Dublin Gazette: City Edition

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THE LATEST NEWS & SPORT FROM THE DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL AREA

Happy New Year!

SPORT YEAR IN REVIEW:

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HAPPY NEW YEAR! Coming right after our Christmas wishes, we’d like to again say “Thank you” to all of our loyal readers and advertisers for your support last year!

We wish you all the very best for 2020.

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Supervised injection centre gets go-ahead

Controversial quay facility approved RACHEL D’ARCY

A SUPERVISED injection centre is set to be developed on the city’s quays, after An Bord Pleanala (APB) overturned a planning decision made by Dublin City Council last Summer.

Merchant’s Quay Ireland have been

EE FR

DublinGazette JANUARY 2-8, 2020

given permission to develop the controversial facility at their Riverbank centre, despite opposition from local businesses, residents and schools.

In giving permission, ABP say it requires Merchant’s Quay Ireland to move its existing night cafe for the homeless out of the building.

Minister for Health Simon Harris has welcomed the announcement – made on Christmas Eve – saying that it was “excellent news” and a step forward in recognising addiction as an illness.

It is anticipated that the supervised centre will open on an 18-month pilot trial period, and will serve more than 100 users per day.

FULL STORY ON PAGE 2

Scramblers THE disturbing footage that was widely circulated on social media of an unprotected toddler riding – and immediately crashing – a scrambler bike at Christmas has prompted even further calls for government action over the currently unregulated vehicles.

SEE PAGE 2

Sceptical reaction to Iveagh Market proposal

NEWS of plans lodged by a developer to transform the long-abandoned Iveagh Market have been greeted with scepticism by city councillors.

The market plans include a wide variety of features for the site, to include an artisan deli, micro brewery and a bakery.

However, several councillors expressed scepticism over the plans, citing previously announced plans for the historic site which came to naught.

SEE PAGE 3

2 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 2 January 2020

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HEALTH: CONTROVERSIAL FACILITY IS APPROVED

Drug injection centre gets go-ahead at MQI

Minister musing the role of brown bins

 RACHEL D’ARCY

rdarcy@dublingazette.com

AN BORD Pleanala has granted permission for a controversial supervised injection centre on the quays, overturning a decision made by Dublin City Council in mid-2019.

The ruling was made by the planning board on Christmas Eve, which will now allow Merchant’s Quay Ireland (MQI) to develop the country’s first supervised injection centre at their existing premises.

MQ I w a s i n i t i a l l y refused permission for the centre by Dublin City Council, but then went on to appeal this decision to An Bord Pleanala (ABP).

In a statement welcoming the decision, MQI said: “Merchant’s Quay Ireland welcomes the decision to grant planning permission for a Medically Supervised Injecting Facility [MSIF] at our riverbank centre on Merchant’s Quay.

“The MSIF will allow us to reach people who are currently isolated

FASTNews

The Merchant’s Quay Ireland building on the quays

and vulnerable, offering them vital healthcare and treatment options.

“With one death every day in Ireland from a drug overdose, this facility will save lives.

“We understand that there are concerns from members of the local community, and we will work closely with them and all stakeholders as the project progresses to ensure that this facility benefits everyone.”

When rejecting the application last July, DCC said that the development would “undermine the existing local econ-

omy, in particular the growing tourism economy”.

T h e re we re m a ny local objections to the centre, including opposition from the nearby St Audoen’s National School and from local businesses.

News of ABP’s decision was welcomed by the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, who has pushed for the development of the project for some time.

In a statement issued on the Department of Health’s Twitter account, Minister Harris said:

“This is such great news and will help save lives.

“A supervised injecting facility recognises the reality of addiction and that it is an illness and that behind that illness is a person in need of help.”

On his personal account, Minister Harris said: “We can now proceed with Ireland’s first supervised injection facility and recognise that addiction is an illness. Well done Merchant’s Quay.

“Time we all get serious about tackling addiction issues in our country.”

Toddler’s scrambler crash prompts fresh safety calls RACHEL D’ARCY

THERE have been fresh calls for scramblers to be banned, following a video of a toddler crashing a scrambler bike that went viral over Christmas.

The short clip shows the toddler, who wasn’t wearing a helmet and had a soother in his mouth, climbing on the bike and attempting to drive it before losing control and crashing into a lamp post.

The toddler falls off the bike,

which then drove autonomously into the road.

It’s unclear where the footage was recorded, but it is believed that the incident took place in Dublin.

Many people critiqued the video and criticised the parents of the toddler for both purchasing the young boy a scrambler for Christmas, and for allowing him to ride it sans helmet.

Currently, there is no legislation on scramblers, making it difficult for gardai to crack down on

the unregulated vehicles.

Chief Superintendent Paul Cleary, of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau, spoke about the dangers of scramblers ahead of Christmas.

He said: “Members of An Garda Síochana do not want to be delivering devastating news to another family, so our message is clear: children and young teenagers should not be driving these vehicles in public, or without the necessary licence, insurance, safety equipment and supervision.”

THE idea of making brown bin collections mandatory could be introduced, after the idea was floated

by Minister Richard Bruton as a potential measure to reduce waste produced by Irish households.

The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment raised the idea as he announced public consultation on his department’s new strategy. Other measures outlined include a ban on single-use plastics, and a levy on tobacco companies to assist in the cleaning up of cigarette butts.

The Government are also said to be considering expanding the range of items allowed in the green bin. The proposed mandatory brown bin collections would aim to reduce the amount of food waste which ends up in landfill – something that contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.

Contents placed in brown bins are used to produce compost, diverting the contents from landfill.

Minister Bruton said in a statement: “We must radically change our wasteful use of precious resources which damages our climate and our environment and compromises our future.”

Airport to DCC fails to trial a bag spend €200k drop service on toilets DUBLIN Airport are expected to trial a new bag dropoff service in 2020, which would allow those taking flight to leave their bags at different drop-off points around the city centre.

The Dublin Airport Authority are understood to currently be on the hunt for a bag delivery company to manage the service.

The move has been welcomed by business groups, including Dublin Chamber.

Graeme McQueen, spokesperson for Dublin Chamber, said: “We’re always trying to make the visitor experience in Dublin and the other Irish cities better.

“The idea that you would be able to drop your bag off in town, maybe for a flight later in the day, and you turn up later at the airport and your bags are there for you – that seems to make things a lot easier and it’s an idea we’d like to see pursued.”

DUBLIN City Council has failed to spend any of a €200,000 allocation for public toilets in the city centre in 2019.

The last public toilets in the city were closed more than 20 years ago, but money was made available in November, 2018 following council approval for two facilities to be installed.

One was to be situated on the northside, and another on the southside.

However, it has been revealed that none of the allocated money has been spent on the project, which were expected to be ‘automated public conveniences’.

DCC’s head of finance, Kathy Quinn said: “It is the view that such units would not be suitable for city-centre locations,”” and that any conveniences provided would not be family-friendly.

Councillors have now raised questions as to why the allocated funds were not used, or if they were simply ‘flushed away’.

2 January 2020 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 3

CHARITY

Singer Mary Black and her son, singer Danny O’Reilly, of the Coronas, with other supporters of the GOAL Mile

‘A big thank-you to everyone who supported GOAL’ RACHEL D’ARCY

Mighty Marty helps do his bit for Dublin Simon THE one and only Marty Morrissey met superfan Noreen Sheehan at Grafton Street recently, where the dapper RTE Broadcaster was helping to launch the

Dublin Simon Community 24-Hour Carolathon. The noteworthy event was a festive fundraiser for the charity, with Marty using his dulcet tones to encourage everyone to

dig deep to help Simon’s work with many of the most vulnerable people in the city not just at Christmas, but all year round.

Picture: Conor McCabe Photography

Scepticism greets latest plans to revamp Iveagh Market site RACHEL D’ARCY

PLANS have been lodged by developer Martin Keane for the long-abandoned Iveagh Market, which look set to transform the derelict building into a vibrant hub.

In September 2019, a Dublin City Council-commissioned report revealed that the markets were in an “advanced state of dereliction”, with repairs on the Edwardian building expected to cost upwards of €13 million before any redevelopment of the

markets could begin.

Keane lodged the plans with Dublin City Council ahead of Christmas, The Times reported.

Among the plans for the revamp of the markets include the introduction of an artisan deli, a micro brewery, a micro distillery and a bakery.

There are also set to be two hotels and a hostel developed as part of the most recent plans for the Dublin 8 building.

However, despite news that Keane has lodged plans, several councillors

are sceptical of any progress occurring on the markets in the near future.

Taking to Twitter in the wake of the news, Cllr Rebecca Moynihan (Lab) said: “This is not the first time Keane has said redevelopment is imminent but nothing has ever come to pass.

“He said back in 2017 he needed State subvention to develop the market.

“We have been here before. He had permission until 2017 to develop the site. Long after other

developers were back in business.

“He did nothing. He allowed the site to fall into further dereliction.”

Cllr Moynihan had lodged a motion with Dublin City Council calling for it to take back control of the markets from Keane.

The developer was first given a lease to the markets in 1997 to develop the markets, with this renewed in 2004 with the promise that development would begin within 36 months of this lease

being agreed upon.

Cllr Tina MacVeigh (PBP) also tweeted about the most recent development within the ongoing Iveagh Markets saga, saying: “Martin Keane still determined to make a fortune off the Iveagh Markets that he has let fall into terrible disrepair over two decades. Markets that belong to the people!”

Detailed plans from Keane had yet to appear on the planning section of the DCC website by the time of going to press.

THE chief executive of aid agency GOAL, Siobhan Walsh, has thanked the thousands of people from all across Dublin who took time out to take part in a GOAL Mile over Christmas.

Hundreds turned out to walk, run or jog a mile this year in an effort to raise funds for GOAL. Amongst well-known Dubliners who did a mile for GOAL were the famous footballing brothers Alan and Bernard Brogan; Minister for Sport Shane Ross (Marley Park); singer Danny O’Reilly, of the Coronas, and his mother, Mary Black; and long distance runner Maria McCambridge and her husband, runner Gary Crossan.

Now in its 38th year, the GOAL Mile is one of Ireland’s largest and longest-running annual fundraising events.

Last year, GOAL reached more than 5.5 million people in need around the world.

Siobhan Walsh said: “A huge thanks to GOAL Mile organisers all over Dublin for their huge support this year.

“The indications are that we had record numbers in the city and country running, walking or jogging a mile for GOAL. “Millions of euro have been raised to support GOAL’s work in the developing world since the first GOAL Mile was staged in 1982.

“The widespread support of the people of Dublin, and Ireland, for the GOAL Mile embodies the true spirit of Christmas.

“I would like to thank the thousands of people who started their Christmas day taking action to support others.”

She added: “The theme of our Christmas campaign was ‘Far From Home’, and I am grateful to all of the dedicated GOAL workers who themselves were far from home this Christmas caring for the families who are displaced from their homes through war, conflict, drought and extreme poverty.

“The Christmas GOAL mile is much more than an event. It is a very powerful reminder that the people of Ireland will always go the extra mile and in doing so, help create a better world.”

4 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 2 January 2020

OPINION: ‘THOSE COMPLAINING ABOUT CELEBRITY INVOLVEMENT MISS THE POINT’

FASTNews Coast Guard warning over water safety

Lest we forget the scenes of late 2016 ... Glen Hansard and Kodaline sing in support from a rooftop, as activists and supporters and citizens gathered outside Apollo House to

Mythomaniacs may mutter, but artists can help society highlight our abysmal response to the housing and homelessness crisis – one of a number of domestic and international causes which celebrities have helped draw attention to

TERRY MCMAHON Irish Filmmaker

THREE years ago, a group of activists and artists took over Apollo House to protect our most vulnerable in society.

A government TD (John Paul Phelan, FG) has just dismissed the idea of artists taking action against homelessness, or even talking about it, and he specifically named Cillian Murphy and Glen Hansard as two offenders “banging on about housing and homelessness”.

Mythomania is an abnormal psychological condition where a person attempts to make himself appear important by making things up.

Despite fundamental ignorance on multiple subjects, the mythomaniac convinces himself that he has insights into others despite them being significantly more accomplished than him.

Diagnosed in people with low self-esteem, the mythomaniac desperately seeks attention from others, particularly ‘celebrities’, or famous ‘artists’.

Talentless, vacuous, and lacking in any measurable

skills himself, he seeks out the vicarious rush that comes from hearing his name in the same sentence as world-renowned artists.

Behind the closed doors of their private fantasies, mythomaniacs often live a harmless life.

Occasionally, one will allow his fallacies to spill into reality onto his sticky floor for all to see.

Rather than feeling embarrassed, the mythomaniac will revel in his own stench.

Slumped in the hot steam of his vomit, he may throw his own filth at the artists, in the feverish hope that some of it will stick.

This can even create in the mythomaniac an erotic frisson.

Often, it is the only intimacy he has experienced in years.

It tortures the mythomaniac that the artists don’t even know he exists.

His frenzied yearning to associate himself with greatness causes him to conjure up any form of association, no matter how spurious.

He fantasises that when someone inputs an inter-

net search for Glen Hansard or Cillian Murphy, right beside them, frontrow-centre, is his name; the name of the callous fantasist who shamelessly used the iconic names of artists to score cheap political points and elevate, by association, himself.

T h e my t h o m a n i a c cares nothing for the selfless reasons behind artists banging on about housing

Three years ago, I met Glen Hansard. We were part of the group formed

by B a l l y m u n yo u t h worker, Dean Scurry, that took Apollo House [when activists and homeless people occupied the building, drawing international attention].

The Axis Theatre had facilitated a series of workshops with the artists, John Connors, Damien

and homelessness.

Banging on about parents living in poverty.

Banging on about children going hungry. Banging on about people dying in despair.

These details are sideshows in the larger circus.

By accusing artists of “banging on”, the mythomaniac doesn’t just get to suck up to his PT Barnum boss in the national tent – he gets his unheralded name inserted into the same sentence as revered artists.

Dempsey, Maverick Sabre, Lethal Dialect and me, and we realised that we wanted to do something to honour the centenary of the 1916 Rising, and to protect the country’s most vulnerable people.

Many other remarkable people became involved, including trade unionists Brendan Ogle and Dave Gibney, and the consequence was the occupation of Apollo House.

None of the artists did it for fame, glory, or ‘celebrity’. It terrified us at the

“

The mythomaniac cares nothing for the selfless reasons behind artists banging on about housing and homelessness

time, and did lasting damage to some careers.

When the awards are being handed out on the international stage, politicians ride the coattails of the artist, but, if we look at the government-endorsed treatment of our artists on The Abbey’s national stage, the increasingly refined contempt for artists is clear.

Several years ago, I did a little work with Cillian Murphy. A warmer, kinder, more agenda-free fellow would be hard to find.

Having seen the worst of Glen Hansard and the best of him, the worst of him is the best of the rest of us.

A staggeringly generous man, most will never know the pragmatic kindnesses he shows to countless people.

The same with Dean Scurry, John Connors, Damien Dempsey, Maverick Sabre, Neili Conroy, Dave Gibney, Mattress Mick, Brendan Ogle, Jim Sheridan and many others who believe the job of the artist is to interrogate truth, and the responsibility of the activist is to protect that truth; despite us all realising that drive

of the mythomaniac is to exploit truth to protect the lie.

Perhaps, none of this is true. Perhaps, I’m the liar and the suggestion that this is real is absurd.

Surely, not even an Irish politician could be this malicious. This shallow.

This stupid.

For such a level of psychotic malice to be facilitated on a grand scale, we’d have to believe that our government is mostly made up of opportunistic liars creating myths to divert from the cancerous consequences of their malignant policies.

That’s patently ridiculous. Surely, they can’t all be that dangerously deluded, no matter what the facts might prove.

Because, as all good fantasists know, there are facts, and there are alternative facts; but, then, there are Irish facts.

When parochial liars fumble with pathetic fallacies to score political points by attacking iconic artists fighting for rights, the political class once again reveals Ireland to truly be the Land of Saints and Scholars and Mythomaniacs.

THE Coast Guard have repeated a key message in their end of year message regarding Safety at Sea or on Inland Waters.

Reiterating their core safety message of Stay Afloat – Stay in Touch, the group are highlighting the importance of never engaging in any boating activity without wearing a fully serviced life jacket or personal flotation device, coupled with a capacity to raise the alarm.

The Coast Guard cautions that mobile phones should not be considered as a suitable substitute or be relied upon as the only means of emergency communication at sea, as coverage at sea is limited and unreliable.

The Coast Guard’s three rescue coordination centres at Malin Head, Valentia Island, and Dublin operate on a 24/7 basis.

In the past year, the three centres managed a total of 2487 incidents.

New Year’s Eve gave city a €10m boost THE New Year’s Eve festival on Tuesday attracted approximately 45,000 visitors to Dublin’s streets, according to Failte Ireland.

The festival, which was a joint initiative between Failte Ireland and Dublin City Council, hosted its eighth year on New Year’s Eve, and provided a welcome boost for tourism businesses in Dublin at an off-peak time of the year.

Walking On Cars headlined the spectacular, with Ash, Aimee and Lisa McHugh also performing on the night.

Speaking ahead of the event, Ciara Sugrue, Failte Ireland’s head of festivals, said: “Festivals and events like this are crucial to the tourism sector, and this gives a great opportunity for Dublin to be showcased not just for new year’s, but as a destination to visit all year around.”

It is understood that the New Year’s Eve festivities generated approximately €10 million for the local economy in Dublin.

2 January 2020 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 5

6 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 2 January 2020

YEAR IN REVIEW

A LOOK BACK AT SOME OF 2019’S TOP STORIES

A year that saw Dublin players make history, some crooks get up to a bit of monkey business, a ‘Green Wave’ hit polls, and two legends lost ...

January

• IRELAND’S first technological university was formally established by law in Dublin.

Technological University Dublin – to be known as TU Dublin – comprises Dublin Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Blanchardstown and Institute of Technology Tallaght, and became a formally recognised institution on January 1.

• A CABRA mother successfully ran for the council in an effort to battle the illegal parking on footpaths across the capital, after setting up a Twitter account calling out those who park recklessly and the impact it has on those who are disabled.

Neasa Hourigan spoke to Dublin Gazette about the difficulties that her daughter Edith, who is visually impaired and uses a cane, encounters daily with obstacles on pavements (Pic 01).

Cllr Hourigan was elected to DCC for the Green Party in May. • DUBLINERS were in mourning after the closure of one of the city’s most prestigious hot spots.

Lillie’s Bordello on Grafton Street shut its doors for the final time, after owners announced the closure of the club

before Christmas, 2018.

However, the venue has since reopened as Lost Lane, a brand-new venture.

• A MAN from Cork Street who began working as a television extra a year ago celebrated his 90th birthday on the Fair City set this week.

Edward Quinn started working on Fair City in 2018.

Edward said that he thoroughly enjoys the time that he spends on set and getting to see himself in the background of one of his favourite soaps.

• LEWIS Capaldi packed out the Bleeding Horse at a last-minute gig, after his gig with Bastille in The Olympia was cancelled.

Capaldi was already in Dublin for the show and asked on Instagram if there were any open mic nights that he could play at.

A short time later, he took to Instagram Stories to announce that he

would perform a gig at the Camden Street pub, which packed out with people flocking to see the Grace singer.

Capaldi will play gigs at the 3Arena and Malahide Castle in 2020.

• LOCALS in Ringsend kicked up a stink over supposed human waste being continuously deposited on the Dodder Walkway, to the rear of the Aviva Stadium.

A number of locals voiced their fury, saying that they had to change their walking route, or that their young children have seen the waste.

One resident said that even on match days at the Aviva when there were portaloos nearby, the culprit kept relieving themselves at the same spot.

• A N I N N OVAT I V E video from a number of students at a school in Inchicore went viral, as they voiced their honest thoughts of growing up in the area.

The video was made

by Transition Year students at Mercy Secondary School, demanding improvements to the area’s facilities and for improvements in the upkeep of the area as part of their ‘Give Mercy to Inchicore’ project.

• THE 100th anniversary of the first meeting of the Dail was celebrated in the Mansion House, with President Michael D Higgins, his wife Sabina, representatives from the 32nd Dail and descendants of the first deputies all attending a special joint sitting of the Dail and the Seanad in celebration of the anniversary.

February

• A NEIL DIAMOND fan from Cabra who has been following the legend’s career for more than 40 years spoke to Dublin Gazette, and said his adoration will last forever (in blue jeans).

Ambrose O’Shea told Dublin Gazette that he got into the crooner’s music back in the 1970s and has gone on to see the Sweet Caroline star more than 30 times in Dublin, and in a trip to the UK. • AN EVENT by boxer Tyson Fury was cancelled after The Helix in DCU received threats of

1

Pic 01 JANUARY: Now Councillor Neasa Hourigan (GP) and her visually impaired daughter, Edith, helped to highlight the negative impact of parking on footpaths for many citizens across the city

2

3

Pic 02 JANUARY: Efforts to build a U2 hub

Pic 03 APRIL: St MIchan’s vaults were

in the city centre proved not to be the

reconsecrated, following a break-in and

sweetest thing with the plan’s neighbours

callous desecration of human remains

a ‘repeat Regency’ shooting.

The threats came three years after a shooting at the Regency Hotel during a boxing weigh-in, where one person was murdered and two were injured.

• A MAN died in homeless shelter services in the city on the same day Dublin City Council’s chief executive, Owen Keegan, made controversial comments over the ‘attractiveness’ of being homeless.

In an interview with the Sunday Business Post, Keegan said: “The best way to solve homelessness in Dublin would be to provide no beds.”

He was heavily critiqued for his comments, with levels of homelessness in 2019 some of the worst Dublin has ever seen.

• A DECREASE in donations led to five Catholic churches across Dublin trialling contactless card

machines in an effort to raise money.

Card machines were put in place at the rear of the churches to allow parishioners to be able to make a “contactless contribution”.

• A NUMBER of mummies in the crypt at St Michan’s Church were desecrated in a heartless attack by a vandal.

One mummy, known as ‘The Crusader’ (as the body was of a soldier from The Crusades), was turned over in the crypt and had his head removed.

The remains have since been recovered, with a man charged and appearing in court over the vandalism.

2 January 2020 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 7

YEAR IN REVIEW

IN THE CITY AREA

Top stories of 2019

6

4

When was your ‘Dublin Gazette’ not your Dublin Gazette?

Pic 04 MARCH: Ah, it’s himself ... ‘St Patrick’ helped the capital to party on March 17

5

Pic 05 APRIL: The Ivy, in Dawson Street,

Pic 06 MARCH: Young voices rallied outside Government Buildings to

found itself ensnared in what are still

protest against Climate Change and underwhelming efforts in Ireland

ongoing protests over its tips policy

to tackle what would be the single dominating global topic of 2019

7

8

Pic 08 AUGUST: Karl Doyle and his family Pic 07 FEBRUARY: Phil Lynott’s late mother, Philomena, was delighted to

had reason to say “Thanks a million” to

unveil a striking mural dedicated to the legendary rocker, in Crumlin

rowers who helped him fight cancer

March

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

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 performed CPR, and assisted in saving his life.

• A BELFAST Hip-Hop trio who made headlines across Northern Ireland earlier in the year for chanting “Brits Out” on stage were pulled off stage during a gig in UCD during Seachtain na Gaeilge.

The act, known as Kneecap, were performing at the UCD student bar, The Clubhouse, on

campus when they were forcibly removed.

Described as one of Ireland’s brightest Rap prospects, they have just been announced for Sea Sessions 2020 after selling out The Academy, and other dates across the UK. • ANYONE familiar with Devitts of Camden Street is probably familiar with barman Frank Boyce, who was behind the bar of the watering hole for over 40 years.

In March, we wrote about Frank’s story as he retired from bar work after more than 40 years.

He originally began his bartending career in the

late 1960s, before moving to a long, hardworking stint at the popular GAA pub, frequented by local businesses and residents alike.

Frank was part of the fabric of Devitts and a familiar face to punters.

• THOUSANDS of young people from across the county took to the city’s streets (Pic 06) in the latest strike for climate change in an effort to encourage Irish lawmakers to battle climate change.

I t ’s t h o u g h t that up to 10,000 people took part, which was part of a globally co-ordinated protest, originally kickstarted by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg outside parliamentary buildings in Sweden in 2018.

PERHAPS the most bizarre story of the year for this publication occurred during the second week of April.

It came to light that a Labour local election candidate, Juliet O’Connell, was distributing fliers mimicking ’s logo and masthead Dublin Gazette’s during her campaign in south Dublin – implying that our publication had endorsed her as a candidate.

We became aware of the unauthorised fliers after receiving numerous phone calls from concerned local residents, and politicians, who had all assumed that we were backing the candidate and had endorsed her as a candidate.

Neither was true.

Dublin Gazette was forced to publish a story clarifying our stance that we did not distribute the literature and do not endorse any political candidate, and will always fiercely protect both our branding and our political neutrality.

This protest was one of many that took place across the year, primarily involving students petitioning the Government to listen to concerns regarding the future of the planet, and their existing climate policies.

April

• AN TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar came under fire for using government stationery to invite Kylie Minogue to his office for a personal meet and greet.

He wrote the letter to the Australian starlet ahead of her gig in the capital in 2018, offering to give her a personal welcome to Ireland at his government offices.

Kylie, however,

seemingly declined the offer to meet at Leo’s offices, instead meeting backstage at her 3Arena gig.

• F O L LOW I N G Fe b ruary’s break-in that appalled people across the city, the crypts at St Michan’s Church in Smithfield were reconsecrated by Church of Ireland Archbishop Michael Jackson.

The reconsecration took place on April 11, meaning that the crypts are now regarded as a sacred place once again, and that those buried in the crypts can again be at rest.

• GARDAI found a monkey at a house on the

northside of the city earlier as part of a series of raids targeting organised crime.

George the Monkey was seized by Gardai and put into the care of the DSPCA following his discovery.

Worth an estimated €2,000, an investigation was launched to try and discover how George, a marmoset native to South America, was brought into Ireland.

• MORE than a million metres were rowed in Ringsend in early April, with members of St Patrick’s Rowing club racing to victory to raise money for one of their own.

Meters for Karl (Pic 08) took place outside Ringsend Library, with the club aiming to row more than a million metres on stationary rowing machines.

They successfully achieved their target and raised €25,000 for Karl Doyle and his family as he b a t t l e s c a n c e r.

Continued on Page 8

8 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 2 January 2020

YEAR IN REVIEW

A LOOK BACK AT SOME OF 2019’S TOP STORIES

A look back at 2019

9

10

Remember these pages?

Here’s a reminder of our terrific features content LAST year, we ran an incredible amount of feature content, covering everything from film to fashion, travel to taxes, music to motors, eating in or going out.

We also brought you many great supplements on old favourites, such as weddings and education, while our innovative exclusive content – such as

our multi-part analysis of vulture funds – were also a big hit with readers.

Here you can see a reminder of just some of our great pages, features and content from 2019 – and we promise, there’s lots more excellent content coming to you this year, right here in Dublin’s best community paper!

Pic 10 AUGUST: A shocking assault on an elderly man saw a candlit response by the Ballybough community

12 Pic 09 JUNE: Donald Trump – or at least, the Trump Baby Blimp – proved somewhat more popular than the divisive US president when it visited the capital

11

Pic 11 JULY: Penneys founder Arthur Ryan’s remains

Pic 12 JUNE: A sea of women – with a few rogue men – took

were applauded in the streets by a thankful citizenry

to the city centre for the annual mini marathon

Continued from Page 7

May

• RAHENY became home to the city’s first urban farm, having been officially opened by the Lord Mayor.

The new farm has pride of place in St Anne’s Park, and is entirely run by volunteers from the local community.

It is hoped that the farm will be fully sustainable through its lifetime, with a zero-carbon footprint.

• IN A poll conducted by Dublin Gazette, 80% of people said that public transport access in Dublin is not accessible to people with disabilities.

Just 18% of voters said that they believed public transport was accessible to all in the capital, with more than two thirds –some 80.5% – saying that better supports need to be given across the transport network.

Responses from Irish Rail, LUAS and

Minister for Transport Shane Ross to Dublin Gazette all committed to improving accessibility, going forward.

• DUBLINER Sinead Burke became the first ‘little person’ (Pic 16) to walk on the red carpet at the Met Gala, dressed in Gucci.

In an essay penned for Vogue, activist and public speaker Sinead wrote: “Growing up, I longed to witness someone like me on the livestream [of the Gala] – because the Met Gala is ... a global touchpoint for so many to be educated on the voices that we should listen to.”

• A MAN had his face plastered on ‘election posters’ across the Ranelagh area

– despite not running for election in the run up to the local elections in May. Darren Coen’s posters read ‘Independent and Single’ and were supposedly hung around the south city suburb in a prank by his friends.

• HORSE-DRAWN carriage drivers (Pic 13) in the city were left in a legal loophole this year, operating under old Victorian laws as a result.

The drivers teamed up with My Lovely Horse Rescue to deliver a letter to the Minister for Transport in May, calling for the old laws to be abolished.

In December, it was announced that Minister for Transport Shane Ross had received approval to

draft new legislation.

• A YOUNG girl from Dublin had her dream of becoming an author come true, with the launch of her debut novel in Eason’s on O’Connell Street.

Nine-year-old Brea Mullarkey from North Dublin had 200 copies of her adventure novel, Lost & Found (A bedtime story for my brothers), published by Gill Publishing, with the help of Make-AWish.

• THE demolition of a prominent part of a heritage building in Smithfield was blasted as “shameful destruction” earlier this year.

A section of the Old Irish Distillers Building was demolished following approval from Dublin City Council, with those who knocked down the wall ordered to rebuild the eastern wall of the historic building.

• THERE were some shocks in store as the results came in from the local elections

2 January 2020 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 9

YEAR IN REVIEW

IN THE CITY AREA 13

16

A look back at 2019

This was a blast from our past ...

LAST year, we marked a special birthday for the whole Gazette group, as we looked back at the very first issue that started it all off.

A lot has changed since then – although George W Bush still hasn’t visited Lucan, as far as we know – but your Dublin Gazette, by whatever edition, is still bringing you the very best in local, community news all across the city.

Pic 13 MAY: Horse-drawn carriage owners were calling for neigh more legal loopholes, as they protested over antiquated Victorian laws that were governing their trade

15

14

Pic 15 JULY: Brendan Grace, AKA Bottler,

Pic 16 MAY: Sinead Burke made history, as the first ‘little

Pic 14 JUNE: A hug from the mammy helped

AKA the Liberties lad done good, was

person’ to walk the red carpet at the Met Gala, as the

usher in the new Lord Mayor of Dublin

mourned by the city and the country

speaker and activist’s star continued to rise

earlier this year, as voter dissatisfaction restructured the balance of power across the city.

Bucking the national trend, Fine Gael retained its position of power, with the party holding the most seats on Dublin City Council, as was the case in the city’s other local authorities – but change was firmly in the air as ‘the Green wave’ swept that party’s representatives into various wards.

June

• A FINGLAS-born councillor was named as the 350th Lord Mayor of Dublin (Pic 14).

Lord Mayor Paul McAuliffe (FF) was voted into the coveted position at the first meeting of the newly elected council, with Tom Brabazon (FF) being named as the Deputy Lord Mayor.

• WHILST in town for their massive Slane gig, rockers Metal-

lica made sure to leave an impact on Dublin in more ways than one.

The Metal quartet made two massive donations to charity when they were in the city for rehearsals at the Olympia Theatre.

The band donated €35,500 to ISPCC Childline, and also the same amount to the Capuchin Day Centre.

• THIS month, we spoke to Tony Walsh, founder of Feed Our Homeless.

He told Dublin Gazette about the work done by the group, including providing food for hundreds of people in addition to providing an on-site support team at their weekly soup kitchens, as well as clothes.

With the numbers of those without homes continuing to rise, support services and charities such as Feed Our Homeless have become a key part of Dublin life.

• TRIBUTES were paid to the late Philomena Lynott – the mother of Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott – who passed away in June aged 88.

Philomena, who was from Crumlin, had been battling with cancer for a number of years.

July

• ONE of the city’s bestknown shops relocated from its premises on Nassau Street after 48 years at the same building.

Knobs & Knockers is one of the city’s most famous shops and had been trading on Nassau Street for more than four decades.

The shop has now moved to Baker’s Corner, near Deansgrange.

• THE late Penneys founder and chairman Arthur Ryan (83) was given a respectful and appreciative send-off by many current and former staff as his funeral procession passed through the city centre.

A guard of honour was formed at key locations, with staff at Jervis Street, and the Penneys store at Mary Street – the first Penneys store to open, in 1969 – joined by many citizens, with applause rippling through the onlookers as they paid a fond farewell to Mr Ryan.

• THE late Brendan Grace was given a worthy send-off by thousands of Dubliners, with laughter, tears, applause and cheers greeting the beloved comic on his

final journey through the city.

As with many of his gigs down the years, there was standing room only for those who had gathered near his funeral mass at the Church of St Nicholas of Myra in Francis Street, many of whom had waited for hours to pay their respects.

A who’s-who of Irish society attended the funeral mass, keen to honour ‘Bottler’, the lad from The Liberties whose spirit and humour had touched thousands.

August

• THE controversial proposed supervised injection room at Merchant’s Quay Ireland (MQI) was refused

permission by Dublin City Council.

What would have been Ireland’s first such facility for drug users, following similar models adopted in other countries, was rejected at the time by the council over concerns it would have a negative impact on tourism in the area.

However, MQI and Health Minister Simon Harris continued to push for the facility.

• MORE than 250 trucks lined the streets leading to Dardistown Cemetery, Cloghran as a mark of respect to the late Nick Collier, a truck driver who was killed in a tragic workplace accident on August 14.

• AN EMOTIONAL candlelit vigil was held in Ballybough (Pic 10) as the community rallied to show their support for a man injured in an assault.

Paddy Hansard (75) was attacked with a shovel at Courtney Place flats on his way home from the pub.

The community organised the vigil for Paddy, who along with his 16 siblings, has lived in the locality for most of his life.

He still struggles with his injuries, and the local community have raised hundreds in the months since his death to assist him as he recovers.

• THE country’s first – and only – quintuplets celebrated their 18th birthday in 2019, returning to the hospital where they were born to celebrate their big day.

The Cassidy quintuplets made their return to the Rotunda Hospital to visit the staff, who spent months caring for the siblings after they were born on August 16, 2001.

Continued on Page 10

10 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 2 January 2020

YEAR IN REVIEW Continued from Page 9

September

• COUNCILLORS voted for Lower Liffey street to be pedestrianised in the first council meeting of the term.

A protest had been held in support of pedestrianising the street.

More than 30,000 pedestrians use the street per day, located beside the Ha’penny Bridge. There’s no news yet on when the pedestrianisation will become permanent.

• BUSINESSES across Dublin now have to apply for a licence to have a ‘sandwich board’ outside their premises under a new regulation introduced in 2019 – a move that was praised by disability groups Since the introduction of the law in September, a number of ‘illegal’ boards have been seized.

• DUBLINERS mourned the loss of one of yet another of the city’s cultural institutions, The Bernard Shaw in Portobello, after the owners of the pub announced that it was to close to make room for a hotel.

However, not all was lost, as the Bernard Shaw moved to a venue in Phibsborough instead in early November, taking the Eatyard market with it.

• A CITY centre-based cobblers made the news, having offered to give a helping hand to homeless people by repairing ripped sleeping bags for free.

Tara Leathers, which has three shops in the city, posted on Facebook that they would repair the bags free of charge. They still offer this service.

• THREE beloved family dogs were seized from their home in Ballymun and removed to a pound, as they are considered a ‘restricted breed’.

The dogs belonged to a family living on a Dublin City Council property and had lived

with the family for many years.

However, the dogs were seized suddenly under 2007 legislation banning certain breeds of dogs from living in council-owned properties, and the owner’s story caused uproar on social media.

• RESIDENTS looking to live in O’Devaney Gardens following its redevelopment will need to earn at least €70,000 per annum to live in subsidised affordable housing in the development, it was announced.

This was just the beginning of the ongoing O’Devaney Gardens saga, which was shrouded in controversy in 2019.

• THERE was delight as the boys in blue made history, taking home five AllIreland championships wins in a row.

There was a huge homecoming ceremony for the team to mark the momentous occasion, as well as that of the Dublin ladies (both Pic 17 ) who won three times on the trot.

• STONEYBATTER was the only Irish town to be named on Time Out’s list of the world’s 50 coolest neighbourhoods, coming in at number 42 (Pic 18).

The list comprised 50 of the most exciting neighbourhoods in the world, collated by Time Out and drawing on a survey of more than 27,000 people globally.

October

• A FAMILY from Finglas became the stars of an ad campaign for an innovative new app, that aims to help bring the tradition of story time to deaf children.

Bobby and Sophia Walsh-Mooney, along-

A LOOK BACK AT SOME OF 2019’S TOP STORIES

side their mum, Cindy, appeared in the short film directed by Oscar-winning director Chris Overton, bringing the new StorySign app to life.

17

• MOORE Street traders called for help from Dublin City Council for assistance in dealing with growing levels of anti-social behaviour, following rumours that the last remaining traders wanted to withdraw from selling.

The traders said that they back plans to develop the locale but cannot continue to wait due to the levels of disorder that currently exist at the street.

• THE north Dublin dad of a 12-year-old wheelchair user continues to lead the charge on a campaign for more changing places to be installed across the county.

In an interview with Dublin Gazette, Adriaan Prestorius said: “Special needs people are having to stay at home, and that’s not right – they should be able to go out like everybody else.” The campaign continues.

• A KNOWN criminal was alleged to have extorted money from a company building houses for Dublin City Council, offering ‘protection’ from anti-social behaviour in return for thousands of euro, it was revealed in court.

• WE TOOK a look at the current street art scene in the city, upon the compulsory removal of some of the capital’s most distinctive murals (Pic 19), finding that 86% of our readers love seeing street art around the city centre.

Street artists, the public and local councillors alike all said they wanted to see

Pic 17 SEPTEMBER: Double delight ... Dublin’s Men’s GAA team made history with their five-in-a-row victories, and – not to be outdone – the Ladies celebrated a terrific three-in-a-row victory, with the county delighted by their wins

18

19

Pic 18 SEPTEMBER: The world, via Time

Pic 19 OCTOBER: We ran an extensive feature on the dearth of street art

Out, learned how cool Stoneybatter is

in Dublin’s increasingly sterile, bland streetscape

street art be a prevalent part of Dublin life, in our Dublin Gazette exclusive.

• A FRESH application was lodged for more than 650 apartments on lands adjacent to St Anne’s Park, despite a previous last application still in dispute in the High Court.

It states that the developers are looking to build nine blocks, ranging in height from five to nine storeys, with 657 apartments set to be constructed.

This is the latest move in the ongoing battle between Raheny locals and the developers of the project.

• A DETECTIVE in the Garda Ballistics unit, who lost a lung on duty some time ago, completed the Dublin Marathon this year in aid of Pieta House.

D e te c t ive A l a n Curry completed the marathon race in just

over five hours in an effort to raise much needed funds for the charity.

“This was my first [marathon] and with only one lung, I made it home in 5 hours and 15 minutes. I’m over the moon,” Det Curry told us after the race.

November

• HUNDREDS of books were donated to Scoil Caitriona after an appeal from Senator Aodhan O’Riordan, following a tragic blaze at the school in October which saw their library destroyed.

The infant end of the school returned to the

campus following the devastating blaze, with work underway to reinstate the senior end of the school and the library.

• DUBLIN – and the country – lost one of its greats, as RTE broadcaster Gay Byrne passed away (Pic 23) following a long battle with illness.

The 85-year-old broadcasting legend passed away surrounded by his family.

In a statement announcing ‘Gaybo’s passing, his family said: “It is with sadness that Kathleen, Crona and Suzy wish to announce that their belov-

ed Gay has died peacefully at home today, surrounded by his family.

“We wish to thank everybody for their love and support during Gay’s illness.

“Particularly the wonderful teams in the Mater Hospital, St Francis Hospice and the Irish Cancer Society.”

• RTE announced plans to cut hundreds of jobs in a move to address key financial issues facing the broadcaster.

In a release, the company said that it “needs to achieve a staff headcount reduction of 200 [jobs]” over the next year, in addition to introducing a number of other measures aimed at raising money for the public broadcaster.

• THERE was fury amongst Dubliners after a muchloved Christmas

2 January 2020 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 11

YEAR IN REVIEW

IN THE CITY AREA 21

20

A look back at 2019

Last but not least – some of our favourite front covers from last year ...

Pic 20 OCTOBER: Bemused Dubliners reacted negatively to the appearance of ‘Grafton Quarter’ signs, given that, anecdotally,

IT’S been the best of times, the worst of times ... a year of highs and lows – and your Dublin City Gazette has brought you all the stories that matter about communities all across Dublin city.

Whether celebrating or mourning, laughing or helping, or simply bringing you the news that matters, our front cov-

precisely nobody calls Grafton Street that

22

Pic 21 DECEMBER: Bingo players rallied to save their beloved game from a threat – since averted – of cutting big winnings by 50%

23

Pic 22 SEPTEMBER: While Brexit is anything but a laughing matter, at least An Taoiseach and Boris Johnson could exchange

Pic 23 NOVEMBER: Gay Byrne’s remains were applauded as the

pleasantries when they met

legendary broadcaster’s funeral cavalcade passed by

sign was replaced with a sign displaying the apparent new name for the Grafton Street area.

Following the illumination of the city’s Christmas lights, Dubliners were left perplexed after the traditional ‘Nollaig Shona Duit’ sign at the top of Grafton Street was replaced by a new sign: ‘Welcome to Grafton Quarter’ (Pic 20).

calling for The Drake Inn building in the village to be restored or repaired.

A planning application has been submitted for 37 apartments across five floors, with a ground floor gastropub unit.

The building has been vacant for more than a decade and left to fall into a dilapidated state.

This story is ongoing.

• THE O’Devaney Gardens saga took another twist, after a letter released under FOI threw plans into uncertainty.

Councillors voted for an amended plan on the project, but a letter from Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy threw the plans into question.

However, at a meeting in December, councillors voted not to rescind the vote for the amended plan.

December

• FINGLAS locals are

• NEARLY 40 councillors voted to approve plans for a €22.8m white water rafting centre at Spencer Dock, that will be used by sports teams, tourists,

Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) and more.

The plans have proved controversial amongst Dubliners, with many criticising the decision to approve the project in the midst of a major housing crisis.

• TRIBUTES poured in for a beloved shopkeeper in The Liberties, as the shop closed its doors for the final time on November 30.

Christy’s Hospital Stop Shop, on James Street sold its last bag of penny sweets as owner Christy Egan entered retirement, with locals recalling fond memories of his shop.

• BINGO players had cause to celebrate after the Government agreed not to cut large bingo winnings, following protests outside the Dail (Pic 21).

A new Bill had proposed that large bingo competition winnings could just pay out 50% in prize money takings, with the rest to go to charity.

However, following the protests by placard-waving bingoers, the Government has agreed to cap large prize winnings at 75%, not 50%.

• A BUS driver from Finglas did his best to get Dubliners in the festive spirit, whilst also raising money for a charity close to his own heart.

Ernie Gore is a driver for Go Ahead Ireland, and dressed up as Santa Claus whilst on duty to help raise money for Aoibheann’s Pink Tie (APT) in honour of his late daughter, Mia, raising close to €6,000 with his efforts.

ers are a window into the life of the city.

Dublin City Gazette has been a hit with readers (and advertisers), and we can’t wait to keep telling you all about life in the city as 2020 unfolds.

For now, last but definitely not least, here’s a look back at some of our own favourite front covers from last year ...

12 DUBLIN GAZETTE 2 January 2020

MOTORS: ROLLING INTO THE NEW YEAR : THIS new year is set

TRAVEL TRENDS FOR 2020

IT’S A NEW YEAR: Check out what’s in store as many travel-

MAGAZINE lers and tourists increasingly making eco-conscious choices, as well as Undertourism, Philantourism and Friendmoons. P16-17

DUBLIN



CINEMA: 2020’S GOODBYES P21

to bring a wide variety of new models across the board, as manufacturers reveal brandnew lines or the latest iterations on classic ranges, as well as adapting to emerging trends.

See what’s in store with our overview of what’s going to hit the roads in 2020.

PAGE 22

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

LIVE TOUR | A NEW HOST

It’s Dooley noted that Strictly Come Dancing will take over Dublin CLEAR THE floor and whip out your score cards, because the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour is coming to Dublin at the end of the month.

Fans will be delighted to hear that Strictly favourite and 2018 TV show winner Stacey Dooley is returning to host the tour for the first time.

Showcasing all the amazing choreography and live music that Strictly is known for, audiences will get to experience a host of breath taking dance routines.

Preparing to slip out of her dancing shoes and into the role of host, Stacey Dooley couldn’t be more excited.

“I can’t quite believe I’m going to be hosting the 2020 tour,” she says as she gets ready to follow in the footsteps of 2019 tour presenter Ore Oduba.

“Ore was amazing so he’s a tough act to follow.

“But it’ll just be lovely to get back with the dancers and to throw myself back into the world of Strictly.

“I’m so, so looking forward to it. I really can’t wait.”

The 2020 roadshow is set to be even bigger than in previous years, taking in

33 shows across nine venues.

Fans will again be treated to spectacular production numbers and the audience also gets to decide who walks away with the coveted Glitterball Trophy at the end of each show.

With Strictly currently in its 17th season on television and the live tour gearing up for its 13th outing, Stacey sees the arena show as a post-Christmas jamboree that keeps the party going.

“There’s a certain element of responsibility but I just want to make sure everyone has the most incredible time.

“People love Strictly and I want it to feel like a huge celebration.

“I just want it to feel like a real fun party. I want everyone to be on great form, I want them to be up dancing, I don’t want it to be reserved or straight or serious.”

“The audience are the best bit.

“They all love Strictly.

“That’s why they’re there and they get behind everyone.”

Strictly Come Dancing - The Live Tour, 3Arena Dublin, Tuesday 28th January

Stacey Dooley returns to Strictly Come Dancing as its host on the live tour

2 January 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 13

PURPLE HOUSE LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME

IN 2020, Purple House Cancer Support Centre will be 30 years old and to help make their need for a permanent centre a reality, they are asking the public to #takethechallenge of running, walking or cycling 30km in January.

A l te r n a t ive l y, t h e organisation is asking people to organise a fundraiser around the number 30 – a great way to get fit after Christmas.

Earlier this year, Purple House received potentially disastrous news: the home they have had for years was no longer fit for purpose and they needed to move out. They had also outgrown the space.

It was time to find somewhere new.

“We need your support to help make our vision of the creation of a permanent Community Based Cancer Support Centre of Excellence, a reality,” said a spokesperson.

“Somewhere for children to play with other k i d s w h o h ave l o s t

mammy or daddy, granny or grandad, or who are living with cancer in their family.

“Somewhere for parents, children and loved ones to attend counselling sessions, sit in a beautiful

your community.”

garden with new friends, enjoy the relaxing therapy of a massage, or simply have a private room where they can grieve in peace.

Luckily, we have found somewhere new to live.

“We can’t share the details just yet as it’s going through the sale process, but it’s bigger, and it will mean we can help more people. Best of all, it means we have a permanent space in the heart of

and recreational area • A dedicated children’s cancer therapeutic and family support area • Dedicated rooms for cancer survivorship and education programmes • A much bigger drop-in space, offering cancer support and information at a time that suits families • A garden where families can spend precious time together making memories

“

The new permanent Centre will provide: • More private rooms for counselling and therapies • A specially-designed cancer rehabilitation gym

We need your support to help make our vision of the creation of a permanent Community Based Cancer Support Centre of Excellence, a reality

John O’Sullivan presents cheque of €3,742 to Veronica O’Leary, founder and Director of Services at Purple House Cancer Support, after running the Chicago Marathon

SEE ENTERTAIMENT PAGE 20

SIX OF THE BEST: These are the acts and gigs to look out for in 2020



Cancer centre urges you to get fit in aid of fundraiser

FEATURE

14 DUBLIN GAZETTE 2 January 2020

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

BITS & BOBS

The oddest world news stories of the year…

The quirkiest, funniest, or just downright bizarre stories from the world in 2019

Commercial Director: Liz Ferris lferris@dublingazette.com

2019 just wasn’t to be Carlton’s year

IN FEBRUARY, the actor behind the legendary Carlton Dance from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air was told that he can’t copyright the slick moves.

Actor Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Carlton Banks, attempted to sue two computer game makers over the dance routine from the 90’s TV show but was been told by the US Copyright Office that the dance routine cannot be copyrighted.

The Copyright Office said that the moves

Group Editor: Patrick Finnegan pfinnegan@dublingazette.com Deputy Group Editor & Travel Editor: Shane Dillon sdillon@dublingazette.com Sports Editor: Stephen Findlater sfindlater@dublingazette.com Production Editor: Jessica Maile jmaile@dublingazette.com Picture Editor: Alison O’Hanlon picturedesk@dublingazette.com

American girl’s message hits Irish shores

Online & Style Editor: Rachel D’Arcy rdarcy@dublingazette.com Advertising Sales:

01 - 6010240 sales@dublingazette.com

FIND US ON

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.

– a swinging of the arms and hips – were simply a dance routine, rather than choreography that can be copyrighted. The dance was made popular in the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, which starred Will Smith back in the 90’s.

Ribeiro was suing the makers of the basketball game NBA 2K16, and cult war game Fortnite, which allow players to do a ‘victory dance’, similar to the legendary Carlton moves.

Woman claims a 300 year-old pirate ghost possessed her THE SUMMER months also sprung a surprise when in June a woman who claims she married the 300-year-old ghost of a pirate told how he nearly killed her after she broke off the relationship.

Amanda Teague was forced to undergo an exorcism after she says her former soulmate turned nasty and possessed her.

In 2016, she claimed to have married a Haitian pirate called Jack who died in the 1700s after being executed for thieving on the high seas.

But she says her union left her hospitalised after claiming she discovered that her husband was not all he made himself out to be The 47-year-old – who previously worked as a Captain Jack Sparrow impersonator– is now warning people about casually dabbling in spirituality.

I N M A RC H , i t w a s announced that a young American girl’s message in a bottle that travelled 3,500 miles was found by a grandmother walking on an Irish beach.

In October 2017 nineyear old Laura Terry and her science class at Summit School in Winston-Salem in North Carolina sealed mes-

sages 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,” said Terry.

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

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

Police recruit found to be a serial rapist AND IN September, police in the American state of Georgia announced they spent years on the hunt for a serial rapist – without realising they had recruited him as one of their force.

Kenneth Thomas Bowen III was connected to seven rapes and one sexual battery through DNA over the course of more than four years.

He was previously a Clayton County Police Academy Recruit in June, 2018 but was ultimately fired from the force last September for repeatedly showing up late to training, and

lying about where he was.

“Upon arriving, he gave multiple statements that differed as to where he was and who he was with. And I found that to be untruthful and a reason to remove him from our academy,” Clayton County Police Department Chief Kevin Roberts said last Wednesday.

“In actuality, had he not attempted to join the ranks of the Clayton County Police Department, it’s questionable as to when we would have apprehended him.”

2 January 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15

Digestive Delights COMMERCIAL FEATURE

We overeat this time of year and that’s not something to worry about too much. Your body will notice the change though, and it is important to assist it in any way we can as we load up on creamy delights and sugary snacks.

WE RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING TO EASE THE PRESSURE ON YOUR SYSTEM:

YOU WILL NEED: 2 x slices of wholegrain brown bread. Skip the sliced pan and grab a hearty loaf from your nearest bakery.

The more nuts & seeds the better.

1 x can of butter beans (drained) 1 x can of chopped tomatoes ½ grated red onion ½ clove of garlic 1 x red pepper, chopped finely 1 x handful of parsley, chopped 1 x squeeze of lemon 1 x tsp of smoked paprika 1 x sprinkle of chilli flakes 1 x tsp of coconut oil 1 tsp of agave syrup Sea Salt & pepper to taste

2. JUST BEFORE YOU EAT: Udo’s Choice Digestive Enzymes is a unique blend of 7 plant based digestive enzymes to assist in the breakdown of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and fibre.

3. IN BETWEEN MEALS: We tend to eat less wholegrains this time of year with pastries and cakes all around us. Try to ensure you get enough fibre. Homemade fresh smoothies are ideal to up your fruit and veg intake. Another option is Solgar® Psyllium Husks Fibre. This will help maintain regularity.

Take with lots of water.

WHAT TO DO: 1. Heat the oil in a small pan, add the onion, pepper and paprika, and fry gently until soft, about 10-15 mins.

2. Add the lemon along with the tomatoes, beans, agave syrup, chilli and some seasoning.

3. Stir & bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 mins or until slightly reduced and thickened.

4. Serve on top of your brown bread with your parsley – toasted is best.

4. AFTER DINNER: Made with organic aniseed, cardamom, chicory, fennel, ginger and licorice Pukka After Dinner Tea is a wonderfully soothing tea which will aid digestion after your meal.

STORE LOCATIONS

3 2

Fibre-powered breakfast This recipe is full of good fibre to set you up for a good day of digestion!

1. START OFF YOUR DAY WITH: Symprove is a unique bacteria water-based supplement to help support the gut microbiome. Best taken on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.

1

RECIPE CORNER

ARKLOW Bridgewater Shopping Centre North Quay, Arklow, Co.Wicklow 0402 24893 BLACKROCK Frascati Shopping Centre Blackrock Co. Dublin 01 2788855

4

BLANCHARDSTOWN Blanchardstown Centre Blanchardstown Dublin 15 01 822 2036 BRAY The Boulevard Quinsboro Road Co Dublin 01 286 1973

www.thehealthstore.ie

DUNDRUM Dundrum Town Centre Dublin 16 Dublin 01 205 1420

HENRY STREET 21 Henry Street Dublin 1 Dublin 01 685 9431 LIFFEY VALLEY Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, Dublin 22 01 675 4450 NEWBRIDGE Whitewater Shopping Centre Co. Kildare 045 434 250 STILLORGAN Stillorgan Village Co Dublin 01 210 8608 SWORDS Pavilions Shopping Centre Co Dublin 01 840 4438 TALLAGHT The Square Town Centre Dublin 24 01 4521181

16 DUBLIN GAZETTE 2 January 2020

2 January 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 17

latitude&longitude

TAKE A BREAK, AT HOME OR AWAY

TRAVEL

Could 2020 usher in the era of the train again, for tourism? While some countries – such as Switzerland – have excelled at making trains a key part of their overall tourism experience, the rest of us are still making tracks to try and catch up with a more diverse, and environmentally-friendly add-on or alternative for travel and tourism plans ...

Stylish Rosanna Davison will be on the look out for the Best Dressed Lady

Race on over to Naas for a staycation day out with a difference to welcome in 2020 NOW that the New Year is here, race fans are invited to take a staycation day out at Naas Racecourse this Sunday, January 5.

Model and author Rosanna Davison (above) will be the celebrity judge for the Best Dressed Lady competition on the day, which will be sure to have some superb prizes for the winner and the runners-up.

The overall winner’s prizes include a luxurious suite stay at

Westbury on Conde Nast’s new Gold List THE Westbury Hotel had cause to celebrate with the news that it was one of only two hotels in Ireland to make it onto Conde Nast’s Gold List 2020.

Joining Adare Manor in Limerick, the Dublin hotel joined the award-winning editorial teams’ list of alltime favourites.

To be listed is a highly-prestigious achievement in itself, with the Conde Nast team’s international reputation for the best of the best putting the two Irish hotels in with very fine company.

For full information on all the hotels included on the Conde Nast Gold List 2020, see traveller.uk/goldlist, or pick up the Conde Nast Traveller January/February 2020 issue, out now.

Lawlor’s of Naas Town Centre Hotel, €1,500worth of hairdressing and accessories from Alan Keville for Hair, and a €1,500 voucher from Residence Day Spa in Naas.

However, the main focus of the day is, of course, lots of exciting racing, with the day offering an early look at names to watch in 2020.

The Grade One Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle is the first major race of 2020 and

will have a total prize fund of €90,000, presenting a great indicator of what horses are set to make waves on the racing scene over the remainder of the season.

There are seven races on the card on the day, with the first race going to post at 12:50pm. Admission is €15 for adults, and children under 18 go free.

For further information, see www.naasracecourse.com.

Gran Canaria

A dream early 2020 sun holiday in either Dubai (top) or Miami (above) could be much cheaper than you think

A late deal offer could give you an early dream holiday

Some top travel trends to see in 2020 SHANE DILLON

Travel Editor

Jet off to the New Year sun without breaking the bank GRAB your suitcase and get ready to jet off to Gran Canaria (above) with a last-minute deal from TUI Holidays. The travel experts have a range of budget-friendly breaks on offer this month (correct at the time of writing) for anyone looking to get into 2020 with a bit of sun.

For example, you could head to Gran Canaria, Mirador Maspalomas By Dunas, Maspalomas, for a 3-star, all-inclusive, seven-night from just €559pps, deparing on January 16.

Alternatively, depart on January 17 from Dublin to Tenerife, Hotel Catalonia Las Vegas, Puerto de la Cruz, 3-star-plus, half board, seven nights from €539pps.

You could also depart January 20, Dublin to Lanzarote, Lanzarote Paradise Club, Costa Tequise, 2-star-plus, self-catering, seven nights from €429pps.

For information on these and other deals, call 1850 45 35 45 or see www.tuiholidays.ie.

IT’S a new year – which means a new list of top travel trends to look out for as 2020 gets under way.

We’ve already seen a number of new trends making their presence felt in the travel sector in recent years, with many travellers and tourists increasingly making ecoconscious choices, as well as beginning to avoid politically-sensitive destinations, to name but two.

Here, then, are some new and developing travel trends to look out for in 2020 – how many of these do you think will be affecting your travel choices?

In no particular order ...

Undertourism MASS tourism was once seen as a blessing and a boon, but recent years has brought a greater awareness of the problems and issues that can

also arise – even prompting local protests against too many tourists, or even against any tourism at all.

In 2020, Undertourism – promoting sustainable tourism that truly supports, not overwhelms, cities and communities – is expected to become much more widespread.

Fo r e x a m p l e, t h e ancient, beautiful city of Vienna is developing a vision for the future that, rather than simply trying to increase visitor numbers, is putting sustainable growth first to focus on balancing the needs of visitors and residents alike in its Visitor Economy Strategy 2025 With most Viennese supporting tourism, the strategic planning of better marrying tourism with local development is expected not just to add value to the city, but to help guide similar strategies for other cities and destinations seeking to more sustainably remodel their approach to tourism.

Tagskryt (train-bragging) P RO N O U N C E D ‘ t a g sturt’, Tagskryt is a Scandinavian term for ‘trainbragging’, marking the new trend for those who are looking to reduce their carbon footprint and cut down on air travel, yet still see the world – cue the rise of the humble train ticket.

Travelling by train is becoming increasingly popular each year throughout Europe; while you might be affected by a country’s limited rail lines (I’m sure we can all think of one small, wet country that’s applicable here), you’ll find that many countries have excellent rail links to all corners.

Wherever you roam by rail, you’ll be sure to find rail deals geared for train tourists, while many cities have rail-and-stay deals offers, or have destinations within a stone’s throw of a chain such as the EU-wide Generator hostels.

Reinvented destinations “ONCE bitten, twice shy” very much applies to tourism, with many tourists forever put off revisiting a ‘bad’ city or place – and then telling others not to visit.

Many destinations have started to tackle unwanted, and often unfair, impressions that they may have acquired, with a serious effort to reinvent their reputation and educate their visitors about what else they have on offer.

For example, as a popular backpacker stop, Vang Vieng in Laos used to only be partying; however, the area has slowly been reinventing itself and in 2020 is encouraging travellers to rediscover the destination.

Vang Vieng has grown into a hub for nature lovers and those seeking adventure and a holiday off the beaten track, with the launch of a first international hotel, Amari Vang Vieng, now

giving travellers the perfect base from which to explore.

This shift in focus – away from what may have made an area wellknown, to a newfound fame and reputation – is something we can expect to see more and more destinations embracing.

by reclaiming Puerto Rico’s agricultural and culinary independence.

Every visitor to the likes of Puerto Rico counts, and will be actively helping to rebuild and support the island, and local livelihoods, as well as offering a still stunning destination to visit.

Philantourism BEST described as the act of choosing a holiday or experience in order to support a destination, ‘Philantourism’ invites visitors to eat locally, shop locally and tour locally so that their money is going into local pockets.

For example, a trip to Puerto Rico also offers visitors unique opportunities to support local communities in 2020, as the island seeks to continue rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

The mobilisation of a network of cooks, farmers and restaurateurs is helping to rebuild the island

Friendmoons DESCRIBED as holidays that are taken with close friends to celebrate milestones such as weddings, ‘ f r i e n d ive rs a r i e s ’ o r any other big life event, ‘Friendmoons’ is basically a holiday with emotional, meaningful depth attached.

For example, many newlyweds are beginning to invite their closest friends to join them on their honeymoons to celebrate their next chapter together – a break with your ‘Besties’ could be a great getaway for all involved, adding some more precious memories to the mix.

Despite the clunky

name, Friendmooning offers a whole new sector for travel trends, and is definitely one to watch develop through 2020.

Micro-cations WHY go away on ‘the big trip’ when you can take Micro-cations instead?

These are shorter, more frequent trips that can be taken throughout the year, as opposed to one big annual trip. They require less preparation, therefore alleviating the stress that goes hand in hand with handovers, booking time off and planning one long trip.

Micro-cations can help those who need recharging but without the stress of planning longer leave.

I r i s h to u r i s t s a re already old hands at the micro-cation trend, with shopping trips to New York, or London weekend getaways, perfect examples of the trend for brief but busy holidays.

With a dizzying range of hotel, city and flight offers already aimed at

what we can now call ‘micro-cationers’, this is one travel trend that’s set to run and run.

Edventure EDUCATIONAL adventure, or ‘Edventure’, is designed for those looking for travel experiences that enriches them on numerous levels, combining travel and adventure with education.

2020 will host a remarkable array of Edventures across the globe, offering holidays where travellers can immerse themselves in their destination and learn all about it, and the local culture and people.

By combining your holiday with an educational aspect, you’ll undoubtedly connect with your destination in a deeper way than if you just fly through in a week or a weekend.

Responsible tourism IN ADDITION to more environmentally-friendly tourism, the desire to live and travel in a way that is

more sustainable will be to the fore for many.

In addition to seeing cities and countries tackling their waste and use of plastics in a more targeted, focused manner, tourist planners are expected to continue pushing for Greener holidays, reducing the carbon footprint for tourists as well as reducing the impact on local environments.

Single-use plastics, as but one example, are increasingly being banned by companies and countries alike, with cities that are taking the lead on rebranding over their Green credentials – such as Santa Monica, in America – expected to capitalise on eco-tourism interests.

As pa r t of such a focus, we can expect to see more and more cities and countries promoting public and Greener transport, rather than pushing the private hire model of old, such as hire cars and the like.

IF YOU’RE looking to clear your head after a busy Christmas, why not do so with a blast of clear sea air?

You’ll certainly refresh your mind for the year ahead with a seabound journey, with a range of late offers all set to whisk any would-be travellers off around the world.

Planetcruise.com have put together a number of cruise holidays that are sure to make a splash with anyone looking for a dream holiday to usher in 2020 in style.

For example, why not set sail on January 29 for exotic Dubai, Oman and Abu Dhabi?

You could enjoy a 10-night cruise and stay onboard Costa Cruises Costa Diadema, from €1,499pp (full board on cruise), flying from Dublin on January 29.

The cruise includes return flights, a two-night pre-cruise 5-star hotel stay in Dubai, an overnight onboard in Abu Dhabi, and stops offs in Khor Al Fakkan and Doha.

You’ll be treated to all the comforts of home –and much more – aboard the stylish Costa Diadema, while bustling Dubai is a wonderfully modern contrast with Khor Al Fakkan and Doha.

Alternatively, steer your holiday in the other direction and head west, with a memorable Miami South Beach stay, with Western Caribbean stopovers.

Setting off on January 17, enjoy a 10-night fly/ cruise onboard MSC Cruises MSC Meraviglia from just €1,549pp (full board on cruise), flying from Dublin on January 17.

The trip includes return flights, a two-night pre-cruise stay in Miami, and stop-offs in Costa Maya, Belize City, Roatan Island and Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.

Vibrant, sun-kissed Miami needs no introduction to Irish holidaymakers, while the Western Caribbean destinations are a delight in themselves – assuming you can tear yourself away from the MSC Meraviglia.

For full details on these and other great cruise offers (available at the time of going to press), see www.planetcruise.com/ie, or call 01 485 4535.

18 DUBLIN GAZETTE 2 January 2020

TECH

HOW MANY OF THESE STORIES DO YOU RECALL?

When is an orange smudge (main) not just an orange smudge?

When it’s Mankind’s first photo of a black hole, some 55 million light years away in the M87 galaxy – making this swirling blob one of the most important images, to date, in Man’s history. Above: Samsung made headlines with its new Fold phone’s unexpected problems in April. Right: this video about eyelash curling made global headlines in November – but why?

How black holes and TV streaming wars made tech headlines in 2019 SHANE DILLON

Tech Editor WHAT A year that was for tech news! As with most years, some of the most entertaining tech stories from 2019 involved some of the worst news. As such, here are just some of the highlights – or lowlights – from 2019 …

SAMSUNG was left redfaced in April when its revolutionary Galaxy Fold made headlines for all the wrong reasons all over the world.

The concept sounds cool: fold out or unfold your phone, revealing a much larger screen to use.

Unfortunately, the hardware itself couldn’t quite live up to the concept, with the central fold often developing a bulge, or other issues effectively making the Fold unusable.

Va r i o u s rev i ewe rs reported problems within days, and some within hours, sending Samsung back to the drawing board to tinker with the design.

HUAWEI, the Chinese tech titan that nobody

much in the West had heard of even a year or two ago, was plunged into crisis in May as Sino-US relations soured.

The years 2018 and 2019 saw Huawei leap into Western consumer minds with decent phones, while it also maintained serious tech credentials of interest to corporations, state bodies and governments, but 2019 must have left Huawei wishing it could phone a friend.

At this juncture, as the international political spat continues, Huawei has found itself caught in the crossfire, continuing to promote its pretty decent consumer phone business, but stymied in various business quarters by the continuing trade war and related ‘security concerns’.

FACEBOOK found some spare change down the back of its corporate sofa in July – some $5bn, to you and me – when it was fined by America’s FTC over how it handled user data, as highlighted by the fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

The hefty sum reflected more than just a record fine by the FTC, as it was just part of a suite of penalties dished out.

Facebook was also mandated with scrutinising a wide range of related security issues, such as third-party apps, how passwords are encrypted, and other such matters.

The fine was just one of a number of critical stories that Facebook found itself making headlines with this year, with the stark issue of what Facebook moderators see, and the support and training they get, also reoccurring throughout the year alongside a raft of ongoing privacy concerns.

THE ‘Dark Web’ – the underbelly of the internet that most users will never directly access – was briefly dragged into the light in August when a notorious message board, 8chan, was shut down.

Repeatedly linked to a number of mass shootings this year, with mass murderers posting manifestos and threats there, 8chan was seen as just too

lawless for even the Dark Web, and effectively shut down for a while.

It’s since bounced back under a new name, but the background battle to keep 8chan shut (or open) provides a sober reminder that, for millions of people, online data and communication is about more than sharing Baby Yoda memes or what’s ‘trending’ that day.

TIKTOK, the viral video creation/sharing platform that hit the popularity stratosphere with youthful users in 2019, drew a little too much attention in November because of a make-up video posted by an American teen.

As far as I know, there’s not usually very much that’s controversial about information on how to curl your eyelashes.

Unless, of course, you simultaneously use your video to criticise the Chinese government over its treatment of Muslims, which drew great global attention – and criticism – in 2019.

The teen’s subsequent account suspension drew

a global outcry and media headlines, leading TikTok to apologise and reinstatement her account.

If nothing else, the affair shed light on how even minor social media ‘infractions’ can have some serious consequences and spark global interest.

NETFLIX’S once iron grasp on viewing habits began to loosen further in November with the launch of rival major streaming platforms, such as Disney Plus, and Apple TV plus, ready to also join the likes of Hulu and Amazon.

While Netflix’s magic bottomless sack of money is unlikely to run out any time soon, the arrival of two further serious streaming players left many analysts wailing that the ‘golden age of streaming’ is either over, or evolving, depending on your point of view.

The departure of all kinds of stalwart content over to the new rivals was a blow to Netflix, with 2020 set to see the streaming wars increase.

Meanwhile, the spectre of an Irish broadcasting charge/tax for every household, in lieu of ye olde TV Licence, was also briefly raised in 2019, particularly with RTE’s wellpublicised balance sheet struggles making domestic headlines.

However, the Government kicked that potentially nasty can down the road, leaving what would arguably amount to an Internet tax for another year.

ALSO in November – what a month that was – Google perplexed gamers the world over with the launch of its Stadia games console.

It’s not a console, per se, but relies on the power of super-duper Google servers to run the game for you, then transmit it to your place for you to play.

Which would be lovely if you happen to have super fast, reliable internet access ... which thus rules out a hell of a lot of Planet Earth from being able to use Stadia properly.

There’s an interesting idea there, but Stadia may

just be tech that’s years ahead of mass appeal or adoption.

Time will tell whether Stadia takes off, or disappears into the black hole of oblivion.

Speaking of which...

FINALLY, one of the world’s most important photos came and went with relatively little fanfare in April, as we were treated to the very first photo of a black hole, courtesy of NASA boffins.

Some imagination was possibly required when regarding the not exactly earth-and-spaceshattering blurry digital image of an orange blob, but the fact such a shot exists was one for the history books, and quietly marked another milestone for Man contemplating his place in the universe.

If you happen to be visiting the centre of the M87 galaxy (about 55 million light years away) any time soon and can take a clearer shot of the black hole there, don’t forget to send it in to us.

You just might win our Photo of the Week title.

2 January 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 19

GALLERIES OF THE WEEK

Kids of all ages have loved seeing how everything from classic nursery rhymes to Irish legends have been brought to life. Pictures: Shane Dillon

Makes light work of any post-Christmas boredom N

OW that the new year has dawned, time’s almost up for children of all ages to romp on over to Dublin Zoo, where Wild Lights has wowed many thousands since its November opening.

The colourful night-time transformation of the zoo – which draws to a close on Sunday, January 12 – has

From wild plants to truly wild beasts, the lights cover a wide range of things in vibrant style, bursting with colour and sheer imagination

lived up to the high standard set by 2018’s impressive outing, with this year’s experience – Wild Lights – going a step further.

Featuring everything from titans of Irish legend and mythology to more internationally recognised figures drawn from the likes of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Peter

Pan, the Jungle Book and other classic tales, Wild Lights has upped the ante in night-time entertainment for families, with the dead of Winter nights proving the perfect setting to appreciate the starkly striking vibrant colours.

With illuminations dancing all around, Wild Lights has definitely made light work of enthralling Dubliners.

At every turn, from large sights to walk through, to more intimately scaled exhibits to admire, there’s something to wow and impress

20 DUBLIN GAZETTE 2 January 2020

Six of the best acts and gigs to look out for in 2020 IN THE ever-changing environs of Dublin’s lively music scene, it can be hard to stop and take stock of what’s coming up on the outside, especially amid the broader trends of venue difficulties, an increasingly outstanding Rock scene, and the growth in domestic Hip-Hop. At the risk of playing Nostradamus, we thought we’d have a go at earmarking what are likely to be the highest ebbs in another  JAMES HENDICOTT year of aural culture. Here are our six ‘best bets’...

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Fontaines DC (Pic A) Already one of Dublin’s most-hyped bands for quite some time, Liberties act Fontaines DC are fresh from two absolutely pulsating shows at Vicar Street, both of which had ‘gold dust’ level ticket issues.So much so that next summer’s Iveagh Gardens show is sold out already, too.

They just get better: fronted by the enigmatic Grian Chattan, the next album is alleged to have unlikely influences from the Beach Boys.

Given their previous, largely quite abrasive style, that seems unlikely.

Whatever they do, though, it is likely to evoke modern-day Dublin in spades, and we can’t get enough of it.

Joy Crookes (Pic B) Another rising star of the increasingly compelling Irish modern Soul scene, Joy Crookes was recently listed on YouTube’s prestigious ‘ones to watch’ UK and Ireland for next year.

She’s already worked with classy rapper Jafaris and released three introductory EPs, sneaking into young consciousness in spreading her sparkling sounds via her various heavily-followed social media accounts.

Check out Don’t Let Me Down in particular – we’re expecting big things.

Longitude (Pic C) Sure, this festival in Marlay Park has been going a while now, and is very far from universally popular locally.

That said, it is the main offering, bringing worldclass Hip-Hop into Ireland at a time when the genre is the most prominent it has ever been in terms of its overall musical footprint on this side of the pond.

This year’s line-up is particularly strong, with superstar headliners in the poignantly political Kendrick Lamar and snappy, bitter Tyler, The Creator (shown).

By the time you read this, the festival will already be on sale.

Sunstroke (Pic D) The return of a festival that spent a few all-tooshort years in Dalymount and the RDS a quarter of a century ago is a big one for Irish rock fans, who are poorly catered for on the modern-day Irish festival scene, especially those with heavier leanings.

The festival’s return lands in mid-June in Punchestown, and features the likes of Faith No More (shown), Killing Joke, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Deftones, and some of the very best on the modernday Irish guitar scene.

For Indie fans, the new Irish version of legendary Brighton festival The

Great Escape looks pretty hot, too.

Sia Babez (Pic E) Wa t c h t h i s f u t u r e megastar fly. Sia Babez (or Seorsia Leagh, to her family) has stuck her head above the parapet this year and the Portlaoisebased fusion artist – who explores Pop with a blend of Soul and R&B on the side – looks all set to make a big impact with tracks such as recent single Hit My Line.

She recently grabbed Simon Cowell’s attention on X-Factor: The Band, appearing with Little Mix, but – forgive us, X Factor fans – has far more depth to her enticing music than such an association would suggest.

David Keenan (Pic F) Dundalk man David Keenan has made an impressive impact for a man yet to release a record, a journey that includes headlining The Olympia recently.

He’s quite the poet, a subtle, delicate songwriter whose melodies are absolutely loaded with a young life daringly lived, including running away from home to search out the frontman of The Las, and busking for a living in Liverpool as a teenager.

His debut album comes out in January, and is expected to see him fly.

2 January 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 21

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS WORTH NOTING

ENTERTAINMENT

OBITUARIES | SOME OF THE GREATEST NAMES ON OR OFF THE SILVER SCREEN WHO PASSED AWAY

Those Cinema lost in 2019

LAST year saw some very notable Cinema legends pass away, but 2019 kept pace with even 2018’s sharp losses.

Women fared noticeably  SHANE DILLON better than men in 2019, with leading female actors, writers, directors and instrumental figures outliving their male counterparts in a year that was markedly skewed more than usual towards male deaths.

However, all these men and women made their mark in Cinema alongside their peers; some as leading stars, others as cult figures, and others more indirectly.

Without further ado, here are some of the sad Cinema losses for 2019, presented in no particular order.

Despite their very different roles and careers, they all deserve to be remembered, and will certainly be missed in the years to come ...

1) BRUNO GANZ Actor March 22, 1931 – February 16, 2019 IF NOTHING else, Ganz was prolific, with the Swiss actor long associated with German films, but also finding a string of international directors who could find any human experience effortlessly portrayed by the complex, brilliant actor.

As such, international directors also regularly called on him to play startling characters, with Ganz a true everyman actor.

Whether playing the best or worst of humanity with equal passion, Ganz moved people with such roles as a contemplative angel in Wings of Desire, unnerved with an eerie turn as Adolf Hitler in Downfall, and otherwise made unforgettable roles of even forgettable parts.

2) DORIS DAY Actress April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019 FETED as the leading lady of the 1950s, and one of the most recognisable stars in the world for many years, Day would turn out to be perhaps her own harshest critic, retiring prematurely from acting.

Blessed with a honeyed voice that was as good as her acting, Day was one

of the last true stars at the end of Hollywood’s golden era, as hit after hit after hit rolled out – On Moonlight Bay, Pillow Talk, Calamity Jane, and many more.

With the darker mood of the 1960s, Day felt that her sweetheart roles were out of step with changing appetites, and effectively retired, with occasional studio albums following.

Today, a new appreciation of her acting, and singing skills, has seen her once again regarded very warmly as a classic, inimitable Hollywood star.

3) ALBERT FINNEY Actor May 9, 1936 – Feb 7 A ONE-MAN powerhouse, Finney dominated English theatre and television for many years.

With a veritable who’swho of leading co-stars working alongside him, Finney was often at the centre of legendary productions, and while he could chew the scenery in the likes of Annie, more nuanced turns, as seen in Erin Brockovich, earned awards and nominations.

Despite his often leading roles as powerful figures, Finney often delighted in playing ‘ordinary’ roles, giving voice and power to working class heroes just as much as the larger-thanlife roles he also excelled in.

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4) TONI MORRISON Novelist Feb 18, 1931 – Aug 5 ALTHOUGH she was primarily known as an acclaimed novelist, essayist and professor, among many talents, Morrison also made her mark in Cinema – just one more cultural field that mourned her loss.

As the subject of endless films and documentaries, Morrison’s direct cinematic legacy was 1998’s Beloved, which performed poorly at the box office yet had a cross-cultural interest for blending political and social realism with more fantastical elements.

Morrison’s works were also cited by many actors and directors as being an influence on their work.

5) NIALL TOIBIN Actor Nov 21, 1929 – Nov 13 THANKS to his wide-ranging roles, Toibin was able to pull off everything from the very definition of the

archetypal ‘cute hoor’ to cold authority figures, and everything in between.

The Corkonian was able to delight audiences with his wit and comedy as much as his impressive acting prowess, proving a natural for all kinds of light-hearted comic roles, and also proving a natural at roles which required a much colder, harder edge.

A staple of Irish television and theatre for many years, his many film roles included the likes of Ryan’s Daughter, The Ballroom of Romance, Eat the Peach and Far and Away.

6) PETER FONDA Actor Feb 23, 1940 – Aug 16 FEW rode the cultural zeitgeist like Peter Fonda, who found fame at the helm of the counterculture wave of the mid to late 1960s, most famously with Easy Rider.

For many, Fonda became the face of resistance to the conventional order of

things, seeing him take on roles that often saw him playing against authority.

The 1980s saw him drift with many of his peers into ‘zany’ star vehicles like The Cannonball Run, leading to increasingly unworthy film roles.

Still, few actors could claim to be the face of a counterculture, with Fonda cementing an acting clan that still holds power in Hollywood today.

7) RIP TORN Actor Feb 6, 1931 – July 9 THERE are hellraisers – and then there’s Rip Torn, a one-man force of nature who was as famous for hindering his own career as he was for being stubbornly admired, despite his rowdy nature.

Famously volatile, Torn was attached to all kinds of leading roles and projects which made A-list stars of others, yet which he either passed on – or got kicked off – earning notoriety.

Still, he retained a lot of respect in Hollywood, with his gravelly voice, bulldog face and brusque persona making him an inimitable comic foil in later years, seeing him taking on scene-stealing roles in everything from Men in Black to Dodgeball.

8) PETER MAYHEW Actor May 19, 1944 – Apr 30 WITH only one role of note – that of Chewbacca, the Wookie, in the Star Wars franchise – Mayhew’s Cinema legacy was slight, yet far-reaching.

Hundreds of millions of people around the world, across some decades, saw the 7’2” actor lumber about in the films, grunting his way through one Star Wars film and setpiece after another.

Significant later health issues greatly affected him, yet Mayhew still toured conventions and met as many fans as possible, proving to be a decent,

caring individual behind the Wookie mask.

9) RUTGER HAUER Actor Jan 23, 1944 – July 19 FAMILIAR to many Irish viewers as the face of Guinness in a popular series of ads, Dutch actor Hauer would prove to be one of Cinema’s most charismatic actors.

Blessed with piercing eyes and raw charisma, Hauer often made brilliant parts out of bad roles in terrible films.

He earned his place in Cinema history with his role as a replicant in Blade Runner, delivering a part-improvised soliloquy now regarded as one of Cinema’s most famous speeches.

It was a singular role, with Hauer never scaling such impressive heights again as he slipped through successive years in lesser films. Still, even at his worst, Hauer was a mesmerising presence.

22 DUBLIN GAZETTE 2 January 2020

MOTORS

NEW VEHICLES AND LINES ON THE WAY THIS YEAR

Roll along with our preview of new motors on the way in 2020 DECLAN GLYNN

THIS new year is set to bring a wide variety of new models across the board, as manufacturers reveal brand-new lines or the latest iterations on classic ranges, as well as adapting to emerging trends.

We’re sure to see a number of feature ALFA ROMEO Regarded as being one of the most important cars from the Italian car manufacturer, the Tonale will joins its Stelvio big brother in Alfa Romeo’s SUV lineup.

AUDI Having had a busy 2019 in terms of new car launches, the German premium car manufacturer is set for yet another busy year in 2020.

The new A4 Saloon and Avant (estate) are on sale now, as is the sleek new Q3 Sportback (coupeSUV), with Q5, Q7, A7 and A8 plug-in hybrids on the way.

A refreshed A5 Sportback and A5 Coupe will be available in early 2020, while a subtle redesign for the Q7 will keep this large & luxurious SUV fresh in the face of some talented competitors.

BMW New models from BMW include a new X6, a secondgeneration X5 xDrive45e plug-in hybrid, a new 2-Series Gran Coupe, an all-electric X3, and an X3 xDrive30e plug-in hybrid too.

CITROEN On the way from Citroen for 2020 is their first plug-

sets continuing to make their mark, with the sure and certain rise of EVs (electric vehicles), and increasing efforts to be more environmentally-friendly, just two of the trends to continue watching.

Here, however, are what some of the main manufacturers are bringing us in 2020, in alphabetical order ...

in hybrid. The C5 Aircross PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) will use an 80kWh petrol engine paired to an electric motor and a 13.2kW lithium-ion battery.

DACIA Known for their no-nonsense approach to affordability, the spacious Duster SUV will benefit from a new, more fuel-efficient TCe100 petrol engine.

FIAT Following a relatively serene year in 2019 for the Italian manufacturing giant, the big news for 2020 will be the launch of a fully-electric version of the iconic FIAT 500.

FORD New models due from Ford for 2020 include the all-new Puma mild-hybrid compact SUV, a new Kuga petrol plug-in hybrid, and an all-electric performance SUV, which will be marketed as a Mustang Mach E. HONDA Due to launch this Spring is a hybrid-only Jazz supermini, while an all-new, all-electric Honda-e will follow later in the year.

HYUNDAI New launches from the

Korean motor manufacturing giant include a new hybrid version of the wonderful Kona, a refreshed all-electric Ioniq, and a new i10 compact city car, which promises to be more stylish on the outside, and smarter on the inside.

JAGUAR The only announcement for the iconic British sports car manufacturer for 2020 is the launch of a heavily-revised F-Type in the spring.

KIA New launches from KIA include a PHEV version of the recently-launched XCeed, a facelifted version of the all-electric e-Niro SUV, and a Sportage 1.6D with mild-hybrid technology.

LEXUS The Lexus RX large SUV will benefit from a new front design and interior when it is launched in early 2020.

MAZDA New for 2020 comes Mazda’s third model in their impressive SUV line-up, the all-new CX-30.

A new Mazda 2 launched in January, and a new CX-5 is expected in the middle of the year.

MERCEDES-BENZ Following on from a very busy 2019, the German premium car manufacturer is set for another busy year in 2020.

Models due include a new GLS (SUV), GLB (SUV), GLE Coupe, GLA (Compact SUV), and a new S-Class.

MINI Due in March is an all-electric MINI to commemorate the brand’s 60th anniversary.

MITSUBISHI Early 2020 will see the launch of a new Space Star, with a new Eclipse Cross PHEV due in October.

NISSAN The big news from Nissan for 2020 is the launch of the much-anticipated second-generation Juke Crossover/SUV which is available to order now.

OPEL An important arrival from Opel for 2020 is their new Corsa (internal combustion engines, and an electric e-Corsa too), while a hybrid Grandland X will join Opel’s passenger car range in the spring.

An all-new Mokka X will launch later in the year, along with an electric version of Opel’s big-selling Vivaro van.

PEUGEOT Straight off the blocks in January is the all-new 208 (petrol and diesel powered), and an all-electric e-208, along with plug-in

From top: New Opel Corsa; Subaru Forester and XV e-Boxer; new Peugeot 2018

hybrid editions of the 508 Fastback and SW. Also due in 2020 are the 2008 and 3008 Hybrid4 models.

RENAULT Quoted as being one of the world’s most successful cars, the Clio MK4 has been replaced by a new fifth-generation model, which is lighter, more spacious and more efficient than ever before.

Also due is a revised Captur, extended range ZOE R (52kWh battery), and a revised Koleos.

SEAT The Spanish manufacturer’s first all-electric model, the el-Born, is due in 2020, alongside a new-genera-

tion Leon (petrol, diesel & plug-in hybrid), and a plugin hybrid Tarraco too.

SKODA The recently launched Kamiq (small SUV) is based on its SEAT Arona, and VW T-Cross cousins, and is available in petrol and diesel engine guises.

Also due is a plug-in hybrid version of the superspacious Superb, and a fourth-generation of the big-selling Octavia.

SUBARU New technology from the iconic Japanese brand will be a mild-hybrid petrol-electic system called e-Boxer, which will feature in their XV Crossover, and the all-new Forester SUV.

TOYOTA The ultra-popular C-HR crossover benefits from styling revisions along with a new 2.0-litre hybrid powertrain in quarter one of 2020.

VOLVO L a s t a l p h a b e t i c a l l y, but by no means least, the Swedish brand will launch their XC40 plugin hybrid in March, while plug-in hybrid versions of the S60 & V60 are also expected in 2020.

March will also see the release of a V60 Cross Country D4 AWD Auto with 190bhp (priced from €52,500), while a new V40, and an all-electric XC40 are coming down the line too.

2 January 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 23

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26 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 2 January 2020

THE BEST IN DUBLIN

SPORT

REVIEW OF THE YEAR: LOOKING BACK: GAZETTESPORT looks back on an another incredible year for local sport stars from county glory to Olympic qualification and club success across the sporting spectrum.

It culminated in one spectacular weekend in September with the All-Ireland football double painting the capital blue.



GAZETTE

2 January 2020 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 27

PAGE 28-31

LET DUBLIN GAZETTE NEWSPAPERS INFORM YOU OF THE HIGHLIGHTS AND SCORES OF YOUR FAVOURITE TEAMS HOCKEY| FIRST EVER SENIOR CUP TITLE FOR NORTHSIDERS

Tarf trio come back to haunt Three Rock  sport@dublingazette.com

CLONTARF’S former Three Rock contingent served up the northside club’s first ever senior title as they ended Rovers’ reign as Neville Cup champions at Grange Road on St Stephen’s Day. At 2-2 with seven minutes to go, the tie was well poised but the Bulls gorged on the Rovers’ carcass with three late goals seeing them exit the arena victorious, making for a day to savour for the north Dublin club.

Player-assistant coach Gareth Borland had been Rovers’ sideline coach for the last two finals before returning to his roots along with the Mullins brothers John and Kevin during the summer.

“Of the 17 in our squad, including our coach Dave Bane, 15 have been involved with Mount Temple and the club for the thousands of sessions we have done over the years,” Borland surmised.

“For every one of those guys, the club is part of their identity which is unique in Leinster circles. To see all the people from the different generations, from the first team back in 1981 there on the sideline, it was a special day.”

He joked about having a “little local knowledge” when it came to corner time as Tarf nailed three from their four set pieces with Rovers netting one from six.

Kevin Mullins netted in the tenth minute when he took on corner duties in the absence of Davyn Keuter for 1-0.

Rovers equalised from a well measured move, James Walker cutting in from the left and slipping to Mick Maguire.

His first time cross left Luke Adams with an open goal which he coolly flicked into for 1-1 at half-time.

Dylan Shirley ripped one off the inside of the post from turnover – while Blakeney was on a yellow – as things got fractious and a few physical tackles reduced both sides’ numbers.

Lawless also parried Luke McSharry’s

Clontarf celebrate their first ever senior hockey title. Picture: Deryck Vincent

drive as it remained tight at 1-1 into the final quarter.

John Mullins put Tarf back in front with 13 minutes to go only for Peter Blakeney to tie things up.

But Tarf kept coming and Borland was the man pulling the strings at the head of the D for their killer third goal.

He slipped under his arm into the path

of John’s slide – attempting a carbon copy of his Irish Senior Cup final goal from May – but a defensive touch got there first for 3-2.

Kevin Mullins then whipped home the killer fourth goal with three minutes left and he completed his hat trick with the last play to, personally, win his 10th trophy in three seasons.

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

GAZETTE

28 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 2 January 2020

SPORT2019

REVIEW OF THE YEAR

LOOKING BACK: JANUARY TO JUNE

Glory days as the city lit up by local successes January P Y R OBE L K i l l e s t e r overcame UCD Marian in one of the tightest ever Hula Hoops National Basketball Cup finals in Tallaght Arena 66-63, ending a nine year drought in a battle that came down to a frantic final few seconds.

A defensive tussle was only settled in the closing seconds. Killester coach Brian O’Malley praised UCD afterwards but added his own team fought back when it mattered.

“They’re a really good defensive team. Roe had a few minutes there where he put the team on his back and then Royce Williams made the big shot at the end to get us over the line.

It’s justification for the hours they’ve put in and the sacrifices they’ve made,” O’Malley said afterwards.

Railway Union ended Ards’ incredible r un in hockey’s women’s National Indoor Hockey Trophy as they ran up a 6-1 final success over the eight in-a-row chasing Ulster side.

In so doing, they won the crown for the first

time since 2010 and assured themselves of a place in Europe in 2020.

Mick Clohisey proved a popular home winner of the AXA Raheny 5 mile as he landed the 2019 edition with a dramatic turn of pace over the final 500 metres.

Clohisey led home 5,000 competitors as the race continues its status as the greatest road race in the country, the Raheny Shamrock man claiming his second AXA Raheny 5 crown.

February CRUMLIN Boxing Club’s Leona Houlihan put a horror year of injuries behind her to regain the 80kg crown at the National Elite Finals. She was one of three boxers from the city to claim a national title, alongside Patryk Adamus of Drimnagh, Anthony Browne from St Michael’s, Inchicore and David Oliver Joyce of Ballymun. Houlihan’s Crumlin club mate Dearbhla Duffy, meanwhile, lost out in her 57kg final against Michaela Walsh.

Caradh O’Donovan was campaigning to save her Olympic dream this month as the former kick-

boxer turned high-level karate practitioner faced a political battle that saw her road to Tokyo 2020 derailed by a rift between two rival bodies looking to be the sport’s governing body.

The ambitious Terenurebased woman won world and European titles as a kickboxer before switching sports with the primary aim of making an Olympic title. She battles with Crohn’s disease alongside her rigorous training regime.

NAC swimmer James Scully announced his retirement from Paralympic Swimming following a groundbreaking career.

The two-time Paralympian competed on the world stage for eight years, winning a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2013 and added two European bronze medals in 2014.

The Spawell Golf Centre and Driving Range in Templeogue reopened under the new management of former tour professional, Peter Lawrie.

The four-time winner on the European Tour took over the facility under a lease from Dublin GAA, owners of the 35-acre Spawell site.

Donore Harriers’ Lara O’Byrne in the Javelin event during the Junior Heptathlon at the AAI Games & Irish Life Health Combined Events. Picture: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

DCU’s Bronagh Power Cassidy and Cherry Orchard’s Under-14s

MVP Rachel Huidjsens after the Hula

toast their SFAI Cup final win over

Hoops Under 20 women’s National

Belvedere. Picture: Michael Ryan/Sportsfile

Cup Final . Picture: Brendan Moran

Red Bull Cliff Diving came

Stella Maris unveiled a Railway Union celebrate their National Indoor Hockey Trophy

Lawrie and long time European Tour colleague and now Ryder Cup captain, Padraig Harrington was on hand to cut the ribbon on the new venture.

March RINGSEND cyclist Lydia Boylan lapped the field to land an incredible silver medal in the points race at the 2019 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Poland.

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.

Holy Faith Clontarf completed the schools Under-19A All Ireland League and Cup basketball double as they won out 65-41 against Scoil Chriost Ri of Portlaoise in the league final.

Jake Donnelly found Twitter fame when he scored a spectacular injury-time winner for Crumlin United in their Intermediate Cup semi-final win over holders Maynooth University Town.

Shelbourne’s Women’s National League team rebranded, meanwhile, to be known simply as Shelbourne. It was part of the club’s move to underline the parity of esteem between men’s and women’s teams.

The word ‘Ladies’ will be dropped from the club’s name in line with similar efforts made by clubs across Europe.

April H A R MO N S T OW N ’ S Owen Purcell cleaned up with a series of great drives at the Keelan Con-

ceremony that nodded to

struction Fiesta Zetec Championship at Mondello Park. The 2018 Champion Owen Purcell started where he left off, by grabbing pole position just three tenths ahead of the vastly improved Wayne Laverick and duly swept to a series of race wins.

Donnybrook Lawn Tennis Club welcomed Minister Eoghan Murphy to the club for a presentation day in honour of their Special Needs programme, now known as Enjoy Tennis, which attracts over 20 athletes from all over Dublin.

Phoenix Flyers’ Edel Armstrong secured two

2 January 2020 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 29

GAZETTE

‘‘

QUOTABLE

QUOTES

Clonliffe Harriers’ Frances Mansfield competing in the Women’s Hammer (3kg) during the AAI National Spring Throws. Picture: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

“I’ve paid the entry, paid for flights and accommodation.

If we can’t compete, I guess I’ll just take a Sound of Music tour or something.”

- Caradh O’Donovan on her Olympic hopes being in limbo.

to Dublin in May with 24 divers battling it out for glory. Picture: Morgan Treacy

Sheriff won four titles in another hugely successful year for the innercity club.

new clubhouse in a

Pyrobel Killester were the victors in an incredibly tight men’s basketball National

their Ringsend roots

Cup final. Picture: Martin Doherty

podium finishes with the Irish Special Olympic team at the world championships in the UAE. The Ashtown-based youngster competes in category one, for those with mild learning disabilities.

Templeogue’s Ellen Walshe was one of the big stars of the Irish Open Swimming Championships as she posted four lifetime bests, landing her fourth national title into the bargain.

She secured the 50m butterfly crown for the first time with a strong personal best and then added the 400 IM, the 200m but-

terfly and 100m butterfly crowns.

May CRUMLIN United relinquished their Saturday Major crown but bounced back immediately to get their hands on some silverware as they lifted the Lanigan Cup with a 3-2 victory over Colepark United.

Celebrations came thick and fast for St Kevin’s Boys’ senior side as they followed up their first trophy in AUL football with promotion for the first time to intermediate level.

They blitzed their main rivals for the the final promotion spot from Sunday Major, Ardmore Rovers, 8-0 to seal it in style.

It brought to an end a big week for the club, coming four days after they lifted the Nugent Cup with a 2-1 win over CYM Beechwood.

Clontarf’s Under-14 ladies footballers landed the Dublin Féile Peil na nÓg after an Emma Connolly hat-trick saw them secure Division 1 honours in Blakestown.

Dublin legend Paul Flynn announced his decision to retire from the

Dublin senior footballers following one of the most decorated careers in skyblue.

In a career spanning 12 years with the Dubs, Flynn earned four All-Star awards, five national football league titles, 10 Leinster championship titles and six All-Ireland titles.

June STEPHEN Cluxton lifted the Leinster senior football championship title once again as Dublin cruised to the title with a 1-17 to 0-4 win over Meath in the final.

“We’ve always looked for the players to express themselves and be the best versions of themselves, both on and off the field of play.”

- Jim Gavin on Dublin’s five in a row character

Dublin 11’s Deirdre O’Callaghan at the 2019 Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi. Picture: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

It continued the county’s dominance in the competition, going unbeaten since 2010.

Templeogue man Shane O’Donoghue became Ireland’s first hockey player to reach the 100-goal marker when the Green Machine beat Singapore 11-0 en route to a place in the final of the World Series in Le Touquet, the second phase in the Olympic qualifying process.

Mick Clohisey’s impressive year continued when he landed the Irish runner five mile title and the new five mile national road championship in a comfortable 24 minutes and two seconds.

The Raheny Shamrock man had some 50 seconds to spare on Ballyfin’s Colin Maher who took silver with DSD’s Emmet Jennings taking bronze in 25:04.

“We said we wouldn’t go there again, we wouldn’t do it to ourselves but we did it and got through it.”

- Hockey star Anna O’Flanagan on enduring a shoot-out to decide her Olympic fate

GAZETTE

30 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 2 January 2020

SPORT2019

REVIEW OF THE YEAR

LOOKING BACK: JULY TO DECEMBER

Dubs paint the country blue for yet another year July BANGOR Celtic and Greenhills/Greenpark joined forces to form a new superclub with three Leinster Senior Clubs competing at senior level.

The well-established Greenhills Boys club remained separate as a schoolboy club but the hope was the merger would prove so successful that all ages will be brought under one umbrella in time.

The new club follows Killester Donnycarney, Bluebell Knockmitten and Firhouse Clover/ Sacred Heart in attempting to find greater strength in numbers.

Rio Olympics silver medallist Annalise Murphy made a big change in her pursuit of 2020. In the wake of 2016, she had swapped the individual Laser Radial class, to team up with Katie Tingle in a 49erFX but she subsequently returned to the Laser class and a solo bid.

Clonliffe Harriers, Raheny Shamrock, Crusaders and Donore Harriers all took home national championship titles from the annual senior championships at Morton Stadium .

August RAILWAY

Union

Cricket Club collected their first Clear Currency National Cup after defeating Ardmore by 19 runs after a seesawing battle at North County Cricket Club.

Sheriff YC narrowly missed out on a remarkable fifth trophy of the season as they were edged out by St Michael’s of Tipperary 1-0 in the FAI Junior Cup final at Eamonn Deacy Park in Galway.

The tie was originally scheduled to take place in a double-header with Crumlin United’s FAI Intermediate Cup final with Avondale United at the Aviva Stadium in May.

September EOIN Murchan’s goal provided the springboard as Dublin’s men’s footballers delivered an historic fifth All-Ireland Senior Championship title in-a-row, at the second attempt, in Saturday’s final replay at a packed Croke Park.

The Na Fianna clubman produced a cracking individual goal that will live long in the memory, as Dublin went from being dead-locked at 0-10 apiece at the break, to claiming a three-point advantage just nine seconds after the restart –

placing them into a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.

T he Dublin ladies footballers delivered their third TG4 AllIreland Senior Championship title in tough weather conditions a day later in front of a record breaking 56,114 crowd at Croke Park.

Wet conditions certainly made it tough for both sides, in what was the lowest combined score in a decider since 2003, Dublin prevailed 2-3 to 0-4 against Galway.

Shelbourne sealed promotion to the top flight following a sixyear hiatus as they beat Drogheda United 3-1 to seal the First Division title.

James Conroy was the hero for Bohemians as they secured the Megazyme Amputee Football League Cup trophy with a dramatic penalty shoot-out win over rivals Shamrock Rovers.

October BERNARD Brogan called time on his intercounty career with the Dublin senior footballers.

“After 15 amazing years on the road, now is the right time for me to hang up the boots and retire from Dublin inter-county

Leinster camogie champs St Vincent’s

2019; Shelbourne captain Lorcan Fitzgerald with the SSE Airtricity League First Division

Rathgar’s Anna O’Flanagan

cup following their tie against Limerick FC.

celebates the Irish hockey team’s

Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Tokyo ticket. Picture: Deryck Vincent

Stephen Cluxton lifts the

Dublin City Harriers’ Cliona Murphy won the Pembroke Cricket Club celebrate following their maiden Irish

4,000m novice women’s cross country title.

Senior Cup win

Picture: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

football,” Brogan’s statement began.

“My GAA career has always been about the journey, not the destination. I have learnt more from the losses than from the wins, more about myself in times of challenge and injury than in times of success.”

Crumlin native Roberto Lopes expressed his immense pride on making his debut for Cape Verde in their international friendly with Togo in Marseilles.

The Shamrock Rovers defender, whose father was born in the African country, played 90 minutes as the island nation ran out 2-1 winners.

‘Pico’ had been in exceptional form for the Hoops this season, and underlined his international credentials with a series of top-class performances in Europa League qualifying.

November A REMARKABLE season for underage football at St Patrick’s Athletic saw the club’s Under-15s seal a second league and cup double in as many years.

The Saints had already wrapped up the league title with victory over Bray in October and doubled up by beating crosstown rivals Sham-

rock Rovers on penalties at Richmond Park.

It capped an unprecedented year for the club’s dominant underage sides as the Under13s also won the league and cup double, while the Under-17s made it a trio of league wins.

UCD regained the Harding Cup for the first time in three years with a 3-0 victory over Maynooth University at Queen’s University in Belfast.

St Vincent’s delivered a display of pure heart and determination to get over the line and earn their first AIB Leinster Senior Club Camogie title since 1998, after a

hard earned two-point replay win over St Martin’s at IT Carlow.

D u b l i n C i t y H a rriers’ Jodie McCann was a strong winner of the Under-20 women’s national cross country crown at a mud-ridden Abbotstown .

She finished in 15:06 from Danielle Donegan (Tullamore Harriers) in 15:29 and Maeve Gallagher (Swinford) in 15:32, the latter of whom initially stayed with McCann before being burned off in the tricky conditions.

Clubs from around the city and beyond have been among those to pay tribute to Fran Ray,

2 January 2020 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 31

GAZETTE

‘‘

QUOTES OF

THE YEAR

“I got a message and I didn’t really read it, because it was in Portuguese – I thought it was a welcome message or spam, so I took no notice of it!”

- Shamrock

Sam Maguire trophy for the fifth successive season. Picture: James Crombie/Inpho

Troy Parrott with his father following his Republic of Ireland debut in November. Picture: Paul Lundy

The Dublin ladies footballers’ homecoming on Merrion Square. Picture: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

the Dublin and District S c h o o l b o y L e a g u e ’s Honorar y Life President.

Shamrock Rovers ace Jack Byrne was named PFAI player of the year, voted by his fellow players, following an outstanding first year in the League of Ireland.

The Ballybough native joined the Hoops at the beginning of the season following an unsettled spell with Scottish side Kilmarnock and found a new lease of life under Stephen Bradley.

Stephen Cluxton, meanwhile, finally landed the player of the year gong for his efforts with Dublin.

December TRIBUTES poured in for Jim Gavin, after he called time on his involvement as Dublin senior football manager, following a meeting with Dublin GAA CEO John Costello.

In a statement on the shock move, Dublin GA A Chairman Sean Shanley paid tribute to the “five-in-a-row” AllIreland winning manager.

“Dublin GAA will be forever grateful to Jim Gavin for his dedication, commitment and contribution as a player and, since 2003, leading the next generation of

players at Under-21 and Senior level,” Shanley said. “I regret his departure but appreciate the huge sacrifices he has made over this period.”

Dessie Farrell was appointed his replacement.

NAC Swim Club’s Shane Ryan claimed a medal at the LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships in Glasgow in the 50m backstroke.

Ryan, world bronze medallist in the event in 2018, produced an outstanding performance to again finish in third place in 23.12.

T h e 2 5 - y e a r- o l d joined a growing list

of Irish medallists in the histor y of these championships which includes Mona McSharr y, Grainne Mur phy, Andrew Bree and Barry Murphy.

Efrem Gidey played a starring role as the Irish cross countr y teams went medal crazy with two individual and two team awards from the European Championships in Bela Vista Park in Lisbon.

The Clonliffe Harriers man got the haul underway with a fine individual bronze in the men’s Under-20 6,225m race that was won for the fourth time by Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

Gidey was passed for silver by Turkey’s Ayetullah Aslanhan on the last lap but, nonetheless, was ecstatic with how his first run in an Irish singlet panned out.

Rovers Roberto Lopes on his call-up to the Cape Verde international side.

GazetteSPORT JANUARY 2-8, 2020

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

Perfect record survives Munster’s onslaught  DAVE DONNELLY

sport@dublingazette.com

LOOKING BACK ON THE YEAR 2019 HIGHLIGHTS: Relive the best moments in Dublin sport as we reflect on the county’s glory days from the highest level to the big moments for our local clubs.

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LEINSTER’S perfect season continued as Leo Cullen’s youthful charges came out the right side of a 13-6 armwrestle with provincial rivals Munster.

E d By r n e ’s n i n t h minute try proved the decisive score as the two sides exchanged two penalties apiece in an attritional, low-scoring game at Thomond Park.

Munster hadn’t lost in 22 games in all competitions at the famous Limerick venue and they ran out convincing winners when the sides met at the same point 12 months ago.

An unfortunate red card for James Lowe on that occasion scuppered Leinster’s best-laid plans and the home side ran out convincing winners.

There would be no repeats on a miserable evening by the Shannon as Leinster were never any less than a converted try ahead from the moment the prop dotted down.

A well-worked move off the back -of a driving maul was enough to put wing Lowe into space and, though he was hauled down before the line, Leinster recycled to put Byrne over.

Quick passes between debutant scrum-half Rowan Osborne – a late re p l a ce m e n t fo r t h e injured Jamison GibsonPark – and Ross Byrne released Lowe.

He couldn’t make the line, as he has done so

Ed Byrne’s try was vital in seeing Leinster preserve their winning run in all competitions. Picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

“It was chaotic last year and we don’t really deal

with that chaos particularly well. It was a much more disciplined performance.“

often in the blue of Leinster, but he was on hand to paw the ball into the hands of Ed Byrne a couple of phases down the line.

Ross Byrne tapped the conversion over the bar and would add two additional penalties before Munster belatedly began to tick the scoreboard over.

It was 13-3 at the interval as JJ Hanrahan landed a penalty for Munster, and the Kerryman’s sec-

ond five minutes into the second half seemed to signal a revival from the red province.

That would be the final scoring of the day, however, as a strong wind and slippery ball ensured little in the way of silky a t t a c k i n g p l ay w a s attempted by either side.

Munster dominated possession and territory for the remaining halfhour but rarely threatened until the final moments, when Leinster

were forced to back their defence when stretched.

A pilfered line-out, courtesy of lock Ross Moloney, allowed the blue province to run down the clock and celebrate a big four points ahead of this week’s visit of Connacht.

“It was tough conditions out there and the wind played a big part,” said Cullen.

“It was very difficult for both attacking teams when they had position,

but we’re delighted with the great spirit at the end to hold Munster out on our try-line.

“It’s a much better feeling than this time last year. It was fairly chaotic last year and we don’t really deal with that chaos particularly well. It was a much more disciplined performance.

“We’re back to the RDS next year for another week of interpros so hopefully we’ll have a big crowd for Connacht

on Saturday.

“We struggled in the game against Connacht this time last year – we scored a try right at the death. Hopefully we won’t leave it as late this year.

“We’ve a number of guys coming back into the team next week.

We’ve had to manage a lot of guys coming back from the World Cup and it’s important they get a proper break at this time of the year.”