Clondalkin 11 2 16 by Dublin Gazette

Gazette CLONDALKIN

INSIDE: We ask politicians why their constituents

should give them a vote in the general election Page 14-15

Gallery: Samaritans launch new Always There initiative at the Mansion House Page 12

Valentine’s: Have a date with a difference this year at Dublin Zoo Page 20

sport Boxing:

Ormond gets call for St Patrick’s bout Page 30

Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you

February 11-17, 2016

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The best things in life are FREE!

pancake party stirs up funds for children’s hospital

JOSH Farrell, Seanan Fisher and Aoibhe Fisher helped kick off the annual National Pancake Party in aid of the National Children’s Hospital.The National Children’s Hospital, Tallaght asked the public to enjoy their pancakes this year in aid of a worthy cause. By hosting a Pancake Party this week, you can help the National Children’s Hospital to raise vital funds needed to support over 65,000 sick children from all over Ireland who attend the hospital each year.Hosting a Pancake Party is simple; you can make your own or buy some and invite your family, friends, work colleagues, neighbours, or classmates. For more information and to get a Pancake Party fundraising pack, visit www.pancakeparty.ie.

Liffey Valley expansion brings major jobs boost Liffey Valley shopping

 ian begley

centre plans for huge

THE owners of Liffey Valley shopping centre have submitted a planning application for a major extension of the premises, which includes an ice rink and up to 60 new stores.

exension, including 60 new stores and an ice rink

The application, made by owners Hines Ireland, is also seeking permission for 1,800 additional car parking spaces and the development of a plaza underneath a glazed canopy. If the application is suc-

cessful, the scheme has the potential to create up to 450 construction jobs during the development and about 1,500 full-time and part-time jobs when completed. Local Cllr Jonathan Graham (SF) said: “This

news can only be welcomed. Over the coming weeks, I will put this plan into action and ensure that local people are aware of the potential employment gains.” Full Story on Page 3

2 CLONDALKIN Gazette 11 February 2016

tallaght | staff demonstration over funding

ITT Lecturers take action over cuts  Ian Begley

Lecturers and researchers from the Institute of Technology Tallaght joined their Institute of Technology peers by holding a one-day strike recently

Lecturers and researchers from the Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT) held a day of strike in protest of what staff say is the detrimental impact of funding cuts in the sector. The demonstration, which was also held throughout the other 13 Institute of Technology campuses around the country, saw approximately 4,000 staff in total participate. No classes took place as a result of the picket, which was organised by the Teacher’s Union of Ireland (TUI) from 7.45am – 8.45pm on February 3. The strike action was supported by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI). Speaking about their concerns, TUI president Gerry Quinn said: “Every day, Institute of Technology lecturers see first-hand the damage that an era of austerity cuts wreaks on the student experience of higher education. “The Institute of Technology sector has been brutalised by an era of anti-educational cutbacks and the latest figures speak for themselves. “Funding was cut by 35% (€190m) between 2008 and 2015. Over the same time period, student numbers rose by a staggering (32%) 21,411, while lecturer numbers actually fell by 9.5% (535). “This has had a direct, detrimental effect on the quality of service to students and the working conditions of academics. “In the absence of any move towards remedying this unacceptable situation, academic staff in the institutes have been left with no option but to take strike action. We urge the

Department of Education and Skills to engage with us on these crisis issues,” said Quinn. Kevin Donoghue, USI president,said: “Understaffed classes and underfunded Institutes of Technology mean a poorer standard of teaching and ,in turn, a poorer standard of learning. “USI stands in solidarity with TUI in their strike and are hoping for a positive outcome to the action. The rapid rises in student numbers, combined with the cuts in lecturer numbers, as well as the unstable employment contracts for many lecturers, have forced the TUI to take action,” he said. Responding to their concerns, a spokesperson from the Department of Education said: “The Department has been in regular contact with the TUI and continues to be available to engage with the union. It is regrettable that the TUI has decided to engage in this industrial action which will be disruptive for some 80,000 IT students.”

FastNews

Fatal NAAS Road collision being investigated by gardai

Gardai in Clondalkin are investigating a fatal road traffic collision that occurred on the Naas Road inbound past Newlands Cross in the early hours of Sunday, January 31. A man in his twenties was fatally injured when he was struck by a car. Gardai are appealing for witnesses to come forward with information, particularly those who were travelling into the city or towards Naas on the dual carriageway, or between Newlands Cross and the M50 turn off, between the hours of 3am and 4.30am on the day of the accident. Anyone with information are asked to contact Clondalkin Garda Station at 01 666 7600, or the Garda Confidential Number at1800 666 111.

Council’s 55+ Daily Activity available to download South Dublin County Council have produced a brochure to help older people find information on what’s going on every day in their local area. The 55+ Daily Activity is a snapshot of just some of the many activities and community groups for older people in Clondalkin, Lucan, Palmerstown and Tallaght. Inside the brochure people will find opportunities to engage in arts and cultural activities, social events, outings, sport and physical activity. To download the 55+ brochure visit www.sdcc.ie.

11 February 2016 CLONDALKIN Gazette 3

retail | planning application sought for a large addition

Liffey Valley plans major extension and ice rink  Ian Begley

The owners of Liffey Valley Shopping Centre have submitted a planning application for a major extension of the premises, which includes an ice rink and up to 60 new stores. The application, made by owners Hines Ireland, is also seeking permission for an additional 1,800 car parking spaces and the development of a plaza underneath a glazed canopy. According to Hines, the ice skating

arena will be of “Olympic standard” and will have the capacity for 2,500 spectators. It will be capable of hosting international ice-skating competitions, ice hockey matches and entertainment performances. If the application is successful, the scheme has the potential to create up to 450 construction jobs during the development and about 1,500 fulltime and part-time jobs when completed. The latest extension application

Tidy Towns seeking clean-up help Following a well-deserved Christmas break, Clondalkin Tidy Towns are back again to help make their community a nicer place to live and visit. The volunteer-based, not-for-profit group, are appealing to the local community to help them out in their Saturday morning clean-ups. All equipment is supplied to the volunteers and the group will be concentrating on ensuring that Clondalkin Village is litter free. They will be meeting in their usual spot of Tuthills carpark at 10am. For more information on their work and how to volunteer, visit the Clondalkin Tidy Towns Facebook page.

includes new retail space of 22,000 sq m, with the potential for a new anchor tenant-type store as well as a large number of new smaller shops and food outlets. Brian Moran, senior managing director of Hines Ireland, said: “This is a significant yet timely planning proposal for Liffey Valley, underpinned by evidence of emerging demand for this scale of expansion in the future. “We are submitting the application now as a strategic forward-planning

initiative aimed at the sustainable development of Liffey Valley in line with future market needs,” said Moran. Cllr Jonathan Graham (SF) recently met with both the management of the centre and a representative from Hines, the company overseeing the expansion and upgrade of the centre. He said: “At the time of the announcement, I warmly welcomed the plans. Liffey Valley is an integral part of our local economy, as both

a rate-payer and an employer. The expansion will only add to this. “We agreed to develop a multiagency approach, involving myself, local employment agencies, the centre and State bodies to generate a local employment dividend. This news can only be welcomed. “Over the coming weeks, I will put this plan into action, and ensure that local people are aware of the potential employment gains,” said Cllr Graham.

4 CLONDALKIN Gazette 11 February 2016

courts | man to be sentenced for his role in post office incident

Pregnant woman in robbery scare A convicted killer and armed robber who is due to be sentenced for the robbery of a post office while armed with a axe has told a court that this will be “the last of his offending behaviour”. Kenneth Wilson (46) of Deansrath Road, C l o n d a l k i n , h a s 18 previous convictions, including manslaughter, armed robbery and a charge of possession of firearms, for which he was sentenced to ten years. In 1999, he was jailed for five years for his role in the killing of Patrick Joseph Craig, a father of six, in 1992.

Wilson was one of two masked men who burst into Mr Craig’s home and shot him as he lay in bed.

Harm The court heard Wilson did not intend to cause serious harm and was under the influence of his co-accused at the time. Mr Justice Paul Carney called it a “a brutal and vicious assassination”. On February 1, Dublin Circuit Criminal Cour t heard that in November 2012 Wilson and two other men entered the Bawnogue post office.

Wilson was armed with an axe while the other men had a crowbar and imitation handgun. The men began to break down the security glass with their weapons while two staff members, including Louise Thunder, who was four months pregnant, locked themselves in the bathroom. The men took over €7,000 from the registers before fleeing in a blue BMW. The car was spotted near Deansrath Lawns with Wilson running away from it. When he saw gardai he slowed to a walk and went into a

house. Gardai followed him in and found him sitting on a stool and out of breath. Wilson claimed he had been there all morning and that he had just let a man in who climbed over the back wall. He was arrested and interviewed ten times but refused to make admissions. Only a small amount of the money was recovered. Wilson later pleaded guilty to robber y at Bawnogue Post Office on November 28, 2012. In a short victim impact report, Ms Thunder said she feared she might lose

Tribute to The Rising at stadium Paths To Freedom, the flagship event of South Dublin County Council’s 1916 Centenar y Programme is coming to Tallaght stadium on Saturday, February 27. This event will see a unique package of lectures, presentations and entertainment events to remember the 1916 Rising, 100 years on. F r o n t e d b y R TE b r o a d c a s t e r s My l e s Dungan, Joe Duffy and Tur tle Bunbur y, the council’s Paths To Freedom programme will bring together a team of authors and key academics with important things to say about the legacy of 1916, plus a cast of international performers, for a special two-part commemoration. The event is free, but booking is essential. To book, see www.pathstofreedom.eventbrite. ie or call 01 414 9285.

A Clondalkin man is due to be sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his role in the robbery of a post office at Bawnogue

her unborn child because of the trauma. Defence counsel Padraig Dwyer SC told Judge Sarah Berkeley that Wilson “sees this as the last of his offending behaviour”. He said he was now

looking for work and that he was at a low risk of re-offending. Counsel asked Judge Berkeley to consider that one of Wilson’s co-accused received a suspended sentence for his role.

However, the judge noted this person was 20-years-old and had no previous convictions. Judge Berkeley ordered a probation report and remanded Wilson in custody until April 15.

11 February 2016 CLONDALKIN Gazette 5

6 CLONDALKIN Gazette 11 February 2016

clondalkinGazettegallery | Newcastle Ladies Social group

Kathleen Byrne and Patricia Dunbar

Sylvia Kavanagh, Lil Davis, Pamela Allen, Kathleen Condron, Rita Murphy, Phylis Fitzgerald, Bridie Murphy, Ann McNally and Norma Smith. Pictures: Cathy Weatherston

Phil O’Leary and Ann McNally

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Kathleen Moran and Margaret Keaney

11 February 2016 CLONDALKIN Gazette 7

hold donation of 1,000 knitted baby hats for premature babies

Hats off to a very worthwhile event

Mairead Reck

Margaret Maher, Carmel Carter, Mary Bane, Helena Boland, Eileen Hughes and Babs Doody

8 CLONDALKIN Gazette 11 February 2016

Tallaght | emergency response unit arrest pair after they flee in car

Guilty cousins jailed for burglary Two cousins who were pursued by the Emergency Response Unit following a burglary in Louth and an attempted burglary in Meath have been jailed. The pair fled in a car containing a range of housebreaking tools and one of them was caught wearing a balaclava and gloves, as well as shoes taken in the burglary earlier that day. Edward Wall (43) of Fortunestown Crescent, Tallaght and Patrick Wall (36) of Bawnleigh Avenue, Tallaght pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary of a house at The Park, Highlands, Drogheda, Co Louth on October 31, 2014. They also pleaded guilty to the attempted burglary of a house at Gainstown, Co Meath

on the same date. Judge Leonie Reynolds imposed four year sentences on both men and suspended the final year. She ordered €500 from each man be paid over to the victim of the burglary. Detective Garda Mary Moore told James Dwyer BL, prosecuting, that gardai had put a surveillance operation in place after receiving information about the location of a silver Mazda suspected of being used in a earlier burglary. They became aware that the registration plates had been changed during the day. She said that at 8.20pm the Emergency Response Unit was detailed to intercept the car, which had been observed on the Balbriggan road travelling

towards Dublin. The car was signalled to stop but failed to do so and collided with garda vehicles in an attempt to escape. The driver, Edward Wall, jumped out of the car and was pursued by gardai before being arrested. Patrick Wall and a second man were taken from the rear of the car by an armed garda. The car boot contained a range of “house breaking” tools including pliers and screwdrivers. A log splitter – a type of hatchet with a long handle – and a petrol can and siphon tube were also recovered. Gardai also found a sock containing jewellery taken in the Drogheda burglary. The house had been ransacked while the owner was away and substantial damage total-

Two cousins have been jailed for a burglary in Louth and an attempted burglary in Meath

ling €4,600 had been caused. Some time after the Drogheda burglary a homeowner in Gainstow n in Co Meath observed a car driving slowly past her house

and then saw three men in her garden heading towards her side gate. A neighbour heard shouting and went outside where he heard a car “rev up” and take off fast. As the car

The Criminal Court of Justice

came around the bend towards him, he hit at it with a metal bar in an attempt to stop it. Gda Moore said damage consistent with this was found on the vehicle later stopped by gardai.

Mr Pieter Le Vert said Edward Wall, who suffers with depression, had fallen into a spiral of alcohol and cocaine abuse following a number of family tragedies. He had repeatedly relapsed and was abusing drink and drugs at the time of these offences. B a r r y Wa r d B L , defending Patrick Wall, said his client had a difficult upbringing which included his father abandoning the family before he was born and the death of his brother. He was struggling with depression and alcohol abuse but was not drunk at the time of the offence. Mr Ward said a custodial sentence would cause great difficulty. Patrick Ward had brought €3,000 as a token of remorse.

11 February 2016 CLONDALKIN Gazette 9

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shop local | The Gazette focuses on Clondalkin Village and calls on

Supporting our ď&#x201A;&#x2030; ian begley

londalkin has a bounty of independent and familyowned businesses with many starting to feel an increase in revenue as the Irish economy is improving. One local business that has survived the testament of time is Beck Tansey & Co Solicitors, which has been providing legal services in Clondalkin for over 30 years. Established in 1981, their dedicated support team have said that their aim is to provide a service of the highest quality in a prompt, personal and proactive manner. Some of the newer businesses sprouting up in Clondalkin over the past few years have

also been making a big impression on the community. Donegans Sea Food shop in Clondalkin village is a family run business that has been in Clondalkin for the past five years and despite starting out in the peak of recession, the business still manages to be a catch with local residents. The Factory Outlet on Orchard Road is a family run company that was first established over 20 years ago. The businesses specialise in the supply and fitting of Tiles, Bathrooms, Kitchens and wardrobe. Their contract division is GD Tiling Ltd who have been working on some of the most prestigious developments with some of the biggest developers and contrac-

tors in Ireland. They say their success comes from our high quality products, attention to detail, top class workmanship and their dedication to customer service. They believe it is this combination that sets them apart from their competitors.

Property Partners Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Brien Swaine, Clondalkin and Dundrum are part of The Property Partners Real Estate Group which is an independently owned auctioneering group with more than 25 offices nationwide. Since being founded in

2000, Property Partners has established itself as a leading player in all sectors of the Irish property market. The local company specialises in sales, rentals, property management and valuation of all types of residential and commercial properties across

11 February 2016 CLONDALKIN Gazette 11

the community to ensure the area thrives

local businesses

all corners of Dublin City and further afield. With over 25 years combined experience between them at the highest level Paul O’ Brien & David Swaine have a proven track record that speaks for itself which has been achieved through years

of hard work and achieving the highest prices for owners and landlords. They believe that this level of experience, knowledge and professionalism are crucial when dealing with the challenging and changing residential property market which they are

currently experiencing. Cash In rags, based in Watery lane are now going into their fifth year in business. Donna, who runs the company, says that there are a lot of people these days interested in recycling their old clothes to them.

She said: “When we first started things were going real slow and now it has built up a lot. People like the idea of clearing out their house of old clothes and bringing it into us for exchange of money. Anything that can be worn again we’ll pay for it. Mill Cabs, based in the Mill Shopping Centre, has been in operation for over 30 years and continues to serve the people of Clondalkin on a daily basis without any stop for rest. Clondalkin Denture Service, Agnes Road, is another local business that strives to meet the need of its patients and help them feel at ease. Local businesses can also avail of South Dublin County Council’s shop front grant scheme for 2016. The scheme is

intended to improve the appearance of independently owned shops fronting public streets. The scheme is intended to improve the appearance of independently owned shops fronting public streets and in turn make the streetscape more attractive to shoppers and visitors alike. Grants are available for something as simple as painting your shop, replacing signage or even replacing your entire shopfront. Grants up to a maximum of €8,500 are available (50% of the overall cost of works). Further details can be found at www.sdcc.ie/ business or by calling 01-414961. The closing date for applications is Friday, March 11.

12 clondalkin gazette 11 February 2016

Gazettegallery

| Dublin Samaritans Launch their ‘Always There’

Aidan Carr, Anne-Marie Sheehan and Rachel Wright

Aisling Eyre, Richard Lewis and Bairbre Power

Mary and Jasmine Stott at the launch of Dublin Samaritans “Always There” Pin which is widely available for €5 with all proceeds going Mary, Barry and PJ Lennon

Carrie Crowley and Mary Coughlan

directly to Dublin Samaritans. Pictures: Pearl Phelan

Good things...

ALL NEW SPORTAGE Airton Kia Airton Road,Tallaght, Dublin 24, (01) 400 0044, www.airton.ie Michael Tynan Motors Newlands Cross, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, (01) 403 6700 www.tynanmotors.ie

11 February 2016 clondalkin gazette 13

fundraising Pin, designed by Richard Lewis, at The Mansion House

Amy Buckley and Katie Murphy Pat Delaney, Brendan Gallagher, director of Dublin Samaritans, Mary Delaney and Julie Wrenn and Elaine Sheridan

Gerard Mulligan

Launching a fundraiser pin to support services

Miriam McNally and Pat Dolan

kia.com

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Gazette

14 Gazette 11 February 2016

dublinlife

ask the politician | in the build up to the general election the gazette asks Question: The Gazette wants to know why our readers – your constituents – should give you their vote?

Your vote will help me and Fine Gael build on progress made so far  minister for health leo

varadkar (FG)

I’M ASKING for your number one vote on polling day for two reasons. First of all, because I want the

Government to be re-elected. Only a fine Gael-led government can secure the recovery, and keep the economy strong, and that’s what’s needed to put money back in your pocket and to raise the revenue that we need to invest in health, education, childcare and infrastructure. I’m also asking for your vote because I want to continue my work as a TD for Dublin West. I’ve represented Dublin West as a TD for nine years, and before that as a member of Fingal County Council. As a Government minister, in

the past five years I’ve helped to secure funding to open St Francis Hospice, to upgrade Connolly Hospital, to build lots of new schools, to invest €2.5m in 30 sports clubs, develop the Royal Canal Greenway and the National Sports Campus, and provide additional Gardai. I also took the decision to locate a new children’s unit at Connolly Hospital and to relocate the Rotunda Hospital in Blanchardstown. As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I oversaw The Gathering and the reduction in VAT for tourism and hos-

pitality, which led to a recovery in tourism and a record year in 2015. In aviation, the travel tax was abolished, helping Dublin Airport to return to growth. I took the decision to link up the Luas lines, for which the tracks are being laid, introduced the Leap card, the new driver’s licence, and restarted the National Lottery sports grants. But there’s a lot more that needs to be done. And I can do that, but only with your support, and only if I can be back in the Dail and back around the Cabinet table.

The work goes on, and your vote will help Labour and me to support all  tanaiste joan burton (lab)

THE Labour Party will stand up for workers, families and older people. As Tanaiste and Labour Leader, my focus is on driving economic and social recovery, so that every person benefits from renewed prosperity. I’m working tirelessly to make Dublin West the best possible place to live, work and raise a family. Labour’s ambition is for every family to be able to feel recovery in their own lives, through more jobs, new schools, better parks and amenities. We’ll ensure low- and middleincome workers have more take home pay, by abolishing the universal social charge on the first €72,000 of income. In the past year, Dublin 15 has seen very impressive jobs growth, with a number of additional jobs announcements at IBM, Alexion, Bristol Myers and Guidewire, involving hundreds of new jobs. More people are going back to work and the Live Register continues to fall. And, behind every new job is a person or family feeling the benefits of recovery in their own lives. We can keep up this good

momentum on the jobs front if we have stable, balanced Government, which only Labour can provide. I have worked extremely hard in Government to ensure major investment in schools for Dublin 15. That work is paying off – a number of new schools have opened in Dublin 15 and work is under way on several more, including St Mochta’s Clonsilla and Luttrelstown Community College. The work goes on. There are six major new building projects for schools in Dublin West included in the Government’s capital plan for the next five years.

In terms of healthcare, my focus is on providing more primary care centres for Dublin 15, and continuing investment in Connolly Hospital. There is now a new primary care centre on the Navan Road, and a brand-new centre opened in Blanchardstown last year. Another new centre is planned for Corduff. Together, we have overcome massive challenges and got Ireland back on its feet. Now we have a great opportunity to build on that progress. On election day, I’m asking voters in Dublin West to re-elect me to ensure we seize that opportunity.

11 February 2016 Gazette 15

Ask the politicians some prominent politicians what their thoughts are on a top question

A vote for me, and People Before Profit, is a vote for building some people power  Deputy richard boyd

barrett (PBP)

THE centenary of the 1916 Rising, if it is to mean anything, should open up a debate about what sort of country we want. Have we as a society cherished “all of the children of the nation equally”? Quite clearly that is not the case. The recent bank enquiry only served to confirm that Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, and the Labour Party protected the interests of

the banks and the elite at the expense of the vast majority of the people. The most vulnerable in our society paid the highest price. People Before Profit stands for a different kind of politics. At a national level, we have played a leading role in building movements of people power, such as the Right2Water campaign, the successful campaign to [prevent the] sell-off of our forests, campaigns for social housing and the campaign to Repeal the 8th Amendment.

Society People Before Profit believes that as well as getting TDs elected, we have to unite young people and pensioners, workers and unemployed, students, women, the LGBT community, and those with disabilities to create a fair society. A TD can only be effective when the power of the people

is mobilised around the issues that affect people’s lives. That is what we have done over the past 15 years or so, nationally and in Dun Laoghaire. We have been central to campaigns to save the [Dun Laoghaire] baths site, to stop the sale of St Michael’s Hospital, to keep the A&E open on a 24-hour basis, to keep the bus service in Sallynoggin and Killiney, to save our wonderful harbour for the people, and numerous other campaigns. We have not always been successful in every campaign, but we have made a difference. The people of Dun Laoghaire know that they will get our wholehearted support for any of the issues that affect their life and our town. Help us build this movement for change by getting involved with us and by electing me on February 26.

I and Fianna Fail want to keep working to create An Ireland for All  party leader micheal martin

(FF)

THIS election is a fundamental choice about the sort of Ireland we, as a people, can create. Will we move forward together as a country or will we continue to become more unequal and unfair under Fine Gael and Labour? Fianna Fail is clear where it stands – we need a new Government committed to building “An Ireland for all”, not just a few. We will work for an Ireland where economic growth is felt across the nation, families can own their own home, streets are safe, hard work is rewarded and society takes care of its young, vulnerable and older people. We are the only party to have our manifesto independently costed in order to ensure we can fully deliver our policies. Our plan to build “An Ireland for all” is based on four key priorities – to create decent jobs and support enterprise, to cut family costs

and improve the services they rely on, to tackle crime and develop community services, and to secure home ownership and tackle homelessness. These are our core priorities to invest in public services and give families a break. Amongst our specific proposals to achieve this we will increase the state pension by €30 a week, abolish the universal social charge for low- and middle-income earners, build 150,000 new homes by 2021,

increase Garda numbers to 15,000, and abolish Irish Water and scrap water charges. This election, 100 years on from the foundation of our Republic, gives you a chance to vote for “An Ireland for all” and help to achieve a vibrant, secure future for you and your family. A new government, with Fianna Fail’s four core priorities at its heart, can deliver that country. I am looking for your support on February 26 to secure “An Ireland for all”.

16 Gazette 11 February 2016

Gazette

dublinlife Have a date with a difference at Dublin Zoo this Valentine’s Day

Dublin Zoo is hosting a romantic Valentine’s experience for 100 couples this February 13 and 14. Upon entering the zoo, couples will collect a romantic breakfast picnic from Haughton House and then experience the early morning sights and sounds of the zoo. Throughout the morning the animal care team will host special keeper talks on the courtship, breeding and the exotic romantic rituals of some of the animals. Couples will also r e c e i ve a r o m a n t i c goody bag and souvenir key ring to keep as a reminder of their special

date. Tickets are €65 per couple and are available online at Dublinzoo.ie.

Trainspotting takes to the stage at Smock Alley A stage adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting is returning to Smock Alley Theatre this month. The infamous book and subsequent movie made a huge impact on popular culture. With the Scottish accents and defining soundtrack, the iconic characters of Renton, Spud, Sick Boy and Begbie take to the Smock Alley stage with a snappy adaptation by Reality:

Check Productions. Both fans of Trainspotting and first timers are set to enjoy this theatrical experience. The show runs throughout February and tickets are €12/€15.

Visit key locations of THE rising in A special truck A new bus tour is taking to the streets of Dublin to highlight the city’s landmarks that hold significance to The Rising. The 1916 Freedom Tour is a unique experiential guided tour with supporting audio visual period footage of key locations of 1916 Dublin in a specially converted 1916-themed truck.

The tour starts and finishes from Merrion Square West near the Oscar Wilde Statue at 10am, 12am, 2pm, and 4pm. Tours are running Wednesday to Sunday, but expanding to seven days in September. The tour is non-political and non-biased and is intended to give passengers a real snapshot of what it was like to live during the bloody battles that were not only to shape the future of Dublin but the Irish nation and beyond. Some sights on the hour-long tour include the GPO, Dublin Castle and Parnell Square Memorial. Passengers will also get the chance

diary

Dublin Zoo is hosting a romantic Valentine’s experience for 100 couples

to view authentic period replica weapons and equipment. Ticket prices vary.

a spectacular evening of Irish music, song and dance

Full Set are taking to the stage in Whelan’s on Wexford Street this Valentine’s Day to launch their third album

Traditional Irish group Full Set are taking to the stage in Whelan’s on Wexford Street this Valentine’s Day to launch their third album, Notes Between the Lines. The six-piece band have gained recognition over the years for their distinctive and energetic sound and have featured on The Late Late Show and are popular on the European music festival circuit. The show at Whelan’s promises to be a spec-

tacular evening of Irish music, song and dance with special guests on the night including contemporary Irish music group, Kern. Tickets are €10 and are available at www.whelanslive.com.

keeping children safe by keeping them connected ISPCC Childline and the Vodafone Ireland Foundation have announced a major five-year partnership that aims to keep children safe by keeping them connected. The partnership will provide the charity with €2 million in direct funding from the Vodafone Foundation over five years and cover the call costs for the Childline

service for ten years, until 2026. It will also update Childline’s technologies and service infrastructure and offer additional resources including Vodafone’s Be Strong Online Programme, to support children and parents through some of the issues they face in today’s digital society. Over the last 10 years, Childline has experienced a 75% increase in children seeking support online. Through this new partnership the charity will now develop a new total communications infrastructure which aims to improve children’s access to Childline and provide a 24-hour online digital platform.

11 February 2016 Gazette 17

FEATURE A day in the life: actress Jane McGrath on TV3’s Red Rock, and working on her screen play

Getting red-dy for a day on hit show

ACTRESS Jane McGrath has been gracing our screens as Garda Sharon Cleere on TV3’s Red Rock since the show premiered last year. Between filming, working on her own screen play, finding time to simply “breath” and come into her own as a person, McGrath sat down with The Gazette to talk us through a typical day in her life. McGrath always gets up early to “get a bit of head space before the madness of the day begins” and listens to music on her walk to work and has a bowl of porridge before going into production to get her ‘side’. “A side,” she says, “is

basically the schedule for the day that outline what scenes we’re going to film”. Four episodes or a cycle of Red Rock are shot every week with a new director each week. McGrath says that the scenes are not filmed in chronological order so what she usually does is consult her notes which contain a description of all the scenes and write what comes before and after the scenes she’s about to film so she can “get the emotions for the scene right”. “Sharon is going through a lot of stuff so I have to know how she’s feeling for each scene.”

It’s time for props, make-up and wardrobe after that where she dons the “lovely blue uniform” and gets mic’d up. “They hide a little microphone under my tie,” she said. Once on set, McGrath and her screen mates do a rehearsal and line reading with the director before a camera rehearsal so the whole crew can watch the scene on screen before shooting the real thing. “We might only get two or three takes at the most before we have to move on, so you have to be on the ball and make clear choices.” Come lunchtime, McGrath says she’s sticking to her New Year’s

resolution of making her own healthy lunches before filming for the rest of the day. Once home after a long day of filming, McGrath says she has to unwind and “shake Sharon off”. To do this she watches Friends. “I’m actually addicted to Friends,” she laughs, “It’s the only show I watch on the telly at the moment!” She says that watching Friends when she was younger is initially what inspired her to become an actress and though she hasn’t yet, she would love to do some comedy acting at some point. Mostly she’ll spend her evenings learning her lines

Jane McGrath stars as Garda Sharon Cleere on TV3’s Red Rock

for the next day before bed but recently McGrath has started writing and is working on a screen play. “I’m really enjoying writing at the moment – I don’t know exactly what it

is yet, it could be a feature film or a mini-series, we’ll see.” Has being a soap star changed McGrath’s daily life yet? “Not miraculously,” she says, “but it’s

nice when you’re walking down the street and somebody says: ‘Ah go on Sharon!’” Red Rock is on every Wednesday and Thursday at 8.30pm on TV3.

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18 Gazette 11 February 2016

dublinlife

FEATURES

the money doctor: making a financial plan - part 2

Start saving now to get the best long-term return  john lowe Continued from last week

Setting your financial objectives Once you have an idea of how you want things to turn out, you can start to think about what your precise financial objectives are. Obviously, these are

going to vary according to your age, circumstances and desires. If you are in your first job, you are going to be thinking rather differently from someone who is approaching retirement. Therefore, you may find it useful to divide your financial objectives into the short-, mediumand long-term. Let me

give you a simple, reallife example ... Paul is 29. He is a teacher. His short-term financial objectives are to get rid of his creditcard debt (left over from university), start building up some savings and buy a car. His medium-term objective is to buy a home. His long-term

objective is to earn some extra income with which to boost his pension, since he has decided he wants to retire when he is 55. Setting and prioritising your financial objectives is hardly rocket science, as you can see.

Checklist to help you decide what you want W hat should your financial objectives be? Here are some options: - Having an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses. - Paying off any personal loans, credit-card debt, overdrafts, store cards, hire purchase, leases, other debts or ransom notes (just checking you were paying attention). - Building up shortterm saving for cars, holidays and so forth. - Protecting your most valuable asset – your income – in case you are unable to earn money for any reason. - Protecting yourself (and, if relevant, your partner) with life cover. - Starting a pension plan. - Buying a home (probably with the help of a mortgage). - Saving for major purchases. - Planning for education fees (if you have children), whether for private school or university. - Building up your personal investments. To this, I suppose we could add planning for long-term care, if you’re

The Money Doctor – John Lowe (inset) – continues his article discussing the wisdom, and ways, to work on creating a sound financial plan

worried that your pension and/or the State and/or ungrateful children may not provide for you sufficiently in your very old age.

Five useful financial-planning tips Bear in mind the following principles when deciding what your financial priorities should be: 1. For most people, their greatest asset is their income. Unless you are fortunate enough to receive a windfall, it is almost certainly your income that you will use to achieve your financial objectives. Under the circumstances, you don’t want to risk it and you don’t want to waste it. There are all sorts of inexpensive insurance policies designed to protect your income. Incidentally, anyone under retirement age is 20 times more likely to be unable to work for a prolonged period because of sickness than they are to die, which is why I keep droning on about income

protection often being more important than life cover. 2. Personal debt, by which I mean everything from store cards to mortgages, will be the biggest drain on your income. If you’ve borrowed money (and obviously there are many circumstances under which this makes excellent sense), then you should make it a priority to repay your loans as quickly as possible. If you have over-indulged, remember the sniper approach – pay off the most expensive debt first and we are talking short-term, high interest debt. 3. It’s vital to have a safety net or emergency fund ( RDF – rainy day fund ) to deal with those little trials, tribulations and extra expenses that life often throws our way. Also, you want to make as big a return as possible from your investments. As a rule of thumb, between three and six months of

your net annual income should be the target. 4. If you’ve got a good, secure income, it doesn’t actually matter what other assets you possess. Emotionally, it’s nice to have the security of owning your own home. Financially, it certainly makes sense. But, actually, an investment that is just as good and maybe better is a really decent pension plan. With a good pension plan you can leave work early and, if you live to 100 or more, never have to worry about money again – and you are never too young to start. 5 . K n ow t hy s e l f . There’s no point in setting financial objectives that you’re going to find impossible to attain. Your financial objectives may involve modest changes to your behaviour, but they shouldn’t require a complete change in your personality! Email me for more, or see www.independentfinancialadvice.ie.

OUT&ABOUT Never be out of the loop on what’s happening in Dublin! Let Out&About be your guide to all that is stylish, cultural and essential across the city and beyond this week

Pets sweet, playful rufio will ruffle your heart strings The Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs. Our Dog of the Week this week is Rufio, a oneyear-old male Greyhound cross. He is a playful, silly ball of fun, giddiness and affection, and loves company and cuddles especially snuggling on the couch next to people. Rufio is a very gentle scallywag, but due to his size, he would be best suited to a home with older children. If you think there is a place in your family for this lovely dog, please contact Dogs Trust on 01 879 1000. They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website www.dogstrust.ie. You can also find them on Facebook www.facebook. com/dogstrustirelandonline or Twitter @DogsTrust_IE.

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Gazette

11 February 2016 Gazette 19

event: 140 films from the four corners of the globe

Screen legend set to attend Film Festival  Ian Begley

The Audi Dublin International Film Festival (ADIFF) is set to mark its 15th year in the capital, showcasing more than 140 films from the four corners of the globe from February 18 to 28. The majority of films shown at the film festival (previously sponsored by Jameson) are Irish premieres, and for some of the films shown, the festival represents the only public screening that will take place in Ireland. The festival is a citywide event that takes place in all of the Dublin City Centre cinemas including Cineworld, The Savoy, Irish Film Institute and the Light House Cinema in Smithfield. Since its inauguration the festival has prided itself on creating a unique f o r u m o f e xc h a n g e between the public and the filmmaking community through hosting a whole range of events that allow the public to interact with filmmakers in the form of public interviews, panel discussions and Q&A sessions. This year’s much antic-

ipated gala event will see John Carney’s Sing Street open the 2016 festival on February 18. Multi-award winning film veteran Angela Lansbury will also be making an appearance at the festival, where she will participate in an unmissable public interview at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, and will be also presented with the Festival Tribute Award by President Michael D Higgins on Sunday, February 21. Past recipients of this award have included Gabriel Byrne, Daniel Day Lewis, Consolata Boyle, George Morrison, Paolo Sorrentino and Thierry Fremaux. “It’s a huge delight to welcome Angela Lansbury to Dublin to discuss her life and career on stage and to accept our festival tribute award, the Volta,” said festival director, Grainne Humphreys. “A legend whose first films were the classics Gaslight, and The Picture of Dorian Gray, from the chilling The Manchurian Candidate to Disney favourites Bedknobs and

Broomsticks, Beauty and the Beast and Anastasia, Angela Lansbury has created an indelible impression on world cinema.” Irish director Paddy Breathnach’s stunning drama Viva has been announced to close the festival on Sunday, February 28. “It is a thrill and a delight to finally be showing Viva to a home audience,” said Irish actor and screenwriter, Mark O’Halloran. “To have it screen as the closing film makes that all the sweeter.” The film tells the story of Jesus, a young gay man, who discovers that the only time he is free from life’s struggles is when he is on stage transformed into Viva, his beautiful alter ego that bares her soul on stage. Season tickets are now available for the festival, offering free entrance into all screenings, exclusive galas and after-show parties during the festival. For a full line-up of films taking place this year and for more information about the festival, visit www.diff.ie.

Audi Dublin International Film Festival director Grainne Humphreys spoke warmly of legendary actress Angela Lansbury, who will be presented with an award

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OUT&ABOUT yb lower eys F Penn

Penneys Bustier €15

ra €8

The range has certified-organic credentials, helping to care for every skin type and skin concern

€4 pant s

M&S

Be M ine €

4.49

LOVELY

gifts

ST VALENTINE’S Day is just around the corner – but don’t panic: there’s still plenty of time to find a great gift for that special lady in your life (or even just for yourself). Whether seeking to look your best for the most loved-up day of the year, or simply looking to give something as a thoughtful year-round reminder of your feelings, we have rounded up a range of gifts that are sure to put a smile on her (or your) face. And, if the thought of tucking into some romantic choccies is too much to handle, don’t forget to share!

Russell Hobbs Hand blender €32.99

Loreal Pro Fiber hair care €21.99 NYX Round lipstick €7.49

WITH an army of high-profile celebrity fans including Tamsin Outhwaite, Lisa Eldridge, Angellica Bell, Rosie Fortescue, Katie Piper and Sian Welby – you would be forgiven for presuming Organic Surge Skincare to have a celebrity price tag to go along with it – but not so! These fans love this brand because it is 100% organic. I have become more and more concerned about what I am putting on my skin, and lately I have considered going completely organic. That’s why I was so delighted to hear about Organic Surge and really wanted to give the products a whirl. This new affordable organic skincare range has certified-organic credentials, and provides a comprehensive range of daily and extra care products for every skin type and skin concern. The extra care product range contains a night cream, day cream, a serum and a beautiful oil that can

be used all day long to brighten up tired skin. This product was born out of need. The creator’s wife was quite unwell and he wanted her to have purely organic, natural products to put on her skin – Organic Surge Skincare was the result. The products are not tested on animals and are 100% free of harsh chemicals – no parabens, sodium lauryl sulphate, no artificial fragrances or colourants and no genetically modified ingredients. And the very soul of Organic Surge lies in its charitable donations and hands-on work spanning many years. Stand out products for me are the Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser (150ml, €18.99) and the Replenishing Facial Oil (200ml, €7.99). You can now pick up Organic Surge products at Allcare pharmacies in Dublin, Cork, Kildare and Louth. For additional stockist enquiries, contact Blue Sky Products at 01 461 0645.

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 mimi murray

Crabtree & Evelyn Body lotion €22

Pen n

Singing the 100% organic praises of the Organic Surge Skincare range of products

Thomas Sabo Rose gold bracelet €179

Weir & Sons Laura Whitmore daisy bracelet €89

no €7. 99

STYLE

Gazette

Arnotts Melinda Maria Jewellery €80

Weir & Sons Alex and Ani bangle €36

M&S Hidden Heart 210g madeira cake Lidl Deluxe dozen roses €See in store Meagher’s Pharmacy Group Gucci Guilty

Arnotts Melinda Maria ‘sassy marquis’ earrings €103

Pandora Silver heart ring €39

Li d lK imo

11 February 2016 Gazette 21

22 Gazette 11 February 2016

Gazette

TRAVEL OUT&ABOUT Riga, the “Paris of the North”, is truly a beautiful, historic city latvia: budget airfares from Ireland make this a very affordable weekend break

 cian guckian

Riga, the “Paris of the North” and home of the very first Christmas tree is world renowned for its stunning architecture, multi-cultural heritage and its many museums. It is a fantastic city to visit and with budget airfares from Ireland it makes it a very affordable weekend destination. You will be delighted at the ease in which you will be able to explore this compact, historic city. The Latvian capital is awash with the best hotels, unbelievable restaurants, elegant spas and let’s not forget about the best shopping in the region. Here is why you have to visit this chic and cosmopolitan Baltic city.

Freedom Monument Latvia’s most important symbol of freedom, independence and sovereignty is not to be missed. Located close to Bastion Hill Park and the Old Town, the Freedom Monument honours the soldiers who lost their lives during the Latvian

House of the Blackheads

War of Independence. It has been the scene of many official ceremonies since the country’s push for independence in 1990 right up to the present.

Central Market This colourful market which is located in the heart of the Latvian capital is one of the largest in Europe and occupies converted German zeppelin hangars which serve their original function as meat, fish and dairy markets. When it was constructed in 1930, Riga’s Central Market was one of the most modern marketplaces in Europe. The Zeppelin hangars of Riga’s Central Market have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. House of the Blackheads Located in the Old Town, the House of the Blackheads is a major tourist attraction that draws thousands and thousands of visitors each year. It was built in 1334 and it can be found in Town Hall Square in the heart of Riga’s Old Town.

The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th Century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads – a Guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga.

Nativity Cathedral Enjoy a day exploring this neo-Byzantine church on Brivibas bulvaris. Built between 1876 and 1883, it’s the largest Orthodox Cathedral in the Baltics. During Soviet times, the cathedral had different uses as it was turned into a planetarium and a restaurant, at different times. Visit the famous Art Nouveau District Riga is internationally famous for its beautiful art nouveau quarter that lies a bit away from the Old Town. Head to Alberta Street, raise your eyes upwards and discover Europe’s most beautiful art nouveau buildings. Riga’s wealth of art nouveau buildings stands out as unparalleled anywhere in the world. Other Art Nouveau gems are situated on nearby streets

including Elizabetes, Dzirnavu and Antonijas.

Taste Riga Black Balsam When in Riga you have to try the famous Riga Balsam, a unique Latvian beverage. Black Balsam is used in traditional medicine, and it is considered to be a good cold remedy and it is used to treat digestive problems. Black Balsam has been made in Riga since the middle of the 18th Century. Boat trip down the Daugava River If you are looking for better ways of exploring this charming Baltic city, a relaxing boat trip down the Daugava River is highly recommended. You will find cruise liners and boats of every size imaginable all lined up and docked at the river bank just across from Riga’s famous cobblestoned streets available for exciting river trips. Get a different perspective of the Latvian capital’s majestic skyline as well as Riga’s iconic and stunning attractions. You are sure to have a splendid time as it is such a great way of getting the best holiday snaps of Riga’s major landmarks. Afterwards enjoy a topnotch meal at one of Riga’s stellar restaurants. A trip to Riga Cathedral Take a tour of Riga Cathedral (Rigas Doms), which is the largest house of worship in the Baltic’s. Riga Cathedral measures 187x43 metres and the walls are two metres

Riga is renowned for its stunning architecture

thick, and it also home to one of the biggest organs in Europe (6,768 pipes).

Museum of the Occupation of Latvia The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia is a very interesting museum for all to visit. Located in the former US Embassy on Raina bulvaris, visitors will be able to experience what it was like to live in Latvia during the Nazi and the Soviet occupations of the country. You will also be able to enjoy a guided tour of the museum and explore the intriguing exhibits.

River Daugava it has been around for more than 700 years and through the centuries, it has witnessed some major changes to the Latvian landscape including severe destruction, rulers and numerous wars. Today it is the official residence of the President of Latvia and a museum.

LIDO Recreation centre and restaurant One of Riga’s most popular attractions is the LIDO Recreation Centre and Restaurant on Krasta iela. Built with specially selected 100-year-old Latvian fir trees, it is a

major hit with visitors to the Latvian capital and locals alike and it is where many national festivals are celebrated. The Centre’s main building is famous for being one of the largest log buildings in Europe as it can hold 1,000 guests. LIDO offers a super menu choice consisting of local Latvian delicacies as well as worldwide dishes or why not savour a Latvian beer in the Beer Cellar? The next time you are in Riga, take time out of your busy schedule to experience this magnificent Latvian attraction.

Riga Zoo A trip to Riga isn’t complete without visiting Riga Zoo. Established in 1912, it is the perfect day out for the entire family. Located in Mezaparks on the Western bank of Kisezers Lake, just a short hop from the city centre it is home to around 4,000 animals and is visited by 300,000 visitors on an annual basis. Riga Castle Riga Castle which was founded in 1330 is famous for its late classicism architecture. Located on the right bank of the

The striking, noble Freedom Monument

11 February 2016 Gazette 23

Gazette

FOOD&DRINK BITESIZEDNEWS

Cranberry Pistachio Breakfast Squares, made using

The Butcher Grill European

Ranelagh While Picky and friend tucked in to some very well received meat dishes at The Butcher Grill, there are a some classic and interesting dishes to avail of – with `some delicious drinks also helping to wash everything

The Picky Eater

VEGETARIANS be off – The Butcher Grill in Ranelagh is no place for ye. The clue’s in the name, isn’t it? A big, dirty foodie like me should love a good steak, but of the thousands of times in the thousands of restaurants I’ve eaten in, I rarely order a simple slab of meat. Now, don’t get me wrong – I am a carnivore of vampiric proportions (the bloodier, the better), but I’m always too greedy to opt for a simple steak when I’m eating out, preferring to indulge in new or excitingly cooked flavours and combinations. I guess as a chef I’d often cook a nice steak with garlic butter at home, and when dining out I want to test the kitchen’s calibre a little. I do love beef though, but kind of like mine in a stew or a bourguignon – you know what I’m saying? Now, with that said, the other week – still in the wake of a turkey and

ham hangover – my satiety centre was telling me it was in the mood for a bovine battering, so for my 37th birthday on a dank Wednesday night I took myself to Ranelagh for a treat. The Butcher Grill serves the best cuts of meat from a supply of really choice producers, and grill their meet on a wood-smoked grill ... wood-smoked just gets your mouth watering, doesn’t it? Sitting on the main street at the back end of Ranelagh, opposite Mc Sorley’s, this place is small, cosy and decked out with subway tiles and butchers’ slabs, so there’s the name explained: it does what it says on the tin. Settled in, we went about ordering from the simple menu of aforementioned cuts of meat, which includes Surf & Turf, Cote de Boeuf for two, Striploin and an Aged Burger. Starters include oysters, gambas, beef tartare and tuna tostadas – all priced more than €12,

so not cheap. I had the tostadas, which honestly where so good – super soft, fresh pink tuna with a gorgeous zingy avocado salsa in crisp flaky shells ... delicious. For some reason, my gormless mate thought beef tartare was carpaccio – she was (still) in a new year fluster – and had a face like a slapped bottom when it arrived. The gracious server spotted this a mile off and whipped it away for another tostada without a thought, and left it off the bill – a classy touch. We had both ordered hanger steak and it came out a few minutes after the devoured tostadas had been cleared. Four or five thin-cut rare slices of this most beautifully flavoured cut from the diaphragm proved so tender and tasty. With perfectly crispy and soft chips, melt-inthe-mouth mash, and tender, vivid broccoli – with a burnt hazelnut butter – this all it go down all the

decent selection of down

The neat yet welcoming exterior of The Butcher Grill

better (as if it needed any help)! All steaks are heading for the 30 quid mark so, again, they’re not cheap, but fairly priced I would say, considering the quality. Considering the day that was in it, a banana fritter with caramel ice cream and a solitary birthday candle was scoffed for

Conclusion

dessert, kind of as amazing as it sounds. You’re heading for 50 quid a head without booze for three courses, so for a casual bite out, The Butcher Grill is a treat, but if you’re in the mood for a steak I doubt you’ll find better round town.  shane rigney Food vlogger

YOU’LL be in for a meat-ty good time at The Butcher Grill (at 92 Main Street, Ranelagh, Dublin 6; tel 01 498 1805). While not the cheapest, you definitely get what you pay for here, with rich flavours and salivating slices making it a must for carnivores.

Vita Coco Coconut Oil

Square up to creating easy, delicious treats VITA Coco Coconut Oil has partnered with Irish food blogger Indy Power, of The Little Green Spoon, to create a delicious, healthy recipe to help kick-start your healthy eating regime this year. The simple Cranberry Pistachio Breakfast Squares recipe makes 16 mouth-watering squares, using the Vita Coco Coconut Oil. Power said: “I love using Vita Coco coconut oil in all my cooking, for both sweet and savoury dishes. It has so many amazing health benefits and can be used in so many ways – I use it on my hair, skin and nails as well as in my food. “It’s so easy to cook with because of its lovely subtle taste, which doesn’t over-power other flavours and, because it tolerates high temperatures, it’s the perfect substitute for butter and other oils when baking.”

Ingredients 4 tablespoons of Vita Coco Coconut 3 tablespoons of maple syrup/honey 4 tablespoons of almond butter 1/2 cup of pistachios, deshelled (75g) 1 cup of gluten-free oats (100g) 1/4 cup of desiccated coconut (20g) 1/2 cup of dried cranberries (75g) Pinch of coarse salt

• • • • • • • •

Preparation Preheat the oven to 180C. Roughly chop the pistachios and add them to a baking sheet with the gluten-free oats. Bake them at 180C for about eight minutes until lightly toasted, tossing once in the middle. While they’re cooking, roughly chop the dried cranberries and then add them to your food processor with the desiccated coconut. Add in the toasted pistachios and oats. Add the Vita Coco coconut oil, almond butter, maple syrup and salt to a small saucepan on medium heat and whisk until smooth. When the mixture is completely melted, add it to the food processor and blend until you have a crumbly paste. Press the mixture tightly into a small baking tin lined with parchment paper. Pop it in the fridge for about an hour to set. Slice into squares and serve.

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Gazette

24 Gazette 11 February 2016

OUT&ABOUT

CINEMA

ReelReviews

pride, prejudice and zombies

Fleshes out a classic tale WITH current pop culture’s love of all things undead related, here comes the latest film to stagger and moan behind the zombie bandwagon – Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Cert 15A, 108mins). Genteel 19th century ladies and gentlemen are forced to battle social mores – as well as the zombie plague sweeping England. It’s silly stuff, but made with gusto.

dad’s army

Classic comedy capers THE old British sitcom gets a big-screen treatment at last, with Dad’s Army (Cert PG, 100mins) seeing several leading thespians step into the classic characters’ shoes. Toby Jones, Bill Nighy, Michael Gambon, Tom Courtenay and others make it a who’s-who of top talents, and recreate the bumbling Home Defence soldiers. It’s a pity that the film, while affectionate, is as slight as the TV show ...

dirty grandpa A grubby mess

WE’VE said it before and we’ll say it again – Dirty Grandpa (Cert 18, 102mins) is possibly De Niro’s worst ever film – yes, even worse than Rocky And Bullwinkle, and that takes some doing. Here, he inexplicably teams up with Zac Efron, creating an unlikely on-the-road bromance between a newly widowed man and his uptight grandson. Critically panned, it’s simply dreadful from start to finish ...

Principal leads Martin McCann, Mia Goth and Olwen Fouere form the core of the uneasy alliance at the heart of The Survivalist

the survivalist: irish-made, near future-set film impresses

Provides food for thought DERRY-born writer and director Stephen Fingleton is the creative force behind what might just be one of the most ominous cinematic experiences of the year. Fingelton’s first feature-length work, the post-apocalyptic thriller, The Survivalist (104 mins), is nominated for a BAFTA weekend and has generated quite a stir since it debuted on the festival circuit last year. The Survivalist is set in a very different near future. As the opening credits roll, we follow stark red and blue lines and they steadily curve upward in tandem, a graphical representation of oil consumption and global population growth across the decades.

 Dave phillips

Once the fossil fuel resources begin to plummet, the population also surges very quickly downward. It is the only hint of explanation we get; much like in John Hillcoat’s 2009 genre hallmark, The Road, we are not witness to the catastrophe that reshaped civilisation, but we do see what remains. Fingleton resituates the traditional postapocalyptic narrative a little closer to home. There is no hint of the barren wastelands or

crumbling cities traditionally associated with the genre. Instead, The Survivalist takes place amid dense green fields and close, wet forests. The Northern accent of our unnamed progagonist (Martin McCann) and a single reference to a character travelling from Monaghan give us a little more sense of location, but those details are superfluous – at its core, The Survivalist is a story that could be unfolding anywhere. McCann’s character ekes out a solitary existence deep in the woods, in a sparsely furnished and heavily fortified cabin. We are immediately plunged into the gruff and feral realities of survival. Our man washes,

keeps the fire in the little stove alight, prepares food, and eats – but he is never just doing the task at hand – he is incessantly watching, peering out through window slits, or pacing the outside of the cabin with a shotgun in hand. C l o s e , u nw ave ring shots and an often uncomfortably graphic visual style helps to capture some of the sense of claustrophobia and crisis that pervades the world of The Survivalist. This is a film that takes a bulldozer to Maslow’s hierarchical pyramid and displays a vision of humanity stripped down to crude essentials. When an unknown mother (Olwen Fouere) and daughter (Mia Farrow) seek shelter at the

cabin, McCann’s character is convinced to let them stay on, and it marks the beginnings of a very uneasy alliance that drives the action of the film. Fingleton’s dialogue tends to mirror the overarching spirit of base pragmatism that underlies everything happening on screen – this is a terse script where things are kept short, sharp, and to the point. Working on the small farm outside the cabin, tensions between the trio ramp up as the food supply seems to be ever dwindling. Out of the 100 or so minutes The Survivalist plays out across, it seems difficult to pick out even a single one that is not saturated with a sense of dread and foreboding.

Needless to say, the incessant feeling of doom, coupled with some disturbing themes, means that this film will be bumped down a few places on the ‘must-see in the cinema’ lists for some people, but they would be missing out. The Survivalist is an education in how to craft an excellent story with few elements, and amid all the tension there are some incredible shots (a scene stalking through the long grass is masterfully captured), as well as being a showcase for three incredible performances. The Survivalist feels like a real rarity – something very original in its design and in its execution.

Verdict: 7/10

11 February 2016 Gazette 25

GAMING WEEBYTES

Step into Firewatch’s beautiful setting

Sure to be a slow-burner in the charts

Although the island that The Witness is set upon is not especially large, it’s densely packed with beautifully designed zones and areas to explore. The richly detailed island provides one of gaming’s prettiest settings, while away from the puzzles, lingering traces of its former inhabitants provide some food for thought, too.

 shane dillon

WITH 2016 looking like it’ll be a bumper year for gamers, the year is already off to a great start, with critics (and gamers) falling over themselves to praise the recently released The Witness (PS4/PC, Cert 3+), and showing an equally strong interest in Firewatch (PS4, Cert TBC, due out this week; see panel, right). Both can be described as open world games with very strong, creative art direction, shy-

ing away from strikingly realistic graphics to create settings that are, quite simply, beautiful and original to look at. But first, The Witness ... Long in development b y a c cl a i m e d i n d i e d e ve l o p e r J o n a t h a n Blow, The Witness tasks you with exploring an island that’s divided into lots of distinctly different zones, and which is absolutely stuffed full of puzzles to solve – many hundreds of them, in fact. While most are based on navigating from A

to B though initially very, very simple mazelike grids – thus opening doors, or activating power lines, and so on – their designs soon ramp up into fiendishly headscratching difficulty. Other puzzles won’t give the player a break as they seek to complete the island’s secrets, unlock more parts of the island to explore, and work out the central mystery at the heart of the deserted island. With scattered audio relics from the former inhabitants of the island,

there’s a sense of something grand and mysterious having happened before your arrival at the seemingly idyllic island, where birds sing amidst the gloriously colourful trees and flowers, but half-ruined buildings litter the overgrown landscape. Already a smash commercial and critical hit – and a popular title for those who watch gamers playing online, via sources such as Twitch – The Witness is definitely well worth taking a good look at.

The majority of puzzles in The Witness are maze based. However, while they are initially very simple, the puzzles soon ramp up in difficulty, with some real head-scratchers awaiting around the island ...

ANOTHER title that’s been long in development is Firewatch (PS4/PC/Linux/OS X/MS Windows; Cert TBC), which is scheduled for release this week. This quirky openworld title, which has a pretty strong narrative bent, eschews realism to create a game with a pretty strong art style, and follows a strong narrative. Set in the late 1980s, Firewatch follows Henry, a middle-aged volunteer fire lookout starting what looks like it’ll be a somewhat dull job at a national forest park.

Beautiful His initial plodding about the beautifully rendered park starts innocently enough, as he gets a feel for the land, trades barbs and quips over the walkie-talkie with his supervisor, Delilah, and huffs and puffs his way around. However, things soon take a turn for the worst, as it becomes clear that Henry’s job may not be as safe as he had expected – not least because of a shadowy figure roaming about ... As with The Witness, Firewatch is another welcome title that fans of great graphics, fresh gameplay and memorable stories are sure to warm to.

26 clondalkin gazette 11 February 2016

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28 gazette 11 February 2016

SPORT

FastSport special Olympics collection day set: SPECIAL Olympics Ireland requires volunteers in the Blanchardstown area to help with a charity collection day on Friday, April 22. Collection Day is the biggest annual fundraising event in aid of Special Olympics with the funds supporting more than 9,000 athletes in 360 clubs around Ireland. The money raised will be used to ensure that Special Olympics Ireland can continue to realise its promise of offering people with an intellectual disability the opportunity to participate in sport in their area. Special Olympics enables them to achieve and win not only in sport but in life too. Special Olympics Ireland requires volunteers across the day. If you can commit to the full day or even just an hour, please contact Karen Treacy via email to Karen.Treacy@specialolympics.ie.

marathon man: clondalkin man sets new ultra-running target

Conlon would run 100 miles  nathan kelly sport@dublingazette.com

AFTER a colossal 2015, Clondalkin’s own Marathon Man is in preparation for his toughest challenge yet, the Vartry 100 which takes place on March 25. Mark Conlon covered a lot of miles last year; the former Army Private set himself a challenge of running 20 marathons in 20 weeks in aid of Pieta House. Not being content with that, the Dubliner completed the challenge in half the time, taking just 10 weeks and completing 10 of the marathons in just five days. As well as the “10 in five”, Conlon squeezed

in a 100km race in his challenge last year. But his next task in Vartry will see him run 100 miles for the first time. “I personally think this will be tougher than the 10 in five days,” he told GazetteSport. “I’ve never done a 100 mile race so, mentally, I won’t have experienced what I’m going to on the day. “That will be tough but also exciting as I love a challenge. The 100km saw me run 62 miles in one day, so this is a massive step-up.” The Vartry 100 is an annual event which hosts 100 mile, 50 mile and 50km races. The 100 mile sees runners loop the track 10 times and Conlon expects it

to take almost a full day to complete. “I reckon I’ll be out there for about 22 to 23 hours,” he said. “They have a tent at the base where you can switch runners and take on food and all those bits if you have to, but I won’t want to stop for too long.” Preparations are well under way as the Dublin Bay Running Club member is set to take on a 50km race in Kildare on Saturday. On completing his challenge last year, Conlon became the youngest person in Ireland to hit the 100 marathon mark. “I’m on 108 now, by the time the 100 mile comes I’ll be on 111,”

Mark Conlon during one of his previous extreme challenges

he said of that achievement. “I’ve the 500 mark on my mind but, for this year, I’ll just be looking to get passed 200. “After the 100 mile, I’m sure the club and myself will come up with another big challenge. I ran two marathons in one day last year, so maybe I’ll attempt to do four in one day this year, as I said, I love a challenge.”

As mentioned, all of Conlon’s effor ts are being done to raise funds and awareness for Pieta House, a charity he feels close to having worked overseas. “Having seen people come back with severe depression, it’s important to know there is someone to talk to, and how much exercise can clear your head; it certainly does for me.

“Last year, when I completed the challenge and showed up at Pieta House with a cheque for €1,000, you could see the joy on their faces. I’m hoping to improve on that this year.” To s u p p o r t M a r k Conlon’s fundraising for Pieta House, go to http://www.mycharity. ie/event/markconlons100milein24hours.

McGovern’s cricket adventure battles the elements  sport@dublingazette.com

Five Dubliners have been lining out for Muir College in South Africa in the past month

RORY McGovern’s cricket adventure to Muir College, Uitenhage in South Africa has seen the Dubliner battle not just the opposition but also the elements. McGovern – who goes to school at Gonzaga College and is a YMCA cricket club member – is part of a cohort of 11 transition year cricketers currently in South Africa as part of an arrangement to help develop their skills. As a result of drought,

McGovern and his team had to “buy water in bulk and wash in the school swimming school”. Speaking further about the experience, McGovern added: “After training on Thursday we got in the school bus as Mr Du Ploy gave the kitchen staff a lift to the bus terminal and taxi ranks in downtown Uitenhage. “This drive was very interesting as we got a chance to see some of the extreme poverty and a lot of rundown shops in the town. After this we spent the about an hour trying to get a lizard out of our room to the

shock of the other lads in the hostel. “Friday morning was an early start for the five of us as we went to the gym at 5am and then hopped on a four-hour bus journey to George, South West District to play York High School the next day. “We took the Garden route to George which was full of lovely scenery. “We stopped off half way to look at the Big Tree of Tsitsukama which really wasn’t that big at all.” In the fixture itself, McGov-

ern was part of the side along with fellow Dubliners Ian Anders and Max Neville for the school’s first team’s first win of the season. His side bowled York out for 79 and chased it for two wickets with fast opening bowler Neo Pepeta claiming six wickets. Anders, who studies at Castleknock Community College and Phoenix, top scored with 25 at the top of the innings before Neville, from St Andrew’s College and Pembroke, and McGovern finished the game off with 15 not out each.

11 February 2016 gazette 29

Gazette

No Commercial break for Boden’s warriors Ballyboden St Enda’s Darren O’Reilly says his senior football side has not won as many championship titles as he would have liked ahead of their All-Ireland semi-final with Clonmel  stephen findlater sport@dublingazette.com

IN A CORNER of the Ballyboden St Enda’s bar four pictures sit in a rectangle telling of the club’s incredible success across the codes, the team pictures of the first senior hurling, football, ladies football and camogie sides to win the county title. Speaking to GazetteSport ahead of Boden’s All-Ireland semi-final against Clonmel Commercials, senior footballer Darren O’Reilly, though, says his side is playing catch-up on the other three in terms of honours. The hurler won six out of seven Dublin titles between 2007 and 2013; nine Dublin camogie titles and one Lein-

ster crown have been annexed since 1999 while the ladies footballers won nine county titles in succession along with six Leinster and two AllIreland crowns. “Maybe we were the ones letting the side down, not winning as often!” O’Reilly jokes before adding: “The success around the club is brilliant. Every year, there’s no shortage of trophies in the cabinet. But, we think, within ourselves, we should have been winning more often and we haven’t won as many senior championships as we would like.” But, after an epic winter, dethroning St Vincent’s in the Dublin final and a dramatic late win over Portlaoise in Leinster, Boden’s senior footballers are now going

Darren O’Reilly with Michael Darragh Macauley.

all guns blazing for the biggest prize in the club game. They approach the AllIreland semi-final with a singular focus to their preparation, a far cry from the helter-skelter pre-Christmas schedule in which the side was setting up from week to week. For Clonmel, there has been only one target in mind since the group returned to collective training on New Year’s Day for an intense boxing session. “It was tough going week to week, more trying to get the body right and focus on the other team rather than training,” O’Reilly says of the distinct change in regime. “Now, we have had six weeks now getting the fitness in which our game revolves around. We

have also done our video analysis on Clonmel; any team that beats Nemo deserves respect coming out of Munster. “It’s their first time at this level like us; it’s going to be a great game. They play football like we like to play football – moving the ball quick and deliv-

Conal Keaney, Declan O’Mahony and Daniel Davey still key members of the side. Andrew Kerin was another star of 2009 and he is still, in his own understated way, playing a key role. Indeed, he was named the Leinster club player of the year for

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

‘People say they don’t see Andy Kerin for the whole game and then he ends up with 1-4!’ - Darren O’Reilly

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

ering the ball long into the full-forward line and try and get scores from there. “They are a good, young, fit and strong team and we will give them utmost respect. Andy has done a lot of video analysis on them but we mainly try and focus on ourselves and what we can get right to get through them.” O’Reilly has an acute awareness of the club’s history. In 2009, just out of minor, he was among the fans for Boden’s last Dublin success and subsequent success. He recalls the threegame series with Kilmacud Crokes in the semifinal as a stand-out memory before winning the final against St Jude’s. Half a dozen of that vintage are still around with the likes of

2015 in the past week and O’Reilly is full of praise for the forward. “I think Kerinsy [Andy Kerin] hit the post three times against Kilmacud! It really stands out in my mind as a key moment. Andrew has been absolutely brilliant for us, such a great finisher. “People say they don’t see him for the whole game and he ends up with 1-4 or 1-5. He’s brilliant with the young guys like Collie Basquel and Sam Moloney, learning off his movement and how to strike a ball. He does everything simple and gets the best effect out of everything he does.” If he has another marquee day, along with the rest of the Boden warriors, there could be a fresh frame to that pictorial corner of the clubhouse on the Firhouse Road.

FastSport

Deasy earns Lansdowne share of league spoils LANSDOWNE’s man of the match Scott Deasy led the his club to a fine comeback against Garryowen, eventually drawing 16 all in their UBL Division 1A tie last Saturday. James McInerney got a try and inspired Garryowen to a 10-point lead by half time as it finished 13-3. Deasy, though, ultimately landed a late penalty to earn a share of the spoils after an earlier penalty try had brought his side back in range. Old Belvedere did not have the same luck with them losing at home to Young Munster. A second half penalty from Gearoid Lyons closed out the Dublin side with Abriel Griesel combining with Lyons to score all of Munster’s hard earned points at Anglesea Road. The Cookies held on for their seventh win in eight matched and are level on points with rivals Garryowen in third on 34 points and have a game in hand. UCD went head to head against Galwegians with 20 unanswered points as the Division 1A leaders gained a 33-15 victory at the Belfield Bowl. Tries from the in-form full back John Cleary, Ed O’Keeffe and Marc Kelly had Wegians leading 15-13 early in the second half. But a 72nd minute penalty from full-back Billy Dardis moved UCD back in front before winger Tom Fletcher finished off an intercept effort for a 21-15 score-line. Centre Conall Doherty completed the rout in the last few minutes for the game’s final seven pointer. This win has Noel McNamara’s side five points clear of Clontarf. Second half tries from Aaron Dundon and Matt D’Arcy gave Clontarf a narrow 18-14 win over Terenure at Castle Avenue on Friday night. Terenure took the lead when full-back James O’Donoghue went over for an early try Clontarf out-half Joey Carbery cut the gap to 7-3 in the 17th minute and soon after they got there try when Leinster hooker Dundon blocked a clearance and went for the touchdown. It was a nail biting finish towards the end but Clontarf prevailed to take a grip on second place in the league.

Gazette

30 clondalkin gazette 11 February 2016

SPORT

FastSport

soccer: four peamount players called into irish under-15s

Ormond gets call for huge St Patrick’s clash CLONDALKIN boxer Stephen Ormond will get the chance to wrap a belt around his waist once more when he fights for the IBF InterContinental belt in Boston next month. The Rock’s Boston-based promoters, Murphys Boxing, announced the fight over the weekend that will see Ormond take on current champion Miguel Jiminez at the House of Blues on March 19. The 32-year-old was due to fight at the cancelled Clash of the Clans show at the National Stadium last weekend, which was a prelude to the St Patrick’s Clash card next month. “This is only the first step for Stephen Ormond in 2016,” said Ormond’s stateside promoter Ken Casey. “After he wins the IBF Intercontinental championship, we will be working hard to secure him a major world championship fight. “This is going to be such a great night; House of Blues Boston, St Patrick’s weekend, Stephen fighting the main event, the Dropkick Murphys playing, multiple championship fights, all at one show, how can you miss it?” Not only will Ormond get a chance to win a title, he will also, probably even more importantly at this stage, get the chance to secure a valuable spot in the world rankings. Ormond’s opponent – known as El Tigre – has suffered recent defeats to the likes of Anthony Peterson, Carlos Molina and Diego Magdaleno, meaning the Rock will go into the fight full of confidence. Jiminez carries a 21 win (14 KO) and six loss record going into the fight, compared to Ormond’s 20 wins (11) and two losses. The St Patrick’s Clash card will also feature Ormond’s Celtic Warrior teammates Niall Kennedy and Steve Collins Jr. Elsewhere, another one of the Celtic Warrior clan, Patrick Hyland, could be set for his own title shot as rumours have being circling that the Tallaght native will take on current WBC Featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr in the near future. Figures in the boxing circles have been swirling the rumour around social media with suggestion the bout could take place on the card of Thurman v Porter, for the world welterweight Championship, which happens on March 12.

The Metro Girls League Under-16s ahead of their tie with the Republic of Ireland Under-15s

Local stars up for challenge challenge match Rep of Ireland U-15 MGL U-16s  sport@dublingazette.com

2 1

THERE was local talent aplenty on show as the Under-15 Republic of Ireland Schools’ select team took on the Under16 Metropolitan Girls League squad in Abbotstown last Saturday. For the MGL squad, Peamount United quartet Niamh Coombes, Leah Doyle, Keelin McEntee and Jen Cosgrave were all present, while the schools’ side contained local students Aisling Spillane from the King’s Hospital and

Louise Masterson from Holy Family CS, Rathcoole. The Irish side eventually came out on top but the Metro girls proved a tough test for Lorraine Counihan’s debutants. This was the first competitive outing for the schools select following a series of trials held since the FAI Schools girls’ interprovincial tournament in November. It was a tight enough start at the FAI HQ, with the MGL side probably just shading the opening proceedings against a Schools’ showing the signs of a side not yet

special visitor Kearney gives optimum training to rugby side irish rugby star Rob Kearney gave

Clondalkin’s fourth team an extra special training session last week as part of a prize won by club member Michael Reynolds. Organised by Elvery’s and Optimum Nutrition, the full-back trained with the side, offering his expert advice to the team while also posing for photographs and signing autographs for the club’s younger members. Picture: Sharon Flanagan

fully used to playing together. Cabinteely’s Michaela Fox Walsh opened the scoring for the league side after five minutes, reacting sharply to a mixup in the Irish defence. The mistake led to an open goal and Walsh easily tucked away the first of the game. Despite falling behind, the Irish side became more composed as time went on and were level after 25 minutes. Dominican College pupil Lilly Hengerer managed to impressively squeeze an effort through a packed box to bring the sides level at the break.

The second half started with a good tempo to it and, by now, the Irish side were looking dangerous with each attack. On 40 minutes, they went ahead when Taylor ’s Hill star Aoife Lynagh finished a neat bit of play to send Counihan’s side ahead for the first time. Counihan was pleased with her side’s performance afterwards and praised the 20 players that were trialled on the day. Up next for the schools’ side is a friendly against Northern Ireland later on this month.

Following that, the squad will be reduced to 18 before travelling to England in March for a friendly. Those two friendly fixtures will provide good preparation for the squad who will travel to Wales to take part in the annual Bob Docherty International tournament. The four-day tournament will see the Republic of Ireland take on Wales and Northern Ireland in group one. The winners of the group will then go on to face England, Wales’ second-side or Scotland in the play-offs.

11 February 2016 CLONDALKIN gazette 31

Gazette

ciaran carr foundation: local awareness for sads continues to grow

New defibrillator for Credit Union  sport@dublingazette.com

THE excellent work of the Ciaran Carr Foundation continues in the Clondalkin community and further beyond with the Clondalkin Credit Union the latest recipient of a defibrillator presented by the Foundation. “It is vital such lifesaving equipment is readily accessible within busy public places and we are delighted Clondalkin Credit Union are recipients of a defibrillator,” Gemma Carr of the Foundation commented.

Arising from the work of the local charity, named in honour of the former Round Tower player, defibrillators are placed in key strategic locations in Clondalkin village, the Dutch village, Cherrywood, Bawnogue, Greenpark, Neilstown, Ninth Lough and Newlands Cross. The foundation also plays a key role in raising awareness of SADs (Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome), especially in relation to the importance of life-saving equipment, training to use it and pro-

moting the importance of players undertaking regular screening. Dublin senior boss and Round Tower club member Jim Gavin has been an important supporter of the foundation. He was bestowed with a huge honour himself this week when he was handed with the freedom of the county by South Dublin County Council. At the presentation ceremony on Monday evening, Gavin spoke proudly of key influences upon his life within the South Dublin Communi-

FastGAA conroy makes dublin debut:

Joe Menton, Clondalkin Credit Union Founder Member, is pictured receiving the defibrillator from Gemma Carr and Barry Keane of the Ciarán Carr Foundation.

ty: St Patrick’s Estate and the people living within it; Clonburris National School, Moyle Park College, Round Tower, the Defence Forces. He also praised the support from John Costello and the Dublin County Board for their tremen-

dous work in supporting and developing Gaelic games and towards other local clubs within the county. Accepting the freedom, he showed great humility, praising the special bunch of players he is working with, stating manage-

ment are there to support and it is the players who fulfil the team objectives and ultimately drive it to success. He concluded by thanking those closest to him, his family, for supporting him in achieving his accomplishments.

ROUND Tower Amy Conroy made her competitive debut for the Dublin senior ladies footballers last week during their first round league victory over Kerry. She came off the bench to replace Sinead Aherne in the lineup late in the game as the Jackies ran up a 2-14 to 1-7 victory over the Kingdom to get their season off to a flying start. It adds to what has been a good representative start to 2016 for the Clondalkin club with Eric Finn scoring 1-4 for the Dublin hurlers in the Dubs Stars match.

Got a photo? Call our news team on 60 10 240 and SELECT OPTION 2 or email news@dublingazette.com

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32 clondalkin gazette 11 February 2016