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December 6, 2012 Find us on

C l o n da l k i n • R ow l ag h • B aw n o g u e • N e i l stow n • D e a n s r at h • K i n g swo o dMonth • Ta lXX, l ag2012 ht

INSIDE: Clondalkin Primary School pupils are all smiles on their open day P6

Soccer:

Dublin Bus pick off big win over Peamount Page 30

Football:

Cumann na mBunscol lights up Croke Park Page 29

ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES.......................6 DUBLIN LIFE....................11 OUT&ABOUT...................17 CLASSIFIEDS.................26 SPORT............................27

call for action: Storm is brewing over €160k pay for county manager Page 5

Round Towers to get €178k in funding  paul hosford

Round Towers GAA Club was celebrating this week after the announcement that it has been awarded €178,000 under the Government’s Sports Capital Grant programme.

The GAA club had secured monies from the National Lottery and the GAA’s Leinster Council for it’s new facilities, and has been fundraising locally for the past two years.

Club chairman Tony Delaney said that the money would help the club thrive for decades to come. “[The funding is a] significant achievement for the club and is a huge step in our drive to meet the costs associated with developing the stateof-the-art modern sporting facilities that will serve the Clondalkin and wider GAA community for decades to come.”

Full Story on Page 9

Future Miss Universe? Local beauty needs your vote clondalkin’s own Adrienne Mur-

phy needs votes. The local beauty, who was crowned Miss Universe Ireland last month after claiming the Miss Dandelion crown, is currently in the running for the semi-finals of the Miss Universe

competition and can secure a place in the December 19 semi-finals by winning an internet poll. Voting is open until December 18 and there is no limit to the number of times you can vote. For more information, log on to www.missuniverse.com.

2 CLONDALKIN Gazette 6 December 2012

dublin GAZETTe newspapers i n f o r m at i o n

charity Support over festive period

Block 3A, Mill Bank Business Park, Lucan Tel: 01 - 6010240 Dublin Gazette Newspapers publish eight weekly quality free titles, covering the greater Dublin area from Swords to Dun Laoghaire

c o n ta c t s Managing Director: Michael McGovern mmcgovern@gazettegroup.com Acting News Editor: Rob Heigh rheigh@gazettegroup.com Production Editor: Jessica Maile jmaile@gazettegroup.com Picture Editor: Paul Hosford picturedesk@gazettegroup.com Acting Sports Editor: Stephen Findlater sport@gazettegroup.com Advertising Production: Anita Ward ads@gazettegroup.com Financial Controller: Carly Lynch clynch@gazettegroup.com Advertising Sales: 01 - 6010240 sales@gazettegroup.com

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Local charity Pieta House is calling on local residents to reach out to those who may be suffering from depression

Pieta House calls on locals to reach out WITH Christmas on the way, suicide prevention charity Pieta House is calling on locals to reach out to those who may be suffering from depression over the holidays and beyond.

Cindy O’Connor, the charity’s chief operating officer, says that the centre actually experiences a drop in calls over the period, but sees a surge in calls in the weeks after the festive period.

“I think the simple r e a s o n i s t h a t ove r Christmas, family and friends reach out to each other a lot more.

“What we would hope

 Paul Hosford news@gazettegroup.com

is that once the period is over, and coming into the New Year, that people reach out again. It makes such a difference.

I think it shows people need to be that bit more mindful throughout the year, not just at Christmas,” she says.

The charity opened its doors in Januar y 2006, and will celebrate its year in operation in

2013. They have also opened centres in Finglas, Ballyfermot, Tallaght and Limerick, with another branch opening soon in the west of the country.

O’Connor says that people who are feeling isolated over the festive period should remember that Pieta House is always there for them.

“We’re a service that is completely free of charge. We’re aware that so many people have lost their jobs or are under financial stress,” she says.

“We want people to recognise that while they feel like they have

reasons for dying, they have so many reasons for living.

“Very often, people can be reluctant to talk to people, but very often, when they do reach out to someone, that person will help.

“You often hear people say, ‘I don’t want to burden my family’, but that is the family’s decision to make. People should be given the opportunity to help.

“From the other perspective, if you see that somebody is struggling and you are concerned, it’s okay to say it to them. You’re not going t o m a ke s o m e b o d y

commit suicide just by asking the question.”

In urging people to seek help, O’Connor is asking people to remember that suicide is a permanent solution to temporary problems.

“I was looking at a guy talking about the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and he said, as his hands left the railing, he realised everything in his life was fixable, except having jumped.”

If you or anyone you know is suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts, contact Pieta House on 01-601000 or see www.pieta.ie.

Funding proposals sought for Foundation LOCAL community groups are being urged to submit proposals for funding to the Community Foundation for Ireland (CFI).

CFI is an independent grantmaking organisation which uses the monies from their own permanent endowment fund to distribute grants to various

causes and groups right across the country.

They are currently accepting applications for the Grassroots Grant, which distributes money to carers, ethnic minorities, families at risk, mental health groups and older people’s groups.

The group says that the grant aims to “support the disadvantaged in our communities by providing small grants for specific projects that will contribute to alleviating isolation and disadvantage. Since 2000, the scheme has supported hundreds of groups in this way”.

Applications must be from community and voluntar y groups that possess charitable aims and are not for profit.

The deadline for applications is December 28.

For more information, visit www.communityfoundation. ie/our-grants.

6 December 2012 CLONDALKIN Gazette 3

services Workshop on child protection to be held

photos: Government to introduce new credit card-style licence

Fears for staff after driving decision

A LOCAL business has said that new plans to centralise the taking of driving licence photos could prove catastrophic to their business.

Decision Declan Ryan, who ow ns Ryan Photo Centre in Liffey Valley Shopping Centre says that a core part of his business could be under threat and called on the Government to rethink the decision.

The Government is introducing a new credit card-style driving licence in January and the company SGS have been awarded the tender.

The creation of the card includes the capture of each individual’s photograph for their driving licence on-site at one of SGS’s

locations, which are set to be in place around Ireland by September 2013.

Centralisation The centralisation of the photography may cause the loss of jobs, warned Ryan.

“When the new ID system comes in, we will lose a substantial part of our revenue and will have to possibly let staff go.

“Our business has already been hit by the recession we do not need this further blow.

“This tinkering by the Government in the retail business is unnecessary.

I am fighting to keep my existing business; this ill-conceived idea will create a destructive monopoly.

“I have no issue with

competition, but it must be on a level playing pitch.”

The RSA said that the new system would offer a greater level of security.

“All tenderers proposed the capture of the customer’s digital photograph and signature at the front office [of the system provider].

“The cost of the photograph capture will be part of the licence fee instead of the €5 or €8 fee charged for getting a passport-style photograph at present for your driving licence.

“This system will also deliver an enhanced level of security and anti-fraud protection measures by capturing the photograph of the customer at the front office.”

Having a ball: Hermitage Medical Clinic hosts fundraising charity event over 200 members of staff, consultants, suppliers and supporters of the Hermitage Medical Clinic recently attended a charity ball in the K Club. The event was organised by the Hermitage in support of St Francis Hospice, Blanchardstown and the Master of Ceremonies for the evening was Ronan Collins. Ethel McKenna, chief executive of St Francis Hospice said: “We are delighted that the Hermitage Medical Clinic is supporting St Francis Hospice Blanchardstown as their chosen charity this year. The new hospice in Blanchardstown will provide the full range of specialist palliative care services for patients and families in the Dublin West area.” Pictured at the event are Cliodhna Kelly Scully, Ronan Collins and Karen Walsh.

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B e c au s e L o c a l M at t e r s

SOUTH Dublin Children’s Services Committee is set to hold a skills development workshop for those working directly with children and families in the statutory, voluntary and community sector.

The event will take place in Tallaght Stadium on December 17, and will focus on the implementation of the Signs Of Safety.

This is an innovative safety-organised approach to child protection casework that originated in Western Australia.

The keynote speaker will be Viv Hogg, a social worker from England who has been using the system since 2001.

To book a place, email mdonohoe@sdublincoco.ie or pwilson@sdublincoco.ie

4 CLONDALKIN Gazette 6 December 2012

FastNews

business Feedback on credit review sought library:

seasonal events

Lots of festive fun for all ages A map of the proposed changes to the Ashwood estates

Council votes against estate access path A SOUTH Dublin County Council has voted against an access path that would link the Alpine and Ashwood estates to the Fonthill Road. Speaking on foot of a motion from Labour councillor Breda Bonner, the council found such an access point would be “premature”, leading to the motion being voted down.

Councillor Trevor Gilligan (FG) said the result was “disappointing”.

“Plans are to go ahead for a cycle track from the canal onto the Bawnogue Road. Initially, the cycle track was to go through Ashwood estate, which several residents were against. I am disappointed that a number of councillors voted against the proposals, however, such is the price of democracy,” said Cllr Gilligan.

“It may be possible in the future to open up the access at the Fonthill Road as many children attend Clonburris NS from Bawnogue.

Parents have to lift buggies over the railings there at the minute.”

Unwrapping Christmas A HOST of Clondalkin talent will help South Dublin unwrap Christmas this Saturday, December 8.

Unwrapped is South Dublin’s annual Christmas arts celebration and children, young people, and communities of all ages are invited to join professional artists to mark the festive season through a combination of music, performance and visual arts.

St. Mary’s Senior School, Rowlagh, will be involved in the telling of the Oscar Wilde story, The Selfish Giant.

The event starts at Tallaght Library at 3.45pm. For

information, contact Margaret Pierce, South Dublin County Council on mpierce@ sdublincoco.ie, or call 01 414 9000 ext 6025.

Live crib will be a class act THE ARAS Chronain, the Irish cultural centre in Clondalkin, will hold a live crib on the weekend of Saturday, December 15, and Sunday, December 16. The crib will feature actors and animals.

The actors will tell the story of the nativity between 2.30pm and 6pm.

For information, phone Chronain on 01 4574847 or visit www.araschronain.ie

Taoiseach Enda Kenny with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Francis Fitzgerald

Minister asks local firms to voice ideas THE LOCAL business community has been called on to engage in a public consultation of the Credit Review Office (CRO) to help them and other businesses to obtain financial support.

The CRO aims to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who have had an application for credit declined or reduced, or who disagree with changed terms and conditions on their existing loan.

The office can then review this decision. So far, up to 60% of cases referred to the CRO have resulted in the bank’s original decision being

overturned. The consultation was launched

by Minister for Finance Michael Noonan. It is seeking suggestions from the public on what more the CRO can do to ensure SMEs are getting the support they require.

Local TD and Minister Frances Fitzgerald said that the review would help the sector, after the Government’s latest survey revealed that nearly a quarter of SMEs had been refused credit, and the average time of applications was 29 days.

“The Government is committed to doing all it can to strengthen businesses in order to create

more jobs in our economy.

One of the ways in which we are delivering this, is through the Action Plan for Jobs 2012. The Action Plan contains a commitment to assess the CRO to ensure that SMEs are getting the support on bank lending they require,” explained Fitzgerald.

“The CRO is already providing an important opportunity for businesses to review credit decisions by banks. I welcome the announcement by Minister Noonan that he has opened this consultation process up to members of the public who feel they have suggestions which

could further enhance the work of the CRO. “T he consultation is looking at the process and the remit of the CRO and submissions can be made to croassessment@finance. gov.ie until December 21. I would encourage interested people to get involved, particularly businesses who have had direct experiences with the CRO; and who have faced issues with getting the credit they need from their banks. “ “Those who wish to get more information should contact my office for further details,” concluded Fitzgerald.

CLONDALKIN library will host an array of events this festive period, with events for residents young and old.

The Christmas period has already begun at the library, with an art exhibition running up until December 22.

T here will be the usual children’s storytime every Wednesday from 2pm, and a Sparkly Christmas Workshop is taking place on Wednesday, December 12 at 3pm. Booking is essential.

On Thursday, December 20, the Musical Tots group will receive a visit from Santa, and all are welcome to attend.

For adults, while there will be no December book club, there will be a Christmas crafts session on Monday, December 10, at 6.30pm and booking is essential.

On December 19 at 7pm, the library will host a Christmas Carol event to which everyone is welcome.

Booking for all events i s o n a f i r s t- c o m e basis. To book, ring 01 459 3315, or email clondalkin@sdublincoco.ie

Invite to build school links with Taiwan  paul hosford

LOCAL schools have been invited to start the process of twinning with schools in Taiwan.

Local Fine Gael TD Derek Keating has been invited to the Asian island nation as a guest of the Taiwanese government.

He hopes that he can help schools in his constituency

make contact with schools abroad.

Speaking this week, Keating said: “I have been invited with other TDs as a guest of the Taiwan government to visit their country in January.

“With my interest in developing education links, I am inviting schools in the Dublin Mid-West area to consider twining with a similar school

in Taiwan.

“A school trip may be possible in the future, however, Skype and the internet would be important to develop twinning.”

Keating hopes that the trip can be used to kick-start trade and cultural relations between Ireland and Taiwan, which has a population of 23 million.

Keating also hopes to meet

with any locals who have family or friends in Taiwan.

“This is a great opportunity for our country to increase international contacts, with a possibility to exchange students and build trade links.

“If any constituents have family or links with Taiwan, I would welcome a meeting in advance of my trip,” Keating said.

6 December 2012 CLONDALKIN Gazette 5

Amenity

council Call for action over ‘excess of elite’

New type of choir open to everyone

Storm brews over €160k pay for county manager  paul hosford

THE pay of the county manager of South Dublin has come in for criticism after it was revealed she earns in excess of €160,000 yearly.

A Parliamentary Question from Sinn Fein TD Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Local Government Phil Hogan to outline the pay and entitlements of local authority managers, with the answer revealing that Philomena Poole’s salary of €162,062 was the second highest in the country, surpassed only

by Dublin City manager John Tierney, who makes €189,301.

The Taoiseach earns €200,000.

In addition to their pay,

Cllr Eoin O’Broin (SF)

managers are entitled to claim up to 7.5% of their salary in “substitution of motor mileage rates... where a local authority considers that those allowances do not adequately recompense the manager for the extent to which their car is used for official business”.

They also get an “allowance in respect of individual or casual entertain-

ment expenses incurred by them in relation to development functions and public relations”, which can reach up to €6,858, depending on the number of assistant managers in the council.

Dublin Mid-West Cllr Eoin O’Broin (SF) said that the Minister for the Environment and Local Government Phil Hogan should act on the “excessive” pay. “In recent weeks, there has been much public anger over the issue of excessive pay and pensions to politicians and bankers.

“Yet, excessively-paid senior politicians, civil servants and council managers continue to be relatively untouched by the austerity policies imposed by Government.

“The total package available to the managers of Cork’s City Council and South Dublin and Fingal County Councils is €176,311 per year. Compare these massive payouts to the reality facing ordinary families across the State.

“The Minister must move now to cap these excessive pay and perks.

Given the state of the Government’s finances, no public official should be earning more than €100,000 per year.

“Cuts and tax increases must start at the top.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Local Government said that the pay of county managers was, “protected like everyone else under the Croke Park Agreement”.

Winning photo: Gazette snapper takes first prize Gazette photographer Cathy Weatherston

recently picked up first prize in the South Dublin Libraries annual photography competition. This year, the photographers were asked to show something of the county which makes it a great place to be. Cathy was judged to have summed that up with her picture of a horse in Newcastle. She walked away with an iPad for her work. All of the pictures can be seen on www.flickr. com/photos/clickphotocomp/

CORUS choirs are welcoming local talent to their new term at 7.30pm ever y Wednesday in Lucan East Educate Together NS; and at 8pm every Thursday in Rua Red Arts Centre in Tallaght.

Corus is a new type of choir open to everyone who loves to sing, with no auditions and no need to know how to read music.

The new term started last week, but anyone is welcome to join at any time, and each class costs €10.

For more information, visit www.corus.ie or, to book a place, contact Yvonne on 086 811 5854, or email ymcdonald@ eircom.net.

6 CLONDALKIN Gazette 6 December 2012

gazetteGALLERY

Have you seen yourself in the Gazette? Buy photos online from only €6.99 at www.gazettephotos.com

Killian Minahan

Teacher Caroline McGrillen , Derek Keating TD (FG), Chi Chi Odor and Halle O’Loughlin. Pictures: Cathy Weatherston

Clondalkin Primary School’s open day

T

HE Clondalkin Primary School held an open day recently. The school is based upstairs in the scouts den on Watery Lane and caters for children up to age 12.

Using Montessori methods, the school teaches within the curriculum

Ben O’Reilly

set out by the Department of Education. Board member and parent Sinead Rafferty is hoping that locals, many of whom don’t even know about the school, will come along and see what they have to offer.

“The school is a bit of a hidden

Yan Szczypka, Jack Minahan and Ben O Reilly,

secret, but it offers small classes and caters to all children. It is an alternative to regular school and, using Montessori methods, helps teach the children in a concrete way.”

For more information, contact the school on 087 673 1897.

Lucy Kennedy

Joanne and Grace Reilly

Halle O’Loughlin, Jack Minahan and Harry Browne

6 December 2012 CLONDALKIN Gazette 7

8 CLONDALKIN Gazette 6 December 2012

R1

survey Numbers receiving support for domestic violence doubles in five years

Cllr urges women suffering abuse to seek help  paul hosford

A LOCAL councillor has urged local women suffering from domestic abuse to seek help.

Fine Gael Councillor Emer Higgins was speaking after figures released by Safe Ire-

land showed that the number of women receiving support from domestic violence charities has more than doubled in the last five years.

Cllr Higgins said that the agencies involved deserved huge credit, but that breaking the silence was integral to

tackling the problem.

“The high level of phone calls received by support services, with many repeat callers, underlines the need for ongoing support.

“It is a credit to the agencies involved that the number of women receiving face-to-face

support has increased by 68% since 2007.

“Breaking the silence is key to tackling domestic violence.

We need to consider how we address this problem as a society.

“It cannot be simply attributed to a negative knock-

on effect of our challenging economic situation; when the country was awash with money, women and children were still being abused in their own homes,” said Cllr.

Higgins.

Facilities in the area include Clondalkin Domestic Vio-

lence Services, which can be contacted at 01 467 0655., Lucan Counselling’s contact details are 087 780 4073, Ronanstown Community Development Programme can be reached at 01 457 0373 and Sonas Housing can be reached at 01 830 9085.

Mayor praises local firm for taking part in food waste day CLONDALKIN-based recycling firm Greyhound came in for high praise last week, having put its weight behind a unique campaign to raise awareness of food waste in Ireland.

Dublin Lord Mayor Naoise O Muirí was among those to compliment the firm for the role that it played in helping to make Dublin’s inaugural Feeding The 5,000 event such a success.

Staff from the company were among the dozens of volunteers who gave up their weekend to achieve the goal of

feeding 5,000 people with food which would otherwise have gone to waste.

Those who turned out dined on a menu of curry, apple juice and flapjacks made from unused food from local producers and supermarkets.

“We were delighted to lend our support to this event and to highlight the extent of food waste in Ireland and the many positive solutions that can be put into place to tackle the problem,” said Paul Moloney, general manager of Greyhound Recycling.

Labour MEP Emer Costello with (Lto R) John Lyons TD, Pat Rabbitte TD, Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources; Hannes Swoboda MEP, Leader of the Socialists and Democrats Group, European Parliament; and Joe Costello, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs. Picture: Margaret Brown

unemployment: looking at European solutions

MEP calls for ‘youth jobs guarantee’ plan DUBLIN MEP Emer Costello has claimed that a youth guarantee approach, similar to that followed by Austria and Denmark, can help reduce Ireland’s historically high youth unemployment levels.

At its core, a youth guarantee would ensure that every young person in Ireland was offered a job, further education or work-focused training, at the latest four months after leaving education, or after becoming unemployed.

Ms Costello was speaking at the launch of the campaign for a

youth guarantee to be instituted.

Deputy Costello said that the guarantee could help Ireland overcome its biggest obstacle: “Unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, is the biggest challenge facing Ireland right now.

“We risk losing an entire generation, with almost one-third of young Irish people and nearly one-quarter across Europe currently without work, many for a year or more.

“We are launching this public awareness campaign calling for a European youth guar-

antee, because we are convinced that the youth guarantee approach pursued in Austria and Denmark is the one that can help reduce youth unemployment in Ireland.”

According to CSO figures for October, nearly 70,000 people aged 25 and under were unemployed in Ireland.

It is believed that the majority of the 46,500 people who have emigrated from Ireland this year are under 25.

Deputy Costello said that the system had worked in other countries, and could work well in Ireland.

“This approach works in Austria and Denmark, which have youth unemployment rates of 10% and 14% respectively, compared to the EU average of almost 23%, and should now be taken up by Europe as a whole using the European Social Fund.

“I very much welcome the fact that the Government has committed to making the adoption of this measure a priority of the Irish EU presidency next year, and I look forward to working with the Irish Presidency to ensure its delivery,” Deputy Costello concluded.

6 December 2012 CLONDALKIN Gazette 9

grant Money will fund new pitch completion

Local sports clubs get a funding boost  paul hosford phosford@gazettegroup.com

THERE was widespread welcome this week for the announcement that two local sports clubs have been awarded nearly €200,000 in funding under the Government Sports Capital Grant Programme.

Under the funding plan, Round Towers of Clondalkin will receive €178,000 towards the construction of their new pitches on Monastery Road, while Neilstown

Boxing Club will receive over €19,000.

The GAA club had secured €450,000 from the National Lottery and the GAA Leinster Council for their new facilities and has been fundraising locally for the past two years.

The €178,000 approved last week will fund the completion of their pitchbuilding project.

Labour TD Robert Dowds said that the awards would continue to encourage young people to become involved in

their local clubs.

“Round Towers’ new development on the Monastery Road is a credit to everyone involved in the club, and to the people of Clondalkin, and I want to congratulate and commend all the members of the club, and in particular the development committee, on working so hard to deliver top-class facilities.

“Neilstown Boxing Club is one of the most renowned and successful boxing clubs in Ireland, and their new premises

Chris Carthy (left) in action for Round Towers who will benefit from funding

is a very impressive facility which I have no doubt will continue to produce the champions and Olympians of the future. I want to sincerely congratulate everyone involved, particularly Gerry Fleming, for all the work they have put in over many years.

The €19,000 they have

received is well deserved and I wish them very well for the future.”

Fine Gael TD Frances Fitzgerald congratulated all involved in Towers, singling out her party colleague, Cllr Tony Delaney, who is the chairman of the club.

“Round Towers has

a record of over a hundred years of community involvement and delivers quality training and playing facilities for its members. It’s great that this money will go towards developing its new facilities right here in the heart of Clondalkin,” said Fitzgerald.

council

‘Clear gullies are vital’ SOUTH Dublin County Council has advised locals that with bad weather on the way, ensuring that gullies are clear is vital.

Gullies are groundlevel drains that surface water discharges into, and blocked gullies can lead to flooding.

Fallen leaves, mud and debris can block street gullies, preventing them from draining away rainwater properly and the council says that if a gully is overflowing, it will most likely clear when the leaves are removed.

The council also asks that leaves are put in a brown bin.

The council is advising residents to report any broken gullies to www. fixyourstreet.ie, or to their Customer Care line on 01 414 9000.

10 CLONDALKIN Gazette 6 December 2012

gazetteGALLERY

Ivan and Lulu Varian and Ellie Balfe

Hamley’s Toy Soldier with Faye and Lily Monaghan

Hamleys has it all for Christmas F

or an extra special visit to Father Christmas this year, Hamleys in Dundrum has rolled out an exclusive five-star experience, with an hour-long visit with Father Christmas that includes entertainment and games, a Christmas goodie bag, and a tasty meal specially prepared in Santa’s kitchen.

Numbers are limited to just 20 children per

Have you seen yourself in the Gazette? Buy photos online from only €6.99 at www.gazettephotos.com

visit, and each child is guaranteed special time with Father Christmas. Running until Christmas Eve, visitors can enjoy an exciting breakfast, lunch, or tea-time meeting with Father Christmas and his elves, costing €25 per child.

Bookings can be made: online at www.hamleys.com, in-store at the customer service point on the first floor, or call 01 292 4900.

Laura, Melanie, John and Michael Finn with Ciara, Matthew and Alex Burtenshaw

Toby Lee and Cillian

Caraleigh Doyle, Laura Finn, Corina Grant-Doyle and

McAllister

Corbyn-Rose Doyle

6 December 2012 Gazette 11

Gazette

dublinlife

Let Dublin Gazette Newspapers take you on a tour of the news and events taking place across the city and county this week, as well as the latest from our schools

asdfsdaf business P27 P16

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schools P14

dating P13

dance: tappy toes teaches little ones

Toddlers to get grooving as UK class arrives here

A NEW dance class for toddlers is set to take Dublin by storm, and will see little ones tapping their toes to their own beat.

Award winning toddler group Tappy Toes is launching in Ireland.

The latest activity was voted Britain’s best preschool activity and caters for kids aged 20 months to four and half years.

The dance/movement class is considered to be

for a demographic that is often ignored. Parents and their toddlers are being invited to come along to dance, sing and play.

Former ballerina Petra Durdikova will be delivering the new Dublin classes, incorporating fun and learning into dance with the use of bells, ribbons, and maracas as well as songs with actions and nursery rhymes.

She moved to England in 2002 where she spent 10 years teaching, choreographing and performing in local dance schools and annual shows.

With four years’ experience teaching Tappy Toes in the UK, she is now ready to take this knowledge and share it with Ireland.

The one thing this new business is looking for is that children involved are enjoying

every minute of it. Creator Claire Greenwood said: “Parents tell me our class is the highlight of their child’s week.”

Children absorb basic fundamentals of dance in a warm, comfortable and enjoyable social environment resulting in physical, psychological and social development.

For further information, or to watch a Tappy Toes demonstration, log onto www.tappytoes.ie

Grace Reilly gets the chance to tap her toes in the Howth Tappy Toes class

Gazette

12 Gazette 6 December 2012

dublinlife

Steady, steady ... this young chef gets to grips with her meal at Wagamama Dundrum

diary

Children happy to wok to learn top Wagamama tips YOUNG child chefs showed off their culinary skills when they took part in Wagamama Dundrum’s cookery class programme recently.

Children from St Andrew’s College lined up for the educational event, and had their wooden spoons and woks at the ready for an action-packed day of learning the secrets and skills of the restaurant industry.

The class had the opportunity to learn about food, nutrition, order systems, the restaurant industry and the Wagamama brand.

Restaurant manager, Brian Smyth, said: “This experience follows sev-

eral cooking-day experiences that Wagamama had undertaken with local schools last year.

“Some of the previous participants had written letters to Wagamama saying it was the best day in school they’d ever had.”

Wagamama is continuing its educational projects with other local schools every few months until next June. Interested schools should get in touch with the team via Wagamama’s Facebook or Twitter pages.

ring in 2013 at christ church AN EXPECTED 500 people will ring in 2013 with the Dublin Gospel

Choir at a special New Year’s Eve Gala Concert to be held at Christ Church Cathedral.

The evening includes a post-concert champagne reception in the cr ypt, followed by a countdown to the ringing of the bells at midnight on the cathedral grounds.

The Christ Church Cathedral New Year’s Eve Gala Concert is always hugely popular, so patrons are asked to book well in advance.

Tickets cost €45 per person, and include the reception. Doors open at 8.30pm, and the concert begins at 9pm.

To book your place at the concer t, call

www.gazette group.com All of your latest local news, sport, features and pictures are now just a click away

We have 135,000* readers each week *based on standard industry measurements

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call 60 10 240

01 677 8099, or see Christ Church Cathedral’s website at www. christchurchdublin.ie/.

celebrations at docklands SANTA Claus is coming to town, and he’s set to give children a great holiday experience at the Dublin Docklands.

Santa is arriving on Saturday, December 8, and will be meeting boys and girls every Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon to 7pm – what’s even better, it’s free to meet the man in red.

Charity To celebrate the true giving spirit of Christmas, Santa will be asking boys and girls to bring a gift and leave it at Santa’s Giving Tree, for distribution to a leading children’s charity.

On Friday, December 7, Santa will officially switch on the Christmas lights for the Dublin Docklands Christmas Festival, which will run in the IFSC from December 7 to 23, from 12 noon to 8pm daily, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am.

Entry is free, and the event promises to be a real delight for children and adults alike.

For further information on the upcoming Dublin Docklands Christmas Festival, or to book space at the event, see the website at www.dublindocklandschristmasfestival.ie.

6 December 2012 Gazette 13

Gazette

feature

break away project

A cosy evening for Christmas The Break Away Project, a new performance group based in Dublin, is holding a cosy evening of stories, music and mulled wine as part of its Christmas celebrations this year.

Artistic director of the project, Helena Byrne, spoke to The Gazette about the project and the upcoming storytelling evening.

“The Break Away Project was founded in January and each month we hold an event. So far, we’ve hosted four readings, three concerts and, in October, put on a full play of Dr Seward’s Dracula in the Crypt of Christ Church.

Links Rena Maycock and Feargal Harrington established Intro Matchmaking in 2011

Date with a difference  Hiromi Mooney

With many Christmas nights ahead on the social calendar, there are plenty of opportunities to meet someone special. But what do you do if you feel that you can’t pluck up the courage to approach the opposite sex?

Perhaps you find the idea of introducing yourself to strangers too daunting, or you have negative experiences in the past and lost your confidence.

Whatever the reason, help is just a phone call away with Intro Matchmaking, a company established in September 2011 by Rena Maycock and Feargal Harrington from Malahide, which is based on Dawson Street in the city centre.

They worked with focus groups for a year and a half before they set up, and discovered that up to 80% of people felt that bars and pubs were hostile environments to meet the opposite sex, and over 70% had admitted to telling lies on online dating websites

– such as exaggerating their height or reducing their waistline. They also discovered that some people set the bar too high.

“There could be expectations that are so high in some people’s cases that we know that they’ll never be pleased,” said Feargal.

“A very blunt expression here is ‘those who can be pleased will be’ – and it’s so true. I mean, we get stories that some people literally say ‘I’ll only meet that man if he’s above six foot, if he’s from a certain location in Dublin, if he’s never been married – only if he’s single, no children, and third-level educated in certain professions’.

A la carte

“It doesn’t work that way, because it’s like they’re treating it as an a la carte menu in a restaurant.

“We had some very difficult people to begin with, but (they) actually changed their mind, and ended up with people who are polar opposites to what they had come

in and initially specified as being their requirements.”

Intro Matchmaking’s clients range in age from 22 to 79, and one in three of their members joined through word of mouth.

Feargal said that since they have opened, one in four of their clients are now in long-term relationships.

“It just proves that people wouldn’t go into a long-term relationship unless they really felt that it was definitely going to work,” he said.

“We schedule dates.

We book the restaurants for the couples and they’re booked under their personal names – never under the company name, so there’s no fear or worry that you need to actually be holding a rose or wearing a certain colour for the person to recognise you. So it’s kind of seamless in the sense that there’s no hassle.”

Intro Matchmaking first speaks to clients by phone, and then meets them to check that they provide legitimate details and identification. It then assess them to help find

their perfect match. In this way – unlike online dating services, it can ensure that it’s members cannot make false claims about themselves. It also never makea their clients’ details available, which leaves them assured that it’s a very confidential,

trustworthy and discreet service.

Now that Christmas is approaching, Feargal advises all singletons to attend all of the social events around them.

For more information about Intro Matchmaking, visit www.intro.ie.

“For 2013 we have a lot of things planned as part of our remit is to forge links between Irish and American artists. One of the biggest upcoming events for the year of the Gathering will be our production of It Came From Mars by Joseph Zettlemaier, and he is due to come over for the production in Easter, hopefully.

“This December, though, we’re having an evening of storytelling and music with tales of folklore from Ireland, Scandanavia and Italy. The music will be a mixture of unusual Christmas songs, not the obvious stuff you’d hear on the radio.”

The candlelit Evening of Stories, Music and Mulled Wine will be hosted in the Centre for Creative Practices at 15 Pembroke St Lower, Dublin 2 on December 16 at 7.30pm.

Tickets cost €12 and can be booked by calling the centre on 01 799 5416.

Gazette

14 Gazette 6 December 2012

dublinlife

DublinGazetteNewspapers cub reporters and photographers of the year November 2012 winners

H Reporter of the

MONTH

Aisling O’Fiachain & Julia Ryan Sixth-Year Notre Dame students Aisling and Julia showed their journalistic skills by bringing to life their school’s science fair that brought the wonders of chemistry, biology and physics to visiting primary school pupils.

Spikeball has proven to be a big hit with the children that the Transition Year pupils taught

Photo

colaiste cois life: sport teaching programme

of the H

MONTH

Wiktoria Stawasz ADAMSTOWN Community College student, Wiktoria Stawasz, sent in this shot of local nature, with squirrels still bounding about as winter looms. You can see more of Wiktoria’s work at wikta2703.deviantart.com/gallery.

schoolLife

Get involved with our new Gazette schools pages As part of the relaunch of the Dublin Gazette Newspapers, we are reaching out to all the schools in our catchment areas to become a closer part of our community than ever before. Schools are the beating hearts of communities, one of the last places around which a community can gather.

We are calling on budding writers and photographers from all of our

schools to help fill the pages and, in order to encourage the next generation of journalists and snappers to get involved, we are partnering with Harvey Norman to present the Dublin Gazette Newspapers’ Cub Reporter and Cub Photographer of the Year awards.

For more details, contact rheigh@ gazettegroup.com, or on 01 601 0240.

Transition Years teach Spikeball to local kids  Aisling NI Bhlo-

scaidh and Ashley Nic Gabhann

Colaiste Cois Life, an all-Irish Secondary School in Lucan, was recently selected to take part in the Volleyball Association of Ireland’s Transition Year Girls SpikeBall Leaders Award Programme for 2012.

The initiative is funded by the Irish Sports Council’s Women In Sport project, which encoura ges girls to actively participate in sport.

O n O c t o b e r 18 , Colaiste Cois Life was visited by Mary Lalor and Graham Torrance, development officers

from the Volleyball Association of Ireland, for a full day course.

Mary and Graham introduced us to the game of spikeball (an adapted game of volleyball). We learned the SpikeBall rules, how to play the game and how to introduce it to Primary School students.

We also learned about coaching, refereeing, sports reporting and organising a SpikeBall Blitz.

Fif teen girls were divided into five groups and were sent out to local primary schools in the Lucan area.

These schools included Scoil Eiscir Riada, Gaelscoil Naomh Padraig and Griffeen Valley

Educate Together.

The girls were coaching fifth and sixth class students in SpikeBall skills and prepared them ahead of a blitz on November 30.

T he coaching was very beneficial to the leaders, and the students thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a huge learning experi-

ence for the Transition Year girls. The highlight of the course was the sense of achievement after successfully completing the course.

T he toughest par t was getting the students attention and maintaining authority over them.

Overall, it was a great experience for everyone involved.

6 December 2012 Gazette 15

Gazette

schools st conleth’s college: bond theme for event

Shaken not stirred at Build-A-Bank launch  Conor White

THE Bond Bank in St Conleth’s College got itself off to an actionpacked start when it held its launch day on November 20.

Students from throughout the school came to visit the bank and learn about the products it has on offer.

Centred around the theme of ‘James Bond’, the bank is the school’s entry to the Build-a-Bank Challenge, a national competition overseen by AIB. Students are encouraged to set up bank accounts, apply for internet banking and avail of a debit card.

The bank team, a group of six Transition Year students, open the

bank every Tuesday so that money can be lodged.

At the launch, the visiting students were invited to listen to a presentation about what the bank could offer them, teaching invaluable skills about money and personal finance.

However, the audiences were initially ‘shaken and stirred’ by the bank’s own advertisement created on the James Bond theme. Sales and marketing executive, Gavin Sheridan, donned a black suit and was filmed on his mission to withdraw from an ATM and use mobile banking, among other tasks.

There was a rapturous response from all that attended. Most students created accounts and left the

room with an extremely positive attitude about the bank.

It is hoped that this supportive relationship can continue throughout the year with the bank’s seasonal promotions and savings’ week in the pipeline.

St Finian’s CC: Olympic star Carruth stars at school’s awards night 

Bank manager Conor White

Ojamiji Catherine Adaranijo

St Finian’s Community College in Swords recently held its annual awards evening, where the guest speaker was Olympic gold medallist, Michael Carruth. Mr Carruth spoke at the beginning of the ceremony and encouraged students with motivating words such as “if you believe, you achieve”.

On the night, students received awards for their achievements in academia, sport and positively contributing to school life throughout the 2011-12 academic year.

Notably, the junior student of the year was awarded to Jessica Gargan, and the senior student of the year was Sruthy Kumar. It was a very enjoyable evening of celebration for parents, students and teachers. Photographer – Clara Kinsella

GAZETTE

16 GAZETTE 6 December 2012

DUBLINLIFE

Managing a joint account

Q&A

OLLIE FLOOD, MANAGER, HARVEY NORMAN

Bedding down to succeed in Blanchardstown role OLLIE Flood has worked with one of Ireland’s leading retailers, Harvey Norman, since 2006. He has been working in home furnishings for 18 years, having previously worked with BB Blinds for 12 years before joining Harvey Norman in 2006.

He worked in the Dundalk store initially, before moving to manage the Holywood store in 2009; he has now taken on the reins as manager

in Harvey Norman’s latest store in Blanchardstown Retail Park, at Blanchardstown Shopping Centre.

He says: “For me, this is a fabulous step forward, running the most fantastic furniture store in the country. I look forward to seeing the store grow with our customers, keeping that important balance between working hard and having a great store and enjoying my day’s work.”

How long have you been in business?

What law or regulation would you change overnight to help your business?

I’ve been in the furnishing business 20 years; the last eight with Harvey Norman. Now, I’m in our newly opened, massively expanded 30,000 sq ft Harvey Norman store in Blanchardstown Retail Park.

What makes your business successful?

We know our customer, we know that they want the range and quality of products at competitive prices, and that’s what we offer them.

What do you offer your clients that differs from your competitors?

It comes down to two things: products and service. Our range of products is a great mix of both design and value, plus our trained staff know what they are selling and how to listen to the customer to ensure they choose the right product for them – what could be better?

How has the recession impacted your business?

It’s a flat economy, but Harvey Norman sales are up, and market share in key categories is growing.

What have you changed about your business to combat the effects of the recession?

It’s not a change; it’s a continuation – big selection, affordable pricing and an ever increasing focus on great customer service.

BUSINESS

Supported

by AIB

Introduce legislation to abolish upward-only rent clauses in commercial leases. Our Irish rents are crazy.

How do you use social media (Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, etc) to help your business?

We interact with our customers in lots of ways, so in that way we are very social. We regularly interact via customers’ own social media including Twitter, blogs, and boards.

What is your ambition for the business?

For the new store in Blanchardstown to become our busiest Dublin furniture and bedding, electrical and computers store.

What is the best piece of business advice you ever received?

There is no such as thing as ‘No’.

What is your favourite thing about doing business in your local area?

Blanchardstown is a great centre, always busy, and our new furniture and bedding store is going to amaze people. I look forward to seeing those customers return again and again to buy from us.

What living person do you most admire?

Alan Sugar.

DISAGREEMENTS about personal finance can be very divisive – I have seen figures that suggest half of the couples who break up do so because of a disagreement about money.

So, when I say that you need to agree a joint financial strategy with your partner, I don’t say it lightly. One approach that I have found works well is to: • Look for common ground. It is likely, for instance, that you both want the same thing – to be free of debt, and to have plenty of spare cash.

• Communicate freely and honestly. Assess where you are, and how each of you have contributed to the current state of affairs. Be honest. Discuss each of your strengths and weaknesses, and the things you are doing right, and the things you are doing wrong.

• Compromise. Don’t allow past behaviour and events to poison your chance of success. Put grievances behind you. Start afresh, and in doing so, accept that you will both have to agree to do things differently in the future.

Here are some valuable tips on handling joint finances – whether with your partner, or with someone else.

• Maintain your independence. A joint account is perfect for joint responsibilities, but it is a good idea to keep an account for yourself so that you have money available to spend as you want.

Decide which areas are joint expenditure, and which you are each going to handle alone.

• If one half of a partnership takes over all the money

management, it can lead to big trouble. The person in charge may end up resenting the fact that he or she is doing all the work ... and he or she may also become controlling. The person not involved is leaving himself or herself vulnerable, and is adopting an essentially childlike position.

Both of you should take decisions together – even if one of you does the day-to-day accounting.

• Be honest about how you each feel. If one of you wants to save and the other wants to spend ... admit it, and work out a strategy that allows each of you to do as you please. Compromise!

• Plan for a future that isn’t completely dependent on staying together. I realise that this may seem pessimistic, but I frequently find myself counselling people who unexpectedly find themselves having to deal with money for the first time.

Communication, of course, is the key. More next week.  Contact John with your money questions at jlowe@moneydoctor.ie or visit his website at www.moneydoctor.ie. John Lowe, Fellow of the Institute of Bankers, is founder and managing director of Money Doctor

AIB: SEMINAR ON OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL FIRMS

Experts offer retail tips on e-commerce in 2013 LAST week, AIB hosted a seminar for over 200 of its SME customers, Retailing in Ireland – Prospects and Possibilities 2013, at the AIB Bankcentre in Ballsbridge.

It provided information on current consumer spending trends and the likely profile of consumer spending in 2013, along with expert views on best practices for e-retailing from Google.

A wide variety of retailers attended the event, from hardware to fashion to hotels, all with varying levels of experience in e-retailing.

Gerard O’Neill, chairman of Amarach Research and a leading economic commentator on future trends and forecast-

ing, said that the online market in Ireland will be worth an estimated €6bn in 2016.

Cian O’Mongain, senior industry manager at Google, also outlined best practice in this area for both novice and existing online retailers, sharing his tips and tricks to take advantage of opportunities that lay ahead.

AIB’s head of business banking Brendan O’Connor said: “SMEs are critical to our economic recovery, for the maintenance and creation of thousands of jobs.

“We are determined to assist our business customers to grow and develop their business, both through the access to credit they need and

Gerard O’Neill of Amarach Research, Louis Copeland, Mark Dinneen of John A Taylor Ltd, and Anthony Doyle from AIB at the seminar

through a range of supports such as this seminar today.”

Through AIB’s Big Drive For Small Business campaign, it launched a new initiative to speed up SME loan decisions which assisted over 50 SME customers in creating their own TV and radio advertising campaigns, while offering coaching to 2,500 SME

customers. The bank also organised over 100 business management seminars, with 4,000 participating to date.

AIB has exceeded the Government SME lending target of €3.5bn for 2012 and sanctioned 2,156 requests for credit from businesses across the Midwest region in the first nine months of this year.

6 December 2012 Gazette 17

gaming P21

asdfsdaf P27 motors P22

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

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cinema P20

Pets can you give beau a home?

Celebrity chef Kevin Dundon entertains while cooking up a storm as part of the the Supervalu Roadshow in Churchtown, Dublin. Pictures: Geraldine Woods

food: tv chef kevin dundon joins forces with supervalu retail chain

Cook up a calm Christmas  laura webb

Irish chef and TV personality Kevin Dundon has joined forces with SuperValu to bring customers a delicious range of signature dishes that will help destress the cook in the family this festive season.

Over the past two-and-a-half years, Kevin has been working with the supermarket chain on its selection of fresh food. This year, he is travelling around Ireland in an air-stream caravan, which has an iconic silver-bullet style, to showcase the SuperValu Christmas range.

Speaking to the Gazette ahead of the roadshow, where he visited a number a local SuperValu stores in Dublin before heading off around the country, he said

meeting the public was his favourite thing to do. “I love people. We pull up to a store and I just chat to people and talk about their dishes and how we can help, and we showcase our signature range and the other produce available in SuperValu. “[The supermarket chain] buy a lot of local products, and that is the whole ethos. That is something that I always believed in and it’s the main reason I got together with SuperValu,” he said.

The SuperValu Christmas road-show showcases the store’s wide-ranging festive products, which extend beyond just turkey and ham.

“Within the signature range, we have a fantastic rib beef on the bone, When you roast it up, it is very impressive on

the table and it also cooks really well.

Salmon en croute is another – fresh salmon with spinach and a cream sauce wrapped in pastry. Make it in the oven and when you cut it, it looks great.

“The dish I love, which I do on the show, is a rack of pork with crispy crackling on top and apple compote on the side.

“However, I think, on Christmas Day, it is all about the roast. I like to tell people it’s just like cooking a Sunday roast: it doesn’t have to be stressful. You could cook your ham the day before and when you cook your turkey, take that out and let it rest for half an hour. Put your glaze on your ham and put it in the oven for a half an hour, you don’t necessarily have to have a hot ham with turkey dinner.

“Home kitchens are limited in space, and it is hard to juggle everything. Have your potatoes and vegetables already peeled and ready to go the day before – that also helps.”

Growing up, Kevin was inspired by the women in his life. He said his mother and grandmother were great cooks who introduced him to cooking. He is still a firm believer in making dinner family time.

“My family is mad busy coming up to Christmas and, for me, this time of year is for family. I love to cook, and I do cook Christmas dinner, but it’s not stressful for me because that’s what I do,” he laughed.

Continued on Page 23

DUBLIN Gazette Newspapers has teamed up with Dogs Trust, Ireland’s largest dog welfare charity, to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs.

Our ‘Dog of the week’ is Beau, a two-year-old Staffie cross. This is one beautiful boy with a big heart! He needs his confidence built as he can be quite a worried little man when meeting new friends but once he gets to know you, he will shower you with love and affection.

This handsome hound would prefer canine company rather than cats or kids, and would probably love a home where he is the centre of someone’s world. He especially likes playing with his tennis ball and would love a big garden or getting out for a walk where he strides along wagging his tail admiring the world around him.

If you think you could give Beau the fabulous forever home he deserves, contact Dogs Trust at 01 8791000 (www. dogstrust.ie). All their dogs are vet-checked, vaccinated, neutered and microchipped before being rehomed.

Gazette

18 Gazette 6 December 2012

OUT&ABOUT Debenhams €170

STYLE

Debenhams €54

Heatons €13

Christmas Guide - for him!

M&S €8

 Laura Webb

It’s the second instalment of Gazette Style’s guide to Christmas presents for those special people in your life. Last week we showed you some very impressive gifts for the woman in your life, so this week it is all about the man.

Now that Movember is over, some men may be in need of a shaver, or may want to keep it and so taming it is a must. We also have some great fashion for the man in the house, while aftershave is also the way to go for the other half.

Check out our final instalment next week which will be all about the kids.

Debenhams €39

Urban Outfitters €111

Penneys €9 Emporio Armani See stockists for details

M&S €47.50

Debenhams €124

Debenhams €34

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Debenhams €17

6 December 2012 Gazette 19

Gazette

MUSIC FASTtunes with Dee Woods

Instant karma’s gonna get you... a bizarre wardrobe

Deftones’ Kai No Yokan pushes the band’s aural assault into a more powerful fresh direction

review: the ongoing resurgence of deftones continues

’Tones of survival  rob heigh

A COMMON statement about bands who last, say, more than the average lifespan of a mayfly is that they are “survivors”.

A genuine definition of survivors is a band of brothers who have been to the edge of personal devastation and disassociation and who have pulled together to create some of the finest art of their careers.

That is the appropriate description for California’s Deftones. The band, formed in Sacramento in 1988, have proved themselves more than capable of weathering the kinds of storms that a 25-year career in the music busi-

ness can throw up.

Having established themselves with a trio of platinum selling albums straight out of the blocks, one of which, Around The Fur, was a bona fide classic of the genre, Deftones proceeded to solidify their position in the alt metal scene.

However, following personal tragedies, illness, drug problems and ultimately, a 1988 car crash that put bassist Chi Cheng into a coma, from which he is still to fully recover, the impetus to come back together from the battles that threatened to derail the band for good and make some of the best music of their careers found a foothold.

Since then, Deftones have been creating some astonishing soundscapes and have just released their seventh album, Koi No Yokan.

To many, their overpowering aural assault would be too much, but listen just beneath the surface and there is a melodic texture and crafting seldom encountered in their niche.

Be assured, this is no softer a record than Deftones have previously created. If anything, it is a heavier, more piledriving collection of songs than their previous release, Diamond Eyes, named by many as one of the defining records of the start of the new decade when it

appeared in 2010.

Where Koi No Yokan departs from the immediacy that marked Diamond Eyes out as a classic in the making is in its construction. The longer gestation period that this album enjoyed has resulted in an impressive and multi-layered set of songs that chime with a unity of purpose and sing with a layered creativity that gives infinite hope for the

future of the rock genre.

There are times when it is as gentle as Jane’s Addiction at their most brutal, at times as affecting as anything Deftones have recorded before.

In spite of their tribulations, the rallying cause that they have found since the loss of Cheng has made Deftones a more uncompromising, and more impressive, rock survivor.

This weekend sees the 32nd anniversary of the death of John Lennon. It’s a time for Beatles’ fans and Lennon devotees around the world to reflect on the legend that helped shape the path of music forever...

Or, if you’re Yoko Ono, it’s a time to unveil jockstraps and other saucy clothing designed in his memory. Ono has revealed a new men’s clothing collection inspired by drawings she gave her late husband as a wedding gift.

Talking about her new collection, 79-yearold Ono said: “I felt it was a pity if we could not make clothes emphasizing his very sexy bod. So, I made this whole series with love for his hot bod and gave it to him as a wedding present. You can imagine how he went wild and fell in love with me even more.”

But will people fall in love with the clothes?

The fashion range, for American brand Opening Ceremony, includes jockstraps, skin-tight tops with strategic holes and trousers with handprints on the crotch. Check out the full range at www.openingceremony.us, if only to prove yourself wrong if you thought bras, pink mesh tops and open-toe thigh-high boots were only for women. Yes, they’re in the collection too. And they deliver to Ireland.

Not sure it’d go down well with all John Lennon fans here, but worth a look nonetheless. The hoodie with the word “Dream” across the front, priced $75, might be a safer buy for the Lennon lover in your life. Ironic though, that a $200 jockstrap is included in a collection inspired by a man who once wrote You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away.

Dee Woods @ Radio Nova

Yoko Ono and John Lennon wearing some more conventional attire in the late 1960s

Gazette

20 gazette 6 December 2012

OUT&ABOUT

CINEMA

more

theatre THE pavilioN THEATRE 01 231 2929 The Gloaming

THE Gloaming is a newly minted collective of five remarkable musicians poised to become a vital force in Irish music.

Navigating between the contemporary and traditional genres, their creativity trumps predictability – with music that is haunting and beautiful in equal measure. Having started recording of their debut album in August, they end the year with a series of intimate shows.

December 9, tickets are priced at €26.

Mill Theatre 01 296 9340

Miracle on 34th St ENJOY such popular songs as Pinecones and Hollyberries, It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas and My State, My Kansas, in this joyous, heart-warming musical of pure family entertainment. Miracle On 34th Street tells the story of a mother and daughter that are much too practical to believe in Santa Claus. Macy’s hires a kind, white-bearded, older gentlemen to play Santa at the store, but when the man proclaims to be Kris Kringle and Santa himself, his sanity is called into question.

Presented by Glencullen Musical and Dramatic Society. December 5-15 at 8pm, tickets are priced at €20/18.

CIVIC THEATRE 01 462 7477 ABBA Forever

IT’S Christmas! It’s party time! It’s ABBA! From Waterloo to Dancing Queen, expect a dazzling, fantastic performance including the most iconic hits, Mamma Mia, SOS, Money, Money Money, The Winner Takes It All and many more.

December 10 and 11, tickets are priced at €20.

Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook – not a bow and arrow or hangover in sight

review: cooper, lawrence, De niro and stiles at the top of their game

Silver? This is gold LOOKING at it objectively, you might say that the guy who directed The Fighter might aim a little higher for his next film than a self-penned, low-budget romantic comedy about a man with psychiatric problems.

But, then again, this is the man who famously called Lily Tomlin every name under the sun in a rant on the set of I Huckabees. So really, all bets are off when it comes to predicting his next move.

In Silver Linings Playbook, Russell actually makes a film that suits as a successor to the awards laden Fighter.

Here, the family is as dysfunctional, the frustration at what might have been as palpable and the loving moments

 paul hosford

phosford@gazettegroup.com

as tender. The only real difference is that Bradley Cooper’s Pat doesn’t have a heroin addict brother dragging him down.

Instead, he has his ow n demons and a conviction for assaulting his wife’s lover.

After being released from a state mental facility and moving back in with his parents, played

by Robert De Niro and Jackie Weaver, Pat must confront his issues, his family and his newest friend, Tiffany.

Tiffany comes with a whole slew of prob-

lems of her own, which makes everyone nervous.

Law rence is an actress with the world at her fingertips at the minute, with The Hunger Games and X-Men establishing her on the A-list and her Oscar nomination for Winter’s Bone last year marking her as a truly special talent.

She should have her pick of projects, which makes her appearance in Playbook all the more impressive.

Eschewing what were certainly higher-profile roles for the chance to play what appears on paper to be a much younger love interest to Bradley Cooper.

That age gap is barely noticeable, however, as Lawrence brings a maturity to the role that

Film of the Week: Silver Linings Playbook h h h h h (15) 122mins Director: David O.Russell Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Julia Stiles, Chris Tucker, Jackie Weaver

OUR VERDICT: THERE are small stumbles, small little frustrating stumbles, but all in all, this is a great piece of cinema. Brave, unflinching and superbly acted, End of Watch is as good a cop film as there is, but is abundantly more. A great dissection of character, a fantastic look at male relationships and a thoroughly brilliant piece of film-making. See it. See it now.

is much needed.

Without it, Tiffany would become a bratty post-teen and her madness would be offputting.

In Lawrence’s hands, it becomes appealing, almost attractive as she keeps a sure hand on the quirks of her character.

Her work here proves that the nomination for Winter’s Bone was no fluke and she is a generational talent, some-

one who should be watched for many years to come.

C o o p e r t o o p l ay s against type. Gone is the megawatt smile and easy charisma, replaced instead with an anger, a fr ustration and a deep set of problems that Cooper manages to make work, despite some shortcomings in the script.

With Robert De Niro on fine form as Pat’s father and Chris Tucker

providing the comic relief, this is as well an acted piece of cinema as you are likely to see all year.

A side-note; welcome back to Julia Stiles, it’s been too long.

The star of the show, however, is Russell. His blistering announcement to Holly wood, 1999’s Three Kings, has been long-forgotten, but The Fighter announced the return of a real talent.

With Playbook, Russell continues that form and will make many sit up and notice.

That he is still best know n for the viral video of the Tomlin rant is sad, if understandable, but soon he will be known solely for his work.

Especially if he keeps up this kind of form.

6 December 2012 gazette 21

Gazette

GAMING far cry 3: it’s pretty, crazy and fun

It’s so Far, so good in this fun threequel  shane dillon

I TOUCHED on this in last week’s page, but space prevented me giving it more room.

And so, I return to Rook Island, the central hub of just-released Far Cry 3, and quite probably the daftest, most unpredictable gaming playground we’ve seen this side of Just Cause 2’s Panau island.

I’m not sure what it is about islands that makes game designers want to turn them into places the average SWAT team would want to avoid, but who knows – maybe one day, we’ll see an Irish designer come up with an analogous Aran Island setting, involving a quest for revenge after a cow gets kidnapped, or something.

Anyway, mooooving right back to the game’s exotic tropical island set-

 shane dillon sdillon@gazettegroup.com

ting (somewhere around the Indian and Pacific Oceans), and the playerprotagonist has much to enjoy here.

As briefly mentioned last week, the player ends up on the island with his girlfriend and friends – only for the action-seeking group to get more than they want to when they run into the wrong type of people.

The very wrong types, who have a habit of disposing of such guests, with guns, and other such extreme visitor controls.

(Perhaps the guys should have just gone to lovely Fundoran instead, up near Sligo.)

BYTES&PIECES new title hits a very honourable sales target

From here on in, you’re in familiar territory, yet one that very much has its own clear identity and style.

You’re tasked with saving your friends, and your girlfriend, and helping the few friendly people on the islands to claim back their territory – by tackling the bad guys, one group of thugs, or enemy stronghold, at a time; sometimes by stealthy means, yet more often than not by charging around like Chuck Norris with a headache.

In order to do this, there are all kinds of toand-fro missions that you can carry out, gradually unlocking more and more areas, mission types and friendly characters, as your actions begin to change the control of power on the islands.

Of course, there are all kinds of other distractions in Far Cry 3 to undertake

The tropical island setting of Far Cry 3 would be lovely to visit – were it not for the roving gangs of heavily armed thugs, occasional leopard attacks and, presumably, hotel prices in high season

instead, if you’d rather take a break from the main and side missions.

After all, your friends would probably understand that, rather than rescue them from their hellish captors, you went looking for a hill peak to go hang-gliding from. I mean, who wouldn’t?

As usual for such titles, there are lots and lots of treasure hunts and distractions to go wandering off on, away from the ‘real’ game, Whether collecting rare plants, going on animal hunts – or being hunted, by some particuarly dangerous beasts – searching out obscure parts of the

NEWS just in – Dishonoured (below), the particularly stylish first-person stealth-’em-up, has done better than expected at retail and, as such, has been decreed a new franchise, ripe for returning to.

Its publisher, Bethseda, praised its sales, which have kept pace with the critical acclaim that the well-rounded title garnered on its recent release, and were strong in both physical and download form.

It’s an all the more impressive feat, consid-

islands’ history, or just taking parts in races on land, sea and in the air, there’s an awful lot to do, with virtually everything you do gifting your character with experience points, with which to unlock ever more useful skills and upgrades.

I should also mention that Far Cry 3 looks great, building on the detailed worlds that the series is famed for. While not perfect, there’s still a pretty immersive sense of scale and detail to its setting, making it a world that’s well worth getting lost in.

A multi-platform title, Far Cry 3 is available in shops now.

ering its release near the end of the year, at a time when all of the Christmas heavyweights start limbering up to do battle, and particularly for a brand new title. With some downloadable content on the way to add to Dishonoured’s scale, it’s a welcome bit of news, as all too often slightly quirkier games get overlooked at retail, in favour of, say, bogstandard shooters featuring angry, bearded soldiers. (Yawn.)

Not so with Dishonoured’s characters, whose late Empress, left, would surely welcome the news that gamers can expect to return to its setting, soon.

22 Gazette 6 December 2012

Gazette

&ABOUT OUT road

MOTORS

NOISE

Fiat 500L earns a fivestar safety rating The Euro NCAP released its latest round of results last week, and the FIAT 500L has earned a five-star safety rating from the independent vehicle safety assessment body.

With an overall score of 83/100, the FIAT 500L’s coveted five-star rating was awarded on the basis of the scores it achieved. Adult occupant protection was (94/100); child occupant protection, 78/100; pedestrian protection, 65/100, and driver-assist safety system, 71/100.

Thousands of hours of virtual simulations were employed during the creation of FIAT’s brand new “Small Wide” architecture which was engineered without the need for prototypes. To ensure there were no unforeseen anomalies, some 200 tests were conducted on components and sub-systems, as well as more than 100 shock test simulations and in excess of 100 crash tests. They took taking all possible types of impact into consideration: frontal impact, side impact, rollover, pile-up and impacts with pedestrians.

Honours were also bestowed upon Skoda’s new compact saloon, the Rapid. It earned good marks in the Euro NCAP crash test for its high level of safety.

It was recognised for its excellent test results in the areas of occupant protection for adults and children, pedestrian protection and safety assistance systems.

“The Skoda Rapid is one of the safest cars in its segment,” says FrankWelsch, SKODA board member for technical development. “These Euro NCAP results are confirmation coming from an independent party. Our compact saloon is an ideal family car offering lots of space for five occupants and their baggage. It is functional, high quality and conforms to top-level safety standards,” said Welsch.

Skoda’s new compact saloon, the Rapid

The SEAT Mii boasts plnty of extras including alloy wheels, front fog lights and heated door mirrors

seat: a pleasant surprise for those looking for a city car

Mii makes driving plenty of fun again

n Cormac Curtis

This will be the second round of deja vu I’ve had on the motoring pages this year, as I am writing about the third sibling in what is affectionately know in motoring circles as “The Triplets”.

In case you missed my verdicts of the Skoda CitiGo and the VW Up!, let me fill you in.

T here has been a heated battle raging in the small car market all across Europe this year, in one corner there is the odds-on favourite, the VW Up!, in the other corner, there is the new boy threatening the established veteran in the shape of the Skoda CitiGo, and in the third corner (OK, this is not a traditional boxing analogy) there is the plucky

specs: SEAT Mii 1.0 Sport 5Door  0 – 100km/hr: 13.2 secs  Top speed: 171km/h  CO2 Emissions : 108g/km  Tax Band: A  Current Tax Rate: €160  Price: €12,000

underdog that is the SEAT Mii. You may be aware that all three cars come from the same family, namely the Volkswagen Group, so they share quite a lot in terms of chassis, gearboxes and the like.

They all have a pretty similar look, but, to be fair, there’s not a huge amount you can do with something this size when you’re competing for the same market.

But they all have their own distinct person-

alities, and the little Mii was a real eye-opener.

As mentioned, I had already been in the Up! and the Citigo – in the case of the Skoda, I had tested it at its launch in Portugal as well as on Irish roads – so I was not really expecting anything to take me by surprise.

But this car seemed to edge the other two in one key area – its noise.

Even though I tend to drone on about points of contact and the tactile connection between car and driver – the sound is every bit as important for a car to have character.

Don’t get me wrong, this car ticked plenty of other boxes that count just as much – but to get a symphony of exhaust notes thrown into the mix is a huge bonus for

a petrol head like me.

To give you a mental picture, think of how the Minis in the Italian Job sounded as they made their way around Rome… that’s exactly how it felt driving the Mii, an absolute pleasure.

That’s the thing about driving little cars, they remind us of how much fun driving can be.

When you strip away the couch-like comfort and pampering of highend luxury saloons, the dizzying array of digital controls and touchscreen do-das, and the panoramic, all-glass ceilings of the modern people carriers, you are left with the basics – four wheels, a little poke, a short wheel base, and lots of manoeuvrability.

How much fun is that?

But the Mii, like all the Triplets, boasts real world practicality too, and the 1.0 Sport 5-door I tested came with plenty of spec as standard.

From the 15” ANIA alloy wheels; front fog lights with cornering; body coloured electric and heated door mirrors and handles to the electric windows up front; hill hold; leather steering wheel and gearstick for the all-important points of contact; SPORT Specific trim and upholstery; rear tinted windows; and front and rear sport suspension, nobody can accuse SEAT of skimping on the extras.

The SEAT Mii will be a pleasant surprise to anyone in the market for a small city car and it really stands toe-to-toe with its siblings.

6 December 2012 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 23

GAZETTE

FEATURES

Interview KEVIN DUNDON FROM P17

Thousands of poinsettias being nurtured for the Christmas market. Inset top, the plants before they turn their distinctive crimson shade, and inset below, the poinsettia bloom.

HOUSEHOLD: MEXICAN PLANT IS A HUGE FESTIVE HIT HERE

The dark secrets of poinsettia growers...

GARDEN centre retailer B&Q is expecting to sell thousands of poinsettias this Christmas, when this most popular houseplant makes its annual Christmas debut.

Indigenous to Mexico and Central America, this plant is now a Christmas staple for many Irish homeowners.

Over 100 million poinsettias are sold every year throughout Europe, but what many people are not aware of is exactly how the plant gets its

famous crimson colour.

The secret – shading the plants in darkness for 50 days as it grows.

Growers begin in May, six months before the plants will go on sale, to grow the plants and to ensure they all get that famous red glow.

Poinsettias only develop coloured blooms when kept in darkness for a minimum of 50 days, for 12 hours a day.

So, to ensure that the plant is available in October for homeown-

ers to buy, growers artificially control the environment, blocking out all sunlight.

As a result, poinsettia fans can enjoy the first colourful plants as early as the end of October Ben Smith, horticulture bedding buyer at B&Q, said: “Not many people know the secret trick to getting a really red poinsettia, but it’s the help of our shorter days and artificial darkness which brings out the famous colour.

“For many, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without this red plant, but for those wanting a change this year, we’re also introducing the new Ivory Poinsettia.”

B&Q’s poinsettias start out as any other green plant growing in daylight.

Darkness falls for the last 50 days of the growing cycle to ensure Poinsettia’s turn red.

Poinsettias are traditionally associated with Christmas due to

a 16th century Mexican legend. The story goes that a young girl was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus’ birthday, so was told by an angel to plant weeds from the street in front of the church altar.

Crimson blossoms sprouted from the weeds which became poinsettias. This Mexican seasonal tradition was then adopted by more countries with the plant becoming a Christmas favourite.

KEVIN says: “But for a lot of people it is very stressful, so we trying to take the stress out of Christmas for our customers and people around Ireland. It’s all fresh food and it’s all Irish. I have devised recipes for our butchers in stores to put together, Brussels sprouts and cranberry with seasoning. They are in a tray, already prepared, and all you have to do is put them in the oven and you’ll have fantastic Brussels sprouts.

“We make a point in our house to eat at 5.30pm every night when I am at home. We all have dinner together, very much a family event. It’s a time to catch up on what’s going on,” he said.

Kevin’s impressive CV is just too extensive to mention everything he has achieved, but one thing that stands out is that he cooked for the Queen during his seven-year stay in Canada.

So, what was the dish that was fit for a queen?

“BBQ smoked salmon starter with maple syrup poured over the salmon and they had a rack of lamb. The mad thing was she brought her own china and there were tasters there too, who tasted the food before,” he told the Gazette.

Not only will Kevin be visiting local stores, but he will also be appearing on our small screens.

On December 17, a new TV series starring the renowned cook will air on RTE One at 8.30pm.

Kevin Dundon’s Christmas Made Easy, is a must-see for tips and alternative recipes this Christmas.

For further information on the Christmas Range, Roadshow or SuperValu’s festive offers log onto www.supervalu.ie, check out www. facebook.com/SuperValuIreland or drop into your local SuperValu.

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24 CLONDALKIN gazette 6 December 2012

Gazette

&ABOUT OUT fast TRAVEL

Busy elves in Wales SANTA’S elves will be at Bluestone National Park in South Wales this Christmas and, for families hoping to catch a glimpse of them in action, StenaLine is offering some great deals in the run-up to Christmas.

Travel to the magical Kingdom of the Elves at the park, for just €419 for two adults and two children.

The price includes four nights’ accommodation in a two-bedroom Caldey Lodge (pictured) in Bluestone National Park, from Monday to Thursday, including travel by car from Rosslare to Fishguard. For further information, see www. stenaline.ie/bluestone, or call 01 204 7733.

northern ireland: Lots of fun and urban delights in its capital city

Shake it up in Belfast with Cuban dance fever  hiromi mooney

THERE’S always something exciting to do in Belfast, whether it’s a day out shopping, enjoying some of the fine dining the city has to offer, or sampling some of the talent in the concert halls or theatres – day and night, the city is bursting with various events or activities.

Although you can drive to the city, you can also conveniently get a train from Connolly Station in Dublin city centre, and be brought directly to the heart of Belfast in two and a half hours.

That’s how I travelled, anyway, and after a relaxed and carefree journey, I arrived at my destination.

I checked in to the Malmaison Hotel, which is a boutique hotel located on

Victoria Street. Although it’s not the cheapest accommodation option, the experience there is certainly memorable.

The hotel had a nice ambience, friendly staff, and the sophisticated MALBAR bar on the ground floor – which boasts a vast selection of cocktails.

However, even if you decide not to stay there for the night, you can still sample some of their culinary delights in The Mal Brasserie restaurant.

I enjoyed a pickled pear and pecan nut salad for starters, which was followed by duck for my main course, and, to top it all off, I devoured a Valrhona chocolate fondant for dessert – which went down quite a treat.

The hotel and restau-

Malmaison Hotel, a boutique hotel located on Victoria

rant have some upcoming special deals in time for Christmas and New Year’s, so it’s worth looking them up.

I went up North just in time for the 50th Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s University, which took place from October 19 to November 4.

The festival was first formed by a group of students from Queen’s as the university’s first arts festival.

Since then, it has been celebrating dance, music, theatre, visual arts, film, classical and world music, with performers from all over the world. Throughout the years, many of the world’s greatest musicians, writers and performers have appeared at the festival.

The festival is also the perfect platform for new talent – no wonder it’s one of the main highlights

on the Belfast events calendar.

This year, the 50th festival gave Belfast a chance to reflect on all of its past achievements, and to celebrate its new talent and future. One such event, which I attended, was an evening of Cuban music and dancing with The Buena Vista Social Club in The Ulster Hall.

World-famous In the 1990s, this group revived the forgotten repertoire of son, bolero, danzon and guajiro – which are now world-famous.

Today, Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club continues their work, featuring new musicians. The lineup now includes singers Omara Portuondo, Idania Valdes and Carlos Calunga; pianist Rolando Lunal; trombonist Aguaje Ramos and trumpeter Guajiro Mirabel.

6 December 2012 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 25

GAZETTE

Travel Clearly some great deals with Crystal Ski travel ONE of the most popular destinations for a post-Christmas holiday often involves a warm chalet, white mountain slopes and, of course, a pair of skis.

If you’re already thinking about your New Year break, Crystal Ski has a host of offers to take you to Austria, Andorra or Italy. Travel to Austria on January 12 and stay at the two-star Pension Sonja, Niederau, on a B&B basis from €399 per person.

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WE HAVE 135,000* READERS EACH WEEK Street in Belfast, has a nice ambiance and first class entertainment like The Buena Vista Social Club (inset, above)

The Buena Vista Social Club performed many lively songs on the stage, while the audience gathered close to them on the dance floor.

The strong rhythm of the music meant that you couldn’t help but swing your hips with the beat of the music – it was as if it was your body’s natural response to sway as soon as another tune came on.

The closer the people were to the stage, the more they let loose. The group engaged really

well with the crowd as well, with everyone clapping, cheering and dancing – and the crowd even encouraged them to return to play one more tune.

It was an extremely enjoyable alternative evening that celebrated Cuban music at its best.

So, now that the festival has wrapped up, it’s time for the Christmas season to kick in with some more exciting events in Belfast – which calls for a good excuse to plan another trip up North

again soon.

As the city is lit up with Christmas lights and decorations, Belfast is turned into a magical place, creating a whole new atmosphere and experience again.

Christmas Market The annual Belfast Continental Christmas Market at City Hall is now on until December 20, where there are more than 80 traders from 26 countries. Here, you’ll be spoiled for choice with a selection of Christmas

presents. Santa Claus will also be in Belfast at his indoor Grotto at the Hillmount Nursery until December 23.

Children can tell Santa himself of their Christmas wish list and can also enjoy petting real reindeers and donkeys.

So, whenever you decide to go to Belfast, you can be assured that there is plenty to do.

You can plan your trip in advance by checking w w w.discovernor thernireland.com, and www.gotobelfast.com.

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Alternatively, why not visit Andorra, on January 6 or 13, and stay at the three-star Hotel St Gothard, Arinsal, on a half-board basis from €499 per person.

For further information, or to book your ski break, call 01 433 1055, or see www.crystalski.ie.

26 clondalkin gazette 6 December 2012

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6 December 2012 CLONDALKIN Gazette 27

sports awards P28

asdfsdaf gaelic games P27 P31

dublinsport Let the Gazette keep you up to date with all the best local sporting action from around the city as we cover all the stories that matter to you and your community



Gazette

cumann na mbunscol P29

FastSport Graham leads the pack in mo run: LUCAN’S

Scott Evans is hoping for more celebrations in Baldoyle after he was ranked as the top seed for the event in Dublin which gets under way on Thursday

badminton: ballinteer man in good form ahead of irish open event in baldoyle

Bitburger run likely to inspire top seed Evans at Dublin event BALLINTEER man Scott Evans will head the bill at badminton’s Carlton Irish Open, which gets under way on Thursday, December 6 in Baldoyle, For the first time ever, home players are the top seeds for both men and women’s singles.

On the men’s side Evans will play Maxime Michele of France in his opening match and then either Flemming Quach of Denmark, or a qualifier who could turn out to be Ireland’s Tony Stephenson.

He is looking to progress from the

qualifying tournament as one of eight players to earn their ticket via that route.

Other Irish players among the eight groups of eight include Nigel Boyne, Scott Burnside, Io Wai Lau, Tony Murphy, Stuart Lightbody, Josh Magee, Jonathan Dolan, David Walsh and Liam O’Leary. Dolan, currently the number 10 junior in the world, has a tough draw and is likely to face France’s Lucas Corvee before the deciding match in his group.

O’Leary is in a group that includes No 8 seed Daniel Massersi from Italy.

Included in Scott Burnside’s group are Daniel Font from Wales and fellow Irish player Io Wai Lau. Should Evans progress, there is plenty of top quality talent to negotiate with Germany’s Marcel Router, England’s Toby Plenty and the dangerous Malaysian player Kuan Beng Hong, whom Evans came unstuck against in the opening round of the Welsh Open last Friday, lying in wait.

Since then, Evans has spent the week training in England before coming to Dublin. Prior to that, he produced a

good run in the Bitburger Open, making it through to the quarter-finals before falling to England’s Raj Ouspeh.

En route, Evans knocked out a pair of seeded players, enjoying a strong week all round. From there, he returned to his club side Gentofte in Denmark, winning two games against Henri Hurskainen and Anand Pawar.

Chloe Magee, meanwhile, tops the pre-tournament rankings on the women’s side and potentially plays qualifiers in her opening two rounds of the competition.

Sinead Graham was the first lady home overall in the Mo Run 10km in Phoenix Park recently in a fantastic time of 44.12, beating her target of 45 mintues with plenty to spare.

Meanwhile, at the cross country BHAA 6k Race in Santry, first home for Lucan Ladies, and third in her category was Bernie Stapleton in a great time of 30.10 minutes; quickly followed by Eileen O’Brien in a great time of 31.43 minutes, second in her category.

For the men, first home in this 6k race was Gerry Martin in a time of 28.33 minutes followed by Jim Dwyer in a time of 35.21minutes.

c o n ta c t s Acting Sports Editor: Stephen Findlater sfindlater@gazettegroup.com

For more information or to send in news and photos: sport@gazettegroup.com Phone: 01 651 6205

Gazette

28 CLONDALKIN gazette 6 December 2012

SPORT

DublinGazetteNewspapers

community games: dublin region honoured

2012 dublin sports awards november winners

H STARof the MONTH

Limekiln’s Marguerite Nylans, Olive Kavanagh, Tom Sheridan, Margaret Carroll, Director, HSE Community Games, Amanda Kavanagh, Siobhan White, Maureen Quinlan, Mary White and Brian MacManus

barry murphy THE Aer Lingus swimmer broke a string of Irish national records to show his form at the European short course championships in Chartres, France. He topped his best mark in the 50m butterfly and the 50m breaststroke.

TEAMof the MONTH H

Limekiln wins big at Awards night  sport@gazettegroup.com

castleknock LEINSTER junior championship glory was annexed last week to go with Dublin honours as they had too much in the tank for St Fintan’s last weekend at Parnell Park. A truly breathtaking season continues with an AllIreland quarter-final in Britain.

DUBLIN area Limekiln/Templemanor picked up two awards at the HSE Community Games Area and Volunteer Awards Event last Saturday in Ballinasloe.

It was honoured with the Dublin Area Award and a Special Merit award, the first time that the area has won the county title.

The area is made up of two small estates consisting in total of 303 houses. While it is always easier for large population areas to win these participation awards, Limekiln/ Templemanor emulates the spirit of

the Community Games.

The population is well under the Community Games area limit, and it has no halls or facilities to call their own.

Limekiln/Templemanor circulate newsletters to all houses and almost every child is in an activity. It was instrumental in getting the skittles competition off the ground and this year it managed to field three teams with one getting through to the Leinster finals.

In addition, it has a top class youth committee which organise fundraising; helps with coaching at area level; as well as helping

at county, Leinster and national finals.

The area secretary is Eileen Reilly, who is also County Dublin’s children’s officer and takes the role of county manager at the national finals. Its adult volunteers co-ordinate and referee rounders at Dublin, Leinster and national level.

Also honoured at the event was Balbriggan’s Siobhain White for her years of service. She joined Dublin Community Games in 1980 and has served as a member of the county executive committee and served as assistant county secretary for a number of years.

Balbriggan girls annex futsal title for the first time  sport@gazettegroup.com

Loreto Balbriggan claimed the Leinster Futsal first years title in Gormanston last week

LORETO, Balbriggan and the Dublin Oak Academy were crowned FAI Schools First Year Futsal Leinster champions last week in Gormanston at the Post Primary Schools futsal competition.

Now in its fourth year nationally, the competition caters for first-year students with both boys and girls categories catered for with 288 participants from 23 schools represented.

On the girls’ side, Loreto had to work hard for their success

throughout the day as they came up against a wonderful St Leo’s College of Carlow in the ultimate decider in a hugely entertaining final.

Loreto may have been the underdogs going into the final, but they held their own to overcome a classy Carlow side 2-1.

T hey were impressive throughout their group stages winning four out of the five games played, only falling to Tullamore’s Sacred Heart.

The Balbriggan outfit were well prepared by teacher Stuart O’Brien as they captured

the points with an opening win against rivals Eureka Secondary School, 3-1.

Scoil Chriost Rí were a tougher test but they narrowly overcame the Laois side 2-1, while Presentation Kilkenny and Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon were also dispatched.

It set up the final date with St Leo’s, an end-to-end tussle with Balbriggan claiming the tie 2-1.

On the boys’ side, Dublin Oak had tasted success four years ago in Tallaght when the competition was only in its

infancy.

Oak were up against groupone winners Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore in a cracking clash.

They were under pressure for much of the game but managed a 3-2 victory to lift the prestigious title.

They won five out of five of their group games, scoring 16 goals, conceding only four en route to the final and carried that form through to the final Loreto Balbriggan and Dublin Oak Academy will now progress to the All-Ireland finals.

6 December 2012 CLONDALKIN gazette 29

Gazette David Dennehy of St Helen’s Portmarnock

The Scoil Archbishop Ryan, Balgaddy team with Corn Na Laoch in Croke Park Pictures: Ray McManus and Barry Cregg

Cumann feel the noise at Croke Park festival

L

OCAL clubs produced a carnival atmosphere in Croke Park last week as the finals of the Dublin football Cumann na mBunscol took place on the hallowed turf of the GAA headquarters. Over 1,200 children

took part in the competition for primary schools in some form over the two days with more than 20 finals taking place.

There were first-time wins in the competition for the likes of Scoil

Archbishop Ryan while Scoil Lorcan in Palmerstown won their first title in 10 years with a win over Scoil Mobhi from Glasnevin while plenty of other silverware made its way to the various corners of the county.

St Brigid’s Roisin McGovern and Sarah Browne

Scoil Lorcain, Palmerstown captain Evan Walshe lifts Ruby Smith on the attack

St Oliver Plunkett’s, Malahide captain David McCormack lifts the cup

Nia Ni Chinneide

the Sciath Chumann na nGael shield

Gazette

30 CLONDALKIN gazette 6 December 2012

SPORT

FastSport

soccer: Cold comfort for peamount on the coldcut road

Peamount initiaitve offers new coaching methods PEAMOUNT United recently launched their three vs three pilot scheme with their sponsors, Daikin and Grab Hire, for their younger members to create a more beneficial footballing environment.

Up to this point, the new training group have played against five different clubs, but each club has recently been coming up to Greenogue to participate in three vs three games with players rotating between games and technical exercises.

Club coach Jason Carey, pictured above left with head coach Emma Donohue and academy manager David Carey, explains they have done this is to take the competition element away from this age group, to increase technical ability of players while allowing all players to learn how to attack and defend In such an environment, he says players can play without pressure from the sideline, improve their decision making from an early age and make for a more enjoyable and agespecific environment.

Speaking about the initiative, Carey said: “Obviously this is a very ambitious plan which means the players not entering any specific league”.

For further information on the scheme, contact Jason Carey on 083 422 9833 or email jjscarey@gmail.com.

Bluebell gifted with home FAI cup draw BLUEBELL United have drawn west Cork side Bandon AFC in the fourth round of the 2012-13 FAI Umbro Intermediate Cup following the draw made on Tuesday afternoon.

The Red Cow side will enjoy home turf for that game which will take place on the

weekend of January 27, 2013.

Palmerstown side Glenville, meanwhile, take on either Beggsboro or Greystones in the last 16 phase of the All-Ireland competition.

Holders Avondale United, who defeated the 2011 and 2012 runners-up Cherry Orchard in the third round, have been rewarded with a home tie against fellow Munster side, College Corinthians.

Dublin Bus’ half-time team talk worked to good effect as they stormed to victory in the second half last Sunday

Bus drive home advantage lsl sunday senior 1 Dublin Bus Peamount/Moyle Park  carl duffy

3 0

sport@gazettegroup.com

TWO second-half goals from Daniel Murphy and Martin Lee gave Dublin Bus a deserved victory against their west Dublin rivals Peamount/Moyle FC on the Coldcut road last Sunday.

The home side was dominant in all areas on the pitch as Peamount struggled to gain any real momentum, a result which sees Bus put a dent in their neighbour’s title aspirations.

The visitors did well in the opening 20 minutes to limit any clear goal-scoring opportunities, but were under constant threat from the aerial ability of former Shelbourne man Jeremy Cooke and the attacking prowess of Murphy.

The first real chance came from intelligent link-up play between that duo, with the latter picking out winger Tom McDonnell whose powerful strike was saved by Kevin McCormack.

Peamount midfield pair of Ian Cowzer and James Kelly was their only real highlight as they

special visitor Westmanstown Taggers welcome Donegal star ELIO Rabbitte and Adam Lawlor flank

Donegal star Michael Murphy with the Sam Maguire trophy at Westmanstown last weekend.

Elio and Adam were taking part in a kit presentation day for the Westmanstown Taggers special needs’ tag rugby team who will line out at the Aviva stadium on December 15 as part of the half-time show during Leinster’s Heineken Cup match against Clermont Auvergne. Picture: Una Williams

attempted to create a flow of momentum between them and the foward line, but found the opposition defence too tough to break down.

The first half looked set for a stalemate but the hosts got the goal their play deserved when Peamount could only clear a cross to the edge of the box where Murphy did superbly to read the flight of the ball and volley home delightfully.

D u b l i n B u s we r e unlucky not to double their lead following the restart when Cooke’s shot came off the post following his great indi-

vidual play and athleticism allowed him to get space on the ball 25 yards from goal.

But the ultimate turning point came midway through the second half, when the visitors had two players sent off in the space of 10 minutes.

Kelly received a second yellow card after he was adjudged to have dived on the edge of the penalty box, McDonnell’s darting run resulted in his cross being deflected for a corner. The resulting corner taken by Sean Maher was met towards the back post by centre back Lee tapped in for his

sides second goal.

Things went bad from worse for Peamount as Cowzer was given a straight red card for abusive language towards the referee and their misery was compounded when Murphy scored his second following a cross from Maher.

The home side had to finish the game with ten men as substitute Jason Kelly limped off injured and had a number of goal scoring opportunities in the closing phases to increase their lead but were delighted to run out the game as deserved victors.

6 December 2012 CLONDALKIN gazette 31

Gazette

Colaiste Phadraig U-14s final date  sport@gazettegroup.com

COLAISTE Phadraig will contest a Dublin Under14 football final this Friday and are hoping to bring a first GAA title to the school since 2003.

Over 20 of the panel hail from Lucan Sarsfields with the current Under-12s, 13s and 14s all represented.

The panel has been training together since the start of September – a regime that includes a 7.30am gym session every week – and their efforts paid off when they edged out St MacDara’s of Templeogue by a single point in the semi-final.

That was the team’s seventh win of the campaign, a run that has

yielded a massive tally of 23-69 and included victories over local rivals, Lucan Community College and Colaiste Cois Life.

The most encouraging aspect of the achievement to date is the number of first-year players that have made an impression.

Seven of the starting

15 in the semi have only been in Colaiste Phadraig since September.

There is still one hurdle to overcome and next up is the challenge of St Paul’s of Raheny who beat Terenure College to book their place in the decider. The venue for that match is St Brigid’s with throw-in scheduled for 12.30pm on Friday.

Club Noticeboard round tower, clondalkin COMMISERATIONS to the minor

the day Santa Claus will make his

hurlers who were beaten narrowly

annual visit to the club. Santa’s

in the championship semi-final last

arrival will co-incide with the club’s

Sunday by St Peregrine’s.

kids’ Christmas party, which will

Christmas draw tickets are selling

run from 2pm to 5pm and feature

fast - €5 per ticket for some great

a disco, with the tunes provided

prizes. Collect yours in the club-

by DJ Robbie. Admission of €10 will

rooms or from Frank Cosgrove.

incorporate a present, lots of fun,

Round Tower GAA club’s members Christmas party is a night not to be missed.

capital grant: Round tower secures funding

This year’s party will take place Saturday, December 8, and features a mulled wine reception that will be followed by a full Christmas dinner. The dinner will be served at 8.30pm sharp.

And if you’re still up for it after

please contact Matt McCormack on 0876836737 or email info@round-

RESPONDING to the news that Round Tower had secured a Sports Capital Grant worth €178,000 earlier this week for their Monastery Road development, club chairman Tony Delaney was ecstatic.

Speaking about the government decision to back the project, he said: “Given the severe economic constraints in the present climate, the securing of this grant from the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism is a significant achieve-

tower.ie.

dated on the night so members are

The club shop is open in the club

advised to book fast. Tickets are

every Monda y night from 7.30-

priced at €25 and can be purchased

8.30pm.

into your diaries for 2012 as it is

sport@gazettegroup.com

night seller.

toire of musical hits.

tor. Pencil Saturday December 15

made this development possible by making contributions towards its costs, we are eternally grateful and humbly ask you to continue your support through monthly direct debit or lump sum payment.

“We again appeal to others who may not have been in a position in the past to support Monastery Road, but can do so now to seize the opportunity to support this historic development and leave a lasting legacy for this generation and future generations involved with Round Tower GAA Club.”

Pick your lotto team leader and help them become the top Friday

all guests with their wide reper-

Every year, Round Tower GA A

sible because of representations of previous sitting TDs and we again take this opportunity to thank them for the excellent support and representation they have provided to the club.

“This latest development is of major significance and means the club has taken a giant step towards realising the completion of the Monastery Road development.”

Prior to this grant, much of the fundraising for the new grass pitch, ball-wall and all-weather pitch had been part of an internal effort.

“To those who have

Please contact Jimmy behind the bar or on 01-459 2960.

One hour once every 7 weeks is

Club welcomes a very special visi-

ment for the club.

“It is a huge step in our drive to meet the costs associated with developing the state-of-the-art modern sporting facilities that will serve the Clondalkin and wider GAA community for decades to come.”

He went on to thank local TD and Minister for Children Frances Fizgerald, who played an influential role in putting forward the club’s case for the grant and lobbying on their behalf.

“This superb facility, which is a landmark for the Clondalkin community, has been made pos-

etc.

all it takes. If you are able to help

committee.

 peter carroll

The clubrooms are available for rental for parties, anniversaries,

visitors to the club, will entertain

from any member of the social

Monastery Road project boosted

man himself.

your meal, Cool Breeze, previous

Only 90 people can be accommo-

Monastery Road has undergone an incredible makeover in the past couple of seasons. Picture: Peter Parker

and an opportunity to meet the big

You can call Betty Ward or Catherine Moran direct if you have any particular enquiries on 087 675 2238 or 086 830 3207 respectively.

Bingo is on Tuesday night, first call 830pm.

St pat’s palmerstown REGRADING forms have been forward-

tickets as soon as possible to secre-

ed to all mentors. Players must make

tary/chairman or juvenile mentors.

a personal application for regrading

The Christmas draw takes place on

before January 21.

December 21 at 10pm in the Palmers-

Well done to all Scor na nOg entrants.

Good luck to Roisin Brady in the Leinster semi-final.

town House. Tickets will be on sale until an hour before the draw.

Lotto results: first draw numbers

Younger members had a great Santa

were 4, 12, 14 and 30; there was no win-

party on Sunday last and older juve-

ner. The second draw numbers were

niles will finish their season with a

12, 17, 19 and 4; there was no winner

bowling party on Thursday night.

Any three numbers: €200 each -

The minor footballers are set to play

Claire and Sean, Sean Kearney; €40

their semi-final on Sunday, December

each: F Sheran, Geraldine Muldowney.

9; see our Facebook and website for full details.

Reminder to return Christmas raffle

The next draw is on Sunday, December 9. The first draw jackpot is €10,000; the second draw jackpot is €4,460.

lucan sarsfields TICKETS for our Christmas draw have

Many thanks to all who supported

now been distributed to all mentors

our recent quiz, those who attended,

and are available from the bar. Tickets

those who donated raffle prizes,

cost €5. The top prize is €2,000.

those who made donations, those who

The club Christmas party will be on Saturday, December 8. All adult members/players, juvenile parents and friends are invited.

The U-21 footballers play Kilmacud this Saturday in the A championship quarter-final replay in Silver Park at 1pm.

helped organise and run the quiz on the night.

Thanks to quizmaster Joe Byrne for a very entertaining quiz. Thanks to Frank Colgan, Spa Hotel for the first prize.

Thanks to prize donations from the Lucan Sarsfields bar.

GazetteSPORT all of your clondalkin sports coverage from page 27-31

derby delight: Dublin Bus cruise to victory over Peamount/Moyle Park in the LSL Sunday Senior 1 P30

december 6, 2012

cumann na mbunscol: Dublin celebrates best of primary school GAA P29

Round Tower’s new field of dreams  peter carroll

sport@gazettegroup.com

JOHN Whelan, head of the financial committee for Round Tower GAA club, announced his delight at the sports capital grant decision to allocate €178,000 to the Clondalkin club, a decision that will help launch phase two of their Monastery Road project.

It came at a particularly apt time with the first match being played on the new field last weekend.

“We’re delighted with the news, absolutely thrilled,” said Whelan.

“We can look forward to launching phase two of our development programme for the club which will

focus on flood-lighting the main pitch, adding a fence around the pitch and other auxiliary work.

“With the Monastery Road project already finished, this extra work will certainly put us among the best facilitated clubs in Dublin and hopefully attract even more people from the greater Clondalkin community.

“Already we have seen a massive surge in numbers since the Monastery Road project began. Our juvenile sessions have grown quite substantially and I believe, by the time we are done with phase two of it, we can get greater numbers again.”

Whelan also believes that the new facilities will give the teams a

bigger boost when they take on the challenge of next season. The chief of the financial committee also didn’t rule out further development if it was going to develop the sport more in the area.

“I expect to see improvements right across the board when it comes to performance. We won plenty of promotions last season and Caimin Keane’s senior team pushed right to the final whistle in the promotion final. I think the new facilities will certainly put a pep in the step of the majority of teams.

“The main pitch is in a position to be used throughout next season, and, after seeing it being used in the inaugural game, I know it will

be a huge boost to the teams that will use it.

“Phase two of the operation may take another year. But, when it’s done, I wouldn’t rule out further development. We are always looking to progress and if we can get more young people interested in the national sports that’s always a good thing.

“We’ll see where we are at when it’s done, but anything is possible for this club in the future,” said Whelan.

Elsewhere, Neilstown Boxing Club received a grant of €19,084 to help it in its continued efforts to provide improved facilities for the sweet science.

The sports’ capital grant could give Round Tower another new lease of life