City

DublinGazette CITY EDITION

FREE

WHEREVER YOU ARE IN THE DCC AREA, WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED  JANUARY 11-17, 2018

IT’SCHILE WEATHER BANISH THE WINTER BLUES WITH OUR GUIDE TO SOME OF THE BEST GETAWAY HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS ALL AROUND THE WORLD

SPORT DCU show no Mercy in cup semis P28

Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you

Find us on

P20 CLONTARF PLAN ‘SHORT-SIGHTED’ AND ‘WASTEFUL’ – CHAMBER

Waves of anger as flood wall to be lowered  SYLVIA POWNALL DUBLIN Chamber has hit out at a “short-sighted” decision to lower the flood barrier at Clontarf to give drivers a clearer view of the sea.

At City Hall, councillors voted by 34-21 in favour of reducing the height of the sea wall despite advice from engineers that it would have to be rebuilt in the future.

Dublin City Council chief

Owen Keegan warned that the reduction in height to below national standards would leave the area exposed to flooding.

The works – at an estimated cost of €530,000 – have been slammed by Chamber chief executive Mary Rose Burke who described the move as “short-sighted” and “wasteful”.

Continued on Page 4

2 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 11 January 2018

ENTERPRISE | IRISH-BASED STAYCITY GROUP EYES UP KEY LOCATION

Aparthotel group set to add new Dublin site  SYLVIA POWNALL

AN APARTHOTEL company which started with one unit in Temple Bar has announced a tenfold increase in its Dublin property portfolio by 2022.

Staycity Aparthotels, which was founded in 2004 by brothers Tom and Ger Walsh, now has more than 4,500 apartments across 10 cities including 179 in Dublin.

It says it is now on target to more than treble its portfolio in Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe to 15,000 units over the next five years.

The firm, which offers both short- and long-term aparthotel lettings, started with a single property in Temple Bar – a former recording studio used by U2.

This year, the company opened new facilities in Marseille, Lyon and Manchester as well as unveiling details of a new luxury brand, Wilde Aparthotels, which will open its first venture in London this spring.

A second will follow in Edinburgh in 2019 with a third planned for the former Checkpoint Charlie on the Friedrichstrasse in

The Staycity Aparthotels building at Christchurch

central Berlin, Germany.

Staycity, which is still based in Ireland, also announced that it plans to add another site to its Dublin catalogue in 2019 with the opening of 50 apartments in Chancery Lane.

A further 142 apartm ent buildings will open on Mark Street in 2020 and in total Staycity expects to have 1,500 turnkey units operating

in Dublin by 2021.

The firm will also continue its expansion in the UK and Europe with 212 one- and two-bed apartments in Liverpool’s Corn Exchange in 2019 along with a 248-key aparthotel near Disneyland Paris in Val d’Europe complete with swimming pool, bar and deck.

Staycity’s finance director Colm Whooley said the outfit had seen strong

profit margins in 2017 and annual turnover was expected to reach €60 million.

He revealed: “Brexit and general economic environment have remained a risk but we have attempted to reduce that risk, where possible, with a strategy of growing the business across a number of markets and actively managing currency exposure through foreign exchange hedging.”

Revenues rose to about €60 million during 2017 and the firm is eyeing turnover of €300 million by 2022 – which could see it float on the stock market.

Staycity proper ties are made up of studios, one-bedroom and twobedroom apartments with 24-hour reception, kitchens, dining rooms, sitting areas and bathrooms.

FASTNews

Worrying drop in number aware of lung cancer signs MORE than a quarter of Irish people are unable to name the symptoms of lung cancer.

At the launch of its Lung Cancer Awareness Month last week, the Irish Cancer Society (ICS) said that 27% of Irish people were unable to name any symptoms of lung cancer, according to new research from the Global Lung Cancer Coalition (GLCC).

This is a significant drop in awareness from 2013 when only 9% of Irish people were unable to name any symptoms of the disease.

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in Ireland, with more than 2,500 cases diagnosed annually, including 724 cases in Dublin in 2015.

For further information on lung cancer and support available, and to take the online lung health checker, see www.cancer.ie/lung.

Affordable housing move in Ballymun draws praise THERE have been calls for the Government to take more action on affordable housing.

Welcoming the move to develop a further 39 affordable homes in Ballymun by a housing cooperative, Labour spokesperson on Community Affairs Cllr Andrew Montague said: “Last year, 49 affordable homes were built by the groundbreaking O Cualann Co-housing Alliance in Poppintree, in my constituency.

“These homes have provided real hope for the local community, and it is a real-world example of the type of model we should be implementing to develop affordable homes for people across the country.”

Cllr Montague added: “The latest figures show that just over 9,500 new homes were built last year, which is simply not enough to meet demand. It’s time for government action to address the shortcomings in the private, developer-led housing market.”

All change as TV3 set for all-new rebranding in 2018

Katie’s proof there’s plenty of accounting for success FINGLAS woman Katie Griffith was congratulated by Josh and Ross Griffith when she was conferred as a Member of Accounting Technicians Ireland at a special ceremony at the Talbot Hotel.

The title was a tribute to the hard work Katie had put in to her studies,

where she was one of the graduates delighted to receive a Diploma for Accounting Technicians, earning them all some well-earned praise and congratulations from their accompanying family members and friends. Picture: Fintan Clarke

TELLY watchers across the capital have a ‘new’ name to look out for later this year – Virgin Media Television. The new name is part of the rebranding of an old favourite, with TV3 changing its name as the station looks to shake up its offerings. TV3 was bought by Virgin Media in 2015 for €80m.

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

11 January 2018 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 3

CHALLENGE | STEPHEN HOPES TO JOIN ELITE CLUB WHO SUCCESSFULLY SWAM THE CHANNEL

Tallaght man bids to conquer the North Channel for charity  MARK O’BRIEN

A TALLAGHT man is hoping to raise money for charity by becoming one of only a handful of people to successfully swim the North Channel, between Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Stephen Martin founded Marathon Man To Ironman three years ago and has raised money for charity by running marathons and ironman challenges since then.

Stephen initially took on the first challenge himself but others soon joined him to help raise money for Make A Wish.

He told Dublin Gazette: “I just fancied taking on an Iron Man there a few years ago but I was told go get a marathon in my legs as well.

“My wife suggested that I do it for charity just to give me the extra push to do it. The first time I did it, I was on my own.

“Last year I just chanced my arm to see would anybody fancy joining up with the challenge so I set up a Facebook page and all that and luckily I think we got about 12 last year.

“Over the last two years we raised nearly €8,000 for Make A Wish.

“This year I think we’ve about six or seven signed up and it’s only the first week of January so the ball’s rolling already.”

As well as an Ironman challenge in Majorca later this year, Stephen is hoping to swim the Irish Channel next year.

Just 57 people have suc-

cessfully completed the swim since 1947 and there is gruelling training involved before Stephen can attempt the swim.

“You have to prove to the Irish Long Distance Swimming Association that you can swim in water for eight hours below 15 degrees,” he said.

“They have a race on this summer, I’m going to swim that, it’s 25km. I’m hoping to get there. It’s just over eight hours so I’ll be good to go.”

The group have also decided to change charities this year and have partnered with Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland (SBHI) for the next two years.

“We were with Make A Wish for the first two years but this year now, a friend of mine,

his daughter was born with Spina Bifida so we decided to change charities this year for the next two years and team up with Spina Bifida Ireland and try and raise as much funds for them as we can,” said Stephen.

The next fundraising event in aid of SBHI will be a 5km race in Corkagh Park on June 30. The event is intended as a family fun day with people of all levels of ability encouraged to run or walk the race in aid of the charity.

“There’s no pressure on you to finish in a certain time,” said Stephen.

“It’s just a day out and hopefully we’ll raise a few bob.”

To get involved please visit the Marathon Man To Ironman Facebook page.

Stephen has raised money for charity by running marathons and ironman challenges

4 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 11 January 2018

COUNCIL | MINISTER REAPPOINTS MAN TO ROLE DESPITE COUNCILLORS’ ANGER

Housing Agency chair’s comments spark uproar ---------------------------

 SYLVIA POWNALL DUBLIN City Council has called on Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy to immediately remove Conor Skehan as chair of the Housing Agency.

Mr Skehan (right) – who has said he is keen to move on from the unpaid role he has held since 2013 – sparked a controversy when he said there was evidence homeless people are “gaming the system” to secure housing.

But despite the comments and the ensuing public outcr y, Minister Murphy last week reappointed him to the position, claiming he could not find another suitable candidate.

At Monday’s council meeting, Sinn Fein put forward a motion calling for Mr Skehan to be removed.

The motion stated: “We

‘Mr Skehan (left) sparked a controversy when he said there was evidence homeless people are “gaming the system” to secure housing’ ---------------------------

believe his recent comments on homelessness and the downplaying of the housing crisis make him wholly unsuitable for the job.”

Chairman of the council’s housing committee, Cllr Daithi Doolan (SF), said Mr Skehan had “disqualified himself” by his recent com-

ments on homelessness.

He said the remarks were part of a “culture of victimblaming” and the problem of homelessness was because of a lack of new builds with demand far outstripping supply.

The Sinn Fein motion was carried by 28 votes in favour

with 20 against and four abstentions – with a number of councillors speaking in support of Mr Skehan.

Cllr Ruairi McGinley (Ind) said he knew of some families who had to wait 15 years on a housing list, but only two years on a homeless list, and that “desperate people make

desperate decisions”.

Cllr Anne Feeney (FG) said the motion was “outrageous”, while Cllr Dermot Lacey (Lab) said it was “important that public officials are free to speak their mind”.

Meanwhile, Dublin City Council has pledged that new accommodation will be found for 14 families who have to leave the Gresham Hotel on O’Connell Street.

DCC deputy chief executive Brendan Kenny told Monday’s meeting he is “very confident” that suitable alternative accommodation would be found for all 14 families before their leave date at the end of January.

Responding to criticism from councillors, he said the council has provided more than twice its target for homes for those on the housing list – 8,285 since 2015 compared with a projected 3,347 units.

Flood wall to be lowered to help give a better view Continued from Page 1

She said: “The decision is baffling on a number of levels ... and defies good and responsible planning.”

Cllr Michael O’Brien (AAA) also criticised the vote. He posted on Twitter: “I was the only Dublin City Council councillor for the north central area to oppose the lowering of part of the Clontarf sea wall ...

“The council ultimately won’t be thanked for reducing flood protections to below nationally recommended standards.”

The wall was built as part of the €5 million Clontarf greenway which took two years to con-

struct and opened last May. A 600m stretch will now be lowered by 30cm after residents complained of obstructed views.

But the wall at its current level does not block views of Dublin Bay for pedestrians and cyclists using the new path – and the stretch being lowered is not directly opposite any houses.

Councillors were criticised on social media with calls for a breakdown of

the vote to be made public.

One comment read: “Surely motorists should be watching the road.

Insane decision, given the flooding risks. Waste of money.”

Cllr Damian O’Farrell (Ind) lobbied for the reduction on behalf of residents who claimed the wall would obstruct views of Bull Island and St Anne’s Park.

He said: “The main reason is that the wall is

situated in a buffer zone of two areas of natural beauty; the Bull Island biosphere and St Anne’s Park.”

But Dublin Chamber said the flooding risk posed by climate change and rising tides needed to be factored in to any decision affecting seafront infrastructure.

Mary Rose Burke said: “This decision serves as a kick in the teeth for other towns and cities in Ireland which are crying out for better flood defences.

“While they wait, it must be galling for them to see Dublin councillors wasting taxpayers’ money by undoing work that has already been completed.”

FASTNews

Shooting ‘an attack on all of Cherry Orchard’ CHERRY Orchard residents say that a recent shooting incident will not stop them from working to make the area a better home.

A 21-year-old man was rushed to hospital on Friday night after he was shot in the leg. His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Speaking after the shooting, Cllr Daithi Doolan (SF) said: “The shooting in Cherry Orchard was an attack on the whole community.

“The gardai must receive every resource possible in Ballyfermot to tackle gun crime.

This is a great community made up of hardworking families.

“Residents deserve better than gun violence. I am calling on all political representatives to work together with gardai to ensure gun crime is tackled head on.

“Cherry Orchard families must be allowed to live, work and play in safety.

“The shooting will not deter this community from working to make Cherry Orchard a better home for all residents,” he said.

Hundreds of projects on show at the RDS AN OVERSEAS trip to a remote corner of sub-Saharan Africa is the thrilling prize that awaits the lucky winner of one of the top prizes at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in Dublin.

More than 2,000 student projects were submitted to this year’s exhibition, and more than 550 projects will be exhibited at the RDS, with the event currently running until Saturday, January 13.

11 January 2018 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 5

FASTNews

Calls for the restoration of Nos 14, 15, 140 bus links

THERE have been calls for the urgent restoration of the Nos 14, 15 and 140 bus routes via St Stephen’s Green following the completion of the LUAS Cross City construction works.

Cllr Mary Freehill (Lab) said: “With the completion of LUAS Cross City, it is now time for the urgent restoration of the Nos 14, 15 and 140 bus routes back by St Stephen’s Green.

“This would restore access for commuters and visitors to some of the core city centre attractions, and also allow people to link up with the new LUAS Cross City [link].

“Due to the construction works, these buses have been rerouted down through George’s St for the last number of years. For many people, this was a major but presumed temporary inconvenience.”

Cllr Freehill said it was “unacceptable” to deprive people travelling from Dublin 6 and 6W of public transport to this area.

She said: “Restoring the routes would provide more direct access to cultural institutions including the National Museum, National Library, National Gallery and the National Concert Hall.

“It would also provide a closer direct link to the St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre, and Grafton St area,” she said.

Free course in Ballyfermot focuses on Type 2 Diabetes A FREE dietitian-led XPERT course for Type 2 Diabetes will begin in Ballyfermot Library at the end of the month.

The six-week award-winning education course helps people to manage their Type 2 Diabetes, and is delivered by the HSE Community Dietitian.

The course commences on Wednesday, January 31 and runs from 10am to 12.30pm, and runs every Wednesday up to and including March 7 at Ballyfermot Library, Ballyfermot Road, Dublin 10.

Places are limited, with those interested required to register before attending.

For further information or to book a place on the course, call Michelle Carey, Senior HSE Community Diabetes Dietitian, at 076 695 8080.

Dublin Airport lands near the top in anti-litter league EVERYONE winging it over to the capital’s airport might notice something missing in the transport hub’s general environs – litter.

Dublin Airport has flown up to fourth place in the Irish Business Against Litter annual litter league, with the airport’s environs seeing it land at fourth place in the prestigious national chart.

Classed as ‘Cleaner than European Norms’, the airport scooped the top category thanks to its focus on its environs, seeing it taxiing several places up the chart from ninth place in its 2016 listing.

The report was carried out on behalf of IBAL

by An Taisce, which surveyed 40 towns around the country.

It found that the nine of the ten areas in the Dublin Airport Environs were a Grade A standard, with the surveyors noting that the area as a whole was ‘virtually spotless’.

HOUSING CRISIS | WESTERN WEBSITE ALSO APPLICABLE TO DUBLIN

A Mayo-led initiative could help house Dubs  MARK O’BRIEN MORE than 400 vacant properties that could potentially be brought back into active stock to help alleviate the housing crisis have been identified across Dublin.

The properties have been identified by members of the public and logged onto the website www.vacanthomes.ie.

The website (right) was launched in October and is an initiative of Mayo County Council with the aim of possibly bringing some of the properties back into stock to help alleviate the current housing crisis.

Mayo County Council’s director of services, Tom Gilligan, told Dublin Gazette: “We’ve been delighted with the responses we’ve got back from the public in Dublin and nationwide.

“We’d have around 15,000 people that have contacted us. In the country overall, we’d have

about 1,600 properties logged on vacanthomes.ie, and in Dublin – you take the four Dublin authorities – we’d have about 440 properties.”

The website allows members of the public to upload pictures of vacant properties in their area and provide details of where the properties are and how long they have been vacant for.

The details are logged anonymously, and the details are not displayed on the website, protecting the privacy of people who log the details and the people who own the

properties.

“Once the properties are identified through the crowd-sourcing mechanism in relation to the logging on the website, we then provide that information to the local authority,” said Tom. “We’ve got very good feedback up to now from the authorities that they’re looking at the properties and obviously trying to get as many of them as possible back into stock.”

The last Census showed that there are 183,212 vacant homes across the country.

“That figure from Cen-

sus 2016 represents 9.15% of the overall national housing stock,” said Tom. While it will not be possible to bring all of the identified properties back into stock, he said that it will be quicker to bring the ones that can be made available into stock rather than wait for brand-new houses to be built.

He said: “In relation to vacant properties and existing properties, the reality is an awful lot of the key infrastructure is already in place.

“For example, you have the roads, facilities such as electricity and tele-

phone, a lot of that work is already done, so to bring those properties back in to use, there would be less work involved.”

He added that were other benefits to local areas in making these homes habitable once again.

“There’s also a benefit to the local economy because a lot of these properties, they’re going to use local builders or tradesmen to bring them back them into use, and also it helps to create stable communities.

“For properties adjacent to a vacant property, obviously it does have an economic and a visual impact.”

Tom said that he hopes that the initiative will go some way to helping to ease the homelessness crisis in the country.

“If we can those properties back into use then it will make a significant difference to people’s lives and the quality of people’s lives as well.”

2017 saw a 7% rise in public transport use  MARK O’BRIEN

THERE was a 7% rise in journeys on public transport in Dublin last year.

Dublin Chamber said the figures send a clear signal to the Government that it must invest ambitiously in Dublin’s transport network.

The Chamber has called on the Government to at least triple its investment in public transport to meet growing public demand.

Dublin Chamber’s head of public affairs, Graeme McQueen, said:

“It is fantastic to see such strong growth in the number of people using public transport.

“However, imagine what we could achieve if we invested properly across the spectrum of public transport services.

“There are still far too many people in the Greater Dublin Area without an attractive public transport offering.

“If the aim of reducing the dependency on the private car is to be achieved, a properly planned and fully integrated public transport network is essential.”

Dublin Bus’s popularity was singled out by Dublin Chamber

Dublin Chamber said it is hopeful that public transport numbers will continue to rise in 2018.

However, it has called on planners to exercise caution regarding any traffic changes in the College Green area.

McQueen said: “Given that Dublin Bus is the backbone of Dublin’s transport network, it is vital that any changes made in the

College Green area do not negatively impact on the attractiveness of the bus.

“Dublin Chamber supports the idea of a pedestrian plaza at College Green, in principle, and always has done so, but we need reassurance that there are proper plans in place to ensure good mobility around the city, and out as far as the M50.”

6 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 11 January 2018

Out and About

Bronagh Elliott with Sean Bregazzi from Glasnevin

Bronagh Elliott, Financial Controller, ITB is pictured presenting Odhran McNally from Raheny with a ITB sports scholarship for soccer. Andres Poveda Photography

Strong showing from Dubs with Sports Scholarships T

HERE was strong Dublin representation this year as ITB (Institute of Technology Blanchardstown) awarded their Annual Sports Scholarships to 22 ITB students in Kickboxing, Soccer, Basketball, Rugby, Pool, Canoeing, Boxing, Athletics and Badminton with all packages totalling €25,000. Of the 22, 18 were Dubs. Students, selected for the ITB Sports Scholarships benefit from an excellent financial package as well as the excellent support services made available to them.

Jamie Hollywood from Crumlin

Daniel O’Donovan from Nicole Carroll from Howth

Drimnagh

Aimee Clarke from Jordan Fallon from Castleknock

Donnycarney

Paul Ryan from Donahgmede

11 January 2018 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 7

Out and About

Audrey Lyle and Kate Kelly

Melissa Riddell and Cathy Martin.

Left: Erica Bracken.

Pictures: Brian McEvoy

Niamh O’Sullivan and Grace Mongey

A treat for fans of fitness and beauty T

V presenter Amanda Byram was the host of a very special event recently, as Benefit Cosmetics launched a beneFIT pop-up gym at the boutique Dean Hotel for one day only. The event was in celebration of the launch of a new version of Benefit’s cult favourite primer, the POREfessional face primer. Guests enjoyed a fun pink workout, brow styling and many other treats.

Lisa Nolan

Melissa Riddell

Grace Mongey

Orla Hopkins

Jenni Murphy

8 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 11 January 2018

EDUCATION | TEEN WAS ‘FORCED TO LEAVE SCHOOL’

‘It was making her miserable forcing her to go to school’

 MARK O’BRIEN

Being dressed to impress was neigh bother at Leopardstown THESE ladies effortlessly led the field in the style stakes at the Leoparstown Races recently, with men and women from across the city and farther afield putting on their glad rags for a great day out at the traditional event. This trio of glamorous gals were absolutely on point at the Cliff Style awards at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, with stiff competition for the Best Dressed Woman, and Best Dressed Man. However, regardless of success in the hotly-contested contest, the whole event proved a winner with everyone in attendance.

A DUBLIN teenager says that she was forced to leave school because a lack of teaching resources was affecting the standard of education she was receiving.

Chloe O’Faolain (16) had been attending St Aidan’s Community School in Brookfield, Tallaght.

But she left in November because there would often be days when there were no teachers available to take most of up to six of her nine classes.

Chloe’s mother Sinead told Dublin Gazette that she couldn’t keep sending Chloe to the school because it was making her depressed.

“She was heartbroken,” said Sinead.

“It was making her miserable forcing her to go to that school and she was coming home from school every day in tears and I couldn’t do it to her anymore. It just wasn’t right.”

Sinead was keen to stress that she felt the school were doing their best for their pupils but were hamstrung by a lack of resources.

“I don’t blame the school entirely because I think they were trying to do the best with what they had,” she said.

“It’s basically the system that’s at fault.”

Sinead is currently trying to enrol Chloe into another local school but

CRIME | GARDAI URGING CAUTION, VIGILANCE AFTER ASSAULTS

Vicious attacks on taxi drivers making parts of Dublin ‘no-go areas’  SYLVIA POWNALL

TAXI drivers have called parts of Dublin a ‘no-go area’ after a spate of vicious attacks. Gardai have also issued a warning that taxi apps are being used to lure drivers to robberies in the wake of the assaults.

In one incident on New Year’s Eve, a driver had his phone stolen after he was robbed by two teenagers who gardai believe were carrying an imitation firearm.

A cohort of cabbies are now refusing to pick up or drop off fares in certain parts of Dub-

lin 15 areas Ongar, Clonee and Tyrellstown for fear they will be targeted.

A report on behalf of taxi drivers has been made to the National Transport Authority (NTA) to outline their position.

It is understood they took the pre-emptive move by way of explanation if customers make complaints about their refusal to provide a service to certain areas of the capital.

The robbery on New Year’s Eve took place in Hazelbury Park, Clonee and the driver – shaken but uninjured – later reported it at Blanchardstown

Garda Station.

He told officers that two teenage males got into his cab in the city centre and one later produced what gardai believe was an imitation handgun.

The pair demanded cash and the driver was forced to hand over his smartphone. A photograph claiming to show a number of young men involved in the incident has been widely shared on social media.

The two suspects in the Clonee attack are described as being black teenagers and anyone with information is asked to contact Blanchardstown Gar-

dai at (01) 666 7000.

Meanwhile, a garda alert which has been sent to a number of taxi drivers reads: “Increase in assaults and thefts of cash/ phones from taxi drivers in Dublin 15 area.

“Phone apps used to lure drivers to pick up or group of youths engage taxi from a pick up to destination, on arrival theft/assault occurs.”

Gardai are urging drivers to exercise caution, pick up and drop off in well-lit busy thoroughfares, use dash-cams, and keep cash and phones out of reach.

Chloe has been focussing on competing in Top Model Ireland. Picture: Grant McDonald

has not yet been successful.

In the meantime, Chloe has been focussing her attentions on competing in Top Model Ireland.

Chloe found out that she had been accepted into the competition not long after she left school.

“It came at the best time,” said Chloe.

“I really needed it.”

Chloe has taken part in boot camps, learned how to do make-up and taken part in photoshoots ahead of the final of the competition, which takes place on January 20 in the Citywest Hotel, with the proceeds going to Make-A-Wish Ireland.

Chloe said that taking part in the competition had been a massive confidence boost following her departure from school.

But she also has her sights firmly set on returning to education and going to college.

“I want to do culinary arts or something in social work,” she said.

Dublin Gazette contacted St Aidan’s Community School and the Department of Education for comment on the staffing difficulties that led to Chloe leaving the school.

Principal of St Aidan’s, Karen Quigley, said: “In common with many schools, we have found that there are increasing difficulties around recruitment of teachers.

“However, classes and students are never left unsupervised during any period of recruitment.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said: “Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by the Department in accordance with established rules based on how many pupils are enrolled in the school. “ The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website.

“The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority.

“The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the school management authorities.

11 January 2018 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 9

LINK | OVERCROWDING

‘Full-capacity Luas needed’  MARK O’BRIEN

A FINE Gael Senator has called on the Minister for Transport to confirm that the Luas will be operating at full capacity by St Patrick’s Day. Senator Neale Richmond urged Minister Shane Ross to deal with the current overcrowding issues by the time of the 2018 St Patrick’s Day Festival.

He said: “The longawaited Luas Cross City is a massive step forward for commuters and one that was much needed.

“However, connecting the Red and Green lines has highlighted the longstanding issues with overcrowding familiar to many Luas users.

“This is completely unacceptable, particularly given there is no issue

with funding.

“I find it incredible that the Minister didn’t allocate resources to tackle the capacity issues being experienced.

“The latest line from Transport Authority Ireland is that it will take months for a full service to be implemented.

“Bigger 55-metre trams are due to be introduced in March, adding more capacity than the existing 43-metre trams.

“Why does the city have to wait? They should have been operational months ago.

“Minister Ross needs to confirm that the Luas will be operational in time for the festival.”

Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to visit Dublin in March for the annual event.

EDUCATE TOGETHER | PRINCIPAL NAMED FOR ET SECONDARY HUB

Innovative educator set to lead new school  MARK O’BRIEN EDUCATE Together have announced that Paula Mulhall has been appointed principal of the new Dublin South City Educate Together Secondary School due to open in September.

Paula has worked in the education sector both at home and abroad for more than 20 years.

A graduate of Maynooth University, Paula has taught Science, Biology and Maths in Palmerstown Community School since 1998 and has served as Junior Cycle Co-ordinator.

Paula is firmly committed to the Educate Togeth-

Paula Mulhall

er ethos and has served on the Executive Committee in North Kildare Educate Together National School.

She said that her vision for Dublin South City Educate Together Secondary School is to lead the creation of an envi-

ronment where positive, constructive relationships between students and teachers nurture learning and teaching excellence in the classroom.

“I am thrilled to take up the position of principal of Dublin South City Edu-

cate Together Secondary School.

“Educate Together has transformed the educational landscape in Ireland at primary level and with their entry into second level [education], I believe there has never been a more exciting time to be involved in education.

“The principal, as lead teacher, has the privileged role of creating with the stakeholders a positive learning environment where all students can thrive, achieving their potential not only academically but also socially and emotionally.

“To be involved in this pioneering step forward in second level education is

an honour and I look forward to the exciting journey ahead,” she said.

Paul Rowe, the chief executive of Educate Together, said: “Educate Together is delighted to welcome Paula to her role.

“Her career so far indicates an educational innovator committed to activating the student voice and I am positive that Dublin South City ETSS will thrive under her leadership.”

Paula will take up her role on Monday, January 22, with Dublin South City ETSS due to open in September. Educate Together is awaiting confirmation of temporary accommodation for the school.

10 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 11 January 2018

Out and About

Haris Koutsikos

Kieran Hanrahan

Michelle Mulcahy, Louise Mulcahy and Michael Mulcahy. Pictures: Brian McEvoy

Great live music in our most historic places

Vasiliki Ioannidi and Justine Zwiazek

O

NE of the biggest and best traditional music festivals in Ireland is set to rock the Capital very soon. The festival was launched by Minister for the State Ciaran Cannon at the department of Foreign Affairs recently. This year’s TradFest will be dominated by female performers including Judy Collins, Martha Wainright, Michelle & Louise Mulcahy and Maria Doyle Kennedy. TradFest 2018 takes place in some of the most iconic venues across the Capital from January 24 to 28.

Holly Hughes

Lord Mayor of Dublin Micheal MacDonncha and Claudine Murray

Aideen Howard

Feargal Dempsey

Salla Paananen

Radia Moralleda

11 January 2018 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 11

Out and About

Clint Drieberg and Elaine Leonard

Monica MacLaverty and Doireann Ni Ghlacain

Colette Gallagher and Padraic Og Gallagher

Louise Osborne and Gillian Caldwell

Trish Lambe

12 DUBLIN GAZETTE 11 January 2018

GAZETTE

DUBLINBUSINESS Enterprise Ireland reports creation A new year, so time of 19,332 new jobs for a new job, think employees – survey RESEARCH | CONSULTANCY SEES RELIABLE STAPLE IN WORKERS’ THOUGHTS

ENTERPRISE Ireland has reported the creation of 19,332 new jobs by Enterprise Ireland backed companies in 2017.

There are 209,338 people now employed in companies supported by the agency.

This is the highest total employment achieved in the history of the agency.

This represents a net increase of 10,309 jobs for 2017, taking account of job losses.

In line with total employment levels, the net increase in jobs, is the highest on record with Enterprise Ireland.

Enterprise Ireland attributed the strong performance by Irish businesses to the continuing growth of an entrepreneurial climate for start-ups, allied to strong jobs growth in the Construction (8% increase), Engineering (8% increase), Lifesciences (8% increase), Digital Technology (6% increase), Electronics (6% increase), Food (4% increase) and ICT sectors (5% increase).

Temporary support for businesses hit

by Eleanor’s wrath THE Irish Red Cross has confirmed that the Department of Defence has requested the society to administer an emergency humanitarian support scheme to assist small businesses, community, voluntary and sporting bodies affected by the recent devastating floods caused by Storm Eleanor.

The scheme will provide support up to €5,000 initially for those who meet the eligibility criteria, and up to €20,000 following receipt of more detailed information and a site visit.

This scheme provides emergency humanitarian support to small businesses impacted by the flooding from Storm Eleanor between January 2-5, with the closing date for receipt of applications set for January 31.

Targeted at small businesses (with up to 20 employees), the funding is a temporary support contribution towards the costs of returning business premises to their pre-flood condition and designed to cover damage to buildings, contents and fixtures and fittings.

This scheme also provides temporary emergency humanitarian support to community, voluntary and sporting bodies impacted by flooding from Storm Eleanor between January 2-5.

This aid is designed to cover damage to buildings, contents and fixtures and fittings; however, it is not designed to provide a contribution for loss of earnings or loss of business goodwill, or for damage caused to pathways, sports grounds, carparks or pitches.

To download an application form, or for further information, see www.redcross.ie.

A RECENT survey by recruitment consultancy, Osborne, has revealed that 85% of respondents have started back to work for 2018 – and the first thing on their to-do-list is to look for a new job.

A better salary (28%), and a new challenge (20%) are the two main driving forces behind the search, with promotion, location and a complete change of career completing the top five reasons, and more than a quarter citing all five as the reason to change jobs.

Shona McManus, Osborne’s chief executive, said: “Having time to regroup over Christmas and the opportunities that the New Year brings gives many employees the chance to reflect on

the past year and make resolutions and plans for the year ahead.

“In today’s market, candidates may find it difficult to get clarity and

direction on next steps, as there are a number of employment platforms available.

“Some 9% of those surveyed have not changed

jobs within the past 10 years, so for them, finding a new role or company could be extremely daunting.”

Joanne Murray, recruit-

ment and business manager at Osborne, added: “A career plan is a good way to start the year for any employee.

“To get started, we advise performing a selfassessment or personal audit, which consists of making a list of skills, abilities and experiences.

“This will act as a snapshot of who they are as an employee, and what they can offer.

“Creating long- and short-term career goals will help the candidate to critically assess their objectives and decide on reasonable goals, which they will then list, starting from the long-term goals and working backwards, identifying benchmarks along the path towards their long-term goals,” she said.

STATISTICS | TOTAL DOWN ON 2016 – BUT REFLECTS GOOD TRADING

Market watchers toast Dublin pub sales worth €20m in 2017 LAST year saw 20 Dublin pubs changing hands in sales worth more than €22 million.

Commercial property consultants CBRE Ireland have released statistics on the volume and value of pub sales in the Dublin market.

They show that 20 pub properties, totalling sales worth more than €22 million, sold in the Irish capital last year – a figure that compares to €43 million in 30 pub sales in Dublin the previous year.

Some notable Dublin pub properties that sold in the past 12 months include Boland’s in Stillorgan; JJ Smyth’s on Aungier Street, Dublin 2; Sandyford House, Sandyford and the Arc Cafe Bar at Liffey Valley in West Dublin.

‘Pent-up demand’ John Ryan, director of CBTRE Hotels said: “On the one hand, the volume of transactional activity in the Dublin pub sector last year was disappointing, consid-

ering the volume of pent-up demand prevailing for good licensed premises in the capital.

“However, on the other hand, it is largely reflective of strong economic and trading conditions that have encouraged publicans to remain in business.

“Good trading conditions boosted turnover and profitability, leading to a corresponding uplift in the value of the underlying asset, which encouraged many publicans to continue trading.”



GAZETTE

DUBLINLIFE

11 January 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 13

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

2017 BIRTHS: FORTY NEW ADDITIONAL ANIMALS ARE WELCOMED TO POPULAR ATTRACTION

A very busy year for babies at Dublin Zoo

 MARK O’BRIEN

SINCE Dublin Zoo first opened its doors in 1830, its 28 hectares has been transformed with the support of the Irish public and now attracts over 1 million visitors a year.

Last year proved to be a particularly busy year for the zoo, as it welcomed 40 new animal additions.

“2017 has been a truly remarkable year for all of us here at Dublin Zoo,” said Leo Oosterweghel, director at Dublin Zoo.

“We were delighted to welcome a total of 40 new animals including the births of two Asian elephants, a southern white rhinoceros, an eastern bongo calf and no less than three scimitar-horned oryx - a species classified as extinct in the wild.”

Scimitar-horned oryx were once widespread across northern Africa but due to overhunting, habitat loss and competition with domestic livestock, they have gradually disappeared from the wild.

The species have now been classi-

fied as extinct in the wild.

Since 2013, Dublin Zoo has financially supported the reintroduction programme for the scimitar-horned oryx in Tunisia. Currently there are over 200 oryx in semi-wild areas in four national parks across Tunisia.

These semi-wild areas are an immediate step between zoo animals and wild living animals.

Dublin Zoo kicked off 2017 with the birth of a healthy eastern bongo calf, a species classified as critically endangered.

Born on January 5, the calf is the offspring of mother Nanyuki a n d father Hodari.

This was a particularly significant birth for Dublin Zoo, as only between 75 and 140 eastern bongos exist in the wild.

A population in rapid decline, the eastern bongo is hunted in the wild for its horns and meat.

As well as the animal additions, Dublin Zoo also opened some new attractions this year.

In July, Zoorassic World opened its doors. The Zoo’s new home for reptiles past and present features Stan, a life-size replica fossil of a Tyrannosaurus rex that lived 65 million years ago.

Dublin Zoo’s opening hours are 9.30am-4pm, with last entry at 3pm.

Tickets are priced at €17.50 for adults and €13 for children over 3 and under 16.

NEW BONGO CALF

14 DUBLIN GAZETTE 11 November 2018

GAZETTE

DUBLINLIFE Get a glimpse into the mind of world’s most famous hacker

DIARY

BT MINDSHARE: EXPERT SET TO PERFORM A LIVE HACK

THE “World’s most famous Hacker”, Kevin Mitnick, will be the keynote speaker at BT Mindshare, which takes place during the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition on Thursday, January 11, 2018 at 5pm in the RDS, Dublin.

Formerly one of the FBI’s Most Wanted, Kevin has since transformed himself into a trusted security consultant to Fortune 500 enterprises and governments worldwide, mentoring leaders and staff on both the theory and practice of social engineering and educating consumers on how they can protect themselves from today’s latest threats.

On his first visit to Ireland, Mitnick will be performing a live hack

and will bring insight and experience alive to a room full of senior business professionals where security is top of their agenda.

Tickets are available online now costing €6 for students, €12 for adults and €25 for a family pass which includes two adults and two children. http:// btyoungscientist.com/ ticketing/

MUNKY RELEASING SECOND SINGLE DUBLIN’S alt-rockers Munky are releasing their second single 7am on Wednesday, January 17.

The release will also be accompanied by a video written and directed by the band’s frontman Zac Stephenson.

This is the follow up to their debut single Hunter

Gatherer Blues which resulted in a sold out Whelan’s mainstage show in February 2017.

The ‘7am’ single launch on the February 9 in Whelan’s sold out within a month of the announcement and as a result a second date has been added, Saturday, February 10.

All the proceeds of this second date will be given to the Peter McVerry Trust to help combat the homeless crisis.

Tickets are on sale now via eventbrite and donations will be welcome on the night.

POWERFUL STORIES AT THE NEW THEATRE THE New Theatre in Temple Bar is currently playing host to the highly acclaimed show, Save +

Quit.

Fun, fast paced and fearless, Save + Quit tells the powerful and empathetic stories of four humans.

The play was chosen as the winner of the London Student Drama Festival 2015 and completed a hugely successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and VAULT Festival in London.

Save + Quit runs until January 20. Tickets available from www.thenewtheatre.com.

FUNDING TO SUPPORT ANGLING EVENTS INLAND Fisheries Ireland has launched its Sponsorship Fund for 2018 which will support angling events and initiatives across the country.

The fund supported

Dublin’s alt-rockers Munky are getting set to release their second single

79 events and initiatives across 19 counties to the tune of €30,000 in 2017, with a particular focus on those which help grow Ireland’s angling tourism product and support novice anglers.

Inland Fisheries Ireland’s Sponsorship Fund aims to support large international competitions held in Ireland which showcase Ireland’s angling offering and contribute to local economies.

The fund contributes to novice angler events which increase participation in angling among those who want to begin, or who have recently taken up, fishing as a hobby.

Applications for funding from the Sponsorship Fund are now invited from anyone organising an angling initiative.

The scheme will remain open for applications until January 22 2018 and all

applications can be made online at www.fisheriesireland.ie/Angling-Information/sponsorship-programme.html.

INNOVATIVE THERAPY FOR MENTAL HEALTH A GROUND-BREAKING mental health treatment, with potential to save thousands of patient lives, is launching in Dublin this month.

Smart TMS, a leading UK clinic for the treatment of mental health issues, launches its innovative Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy on January 15 in Ireland.

Statistics from the Healthy Ireland Survey (2016) suggest that over half of the Irish population will either have personal experiences with mental health issues, or have experience with someone with a mental health prob-

lem.

TMS is a clinically proven and non-invasive treatment which stimulates the affected areas of the brain using magnetic energy, treating a range of mental health issues including depression, anxiety, OCD, addiction, PTSD and depersonalisation disorders.

FAMOUS PAINTER’S WORK ON DISPLAY CLOSING the afternoon of January 14 is the National Gallery of Ireland’s exhibition Frederic William Burton: For the Love of Art, which has been delighting audiences since October.

Don’t miss this fascinating show that reveals the full talent of Burton.

Advance ticket booking is advised due to high demand. Great concession offers from €5, see www.nationalgallery.ie

11 January 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15

GAZETTE

FEATURE

Enjoy food in a whole new way  MARK O’BRIEN

EVERY year, dieting and losing weight factor among people’s most common New Year’s resolutions.

After the overindulgence of Christmas, many people resolve to get fit and healthy and this often involves new fad diets.

But one Dublin-based psychotherapist says that diets don’t work and that people can lose weight while still enjoying their food.

Karina Melvin recently released her new book, Artful Eating: The Psychology of Lasting Weight Loss.

Artful Eating contains no strenuous exercise regime, no food elimination and no strict meal plan - just powerful psychological tools and strategies aimed at creating lasting change.

It is filled with stories, examples and the actions that Karina says people need to take to reprogram

their minds to lose weight, by changing their thoughts, behaviours and approach to pleasure.

Karina – who has run her own psychotherapy practice since 2010 – told Dublin Gazette that the book was inspired by the work that she was doing with people who were unhappy with their bodies.

“How I came to it really was working in the clinic and I was struck by how many, regardless of their age, regardless of their gender, regardless of their size, would talk about weight and would talk about their relationship with food,” she said.

“I’m not talking about the far end of the spectrum – people with eating disorders per se – the book isn’t necessarily for people who have extreme issues with food as a problematic symptom.

“More just in terms of, as a society, I realised that this is a stick we beat ourselves up with on a con-

stant basis.”

Karina says that she wants to change the narrative around food.

“Our relationship with food and attaining weight loss isn’t about what we eat,” she said.

“It’s about what we think, how we feel.”

As well as treating people in her practice, Karina also runs an online course that promotes Artful Eating and has recently started a podcast on the same subject.

She says that, through her research, she is convinced that dieting doesn’t work.

“The diet is basically doomed to fail because you’re fighting against seven million years of evolution,” she said.

“The body is designed to hold on to weight and as soon as we start to calorie restrict or limit our food intake the body responds by clinging on.

“My hope is to stop people from

dieting because they don’t work and also to stop with this good/ bad relationship and really just start to engage in enjoying food, finding pleasure in food whether it’s healthy food or sweet treats or whatever it is but just that we can enjoy it.

“And when we start to enjoy it really wonderful things happen.

“We slow down, we eat less, we don’t feel guilty, we enjoy ourselves, we feel better in ourselves and we start to lose weight.

“So it’s a really positive approach and it works in comparison to diets, which don’t work.

Artful Eating provides actions, exercises and key psychological ingredients to successful weight loss.

Artful Eating is available in all good bookstores and online now.

Karina’s new book contains powerful strategies to create lasting change

16 DUBLIN GAZETTE 11 January 2018

11 January 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 17

GAZETTE

18 DUBLIN GAZETTE 11 January 2018

DUBLINLIFE

CINEMA ReelReviews

VISIT THE SKELLIGS!

Makes a Force-ful impact BORD Failte’s ingenious film about visiting the lovely Skellig Islands (oh, all right, it’s really The Last Jedi, Cert 12A, 155 mins, which has lots of scenes shot at the Skelligs) is an interesting addition to the Star Wars series. There’s something truly spinetingling about seeing the late Carrie Fisher (as General Leia) in her final film, but Mark Hamill surpisingly steals the show with a terrific turn as a much older, jaded Luke Skywalker.

It’s definitely a news room, not a snooze room with magnetic stars like Tom Hanks (as Ben Bradlee) and Meryl Streep (as Katherine Graham) at the heart of The Post

THE POST: TIMELY REMINDER ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLISHING THE TRUTH

Press to get real news THE Post (Cert 12A, 115 mins) director Stephen Spielberg’s timely defence of the free press, stars Meryl Streep as Katharine Graham – the first female publisher of an American newspaper.

Helming The Washington Post alongside editor Ben Bradlee (played by serial Spielberg collaborator Tom Hanks), Graham aids in exposing decades of American government lies concerning the Vietnam War. In the process, she puts her reputation on the line, risks her career and those of her employees, and gambles with the life of the paper itself – all worthy bets when freedom of the press and the truth itself is concerned, posit Spielberg and Co. Indeed, the inhabitants

 MARTIN MACNAMARA

of this world eat, sleep and breath journalistic integrity and the almighty truth – “the right to publish”.

The only way to protect that very right, we’re told

by Bradlee, is “to publish”.

Consequently, for all the grey areas in politics, this is fundamentally a world of black and white, much like the newspapers on which it thrives.

Centred on the government’s attempted cover up of The Pentagon Papers in 1971, The Post’s conspiracy-driven overtones evoke the work of Alan J Pakula

– in particular, 1976’s All the President’s Men – an association that will be lost on few cinema-lovers regardless of the narrative.

Aesthetically, The Post is all slow-zooms, naturalistic lighting and sudden cuts, bringing to mind the best of paranoid 1970s cinema, and even some of Spielberg’s own work from the decade – visually, along with its slow, deliberate pace, this is a far more nostalgic film for the director than any of his late-career throwbacks.

Deftly choreographed long-takes and tracking shots bring us through frantic newsrooms where incessant typewriters click away like drums in a march to war, and the office space is so choked

with the smoke of anxiously sucked-dow n cigarettes, you can all but smell the tobacco from the comfort of your cinema seat.

The office of The Washington Post is not just the war room, it’s the war zone itself – a world away from the Vietnam battlefield in which proceedings begin, but thematically and aesthetically connected.

A peppering of stock footage adds an element of pseudo-realism to a story about truth in journalism, politics and everywhere in-between.

While Hanks is in typically magnetic form here, leading the journalistic procedural element of the narrative and pulling us into all its sinister intrigue, it’s Streep that, unsurpris-

ingly, carries The Post’s dramatic weight.

It’s from Graham that all narrative tension evolves; a woman leading a newspaper in a world where politics is a men’s table subject and women remove themselves to discuss the style section in the sitting room.

It’s great to see longtime collaborates Bob Odenkirk and David Cross acting alongside each other in a major dramatic film, and Sarah Paulson, although regrettably underused, turns in a great performance as Bradlee’s wife, Tony.

Bruce Greenwood is a dead ringer for Robert McNamara, whose sanctioned study instigated all this controversy.

This story about the free press and its essential

role in democracy is well told, timely and deeply necessary.

Spielberg’s sinister positioning of Nixon through the window of the Oval Office in a number of scenes has dark ties to its current inhabitant.

However, affairs are a little too neatly tied up here to inspire any further investigation – we rarely have to work at following The Post, and for it to provoke any radical consideration of the subject, a little more nuance may have been necessary.

Still, while it may not garner Spielberg any major awards this season, The Post provides a nailbiting political thriller with much to say from a master showing little sign of slowing down.

Verdict: 8/10

JUMANJI

A jungle-icious reboot LESS of a reboot of the classic Robin Williams film, and more of a reimagining, Jumanji (Cert 12A, 119 mins) turns out to be a surprisingly fun romp through the Jumanji universe. Again taking a core premise of kids getting sucked into a game, some older teens find themselves trapped in their gaming alter egos, and forced to survive in the Jumanji jungle world. Jack Black is a hoot and a half!

DADDY’S HOME 2

Yule be glad when it’s gone LAST and very definitely least, Daddy’s Home 2 (Cert PG, 100 mins) is a Christmas turkey whose time on our big screens is thankfully up.

Mel Gibson clashes with Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg and John Lithgow as a diverse family tries to get through Christmas with some wildly different dads in tow.

The end result? An often humourless, macho tale with some uncomfortably sexist jokes that don’t sit too well.

11 January 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 19

GAZETTE

WHAT’S ON

BEST OF THE REST JANUARY 11 (Thursday) Christy Moore @ Vicar Street, sold out Ghost Accuser + Ger Fox Sailing + Runway Lights + Niamh Regan @ Workman’s Club, €8 The Manglers @ Grand Social, free Michael Buckley’s ‘Dublin Standard Time’ @ Bruxelles, €10 JANUARY 12 (Friday) Jarlath Regan @ Vicar Street, €25 Organek Dla Wosp @ Grand Social, €20 The Bionic Rats @ Grand Social, free Delorentos host The Therapy Sessions @ The Workman’s Club, €10 Kiernan McMullan + Aaron Shanley @ Fibber Magee’s, free Camelphat @ District 8, €20 JANUARY 13 (Saturday) The Redneck Manifesto + Margie Jean Lewis @ Whelan’s, sold out Instrumental rock band starring Jape make a rare return to the stage in what’s sure to be a loud, lairy yet brilliantly nuanced rock night out. They’re a Dublin treasure; catch them while they’re still around.

Silent Front + Hands Up Who Wants To Die @ Whelan’s Upstairs, free Ewa Gigon, Workman’s Club, €10 Bone Machine plays the music of Tom Waits @ Grand Social, €10 The Hot Press Big: Rusangano Family + Ailbhe Reddy, Le Boom and A. Smyth @ Tramline, €12 Last year’s Choice Music Prize winners Rusangano Family are probably the best hip-hop act ever to come out of Ireland, and a fiery live act, full of bounce and not afraid to tackle big issues in their lyrics.

The support’s not at all bad, either!

PICK

OF THE WEEK

JANUARY 14 (Sunday) The Dublin Blues Cartel @ Whelan’s, free Mack Fleetwood @ Vicar Street, €25 JANUARY 16 (Tuesday) 6Lack @ The Olympia Theatre, €27-€29 Motionless In White @ The Academy, €26 God Mother +Ilenkus + Destriers @ Whelan’s, €12 The Ruby Sessions - secret line up for charity @ Doyle’s, €6 You never know what you’re getting with the Ruby Sessions, but if you turn up every week, you’ll see pretty much everything worth seeing in Irish music. Turn up early to ensure entry, it’s ‘on the door’ only.

Pierce Turner @ The National Concert Hall, €25 JANUARY 17 (Wednesday) This Is The Kit @ Whelan’s, €19

CELEBRATING DAVID BOWIE - A TRIBUTE  JAMES HENDICOTT

THERE are loads of great gigs and events happening across Dublin in the coming week (see panel, left), but a celebration of the late, great and utterly unique David Bowie stands out as a show not to be missed.

Taking place at The Olympia Theatre next

Monday, January 15, Celebrating David Bowie – A Tribute sees long-time Bowie collaborator and recording keyboardist Mike Garson lead other experienced Bowie figures to present a show that’s not only a celebration of Bowie’s inimitable music, but also imagines what a 2018 tour by ‘The Thin White Duke’ himself might have been like.

With music played by some of the musicians who knew Bowie best, it promises to be a night to remember, with Dublin one of the few European cities that the largely UStouring show is also visiting.

Tickets priced €45-€51 are available now via Ticketmaster, the Olympia Box Office, and all usual outlets.

GAZETTE

20 DUBLIN GAZETTE 11 January 2018

DUBLINLIFE

TravelShorts

The world is on offer at an RDS show THE new year is barely

a wet weekend old, but already many of us are looking ahead to sunnier times and climes in the coming year – and there’ll be a dizzying range of options to consider at this year’s Holiday World Show.

Taking place at the RDS Simmonscourt from Friday, January 26 to Sunday, January 28, this

Water view! For those looking to get off the

year’s show looks set to

beaten track, Vietnam offers an unforgettable

be the best yet.

mix of some of the world’s most incredible

More than a thousand

landscapes, and a rich, diverse culture

travel experts from across the island of Ireland and the whole globe will be on hand to offer visitors a world of dream destinations.

From unforgettable breaks in our own fair isle to old favourites, up and coming travel hotspots, trendy getaways, cruises and package deals – and much more – the show looks set to be holiday heaven for all.

For full info, see www. holidayworldshow.com.

WIN a family pass to the holiday show TO HELP celebrate the upcoming Holiday World Show at the RDS from January 26-29, we have ten sets of family passes to give away.

To enter and be in with a chance of winning, email your name, address and contact details to competitions@dublingazette.com before noon on Friday, January 19. The lucky winners will be contacted by email.

Good luck!

DREAM DESTINATIONS: BEAT THE JANUARY BLUES WITH SUN-SATIONAL ESCAPES

Dig into bucket list bliss with top 2018 holidays  SYLVIA POWNALL

memorable as its citizens mark 200 years of independence. So why not jump on a flight, raise a glass of pisco sour and join them?

Travel Editor

THERE’S no better way to beat the January blues than with a good, oldfashioned bit of escapism.

We’ve put together our predictions for 2018 to give you a headstart on everyone else. Bucket lists at the ready ...

1 Chile It might resemble a long string of misery on a map, but nothing could be further from the reality.

Explore the sun-kissed historic treasures found in Montenegro

This South American gem of a country has a vibe all of its own – with the soaring Andes to the east, the vast Pacific Ocean to the west, the

Atacama Desert to the north and the wilds of Patagonia to the south.

Celebrations in the trendy capital of Santiago are expected to be

2 The Commonwealth Games, World Cup or Winter Olympics It’s a super year for spor ts fans and the variety of destinations will keep the keenest of globetrotters happy too.

It all starts with the Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, followed by the Commonwealth Games

on Australia’s Gold Coast.

What better excuse to go and visit some of the planet’s most talkedabout destinations?

And, if you fancy something closer to home, there’s always Russia’s first FIFA World Cup this summer.

3 Montenegro This slice of Adriatic coastline has become more and more accessible to travellers over the past decade.

Now Montenegro – which is just a short hop

across the border from Croatia – is tipped to hit the mainstream in 2018.

The majestic coastline was showcased to great effect in James Bond flick Casino Royale, and celebs have long since cottoned on to the delights of Buddva.

The bustling town of Tivat on the picturesque Bay of Kotor should also feature on your ‘must-see’ list.

4 Vietnam This Asian gem has rightly emerged from the shadow of its neighbour

11 January 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 21

GAZETTE

TRAVEL

Oman has avoided many of the pitfalls of her over-developed neighbours, and offers visitors a more authentic Middle Eastern experience

Thailand.

With investment in tourism infrastructure increasing, major hotel brands establishing more of a foothold and flight options expanding, now is the perfect time to see Vietnam’s beautiful landscapes, experience its rich history and mix with its friendly people.

Food, drink and accommodation options are all great value.

5 Symphony of the Seas launch Royal Caribbean’s eagerly-awaited flagship vessel will take to the seas in 2018, weighing in at 230,000 tonnes, and accommodating 5,500 passengers in 2,774 cabins across 16 decks.

H e r s e ve n ‘ n e i g h bourhoods’ will have something for everyone – including a 10-storey waterslide.

She’ll spend her first summer sailing around the Med, before transferring to her home port – a new state-of-the-art cruise terminal in Miami.

You’ll never be bored

Endless jaw-dropping vistas

aboard the floating city

of raw natural beauty await

that is the spectacular

lucky visitors making their

Symphony of the Seas

way down to Chile

If you’re more of a landlubber, how about the Abraj Kudai, currently being built in Mecca by the Saudi royal family?

With more than 10,000 rooms, 12 towers, 70 dining options and a US$3.5 billion price tag, it is set to be the world’s largest and most extravagant hotel.

6 Malta Malta’s historic and rugged beauty remains relatively unknown but its capital, Valletta, has been designated as a 2018 European Capital of Culture (along with Leeuwarden in Holland).

An increased number of flights from Dublin and Belfast will give more travellers than ever the chance to enjoy the 12-month long celebration of art, performance, history and Maltese culture.

7 Oman Travellers who prefer a more authentic Middle Eastern experience than some of its flashier neigh-

Marvellous Malta

Even by Spain’s high

needs no introduction

standards, Seville is a

to Irish tourists

stunning destination

bours have put Oman firmly on the map.

T he destination is growing in popularity among even first-time visitors to the region, thanks to its impressive range of hotel choices, from world-class resorts to tented desert camps, its traditional architecture (a result of its strict no-skyscraper policy), natural wonders – especially the Wadi – and the preservation of local traditions in its art, cuisine and entertainment.

8 Movie- and TVinspired holidays It’s no secret that Game of Thrones has seen tourist numbers to Dubrovnik and Northern Ireland skyrocket, and Star Wars has done no end of favours for these shores.

T his year, we can expect the all-female cast of Ocean’s 8 to throw the spotlight on New York; the Star Wars spin off, Solo, to give Fuerteventura and Italy a boost; and Jurassic

World: Fallen Kingdom to show off Hawaii in all its wild glory.

9 The launch of the world’s longest nonstop commercial flight, to Australia From March, flying Down Under will take just 17 hours, thanks to Qantas’s new direct from London to Perth – the longest non-stop commercial flight ever.

Passengers will be crossing 10 time zones aboard one of Qan-

tas’s brand-new 787 Dreamliners – where the recycled in-cabin air, mood lighting and ergonomically designed seating are all designed to improve the passenger experience. Sounds heavenly.

10 Seville This Spanish city has transformed itself over the past decade to the point where it’s almost unrecognisable.

The traffic gridlock has given way to bicycles

and trams and thanks to the change the capital of Andalucia will host the 31st European Film Awards in 2018.

Scenes for the final season of Game of Thrones will also be shot on location in Seville.

The city still celebrates its artistic past and is in the midst of marking the 400th anniversary of Baroque painter Bartolome Esteban Murillo with a variety of expos lined up for coming months.

GAZETTE

22 DUBLIN GAZETTE 11 January 2018

DUBLINMOTORING

Peugeot makes a strong statement with new 5008

Peugeot’s new 5008 car will make a strong impression on the Dublin car market for a combination of its distinctive styling, flexible seating, modern dash design and total package offer.

MICHAEL MORONEY took a New Year drive in the new Peugeot and he’s well impressed with it PEUGEOT’S new 5008 car makes an impressive statement for the French brand in terms of styling and the overall package on offer. This new car for 2018 brings Peugeot into a growing market segment of seven seat SUV’s, with a unique design style that stands out from the crowd in a modern and distinctive way.

SUV growth in the Dublin car market has been phenomenal; the new Peugeot 5008 is set to boost that even further. In its previous form, Peugeot’s 5008 was a top selling MPV, now it has morphed into a large seven seat SUV, almost without a hint of warning, to make it a real family driving choice for 2018.

What’s noticeably different about the new 5008 is that it now comes with the new Peugeot iCockpit

Peugeot 5008 1.6 HDI Engine 1.6 litre Engine power 120hp 0 – 100km/hr 11.4 seconds Economy 23.8km/litre

(4.2l/100km or 67mpg) Fuel Tank Capacity 56 litres CO2 emissions 108g/km Road Tax Band A3 €190 Main Service 20,000km/12 months Euro NCAP Rating 5 star 2016 Towing rating 1300kgs Warranty 5 years Entry Price €29,865 and digital instrumentation across the range.

The 5008 range prices start from €29,345 plus delivery related charges for the Access 1.2 130bhp PureTech petrol version, while the entry diesel versions cost an additional €520.

Peugeot claims that the

new 5008 is lower and more spacious, yet less bulky than competitors.

And while it is a full seven seat car it retains the same height as before at 1.64m while the third row passengers get an extra 21mm of head height.

This new SUV design model is longer than the

previous 5008 and Peugeot claims that this delivers additional knee room for the second row passengers who also have the benefit of individual sliding seats.

The extra length means that the camera reversing kit is useful option for the 5008.

The second row of seats are matching and each separate and can be folded and tilted, while the two third row of seats can be easily folded or removed.

All three seats in the second have three-point Iso-fix child seat anchor points.

The seating arrangement gives the car great flexibility. In the five seat mode, the boot space is impressively huge, while the boot itself is a shade heavy and could benefit from an auto opening system that’s available from other brands. There’s a

The new Peugeot 5008 is an impressive new seven seat SUV from Peugeot with great space, stylish modern looks and good economy, while prices start at €29,345 for the entry level turbo-petrol models.

useful space saver spare wheel tucked externally under the boot floor.

I was driving the 1.6 litre turbo-diesel version that’s rated at 120bhp and comes packed with the extra features that come with the higher specification GT-Line range.

The GT-Line specification adds almost €10,000 to the list price of the car compared with the entry level Access specification model.

There is a lot of extra kit coming with the GT-Line and GT models, while the slightly lower specification Allure models comes with a high level specification at a keener price.

Peugeot has a wide specification option listing for the new 5008 model, across five trim levels which include Access, Active, Allure, GT Line and GT versions, and a

range of both petrol and diesel engines. So take time to look at the choices and give yourself the potential to get the best value offer.

The standard features from entry Access models includes the Peugeot iCockpit interior comprising a compact steering wheel, a configurable 12.3” headup digital instrument panel, an 8” touchscreen, multifunction steering wheel, Bluetooth, USB connectivity and 3 x 12V sockets. This new Peugeot boasts a 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

On the safety front, the car comes with Electronic Stability Programme, 6 airbags to include curtain airbags along all three rows, Cruise Control with Speed Limiter, Speed Limit Information with Intelligent

Speed Adaptation, Driver Attention Alert Level 1 and Lane Departure Warning.

The extra third Iso-Fix seat in the middle row is also a useful safety bonus for family owners. There is sufficient width to squeeze three small people in safety and comfort.

Peugeot has re-invented its car range topped now by this impressive 5008 that combines people carrier features in a model SUV styling.

While there is some competition in this big market segment, few cars have the distinctive styling of the Peugeot 5008 in a car that’s packed with features.

This is one 2018 car that has to be driven and experienced to appreciate its styling, flexibility and value running costs.

New electric hybrid Mondeo on the way from Ford

FORD in Ireland is adding its first Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) car to

shift automatic transmission would deliver a fuel consumption rate

its line up with the arrival of the new Ford Mondeo HEV due here in

of 4.8l/100km.

January 2018. This new Mondeo option is based on a 4-door body style with a 2.0 litre 187bhp petrol engine with an automatic transmission in either Titanium or Vignale series.

The car is priced from €34,895 and when a promotional launch discount and VRT rebate is included, customers will be able to get into

Ciaran McMahon, Chairman and Managing Director of Ford Ireland believes that the demand for electric and partial-electric cars in Ireland is on an upward slant accounting for 4.1 percent of car registrations this year.

“The arrival of Mondeo HEV in Ireland is the first step in a progres-

a new Mondeo HEV for approximately €31,500 for a limited period.

sive Electric Vehicle (EV) development plan for Ford that will see

Similar to other HEV models, the energy for the electric motor

seven new full or partial EVs hit the streets of Europe and North

comes from the petrol engine and from regenerative braking where

America by 2020, including a hybrid version of the iconic Mustang that

the energy generated by braking recharges the battery.

will deliver V8 power and even more low-end torque; and two new,

Ford is now offering a petrol hybrid drive Mondeo with

pursuit-rated hybrid police vehicles for North America” says Ciaran

impressive economy figures and a starting price in the

McMahon.

region of €31,500

The Mondeo HEV claims to deliver a fuel consumption rate of 3.8l/100km. For comparison purposes, a 2.0 litre diesel 150bhp Power-

11 January 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 23

One of the more impressive features of the new Peugeot 5008 is the ease with which you can convert the car from five to seven seat configuration and back again.

NISSAN has revealed that Irish motorists are switching to petrol cars at a much faster rate than the car industry or market analysts predicted.

The shifting trend has emerged from Nissan’s 181 pre-sales figures which reflect its position as Ireland’s number one selling petrol car brand, according to Nissan Ireland CEO, James McCarthy.

The number of new car buyers who have opted to buy the petrol version of the Nissan Qashqai has increased from 29% in 2017 to 54% for 2018.

The numbers buying the diesel model have fallen from 71% to 46%, while the Qashqai mix outside of the cities has doubled from 21% to 40% over the same period.

“Our 181 pre-sales figures show a real shift towards petrol cars where there is a choice on offer.

“The economic factors governing the cost of change and residual values sharply influencing consumer behaviour across the urban and rural divide,” said James McCarthy.

“The rate of change is far more accelerated than predicted and the trend from our 181 pre- sales figures provides very real evidence that the split between petrol and diesel car sales is well on track to being close to equal by the end of next year,” added.

“Sales of the Nissan Qashqai provide a very accurate barometer of what is happening in the market and

our 181 pre-sales figures have swung in favour of petrol for the first time, heralding a return towards the natural market position of 70:30 that existed in 2007,” he continued.

“Diesel drivers are taking a much harder look at their mileage and whether the cost benefits of running a diesel car will be ultimately outweighed by the higher entry costs of owning a diesel car and potential lower residual values.

“Petrol is winning out where consumers have a choice of petrol over diesel and Nissan offers that choice across its model range,” said Mr McCarthy.

“The VW emissions scandal also led to extensive regulatory change which has influenced manufacturers and consumer alike.

“The cost of regulatory compliance has led manufacturers to consider the financial viability of producing diesel cars below €35,000, while consumers are considering the merits of buying diesel at a time when Governments are introducing bans that prevent them from driving those cars into their capital cities,” he added.

Nissan also predicted that cumulative electric vehicle (EV) sales will increase from 3,500 to 14,000 units by 2020 and that the Government’s target of having 20,000 EVs on Irish roads by that time can be achieved but only with significant investment in the country’s EV recharging infrastructure.

GAZETTE

Nissan leads the way in the shift back to petrol

FASTNews

Agnelli Motor Park joins the Suzuki team in Dublin SUZUKI Ireland has announced the appointment of Agnelli Motor Park for its new franchise in Dublin. The state-of-theart 128 square-metre, six-car showroom on Greenhills Road, Tallaght, Dublin 24, is the fourth Suzuki retail location in the Declan Maguire, dealer city, and brings the total

development manager

number of Irish dealers

for Suzuki in Ireland

representing the brand

with Michael Kerslake,

to 22.

Dealer Principal of

The contemporary and

Agnelli Motor Park

spacious premises in Tallaght house Suzuki’s entire model range, spanning the Celerio city car to the flagship S-Cross crossover, and the accessible external forecourt offers a further selection of Approved Used models.

Agnelli Motor Park is also a Suzuki Service Centre that adheres to Suzuki’s Service Promise. Customers will benefit from, amongst other advantages, pricing that is transparent, the use of genuine parts during any maintenance or repair work, and a complementary health check on every visit.

Agnelli Motor Park is one of the busiest motor retailing outlets in Dublin and brings over 20 years’ experience.

2018 brings active year for Mercedes-Benz MERCEDES-Benz is

Both cars have been

planning another

significantly enhanced

active year ahead with

in terms of appear-

nine new models set

ance, specifications

to arrive at Dublin’s

and technology fea-

Mercedes-Benz dealers

tures compared to the

the course of the year.

model they replace.

In the first six

Looking towards the

months, attention will

second half, the spot-

focus on the arrival of

light will move to the

two new S-Class mod-

entry-level A-Class

els, an S-Class Coupe

range with the arrival

New car sales drop 10% while Dublin region stays stronger

and S-Class Cabriolet

of a new A-Class

with arrival dates

hatchback, followed

fixed for the Febru-

towards year-end by a

OFFICIAL statistics released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) show that the total new car registrations for the year 2017 finished 10% down on the 2016 figures dropping from 146,649 to 131,356.

New car sales in the Dublin region had a smaller decline of 5.88%, significantly below the national average, confirm Dublin as a significant hub for new car sales in 2017.

The figures show that 54,856 new cars were registered in Dublin in 2017 com-

ary/March period.

saloon version.

This shows the new Peugeot iCorkpit dash design that’s especially modern in terms of style with plenty of functionality and a range of easy to use display options.

pared with 58,285 in all of 2016.

Ireland’s best-selling car in 2017 was the Hyundai Tucson, followed by the Volkswagen Golf, with the Nissan Qashqai, Ford Focus and Skoda Octavia, taking third, fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Volkswagen, Toyota and Ford were the top three selling car brands in Ireland in 2017, according to the SIMI figures, while Hyundai and Nissan took fourth and fifth places.

The top five brands between them accounted for 46.5% of all new car regis-

trations on the Irish market in 2017.

The diesel engine share of the car market dropped by 16.6% in 2017, while registrations of petrol electric, hybrid and electric cars all increase, while still only accounting for less than 5% of the total new car market.

Registrations of new Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV’s) at 24,195, recorded a fall of -14.2% for the year in 2017, while new Heavy Commercial Vehicle registrations (HGV) at 2,602 saw a decrease of -9.4% over the 12 months compared to 2016.

GAZETTE

24 DUBLIN GAZETTE 11 January 2018

DUBLINLIFE

Working out what to wear…

1 2

New Look Green and black palm leaf print leggings €24.99

New Look Grey tie-up front vest €9.99

Penneys Lace-Up mid top black €16

4

3 New Look Green and black palm leaf print crop top €14.99

Penneys Slogan tee €6, shaping leggings €13, holdall metallic gym bag €14

11 January 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 25

GAZETTE

STYLE

6

5 7

8 5 H&M Conscious activewear khaki stripe leggings €19.99 6 H&M Conscious activewear cross back sportsbra €19.99 7 Penneys Holdall gym bag bilver €14 8 H&M Conscious activewear hoodie €29.99

Getting fashionably fit in 2018 OK, OK, we know it’s a cliché but it has to be done.

By now most of us are probably stuffed to the gills after Christmas and dying to get in shape for new year new me, yadda yadda…

Let’s make the thoughts of exercise more enticing

(if it isn’t you’re thing, if it is, go you) with some nice new gym gear.

If anything, you’ll be looking forward to wearing the new gear which can make that first trip back to the gym a bit more bearable.

Penneys grey raincoat €19, Slogan scuba sweat €14, ombre leggings, €11, lace-up black trainers €16 Penneys running crop €5, running leggings €7, pink knit trainer €16

26 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 11 January 2018

DUBLINGAZETTECLASSIFIEDS  CITY DVD TRANSFERS

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

ROOFING

HOME IMPROVEMENTS INSURANCE CLAIMS

WINDOWS

ROOFING

FOLLOW US ON OUR SOCIAL NETWORK

GOT A STORY?

Visit: Facebook: www.facebook.com/DublinGazetteNewspapers Twitter: @DublinGazette

Call our NEWS TEAM on 60 10 240 and SELECT OPTION 2 or email news@dublingazette.com

GazetteAdvertising The best low cost advertising for your business

tes are Our ad ra at

e always gr value!

call us on 60 10 240



GAZETTE

28 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 11 January 2018

SPORT

BASKETBALL

BASKETBALL: NATIONAL CUP SHOWDOWN WITH GLANMIRE ASSURED

Templeogue lay Demons to rest in National Cup A 34-POINT fourth quarter for Black Amber Templeogue saw them tee up an all-Dublin Hula Hoops National Cup final at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght later this month, as they stormed home to a 98-77 point win over UCC Demons.

Up until the end of the third quarter, the fate of this game was undecided, as a superb battle between the two sides throughout the opening three quarters saw Templeogue up by just two points (62-64) at the end of the third.

Captain fantastic Stephen James led the charge back in the fourth though and he, combined with three Luke Thompson three pointers and a tripledouble from Mike Bonaparte, saw Templeogue on their way to Tallaght.

“We felt like we missed out last year, so we’re back where we belong now and we’re looking forward to it,” said James afterwards. “We have the ability to play the way we did in the fourth all the time, but we keep letting teams hang in there so we’ve a lot to work on now.”

A lively first quarter got this game off to a flying start, with Lehmon Colbert and Lorcan Murphy netting 13 points each at either end to keep the sides neck-in-neck.

Strong scoring from Luke Thompson of Templeogue and Stephen James gave the Dubliners the edge at the end of the first 24-28, but Demons were only getting started.

Colbert continued to dominate for Demons, with the speed and skill of Adrian O’Sullivan proving difficult for the Templeogue defence.

However, Jason Killeen, Puff Summers and Murphy were on hand at the other end to keep the scores ticking in, and Templeogue held the lead by the bare minimum (41-42) at the half time break.

Both sides maintained the in quarter three, with Colbert, O’Sullivan and Colin O’Reilly giving an exhibition of shooting for Demons. Killeen kept the ship steady for Templeogue at the other end, but there was still no breathing room between the sides at the buzzer (62-64).

From there, it was all Templeogue. Thompson was on hand with a huge three-pointer and all of a sudden, a ten-point margin had opened up.

James kept the pressure on as Thompson added two more three-pointers and Bonaparte hit a triple-double to extend their lead even further and it was plain sailing from there on out.

DCU Mercy’s Rachel Huijsdens in possession against the NUIG Mystics. Picture: Brendan Moran

DCU show no Mystic Mercy SENIOR CUP SEMI-FINAL DCU Mercy 91 NUIG 50  JAMES HENDICOTT sport@dublingazette.com

DCU Mercy scored a comfortable win over NUIG in the Hula Hoops Women’s National Basketball Cup semi-final at the Mardyke Arena in Cork on Saturday afternoon, winning by a dominant 41-point margin.

NUIG were slow out of the blocks and conceded a ten point lead inside the first few minutes as DCU built a lead that was to prove a critical buffer.

Mercy struggled in the second quarter as NUIG

briefly closed the early gap back to those ten points but Mercy’s penchant for hitting the basket from distance was aiding their lead.

Aisling O’Sullivan and Meghan Connelly were the core players as they dropped 30 points. While NUIG were creeping back into the territorial contest, they were scoring from no more than one in two of their early attacks, and solid defence from Mercy helped them keep their opponents comfortably in the rear view mirror.

As DCU wrestled back control that lead started to grow, helped by some top shooting by Nicole

BRICKFIELDS PARKRUN Drimnagh venue the latest on the 5k circuit PARKRUN Ireland, in partnership with Vhi,

added their 86th event on Saturday, with the introduction of the Brickfields parkrun in Drimnagh.

Parkruns take place over a 5km course weekly, are free to enter and are open to all ages and abilities, providing a fun and safe environment to enjoy exercise.

To register for a parkrun near you visit www.parkrun.ie. Pictured are participants at the start of the parkrun.

Picture: Piaras O’Midheach/Sportsfile

Clancy and the Dublin club’s superior claiming of rebounds.

By half time, NUIG looked on the ropes with the strong favourites having stretched their margin to a dominant 47-27.

Under-18 international centre Rachel Huisjdens was highly influential.

Captain Sarah Woods and the boisterous Tiffany Corselli were key as Mercy slightly extended the margin in the third quarter, despite a strong push back from NUIG. Corselli in particular was an attacking force, hitting a series of three pointers and linking play in the final third as Mercy proved their class.

With future opponents Glanmire watching on from the sideline, it was clear several Mercy players were playing their hearts out in the fourth quarter with a final place in mind, and they continued to build their lead in a fine shooting display, with Woods and Corselli once again at the core of most of their best play and NUIG fading fast NUIG added only a couple of baskets in the whole of Q4. Mercy stretched their margin of long-since-established victory by in excess of 40 points, toying with their opponents in an exercise in confidence building

a far cry from their tight quarter final win over Liffey Celtic.

This semi-final was clearly a stretch too far for a young and promising NUIG side who might do better a couple of years down the line than in facing a DCU side with several internationals at its heart just now. Mercy will hold out plenty of hope for what’s sure to be a challenging final.

Glanmire had earlier beaten Cork rivals Singleton by 77-66 to reach the finals, having been a couple of baskets down to their rivals at half time.

The final takes place in Tallaght on January 28.

11 January 2018 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 29

GAZETTE

SUPER SUPPORT

RUGBY

Galty Celtic hail help from local businesses GALTY Celtic manager Brendan Dempsey

used the lead-up to Christmas to thank the club’s sponsors for their support in 2017.

Allcare Pharmacy on Galtymore Road in Drimnagh and C and N Meats on Meath Street were among those to help out.

Dempsey said: “Without them, we could not function. With the new all-weather pitch, it has become even more significant now.”

RUGBY: LANSDOWNE POWER TO 11TH SUCCESSIVE WIN Old Wesley on the attack. Picture: Deryck Vincent

Wesley caught by Bohs at the last

Lansdowne on the attack during their big win over Clontarf

Deasy delights in big victory over Bulls UBL DIVISION 1A Lansdowne 38 Clontarf 8  sport@dublingazette.com

AN INSPIRED performance from Scott Deasy helped Lansdowne claim a comprehensive 38-8 bonus point victory over their chief chasers Clontarf in the top flight of the Ulster Bank League Division 1A on Saturday.

The out-half contributed an impressive 18 points for the runaway leaders and, with Adam Leavy also in excellent form, Tarf put their unbeaten hosts under early pressure but Conor Kelly, who dep-

utised at out-half for David Joyce, sent a fourth minute penalty wide. Lansdowne kicked into gear from the subsequent restart, and in their first meaningful attack, they worked the ball wide where Deasy released winger Leavy for a try in the corner.

A brilliant conversion

by Deasy made it 7-0 and while ‘Tarf enjoyed their share of possession for the remainder of the first quarter, Lansdowne dug deep to secure a succession of defensive penalties.

Deasy provided his second try assist on 19 minutes when his sublime cross-field kick landed

into the chest of winger Daniel McEvoy who fended off the retreating Tarf defence to score in spectacular fashion.

Another Deasy bonus strike already left the visitors 14 points behind but following much persistence, Tarf eventually opened their account courtesy of a routine Kelly penalty just shy of the half hour mark.

Lansdowne quickly wrestled back control as scrum half Alan Bennie dotted down under the posts after throwing a smart dummy.

Deasy’s conversion, followed by a wayward effort

from distance by Kelly, ensured Lansdowne led 21-3 at half-time.

In the second half, Deasy increased his tally with a close-range penalty and the bonus point arrived in the 55th minute when Rock picked out openside Aaron Conneely, who powered through a gap to bag Lansdowne’s fourth converted try.

Conor O’Brien did cross for Tarf to reduce the gap but Deasy crowned his and Lansdowne’s day when he intercepted to run in an unopposed fifth try for his side and an 11th successive win bolstering their lead at the top.

OLD WESLEY let slip a strong winning position for a fourth successive tie as they allowed UL Bohemians snatch a 17-15 victory in Donnybrook.

Played in cold but dry conditions, Wesley had a dream start when winger Thomas O’Callaghan dotted down in the corner in the first play.

Flanker Conor Barry had made a fine break bringing play into the opposition 22, before it was recycled resulting in the try.

O’Callaghan was on hand again a few minutes later when he finished off a neat run down the wing by Eoghan O’Reilly to score his second try midway between the posts and the corner flag.

Adam Kennedy converted to make it 12-0 to the home side before UL had a chance to touch the ball.

The Limerick side did eventually settle and they got on the scoreboard with a 30th minute penalty from Ian Porter O’Callaghan came close to a second try and was only denied by an illegal intervention from James McCarthy, one that earned him a yellow card but no penalty try.

Wesley opted for a scrum but Bohs over-turned possession and relieved the pressure.

The second half started with both sides guilty of handling errors.

Kennedy had a chance to extend

the lead with a long range penalty kick but was wide of the mark. A kick ahead by Rory Stynes had the opposition in trouble, too. After a bit of a comedy of errors, Wesley were nearly over again but the players were beaten to the touchdown by the dead ball line.

Now approaching the final quarter the Munster men were starting to gain the upper hand. A defence mix up allowed them to get into the Wesley 22.

After a number of attacks, a try looked imminent until the referee spotted some obstruction, allowing Wesley to relieve the siege. There was also a yellow card for Bohs number four Dara Frawley.

In spite of this, a kick to the corner and strong line-out pressure did lead to a Mike Lynch try for the visitors and UL were sniffing a big chance.

They ran the ball straight from the kick off, and a kick ahead brought play into the 22, putting Wesley under pressure once again and, after some strong carries, Frawley got over for a try to avenge his earlier punishment. The try was converted and, for the first time, Bohs were in the lead.

Wesley were thrown a lifeline with a last second penalty 35 metres out.

Tim Clifford stepped up for his first place kick of the match but pushed the ball well wide and the victory slipped through their fingers.



GOT A STORY? WE WANT TO KNOW!

Call our SPORT TEAM on 60 10 240 and SELECT OPTION 3

or email sport@dublingazette.com

GAZETTE

30 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 11 January 2018

SPORT

FASTSport

SOCCER: SINGLE GRIFFITHS STRIKE GRINDS OUT IMPORTANT WIN

Busy Bohs looking well set for LOI campaign  JAMES HENDICOTT sport@dublingazette.com

Bluebell United’s Tony Griffiths

BOHEMIANS have been the busiest of all the Dublin clubs in the transfer market over Christmas with no fewer than 24 players already signed up for 2018.

Keith Long’s side exceeded all expectations to finish fifth last season, only narrowly missing out on Europe with a part-time squad and one of the lowest budgets in the league.

With the Premier Division reduced to ten teams next year, and potentially two relegation spots to avoid, the coming campaign is set to be every bit as competitive as the last.

With key men in goalkeeper Shane Supple and top scorer Dinny Corcoran signed up to two-year deals, Long has set about building a strong squad.

The most eye-catching addition is former vicecaptain Keith Buckley, pictured, who returns following a turbulent year with troubled Bray Wanderers having negotiated an end to his contract a year early.

“It’s good to be going home – it felt like it was only a matter of time,” Buckley said. “The moment of realisation for me was going to see Bohs play Dundalk midweek last year.

“Seeing all the fans and the reception I got, seeing legends like Turlough O’Connor in the Jameson Bar, I realised there was no other place I wanted to be.

“I missed the place so much, but when I went back it was like I never left. I tried to go back in the summer, so I’m delighted it’s finally happened.”

The new year saw last season’s surprise success story – Tallaght midfielder Fuad Sule – complete his expected move to English League Two club Barnet.

That netted the Phibsborough club a handy release fee – Sule having signed up for 2018 – and Long wasted little time in finding a replacement in Buckley.

18-year-old defender Warren O’Hora is expected to follow Sule to England, with Norwich City in pole position to secure the classy centre-half’s signature. It underlines the importance to Long of giving youth its chance, and that is set to continue in 2018.

Bluebell move top of LSL LSL SUNDAY SENIOR Bluebell United Bangor Celtic  DAVE DONNELLY

1 0

sport@dublingazette.com

BLUEBELL United began the new year with a bang as they defeated Bangor Celtic to return to the top of the LSL Senior Sunday division.

A strike from captain Tony Griffiths, pictured, five minutes before halftime was enough to see the Bell to a 1-0 victory at the Red Cow. Just six points separated the clubs at the beginning of the weekend’s fixtures, with Celtic’s two wins on the bounce

putting them back in the conversation for the title race.

With the tie between f i r s t- p l a c e K i l l e s t e r United and reigning champions St Mochta’s postponed due to an unplayable pitch, Andy Noonan’s side knew a win of any sort would see them top.

And last year’s FAI Cup quarter-finalists dug in to see off the Crumlin side in a match that, on another night, could have gone either way.

Both sides had chances to take all three points in a game that was ultimately decided by an uncharacteristic error

RAHENY MASTERS Home favourite Dunne races to strong victory RAHENY Shamrock’s John Dunne, pictured,

led home the men’s field last weekend at the Dublin masters cross country championship in St Anne’s Park when he ran an impressive 21.03 time, beating his club mate Ian Conroy by four seconds to land the Over-35 title.

The club also had Brian Leahy in sixth place while Des Kennedy won the Over-45 title with a run of 21.31. David Kirwin was the Over-40 victor.

Picture: Deryck Vincent

from the experienced Bangor goalkeeper Stephen Conlon.

T he game’s first chance fell to Bluebell midway through the first half, and it was the former Inverness Caledonian Thistle striker Dean Ebbe on the end of it.

The Clondalkin native met a pinpoint cross with a header that forced a fine save from keeper Conlon.

And Sean Gleeson had to be alert to prevent Bangor from inching in front at the other end when he nodded a goalbound header off the line.

Bluebell took the lead

on 40 minutes as midfielder Griffiths picked the ball up and, with a rare sight of goal, decided to take his chances on a speculative effort.

The captain let f ly from distance and saw his shot f ly past the despairing Conlon, who may have done better in the circumstances.

Both teams had chances in the second half, with Bangor pressing harder in search of an equaliser and Bluebell looking to land the killer blow.

H o w e v e r, i t w a s defences that won the day as neither goal was breached again in the

second half.

In the end, a professional performance from the 2015-16 champions saw them dig out an important win that sees them kick off 2018 on a winning note.

The result leaves Bluebell a point clear at the top of Senior Sunday from Killester with both teams having played 11 games, while St Pat’s CY and Crumlin United head the chasing pack.

Bangor may now begin to look over their shoulders once more as they sit in eighth position with more games played than the sides behind them.

11 January 2018 CITY  DUBLIN GAZETTE 31

GAZETTE

FOOTBALL: FRESH-FACED DUBS UNDONE BY WEXFORD

WALSHCup

New Dublin boss Pat Gilroy has seen his side advance to the semi-finals

Moore magic propels Gilroy’s Dubs  KARL GRAHAM Gerry Seaver lays off a pass. Picture: BallyboughalGAA/Facebook

O’Byrne run comes to close in Enniscorthy O’BYRNE CUP Wexford 1-12 Dublin 0-14  JAMES HENDICOTT sport@dublingazette.com

A YOUNG Dublin football side were defeated in the O’Byrne Cup against Wexford on Sunday afternoon, dropping out of the tournament they’ve won for two of the last three years with a low key loss away in Enniscorthy.

The Dubs had a mountain to climb, needing to win by 17 points to turn around the goal difference to advance as a result of Offaly’s massive victory against Wexford a week ago.

The Dubs, managed by Paul Clarke and missing their main stars, had been fortunate to draw with Offaly at Parnell Park on Wednesday night.

The hosts, though, started the stronger with Daithi Waters setting the tone for the home side.

He hit a fine solo goal seven minutes in as Wexford played with the wind.

The home team were better all round, gathering lots of possession and add-

ing another nine points to the goal to lead the Dubs by 1-9 to 0-6 at half time, having built much of that lead in a fast-paced and pressured opening ten minutes.

It was clear Clarke was going to have to change something and a lot of that change came in improved second half composure.

Unlike the Offaly contest, the second half proved stronger for Dublin.

They gradually edged back into the game through some well-taken points from Lucan’s Emmet Ó Conghaile, Ballymun Kickhams’ Paddy Small and Colm Basquel, drawing level through a dominant period of play leading up to the 60th minute.

From then on, most would have bet on the Dubs, and when Kevin Callaghan popped up to give the boys in blue a 70th minute lead, it looked like the game – if not the tournament – had been salvaged.

It was not to be: a sting in the tail from Wexford came via a Craig McCabe free, and then a fine

thirty-yard point from Barry O’Connor with four minutes past the allotted time having been played. Despite a weak second half, Wexford had snatched the contest by 1-12 to 0-14.

A few players came out of the O’Byrne Cup with credit: Basquel hit 0-5 on free duty, to add to a still stronger performance on Wednesday night, while Brian Howard looked a threat without really converting his play into

Adam Rogers gets in a tangle

points. Killian O’Gara, Shane Carthy and Graham Hannigan all raised their hands in the Offaly contest early in the week.

Most of these players, though, are very much testing the water of county football though perhaps Clarke might regret his pre-match quote: “if Wexford can keep us to 15 points, perhaps they’ll see that as a moral victory.”

Ultimately, Dublin finished bottom of their group.

sport@dublingazette.com

ALAN Moore found the back of the net twice to help Dublin reach the semi-finals of the Walsh Cup following a 4-16 to 0-17 win over Antrim at Parnell Park last Sunday.

The St Vincent’s forward was one of 11 men to start in two games in as many days; with the Boys in Blue losing a challenge match against Tipperary in Thurles the day before.

The tough schedule seemed to affect them initially as they fell five points behind within the opening six minutes – with ill-discipline from the Dublin players contributing to four of those points coming from frees.

However, like the game against Meath, Dublin once again showed form in front of goal to significantly reduce their deficit through Paul Crummey’s early three pointer.

The forward found himself in the right position to add a finish to fine work from Cillian Costello.

Three unanswered points from the Dubs then saw lead by the 12th minute.

Dublin’s second goal arrived ten minutes before half time and it was another fine effort. Moore stooped low to make a great catch before surging past his marker and towards the goal. He had a teammate bearing down on goal either side of him but he decided to take the chance on himself and crashed a shot off the bar. The sliotar rebounded to Paul Winters who made no mistake by firing into the top corner.

Both sides scored a further two points each to see Dublin take a six-point advantage into the break.

Antrim notched the first point of the second half but Dublin responded with another well taken goal.

After initially misplacing a puck

out, Ballyboden St Enda’s keeper Gary Maguire showed great composure at the second time of asking by finding Darren Kelly with a nicely disguised pass. The defender went long towards Moore, who ushered the ball past his marker before cutting inside and finding the net.

Moore grabbed his second goal of the game five minutes later after taken advantage of a scramble in the opposition box to stretch his county’s lead to 10 points.

Antrim continued to fight valiantly and managed to get within seven, but Dublin eventually re-established control of the game The win makes it two from two in competitive fixtures for Gilroy since the Dublin board created a stir when they handed him the role in October .

“We played challenge games as well during the week and it’s a lot of work but the workrate and effort has been excellent,” Gilroy told the Dublin Gazette pitchside after the win. “We have to work on our discipline; we gave away too many frees today but you couldn’t fault them for effort. I’m very happy from that perspective.

“It is a good check on your character when you go five points down and you are playing with the wind, but they came back and scored 2-9 to 0-4 during the rest of that half so that was encouraging.

“A lot of our problems were brought on ourselves by indiscipline in the tackle so it is something we’ve to work on. But look, it’s January; you can’t fault them for effort, it has been excellent.”

Gilroy will now face his biggest challenge as a hurling manager when they go up against last year’s beaten All-Ireland finalists Wexford in the last four of the cup.

32 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 11 January 2018