Dublin Gazette: City Edition

DublinGazette MARCH 7-13, 2019

DUBLINMAGAZINE: The weather turned

a bit nippy this week – but nip on over to our Magazine for some sunny features SEE PAGE 12

CityEdition FREE

THE LATEST NEWS & SPORT FROM THE DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL AREA

Crime THE mystery over the dreadful recent break-in and desecration at St Michan’s took a positive step forward this week.

Acting on information, gardai recovered the stolen head of ‘The Crusader’ mummy – as well as a human skull.

SEE PAGE 7

SPORT

CYCLING: Ring-

send’s Lydia Boylan storms her way to world track cycling medal with blistering run. SEE P32 DRESS TO IMPRESS: Designer Sonya Lennon (right) founder of Dress for Success Dublin with Deputies Maria Bailey and Kate O’Connell, Senator Catherine Noone, Deputy Joan Burton, Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee and Deputy Hildegarde Naughten. They were launching a week-long Dress for Success drive as part of International Women’s Day (tomorrow, Friday, March 8). Pictures: Marc O’Sullivan

travel

WANT A STUNNING BREAK? CONSIDER PORTUGAL SEE P20

66% of Dubs think centre a no-go area Anti-social crimes deterring many RACHEL D’ARCY

Find us on Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you

MORE than two-thirds of Dubliners have said they feel the city centre has become a ‘no-go’ area due to anti-social behaviour.

In a poll conducted by Dublin Gazette, 66% of readers surveyed said that they

don’t feel safe in the city centre, in the wake of a spate of anti-social attacks.

Most recently, a gang of youths attacked delivery workers at Westmoreland Street, recorded in a video that then went viral on social media.

Recent crime statistics from the Central Statistics Office show that public

order, or anti-social crimes, have been steadily on the rise across the country over the past year.

A number of councillors, as well as members of the public, have called for an increased Garda presence ‘on the beat’, and for quicker response times to incidents of anti-social behaviour in the city centre.

FULL STORY ON PAGES 8-9

Nurse thanked for act of bravery

A YOUNG Dublin nurse was thanked and widely hailed as a hero for leaping into action to help on the Dublin Bus she was travelling on.

Aoife McGivney, from Ballinteer, was on the No 16 reaching O’Connell Bridge when the driver was taken ill with a heart attack.

The quick-thinking woman managed to stop the bus – which also injured a cyclist in the incident – and then performed CPR until the emergency services could arrive.

Modest Aoife thanked other passengers for helping, and also urged everyone to learn CPR training and first aid skills.

SEE PAGE 3

2 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 7 March 2019

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CALLS TO CAP GROWING ‘OUT OF HAND’ NUMBERS

‘Limit Dublin’s tourist walking group sizes’  RACHEL D’ARCY

rdarcy@dublingazette.com

THERE have been calls for a cap on the size of tourist groups on walking tours in the capital.

It is believed that Dublin City Council (DCC) has written to Failte Ireland, encouraging the tourism body to cap the size of groups at 26 people after concerns were raised about larger groups obstructing pedestrian traffic.

Offic ials from DCC say that larger groups are clogging footpaths around the capital, mak-

LIke any city, Dublin loves tourist walking groups – but not so much if they start obstructing pedestrian traffic

ing it difficult for individuals to get around.

It’s also thought that the council has request-

ed that assembly points for any walking tours be “carried out in a manner which does not affect

pedestrian flows”.

Cllr Mannix Flynn (Ind) originally brought a motion on the issue to the council in late 2018, prior to the beginning of the busy tourism season in the capital.

Cllr Flynn said that the amount of people in walking groups is “getting out of hand” and becoming disruptive in the city centre, and that Dublin needs to follow the influence of other major cities.

He added: “Going around with 100 people on a walking tour through the streets of Dublin is just not safe, and it’s wrong.

Curtailed “In other jurisdictions where this was happening – like in Barcelona, London and Berlin – they curtailed this, they actually brought it down to around 26 or 27 individuals [to a group] because [walking groups] were literally blocking up the city.

“Bernardo Square [beside City Hall] used to be a lovely place to sit and have a sandwich and meet people, [but now] not a lot of people go there, because it’s surrounded by walking tour groups.

“At 9 o’clock in the morning, a group [were] screaming its head off into a camera – that group consisted of about 110 people.”

DCC are believed to have carried out a ‘desktop study’, concluding that utilising bye-laws as a way of regulating the size of the walking tours would not be appropriate, as a number of similar groups and tours take place in different areas across the country.

Under the Constitution, people also have the right to assemble – which could possibly contravene any potential byelaws.

FASTNews

Warning as crooks go ‘fishing’ for keys LOCALS in Marino and Fairview are being reminded to store their car and house keys in a secure location, after a rise in ‘fishing’ attempts.

‘Fishing’ is where thieves attempt to remove keys from hall tables and other accessible areas by using a rod or other long object through the letterbox or open windows, without entering the house.

A local neighbourhood watch page has advised locals to keep their keys concealed after gardai reported a rise in the amount of fishing attempts in the area recently.

Three young people were arrested within the locality on Monday morning at around 5am in relation to the attempts, but locals have been advised to stay vigilant regardless.

More information on preventing break-ins, including fishing attempts, is available from the An Garda Siochana website at garda.ie/en/CrimePrevention.

Sod turned Balmayne on new Lidl playschool in Ballymun clarification THE sod was turned on Friday last on the long-desired and heavily-anticipated Lidl site in Ballymun.

Expected to open in 2020, the supermarket will be the first of its kind in Ballymun in some time, and has been warmly welcomed by residents. It’s believed that the project will also contain some student housing, in addition to other units.

Cllr Noeleen Reilly (Ind) welcomed the sod-turning, and said: “It feels like we are talking forever about Lidl coming to Ballymun, but it is great to see works finally start for the people of the area.

“Most residents are very excited to see Lidl coming into the area after decades of underinvestment in shops and businesses.

“It is a huge opportunity for local people to gain employment and I have requested that Lidl work with the Ballymun Job Centre to maximise employment in the area,” she said.

WITH REGARD to a recent article published on Ciara’s Playschool in Balmayne in our February 28 edition, Dublin Gazette are happy to clarify the following.

The piece states that Ciara Ryan was told in mid-February that there would be no room for the playschool.

Ms Ryan has since contacted us to say: “The Board of Management informed me last year that there would be no room in the new school for our playschool, but no date was given to me as to when I would have to vacate the premises, and nothing was officially given to me to clarify this.

“It was only over the past three weeks that I was told that they intend to be in the new school by April, and there was no room for the playschool, although I still haven’t been given a definite date.”

Dublin Gazette are happy to clarify this point, as requested,

7 March 2019 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 3

FUNDING: WIDE VARIETY OF COMMUNITY GROUPS, FACILITIES TO GAIN FROM FUNDS

Close to €300,000 set to benefit Dublin South Central RACHEL D’ARCY

ALMOST €300,000 has been allocated to the Crumlin, Kimmage and Lower Drimnagh area in the Dublin South Central 2019 Discretionary Fund.

The funding will contribute to a number of projects within the area, from community events to the establishment and repair of vital infrastructure in the locality.

Crumlin Men’s Shed will be given €5,000, while €10,000 is being allo-

cated to family-friendly Halloween events.

It is expected that €30,000 will be spent on ‘Smart Bins’ in the shopping precincts around Crumlin and Drimnagh, while mobile CCTV cameras to combat illegal dumping will have a spend of €18,000.

Up to €25,000 will fund the reinstating of damaged concrete plinths at Derry Park, Kells Road, Clogher Road and Cashel Road.

One of the biggest spends will be on extended public hours of Crum-

lin Swimming pool, at €27,000, in addition to €35,000 being spent on public domain projects in Crumlin and Kimmage.

The largest sum – some €50,000 – will be spent on an assortment of projects, including dog fouling initiatives, pavement proofing, illegal dumping, Halloween cleanups and planters. Funding has also been provided for several other projects.

Speaking on the funding, Cllr Pat Dunne (Ind) said: “I am pleased to

report that after months of discussions and negotiations in which I strongly advocated for the area, the list of local projects and public domain improvements were agreed at an Area Committee meeting.

“This funding is in addition to the normal budget for the area.

There are many other projects that also deserved funding, but alas there was only so much funding available.

“I will continue to lobby hard for Crumlin Swimming Pool – set to gain from the €27,000 that’s to support extending opening hours the local area.”

Brave nurse rushed to help FASTNews driver having heart attack

Join Darkness into Light by the coastline

THE first-ever Darkness into Light walk for Clontarf will take place this year, coinciding with other walks around the capital.

Beginning and continuing along the seafront in Clontarf, the walk will begin at 4:15am on May 11, with a huge turnout expected for the event.

You can register for Darkness into Light Clontarf 2019 at https://bit.ly/2ShjgIl, with organisers advising those interested to register early as numbers are limited, predicting that Clontarf will be a very popular Light walk thanks to its seaside location.

Updates on the walk will be posted on LoveClontarf.ie, and on the Darkness into Light Clontarf Facebook page, at facebook.com/darknessintolightclontarf.

RACHEL D’ARCY and REBECCA RYAN

A BRAVE, quick-thinking nurse from the Mater Hospital jumped to the aid of a bus driver who suffered a heart attack while driving on Monday morning.

Aoife McGivney, from Ballinteer, was travelling on the No 16 bus when she was alerted something was wrong by fellow passengers after hearing screaming and realising the bus was rolling.

She managed to stop the bus after it rolled through red lights at O’Connell Bridge just after 8am, before rushing to help the unconscious bus driver.

The bus hit a cyclist and went over his bike, but the cyclist is believed to have only suffered minor injuries. Along with the help of two fellow passengers, Aoife moved the driver onto the pavement, where she performed CPR on him for ten minutes until emergency services arrived at the scene.

She administered a number of cycles of CPR to the man before swapping positions with a passer-by who knew first aid.

Following the incident, she has urged people to learn basic first aid training so that they know how to react in an emergency. Speaking on Newstalk’s The Hard Shoulder, she said: “It’s so important to have CPR training and first-aid training. It’s so important for people to be aware of it because there were great people around who were able to join in and shout: ‘I have first-aid training’.”

The driver of the bus is currently in Mater Hospital, where it is understood he is in a stable condition.

Minister for Transport Shane Ross commended Aoife’s bravery and echoed her encouragement for people to learn first-aid.

He said: “I would like to acknowledge the bravery of Ballinteer local Aoife McGivney. Aoife, a trained nurse, saved a number of lives on Monday morning on her way to work thanks to her training and quick thinking.

“For local CPR training courses you can consult the Irish Heart Foundation website at www.irishheart. ie, Minister Ross told Dublin Gazette.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Nial Ring, was so impressed by Aoife that he has personally nominated her for a National Bravery Award.

It is also understood that Cllr Ring would like to invite her to the Mansion House and present her with a Mayor’s Scroll.

Time changes to end in 2021

“

Left: No 16 passenger Aoife McGivney kept her cool and leapt into action when the bus driver had a heart attack

by O’Connell bridge, providing CPR training until emergency services could attend the scene.

Main pictures: Ciara Phelan

It’s so important for people to be aware of CPR training because there were great people around who were able to join in [and help]

IT’S official – under a new European policy, the muchloved (and loathed) changing of the clocks will end in 2021.

Each member state must decide by April 2020 whether or not they want to remain on ‘Summer’ time.

No longer will the clocks jump forwards or backwards an hour, as Ireland has been told to choose between ‘Winter’ or ‘Summer’ time after officials in Brussels ruled that clock changes across the EU will cease.

Last year, 80% of people voted to have the seasonal clock change abolished, in an EU commission-sponsored consultation process.

4 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 7 March 2019

dublin

APARTMENTS: FEARS FOR IMPACT ON VILLAGE, INFRASTRUCTURE

DIARY Creative activities and interests to the fore in a diverse range of tings to do in Dublin this week

MIX PAINT AND PROSECCO FOR A CREATIVE EVENING WITH BIC BIC has announced that it is joining forces with event producers Paint and Prosecco on two BIC Sparks Art evenings in March.

The special St Patrick’s Day-themed events will celebrate Irish culture, heritage and design, taking place in The Jar on Camden Street on March 12 and 13.

BIC recently collaborated with Irish illustrator Fatti Burke on the design of a line of limited-edition pocket lighters that are inspired by Ireland.

At each event, guests will be given the chance to recreate one of Fatti’s seven unique designs and paint their own masterpiece over some glasses of bubbly.

From beginners to painting enthusiasts, this event is tailored to all levels and each guest will be given a blank canvas to paint on which they can then take home.

All proceeds raised from ticket sales will go to the charity SUAS, which helps to develop children’s literacy skills in disadvantaged areas of Ireland.

Tickets are priced at €15, available from Eventbrite, and as each event is limited to just 40 attendees, it is advised to book early to avoid disappointment.

FAMILY RAVE FUN FOR KIDS AND PARENTS AT MIDDLE ABBEY ST THERE’S a family event under way in Wigwam on Middle Abbey Street this Saturday, which promises to be fun for all ages.

Prepare to take to the dance floor in the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday with your kids as Dublin City Mum has teamed up with Bodytonic and Tiny Choons to create two Family Raves Wigwam, on Saturday, March 9 from 1.30-3pm, and again from 3.30-5pm.

Expect neon crafts, face painting and bubbles for the kids with decent coffee and cocktails for the grownups, with the event suitable from kids up to 10 years old.

Sensory events such as this are billed to be great for kids, so definitely watch out for the next event if you can’t score tickets to this weekend’s rave.

Tickets are sold out, but you can win tickets at wigwamdublin.com/familyrave-dublin-city-mum.

DELVE INTO COMICCON FOR AN AWFUL LOT OF CREATIVE FUN THE Spring edition of Dublin ComicCon takes place this weekend in the National Convention Centre.

Running on March 9 and 10, ComicCon brings together media guests from a host of different genres.

You can meet a host of comic creators, international cosplayers, SFX industry pros, artists and professionals for a weekend of talks, workshops, demos, interactive activities and all-round great family fun.

There’s a huge amount of activities over the weekend including workshops, gaming competitions, virtual reality, the Lego Brick club zone for kids, panels, and much more. Tickets are available now from dublincomiccon.com.

Doug Cockle – AKA the inimitable voice of Geralt of Rivia (right) – will be just one of the guests at the upcoming ComicCon

Growing, growing – gone? The site of the allotments in Chapelizod which could soon be replaced by a social housing build. Picture: Google Earth

Chapelizod divided over housing gains RACHEL D’ARCY

CONCERN is increasing for residents in Chapelizod over a potential new development that could see the population of the village grow by 10%.

The proposed 73-unit, rapid build social housing development at the former Springvale allotments site on Chapelizod Road (above) has stirred up angst amongst some locals, who feel there has been a “lack of consideration” given to the residents of the area.

When built, it’s possible that up to 300 new residents could enter the area, which would lead to increased pressure on local parking and traffic, schools and transport.

Plans for the rapid-build apartments have been in the pipeline for 14 years, having been originally proposed in 2005 but shelved as a result of the recession.

Locals at a packed public meeting on the issue. Picture: Maurice Glennon

A meeting was held last Thursday (inset) by Dublin City Council in St Patrick’s National School on the plans, where frustrated residents voiced their concerns, such as zero affordable houses being made available for locals.

Apprehensions were also raised over the potential five-storey buildings being adjacent to the Phoenix Park walls and that a British company had been hired to work on the project, leaving residents concerned that the site

may not have even been visited by developers yet.

In the wake of the meeting, some people were critical – one person remarked on a local Facebook page that they were instructed to fill out a comment form, rather than having the panel at the meeting answer their question directly.

Some locals, however, accused others in Chapelizod of ‘nimbyism’ and of being in favour of the development going elsewhere,

with it expected to comprise 100% social housing.

An image of a poster advertising the development meeting with DCC was posted to a local Facebook page, showing a sign attached to a bus stop in Chapelizod, but vandalised by someone who had written “Your property will devalue” on it.

Commenting on the proposed development, one local resident, Rhys Mayes, wrote: “I understand about the lack of services and infrastructure to deal with this many new residents. But I feel the general feeling about this is that people don’t want social housing in Chapelizod which to be honest is an absolutely vile and selfish way of thinking.”

Calls have been made for another meeting on the development, for locals to discuss the potential issues that will arise with the development.

Young mum stored drugs worth €19k at home A YOUNG mother allowed her apartment to be used to store more than €19,000 of drugs to get money for her children, a court has heard.

Gardai searched the home of Kelly Simpson (27), with an address at Baker’s Yard, Dublin 1, after residents in the apartment complex had complained about suspicious behaviour.

Detective Garda Caitriona Brody revealed that she and a colleague monitored Kelly’s apartment and saw three men come and go in quick succession.

When gardai entered the apartment with the

warrant, they found Kelly and her three children and got a strong smell of cannabis.

Kelly pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing 177g of crack cocaine worth €12,417, and 329g of cannabis valued at €6,588, on March 31, 2017.

She has two previous convictions, including taking drugs into a prison, for which she received a fine in the District Court.

Det Gda Brody told Dara Hayes BL, prosecuting, that Simpson told gardai she was storing drugs to get money for her children as she was

getting no assistance from their fathers.

Det Gda Brody agreed with James Dwyer SC, defending, that Simpson entered an early guilty plea and said she had been under financial strain.

Judge Melanie Greally told Mr Dwyer that his client was “in grave peril in terms of sentence”.

Judge Greally adjourned the sentence until May and remanded Simpson on continuing bail to allow her to work with the Probation Service.

The judge will hear a defence plea in mitigation on the next date.

7 March 2019 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 5

BUSCONNECTS PROPOSAL SLAMMED

CHARITY

Anger at one-way plan for Rathmines

Pensioner fundraised €15,000

RACHEL D’ARCY

THERE are mounting fears that one of the city’s main corridors may become a one-way only system under BusConnects plans.

Rathmines, one of the biggest suburbs of the city centre, and one of the busiest commuting hubs, may only allow private cars to drive through on their way out of town, rather than into the city centre.

The plans for Rathmines to potentially become a one-way system were revealed under the latest phase of BusConnects to be opened up for public consultation, as part of the Rathfarnham to City Centre corridor.

In addition to the potential of Rathmines being severely impacted,

residents in Rathgar fear that ‘Corridor 12’ of BusConnects will destroy the community element of the south Dublin suburb.

Rathgar Road Residents’ Group have joined locals in Terenure and Rathfarnham to collectively form the ‘Rathgar is a Community, Not a Corridor Campaign’, aiming to challenge the National Transport Authority’s (NTA) plans.

An estimated cost of the proposed Rathfarnham to City Centre corridor is thought to be in the region of €40-48 million, though it’s believed that only seven minutes of travel time will be saved, and the compulsory purchase of 255 properties will be needed along the route.

Commenting on the NTA’s Bus Connects

Corridor 12 proposals, Rathgar Road Resident Group spokesperson Anne Marie James said: “This plan is ill thought out and unworkable.

“Alleged savings of seven to eight minutes commuting time for an estimated €120 million ca n b e a c h i eve d i n different and cheaper ways. It will be a disaster for local communities, businesses and taxpayers.

“It will destroy local businesses, historical villages and local communities and will create chaos on every side road to town.”

Anyone who wishes to send a submission or objection to the NTA can email cbc@busconnects. ie. Public consultations are expected to be held in the coming weeks.

Delight for Griffith College with education award win GRIFFITH College were recently presented with an award for their Business Studies (blended) programme at the recent Education Awards in Ballsbridge. The college was recognised for its BA (Hons) in Business studies (blended) programme at the glittering award ceremony at the Ballsbridge Hotel, where delighted members of Griffith’s digital learning department and business faculty were presented with the award (above).

Blended learning courses at Griffith are delivered through weekly webinars, online lectures and activities. Students are required to attend the campus just once a month for traditional lectures, with the national institution’s students having the option of studying business, law or accounting through the blended learning study mode.

Griffith College has 170+ courses that are delivered across four campuses in Dublin, Cork and Limerick. Students can choose from courses in media, business, design, law computing and more.

A MAN who illuminates his home each Christmas to raise money for Our L a d y ’s Ho s p i c e h a s revealed he raised over €15,000 in 2018.

Liam Tilly decorates his house on Bath Avenue in Sandymount in an array of illuminations and asks for donations to be made for Our Lady’s Hospice and Care Services.

He has been gradually creating the beautiful display for the past two decades, but in the past ten years has raised more than €100,000 toward care services in Blackrock and Harold’s Cross.

The 84-year-old plans to continue the annual instillation for as long as he can.

Locals have praised the work put into the lights, saying that Mr Tilly’s handiwork is “fantastic”.

6 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 7 March 2019

GALLERIES OF THE WEEK

Teodora Sutra and Joanne Northey

Nadia El Ferdaousi and Vicki Notaro. Pictures: Anthony Woods

Warren Scott and Lauren Edge

Eoin O’Neill, Celina Murphy and Dee Laffan

Dublin Liberties Distillery opens

T

HE Dublin Liberties Distillery opened to the public last week after two years of construction. The Distillery is a unique visitor experience offering an up-close view of modern Irish whiskey making, from

Enda Fitzpatrick and Kelly Forsyth

the working distillery through to the cocktail bar, for the all-important tastings! Visitors can choose from a number of experiences on offer catering for different levels of interest from whiskey enthusiasts to connoisseurs.

Soraiya Ryan

Enzo Visone and Kris Dickenson

Jan Power and Rebecca Brady

7 March 2019 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 7

SCHOOLS: CONNIE HOPES TO HAVE THE WRITE STUFF WITH HER SPEECHWRITING SKILLS

Terenure student through to final of ActionAid competition RACHEL D’ARCY

A SECONDARY school student from Terenure has been selected as one of ten finalists out of 150 entries in a speechwriting competition.

Connie Heather from Our Lady’s School Terenure stood out from more than 150 entries to reach the final of the national ActionAid Speechwriting Competition.

Now in it fifth year, the speechwriting competition is open to almost 50 schools across the country for students aged 14 to 17. This year, the competition received its highest number of

entries, to date.

Connie is one of ten finalists selected to deliver a speech at the final of the contest in Dublin’s Royal Irish Academy on March 20.

ActionAid created the speechwriting competition as a platform for young people to offer their contribution to achieving gender equality.

The finalists will have the task of delivering their speech based on one of three topics relating to women’s rights to a panel of esteemed judges.

The quality of entries was very high and choosing the top ten finalists proved to be a very

difficult decision.

Siobhan McGee, the chief executive of ActionAid Ireland, said: “The competition is an exciting way for young people to voice their opinion on issues that matter to them. Each year we have been greatly impressed by the quality of speeches we receive, and this year was no exception.

“It is clear that an awful lot of time and effort has gone into each speech, and it was very difficult to choose our finalists. We’re looking forward to hearing Connie’s speech at the final.”

The two winning students will travel with their teachers to Greece this summer, where

Encouraging the capital’s passion for great books

FASTNews A marathon effort to help more runners IT HAS been announced that 2,500 extra entries will go on sale for the KBC Dublin Marathon on Monday, July 1, ahead of the late October marathon.

This follows the sellingout of the 20,000 entries last December, close to a year before the event takes place on Sunday, October 27.

The level of entrants has been increased from 20,000 to a record number of 22,500 people following an agreement with key authorities.

The 2019 Dublin Marathon will celebrate its 40th year anniversary with KBC with the 13 runners who took part in the first Dublin Marathon in 1980 and all 39 Marathons since present to mark the announcement.

In addition to the 2,500 extra entries to go on sale, some other additional places are also expected to be made available following an opportunity for current entrants to avail of a refund window from 9am on Monday, June 3.

The refund will be available on ‘Manage My Bookings’ available via the entrant’s confirmation link.

Fingal’s marathon runners should also note entries are now also open for the 2019 KBC Race Series which starts with the South Dublin 10k on Sunday, July 21.

This will be followed by the Frank Duffy 10 Mile on Saturday, August 24 and the KBC Dublin Half Marathon on Saturday, September 21 – both in the Phoenix Park.

For further information, see kbcdublinmarathon.ie.

they will have the unique opportunity to see ActionAid’s work first-hand.

In Greece, ActionAid’s work focuses on economic empowerment of women refugees and migrants.

ActionAid provides long-term support to the poorest and most marginalised women and children in developing countries, so they can overcome the obstacles holding them back.

Their Women’s Rights programme, funded by Irish Aid, works to eliminate violence against women and girls by engaging with young girls, women and men.

WRITER Edna O’Brien (centre) was joined

by Deirdre Wilkinson and Margaret Kennedy, whose picture is used on the front cover of the book The Country Girls Trilogy, at the launch of the programme for the Dublin: One City One Book 2019.

Dublin City Council initiative, led by Dublin City Public Libraries, encourages everyone to read a book connected with the capital city during April every year, with this year’s initiative feature Edna’s The Country Girls Trilogy.

The focus on Edna’s work is just part of the month-long initiative, which will see several literary-led events held across the capital, including talks, cinema screenings, music performances and more.

Picture: Fennell Photography

Gardai recover stolen head – and a skull, too RACHEL D’ARCY

AN GARDA Siochana have recovered the head of ‘The Crusader’ mummy that was stolen from St Michan’s Church last week, as well as a human skull (inset).

The mummy’s head was stolen in what is believed to have been a preplanned break-in at the Church of Ireland crypt in Smithfield.

The Crusader’s head had been severed from its body in the desecration on the weekend of February 23, in addition to having its body turned over.

Several other mummies were also violated in the crypt, including the 400-year-old remains of a nun.

A human skull was also recovered

by Gardai from Bridewell Garda Station, with the items recovered following information given to Gardai investigating the break-in.

The Museum of Ireland are acting in an advisory capacity to An Garda Siochana in the wake of the discovery.

Archdeacon of Dublin, and parish vicar of St Michan’s, David Pierpoint initially told the media after the lateFebruary attack that the incident was “possible vandalism”.

However, a day later, he said it was believed to be a planned attack on the crypt, adding: “Having reflected on it ... it would appear that whoever got into the vault came prepared to do damage.”

The Archbishop of Dublin, Michael

Jackson, welcomed the recovery of the missing skulls on Tuesday evening.

He said: “Renewed thanks go to all who have shown interest and concern for the mummies. They are a priceless part of the heritage of the city of Dublin and its citizens.

“The emphasis will now be able to turn to the consideration of future security and display of the remains in the crypt of St Michan’s.”

As a result of the vandalism, the crypts have been shut to tourists, and will be closed for the foreseeable future.

Anyone with further information on the incident is asked to contact Bridewell Garda Station at 01 666 8200.

The skull recovered in the search for ‘The Crusader’ head

8 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 7 March 2019

POLICING: AN GARDA SIOCHANA SATISFIED WITH RESOURCES IN PLACE – BUT ‘NOT SO FAST,’ SAY

OPINION

FROM THE COUNCILLORS Micheal Mac Donnacha (SF) RECENT incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour in the city centre are of very serious concern.

A friend of mine was on the spot and witnessed the violent rampage by a gang of youths in Westmoreland Street that has been seen widely on social media as it was videoed by another witness.

The criminals attacked cycle delivery workers as well as other passers-by and shops.

The striking thing was the slowness or non-reaction of gardai, even though this took place within [a short walk away from] Pearse Street Garda Station.

In contrast, on the following Saturday, I attended a peaceful protest of about 50 people at the US Embassy about the threatened US intervention in Venezuela, and there was a large number of gardai and several garda vehicles present – totally unnecessarily.

So the Minister for Justice and the gardai need to get their priorities right.

In particular, we need quicker reaction times. Whether it is a matter of insufficient resources on the ground or inefficient systems in place, it needs to be put right – and soon.

That said, I still maintain that the city centre is by and large a very safe place and I would encourage people to continue to visit town and enjoy it.

The worst thing we could possibly do would be to cede the centre of our capital city to criminals and other antisocial elements.

Ciaran O Moore (SF)

I WOULD consider [the city centre] as ‘a no-go area’. As a member of the Joint Policing Committee I have requested more Garda Resources and enforcement.

Chris Andrews (SF)

I WOULDN’T generally be alarmist. Some 95% of young people are really positive and energetic and engaged in so much good.

Like a lot of things, it’s a small few who are wrecking it for everyone.

We do have some significant challenges in terms of acts of violence and anti-social behaviour.

One of the main problems is that we do not have enough of a Garda presence in the community.

We also need to develop more assertive youth work projects to target young people not engaging in positive activities.

We also need members of the local community to pass along the names of any young people terrorising the community to gardai.

Down these mean streets two-thirds of Dubliners feel reluctant to go – poll RACHEL D’ARCY

A RECENT Facebook poll conducted by Dublin Gazette has found that an astonishing 66% of people feel that Dublin city centre has become a ‘no-go’ area.

The online poll was conducted in the wake of a horrific incident at Westmoreland Street, which saw a number of delivery drivers attacked by a gang of youths in front of terrified on-lookers.

A protest was held last Saturday to raise awareness of the thuggery faced by delivery drivers on Dublin’s streets in the past few months.

This incident is the latest in a long line of aggressive acts that have occurred in the city centre in recent months, leading to repeated calls for an increased Garda presence on the streets.

Many Dubliners have also called for a Rapid Response unit, with claims it took almost 20 minutes

for gardai to arrive on the scene at Westmoreland Street – despite Pearse Street Garda Station being just a 30-second walk away from the crime.

In response to queries from Dublin Gazette, An Garda Siochana have said it believes the level of policing on our city centre’s streets to be at an adequate level.

A spokesperson said: “Local Garda management closely monitors the allocation of all resources in the context of crime trends, policing needs and other operational strategies in place on a District, Divisional and Regional level, to ensure optimum use is made of resources, and the best possible service provided to the public.

“Senior Garda management is satisfied that an adequate policing service continues to be delivered, and that current structures in place meet the requirement to deliver an effec-

tive and efficient policing service to the community.

“This situation is continually reviewed.”

Further incidents of untoward behaviour have also been reported within inner-city suburbs, including Drimnagh and Ringsend, with locals claiming on social media that they fear the ‘thugs’ roaming the streets.

Drimnagh resident, and Cllr Daithi Doolan (SF), has been petitioning Dublin City Council to set up a taskforce in the area with the aim of tackling anti-social behaviour and a developing gang mentality in the area.

Cllr Doolan said: “Here in Drimnagh, we have seen an upsurge in anti-social behavior since summer 2018.

“We have to work together to ensure Dublin is a welcoming, safe city to live, work, study and holiday in.

“Unfortunately, many of our communities have

Our online poll drew responses from all across the city and county, suggesting that – north and south of the river, some two-thirds of people calling Dublin their home feel the centre is increasingly a no-go area

seen an increase in serious anti-social behaviour in recent months. It is essential that we tackle the causes and consequences of anti-social behaviour.

“But probation services, Gardai, youth services have all seen their budgets slashed. This has had a hugely negative effect.

“It is unacceptable to expect services to tackle a growing problem with less resources. These cuts must be reversed.

“No one group can sort this out. In fact, we also have to engage with the young people involved.

Ignoring their needs will only make the problem worse,” said Cllr Doolan.  Do you feel that antisocial behaviour in the city centre has worsened? Would you consider it a ‘no-go’ area?

Please email your story to news@dublingazette.com.

CSO figures confirm anti-social offences going up, up, up...

ACCORDING to the Central Statistics Office, public order offences – or ‘anti-social behaviour’ – is on the rise, backing up the concerns of many citizens about such incidents.

In the last quarter of 2017, there

were more than over 31,188 cases of Public Order and other Social Code offences across Ireland – a 6.7% increase.

This increase continued throughout 2018. In each quarter of 2018,

Public Order offences were on the up.

In the first quarter of 2018, more than 31,000 cases were reported, with this increasing again in the second quarter to more than 31,300 cases.

There was also a further 2.5% increase on anti-social behaviour reported by the CSO up to September 2018 – an additional 760 cases were reported, compared to the same quarter in 2017.

7 March 2019 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 9

OUR READERS ONLINE, WITH 66% OF YOU THINKING THAT THE CITY CENTRE IS A NO-GO AREA Picture: Shane Dillon

OPINION

FROM THE COUNCILLORS Dublin has always been regarded “visit. as a friendly city to live, work and Let’s not let a few mindless morons have their way.

Dermot Lacey (Lab)

FIRST of all we should stop it calling it ‘anti-social behaviour’ – it is thuggery.

In general, I believe the city is safe, but we do need more gardai on the street – with a swift response team really ready to pounce on first sight of an incident.

We need to make the O’Connell Street/Westmoreland Street stretch more attractive by once and for all ensuring that the Carlton Cinema site is developed I also think that we need to ensure that judges see these sort of crimes for what they are and punish [them accordingly].

Tom Barabazon (FF)

I WOULD like to see more gardai visible on the beat; more Garda Reserve and Probationers out on the street.

It doesn’t have to be always someone with the full powers of arrest, but someone in authority who is trusted and who can call in support where trouble might be suspected.

A properly resourced An Garda Siochana is needed not just in the city centre, but out into the suburbs also.

Ciaran Cuffe (GP)

Cieran Perry (Ind)

IN RELATION to antisocial behaviour in the city centre … this type of public violence cannot be tolerated and the perpetrators must be targeted by gardai.

[Such] incidents add to the perception that Dublin city centre is a dangerous place.

All anti-social behaviour is unacceptable but racist violence must be stamped out.

Anti-social behaviour – particularly violent anti-social behaviour – tends to get a disproportionate amount of publicity, which may give the impression of a problem more prevalent than it actually is.

I work in the city centre and I socialise there regularly, and I don’t believe Dublin city centre is particularly dangerous.

Without doubt, there is an occasional problem with gangs of youths, and gardai must deal with this firmly.

With CCTV [cameras] available everywhere, it should be almost impossible for youths causing trouble to get away with their unacceptable behaviour.

The gardai must get on top of this problem and, more importantly, the courts must punish anti-social behaviour.

Too often judges take a liberal view on criminal anti-social behaviour and don’t implement a suitable punishment.

PEOPLE are sick and tired of anti-social behaviour. I wouldn’t blow things out of proportion, but I would like to see more gardai on the beat, speaking with the general public. It is so important that they meet with ordinary people face-to-face, instead of being absorbed with their phones.

Just another night at Westmoreland Street ... a still from a widelyshared video on social media showing attacks on fast food delivery couriers, traffic and buses blocked, bikes being thrown around and pedestrians threatened – all within walking distance of a nearby garda station

Sonya Stapleton (Ind)

I BELIEVE the lack of visibility of gardai in the city is not helping to eliminate anti-social behaviour.

There is also a lack of joined-up thinking with the Government, the Garda and our courts in protecting our communities and city.

Only recently, I contacted An Garda Siochana to help a man that was a victim.

Some 40 minutes later at the Luas line at Stephen’s Green a Garda car sped by us as I tried to wave them down.

My constituents in the southeast inner city are constantly reporting anti-social behaviour to me. and the lack of a Garda presence.

Ray McHugh (SF)

THE poll results are very concerning and point to an urgent need for a more visible Garda presence on the streets.

Incidents such as this [Westmoreland Street disturbance] occurring within 100 yards of Pearse Street Garda Station raises major questions about Garda deployment.

Safety on our streets is a major issue that demands a prompt, sustained response.

YES, it is disturbing the increase in anti-social behaviour in Dublin – not alone in the city but in the whole of Dublin.

A lot of [such behaviour’s perpetuators] are teenagers, and I strongly feel the parents should be held responsible for the action of their children.

The law needs to be changed to address this menace in our society.

Children as young as 10 are terrorising people in our parks and on our streets. Action needs to be taken.

Anne Feeney (FG)

Michael Mullooly (FF)

Ruairi McGinley (Ind)

INCIDENTS of anti-social behaviour in our city are something we should not ignore and leave to An Garda Siochana to deal with.

It is, I believe, the responsibility of each of us to call out bad behaviour when we see it and not just look on, whether it is someone shouting abuse at someone else or physically attacking them.

Particularly, as has been highlighted lately in relation to young casual workers, [we cannot tolerate anti-social behaviour towards people] cycling with food deliveries, etc, who have had to put up with hate-filled racial abuse.

Dublin has always been regarded as a friendly city to live, work and visit, and Dublin City Council works tirelessly to improve the city.

Let’s not let a few mindless morons have their way.

A LOT of this behaviour in the city is caused by gangs of very young people, who because of their age rarely face the full sanction of the law.

I would like to see a zerotolerence approach, and where very young persons are involved the gardai should bring in Tusla, the child and family agency, to investigate how and why the child is left to his own devices in and around the city centre at all hours of the day and night.

10 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 7 March 2019

GALLERIES OF THE WEEK

Meiling Tong and Dee Alfaro

Eoghan O’Sullivan and Louise Cooney

Carley Colgan

Paula Lyne and Amy Mulvaney Nuala Carey

Tara O’Farrell and James Patrice

Pretty in pink ... Natalia McAuley turns up the style. Pictures: Brian McEvoy

Dani Farrell and Ali McKeever

Feeling made-up to attend a Clarins launch targeted at millennials Niamh O’Sullivan and Deric Hartigan

Marrita Coyne

F

ASHIONISTAS were out in force at The Alex Hotel recently for the launch of a new Clarins make-up range that’s aimed at millennials. The launch

saw ‘My Clarins’ rolled out to an enthusiastic reception, with the make-up-savvy and image-conscious guests appreciating the new range’s diverse choice. My Clarins is a

vegan range with 88% natural ingredients and recyclable packaging, containing nine day/night products that contain fruits, floral waters and energising plant extracts.

7 March 2019 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 11

GALLERIES OF THE WEEK

Michael Whelan and Anne Mulcahy Nicole Black and Ciara Falls

Osna O’Connor, Jacinta O’Rourke and Sharon Woods. Pictures: Paul Sherwood

Annual IRFU’s charitable trust ball

Dee Corbett and Eileen O’Brien

T Louise and Paul Flanigan

HE Annual IRFU Charitable Trust Ball was held last week at the Ballsbridge Hotel. The very successful charity event was a gathering of over 300 people from the worlds of rugby, entertainment and business. Many prominent figures were in attendance.

A significant amount of money was raised on the night and this will go a long way in supporting the 35 seriously injured rugby players.

Alison , Maeve Beggs and Hugo Beggs

Simone Corcoran and Cliona O’Keeffe

Conor and Ciara Falls

12 DUBLIN GAZETTE 7 March 2019

MAGAZINE

DUBLIN

Put pretty Portugal top of the travel list P20

CHICKEN WINGS WORTH GETTING IN A FLAP OVER P22

FASHIONABLE FRAMES ARE ALL ABOUT PERSONAL STYLE P19

LET DUBLIN GAZETTE NEWSPAPERS TAKE YOU ON A TOUR OF THE NEWS AND EVENTS ACROSS THE CITY AND COUNTY

COUNTDOWN IS ON FOR WOMEN’S MARATHON THE Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon is now open for entries!

Pictured are broadcaster Georgie Crawford; Dublin Ladies footballer Nicole Owens; Ailbhe Garrihy; Aoibhín Garrihy; presenter Pamela Joyce; fitness enthusiast Leanne Moore; Clare Garrihy and Doireann Garrihy who will make up

the 2019 Vhi Squad and are calling on women all around the country to run stronger together and join them at the largest all female event of its kind in the world this June!

Enter now at www.VhiWomensMiniMarathon.ie.

Picture: JULIEN BEHAL PHOTOGRAPHY

7 March 2019 DUBLIN GAZETTE 13

14 DUBLIN GAZETTE 7 March 2019

Touching The Stars: THE growth of the cover band industry is substantial, in fact. Gone are the days of a few shows in the pub for the biggest acts in the game: now they’re playing venues with capacities in the high hundreds to low thousands, and gaining nationwide reputations.

Take ‘Flash Harry’, a Belfast-based group who take the cues from Freddie Mercury’s opera-rockers Queen. They’re headlining Vicar Street this Spring, and it all came off the back of an independent career that they ended up twisting into a riff on the stadium-filling stars.

“Flash Harry was a gigging band when Freddie Mercury died,” they explain.

“As we all loved Queen and already included four or five queen songs in the set, we decided to have a special night just playing all Queen music. That was 1992. The night went so

The cover band is a long and well established musical tradition, be it in the form of a facsimile take on an established great, or a chance to see clever twists on songs performed to a high standard.

 JAMES HENDICOTT

well we did a few more and eventually evolved into a full “tribute” show.

“We love the diversity of the music. From early hard ‘progressive’ rock to 1920/30’s style.

“For a musician, the music of Queen is interesting, clever and challenging to do. Queen evolved over the 20 years of their recording career, but the quality of their songs was consistent.”

Pink Floyd, like Queen, have always been a great option for cover bands, offering recognisability and plenty of scope for experimentation.

‘Breathe,’ who cover the psychedelic legends, are less well-established than their counterparts, but take their version of Waters and co equally seri-

ously.

“A lot of work goes into reproducing the music of Pink Floyd, and the most important thing is for us is to be able to faithfully recreate the sound and feel of a Pink Floyd concert,” they explain.

“We spend a lot of time getting the sounds as close to the originals as possible, sometimes by using the very same instruments, effects and keyboards as the band themselves used.

“We use a lot of equipment at these shows!

There is nothing better than seeing the look of surprise on people’s faces when they hear us playing opening notes of a song they love.”

Another outfit, ‘A Foreigner’s Journey’, cover New York rockers Foreigner through the decades of their 80-million selling arena rock career, and explore the sound of San Francisco legends Journey.

“This was my vision

PICK OF THEWEEK

DUBLINERS: THE STORIES ON

Sisters

A Meath Native, Clodagh

Flash Harry play Vicar Street this Spring

after witnessing a Foreigner show in Las Vegas back in 2006, I was blown away and thought that this would be a great tribute show,” they explain.

“We finally have the right line up now, which really does feel like a family, so performing together on stage is always a pleasure and when the crowd get behind us and the

songs, it really is magical.”

Breathe perform Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon at the Dublin Academy on March 16.

Flash Harry play Vicar Street on April 13.

A Foreigner’s Journey play The Button Factory on May 5.

See the full-length article on our website at www.dublingazette.com

MARCH 8, 9 AND 10 Country to Country @ 3Arena, €57+ Country to Country; Europe’s biggest country music festival is back at 3Arena Dublin for its sixth year from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 March 2019, with yet another incredible line up from the C2C team. With his first show in Ireland for over ten years, the international superstar Keith Urban (pictured) will play C2C for the first time ever.

GOINGOUTOUT...

MARCH 7 (THURSDAY) Choice Music Prize @ Vicar Street, €28 LANY @ Olympia Theatre, €24 Peter Bjorn and John @ Whelan’s, €20 Elles Bailey @ Whelan’s (upstairs), €15 Tebi Rex @ Workman’s Club, free

Alarmist @ The Grand Social, €15 Branko @ Sugar Club, €10 Nick Harper @ Whelan’s (upstairs), €15

MARCH 10 (SUNDAY) Ariel Posen + Gareth Dunlop @ Sugar Club, €13

MARCH 8 (FRIDAY)

MARCH 11 (MONDAY)

Bircurious @ Workman’s Club, €12 AE Mak @ The Grand Social, €15 Gerry Cinnamon @ Olympia Theatre, sold out Skinny Living @ Whelan’s, €12 The Elective @ Whelan’s (upstairs), €10

Jack and Jack @ Olympia Theatre, €26

MARCH 12 (TUESDAY)

MARCH 9 (SATURDAY)

Christy Moore @ Vicar Street, sold out Brother Ali @ Sugar Club, €20 Dan Elliott @ Whelan’s (upstairs), €10

Gerry Cinnamon @ Olympia Theatre, sold out Country to Country @ 3Arena, €57+

Bastille @ Olympia Theatre, sold out Colter Wall @ Whelan’s, sold out

MARCH 13 (WEDNESDAY)

I MOVED to Dublin from Meath to study radio at Ballyfermot [Co l l e ge o f Fu r t h e r Education].

I was quite a shy person when I started my course, but obviously in radio, you have to talk to people! It really brought me out of my shell a good bit.

I’m quite an anxious person, so doing radio was a good experience - I got some knowledge of the media and how that worked, learned how to get out there and talk to people, to branch out.

I’m quite an anxious person, so getting to push myself out of my comfort zone a little bit and take on the challenge of radio was great.

L a s t ye a r, i n M ay 2018 - the day of the 8th Amendment referendum, I think it might have been

actually - I made the decision to set up EMPWR. ie.

The idea behind the website is to allow women, non-binary people and others like that to have a place to go, to read and write content that empowers them.

Obviously there’s an amount of female based sites in Ireland, but there wasn’t really anything before EMPWR that tackled things that were a bit more taboo [in mainstream media], like female masturbation, and periods I wanted to read this content, and I knew if I wanted it, others would too.

To set up the website, I needed to teach myself everything pretty much.

How to buy a domain, how to make a website look good, it was all me

Swing on over to a great night of Big Band music FANS of classic Big Band and Swing music are in for a treat in just a few weeks when Legends of Swing takes the stage at the National Concert Hall (NCH).

Led by the dulcet tones of Irish singer Connor McKeon (below), the Legends night will see a wide range of hits from the inimitable likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, Louis Armstrong and many more.

As a warm-up, Connor’ll be playing in New York, where popular club TJ Bentley’s will see the talented singer and his band play many of the hits that will delight Irish audiences.

With his passion for Big Band, Swing and classic crooner hits, Connor’s also applying his pitch-perfect skills in unusual ways, with his Manhattan trip seeing him “bringing my recording of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody to life in a totally unexpected way.

The song was arranged by Gavin Murphy with a Big Band/Swing feel, and Gavin did an incredible arrangement of this iconic song.”

That versatility is just part of the skills Connor and his crew will be bringing to the NCH. For a night to remember with the Legends of Swing on April 4, get your ticket now at www.nch.ie.

7 March 2019 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15

WHAT’S BIG IN MUSIC, CINEMA, TV AND BOOKS

ENTERTAINMENT

PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE WHO CALL THIS CITY THEIR HOME

doing it for themselves set up EMPWR.ie as a safe space for women to share art, poetry and more essentially, but I was - I am so passionate about the website.

EMPWR is what I would consider a safe space, and I attempt to keep it that way.

We allow people to publish anonymously, with their names, whichever. They can contribute regularly or once off, the choice is theirs, but we’ve gotten such a good response.

I remember one particular case with the website where a young girl, she was about 17, she submitted this beautiful poem but said she wanted to contribute anonymously, which was fine.

About a week later she contacted me to say that she was so happy with how the poem was recieved, she told her mam about it, and the two of them were so moved by the poem’s content that

Clodagh ní Maonaigh, the founder of EMPWR.ie

they both cried.

That was a highlight of having this website for me, for creating this space.

That young girl was so scared to put her work

out there, to get her name out there, but now she contributes with her real name attached, and I’m so delighted about that.

We have a segement on

our social media as well called ‘Pussy Positivity’, which explores different health issues among women and non-binary and transgender people.

One woman took over our Instagram a few months ago to anonymously share her story of having a miscarriage, and it was so warmly recieved.

We get so many [direct messages] and comments on Instagram when we run ‘Pussy Positivity’, because it isn’t very often that these topics are discussed elsewhere. People felt comfortable asking about miscarriages and their side effects and everything, or even discussing their own.

We’re slightly different from a traditional website in that we share art, poetry and things a bit more creative. As much as I can, I try to contribute myself like the other day, I did an Instagram story following me along on my first ever smear test.

I t r i e d to a n s we r questions about what exactly happens, stuff

like that, it was really interesting to do.

Going forward, I’d love to keep growing EMPWR. It’s great to be behind a website that does for women what we do.

You can talk about your experiences of abortion, miscarriage, rape, in ways that I hope are helpful!

My course in ‘Ballyer’ was helpful when I was setting up EMPWR, as it helped me learn that sometimes it’s alright to break out of your comfort zone sometimes.

We’re entering the second year of EMPWR soon, and I hope it keeps going.  What’s your story? Do you have an interesting connection to Dublin and why you call it home? Please email your story to news@ dublingazette.com.

CINEMA | NEESON FANS KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT FROM HIS LATEST, COLD PURSUIT

Liam’s an ice-cold killer – again SHANE DILLON

AT THIS stage, it’s hard not to think of Liam Neeson lazily hamming it up as something of a walking cliche, given his seemingly endless conveyor belt roles of Relentless Mad Dad characters.

And – surprise – that’s exactly what he’s doing in this week’s film, Cold Pursuit (Cert 16, 118 mins), which yet again sees the dulcet-toned star pushed too far and – well, at this stage, you can probably guess the rest.

You’d be forgiven if you hadn’t heard of Cold Pursuit: it’s the new film he was supposed to be promoting on its recent release when he cannonballed into hot water instead, making global headlines about his ill-advised comments on – well, you probably know the rest there, too.

While the world read agog about a prefame, young Neeson roaming the streets in a racially-charged mood of vigilantism, nobody paid much attention to the fact that he had a new film out.

That’s a shame, because with the

conversation becoming all about young Neeson, the film itself became lost in the blizzard of headlines about him.

And blizzards and snow are at the heart of the Colorado-set film, where Neeson’s character is anything but flakey.

He plays everyman character Nelson Coxman (a surname that’s something of a running joke): a snowplow operator extraordinaire, loving husband and dad, proud new recipient of his town’s Citizen of the Year award – and an ice-cold killer when his son is imaginatively murdered by a local drug cartel.

While his wife (a criminally underused Laura Dean) pretty much falls to pieces after the murder, our revenge-driven Mr Plow decides it’s time to clear the streets ... of drug dealers, as the local cops do their best to keep up with events.

Nelson’s shifty brother with a crooked past gives him the Intel he needs on the gang that killed his son, setting him up to set off on a violence-fuelled process of elimination (literally) as he churns through the chain.

Liam aims to please in his new film, Cold Pursuit – but does it hit the mark?

Complicating matters, another cartel – this time run by Native Americans – gets drawn into the increasingly violent mess, with Nelson doing his damnedest to play both sides against each other.

The film isn’t exactly carving out a new path for Neeson, but it’s handsomely shot with some beautiful Canadian scenery standing in for a deep-chilled Colorado.

It’s also laced through with black

humour and sprinkled with some style.

It’s not quite in, say, Coen Brothers or Tarantino territory, but has enough directorial touches to give it a fresh identity.

You might even say it’s a cool new Liam Neeson film (pun intended), but despite its admitted strengths, it’s resolutely just another Mad Dad character for him.

Time to plow ahead with some new roles, Liam ...

Verdict: 6/10

Tensions on the rise as families feel stressed out YOU love Fair City, and we love Fair City – so look out for our great new preview column every week giving you the low-down on what’s happening over in Carrigstown ‘somewhere on the north side’ ...

STESS mounts for Jackie and she puts her foot down over Ellie’s behaviour, which causes a rift with Renee. Renee accuses Jackie of being unstable as they spiral into a row over Jackie’s treatment of Ellie.

Bob is suspicious and begins to question if Ellie is using the situation to her advantage and Pete gets to the nitty-gritty about why Elle lied about Jackie.

Pete discovers his bond with Jackie may be stronger than he thought.

Lee steps in to helps Anto after his scheme to boost the family deposit fund doesn’t go so well. Will Lee’s plan save the day?

Mondo is put out when Melanie prioritises working for Paul over Comet, and things heat up as Melanie feels Mondo is interfering.

Melanie is floored by a surprise declaration made by Paul.

Dolores is on a mission to keep Orla and Wayne’s relationship intact, for Junior’s sake, and warns Orla not to let Tommy get too close.

Watch Fair City on RTE One on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Jackie overreacts when she catches Ellie misbehaving

16 DUBLIN GAZETTE 7 March 2019

DUBLIN GAZETTE NEWSPAPERS I N F O R M AT I O N Heritage House, Dundrum, Dublin 14 Tel: 01 - 6010240 Dublin Gazette Newspapers publishes four weekly quality free titles, covering the latest news, sport, entertainment and lifestyle from the four local authority areas of Dublin

C O N TA C T S Managing Director: Michael McGovern mmcgovern@dublingazette.com Group Editor: Patrick Finnegan pfinnegan@dublingazette.com Deputy Group Editor: Shane Dillon sdillon@dublingazette.com Sports Editor: Stephen Findlater sfindlater@dublingazette.com Production Editor: Jessica Maile jmaile@dublingazette.com Picture Editor: Aisling Conway aconway@dublingazette.com Travel Editor: Sylvia Pownall spownall@dublingazette.com Advertising Sales:

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SOME OF THE RANDOM AND

‘Fake President Uhuru’ cons businessman out of €87,000 A KENYAN court last week charged seven men for impersonating President Uhuru Kenyatta and swindling a wellknown Kenyan businessman out of 10 million shillings (€87,000.)

The suspects called tyre firm boss Naushad Merali and his finance director Akif Butt pretending to be the president and asking to sell them land.

The seven pleaded not guilty at a Nairobi court and were released on bail before their case resumes on March 12.

One of the suspected fraudsters impersonated the President’s voice, while the others arrived in fancy vehicles and suits to collect the money, police said.

Merali gave the go-ahead to the finance director to process payment believing he was talking to the head of state.

A Kenyan newspaper, The Star, said the gang are so well organised “they have perfected the art of mimicking the President’s voice to near perfection.”

Investigators say the conmen operate as government officials.

President Kenyatta’s government has been repeatedly criticised over corruption scandals in the health sectors,

sales@dublingazette.com

Spring int

DUBLIN Gazette Newspapers has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for lost and abandoned dogs. Milo is a cheerful one year old male Collie cross who enjoys fun and company. He is an active dog who loves outdoor activities such as hiking, running and chasing a ball in the park. Milo can be a little shy initially, but after a few minutes he is reassured and will want to play - his favourite game is fetch!

Milo missed out on crucial socialisation when he was a puppy and is sometimes unsure of other dogs, but he is a very smart boy, who loves training and food, so helping him to relax around dogs should not take long at all! After a lovely walk he loves nothing more than a relaxing belly rub and gentle cuddles.

If you have room in your heart and home for Milo 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 www.facebook.com/dogstrustirelandonline or Twitter @DogsTrust_IE. (Remember: Always have your dog on a lead when in public.)

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www.dublingazette.com Dublin Gazette Newspapers Ltd. Terms and Conditions for acceptance of advertisements Reserve the right to omit or suspend or alter any advertisement(s) in any of its publications. We also decline any responsibility in the event of one or more of a series of advertisements being omitted for any reason whatever, nor do we accept liability for any loss or damage caused by an error or inaccuracy in the printing of any advertisement. If your advertisement appears incorrectly, contact the Advertising Department immediately, as responsibility cannot be accepted for more than one week’s incorrect insertion. Responsibility cannot be accepted if the complaint is made more than two weeks after insertion. If one places an advertisement for more than one week and then cancels it after the first week, no refund or credit will be given for weeks cancelled. The advertiser undertakes to indemnify the Proprietors against any liability for any civil action arising out of the publication of the advertisement or any other matter printed or published in the City Gazette, Fingal Gazette, South Gazette and West Gazette. The placing of an order or contract will be deemed an acceptance of these conditions.

national youth service and construction contracts.

Dozens of senior officials and business people were charged in May with various crimes relating to the theft of $100 million from the National Youth Service (NYS), a state agency.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations said last week it was also investigating the “fraudulent construction of two dams valued at 63 billion shillings.”

Some payments were already made out despite the dams not being built!

Milo

DOG OF THE WEEK

7 March 2019 DUBLIN GAZETTE 17

D QUIRKY THINGS THAT CAUGHT OUR EYE THIS WEEK...

BITS & BOBS TOP TWEETS

THRIVE Festival is a brand-new bespoke health, fitness and wellness event taking place in The Convention Centre, from March 30 to 31. Discover new fitness classes to try, hear some of the country’s top wellness advocates give you their best advice and be inspired to get into the kitchen. Wellness talks, Fitness classes and food demonstrations will be aplenty with Signature Speakers Gemma Atkinson and Dr Hazel Wallace, The Food Medic leading the line-up. Picture: Jason Clarke

to a new you and Thrive!

North Carolina girl’s message in a bottle washes up in Ireland A YOUNG American girl’s message in a bottle that travelled 3,500 miles has been found by a grandmother walking on an Irish beach.

In October 2017 nine- year old Laura Terry and her science class at Summit School in Winston-Salem in North Carolina sealed messages inside wine bottles to be released into the ocean for a lesson about ocean currents.

On January 14th this year Irish woman Bridie Patten was walking on Doohoma Beach

in Mayo when she came across Laura’s bottle.

Patten sent a letter to Summit School saying she had found the bottle, which contained a drawing by Laura and a note explaining the project.

“I kind of thought it would sink.

“I didn’t know if it was going to be gone or if someone would find it,” Laura told her local paper The Winston-Salem Journal.

“I was so happy, like is this really true?”

Teacher Susan Schambach said she was surprised the bottle showed up earlier than expected, and in Ireland.

Laura’s bottle is the fifth to be found out of 70 bottles dropped into the Gulf Stream, the ocean current that runs along the North Carolina coast before crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

Another bottle has been found in northern Portugal, while three others have been found along the coast of France.

The bottles generally take 14 to 26 months to cross the ocean, Schambach said.

Once the bottles are found, the class sends the finder of the bottle a box of goodies, including Summit T-shirts.

My ma would get a H1 in the English comparative in the Leaving Cert because all she ever does is compare me to everyone else @KennyTiegan

So weird when someone you went to school with has had 3 babies and you’re sleeping in the porch after a night out because you forgot your key @AshGriffo

I hope when humanity is finally wiped out and aliens uncover only one piece of evidence that we ever existed, that it’s boom boom pow by the Black Eyed Peas. @sianvconway

How do I get subtitles….but in real life ? cause I literally cannot hear what anyone is ever saying to me. @peytonryann

Just been informed by the Nigerian chap in my course that Westlife were one of the biggest bands in Nigeria during his childhood and that “If you couldn’t sing a Westlife song you’d never get a girlfriend” and I’m so pleased to find out Nigeria is just Africa’s Sligo @creamygoodness

18 DUBLIN GAZETTE 7 March 2019

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GLOSSIER PLAY | CULT BRAND GO WILD WITH NEW ‘PLAYFUL’ MAKE-UP RANGE ONE OF THE WORLD’S most exciting brands have launched their newest line this week.

Glossier, a cult favourite for their cheap,

There are four products in the line so far - the Niteshine highlighter, Glitter Gelée glitter paste, the Colorslide ‘technogel’ eye

good quality and universal products,

pencils and the Vinylic Lip, a high shine lip

launched Glossier Play on Monday, billing it

lacquer. There’s also two tools - the detailer,

as a series of ‘dialled up beauty extras’.

a silicone precision multitool and the ‘blade’,

The new line is incredibly exciting to both the average make-up wearer and all out

a “German” engineered sharpener.

Products range from €14 for the Glitter

beauty fiend, with a series of usually mun-

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on offer in The Playground - all bundled

case with Glossier.

together for €59.

7 March 2019 DUBLIN GAZETTE 19

FRESH IDEAS FOR YOUR HOME AND WARDROBE

HOME & STYLE

Fashionable frames are all about personal style  RACHEL DARCY THOSE OVER 40 might find it difficult to try and adapt what may seem like younger trends to their wardrobe or personal style, but what if we told you that trends don’t really matter at all?

We caught up with renowned fashion stylist, Cathy O’Connor, who told us that it isn’t trends that matter, but your own unique personal style.

“I’m not really about trends, I’m about style.

Style is what makes you comfortable, what you feel good wearing. Really good style, to me, is where you can wear something and forget about it. Even if it’s a bold blouse, those chunky trainers that are in at the minute, as long as you’re comfortable, that’s what’s in style,” Cathy said.

“A lot of people think once you get older you need to sacrifice fashion for comfort, and that’s not the case. You can wear whatever you want, as long as it works for you, your body shape, your lifestyle. Trends come and go, but your personal style always lives on.

“It’s easy to pick out parts of trends that we like and to work them into our wardrobe with colours we

like or that compliment us, but it isn’t essential to fully dive into a trend if it doesn’t work for you.”

C a t hy wa s s p e a king to us as she partners with Vision Express to launch their Over 40s Eye Health campaign, a drive to encourage regular bi-annual check ups on

STYLE SOS WITH

Martha

Who needs labels – great style is ageless!

“

It’s important when picking glasses to get a pair that work with the prescription you need and your own style your eye health.

With glasses becoming ever more stylish, we had to ask the fashionista about picking glasses that complement your face and style.

“Tom Ford has some of the nicest glasses, he’s a favourite of mine for eye wear, but styles that I liked weren’t necessarily suited to my face. When I went to pick out my glasses, the team at Vision Express couldn’t have

Beauty Review

 MARTHA GILHEANEY

Irish fashion stylist, Cathy O’Connor, has partnered with Vision Express to launch the Over 40s Eye Health Campaign

been more helpful – I went in with my heart set on these beautiful Tom Ford frames, but a lovely and honest gentleman in the store told me I might be better suited to something else, and he was right.

“It’s important when picking glasses to get a pair that work with the

p r e scription you need, and your own style.

Tortoiseshell is effortlessly glam, but those clear glasses are also in at the minute as well, they have a really modern look.

“A great tip for when you’re picking out glasses is to get frames that just graze the tip of your cheek – nothing too big, as cool

as they might look!”

Irish fashion stylist, Cathy O’Connor, has partnered with Vision Express to launch the Over 40s Eye Health Campaign and to highlight the importance of having regular eye tests. For more information or to make an eye test appointment, visit www. visionexpress.ie.

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DO YOU REMEMBER Bridget Jones’s method of introducing people with thoughtful details? Well, a favourite fashion inspiration of mine is a poodle-owning, 70-year-old, former model called Linda Rodin. Now park that thought a minute.

I have this comedian friend. When we meet we talk digital marketing, social media platforms, creative content and the likes. It’s refreshing because she never questions why I want an outfit picture. Likewise, I never urge her to ‘say something funny’.

In this wonderful friendship we support each other in our complementary, creative pursuits of comedy and fashion.

The other day, this friend, lets call her Emma, because that’s her name, told me that in order to build a name for yourself you need to identify your personal labels. Ones that Bridget Jones or Ryan Tubridy would use to introduce you.

She explained that hers were ‘Female comedian,’ ’Mother of three’ and ‘Ginger.’ “They’re not necessarily the tags you particularly identify with, but ones the public remember,” she informed me before proceeding to tell me that mine were ‘Leitrim lass,’ “Rose of Tralee contestant’ and ‘Irish dancer.’ “Aggghh,” I groaned. “Why so twee? I’m a borderfree fan who has lived in Dublin more than a decade, I was on the Rose of Tralee years ago and ok, I LOVE Irish dancing, but not the flashy costume, wig-cladded kind!”

“You can’t choose them,” she shrugged.

Later it got me thinking, given the choice, what labels would I choose? I am a personal stylist, a fashion blogger, an English language teacher, a volunteer, a cute cat owner and a city-centre dweller. Still, when you turn the page, I wonder which ones you’ll remember… Was my funny friend right?

I pondered this some more when I caught myself telling someone about the poodle-owning, 70-year-old, former model I admire. I wondered if there was ever an introduction for her that didn’t reference her age. I’m guilty of it myself, having just referenced her age. It shouldn’t be so surprising that a 70-year-old is trendy. I wish it weren’t, but I guess until we have more people like Rodin in her vintage denim, bright faux fur and funky footwear or the zany but brilliant Iris Apfel who delights us all with flamboyant prints and extra accessories, it will be. We need more women like these who are breaking boundaries and lessening age labels by showing us all that maintaining a cool sense of style needn’t go out of style as you age.

By the way, what words would introduce you?

20 DUBLIN GAZETTE 7 March 2019

TRAVEL

Turn to GoHop to find a perfect family holiday on your next break AS THE final term of the school year approaches many families now turn their attention to booking their annual break in the sun.

Price is often a key consideration for many families, followed by short-haul flights and of course those allimportant children’s facilities that mean mum and dad can also enjoy that well-earned break in the sun.

All-inclusive family packages continue to prove popular as they can make overseas spend a lot easier to manage and eliminate many of those expensive little extras in resort that can prove a drain on hard-earned family holiday budgets.

Parents are often frustrated with attractive leadin prices advertising dates when children are still attending school.

With that in mind, award-winning Irish holiday firm GoHop.ie have set up specific site-landing pages that focus purely on dates when most children are on their school holidays from June to August.

2019 family friendly destinations that continue to prove popular include, The Algarve, Majorca, The Costa del Sol and Salou. All are serviced with a good range of short-haul flights from Dublin, Shannon, Cork and Knock and offer an excellent selection of welllocated properties for families to choose from.

GoHop have a great range of deals for families, based on two adults and two children travelling, and include return flights from Dublin, taxes and seven nights’ accommodation (baggage and transfers extra).

You can find out more at: https://www.gohop.ie/ g202/family-summer-holidays and https://www. gohop.ie/g204/all-inclusive-family-holidays.

GOHOP.IE is now considered one of the most popular holiday websites in Ireland.

Irish owned and managed, the brand continues to broaden its appeal to holiday consumers’ offering great value holidays to suit every budget at some of the best prices on the market with flights from Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Knock airports.

The company boasts over 45,000 followers on Facebook and enjoys a Feefo rating of 4.8.

Consumers can sign up to the GoHop weekly newsletter to ensure they are kept up to date with unbeatable worldwide holiday deals and exciting product updates.

For further information, see GoHop.ie, or call 01 241 2389; on Facebook see GoHop.ie; on Twitter follow @GoHop_ie; or on Instagram follow #GoHop.ie.

Even by Portugal’s high standards, the Palacio da Pena – one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal - is an unforgettable sight to take the breath away

Bob the Boulder may have helped to develop the Moorish village of Monsanto, built around – and even into – local rocks

The ancient Capela dos Ossos is a particularly powerful ossuary

Put pretty Portugal top of the travel list SYLVIA POWNALL

Travel Editor PORTUGAL has been vo te d b e s t s u m m e r destination at the 2019 Irish Travel Industry Awards.

S u s a n a C a rd o s o, director of the Portuguese National Tourist Office in Ireland, said it came as no surprise, adding: “Portugal is a beautiful country with historic cities, world-renowned cuisine, natural landscapes and some of the world’s most spectacular beaches.”

And while she might be a tad biased, she’s not wrong. As a summer sun

Visit The Azores for stunning scenery above the waves – and some of the planet’s most incredible life below them

option Portugal has it all – it’s the longest-lived of Europe’s modern empires with a complex history to match its breath-taking terrain.

From whale watching

to a visit to a chapel made of human skeletons, here are just a few of our favourite things to see and do ...

The Algarve is famous for its stunning beaches

(there are 150 to choose from) not to mention its spectacular waves.

Surfers keen to avoid gaggles of tourists should steer clear of the south coast and head west

instead.

Praia do Amado on the Costa Vicentina is Portugal’s best-known surfing beach, with good reason.

W h i l e h u ge Atlantic waves attract international competitors, it is also family-friendly and has its own surf school.

The opulent castles and palaces of Sintra are located on the central we s te r n Po r t u g u e s e c o a s t, n o t fa r f ro m Lisbon.

The most notable is the Palacio da Pena, a s u m p t u o u s r oy a l summer retreat built in the Nineteenth Century

7 March 2019 DUBLIN GAZETTE 21

While for many Irish people, Portugal’s golf courses are a big attraction, her stunning beaches will delight

Another angle on the incredible Azores

for Ferdinand II. It is one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal boasting an eclectic and heady mix of Gothic, Moorish and Renaissance architecture.

Not only that, but it is just one of several well-preserved castles and palaces dotting the Sintra region which has, unsurprisingly, been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status.

Visiting the Beira Baixa region in Eastern Portugal is like going back i n t i m e. T h e Moorish village of Monsanto is perched 2,486ft above sea level and built from granite boulders.

It looks like something straight out of Lord of the Rings, with boulders used as floors, walls, and even roofs in houses dating back 500 years. Keep an eye out for the Casa de Uma So Telha – the house with only one tile, which

“

is essentially a massive lump of granite.

If you fancy a spot of whale watching then the Azores is where it’s at. This Atlantic Ocean outcrop has one of the best marine habitats in the world, with one quarter of the world’s known species identified off its coasts.

Boat trippers in any

then they pretty much become a must-see. They can be found in the old walled citadel of Evora in the wine region of Alentego which is one of Portugal’s best-preserved medieval towns.

From the Praca do Giraldo to the Se de Evora Cathedral the city is awash with history. The Capella dos Ossos (chapel of bones) is estimated to have the human skulls and other bones of around 5,000 bodies cemented into its walls.

If you’re a city slicker then why not stroll around the atmospheric capital of Lisbon, which is just a short train hop away from the hippy dippy seaside resort of Estoril?

Alternatively there’s Porto, the city which gave its name to the country and to its most famous export, port.

For further information, see www. visitportugal.com.

The Algarve is famous for its stunning beaches (there are 150 to choose from) season can expect to spot pilot and sperm whales as well as a variety of species of dolphin. Blue, humpback, orcas and fin whales are also in evidence from April to June.

Human skeletons are not your average tourist attraction but when they’re cemented into the walls of an old chapel,

A Country music treat in a spa deal MUSIC fans are in for a real treat this month as the very first Big Country Weekend takes place at The Hillgrove Hotel and Spa Monaghan, from Friday, March 22 to Sunday, March 24.

The three-day event sees legends of the genre take to the stage including Irish favourite Michael English and Barry (above) and Dominic Kirwan.

If you want to kick up your heels in style, the four-star Hillgrove Hotel & Spa is offering a special two-night Big Country weekend package.

Arrive on Friday evening and check-

in for a two-night stay in a double or twin room with full Irish breakfast each morning, a four-course evening meal on Saturday evening, and entry to all three days of live country music.

Guests will also enjoy complimentary access to the leisure centre’s 20-metre heated pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room – the ideal rest and relaxation needed for those weary dancing feet after a wonderful night of music!

Book the Big Country Weekend package from only €230 per person online at www.hillgrovehotel.com or call 047 81288.

the UK or Prague.

For further details, see www.jurysinn. com/48hoursale.

Quick – a Jurys Head to Vegas in flash sale is on a great €500 deal IF YOU fancy a spring break that spells value for money, then Jurys Inn has a 48-hour flash sale with a 30% discount on stays between March 31 and December 30.

It started on Wednesday, March 6 but if you book by March 8 you can get money off at any of its hotels in Ireland,

Porto’s colourful architecture will leave you breathless

The Alentego region is home to many stunning towns

CASSIDY Travel is offering a four-night trip to Las Vegas departing from Shannon Airport from €499 per person sharing.

The deal includes flights and accommodation at the four-star MGM Grand, travelling on September 7.

For further information, see www. cassidytravel.ie.

22 DUBLIN GAZETTE 7 March 2019

FOOD&DRINK

MORSELS OF NEWS IN THE CAPITAL

REVIEW: DINING OUT AT ELEPHANT & CASTLE, MONKSTOWN

Chicken wings worth getting in a flap over REBECCA RYAN

IF YOU haven’t tried the wings in Elephant & Castle, you haven’t lived yet!

The franchise has just opened up a brand-new restaurant in Monkstown and the place was absolutely buzzing during opening week last week, with queues out the door and their legendary crispy wings literally flying out of the kitchen to the salivating diners.

Elephant & Castle has really been expanding lately. They first opened their doors in January 1989 in Temple Bar, with their second location opening in Rathmines just before Christmas and now in Monkstown Village, too.

The new 90-seater restaurant has a very friendly, laid-back service style.

It fe a t u re s c o m f y booths and is decked out with wooden ‘decking’ on the walls, giving a warm feel with quirky black and white images throughout adding to the relaxed vibe.

There was a mixture of young and old customers, of friends and couples as well as families, and the low-beat music in the background was at a perfect level for chatting and keeping the atmosphere alive.

When you walk in you can see the gra for their infamous Spicy Chicken Wings with almost every table tucking into a basket.

Well, you know you’re onto a good thing when you overhear one of the customers saying to his mate: “Those wings are serious, man, what!? I’m sweatin’!”

However, there is plenty more on the menu to choose from, such as fluffy omelettes, buttermilk pancakes, caesar salads, saucy ribs and juicy burgers.

The staff were very friendly and hardworking, keeping up with the fast turnover of people while having fun amongst themselves, which was nice to see and added to the busy but relaxed atmosphere.

With any new restaurant opening you would expect normal

‘Rural’ retreat is

A winning formula JUST off Stephen’s Green, Hartigan’s may take the award for the least amount of change made to a pub. The place does not appear to have changed anything, stoutly resisting every urge to update or refurbish in any way.

From the front bar, you can twist and turn all the way through to a basic but relatively spacious beer garden. Due to this approach, Hartigan’s really feels like you could be anywhere in Ireland, except for Dublin. The pint was a smooth one, aided by good consistency and volume.

It was, however, on the cold side, which meant it was hard to determine clearly whether the taste was where it should be. @guinnessadvisor

Hartigan’s, 100 Lesson Street Lower, Dublin 2

World foods add a dash of flavour to Paddy’s Day THE St Patrick’s Day Festival 2019 is just around the corner, with Merrion Square set to be transformed into a bustling Festival Village from March 16 to 18, including a World Food Market.

Revellers can enjoy a super-charged festival kick-start with specialty Irish coffee company Cloud Picker, or grab a slice of delicious organic Dough Kitchen Pizza.

Shaka Poke (inset) will bring a pinch of Hawaii to the festival, and over at Taco Truck, Texas will meet Mexico in a selection of meat and veggie tacos.

Ireland’s multi-award-winning ice cream company, Arctic Stone, will bring their hand-rolled treats to the village, and Tesco will also be on hand to serve up Irish meats and fresh ingredients.

For the full list of events, see www.stpatricksfestival.ie.

Man arrested for unusual dip with an order of salsa

Regular Elephant & Castle patrons will already know of their legendary chicken wings – and the new eaterie in Monkstown keeps up the great, delicious standard

teething problems to arise; however, Elephant & Castle Monkstown was working like clockwork.

Manager Ronan Gleeson told Dublin Gazette he is delighted with the successful opening and feedback.

He said: “Delighted that

WEEBites

we have opened straight away with the same buzzing atmosphere we have become renowned for.”

Ronan is inviting locals to come and try their menu, as well as their wings.

“I always recommend that customers try some-

thing different each visit off our extensive menu apart from our famous wings and burgers. Oh, and everyone should have a [new house cocktail] Pink Elly.”

Tip – try the wings and go hungry, the portions are a good size.

A MAN in Tennessee has been jailed on felony charges after appearing to dip his testicles into a container of salsa that a customer ordered online.

Howard Matthew Webb (31) was allegedly annoyed about a customer’s stingy tip, so filmed the act and posted the video online, saying: “This is what you get when you give an 89 cents tip for an almost 30-minute drive.”

US police said Webb was a passenger in the vehicle when the order was delivered, and the driver filmed the video (above).

The clip went viral, and meal-ordering service Dinner Delivered soon notified authorities. Webb was arrested and charged with adulteration of food.

CRAFTBEERCORNER Grey Area - Lemon Thyme Saison Rascals Brewing Company, Inchicore  PALE MAILE, Beer Aficionado FOR THOSE OF YOU that are new to craft beer this style will take you out of your comfort zone. A Saison is a pale ale but spicy and can be fruity, as well.

This offering from Rascals is very light and the lemon and thyme may not appeal to all pallets but makes for a refreshing beer.

The spicy hints balance out the tart of the lemon and it comes in with a 5% ABU and is light and fruity in body. Best advice is pop down to the Rascals HQ in Inchichore and buy the drink on draft.

7 March 2019 DUBLIN GAZETTE 23

PUZZLES

CHALLENGE YOUR BRAIN...JUST FOR FUN!

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All you have to do is decide which letter is represented by which number!

To start you off, we reveal the codes for two or three letters.

As you find letters, enter them in the key and into the grid.

Cross off the letters in the A to Z list.

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7 March 2019 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 27

NUTRITION P31

THE BEST IN DUBLIN

SPORT

LATE LATE SHOW: SOCCER: FINGLAS native James Talbot is looking to use some tough lessons from spells at Sunderland and Darlington to make a big impact at Bohemians At the tender age of 21, the goalkeeper says that while “really anxious” about the challenge ahead, he is “really excited at the same time” to get stuck in at Dalymount and get back to enjoying his football.



GAZETTE

ATHLETICS P29

PAGE 28

LET DUBLIN GAZETTE NEWSPAPERS INFORM YOU OF THE HIGHLIGHTS AND SCORES OF YOUR FAVOURITE TEAMS LEAGUE OF IRELAND | STUDENTS FINALLY GET REWARD FOR EFFORTS

UCD off mark with Pat’s tie  DAVE DONNELLY

sport@dublingazette.com

COLLIE O’Neill hopes his UCD side’s first point of the season can be something to build on after the Students held St Patrick’s Athletic to a 1-1 draw in Belfield on Friday night.

Conor Davis’ goal midway through the second half secured a point for the newly-promoted side after Mikey Drennan had fired Pats into a half-time lead.

UCD were impressive in their meeting with the champions Dundalk at Oriel Park last Monday but came away with a third successive defeat despite leading at the break.

And O’Neill confessed he had grown weary of ‘moral victories’ as strong performances were undone by the opposition’s greater cutting edge in front of goal.

It was centre-half Liam Scales who displayed that cutting edge for the Students on Friday with a moment of individual magic to run half the length of the pitch to lay it on a plate for Davis.

The defender was the subject of interest for Dundalk, who signed top

scorer Georgie Kelly from UCD last summer, in the off-season but the Wicklow man opted to remain and complete his studies.

“Scales was just brilliant for it,” O’Neill told the Dublin Gazette.

“It was nearly one of those where you’re thinking, ‘what the bloody hell are you doing up there?’

“I was nearly having a heart attack seeing a centre-half on the edge of their box. In fairness to him, it was a great bit of skill and a great little poacher’s goal by Conor. “[Liam is] vital. He’s a top-class player and he will go and win league titles with other clubs. But at this moment in time we’re fortunate to have him.”

O’Neill was disappointed with his side’s dip in form in the first half after a promising start that very nearly yielded the opening goal for Davis.

The former Reading striker found himself free in the box and volleyed Dan Tobin’s cross first-time on goal, but Brendan Clarke got down brilliantly to turn his effort away from goal.

The Saints asserted themselves thereafter and took the lead just before the half-hour in similar circumstances

UCD’s Jason McClelland on the attack against St Patrick’s Athletic’s Kevin Toner. Picture: UCD AFC

as Drennan volleyed Rhys McCabe’s cross spectacularly into the top corner.

Gary O’Neill went close for the Students with a pair of long-range strikes but they started the second half slowly and were fortunate to see McCabe overrun the ball when sent in on goal.

They worked their way back into the game and deserved their equalis-

er, but Pats continued to threaten and went close through McCabe again and Drennan late on. ““It’s nice to have some rewards for their effort that they did tonight.

“I was getting a little bit tired of kind of having moral victories where the performances were good but we didn’t have anything to show for it.”

SPORT CONTACT INFO SPORTS EDITOR: Stephen Findlater sfindlater@dublingazette.com

For more information or to send in news and photos: sport@dublingazette.com Phone: 01 601 0240

28 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 7 March 2019

CLUB NOTES

ROUND

2 1

LUCAN SARSFIELDS BALLYMUN KICKHAMS CONGRATULATIONS WELL done to the Junior to our A la men’s senior, intermediate and junior B teams on their successful results in league football this weekend, and hard luck to our junior A team. Awful conditions for football, so we’ll draw no conclusions from any of the results.

Huge thank you to everybody who supported our under 15 girls fundraiser last Thursday in the Autobahn and congratulations to all our winners and all who organised the event. It was a great success.

Thank you to the members of team 15 who returned their prize winnings to the fund. Thank you. Congratulations also to the team who were busy bees on the night and then went and won their first league game of the season on Saturday over NaFianna in awful conditions. There were great performances from Ciara Greene, Sarah Roche and Niamh Cody.

Our adult ladies team were guests in The Hague for an international invitational tournament this weekend gone, and as usual represented the club with great honour. Huge thanks to Den Haag for hosting a great day. No recovery time though, as they all returned to training on Monday morning.

Congratulations also to our under 13 girls who defeated Erins Isle by 5 in their opening game of the season and on their first official league fixture! There were some outstanding displays of skill and strong team ethic throughout. The BK ladies section continues to prosper!

Again, in our thriving ladies section, a huge thank you to Robert in Nan’s SuperValu in Ballymun who provided our girls under 9 team with footballs for the coming season and some very valuable lessons on soloing!

Reminder, the nurseries returned last Saturday after the mid term break. Please spread the word!

More details here: http://www.ballymunkickhams.com/category/nursery-and-juvenile-news.

We would like to remind all members, that under no circumstances are dogs allowed on our pitches and surrounds, and that smoking is not allowed on our pitches and surrounds.

This is an executive order, and will be strictly enforced.

Congratulations to the 3 Dublin senior teams who were victorious over the weekend, again, our mens seniors were helped by a Mun man with a terrific display by Dean Rock who was top scorer.

Well done all.

CRUMLIN PLANNING permission for a new hurling wall is now up in Pearse Park.

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY – our annual golf outing will take place this year on Friday 31st May in Powerscourt Golf Club.

This is always a great day / evening and is also a great fundraiser for the club.

If you would like to support this event or would like more information on this day please contact either of the following: Paddy Kavanagh 087

2223503 and Will Smyth 087 6203471.

Our U-14 Hurlers won their first match of the season against Naomh Olaf and our adult footballers drew with Cuala GAA. Also, our U-11 girls had their first football match of the season. Well done to all teams.

Winners of the monthly draw for February were 1st Niall Thornton, 2nd Reg Lalor, 3rd John D Murphy, 4th Liz Hennebry and 5th Leona Devlin.

SOCCER: FINGLAS MAN RECORDS BACK-TO-BACK CLEAN SHEETS

Talented Talbot’s dream start at Bohs LOI PREMIER DIVISION  GAVIN DALTON

sport@dublingazette.com

FINGLAS native James Talbot is looking to use some tough lessons from spells at Sunderland and Darlington to make a big impact at Bohemians At the tender age of 21, the goalkeeper says that while “really anxious” about the challenge ahead, he is “really excited at the same time” to get stuck in at Dalymount and get back to enjoying his football.

And he has started in super style with back-toback clean sheets in wins over UCD and Finn Harps.

“It’s very different [from England],” he said.

“I’m definitely enjoying it more. I had a bit of a bad time over there, this time last year I was in a dark place.

“I came home just at the start of May so it was different being back initially. Obviously, I sat around for the first few months when I was home, I didn’t have a job, it was the summer and I was out with my mates.

“It was tough but over there was even tougher.

I had so much time during the day, I didn’t know what to be doing. However, I’m working now and I’m trying to adapt to work and football and just trying to keep on top of everything.

“I’m definitely enjoying it more than when I was away in terms of where I’m at with my head.”

With experience of playing on both sides of the Irish Sea, the former Irish underage keeper says there isn’t a major difference in the standard of football between Sunderland and Bohemians.

“There isn’t a whole pile of difference in the quality. There’s a heap of young lads over here who’d be well able to go to England and play 23s football and there’s lads here who are in fact better than lads that are over there.

“It’s just the word about the League of Ireland where people say ‘oh its crap’ and it’s long ball stuff, but at the end of the day its competitive football.”

“If you go over to League 1 or League 2, you’ll find the same as what you will here with the LOI. There’s probably

more money over there but that’s about it, there’s no real difference in terms of quality.

“LOI teams, the likes of Cork and Dundalk, they’d go over and play some English teams off the park if they wanted to”, said the Dublin native.

With the retirement of the experienced Bohs’ keeper Shane Supple this year, Talbot is aware of the huge boots he has to fill and added how he was unaware Supple was due to retire at the time Keith

Long called him to sign up with Bohs.

“I would’ve loved to have been able to work with him. Although I’m gutted for him, it’s a bigger opportunity for me to play so I’ve huge gloves to fill because he was easily the best keeper in Ireland when he was playing in the league.”

Some might see Bohs’ as a stepping stone for Talbot getting back to England to play football, he insists this isn’t the case. “I don’t see it like

that at all, I’m happy where I’m at. Like I’d a couple of contracts offers in England, nothing big, but contracts to stay over there, to make a living, but I wouldn’t want it.

“Maybe when I’m like older like 25/26 it might be different, but definitely not now.

“I really want to do well for Bohs and stay there and sign on again next year having had a good year, but I don’t look at it like that at all”, said the current Bohs number 1.”

Macken fires Pem to victory

Emily Beatty and Orla Macken celebrate a goal. Picture: Adrian Boehm

ORLA Macken’s straight strike from the first penalty corner of the tie proved the only difference as Pembroke rose a couple of places in the women’s EY Hockey League as they beat Cork Harlequins 1-0.

That came in the ninth minute when Pembroke were in the ascendancy, forcing some good stops from Becky Maye. Quins settled into the game after that, winning a couple of corners that were deflected away by the corner defence.

Rebecca Barry and Emily O’Leary also went close in the third quarter and they won a final

minute penalty corner but the chance was lost at the top to see Pembroke retain the points and make a big leap up.

The Dublin 4 side then got something of a reprieve on Sunday in the second tie of a planned double-header.

They trailed 3-0 against local rivals Railway Union before the game was abandoned early in the second half as the snow on the pitch proved for treacherous conditions at Park Avenue.

Pembroke ended the weekend in fifth place, two points above Railway.

7 March 2019 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 29

SINCE IRISH RETURN

ATHLETICS: DONORE MAN REFLECTS ON TOUGH WEEKEND

Travers’ Euro frustration EUROPEAN INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS  RONAN GAINE

sport@dublingazette.com Bohemians new goalkeeper James Talbot

IRISH CALL-UP

Royal Dublin’s Kennedy in Quadrangular team ROYAL Dublin’s Max Kennedy has been called into the Irish boys gold team for their upcoming quadrangular tournament in Chantilly where they will take on hosts France, Spain and Italy from March 15-17 He is among six players travelling to Chantilly for the Quadrangular Tournament featuring hosts France, Spain and Italy. Separately, an eight-member team play Wales in Rosslare.

Each event counts on the Bridgestone Boys International Order of Merit with valuable points up for grabs at both venues.

Picture: GUI/Castman Photography

JOHN Travers says he will “eventually get it right” following his 29th place finish in the men’s 3,000m at the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow last weekend.

The Donore Harriers man was one of a large number of Dubliners in action in Scotland alongside Zak Curran and Siofra Cleirigh Buttner representing the Dundrum South Dublin Athletics club, and Championship debutant Joseph Ojewumi representing Tallaght AC. With only two athletes making it through the qualifying events, it was a humbling experience for a number of the Irish that made the trip across the water.

For Travers, he was feeling upbeat following his 29th place finish.

“I’ve done the 3,000 metres twice and bombed out of the heats, I’ve done the 1,500 metres twice and got to the finals. I don’t know if that’s a sign or not”, Travers said.

“Look, I’ll eventually get it right one of these days and it will be great, but it’s just a matter of waiting for that to come”.

Another Dubliner making an early exit was Joseph Ojewumi; he failed to qualify in the men’s 60 metre qualifying heat. He was the first Irish to line up for this race in ten years after clocking a time of 6.97 seconds, admitting that the occasion got the better of him on his first European Championship experience.

“I felt I came out well and my pickup was decent but then the race was just out of my hands” said Ojewumi following his elimination.

“It was one of those 60 metres that went by before I knew it, unfortunately. Usually, I’m more in control of what I’m doing but today I just didn’t perform.”

There was also no big breakthrough for the DSDAC representatives Zak Curran and Sio-

Donore’s John Travers in action last month in the Irish indoor championships. Picture: Sportsfile

fra Cleirigh Buttner, both going down in the qualifying heats.

Cleirigh Buttner was confident heading into the race and was only focused on improving on her short comings afterwards.

“I am in good shape but really 2:06 at a championship is very slow”, she said. “Hopefully I can watch it back and take some learnings from it. I don’t have a group or any sponsor right now, so we are just kind of getting

by, just hoping to get something sorted out. I want to be based with people better than me that I can train and learn from.”

Curran had to settle for fifth in his 800m heat.

Nonetheless, there was plenty to cheer for the Irish team as Ciara Mageean and Mark English both won bronze medals on the final day of action, in the women’s 1,500 metre and men’s 800 metres respectively.

Extra 2,500 spots for Dub marathon DUBLIN MARATHON  sport@dublingazette.com

DRUMCONDRA resident Dominic Gallagher teamed up with the KBC Dublin Marathon to announce that 2,500 extra entries will go on sale on Monday, July 1.

This follows a sell-out of the 20,000 entries in December 2018, 10 months before the event on Sunday, October 27 2019.

The entry has been increased from 20,000 to a record number of 22,500 following an agreement with key authorities. The 2019 Dublin Marathon will celebrate its 40th Year Anniversary

with KBC with the 13 runners who took part in the first Dublin Marathon in 1980 and all 39 Marathons since present to mark the announcement.

Speaking at the launch, Gallagher said: “I have to walk it now because I had a hip replacement in 2016 so ‘enjoy’ is probably the wrong word but my daughter Roisín and her friend Orla have promised me a party if I make my 40th marathon and I won’t let them away with that.

It’ s going to be a good party!”

In addition to the 2,500 extra entries, additional places are also expected to be made available following an opportunity for current entrants to avail of a

refund window from at 9am on Monday, June 3 and will close at midnight on Sunday, June 16.

The refund will be available on “Manage My Bookings” available via entrant’s confirmation link.

Entries are now also open for the 2019 KBC Race Series which starts with the South Dublin 10k on Sunday, July 21.

This will be followed by the Frank Duffy 10 Mile on Saturday, August 24 and the KBC Dublin Half Marathon on Saturday, September 21, both in the Phoenix Park, Dublin.

Log onto kbcdublinmarathon. ie to available of bundle offers for the 2019 KBC Race Series.

Drumcondra’s Dominic Gallagher is hoping to compete in his 40th Dublin City Marathon. Picture: David Fitzgerald/ Sportsfile

30 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 7 March 2019

CLUB NOTES

ROUND

2

O’TOOLE’S FROM U-8s to senior men, win, lose or draw, our teams played super football and hurling over the weekend. Sometimes the transition of moving up a year or two, or a division, can be daunting but that didn’t stop our teams. The weather was appalling but our players weren’t. Great start in the league for our juvenile and minor hurlers.

Starting with our heroic minor hurlers who travelled to the mighty Ballyboden to play and win their league game in very cold weather. It was a pleasure to watch the lads play with such passion and love for the native game.

On to our U-16 hurlers, away to fellow northside club Whitehall Colmcille for their first match in this seasons league on Saturday. Our lads did themselves and the club proud taking all points at the final whistle.

And then both our U14 (A & B) hurling teams claimed the points winning home and away to Naomh Mearnog. There were great performances by both teams Commiserations to two of our U14’s Evan Caul & Karol Elliott who lost out for their school, St David’s in the Dublin U14 schools football final by a mere point.

Our little U-8s played their hearts out v Innisfeils on Saturday. They showed great promise for the clubs’ future. The numbers were high, and the commitment was second to none. Bravo to you all Well done to our camogie team, raising much needed funds from their hurling wall challenge last week.

Important dates for your diary; Easter Camps 2019: Junior Camp for girls & boys 4 to 7yr olds……..Tuesday 16th to Thursday 18th April; Senior Camp for boys & girls 8 to 12yr olds……Tuesday 23rd to Thursday 25th April. 10am to 1pm each day. Only €25 per child for each camp.

Register in O’Toole’s on Saturday 13th & 20th April 9:30 to 11am. For Information or Booking call David on 086 3101034 or Kelly 085 1600381. Forms can also be returned to Club office; 01 8482641 Places are limited for these camps. To avoid disappointment please register early.

O’Toole’s thank you for your continuing support of our Club Lotto. TheLotto is an incredibly important source of revenue for O’Toole’s GAA club and helps us continue to provide top class facilities for the local community.

However, over the past number of years due to people moving out of and into the area our sales have declined. Consequently, we are going to re-canvass the whole area, but in order to achieve this we require adults to give a couple of hours to help. If you have some free time and feel you could assist, please contact Hellen on 086 3060524 or 01 8482641 office hours.

Hygienist required to join our team. Must be reliable and diligent. If youthink this role would suit you please send your CV to: otoolesjuveniles@ gmail.com <otoolesjuveniles@gmail.com> or phone Hellen on 086 3060524 for appointment.

KILKENNY MASTERS Dublin All-Stars gel for silver medal DESPITE no coach, eight players all over 40 bar one 35-year-old and having never trained or played together, the Dublin All-Stars defied the odds at the Kilkenny Masters basketball tournament last weekend.

They fell to a six-point defeat in their first match against Portlaoise but soon gelled, beating Tralee, Clare and Cork.

It set up a semi-final rematch against Clare which was won comfortably before facing Portlaoise again in the final, ultimately succumbing by just four points.

K1 KICKBOXING : CRUMLIN STAR ON THE RISE

‘The Emerald’ Hand shining bright in Holland  sport@dublingazette.com

OLD County Glen’s Liam “The Emerald” Hand saw his star continue to rise as he made his mark at SuperFight Zuidbroek in the Netherlands in a spectacular show of K1 and MMA. He was unanimous victor on the judges card against a tough Dutch oppone nt, Feyzullah Ciftci. It was a spectacular fight with Hand getting the decision after three rounds of K1 boxing at its best in Groningen.

Working with head c o a c h G a b o r Ho r to bagyi, the Crumlin man was confident and calm ahead of the bout after an extensive training regime to get the win under his belt.

Hand’s Dutch style fighting has gained him the acknowledgement and respect of many of Holland’s most prominent fighters and trainers. Supported by his coach, Hand has trained in some of the top gyms in Amsterdam includ-

ing Dutch super-middleweight kickboxer and professional boxer Nieky “The Natural”’ Holzken at his Team Holzken’s Gym. As far as his own coach is concerned, Hand is headed right to the top.

“He has great strength and focus”, Hortobagyi said.

“He’s also determined in all his training and, more importantly, in the ring. He trains diligently 11 sessions a week and is strict on his nutrition and diet.”

It is an extensive programme which is only made possible by Hand’s list of sponsors who support the young Dubliner’s journey.

The list includes HSSCU who have sponsored all of the team’s kit, Brian McElroy Funeral Directors, Halfway Cabs, Pat Brown Butchers, Macho Gym, TDs Joan Collins and Pat Dunne, and Thai Healing Massage.

Such support enables “The Emerald Hand” to travel to these phenom-

DUNDALK 5K Liffey lift lots of Glenmore titles ISLANDBRIDGE based Athletic

Club Liffey Valley Ac had a very successful day at the Glenmore AC 5K Road Race in Dundalk last Sunday, winning an individual prize and both team trophies. The men’s team, led by race winner Peter Arthur, won the Kearney perpetual trophy with good support from Paul Balfe, Anthony Mc Mahon, Ed Mc Grath and Michael Ferreira.

Not to be outdone, the women’s team of Sile Carroll - in second - Sinead Mc Donald and Brigid Reilly won the McBride Trophy.

Liam Hand, left, lands a punch in his battle with Feyzullah Ciftci.

enal fights and he was straight back into training mode with his next Amsterdam date in four weeks time.

Ha nd’s tea m m a te Gergo Bodis and Caoch Gabor, meanwhile, are looking forward to Capital 1 Lion Fight 52 in

Dublin’s National Basketball arena on March 16.

Bodis will come face to face with John Shield (K1 75kgs) and we have no doubt Bodis is Focused and ready to entertain his supporters with a win.

7 March 2019 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 31

SPORTS NUTRITION: KATE MCDAID FEEDING SUCCESS OF TOP TEAMS Kate McDaid, left, with team mates Catriona White and Siobhan Kennedy after their NICC Women’s National Cup final win in January.

Picture: Eoin Noonan/Sportsfile

Basketball star adds fuel to Dublin’s fire  JAMES HENDICOTT

sport@dublingazette.com

PYROBEL Killester basketball star Kate McDaid says she is quickly adapting her repertoire as her company fuels the Dublin ladies Gaelic footballers, a far cry from what she envisaged for her brand Nutrikate.

“I thought I’d be dealing mostly with weight loss,” nutritionist McDaid told the Dublin Gazette of her early aims.

“The principals are very transferable, though, and I ended up being very broad, working in sports, with corporate clients and with a few individuals.”

Her family is well versed in Gaelic Games her brother Robbie has been part of the Dublin senior football panel.

And she initially worked with the Longford senior men’s football team and they were joined recently by the Dublin senior ladies side, a major coup for her business that’s a little over two years old.

With McDaid’s experience in the sporting world, however, there’s little doubt that she’s able to apply the principles.

She recently showed her own capabilities in winning the Most Valuable Player award as Killester took the women’s NICC Cup title in January.

Having studied nutrition at Loughborough University in the UK – a college seen as a proving ground for many of Britain’s future Olympians – McDaid had plenty of chances to perfect her sports nutritional work, too, and went on to work with one of the foremost nutrition consultancies in the UK. She preaches realism, and an individual stance.

“It’s really important to remember that people have lives, and aren’t just machines,” she says, talking of the different backgrounds that senior GAA players come from, in particular.

“It’s not a professional sport so it’s like having two different full-time jobs for a lot of these players.

“You have to respect that they do want to have a life, to go out for dinner sometimes and to relax and socialise.

“Some players are very into this stuff from the start. It’s harder to get buy-in with some others, but it’s about adapting to lifestyles. I have the backroom team with the Dublin ladies all singing off the same hymn sheet now and that makes a big difference.

“Some athletes need more recovery time. Lots of people have jobs, or exams, or families to think about. When you’ve got some trust and people are happy to tell you how they’re really feeling, and

what’s going on, then you can really make things like nutrition work for them.”

Practical coaching and personalised programs, then, have proven McDaid’s biggest draw.

“We have meals provided after training, and I’ve had some input into them, but this is about taking things further, providing recipes, trying to change habits. Food has an experimental side

to it, too,” she says.

“It’s holistic, and about getting happier and better players. Sacrifices are unavoidable, yes, but it’s also about balance. People need to learn that the latest fad diets and the quick fixes, the things that sound too good to be true, they usually are.”

Learn more about McDaid’s business at www.nutrikate.com, or contact her on info@nutrikate.com.

The Dublin ladies footballers are availing of Nurtikate’s services.

Picture: Daire Brennan/Sportsfile

FOOTBALL

Na Fianna earn draw to stay unbeaten in AFL1 NA FIANNA are at the head of the chasing pack in AFL1 as they made it three points from four in the early stages of the competition as they drew 2-12 a piece with St Brigid’s.

Although Philly Ryan claimed a brace of goals for Brigid’s, Conor McHugh and David Lacey – star performers in their win over St Jude’s – raised green flags to secure a share of the spoils at Russell Park.

Dessie Farrell’s side sit in fourth behind the leading trio of Lucan Sarsfields, St Maurs and Ballinteer St John’s who have two wins from two.

Reigning champions St Vincent’s fell to Cuala. Diarmuid Connolly’s 0-2 salvo helped them to settle, before the Dalkey hosts gained a stranglehold on the play.

In addition to Luke Keating’s brace, Niall O’Callaghan (brother of Con) and Darragh Spillane also contributed goals to the Cuala cause.

Though Vincent’s remained in contention over the course of the hour, Keating and Jamie Keenan posted a succession of points to help their side to emerge on the right end of a 4-9 to 1-14 final scoreline.

Local rivals St Jude’s and Templeogue Synge Street faced off at the National Games Development Centre in Abbotstown but it was Jude’s who prevailed.

Seamus Ryan and Richie English rounded off attacking moves to give the 2018 Championship finalists an eventual 2-11 to 0-6 win.

GazetteSPORT MARCH 7-13, 2019

ALL OF YOUR DUBLIN CITY SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 27-31

BOUNCING BACK AT BOHS

SOCCER: James Talbot reflects on tough times in England and shining now on his return to Dublin with Bohemians SEE P28

FEEDING SUCCESS NUTRITION: Kil-

lester basketball star passes on her know-how to the Dublin ladies senior footballers SEE P31

IRELAND’S K1 “EMERALD” K1 KICKBOXING:

Liam “The Emerald” Hand continues to make waves with another big win in the Netherlands SEE P30

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Brilliant Boylan storms to World silver medal  RONAN GAINE

sport@dublingazette.com

RINGSEND cyclist Lydia Boylan lapped the field to land an incredible silver medal from the women’s points race at the 2019 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Poland last Sunday.

It crowned a super weekend for the Irish team. Boylan had already helped Ireland to a great ninth place finish in Saturday’s Womens Maddison with Shannon McCurley and lined up going even better in Sunday’s points race.

Boylan won the third sprint in the 25km race.

Then, with less than ten laps to go, she attacked.

She joined the back of the bunch, and gained a crucial lap on her rivals, putting her in the gold medal position with five laps remaining.

Digging deep for the final sprint, she hung on to win an incredible silver medal, finishing on 28 points, just a point and a place behind winner, Alexandra Manly of Australia and two points clear of bronze medal winner, Kirsten Wild of the Netherlands.

“It still hasn’t sunk in that I’ve finally done something on the world stage. It’s a big boost of confidence for me, for sure,” she said.

“That sort of racing suits me, because I know I can just dig deeper – we push ourselves so hard in training.”

The 31-year-old has increased her focus on

Lydia Boylan shows off her World Track Cycling medal on her return to Dublin Airport.

Picture: Eoin Noonan/Sportsfile

“It still hasn’t sunk in that I’ve finally done

something on the world stage. It’s a big boost of confidence“ track racing in order to target a place at next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo. Her past results include three victories in the Irish Road Race Championships, as well as a silver medal in the Madison event at the European Track Championships. However, her silver medal in Poland is her best finish yet.

“I kept taking a sneaky look up at the leaderboard and I knew I needed to move up,” she said, speaking of the battle for the gold medal. “I moved up and I gave it my best, but the legs fell off a bit in the last couple of laps.”

She added: “I’d been struggling to position myself for the sprints

and getting caught out, then I was trying to force the lap too much but I just went at the right time and thankfully the Russian (Gulnaz Badykova) joined me or I would have been pretty cooked out there on my own. I took the lap too late to have something left for the final sprint but a silver medal is amazing.”

Boylan’s silver, to go along with the bronze medal won by teammate Mark Downey on Friday, turned it into an outstanding week for the Irish in Pruszkow These were the first medals Ireland has won at the World Championships since Martyn Irvine’s scratch race silver in 2014.

“Mark’s medal definitely gave us a boost,” Boylan said.

“I’ve been training with Mark for a long time and I always joke h e ’s my d e r ny (t h e motorised lead-out bike used in some events).

“It’s absolutely incredible for two of us to be going home with a medal.”