Clondalkin

Clondalkin GAZET TE FREE

RECYCLE THIS COPY. KEEP DUBLIN TIDY.

YOUR COMMUNITY • YOUR PAPER

INSIDE: IT Tallaght students create a Wonderland P3

March 15, 2012

EDUCATION: Discussing recent decisions on DEIS Schools Page 6

Across borders: Local students reaching out Samildanach: New club set to be established for local area Page 32

STUDENTS from St Kevin’s Community College Marcus Rochford and Cleopatra Agbidi, along with their religion teacher, Emer Gardner, recently took the opportunity to travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the School Across Borders programme.

Schools Across Borders works with schools in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Israel and Palestine to educate students.

Full Story on Page 10

Football: Round Towers rally to claim Kilmacud draw Page 31

ALSOINSIDE: BEAUTY .........................16 BUSINESS .....................19 MOTORS ....................... 20 TRAVEL......................... 22 GOING OUT ................... 24 CLASSIFIEDS ............... 26

House tax to ‘drive many into despair’ I won’t be paying it, says local Sinn Fein Councillor

I PAUL HOSFORD

AS the deadline for the controversial new household charge looms, a local councillor has said that he will refuse to pay the tax.

Sinn Fein councillor for Clondalkin, Matthew McDonagh, says that, after consulta-

tion with his family, he would refuse to pay the €100 tax.

“After consultation with my family, I have decided not to pay this charge. I, and my colleagues in Sinn Fein, will stand by all those who do not, or can not, pay this unjust family tax.

We will continue in our campaign to have this tax scrapped

and replaced with a fair system of taxation.”

Cllr McDonagh said that the charge would put a burden on those affected.

“This charge will further drive many into despair,” he said.

Full Story on Page 8

2 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 15 March 2012

EDUCATION Building projects are welcomed

New schools are on the way THERE was good news for Clondalkin schools this week, with the announcement that there would be a number of school building projects undertaken as part of the Government’s new school building programme.

Under the plan, there will be eight brand new schools and four school extensions built in Dublin Mid West by 2016 as part of the Government’s massive €1.5 billion school-building programme.

Labour TD Robert Dowds has warmly welcomed the announcement by Minister Ruairí Quinn.

“I am absolutely delighted that Minister Quinn has announced eight brand new schools for our area, to be built over the lifetime of this Government.

“The new schools and extensions will provide the modern infrastructure which the children and young people of our community deserve for their education. These schools will be of the highest standard and will be key ingredients in helping our children reach their potential,” said Deputy Dowds.

Scoil Bhride in Palmerstown is currently under construction and

due to be finished in 2012, while a new school will be constructed in Clonburris, with an expected completion date of 2013.

Deputy Dowds, who spent many years as a school principal, said that the scheme gave him particular joy.

“As a former principal, I am particularly happy that the Government has managed to find this funding and invest in education in the face of financial constraints. This shows that Labour in Government is making sure that we have our priorities right and that investment in education is a top priority.”

CLEANUP: MEETINGS

Tidy Towns formation is hailed LOCAL politicians have welcomed the formation of the new Clondalkin Tidy Towns committee, encouraging all residents of Clondalkin to get involved in the community effort to make

LOCALMATTERS SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS

A DV E R T I S E W I T H T H E G A Z E T T E C A L L 6 0 1 0 24 0

Clondalkin more beautiful.

The formation of the committee comes following a very well attended meeting in the civic offices in Clondalkin on Tuesday, March 7, with resi-

Labour councillor Breeda Bonner

dents from areas incluiding Monastery, Floraville, St Brigid’s, John’s Park, Patrick’s Park and John’s Wood / Convent Road all well represented.

Labour councillor Breeda Bonner said that the establishment of the committee was good news.

“I am delighted that the new Clondalkin Tidy Towns committee is getting up and running, and that our community is getting organised to help make Clondalkin a more beautiful place in which to live.

“It was great to see such interest and enthusiasm at the meeting on Tuesday night and it is hoped that the new committee will begin work towards putting in an entry to the Tidy Towns’ competition before the closing date in May. “Entry to the competition will give the community a great focus to its work, but, in the meantime, it has been decided that work will kick-off with a number of cleanups in the village area, starting this week, with provisional dates set for Tuesday, March 20 and

then Saturday morning, March 24. Everyone interested is more than welcome to come along.

The group will be meeting in Tuthills’ car park and people should wear suitable clothes for a busy cleanup session.”

Cllr Bonner said that the excitement about the competition could already be felt in the area. “There is already a very good feel-good factor about the community getting together to improve the place we call home, and I am certain that more people will get involved when word of the new committee spreads.”

“I am delighted that the local business community is happy to support the movement, as the Clondalkin Chamber of Commerce has organised clean ups in the past and are very proud of the place in which they do business.”

“It is very important that everyone knows that this is a cross-community effort and that it will not be politicised by anybody. This body will be above politics,” said Cllr Bonner.

15 March 2012 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 3

EVENT

Tea-ing off for charity in IT Tallaght

A Wonderland of an event for Alzheimers THE Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland will this year again host their annual Tea Day, which is taking place in early May. Members of the public are being encouraged to register to take part in the day, just like a group of ITT students have done.

They have organised an event to take place on Wednesday, March 28, between 11am and 2pm on the ITT Dublin campus.

The group of third year students, Rachel McCloskey, Des Dowling, Ian Hollinshead, Katie Jones, Sinead Keenan. Michaela Grabovski, Jonathan Beatty, Sinead Carroll and Aoife McCrum, are

doing the event as part of an Event Management module, in their Advertising and Marketing Communications course.

They will host an Alice in Wonderland-themed tea party on the college campus, where they’ll be selling tea, coffee, cakes etc to raise funds.

They also plan to create an outside picnic area and a long table inside a gazebo to mimic the film so people can sit and chat during their lunch break.

There will be live graffiti spraying taking place on campus too to create a 16ft long four-foot high fake wall themed to the film.

Two local males will

be spraying and donating some of their own work to be auctioned off on the day.

The college’s dance and DJ society will also be performing on the day.

Peter Mark, The Square, Penny’s, Dundrum, Milano Restaurant, Dundrum, The Bad Ass Restaurant, Temple Bar, Urban Outfitters, Temple Bar, and The O u t d o o r A d ve n t u r e Store in Bray have all donated vouchers and goods to raffle off on the day.

The Easy Learning Centre, Liffey Valley, Woodies DIY, Tallaght and Coffee Perfection of Dunboyne, Co Meath

The IT Tallaght students who are organising this year’s Tea Day in aid of the Irish Alzheimers Society. The students aim to raise vital funds for the cause

have also sponsored the materials on the day to make the running of the event possible.

“For every €25 raised we c a n p r ov i d e a n

extra hour of care in your area; €25 is a very achievable amount to raise, and if we can provide a few extra hours of care for people that

need it, our day will have been a success.” said Aoife McCrum.

For more information see www.alzheimers.ie or www.teaday.ie.

COUNCIL Excercise parks plan progress SOUTH Dublin County Council has said that it will not require public consultation for 11 parks that have been earmarked for exercise equipment.

At this week’s council meeting, Fine Gael councillor Emer Higgins asked for a “report on public consultation efforts in relation to the installation of exercise equipment in the eleven parks where funding has been provided for this project?”

In their response, the council said that it did not require public consultation, but had engaged with groups on three of the sites.

“The scale of works involved of these projects are at a level that will not initiate formal or statutory processes. However, the Environment Department will be happy to provide information on and discuss the projects with any local interested groups.”

4 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 15 March 2012

SHOP LOCAL The Gazette continues its

Supporting our local business HE Gazette is determined to m a ke p e o p l e aware of just how important it is to support our local businesses.

We have never been backward about coming forward when it comes to our supporting the local community – but it is just as important, now more than ever, that we support our local economy too.

Support is the key to a thriving local community, and every member of the public can contribute to this support.

Simply put, shopping locally benefits the local area.

By shopping locally, without any of the expedition involved in travelling

T

across the city, we can support local business, enterprise and industry, all of which play a far

greater role in our quality of life than one might imagine.

On a very basic level,

the commercial rates that even the smallest of such local businesses pay, goes directly to our local

council.

Without these rates, the quality of public amenities, from parks and playgrounds to sports facilities and community groups, would simply not be of the standard we currently enjoy.

Taking this train of thought a little further - by keeping one local business open when we shop local, we are supporting local jobs for local people.

On top of this, every local business, and their employees, will naturally tend to support their neighbouring businesses – be it by buying a sandwich, renting a DVD, getting their dry cleaning done, or filling a prescription – the hustle and bustle that goes hand in hand with local business is mutually beneficial.

Clondalkin, with its various industrial estates, shopping centres and busy streets, is a vibrant hub of business, with a vast array of local, homegrown businesses running in the area.

Even at a time when money is scarce, there is a plethora of local busi-

15 March 2012 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 5

focus on the benefits of spending locally in your community

nesses for residents to get behind.

For 2012, the Gazette is continuing our support of local businesses, and will continue to work closely with the Clondalkin Chamber of Commerce to promote the local economy.

Thyes Kavanagh, chairman of the Clondalkin Chamber of Commerce, says that the Chamber hopes that jobs can be preserved and business can grow if people can be convinced to Shop Local.

“In these difficult times, Clondalkin Chamber of Commerce is calling on people to Shop Local.

“Please support local business, not only do they offer great value for money but also a personal service. These businesses employ a large number of local people, both full and part-time, and need your support.

“Clondalkin Chamber of Commerce is at present working on their own campaign to promote local business and are also updating their website.

“We would like to thank the Gazette for their Shop Local feature and hope that shoppers

will support the advertisers within the supplement,” Mr Kavanagh said.

6 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 15 March 2012

OPINION No Deis schools to lose a teacher in September

Welcome for breakthrough on disadvantaged school posts THE recent announcement

by Education Minister Ruairi Quinn that no Deis 1 or Deis 2 school will lose a teacher next September is very good news indeed.

As a teacher, I have first-hand experience

of the great work taking place every day in schools in disadvantaged areas.

The latest Government announcement means that these schools will retain 235 posts which were under threat because of the

SPRING...

...YOUR BUSINESS INTO GROWTH ADVERTISE & WATCH YOUR BUSINESS GROW WITH THE GAZETTE CALL US NOW ON 60 10 240

country’s deep financial crisis.

Even at a time when cutbacks are inevitable, it is vital that we continue to invest in education.

In the last week, we have had news from the IDA of huge new investments by multinational companies in new facilities in Ireland.

A low corporation tax rate, and a well-educated work force, are key elements of the decisions by the multinationals companies that invest in Ireland.

Pay Pal, for example, which is adding 1,000 jobs to its Irish operation, needs people with a high level of language and IT skills.

For individuals, education provides a passage out of poverty and we can take pride in the

fact that, over the last eight years, our retention rate to Leaving Certificate has risen from 82% to 88%, now one of the highest rates in the world.

This is a small, but important, victory for schools in our most disadvantaged areas and I congratulate the Labour backbenchers who went to Minister Ruairi Quinn and spelt out to him, in the clearest terms, the potential d a m a g e t h a t wo u l d result from these particular cuts.

In welcoming this particular victory, however, I don’t pretend that the education sector is escaping completely from the cuts.

The Capitation Grant for primar y schools is being cut by 3.5%.

This is the grant that pays for heating, lighting and photocopying, so schools will again be put to the pin of their collars.

But I am most concerned about the upcoming cuts to the guidance service at second-level.

If these cuts kick in from September 2012 onwards, it may mean that guidance councillors will have to spend a good deal of their time teaching exam subjects.

From my own experience in schools the work that the guidance people do in preparing teenagers for their college and career choices is really important.

Moreover, they are trained to provide a listening ear for students going through a difficult

Cllr Michael O’Donovan

patch. This is a cut I intend to work to reverse.

Michael O’Donovan Labour Party councillor

Education - the greatest MY good friend Joe Duffy - yes Live line Joe! reminds me regularly that the greatest gift, after life itself, that my late mother Rebecca gave me was “Education”.

But being married to a teacher for over 30 years, I have learned from Anne, my wife, how our education system has let some people down. Overcrowding, difficult family circumstances, poverty issues and children slipping through the system because of class sizes are all too familiar.

A recent national study of children, entitled Growing Up In Ireland, is the most significant of its kind ever to take place in this country, and it gave us insight into understanding all aspects of children and their development, including education.

The study was commissioned by the previous Government and is being carried out by a consortium of researchers led by the Economic and Social Research Institute and Trinity College, Dublin.

One of the findings of the report outlines that our children are our most important asset, and they must be valued and cherished appropriately.

This Government has placed children’s issues at the heart of policy-making by establishing a dedicated Minister for Children, my colleague Frances Fitzgerald TD. Another aspect of the Growing Up In Ireland study highlighted the impact of parenting on children’s outcomes in educa-

Fine Gael Dublin Mid West Deputy, Derek Keating

tion and it is here that the DEIS Schools play their part.

But the problem with the former Government’s answer was they threw money at everything without assessment or planning.

DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) supports various reports for both primary and post-primary schools, which include reduced pupil/teacher ratio in areas of disadvantage, the allocation of Administrative Principals, access to School Meals Programme, access to numerical and literacy programmes, a Home School Liaison service, enhanced library support reading programmes and Language

Support Service.

In DEIS, the reading recovery, which is a school-based intervention programme designed to reduce literacy problems within our education system and is an early intervention programme giving children, who have particular difficulties in reading and writing over one year in primary school, a period of intensive and individual teaching.

I have been very concerned recently following the news that Archbishop Ryan’s National Schools, both senior and junior, may suffer a loss of up to 16 teachers. I met with the teachers in the schools and the Principals and I have spoken directly to the Minister and his Department because of the lack of a DEIS status for Lucan schools.

This Government is committed to education and to children and this is clearly demonstrated by the fact that the Minister this week has announced new schools for Lucan, new extensions to schools in Lucan and I am confident that he will reverse the decision to reduce the teaching staff at the Archbishop Ryan’s Junior and Senior Schools.

I support the DEIS School Policy providing it is focused and flexible.

Derek Keating Fine Gael Dublin Mid West Deputy

15 March 2012 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 7

8 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 15 March 2012

SCHOOLS: E-TWINNING

Moyle Park Prince L A S T we e k , Mo y l e Park College students and teachers formally launched iMpact (Moyle Park Arts and Culture), as part of the Euro Schools E-Twinning Comenius Project.

As part of the project, six students and two teachers have visited a school in Warsaw.

Later on in the year,

there will be a return visit by students from Poland and other European countries.

Moyle Park Principal, Mr Aiden Clarke, warmly welcomed the project saying “culture not only entertains but also challenges and inspires”.

The “Little Prince” project promotes reading and literacy.

CHARGE ‘Fair system of taxation needed’

I won’t pay this unjust family tax - Councillor SINN Fein Councillor Matthew McDonagh has said that he will refuse to pay the household charge.

Speaking after his party’s weekly protest in opposition to Government cuts, the councillor called on the Government to scrap the household charge and said that he will not be paying this “unjust family tax”.

Cllr. McDonagh began by saying the introduction of the tax was tantamount to a broken promise from the Government.

“We have witnessed the introduction of the household charge which in its implementation is an abandonment of the

pre-election promises of this government.

“We were promised real transformative change that can bring about the kind of Ireland we want to live in, not just for ourselves but for our children as well.

“Yet this charge does not protect those on low and middle incomes.

We have witnessed more socialist rhetoric by Labour in their instilling of false hope and pledging to establish an equal society.

“I fail to see any equality in the implementation of this charge as the ordinary Joe Soap like me will have to pay the same charge as the millionaire

in the mansion. Where is the equality and protection of those on low and middle incomes,” said Cllr McDonagh, who said that the charge would put a burden on those affected.

“This charge will further drive many into despair.

Unemployment and emigration are ever present across Irish society and Individuals are already facing problems of deprivation and poverty will not be enthused by this charge.

“T his charge will enforce a further unwanted and unmanageable burden onto the working poor while the cost of living increases.

Sinn Fein councillor Matthew McDonagh

“We in Sinn Fein have highlighted clear, credible, alternative solutions to this charge. Our efficient stimulus proposals are sufficient to prevent the need for the introduction of the household charge.

“Therefore, after consultation with my family, I have decided not to pay

this charge. I and my colleagues in Sinn Fein will stand by all those who do not or can not pay this unjust family tax.

“We will continue in our campaign to have this tax scrapped and replaced with a fair system of taxation,” Cllr McDonagh said.

15 March 2012 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 9

10 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 15 March 2012

TRIP Schools Across Borders teaches realities of conflict

Cleopatra Agbidi and Marcus Rochford with their religion teacher, Emer Wagner

A group of students travelled to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the School Across Borders programme

Local students visit Israel and Palestine I PAUL HOSFORD

LAST month, St Kevin’s Community College students Marcus Rochford and Cleopatra Agbidi,

along with their religion teacher, Emer Wagner, took the opportunity to travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the

School Across Borders programme.

Schools Across Borders works with schools in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Israel

and Palestine to educate students about the realities of conflict as experienced by young people.

A major part of the programme is a visit by Israeli and Palestinian students to Ireland in November and January respectively, and then over the February midterm, Irish students and teachers visit Jerusalem and Hebron.

Opportunity

During the eight-day trip, schools were visited each morning for group discussions, giving the Irish students the opportunity to listen to both sides of the story. In the afternoon, the students and teachers got to visit the sites of the Holy Land, such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.

T he students also stayed with host families during their visit, allowing them the chance to experience the different cultures first-hand as a member of their host families!

It was an amazing opportunity for both students and teachers alike, who are now able to share their experience with their family and friends in Ireland and, hopefully, encourage an awareness of the conflict in Israel/ Palestine and the harsh realities of it.

15 March 2012 GAZETTE 11

12 GAZETTE 15 March 2012

LOCAL MATTERS SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS

GazetteContacts Block 3A, Mill Bank Business Park, Lucan Tel: 01 6010240 Fax: 01 6010251 Managing Director: Michael McGovern email: mmcgovern@gazettegroup.com Editor: Cormac Curtis email: ccurtis@gazettegroup.com News Editor: Dawn Love email: dlove@gazettegroup.com

Sports Editor: Rob Heigh email: sport@gazettegroup.com Financial Controller: Carly Lynch email: clynch@gazettegroup.com Advertising Production: Anita Ward email: ads@gazettegroup.com

Production Editor: Jessica Maile email: jmaile@gazettegroup.com

ADVERTISE WITH THE GAZETTE CALL

6010240

Advertising Sales: 01 6010240 email: sales@gazettegroup.com

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

Showing a Lidl love: Pamper mum with wine and chocs this Mother’s Day MOTHER’S DAY is a time for pampering, so whilst you are in the

kitchen whipping up her favourite pancake brunch, let her sit back with her favourite tipple. Lidl has lots of great wines, bubble and liqueurs at incredible value. Opt for the smooth and luxurious Deluxe Irish Cream Liqueur as an extra special treat or, as Mother’s Day is a celebration, pop some pink bubbles such as the popular Freixenet Cava Brut Rosé. For something sweet, you can’t go far wrong than Lidl’s JD Gross Pralines Selection box.

For further information about Lidl and its products, or to locate your nearest store, please log on to www.lidl.ie or visit www.face book.com/lidlireland.

CHARITY: RAISING VITAL FUNDS

Taking part in the Cycle4life THE inaugural D.I.D Electrical Cycle4Life will take place on Saturday May 19, in Dunboyne, Co Meath.

Cycle4Life is a charity that has been set up

by D.I.D Electrical to help raise vital funds for Temple Street Children’s Hospital.

The event will take place over three routes to suit all fitness levels and for all grades of cyclists, from the complete novice all the way up.

Those interested in participating, donating or volunteering to help in the D.I.D Electrical Cycle4Life can log

onto www.cycle4life.ie.

There are training tips and advice available to improve your technique and assist you in reaching your overall goal, whether it’s to cycle 15km or 147km.

Temple Street Children’s hospital continues to rely on external support to assist it in the purchase of vital equipment.

With the money raised by the D.I.D Electrical Cycle4life, Temple Street aims to secure essential equipment that will provide the best possible environment for its young patients and purchase new specialist equipment

and technologies to assist in ongoing vital research.

By participating in the D.I.D Electrical Cycle4Life, those taking part are not only joining a fantastic event, but are also helping to make a real difference to the lives of the most precious patients at their time in need.

Register online now at www.cycle4life.ie or follow on Facebook for updates on upcoming events, useful tips and organised training sessions. There will also have an evening event in the Crowne Plaza that night and tickets are €100.

15 March 2012 GAZETTE 13

14 GAZETTE 15 March 2012

GazettePETS PETS

Brought to you by Miriam Kerins of the DSPCA

THE FACTS: A GROOMING RITUAL MAY REDUCE COSTLY VETERINARY VISITS

Pampering good for pet health HERE are so many wonderful reasons to get a dog. Regular readers of this column will know I’m a gal who’s nuts about her mutts. Those readers will understand my annoyance when, through my job, I often have to deal with pet parents who have gone out and bought a dog in order to “enhance” their own lives. However, they’ve never taken the time or had the desire to enhance their pet’s lives by giving them a regular bath or treating them to a trip to the groomers.

When speaking to these self professed “dog lovers,” I have to ask: Do you enjoy the invigorating feeling of being clean and fresh?

T

Do you visit the hair/ beauty salon?

You do?

Great. Well your pets are no different.

Ok, every pet has his/ her own personality; some love to be brushed and fluffed, some don’t and I will hold my hand up and say one of my dogs, (great aunt Sophie, the 17-year-old, does not like being brushed anymore but she’s an old lady and this is her right; she doesn’t have the patience for it). Let’s just say our Diva Dog is a bit of a challenge these days; however, as her mom I know that regular grooming encompasses many aspects of companion pet care and even though Sophie is no longer as energetic as

When grooming your pet check for areas of bumps, tenderness, scabs or hair loss

she used to be, she is still in need of having a nice warm, gentle bath, getting her nails clipped, her ears cleaned, her anal glands squeezed, etc., And I do believe this regular ritual brings me and my dear old friend closer together…and can reduce costly veterinary visits.

Also, when I’m groom-

ing/petting my dogs, especially Sophie, I check for areas of bumps, tenderness, scabs, hair loss etc., because I do not wish them to run the risk of the following problems: Ear Mites: A parasite that lives out its life cycle inside your pet’s ear canal; causing severe irritation and itchiness. I use a

soft facial tissue around my finger or a cotton bud dipped in cool olive oil and very gently wipe around the inside of my dogs’ ears making sure not to insert too deeply. If the dog has an open wound or the ear is inflamed, it’s straight off to the vet.

Fly strike: Also known as Myasis – a maggot infestation. This is more common in warmer months where flies lay eggs that go on to develop into larvae that eat dead and rotting tissue on your pet. For example, vomit, skin infection, mated hair, diarrhoea, etc., This condition can be fatal if left untreated. Bathe and groom your pet regularly, treat your pet for diarrhoea immediately, and if

your pet becomes ill, keep them indoors away from flies. Always seek veterinary attention.

Anal Sac Impaction: Dogs and cats have anal sacs that can become impacted if not emptied properly. Ideally, anal sacs should empty with your dog’s normal bowel movements. You won’t even notice this, however, if your pet begins to drag his/her behind along the ground, take him/her to your vet. There could be other reasons for this dragging, such as a bothersome growth, matted hair, an irritation or diarrhoea. Only your vet can diagnose.

Minty Fresh Breath: When I’m rubbing my dogs’ faces I always take a

look inside their mouths to check for plaque build-up. If you do this and notice plaque, or bad breath, take your pet to see the vet for a dental check up. When there, ask your vet if he/she can demonstrate the correct technique best suited to your pet and follow the guidelines.

Please do seek your vet’s advice regarding any concerns about your pet and, if you don’t feel like grooming your new best friend yourself, there are plenty of professionals who’d be delighted to provide that service for him/her.

For more information log onto www.dspca.ie or email me at miriam. kerins@dspca.ie

15 March 2012 GAZETTE 15

16 GAZETTE 15 March 2012

GazetteBEAUTY BEAUTY Spoil your mammy at LA Academy LA CREATIVE Academy is offering complimentary eyebrow treatment with every makeover at the academy for all of March.

When you book a make-up application for you and your mother on a Saturday, you receive a complimentary LA Thread Bar treatment for that perfect brow.

Make-up is then applied, as well as a threading treatment and a complimentary hair “touch-up” by one of their top artists LA Creative Academy is located at Chatham Street, just off Grafton St. For further information, call 01 675 1999.

Make your mum into an even bigger star with an A-list beauty treatment I LAURA WEBB

OTHER’S day is approaching, and all we want to do for our mums is to make them feel like the only woman in the world – so why not think about giving mum a makeover, and then treat her to a luscious meal to show off the finished results?

To help out with this, Gazette Beauty takes a look at Hollywood’s newest mum, Natalie Portman, to show readers just how easy it is to achieve this glam, yet subtle look.

At this year’s Oscars, Natalie dazzled the red carpet with her polished

M

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

‘At this year’s Oscars, Natalie dazzled the red carpet with her polished and subtle make-up.

‘Most mums out there – if mine is anything to go by – prefer less is more, and Natalie has this look down to a tee.’

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

and subtle make-up.

Most mums out there – if mine is anything to go by – prefer “less is more”, and Natalie has this look down to a tee.

Soft, tumbling curls help to finish this look, and are a great way of making mums feel like a star.

To help achieve this

look, Maybelline New York cosmetics has everything a daughter (or son) needs to help make mum feel a million dollars.

First, use Maybelline’s Dream Satin Liquid foundation (€11.99), which gives skins a dewy glow. This can be applied using either a brush,

sponge or finger tips.

To ensure that skin stays looking fresh and radiant, initially apply only a small amount as an all-over base, and then tap on excess product where more coverage is needed.

Natalie’s brown eyes are brought to life with a mix of soft, glimmering metallic hues; start by blending the two deepest shades of Maybelline’s Eye Studio Coral Drama Quad (€9.99) along your top lid and up into the socket line for definition.

Add a little under your bottom lashes to make them look thicker and fuller, giving a classic smokey-eye effect.

Using a smaller brush, apply the lightest shade of shimmering gold to the inner corners of eyes to reflect light and then softly blend it out, creating a seamless finish where the light gold meets the darker shades.

To add depth and make lashes appear instantly thicker, apply a small amount of Maybelline’s Gel eyeliner in Black (€11.99) along the top lash line.

Once you have the basic line in place, clean off the brush with a tissue and blend the line so it appears smoother.

Finish off with the Colossal Cat Eyes mascara (€11.99) on both top and bottom lashes

for fuller, thicker, fannedout lashes.

Keep mum’s lips natural, like Natalie, so not to divert from her eye make-up. Try Colour Sensational Lip Gloss in Exquisite Pink (€9.29) to give your lips a similarly beautiful and healthylooking sheen.

O n c e m a ke - u p i s complete, get the curling tongs out, or hair straightening ones, to make loose curls. Dress mum in her favourite cocktail dress and she will be ready to turn heads at your restaurant of choice.

Remember, Mother’s Day is this Sunday, March 18. Happy Mother’s Day!

15 March 2012 GAZETTE 17

Edited by Laura Webb

FastBeauty Cholesterol: Did you check your level recently?

Looking Beeautiful: Gifts from Burt’s

APPROXIMATELY 10,000 Irish people die each year from cardiovascular disease (CVD).

High cholesterol is one of the major controllable risk factors for CVD, including heart attack and stroke. Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is vital for the body to function as normal. The problem arises when cholesterol sticks to the blood vessels and blocks blood supply to the major organs.

Improving your diet, reducing alcohol consumption, quitting smoking and increasing physical exercise can help reduce cholesterol. Contact your GP or local pharmacy to get your cholesterol checked, and help to have a healthy Mother’s Day this year

BURT’S Bees has put together two great gifts to keep mums refreshed from head-to-toe this Mother’s Day. Say a big thank-you to mums this year with products that will keep mum feeling revitalised and refreshed at home.

The specially-packaged products come in two gift sets. Burt Bee’s Tips to Toes Kits (top, right) is perfect for hardworking hands and feet, with a collection of rich creams and softening butters to keep hands and feet naturally soft and beautiful, with a RRP of €15.95.

Alternatively, Burt’s Bees Head to Toe (above, right) naturally cleanses and nourishes every part of the body. Inside, mothers will find a generous assortment of Burt’s most popular natural

With thanks to the staff at Lucan Village Natalie Portman wowed at this year’s Oscars with her subtle “less-is-more” make-up – a natural look that would be perfect for your mum this Mother’s Day

Pharmacy

skin care products, from their beeswax lip balm to coconut foot cream and everything in between, with a RRP of €16.95.

Burt’s Bees Mother’s Day kits are available from Nourish and selected independent health stores and pharmacies nationwide.

18 GAZETTE 15 March 2012

GazetteMUSIC MUSIC FastTunes with Radio Nova’s Dee Woods IF YOU look up the phrase, “Still Got It”, no doubt you will find a picture of The Rolling Stones nearby.

The band’s music and its members have not only stood the test of time, but they still rock out better than thousands of acts a quarter of their age.

Next month, The Stones celebrate half a century together and, if they needed any proof of their everlasting popularity, then Facebook is it.

Last week a picture of a chuffed Keith Richards holding a piece of paper saying “9,000,000 Stones’ fans” was posted on www.facebook. com/therollingstones (actually it was missing the apostrophe but I guess you don’t have to worry about that when nine million people love you.)

The timeless calibre of songs, like Gimme Shelter and Waiting on a Friend, is some comfort to the unsettling thought that a bunch of lads my dad’s age have more facebook followers than Radio Nova has listeners. If a post goes up on The Rolling Stones’ Facebook page it can get over 50,000 ‘likes’. See what I mean?

Still got it! And that’s only the fans that are on Facebook!

And now this flurry of online adorers begs the question, when will The Stones announce a 50th anniversary tour? And, more importantly how much the tickets will be? (They’d probably have to tour for another 50 years just to satisfy their nine million fans on Facebook). Hey, lads: If the music dates back half a century then the ticket prices should too! A couple of quid should do it.

But a warning to Jagger, Richards and co: psychologists have found the more friends you have on Facebook, the more likely you are to suffer from stress and anxiety. And you guys don’t need any more wrinkles...

Keith Richards and the big news...

Coming home: Kiwanuka’s debut hitting home now SOUL sensation, Michael Kiwanuka, has released his much-anticipated debut album, Home Again.

The North London singer-songwriter, whose magnificent show at the Sugar Club last month sent our reviewer in paroxyms of delight, seals the deal with the ten tracks on offer, a collection of songs that propel you back to the golden age of soul, thanks to brilliant playing and a stellar retro production job

by Paul Butler from The Bees.

REVIEW: HAS BRUCE MADE HIS BEST RECORD OF THE CENTURY?

Springsteen breaks it down to build again I ROB HEIGH

VERY few acts get as far as ten albums, let alone 17. And you would have to imagine that, over the course of 17 records, there would an early learning phase where they learned their craft, followed by a mature middle phase where they played at the top of their game, and it would be topped off by an end-game that saw them going through the motions while the records spun in decreasingly satisfying circles.

You would think that, but then, you wouldn’t be thinking of Bruce Springsteen.

The patron saint of New Jersey has returned this year with his 17th album, and it proves to be, possibly, the most complete summation of everything that makes Bruce Bruce in a single record this century.

I’ve always thought that Springsteen’s albums since Tunnel Of Love in 1987 were almost there, but not quite — there was a feeling that they missed an unidentifiable something that entirely unified all of the songs under one flag, in

Bruce Springsteen has delivered what might be his first completely realised record this century

spite of there being some undeniably great songwriting and playing on those records. Wrecking Ball, however, feels like the first time in a very long time that the muse and the cause have come together to create something special.

Opening with the apparently patriotic We Take Care Of Our Own, Wrecking Ball keeps its intentions just under the surface, until it’s time to let them spill over. Our Own is an angry volley that hides it’s ire and bile just as Born In The

USA did — the message is that wherever the flag is flown, the care and support for every class is most certainly lacking, despite what politicians and business might have to say.

That frustration directs the characters in many of the songs collected on Wrecking Ball — the petty criminal on Easy Money is all romance until he pulls his gun as he rails against “the fat cats who think it’s funny” who brought him low.

The anger turns to spiritual uplift, and the

theme turns at the midpoint on the title track, austensibly about the end of an era as the Giants stadium in New Jersey is demolished, but, equally, a metaphor for hope and resistance in a time of depression and financial hardship — “Come on and take your best shot, let me see what you got.”

T he music brings together the best bombast of previous E Street Band outings while taking in inf luences from the country-folk inflected Seeger Sessions

album, as well as bringing in Irish trad stylings, New Orleans brass, civil war style marches, and even drum-loops and a rap on Rocky Ground.

I would suggest you seek out the E Street Band performances on Jimmy Fallon’s show in the US last week. There’s something elemental and uplifting seeing the band perform together, even without the talismanic presence of Clarence Clemons, the saxophone legend who passed away last year. The last gang in town are back to rock.

15 March 2011 GAZETTE 19

GazetteBUSINESS BUSINESS

Supported by AIB

Interview: Catriona Byrne, The Foot Clinic at Doc Morris, Superquinn SC, Blanch

Happy feet lead to happy customers CATRIONA Byrne has been working in the health service for the past 12 years and she has noticed an increased number of patients, of all ages, presenting with medical complaints which impacts on the condition of their feet. “These medical conditions vary from diabetes, obesity, joint replacement and back problems. In most cases, these patients have been encouraged to exercise more regularly in order to reduce weight and, in turn, help with their medical condition. However, if a patient is also having discomfort in their feet, the exercise plan soon goes out the window!” said Catriona.

In 2010, she completed training in Foot Health Management and Biomechanics, as she felt there was a gap in the health service providing both a chiropody and biomechanical service to patients. The biomechanics of the service includes assessing the patient’s gait / walk and includes recommending an exercise programme and / or orthotics as necessary.

“The patients may present with complaints such as fallen arches, knee or back pain, hammer toes, bunion problems or indeed heel spurs, tendonitis or generalised foot pain. So, while I provide a full chiropody service to patients, my service focuses not only on treatment, but also on preventative measures also.

“I find the business extremely rewarding as clients always comment on how good they are feeling after their appointment!” she said.

Q: What is the best thing about your job?

A: As I am a Foot Care Practitioner, I deal with all aspects of foot pain, generally all patients present with varying foot pain, they all leave feeling much better – there is immense satisfaction in that.

Q: : Have you achieved anything that you once thought

coupled with the State pension, I am scared that

chardstown A – While I am a great advocate of starting a pension as early as you can, I am also an advocate for getting to grips with how the pension system works as early as one can, too. Like a bricklayer laying brick upon brick, but without having to see the bigger picture, most pension investors are happy to make minimum contributions not knowing what the consequences will be. The end game is just so important, as you are now unfortunately experiencing. With only a fund of € 23,000, you can take € 5,750 as a tax free lump sum, and invest € 17,250 into an annuity – essentially a fixed interest rate deposit account guaranteed for life.

You take this interest then as your income for life but when you die, the insurance company keeps the fund.

You are therefore buying a guaranteed income for life – the ideal, of course, is to live as long as possible and outlive the annuity ! Taking a rate of c. 4.5%, this equates to €64.68 per month and, even with the annual State pension, a total of c.€13,000 per annum, you can afford to earn at least another € 5,000 per annum free from income tax.

The lesson is a hard one. There are thresholds on Catriona Byrne, of The Foot Clinic at Doc Morris, Superquinn SC, Blanchardstown

the amount of contributions that can be made to a pension fund based on age, e.g. aged between 40 and 50, you can contribute up to 25% of your net relevant

Q: What was your first job?

A: McDonald’s

Q: When did you start your present job?

A: 2010.

very little by way of a monthly pension and,

How can I maximise my PRSA fund? Joan – Blan-

you could not pull off?

A: I like to set myself achiev-

variety of jobs but my pet hate is filing.

to retire next May. I have been told I will receive

Finding a job at 66 is not easy, but I may have to.

Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be?

A: It varied every year.

Q: Have you ever done a job you loathed?

A: Not really – have done a

Q – My PRSA has only € 23,000 in it and I am due

I just simply won’t be able to afford to retire.

Q&A

Q: And your first pay cheque?

A: I can’t remember.

RETIREMENT SAVINGS

able goals.

Q: At the moment, what are you looking forward to?

A: My summer holidays.

Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?

A: Maybe eight or 10

Q: What part of your working day do you ‘delegate’?

A: Again, filing!

Q: What is your guilty music/ TV or movie pleasure?

A: Enjoy a good film.

Q: Where do you enjoy spending money frivolously?

A: Holidays, if possible.

Q: What’s currently on your desk that shouldn’t be?

A: It’s still the filing, unfortu-

Q: What music/pictures/movies do you have on your iPod/ iPad? A: I don’t have iPod or iPad

Q: Describe your dream holiday?

A: A nice beach, good book,

nately.

Q: Is there anything about yourself that you would like to set the record straight on?

A: Not really – I like to think

Q: Who do you follow on Twitter/Facebook?

A: Not a follower of Twitter or

of myself as pretty straight forward.

Q: What was your last tweet/ status update?

A: I don’t Tweet or Facebook.

Q: What sport do you follow?

A: Not a follower of any spe-

Facebook.

cific sport.

I like to chat with friends faceto-face.

Q: What sport can you play?

A: Badminton – not a great

Q: Describe your dream meal?

A: Any meal that I don’t cook.

player but really enjoy playing.

Q: What habits would you like to lose?

A: I can’t think of any offhand.

Q: Who would you like to have dinner with – Enda Kenny or Dame Edna?

A: Preferably Dame Edna – I like a laugh!

good food and excellent company - works perfectly!

Q: What would be your dream job?

A: I like a challenge. Maybe run the county for a while, as I’d like to make some major changes, like restore a bit of equity and accountability to the system and give the county a major kick-start regarding job creation.

earnings in an occupational pension scheme apart from the employer’s contribution. Investing 5% while the employer invests 5% into the fund is substantially short of the recommended and allowable amount that can be invested into such a fund. Remember the three reasons for having a pension 1. Monthly contributions attract tax relief up to certain limits at your marginal rate. The top rate is earmarked to decrease to the 20% rate over the next three years, so make hay while the sun shines.

2. All growth in the fund is tax free. Remember even if you are on the lower rate of tax, it means because you receive 20% tax back, the fund has to drop by over 20% in one year for you to lose money in your investment.

3. On retirement, 25% of the fund up to a maximum of €200,000 can be taken as a tax-free lump sum.

Very best of luck Joan in your retirement.

Contact John with your money questions at

Q: What do you plan to do when you retire?

A: No plans to retire yet. How-

jlowe@moneydoctor.ie or visit his website at

ever, if I won the lotto, maybe I could be persuaded.

director of Money Doctor

SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS

ADVERTISE WITH THE GAZET TE CALL 60 10 240

www.moneydoctor.ie. John Lowe, Fellow of the Institute of Bankers, is founder and managing

LOCAL

MATTERS

20 GAZETTE 15 March 2012

GazetteMOTORS MOTORS Ford gives the new Kuga a right kicking The new Opel Ampera

Ampera and Volt Share the Honours in Geneva THE Opel Ampera and the Chevrolet Volt were unveiled as the “shock” winners of the 2012 Car of the Year award at the Geneva Motor Show last week.

The news comes as Opel Ireland prepares for delivery of the highly anticipated vehicles, where orders across Europe are currently exceeding expectations, with 7,000 orders placed.

The Opel Ampera / Chevrolet Volt came in as convincing winners with 330 points against the VW Up (281) and Ford Focus (256).

The Opel/Vauxhall CEO, Karl-Friedrich Stracke, and Chevrolet’s president and managing director for Europe, Susan Docherty, were both handed the Car of the Year 2012 award by the President of the COTY judging panel, Hakan Matson.

The Ampera and the Volt emerged as the joint overall winner in a field of seven COTY finalists. The selection criteria applied by the judges were based on attributes such as design, comfort, performance and especially innovative technologies as well as efficiency.

Honour “It is a proud moment for us and an honour to receive this award from Europe’s leading jury of automotive journalists,” said Susan Docherty, president and managing director, Chevrolet Europe.

“Our car demonstrates that electric driving can be fun and reliable without ever compromising the owner’s lifestyle.

“We are extremely pleased that our revolutionary electric vehicle has emerged as the winner in such a tough field of competitors.

“And we are very proud of this accolade,” says Karl-Friedrich Stracke.

“This encourages us further to continue our leadership role in the area of e-mobility.”

The Ampera and the Volt are the first electric vehicles in the market that can go anywhere anytime. A 16 kWh lithium ion battery powers the 111kW/150 hp electric motor.

Depending on the style of driving and road conditions, distance of between 40 and 80 kilometres can be covered in the purely batteryoperated mode, completely free of emissions.

LAST week, the Ford motor company managed to give one of its own models a right kicking!

As part of the company’s 2012 Geneva Motor Show presentation, they revealed the first ever kick-activated automatic boot on their all-new Kuga.

Owners of the car will now be able to open and close the tailgate simply by waving a foot beneath the rear bumper, an especially useful feature for those carrying the weekly shop or other gear to load into the car.

Ford perfected the system with the help of volunteer “kickers”, and, after six months of testing produced the optimum settings.

“This is a perfect example of how we’re evolving existing technology to further improve our customers’ experience with Ford vehicles,” said Dominik Nical, security electronics expert, Ford

of Europe. “The result is a practical and unique solution to a common problem – opening the tailgate when your arms are full. It’s a solution that will really work for customers in their everyday lives.”

The development team spent six months working with Ford’s Human Machine Interface laboratory, using volunteers to test prototype systems fitted to a previous generation Kuga.

Rigorous real-life testing perfected the required kick and ensured there was no interference with other systems.

The hands-free tailgate builds on Ford’s Intelligent Access push-button start. It allows customers, who have their key on their person, to unlock and start their vehicles without having to take it out of their pocket or purse.

Two sensors in the rear bumper detect a

Owners can open the boot by waving a foot

person’s shin and kicking motion. The system safeguards against accidental opening by being programmed to open with leg motions – not when an animal runs under the car or when the vehicle hits a bump on the road.

The system made its debut on Kuga’s sister model, the Ford Escape, in North America, late last year. Ford engi-

neers re-calibrated the system for Europe to ensure it would still work if a tow bar had been fitted - as this is an option frequentlyy chosen by European n Kuga customers.

The automatic hands-free tailgate iss launched as an option n with Keyless Entry on n the all-new Kuga later er this year.

New Fiesta ST gets show debut FORD also used last week’s Geneva Motor Show to unveil the new, production-ready Fiesta ST in advance of the performance hatchback’s launch in Europe in 2013.

Customers have clamoured for a new Fiesta ST since the last model disappeared from European showrooms in 2008.

The all-new model is set to take the car’s performance to a new level, and the numbers tell the story: 180PS 1.6-litre EcoBoost, 240Nm of torque, 0-100km/h in under seven seconds, and top speed of more than 220km/h.

At the same time, the EcoBoost technology delivers a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions compared with the previous

Customers have clamoured for a new Fiesta ST

Fiesta ST. Developed by Ford’s Team RS, the new model delivers significant rideand-handling improvements through the introduction of a specially tuned chassis that sits 15mm lower than the standard Fiesta; Ford’s

enhanced Torque Vectoring Control system, and three Electronic Stability Control modes.

The technologies were put to the test over 5,000 kilometres of driving on Germany’s Nurburgring Nordschleife.

“We believe Ford cus-

tomers will be blown away by the new Fiesta ST, and not only by the exhilarating performance but by the styling and specification, too. This dynamic new hot-hatch is undoubtedly our best Fiesta ST to date,” said Jost Capito, Ford’s director of Global

Performance Vehicles.

T he high-contrast interior features unprecedented levels of equipment and specification to suit the sporting driver, with standard Recaro sports seats appearing in a Fiesta ST for the first time.

It also will be equipped with MyKey, which allows owners to limit performance and ensure activation of safety features for when less-experienced drivers use the vehicle; and SYNC, Ford’s voiceactivated in-car connectivity system.

A new bold and dynamic exterior design drives home the high performance message and features the latest Ford design signatures.

15 March 2012 GAZETTE 21

Edited by Cormac Curtis

RoadSigns Road Signs THE NEW A-CLASS IS UNVEILED AT MOTOR SHOW:

The new Skoda Citigo is set to compete with both VW and SEAT, as they take their first steps in to the small car market in 2012

TRIPLETS: SKODA REVEAL THEIR CONTENDER FOR THE SUBCOMPACT SHOWDOWN

Go, Citigo, go!

HE motoring world is about to launch into a phase of sibling rivalry, as Skoda, VW and SEAT each release their first small cars.

Named the Citigo, the up! and the Mii respectively, these little motors have been affectionately christened “the triplets” by many in the motoring fraternity.

T he international launch of the Skoda Citigo took place in Lisbon this month, and the Gazette was lucky enough to be invited along.

I have to be honest, I am not a petrol-headed, rev-counting purist type of motoring correspondent. There’s no doubt I like a little fire in a car’s belly, but it is the practi-

T

SPECS: SKODA CITIGO (75bhp) Top speed: 171 kph 0 – 100km/hr: 13.2 sec Economy: 4.7 l/100km CO2 emissions: 108g/km Road Tax Band: A (€160) Entry Price: €10,000 est

cal nature of most motors that sticks with me, long after the novelty of a finely tuned sports coupe has worn off.

It’s for this reason that car launches make me nervous.

These events always seem to involve twisty, narrow, mountainous roadways, in countries that are not exactly renowned for their mannerly drivers.

And so it came to

pass, that the launch of the Skoda Citigo, a car that is aimed directly at urban and suburban drivers, involved the type of driving I like to avoid through a narrow, bendy, mountainous route, that eventually brought my driving companion and I to a very picturesque coastal area close to Lisbon, much to our relief.

The danger here was that my first experience in the Citigo was going to be a nervous one and leave me with a bad impression.

Thankfully, this was not to be.

For starters, this small car has more interior room than you would ever expect, certainly more than enough for two substantial men to

travel side-by-side in the front seats more than comfortably.

Next is the finish. The tactile points of this car feel very solid, almost as though they have have been swiped from their saloon stablemates.

Nothing gives you the impression that you are in a small car where economy was the driving force behind the design.

Enthusiasm And, speaking of design, the overall look and available options in the Citigo scream fun and enthusiasm.

My particular favourite was a glossy, white finish with black racing stripes down the middle, finished off with black alloys – a very tasty look

indeed.

In practical terms, the five-door option makes all the sense in the world, it’s a €500 option, but makes the car far more usable without sacrificing any of its visual appeal.

The drive itself was another surprise.

Admittedly, carrying three adults, you need to get the revs up a bit more than usual to get it going up near-vertical mountainous roads, but the point is that this car does get going.

Keeping in mind that it has a modest one-litre engine producing 60 or 75bhp, depending what model you go for, it moves surprisingly well.

There was certainly no problem keeping up on the motorways, and

it was as nimble as anything as we took a few wrong turns navigating the small, cobbled city streets around Lisbon.

It’s refreshing to see car manufacturers putting such serious thought and consideration into their entry-level models.

From the incredibly attractive fuel economy and running costs, to the interior finish and design, cars of this size really are competing for our attention.

Skoda’s fan base in Ireland is certainly increasing, and it will no doubt find the VW Up! very tough competition, but the Citigo put a smile on my face, and having to pick between these two would certainly have me scratching my head.

AMONG the many new cars debuting at the Geneva Motor Show last week, was the new MercedesBenz A-Class.

The German marquee believes that the new model boasts the kind of appeal that will bring them into a new, more youthful market segment when it arrives here next year.

The taller, more upright, design of the present model has been replaced by a lower-slung body that sits 18cm closer to the ground.

Built on the B-Class platform, the new A-Class will come in a range of petrol and turbo-diesel engines, and the one likely to grab the limelight in Ireland is a 1.8-litre diesel, seen as the greenest of them all with CO2 emissions of just 99g/km.

All engines offer an idle-stop system as standard and can be mated to a six-speed manual, or sevenspeed dual-clutch automatic, transmission.

One feature certain to appeal is a facility that allows what might be termed “the i-class generation”, to connect up and use the full functionality of their iPhone Siri voiceactivated units or play their iPad music and apps through the car’s infotainment system.

Electronic elements extend to safety with a collision warning system and adaptive brake assist amongst its standard features.

The new MercedesBenz A-Class

22 GAZETTE 15 March 2012

GazetteTTRAVEL Fast Travel Croatia’s many charms to woo you this Easter IF YOU are thinking of taking a trip this Easter, Croatia could be just the place, with its glistening coastline and a preserved, historic beauty.

Concorde Travel has just launched new special offers to Croatia during the Easter holiday period, with many offers to suit all budgets.

For example, departing on April 1, spend seven nights at the three-star Antuninska Apartments in Dubrovnik Old Town, on a self-catering basis, from €549pp.

Alternatively, depart on April 6 and stay at the two-starplus Hotel Adriatic in Dubrovnik, on a B&B basis, from €530pp; the four-star Grand Park & Villas Hotel in Dubrovnik, on a B&B basis, from €610pp or the beautiful fivestar Rixos Libertas Hotel in Dubrovnik, on a B&B basis, from €800pp.

To book your Croatia break, or for further information, see www.concordetravel.ie or phone 01 775 9300.

Whether taking a trip to luxurious Druids Glen Resort (main), or making Mumm the word for champagne in the Westin (above), spoil your mum this Mother’s Day

Make the most of a special day for mum IF YOU have found yourself caught short for a special Mother’s Day gift this year, there’s always the option to whisk her away for a break – without the kids.

To give you a little inspiration, and to keep you out of the dog-house this weekend, here is a selection of destinations around the country that would be perfect for a break for mum this March 18 ...

The five-star g Hotel, Galway The five-star g Hotel, Galway is offering the perfect indulgence for you and your mum to relax and reconnect.

Discover ESPA at the g’s Pamper Perfection for Two experience and combine your spa experience with luxurious overnight accommodation and full

Irish breakfast.

Your spa journey will start in ESPA at the g’s glorious thermal suite, offering a range of heat and cooling experiences which cleanse the body and soothe aching muscles.

Enjoy a 55-minute spa treatment, selecting from an ESPA-intensive facial, full body massage or body wrap, and experience rituals that will take your mind to a calmer place and nurture your body.

Conclude your spa journey in the rooftop relaxation area overlooking the zen garden with a handmade chocolate and a refreshing smoothie.

It costs from €155 per person sharing, bookable from Sunday to Thursday.

For further details, see www.theghotel.ie or call 091 865 200

Druids Glen Resort, County Wicklow The Mother’s Day package includes gorgeous five-star overnight accommodation in the resort that is nestled between the Irish Sea and Wicklow mountains.

During the day, enjoy a blissful facial in the resort’s popular spa, where you will also receive a special Payot spa gift.

Later on, you can toast your girlie evening with a glass of Prosecco, before a delicious dinner in the Druids Brasserie.

Then, retire for the night and watch a “movie for mum” together in the comfort of your cosy room.

Waking up to a satisfying full Irish breakfast, your mum will feel well and truly spoiled.

The Druids Glen

Mother’s Day package is available Mother’s Day weekend from €170 per person, subject to availability. For further information, call 01 287 0848, or see www.druidsglenresort.com.

The Westin Hotel, Dublin This Mother’s Day, show your mum just how much you love her and appreciate all that she does by marking the date with a special Mumm Champagne Afternoon Tea at the luxurious Atrium Lounge in The Westin Dublin hotel.

The Atrium Lounge is offering a special treat for mums on Mother’s Day. Take time out to catch up together with an afternoon tea, including home-made scones with jam and clotted cream, and a selection of pastries

and other sweet treats, and receive a complimentary glass of chilled Mumm champagne for mum – all for just €24.

For further information and bookings, contact The Atrium Lounge directly on 01 645 1324 and quote “Special Mother’s Day package”.

The Imperial Hotel, Cork Enjoying some self indulgence is a luxury most busy mums rarely get the chance to experience.

Rectify that this Mother’s Day by treating her to an extra-special Indulge Me spa package at the blissful Escape Salon and Spa in the Imperial Hotel, Cork city.

The sensuous package does exactly what it says on the tin and includes an Aveda comforting tea on

arrival, time in the Vitality Suite’s hydrotherapy pool, Brine Grotto and Aroma Grotto, a pure focus facial tailored to suit her skin type, an anti-ageing eye treatment, nurturing hand and arm massage, and soothing scalp massage As an extra-special gift, your mum will also receive an Aveda gift of two travel-sized products so that she can feel fabulous wherever she is.

The Indulge Me spa package costs €149, and you can indulge her even further by turning her visit into an overnight stay with room rates in the charming, four-star city centre hotel from just €89, so she can also pay Patrick Street a visit and shop until she drops.

For further information, see www.flynnho tels.com or call 021 427 4040.

15 March 2012 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 23

Edited by Mimi Murray

FastTravel

Head East or West for some terrific holidays LOOKING for something a little different to the usual sun, sea and sand? Joe Walsh Tours specialist tours are designed to cater for clients who want something unique that they will remember for a lifetime, such as to Taiwan and South Korea.

Spend 15 unforgettable days travelling through areas such as Taipei, Sun Moon Lake, Taichung, Seoul, Daegu, Gyeongju and Busan, visiting such sights as the Paoan Temple, the Shilin Night Market, Taroko National Park, and The

Tunnel of the Nine Turns, all located in Taiwan.

In South Korea, you will visit several memorable sights, including Chogyesa Temple, Cheomseongdae Observatory, Beomosa Temple and Yongdusan Park.

Price includes return flights from Dublin with China Airlines, 14 nights’ B&B, accommodation, 12 evening meals, eight lunches, a luxury airconditioned coach for the duration of the tour, the services of Joe Walsh Tours’ local guides for the duration of the tour, entrances as stated on

the itinerary and an internal flight from Hualien to Taipei.

Depart on July 16 and spend seven nights in Taiwan and seven nights in South Korea, at a cost of €2,929 per person, excluding tax of €295pp.

Alternatively, head Stateside in September to join an American Civil War Battlefield programme.

Highlights include the Capitol Building, Ford’s Theatre, the Lincoln, Jefferson, Vietnam and WWII memorials, US Nav y Museum, New Market Battlefield and

Cruise control to France with Irish Ferries

For those looking for a break from the norm, why not take in the modern sights of Taipei (main), or the Antietam National Battlefield in America (inset)?

Museum, National US Museum Corps Museum, and Antietam National Battlefield, to name just a few.

The price includes direct return flights from Dublin to Washington, 10 nights’ hotel accommodation on a B&B basis in the Hotel Monaco, Alexandria and the Best

Western Historic, Frederick, one welcome dinner, a luxury air-conditioned coach throughout the duration of the trip, entry fees to all historic sites and museums as per itinerary, and the assistance of Captain Donal Buckley, on behalf of Joe Walsh Tours.

This package costs

€1,749pp, plus tax of €265pp.

Tours are subject to minimum of 20 passengers to operate for the Taiwan and South Korea tour, and 40 passengers to operate for the USA tour.

For further information on these tours, or to book, see www.joewalshtours. ie or call 01 241 0800.

COMING SOON AGAIN IN YOUR GAZETTE...

BACK

BY POPULAR DEMAND!

FEATURING EVERYTHING FOR YOUR YOUR HOLIDAYS & BREAKS...

I N S I D E YO U R F R E E LO C A L G A Z E T T E T H U R S DAY 2 2 N D M A R C H

DON’T MISS OUT ON TAKING PART IN THIS POPULAR SUPPLEMENT... ...FOR ADVERTISING CALL US NOW ON 01 60 10 240

TAKING a trip to France by boat need not be a dull experience, thanks to Irish Ferries.

The Oscar Wilde offers a wide range of onboard facilities, including three restaurants, two lounge bars, two cinemas, mall-style shopping, a cafe, gaming area, hair and beauty salon, Wi-Fi internet access, and much more, operating between Rosslare to Cherbourg and Roscoff.

For further information and reservations, see www. irishferries.com, or call 0818 300 400.

24 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 15 March 2012

GazetteENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT

GoingOUT THE PAVILION THEATRE 01 231 2929 Showstopper!

THEY’RE making it up as they go along! Luckily, that’s entirely the point, as Showstopper! The Improvised Musical sees an entirely new musical created from scractch in every performance, with the audience helping to create a show on the spot with their suggestions and direction, leading to a unique show to remember. This award-winning production, which has played sell-out shows in London’s West End, is set to delight and entertain at The Pavilion on St Patrick’s Day, at 8pm, with tickets costing €18/16.

MILL THEATRE 01 296 9340 Jack Wise Magic & Comedy MEANWHILE, also being held on St Patrick’s Day, famillies looking for fun in Dundrum will find plenty at the Jack Wise Magic & Comedy show, presented as part of the Paddy Laughs Festival. As the title suggests, Jack will blend magic and laughter to great effect, in a show described as David Blaine mixed with Tommy Cooper, creating great tricks and lots of fun for all the family in the Irish magician’s memorable festival show. Catch the magical performance, at 3pm, with tickets priced at €8/€5.

CIVIC THEATRE 01 885 2622 Carthaginans CONTINUING with The Civic Theatre’s run of strong, memorable drama, Frank McGuinness’ striking play, Carthaginans, runs until St Patrick’s Day, March 17.

Influenced by Bloody Sunday, and delving into certain facets of The Troubles, this production, set in a graveyard, both helps to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and provides some thought-provoking entertainment for theatre fans. Catch the show nightly at 8pm, with tickets costing €20/16.

DRAIOCHT 01 885 2622 Coolmine Goes to the Movies DRAIOCHT is getting ready for the upcoming Coolmine Goes to the Movies show, which is set to feature a wonderful night’s entertainment, influenced by all manner of movie magic. The accomplished Coolmine players will take the audience through a delightful tour of Hollywood hits, with everything from Disney to Bond to much, much more to savour in their presentation. Coolmine Goes to the Movies – and so will you – on Friday, March 30 and Saturday, March 31 at 8pm, with tickets priced €16/€14.

With two giant, multi-limbed, bloodthirsty and blind white apes charging in on him, John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) should make like a banana, and split – however, it’s all just one more dramatic event for the Earthman to get through on his bizarre adventures on Mars

Monkeying around This popcorn sci-fi epic feels like too many films you’ve already seen, with nice design but overly familiar setting I KATE CROWLEY

WHILE the entire world and his wife waits for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter to chop and stake its way to our screens – I know, I know, I was born to review something so gloriously titled – there’s an awful lot of underwhelming films to get through first, which even an undead-slaying, stovepipe-hat wearing president couldn’t make any better. (Sorry, Abe.) Speaking of underwhelming, here’s John Carter! He’s a bit of a Tarzan character, one might say, seen as something of a wild character amongst the locals – appropriately enough, as he’s a much-lesser-known work by Tarzan’s creator, Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Through some not particularly well-executed scene setting, it’s not long before we’re in the late 1800s or so, saddled up with Civil War veteran

FILM OF THE WEEK: John Carter ## (12A) 130 mins Director: Andrew Stanton Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Mark Strong, Bryan Cranston, lots and lots of CG sights

OUR VERDICT: THERE’S too much here that you’ve already seen in a variety of other films. Deadwood, Gladiator, Avatar, Dune – take your pick, and you’ll see all these, and more, in this mash-up of movies. It’s not truly terrible, and would while away a couple of hours ... just don’t expect anything particularly special, or even memorable, and it could be just the ticket for a while...

Carter (Kitsch), who, it turns out, isn’t quite the grizzled, unfeeling and authority-hating maverick that he appears to be.

Anyway, after some slightly dull scene-setting (oh, if only he’d rucked up in Deadwood), it’s not long before Carter finds himself accidentally transported to another planet – as you do – and discovers that it – Mars – is full of life. (I guess good ol’ Edgar didn’t sit too near the front during his 19th-century schoolin’.)

Carter’s just a puny earthling – a grizzled, unfeeling and authority-

hating maverick at odds with the towering, multiarmed locals, who may all appear to be bloodthirsty savages at first sight, but, in fact, have a complex society that a puny but plucky Earthling could help sort out and ...

Hmmm. This doesn’t feel a million miles away from a certain other sci-fi film from a few years ago, but let’s jump back the 36 million or so miles to Mars to continue.

Blessed with superior strength and abilities, due to the planet’s different gravity, it’s not long before Carter’s leppin’ about the

place, helping the locals with their somewhat pressing issue of civil war.

Oh, and their imminent destruction by a superior race. Who will then tackle primitive Earth.

You may think that all of this would be a lot for a grizzled maverick-soldierturned-gold-prospectorturned-intergalactic-leader to sort out, but Carter’s a have-a-go kind of guy, and isn’t about to let mistrustful aliens, bloodthirsty politicians, dragonflyish warships and bloody big beasties get in his way of saving the day, the girl, the planet, our planet, and everything – and then go back to a mundane life on Earth – oh no!

And that’s yer lot.

Of course, there’s a wee bit more to it than just that, with lots and lots of CG-enhanced scenes and characters.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to say that there’s anything new in this film, over which the ghost of Avatar hovers. Oh, and the ghost of Star Wars. And Dune.

And several other films.

Kitsch (left) does his best, but the role doesn’t exactly demand much, bar standing around looking buff, angry, alarmed, or – nope, that’s pretty much it, and the other humans don’t exactly have a lot to work with, either.

To b e f a i r, they’re working with material that’s already weak – there’s a reason why so much Tarzan exists, but Carter’s a virtual unknown, making this a poor, Kitsch film.

15 March 2012 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 25

GazetteGAMING GAMING Bytesandpieces Scaling creative download heights

In Mass Effect 3, Shepard must lead his team to fight back against the Reaper menace to the Galaxy – but Earth comes under attack ...

Making a stand against the Reapers’ menace SHANE DILLON

THE wait is over – the Reapers have finally arrived at Earth, where it seems that it’s very much a case of Game Over for our species.

Or, rather, game on, as Mass Effect 3’s longawaited arrival has been keenly met by gamers, keen to continue the notable franchise with the

final part in the trilogy.

I reported last week on the title’s problems with being stocked at Game, but, this week, we’ll leave any such negativity behind to focus on the game itself.

And what a game.

Although it’s (just about) accessible to complete newcomers to the series, this is a title that very much builds up on all of

the expansive back story already established in the prequels, as well as the established characters, to deliver a title that’s very much more of the same, but ramped up to a much higher standard, and, of course, with an explosive finale.

To recap, the Mass Effect series, and universe, follows humanity’s role in the future as its expansion

Anotherweebyte...

An extra effect from Kinect’s hardware XBOX 360 gamers can avail of their Kinect hardware to get an extra boost to their gameplay, in another sign of how determined Microsoft is to make the most of their hardware to enhance a number of key titles.

So, this means that Kinect users can make the most of a number of Kinect features – principally by making use of audio commands to manage their squad on a number of fronts as they battle the Reapers and their minions.

Seeing as squads play a significant

role in a number of titles, and given the natural immersion that such a feature could add to a game, it seems like a natural addition to the title – one that may not be for every gamer (given the paper-thin walls in my new-build apartment, my flatmate and neighbours would be unlikely to appreciate my intergalactic battling by blathering to myself), but one that will feel like a natural fit for many gamers, keen to get any help they can to help tackle the Reapers’ plans.

into the galaxy puts it in conflict with older, more established civilisations, none of whom are too impressed by our upstart race.

Luckily enough, some plucky humans are just what the galaxy needs, given that an ancient race of sentient machines have reawoken, and are hell-bent on eliminating – or reaping – all sentient life across the galaxy, whose lifeforms would do very nicely to power their alarm clocks, showers and spaceships, thank you.

In Mass Effect 3, the game can either start with a new character, as defined by the player, or, by examining the gamer’s previous saves, can load up their character from the previous game and, based on their playing and choices so far, shape the story from that point on, creating what feels like a unique experience.

Here, the action continues with Shepard and

co trying to unite all the species for a desperate stand against the Reapers (Earth doesn’t fare too well, early on), with a pretty explosive mix of intense action, giving the gamers an awful lot of bang for their buck.

Again, there’ll be lots of player choice along the way, with actions and conversations taken along the journey determining how things play out – and who lives, and who dies.

Of course, there’s an awful lot more than this simple summary to the game – despite the streamlined experience, there’s substantial depth to the title – but, for those looking for an all-out action title, with quieter moments of debate and real choice to make, it’s hard not to be impressed by this stand-out title.

So, for a sweeping scifi opera, with some great action, Mass Effect 3 is a superb conclusion to a strong series.

CONTINUING the XBox 360’s coverage this week – and why not, given such strong content – another “House Party” downloadable title has popped into view, priced 1,200 Microsoft Points.

Running with what I’m terming the popular Apres-Armageddon genre (as seen in several instances, such as cinema’s The Road, television’s The Walking Dead, and any number of recent gaming titles, such as Enslaved), I Am Alive is a notably polished download-only title, featuring a desperate character’s attempts to survive in a post-apocalyptic urban setting.

Despite its lengthy-development period, which led many to doubt it would ever actually emerge from Development Hell, it’s finally been released, and has turned out to be a decent survival-horror title, where, perhaps a little controversially, the player is battling fellow survivors’ lawlessness as much as the ruined city’s dangerous environment.

It’s a good way to round off the 360’s House Party season, which featured some great titles and, as another enjoyable downloadable title, I Am Alive shows that there’s certainly plenty of life in this interesting gaming avenue for the 360.

GAZETTE

26 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 15 March 2012

CLONDALKINclassifieds

BATHROOMS

To advertise, call us now on 01 60 10 240

CLASSES

Email us at sales@gazettegroup.com BUILDING

DVD SERVICES

PET SERVICES

ELECTRICAL

CLASSES

PLUMBING

PLUMBING

DENTAL

GARDENING COMPUTERS

REPAIRS

DIVORCE SERVICES HANDYMAN

GIFT IDEAS

RECRUITMENT

WANT TO TALK TO YOUR LOCAL MARKET?

TALK TO US FIRST! ADVERTISE WITH YOUR LOCAL GAZETTE

Call your local sales person,

!

YOU CAN HAVE THIS AD FOR AS LITTLE AS...

...€300* FOR 12 WEEKS! *Excluding VAT. Subject to pre-payment

YOUR LOCAL GAZETTE FOR THE BEST LOW COST ADVERTISING

CALL US NOW ON 01 60 10 240

Colette Costello now on

01 6516233 ccostello@gazettegroup.com

15 March 2012 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 27

GazetteSPORT

DRIVING HOME Touring car starAaron Smith on coming back to Ireland: Page 29

ROWING: AMBITIOUS DRIVE FOR DUN LAOGHAIRE CLUB IN EPIC CELTIC CHALLENGE RACE

St Michael’s to row their boat all way to Wales sport@gazettegroup.com

Over the coming May bank holiday weekend, 12 men and women from St Michael’s Rowing Club in Dun Laoghaire will take part in a biennial rowing race across the Irish Sea known as the Celtic Challenge.

The race sets off from Arklow, Co Wicklow, with the finishing line in Aberystwyth, Wales.

At 150km, this relay race is billed as the long-

est rowing race in the world, and draws together 27 teams from Wales, Ireland and beyond.

The team is taking on this challenge to raise funds for a clubhouse in Dun Laoghaire, for the first time in the club’s 90 year history.

Not many races start and finish in different countries, a source of pride to the Welsh and Irish oarsmen and women involved. So, too, is the sport of coastal rowing

itself, which differs from the Olympic or Oxford v Cambridge code of rowing in a number of key ways. Seats are fixed, not sliding, and boats are of a more substantial construction to tackle the swell on open seas, which can reach several metres.

St Michael’s take things a step further by using quar ter-ton wooden clinker-built east coast skiffs rather than the modern fibreglass models, used by all other competi-

The east-coast skiff that St Michael’s will be piloting in the Celtic Challenge race in May

tors in 2010. Their solid wood oars are three times heavier than carbon fibre equivalents, requiring strength and a particular technique. In common with other clubs of Dublin and Wicklow, these boats originate from the Hobblers of old; crews of local men who would engage in unlicensed pilotage of

merchant shipping.

Each competing team in the Celtic Challenge consists of three rotating crews of four rowers and is accompanied by a support boat for navigation and for accommodating the resting crews.

Changeover strategy is down to each team, but most opt for a one-hour-

on, two-hours-off format.

Depending on weather conditions, the race may start in Arklow on the afternoon of the Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Crews row through the night, arriving in Aberystwyth the following morning or afternoon.

The squad is actively seeking sponsorship for

the challenge, in a drive to raise funds for a new clubhouse in Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Currently, the club lacks space to store their three wooden boats, space for indoor training and changing facilities. It is hoped that the money raised can be put towards achieving this long-standing goal.

28 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 15 March 2012

GazetteSport Sport

Julie Dunne, Kellie McKeon, Trish Mayon, Sheila Kenny and Mary Kelly

Trish Mayon

Lions’ number 9, Mary Kelly

Basketball Lions roar to the Dublin junior title D

UBLIN Lions comprehensively defeated The Green in the Dublin Junior Cup final last Sunday in the Oblates, with an emphatic final score of 78-31.

The Lions’ opponents on the day had defeated Lions’ second team in the semifinal the previous weekend, and deprived the club of a Lions v Lions final.

But in spite of that disappointment, from the first points dropped by Caro Lloyd, Lions were in command, and they dominated every quarter, scoring coming from all of the players, and ending with an 18-point fourth quarter.

Lions have two games left this season in the league, and are currently top of the table. Next in their sights is the double to add to this well-deserved victory in the junior cup final.

Action from the match between Dublin Lions and the Green

Little Lions in the crowd supporting with pride

The fans celebrate the final buzzer

15 March 2012 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 29

in association with

Smith happy to be driving home

FastSport

Motor racing ace, Aaron Smith, is a rising star of the touring car scene, and is relishing the prospect Roche returns to help to of racing in the Bavaria City event this June RATHFARNHAM man, Aaron Smith, has come a long way since his days of karting when he was 14.

The driver was last year crowned Motorsport Ireland’s Young Racing Driver of the Year in 2011.

His journey to the upper eschelons of the sport have taken him to Britain and Italy to compete in drivers’ championships in those countries, to great success.

Last year, Aaron competed in the UK’s AirAsia Renault Clio Cup and he also made his debut in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, and, in 2012, Smith is all set to make his mark in the British Touring Car Championship with the Motorbase Performance team.

Aaron will join some of the biggest names in world motorsport at the Bavaria City Racing Dub-

lin when it arrives in the city centre in June this year, and he was looking forward to the experience when he spoke to GazetteSport last week.

“I don’t know the last

tigious and well-known tracks in Europe, and, when driving in the Italian Clio Cup, was able to drive on the hallowed concrete of Monza and Immola, where he regis-

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

‘It’s nice to be able to come home and drive in front of an Irish crowd. I think it will open people’s eyes as to how motor sport is thought of here’ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

time a touring car driver got the chance to drive in Ireland. I’ve always raced across the sea, and it’s really nice to be able to come home and drive in front of a home crowd.

The event will be a huge success, but I’m delighted more to be coming home to drive before Irish fans of the sport.”

Aaron has cut his teeth at some of the most pres-

tered a number of stage wins.

Returning to Britain for the Clio Cup, he spent 2011 racking up some impressive drives, leading to him claiming the Graduate Cup, for young drivers under the age of 25, and finishing second overall in the championship.

All of that success was part of the masterplan,

Aaron SMith is relishing prospect of returning to Ireland this summer

explained Smith.

“My aim from when I started driving was to take part in the British touring car championship. That was the pinnacle of motor sport to me in Europe. Coming back from Italy, I knew I would be able to do well in the Clio Cup, and I knew that would open the doors to the touring car teams. Everything has come together for this year.”

With his Motor Race Performance team behind him, Smith is looking to shape up for 2012 and the test of the touring cars.

“There are ten races, and it is one of the biggest championships in Europe. It’s really massive - there are about 12 million TV viewers across the continent.

“The MRP team just missed out on winning the overall championship last year, so they have great experience that I can draw on. As well as that, Matt Jackson is my teammate this year, and driving alongside him has been hugely instructional and informative for me. I’m learning so much watching him on the track, and it brings you on in leaps and bounds without realising it.

“It’s just the imparting of experience, really.

I’m on the way over to Britain, to Snetterton in Norfolk, to do some testing there with the team.

We will both be driving our cars, and overlaying the data [from Matt and Aaron’s cars] to see where we can both improve our driving.

“The back-up team is very important - driving is only 10% of the job, and the rest is down to the backroom team.”

The season begins on April 1 at Brand’s Hatch, and Smith is hoping to capitalise on all he has learned in the preceding years.

“It’s a big learning curve, and I’m hoping to hit the ground running, and maybe get a top ten finish this year. I never like setting goals, but I’d like to think I can get some good results.”

As much as he appreciated the challenge of touring cars, however, coming home is something that Smith is more than happy to do.

“I’ve never driven competitively in Ireland.

It’s a shame as I would love to race at home, but the opportunity has never arisen. It’s always been the only choice to fly away from home.

“I’d love to think the Bavaria event can open people’s eyes as to how motor sport is thought of in Ireland. I think you’ll see a massive increase in the number of people who will want to go to the driving school in Mondello after the day, and that is what the scene needs over here.”

launch Irish Cycling Show

DUNDRUM cycling legend, Stephen Roche, will return to his old racing grounds when he will be the guest of honour at the Irish Cycling Show at the RDS on May 19 and 20.

The legendary Dublin cyclist is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his extraordinary 1987 racing season when he won the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the World Road Race Championships.

Roche will open the show on Saturday and will be in attendance during the weekend on the dedicated stand, which will feature various memorabilia from his fabled career.

Among the exhibits on the Stephen Roche stand will be the Battaglin bike with which he won the 1987 World Road Race championships in Villach, Austria, as well as various items of clothing and trophies from a career that spanned 13 years at the very top level of cycling.

Roche, whose 1987 “triple crown” of major wins places him in an exclusive company of two with Belgian Eddy Merckx, is looking forward to an opportunity to remember his famous year with fans in Ireland.

“I’m really excited to be appearing at the Irish Cycling Show,” says Roche, who now lives in Anitbes, France. “It’s high time there was an exhibition of this kind in Ireland and it’ll be great to be able to remember 1987 in the company of friends.”

Roche is still connected to the cycling world through Stephen Roche Cycling Holidays and Training Camps in Mallorca, his cycling vacations firm, which will be featured on his stand.

The Irish Cycling Show will feature exhibitors from every facet of cycling and related industry, including cycle retailers and distributors and there will also be emphasis on general feature attractions to entertain the whole family.

Plans in the pipeline include a test track around the venue, demonstrations, shows and seminars throughout the weekend. Further details on the show’s attractions will be announced in the coming weeks.

For more information, log on to www. irishcyclingshow.com

30 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 15 March 2012

GazetteSport Sport FastSport

GYMNASTICS: LOCAL CLUB’S SILVER AND BRONZE SUCCESS

Peamount seeking new blood for U-14 Majors PEAMOUNT United are looking for players who will be able to assist their Under-14 Major side.

The team trains from 7 to 8pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Greenogue. If you were born in or after 1998, and have not signed for any club this season and want to play Major football with a team still involved in two cups, contact 087 758 6648 for more information.

Elsewhere, Peamount United graduates Aine O’Gorman and Julie-Ann Russell were on target when the Ireland senior women’s international side signed off their Algarve Cup campaign with a 2-1 victory over Hungary.

At the end of a week that saw Ireland fail to get the results they wanted from their three group games, it was a particuarly positive week for Peamount, who saw striker Sara Lawlor make her debut and the club made a huge impact on the Irish line-up for each game.

Members of the Clondalkin Gymnastics club who took part in the Geneva International Acro Cup last weekend

Clon gym medal in Geneva sport@gazettegroup.com

CLONDALKIN Gymnastics Club recently returned from an incredibly successful trip to the Geneva International Acro Cup competition.

After six months of intensive training to reach the standard required for this level of competition, the team, led by head coach, Emer Kavanagh, a former international gymnast herself, and head of delegation, Julia Toomey, headed off to take part in the competition in Switzerland.

The competition took

place in Geneva in the Bois-des-Freres sporting arena, where 160 of the best gymnasts from all over Europe converged to take part in this prestigious twoday event.

The first of the Clondalkin Gymnasts to perform at Grade 3 were the Ladies’ Trio of Sophie Toomey, Fiona Tapley and Zoe Taylor who stepped out on the f loor determined to deliver a winning performance, and they did not disappoint.

They produced an almost flawless routine which was reflected in the judges scores that

earned them a silver medal.

Following on from the trio’s success the Grade 3 mixed pair of Barry Gouldsbury and Beatrice Fagan took to the floor and, once again, delivered an amazing performance for which they were awarded the bronze medal.

It was a great result for the g y mnasts to return from their first international competition with a total of five medals they did themselves, the club and Ireland proud.

Celtic Cup Two of the club’s sen-

ior gymnasts, Sophie Toomey and Zoe Taylor, will represent Ireland at the upcoming Celtic Cup to be held in Belfast this weekend when the Irish team will compete against the best gymnasts from England, Scotland and Wales.

Although the club has over the years had many gymnasts competing successfully at international competitions, it is the first time any gymnast from the club has been selected to represent Ireland in the Celtic Cup. Sophie and Zoe have been training together

as a pair for the last two years, and their selection for the Irish squad was based on the results of the Winter Championships where they were ranked the No 1 women’s pair in the country at Grade2.

The club would like to thank the accompanying parents and local businesses who supported them in getting the team to Switzerland.

You can see more photographs and information on the club on their Facebook page and also the club’s web page w w w.clondalkingymnasticsclub.com

Round Towers get in the ring sport@gazettegroup.com

Last week saw Round Towers GAA Club return to the ring to raise money for the sporting organisation following the massive success of last year’s event.

After eight weeks of intensive training with, among others, Olympic gold medallist, Michael Carruth, 30 boxers from the club, male and female, laced up their gloves at the Red Cow Moran Hotel to compete in front of a crowd

of around 500 and take part in the club’s second white-collar boxing fundraiser.

It promised to be an excellent night’s entertainment and those present were not disappointed, as not only were there a series of three-round bouts to get the crowd excited and off their feet, there was also an auction of top-class sporting memorabilia.

These included signed Dublin GAA, All-Stars and rugby jerseys, boxing gloves signed

by Michael Carruth, and other

items that attracted great interest.

This was be a vital fundraiser for a club that fields over 40 teams playing football, hurling, ladies’ football and camogie. The club caters for those from a nursery age group up to senior level.

Speaking after the event, club assistant secretary, Niall Connaughton, said: “All those who took to the ring had trained intensely for the past three months and their dedication and commitment came to

fruition on the night. This was to be a unique opportunity for those involved and Round Tower GAA Club is extremely grateful to all who are taking part for the sacrifice and commitments they have made.

“This was a vital fundraiser for the club and we were greatly encouraged by the support received by members and the wider Clondalkin community who come out and supported this enjoyable night of top-class entertainment,” said Connaughton.

15 March 2012 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 31

in association with

FOOTBALL: LATE LYONS SCORES LEADS TO DRAW

CLUB NOTICEBOARD ROUND TOWERS CONGRATULATIONS and many thanks

gratulations to Anne Byrne, Glory

to all our boxers, members, sponsors

and Bob Russell, who were the three

and helpers for their support of our

€100 winners. Next week’s jackpot is

white-collar boxing event held last

€6,300.

Friday evening.

The lotto committee are looking for

Membership is now overdue. Players

your assistance to sell Tower’s Lotto

and mentors are required to be paid

tickets on a Friday evening for one

up members for insurance reasons.

hour once a month. There will be four

Discount on club cards will be cut for

teams and each team will be rostered

those who have not renewed. Renewal

once a month and no more than one

forms are available on the club web-

hour will be needed. If you are able to

site or in reception in the clubrooms.

help please contact Matt McCormack

In the league, the senior footballers drew with Kilmacud Crokes, the jun-

on 087 683 6737 or email info@roundtower.ie.

ior A team beat St Brigid’s, while the

Cardiac Screening is available in

junior Bs defeated Naomh Mearnog

Clondalkin Medical Centre for all mem-

and our minor hurlers lost to Faugh’s,

bers. Discounted rate of €40 will apply.

respectively.

To arrange an appointment ring the

Lotto: Numbers drawn were 20, 26,

clinic on 01 4572788. Appointment times

29 and 30; Bonus Ball 27. There was no

available Tuesdays, Wednesdays and

winner of the jackpot of €6,200. Con-

Fridays 0830 - 1230, and 1400 - 1800.

LUCAN SARSFIELDS Round Towers left it late but earned themselves a point when they drew with Kilmacud Crokes last weekend

Towers rally to tie for first AFL point AFL DIVISION 2 Round Towers Kilmacud Crokes

0-13 1-10

I sport@gazettegroup.com

A LATE show from the Lyons’ brothers saw Towers earn their first point of the league season against Stillorgan side, Kilmacud Crokes.

A late rally was needed by the home side to earn the draw but it was the least Towers deserved against a strong Kilmacud side featuring a halfback line of Dubs’ stars Kevin Nolan, Paul Griffin and Cian O’Sullivan, as well as Darren Magee and Mark Vaughan.

Indeed, if they had taken one of a handful of goal chances they would have been coming away with the victory.

Towers trailed by two with just three minutes remaining and it was Tom Lyons who fed brother, Barrie, out in space on the right and he converted the chance from a tight angle to

leave the home side trailing by just a point, 1-10 to 0-12. And Tom then stood up in injury time to convert a 30-metre free that levelled the tie and see both sides leave with a point.

It was no more than Towers deserved. With the home side having missed chances, it was the visitors who took control in the final quarter and looked to have done enough to take home all the points.

With just ten minutes remaining they equalised to leave the score 1-8 to 11 points and a few minutes later they were two up, kicking two points from tight angles, before the late surge by Towers levelled the match.

Towers started the match with real conviction and were three points up after 15 minutes, but Crokes gradually came into the game and they kicked their first score after

18 minutes and, within five minutes, they were level.

Manus Smith almost netted for Towers but his low shot hit the post and bounced back into the keeper’s arms.

A C a t h a l C a r t hy point, after good work from half-back Brian Costello set him up, saw Towers move once again into the lead but Crokes were four ahead within four minutes, scoring 1-2 without reply.

Jason Joyce got free on the inside forward line and tapped over a point. Ian Ward then found himself in space and kicked a great score from 25 metres out, and a Carthy free just before half-time saw the home side trail by a point at the break.

Seconds into the second half Towers hit the post before Jason Joyce equalised four minutes in. Brian Costello and Derek Murray worked the ball out of the

defence and Costello kicked a score from the left to give Towers the lead.

Murray was hugely influential and kicked an excellent score to put Towers two ahead and Joyce kicked another to leave Towers a goal in front.

A Liam Connolly goal opportunity was sidefooted wide and this could have given Towers the cushion to allow them win the game.

Former Dublin star Vaughan was given a red card with just 15 minutes remaining, but Crokes showed excellent character and scored four points without reply to lead by two going into the final minutes.

A crucial one-on-one Keith Graham save meant Towers were still in it and they showed tremendous character and resilience to see the Lyons brothers earn the least Towers deserved from this game, a point.

Lotto: Numbers available on website. There was no winner. Next

Hard luck to the senior footballers beaten by Ballymun on Saturday.

week’s jackpot will be €1,500. Colette

Our first golf society outing of

Condon’s team will be in charge

this year is to Killeen on April 21.

next Sunday when our sponsor will

Contact Michael O’Grady for more

be Molloy’s Stores, Ballydowd .

details.

Results of last weekend’s games

Set dancing classes are every

are now on our website, w w w.

Wednesday from 8.30 to 10pm in the

lucansarsfields.ie.

function room of the clubhouse. No

Well done to our minor hurlers

experience required.

who beat Na Fianna by a point at the

Our nurseries for boys and girls

weekend and our Division 5 camogie

born in 2005, 2006 and 2007 are

team who beat Vincent’s.

every Saturday at 1.30pm on our

Well done to Orla Beagan on win-

all-weather pitch at the 12th Lock.

ning the U-16 ladies football Player

This is your child’s chance to be

of the Year, and to Clodagh Flanagan

coached by Dublin senior hurling

who received the most improved

captain, Johnny McCaffrey.

player award.

Congratulations to St Mary’s BNS on winning the Conor Griffin Cup.

Opening times for our club shop are Tuesday and Thursday 7.308.30 and Saturdays 10.30-11.30

ST PAT’S PALMERSTOWN THE senior footballers got off the

on Thursday last with Sam Maguire

mark with a fine league win over

paying us a visit in the clubhouse in

Trinity Gaels, while the juniors, with

the afternoon, then on to Johnstons’

their new mentor Paul Heffernan,

Paints new outlet in the shopping

had a narrow away win against Bal-

centre for the oficial opening, and

lyboden St Enda’s.

then back for an evening visit again

Senior camogie ladies registered their second league win at home to Ballinteer St John’s.

to the clubhouse.

To view our website, simply log on to www.stpatricksgaa.ie

Juvenile hurling: The Under-8s, 9s

Lotto: Numbers drawn were 7, 8, 13

and 10s played St Kevin’s, St Jude’s

and 26. There was no winner of the

and Round Towers (Lusk), while the

€9,000 jackpot. There was no match

Under-11s lost to Erin Go Bragh.

any three numbers winners. Four

Juvenile football: The Under-14s,

Lucky Dips winners were M Barton,

15s and 16s lost to Parnell’s, St Per-

Kevin Quinn, Megan and Pat McDer-

egrine’s and Ballyfermot DLS.

mott, and each receive €50.

It was juvenile presentation day

Next week’s jackpot is €9,200.

Follow GazetteSport on Facebook and Twitter, and at www.gazettegroup.com

ALL OF YOUR CLONDALKIN SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 27-31

LATE RETURNS: Round Towers rally to draw with Kilmacud Crokes in AFL 1 P31

MARCH 15, 2012

DRIVING FOR IRELAND: Touring Car star on his return to Dublin P29

Samildanach set to establish club clondalkinsport@gazettegroup.com

THE steering committee of Samildanach GAA club successfully hosted a meeting in the Coldcut club last Monday, with a view to the establishment of a new GAA club for the wider Clondalkin area.

It has been decided that the launch of the new club will take place on March 24, when Samildanach will host an open day for all children interested in playing the various GAA games for the club.

It was decided at the meeting that plans for the new Samildanach club would go ahead to cater primarily, but not exclusively, for the areas of Balgaddy, Bawnogue, Cherry Orchard and North Clondalkin.

The meeting was attended by parents and aspiring GAA players in the area, and due to the level of positive feedback, the establishment of the new club is now just weeks away.

GazetteSport spoke to Gary Kett, Samilda-

nach’s newly appointed Club Development Officer, about the reasons for the establishment of the club, and what they look to achieve in the next few years.

“There is no team in the area at the moment.

We have a few teams that surround us — Lucan Sarsfields are a good bit of a walk away, and Round Towers are based in the village, so it’s a bit of a journey out to them.

“Despite them being great, well-run clubs, in the current economic climate, people don’t have the money to be driving out to these different places.

“Most kids can walk to their training facilities, but, in the areas that we’re focusing on, there is definitely a need for a new club in the area,” said Kett.

A man with vast experience as a rounders’ player on the Leinster scene, Kett and the rest of the Samildanach committee will be focusing on developing the young enthusiasts in the area.

GazetteSPORT

The new Samaldanach club, hoping to appeal to the wider Clondalkin community, hosted an array of trophies at their meeting at Coldcut last week

“We’ll be focusing primarily on the kids from six to 13, there will be no adult team to begin with. We are hoping to have an adult team eventually, but that will be much further down the line.

“Our long-term goal is to have the first adult team to be made up of young players who have come through the development process that we are launching on March 24,” he said.

The open day for the club promises to be a fun affair for all who attend, with the club currently in the process of organising hurling and football activities for all to enjoy.

“The open day will be used to get some of the younger kids used to having the hurls or the footballs in their hands, and to gauge the level of interest for the different age groups.

“We want to get the word about the club out there so all of the children in the area can utilise the facilities we will provide, because we believe that the Gaelic games are a very positive outlet for kids,” said Kett.