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June 15 -21, 2017

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First Luas Cross City test runs start this weekend

Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you How the Luas on the Liffey will look

THE LONG awaited Luas Cross City line will take a giant leapcard forward this weekend when the first test runs on the new track take place.

Engineers will begin testing trams on the new line on Saturday at 7am and will continue until midday. Two trams have been brought over from the Red

Line for the runs, which will see the cars moving at a snail’s pace from St Stephen’s Green down Dawson St to College Green.

They’ll then cross the Liffey before arriving at the new O’Connell St Upper Luas stop.

A second day of test runs will take place on Sunday between Broadstone and nearby Cabra.

Richard Guiney, CEO DublinTown, said: “Throughout the construction phase of this project we have worked closely with Luas Cross City, the NTA, Gardai and other stakeholders to minimise the impact of the works on businesses and the city.

“This cooperation has seen footfall rise in the city each year

despite the extensive works being carried out.

“Businesses can’t wait to see this much-needed transport system passing by their premises.

“We look forward to getting a glimpse of how the new system will look and work during these test runs. It’s an exciting time for the city!”

2 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 15 June 2017

POOLBEG | RESIDENTS REACT AFTER 11 WORKERS HOPSITALISED

Locals outraged after incinerator lime leak

 DARRAGH MCKIERNAN

A GAS leak at the Poolbeg waste incinerator that caused the hospitalisation of 11 people has been met with anger by locals.

A preliminary investigation has found that a small amount of hydrated lime was released inside the building, resulting in workers complaining of nausea, breathing difficulties and blurred vision.

Nine of the workers were discharged around two hours after the incident, while two others were detained overnight.

Plant manager John Daly said around 30 men were in the area taking down scaffolding when 11 were caught in a cloud of lime released into a flue gas treatment area.

He said: “They felt some had ingested it so they visited our medic on site, had a shower, washed their eyes and then went in their own cars, or shared cars to St Vincent’s Hospital for medical survey there.”

The Environmental Protection Agency said the incident “will require a full report from the licensee.”

The waste-burning facility has only been in operation since last month.

Developed as a public-

private partnership between the Dublin local authorities and US waste company Covanta, the building is the length of three football fields and stands four metres taller than the Aviva Stadium.

The plant, initially proposed in 1997, has faced opposition from locals, councillors, and TDs from all parties for the last 20 years. It will process 600,000 tonnes of waste a year and will supply enough electricity for 80,000 homes.

Despite their objections, residents of the Ringsend and Sandymount areas now face into life with the incinerator on their doorstep, and this incident has caused more uproar within the communities.

“I’m not surprised to be honest. It’s here now, we tried to put a stop to it but I suppose we’ll have to live with it” one Sandymount resident told The Gazette.

Another local added: “It’s ruined the area as far as I’m concerned, all I see is dark smoke when I walk by. I walk by here every day, such an eye sore.”.

Another resident said safety had always been a concern for locals.

The man said: “I’ve been saying it from day one, it’s going to be dangerous for the area, and now this.”

FASTNews

Councillors vote to rename a street in Savita’s honour DCC councillors have voted to have a Dublin street renamed in honour of Savita Halappanavaar.

The vote was made on Monday night during the DCC’s monthly meeting,. The motion had been proposed by PBP councillor Tina MacVeigh.

Savita, a 31-year-old dentist, died in 2012 due to complications of a septic miscarriage at 17 weeks.

She requested an abortion on learning that a miscarriage was inevitable, but was told it wasn’t legally possible as Ireland was “a Catholic country”.

McVeigh said that while “Savita’s life had dignity and meaning, her death had neither”.

It’s unlikely that the street renaming will happen anytime soon, with Mayor Brendan Carr saying such a move was “up to residents of a street”.

Reilly (SF) welcomes local engagement on Ballymun DUBLIN City councillor and Ballymun resident Noeleen Reilly (SF) has said that the Ballymun Local Area plan is an opportunity to finish off the regeneration in the area.

The plan could deliver 2,000 homes to the area as well as additional sporting and retail facilities.

Cllr Reilly said: “As we reach the most crucial part of the Ballymun Area plan, it is great to see future plans for the area. It was positive to see that there was a lot of submissions made by the community, with 226 being received by Dublin City Council.

“These have all been considered by the planning department and the Chief Executive’s office, and now councillors have the opportunity to amend the draft Local Area plan.”

Share some out of this world sights and insights

An Innocent appeal to help knit hats, hats, hats

DELO McArdle had her hands full – or rather, some helpers did – as she helped spread the word that the popular annual Innocent Smoothies Big Knit campaign is drawing to a close – but thousands of little hats are still needed from the city’s and nation’s knitters. The annual campaign, held in association with Age Action, sees individually knitted hats adorn the top of Innocent Smoothies, with Innocent making a 30c donation per hat. The imaginative fundraising drive helps to fund Age Action’s care and repair programme for thousands of older people across Dublin. With almost 50 days to go until the end of the Big Knit 2017, organisers are looking for another 50,000 hats to help reach its most ambitious target yet. To get involved, see www.thebigknit.ie.

STARRY-EYED Dubliners are invited to Dunsink Observatory, Castleknock from June 16 to 18, where Solarfest will celebrate astronomy.

Organised by a diverse range of astronomy groups, the annual event includes talks by enthusiastic astronomers, access to/tours of the observatory, and solar observing (weather permitting).

Solarfest is described as a fun way to find out more about the sun and its place among the other stars, as well as its crucial importance to Earth.

For full information and to book free tickets, see https://www.dunsink.dias.ie/solarfest/.

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

15 June 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 3

FURY | GIG GOERS SLAM ‘ABSOLUTE CARNAGE’ AS BELONGINGS FOUND SCATTERED OUTSIDE

3Arena music fans pour out anger as bags dumped in rain  EMMA NOLAN THERE was “absolute carnage” at the 3Arena last week as concertgoers’ bags were found dumped outside in the rain after the Eddie Vedder show.

Heightened security measures at the venue saw new rules introduced where bags “bigger than an A4 page” are not allowed.

The 3Arena issued a notice ahead of the shows outlining the new rules, but many ticketholders were not aware due to the short notice given and were told to leave their bags at security and collect them after the gig.

However, when the show ended, the bags were not where they had been left and instead the concertgoers found their bags unattended outside in the rain.

The same thing is alleged to have happened the previous night at a Michael Bolton show.

A source who was present on the night told The Gazette that the bags were scattered outside under the pouring rain, saying: “It was absolute carnage.”

They added: “Peoples’ belongings strewn all over the ground in the rain; no way to determine who owned what – it was a freefor-all.”

Another person told The Gazette that she was “shocked” to find her bag left unattended outside the building.

She said: “I totally see the point [of the security measures] but I wasn’t told my bag was just going to be left outside when I left it with security. It was a bit disrespectful.

“I was peeved at the

time, but looking back, we were warned. I wasn’t told they [the bags] were going to be thrown out of the building though.”

The 3Arena had issued a statement ahead of the gigs (see inset, below) outlining its updated security restrictions and protocols.

It stated: “Backpacks, larger purses or bags are not allowed; only purses or clutches measuring 4.5in/11.4cm x 6 . 5 i n / 16 . 51 c m or smaller will be allowed.”

Howe ve r, t h e annoyed source told The Gazette t h a t while warnings were issued ahead

of the show, there were no warnings “about how bags will be dumped outside in the pouring rain if you don’t adhere to the security requirements”.

They added: “Security weren’t looking after the bags either – literally anyone could have walked up and had a lucky dip.”

In response to the issues raised, a spokesperson for 3Arena told The Gazette that restrictions on items were clearly identified on its website and via social media posts.

T h e security ban on certain items is echoed across the city, w i t h

The 3Arena notification put out ahead of the concert by Eddie Vedder last week

Video stills shows concertgoers sifting through their bags scattered on the ground outside the 3Arena as rain bucketed down on everything

organisers MCD warning that backpacks large bags, and bags larger than an A4 page, along with plenty of other items, won’t be allowed at the Robbie Wil-

liams (left) gig at the Aviva Stadium this weekend.

Across town, and similar bans and restrictions also affect what people can bring into the The

1975 gig this weekend at Malahide Castle.

Music fans are urged to check all bans in place at venues before taking in any gigs this summer.

4 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 15 June 2017

GREAT DUBLIN SURVEY | DUBS TELL OF THEIR HOPES FOR OUR CITY IN 2050

Sky gardens and hover cars are capital ideas!  AENGUS O’HANLON HOVER cars, sky-scraping green spaces, and better cycle lanes are just some of the suggestions Dubliners hope to see come to fruition in the year 2050.

Dublin Chamber is calling on Dubliners to tell them what they think the capital should look like 33 years from now.

The business group has just launched a new online poll called The Great Dublin Survey that aims to capture the ideas, hopes, wants and aspirations of people who live in our fair city.

And a new YouTube

video they’ve put up to promote the poll shows that Dubs see their city turning into a sort of Jackeen Jetson family utopia, where clean, sleek, highrise glass structures soar up to public gardens in the clouds.

Graphic artist Olivia Golden called upon to sketch some of the suggestions that punters put to her, and one thing is clear - we Dubliners have a great imagination!

“The people of Dublin have asked me to draw a variety of things like rooftop gardens, drones, underground stations and electric cars,” the talented illustrator reveals in the

from the airport to the city because I think it’s desperately needed.”

He also said he’d like to see “flying cars”.

A progressive young Dub with a wonderful vision for the future then hinted that we’d all be living the highlife.

It’ll be a while before the Jetsons can visit – but hover cars are just one of the things Dubs hope to see in 2050

clip, which then jumps to a number of punters.

One sensible young woman says: “In 2050 I want Dublin to have better, more segregated cycle lanes,” while another mil-

lenial called for “more high-rise in the city centre”.

Another twenty-something Dub was equally practical, saying he’d “like to see Dublin with a link

Rooftop parks “We’re probably going to have a lot taller buildings in 2050 so I’d love to have rooftop parks,” he says.

The video also acts as a wake-up call, with some respondents inadvertently pointing out that Dublin could be a lot cleaner and greener

than it currently is.

Another millenial added: “I would like Dublin to be sleek, clean, very modern with lots of glass buildings, and maybe even some hover cars.”

Chamber CEO Mary Rose Burke wants as many Dubs as possible to take the survey and is calling on locals to join in the conversation and help to shape the city’s future.

She said: “The 2050 initiative is around imagining a city of the future where business and people thrive.

“We want people to go online, have their say and fill in the survey at great dublinsurvey.ie.”

Robbie wants everyone to help back Small Victories for sick kids

FOOTBALL star Robbie Keane was on hand last week with Patrick Tuite, from Rathfarnham, to launch the Supporting Small Victories Every Day fundraising campaign for CMRF Crumlin.

Robbie said: “Children living with chronic illnesses like cystic fibrosis or juvenile arthritis should have the same opportunity to get the most out of those every day pleasures or victories as anyone else, and I hope that

everyone gets behind the campaign to help CMRF continue to give these children hope for a better every day.”

Thousands of children pass through the doors of the hospital each year.

Last year, 250 cystic fibrosis patients received treatment at the hospital, 14,287 orthopaedic patients were seen as outpatients and just over 7,000 dermatology patients were treated for a range of skin conditions. To donate to CMRF Crumlin, see cmrf.org.

FASTNews Councillor calls for total ban on rickshaws over insurance fear

THERE are calls to ban rickshaws from the city following an accident last month involving a rickshaw and a taxi.

Cllr Ray McHugh (SF) called on the Minister of Transport Mr Ross to bring in an amendment to the Road traffic act 2016 section 31 as a matter of urgency.

The taxi involved in the accident was damaged at a cost of €2,000 euro to the driver, according to Cllr McHugh, who said that Gardai said there is nothing can be done to force the Rickshaw owner to pay the damage.

Cllr Mc Hugh said: “I have been campaigning for years to get legislation brought in to license the rickshaws and make the owners tax compliant, have public liability insurance, an annual inspection of their vehicles, and like taxi drivers are vetted by the Gardai.

“Taxi drivers, horse carriage, are all complying with the law.

The public are travelling in Rickshaws and are not aware that they have no insurance cover. The Government have a responsibility to protect the citizens ,and until legislation comes forwarded the Minister should ban rickshaws from our streets.”

Man held over €600k pot haul A MAN has been arrested following the seizure of €600,000 of cannabis in Dublin.

The 34 year old is being held at Balbriggan Garda Station. The herb was found in a vehicle during a search operation near Man O’War on Monday.

15 June 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 5

FASTNews

Popular Dublin beach reopens ONE of two Dublin beaches that were closed at the weekend following a sewage spill has reopened.

Temporary closures on both Dollymount and Sandymount strands were blamed on last week’s heavy rain.

However, the EPA tweeted on Tuesday that the “recent bathing water incident is over at Dollymount Strand”.

It’s hoped that Sandymount will be reopened for bathing by the weekend.

Three teenagers hurt in shooting THREE teenagers had to be treated in hospital after a shooting in Ballymun on Tuesday night.

Two 17 year olds and a 16 year old suffered minor injuries after being struck with pellet fragments from a single shotgun blast as they attended a bonfire on Shangan Green.

It is understood the incident stemmed from an earlier altercation with another teenager.

Gardai have issued an appeal for information.

RTE agrees land sale for €107m RTE has agreed to sell a plot of land at its Montrose headquarters in Dublin 4 for €107.5m.

The offer, made by Cairn Homes, is more than €30m over the guide price of €75m.

It’s believed that the UK developer substantially outbid its closest rivals. It plans to develop up to 500 apartments and nine homes on the sight.

Cairn Homes said the Donnybrook site was a “prime site in a unique location which has strong potential for apartment development”.

BALLYFERMOT | COMMUNITY HONOURS MISSING RESCUE 116 COAST GUARD, CREW

Hundreds gather in tribute to hero Paul  SYLVIA POWNALL

HUNDREDS gathered to honour the memory of missing coast guard Paul Ormsby and his Rescue 116 colleagues in his home town of Ballyfermot on Saturday.

Parish priest Fr Joe McDonald said they were “joined in heartache and sorrow” for the ceremony at St Matthew’s Church.

He said: “The loss of someone we love levels us out completely. It is our prayer that Paul is safe, as he gave his life repeatedly stepping into danger so that others could be safe.”

And he said although they had no “mortal remains to bury”, his heartbroken family – including sister Angela and brothers Patrick and John – should “remain hopeful”, adding: “Winds sated, waters calm, he is now safe in the arms of Jesus.”

Paul (inset) was one of a crew of four who perished when their coast guard helicopter crashed off the

Mayo coast in the early hours of March 14.

While the bodies of Dara Fitzpatrick and Mark Duffy were recovered in the days and weeks following the tragedy, those of winchmen Paul, 53, and dad-of-three Ciaran Smith, from Oldtown in Co Dublin, have never been recovered.

Flight suit D u ring Saturday’s mass gifts symbolising his life were brought to the altar including his flight suit and helmet, photographs, walking boots, awards and an Irish flag.

Coast guard colleague Captain Ed Shivnan told the congregation how Paul “always made us smile” with his quick wit and how he “was never too busy” to share his 30 years of experience with others.

Paul once told an RTE

interviewer he would rescue anyone in need of his help regardless of the circumstances “no matter who they are, from Hitler to the Pope”.

Capt Shivnen explained how a pilot over a ship’s deck is only as good as the winch operator voicing commands from below, adding that Paul’s voice was “calming in the somet i m e s harsh environments we operate in”.

He recalled a doctor’s description of a winchman rescuing a casualty as the “purest form of humanity” he had ever witnessed.

He added: “To Paul, this purest form of humanity was his job, his actions have directly helped and saved hundreds of people over his years using his professionalism, skill and care at both ends of the

A formal guard of honour stood by in tribute to hero coast guard Paul Ormsby and his tragic Rescue 116 colleagues Dara Fitzpatrick, Mark Duffy and Ciaran Smith

wire ... in all weather conditions.”

After the service, a Rescue 116 Sikorsky S-92 chopper hovered over the church and dropped its nose – to applause – in a poignant salute by the crew to their fallen colleague.

The memorial mass coincides with a push for a local plaza to be named after hero Ormsby and his three colleagues.

Paul, who cared for his mother Kitty until her death four years ago, was born and raised on Oranmore Road in Ballyfermot, and locals now want a plaque to be erected on the green near his home.

Tributes were also paid to the crew of Rescue 116 at a charity cycle at Dublin Airport, also on Saturday (see panel, right).

Onlookers applauded a Rescue 116 Sikorsky S-92 chopper as it hovered in tribute. Pictures: Philip Fitzpatrick

Picture: Siobhan O’Donnell (daa) Setting off on the seven-lap memorial cycle

Airport cyclists pay tribute to fallen Rescue 116 heroes THE heroes of Rescue 116 were in the hearts and minds of lots of people at Dublin Airport last Sunday, where a special memorial cycle was staged all around the transport hub’s perimeter.

Airport police and fire service staff were joined by members of An Garda Siochana and the Irish Aviation Authority for the 116km cycle, comprising seven laps of the perimeter. They were also joined by some family members of the crew.

Speaking to DublinAirport.com, event organiser Bryan Russell said: “Like everyone, we were absolutely devastated by this tragic event. Those who work in emergency services share a special connection so when a terrible accident like this occurs it resonates deep within our community.

“We wanted to have a memorial event and it felt right that we should do it on the 11th day of the sixth month by cycling seven laps,which adds up to a total of 116km.”

Although not staged as a fundraiser, many people made donations for the event. Thanks to their support, the cycle raised more than €2,000 which is being donated to the Rescue 116 fund.

6 GAZETTE 15 June 2017

Out and About

Rachel McCahey,Jess Glynn and Laura O’Hanlon.

Jennifer Swaine

Pictures: Brian McEvoy

Filomena Kaguako and Nirina Plunket

Alex Balrtuzi, Paddy Coughlan and Robert Plant

Celebrating all that is unique about Dublin L

Louise McCormack and Lily Oragard

Anne Tucker and Roisin Ward

AST week, DublinTown launch its brand new website, UniqueToDublin.ie – a site which celebrates all the things that make Ireland’s capital city a truly unique place to live, work and visit. The launch was celebrated with a collaboration between DublinTown and photographer Evan Doherty, who created a special collection of prints encapsulating the people behind the businesses that make the city one of a kind. The collection was unveiled at The Grand Social and it will tour several key locations in Dublin later this month.

Premiere screening of The Mummy at Cineworld Kim O’Hare and Melissa Hunter

Aolife and Nimah Kavanagh with Leah Russell

Orla Lehane and Colm Alice McCormack

McNamara

Yonas Kahsay and Dare Olabode

Dara Gogan and Eimear Byrne

Enny and Jade Buono. Pictures: Andres Poveda

15 June 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 7

Out and About

Ryan Thomas and Umar Kamani

Ashlee Kehoe and Karla Jackson

Emma Zoey Roche and Aoife Keogh

Eva Jane Gaffney

A new range for all your hot weather hitlist needs P

rettyLittleThing.com launched their Love From The West Coast Campaign at a penthouse party at the Morgan Hotel in Temple Bar last week. The music was provided by actress and DJ Eva-Jane Gaffney and PrettyLittleThing Founder Umar Kamani was there with his friend and former Coronation Street star Ryan Thomas. Guests which included Jo Archbold, Michele McGrath and Gail Kaneswaran hit the Gifting Suite to check out the festival wear pieces that are on the website in time for the summer season.

Sarah Godfrey and Sian Walton. Pictures: Brian McEvoy

Debbie Adesina and Nuala Gorham

Gina Kiely and Rachel Martin

8 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 15 June 2017

‘As a mother I’d love to take this all off him and put it on myself’ Conan with his mam Mairead and his two sisters

DAD-OF-ONE TOLD HE WILL DIE IF HE DOESN’T GET TREATMENT  SYLVIA POWNALL

Conan was diagnosed with an aggressive form of oesophageal cancer at the age of 29

A DAD-OF-ONE diagnosed with an aggressive form of oesophageal cancer at the age of 29 has been told he will die if he doesn’t get the treatment he needs.

Conan Kelly from Clondalkin has to raise €60,000 to start his chemotherapy, and pals and supporters have so far donated €8,122 towards his medical costs.

His mother Mairead now fears her son, who was forced to move to Germany after he lost his job due to his undiagnosed illness, is running out of time.

She told The Gazette: “He has not been able to hold down solids since last November. He is skin and bone, skeletally thin. My son turns 30 in August and my biggest fear is that I’ll be burying him instead of celebrating his birthday.”

Communications engineer Conan was out of work for five months last year and went to his GP because he

Conan with his daughter, Sophie

was suffering from constant reflux and heartburn and had lost a significant amount of weight as a result.

But his condition was not detected and due to a red-tape blunder when he moved abroad to start a new job, his health insurance was cancelled. A visit to A&E there when his symptoms persisted led to an accurate diagnosis within four days.

Mairead said: “He is over there in Germany on his own, missing his three-year-old daughter Sophie, won-

Global warming blamed for ‘alarming’ rise in deadly moray eel sightings off our coast SIGHTINGS of the deadly moray eel off the coast this year have been described as “alarming” by marine experts.

In the latest instance the eel was discovered alive and marine biologist Kevin Flannery says the frequency with which they are turning up in Irish waters is likely due to global warming.

He also warned that the eel, which can grow to 13 feet in length, is aggressive and has been known to kill, was bad news for native marine species.

He said: “Without doubt this is major evidence that our seas are warming up due to global warming. The numbers showing up here have steadily been increasing since the 1990s.

“This is possibly the third or fourth sighting this year.

The first moray eel was caught by a trawler off the coast of Kilmore Quay in Wexford and there have been a few more since.”

Mr Flannery believes the moray eel, normally found in Mediterranean waters, is moving northwards due to increased water temperatures.

He added: “People fear them because they have been known to kill with their bites.

“Some people believe they have a toxin in their bite but it’s usually that people get bites that are so extreme they go septic and that’s what kills.”

The eels usually lurk in crevices in rocks and feed on octopus, squid and crustaceans that pass by.

dering if he will get the treatment he needs.

“We are all working around the clock and saving money so we can set up some kind of roster to fly out there and be with him. I can’t sleep for worrying.”

Sophie’s mother revealed: “Every day she asks ‘Where is my Daddy, I miss him’. She is too young to understand a word like cancer and a concept like death.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up in a bid to raise the €115,000 Conan needs in total.

Mairead said: “Without immediate treatment, he has limited life expectancy. Because he is short of funds, he can’t get treated until his insurance gets sorted. But time is a luxury he does not have.

“As a mother I’d love to just take this all off him and put it on myself, but I can’t.”

To donate visit https://www. gofundme.com/help-conan-conquercancer.

Dublin man arrested after after body parts discovered THE decapitated head of a woman was found in a plastic bag in the Wicklow mountains on Tuesday, just days after tourists discovered her torso.

A 32-year-old Dublin man, who is believed to have been a relative of the woman, has been arrest-

ed after he presented himself to gardai in Wexford on Tuesday evening.

He is being held at Bray Garda Station.

Several crime scenes – including a family home in Rathfarnham – have been sealed off as gardai continue their investigation.

Unidentified man found in car park loses fight for life A MAN found wth serious injuries in an underground car park in Swords on Tuesday morning has died.

The man, who gardai believe was in his late 30s/ early 40s, was discovered at Carnegie Court apartments at around 5.30am.

He was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he

was pronounced dead on Tuesday night.

Swords gardai have so far been unable to identify the man and are asking anyone who was in the area of Carnegie Court on North St between the hours of 10pm on Monday and 6am on Tuesday, June 13, to get in touch.

15 June 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 9

10 GAZETTE 15 June 2017

Out and About

Lauren Keegan, Aisha O’Keeffe and Shauna Johnston from Holy Child Community School, Sallynoggin. Picture: Rose Comiskey

Lauren Coyle, Aoife Byrne and Ciara Coates from Portmanock Community School. Picture: ALISON O’HANLON

Prebi Olobio, Yolly Okpe, Alice Minar and Niamh Farrelly from St Joseph’s College

Leaving Cert exams get underway across Dublin

T

Lucan. Picture: STEPHEN FLEMING

HE Gazette caught up with students from around the county as they headed to their school to sit the Leaving Cert exams. There were plenty of nerves on display as they joined the 120,000 students in total who will be sitting the exams across the country. English was up first and there were plenty of teachers on hand to offer last minute advice, like try to stay calm and not to get too stressed. The results of the Leaving Cert will be published on Wednesday, August 16, while the Junior Cert results will be out in September. Best of luck to one and all!

Jasmine Sheridan and Naomi Mooney from Holy Child Community School,

Roisin Dowd, Aoibhe Dillon, Lauren Tarpey, Abbie Mooney and Sarah Brennan from Portmanock Community

Sallynoggin. Picture: Rose Comiskey

School. Picture: ALISON O’HANLON

15 June 2017 GAZETTE 11

Karim Ghanem, Kasim Ali and Santiago Pompa from Ballinteer Community School.

Picture: Rose Comiskey

Holly Maglangit, Estephany Barba Matta and Sadaf Amir Kamvar from Ballinteer Community School.

Picture: Rose Comiskey

Eilidh Dunlop, Hannah O’Keeffe and Aisling Dolan from Colaiste Bride in Clondalkin. Picture: Aishling Conway

HERE WE GO: Blakestown Community School students on their way into the exam

GAZETTE

12 GAZETTE 15 June 2017

DUBLINBUSINESS

Telecoms firm rings up 15 jobs in €1.75m deal TELECOMS company Pure Telecom has signed a €1.75m deal with sales agency DSM Ltd, creating 15 jobs.

The deal will enable P ure to continue its opush to roll-out services across the country, with a particular focus on rural Ireland.

The Irish-owned company has been providing fixed line, broadband and cloud telecoms services since 2002 to Irish businesses and consumers.

All of the DSM positions will be field sales roles, with successful can-

didates having customerfacing experience and a track record in achieving ambitious sales targets, in addition to receiving ongoing training the company.

Anticipation With nationwide fibre roll-outs continue, and in anticipation of a decision on the National Broadband Plan, Pure Telecom is focusing on an increased presence of sales agents in key locations across the country t o h e l p it achieve an

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Pictured announcing Pure Telecom’s €1.75 million deal with DSM Ltd are Alan McGonnell and Paul Connell, Pure Telecom, and James Edinborough, DSM Ltd

aggressive growth plan.

Celebrating the deal, Paul Connell, Pure Tele-

Call for companies to seek best-managed recognition

ANYA Cummins, partner Deloitte; Nigel Owens, keynote speaker and Michael Torpey, chief executive, corporate and treasury, Bank of Ireland bounced a ball and some ideas around at the launch of Deloitte’s 10th Best Managed Companies Awards.

The trio are urging companies to enter this year’s programme, in association with new programme

sponsor Bank of Ireland, to showcase the success of indigenous companies and acknowledge the contribution that they make to the economy.

For further information, awards criteria and full details of how to enter the awards, see the site at www.deloittebestmanaged.ie, with a closing date for entries set for August 6. Picture: Jason Clarke

com chief executive, said: “This deal is part of our nationwide push to bring broadband to a lot more people and households in rural Ireland.

“We work very closely with some of Ireland’s major wholesale providers and want to ensure that we are there as soon as the broadband is – part of that means having an increased presence of sales representatives.

“We are very confident that this deal with DSM will play a significant role in helping us to grow our business and footprint outside of the major cities.”

Echoing his words, James Edinborough, DSM Ltd chief executive, added: “Pure Telecom is the kind of company that sales representatives want to work with because of its dedication to customer service and competitive pricing.

“Broadband across Ireland still has a long way to go, but we look forward to helping Pure Telecom roll out the muchneeded service across the country.

“Our relationship spans many years and we are delighted to have signed another deal with

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

‘A few years ago most people thought that the smartphone would see the demise of the landline ... but instead we are seeing huge demand for it’ --------------------------

Paul Connell, Pure Telecom

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

them. We look forward to providing Pure Telecom with sales support to help it continue on its impressive growth path.”

Connell said: ““What we have found interesting is that as more people become connected to broadband, the fixed line is making a comeback.

“A few years ago most people thought that the smartphone would see the demise of the landline, and we prepared ourselves for that, but instead we are seeing huge demand for it.

“The National Broadband Plan will only serve to increase that demand.”

What can you tell us about your career to date?

Many interviews start with this request. You should keep your answer brief and to the point.

Cover your education quickly, your general career and finish with your most recent history.

Keep it relatively simple and you’ll be off to a good start.

What aspects of your previous job did you like or dislike?

Concentrate on the ‘like’ part of your previous role. When addressing the ‘dislike’ part, it may be better to change the emphasis to what you would have changed rather than being negative.

Why should we employ you?

Outline your personal qualities as they relate to the role you are applying for and how they will benefit the company.

Yo u s h o u l d h ave established what the key aspects of the role are prior to the interview and Remember these tips, and it’ll make a huge difference in interviews. If you want to talk to someone about career opportunities, contact RecruitmentPlus at 01 2788 610, or also see www.recruitmentplus.ie.

build your answer around those key competencies.

What is a difficult situation that you handled well?

Highlight a difficult work situation and give the context, the actions you took and the result.

Don’t share confidential information; don’t dismiss the efforts of others and avoid positioning yourself as a victim or a knight in shining armour.

This question offers you the opportunity to show your reasoning skills and your ability to manage stress.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

The natural inclination for the interviewee is to focus on the strengths while the natural tendency for the interviewer is to listen more closely to the weaknesses.

As a general rule of thumb, it makes good sense to cover strengths that are essential to the role and to raise a weakness that is non-essential.

15 June 2017 GAZETTE 13

TRAVEL P21 MOTORS P22

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

MAYBE IT’S MAISIE WHO COULD BE A DREAM PET OUR Dog of the Week looking for their #SpecialSomeone* is Maisie, a beautiful and very intelligent threeyear-old Collie cross.

She is an active dog and loves her daily walks and activities.

Maisie is really good at doggie brain games such as scent games, agility and obedience training, and her favourite game is Fetch.

Maisie is a typical collie and is full of beans, so she would suit an active household where she will have lots of company.

She really has huge potential and will make the perfect agility or flyball partner and a very loyal companion.

If you can be Maisie’s #SpecialSomeone*, then please contact Dogs Trust on 01 879 1000. They are based in Finglas, just off Exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website, www.dogstrust. ie. You can also find them on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/ dogstrustirelandonline, or on Twitter @ DogsTrust_IE.

The Coronas out to take their chances



GAZETTE

CINEMA P24

JAMES Hendicott talks to The Coronas frontman Danny O’Reilly about the making of Trust The Wire, the acclaimed new album that has seen the popular indie four piece evolve from ‘Ireland’s ultimate student band”.

Danny explains how moving from the hustle and bustle of London to the remote, unspoiled beauty of West Kerry subconsciously helped to inspire a more chilled, mature and electronic style and a record that shows they’re not afraid to take risks.

See Pages 16-17

GAZETTE

14 GAZETTE 15 June 2017

DUBLINLIFE

DIARY

Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton chats with Aoibheann Clancy as fellow pupils from St Vincent de Paul Infant School, Griffith Avenue (Henry Cronin, Michael O’Neill and Emma Lidierth), demonstrate the old maxim about ‘Hear no evil ...’, now updated for media, advertising and fake news. Picture: Andres Poveda

NEW INITIATIVE: HELPING OUR CHILDREN TO MAKE SENSE OF THE MEDIA WORLD AROUND THEM

‘Fake news’ course for kids A NEW, free educational resource to help teach primary schoolchildren about the media, advertising and fake news has been launched.

The “MediaWise” initiative from Safefood is an eight-week programme suitable for primary school children of all ages. It has been designed to help children makes sense of the media world around them. Education Minister Richard Bruton attended the launch.

Fiona Gilligan, director, marketing and communications, safefood said: “We know from research that children are bombarded with hundreds of media messages every day, whether that’s advertising, commercial sponsorships, online gaming or social media.

Our own research has revealed that children as young as three see upwards of 1,000 TV ads for unhealthy foods over the course of a year.

“Safefood’s rem it includes the promotion of health amongst children, and with their exposure to so many messages, MediaWise is about helping them evaluate, interpret and critique these to make healthy choices.”

ACCESSIBLE BUS FOR WHEELCHAIR USER’S B OY Z O N E ’ S K e i t h Duffy launched a new accessible bus for wheelchair user’s to support the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) in Clontarf on June 7.

Duffy, along with IWA members and their families, local community sup-

porters, businesses, and Clontarf Castle assisted IWA to raise the necessary funds to purchase the bus. The launch was met by celebration afterwards which took place at IWA’s National Headquarters, in Clontarf.

customers to understand their entitlements and meet their tax and duty obligations.”

Revenue has warned users of its PAYE Anytime service that the function will no longer be available as of June 19.

MAJOR REDESIGN FOR REVENUE’S SITE

PETER PAN COMES TO POWERSCOURT

REVENUE has updated its website which is the first major redesign since 2008. Information through the website is now widely accessible through various different devices such as Android.

New features also include feedback facility which allows users to share their views and suggestions with Revenue at the click of a button.

According to their press release: “Our aim is to make it easier for

FOR one day only, on June 25, Neverland will be brought back to life with a production of Peter Pan in Powerscourt Gardens. This open air event begins at 1:30pm in Enniskerry, County Wicklow.

In association with Chapter House Theatre Company, award winning writer Laura Turner creates her own adaptation of JM Barrie’s original story.

Tickets can be booked

for €16 for children.

Adult prices are €19 and a family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) are €56.

SPORTS DAY FUN FOR A WORTHY CAUSE LAW firm, Eversheds Sutherland is hosting its 7th annual Sports Day corporate fundraising event in Herbert Park from 4pm onwards on Thursday, June 15.

Eversheds Sutherland’s aim is to join the business community together and encourage donations to the children’s charity, Barretstown.

By attending you can enjoy a fun filled day of sports, along with a barbecue later on, for a good cause.

Refresh your memory and embrace nostalgia with activities including the three legged race, the

egg and spoon race and the climbing wall, among numerous others.

Irish Olympic runner, David Matthews, has even arranged a special fitness challenge for those more adventurous hopefuls.

Barretstown’s ethos is

to aid children and their families whom have been affected by serious illness, with a specific focus on cancer.

You can take part in this event by contacting Mark Hughes at sportsday@barretstown.org or by calling 045-864115.

Former Boyzone singer Keith Duffy helps to launch a new accessible bus for wheelchair users

15 June 2017 GAZETTE 15

GAZETTE

FEATURE

BODY LANGUAGE: LEADING EXPERT TRACEY COX REVEALS WHAT’S BEHIND YOUR SQUEEZE

What your squeeze says about you?

AS part of the launch of the HTC U11, with a revolutionary new squeeze interaction, HTC has partnered with one of the world’s leading body language experts, Tracey Cox, to analyse our everyday “squeeze”; what it says about our personality and what that squeeze communicates to others.

The U11 brings a new age of phone interaction, where a simple squeeze allows the user to take photos, launch their favourite apps, text on the go and more.

Tracey said: “Nothing is more powerful and significant than a squeeze or touch. Even the smallest squeeze resonates so be aware of every touch and the implications it has – each has the power to make us feel loved and wanted or rejected.

“Don’t underestimate the

power of the daily squeeze – it’s needed now, more than ever. The more you touch and squeeze others and are touched and squeezed yourself, the happier and healthier we’ll all be.”

Tracey has identified eight types of everyday squeezes, the messages they communicate and the implications every squeeze has.

hold their torso away and there’s no direct eye contact.

Romantic Squeeze: This is when the upper torsos are press together. Effectively your holding the other person against your heart and saying ‘I love you’ using your entire body.

The Power Squeeze - Powerful people will shake with their palm turned down. A strong handshake from both individuals with palms parallel transmits respect and rapport.

Flirtatious Squeeze: If someone wants to let you know that they are interested in more than friendship, they will give you an extra squeeze at the end of a hug, and when pulling back make direct eye contact.

The Fake Squeeze - This squeeze is the equivalent of the air kiss: the person imitates a hug without giving one. They’ll lean forward with their shoulders but

The Sexy Squeeze - Hip hugs are naughtier and lustier than waist embraces. If the person tries to pull their torso away, they’re trying to keep the relationship platonic.

Insecure Squeeze: If we are unsure of someone’s feelings for us, we revert to the kind of hug we’d seek from our parents - we nestle our face into someone’s neck, implying a desire for security.

The Best Friend Squeeze: Most public squeezes involve embracing the shoulders, not the waist. The waist hug is often nicknamed ‘the friendly hug’.

The Dominant Squeeze: High squeezes show dominance: the person who hugs highest is nearly always the dominant one.

The HTC U11 can be purchased now, sim free on www.htc. com/ie from €749 and in a range of five colours.

15 June 2017 GAZETTE 17

DUBLINLIFE

 JAMES HENDICOTT LONG SEEN as Ireland’s ultimate student band, The Coronas’ evolution has been an odd one.

Rarely given the media credit that their sizeable sell-out shows might suggest they warrant, the lively four-piece are firmly established on our shores, having played the country’s largest indoor gig venue (the 3Arena) and headlined numerous festivals.

For much of the last few years, however, their Irish successes have been conducted from abroad, with The Coronas living together on London as they tried to break into a larger market, with mixed success.

Having now returned home – a move that, bizarrely, precedes their largest ever London show latest this year, in the Kentish Town Forum – life is moving on fast.

New album ‘Trust The Wire’ – a reference to taking chances – represents probably the band’s most substantive change in style since they started out 14 years ago, taking in a broad range of genres and instrumentation. It’ll be released on a newly-established band-run label, too.

“We didn’t sit down and decide to do things differently,” frontman Danny O’Reilly told The Gazette.

“It just evolved. We wrote the album in Dingle, instead of London like the last album, and I think there was a subconscious impact of that in the sound.

“It’s very electronic, chilled and mature, written from a place of calm. I think you can sense the change lyrically, too.”

“It’ll be our first record on the new label, and we’re excited about that,” he adds.

“It makes sense for us financially now that we’re in a place where we can promote ourselves, and really take control of what we’re doing. We’ve actually done more promotion on this album than other ones, even though we didn’t have that major label backing, so it seems to be going well.”

Label “I don’t want to say anything that sounds like I’m putting down [previous label] Universal, as they were really good to us, but this is the right move, and it’s a really exciting time. With a bit of luck, the label might outlive the band.”

The band, clearly, are growing up fast.

O’Reilly is the son of Mary Black, so he’s always been around the music scene, and recalls attending shows before his age hit double figures, and seems to live for the music.

With marriage and life commitments coming into play for other members of the band, however sharing a house all together in London wasn’t proving practical anymore.

If anything, the time apart – and separate experiences – has made The Coronas’ writing process more imaginative when they’ve come back together.

A TRIP THROUGH THE WIRE

The Coronas are back from London with a new sound, a new album, and a Dingle take on life

MUSIC

N O S ’ T A H W

E D I U G S T N EVE

with JAMES HENDICOTT

Jeff Goldblum Day

Lighthouse Cinema celebrates the American actor in the first of what it plans to be an annual day in his honour. The first offering - on June 16 - will feature The Lost World, Independence Day and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, scheduled to allow viewing of all three back to back.

Radiohead

Long since sold out, the trendy Oxford indie-stars hit up the 3Arena for a sure-to-impress show with its textured variety and nuance hits. Expect a few big tracks, an exploration of the RADIOHEAD, 3 ARENA dingy corners of the back catalogue and lots of beautifully dark rumblings to bed it all down. June 20

Redhead Fest

A whole weekend celebrating what it is to be ginger. South Park might have joked that the carrot-topped have no soul, but we beg to differ: Bar Rua’s celebration of all things ‘strawberry blonde’ on the 17th and 18th of June is in honour of MS Ireland, and features music and themed fun.

Renegrade

Like an open mic, but for circus performers, Renegade returns to the Dublin Circus Project on June 17 for a weird and wacky BYOB event designed to offer a showcase for any member of the audience choosing to step on stage. They’ll be rewards for participation in a lively show.

The Great Gatsby Rave

Morning Gloryville bring their weekday morning party concept to Cafe En Seine for a 6.30am ‘rave’ based on the classic novel.

That means being suited and booted for a Wednesday morning of high-class shape throwing on June 21.

Ham Sandwich at Leopardstown

The Bulmers Live at Leopardstown events continue with one of Ireland’s finest live acts. Ham Sandwich will join the horses at the racetrack for the great-value music and racing event on June 22.

Wandering Rocks: Journey Inside Ulysses

Joyce’s classic story gets a revamp for the annual Bloomsday celebrations courtesy of Happenings, who have set up a citywide exploration involving performance and interactive maps.

“We work best just locked away for a month,” O’Reilly explains of the trip to Dingle to write this record, after deciding they needed some “time off, including from the high rent,” and time to spend on their own lives. Dingle, and the album recording, was the perfect reunion.

“They’ve got the whole musical history down there, with [RTE televised festival] OtherVoices, as well as all kinds of artists, films, food, and it’s that extra hour away from Killarney, which makes it that much more out of the way. We’ve all been down to Dingle since we were

on kids’ holidays, so it feels very normal to be there, but it’s a special place.”

Initial reactions to the album have been strong, though O’Reilly admits that he’s developed a high tolerance of negative reviews and critical commentary, preferring to let fans judge.

Critical “We were never really critical darlings, and often written off as ‘just’ a student band,” O’Reilly argues.

“I’ve got pretty thick skin about it now, to the point

where, as is often the case in music, I’d worry that a good review might mean it won’t sell. But then again, this has been getting quite good reviews. We’ve played a few tracks live over the last few months, and they’ve been going down well, and the single seems popular with fans. That’s more important, really.”

The fans are certainly still buying from the band, anyhow, with The Coronas set to play their biggest headline show to date this summer, at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in front of an audience of 15,000.

“We’re sort of at different stages as a band in differ-

ent places,” O’Reilly says of the huge range of audience sizes they perform before regularly. “We play big venues in Ireland. We’d play Ulster Hall in Belfast and we’re a bit bigger in London than in the rest of the UK. It’s totally different depending on where you go.”

“We’d be looking at Coldplay and trying to take aspects of their show that we like, trying to put on a really big stage show for something like Kilmainham.

We’ve always invested in production; in our performance. Obviously you can’t do that in the same way when you’re playing in front of an audience of a few

hundred, and that would totally change your setlist, too. But for something like Kilmainham, it’s really important for us to make an effort with what we do on stage; for it to be about more than the music.”

As for their latest incarnation as a band – the more mature, evolved version of The Coronas?

“We chose the title ‘Trust The Wire’ because it represents us as a band on this album. We’re refocusing, realigning our own ambition and trying not to doubt ourselves,” O’Reilly concludes. “We’re really taking the plunge.”

GAZETTE

GAZETTE

16 GAZETTE 15 June 2017

Summer Solstice

Celebrate the first day of summer with a Merrion Square picnic event to feature music and yoga, a slackline, and a lot of extras yet to be announced. With a little luck, the weather will match the mood...

New album of the week

Royal Blood - How Did We Get So Dark? Fresh from supporting Guns N’ Roses at Slane, the brazen two-piece return with a short, pulsating second album that’s sure to see the Brighton pair shaking a few floorboards once again.

DUBLINLIFE Ravenscliff waterproof shell €160 Regatta Great Outdoors, hunter green

Rolex C Weir osmogra p & So ns €P h Dayton a OA

GAZETTE

18 GAZETTE 15 June 2017

Arnotts

Happy

ay Gif ther’s D a F s k c So

5

t Set €2

Aldi Fathers Day Glasses €4.99 per set Aldi Moccasin Slippers €7.99

PAYOT H o m m e Soin Re En e r g iz veil in g Care €36

DELAROM Homme Eau Sport €34

ALEX AND ANI create bangle in aid of Pieta House

ALEX AND ANI Charity

by Design butterfly bangle will retail at €36

MEANINGFUL jewellery brand, ALEX AND ANI have created a Charity By Design bangle in aid of Pieta House.

The bangle, which has a butterfly charm, carries the meaning of renewal, strength and rebirth.

Ten percent of every bangle sold goes directly to Pieta House – which offers free-of-charge therapy to those suffering from suicidal ideation, those who have been bereaved by suicide and people who are engaging in self-harm - with a minimum donation of €5,000 promised.

The Charity By Design Collection focuses on

organisations whose mission aligns with the three main causes that ALEX AND ANI strive to support; community development and relief, health and wellness and environmental and animal care.

“The butterfly represents change, beauty, and diversity and it’s a great symbol of hope and strength and of a future for clients of Pieta House and for all of us,” said Pieta House CEO Brian Higgins.

The ALEX AND ANI Charity by Design butterfly bangle will retail at €36 from all ALEX AND ANI stockists and from www.Arnotts.ie and via the Detail of butterfly charm Pieta House website www.pieta.ie

15 June 2017 GAZETTE 19

GAZETTE

STYLE

Aldi ELECTRIC SHAVER €19.99

AppliancesDelivered.ie Krups Nespresso Pixie Coffee Machine €149.95

Blue Solid Oxford Button-down Tailored Fit Shirt, €89, Magee 1866, www.magee1866.com

KING Treat your dad like a

Genius, Powerscourt Centre, Saddler Belt €59.95

 EMMA NOLAN, Style Editor

River Island Brown LatticeDetail Holdall €60

Arnotts Kiehls Nourishing Beard Grooming Oil €30

Sony XB10 EXTRA BASS Portable Wireless Speaker €70

WITH Father’s Day coming up next week, The Gazette has put together some great gift ideas for the dads in your life.

Put a smile on his face with some thoughtful presents for all budgets and tastes, whether he’s into gadgets, clothes, grooming or something a little more quirky.

GAZETTE

20 GAZETTE 15 June 2017

DUBLINLIFE

FEATURE

THEATRE : TELLING A TALE IN HOPE PEOPLE WILL BETTER UNDERSTAND REALITIES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Hard-hitting play exposes some awful, hidden abuse

 SYLVIA POWNALL

DUBLINER Fran Winston is daring to tread where few have gone before – delving into the world of domestic violence in a hard-hitting play inspired by her own experiences.

Fran’s experimental work – Arnica Was my Eyecream – will be staged at the International Bar on June 20, 21, 22 and 23 (see the Facebook page of the same title for details).

It tells the story of Nancy, a woman who finds herself masking black eyes with make-up when her new boyfriend, Marcus, turns out to be anything but Prince Charming.

Fran, originally from Ballymun but living in Rathgar, told The Gazette: “The play shows how sur prisingly ordinary the abusers are and how easy it is to fall victim.

“I decided to have Marcus appear to the audience as a virtual character, a looming shadow on the wall, because once you put a face on something it is nowhere near as terrifying as what you imagine in your head.”

Fran herself suffered domestic violence at the hands of a former partner who now lives abroad.

She recalls how despite describing herself as a “strong, intelligent woman” it took a drastic series of events for her to realise how she was being manipulated and abused.

She said: “Ironically I met him while I was rehearsing lines for MacBeth in the International Bar. I bumped into him again a few years later and he was very charm-

ing ...

“We had only been going out four weeks when he came home after having a row with someone at work and started throwing me around. The next day he was incredibly apologetic and I genuinely did think it was a one-off.

“But it got steadily worse.

There were nights when he’d pull me around by the hair and nearly pull it out of my head. He broke my eye socket one night.

“The night I graduated with my MA, gardai had to call an ambulance because he battered me so badly the whole right side of my face was swollen.

“Once they get to the point where they’ve hit you in the face and you’ve gone out in public and tried to cover it up, they think they won’t get caught and it gets more frequent.”

Fran, who plays the role of Nancy, hopes the production helps highlight the issue in the hope that others recognise the signs and victims feel better able to report it.

She also wants legislation to change to offer more protection from abusers.

She said: “[Gardai] have to take it seriously. One in five women will be victims of domestic abuse, yet nobody wants to talk about it.

“On average, a woman will be assaulted 35 times by her partner or ex before reporting it.

“This is Nancy’s story, but it is many people’s story, and it is happening to someone you know right now. She tells her tale in the hope that people will better understand the realities of domestic violence.”

Fran Winston has drawn on her own experience of being assaulted by a partner to create a play exploring the realities of hidden domestic abuse

15 June 2017 GAZETTE 21

EXPERIENCE the American dream this year for less – GoHop. ie is offering exclusive deals on USA United Airways flights booked

by June 19.

Try your luck in Las Vegas from only €580, or shop ‘til you drop at Bloomingdale’s on a weekend away in NYC from only €396.

Soak up the Californian sunshine with a visit to the home of the stars, Los Angeles, from only €388 or treat your kids to a fun-filled family getaway in the home of Disney, with flights to Orlando from only €468.

If those USA deals don’t whet your appetite, then why not head up north and explore the beautiful sights of Canada?

Explore the dynamic metropolis of Toronto from only €448 or choose a stunning city that blends cultures and landscapes with a visit to Vancouver from €326.

Make sure you book

by June 19 to avail of these amazing United Airways rates, exclusive to GoHop.ie.

Prices are subject to dates and availability.

All prices are flight only and based on return economy fares.

For more information or to book, see www.

GoHop.ie or call the experts at 01 241 2389.

Early Bird Package holiday newbies Ryanair are offering seven nights staying at the Atlantic Choice Studio 17 hotel in Portimao on the Algarve in Portugal for an amazing €188 PPS. The price is based on dates in October and includes flights, transfers, luggage and accommodation on a self-catering basis.

Spain’s hidden gems

GAZETTE

Hop to it and catch some great deals to the US, Canada

TRAVEL

HIDDEN GEM: Just an hour’s drive north from Barcelona, Besalu is a wonderful medieval town in Cataluna and is considered to be one of the most beautiful in Spain.

 SYLVIA POWNALL Travel Editor

The old prison right at the entrance to Pedraza

Arcos de la Frontera is one of Andalucia’s most dramatically positioned white villages

THE holiday map of the world is changing and fears of terror strikes mean old favourites like Egypt,Tunisia and Turkey are not looking quite as appealing.

Spain continues to top the list for Irish holidaymakers – but have you ever considered foregoing the fish bowls and foam parties of the livelier resorts in favour of some exploring off the beaten track instead?

Flights in and out of pretty much any Spanish airport have never been so affordable, and price comparison sites like Booking.com and Trivago can throw up hotel and guest house accommodation at a fraction of what you think they might cost.

Here are some of our favourite hidden gems.

Besalu Besalu might just be the most interesting Spanish village you’ve never heard of.

The moment you pass over the trademark 12th century bridge you know you’ve entered a magical medieval world.

It’s a picture postcard adventure at every turn from the narrow alleyways of the Jewish district adorned with Romanesque engravings to the seductive tapas bars boasting some of the best regional cuisine in Cataluna.

For a town with a population of just 2,500 it has plenty to offer – including the quirky Museum of Miniatures and the ruins of the 13th century Jewish baths. It’s a one-hour drive north from Barcelona, and well worth the visit.

Galicia Home to three islands off northwest Spain which were voted No 3 in Lonely Planet’s top 10 best up-andcoming destinations to visit in 2017.

And with their white sands, turquoise waters, rich marine life and laid-back pace it’s easy to see why.

The Romans referred to them as the “islands of the Gods” but more recently they’ve become known as the Galician Caribbean or Seychelles.

Rodas has been named as one of the 10 best beaches in the world and a strict limit of 2,200 tourists a day keeps the crowds away.

The islands are a ferry ride from the nearest airport in Vigo.

However the only accommodation is camping, so if you prefer things a little less rustic head for the rural hotel of Quinta de San Amaro just two miles inland in the O Salnes area of western Galicia. Here you can enjoy the gastronomic delights, unspoilt beaches and water sports with rooms from just €80 a night.

Arcos de la Frontera This is undisputedly the reigning king of Andalucia’s famous White Villages, though it has stiff competition from Frigiliana whose cluster of white washed homes and picturesque courtyards give it a good run for its money.

Arcos de la Frontera is a charming cliff-top hamlet only an hour’s drive from Cadiz.

Widely considered one of Spain’s most beautiful villages, its charm lies in its narrow streets and immaculate white walls decorated with flowering vines and colourful tilework.

One of this village’s main draws its location with the beach, the spectacular Donana National Park, the Grazalema Mountains, and the splendours of Seville all little more than an hour’s drive away.

Pedraza Drive 90 minutes north of Madrid and you will find one of the jewels of central Spain.

While the regional capital, Segovia, has attracted international travellers for years, Pedraza is a favourite among locals due to its imposing 2castle, impressive views, and an atmosphere steeped in 16th century history.

Photo ops abound and there is plenty of striking architecture to see, but Pedraza is most famous for its hearty cuisine based on local specialties like lamb and suckling pig roasted in wood-fire ovens.

Best of the rest: The sleepy village of Banyalbufar is nestled in the Tramontana Mountains of western Mallorca surrounded by countryside which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The tiny white village of Casares lies just 45 minutes west of the bustling tourist hub of Marbella, offering stunning views of the Straits of Gibraltar from its 12th century castle.

The fishing village of Cudillero boasts splendid views of mountain and sea, and a lively marina area.

The famous village of Ronda, best known for its bull fights and unrivalled scenery, recalls a regal era and is regarded as one of Spain’s most beautiful destinations.

GAZETTE

22 GAZETTE 15 June 2017

DUBLINLIFE

FASTNews

Dacia’s 5th birthday celebrations will take place at Dublin dealerships until this weekend, where there will be a test drive competition to win a new Sandero Stepway SE Summit Edition 1.5 dCi90 to the value of €17,290

Success Story – Duster wipes the floor with SUV competitors WITH over 14,000 cars registered since its launch in July 2012, Dacia has proved itself a massive success story in the Irish motor industry.

The Renault owned brand is now outperforming some well-established names that have been around for over 40 years.

Dacia has sold more than 8,000 versions of the Duster, with its chunky SUV style appealing to Irish motorists at its affordable price of €16,690. The first Dacia to arrive on Irish soil was Duster, followed by Sandero, then Sandero Stepway and finally the Logan MCV. The full range now includes new versions of all models as well as Stepway versions of Sandero and a newly launched Logan MCV Stepway.

To celebrate five years in Ireland, Dacia will offer zero deposit and 4.9% APR PCP finance across the range for all orders taken and registered by July 31.

Fiat dropping prices for 500X across the range FIAT is now offering a 172 registration guaranteed scrappage bonus of €3,000 for Pop Star and Cross versions of the Fiat 500X, plus price reductions of up to 12% across the range. The 500X comes in four trim levels and off-road versions are also available.

The Pop Star trim replaces Pop and prices start from €19,995, reduced from €22,250. It features 16” alloy wheels, 5” touchscreen radio with Bluetooth, Uconnect live services, body-coloured wing mirrors, leather steering wheel, rear parking sensors, electric windows, electric handbrake, cruise control with speed limiter, air-conditioning, fog lights with cornering function, space saver spare wheel and six speakers.

Fiat has dropped prices for the 500X range by 12% to stimulate demand for the Italian brand compact SUV

BMW bounces back with latest 5 series

BMW’s latest 5 Series models bounce back on the market with new levels of performance, economy and enhanced driver features. The 5 Series has always been a great driver’s car and the new generation brings that to a new level, as MICHAEL MORONEY found out when he pushed the BMW 520d M Sport saloon metal to the floor.

BMW’s new 520d M Sport saloon bounces back in the market with improved styling and a host of driver features designed to make the car an even better driving experience. The styling changes for the new BMW 5 Series are subtle, you’ll still not mistake the car for being a 5 Series, it’s just that the design is sharper and more modern, giving kind of faster look to it.

Almost every aspect of the new BMW 5 Series has been re-engineered for a level of performance that still keeps a focus on economy. The new car is lighter while being more powerful than before and marginally more spacious.

BMW rate the car in terms of power to weight and given that they have shaved over 100kg from the car’s weight and added more power, the figure of 11kg per kW of engine power, is impressive.

When you drive the seventh generation 520d M Sport saloon, the styling and optional features ensure that the driving experience is a good one.

The new 520d M Sport saloon is very much a driver’s car. The engine performance is such that irrespective of which of the performance settings chosen, Sport Comfort, EcoPro or Comfort, you’ll still enjoy the driving experience.

The four-cylinder twinturbo diesel engine powering the BMW 520d M Sport has an output of 190hp at 4,000rpm and that’s a match for the

The new BMW 520d M Sport saloon is impressive in performance and economy for such a large car. The entry prices start from €56,980 and the extra option list is extensive and sometime expensive adding over €16,000 to the cost of the test car driven.

BMW 520d M Sport Saloon

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine 2.0 litre Engine power 190hp 0 – 100km/hr 7.5 seconds Economy 21km/litre

(4.7/100km or 60mpg) Fuel Tank Capacity 66 litres CO2 emissions 114g/km Road Tax Band A4 €200 Main Service 20,000km/12 months Euro NCAP Rating 5 star (2017) Warranty 3 years (100,000km) Entry Price €56,980 competition in terms of the Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E220d. And the torque performance is a match too with all three coming in at a maximum torque figure of 400Nm. For the BMW 520d M Sport that converts to impressive range with the full 66 litre capacity fuel tank. While I recorded an economy figure of close to

40% off the rated figure of 23km/litre (4.3/100km or 65mpg), I was still getting over 950km on the tank.

That’s impressive economy for a big car and a car that can perform on the road, if and when needed.

The automatic gearbox is smooth running through an eight-speed Steptronic system. This helps to achieve the good fuel economy figures and

with the EcoPro setting you can maximise your economy targets.

BMW has put a lot of effort into reducing the overall weight of the new 5 Series as well as the drag co-efficient. They claim that the lower weight is achieved by using more aluminium including the boot lid, which alone shaved 4.2kg from the car’s weight.

This new car comes with a SIM card built in as standard for the ConnectedDrive Services.

The system brings new levels of connectivity and access to the portfolio of BMW services without being dependent on the customer’s own smartphone.

These services include the Concierge Service, Online Entertainment, and the RTTI (Real Time Traffic Information) that allows BMW 5 Series drivers to avoid traffic

jams. There’s also the Intelligent Emergency Call system.

There is a host of automatic safety features in the new BMW 520d M Sport saloon, including traffic sign recognition and the lane departure system that comes close to giving autonomous driving. The lane departure system took a little getting used to, and it’s a sign of what’s coming in future generations.

The new BMW 520d M Sport is a solidly impressive driver’s car that’s competitive at €56,980 with the A6 and E220d.

All three come with significant extras available in their options listing making it so easy to push up the price of your final choice of car.

This is a great driver’s car that should be costeffective to own due to its impressive economy and low CO2 rating.

15 June 2017 GAZETTE 23

SUPER STONIC

KIA has provided some teaser images of the new Kia Stonic compact crossover that will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The new car will go on sale in Ireland at the end of October.

The Stonic is comes with European design flair, inspired by the form and function of larger Kia SUV’s. The name ‘Stonic’ combines ‘Speedy’ and ‘Tonic’, which refers to the first and last note in the musical scale.

Kia claims that the Stonic suggests will offers something new and fresh in the compact SUV segment.

Kia claims that the Stonic will be the most customisable Kia ever – inside and out. The new car has unique tail lamp graphics to amplify Stonic’s young and futuristic appearance. It combines compact dimensions with a low centre of gravity.

The European-designed cabin echoes the appearance of the exterior, with straight lines, smooth surfaces and geometric design forms. The Stonic’s comes with claims of smart packaging to maximise space for all occupants.

GAZETTE

MOTORING

New Irish national sales manager for Citroen & DS IM European Motors Ltd, importers of the Citroen and DS brands in Ireland, has appointed Kevin Hilliard as national sales manager. With over 30 years’ experience in the motor industry in the UK and Ireland, Kevin has worked with several leading marques, including Ford, Honda, BMW and Mazda.

Kevin’s most recent role was national sales and after sales manager for Mazda Ireland. Previous to this, Kevin was director of operations for a large privately-owned group in the UK with 40 dealerships, responsible for Honda and BMW dealerships.

Kevin was also dealer principal for Inchcape BMW, running the flagship dealership of the division, in Kent.

On his relocation to Ireland in 2009, Kevin held the roles of BMW dealer principal and head of group and after sales with the Keary Motor Group, Cork. Kevin is married with three children.

In his spare time, he enjoys football Kevin Hilliard and Formula One.

GAZETTE

24 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 15 June 2017

DUBLINLIFE

CINEMA

WONDER WOMAN: IT’S FLAWED AND TOO LONG – BUT A GOOD INTRODUCTION FILM

ReelReviews

It’s almost a wonder that it’s a fun DC film

FINALLY, at long last, the DC “Expanded Universe” gives us a superhero worth rooting for – a worthy response to the boys club dominating top billing in Marvel’s pen, and a breath of fresh air after all the other brooding, dreary offerings in DC’s canon.

Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman (Cert 12A, 141 mins) is a hero we’re happy to follow into battle: powerful without inhabiting Superman’s tiresome god-mode; deep enough to provoke genuine empathy without all the sulkiness of Ben Affleck’s Batman.

Wonder Woman is a wonderfully well-rounded character, kicking ass while maintaining an optimism that always has us cheering from her corner, eager for the next battle.

Unfortunately, Wonder Woman, realised by filmmaker Patty Jenkins (director of 2003’s award-winning Monster), isn’t quite a strong enough vehicle to carry its titular heroine, suffer-

 MARTIN MACNAMARA

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

‘We’re very fortunate that ... Wonder Woman is as good as it is’

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

ing from a bloated running time and some poor supporting characterisation.

There’s a huge amount of promise here, but despite its stellar central turn, Wonder Woman fails to bring the fight on all fronts.

T h e f i l m ’s l a b o r i ous first act takes place entirely on the island paradise of Themiskira, where the Amazons – a race of warrior women created by the Gods of Olympus – live in peace.

Diana, princess of the Amazons, learns the way

of the warrior from her aunt, General Antiope (Robin Wright) , ever ready for the return of Ares, God of War. When American spy Steve Trevor ’s plane crash lands off the island’s coast, he is saved from drowning

by Diana, setting off a chain of events that will find her leaving home to fight alongside a rag-tag group of mercenaries in the First World War. It’s here that Wonder Woman really finds its feet. The second act plays out much like Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger, with its alternative history narrative of superheroes vs war-mongering Germans (the WWI setting is a nice change, leaving plenty of room of dynamic alternate history-building).

Wonder Women really evokes a space somewhere between the fishout-of-water fantasy of Thor and the man-outof-time adventure of Captain America.

The resultant humour in Wonder Woman is

THE MUMMY

So pharaoh, so bad FOR those of you looking to see what’s already being widely described as Tom Cruise’s worst film, here’s The Mummy (Cert 15A, 110 mins). The harshly received creature reboot hasn’t done Tom any favours, with its tired plot, unlikely setpieces and Russell Crowe’s scenerychewing hamminess about as welcome as sand in your sandwich. Mummy, let’s hope Universal finds a better franchise to reboot.

GUARDIANS 2

A colourful sequel indeed YES, Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2 (Cert 12A, 136 mins) is still playing at the cinema, bringing some technicolour cheer to the masses. Sure, it’s a bit of a derivative sequel, but it’s presented with such fan-pleasing confidence – and has Kurt Russell’s cheerfully hammy turn providing some fun laughs – that it’s hard not to like the Guardian’s latest adventure, with a small dash of soul searching too.

Israeli actress Gal Gadot brings the requisite beauty to the role of a princess, Diana (AKA Wonder Woman), as well as fleshing out Diana’s intelligence and humanity

arguably better than both, and the star gets to deliver all the film’s best lines.

Chris Pine does a great job as the film’s love interest, again turning things on their head as the dude in distress, rather than the damsel.

In fact, it’s Pine that shows the most skin in Wonder Woman – which leads us to another of the film’s finer points.

The camera never sexually aestheticises Diana; it never ogles her or lingers in the places a jaded,

more cynical moviegoer would expect it to.

This is a movie that needed to be made and we’re very fortunate that, given the state of DC’s cinematic output thus far, Wonder Woman is as good as it is.

However, following that wonderful middle act, Wonder Woman just isn’t good enough.

It drags on way too long, introduces characters that do little to further the plot or provide dramatic depth, and gets bogged down with an

over-abundance of slowmotion – without which Wonder Woman’s run time would have been a lot more bearable (Zach Snyder’s stylistic legacy is very much felt here).

Regardless, Wonder Woman inspires hope for future DC instalments – for an inevitable sequel, in particular.

DC may be beginning to hit its stride and it’s Wonder Woman leading the pack, rather than the Man of Steel ... an exciting prospect indeed!

Verdict: 6/10

BAYWATCH

Gives a sinking feeling NOW dropping out of cinemas quicker than an anchor chucked overboard, Baywatch (Cert 15A, 116 mins) looks set to hold onto its early title as one of the worst films of the year.

The foul-mouthed remake of the fondly-remembered (by some) silly old TV show hasn’t gone down well at all, with The Rock and Zac Efron pretty mismatched as a pair of would-be crimefighting lifeguards.

15 June 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 25

Feeling un’appy after IOS change I HOPE all you Apple fans out there have enjoyed all the IOSdriven apps you’ve been using over the past few years – because several of them are probably about to stop working, if they haven’t already.

A major coding shift behind the scenes to take advantage of current processing power means lots of older apps are now incompatible with IOS 11.

Your apps are probably fine if they come from a large company with a dedicated support team to upgrade their app – but if it or they were created by a smaller team (or by that rare beast, a lone programmer), well, they may not have had the time or resources to update their app.

Many older app developers have also long since quit, gone bust or been assimilated into bigger companies.

While most people will just upgrade and roll the dice on whether all tehir apps will still work, others may be hesitant about the upgrade, afraid to ‘kill’ some apps.

(And that’s not to mention that older tech, such as the iPhone 5 or

5C, and iPad 4, will also be cold-shouldered for any new features and security updates from now on.)

No matter what, you’ll probably still have to upgrade in the end anyway – but for now, you can easily check on your IOS phone or tablet which apps are probably on ‘the Dodo list’. Just navigate to:

GAZETTE

TECH

Scorpio is dead – but long live the XBox One X?

Settings > General > About > Applications > App Compatibility and, if your app is listed there, there’s a good chance that it either no longer works, still works (but not very well any more), or will soon stop working. Either way, they’re in trouble.

It’s the nature of tech that once in a while it gives its master an unexpected bite, but on the whole these occasionally painful upgrades create a better-behaved beast that can do more tricks and perform better.

Good luck with the new lease of life your apps may be about to get – and my commiserations for those you could be about to lose ...

TCD talk on how tech affects us

THERE’S an interesting public lecture coming up at TCD next Monday, June 19, on tech and its increasing impact on our day-to-day lives.

Professor Shannon Vallor – a well-known awardwinning Silicon Valley figure with particular expertise in philosophy and ethics with a robotics and technology bent – is jetting over to Trinity for a lecture on Technomoral Virtues and the Future of Human Flourishing.

The fancy title is an overall way to describe her talk, which will discuss new technologies from digital media and surveillance to robotics and artificial intelligence, and how they are reshaping human institutions, providing lots of food for thought.

It’s on at the Trinity Long Room Hub in TCD, from 12.30pm to 2pm.

PROVING that Sony don’t have the monopoly of unimaginative platform names, Microsoft have followed its rival’s PlayStation 4 Pro by just announcing the sequel to its XBox One console: the XBox One X. Previously widely known as the coolersounding Scorpio, a souped-up sequel to the XBO has been in the works for some time, with arch nemesis Sony stealing a march with its PS4 Pro – itself a more powerful (but not otherwise terribly different) version of its hugely successful PS4 console.

However, the XBOX – ah, now I see what they did there – that Microsoft announced just before E3 (see panel below)

 SHANE DILLON sdillon@dublingazette.com

hopes to build on several advances that have begun making inroads into consumer tech in recent years and, one hopes, will have learned some big lessons from where the XBO went wrong.

For starters, the XBOX will ship on November 7 with an slightly steep initial price – $499/£449, which one can only imagine will have a striking euro price.

I n

Gathered in LA for the planet’s top games expo

development for quite a while, the new XBOX is smaller than the previous Xbox One models, with its refined build packing in much greater power, while (in a big win for Microsoft) being compatible with all current games – something which even Sony can’t boast.

Your eyes would glaze over as much as mine if I started blathering about its teraflop processing power and CPU speeds, so let’s just say that it’s significantly more powerful than the XBO or even the impressive PS4 Pro, packing in a lot of extra power under the hood.

Interestingly, it also features a UHD BluRay player, and will play games in native 4K resolution alongside HDR lighting effects,

THE greatest gaming show on Earth – E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) – is taking place right now in downtown Los Angeles, putting the likes of other events to shame.

At the time of writing, many of the world’s top games devel-

and beefy Dolby Atmos surround sound.

With 4K TVs and channels slowly but surely beginning to make some inroads into consumer territory, this puts it on a great footing to help futureproof its growth.

While the vast majority of us still don’t have 4K-anything, those without such high-end screens and TVs will still see some smoke and mirrors processing give their graphics a noticeable boost.

There’s much more that can be said about the XBOX, and no doubt I’ll be returning to it in coming months.

For now, the initial reactions h ave been

opers, companies and businesspeople are gathered in LA for the biggest annual international games and tech expo on the planet.

Every year, E3 sees all the next top titles, new tech, trends and deals unveiled to the indus-

warm, with its impressive specs garnering plenty of interest. However, the new console’s name has already been criticised, prompting fears of consumer confusion, as the almost identical name doesn’t quite move the brand along enough.

More than that, given Microsoft’s blunders when launching the XBO – spooking gamers by plugging it as an all-round entertainment hub rather than an impressive games console (which it is) – many are hoping the new console will be marketed and promoted with a purer, games-driven focus this time round.

Ultimately, it’s a welcome move by MIcrosoft that could be gamechanging for the sector – pun intended ...

try, gamers and media alike, along with plenty of surprises and all the usual shenanigans, fights, feuds and fun that the huge expo always brings.

Look out for my E3 special and analysis of its biggest stories in my next issue ...

26 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 15 June 2017

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SPORT

FastSport IRISH DUO SIGN TERMS WITH BELGIAN CLUBS: JEREMY Duncan and Lee Cole will both play their hockey in Belgium next season, switching to Herakles and Royal Oree, respectively, for the 2017/18 season.

Duncan moves from UCD following four seasons at Belfield having previously played with Railway Union.

He has linked up with the Lier-based club from the outskirts of Antwerp, signing terms with a club on the rise following their second place finish in the Audi Hockey League.

Cole, meanwhile, switches to Brusselsbased Oree from Monkstown where he has played his entire career to date.

Both players have been major parts of the Irish team since the turn of the year, lining out in the gold medal run at Hockey World League Round 2 in Stormont and in the series victory over Pakistan last week in Lisnagarvey. Next on the agenda is the Hamburg Masters in a fortnight’s time.

PENTATHLON: DUNDRUM STAR ADDING TO IRISH GROWTH IN FIVE-PRONG SPORT

Coleman Lenehan gunning for Dublin Laser-Run battle

 sport@dublingazette.com

DUNDRUM’s Kate Coleman Lenehan is hoping to raise her profile as one of Ireland’s rising pentathlon stars when Dublin hosts a major international event – the Laser-Run World Championships – in the unique city-centre location of Smithfield next year.

Laser-Run, a combination of running 800m loops and target-shooting with laser pistols, is usually the fifth element of modern pentathlon but is also a standalone sport.

The championships will take place in September 2018 and will attract 450 athletes from over 20 countries to Dublin and will also include a new competition for Irish schools.

And Coleman Lenehan was on hand to launch the event, saying: “I’m delighted to see this event come to Ireland.

We never had the opportunity to try out a dynamic sport like the laser-run when I was in school so I think it’s fantastic that children across Ireland can now have a go and even compete in a nationwide competition. The track will be

Kate Coleman Lenehan at the Laser-Run world championship announcement. Picture: Morgan Treacy./Inpho

open to the public on the eve of the 2018 World Championships so it’s an ideal opportunity for anyone to try it out!”

She recently qualified for the World Cup finals, joining the likes of Donnybrookbased Arthur LaniganO’Keeffe and former King’s

Hospital student Natalya Coyle in the upper realms of the sport.

Coyle hailed her protege, Coleman Lenehan, for her efforts: “It’s her first time to qualify for that and it’s really great to see that there’s more people coming through. She’ll

be competing in the individual event and is part of our high-performance squad who all train together.”

Coyle and LaniganO’Keeffe recently won gold on the World Cup mixed doubles circuit but their hopes of this variation of the sport

were dashed last week with news that the International Olympic Committee would not be adding it to the schedule of events for Tokyo 2020.

Individually, Coyle – who also swims with the NAC club – was ninth on her Olympic debut in London 2012 and has just been upgraded to sixth in Rio 2016 after the fourth-placed Chinese finisher was disqualified for doping.

Lanigan-O’Keeffe won the European title in 2015 and finished eighth in Rio yet they are even better as a pair.

The won relay gold at pentathlon’s World Cup Finals in America last year and travel to Lithuania on June 22-25 to defend that title after topping the relay podium again at the latest World Cup, in Poland.

“We are really well suited to relay because it is half the distance that we usually do individually and we’re both naturally ‘power athletes’ who are best suited to shorter, sprint distances,” Coyle explained.

Pentathlon Ireland is offering free training programmes for Irish schools. For more details see: www.pentathlon. ie.

Leinster Lightning blitz Knights with batting display  BERNARD DUFF sport@dublingazette.com

Leinster Lightning captain John Anderson saw his side home against the Northern Knights.

FOR Leinster Lighting, it was back to T20 cricket action on Friday evening in Merrion Cricket Club with the second round of games in the Hanley Interpro T20 Trophy.

Leinster had completed out a drawn first class fixture just 48 hours earlier in Belfast against the Northern Knights and it was the same opposition who did battle on Friday.

The Knights chose to bat and were given a head start by Leinster opening bowler Eddie Richardson

who gifted five separate wides in the first over leaving Knights, 13/0. The rest of the powerplay was a struggle as the Lightning claimed a wicket in each of the next three overs.

The Knights reached 48/3 at the end of the powerplay but next ball Shane Getkate (on four) drove the ball high into the hands of fellow Malahide product Peter Chase at mid-off off Bobby Gamble’s pace bowling. Gamble ended with figures of 3 for 25.

The Knights fought back through a hard hitting 40-run partnership by Knights’ cap-

tain James Shannon and Greg Thompson before recent Ireland debutant Simi Singh spun out Shannon on 51.

With four sixes in his 51, the Knights skipper had done his work. At 88/5 Nik Smith came to bat. A partnership was 57 runs resulted before Singh claimed his second wicket.

The tail didn’t wag for the Knights though and through unhittable spin from Singh, the Knights scored just 16 runs off their last three overs. Singh finished with match best figures of 3 for 19.

The Leinster reply, chasing 158 was swift and at times brutal.

Andrew Balbirnie opened the innings and powered to 71 not out off just 44 deliveries. Short cameos by Railway Union’s Kevin O’Brien and all-rounder Simi Singh kept Leinster ticking along.

Balbirnie was joined by Leinster captain John Anderson in the 10th over. Anderson, with a more crafty style of batting than Balbirnie, placed the ball impeccably.

He finished on 41 not out as Leinster reached 158 with a massive six at the start of the 18th over with seven wickets to spare.

15 June 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 29

GAZETTE

FASTSport

McIlroy offers unique Irish Open experience THE Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation is teaming up with VOX Golf and Rory McIlroy to offer golfers a unique experience ahead of the prestigious Rolex Series event, which takes place from July 6-9.

Golf Sixes with Rory is a six-hole competition throughout the island of Ireland, with the qualifying events running until Wednesday, June 28.

The lucky winners of a six-hole competition will walk six holes inside the ropes with Rory McIlroy during this year’s tournament.

To compete, golfers need to download the VoxGolf app, select their course and enter the “Golf Sixes with Rory” competition by playing any run of six holes – it must be the first six, middle six or final six holes of any course of your choice.

After you have played your six holes, simply submit your score and view a live leaderboard.

The best six scores from each course will qualify into a draw to win a special six-hole walk inside the ropes with Rory during the opening two rounds of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.

Entry is completely free and golfers can enter as many times as they wish, with their best score counting. Entry is open to all GUI registered club members and MyGolf Group society players.

All golfers who enter the six-hole competition will receive the opportunity to purchase a discounted Dubai Duty Free Irish Open ticket and, in addition to that, will have the chance to win Nike apparel, Taylor Made equipment and tickets to the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.

The Dubai Duty Free Irish Open this year forms part of the Rolex Series events, a premium category of eight European Tour events, with a record prize fund of $7 million.

As well as McIlroy, numerous golfing superstars have been already announced for the historic championship, including World Number Nine Jon Rahm and World Number 11 Justin Rose, with more to be announced in the coming weeks.

More details can be found at http://www. dubaidutyfreeirishopen.com/competition.

Joeys and Bray plot new pathway to elite football |Nestled in the foothills of the Dublin mountains, the SJB academy is looking to streamline the development of top young players at their new, high quality Carrickmines home  STEPHEN FINDLATER sport@dublingazette.com

BLINK and you will miss it. Tucked away on the Glenamuck Road, St Joseph’s Boys and Bray Wanderers’ ambitious incubator for youth talent got the grand opening last week with John Delaney and FAI high performance director Ruud Dokter negotiating the narrow, tree-lined country lane midway up the Dublin mountains.

It opens out to reveal the new training base, the SJB academy. For Joeys Director of Club Operations Will Clarke, the reclusive nature of the venue is a key benefit that lends itself to high performance.

Previously a training ground for Bective Rangers rugby club, the venue now comprises a fully floodlit grass pitch, a goalkeeper training area, two

fully floodlit small sided training pitches, dressing rooms, a medical room, a gym area, a performance analysis suite and meeting rooms.

It has been designed with an express purpose to streamline the pathway from schoolboy football at St Joseph’s Boys through to senior, professional football with Bray, working in line with the recently introduced League of Ireland Under-17 and 19 divisions with Under-15 and 13 leagues in the pipeline.

“It’s the nearest thing he has come to an English training ground in Ireland,” Clarke told GazetteSport. “It’s so isolated and you can do everything you want here. You have your goalkeeper’s areas, your striker’s areas, strength and conditioning, gym and video analysis all in one place.”

Speaking at the launch, St Joseph’s Niall O’Driscoll added: “We’d like to think this is the first dedicated academy for elite football in Ireland.

“We have a facility and an academy with the exclusive purpose of developing youth players in line with UEFA and the FAI directives.

“It is about the best of the best and developing kids into adults. If football is that medium through which they contribute to society, then so be it. If they want to be footballers, fantastic. Developing them as people is core to it.”

The facility will be used by the SJB Academy teams who will take part in the new League of Ireland underage divisions while Bray’s senior teams have been in situ since early 2017.

“The relationship with

Dennis O’Callaghan, Niall O’Driscoll, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, John Delaney, Ruud Dokter and Paul Osam at the SJB Academy launch. Picture: Karen Morgan

Bray and Joes is one which goes back a long way,” Clarke said of the link-up.

“We’ve had upwards of 70 players who have come through Joes and played professionally for Bray.

There’s a natural fit for the two clubs.

“Elite football in the country has undergone fundamental change and that effects the mindset in the club. We still have our schoolboy side of the club but there is now an elite pathway all the way through to Bray. For those who maybe aren’t yet on the elite pathway, they can continue with the grassroots of the club and enjoy the game. We’d like to think we will cater for all kids.

“It’s great that the academy guys are at the same venue as the senior side and, over a period of time, there will be a full integration of the four teams in the structure.

“We’d like to think the programme is of a standard that will allow us to achieve our objectives and be the number one academy in the country.”

It is part of a push in Irish football to raise the standard of facilities in Ireland, promoting the idea that players can reach the elite level without necessarily having to move to England in their midteens.

Shamrock Rovers have recently developed the Roadstone grounds while other schoolboy clubs are linking up with League of Ireland outfits to get their

ducks in a row for the increased League of Ireland campaigns.

“That’s what competition does,” Clarke adds. “I am sure Rovers will want to have the best academy.

We certainly want that too.

“We feel the facilities here are second to none.

Roadstone is a fantastic facility and it’s great to see clubs taking development so seriously. To be fair to the FAI, that’s what these new structures have done.”

St Kevin’s boys, meanwhile, have found their bid to link up with a League of Ireland club stymied to date which has left them worried that they will not be able to compete in the new structures.

It is a problem Clarke is thankful he does not have to deal with.

“We are lucky to have that ongoing link with Bray. It’s more of a natural hinterland; we’ve always had players from Bray and north Wicklow and vice versa. It’s just a good fit. We’re delighted to be involved with one of the best senior clubs in the country and they are delighted to be in with one of the best schoolboy clubs.

“You want everything to be as seamless as possible and that the guys don’t just play for a team but for a club.

“There will be movement between age groups, especially if we see moving someone up to aid their development. That really is the benefit of being here.”

GAZETTE

30 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 15 June 2017

SPORT

FASTSport

SOCCER: NEWLY FORMED CLUB BRINGS PRIDE TO MALIGNED COMMUNITY

Shels host Dublin Devils for Pride Week 2017 SHELBOURNE will face the Dublin Devils in a friendly match for Pride Week 2017 at Tolka Park, with the match scheduled for June 17.

Dublin Devils, formed in 2005, are a Dublin club with an ethos aimed at being inclusive for the LGBT community, welcoming anyone to play with them in in small-sided tournaments and leagues both in Ireland and abroad.

Shels will be bringing out some of their big guns for the contest with club legends including Stuart Byrne, Tony Sheridan, Mark Rutherford and Kevin Doherty expected to turn out.

The club will also be flying the rainbow flag over their stadium throughout Pride week.

John McAree, chairperson of the Dublin Devils, said of the match-up: “We’re delighted to visit one of Ireland’s most famous and successful football clubs. As Ireland’s first gay football team, we’re proud and excited to play against this Shelbourne.

“It’s a great start to our celebration of Dublin Pride 2017 and a brilliant step for both teams as we strive to stamp out homophobia in football.”

Homophobia is seen as one of the key outstanding issue in soccer, highlighted in particular by the rarity of players coming out whilst still playing the game.

A number have after retiring, recently including former German international Thomas Hitzlsperger and LA Galaxy’s Robbie Rogers, who unusually then returned to the game. Justin Fashanu, one of the first openly gay professional footballers, committed suicide late in his career amid allegations of sexual assault, charges he denied and linked to discrimination and his sexuality.

Many players have since commented that there are a large number of gay professional football players in their ranks, but that fear of recriminations from crowds in particular has prevented them from being open about their sexuality.

Of the Dubin match up, Shelbourne added: “The Shels in the Community initiative embraces the wonderful diversity that exists within our local community.

“Dublin Devils have made tremendous strides in combating homophobia in football, a cause that is fully supported by all connected with Shelbourne.”

Pride Week runs from June 16 to June 24.

Oliver Bond Celtic celebrate their Frank Roe Cup final success

Celtic’s unbreakable Bond FRANK ROE CUP FINAL Oliver Bond Celtic Woodlawn Sportslink  KARL GRAHAM

2 0

sport@dublingazette.com

OLIVER Bond Celtic manager Eddie Keogh says their Frank Roe Cup victory last weekend has given their while community a huge boost in just their first year since formation.

Their 2-0 win over Woodlawn Sportslink at the AUL Complex, coupled with finishing second in the AUL Division 3 Saturday to gain promotion, has given the area something positive to shout about.

Oliver Bond started

the final strongly and went ahead after just 10 minutes when top scorer Martin Luby headed home.

They were looking good but Woodlaw n responded well to going behind and started to get a foothold in the game.

They created numerous chances but found Robbie McGee in excellent form in the Oliver Bond goal.

It was a tight game but the score remained 1-0 going into the break.

Woodlawn came out determined in the second half and threw everything at their opponents in a desperate bid to draw level. However,

SOCCER SISTERS Baldoyle enjoy special day out at Aviva Stadium BALDOYLE United were among eight clubs who got to experience the magic of the Aviva Stadium this week as they took part in the Aviva Soccer Sisters Festival of Football.

The clubs got the chance to take part in the festival after they hosted Aviva Soccer Sisters camps at Easter this year and were rewarded with the chance to take part in the Festival and walk out on the hallowed turf of the Aviva Stadium. They were joined by Republic of Ireland internationals Rianna Jarrett and Aine O’Gorman. Picture: Cody Glenn/Sportsfile

their efforts left space at the back for ‘The Bond’ to counter attack into.

This threat eventually paid dividends as substitute James Smith popped up at the back post with five minutes remaining and headed the ball past the keeper.

The goal completed a remarkable season for the team who are made up entirely of players from the local flats.

“We didn’t even get a pre-season in,” Keogh told GazetteSport. “There was a talk between me and my friends and there is a local team in the area already but they have no local players playing.

“There had been a few

bad things happening around the area over the last couple of years such as the deaths of young people. So it was just an idea to get everyone out and to the matches. It blew up from there.

“At the start, everyone doubted us because they were all young fellas from the flats and it wouldn’t last but the season started and they saw us winning.

We got a private pitch, sponsors and tracksuits – everybody wanted to be part of it. I think [personal trainer] Keith Coleman made a big difference for us, he was the glue that kept us all together.”

Despite this, Keogh knows it could a few years

to build themselves a positive reputation amongst the football community.

“A couple of refs said to me they were sent out to watch how we were playing. On a positive note, it has probably been the best year of my life – apart from having my kids! The boys are all friends so it has done great things for them as well.”

As for next season, the team were offered first division football but Keogh declined the invitation as he wants to build the team gradually, and announced they would be playing with two teams next season – such is the demand from players to get involved.

15 June 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 31

GAZETTE

SKILLS STAR

CAMOGIEVictory

Na Fianna’s Breen goes West in Feile challenge BREEN De Rosfort, from Na Fianna, is pictured with Dublin’s Liam Rushe and Carlow’s Kate Nolan after participating in the boys hurling competition at the John West Skills Day in the National Sports Campus last Saturday.

The Skills Day is an opportunity for Ireland’s rising GAA stars to show their skills ahead of the John West Feile na nÓg and na nGael competitions. Picture: Cody Glenn/Sportsfile

HURLING: BODEN WIN DERBY WITH SECOND HALF SURGE

Herity’s Dubs end long wait for opening day win

The Ballyboden St Enda’s senior hurling side

Jude’s AHL1 lead cut with Cuala closing in AHL DIVISION 1  sport@dublingazette.com

ST JUDE’S fell to their first loss of the AHL Division 1 campaign as they succumbed to a second half Ballyboden St Enda’s scoring spree at Tymon Park.

Jude’s, cour tesy of John Ryan’s best efforts, were very much in the game until the 13th minute of the second half before Paul Ryan found the target with three quick points.

They were quickly followed by Aiden Mellett creating a goal opportunity, only to be upended

in the square with an illegal challenge. Ryan stepped up with a sweet strike which flashed into the net.

The opening half was fiercely competitive, and defences were very much to the fore. It was the middle third of the park that provided the best hurling skills but there was a feeling that Jude’s did not make best use of the wind and they trailed 0-6 to 0-4.

It gave Boden the major impetus with a strong win aiding them as Gary Maguire’s long puck-outs piled on the pressure and plenty of

chances came to fruition with several good points before Ryan’s efforts took the game away from Jude’s; 2-15 to 0-12 was the final scoreline.

Emphatic Elsewhere, O’Toole’s scored a big win over Crumlin on a 3-23 to 2-18 final tally to land their second win of the season at Pearse Park.

The visitors were in superb form in the first half, scoring a massive 3-14 to 2-7 with Cathal Kenny, Niall Arthur and Conor Carton putting them into a commanding position.

Five more points from Kenny and four from Peadar Carton meant they were always out of range in the second half.

Cuala’s empathic 3-23 to 1-6 win over Naomh Fionnbarra at Shankill keeps them in touching distance at the top. It leaves them one point behind Jude’s but with two games in hand.

Na Fianna are in the same position with three wins from three to date.

They were due to play Craobh Chiarain at Clonshaugh last Thursday, but due to heavy rain, the match was abandoned.

DUBLIN’S camogie side produced the perfect start to their 2017 Liberty Assurance All-Ireland Championship, capturing a victory on opening day for the first time in some years with a 3-11 to 1-14 win over Clare.

Despite heavy overnight rain at Parnell’s, the tie was given the go-ahead and Clare landed an early blow with the breeze, Niamh O’Dea scoring a fine point just 14 seconds in. But it proved not portent of doom as the hosts hit back, reaping 1-2 via Emma Flanagan and Ali Twomey’s points were augmented by Siobhan Keogh’s goal, picking up the pieces after Hannah Hegarty’s shot was partially blocked.

Chloe Morey replied with a goal in the 10th minute while two more points from the ever-threatening O’Dea put Clare back in front. Indeed, she could have made it an even stronger lead but for a super flick by Eve O’Brien to save the day.

Nonetheless, with the wind in their favour in the second half, David Herity’s side were well in the mix at the break, trailing 1-7 to 1-3.

Morey did extend that lead with her sixth point from six frees to put five points in the difference; she ended with 1-7 to her name.

But Dublin set about fighting back, spurred on by Miriam Twomey’s postsplitter. Aisling Maher’s free built momentum though they did have six points to make up with 20 minutes to go.

Crucial to the revival was the superb long range free-taking of goalkeeper Faye McCarthy with her puckouts giving Dublin field position. She also landed three frees from 50 metres or further out. Another free from 90 metres out dropped in shot but Maher got on the end of it for a key goal.

Then, Alison Maguire produced a fine catch – despite sustaining what appeared to be a dislocated elbow – and moved the sliotar on. There, Claire Donnelly laid off the ball to Zoe O’Donoghue who hand-passed to the net.

Dublin were back in front for the first time since the eighth minute. Morey and McCarthy exchanged frees, bringing the score to 3-9 to 1-13. Morey narrowed it to one point but Dublin saved some late magic with Ali Twomey scoring a great point to seal the victory.

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BOND BROTHERS: Inner-city community club enjoy perfect end to superb debut season in the AUL P30

JUNE 15 - 21, 2017

SJB ACADEMY’S BIG LAUNCH: Joeys and Bray come together with superb new facility P29

Liam Rushe at Aer Lingus’s launch of their Autumn transatlantic offers . Picture: Brendan Moran

Rushe’s Dublin defence St Pat’s man says public only seeing one side of the story currently as the senior hurlers turn their attentions to the qualifier route in July

 DARRAGH MCKIERNAN

sport@dublingazette.com

ST PAT’S Palmerstown’s Liam Rushe has come out in defence of his side amid growing concern surrounding the future of Dublin hurling.

Rumours of discontent in the camp along with criticism of the management team have plagued the side in recent weeks. A heavy 14-point defeat to Galway in the Leinster SHC at the end of last month has only made matters worse.

Speaking in Parnell Park as Aer Lingus launched their Dublin GAA Autumn Transatlantic Offers, Rushe was quick to defend the defeat against Galway: “At half-time, I thought it was going well and

then came a sending off with 40 minutes gone.”

“Galway were just too good to play against for a whole half a man down.”

Dublin displayed some encouraging patches throughout the game, but ultimately lacked experience.

Younger panel members such as Eoghan O’Donnell and Donal Burke, who is just fresh out of the minor ranks, found themselves out of their depth at times.

Many high-profile players have opted out Ger Cunningham’s panel recently, with names such as Danny Sutcliffe and Mark and Paul Schutte leaving a considerable hole in the strength of the Dublin squad.

Last year, defender Michael Carton was

extremely vocal about life under Ger Cunnigham, telling Newstalk’s Off The Ball that “it was a toxic environment”.

“It just wasn’t a nice atmosphere. You could see tension within the management team and that’s going to filter down the ranks” he said in the interview.

However, Rushe jumped to defend the management team, playing down the recent rumours of trouble in the camp: “That was the first championship game for a really new panel. We had a couple of debutants and it was the first time this year we’ve been able to put that team out” Rushe said.

“Selection decisions are obviously the management’s and they live and die by those. Different

players left for different reasons, they fell out over different things.

“You’re only ever getting one side of the story.

That’s just the nature of it.”

Former Dublin manager Anthony Daly believes that Dublin have to continue with youth, but that they have a tough few months ahead: “You’re looking at the likes of Donal Burke inside on Daithi Burke, just out of minor probably facing the best full-back in the game at the moment.

That’s hard going” he said after the Galway defeat.

“It will take time with Dublin now. You have to stick with these younger lads now. Some of the lads who may have still been around would be nearly gone off the scene now anyway.”