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WITH THE LATEST NEWS AND SPORT FROM YOUR DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL AREA  FEBRUARY 22-28, 2018

CINEMA Time for the IFTAs P27

5X €100 VOUCHERS TO BE WON COURTESY OF

CULTURE Chinese New Year fun P26

MOBILE SHOWROOMS ALL AREAS COVERED

SEE P12 HSE FACILITY PLAN IS ‘THE WRONG DECISION’ – COUNCILLOR

SPORT Irish indoor records broken P35

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Supervised drug injections slammed  RACHEL D’ARCY

A DUBLIN City councillor has slammed the HSE’s decision to proceed with opening a supervised injection centre within the city.

L a s t Fr i d a y, i t w a s announced that the HSE had awarded the contract to run Ireland’s first supervised drug injection centre (SIF) to voluntary organisation,

Merchants Quay Ireland (MQI).

However, Cllr Cieran Perry (Ind) said: “This is the wrong decision. There is no evidence-based research that supervised injection centres work, and I believe they normalise drug use at a time when we should be encouraging detox and rehab.”

See full story on Page 9

2 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 22 February 2018

HOUSING | GOVERNMENT ACCUSED OF SLEEP-WALKING THROUGH CRISIS

Rise in numbers on city council housing list is ‘a disgrace’ THERE has been an almost 9% increase in the number of individuals on Dublin City Council’s housing list since January 2017.

In figures released earlier this week, it was revealed that the housing list increased by 2,250 people within the last 12 months, with councillors calling the growth ‘a disgrace’.

There are currently 27,602 people on the council’s housing list.

In January 2017, the total number on the housing list

 RACHEL D’ARCY

rdarcy@dublingazette.com

was 25,352.

Chairperson of Dublin City Council’s housing committee, Cllr Daithi Doolan, has appealed to the Minister for Housing to release funding to the council in order for them to build social housing on public land.

“The increase of 2,250 on Dublin City Council’s housing list is a disgrace.

It is a poor reflection on the failed housing policy of this government,” Doolan said.

The news comes as it was announced in the Government’s National Development plan that the state is committing to building 112,000 social homes over the next 20 years.

Over 40% of the proposed housing is set to be in cities across Ireland,

with a percentage of this predicted to be in the Dublin area.

“If this Government continues to sleep walk through the crisis then these numbers will continue to grow leaving thousands of families living in overcrowded conditions

and in hotels and B&Bs. “This is unacceptable in modern Ireland,” Doolan said. “We have the housing plans and we have the land.

All Dublin City Council needs is the political will from this Government to work with us to eliminate the housing crisis.”

FASTNews Irish Flag exhibition to be launched at the GPO

THE first ever permanent exhibition of the Irish Flag will be launched tomorrow at the GPO Witness History visitor centre on O’Connell Street.

The exhibition will be launched by the Ceann Comhairle to commemorate the 170th anniversary of the first flying of the Irish Tricolour.

Launched in partnership with the Thomas F Meagher Foundation, the general manager of GPO Witness History, Aline FitzGerald, said it is ‘poignant’ that the GPO has been chosen for the exhibition.

“I believe it is poignant that this exhibition is located here in GPO Witness History, given that it was at The GPO where the Irish Tricolour first flew in Dublin during the 1916 Easter Rising; adopted as the flag of the Irish Free State in 1922 and formally confirmed as the National Flag of Ireland by the Irish Constitution in 1937.”

City centre power cut cost up to €1 million

Save the date for the Slainte Ball

DUBLINERS are being urged to save the date of March 16 as The Alzheimer Society of Ireland along with Make a Wish and Breakthrough Cancer Research will host the Slainte Ball at Croke Park.

The gala dinner will celebrate the best of Irish with special guest speaker Micheal O Muircheartaigh and music by Spring Break.

Tickets can be purchased by calling Breakthrough Cancer Research on 1890 998 998. Launching the event were Kevin Sexton, Garreth Crowe, Eoghan O’Sullivan and Nikki Keegan. Picture: Iain White

A POWER outage across the city on Monday could have potentially cost business up to €1 million in losses. Up to 4,500 offices, shops and restaurants in Dublin 1 and Dublin 2 were impacted by the major ESB fault. The outage stretched from Christchurch as far as Merrion Square.

Businesses were left without power from 11am for a number of hours, before it was finally restored between 2pm and 3pm.

It is believed the power outage was caused by contractors completing works, who hit underground ESB cables.

Dublin Town said the outage could potentially have cost businesses up to €1m as they had to close their doors for most of Monday afternoon.

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

22 February 2018 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 3

FASTNews

Publicans can toast the 6% rise in pub spending noted in 2017’s figures SPENDING in pubs increased by 6% in 2017, according to a new report. The new report from AIB was compiled through AIB Merchant Services from the use of cards in pubs across Ireland.

With a total of 772 pubs in Dublin, there is an average of 1,649 people to every pub in the capital.

In the city, 81.2% of all trade within pubs came from “domestic” business. It was also revealed that 6% of pub spending in Dublin came from UKvisitors to the capital, despite an overall decline in visitor numbers from the UK in 2017.

Food was a major seller for many pubs, with AIB reporting that there was a 3% increase in the spending on pub grub. In the next two years, AIB predicts a 7% growth in the pub grub industry.

Ross Murray, managing director of the Dublinbased Murray Pub Group, said that pubs provide an experience for consumers they can’t get elsewhere.

He said: “In the old days, pubs just sold beer and spirits and barmen chopped a few lemons.

“Customers, particularly younger customers, expect and want a lot more and we have to cater for them.

“Pubs need to provide something that people can’t get elsewhere.”

BALLYFERMOT TATTOOS RAISE €1,000 FOR HEART CHILDREN IRELAND

Ink you very much!

Grin and bare it ... getting the fundraising tattoo. Pictures: Happy Memories Photography

 RACHEL D’ARCY A UNIQUE event was held in Crazy Cats Tattoo to acknowledge congenital heart defect awareness month last Sunday.

Organised by Rhona Cullinan, dozens of relatives and friends of those living with a congenital heart defect (CHD) visited Crazy Cats Tattoo in Ballyfermot to get inked in honour of loved ones.

Rhona, whose daughter Molly has a heart defect and Down syndrome, organised the event after being inspired by other individuals who had gotten tattoos to represent their Down syndrome friends and family.

Explaining the idea behind the CHD Tattoo event, Rhona said: “There has been a huge movement in the Down syndrome world to get a tattoo of three

arrows, to represent being pulled back but then being brought forward.

“I devised a modified version [of the tattoo] which is Molly’s ECG reading, a heart, and then the arrows at the end.”

Rhona got tattoo artist ‘Eddie The Bull’ involved with the event, which involved more than 40 people getting a tattoo like Rhona’s initial design. Anyone will-

ing to be tattooed paid €30 to participate, with €20 of the fee being donated to Heart Children Ireland.

Rhona added: “Some people getting tattooed got their child’s scar done on their chest to match; loads were the same as mine, it went fantastic.”

The entire event raised more than €1,000 for Heart Children Ireland.

4 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 22 February 2018

RETAIL | ICONIC MUSIC SHOP TO BE BASED IN BLANCHARDSTOWN

Waltons closure hits a sour note with fans  RACHEL D’ARCY

ICONIC music store Waltons has closed its George’s Street branch amongst claims that high rents within Dublin City are pushing costs up.

The business will be relocated permanently to Waltons’ Blanchardstown outlet, though Waltons’ New School of Music will still remain on George’s Street above the now-closed shop.

In a blog post detailing the reasons for the closure, managing director of Waltons, Niall Walton, detailed that rising rent costs within the city teamed with online shopping have made it increasingly difficult for the store to operate on George’s Street.

“With the ever-rising costs of doing business in the city centre we need to make sure that

As a long-established fixture with musicians and music fans, there was an outpouring of dismay on social media at the news of the closure

our cost base does not make us uncompetitive,” Walton said.

Walton says that the business is closing their city centre premises to “adapt and change”, and that they still want to offer the “best possible prices” to their

customers.

A family run business, it has been a staple of the George’s Street area for years, but now owners claim the area has become an “extension” of the infamous Temple Bar area.

Waltons have had a presence within the city centre since 1922, when their first store opened on North Great Frederick Street.

They also previously owned a store in Dun Laoghaire.

There are plans to keep the Blanchardstown branch open as a flagship store and continue to offer their products for sale on their website.

The Blanchardstown store is also home to Yamaha’s premium Digital Piano Centre in Ireland.

Walton said: “We are going nowhere and intend to be able to offer our customers choice and value for a long time to come.”

The music store gained international recognition following its appearance in Oscar winning musical Once and is also mentioned in the Tony award winning adaption of the movie.

Application lodged with DCC to move RTE’s Nutley Lane entrance AN APPLICATION has been lodged with Dublin City Council (DCC) that would see the entrance to RTE moved from Nutley Lane to the Stillorgan Road.

Planning and development consultants John Spain Associates filed the original application to DCC in June 2016. The initial application was subject to conditions by DCC. These revised conditions were submitted by John Spain in October 2017, but a decision has yet to be made by DCC on the plans.

A DCC representative told Dublin Gazette: “Both the original and subsequent submissions in respect of [the application] are currently being assessed by the council. We are not in a position to confirm a timeframe [for a decision] at this time.”

As detailed in the revised description of the development, a new access/egress to the RTE campus will see the Nutley Lane entrance closed, except to allow emergency access to the campus.

It would also involve works on the pedestrian bridge on the Stillorgan Road and introduce new pedestrian crossings to accommodate an “expected” high level of foot traffic.

The proposed entrance will mean works for Stillorgan Road, including a westbound right turn lane and an eastbound left turn lane onto RTE property.

There will be a realignment of road markings, the introduction of new cycle lanes and footpaths, and a new central median will be provided to the road.

Local Labour councillor, Dermot Lacey, said: “The truth is that this is likely to be good for Nutley Lane [in reducing traffic] but will add a further set of traffic lights on the Stillorgan Road. I believe the road can cope with it.”

22 February 2018 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 5

6 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 22 February 2018

EVENTS Irish premiere of Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water

Holly Carpenter and Dillon St.Paul

Clodagh Kelly and Eileen Sutton

Taking a shine to new film at The Lighthouse Cinema

F

ILM fans were out in force at The Lighthouse Cinema last week for the Irish premiere of The Shape of Water. The movie is set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1963. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa is trapped in a life of silence and isolation. Elisa’s life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda discover a secret classified experiment.

Danielle Gibney and Niamh Martin. Pictures: Brian McEvoy Photography

Kunal Gill and Karen Reid

Carl Shaaban and Agata Matkowska

David O’Dwyer and Roisin O’Donovan

Kevin Burke and Leslie-Ann Horgan

22 February 2018 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 7

8 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 22 February 2018

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN | DUBLIN SET FOR MAJOR BOOST

Project Ireland 2040: What it will mean for Dublin City, our communities, and you

 RACHEL D’ARCY THE Government has unveiled the National Development Plan for the next 20 years, promising some exciting developments within the city in transport, health, culture and more.

At a conference in Sligo last Friday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced plans for Ireland’s spending and infrastructure until 2040.

It attempts to plan for the extra 1 million people that are expected to live in Ireland within the next 20 years.

“Dublin is going to benefit from real investment and proper planning thanks to Project Ireland 2040. This sustainable planning for Dublin, backed by real investment, will support families and strengthen communities here,” said Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaelteacht, Josepha Madigan.

Over €116 billion is set to be spent on the capital

development plan, €5 billion of that being spent on a new Metro service and a substantial Dart extension.

Transport There will be €3 billion spent on a revamped version of the previously planned Metro North project, which will run from Sandyford to Swords with a stop at Dublin Airport. The planned Dublin Metro line will serve DCU, Ballymun and the Mater Hospital, as well as current Luas Green line stations. Part of the Metro will run underground, before coming above ground at Charlemont in the south of the city.

The Metro North project is set to be developed alongside a major upgrade for the Dart, which will see €2 billion spent on the Dart Expansion Programme. Both projects are due to be finished before 2027.

The Luas is also set to be extended, with four

new lines being planned for Bray, Lucan, Poolbeg and Finglas, though work on these isn’t set to begin until 2027. Buses in Dublin are set to see a redevelopment as well, with all diesel-powered buses set to be phased out and replaced with electric power.

Councillors and TD’s have been critical of the plans set in place by the government, with Labour spokesman Joe Costello calling the plans ‘pie in the sky’.

“Many of the public transport plans for Dublin outlined in the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan are pie in the sky, purely aspirational and will never be implemented,” he said.

“Dublin airport will have no proper public transport to the city centre until 2027 at the earliest. Already the congestion on the Drumcondra Rd is immense and all the arteries into the city centre from the

Northside are clogged with traffic. A ten- year aspirational Metro is not good enough. Clearly this Framework and Development plan has not been thought through,” Costello said.

Housing Social housing was also a major focal point for the National Development Plan. The state have committed to providing 112,000 new social homes within the next nine years at a cost of €11.6 billion. Of all new housing built, 40% will be in cities, towns and villages, with a percentage expected for Dublin.

Healthcare As well as investment in Dublin’s transport, there is set to be major investment into Dublin’s hospitals and healthcare.

Within the city, funding has been set for the New Children’s Hospital at St James’ Hospital as part of the €10.9 billion set aside for health projects.

The National Materity Strategy will also see ‘standalone’ maternity hospitals combined with existing hospitals. The National Maternity hospital will assimilate with St Vincents Hospital, the Coombe will move to St James’s, and the Rotunda is set to relocate to Connolly.

Culture There is set to be a cultural boost for the city as well, with the National Library of Ireland, National Museum of Ireland, National Archives of Ireland and the Chester Beatty Gallery set to benefit from a €725 million investment in culture across the country.

A redevelopment of the Four Courts is also detailed in the FDP, as well as a replacement for the Garda offices at Harcourt Square. Dublin Port will receive a €230 million euro investment as well, to increase capacity and allow for larger vessels.

COURTS | TIP JAR THIEF

Man jailed for an ‘attempted syringe’ attack A MAN who threatened a barista with a syringe and claimed he was HIV-positive during a robbery at a cafe, has been sentenced to three years imprisonment.

Rainis Koovit (21) brandished a syringe when attempting to grab a tip jar in Kaph Cafe in Drury Street.

He told a frightened employee he would “stick it into her” if she tried to stop him, before making off with €20 worth of foreign currency, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

Koovit of Bru Hostel, Thomas St, Dublin, pleaded guilty to robbery of cash and to producing a syringe with intent to cause injury or intimidate on February 27 2017.

Judge Karen O’Connor said the fact he was on bail and had been ordered to stay out of the Dublin 2 area was an aggravating factor.

Garda Padraig McMahon told Monika Leech BL, prosecuting, that Koovit was at the cafe hours prior to the incident and decided to leave because the cafe was too full.

He went to Merchants Quay drug rehabilitation centre and obtained a syringe, before returning to the cafe where he tried to grab the tip jar but found that it was chained to the counter top.

After threatening the barista with the syringe, he grabbed a few foreign bank notes from the counter and fled the premises. He was pursued by a male staff member who failed to catch him.

The syringe was not believed to have been infected with HIV, the court heard. The foreign currency was worth about €20.

Neither of the cafe employees gave a victim impact statement.

They told gardaí they were extremely fearful during the incident.

The court heard he had used the name Stephen McCormack in the past and has 10 previous convictions under that alias including theft and possession of drugs.

Defence barrister, Luigi Rea BL, said his client moved to Ireland from Estonia when he was a child and lived in Kerry and Laois for a time.

He started using cannabis aged 14 and began using heroin after moving to Dublin when he was 17.

Judge O’Connor said that Koovit was being given credit for his early guilty plea, his admissions and his apologies to the victims. She noted that he is a chronic drug addict with a chaotic lifestyle.

However, she said the seriousness of the offence must be marked and sentenced him to three years imprisonment with one year suspended.

She said he must liaise with the probation services on his release, avail of all educational and employment services suggested to him by them and also take steps to address his drug addiction.

“He is only 21 years old and that’s a factor in this case, but if he breaches any condition at all I won’t hesitate to impose the rest of his sentence,” she said.

22 February 2018 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 9

FASTNews

DRUGS IN THE CITY | MERCHANTS QUAY IRELAND AWARDED TENDER

Stock image

City taxi drivers threaten to protest over College Green TAXI drivers in the city are threatening a protest over the proposed College Green Plaza, as the taxi rank at College Green would be removed.

Under the new plans, College Green would become pedestrianised, with access from Dame Street to Westmoreland Street to be completely eradicated.

Jim Waldron, spokesman for the National Private Hire and Taxi Association, says that they will consider a protest if the plans proceed, but protest will be a ‘last resort’.

“Taxi drivers in that area have families to consider. That’s where they make their living. If their living is going to be taken away from them, they are not going to take it quietly,” Waldron said.

Around 250 taxi drivers operate at the taxi rank at Foster Place, just off College Green. The expansion of the Luas Cross City has previously led to the loss of 65 taxi areas in the city centre.

Junk food regulations criticised A NEW initiative by the Government targeting the marketing of junk food to young people has been strongly criticized by an MEP. Lynn Boylan, a Sinn Fein MEP, said that the initiative being introduced by the government has ‘already failed’ in the other countries that have attempted to introduce the same measures.

The ‘voluntary’ code was also criticised last October by business academics.

The Code of Practice for Non-Broadcast Media Advertising and Marketing of Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages was published by the HSE last December.

“Ireland cannot afford to waste more time implementing failed policies while our childhood obesity

problem continues to get worse,” MEP Boylan said.

HSE’s supervised drug injection centre blasted as ‘the wrong decision’  RACHEL D’ARCY

A Dublin City councillor has slammed the HSE’s decision to proceed with opening a supervised injection centre within the city.

Last Friday, it was announced that the Health Service Executive had awarded the contract to run Ireland’s first supervised drug injection centre (SIF) to voluntary organisation, Merchants Quay Ireland.

Independent Councillor Cieran Perry, who has been an anti-drug campaigner for over 20 years, says that there is ‘no proven’ success rate for supervised injection centres.

“This is the wrong decision. There is no evidence-

based research that supervised injection centres work, and I believe they normalise drug use at a time when we should be encouraging detox and rehab,” Cllr Perry said.

In a supervised injection centre, there will be access to emergency care in the event of an overdose, as well as clean, sterile injecting equipment.

Research on SIF’s in other countries have shown that they reduce the spread of disease and deaths from drug use, as well as reduce ‘drug-related’ litter on streets.

In a statement, the HSE said that centres do not increase drug use or drug dealing, based on evidence from other countries.

“They offer a compas-

Religion to be optional in schools THE Department of Education have unveiled new regulations which instruct schools to offer alternative subjects to those who don’t wish to study religion.

The new guidelines, released to schools last Monday, detailed that parents and students must be made aware of ‘options available’. The choice between religion and an alternative must also be offered.

Supervised study was previously the only alternative that was offered to a majority of students who opted out of religion. It is understood that the new regulations are effective immediately, however the Department noted that schools may not enforce the new rules until the next school year.

Lucky Catherine snaps up her prize CONGRATULATIONS to delighted Dublin Gazette reader Catherine Garry, who won the Fujifilm Instax wedding camera gift package worth €200 that we were giving away in our recent wedding supplement. Well done, Catherine – and remember to keep reading your Gazette, online and in print, and keep looking out for our regular great giveaways and prizes!

sionate, person-centered service which reduces the harms associated with injecting drug use and can help people access appropriate services,” the HSE’s website says.

The CEO of MQI, Tony Geoghegan, said that the introduction of a supervised injection centre is ‘putting Ireland’s most vulnerable’ first.

“We know that engagement with drug treatment works, however successful treatment and rehabilitation is only possible if someone is still alive.

This opening of a SIF shows that as a society

we are putting some of Ireland’s most vulnerable people first and providing a much-needed service,” Geoghegan said.

Cllr Perry said it will be difficult for An Garda Siochana to police drug use, if it is permitted in a certain area.

“Opening such a facility will lead to legalisation of heroin by proxy in my opinion. If pocession of heroin is allowable in certain areas, how do we expect the Garda to police such a situation?

“Those supporting the supervised injection centres from a harm reduction

prospective are actually helping to consign addicts to a life of addiction,” Cllr Perry said.

It is expected that MQI will have the licence for the centre for 18 months.

Initially, the HSE said that the pilot project would be open by late 2017, but it is now believed that there may be some delay in it’s opening as Dublin City Council have ruled that the centre cannot go ahead without planning permission.

There are over 100 similar centres globally, with many of them located in Europe.

10 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 22 February 2018

EVENTS No matter what’s happening in your area, Dublin Gazette’s

Barry Keoghan.

THE ASDFDA

Pictures: Michael Chester

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At the 2018 IFTAs

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Elaine Crowley

Patrick Bergin

Miriam O’Callaghan

President Higgins and his wife, Sabina

Lookin’ reel good John Connors

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HE stars of the big and small screen turned out in force for this year’s annual IFTA awards, which once again celebrated some of the many talents from across the island of Ireland who’re to be found in front of and behind the cameras.

The glitzy star-studded event at the Round

Room of the Mansion House saw many familiar faces take to the red carpet, with plenty of winners in the style stakes.

For once, President Higgins was overshadowed by some of the other well-known faces in attendance, but he was delighted to share the limelight with the likes of Gabriel Byrne,

Liam Cunningham and Victoria Smurfit

to whom he presented the IFTA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Byrne spoke of his decades of work, and paid tribute to the up and coming stars hailing from Ireland. The night was a terrific way to pay tribute to our talented actors and crews. For more on the IFTAs, see Page 27.

22 February 2018 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 11

far-ranging photographers have all the events and angles covered

Racing fans were H some real winners in the style stakes

ORSERACING fans, racehorse owners and the horsey set all cantered over to a stylish evening at the gallery at the Royal Hibernian Academy in Ely Place recently, where a ‘Racing to the Top’ event had been organised

by Horse Racing Ireland’s ownership department.

Footloose to help a gala PRESENTER Blathnaid Ni Chofaigh and Dancing with the Stars backstage reporter, James Patrice are pictured at the launch of the Breast Cancer Ireland Battle of the Stars gala fundraiser supported by Joe Duffy Group.

Each of the participants will spend the next few weeks in a rigorous regime of rehearsals led by a team of professional choreographers and stylists.

Tickets, which include a fourcourse meal and entertainment, are on sale at €150 per person at www.breastcancerireland.com. All funds raised support Breast Cancer Ireland’s pioneering research and awareness programmes around Ireland. Picture: Robbie Reynolds

GAZETTE

12 DUBLIN GAZETTE 22 February 2018

DUBLINBUSINESS

Dublin wins bid to host prestigious Global Retail Council meeting in May DUBLIN has won the world and prothe bid to host the file some of the best prestigious Global retailing standards Retail Council midwe deliver in Ireyear meeting, which land is a significant will see 30 countries oppor tunity and from six continents achievement. meeting at City West “It is uplifting that - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ireland has been Hotel in May. Retail Excellence selected to host the competed against mid-year meeting.”

Canada and AusNational Retail tralia, and will now Federation presihost more than 2,000 dent and chief execretailers congregatutive Matthew Shay ing to learn from said he is delighted and be inspired by that we are hostworld-class speakers - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ing this important Fitzsimons and suppliers in the David - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - meeting. industry.

He added: “After Chief executive of Retail Excellence, attending the annual Retail Excellence David Fitzsimons (above), said it is a conference last year, I am deeply aware tremendous achievement for the Irish of Ireland’s thriving retail environment retail industry: “To host so many influ- and I look forward to returning with ential retail executives from around colleagues from around the globe.”

‘To host so many retail executives from around the world is a significant opportunity’

YOUCAPITAL

Meet ‘the dating app for investment’ IRISH investors will be watching closely the success of an innovative new app dreamed up by a Mayo man – YouCapital – with a hook that has seen it described as “like a dating app for investment”.

Mayo man and serial entrepreneur Tom Gaughan believes that his latest venture is on the brink of big things.

“I live in quite an affluent area of West London, and I kept meeting investors who were looking around for the next big thing, or even something viable to invest in, and I thought: ‘Technology has to provide the answer to this’.”

Turning to marrying tech with meeting investors’ needs, Gaughan says: “Although the focus of the UK investor market is starting to shift from

creation to development, there are still loads of people with fantastic, viable business ideas who cannot obtain the capital to start up. Any one of these, with capital, could be the next ‘unicorn’.”

He points out that YouCapital has a focus on providing a deep, valuable relationship, as unlike with crowd funding ventures, “YouCapital aims to match innovators with experienced investors – people who have real experience in growing companies”.

YouCapital’s execution and concept is simple: with the app downloaded to their smartphone, users simply register as an investor or an entrepreneur.

When a budding businessperson adds their project to the YouCapital marketplace, they

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

Tom Gaughan

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are invited to define the opportunity by certain criteria – including the amount of investment sought, equity offered, area served, and so on.

They can also upload supporting documents, such as an outline business plan, messaging portfolio, or core marketing projections.

On the other side, backers registered on the app set their preferred investment profile – using similar criteria – and get

a notification when a suitable opportunity is added to the marketplace.

“YouCapital started as an idea nearly eight years ago. Now technology and our understanding of the market have converged.

“We have put a lot of consideration into this, and we are really pleased to be able to launch the YouCapital app to the world.”

Although YouCapital is being rolled out in the UK, Mayo man Gaughan hasn’t forgotten his roots – indeed, he views the potential to capitalise on the Irish market as being a key move for YouCapital, with Irish investors and projects firmly in his sights.

He says: “YouCapital want to launch in Ireland as it’s a great test market, having a good mix of entrepreneurs and private individual investors/ HNW, and if their product stands up the word will spread fast.

“We also see Ireland as a stepping stone to the American market now that Ireland is the European hub for American tech companies.

“YouCapital are also considering having their headquarters based in Ireland early next year.”

So watch this space – and the available business apps for your phone – as YouCapital turns its attention to the Irish market ...

GAZETTE

DUBLINLIFE

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

LET FUN LOVING BUSTER BRING JOY TO YOUR HOME

DUBLIN Gazette has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for lost and abandoned dogs.

Buster is a cute 7-year-old terrier cross looking for a home that he can call his own.

He is a real clever clogs who is perfectly housetrained and very clean too. Buster can be shy with new people and overwhelmed by busier situations and young children, for this reason he would like a quiet adult only home so he can settle in at a gentle pace.

If you are looking for a fun loving, sparky little dog to join your quiet home he could be just the friend you seek!.

If you think you can offer Buster a loving home, contact Dogs Trust at 01 879 1000. They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website www.dogstrust.ie.

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

22 February 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 13

DIARY P14 MUSIC P20 TRAVEL P23

CHILDREN: WINNERS REVEALED IN NATIONWIDE ART COMPETITION

Young artists are a credit THE winners of one of the nation’s largest and longest-running art competitions were announced at Croke Park last week.

Some 30,000 entries were received for the annual Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) All Ireland Art Competition, which is now in its 34th year.

The 11 category winners received cash prizes from broadcaster Marty Whelan.

Set Your Imagination Free was the theme of this year’s competition,

Keisha McCann, winner in the 11-13 years category, shares a laugh with Marty Whelan. Picture: Julien Behal

designed to give a wideranging scope to entrants to express their creativity and individuality.

In addition to the ten individual winners and one group winner, there were 22 runner-up and

merit awards, with a number of age categories and a category for artists with learning difficulties.

The competition is facilitated by credit unions across the island of Ireland.

Winning entries featured such imaginative interpretations of the theme as underwater scenes, space oddities, mythical creatures and city skylines.

The winners hailed from corners of Ireland stretching from Westport to Wexford and

Irvinestown in Northern Ireland.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, ILCU president Charles Murphy said: “Our annual art event is just one example of the great work credit unions do in their communities to ensure that both young and old have an outlet for their creative skills.

“I extend a huge congratulations to each and every artist that participated in this competition and I look forward to seeing even more artistic creations in the future.”

GAZETTE

14 DUBLIN GAZETTE 22 February 2018

DUBLINLIFE

DIARY

Brilliant kids all ready for an Oscar

LITTLE Natalia was dressed to impress with some red-carpet style at the launch of LauraLynn Children’s Hospice upcoming third annual Oscars ceremony.

Taking place on March 3, the evening will involve LauraLynn children, their siblings, and their parents writing, producing and starring in their very own short films with the help of industry professionals. The movies are then screened for the first time at an exclusive cinematic gala event in front of family and friends.

Shot on location in various counties around Ireland, the eight films span a range of genres, including com-

edy, action, animation and drama, and each film was edited and produced by Windmill Lane Studios.

This year the awards will be hosted by Marissa Carter (pictured with Natalia), entrepreneur and owner of Cocoa Brown. Marissa said: “The LauraLynn Oscars is shaping up to be an amazing evening. The children and their families have put so much work into the films, and we can’t wait to see them all for the first time!

“It’s going to be such a fun event, with limos, a red carpet, celebs, screaming fans, and the full VIP premiere treatment – it’s going to be an absolute ball.”

WHILE some people are looking forward to their own exciting Oscars (see panel, left), others are turning from the big screen excitement to the buzz of the theatre, with next month seeing the world premiere of The Unmanageable Sisters.

Play wright Deirdre Kinahan presents a new version of Michel Tremblay’s acclaimed Quebecois comedy, Les Belles Soeurs, at the Abbey Theatre.

Running from February 26 to April 7, the play is set in Ballymun in 1974, where Ger Lawless has won a million GreenShield stamps and happiness is at her fingertips.

But when 15 friends and family gather to help her claim her winnings, all bets are off.

Over one fateful stampsticking party, these determined women bring the audience into their lives in the ferociously funny The Unmanageable Sisters.

The play is part of the Abbey’s Free First Preview initiative, where audiences are invited to attend the first night of Abbey productions at no charge.

STEP UP FOR A FUN ANNUAL 26KM WALK

SOME 2,000 people are expected to walk from Howth Harbour to Dun Laoghaire Harbour (or reverse) this St Patrick’s Day. The 13th annual Harbour2Harbour Walk raises vital funds for mental health organisation, Aware.

The 26km trek is suitable for most fitness levels and the walk will take participants along the scenic Dublin Bay route with a “halfway hooley” hosted at Dublin Port Company’s newly opened public plaza.

All funds raised will go towards Aware’s nationwide support, education and information services.

Gerry O’Brien, head of fundraising at Aware said: “The walk offers the perfect excuse to get friends and family together to mark St Patrick’s Day in a fun and healthy way, while also raising money for a great cause.

“As a result of this and other fundraising efforts, Aware is able to provide support services for individuals and families impacted by depression

or bipolar disorder, as well as delivering free mental health education programmes to adults and senior cycle students throughout the country.”

You can register now at aware.ie/events, at a cost of €25 per person.

CIRCUS FANS’LL GO BERSERK FOR THIS FRESH from London’s West End, a contemporary cirque-style production will be tumbling into the Bord Gais Energy Theatre this week.

Cirque Berserk! has had a run of sold-out seasons in Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland and the West End in London, and will come to Ireland for the first time for a limited run.

From February 27 until March 4, Cirque Berserk! is described as a “dangerfilled spectacle” that’s suitable for audiences of all ages.

Tickets are available now on Ticketmaster, priced from €15 to €30, with a special family ticket available for €80.

HELP SHOW RACISM THE RED CARD SHOW Racism the Red

Card are calling on primar y and secondar y schools, youth organisations, children and young people in Dublin to enter their annual Anti-Racism Creative Competition 2018.

The international antiracism and education charity’s competition encourages young people to develop creative antiracism messages using written, visual and audiovisual means, before the deadline of March 30.

Schools, organisations and individuals can get involved by registering online at www.theredcard.ie/competition.

The competition is open to entries in the following categories: Primary School, Secondary School, Youthreach, Youth services and Individual.

Entries can be submitted in the form of written articles, comment pieces, opinion pieces, reports, poems, sculpture, mural, mosaic, artworks, video, film or animation.

For further information on the competition, contact info@theredcard.ie.

22 February 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15

Clowning about before their upcoming run to help support Aoife’s Clown Doctors ... What the group of Dublin runners lack in experience, they make up for with their determination to support the legacy of little Aoife (5), who died in 2012.

Today, ‘her’ clowns help to allay the nerves and fears of sick children in hospital.

CHARITY: DUBS GOING FUNDRAISING FOR KIND CLOWNS IS NO LAUGHING MATTER

Running off to London to help cheer up sick kids here  MARK O’BRIEN

A GROUP of ladies from Dublin – and one of their husbands – are set to travel to London on March 4 to take part in a race to raise funds for a bunch of clowns.

The group mainly comprise players from the Malahide-based St Sylvester’s Gaelic4Mothers & Others (G4M&O) team.

They will be travelling to London to participate in The Big Half, a half marathon starting at Tower Bridge and finishing in Greenwich.

One of the runners, Dee Roche, said: “The women travelling from our club all have different running standards, from beginners to the more experienced, but what they all do have in common is the charity which they have chosen to run for: Aoife’s Clown Doctors.

“Their fellow G4M&O

teammate Aine Hendrick and her family suffered the horrific loss of their daughter Aoife in 2012. St Sylvester’s G4M&O are choosing to fundraise for their amazing cause.”

Five-year-old Aoife attended Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin from May to August 2012 for treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Tragically, Aoife lost her short battle and died that summer only four months after being diagnosed.

“In 2014, as part of Aoife’s legacy, her parents Aine and Adrian set up Aoife’s Clown Doctors Ireland as entertainers who go into the children’s wards of Crumlin Children’s Hospital in Dublin twice a week, to bring some fun and smiles to the families there,” said Dee. Aoife’s Clown Doctors are a team of professional

performers trained to work in hospitals.

They help create fun, laughter and creativity on the wards by parodying medical procedures and hospital jargon, helping to ease the fear and stress for children and parents.

Oversized medical equipment, ‘red-nose’ transplants, ‘cat’ scans and funny bone examinations are just a few examples of what might take place during a visit from a Clown Doctor.

Dee added: “Aoife’s Clown Doctors bring smiles and laughter to so many sick children in Crumlin and hopefully in the very near future they will be spreading the smiles in Temple Street Children’s Hospital and Tallaght Hospital too.”

To make a donation to Aoife’s Running Clowns, please visit https://www. gofundme.com/AoifesRunningClowns.

GAZETTE

FEATURE

16 DUBLIN GAZETTE 22 February 2018

EVENTS No matter what’s happening around the city, The Gazette’s

Miriam O’Callaghan, Cyril Byrne and Robbie Reynolds. Pictures: SON Photographic

Andres Poveda with his highly commended images. Pictures: Shane O’Neill, SON Photographic

Billy and Hillary Higgins, Joanne Smith and Johnny Bambury

Celebrating some amazing shots T

HE annual awards of the Press Photographers Association of Ireland took place in Croke Park last week, with photographers from across the island of Ireland in attendance. This year marks 40 years since the founding of The Press Photographers Association of Ireland. The overall award of ‘Press Photographer of the Year’ 2018 was presented to Cyril Byrne, of The Irish Times. The judging panel was chaired by Dermot O’Shea and the judges were internationally renowned photographers Tom Stoddart and Eamonn McCabe.

2nd Sports Feature: Alun Wyn Jones, Iain Henderson, Ross Moriarty and Sam Warburton in the dressing room after the Lions vs New Zealand Provincial Barbarians game.

Pictures: Dan Sheridan / Inpho Photography

1st Reportage: UFC fighter Conor McGregor and boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. Pictures: Stephen McCarthy

Michael Chester with his highly commended images. Pictures: Shane O’Neill, SON Photographic

22 February 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 17

far-ranging photographers have all the events and angles covered

1st News: A tired and extremely gaunt looking Martin McGuinness leaving Stormont after handing in his resignation.

Picture: Justin Kernoghan

Group shot of all the winning photographers. Pictures: Shane O’Neill, SON Photographic

1st Daily Life and People: Children in Bulunkutu village, Maiduguri, 1st Sports Action: Seamus Coleman is tackled by Neil

Nigeria, one of many villages paralysed over the past eight years as

Taylor, of Wales, resulting in a broken leg.

Picture: Ryan Byrne

Pete Taylor. Picture: Gerry Mooney

Barbara Scully and Paul

Boko Harram attacked abducted and raped its women.

Sherwood

Picture: Steve Humpheries

GAZETTE

18 DUBLIN GAZETTE 22 February 2018

DUBLINLIFE

PUZZLE PAGE SUDOKU

CODEWORDS EASY

TOUGH

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

HOW TO SOLVE

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

WORD SEARCH

Codewords are like crossword puzzles - but have no clues!

Instead, every letter of the alphabet has been replaced by a number, the same number representing the same letter throughout the puzzle.

All you have to do is decide which letter is represented by which number! To start you off, we reveal the codes for two or three letters.

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

Cross off the letters in the A to Z list.

SCRIBBLE BOX

DON’T FORGET TO CHECK BACK NEXT WEEK FOR THE SOLUTIONS TO THIS WEEK’S PUZZLES

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

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trilby

turban

22 February 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 19

My life feels like it’s over – my kids and husband don’t seem to notice ‘me’ I’M SO down at the moment, I just don’t know where to turn.

I’ve been married for almost 15 years, we have two lovely kids, but I feel my life is over.

My husband is a good man and provides for me and the kids, but he takes me for granted – there is no intimacy any more, and provided he has a clean shirt and a meal on the table he seems happy.

The kids are constantly demanding, to the point I dread waking up in the morning knowing it will be just the same as yesterday and the day before.

What can I do?

Anne, Templeogue

MARY SAYS: THIS sounds to me like a classic case of being ‘stuck in a rut’ and I can

GAZETTE

ADVICE REMINDER Mary needs you to contact her by noon on Monday, so don’t delay – send your problem to Dear Mary at Dublin Gazette today!

“I dread waking up in the morning knowing it will be just the same as yesterday and the day before”

empathise with how you are feeling.

It’s very debilitating to feel that you are simply living your life for other people and you feel that you have become lost as an individual and as a human being.

The good news is that you can do something about it.

It’s time to take back some control.

You need to talk to your husband about this. This won’t be easy and you need to pick the right time to do it, maybe when you have some quiet time without the kids.

The chances are he will have no idea how you are feeling and, as he sounds like a decent man to me, will want to help.

You have to remember, Anne, that some men find it hard to communicate on an emotional level. As he provides for you and the kids, he probably feels he is sticking to his part of the bargain.

You need to be honest with him, expect some resistance, expect him to justify his behaviour and don’t expect to sort it out in one conversation, but you need to start

communicating again.

If the prospect scares you, then suggest a third-party mediator to him – a mediator can often provide that first step to bridge the communication barrier.

I think once you start to communicate then you can start to take back control of your life, find time for yourself and put things into perspective. I wish you well ...

Is there something on your mind? Mary is delighted to offer her advice to Dublin Gazette readers; email her at marybyrne@dublingazette.com

22 February 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 21

DUBLINLIFE

 JAMES HENDICOTT

in the way the duo perform, too, and even feature in the touring style, which will see them DJ ACCESSIBLE London house act com- on one tour and head out live on the next. bine beats and an intelligent approach “It is very different,” Gibbon admits. “We do to building their business in an effort to the live shows more in festival season, stuff like take over the world of chart dance, and that. They are full on live shows, with lots of flit into the underground, too. instrumentation on stage, and we bring two difIn a world where some of music’s biggest art- ferent vocalists to perform the various different ists are commercialising their work in - from a special guest slots. fan’s perspective, at least - all the wrong ways, “That’s a difficult job, given there are so many it’s refreshing to see more of an ethos-driven, different vocal styles on our tracks, but they do hard-working and multi-faceted approach to it really well. But the DJ sets (such as the one slipping seamlessly into the big time. planned for Dublin) are far more underground London house music duo Gorgon City are than the live shows, and a good chance to presnot quite a household name yet, and a far cry ent a load of the music we haven’t released.” from the growing world of high-cost VIP meet and greets or ticket sales linked in with buying a small heap of merchandise.

In their world, though, they’re edging close to the summit, and the story of their rise is about far more than 2014 hit single ‘Ready For Your Love’.

The duos sound is always beat-driven, taking much of its inspiration from the deep house and garage scenes, but adds chart colour with a series of special guest vocalists.

In the past, their tracks have incorporated anyone from MNET to Klaxons, Wyclef Jean to Jennifer Hudson.

Performing both live and as DJs, and perhaps most importantly as part of a heavily franchised, multinational radio show, the pair have developed their music in a series of directions, also splitting their sound into what they see as their chart-ready, accessible angle and a more underground, edgy buzz that comes out in DJ sets and in their popular, franchised radio show.

“The radio show still feels new,” Kye ‘Foamo’ Gibbon tells us ahead of their return to Dublin club District 8.

“It’s been exciting to have a radio show in a lot of countries where we’ve never actually played. It’s led to a lot of new bookings coming from places like South America, Asia and Eastern Europe.

“It’s also a really cool project,” he continues.

“It really keeps us on top of new music, and helps us work towards the development of our own label.

“We hope to be releasing stuff from other people before too long, and we’re keeping a close eye on quite a few up and coming producers.

“The radio, the club night, they all contribute towards the brand,” Gibbon explains.

“That’s building towards Kingdom, which is now both a brand and an album; it’s become part of our identity as a band as well as being a record, as linked in with the radio show as well.”

The album version of Kingdom, in fact, has been on the horizon for quite some time, but it is now just around the corner.

“It’ll be out this year, probably late summer,” Gibbon tells us.

“It’s almost a ‘best of’ compilation with some new bits, and it’s more song based, like our first album. We’ll also be putting out more underground and club-friendly bits separately.”

Those two different identities shine through

MUSIC Dance music is currently in an interesting place generally, as Gibbon is not afraid to admit.

The progressive closing of clubs in London is mirrored in Dublin. While our capital has never been a particularly outstanding clubbing heartland, for reasons varying from restrictive licensing laws to the dominance of competing pubs, gentrification around nightlife venues is a growing factor in our scene and London’s.

“It seems like it’s dying all over the country,” Gibbon says of UK clubbing.

“We love Printworks [a new 6000 capacity London super-club], but too many clubs are turning into things like luxury apartments. A lot

LET’S GO OUT MUSIC

of places have closed over the last few years and that’s a real shame.”

As for the band’s future?

“We’ll keep moving between the mainstream and the underground,” Gibbon says.

“We’ll be back in Amnesia [Ibiza] this summer for another residence, and looking to release a load of different stuff, ours and other people’s.

“We’re in America, then around Europe in the next couple of months, and wé’re just back from Australia. It’s non-stop.”

Gorgon City play District 8 on Friday, March 28, with album ‘Kingdom’ due in the summer.

You can listen to their regular radio slot at gorgoncity.com

GAZETTE

GAZETTE

20 DUBLIN GAZETTE 22 February 2018

PICKWEEK OF THE

Gorgon City

FEBRUARY 25 (SUNDAY) SEAL @ Olympia Theatre, €59.50 Backed by a big band, the multi-award winning British soul legend Seal will be performing songs from the new album, alongside his classic hits ‘Killer’ and ‘Kiss from a Rose’.

Building a Dance Dynasty

BEST OF THE REST FEBRUARY 22 (Thursday) I Dermot Kennedy @ Olympia Theatre, €22 Katie Laffan @ Whelan’s, €13 Budding urban pop star Katie Laffan is one of a growing avalanche of top-class hip-hop infused artists from around Dublin.

Kygo @ 3Arena, €51 Hothouse Flowers @ Vicar Street, €30 Brona Keogh + Jane Willow + Ryan Cahill + Crome Yellow + Lauryn Keating @ Purty Kitchen, €5

SEAL of approval

FEBRUARY 23 (Friday) King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard @ Olympia Theatre, €25.50 Don’t be put off my the mad name, these Aussie rockers are a class act.

Mary Black sings Jimmy Mac @ Pavilion Theatre, €35 Luke Clerkin @ The Sound House, €10 Jiggy @ Whelan’s, €16 Paul Draper @ Workman’s Club, €18.50 Wyvern Lingo @ Button Factory, €19.50 Cory Wong @ The Sugar Club, €15 Fredo @ The Academy, €17.35 Sun Mahshene + My Pilot

@ Whelan’s (Upstairs), late show FEBRUARY 24 (Saturday) Elbow @ 3Arena, €59.50 Marlon Williams @ Whelan’s, €22 Duke Special @ Unitarian Church, €22 A truly creative songwriter who pointedly refuses to conform to any kind of fashion, Belfast musician Duke Special riffs on literature and aging photographs in his gorgeous melodies.

Mystic Tears + Robert Delaney + Jack Spoke @ The Underground, €8 Karms @ W helan’s (Upstairs), €10 FEBRUARY 25 (Sunday) Seal @ Olympia Theatre, €59.50 The Bootleg Beatles + UCD Symphony Orchestra @ Bord Gais Energy Theatre, €45 Rickie Lee Jones @ Vicar Street, €40.

FEBRUARY 26 (Monday) Imagine Dragons @ 3 Arena, €41 FEBRUARY 27 (Tuesday) The Ruby Sessions @ Doyle’s, €6

GAZETTE

22 DUBLIN GAZETTE 22 February 2018

DUBLINLIFE

FEATURES

RADIO: SPIN1038’S BILLBOARD CAMPAIGN READY TO (HOPEFULLY) HELP FOUR DUBS FIND LOVE

Helping Cupid find his mark  REBECCA RYAN

ARE you looking for love and fed up scrolling through apps looking for Mr or Ms Right?

Well, you can say goodbye to apps and hello to a whole new kind of dating with SPIN1038!

As recently revealed in Du bl in Ga z ette, S PI N 10 3 8 ’s F u l l y Charged Breakfast duo, Graham and Nathan – now dubbed the ‘Cupids of Dublin’ – are launching a new dating concept that will see the faces of four Dublin singles featured on billboards around the city.

In an Irish radio first, Fully Charged’s Billboard Singles campaign will see

four Dublin singles get their very own billboard dating ad for two weeks from next Monday, February 26.

Prospective daters who want the chance to date one of the Billboard Singles just need to send in a WhatsApp voice message on why they’d like a date with them and the Billboard Single will get to pick their perfect match on air.

Dublin Gazette caught up with Graham and Nathan, who told us why they decided it was time to flex their matchmaking muscles and shake up the dating scene for Dubliners.

Graham said: “It all

What a luvverly bunch of people ... Nathan O’Reilly, Graham O’Toole, Doireann Garrihy and Martin Guilfoyle, launching SPIN 1038’s Fully Charged’s Billboard Singles campaign

started a couple of weeks ago. Nathan has a friend and we call him ‘Rusty Rupert’ to hide his identity because he doesn’t want us talking about him on the radio.

“Well, Rusty was out of the dating game for about two years. He got back into it and went on a date and it didn’t go too well at all.

“He didn’t really like the whole online dating thing, and he was just talk-

ing to Nathan about it, so we brought it onto the show and we said to ourselves, ‘We would love to find a new way for Rusty

Rupert and people like him to find love, a new way that didn’t involve dating apps or having to go up to someone in

GARDENING: YOU MAY NOT HAVE NOTICED, BUT LIFE IS RETURNING

It’s time to reconnect with the spring garden ALTHOUGH it may seem as though winter still has us in its grip, it’s getting weaker by the day and spring is around the corner.

As we gear up for another growing season, I’d like to encourage you to reconnect with your garden whenever you have a chance.

It’s been a particularly wet and dirty winter in these parts, with more than the usual amount of mud and last year’s brown leaves still lingering in corners.

However, when you venture outside and really look at what’s happening, you can see that the garden has been busy – even though all but the hardiest gardeners have probably not been doing much in the way of gardening for the past few months.

Spring bulbs are already

Anne Byrne Garden Design provides easy to follow garden plans that you can implement right away or in stages.

Her design flair and passion for plants brings a touch of magic to gardens of all sizes.

Anne Byrne Garden Design – Creative Ideas  ANNE BYRNE – Practical Solutions – Stunning Gardens. info@dublingazette.com

Small narcissi can bloom as early as this month

poking their sturdy little tips through the soil, with snowdrops already in full swing.

Crocuses won’t be long and very soon the earliest narcissi, in particular the little golden “Tete a Tete” and “February

G o l d ”, will be scattering sunshine w h e r ever they bloom.

Catkins are unfurling o n a l d e r, birch and hazel.

It’s still very early days and we could be in for several more weeks of freezing weather, not to mention hail, rain and sleet, but these tiny signs of life serve to remind us that the

year is turning, days are getting longer – even though you may not quite notice it yet – and we have a fresh, new year ahead of us, with all the possibilities that brings.

Whenever you can, wrap up warmly and head into the garden – even if it’s just for five or ten minutes on a Saturday morning.

Bring a hot mug of tea with you if that helps, and work the whole way around your plot from one corner to another, looking, noticing and really seeing the tiny little signs that life is still going on.

Let the early birdsong gladden your heart. Come outside and reconnect!

FOR further information on Anne Byrne Garden Design, call 086 683 8098, or see www. annebyrnegardendesign.com

public’. So, we decided to set up billboards around Dublin!”

It’s been a huge success so far, and the lads told Dublin Gazette the four singles are being revealed on air this week on Fully Charged.

Nathan added: “More than 350 people applied for this and we managed to whittle it down to just four people. They’re all different sort of people, in age and sexual orientation, and we’re very happy.”

Graham and Nathan feel it is time for something new, and the ‘Cupids of Dublin’ are hoping to spice up the Dublin dating scene: Nathan said: “I think some people think that, in Ireland, we’re quite conservative in terms of dating.

“If you go to America, I know a lot of my friends

would say, ‘Oh my God, it’s so easy to get a date’; you can literally ask someone out at the supermarket.

“But if you went up to someone on Grafton Street, I’d be scared that they’d call the gardai or spray you with pepper spray! I had to learn that the hard way; my eyes are extremely sensitive!” he joked.

Graham said: “I hope this changes the dating scene and it makes people a little more confident and outgoing. Because, as Nathan said, it’s so different in Ireland to America in the way you go about dating. Hey, imagine this changes the dating scene for ever!”

Billboard Nathan added: “Could you imagine if a grandfather was surrounded by his grandchildren and they asked, ‘Hey grandad, where did you meet granny?’ ‘Well I met her on a billboard’. That’s my vision!”

Lastly, Graham said: “I’m going to do my damned hardest to help these people find love because I’m a softie at heart.”

You can follow the Billboard Singles journey every morning on the Fully Charged Breakfast Show and potential daters can keep their eyes peeled for the Singes Billboards from February 26.

22 February 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 23

GAZETTE

AWARENESS CAMPAIGN: ACKNOWLEDGING AND CELEBRATING THOSE WITHIN FOSTERING COMMUNITY

Fostering Changes Lives THE Irish Foster Care Association (IFCA) is the representative body for foster care in Ireland that promotes excellence in foster care for all those involved.

Their membership is broad based and includes foster and relative carers, social workers, child care workers, academics and others with an interest in or who are involved in foster care.

Fostering Fortnight is the IFCA’s annual awareness campaign to promote awareness of foster care and the incredible work being done by so many people in support of the most vulnerable of our children, that are being raised in

foster care in Ireland.

It is a chance to acknowledge and celebrate all those within the fostering community who play an important role in supporting children in foster care; foster families, related professionals, the wider community and others working to ensure that children in foster care are supported to reach their full potential.

Fostering fortnight acknowledges the team effort that goes into promoting excellence in foster care.

The theme this year is ‘Fostering Changes Lives’ and #bepartofit

Foster Care can change lives; for both the child in foster care, their birth family and the foster family

The IFCA Helpline is available five days per week from 11am - 3pm Telephone: 01 458 5123 Email: support@ifca.ie

How to get involved THEY are asking everyone to come together during Fostering Fortnight and support one another with coffee mornings, bake sales, family baking and fun get-togethers.

IFCA offers a dedicated Support Service to members and anyone involved or interested in foster care in Ireland.

This service provides practical information and advice regarding any aspect of fostering as well as a supportive listening ear.

IFCA regularly meets with Tusla and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and other stakeholders to communicate the issues and experiences of our members and propose positive solutions to inform best practice in foster care in Ireland.

The Importance of Foster Care Foster care is the backbone of the alternative care system in Ireland.

The number of children in care at the end of November 2017 was 6,182; of these, 92% are in foster care (65% in general foster care and 27% in relative foster care.)

This means that the majority of children in care, are supported in a family setting and can grow and develop in a secure environment while remaining connected to their birth family.

There are different types of foster care in Ireland; short term and long-term placements, emergency care and respite care. All of these offer support to a child in need and we should be proud

that in Ireland the majority of children in care are cared for in this environment.

The Irish Foster Care Association carried out research amongst its members in 2017* and what was clear to see from the research was the enthusiasm of foster families for the children in their care.

A total of 95% of foster carer respondents reported that knowing they have helped a child or family in need as being a reward.

It was clear from the survey that foster carers saw fostering as a vocation rather than as a career or a profession.

Membership of the Association is open to all those who have an interest in foster care.

You can join by visiting www. ifca.ie or by contacting the Office Tel: 01 459 9474.

Remember the first year’s membership is free.

24 DUBLIN GAZETTE 22 February 2018

DUBLINLIFE

BeautyBITS

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Going to Great Lengths for beautiful hair GREAT Lengths has teamed up with celebrity hairdresser, Angelo Seminara for the third year

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running for their stunning campaign Mirage. Seminara, international creative director and fourtime winner of the British Hairdresser of the Year Award, looked to the heat, sand and indescribable colours of the breathtaking Namibian desert as the inspiration behind the collaboration. Seminara said: “This gives me the opportunity to work with, what is in my opinion, is the best quality hair extensions on the market, and to breathe life into my creative visions. Great Lengths Extensions provide endless opportunities in the creative process, and also in the real world.” To find a Great Lengths certified salon or stylist, please visit: http://www. greatlengthshair.co.uk/salon-locator/

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stores nationwide and

ments

online on March 12 and

Inglot’s

will be priced at €15

Lip

each.

MOTIF Madness  Rachel D’Arcy

STYLE is constantly changing, but there’s one thing that’s always steadfast – a slogan or motif print t-shirt. Easy to dress up or dress down, there’s a style to suit all styles and ages. A simple tee can be worn with jeans and a blazer for a casual cool in work, or dressed down for a relaxing day off.

High street and designer brands alike are fully embracing the trend, with their latest launches featuring everything from 90’s cartoons to a celestial star print.

Mint Velvet Granite Scattered Star knit €95 TK Maxx Navy and Grey Lemon print striped jumper €24.99

22 February 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 25

GAZETTE

STYLE

Avene Launch two new products

TK Maxx Navy Striped Bonjour jumper dress €24.99

at

h rain

THANKS

.ie nd ela & sir Lip od tint 50 wo sie 4. tle Po €3 lit efit tain n Be eek S Ch

Top

p Sho

ANTIROUGEURS SOOTHING MASK,€20

€25

to harsh weather conditions our skin is often prone to redness and sensitivity, which can manifest as Rosacea.

The latest addition to Eau Thermale Avène’s bestselling Antirougeurs range contains patented ingredi-

nd Isla incoat r e v Ri pink ra i Min €26

Crystal CLEAR

 Jessica Maile, Style Editor

LET ME be crystal clear. Even though the weather has been a bit wet and dreary, there are many ways to brighten your day. Add a bit of fun to your wardrobe with a clear raincoat in a bright neon colour or protect your crown with a funky

see-through hat. On less cloudier days, barely-there sunglasses will keep things rosy and bright. Continue the glow with a cheek tint like Benefit’s posie tint or a dab of NYX Professional Makeup’s Away We Glow liquid highlighter.

NYX Professional Makeup Away We Glow liquid highlighter €10.50

ent TRP-Regulin to instantly reduce and soothe redness. The CALM Redness Relief Soothing Mask has proven to reduce tightness and burning by 70%, and reduces the appearance of redness.

Hydrance Rich Hydrating Cream, €23 As well as the CALM Redness Relief Soothing mask, Avene have also introduced the Hydrance RICH Hydrating Cream, which contains their Cohederm complex to provide intense hydration and nourishment.

Skin will benefit from intense hydration through the creamy moisturiser, which expertly restores comfort to the skin with a gentle

River Is lan Pink Sung d lasses €9

scent of rose and jasmine and a light, velvet finish. 98% of women who tested the moisturiser. Available from

New Look Ciao slogan tshirt €14.99

Beauty Review COMPANY: Payot PRODUCT: Nutricia Baume Lèvres Lip Balm PURPOSE: Nourish and comfort dry lips TEXTURE:  FRAGRANCE:  PERFORMANCE:  PRICE: 

Boots stores and Boots.ie

Nourishing and protecting your pout COMMUTING on several forms of transport and then sitting in an office all day can really do a number on my lips. My lips are constantly parched but French brand, Payot, has come to the rescue.

Their Nutricia Baume Levres is a nourishing lip balm to help sooth and protect lip’s delecate skin It uses sweet almond virgin

oil to soothe irritated skin, raspberry seed oil to protect the skins barrier function and meadowfoam oil to improve hydration.

It feels super soft and gives your lips a soft sheen while keeping them super comfy and hydrated. What more can you ask for?

Payot Nutricia Baume Levres, (RRP €18.50 ) is available in pharmacies nationwide

GAZETTE

26 DUBLIN GAZETTE 22 February 2018

DUBLINLIFE

COMMUNITY: LOTS OF GREAT ACTIVITIES FOR ALL DURING POPULAR FESTIVITIES

Join in the fun across the city as the Chinese celebrate The Year of the Dog  JORDAN UPSHAW

towards 12-17-year-olds later in the day; tickets for these are €10 each.

For Mandarin speakers, learners, and lovers there will be special Mandarin guided tours at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum on February 24 and 25 all day long; ticket prices vary.

On February 24 and 25, the museum is offering a free children’s Chinese lantern painting workshop with any regular family ticket purchase; family tickets include admission for two adults and two children, and are priced €35 each.

There are also plenty of free events coming up.

The CHQ Building will host the Spring Festival Fair on February Opera singer Neria Wang (9) in traditional costume Pic: Leon Farrell

Yu Ying Yang (8), Kai Xin Zheng (5) and Lin Jia Zheng (6) help to launch this year’s Chinese New Year Festival.

Picture: Sasko Lazarov

24 and 25. This year’s programming is completely caninethemed and will feature performances, demonstrations, and games.

There will be lots of fun family-friendly activities such as Chinese calligraphy, Chinese paper cutting, Chinese tea ceremonies, red-envelope workshops, ping pong, face-painting, dog figuremaking workshops and fairground rides.

Artist Barbara O’Connell will be teaching a Year of the Dog family-orientated stamp and print workshop on February 24 at the Dublin City Gallery. The event is free and no booking is required.

The Chester Beatty Library will host Professor Yan Yi Blake, from the Irish Chinese Cultural Society, who will give a free talk about the origins and significance of various Chinese new year tra-

ditions on February 24.

The library will also host a special screening of the classic 1948 Chinese film, Spring in a Small Town, on February 25.

will be awarded. This is a free event but booking is required.

The Chester Beatty Library will also host Tai Chi workshops for teenagers on March 3.

Picture: Sasko Lazarov

THE annual Dublin Chinese New Year Festival started last week (on Friday, February 16) and is featuring fun, educational events for the whole family until March 4.

To welcome and help usher in the Year of the Dog, Asia Market []outlets?] served up a tasty variety of free dumplings all day, with a ‘dumpling day’ event.

There were also stalls that taught patrons how to make their o w n dumplings and a talk about the history of the iconic food.

Asia Market, Dr ur y Street is continuing to host food-related events over the coming weeks, with food-tasting tours today (Thursday, February 22) and on March 1 which promise to be both tasty and educational; tickets are priced €20 each.

Asia Market will also host Friday Lunchtime Culture Talks tomorrow (Friday, February 23) and on March 2, with themes of Chinese New Year Traditions and Chinese Food as Medicine, respectively; tickets are priced €15 each.

There will be a Chinese Comic Book Workshop for children aged 4-12 on February 24, while for older children, there will be a workshop geared

FEATURE

Yu Ying Yang and Lin Jia Zheng with Rupert

The film is in Mandarin with English subtitles and no booking is required for this free event.

February 25 will see the Year of the Dog Sports Tournament. There will be soccer, basketball and badminton and prizes

There will be one for 12-15-year-olds and another for 15-17-yearolds; booking is required.

This is the eleventh year of the Dublin Chinese New Year Festival put on by the City Arts Office, part of the Culture, Com-

munity and Recreation Department of Dublin City Council. The festival aims to strengthen understanding of the Sino-Irish relationship.

Of the festival, President Michael D Higgins said: “In the Chinese zodiac the dog symbolises honesty and loyalty, reminding us of the need to place high standards of integrity and a genuine spirit of inclusion at the heart of our society.

It is my sincere hope that, working together, we can craft such a society.

“The Chinese community in Ireland have played a critical role in the crafting of a more diverse and multicultural Ireland; one in which all our citizens can have a voice and be enabled to realise all of their possibilities.”

For further information on all of the programme events and to purchase tickets, see www.dublinchinesenewyear.com.

22 February 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 27

IFTA 2018

Awards Some of this year’s key categories included the following winners ...

FEATURE FILM Michael Inside Cardboard Gangsters Handsome Devil The Killing of a Sacred Deer Maudie Song of Granite ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE – FILM John Connors, Cardboard Gangsters Colin Farrell, The Killing of a Sacred Deer Dafhyd Flynn, Michael Inside Fionn O Shea, Handsome Devil Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Maze ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – FILM Barry Keoghan, The Killing of a Sacred Deer Jacob McCarthy, The Drummer and The Keeper Andrew Scott, Handsome Devil Fionn Walton, Cardboard Gangsters Barry Ward, Maze ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE – FILM Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird Sarah Bolger, Halal Daddy Ann Skelly, Kissing Candice ACTRESS SUPPORTING ROLE – FILM Victoria Smurfit, The Lears Niamh Algar, The Drummer and The Keeper Sarah Carroll, The Limit Of Deirdre O Kane, Halal Daddy Fionna Hewitt Twamley, Cardboard Gangsters DIRECTOR FILM Aisling Walsh, Maudie Frank Berry, Michael Inside John Butler, Handsome Devil Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Mark O Connor, Cardboard Gangsters SCRIPTWRITER FILM Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Frank Berry, Michael Inside Stephen Burke, Maze John Butler, Handsome Devil Nick Kelly, The Drummer and The Keeper

GAZETTE

CINEMA 2018 IFTAS: INDUSTRY NODS TO THE BEST ACTORS AND CREATIVES MAKING A MARK

A glittering celebration of our top TV, film talents  SHANE DILLON

ANOTHER year, and another round of IFTAs, (Irish Film and Television Academy awards), with the glittering celebration late last week highlighting some of the many big and small-screen stars hailing from our small island.

While there used to be a usual-suspects feel to the IFTAs for rather a few too many years, the whole shebang has evolved in recent times, with the industry as a whole noticing that, actually, the Irish really are pretty widespread in ‘the biz’.

While the public constantly sees the likes of (aforementioned usual suspects) Saoirse Ronan and Colin Farrell now flying the flag for Ire-

land, many lesser-known names have been quietly editing, writing, designing and filming their way to international kudos and acclaim.

As such, the IFTAs give a rare but very welcome public glimpse at just some of the terrific talents hailing from a small, rainlashed island on the edge of Europe.

And no, I don’t mean ‘Craggy Island’.

First up, and despite some tough competition John Connors had a very well deserved Actor in a Leading Role win for his striking role in Cardboard Gangsters.

The tale of Darndale wannabes drifting closer to the big time in the drugs trade – and ever closer to acrimonious disaster – was

a grittily powerful look at a slice of Irish life that’s normally hidden, but Connors made the film and role his own with a searing performance, making him one to watch.

Moving on, and despite some tough competition, nobody could begrudge Saoirse Ronan’s Actress in a Leading Role win, thanks to Lady Bird.

The film (and her role) has been wowing with ease, striking a chord in virtually every release territory it’s popped up in, with Ronan (and ‘mom’, Laurie

Above: Many of the great and the good of Irish film and TV gathered for the awards; right: President Michael D Higgins presented the one and only Gabriel Byrne with the Lifetime Achievement Award

Metcalf) nailing the nature of often fraught mother-daughter relationships with aplomb.

A n o t h e r largely expected Scriptwriter Film win came for M a r t i n McDonagh, with his no-nons e n s e work on Three

Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri wowing.

His naturalistic, often uncomfortable approach to dialogue and character proved a real winner, with ‘Billboards’ seeing him on top form.

Of course, these are only the low-handing fruit; the headline awards of a particularly eclectic gathering of nominees and sectors within our small but busy film and

TV sector.

It’s clear that, despite some quiet years, the Irish industry is plugging away, with an impressive crop of actors, directors and industry talents crafting and creating some superb work to look out for. Roll on the 2019 IFTAs ...

For all the awards and winners, see www.ifta.ie/ awards.

MeanwhileInBritain...

GIVEN the focus on our own busy industry with the IFTAs, it’s no surprise that the BAFTAs ‘next door’ – held last weekend – didn’t particularly mirror many of the names shortlisted at our own ceremony.

Even so, there were several parallels in both high-profile, glittering ceremonies, with many of the same people and titles popping up as one winner or nominee or other in the award ceremonies.

However, unlike the IFTAs, most years sees the BAFTAs scrutinised as a bellwether

for the Oscars (which come trotting along in their wake the following month), but this year it seems that the Oscars could go any which way, thanks to a particularly eclectic field of films, stars and crew in the running.

Box office slugger Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri scooped Best Film, Best Actress and best Original Screenplay awards, as expected, alongside Outstanding British Film, and Best Supporting Actor (for Sam Rockell, who faced co-star Woody Harrelson in the same category).

Many had expected The Shape of Water

to make a bigger splash (sorry) at the awards, but in the end it ‘just’ had to make do with wins for Best Original Music, Best Production Design, and Best Director.

As for the likes of Get Out, Lady Bird, and Call Me by Your Name (which at least nabbed Best Adapted Screenplay), their expected wins failed to materialise – but that wasn’t the surprise it might have been, given the particularly high calibre of nominees.

With such surprising results repeated at film ceremonies all around the world, the Oscar wins next month are anything but certain ...

28 DUBLIN GAZETTE 22 February 2018

GAZETTE

DUBLINLIFE FASTNews Volvo XC40: appeal

Call to action for motorists during 181 registration period IRELAND’S only electronic parking and tolling tag provider, easytrip is urging its customers to update their easytrip account details if buying or selling a vehicle to avoid incurring any unnecessary toll charges.

Possible scenarios that can lead to paying unexpected toll charges include: · Selling your old vehicle: if you’ve sold your old vehicle and inadvertently left your tag in the vehicle and haven’t updated your toll tag account, the new owner may continue to use your tag at most barrier toll plazas, racking up a bill connected to your account. · Buying a new vehicle: if you’ve bought a new vehicle and transferred your existing tag to it but forgot to update your account details, you’ll risk receiving a toll bill (billed at the higher rate) and penalty charge if you’ve travelled through the M50 toll plaza as your new vehicle registration is not connected to your toll tag account.

Easytrip customers can update their vehicle details through their online account at www.easytrip.ie or by contacting easytrip on 1890 67 67 68. Signing up to an easytrip tag account means that you save €1 on M50 toll fees and avoid incurring M50 toll fines for nonpayment within the specified period.

Berlingo Multispace updated THE arrival of the new Citroen Berlingo Multispace heralds an update for the iconic ‘Leisure Activity Vehicle’ (LAV) which it created 22 years ago. The new model, to be shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March, claims a fresh combination of design, comfort

Volvo’s XC40 has to be the head-turning car for early 2018 with stand-out style that links traditional Volvo safety credentials with modern SUV styling.

MICHAEL MORONEY took it on test and the appeal of the car just grew and grew.

I’VE been waiting to needed. The engine get behind the wheel choice seemed a of the Volvo XC40 natural one, deliverEngine 2.0 litre ing power and pace because it’s such a Engine Power 190 bhp to the car, with a new car in the Volvo smooth flow through range, with stand-out 0 – 100km/hr 5.3 seconds the gears. design lines that from Economy 20km/litre Volvo claims that the outset give it a very (5/100km or 56mpg) this XC40 is the first special appeal for me.

Fuel Tank Capacity 54 litres car on Volvo Cars’ Before Christmas I CO2 emissions 131g/km new modular vehicle sat into the XC40 in Road Tax Band B2 €280 architecture, which Volvo’s Grafton Street they claim will underpop-up shop and all Main Service 20,000km/12 months pin all other upcomthat did was fuel my Euro NCAP Rating NA ing cars in the 40 driving desire even Warranty 3 years (100,000km) series, including fully more.

Entry Price €38,900 electrified vehicles.

I just wonder how This diesel engine many others felt the same way? the V40 makes the XC40 look so option is clean in terms of emisThis new small Volvo compact much more robust. That combi- sions and gives reasonable econSUV ticks so many boxes for the nation included large 20in wheels omy.

The 54 litre capacity fuel tank brand that it’s sure to be building to add to the composure on the that also demands the use of up waiting lists across Europe, not road.

The car was powered by a 2.0 AdBlue additive in a separated to mention Dublin. Out on the road the appeal of the car grew litre turbo-diesel engine linked to nozzle, gave me ample range an eight-speed automatic gearbox of almost 800km, which is very more as I drove it.

The compact car design and and a seamless all-wheel-drive acceptable for a car of this size.

The fuel economy perforraised structure compared with system that works only when it’s

Volvo XC40 D4 AWD R-Design

and ease of use.

It features three independent and easily folding rear seats (row two), a flat floor through to the folding front passenger seat, 19 driving assistance technologies, four connectivity technologies and latest-generation engines.

The entry model will be powered by the new BlueHDi 130 1.5 diesel unit and a new EAT8 (8-speed) automatic gearbox. The new Berlingo will be available in two

Land Rover returns with Discovery commercial

sizes, M and XL, measuring 4.40m and 4.75m in length respectively, with five and seven seats. The Berlingo has new body styling with a more forward-set windscreen and a higher and shorter front end, achieved through the use of the EMP2 platform.

AFTER a period of absence, Land Rover is now offering a new commercial version of the Land Rover Discovery in Ireland.

This new commercial Discovery is priced from €52,695 ex-delivery (VAT at €9,737) in Ireland, and is available in SE and HSE specifications across the 3.0 TD6 model.

Featuring 1,856 litres of load space replacing the second and third row seats, the new Discovery claims driver and passenger premium levels of comfort and entertainment.

Available with Land Rover’s 3.0D TD6 258bhp engine, Discovery Commercial shares the

fundamental underpinnings of the Discovery, from its wide-spaced double-wishbone design at the front to its advanced multi-link layout at the rear.

Discovery Commercial comes exclusively with four-wheel-drive, automatic transmission, twin-speed transfer box and air suspension.

Fitted solely with Discovery’s front row seating, the HSE models feature heated seats and a cold climate pack as standard which includes, heated windscreen, heated washer jets and heated steering wheel.

mance is marginally better from the smaller engine Audi Q2, while a match for BMW’s X1, both of which I would consider to be XC40’s obvious competitors.

The XC40 is a better power performer and proves itself very capable on the road, where the automatic gearbox has to be the obvious choice, but be prepared for the extra price.

The compact nature of the XC40 means that it’s comfortable in city driving as well as the more adventurous off-road locations.

The all-wheel-drive system fitted to the test car will kick in on demand as wheel-slip and wheelspin signal the need for more traction.

It feels more spacious than some of the competition and it’s marginally longer. The wheelbase also extends longer than that of the Audi Q2 and the BMWX1, for added road comfort.

With Volvo’s heritage, it’s no surprise that this car comes with all of Volvo’s safety technology that we have experienced in the 90 and 60 series cars.

Volvo claims that these technologies make the XC40 one of the best-equipped small premium SUVs on the market.

Safety and driver-assistance features on the XC40 include Volvo Cars’ Pilot Assist system, City Safety, Run-off Road Protection

22 February 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 29

Skoda gives Fabia a styling update SKODA’S Fabia gets redesigned

charged with direct petrol injec-

front and rear end including LED

tion, enabling them to generate

lights front and rear for its launch

95bhp and 110bhp.

at the Geneva Motor Show.

of driver assistance systems,

lights are now being offered for

including Blind Spot Detection

the Fabia for the first time.

feature alerts the driver to the

space for phones (including inductive charging), a foldout hook for small bags and a removable waste bin in the tunnel console.

And like all things Swedish design, these spaces need a mindset to be effective, because while they are present, they don’t allow for bulky storage.

This new XC40 is available with a D4 diesel or a T5 petrol four-cylinder Drive-E engine option.

Volvo will be offering a hybridised version of the car later this year, along with a pure electric version.

Entry prices look temptingly attractive at €38,900 but that’s where the fun

begins and cars such as the R-Design version that I had on test, complete with the full package of extra’s will add over €20,000 to the base price.

Make your Volvo XC40 choices with judicious care and you will end up with a car that’s stylish, distinctive and great to drive.

presence of vehicles in the blind

been extended too, including the

spot or approaching rapidly

addition of 18-inch wheels for the

from behind when driving on

hatchback while the redesigned

multi-lane highways.

instrument cluster, new trim

The Rear Traffic Alert system

strips for the dashboard and

monitors what is going on behind

two-tone finishes for the seats

the vehicle and warns of a risk of

update the interior.

collision when reversing.

The new line-up of engines for

and Mitigation, Cross Traffic Alert with brake support.

The 360° camera helps drivers manoeuvre their car into tight parking spaces.

The XC40 claims to offer a radical new approach to storage inside the car. True, there is more functional storage space in the doors and under the seats, a special

The new Fabia gets a choice

LED headlights and LED rear

The choice of alloy wheels has

Volvo’s new XC40 is a very impressive looking and stylish compact SUV. The entry price looks competitive at €38,900 while the extra’s including the R-Design styling add significantly to the price and also the pleasure

GAZETTE

keeps growing

MOTORING

Another newly available

the Skoda Fabia will consist of

feature is Light Assist, which

four petrol versions, each with

automatically switches to low

three cylinders and a capacity

beam as soon as the system

of 1.0 litre and claims of diesel

detects oncoming traffic or vehi-

engine efficiency.

cles ahead.

The lower powered MPI engines

The Fabia infotainment system

feature indirect injection and

‘Swing’ now offers a 6.5-inch

produce outputs of 60bhp and

display and also allows drivers to

75bhp respectively.

use the full range of mobile online

The two TSI engines are turbo-

services from Skoda Connect.

Mercedes-Benz plans Sprinter vans for June MERCEDES-BENZ commercial vehicles division in Ireland confirmed that the new generation of Sprinter panel vans will arrive in Ireland in June.

The Sprinter was first introduced in 1995 and the model has since sold in excess of 3.4 million units worldwide.

The designers of the new Sprinter set out to create a van that would surpass its two illustrious predecessors.

In practical terms, this meant the new Sprinter comes with a larger load volume and lowering of the rear floor height to make for easier loading and greater ease-of-access for drivers.

This has also brought

improved cab comfort and driver access because of the option of front-wheel-drive within the engine mix.

The Sprinter comes with a new networked, online connectivity system that gives operators control over the fleet.

These easy-to-operate additions, Mercedes PRO Connect and new MBUX multimedia system, all mean easier fleet management, whether of a large, multi vehicle business or a small company fleet.

Functions monitored include vehicle operation and supervision, fleet communication, maintenance management and a digital driver’s logbook.

Mercedes PRO Connect provides eight connectivity packages that make for greater efficiency, lower operating costs, improved vehicle availability and optimised communication within the fleet.

The system is designed to relieve the workload of managers, fleet manage-

ment, controllers, dispatchers and drivers.

It works by linking the fleet manager to vehicles and driver, allowing assignments to be managed online, and vehicle information such as location, fuel level or maintenance intervals to be retrieved in real time.

Renault’s new offers extended to end of March RENAULT Group Ireland’s network has new offers on models ordered and registered by 31 March 2018 across its Renault and Dacia passenger car and LCV ranges.

The Renault passenger car offer includes 3% APR, three years’ servicing and €1,000 cash back, while Renault is also offering 0% HP and three years’ servicing on the stylish Kadjar.

With the recent Government Budget announcement on EVs and 0% Benefit-in-Kind (B.I.K.), Renault is ‘matching the zeros’ on the zero emissions electric ZOE with a 0% HP offer.

Dacia is offering 0% APR on Sandero Stepway Alternative 1.5 dCi diesel and 4.9% APR across the refreshed range which includes Duster, Sandero, Sandero Stepway, Logan and Logan Stepway.

On Renault’s award-winning LCV range which includes Master, Trafic and Kangoo, customers can avail of 3% APR HP over 60 months with a reduced deposit.

These offers are available through Renault’s very own bank, Renault Bank, where they claim that they can offer two-hour decision times and approval rates of 80%.

30 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 22 February 2018

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IN MEMORIAM

IN MEMORIAM

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WEDDINGS/ANIVERSARIES

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SA

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LE P M

IN MEMORIAM

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Lor aut am, cor sis euguerci ea feugait, quat, quissisl exeros el illaortin henisisim volorper. 100

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PHOTO

NAME HERE & NAME HERE OPENING para control 4. Dui el euguerostrud tie vel ullaor adio conullandrem inim dolorperit lorer sed magna alis nonum el dipis nonulla feugiam et iliquis alis nonsequ pismolortio dit iustrud digna faciduis digna feugueratue min henim iliquisl iurem dolore mod nody control 5 il dolor sequism dolore dolore dolortie veliquat. 50.

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PHOTO

22 February 2018 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 33

CITY  DUBLINGAZETTEPLANNING

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GAZETTE

34 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 22 February 2018

SPORT

FastSport DUBLINERS ABOUND IN IRISH CLUB SIDE: NINETEEN of the 31-player Ireland Club XV panel hail from Dublin clubs for their games against their Scottish counterparts on February 23 in Dubarry Park and then for a game in Netherdale in the Scottish borders on March 16.

Clontarf’s Matt D’Arcy is in for his fourth stint with the side and his clubmate Michael Noone is also included.

Division 1A league leaders Lansdowne have 4 players selected, with full-back Eamonn Mills looking to win his second club international cap, having featured last season against England Counties.

Terenure, who are currently third in Division 1A have five players included, all of whom will be looking to pull on the green club international jersey for the first time.

WALKING FOOTBALL: OVER-50S ENCOURAGED TO TRY NEW SPORTING INITIATIVE

Fingal gives new lease of life to keep sporting buzz going

 JAMES HENDICOTT sport@dublingazette.com

A NEW FAI and Fingal County Council Initiative is seeking to encourage those over 50 to continue playing soccer, through a version of the game known as walking football.

The chilled-out alternative to regular soccer is aimed at preventing people from walking away from the game when they feel the pace is getting too much for them, but also to encourage a social aspect to the competition alongside the buzz of continuing with a slowed-down form of the game.

The contests will be informal, open to men and women, and hosted for free, with tea, coffee and biscuits supplied.

Organiser Mick Pender, who works as a Development Officer within the FAI, has praised the positive approach of the progressive local council in pushing forward such concepts.

“It’s popular in the UK,” he said of the campaign, “and Fingal County Council have always been very good about listening to and trying out

South Dublin County Council are already running walking football in Palmerstown, Clondalkin and Esker

ideas like this.

“They were immediately keen on the idea. We hope to be able to roll this out more broadly, but I’ve been in touch with people like Men’s Shed Swords to get this one underway first, as well as reaching out to local people with posters and other information. We’ll see who comes

out and go from there.

Casual “There are a lot of people who play football for as long as possible but get to the point where they feel like they have to stop, having dropped down to more casual things like five and seven-a-side,” Pender explains.

“There does come an age where a lot of people say to themselves ‘I’m finished’, and this is a way to keep people active and to build in a real social activity. It’ll be very casual.

“If people want to play, wander off for a cup of tea and then come back and play some more, that’s totally fine.”

The game itself is exactly what it sounds like: “The only new rule is that you get sent off if you run,” Pender says.

“It’ll be about staying involved, about accounting for people who might have reduced mobility and keeping them part of a game they might have played all their lives.”

Initially, the games will be very informal, but as the concept grows, Pender anticipates that their may be different agreements about rules, with both competition and casual games taking place to suit different people keen to get involved.

To start with, though, he’s simply keen to get the concept underway.

If you’d like to play walking football, the first of a series of games will take place at the Rivervalley Community Centre (Swords) indoor hall, from 1pm to 2pm on Wednesday, March 7.

They will then continue at the same time on Wednesdays from then on, with plans in place to move outdoors for fresh air once the weather improves.

Marian bounce back with pair of Super League wins MEN’S SUPER LEAGUE  sport@dublingazette.com

UCD Marian bounced back immediately from their loss to Pyrobel Killester. Picture: Martin Doherty

UCD Marian stormed back from last weekend’s loss to Pyrobel Killester in style, winning out in convincing fashion (72-46) against Dublin neighbours Éanna on T hursday evening in men’s basketball’s Super League.

They followed up with a cracking game against Tralee in a top of the table clash on Saturday evening. Huge displays on the night from Tralee’s Goran Pantovic and Trae Pem-

berton were just not enough in the face of sharp shooting from UCD’s Dan James, Barry Drumm and Conor Meany, which saw them eke out an 86-83 point win in the closing minute.

“It was a really, really difficult game,” UCD’s Ioannis Liapakis said afterwards. “Unfortunately, we didn’t have much time to prepare the team for it as we had a game Thursday but the main thing we needed to remember was what happened last year, where we were 25 points ahead and we lost the

game.

“It doesn’t matter if you play 39 minutes really well, you have to play 40 minutes really well and that’s what happened today. They played well, we played well and it was great game for everybody to watch, but in the end, I think we wanted it a little bit more.

“There is no safety net unfortunately, we lost that a few weeks ago. Now, every loss counts. We’re still really far away from winning the league so we have to go step by step.

The only thing we care about

right now is the next practice on Monday.”

Griffith College Swords Thunder, meanwhile, maintained their second place spot on the table with a 20-point victory over Moycullen at the ALSAA on Saturday evening.

Sheer grit won out for Black Amber Templeogue to see them win out 74-70 against Belfast Star.

They are now in fifth place on points difference with Pyrobel Killester just above them in fourth after winning out 79-72 over Maree in Galway.

22 February 2018 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 35

GAZETTE

FASTSport

Shamrock divers plunge to win string of silverware SHAMROCK Diving Club picked up a wealth of medals in recent weeks with success at the British National Championships in Plymouth before also succeeding at the Senet Cup in Eindhoven.

For the former competition, the Abbotstown-based club sent three divers to the competition which has Britain’s best competing for the top places and trying to achieve standard scores to qualify for this season’s major events like the Commonwealth Games, World Cup and Senior European Championships.

Shamrock’s Oliver Dingley was crowned champion in the men’s 3m, scoring 447.10 – a personal best and a new Irish record – qualifying himself for the Word Cup in China in June.

He also competed on the 1m board, scoring 390.60, securing silver and only missing gold by 1.80 points.

Jack Ffrench placed 10th and scored 319.15 in men’s 3m, just 10 points off his European Championship standard score. On the 1m board, Ffrench scored 299.35, placing ninth and, again, just missing out on the final. Clare Cryan took women’s 1m bronze, scoring 250.05.

Soon after, Shamrock had four seniors and three juniors in Eindhoven to compete in Europe’s biggest club event. Dingley (pictured), who was eighth at the 2016 Olympics, once again was in superb form, winning both the 1m and 3m competitions while also getting gold in the 3m synchro with Ffrench, also taking first place.

Ffrench, 21, finished in ninth place in the 1m and a personal best in the 3m with a fifth position.

Cryan backed up her Plymouth performances with fourth place at both heights while Francesca Doran’s best performance came on the platform, the 18-year-old ending eight overall.

In the 14/15 age group, Anna Power is hoping to make the junior European team this year and backed up those claims with bronze in two of her events.

Ciara McGing also won a bronze with an Irish record in platform competition for girls aged 16 and over.

Teenage sensation Sarah in record-breaking form Blackrock AC’s 17-year-old distance runner smashes both the Irish Youth and Under-20 national records to beat Olympian Kerry O’Flaherty to win senior Irish 3,000m  sport@dublingazette.com

BL AC K R O C K AC ’ S Sarah Healy provided the performance of the Irish Life Health National Indoor Championships when she smashed both the Irish Under-20 and Youth 3,000m records.

It was the teenager – who has just turned 17 – win her her first national senior title in 9.10.43 at the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown last Satuday.

Healy was simply outstanding as she left Rio 2016 Olympian Kerry O’Flaherty (Newcastle) firmly in her wake. A rare talent was on display and the Blackrock teenager surpassed the Under-20 record of 9.28.67, previously held by Rose Anne Galligan, and the Youth record of 9.35.1 of Amy Rose Farrell.

Reacting to the news,

Healy said she “was really surprised” before adding that she “didn’t think it was that fast”.

O’Flaherty led the first kilometre in roughly 3.10 and then Healy took over, winding it up sublimely to 3.05 and finishing off with a swift 2.55 final kilometre for a comprehensive victory.

“I wasn’t thinking about records and I didn’t really know what was going to happen so it was just about running fast. I felt good following Kerry at the start and thought I could give it a go. Hopefully, I have plenty more senior championships ahead of me!”

Meghan Ryan (DSD) got up for bronze in 9.43.35. She has been one of the most consistent team performers for DSD over the past ten years, on track and cross-country, winning many team med-

als at national level.

The smile on her face as she sprinted to a bronze individual medal showed how much it meant to her to be on the medal podium. She is now focused on the outdoor season with renewed vigour, as she seeks that elusive gold but will have her hands full with rising star Healy.

Elsewhere, on the first day of action, MidSutton’s Sarah McCarthy bagged the women’s national long jump title with a leap of 5.90m.

On day two, it was a bittersweet day for Crusaders Adam McMullen who was supreme in the men’s long jump winning with a monster jump of 7.99m, It was a mere centimetre off the magical 8m mark and the national indoor record of Ciaran McDonagh.

Phil Healy took a com-

Sarah Healy crosses the line to smash two national records in one . Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

manding victory in the women’s 400m in 53.10 which was another world indoor standard with Catherine McManus (Dublin City Harriers) running another personal best in second in 53.81.

DSD’s Sinead Denny took third in 54.31.

Andrew Mellon, another Crusaders AC man, impressed in the men’s 400m to win in 47.32.

His club mate Matthew Behan also caused a stir in the men’s 60m hurdles to win his first national senior title in a big personal best of 7.84 seconds ahead of the fancied Ben Reynolds (North Down AC) in second in 7.88.

Shane Aston (Trim AC) took third in 8.33.

Donore Harriers’ John Travers has been building on his tactical acumen and he won the 3,000m in 8.25.21 from defending champion Eoin Everard (Kilkenny City Harriers) in 8.25.74.

He sat in third at the 200m bell and sprinted past his rivals with 150m to go for a hard-fought victory A great walking performance at 5,000m by DSD’s Jerome Caprice saw him pick up bronze, in a time of 20.39.24. He will represent Mauritius in the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

Long jump champ Adam McMullen. Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

GAZETTE

36 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 22 February 2018

SPORT

HOCKEY

RUGBY: DONNYBROOK CLUB FOUGHT BACK TO LAND LOSING BONUS POINT

Pembroke and Trinity share the league spoils PEMBROKE and Trinity’s shared the spoils at Serpentine Avenue to mean the status quo remains between eighth and ninth place in the women’s EY Hockey League, leaving three points separating the sides after 12 rounds of matches.

Pembroke went in front seven minutes before half-time when Laura Noble passed into the D for Jilly Ringwood who swept home.

Sally Campbell equalised for the students five minutes after half-time with a reverse-stick strike but Pembroke were back in front when KJ Marshall saw a shot saved and Aisling Naughton snapped up the rebound.

The hosts looked the more likely to extend the lead when Emily Beatty and Eanna Horan had chances denied by Carolyn Crampton while corner chances were also defended.

Trinity also cleared off the line before they fought back and had the best of the closing stages, pushing for the equaliser.

And they got their reward from a quick counter which played in Ellie Noone to make it 2-2 for what could be an important point.

Pembroke are outside the relegation places with Trinity in ninth in the playoff spot, two points clear of Hermes-Monkstown - 2-0 losers to Loreto - who are in the bottom rung.

At the top, UCD strengthened their place at the top as they showed a clean pair of heels to Belfast Harlequins at Deramore Park in a 5-0 win.

Ellen Curran and Emma Young were back from injury for the Belfielders but Emma Russell was out.

Lena Tice put them 1-0 up from a corner to set the ball rolling in the first quarter. Deirdre Duke got the first of her two goals when she slides home following a lovely pass from Abbie Russell.

And they were 3-0 up before the big break when Katie Mullan scored a breathtaking reverse into the top left corner.

She would later depart with a gash on her knee while Leah McGuire also departed early with an ankle injury after a fine performance. The fourth goal came when Curran picked out Duke at the top of the circle to score on her reverse.

Katherine Egan closed out the win with the fifth goal two minutes from time from a lovely passing move.

Old Wesley face four big battles to avoid relegation from the second tier of UBL rugby

Wes comeback falls short UBL DIVISION 1B

Old Wesley UCC  sport@dublingazette.com

19 22

OLD Wesley suffered the heartbreak of another narrow defeat in Ulster Bank Division 1B, a feature of the season to date, when going down on a scoreline of 22-19 to UCC in Donnybrook last Saturday.

The southern students got an early foothold with strong ball-carrying number eight Ryan Murphy prominent. The end result was the concession of a penalty by Wesley which James Taylor duly converted.

Both sides moved the ball through the hands at every opportunity with play swinging from end to end. After 25 minutes, Wesley got on the board which their excellent play deserved when Conor Barry crossed for a try which young full-back, Josh Miller, added the extras to for a 7-3 lead.

UCC replied just before half-time via a barnstorming run by Cian Barry and, after a rolling maul, John Hodnett crashed over, nicking an 8-7 halftime lead.

It left an evenly poised tie with Wesley suffering a further setback at halftime with captain Dar-

NATIONAL FINALS Harrington boxing clever for her title defence ST MARY’S Boxing club’s Kellie Harrington had dropped to lightweight for this year’s Liffey Crane Hire Elite Boxing Championship where she will take on Amy Broadhurst in Saturday’s 60kg final at the National Stadium.

The 2016 World Elite light-welter finalist beat Shauna O’Keeffe, who Olympic and WBA champion Katie Taylor beat in the 2015 final, in the 2017 decider and is one of five defending champions through to finals.

Picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

ren Horan withdrawn through injur y. UCC moved further ahead on 55 minutes when poor defensive alignment by Wesley led to Paul Kiernan – son of former international, Michael – dotting down. Taylor added the points to extend the UCC lead to 15-7.

Soon af ter, things looked very grim for the homesters when UCC scrum half, John Poland crashed over after a period of dominance. With Taylor again adding the points, the lead was now 22-7 and Wesley were facing a very serious situation with 20 minutes remaining.

To their credit, they

proceeded to put together a wonderfully sustained last quarter going within a hair’s breadth of pulling the game out of the fire.

Former UCC scrum half, Charlie O’Regan, pulling the strings on his home Wesley debut, the home side took over completely and, after great work by the pack, Craig Telford, crashed over after a rolling maul.

After more sustained pressure from the pack, Kieran Murphy grounded for a vital try, converted by Miller, to reduce the margin to three points.

Wesley had all the momentum and they had a kickable penalty to draw

the match in the final minutes but chose, probably correctly, to chase the fourth try , which would have brought their points tally to five, up from from one.

But, try as they might, Wesley couldn’t breach the spirited College defence and the final whistle blew with Wesley within a few metres of the try-line.

The upshot of the weekend for Wesley, with UL Bohs and Ballymena both winning, is that Wesley are now ninth in the division , with each of the remaining four matches being critical to survival prospects.

22 February 2018 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 37

GAZETTE

SOCCER: DALYMOUNT ROCKS FOR LEAGUE OPENER

FASTSoccer

Bohs celebrate their opening goal last Friday night at Dalymount Park. Picture: Deryck Vincent

Four-star Crumlin ease through

LOI PREMIER DIVISION

HOLDERS Crumlin United eased into the semi finals of the Charlie Cahill Cup after an excellent team performance against a gritty Swords Celtic in Pearse Park last weekend ended in a 4-0 victory.

The first half was a tight affair. Crumlin kept probing away and eventually got their reward when the excellent Conor Murphy popped up to head home from close range to give the home side a 1-0 lead at the break.

Crumlin stepped up a gear in the second half and started to play some excellent football and the second goal was worth the wait. Murphy took the ball on from wide on the left in his own half and launched a superb pass through the heart of the Swords defence with Craig Walsh taking it down.

With his second touch, he lobbed the advancing Swords keeper to give Crumlin a 2-0 lead.

It was all Crumlin after that and shortly after they went 3-0 ahead when Jake Donnelly got on the end of a super cross-field ball from Walsh to clinically slot the ball wide of the Swords keeper.

A few minutes later, Murphy raced through the defence and poked home his second and Crumlin’s fourth to put the game beyond Swords.

Donnelly almost made it five with a cracker from 30 yards out but the Swords keeper made a wonderful acrobatic save to deny him.

Case-closed as Bohs light up Dublin derby Bohemians Shamrock Rovers  DAVE DONNELLY

3 1

sport@dublingazette.com

BOHEMIANS secured the Dublin Derby bragging rights – and soared to the top of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division – with a stunning 3-1 opening day win over Shamrock Rovers at Dalymount Park.

Keith Long’s side spent much of Friday evening chasing the game following Ronan Finn’s first-half opener for the visitors, but goals from Paddy Kavanagh and a Dan Casey brace completed a remarkable comeback.

It was a carbon copy of a league meeting between the sides three seasons ago, when Rovers led at the break only for Derek Prendergast and Dean Kelly’s double to swing the result in the Gypsies’ favour.

Hoops’ boss Stephen Bradley predicted to the Dublin Gazette that it wasn’t going to be “pretty to look at,” and he was proven very much correct

in a game that failed to sparkle for 70 minutes.

An early lunge from Rovers’ Greg Bolger, for which he was fortunate not to receive a card, set the tempo for a scrappy game where caution won out on both sides.

The first half-chance of the game fell Bohs’ way as Keith Buckley’s corner ran through to Dinny Corcoran at the back post, but he thrashed at his volley.

It was the Hoops who took the lead at the midway point in the first half, and it was a rare moment of magic that proved the different in a game lacking inspiration.

Graham Burke’s audacious overhead kick, after Gary Shaw had easily beaten Casey in the air, came back off the post and Finn showed composure to bury the rebound on the volley into an empty net.

That’s how it remained for the next 50 minutes, with half-chances for Keith Ward and Dinny Corcoran the closest Bohs could manage to an equaliser.

Until, that is, the home side won a corner on the

right and Casey rise high above Lee Grace to plant a beautifully-executed header in off the post to level the tie.

The Hoops roared back but their bark was worse than their bite, and Bohs took the lead for the first time with nine minutes remaining.

A long punt forward from Supple was flicked on by Oscar Brennan, and Paddy Kavanagh raced through from the right wing and smashed the ball past Horgan at his near

post.

Three minutes later, the tie was put to bed and it was Casey again, exploiting some woeful positioning from Rovers keeper Kevin Horgan to head into an empty net.

“That was something else,” Casey said after the match.

“The fans were amazing.

The lads, the shift they put in was unbelievable. To go one down and come back was just brilliant, and it’s hopefully going to push us on for the season.”

Fans tifo at Dalymount Park. Picture: Martin Doherty

Bissett back at the Orchard to take on ambitious girls plans CHERRY Orchard have appointed Dave Bissett as their new Director of Girls football.

The 31-year-old former Cherry Orchard schoolboy player will oversee the two current girls teams at Under-11 and 12 level in the MGL, reporting into Karl Keogh.

Bissett’s long-term plan is to have a girls team in the DDSL and to develop an academy for girls football.

He played his Schoolboy football with Cherry Orchard for two seasons with former players Stephen Quinn, Gary Dicker and Shane McFall, managed by Paul Somers.

He also played in the Kennedy Cup with the DDSL and the Milk Cup for the Orchard, finishing fourth.

His most recent honour was captaining the Republic of Ireland street leagues International team in Oslo Norway last September with the Irish team finishing in eighth place in the competition.

GAZETTE

38 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 22 February 2018

SPORT

FOOTBALL: STAR-STUDDED MUN UNDONE BY ANTHONY RAINBOW’S NEW

FASTGAA

Brilliant Boden upset the AFL DIVISION ONE Ballyboden St Enda’s Ballymun Kickhams  sport@dublingazette.com

St James Gaels Open day ST JAMES Gaels/An Caislean GAA club will host an open day on Saturday, March 3 from 12pm to 2pm in the Iveagh Grounds on the Crumlin Road.

The event is open to boys and girls and club PRO Kevin Dunne is keep for all to get involved.

“We would like to invite everyone to attend our open day. It will be a great opportunity to give Gaelic sports a chance. We provide football, hurling and camogie.

“We have a policy where everyone who wants to can play, they are no trials. We have a special fun training area for children of four to six years old and have teams for boys and girls from Under8 all the way up to adult. Everybody is welcome, everyone plays. Why not give it a try for a few weeks?”

For more information, contact Dave on 086 3993087.

3-12 0-9

ON THE face of it, Sunday morning’s AFL1 league opener looked heavily weighted in Ballymun Kickhams’ favour prior to throw-in against Anthony Rainbow’s new Ballyboden St Enda’s charges.

The Dublin county players were made available by Jim Gavin with the Mun able to field six of their stars. For Boden, Collie Basquel was out injured and Michael Darragh Macauley could only half an hour and their dual players were also out, making the odds against a home win would probably be high.

The side that did line out, however, made light

of such a preordained script and produced some lovely attacking football at Pairc ui Murchu and ran out an unlikely – but fully merited – 12 point victors.

In the first minute, Ross McGarry showed why he was an All-Star minor last year by firing over an early point. Ryan Basquel followed with two similar scores, one free.

Darren O’Reilly, operating from the half back line, brought the score to four points to nil in the seventh minute. The backs were giving no room to the Ballymun forwards and it took 10 minutes before they got their first score, a pointed free by Dean Rock.

Ryan Basquel popped over a free before James Madden, making his senior league debut, fired to the back of the net after 14

minutes.

Stephen O’Connor continued to attack up along the left wing and, after one such long run, he expertly found Ryan Basquel heading towards goal and he made no mis-

take in scoring the second goal.

This seemed to waken Ballymun from their slumbers and they scored the next four points, three frees by Rock and a point from play by fellow Dub-

lin man Paddy Small.

With two minutes to go to half time, Declan O’Mahony stopped the rot by hitting a point to leave the half time score 2-7 to 0-5 in favour of the home team.

Ballyboden St Enda’s ahead of last Sunday’s AFL Division One league tie

CLUB NOTICEBOARD BALLYMUN KICKHAMS

HEROES of the week this week, are our six representatives on the Dublin senior football team who took time out on Saturday morning to pay a visit, do some coaching and generally just encourage the children at our two nurseries last Saturday.

The children had a magnificent time and were very grateful to their Dub heroes Jamesy, Dean, Evan, Philly, Paddy and John! Take a bow lads, you are our laoch na seachtaine!

There are photographs on the club Facebook page and website of the fun mornings at our nurseries.

Your children can join these nurseries if over the age of four, just show up and register!

The St Kevin’s nursery is from 9.30 to 10.30am and the comprehensive nursery is from 11am to 12pm. We look forward to new members all the time, so please, just show up!

All our adult footballers were back in action this weekend. It was a mixed bag of results with our seniors well beaten and our intermediates winning well, both against their respective Ballyboden teams.

Another mixed bag for our juniors with our junior A team unluckily beaten by four points while our junior B team had their first game. They won on a convincingly large scoreline with Eoghan Flanagan historically scoring the first ever score for this new team.

Congratulations to our girls U-8s team who had their very first games on Sunday and their performances were a credit to their families and the club. They were competitive and most importantly they all had a fantastic time.

Manager Owen said the girls gave a super performance and it was great to see their learned skills coming out and showed great spirit. We wish Owen and the girls all the best for the year ahead.

For more information on these snippets, please visit our Facebook, Twitter @ BallymunGAA and website ballymunkickhams.com.

All with thanks to Progressive Credit Union.

CLONTARF

FOLLOWING up on the first outing for our third adult hurling team last week, Sunday was the first day we fielded two minor hurling teams within the

club. Well done to all 37 players who togged out including the Faoi16 lads that played up with 1 win and one defeat.

Our seniors won the local derby in their first outing in AFL2, defeating Scoil Ui Chonaill 1-10 to 0-7.

A cúl from Kevin Lillis featured in a big second half as they recovered from a 0-4 to 0-2 half time deficit.

Our Junior A peiladóirí defeated O’Dwyers 0-14 to 0-8 in AFL5 while our Junior B team lost to Ballyfermot DLS in AFL9.

Our Faoi15A buachaillí made it three wins from three in Roinn 2, defeating Ballymun Kickhams at home. The Bs put in a great shift in Castleknock but lost out. The Faoi11 Eagles took to the skies and had a good win away against BSJ while the crossover Bobcats-Falcons playing as the Wolves showed promise in a tough outing.

The Faoi9 buachaillí had their first Peil Go Games on Saturday, hosting Sylvester’s.

Well done to the Eagles, Patriots and Jaguars who all played really well.

There are a limited number of tickets remaining for the fashion event of the year our Fashion Show in The Helix this February 23. Available in An Siopa (Tuesday and Thursday

7-8pm) or text Grainne 087 2370625, Ruth 085 7278693 or Siobhán 087 6771835.

Campa Cásca our Easter Camp returns next month running March 27-29. Online booking will open this week and will be limited to first 100 children.

Tour De Cluain Tarbh will return on Monday, May 7. Text Brian on 085 8531716 to register your interest. There will be 50km and 100km routes. €100 entry fee.

No winner of the club lotto.

Numbers drawn were 7,17,25 and 32. Consolation prize winners were Alexandra Duane & Eoin Kellett. Póta Óir now €7,000. Play online via our website or by envelope in An Siopa, Cúldoras, The Sheds or Pebble Beach.

CRAOBH CHIARAIN

NO WINNER of the lotto jackpot of €4,500 on Monday, February 12. Five match three winners each receive €120 . Numbers were: 1,2,3 and 19. Next week’s jackpot will be €5,000. Tickets are €2 and the draw takes place Every Monday at 11pm in the Club Lounge.

Adult footballers lost their first league match while our minor hurling team, Cu

Chullainn, had a great win in their first league game.

The senior hurlers play Kilmacud Crokes in Silverpark on Sunday morning at 10.15am.

The junior hurlers also play Crokes in Clonshaugh at noon.

Best of luck to all concerned as they start their 2018 campaign.

Membership fees for 2018 are now due. Details of which are on display in the club or from Club Registrar Linda Ryan. Payment can be made at the bar. Receipts are issued for all such transactions.

Adult playing members MUST also pay an additional insurance fee.

Our ladies football section are holding a fundraising karaoke bingo session in the club lounge on Mother’s Day on Sunday, March 11 from 6 to 9pm.

Music has returned to the lounge on Sunday Evenings.

Please support.

Do you have any hurleys that your child has now outgrown?

Size 30 and below are especially useful as we can use them for our nursery and camps. Please bring them to the club and leave them in the bucket provided.

The second weekend of donations for the homeless, organised by our Wellbeing Committee, was another

outstanding success. Our thanks for to all involved.

The Dublin hurlers play Galway in Parnell Park on Sunday. This is an all-ticket game. Parnell Park ticket holders must collect their ticket from the GAA Ticket Office on Dorset Street before Friday.

Dublin play Kerry in the next round of the Spring Series in Croke Park on Saturday, March 3 at 7pm. Tickets must be ordered by Saturday, February 24 and paid for in full

by Tuesday, February 27.

Condolonces to the Mc Guirk and Warren families on their recent sad loss. May they rest in peace.

CRUMLIN

ADULT season kicked off the weekend with our junior footballers in action, unfortunately they were defeated by a strong Lucan outfit.

G4M&O continues on Wednesday nights in the Old Christian Brothers Hall on Captains Road from 7.308.30pm. All newcomers are welcome.

Training is continuing for all teams, ladies football and camogie training is on a

22 February 2018 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 39

GAZETTE

CHARGES

INNER-CITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

odds The second half started with Macauley taking over from Declan O’Mahony in midfield but play continued as the first half ended with the home team again in control.

Ryan Basquel hit two points, one free, before a great move ended with Simon Lambert finishing to the net after 10 minutes.

Rock scored two points, one free, before Cathal Flaherty, operating from full back, got up to score a point.

Rock, again from a free, cancelled this out. The Ballyboden management emptied the bench but it did not weaken the team as they continued to dominate with Ryan Basquel and Barra McGarr y pointing frees and Ballymun getting one back, their third from play in the whole match.

Well-being project launches as DLGFA, Scoil and local schools join forces

Ballymun Kickhams’ James McCarthy takes on Darren O’Reilly. Picture: Cliona Mellett

DUBLIN ladies Gaelic football (DLGFA) are working with Dublin City Council to launch a North East Inner City (Dublin) Sport and Wellbeing proposal in their efforts to develop a “quality school-club link programme”.

The plan is to promote teenage girls being active via ladies football in North East inner-city in Dublin. Scoil Ui Chonaill will be the central club in the programme with Larkin College, Mount Carmel Post-Primary School and the Dublin ladies county board the key stakeholders.

The plan is to provide a fun four-week programme of ladies Gaelic football activities to attract new girls aged 13-15 from local primary schools into a local club. This will include a blitz day where girls can demonstrate the skills learned.

The plan is also to provide teachers and coaches with LGFA coaching skills that will be transferable to many aspects of academic (PE Curriculum) and social situations both inside and outside the school.

The project began on Monday at Larkin College and gets under way on Thursday, February 22 at Mount Carmel.

CLUB NOTICEBOARD Tuesday/Thursday night at 7pm in Bluebell Boxing.

For men’s/juvenile training times and schedules, please contact your mentors as times and venues do vary week to week.

Adult subs are now due and once again we will be asking all members social and playing to pay ASAP. Lotto was not won; numbers drawn were 2,6,9 and 24. There were three match three winners and next week’s winning jackpot will be €3,450.

Joker Poker was not won and this week’s jackpot is €1,800.

NA FIANNA

MIXED fortunes for our adult Football teams on the opening weekend of the new season. Wins for AFL5s and AFL10s, the senior 2s drew and losses for senior 1s and AFL8s.

In hurling, a win for our minor Bs while the As just lost out to a late goal.

Hard luck to Shane Barrett, Donal Burke and Dublin’s senior hurlers against Limerick on Saturday.

Also to Roisín Baker, Arlene Cushen, Alex Griffin, Eve O’Brien, Zoe O’Donoghue and Dublin’s senior camogie team on their loss to Waterford.

Congrats to Niamh Gleeson, NiamhRock and Dublin’s premier juniors on their win against Tipperary and hard luck to Orla Gray and Dublin’s Minors against Cork.

Attention turns to adult hurling leagues next Sunday and all our four adult hurling teams are away: seniors play O’Tooles and inters play St Judes, both at 10.15am.

The junior As play Crumlin at 12 and the Bs play Erin’s Isle at 2.30pm.

Our three minor football teams are also all away on Sunday at 11am.

The As are in Skerries, Bs go to Erin’s Isle and Cs travel to Russell Park to play St Brigid’s. Best of luck to all teams, support welcome.

Best of luck to Donal Burke, Colin Currie, Paul O’Dea and DCU Dochas Eireann in their first Fitzgibbon Cup final next Saturday in Mallow against UL.

Tickets on sale from the Helix and club bar for Na Fianna Sports Forum in the Helix Friday, March 9. Serious panel of sports stars and raffle on the night for terrific prizes and all in aid of Na Fianna, please support.

Na Fianna’s Operation Transformation, going from strength to strength, continues every Monday night at 7pm, all welcome.

A brand new club initiative, Na Fianna Connects, will hold its first interactive talk on March 2, 7.30pm in the club. The first night’s guest will be Oisin McConville who will share his own story with us and entry is free to all members.

Draíocht Players return to Na Fianna for their annual visit on Thursday, March 1 at 8pm with The Plough and The Stars.

Tickets €10 available from Ann Ryan or club office, a must see for any Leaving Cert household.

Tickets for NFL1 Dublin Kerry game in Croke Park on Sunday, March 3 are available through club, see details: http://www.

clgnafianna.com/followthe-dubs/ Congrats to Cormac O’Sullivan on scooping the first club lotto jackpot of 2018 worth €4,750.

Members’ subscriptions due. They can be paid in the club office from Monday to Friday from 9.30-1pm, Saturdays in the club or online.

Sincere sympathies of the vlub to the Skelly family on the passing of Mrs Nora Buckley, mother of Miriam Skelly, mother in law of Brian and grandmother of Eoin (adult hurler), Patrick (minor football and hurling) and Lucy (U-16 ladies football and camogie). Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam.

O’TOOLE’S

THE dates for our Easter camps are: nursery, four to seven year olds: March 27 to 29; senior eight to 12 year olds: April 3 to 5.

Places are limited so book today with David 086 3010134, Kelly 085 1600381 (after 5pm) or Hellen 086 3060524.

Juvenile registrations are now due. Please contact your team mentor to pay.

Best of luck to Emma O’Byrne playing on the Dublin camogie team this season.

A big thank you to Aisling Kane for her dedication and commitment to her role of ladies team vaptain for the past three years and we welcome new captain Tara Fitzgibbon and vice Emma Lawlor to their roles and wish them the very best.

Congratulations to Michael amd Ciara Carton on the birth of their son.

Friday, Jun e 8 is a date for your diary; it’s O’Toole’s Dinner dance in the Carnegie Court Hotel, Swords. Join us for a fourcourse meal, live band and DJ ‘til late. Tickets €30pp.

Bring your partner, your friends, your company, it will be great. For queries, contact Ciaran 087 6465273, David 087 9769594 or John 087 2958398.

This weekend in our lounge it’s Friday night fun and games. Saturday The Works and Sunday, from 6 to 8pm, with Eddie & Tom.

There was no winner of our live club lotto. The numbers were 6, 8, 12 amd 17. The jackpot this week is €1,200.

RAHENY

THIS year, Mothers Days falls on March 11 and the chosen charity for our mothers day brunch is “Breast Cancer Ireland”.

A group of Manor House TY students are running this event to help raise money for Breast cancer Ireland in one of their teachers names Emma Cassidy.

It was a great start to the season for our senior camogie team with a win in the first competitive game for the Senior 2 squad.

We had senior debuts from Lauren Robinson and Niamh McCormack who rose to the challenge and didn’t look our of place at all.

Although we were missing a few of last years starting panel, there was a welcome return of a lot of players including Jackie Elebert and Grace Larmon who made a huge difference.

A few of last years minors, Andrea Cotter, Keelin Lambart, Katelyn Close, Sinead Stack and captain for the day Ailbhe Byrne were also a great addition. A clean sheet for Emily Rheinisch also, the future is bright for Raheny Senior Camogie.

Our AFL2 (Raheny 3-12 to 1-6 Ballyboughall GAA) and AFL4 had great wins away as well, not so good for the home games, hard luck to minor and U15 hurlers.

SCOIL UI CHONAILL

THE Scoil men’s teams played their first matches of the season on Sunday against Clontarf, Cuala and Castleknock.

The Scoil ladies spent Saturday in Co. Offaly undertaking the Croghan Hill Challenge - as part of a pre-season team bondng day. The club will be taking part in the North East Inner City School Club link programme - which will see GPO Thomas visiting inner city girls school in order to promote ladies football.

GAZETTESPORT

ALL OF YOUR DUBLIN CITY SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 34-39

BOHS LATE FIREWORKS: Dalymount delight as the hosts produce the heat in the closing stages P37

FEBRUARY 22-28, 2018

HEALY GOING THE DISTANCE: Blackrock teenager smashes series of 3,000m records P35

Members of the St Kevin’s Boys side that made it through to the SFAI Under-12s cup last weekend

Kevin’s five from five

Schoolboy club makes yet another big impression on the national stage with five wins from five for the club in the SFAI cup soccer competitions

 DAVE DONNELLY

sport@dublingazette.com

ST KEVIN’S Boys were celebrating yet another marquee weekend on the national stage as no fewer than five of the club’s underage sides progressed to the quarter-finals of their respective all-Ireland SFAI Cup competitions.

The Whitehall-based club sent teams across the country with sides fielded in Cork, Wexford and Kildare.

At Under-12 level, both the Kevin’s Under-12s and the Under-11s – playing a year above their age – prevailed against tough provincial sides.

The older group won 4-1 against a physical Forth Celtic side in Murrintown, Co Wexford, while the 11s were 5-0 victors at home against

Wilton United of Cork.

The Under-13s – who will contest the annual Academy Cup alongside the likes of Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen next month – were 3-0 winners over Caragh Celtic in Donore, Co Kildare.

In the most keenly-contested of the weekend’s games, the under-14s ran out 4-2 winners over Dublin rivals St Joseph’s Boys, while the Under15s won 6-1 in Charleville, Co Cork.

For club PRO Neil Fox, who travelled with the 12s to Wexford, the real value is in the taste away trips like these give players of the lifestyle of a professional footballer.

“It was a great experience for the 12s to go down to Wexford and experience football outside the Pale, as it were,” Fox said.

Goals from Logan Preston, Danny McGrath, Ryan Markey and Mark Tarzan saw the 12s run out deserved winners.

“There’s no better than travelling around Ireland to play different teams in a cup competition.

It’s a great experience for the kids.

“Little things like travelling in the coach as a team, experiencing the atmosphere, getting a bit of food before the game, playing the game and then travelling back.

“It gives them an idea of what professional footballers do, day-in, day-out in Ireland, in England and around the world.”

The Under-13s recently returned from a tournament in Barcelona where, having beaten Luton Town, they lost out to Spanish giants Espanyol and Valencia – both of whom con-

tested the final.

The club recently announced a link-up with League of Ireland side Bohemians, which will see them field a joint team at under-15 National League level.

Fox believes it’s all part of providing as much education as possible to players so they can make choices later in life, regardless of whether or not they choose to pursue football.

“We’d be trying to keep the kids here, saying we’ve got a great link with Bohemians, and if you play well and work well, the English clubs will be keeping tabs on you and they’ll still want you.

“It’s tough to keep the kids in Ireland when you have the lure of big clubs in England. Kids growing up, even myself, everyone wants to play in England.”