the place. I’m now very much looking forward to per forming there again. I’m sure it’ll be a fantastic night and hopefully the place will be packed full of music lovers.”

Ryan Sheridan’s new album Here And Now will be released August 28 and he will be performing in Whelan’s Pub on the same day.

V i s i t w w w. r y a n sheridanmusic.com for more information.

Gazette

16 Gazette 27 August 2015

dublinlife

feature

crisis: Calling to re-establish Training Agency

Hospitality sector facing chef shortage  Aisling Kennedy akennedy@dublingazette.com

Dublin, and indeed Ireland, is currently facing a

crisis in the hospitality sector as there is a major shortage of culinary chefs throughout our country.

The crisis of chefs has

reached its highest level yet and the Restaurant Association of Ireland is now calling on the Minister for Education to re-es-

tablish CERT, the former State Tourism Training Agency.

CERT was established in 1963 and was responsible for providing a trained workforce for the hotel, catering and tourism industry.

It was abolished in 2003.

Chief executive of the Restaurant Association of Ireland (RAI) Adrian Cummins said: “The restaurant sector are calling for the immediate reestablishment of CERT, which the tourism and hospitality sector held in high esteem while it was operational. It was fit for purpose and serviced the industry with skilled labour during its operational years.”

A tota l of 24,700 chefs were employed in 2014 but according to the RAI the main skills shortages are among suitably qualified chefs as many of the applicants submitted for chef positions are deemed not to be appropriately qualified.

The RAI believe that there is not enough chef training centres in Ireland and said that there is an immediate deficit of 5,000 chef trainees annually.

Ross Lewis, joint-owner and Michelin star head chef at Chapter One, told the Gazette that he believes there are many facets to the current crisis in chefs and there is no quick fix.

He said: “The prob-

Ross Lewis, joint-owner and Michelin star head chef at Chapter One

lem is that demand is outstripping supply. The industry has been growing progressively over the last 15 years and I’m not sure that we’re surviving the supply of chefs to meet the demand.

“There is probably 3,000 to 4,000 more restaurant seats in the city in the last three to four years and that’s a huge contributing factor.”

Lewis explains that a shortage in chefs in Ireland is a continual problem as Ireland is a small country and chefs tend to train here and then move onto other countries.

“Chefs are usually young and single and they do tend to move on to other countries. We have to try to encourage these guys back here because it’s potentially a huge area for Irish tourism.”

Another aspect of some young chefs deciding against the trade are the unsociable hours and in some cases poor wages.

Lewis is quick to dispel this idea, however, and says: “Yes the hours can

be unsociable but on the other hand it has never been a more positive time to be a chef.

“It’s a glamorous job now and the amount of people who are interested and attracted by it has never been greater.”

Crisis

Lewis believes that an important area to tackle in the crisis of chefs is training colleges.

“There is an element of large drop outs from college and in the first year of the industry there is a very significant drop out.

“We need to take a look at this because for every hundred enrolling, the amount that are actually making it through to the industry is considerably less and this is a real issue.

“We need to take the teaching of culinary arts and cheffing back into the kitchen. Apprenticeships have been dispensed with which is a major problem.

“If somebody comes through the apprenticeship system in the kitchen then they’ll know

what’s involved and what the hours are and they’ll tell you very quickly whether they want to do it or not.”

Lewis explains that teaching in a classroom is a cheaper and easier option but it’s not practical because young chefs are not experiencing the real kitchen environment or being hands on with food.

“There’s a big disconnect between the educational system and the industry and that’s an issue.”

Lewis is aware that there is no quick fix but he is adamant that the problem should be approached from all angles.

He said: “We’re going to have to do something because it’s at a crisis stage at this point.

Instead of hiring chefs with training, kitchens are hiring the immigrant workforce who might not have worked in a kitchen before.

“I am very proud of Ireland as a food island as the primary produce here is second to none.

27 August 2015 Gazette 17

asdfsdaf P27 cinema P25

travel P20

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



Gazette

style P18

Pets it’s the quiet life for Maggie

Emily Aoibheann from performance group Dying Breeds rehearsing for their new show Object Piggy which will feature at Dublin Fringe. Picture: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

festival: Celebrating 21 years with a packed programme of shows

No longer on the fringes  keith bellew

Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival celebrates its 21st birthday this year from September 7 to 20 with a packed programme of acclaimed shows in the mediums of theatre, comedy, music, dance and circus.

Speaking to The Gazette, chief executive and artistic director of Tiger Dublin Fringe Kris Nelson said the festival was created by a group of artists who felt that they weren’t being presented in mainstream festivals, and wanted to create their own context for independent work.

“Unlike most fringe [festivals] around the world they decided they would make a curated festival so that their Fringe of other work by Irish art-

ists would be selected by the director, whereas other Fringes around the world are based on first come, first served,” he said.

He went on to say that the festival has really grown over the years and is no longer on the fringes of the main festivals as it is now one of the main festivals.

“The festival presents the very best and brightest of new Irish makers, so we focus a lot on new forms new expressions, new kinds of theatre, dance, comedy, and circus.

“Over the years it’s become an incubator for new talent and new ideas, and it’s also a place where more established artists come to try something new,” he said.

He said that Fringe audiences are

very diverse comprising arts aficionados, first timers and everything in between.

Many of the events will be held in unique venues throughout the city, and Nelson says this lends a spirit of adventure to the festival. Possibly one of the most intriguing of these is Beckett in the City which will be performed in the former residence of Gaelscoil Colaiste Mhuire in Parnell Square.

This building is steeped in Irish republican history as it is the place that the 1916 proclamation was signed.

It has been left vacant since the school moved premises in December, 2002.

Directed by Sarah Jane Scaife, this performance examines the female characters in Samuel Beckett’s Footfalls, Rockaby, Not I and Come and

Go. Nelson said that Scaife is one of the world’s leading experts on Samuel Beckett, both in an academic sense and in terms of staging his work.

“For her what’s important is that Beckett has a connection with Dublin and with the cityscape, so what she has done over a series of works is connect lesser known pieces or parts of Beckett’s works into places in the city.

“She wants to connect how the state and religious institutions have effected Irish women and she’s doing that with these iconic works and also with amazing performers,” he said.

To view the full programme of venues and events visit www.fringefest. com.

The Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs. Our Dog of the Week is Maggie, a six-year-old Labrador-cross.

Maggie adores her tennis balls and adores the people she knows. Maggie would love to meet her soul mate who will make her feel comfortable and secure and know she’ll never have to live in a kennel again. Maggie is a beautiful older lady looking for a quiet home to call her own. Maggie needs an adult only home with few visitors. She would love to live in a quiet area where the noise, hustle and bustle of daily life won’t worry her. Maggie needs to be the only dog in the home but has previously lived with cats.

If you think you could offer Maggie a loving home please contact Dogs Trust on 01-879 1000. They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website www. dogstrust.ie.

Gazette

18 Gazette 27 August 2015

OUT&ABOUT Label Lab Black scuba dress €99; Untold Black polka dot clutch €64

Biba Bird bell sleeved blouse €115, Black culottes €189, Black fringe clutch €150

Label Lab Black beaded long sleeve dress €199

Linea Two-tone cashmere waistcoat €246; Label Lab Grey cable knit jumper €99; Maison Scotch Grey check trousers €See in store Gray & Willow White and grey stripe coat €249; Label Lab Grey cable knit jumper €99, Grey skinny jeans €69 Biba Black faux fur collar coat €239

HOUSE of Fraser presented their store brands last week in the Dean Hotel. Firm favourites Biba had plenty of exceptional pieces for the autumn season, including a stunning gold luxe jacket.

Waistcoats are a key trend among all brands, with the grey two-toned cashmere offering from Linea stealing my heart.

Embellished jumpers and jackets also featured heavily, while a faux fur striped coat from Pied a Terre sent fashion editors and

bloggers’ hearts skipping.

The yellow tweed coat from Dickins and Jones had us all wishing for some Arctic conditions, while the black, beaded long-sleeve dress from Label Lab will have you looking fab at any Christmas bash.

Biba Black embellished jacket €159, Oriental fringe kimono dress €129

 mimi murray

27 August 2015 Gazette 19

Gazette

STYLE Dickins & Jones Yellow tweed coat €259; MaxMara Weekend Black polo neck jumper €See in store; Victoria Beckham Jeans Black flare jeans €See in store

Biba Gold leather blazer €349, 1963 slogan T-shirt €39, Leggings €65

Look your best for next season  mimi murray

AUTUMN seems to be just around the corner and it makes me long for lipsticks in dark berry shades.

I may not be able to pull them off as a

look, but I still lust after them!

Coral nails and nude, sun-kissed complexions make way for smokey eyes and nails in plums and greys. Here, I have chosen some of the best products I have sampled so far for this autumn.

Www.spongelleIreland.ie Anti-cellulite body buffer €14

Vichy Skinsleep cream €28 Lancome Vernis in Love €19.50

Pied a Terre Faux fur stripe coat €236

Clarins Double Serum 30ml €69.50

Lancome Grandiose smudgeproof mascara €30

Kiehls Daily revival concentrate €42.50

Urban Decay Naked Smokey €46

Clarins Joli Rouge €22

Great gifts for shoppers to help mark elite Lancome make-up artist’s classes at BT LANCOME’S elite make-up artist Marc Sinclair (right) will be in Ireland hosting a series of make-up masterclasses and one-on-one appointments in Brown Thomas this September, on Thursday 10 and Friday 11.

This coincides with an exclusive gift with every purchase of more than three Lancome products.

The Absolue Precious Cells gift contains two full-size products: Absolue Precious Pure

Cleansing Foam and Liquid Rouge in Love 316; eye cream and day cream.

The Lancome gift, available exclusively at Brown Thomas, also contains an Oleo serum using rose stem cells to target anti-aging, and Rouge in Love, to add a touch of gloss to your autumn complexion.

The gift – worth more than €210 – is available from Thursday, September 3 to Saturday, September 19, and will be available with the pur-

chase of three or more Lancome products.

This gift is available while stocks last from the Lancome counter in Brown Thomas Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick.

Gazette

20 Gazette 27 August 2015

OUT&ABOUT

co donegal: still largely untouched by tourism, fanad peninsula delights

Make the time to visit this quiet treasure A refined and relaxing

The welcoming exterior of the sympathetically developed Dunboyne Castle Hotel and Spa

co meath: dunboyne castle hotel and spa

 mimi murray

getaway from city life  ian begley

I RECENTLY enjoyed a one-night stay at the historically renowned Dunboyne Castle Hotel and Spa, Co Meath.

The original castle on the Dunboyne estate was destroyed by Oliver Cromwell, but the charming present day building that we see today was completed in 1764.

Rooms are very spacious and modern, equipped with a Smart TV and a magnificent view of the hotel grounds.

My guest and I took advantage of the hotel’s new Aromathera-tea package, which includes afternoon tea and a choice of one of three spa treatments at the hotel’s Seoid Spa for a total of €65pp.

I found the afternoon tea to be delightfully lush, and felt very sophisticated, tucking delicately into finger sandwiches, freshly

baked scones, orange flower meringue pie, and a gorgeous lavender and poppy seed cake, along with several cheeky glasses of prosecco.

Later that evening, after a long stroll around the woodland grounds of the hotel, my guest and I went for dinner at the Dunboyne Castle restaurant, The Ivy. To start, I had pan-fried scallops with salt-backed heritage carrots, while for my main I enjoyed a succulent roast rump of Wicklow lamb and confit of belly, which was served with an array of fresh vegetables.

My companion had the seared fillet of turbot, which he enjoyed just as much. Overall, it was a really delicious meal.

The hotel’s Sadleir Bar was our next stop and, again, the place was full of good cheer and music and its ambience was very relaxed.

Tuck into delicious afternoon tea treats

The morning after this eventful and enjoyable night, I received an extremely relaxing back massage with lavender, ginger, black pepper and rosemary in the Seoid Spa. Afterwards, my companion and I took advantage of all the facilities within the spa that we had unlimited access to, which included the thermal, outdoor hot tub and relaxation and fitness

suites.

The Aromathera-tea package at the Dunboyne Castle Hotel and Spa includes the Aromathera-tea and your choice of one of these three spa treatments for €65pp.

Make a night of it from €155pp midweek, including overnight stay, breakfast, dinner and the Aromathera-tea package.

For further information, see www.dubboynecastle.com.

THE Ring of Kerry is one of the most visited and best known tourist destinations in this country.

There is no doubt that it is spectacular.

Howe ve r g o i n a straight line nor th, about 400km and about 100km east as the crow flies, and you will find scenery of equal beauty, and some of the best beaches in Europe, if not the world.

Donegal is as breathtaking as parts of southern Ireland, but with none of the tourist trappings.

Food hasn’t taken the massive strides that it has down south, you won’t find shops selling Aran jumpers and walking sticks, and you certainly won’t find bus loads of tourists, eager to find a gravestone with their family name on it.

What you will find is real peace and solace, pubs with plenty of craic, and magical scenery all across the county.

I recently stayed close to the Fanad Peninsula, in the height of summer,

and barely saw another vehicle – or human, for that matter – as we drove the route over the course of a few hours.

There are plenty of pretty little towns around this area, and we stayed in Rathmullan House, in the village of Rathmullan.

It’s well placed on its own beach overlook-

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

‘We drove to Fanad Lighthouse and were the solitary visitors at the head!’

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

ing Lough Swilly, and is the perfect spot to truly relax.

During the summer they cater extremely well for families with children, even small children, but during the autumn and winter months, they are eager to welcome older guests who want to sit beside the fire with a good book or the papers and get away from it all.

Close by are the gor-

geous villages of Ramelton, as well as Portsalon and Milford. Letterkenny is also no more than a 20-minute drive away.

We dined in Ramelton for lunch on one of our days away in what appeared to be the only cafe/restaurant in the village.

It was thronged with Irish holiday-makers, and there are plenty of those. There aren’t many places to eat in the general area and even the local pubs were closed at lunchtime.

However, this place was doing a roaring trade, and the food was tasty.

For this reason we mostly dined in Rathmullan House, which wasn’t a chore. The food was very good, with lots of choice, including some really good fish dishes, including John Dory, brill and cod.

They also have an extensive wine list, with some unusual and exciting wines.

It was on day two of our visit that we undertook the drive around the Fanad Peninsula, and

27 August 2015 Gazette 21

Gazette

TRAVEL fast

TRAVEL Survey says we’d all like to take a trip to Route 66  ian begley

Fanad Head Lighthouse awaits visitors to this striking, yet largely untouched part of the country. Wherever you strike out towards, Donegal’s coastline offers visitors and locals alike a wonderful range of beaches and inlets, with rock and cliffs creating unforgettable vistas along many parts of the coast.

even though it rained almost throughout, the sun broke through on occasion to allow us some absolutely amazing views of the ocean, and of beaches so sandy and velvety, we longed to swim there.

We drove to the lighthouse and were the solitary visitors at the head!

Back at Rathmullan, there is a swimming pool that we mostly had to ourselves, which was great as it allowed me the freedom to play with my three-year-old and try to start the process of teaching him how to swim.

Our room was beautifully decorated, and there is a choice of old-

world bedrooms in the main house, and newer rooms in the new addition to the old house.

Across from the hotel’s private beach is Buncrana, and a ferry can be taken across to visit that village and make the trip to Malin Head.

The beach is long enough for a leisurely stroll along and there were plenty of people horseriding in the waves.

All in all, this place is picture postcard perfect, and is well worth the lengthy drive from Dublin.

For further information on Rathmullan, see www.rathmullanhouse. com.

Donegal wasn’t spared this summer’s inclement weather, but Rathmullan House provided a cosy retreat

ROUTE 66 has been voted as Ireland’s dream trip destination, according to a new survey by travel experts, Hotels.com.

The survey revealed that 38% of Irish people long to drive the famous route, which runs from Chicago to LA. In keeping with the American theme, 27% say they would love to take a road trip along the Pacific Coast highway in California, while 18% dream of taking to the open road along the Amalfi Coast in Italy.

Playlist The survey also showed that a great playlist is the number one essential item for any car journey (83%), followed by sunglasses (52%), and snacks (48%).

When it comes to road trip tunes, AC/ DC’s Highway to Hell came out on top, followed by Tom Petty’s Free Fallin’.

When asked where people went in the car on holiday as a child, France was the popular destination, while closer to home, Kerry was the most popular Irish destination for a road trip.

Gazette

22 Gazette 27 August 2015

OUT&ABOUT

FOOD&DRINK

BITESIZEDNEWS

The Bridge Chowder €8

Building bridges with the best of food Situated right in the heart of Dublin’s Ballsbridge, The Bridge 1859 has gone from strength to strength since opening in September 2014. Located in the middle of Ireland’s rugby heartland, The Bridge 1859 offers more than just pre and post match pints with a brand new menu offering a wide variety of dishes.

The Bridge 1859 is the latest venture by Noel Anderson, the man behind The Grafton Lounge in Dublin 2. Noel has teamed up with Ireland and Leinster Rugby players Jamie Heaslip, Sean O’Brien, and brothers Rob and Dave Kearney to create Dublin 4’s newest pub.

Head chef Simon Boland (formerly of The Church Bar and Restaurant) has created the menu which ranges from starters such as The Bridge Chowder €8 and West Coast Water Mussels €10/€14, mains such as Tempura Lemon Sole €14, Roast Stuffed Globe Artichoke €14 and the 1859 Tower Burger €16, and desserts such as the Butterscotch Chocolate Brownie €6 and the Strawberries ‘N’ Cream €6. The selection ranges from familiar and indulgent to unconventional and intriguing, and always to the highest quality.

Carefully sourced highlights include the Glazed Chicken and Herb Roulade €16 which is wrapped in pork caul, the Summer Salad €11 with sweet potato, candy cane beets and Five Mile Town Goats Cheese, and the Ham Hock Roll €11, served on a Waterford blaa with candy cane beetroot and celeriac remoulade.

The Bridge 1859 also serves brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Dishes include The Bridge Breakfast €12, their take on the full Irish, which features aged smoked back bacon, prime pork sausages and boards head black and white pudding. The Bridge Salmocado €12 is another exciting addition to the menu – English muffin, chicory, beef tomato, smoked salmon, poached eggs and avocado hollandaise.

The Chorizo and Haddock Smokies €12 are an exciting addition to the brunch menu, and feature cod, salmon, smoked couli, palourde clams, chorizo, toast, wilted spinach, poached eggs and hollandaise. For the more traditional types, The Bridge Roast €13.50 is served every Saturday and Sunday, and changes each week.

The Bridge 1859, 13 Ballsbridge Terrace, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Open 7 days.

The Teeling Whiskey Distillery is the only operational distillery in Dublin City

Whiskey galore at first new distillery in 125 years  Mimi Murray

I recently became a tourist in my own city and visited the new Teeling Distiller y in Newmarket Square.

This is the first new distillery in Dublin in over 125 years and is a great interactive experience for whiskey fans.

The Teeling Whiskey Distillery is the only operational distillery in Dublin City where visitors can get up close and personal with the traditional Irish whiskey making process.

We we n t f o r t h e Teeling Trinity Tasting which meant we were going to sample the brands Small Batch, Single Grain and Single Malt offerings at the end of the tour. Mmmmm, something to look forward to.

All guided tours are given by Teeling Whiskey Ambassadors and take between 45 minutes and an hour.

Our tour guide was well informed, engaging

and had plenty of interesting anecdotes.

The tour itself involves a walk through the exhibition area, detailing the history of Irish whiskey from the very beginning, to where it is today.

From the exhibition space, the tour then ventures to the inner workings of the distillery where visitors can experience the heat and sweet smell from the stills and witness the whiskey making process first hand.

Visitors can see into the barrels to understand the process as it happens, every stage from grain to whiskey.

The area is small but I certainly felt like Charlie in the Chocolate Factory and was impressed by the large copper stills and sheer touching distance of the process.

The tour doesn’t end there. We were then guided into The Bang Bang Bar, where we got to taste Teeling Whiskey.

My personal favourite and supposedly a

favourite among women was the Small Batch, although I found most men plumping for this on the day also. The single malt was a firm favourite too.

There is also a cafe and shop where you

can buy the whiskey at a cheaper rate than it sells in stores around Dublin.

The Teeling Whiskey Distillery and visitor centre at 17 Newmarket, Dublin 8, is open seven days a week.

V i s i t o r s c a n n ow access the distillery via the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus, getting off at stop 12A. Visitors can simply walk in or pre-booked tours are available on TeelingWhiskey.com.

27 August 2015 Gazette 23

Gazette

HEALTH challenge: ‘The best race ever’

Ironman?

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt!  suzanne sheehy

NOW I can say it... I’m a finisher! It feels great to have faced down one my most difficult challenges to date.

Since registering for the Ironman 70.3 Dublin in November 2014 along with over 2,500 athletes, I was set and ready to go on Sunday, August 9.

I faced into a 1.2 mile (1.9km) swim, a 56 mile (90km) bike ride and a 13.1 mile (21.1km) run.

As a two-year member of Fingal triathlon club I competed regularly. Since I now knew the triathlon it was time for a new challenge.

Here was my opportunity. The Ironman 70.3 Dublin was special. First, Ironman is a global brand having its first outing in the Irish capital.

You couldn’t miss these guys arriving in

their 40ft trucks only days before the event!

It was also a chance to swim in Scotsman’s Bay, Dun Laoghaire, cycle through Dublin, Fingal, Meath, Kildare through closed roads and conclude with a run in Europe’s largest city park, Phoenix Park.

D u r i n g my e i g h tmonth journey towards the 70.3, my training involved many Triathlon Ireland events along with Howth Aquathons.

This helped prep me for the big day, helping me to try out different foods/gels/bars and find what agreed with my stomach.

It also helped me identif y appropriate race gear. On the day, I had old reliables to sustain me rather than newbies! At times my confidence was knocked and I questioned my ability.

For example, in one Escape from Ireland

You couldn’t miss these guys arriving in their 40ft trucks

2km Open Water event, I had difficulty with strong currents and finished – exhausted – in 75 minutes knowing the cut-off for the Ironman 70.3 swim was 70 minutes. A bad day – but an invaluable learning curve.

When race day finally arrived, conditions were perfect. So many thoughts crowded into my head. I was jumping up and down on the spot not to keep warm but because of the nerves.

This was a big goal race!

I took comfort in knowing I was surrounded by many novices.

T he horn went, I jumped into the water complete with timing chip which was fastened to my left ankle with the velcro strap. We were well and truly off.

As we all began to settle into a rhythm, I managed to separate from the crowd and find some

Take care of your heart

Women urged to care for heart health

Members of Fingal Triathlon Club competing in the Ironman 70.3 Dublin. From left to right JP McKenna, David Freeman, Suzanne Sheehy, Dave Harris, Conrad O’Dea

THE Irish Heart Foundation’s September Heart Month is fast approaching and this year’s campaign is focusing on women and heart disease.

In the run up to heart month, the Irish Heart Foundation is promoting a number of facts and tips on women’s heart health.

Cardiovascular disease is the numberone killer of women in Ireland – yet less than one in five women know this.

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

‘High blood pressure is a silent risk factor and a serious risk for stroke’

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

The bike race saw competitors to travel through Dublin and west of the city through Meath and Kildare. Picture: Colm Bellew

space. Occasionally, I felt someone tugging at my leg or I got a few knocks on the head from another swimmer. Nothing to do but plough on.

I kept a check on the buoys to make sure I was on track. Last thing I wanted was to add needless kilometres by veering off course. Towards the end I felt the cold and was relieved when the swim was complete and I’d reached T1 (transition 1).

Stripping off my wetsuit, I grabbed a gel – and the bike. I got into

a steady rhythm and my confidence grew. I knew I could do this. People cheered us along the 90km on as we hydrated at fluid stations en route. Great!

As I entered Transition 2, I rushed to rack my bike and don my runners. The run was my strongest and most enjoyable moment.

I kept a steady pace throughout.

My family turned out in Phoenix Park along with Fingal club members.

I crossed the finish line with an overall

time of 5:59:09. I swam 52:16, biked a 3:22:01, ran a 1:36:10. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

Next day, I felt my pain. But it was good to know I’d finished and it made it all worthwhile.

If I could bottle it, it would be worth gold!

My evaluation?

The best race I’ve ever experienced – and it was Dublin’s inaugural Ironman70.3 to boot.

Congratulations to all those finishers and huge gratitude to all those who came to support everyone.

Also, menopausal women are at a high risk of developing heart disease or suffering from a stroke.

The foundation is advising women to reshape their eating plans and stay active and healthy.

According to the Irish Heart Foundation, high blood pressure is a silent risk factor and a serious risk for stroke.

For this reason, its annual blood pressure roadshow will return in September, visiting approximately 50 locations nationwide.

For further information on heart health and heart month, see www.irishheart.ie.

Gazette

24 Gazette 27 August 2015

OUT&ABOUT

music MUSIC

Nils has toured with both Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen

vicar street: renowned guitarist, singer, pianist, solo artist Nils Lofgren

It’s time to face the music  Keith Bellew

Nils Lofgren, the r e n ow ned gu i ta ri st, singer, pianist, solo artist and member of both Neil Young’s band and Br uce Springsteen’s E Street Band is coming to Vicar Street on November 2.

Speaking to The Gazette he said he hasn’t been to Dublin for a number of years and is looking forward to his return.

“My wife Amy and I insisted we get up there. We’re excited to get back to Dublin and Belfast and hopefully do some good shows up there for everyone,” he said.

Having turned pro with his band Grin at the age of 17, after seeing The Who and Jimi Hendrix per form in Washington, Lofgren

has been on the road touring and recording for 47 years.

His most recent release was a 10-disc greatest hits collection called Face the Music in 2014, which includes a wealth of unreleased tracks and alternate takes and he says that this tour will see most of these performed with varied track-lists from show to show.

He was picked up

by Neil Young around 1968 when he was 18 after he blagged his way backstage at a gig and played a few of his songs for him.

“Realising I knew nothing about the music b u s i n e s s , I ’d s n e a k backstage at every concert and try to ask for advice.

“In this par ticular instance, Neil Young heard me out and asked

me if we had any songs.

I said yeah I write the songs and he said sing me one and handed me his Martin guitar.

“I sang him a song and he said, I like that, sing another, so I ended up singing him about half of the first Grin album.

“He bought me a cheeseburger and a coke at this nightclub because I was underage and I spent two days visiting with him and singing four shows on the first Crazy Horse tour,” he said.

He ended up joining Young’s band, recording and touring for several albums, the first of which was After the Gold Rush.

Between 1971 and 74 he also recorded four albums with Grin and began recording as a solo artist in 1975.

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

‘He bought me a cheeseburger and a coke at this nightclub because I was underage and I spent two days visiting with him and singing four shows on the first Crazy Horse tour’

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

Between now and then he has released over a dozen solo albums several of which are underground cult classics.

However, unlike many solo artists, Lofgren has no problem playing in a band under someone

else’s leadership and he continued to record and tour with Young in the 70s and 80s. One man he met during this time was Bruce Springsteen.

“Way back in 1970, his band Steel Mill and my band Grin did an audition night for Bill Graham’s Fillmore West, and I was a big fan of his music and used to go and see his shows and we had a friendship. We just kind of had a common sense of pur pose of what music could do and what it was supposed to mean.

“Br uce and I had long talks about music, i n cl u d i n g my e a r l y songs with Neil Young, and how much I really liked being in a great band and not being the leader, and I think he filed that away.

“Long story short, in

1984 when he needed a guitarist he called and asked me to come up and jam with the band.

We jammed for two days and it felt beautiful and they asked me to join, and this was literally like a month before the opening of the Born in the USA tour,” he said.

Lofgren continues to tour with Springsteen and the E Street Band to this day, most recently in 2012. When he got back from this tour, he began working on Face the Music.

“As I assembled that box set, I had forgotten a lot of the things I had done, and I’m so conscious of what’s going on today or tomorrow that it was a great stroll dow n memor y lane.

There’s two bonus discs with 40 out-takes, basement tapes and unreleased demos,” he said.

Lucky fans will have the opportunity to meet Lofgren after the show as he plans to spend an hour meeting and greeting and signing autographs.

“Traditionally what we’ll do, [unless there’s some extraordinary bus ride after the show], is I’ll dry off and come out and sign for people, shake their hand, look them in the eye and thank them for showing up. It’s kind of the show after the show,” he said.

Face the Music is av a i l a b l e o n l i n e a t Nilslofgren.com along with details of his guitar school where budding musicians can download lessons tailored by Lofgren.

For more information on Lofgren live at Vicar Street on November 2, visit www.vicarstreet. ie.

27 August 2015 Gazette 25

ReelReviews

PAPER TOWNS

A something-thin plot FOR those who loved The Fault in Our Stars last year, here comes another manipulative film with ‘Hollywood teens’ in pretty contrived situations. Paper Towns (Cert 12A, 109 mins) sees a nerdy but nice guy trying to track down his crush when his toocool-for-school neighbour disappears. Can he follow her trail of clues and find missing Margo? Adults are unlikely to care.

fantastic four Oh no they’re not ...

Sinister characters for a reasonably creepy tale – dead children are some of the chief protaganists of Sinister 2, courtesy of the influence from an ancient Pagan spirit

sinister 2: sequel competently delivers more of the same for fans

A creepily effective follow-up BACK in 2012, Sinister arrived on the scene, starring Ethan Hawke as Ellison Oswalt, the true crime writer with a terrible habit of moving his unsuspecting family into houses where grisly murders had taken place.

It was a genuinely creepy movie, which saw a suitably haggard Hawke bearing the brunt of the load as he scrambled to solve a mystery involving ritualistic murders captured on video tape and an ancient evil Pagan god, called Bughuul.

Around the same time, Dublin-born director Ciaran Foy quietly released his first feature length film.

Citadel was a dark and impressive horror debut

 Dave phillips

about an agoraphobic man battling teenage hoodlum demons, which despite its small distribution, was very well-received.

One of the fans of Citadel was the writer and director of Sinister, Scott Derrickson, who tweeted Foy to ask if he would like to direct the Sinister sequel.

Sinister 2 sees James Ransome take the lead role, reprising a bit part he played in the original.

He is now an ex-cop who is working as a private

investigator, still trying to solve that very same mystery that Ethan Hawke unwittingly stumbled into, in the first film.

While the original saw Hawke desperately trying to save his own family from the curse of Bughuul, this time, Ransome is trying to save his love interest (Shannyn Sossaman) and her twin boys from the childmunching deity.

Ransome’s ex-deputy isn’t traditional hero material. He is the kind of bumbling, good-natured twit who just wants us all to get along.

His character brings a kind of off-beat pace to the film, with his quirkiness lending a comedic element that was almost completely missing from

the original.

But the cost of having such a light-hearted lead becomes clear through the lack of tension. Partly, this is down to a diminishing sense of mystery, too.

The supernatural elements of Sinister 2 become wrung out to the point of exhaustion.

We are never truly scared for Ransome as he creeps around in the dark as he’s so well-mannered and resilient that we are sure he will bounce back from any demonic trauma.

Bughuul gets much too much screen time, and it feels like we know the gang of creepy dead kids hanging around Sossaman’s house on first name terms.

That is not to say that

nothing works well here.

There is good on-screen chemistry between Sossaman and Ransome, and some of the most frightening moments come courtesy of Sossaman’s abusive and estranged husband (Lea Coco), who is on a mission to capture his family and force them to return to his redneck normality.

Perhaps the best thing to come from this film will be a higher platform for Ciaran Foy. Horror sequels tend to be ropey territory, and Sinister was a particularly tricky film to follow – both because of its success, and because there is not a lot of story left to go on.

Yet, despite the crum-

bling building blocks he inherited, Foy has managed to create and maintain some basic structure. You get the sense that Foy’s strength lies in developing his own material, and his next project is already rolling: a big-budget horror set in Ireland that he is writing and directing.

Sinister 2 may be a superfluous film, but it’s a solid showcase for Foy. While it doesn’t come close to the tension or creepiness of the original, it does have some very likeable characters, features some disturbing old super-8 scenes, and is jam-packed full of jump scares, so if the itch needs to be scratched ...

Verdict: 6/10

HERE comes yet another attempt to breathe life into Fantastic Four (Cert 12A, 106 mins), as four young scientists acquire superpowers and must try to thwart a supervillain ... Marvel’s heroes have had one underwhelming cinema outing after another down the decades, and this reboot is no different, with a dull story, weak cast chemistry, and signs of its troubled editing.

pixels

Plot barely joins the dots LAST and most definitely least, Pixels (Cert 12A, 106 mins) is the latest big budget film based on videogames that delivers a giant stinker. Aliens attack Earth, in the guise of classic videogames and characters of yore, and only a bunch of aging gamers can stop them ... Even for an Adam Sandler film, Pixels is pretty bad, and trails in the shadow of 2012’s superior Wreck-it Ralph.

26 BLANCH GAZETTE 27 August 2015

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28 gazette 27 August 2015

SPORT

FastSport ‘Big sexy’ lands deal with Spain based group: BALLYBRACK man Sean “Big Sexy” Turner has signed up with the Macklin Gym Marbella (MGM) ahead of his Lights out for the Plaza date in Puerto Banus on August 28.

There, he will fight a Spanish opponent in his sixth professional bout as he looks to extend his record to six wins from six outings after a series of quick-fire victories.

The Spanish based Irish promotions company officially confirmed the news in a statement, saying: “MGM are very pleased to announce that they have added a real Irish Boxing character to their ever growing stable; Sean “Big Sexy” Turner has signed a management contract with MGM. The hard-hitting heavyweight added of the new arrangement: “This is a totally fresh start, there is a long road ahead but I am in the right place here with the right people to go to the next level.”

ultra-running: bawnogue man completes 20 marathons in 10 weeks

Conlon conquers challenge  stephen findlater sport@dublingazette.com

BAWNOGUE man Mark Conlon smashed his own personal target as his mission to run 20 marathons in 20 weeks ended up being completed in a mere 10 weeks, complet-

ing the challenge with an incredible 10 marathons in five days.

This final phase consisted of running backto-back marathons, the first starting at 6am and the second beginning at 2pm in the afternoon with just a two hour break in

between – the minimum allowed in order to be legitimately accredited.

He would later find out that he was the first person in Ireland to complete such a feat while he also became the youngest person to hit 100 marathons.

On the trail

Mark Conlon celebrates following completion of the challenge

Looking back on the monumental challenge, Conlon said the fourth marathon was one of the hardest as he took on a 100km ultra distance.

“I was nearly going to back out at some stages on that one. You are running on just an hour’s sleep and it begins to mess with your head,” he said.

The 10 marathons in five days was another huge battle through the mental and pain barrier on a route around Howth Head.

“It was really painful on the feet with blisters every day. I was peeing blood by the third day so it was a matter of getting the blister plasters on and trying to get as many fluids into me as possible.

“It was really tough,

especially going up Howth Head the first time, knowing that I would have to do it all over again in a couple of hours.”

With a medic on hand, he made it through the challenge and is now already thinking of new records to break and tests to put his body through.

During this challenge he ran his 100th and 101st marathon on the same day and he is already looking to push on toward 500 marathons.

Asked about the attraction of running such long distances with such frequency, Conlon said: “It is the mental challenge and something of an addiction. It is great for your head to get out and run, to test yourself and see how far you can go”.

Conlon got into running during his time with the Army having played football in his youth with Crumlin Untied, going for trials in his teens with Leeds United.

The challenge was part of a fundraising effort for Pieta House, a charity close to his heart following his experience serving overseas: “Having seen people come back with severe depression, it’s important to know there’s someone to talk to, and how much exercise can clear your head, as it does for me.”

You can donate to Conlon’s cause, Pieta House, via the following link: http://www. my c h a r i t y. i e / e ve n t / markconlons_20_marathons_in_20_weeks.

Thirteen Dublin-based players in Hibernia squad  sport@dublingazette.com

Templeogue’s Conor Grace in action against China during the summer

THIRTEEN of Colin O’Reilly’s 26-man Hibernia Basketball squad hail from Dublin for the start of the FIBA Europe Cup in October.

Isaac Westbrooks and Kevin Lacey are from Swords Thunder with Martins Provizors and Mark Nagle coming in from DCU Saints. Jermaine Turner and Ciaran Roe are Killester’s representatives.

In south Dublin, UCD Marian’s Conor Meany and Dan James return with club mate Neil

Baynes.

The Templeogue quartet of Conor Grace, Jason Killeen, Phil Taylor and Luke Thompson complete the squad. The panel draws heavily from the men’s Premier League Select at the Sino-European Championships in China during the summer but there are a couple who are unable to take part in this new side that will play in this European-wide competition.

Demons pair Niall O’Reilly and Shane Coughlan step down while Paul Dick has signed a new

contract to play in the LEB Plata in Spain with Araberri.

Niall Murphy, Jack O’Mahony, Michael Bonaparte, Isaac Westbrooks and Neil Campbell are the players who did not train with the men’s Premier League Select Squad named in February.

All 26 players are invited to attend training sessions and prep games in August and September before the squad is reduced and player availability is assessed.

O’Reilly has “left the door open” for bringing in American and other category two.

Hibernia Basketball is a newly formed club made up of players from the Men’s Premier League to compete in the inaugural FIBA Europe Cup. In the competition, they have been drawn to play away in Denmark against the Bakken Bears, Slovenia versus Tajgun Sentjur and the Czech Republic to meet Sportovni Hala Nymburk, The home matches will be on Wednesday, November 18 and 25 along with December 2. Ticket details for all home fixtures will be announced on September 1.

27 August 2015 gazette 29

Gazette

O’Caoimh riding on the crest of a wave Dublin wakeboarding star David O’Caoimh tells NATHAN KELLY of a recent series of victories in Europe as he builds toward a trip to China for the World Cup in his chosen sport KILLINEY wakeboarder David O’Caoimh has been riding on a tidal wave of success in recent weeks, winning a succession of tournaments and being crowned European champion along the way.

The 21-year-old was captain of Team Ireland who travelled to the Netherlands for the European African (EA) Championships which took place August 1-9.

On the penultimate day, O’Caoimh won first place at the European Super Final when he was last of the dock and, on the final day of the event, he was crowned Overall

European Champion.

Speaking to GazetteSport after his success in the Netherlands, revealed how he felt when announced as champion of Europe.

“I was actually pretty relieved to be honest,” he said.

“Obviously I was then delighted when the feeling sunk in as it’s a brilliant achievement but initially I just had this sense of relief.

“I’d performed really well over the whole event, but going into the final, I was up against a Russian guy, Nikita Martyanov, in the final and he had been bril-

David O’Caoimh in recent action

liant all week. He went before me in the final and done really well so I think that set a marker for me to emulate and beat and somehow I pulled it off.”

W hile David stole most of the headlines, it was a good event for Team Ireland overall, with two athletes making it to the final of the Junior Women Division. Aisling Deegan, from Ballsbridge placed fourth and Cavan girl Nicole Carroll finished sixth.

Zach Zebedee, aged 12 from Kildare is now ranked ninth in Europe, while Team Ireland fin-

ished sixth overall at the championships.

“It’s always brilliant to see the Irish doing well, whether it’s me or any other Irish individual, or members of an Irish team, it’s always great,” said the Team Ireland

being able to perform as I know I can when I had the injuries, so I just really concentrated on getting back to my best and I think I’m performing at that level, or pretty close to it now.

“I feel really good when

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

‘For any sports person, whatever you train in, you want to compete on the world stage’ – David O’Caoimh --------------------------------------------------------

skipper on our success.

While the success in the Netherlands was the highlight of his recent success, O’Caoimh won his sixth pro men’s title at the Irish National Wakeboard Championships in mid-July, and also claimed top spot at the European Pro Tour Stop in Northern Ireland.

The Dubliner then followed his European Championship triumph by winning the Lowlands Wakeboard Tour Stop in Enniskillen last week before his team won the Team Challenge at the Chill and Ride event in Germany.

“I’ve been on a great run,” he said. “I had a couple of niggling injuries at the start of the year which hampered my form at a couple of events, but I think that’s actually made me more focused.

“It was frustrating not

I’m out on the water the last while and a lot of that is down to focus, you’ve got to somehow make your mind and performance work in sync and thankfully over the last couple of events, I’ve been able to do that.”

The life of a professional wakeboarder is certainly a busy one, with O’Caoimh set to travel to Florida, China, Mexico and possibly Spain and USA before the year is out, as well as competing at a number of events here in Ireland.

“The trip to China is one I’m really looking forward to,” he said.

“It’s the World Cup and I think any athlete or sportsperson, whatever you train in, you want to compete on a world stage and that will be the chance to do that at a huge event.

I just hope I can continue in this form.”

FastSport

McLaughlin Leinster’s captain for early games KEVIN McLaughlin has been confirmed by Leinster Rugby as the captain during the Rugby World Cup period.

The 30-year-old St Mary’s club man, who has 114 caps for Leinster since his debut in April 2007, has captained the province in the past and led the team out against Edinburgh and Benetton Treviso in last season’s Guinness PRO12.

Confirming the news last week, head coach Leo Cullen said: “I think this is a great opportunity for Kevin. He had an unlucky run with injuries last season and I know he is very keen to hit the ground running this season.

“This is by no means a new role for him and we saw last season what he brings to the table in terms of his captaincy. He has really driven the environment during the pre-season and he is a great role model for the younger players and indeed the wider squad.”

McLaughlin last played for Leinster in last December’s 21-11 win in the RDS against Connacht but had to come off with a shoulder injury. That same injury required surgery and effectively ruled Kevin out for the season.

“Kevin is a player who leads by example with little regard for his own body and he epitomises everything we want to see from a Leinster Rugby team going forward,” Cullen added. “He is selfless, puts team first and is always driving his own standards as well as the standards of those around him.”

McLaughlin, who has eight Irish caps to date, has won two Heineken Cup trophies with Leinster starting in both final wins over Northampton Saints and Ulster Rugby. He has also won an Amlin Cup and three PRO12 titles with the province.

Former Blackrock College man Cullen was confirmed as Leinster’s head coach a day earlier as head coach of the province on a two year deal.

Cullen, who won 221 caps for Leinster and is a three time Heineken Cup winning captain with the province, had already been in charge on an interim basis following the departure of Matt O’Connor at the end of last season.

Gazette

30 BLANCH gazette 27 August 2015

SPORT

FastSport

soccer: corduff graduate plays starring role for irish U-16s

Alex Uzunov a fitting victor of perpetual cup IT WAS a bittersweet victory for 15-year-old Alex Uzunov from Clonsilla this year as he won the Stefan Uzunov Perpetual Cup at Castleknock Lawn Tennis Club summer championships.

Since the death of his brother Stefan in 2007, Castleknock Lawn Tennis Club run a competition in his memory each summer. Alex won the cup this year as he beat Dylan Byrne (18) in an exciting match on Sunday morning. The trophy was presented to him by his mother Caroline and all who attended were overcome with emotion.

Treacy hoping to use China test for future push DUNBOYNE AC’s Sara Treacy ran a 9.48.24 to finish 13th place in her heat at the World Championships 3,000m steeplechase in Beijing, missing out on a place in the final.

Speaking afterwards about her performance, she said that she did not hit the kind of time she was hoping for but will use the experience of battling it out on the world stage to aid her future development.

“It was my third quickest time of the summer but I know I have quicker in me. I just didn’t get it right.

I’ve a lot to work on for next year and a lot to improve on. I’m not the finished product and hopefully

next year I will have that experience.”

Reflecting on the race as a whole, Treacy added that the environment is very different to the kind of situations she usually finds herself in and said that this may have had an impact on her outlook going into the race in China.

“I was more nervous going into that race than anything else I can think of in how long. All of that is good practice.

“It’s my first major track event in four years. I did underage stuff but it doesn’t compare. I’ve never been in a stadium like this.

“You get brought into the call room 40 minutes before the race, two different rooms where everyone is sitting looking at each other in silence. It’s something to get used to.”

Yassine En-Neyah with his Corduff club mates last season

Yassine answers Irish call sport@dublingazette.com

ONE of the shining stars of Corduff FC’s ever growing schoolboy section played a key role as the Republic of Ireland Under-16 development squad lifted the Mayo International Cup last week.

Yassine En-Neyah may have swapped the red and white of the Duff for the red and black of Bohemians in recent weeks, but the club still clearly think of him as one of their own with a bundle of praise for the teenager on their various social media accounts.

En-Neyah was part of

an 18-man squad that Tom O’Connor selected for the competition which featured Northern Ireland, FAI Castlebar, Chesterfield and Millwall. O’Connor’s side won all four of their fixtures over the course of the weekend and conceded just one goal in the process.

The young Boys in Green opened the tournament with a 5-1 win over Chesterfield. Gavin Kilkenny opened the scoring after just a minute before Aaron Connolly doubled the lead just two minutes later. Cian Murphy added a third before Dominic Peppard made

canadian open Scrivener finishes eighth in Enduro bike challenge castleknock mountain-biker Stephen

Scrivener finished in a highly respectable eighth place at the Canadian Open Enduro Race in Whistler recently.

He was joined by mountain bikers from all over the world at the event which is run over 6 stages. The 25-year-old unfortunately had to drop out of the race last year due to a puncture, but the founding member of Mountain Biking Association of Dublin (MAD) will be encouraged by his finish this year in such a large international field.

it 4-0 just before halftime. Chesterfield pulled one back through Maasai Dearlove after the break but Jordan Wells scored an own goal late to restore Ireland’s four goal lead and wrap up and emphatic opening victory.

Next up was Millwall and the Irish recorded another four goal win, this time with a 4-0 victory thanks to a brace from player of the tournament Connolly and strikes from Thomas Caffrey and Jordan Doherty.

Ireland then beat an FAI Castlebar Select 3-0 in the next game which was a decent encounter.

Connolly again got the opening goal before adding a second just after the break. Ireland’s final goal of the game courtesy of En-Neyah. The Blanch baller weaved his way in from the wing and struck a delightful finish past Lorcan Callaghan.

Ireland then wrapped up the tournament with a 3-0 win over their Northern rivals which made it four wins from four.

En-Neyah was one of six players who left Corduff over the summer to join Bohemians’ League of Ireland U-17 side. During the summer, Bohs and the NDSL announced a partnership which would

see the league’s most promising talents join the Gypsies youth set-up.

In total, Corduff lost eight players to League of Ireland underage clubs over the summer and reflects a positive mark on the club according to its PRO John McGuinness. “We welcome it,” he said. “It’s a sign that we’re developing young footballers in the right way and it’s what we’re here to do.”

As well as his international goalscoring exploits, En-Neyah was recently named NDSL Player of the Tournament at this summer’s Milk Cup tournament.

27 August 2015 BLANCH gazette 31

Gazette

Naomh Brid return to action in fine fashion  sport@dublingazette.com

N AO M H B r i d p r o duced a fine performance on their return to Senior 4 league action after the summer break with a 2-13 to 0-5 win over Naomh Jude.

Aine Ni Mhurchu scored 1-4 and Carolyn McCarthy with five points were the heroes

of the day.

The backs, inspired

by Aoibheann Ni Shuilleabhain’s aggression in the tackle, insured Aoife Deegan, in goal, had a fairly quiet day at the office, with Jude’s girls only scoring five points.

Deegan’s long puck out into the half forward line and with some fine

catching of the high ball

by Carolyn McCarthy, kept the pressure on the Jude’s players and also weighed in with five points for her efforts.

Aine Ni Mhurchu was a constant treat attacking the Jude’s backs every time she got the ball in her hand.

Siobhan Phelan, straight back from hon-

eymoon, with no training during the week, chipped in with 1-1 and the talk on the side line was that the hurl was surely brought on honeymoon.

Brid complete their league campaign against Naomh Padraig before the side turn their focus to the championships in September.

football: somerton side recover five point gap

Club Noticeboard st brigid’s THE St Brigid’s nursery starts back

a huge €15,000 with the reserve at

this Saturday, August 29 in Russell

€8,800. Our lotto team are taking

Park from 9.30 to 11am.

a well-earned summer break with

We welcome all four- to seven-

our next draw set for September 3

year-olds in the Castleknock and

in Russell Park.

Blanchards town area and new

Thank you to everyone who sup-

members and families are always

ports our lotto and to our brilliant

welcome.

lotto committee.

Congratulations to Noelle Healy,

St Brigids/Spleodar Irish club

Ciara Trant, Colleen Barrett, Sorcha

returns from Thursday, September

Furlong and the Dublin Ladies Foot-

3 in the club hall from 7-9pm. Open

ball Team who are through to the All

for all teenagers aged between 12

Ireland semi-final versus Armagh

and 18 and the cost is €3 per week.

on September 5.

A great opportunity to practise

The girls had a hard fought win

Irish for important exams and for

over Monaghan on Saturda y in

enjoyment. More information avail-

Clones.

able on the club website.

Best of luck to Paddy Andrews,

The Cube will take place in St

Philip Ryan and the Dublin senior

Brigids on Saturday, October 17.

football team in the All-Ireland

Each section of the club will be rep-

semi-final against Mayo this Sun-

resented with a fantastic prize up

day in Croke Park.

for grabs.

St Brigid’s GAA 1 to 2500 fundraising initiative starts this week

If you wish to take part contact Billy Quane.

– see the club website for further

The full range of St Brigid’s GAA

details. This fundraiser will require

gear is available on our online shop

each section of the club to put in a

on the club website.

big effort – thank you for your support.

The club lotto jackpot remains

For up-to-date St Brigid’s GAA fixtures and results visit our website www.stbrigidsgaa.com

castleknock Castleknock take on a shooting opportunity at Monastery Road last Saturday

Sherry underpins big ’Knock battle to draw

afl division 2 Round Tower, Clondalkin 1-11 Castleknock 0-14  sport@dublingazette.com

CASTLEKNOCK fought back from a five-point deficit to earn a draw and stay top of AFL 2 after a lively battle last Saturday evening at Monastery Road.

Indeed, it might have been even better for the Somerton side but for Derek Murray’s late point, following up on Jason Joyce’s blocked effort to tie things up.

Early on, Dessie Carlos and Stephen McGibney traded early scores while

Colin Lynch also chipped in as the score advanced to 0-6 apiece with 24 minutes on the clock.

Former Fermanagh man James Sherry was masterful in midfield, scoring points from play and generally continuing his fine form this term.

Cool under pressure, Sherry has been a great find for the club in 2015 and has played a key role in their ascent.

Goalkeeper Mick Carey was also required to have a strong game and he denied multiple goal opportunities across the hour. After three big Tower’s chances in the first

half, Ian Ward, Eric Finn and Micheal Walsh combined to break beyond the visitors’ rearguard and Jason Joyce struck past the keeper but a defender got a boot to it to knock it off the line.

Similarly, Finn seized upon a Lyons’ free and with a sharp turn he skimmed the Castleknock crossbar.

But Tower’s did eventually make their break for it with the decisive moment of the first half in the 24th minute. James Kelly pipped the Castleknock full back to the ball and a flick pass led to McGibney striking across

the keeper, giving him no chance.

It made it 1-8 to 0-6 but Castleknock showed their class in the second period, bringing swift movement and pace to their attacks to reel Tower’s in T hey kicked four points without reply and the margin was down to one. Conor Byrne made a strong impact from the bench while Tommy Corcoran delivered a score from a seemingly impossible angle.

Carlos subsequently put Castleknock in front but Tower’s persisted and the leveller arrived with two minutes remaining.

HUGE congratulations to our Division

sincere condolences to the Quinn

10 footballers, who won the league at

family, on the death of Tom Sr’s

the weekend after a great win away

mother, Nora.

to Cuala.

See details on the website of the

The Division 6 team had a great

Ultimate Ladies Night Out fundraiser,

win away to Bank of Ireland, while

happening in the Castleknock Hotel

our senior footballers remain top of

on October 22.

Division 2 after their draw away to Round Towers.

The intermediate hurling championship replay has been fixed for this Saturday at 4pm away to Erin’s Isle.

All support welcome.

The very best of luck to Aisling

The club are delighted to be hosting Strictly Dancing Part 2 this November.

More details to follow.

Good luck to Ciaran and the rest of the Dublin team in the semi-final against Mayo this Sunday.

Andrews, Niamh Mulroney, Caoimhe

The nursery is back up and running

Hughes and Sarah Murphy who play

at Tir na nÓg every Saturday morn-

in the Under-16B All-Ireland camogie

ing from 10am.

final this Sunday.

The club would like to send their

All new players and families welcome.

Naomh Peregrine WELL done to the senior footballers

The club is running a bus to Croke

on their vital league win last Sun-

Park this Sunday for the Dublin

day, great support from club mem-

against Mayo game; it departs from

bers in the stand.

the club at 2pm.

The junior B footballers also had a good win in the league.

The hurler s are nex t up this Saturday in a crucial senior B rel-

Contact Paul Harte to book your place.

Fundraising tickets are now due back to the club.

egation playoff on the club pitch at

Lotto jackpot of €5,000 was won

6pm; all support in the stand wel-

by Derek Farnan; numbers drawn

come.

were 1, 6, 12 and 16.

GazetteSPORT all of your blanch sports coverage from page 28-31

ireland’s call: Corduff graduate Yassine En-Neyah produces superb performance for Republic Under-16s P31

aug 27-sept 2, 2015

The wakeboarding dubs: Killiney man David O’Caoimh wins series of high-flying titles P29

Sorcha Furlong protects the ball last weekend against Monaghan. Picture: GAAPics.com

Brigid’s four into semi

Noelle Healy, Colleen Barrett, Sorcha Furlong and Ciara Trant all start for the Dublin ladies senior footballers as they get the best of Monaghan

 sport@dublingazette.com

ST BRIGID’S quartet Noelle Healy, Ciara Trant, Colleen Barrett and Sorcha Furlong all started as Dublin’s ladies footballers booked their place in the All-Ireland semifinal with a narrow win over Monaghan, setting up a meeting with another Ulster side, Armagh, on September 5 following a hard fought win in Clones.

Trant continued her role in goals where she impressed once again with Furlong continuing in the backs while Barrett – an All-Ireland winner – was back in the first 15. Healy was deployed in her regular half-forward role and cleared the bar with a fisted point in the

first half.

It made the Dublin 15 side one of the best represented clubs in the Dublin line-up, showing the qualities that helped them reach the final of the Dublin club senior championship final in the past month.

Carla Rowe finished 1-3 to her name while team captain Lyndsey Davey tagged on three points with Amy Connolly next on the score sheet with 0-2(1f), Owens, Noelle Healy, McEvoy, Hannah Noonan and Niamh Collins all scored 0-1 each.

Rowe’s first-half goal was to prove crucial for the Jackies for whom Caitriona McConnell was in fine form, clearing the bar eight times while Ellen McCarron and Cora Court-

ney both scored 0-2 a piece.

It saw the Farney women close the gap significantly in the second half having trailed 1-7 to 0-4 at the half-time break in a closeknit affair.

Dublin begun in flying form, building a four-point lead without response in the opening phases with Rowe to the fore in a more advanced role than originally anticipated.

She grabbed a couple of points while Connolly and Davey also weighing in while Monaghan struggled. Their best early chance was denied by Ciara Trant before they eventually got on the board via McConnell and McCarron.

But Rowe’s goal quickly put six points in

the difference as she latched onto Davey’s run and pass to fire home while Monaghan’s woes were compounded when Caoimhe Mohan went off injured before the interval.

The Ulster side, though, were a rejuvenated force in the second half.

With McConnell chipping away, the margin was down to just two points with 17 minutes to go as Monaghan continued to close in forward but Dublin eventually ended their scoring drought with McEvoy landing a point.

From there, they held their nerve to stay just out of reach and march onwards to the semi-final stage when they will meet Armagh.