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May 18 - 24, 2017

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Parents scramble as creche closure looms Unexpected blow for 100 children as Drumcondra facility soon to shut down

 EMMA NOLAN PARENTS have told of their shock and anger at hearing a Drumcondra creche is to shut down with very short notice.

Up to 100 children

could be lef t without childcare as the Nest Creche announced it would be closing on June 2, with the closure labelled “disgraceful”, while the timeframe to source alternative childcare was branded as

“unrealistic”.

However, this date has now been pushed back to August due to uproar from the community.

One parent said: “People are now frantically trying to source alternative child-

care, while the staff are shellshocked.”

The site has been bought

by Lidl, but bosses at the supermarket chain say they were unaware of the short notice given to parents.

Full Story on Page 9

2 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 18 May 2017

AWARDS | RECOGNITION FOR STRONG BUSINESS DRIVES, FOCUS

A celebration of inner city’s entrepreneurs  EMMA NOLAN

THE second annual Inner City Enterprise Awards took place last week with a ceremony in Smithfield, where some truly creative businesses were recognised at a reception attended by Minister for Social Protection, Leo Varadkar.

The awards are organised by Inner City Enterprise (ICE) – a not-forprofit organisation established to advise and assist unemployed people in Dublin’s inner city to set up their own businesses, or to create direct selfemployment.

Three categories were represented on the night:

The winner of the Best Newcomer award Russell Simons, The Greedy Pig; the winner of the Best Male Entrepreneur, Daniel Cantwell, Ben & Anvil, and the winner of the Best Female Entrepreneur, Helen Walsh, Fitness, Wellness and Coaching. Picture: Orla Murray

Best Female Entrepreneur, Best Male Entrepreneur, and Best Newcomer.

Helen Walsh, who set up Fitness, Wellness and

Coaching, won the award for Best Female Entrepreneur; Daniel Cantwell won Best Male for his business, Ben & Anvil, while

Best Newcomer went to Russell Simmons, of This Greedy Pig. The Gazette spoke to the three winners as they accepted their awards in the Jameson Distillery, Bow Street.

Helen Walsh said she was “thrilled” to win. As an international health coach, personal trainer and one of the nation’s leading health and wellness experts, she set up her business in 2014.

“I do personal training work that tends to be quite specialised for people who may be recovering from cancer or a heart attack.

Life issues “I also teach 1980s aerobics classes, which are starting to get bigger and bigger, which is great.

I also personally coach people, so if they’re stuck with different issues in life, I help them to plan.

“I’m 20 years qualified as a coach, and I’m 28 years qualified as a trainer.

I also set up a social initiative within the business called Pass It On – so when people are finished with things, I find a home for them; things like televisions and computers.

“We’re also involved with the homeless and various other things; I’m really proud of that,” she said.

Based in Sandymount, Helen calls out to her clients’ homes for her work.

On winning the award, she praised her fellow nominees, who she called “amazing”.

“I’m absolutely thrilled with the outcome, and my friends and family are here tonight to support me – it’s brilliant!”

Daniel Cantwell said it was “incredible” to win in the Best Male category.

He told The Gazette: “We do effects for film and TV; we also do animation, both for advertising and children’s TV.” Based in the Guinness Enterprise Centre, Daniel set up the studio with his wife, Ailbhe, in 2015.

His background is in graphic design, reflected in the many national and international design and animation awards won by the young company.

Speaking about his win, Daniel said it was “incredible”. “Starting up a business on your own is tough as hell, and things like this let you know you’re on the right track.”

Meanwhile, Russell Simmons took home the award for Best Newcomer.

This Greedy Pig began life as a blog in 2010, showcasing the best of music, art and culture in Ireland and beyond.

Since then, it has grown into a collective that spans events, a record label and an online publication.

Russell works with a talented bunch of artists, designers, filmmakers and photographers who share a vision for inspiring, creative work. Speaking about his win, Russel said he felt “really great”.

“I wasn’t expecting to win at all. It’s a nice acknowledgement of the hard work I’ve been putting in. It’s nice that it’s being recognised and great to see an event like this happening.”

FASTNews

Giving 200,000 cheers for one customer’s great luck SPAR staff at Summerhill Parade were delighted to help celebrate the good news for one of their customers recently following her National Lottery win – which proved to be ten times luckier than she thought it was.

Owner Jiacong Lu, Edwina Walsh, Graham Keogh and Chris McAuley toasted the mum-ofthree’s luck with the Lotto, thrilled her her luck with a scratchcard. When the customer went to Lotto HQ to claim her terrific win of €20,000, she was in for a very welcome shock – in fact, she had won €200,000, making it a win that Lu and his staff were even happier to celebrate for her.

See what’s cookin’ in the BBQ world at Smithfield FIRE-grilled, smoked meats and brilliant barbequing – that’s what you can expect at the Fire & Smoke Pitmaster Academy on Friday, May 26 and Saturday, May 27, when Smithfield Plaza will host a specially built, pop-up BBQ barn for a series of authentic Deep South cooking classes.

This unique cooking experience will give BBQ enthusiasts the opportunity to learn from authentic pitmasters over an open BBQ fire pit as they are brought through the art of cooking in a range of BBQ styles, selecting the right equipment and the allimportant meat selection. Tickets are free and there are four sessions to choose from. Register at https:// www.facebook.com/DennyFireandSmokeIRE/.

SF slam Poolbeg West’s 10% social housing mix

JUST 10% of social housing is to be included in the new Poolbeg West development, which a local Sinn Fein councillor has branded as “totally unacceptable” and “paltry”.

Cllr Daithi Doolin said: “Homeless numbers continue to spiral, we have over 26,000 applicants on our housing list. The development of the Poolbeg Peninsula gives us a unique opportunity to provide a solution to the current crisis. The plan is sure to fail if it does not meet the housing needs of this city.

“Minister [for Housing] Simon Coveney must work with councillors to deliver a plan that meets the needs of the city, not just profits for the developers.”

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

18 May 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 3

JUNE BANK HOLIDAY | BORD BIA’S HUGELY POPULAR ANNUAL FESTIVAL AT THE PHOENIX PARK

It’ll be Blooming brilliant!

IT’S almost time to plant yourself in the heart of the Phoenix Park for the evergreen Bloom festival, which once again promises to be an absolutely fantastic festival and celebration of much, much more than ‘just’ gardening. Whether you’re a green-fingered garden guru or are looking to branch out into pastures new, Bloom’s stunning show gardens, dizzying range of experts and hands-on demonstrations, and acres and acres of plants, stalls, events, talks and attractions will make it an absolutely unmissable festival this June Bank Holiday Weekend. See you there!

Above: Some of last year’s terrific gardens; right: Sophie Bracken and Lauren Keane help to launch Bloom 2017.

Picture: Colm Mahady/Fennells

WIN!

WE HAVE TICKETS TO GIVE AWAY!

Thanks to our friends at Bloom 2017, we have TEN PAIRS OF TICKETS to give away to lucky readers! To win, just email your contact details to competitions@dublingazette.com, or visit the Bloom competition post on our Facebook page. Best of luck!

4 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 18 May 2017

WALKWAY | ‘IT WAS A FANTASTIC JAUNT WITH BEAUTIFUL VIEWS’

First phase of Sutton to Sandycove cycle route officially opens

FASTNews

Celebrating diversity of families in Ireland ONE Family – Ireland’s organisation for people parenting alone, sharing parenting and separating – celebrates the wonderful diversity of families in Ireland with its seventh annual Family Day Festival in Smithfield Square.

Taking place on Saturday, May 27 from 1-5pm, all families are welcome for a host of free fun and festivities including workshops, magic, comedy, art, games, storytelling and lots more.

This year One Family has teamed up with world-famous animation studio, Brown Bag Films, best known for Doc McStuffins and the Oscar nominated Give Up Yer Aul Sins, for a series of workshops at their headquarters in Smithfield Square. Elsewhere, up-top on the vintage bus, there will be film screenings, puppet shows and music workshops.

After a jam-packed day of fun, the 50-member Dublin Ukulele Collective will play their rhythmic take on classic hits with audience participation encouraged.

Following on from last’s years Biggest Family Tree, in which over 500 children decorated a specially crafted wooden tree, this year children are invited to create Ireland’s Biggest Family Tree.

Children can draw a portrait of their own family on a leaf template which can be downloaded from www.familyday.ie. These leaves will be combined and displayed on our Biggest Family Tree at Family Day on Saturday, May 27.

Full event information is on www.familyday.ie

Booterstown rector elected Canon of prestigious school Lord Mayor of Dublin Brendan Carr cuts the tape on the completed 2km section of the S2S (Sutton to Sandymount) Cycleway. Pictures: www.S2S.ie

 AISLING KENNEDY S2S DOLLYMOUNT – the first section of the proposed Sutton to Sandycove Cycleway – was officially opened last week, finally connecting Sutton and Clontarf with a single, dedicated cycle track after a 100-year wait.

The new 2km stretch of dedicated bike path and footway on the Clontarf Road between Wooden Bridge and Bull Island Causeway was officially opened by Lord Mayor Brendan Carr on Friday.

The new stretch, which cost around €5million and includes a new segregated two-way cycle track and 4km of upgraded footpaths, connects existing 100 yearold cycle paths and now means that there is a continuous 8.5km bikeway and walking path trunning all the way from Sutton Cross to Clontarf village.

Public lighting along the route has also been upgraded and the historic tram shelter at Clontarf has also been restored.

Additional works include the tion could be found to building the provision of a continuous coastal cycleway by the environmentally flood defence wall from Bull Road sensitive lagoon.

It is hoped that the next phase to Causeway Road as part of the Dublin Coastal Flood Protection of plans for the S2S Cycleway will eventually extend approximately and Dublin SAFER projects.

During the construction of the 22km from Sandycove to Sutton, cycleway and footway, a 600mm linking existing walkways and diameter water main was also cycle-ways.

Jimmy and Kathleen Nolan, installed.

Up until now, cyclists on the who completed the new walkway route had to leave the bike path at from Clontarf to Sutton over the weekend, the Wooden said: “It Bridge traffic lights and was a fantastic walk join traffic with beauon the busy tiful views and bumpy of Dublin concrete bay. It will Clontarf Rd before the Ciaran Cuffe with S2S’s Clara Clark and be great for people durcycle path Dublin Cycling Campaign’s Colm Ryder ing the sumre-emerged a mer months.”

2km further along the road.

Mayor Carr said he was delightThat’s because when the original 8.5km Clontarf to Sutton ed to open the first stage of the Sutcycleway was constructed in the ton to Sandycove Cycleway and early 1990s, its builders had to added: “I hope that residents and leave a 2km gap because no solu- tourists alike will get great enjoy-

ment from this wonderful amenity on the north side of the city.

“I congratulate Dublin City Council, the National Transport Authority, Irish Water and the contribution from the local community for coming together to work on this project in this environmentally sensitive area.”

Cllr Ciaran Cuffe (GP) told The Gazette the S2S walkway is an “excellent visionary proposal”.

He said: “I pay tribute to the ‘Sutton 2 Sandycove Promenade and Cycleway Campaign’ group who are promoting this proposal.

This is an environmentally friendly and achievable project that deserves support.

“The proposal involves some stretches of new promenade and a new pedestrian and cycle bridge in Ringsend, but it consists mostly of the joining together of stretches of existing walkway.

“It is relatively inexpensive project and I shall continue to promote the project through Dublin City Council.”

A BOOTERSTOWN Rector is the new Canon for St Patrick’s Cathedral Grammar School in Dublin 8.

Reverend Gillian Wharton was elected to the Prebendary of Dunlavin in the National Cathedral recently at a special meeting of the diocesan synod.

Ms Wharton has been Rector of Booterstown and Mount Merrion since 2004 and has worked closely with community organisations to develop close ecumenical relationships in the area.

Senator Victor Boyhan (Ind) told the Gazette: “The wider community is particularly pleased that she will also remain as Rector of Booterstown and Mount Merrion.”

Ms Wharton will be installed as Canon at a special ceremony on Sunday May 21 at 3.15pm in St Patrick Cathedral.

Clarification

IN last week’s Dublin City Gazette it was reported that psychiatric nurses at St Patrick’s Mental Health Services were to strike on Sunday last in a row over the hospital’s decision to close the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme without staff consultation. We are happy to clarify that no strike took place on Sunday at the hospital.

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

18 May 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 5

6 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 18 May 2017

Out and About

Deirdre O Carroll, John Whelan and Mary

Linda Byrne and Adrian

McDonnell. Pictures: Brian Mcevoy

Kennedy

Ciara Maher and Ali Ryan

Keith Mahon and Jules Mahon

Lauren O’Hanlon and Jess Glynn

Launching Guinness Export House at T2 T

Mick Doyle and Mary McDonnell

Lynne Courtney and Michelle Corbett

HERE was plenty going on across the capital last week starting with the launch of the world’s first Guinness Export House at The Loop at Terminal 2, Dublin Airport. The face of Bellamianta Tan and former Made in Chelsea star Ianthe Rose attended the launch party of the new Bellamianta tan range. While movie fans were spoilt for choice with the premiere screening of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword at the Savoy Cinema and a special preview screening of Alien Covenant at Cineworld.

The Bellamianta Tan launch

Vanessa Butler and James Butler

Kate Kelly and Susan Vickers

Sarah Carroll and Ciara

Charlene McCaul and

Ianthe Rose kicked off the Bellamianta tanning season

Lara McBrearty and Stephanie

Louise Cooney and Aideen Murphy. Pictures:

Gaughran

Evelin Hagan

in style

Langan

Brian McEvoy

18 May 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 7

Aliens and Knights a hit with audiences

Emer Coughlan and Louise Coughlan

Corinne Scally, Rebecca McKinney and Lee-Anne Stewart. Pictures: Brian McEvoy

Conor Irwin and Siobhan Paul Ahern, Liam McGarry and John Mullins

McDonnell

Teresa Ryan and

Stephen Connolly and Anna

Will O’Connor and

Cormac Moore

Fisher

Yvonne De Vries

Kate Flynn and Katrina Devins

8 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 18 May 2017

CRIME | GAMBLING AND ALCOHOL FUELED FORMER DIRECTOR’S FRAUD

State seized €17,600 cash from four men travelling to Spain FOUR men allegedly linked to the drugs trade have had thousands in cash confiscated from them at Dublin Airport.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that a total of €17,600 was found on the four men as they prepared to travel to Malaga on one-way tickets.

Customs and Excise officials were screening outbound passengers and stopped the men in February 2016. The officials seized the cash after hearing contradictory explanations about its use.

Kieran Kelly BL, for the State, told Judge Karen O’Connor that it was the State’s case that the cash seized represented the proceeds of crime or was intended for use in criminal conduct.

Judge Karen O’Connor granted an order for the forfeiture of the cash under Section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1994.

The act states that a judge may order the forfeiture of cash seized if satisfied that the cash directly or indirectly represents the proceeds of crime or is intended by any person for use in connection with any criminal conduct.

Mr Kelly told the court that when stopped with €12,000 cash, Gerard Claxton Jnr of Whitestown Walk, Blanchardstown, told customs officials it was to buy an apartment in Malaga.

He said €6,000 belonged to his father,

Gerard Claxton Snr, of Whitestown Drive, Blanchardstown.

Claxton Snr was also travelling and stopped by customs officials. He said he had around €8,000 in cash on him and said the cash was to be used to furnish a Spanish apartment they had already bought.

Claxton Jnr has previous convictions for possession of firearms and attempted robbery, and in 2007 he received a partially suspended eightyear prison sentence. His father has a previous conviction, for burglary, from 1987.

Lee Boylan, of Fortlawn Ave, Clonsilla, had €2,500 in cash on him and said it was to spend on his holidays. He said he was unemployed.

Michael Jones, of Whitestown Drive, Blanchardstown, had €1,500 cash with him and told officials he was selfemployed.

Pooled cash Officials deemed the cash to have been pooled by the four men.

Later investigations found that gardai criminal intelligence linked the four men together and to the drugs trade in west Dublin, the court heard.

Neither Mr Boylan or Mr Jones have any criminal convictions, Mr Kelly said.

He said the four men were aware of the State’s application and had declined to take part in the proceedings.

The cash was found on the men at Dublin Airport as they travelled with one-way tickets to Malaga

‘Self-made man’ stole almost a million euro to feed his addictions A FORMER company director stole almost a million euro from his employer over six years to feed his alcoholism and gambling addiction, a court has heard.

Conrad Mason (46), who has no previous convictions, will be sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on May 23 for stealing a total of €908,652 from David Dixon, of cleaning specialists C&G Logistics Group, on dates between January 2010 and January 2015.

Mason pleaded guilty to 25 sample counts of theft and fraud representing a total of 234 wrongful transactions from the company account to his own various bank accounts.

Mason, of Elm Mount Close, Beaumont, worked for C&G as company accountant since August 1997 and was promoted to the position of director in 2004.

The court heard that C&G Logistics Group comprises two related companies involved in

The court heard how a former company director fed his alcoholism and gambling addictions by stealing from a business account

the warehousing, transport and pumping over of hazardous and non-hazardous chemicals for the agriculture and water treatment sectors.

Detective Sergeant Margaret Morrell told the court that between August 2014 and July 2015, Mason had transferred more than €250,000 from the company to two accounts in his name at Bank of Ireland, College Green, and Ulster Bank in

Ballsbridge.

When this emerged, Mr Dixon contacted Mason’s wife, who was shocked and surprised and told him that her husband had had a gambling problem for years.

Mason phoned his boss from hospital and came clean, saying he had been taking funds from the company over the past five or six years, and that he had gambled with Paddy Power, primarily in online slot machines.

Mr Dixon told gardai that the company had suffered a major blow to its cash reserve since the fraud had been uncovered and had spent a great deal of time trying to recover and “pick up the pieces”.

He said his company was “suffering on a day-to-day basis”, and that on a personal note, his trust and faith in people had been “totally undermined and diminished”.

Michael Bowman SC, defending Mason, described him as a “self-made man” who had left school after his Leaving Cert and worked his way up with no formal qualifications to become “highly-esteemed” at work.

He said Mason’s motivation was a “deep-seated addiction” and not a “get rich quick scheme”, and that he did not exhibit the trappings of an ostentatious lifestyle or material wealth.

Judge Karen O’Connor adjourned the matter for sentencing until May 23

Man set former flatmates’ front door on fire in row about phone

A MOLDOVAN man who set fire to his former housemate’s front door in a row over a mobile phone will be sentenced in July.

Vladislav Roman (35) had previously made drunken threats to the residents after his phone went missing as he believed one of them had taken it.

He returned to the house and set the fire after gardai were called to a “commotion” at the house earlier that evening, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

Roman, of Walton

Hall, Riverbank, Swords pleaded guilty to damaging a property at Seabury Parade, Malahide by fire and was reckless as to whether the lives of the occupants were endangered on May 9, 2016.

His lawyer said Roman had been living here for ten years and had worked “ceaselessly” during that time in various jobs. He said Roman had a significant problem with alcohol.

Detective Garda Donal O’Connell said Roman was living in the house with a woman, her two adult sons and a student.

He said things were initially fine but disharmony arose following a party where Roman was stopped from drink driving.

He then formed the opinion that one of the people in the house had taken his mobile phone and became aggressive and abusive any time he was drinking, issuing threats to people in the house.

One of the residents said she would sleep with her door locked at times due to the accused.

On the evening of the offence, gardai were

called to the house after neighbours noticed a “commotion” going on.

Roman, who had been drinking with three friends in the garden of the house, had been confronted by the other residents after grabbing a phone from one of them.

During the commotion, Roman put a knife to one resident’s throat before threatening to kill her and her sons and burn them.

He left the area before gardai arrived.

At 2am, smoke was detected coming into the house and the fire brigade

attended and helped to put out the blaze.

The front door was badly burned but no fire had encroached inside the house. Accelerant had been poured on the door.

Roman, who has 13 previous convictions, was arrested the following day.

Gardai agreed that the incidents of violence at the house prior to the arson had been of a “low level” and that Roman had got “a blow or two himself”.

The case was adjourned for preparation of a probation report.

18 May 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 9

FASTNews

RESCUE 116 | UPCOMING EVENTS TO HELP SUPPORT CREW’S FAMILIES

116km charity cycle in honour of heroes Picture: Chris Bellew

A lovely lick of new paint helps celebrate a school’s diversity VOLUNTEERS brought a splash of colour to Presentation Primary School George’s Hill as part of Novartis Ireland’s Community Partnership Day. With paint brushes in hand, employees from Novartis Ireland (including Dimitra Karli and Marie O’Brien, above) joined the staff and pupils of the 250-year-old school in the heart of Dublin city centre to bring a much-needed splash of colour to its outside, painted the outside railings of the school red, yellow, blue, and green.

Principal Aileen Finnegan said: “It is so important to both the staff and pupils to have the railings painted in vibrant colours, to reflect the vibrant nature within the school.

“I would like to thank Novartis for helping us to make our school a beacon of vitality and colour in the local community.”

 SYLVIA POWNALL

RESCUE 116 coast guard Ciaran Smith will be remembered at a memorial mass in Oldtown this Saturday.

A service at the parish church at 3pm is expected to draw huge crowds and plans for traffic management and an outside speaker are already in place.

Wild Geese GAA Club will form a guard of honour outside as his wife, Martina, and their three young children join the local community and colleagues to celebrate his life.

Ciaran and his fellow winch crew mate Paul Ormsby, from Ballyfermot, have been missing since their helicopter went down off the Mayo coast on March 15.

A charity cycle is also planned

by Dublin Airport police and

DRUMCONDRA | 100 KIDS USE FACILITY

Parents shocked as creche to close  EMMA NOLAN

PA R E N T S have expressed their anger as up to 100 children could be left without childcare in Drumcondra following the announcement that the Nest Creche is to close.

They were initially advised that the creche would be closing on June 2, leaving them with limited childcare options in the area.

However, the date has been pushed back to August to allow time for alternative arrangements.

The closure could see the 100 enrolled children left without a creche in a move that will also affect the facility’s 27 staff.

It is believed the creche’s site has been bought by the Lidl supermarket chain.

Nest Childcare and Montessori

The Irish Times reported that local parent Annette Nugent, who has two children in the creche, said: “People are now frantically trying to source alternative childcare, while the staff are shell-shocked.”

Lidl bosses have said that they were unaware of the short notice given to parents, and said they would be seeking to extend the deadline to allow more time for parents to seek other arrangements.

Fine Gael TD for the area Noel Rock called the situation “disgraceful”, adding: “This news is both shocking and devastating for young, local families who are currently using this much needed facility for their children.”

Cllr Noeleen Reilly (SF) said parents were given an “unrealistic” timeframe to find alternative creches. She said: “There is already a shortage of childcare places in the area.”

Still missing: Coast guard heroes Ciaran Smith and Paul Ormsby

fire service on June 11 which will cover 116km and raise money for the R116 fund.

Organiser Bryan Russell told The Gazette: “We wanted to do something to show our respect.”

The cycle started out as a fundraiser but now members of Ciaran’s family and those of the other three coast guard crew have expressed an interest in taking part.

Pilot Captain Dara Fitzpatrick

and co-pilot Mark Duffy have both been recovered from the sea and laid to rest, but neither Paul nor 37-year-old Ciaran’s body was found, despite extensive co-ordinated searches.

Bryan said: “One or two family members have asked can they do every single lap. We’re getting calls from Waterford fire service, GAA clubs all over the country – you name it.

“Because we’re based at the

airport, we would see the rescue helicopter flying overhead all the time and we felt helpless because we couldn’t go up and help with the search.

“This is just our way of remembering the crew and families and what they’re going through.”

Former Dublin GAA player Paul Clarke is co-organiser of the event. He shared a keen interest in cycling with Ciaran and the pair took part in many fundraisers together.

Bryan said: “I’ve no idea what their families are going through, but if we can do any little thing to help in any small way, we want to do it.”

Funds will go towards the rescue helicopter base. To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/dublin-apfs-r116-charity-cycle.

10 GAZETTE 18 May 2017

CHARITY CD

Out and About St Dominics College, Cabra

Castleknock College

Big-hearted Dublin dad’s passing the inspiration for new Don Baker single BLUES legend Don Baker has recorded a special CD to raise much needed funds for the Fr Peter McVerry Foundation.

‘The Homeless’ is a joint collaboration between the famed harmonica ace and Helen McGrath, a Dublin mother of four who sadly lost her husband Tony on New Year’s Eve, 2015.

Helen told The Gazette she penned the song as a way to commemorate Tony, who had always given a lot to charity.

She said: “My husband was a very kind and generous man and contributed to a lot of charities.

“I really wanted to do something to commemo-

Taking sc

to the N

LEVEL

Helen McGrath with her late husband Tony

rate him so I tried to write a song about the homeless situation in Ireland.

“The song turned into a poem, so I went to Don Baker, and gave my words to him, he took them, worked his magic and wrote this beautiful song.”

Don enlisted the help of old pal Joe Jewell of Aslan fame, who produced what Helen hopes will be a fitting tribute to her beloved Tony, and raise money for those who need it most. The new single will be launched at a special benefit night for the Peter McVerry Trust at Don and his wife Maureen’s well-known pub, Brogan’s in Trim, Co Meath, this Saturday (May 20). Come along and show your support.

Wesley College

Liam Prior and Oscar Burke Mullaney from Blackrock Mick Hagan, ITB Lecturer pre College who won 2nd in the senting Joey ces Scien Life Ha ughan and Ben Ryan from Bla Junior Group ckrock College who won 3rd in the Jun Award for their project ior Group Life Sciences Award for their pro ‘Can Toilet Germs Reach ject Does Time ’ brush Per ception Change as You Get Old Your Tooth er

Darragh Clarke and Eibhilin O’Reardon fro Skerries Community College won 1st in the Junior Group Life Sciences Award for their project Bug Brains

18 May 2017 GAZETTE 11

Out and About

Mick Hagan, ITB Lecturer presenting Andrew McWeeney from Castleknock College who won 1st in the Junior Individual Award for Life Sciences for his project Just Eat It

Mary Mullaghy Irish Science Teachers (ISTA) presenting Eoghan Kavanagh and Dylan Vaughan, from Castleknock College with the Irish Science Teachers’s Association Award for their project Electromagnets

Blackrock College

cience

NEXT L

om e r

Mick Hagan presentin g Conor Slattery, Blackrock College wi th 1st in the Junior Individual Award for Physical Sciences for his project The Pr evention of Sodium Chloride Build-Up on Glass Windows

AS one of the 16 regional venues hosting a SciFest science fair, SciFest@ITB saw more than 150 students from schools all over the region exhibit almost 70 projects at the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown and put their knowledge of science to the test.

SciFest is an all-inclusive, all-island science initiative, which fosters active, collaborative and inquiry-based learning among secondary-level students.

The winners from each regional science fair go on to compete at a national final in November 2017.

Picture: Andres Poveda Photography

Castleknock College Pobailscoil Iosolde, Palmerstown

Halima Usman and Precious Daramola from Pobailscoil Iosolde won 2nd in the Intermediate Group for Life Sciences for their project To Investigate if Your Testosterone Level Affect Your Athletic Ability

Sarah Sexton of Intel presenting Enya Nordon and Grainne Lawlor from Scoil Mhuire Community School with the Intel Award (Best Physical Science or Technology Project)

Kishoge Comm unity College Lu can

GAZETTE

12 GAZETTE 18 May 2017

DUBLINBUSINESS

SuperValu scoops award for innovation at Business Awards SUPERVALU has announced that its Food Academy programme has won a Ruban d’Honneur award for Innovation at the highly prestigious European Business Awards that took place in Dubrovnik.

There was stiff competition and out of 30,000 entries, ten companies across Europe were awarded a Ruban d’Honneur Award for Innovation including the SuperValu Food Academy programme which was commended by the panel of judges for being ‘the most socially innovative initiatives in the competition’ presenting strong community benefits.

Since 2007, the European Business Awards has been shining a light on the most innovative businesses on the continent by promoting success, innovation and ethics in the European business community.

This highly regarded international competition attracts participants from all over Europe and winners of the awards are congratulated by an audience compromising heads of state, leading industrialists, entrepreneurs, business leaders, media owners and academics from across 30 European nations.

SuperValu Food Academy entered an extensive 2,500-word submission for the European Award in June 2016 and in September 2016, the Food Academy programme was awarded the National Champion for Innovation.

This was followed by the next phase which required public voting and a video submission. After a very competitive competition, the SuperValu Food Academy advanced to the final stage which required a 15-minute presentation followed by 20 minutes of Q&A.

Networking events to growing your business TO mark the 16th National Enterprise Week, themed “Scaling Your Business”, Bank of Ireland will host over 40 networking events nationwide for SMEs with an interest in growing their business during National Enterprise Week from May 12 to 19.

Bank of Ireland’s National Enterprise Week aims to promote and drive business momentum for SMEs across a range of sectors including tourism, hospitality, agri, food, finance and export markets.

This years’ national initiative will give small and medium sized businesses across the country the opportunity to network with fellow entrepreneurs at events along the theme of “Scaling Your Business”.

Bank of Ireland branches in Dublin City Centre will host a “True Blue” event for SMEs in Dublin on May 19 from 8am to 10am in the Mansion House where attendees will discuss the leadership qualities and motivation required for success.

Guest speakers will include Dublin GAA senior football manager Jim Galvin, entrepreneur Nicola Byrne and Garvan Callan, Digital and Innovation at Bank of Ireland.

Musgrave Marketplace reveals new €2.5 million investment

PICTURED is Michelle Fennell, Musgrave MarketPlace marketing director and Matt Lee, general manager of Musgrave MarketPlace Robinhood at Musgrave MarketPlace ... wait for it ... Robinhood. Musgrave MarketPlace, one of Ireland’s leading

wholesale suppliers to retail, foodservice and SME businesses, announced a €2.5 million upgrade of its Robinhood store, located in Clondalkin and a €1m upgrade of its Duncrue store in Belfast. This follows the hugely successful relaunch of the

Musgrave MarketPlace Ballymun store in November 2016.

Features include new speciality areas and state-of-the art technology to offer retail and foodservice customers a best in class visitor experience.

Lidl invests €250k in Irish suppliers LIDL is calling out to Irish food and drink suppliers in Dublin to apply to their brand new Supplier Development Programme, Kick Start, a programme designed to give small suppliers the chance to supply Lidl with a guaranteed volume of their products for a limited edition “Best of Ireland” food promotion in September 2017.

Lidl will select up to 100 of Ireland’s best products which will be available in all 153 stores throughout the Republic of Ireland.

The programme which is run

by Lidl Ireland and supported

by Bord Bia, is designed to help small and medium Irish food and drink businesses that need support in growing their brand

John Paul Scally and Tara McCarthy. Picture: Robbie Reynolds

and building their supply network.

The final product selection will complement the portfolio of Irish products currently available in Lidl stores.

Some of Lidl’s current Irish suppliers started off as small

start-ups who with the help of Lidl have grown significantly and now supply products to all stores across Ireland on an ongoing basis.

Successful suppliers that are selected to be part of the Kick Start programme will attend a series of free, comprehensive seminars aimed at guiding them through the process and teaching them skills to help grow their business ahead of their products going on sale at Lidl.

The seminars will be carried out by panel of industry experts from Lidl Ireland and Bord Bia and will include topics around quality control, packaging, marketing and PR and brand building.

John Paul Scally, managing director at Lidl Ireland commented: “We are looking to build on our already strong Irish supply base and expand our network of over 200 Irish suppliers.

“We will be investing over €250,000 in the first year to support new suppliers who will be joining our programme.

This is a fantastic opportunity for small suppliers who will get to have their products in 153 stores throughout Ireland.

“In September, we want to showcase the very best of Irish food and drink so if you think your product fits the bill, we want to hear from you.”

See www.lidl.ie/en/kickstart. htm to register.

18 May 2017 GAZETTE 13

STYLE P20

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

Rock and Seoul

 JAMES HENDICOTT ONE of Korea’s most distinct cultural outputs, KPop is world renowned, and - led by the comic satire of Psy in recent years - has established a genuinely global audience, with the US in particular a huge market. Its stars, though, rarely appear in Ireland.

Rarer is a showing from a Korean rock act - in fact, it’s probably not even an annual event - and it’s a genre that two years living in Korea taught me is genuinely impressive.

The arrival of Seoul act Billy Carter on our shores this May, then, marks an unusual event for the Dublin music scene. We caught up with singer Kim Ji Won ahead of their Whelan’s show at the end of this month.

A lively bunch, Korean psychedelic psychobilly rockers Billy Carter find their spiritual home in the Seoul student district of Hongdae.

Continued on pages 16-17

CINEMA P24



GAZETTE

DIARY P14

OH, ALFIE – HE’S A COOL COLLIE AND A CHARMER OUR Dog of the Week looking for their #SpecialSomeone* is Alfie, a delightful oneyear-old male collie.

Like most collies, Alfie is very clever and knows a few cool tricks such as Paw, Roll over, and High five. He also enjoys sunbathing and exciting walks in the woods and going to the beach where he can investigate lots of new sounds and smells.

Alfie likes his own space and is not a fan of being fussed over too much, so he is looking for a quiet, adult home.

He would especially like to live in an area with low traffic as he can struggle when he sees cars, but we are working on this and would be delighted to show you the training we are doing to help you continue it. *If you can be Alfie’s #SpecialSomeone, then please contact Dogs Trust on 01 879 1000. They are based in Finglas, just off Exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website, www.dogstrust.ie.

You can also find them on Facebook, at www.facebook. com/dogstrustirelandonline, or on Twitter @DogsTrust_IE.

GAZETTE

14 GAZETTE 18 May 2017

DUBLINLIFE

DIARY

Hardly a skip and a jump away from Dublin, Killruddery House and Gardens have a week-long festival to entice families away from the city hustle and bustle to the beautiful house and gardens instead

SUMMER FUN: LOTS OF ACTIVITIES AHEAD AS THE CITY LOOKS FORWARD TO A BUSY FEW MONTHS

A groovy family festival THE Groove Family Festival is back again this summer at Killruddery House and Gardens.

Taking place across a week in August, guests can come and go as they please.

Children can enjoy a full schedule of free activities: puppet shows, magic and science shows, facepainting, giant games, balloon modelling and a petting zoo, while bigger children will have a dedicated area of fun activities including zorbing on the lake, kid’s yoga, archery and a climbing wall.

Musical highlights on the main stage include UB40, Primal Scream, Hudson Taylor, Hothouse Flowers, Cr y Before Dawn, Columbia Mills, Jerry Fish, Stomptown Brass, Spring Break and

Na Fianna.

Killruddery House and Gardens are only 40 minutes from Dublin – and less if you’re on the southside.

See www.groovefestival.ie for more information and ticket prices, with kids aged 12 and under going free when booked online before August 1.

DIP IN THE NIP AND HELP CANCER GROUP DO YOU dare to bare all and raise funds for cancer? ARC Cancer Support Centres are appealing to anyone who has been affected by cancer to join them for their annual ARC Dip in the Nip, which is taking place in Dublin on Sunday, June 18.

The exact location will be a closely guarded secret until the day of the event.

Speaking about the challenge, Mairead Mangan, head of fundraising said: “The ARC Dip in the Nip reconnects ‘dippers’ with their bodies – it’s as though they fall in love with their bodies yet again.

“It gives dippers something joyous, life-affirming, personal and unique. It is a real equaliser and truly puts everything into perspective.

“Most have never skinny-dipped before, and they do for a variety of reasons, whether that’s helping ARC as a charity close to their heart, doing something that pushes their own boundaries, giving themselves a challenge, or simply ticking something off their bucket list.”

This is the fourth year of the event, which is open to everyone aged over 18.

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

‘Musical highlights on the main stage include UB40, Primal Scream, Hudson Taylor, Hothouse Flowers, Cry Before Dawn, Columbia Mills, Jerry Fish, Stomptown Brass, Spring Break and Na Fianna’

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

To register, contact Jessica Sheehan at 085 731 1532, or 01 830 7333.

FIND THE CODE TO SUCCESS AT THE RDS CODERDOJO Coolest Projects has announced its sixth annual showcase will take place in the RDS on Saturday, June 17, with more than 15,000 people expected to attend.

CoderDojo is both a competition and an exhibition to showcase, inspire and enable innovation,

creativity, entrepreneurship and technology skills in youth innovators aged from six to 17.

T h e m e s f o r 2 017 include Smart City and the STEAM Experience, while a Games Arena will be a fun, educational and interactive arena for young people and adults interested in the videogames industry.

Tickets for the CoderDojo Coolest Projects Showcase in the RDS are now available – and

free of charge if booked in advance. Book now at tickets.coolestprojects.org.

PREPARE TO FACE THE BATTLE FOR THE BAY BATTLE for the Bay is back this weekend, may 20-21, and it promises to deliver the usual fun, entertainment and aerial acrobatics which has helped it become one of the best free family weekends in the summer calendar.

Battle of the Bay is an entertaining weekend for all the family, young and old, where audiences will be entertained and captivated by kite surfers from across the world as they weave across Dublin Bay. Entertainment on dry land will see live music all day from DJs and bands; a beach market selling every-

thing from vintage clothes and vinyl records to arts and crafts and jewellery; a farmers’ market food village; a Kids Zone with fairground rides, big wheel and beach volleyball, and a biodiversity village where people can explore the wildlife of Dublin Bay with some very friendly experts.

Other activities include the Global City Balance Challenge, where visitors to Dollymount will be encouraged to balance on a slackline for 10 seconds.

This global challenge will pit city against city to see which can gather the highest number of people who can stay 10 seconds on the slackline without falling off.

Taking place on Dollymount Strand, Dublin 3, the fun event has free entry from 10am to 6pm.

18 May 2017 GAZETTE 15

GAZETTE

FEATURE INTERVIEW: MUM ON HOW SHE, ROBBIE AND THE KIDS HAVE COPED SINCE LEAVING BEVERLY HILLS

Claudine’s on the ball when it comes to settling back into Irish life again

 EMMA NOLAN HAVING just returned from five years living in Beverly Hills, Claudine Keane says she is happy to be back where the craic is – Dublin!

“It’s lovely to be back, and on a sunny day like this, Ireland is the most beautiful place ever.”

Speaking to The Gazette at the launch of SPAR’s summer advertising campaign, the mum-of-two opened up about her supporting her husband Robbie Keane’s football career moves, and said she is up for the next adventure, wherever that may take them.

“I loved LA, but I love being back in Dublin, it’s a nice balance,” she said.

“It’s great to see my family, spend some time here and let the kids see what it’s like in Ireland.”

Claudine fronts SPAR’s Better Living campaign

The couple’s two children, Robert Jr and baby Hudson, have spent most of their lives in LA until now, but Claudine says she is “impressed” at Robert’s ability to adapt between the two countries.

She said: “He’s very adaptive – I’ve really realised that in the last few weeks and I’m very impressed by the fact that he can go between one and the other without too much stress or strain, which is fantastic because it was something I was worried about.”

Robert Jr went to school in LA until last December, but has had no problem slotting back in here.

As for herself, and for many other Dubliners adjusting to life back home after living abroad, settling in has largely gone okay for Claudine, though not without a few bumps.

She said: “Rob finished up with LA Galaxy in December and since then we’ve been travelling a lot, and back and forward between here and LA, so I haven’t really had a huge transition period yet – but it is a big deal to take your child out of school and send them to a new one.

“As a mam, you’re always worrying about them settling in, and making sure that it’s not traumatic in any way.

“The fact that I’ve been able to spend more than two weeks at a time here

has been really fantastic for me.”

One of the best parts about being back, said Claudine, is that her family have been able to spend time with Hudson and be a part of milestones, like seeing his first steps.

“All those little things, they get to see him and see his character – it’s not just me telling them over the phone, they get to be part of his little experiences.”

While she loved life in LA, the Malahide native said that nowhere compares to Dublin when it comes to socialising and having craic.

She said: “I have to say, Dublin is great craic, Ireland too! I did miss that a lot – people socialise very differently in America; you’d miss the sing-song and banter we have here.

“We have our own humour here, we’re very

light-hearted, and I missed that sense of Irishness.”

While abroad, Claudine also missed how Irish people love to dress up.

“I can honestly vouch for that – nobody gets dressed up [in America]!

“It was funny – when I came home, I had to readjust. I was asking my friends if people still wear dresses out, because everyone just wears jeans over there. I find it much more glam here,” she joked.

The thing she missed the least about Dublin, however, was the weather – of course.

“It’s insane the amount of outdoor and sporty activities you can do in LA,” she continued. “The beach life, eating outdoors, making plans and knowing that the weather is going to be good.

“We could even go to the beach around Christ-

Claudine with Robbie and their kids, Hudson and Robert Jr

mastime, so I will definitely miss that.”

At the moment, Claudine is the face of SPAR’s Better Choices campaign, and she praised the healthy options on offer in

stores at the moment.

She said: “It’s perfect for our family because we’re always on the go – they’ve made it so simple and easy to pick up something healthy.”

OPINION: TANAISTE FRANCES FITZGERALD ON A NEW STRATEGY TO SUPPORT WOMEN

We must continue campaigning for equality

The Tanaiste launching the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020

WE LIVE in an age where nothing can be taken for granted. It is time to put aside the complacent notion that women’s equality has been achieved, that we can rest on our laurels, that feminism is a relic of a bygone age.

The courageous actions of women and men across Ireland over the past 50 years have secured key rights for women. I am proud to have been part of the campaign for women’s equality.

Women are making spectacular strides in the educational system, in the workplace, in active participation

in Irish society.

However, we have to recognise that inequalities still exist in key areas. We have a persistent gender pay gap.

Women still do much of the unpaid caring work for children and older people.

Women are not as visible as men in key areas of Irish life. Specific groups of women – such as lone parents, women with disabilities, and migrant women – can find the door to opportunity closed.

Now is the time for renewed action on women’s equality. We need to tackle both the structural

barriers which eat away at women’s potential, and the new equality issues that are emerging.

Last week, I launched the National Strategy for Women and Girls 20172020 (left), which provides a comprehensive framework for action by the Government, public bodies, business and civil society for the next four years.

It includes actions that will benefit a wide range of women, young and old, urban and rural, homemakers, entrepreneurs, community leaders.

The strategy will drive

action to address the gender pay gap, to tackle precarious employment, to increase opportunities for lone parents, to promote rural female entrepreneurship.

The strategy’s key theme is visibility. Action will be taken to promote greater visibility for women across all areas of Irish life, from the workplace to community structures to sport.

It is time for their contribution to be recognised and for them to have an equal place at the decision-making table.

The strategy has actions for the different stages

of women’s lives, from increased investment in childcare for young parents to ensuring that future pension policy takes account of women’s distinct needs.

The Government is making a strong commitment to advancing women’s equality.

However, we cannot achieve women’s equality on our own.

For lasting change to happen, equality for women and girls needs to be a priority in families, workplaces and communities. Working together, women and men alike, we can create a society which is better for all.

18 May 2017 GAZETTE 17

DUBLINLIFE

Riotous Korean band drop in on Dublin

MUSIC

GAZETTE

GAZETTE

16 GAZETTE 18 May 2017

N O S ’ T A H W

E D I U G S T N EVE

with JAMES HENDICOTT

Morning Gloryville Weekender

Putting aside their usual ‘before work’ dates, Morning Gloryville brings clean-living raving to a Saturday, with music, yoga, massage, arts and crafts and a haiku station all coming to the Opium Rooms on the morning of May 20. Even kids are welcome.

May 20

Werner Herzog

The winner of more than 50 awards (including best director at Cannes) for his 70+ films as director, the German comes to Dublin to speak as part of International Literature Festival. May 21.

WERNER HERZOG

Africa Day

This fantastic annual celebration of African culture is one of the best freebies on the Dublin event calendar. The all-day event lets multinational Irish-resident Africans present their food, arts and cultures, alongside live music and family-themed fun.

Farmleigh House, Phoenix Park. May 21.

Yestival Mother Dublin and ThisIsPopBaby

Combining to present a huge celebration in honour of the two year anniversary of the gay marriage referendum. Yestival’s beat-heavy, lively late-night offering takes place at District 9.

May 19.

 FROM PAGE 13 That means they’re born out of Korea’s young rebellion: an escape from cultural conservatism, they developed amid an arts-focused drinking district, a party spot where the soju flows like water, and sweaty basement rock gigs are long the norm.

Breaking out is less common.

Speaking of the rarity of getting gigs around the world for Korean acts - and particularly for Korean acts that fall distinctly apart from the Kpop genre Billy Carter vocalist Kim Ji Won explains “Hongdae got extremely huge and full of tourists and local people who want to hang out.

Rents got very, very expensive, and so many live venues had to shut down or move. Still there are more venues in the Hongdae area than in any other part of Seoul, but we can find good venues in other areas too. Hongdae is our local but the atmosphere changed a lot. Maybe it’s time to move on to the bigger world.”

That bigger world has turned out to be quite welcoming: as well as Dublin, Billy Carter’s European trek will see them perform at Primavera, one of Europe’s biggest festivals.

Relatively newly formed, it’s quite a rise for the band, who are keen to talk through a few of the tracks that have got them where they are.

“I’d like to introduce two songs from our album ‘Here I Am’,” Kim tells us, mentioning their latest

Battle For The Bay

Dollymount Strand hosts what organisers say is the biggest watersports and beach festival in the world, with kitesurfing, beach volleyball, paddle boarding, land-yachting, and events for the family on offer all weekend. May 19-21.

Herstory

Ireland’s Lost Muses Speakers celebrate the concept of a muse, exploring the women behind Wilde, Yeats and Joyce with those in the know. Smock Alley Theatre. May 25.

Wicklow Mountains Cycle Challenge

record. “One is ‘The Dog’, written when I was drunk. In Korea, there is saying that goes ‘when people get drunk, they become a dog’ which is kind of negative meaning but I think dogs are better than people.”

“So the song says, ‘when you’re drunk, be a dog rather than a bad person and love others’.

Well... nah, I lied. The song ain’t nothing but a drinking song. Another one’s called ‘We Can Fight’.

“Everyone is fighting in some way to get something precious for themselves. Some will fight to get something material and some will

fight for their ideals or rights. The song is about the fight we all fight.”

Though her talk of fighting isn’t literal - rather it links with a common ‘Konglish’ cultural rallying call often shared socially, a motivation shout of ‘fighting’ - Kim certainly doesn’t shy away from on-stage drama, something Billy Carter call getting “emotionally naked.”

The band are particularly known for once playing a show dressed entirely as Ronald McDonald’s, and for Kim’s tendency to drop to the floor as she belts out their lyrics.

The three-piece are deliberately not what their

name would suggest. “We made an imaginary person who’s totally different from us (gender, race, nationality, looks and so on) to make people never imagine us when they hear the name for the first time. And we named him ‘Billy Carter’,” Kim explains, “which is a combination of a very common name and surname.”

Progress outside of Korea is a huge barrier to Billy Carter, as it proves for many Asian acts, and their presence in Dublin is unlikely to be a regular one, meaning the gig is a real ‘once off’ to check out.

Claiming Iggy Pop as a key inspiration, Kim

says “it’s definitely a challenge [to progress abroad]. But music is universal so if the music is good, I don’t think it’s impossible.

Of course we need money to book flights, and time to book good shows but it’s worth a try for many reasons.”

“It’s our first LP so we wanted to tell people about ourselves. Something more emotional and deep.

Each song shows our different inner selves in a different way. We started as an acoustic duo and since we became a three-piece, and the sound’s got totally different. Now we are more a

rocking and rolling kind of band enjoying crazy moments on the stage, but we still sometimes play acoustic sets with [drummer] Lee’s percussion”.

As for the night at Whelan’s?

“Irish people are crazy partiers, right?” Kim asks us.

“We want a lovely pint of Guinness and some Jameson, and if we have a chance to visit Cork, some Murphy’s. Because I love Murphy’s, too.

Let’s enjoy some music and booze, and let’s love each other.”

Billy Carter play Whelan’s on May 29th.

Explore Wicklow from the saddle of a bike, with 50km and 100km routes taking in the garden county’s scenery from Russborough House.

May 20.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

SNOOP DOGG

The Irish premiere of the Harry Potter concert series comes to the 3Arena, with the RTE Concert Orchestra performing alongside a super-sized cinematic showing. May 23.

New album of the week

Snoop Dogg - Neva Left. Snoop might be 15 albums deep at this point, but with the dubious Snoop Lion phase behind him and guest slots here for Method Man and Redman, this promises to be his best outing in a while.

18 GAZETTE 18 May 2017

GAZETTE

DUBLINLIFE MUSIC EXTRA

QUICK BREAK | MAGICAL CLONTARF CASTLE’S THE ULTIMATE CITY ESCAPE

Dublin-based electro legends Le Galaxie

Forget Fairytale of New York: there’s one just up the road!

Summer festival fever takes grip as Leixlip gets ready to take Rock the Yard to another Galaxie  MARK O’BRIEN

THE 28th annual Leixlip Festival is just around the corner and for music lovers that can only mean one thing – Rock the Yard.

The four-star Court Yard Hotel in the heart of Leixlip has a cracking line up of gigs including the Blizzards and the Luna Boys as the four-day festival rings in the month of June with a bang.

Dublin-based electronic sensation Le Galaxie kick things off, headlining Rock the Yard on Friday, June 2.

Their debut album “Laserdisc Nights II” released in 2011, and they have spent the past six years claiming their title as Ireland’s best live act.

The nation’s favourite dance-floor tear jerkers took their live shows to even greater heights last year when they supported Faithless on their Irish

Ro, Bee and TeddyC of Chasing Abbey

tour, sold out the Olympia Theatre, and as usual, had the audience of major European festivals like Lovebox, Benicassim and Electric Picnic on their feet and dancing.

In the past, Le Galaxie have played SXSW, CMJ, The Great Escape and Transmusicales.

The four-piece will be backed up by Tullamore trio Chasing Abbey, whose unique brand of pop dance and hi-hop sound has been making waves in recent months, with latest single That Good Thing getting a big thumbs up from none other than music bible Hot Press. n Built on the original site where Arthur Guinness created his brewing empire, the Court Yard Hotel offers old world charm, beautiful original stone work with contemporary design in a setting that is as picturesque as a pint settling.

For more information or to book tickets to Rock The Yard, visit www.courtyard.ie .

 ALISON O’HANLON IF you ever wanted to get away from it all and live like fairytale royalty for a night, the romantic setting of Clontarf Castle is the picture-perfect destination you’ve always dreamed of.

Though this unique hotel – Dublin’s only castle hotel – is just two DART stops from town, once you arrive, you’ll be transformed into a Disney-princess land of make-believe where the hustle and bustle of Dublin is but a distant dream.

The four-star Clontarf Castle offers the perfect blend of history and tradition with all the comfort and luxuries of the 21st century, including an art collection that’d have any Disney villain donning his black and white burglar suit and reaching for his swag bag.

The newly revamped hotel’s special Castle Collection package is the perfect way to experience the enchanting fusion of old and new, an experience that begins as soon as you arrive up the enchanting leafy driveway to the breathtaking 12th century facade and in through the dramatic, uber-modern atrium lobby.

The incredibly friendly staff are clearly proud to demonstrate how the old can enrich the new – and never is this more

evident than when taking in the ancient hotel’s contemporary gallery.

Follow their impressive art trail you uncover a series of intriguing pieces from celebrated artists including Ed Freeman, Ingrid Bugge and Marjorie Kaye, many of which have an element of mischief, humour and often a hidden layer of detail.

Once you’ve taken in the art trail, continue to indulge the senses over Fusion Tea, where contemporary meets traditional with sweet and savoury delights.

Step out for a stroll along Clontarf’s promenade or unwind in the splenid comfort of Knights Bar over a drink.

As the night draws in relax and take in the historic space, make your way to the awardwinning Fahrenheit restaurant for dinner where locally sourced ingredients take pride of place under executive head chef Stuart Heeney, who’s as talented as he is charming.

Speaking of which the only thing Clontarf Castle didn’t deliver was a Prince Charming, but then I wasn’t looking! nThe eclectic Castle Collection package is priced from €269 per night and includes the art trail, decadent afternoon tea experience ‘Fusion Tea’ and Artisan Castle breakfast the following morning for two. Visit clontarfcastle.ie or call 01 8332321 for more information on the Castle Collection package.

The plush Knights Bar is a great spot to unwind in

Comfort and luxury are guaranteed at the castle

Fusion Tea is an experience not to be missed

18 May 2017 GAZETTE 19

GAZETTE

TRAVEL

Exquisite Ecuador will take your breath away

 SYLVIA POWNALL PICTURE the scene: you are travelling by gondola 600 feet above the rain forest floor as the canopy of trees around you dissolves in a swirl of mist and birds of prey.

This is just one of the eye-opening experiences you can expect at the Mashpi Lodge in the Ecuadorian rain forest – a five-star retreat in the clouds.

The magical resort opened five years ago just 68 miles north west of Quito and lies within a 3,200acre nature reserve that is home to the Yumbo tribe.

Nature meets luxury at the Mashpi Lodge. Located deep in the cloud forests of Ecuador, it’s one of the planet’s most biodiverse hotspots.

As soon as you pass through the imposing bamboo gates and reach the modern steel and glass prefab structure on stilts you know you have entered another realm.

This chic hotel is like no other – you can sip coffee on the terrace as dawn breaks and witness the abundant wildlife stir below you, getting a close-up and personal experience with one of the most pristine forests in the world.

Mashpi lies at 3,100 feet above sea level on the gentle western slopes of the Andes with an average temperature in the low 20s.

Its 22 rooms are spread out down long, wide corridors with floor to ceiling glass walls bringing you ever closer to the forest right outside your window.

But the breathtaking and unspoiled setting doesn’t mean you have to compromise on creature comforts. The lodge is very much all mod cons with full-length electronic shades to block out the sunlight if you fancy some shut-eye.

The lodge offers a multitude of activities from guided hikes and waterfall swims to wildlife spotting and the amazing canopy sky bike.

Hiking along the steep and at times muddy trails your guide will point out flora and fauna from grasshoppers to huge millipedes and iguanas – and even fresh puma tracks.

Catering is buffet-style but the dishes on offer would not look out of place in a Michelin-starred restaurant, and there are countless ways to unwind after a day’s exploring whether you fancy a spa treatment, an evening lecture, or a wander around the Life Centre atrium which is filled with butterflies.

This really is bucket list stuff and it’s a considered purchase, but it’s an experience that will stay with you.

As if the lodge itself wasn’t enough you’ll also get to explore the beautiful colonial cities of Quito and Cuenca on a private tour.

THE DEAL Nine nights at the 3-star Mashpi Lodge from €3,995 per person. Includes: All flights, transfers, tours, accommodation in all-inclusive Mashpi Lodge. For more information or to book visit www.

NuevoMundo.ie or call the South American expert, Michael Harrington, at 01 241 2360.

The Mashpi Torrenteer

The vibrant cock of the rock is just one of hundreds of bird species around Mashpi Lodge

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20 GAZETTE 18 May 2017

DUBLINLIFE

Logo earrings €79; blue leather wrap bracelet €49 (with summer charms starting from €39); blue radiant hearts bangle €79; radiant hearts rings €59

Summer time Sparkles Radiant hearts rings €59; Hearts band ring €79

 EMMA NOLAN

BRIGHT colours and hints of sparkle – if that doesn’t make you feel summery, I don’t know what will..

Affordable jewellery brand PANDORA is just about to launch its summer collection, and it is a delight of colour and summer vibes.

Sweetly coloured ice cream-

tinged pastels, bright whites and coloured gemstones combine with sterling silver for a fresh approach to accessorising for warm weather.

The collection is elegant and timeless and pieces bought now will still look great next summer and the one after.

In store from June 1, prices range from €22 to €99.

Pearlescent hearts band ring €79; Pave drops earrings €99

Light blue radiant hearts ring €59; light blue radiant hearts bangle €79; droplet rings starting from €45; summer charms starting from €39; tropical paradise petites €29; floating locket €99

White orchids earrings €39; orchid dangle €45 worn on sterling silver necklace from €29; leather wrap bracelet €49 with charms starting from €39; pearlescent hearts band ring €79

18 May 2017 GAZETTE 21

Mint Velvet Clossome tencel bralet €85; blossom tencel belted tapered trouser €109

Mint Velvet Clean wide leg trouser €165; double-breasted minimal blazer €219; penny buckle sandal €125

Mint Velvet Blossom tencel bralet €185; blossom tencel belted tapered trouser €109; penny buckle sandal €125

 EMMA NOLAN Style Editor

PLANNING holiday outfits is one of life’s nicest pleasures: you’ve got a holiday coming up, time off work and some new clothes to debut.

As a long-time lover of jumpsuits and playsuits, I can’t recommend co-ords enough when it comes to summer/holiday dressing.

As separates, allow

yourself the ease of an all-in-one outfit but the freedom to mix and match, thus allowing for more variety in your holiday wardrobe (especially if you’re only bringing hand luggage).

So, with a set containing a top and bottoms, you essentially have three outfits – wearing it all together, wearing the top with different bottoms and wearing the bottoms with a different

Mint Velvet Stripe bralet €85; stripe trouser €125; penny buckle sandal €125

Penneys Embroidered co-ord top €9; embroidered co-ord shorts €9

Co-ord, mix & Match

top – capsule dressing at its simplest!

The usual suspects like Asos, Missguided and Pretty Little Thing always have an abundance of co-ords available online, but Penneys has some great ones in stock at the moment and Mint Velvet (which is in Dundrum Town Centre and in BT2 in Blanchardstown) currently has a gorgeous range.

GAZETTE

STYLE

Mint Velvet Stripe bralet €85; stripe trouser €125

Mint Velvet Lace shell top €125; lace skirt €179; penny buckle sandal €125

GAZETTE

22 GAZETTE 18 May 2017

DUBLINLIFE

FASTNews

The new Peugeot 308 is due here in autumn

Peugeot brings new style and technology to 308 PEUGEOT’S new 308 model boasts new styling, advanced driver assistance systems, the latestgeneration Peugeot engines and a new eight-speed automatic gearbox. The new car will be available to view in Dublin dealer showrooms this autumn, ahead of the 181-registration period. The car will be available in six trim versions: Access, Active, Allure, GT Line, GT and GTi. The new exterior design styling features a redesigned bonnet and vertical grille with new LED lighting. On the inside Peugeot uses its latest i-Cockpit touch-screen system combined with some new advanced driver assistance systems and 3D sat nav.

Depending on trim, features can include Active Safety Brake, Active Lane Departure Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, Visiopark with 180 degree rear camera and Park Assist function, which measures the parking space available and actually steers the car in.

For the new 308, Peugeot claims that the PureTech petrol engine has undergone a major upgrade to deliver low fuel consumption and more efficient pollution reduction. For the PureTech 130 S&S petrol engine the exhaust gases go through a catalytic converter, then a passive-regeneration gasoline particle filter. This is matched to a new six-speed manual gearbox.

LDV adds minibus to range IRELAND’S revived LDV van range has added the Mini B van to the range as a mini bus for long road trips, airport transfers and city driving.

Mini B van is based on the LDV V80 van and come with electronic brake force distribution and anti-lock braking system plus park assist, which is very helpful when parking a larger vehicle in tight spaces.

The Mini B comes with a digital dashboard. The Mini B is powered by a 136bhp engine and is teamed with a six-speed manual gearbox. Safety features include driver and passenger airbags, remote central locking and reverse parking sensors together with LED parking lamps, emergency roof hatch and fire exit.

The Mini B is a 14+1 seat vehicle and a 5+1 version will soon be available. They both come with an eight-way adjustable driver’s seat and three seat cabin.

Audi gets sporty with the new A5

Audi have long been renowned for the sporty feel of their car designs and performance. That reputation is especially obvious in the Audi A5 Sportback, which Michael Moroney found both economical and great to drive.

THE world of coupe cars has changed and expanded so that it’s now possible to indulge in the sporty ambiance that these cars offer while still having some family car values.

That message comes clearly into focus when you drive the new Audi A5 – a car that blends modern coupe styling with space.

Audi has upgraded the A5, sharpening its lines and adding some impressive new technology features. The A5 coupe look is strongly retained while the styling is more crisp and modern, so that you know that the car is new.

Under the skin Audi engineers have worked hard to shave 85kg from the car’s weight and that adds to the improved fuel economy. After some days behind the wheel you can appreciate the level of engineering and technology that has underpinned the car’s comfort and

road manners.

That appreciation comes in the form of ease of driving, smooth power flow, good economy and just an all-round great car to drive. The 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine is a perfect match for the seven speed automatic gearbox that was a feature of the S-Line version that I drove. You get the option of experiencing a more exciting drive when you opt for the Sport mode in the gearbox and its does deliver an obvious difference in driving pace.

The gearbox also allows a low engine rev cruising speed so on longer runs it is possible to drive at 120km/hr on the motorway at just 1,750rpm engine speed. This makes for smooth and quiet motorway cruising that’s truly economical.

Compared with the previous model, Audi claims to have reduced the A5 fuel consumption

by as much as 22% while increasing power output by up to 17%. All engines comply with the limits of the Euro 6 emission standard. The standard, updated start-stop system includes changes that reduce fuel consumption and lowers average CO2 to 109g/km. The system deactivates the engine when coasting up to traffic signals at less than seven km/h.

I found that the Audi A5 Sportback was able to achieve a range of over 900km and that impressed me. The official economy figure is 23.8km/litre (4.2/100km or 67mpg) and I almost achieved that over the full 1304km that I drove the car. That was a unique economy figure even if much of my driving was on motorways of national primary roads.

On the inside this A5 Sportback blends comfort with great design.

The new Audi A5 is an impressive car to look at and to drive. The engine performance coupled with a smooth driveline makes this car an ultimate pleasure to drive. Entry prices start at €49,600 and there are some impressive PCP finance offers available.

Audi A5 Sportback 2.0 TD

SPECIFICATIONS Engine Engine power Engine Torque 0 – 100km/hr Economy Fuel Tank Capacity CO2 emissions Road Tax Band Main Service Euro NCAP Rating Warranty Entry Price

2.0 litre 190hp 400Nm 7.9 seconds 23.8km/litre (4.2/100km or 67mpg) 40 litres 109g/km A3 €190 20,000km/12 mon 5 star (2015) 3 years (100,000km) €49,600

The dash layout has been modernised for the new Audi A5

The seating has easy adjustment and I was in a comfortable position with my phone Bluetooth connected within minutes.

Audi claims that there is slightly more legroom in the rear and the seat design means that other than the tallest people, your rear passengers will

never complain.

The four doors mean that this is an accessible car with Iso-fix couplings on the two outer rear seats. The centre seat position is a little tight, meaning that this is in reality a very comfortable four seat car that has impressive style.

18 May 2017 GAZETTE 23

GAZETTE

MOTORING

Birthday deal for iconic 500

The car comes equipped with an impressive array of equipment as standard. These include Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights and LED rear lights to give impressive visibility on the road in all conditions. The interior LED lights illuminate key features.

This new A5 Sportback has Audi’s latest infotainment features. These include the Audi MMI navigation system with seven-inch colour display, Bluetooth and USB charging functionality, a dedicated smartphone interface for iOS and Android devices and a three-month free trial of Audi Connect. The fact that these systems were easy to engage with in a logical manner makes that attractive and very driver friendly.

The range of Audi connect services is impressive, from navigation with Google Earth and Google Street View to travel information, traffic information online and searching for a parking space

or even Twitter. Audi has developed a purposedesigned interface for the social network.

The A5 comes with some new driver assistance systems, like Audi pre-sense city, and front and rear parking sensors.

Spending some time with the latest Audi drive select dynamic handling system allows the driver to select specific profiles ideally suited to their preferences and driving conditions.

The test car was the Audi A5 Sportback S-Line version and that comes with some additional premium features, such as LED headlights, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, leather-upholstered seats, 18-inch alloys running on Pirelli Centurauto P7 245/40 R18 tyres and the sports suspension.

Audi cars come with a premium and the likes of the A5 Sportback will be viewed against the BMW and Mercedes-Benz competition. While I have yet to drive BMW’s 4 Grand Coupe, it will have to cross a high bar if it is to

TO MARK the 60th anniversary of the launch of the Fiat 500 back in 1957, Fiat in Ireland is offering new Fiat 500 buyers the choice of 0% APR finance (PCP or HP) or three years’ free servicing when they purchase a Fiat 500 registered by July 16.

The deal allows customers to buy a Fiat 500 Pop 1.2 69hp for just €151 a month (RRP €13,600 with a deposit of €4,080 and optional final payment of €4,080).

Since its launch on July 4, 1957, the Fiat 500 has proved itself to be

a much-loved global success. The popular city car sets trends with its iconic chic style, advanced technologies and range of powerful, yet efficient engines.

Paul Hunt, managing director of FCA Group Ireland, said: “The Fiat 500 is a popular option for customers thanks to the large amount of choice it offers.

“From its range of eye-catching colours to the never-ending amount of personalisation options, each 500 can be made unique to the buyer.”

AA says more motorists are opting for comprehensive car insurance One of the more impressive features of the new Audi A5 is the electronic dial system that’s great to use and clear with lots of functionality

The centre console with the Audi MMi controller is very comfortable to use with great functionality and you quickly get at ease with the controls

surpass Audi’s combination of style, performance, economy and great driving comfort.

Entry prices for the Audi A5 range start from €49,600 and the options choices are tempting and equally expensive. Few

if any A5 buyers will opt for the basic package, so the true buying price will rise significantly so make your options choices with care and some thought.

The end result will be an impressive car, of that you can be in doubt.

MORE than eight-in-10 motorists are now opting for comprehensive motor insurance over a third party policy, a year on year increase of over 5%, according to AA Ireland. An analysis of AA Ireland’s car insurance books found that 81.86% of motorists are now opting for a comprehensive policy, up from 76.25% in 2016.

The analysis found that just 18.11% of AA customers are now opting to take a third-party, fire and theft policy compared to 23.74% in 2016.

“While 2016 saw a drop of about 2% in terms of those opting for comprehensive cover, likely as a result of rising premiums, it appears that more and more motorists are now opting for this higher level of cover as the current rate of those opting for a comprehensive policy is the highest seen in the last four years,” Conor Faughnan, AA director of consumer affairs stated.

“While we have no way of knowing what the future holds when it comes to

insurance prices, it does appear on the back of this analysis that people feel a little more economically secure than they have in previous years and are, as a result, opting to take out additional cover at a higher rate than seen in the past.”

Despite the rise in demand for comprehensive car insurance cover, the AA is advising motorists who may be trying to lower their premium costs to ensure they are purchasing the correct level of cover to meet their needs.

“In recent months we’ve seen a reduction in the number of young people applying for provisional licenses and a big factor in this is the cost of learning to drive and insurance,” Faughnan added.

“While getting on the road has always been a front loaded cost, with average premiums reducing as you get older and more experienced, for first time drivers a third-party policy is likely to be more affordable and suitable to what they require.”

GAZETTE

24 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 18 May 2017

DUBLINLIFE

ReelReviews GUARDIANS 2

Volumes of character ANYTHING with Kurt Russell is worth watching, and his enjoyably hammy turn here is just one highlight of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 (Cert 12A, 120 mins), the neon-soaked sequel to the popular first film. It’s more of the same, as the cast build up their characters a little more, delivering a frantic sci-fi that’s full of violence, vulgarity and fun, making it a welcome addition to the usually dour genre.

KING ARTHUR

What goes around ...

DIRECTOR Guy Richie has turned out a fairly gritty but underwhelming take on the whole King Arthur legend, with Charlie Hunnam gamely stepping up to star in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (Cert 12A, 126 mins). It looks okay, but just doesn’t bring anything new to the legend, despite some nice visuals in parts.

Hunnam is decent in the a-beefcake-with-destiny role, but it’s nothing you haven’t seen before.

GHOST IN THE SHELL A flawed reinvention

SCARLETT Johansson’s time as the Major at the heart of Ghost in The Shell (Cert 15A, 107 mins) is nearly up, as it edges towards the exit at cinema complexes. In a future world where cybernetically modified or augmented humans are commonplace, she’s one herself, on the trail of dangerous hackers.

It often looks absolutely spectacular, but doesn’t live up to the source material.

CINEMA

SUMMER PREVIEW: SOME MORE OF THE BLOCKBUSTERS COMING TO CINEMAS

It’s another selection of sizzlers to look out for  SHANE DILLON

WITH the great weather we had recently, you could be forgiven for thinking that summer has arrived.

Well, not quite – as we all know, summer in Ireland usually seems to be ‘the good two weeks’ that land around the Leaving Cert exams, as well as going to the cinema much more often to catch the latest summer sizzler (or occasional turkey).

Speaking of which ...

Colossal (May 19) Fusing Anne Hathaway with Pacific Rift, Colossal takes the standard monsterattacks-city trope to deliver a comedy (with added dashes of alcoholism).

The kaiju (giant monsters) at the heart of 2013’s Pacific Rim were that film’s biggest feature – pun intended – and, here, director Nacho Vigalondo has put his own twist on their appeal, casting Hathaway as a troubled woman who starts manifesting highly-destructive kaiju in downtown Seoul.

A f t e r 2 014 ’s d o u r

Godzilla (a film which audiences still haven’t forgiven for killing off Bryan Cranston in the first act, after bigging him up in the trailers), there’s a definite gap in the market for big, stompy monsters to make their mark on cinema screens.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (May 25) With Johnny Depp’s recent career seemingly cast adrift in one cinema shipwreck after another (the less said about SS Mortdecai, the better), it’s unsurprising that he’s returned to don the boots, hat and eyeliner of Captain Jack Sparrow.

While the franchise was in danger of hitting the rocks during its last outing, the addition of the charismatic Javier Bardem as a new nemesis – the eponymous Captain Salazar – may be enough of a jolt to get the series back on course, with early indications that the film is ticking all the right boxes to leave timbers well and truly shivered again.

The Mummy (June 09) Tom Cruise stars as Universal attempts to reboot the faded franchise that many cinemagoers still associate with Brendan Fraser (remember him?)

Updated to modern times, and now with an ancient princess as its Big Bad, you can expect a decent blockbuster that’s deftly delivered on Cruise control, with some heavily CG-led setpieces.

If nothing else, it could work as a welcome alternative to the superheroheavy release schedule, as well as the latest in stale sequels. Which leads to ...

Transformers: The Last Knight (June 23) Director Michael Bay’s latest film looks set to be a thoughtful, introspective piece that gradually explores the complex psychological and emotional impact of being a bloody big robot smashing and shooting things in slow motion* while the American flag flutters a lot in front of giant explosions and sunsets.

You’re either a fan of

2

1

3

5

4

6

From top-left: 1 Colossal; 2 Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge; 3 The Mummy; 4 Transformers: The Last Knight; 5 The Dark Tower, and 6 Atomic Blonde

the truly atrocious Transformers films, or you’re not – fans know exactly what they’ll be getting here, while everyone else knows what to avoid. (*Now with added King Arthur and Knights of the Round Table flashbacks, for extra cheese!)

The Dark Tower (July 28) With Stephen King’s It reboot on TV soon to make a whole new generation terrified of clowns,

King fans can also take in the long-awaited film based on his Dark Tower series.

The formidable Idris Elba leads opposite Matthew McConaughey as his nemesis, with high expectations for the film to do justice to the themes and complexity of the books.

Atomic Blonde (August 11) With her bravura turn in 2015’s Mad Max showing an unexpected flair

for an action-heavy role, Charlize Theron goes even further with Atomic Blonde, delving into Cold War-era cat and mouse games in divided Berlin.

With its uber-stylish, energetic, violent trailers seeing the film already dubbed ‘Jane Wick’ by some wags, the talented actress could be on the cusp of creating an impressive new franchise to leave action fans shaken and stirred.

18 May 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 25

GAZETTE

TECH

TECH ATTACK: RANSOMWARE WORM CHEWED THROUGH WORLDWIDE IT DEFENCES “It’s the pirate’s life for me”

Disney’s ‘Pirates’ hijacked?

WITH hackers and global tech piracy taking centre-stage around the world this week, some other pirates have reportedly been busy attacking the landlubber execs at Disney, arrrr.

While they haven’t been waving cutlasses about, they’ve nonetheless been engaged in pretty modern piracy – demanding a king’s ransom to prevent a hacked big budget blockbuster from being released online, bit by bit, until the ransom is paid.

With the film widely reported to be the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (above), the choppedup release threat poses an unwanted irritant to ‘The Mouse House’, not least as the film is slated for release very soon.

Hackers However, with the hackers demanding a healthy haul of Bitcoins – otherwise, increasingly large segments will be posted online – time is running out while the pressure is rising to resolve the issue, although Disney are also reported as refusing to pay the demand.

It’s not an empty threat – similar hijacking issues have arisen before, with a slew of Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black episodes posted online last yeat after a similar bit of attempted piracy.

The best way to see Disney’s ‘Pirates’ is at the cinema, of course, but it’s possible they’ll be making an illegal landfall sooner than expected, or wanted ...

While the criminal hackers behind WannaCry are demanding Bitcoins (right) rather than conventional money, the principle is the same – having hijacked/encrypted data, they demand a ransom be paid to release it

WannaCry’s rampage creates a global mess THE world has been gripped by a single tech story this week like never before, as malicious ‘ransomware’ wreaked havoc across the globe, leading to a domino chain of disaster in one sector after another – a chain which still hasn’t finished its tumbling yet.

Literally hundreds of thousands of companies all around the world were affected by the ransomware virus commonly known as WannaCry (and a WannaCry2 variant), which certainly left plenty of people ready to cry – with rage, given the mess it created for many.

While ransomware is a common enough IT threat to look out for – indeed, even Gazette Towers fell prey to one pesky worm

 SHANE DILLON sdillon@dublingazette.com

some time back (which, true to form, blocked access to a huge amount of files by encrypting them, then demanded payment to unlock the files, just as WannaCry has been doing) – the scale and speed of WannaCry’s path to global mayhem was unprecedented.

From entire healthcare systems to banking networks, right down to several Mom-n-Pop local businesses, the ransomeware worm hijacked

individual computers and entire networks at a global level with startling speed and ease, effectively shouting “Stick ’em up – now hand over the loot!” at its victims.

Here at home, the Government was as quick to react as its peers around the world, putting out warnings and advising industry/the public about the threat posed by WannaCry, although by that stage, the damage was done.

Echoing the warnings of international experts, the National Cyber Security Centre in the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment pointed out how WannaCry exploited a particular Microsoft Win-

dows vulnerability.

This allowed it to easily self-replicate and spread – alarmingly, it didn’t need to be triggered by a user – with experts all around the world rushing to try to fix the issue and stop WannaCry in its tracks, but even this global effort was just a little too late.

W hile WannaCr y’s impact in Ireland (at the time of writing) was pretty limted compared to several other countries, reports suggested that Russian and Chinese computers had been particularly badly impacted.

From ATMs to hospitals, colleges to telephone networks, a very dievrse amount of systems everywhere were hijacked and held to ransom.

Furious accusations have already been thrown about in several countries about who was to blame for the scale of the crisis, while governments and political parties alike have bickered about their defences in the face of the attacks.

It’s a story that’s still unfolding at the time of going to print, with the alarming incident underscoring the surprisingly wobbly state of global IT systems despite literally decades of research, training and expensive tech already in place to stop such an attack – all of which utterly failed in the face of an attack by a sneaky but not especially sophisticated virus.

Governments, corpora-

tions, tech and national security agencies, and Joe Public alike have all been asking the same question: who was behind the attack?

Analysts have started to point the finger at North Korea, with initial reports emerging of similarities between the ransomware and previous antics linked to well-known NK hackers.

However, while it’s still too early to know the full story and impact of WannaCry’s rampage, it has perhaps served as a harsh reminder that IT threats are very real, with even one ‘simple’ attack having had the ability to impact on hundreds of millions of people, while governments stood by helplessly.

26 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 18 May 2017

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28 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 18 May 2017

SPORT

FastSport IRISH WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SQUAD NAMED: METEORS’ Aoife Whelan, DCU Mercy’s Sarah Woods, Pyrobel Killester’s Emma Sherwood and Michelle Clarke and Courtyard Liffey Celtics’ Aine O’Connor and Sorcha Tiernan were all part of an initial Irish women’s basketball panel of 18 players.

It follows a successful trial held in Cork recently with the players subsequently lining out in a trial game against the Irish Under-18 women’s team in the Mardyke.

From there, a reduced selection will travel to Luxembourg this weekend fo three friendly games against the hosts.

Speaking about the news, coach Mark Scannell said: “It gave us vital court time before we head to Luxembourg next weekend and will be good preparation for the Mardyke Series which will take place in Ireland in June and will see the squad face off against Iceland in two friendly games on June 9 and 10.”

SOCCER: RODDY COLLINS TAKES ON THE CHALLENGE AT CONTROVERSY-HIT CLUB

Cabra’s finest believes he can change Athlone’s world

 KARL GRAHAM sport@dublingazette.com

RODDY Collins is back in the League of Ireland with Athlone Town and, in true Roddy style, he walks into a club who have had their fair share of controversy lately.

Since the turn of the year, a Portuguese consortium has invested in the club while R icardo Monsanto was appointed manager before mutually agreeing to leave the club after failing to win for eight games in succession.

Worst of all, an investigation has been opened into matchfixing allegations aimed at the team.

Now former Bohemians, Dublin City, and Shamrock Rovers manager Collins is back at the helm he occupied for one season in 2013.

In doing so, the Cabra man is taking his first job in management since parting ways with Waterford United in 2016. He was present at Tolka Park for Athlone’s 2-1 defeat to Shelbourne last Friday night and claimed afterwards that meeting the club’s mysterious investor is not some-

Roddy Collins is looking forward to the challenge at Athlone Town

thing he is bothered about.

“No, I don’t care. I only want to meet him if he doesn’t pay us,” Collins joked. “Why would I want to meet him?

It’s nothing to do with me,” he said afte the result that leaves the side seventh in the eight team league.

“I met Marc [Fourmeaux],

who is running the show. I understand football and he understands football, so it is business. We spoke football.”

No reservations Collins also has no reservations over taking charge of a team in the midst of an investigation into three of their

games this season. “Sure, it had nothing to do with me but I’m used to investigations!”

Another aspect of controversy that has engulfed the club is how many foreign players have been brought in since the new investors took over but Collins believes if you are good enough to play

then it shouldn’t matter where you come from.

“We’ll get whoever the best players are. Honestly now, it doesn’t bother me. If a player can play, he can play. The keeper [Igor Labuts] took some stick during the week but I thought he was brilliant tonight. It doesn’t matter where they are from, and there will be options to bring players in from abroad. That’s good.

“The beauty is if you are getting someone from outside, you’re not competing with other clubs because they don’t know who he is.”

Many football men might have run a mile if approached

by Athlone to take over the team but, as Collins attests to, his own self-believe can often be to his detriment.

“I knew the potential of the club was there before and the investors coming in have assured me there is plenty of revenue there to get it going, and plenty of players out there to bring in.

“I believe I can change the world – that’s my problem,” Collins concluded with a wry smile.

Castle Father and Son all set for 50th anniversary  sport@dublingazette.com

Lee Healion, Dawson Jewellers’ Ken McDonagh, and Barry McConville (captain, Castle GC). Picture: Pat Cashman

CASTLE Golf Club have confirmed Dawson Jewellers will be the sponsors of the 57th year of the All Ireland Father & Son Foursomes competition which will be held at the club in July.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the year when Joe Carr won this event along with his son Jody.

Captain Barry McConville said of the event: “This is one of those great tournaments in Ireland that builds and nourishes future talent, relation-

ships and values which are all important to our club and to golf in general.”

Qualifying will take place on an 18-hole strokes format on Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 2. The cost of entry is €70 per pair.

Castle welcome It is expected that this year’s event will once again attract over 500 hopefuls on the two qualif ying days, representing over 100 different clubs who will all experience the renowned Castle welcome.

Sixty-four pairs will qualify for the match-play stages of the event, which will run from Monday, July 3 until the final on Sunday, July 9.

Last season saw former Walker Cup player Jody Fanagan reach his first All-Ireland Father and Son final along with his son Harry.

Peter and Graham O’Connor of Foxrock had the best gross score in the qualifiers and their fine golf continued all the way through the matchplay stages to the final.

Both pairs treated spectators

to fine golf right throughout the week and a large crowd were treated to a fantastic final played in the spirit that this competition is renowned for.

In the final, the Fanagans (Milltown) defeated the O’Connors (Foxrock) 4&3 in a hard fought final.

For more information and for updates throughout the week of the tournament, visit the club website at www.castlegc. ie. Entries can be made through the website from May 16 or by calling Castle Golf Club on (01) 4904207.

18 May 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 29

GAZETTE

FASTSport

Liffey and Sheriff at the heart of inner-city life

Pearse Street club win the battle of the Wanderers to land FAI Intermediate Cup title, making for an epic day out for innercity Dublin clubs at the Aviva Stadium in the national finals FAI INTER CUP FINAL

Murphy boys lead way in fourth win in six seasons

Liffey Wanderers 2 Cobh Wanderers 2 Liffey won 5-4 on penalties  sport@dublingazette.com

SHERIFF YC lifted their fourth Aviva/Umbro sponsored FAI Junior Cup in six years as a goal in each half earned them victory against Evergreen in Saturday’s final at the Aviva Stadium.

At the end of a first half they dominated, the holders forged ahead through Stephen Murphy’s free-kick and, despite the Kilkenny side mounting a comeback after the break, another of the four Murphy brothers, Paul, sealed the triumph with a second goal.

It looked to be a frustrating afternoon for the Dublin side when their constant pressure failed to deliver the breakthrough until the final moments of the half.

When John Rock had been denied from close-range by a superb Packie Holden save, the ball broke and Evergreen conceded a free on the edge of their box.

Up stepped Stephen Murphy to curl his low shot around the wall and past Holden despite the goalkeeper getting a hand on the effort.

By that stage, Sheriff had missed a litany of chances mainly through Sean and Stephen Murphy but Evergreen, contesting their first final since 1984, enjoyed their moments too.

A surge by Mikey Drennan to the end-line on the half hour resulted in a left-wing cross which Daryl Walshe was prevented from getting a touch to by the advancing Lee Murphy The Sheriff goalkeeper was also at his best in batting away a thunderous shot from Chris Whearty after the winger cut in from the left.

Still, once Sheriff edged into the lead, they held control. Apart from Whearty’s shot with 20 minutes left which flew over the crossbar and another effort late on by substitute Lee Delaney, Evergreen couldn’t convert their superiority of possession into clearcut chances.

As they gambled in pursuit of an equaliser late on, gaps appeared at the back and the clinical Sheriff profited. Darren Dunne teed up the overlapping Paul Murphy with a superb pass and the rampaging right-back beat Holden with a crisp shot.

L I F F E Y Wa n d e r e r s emerged victorious in the FAI Umbro Intermediate Cup Final after a hardfought victory against Cobh Wanderers which was decided after a penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw.

It ensured an inner-city double in the national cup finals, adding to Sheriff YC’s success in the Junior Cup, their near neighbours from just across the river joining them for memorable celebrations later on Saturday evening.

Cobh started the better of the two sides at the Aviva Stadium, registering the first shot on target

when danger man Ian Stapleton was played into the box before firing towards the near post only for his shot to be saved.

Stapleton thought he had scored the first goal of the game after 15 minutes. A 25-yard shot from Eoin Hastings produced a good save from Philip O’Connor and Stapleton was the quickest to react, firing in from close range only to be ruled offside.

Liffey managed their first effort on target with 33 minutes on the clock.

Cobh cleared multiple crosses before one finally found its intended target. Lee Roche’s header proved to be a fairly routine save for Michael Devine.

In what was an even first 45 minutes, the sides went in level. Cobh had

the better chances and seemed the more likely side to break the deadlock but Liffey were holding up to their challenge well.

The second half kicked off in a lively fashion with both sides eager to capitalise on their half-time break. Liffey striker Aidan Roche was troubling the Cobh defence with his pace and he looked a constant threat.

Liffey were having the better of the opening second-half exchanges but Cobh still looked dangerous going forward.

They almost took the lead before the 60-minute mark when David Andrews went close with a header.

Aidan Roche was continuing to cause the Cobh defence problems, controlling excellently inside

the box and forcing a good save from Devine.

Minutes later he repeated the same feat, but once again he was denied by Devine.

Liffey opened the scoring after 71 minutes with a headed goal from 19-yearold Clay ton Maher.

The youngster first rattled the crossbar with a header, and he was first to react, capitalising on the rebound to head Liffey in front.

Liffey almost made it two shortly afterwards, this time Lee Roche failing to get the ball into the Cobh net after a threaded through ball.

Cobh pressed for an equaliser and they were rewarded with 85 minutes gone. A flicked effort by substitute Stephen Griffin was saved by O’Connor,

Players and fans from Liffey Wanderers and Sheriff YC celebrate together on Pearse Street with their respective FAI Intermediate and Junior Cup titles.

but Conor Meade was on hand at the back post to level the game with five minutes to play.

The tie finished level and extra-time was required to separate the sides.

Liffey took the lead after just four minutes. Aidan Roche drove at the Cobh defence, turning two defenders before slotting passed the Cobh keeper to give Liffey a precious lead.

Cobh almost got an equaliser just before halftime. Substitute Alan O’Flynn half-volleyed from outside the crowded Liffey penalty area, but Liffey keeper O’Connor saved and then showed good reflexes and claimed the rebound.

Liffey almost ensured victory with a minute left to play. Cobh had committed bodies forward in search of an equaliser, and a counter attack saw Lee Roche’s through on goal but his curled effort was denied by Devine.

In the dying seconds of extra-time, Cobh found a precious equaliser. Committing large numbers in to the box proved fruitful, and Conor Meade finished in to the roof of the net with virtually the last kick of the game following a set-piece. The FAI Intermediate Cup final would be decided on penalties.

It was Liffey Wanderers who showed the most nerve in the deciding penalties, edging out their rivals 5-4 in what was a tense shootout to go on and lift the cup.

GAZETTE

30 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 18 May 2017

SPORT

FASTSport

SOCCER: SHANOWEN ROAD CLUB COMPLETES PERFECT WEEKEND

St Kevin’s Boys celebrate. Picture: Neil Fox

Anderson seals deal for St Kevin’s Under-12s AS PART of an astonishing weekend, St Kevin’s Boys Under-12s beat Dublin rivals Shamrock Rovers in an impressive 2-1 victory to take the national title.

The two clubs emerged to the Champions League anthem at Jackson Park in Kilternan, where they shared substantial backing and both opened with a slick, passing style of football.

Rovers in particular favoured building from the back, with Warren Davis and Andy Keogh working the ball down the wings into space, while Kevin’s more direct approach saw captain James McManus and the impressive Kevin Zefi look for the through ball.

Kevin’s opener came from a looped headed goal direct from a corner, beautifully directed over the goalkeeper by right back Luke Browne.

Browne was to prove a constant thorn in the Rovers’ side, as he consistently found space for the through ball behind the defence on the right wing. Rovers were growing into the game, though, with Kevin’s forced to defend in numbers for a period before half time, but going in 1-0 in front.

The second half continued in much the same vein: McManus fired just over for Kevin’s, before Rovers found the space they’d been searching for, with Calum Byrne firing in from close range after a winding run down the right wing by Adam Deans.

Six minutes later, Kevin’s were back in front, with Zefi showing a touch of magic before setting up Matthew Anderson to scramble into the corner of the Rovers’ net for a 2-1 lead.

Kevin’s took control for a period with substitute Daniel Adewale, Zefi and McManus all having decent chances to put the game to bed as they put pressure on the Rovers goal. While forced to look for the equaliser, Rovers’ defensive numbers diminished.

That led to an open period in which Jack McCormack on the Rovers wing began to push into the contest, winning a free kick right on the edge of the Kevin’s penalty area, but unable to make anything of it.

That was to be their last significant chance, as Kevin’s saw out the game, with Akinade smashing the base of the post at the very last.

St Kevin’s Boys celebrate their SFAI Under-13 All-Ireland Cup success

Kevin’s clean up SFAI cups SFAI U-13 CUP FINAL St Kevin’s Boys St Joseph’s Boys  JAMES HENDICOTT

2 0

sport@dublingazette.com

S T K E V I N ’ S B OYS completed an astonishingly dominant quadruplet of titles by beating DDSL rivals St Joseph’s for the Under-13 title in Jackson Park on Sunday afternoon, marking their fourth All Ireland school’s title of the weekend with a 2-0 win.

Nobody had got within two goals of St Kevin’s in their seven game Skechers Cup campaign ahead of the final, with the prior three rounds all ending

in 5-0 wins, and the earlier stages not much more competitive.

Evan Ferguson headed just wide for St Kevin’s from an early corner, chipping over another shortly afterwards, while an Alex O’Brien finish was cleared off the line behind the Joseph’s keeper shortly afterwards as Kevin’s made all the early running.

Another O’Brien chance was blocked away

by Joseph’s ten minutes in, and it was the number ten who eventually broke the deadlock, sliding past the impressive Reece Byrne in the Joseph’s goal to put Kevin’s 1-0 up on 20 min-

GRAND DEPARTURE Dublin getting in gear for annual An Post Ras DUBLIN Castle will provide the starting point on Sunday, May 21 for the An Post Ras, beginning its eight-day traverse of the island.

The very best international talent from around the world will descend on Ireland for spectacular racing, pitting themselves against the country’s top domestic riders in the hope of making their name amongst the cycling greats. On Sunday, the peloton travel west from Dublin and then north through Donegal’s Wild Atlantic Way before returning south for the customary finale in Skerries.

utes.

Joseph’s were struggling to get a foot on the ball, and while solid defence from the likes of Aaron Moore and Luke Messitt were helping their cause, Kevin’s dominance of possession was substantial.

Mu c h o f i t c a m e through the twists and turns of tricky right-sided player Callum Warren.

Joseph’s could consider themselves fortunate to make half time only 1-0 down.

Joseph’s started the second half better but it was still Kevin’s who created the first notable chance, with a through ball finding Cian Kelly in space,

and the left winger beating Bryne, but placing his finish just wide.

Two minutes later, Kelly found himself in almost exactly the same position, smashing the crossbar, with Ferguson volleying the rebound over.

Kevin’s dominance was again rewarded with a break from Ferguson down the right. With a cross to strike partner O’Brien looking the obvious option, Ferguson simply hammered the ball past Byrne into the top right of his goal, for a 2-0 lead with 15 minutes remaining.

After that, the game petered out. Joseph’s

best chance fell to Hugo McLaughlin who couldn’t connect well in the Kevin’s box, and the pace of Kevin’s attacks lost a little of their edge.

The closing minutes were perhaps Joseph’s best of the game, but they found the final touch just out of reach as they tried to launch aa comeback, even when McLaughlin saw a late one-on-one turned away by Fiachra Pagel in the Kevin’s goal.

But it was a controlled Kevin’s display that ultimately saw them charge over the line and to that fourth All-Ireland trophy of the weekend with a 2-0 win.

18 May 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 31

GAZETTE

DCU BLITZES

DUBLINSFC

Dublin schools battle it out for sevens crown ST DOMINIC’S Cabra were among the sides

taking part at the 2017 DCU GAA Blitzes held at the DCU Sports grounds last week.

Post-primary schools from across Ireland competed in 7-a side GAA, ladies football and camogie blitzes which took place across three days. Castleknock Community College ending up as the eventual shield winners while Maryfield and Mount Sackville were among the other Dublin schools involved.

LADIES FOOTBALL: EIGHT TITLES IN A ROW FOR DUBLIN

Quinn and Connolly goals keep St Vincent’s flying

Dublin’s Under-16s celebrate their Leinster final success. Picture: GAAPics.com

McGovern’s double sparks final revival LEINSTER U-16 FINAL Dublin 5-9 Meath 2-7  sport@dublingazette.com

DUBLIN produced a stunning second half performance in to beats Meath in Clane to retain their Leinster Under-16 crown for a remarkable eighth year in a row.

At the break, Meath appeared to be in full control as the royals took a five-point lead into the half time dressing room at 1-5 to 0-3 as Orlagh Lally dominated midfield.

Indeed, Dublin can be extremely thankful to keeper Caitlin Staunton

for keeping her side in the game with three key saves.

They were further struck when Tammy Quinn Corbally was sin binned in the 27th minute.

But the second half was the polar opposite of the first as Dublin threw off the shackles attacking Meath with purpose and more conviction.

Jodi Egan began the metropolitans comeback when she netted in the 35th minute. Meath responded quickly with a goal of their own coming from the boot of inspirational team captain, Lally.

Irish Under-17 soccer international Roi-

sin McGovern started to make her presence felt in the game when she bagged Dublin’s third goal on the 43rd minute.

Some moments later, McGovern showed great calmness when she expertly converted a penalty kick following a foul in the square on Dublin’s number nine Emma McCormack.

Unusually for ladies football, McGovern also converted three free kicks off the ground to keep the scoreboard ticking for the reigning champions.

The industrious Emma McCormack from Fingallians was rewarded for her

fine performance with a well taken goal in the 55th minute.

The game was killed as a contest when Sarah O’Leary netted Dublin’s fifth goal three minutes later.Dublin reclaimed their Leinster crown by outscoring Meath in the second half by a remarkable 5-6 to 1-2.

Staunton, Grace Kos, McCormack and McGovern were huge players for Dublin as was the gritty performance of team captain Grainne O’Driscoll.

Dublin will now play the winners of the Connacht championship on Wednesday, July 12.

ST VINCENT’S won their northside derby over Na Fianna 2-11 to 0-12 to advance to the quarter-final and keep alive their Dublin senior football championship title retention hopes.

First half goals from the Tomas Quinn and Diarmuid Connolly did the damage for Vinnies while their St Mobhi Road opponents were left to reflect on a number of potential goal-scoring situations that they failed to capitalise on.

Na Fianna opened smartly to kick the first two points with Glenn O’Reilly and Conor McHugh on target. However, Quinn’s sixth minute goal settled Vincent’s following a superb crossfield pass from Enda Varley.

Connolly, who finished with 1-4 from play, got their second goal in the 17th minute when Quinn’s 45-metre delivery was fielded by his team-mate who worked the opening close to goal before finishing clinically to the net.

The first of Na Fianna’s clear goal sightings arrived in the 20th minute but, after brilliantly carving through the Vincent’s defence, Dublin Under-21 Aaron Byrne was denied by keeper Mick Savage before he chipped over the rebound with his left foot. By the break, Vincent’s were seven points up, 2-6 to 0-5, following points from Shane Carthy, Varley and Connolly.

Na Fianna, at times, struggled during the first period to secure possession off their own kick-outs with Nathan Mullins’ aerial ability central to two crucial scores for the Marino men. But Na Fianna came out fully recharged in the second half and really carried the game to their opponents.

While Vincent’s were held scoreless for 18 minutes Na Fianna threatened regularly with points from McHugh, O’Reilly and Byrne cutting the gap to just three points going into the last quarter. Na Fianna had their goal chances also with Byrne hitting the inside of the post while both Gus Farrell and Conor McHugh elected to take points when in the danger zone.

But Vincent’s showed their experience to lift themselves over the conclusion of the game with a Shane Carthy point ending their barren spell.

Daithi Murphy, Connolly and Carthy added further points as the Brian Mullins-managed Vincent’s progressed to the quarter-finals.

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GAZETTESPORT

ALL OF YOUR DUBLIN CITY SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 28-31

LEINSTER LEADERS: Dublin Under-16s fightback to claim provincial title for eighth successive year P31

MAY 18 - 24, 2017

INNER-CITY LIFE: Liffey Wanderers and Sheriff sweep to FAI Cup titles P29

Clockwise from top left, St Kevin’s U-13s celebrate their win, the U-12s on the attack vs Shamrock Rovers; the U-16s with their trophy; the U-14s celebrate. Pictures: Neil Fox

Kevins’s the SFAI kings Record-breaking weekend in the national cups for Shanowen Road club adds to their calls to be included on new League of Ireland’s entry list

 KARL GRAHAM

sport@dublingazette.com

ST KEVIN’S Boys completed a remarkable achievement last weekend by contesting four SFAI All-Ireland finals at Jackson Park, and walking away with all four national trophies.

And the club hope it will give them a big boost to their hopes of finally being allowed in from the League of Ireland wilderness.

The club’s Under-14s edged out Belvedere FC, the Under-16s got the better of Galway’s Mervue United, and the Under-12s defeated Shamrock Rovers.

The Under-13s completed the quadruple in a tasty encounter with rivals St Joseph’s boys

on Sunday afternoon.

It continues Kevin’s outstanding recent history with the All-Ireland finals having won three of the five available in 2014.

One of the sides who won that year, the Under-15s, became the first team ever to win the competition four years in a row. Their latest achievement, however, is probably the greatest of all.

“I think to get to four All-Ireland finals is an achievement in itself but to win all four of them is absolutely fantastic,” St Kevin’s PRO Neil Fox told GazetteSport.

“It’s great for the club because we are fighting an ongoing battle to get into the League of Ireland, and this proves we are good at what

we do. Hopefully this might get us on-board.”

The battle Fox is talking about is their struggle to convince the FAI to allow them to be part of their new national underage leagues or else convince a League of Ireland side to link up with them in order for them to compete that way.

“I don’t know if it is the FAI’s fault or the clubs; it is a tough one to call. We have spoken to every League of Ireland club in the country and have had different reactions.

“We’re optimistic because we are going to keep fighting this and hopefully someone will bring us on board.”

Kevin’s have long done their talking on the pitch but know they now have a fight on their

hands to secure the future of arguably Ireland’s greatest ever schoolboy club.

“I think we are proving our value with four All-Irelands. Also, during the summer, six players are going to be leaving St Kevin’s for English clubs so we are doing something right.

“I think to beat Shamrock Rovers is a huge testament to the effort, commitment and coaching we put into our players within the club. We are constantly fighting this battle and we are not going to give it up,” Fox concluded.

There is no respite in the hunt for silverware for St Kevin’s as the Under-17 side will compete in a final of their own this Saturday when they take on Nurney Villa FC in the Leinster youth final in Newbridge.