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Plan to create 118 new homes Ian Begley
With more than 8, 000 on the council’s housing list, Dublin MidWest is expected to benefit from 203 social homes by 2017 at a cost of €40.8m as part of a new social housing plan. Clondalkin will receive a total of 118 social homes from this programme, with Balgaddy alone set to receive 50 units at a cost of €10m. St Marks Green will receive
11 units at a cost of €2.4m and St Marks Avenue will benefit from 39 homes, costing €7.8m. Mayfield Estate will also get 18 units, costing €3.6m. Local Minister Frances Fitzgerald told The Gazette she is “delighted” that this announcement “will bring investment, jobs and houses to Clondalkin and Lucan in particular”. Full Story on Page 3
Learn to cook: An afternoon of tasty treats, tips and advice award-winning Cordon Bleu chef
Stephen Taylor Winter is pictured at the Bauknecht kitchen at the KAL advisory centre in Citywest recently where he was giving a cooking demonstration. Known for his international cuisine and
understanding of flavours, Stephen has cooked for four senior members of the British Royal family, members of European and international royal houses and senior figures in the financial and banking world. Picture: Jolanta Rossiter
2 CLONDALKIN Gazette 7 May 2015
legal action Loss of revenue claims from bus companies
Bus unions defiant over recent strikes Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann will legally challenge SIPTU and National Bus and Railworkers Union (NBRU) for loss of revenue and damage to reputation due to the recent strikes on May 1 and 2 over the proposed privatisation of 10% of their routes. This followed the latest walk-out by both unions from exploratory talks held ahead of the strikes at the Labour Relations
ian begley ibegley@dublingazette.com
Commission (LRC) on April 28. Of the 23 Dublin Bus routes proposed to go out to private tender, three affect the Dublin
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Mid-West area, including Lucan, Palmerstown (Old Lucan Road), Clondalkin and Tallaght. The bus numbers are 18, 76, and the 76a. Dublin Bus estimated daily losses of €600,000, while Bus Eireann said about €1.5m was lost over the two days, which factors in a daily National Transport Authority fine of €80,000. Five more days of strikes are planned this month. Chief executives of both bus companies said they will take legal action against the unions “to recover losses from the two unions, NBRU and SIPTU, for taking what we believe is not only
a reckless, but illegal action”. In response to the bus companies’ threat of legal action, NBRU general secretary Dermot O’Leary said: “It is unfortunate that the companies have chosen this course of action to threaten our members; we balloted our members in relation to what we contend is a genuine trade dispute.” On April 28, Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe guaranteed Dublin Bus employees they would not have to transfer to other bus operators and that their terms and conditions would be unchanged.
Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann will take legal action as a result of the two-day strike. Picture: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland
SIP TU’s divisional organiser Owen Reidy said: “The dispute went well and was very well supported from members on Friday and Saturday …There has been no contact from LRC or anyone else re talks to date.” The effect of the two-
day bus strike on business in Dublin Mid-West, however, was minimal according to some local businesses. To m my L y n c h o f Lucan Centra said: “We don’t get many people travelling to The Village by bus so we didn’t see
any noticeable increase or decrease in business.” Michael Maloney of Clondalkin Nurseries also told The Gazette: “It wouldn’t affect us because we’re out of the way a bit and most people would travel to us by car.”
7 May 2015 CLONDALKIN Gazette 3
project: Plan for 203 houses by 2017
Education Lunchtime action for unions
Teachers to protest over Junior Cycle changes Ian Begley
Clondalkin will receive a total of 118 social homes
Clondalkin to benefit from housing plan Ian Begley
With more than 8,000 people on the council’s housing list, Dublin Mid-West is expected to benefit from 203 social homes by 2017 at a cost of €40.8m as part of a new social housing plan. These homes will be delivered as part of a Government programme to put 1,700 units in place around each local authority by 2017 at a total cost of €312m. South Dublin County Council, which has a housing list of 8,641, has been given a target of 1,445 units, of which 350 (24%) will be council owned and 681 (76%) sourced privately. Some of the projects still require planning approval and range from large projects of 50 units in parts of Dublin to small numbers of houses in rural areas. Clondalkin will receive a total of 118 social homes from this programme with Balgaddy alone set to receive 50 units at a cost of €10m. St Marks Green,
Clondalkin, will receive 11 social units at a cost of €2.4m and St Marks Avenue in Clondalkin will benefit from 39 social homes at a cost of €7.8m. May field Estate, Clondalkin, will also get 18 social housing units for €3.6m. Tallaght will also gain 50 social housing units at a total cost of €10m and Owendoher in Ballyboden will get 35 social houses for €7m. Local Minister Frances Fitzgerald told The Gazette the announcement: “Will bring investment jobs and houses to Clondalkin and Lucan in particular, and I am delighted that €23.8million in funding has been allocated as part of this first phase of investment. “This is just one of the ways that we will be delivering social housing units and shows this Government’s commitment in addressing the need for more social housing in Dublin Mid-West.” Cllr Eoin O Broin (SF) told The Gazette that while he welcomed any additional housing units,
this latest announcement was “deeply disappointing”. He said: “There are over 8,000 families on our housing waiting list. The Minister is allocating funding for just 203 housing units. None of these units will be tenanted this year and many of them will not be ready to move into until late 2016 or even 2017. She added: “118 of the 203 units are in Clondalkin and 100 of these are in north Clondalkin. “There is nothing in Bawnogue, nothing in Lucan and only 18 units in Clondalkin village. “It is clear that Minister Kelly has no real interest in ensuring that South Dublin County Council can meet the housing needs of those families on our waiting lists.” Meanwhile, Environment and Local Government Minister Alan Kelly said he expected a Government announcement of a package to help struggling mortgage holders to be made in the coming weeks.
S econd - le v el teachers in Lucan and Clondalkin are due to protest outside their schools at lunchtime on May 7 to highlight objections over moves to introduce a new-style Junior Cert programme. Over 350,000 students will not be affected by the nationwide protest, which will involve up to 27,000 second-level Association of Secondary Teachers and Teachers’ Union of Ireland members. The unions’ chief objec-
tion is to the proposal for teachers to take on some responsibility for assessing their own students, with the traditional June exams retained for 60% of the marks. T hey believe that assessing their own students’ tests would change the pupil-teacher relationship and also damage the integrity of the exams. Speaking ahead of the protest, Andrew Phelan, ASTI representative for Dublin Mid-West and a teacher at Colaiste Phadraig, Lucan said: “Teachers fully support a move
away from excessive reliance on written exams and want to see more focus in schools on practical, portfolio, and project work. “However, we want to maintain independent, external assessment in order to protect standards, equity, quality and fairness. Anything less has the potential to seriously undermine Junior Cycle education and to widen inequalities between students and schools. We cannot take this risk with our young people. “We appreciate the
support we have received from parents and the community during this campaign.” The original Junior Cert reform plan from 2012 was to phase out the June exams and replace them with school-based assessment by students’ own teachers. This was met with resistance from teachers unions, which was followed by Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan offering a 60-40 split between June exams and school assessment, which they rejected.
4 CLONDALKIN Gazette 7 May 2015
Balgaddy New hope for continued existence of facility
New details unveiled in garden land row ian begley ibegley@dublingazette.com
AMID controversy and confusion surrounding the imminent closure of the Balgaddy Community Garden, it has been established that a planning application was never lodged by the South Parish Pastoral Council, which plans to build an extension to the Bush Resource Centre.
It has also been revealed that South Dublin County Council are the registered owners of the land that the community garden is on and not the parish, as previously believed. These recent admissions have given the people who use the garden new hope of its continued existence. Earlier this year, a dispute erupted over plans to turn the garden
into a car park as part of an extension to the resource centre. The pastoral council, which owns the centre, had stated its intention to redevelop it and adjoining lands in Balgaddy. The proposal involved the replacement of the existing centre with a new purpose-built facility and the removal of the existing community garden.
The community garden committee wa s given a voluntary eviction notice by the parish following this proposal, which it refused to sign. The reported date of its closure was at the end of March, but it was recently revealed that the initial transfer of the land from the council to the diocese in the mid-1990s was never finalised.
A spokesperson from the council has confirmed that it is the registered owner of the garden
This means the council is still the registered owner of the community garden. This information was sent to Cllr Eoin O Broin ( SF) , who had requested it from Brendan Kenny, council inspector of services. Fr Eamonn Bourke
told the The Gazette if the garden committee did not leave the land then there would be no new centre. He said: “It’s not in my hands whether it happens or not, it’s up to the garden committee themselves what they want to do.
“If they don’t come off the land then there’s no centre.” F r B o u r ke a d d e d that he would prefer to discuss any issue surrounding the community garden with the garden committee and not local representatives. Treasurer of the garden committee Katherine Dooley told The Gazette the committee was feeling “hard done by” due to how little communication there had been with the parish. “[Fr Bourke] can’t advance his plans until he resolves this issue over the ownership of the garden. “We just ignored the notice to quit that he gave us, and since we didn’t leave the garden on the date that he demanded we haven’t heard a word from him since.” A spokesperson from the council confirmed that it was the registered owner of the garden, according to the land registry records. He also added that they had a conversation with Fr Bourke recently regarding the community garden and were in the process of following up on the matter further.
7 May 2015 CLONDALKIN Gazette 5
don’sdublin
courts Inquest hears chart had notes on allergy
Woman died from allergic reaction to antibiotic A Clondalkin mother of eight who went into Tallaght Hospital for elective surgery died from a severe allergic reaction to an antibiotic, an inquest has heard. Dolores Sheridan (71) from Kilmahuddrick Lawn, died at Tallaght Hospital on January 7 last year after she was given the penicillin-based anti-
A beautiful building we have all loved in Dublin THE Custom House is one of Dublin’s most important and beautiful buildings, and the first major work designed by James Gandon. He was also responsible for such iconic buildings as The Four Courts, King’s Inns and the curved screen and portico for the Irish Houses of Parliament facing College Street. John Beresford, who was appointed the Commissioner for Revenue in Ireland in 1780, was determined to have the new building further east and away from the Parliament Street–Capel Street axis. This decision met with great resistance from merchants, who felt that it would reduce trade and property values. Construction was halted by members of Dublin Corporation and the High Sheriff, who led a demonstration of many thousands. Beresford, however, was determined to have the building situated on the newly reclaimed land on the north quays, and appointed Thomas Cooley as architect. When he died suddenly, Beresford contacted Gandon, who came from London and began work in 1781. Work continued for 10 years, providing employment for the city’s carpenters and stonemasons, and was officially opened on November 7, 1791. It cost £200,000 – a huge sum at the time. The building is 375 feet in length and 205 feet in depth, and has four fronts, of which the south (facing the Liffey) is entirely of Portland stone, and the others of granite. The exterior is adorned with sculptures and coats-of-arms by Thomas Banks, Agnostino Carlini and Edward Smyth, who carved a series of sculpted keystones symbolising the rivers of Ireland. The building was destroyed in May 1921 during the Civil War, with centuries of records irrevocably lost. The dome, with the statue of Commerce atop, was replaced using Ardbraccan limestone that is darker than the original Portland stone. Sadly, most of Gandon’s original interior was destroyed and impossible to replace, but the building is still one of the city’s favourites.
Don Cameron
www.donsdublin.wordpress.com
biotic, Augmentin. D u b l i n C o r o n e r ’s Court heard her medical chart contained three notes from previous attendances at Tallaght Hospital, including in October 2013, that she had an allergy to penicillin. However, consultant anaesthetist Dr Judith Connolly said she did not see these notes and that
Ms Sheridan told staff she had no allergies during routine questioning before the operation. Ms Sheridan was admitted under the care of consultant gynaecologist Dr Aoife O’Neill on January 6 for an elective hysterectomy to correct a prolapsed uterus with the operation scheduled for the following day.
Within 20 to 30 seconds she complained of feeling extremely warm, “funny” around her mouth and could not catch her breath, Dr Connolly said. Her upper arms were bright red. She then went into pulseless electrical arrest. Attempts to resuscitate her succeeded and she was transferred to the
intensive care unit where she died later that night. A review of the medical chart found notes regarding a penicillin allergy from attendances in 2005 and 2013, three months before her death. The inquest was adjourned to July 3 after a submission from the family’s legal team for time to review the medical notes.
6 CLONDALKIN Gazette 7 May 2015
leisure Bingo on offer at Q’s club ian begley
CLONDALKIN snooker club Q’s is set to branch out into the ever popular bingo phenomenon, and create extra jobs as well. T he centre is now aiming to become an overall gaming facility, offering bingo as well as other gaming options. Over time it is expected that Q’s bingo will employ 20 full-time and part-time staff members from the Clondalkin and surrounding areas. Q’s is launching a grand opening for its bingo on May 14. Doors open at 6pm and the first game gets under way after 7pm. Tw o E d S h e e r a n tickets are up for grabs through a like-andshare competition. Visit Q’s Facebook page, w w w.facebook. com/pages/QS-BingoClondalkin, to enter.
job losses Abberley Court Hotel closed by Nama
Staff shocked as hotel forced to shut down Ian Begley ibegley@dublingazette.com
The Abberley Court Hotel in Tallaght has closed with the loss of 70 jobs. On May 1, staff members were left shocked by the unexpected announcement and were let go following a decision by Nama to close the premises and cease trading immediately. Reports have indicated that Nama has appointed a receiver from Grant Thornton to the hotel, which will be put on the market within the next couple of months. Opening in 1995, the
Abberley Court was Tallaght’s first hotel. According to a statement on the hotel’s Facebook page: “It is with very heavy hearts and sadness that we announce The Abberley Court Hotel Dublin and Entourage Nightclub have ceased trading as of midday today [May 1]. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our loyal customers over the past 20+ years. “Please be respectful to all our management and staff who have just become unemployed at this difficult time.” Fianna Fail councillor John Lahart said he
was saddened to hear of the hotel’s closure and is proposing a plan that could save the jobs that were lost. He said: “This is a cruel blow to the community in Tallaght but more particularly to the employees and their families who face into the May Bank Holiday weekend with no jobs and it appears to have come out of the blue for staff. “As chairperson of South Dublin County Council’s economic and tourism strategy group I have made immediate contact with our economic director and I understand that South
The Abberley Court Hotel in Tallaght has closed with the loss of 70 jobs
Dublin Chamber of Commerce will be acting quickly through their new tourism group to find out if other hotels locally have positions which Abberley staff could take up. “The tourist season is beginning and about to get into full swing – there is a large number of hotels within two square miles of the Abberley Court who may need, at least, seasonal workers
Round Tower: meeting
Club agrees to land sale
A proposal to sell a small section of land owned by the Round Tower GAA Club has recently been approved by club members. The issue was discussed at the Clondalkin club extraordinary general meeting at the end of April when it was decided by the executive committee to bring the proposal forward to the wider membership. The triangular-shaped piece of land measures 0.5 acres and is on the Knockmeenagh Lane side of the Monastery Road complex, and according to club public relations officer Michael McGlynn it is unsuitable for future development because of
its size and shape. McGlynn said the successful sale and subsequent development of the land belonging to the GAA Club has the potential to have a positive impact on the costs associated with the day-to-day running of the club. At the EGM it was reported that a third party had expressed interest in acquiring the land at the Monastery Road complex with a view of developing a small number of residential units. The Round Tower’s executive committee welcomed this proposal and is now pursuing the sale of its land through engaging with the third-party in question.
to start with and who could provide opportunities for those staff who are now unemployed. “The long weekend will delay this process somewhat but this is an opportunity for local hotels, if they have the vacancies and if the Abberley staff have the competencies, to provide alternative muchneeded employ ment for those who lost their jobs.”
Local councillor K ieran Mahon (A A) told The Gazette: “My main concern for the 70 workers would be that they receive full compensation that they may be due like redundancy payments or holiday money. “There are other hotels in the area and hopefully they will be able to take on some of the workers that lost their jobs due to this closure,” he said.
7 May 2015 CLONDALKIN Gazette 7
council Consultation meetings planned
Residents’ help sought for future plan THE council are appealing to local residents to help them shape the future economic and community development of the county. In 2015 the first sixyear Local Economic and Community Plan for South Dublin County
will be developed by a group of partners including South Dublin County Council, local economic and community development stakeholders and residents of the county. The vision for this plan is to improve the economic, social and cul-
tural life of all citizens and communities within South Dublin County. A number of consultation meetings are also taking place around Dublin midwest based on the themes of the plan. On May 26, Aras Chronain, Clondalkin
is giving a presentation from 7pm to 8.30pm and on May 27, Tallaght Library is giving one from 2pm to 4pm. This consultation process will continue until June 5. You can make a submission by emailing to lecp@sdublincoco.ie.
Planting: Tree of hope bawnogue Parish
church grounds in Clondalkin was the setting for The Tree of Hope campaign’s planting of its 60th tree as part of World Earth Day. Independent councillor Francis Timmons, who attended the planting, said: “It was a chance to remember all our friends and family lost to suicide and all those living with mental health issues.”
courts: Defendant had won gold for ireland
Boxer sent to prison for ‘vicious’ assault A TALENTED Dublin boxer who won a gold medal for Ireland at European Union level has been sentenced to two years in prison for a “prolonged and vicious” attack on a tyre fitter. A court heard that Thomas Finnegan (26) “thought he was in the ring” when he rained punches at the face of Mantis Viknius, after a row over a tyre. Finnegan, of Bawnlea Drive, Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm at Cookstown Industrial Estate in Tallaght on May 15, 2013.
The victim received a fractured eye socket, a broken nose and nerve damage, and sufffered diminished memory. Passing sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said Mr Viknius was seriously injured during the “grossly reprehensible” and “prolonged and vicious” assault. The judge acknowledged several “impressive letters” from Finnegan’s sporting mentors, and said the boxer had acquired great recognition and had won many championships. The court heard Finnegan had himself been stabbed during an earlier assault, which
forced him to quit his promising boxing career. The father of four brought €3,800 to court as a token of his remorse. Garda Paul McLoughlin told James Dwyer, BL, prosecuting, that the incident took place at a garage after the victim replaced two bald tyres for a customer. The customer paid for the tyres and left, but returned some time later as one of his tyres had shredded. When the man returned, Finnegan was with him in the passenger seat. Mr Viknius said it would cost €10 to replace the damaged tyre, but
Finnegan disagreed and a row broke out. The victim told gardai that Finnegan started punching him in the face, and he tried to defend himself but was knocked to the ground. Mr Viknius got up but Finnegan kept delivering punches to his face so he went into the garage. In a victim impact report handed into court, he said he had to take six weeks off work. He said the first six months after the attack were the worst because of the bruising, his broken nose, fractured eye socket and the daily pain from nerve damage.
8 clondalkin gazette 7 May 2015
gazetteGALLERIES
Frank Lynch, Minister Frances Fitzgerald, John Glackin and councillor Kenneth Egan (FG)
planning Notice SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
John Mansell & Lisa Hanbury are applying for Permission for development for 1. A single storey stepped flat roof extension to the rear of existing dwelling to consist of a lounge & kitchen. 2. Conversion of existing garage to TV room, with a new front window to be implemented. 3. Construction of a new entrance porch with a tiled apex roof over. 4 Modifications to the front roof of dwelling to include the removal of 2no. existing dormer windows to be replaced with 2no. roof skylights, 1no. dormer and 1no. ridge window. All drainage structural and associated site works to be implemented at 46 Monastery Walk, Clondalkin, D22. This application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of South Dublin County Council during its public opening hours of 9am – 4pm, Mon-Fri, and a submission or observation may be made to South Dublin County Council in writing and on payment of the prescribed fee (€20.00) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by South Dublin County Council of the application. 23847
Luke Fitzgerald with Robyn Lavin, Max, Bruno and Archie McCann and Oliver Lavin
clondalkin rfc: minister shows support for club Malcolm O’Kelly and Louis Lynan
Pitching in to launch new development
M
inister for Justice and local TD Frances Fitzgerald was at Clondalkin RFC recently to turn the sod on the new development. Leinster, Ireland and Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald and the president of Leinster Rugby, John Glackin also attended. The new
Player of the Year Cillian Sallier
development will consist of the improvement of the club house facilities, the installation of new flood lights and redevelopment of the top rugby pitch. All the family were kept happy with a BBQ in addition to bouncy castles and an obstacle course for the kids.
Most Improved player, Daniel Silke Featherston
Louis Lavin
7 May 2015 clondalkin gazette 9
Alex Lenihan
Ella O’Sullivan and Aoife Billings
Shona Larkin, teacher Ms Daly and Jamie Greene. Pictures: Jolanta Rossiter
Raising awareness M
ayor Cllr Fintan Warfield (SF) was on hand to officially launch EcoWeek 2015 at The Big Picture, Tallaght recently. The launch marked the beginning of events to raise eco awareness in the local community. There was a prize-giving ceremony for winners of the South Dublin
County Council funded Garbo Anti-litter Competition. There were over 1,000 entries in the competition this year. Anti-litter posters and slogans were designed and submitted from all round the county by pupils of all ages, including young junior infants up to teenagers in secondary schools.
Christive Lufta and Subhan Tariq
Lucy Coleman
10 Gazette 7 May 2015
gazetteGALLERY
Building Blocks is modelled by Aideen Rafferty
Frayed in the Dark, a dress made from black plastic bags, is modelled by Paulina Vilimaite from Loreto, Balbriggan, at the final of the Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture Competition in association with Repak at the 3 Arena, Dublin. Pictures: Brian McEvoy
funky junk: fashion show takes recycling to a new level
Students sweep boards in not so shabby attire
E
IGHTY secondary school students sported their couture designs fashioned from junk on the [alley] catwalk at the 3 Arena recently. They were centre stage at the grand finale of the Bank of Ireland Junk Kouture competition in association with the Repak Recycled
Fashion Competition 2015. After months of preparations the teenagers strutted their carefully choreographed routine in the hope of impressing the judges in front of thousands of screaming fans. Louis Walsh gave the judging panel the X-factor when he joined Vogue
Williams, Rob Condon, Tracey Fahey and Laura Murphy The Laura Larkin Community School took the best performance prize for Supercalifashionisticexpialidocious. It was one of a number of winners from the Dublin area, including Loreto, Balbriggan.
Woven Data is worn by Bronwyn Linnane
Nadine Doherty, Andrea Hutchinson Lara McGee and Sienna Hutchinson
Kate O’Brien, Heather O’Connor and Grainne Wilson
Louis Walsh
Aurica Syrbu is the Queen of the Forest
7 May 2015 Gazette 11
asdfsdaf business P27 P16
referendum p14
dublinlife Let Dublin Gazette Newspapers take you on a tour of the news and events taking place across the city and county this week
a day in the life: senator david norris, colourful and robust
what’son
‘I always find myself getting fired up by ideas’ ian begley
David Norris, an individual who has stirred up the very fabric of Irish society on many occasions, has a vast array of accomplishments to his name and has earned much admiration throughout his 70 years. His colour ful and r ob ust p erso na has made him an institution in himself, and being an Irish scholar, senator, gay and civil rights a c t i vi st and fo rmer presidential candidate it is no surprise that we asked Norris what a typical day in his life is like. “I get out of bed quite early at 7am and begin my day by listening to the news. “For breakfast I always have the same thing – a cup of coffee and a bowl of Kellogs Fruit and Fibre. “Since my liver trans-
plant I don’t have a lot of physical energy, but I have lots of intellectual energy and always find myself getting fired up by ideas. “I always bring a lot of my documents home from Leinster House and pile them up in my kitchen, which is where I do most of my work.” Norris, who has lived on North Great G e o r g e ’s S t r e e t f o r nearly 40 years, adds that he is in the Senate nearly every day and wishes it would reopen on the weekends. “I campaigned to get the Senate open at the weekends, which it was but then they closed it again because of the recession and I was the only one who used it,” he laughs. “I don’t do very much socialising, but when I come back home I like feed the birds in the garden and feed my goldfish in their pond,
and love watching them while I’m having my breakfast or evening dinner. “In my free time I have a wonderful old car [Jaguar XJ6] that I love to drive around in. I sometimes drive to Bull Island and get out to take a little walk or even to Howth to pick up some crab claws in Wrights.” Norris confesses to being computer illiterate, never having turned one on in his life. “I don’t know anything about them but for political purposes Miriam [his secretary] handles that for me. “I have 41,000 followers on Twitter and again I don’t do any of the mechanics, but the words are all mine.” After a long day, Norris adds, he heads to bed between 9.30pm and 10pm, after partaking in some night time reading or TV watching.
Gazette
diary p12
an outlandish opera with a modern theme
David Norris has built up a vast array of accomplishments and admiration throughout his 70 years
“I read a lot before heading to bed and also like to watch a bit of television. I have really gotten interested
in watching the detective drama, Endeavor, which is the story about a young inspector in Oxford.
“In the old days I wouldn’t fall asleep until maybe 3am but these days I tend to get tired more easily.”
OUTLANDISH Theatre Platform (OTP) will perform a mini-opera, EX-hib-IT-US 2015, at Filmbase in Temple Bar from May 14 – 16. FEX-hib-IT-US 2015 is a contemporary mini opera about Dublin today, featuring professional actors performing alongside residents of St Teresa’s Gardens. For two years, OTP worked on a collaborative arts project with the remaining residents of St Teresa’s Gardens in Dublin 8 – a social housing estate on the brink of demolition. This collaboration resulted in a one off inter-media performance installation, and a film, entitled: Come into The Gardens. EX-hib-IT-US 2015 is the concluding piece in this long-term project. For this latest production, OTP has written new songs and scores, which reveal an artistic exploration of the human structure of Dublin’s ever-changing social city landscape. The final performance will be followed by a post-show discussion: “From the real to the stage, full-circle”. For further information, see www.outlandishtheatre.com.
Gazette
12 Gazette 7 May 2015
dublinlife
diary
A candlelight vigil to commemorate migrants, who died trying to get to Europe, took place in the Dublin Unitarian Church and was organised by the Jesuit organisation, Dialogue and Diversity
Migrants lost at sea recalled A CANDLELIGHT vigil to commemorate migrants, who died trying to get to Europe, took place recently, in Dublin Unitarian Church. The event was organised by the Jesuit organisation, Dialogue and Diversity, to highlight a humanitarian problem after more than 900 people drowned trying to make the crossing from north Africa. In the past 20 years more than 25,000 immigrants lost their lives in the Mediterranean Sea. Piotr Gawlik, chair of Dialogue and Diversity, said: “We must not forget that those who passed away were somebody’s loved ones.” He said there was undoubtedly a border crisis, with irregular migration from a large geographic area, involving hundreds of thousands of people every year, who
risked their lives trying to get to Europe. The vigil was attended by Cllr Ciaran Cuffe (GP) and representatives of the Immigrant Council of Ireland, Amnesty International and Crosscare.
Students to show off their liguistics skills THREE secondary school students from Dublin along with one from Donegal have been selected to test their language decoding skills against the world’s best at the International Linguistics Olympiad in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, in July. The students finished ahead of 120 opponents in the All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad finals recently at Dublin City University. Samuel Barron of Sutton Park School was the overall winner of the individual competition. He will be joined in Bulgaria
by fellow team members Luke Gardiner of Gonzaga College, Ranelagh; Ethan Hamman of Newpark Comprehensive, Blackrock; and Niamh Lynch of Loreto Letterkenny, Donegal. From a starting line-up of 4,000 students from 161 secondary schools spanning 29 counties, the top 123 battled it out during individual and team contests. Competitors engaged in codebreaking challenges to unlock information in unfamiliar languages. This year’s individual contests included puzzles in Evenki, an inner Mongolian language; Murrinhpatha, an indigenous Australian language spoken by only 3,000 people; and the Georgian writing system.
Meet the entire family on the library website THE National Library of
Ireland has announced plans to enable people to investigate their genealogy with relative ease from July onwards. The entire collection of Catholic parish register microfilms held by the library will be made available online, at no charge, from July 8. The dedicated website will make available more than 390,000 digital images of the microfilm reels on which the parish registers are recorded. The library has been working to digitise the microfilms for more than three years under its most ambitious digitisation programme. The parish register records are considered the single most important source of information on Irish family history prior to the 1901 census. Dating from the 1740s to the 1880s, they cover
1,091 parishes throughout the island of Ireland, and consist primarily of baptismal and marriage records. For more information see www.nli.ie
ivan yates happy to eat ice cream for good cause IVAN Yates and Lottie Ryan both screamed for ice cream as they launched this year’s HB Hazelbrook Farm Ice Cream Fundays Campaign in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland. They are calling on people in Dublin to organise their own ice cream party this summer to raise much needed funds for the organisation. HB provides everything needed for the party in a comprehensive pack, and all funds raised go to front line services. P a t C l a r ke , c h i e f
executive of Down Syndrome Ireland, said: “The HB Hazelbrook Farm Ice Cream Fundays Campaign is a fantastic and fun way of raising funds for our organisation. “The support from both HB and the public means that we can maintain the level and quality of essential services that we provide to our members.” For more information visit w w w.dow nsy ndrome.ie or email sandrab@downsyndrome. ie, for your ice cream fundays pack.
Bruton reeling after selection rejection JOBS Minister Richard Bruton was faced with shock and embarrassment last week, when he failed to be chosen to run for Fine Gael in the next general election in his own constituency,
Dublin Bay North. The shock followed a dramatic selection convention in the constituency. Fine Gael members voted to select Cllr Naoise O Muiri and former local election candidate Stephanie Regan to run for the party at the next election. Unfortunately for Bruton, he was not selected alongside Regan as previously expected, after members were directed to select one male and one female candidate in order to comply with new gender quota rules. The party’s executive council has now added Bruton to the ticket in ,k,lwhat was a setback and embarrassment for the Minister and the party. Reports indicated that Bruton was described as being visibly shocked when the result was announced.
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dublinlife
Different views on why This week, two people with opposing opinions give us their views on how they would like to see the electorate vote in the upcoming referendum on marriage equality
Vote Yes to extend true equality to all families
Conor Pendergrast The blogger writes about his personal experience of being raised by two lesbian parents
MY BROTHER Daragh and I are the children of two wonderful women, Ann and Bernadette. As a child, I spent my early years in London. I was fortunate to have a diverse group of friends and to meet people from every walk of life. Our neighbours were also a family headed by two mums, and we were far from the only similar families in the city. Even that long ago, there were parenting groups for lesbian and gay people, which my parents attended. Moving back to Ireland (where Bern was born and raised) was a bit of a change; whereas once my brother’s skin colour meant little (his sperm donor was a British Indian man, whereas mine was a white British man), now he was the only person who wasn’t white in the school. Our English accents also made us stick out a mile. In comparison with those barriers we faced, the fact that our parents
are two women was pretty insignificant to onlookers! Our classmates didn’t think us having two mums was weird; in fact, they thought it was really cool! Overall, my family is similar to a lot of other families, and yet there are those who think that my mums shouldn’t have the option to marry. Luck-
ily, we’ve seen incredible progress over the past 20 years in rights for lesbian, gay and bisexual people. The decriminalisation of homosexuality in the 1990s meant that, from one perspective, their love was no longer illegal. Equality legislation was introduced, which means that discrimination based on sexuality is no longer
7 May 2015 Gazette 15
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same sex marriage
the May 22 vote matters tolerated (in most, but sadly not all, cases). Civil Partnership led to the option for people in same-sex couples to have their relationships recognised, to a degree. This year, the Child and Family Relationships Act finally granted the option for me to have a legal relationship with both of my parents. And then, there were the lesser-known pieces of legislation that have led to much greater support and recognition of families like mine. And yet, inequality still exists. My mums have, as you can see, raised a family despite the lack of marriage equality. It is a great falsehood to make the discussion on this referendum about the families that same-sex couples will raise: there have, and will continue to be, children like me raised in families headed by lesbian, gay and bisexual people. To vote “No” on that basis is to ignore the reality: we’re already living
in communities around Ireland. Sadly, those campaigning in opposition to the referendum have shown no interest in listening to me and my brother’s perspectives, and have effectively ignored us and families like us for years, only to rise up now and scream: “Won’t someone think of the children?” I’m getting to the stage of my life where a number of my friends are starting to marry. I myself am engaged to a wonderful woman, with whom so far I have spent eight happy years, and with whom I intend to spend my life. The idea of my parents not having the option to marry each other, after being together for more than 30 years, saddens me. The idea that my wonderful lesbian, gay and bisexual friends can’t marry the people they love feels deeply wrong. I can’t help but wonder what it is that makes my love for Alana legitimate and deserving of recognition by society, but Ann
and Bern’s love for each other undeserving? In the end, the referendum on marriage equality is not about lofty hypothetical situations or philosophical debates; it’s not about whether same-sex couples will raise families (they have for decades, and will continue to do so). It’s not about whether you’re annoyed by the current Government; it’s not about where you’re from. The referendum on marriage equality simply comes down to one question: will we decide to treat our people equally, or not? Should your sons and daughters, your parents, your aunts and uncles, your cousins, your friends, your neighbours, your teachers, your nurses, and everyone else you know who happens to be lesbian, gay or bisexual, be able to marry the person they love? The outcome of the referendum will demonstrate this: are we all equal, or are we not?
Daragh Pendergrast-Manning, Conor Pendergrast, Bernadette Manning and Ann Pendergrast. Picture: Alan Betson, courtesy of The Irish Times
Anne Murray: “This debate is not about equality and rights, but about changing the meaning of marriage”
Vote No to protect the meaning of marriage
Anne Murray Mothers and Fathers Association
THINK before you vote. I believe we need to support rights. As a woman, I understand discrimination, and as a mother, I understand what it is to fight for the needs of a child. This debate needs to broaden to include rights of all. People make wellintentioned general statements about rights, but we need to look at universal rights and what they say. On July 16, 2014, the European Cour t of Human Rights confirmed that there is no right to grant access to marriage to same-sex couples. The Referendum Commission states that the vote is about marriage. So this debate is not about equality and rights, but about changing the meaning of marriage
from between one man and one woman to one between any two people, without distinction as to their sex. There has always been limitations to marriage, eg age, one cannot marry close family members, and one has to be of sound mind. What we have in Ireland to give legal recognition to same sex relationships is Civil Partnership, which is specifically for gay people. The Constitution belongs to the people of Ireland and it reflects as a country what we believe, and our laws have to reflect what is in our Constitution. Article 41.3.1 is the part of the Constitution that links family and marriage and this is the section we are being asked to change. We cannot have this debate without consider-
ing the rights of children. Children have a right to know their mother and father, as per the UN convention of the Rights of the Child, as they are an integral part of a child’s identity. Human beings have a right to their mother and father, and we are designed to long for a relationship with both of our biological parents. If we vote Yes, it will mean that any two men or any two women have the same constitutional right as a man and woman to have a family if they are married. We know a man and a woman together can produce a baby. However, if two men or two women have no children from a previous relationship, or by adoption, then how can they have a baby, given that they are not biologically designed to do so?
For the male couple, they will have to contact a surrogacy agency, arrange to buy an egg and pay a woman to carry the baby to birth, when the baby will then be given to the couple. After the birth, this baby then will have no connection with its mother. The baby will never know what it is like to be held in her mother’s arms. I certainly, as a new mother, remember with great joy and wonder looking at my newborn baby. There is no denying same-sex parents can be great parents. The problem is not the gay parent, but rather the missing parent. We Irish know the value of family, and this proposed change will have serious consequences for future generations of our children. Please vote No.
dublinlife
Norwegian dry ice firm open a Dublin manufacturing site NORWEGIAN-based international chemical company Yara has officially opened a dry ice manufacturing site in Dublin, with the creation of five jobs. Yara Ireland provides dry ice in Ireland across a variety of sectors including aviation, refrigeration, food storage, medical services and the entertainment industry. Petter Østbø, vice president of Gas & Industrial Applications, Yara, said: “While Yara have been operating for some time in Ireland, we decided to invest in this new strategically
located manufacturing site in Dublin, to serve the Irish market on demand, in small or large quantities of dry ice as required.” T he Nor wegian Charge d’Affaires in Ireland, Sølve Steinhovden, was welcomed to the plant by Irish and Norwegian Yara personnel at the official opening, which was presided over by representatives from IDA Ireland. Yara market manager for Ireland Gerard Dore said the company expected to increase its workforce as market demand increases.
business
forecast: government bullish about the economy
‘Lost jobs back by 2018’
MINISTER for Finance Michael Noonan has said all of the jobs lost in the recession would be replaced by 2018. He made his remarks recently on the publication of the Government’s Spring Economic Statement, and added that 200,000 jobs would be created between now and 2020, forecasting that two million people would be employed nationwide by next year. Overall, his remarks m ay b e v i e we d a s extremely hopeful as he believed the Government may be in a position to introduce expansionary budgets from now until 2020.
He said there would be no return to the boomand-bust-budget model of the past. Noonan said: “Over the period 2011 to 2015, the deficit was reduced from €15bn to €4.5bn. However, we were in a position to achieve these targets with less tax increases and expenditure cuts than originally envisaged, and to bring an end to the era of austerity budgets much earlier than originally planned.” On another positive note, he said that having peaked in 2013, the national debt was now on a firm downward path, and was expected
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to drop below 100% of GDP and move towards the EU average in the coming years. Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin also had some good news, in the form of intended spending increases of between €600m and €750m for 2016. He said the expansion would enable the Government to deal with underlying demographic pressures in social protection, education and health. He said the Government was commitment to pension provision, and intended to increase the current national
Minister Michael Noonan: “Over the period 2011 to 2015, the deficit was reduced from €15bn to €4.5bn”
spend of €6.5bn a year by €200m as the population aged. He went on to hint at forthcoming public service pay increases, saying the Government had agreed to his proposal to enter into discussions with trade unions on
public service pay. He believed it was wise to plan for a steady winding down of the emergency provisions that had been introduced to deal with the gap in the public finances, which included pay cuts for public servants.
7 May 2015 Gazette 17
food P21
asdfsdaf P27 health P24
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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travel P20
Pets A golden oldie with a heART OF GOLD
There was neigh-one better than George to help dancer Emma O’Kane announce details of Dublin Dance Festival
2015. Emma will star in WillFredd
Theatre`s new production, Jockey, which premieres during the festival. Picture: Photocall Ireland
dance: exciting events promised over an energetic fortnight in dublin
Step up to a great festival
keith bellew
AN EXCITING and diverse array of dancers from around the world with expertise in a range of different styles will descend on Dublin from May 19 -31 for the Dublin Dance Festival 2015. This year’s programme promises to be one of the best yet, with artists from Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada and Spain, among others, gracing the event. The festival will be opened at the Abbey Theatre on Tuesday, May 19 by choreographer Meg Stuart. With her company, Damaged Goods, she will officially open the festival with their new show, Built to Last, in their first ever visit to Ireland. The show is described as an epic journey of movement and music through the
history of dance and beyond. Other highlights of this year’s packed programme include Dublin Dance Festival and the Goethe-Institut Irland’s collaboration on Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 to perform exhibitions of fearless dance from Germany for all tastes and ages on the stages, streets and screens of Dublin. Later, the festival and the Abbey Theatre will co-present the world premiere of choreographer Liz Roche’s major new work, Bastard Amber, on Tuesday, 26. This event marks the first time that an Irish choreographer has been commissioned to create a work for the Abbey Theatre’s main stage. Fiach MacConghail, Abbey Theatre director said: “It has been a long-term ambition of mine to premiere the work
of an Irish choreographer at The Abbey. “I am delighted to welcome Liz Roche and Dublin Dance Festival to present this exciting new dance work on our main stage.” Families are also well catered for this year, with Family Season at The Ark. Here, Barrowland Ballet will present Tiger Tale – a tale of a tiger who invades a troubled family’s world and helps them to rediscover their wild sides. For younger children, Celestine Hennermann‘s Elephant Walk will see dozens of multi-coloured buckets transform the stage of the Ark as two dancers bring an array of familiar creatures to life on stage. Speaking about this year’s programme, which will be the last in her four-year tenure as festival director, Julia Carruthers
said: “Dance artists are moving like brilliant magpies across tradition, and I hope this programme captures the ‘right-now’ of international and Irish dance. “This year, our national theatre amplifies the importance of dance with an ambitious programme of three dance performances on the Abbey stage, including leading work from Europe, cutting-edge contemporary flamenco and a major Irish premiere.” The festival is also offering opportunities to engage with dance through masterclasses, talks, and Fast Track to Dance – a weekend programme for those who would like to learn more about dance, run by Niamh McCann and Lynnette Moran of Live Collision. For further information about the festival, see www.dublindancefestival.ie.
The Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs. Our Dog of the Week is week is golden oldie, Takara, who’s a 10-year-old Jack Russell terrier. Takara is one of our TLC dogs, which means that she needs a little extra time, love and commitment from her new home. Takara is a little worried in kennels, so we’d really love to get this little dog into her new home as soon as possible. Takara is a busy lady, who would like a relaxed home with maybe one person or a couple, who will allow her time and space to settle in – oh, and who will provide her with lots of tennis balls! If you think you could give this fabulous dog her perfect home, please contact Dogs Trust on 01-879 1000. It is based in Finglas, just off Exit 5 on the M50. A map and directions can be found on www. dogstrust.ie.
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OUT&ABOUT
Beautybits Treat your skin to the Ultrasonic Facial mimi murray
Viva La Beauty Salon on Marlborough Street is run by 22-year-old Barbara Carter and the salon offers an amazing treatment, the Ultrasonic Facial. Barbara Carter
This is a gentle, non-invasive
treatment that is safe and suitable for all skin types, from acne to rosacea and mature skin. Even the most sensitive skin will benefit from this treatment. The promise is that increased blood flow stimulates collagen plumping up the skin and ironing out fine lines and wrinkles. This advanced anti-aging procedure gives your skin a much healthier, more youthful look and feel and the therapist told me that if done regularly it can emulate the effects of a facelift. So far, so what’s not to love! Barbara started off by cleansing my face with organic oil cleanser with lavender and ylang ylang to prepare it for the machine, which sends ultrasound vibrations into the skin to penetrate into the pores and remove everything from dirt or make up to blackheads. This gives a really deep-cleanse providing a mini microdermabrasion that is so unobtrusive it can be used weekly. The ultrasound waves are then used on another setting to penetrate organic aloe vera gel products into the skin to soothe after this deep cleanse. The machine penetrates the products into the skin more effectively than a regular facial. Increased oxygen and blood circulation to underlying tissues from the current leaves your skin thoroughly cleansed, revitalized and glowing. I noticed a uniform look to my face instantly. An organic face mask is applied for 10 minutes. Finally the machine uses a micro current setting that sends minor pulses into the skin to stimulate the facial muscles, toning them and giving the face a lift. I found it great around the neck area and under the eyes for crows feet. The treatment takes an hour and was the perfect mix of soothing and science.
Aurelia cardigan €116
Azura dress €65
Natural beauty
Flora Beau dress €52
Sustainable and eco-friendly fashion brand, Braintree Clothing, has arrived at Dublin’s most iconic department store, Clerys. Braintree is a natural clothing company born is Sydney and now based in London. It is a unique independent fashion outfit with a simple philosophy – to design and make beautiful, timeless fashion while caring for our environment. Braintree has been championing eco fibres since its humble beginnings in the mid-1990s and all ranges are made with sustainability in Marley batwing sweater €65 mind with fabrics such as hemp, bamboo and organic cotton.
Zinnia plaid skirt €78
For more info go to www.vivalabeauty.biz
Juvi launches new jewellery range for the summer
Juvi has launched its new jewellery range for summer 2015, made up of two lines, the Boho Collection and the Antibes Collection
Irish design company Juvi, founded by Julie Danz and Vincent Tynan, has launched its new jewellery range for Summer 2015, made up of two lines, the Boho Collection and the Antibes Collection. Inspired by their travels and the natural beauty of the places they have visited, the new range showcases exquisite gemstones in summertime colours reminiscent of sea, sand, sunsets and beautiful vistas. The Boho Collection has a
relaxed vibe that is perfect for everyday wear, while the Antibes Collection exudes the grown-up elegance and sophistication of the Cote d’Azur. Both new lines feature gemstones sourced all over the world and brought back to Ireland, from cool aqua chalcedony to radiant blue topaz, all set in sterling silver- or 18ct gold-plated jewellery. Julie and Vincent are a husband and wife duo who combine their talents and backgrounds as an interior designer and silversmith
to create unique, striking pieces at their studio in Dublin. Vincent has more than 20 years’ experience working as a silversmith, while Julie’s bold approach to design is influenced by her time in New York, working under Carleton Varney, one of America’s most adventurous and colourful interior designers. They share a passion for finding beauty in the raw, and are enthralled by the natural purity of colour in precious stones.
Speaking about the collection, Julie explains: “We use very high quality stones, they speak for themselves; people are attracted to their colour, tactility and weight. Our philosophy is quite simple – we want to offer affordable luxury. We believe it is important for women to spoil themselves on occasion.” Juvi is available at House of Fraser, Arnotts, Kilkenny and independent retailers throughout Ireland, or online at www.juvidesigns.com.
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STYLE
Artistry’s Multi Protect SPF 30 €25.35. It is a Lightweight moisturizer shielding the skin from harmful UVA and UVB exposure as it combats free radicals and environmental pollutants. Visit www.amway.ie
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Eight Hour Cream Targeted Sun Defense Stick SPF 50 €20 is water and perspiration-resistant, ophthalmologically, clinically and dermatologically tested, oil and PABA-free, suitable for all skin types and offers the hydrating benefits for up to eight hours.
Sun!
Fun in the
La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Cream €19.50 for sensitive and sunintolerant skin. Protection from UVA and UVB exposure.
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Shiseido Ultra Sun Protection WetForce broad spectrum SPF 50+ face cream €39. Water resistent for up to 80 minutes.
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Olay Essentials Complete Care SPF 30 Day Lotion provides up to eight hours moisturisation, SPF 30 protection and pampering vitamins, combined with a non-greasy formula and retails at €12.89 RRP. Available nationwide. See www.olay.ie
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20 gazette 7 May 2015
OUT&ABOUT
TRAVEL
FastTravel Get the latest on top cruises ON MAY 10 at the Red Cow Morans Hotel, e-Travel.ie are hosting an exclusive cruise event with top holiday deals and unique shows from some of the world’s most luxurious cruise liners. Taking place from 12 – 5pm, the event will boast fun-filled, actionpacked holidays for the whole family on board top luxury ships. In addition, e-travel will also exhibit free presentations from all of the cruise lines attending, including Q&A sessions. For further information, see www.etravel.ie.
Whether in high summer or any time of the year, Gregans Castle Hotel, Clare (above) will delight – just one of a number of terrific holiday getaways right here in Ireland
ireland: a wonderful break awaits right here
Summer getaways ian begley
THERE’S no better way to indulge yourself in the sights and sounds of Ireland now that summertime is almost here. With lots of offers and picturesque places to visit this summer, an Irish weekend break away is certainly a great way to roll in the long evenings. With Ireland’s Blue Book, why not give yourself some peace and quiet by heading as far west as you can go, to beautiful Connemara? Breathe in the pure air and see the stars in a velvety sky and enjoy a day trip to the Aran Islands and Inish Lacken. This offer includes three nights’ accommodation and breakfast with dinner on two evenings, ferry tickets to Aran and a boat trip to Inish Lacken in this little bit of paradise, from €295pps. Over at Coopershill House, Sligo, majestic
mountains, ancient ruins and miles of sandy beach lie at its doorstep. Nestled in the centre of a 500-acre private estate of mature hardwoods, deer pastures and its own river you can certainly expect a relaxing and tranquil summer escape. Built in 1774, Coopershill has been the family home to eight generations of the O’Haras and is the perfect base for exploring the stunning northwest of Ireland. From €360pp, you can spend three nights in this iconic country house throughout the summer until October 31. For bird lovers, a short visit to Longueville House in Cork is the perfect setting to explore and expand your interest in ornithology with professional bird-watching guide Michael Cobley. Cobley – chair of the West Cork branch of Bird Watch Ireland – has
years of experience guiding groups of various experience levels, including newcomers. This overnight package for €355 for two is valid from May 16 – 18 and includes a gourmet dinner, plus maps of local country strolls and hikes. For three nights from €405pps, a getaway to the Gregans Castle Hotel, Clare will help you witness the astonishing array of flowering plants to be found growing in the Burren.
Glorious As part of this package, you can join local guide Shane Connolly on a half day’s walking adventure, where you will see the glorious gentians, mountain avens, violets, orchids and a myriad of floral delights. Afterwards, visit the B u r r e n P e r f u m e r y, where the floral theme continues – you may
be tempted to purchase some scented potion to ease the blisters on your feet! This three-night bed and breakfast package comes with a six-course dinner on two evenings and includes a half day’s guided walk at an easy pace. If you have had enough exertion, return to the pampering environment of Gregans Castle Hotel where, amid their own garden landscape setting, you can enjoy three nights of tranquil indulgence and culinary treats. Alternatively, if you fancy a luxury weekend break away with your partner or to spend some quality time with your family, Killashee House Hotel is the ideal place to relax and unwind. For further information on these offers, see w w w. i r e l a n d s - b l u e book.ie or contact the hotels directly.
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FOOD&DRINK BITESIZEDNEWS
Enjoy the best of both worlds with this yummy favourite from Boutique Bakes and Cakes
The perfect brownie cheesecake combo HERE is one of Boutique Bakes’ favourite recipes, Cheesecake Brownies. It is easy to make and goes down a treat with family and friends. You can use any fruit. Ingredients Cedar Tree, St Andrew’s Street, Dublin, wrap €5
FAB Fabulous falafels
Taste Cafe, South William Street, Dublin, €12
Whether you are a dedicated veggie or a meat muncher looking for a lighter bite, falafel is a perfectly pleasing comfort food. It can be served on its own with dips like hummus or tahini, included in a warmed wrap or perched with pride of place atop a fresh salad. This month we have featured our top five falafel places in Dublin. Do you agree? Have we missed a place? Let us know on the Gazette Newspaper’s Facebook page or on Twitter at @DublinGazette. Next month we will be searching for the best coffee in the city.
Brownie Layer 1 Boutique Bake brownie mix 150g melted butter 3 eggs Or 400g caster sugar 225g butter, melted 60g cocoa powder 4 eggs 225g self-raising flour 1/2 teaspoon salt Cheesecake Layer 100g icing sugar 250g cream cheese 150ml cream 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract/scraping of 1 pod 1 small punnet of raspberries (washed)
Preparation Brownie Layer • Preheat your oven to 180C (160 Fan) • Mix our brownie mix with 3 eggs and 150g of melted butter (or if using alternative recipe mix all required ingredients) until well combined. • Spoon mixture into a greased/lined square tin (10 x 7 inch) • Bake for 20 to 25 mins
UMI Dame Street, €7
The Fumbally, Fumbally Lane, Dublin, €8
Little Jerusalem, Rathmines, €7.50
Cheesecake Layer • Whip the cream cheese with an electric whisk until creamy. In separate bowl, whip the cream until it starts to become stiff. • Add the icing sugar to the whipped cheese and fold in the cream. Add in the vanilla. • Cut up the raspberries and fold into the mixture. • When the brownie is cool, gently spread the cheesecake mixture evenly on top. • Pop into the fridge for about 4 hours to set before taking out of tin. • Remove from the tin and slice into squares. • Serve with more raspberries and some lightly whipped cream for a real treat. For more go to www.cakesandbakes.co.uk
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22 Gazette 7 May 2015
OUT&ABOUT
Fused
Donal Lunny, Playing
Donal Lunny hangs out in National Gallery Bairbre ni bhraonain
THIS week saw the National Gallery of Ireland unveil a new portrait commission, Donal Lunny, Playing. This addition to the gallery is a celebration of the multi-talented musician, composer and Tullamore, County Offaly man and was painted by Sligo-based artist Nick Miller. It went on public display on April 17 at a special launch event in the gallery. T he commission was part of the inaugural Hennessy Portrait Prize, which Miller won. Lunny was among those who attended the recent unveiling of the piece in the Beit wing of the gallery. In addition to having a place in the prestigious National Galler y of Ireland, M i l l e r ’s p o r t r a i t , Donal Lunny, Playing, won the artist a cash prize of €15,000 through the Hennessy prize. The new commission, valued at €5,000, is now part of the the National Portrait Collection at the gallery. The National Gallery of Ireland chose the subject matter of the portrait.
ARTS
hedda gabler: a triumph at the abbey
A wounded creature who still captivates Bairbre Ni Bhraonain
IRISH playwright Mark O’Rowe described Hedda Gabler as a “mass of contradictions” and an enigmatic figure so powerful she had endured as a dramatic staple since the play first premiered in 1891. Such fascination about this theatrical metacharacter led O’Rowe to undertake a reworking of the original Henrik Ibsen play, and the fruits of this can be seen at the Abbey Theatre this May. O’Rowe’s adaptation takes Gabler into the 21st century with great ease. Such a modern play easily lends itself to an updating, and seems most natural. It is achieved through O’Rowe’s delicate use of language. Gabler, had she been written today, would certainly have used the odd expletive, so volatile is her tormented nature at times. This, O’Rowe does, but does not overdo; he thereby maintains the shock value of a general’s daughter with pristine manners dressed in impeccable 19th century garb using foul language.
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‘Ibsen deserves most adulation for summoning up something so wounded and lost in the main character that it is enough to feed future imaginations for centuries’ --------------------------
Gabler, played solidly if wanting in nuance by Catherine Walker, returns to the house she chose on a whim after six months honeymooning in Europe. She does not particularly like the house, but said she wanted to live there during a lull in the conversation with her then future husband. Though she constantly surprises in her actions and decisions; impulsiveness is a trait threaded through her character as a desperate effort to feel alive. She is gifted, intelligent, wry and original,
but Gabler lives in a time where the only tool she can use to carve a name for herself in the world is a husband. Of her decision to marry, she says: “I felt I’d been putting it off long enough.” The husband she has chosen is a dull, unexciting academic. She refers to him by his surname, Tesman, is sorry she married him, and has no attraction to him. Tesman is played lightly and innocently by Peter Gaynor, and the audience feels an affinity for him right away. Yet the audience also feels deep sympathy for Gabler, as she suffocates under social restriction and the burden of her own difficult psychology. Like Tesman, the other characters in the play never seem as alive or as real as Gabler. Instead, they have found their groove in the world and are happy enough to plough along. The most interesting of these are Gabler’s old flame, Ejlert Lovborg (Keith McErlean), who mirrors a passionate idealism in Gabler, and Judge Brack (Declan Conlon), who
Peter Gaynor and Catherine Walker bring life to their complex roles, with Walker, in particular, excelling in her role as the titular Hedda Gabler. Pictures: Ros Kavanagh
reflects back to Gabler her cruel and manipulating side. Both think they are akin to Gabler, but neither is. She toys with them all, while urgently looking for an identity and a valid role in life. She is like a child hoping to stumble upon the meaning of life through action. Lovborg’s helpmeet is Thea Elfsted (Kate Stanley Brennan) has left her magistrate husband to be with the great artistic genius. She has arduously assisted Lovborg on his latest work on history and is madly devoted to him; a trait dominant in her nature. Yet, Lovborg prefers the savage mystery of Gabler. In the meantime, the judge seeks to have a “tri-
As Ejlert Lovborg, Keith McErlean also creates a memorable, fleshed-out character
angular arrangement” in the Tesman household, much to Gabler’s horror. The Abbey Theatre and Mark O’Rowe have done justice to the Norwegian playwright in this new version of Hedda Gabler, and the two-and-a-half hours fly by. Yet Ibsen created Hedda Gabler, and therefore deserves most
adulation for summoning up something so psychologically primal, wounded and lost in the main character that it is enough to feed future imaginations for centuries to come. Hedda Gabler runs until May 16 in the Abbey Theatre. Tickets cost from €13 to €45 and are available from the box office at www.abbeytheatre.ie.
7 May 2015 GAZETTE 23
GAZETTE
MUSIC BLUR: THE MAGIC WHIP
From idle jams to their tasty first album in 12 years COLM MURRAY
On their way to global success, Mumford and Sons have come a long way, with their new album, Wilder Mind, showing the musical journey the band has also embarked on
MUMFORD AND SONS: WILDER MIND
Collaborating creates a robust new album COLM MURRAY
BACK in the autumn of 2009, Mumford and Sons were playing to maybe a couple of dozen customers of Tower Records in Wicklow St. We l l , m ay b e j u s t browsers, as it was lunchtime on a wet Tuesday and most of the punters present were either looking for shelter or whiling away the minutes until they returned to their workplaces. The band had just embarked on the promotional duties and five years non-stop work for their debut album, Sigh No More, that would send them global (and, until recently, a place on the Sunday Times rich list). Fast forward to 2015, and the waistcoats, banjos and braces have been ditched for full drum kits
and fenders on Wilder Mind (Island/Universal). As Marcus Mumford himself states: “We fell back in love with drums.” Right from the opening bars of Tompkins Square Park, it’s apparent that those early sessions in New York and London witnessed a change in the band’s approach not just to writing and recording, but to texture and dynamics, too. There is a minimalist yet panoramic feel to the new album, taking up from where Kings of Leon left off after taking a wrong turn after Only By The Night. Current single, Believe, is a big room stadium anthem with elements of The Edge’s chiming keyboard sounds, which were previously borrowed by their contemporaries, Coldplay.
Producer James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Florence + The Machine, Klaxons) is a key component here, earning his fee with the updated sound but also positioning them for the next stage alongside supposed contemporaries. There are a clutch of new songs – Only Love, Believe, Ditmus, The Wolf, Wilder Mind, Just Smoke – that will soar in a live setting, the latter, still encapsulating the sound of the past five years with a more robust and mature dynamic. In another development, the new album is the band’s most collaborative to date, with all four musicians putting their shoulders to the wheel, and much of the writing taking place in the studio. Moreover, in stark contrast to Babel, none of
the new songs have been road-tested live: fans will come to them fresh. Those live settings will come in various guises over the summer. Gentlemen of the Road is their travelling festival, borne out of a desire to play non conventional or places less travelled. Since 2012, they have visited the likes of Dungog (Australia), Portland, Maine; places with rich history (Bristol, Virginia) or ancient tradition (Lewes, UK); and gems waiting to be discovered (Dixon, Illinois). A visit to Galway h a p p e n e d i n 2 013 , with further visits to these shores hopefully being announced in the future. Key tracks: Believe, Tomkins Square Park, Only Love. Release date: May 1.
DA MO N A l b a r n recently spoke on Irish radio about the origins of the first Blur album in 16 years (The Magic Whip , Parlophone/ Warners) with the completed line up. While touring Asia in the spring of 2013, a music festival – Tokyo Rock – was abruptly called off due to disorganised management. With a five-day break in their schedule and no dates to attend to, they took shelter in a tiny recording studio in Hong Kong, jamming with no goal in mind. The 15 songs they drafted up were set aside once they got back on tour. Almost a year later, Graham Coxon revisited the tracks and, after roping in Blur’s early producer Stephen Street, presented the material to the band.
Last year, they set about editing and cobbling together the ideas that were born from these sessions. This was in contrast to social media updates previously distributed a year before by on/off producer William Orbit that relations within the band were less than cordial. In an era that is coming to be defined by surprise releases, maybe the most surprising of all –apart from Bowie’s – is Blur’s latest; surprising because in contrast to, say, The Stone Roses, it’s always felt (no matter how much they might have denied it) that there was always creative ground still to be covered. This was proven by the superb Under The Westway single from 2012, which was their anthem of that summer tour. The gigs of that time,
Blur fans won’t need 99 reasons to pick up The Magic Whip (right) – their new album, inspired by songs they whipped together in Hong Kong. Picture: Linda Brownlee
including an appearance at Oxegen 2011, could only have been supported by nostalgia for a brief period. No more looking back, then, as this is an album bulging with as many ideas and as much energy as any of Blur’s, or – perhaps more importantly – any of their now contemporaries. Key tracks include My Terracotta Heart, which deals with Albarn’s and Cox’s oftentimes difficult relationship; the single, Lonesome Street, which is undeniably Blur; and New World Towers, echoing the themes of paranoia to the dubby Ghost Ship – with these, there’s plenty to keep the listener engaged. Key tracks: Lonesome Street, My Terracotta Heart, Mirrorball. Release date: April 27.
Gazette
24 Gazette 7 May 2015
OUT&ABOUT
HEALTH
Find your way in to health TRYING to lose weight and be healthy can be a struggle for most. Finding the correct method is just as hard but one weight-management clinic is offering a tailor-made option to clients. Your Way In, located in Blackrock, was set up after Marie Healy had spent years working with people who struggled with health and weight issues that could be remedied through alternative, nutritious food options. Healy worked at Conefrey’s Pharmacy in Pearse Street before becoming personal assistant to Dr Eva Orsmond, and then manager of five weight-management Orsmond clinics. There she gained experience in weight management, which helped her to discover that the most successful way of dealing with being over-weight, obesity and related issues is through a healthy, natural food diet. Healy said: “I believe our easyto-follow, no-gimmicks approach to healthy eating that involves only natural, real food is the most successful route and our results speak for themselves.”
Your Way In recognises the unique needs of each individual, and offers a professional weight loss programme in a relaxed and friendly environment. The small and personal team offer a choice of nutritional diet programmes, and one-to one-private consultations or small group sessions. The clinic’s healthy eating programmes are tailor made and experienced nutritionists can design a plan suitable to specific dietary needs, such as gluten free, dairy free and vegan diets. Student Lynsey, lost a stone in weight and, said she felt happy in her own skin again. She said: “The team were there for support every week… I never dreaded coming in to hop on the scales...each week we worked on small tweaks that were manageable, and not overwhelming.” Your Way In believes healthy eating and physical activity go hand in hand, and offers weekly fitness classes, including zumba and pilates, in the fitness studio. For more details on Your Way In see: www.yourwayin.ie
Running without a finish line AN EVENT like no other! On Sunday, May 3, more than 73,000 athletes across 35 locations worldwide took part in the Wings For Life World Run, which had no traditional finish line. In this race, participants keep running until they are passed by “the Catcher Car”, which takes off 30 minutes after the start. All of the entry fee went towards Wings For Life – a foundation that funds research into finding a cure for spinal cord injury.
The Wings For Life run was all about running for those who can’t, and was accessible to, and achievable by, people of all levels of fitness. The Irish race began at Dun Laoghaire. The course was picturesque and the sun was shining down on more than 2,000 participants. The winner of the women’s category was Orna Dilworth who ran 39.2km. The overall winner was David Sheehy (pictured) who ran 52.1km. Sheehy completed the 2013 Dublin Marathon
in 2hrs 39mins, and in 2014 took part in The Race – a 250km endurance event in Donegal. Now, he has the opportunity to race wherever he likes in the next Wings For Life World Run – a prize beyond price! Make 2016 your year to take part in this truly global event.
Staying healthy is crucial for pregnant women, who have a number of exercise routines to support their bodies
pregnancy: make sure the workout suits
Taking a weight off with exercise Matthieu jalet
IT is good to stay active and relatively fit during pregnancy as it helps towards having an easier birth and a healthy baby. Some woman may not take part physical activity if they have been misinformed about how light to moderate their training regime should be. Regular exercise during pregnancy can improve posture and decrease some common discomforts such as backache. If you were not fit before you were pregnant, don’t give up! Begin slowly and build gradually as you become stronger. During the first trimester (0 to 13 weeks), it is best to keep your exercise sessions no longer than 45 minutes, unless they
are part of a class. Always listen to your body when exercising, and slow down or stop if you feel tired or unwell. If you are just starting, begin with a moderately brisk pace, three days a week. Try for a combination of cardio (aerobic), strength and flexibility exercises, and avoid bouncing. As part of strength training modify some exercises; instead of squatting with a barbell try using an assisted ball squat, and most importantly make sure its comfortable for you. During the second trimester (14 to 26 weeks) avoid any overhead exercises as they can put pressure on the lower back and increase the heart rate. Try to vary your routine, so that you use
different muscle groups. For example, at one session, exercise your arms and shoulders, and at another, focus on your legs, hips and bottom muscles. Swimming is an ideal and safe form of exercise in pregnancy. It exercises your arms and legs, and works your heart and lungs. The bigger your bump gets, the more you will enjoy feeling weightless in the water. Yoga and pilates also help to maintain muscle tone and flexibility, and improve your posture, which is a good all over body balance, without putting too much strain on the joints. In the third trimester (27 to 40 weeks) exercise may become too difficult and too uncomfortable. If you are on bed rest, you
will probably need to stop exercising. But otherwise, you may just need to make more adjustments to your workouts. You should not lie flat on your back from the second trimester on. At this stage you may need more recovery time between workouts and you can also incorporate birth preparation exercises into your routine. “Keeping up with training is key to feeling great throughout your pregnancy,” said Siobhan Byrne, trainer and owner of BodyByrne Fitness, which launches a pregnancy training app next month that aims to take you through each trimester.Visit http://www. bodybyrne.ie/bodybyrnefitness-the-team/ for more information.
7 May 2015 gazette 25
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28 Gazette 7 May 2015
SPORT Fear a key factor for Murphy
FastSport
swimming: ucd to fore at irish open long course championships
dublin duo reach belgian grand final:
TEMPLEOGUE’S Shane O’Donoghue and Shankill man Kyle Good are looking forward to playing in the Belgian Audi Hockey League’s final next week with their Antwerp-based club Dragons. The pair were both part of the side that won their twolegged battle with KHC Leuven – who topped the regular season standings – in the semi-finals 5-1 on aggregate having won the first tie last Friday 3-1 before closing out the victory 2-0 on Sunday in the reverse fixture. The Irish internationals moved to Belgium last summer to join Dragons and have impressed during their time with the club. They helped the side reach the quarter-finals of the Euro Hockey League at Easter with Good netting a couple of times in ousting the reigning champions Harvestehuder THC from Germany.
sport@dublingazette.com
DUBLIN swimmers were on top form for the Irish Open Swimming Championships at the National Aquatic Centre last weekend, with a number grabbing their last chance to
post a qualifying time for international competitions taking place this summer. UCD Swimming Club had a particularly successful event, with Alex Murphy ducking just under the qualifying time
Alex Murphy, centre, with his medal
for Russia’s World Swimming Championship this summer in the 50m breast stroke. His day one time topped the qualifying standard by just two hundredths of a second. A delighted Murphy admitted to approaching the race feeling uncertain, having missed out on the time in the semi-final, but embraced his coaching philosophy of “feel the fear and do it anyway” to edge in by a finger tip. Shauna O’Brien - also of UCD - was one of the stars of the weekend, taking home the 100m butterfly gold in a time of 1.00.56, just a fraction slower than her own Irish senior record set in the semi final. O’Brien had already qualified to compete at the World Univer-
Aer Lingus’s 400m medley relay silver medal winning team. Picture: Stephen McCarthy
sity Games taking place in Gwangju, South Korea in early July. Andrew Meegan, of Aer Lingus, took home his first national title, with the Irish record holder touching out Athlone’s Brendan Gibbons by 0.12 of a second to take the 800m freestyle final. Aer Lingus team mate Ben Griffins claimed third in the 200m individual medley, while the NAC’s own Brian O’Sullivan grabbed second in the 50m backstroke final. Tallaght’s Brendan Hyland came close to his own Irish record, taking home the men’s 100m butterfly title ahead of a strong American field, while Hyland’s 200m win in the same stroke was also a highlight of day one
and capped an impressive individual performance. Shani Stallard, 400m individual medley, and David Prendergast, 50m backstroke, also placed in their events, with both edged out by the championships’ American contingent, but taking home the respective Irish titles. A significant American visiting crew pushed the locals to the edge over the course of the championships, dominating day two of the three-day event in particular with a clean sweep of the eight races. The local contingent will be more than happy with the impressive array of qualification marks posted, however. The results bring the total number of Irish swimmers and divers
reaching qualifying standards for this summer’s world-level events to 28. Off the back of these races, a group will head off to events including the World Championships, World University Games, European Games, European Youth Olympics and World Junior Championships throughout the summer. Final selection for events in South Korea, Georgia, Russia and Singapore will be made based on these qualifying times at a later date. Swim Ireland national performance director Peter Banks is also looking further forward, highlighting the strength of the team building towards the Olympics in Brazil in 2016.
Bracewell takes reins ahead of England tie in Malahide sport@dublingazette.com
Ireland’s Alex Cusack, John Mooney, Max Sorensen and Kevin O’Brien promoting Friday’s tie
JOHN Bracewell was confirmed as the new Irish cricket coach in time to see Ireland take on England this Friday in Malahide in the marquee one-day international fixture. The 57-year-old has a track record of success with both New Zealand and in English domestic cricket and is seen as the ideal man to deliver the target of test cricket for Ireland by 2019. Cricket Ireland performance director Richard Holdsworth
commented on the appointment. “We are delighted to welcome John to the Irish cricket family, to take the team through new challenges towards our vision of Test cricket. “He has substantial international experience, not only playing in 41 tests and 53 ODIs, but also as New Zealand coach in 41 Tests and 106 ODIs over five years. “During his tenure the Black Caps qualified for three semi-finals in ICC global events, while he also won six trophies with Gloucestershire. The interview
panel was impressed by John’s passion, commitment and knowledge, but more importantly his international experience both as a player and coach.” Speaking about his appointment, Bracewell added: “I am delighted to accept the position as Cricket Ireland’s head coach. There is nothing I enjoy more than fighting for a cause and, in cricket terms, there is none better than obtaining test status. “A l r e a d y I r e l a n d h ave achieved tremendous international results given its financial resources and has gained respect
at international tournaments, to the point where they are no longer regarded as a banana skin match but true qualifying contenders.” Ireland assistant coach and performance analyst Peter Johnston will lead the Ireland coaching team for the Royal London One-Day International against England with Bracewell at the game in an observer capacity. His first match as head coach will be the home Inter Continental Cup game against the UAE starting on June 2, subject to receiving a work permit.
7 May 2015 Gazette 29
Gazette
Prestige stage set for tenth birthday With the An Post Ras coming to Skerries for its thrilling finale for a 10th successive year, James Hendicott spoke to organiser Michael O’Donoghue about Irish cycling’s big event SUNDAY, May 24 will see Skerries host the final stage of the An Post Ras for an unprecedented 10th consecutive year, on the event’s 63rd edition. Ireland’s most significant international cycling race takes place over eight stages, setting off from Dunboyne, Co Meath, on Sunday, May 17. It subsequently takes in 14 counties, with stops including Carlow, Tipperary, Ballina and Drogheda along the route. Organiser Michael O’Donoghue is the sportsman on the race committee, but sees the event in a far wider context than simply as a cycling event, focusing instead on the street party that the Ras brings to the town. “I’m one of very few people on the committee who’s into cycling”, O’Donoghue explains.
“The focus is very much on being part of the Skerries social calendar, so most of the committee are local community organisers. “It’s built around the cycling, but we’ll be focusing on the atmosphere, not the race. It’s become Skerries’ largest street festival.” The theme of the festival for 2015 will be Fitness and Fun for All, with static bikes, fitness testing and healthy eating stalls added to the festival’s annual attractions. “There are over 50 community groups involved, and we try to lay on a lot of attractions. “This year those will include a farmers’ market, street entertainers, bouncy castles, magic performers and craft stalls. “We’ll be spending more on it than we ever
have before, with loads of community involvement. There will be a lot to do.” That expansive finalstage party has drawn between 3,000 and 4,000 spectators to the sprint finish over the past few years. However, O’Donoghue hopes the extra planning efforts for the 10th anniversary may lead to a still greater turn out this year. “We hope it will be the best-attended final stage yet”, O’Donoghue says. “Fingal County Council has been great in their funding and support. There’s strong community support. “The route really shows off Skerries. It’s a beautiful route taking in the castle, the town centre and the coast. “It’s fantastic for Skerries to be able to bring an influx of international visitors. The teams come
Rozanna Purcell pictured with, from left, Irish riders Damien Shaw, David McCann, former Ras winner, Sean McKenna and Eoin Morton at the launch of the An Post Ras
complete with doctors, mechanics and managers, so it’s a significant tourism boost for the town.” Among cycling fanatics, the Ras has developed a reputation as a proving ground for world class athletes, with previous winners including three-time world
event is already clear, riders want to take the cheers of the crowd. It’s the best attended stage and the one people remember.” Major teams competing this year include the Team Novo Nordisk development squad, who will feature only type 1 diabetic riders, who are aiming
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‘Skerries is the prestige, homecoming stage so the riders want to be the one to take the crowd’s cheers’
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time trial champion and Olympic silver medallist Tony Martin, and winner of this year’s notorious Paris-Roubaix race John Degenkolb, both of Germany. The final stage is spectator friendly, looping three times through the Black Hills and back into the city to enable plenty of access to all the action for spectators. The third loop has been added this year as a special spectator-friendly 10th anniversary extra. The racers are expected to arrive in Skerries shortly after 2pm, with the winner crowned at a trophy presentation at 4pm. Things should be competitive. The final “prestige” stage is “generally the one people want to win”, O’Donogue says. “It’s the homecoming stage, so even if the winner of the
to prove that sportsmen can compete alongside controlled type 1 diabetes. The Canadian and New Zealand national teams will attend, while the previously successful Azerbaijan Synergy Baku Team will return to chase further stage wins. “The Ras coming to the same town for a 10th consecutive year is unprecedented. Obviously, it’s a huge boost for the local area.” O’Donoghue concludes. “We’re hoping it will be huge.” This year’s full route of 1,200kms omits many of the previous year’s tougher climbs, featuring no category one and just two category two ascents. This is expected to open up the 2015 circuit to attacks over windy routes providing little shelter, so hopes for a thrilling festival finish are high.
FastSport
Werahiko back on board as Salmo aim to bounce back DE LA Salle Palmerston has appointed Phil Werahiko as their new director of rugby for the 2015/16 season as they look to put plans in place to bounce back up to all-Ireland league status. Werahiko previously played and worked as head coach for DLSP where he guided them into top tier of the AIL. After his successful period at the Kirwan Park club, his career then took him to further success’s at Clontarf and English Division one side Rotherham, before returning to Dublin to coach Old Belvedere, where he won the AIL title in 2011. In recent years, he has taken up a role at Belvedere College where he oversees all aspects of rugby and this season guided their senior cup team to reach the Leinster schools final. Speaking about the new appointment, a club statement said: “We are genuinely delighted that someone with Phil’s vast experience has given such a vote of confidence to our club by accepting this role and we are confident that his appointment sends out a clear message about our intentions for the 2015-16 season. “Phil is currently conducting a review of our rugby structures and resources.” It comes in the wake of DLSP dropping out of the national league in dramatic fashion as they fell 22-10 to Dundalk in a playoff game after they finished the Division 2B season in 14th place overall. It followed a last season rally that almost saw them escape the playoff places with a 17-6 win over Wanderers, a 17-all draw with Midleton before closing out the campaign with a 41-0 home win against Ards. But it was enough to reel in Boyne, who finished three points clear of them in the rankings, in front of big crowds and the club are hopeful they can replicate that in the coming seasons as they bid to bounce back. “We would also like to thank all of our club members who got out in such large and vocal numbers to support our team when really needed. It was genuinely appreciated by the whole squad. “We face many difficult challenges but we would like to use this opportunity to reassure the members that the club is absolutely committed to regaining AIL status.”
Gazette
30 CLONDALKIN gazette 7 May 2015
SPORT
fastSport
canoe: Salmon leap member medals at European sprints
Bell and Crumlin face off in Cahill Cup final BLUEBELL United will face a tough task as the Leinster Senior League’s top two clubs aptly come together to contest the Charlie Cahill Cup final this weekend. Andy Noonan’s side will be going in search of their first trophy of the season. Despite a sticky run of form, the Red Cow Club have cause for optimism as Crumlin United’s only league defeat in 15 came in a 5-1 demolition against Bluebell back in August. That game handed Bluebell their current advantage on goal difference at the top of the LSL table. Bluebell have two games remaining in the LSL next to Crumlin’s five, though, so regardless of their big win and current nominal lead, their title challenge looks dead and buried, lending their Cahill Cup Final appearance extra significance. Noonan’s Bluebell United side were ruthless in progressing through their semi-final, delivering a crushing 4-1 victory away win at cup holders Tolka Rovers in mid-April. Clinical striker Aji Sule did the damage with two of the goals, while Izzy Akinade starred in the Frank Cooke Park encounter. Edging through the quarter final on penalties, 5-4 over Drumcondra FC, and a 3-2 third round win over Newbridge Town, however, have meant earlier progress was far less comfortable. Crumlin, equally, come in off the back of a fairly comfortable semi-final win. A forty yard Ger Rowe piledriver of a free kick was the highlight against Greystones United, with Greg Moorhouse bundling in a messy second. 17 year old ‘keeper Mikey Quinn had to play his part as Greystones rallied, but the league leaders remained largely in control. It’s difficult to call the final, then, even with Bluebell United coming in to the game having taken a relatively miserly four points from their last three league fixtures. While Crumlin United go in as favourites based on their impressive record this season, it’s difficult to entirely discount that 5-1 early season win, in which Bluebell totally ran away with the game in the final 20 minutes. Crumlin will also contest the FAI Intermediate Cup Final against Tolka Rovers on Sunday, 17 May.
Salmon Leap’s Jenny Egan battles for position in Racice.
Egan breaks new Irish ground james hendicott sport@dublingazette.com
SALMON Leap canoe c l u b ’s J e n n y E g a n became the first Irish athlete to win a Senior European Sprint Championship canoe medal last weekend in Racice, Czech Republic. Egan’s bronze medal came in the Senior Women’s K1 5,000m event, which features one long (2,000m) and four short (750m) laps. “I got a good start, alongside the lead group”, Egan said. “And at the top turn at 1,000m, myself and two other girls broke away
from the rest of the field. We stayed away for the rest of the race, and it came down to a sprint finish for the medals between the three of us.” Expectations were high going into the event for Egan. “I’ve been fifth in the European Sprint 5,000m Championships before, in 2013, and I’ve always aimed to get a medal. “The thing with this event is it can be quite u n p r e d i c t a b l e . Yo u might have a collision, causing the boat to spin. “If that happens it messes up the rest of
powering play Dublin’s Davey on hand to launch Cul camps dublin footballer Lyndsey Davey, pictured with twins Conor and Tadhg Scanlon and sisters Alice and Hannah Brannigan from Perrystown, launched Kellogg’s renewed sponsorship deal with GAA Cul camps. The launch also saw the introduction of Kellogg’s Powering Play, a new fun, gamebased nutritional workshop that will be piloted at selected Cul camps to help promote the benefits of physical activity and eating well.
the race. So long as I had a clean race and got myself in a good position off the start line, I had high expectations.” Egan’s third place finish at the championships follows previous Sprint World Cup medals won in Hungary in 2010 and on the same course in the Czech Republic in 2011, and makes her Ireland’s most successful sprint canoe athlete. Racice must fast be becoming Egan’s favourite stop off. “It helps to have had a good result in a specific location, though most sprint courses around the world are quite
similar”, she explained. “Once we were away, I just had to keep things clean and focused. I could see we were pulling away from the group behind us, so it was about not making a tactical mistake or having a collision.” The feeling was “immense” on crossing the finish line, Egan laughed. “It’s what you train for two to three times a day, six days a week. The training paid off. My mum, dad and brother all travelled, so it was a great moment and a great chance to celebrate.”
The race was won by Mar y na Litv unchuk of Belarus, with Italy’s Irene Burgo taking silver, both less than a second ahead of Egan. Irish paracanoeist Patrick O’Lear y narrowly missed out on joining Jenny on the podium, finishing fourth by just a third of a second in his KL3 200m final. The season is building towards the European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan in June, followed by the first of two qualifying events for the Rio Olympics in the senior sprint World Championships in Milan this coming August.
7 May 2015 CLONDALKIN gazette 31
Gazette
sponsorship deal
Insanity Fit Zone link up with St Mark’s U-13s
Club Noticeboard round tower clondalkin
st mark’s Under-13s received a big boost
this week following their link-up with Insanity Fit Zone in Palmerstown, which will see the company sponsor the team’s jerseys for the year. Pictured at the launch of the new kit are, left to right, Cian Moonan, Thomas Kielty, Evan Moonan and Alan Moonan, mentor of the Under-13 team with Mark Lacey, owner of Insanity Fit Zone Palmerstown.
football: tower’s starlet shines bright in blue
WELL done to all involved in the host-
fifth and sixth class pupils. Admission
ing of Feile na nGael Saturday last. It
is €5.
was yet another tremendous success
The Round Tower lotto draw for April
and thank you to all who played a role
27: numbers drawn were 1, 16, 17 and 29
in assisting with organising and sup-
and the bonus ball was 8; there were
porting it.
three €100 winners: Austin Gaffney,
Well done to our U-14 hurlers who
Eoin, M and J Cullen. Play the club lotto
proudly represented the club and
online at www.roundtower.ie and sup-
made the semi-finals.
port this important club fundraiser.
Well done Emma O’Malley and Riona
Can you spare two hours a month to
McTavish, who were on the Dublin U-14
support the lotto? Sellers required for
and U-16 ladies football teams that
the Mill Shopping Centre. Tickets sold
were victorious in Leinster champi-
Saturdays between 10am and 4pm. If
onships over the weekend and will play
you are in a position to support please
Leinster finals.
contact Gerry at 085 1743758 or Jes-
Best of luck to Amy Conroy, Sinead
Round Tower Golf Society: Millicent
are on Dublin minor panel that face
(April 25) - overall Paul Lanigan (43
Kildare in Leinster final.
points); Class 1: Packie Lanigan (37);
Round Tower’s Night at the Dogs is
Class 2: Gerry Gallagher (40); Class 3:
taking place on Friday week. Purchase
Tony Keogh (36); Front 9: John Whelan
your tickets now for €10, including
(20); Back 9: John Walsh (18).
admission and transport to and from Harold’s Cross. U-14s go free and there will be a kids race and face-painting on the night;
Leinster minor final Dublin Kildare sport@dublingazette.com
7-11 0-9
ROUND Tower’s Amy Conroy struck 2-2 as Dublin romped to the Leinster minor championship for a remarkable fifth year in a row following an emphatic 23-point victory over Kildare. Remarkably the Dubs have won the provincial crown every year since 2005 bar one, the only blip coming in 2010 when Laois broke the sequence to claim the title. Dublin returned to winning ways in 2011
and haven’t lost a minor championship game in Leinster since. At Blakestown on Monday, Kildare simply had no response to the metropolitan’s pace, fitness and power but to their credit Kildare never gave up the chase with corner forward Ciara Wheeler and full back Lydia Furey leading by example for the Lilywhites. Dublin got the perfect start as in under two minutes the blues had raced into a four point lead, Emma Colgan opened Dublin’s scoring with a well taken point which was quickly followed up
by an Amy Conroy goal. Kildare fought back with points from Breen, Munnelly and a Wheeler free but in the 27th minute corner forward Emma Colgan bagged her side’s second goal. Kildare were just starting to settle into the game when Colgan blasted her shot past Kildare keeper Natasha Murphy. Colgan’s goal was a killer punch for Kildare coming as it did just before the break. Dublin’s second goal gave McDonnell’s side a nine point lead at half time, Dublin 2-5 to 0-3 ahead.
Kildare as a unit simply could not handle Dublin’s movement, pace and fitness levels when Colgan and Conroy struck again for their side’s third and fourth goals in the seventh and eighth minute of the second half the game was well and truly over as a contest. Dublin would go on to raise the green flag three more times before the final whistle with O’Hara, O’Dell and Colgan again netting for her hat trick in the 27th minute. Next on the agenda is an All-Ireland semi-final with Munster Champions Cork on July 18.
urday, May 30, at Naas GC. New golfers welcome. Round Tower continues to offer
night out. For tickets or sponsorship
excellent party packages including,
opportunities contact Jimmy at 087
for no extra cost, cake, balloons and
7453478.
decorations. We can also provide a DJ
May 8 from 7.30-9.30pm for fourth,
Conroy clips 2-2 in Kildare demolition
Visitor: Paul Hales (39); Deuce pot Donal O’Hogain. Next outing is on Sat-
it promises to be an excellent family
The club disco returns this Friday,
Amy Conroy, right, in action for Dublin last Monday against Kildare. Picture: Peter Hickey/GAAPics.com
sica at 087 2806273.
Collins and Sarah-Jane Hecker, who
and hot food. Enquiries to Jimmy at 087 7453478.
lucan sarsfields MANY thanks to all the teams who
The next Lucan Sarsfields bingo
sent in match reports last weekend.
night takes place Wednesday, May
Full details can be found on our web-
13 at 8.30pm in the clubhouse, eyes
site, www.lucansarsfields.ie.
down.
Over 1,500 players were in action
Clarevoyant Bernie Stokes will
in the last week across all four codes
be at the club on June 13. Tickets on
from age seven to 40+.
sale every Tuesday and Thursday at
Well done to our hurling Feile teams who played in Division 1 and Division 6 over the weekend.
the bar. Have you got what it takes to beat The Kube? If so, keep Friday, June
Our Division 6 team have reached
5, free and contact the organising
the final, which will take place this
committee on 087 4650729 to regis-
Saturday. Best of luck.
ter your interest.
Best of luck to our adult football
The club shop is open on Thurs-
teams who start their champion-
days from 7.30pm to 8.30pm and
ship campaigns this weekend.
Saturdays from 10.30am to 1.30pm.
There will be a fully supervised
The Lucan District Credit Union
fifth and sixth class disco this Fri-
GAA Academy at Lucan Sarsfields
day, May 8; doors open 7.30pm, in
runs from 9.30am for camogie and
aid of the minnor footballers Kube
girls football, 10am for boys football
contestant.
and hurling, for boys and girls born
Condolences to the Flynn fam-
in 2008, 2009 and 2010 at the 12th
ily on the passing of Noel. Noel has
Lock, Lucan - contact Johnny on 085
been a member of Lucan Sarsfields
1294102 for more information.
for many years and was the driving
There was no winner of this week’s
force behind the establishement
€16,000 lotto draw, numbers were
and development of the camogie
2, 4, 5 and 6. This week’s jackpot is
section of the club.
€16,500.
Condolences also to the Staple-
Diamond and Gem Jewellers are
ton family on the passing of Bernie’s
sponsoring with Edel Mooney’s Team
mother Annie Clarke.
in charge.
GazetteSPORT all of your clondalkin sports coverage from page 28-31
may 7-13, 2015
minority report: Round Tower’s Amy Conroy nets The race to skerries: North Dublin village hosts twice in emphatic final win for Dublin’s minors P31 Ras finale for 10th year P29
The St Francis Under-15 side, pictured celebrating All-Ireland glory last year, will face St Kevin’s in the Conway Cup final next weekend
Francis’ Conway Cup bid Baldonnel club hoping to make it three wins from three against rivals St Kevin’s as they meet in their DDSL decider in the AUL on Saturday james hendicott
sport@dublingazette.com
THIS weekend’s Under-15 DDSL Conway Cup Final promises much, with high-flying Baldonnel side St Francis taking on a side that sit a single point above them in the Michael McKiernan Premier, St Kevin’s. Both previous encounters between the teams this year have produced memorable outcomes, with St Francis twice coming out on top 4-3. One game saw Kevin’s come close after falling 4-0 down, while the second needed an injury-time St Francis winner. Francis manager Mark Connolly is cautiously optimistic come final day: “We’ve had
four of the top five sides in the league on our side of the draw so it was great to get through”, he told GazetteSport. “It’s a big day out for the kids. You can see the buzz in training. The league is the bread and butter, but the cup games show their strong mentality. Only the best of the best will beat them but Kevin’s will be gunning for us after the last two matches.” Indeed, the Francis team are full of class, with much of the squad looking likely to go further in the game. “Two of the lads made their underage international debuts this year, Charlie Barry and Cian Hughes”, Connolly said. “Two more, Thomas Caffrey and James Jennings, were involved in the training
squads.” “We’ve also had six or seven of the current squad go to Britain. Winning’s a great habit. We generally finish in the top three in the league, but it’s all about improving the players. “They train three nights a week, play on Saturday and do strength and conditioning on a Sunday. It’s almost full time for them.” “In the last five months now, they’ve only lost one game, and when they lose it kills them”, Connolly said, reflecting on Francis’ significant upturn since Christmas. “In my opinion they’re the best footballing side at this age group in the country when they click.” For all their class, though, Connolly has a
realistic angle on his side’s long-term prospects. “If they get an education out of this, through a scholarship here or in the States for example, that’d be fantastic. “That’s our job done. Playing full time football is the dream but it’s also like winning the lotto, especially for an Irish kid. It’s a lot about luck. But we definitely have kids there that I think have the talent.” The current Under-15 St Francis side have now reached a cup final for the last four years in a row, including taking home the All Ireland title at both Under-14 and Under-13 level. The final kicks off at 1pm on Saturday, May 9, at the AUL Complex in Clonshaugh, Dublin 17.