Blanch

Gazette OH BABY! BLANCH

March 2 - 8, 2017

Abner Browns Barbershop venue proves to be a cut above

MUSIC, P13

Find us on

INTERVIEW: The Livin’ is busy for presenter mum Lucy Kennedy P16

WE’RE GOO-GOO, GA-GAZETTE ABOUT BABIES! THIS WEEK WE LAUNCH OUR BONNIE BABY PHOTO COMPETITION. TO BE IN WITH A CHANCE OF WINNING A NUK BABY HAMPER WORTH €100 JUST SEND IN A PHOTO OF YOUR LITTLE CUTIE. EMAIL YOUR PIC TO COMPETITIONS@DUBLINGAZETTE.COM OR VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE

SPORT Corduff up for the cup P32

Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you

Pyrite remedial works fuel fears of more disruptions Contractors left area in ‘disgraceful condition’ last time, residents claim

 MARK O’BRIEN STRONG action should be taken at Castlecurragh Park if “disgraceful” disruption is not minimised during the next phase of the pyrite remediation works.

In 2007 it emerged that hundreds of homes in Dublin 15 had been built with inadequate materials which contained pyrite – which has caused countless homes to crumble in places.

Repair work finally began

on 38 houses in Castlecurragh Park 18 months ago and was due to only take six months and locals say that the contractors left the area in a “disgraceful condition”.

Cllr Paul Donnelly has said that Fingal County Coun-

cil must take strong action against contractors who do not respect the local community.

“The community want their area treated with respect and minimal disruption,” he said.

Full Story on Page 4

2 BLANCH GAZETTE 2 March 2017

NEIGHBOURHOODS | NUMBERS LOOKING FOR FIRST HOME RISE

Castleknock comes 5th in ‘desired districts’ for first-time buyers  MARK O’BRIEN CASTLEKNOCK was the fifth most popular location for first-time buyers spending up to €450,000 in 2016 according to a new report.

The Bank of Ireland report, published by the Irish Times, states that the recent upturn in the Irish economy has coincided with a growth in the number of first-time buyers.

The number of firsttime buyers fell dramatically during the recession years.

According to CSO figures, first-time buyers represented 53.1 per cent of nationwide household transactions but this had fallen to just 24.4 per cent by 2015.

The Bank of Ireland

The average asking price for a three-bedroom, semi-detached house in Castleknock on January 1, 2017 was €250,000

report states that there was a five per cent increase in first-time buyers in Dublin last year although supply is still an issue in many

areas.

The report states that a shortage of housing in areas such as Dublin 6 and 6W has led to increased demand in sales elsewhere.

Tallaght was named as the most popular area, followed by Swords, Lucan, Finglas, Castle-

knock, Clonsilla, Clondalkin, Rathfarnham, Malahide and Balbriggan.

A ffordable housing that is ideal for people with young families was cited as one of the reasons for the popularity of these areas.

The average asking

price for a three-bedroom, semi-detached house in Castleknock on January 1, 2017 was €250,000 according to MyHome.ie.

This was just below the national average of €266,320 on the same day.

T he availability of schools and other amenities were also cited as reasons that first-time buyers chose these areas.

Unsurprisingly, commuter towns just outside Dublin proved to be the most popular neighbourhoods for first-time buyers outside of the city.

Drogheda was the most popular location for first-time buyers outside the capital, with Bray, Dundalk, Newbridge and Navan completing the top five.

K ilkenny, Wexford, Midleton, Water ford City and Ennis completed the Top 10.

LOCAL

MATTERS SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS

ADVERTISE WITH THE GAZETTE CALL 60 10 240

FASTNews Drop in Garda numbers are ‘utterly shocking’ COUNCILLOR Paul Donnelly has said that the figures he received from the Joint Policing Committee (JPC) has shown a massive drop in Garda numbers in Dublin West since the employment embargo was introduced.

Cllr Donnelly said: “I understood that we were struggling with Garda numbers in our region, however, the figures presented to the JPC on foot of my questions is utterly shocking.

“There figures show that we lost one inspector, 12 Sergeants and 30 gardai since the introduction of the embargo on recruitment.

“The numbers are startling. We had five Inspectors, 29 Sergeants 154 gardai several years ago and now are at an all-time low of four Inspectors, 17 Sergeants, and 134 gardai.”

Cllr Donnelly added: “The people of Dublin West know the real effects on the ground.

“Just the other day in Mulhuddart, citizens made an arrest of an individual who assaulted a young mother and tried to steal her car.

“Many involved commented on the length of time it took to get a Garda response whilst ordinary citizens held this person on the ground.

“This poor response time to requests from citizens in not unusual, despite the professionalism of the gardai who work relentlessly to provide a quality service to the community.”

In their response to Cllr Donnelly, the gardai said it hopes to restore the previous staffing levels during the ongoing recruitment campaign.

The response adds: “At present there is a programme of additional deployment of resources in the area of crime prevention to address local needs.”

Man pleads guilty to manslaughter of teen A MAN has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of a teenager in Blanchardstown in 2010.

Trevor Noone (28), who is also from Blanchardstown, was charged with the murder of 17-year-old Daniel McAnaspie on February 26, 2010 at Tolka Valley Park.

Noone had pleaded not guilty to murder and a jury of five women and seven men were sworn in to hear the trial at the Central Criminal Court, which was due to commence on Tuesday, February 21.

However on the first day of the trial, his defence counsel Michael O’Higgins SC said that Noone wished to make a fresh plea in front of the jury.

Noone replied “not guilty to murder, guilty to manslaughter” when asked if he pleaded guilty to the teenager’s murder.

Justice Patrick McCarthy thanked the jury and discharged them. He granted bail to Noone until Wednesday, March 1 to allow him time to get his affairs in order.

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

2 March 2017 BLANCH GAZETTE 3

FASTNews

How one lucky Dub turned €1 in to €17k A LUCKY punter scooped €17,251 on Friday’s EuroMillions with just a €1 stake thanks to two bets with BoyleSports.

The Dubliner defied odds of 33,000/1 when 3, 4, 14 and 31 were drawn to win him a whopping €16,500.50.

The lucky streak continued when another 50c netted €750.50 when the numbers 3, 4 and 31 popped out.

“We are delighted that yet another customer has won big on our Lotto betting,” BoyleSports’ Aoife Heffron said.

“The popularity of numbers betting continues and windfalls like this show you do not need to bet big to win big. A little really does go a long way.”

CODE RED | 98FM’S GLASS ACTS NEVER FAIL TO DELIVER THE IF YOU happened to see a man in a glass box giving birth on the streets of Dublin this week, don’t worry – you’re not seeing things.

It was just 98FM’s Jeremy Dixon completing a painful “challenge” for CodeRed – the hugely popular promotion which this week saw Dublin Talks presenters Dixon and Adrian Kennedy locked in a glass cube for 98 hours on South King Street and led to one lucky punter from Fairview walking away with €24,000.

During their time in the glass box, the DJs had to undertake a series of challenges ranging from taking part in a Sunday morning workout led by Ger Conroy Fitness to separating the coloured sweets in a bag of M&Ms. But the most spectacular had to be when Jeremy had to endure the pain of childbirth – and then the lads had to look after ‘baby Katie’ after the ‘birth’.

The ‘delivery’was broadcast on the station’s Facebook Live page and had both social media viewers and passers-bye in stitches as poor Jeremy suffered.

One poster quipped: “All men should try this lol this is really making my day.”

Another added: “ They should stream this into the delivery suites in The Coombe, Rotunda and Holles Street hospitals and give them a laugh and a distraction.” Now there’s a thought...

GOODS

Labour panes

4 BLANCH GAZETTE 2 March 2017

Call to respect green spaces during works  MARK O’BRIEN CLLR Paul Donnelly has called on Fingal County Council to take strong action in Castlecurragh Park if contractors do not minimise any disruption during the next phase of the pyrite remediation works.

Cllr Donnelly tweeted pictures over the weekend showing green areas left in poor condition and palisade fencing that had fallen down. In 2007 it emerged that hundreds of homes in D15 had been built with inadequate materials which contained pyrite. The mineral causes houses to crack and crumble in parts.

Repair work finally began on 38 houses in Castlecurragh Park 18 months ago and was due to only take six months.

Cllr Donnelly said that the contractor engaged to carry out the work did not keep the area clean and tidy, which shows a lack of respect towards the residents of the area. He said that the council must take strong action against contractors who do not respect the local community.

In a statement to The Gazette he said:

“Whilst we all welcome the resolution of the pyrite issue in Castlecurragh Park, the contractor who was using a community green space has left it in a disgraceful condition.

“The first phase of the pyrite remediation was to only last six months but ended up taking 18 months, the community must be given a clear timeline of the length of time phase two will take.

“The road surface up to the construction compound has deteriorated and is now in a poor condition, this must be addressed immediately.

“Finally, although the new palisade fencing is welcome, it is worrying that it fell down last weekend. It must be made safe immediately.

“The Castlecurragh community has had a lot to put up with in recent years and whilst they want the pyrite works to continue they do want their community treated with respect and minimal disruption.”

The second phase of the pyrite remediation work is due to commence in May.

FASTNews Jake awarded for scouting danger and rushing to help CHIEF Scout Christy McCann was on hand to congratulate 12-year-old Jake Duffy and present him with a prestigious Scouting Ireland Honour Award at TCD for showing bravery and quick thinking in saving his sister from harm.

Jake, a member of the 181st Scouting Ireland Group for Castaheany/Ongar, sprang into action on April 8 last year when he and his sister, Katelyn, were disembarking their school bus at their stop. However, Katelyn’s coat hood became caught in the bus’s door mechanism as it began to pull away, prompting Jake to immediately run after the bus and bang on the door to alert the driver, causing the bus to halt and Katelyn to be released unharmed.

His quick-thinking action was hailed as an example of one of the key qualities of scouting – helping others, and being brave in the face of a challenge.

Support service launches exciting art competition

Images of Castlecurragh Park from Paul Donnelly’s

JIGSAW Dublin 15, the mental health support service for young people, have launched an exciting art competition with some great prizes to be won.

The competition is open to anybody aged between 15 and 17 who are living, working or studying in Dublin 15. The theme of the competition is “Being in the moment”.

Artists can submit work in any medium of their choice but the work must not exceed A3 size.

The winning three entries will be displayed in Jigsaw for a year and the winners will receive vouchers for Blanchardstown Shopping Centre. The top entries will also feature in an exhibition in Fingal County Council. Application forms can be downloaded from jigsaw.ie/D15ArtComp. The closing date for entries is Monday, 27 March.

Twitter account @PaulDonnellySF

Airport declares No Drone Zone around transport hub DUBLIN Airport and surroundings were declared a “No Drone Zone” on Monday over safety fears.

A campaign was launched by aviation chiefs in an attempt to tackle illegal drones within the airspace.

Signs have been erected in the areas around the airport, asking anyone who sees suspicious activity to report it to gardai.

Banned: Drones The Irish Aviation Authority’s director of safety regulation, Ralph James, said: “It’s essential that the general public understand that drone activity is prohibited from taking place within the vicinity of an aerodrome for safety reasons.

“There have been a couple of incidents of people using drones close to Dublin Airport which have disrupted the airport’s operations, and drone users need to be aware of the rules for the safe operation of drones.”

Drones within the vicinity of an airport have a risk of being ingested into an aircraft’s engine or colliding with a plane.

Dublin Airport’s chief police officer Pat Bracken said: “Safeguarding the field is a key priority for us. Drones are airbecoming an increasingly popular way to film the countryside; however, they can cause serious damage to an aircraft.”

2 March 2017 BLANCH GAZETTE 5

6 BLANCH GAZETTE 2 March 2017

Out and About

Raising plenty of dough for show Sharon Guinan and Maire Caffrey

Robyn Behan, Fiona Kerrigan and Audrey O’Connor

T

HERE was plenty of tasty treats on offer at Coolmine Musical Society’s fundraising bake sale held at St Brigid’s Community Centre last week. Locals enjoyed popping in to pick up a desert, catch up with friends and help raise funds for their upcoming performance An Evening with Coolmine Musical Society which runs at Draiocht March 24 and 25.

Sinead Peris and Grainne Ui Chaomhanaigh

2 March 2017 BLANCH GAZETTE 7

Out and About

There was a fantastic range of tasty treats on offer at St Brigid’s Community Centre

8 BLANCH GAZETTE 2 March 2017

SHORT FILM | A STORY OF TWO TEEN GIRLS TRYING TO NAVIGATE THROUGH LIFE IN NORTH-WEST DUBLIN

Bringing an authentic Blanch to the screen

Banjaxed cast and crew

 MARK O’BRIEN BLANCHARDSTOWN was full of lights, camera and action last week as students from the National Film School, IADT took to the streets to shoot a short film.

Banjaxed is the story of two teenage girls trying to navigate through life in North-West Dublin.

Filming took place in locations all over the area, including Hartstown, Ongar, Coolmine and Roselawn over the course of one week.

The film is written and directed by fourth-year student and Blanchardstown native Orlaith Darcy.

She says that it is based on her own experiences growing up in the area and is a film that she has been planning since before she left secondary school.

Knowing that she would have the opportunity to film as part of her final year, she took a summer job in a local book shop to raise funds to make the film.

Orlaith (22) told The Gazette: “For me, this was the

chance to make the film I’ve always wanted to make “It’s about the complexity of female friendships, inspired by my own group of friends.”

The main characters in the film are two 19-year-old girls who deal with the age old power struggles over money, boys and status.

It’s a dramatic film with elements of dark humour and Orlaith was particularly keen that the film retained an authentic Blanch feel.

She said she wanted to include; “certain slang and a certain street culture that is connected to how my friends or people of our generation would speak to each other.”

With filming now complete, Orlaith is now hard at work editing the film for submission in May. The film will then be available to view publicly during a week-long exhibition hosted by IADT in Dun Laoghaire at the start of June.

Wool you knit and help older people?

ANNE Rogers, Winnie O’Doherty and Delo McArdle had their hands full as the star knitters played their part in The Big Knit 2017 – the annual fundraiser for Age Action which goes directly towards funding its care and repair service around the country. The joint initiative by Innocent drinks and Age Action asks knitters to put their knitting skills to the test and help create 100,000 hats for Innocent smoothie bottles on sale around the country.

The drink sales, complete with each unique handmade hat, helps to fund a range of services for older people. Pictures: Marc O’Sullivan

2 March 2017 BLANCH GAZETTE 9

Tickled pink to support Foundation DUBLIN BB’s bakers and baristas have helped to raise €14,100 for the Marie Keating Foundation through their first ever Mrs Pink muffin campaign.

The seven Dublin BBs donated 25 cent from the sale of each pink muffin sold during last October

to the charity’s breast cancer services. Pictured are Storm and Ronan Keating at the cheque presentation with Andrew Moyes, chief executive, BBs bakers and baristas.

Picture: Huw John, Cardiff

FINGAL ENTERPRISE AWARD | BUSINESS START-UPS

‘Fearless’ Dublin 15 entrepreneurs to compete for award

 MARK O’BRIEN TWO local businesses will compete with six other businesses for a prestigious award and the chance to represent Fingal at the National Enterprise Awards in May. Everest Granola from Blanchardstown and WeBringg from Castleknock will appear at “Fearless 2017 – the Entrepreneurs Journey” where they will describe their experiences in starting up a business.

The event takes place in the Riasc Centre in Swords on March 9 at 6.30pm and is the highlight of Fingal Local Enterprise Week.

Everest Granola was founded

by Seamus Tighe in 2014. They make gourmet granola cup made from natural ingredients.

They already supply to a range of retail and food service clients in Ireland and plan to expand into

the UK market and further develop their product range in 2017.

They currently employ a team of seven people.

WeBringg was founded in 2016

by Sean Murray and Alan Hickey and is a crowd sourced delivery platform for e-commerce.

It is based on disruptive technology and provides on-demand, trackable delivery services which reduces the cost of warehousing or fleet by using independent delivery service providers.

They currently employ a team of six, with plans to grow their workforce and expand beyond the Irish market.

The other finalists are Azure Communications from Ballycoolin, Discover XT, based in Swords and Balbriggan, Hope Beer, based in Howth/Sutton, Lusk-based Skytango and Smart Trace Software from Malahide.

The event will be hosted by Today FM’s Conall O’Morain who will be joined on stage by three dragons who will quiz the contestants about their experiences.

Michael Dawson (CEO of One4All Gift Voucher Shop), Deirdre O’Neill (Enterprise Ireland) and Neal Morrison (partner with McInerney Saunders) will put each entrepreneur through their paces before the winner is announced.

The winner will receive the Fingal Enterprise Award and go forward to the National Enterprise Awards in May. Fingal has a great record at these awards, winning the overall award twice since 2005 and featuring in the final eight on numerous occasions.

Fearless 2017 is free to attend but booking is essential.

Places can be booked at www. localenterprise.ie/Fingal

10 GAZETTE 2 March 2017

Out and About

John and Caroline Molloy with Caroline and Martin Murphy

Noleen Murray and Kenneth O’Regan

Show-stopping support for Noel Jo Killalee, Noel Gentles and Tina Jones. Pictures: Alison O’Hanlon

Dave Green and Joe Donnolly

Suzanne Mulvey and Crispin Rodwell

Marise and Edward McGill

T

HE Musical theatre world of Ireland turned out in force at The Red Cow for a night of music, dance and comedy in support of Noel Gentles. Mr Showman Noel Gentles had returned to the bosom of his family from Boston to continue his cancer treatment in Beaumont Hospital. The wealth of talent performing, which included Rebecca Storm and Simon Delaney, was truly special with Simon attributing the kick start of his love for acting under the direction of Noel over 25 years ago. This was a celebration of performance worthy of any West End Show with a single goal - to welcome home Noel.

Denise Brady, Serena Mallon and Lisa Delaney

Emma Jane Reilly and Catherine Dunphy

2 March 2017 GAZETTE 11

Out and About

Eoin Cannon, Simon Delaney, Tony Finnegan and Jimmy Dickson Deirdre Browne (Centre) with her dancers Sharon Murphy, Lorraine Murphy, Fiona Shirran, Victoria Guthrie, Ema-Mae West, Ruth Maher, Maria Fowler and Caitriona Browne

Martina Moore and Derek Wallace

Amy Fidgeon

Sean Gilligan and his show girls

GAZETTE

12 GAZETTE 2 March 2017

DUBLINBUSINESS

Want to help solve social problems?  EMMA NOLAN

A NATIONAL competition which is looking for ideas to solve social problems by ambitious thinkers has just launched.

“Don’t let a good idea go to waste” is the call from Social Entrepreneurs Ireland which seeks the most innovative ideas and energetic entrepreneurs to solve social problems in Ireland.

Speaking at the launch of the competition, Darren Ryan, CEO of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland said: “We support people who have an entrepreneurial drive, people who think big and have the ambition and energy to see

their ideas realised, so that the social problem they are tackling may one day be a thing of the past.

“If you have an idea or project to make a positive impact, apply to us. If we believe in it, we’ll back you.”

Previous winners include Iseult Ward and Aoibheann O’Brien who had the idea for FoodCloud – an app that connects shops with too much food with charities who need it; John Evoy who had the idea for the Irish Men’s Sheds Association and Dara Connolly with the idea for ReCreate which takes unwanted materials from busi-

nesses and turns them into art materials for schools and families that couldn’t afford them.

The eight award winners will join Ireland’s largest network of social entrepreneurs. As well as an immediate 10,000 euro in unrestricted funding, they will receive a place on an accelerator programme worth €15,000, with access to over 150 pro-bono supporters, coaches and mentors.

The call is for people with early-stage ideas right through to people who are ready to grow and scale their existing organisations, to apply at socialentrepreneurs.ie. Applications close on March 29.

Twins Devin and Alex Cawley helping Darren Ryan, CEO of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland and Tommy Breen CEO of DCC plc, to launch the 2017 Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Awards, at the ReCreate Warehouse. Picture: Naoise Culhane

Irish tech firm reveals record revenues IT Alliance Group, one of Ireland’s largest indigenous technology firms, has announced two heavyweight appointments to its senior management team following record revenues of €36m in 2016.

The group increased employee numbers in 2016 by 80 from 470 to 550.

Sean Kennedy has been appointed to a newly created position as group chief operations officer.

Kennedy previously held senior IT and transformation roles with Vodafone, HP, Friends First, Irish Life & Permanent and most recently Coillte where he was head of ICT and Transformation Programme director.

Former software client leader at IBM, Matt Leighton has been appointed to a new position as UK sales director.

“Despite and partly because of Brexit, we see major potential in the UK and Irish technology markets and are making these senior appointments at this time to fuel our next wave of growth,” commented Philip Maguire, CEO and founder, I.T. Alliance Group, which now employs 550 people across its Irish and UK operations.

Let The Gazette take you on a tour of what’s on across the county this week



GAZETTE

DUBLINLIFE

THE BIG INTERVIEW P16 STYLE P18 MOTORING P22

MUSIC | ABNER BROWNS IN RATHMINES IS A CUT ABOVE THE REST

GORGEOUS AMBER HAS SO MUCH AFFECTION TO GIVE YOU OUR Dog of the Week looking for their #SpecialSomeone is awesome Amber, a six-year-old female Pitbull terrier. She is a big favourite amongst the staff and volunteers in Dogs Trust.

She is such an affectionate dog and wants to smother people with affection.

Due to her bouncy nature, she recently needed to have her cruciate ligament repaired, and she is recovering at the moment. Although she is receiving great care and attention, she is on restricted exercise, and this is getting her down, so we really want to find her the perfect home that has so far eluded this amazing dog.

If you can be Amber’s #SpecialSomeone, then please contact Dogs Trust on 01 879 1000. They are based in Finglas, just off Exit 5 on the M50.

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

Ash playing at Abner Browns last year

Top barbershops OF THE

 JAMES HENDICOTT

AN UNLIKELY and in many ways unintended success story in the heart of Rathmines, Abner Browns Barbershop – opened just five years ago – has become a fairytale at the heart of Dublin music.

Today, the venue hosts regular bringyour-own-beer events and is expanding into festivals and documentaries, but the musicallythemed barbers started out as owner Dave Judge’s post-crash last resort.

“I’d been a businessman for 20 years, and I lost everything in the crash,” he said.

“Everything except the shop. I didn’t have a penny, and I picked up some records on sale in a local shop in Rathmines, hung a guitar above an old couch, and opened up the barbers.

“The first gig happened really quickly. It was a Canadian singer called Blair Packham, who came in for a hair cut, talked about his music and we decided he’d play sat on the couch the next Saturday. Another

guy saw him, and came in the next week.

Within four weeks, I had people in every weekend playing music. It started so fast, and to this day I’ve never asked anyone to play. They always come to me.”

Judge himself used to play in bands, but describes himself as “a general businessman”who left music behind years ago: “I’m organised and good with people.”

The process has been entirely organic – “it’s great marketing,” Judge admits, “but that’s not why I do it. I love it.

Almost every gig someone will come up to me with an idea about monetising the shows, but it’s a community thing. I don’t want to turn it into something else.”

In the few years that it’s been going,Abner’s – currently temporarily shifted a few doors down from its normal location on Rathgar Road for the duration of a roof replacement on what Judge jokingly calls “the mouldy green room” – has had some serious highs. Michael Stipe of REM dropped in a couple of years ago having heard about the place, while Northern

Irish pop-rockers Ash are amongst the acts to have played for free on a floor cleared of its hairdressing equipment.

A film about the barbers entitled ‘More Than A Barbershop’ – actually the third to be released, alongside regular footage of inhouse gigs – is currently doing the rounds at film festivals ahead of public release next year, and Judge’s influence is quickly growing beyond his own walls.

A Rathmines based festival called Canalaphonic launched in 2015 underJudge’s stewardship, featuring over a dozen venues and a host of local acts in its 2016 incarnation.

The businessman turned music aficionado has been appointed as booker at Rathmine’s newest (and, bizarrely, pirate-themed) venue The Bowery. He’s also been involved in managing several acts, including rising starlet Sinead White and his son’s act Military Road.

“There’s no agenda, and no money, but I’ve made some great friends through this, and the last few years I’ve been happier than I ever was before it all happened,” Judge says, speaking the day after being nominat-

ed against far larger and more established venues for IMRO’s ‘Irish Venue of the Year’.

“It’s never VIP, though I do try to look after the regulars. It’s there for people to enjoy, and because it’s something I enjoy doing. We might have to bring in more tickets, as I’ve had to start turning people away, and I hate doing that.”

“I think people like what it is, and it’s given me so much. I’ve been speaking to [The Pogues’] Cait O’Riordan and Niamh Farrell from Ham Sandwich. I’m bringing Maverick Sabre over [to the Bowery] in a few weeks. It’s been such a great journey.”

Michael Stipe at Abner’s with barber Peter Meade

GAZETTE

14 GAZETTE 2 March 2017

DUBLINLIFE

DIARY

A host of celebs, including Jenny Dixon and Gerald Keane (centre), will go head to head for Breast Cancer Ireland’s fun-filled Battle of the Stars fundraiser

Celebs put best feet forward to help top charity BREAST Cancer Ireland’s Battle of the Stars gala event will see Strictly-styled dance offs, lip-sync battles and group performances to raise funds for pioneering research into breast cancer in the Intercontinental Hotel on Saturday, April 8.

T he all-celeb cast includes 2FM’s Eoghan McDermott, broadcaster Jenny Buckley, solicitor Gerald Kean, Fair City’s Jenny Dixon and Dave O’Sullivan, comic Eric Lawlor as well as beauty expert Triona McCarthy & model Karena Graham.

A celebrity judging panel including broadcaster Elaine Crowley and rugby commentator Brent Pope will be on hand and MC Nicky Byrne will keep the judges on track as well as keeping over 350 guests entertained.

Tickets, which include a four-course meal and a feast of entertainment, are on sale at €150 each at

go to the MHT post on the Gazette Facebook page.

FREE EVENTS AT GPO FOR ST PATRICK’S DAY

Music Hall Tavern is a riot from start to finish

breastcancerireland.com.

A TASTE SUMMER AS WINTER DRAGS ON THE nights may be cold and dark but theatre goers can get a taste of the summer when one of the most popular shows in the Canary Islands returns to the Dublin for one night only with their brand new show for 2017.

The Music Hall Tavern theatre show comes to the Helix on Saturday, March 11 and a limited number of seats are still available.

Billed as The Funniest Night Out of the Year, the popular family-themed

musical drag review has been playing in the Canary Islands for more than 20 years and has established itself as a firm favourite.

The side-splitting show, which boasts lavishly dazzling costumes, has become one of the hottest tourist attractions in the Canaries with more than 120,000 holidaymakers paying to watch the performers each year.

Anyone interested in experiencing the feel good sound of the summer should book in advance at MusicHallTavern.com/uk.

To win a pair of tickets to this hilarious Helix show,

A NUMBER of free events are taking place at the GPO Witness History visitor centre for the St Patrick’s Day festival.

On Thursday, March 16, the public are invited to bring in letters and photographs that relate to 1916, the Civil War, and meet the in-house archivist.

On March 17, GPO Witness History will be open from 2pm to 5.30pm, while on March 18, Lorcan MacMathuna and Daire Bracken will perform a special piece called From Amergin to Pearse, created especially the festival.

Finally, on March 19, from 10am to 1pm, the public are invited to bring in Rising-related objects to have them appraised for free. See gpowitnesshistory.ie for more.

2 March 2017 GAZETTE 15

2 March 2017 GAZETTE 17

DUBLINLIFE

FEATURES

HANGING OUT WITH THE STARS ISN’T THE WORST WAY TO MAKE A LIVIN’

GAZETTE

GAZETTE

16 GAZETTE 2 March 2017

Picture: Chris Bellew/Fennell Photography

INTERVIEW: TV3’S LUCY KENNEDY TALKS ABOUT NEW BABY, WORK - AND ENDA KENNY  EMMA NOLAN The one and only Gloria Hunniford

Hunni’s top tips to make saving feel a bit sweeter for you  EMMA NOLAN

TV LEGEND Gloria Hunniford was in town last week teaching Dubliners her guide to staying happy – with key financial advice driving some of her consumer-focused insights.

The Loose Woman star, who is famous for her straight talking, was on hand to share her top tips on saving, budgets and bills for 2017.

Having teamed up with Electric Ireland, Gloria outlined the importance of being aware of what contracts you sign as a consumer.

Speaking in Dublin, she said: “Suppliers seem to be offering great deals with extremely low rates and money-off to entice consumers.

“However, these deals can be short lived and at the end of the deal, prices can rise.”

Gloria’s Guide To Staying Happy has three key points ...

1) Make every penny count: Make sure to keep a household budget and keep on top of it weekly to get a grasp of what you’re spending and where you could be saving.

If it isn’t necessary, cut it!

You could buy one less coffee from your local coffee shop, or maybe there’s a subscription you didn’t realise you had?

Household budgeting is key to keeping your finances in check and ensuring you have enough left for the things that really matter.

2) Savvy savings: Keep an eye on money-saver blogs and websites that offer discount codes and insights into where to get the best value.

There’s lots of deals to be had, so make sure to avail of these before purchasing.

Also make sure to sign up to loyalty schemes, as many brands like Electric Ireland offer great rewards and savings for customers.

3) Understand T&Cs: It’s very competitive out there, and it’s easy to be enticed by short-term low rates or money-off incentives.

These deals often come with a catch after a period of time when the initial offer runs out and you’re left paying a bill that’s well above market price.

Sometimes, the best deal is right under your nose; with Electric Ireland, you can save this year, next year and every year.

POPULAR TV3 presenter Lucy Kenndy had her third child recently, but her latest round of motherhood hasn’t slowed her down from doing what she loves – not a bit of it – as she cheerfully sat down with The Gazette to talk about bringing up her new baby, working while pregnant, and her crush on Enda Kenny.

Lucy told Dublin Life: “People always say that the third [baby] is the easiest, and so far that’s true – she’s just great; it’s like she’s always been here.”

Now just 10 weeks old, baby Jess is thriving as she gets used to living with Lucy. Her other children, Jack and Holly, are also settling into their roles as the older siblings.

“They’re loving their new roles as big brother and sister. Jack goes and

gets the nappies – Holly checks what’s in Jess’ nappies!”

After a mostly comfortable pregnancy, the birth in December was “intense”, Lucy said.

“Jess was breached, so I ended up having to have an elected section, which I wasn’t planning on, so I was in a bit of a panic to get home for Christmas.”

Luckily, everything worked out okay though, and Jess and Lucy made it home on time for Christmas.

Now the busy mum and TV3 star is an ambassador for Nurofen for Children, and she’s happy to help raise awareness and educate new mums on what to do when their baby is sick.

She said: “I really hope that they find the information from the campaign helpful and feel a little more confident

when caring for their babies when they are ill – mummies united!”

Speaking of illness, The 6 O’Clock Show presenter said that the first 14 weeks of her pregnancy were “hideous”.

as Lucy continued to film her popular show, Livin’ with Lucy.

“I was able to go and live with all my famous friends and travel to Lanzarote and pull Finbar Fury around on a camel,

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

‘I had morning sickness, and working on the show, I had to be in the kitchen watching the chefs cutting things like raw tuna while thinking I was going to vomit – the amount of times I tried not to!’

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

She said: “I had morning sickness, and working on the show, I had to be in the kitchen watching the chefts cutting things like raw tuna while thinking I was going to vomit – the amount of times I tried not to!”

But overall, the rest of the pregnancy was easier,

so I had a lot of energy.”

Lucy said the advice she would give to anyone considering getting pregnant is to work as much as you can during the pregnancy, because it’s a good distraction.

“If I didn’t get up and do my normal routine, I’d sit at home thinking is the

baby [the size of] a grape or a kiwi, over-analysing everything,” she joked.

“But Livin’ with Lucy is my baby, so there was no way in the world I was missing out on that.”

While she was still able to enjoy filming the series, Lucy admitted she was more tired this time around.

On the most difficult part of filming, she said: “It was falling asleep – but everybody took that into consideration, and I think the celebs were quite relieved, because they would get a break when I did.

“It was weird not being able to have a glass of wine though!

“I was so lucky this season, everyone was so nice – Al Porter nearly finished me off; he’s hilarious!”

Now another season of the show is in the works, with filming due to start in

May, and Lucy joked she intends to make up for lost time and “tuck into the booze!”

As far as her dream guests for the show, Lucy listed the likes of Graham Norton, Dermot O’Leary, Kim Woodburn, Marco Pierre White, Brendan O’Carroll, Daniel and Majella O’Donnell and her number-one crush ...

Enda Kenny.

For her final Seven O’Clock Show, Lucy’s colleagues arranged for the Taoiseach to leave her a message. “It made my life,” she said.

Lucy recalled Mr Kenny’s message, giving it her best Enda impression: “Hi Lucy, I hear you’re off to have a baby ...”

“He said something like: ‘I hope your new baby is as beautiful as you’, and I nearly fell off the couch – I nearly went into labour!”

I, LUCY, LOVE...

SOME DREAM GUESTS TV3 PRESENTER WOULD LOVE TO GET ON LIVIN’ WITH LUCY ot! rm De Br en da n!

l! nie Da En da !

! m ha a Gr

GAZETTE

18 GAZETTE 2 March 2017

DUBLINLIFE

DON’T RULES  EMMA NOLAN Style Editor

FASHION week in London and New York saw designers pay attention to the details when it came to jewellery.

The trends for this season are difficult to pin down as such a wide variety is being presented across all brands at the moment. Their one unifying feature, however, is colour.

Jeweller y designers have embraced colour and the high street has taken note. Colourful jewellery is a godsend for people who want to introduce colour to their wardrobe but can’t commit to buying bright clothes.

From shoulder-grazing earrings and bright gemstones to fabrics and rose gold, the rule for jewellery this season is: there are no rules.

APPLY ivia Burton Weir & Sons Ol ch €109 Butterfly Dial Wat

Pandora Mint bangle €79

ra Pando 179 € Band Chupi at Powerscourt Townhouse Centre Print gold bracelet €189

Hope is at hand for a great toner, no matter what your skin is like THERE’S nothing like a good toner to make your skin feel refreshed – but finding the right one for your skin type can be a bit confusing.

Sensitive skincare brand, La Roche-Posay have introduced a new range of micellar waters. These unique formulas are tailored for three different skin-types that combine both water and oil to effectively remove even waterproof make-up.

The range will suit a number of skin types, including sensitive, oily and reactive skin, meaning each solution is tailored for optimal efficacy, as follows ...

Micellar Water Ultra Soothing:

For sensitive skin, prone to itchy, stinging or prickling sensations.

Skin is left feeling clean, clear and soft without drying.

Micellar Water Ultra Anti-Tightness, Anti-Redness: For reactive skin that can become tight and prone to redness. A boosted glycerin content of up to 5%, for an ultracomfortable, smooth-glide texture.

Micellar Water Ultra Purifying: Enriched with zinc to purify oily, spot-prone skin of dirt, impurities and excess oil, without drying.

With a RRP of €15.50, the range are available from pharmacies nationwide.

ize ssor Acce ring €6 al Orbit

Thomas Sabo 2 X Shoulder duster earrings €398

Weir & S ons 2 X A lex Hummingb ird earring Monroe s €165

H&M Chok e €4.9 r 9

2 March 2017 GAZETTE 19

NEW STYLE AT

& OTHER STORIES

GRAFTON Street’s & Other Stories, which arrived less than three months ago, has just introduced a new co-lab collection created by Shoplifter – an Icelandic NYC-based visual artist known for her artwork with synthetic and human hair such as braided murals and tufted hair in multicoloured mossy pieces.

This collection transforms Shoplifter’s visual artwork into wearables – it includes ready-to-wear, accessories, jewellery and make-up that encourage a style “filled with playfulness and humour, exploring comfort zones and elevating moods”.

Stand-out pieces include furry characters turned into bags and brightly coloured synthetic hair added to garments.

Prices vary from a €7 nail colour, €19 earrings and a €39 bag to a €59 sweater and a €89 anorak.

The collection will be available for Dublin customers to shop online at stories.com.

GAZETTE

STYLE

GAZETTE

20 GAZETTE 2 March 2017

DUBLINLIFE

What’s included in an all-inclusive holiday?

THINKING of booking an all inclusive holiday, but want to check if it really is as good value for money as people say?

Here’s the lowdown on what’s actually included on a Falcon all-inclusive holiday.

Your flights, transfers, hotels, food, drink and some activities are included in the fixed price you pay for your holiday. It means you don’t have to worry about budgeting your spending money or digging deep for change for another ice-cream every five minutes. In fact, going all inclusive can often be kinder on your wallet.

Most Falcon drink packages include beer, wine, soft drinks and local spirits as standard. But what you get varies by hotel, so you should always check what’s on offer before you go.

At most hotels offering all-inclusive board options, you’ll be able to let loose at a buffet or two for your three meals a day. Some hotels have a la carte restaurants included, others have special extras like beach barbecues or late-night crepes etc.

You’ll find some daytime activities like tennis and aqua aerobics are available at most Falcon all-inclusive hotels, but some holidays include other things that break away from the norm – from high rope adventures and to unlimited access to ever y waterslide imaginable at first-rate waterparks at Splashworld.

Deal

10-Mar-17, Dublin to Tenerife, Gran Muthu Golf Plaza Hotel, Golf De Sur, 3*, AI, 7 nights from €769pps.

TRAVEL

HOLIDAY VILLAGE KOS RESORT: PERFECT RECIPE FOR HAPPY KIDS ON HOLIDAY

Football is very popular with the resort’s fabulous pitch open day and night

It’s child’s play  SYLVIA POWNALL

IF YOUR kids are having the time of their lives, the chances are you will be too.

Sometimes it’s hard to get the balance right – lazing on a sun lounger tops the wish list for mam and dad, but the younger generation fancy something far more active.

That’s where Holiday Villages step up to the plate, with activities for kids of all ages that are on a different level to your typical resort kids’ club.

We’re not talking ping pong tournaments or arts and crafts. What we’re looking at are the academies you can sign your little ones up to – whether you’ve got a budding Beyonce or a wannabe Robbie Brady on your hands.

There are three academies to choose from – stage, football or swim - so you can set your kids free to enjoy themselves while you grab a cold beer from the all-inclusive bar.

The Holiday Village has three pools: a piratethemed splash park for under-eights with water slides and sprinklers; a family pool where staff run daily activities including water polo; and a deeper adult pool to keep teenagers happy.

The swim academy offers daily lessons from ASA-qualified teachers for kids aged three or over and even adults who might struggle with their swimming are welcome to join the classes.

The complex offers plenty of other activities too – football being one of the most popular with the resort’s fabulous pitch open day and night.

There are regular sessions with FA and Uefaqualified coaches and the football academy is open to all children aged between five and 16.

If you have a head for heights, you and your kids are sure to love the Aerial Adventure, an overhead obstacle course where children build confidence and work as a team.

And if you manage to get any me time there’s a spa, gym and a sauna, as well as an adults-only bar.

The island has a rich history and the best place to discover its past is in the museums and ruins of Kos Town, a 15-minute drive away.

For boutique shopping and laid-back cafes Eleftherias Square is the place to go.

The all-inclusive deal means beers, wines and soft drinks are on tap as well as all your meals.

And if you miss dinner or fancy something informal, snacks and ice-cream are served daily from 2.30pm to 4pm.

Evening entertainment includes karaoke, discos, cabaret nights, bingo and even a late-night kids’ club. Memories aplenty in the making!

Holiday deal Book Holiday Village Kos now for 2 adults and 1 child from just €2,199 all inclusive.

Stage Academy: Prices from €46 for three 2-hour slots.

Runs from 20 July to 31 August.

There’s also Mini Razzamataz, free sessions especially for under-5s.

Football Academy: Prices from €39 (2 days x 2 hour sessions) Swim Academy: Prices from €39 (5x 30 min sessions (group) Visit www.falconholidays.ie or call 1850 453 545 for further details.

2 March 2017 GAZETTE 21

22 GAZETTE 2 March 2017

GAZETTE

M50MOTORING FASTNews Thumbs up! for The new Kia Rio launched in Ireland last week comes with an entry price of €€15,950 for the petrol engine models

New Kia Rio offers even more style and safety KIA has launched its updated Rio for the Irish market with new styling for the fourth generation of Kia’s popular supermini car. In Ireland, the Rio has been an important car for Kia and sales topped 550 in 2016.

Kia believes that the new Rio stands out thanks to its progressive design, class-leasing practicality and safety technologies, new connectivity features and more engaging ride and handling.

Kia will offer six models from launch with one 1.2-litre (85bhp) petrol engine and two 1.4-litre diesel units (77bhp and 90bhp). Kia will introduce a new 100bhp, one litre turbo-petrol engine later in the year.

The petrol engine variants range from the entry level L model priced at €15,950, to the volume model EX model costing €18,150, and a top of the line Platinum model costing €20,450 and which comes with Sat Nav and Android Auto.

The two diesel models on offer are the LX costing €17,750 and the EXE model priced at €19,950 powered respectively by 77bhp and 90bhp 1.4 turbo-diesel engines. The 1.2 petrol unit has a CO2 emission figure of 109g/km and an annual road tax charge of €190 while the diesel models are rated at 92g/km and 98g/ km each with €180 annual road tax charge.

Hybrid sales jump 128% says Toyota Ireland TOYOTA in Ireland claims another significant

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

‘The up! comes with an impressive Euro NCAP 5 star safety rating putting it in top of the class position in the small city car segment’ --------------------------

to see where you’re driving, especially in tight spaces. The overall shape indicates height as much as length and the rear passengers get a reasonable deal, as long as it’s not a long journey drive.

The car left me with a lasting impression in terms of its driveability.

Importantly, this new up!

has been given an engine transplant or perhaps a boosted pacemaker as Volkswagen has upped (excuse the pun) its performance by adding a turbo-charger to the neat three cylinder petrol engine.

The upgraded engine with Volkswagen’s TSI format means that the new up! is a lively car to drive. The High version that I drove was fitted with 17in alloy wheels and that combination with Goodyear 195/40 R17 tyres gave the car great performance and stability over a 1013km weekly test run.

T he petrol engine comes with a relatively efficient fuel rating. The official figures are rated at 21m/litre (4.7/100km or 60mpg) and my driving performance came in about 25% below that rating. That meant that while

Over 70% of orders for Toyota’s new C-SUV,

Ireland in 2017, signifying

the C-HR which launched

that hybrid is now moving

in the Irish market in

towards mainstream

November 2016 are hybrid

popularity. The hybrid

while 40% of Toyota Auris

technology that, unlike

and 35% of Toyota Yaris

electric vehicles, you

sales in 2017 have been

don’t have to plug in, has

hybrid vehicles, according

seen Toyota experience

to the company.

This latest announce-

of hybrid vehicles in 2017

ment comes a week after

compared to last year.

Toyota revealed that

Toyota claims to have

VOL K S WAGE N refreshed the up! mini car during the middle of 2016 by boosting its engine power options and adding more styling features. For the up! its unusual name becomes the first talking point about the car. As soon as you get comfortable with its identity its performance will already have impressed you.

I took the four-door up! on tour recently and brought it on some drives that the car was probably not really designed for. This is a city type car that’s compact and nippy and designed for city driving flexibility and agility to be parked in tight spaces.

The overall length of the up! at 3.6 metres confirms that is compact and with minimal overhangs.

This means that the wheels are placed almost at each corner, so it’s easy

to 66% of the market.

increase in hybrid sales in

a 128% increase in sales

Volkswagen has breathed new life and energy in the up! city car by transforming its engine performance and offering a host of new styling options. Michael Moroney has driven the new VW mini-car and it’s a great big winner!

global sales of hybrid

sold more than 1,300

cars has surpassed 10

hybrid vehicles since the

million units, further

start of 2017. It is report-

enhancing Toyota’s

ing that diesel car sales

leadership in hybrid

The dash on the new up! is simple and clear with a mounting for a small phone to

have dropped from 71%

technology.

allow for the use of the Volkswagen integration system and there was also a very neat reversing camera system included in the test car

Volkswagen data claims that the car can cover up to 800km on a full 35 litre fuel tank, my driving experience was closer to 700km, which is reasonable given the extent of my varied test drive.

There are some minor re-style features to the new generation up! that the existing owners will spot instantly. The new up! comes with new bumpers, a new rear diffuser, door mirrors with integrated indicator lights, new headlights with LED daytime running lights, as well as new rear lights.

More importantly the new up! comes with a host of styling and colour choice options so that you can totally personalise the car to your taste. The range is vast, 13 body colours, nine exterior decals, 10 new dash pad designs, three roof colours, three design packs, two colour packs and two basic colours for the interior trim,

coloured alloy wheels and individualised-colour ambient light available for the top-of-the-range models.

I liked the neat smart phone holder on the dash to make simple the Volkswagen integration system. You just connect the smart phone above the dash pad, pair easily via Bluetooth and it becomes an infotainment system with navigation system and on-board computer functions, by using the downloaded Volkswagen app.

The up! comes with an impressive Euro NCAP five-star safety rating putting it in top of the class position in the small city car segment. There are four airbags included along with Volkswagen’s city emergency braking system.

The boot is reasonable in capacity at 251 litres and can be split using a simple shelf system. I

2 March 2017 GAZETTE 23

GAZETTE

mini Volkswagen

M50MOTORING

FASTNews

Volkswagen High up!

SPECIFICATIONS Engine Engine power 0 – 100km/hr Economy

Fuel Tank Capacity CO2 emissions Road Tax Band Main Service Euro NCAP Rating Warranty Entry Price

1.0 litre 90hp 9.9 seconds 21m/litre (4.7/100km or 60mpg) 35 litres 108g/km A3 €190 15,000km/12 mon 5 star 2011 3 years €12,650

Dublin City Council has shown no evidence of its commitment to implement European best practice to establish an e-vehicles network in the Dublin city region,” says Nissan CEO, James McCarthy.

€6 billion fine looms for Ireland as EV policy not in gear IRELAND is facing EU fines of up to €6 billion for failing to reduce carbon emissions and to put a coherent

The new generation Volkswagen up! comes with the option of a turbo-boosted petrol engine that gives great performance with a host of modern styling options. The High up! version have the highest specification, while the entry models come with a very keen starting price of €12,650.

strategy into place to achieve its target of having 50,000 electric vehicles on Irish roads by 2020, according to Nissan CEO, James McCarthy. “The The test car was powered by an impressive 1.0 litre three-cylinder turbo-charged petrol engine

initial target set in 2010 was to have 230,000 electric vehicles (EV’s) on our roads by 2020. It was re-set to 50,000 EVs in 2014 and a new target of 20,000 EVs

liked the fact that Volkswagen fits a steel spare wheel in the boot and given that it’s a small city car, and I found it interesting that some of the larger cars that are expected to be used for longer drive, don’t get that option.

Volkswagen claims that this new 90bhp engine has a performance that is on a par with that of the first Golf GTI, but with a

more impressive fuel consumption figure. That was certainly how the car felt under my control and that road holding was solid throughout.

I took the up! for a mix of runs, some lengthy across the country and always felt that it was up to the task. While motorway speeds pushed the rev counter into the less efficient zone, the over-

all driving impression was that of a solid small car that I would have no hesitation in recommending for cost-effective commuting.

With a list price range from €12,650 for the base model to €17,840 for the High up! that I drove there are three engine power options from the same three-cylinder petrol engine. My owner-

ship cost calculations give me a running cost figure of close to €0.29 per kilometre, given a reasonable depreciation rate of almost 30% based on current used car values.

That’s reasonably costeffective motoring with good performance.

For shorter commutes the new generation electric cars are now proving a real challenge; these

are the new competition for city cars such as the up!. Volkswagen has responded to that challenge and now offers a new e-up! with full electric but it’s not year shown on the Irish price lists. It’s the one to watch for the future for city drivers for those with a longer drive the 90bhp performance of the High up! gives a solid driving experience.

is now proposed. How do you hit a moving target?” says Nissan CEO. Nissan, who are Ireland’s biggest seller of EVs, said that cumulative sales of EVs in Ireland is unlikely to exceed 7,000 units by 2020 without the speedy delivery of a well maintained national charging infrastructure with a sensible tariff structure and policies to encourage and reward EV adoption. EVs accounted for 618 of the 218,000 new car sales and used imports into Ireland in 2016, along with a series of policy proposals from Nissan to put 20,000 EVs, like its zero emissions Nissan LEAF, onto Irish roads by 2020.

He proposed the introduction of policy requiring 20% of the car fleets purchased by the State,

Top driving tips to save fuel and stay safe THIS week we give you some easy-to-follow tips to help you to save fuel are petrol prices are getting precariously close to the €1.40 per litre price level. These tips will also reduce your risk on the road.

For all driving situations, fuel-efficient driving goes hand in hand with improving your driving skills and boosting road

safety, as well as reducing emissions and pollution.

Efficient driving strategies are also less stressful.

Here are some useful driving tips: 1. Choose a more relaxed approach to acceleration. Using brakes wastes fuel, so try to anticipate what’s happening as far ahead as possible. Try to make the best use of your car’s ener-

gy by adopting a safer, lower-risk style of driving.

2. Slow down. Most cars are at their most efficient around 80km/hr (50mph), and for every ten kilometres an hour over 95km/hr (60mph) that you drive, you will lose around six per cent of your fuel economy.

3. Use the gears. Aim to get into a high gear promptly (but not so

quickly that you strain the engine). This helps reduce your car engine’s thirst.

4. Check your tyres.

Keep them properly inflated and make regular checks on their condition.

Even a slight reduction in pressure will lead to greater resistance on the road, meaning you will spend more on fuel and on tyres.

5. Switch it off. Don’t let your engine sit running

on idle If you’re sitting in a queue or waiting for someone for more than 30 seconds, switch the engine off.

6. Treat your car well. A properly maintained car will drive more economically.

7. Know where you’re going. Don’t waste fuel by being lost in your car.

Journeys will take less time if you plan a route.

public bodies and local authorities to be EVs, levying fines against local authorities who fail to achieve EV targets and a BIK exemption for those driving EVs for business.

“Local authorities have no skin the game. Dublin, with about 40% of the national car fleet should have a minimum of 8,000 EVs registered by 2020. The Dublin taxi fleet should be mandated to go EV from 2018 with the support of a scrappage scheme,” said McCarthy.

“Dublin City Council has shown no evidence of its commitment to implement European best practice to establish an e-vehicles network in the Dublin city region. Best practice requires the provision of a comprehensive charging infrastructure and ‘soft benefits’ such as free parking, free road tolls and access to bus lanes for EV drivers,” he added.

GAZETTE

24 BLANCH GAZETTE 2 March 2017

DUBLINLIFE

CINEMA

Stephen Marcus, Valerie Egan, Patrick Becker and Amy Joyce Hastings

SANCTUARY: ONE OF THE MOST ORIGINAL AND FUNNY ROMANTIC COMEDIES IN YEARS

An auspicious debut

Cast members at The Pavilion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire

THE Audi Dublin International Film Festival brought one of the most original, freshest and funny Irish romantic comedies of recent years to the Light House Cinema as part of the main festival last week.

Len Collin’s Sanctuary is a big screen adaptation of a hit play from Blue Teapot Theatre Company, Performing Arts School & Outreach programme for people with intellectual disabilities at the forefront of arts and disability in Ireland. The film premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh in 2016 where it won the Best First Irish Feature Award.

Larry and Sophie are in love. They bribe the feck-

less Tom to book them into a hotel for an afternoon tryst and look forward to getting to know each other, like countless couples before them. But Larry and Sophie aren’t any couple; they both have intellectual disabilities and Tom is their care worker. By attempting to be intimate, they aren’t just breaking the rules – they’re breaking the law.

Commenting on the shifting legal situation Inclusion Ireland Campaigns and Policy Lead Sarah Lennon said: “The current criminal law (1993 Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act has created an uncertain legal landscape for people with intellectual disabilities

who wish to have intimate relationships.

“The law can appear to criminalise even consensual relationship, while offering little protection and has created a ‘chilling effect’ on people with disabilities accessing information, education and support.

“Law reform in the guise of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 is expected in the next week and will create improved legal certainty about who can and cannot have intimate, sexual relationships.

“Even with the lifting of a legal threat, there remains a lot of work to be done to remove the taboo surrounding sexuality and disability.”

2 March 2017 BLANCH GAZETTE 25

GAZETTE

TECH COMMUNICATIONS: IT’S BACK TO THE FUTURE FOR A TRULY CLASSIC DESIGN

Dialling up the excitement for this ‘new’ Nokia phone IN A bid to stave off my excitement at the longawaited release this week of the stunning PS4 exclusive, Horizon Zero Dawn (see full review next time) as well as the imminent release of Nintendo’s quirky new console, the Switch, I’ve been fiddling about with upgrades for my phone.

Or, rather, I’ve been feeling like bouncing my phone off the nearest wall, thanks to irritated frustration over its endless ‘Hey Shane, there are lots of app updates available to install – but you don’t have enough space for them, you plonker’ messages, or words to that effect.

It’s all enough to make you wish for a simpler time, back when phones were, well, pretty much just phones, when dinosaurs roamed the earth

 SHANE DILLON sdillon@dublingazette.com

and Nokia was still pretty much the leader of the pack and the top name for phones.

Well, while almost extinct in the wild, the Nokia brand looks set to make a bullish return to the market – and it’s all thanks to a rerelease and update of the ludicrously simple (by today’s standards) mobile phone, the classic Nokia 3310.

First released in late 2000, the 3310 was an instant hit – I had one as my first mobile phone in the then burgeoning mobile phone market, as had pretty much everyone

else at the time.

You could text, make phone calls, text, errr... that was pretty much it for the 3310, but that was enough for ye olden days, with the 3310’s simple but effective stylings, coupled with its cheap and cheerful build and a famously long-lasting battery, making it a real winner.

Flash forward, and with Nokia’s cultural relevance having taken quite a dive since then, HMD Global – a company with a lot of former Nokia staff which has acquired the Nokia brand rights – has had a brilliant idea: to update the ancient phone for today’s market, release it and see what happens.

T he end result: a revised 3310, which now comes with a larger screen (now in colour), a 2MP camera (completely out of the question, back in

the day), and a slimmer yet ergonomic ‘biscuit’ build – but that’s about all, although its makers have also managed to add a headphone jack, FM radio and a SD card slot.

It’s a clever move by HMD Global, as there are lots of people who just want a basic p h o n e – and I do mean basic.

No army of apps, no sat-nav, no 3G – just by and large a basic, simple phone with a cheap-aschips price point to match upon its Q2 release: €50.

Yes, fifty quid.

As a no-bells-or-whistles second phone, a holiday phone, a child’s phone, or whatever, there’s a definite market out there for such a cheap, bluntly practical and reliable phone.

It goes without saying that in emerging markets such an affordable phone also could be a real winn e r, a n d an attractive alternative to costly contract phones, or similar luxury items out of

reach to ordinar y people.

A n d , considering that its predecessor had a standby time of up to two w e e k s almost 20 years ago – good luck getting almost any modern phone to the 20-hour mark on one charge – its interesting claimed one-month standby charge for the new version of the 3310 also impresses.

It’s a shrewd move by HMD Global, presenting Nokia (which is now focused on more techni-

cal telecoms work) with a win-win situation: it’ll collect royalties on the new phone’s sales.

So, who would have thunk it? Sometimes, the things we look forward to the most are things from the past. Expect to see lots of just-a-phone 3310s before the year’s end ...

Not shown here to scale, the new 3310 (above) is quite similar in size to the classic 3310 (left), but will be available in several colours

There’ll be everything to play for at this year’s eclectic GamerCon over at the NCC  SHANE DILLON

From VR to the latest hits to classic games, GamerCon promises plenty of great content for gamers of all ages

GAMERS of all ages and abilities are in for a real treat in just a couple of weeks thanks to the upcoming GamerCon 2017 at the National Convention Centre, right after St Patrick’s Day. The high-profile venue is needed for the notable event, which should draw in an impressive 20,000-plus people during its two-day run.

It promises plenty of content for everyone, from old-skool gamers like myself to the more casual gamers who’ve had a huge impact on the industry in recent years.

Despite the title, GamerCon has more than ‘just’ games to bring you over to the Docklands NCC, as you’ll see below.

First things first, and of course, gamers can try out some of the biggest games out there, courtesy of a lot of dedicated gaming posts.

Speaking of old-skool, a curated collection of retro games should be pretty fun to try for anyone who Kong put their skills to the test. That should Pac them in.

Back to the present, and if you’ve never tried virtual reality, a VR section will give a great look at the fascinating new tech, which could be brilliant for some games and media browsing – a number of titles already showcase the terrific tech, so be sure to give it a try.

It’s good to see that there’ll also be plenty of age-appropriate titles for younger gamers, too, making it a family-friendly event.

There’ll also be several You-

Tubers there – the likes of AliA, Uberdanger, Clare Siobhan, Minevengers, and lots of other high-profile names will be there.

I’m happy to see an esports section – I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen, say, American, Hong Kongese or South Korean gamers playing their games for prizes of up to a million dollars-plus while truly huge audiences watch.

Would-be esports winners can compete in one tournament of their choice, with hefty prizes (not a million bucks, sorry) up for grabs in titles such as Rocket League, Street Fighter, League of Legends and Counter Strike: Global Offensive.

Cosplayers can dress up as their favourite character or show

off their gaming-inspired outfits, with prizes for the best. (Personally, I hope somebody will take a stab at going as one of the Metal Gear cardboard box disguises, but we’ll see.)

There’ll also be plenty of merchandise with lots of hardware, software, and gaming-related goodies to get your hands on, with well-known sponsors in tow.

I’m impressed by the GamerCon line-up; it seems like a comprehensive, well thought out event. Go along and see for yourself; it runs at the NCC on March 18 and 19 from 9.30am to 6.30pm, with admission priced €25, or family tickets €80.

For further information and related event charges, see https:// gamer-con.com/.

26 BLANCH GAZETTE 2 March 2017

BLANCHCLASSIFIEDS ALARMS

DENTAL

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

ABC CERTIFIED 52,958 COPIES EACH WEEK

CARPENTRY & CONSTRUCTION

(ABC: Group MFD, Jan- Dec 2015).

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS TO OUR READERS CALL 01 60 10 240

MOULD REMOVAL

SUPPORT

DRIVEWAYS/PAVING

LOCAL

PAINTING

BUSINESS

DVDS PLUMBING

SHOP LOCALLY

TELL US YOUR STORY Call our NEWS TEAM on 60 10 240 and SELECT OPTION 2 or email news@gazettegroup.com

WHAT HAVE YOU



Serving 7 thriving communities of suburban Dublin. For up to date news follow us on Twitter @DublinGazette

We would love HAS IT to hear it!

WHO DISCOVERED? CHANGED WHAT YOUR DID YOU INSPIRED LIFE? FIND? YOU?

GOT A PHOTO? Email news@dublingazette.com



CALL THE GAZETTE ON

60 10 240

2 March 2017 BLANCH GAZETTE 27

BLANCHCLASSIFIEDS ROOFING

WINDOWS

RECRUITMENT

TAXIS

FOLLOW US TODAY ON OUR SOCIAL NETWORK Visit: Facebook: www.facebook.com/ DublinGazetteNewspapers Twitter: @DublinGazette

TREE CUTTING

LEGAL & PLANNING APPLICATION

ANNOUNCEMENT

GOT A STORY? Call our NEWS TEAM on 60 10 240 and SELECT OPTION 2 email news@dublingazette.com

We can now officially accept planning & legal notices from all four County Councils in greater Dublin region · Dublin City · Dun Laoghaire South Dublin · Fingal



· Standard rate from €75 + VAT · Payment in advance

Ph. 01 601 0240

GAZETTE

28 BLANCH GAZETTE 2 March 2017

SPORT

FastSport CARBERY AMONG SEVEN TO GET NEW CONTRACT: CLONTARF’S Joey Carbery’s rapid ascent has seen him formally signed up to a Leinster and IRFU senior contract this week along with six other players from the province’s academy.

Ross Byrne, Nick McCarthy, Rory O’Loughlin, Andrew Porter, James Ryan and Peadar Timmins are the other players in question, adding to Carbery who already has three Irish senior caps to his name.

Between them, they have played 55 times for Leinster in the Champions Cup and Guinness PRO12 this season, contributing 15 tries and 142 points.

Commenting on the news, Leinster Rugby Head Coach Leo Cullen said: “We invest a huge amount of time and resources into our Academy system in Leinster and we very much see these players and this model as the future of this club. I am excited by the challenge that lies ahead of them as they look to kick on in their careers.”

HOCKEY: THREE ROCK WIN SIXTH EY LEAGUE GAME IN SUCCESSION AT GRANGE ROAD

Madeley’s magic week sees Rovers stay in mix for title

 STEPHEN FINDLATER sport@dublingazette.com

LUKE Madeley’s pair of penalty corners saw Three Rock Rovers come from two goals down to win their sixth EY Hockey League game in succession, keeping them within a couple of points of league leaders Banbridge.

It formed part of a huge week for the young defender. Two days later, Madeley received a call-up to the Irish team, named in their extended panel of 24 for the World League Round 2 which takes place in Stormont in March. He subsequently turned 21 on Wednesday.

In an open game throughout, Rovers had a couple of gilt-edged chances inside the first minute as Mitch Darling’s cross-shot skimmed past the right post while Harry Morris won a corner that Max Maguire saved off the line. Nick Dee also deflected away another drag off the line but, for the most part, Monkstown were the side in greater control of possession and had the majority of the attacks.

They went in front in the tenth minute when Lee Cole’s

Three Rock Rovers’ Luke Madeley celebrates his winning goal. Picture: Adrian Boehm

45 degree pass from left back found Kyle Good on the right of the circle and he powered home a very impressive opening goal.

They also had corner chances to extend their advantage but Jamie Carr kept them out, keeping the gap at the minimum going into half-time.

Town did, however, double up in the 43rd minute via Gareth Watkins as he posted up at the

top of the circle and boomed home a brilliant reverse-stick effort into the top corner for a 2-0 lead. Rovers responded with greater control over the ball with Jody Hosking getting things moving on his return from illness. They got one back via Kevin Mullins’ fifth league goal of the season, finishing off from a Hosking cross after the diminutive midfielder robbed

possession and squared.

On the three quarter time whistle, Town got pinged for a deliberate foot in the 23m area which handed Rovers a corner chance which Madeley nailed into the bottom corner. And he duly scored the winner with six minutes remaining, this time going the high road to continue Rovers’ strong recent run. For Town, they are playing catch-

up for the playoff places after a fourth successive league defeat.

Rovers also have an Irish Junior Cup final to look forward to thanks to their second team’s 3-0 win Cork side Bandon with Shane Madeley, Dylan Shirley and Peter Lynch scoring the goals. They will meet Cork C of I in the final on March 26 in Belfield.

Elsewhere in the EY league, UCD won the other Dublin derby to give their chances of avoiding the relegation playoff place a huge boost, beating Railway Union 3-2.

Railway led twice thanks to goals from Rob Devlin and Peter Catchpole but Ben Campbell’s surge from the back and a Ben McCrea effort made it 2-2 going into the closing stages.

T h e n , J e r e my D u n c a n popped up with the winning goal late in the gam, netting against his former club.

Tallaght side Glenanne also moved away from the relegation places with a superb second half performance to beat Instonians 4-0 with Olympian Shane O’Donoghue firing home twice, adding to efforts from Gary Shaw and Richard Couse after a scoreless first half.

Pembroke and KADCA Killers advance final hopes  sport@dublingazette.com

Ailesbury Falcons take a drinks break from the action last Friday evening in Terenure. Picture: Austin Crowe

TEEN sensation Nhat Nguyen was among the stars last Friday on match night four of the Badminton Premier League took place in Terenure.

The BPL is in its second season and comprises five clubs. The format is for mixed teams which teams using a mixture of four men and women for each tie.

The clubs are bolstered by the allocation of a half dozen Badminton Ireland Academy players including the likes of Nguyen and Terenure’s Paul Reynolds.

Leading the table are South Dublin Spartans who had the bye. This meant that the other four clubs had the chance to fight for that all important second place slot with the ultimate aim of a final will take place in May featuring the top two.

Two fixtures took place Friday and both were comprehensive wins. Northside club KADCA Killers were comfortable 8-1 winners over Ailesbury Falcons.

Returning from injury, BI Academy’s Sara Boyle had two quick wins as did the reliable Norma McIntrye. Three doubles’

matches went to the last point of the deciding set were all won by KADCA. Lauren Au held her nerve to win two of these. The score otherwise might easily have been 5-4. The only match won by Ailesbury was a mixed doubles tie by Eddie Cousins and Moya Ryan.

Pembroke Panthers, meanwhile, beat Mount Pleasant Mavericks 7-2 in the second fixture.

Pembroke got off to a flying start with Nguyen winning 3-0 in the men’s singles and doubles where he teamed up with Dan Magee.

Speaking afterwards about the BPL season, Nguyen said: “I was asked very early to join Pembroke so of course I said yes. I know Dan very well. He is my former coach so we get along very well”.

Their partnership is very strong and they also won 3-0 in their previous men’s doubles match v KADCA Killers back in January.

This was Pembroke’s last group fixture as they have the bye in the last round of group games. Although they moved to second in the table, it is likely that KADCA Killers will leapfrog them and make the final.

2 March 2017 BLANCH GAZETTE 29

GAZETTE

FASTSport

Pemberton teaches UCD painful last ditch lesson UCD MARIAN fell to an agonising 93-90 loss to Garvey’s Tralee Dynamos in the men’s basketball Super League last Saturday evening.

With just five seconds left on the clock, you could have heard a pin drop in the UCD Sports Hall on Saturday evening. Five seconds can be the longest time in a basketball game, but for the Warriors, it was five seconds where players became leaders, and two free throw shots carved a historic victory for the Kingdom.

Trae Pemberton was standing at that free throw line – a player who had already netted 35 points for Tralee during a game that had everything; thrills, dunks, blocks, super shooting and above all – the comeback of all comebacks.

The crowd had packed into the hall for a game that lived up to – and exceeded – the promise of its billing as third place UCD Marian faced off to the warriors of Tralee.

From early on, it looked like Ioannis Liapakis’ charges had the better of proceedings. Blocking off Pemberton early on, the frustration of not having the freedom of the key to shoot could have annoyed any other player but as already stated – Saturday night was a night where players became leaders and Pemberton, Kieran Donaghy and Dusan Bogdanovic took that leadership mantle firmly.

Trailing 25-16 at the end of the first quarter, and indeed, trailing the whole way up to the start of the fourth quarter, it took serious belief to drive on a Kerry side who brought with them some of their most loyal supporters.

A murmur was rippling round UCD though as the end of quarter buzzer sounded on the third with just eight points between the sides, 68-60 - a murmur of discontent from UCD fans, and one of excitement from Tralee.

The comeback was on - and what a spectacular one it was. UCD were not giving up without a fight though with Dan James, Mike Garrow and Scott Kinevane just some of the players that stood up and made themselves counted for.

But it all came down to those five seconds however, as just one point separated the teams, 91-90, and Pemberton gave a masterclass in keeping a cool head on the free throw line to add to Warriors’ memorable season.

Lansdowne lads make it three wins from three Dublin-based players continue starring in Irish Under-20s run in the RBS 6 Nations championship as Dowling, McElroy and O’Brien score key tries while Larmour makes a big impact  sport@dublingazette.com

L A N S D OW N E d u o Oisin Dowling and Tadgh McElroy along with UCD’s Tommy O’Brien all crossed for key tries for the Ireland Under-20s as they showed their canny knack to win tight games.

They prevailed 27-22 in a pacy U-20 Six Nations contest with France at Donnybrook, running up their third win of the campaign.

Nigel Carolan’s side killed off France’s second half revival with a closing 74th-minute penalty from stellar out-half Bill Johnston who had a 100% return off the tee for a 12-point haul.

Three first half tries f had the hosts leading 21-10 at half-time, with Faraj Fartass responding for the French.

Johnston book-ended an attritional second half with two crucial penalties, and although the visitors did set up a grandstand finish with Fartass’ second effort and a penalty try, Carolan’s charges stayed in front to seal their third 2017 win and make it a record-equalling six successive Six Nations victories for Ireland at this agegrade.

The visitors got off to an electric start in front of the 4,521-strong crowd but had no points to show for it as Ireland forged their way out of trouble Calvin Nash’s influential replacement Alex McHenry, due to a third minute injury, blocked a kick to give Ireland their first serious attacking opportunity and they took full advantage, excellent winger Jordan Larmour –

formerly of St Andrew’s – weaving up close to the line before hooker McElroy barged over from a metre out.

Johnston converted for good measure and Larmour popped up in a free-flowing move soon after, while Ireland almost ended the first quarter with another try.

William Iraguha had to react quickly to bring down McElroy after great combination work at a lineout by Jack Regan, Jonny Stewart and McElroy.

Good French build-up play was rewarded with a penalty goal from Romain Ntamack, but Ireland cancelled those three points out with a neatly-taken seven-pointer from centre O’Brien who was fed off a scrum and neatly gathered his own grubber kick to dot down.

St Mary’s man Jordan Larmour escapes a French tackle. Picture: Deryck Vincent

Ireland blew another try-scoring opportunity when Larmour’s pass to McElroy was ruled forward with the whitewash in his sights. There was some great work beforehand from out-half Johnston - both with his boot and with ball in hand.

However, second row Dowling showed his alertness to get his hand on a ball that had gone over the French line and force a try which TMO Stuart Terheege confirmed. Johnston converted for a 21-3 scoreline.

France, though, succeeded in hitting back before half-time with numbers wide on the left creating a simple finish for winger Fartass. Ntamack’s conversion went over with the aid of the post and Ireland had to defend smartly to avoid conceding again just before the break.

Larmour increased his inf luence on the resumption, his strong r unning causing the French defence plenty of headaches, and Johnston followed up with a wellstruck penalty for 24-10.

Ireland’s structures and character were tested once more as full-back Lyttle went out for a HIA and flanker Marcus Rea had to be replaced. French dangerman Iraguha showed his ability in defence when he hoovered up a tricky grubber kick, and his wing colleague Fartass was soon charging down the left wing.

Ireland could not hold out on the hour mark

when their defence was sucked in during a bout of French pressure - aided by their powerful bench - and Fartass did well to finish past Frawley for a try by the left corner flag.

Ntamack missed the difficult conversion and following a speedy burst by Iraguha into the Irish 22, replacement Sean Masterson saw yellow for an obvious ruck offence.

The departure of solid tighthead Charlie Connolly and Masterson’s sin-binning left the Irish scrum under pressure and three successive set piece penalties saw referee Tom Foley award a 72ndminute penalty try to les Bleuets.

Importantly, Ireland gave themselves a fivepoint cushion just a couple of minutes later.

A terrific kick from Johnston forced Iraguha to play the ball in his 22 and a subsequent offside allowed the Munster Academy starlet to send over his second successful penalty.

Another probing kick, this time from Larmour, gained vital territory for Ireland in the dying minutes and the forwards, including Joey Conway, Caelan Doris and standin skipper Paul Boyle – another from the Lansdowne contingent – who all put in impressive shifts, held possession right to the final whistle as Carolan’s youngsters kept hold of second place (behind England) in the Championship table.

GAZETTE

30 BLANCH GAZETTE 2 March 2017

SPORT

FASTSport

SOCCER: CITY SIDES SUFFER LOSSES IN LEAGUE OF IRELAND OPENERS

Collins extends record at Unfinished Business STEVE Collins Jr remained unbeaten last weekend as he recorded a 79-73 points win over Argentine Pablo Sosa on Red Corner Promotion’s Unfinished Business bill at the National Stadium.

It was the cruiserweight’s tenth win in 11 fights, with his only blemish coming in the form of a draw with Englishman Tommy Gifford near the start of 2014.

The 26-year-old, who lives in Castleknock, only took to the ring for the first time when he was already in his twenties as he previously concentrated on his potential as a rugby hooker. That potential took him from Lansdowne to London but he now hopes to experience more big nights in a Dublin ring.

“It was my first eight rounder, first time fighting on a big show in Dublin, first time being a big part of the event, fighting in front of all my family and friends, first time fighting in the Stadium – a lot of it was new to me,” said Collins Jr. “I’m happy with my performance. To be critical of myself, I probably looked for the knockout too much early on and I probably blew a bit.

“But other than that, I was busy for eight rounds, he didn’t hurt me at all, he was winging big right hands and caught me but I was riding the shots.

“He put me on the ropes a few times and looked like he was busy, but I was catching everything.”

“I couldn’t believe how tough he was.

When I hurt him early I thought ‘right, I’m going to get this lad out of here in three rounds,’ but it seemed like every time I hurt him he got stronger. It was a big learning fight.”

It remains to be seen whether Collins Jr can reach the lofty heights set by his father during the 90s but he’s certainly one to keep an eye on.

“For someone who started boxing three years ago, and spent two of those on the physio table, I’m happy enough with where I’m at.

“That shows you what I’m capable of.”

Bohemians fell to Derry City in their first League of Ireland Premier Division tie of 2017. Picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Bohs and Pat’s rough start sport@dublingazette.com

BOHEMIANS suffered a disastrous start to the season as they went down 4-1 to Derry City in their opening game of the SSE Airtricity League at Dalymount Park.

Aaron McEneff opened the scoring on 14 minutes when the visitors were awarded a penalty for a foul on Rory Patterson.

Bohs keeper Shane Supple guessed the right way but was unable to get down far enough to stop it.

Bohemians responded well to going behind but should have been two down when Ronan Curtis found space at the

back post but failed to get enough purchase on his header.

Derry were dominating but were dealt a blow when Patterson was forced off the pitch, to be replaced by Nathan Boyle at the half hour mark.

It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as Boyle took advantage of a mistake in the Bohs defence to double his side’s lead just before the break.

Derek Pender attempted a pass back to his keeper but Supple was off his line and had to sprint back to make a clearance that only went as far as Boyle, who couldn’t miss.

TUNNEL RUN Going underground in aid of Focus Ireland OLYMPIANS Natalya Coyle and Bryan Keane

were both on hand to launch the 10km Underground Run which will take place on Sunday, March 26 at 9.30am.

The race will make the 10th anniversary of the Dublin Tunnel with all monies raised from the event going toward Focus Ireland with the aim of raising €150,000.

Registration is €32 and all participants will receive a race t-shirt and medal. For more info, go to https://www.undergroundruns.com Picture: Dan Sheridan/Inpho

Dinny Corcoran almost pulled one back for Bohs five minutes after the restart but his header flew over the bar and his side went 3-0 down when Boyle finished between the keeper’s legs.

Corcoran did eventually get on the score sheet five minutes later but the game was done and dusted in the 65th minute when Lukas Schubert scored just 15 seconds after coming onto the pitch.

St Patrick’s Athletic also had a disappointing start to the season after losing 2-1 to the ambitious Bray Wanderers at Richmond Park.

The Inchicore side went

into the game in buoyant mood but they struggled to connect their midfield with striker Christy Fagan during the opening stages.

Bray were better from the off and took the lead after 22 minutes when 31-year-old former St Pat’s striker Anto Flood got his career in Wicklow off to a great start by heading home the exceptional Dylan Connolly’s cross.

The visitors continued to put crosses into the box, sensing vulnerability in the Pat’s defence but neither side created much of note during the remainder of the half.

Pat’s made changes early in the second half

but went 2-0 down on 65 minutes through Gary McCabe.

Graham Kelly pulled one back for the home side with six minutes remaining but there was to be no equaliser and Pat’s were reduced to nine men with Aidan Keena and Darren Dennehy were sent off late on for separate incidents.

Shelbourne started their First Division campaign with a stalemate against Longford Town at Tolka Park.

The visitors had the better of the first half, which included them missing a penalty, but Shelbourne were much improved in the second.

2 March 2017 BLANCH GAZETTE 31

GAZETTE

SEVENS AS GAEILGE

CLUB NOTICEBOARD

Castleknock all set for annual tournament

ST BRIGID’S VERY best wishes to all of the players

CASTLEKNOCK will host their annual foot-

ball 7s tournament ‘as Gaeilge’ on Saturday, March 11 March at Somerton Park.

Now in its third year, the tournament, with the support of Colaiste Naomh Eoin, will see men’s and women’s teams from around Dublin and Kildare come together to celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge 2017. Pictured is Castleknock footballer and former Dublin player Ciara Ní Brugha at the launch.

For further information on Gaeltacht

lege camogie team in their All-Ireland

Scholarships, contact Stiofan on 087

final this coming weekend. Details

6339238. The nursery continues every

will be posted on our website, www.

Saturday from 9.30 to 11.00am for all

stbrigidsgaa.com, when available.

four to seven-year-olds are welcome.

There was no lotto jackpot winner last

Thank you to everyone who supported

Friday so the jackpot and reserve jack-

the Feile sponsored walk in Russell Park

pot both continue at €15,000 to our next

this afternoon.

draw in Russell Park on March 5.

LADIES FOOTBALL: DONEGAL SWEPT AWAY IN SECOND HALF

pathy to the Greville family following

all codes are now up and running and it’s

the recent passing of Michael Greville,

the same again for next week as the AFL

father of Gerry.

CASTLEKNOCK

BEIDH an Comortas Peile Seachtar an

2011 Boys 10am to 11am and 2010 boys

Taobh Chaislean Cnucha ar siul ar an

11am to 12:15pm.

Satharn, 11 Marta i Somerton. Mile Bui-

Next Cash for Clobber collection in

ochas le Colaiste Naomh Eoin da dta-

aid of Feile, so get your old clothes down

caiocht i mbliana.

to Somerton. Feile players will take part

7s competition will take place in Somerton on Saturday, March 11. Thanks to Colaiste Naomh Eoin for their support.

Congrats to Dermot Powell who won our lotto jackpot of €4,400. Numbers

NATIONAL LEAGUE DIV 1 Dublin 2-17 Donegal 3-7  sport@dublingazette.com

ST BRIGID’S Noelle Healy and goalkeeper Ciara Trant played their part as Dublin saw off Donegal with a scoring blitz early in the second half last weekend at Parnell Park.

Both were to the fore in a dominant opening spell that saw them build a healthy lead with Aherne landing four points. But a 2-1 salvo from lethal Donegal forward Geraldine McLaughlin, including a 22nd minute pen-

alty, ment the sides went in at half-time level at 0-8 to 2-2.

Dublin, though, started to pull away in the early stages of the second half.

Hannah O’Neill, Carla Rowe and Davey added three classy scores, owing a lot to fast-paced handpassing and patience deep in Donegal territory.

And then Rowe struck with a 39th minute goal for a 1-11 to 2-3 advantage.

Healy drove forward at pace and popped an awkward ball just between the reach of goalkeeper Laura Gallagher and Rowe who duly flicked

the ball out of the grasp of the goalkeeper and into the net.

Donegal briefly got back within three points of Dublin but Davey netted with nine minutes left for the Sky Blues to put them out of reach.

It came from a swift break down the right flank by O’Neill, escaping her marker before picking out the Skerries Harps woman in the centre to side-foot to the net.

With Aherne bringing her tally to seven points and Davey ending with a total of 1-4, the goal put eight points between the teams.

Further scores from A h e r n e , D ave y a n d Magee stretched that out further before Niamh Hegarty bagged Donegal’s third goal, a slightly fortuitous effort that she scrambled in off her knee from close range.

Nonetheless, Dublin ran out winners with seven points to spare to bolster their position in the playoff places.

A superior scoring difference leaves Cork, winners on their travels to Mayo on Saturday, on top of the pile but Dublin and Galway turned up the heat with victories a day later.

a sponsored Cyclethon on Saturday, March 4 outside Centra and Spar.

Sean O’Casey’s Juno and the Paycock is on for one night only on Thursday, March 30 at 8pm in Castleknock Community College.

drawn were 13, 19, 23 and 24. There

Draiocht Drama group always put

were five match three winners. The

on a great production. Tickets €10

next draw will be in Kavanaghs with a

adults/€5 students from Eilish Andrews

jackpot of €2,000.

on 086 8901147 and Breda Griffin on 086

We are very pleased to announce

Healy and Trant to fore in Dubs victory

St Brigid’s would like to extend sym-

We had a busy weekend as matches in

The annual Castleknock Irish football

Lyndsey Davey nets a key goal for Dublin in their win at Parnell Park. Picture: Peter Hickey/GAAPics.com

leagues are due to start on March 5.

on the Castleknock Community Col-

8416431.

that Rialto Ford are now supporting

Well done to Ciaran, Darragh, Davey,

our lotto draw. Rialto Ford have been

Conor, Aisling, Aoife, Karla and Rebecca

a great supporter of the club in recent

who lined out with Dubs teams at the

years and we are delighted welcome

weekend.

them on board.

The first senior football game of

The nursery continues this week

the year on this weekend in Somerton

as usual at CCC with thanks to Tigers

against Ballymun Kickhams. Good luck

Childcare. Please note new times for

to CCC in All-Ireland camogie final on

boys as follows: 2012 boys 9am to 10am,

Saturday, Match 4 in Monaghan.

GARDA/WESTMANSTOWN DISAPPOINTMENT for both interme-

in action. The U-15 boys continued

diates and juniors with both cup fix-

their recent run of form coming from

tures called off last weekend because

behind to defeat Skerries Harps in

of unplayable pitches. Training contin-

their league on Sunday morning.

ues at the usual times this week with

They were superbly led by captain

both teams down for league opening

Luke Curran who scored 1-6 to pick up

rounds next Sunday, March 5.

two valuable points.

The inters host St Peregrine’s at

The U-14 boys beat Cuala by 6-6 to

Westmanstown at 10.30am while the

2-6 in very muddy conditions; good

juniors are away to Ballyboden St

display all round.

Enda’s in Ballycullen at 12pm.

The minors got their league campaign off to a great start with a hard

The U-12 hurlers lost their grading match against neighbours Lucan Sarsfields in Beechpark 1-7 to 2-2.

fought win away to St Peter’s in The

The U-15 girls had tough outing

Naul last Sunday morning, 1-11 to 2-6.

against Erin’s Isle on a very heavy

The next competitive fixture at home

pitch; next week’s fixture is against

to Good Counsel is on Sunday, March

St Mary’s Saggart.

12.

All coaches are reminded of a visit

The ladies continue their presea-

to the club by Mickey Whelan next

son training with a challenge away

Friday, March 3. Meet at the dressing

to St Mary’s Leixlip at Gleneaston on

rooms at 6.40pm.

Thursday, March 2; throw in at 8pm.

Despite the bad weather, our juveniles were busy with several teams

Easter Camps are not too far away; a form will be up on website this week or contact GPO Declan Jennings.

GAZETTESPORT

ALL OF YOUR BLANCH SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 28-31

BRIGID’S DUBS: Healy and Trant aid Jackies big win over Donegal to rise to top of their national league P31

MARCH 2-8, 2017

YOUNG GUNS ON A ROLL: Dubliners lead way in Irish U-20s winning streak P29

The Corduff Under-12 side that beat Duleek

Corduff on U-12 fire

Blanch side makes piece of club history with run to SFAI regional final, adding to the Dublin 15 club’s list of potential silverware on the horizon

 KARL GRAHAM

sport@dublingazette.com

CORDUFF FC’s Under-12s have made another piece of club history as they reached the regional SFAI final after beating Duleek 5-1 in Corduff Park last weekend.

It will be the first time they have advanced to a final of this magnitude at this age group and they are close to matching the feat of their Under-13s a couple of seasons ago.

The home side actually fell behind after just three minutes of the first half. However, step forward Darragh Hoey who then bagged a first half hat trick to give his side a 3-1 lead going into the break.

Ben Keating scored a brace in the second half to secure a dominant victory over a Duleek team they knew virtually nothing about prior to the game.

“We dominated the game. The goal [they got] was unfortunate because we did actually dominate the game,” club PRO John McGuinness told GazetteSport.

“We knew nothing about Duleek so it was a bit of a mystery as to who we were playing in terms of standard.

“They had a few chances with our keeper pulling off some good saves and if they had of put them away maybe it would have been a different story but as it turned out, we had too much for them.”

Corduff will now play Ardee Celtic in the final and McGuinness is expecting a tougher test from the Louth side.

“We know they will be stronger but other than that we don’t really know anything about them either.”

The final will be the first time that an Under12s premier team from Dublin 15 has reached this stage of the competition since the SFAI introduced it. The SFAI made the decision to split the competition into five region finals rather than the normal one All-Ireland final.

As well as the Under-12s reaching the final, the club have remarkably also reached a Leinster final at three other age groups.

The Under-16 side will take on St Kevin’s in

their final, the Under-14s will also meet Ardee Celtic, while the Over-35s will go up against Dublin rivals Finglas.

“It is really good. It’s a great competition so we are delighted that we have a final all the way through, coming out of the Leinster section.

“Most clubs have been finished for maybe three or four months but our first teams have been active throughout the break so it gives us good preparation for the summer season - we are ticking along nicely,” McGuinness concluded.

“We have two teams at every 11-a-side age and three or four teams at every small-sided age so we don’t have all our irons in one fire.”