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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: Castleknock Community College students show off their artwork at an exhibition P6

great debaters: Mount Sackville students attend major event Page 2

Making a splash: St Michael’s House Santa Swim 2012 Tag rugby:

Westmanstown gets special set of visitors Page 30

Hurling:

St Brigid’s land AHL8 title with St Pat’s victory Page 31

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

rte tots presenter Emma O’ Driscoll, Irish Olympic swimmer Aisling Cooney and Dublin Senior footballer Ciaran Whelan were on hand recently to launch St Michael’s House Santa Swim.

St Michael’s House has launched the Santa Swim in an attempt to pack Santa’s sleigh with educational and sporting equipment for St Michael’s House in time for Christmas. The Santa Swim will take place on December 1 at 10:00am in Aqua Zone at the National Aquatic Centre.

Almost €600k to fund local sports projects This funding will help people to get involved in sport – Minister Varadkar

 Hiromi Mooney

TWELVE sports projects in the local area are set to receive €562,929, as part of the new national Sports Capital Grant programme

that was announced earlier this week.

This is part of a new €26m funding for local sports projects nationwide revealed by Minister of State for Tourism and

Sport, Michael Ring.

“This funding will help people throughout the constituency by giving them more opportunities to get involved in sport, whatever their ability. In times like

this when resources are stretched, financial support is even more significant,” said local TD and Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar.

Full Story on Page 2

2 CASTLeKNOCK Gazette 6 December 2012

dublin GAZETTe it’s your story Senior debaters win big newspapers i n f o r m at i o n Block 3A, Mill Bank Business Park, Lucan Tel: 01 - 6010240 Dublin Gazette Newspapers publish eight weekly quality free titles, covering the greater Dublin area from Swords to Dun Laoghaire

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The senior debaters of Mount Sackville Secondary School who attended the largest European Model United Nations event, which was held at University College, Cork

No debate – Mount Sackville proves to be a model school  Clodagh Havel

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November 2012 has been a ‘model’ month for the senior debaters of Mount Sackville Secondary School.

T h e we e ke n d o f November 9 to 11 saw 13 of the school’s fifthyear students attend the largest European Model United Nations event, which was held at University College, Cork.

Over 170 delegates from 20 schools nationally took part in a lively and enthusiastic debate, which mirrored the workings of the real United

Nations in New York.

Mount Sackville sent three delegations, representing the countries of China, Columbia and The Netherlands, to take part in the debate.

Defended

The girls embraced and defended the rights of these countries for the entire weekend in seven different councils: Security, Disarmament, Social and Humanitarian, Economic, Drugs and Crime, Historical Security and the International Criminal Court. The councils sat ‘in session’ through-

out Friday and Saturday, reaching draft resolutions that were eventually passed on Sunday.

Questions that were posed to the young delegates ranged from how best could the disarmament council hold up to the challenges presented by countries such as Israel and Iran; to possible solutions to the human rights crisis of human trafficking, specifically within central and northern Africa. All the delegates from Mount Sackville fully participated in every council.

Special mention must

go to fifth-year delegate for Columbia, Caoimhe Ryan, who won the Best Delegate award. The adjudicators commented on Caoimhe’s ability to “defend her country unwaveringly and her unquestionable ability to calmly persuade why her position was unmoving”.

Another winner was fifth-year Delegate for China, Mercedes McGovern, who won a Highly Commended distinction for her determination “not to let her country go unheard”.

Congratualtions were extended to all of the del-

egates: Caoimhe Ryan, Mercedes McGovern, Jessica O’Neill, Kate Boylan, Rachel Ralph, Vivienne Birmingham, Rachel Lai, Ruth Prendergast, Aine Walsh, Caroline Conneely, Reel Ahmed, Laura O’Brien and Hazel Keogh.

Then, on November 12, Mount Sackville continued on their path of Model success, when they participated in the Maynooth Model Parliament, hosted by the Maynooth University Law Society and chaired by the Ceann Caomhairle, Mr Sean Barrett TD.

Get Zumba fit while having fun playing football A new fitness initiative that combines the dance of Zumba and the fun of football has taken off in Dublin 15.

On Saturday, November 24, the Fit To Play initiative for women was officially launched at Corduff Sports Centre in

Blanchardstown.

The initiative is designed to encourage participants to take part in physical activity while having fun.

The idea, conceived by JK Onwumereh, a community leader and Youth Officer with

Foroige, was launched by the Mayor of Fingal County Council Cian O’Callaghan. He said he was “always happy to support any initiative that promotes health and well-being”.

Onwumereh, the coordinator of Fit to Play Ireland, noted that

he was inspired to develop the idea as it would be beneficial to local women. He thanked Des Tomlinson, the National Intercultural Coordinator for the FAI’s support.

For further information on Fit to Play, call 085 728 2809.

6 December 2012 CASTLEKNOCK Gazette 3

marketing NAC wins business award

retail: Store offering 45,000 sq ft of space and 15 new jobs

A new look for Harvey Norman

Harvey Norman has unveiled its new-look retail unit at Blanchardstown Centre. It has combined its original 15,000 sq ft footprint with almost 30,000 sq ft of new retail space, and with it comes 15 new full time jobs.

The showroom, located in the retail park at the Blanchardstown Centre, has taken over space that was previously occupied

by Clerys and Reid Furniture and is adjacent to its existing Harvey Norman store.

Combined, the retailer has created one enormous retail space of 45,000 sq ft.

The new space is now a furniture and bedding showroom, which incorporates homewares. It

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

‘It’s a tough market and we are competing very hard to sustain the momentum that we’ve built this year’ --------------------------

has been created to a bright, spacious architectural design that’s inspiring and provides the best shopping experience.

Blaine Callard, chief executive of Harvey Norman Ireland said: “We are one of the very few major retailers, in any business category, who have expanded this year.

That’s in direct response to more customers com-

ing though our doors, liking our products and services.

“Whether, you’re a new homeowner, an interiors enthusiast, or just looking to freshen up your home, our new Blanchardstown store will have something for you.

“It’s a tough market and we are competing very hard to sustain the momentum that we’ve built this year in terms of increasing sales and gaining market share. We’re also pleased to welcome another 15 new team members to the Harvey Norman family and will be announcing a considerable number of new temporary Christmas jobs next week,” the chief executive added.

Singing along: A giant karaoke session to launch Sing for Simon

the simon community has recently launched this year’s nationwide Sing for Simon campaign with a spectacular karaoke rendition of the wonderfully festive carol Merry Christmas Everyone at Meeting House Square in Temple Bar. Sing for Simon runs from December 1 until Christmas Eve and raises much-needed funds to help the Simon Community as it continues to provide vital services to the most vulnerable people in our society. Pictured at the launch was Leia Ryan (4) from Castleknock dancing along to the Sing for Simon campaign.

The National Aquatic Centre is swimming in delight after winning a marketing award at the Fingal Business Excellence Awards.

The popular swimming attraction won the Best Sales and Marketing Campaign Excellence Category at the awards, organised by the Fingal Dublin Chamber.

This was for the centre’s success in attracting teams from across the world in advance of the Olympics, some of whom trained there. Congratulating the team at the NAC, local TD and Minister for Sport, Leo Varadkar said: “The NAC has shown its worth since it opened, and will be central to the National Sports Campus, which is currently being developed at the site in Blanchardstown.”

4 CASTLEKNOCK Gazette 6 December 2012

FastNews cheer Glenn turns from mere mortal to elf

Staggered guardrails to be considered

INSTALLATION of staggered pedestrian guardrails is being considered at the entrance to Dunsandle Grove from Castleknock Road, as recommended by the Area Engineer.

Councillor Eithne Loftus asked for the possibility of erecting bollards here as “joyriders have begun to use this entrance as a through road” at the Castleknock/Mulhuddart Area Committee Meeting.

The Council replied that the area had “no evidence of being used by vehicular traffic” when inspected, but works “will be listed for consideration under our current works programme, subject to the necessary funding being available”.

Christmas concert series STUDENTS from the Castleknock School of Music will perform at the Christmas Concerts Series Gala Concert this Sunday, December 9 at 2.30pm.

The free concert will take place at the Piano Plus Concert Hall at Centrepoint Business Park in Dublin 12.

There will be singing and performances on various instruments, as well as some special guest performances.

The concert will be conducted by Rachel Reid and accompanied

by Eilis Cooney.

eMobile, eircom’s mobile phone service, announced that its team of elves will be taking to the streets of Ireland this festive season with the aim of putting smiles on people’s faces by performing random acts of surprise, Christmas cheer and kindness. Pictured at the launch were the 4 eMobile elves James Sheerin, Alex Lyons, Chief Elf, Castleknock’s Glenn McMahon and Fiona Cunniffe.

Local man is appointed eMobile’s new Chief Elf  hiromi mooney

A CASTLEKNOCK man has been appointed as eMobile’s Chief Elf and Head of Little Surprises this Christmas season.

Glenn McMahon beat stiff competition in the mobile phone service’s nationwide search for a chief elf.

He began travelling around the countr y with his team of elves on Thursday, November 29, and the group aims to put smiles on people’s faces by performing random acts of Christmas cheer and goodwill until Sunday, December 23.

Some of their acts of charity will include paying for people’s public car parking or shopping trollies, helping them with their Christmas shopping and handing out free coffees.

When Glenn spoke to the Gazette last week, he explained his journey from mere mortal to chief elf.

“W hen I read the advertisement in the paper, it instantly caught my attention as I knew it’d be something that would be different and a lot of fun. The position required the chief elf to spread Christmas cheer

and manage a team of elves. I thought it was just a great opportunity.

“I was really delighted to be selected – it really is a dream job for any 18-year-old. All of us are throwing ourselves into putting a smile on people’s faces. It’s a real feel-good job,” he said.

“There was some stiff competition, so I was thrilled when I got the call. When I got the full details on what was required, I was even more keen to just get started. I didn’t realise the extent of the campaign and the amount of different places we

would be travelling to.

It’s an amazing opportunity.”

The requirements for the position included being able to manage a team of elves, being able to do a cartwheel, and be ing a bubbly and fun person. Glenn was selected due to his excellent leadership skills, his outgoing and resourceful personality, and for his sheer love of Christmas.

Glenn said that he has been enjoying his work so far.

“I have to say it has been brilliant. Myself and my team of elves are having a great time

surprising people with mobile phones and other treats, spreading Christmas cheer by doing acts of kindness such as helping people with their Christmas shopping and paying for public parking,” he said.

“People are genuinely intrigued and then taken aback when we pop out of the giant Christmas present box to offer them a Christmas treat. People are really surprised to be getting a gift from a real live elf.”

For more information about the elves, log on to www.facebook.com/ emobileireland

jobseekers

Pay with no delay after seasonal work Reassur ance is being given to jobseekers who avail of temporary work over Christmas, with the government saying Jobseeker’s Benefits or Allowance payments will be reinstated without delay when they finish their seasonal work.

Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton said people getting jobseeker’s payments should “not have any concerns” about their payments being restored after a period of temporary work.

“Where a person who is getting Jobseeker’s Benefit or Jobseeker’s Allowance takes up temporary work or avails of a shortterm training course for up to eight weeks, my Department will temporarily suspend their claim so that it can be reinstated without delay when the work or training finishes,” she said.

A number of high-profile retailers have already announced temporary job placements to help with the Christmas rush.

Minister Burton urged employers who need temporary staff to contact any one of her department’s network of offices, where staff will make every effort to help the employer to get suitable job-ready people to fill their vacancies.

Employers will receive a quality service including the referral of skilled people and information on a range of incentives to assist employers in growing their businesses.

6 December 2012 CASTLEKNOCK Gazette 5

grant Dublin West benefits from new programme

Local sports projects get €562k funding  hiromi mooney

A TOTAL of €562,929 will be allocated to 12 sports projects in Dublin West, as part of the new national Sports Capital Programme.

This total is part of a new €26 million funding for local sports projects nationwide, which was announced by Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring, on Monday, December 3.

This year’s round of the programme is the first round of the programme

since 2008. New criteria were introduced for this year’s programme, with a particular emphasis on clubs in disadvantaged areas.

A total of €11,163 will be allocated to Castleknock Celtic FC, €25,000 to Coolmine Gymnastics Club, €159,045 to Coolmine RFC, €13,428 to St Margaret’s GAA Club, €172,752 to Ongar Community Centre, €48,000 to St Catherine’s Park, €29,146 to Phoenix Cricket Club, €40,328 to St Brigid’s GAA Club,

€18,040 to St Mochta’s Football Club, €22,783 to St Oliver Plunkett Eoghan Ruadh GAA Club, €5,000 to Tyrrellstown GAA Club, and €18,244 to Westmanstown Gaels/ Garda GAA Club.

“This funding will help people throughout the constituency by giving them more opportunities to get involved in sport, whatever their ability.

In times like this when resources are stretched, financial support is even more significant,” said local TD and Minister

Local Minister Leo Varadkar welcomed the funding

for Transport, Tourism & Sport, Leo Varadkar.

In a statement, Minister Varadkar explained that funding could not be provided to nine other local clubs or projects as the applications were ineligible. However, he said his Department propose to have another round of

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funding in the next year or so, and all clubs and local authorities would be entitled to apply.

C o u n c i l l o r D av i d McGuinness (FF), said: “I welcome the news for the clubs who were successful and want to congratulate them. However, there are many more local clubs

who will be deeply disappointed.”

Local TD and Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton,said: “This funding will allow a diverse array of sports clubs and groups to build and improve much needed facilities, or to purchase sports equipment.”

event Exploring Chinese culture A CHINESE cultural and music event will take place at St Patrick’s National School in Diswellstown on Sunday, December 9.

The event is organised by the Dublin 15 Mandarin Chinese Club and takes place from 11am to 1pm.

As it is coming up to Christmas, the music event will see members of the club perform some Christmas songs, as well as traditional Chinese music.

Singapore musician Li Yunhe will be the guest of honour at the event.

He has performed for the President of Ireland, President of Singapore and the King of Thailand.

For further details, contact Ling Hensey at 087 657 2368.

6 CASTLeKNOCK Gazette 6 December 2012

gazetteGALLERY

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Sophie Davy

Haley Dixon from transition year. Pictures: Ronan O’Sullivan

Student’s exhibition is picture perfect

S

tudents of Castleknock Community College showed off their work recently as they held an art exhibition.

The exhibition featured a wide

Kate O’Colmain

Una King

range of works from paintings to sculptures and really showed off the student’s flair for creativity.

Students talked about what inspired their ideas for their crea-

tions and how much fun they had working on them.

This was the work of last year’s Junior Cert class – all of whom are now in fifth year or transition year.

Zoe Gilligan

Anna Seniuc and Ronan Sweeney

Karolina Vens

6 December 2012 CASTLEKNOCK Gazette 7

8 CASTLEKNOCK Gazette 6 December 2012

A picture tells a story!

Got a great picture, Send it to us!

Call our news team on 60 10 240 or email picturedesk@gazettegroup.com

event

A day out that the entire family can enjoy

Santa to make a special visit to Dublin Zoo DUBLIN Zoo is housing a very special festive guest this month.

Santa Claus has arrived from the North Pole and will be in his grotto every weekend

this month, and then every day from Thursday, December 20 until Christmas Eve from 10am to 4pm.

The elves are looking forward to greeting the

children, and Santa will be waiting to hear about their Christmas wish list.

He will also have a photo taken with them and give them a small gift at their visit.

There will be plenty for the whole family to enjoy as there will be arts, crafts and face-painting at the Meerkat Restaurant from 12 noon to 3pm. Children can also

take a trip around the zoo to visit the animals.

Tickets cost €8 per child for Annual Pass holders. €10 per child for non-holders. General admission rates apply.

Go Cubs!

Good, clean fun at park the big-hearted boys and girls of the Porterstown Tuesday Cubs showed off their community spirit last week as they took part in a clean up of the Tir Na nOg park in Carpenterstown.

The group took on the work as part of their community special interest badge and cleared a number of bags of rubbish from the park.

The group are part of the Porterstown Scouts and cater for children aged nine to 11.

For more information, see www.porterstownscouts.com

information: Blanchardstown facility ‘one of the best’

A local historian defends library’s historical content  laura webb lwebb@gazettegroup.com

A local historian is defending Blanchardstown Library after claims that it contained ‘basic’ information relating to the ever-changing Dublin 15 area.

Historian and Gazette columnist Jim Lacey says the claims were simply not true, saying instead that it is one of the best public libraries in the country for local history content.

Lacey read an article in this paper recently about a Facebook page, Blanchardstown Past And Present. The founder of the page, Olivia Leonard, commented that

she set up the page to get people talking about Blanchardstown’s days gone by and for people to enjoy and share their memories.

When she was working on the page, she looked for information about the history of Blanchardstown online and in the library, which she said was “quite basic”.

This quote prompted Lacey to defend his local library, saying: “It’s simply not true, in fact it is the direct opposite.

“Blanchardstow n Library is one of the best public libraries in the country in terms of its local history content.

Ritchie Farrell a senior librarian employed there

travelled the country amassing a huge collection of books relating to the history of Ireland and the Irish people and in particular relating to Dublin County.

“I carried out a great part of my research in the old Blanchardstown Library in Roselawn the forerunner of the present library… it was absolutely brilliant. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful and there was plenty of books and information on hand, the present library has much much more.

“It does not compete with The Gilbert Library in Pearse Street or Fingal County Archives in Swords or The National

Library but these are specialised libraries,” he said.

Lacey says there are a vast number of local history books relating to this area that are available in the reference section of Blanchardstown Library.

“There is a filing cabinet crammed full of research notes, documents, old newspapers cuttings, photocopies of Old Dublin Society papers relating to this area, copies of old maps and family records placed there by authors of local histories and researchers over the years,” he added.

Large images of photographs dated back to

the late 1600’s lined the walls and 105 images were cleaned up, printed and edited for Heritage Week in 2011.

“The library has also acquired the microfiche records of the Baptismal, Marriage and Death Registers of St Brigid’s Parish Blanchardstown that date back to 1775. These are some of the earliest Roman Catholic records available in any library in the country.

“So there is a mine of information in Blanchardstown Library…

The management and staff do great work and do it in a friendly and efficient way, so well done to all in Blanchardstown Library,” he said.

6 December 2012 CASTLEKNOCK Gazette 9

10 CASTLeKNOCK Gazette 6 December 2012

gazetteGALLERY

Ivan and Lulu Varian and Ellie Balfe

Hamley’s Toy Soldier with Faye and Lily Monaghan

Hamleys has it all for Christmas

F

or an extra special visit to Father Christmas this year, Hamleys in Dundrum has rolled out an exclusive five-star experience, with an hour-long visit with Father Christmas that includes entertainment and games, a Christmas goodie bag, and a tasty meal specially prepared in Santa’s kitchen.

Numbers are limited to just 20 children per

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visit, and each child is guaranteed special time with Father Christmas. Running until Christmas Eve, visitors can enjoy an exciting breakfast, lunch, or tea-time meeting with Father Christmas and his elves, costing €25 per child.

Bookings can be made: online at www.hamleys.com, in-store at the customer service point on the first floor, or call 01 292 4900.

Laura, Melanie, John and Michael Finn with Ciara, Matthew and Alex Burtenshaw

Toby Lee and Cillian

Caraleigh Doyle, Laura Finn, Corina Grant-Doyle and

McAllister

Corbyn-Rose Doyle

6 December 2012 Gazette 11

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dublinlife

Let Dublin Gazette Newspapers take you on a tour of the news and events taking place across the city and county this week, as well as the latest from our schools

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dance: tappy toes teaches little ones

Toddlers to get grooving as UK class arrives here

A NEW dance class for toddlers is set to take Dublin by storm, and will see little ones tapping their toes to their own beat.

Award winning toddler group Tappy Toes is launching in Ireland.

The latest activity was voted Britain’s best preschool activity and caters for kids aged 20 months to four and half years.

The dance/movement class is considered to be

for a demographic that is often ignored. Parents and their toddlers are being invited to come along to dance, sing and play.

Former ballerina Petra Durdikova will be delivering the new Dublin classes, incorporating fun and learning into dance with the use of bells, ribbons, and maracas as well as songs with actions and nursery rhymes.

She moved to England in 2002 where she spent 10 years teaching, choreographing and performing in local dance schools and annual shows.

With four years’ experience teaching Tappy Toes in the UK, she is now ready to take this knowledge and share it with Ireland.

The one thing this new business is looking for is that children involved are enjoying

every minute of it. Creator Claire Greenwood said: “Parents tell me our class is the highlight of their child’s week.”

Children absorb basic fundamentals of dance in a warm, comfortable and enjoyable social environment resulting in physical, psychological and social development.

For further information, or to watch a Tappy Toes demonstration, log onto www.tappytoes.ie

Grace Reilly gets the chance to tap her toes in the Howth Tappy Toes class

Gazette

12 Gazette 6 December 2012

dublinlife

Steady, steady ... this young chef gets to grips with her meal at Wagamama Dundrum

diary

Children happy to wok to learn top Wagamama tips YOUNG child chefs showed off their culinary skills when they took part in Wagamama Dundrum’s cookery class programme recently.

Children from St Andrew’s College lined up for the educational event, and had their wooden spoons and woks at the ready for an action-packed day of learning the secrets and skills of the restaurant industry.

The class had the opportunity to learn about food, nutrition, order systems, the restaurant industry and the Wagamama brand.

Restaurant manager, Brian Smyth, said: “This experience follows sev-

eral cooking-day experiences that Wagamama had undertaken with local schools last year.

“Some of the previous participants had written letters to Wagamama saying it was the best day in school they’d ever had.”

Wagamama is continuing its educational projects with other local schools every few months until next June. Interested schools should get in touch with the team via Wagamama’s Facebook or Twitter pages.

ring in 2013 at christ church AN EXPECTED 500 people will ring in 2013 with the Dublin Gospel

Choir at a special New Year’s Eve Gala Concert to be held at Christ Church Cathedral.

The evening includes a post-concert champagne reception in the cr ypt, followed by a countdown to the ringing of the bells at midnight on the cathedral grounds.

The Christ Church Cathedral New Year’s Eve Gala Concert is always hugely popular, so patrons are asked to book well in advance.

Tickets cost €45 per person, and include the reception. Doors open at 8.30pm, and the concert begins at 9pm.

To book your place at the concer t, call

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01 677 8099, or see Christ Church Cathedral’s website at www. christchurchdublin.ie/.

celebrations at docklands SANTA Claus is coming to town, and he’s set to give children a great holiday experience at the Dublin Docklands.

Santa is arriving on Saturday, December 8, and will be meeting boys and girls every Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon to 7pm – what’s even better, it’s free to meet the man in red.

Charity To celebrate the true giving spirit of Christmas, Santa will be asking boys and girls to bring a gift and leave it at Santa’s Giving Tree, for distribution to a leading children’s charity.

On Friday, December 7, Santa will officially switch on the Christmas lights for the Dublin Docklands Christmas Festival, which will run in the IFSC from December 7 to 23, from 12 noon to 8pm daily, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am.

Entry is free, and the event promises to be a real delight for children and adults alike.

For further information on the upcoming Dublin Docklands Christmas Festival, or to book space at the event, see the website at www.dublindocklandschristmasfestival.ie.

6 December 2012 Gazette 13

Gazette

feature

break away project

A cosy evening for Christmas The Break Away Project, a new performance group based in Dublin, is holding a cosy evening of stories, music and mulled wine as part of its Christmas celebrations this year.

Artistic director of the project, Helena Byrne, spoke to The Gazette about the project and the upcoming storytelling evening.

“The Break Away Project was founded in January and each month we hold an event. So far, we’ve hosted four readings, three concerts and, in October, put on a full play of Dr Seward’s Dracula in the Crypt of Christ Church.

Links Rena Maycock and Feargal Harrington established Intro Matchmaking in 2011

Date with a difference  Hiromi Mooney

With many Christmas nights ahead on the social calendar, there are plenty of opportunities to meet someone special. But what do you do if you feel that you can’t pluck up the courage to approach the opposite sex?

Perhaps you find the idea of introducing yourself to strangers too daunting, or you have negative experiences in the past and lost your confidence.

Whatever the reason, help is just a phone call away with Intro Matchmaking, a company established in September 2011 by Rena Maycock and Feargal Harrington from Malahide, which is based on Dawson Street in the city centre.

They worked with focus groups for a year and a half before they set up, and discovered that up to 80% of people felt that bars and pubs were hostile environments to meet the opposite sex, and over 70% had admitted to telling lies on online dating websites

– such as exaggerating their height or reducing their waistline. They also discovered that some people set the bar too high.

“There could be expectations that are so high in some people’s cases that we know that they’ll never be pleased,” said Feargal.

“A very blunt expression here is ‘those who can be pleased will be’ – and it’s so true. I mean, we get stories that some people literally say ‘I’ll only meet that man if he’s above six foot, if he’s from a certain location in Dublin, if he’s never been married – only if he’s single, no children, and third-level educated in certain professions’.

A la carte

“It doesn’t work that way, because it’s like they’re treating it as an a la carte menu in a restaurant.

“We had some very difficult people to begin with, but (they) actually changed their mind, and ended up with people who are polar opposites to what they had come

in and initially specified as being their requirements.”

Intro Matchmaking’s clients range in age from 22 to 79, and one in three of their members joined through word of mouth.

Feargal said that since they have opened, one in four of their clients are now in long-term relationships.

“It just proves that people wouldn’t go into a long-term relationship unless they really felt that it was definitely going to work,” he said.

“We schedule dates.

We book the restaurants for the couples and they’re booked under their personal names – never under the company name, so there’s no fear or worry that you need to actually be holding a rose or wearing a certain colour for the person to recognise you. So it’s kind of seamless in the sense that there’s no hassle.”

Intro Matchmaking first speaks to clients by phone, and then meets them to check that they provide legitimate details and identification. It then assess them to help find

their perfect match. In this way – unlike online dating services, it can ensure that it’s members cannot make false claims about themselves. It also never makea their clients’ details available, which leaves them assured that it’s a very confidential,

trustworthy and discreet service.

Now that Christmas is approaching, Feargal advises all singletons to attend all of the social events around them.

For more information about Intro Matchmaking, visit www.intro.ie.

“For 2013 we have a lot of things planned as part of our remit is to forge links between Irish and American artists. One of the biggest upcoming events for the year of the Gathering will be our production of It Came From Mars by Joseph Zettlemaier, and he is due to come over for the production in Easter, hopefully.

“This December, though, we’re having an evening of storytelling and music with tales of folklore from Ireland, Scandanavia and Italy. The music will be a mixture of unusual Christmas songs, not the obvious stuff you’d hear on the radio.”

The candlelit Evening of Stories, Music and Mulled Wine will be hosted in the Centre for Creative Practices at 15 Pembroke St Lower, Dublin 2 on December 16 at 7.30pm.

Tickets cost €12 and can be booked by calling the centre on 01 799 5416.

Gazette

14 Gazette 6 December 2012

dublinlife

DublinGazetteNewspapers cub reporters and photographers of the year November 2012 winners

H Reporter of the

MONTH

Aisling O’Fiachain & Julia Ryan Sixth-Year Notre Dame students Aisling and Julia showed their journalistic skills by bringing to life their school’s science fair that brought the wonders of chemistry, biology and physics to visiting primary school pupils.

Spikeball has proven to be a big hit with the children that the Transition Year pupils taught

Photo

colaiste cois life: sport teaching programme

of the H

MONTH

Wiktoria Stawasz ADAMSTOWN Community College student, Wiktoria Stawasz, sent in this shot of local nature, with squirrels still bounding about as winter looms. You can see more of Wiktoria’s work at wikta2703.deviantart.com/gallery.

schoolLife

Get involved with our new Gazette schools pages As part of the 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 more details, contact rheigh@ gazettegroup.com, or on 01 601 0240.

Transition Years teach Spikeball to local kids  Aisling NI Bhlo-

scaidh and Ashley Nic Gabhann

Colaiste Cois Life, an all-Irish Secondary School in Lucan, was recently selected to take part in the Volleyball Association of Ireland’s Transition Year Girls SpikeBall Leaders Award Programme for 2012.

The initiative is funded by the Irish Sports Council’s Women In Sport project, which encoura ges girls to actively participate in sport.

O n O c t o b e r 18 , Colaiste Cois Life was visited by Mary Lalor and Graham Torrance, development officers

from the Volleyball Association of Ireland, for a full day course.

Mary and Graham introduced us to the game of spikeball (an adapted game of volleyball). We learned the SpikeBall rules, how to play the game and how to introduce it to Primary School students.

We also learned about coaching, refereeing, sports reporting and organising a SpikeBall Blitz.

Fif teen girls were divided into five groups and were sent out to local primary schools in the Lucan area.

These schools included Scoil Eiscir Riada, Gaelscoil Naomh Padraig and Griffeen Valley

Educate Together.

The girls were coaching fifth and sixth class students in SpikeBall skills and prepared them ahead of a blitz on November 30.

T he coaching was very beneficial to the leaders, and the students thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a huge learning experi-

ence for the Transition Year girls. The highlight of the course was the sense of achievement after successfully completing the course.

T he toughest par t was getting the students attention and maintaining authority over them.

Overall, it was a great experience for everyone involved.

6 December 2012 Gazette 15

Gazette

schools st conleth’s college: bond theme for event

Shaken not stirred at Build-A-Bank launch  Conor White

THE Bond Bank in St Conleth’s College got itself off to an actionpacked start when it held its launch day on November 20.

Students from throughout the school came to visit the bank and learn about the products it has on offer.

Centred around the theme of ‘James Bond’, the bank is the school’s entry to the Build-a-Bank Challenge, a national competition overseen by AIB. Students are encouraged to set up bank accounts, apply for internet banking and avail of a debit card.

The bank team, a group of six Transition Year students, open the

bank every Tuesday so that money can be lodged.

At the launch, the visiting students were invited to listen to a presentation about what the bank could offer them, teaching invaluable skills about money and personal finance.

However, the audiences were initially ‘shaken and stirred’ by the bank’s own advertisement created on the James Bond theme. Sales and marketing executive, Gavin Sheridan, donned a black suit and was filmed on his mission to withdraw from an ATM and use mobile banking, among other tasks.

There was a rapturous response from all that attended. Most students created accounts and left the

room with an extremely positive attitude about the bank.

It is hoped that this supportive relationship can continue throughout the year with the bank’s seasonal promotions and savings’ week in the pipeline.

St Finian’s CC: Olympic star Carruth stars at school’s awards night 

Bank manager Conor White

Ojamiji Catherine Adaranijo

St Finian’s Community College in Swords recently held its annual awards evening, where the guest speaker was Olympic gold medallist, Michael Carruth. Mr Carruth spoke at the beginning of the ceremony and encouraged students with motivating words such as “if you believe, you achieve”.

On the night, students received awards for their achievements in academia, sport and positively contributing to school life throughout the 2011-12 academic year.

Notably, the junior student of the year was awarded to Jessica Gargan, and the senior student of the year was Sruthy Kumar. It was a very enjoyable evening of celebration for parents, students and teachers. Photographer – Clara Kinsella

GAZETTE

16 GAZETTE 6 December 2012

DUBLINLIFE

Managing a joint account

Q&A

OLLIE FLOOD, MANAGER, HARVEY NORMAN

Bedding down to succeed in Blanchardstown role OLLIE Flood has worked with one of Ireland’s leading retailers, Harvey Norman, since 2006. He has been working in home furnishings for 18 years, having previously worked with BB Blinds for 12 years before joining Harvey Norman in 2006.

He worked in the Dundalk store initially, before moving to manage the Holywood store in 2009; he has now taken on the reins as manager

in Harvey Norman’s latest store in Blanchardstown Retail Park, at Blanchardstown Shopping Centre.

He says: “For me, this is a fabulous step forward, running the most fantastic furniture store in the country. I look forward to seeing the store grow with our customers, keeping that important balance between working hard and having a great store and enjoying my day’s work.”

How long have you been in business?

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

I’ve been in the furnishing business 20 years; the last eight with Harvey Norman. Now, I’m in our newly opened, massively expanded 30,000 sq ft Harvey Norman store in Blanchardstown Retail Park.

What makes your business successful?

We know our customer, we know that they want the range and quality of products at competitive prices, and that’s what we offer them.

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

It comes down to two things: products and service. Our range of products is a great mix of both design and value, plus our trained staff know what they are selling and how to listen to the customer to ensure they choose the right product for them – what could be better?

How has the recession impacted your business?

It’s a flat economy, but Harvey Norman sales are up, and market share in key categories is growing.

What have you changed about your business to combat the effects of the recession?

It’s not a change; it’s a continuation – big selection, affordable pricing and an ever increasing focus on great customer service.

BUSINESS

Supported

by AIB

Introduce legislation to abolish upward-only rent clauses in commercial leases. Our Irish rents are crazy.

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

We interact with our customers in lots of ways, so in that way we are very social. We regularly interact via customers’ own social media including Twitter, blogs, and boards.

What is your ambition for the business?

For the new store in Blanchardstown to become our busiest Dublin furniture and bedding, electrical and computers store.

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

There is no such as thing as ‘No’.

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

Blanchardstown is a great centre, always busy, and our new furniture and bedding store is going to amaze people. I look forward to seeing those customers return again and again to buy from us.

What living person do you most admire?

Alan Sugar.

DISAGREEMENTS about personal finance can be very divisive – I have seen figures that suggest half of the couples who break up do so because of a disagreement about money.

So, when I say that you need to agree a joint financial strategy with your partner, I don’t say it lightly. One approach that I have found works well is to: • Look for common ground. It is likely, for instance, that you both want the same thing – to be free of debt, and to have plenty of spare cash.

• Communicate freely and honestly. Assess where you are, and how each of you have contributed to the current state of affairs. Be honest. Discuss each of your strengths and weaknesses, and the things you are doing right, and the things you are doing wrong.

• Compromise. Don’t allow past behaviour and events to poison your chance of success. Put grievances behind you. Start afresh, and in doing so, accept that you will both have to agree to do things differently in the future.

Here are some valuable tips on handling joint finances – whether with your partner, or with someone else.

• Maintain your independence. A joint account is perfect for joint responsibilities, but it is a good idea to keep an account for yourself so that you have money available to spend as you want.

Decide which areas are joint expenditure, and which you are each going to handle alone.

• If one half of a partnership takes over all the money

management, it can lead to big trouble. The person in charge may end up resenting the fact that he or she is doing all the work ... and he or she may also become controlling. The person not involved is leaving himself or herself vulnerable, and is adopting an essentially childlike position.

Both of you should take decisions together – even if one of you does the day-to-day accounting.

• Be honest about how you each feel. If one of you wants to save and the other wants to spend ... admit it, and work out a strategy that allows each of you to do as you please. Compromise!

• Plan for a future that isn’t completely dependent on staying together. I realise that this may seem pessimistic, but I frequently find myself counselling people who unexpectedly find themselves having to deal with money for the first time.

Communication, of course, is the key. More next week.  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

AIB: SEMINAR ON OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL FIRMS

Experts offer retail tips on e-commerce in 2013 LAST week, AIB hosted a seminar for over 200 of its SME customers, Retailing in Ireland – Prospects and Possibilities 2013, at the AIB Bankcentre in Ballsbridge.

It provided information on current consumer spending trends and the likely profile of consumer spending in 2013, along with expert views on best practices for e-retailing from Google.

A wide variety of retailers attended the event, from hardware to fashion to hotels, all with varying levels of experience in e-retailing.

Gerard O’Neill, chairman of Amarach Research and a leading economic commentator on future trends and forecast-

ing, said that the online market in Ireland will be worth an estimated €6bn in 2016.

Cian O’Mongain, senior industry manager at Google, also outlined best practice in this area for both novice and existing online retailers, sharing his tips and tricks to take advantage of opportunities that lay ahead.

AIB’s head of business banking Brendan O’Connor said: “SMEs are critical to our economic recovery, for the maintenance and creation of thousands of jobs.

“We are determined to assist our business customers to grow and develop their business, both through the access to credit they need and

Gerard O’Neill of Amarach Research, Louis Copeland, Mark Dinneen of John A Taylor Ltd, and Anthony Doyle from AIB at the seminar

through a range of supports such as this seminar today.”

Through AIB’s Big Drive For Small Business campaign, it launched a new initiative to speed up SME loan decisions which assisted over 50 SME customers in creating their own TV and radio advertising campaigns, while offering coaching to 2,500 SME

customers. The bank also organised over 100 business management seminars, with 4,000 participating to date.

AIB has exceeded the Government SME lending target of €3.5bn for 2012 and sanctioned 2,156 requests for credit from businesses across the Midwest region in the first nine months of this year.

6 December 2012 Gazette 17

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asdfsdaf P27 motors P22

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

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Pets can you give beau a home?

Celebrity chef Kevin Dundon entertains while cooking up a storm as part of the the Supervalu Roadshow in Churchtown, Dublin. Pictures: Geraldine Woods

food: tv chef kevin dundon joins forces with supervalu retail chain

Cook up a calm Christmas  laura webb

Irish chef and TV personality Kevin Dundon has joined forces with SuperValu to bring customers a delicious range of signature dishes that will help destress the cook in the family this festive season.

Over the past two-and-a-half years, Kevin has been working with the supermarket chain on its selection of fresh food. This year, he is travelling around Ireland in an air-stream caravan, which has an iconic silver-bullet style, to showcase the SuperValu Christmas range.

Speaking to the Gazette ahead of the roadshow, where he visited a number a local SuperValu stores in Dublin before heading off around the country, he said

meeting the public was his favourite thing to do. “I love people. We pull up to a store and I just chat to people and talk about their dishes and how we can help, and we showcase our signature range and the other produce available in SuperValu. “[The supermarket chain] buy a lot of local products, and that is the whole ethos. That is something that I always believed in and it’s the main reason I got together with SuperValu,” he said.

The SuperValu Christmas road-show showcases the store’s wide-ranging festive products, which extend beyond just turkey and ham.

“Within the signature range, we have a fantastic rib beef on the bone, When you roast it up, it is very impressive on

the table and it also cooks really well.

Salmon en croute is another – fresh salmon with spinach and a cream sauce wrapped in pastry. Make it in the oven and when you cut it, it looks great.

“The dish I love, which I do on the show, is a rack of pork with crispy crackling on top and apple compote on the side.

“However, I think, on Christmas Day, it is all about the roast. I like to tell people it’s just like cooking a Sunday roast: it doesn’t have to be stressful. You could cook your ham the day before and when you cook your turkey, take that out and let it rest for half an hour. Put your glaze on your ham and put it in the oven for a half an hour, you don’t necessarily have to have a hot ham with turkey dinner.

“Home kitchens are limited in space, and it is hard to juggle everything. Have your potatoes and vegetables already peeled and ready to go the day before – that also helps.”

Growing up, Kevin was inspired by the women in his life. He said his mother and grandmother were great cooks who introduced him to cooking. He is still a firm believer in making dinner family time.

“My family is mad busy coming up to Christmas and, for me, this time of year is for family. I love to cook, and I do cook Christmas dinner, but it’s not stressful for me because that’s what I do,” he laughed.

Continued on Page 23

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

Our ‘Dog of the week’ is Beau, a two-year-old Staffie cross. This is one beautiful boy with a big heart! He needs his confidence built as he can be quite a worried little man when meeting new friends but once he gets to know you, he will shower you with love and affection.

This handsome hound would prefer canine company rather than cats or kids, and would probably love a home where he is the centre of someone’s world. He especially likes playing with his tennis ball and would love a big garden or getting out for a walk where he strides along wagging his tail admiring the world around him.

If you think you could give Beau the fabulous forever home he deserves, contact Dogs Trust at 01 8791000 (www. dogstrust.ie). All their dogs are vet-checked, vaccinated, neutered and microchipped before being rehomed.

Gazette

18 Gazette 6 December 2012

OUT&ABOUT Debenhams €170

STYLE

Debenhams €54

Heatons €13

Christmas Guide - for him!

M&S €8

 Laura Webb

It’s the second instalment of Gazette Style’s guide to Christmas presents for those special people in your life. Last week we showed you some very impressive gifts for the woman in your life, so this week it is all about the man.

Now that Movember is over, some men may be in need of a shaver, or may want to keep it and so taming it is a must. We also have some great fashion for the man in the house, while aftershave is also the way to go for the other half.

Check out our final instalment next week which will be all about the kids.

Debenhams €39

Urban Outfitters €111

Penneys €9 Emporio Armani See stockists for details

M&S €47.50

Debenhams €124

Debenhams €34

Next €49

Debenhams €17

6 December 2012 Gazette 19

Gazette

MUSIC FASTtunes with Dee Woods

Instant karma’s gonna get you... a bizarre wardrobe

Deftones’ Kai No Yokan pushes the band’s aural assault into a more powerful fresh direction

review: the ongoing resurgence of deftones continues

’Tones of survival  rob heigh

A COMMON statement about bands who last, say, more than the average lifespan of a mayfly is that they are “survivors”.

A genuine definition of survivors is a band of brothers who have been to the edge of personal devastation and disassociation and who have pulled together to create some of the finest art of their careers.

That is the appropriate description for California’s Deftones. The band, formed in Sacramento in 1988, have proved themselves more than capable of weathering the kinds of storms that a 25-year career in the music busi-

ness can throw up.

Having established themselves with a trio of platinum selling albums straight out of the blocks, one of which, Around The Fur, was a bona fide classic of the genre, Deftones proceeded to solidify their position in the alt metal scene.

However, following personal tragedies, illness, drug problems and ultimately, a 1988 car crash that put bassist Chi Cheng into a coma, from which he is still to fully recover, the impetus to come back together from the battles that threatened to derail the band for good and make some of the best music of their careers found a foothold.

Since then, Deftones have been creating some astonishing soundscapes and have just released their seventh album, Koi No Yokan.

To many, their overpowering aural assault would be too much, but listen just beneath the surface and there is a melodic texture and crafting seldom encountered in their niche.

Be assured, this is no softer a record than Deftones have previously created. If anything, it is a heavier, more piledriving collection of songs than their previous release, Diamond Eyes, named by many as one of the defining records of the start of the new decade when it

appeared in 2010.

Where Koi No Yokan departs from the immediacy that marked Diamond Eyes out as a classic in the making is in its construction. The longer gestation period that this album enjoyed has resulted in an impressive and multi-layered set of songs that chime with a unity of purpose and sing with a layered creativity that gives infinite hope for the

future of the rock genre.

There are times when it is as gentle as Jane’s Addiction at their most brutal, at times as affecting as anything Deftones have recorded before.

In spite of their tribulations, the rallying cause that they have found since the loss of Cheng has made Deftones a more uncompromising, and more impressive, rock survivor.

This weekend sees the 32nd anniversary of the death of John Lennon. It’s a time for Beatles’ fans and Lennon devotees around the world to reflect on the legend that helped shape the path of music forever...

Or, if you’re Yoko Ono, it’s a time to unveil jockstraps and other saucy clothing designed in his memory. Ono has revealed a new men’s clothing collection inspired by drawings she gave her late husband as a wedding gift.

Talking about her new collection, 79-yearold Ono said: “I felt it was a pity if we could not make clothes emphasizing his very sexy bod. So, I made this whole series with love for his hot bod and gave it to him as a wedding present. You can imagine how he went wild and fell in love with me even more.”

But will people fall in love with the clothes?

The fashion range, for American brand Opening Ceremony, includes jockstraps, skin-tight tops with strategic holes and trousers with handprints on the crotch. Check out the full range at www.openingceremony.us, if only to prove yourself wrong if you thought bras, pink mesh tops and open-toe thigh-high boots were only for women. Yes, they’re in the collection too. And they deliver to Ireland.

Not sure it’d go down well with all John Lennon fans here, but worth a look nonetheless. The hoodie with the word “Dream” across the front, priced $75, might be a safer buy for the Lennon lover in your life. Ironic though, that a $200 jockstrap is included in a collection inspired by a man who once wrote You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away.

Dee Woods @ Radio Nova

Yoko Ono and John Lennon wearing some more conventional attire in the late 1960s

Gazette

20 gazette 6 December 2012

OUT&ABOUT

CINEMA

more

theatre THE pavilioN THEATRE 01 231 2929 The Gloaming

THE Gloaming is a newly minted collective of five remarkable musicians poised to become a vital force in Irish music.

Navigating between the contemporary and traditional genres, their creativity trumps predictability – with music that is haunting and beautiful in equal measure. Having started recording of their debut album in August, they end the year with a series of intimate shows.

December 9, tickets are priced at €26.

Mill Theatre 01 296 9340

Miracle on 34th St ENJOY such popular songs as Pinecones and Hollyberries, It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas and My State, My Kansas, in this joyous, heart-warming musical of pure family entertainment. Miracle On 34th Street tells the story of a mother and daughter that are much too practical to believe in Santa Claus. Macy’s hires a kind, white-bearded, older gentlemen to play Santa at the store, but when the man proclaims to be Kris Kringle and Santa himself, his sanity is called into question.

Presented by Glencullen Musical and Dramatic Society. December 5-15 at 8pm, tickets are priced at €20/18.

CIVIC THEATRE 01 462 7477 ABBA Forever

IT’S Christmas! It’s party time! It’s ABBA! From Waterloo to Dancing Queen, expect a dazzling, fantastic performance including the most iconic hits, Mamma Mia, SOS, Money, Money Money, The Winner Takes It All and many more.

December 10 and 11, tickets are priced at €20.

Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook – not a bow and arrow or hangover in sight

review: cooper, lawrence, De niro and stiles at the top of their game

Silver? This is gold LOOKING at it objectively, you might say that the guy who directed The Fighter might aim a little higher for his next film than a self-penned, low-budget romantic comedy about a man with psychiatric problems.

But, then again, this is the man who famously called Lily Tomlin every name under the sun in a rant on the set of I Huckabees. So really, all bets are off when it comes to predicting his next move.

In Silver Linings Playbook, Russell actually makes a film that suits as a successor to the awards laden Fighter.

Here, the family is as dysfunctional, the frustration at what might have been as palpable and the loving moments

 paul hosford

phosford@gazettegroup.com

as tender. The only real difference is that Bradley Cooper’s Pat doesn’t have a heroin addict brother dragging him down.

Instead, he has his ow n demons and a conviction for assaulting his wife’s lover.

After being released from a state mental facility and moving back in with his parents, played

by Robert De Niro and Jackie Weaver, Pat must confront his issues, his family and his newest friend, Tiffany.

Tiffany comes with a whole slew of prob-

lems of her own, which makes everyone nervous.

Law rence is an actress with the world at her fingertips at the minute, with The Hunger Games and X-Men establishing her on the A-list and her Oscar nomination for Winter’s Bone last year marking her as a truly special talent.

She should have her pick of projects, which makes her appearance in Playbook all the more impressive.

Eschewing what were certainly higher-profile roles for the chance to play what appears on paper to be a much younger love interest to Bradley Cooper.

That age gap is barely noticeable, however, as Lawrence brings a maturity to the role that

Film of the Week: Silver Linings Playbook h h h h h (15) 122mins Director: David O.Russell Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Julia Stiles, Chris Tucker, Jackie Weaver

OUR VERDICT: THERE are small stumbles, small little frustrating stumbles, but all in all, this is a great piece of cinema. Brave, unflinching and superbly acted, End of Watch is as good a cop film as there is, but is abundantly more. A great dissection of character, a fantastic look at male relationships and a thoroughly brilliant piece of film-making. See it. See it now.

is much needed.

Without it, Tiffany would become a bratty post-teen and her madness would be offputting.

In Lawrence’s hands, it becomes appealing, almost attractive as she keeps a sure hand on the quirks of her character.

Her work here proves that the nomination for Winter’s Bone was no fluke and she is a generational talent, some-

one who should be watched for many years to come.

C o o p e r t o o p l ay s against type. Gone is the megawatt smile and easy charisma, replaced instead with an anger, a fr ustration and a deep set of problems that Cooper manages to make work, despite some shortcomings in the script.

With Robert De Niro on fine form as Pat’s father and Chris Tucker

providing the comic relief, this is as well an acted piece of cinema as you are likely to see all year.

A side-note; welcome back to Julia Stiles, it’s been too long.

The star of the show, however, is Russell. His blistering announcement to Holly wood, 1999’s Three Kings, has been long-forgotten, but The Fighter announced the return of a real talent.

With Playbook, Russell continues that form and will make many sit up and notice.

That he is still best know n for the viral video of the Tomlin rant is sad, if understandable, but soon he will be known solely for his work.

Especially if he keeps up this kind of form.

6 December 2012 gazette 21

Gazette

GAMING far cry 3: it’s pretty, crazy and fun

It’s so Far, so good in this fun threequel  shane dillon

I TOUCHED on this in last week’s page, but space prevented me giving it more room.

And so, I return to Rook Island, the central hub of just-released Far Cry 3, and quite probably the daftest, most unpredictable gaming playground we’ve seen this side of Just Cause 2’s Panau island.

I’m not sure what it is about islands that makes game designers want to turn them into places the average SWAT team would want to avoid, but who knows – maybe one day, we’ll see an Irish designer come up with an analogous Aran Island setting, involving a quest for revenge after a cow gets kidnapped, or something.

Anyway, mooooving right back to the game’s exotic tropical island set-

 shane dillon sdillon@gazettegroup.com

ting (somewhere around the Indian and Pacific Oceans), and the playerprotagonist has much to enjoy here.

As briefly mentioned last week, the player ends up on the island with his girlfriend and friends – only for the action-seeking group to get more than they want to when they run into the wrong type of people.

The very wrong types, who have a habit of disposing of such guests, with guns, and other such extreme visitor controls.

(Perhaps the guys should have just gone to lovely Fundoran instead, up near Sligo.)

BYTES&PIECES new title hits a very honourable sales target

From here on in, you’re in familiar territory, yet one that very much has its own clear identity and style.

You’re tasked with saving your friends, and your girlfriend, and helping the few friendly people on the islands to claim back their territory – by tackling the bad guys, one group of thugs, or enemy stronghold, at a time; sometimes by stealthy means, yet more often than not by charging around like Chuck Norris with a headache.

In order to do this, there are all kinds of toand-fro missions that you can carry out, gradually unlocking more and more areas, mission types and friendly characters, as your actions begin to change the control of power on the islands.

Of course, there are all kinds of other distractions in Far Cry 3 to undertake

The tropical island setting of Far Cry 3 would be lovely to visit – were it not for the roving gangs of heavily armed thugs, occasional leopard attacks and, presumably, hotel prices in high season

instead, if you’d rather take a break from the main and side missions.

After all, your friends would probably understand that, rather than rescue them from their hellish captors, you went looking for a hill peak to go hang-gliding from. I mean, who wouldn’t?

As usual for such titles, there are lots and lots of treasure hunts and distractions to go wandering off on, away from the ‘real’ game, Whether collecting rare plants, going on animal hunts – or being hunted, by some particuarly dangerous beasts – searching out obscure parts of the

NEWS just in – Dishonoured (below), the particularly stylish first-person stealth-’em-up, has done better than expected at retail and, as such, has been decreed a new franchise, ripe for returning to.

Its publisher, Bethseda, praised its sales, which have kept pace with the critical acclaim that the well-rounded title garnered on its recent release, and were strong in both physical and download form.

It’s an all the more impressive feat, consid-

islands’ history, or just taking parts in races on land, sea and in the air, there’s an awful lot to do, with virtually everything you do gifting your character with experience points, with which to unlock ever more useful skills and upgrades.

I should also mention that Far Cry 3 looks great, building on the detailed worlds that the series is famed for. While not perfect, there’s still a pretty immersive sense of scale and detail to its setting, making it a world that’s well worth getting lost in.

A multi-platform title, Far Cry 3 is available in shops now.

ering its release near the end of the year, at a time when all of the Christmas heavyweights start limbering up to do battle, and particularly for a brand new title. With some downloadable content on the way to add to Dishonoured’s scale, it’s a welcome bit of news, as all too often slightly quirkier games get overlooked at retail, in favour of, say, bogstandard shooters featuring angry, bearded soldiers. (Yawn.)

Not so with Dishonoured’s characters, whose late Empress, left, would surely welcome the news that gamers can expect to return to its setting, soon.

22 Gazette 6 December 2012

Gazette

&ABOUT OUT road

MOTORS

NOISE

Fiat 500L earns a fivestar safety rating The Euro NCAP released its latest round of results last week, and the FIAT 500L has earned a five-star safety rating from the independent vehicle safety assessment body.

With an overall score of 83/100, the FIAT 500L’s coveted five-star rating was awarded on the basis of the scores it achieved. Adult occupant protection was (94/100); child occupant protection, 78/100; pedestrian protection, 65/100, and driver-assist safety system, 71/100.

Thousands of hours of virtual simulations were employed during the creation of FIAT’s brand new “Small Wide” architecture which was engineered without the need for prototypes. To ensure there were no unforeseen anomalies, some 200 tests were conducted on components and sub-systems, as well as more than 100 shock test simulations and in excess of 100 crash tests. They took taking all possible types of impact into consideration: frontal impact, side impact, rollover, pile-up and impacts with pedestrians.

Honours were also bestowed upon Skoda’s new compact saloon, the Rapid. It earned good marks in the Euro NCAP crash test for its high level of safety.

It was recognised for its excellent test results in the areas of occupant protection for adults and children, pedestrian protection and safety assistance systems.

“The Skoda Rapid is one of the safest cars in its segment,” says FrankWelsch, SKODA board member for technical development. “These Euro NCAP results are confirmation coming from an independent party. Our compact saloon is an ideal family car offering lots of space for five occupants and their baggage. It is functional, high quality and conforms to top-level safety standards,” said Welsch.

Skoda’s new compact saloon, the Rapid

The SEAT Mii boasts plnty of extras including alloy wheels, front fog lights and heated door mirrors

seat: a pleasant surprise for those looking for a city car

Mii makes driving plenty of fun again

n Cormac Curtis

This will be the second round of deja vu I’ve had on the motoring pages this year, as I am writing about the third sibling in what is affectionately know in motoring circles as “The Triplets”.

In case you missed my verdicts of the Skoda CitiGo and the VW Up!, let me fill you in.

T here has been a heated battle raging in the small car market all across Europe this year, in one corner there is the odds-on favourite, the VW Up!, in the other corner, there is the new boy threatening the established veteran in the shape of the Skoda CitiGo, and in the third corner (OK, this is not a traditional boxing analogy) there is the plucky

specs: SEAT Mii 1.0 Sport 5Door  0 – 100km/hr: 13.2 secs  Top speed: 171km/h  CO2 Emissions : 108g/km  Tax Band: A  Current Tax Rate: €160  Price: €12,000

underdog that is the SEAT Mii. You may be aware that all three cars come from the same family, namely the Volkswagen Group, so they share quite a lot in terms of chassis, gearboxes and the like.

They all have a pretty similar look, but, to be fair, there’s not a huge amount you can do with something this size when you’re competing for the same market.

But they all have their own distinct person-

alities, and the little Mii was a real eye-opener.

As mentioned, I had already been in the Up! and the Citigo – in the case of the Skoda, I had tested it at its launch in Portugal as well as on Irish roads – so I was not really expecting anything to take me by surprise.

But this car seemed to edge the other two in one key area – its noise.

Even though I tend to drone on about points of contact and the tactile connection between car and driver – the sound is every bit as important for a car to have character.

Don’t get me wrong, this car ticked plenty of other boxes that count just as much – but to get a symphony of exhaust notes thrown into the mix is a huge bonus for

a petrol head like me.

To give you a mental picture, think of how the Minis in the Italian Job sounded as they made their way around Rome… that’s exactly how it felt driving the Mii, an absolute pleasure.

That’s the thing about driving little cars, they remind us of how much fun driving can be.

When you strip away the couch-like comfort and pampering of highend luxury saloons, the dizzying array of digital controls and touchscreen do-das, and the panoramic, all-glass ceilings of the modern people carriers, you are left with the basics – four wheels, a little poke, a short wheel base, and lots of manoeuvrability.

How much fun is that?

But the Mii, like all the Triplets, boasts real world practicality too, and the 1.0 Sport 5-door I tested came with plenty of spec as standard.

From the 15” ANIA alloy wheels; front fog lights with cornering; body coloured electric and heated door mirrors and handles to the electric windows up front; hill hold; leather steering wheel and gearstick for the all-important points of contact; SPORT Specific trim and upholstery; rear tinted windows; and front and rear sport suspension, nobody can accuse SEAT of skimping on the extras.

The SEAT Mii will be a pleasant surprise to anyone in the market for a small city car and it really stands toe-to-toe with its siblings.

6 December 2012 CASTLEKNOCK GAZETTE 23

GAZETTE

FEATURES

Interview KEVIN DUNDON FROM P17

Thousands of poinsettias being nurtured for the Christmas market. Inset top, the plants before they turn their distinctive crimson shade, and inset below, the poinsettia bloom.

HOUSEHOLD: MEXICAN PLANT IS A HUGE FESTIVE HIT HERE

The dark secrets of poinsettia growers...

GARDEN centre retailer B&Q is expecting to sell thousands of poinsettias this Christmas, when this most popular houseplant makes its annual Christmas debut.

Indigenous to Mexico and Central America, this plant is now a Christmas staple for many Irish homeowners.

Over 100 million poinsettias are sold every year throughout Europe, but what many people are not aware of is exactly how the plant gets its

famous crimson colour.

The secret – shading the plants in darkness for 50 days as it grows.

Growers begin in May, six months before the plants will go on sale, to grow the plants and to ensure they all get that famous red glow.

Poinsettias only develop coloured blooms when kept in darkness for a minimum of 50 days, for 12 hours a day.

So, to ensure that the plant is available in October for homeown-

ers to buy, growers artificially control the environment, blocking out all sunlight.

As a result, poinsettia fans can enjoy the first colourful plants as early as the end of October Ben Smith, horticulture bedding buyer at B&Q, said: “Not many people know the secret trick to getting a really red poinsettia, but it’s the help of our shorter days and artificial darkness which brings out the famous colour.

“For many, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without this red plant, but for those wanting a change this year, we’re also introducing the new Ivory Poinsettia.”

B&Q’s poinsettias start out as any other green plant growing in daylight.

Darkness falls for the last 50 days of the growing cycle to ensure Poinsettia’s turn red.

Poinsettias are traditionally associated with Christmas due to

a 16th century Mexican legend. The story goes that a young girl was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus’ birthday, so was told by an angel to plant weeds from the street in front of the church altar.

Crimson blossoms sprouted from the weeds which became poinsettias. This Mexican seasonal tradition was then adopted by more countries with the plant becoming a Christmas favourite.

KEVIN says: “But for a lot of people it is very stressful, so we trying to take the stress out of Christmas for our customers and people around Ireland. It’s all fresh food and it’s all Irish. I have devised recipes for our butchers in stores to put together, Brussels sprouts and cranberry with seasoning. They are in a tray, already prepared, and all you have to do is put them in the oven and you’ll have fantastic Brussels sprouts.

“We make a point in our house to eat at 5.30pm every night when I am at home. We all have dinner together, very much a family event. It’s a time to catch up on what’s going on,” he said.

Kevin’s impressive CV is just too extensive to mention everything he has achieved, but one thing that stands out is that he cooked for the Queen during his seven-year stay in Canada.

So, what was the dish that was fit for a queen?

“BBQ smoked salmon starter with maple syrup poured over the salmon and they had a rack of lamb. The mad thing was she brought her own china and there were tasters there too, who tasted the food before,” he told the Gazette.

Not only will Kevin be visiting local stores, but he will also be appearing on our small screens.

On December 17, a new TV series starring the renowned cook will air on RTE One at 8.30pm.

Kevin Dundon’s Christmas Made Easy, is a must-see for tips and alternative recipes this Christmas.

For further information on the Christmas Range, Roadshow or SuperValu’s festive offers log onto www.supervalu.ie, check out www. facebook.com/SuperValuIreland or drop into your local SuperValu.

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Gazette

&ABOUT OUT fast TRAVEL

Busy elves in Wales SANTA’S elves will be at Bluestone National Park in South Wales this Christmas and, for families hoping to catch a glimpse of them in action, StenaLine is offering some great deals in the run-up to Christmas.

Travel to the magical Kingdom of the Elves at the park, for just €419 for two adults and two children.

The price includes four nights’ accommodation in a two-bedroom Caldey Lodge (pictured) in Bluestone National Park, from Monday to Thursday, including travel by car from Rosslare to Fishguard. For further information, see www. stenaline.ie/bluestone, or call 01 204 7733.

northern ireland: Lots of fun and urban delights in its capital city

Shake it up in Belfast with Cuban dance fever  hiromi mooney

THERE’S always something exciting to do in Belfast, whether it’s a day out shopping, enjoying some of the fine dining the city has to offer, or sampling some of the talent in the concert halls or theatres – day and night, the city is bursting with various events or activities.

Although you can drive to the city, you can also conveniently get a train from Connolly Station in Dublin city centre, and be brought directly to the heart of Belfast in two and a half hours.

That’s how I travelled, anyway, and after a relaxed and carefree journey, I arrived at my destination.

I checked in to the Malmaison Hotel, which is a boutique hotel located on

Victoria Street. Although it’s not the cheapest accommodation option, the experience there is certainly memorable.

The hotel had a nice ambience, friendly staff, and the sophisticated MALBAR bar on the ground floor – which boasts a vast selection of cocktails.

However, even if you decide not to stay there for the night, you can still sample some of their culinary delights in The Mal Brasserie restaurant.

I enjoyed a pickled pear and pecan nut salad for starters, which was followed by duck for my main course, and, to top it all off, I devoured a Valrhona chocolate fondant for dessert – which went down quite a treat.

The hotel and restau-

Malmaison Hotel, a boutique hotel located on Victoria

rant have some upcoming special deals in time for Christmas and New Year’s, so it’s worth looking them up.

I went up North just in time for the 50th Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s University, which took place from October 19 to November 4.

The festival was first formed by a group of students from Queen’s as the university’s first arts festival.

Since then, it has been celebrating dance, music, theatre, visual arts, film, classical and world music, with performers from all over the world. Throughout the years, many of the world’s greatest musicians, writers and performers have appeared at the festival.

The festival is also the perfect platform for new talent – no wonder it’s one of the main highlights

on the Belfast events calendar.

This year, the 50th festival gave Belfast a chance to reflect on all of its past achievements, and to celebrate its new talent and future. One such event, which I attended, was an evening of Cuban music and dancing with The Buena Vista Social Club in The Ulster Hall.

World-famous In the 1990s, this group revived the forgotten repertoire of son, bolero, danzon and guajiro – which are now world-famous.

Today, Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club continues their work, featuring new musicians. The lineup now includes singers Omara Portuondo, Idania Valdes and Carlos Calunga; pianist Rolando Lunal; trombonist Aguaje Ramos and trumpeter Guajiro Mirabel.

6 December 2012 CASTLEKNOCK GAZETTE 25

GAZETTE

Travel Clearly some great deals with Crystal Ski travel ONE of the most popular destinations for a post-Christmas holiday often involves a warm chalet, white mountain slopes and, of course, a pair of skis.

If you’re already thinking about your New Year break, Crystal Ski has a host of offers to take you to Austria, Andorra or Italy. Travel to Austria on January 12 and stay at the two-star Pension Sonja, Niederau, on a B&B basis from €399 per person.

Travel on January 6 or 13 to La Thuile, in Italy, and stay at the threestar Apartments Planibel, from €399

WE HAVE 135,000* READERS EACH WEEK Street in Belfast, has a nice ambiance and first class entertainment like The Buena Vista Social Club (inset, above)

The Buena Vista Social Club performed many lively songs on the stage, while the audience gathered close to them on the dance floor.

The strong rhythm of the music meant that you couldn’t help but swing your hips with the beat of the music – it was as if it was your body’s natural response to sway as soon as another tune came on.

The closer the people were to the stage, the more they let loose. The group engaged really

well with the crowd as well, with everyone clapping, cheering and dancing – and the crowd even encouraged them to return to play one more tune.

It was an extremely enjoyable alternative evening that celebrated Cuban music at its best.

So, now that the festival has wrapped up, it’s time for the Christmas season to kick in with some more exciting events in Belfast – which calls for a good excuse to plan another trip up North

again soon.

As the city is lit up with Christmas lights and decorations, Belfast is turned into a magical place, creating a whole new atmosphere and experience again.

Christmas Market The annual Belfast Continental Christmas Market at City Hall is now on until December 20, where there are more than 80 traders from 26 countries. Here, you’ll be spoiled for choice with a selection of Christmas

presents. Santa Claus will also be in Belfast at his indoor Grotto at the Hillmount Nursery until December 23.

Children can tell Santa himself of their Christmas wish list and can also enjoy petting real reindeers and donkeys.

So, whenever you decide to go to Belfast, you can be assured that there is plenty to do.

You can plan your trip in advance by checking w w w.discovernor thernireland.com, and www.gotobelfast.com.

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Alternatively, why not visit Andorra, on January 6 or 13, and stay at the three-star Hotel St Gothard, Arinsal, on a half-board basis from €499 per person.

For further information, or to book your ski break, call 01 433 1055, or see www.crystalski.ie.

26 castleknock gazette 6 December 2012

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sports awards P28

asdfsdaf gaelic games P27 P31

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

cumann na mbunscol P29

FastSport Graham leads the pack in mo run: LUCAN’S

Scott Evans is hoping for more celebrations in Baldoyle after he was ranked as the top seed for the event in Dublin which gets under way on Thursday

badminton: ballinteer man in good form ahead of irish open event in baldoyle

Bitburger run likely to inspire top seed Evans at Dublin event BALLINTEER man Scott Evans will head the bill at badminton’s Carlton Irish Open, which gets under way on Thursday, December 6 in Baldoyle, For the first time ever, home players are the top seeds for both men and women’s singles.

On the men’s side Evans will play Maxime Michele of France in his opening match and then either Flemming Quach of Denmark, or a qualifier who could turn out to be Ireland’s Tony Stephenson.

He is looking to progress from the

qualifying tournament as one of eight players to earn their ticket via that route.

Other Irish players among the eight groups of eight include Nigel Boyne, Scott Burnside, Io Wai Lau, Tony Murphy, Stuart Lightbody, Josh Magee, Jonathan Dolan, David Walsh and Liam O’Leary. Dolan, currently the number 10 junior in the world, has a tough draw and is likely to face France’s Lucas Corvee before the deciding match in his group.

O’Leary is in a group that includes No 8 seed Daniel Massersi from Italy.

Included in Scott Burnside’s group are Daniel Font from Wales and fellow Irish player Io Wai Lau. Should Evans progress, there is plenty of top quality talent to negotiate with Germany’s Marcel Router, England’s Toby Plenty and the dangerous Malaysian player Kuan Beng Hong, whom Evans came unstuck against in the opening round of the Welsh Open last Friday, lying in wait.

Since then, Evans has spent the week training in England before coming to Dublin. Prior to that, he produced a

good run in the Bitburger Open, making it through to the quarter-finals before falling to England’s Raj Ouspeh.

En route, Evans knocked out a pair of seeded players, enjoying a strong week all round. From there, he returned to his club side Gentofte in Denmark, winning two games against Henri Hurskainen and Anand Pawar.

Chloe Magee, meanwhile, tops the pre-tournament rankings on the women’s side and potentially plays qualifiers in her opening two rounds of the competition.

Sinead Graham was the first lady home overall in the Mo Run 10km in Phoenix Park recently in a fantastic time of 44.12, beating her target of 45 mintues with plenty to spare.

Meanwhile, at the cross country BHAA 6k Race in Santry, first home for Lucan Ladies, and third in her category was Bernie Stapleton in a great time of 30.10 minutes; quickly followed by Eileen O’Brien in a great time of 31.43 minutes, second in her category.

For the men, first home in this 6k race was Gerry Martin in a time of 28.33 minutes followed by Jim Dwyer in a time of 35.21minutes.

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 6 December 2012

SPORT

DublinGazetteNewspapers

community games: dublin region honoured

2012 dublin sports awards november winners

H STARof the MONTH

Limekiln’s Marguerite Nylans, Olive Kavanagh, Tom Sheridan, Margaret Carroll, Director, HSE Community Games, Amanda Kavanagh, Siobhan White, Maureen Quinlan, Mary White and Brian MacManus

barry murphy THE Aer Lingus swimmer broke a string of Irish national records to show his form at the European short course championships in Chartres, France. He topped his best mark in the 50m butterfly and the 50m breaststroke.

TEAMof the MONTH H

Limekiln wins big at Awards night  sport@gazettegroup.com

castleknock LEINSTER junior championship glory was annexed last week to go with Dublin honours as they had too much in the tank for St Fintan’s last weekend at Parnell Park. A truly breathtaking season continues with an AllIreland quarter-final in Britain.

DUBLIN area Limekiln/Templemanor picked up two awards at the HSE Community Games Area and Volunteer Awards Event last Saturday in Ballinasloe.

It was honoured with the Dublin Area Award and a Special Merit award, the first time that the area has won the county title.

The area is made up of two small estates consisting in total of 303 houses. While it is always easier for large population areas to win these participation awards, Limekiln/ Templemanor emulates the spirit of

the Community Games.

The population is well under the Community Games area limit, and it has no halls or facilities to call their own.

Limekiln/Templemanor circulate newsletters to all houses and almost every child is in an activity. It was instrumental in getting the skittles competition off the ground and this year it managed to field three teams with one getting through to the Leinster finals.

In addition, it has a top class youth committee which organise fundraising; helps with coaching at area level; as well as helping

at county, Leinster and national finals.

The area secretary is Eileen Reilly, who is also County Dublin’s children’s officer and takes the role of county manager at the national finals. Its adult volunteers co-ordinate and referee rounders at Dublin, Leinster and national level.

Also honoured at the event was Balbriggan’s Siobhain White for her years of service. She joined Dublin Community Games in 1980 and has served as a member of the county executive committee and served as assistant county secretary for a number of years.

Balbriggan girls annex futsal title for the first time  sport@gazettegroup.com

Loreto Balbriggan claimed the Leinster Futsal first years title in Gormanston last week

LORETO, Balbriggan and the Dublin Oak Academy were crowned FAI Schools First Year Futsal Leinster champions last week in Gormanston at the Post Primary Schools futsal competition.

Now in its fourth year nationally, the competition caters for first-year students with both boys and girls categories catered for with 288 participants from 23 schools represented.

On the girls’ side, Loreto had to work hard for their success

throughout the day as they came up against a wonderful St Leo’s College of Carlow in the ultimate decider in a hugely entertaining final.

Loreto may have been the underdogs going into the final, but they held their own to overcome a classy Carlow side 2-1.

T hey were impressive throughout their group stages winning four out of the five games played, only falling to Tullamore’s Sacred Heart.

The Balbriggan outfit were well prepared by teacher Stuart O’Brien as they captured

the points with an opening win against rivals Eureka Secondary School, 3-1.

Scoil Chriost Rí were a tougher test but they narrowly overcame the Laois side 2-1, while Presentation Kilkenny and Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon were also dispatched.

It set up the final date with St Leo’s, an end-to-end tussle with Balbriggan claiming the tie 2-1.

On the boys’ side, Dublin Oak had tasted success four years ago in Tallaght when the competition was only in its

infancy.

Oak were up against groupone winners Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore in a cracking clash.

They were under pressure for much of the game but managed a 3-2 victory to lift the prestigious title.

They won five out of five of their group games, scoring 16 goals, conceding only four en route to the final and carried that form through to the final Loreto Balbriggan and Dublin Oak Academy will now progress to the All-Ireland finals.

6 December 2012 CASTLEKNOCK gazette 29

Gazette David Dennehy of St Helen’s Portmarnock

The Scoil Archbishop Ryan, Balgaddy team with Corn Na Laoch in Croke Park Pictures: Ray McManus and Barry Cregg

Cumann feel the noise at Croke Park festival

L

OCAL clubs produced a carnival atmosphere in Croke Park last week as the finals of the Dublin football Cumann na mBunscol took place on the hallowed turf of the GAA headquarters. Over 1,200 children

took part in the competition for primary schools in some form over the two days with more than 20 finals taking place.

There were first-time wins in the competition for the likes of Scoil

Archbishop Ryan while Scoil Lorcan in Palmerstown won their first title in 10 years with a win over Scoil Mobhi from Glasnevin while plenty of other silverware made its way to the various corners of the county.

St Brigid’s Roisin McGovern and Sarah Browne

Scoil Lorcain, Palmerstown captain Evan Walshe lifts Ruby Smith on the attack

St Oliver Plunkett’s, Malahide captain David McCormack lifts the cup

Nia Ni Chinneide

the Sciath Chumann na nGael shield

Gazette

30 CASTLEKNOCK gazette 6 December 2012

SPORT

FastSport

soccer: Castleknock u-13c side hit neighbours for six

Westmanstown Taggers ready for big Aviva date LAST weekend was an exciting one for the Westmanstown Taggers Special Needs Rugby club as the team’s 25 players were presented with their first club rugby kit, sponsored by local businessman, Silvio Rabbitte & Sons Ltd, by members of the Donegal All-Ireland winning team.

The presentation came in advance of the club’s impending appearance as part of the halftime entertainment in the Aviva Stadium on December 15 when Leinster take on Clermont Auvergne in the Heineken Cup. Over the past number of months, club coach Jorge Zulkouski – who originally hails from Argentina – has been putting the side through their paces. He brings extensive coaching experience to the group, having working with special needs children from St Michael’s house and St Vincent’s. His son is also a player and Zulkouski launched this unique rugby club in September 2012 with the support of Leinster rugby, bringing together an all-inclusive, male and female club with a range of ages and teams comprising a cubs, youth and senior team.

Speaking about the team, Westmanstowns Taggers club secretary Rebecca Rabbitte, whose son is also a player, said: “The taggers is a fantastic opportunity for our children.

“It’s all about the players and their coach, we’re here to support them and that’s who the Westmanstown Taggers are. It’s not just tag rugby, it’s tag rugby with a unique way of coaching that meets the players’ specific and unique needs and even better, the children are building fantastic friendships and the parents have developed a support network.

“We are delighted that [Leinster scrum-half] Issac Boss is patron of special needs Rugby.

There is always great excitement with the players when Issac arrives to train with them on a Sunday.”

The club also thanked Garda rugby club president Alfie Acheson and vice-president Eamon O’Grady for giving the club access to their indoor and outdoor training facilities.

Cubs, youths and senior teams all ages are welcome. Training takes place every Sunday in Westmanstown Garda Rugby club at 11.45am to 1pm. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/WestmanstownTaggers.

Castleknock Celtic’s Sean Hogan scores a great individual goal against Corduff in his NDSL Under-13 side’s win in Porterstown

Celts cruise past Corduff ndsl u-13C Castleknock Celtic Corduff  sport@gazettegroup.com

6 1

CASTLEKNOCK Celtic’s NDSL Under-13C team were in commanding form against local rivals Corduff Utd in Porterstown in this NDSL league clash.

While it was competitive for the opening half, Celtic ran in a succession of goals in the second half to take all three points in a 6-1 victory.

Pick of the goals was Celtic’s first by Sean Hogan who got possession of the ball in his

own half, raced into the Corduff half, beating the full-back in the process, and headed for the heart of the defence before unleashing an accurate shot into the far corner.

The only consolation for Corduff was a goal from Dylan Durren who seized on a ball behind the Celtic defence before slotting home.

Elsewhere, Celtic took on Cabinteely Boys in Kilbogget Park in the first Round of the Brendan Coyne Under-11s Cup. From the off, Castleknock showed their intent by competing for every ball. Celtic made

phoenix rising Everton next up on the agenda for D15 side phoenix have been handed an FAI intermediate cup fourth-round date against Munster Senior League side following Tuesday afternoon’s draw.

The tie is set to be played on the weekend of January 27, 2013, in Scribblestown in a repeat of last year’s quarter-final date following their win over Swilly Rovers last weekend.

Holders Avondale United have been paired against College Corinthians.

the breakthrough from a corner when Ben Lowndes hit a lovely right-footed strike that beat the keeper, but hit the inside of the post before running across the goal line where Reilly was on hand to tap in.

Cabinteely went close to equalising before halftime, but Tomas Bowe was forced into a fine reflex save and just as it seemed the Cabinteely player would score from the rebound, John Kane threw himself at the ball and deflected it over the bar.

The second half was similar to the first with

Castleknock creating chances. Cabinteely, to their credit, came more into the game and created a chance that forced Bowe into another fine save.

A second goal finally came. It involved Hughes making a great run dribbling down the right wing before forcing a corner.

Elliott, as he had done all day, delivered an inch perfect cross to the far post which was met by Leigh Reilly who rose high to head the ball down into the far corner.

The game was finally put beyond doubt with five minutes left follow-

ing another good attack.

Reilly got the final touch completing his hat trick and putting his side into the second round of the cup.

A goal in either half, meanwhile, by Hezekiel Okirikpo for Celtic’s Under-10G side was enough to earn all three points for the Porterstown side against Cloghertown United Castleknock Celtic are holding their Christmas Quiz in the Lounge of Kavanagh’s Pub in Laurel Lodge on Thursday, December 13, with an entry fee of €10 per person in teams of four.

6 December 2012 CASTLEKNOCK gazette 31

Gazette

McDonagh laments MFC timetable Club Noticeboard  sport@gazettegroup.com

CASTLEKNOCK’S minor footballers are gearing up for a quarterfinal clash in the minor championship this weekend with St Sylvester’s, with the Malahide men holding the home advantage.

Seeing off Brigid’s in the first game of the cham-

pionship group stages, Castleknock guaranteed their place in the next round of the competition when they beat Naomh Barrog so the final group stage loss to Balinteer St John’s didn’t put them off their championship trajectory.

However, with the game booked for this Sunday, many coaches have

voiced their dissatisfaction for the minor championship timetable, with teams really struggling to find the intensity for championship football.

Castleknock boss Fionan McDonagh echoed those comments, highlighting the distance between his side’s last league game and the beginning of their cham-

pionship campaign.

“At this time of year it’s very hard to get warm-up matches for the lads,” said McDonagh. “We finished our last league game in June and we didn’t play our first championship game until October.”

“I just think it’s too much to ask to have the lads playing a quarter final on December 9.”

castleknock A BIG thank you to everyone who

Croke Park for Scoil Oilibheir last

attended Castleknock-out in the

Monday.

Wright venue last Saturday.

Somerton for the winter. It is run

helped hugely in raising much need-

every Saturday morning at 10am,

ed funds for the clubhouse appeal.

and we would like to welcome all

A special thank you must go to

new players and families to join in.

the white collar boxing organisers,

There will be a nursery Christmas

everyone who helped out on the

party on Saturday, December 8 in

night and our numerous sponsors.

CCC for the 2004 to 2007 kids, and

And of course the fighters them-

hurling: Saints junior hurlers annex ahl8 title

The club’s nursery has moved to

It was a great night for all and

admission is €5.

selves, without whom we never

The lotto jackpot stands at €5,200

would have been able to raise any

with the next draw taking place in

money.

Bradys this Thursday.

Well done to the minor hurlers at

Please keep sending any pictures

the weekend who beat St Finbarr’s

and match reports that you have to

away to reach the minor hurling B

info@castleknock.net, and address

championship final.

them to David.

Details of the f inal will follow soon.

Signs surrounding the main pitch in Somerton are now on sale, for

Big congratulations also to all of

more information on how to get

the club members who played in

your sign seen contact Charlie 085

the Cumann na mBunscol finals in

110 1008.

st brigid’s

After a tight first half, St Brigid’s pulled clear of St Pat’s Donabate at Russell Park last weekend in the AHL8 final

Brigid’s complete unbeaten season AHL division 8 final

St Brigid’s St Pat’s, Donabate  peter carroll

0-10 0-6

sport@gazettegroup.com

ST Brigid’s became AHL8 champions last Sunday on home turf after going an impressive 14 games unbeaten in the league before seeing off St Pat’s Donabate in convincing fashion in the second half.

Niall Plunkett was on form right throughout the affair and his three frees along with a point from play by Noel Kidd kept Brigid’s level with St Pat’s, who won free after

free to keep themselves in contention in the first half.

The second half was a different story, however, and Brigid’s broke the play down well, not allowing the north county side to convert from dead-ball situations.

Plunkett put over another three points in the second instalment, two of which came from 65s, while Maurice Sweeney came into his own in the wing forward position, putting three points over from distance to secure Brigid’s the win.

“We knew coming

out in the second half we couldn’t concede as many frees so our blocking, defending and strength had to improve and it did,” said Brigid’s boss Tim O’Leary.

“To go on the unbeaten run that we did this year was absolutely fantastic and the lads deserve it after giving every training session their all and never failing to be fully committed to the cause.

“Since Oliver Cussen has come into the fold, I’ve seen a complete change in how the lads have played and all year his defensive coaching has helped us in every

performance.

“That was the reason why we managed to win so many games. His experience and knowledge, having played inter county hurling for Cork, is a massive advantage to have – our first touches, striking and tackling have come on tremendously.

“I think we’ll be well able for the step up next year, we’ve played a few challenge matches and we know that we can keep to the pace. We have a few lads moving up to the second team, but that’s to be expected as the third hurling team at the club.”

CONGRATULATIONS to our junior

included. See the website for more

hurlers who claimed the league title

information and to confirm your

yesterday beating St Pat’s in the

order.

final. It was a great achievement for

The club lotto is €13,400 this week

this team, claiming 14 wins from 14

and takes place on Thursday evening

games.

in The Roselawn Inn.

Thanks to all those who attended

Our club calendar for 2013 is now

and organised two brilliant evenings

available in the club shop, from

last week for our 80th anniversary.

behind the bar or by contacting

It was kindly sponsored by Okra

Cathy on 086 821 0502.

Green in Castleknock Village on

The Throw In radio show continues

Thursday and our club race night

every Monday from 7.30pm on Phoe-

was on Friday night.

nix FM.

St Brigid’s GAA club nursery for

An update on the new club gym is

four- to seven-year-olds contin-

now on the club website. Any busi-

ues every Saturday morning from

ness or individual interested in spon-

9.30am to 11am.

soring any of the new equipment,

New members and families welcome. Contact Paul on 087 915 4748 or see the website for more information.

Buy your Christmas tree from St Brigid’s this Saturday. Free delivery

please contact stbrigidsgaagym@ gmail.com.

Conditioning training for all adult players is on Thursdays in the hall; contact Willie on 086 314 8403 for info.

naomh peregrine BRILLIANT win for our minor hurlers

club secretary for full details.

in the semi-final of the championship.

The club lotto was not won; num-

The final, date and time to be con-

bers drawn were 1, 15, 17 and 27. Next

firmed.

week’s jackpot is €6,400.

All roads lead to the Carlton Hotel

Our club shopvouchers are now

for our annual Penguin Ball this Sat-

available, details and contacts on

urday.

the club website CNP.ie . Follow us on

The executive committee would like to request that members willing to act as mentors with the various club minor and adult hurling, football, camogie and ladies football teams and also on the various club sub-committees for the 2013 season contact the

Twitter @peregrinesgaa.

Entertainment this Saturday comes from Nite Shift.

Bingo continues this Wednesday at 8.30pm, the jackpot is €1,300.

Ladies’ night this Wednesday with music from Laurie Hartz.

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

december 6, 2012

special visit: Westmanstown Taggers special needs cumann na mbunscol: Dublin celebrates best of tag rugby side welcome Donegal All-Stars to D15 P30 primary school GAA P29

St Brigid’s celebrates 80th anniversary  peter carroll

sport@gazettegroup.com

ST BRIGID’S celebrated 80 years in style last week as club chairman Billy Quane welcomed back all of the former presidents, chairpersons and secretaries of the club to an event that placed the glittering history at Russell Park centre stage last Thursday.

“It was fantastic to have the former committee members back with their families,” said Quane.

“We unveiled an honours board featuring the names of all the former presidents, chairpersons and secretaries and it was only right that they were there to witness it.”

Playing with the club since he was seven years’ old, Quane has witnessed major landmarks in the club’s history.

“I can remember when we won our first junior championship and, moving on from that, I remember our intermediate side facing Raheny in a playoff that we won to get into the senior cycle.

“Times like those were very significant when you consider the amount of inter-county talent that has come from the club when the Dublin team was more than likely selected from the senior leagues.

“The building of the clubhouse in the mid-1980s was a huge moment for the club too. I remember think-

ing that we had really made it to the big time when that happened.”

As for the future, Quane says that “youth is the cornerstone” of the Dublin 15 club.

“Just looking at the success we had with the double for the U-14 lads and the girls camogie team at the same age group was absolutely fantastic. In the years gone we’ve always been at the top of the pile as far as juvenile games are concerned. I’d love that to continue.

“We have some fantastic people coming back to the club to help out as coaches and I truly believe if we focus on the youth, there will be success when it comes to the adult games,” he finished.

On the night of celebrations, there were live cooking demonstrations from Okra Green in Castleknock village who donated the food. The event was made possible by the work of Stephen Moore and Tommy Phelan.

“They have worked hard to tell the story of the club so accurately for the anniversary while the lotto committee made the evening possible.

“The history of the club was at the forefront of everything on the night and when you see all of the success we’ve had on one wall, it’s quite hard to believe the amount we’ve done in 80 years,” said Quane.

St Brigid’s members past and present inaugurated a new plaque at Russell Park