Castleknock

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Ben Affleck tells a stranger than fiction story of the CIA with Argo

CINEMA: PAGE 20 November 15, 2012 Find us on

M A L A H I D E • CARPENTERSTOWN P O R T M A R N O C K • • KLAUREL I N S E A LY • C L•A ROSELAWN R EMonth H A LXX, L 2012 CASTLEKNOCK LODGE INSIDE: Take part in our reader survey and win a weekend in Birr and Des Bishop tickets P25

FUTURE OF FILM: Killer entry scoops ‘outstanding’ award at FIS festival P8

Graduate glee: Celebrating their success at ITB Soccer:

Castleknock Celtic produce top comeback Page 31

INSTITUTE of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB) recently welcomed 653 students back on campus for their graduation ceremonies, with the total marking an increase of 100 ITB students on 2011’s graduations figure.

Cheryl Costello was delighted to receive her Bachelor of Business, while her friends, Aoife Haverty, Rebecca Fitzgerald and Ciara Tracey all received a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Applied Social Studies in Social Care.

See Story on Page 9

Football:

Good times keep rolling for Castleknock Page 31

ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES......................6 DUBLIN LIFE...................11 OUT&ABOUT ..................17 CLASSIFIEDS ................26 SPORT ...........................27

FCC paying landlords for empty properties Councillor’s shock to learn that up to €9,000 rent being paid per month

 LAURA WEBB

UP to €9,000 is being paid out per month by Fingal County Council (FCC) to landlords who have no tenants living in the properties.

That’s according to local councillor, David McGuinness (FF), who says he is shocked by a response he received from the council which states that 10 properties whose owners receive rent supplement do not

have a single tenant living in them.

In a report to the councillor, FCC said two of the 10 properties are in the Blanchardstown area, while Balbriggan and Malahide/ Howth have two each, and

Swords have a further four.

According to Cllr McGuinness, the upper rate of rent supplement is €900 per month for a three-child family living in Fingal.

Full Story on Page 5

2 CASTLeKNOCK Gazette 15 November 2012

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The Community Garden Project was launched earlier this year in March at the Millennium Park

Community garden needs new members to grow A community garden at a popular park in Dublin 15 is proving successful but new members are being urged to get involved in the project.

The Community Garden Project was launched earlier this year in March at the Millennium Park and is now approaching its first growing season.

Local groups such as Grow It Yourself (GIY) and the Coolmine Therapeutic Community are currently participating in the project and, to date, it has facilitated the growing of a vegetable garden, a soft fruit area, a newly-planted herbaceous garden and a polythene

 laura webb lwebb@gazettegroup.com

tunnel which is currently being installed.

According to a spokesperson for Fingal County Council, almost all of this work, including harvesting, has been carried out by volunteers.

“It is now planned at the end of 2012, and into 2013, to expand the numbers of participants, and to install composting areas, a wormery, and

other sustainable initiatives, including water collection and recycling facilities.”

The FCC spokesperson went on to say the educational dimension of the project is “critical”. It is also intended to involve the local schools more closely in all parts of the project.

On board

Discussing the issue at a recent area committee meeting in Blanchardstown, Fine Gael councillor Kieran Dennison said this is something he would like to see “more people on board” with.

“The issue I was con-

cerned with is that it is a community garden but not many there are not that many people involved,” he said.

In response, a spokesperson for the council said it is the type of project that “will grow over the next few years”, adding there is a “huge educational” aspect to it and groups from schools could come in to see how their initiatives work, and that the council is thinking of bringing in bees which would also have a great educational aspect.

Castleknock’s Labour councillor Peggy Hamill said it was a “great suc-

cess story” for the council but more people need to be aware of it saying “it needs to be out there in the community”.

The FCC spokesperson went on to say that the council is trying to work towards a model where there is a voluntary members committee but said they are “not quite there yet” but have a few people interested.

Enquiries from members of the public who wish to participate, or have ideas for other sites, are welcome, and should be directed to the Castleknock Mulhuddart Operational Division at Fingal County Council.

Witnesses sought after cash-in-transit robbery Gardai in Blanchardstown are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information about a cash-in-transit robbery that took place in the Blakestown area last week.

Just before 8am on Monday, November 12, two men

approached an employee of a cash-in-transit van outside Lidl supermarket at Blakestown and threatened the employee with an iron bar and what is believed to be an imitation firearm.

The thieves then made their escape with the cash box in a car.

The car was later recovered and has been taken away for technical examinations.

The amount stolen has not yet been disclosed. No one was injured in the robbery.

Gardai in Blanchardstown are now seeking assistance from the

public who may be able to help with their investigation and are asking to contact them on 01666 7000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

At the time of going to print, no arrests were made.

15 November 2012 CASTLEKNOCK Gazette 3

shortlist

referendum: dublin west returns a yes but turnout is disappointing

Six firms vying for €25k prize

Voter apathy noted as ballot is passed Dublin West registered a Yes return in last week’s Children’s Referendum, but the turnout for people casting their vote was low at 35%.

Overall turnout in the country was considered low, with just 33% of the 3.1 million people eligible to vote taking to the polling stations on November 10. The final result was won with 57.4% saying Yes and 42.6% saying No. In Dublin West, 22,008 people voted out of the 62,066 registered – a 35.46% turnout. The final count saw 84 papers invalid and 21,924 valid.

Of the valid papers 13,338 (60.84%) voted in

favour of the Children’s Referendum while 8,586 (39.16%) voted against it.

M a ny p o l i t i c i a n s expressed disappointment with the low turnout, but were happy with the end result.

Support

Local TD and Minister for Transport, Sports and Tourism Leo Varakdar thanked everyone in Dublin West who supported the Children’s Referendum.

“They took part in a historic vote to enshrine children’s rights in the constitution. This important and democratic decision will be remembered for years to come

as a landmark day for all our children.

Unconvinced

“I would have preferred that the turnout was higher but I appreciate that a lot of people were undecided or unconvinced.”

Dublin West’s Sinn Fein representative Paul Donnelly also welcomed the result and said: “I am relieved that the majority of the people have listened to the arguments and have agreed with our analysis that children’s rights do need to be strengthened, and the passing of the Children Referendum will do just that.”

Doing Xtra good: Pippa and Keith launch Xtra-vision autism drive pIPPA O’Connor, was joined by Keith Duffy as they visited Xtravision to launch their Christmas Card Appeal. For every Christmas Card sold, Xtra-vision, including the Carpenterstown store, will give a donation to Irish Autism Action. Also, as an ongoing effort Xtravision donates funds to Irish Autism Action on every greeting card sold across its extensive range for every occasion of low cost, top quality cards. Speaking at the launch Keith Duffy reminded people that every €30 raised will provide respite for families of children with autism.

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JumpStart 2012, an annual business competition organised by the Learning and Innovation Centre (LINC) at the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB), recently announced a shortlist of six enterprising new companies who are set to go head-to-head to win the €25k prize.

Six Dublin businesses were shortlisted from hundreds of entries, and the companies shortlisted for the JumpStart 2012 prize are Chillicam, Cypro Software, EZY Technology Innovations, Jamworld Technologies, uTRAC and Willstream Labs.

The JumpStart 2012 shortlist will be judged on November 15 where they will present their ideas to a very experienced panel.

4 CASTLeKNOCK Gazette 15 November 2012

FastNews

R1

festive Woolly warmth in aid of Temple Street wildlife:

visitor attraction

Dublin MoRun 2012 to take place in the Phoenix Park

Guests still herd in to see Highland cattle

THE Dublin 5k and 10k MoRun 2012 will take place in the Phoenix Park this Saturday, November 17. MoRunning was set up by The Fix UK in support of Movember, the initiative which sees many men growing moustaches throughout the month of November to help raise awareness of men’s health and prostate cancer. Women can show their support in the run by painting on or attaching a moustache. For more information, log on to http://dublin.mo-running.com/.

 laura webb

Dressed to chill: Sarah and Phil Coyne of JumperGrotto.ie

Tis the season for Christmas jumpers  laura webb lwebb@gazettegroup.com

It’s a craze that is sweeping the nation and though some might say it’s tacky, the founders of JumperGrotto.ie call it having fun during the festive season.

Christmas jumpers are becoming a tradition for the party season, with many people donning images of Santa, Rudolf and Christmas Trees on their woolly jumpers.

This year, JumperGrotto.ie is offering novelty jumpers designed for adults and children.

They also have Christmas cardigans, which is something founders, Sarah and Phil Coyne, said helps set them apart.

Another unique aspect

of the business is the fact that a percentage of all profits made will go to Temple Street Hospital, a charity they think is more than deserving of donations.

“We just felt that the time of year that it is, it’s Christmas, and people do think more about giving. This is something that we wanted to do. Phil used to work in Temple Street and we have two young children ourselves and we had to take them there.

Nothing serious

“Thankfully, it was nothing serious, just the odd time they had to go in and we felt this would be a good cause – and, with children and Christmas, it is a special time of year for them.”

“For ever y jumper bought we are giving a percentage of the sales to Temple Street. Our market is very seasonal so, after December 25, we will know clearly the exact number of jumpers we sold. We will then be giving our donation to Temple Street,” said Sarah.

The couple decided to set up JumperGrotto.ie after Phil found it difficult to get a Christmas cardigan for a party last year.

“It was in December, so it wasn’t particularly early or anything. He just couldn’t get a cardigan in Dublin or online. He decided to just go for a jumper and was still finding it hard to get one.

We know there are other companies out there, but he still couldn’t get one at

the time, so the idea came from there.

“It was particularly the cardigans, which I feel is our uniqueness and what we can offer this Christmas. So, it started in January and, since then, we have been working on it all year round,” Sarah told the Gazette.

The Castleknock couple both worked on the designs for the jumpers and cardigans, which are festively named, as Rockin’ Snowman, Jolly Christmas Santa and Jugglin’ Rudolf. The children’s jumpers and cardigans are designed to imitate the adult versions, so parents and kids can get really festive with matching outfits.

For further information, log on to www. jumpergrotto.ie

S t C a t h e ri n e ’ s Park’s hairiest residents continue to be a strong attraction for visitors, with park-goers seeing the Highland cattle as an important part of the park’s wildlife.

The cattle graze at the floodplain at St Catherine’s Park as part of a Biodiversity Demonstration Project on floodplain management along the River Liffey.

According to a Fingal spokesperson, the aim of the project is to show how to look after a floodplain site to encourage wildlife to thrive there.

“There are many abandoned floodplains along the Liffey which are of relatively limited interest to wildlife. With this project at St Catherine’s Park, the county council wishes to demonstrate to other landowners what can be done with these sites and what species of wildlife the different measures will attract,” the spokesperson said.

The project has also seen an old stream restored, new ponds created, woodland allowed to develop, and also to allow some of the site to be grazed by the cattle.

Highland cattle were chosen as a suitable breed because, according to the council, they are very hardy and require less looking after compared to many other commercial breeds.

T he council went on to say that the pilot project has been very well received by park users and the Highland cattle provide a popular attraction to the park.

15 November 2012 CASTLEKNOCK Gazette 5

big question How many other empty properties are being paid for - McGuinness

Council paying out to landlords without tenants  laura webb

Fingal County Council is paying up to €9,000 a month to landlords who do not have a tenant in their properties.

That’s according to local councillor David McGuinness (FF).

The Mulhuddart councillor said he is shocked by a response he received from

the council which states that 10 properties whose owners receive rent supplement do not have a single tenant living in them.

In a report to the councillor, FCC said two of the 10 properties are in the Blanchardstown area, while Balbriggan and Malahide/Howth have two each, and Swords have a further four.

“Seven of the units concerned have been offered to social housing applicants, four of which have been accepted to date. Five of these units have been procured since October 2012,” said the report.

According to Cllr McGuinness, the upper rate of rent supplement is €900 per month for a three-child family living in Fingal.

Pianist Niamh Kenny from Castleknock, a sixth year student at Loreto College

event: Fr Frank Maher Music Awards

Niamh reaches scholarship final  laura webb

A local student has reached the finals of the country’s largest post-primary music scholarship.

Pianist Niamh Kenny from Castleknock, a sixth year student at Loreto College in St Stephen’s Green, was one of the finalists of the 2012 Fr Frank Maher Music Awards.

This was the first time the awards went nationwide and there were seven young finalists, five from Dublin and two from Cork. They competed on Wednesday, November 7, at Castleknock College in Dublin for the top prize

of a €2,000 scholarship fund to further their musical career.

The overall winner was cellist Sinead O’Halloran from Cork, and Niamh, along with the other finalists, each received a cheque for €150.

Emmet O’Rafferty, chairman of award sponsors Top Security and former second row forward for Leinster, said: “Father Frank Maher was an inspirational teacher at my old school, Castleknock College, and his love of music inspired me to set up this scholarship in his memory 10 years ago.

“I know that he would

be very pleased and proud of the very high standard set by the scholarship over the years.”

The Fr Frank Maher Music Awards was open to sixth year post-primary students of strings, woodwind, brass and piano. A classical programme could only be entered and the aim was to showcase outstanding young musical talent in Ireland. This year’s judging panel included Dr Marion Doherty Hayden, retired head of music at St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, and Peter Sweeney, the renowned organist, teacher and adjudicator.

“This rate can be higher in other local authorities. Fingal County Council outlines that up to €9,000 per month is being paid to landlords who do not have a tenant in their property. The big questions is, how many other properties are being paid for out of public money that also do not have anybody living in them?”

“If this problem persists in Fingal over a yearly basis, the bill accrued could rise to almost €100,000. There are 34 county and city council districts across the country.

If statistics like Fingal’s figures were replicated the State could be paying millions for properties that do not house a single individual,” added McGuinness.

“There are thousands of families on council waiting lists across the country. The fact that properties are lying idle is a scandal. The Government need to ensure, that where properties are vacant, that tenants can be placed in these properties without any delay to ensure State funds are being used appropriately,” he continued.

6 CASTLEKNOCK Gazette 15 November 2012

gazetteGALLERIES

Elisabeth, Wyanika, Aelaugo, Angel, Ikenna and Stephanie

Amy with her parents, Chris and Rachel. Pictures: Ronan O’Sullivan

Kayleigh O’Brien and Leah Cluker

arrival: Crowds turn out to meet the man in red

Santa sets down in Blanchardstown T

Aaliyah and Donna Gilmer

Gemma, James, Michael and Barry

HE Christmas spirit arrived at Blanchardstown Shopping Centre recently as the man in red arrived in his very own helicopter. All the way from the North Pole, Santa arrived to the delight of local families who lined up with their eyes fixed on the skies.

It wasn’t long before Santa’s helicopter

Maria and her mother Beata

could be seen and heard overhead.

The aircraft landed and Santa made his appearance along with his helpers. He went around to all the children to hear about their Christmas wish lists. Santa will take up his residency at the centre where he will eagerly await more boys and girls in the run up to December 25.

15 November 2012 CASTLEKNOCK GAZETTE 7

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Hannah and Bernard McDonald

Santa’s helicopter gets ready to land

www.

Santa, and some of his elves and helpers, were delighted to meet so many good boys and girls in the area

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8 CASTLEKNOCK Gazette 15 November 2012

FastNews

film The Mystery Murder wins over judges abortion:

motion approved

Pilot football programme proves a major success The Blanchardstown Rehabilitation and Outreach Team recently worked with the FAI and Fingal County Council to run a pilot football programme.

The four-week pilot football programme was for people with severe and enduring mental health diagnoses.

The programme aimed to address the service’s mental health clients’ lack of physical activity, and enable them to develop a more balanced lifestyle, while engaging in a social and enjoyable activity.

An average of five clients per week participated in the month-long programme. Each session included a warm-up, drills and skill tests and a short match followed by tea/coffee and in-depth game analysis in the Roundabout Cafe. Laura Moloney, occupational therapist with the Outreach Team developed this programme in association with Sharon Boyle, an FAI/Fingal football development officer. The programme, which was the first of its kind, was a success and saw a small yet very enthusiastic group of participants being put through their paces.

Public meeting on coping Residents with loss asked to save Dochas, Bereavement and date for fair Postvention Suicide reception desk or by calling 01-8905563.

Support Dublin 15 is holding a public meeting on coping with loss at Blanchardstown Library.

On Tuesday, November 20, the public presentation will be given by Christy Kenneally.

The presentation, From Heartbreak to Hope: Coping with loss at a time of change, takes place at 7.30pm. Booking is available at the

Residents are being asked to save the date for the annual Christmas Fair at St Patrick’s National School, Diswellstown.

On November 25, locals can enjoy a variety of stalls, including books and DVDs, toys, sweets and treats.

Santa’s Grotto will also be open, while raffles and competitions will run on the day.

Council calls for action on X Case ruling  paul hosford

Michelle Herron from PDST - Technology in Education with Emma McDaid and Richard Shajaku from Castleknock Educate Together as they take the award for Outstanding Achievement in Film Making for Camera

Killer entry scoops ‘outstanding’ award

 laura webb

lwebb@gazettegroup.com

Castleknock Educate Together students are showing they have a big future in film after winning outstanding achievement awards at this year’s FIS Film Festival.

Last week, the third class students were awarded for their film, The Mystery Murder, and were recipients of the award for Outstanding Achievement in Film Making for Camera.

The school were one of six national schools to receive an award dur-

ing a special ceremony at the Helix in Dublin on November 8.

There was a wide variety of films and animations short-listed for this year’s festival from schools across the country.

The FIS Film Festival is an initiative of the Department of Education and Skills and is rolled out by PDST Technology in Education in Collaboration with the Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) It’s showcases the creative and ingenious use of digital media in the classroom, and children were given a chance to devel-

op storyboards, direct and star in their very own original short films.

Now in its eight year, the festival is one of the most anticipated dates in the primary school calendar.

Awards were presented in several categories including acting, directing, animation, adaptation, editing, special effects, soundtrack and production design.

Commenting on this year’s FIS Film Festival, Karin Whooley of PDST Technology in Education, said: “We were overwhelmed by the number of films submitted, there

was a 100% increase in the number of entries compared to last year and the standard of the films impressed all the judges.

“FIS gives children the opportunity to use digital technologies to support their learning across a range of curricular areas including literacy development and assessment.

It also provides the opportunity to develop social skills, such as working together and respecting the abilities and opinions of their peers. This learning process culminates in a high-quality short film that schools can be proud of.”

Fingal County Council this week called on the Government to legislate for abortion in Ireland under certain circumstances.

The motion calling for legislation on abortion, based on the “expeditious consideration” by the Government of the proposals of an expert group, was carried by eight votes to two, with three abstentions.

Eleven councillors were absent from the meeting during the vote.

Row

During a discussion of the issue, a row broke out in the chamber as councillor Ruth Coppinger of the Socialist Party spoke on the motion which she had tabled calling on the Government to legislate for the X case Supreme Court ruling.

Labour councillor Tom Kelleher said he was unable to hear the proceedings due to a protest outside which he claimed had been organised by Cllr Coppinger.

Cllr Coppinger said the protest was organised by the Balbriggan campaign against the household charge.

Sports clubs urged to attend social media seminar  laura webb

Sports clubs have just days to sign up for this year’s Social Media Seminar, designed to show clubs how to best utilise free online PR tools.

Following on from the very successful Club Development Seminar held in 2011, the Dublin and Kildare Local

Sports Partnerships are calling all sports clubs in the region to sign up for the 2012 Social Media Seminar for sports clubs at the Red Cow Inn on Saturday, November 17.

The 2012 seminar will look at social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, and will show how easily people can use them. It also highlights the do’s

and don’ts of social media promotion, and outlines examples of where ordinary sports clubs have embraced it for positive benefit and how your club can benefit from social media also.

This year’s event will run from 9.30am to 1.30pm followed by lunch and a chance to network with other local clubs.

For more information on the

event or to register your club, log on to www.eventelephant.com/ socialmediaforclubs.

Clubs can register on line for a fee of €20 per person (and an online registration fee of €1.70) which includes lunch, free parking, an information pack and supporting material. You can also pay in on the day for a fee of €25.

15 November 2012 CASTLEKNOCK Gazette 9

education School sees an increase of almost 100 graduates from last year

653 students return to ITB for graduation ceremony  laura webb

Past students at the Institute of Technology in Blanchardstown returned to campus to graduate as the ITB Class of 2012 last week.

On Friday, November 9, 653 students were back on campus to graduate from their full, part-time and online courses.

This year’s graduation is an increase of almost 100 gradu-

ates on 2011 with 16 receiving their Masters.

Graduating courses included computing, electronic and computer engineering, mechatronic engineering, sustainable electrical and control technology, horticulture, business, international business and applied social studies in social care.

This was also the first year for graduates of new

courses at the institute, which include computing in information security and digital forensics and social and community development, honours graduates from sports management and coaching and creative digital media, and Masters graduates in business, arts and computing.

Four Student of the Year awards were presented to

CCC student volunteers: Enya Reilly, Deirdre Ni Cheallaigh and Conor O’Ceallaigh

it’s your story: aid for Temple st

Hitting the streets for a worthy cause  Conrad Jones

Brangan and Sarah Greene Byrne

To assist with a recent fundraising event in Dublin City Centre, the Transition year students of Castleknock Community College gave up their day to volunteer and help out by collecting for Temple Street Children’s Hospital.

The pupils got an early bus into the city centre and met up in Westmoreland Street. There they were sorted into groups and given a location in which they would fundraise

Each student was given a hi-viz luminous vest and either a box of badges, torches or a bucket to collect with. Groups of three to four were placed in various locations throughout town.

The students were told to attract attention to themselves in hope of receiving donations from the generous public.

Some student yelled their lungs out, told jokes, used statistics, sang, and some were paid not to sing.

The day was a fabulous success. The students made a lot of money for the extremely worthy cause and had loads of

fun as well.

The students were glad to be of help, seeing as it is extremely unfortunate that a children’s hospital would have to fundraise to get the vital finances they need.

Some of the students involved in the fundraising event were Niamh Newman, Cameron Sheils, Lorcan O’Shea, Grace McMahon, Yasmine Tadjine, Enya Reilly, Deirdre Ni Cheallaigh, Conor O’Ceallaigh, Hazel O’Donoghue, Mo h a m m e d W i d d a , Aisling Keaney, Emma Gredley, Emily Cahill and Orlaith Maleady.

John Byrne from Castleknock for engineering, Brian Duignan from Navan for informatics, Kostyantyn Ogorodnikov from Clonsilla for business and Nicola Gilsenan from Clonsilla for humanities.

Local student, Byrne, studied at ITB as a mature student entering into the course in second year on a Springboard initiative and received his Higher Certificate in Science

in electrical technology.

Dr Mary Meaney, the president of ITB, said: “I wish to offer my congratulations to all our graduates. I am particularly proud that such a diverse group of graduates who have studied in a variety of modes, be it full-time, part-time or online, have been afforded the opportunity to gain internationally recognised qualifications from ITB.

“I know that these qualifications will benefit each graduate both personally and professionally and I wish them every success in their future careers.”

“While I recognise the immense challenges that face our new graduates, I am confident that in their own way they will overcome these challenges and make excellent future leaders,” she concluded.

10 castleknock Gazette 15 November 2012

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Sarah Gannon and Alex Crean

Geraldine O’Sullivan, Pat Doyle and Valerie Ronan RTE presenter Miriam O’Callaghan, Fr Peter McVerry and comedian Barry Murphy who hosted the gala ball

Ball raises €15,000 T

Alec and Aveen Colvin

Patrick and Janice Peake

HE Peter McVerry Trust’s Annual Gala Ball recently took place in Clontarf Castle, and raised more than €15,000 for the charity.

The Peter McVerry Trust provides a wide range of services to homeless individuals.

The money raised will go directly towards providing

housing and support services to help young homeless people.

The charity expects to work with 1,500 individuals in 2012.

More than 300 guests turned out for the annual ball, which is now in its sixth year, and there was a lot of glamor-

ous fashion on the night.

The charity ball was hosted

by RTE presenter Miriam O’Callaghan and comedian Barry Murphy was the auctioneer.

For more information about The Peter McVerry Trust, log on to their website www. pmvtrust.ie.

15 November 2012 Gazette 11

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asdfsdaf Business P27 P16

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charity: lUCY KENNEDY lends a helping hand

Calendar to raise funds for Friends of the Coombe CELEBRITY mum of two, Lucy Kennedy, recently launched a heart-warming 2013 calendar on behalf of Friends of the Coombe, the charitable organisation which raises funds to assist in the development of the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital.

The calendar features 19 children born at the hospital who spent a sig-

nificant period of time being cared for in the Coombe’s neo-natal unit, which looks after more than 1,000 babies each year. Each month of the year shows a before and after image of the children illustrating their size when they were born and a current image of them, exploring their dreams of what they want to be when they grow up.

Speaking at the launch,

Kennedy said she was delighted to launch the initiative.

“I am always struck by how small and fragile new-born babies are but seeing how tiny some of the children in this calendar were at birth was a real eye opener.

It is truly wonderful to see them now – thriving and running around. I am delighted to be able to support this initiative

to help raise money to allow children who are born prematurely or ill to blossom and be allowed to dream of the future.”

The calendar, which features photographs taken by award-winning Giggles and Smiles Photography in Malahide can be purchased from both www.friendsofthecoombe.ie, and www. gigglesandsmiles.com for €10 including postage.

Lucy Kennedy with Tanya Crosbie from the Giggles and Smiles Studio and twins Alexandra and Taylor Hanley (4) from Celbridge, Co. Kildare.

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12 Gazette 15 November 2012

dublinlife

diary

Sew much help to mark 1913 Lockout A NEW tapestry commission, commemorating the 1913 Lockout, was launched by President Michael D Higgins in Liberty Hall on November 6.

The tapestry is a largescale collaborative visual arts project to commemorate the Dublin Lockout, and painters Cathy Henderson and Robert Ballagh were commissioned by

SIPTU, and the National College of Art and Design, to create a visual narrative of more than 30 panels.

The panels will be laid out in storyboard-style, and will be multimedia

textile pieces measuring two feet by two-and-ahalf feet.

The panels are being made by a wide range of volunteers, bodies, schools and societies across the

city and country.

share the joy of diwali DIWALI, the Indian Festival of Lights, is being celebrated at CityWest Convention Centre this month.

The multicultural event, which has been organised

by Unitas ISAC – a voluntary organisation set up and run by the Indian community in Ireland – will feature live music, performances celebrating Indian cinema, authentic Indian cuisine, and plenty of stalls and children’s entertainment, before a closing fireworks display.

Standing for the reaffirmation of hope, a celebration of the joys of life, and a renewed commitment

President Michael D Higgins is caught in the spotlight, as he helps to launch a specially commissioned tapestry series to commemorate the 1913 Lockout

to friendship and goodwill, the Irish Diwali celebrations will be held on Saturday, November 17 from 12pm. Tickets cost

€13 for adults, with free entry for under-12s.

For further information on all the activities, see www.festivaloflights.ie.

15 November 2012 Gazette 13

promote your school

tell us about your s c h o o l’ s e v e n t s

c o n tac t t h e G a z e t t e call 60 10 240

Gazette

14 Gazette 15 November 2012

dublinlife

trip: bellringing at christ church

An appealing visit  Kathryn Mullen Castleknock Community College

ON THE cold morning of October 25, some 20 students – including myself – from Castleknock Community College made a trip to Christ Church Cathedral.

Although the day required a much earlier start than usual, the excitement outweighed our tiredness.

After arriving at the cathedral on time, we were met by our tour guide, Lesley.

She shared with us a lot of knowledge about the history and architectural structure of Christ Church.

She showed us around the cathedral, and she also brought us down to the tombs, which hold a collection of costumes used in the popular television series, The Tudors.

O u r t e a c h e r, M r Stanley, then met us back at the entrance and we were introduced to a man, also named Lesley, who is the head bell ringer at the cathedral.

He brought us all the way up to the top bell tower, which was a very interesting experience.

We climbed the 86

Former Rose of Tralee winner, and noted Irish traditional musician, Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhain, puts her musical skills to good use to help Castleknock Community College students ring the bells at Christ Church Cathedral, as Colum McGovern, Conrad JonesBrangan, Georgina Duffy, Una King, Cian Hegarty, Liam O’Driscoll and Kathryn Mullen look on

steps – to be precise – and we banged a few heads along the way, but we eventually got to the top.

He then explained to us the method of scientific change ringing.

All of this information was very new to us, and it made us realise how exact the science of bell ringing really is.

Lesley then allowed us to ring the bells by ourselves. All of the stu-

dents suddenly became children again.

The prospect of ringing an enormous bell appealed to everyone, and it was a race to the ropes.

Everyone got a turn but, regardless of Lesley’s attempts, we could not ring in time with one another.

It was a fantastic day out, and we highly recommend it for any and every school.

schoolLife Get involved with our new schools pages As part of the recent relaunch of the Dublin Gazette Newspapers, we are reaching out to all the schools in our catchment areas to become a closer part of our community than ever before.

Schools are the beating hearts of communities, one of the last places around which a community can gather.

We are calling on budding writers and photographers from all of our

schools to help fill the pages and, in order to encourage the next generation of journalists and snappers to get involved, we are partnering with Harvey Norman to present the Dublin Gazette Newspapers Cub Reporter and Cub Photographer of the Year awards.

For further details, contact me at rheigh@gazettegroup.com, or telephone 01 601 0240.

15 November 2012 Gazette 15

Gazette

schools dail na nog: more than 2,150 pupils take part in survey

Body image matters  emma storey, rosa barrell and fiona stinson Mount Sackville

A SURVEY was undertaken recently by Dail na nOg and aided by researchers from the School of Applied Social Studies in UCC on the subject of body image.

T h e r e s u l t s we r e based on the answers of 2,156 young people, aged between 10 to 21.

Mo r e t h a n t h r e e quarters of the participants said body image was important to them.

The main findings were that those under 12 were most content

with their body image, and 15-year-olds were the least.

It also showed that girls’ view their body image by comparison with others, whereas it’s bullying that most influences boys.

Activities More than half said their body image interferes with them taking part in certain activities, such as swimming.

There was a higher percentage of girls than boys that exercised for their appearance rather than enjoyment.

It’s clear that teenagers today have a poor body image. Drastic

action needs to be taken to alter the statistics of the survey’s results.

A recommendation is to introduce a body image module into SPHE class in schools – this would promote self-esteem and a positive body image.

Having noticed that bullying influences the way boys see themselves, it seems that it would be beneficial if schools were stricter on their anti-bullying policies.

Suggestion Another suggestion is to have a body image week, once a year, where everybody wears a stick-

er, on which they write a few positive things about themselves.

This way, people will think about their body

image and pick out the good aspects.

It should also raise confidence among the youth of today.

A survey on body image was undertaken by Dail na nOg and aided by researchers from the School of Applied Social Studies in UCC

GAZETTE

16 GAZETTE 15 November 2012

DUBLINLIFE

Q&A

JAMES KENNEDY, SAPORI ITALIANI

Bringing authentic Italian fare to Ireland GROWTH in the economy is slow to take off, but one local entrepreneur’s business is booming. Sapori Italiani, a new Dundrum company, imports high-end, authentic, fresh Italian foods to the Irish market.

James Kennedy started the company 18 months ago after returning from a trip to Italy. Having spotted a niche in the market for high-quality Italian fare, Kennedy started import-

ing and selling at markets stalls around Dublin city.

The company’s fare comes from the Liguria region of northern Italy, where pesto originated. The range is the only authentic non-pasteurised pesto imported to Ireland, and is certified by the Italian food board to call the long-shelf life products “fresh”.

For further information, see www. saporiitaliani.ie.

How long have you been in business?

customers informed of our products and where they are available from.

We regularly post recipes to show customers how versatile our products are.

My current business has been running since the beginning of 2011.

What makes your business successful?

Simple: good products.

What do you offer your clients that differs from your competitors?

We import the only fresh authentic Italian pesto range available in Ireland; all our competitors’ products are pasteurised, but pasteurisation kills the authentic taste of pesto.

How has the recession impacted your business?

Not a great deal, to be honest; it’s my belief that a good product at a good price will always sell.

How has the recession impacted your business?

The recession has made us very careful of what products we import, and in what quantities. Our product range has been reduced and our stock level also.

What law or regulation would you change overnight to help your business?

Nothing that I can think of.

How do you use social media (Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, etc) to help your business?

We use Facebook to keep our

What is your ambition for the business?

My aim is to offer a range of highquality Italian food products, and maybe, one day, start selling Irish foods into Italy.

What is the best piece of business advice you ever received?

“It’s not the price you sell your products for that’s important – it’s the price you buy them for.”

What is your favourite thing about doing business in your local area?

Getting to see my products on my local shop’s shelf every time I do my shopping.

What living person do you most admire?

Valentino Rossi – a motorcycling legend!

What is your favourite Dublin restaurant?

JD’s steakhouse, Terenure.

Who would your three dream dinner guests be, and why?

Valentino Rossi, just because he’s my idol; John Bishop, as he would provide the laughs and Jennifer Maguire, funny and good-looking.

BUSINESS

Supported

by AIB

Investment made simple THE idea of not spending some of your money now, so that you can use it later, is called “saving”. Okay, okay, I know you know, but it had to be said.

But, to what end? So that you have cash on hand for emergencies, major purchases and irregular expenses.

You will also need savings if you want to buy property.

How big should your savings pot be? I would say enough to support yourself and your dependants for between three and six months (with such net annual income kept in a rainy day fund, or RDF).

Where should you keep your savings? Where you can get your hands on them quickly – an accessible, ondemand deposit account. Remember, with savings up to €100,000 per person, you are covered by the Deposit Protection Scheme via the Government (via the taxpayer – you and me).

The two best demand accounts currently are KBC Bank (at 3.25%), and AIB Direct (at 3.1%, with two withdrawals per annum allowed).

Investments differ from savings in that they represent money you either don’t need in a hurry or, if you are a risk-taker, you don’t mind losing. All investment involves risk, because either you are giving your money to someone else to make money for you, and there is always the chance they will turn out to be crooks or idiots (or both), or you are buying something that may be worth less when you come to sell it.

However, there are lots of investments that aren’t really risky. Normally, the more money you stand to make from the money you invest, the higher the risk.

As a general rule, if you do invest outside of deposit accounts, you should at least be aiming for double the return of the best deposit account (12-month fixed rate – Ulster Bank 3.75%) to justify this decision.

You will often hear people describe investment as being a case of “risk versus reward”. What they mean by this is how much risk they want to take for what sort of reward. The key things to remember about investment are that you should diversify. In other words, don’t keep all your eggs in one basket, but make sure you are spreading the risk by investing in different areas.

Over the long-term, the highest returns have come from the stock market.

The majority of your money, say 90% for most people, should be in relatively low-risk investments, such as the stock market, property, pensions and bonds (a posh word for Government and public company IOUs).

Start saving if you haven’t already and, once your RDF coffers are full, you can then plan an investment strategy to suit your needs.  Contact John with your money questions at jlowe@moneydoctor.ie or visit his website at www.moneydoctor.ie. John Lowe, Fellow of the Institute of Bankers, is founder and managing director of Money Doctor

UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT: MALTHOUSE CENTRE PRAISED

Shared designer space inspired and inspiring THE best of Irish design is set to flow at the old whiskey distillery building on Dublin’s North Circular Road, after a shared space for Irish designers was created recently.

T he brainchild of Arthur Duff and Greg Tisdal, the Malthouse Design Centre is creating a name for creative thinking, attracting designers of all disciplines including architects alongside interior, furniture, lighting, industrial and product designers, as well as textile, graphic and brand designers.

One of these, Bennis Design, has been nominated for an IDI award for excellence in design for the Enterprise Ireland Annual Report &

Accounts 2011.

Bennis Design & Brand Partners were founded in 2002 by Caroline Murphy and Alan Bennis.

Together, this husband and wife team help to bring brands to life, across a full range of digital and print media.

Over the past 10 years, Bennis Design has helped companies such as Enterprise Ireland, An Post, SEI, Visual Artists Ireland, BreastCheck, Cervical Check, The National Library of Ireland and Elan.

Murphy said: “The Malthouse Design Centre has a unique environment where the lines between design disciplines are allowed to be blurred.

“We each inspire and

Alan Bennis and Caroline Murphy, of Bennis Design

support each other, which is a huge positive as business people in today’s market.”

As a way of promoting the importance and value of design for Design Week, the Malthouse Design Centre invited well-known Irish design professionals to choose gems of beautifully-designed objects that hold a personal meaning for

them, familiar as well as unexpected objects, and concepts that have revolutionised the life of designers or their way of thinking.

The Living with Design exhibition is running until December 21 at the Malthouse Design Centre.

For further information, contact Alan Bennis of Bennis Design at 086 835 5494.

15 November 2012 Gazette 17

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

US election night: a tense climax to the presidential campaign in D2

Pets

Dublin’s own Democratic convention  PAUL HOSFORD

“What’s at stake? The entire future of the United States.”

Dennis Desmond, the chairman of the Irish Democrats Abroad is unequivocal. It is just after midnight in The Arlington Hotel on Dublin’s Bachelors Walk and a group of about 70 Barack Obamasupporting Americans and Irish have dedicated themselves to staying up until the early hours of Wednesday morning to see the results from the anticipated American election roll in.

As the conversation carries on, burgers and hot dogs are served and a big screen displays CNN. The air of tension is palpable. Though most polling has Obama ahead, the race has been closer than anticipated, and that has set some supporters of the 44th president on edge.

“I don’t want to say it out loud, but if Romney can take Ohio, we could

be in trouble,” says one woman at the bar. It is the first time I’ve heard a mention of a possible defeat, but the theme of the night is recurrent — Ohio, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, Wisconsin, Colorado, Virginia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina — swing states.

The two words that dominated the final week of the campaign coverage have become so used that they have almost lost meaning, but all eyes here are firmly on those states holding the balance of power.

To understand why states like Ohio matter so much, you have to take for granted that certain states vote certain ways. In fact, before polling opened fully across the States last Tuesday, 41 states, plus Washington DC, were already coloured red or blue, depending on their allegiance to the Republican or Democratic parties.

With just nine states

that are likely to change from one election to the next, those states are bound to take a disproportionate amount of the media’s, and candidates, attention.

So, as Connecticut, Vermont, Delaware, DC and Maryland go in the president’s favour, there is little more than polite applause and barely an eyebrow is raised as the Republican challenger Mitt Romney takes Montana, Georgia, Louisiana and Alabama.

When New York goes to Obama, as it always was going to, the place erupts. There is a healthy New York contingent here.

“I think it’s about going forward with the president, rather than a candidate who wants to limit women’s rights, limit social welfare and squeeze those who have the least,” says Desmond. For him, the choice tonight is clearer than it has ever been.

With the 2010 victo-



Gazette

MUSIC P19

can you give Molly a home?

Irish Democrats Abroad chairman Dennis Desmond is all smiles after the result

ries of the far-right Tea Party, Dennis bristles at the notion they are in any way similar.

“There was a perception that we weren’t so far apart some time ago. But, now, you have a Republican Party that is so far radicalised to the right, without any idea of compromise.”

Picking up on Denni’s Boston accent, I ask how Romney’s links to Massachusetts, where he was governor, colour his view of the president’s opponent.

“Back when he was elected, we knew he was full of it. We knew he was just using Massachusetts to get to the presidency.”

Overall, most here are happy with the first four years under Obama.

“I’m happy, particu-

larly given the cards he was dealt. He stopped the haemorrhaging of 800,000 jobs every month and passed the Affordable Care Act, extending health coverage to 45 million Americans.

“He has got us going in the right direction. It’s hard to undo eight years of George W Bush in four years.”

That is the ongoing theme here; satisfaction rather than outright joy at the job done by the president. But, Dennis is far more bullish about the incumbent’s chances; he wants to win and win big.

With tiredness setting in, people begin to step outside into the frigid Dublin air just in order to wake up, to stave off the fatigue.

The first swing state

goes to Romney, North Carolina goes red and, for a brief minute, there is a chance he may win. My initial thought is of what the atmosphere in this room would become in that event.

That thought is quickly erased as Pennsylvania is comfortably won by Obama, with Wisconsin and Iowa following swiftly. The closing of west coast polls gives Obama California, Oregon and Washington.

The announcement that Ohio is won causes the Arlington bar to erupt.

At 4.28am Irish time, this is a room full of joy.

Dennis Desmond embraces all around him and tells me he’s glad it’s all over:“It has been such a hard few months, but it’s over now. We won.”

DUBLIN Gazette Newspapers has teamed up with Dogs Trust, Ireland’s largest dog welfare charity, to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs.

Molly is a one-year old Labrador crossbreed.

This stunning young lady is extremely affectionate and adores company.

She would love to go to a forever home that has big kids and possibly another dog as Molly finds being alone quite worrying so would cherish a canine pal to hang out and play with.

Long walks on the beach and splashing around in the water makes Molly a very happy dog indeed.

This lady is a true gem and a real favourite in Dogs Trust.

If you think you can give Molly a loving home for his twilight years, contact Dogs Trust at 01 879 1000.

Further information about their work can be found on their website at www. dogstrust.ie.

All dogs that are adopted from Dogs Trust are vet-checked, vaccinated, neutered and micro-chipped before being re-homed.

GAZETTE

18 GAZETTE 15 November 2012

OUT&ABOUT

STYLE

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STYLE focus Take a peek at the new Kardashian Kollection as it comes to Ireland  LAURA WEBB

THE wait is finally over, Kardashian fanatics are jumping out of their stilettos with joy and making their way to Dorothy Perkins stores across Dublin to get their fashionable hands on items from the long awaited Kardashian Kollection.

Kim, Kourtney and Khloe have brought their own style into their collection for Dorothy Perkins. Leather, leopard print, studs, oversized shirts, boho frills and figure hugging dresses are just some of the styles that can be seen throughout the collection.

The three girls, each so different in style and shape, are making it easy for

women of all shapes and sizes to find something that best suits their body within the collection.

The sisters are fast becoming style icons and their own collection started out in Sears in the US. Now they have landed in Ireland and are bringing some LA glamour and style to the streets of Dublin. The Kardashians shot to fame starring in reality TV show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which followed them and the rest of their unconventional family.

Speaking to Gazette Style this week, Dorothy Perkins store manager at Liffey Valley, Emer Macken said there is a great buzz about the place. “People were calling weeks in advance to the collection coming in, asking questions about when it’s going to be in, have we seen it ourselves, what’s it going to be

like? There is just a great buzz.

“The collection is going to be available here in Liffey Valley, Blanchardstown and Jervis Street in Dublin and we also have it in Killarney, Limerick and Galway.

Working in Dorothy Perkins the staff got a sneak preview of the fashion which Emer says just looks “fab”.

“It is very leopard print, black, purple – that’s a big colour. The bags are all very studded, it’s just gorgeous. It’s very them. You can pick out outfits and say that is what Kourtney would wear or Kim. There is even a Kourtney jean, a Khloe jean and a Kim jean and you just know by the look and the cut of the jean who it belongs to,” she told Gazette Style.

15 November 2012 Gazette 19

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exclusively with Dorothy Perkins Asked what makes the girls so likeable, Emer said: “I think it is that they are so real. They are so normal. I watch their show, Keeping up with the Kardashians, and they are just so very true to themselves, they are very - this is who I am, I have a big bum, I have the boobs and this is the figure that is going to inspire curvier women to wear the dresses they have always wanted to wear. Why shouldn’t they? just because they have big hips – just embrace the body that you are in. I do think the cut of the dresses is fabulous, they are all just gorgeous.

“Everyone here just wants to get their hands on everything, but we [staff] are under strict instructions not to purchase on the

first day. It is just great that we have it, it is going to be a really good boost for Dorothy Perkins and for retail,” Emer said.

An online preview of the collection was available to view on the Sunday before the official launch day Thursday, November 8, with 14 of the 100 item collection for sale it sold out completely within two hours.

This week, Gazette Style has chosen some of the collection which we think is going to be a hit with shoppers and fly off the shelves to replace items in the wardrobe.

The Kardashian Kollection is now available at participating Dorothy Perkins stores or online at www.dorothyperkins.co.uk.

Gazette

20 gazette 15 November 2012

OUT&ABOUT

CINEMA

theatre

THE pavilioN THEATRE 01 231 2929 Murdered to Death

THIS hilarious spoof of the best of the whodunnits, complete with a well-meaning amateur sleuth in twinset and pearls, is set in a country manor house in the 1930s.

The butler, an English Colonel, a shady French art dealer and his moll, and a bumbling police inspector are among the characters whose side-splitting antics follow the mysterious death of the house’s owner. It soon becomes clear that the murderer hasn’t finished yet, but will the murderer be unmasked before everyone else has met their doom, or will the audience die laughing first?

November 14-17, tickets are priced at €18/€15.

Draiocht 01 885 2622 Paddy Cole

PADDY Cole is legendary in Irish show business, ever since he first came to prominence in the 1960s with the Capitol Showband. He still attracts many of the people who danced in those days to his shows today. Paddy and his All Stars are renowned for giving audiences a good time - whether it’s jazz, rock ‘n roll, sixties or swing – the result is always the same – a thrilled and ecstatic reaction. November 20 at 8pm, tickets are priced at €22/€18.

Ben Affleck tries out as Jesse’s replacement. Walt is unimpressed

cinema: Ben affleck tells a weirder than fiction story of the cia

Get up and Argo  paul hosford

phosford@gazettegroup.com

REMEMBER Paycheck?

How about Bounce?

Surviving Christmas?

Gigli?

That many absolute turkeys would be enough to bury most careers, never mind them being coupled with being half of the most maligned showbiz couples ever.

How is it, then, that Ben Affleck is flying high as both an actor and a director, has received a slew of awards and nominations and is now generally loved?

T h e a n s we r, o f course, is simple; he is, and always has been, a supremely gifted man.

Affleck won an Oscar for the Good Will Hunt-

ing screenplay at the age of 25 and for his first major feature took on the adaptation of a Denis Lehane novel.

So, as well as being gifted, he is not short in the confidence stakes.

Which is why Argo makes perfect sense in a lot of ways.

The story of a CIA plot to rescue six hostages from revolutionera Iran, Argo mixes 1970s spy thriller with a bumbling farce comedy.

Based on a true story, the film takes us inside the CIA plot to remove the hostages from the grip of Ayatollah-friendly students.

To do so, it is decided to make a film.

Not a real film, but a fake, Canadian sci-fi blockbuster.

If the storyline seems too far-fetched, it is important to note that this all happened and the US government declassified the files in

Film of the Week: Argo h h h h (12A) 120mins Director: Ben Affleck Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Kyle Chandler, Chris Messina, Tate Donovan

OUR VERDICT: OK, so Ben Affleck had that run of truly awful, awful films.

Addressing that is important because, for the last six years Affleck has stood head and shoulders above most of peers as an actor, a writer and a director. Argo, the third entry to his directorial canon, is a fine film which finds the one time Bennifer cohort establishing his style and signature as a film maker.

1997.

The film plays out very like the spy thrillers of the 1970s, arguably the heyday of American film making.

T he paranoia and clandestine dealings, not to mention the hair, give the film the perfect grounding and Affleck has clearly been watching his Parallax View and All The President’s Men. Whereas his previous directorial efforts, Gone Baby Gone and The Town, were set in Affleck’s Boston back yard (or, rather, yahd),

nailing a period drama with a comedic second act and a tricky, messy climax is a completely different challenge.

Again, we come back to the Bostonian confidence coursing through Affleck’s veins.

The film is led by Affleck’s steady hand and an understated lead performance.

A ff leck’s company man Tony Mendez is the antithesis of the Pearl Harbor Ben. He is all crumpled shirts, bad facial hair and slumped shoulders, a downtrodden

everyman thrust into an insane situation.

The star turns come from Alan Arkin as fading producer Lester Siegel, recr uited by the CIA via renowned make-up genius John Chambers, with John Goodman playing the Oscar winner, to provide a fake space opera that would provide the cover story for the agency’s Tehran-based exfiltration operation.

The Hollywood corner of the film, playing off the CIA side, means that the film becomes a balancing act of farce and drama, of comedy and suspense, For Aff leck, whose previous efforts were hardly known for their light-hearted notes, the achievement of turning in a genuinely funny film cannot be understated.

In the end, Argo is one of the year’s finest films and marks Affleck at the top of his game.

15 November 2012 gazette 21

Gazette

GAMING halo 4: the best yet in the popular series

Shoots for the very top  shane dillon

Apart from cutscenes, Halo 4 is, as ever, played from a first-person perspective (above) – all the better to face the challenging enemies in its expertly realised worlds and scenarios, which are presented with very pretty and engaging graphics – and gameplay throughout

THERE’S not much that can tear me away from shivering my timbers in the naval missions of Assassin’s Creed 3 at the moment, but Halo 4 has seen me swap Revolutionary America for (well, an almost) revolutionary shooter.

A while back, I shamelessly namedropped here my preview experience of playing Halo 4 in Madrid – oh look, I’ve done it again – and, now, the XBox 360-exclusive title has finally hit the shelves.

And it’s been worth the wait, indeed.

Developed by 343 Industries, it’s both a familiar, yet fresh, instalment in the popular franchise which, in my eyes, had become somewhat over-familiar.

Indeed, although Halo

 shane dillon sdillon@gazettegroup.com

2 and 3 had some great features, they never had the same impact as the original title did.

Luckily, Halo 4 builds upon the strengths of all of the best parts throughout the series, to date, but makes 4 very much its own game, with a sense of confidence driving the game ever forward.

For those who haven’t already snapped up the just-released title, or for those looking to buy a great Christmas gift, or for those new to the Halo universe, what’s it all about?

Well, I could sit here

filling the rest of the page with the plot alone, which is (sorry, Halo scribes), as ever, Sci-Fi tosh of the nth degree, although expertly presented.

Playing as the eponymous Master Chief, and largely accompanied by a helpful AI companion, you wander through a variety of superbly-created worlds and settings, stepping out (again) as the last, best hope for humanity (again), as an old, alien nemesis race goes to war (again), with, this time around, an ancient alien race also added to the mix (agai– err, actually, this is kind of a new element for the series).

In short, the singleplayer game sees a lot of terrific, and frequently challenging, setpieces and

challenges throughout, with a notably high level of visual polish.

Most importantly, the same cunning, antagonistic – and occasionally amusing – AI for which the series is famous is very much in place, presenting an occasionally formidable, and always entertaining challenge.

However, it’s the multiplayer side of Halo that many gamers will be gunning for and, again, Halo excels here.

With a wealth of game options that go beyond the usual multiplayer features, there’s a lot of highly-competitive fun in the war games on offer.

Interestingly, there’s a pretty detailed and diverse way in which to level up your Spartan-IV

BYTES&PIECES needs more vita-lity

Handheld’s performance still disappoints CASTING an eye over the latest quarterly sales figures for Sony’s Vita handheld, it’s hard not to wonder what Sony will do to give its sales a boost.

I’ve mentioned before that the Vita – in Dublin, at least, not to mention several other capital cities I’ve been in this year – seems rarer than hen’s teeth on the ground; a little like Bigfoot, I know that it’s out there, somewhere, but it’s proving frustratingly elusive to spot as I roam around ...

While the PlayStation 3 continues to do well enough with its strong gamer base, as well as offering its own platform-specific

triple-A titles (whether already available or upcoming in 2013), the Vita is a very different beast.

Despite having some excellent titles – some of which are variants of popular Sony/PlayStation franchises, others of which are quirky new franchises – the Vita

continues to struggle at retail.

(To be fair, I note Nintendo also dropped projected sales for its underperforming 3DS.) A diverse choice of gaming platforms is always to be welcomed, so I hope that Sony has better luck in 2013 with its handy handheld.

supersoldier to create a unique online soldier, with upgrades and loadouts that are anything but spartan on offer.

In short, while Halo purists may disagree, this feels like the quintessential Halo – the game it was always meant to be.

With an awful lot here to praise, Halo 4 definitely deserves taking a shot at on the XBox 360 this Christmas season.

Gazette

22 Gazette 15 November 2012

OUT&ABOUT

FASTtunes with Radio Nova’s Dee Woods

Walls of wonder with Waters set to return to Dublin for Aviva show Concerts come and go but every so often a gig comes along that has the potential to actually change you. Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters brought The Wall tour here last year, and to say it wowed crowds at The O2 would be an injustice.

I had the pleasure of playing chauffeur to my other half for the journey home as the radio station is right beside The O2. As envious as I was, I was glad I was there to pick him up though, because his reaction to what he had witnessed has always stayed with me.

Still in awe, he could barely string the words together as he tried to recount what he’d just seen on stage.

I remember shaking my head and cursing mid-week concerts, thinking that kind of show was a once-in-a-lifetime event. Happily, I was wrong.

Roger Waters and his band return to Dublin next year for an even bigger, more dramatic performance of The Wall. Run Like Hell for tickets.

MUSIC

Harmony and hope on devastating debut  ROB HEIGH rheigh@gazettegroup.com

THIS week was all set to be about the virtues of pop music and its lineage from the 50s to now, leading into a review of a new release from a returning hero of the form.

That was until I heard The Staves’ debut album.

History be damned, it’s time to embrace the future.

I wrote at the start of the year that The Staves were one of the acts to watch throughout 2012, and as we hit the home stretch of this annus mirabilis, they see fit to make everything just a little bit better and drop this astonishing record.

North Londoners Emily, Jessica and Camilla have a strong pedigree as far as their influences are concerned – among them Fleet Foxes, Simon and Garfunkel and Buffalo Springfield – but their unique harmonies and melding of bright English folk and sublime West Coast pop was something to mark them out as ones to watch.

Seemingly endless touring, on their own as well as in the company of fellow newcomer Michael Kiwanuka and esteemed luminary Bon Iver - who invited the girls to join him on stage this week at one of the gigs of the year at the O2 - has spread the good word. Justice will be served, however, when people get to hear this record in full.

The Staves - Emily, Jessica and Camilla Stavely-Taylor

Dead and Born and Grown gathers together everything that made them an act who would stop you in your tracks to listen and adds another layer to their appeal. The shuffling drums bass, as well as the mandolin and banjo fills, give depth to the sound behind the stunning vocal harmonies that the Staveley-Taylors were first acclaimed for.

There is a great variety within the tracks here, but all of them have in common the fact that these are some quite beautiful and goosebump-inducing songs.

Opening with the understated Wisely And Slow, and winding a gentle path to Mexico, the song that put them on my radar last year, this is top notch music by a trio who clearly adore and understand the form.

Coming in the wake of the recent folk resurgence, there is certainly a market there for The Staves’ deeply effecting stylings, but they plough a different furrow, less the bounce-along-aMumford, and more in the direction of stopwhat-you’re-doing-rightnow-and-listen acts like

Gillian Welch and Laura Marling.

In the wake of the growing recognition of their talents, the support slots and the television and radio appearance is paying off, with the girls set to return to Dublin on November 25 and their addition to the bill in Dingle for Other Voices.

It’s only right that they should go from being one of the bright hopes of 2012 to the brightest light at the end of the year as the dark nights draw in.

The Staves deserve your attention, their talent demands it.

15 November 2012 CASTLEKNOCK gazette 23

Gazette

MOTORS road

NOISE

FordOptions new finance programme

The Renault Fluence, described as the best car built to suit the Irish driver

renault: raft of on-board innovations highly appealing

New Fluence steers its way to top of wish list n Cormac Curtis

At its launch in April 2010, the Renault Fluence was described as the best car built to suit the Irish driver.

Over two years later Fluence has become a best seller in its category, and there are over 6,000 Renault Fluences on Irish roads today.

The new look Fluence features Renault’s new styling identity, similar to that of the recently launched fourth generation Clio.

Its front end has the vertically-set logo at the centre of a broad black strip picked out by chrome beading which provides the car with a dynamic stance.

The LED daytime running lights and chrome/ gloss black inserts also contribute to the new-

comer’s modern appeal.

The design of the new Fluence interior is also more modern, including digital instrumentation for all versions.

The boot is still one of the biggest in its class easily fitting two sets of golf clubs. The cabin is as roomy as ever, and has been enhanced by the use of new upholsteries for segment-topping comfort.

A choice of petrol or diesel engines, with automatic transmission, is available. All diesel engines, either manual or automatic have CO2 emissions below 120g, so belong to the lowest tax band as per today.

The new Renault Fluence has a raft of on-board, connected technologies and innovations including numerous driver-aid technologies – Bluetooth

compatible radio, six airbags and hands-free card with remote central locking standard all across the range, LED lights, rear parking sensors, cruise control, dual zone climate control and a brand new multimedia system available depending on trim level.

From the basic equipment level up, all versions are “connected” thanks to the availability of new Bluetooth radios equipped with USB and jack sockets.

At the higher-end of the range, New Renault Fluence features a major innovation in the form of the Renault R-Link multimedia system which will provide connected services and is ideally suited to motoring use thanks to its touchscreen display and voice commands.

Renault R-Link incor-

porates the navigation system and telephony function and can be connected to portable music players.

The new Fluence comes with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty.

Renault Finance will offer finance packages on the new Fluence from €199 per month with Renault ReFlex, a personal contract plan which provides Irish consumers with reassurance and flexibility when financing a new Renault.

Julien Lelorrain, marketing director, Renault Ireland: “The fuel efficient diesel engine with lowest tax at €160, fiveyear unlimited mileage warranty and the ReFlex finance solution from €199 per month make New Fluence a very attractive 2013 purchase.”

For customers looking to buy a new car for 2013, Ford Ireland has announced a range of offers on key models that includes an extended five-year warranty. Under the banner of Ford’s Big Four, customers are invited to visit their local Ford dealer to avail of the offers over four weekends leading up to December 2.

The offers on Ford’s top-selling models, Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo, are as follows: Free road tax on the newly redesigned Fiesta. Free 16” alloys, front fogs, premium mats and upgraded console on Ireland’s top selling car, the Ford Focus. Single price bodystyle on Mondeo: wagon, hatchback or saloon just one price starting at €26,995.

And each model comes with an extended five years full warranty.

As part of the promotion, Ford is also introducing FordOptions, a new finance package that helps customers purchase their car with the security of a guaranteed minimum future value.

24 CASTLEKNOCK gazette 15 November 2012

Gazette

Travel

Gazette

&ABOUT OUT fast TRAVEL

See the Big Apple in style from this hotel

THE Big Apple is still definitely one of the most popular destinations for anyone planning a trip to the United States, whether it is for shopping, sightseeing, or just a chance to see the city itself.

Ideally located for anyone keen to explore the streets of SoHo, Greenwich and downtown Manhattan, nyma – the New York Manhattan Hotel – could be the place to be in 2013.

With its close proximity to the city’s famous Madison Square Garden, a trip to NYC could coincide with the reopening of the Statue of Liberty’s Crown to the public, following renovations.

Rooms at nyma start from $114.99 per night (€44 per person) in February. As part of the Apple Core Hotel group, nyma boasts free wi-fi, complimentary continental breakfast, and free US calls. See www.thenewyorkmanhattanhotel.co.uk, or call 0044 808 178 6363.

Capital treasure Clontarf Castle Hotel benefits from being so close to everything, yet offers a comfortable break from city life

dublin: Big fires, warm welcome and an alluring presence

King of the castles  natalie burke

The nyma hotel is an ideal base to explore NYC

Get in shape with a boot camp retreat WITH the festive party season on the horizon, the beautiful Lisloughrey Lodge in County Mayo is running a pre-Christmas boot camp with TV fitness expert Karl Henry, to include luxurious accommodation, energetic fitness classes and specially-designed menus to promote health and well-being inside and out.

The boot camp will take place from Friday, November 23, until Monday, November 26, and includes three nights’ accommodation with breakfast, lunch and dinner, and two and a half days of boot camp, as well as a welcome dinner on the evening of arrival.

With menus carefully planned by Henry, alongside head chef Jonathan Keane, who was recently nominated for Best Chef in Connacht, the latest package is ideal for an end-of-year break for those hoping to get in shape for Christmas.

The pre-Christmas package is available for €395pps. Places are limited so, to book your place, call 094 954 5400, or see www. lisloughreylodge.com.

THERE’S been a recent upsurge of the popular “weekend away”, but that doesn’t necessarily involve taking a short flight, as people, instead, reap the benefits of holidaying in our own fair isle.

But, before you start preparing your playlist for the inevitable crosscountry road-trip, perhaps taking a glance at what sits on your own doorstep could be the break that surprises you the most.

Clontar f Castle is already a popular choice for tourists making Dublin a must-see destination.

It has character, a certain historic allure, and wideopen fires as well as real Irish charm.

The fact that it’s just two miles from the city centre is really the icing on the cake, with the castle located in a calm spot, and within walking distance of historic sites.

For the rest of us, living blissfully oblivious to the world surrounding us, this traditional castle could be the perfect passage to times gone by.

Beneath the 12th century turreted roof, and beyond the stained-glass windows, lies a castle still clinging to its traditional past.

The castle’s self-description illustrates it is “no longer the past, not quite the future”, and, despite a recent redesign, boasts more old than new in its blend of modern meets yesteryear.

For one evening, I travelled back in time when Clontarf Castle hosted a modern-day “grand feast”.

A banquet table stretched the length of the hotel’s main restaurant, the Fahrenheit Grill, where flags draped the walls and high-backed chairs sat around the table’s distinct centrepiece: a roasted pig.

The dining room was

packed with character, where the order of the day was much more than the lively conversation and atmospheric surroundings, but focused on the culinary talents of the Fahrenheit Grill chef.

The appetisers boasted crisp pancetta ham, terrine of duck, and herbcured salmon, while the chef ensured there was something to tempt everyone’s taste with an impressive selection of main courses; a citruscrusted roast Atlantic cod; a char-grilled rack of Wicklow lamb; a serrano-wrapped Irish pork fillet, and a roast orange tea supreme of Irish chicken.

Following a tasting of the chef’s choice dessert plate, the guests of honour were summoned for after-dinner drinks at the hotel’s Indigo bar, where an open-fire welcomed us to relax and chat following the meal.

While the hotel still

Clontarf Castle Hotel has the wow factor, successfully marrying modern touches with its rich heritage

holds firm its own traditions, its warm welcome, attentive service and innovative menus are a gentle reminder that the four-star hotel has no

hesitation when it comes to keeping up with the times.

For further information on the hotel, see www. clontarfcastle.ie.

15 November 2012 CASTLEKNOCK gazette 25

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Ireland: Never Once Twice Abroad: Never Once Twice

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to: Dublin Gazette Newspapers, Block 3A Millbank Business Pk, Lower Road, Lucan, Co Dublin Send

W I N : 2 Nights B &B for 2 Adults & 2 T ickets to see D es B ishop Live at the County Arms Hotel & L eisure Club Simply fill in our questonaiire & post back to the address above & you will be entred into a draw the win this fantastic price. Birr is your entertainment hub this November with great gigs from international stars. The 4* County Arms Hotel plays host to folk legends The High Kings on November 22nd and on November 30th, it’s the turn of Ireland’s favourite comic, Des Bishop. For further information on the County Arms Hotel visit www.countyarmshotel.com

26 castleknock gazette 15 November 2012

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planning Notice Fingal County Council

We Shane & Ciara O’Flynn are applying for planning permission for change of use of part of our domestic ground floor (19.0 sqm.) for use as a pre-school to operate during normal school term for the hours (9.00am - 12.30pm) At No.1 Riverwood Lawn, Castleknock, Dublin 15.

The application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority during its’public opening hours and a submission or observation may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

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planning Notice Fingal County Council

We Khalid and Humera Khan are applying for full planning permission for the following: i) two storey extension to side of existing dwelling ii) two storey and single storey extension to rear of existing dwelling all with associated site works at 17 Riverwood Chase, Castleknock, Dublin 15. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours and a submission or observation may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (20Euros) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of this application.

16917

planning Notice Fingal County Council

I, Rev. Fr. Cyril Mangan ADM., on behalf of St. Laurence O’Toole Diocesan Trust, intend to apply for planning permission for development on a site consisting of lands attached to St. Brigid’s Church, Church Avenue, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. The Development will consist of:- a) Construction of a single storey Pastoral Centre contiguous to existing Church, St. Brigids, comprising Reception, Entrance Foyer, Parish Office, Coffee Dock, 3 No. Meeting Rooms, Kitchen and Toilets. b) Internal Renovations to existing Sacristy, within a protected structure. c) Renovations to existing Sacristy Annex, to provide Entrance Lobby, Altar Servers Room, Sacristans Office,Toilet and Boiler Room. d) Demolition of existing Porch attached to north side of existing Sac-

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risty, part of a protected structure. e) Associated siteworks including reconstruction of stone boundary wall to rear of Pastoral Centre, re-lining of existing Car Park and all drainage works. The development is within the curtilage of the lands attached to St. Brigid’s Church which is a protected structure as listed in the Fingal County Council Development Plan 2011-2017.

The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority during its public opening hours and a submission or observation may be made to the Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (20 Euros) within the period of 5weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of this application.

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gaelic games P31

asdfsdafP29 P27 motorsport

dublinsport Let the Gazette keep you up to date with all the best local sporting action from around the city as we cover all the stories that matter to you and your community



Gazette

boxing P28

FastSport Taggers open to new members:

Members from local sports around the Lucan area and members of the Liffey Sound team pose for a photo at their Talking Sport launch night

community radio: quality programming delivers listeners, says mark sheridan

Liffey Sound launch sports schedule for local listeners LIFFEY Sound 96.4FM launched their sports schedule last week at their base in Ballyowen with a well-received meet and greet session with many local clubs on hand.

It served make those clubs aware of the community station that now provides six hours of sports broadcasting each week, feeding into the weekly Talking Sport that runs from 4-6pm every Saturday.

For the show’s Mark Sheridan, it offered a great opportunity to bring together the clubs around west Dublin a

chance, he told GazetteSport.

“The population around Lucan is such, now, that there are so many sports organisations. For example, there was someone from the Westmansown bowling club which I didn’t know existed until this week. It’s fantastic.

“We love our sport in Liffey Sound.

We cover all sorts of things because of the amount of sporting organisations in Lucan and the amount of people who love sport.”

Like many of the other panellists and presenters on the show, Sheridan

brings with him a wealth of sporting background. Previously, he lined out for Beech Park for a number of years while he has returned to the GAA with Lucan Sarsfields’ O-35s team, competed in a couple of marathons and also taken on a white collar boxing challenge.

“I love getting behind that mic [to talk about sport] and expressing my view and having people responding and texting in.

It’s a great avenue and once it gets into your blood, it sticks with you.”

Talking Sport has recently linked up with Boyle Sports to provide expert

betting advice while also offering charity bets for the show each week to add to their portfolio, a significant step for Sheridan and his team.

He has been with the station, which was founded in 2006, for three years and is proud of what has developed on a fully voluntary basis across the board.

“We have the second biggest listenership and the biggest English-speaking station in Dublin. “Maybe it’s our diaspora or the demographics in the area but I like to think it’s down to the quality of the programming.”

WESTMANSTOWN Taggers Special Olympics tag rugby team are welcoming new members to get involved with the club.

They meet up every Sunday at 11.30am until 1pm in the Westmanstown sports centre with training taking place indoors for the winter.

Leinster scrum-half Isaac Boss is among the regular coaches along with Jorge Zulkouski who can be contacted on 087 284 2584 for more information. The sport is open for those aged seven and upwards.

Currently, the side is building toward a showcase during the half-time show of Leinster’s Heineken Cup tie against Clermont Auvergne in the Aviva Stadium in December.

c o n ta c t s Acting Sports Editor: Stephen Findlater sfindlater@gazettegroup.com

For more information or to send in news and photos: sport@gazettegroup.com Phone: 01 651 6205

Gazette

28 CASTLEKNOCK gazette 15 November 2012

SPORT

FastSport LUCAN leisure centre gets top award: FINNSTOWN Country House Hotel Leisure Club, Lucan was recently rewarded the 2012 White Flag Excellence Award at the prestigious White Flag Gala Awards Dinner held in the Heritage Golf and Spa Resort, Killenard, Co Laois achieving the bronze standard.

The White Flag award is an indication of excellence in the operation of leisure clubs; the award was presented

by Barry Walsh president of ILAM at a special awards ceremony. ILAM is the professional body representing the Irish leisure industry.

Ninety-one facilities entered this gruelling auditing process this year but only 86 received the White Flag Excellence 2012 award.

This mark of excellence ensures that the facility management have been independently assessed in the three key areas of safety, hygiene and customer service.

boxing: dundrum writer says taylor to retain amateur status

Myler launches new book  sport@gazettegroup.com

THOMAS Myler says he would be “astonished” if Katie Taylor were ever to turn professional due to the currently limited options for professional female boxers.

Speaking to GazetteSport about his new book, Ringside with the Celtic Warriors, the Dundrum resident said that with the current supports in place for Ireland’s golden girl, the background is there for her to stay in amateur boxing and take a shot at defending her Olympic title.

“Katie gets €40,000 a year and then endorses a lot of products – cars, sportswear and lucozade and other things like this,” he said.

“I’d be astonished if she turns pro. Women’s [professional] boxing is not very prominent in the world and there aren’t that many opportunities in the pros. As a man, yes, but there would be very limited opportunities for her to make progress, unfortunately.”

Indeed, the ability for amateur boxers to financially support themselves is a theme that spreads to the men’s game, too, with the development of the World Series of Boxing.

The competition allows boxers to retain amateur status but compete for financial incentives while not wearing headguards as required in the past.

“There was talk of Katie Taylor turning pro and then there was John Joe

Nevin, bouncing one way and another and joining up with Amir Khan.

“With the world series, they can have the best of both worlds and this could affect the pro game because people can get confused.

“Is he an amateur or professional? I don’t like the trend really. I’m a bit of a traditionalist and prefer amateurs as amateurs and pros as pros.

“These guys are going to be semi-pro in the Olympics which is basically meant to be an amateur set-up.”

Nonetheless, these boxers are well up there in the pantheon of greats that Myler chronicles in his latest book, one which traverses 200 years. It goes right back to the 1800s

Katie Taylor with Amy Farrell, age 13, from Swords, Dublin last Saturday

and Dublin boxer Dan Donnelly whose arm is still preserved in Kildare.

He started writing formally for the Evening Herald way back in 1967and has not stopped since.

From that vantage point, he got to witness many Irish greats who became the focus of this book from Jack Doyle through to Steve Collins and Barry McGuigan and subsequently Bernard Dunne.

Being so close to the action, Myler admits this book was his “favourite”

of the four he has written to date.

“I’ve written a few books on boxing, one on Sugar Ray Robinson, one on the great boxing upsets and another on the scandals, boxing’s hall of shame on general themes. But this is the first I’ve done on Irish boxing which would be my favourite because all the guys would be ones I knew and saw.”

When pushed for a favourite of all-time, he said he was fascinated by Jack Doyle, the Cork heavyweight of the 1930s.

But Steve Collins stood out as probably the island’s best ever.

“Collins was a good, gritty tough guy who could give it and take it.

He was one of the best.

It’s a pretty difficult thing to answer because the old-timers of the 1930s and 1940s were of a different era.

“There are more facilities for boxers to train, they have nutritionists and everything else so it’s different scene. But Collins might have been the best.”

DLR side make Waves with historic first win  sport@gazettegroup.com

The DLR Waves had a memorable weekend in the Women’s National League

HISTORY was made at Jackson Park as a rapidly improving DLR Waves claimed their first ever triumph in the Bus Eireann Women’s National League.

Inspired by Carla Moran DLR Waves, who had suffered five losses so far in the season, were eager to deliver a polished performance. That is exactly what they did against a Cork Women’s outfit, who actually took the lead in the 36th minute courtesy of a

Claire Shine goal.

Sylvia Gee equalised with her third in six matches and then Moran took centre stage after the restart as DLR Waves dominated.

In the 55th minute Moran edged DLR Waves in front and then she netted the insurance goal with eight minutes remaining.

Peamount United, meanwhile, maintained their blistering form with an emphatic 9-2 success over Shamrock Rovers at Greenogue.

The free scoring table top-

pers summoned a remarkable attacking display in the second period to blitz Rovers.

Stephanie Roche grabbed a brace in the first half as Peamount left at the interval protecting a two goal cushion.

That was halved within 90 seconds of the restart when the excellent Rachel Jenkins gave Rovers some hope, but Peamount were quickly back in the ascendancy.

Sara Lawlor amazingly scored a hat-trick inside six glorious minutes as Peamount

contributed to a splendid encounter.

Julie Anne Russell, sister of St Patrick’s Athletic star John, got in on the act with a 63rd minute goal and Lawlor took her afternoon’s tally to four on 74.

A minute later Russell was on target again and five minutes from time Jennifer Ferrari decorated the win with a neat goal.

Jenkins poked a late consolation for Rovers, who were soundly beaten by the current standard bearers, Peamount.

15 November 2012 CASTLEKNOCK gazette 29

Gazette

Butler hoping to set English scene alight Churchtown biker Dave Butler hopes to keep the good times rolling by stepping up to the British Thundersport championship after a stellar performance in Ireland AFTER a life already devoted to motorsports, Churchtown man Dave Butler is hoping to make the biggest step of his career in 2013 by pursuing a move to compete in the British Thundersport series, a competition scaling 10 rounds of some of the best circuits in the world.

It comes following a stellar 2012 in which he won no less than four separate Irish championship titles as well as a second and two third place finishes.

In total, he recorded 19 wins from 43 races, setting a number of lap records on courses throughout Ireland

 stephen findlater sport@gazettegroup.com

along the way.

Despite making his debut on the Irish motorcycling scene in 2003, the past year has been the first in which wo r k c o m m i t m e n t s have allowed him to fully focus on the sport with immaculate results both on the track and on the road.

Riding a 650cc Stocktwin, he claimed the Irish/Ulster and Southern Ireland title with a

massive 15 wins while adding third in the Irish Supertwin championship.

Switching to the road for the first time last July, he secured victory at the first time of asking before making a maiden voyage to England to Mallory Park in late October.

Competing in the m i n i t w i n cl a s s , h e claimed three of the four races he entered – all televised on Motors TV – something that has whetted his appetite to try and raise his level further and contest a full season across the water.

Speaking to GazetteSport, he said pursuing

this elevated challenge is something that has been in the genes since his earliest memories.

“I’ve been around the sport all my life. My uncle still races and this year he sponsored me the bike.

“I’ve been mechanic

raced cars when I was a baby but I’ve kind of surpassed what they have done.

“Next year, I’m going to try and race in England and am trying to raise the money to do that.

“It will cost a for-

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‘This year has been a dream, bascially achieving everything I can on a bike in Ireland. I’d like to continue that in England’ - Dave Butler

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for him, following him all over the country, getting to know the ins and outs. My father

Champion rider Dave Butler celebrates success on the road during the summer Picture: Ryan Fegan

tune to do that as it’s something of a full-time hobby. Basically, I probably need to raise about €10,000.”

But he says that pushing these new horizons could lead to even further honours: “This year was a dream.

“It was always my dream to win an Irish championship but basically I’ve achieved everything I can on my current bike over here.

“I’d like to continue it on in England where many have gone on to be future world champions.

“The two who finished ahead of me in the supertwin championship [in Ireland] will go on to be British champions at some stage and they will probably race in the world championship in the future.”

FastSport

Celtic Clovers launch the new ice hockey season THE Celtic Clovers will be hosting a launch event for their ice hockey club in Castleknock On Ice on Thursday, November 22 with festivities getting under way at 7pm.

At the event, the club will showcase their junior section, the Dublin Ducks, as well as their senior team who will display their skills and drills.

Around the rink, a raffle will be run while there will also be chuck-a-puck games, making for a great family evening out. All are welcome to come along on the evening. For more information, contact club PRO Jamie Hickey on jamiehickey@gmail.com

Blues and Nix lead LSL bid BLUEBELL United and Phoenix will be hoping to hold up the local LSL Sunday Senior involvement in the FAI intermediate cup but they face tricky ties in round three of the competition, due to be played on December 2.

Harry Kenny’s Nix will be pleased, though, to have avoided the trip to Swilly Rovers, the draw handing them home advantage at Scribblestown for the game. Bluebell, however, make the long trip south to Douglas Hall in round three.

The early phases of the competition had obliterated clubs from the top level of intermediate football

in Leinster but there still remains plenty of local interest.

Glenville, currently topping Sunday 1A, bring Leeside up to Palmerstown as they bid to recreate the buzz that brought them all the way to a senior cup date with Bohemians a couple of years ago.

TEK United have a big ask ahead of them if they are to surprise Tolka Rovers as do Pegasus St James’s Athletic.

The recently amalgamated third tier side have lost just once this term but a trip to College Corinthians in Cork looks a daunting one.

The finalists for the last two years, Cherry Orchard and Avondale United, have been drawn against each other in the tie of the round.

Gazette

30 CASTLEKNOCK gazette 15 November 2012

SPORT

FastSport

soccer: super castleknock comeback downs dundalk

Flynn qualifies for NCAA with top run in Arkansas COOLMINE man David Flynn showed a welcome return to form for Arkansas last week in the NCAA Division 1 South Central regional championship at Agri Park, Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Flynn was 23rd in the race held over 10,000m in 31.24.3 and was fifth scorer for his University, the Razorbacks, making the scoring for the first time since his season’s opener.

The Razorbacks, in finishing second in the team event, qualified for the NCAA division 1 championship which takes place on November 17.

Writing in his blog about the result, one which has helped him take up a place at one of the most prestigious events in US athletics calendar, he was forced to make a “bold” choice after being disappointed by his personal form.

“After the SEC conference I approached our coach and told him if I wasn`t in the top five scoring at regionals [the South Central championship] I would not have them fly me home for the intercounties in Ireland, a bold move on my part.

“But maybe it was just the motivation I needed at the time. When we came to the course that morning it was quite hot with 30mph winds.

“John McDonnell was there and he gave me probally the greatest advice I`ve ever heard: ‘this is how you will run the race. You will go all out for the first 5k and sprint the last 5k.’

“Nothing better then some Irish humour to calm the nerves before a race.”

Describing the race, Flynn said balancing this week’s hopes with potentially racing in the NCAA championships was particularly tough.

“The plan was to run the first 5k at race pace and cruise the last 5k because of NCAAs being next week, it would be tough to run two all out 10ks in two weeks. I kept with the lead pack to 5k and kept the last 5k conservative finishing in 31.24.

“After the race I said to my coach: ‘Better book that ticket home for the trials’. To be a scorer on the number 10 ranked team in the country is a great accomplishment for me and to keep the Arkansas tradition going in Clonliffe is even better.”

Oisin Takaza in action for Castleknock Celtic’s Under-10D in their 1-0 home win over Artane Beaumont last weeken

Celts U-18 Houdini act ddsl u-18 super Castleknock Celtic Dundalk  sport@gazettegroup.com

2 1

CASTLEKNOCK Celtic’s DDSL Under-18 Super team made if five wins from their first six games when they did a Houdini act in Porterstown to escape with a victory win over a Dundalk side who boasted two Northern Ireland internationals.

These two teams had served up a feast of goals when Celtic won their early season contest 4-3 in Oriel Park. This time the goals were less plen-

tiful, and it was Dundalk that looked like they were going to avenge the earlier defeat as they led 1-0 with 10 minutes remaining.

There had been few good goal chances in the first half. Philly Fitzpatrick had gone close with a curled effort that was pushed around the post brilliantly by the Dundalk keeper and a shot that was just over from 18 yards.

Mark Osborne in the Celtic goal had to be equally brilliant when he got down low on his left to push the ball around the post. It was,

gaa goes electric Brogan on hand to launch sponsorship extension electric Ireland linked up with St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh man Alan Brogan and Kilkenny star Henry Shefflin to announce they have become the GAA’s official energy partner until 2016.

The partnership is an extension of the brand’s successful Cul Green project and the brand currently sponsors the GAA All Ireland Minor Championships.

Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

however, Gavin Gaffney who broke the deadlock on the half hour when he hit the back of the net with his effort to give Dundalk the advantage.

It was more of the same in the second half, with Dundalk having the better of the exchanges.

The introduction of David Beattie, Jamal Traore and Pat Madjeski in the 65th minute brought the desired result.

The superior fitness of this squad, a strong bench, and a remarkable work ethic, have seen them prevail in previous games, and so it was to

prove again.

W i t h 10 m i n u t e s remaining, Traore picked up a throw in on the left, he swivelled, picked his spot, and rifled low into the bottom left corner.

With two minutes remaining, a David Beattie corner from the right was met by Traore whose bullet header whistled past the Dundalk keeper to complete the late recovery show and moves Celtic back into the top two behind Shelbourne.

Elsewhere, the club’s U-10D side, pictured above, produced a fine 1-0 home win over

Artane Beaumont.

Celtic’s Under-16 Girls team travelled to Sallynoggin to take on their old rivals St Joseph’s.

The home side led at half time with a goal which resulted from a defensive mix-up.

Castleknock levelled the game early in the second half when Orla Martin and Ciara Brady combined well to set up Aoibheann Lynch who coolly slotted the ball beyond the despairing dive of the keeper.

Kelly Boyle sealed victory with her powerful header from Emma Boyle’s corner.

15 November 2012 CASTLEKNOCK gazette 31

Gazette

Six St Brigid’s men on Dubs Stars shortlist  sport@gazettegroup.com

SIX St Brigid’s players along with St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh’s Craig Dunleavy are in the mix for a Dublin Bus Blue Star following their announcement of the nominees on Tuesday.

The Stars honour the top performers in the Dublin senior football

championship each year and Brigid’s were well represented after their run to the semi-finals when they were undone

by Kilmacud Crokes.

John O’Loughlin was a towering influence throughout that run and he duly earned a call-up in the midfield where he is joined by former AllStar and Dublin hero

Barry Cahill.

They are joined in the shortlist by former Ipswich Town goalkeeper Shane Supple, Alan Daly in the full-backs and Conor Moran in the halfback selection.

Paddy Andrews proved a very slick operator toward the end of the campaign up front, especially in some tricky con-

ditions, kicking six points in the quarter-finals and 1-2 in the semis to show why he deserved his inclusion in the full-forward listings.

Champions Ballymun Kickhams dominated the selections with 13 nominees for the awards with the final selection to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Club Noticeboard CASTLEKNOCK THE club would like to wish Ciaran Kil-

pionship match to Kimacud Crokes on

kenny all the best as he heads off to

Saturday, who were missing a lot due

Australia this week.

to the first team’s provincial com-

He has been a superb role model

The club’s nursery is run every Sat-

county over the years, and he knows

urday in Tir Na nOg, the green outside

that there will always be a place for

Castleknock Community College, at

him in Somerton Park.

10am, and we would like to welcome

And it was fitting that Ciaran’s last game for the club would be a win in the Leinster junior semi-final against

football: somerton side into leinster final

mitments.

and ambassador for both club and

all new players and families to join in.

Tickets for CastleKnock-Out on the December 1 are also still on sale.

Ratoath, putting the team through

They are €20 and can be purchased

to the Leinster Final in two weeks.

through one of the fighters, the list

Details of that game will follow when

of whom is on the Facebook page for

they are finalised.

the event.

Hard luck to the minor football-

Please keep sending any pictures

ers who lost their last group game

and match reports that you have to

against Ballinteer in the Champion-

info@castleknock.net, and address

ship, but a good points difference

them to David.

should see the lads through to the next round.

Hard luck also to the U-21 Footballers who lost their first round cham-

Signs surrounding the main pitch in Somerton are now on sale, for more information on how to get your sign seen contact Charlie 085 1101008.

ST BRIGID’S THE club’s 80th anniversary cel-

St Brigid’s GAA club nursery for

ebration takes place in the club on

four-to seven-year olds runs every

Thursday, November 29 at 8.30pm.

Saturday from 9.30am to 11am. New

Congrats to our U-14 A footballers and management who claimed the division one league title on Satur-

Castleknock will hope to recreate more of these scenes as they reached the Leinster JFC final last weekend

Castleknock sweep aside Royal challenge leinster jfc semi Castleknock Ratoath  peter carroll

3-9 1-3

sport@gazettegroup.com

CASTLEKNOCK booked their place in the Leinster Junior championship final after seeing off Ratoath in another one-sided victory that saw the Somerton side leave Meath with a fantastic victory.

Manager Tom McCormack, who has had a fantastic year in his managerial debut with the team, spoke previously about the league final against Scoil Ui Chonaill being a good preparation for the

Meath champions but he believes the final score was somewhat flattering.

“They were a tough team and the score slightly flattered us,” said McCormack. “We knew Ratoath were a good team and they proved it in the semi-final. Their corner forward was sent off early and, had he stayed on the pitch, it could have been a different story.”

As far as their final Leinster opposition, St Fintan’s of Wexford, McCormack admits it’s a journey into the unknown.

“I really don’t know much about the team; it’s very hard to keep an

eye on these sides while you’re trying to negotiate your own team through the championship.

“Any team that have come that far have got to be taken seriously,” said McCormack.

Castleknock have been on a tear this year taking the AFL4, the Dublin junior championship and now await a final showdown in the provincial championship and McCormack believes that it’s the players’ will to play for each other that has taken them this far.

“They have worked really hard for each other and they’ve always gone

about their football in the right way – trying to play for each other as a team.

“That’s been a big part of it and to take home the championship would be absolutely fantastic,” said the manager.

However, heading into the final they will be without favourite son, Ciaran Kilkenny, who will set off for Hawthorn.

“Ciaran has been great to work with. He has a fantastic attitude and he just gets on with his game.

“He’s always just been one of the lads here and he has never made a big deal about his talent.”

members and families welcome.

Contact Paul on 087 9154748 or see website for more info.

day to complete an amazing year,

A n ew GA A Sh ow fe atur in g a

adding to their All-Ireland Feile

weekly Brigid’s roundup is on every

success.

Monday evening on Phoenix FM at

Well done also to Michelle and

7.30pm.

her team on organising a hugely

The club lotto is €12,800 this week

successful wine night on Friday

and takes place in the Vineyard this

evening.

Thursday evening.

Special thanks to Ouzo’s Bar for their support.

C l u b r a c e n i g h t t h i s Fr i d a y,

The minor hurlers face Whitehall in the championship this Sunday at 11am.

November 16: hor ses and pro -

The U-16 hurlers face Setanta in

gramme sponsors are still need-

the league at 2.30pm on Saturday.

ed. Contact Tim O’Mahony on 086

See the website for more fixtures.

9314532 for more info. Please make sure you support this event.

Our club AGM t akes place on November 25.

westmanstown/garda COMMISERATIONS to the U-12 and

There is still an opportunity to be

the U-14 boys. Both sides were

an event sponsor and to advertise

involved in divisional Finals this

your business on the event night on

weekend but lost to Kilmacud and

Saturday, December 8.

Cu Chualainn respectively.

Well done to the teams, mentors and parents for your great efforts in 2012. Bring on 2013.

Join us for our annual fund-raising project Who Wants To Be a Thousandaire?

On the event night, you can network with close to 100 local businesses.

Have you got the hottest party ticket for this Christmas?

Entry tickets for the event cost €10. Food and full bar available.

Many thanks to the event spon-

For more information on the event

sors; 24 DOC, Copper Face Jacks,

and the club, visit www.westmans-

Dermot Coyne Solicitors, DID Elec-

towngaels.ie, call 086 6082708 or

trical, McGowans of Phibsboro and

contact stephen@westmanstown-

Spicers.

gaels.ie.

GazetteSPORT all of your CASTLEKNOCK sports coverage from page 27-31

comeback kings: Castleknock produce fine fight back to pick up fifth win in six U-18 outings P31

november 15, 2012

Butler’s flying 2012 form: Dubliner looking to challenge best in England next year P29

Kilkenny departs in rousing fashion  peter carroll

sport@gazettegroup.com

NIALL Tutty, chairman of Castleknock GAA, has praised “local hero” Ciaran Kilkenny after he played his last game for the club before heading to Australia to take up an AFL contract with Hawthorn.

He helped his team to a 3-9 to 1-3 victory over Ratoath which has seen the team through to the final of the Leinster junior championship, ending on a high note.

“We are all very proud of Ciaran here at Castleknock,” said the chairman. “He has been a super ambassador for the club on a local,

national and now international level as he begins his journey in Australia.

“His achievements at the club have been amazing, beginning with the Feile win in 2007 to the Dublin minor championship in 2011, to the league and championship double this year and obviously for his outstanding performances in the Dublin jersey at minor, U-21 and in his senior appearances.

“He is already an incredibly successful young man in his achievements, and we wish him the very best for the future,” said Tully.

The club honoured the future AFL player with a farewell party on Sunday, where several speech-

es and presentations were made to the dynamic forward.

“It was a great night and I think we gave Ciaran a send off that he deserved for his great work. Words that kept coming up in the speeches were ‘humble’ and ‘humility’, and they represent what Ciaran is all about very well.

“He has always been a model player in his conduct in the nursery with the children, in the dressing room with his teammates and most importantly, on the pitch.

“His teammates gave him a novel gift with a Castleknock kit made in the style of an AFL uniform, where we gave him the only thing that we could think of that

could represent his importance to us – a lifetime membership to the club.

“Anyone that was at the match [against Ratoath] will understand what Ciaran means to the locality.

“He was mobbed coming off the pitch on the way to the dressing rooms. There were people jumping all over him.

“He makes himself accessible to all of the people. He has a star quality to him and he is so comfortable in the way he carriers himself. He’s an excellent advertisement for the club and I think he will go on to inspire a new generation of players at Castleknock.”

Castleknock’s Ciaran Kilkenny